Isringhausen, Duda, and Getting Dumped In High School

Belated Congrats Izzy

I have a confession to make.  It’s 9:05pm (eastern standard time for our west coast Midwestropolitans out there), and I just finished watching portions of last night’s game.

Does this make me less of a fan?

Nah.

The combination of this west coast swing and it being one of the busiest times of the year for my job, has taken away from the number of innings I have been able to watch.  Suffice it to say this means the in-depth, play by-play, recaps you have come so custom to receiving from me will be on a short hiatus until the Mets return to this side of the Mississippi.

I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me.

For now, I’ll drop a few quick hits your way.

Quick Hits Volume 1

• It was pretty cool to see Izzy close out his 300th save.  I’m also a fan of Terry Collins giving him the opportunity to do so.  It was the right thing to do in my humble opinion.  Now it’s time to see what Bobby Parnell and Pedro Beato can do in that role.
• Did anyone else notice how cowlike Izzy and Lucas Duda were during the post game hand shakes in terms of chewing their gum?  I mean easy fellas.  You do realize you play for the Mets and are aware of their injury history the last few years right?  I would hate to see either of you find yourselves on the DL due to a freak case of lock-jaw.
• I am trying to stop myself from getting my hopes up that Lucas Duda will become a stud for the 2012 Mets.  Not because I am one of “those guys” that thrives on misery or that I don’t want him to.  It’s more of a defense mechanism.  Similar to when you prepare yourself for inevitably getting dumped by the current girl you were dating in high school.

Hmpf

This game pissed me off so I’ll react in grunts…

• Pelfrey good game
• Confirmed, Angel Pagan back to his old head scratching ways after hiatus in 2010
• Lucas Duda’s could only enjoy his biggest home run as a Met for a half of an inning
• Daniel Murphy’s lack of a natural defensive position is glaringly hurtful
• Murph can still hit
• Jason Bay hit a home run…..yay
• Jose Reyes is still chilly
• Wish Wright would throw the ball over hand
• Izzy probably wishes he threw a curve ball to Stanton in the 10th
• Mets lose out on an opportunity to gain ground on the Braves

I feel better now.  The good thing is the Mets can still win this series.

Quite The Intriguing Team

You have dealt with injuries to all of your star players and a number of supporting cast members.  You survive the endless talk about losing the most exciting player in the game.  You have been inundated with question after question about where one of your best players is going to be traded since the All-Star Break.  Said player is finally traded.

What do you do?

Sweep a team that was in the playoffs last year and is in contention again this year in their home ball park in a four game series.  Why the hell not.

Four days ago I had accepted that this team was officially in rebuilding mode for 2012. Now I find myself fascinated by the following questions:

• Can this team really shock the baseball world and make a run at the post season?
• Is Lucas Duda for real?
• How long was Wright’s back hurting him and can we expect this type of production now that he is healthy?
• Is Bobby Parnell coming of age?
• Can Jason Isringhausen hold up as the team’s closer for the rest of the season?
• How can this team win when Jose Reyes has one of his worst offensive series of the season (3 for 19)?
• Why is it that we still have not learned the reason for Mike Pelfrey’s excessive finger/palm licking?
• Why do managers, coaches, and training staff still have to wear uniform pants?
• Is Ike Davis still alive?
• Why is midwestropolitan.com this awesome?
• When will Major League Baseball change its archaic blackout restrictions for television coverage?
• Did the Wilpons finally learn to keep their traps shut after the Fred Fiasco at the beginning of the year?
• Is today’s game the mark of Jason Bay finally breaking out of his bay? (This question was more for you, because I have already trained myself not to think about it any longer this season).

Regardless of how many of these questions we get answered, I am happy to say I am anticipating an entertaining remainder of the 2011 season.  I still doubt it will end with a post season appearance, but at least it will keep me from re-organizing my sock drawer or alphabetizing my spice rack.

Time To Build The 2012 Mets

Life is unfair and so is Major League Baseball.  If the Mets were in the National League Central they would be in the hunt for a division title.  They’re not, so it’s time friends.  Time for Mr. Alderson to show us what he can do.

He has given Terry Collins and his players enough time to prove they can compete for a playoff spot.  After this weekend’s disappointing series loss, it is clear that chances are slim to none, and slim left town with Logan Morrison’s eighth inning home run this afternoon.

As much as I don’t want to see it, I know Carlos Beltran will be dealt.  It also seems pretty clear that Jose Reyes is staying and the Mets are going to attempt to re-sign him.

What isn’t clear, is what else Sandy Alderson has in the works. Between now and opening day of 2012, Mr. Alderson has his work cut out for him.

Being the giver that I am, I figured I’d share with him who I’d like to see move on.

• Mike Pelfrey– I like Big Pelf and will always hope he does well.  However, I feel as if he has peaked as a Met and needs a change of scenery to see if he can thrive elsewhere.  The Mets have given him an ample amount of opportunities to prove he can be a reliable starter.  Too many ups and downs for me.
• Jason Bay– He’s not going anywhere anytime soon, but he belongs on this list for obvious reasons.  Maybe the Mets’ front office can blackmail high ranking officials from another team forcing them to make a deal for Bay.  It could happen.
• Angel Pagan– Similar to Pelfrey, Angel has been given plenty of opportunities to prove he can be an impact player.  He has regressed this year and his decision making ability irks me.
• Ryota Igarashi– Iggy is a bust.  His 6.25 ERA in 53 career appearances is explanation enough.
• D.J. Carrasco– Wasn’t a huge fan of his signing, and he hasn’t disproved my initial opinion.
• Bobby Parnell-  Parnell is last on this list for a reason.  I am still holding on to hope that the time he has remaining with Jason Isringhausen will help him get over the hump mentally.  Clearly he has electric stuff, he just doesn’t carry himself as if he believes in it.

I realize some of these players will log innings for the Mets in 2012 just as it is a reality that a number of players I didn’t list will not.  I just figured Mr. Alderson would want to get some feedback from Midwestropolitan.com before he starts building the 2012 Mets.

Good luck Mr. A., we believe in you.

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K-Rod Trade: Not A White Flag, A Smart Move

In trading K-Rod to Milwaukee, Sandy Alderson has made the best of a bad situation. K-Rod’s contract was heavy and his option was obviously an enormous cause for concern. K-Rod wasn’t going to be the catalyst to a playoff run, either.

If the Mets do make a run it will be because they play a couple weeks of flawless baseball starting immediately, get a little bit of help and consequently decide to hold on to Carlos Beltran. If and when the Mets elect to trade Beltran, that would be raising the white flag because his presence in the lineup is invaluable.

Alderson may elect to move Beltran regardless instead of letting him walk, but I still believe the next couple of weeks will play a big factor into that decision.

For the time being, I wouldn’t be opposed to Bobby Parnell closing out ballgames. Izzy looks exhausted.

__________________

Note: The amount of cash heading Milwaukee’s way hasn’t been confirmed as of the time I am typing this, so bother Jason if this post is outdated by the time I wake up. I can’t promise he’ll care.

Update from Jason:  Reports are saying the Mets will eat $5 million of K-Rod’s salary.  By my quick math, that is still $12.5 million better than holding on to him and letting his option vest.  A big thanks goes out to Tom for having seven of his family members out east call me at separate times to remind me to look into the cash details. 

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Take That You Stupid Wall

Instead of crashing into the wall in Chavez Ravine, Jason Bay was blasting baseballs over it.  A much better option for him and the Mets I might add.

Combined with a shaky but effective start by Mike Pelfrey, the Mets uncharacteristically flexed their muscles scoring all six of their runs on the long ball.   My All-Star and your All-Star, Carlos Beltran got the night going in the fifth with a two run blast to left center.

Jason Bay took over from there.  He began his power display in the sixth inning with a 420 foot shot to left center.  Jason then put the game out of reach in the eighth inning, providing a three run knock to right field.

A Midwestropolitan Reaction

Obviously, the Mets are a very different team when Jason Bay hits.  He has been showing signs as of late and I can only hope that his performance in this game means he is embarking on a hot streak.

His second home run impressed me more than his first even though it was almost 40 feet shorter.  The fact that he took an outside off speed pitch to right field for power is a great improvement from waving and missing or rolling over weakly to the left side.

Mike Pelfrey was able to avoid trouble all game long.  Not exactly how I would prefer it, but I’ll take it any day. Maybe this kind of start will give him some confidence because he proved to himself he can pitch out of multiple jams.

As much as I like Jason Isringhausen, he is scaring me.  I can’t remember the last time he appeared in a game and came up with an easy inning.

On to game three which gives us the match up of Jon Niese versus Hiroki Kuroda, a pitcher that possesses the rare combination of a 6-9 record with a 2.90 ERA.

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You’ll Get Em Next Time?

Prior to tonight’s game, if I would have told you that Mike Pelfrey would only give up two runs and Ronnie Paulino would hit a three run bomb that almost hit Bernie The Brewer’s slide you would think Mets W right?

Not the case.

Pedro Beato and Jason Isringhausen decided they don’t like four run leads and gave it right back.

I’m not sure what to think about this loss truthfully.  On one hand, the bullpen blew another game in a deflating fashion.  On the other hand, the Mets have had this supposedly superior team on the ropes the entire series.

Maybe tomorrow’s game will help me figure things out.

P.S.  I still can’t figure out why Randy Wolf owns the Mets and has for his entire career. 

P.P.S.  Jose Reyes is still the shit.

P.P.P.S.  Jason Bay is not.  His .207 average and complete lack of a clue at the plate combined with the absolute look of defeat he carries on his face right now makes me sad.  I’ve never seen anything like this before.

Some Sage Advice

Let’s try being a little more careful when facing Prince Fielder tomorrow night.  Three monster jacks in two games makes me think the Mets should try letting someone else attempt to beat them.

See you tomorrow fellow Midwestropolitans.

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A Sight For Sore Eyes

NEW YORK METS    W: 22  L: 22     %: .500

wordpress is pissing me off

so now i am going to have to make this white colored font

Justin Turner On His Way To Becoming First Adopted Midwestropolitan

What more can be said for Justin Turner’s clutch hitting.  Not only did he drive in another huge run tonight, but he showed off his mad bunting skills by perfectly placing a bunt down the third base line for a hit.

Much more on Turner later tonight in another post (nice teaser huh?).

Izzy And KRod Deserve A Lot Of Credit

Much has been said about the starting pitching staff starting to find their way.  Let us not forget about how huge Jason Isringhausen and Francisco Rodriguez have been for the Mets.  They have literally been lights out.

Tonight was no different.  Izzy and KRod mowed down the Yanks in the eighth and ninth innings.  Lovely gentlemen, lovely.

Chicks May Dig The Long Ball But….

We spend a shit load of time dissecting the Mets lineup.  It is certainly fun, I won’t disagree there.

However, this current stretch shows how important solid pitching and solid defense are in this game.

I don’t think it’s a huge coincidence that the Mets seem to be coming up with the timely hit on a nightly basis.  The fact that they need only one or two timely hits is a huge difference than needing three or four timely hits in a game when they are down by a handful of runs.

People Named Jason Kick Ass

Yet Another Jason Kicking Ass

Fact:

People named Jason kick ass.

Proof:

1. Jason Pridie’s three run bomb that was the difference in tonight’s ball  game.
2. The Mets record when Jason Bay is in the lineup (9-3).
3. Jason Isringhausen pitching another solid inning of relief tonight at the age of 87.
4. Me.
5. Last but not least, I am almost 100% certain that Carlos is spanish for Jason.

Seriously though folks, I will be very curious to see what the Mets do when Angel Pagan is healthy.  I am starting to enjoy watching Jason Pridie play.

Obviously, he is not a world beater but he is playing reasonably well  right now, which is more than I can say for Willie Harris and Scott Hairston.  Watching Harris or Hairston play is not something that is high on my list of things I enjoy doing.

We’ll see what happens.  All of this blather is premature, as none of this needs to be decided until Angel Pagan gets healthy anyway.

I’ll just sit back and enjoy the current winning streak while I can.

Monday With Midwestropolitan

Just some random thoughts to get your week started now that I have recovered from Tom’s violation of Midwestropolitan’s own version of Omerta.

More on that in a bit.

Putting Things In Perspective

The series loss against the Nats was the first official failure of the season for the boys in blue and orange.  Remember, I don’t view things a game at a time.  To recap, the series win against the Marlins was definitely a plus and  the series loss to the Phillies was expected.  It will be interesting to see how the Mets react to a disappointing home series defeat.

At 4-5, the Mets find themselves only one game back of the NL Wildcard.  Yup, the Wildcard.  It has never been realistic to expect the Mets would challenge for the NL East title, even though they are only three games back in that particular race.

Their record is far from horrible.  Just ask the fans in Boston and Tampa Bay.  Well, maybe not Tampa Bay.  They probably wouldn’t care if the Rays were 8-1 rather than their current 1-8.  They are too busy checking out which restaurants have the best early bird specials to give a hoot.

Overall the Mets have yet to give us a sense of consistency at the plate or in the field.  Offensively they are either  a force to be reckoned with, or a team that looks like they couldn’t score against my son’s little league squad.

They have also been inconsistent in the field.  One day they are showing flashes of brilliance making run saving plays.  The next, they look like the New York Knights amidst their historic losing streak.

What is losing?

Losing is a disease…
…as contagious as polio.

Losing is a disease…
…as contagious as syphilis.

Losing is a disease…
…as contagious as bubonic plague…

The only thing that has been consistent is the piss poor performance of the bullpen as my colleague pointed out last night.

Never fear,  Mr. Alderson is here, complete with tag line for his recent roster move:

It’s the Iggy and Izzy show.

Hopefully, these guys will help shore up the bullpen.  I wonder if Izzy’s veteran presence will help out Parnell and some of the other guys.

How Yesterday’s Loss Ruined A Chance For Me To Avenge Tom’s Violation Of Midwestropolitan’s Omerta

I’m sure plenty of you noticed Tom’s shocking violation yesterday of an unwritten rule we have here at Midwestropolitan.  He took a text message that I sent him during a joyous occasion Saturday evening (Beltran’s second bomb), and turned it into a post mocking me.

That my friends is a no-no.  Needless to say, the gloves are off and Tom is sleeping with one eye open these days.  He is now looking over his shoulder every waking moment for punishment to be handed out.

What is this punishment you ask?

The first part is a physical torment that surely has him in a constant nervous sweat.  At any moment I could board a plane to Tucson, find him, kick him in the shins really really hard, and then board an airplane back to Indiana without uttering a word.

The second phase is a bit more obvious.  It involves making  fun of Tom for his not so secret man crush on Chris Young.  You can view the evidence here and here.  Embarrassing isn’t it folks?

Of course the Mets ruined it for me, as the bullpen blew Young’s second consecutive fine start in a way that surely brought Tom to his knee’s screaming “WHY!? WHYYYYYYYYYYY!?” with tears streaming down his face.

Oh well.  There’s always his next start.

Expectations For The Colorado Series

The Amazin’s will need a series win to make up for the set back agains the Nats.  This may be a tall order as I feel a split is more realistic against a team that many have predicted to give the Giants a run for their money in the NL West.

It doesn’t help that the Rockies of reeled off a 6-2 start including a 3-1 road record so far.

Look for some home magic with Big Pelf tonight.  He clearly pitched better at home last season so I am expecting to see the same in 2011.