metsmonkeys

Heartbreak Once More

2008-09-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

The monkeys attended the Shea Finale yesterday. As the Cubs took a 1-0 lead into the sixth inning, the monkeys were getting ready for a celebration. Carlos Beltran who was really strong down the stretch hit a game tying homerun and things looked pretty good there for a bit. After Nick Evans threw to the wrong base, Jerry Manuel made what looked for a bit like the move of the year bringing in Endy Chavez who promptly made what could have turned into a game saving catch.

Then a little bit after 4, it all fell apart. Scott Schoeneweis let up a go ahead homerun. Luis Ayala followed by allowing one of his own. And in Milwaukee, Ryan Braun hit a 2 run homerun. In the history of professional sports, how many times has the season determined by which team had the better Jew?

Carlos Delgado and Ryan Church each gave noble efforts to save the season exciting the home crowd, but neither shot was good enough. Some fans are blaming Jose Reyes' last week or David Wright for not getting enough clutch hits. Here's what the monkeys say: Don't!

37 doubles 19 triples 16 homers 68 RBI for Reyes is good enough.

42 doubles 33 homers 124 RBI for Wright is good enough.

Listening to idiots like Mike Francessa talk about trading these two burns us up. It's not about the stars. It's about the supporting cast and the bullpen.

If the games ended after 6 innings, the Mets would have by 11.5 games. If the games ended after 8 innings, the Mets would have won by 6.5 games. Pretty strong case that the bullpen is the thing that cost the Mets the playoffs.

The Mets need tougher supporting players not better superstars. For 24 fans, they need more Tony Almedias than Milo Pressmans.

In the next few days, we'll go over who should stay and who should go. For now, Shea Goodbye.

Heroic Effort Keeps Mets Alive

2008-09-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

The most clutch regular season start in the history of the Mets. The start that may get him the CY Young despite a bullpen that has sabatoged his efforts to win the award all year. A potentially franchise changing start. None of this is hyperbole.

Johan Santana pitched a complete game shutout on 3 days rest for a team that desperately needed a hero to take them on his back. The Mets fans who have endured tough losses all year including the worst one of all this past Wednesday were dying for a hero. And despite declaring himself running for office at the eleventh hour, Ramon Martinez just wouldn't look quite right as our candidate. No the title fits Johan Santana as well as it fits Batman, Spiderman, James Bond or Superman.

Santana has been called upon so often to "save the season," the monkeys would have understood if this last task was just too much for one man. He beat the Phillies to help avoid the big sweep. He beat the Cubs on Tuesday to stop a three game slide. Honestly, it was like the monkeys were at a sedar saying If he beat the Phillies and didn't save our ass on Tuesday, Dayenu. If he had saved our ass on Tuesday and not pitched a shutout on Saturday, Dayenu. Only it wwouldn't have been sufficient. The Mets have needed Santana every time.

And here's the thing that really endears Santana to monkeys and Mets fans. If he had lost today, you know damn well he would have been devastated. Hear that, Glavine? That's what a hero does and says.

"The Slide" May Have Changed Meaning

2008-09-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

The monkeys have written that it is slightly unfair to compare the end of the year struggles of the 2008 Mets to that of the 2007 Mets. After all the 2007 version had a 7 game lead with 17 to go and the 2008 team came from 7.5 games behind to take a never truly secure lead of 3.5 games before coughing it up. Nevertheless as Jerry Manuel is fond of saying "This is who we are." And knowing that, it is hard to completely criticize the desciption of recent events as a "slide."

After yesterday's game, the Mets pray that they have changed the meaning of "the slide." After trailing by 3 runs and looking at a grim suituation, the Mets received clutch hits from unlikely heroes Ramon Martinez and Robinson Cancel. It appeared that Ryan Church was a dead duck ay home plate, but Church stopped his momentum, changed direction, pulled his body away from the catcher, sneaked around him and dove in to home plate, passing by the catcher’s mitt. He actually had to dive back one more time because he probably missed the plate the first time.

Carlos Beltran got the big hit in the ninth that was lacking the night before, but if the Mets do indeed make it to October, we'll all be talking about "the slide" for years to come. And if the Mets to are able change the connotation of that word after all that has happened, it would mean the world to this franchise.

Tatis Injury is Having a Major Impact

2008-09-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

The monkeys attended Shea Stadium last night for what may prove to be the final time. Upon leaving, we turned to each other and said "They can't burn this place down fast enough." The game was pure torture.

Now all started well and good. Carlos Delgado hit a huge grand slam homerun and the familiar chants of "MVP! MVP!" filled Shea Stadium. Shea Jones' father provided the home crowd some energy as news of his big homerun hit the scoreboard. After Santana's start the day before and a day like today, disaster had been averted. But things were about to take an ugly turn.

Oliver Perez, who has been the best big game pitcher this side of Johan Santana, had control issues and a high pitch count heading into the fifth. It caught up to him as he allowed two runs and then left two runners on for the poison pen to try and clean up. We all know how that story ends and the game was tied.

After Brian Stokes allowed the lead run, the Mets tried to roar back in the bottom of the seventh. For a while it appeared that Ramon Martinez (Yes, he is on the team) was going to get the biggest hit of the year as he led off with a double. The Mets had first and third and could not score. The following inning the same situation presented itself and the Mets were able to tie (due to a generous walk) before hitting into an unlucky double play.

Then came the ninth where after a leadoff triple, everyone at Shea stood ready to erupt knowing that the Mets had dodged the bullet. That 2007 was not happening again. But the eruption never came. David Wright struck out. The Cubs wisely walked Carlos y Carlos. Ryan Church grounded into a fielder's choice and Ramon Castro struck out.

Church who had been the MVP of the team before his concussion has been killing the Mets hitting .203 in September. But really, what choice does Manuel have other than to hope he regains his form. His other viable option was Tatis who is out with a separated shoulder. The same Tatis who was hitting .392 with runners in scoring position. Hmm, do you think they can use a guy like that?

What's Pascucci Doing Now?

2008-09-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

With Fernando Tatis out for the season and Damion Easley questionable to return, the Mets can use another right-handed bat off the bench for their final nine games. Val Pascucci who has been a favorite in the blogging community has been passed over time after time, but there is no reason not to add him to the team now.

Pascucci hit 27 homers with 81 RBI. His OBP was a robust .410 and his OPS was .963 for the AAA Zephyrs. A spot just opened up on the 40 man roster with the surprising release of Al Reyes. The monkeys have heard reports of Pascucci's poor fielding, but the Mets don't need him to take the field just occasionally pinch-hit. While you don't want to clog up a 25 man roster with a guy like that, there is no reason not to add him to the expanded September roster. Perhaps with Nick Evans and Ramon Castro, he might not even be needed. But what happens if the Mets play an extra inning game down the stretch and are down to Ramon Martinez & Argenis Reyes to pinch hit against a lefty. There is no longer any excuse not to call up Val Pascucci.

MURPHY AND EVANS

Mr. Murphy came through again last night and it is easy to see why he has become a fan favorite. It should be mentioned that Nick Evans is hitting .343 against left-handed pitching and is doing the job with far less fanfare than his buddy.

Mets Win "The Brian Lawrence Game"

2008-09-18T05:55:00.000-07:00

No one is giving out any style points at this team of the season. While it was a tough game to watch, the Mets got a needed win last night. Unfortunately neither the Cubs or Braves were able to help out. If you want to find another positive from last night, it looks like only 3 teams have a shot at the last two playoff spots. Since Hurricane Ike, the Astros have been twisting in the wind and now have become a real playoff longshot.

Yesterday the Mets sent out Brandon Knight, a journeyman who should not be pitching in games that are this important. It reminded the monkeys of last year's Brian Lawrence game where we thought the same thing. However, Knight gave a decent if not lengthy effort and got a key win. Remember the Mets only missed playing October by one game and if they make it this year, it may be only one game and it might be ... the Brian Lawrence game.

TATIS INJURY MEANS MORE CHURCH

If you listen carefully to Jerry Manuel and read between the lines, Ryan Church had played his last game against lefties until Tatis got injured. He was ready to put Evans back in left and then move Tatis over to right. Church has looked awful against lefties. All of a sudden, this team looks a bit like the 2006 version that was so vulnerable against lefties, they went out and got ironman Moises Alou the following season.

The Real Standings

2008-09-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

New York Mets -
Philadelphia Phillies - 1
Milwaukee Brewers - 1
Houston Astros - 2.5
Florida Marlins - 5.5

This is how the monkeys and fans need to look at things. If the Mets can prevent 2 of these teams from passing them in these standings, they will be playing in October.

There is a myth that if the Mets lose the division, they will have collapsed again. The largest lead the Mets have had all year is 3.5. That was never a safe enough lead to be termed a collapse. The Phillies had a 7.5 game lead near the end of June. The Mets have gained 8.5 games on them since. Why are people not saying that the Phillies have collapsed? It is lazy for reporters to refer to this season that way just because last season was that way.

Luckily for the Mets and the Phillies, the real team that may be collapsing is the Brewers who shockingly fired their Manager Ned Yost today. Talk about a panic move. Even after losing 8 of 11, that seems a little extreme.

The Astros were making a serious run before weather issues and Cubs pitching slowed their charge. We'll see if they can regroup and be a factor.

The Marlins are hot and still have 3 games each against the Phillies and the Mets making them the long shot pick.

If the Mets can survive with their poison pen for two more weeks without blowing too many leads, this Mets and Phillies rivalry may actually continue into October because the monkeys are starting to get the feeling both teams are going to the playoffs.

Niese To Avert Disaster

2008-09-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

Jonathon Niese provided the clutch performance that the Mets needed and didn't get last year from Phil Humber. On a day where the Mets could have lost a game and a half in the standings, Niese pitched eight scoreless innings. If the Mets can win today and the Phillies split their doubleheader, the Mets will have had another solid week picking up a game on the Phillies.

Niese became the youngest Mets to win a start since Generation K. The monkeys have mentioned that Niese is more likely a potential middle of the rotation starter than potential ace, but the Mets have an ace in Johan Santana, a budding #2 in Mike Pelfrey and a solid #3 in Maine assuming he comes back healthy next year. Even if the Mets are able to sign Oliver Perez, there is room in next year's rotation for Niese if he can continue to take the bull by the horns.

It's really time to give Omar his due in selecting which farmhands to give up this offseason. He was able to hang on to Pelfrey, Fmart, Murphy and Niese in his deal for Santana. The guys he gave up have hardly been impressive so far. While the monkeys understand that the Twins would prefer Carlos Gomez to Fmart due to their immediate need for a center fielder, we are still mystified that they didn't demand Mike Pelfrey in the deal.

2 weeks to go. It's going to be a fun ride.

Weighing Present & Future

2008-09-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

The Mets have a 3 game lead with that awful number, 17 games to go. Mike Vaccaro's column in Today's New York Post lists a number of reasons why a collapse is less likely to happen this year.

Vaccaro notes Jerry Manuel's cool under pressure attitude compared to Randolph's tense leadership. This is something that cannot be underestimated. Tense attitudes can be awfully contagious. The monkeys are often tense for no reason other than the other monkey is tense.

Another point brought up in the column is that why the bullpen is still not solid, it is better than it was at this time last year because there is emerging help in Luis Ayala and Brian Stokes. True, but this is an area where Manuel needs to be careful. Joe Smith seems to have righted his ship and it has become clear that even though Manuel's bullpen is tightly packed, he only trusts three of them and feels that Feliciano or Schoeneweis might get one lefty out and then they must be pulled. With 17 straight games, Manuel is going to need to do a better job sharing the workload or else Ayala, Stokes and Smith will be toast come October. The monkeys continue to recommend seeing what Al Reyes has to offer. No guarantee he has anything to offer, but let's find out. In a less pressurized situation, check out Bobby Parnell.

Vaccaro mentions Johan Santana and he's right. But Mike Pelfrey is just as important and after his last start looks like a pitcher who might benefit from a skip of a turn. We wouldn't recommend skipping him Monday, but if the Mets have a lead of 4 games or more come his next start, we would rather see Figgy or Brandon Knight take his turn.

These Mets are in the mix to win it all. Just make sure there is some ingrediants still left after September.

Wagner News Shocks the Monkeys

2008-09-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

The monkeys were kind of prepared for the news that Billy Wagner would be out the rest of this season, but we were stunned to hear he is going to need TJ surgery and be out for most if not all of 2009.

The Mets bullpen has performed much better of late allowing only one run in their last 23 innings. Luis Ayala has saved 5 out of six games, Brian Stokes has emerged as a dependable setup man and specialists Pedro Felicano and Joe Smith have excelled since they have been used properly. Now that the Phillies have left town, the monkeys would like the Mets to see what they have with Al Reyes, who has real closing experience. Still even in an off-year, Billy Wagner provided a level of security that no one else on the current roster could provide.

Next year will present interesting choices for the Mets. Krod is available, but will cost a king's ransom. His body type is one that may not hold up year after year with lots of wear and tear. And this year he has a lot of wear and tear with more to come as the Angels have the look of a team going deep into October. Brian Fuentes and Huston Street are names that have been linked to the Mets over the last year or two. Neither is a dominant closer, but both could be functional. Remember Billy Wagner blew 7 saves this year. Those numbers may not be that hard to replace.

Wagner will certainly be missed by the media. Always a good quote, Billy tells it like it is. Some in the clubhouse might not miss that as much. The question is whether we will see Wagner pitch again in a Mets uniform. If things go well, perhaps he would make a cameo in late August or September 2009. After that, it is highly unlikely the Mets would exercise his 2010 option. And Billy said he didn't want to pitch after this current contract, so who knows?

So, how's Ambi Burgos' rehab going?

Mets Only Need To Win One To Accomplish Week's Goal

2008-09-06T06:08:00.000-07:00

Brett Myers pitched a brilliant game against the Mets yesterday and the monkeys know many Mets fans are thinking "here we go again." This is no time for panic. Early indications are that this team is different than last year's. We have written about their resilence coming back from tough losses in previous posts. There seems to be a collective understanding that even if they feel they are the best team, the division will not just be handed to them as it seemed like they felt last year. While the rotation fell apart last September, this year Santana, Pelfrey and Perez are all still performing at peak levels.

At the start of this week, the hope was that the Mets could stay even in the 3 games they played on the road against the Brewers while the Phillies feasted on the Nats. Then win 2 out 3 against the Phillies. Even if the Mets win only one game this series, they will gain a game this week which was what most fans thought at the beginning of the week would be the optimum scenario.

If the Mets can bounce back and win the next two, things will be looking very positive. The only issue comes if they lose 3 straight. Today's game will likely be rained out. If that happens, tomorrow will be one hell of a sports day with the Football openers, US Open Men's Final and the biggest two games of the year.

RICARDO RINCON

The Mets may have another bullpen weapon down the stretch. Rincon looked very impressive in retiring Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. All of a sudden, the bullpen is rounding into form after another fine effort by Brian Stokes.

MESSAGE FROM THE KID?

After hearing about Mike Schmidt's "inspiring" letter left on the Phillies' clubhouse door, Wagner inquired, "What did Gary Carter send us?" Classic line from Wagner who still often gives the best one liners in interviews.

This Crew Deserves A Brew

2008-09-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

The Brewers came into this series having won 9 out of 10 games looking like they might be the second best team in the NL and a stone cold lock for the wildcard. With the exception of a nervous Jonathon Niese who was put in a real tough spot, the entire Mets team exerted their might on these Brewers, who all of a sudden are not an absolute in October.

The much maligned Mets bullpen shut the Brewers down pitching 12 1/3 scoreless innings. Even if I told you Heilman wouldn't pitch in this series, that is just a shocking stat. Brian Stokes has been a godsend and Luis Ayala, while not a closer you want to count on very long is 5 out of 6 in save opportunities. Joe Smith has quietly gone 13 straight outings without allowing a run. Pedro Feliciano looked much sharper. Billy Wagner is close to returning. Things are looking a little less dark in the pen. The Mets haven't even had to use their callups yet, although the monkeys find it odd that Jerry Manuel claims to have not seen much of Al Reyes.

The Brewers bullpen, however, looks like a mess. Eric Gagne and Saloman Torres don't give fans of the Brew Crew any more confidence than the Mets relievers provide to the monkeys.

The team we heard dominates lefties were shut down by Johan Santana, Oliver Perex, Pedro Feliciano and Scott Schoeneweis. The only lefty they beat up was young Jonathon Niese who clearly had the jitters.

Now 2 looks at CC Sabathia in October might make this dominance look like a mirage. But who isn't a little less worried about the Mets playing the Brewers than they were on Monday? Not the monkeys. And for easing our fears, this Mets crew deserves a brew.

Here Comes The Cavalry

2008-09-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

The Mets announed that they are calling up 9 players now that expanded rosters are allowed. Yesterday, the monkeys took a look at Al Reyes who could potentially have the greatest impact of the nine if he is effective. Here's a look at the other eight and some thoughts on who missed the cut:

Jonathon Niese -- Niese will get a start Tuesday against the Brewers which considering their prowess at handling lefties is a tough assignment for a rookie's debut. Overall in AA and AAA, he was 11-8 with a 3.13 ERA. The monkeys saw a glimpse of him in a televised spring start and came away impressed. Fans should keep in mind that although he is now the Mets top pitching prospect, he is projected as a middle of the rotation type. The Mets have other guys lower in their system (like Brad Holt) who project more as top of the rotation starters. So if he keeps the Mets in games, that is all the monkeys and other fans can expect. He'll likely get a mulligan if he fails against the Brewers, but if he can't do the job after 2 starts, the Mets will likely turn to Nelson Figueroa as the fifth starter.

Carlos Muniz -- Muniz had a 5.40 ERA this season in his time with the big club. He was miscast as a long reliever so he's probably a little better than those numbers, but he'll still probably being used more as an innings eater than in a more significant role. Although with a battered bullpen, innings eaters can help keep guys rested.

Ricardo Rincon -- It's been a few years since Rincon helped out a majoe league team. After having a nice spring, the Mets held on to his rights as Rincon spent the year in the Mexican League. His numbers were adequate, but not overly impressive. Still he has a 1.02 WHIP lifetime against lefties so he could be an effective Loogy which might be important with Schoenweiss' cranky back.

Bobby Parnell -- Parnell is probably not quite ready for the bigs, but he has a live arm and can throw in the mid 90's a good slider. He started in the minors, but will be used out of the pen for the Mets who could use a hard thrower in the pen. Probably better to use him in low pressure situations first to evaluate him better.

Marlon Anderson -- After a horrid first half, Marlon was hitting .303 in July and looking ready to help out off the bench before pulling a hamstring. Hopefully he can pick up where he left off in July and be a good lefty bat off the bench like he has been most of his career.

Argenis Reyes -- Great job filling in while Castillo was out, but the callup here is more of a reward for his service than a need. He'll likely get a few pinch hits here and there, but don't expect much playing time unless one of Luis Castillo's myriad injuries acts up again.

Gustavo Molina -- Merely a third catcher who wouldn't have gotten the call if Ramon Castro didn't get hurt. Molina plays good defense, but doesn't hit much (.206 in AAA. If he gets more than 5 at bats the rest of the way, things have gone horribly wrong.

Ramon Martinez -- Had a .376 OBP in AAA so I guess he falls under the Michael Tucker spot. Tucker if you recall did almost nothing positive but walk, but that was helpful down the stretch in 2006. Still, Val Pascucci who had a .410 OBP with good power would have seemed to be a wiser choice.

Others who missed the cut: The Mets realized it would make no sense for Fmart to be here and sit on a bench. Besides Pascucci though, the monkeys feel it would have been worthwhile to give Eddie Kunz another shot. Except for one outing after he had not pitched for a week, he was pretty effective. The monkeys didn't see Ambi Burgos during his rehab so we'll trust the powers that be, but a power arm like his would helped if he has progressed enough on his rehab.

Al Reyes May Turn Into Key to The Season

2008-08-30T06:23:00.000-07:00

The Mets had one of their most dramatic wins of the season yesterday thanks to a Carlos Beltran grandslam homerun in the ninth inning. Thanks to Luis Ayala, the Mets almost had their most crushing defeat of the season in a season filled with crushing defeats.

Jerry Manuel looked enormously stressed out in his postgame press conference and the monkeys found themselves with a few extra gray hairs after Jorge Cantu nearly had a walkoff homer. Later we learned that Luis Ayala was pitching with a bad hamstring or bad quad. We're not sure which since Ayala mentioned the injury and pointed to a different part of his body. With Heilman unavailable and having used Brian Stokes and Joe Smith already, Manuel didn't have many options other than to stay with Ayala. Interestingly, he didn't even mention Duaner Sanchez as an option meaning either Sanchez is nursing an injury or he has completely lost Manuel's confidence.

Meanwhile down in Binghamton, Al Reyes was closing out a save. Not his cleanest effort, but no runs allowed. Reyes has pitched 4 scoreless innings in AA since the Mets acquired him. Last year he saved 26 out of 30 chances. Being on Tampa last year, he is used to be surrounded by bullpen misfits so he should feel entirely at home with the Mets. Take away his April 2nd outing where he pitched 2/3 of an inning allowing 4 runs and his ERA in the majors this year is 2.86. If Billy Wagner cannot come back, there is a decent chance Al Reyes could be the Mets October closer if they can finish this out.

Al Reyes is also 38 and was released by a team bound for October so there are no guarantees. He could turn out to be Billy Taylor, but the Mets didn't give up Izzy to get him so no shame in trying him out. And of course what makes him best of all, he's not Heilman, Feliciano, Smith, Sanchez or Schoenweiss. And the monkeys and Mets fans are ready to embrace anyone who is not them.

Full From Crow

2008-08-29T04:25:00.001-07:00

The monkeys were way ahead of the curve on Mike Pelfrey's turnaround pointing out that his career trajectory was very similar to others with a hard sinker in a May post.

In a May column "Disappointment In Santana For The Birds, Not the Monkeys," the monkeys chastised those fans that were complaining about Santana's performance pointing out his start was consistent to all of his successful seasons.

In a June post, the monkeys told fans to be patient with Ollie Perez as he was still the pitcher with the most God-given ability on the staff other than Johan Santana.

So, the monkeys could be eating some banana splits to celebrate our great ability to predict the future if it wasn't for one thing.... we're too full from eating crow that Carlos Delgado has made us eat.

While we were far from the only bloggers to give up on Mr. Delgado, the monkeys were particularly brutal on Carlos. We blamed him for the team attitude when he said "The Met were so good they got bored." We wrote that 20 homers, 80 RBI, .250 would be the most we could expect from him and then we could just say goodbye and good riddance. And yes, at one point we advocated designating Delgado for assignment and calling up Mike Carp.

And now here is the reality ...Carlos Delgado is a hot month away from being NL MVP. His teammates David Wright and Jose Reyes are in the race. Chase Utley can still win the award if the Phillies overtake the Mets. Ryan Braun and Albert Pujols deserve some consideration.

Delgado has turned into a team leader walking to the mound to offer advice or calm down a pitcher a la Keith Hernandez. He has had many clutch homeruns that have keyed the Mets metamorphosis that occurred since Willie Randolph was fired. His presence in the cleanup spot has given David Wright better pitches to hit. And he is climbing quickly on the league's homer and RBI leaders list.

The monkeys were so wrong on this we had to eat both Heckle and Jeckle.

Eight Would Have Been Enough

2008-08-27T03:42:00.000-07:00

The Mets suffered a very tough loss last night. It was very unusual in many senses. Rarely do the monkeys watch a tense 7-0 game, but we were never comfortable with Pedro pitching in Citizen Bank Park and knew the poison pen was still looming. At a Yardbarker event, the monkeys mentioned this game was not yet ready to be put in the books.

Even as the momentum was turning in the Phillies favor, some good signs still indicated this could be the Mets night. The much maligned Aaron Heilman gave a gutty effort throwing 3 scoreless innings. Carlos Delgado saved a game with his defense! But it was not to be.

Although the monkeys have been mostly satisfied with Jerry Manuel's in-game managing, especially compared to his predecessor, we thought he missed the boat on one particular move. Brian Stokes looked very sharp last night. With a bullpen full of guys who are a crapshoot nightly, why not ride the hot hand as long as possible? Send Stokes out another inning there. Let him finish the game if he pitches a clean eighth.

The monkeys flipped over to the Yankees and saw Arod hit into a crippling double play that may have essentially ended the Yankees' season. The Mets own third baseman, David Wright, also hit into a crushing double play when the Mets had a chance to add what are always needed insurance runs late in the game. And they only needed one run. Eight would have been enough. And the now the Phillie fans get to enjoy this song instead of the monkeys.

State Of Maine Puts Mets In Flux

2008-08-25T10:48:00.000-07:00

John Maine can pitch on the monkeys team anytime. When the Mets needed a big victory against the Cardinals in the 2006 NLCS, Maine came through with a huge effort. With everything crumbling around him the last weekend of 2007, Maine pitched a near no-hitter to keep the Mets hopes alive. He displays an aw shucks attitude reminiscent of Matt Saracen on "Friday Night Lights." He is a gamer in every sense of the word. So when he says he still feels a little pain when he throws, you know it hurts like hell.

For 2 starts, Maine was able to pitch effectively though not deep into games with a limited arsenal. Last Saturday's effort was a little more than alarming. The Mets are considering shutting him down which is probably the best idea although with Pelfrey's innings total piling up, the timing is a bit off to do that. Many fans are clamoring for Jon Niese, but need to realize he is in the same territory as Pelfrey in terms of increasing innings totals. The Mets should be shutting down Niese at this point not bringing him up to the majors.

For those talking heads on tv or radio call in shows who say the pitchers should suck it up, I suggest referring back to SI's Tom Verducci's past columns regarding pitchers with the most innings increases from year to year. He does a story on this every offseason and his predictions as to which pitchers will be injured or have off years are far more accurate than his predictions for division winners. This is serious stuff.

So with the Mets needing to be careful with their young pitchers, they are in a bit of a quandary. If it is indeed true that Maine cannot make his arm worse, it might be worth it to try him one more start and see what happens before giving his spot over to a guy like Nelson Figueroa. Brian Stokes can make a spot start or two, but you really don't him to be a fixture the rest of the way. Hard to believe, but Claudio Vargas' injury in AAA is looming large.

We all expected the bullpen to be a nervous issue, but having to worry about the starters is a new unfortunate wrinkle.

Chemistry Is A Delicate Science

2008-08-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

The Mets have won 9 out of 10 and except for the inconsistent bullpen and some mild worries about John Maine's shoulder, all is well in Metsland. The lineup has been gelling and the lack of energy that surrounded the Mets early in the year hardly even seems like the same season anymore.

Now the Mets are close to welcoming back two players who were regulars early in the year. Ryan Church was easily the Mets MVP through their first 50 games making monkeys out of the monkeys who complained about the Lastings Milledge trade. He also provided a toughness that was particularly needed after last year's collapse. However, there is no guarantee that the Mets will be getting back the same Ryan Church. And the guy he's replacing, Fernando Tatis, has been arguably the best clutch hitter during the Mets resurgence. Now things could work out and Church could pick up where he left off after shaking off some rust and the extra rest could keep Tatis fresh for the home stretch. Just no guarantees.

Luis Castillo is a different story. Although he did get on base at a reasonable clip (.361), his lack of range and reluctance to dive for balls really hurt the Mets in the field. Damion Easley doesn't provide great range either, but he's a pro's pro who has gotten a lot of key hits for the Mets the past few seasons. Argenis Reyes is a much better defensive player than either of them and has hit pretty well although without much power. The Mets left Luis Castillo in the minors for the maximum period of time that they could. They let him take a week to handle a personal issue encouraging him to take as long as he needs. If the flight from Binghamton to NY had been overbooked, Omar Minaya probably would have encouraged Castillo to take the $300 voucher and catch the later flight. Now they want to watch him workout (a little piece of them perhaps hoping his hip or knees act up under the strain) before activating him. Again, Argenis Reyes is probably hitting a little better than his ability and Easley is heading into 2006 Jose Valentin territory of too many AB's for a 35 + player so maybe Castillo can be of some value after all. Still, chemistry is a delicate science. And the Mets are hoping to get into Advanced Placement .. namely October baseball.

Throw It At The Wall And See What Sticks

2008-08-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

Last night the Mets got bad news regarding Billy Wagner. Best case scenario has him coming back in 3 weeks while worst case has him having a major injury that could affect his status at the start of 2009. Mets fans are in a panic about missing a guy they were ready to crucify just a few short weeks ago. Absence indeed makes the heart grow fonder.

So, the Mets will continue to seek answers for the pen anywhere they can. Give us your tired, your injured and underachievers.

Was once good but now having trouble coming back from TJ surgery? Welcome Luis Ayala.

Was good last year, but off the field baggage and nagging injuries got you down? We'll take you Al Reyes.

Struggling in your rehab but still throwing hard after TJ surgery? Ambi Burgos, come on down.

Couldn't beat out Pedro Feliciano and Scott Schoenweiss this spring and had to play in the Mexican League? Hola, Ricardo Rincon. Let's talk.

Olympic Hero? It would be UnAmerican not to consider calling you up in September, Brandon Knight.

Expect the return of Eddie Kunz and Carlos Muniz on Sept 1st as well. Some of these guys are going to need top contribute if the Mets are to win the East.

.341 AGAINST LEFTIES

Flying under the radar with all the Daniel Murphy love, the monkeys haven't missed that Nick Evans is smashing lefties and holding his own in the surprisingly effective platoon.

Bullpen Will Make the Mets Sweat It Out To The Finish

2008-08-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

The Mets just finished their road trip against two of the NL's weakest teams and went 6-1 so it's hard not to be positive. The starting rotation which the monkeys said was going to vault the Mets into first place has been dominant with John Maine's nagging shoulder injury the only slight concern. The lineup has been hitting consistently despite today's effort. Still, the bullpen remains the thing that most fans fear will keep the Mets out of October.

It seems like the Mets can get a few good efforts in a row from someone in the pen and then a bad one ruins any feeling of confidence you get. Duaner Sanchez got two huge outs against the Nats on Thursday then gave up a homer to the Pirates over the weekend and imploded this afternoon. Joe Smith had a couple of strong outings before struggling in his recent few. Aaron Heilman gets two saves, implodes, gets another save and who's not expecting him to implode again in at least one of his next three outings?

Fans are latching on to any glimmer of hope they can. Brian Stokes tosses 4 scoreless innings in a mop up role and fans dream he can be the 8th inning setup man we have lacked. Eddie Kunz comes from AA and fans think he can be our new closer. Ambi Burgos strikes out four in his rehab in the Gulf Coast League and fans feel he can save us in September. Maybe Luis Ayala can revert back to his 2006 form if they change his arm angle. These miracle remedies are probably not going to happen. Even if the Pen has a hot 30 -35 games (and they've had some very good 20 game stretches), too much has happened this season for fans not to be worried every step of the way. The Mets are going to make us sweat it out and they are either going to just get in despite their bullpen woes or the bullpen will cost them the playoffs.

NATIONALS STADIUM

The monkeys spent the weekend in Washington DC and visited the new ballpark when the Mets played there this past Thursday. It's a beautiful park with a lot of fun bars and some good food (get a burger at Five Guys). A Build-A-Bear stand is good for the kids. The monkeys loved the running of the presidents where Teddy Roosevelt takes the lead before always losing the race at the end for some reason bringing to mind the old Wacky Races cartoons where Dastardly and Muttley would always lose at the end.

Concession Speech in the Bronx Amuses Monkeys

2008-08-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

The monkeys spend most of their time focused on the Mets, but we were amused to read Hank Steinbrenner's comments today. For those monkeys and humans that skip the articles on our floundering neighbors, below are some highlights:

"No team I've ever seen in baseball has been decimated like this. It would kill any team."

"Imagine the Red Sox without (Josh) Beckett and (Jon) Lester. Pitching is 70 percent of the game. Wang won 19 games two straight years. Chamberlain became the most dominating pitcher in baseball. You can't lose two guys like that."

For all the heat the Mets took in the preseason about their age, only three of their projected regulars began the season over the age of 31. In contrast, seven of the Yankees projected regulars began the season over the age of 31. Yet strangely, you rarely read about how age might affect the Yankees chances. It is far more surprising that an over 35 year old catcher hadn't broken down yet than it is that he finally did. Injuries to older players like Hideki Matsui are expected to happen. Yes, he was an ironman compared to Moises Alou, but not compared to players under 30. The reason Joba dropped so far in the draft was because of past arm issues and the feeling that he might have future issues so that was a risk the Yankees knew they were taking. Yes, it was unlucky that Chien Ming Wang got hurt running the basses as it was unlucky that Ryan Church had two concussions with the Mets, but most of the Yankees injuries should not come as surprises. In fact, the young Rays losing their top two offensive players at the final stretch of the season have a better argument that they have been unlucky.

The Joba comment is even more ridiculous. The monkeys would love it if he was on the Mets, but he only made it 7 innings one time. Mentioning Joba in the same breath as Roy Halladay who routinely completes games is ridiculous. Joba is getting there, but simply doesn't belong in a conversation that includes the aforementioned Halladay, Josh Beckett, Brandon Webb and our own unlucky Johan Santana.

Time to get back to worrying about our bullpen issues, but Hank does make a funny opening act, no?

What is it about Kunz that they don't like?

2008-08-11T16:39:00.000-07:00

The Mets bullpen today blew a Mets lead in the 8th inning or beyond for the 9th time this season. Fans who were ready to burn Billy Wagner at the stake and now wistfully awaiting his triumphant return. The monkeys are checking out Gulf Coast League box scores seeing how Ambi Burgos is doing in his rehab appearances. At least, Burgos gets some strikeouts once in a while. Feliciano, Smith, Heilman and Schoenweiss combined to blow a 5-1 lead against a team that just traded away 2 of its 3 top offensive players in the last two weeks.

And it got the monkeys wondering "What is it about Kunz that Jerry Manuel and Dan Warthen don't like?" In his first appearance, he appeared a bit nervous and threw a ball away, but recovered to get a ground ball double play which had been his specialty in the minors. In his second appearance, he gave up his first homer in three years, but no other hits. In his third appearance, he came in with the bases full, threw a wild pitch before walking a batter. However, he did regain his composure and whiffed the next hitter. So while he may have looked nervous at times, he has shown some resiliency. Have the other members of the bullpen showed that?

The monkeys are not saying Kunz is going to be Mariano or K-Rod or even Billy Wagner. However, Kunz does have closing experience and whether that came in AA or the majors, closing is still something he has been groomed to do. Why not throw him out there a couple of games in a row? Because an overworked Heilman has been such a sure thing? Because Schoenweiss has been lights out? Because Pedro Feliciano puts fear into major league hitters? Because Joe Smith has a "funky" delivery? Really, who is a better current option?

This was another terrible loss for the Mets in a season filled with them. It is only because the starting pitching has excelled that the Mets find themselves in a Pennant Race. The bullpen cannot keep letting them down. Let's try Mr. Kunz for a couple of days since the other options are driving us and everyone else bananas.

The Boy Has Skills

2008-08-09T06:58:00.000-07:00

David Wright crushed a big two run homer last night. Carlos Delgado continued his power resurgence by adding another homer. And yet neither was the at bat that stood out to the monkeys.

Young Daniel Murphy batting for the first time in the majors against a lefty came back from a 1-2 count to work out a walk. Murphy continues to make pitchers work against him. He hits to all fields. He has made the best first impression of any Mets callup since David Wright.

The Yankees and Red Sox in recent years have had offenses that worked the count and ran up pitch counts of the opposing starting pitchers. The Mets have been less successful in doing that in recent years. Besides David Wright, the only guy in the last two years who consistently worked counts was the since departed Ruben Gotay who obviously didn't have the potential upside of Daniel Murphy.

The Mets have really gotten some energy from the minors this year. Even the older Fernando Tatis subtly helped turn the culture around by being the first player to really bust it to first 4 times a game. While some fans screamed the Mets needed to pick up a veteran outfielder, the Mets have so far been able to keep above water with in-house options.

Now the monkeys do not expect Murphy to keep up this torrid pace. And his defensive reputation means there could be a play down the road that costs the Mets in a key spot. Still, he is a very welcome addition and one who could be a big part of the Mets future.

STOKES

The monkeys were initially baffled by the Brian Stokes choice for today, but now actually buy the explanation. There is no point in adding Niese to the roster for one start and having to protect him on the 40 man roster. And with Vargas injured, Stokes is a reasonable choice. He has had some very good starts and some very bad starts at AAA. Honestly, there is no way to guess which Stokes shows up today.

The Team, The Time

2008-08-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

The Mets bullpen has been in shambles as dictated in the monkeys' last post. Since then, Billy Wagner has been officially put on the DL. There is no better time to play the San Diego Padres.

The Padres are hitting .236, last in the NL. Only the woeful Nationals have scored fewer runs. Even as they beat the Mets four straight, 3 of those games were won 2-1. Only Adrian Gonzalez should be feared in their lineup and the Mets should make sure he doesn't beat them. In theory, the Padres should be a tonic for the Mets bullpen as it looks to get back on track.

It would be nice to see the Mets really go after the Padres who really embarrassed them with their sweep and put Randolph firmly on the hot seat where he eventually did burn. A sweep would put them back 8 games over .500 and back on track.

BREW CREW STEW

Milwaukee first baseman Prince Fielder apologized Tuesday for pushing a teammate in the dugout during a loss, saying he should have done a better job of handling frustration due in part to the Brewers' losing streak. Fielder exchanged words and twice shoved Manny Parra after the pitcher was removed for a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning of a 6-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night. Still any kind of disturbance in Milwaukee is good for the Mets since the Brewers are currently the wild card favorite. The monkeys will watch very carefully to see how this affects the Brew Crew.

Deja Vu Feeling Disturbing

2008-08-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

The overworked bullpen keeps blowing games. Billy Wagner is having health issues. Players are getting thrown out stealing third with two outs. Is this disturbingly sounding like 2007?

Of course, one thing that has been different is that Jose Reyes has been sparking the offense routinely getting multiple hit games. The offense only recently has reverted back to not getting clutch hits. That can easily turn back around.

The bullpen though could be a continuing problem. Eddie Kunz looked nervous entering today making a poor throw to first base that sailed over the head of Delgado although he did regain his composure and get a double play to get out of the inning. The monkeys have requested the Mets call up Kunz for a couple of weeks and he is going to need to perform. Still, Heilman is being asked to do too much and he hasn't been able to do it. Duaner Sanchez is showing the effects of the innings piling up after not pitching for a year and a half. Joe Smith has slumped of late. Pedro Feliciano is not having the year he had last year. Another reinforcement would help though Kunz seems like it from the minors unless Ambi Burgoss has an accelerated recovery which seems unliklely or Bobby Parnell is converted to the bullpen. Omar will be and should be scouring the waiver wire for bullpen help.

The Phillies have some of their own issues as Cole Hamels seems to be hitting a wall making the ancient Jamie Moyer their most reliable starting pitcher. The Marlins pitching and defense is still below par. One of these flawed teams will win the division. The Mets need to get some answers for the bullpen if they are to be the one.

The Day After Deadline Day

2008-08-01T14:49:00.000-07:00

The monkeys had hoped the Mets would be able to add a relief pitcher. They thought an outfielder might also be nice. Still, the monkeys would have hated it if the Mets had overpaid to acquire anything less than top talent. Watching throughout the day, the Monkeys were appalled to hear that the Mariners were asking for two out of Fmart, Niese and Kunz for Raul Ibanez. Minaya was correct to say the Mets cannot trade multiple prospects for rent a players.

Sometimes timing makes someone untouchable. Jon Niese looks like a nice pitcher, but not a #1 or a #2 and in most cases, the Mets can afford to give up a guy who only projects as a #3 or a #4. In fact the Mets have 3 pitchers in the lower minors that potentially project as top of the rotation starters that may have brighter futures than Niese. However with Oliver Perez and Pedro Martinez both free agents next year, the Mets had to be very careful trading their only realistic minor league option for next year's rotation.

The one player who it looked like Omar kicked the tires on that excited the monkeys was JJ Putz. Putz is having a down year because of injuries, but maybe a change of leagues would help helped him. What's more, he is a great bounce back candidate for 2009. Too bad the Mets missed out on this one.

The monkeys were shocked that the Red Sox traded Manny away. Couldn't they have dealt with a motivated Manny who knew they were declining his option and thus had to play for a contract? Minaya said that the Mets didn't have a ready to start outfielder to offer the Sox neglecting to mention that the Dodgers didn't give one up to get Manny. Couldn't the Mets have matched the Dodgers offer and offered prospects to the Pirates?

Reading the Boston papers, the local reporters weren't as miffed as we were. Manny's teammates really wanted him gone. How would Mets fans feel if Manny sat out a game against the Phillies with a questionable injury? How about if he was laughing as the Mets lost a key game in September when they were in first place and looked like they were starting to again fall apart at the end? How would he influence the easily impressionable Jose Reyes? The monkeys understand if there was some hesitation among the Mets hierarchy.

Deals could still be made in August and the Mets could acquire someone who passed through waivers. Both Jon Niese and Dan Murphy were promoted to AAA this week. Eddie Kunz is still pitching lights out in AA. Fans are much more likely to be okay with the Mets lack of a trade if some of these guys help down the stretch. Time to give some a shot particularly Eddie Kunz. The final third of the season is upon us.

Time For A Bullpen Tweak

2008-07-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

Now the monkeys know that the Mets may very well add a bullpen arm before tomorrow's trade deadline and if they can get one without giving up one Fmart, Niese or Kunz, it's probably a good idea. However, if the price is not right, they can do a couple of quick moves today that would help their bullpen.

1) Call up Eddie Kunz and disable Duaner Sanchez. Sanchez has been very effective most of the year barring a few really rough outings (most recently in that horrible game against the Phillies), but he is coming off not pitching for a year, his velocity is down and he appears to be hitting a wall. Jerry Manuel has obviously been trying to push Heilman into that 8th inning role so he is a bit concerned. Give Sanchez two weeks rest and maybe he returns refreshed for the stretch drive. Meanwhile Eddie Kunz has been pitching great recently in AA. For the month of July, he has pitched 10 and 1/3 scoreless innings and his earlier issues with walks have disappeared as he has walked just one batter this month. He still has not allowed a homerun in 46 innings as he throws a 94 MPH sinker. That eighth inning guy they are seeking might be right under their nose.

2) Call up Claudio Vargas and demote Carlos Muniz. The monkeys know that Vargas will have his good days and his bad days, but he is a real long man that can provide innings and not burn the bullpen out. Since Pedro and now John Maine is a risk to provide very short outings due to injury, the Mets need someone who is better cast as a long reliever than Carlos Muniz who has been adequate at best.

These two tweaks would offer some improvement. A new piece may come tomorrow which would help, but if it doesn't, the Mets can help themselves.

TONIGHT IN CAJUN COUNTRY

Jon Niese makes his AAA debut. A strong effort will keep him top of mind if Maine's injury proves longer term than anticipated.

Fresh Fish?

2008-07-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

The monkeys are guilty. When we heard that the Marlins had traded Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis this past offseason, we thought that they were giving up on 2008 and retooling for another big run in maybe 2010. 100 losses? Perhaps. Last place? A virtual certainty. So, we are definitely surprised that the Marlins are coming to town just 2 games out and with some reinforcements that could make them a factor as the season nears its final third.

Followers of this blog know that the monkeys had thought Hanley Ramirez was the MVP of the first half. He has struggled so far in the second half (.190, 1 homer and just 2 RBI), but he'll likely go on another hot stretch. The Marlins lead all of baseball in homers playing in what is more of a pitcher's park. Jorge Cantu has a surprising 18 homers. Old friend Mike Jacobs has hit 22 homers (same total as the blazing Carlos Delgado). Dan Uggla has hit 25 making him the most underrated consistent power hitter in the league (27 homers in 2006, 31 in 2007). Matt Treanor's slow recovery from injury has them scrambling for a catcher, but beyond that, the lineup is solid.

The starting rotation had been up and down. Scott Olsen got off to a nice start after a poor season that included some immature behavior. However, he has struggled badly in July with an ERA over 6. Ricky Nolasco doesn't strike fear into most fans yet he has been a solid 10-6. It's the reinforcements that are primed to make an impact for the Marlins. Josh Johnson has returned from surgery throwing 93-94 MPH. While his command is not perfect yet, he has struck out 18 in 17 innings meaning he has good stuff that could get better. Top prospect Chris Volstad has looked good in 4 starts with a 2-1 record and a 2.38 ERA. Finally Anibel Sanchez is set to return and has looked good in rehab starts.

Will the Marlins hang with the Mets & the Phillies? The monkeys are still not convinced, but the Mets play them more than any other team the rest of the way so we'll all get a close look to analyze this further.

Rewatch Rocky III

2008-07-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

Carlos Delgado no looks bored. The Mets have the swagger that David Wright talked about the team needing to back in every interview he gave when the Mets were struggling. Meanwhile in Philadelphia, their MVP Jimmy Rollins showed up late to the rubber game of the Mets/Phillies series and was benched. A few weeks back, Rollins failed to run out a pop up that was dropped. It all got the monkeys thinking about Rocky III.

After Rocky beat Apollo Creed in Rocky II, we see that his celebrity has grown. He's on the cover of magazines, doing commercials and endorsements and just enjoying the fruits of his success. Meanwhile a new hungry opponent, Clubber Lang is climbing the ranks, rapidly becoming the number one contender for Rocky's title. He desperately wants a shot at the title, more or less declaring "he is the guy to beat," not unlike Jimmy Rollins' statement before the 2007 season that the Phillies were "the team to beat." A soft Rocky ended up losing his title to a hungry Clubber Lang just like the Mets lost out to the Phillies.

With the help of a new trainer, Rocky starts to get his swagger back not unlike what the Mets have done under their new Manager Jerry Manuel. Clubber Lang starts to become a little distracted giving interviews before the rematch ever so slightly losing his edge, not doing the little things that got him where he was.

As the two fighters get their instructions from the referee in the rematch, they stand nose to nose in center ring. In the first fight, the same pose brought averted eyes from Rocky, but now he stands up fully concentrated to Clubber's challenging stare. The Mets who been beaten up by the Phillies last year constantly cracking under pressure have this year stayed focused and won all 4 series against their rivals.

There is still a long way to go in the season, but the monkeys are seeing some interesting parallels. As we get to the final third of the season, time to ring the bell ... ding ding.

Bullpen Makes Santana An Issue

2008-07-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

The monkeys don't need to rehash yeserday's devasting loss. What bothers us though is that instead of talking about how Johan Santana came up huge in one of the biggest games of the year, some fans are complaining that he didn't demand to pitch the ninth. What's worse, Jerry Manuel through Santana under the bus saying he would have left Santana in had he pushed harder to stay in. C'mon, Jerry, that was just weak. Take responsibility for your poor decision.

The monkeys and other Mets fans have called out players when they didn't listen to the manager. Milledge kept dancing and celebrating despite Randolph telling him to stop. Fans called Jose Reyes a baby for arguing with Jerry Manuel about staying in a game. Carlos Delgado ignored his manager's request to bunt to third to counteract the shift. Now Santana listens and fans want to kill him for not protesting.

Johan Santana has made 21 starts and given up 2 earned runs or less in 12 of them. He has given up 3 earned runs or less in 17 of them. If Santana did the same thing next year, we could easily be talking about him winning the Cy Young.

Duaner Sanchez has been mostly solid this year, but he failed yesterday. Lefties are batting .153 against Scott Schoenweiss and Feliciano has been struggling so that bullpen choice was questionable. Luis Aguayo made some bad decisions sending runners from third. There is plenty of blame to go around yesterday, but Santana is not among those that should be named.

Which Prospects To Trade?

2008-07-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

As we approach the trading deadline, Omar Minaya is faced with decisions regarding how much he is willing to mortgage the future for the present. The monkeys are here to help by going over the prospects that he can trade, should proceed with caution before trading and those he should not trade.

For those who do not know, you cannot trade anyone from this year's draft so guys like Ike Davis, Reese Havens and Brad Holt cannot be traded.

Fernando Martinez -- Although it would be foolish to expect him to help much this season, most scouts expect Fernando Martinez to develop into a superstar. He wowed them at the futures game and is just 19 competing at AA. Yes, his power is not developed yet (4 homers) and his walk/strikeout ratio (14 walks to 53 strikeouts) needs some work, but he is poised to be a mainstay that will cost the major league minimum for a couple of years which would allow the Mets to spend on other needs. If they wouldn't include him for Santana, don't trade him now. -- UNTOUCHABLE

Mike Carp -- After a torrid start, Carp has slumped a bit lately. Carp does have a good eye and some power, but his defense at first and in left have impeded his ascension to the majors. It would be nice to see what he could do, but there are other lefty first basemen in the organization and will be even more on the market if needed over the next few years --- TRADE BAIT

Jon Niese -- The top lefty pitching prospect in the organization, Niese is having a good year in AA (5-7, 3.22 ERA. 104 strikeouts, 43 walks). With Perez and Pedro question marks to return next year, Niese is the only viable in-house option to fill a spot. --- PROCEED WITH CAUTION

Bobby Parnell -- After a rough start this year, Parnell has pitched great. He throws hard and many feel he could wind up being a good bullpen piece. His delivery worries some though and that makes him a risk the Mets may rather someone else take. -- TRADE BAIT

Eddie Kunz -- The Mets first pick last year has 25 saves at AA. While he has to cut down on his walks, it is still something to watch. The number that sticks out though is that he has not allowed a homerun in 43 innings. His hard sinker could give the Mets bullpen another look. --- PROCEED WITH CAUTION

Nick Evans --- Evans has looked good at times, but mostly struggled so far in the majors. He may not be ready yet, but given how many of the Mets hitting prospects are lefty, it is probably a good idea to keep Evans who is really their only righty power prospect that is close. Even if he doesn't develop into a starting player, he could be a nice role player for several years --- PROCEED WITH CAUTION

Dan Murphy -- Murphy recently volunteered to move to second base. He has made 3 errors, but has looked decent there so far. He has hit 11 homers and 19 doubles at AA and is a selective hitter. Many scouts feel he is the best of the "Holy Trinity" (Carp, Evans, Murphy) at AA. Still, his lack of position makes you have to at least think about giving him up for the proper return -- TRADE BAIT

There are others in A Ball who should be considered trade bait including Michael Antonini and Ezequiel Carrera. There are also others that should be untouchables like Scott Moviel.

The Mets should not doing any 4 for 1 trades at this point, but to get a quality outfielder that could put them over the top, putting Parnell and Carp in an offer would be okay. Remember you have to give to get it. Well usually......

Our Next Pelfrey?

2008-07-19T05:10:00.000-07:00

In 2001, after Mike Hampton left the NL Champion Mets for the great school systems of Colorado, the Mets used their supplemental first round pick to draft David Wright. This year after Tom Glavine after what seems like years of begging to be brought back was signed by the Braves giving the Mets another supplemental pick. They used it on Brad Holt.

Before Rick Peterson was fired, he did leave a lasting impression that there is a certain body type and certain mechanics needed for a pitcher to be successful. It was this feeling that had the Mets organization believing Scott Kazmir would eventually break down and helped lead to the infamous trade. Still, Mike Pelfrey has the required body type and seems to be developing into a horse that could throw a lot of innings and be a top of the rotation starter for many years to come.

Brad Holt is 6 foot 4 and has a perfect pro body with a clean delivery. His fastball sits between 92-94 and touches 96. He is athletic and maintains his velocity deep into games. Like Pelfrey early in his development, he is working to improve his secondary pitches. He made the Baseball America Hotsheet with the following comments:

The Scoop: A supplemental first-round pick out of UNC Wilmington, Holt delivered his best professional outing yet by pitching seven shutout innings and striking out 10 in a game against State College. Holt struck out the game’s first four batters and retired the leadoff batter in each of the first six innings. His first start did not go well, but since then Holt has allowed three earned runs in 20 2/3 innings as hitters are struggling to catch up to his 94 mph fastball.

Early on, it seems the Mets have had a good draft in 2008. Holt is one the main guys the monkeys will continue to follow. Next year, he'll likely start at St. Lucie and hopefully move up to Binghamton. It's not crazy to think Holt may debut in the majors by 2010.

Monkeys Mid-Season Awards

2008-07-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

Best Swinger --

National League -- Lance Berkman's year will be underappreciated because his team is playing poorly, but he has been a tremendous offensive force this year with 22 homers, 30 doubles and a 1.096 OPS.

American League -- Josh Hamilton is a great story and a great hitter. 95 RBI's at the break is just a shocking number. Hamilton has hit 21 homers and has a .310 BA making a triple crown season a possibility.

Best Climber --

National League -- Ryan Ludwick was a nice player for the Cards last year, but he has really taken off this year and is a big piece of one of the NL's biggest surprises with 21 homers and 65 RBI's at the break

American League -- Carlos Quentin struggled last year with 5 homers, 31RBI and a .214 BA. At this year's break, his numbers were 22 homers, 70 RBI and a .276 BA for the surprising first place White Sox.

Slipped on a Banana Peel --

National League -- Troy Tulowitzki was the heart and soul of the Rockies NL champion last year coming in second place in the Rookie of the Year voting (24 homers, 99 RBI). This year in an injury plagued season, he has 3 homers, 16 RBI and a .166 BA.

American League -- Travis Hafner who was so important in Cleveland's division winning team in 2007 (24 HR and 100 RBI) has been awful this year (4 homers, 22 RBI, .217 BA) while battling injuries.

Throwing the Poop --

National League -- Edinson Volquez (12-3, 2.29). Incredible to say, but the Reds may have gotten the better of the Josh Hamilton trade with this budding Ace. The Reds are struggling early this year, but with Volquez, Cueto, Bruce and Votto, the monkeys like their future.

American League -- Cliff Lee (12-2, 2.31) has been dominant this season after struggling last year. The Mets had some conversations about him this offseason. Imagine if they had added him to what has been a solid rotation.

Top Banana --

National League --- Hanley Ramirez. Who would have thought Florida would be hanging around with the Phillies and the Mets at the break? Ramirez has gotten a ton of clutch hits and has hit 23 homers with a .311 BA taking over from the departed Miguel Cabrera as the face of the franchise.

American League -- Josh Hamilton. Have to go back to this year's biggest story. He has a lot to be thankful for and does promote his savior every chance he gets. Easy guy to root for.

Is Omar Bluffing?

2008-07-15T15:40:00.000-07:00

Omar Minaya stated in today's papers that he is unlikely to make a trade as we head toward the deadline. Minaya claimed that the Mets will solve any issues they have internally. "We can't keep doing four-for-one deals," Minaya said. Minaya is right on that account. Still, the monkeys can't be sure Minaya isn't bluffing. Even if he was interested in acquiring an outfielder, it would be wise to take the stance he took and not seem like he was dealing from a position of weakness.

A big question is if Ryan Church is really just a week or two away from contributing. The tests he took indicated that the migraines are not related to his two concussions, but Church has had false starts before. If Church is indeed ready to play again, perhaps the Mets can piece together a combination to play left field.

Minaya believes Nick Evans is going to grow into a .280-plus hitter who produces 20 homers and 80 RBIs annually. Evans has looked better in a limited sample since his second callup. He went the other way and got two solid singles on Sunday. The monkeys feel that we would rather see Evans get a longer look rather than activating Angel Pagan who doesn't have nearly the power potential that Evans has. Perhaps it will be proven that Evans is still not ready, but why not give it a shot? With the organization a little lefty heavy with their first base and outfield prospects (Mike Carp, Fernando Martinez, Ike Davis), Evans will potentially have a major role on this team even as a bat off the bench for several years. Let's see what he's got.

The Mets can keep riding with Chavez and Tatis for a bit longer, but both players are probably better suited coming off the bench and playing in small spurts. The monkeys expressed our feelings about rushing Fmart in our last column. Let's see him dominate AA for a little while before throwing him into the fire.

We agree with Minaya's assessment that Eddie Kunz or Bobby Parnell could fill a bullpen role if needed. Kunz has 25 saves as Binghamton's closer and has not allowed a homerun in 41.2 innings which sounds good to the monkeys who have watched the bullpen in the majors give up their fair share. He has improved each month this season and only needs to cut down on his walks (23 in 42 innings) to eliminate any lingering doubts. After a rough April where he had an ERA of 7.15, Parnell has pitched extremely well lowering that ERA to a much more respectable 3.94. Parnell throws in the mid 90's and is a starter, but some scouts feel his stuff is better suited in relief. Both are close to being ready.

The next few weeks will be very interesting. If Church is indeed healthy, we feel the Minaya should fold and not play in the trading market. If Church is not healthy, we can't help but think Omar is going to go All In. And if he does that he had better win his hand or in this case, the World Series.

A Glimpse Into The Future

2008-07-13T07:23:00.000-07:00

The monkeys will be checking out a bit of the Futures Game today to catch a glimpse of the Mets top prospect Fernando Martinez. Everyone remembers that when Omar Minaya traded for Johan Santana, Martinez was the one prospect he immediately pulled off the table. This Mets regime typically challenges its minor league players and as a 19 year old playing in AA, Martinez illustrates this strategy more than any other Mets farmhand.

So far this year, Martinez has been good, but not yet great(.294, 4 HR, 21 RBI in 218 at-bats this season in Double-A. He was slowed down by a hamstring injury and Mets VP Tony Bernazard has indicated that FMart may have been called up if the injury had not slowed him down. Martinez was limited to 60 games at Double-A Binghamton last season because of a broken bone at the base of his right hand that required surgery. He still needs to put together a few weeks of dominant play with some increased power before he is called up. The situation with Alou & Church may cause the Mets to rush him, but they should be cautious for now.

ANGEL IN THE OUTFIELD?

Looks like Angel Pagan will be back with the team soon after the All-Star break. Pagan was doing a nice job before his injury, but he lacks the power to be a fulltime solution. Still with Robinson Cancel and a perhaps overmatched (though the monkeys feel the jury is still out on that) Nick Evans filling up roster spots, Pagan would be an upgrade for the bench.

EARNED CONFIDENCE

It was refreshing to hear Damion Easley talk about "earned confidence." What a 180 turn from last year's Carlos Delgado quotes about the Mets being so good that they get bored sometimes. Lesson learned? Looks like it was by some.

METS STREAK GIVES METS A MULLIGAN FOR THE FIRST HALF

The monkeys posted a clip of the Dallas "Dream Season" before the Phillies series and said if the Mets swept then it would be like everything that had happened before never happened. The Mets came close taking 3 out 4. With the Mets now only 1/2 game out, it is almost like a new season as we head toward the second half. It was outlandish for the producers of Dallas to tell their audience that an entire season of the show was only a dream. However, it would have been just as outlandish for fans to think the Mets were going to basically get a mulligan on the first half of the season after all the drama and poor play. Caps off to the Mets for their fine play heading into the break.

Eight Belles Finally Put To Sleep

2008-07-11T14:39:00.000-07:00

It comes to nobody's surprise that Moises Alou tore his hamstring diving for a ball during a rehab game. It was not a shock to learn that he will likely need season- ending surgery that could easily mean career ending surgery. While the monkeys raised an eyebrow wondering why this fragile old man bothered to dive in a minor league AA rehab game, it also reminded us why he was a worthwhile gamble in the first place.

Moises Alou is a gamer. It is often said that he could fall out of bed and turn on any fastball. The only problem would be that he would probably realize after getting three hits that he had pulled three muscles and tore his calf & hamstring falling out of bed.

Alou was limited to 87 games in 2007 by a quadriceps injury last season, but he hit an impressive .341 with 13 home runs, 49 runs batted in and only 30 strikeouts in 328 at-bats. He set a franchise record with a 30 game hitting streak. He made other guys in the lineup better. In the two years Alou played for the Mets, David Wright hit .339 on the days Alou was in the lineup. If he had been able to repeat even just the 300 AB's, he would have been worth bringing back. Given what else was out there, the monkeys can't fault Omar for rolling the dice.

Sometimes when you gamble you lose. Such is the nature of gambling. And with Ryan Church a question mark after his two concussions and Moises Alou likely finishing this season with 49 at bats, this gamble by Omar looks pretty bad right now, but a losing bet always does.

Pelfrey Revisited

2008-07-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

Mike Pelfrey won his fifth straight start yesterrday and is looking like a pitcher that will be a mainstay in the Mets rotation for several years. The monkeys told everyone that Pelfrey just needed some time. When we wrote our May 5th column, many fans were ready to give up on Mike, but the monkeys wrote the following about Pelfrey studying Brandon Webb:

Well to date, Pelfrey has more closely resembled Peter Parker than a webslinger, but there is reason to believe Pelfrey can get there. Pelfrey does throw a hard sinker that tops out at 97 MPH. Mets fans have seen a few rare glimpses where this could be a dominant pitch. As Pelfrey observes from Webb, he needs to pound the strike zone which he just hasn't done consistently. The New York Times article states that Pelfrey is performing balance drills intended to get his hand on top of the ball when throwing the pitch. When Pelfrey does not do that, his sinker flattens out, running laterally across the plate instead of diving down in the zone, where hitters often cannot help but pound the ball into the ground — à la Webb.

Mets fans need to acknowledge that the Mets have rushed Pelfrey along. A lot of that has been more on need rather than merit. Pelfrey made a grand total of 33 starts in the minors (only 16 at AAA)and pitched a total of 176 innings. 2006, Fausto Carmona another pitcher with a power sinker was mishandled and wound up going 1-10 with a 5.42 ERA. He has since blossomed into one of the AL's best pitchers. You can't teach "stuff." Sometimes it takes time to harness talent.

The Mets have "pushed" their young talent. They have 16 year olds playing professional ball in the rookie leagues. They have a 19 year old playing in AA. Very few teams are this aggressive with their prospects. Under ordinary circumstances, fans should be patient with prospects when they first get to another level. But fans of the Mets need to be even more patient.

Back In The New York Groove

2008-07-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

Well they certainly made the monkeys sweat and Billy Wagner made us curse, but when all was said and done, the Mets took 3 out of 4. As Jerry Manuel said, they accomplished an awful lot. They are now above .500, just 2 games behind in the loss column and as much as we hate this expression with a passion, "the monkey is off the Mets back" as far as beating the Phillies as their season record against them is now 7-3.

This is just the beginning though. The Mets need to use this series as a jumping off point. Yes, a letdown is to be expected tonight particularly since they are facing SI cover boy Tim Lincecum. Still if they lose tonight, they need to recover and take the next two and win this series. The same this weekend against a Rockies team that struggles on the road. Hard to believe, they even have a chance to go into the break in first place after all that has happened in this tumultuous first half.

NICK OF TIME 2

Not many expected a sequel to the Johnny Depp bomb and perhaps many were dubious the Mets would give Nick Evans another shot so soon after he appeared over matched his last time up. Still, give credit to Evans who went back to AA and continued to rake. He still is the best in-house option to break out and become that righty middle of the order bat the monkeys have said is the Mets greatest need. Let the kid play.

Jekyll and Hyde ... The Evil .500 Monster

2008-07-06T04:55:00.000-07:00

The biggest series of the year so far is halfway over and the Mets looked both like a team that just doesn't have what it takes to win this season and a team on the verge of making a second half charge. Following a bad loss where the Mets wasted yet another strong Santana start missing scoring opportunity after scoring opportunity, the Mets yesterday provided clutch hitting and toughness. Following an outing where Duaner Sanchez allowed the winning run to score in the ninth, Sanchez came back and got two big outs to snuff out a potential Phillies comeback.

The single most frustrating thing in Game #1 of this series was Johan Santana swinging at a 2-0 pitch with the bases loaded. J.A. Happ was struggling with his control. The monkeys figured Santana would have been told to take 2 pitches yet alone 1. Later in the at-bat, Santana let Happ off the hook by swinging at another pitch almost above his head. Pitcher or no pitcher, this was an awful at-bat that might have cost the Mets the victory. While Santana has hinted his teammates haven't provided him enough support, he has no one to blame for this no decision than himself.

Yesterday, Brian Schneider got his biggest hit as a Met. The monkeys have supported the increased playing time that Jerry Manuel has given Ramon Castro, but Schneider is still a pro's pro so we were really happy for him there. The Mets victory was clouded by injuries to John Maine and Ryan Church. As of now, neither seems serious, but time will tell.

The Mets need to find a way to win these next two games. If they do, they will have made a big statement. If they split, it wouldn't be tragic. However, they can't continue being Jekyll and Hide the evil .500 monster and expect to win the division.

Opportunity Knocks

2008-07-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

The monkeys want to talk about the big series before all the other nonsense that are taking off the headlines the last couple of days. And first let's tip our caps to Jerry Manuel who unlike previous manager Willie Randolph actually acknowledges that this is indeed a big series.

If the Mets were to pull off a 4 game sweep (a difficult task, no doubt), they would be within a half game of the Phillies and would be essentially getting a mulligan on the first half of the season. Imagine that. All the drama surrounding this team would be instantly washed away and the season would almost begin anew. It would be like when Pamela Ewing woke up and opened the shower door and saw Bobby Ewing and realized the entire season had been a dream. What an opportunity!

That being said even 3 out of 4 would accomplish an awful lot. It would make the Mets 7-3 vs. the Phillies for the season and continue their efforts of exercising last year's demons. It would put them just 2 behind in the loss column and give them a chance to have positive feelings going into the break if they have a good final week.

A split would be like kissing your sister like all ties are said to be. It wouldn't put the Mets out of it, but there would be a feeling of a missed opportunity. Still, it is a road series against a good team so it wouldn't be a tragedy if the Mets gained a game next week and finished the break within 3.5 games.

If the Mets lost 3 out of 4, it would be a blow. The team has played better baseball lately and going back to 6.5 would put them only 1 game way from their biggest deficit of the season. And after getting a break and missing Cole Hamels this series, it would be a very bad sign if this happened.

If the Mets lost all 4 games, it would be a tragic blow that would make the Mets need to really reevaluate their strategy for 2008. The Mets have been stubborn about making themselves sellers when the situation calls for it. In this case, the Mets need to understand the fans are savvy and would understand if they traded off some pieces to get younger and try for another run soon. This team is not one that is universally loved and no one is going to shed tears if the Mets get swept and decide to shake up a team that collapsed in 2007 and looks like a pretender in 2008.

Lots of different scenarios abound. The monkeys are optimistic. Johan Santana needs to step up like an ace and beat JA Happ who was just called up from the minors. The monkeys have written about how they are not disappointed with Santana because he has mostly pitched in bad luck, but there can be no excuses tonight. If the Mets score 1 run, he needs to pitch a shutout. If there are errors, he needs to bail his team out. The monkeys are confident he'll come up big.

THE MONKEYS ON THE OTHER RECENT ISSUES

Most New York papers are writing headlines today about the Jose Reyes- Keith Hernandez confrontation. Reading the story, it seems like things have been blown a little out of proportion. Keith is allowed to criticize Jose when he acts like Tanner Boyle. Reyes shouldn't be so concerned with what others are saying about him. Take a cue from the Bronx Shortstop who shrugged off the poll where his peers voted him the most overrated player in the game.

The other recent story is how Jerry Manuel didn't know who Val Pascucci was. This story was under-reported. The monkeys are among several bloggers that have lobbied for Pascucci to be added to the Mets bench. When the monkeys interview with a company, they make sure they research the company. Manuel should know the Mets system particularly the ones at AAA that might be needed. His excuse that Pascucci wasn't at spring training was lame. We're pretty sure that Manuel doesn't know who Wilmer Flores is. And if he doesn't learn soon, he shouldn't be around long enough to reap the rewards that Flores will be giving.

Pen Has Stopped Leaking

2008-07-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

Duaner Sanchez had a scary moment yesterday after getting hit by a line drive. Lucky for the Mets, it looks like it was just a bruise. Duaner is 3-0 with a 3.79 ERA, but he has been even better than those numbers indicate. He has only allowed runs in 7 of his 34 outings and has not allowed a run in his last 9 outings. Take away 2 outings and he has pitched 34 innings and allowed just 7 runs for a 1.84 ERA. Although there are still times it looks like he is still holding back a bit because of his previous shoulder issues, he really has been a key cog in the Mets bullpen.

Aaron Heilman has not allowed a run in his last 10 appearances. What's more, he has been getting a good number of strikeouts. His ERA is still a high 4.60, but it had a long way to come down. Earlier in the year, Heilman was falling in love with his changeup leading to a ton of homeruns allowed. Since April 26th, he has allowed just 1 homerun. Heilman has been mixing up his pitches and he has always been a second half pitcher.

Since his disasterous week, Billy Wagner has picked it up again and has not allowed a run in his last 7 appearances earning 6 saves. The monkeys would like to see him not a blow any key saves this weekend against the Phillies and then we'll know he's completely out of his slump.

Although it may appear that Pedro Feliciano has been pretty consistent all year, he has actually got much better as the year has gone on. He was just a bit lucky earlier in the year. Check out his monthly WHIP's below:

April: 1.71
May: 1.50
June: 1.03

Like Sanchez, Schoenweiss has had a couple of really bad outings, but he has only allowed rus in 7 of his 38 appearances. Dropping his two horrible outings, he has an ERA of 1.40 for the year. He has been immensely better than he was last season and has curtailed all the fan's booing which is no easy task.

Joe Smith is the only key cog in the bullpen that has been a little inconsistent lately. He's been effective most outings, but has been hit a bit as well lately. The Mets are wisely limiting his innings since he hit a wall around this time last year.

Overall, things are looking really good with the bullpen. Hopefully, Eddie Kunz who has 22 saves as the AA closer can help out later in the season. He has not allowed a homerun in 36.2 innings. However, he has walked 23 and struck out 33. That ratio is holding him back.

EL DUQUE SIGHTING?

El Duque will possibly be making a rehab start next week. The monkeys are not sure where he fits in at this point, but we guess he can take the Claudio Vargas/Tony Armas Jr. swingman spot if he has anything left.

Half Full or Half Empty?

2008-06-30T13:51:00.001-07:00

As the Mets reached the statistical halfway point yesterday, the monkeys were curious about some of the players first and second half splits over the years. Are they better earlier in the season or is the best yet to come. Here's what we found:

Carlos Delgado
2007: .242 - .285
Career: .269 - .291

What we have seen recently may not be a complete mirage. Delgado traditionally has been a better second half hitter. As we mentioned in yesterday's post, if he could finish 26, 90 .250, most fans would happily take that.

Luis Castillo
2007: .305 - .296
Career: .299 -.285

Castillo usually has a mild falloff in the 2nd half, but given his size, that is to be expected. Perhaps with more rest, he'll hold up a little better. Needless to say though, Castillo could break down at any time.

Jose Reyes
2007: .307-.251
Career: .284-.287

Last year's dramatic second half slump had the monkeys expecting poor second half numbers throughout his career, but the numbers indicate last year might have been an aberration. Reyes needs to be given more rest than last season during the hotter months, but it is reasonable to expect him to maintain his current production.

David Wright

2007: .292-.364
Career: .294-.324

Wright made an MVP run last year in the second half and if not for the Mets collapse, he would have battled Matt Holiday for the award. Wright has been a second half player throughout his young career.

Carlos Beltran

2007: .264-.293
Career: .272- .291

Beltran has also been a better second half player and he has improved as is legs have healed so no reason to expect things to change this year.

Ryan Church

2007: .259- .293
Career: .282 - .267

Church got better in the second half last year, but that was contrary to his career numbers. As he recovers from his concussions, the Mets are just hoping for maintenence.

Brian Schneider

2007: .235 - .236
Career: .248 - .260

Nothing very telling in these numbers. Expect Schneider to hit between .250-.260 in the second half.

Many of these numbers are encouraging particularly for the guys in the middle of the lineup. We'll believe it when we see it (and the Mets have already pushed back his return), but Eight Belles may soon return as well. So there is some hope for optimistic fans about the offense.

Weekend Mirrors Season

2008-06-29T15:22:00.000-07:00

After a weekend of hype, what are we left with?

A .500 weekend just which pretty much should have expected considering this season. A lot of what happened should have been expected.

Johan Santana pitching well enough to win, but the offense couldn't support him leading to a loss.

Jose Reyes creating runs and acting as a spark while also making a baserunning blunder and a silly error.

Carlos Delgado leading an offensive explosion in Game #1 on Friday followed by the team being shutout by Sidney Ponson.

Oliver Perez made the monkeys look good by dominating the Yankees as he often has. The monkeys still believe the Mets need to stick with him as the chances are greater that he could roll off a bunch of wins than that Tony Armas Jr. or any replacement would.

Carlos Delgado made the monkeys look bad after we wanted to DFA him. All of a sudden, he projects out to 28 homers and 90 RBI. The monkeys would gladly sign up for that right now.

As fun as the subway series is, the Mets have bigger fish to fry. Next week the Mets take on the wildcard leading Cardinals and Division leading Phillies. A hot start to the second half of the schedule would put the Mets in pretty decent shape heading toward the All-Star Break.

But, the monkeys want to take a minute and celebrate the Mets winning the 2008 subway series and shove it in the Yankee rally monkeys' faces a bit

THE BEST ANNOUNCING TEAM IN BASEBALL

Today, talking about Roger Clemens throwing the bat at Mike Piazza in the 2000 World Series, the following exchange took place:

Gary Cohen: Clemens said he thought it was the ball.
Keith Hernandez: Was he under oath?
Gary Cohen: Does it matter?

Classic.

OUR FAVORITE 16 YEAR OLD

If you missed Baseball America's hot sheet, here you go.

No. 10 WILMER FLORES, SS
METS

Team: Rookie-level Kingsport (Appalachian)
Age: 16
Why He's Here: .400/.417/.578, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBIs, 0 BB, 7 SO
The Scoop: Flores is a 16 year old playing in a league where the average age is more than 20, and he has been arguably the best player in the league for the first week and a half. After belting a home run in his professional debut, Flores has continued his steady production. Enduring the loss of manager Nick Leyva, who also served as his Flores' translator, could have been a hitch in the road for Flores, who had grown close to Leyva, but the teenager's makeup impressed observers in Kingsport as he kept up his steady production under new leadership. The only knock on Flores is his defense, which at times can be shaky. He made three errors in a game on Tuesday night, but played the next two games error-free. Flores' hitting is his best present tool and he showed it on Thursday night, going 4-for-5 with a triple and three RBIs.

GOLDEN KEY FOLLOWED BY CHANGING LOCKS

2008-06-28T06:10:00.000-07:00

Before the season started, most analysts figured there were three keys to the Mets season: Carlos Delgado providing a middle of the order presence, Pedro Martinez being a top of the rotation stater and Duaner Sanchez being a top flight setup man.

Well, as the Mets continue to float around .500, it is obvious that these answers have not turned out all favorably. Until yesterday, Carlos Delgado had struggled driving in runs and hitting for average. Pedro Martinez had fought injuries and has to quote the since gone Mr. Randolph "not really found his rhythm yet. Duaner Sanchez has not been the stellar 2006 version, but really has been mostly solid and more effective than his ERA might indicate.

Yesterday, the monkeys were in the Bronx where we saw Carlos Delgado turn back time. The monkeys have been a bit rough on Delgado, but yesterday he looked like the type of presence that could help turn the Mets season around hitting 2 homers, a double and driving in 9 runs. It was only one game and he was quiet in Game 2 so we don't want to get too excited just yet. Still, the monkeys will hold off a week or two before writing anymore DFA Carlos columns.

On the other hand, Pedro Martinez just looked awful. The monkeys are hoping he is just rounding into shape after his long layoff. He had very little command of any of his pitches. Claudio Vargas who was just DFA'd had actually been doing a better job in that spot. Hopefully, Pedro turns it around. His velocity has been better than before the injury and Pedro is a very bright man so we would expect he will make some necessary adjustments.

The Mets were able to gain another 1/2 game on first place yesterday so it was still a productive day. The monkeys are hoping for at least a split the next two games as the Mets move on to games that are really more important than the subway series namely against wildcard leading Cardinals and division leading Phillies.

Changes Coming?

2008-06-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

After last night's game, Jerry Manuel claimed changes are coming. Despite the Mets DFA Claudio Vargas and calling up this year's early frequent flyer from New Orleans Carlos Muniz, nothing has occurred just yet. Today's lineup which includes Marlon Anderson and Fernando Tatis does follow through on Manuel's promise to reward players as those are two of the players that actually hit a little bit yesterday.

The monkeys were a little disappointed to read Omar's comments that he still likes the team as is and Manuel can be in charge of lineup and rotation moves, but Omar is still in charge of personnel decisions. Fact of the matter is that tweaking the lineup is not likely to produce real results.

Here are some of the monkeys thoughts on 2 moves that people have shouted for:

DFA Carlos Delgado -- The monkeys strongly endorse this move. Delgado has become the symbol of what ills the Mets. A passionless veteran past his prime that often does not give max effort. Mike Carp could provide a boost of energy and fans would be more inclined to forgive his struggles with a realistic hope that he might get better. Even Valentino Pascucci who the monkeys wrote about yesterday would be a decent stopgap who would certainly welcome an opportunity and play hard when he finally got his chance.

Trade Oliver Perez -- The absolute wrong move. First, the Mets would get less for him than they would if they just let him go as a free agent and got draft picks. It is important that he keeps pitching and wins enough games to remain a type "A" free agent (determined based on the last 2 seasons) that could bring the Mets needed extra draft picks. Besides as maddening as Perez can be, when he is on he can shut down teams like few others in this rotation.

Revisiting our recommendation from a few weeks back, the Mets should consider trading Billy Wagner. Now that he is pitching well again, you can see the monkeys are not just making an irrational decision based on his recent struggles. The Mets need a young right-handed hitting outfielder in any retooling scenario. They have no other somewhat replaceable asset to trade to get one. Free agents do not offer young players. Besides Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Maine, Pelfrey and Santana (all untouchables), what assets are there to trade? Wagner is only going to be here for a year and a half more. The Mets might be able to trade Heilman for Brian Fuentes and not throw in the towel for this year.

Why not tempt the Brewers who have a legitimate shot at the wildcard for the first time in years but lack a closer? The Mets can try and get Matt Laporta who has 19 homers and 59 RBI at AA and is the type of young right-handed hitter the Mets need. It's a gutsy move and the monkeys are fans of Billy Wagner, but the Mets need to start getting in the habit of taking risks on younger players rather the old ones.

THEY ARE BENCH PLAYERS FOR A REASON

2008-06-24T15:08:00.001-07:00

Check out these numbers for the Mets key bench players this year:

Endy Chavez 1 HR, 6 RBI, .239, .586 OPS
Trot Nixon 1 HR, 1 RBI, .174 (but a .321 OBP).669 OPS
Fernando Tatis 1 HR, 10 RBI, .224, .562 OPS
Marlon Anderson 1 HR, 6 RBI, .188, .489 OPS
Damion Easley 2 HR, 14 RBI, .254, .652 OPS

The greatest measurement of production is OPS. As a point of reference, Luis Castillo has an OPS of .702. The Mets bench has atrocioius OPS numbers. The most legitimate indictment of Omar Minaya this season is the lousy bench he put together and this is a skill that Minaya excelled at the past few years. However, stocking the bench was more important this year than any time during Minaya's tenure.

Between Moises Alou, Carlos Delgado and Luis Castillo, you have both fading veterans and not very durable players. The monkeys like many Mets fans are mystified that Minaya didn't have the foresight to stock the bench with at least one if not two legitimate power threats considering two of his top 4 homerun threats were likely to regress or spend time on the DL. The Mets have gotten 2 homeruns out of leftfield this season. That is not a typo.

The monkeys and other bloggers have called for Valentino Pascucci who has been getting on base (.420 OBP) and hitting for power (14 homers). We know he is defensively challenged, but he really needs to get a shot. The Mets sent Chris Aguila make to the minors after just 6 AB's, but despite Robinson Cancel's "Chip Ambres" moment, does anybody not believe Aguila would have provided more as a righty option in the outfield the last couple of weeks?

Since the Mets will need to make a roster move involving adding a pitcher next week, the monkeys expect them to send down Tatis (Cancel will go down for Church this weekend). After the Mets do not need the extra pitcher, why not call up Pascucci then? The Mets need to reshuffle the deck a bit with their bench. And although some Valentinos may have better footwork, Pascucci can hit.

Give Us Some Credit, Fred

2008-06-23T15:21:00.000-07:00

The monkeys watched Fred Wilpon's interview today and smiled. Fred seems like a nice man, but despite his business acumen, he does not seem exceptionally bright. This was a man who met Art Howe and thought he lit up the room. This was a man that actually argued that Victor Zambrano had the third best fastball in the AL and was a budding ace. This was a man that just told us Omar is doing "a great job." The monkeys are stronger supporters of Omar than most, but even we would be hard pressed to describe his work as "great." But the thing that made us smile most was Fred's insistence that Willie's firing was Omar's decision.

Now, maybe it was Omar who made the final decision. But after all the organizational leaks, what choice did Minaya have? The constant speculation of Willie's status was simply just too distracting. And the person who leaked the rumored firing really made the decision for Omar. If Fred doesn't respect the fans enough to know they will figure that out then shame on Fred.

CONFLICTING REPORTS ON INJURIES

So, let's see. Luis Castillo is heading to the DL, but he is in tonight's starting lineup.

Moises Alou can't be counted on for this year, yet Tony Bernazard says Alou will be back by the All Star break.

Angel Pagan is recovering nicely and just needs to start swinging yet other reports have him needing season ending surgery.

The Mets and the beat reporters need to get their stories straight.

KINGSPORT AND GULF COAST METS

Wilmer Flores has slowed down a bit since his crazy start, but the monkeys are still watching him. Javier Rodriguez, the Mets most recent draft signee who was the top high school prospect in Puerto Rico just joined the Gulf Coast Mets. Recent pick catcher Dock Doyle plays on that team. Fernando Martinez is rehabbing with the GCL team. Let's get some rookie league games on SNY. Enough with the loudmouths.

www.kmets.com

Maybe Jack Bauer Should Be The GM

2008-06-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

The dust has settled a bit on the Mets firing fiasco this week, but it will take the organization a little while to recover from the hit it took this week from the press and the fans. With all the talk of leaks and moles in the organization, the monkeys think that watching the Mets has become a little bit like watching "24."

In Season 1, Jack Bauer was able to thwart the terrorists, save his family when it was held hostage and stop the assassination attempt of President Palmer only to find out in the very last scene that his wife was killed by his enemy, Nina Myers. It was a devastating blow that Jack still has not fully recovered from.

In the 2007 Season, the Mets were able to fight off challengers despite Pedro Martinez and Moises Alou missing most of the season and looked like they would be in the playoffs until the very last day of the season when they were eliminated by their rivals, the Phillies. It was a devastating blow they still not have recovered from.

At CTU where Bauer works, everybody always is suspicious. There are moles like Nina Myers and Marianne Taylor that reveal government secrets to the enemy making Jack's job more difficult.

With the Mets, everyone is suspicious. There are organizational leaks revealing information to the press that makes every Manager's job more difficult.

Jack Bauer frequently screams "Damn it" when a key witness dies before revealing a key clue.

Mets fans frequently have had to scream "Damn it" when Billy Wagner blows a save during a key game.

On 24, there is often someone in the White House working against the President. President Palmer's right hand man Mike Novick betrayed him in Season 2 and had him removed from office.

With the Mets, Omar Minaya's right hand man Tony Bernazard might have been working against him. Although Minaya seems to have preferred keeping Willie around, many think Bernazard was responsible for the leaks that left Minaya with little choice but to fire Willie Randolph.

On 24, they have twice tortured a CTU agent they thought was conspiring against them only to find out they had the wrong guy.

The press started to skewer Jerry Manuel for being spotted speaking with Tony Bernazard just prior to his being named Randolph's replacements. Later reports leave a little more doubt that this was anything sinister.

On 24, Season 5 reveals the ultimate villain was the President of the United States.

The more Mets fans learn about the insider workings of the Mets, the more it seems as though Owner Jeff Wilpon is the man responsible for the issues that plague the Mets.

Maybe Jack Bauer should be GM of the Mets.

New Hire Intriguing

2008-06-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

The Mets hired Wayne Krivsky today as a scout. While the monkeys are more skeptical than most that Omar's job is in jeopardy, it is worth noting the possibility that his replacement might just be the Mets' newest scout. Krivsky was fired 21 games into the season and that firing received some criticism.

Although struggling currently, the Reds look like a team that has a bright future. Krivsky had a mixed record as a GM. He made a great deal getting Bronson Arroyo for Willie Mo Pena. He acquired Brandon Phillips for a player to be named later.

The most controversial trade of Krivsky's tenure was the deal that sent outfielder Austin Kearns, shortstop Felipe López, and minor league right-hander Ryan Wagner to the Washington Nationals for right-hander Gary Majewski, left-hander Bill Bray, veteran shortstop Royce Clayton and minor-leaguers Brendan Harris and Daryl Thompson, an infielder and right-handed pitcher, respectively. This one had panic written all over it as the Reds were contending at the time, but needed immediate bullpen help. Some sources in the organization claimed Krivsky never listened to advice. Of course, the monkeys wish that Jim Duquette had that flaw as well.

He also traded Josh Hamilton from the Reds to the Rangers for pitchers Edinson Volquez and Danny Herrera. This was a deal that is working for both sides as Hamilton is an MVP candidate and Volquez is a Cy Young candidate. Good to see Krivsky has the stomach for big deals. Even better to see he values pitching over hitting.

Again, the monkeys don't think Omar is in trouble just yet, but an interesting hire today nonetheless.

SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

The Mets wisely this time are not making Ryan Church fly to Colorado for this series even though he is eligble to come off the DL on Saturday. The Mets were widely criticized for putting Church on a plane to Denver so soon after his concussion when he should obviously not have gone to Colorado. Many have noted that putting Willie on the plane was only the second dumbest move the front office made regarding the passenger lists this season.

SWEET SIXTEEN

Wilmer Flores, the monkeys' favorite 16 year old phenom, went 1 for 5 yesterday for Kingsport dropping his average to .467.

Timing Just A Bit Off

2008-06-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

If Willie Randolph had managed yesterday, what do you think would have happened? Let's review yesterday's game a bit.

After Jose Reyes pulled up to first base a little limp and was removed from the game, he ignored his manager and flung his helmet into the dugout. Carlos Delgado made another error and chased after the ball in his typical lazy manner. Damion Easley committed a mental error by not covering second base on a pickoff play. The Mets showed little passion in trying to mount a comeback.

People would have been screaming for Willie's head. That now sympathetic figure would be getting crucified. The only complaint about Willie having to fly to California would have been that the plane didn't continue on to Alaska. Nobody would have blamed the Wilpons for firing him. So many things are a matter of timing.

OBERKFELL BEING GROOMED?

The monkeys had endorsed Ken Oberkfell as their managerial choice a few weeks back when the Willie Watch started (see May's column "The Clock is Ticking on Willie"). Ownership and Minaya felt they wanted someone who had witnessed the team firsthand to take over so Manuel got the nod. Some bloggers and columinst have mistakenly painted Oberkfell as more fiery than he actually has been in his managing career. Oberkfell, however has been able to get the most out of his players and has been very strong in communicating with them. Oberkfell will be strongly considered for 2009 if Manuel is unable to turn things around. The monkeys are a little surprised though that Oberkfell didn't get the bench coach position.

WILMER FLORES

This guy will be worth watching. One of the international signees that the Mets have added in the past few years, Flores was already on many top 15 prospect lists before even playing a professional game. In his debut for Kingsport in the rookie league, Flores went 3 for 5 with a homerun ... and he's 16 years old. Too bad we couldn't fast forward his career. He sounds like he could be the young righty replacement for Eight Belles the monkeys have been seeking.

STARK INTERVIEW

In case you missed it yesterday, good interview with Jayson Stark from ESPN regarding the firing.

Just Sell, Baby!

2008-06-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

The inevitable finally happened as the Mets fired Willie Randolph along with the Jacket and Tom Nieto. The way this went down though pretty much clinches what the monkeys have thought for some time. The ownership, particularly Jeff Wilpon (referred to as Paris Wilpon in some circles) is the cause of many of the Mets problems.

Before we get into that, we need to address the faux outrage some fans have about how this was handled. If you are one of those fans that continuously screamed that Willie had to go, calm down. Many of you were so anxious to dump Willie that if the Mets dropped him out of the plane during the flight to California, you would have been happy.

The monkeys' stance in earlier blogs was an acknowledgement that this was not all Willie's fault, but he did have to bear some responsibility and a change would probably do the team good. Not as good as acquiring a younger version of Eight Belles (Newbies to the blog should note that means Moises Alou). But we do take some offense to how this handled because it indicates a greater issue with how the organization is run.

By all accounts, Omar Minaya was a staunch supporter of Randolph. Is part of that support that Willie served as a target that shielded Minaya from blame at times? Perhaps that had something to do with it, but probably not everything to do with it. However, once the "organizational leaks" started flowing that the Mets were planning to fire Willie, the distractions were becoming too great to allow this to go on any longer. It is well known that Jeff Wilpon wanted to fire Willie after last year's collapse so he must be a prime suspect in these leaks. The other name that has been mentioned is Tony Bernazard who had an acrimonious relationship with Randolph. The only thing is these leaks have been going on since before Bernazard joined the organization. Someone leaked Rick Petersen's comment on the Kazmir conference call that he could "fix Victor Zambrano in 10 minutes." And that someone is probably the guy who was pushing for the trade. The guy who always pushes for the quick fix and panics ... Jeff Wilpon.

The monkeys question those who criticize Omar for drying up the farm system. The system was dry when he got here. His mandate was to make the fans forget the Kazmir debacle and put a winning team that could garner ratings for the new SNY Network ASAP. How was he to do that other than to sign free agents which cost the Mets the draft picks they needed to improve a barren farm system. Handcuffed by ownership to stay within MLB's slot guidelines, his only hope was to spend on the international draft which produces players 17 or 18 years old. The returns on those players are still unknown. Can you take Omar to task for not hedging his bets and getting better substitutes for an aging Delgado or Eight Belles? Yes, that is valid.

Jeff Wilpon's antics led to embarrassing timing of the firing. You can ask why Willie and his coaches had to fly cross-country when it seems ownership had made up its mind. The better question is why Jeff Wilpon undermines the authority of the people he hires? If he is going to interfere, it doesn't matter who the GM or the Manager is anyway. Now that the distractions are over, many fans want to yell to the Mets "Just Win, Baby." The monkeys want to shout to Jeff, "Just sell, baby!"

Some Only Have 10 Minutes

2008-06-16T15:25:00.000-07:00

Andy Warhol said everybody gets their 15 minutes of fame. Of course, as Rick Petersen has proven, some only have 10 minutes. And his 10 minutes were famous for what he failed to accomplish ... namely fixing Victor Zambrano. As we all know, Petersen felt that Scott Kazmir needed a few more years to have enough innings under his belt to help in the majors. He also felt that Kazmir was likely to break down. And he felt that he could "fix" Victor Zambrano in 10 minutes thus giving management the confidence they needed to make one of the most moronic deals in recent years.

We all know how this turned out. Kazmir was in fact ready to contribute and eventually thrive in the majors and Zambrano was the one who broke down after 2 starts. As the axe seems likely to fall soon on Mr. Petersen, this will still be his legacy unfair as it might be.

Petersen has accomplished a lot throughout his career. He worked with Oakland pitchers Tim Hudson, Barry Zito and Mark Mulder to develop them into one of the best trios in the past decade. Only Hudson has been able to maintain his peak performance (a favorite Petersen phrase) without the Jacket's guidance.

For the Mets, Rick convinced Glavine to start pitching inside and make adjustments that veterans need to make. This is no easy task. He turned around the careers of John Maine, Oliver Perez and Aaron Heilman, although the latter two have regressed this season.

Petersen though does beat to a slightly different drum. The monkeys saw him at the pool reading "Real Simple," an odd choice for a baseball lifer, but one that is consistent with his quirky nature. He compares Pelfrey throwing a slider instead of a curveball to having jelly rather than ketchup with peanut butter. Some pitchers swear by him and some roll their eyes.

Since the Mets starting pitching has actually been getting better, we wonder if the Jacket should really be the one to take the fall here. Are the bullpen failures his fault? Perhaps and if so, maybe a change is needed.

But if ownership think that changing pitching coaches is going to turn it all around, they are wrong. The Mets need to shake up the roster a bit. And management seems to be missing this ... even though it's real simple.

CANCEL THAT

Yes, the monkeys were bashing the Robinson Cancel move so we'll tip our caps to him for getting the big hit yesterday.

TROT STARTS HOT

With Eight Belles still recovering from his calf injury, Trot Nixon showed himself to be a smart hitter at the plate working the count and getting on base 4 times. Welcome aboard.

RALLY MONKEY

While we are in Anaheim, the monkeys want to take a moment to pay homage to a great monkey that paved the way for monkeys like us to be prevalent in ballparks around the country. The rally monkey is widely credited with helping the Angels win the 2002World Series. You are a true pioneer.

Mets Should Consider Unloading Wags At Deadline

2008-06-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

Monkeys are not animals that traditionally overreact. The fact is we realize that of all the Mets issues, Billy Wagner's slump is the one that is most likely an aberration that will be fixed pretty quickly. The fact that we are suggesting this idea has little to do with this past week other than the fact that it made winning the division seem a little less likely. And the monkeys are not among those that feel we should give up on the season since we see a very vulnerable Cardinals team occupying the wildcard spot even if the Fighting Phils continue to roll. No, the monkeys have other reasons for considering trading Billy Wagner.

Reason #1: The general history of the trading deadline is that no position is more overvalued at that time than a relief pitcher, particularly a closer.

Reason #2: Everyone agrees the Mets need to get younger players. Nick Evans and Fernando Martinez are not quite ready yet. Mike Carp is probably closer, but he is only one player. Since there is no fountain of youth, how is that going to happen? The free agent market usually contains mostly players 30 and over. The good ones that are younger like Teixiera and Sabathia will command a king's ransom. Someone needs to get traded to add more.

Reason #3: As Billy Beane said in "Moneyball," you can always find another closer. In fact, the Mets already have been talking to Colorado about Brian Fuentes. Hopefully, Eddie Kunz will cut down on his walks and become a viable option within a year. How hard is it to replace 13 out of 18 saves anyway?

Reason #4: You have to start taking some chances the other way. The Mets have taken some chances trading youth for vets. Time to roll the dice the other way.

Reason #5: The Golden Rule that the Mets never follow and the Red Sox always follow ... Better to trade a guy a year too soon than a year too late.

The monkeys are eyeing Tampa and seeing if Troy Percival breaks down. They would be a prime candidate for a trade partner if that was to happen.

WHO IS LUIS ALEN?

Luis Alen, a 23 year old catcher the Mets pulled from the independent league, made his AAA debut going 3-5 with a double and a homer. We'll be watching him carefully after seeing so many catching retreads pass through Cajun Country.

Who Are We Rooting For?

2008-06-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

WHO ARE WE ROOTING FOR?

For years, the first score the monkeys would check after the Mets was the Braves. The last two years, it has become the Phillies. And of course, every win by the Phils upsets the monkeys. Yesterday, we weren't quite as sure. Looking at the 20-2 beating the Phils gave the Cards made us wonder how the Mets would catch the red-hot Phils. And the notes column that said Chris Carpenter, who was expected to provide the Cards with a late season boost had a major setback in his rehab, had us thinking the Cards and their wildcard spot are much more vulnerable. Their pythagorean record is 37-32 so they are overachieving and Pujols is now hurt. We're not ready to completely concede the division to the Phils just yet, but in this series who are we really rooting for?

YESTERDAY AND WILLIE

Yesterday, the Mets gave the monkeys a day off from stressing through a game. They had a well-pitched game from Oliver Perez, had some timely hitting by Carlos Beltran, added insurance runs and Schoenweiss & Sanchez provided almost flawless relief. Of course, as happy as we were, Willie Randolph was probably happier. The rumors were flowing that he might be fired if they lost yesterday's game. If that was true, it is crazy that the Mets are allowing him to twist in the wind like that. If they are that close to firing him, just get it over with and let's move on.

GOOD MOVE

After the game, the Mets announced they had acquired Trot Nixon for cash and a player to be named later. Nixon is a gritty player who knows how to get on base. The way the team is constructed right now, he will probably need to play more than he should, but he is better than some of the Mets current options. Let's just hope the Mets have the good sense to demote Robinson Cancel who was just a ridiculous callup at this juncture.

GOOD SIGNS

The Mets announced they had signed two of their top three draft picks, Reese Havens and Pitcher Bradley Holt and that both would start at Brooklyn. Both were on BA's post-draft top 10 prospect list. Let's get Ike Davis signed and start these hopefully promising pro careers.

Wasting The Most Precious Resource

2008-06-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

As is the case with most fans, the monkeys have been disgusted with the last few days. Sure it is annoying to watch when David Wright cannot get in a runner from third with less than two outs to add a much needed insurance run. It is frustrating when it appears he is going to atone for that in the ninth inning and is robbed by a great defensive play. But nothing is worse then what the Mets have been doing the last week wasting the most precious resource of all ... great starting pitching.

Johan Santana followed up an effort where he pitched 7 innings allowing two runs with 7 shutout innings and received a loss and a no-decision. Mike Pelfrey pitched 8 shutout innings to follow a 7 inning, 2 run performance and received two no decisions. Sure the Mets came back to win both, but Pelfrey is a guy who at times has confidence issues and his undeserved 2-6 record won't help with that. The guy has pitched 12 times and allowed 2 run or less in 7 of those starts. John Maine and Pedro Martinez each left the games with a lead their last starts.

With Moises Alou and Ryan Church out, the Mets are offensively challenged. The only thing that is going to save this season is the quality of the Mets starters. Watching the Mets make dumb play after dumb play this year, you don't have to worry about their mind, but good starting pitching is a terrible thing to waste.

MONKEYS SEE, WILL THE METS DO?

The Mets are considering not putting Alou on the DL with the thought that he might be able to DH against the Angels next week. Alou has not been optimistic regarding his calf and this would leave them shorthanded this weekend. The Mets have made this mistake over and over again. Just put him on the DL and call up Val Pascucci or Mike Carp. The Mets should be considering euthanizing Alou not DHing him.

New Prospect List Yields Crystal Ball

2008-06-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

To those who missed it, Baseball America put together their post draft Top 10 Mets prospects assuming they sign all their draft choices:

1. Fernando Martinez, of
Still young and talented, but his lack of production may mean he's overhyped.
2. Ike Davis, 1b
Hulking lefthanded slugger can handle the outfield and pitch, too.
3. Reese Havens, ss
More likely a third baseman or possibly a catcher, stands out with approach and pop.
4. Jon Niese, lhp
Quietly having success in Double-A at age 21, he owns three solid pitches.
5. Dan Murphy, 3b
Having a breakout year with a .325 average and eight homers in Double-A.
6. Mike Carp, 1b
Back on track in Double-A after slumping in 2007, he's hitting .351 with nine homers.
7. Eddie Kunz, rhp
New York's top 2007 pick has held his own in Double-A in his first full season.
8. Brad Holt, rhp
2008 supplemental first-rounder can touch 96 mph, needs a reliable second pitch
9. Javier Rodriguez, of
2008 second-rounder is a lean athlete with speed and projectable power.
10. Nick Evans, 1b
Another Double-A masher (.295, nine homers), he destroys lefthanded pitching.

Four of those prospects (#2, #3, #8 and #9) were just drafted. Nathan Vineyard (injured), Bobby Parnell (awful April, but better since), Brant Rustich (just finding his way after being injured earlier this season) and Scott Moviel (Similar to Parnell with a bad start, but improving lately) are the ones that have been dropped from the opening day list.

So, what does this list tell us?

1) Nises is the only starting pitching prospect that might play a role in 2009. And since he is only at AA now, he might be better thought of as a 6th starter that can get his feet wet a bit next year and hopefully find a permanent spot in the rotation in 2010.

Meaning: Santana, Maine and Pelfrey are in the rotation in 2009 barring any health issues. Pedro feels he owes the Mets for missing so much time. If he stays healthy and pitches well, there is a good chance he will be back. Knowing his injury history, that is where easing in Niese fits in. Oliver Perez will most likely leave as a free agent. The Mets will again be shopping for a starting pitcher this offseason.

2) There is a decent chance Carlos Delgado's replacement is in-house. Mike Carp is tearing up AA and Ike Davis is a solid draft pick with some thump. Nick Evans, though rushed, has mashed lefties at all minor league levels. Even Dan Murphy may find himself in the mix.

3) Javier Rodriguez may be the top right-handed hitting prospect in the organization ... and he's 18.

Meaning: The right-handed balance that "special guest star" Moises Alou provides will need to be replaced by someone outside the organization.

4) Eddie Kunz will get a shot to be part of the bullpen next year. Add him to Duaner Sanchez, Joe Smith and the Mets might not need to spend too much time addressing the bullpen in the offseason.

Meaning: Aaron Heilman could be getting a needed change of scenery, but the Mets would be wise to wait until he rebuilds his value a bit.

Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran,Church, Mr. X, Carp, Schneider might be your lineup next year. Finding the right Mr. X might be the key to the offseason.

The Next Paul ONeill Has Become The Next Wayne Chrebet

2008-06-09T17:15:00.000-07:00

The monkeys were among those complaining the loudest about the Lastings Milledge trade. We were upset to give up a player with such potential and bat speed you couldn't teach for a light hitting defensive catcher a platoon outfielder. The first two months of the year, Church made believers out of the monkeys. He was the Mets best player hitting 9 homers, driving in 32 runs and hitting .311 prior to his latest injury. What's more he added toughness and hard-nosed play to a group that was severely lacking in those categories. The initially ridiculous notion that he could be our Paul Oneill started to seem not so ridiculous. A player that would actually blossom when finally given the chance to play full-time on the game's biggest stage.

Church was injured May 20 at Atlanta. He was accidentally kneed in the head by Atlanta Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar while trying to break up a game-ending double play. The Mets mismanaged the injury putting him on a plane to Colorado where the altitude made things worse for Church. In retrospect, it is quite clear he belonged on a flight to NY to be further examined. The Mets record with medical diagnosis the last few years would rival the Kansas City Royals' record with baseball games the last few years.

The Mets used him as a pinch hitter a few times before shutting him down for a bit. After returning from the injury he went just 2-for-11 with six strikeouts and went 0-for-4 and fanned three times when he last started Thursday night in San Diego. The Mets then shut him down the rest of the weekend. As they lost 3 one-run games in a row, it is certainly reasonable to think a healthy Church would have made an impact that might have helped win at least one of those games.

The Mets finally put him on the DL nearly a month later than they should have. Since it is Church's second concussion, there is room for mild concern. Most likely, rest will do him good and all will be fine. But NY fans remember how concussions finally took out the tough and hard-nosed receiver Wayne Chrebet. The monkeys will be praying for Church.

This Closer Not A Stopper

2008-06-08T17:47:00.000-07:00

The Mets today had their toughest loss of the season. They had leads of 3-0, 5-3 and 6-4 and they gave them all up to the worst offensive team in the National League. After they had three straight well-pitched games where they only allowed 2 runs only to be betrayed by their offense, the Mets had an offensive outburst only to be betrayed by their pitching.

Now Billy Wagner is not anywhere near the Mets biggest problem. All in all, he has had a very solid season with 13 out of 16 saves and a 1.01 ERA. And although there is no real good time to blow a save, the timing of his blown saves do seem particularly bad. The Mets had lost three games in the standings to the Phillies in the last three days and were in position to stop the bleeding today before Wagner let up a 3-run blast to Tony Clark. A few weeks back the Mets had lost 4 straight games to the Braves and were sinking into the abyss when Wagner was called on to get a save against the Rockies and he let up a game-tying homerun in a game the Mets eventually lost in extra innings.

Last year, when the Mets had lost the first three in a series to the Phillies and needed a two-inning save to right the ship, Wagner failed them. Had he saved that game, the Mets would have won the division and the hangover and tag as "chokers" would not be on them. Now that be a little unfair by the monkeys. Certainly someone like Guillermo Mota would be more to blame for last year's collapse than Wagner, but more is expected from Wagner.

Before coming to the Mets, Wagner blew two key games for the Phillies against the team that eventually edged them out for the Wildcard ...the Astros. Having come so close to the playoffs had the Phillies fired up in 2007. You know the way teams are supossed to be fired up the year after they just miss the playoffs they expected to make the year before.

Perhaps the monkeys and other Mets fans have been spoiled by the guy in the Bronx. Mariano Rivera has set an impossible standard for closers. He has blown a few big ones (Sandy Alomar Jr's homer in 1997, Luis Gonzalez' walkoff hit in the 2001 World Series, a couple of blown saves to the Sox in the 2004 playoffs), but when you get as many postseason saves chances as he has had, you're bound to blow a few. And every time it happens, there is a sense of surprise, if not shock that doesn't occur when Wagner lets up a late inning homer.

Billy Wagner overall has been a great closer, but when it comes to Mets losing streaks, he hasn't been a great stopper. The Phillies fans learned this a few years back and now they are glad he listens when they sing this to him while he is on the Mets:

Surprising Stat

2008-06-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

By all indications, the best stat to prove the worth of a player is OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage). The monkeys read the newspapers and the blogs and know that there is a lot of Luis Castillo bashing and until recently, plenty of Jose Reyes bashing. The Yankees for the most part are not nearly as scruntinized. Let's look at the OPS of the middle inielders in this town:

Jose Reyes .848
Derek Jeter .724
Luis Castillo .711
Robinson Cano .609

Now a few weeks ago when the various local newspapers did their yearly position matchup questions, the typical shortstop column contained a sarcastic "remember when people actually thought Jose Reyes was the best shortstop in NY." Well, time to revisit those snide comments.

No one is suggesting that we'd rather have Luis Castillo than Robinson Cano, but for all the bashing he is taking, Castillo has been more productive. He has THE SAME NUMBER of homers as Jeter and only one less than Cano. He has one less RBI than Cano ... and he frequently needs to sit out for his ailing knees. It just goes to show the local press is tougher on the Mets than the Yankees.

STRANGE MOVE INDEED

If the point of having three catchers is to allow Ramon Castro, a good hitter, a chance to pinch hit without getting caught without a catcher if Brian Schneider gets hurt, why did Willie use Robinson Cancel instead at a pivotal point in the game last night? Cancel had not had a major league AB since 1999. Mystifying.

MONKEY SEE, YOU SHOULD DO

www.georgesatthecove.com

If you're in SD watching the Mets, this is one of the monkeys' favorite restaurants.

Bench Needs Tweaking

2008-06-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

The monkeys found themselves checking the status of Jose Valentin today. Just in case you were wondering, he's back at AAA after his comeback was slowed by shoulder tendinitis. He's starting tonight as the DH and batting third. Now Valentin knows how to play the game and is by all accounts a great influence on Reyes and the other younger players, but really how much can he really have left? Yes, he was a godsend in 2006 until his inability to drive in a run from third base with less than two outs slowed down the momentum the Mets had after Endy's catch in Game 7 of the NLCS. Last year, he was barely a blip and mostly ineffective. So the fact that we were checking must mean the Mets bench is in need of some reinforcements.

It got the monkeys thinking: What makes an ideal bench? Well if you have an offensive catcher, you'd like a good defensive backup. But, the Mets have a defensive catcher so you'd like an offensive catcher. Well, Ramon Castro fits the bill so we are okay there. We were even okay when Castro was injured because for the most part, Raul Casanova fit the bill.

For backup outfielders, you'd like a defensive specialist and a power hitter off the bench that could jack one. Endy Chavez was perfect in that role in 2006, pretty good in 2007 before he pulled his hamstring, but hasn't quite got it going this year. He still is a gem in the outfield and he got the biggest hit of the year to date with a game tying homer in the 9th, but he is hitting under .200. For a while, he had the excuse that Angel Pagan had cut into his playing time, but Endy has been getting his share of AB's lately. He needs to pick it up, but he has earned the right for the Mets to give him time to right the ship. You can argue that Fernando Tatis fills the power role, but he is miscast as an outfielder as has been more and more apparent the more often that he plays. So a power hitting outfielder should be on the agenda. Perhaps in-house options Valentino Pascucci (11 homers, 27 RBI, .409 OBP) or Chris Aguila (15 homers, 31 RBI, .297) deserve a shot before the Mets make trade.

For backup infielders, a team would like a good defensive hard nosed player who can fill in at second and short and a backup corner infielder with some pop. If he hits righty and you have a fading left-handed hitting first basemen, all the better. This is actually where Tatis is a better fit. Might the Mets eventually need an upgrade here? Perhaps, but Tatis has had enough big hits and added needed energy to give him a shot first. Damion Easley is a nice player who knows his role. However, he was nicer last year when he hit 10 homers. This year he has hit only one. And why is he batting fifth so often lately? 1 homer and an appaling .265 OBP simply do not warrant that position in the batting order. The monkeys like Easley and feel a bit guilty saying this, but this is another spot that needs to be upgraded.

A few tweaks that should be easy to make, but could make all the difference in the world.

Draft Day

2008-06-05T10:49:00.001-07:00

Breaking News: The monkeys think the MLB draft is pretty fun to watch. What is so surprising is that this is only the second year that this has been televised. Why has it taken so long? Is it because most people didn't know many of the players being drafted like they do in basketball where people become familiar with many college players while participating in their March Madness Pools? Or football where College Football has almost as many fantatical fans as the NFL? Perhaps, but now thanks to ESPN's coverage of the College World Series, internet sites detailing the prospects and books like Moneyball that brought us into the draft war room, the excitement level of the baseball draft has risen.

The Mets had 2 first round picks and one compensation pick that gave them 3 of the top 33 picks. The monkeys had written about 6 players that had been linked to the Mets a few days back. Knowing the Mets were looking to draft position players that wouldn't take long to get to the majors, it was upsetting watching so many come off the board quickly. After Buster Posey and Kyle Skipworth, the 2 top catchers in the draft, went in the top 6, it didn't look like the Mets were going to get Jason Castro who was linked so much to the Mets by draft prognosticators that it almost feels like he was snatched from the organization like Jesus Flores was by the Nationals.

The Mets were able to grab one of the 6 players the monkeys had projected in Ike Davis. As we had previously mentioned, Davis can play first or left field. He has a sweet swing and a high power ceiling. The ESPN commentators projected him to hit 25-30 homers in the majors. Davis will join Mike Carp, Nick Evans, Fernando Martinez and Dan Murphy as contenders to replace Carlos Delgado and Moises Alou and become mainstays at Citi Field.

With the 22nd pick, the Mets selected Reese Havens. Here are some terms associated with Havens that may be unfamiliar to some Mets fans: Durable. Great makeup. Savvy. A "baseball player who makes those around him better. He is not very fast, but is a smart baserunner. His range is average. He is projected to hit between 10-15 homers. The monkeys would hope that he would move from shortstop to second base as he climbs the ladder. He does sound like the type of player you would like to play next to Jose Reyes along with David Wright. Does Anthony Hewitt who the monkeys mentioned two days ago and was selected by the Phils have a higher ceiling? Yep, but he is riskier and the monkeys like that the Mets are considering character and "baseball smarts." After watching the team this year, that is refreshing.

The Mets made a surprising pick with the 33rd pick in the draft. Brad Holt, who was listed as the 98th top prospect in BA (though ESPN had him much higher at 58th), throws a fastball between 92-94 that touches 96 MPH. He has good command and life on that pitch. The problem is his secondary pitches are not nearly as advanced. Never hurts to have power pitchers in the system, but no way of telling how this pick will pan out at this point.

Lots more picks coming up that won't be televised, but it was to see the Mets having multiple high picks for a change. The monkeys hope for a great career for Ike Davis and that we'll soon be singing .....

Pitching For A Winning Streak

2008-06-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

John Maine 6 innings, 1 earned run
Pedro Martinez 6 innings, 3 earned runs
Johan Santana, 7.2 innings, 1 earned run
Mike Pelfrey, 7 innings, 2 earned runs
Oliver Perez 1/3 inning, 6 earned runs ... Whoops.

The last turn through the Mets rotation was very impressive with the exception of a horrible outing by Oliver Perez. Still with Pedro back, the Mets look like a team capable of putting together long winning streaks for the first time this season since the opening week of the season.

The Mets probably don't have the hitting to compete with the fighting Phils so they are going to have to win the division with pitching. And that means Oliver Perez is going to need to pick it up. Perez won 15 games last year and was quietly one of the 10 best pitchers in the NL. He was much more consistent last year than people give him credit for. This year though he has earned the reputation he has been tagged with.

Perez does like the big stage. His ERA in two starts vs. the first place Phillies is 0.00. Against the Yanks, always a big stage, he pitched 7.2 innings and allowed just 2 runs. Unfortunately, his stats against lesser teams are horrible. Against Pittsburgh, his ERA is 10.80. Against the Giants it is 162.00. We know monkeys that can't even count that high.

What is the problem with Perez? Did the Mets wait too long to quarantine Carlos Delgado who carried the disease of "we're so good, we're bored?" The Mets need to figure that out in a hurry because more and more, Perez looks like the key to the season. Is it any wonder why fans don't know whether to be optimistic or not?

REYES ANSWERS CRITICS

May : 5 HR, 15 RBI, .310 BA .379 OBP
June: 1 HR, 4 RBI, .319 BA, .350 OBP

Move on, folks. Nothing to see here. Except a few defensive flubs, Jose Reyes is back.

MAINE MAN

John Maine now 37-19 as a Met. He has the highest winning percentage of any starter with over 50 decisions in Mets history. How crazy is that? No matter what Omar has done since, this trade will always be a part of his legacy. And what did he give up?

Future Mets?

2008-06-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

The monkeys can't claim to have intimate knowledge of Omar Minaya and his team's draft strategy. The truth is neither does Baseball America, ESPN or MLB.com. However, there are a few names that have popped up frequently on these and other mock drafts. Here are a few of them:

Jason Castro, Catcher (Stanford): Castro has shown he can hit for average and power. This summer he hit .341 in the Cape Cod League. Scouting reports say that he has better speed than most catchers. He is improving defensively though his arm strength is average. Baseball America ranks him as the third best catcher in the draft behind possible top pick Buster Posey and Kyle Skipworth.

Ike Davis, 1B/OF -- The son of former Yankee setup man, Ron Davis, has excellent raw power and a strong arm. His speed though is only average. BA ranks him as the third best power hitter in college behind only Pedro Alvarez, another possible option for top pick and Justin Smoak. Reports that he is sometimes low energy are a slight red flag since the monkeys have seen enough of this type of player.

Andrew Cashner, Pitcher -- Omar Minaya likes to draft relievers that are close to helping the big league team. The monkeys would have thought that Omar filled his quota last year with Eddie Kunz, the Mets AA closer and Brant Rustich (Low A Ball). Still Cashner throws a consistent 96-98 MPH fastball which BA ranks as the third best in college. His command is sometimes a concern.

Ethan Martin, Pitcher/3B --- One of a few projected first round picks that will force a team to make a decision whether to develop the player as a hitter or a pitcher. Martin throws a fastball in the mid-90's (BA ranks him second for high school prospects) and an above average curveball. He is also a plus defender with raw power. Big, strong and projectable.

David Cooper, 1B -- One of many quality first basemen in the draft. Cooper has strong forearms and great hand-eye coordination, but questionable bat speed. He is a patient hitter, but defense and speed are slightly below par.

Anthony Hewitt, SS -- Listed as best athlete in HS by BA, they also call him the classic high risk/high reward pick. The Mets have picked toolsy guys like him in the past. His pitch recognition still needs work. Many scouts feel he'll move to center. And he may be tough to sign since he has committed to Vanderbilt.

Now that ESPN2 covers the draft and the Mets actually have some good picks, the monkeys are very excited about this Thursday. The rebuilding of this slightly barren farm system is about to begin.

Of course, no draft was ever as exciting as in 1980 when the Mets had first pick and selected:

No Need To Draft By Need If You Need Everything

2008-06-02T15:29:00.000-07:00

The first part of the Mets rebuilding effort begins this Thursday. The Mets have 5 of the top 100 picks in this year's MLB Amateur Draft including picks 18, 22 and 33. The extra picks are courtesy of Tom Glavine signing with the Braves. For a team that has given up draft picks by signing free agents the last several years, this is an opportunity they cannot afford to waste.

Much has been made about the Mets adhering to slot recommendations that the commissioner puts out. Other teams such as the Yankees, Red Sox and the Tigers have ignored the slot recommendations and successfully restocked their farm systems. The fact is the Mets have had so few high-level picks they haven't been able to fully take advantage of their financial advantages even if they wanted to. Sure they could have signed Pedro Beato a couple of years back, but he hasn't been a great loss as of yet. And the Mets did swoop in and take Mike Pelfrey and Scott Kazmir when they dropped because of signability issues. Despite ESPN.com and Baseball America's claims, Minaya has been coy about whether the Mets will abide by the slot rules this year.

The greatest mistake teams make with the draft is to make their picks based on need. The Rays may be about to do that by taking catcher Buster Posey instead of Pedro Alvarez or Tim Beckham. The Mets shouldn't need to worry too much about that because their farm system needs everything. Of course since their strength or perceived strength is in the lower minors, the Mets may lean toward taking college players who are closer to helping. Again, that would be a mistake if they were not the best available player in the draft.

In the coming days, the monkeys will look at some of the players that have been linked to the Mets. It is possible next year the Mets will have a bounty of picks since they may lose either Pedro Martinez or Oliver Perez to free agency and they will almost certainly offer each arbitration. The future starts Thursday... Choose wisely, Omar. And remember, you are a big market team. You can do this:

JET LAG

The Mets have hinted they will sit Ryan Church and Brian Schneider tonight. As hard as it will be to sit Church after his performance yesterday, this is a wise move. Church had problems after flying to Colorado. Ease him in. He has become too important to this team to take chances. Schneider should be sitting tonight even if the Mets had to play a game that was a bike ride away. Castro, if healthy, should always face lefties. And while Willie's at it, is there any reason to play Delgado two games against lefties after a long flight like that?

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

2008-06-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

The monkeys have tried to move on. We've heard that time heals all wounds. We know that "That without remedy shall be without regard." Still, the sting of the Scott Kazmir trades still is as painful as ever. In fact, it is getting worse.

Scott Kazmir pitched 7 shutout innings yesterday for the resurgent Tampa Bay Rays. He has started the season 5-1 with a 1.22 ERA. He is 24 years old and is getting better and better. His prime years are still ahead of him. And although the monkeys defend Johan Santana against those fans who complain he is a disappointment, it's hard to deny that he may have already had his very best years.

Now when the Rays were in last place and barely a blip on any one's radar, it was easy to ignore Kazmir. Until last season, he had only won at most 10 games a season and hey, Victor Zambrano had even done that. He was averaging 6 innings or less per start in most of his outings. In 2006, he had to be shut down due to injury. In 2007, he started 5-6 with a 4.41 ERA. Maybe he just wasn't durable enough to be an ace. Maybe Rick Peterson was right after all. Then he finished 2007 going 8-3 with a 2.39 ERA. He had some elbow issues this spring, but has returned better than ever.

The problem now is the Rays are good. They have locked up several players with some very smart contracts. They even extended Kazmir delaying any fantasy the monkeys or any Mets fan had that the Mets would right this terrible wrong the moment Kazmir hit free agency.

Until the Mets collapse last year, nothing defined the problems with this organization like the Kazmir trade. The monkeys read the rumor the day before it happened thinking no one could be this incredibly stupid as to deal the top lefty pitching prospect that threw 97 MPH with a plus slider. And almost as soon as it happened, nearly everyone associated with it distanced themselves from the decision.

Look up "Ain't No Sucker Like Jim Duquette" on Yahoo and you'll find an article that appeared on several online betting sites right after the trade that shows how Jim Duquette broke every rule of gambling when he made that trade (Of course the Michael Vick and Alay Soler references now seem a bit ironic and dated).

The monkeys will be focused on tonight's game on ESPN with Johan Santana, our ace, on the mound. But every five days, a little wind is taken out of our sails.

Mets Finally Cash In On Opportunity

2008-05-31T17:14:00.000-07:00

The monkeys attended Shea Stadium today and things did not look good for most of the day. The Mets missed opportunity after opportunity to score leaving 11 runners on base for the afternoon. Mike Pelfrey rebounded from a 4th inning where he looked ready to implode to provide 7 solid innings in which he allowed 2 runs. It looked like the Mets were going to waste that effort, but these are the new & improved never say die Mets that seem to have gotten their fight back since Willie received a stay of execution from the Wilpons.

The crowd at Shea watched as scoreboard pleas from Tim Robbins, Kevin James and Chris Rock failed to motivate the Mets to get a big hit. Following the 8th inning blaring of the inspiring Monkees' tune "I'm a Believer," though the Mets went to work.

David Wright led off with a double off the wall. Carlos Beltran, who has been somewhat deficient in the power department, followed with a game-tying blast. Last in the inning, Fernando Tatis who has been the Mets good luck charm of late singled in the go-ahead run. Billy Wagner was overpowering striking out the side in the ninth.

The Mets just have a different feel to them this last week and they were able to regain the momentum that was slowed yesterday a bit by Aaron Heilman's disasterous effort.

WHO WILL GO NOW?

Mike Pelfrey did what he had to do to make the Mets decision on who to send down when Pedro returns difficult. The problem is that Carlos Muniz has been impressive since he returned from AAA and Claudio Vargas has given the Mets a solid start 3 out of the 4 times he took the mound. Will the Mets reconsider sending Heilman down to work out his kinks after it looked like they had scrapped that plan?

ACTIONS MATCH THE WORDS TODAY

Some Losses Are Easier to Live With

2008-05-31T06:21:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the year watching the Mets was like watching "Groundhog Day." Early in the game, the Mets would get bases loaded one out and someone would hit a sac fly then the next batter wouldn't get a hit. Maybe in the fourth or fifth inning, David Wright or Ryan Church would hit a home run. The game would stay close then someone in the bullpen, usually the since released Jorge Sosa or Aaron Heilman would let the game get out of hand. Then the Mets offense would shut it down and Carlos Delgado and Luis Castillo would jog to first as they grounded out.

However, some things have changed a bit since Willie's big meeting with the Wilpons. This team has developed some fight. First there was Endy's dramatic 9th inning home run on Thursday then we see the Mets offense fighting back from behind not just once, but twice yesterday. The players on the bench look fired up.

Randolph benched Delgado against two lefties this week "to clear his head" and perhaps send a messsage. Delgado, who at times this year has been shy about bending over for groundballs, actually made a diving stab of a rope by Andre Ethier on Thursday. This prompted Willie to say what the monkeys and all the fans were thinking "I like it when his uniform gets dirty. His uniform has been pretty clean for a while." Good for Willie for saying that.

Luis Castillo has gotten hot and all of a sudden his OBP is .389 and his OPS is a more respectable .764. Of course the brittle Castillo suffered a minor injury yesterday so let's hope he gets back in the lineup soon.

THING THAT DROVE US BANANAS

As I am sure you can guess, it is the enigmatic Aaron Heilman. The monkeys had defended him and were starting to get rewarded until yesterday. Aaron had been looking so good and then reverted back to the pitcher that was getting lit up earlier. Before it was because he was in love with his changeup. Yesterday, hitters were teeing off on his fastball as well. Perhaps it was too soon to bring Aaron back in a game we had the lead.

POSITIVE MONKEYS

Still if the Mets bounce back with a win today, they can continue the momentum they have started to gain. All losses count the same, but indeed some are better than others.

GET WELL SOON, LUIS

Charitable Monkeys

2008-05-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

We are very charitable monkeys and no matter what happens on the field the Mets are always willing to help out the community so the monkeys want to send them a banana split. Special thanks to T in the marketing department. And any humans or monkeys who are near Bridgeport, CT on Saturday June 7th, please stop by the Captain's Cove for the all day event "Swim Across the Sound" which raises money to support cancer patients.

Finally

2008-05-28T20:15:00.001-07:00

The team that plays with no sense of urgency played like it was the 7th game of the World Series. The team that never gets a clutch hit had timely hit afer timely hit. The team with a shaky bullpen provided mostly shutdown relief. The team that packs it in when they are down displayed a never say die attitude. The team that is lazy ran hard, fought hard and came away with their best victory of 2008.

As Keith Hernandez reiterated throughout the broadcast, this was a game the Mets had to win. A loss and they would have been 6.5 games out of first place and the heat would still be firmly on Willie Randolph. With a win, they are now a more managable 4.5 games out with some momentum.

Unbelievely, this was the first game the Mets have won all year when losing after 7 innings. Endy Chavez, a key cog in 2006 and 2007 who had been mostly a non-factor this year, provided the biggest hit of the year with a pinch-hit homerun in the 9th inning. It was the kind of hit that can change the course of a season if the Mets can build on it.

The game was filled with positives.

The Bullpen:

As the monkeys predicted, Aaron Heilman continues to pitch better with 2 outstanding innings striking out 4. Duaner Sanchez, even though he gave up a go-ahead homer showed some toughness by getting a bunt down after being knocked down by pitch. Sanchez also hustled down to first and almost got a hit (Did you see that Carlos Delgado and Luis Castillo?). Scott Schoenweiss is having the quiet great season that Pedro Feliciano has consistently provided this team. Nice inning of work by Billy Wagner as well.

The Bats:

Jose Reyes continued his hot hitting with a homerun and a double. Luis Castillo provided some surprising power. Carlos Beltran expertly executed a hit and run in the 12th that set up the heroics. And of course Fernando Tatis provided the game winning double.

The Manager ... Yes, the Manager

Willie Randolph made the right decision sticking with yesterday's lineup and not caving in and playing Delgado tonight. He was right in continuing to go to Aaron Heilman because the Mets will need Aaron to perform in order for them to win. He was right to call for a hit and run with Carlos Beltran. And he was right to pinch hit Endy for Ramon Castro even though the monkeys initially wondered why he was pinch hitting for a bigger homerun threat.

All this and Pedro had a very successful rehab start pitching 6 innings and giving up just 2 runs in Pt. St. Lucie.

The monkeys salute Mr. Tatis who is making some noise in his major league comeback.

Disappointment In Johan For the Birds, Not the Monkeys

2008-05-28T15:42:00.000-07:00

Johan Santana wasn't dominant last night, but he gave the Mets what they needed. He's done that pretty much every start so far. The bullpen blew two wins for him. The Mets couldn't hit John Smoltz and Santana was tagged with a loss despite pitching 7 innings and allowing one run. He could easily be 9-2 at this point. He is still on pace for 18 wins. Still, the monkeys hear fans that are disappointed.

The fact is Santana is doing what he's always done. His lifetime ERA in April is 4.01. His lifetime ERA in May is 4.07. Look at his splits in most of his better years:

2006 First Half: 2.94 ERA
Second Half: 2.54 ERA

2005: First Half: 3.98 ERA
Second Half: 1.59 ERA

2004: First Half ERA: 3.78 ERA
Second Half ERA: 1.21 ERA

We hear quotes from unnamed scouts that his velocity is down. It is slightly, but not nearly as much as some people would have you believe. The only people or reporters who are disappointed are the ones who didn't educate themselves. He has done exactly what he has always done. In fact, he's done better.

If he doesn't perform in the second half or if he winds up 15-13 with a 4.00 ERA then feel free to be disappointed. Santana has a long enough track record of getting better as the year goes on to earn the benefit of the doubt from the monkeys.

MONKEYS SEE WILL THE METS DO?

The Mets have started to follow the monkeys' recommendation of a straight platoon with Schneider and Castro with positive results. The monkeys also want the Mets to continue benching Delgado against lefties. Delgado has a .235 OBP against lefties this season. He is a major liability in the field so why play him when he makes such a limited offensive contribution?

Willie Survives, Mets Play Dead

2008-05-27T09:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Willie Randolph remained the Manager of the Mets and the Mets remained a lifeless team. According to Adam Rubin of the Daily News, had Willie been defiant about his comments regarding race and the SNY coverage, he would have been fired. Willie apologized face to face and Fred Wilpon granted him a stay of execution. The Wilpons then wanted to know why the team was not playing up to expectations. We have not heard much about Willie's answer to that question.

It is pretty clear from all reports that Jeff Wilpon is not supporting this move. Omar Minaya has reasons to keep Randolph around since Willie provides a shield that protects the heat from shifting to Omar. Fred may just not want to pay someone a year and a half for doing nothing. I'm sure it galls him that he had to pay Art Howe for having to do nothing. Perhaps, Fred had July 4th rather than Memorial Day as the arbritary date that he would evaluate the Manager's performance.

Again, the monkeys are not putting all the blame on Willie. Players need to perform. The GM needs to give him more players in their prime rather than many that are either too old or too young. But, Willie just has not been able to get his players to give their best effort. Some have supported him, some have said it's up to management to decide and some have even hinted a new voice might help.

It doesn't really matter what they say. Actions speak louder than words. It's not only that nobody is running through a brick wall for Randolph. Nobody is running hard 90 feet for him either.

Mets Management didn't say Willie would stay all year which means this will continue to be an unnecessary distraction. Carlos Beltran even said it was yesterday.

Still, Willie does have a short time to save his job. Many newspapers have equated his situation to Tom Coughlin who wasn't reaching his players and was about to be fired. Now Coughlin is the toast of New York.

So the monkeys say this to Willie. You've been given a little longer than you deserve .... Earn This

Meet The Wilpons

2008-05-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

Hey, NY Mets. Raise your hand if you are a left-handed reliever. Raise your hand if you throw sidearmed. Raise your hand if you have a concussion. Raise your hand if you just got here 2 days ago. If your hand is not up, you have so far underachieved this season.

Is that all the Manager's fault? Well, the number one role of a Manager is to get the most out of their players. Is it Randolph's fault that Carlos Delgado has diminished skills that come when big sluggers age? No. Is it Randolph's fault that Jose Reyes often seems to playing in a fog and has regressed? Certainly, he must accept some of the blame for that.

Willie Randolph is meeting this morning with the Wilpons. By the end of the meeting, he may or may not be managing the Mets. He had better go in the meeting with better answers than he usually gives. The following will not be acceptable:

The Wilpons: Why are we 23-25?

Willie: When Pedro and Moises come back, I'm sure we'll get in a nice little rhythm.

MONKEYS' COMMENT: The Mets spend too much time waiting to be rescued by old players that are slow to recover and then break down again.

The Wilpons: Why aren't your players running hard? There are times that cost us an extra base or run.

Willie: Most of those times the guys probably wouldn't have been safe anyway. My guys are men. I trust them.

MONKEYS' COMMENT: Willie too often lets his guys off the hook. In the series against the Braves, it was crystal clear they were out hustled. That can't happen.

The Wilpons: Why can't you get through to Jose Reyes?

Willie: You have to remember he's just a baby. He's still developing.

MONKEYS' COMMENT: He's developing backwards. He was an MVP contender in 2006, now he might be the 4th best shortstop in the NL East.

The monkeys are not even going to get into the SNY coverage and Willie's race comments which we had previously covered. Willie better be more prepared to meet with the bosses. The Wilpons might make it easy on the headline writers if they fire Willie on Memorial Day.

MONKEYS SEE WILL THE METS DO?

Valentino Pascucci has 10 homers in 86 AB's with a .408 OBP and a 1.140 slugging percentage at AAA New Orleans. If Ryan Church needs to go on the DL, he's the guy who needs to be called up.

Now Wille Really Loves Young Players

2008-05-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

The monkeys were among those who complained when David Wright was called up and batted seventh. We wondered aloud if it was best for Lastings Milledge to start his career batting eighth and then wondered why he wasn't playing instead of Shawn Green. When reporters questioned him after the game about how he seemed to prefer veterans Willie's answer was always the same "I love young players." His actions though mostly said otherwise.

After yesterday, the monkeys can say for sure that Randolph loves one particular young player. Nick Evans had a remarkable debut with 3 doubles and 2 RBI that Willie hopes provides a stay of execution. There was an energy and excitement that had abandoned this team since the Bronx. Carlos Delgado smiled in the post game interview declaring "It ain't this f-en easy."

Sometimes youth can give a jolt. A couple of years ago Robinson Cano and Chien Ming Wang turned the energy in the Yankees clubhouse around. Now it's only one game so no need to go too crazy, but who wasn't starting to wonder what Mike Carp, Dan Murphy and when he recovers from his injury, Fernando Martinez might be able to provide later in the year?

MONKEYS SEE WILL THE METS DO?

Ramon Castro added 3 hits yesterday. Brian Schneider is in a slump. The monkeys suggested a platoon when Castro returned from the DL (see the post "Don't Be An Ogre, Willie. Platoon Shrek"). We know Schneider calls a great game, but this team needs offense.

READERS CALL FOR "THAT LITTLE REDNECK"

Just wanted to clarify that the monkeys have been notified that some of those "other" votes for Willie Randolph's replacement were specifically for Wally Backman. Wally was the type of "scrappy" player that the Mets seem to lack. The memory of his style of play had the Mets seeking David Eckstein this off season.

Backman famously called out Darryl Strawberry saying he didn't know anyone who got sick 25 times a year. Strawberry responded with "I'll bust that little redneck in the face."

The only issue with Backman is the baggage he brings to the publicity sensitive Wilpons. On November 1, 2004, Backman was hired by the Arizona Diamondbacks to be their new mananger. However, only a day later, reports surfaced that Backman had serious legal and financial problems. He had also been arrested in 1999 for DUI in Washington as documented on HBO Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. A year later, he was arrested in connection with an altercation in his home in Prineville, Oregon. In addition, Backman declared bankruptcy to avoid paying over 20 creditors, including the IRS.The Diamondbacks initially stood by him, but fired him on November 5.

In the Nick of Time?

2008-05-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

Another horrible loss last night and another outfield injury. To replace Marlon Anderson who was placed on the DL with a hamstring injury, the Mets recalled Nick Evans. For those readers who didn't recognize the clip from a couple of days back (The Grass Isn't As Green As You Might Think"), that was Nick Evans blasting one out of the park.

Nick Evans was having a nice year at AA Binghamton showing a lot of power with 8 doubles, 5 triples and 8 homeruns and an OPS of .894. He has absolutely mashed lefties with a .349 BA.

If he is here, give him a shot to play particularly against lefties. Carlos Delgado is hitting .200 this year against lefties. The problem is with Willie fighting for his job, would he really want to put his fate in the hands of a rookie who doesn't even have AAA experience? However, an influx of young talent and energy is exactly what this team needs. Could this be a little too much too soon for Evans? Of course it could, but how could it hurt to find out? Nobody wants to see Evans get 3 pinch hit at bats while he is here. Let the kid play and see what he has.

If the Mets could develop a right-handed hitting first baseman, the lineup balance would be helped tremendously particularly if the long term blueprint calls for lefties Fernando Martinez and Ryan Church to be the corner outfielders.

Here's your shot, kid. The monkeys are rooting for you.

The Clock is Ticking on Willie

2008-05-23T14:52:00.000-07:00

The Wilpons have called for a meeting with Willie Randolph this Monday when the Mets return to New York. Omar Minaya has flown out to Colorado to presumably prep Randolph and view the team up close to help his recommendation to ownership on whether or not to fire Randolph.

Now if you're Minaya, it is going to take a lot to fire Willie. Once Randolph is gone, the blame for any continued mess falls squarely on Omar. However, if the Mets lose their series or get swept, it's going to pretty hard to convince Jeff Wilpon to keep Willie since he wanted to fire him after last year's collapse.

If Willie was to go, who would be the Mets next Manager? The pool of candidates would be a lot greater in the offseason than midseason. Still, here are a few:

Jerry Manuel -- The Mets bench coach, Manuel has previous major league managerial experience. In a 6-season managerial career, Manuel compiled a .515 winning percentage with 500 wins and 471 losses in 971 games. He led the White Sox to four 2nd-place finishes but only one playoff appearance when he led the White Sox to a 1st-place finish in 2000. The problem is his demeanor is too similar to Randolph.

Lee Mazzili -- Mazzilli was manager of the Baltimore Orioles from 2004 to 2005. He was first base coach to the New York Yankees from 2000 to 2003 and bench coach in 2006. He was 129-140. Mazz was a popular Met, but his managerial track record is questionable.

Ken Oberkfell -- Oberkfell, the Manager of the Mets AAA affiliate, was named 2005 Manager of the Year by Baseball America. He is known as being a player's Manager and a great communicator. He reportedly is great at getting to know each player's personality and managing accordingly. Could he better relate to Reyes? He probably is not the fiery type some fans are screaming for like...

Larry Bowa and Jim Fregosi -- Some fans are looking for a kick ass Manager looking for a completely different style. Fans hear how Bowa pushed Robinson Cano and hope he would have the same effect on Reyes. The monkeys are a bit skeptical of the long term effects of such a move since neither has been very successful. Still as a stopgap to jump start the team, either might work.

Bobby V -- Fans and media members either love him or hate him, but no denying he's usually the brightest guy in the room. Bobby got a lot out Mets teams that weren't very talented. Who makes a World Series with an outfield of Benny Agbayani, Jay Payton and Timo Perez? Still the monkeys remember the last year of Valentine's run when he couldn't get Roberto Alomar to stop sliding headfirst into first base. Bobby V is better with younger teams that he can mold. The Mets need to clear out that clubhouse a bit before they go back to the Bobby V well.

So, what would the monkeys do? Give Oberkfell a shot on an interim basis than reevaluate after the season when a greater pool of choices becomes available.

Misplaying His Hand

2008-05-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

Under Willie Randolph's watch, the Mets lost in 7 games to a Cardinals team that was barely over .500 during the season and he received a contract extension.

Under Willie Randolph's watch, the Mets endured one of the greatest collapses in baseball history and he got to keep his job.

Under Wille Randolph's watch, the Mets have played uninspired baseball for 40 games showing less than maximum effort and he has been able to keep his job.

Prior to the Yankees series, Omar Minaya gave Willie a vote of confidence. The Mets beat up on their crosstown rivals and all seemed to pass.

However, Willie's recent comments indicating that his race has something to do with how he has been portrayed by the media is the thing that just might get him fired. The fact that he uses Isiah Thomas, the biggest imcompetent to run a sports franchise in the last 50 years, as an example of how the press treats Afro-American executives shows how far he is reaching. The fact that he brings up Herman Edwards, who continuously bungled clock management, is also a reach.

The monkeys believe all men are created equal. This also means that it is equally possible that an Afro-American can be incompetent as a Caucasian, Hispanic or Asian. Jeff Torborg and Art Howe were treated poorly by the media because of their incompetence as well. They didn't have the ability to blame it on their race. If they did, they would be equally at fault. In fairness, it must be noted that Randolph has done a far better job than those two did. He has also done a far better job than Isiah Thomas and even a little better than Herm Edwards did which is why he was fooolish to bunch himself with them.

Willie has since backtracked on these statements. But everyone knows that the Wilpons are very sensitive to negative publicity. Last time bad publicity got us John Maine. This time it might get us Jerry Manuel or Ken Oberkfell.

The Grass isn't as Green As You Might Think

2008-05-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

There is no doubt that this is Carlos Delgado's last year in a Mets uniform. Some of you may even doubt if he will last the year before being replaced. He had a nice year in 2006 but putting it kindly, has been below par since then.

This weekend Mets fans caught a glimpse of Jason Giambi. There is also no doubt that this is his last season in New York. He also had a nice year in 2006 and has been way below par since then.

The tabloids and chat rooms have been anticipating a bidding war between the two New York teams for the services of Mark Texiera when he becomes a free agent after this year.

Let's take a brief look at their homerun and RBI production one quarter of the way through the season.
Mark Texiera 5 21
Carlos Delgado 5 19*
Jason Giambi 8 21

* 2 RBI removed by ump.

Now the monkeys know that Texiera is a much better defensive player, but are you not surprised how close these numbers are?

Both NY teams are a bit too lefthanded. Let's check each player's average vs. lefties

Average vs. Lefties

Mark Texiera .203
Carlos Delgado .214
Jason Giambi .147

Now Texiera will hit lefties better than he has, but we are 25% through the season.

Mets fans and Yankees fans both would prefer Mark Texiera than their current first baseman. The monkeys just think that the Mets might want to save their dollars to finance another bidding war. Especially since the answer to the 2009 first base question may lie within.

Are They Preparing for Takeoff?

2008-05-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

Another strong game for the Mets as they gain bragging rights in New York. Lots of good signs tonight, most notably the effort by Oliver Perez. He gave a dominating effort tonight going 7 2/3 innings allowing just 2 runs.

Perez is an enormous talent who sometimes has issues with focus. With some of the bashing he took earlier this year, it's important to remember that he was one of the top 10 pitchers in the league last year going 15-10 with a 3.56 ERA. He has now made two straight strong starts and is back on pace for 15 wins this season.

While four teams are jumbled together at the top of the NL East, none of the other contenders have the potential upside with their starting pitching as the Mets do. Johan Santana, John Maine, Oliver Perez, Mike Pelfrey and even Claudio Vargas pitched great over this last rotation turn. Pedro Martinez could be back soon. Rumors abound that Freddy Garcia could be signed in the second half of the season as a reinforcement.

The other great sign was another big Jose Reyes game. He went 2 for 5 with a 3 run homerun. We've all heard over and over, as Reyes goes the Mets go. And what is encouraging is that Reyes is back to his smiling self. He did make another baserunning blunder so all is not golden, but it's getting there.

It was also great to see the Mets keep attacking after the umps overturned Delgado's three run homer when it was clearly fair in the replays.

Amazing what a difference two days can make. A big series with the Braves awaits at the Mets Ballpark of Horrors -- Turner Field. But the monkeys have a good vibe that the Mets may be getting ready for takeoff.

For those of you humans or monkeys who want to rub it in to Yankee fans, you might want to visit this site below and pick up a t-shirt that accurately describes the Yankees as what they are: The Team of Last Century.

www.cafepress.com/antiyank

Airing it Out

2008-05-18T08:02:00.000-07:00

After a week where the Mets lost 3 out of 4 to the last place Nats and Billy Wagner's comments implied a troubled clubhouse, the Mets held a meeting to air things out. By all accounts, this meeting was vital. And although it is only one game, the early returns looked good.

It wasn't just that they won. The team played with a certain joy and enthusiasm that was not apparent in recent weeks. Carlos Delgado, a fading veteran who has appeared grumpy about his diminishing skills, was flashing smiles. The team was hanging on the top steps of the dugout rooting Billy Wagner, either the igniter or instigator depending on who you ask, on. Even the stoic Manager on the hot seat, Willie Randolph, was jovial and relaxed in the postgame press conference.

Johan Santana came through with a big effort pitching 7 1/3 innings for the win. Although he is allowing too many homeruns, the fact is he is still on pace for 20 wins even though the bullpen blew two wins for him and he is yet to pitch his best baseball.

The three core players on the Mets had big games. David Wright broke out of his slump going 3 for 5 with a homerun. Jose Reyes went 2-5 with a homerun. Carlos Beltran went 3-5 including a triple. All this and the Mets scored a run off Joba Chamberlin the first time they faced him. A good day for the offense.

Now, the subways series has a way of rejuvenating a team. This is only one game. And it was a game against someone who may not have been using his best stuff. They Mets need to parlay this into something more. But this was a game that pleased the monkeys.

Time to Switch Brands of Detergent

2008-05-17T04:55:00.000-07:00

You know the "Jerry Seinfeld Laundry Theory,'' right? Seinfeld marvels at the loyalty of the sports fan, who roots for his (or her) team year after year. The fan obviously is not rooting for one player or group of players, because the players come and go in a blur.

The fan is rooting for the uniform. He is rooting for laundry. The monkeys and most fans are extremely loyal. But why is this 2008 load of laundry harder than others to root for? How did we come to this?

Who is the most beloved Mets player? Is there any question that it is a guy who was homegrown, has performed up to the hype and seems to care as much as the Mets fans when the Mets lose? That guy is David Wright. In the glory '80's years, Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden held that mantle until personal demons knocked them off that perch.

Ask the Yankee fans who is the most beloved Yankees player? Is it a guy who fits that same description? Yes, Derek Jeter fits that as well. Which recent addition has generated the most love from Yankee fans? Joba Chamberlin who also fits that description.

What type of player is the kind of player fans like the least? How about an older player who comes to your team and performs worse than he did in the past? Carlos Delgado and Luis Castillo would qualify. Over in the Bronx, not too many fans are digging Jason Giambi.

The psychology of a fan is that he wants to believe things will get better. Whether they are fans of a second division team dreaming of being a playoff contender in a year or a first place team dreaming of a dynasty, there needs to be hope that a continued run of success is just around the corner.

This is why the trade of Scott Kazmir still is the signature move by Mets ownership that showed they were out of touch with the fans. Kazmir would have clearly challenged David Wright as the Mets most popular player. The buildup on him was that he would have been an "ace" for many years to come (providing the hope of continued success we previously discussed). He also has a strong competitive edge that would have shown the fans he cared. The anticipation of Kazmir was so great that the monkeys called their fantasy team Kazmir two years before he was called up to the majors. There is no need to discuss the trade further. Every human or monkey reading this column is well aware.

The aftermath of this trade resulted in ownership firing Jim Duquette and bringing in Omar Minaya who promised a homegrown, young athletic team. And far a little while, there was a hope of a long-term run of success down the road with an outfield of Fernando Martinez, Lastings Milledge and Carlos Gomez. Now 2 out of 3 are gone.

The problem was the fans were so outraged with Kazmir that Omar had to fix things and fast. The only way to fix a bad team with a farm system is to sign free agents. When you sign free agents, you lose draft picks which affects the farm system. The only way to fix that is to ignore the slot system for paying draft picks like the Yankees and Tigers among others have. However, the Mets decided to play by Bud Selig's rules (although they may not this year). Since free agents can't hit the market until they play at least 6 years, it would be logical that in the tail end of whatever contract they sign as a free agent, they would be past their prime.

The monkeys are not suggesting the Mets never sign any free agents or add veteran players from other teams just that they start getting back to developing more talent from within. Because the monkeys can't help looking look over at Arizona and Tampa Bay and wondering why our management isn't using the same detergent.

A Championship Hangover Without The Championship

2008-05-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

Today, the monkeys woke up with a big hangover. Our heads were pounding. We couldn't get out of bed. We craved a greasy banana. The funny thing is we hadn't been drinking the night before. Now how could we have a hangover when we weren't out drinking?

Well, how can the Mets have a championship hangover when they haven't won anything?

THINGS THAT DROVE US BANANAS TODAY

Mike Pelfrey pitches the best game of his career and the Mets can't drive in a single run to support his effort ....

one day after Claudio Vargas pitches a gem and the Mets allow that to go to waste.

Jose Reyes makes a boneheaded baserunning blunder getting thrown out trying to advance to third from first on a bunt with David Wright and Carlos Beltran coming to the plate...

and the fact that Jose Reyes wasn't even running hard initially.

Gary Cohen not following the rules and jinxing Pelfrey's no hitter by mentioning it constantly. Hey Gary, not everybody likes to step on cracks, break mirrors, walk under ladders and let black cats cross their paths....

Shutup already!

Going 3-4 on a homestand that the Mets needed to dominate....

and playing worse as the homestand continued.

Carlos Delgado going 0-4 again and leaving the game before talking to reporters leaving Billy Wagner to have to answer questions on a day he didn't even pitch ...

further revealing the rift in the Mets clubhouse between certain players that Paul Loduca had addressed last season.

The fact that the Mets still continue to believe that they are the NL's best team like they were in 2006...

but no one else does.

It's not too late for things to turn around. The playoff teams under Bobby V never started out much better than .500 during the first third of their season. However "You've got to believe" rings hollow when the team believes they only need to throw their gloves on the field to win.

Listening to The Boss

2008-05-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, after weeks of the situation begging for it, Carlos Delgado made the opposing team pay for their dramatic shift by bunting to third base for a base hit.

Interesting quote by Willie Randolph today saying that he's been trying to get Delgado to bunt for a long time and he was glad that he finally did. It reminded the monkeys of how Bobby Valentine said he was trying to get Roberto Alomar to stop sliding into first base.

The obvious question is why is it so hard to get players to do what you say? Now the monkeys played Little League back in their days in the suburbs and when the coach told us to bunt, we bunted. Most certainly, players in high school or college wouldn't dream of dismissing a coach's request to bunt. And for players in the minors looking to avoid the dreaded "uncoachable" tag, a Manager's word is law. Now after years of obeying, does making it to the major leagues change all that?

Do the players think that since they are paid in the millions of dollars that they must justify their contract by swinging instead of bunting? Do they feel bunting is beneath them after they have made it this far? Either way, do they feel it is okay to ignore the Manager's request because they now make money than their boss?

This column will not be about how fit Willie Randolph is for the job, but this does beg the question, "Will players only listen to a certain kind of Manager?" Would it take Lou Pinella or Jim Leyland as long to plead Delgado to lay down a bunt? Certainly, it is interesting that it took this long for Delgado to listen to his boss.

Monkeys Set Mets Agenda

2008-05-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the monkeys suggested three steps that the Mets needed to take.

Number #1

Jorge Sosa had to go. The fact that he was "versatile" only meant he could be very bad in a variety of roles.

Number #2

Nelson Figueroa's time had past. He was a nice story and gave some quality innings, but he reverted to what he was... a very pedestrian pitcher.

Number #3

Carlos Delgado couldn't keep being overmatched by lefties. There needed to be a righty on the bench who could spell him on occasion.

Well today, Jorge Sosa and Nelson Figueroa were designated for assignment. Matt Wise and Claudio Vargas have been added to the roster. Angel Pagan has been placed on the DL and Fernando Tatis who has slugged 12 homers so far in AAA was called up.

These are all good moves. The Mets needed a bat off the bench that could jack one out of the park. Fernando Tatis may be slightly limited as a player, but he could easily fill this need. Claudio Vargas has been a pretty decent starter that has had double digit win totals the past 2 years. Hopefully he'll eventually be replaced by Pedro or Duque or even a healthy Freddy Garcia in the second half of the season, but he should be a suitable stopgap. Finally, Matt Wise will be a welcome fresh arm who despite one bad pitch to Robert Andino looked pretty good.

The monkeys set a 3 step plan and Omar followed. And it's always good to have a plan.

There is No Great Pumpkin!

2008-05-12T19:42:00.000-07:00

As they say at the bakery ... next! Nelson Figueroa, the Mets feel-good story of 2008 has turned back into a pumpkin. The man who was drafted by the Mets and last pitched in the big leagues in 2004 was easy to root for. His comeback took him through Mexico and Taiwan. In his return to Major League Baseball on April 11 with his family in attendance, he pitched 6 innings, allowed 2 hits, walked two and struck out 6, getting credit for the victory. His second start was just as good as he threw 7 innings allowing just 2 runs while striking out 7. When Oliver Perez was melting and the bullpen needed someone to eat valuable innings, Figgy stepped in and ate 3 innings at a key time. Figgy had a nice run, but sadly it seems as though it is over.

For the 4th straight start, Figgy was unable to go 6 innings. He had no command of his pitches walking 5 batters after his previous start where he walked 4 batters. His stuff simply is not good enough to walk that many.

So who might replace Figgy in the rotation until Pedro returns? Well, it might be time to give Tony Armas Jr. a shot since he is on the same turn as Figgy. Armas Jr. has pitched pretty well down in New Orleans with a 3.02 ERA. Tonight he threw 6 innings, let up 2 ER and struck out 8. Time for him to get a shot.

The Mets took 2 out of 3 from the Reds. They need to take 3 out of 4. Gonna be tough after losing the first game, but it needs to be done.

OTHER THINGS THAT DROVE US BANANAS

Has Omar finally seen enough yet from Jorge Sosa? Those of you who saw how Scarface took care of Sosa in the monkey's clip a few days back know how we feel about Sosa. The fact that they were considering sending Joe Smith down in his place is now even more laughable.

Watching Carlos Delgado looking feeble against another lefty. The bench needs a righty that can play first and spell Delgado especially if Easley is going to be needed so often to play second base. It might be time for Valentino Pascucci or Fernando Tatis to replace that other pumpkin named Angel Pagan.

Arroyo Could Throw NL East Race a Curve

2008-05-11T07:58:00.000-07:00

The Mets yesterday played a great first game of their doubleheader. They actually had timely hits, production from Dos Carloses and a gutty effort from Santana who was fighting allergies. The only slight blemish was some mediocre bullpen efforts. Still pitching with a big lead, that can be overlooked to some extent.

The pitching match up in the second game made the monkeys nervous. Bronson Arroyo entered the game with an 8.63 ERA. Arroyo has been a solid middle of the rotation starter for several years and since water usually finds its level, Arroyo was due for a good start. In fact, Arroyo had a great start, pitching eight innings allowing one run on four hits while striking out nine. Willie Randolph may take another hit from fans for the Mets coming out sluggish in the nightcap of the doubleheader, but this time that would be unfair. Arroyo was just that good yesterday.

Arroyo throws a fastball that has average speed, but above average movement. More importantly, he throws a curveball that is among baseball's best when he is on. Arroyo is battle tested having pitched in many big games for the Red Sox before joining the Reds. He embraced the pressure and actually gave the Red Sox a "hometown discount" when he signed a contract to keep him in Boston. He was shaken when the Red Sox sent him to the Reds in an ill-advised trade for Willie Mo Pena in 2006.

Arroyo did excel his first year with the Reds going 14-11 with a 3.29 ERA. He was rewarded with a nice contract extension through 2010. This year young pitchers Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto have emerged to be a big part of the Reds' rotation. The Reds also have Homer Baily on the horizon and Aaron Harang as their ace. With the Reds struggling, the one pitcher they might consider moving who would supply some more prospects as well as payroll relief would be Bronson Arroyo.

The NL East are filled with contenders who need to add a solid, innings eating starter. Obviously the Mets would be one with a bullpen that has been overworked the first quarter of the season. With John Smoltz moving to the bullpen, Arroyo would be a great pickup for the Braves. Besides Cole Hamels, the Phillies have not had reliable starting pitching. Arroyo is a guy all three contenders (and no the monkeys still do not believe the Marlins are contenders just yet)will be looking at. The one who gets him might have the division on a hook.

Don't Be an Ogre, Willie. Platoon Shrek

2008-05-10T08:04:00.000-07:00

With a doubleheader today, it is almost a certainty that Ramon Castro will make his season debut today. Castro has missed the entire season thus far due to recurring hamstring problems. His durability has always been an issue which is why the Mets could never really trust him to be their primary catcher.

The monkeys were charmed by Raul Casanova's performance as a fill-in (1 homer, 6 RBI .283) and we hope he pasases through waivers and stays with the organization as he far outperformed Mike DeFelice in that third catcher insurance role. But for all the love some fans were giving Casanova, he's no Ramon Castro.

Last year, Castro seemed to hit a homerun every time he started. The monkeys were actually happy to see Loduca injured sometimes because it meant more playing time for Castro. In fact, Castro hit 11 homers in just 144 at bats. His .OPS was .887. He also was a rare Mets player that excelled in big spots. He hit .319 with runners on base. He hit .292 with 2 outs and runners in scoring position. The Mets aren't exactly filled with players who are succeeding in those spots this year.

Castro's right-handed bat also balances the lineup against left-handed pitchers. Brian Schneider has been solid and has handled the pitching staff well. He's also hitting .240 vs. lefties and .350 vs. righties. There is no need to wear him out. This could and should be a very productive platoon situation. Randolph tends to work his primary catcher hard. The monkeys' recommendation would keep Schneider fresh into September and hopefully October.

Shrek's back!

What Kind of Monkey are You?

2008-05-08T18:06:00.001-07:00

The Mets have started the year at 17-15. You can look at that as an optimistic monkey who sees the glass as half full or a pessimistic monkey that sees the glass half empty.

The optimistic monkey sees Oliver Perez and sees a guy who despite his inconsistencies won 15 games last year. He sees a guy who wins big games and will start to realize all his starts are "big games" as he is fighting for a big contract that will set him up for life.

The pessimistic monkey sees Oliver Perez and sees a guy who is frustrating because he is never as good as he should be. They see the guy who only 2 short seasons ago was 3-13 for Pittsburgh. A guy who is melting under the pressure of fighting for a big contract.

The optimistic monkey sees the Mets record of 17-15 and sees that the Mets have a winning record despite not clicking yet on all cylinders. Despite missing Moises Alou until this past week. Despite throwing out a patchwork back of the rotation with Pedro and El Duque out. They see the best is yet to come.

The pessimistic monkey sees a team that has gone 72-71 over their last 143 teams and quotes Bill Parcells with "You are what your record says you are." They think it's only a matter of time until Moises Alou is on the DL again and that Pedro will not ever be the same.

The optimistic monkey sees Carlos Delgado and thinks although he will never be the player he was in Toronto, he can still squeeze out 20 homers, 80 RBI and hot .250.

The pessimistic monkey sees a washed up former superstar who will be released by the All-Star Break.

The optimistic monkey sees a bullpen that is getting better. They know Heilman typically is a second half pitcher and Duaner Sanchez will only get better as he builds arm strength.

The pessimistic monkey sees a bullpen that has been overworked and remembers 2007 when that only meant a downward spiral as the year wore on.

Both monkeys have a legitimate case. The Mets have a soft part of their schedule coming up where they have seven games against two of the NL's weakest teams ... the Reds and the Nationals. The Mets need to go 5-2 or 6-1. If not, the pessimistic monkey may start winning over the jury.

Thankful Monkeys

2008-05-08T18:02:00.000-07:00

The monkeys want to send a banana split out to Matt Cerrone of metsblog who added a link to our site. Matt is giving an equal voice to animals and we really appreciate it.

Mets Find Penny and Pick It Up

2008-05-07T19:56:00.000-07:00

The Mets came through with an explosive offensive effort today against Brad Penny. This was nothing new as Penny's record against the Mets is now 5-12 with a 6.21 ERA. We've all seen a player that has a pitcher's number. The monkeys have cringed in the past when Pat Burrell or Brian Jordan faced Armando Benitez. Some of our more die-hard fans might remember how Glenallen Hill dominated John Franco. But sometimes an entire team dominates a pitcher and it is surprising when it is someone who is as talented as Brad Penny.

After a lengthy game the night before, the Mets sent out their "B" team today with Marlon Anderson at First, Angel Pagan in Left and Raul Casanove behind the plate. It didn't matter though against Penny as the Mets scored 10 runs off him to continue their dominance.The Mets early season MVP Ryan Church went 3-4 with a homer. Raul Casanova, who may be sent to AAA as soon as Friday, went 2 for 4. Marlon Anderson took advantage of a rare start and went 2 for 5.

John Maine delivered the best starting effort thus far in this young season going 8 1/3 innings and alllowing just one run. Maine has won 4 of his last 5 starts and is starting to perform as well as his impressive spring indicated he would.

The Mets finished a tough trip against the NL West's two best teams with a 3-3 record. That's solid work. They found a bad Penny and had some good times. Now they face the Reds and Nationals. Time to get fat against the second division teams.

Only One Wise Move

2008-05-06T15:42:00.000-07:00

Matt Wise is scheduled to throw in back to back games during his minor league rehab this week. He recently had a tidy 2 inning outing where he struck out 3 and did not allow a hit. Wise was expected to add another nice 7th inning right-handed option to the Mets bullpen. He managed to only stay healthy for 2 appearances, including one where he gave up a game-winning homer to legendary power threat Robert Andino, before experiencing forearm tightness. Still, the Mets will welcome a fresh arm to their overworked bullpen.

In order to bring Wise back into the fold, the Mets will need to make a roster move. The easiest, but certainly not the smartest, would be to send Joe Smith to AAA because he still has options and only made the team because of Duaner Sanchez' injury and only stayed on the roster because Wise got hurt. However, Joe Smith has been the most consistent and effective of the Mets right-handed relief options. He also provides a different look to a bullpen filled with fastball and change-up types.

If some sources are to be believed, Nelson Figueroa may be pitching for his spot tonight since the Mets are considering moving Jorge Sosa into the rotation to open a bullpen spot for Wise. Figueroa may yet turn back into a pumpkin, but he's been a reliable starter for the Mets. Who else besides Johan Santana and just recently John Maine can say that?

Yesterday, the monkeys posted some their feelings on Mike Pelfrey. We think he still will be a solid starter, but if the Mets decided he needs some more time in AAA, we'd hardly argue with that. What we would argue is that Tony Armas Jr. who is 1-2 with a 2.57 ERA in AAA would be a better replacement for Pelfrey in the rotation than Jorge Sosa.

Which brings us to the only wise move ... DFA Jorge Sosa. The monkeys have already delved into their feelings about Jorge Sosa in previous posts (see "Swing, man"). Willie Randolph constantly marvels at Sosa's versatility. Just because you can do a lot of things does not mean you can do them well. Sosa is a versatile failure. He has failed as a starter, a long man, a situational righty and a short man. He has the highest ERA on the team. Who wants to bet that his next pitch won't be a slider? Any takers? Bueller...Bueller? The Mets have many others in their organization who could fill his swingman role. The monkeys have previously suggested Joselo Diaz, but Tony Armas and Ruddy Lugo could also fill this role. We all know the Mets don't like to eat contracts, but if they don't, they'll be hungry for a new swingman soon enough.

Untangling the Webb

2008-05-05T15:48:00.000-07:00

The monkeys were very intrigued by an article today in the New York Times. The article mentions that on Saturday, Mike Pelfrey was intently observing his mound opponent, Brandon Webb. "In Webb, Pelfrey sees a more — much more — advanced version of himself. More precisely, he sees what he aspires to become."

Well to date, Pelfrey has more closely resembled Peter Parker than a webslinger, but there is reason to believe Pelfrey can get there. Pelfrey does throw a hard sinker that tops out at 97 MPH. Mets fans have seen a few rare glimpses where this could be a dominant pitch. As Pelfrey observes from Webb, he needs to pound the strike zone which he just hasn't done consistently. The New York Times article states that Pelfrey is performing balance drills intended to get his hand on top of the ball when throwing the pitch. When Pelfrey does not do that, his sinker flattens out, running laterally across the plate instead of diving down in the zone, where hitters often cannot help but pound the ball into the ground — à la Webb.

Mets fans need to acknowledge that the Mets have rushed Pelfrey along. A lot of that has been more on need rather than merit. Pelfrey made a grand total of 33 starts in the minors (only 16 at AAA)and pitched a total of 176 innings. On the advice of Rick Petersen, Pelfrey also bagged his power curve and has still not perfected the slider Petersen recommended instead. Ask Petersen why Pelfrey abandoned the curve he wes comfortable with and you'll likely get a dissertation on why peanut butter goes together with jelly.

In 2006, Fausto Carmona another pitcher with a power sinker was mishandled and wound up going 1-10 with a 5.42 ERA. He has since blossomed into one of the AL's best pitchers. You can't teach "stuff." Sometimes it takes time to harness talent. Pelfrey is watching the guy he should be watching. Hopefully, he's taking copious notes. There may still be a radioactive spider in his future.

Facing Our Fear of Snakes

2008-05-04T16:40:00.000-07:00

What could have been a very frustrating loss turned into a really nice win in a hurry. This was the second straight start the bullpen blew Johan Santana's win. Once again though, Santana was partially to blame because although he pitched very well, he didn't give the length that he's going to need to give as the season goes on. The monkeys have all the confidence that he will as it traditionally takes Santana about two months to get into top form. Santana, even as he is now, is still a really good pitcher.

The Mets were only able to get two runs today off a strong Danny Haren. David Wright hit his 6th homerun and Jose Reyes drove in the other run. In the 9th inning, Conor Jackson messed up a sure double play with an awful throw that went into leftfield. If the Diamondbacks didn't provide the Mets with enough help on that play, Bob Melvin made a puzzling decision to intentionally walk Luis Castillo who was 0-14 and has had all sorts of trouble this year getting in men from third with less than two outs.

What was nice to see though was that the Mets added a couple of insurance runs with Marlon Anderson's pinch hit single and Jose Reyes' sac fly. Make no mistake, even with the help the Mets received this was big that they took 2 out 3 in Arizona. It is good to see we can beat them in a series. It will better to see that in October.

THINGS THAT DROVE US BANANAS

Watching Luis Castillo at the plate and wondering again if Omar really had to offer a 4 year contract. Couldn't he have given him a 2 year contract? Even a 3 year contract?

2 more errors. The Mets need to tighten up the defense, particularly against good teams like Arizona.

An Oasis in the Desert

2008-05-02T21:34:00.000-07:00

The Mets responded to the monkey's challenge tonight and beat a tough Diamondbacks team. The young stars shined tonight. Jose Reyes went 4-5 with two triples and three runs scored. David Wright added a 3-5 hitting his 5th homerun of the season. John Maine had his 5th straight outing letting up 2 runs or less. The Mets just seem to like playing at Chase Field.

Other positives included the return of Moises Alou who makes the lineup look a lot better. Glad to see Ryan Church back in the 2 spot. The Mets have thrived when Church has batted second. Duaner Sanchez had a nice bounce back effort and all in all, a really good win for the Mets.

Things get tougher from here on this trip as the Mets will face Brandon Webb and Danny Haren before heading to Los Angeles to take on a hot Dodger team, but tonight they came out aggressively and were the ones providing the venom.

Fear of Snakes

2008-05-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

The Mets missed a golden opportunity in 2006. They were clearly the best team in the NL, if not all of baseball. They made it as far as the 7th game of the NLCS before Adam Wainwright threw a knee buckling curve to a frozen Carlos Beltran.

In 2007, the Mets maybe still the best team in the NL, went on cruise control in September and suffered one of the worst collapses in the history by blowing a 7 game lead with 17 left to play.

In 2008, some Mets will tell you they are still the most talented team in the NL. And if they tell you that then they are delusional. The Arizona Diamondbacks have become a powerhouse and are clearly the cream of the crop in the NL, if not all of baseball. They are the young and athletic team that Omar Minaya had promised to build. They have youthful energy and a desire to win fueled by the four game sweep they suffered in last year's NLCS. The kind of desire most Mets fans hoped the 2007 Mets would bring after their heartbreaking loss to the Cardinals.

The monkeys preseason World Series pick was Arizona vs.Detroit. And while, Detroit is just starting to find its way, Arizona has been pedal to the metal since day one. They lead the league in ERA with a 3.25 ERA playing in what has traditionally been more of a hitter's park. Brandon Webb is 6-0 and the early Cy Young favorite. Their key acquisition, Dan Haren is 4-1 with a 3.13 ERA. Youngster Micah Owings is 4-0 and as a side note has the same number of pinch hit homerun as the entire Mets team.

Youngsters such as Conor Jackson (5 homers .348 BA), Justin Upton (5 homers, .327 BA) and Mark Reynolds (7 homers, 24 RBI) have started coming into their own. Hot pitching prospect Matt Scherzer was just added and threw 4.1 scoreless innings with 7 strikeouts. Chad Qualls acquired for their former closer Jose Valverde has pitched 15.1 scoreless innings to start the season.

The monkeys are not saying the Mets should give up on the season. We still believe they are the best team in the division. An injury to Brandon Webb can change the landscape pretty quickly. And just because they may not be the best team in the playoffs should they make it doesn't mean they would lose. Just ask Yadier Molina. However, no should blame Mets fans if they suddenly have developed a fear of snakes.

QUOTE THAT DROVE US BANANAS

"We're okay - but I think we can do better - and we're going to get better," Reyes said. "It's still early in the season and I know that when we get Moises and Pedro back, everything is going to be good. " -- Jose Reyes. Uh, Jose who knows how long Moises and Pedro will stay healthy when they come back. Take some personal responsibility, kid.

A Walking Disaster

2008-05-01T05:44:00.000-07:00

Oliver Perez continued to frustrate the monkeys yesterday with a ridiculously quick outing where he allowed 7 runs and walked 5 batters. After yesterday's game where the Mets went into extra innings, they needed Perez to go give them some length. This week's rainout turned out to big for the Mets because it allowed Nelson Figueroa to eat some innings and not further tax an overworked bullpen. Another small, but noted contribution by Figgy who does not have anywhere near the God given talent that Mr. Perez was born with.

Perez is so frustrating because we all know how good he can be. He came up big his 2 playoff games in 2006. He has consistently dominated the Yankees and the Braves which are always high profile games for the Mets. In the early part of this year in what were statement games, Perez provided two shutout, although not lengthy, outings vs. the Phillies. The monkeys still like Perez in a big game. But why does he struggle against a team like the Pirates?

Judging by the number of unearned runs he has allowed the past two years (20 last year and 5 already this year), Perez lets things bother him when things are not going his way. He has a hard time repeating his delivery. If you were to golf with him, you'd expect to see a few birdies and then some holes where he got a 13.

Billy Wagner seemed to partially absolve Willie Randolph and Rick Petersen of some responsibility by claiming Perez is "like talking to a wall." Of course, you can be sure Scott Boras who is representing Perez will talk to him. Perez could still be one of Boras' top commissions this offseason. And even a wall eventually listens if you tell them you are going try and paint them gold.

David Finally Gets it Wright

2008-04-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

The Mets won the game, but the monkeys will not be sharing a victory banana tonight. This was a game that the Mets just couldn't let get away. David Wright who struggled with runners on base came through with a walkoff hit in the 11th.

The Mets left 19 runners on base tonight against one of the league's weakest teams. So far this year, the offense has more closely resembled the 2007 that didn't go for the jugular when it had a team on the ropes than the division winning 2006 team that piled on the insurance runs. Because they couldn't get those extra runs, they had to further tax a bullpen that has been overworked this year. It doesn't take an elephant to remember that is what led to their demise last year.

Santana has been solid this year, but he needs to go deeper in a game against the lowly Pirates. Still he deserved the win. Duaner Sanchez and Billy Wagner each let up their first run of the year, but both limited the damage. Pedro Feliciano got a big out and Scott Schoenweiss dove and tagged a runner out at the plate. The bullpen exhibited a toughness that the offense did not tonight.

Of course, there were a couple of positives offensively. Jose Reyes was on base 6 times tonight. Endy Chavez broke out of his season long slump with 3 hits including the last one that ended with him scoring the winning run.

OTHER THINGS THAT DROVE US BANANAS

Carlos Delgado should have taken the curtain call when he had the chance. After his big day, he was back to 0-5.

How many times have the Mets played with a short bench the last couple of years? Is Schneider coming back this week? If not, put him on the DL and get another player up here.

It was stressful and it didn't come easy, but the monkey's will play the Pirates anytime.

Carpe Diem

2008-04-28T15:48:00.000-07:00

The monkeys were looking forward to what should have been an easy day for the Mets with Johan Santana matching up against the struggling Pirates, but that matchup will be delayed by a day. So we decided to tackle the future of first base for the Mets.

While we are hopeful that Carlos Delgado will build on yesterday's performance, the possibility does exist that yesterday will just be an aberration in what has otherwise been a dismal season for Mr. Delgado. Clearly whatever he does from here on out, this will be his last year on the Mets.

The Mets have three early picks in this year's draft which is loaded with talented corner infielders. However, some early developments in the minors this year might mean the Mets can use the draft picks on other needs such as pitching and young outfielders.

Mike Carp has seized the day and gotten off to a torrid start. He has 6 homers, 20 RBI and is hitting .376 with a 1.061 OPS for AA Binghamton. These are his curent numbers and they include his current 1-16 slump. After an injury plagued season last year, Carp has put himself back on the radar.

The monkeys might argue that it would be even better for the organization if Nick Evans was the guy to step forward. Evans has hit 4 homers with 20 RBI and a .326 average also playing at AA. The thing about Evans is that he bats righthanded. With Ryan Church, exceeding expectations thus far and Fernando Martinez, the top prospect in the organization both left-handed, Evans would balance the lineup better.

Dan Murphy, though mostly a third basemen, has seen some time at first and hit .358 for AA. Some scouts feel he is the most natural hitter of the three, but his defense needs work.

Finally, Lucas Duda is off to a solid start at High A ball hitting .337 with 2 homers and 19 RBI. Duda, a left-handed bat has raw power, but it is still developing.

The opportunity is there for each of these young players. The next month will be important if they want to discourage Omar Minaya from drafting one of the many talented first basemen in this year's draft.

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure

2008-04-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

What an unlikely list of heroes in today's game. The monkeys are getting used to efforts like this by Figgy, but it was still impressive to shut down the Braves until he tired in the sixth inning. Is Figgy a late bloomer and a find like Rick Reed was a few years back or is this just a nice little story that will be forgotten in June? Time will tell, but it's enjoyable to watch for now.

We don't know if Raul Casanova lives up to his name after the game, but he has been good lately at picking up hits. Casanova was 3-4 and had the big homerun today. Many people are not aware that he had 6 homers in 79 AB's last year so the power should not be a surprise. He also seems to work well with Figgy. The monkeys haven't missed Ramon Castro just yet.

While some fans are killing Omar Minaya, let's not forget to compliment him on these two players he pulled off the scrap heap.

Speaking of coming off the scrap heap, how about Carlos Delgado's day? 2 homeruns and 2 walks? Hopefully it's a sign of things to come and the worst of his slump is behind him. Will he be the player he was on Toronto or his first year with the Mets? No, probably not. But can he hit 20 homers, drive in 80 and hit .250 in his final season with the Mets? That's not too much to ask.

Luis Castillo had 3 hits, the bullpen pitched solidly, Willie managed the game properly and they played "I'm a Believer" in the 8th inning. All in all, a pretty good game for the monkeys.

WHAT DROVE US BANANAS

Moises Alou hurt again? We know he is old enough to have seen the first "King Kong," in its initial release but c'mon already. Get back on the field.

Carlos, come out when the fans want a curtain call. They have been rough on you, but it's a fight you simply cannot win.

Sorry, Tommy. We don't forgive you

2008-04-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

The monkeys saw Tom Glavine's quotes in the paper today where he backtracked and now says as far as sports goes, his meltdown on the last day of the season was devastating. He was hoping the fans at Shea would give him a nice reception. Sorry, Tommy. Too little too late.

After a brilliant career with the Braves where he won 20 games 5 times and two Cy Young awards, the Braves refused to aggressively pursue him after he became a free agent. The Mets looking to improve their fortunes and weaken their rival, wined and dined the Glavine family until they got his signature on a 4 year contract.

Glavine’s tenure with the Mets was up and down. After a poor first year, Glavine started well in his second year making the All Star team before struggling in the second half. His third year was up and down, but his fourth year, he was pretty successful winning 15 games. All in all, Glavine gave the Mets innings, showed flashes of brilliance, but never really approached the level he had reached with the Braves.

After he became a free agent, Glavine made it clear that he was interested in returning home to Atlanta. The Braves due to either lack of interest or financial concerns never pursued him and Glavine returned one more year to the Mets. Again, he pitched almost 200 innings and had some strong starts, but not a Cy Young level season. However, at the very end of the season as the Mets were suffering through a historic collapse and in dire need of a performance reminiscent of what he had routinely given the Braves, Glavine was at his worst giving up seven runs and recording just one out.

To Mets fans that have been longing for a championship for over 20 years and had their appetite whet by coming oh so close the previous year, this was devastating. So with a wound so fresh, Glavine did not endear himself by stating he was “disappointed, but not devastated.” Three months later, Glavine resigned with the Braves telling everyone how great it was to be home.

Let’s say you were dating the hot girl in the office and then after several fun months when everything seemed to being really well, all of sudden she dumped you. Another less attractive girl in the office helped get you through it and was really, really attentive. After a while you started dating her. Before you knew it, you were dating her four years.

Now let’s say, you were a decent boyfriend, nothing special mind you, but you were around every Saturday Night, you took her to nice, but not lavish restaurants and every once in a while you even sent her flowers. Still, you didn’t treat her the way treated the hot girl. And every year at the office Christmas party, you flirted with the hot girl who dumped you. Even hinted that you would love to get back together.

Now let’s say after four years, the girl was pretty sure she was getting a ring. But instead you broke up with her … on Valentine’s Day … in the meanest possible way. And then when she complained how devasting it was you said “Devasting is what’s going on Iraq.”

Now let’s say after 3 months you get back together with the hot girl and tell everyone how great it is to be back where you belong. How do you think the less attractive girl is going to feel about you? I imagine she’ll feel a lot like Mets fans feel about Tom Glavine. And that’s why the monkeys and 50,000 fans will be booing him whenever we see him at Shea.

Swing, Man

2008-04-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

Through the first 21 games, the Mets have had two big bullpen problems -- Aaron Heilman and Jorge Sosa. History tells us Aaron Heilman will eventually get better. He has gone through stretches like this every year. For his career, Heilman has a first half ERA of 4.77 and a second half ERA of 3.45. Not to be too "monkey hear monkey say," but it takes a while for Aaron to find his rhythm.

Jorge Sosa is a completely different story. Take away his career year with the Braves where he went 13-3 with a 2.55 ERA, Sosa's career ERA is 5.14. He has allowed an alarming number of homeruns. And his body language is not one that exudes confidence. A big part of the bullpen crew that fell apart last year, Sosa has worn out his welcome.

The Mets have a better solution in their system. You don't hear much about him. It is a name that Mets fans may not recall unless they undergo hypnosis since he was a part of a very traumatic day in recent Mets history. His name is Joselo Diaz. The other pitcher the Mets sent to Tampa Bay in the Scott Kazmir deal is back with the organization and seems to have finally overcome the control issues that have hindrerd his career.

Diaz has always thrown pitches that had velocity and movement. The monkeys were very impressed when they saw him during the Caribbean World Series and again in Spring Training.
His numbers at AAA are as follows:

24 Innings -- 13 hits -- 9 walks --- 21k's --0.90 WHIP

He can start, he can pitch long relief and he can get a key strikeout when needed. While the Mets cannot get Scott Kazmir back (at least for a while), wouldn't it be great if at least the other pitcher in that horrendous trade came up and added some much needed relief?

Leave it to the monkeys to let management know about the perfect swingman. It's so on.