The big story of this past weekend's series against the Brewers was easily Nelson Figueroa's season debut on Friday.
Born in Brooklyn, Figueroa grew up a Mets fan, and was drafted by the team in 1995, although he did not make it to the Majors with them. With a 4-10 career record, he last pitched in the Majors in September 2004, with his last win coming in August 2003. After traveling around the world, pitching in various different countries, Figueroa got a 2nd chance in the U.S. with the Mets. He was called up on the third day of the season, after Pedro Martinez went on the DL. After two relief appearances, he made his first start on Friday.
It was a long time coming, and he surely took advantage of the opportunity. His final line was 6 IP, 2 ER, 2 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, and of course, a win.
It was great to see the smiles on his face, with a dream coming true, and three years of work trying to get back to the Majors paying off. His family was in attendance, and SNY kept showing them cheering loudly for him. Nelson also gave a nice salute to them as he walked off the field after the 4-2 victory.
These moments are so wonderful, as it takes away from the daily grind of the long season, and gives the game a more personal feel. We're not just rooting for teams, we're not just rooting for players; we are rooting for people. This story was great, and congratulations to Nelson Figueroa.
Another big story of the series was Johan Santana, however this one was a bad story. Johan lost his previous start because the offense did not give him any support. Saturday, Johan lost his start because he pitched poorly. Obviously, he's not going to have a great start every time, and I can look past this one poor start. But it was pretty disheartening to watch.
Johan was removed from the game in the 7th after giving up a three-run HR, his third HR of the day. It wasn't all that bad of a day outside of the HRs, and two errors by David Wright certainly made his day harder. But the long balls were definitely troublesome, especially in his Shea debut.
After losing Game 2 5-3, the Mets would go on to lose the series with the Brewers winning 7-5 in one of the most aggravating losses I've ever seen. Oliver Perez was bad. After giving up 2 runs in the top of the 1st, the Mets would give him six runs over the first three innings, but then Perez gave the four run lead back in the 4th. He would be taken out in the 5th after allowing two baserunners that Jorge Sosa kept from scoring. However, Sosa would give up 2 runs in the 6th, and the Brewers added an unearned run in the 7th.
More frustrating than the pitching was the hitting, which is saying a lot considering they scored 7 runs. After getting 6 of them in the first three innings, the Mets would score just 1 run with 13 baserunners from the 4th to 8th innings. They hit into a double play in each of those 5 innings. The worst of it was in the 8th, facing the hated Guillermo Mota. The Mets started the inning with two singles to get runners on 1st and 3rd, but then Luis Castillo grounded into a double play, taking himself out at first followed by the over-aggressive Brady Clark at home. The next two hitters would walk to load the bases, but Delgado would pop out to end the inning. Eric Gagne, who has been terrible so far this season, earned his second save of the series with a 1-2-3 9th.
I was pretty furious by the end of that 8th inning. Quite often I get angry, annoyed, or disappointed by the team, but I don't remember ever boiling for so long. But the season continues on.
Congratulations to David Wright for his 100th career home run.
The Brewers bats were relentless with 14 runs with 3 home runs in their two victories. They have quite a dangerous, powerful lineup, although their pitching staff is certainly questionable. I didn't get too good of a read on the team outside of that, but I'm thankful that there's only one more series with them.
Showing posts with label Johan Santana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Johan Santana. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Disgust out of Atlanta
As usual, the Mets had trouble in Atlanta. We had started to turn that streak around the last couple seasons, in which the Braves actually failed to win the NL East, so hopefully this isn't a bad omen.
I was looking forward to John Maine's first start of the season. He had a break-out season last year, and I'm looking forward to this year with great excitement for him. Unfortunately, he just didn't have it on this day. He lasted just four innings, giving up four runs on eight hits and three walks. We still had a chance to come back though, but the bullpen went on to allow another seven runs, including a grand slam given up by Jorge Sosa when it was clear from the previous batters that he had no control that day. Sosa probably should have been pulled prior to facing Kelly Johnson, but I won't criticize Willie Randolph for it. Nor will I get down on John Maine. I fully expect him to come back strong in his next start.
And of course, there was the ridiculous call by the umps. For those who didn't get to see it, the Mets were down 4-1 in the 5th inning with the bases loaded and one out. Jose Reyes hit a shot to left-center that bounced into the diving fielder's glove, which should have scored two runs, but somehow the umpire said he caught the ball. It was perfectly clear to me watching it happen live on television that it bounced; it hit so far in front of his glove that I couldn't even call it a trap. Angel Pagan obviously saw it bounce, and took off from second to score, so was easily doubled off at second to end the inning.
In a rare display from Randolph, although it was impossible not to, he ran out onto the field and protested quite strongly. The umpires got together, and thankfully, for my sanity and the protection of any breakable items surrounding me, they reversed the call. Ryan Church, who was actually passed by Pagan at third because he saw the out call and stopped (a whole other situation), was allowed to score, and Pagan was put at third where he would eventually score anyway on a groundout by Luis Castillo to bring the score to 4-3. Although, in the end, it proved to not matter that much, as the Braves went on to win 11-5, but at the time, that would have been a huge killer to this team if that call had stood. I'm also quite surprised that Bobby Cox somehow managed to not get himself ejected in that inning.
I was looking forward to facing Tom Glavine. I knew his comments after the last game of the season, where he said he was not devastated following his 7 run, 1/3 IP, season-ending performance, were taken too harshly by Mets fans, including myself. And he got a chance to explain himself and his rationalization in a pre-game interview on SNY. But I still can't help but feel utter, complete hatred towards him. And I so badly wanted to take it to him this series. But the weather wouldn't cooperate, forcing the first game to be rained out and postponed. This pushed Tim Hudson back to what would have been Game 2, and they decided to leave John Smoltz in as the starter in the final game, because they didn't want him to come off the DL and pitch in Colorado. So that meant that Tommy was the odd man out, and Mets fans will have to wait a bit longer to have some revenge.
I was looking forward to Johan Santana's second appearance, and first against the Braves. However, after averaging 7 1/4 runs in the first four games, the offense disappeared this game. Johan gave up just one run in 7 innings, along with a double and two fine defensive plays. He also got his first loss as a Met, leaving the game losing 1-0. The Mets would be able to add a run in the ninth, but not before Aaron Heilman gave up a two-run HR to Mark Teixeira. And with that 3-1 victory, the Braves swept the Mets in the 2-game series.
Not a whole lot has changed with the Braves; Larry Jones is still a Met-killer, and I still hate him. The biggest change from last year though is he's not the only one who will kill us. Mark Teixeira batting behind him is looking just as scary, if not scarier. I still have to say they are the third best team in the division, but that gap is looking smaller than I thought.
I was looking forward to John Maine's first start of the season. He had a break-out season last year, and I'm looking forward to this year with great excitement for him. Unfortunately, he just didn't have it on this day. He lasted just four innings, giving up four runs on eight hits and three walks. We still had a chance to come back though, but the bullpen went on to allow another seven runs, including a grand slam given up by Jorge Sosa when it was clear from the previous batters that he had no control that day. Sosa probably should have been pulled prior to facing Kelly Johnson, but I won't criticize Willie Randolph for it. Nor will I get down on John Maine. I fully expect him to come back strong in his next start.
And of course, there was the ridiculous call by the umps. For those who didn't get to see it, the Mets were down 4-1 in the 5th inning with the bases loaded and one out. Jose Reyes hit a shot to left-center that bounced into the diving fielder's glove, which should have scored two runs, but somehow the umpire said he caught the ball. It was perfectly clear to me watching it happen live on television that it bounced; it hit so far in front of his glove that I couldn't even call it a trap. Angel Pagan obviously saw it bounce, and took off from second to score, so was easily doubled off at second to end the inning.
In a rare display from Randolph, although it was impossible not to, he ran out onto the field and protested quite strongly. The umpires got together, and thankfully, for my sanity and the protection of any breakable items surrounding me, they reversed the call. Ryan Church, who was actually passed by Pagan at third because he saw the out call and stopped (a whole other situation), was allowed to score, and Pagan was put at third where he would eventually score anyway on a groundout by Luis Castillo to bring the score to 4-3. Although, in the end, it proved to not matter that much, as the Braves went on to win 11-5, but at the time, that would have been a huge killer to this team if that call had stood. I'm also quite surprised that Bobby Cox somehow managed to not get himself ejected in that inning.
I was looking forward to facing Tom Glavine. I knew his comments after the last game of the season, where he said he was not devastated following his 7 run, 1/3 IP, season-ending performance, were taken too harshly by Mets fans, including myself. And he got a chance to explain himself and his rationalization in a pre-game interview on SNY. But I still can't help but feel utter, complete hatred towards him. And I so badly wanted to take it to him this series. But the weather wouldn't cooperate, forcing the first game to be rained out and postponed. This pushed Tim Hudson back to what would have been Game 2, and they decided to leave John Smoltz in as the starter in the final game, because they didn't want him to come off the DL and pitch in Colorado. So that meant that Tommy was the odd man out, and Mets fans will have to wait a bit longer to have some revenge.
I was looking forward to Johan Santana's second appearance, and first against the Braves. However, after averaging 7 1/4 runs in the first four games, the offense disappeared this game. Johan gave up just one run in 7 innings, along with a double and two fine defensive plays. He also got his first loss as a Met, leaving the game losing 1-0. The Mets would be able to add a run in the ninth, but not before Aaron Heilman gave up a two-run HR to Mark Teixeira. And with that 3-1 victory, the Braves swept the Mets in the 2-game series.
Not a whole lot has changed with the Braves; Larry Jones is still a Met-killer, and I still hate him. The biggest change from last year though is he's not the only one who will kill us. Mark Teixeira batting behind him is looking just as scary, if not scarier. I still have to say they are the third best team in the division, but that gap is looking smaller than I thought.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Johan, Pedro, and winning the first series.
This is the first in what should be a season-long series of posts in which I recap and discuss the Mets' previous series. In addition to what I think about what the Mets did, I will also look a little bit about what I think of the opposing team.
First off, Opening Day. It felt like a long time coming. The pitching match-up was Johan Santana against Mark Hendrickson and the Marlins. As I wrote earlier, it's hard to get worried about that match-up, but on the other hand, it would just be that much worse if we lost. But the "$137 million eraser," as Ron Darling put it, removed the lingering feelings from last season.
Johan was great. Pitching 7 innings, he gave up 2 runs, all on one HR, and just 3 hits, with 8 strikeouts. Asking for anything more from him, especially on Opening Day, would just be greedy. The home run, of course, is something to think about though, as he has had a bit of a problem keeping the ball in the park, despite his tremendous success in the past. That is one reason why I'm really looking forward to seeing what he can do with the Mets, with a home stadium that tends to keep fly balls contained. Coming from the hitter's park in Minnesota - besides just facing a National League lineup - that factor could really make his numbers look even better.
With all the excitement building up to Opening Day, and then the results, Monday was a wonderful day. Not only did the Mets win 7-2 on a great performance by Santana, but the Phillies were 0-1, the Braves were 0-2, and the Yankees had their home opener rained out.
Oh, how quickly moods can change.
Pedro Martinez began Game 2 by hitting Hanley Ramirez, then giving up a 2-run HR to Dan Uggla. Then he gave up a solo HR to Luis Gonzalez and an RBI triple to Ramirez in the 2nd inning. Pedro was struggling. But then, with one grab of the hamstring, things were so much worse. He left giving up 4 runs and 4 hits in 3 1/3 innings, an ERA of 10.80. The news would come the next day that he would be out at least 4-6 weeks with a mild strained hamstring.
The Mets got back into the game though as their bullpen kept the Marlins off the scoreboard, tying it 4-4. But in the end, the unlikely hero was Robert Andino, as he hit the walk-off HR off Matt Wise in the 10th. After all the excitement of the day before, all I could feel on this day was depression. The mood had completely changed. I don't think the loss of Pedro will hurt too bad as far as our win-loss record is concerned, but it certainly stings mentally and emotionally.
What better way to relieve the pain though than a 13-0 victory the following day to win the series. Oliver Perez was brilliant, throwing 6 shutout innings, also with 8 strikeouts. Already with a 10-0 lead, there was no need to stretch him out any further in his first start. Nelson Figueroa (Pedro's replacement on the roster), Pedro Feliciano, and Billy Wagner all got their first innings of work of this season in a no-pressure situation. The dominating win should definitely make the players feel better as they travel to Philadelphia. A loss could have really hurt, after what happened the day before.
The pitching outside of Pedro was obviously great. The offense was pretty good, too, though. You can't say enough about Angel Pagan right now, stepping up into the 6th spot in the lineup with Moises Alou out. He went 4-for-10 with 4 RBIs and 4 runs scored in the series, getting us started in each of the first two games. Other new acquisitions Ryan Church and Brian Schneider also did a great job. Carlos Delgado struggled in the first two games, but he went 2-for-5 with an RBI yesterday, so I won't give up on him yet. All the way up and down the lineup, we performed pretty well, obviously, with 24 runs scored.
The Marlins certainly lost a lot with Miguel Cabrera and Met-killer Dontrelle Willis being traded away to Detroit. They still remain a team that I don't feel comfortable playing, though. They have a lot of solid young talent that can burn you throughout the whole lineup. But I think, like last season, it may not matter, as you can just hope to put up more runs than they do with that shaky pitching staff.
First off, Opening Day. It felt like a long time coming. The pitching match-up was Johan Santana against Mark Hendrickson and the Marlins. As I wrote earlier, it's hard to get worried about that match-up, but on the other hand, it would just be that much worse if we lost. But the "$137 million eraser," as Ron Darling put it, removed the lingering feelings from last season.
Johan was great. Pitching 7 innings, he gave up 2 runs, all on one HR, and just 3 hits, with 8 strikeouts. Asking for anything more from him, especially on Opening Day, would just be greedy. The home run, of course, is something to think about though, as he has had a bit of a problem keeping the ball in the park, despite his tremendous success in the past. That is one reason why I'm really looking forward to seeing what he can do with the Mets, with a home stadium that tends to keep fly balls contained. Coming from the hitter's park in Minnesota - besides just facing a National League lineup - that factor could really make his numbers look even better.
With all the excitement building up to Opening Day, and then the results, Monday was a wonderful day. Not only did the Mets win 7-2 on a great performance by Santana, but the Phillies were 0-1, the Braves were 0-2, and the Yankees had their home opener rained out.
Oh, how quickly moods can change.
Pedro Martinez began Game 2 by hitting Hanley Ramirez, then giving up a 2-run HR to Dan Uggla. Then he gave up a solo HR to Luis Gonzalez and an RBI triple to Ramirez in the 2nd inning. Pedro was struggling. But then, with one grab of the hamstring, things were so much worse. He left giving up 4 runs and 4 hits in 3 1/3 innings, an ERA of 10.80. The news would come the next day that he would be out at least 4-6 weeks with a mild strained hamstring.
The Mets got back into the game though as their bullpen kept the Marlins off the scoreboard, tying it 4-4. But in the end, the unlikely hero was Robert Andino, as he hit the walk-off HR off Matt Wise in the 10th. After all the excitement of the day before, all I could feel on this day was depression. The mood had completely changed. I don't think the loss of Pedro will hurt too bad as far as our win-loss record is concerned, but it certainly stings mentally and emotionally.
What better way to relieve the pain though than a 13-0 victory the following day to win the series. Oliver Perez was brilliant, throwing 6 shutout innings, also with 8 strikeouts. Already with a 10-0 lead, there was no need to stretch him out any further in his first start. Nelson Figueroa (Pedro's replacement on the roster), Pedro Feliciano, and Billy Wagner all got their first innings of work of this season in a no-pressure situation. The dominating win should definitely make the players feel better as they travel to Philadelphia. A loss could have really hurt, after what happened the day before.
The pitching outside of Pedro was obviously great. The offense was pretty good, too, though. You can't say enough about Angel Pagan right now, stepping up into the 6th spot in the lineup with Moises Alou out. He went 4-for-10 with 4 RBIs and 4 runs scored in the series, getting us started in each of the first two games. Other new acquisitions Ryan Church and Brian Schneider also did a great job. Carlos Delgado struggled in the first two games, but he went 2-for-5 with an RBI yesterday, so I won't give up on him yet. All the way up and down the lineup, we performed pretty well, obviously, with 24 runs scored.
The Marlins certainly lost a lot with Miguel Cabrera and Met-killer Dontrelle Willis being traded away to Detroit. They still remain a team that I don't feel comfortable playing, though. They have a lot of solid young talent that can burn you throughout the whole lineup. But I think, like last season, it may not matter, as you can just hope to put up more runs than they do with that shaky pitching staff.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Baseball is back!
It was so great hearing that SNY Mets jingle today. The Mets played their first home Spring Training game of the season, and their first televised Spring Training game of the season. And, of course, it was Johan Santana's first appearance.
Unfortunately, it hasn't been a good start. They are 0-3 now against Major League teams, plus a tie against a college team. Johan Santana gave up a three-run home run to Juan Gonzalez in his first inning of work.
But I'm not going to be critical or worried about Spring Training results, especially this early on. Sure, winning is sweet, and I would like to see us putting up wins, but results don't matter yet.
This certainly didn't seem like an ordinary Spring Training game though. Usually, I'm excited for it to start up just so baseball is back. But today was more about seeing Johan pitch than it was seeing the Mets back on the field. He caught a couple tough breaks, then gave up a bomb to Juan Gonzalez. But if he's going to give one up, at least it was someone who you have to feel good for. Of course, then Albert Pujols hit a home run off Duaner Sanchez, and he's someone who I have really soured on.
It was also nice to see Fernando Martinez out there. He got thrown out trying to steal second, but again, beyond results, it was good to see him running and being aggressive. And along with that, he had the play of the game, with a great diving catch down the left field line. That was fun to watch.
One last point: I think I'm rooting for Brady Clark to take the 5th bench spot on the roster. Ruben Gotay would be good, too, but I think Clark would be a solid backup right-handed outfielder.
Unfortunately, it hasn't been a good start. They are 0-3 now against Major League teams, plus a tie against a college team. Johan Santana gave up a three-run home run to Juan Gonzalez in his first inning of work.
But I'm not going to be critical or worried about Spring Training results, especially this early on. Sure, winning is sweet, and I would like to see us putting up wins, but results don't matter yet.
This certainly didn't seem like an ordinary Spring Training game though. Usually, I'm excited for it to start up just so baseball is back. But today was more about seeing Johan pitch than it was seeing the Mets back on the field. He caught a couple tough breaks, then gave up a bomb to Juan Gonzalez. But if he's going to give one up, at least it was someone who you have to feel good for. Of course, then Albert Pujols hit a home run off Duaner Sanchez, and he's someone who I have really soured on.
It was also nice to see Fernando Martinez out there. He got thrown out trying to steal second, but again, beyond results, it was good to see him running and being aggressive. And along with that, he had the play of the game, with a great diving catch down the left field line. That was fun to watch.
One last point: I think I'm rooting for Brady Clark to take the 5th bench spot on the roster. Ruben Gotay would be good, too, but I think Clark would be a solid backup right-handed outfielder.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Pitchers and Catchers in Port St. Lucie
More important than any roses or boxes of chocolate, Johan Santana and the other Mets pitchers and catchers reported in Port St. Lucie, Florida, to begin Spring Training!
As happy as I still am about the Giants winning the Super Bowl, I still can't help but to look forward with great excitement towards this 2008 baseball season. And baseball is finally, officially, right around the corner.
As my excitement grows about the addition of Johan, I'm starting to also get excited about a much less talked about addition: the return of Duaner Sanchez to the bullpen.
After being injured for the entire 2007 season, and being pretty much completely off the radar, it's easy to forget how big of an impact he had on this team. He was probably our most reliable pitcher in the bullpen leading up to Billy Wagner in 2006 until the Curse of the Taxis struck again (although we got Oliver Perez as part of a last-minute desperation trade before the deadline because Sanchez got hurt, so it wasn't all bad). I loved watching Duaner pitch, and I always had great confidence in him whenever he came in a game.
Then, obviously, we ran into a bit of bullpen issues at the end of 2007. The Mets' bullpen completely fell apart with guys like Joe Smith and Guillermo Mota having to take innings that Duaner Sanchez would have handled in 2006. I hate to think of the what-ifs, but who knows how things would have been different at the end of last season with that extra anchor in the bullpen helping to take the pressure off not just down the stretch, but for the whole season.
Duaner is looking good and ready to come back strong in 2008. Like Guillermo Mota getting traded for essentially nobody seemed like a new acquisition, so does Duaner Sanchez coming back to this team after over a year on the disabled list. Say what you want about Johan taking pressure off the bullpen by pitching deeper into games; just having Sanchez return will naturally take some pressure off the bullpen and make it better.
First Spring Training game in 13 days.
As happy as I still am about the Giants winning the Super Bowl, I still can't help but to look forward with great excitement towards this 2008 baseball season. And baseball is finally, officially, right around the corner.
As my excitement grows about the addition of Johan, I'm starting to also get excited about a much less talked about addition: the return of Duaner Sanchez to the bullpen.
After being injured for the entire 2007 season, and being pretty much completely off the radar, it's easy to forget how big of an impact he had on this team. He was probably our most reliable pitcher in the bullpen leading up to Billy Wagner in 2006 until the Curse of the Taxis struck again (although we got Oliver Perez as part of a last-minute desperation trade before the deadline because Sanchez got hurt, so it wasn't all bad). I loved watching Duaner pitch, and I always had great confidence in him whenever he came in a game.
Then, obviously, we ran into a bit of bullpen issues at the end of 2007. The Mets' bullpen completely fell apart with guys like Joe Smith and Guillermo Mota having to take innings that Duaner Sanchez would have handled in 2006. I hate to think of the what-ifs, but who knows how things would have been different at the end of last season with that extra anchor in the bullpen helping to take the pressure off not just down the stretch, but for the whole season.
Duaner is looking good and ready to come back strong in 2008. Like Guillermo Mota getting traded for essentially nobody seemed like a new acquisition, so does Duaner Sanchez coming back to this team after over a year on the disabled list. Say what you want about Johan taking pressure off the bullpen by pitching deeper into games; just having Sanchez return will naturally take some pressure off the bullpen and make it better.
First Spring Training game in 13 days.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Nearly official....
What an agonizing 74 hours. Finally, Johan signed on the dotted line, and all that is left is a physical.
Wow, would that not be the ultimate stomach punch, if the deal broke off because of a failed physical? I shouldn't even be bringing this up. I need to find some wood to knock on now.
I couldn't care less about what the specific numbers of the deal are. Johan Santana officially being a Met is right around the corner, hopefully everything getting settled tomorrow.
I cannot wait for Opening Day.
Wow, would that not be the ultimate stomach punch, if the deal broke off because of a failed physical? I shouldn't even be bringing this up. I need to find some wood to knock on now.
I couldn't care less about what the specific numbers of the deal are. Johan Santana officially being a Met is right around the corner, hopefully everything getting settled tomorrow.
I cannot wait for Opening Day.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Finally....Johan Santana....is a NEW YORK MET
Two things:
1. WHOO!
2. Finally.
What a long offseason it's been, wanting nothing more than to finally see the headline come across my computer screen. I was frantically refreshing web sites today just waiting for it to happen, and then it finally did.
Pure elation is the only way to describe the way I've felt over the past 14 hours since the news broke on USAToday.com. I feel like I can't even write a proper post with these emotions.
The deal is as it was rumored earlier. The Mets give up Carlos Gomez, Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey. A wonderful, small price to pay, as far as I'm concerned, as I was prepared to lose Fernando Martinez. Being able to get Johan while still holding onto Martinez is almost like getting two deals in one. I assume that if the Twins demanded that Martinez be added to the deal, the Mets would have added him and made the deal, but they were able to use time to their advantage, as no other teams were prepared to step up as the Twins were approaching their deadline.
It all still depends on the Mets and Johan agreeing to a contract extension, but as Mike and the Mad Dog were discussing after the deal, there's no way the Mets can back out of this now. It would be a nightmare, a crushing blow to Mets fans if the front office decided it was unwilling to agree to Johan's terms. Basically, whatever he wants, we have to give it to him.
The ultimate goal here is to win a World Series one last time in Shea Stadium before it's torn down. I was just a mere six months old when they won in 1986, and I want nothing more than to watch my Mets celebrate a World Series championship at the stadium I love. That's what has made me so devastated the last two seasons, and why I have been so desperately wanting Johan for 2008.
This is our year. Please make it happen. If we win this season, then everything that happened today and will happen in the coming days with the contract talks, will be completely worth it, no matter what happens beyond 2008.
1. WHOO!
2. Finally.
What a long offseason it's been, wanting nothing more than to finally see the headline come across my computer screen. I was frantically refreshing web sites today just waiting for it to happen, and then it finally did.
Pure elation is the only way to describe the way I've felt over the past 14 hours since the news broke on USAToday.com. I feel like I can't even write a proper post with these emotions.
The deal is as it was rumored earlier. The Mets give up Carlos Gomez, Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey. A wonderful, small price to pay, as far as I'm concerned, as I was prepared to lose Fernando Martinez. Being able to get Johan while still holding onto Martinez is almost like getting two deals in one. I assume that if the Twins demanded that Martinez be added to the deal, the Mets would have added him and made the deal, but they were able to use time to their advantage, as no other teams were prepared to step up as the Twins were approaching their deadline.
It all still depends on the Mets and Johan agreeing to a contract extension, but as Mike and the Mad Dog were discussing after the deal, there's no way the Mets can back out of this now. It would be a nightmare, a crushing blow to Mets fans if the front office decided it was unwilling to agree to Johan's terms. Basically, whatever he wants, we have to give it to him.
The ultimate goal here is to win a World Series one last time in Shea Stadium before it's torn down. I was just a mere six months old when they won in 1986, and I want nothing more than to watch my Mets celebrate a World Series championship at the stadium I love. That's what has made me so devastated the last two seasons, and why I have been so desperately wanting Johan for 2008.
This is our year. Please make it happen. If we win this season, then everything that happened today and will happen in the coming days with the contract talks, will be completely worth it, no matter what happens beyond 2008.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The offer for Santana?
The reported offer the Mets are trying to get Santana for is Carlos Gomez, Deolis Guerra, Phil Humber, and Kevin Mulvey, and the Twins want Fernando Martinez added to that package (Minnesota Star Tribune).
That's basically our entire list of top prospects there. Especially Fernando Martinez, who I've been really looking forward to seeing. Our five top prospects does seem pretty steep for just one pitcher, but when it's Johan Santana, the Twins have the ability to demand.
This will pretty much go along with my previous post, but things have been real quiet lately and I felt the need to post something, anything. As much as the trade scares me, I still have to say "Yes" to it. Getting Johan would mean so much to this team.
The thing is though, both of our corner outfielders are short-term (unless Ryan Church turns out better than expected, or Moises Alou gets five years younger), so having Fernando Martinez ready to step in in a year or two in one of those spots would have been great to see. So if this trade happens, both of those spots will need to be replaced by free agent pickups. Alou may be in his final year of baseball, and Church could easily fail to produce the way we need, so next offseason could be rough. This is where I regret the Milledge trade.
Of course, if Santana were to come in and help us win the World Series, then all those problems go away.
That's basically our entire list of top prospects there. Especially Fernando Martinez, who I've been really looking forward to seeing. Our five top prospects does seem pretty steep for just one pitcher, but when it's Johan Santana, the Twins have the ability to demand.
This will pretty much go along with my previous post, but things have been real quiet lately and I felt the need to post something, anything. As much as the trade scares me, I still have to say "Yes" to it. Getting Johan would mean so much to this team.
The thing is though, both of our corner outfielders are short-term (unless Ryan Church turns out better than expected, or Moises Alou gets five years younger), so having Fernando Martinez ready to step in in a year or two in one of those spots would have been great to see. So if this trade happens, both of those spots will need to be replaced by free agent pickups. Alou may be in his final year of baseball, and Church could easily fail to produce the way we need, so next offseason could be rough. This is where I regret the Milledge trade.
Of course, if Santana were to come in and help us win the World Series, then all those problems go away.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Johan Santana
From the very first day of this blog, I've made it pretty clear that I really want Johan Santana coming to the Mets. I had originally hoped to just wait it out and sign him next offseason without having to give up anything, but it seems that if he's traded this offseason, that team will be signing him to a long contract extension. So if we want him next year, we're likely going to need to get him for this year, too.
And I can't really complain about that either, as long as we don't have to give up too much. I would like nothing more than to see the Mets celebrate one last World Series on the field at Shea before they move into Citi Field. And based on the rest of the pitching market, if we don't get Johan, that's going to be a tough goal to accomplish.
Early rumors said that the Twins were demanding Reyes, and Omar, rightly so, refused. Negotiations have been bragging out for quite awhile now though. They seem to be at a stalemate with the Red Sox and Yankees, and the other 26 teams are basically non-contenders for him.
Of course, if we won't include Reyes, getting Johan will come at quite a high price in prospects. I'm willing to give up pretty much anyone besides Reyes and Wright, and Omar has made it pretty clear that he feels the same way about those two. If we can get a guy like Johan Santana and sign him to a long-term contract, then the future is already there, we don't have to wait for these prospects to possibly develop.
Then again, Johan is one player, compared to probably four we'd have to give up. But chances are very low that any of those players will come close to the value of Santana, and we'd probably be lucky to even have two of them become solid contributors for our team.
So I say, go for it. If only the Twins will accept.
And I can't really complain about that either, as long as we don't have to give up too much. I would like nothing more than to see the Mets celebrate one last World Series on the field at Shea before they move into Citi Field. And based on the rest of the pitching market, if we don't get Johan, that's going to be a tough goal to accomplish.
Early rumors said that the Twins were demanding Reyes, and Omar, rightly so, refused. Negotiations have been bragging out for quite awhile now though. They seem to be at a stalemate with the Red Sox and Yankees, and the other 26 teams are basically non-contenders for him.
Of course, if we won't include Reyes, getting Johan will come at quite a high price in prospects. I'm willing to give up pretty much anyone besides Reyes and Wright, and Omar has made it pretty clear that he feels the same way about those two. If we can get a guy like Johan Santana and sign him to a long-term contract, then the future is already there, we don't have to wait for these prospects to possibly develop.
Then again, Johan is one player, compared to probably four we'd have to give up. But chances are very low that any of those players will come close to the value of Santana, and we'd probably be lucky to even have two of them become solid contributors for our team.
So I say, go for it. If only the Twins will accept.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)