2008 Mets!!! LETS GO METS!!!

I think Burrell will likely be signed to an extension and he will get paid before Howard will. Howard is not going to be signed to the 7 year $140+ million deal he wants until he cuts down on his strikeouts. They can continue to rent him out year by year through 2011. Same thing with Hamels, but I think Hamels will get signed to a long term deal as he is the Phil's ace. Utley and Rollins both have signed long term deals. I see the Phillies have the following lineup in 2009-2010:

C: Lou Marson (could be the starting catcher by next year).
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Jimmy Rollins
3B: Travis Mattair (great athlete, 6'5")
1B: Ryan Howard
LF: Pat Burrell
RF: Adrian Cardenas
CF: Dominic Brown (played for Miami Hurricanes...great speed)

Pitchers should be: Hamels, Carrasco, Myers?, Happ, Outman, closer: Lidge

Hey Skip Bayless just picked the Phils to win the NL East because the Phils have the "highest character."

 

Keith told Reyes, "No play for Mr. Gray.....rejected," and it was on!!!!!!!

 

I have listened to Keith and Gary Darling and they do a pretty good job. The worst announcers are the Washington Nat's announcers. Total homers. Pedro is usually good for about five innings....he seems to have that one bad inning though like Myers where everything turns to crap. It was funny what the Met's fans were saying about Billy Wagner in the 9th inning when he almost blew it. I was proud my Phils didn't throw in the towel, but Cholly Manuel always has to take Pat Burrell out, and then we don't have him in the lineup. Last night he took Utley out and then we didnt have him around when we came back.

 

Hmm if we go back about 4 or 5 pages im pretty sure I mentioned that after pedros last start. Its all mental with Pedro right now. hes just missing by a hair on some of his pitches and its causing him to get hit which we know is not Pedro. Hes almost there as he looked better yesterday.

Darling is ok but hernandez, condescending as he can be at times, is the more astute one for my money. Darling I think would make a solid PITCHING COACH but not manager. Im not sure he has the temperment to manage where as Hernandez is just the opposite; Im not sure he has the patience to just teach as a hitting instructor. I could see Keith going "no, no, no. Youre doing it wrong son. For the 38th time, you do it this way!" and then storming off. Hernandez is way to analytical to be a position coach where as I would say the opposite is true with Darling based on my recent observation of them.

 

Burrell is the easiest to replace when the time comes as 30 homer OF's with slightly better then mediocre defense and BA's/OPS's arent that tough to find. However be careful what your expectations for Howard are because just won the biggest arbitration award in history and his 1st 3 years in power stats are insane. His BA will come up and when it does someone will give him 7/140 no doubt in my mind. I could see the Yanks or Sox, maybe even the Mets going above that to get him without even thinking twice about it.

Its dangerous to count on prospects when your window is now.

 

I have a real good feeling with Pelfrey tonight vs Tiny Tim. Mighty Mike has been real good and the Giants are no better a hitting team then the mets.

 

Beltran!!! 3 run dinger off Tiny Tim.

Lets go Mets.

 

What in Gods name is going on with the umpiring this year????? Last night the guy closest to the HR dispute by Howard gets overruled by the Home Plate Umpire and add that to the Delgado HR dispute in the Yankee game..and an ABSOLUTE horrendous running out of the baseline to avoid a DP I think I have EVER seen and the Ump just shakes his head and says no call. He ran 10ft onto the infield grass to avoid the tag!

 

Totally agree NY. These umps need replay. I feel like fan voting would do a better job in deciding calls though I know in the end thats not true....

 

Hey, anyone notice the difference in Pelfrey since Warthen is allowing him to throw the curveball occasionally? You can make the same case for Maine (though hes been slumping a bit). So far I have to say Warthen is doing ok for himself....

 

Boy has Pelfrey been IMPRESSIVE his last few starts..Giants are bad but he literally knocked the bats out of thier hands tonight!

 

Pelfrey has arrived. Kid is gonna be a stud. Trade ollie now for a bat and get el duque as the 5th starter since hes scheduled to make a few rehab starts this week.

 

That's ok Greg ...we are still clinging to first even though nobody is hitting.
It's a long season and there are going to be times like this. I think the Phils will get back on track after the all star break. Utley is abut the only guy hitting right now. Rollins has been horrible, Howard strikes out all the time. Burrell is doing ok. I think it can't get worse as far as the hitting. Hamels only gave up a couple runs tonight but we get beat 2-0. Ohhh well. The good news is my Sixers got Elton Brand tonight so things are looking up.

 

I'm okay with trading Ollie for a bat, but I'd be more inclined to use Duque in the pen if we can. I think he can be more effective there, and his inevitable return trip the DL wouldn't be so costly.

 

Well, if he has to get into a set routine to be effective, that changes things a bit, but I think his stuff is more conducive to middle relief at this point.

 

He was effective coming out of the pen for CWS in the playoffs a few years back but he was younger then. He also couldnt pitch on back to back days or get up to go in a hurry. I dont think effectiveness will be his issue.

 

5 in a row!!!!

 

I have never understood why this team is so reluctant about playing Castro more often.

 

ahh nothing like a series against the Giants to help improve the confidence of the pitching staff... lets hope it works for Maine tonight too, get him on track...

 

who is this team and what did they do with the chokers who gave up leads and couldn't hit with RISP esp w/2outs

seriously though, I know SF is bad, but I like what I've been seeing.

3 major changes I've seen so far:

1. Delgado: Finally the man has been laying off those breaking balls low and in. I don't think he was ever losing bat speed as was the popular choice with his struggles. He simply wouldn't lay off bad pitches putting him behind in counts. I don't expect .280 out of Carlos, but if he could produce .270 with 15 HR and 60 RBI the rest of the year, we're in business. And he's batting 6th lately with NO protection, which is an even better sign.

2. Heilman: Finally the new pitching coach has allowed him to have that 3rd dimension that he desperately needed. Fastball/Change was just not fooling anyone. Let him mix in the occasional breaking pitch and it throws hitters completely off. (yes it's the SF giants. yes he just started mixing it in and it's the hitters 1st time, but this was long overdue.)

3. Pelfrey: Command over his pitches and getting ahead in counts will do wonders. Good to see him gaining confidence.

It's about time that this team is firing on all cylinders. It's been about a 100 games since we've seen this.

 

Who is this slugger with light-tower power, and what has he done with Fernando Tatis?!?

 

Because his back and other injuries have never allowed him too. He was a first round pick by florida years ago its always been either injuries or attitude that held him back mostly the former....

 

ushering the steroid era back in like its 1998 again?

 

1. Delgado is playing better the last week or so but its definitely is and has been a question of bat speed. Hes always been a guy who like the ball low and inside and thats part of the reason he was having a hard time laying off those low pitches. His bat speed from 2006 to now even is a noticeable difference. All his years with Toronto I remember him being a guy who killed the fastball and now hes swinging and missing at more of them? the book doesnt suddenly get out on a guy 15 years into his career.

2. I agree with that. The Jacket was making Heilman into a 2 pitch pitcher and his slider has always been his 2nd best pitch. What I notice more is that before the Jacket got tossed out, Heilman started coming over the top more in his delivery and a little less sidearm. A few years ago he was at a 3/4 motion and the last year and a half hes been at a real sidearm angle and what that does is show you the ball earlier and makes the ball move differently. Its possible that could have had a very real effect on his pitching.

3. Agreed as well. I think Pelfrey is finally working off that 94-95mph heater and letting the breaking pitches/off speed pitches fall in to place. Plus hes allowed to throw his curveball again which I know Peterson would not allow because of the amount of torque it creates on the elbow and shoulder.

 

Phear the COOKie monster tonight. Aaron Cook is 3-1 all-time versus the Mets. Should be a fun series to watch. I thought Pat Burrell was deserving of making the all-star team as well, but I think D. Wright should also have be going, so I think Hurdle did "Wright" there. Hurdle could have taken his own 3B Garrett Atkins who has a .313 BA, 14 HR's and 54 RBI's compared to Wright's .288 BA, 17 HR's and 70 RBI's....but I think Wright is a much better fielder.

 

Really? Wright had 21 errors last year compared to Atkins 12. Wright also has several more errors this year...

Clearly Hurdle didnt want to be accused of homerism IMO