Tag Archives: Barry Zito

Apr 20

Niese Needs To Pick Up Mets

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The Mets are now paying Jon Niese stopper money. Tonight he needs to earn it against San Francisco’s Barry Zito as the Mets seek to stabilize after losing three of their last four games.

After a surprisingly fast start, the Mets limp home with their rotation crushed, giving up 31 runs in the four games.

NIESE: Stopper

“We need Jon to give us a game,’’ manager Terry Collins said. So far, Niese has given the Mets two, winning both behind a nifty 2.13 ERA.

Niese will attempt to pick up the mess left by Johan Santana and R.A. Dickey in the last two games, and the bullpen’s meltdown Sunday at Philadelphia.

The Mets have always liked the physical aspects of Niese’s game; his location, velocity and movement on his pitches. However, the more they see him the more they appreciate his poise and composure. He ‘s not afraid to challenge hitters, including when behind in the count. That’s how one becomes a stopper.

Jul 17

Mets Chat Room; paging the offense.

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Game #91 at Giants

No question, Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito had a lot to do with it, but the Mets’ offense has been in a funk before coming to San Francisco.

The Mets, on a 1-5 slide, have scored just six runs in that span and hit a composite .222. They’ve been shut out three times, including the first two games of this series.

It won’t get any easier tonight against Matt Cain. They will be trying to avoid being shut out in three straight games for the first time since July 25-27, 1992.

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Jul 15

Tonight’s lineup at Giants; no Reyes.

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MANUEL: Playing Russian Roulette with Reyes.

First Jose Reyes was in the lineup, and then he wasn’t. He still can’t hit left-handed. However, with Barry Zito going tomorrow, they are hoping Reyes will be able to play.

In a word: Stupid.

Jerry Manuel has butchered this decision unbelievably. How is it hard to figure that if he’s not good enough to bat left-handed then he’s not 100 percent.

They were lucky Reyes wasn’t seriously re-injured Sunday instead of merely aggravating the oblique. This whole scenario is absurd. They should stop listening to Reyes and say he won’t play until he’s ready. This can’t go on any longer.

Here’s tonight’s lineup:

Angel Pagan, RF

Alex Cora, 2B

David Wright, 3B

Carlos Beltran, CF

Ike Davis, 1B

Jason Bay, LF

Josh Thole, C

Ruben Tejada, SS

RA Dickey, RP

May 07

May 7.10: Chat Room, Game #29 vs. Giants: Limping home.

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For the offensively challenged Mets, the Giants aren’t the team they’d like to see this weekend at Citi Field. Not with their pitching anyway.

Jonathan Sanchez against Mike Pelfrey tonight figures to be significant to the Mets on several levels, beginning with questions about the durability of the latter’s shoulder.

Pelfrey complained of tightness after being shelled last Saturday in Philadelphia, but he was cleared after a MRI and light bullpen session Wednesday.

The Mets will miss Matt Cain and Barry Zito this weekend, but will get Tim Lincecum Sunday.
The 17-10 Giants are fresh off a sweep of the Florida Marlins in which their rotation’s ERA was a sparkling 2.57 during the series.

The Mets limp home off a 2-4 road trip a 9-1 homestand. During that homestand Mets pitchers registered a 1.83 ERA and struck out 62-59 innings.

A major storyline during the last homestand was Jerry Manuel juggling the batting order by dropping Jose Reyes to third ahead of Jason Bay.

Despite dismal showings by both Reyes and Bay in Philadelphia and Cincinnati, Manuel will keep that line-up. Bay is hitless in his last 12 at-bats and has one homer and nine RBI on the season.

Here’s the line-up behind Pelfrey:

Angel Pagan, CF
Luis Castillo, 2B
Jose Reyes, SS
Jason Bay, LF
David Wright, 3B
Jeff Francoeur, RF
Ike Davis, 1B
Rod Barajas, C
Mike Pelfrey, RP

Oct 20

The Jacket finds a closet in Milwaukee.

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Former Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson – known as The Jacket to readers of this blog – was given a two-year contract by the Milwaukee Brewers, where he becomes part of the staff that includes Willie Randolph.

Evidently, if there was a rift between Peterson and Randolph, there is no more as Willie had to have been asked for a reference.

THE JACKET: Rejoins Willie in Milwaukee.

THE JACKET: Rejoins Willie in Milwaukee.


“When I walked out of the interview, I was so pleasantly surprised and excited,” said Peterson, who has a unique coaching style steeped in biomechanics.

Peterson was axed along with Randolph during the 2008 season. Peterson helped some members of the Mets staff, notably John Maine and Mike Pelfrey to a degree, but is known for the development of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito while with Oakland.

Said Brewers GM Doug Melvin: “Rick brings a number of years of experience as a pitching coach and an extensive background in the study of motion analysis. He is a high-energy individual and a forward thinker with a comprehensive program of motivation and instruction that is in tune with our current pitching philosophy.”