Tag Archives: Mike Pelfrey

Oct 04

With changes, 2011 is underway.

Posted on by

Jeff Wilpon didn’t wait long.

Wilpon, doing the right thing, acted quickly and decisively today in announcing GM Omar Minaya and manager Jerry Manuel are no longer a part of the Mets. There was no need to delay the inevitable.

Here’s his statement: “We are extremely disappointed in this year’s results and the failures of the past four seasons.  We need to hire a new General Manager with a fresh perspective who will transform this club into a winner that we want and our fans deserve.  We appreciate all that Omar and Jerry have done for the Organization and thank them for their time and effort.  Changes like these are never easy, especially when you are dealing with people you like and respect.”

It was a clipped, cliche of a quote, offering nothing new. That might come in a press conference this afternoon. Probably not, as the real story never is told in these types of gatherings.

Both handled their dismissals with class and dignity, qualities you admire and respect. They aren’t always qualities that translate to winning baseball games.

Manuel was very classy yesterday in his post-game remarks and during the game when he prompted Mike Pelfrey to take a bow and removed David Wright and Jose Reyes so they could receive ovations. It was a small gesture, but it meant a lot to the players involved. Minaya was the same this morning, saying: “I think we needed a change here. The bottom line is we had three years where we didn’t finish the job, and I’ve been in this town long enough to know that we’re expected to win.”

Minaya and Manuel are gone, as we’ve anticipated since the end of July when the Mets plummeted out of contention after a freefall West Coast trip.

In particular, Minaya’s decisions on Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo have hamstrung the Mets financially, which was underscored in Perez’s awful performance yesterday after a month of inactivity. Watching Perez soil a strong pitching performance by Pelfrey and the bullpen might be Minaya’s legacy with the Mets.

However, before we pile on Minaya, let us remember that ownership signed off on those moves and did not spend the money wisely.

Ownership vowed Minaya and Manuel would be held accountable in 2010, and that they have been. However, ownership promised, but did not deliver on its vow to make significant player acquisitions. And, ownership has not delivered to its fan base a concrete blueprint for change.

Minaya and Manuel are gone, but unless ownership makes a dramatic hire to lead its front office, they will merely be scapegoats.

Change is underway, but will there be real change?

Oct 03

Mets season ends with disappointment, hope for future

Posted on by

Game #162 vs. Nationals

We’re now done to the final innings, the final pitches of a disappointing season, yet one that ends with some glimmer of hope.

Jerry Manuel spoke of regrets this morning in his final pre-game press conference. He’s been around, he hears the whispers that have become shouts. There will be changes, and therein lies the hope. Maybe the changes will be for the better.

Manuel’s regrets are forcing Jose Reyes in the third slot and rushing players, notably Reyes and Carlos Beltran from injury. I am sure there are other thoughts that will creep into his consciousness in the black of the night this winter.

It’s always that way in every baseball season for every team but one. This year the Mets haven’t been the one as they haven’t been since 1986. There was trepidation for the Mets coming out of spring training, concerns, worries and holes, but during the season there was a turnaround and a flash of hope.

But, the worries and holes resurfaced, along with injuries and poor play and the season faded and then spun out of control and the dreams died.

The Mets will stay home this fall, watching and wondering what might have been. There also will be a time this winter when the thoughts turn to David Wright staring down that pitcher yesterday and saying “enough is enough,” with the high-and-tight fastballs. There will also be thoughts of Mike Pelfrey taking a step forward, of Angel Pagan, or Josh Thole, or RA Dickey and of Ike Davis.

There were things down the stretch that said the situation is not hopeless, that there is reason for hope and perhaps soon a season won’t end in regret.

To access the chat room, click onto the Mets Chat icon to your left.

Sep 30

New Chat Room; Dillon Gee.

Posted on by

Game #159 vs. Brewers

To access the New Chat Room, click onto the Mets Chat icon to your left.

Nobody knows how the Mets’ rotation will shape up in 2011, but after his strong showings so far, Dillon Gee will get an opportunity in spring training to crack the rotation. He’s given the Mets a chance to win when he starts and with the expectations of the Mets as low as they are, that’s all you can ask for.

As of now, I see Mike Pelfrey, RA Dickey and Jon Niese in the rotation, with my head shaking with wonder about the latter. He’s hit a wall in his development and has a long way to go.

The Mets will be without Carlos Beltran for tonight and the rest of the season, shut down with pain in his right knee. The Mets say there is no more structural damage, but he will be re-examined by the Colorado doctors who operated on him this spring.

Sep 28

New Chat Room; Pelfrey seeks long term deal.

Posted on by

To access the New Chat Room, click onto the Mets Chat icon to your left.

Game #156 vs. Brewers

Tonight is the first game of the Mets’ final homestand of the year, with Mike Pelfrey starting. It has been a tale of two seasons for Pelfrey, who got off to a 9-1 start, but faltered for July when the Mets began their swoon. Pelfrey has seemingly regained his early-season form, which is a positive sign looking forward in that he was able to correct his mistakes and make adjustments.

Pelfrey, under Mets control until 2014, is arbitration eligible in the offseason and can expect a big raise. Pelfrey said he’d like to avoid the process by signing a long-term extension.

“I would be interested,” Pelfrey said. “They’d have to bring it up, but I’m sure we’ll explore it. I’m definitely open to it.”

Sep 28

Tonight’s lineup vs. Brewers

Posted on by

Here’s tonight’s lineup:

Jose Reyes, SS

Jesus Feliciano, RF

Carlos Beltran, CF

David Wright, 3B

Ike Davis, 1B

Nick Evans, LF

Josh Thole, C

Ruben Tejada, 2B

Mike Pelfrey, RP

Just a note: There are five players starting tonight who were not on the Opening Day roster.

Sep 22

New Chat Room; Niese tries to regain form.

Posted on by

Game #152 at Marlins

To access the New Chat Room, click onto the Mets Chat icon to your left.

At one time we were considering Jon Niese one of the bright spots to this season. That’s when  he was 6-2. He’s now 9-9 after losing four of this last five decisions.

Lack of run support has only been a part of it. Niese has shown a propensity lately to give up the big hit to let an inning get away from him. He’s still young and learning, but minimizing the damage is something he must improve on.

As of now, Niese will enter spring training with Mike Pelfrey and RA Dickey in the rotation, with the other two spots to be filled.

Sep 22

It’s over, finally.

Posted on by

The inevitable became official last night when the Florida Marlins eliminated the Mets from playoff contention for the third time in four years. The Marlins might have administered the killing blow, but last night, as in the other two years, the Mets killed themselves.

Last night was a microcosm of this season in many ways, beginning with an offense that squandered numerous opportunities to eventually waste a strong starting performance, this time from Mike Pelfrey. The Mets’ inability t0 produce, much less in the clutch, has been a critical weakness all summer.

We’ve been over this before, but most of the starting position players will return next season so the Mets don’t figure to add a big bat. They need to hope for healthy players and improvement. Hoping makes for a very bad plan.

For his part, Pelfrey continues to pitch well enough to win most games, but last night was betrayed by his defense and later the bullpen.

After Pedro Feliciano retired the first two batters in the eighth, Jerry Manuel went to Elmer Dessens, who gave up four straight hits, including a mammoth three-run homer to Gaby Sanchez. Why Feliciano wasn’t allowed to continue is beyond me. He’s certainly more reliable than Dessens.

Another poor bullpen decision, but there have been so many I’ve lost track.

It’s easy to blame injuries, and for the Mets they could wonder what might have been had they not lost significant time from Carlos Beltran, Jason Bay, Jose Reyes and Johan Santana. Still, the Mets’ losses weren’t as severe as those of the Phillies, but they managed to overcome and have won 21 of their last 25, the kind of hot streak Manuel kept waiting for, but never came.

Championship caliber teams must find a way to overcome from injuries and the Mets did not. There were simply too many times this season when they beat themselves, whether it be an error in the field, giving away an at-bat, or throwing a lazy pitch.

You are what your record says you are, and for the Mets they are a losing team for the second straight season, and out of the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

On an interesting note, Manuel responded to Joe Torre’s comments about being curious about the Mets’ job, and Torre responded by apologizing to Manuel and saying he was closing the door on managing the Mets. Torre should have danced around the question better and apologized for violating an unwritten protocol.

Still, people change their minds so I wouldn’t write off the Mets and Torre talking after the season. It’s not as if Torre backing off now will save Manuel’s job. The Mets have not been shy in the past for going after media outlets for stories they didn’t like, or weren’t correct. The Mets have not told one media outlet to back off on Manuel, nor have they made any comment about his returning.

They have left Manuel alone to twist in the wind because they know he’s not returning. They are studying their options. Speaking of which, they appear to have lost out on Kevin Towers, who appears to be headed for Arizona. He would have been intriguing.

So, it is officially over, but we’ve known for awhile now that it wasn’t going to happen for the Mets. For me, I thought the series just prior to the break when they lost to Atlanta was a determining moment. From there, came the disastrous West Coast slide that coincided with the return of Carlos Beltran.

From there, the rest of the season was a formality.

Sep 21

New Chat Room; Pelfrey tonight.

Posted on by

To access the New Chat Room, click onto the Mets Chat icon to your left.

Game #151 at Marlins

Some Mets are playing for personal numbers now, and Mike Pelfrey will get two more starts after tonight and has a shot at 17 victories, which would be outstanding considering he was MIA for nearly six weeks. Collectively, the Mets still have a chance at .500, but they’ve played lousy on the road all year and these next six games will be difficult.

Also, third place looks better than fourth.

The Jerry Manuel Era slowly winds down with Game #151 tonight at Florida.