Tag Archives: Opening Day

Jun 07

Mets Must Overhaul Handling Of Injuries

Posted on by

While introducing the Sandy Alderson Era, Mets Chief Operating Officer Jeff Wilpon promised a different mentality emanating from the top. The Mets would be more aggressive in obtaining talent, and perhaps just as importantly, more diligent and proactive in keeping that talent on the field.

The Mets have long been criticized for their handling of injured players, including David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, Ryan Church, Pedro Martinez, Ike Davis and the list goes on.

WILPON: Needs to overhaul handling of injuries. (AP)

WILPON: Needs to overhaul handling of injuries. (AP)

Injuries haven’t been diagnosed properly, players played when they should’ve been benched or were rushed back. Players also haven’t been proactive in reporting injuries, which in the case of Matt Harvey, this likely lead to his surgery. Perhaps most bizarre was when Beltran opted to have surgery on his own.

This season has been about injuries and an 11-game winning streak. That streak is why they’re where they are considering they lead the major leagues with 12 players on the disabled list.

Eight players are gone from the Opening Day roster, and three players in the starting lineup in Sunday’s game at Arizona were injury related. There’s not a day when injuries aren’t the focal point. Injuries will dictate if the Mets make the playoffs; what, or if, they’ll make any trades; and possibly, their offseason agenda.

What should also happen is a complete overhaul of their injury protocol. From the trainers, to the team physicians, to the organization’s philosophy in handling and treating injuries, everything should be on the table for review. What they are doing now isn’t working.

Why, over the years, has there been a glut of arm injuries resulting in Tommy John surgery? Why have there been so many muscle pulls and strains? Is there a problem in the offseason training program? Are players encouraged or discouraged to report aches and pains?

Do the pitchers throw too much or not enough? Is nutrition an issue? Do the players stretch enough? Is there too much weight lifting during the season?

There’s not a constant with each injury, but something isn’t right and it must change. Teams like to say, “next man up,’’ but for the Mets it seems to be “who’s the next to go down?’’ Yes, injuries are part of the game, but for the Mets it seems to be all nine innings.

What should also be noted is playoff caliber teams need to overcome injuries and adversity, and that brings us back full circle to Wilpon and Alderson. Will ownership provide the financial resources, and does Alderson have the capabilities to fill the void?

We’re waiting.

 

Apr 16

Mets Game Thread: Flores Rocks The Joint

Posted on by

There’s nothing like a three-run homer to change the complexion of a game, and that’s what Wilmer Flores just did for the Mets. Couldn’t feel happier for him. Had a chance to speak with him Opening Day. He’s quiet and unassuming, and struggling to make it despite the pressure.

He was ripped several times by his general manager over the winter; literally Sandy Alderson made him a butt of jokes on numerous occasions. Unfairly, of course, but that’s what Alderson does at times.

As with Gee, there are certain players I want to see do well and Flores is another.

Mets 3, Miami 3 (6th)

Apr 11

Mets Week In Review: An Encouraging Start

Posted on by

If the Mets play out this season as they did their first week, I’ll take it. In a heartbeat I would take it.

mets-logoball-2They are 2-2 after four games, which is .500, the bullseye placed on their back. They played four tight, taut games, that if the breaks went a different way could have put them at 0-4.

The upside is they could also just as easily be at 4-0, which is the beauty of it all.

A clutch hit here or there by the Nationals against Bartolo Colon or Matt Harvey puts a different spin on the week. Just as easily, however, a tighter defense last night and a better pitch from Jacob deGrom spins the week another way.

What we can take out of the first week is the Mets figure to be a team that should tay in every game, and I’ll take that any time because it should mean being there in the end, which is another way of saying they will play meaningful baseball in September.

And, you must do that before you can play meaningful games in October, and isn’t that what we all want – regardless of who makes out the lineup card?

Here’s what I took from the first week:

* Bartolo Colon has something left in his tank. He overcame a rough first inning to beat Washington to show us all there’s nothing wrong with a little age.

* Something the Mets haven’t consistently done in recent seasons was to capitalize on opportunities, which is what they did in both their victories over the Nationals. So, when in doubt, hitting the ball to Ian Desmond is a good strategy.

* Matt Harvey is pitching with a chip on his shoulder aimed at those who tend to judge him on more than what he does on the mound. If that’s his motivation, so be it. Just keep pitching this way and all will be well. Do that and let the Mets worry about keeping him from the Yankees in the future.

* The bullpen is better than advertised. Rafael Montero took the loss Friday night in Atlanta, but the loss lies on Wilmer Flores’ errant throws, a bad decision by David Wright and not hitting in the clutch. Having fundamental breakdowns is how the Mets will likely lose most of their games this season. It will be maddening, but, then again, that’s the Mets.

* A week in and we haven’t seen a lot of power, and that’s probably the way it will go all season. This team needs Lucas Duda’s home run bat.

* Injuries helped shape the Opening Day roster and as always will play a significant role. The Mets lost Josh Edgin and Zack Wheeler before the season started, then lost Jenrry Mejia on Opening Day.

* An underlying theme this week has been the lineup. Whether it is all Terry Collins and not from above – which I doubt – it hasn’t produced an offensive explosion, and it has left Juan Lagares, the projected leadoff hitter, in a funk. He’s not the only one, as Curtis Granderson, Daniel Murphy and Flores are also running in mud. Wright, Duda and Travis d’Arnaud are having strong starts, but then again, it has been only four games.

* The closeness of the games is a good sign, but it should also be a nagging reminder of the red flag of their thin bench. Eventually, they’ll have a game when they’ll be caught short.

No, it hasn’t been a great start – although the starting pitching has been a positive – but we’ve seen far worse from the Mets. It has been an encouraging start, and if they are standing at .500 six months from now I’ll have a hunger for much more from them.

And, isn’t that what we want?

Apr 08

The Bizarre World Of The Mets’ Batting Order

Posted on by

Welcome to the sometimes puzzling, and often maddening world of the New York Mets, where one can’t help but wonder how long before the Sandy Alderson-Terry Collins inevitable explosion.

Tick, tick, tick …

ALDERSON: What color is the sky in his world? (AP)

ALDERSON: What color is the sky in his world? (AP)

From now on I should refer to Alderson as the Mets’ general manager/manager because he seems hell bent on undermining Collins. The Mets’ lineup, bizarre to say the least, is there again for the baseball world to laugh at in the second game of the season.

Here goes and I hope you’re not eating:

Curtis Granderson, rf: One of the few legitimate Mets’ power hitters is at the top of the order instead of the middle where he would benefit from more RBI opportunities. That he walked twice Opening Day is irrelevant.

David Wright, 3b: Normally a team’s best hitter – the combination of power and average – bats third, yet Wright, who is coming off a strong spring training is second. Until Monday, he hadn’t hit there since 2010.

Lucas Duda, 1b: Yes, he had two RBI Monday, but he’s coming off a 30-homer season and is the club’s best power hitter. That means fourth.

Michael Cuddyer, lf: He needs to bat fifth to separate lefty hitters Duda and Granderson. Did the Mets really sign him to be a clean-up hitter?

Daniel Murphy, 2b: I can buy, in part, the reasoning of batting Murphy lower to give him more RBI chances. But, he’s not a power hitter and batting second would offer the best protection to a potential base stealer.

Juan Lagares, cf: After spending all spring trying to develop into a leadoff hitter – and he did a good job – they yank him from that role and bury him sixth. By the way, he is that potential base stealer. But, he’s not likely to do much running this low in the order.

Travis d’Arnaud, c: Off all the slots in the order, this makes the most sense. But, he’s certainly not the type of hitter that can take pitches to help Lagares.

Jacob deGrom, rhp: Yes, they are doing with the nonsense of batting the pitcher eighth. This was Tony La Russa’s attempt to re-invent the wheel. Question: If La Russa was such a genius, why didn’t more manager follow his lead with this? By the way, Alderson and La Russa worked together in Oakland, so it is clear to see whose fingerprints are all over this.

Wilmer Flores, ss: Supposedly, Flores is an offensive player, yet he’s buried ninth.

I’m not blaming Collins for this, because it is obvious this isn’t his call.

 

 

Apr 06

Colon Proves Mettle Again

Posted on by

The controversial decision to start Bartolo Colon paid off in spades as he gave up one run in six dominant innings.

While others clamored for Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom to get the start, Terry Collins opted for Colon based on leading the Mets with 15 wins and over 200 innings last season.

COLON: Threw like an ace today. (AP)

COLON: Threw like an ace today. (AP)

Colon not only justified Collins’ decision, but also served notice the 41-year-old still has something left in the tank evidenced by eight strikeouts.

“He’s a pro,” Collins said. “He knows what he’s doing. He was the right man for today’s game and he showed it.”

It was believed Colon would best be able to work under the microscope of an Opening Day start. He proved that when after the first two Nationals hitters reached, Colon got out of the inning unscathed. He also struck out Wilson Ramos with the tying run on base to end the sixth.

The Mets wanted to trade Colon over the winter, and it is believed he could still be made available at the July 31 deadline. That’s premature, but does leave the Mets with a potentially interesting dilemma.

Assuming Colon is pitching well he is certain to draw some attention. However, he’s pitching well and the Mets are in the hunt, why would they want to trade him?

The Mets signed Colon after the injury to Harvey – and is on an innings limit – and Zack Wheeler gone until at least June of 2016, and Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz unproven, they might be less reluctant to deal him.