Tag Archives: Pitch

Jun 01

Will it ever happen for Bobby Parnell?

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The Mets wasted a sparkling performance by R.A. Dickey last night, but with their anemic hitting lately, that’s hardly a surprise.

PARNELL: Will it ever happen?

 

What I took out of last night’s loss was again a spotty, head-scratching performance from Bobby Parnell, who continually proves it isn’t how hard you throw it, but when and where.

Parnell tweaked the radar gun at 100 mph., but was all over place, needing 32 pitches to get out of the inning, but not before giving up a two-run single that effectively put the game out of reach.

Perhaps the circulation issue in his finger is resolved for now, but that doesn’t mean he’s void of questions and concerns.

One scout said it is the same old thing with Parnell.

“He doesn’t have the command or the ability to control a secondary pitch consistently,’’ said one scout, adding when Parnell muscles up with this four-seam fastball the pitch has a tendency to flatten out. It’s harder than his two-seamer, but without the movement required at this level to get hitters out.

I thought the Mets misused Parnell under Jerry Manuel – putting him in the rotation, then yanking him after a few bad starts at the end of a lost season – but now they seem to have slotted him into one role.

However, Parnell hasn’t adopted to that role, leaving the team with several options:

a) Leave him in the current eighth-inning role and allow him to take his lumps at this level.

b) Pitch him earlier in the game that keeps him exposed to major league hitters.

c) Send him to the minor leagues and assign him one role and allow him to perfect that.

Conventional thinking had Parnell taking over the closer role for Francisco Rodriguez after this season, but his inconsistency and ineffectiveness had shoved those plans to a back burner.

 

Sep 25

New Chat Room; a change in priorities.

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Game #154 at Phillies

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

Early Saturday evening, first pitch is about a half-hour away. As I switch back-and-forth between a pair of blowouts – Ohio State and Eastern Michigan and Red Sox-Yankees – it dawns on me how the priorities for the Mets have changed.

When they got off to a 4-8 start, it was to not become irrelevant before May. Then when they righted themselves in June, it was to win the division. When they imploded after the All-Star break it was to remain competitive. Then play .500.

Now, with a week to go and five games under that won’t happen. Now, it is not fall 20 games behind the Phillies. Wow! Twenty games behind. It is possible. What a downer that is.

Aug 26

Mets Chat Room; gotta get Reyes moving.

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If the Mets are to go on this miracle run, they’ll need to get Jose Reyes again, beginning tonight with Florida. The Mets are at their best when he gets on and makes things happen.

Game #127 vs. Marlins

He’s cooled off since his 15-for-31 road trip Houston and Pittsburgh, going 0-for-10 in the first two games of the Marlins’ series.

He was 0-for-5 last night and grounded out with the bases loaded to end the game.

“I tried to get a base hit or walk, something to tie the game or win the game,’’ Reyes said. “He made a quality pitch on me and got me out. I saw it good, but I wasn’t able to put my best swing on that ball.’’

There’s been discussions about picking up Reyes’ option and negotiate an extension. There’s also been talks in the media if the best thing to do would be to trade him for a package of prospects.

Personally, I’d keep Reyes. You’re not going to find anybody that will produce like him.

NOTE: Folks I have to work tonight and won’t be able to monitor the board. I hope you’ll pop in with your comments.

Aug 02

Mets Chat Room; holding off the Braves

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Technically, the Mets could run the table this week and be back in the race before they return home. There is also enough time left where they could pick up a game a week and be there in the end.

Game #106 at Braves

That’s all possible, but the Mets have given us no indication either scenario will happen. They haven’t played well enough on the road to think such a hot streak is in the cards. They also haven’t played consistently enough to give reason to believe the methodical way would work, either.

The Mets, losers of 12 of 17 games since the All-Star break, have shown no inclination of turning things around. They have Johan Santana (8-5, 3.11) hoping to rebound against a seven-run outing in his last start against St. Louis.

That game came on the heels of a stretch in which he went 3-0 with a 0.58 ERA.

Santana has pitched well in eight starts against the Braves since joining the Mets – a sparkling 1.79 ERA – but is a dismal 2-4 because of a lack of run support, getting two or fewer runs in each game.

The Mets’ struggles started prior to the All-Star break as they have lost 15 of 21 games, including two of three to the Braves at Citi Field. They saved the worse for Sunday when they were pummeled, 14-1, by Arizona (they have lost five of six to the Diamondbacks in the last two weeks).

“It definitely hurts your pride a little bit when you perform in that manner,’’ manager Jerry Manuel said. “We didn’t pitch, we didn’t hit, we didn’t play defense.’’

Jul 29

I can’t believe they walked Pujols.

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Prior to every series, the manager and his coaches go over the opposition’s lineup and pick a player they won’t let beat them. He’s a player you don’t pitch to unless you absolutely need to. Albert Pujols is such a player.

Given that, Jerry Manuel’s decision to pitch to Pujols boggles the mind. That he wasn’t swinging the bat well doesn’t matter. He’s Pujols. You walk him.