Syndication13 Mar 2008
The Mack Attack - 3-13-08
March 13, 2008
Mets News:
Luis Castillo is sitting out another game on Wednesday and said he's eyeing Saturday for his spring debut.
Orlando Hernandez said he’s prepared to pitch in a Grapefruit League game the next turn through the rotation.
From Adam Rubin:
Orlando Hernandez is throwing a simulated game this morning, but this one was far less structured than Pedro Martinez’s the previous day. There were no fielders, and just three minor-league hitters - Peeter Ramos, Rene Reyes and John Hattig. Jeff Wilpon, Omar Minaya, Tony Bernazard, Sandy Johnson and Bryan Lambe were on hand to watch in an otherwise-desolate Tradition Field.Pedro Martinez flew to the Dominican Republic today after the death of a family friend. He’s expected back in South Florida tomorrow. Doctors plan to induce labor Friday, and Ryan Church will be there to welcome his first child, Mason. Church plans to return Monday, when the Mets play the Nationals, minutes from his home in Viera.Marlon Anderson hasn’t swung a bat since feeling discomfort in the rib-cage area underneath his right arm while facing the Orioles in Fort Lauderdale in what he estimated was too quick a return from a bruised sternum suffered in the collision with Church. “Nothing helps it but rest,” Anderson said. Adhering to new MLB rules, Mets clubhouse officials were drug tested on Wednesday.
From seamlessbaseball.com – the top 50 fantasy players:
3. Jose Reyes - When the lowest stolen base projection you can find on him is 59, you can sleep safe in one category.
4. David Wright - Who among you would take Wright over Hanley or Reyes? I’ve been debating it of late. The only thing that breaks the deal is how much easier it is to find top-tier third base production in the later rounds. If Wright played shortstop, he’d be first overall.
6. Johan Santana - Limited the Red Sox to two hits over four innings on Monday. 25 wins in his future?
24. Carlos Beltran - Maddeningly inconsistent and injury prone; dizzyingly talented.
NL-East prediction from redsoxdiary.blogspot.com:
1. The Mets
The Mets were dominant last year and looked to make me happy and charge into the postseason. Then it happened: the worst month that I – and baseball – have ever seen. The worst collapse in baseball history has been hanging over the Mets since October. Before they fleeced the Twins to bring a guy named Santana into camp, they may not have hit this top spot. Yes they did give away some potentially great prospects, but still kept the outfield one they liked best (Fernando Martinez), and got arguably the best pitcher in baseball.Santana will be the ace of an already capable staff of pitchers. John Maine is now even slotted to potentially be the number 2 starter, after having the best spring of any of the pitchers so far and his 15 win season last year. He and Oliver Perez had similar seasons in 2007, Perez also getting 15 wins and 10 losses, but having a lower ERA of 3.56. Then there’s Pedro Martinez. He made only five starts last season, won three of them and posted a 2.57 ERA. He asked for the ball on the last day, but Willie Randolph decided to not risk overworking and re-injuring him. This did not pan out as hoped.The ageless El Duque is trying to be the 5th starter, and may or may not lose the job to young Mike Pelfrey, who has yet to prove himself in the majors. The Mets’ biggest pitching weakness comes in the bullpen. It was overworked and just looked tired at the end of the year last year, and coughed up runs and more runs like they were trying to give the games away, with September seeing the Mets blow two 4 run leads in 2 days. Aaron Heilman is an adequate reliever and Duaner Sanchez is returning after a year off from surgery. Billy Wagner is still closing games, but they have become a lot more nerve wracking then in his earlier days. He’s not yet John Franco’s “let’s put two or three guys on base and then close the game” status, but he’s moving towards there.The Mets offense remains the same. The collapse perhaps cost David Wright the MVP, and there’s no reason to think he will not be a 30-30 guy again this season. Beltran has played well, and if Reyes doesn’t hit .197 in September again he is a spark plug at the start of the lineup. Luis Castillo is not the speedy guy he once was and worked last season, but is already plagued by injury to start this year. Carlos Delgado couldn’t do much last season in terms of getting on base, but they won regardless. Moises Alou is effective when he can play, Ryan Church is a good outfielder who might even eclipse expectations for Lastings Milledge, while Brian Schneider is an upgrade in defense and a downgrade in offense.All in all, on paper the Mets are the team to beat in the division, but it all comes down to injuries. Each of the top three teams have guys that can easily make or break the entire team’s season with a ticket to the disabled list. We’ll see who is healthiest and who is first come September. Watch it be Washington.
Minor League Bios:
Michael Antonini P R L 6-2 200 8-6-85 Georgia College & State University
Antonino’s senior year stats at GC&SU were 7-6, 3.97 in 15 starts, 91.0 IP, 89 H, 19 BB, and 89 Ks. The Mets selected Antonini in the 18th round (573rd overall) of the 2007 amateur draft out of Georgia College & State University. He has been assigned to Kingsport to kick off his pro career. Antonini is a native of Aston, PA. In 2007, Antonini started the season with Kingsport (1-1, 3.71, 1.06 in 5 appearances, 3 starts), but finished it with Brooklyn (0-0, 0.46, 0.92 in 7 appearances, 2 starts). In late January 2007, Baseball America ranked Mike as the 26th overall Mets prospect, adding: "paul loduca caught antonini at brroklyn and proclaimed his changeup big league ready"
Luis Aquayo 1B L P 6-2 260 12-10-83 San Juan, Puerto RicoI
n 2007, Aquayo played for the GCL Mets and batted .165/.247/.177 in 79 at bats.
Rafael Arroyo C R R 5-8 175 10-26-82 Cal State Los Angeles
Arroyo was drafted in the 22nd round of the 2004 draft by the Mets. He signed and was immediately assigned to ingsport (rookie), where he hit .258/.425/.460 in 124 at bats. He started the 2007 season with St. Lucie (.210, .303/.257, in 105 at bats), but finished it with Binghamton. .203/.309/.254 in 59 at bats). Observation: Arroyoa was a disappointment in 2007 and may only make New Orleans as a 3rd string bullpen catcher.
Garry Bakker RP R R 6-2 216 3-28-83 University Of North Carolina
Bakker was first drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 24th round of the 2001 draft; however, he chose to attend college instead. He was next drafted (and signed) by the Chicago White Sox in the 11th round of the 2004 draft. Bakker spent 4 seasons in the White Sox organization (13-16, 4.61 in 123 games, 31 starts, 1.41 WHIP) and was selected by the Mets in the Winter 2007 Rule V draft.
Ex-Mets:
Mike Cameron will apply for a therapeutic use exemption that would allow him to take certain substances not approved by Major League Baseball. Cameron will undergo neurological tests on Friday to see if he is still dealing with post-concussion syndrome or other effects of his collision with Carlos Beltran. If so, he could qualify. He says he feels fine physically, but has small lapses "here and there," and just wants to make sure there's nothing out there that can help him. He's already started to begin the season on a 25-game suspension for using a banned amphetamine.Source: Brewers.mlb.com
OF Lastings Milledge is batting .394 in ST.
OF Carlos Gomez is batting .160.
Atlanta Braves SP Mike Hampton (groin) said he's ready to pitch after feeling no pain when he woke March 11, a day after testing his right groin with a bullpen session and wind sprints. The left-hander strained the groin March 7 in his second start
The Kansas City Star reports Kansas City Royals OF Justin Huber hit a double in his lone at-bat on March 11 and raised his spring average to .500 at 6-for-12.
Lenny Dykstra might not have read books, but no one ever doubted his smarts. The former Phillies star was a savvy leadoff hitter who could work a contract negotiation as cleverly as he worked a rookie pitcher. Retired now and 45, Dykstra, whose baseball career occasionally was marred by messy excesses - driving too fast, gambling too much - has transformed himself into a big player in the investment world. He lives in Wayne Gretzky's old mansion, has a private jet, a string of successful car washes, and a growing reputation as a stock-market guru. -- Philadelphia Inquirer
From: rksbaseballbookshelf.wordpress.com:
Potential is such as sad word when it comes to sports. It seems it more often used when an athlete fails to live up to the predictions. Daryl Strawberry, who turns 46 today, was one such player. When he burst on to the scene with the Mets in 1983, people started comparing him with Ted Williams and were practically reserving a space for him in Cooperstown. His home runs were legendary; they still talk about the one he hit off the clock in St. Louis in 1985.Five hundred dingers were not out of reach for him; he ended up with 335 (252 with the Mets) in a career that lasted, to my amazement, for 17 years (although he only had one season of 100-plus games after he turned 30). Unfortunately, Strawberry succumbed to the glitz of the game and lost previous time to injuries and fast living.
And lastly: In the MiLB.com mailbag:
Can you explain what it means to have options as far as the Minor Leagues go? How does it work and how many does each player start out with? -- Scot R., Columbus, Ohio Royals vice president Dean Taylor explains that each player on a 40-man roster has three seasons of optional service available. Just one option is used up per season, no matter how many times a player might bounce between, say, Kansas City and Omaha. There are other little technicalities that can arise but basically that's it. One interesting aside: It's possible for a player to have a fourth option, which happens to be the case with outfielder Shane Costa. If a player has less than five years of pro service and has already been optioned three times, he's eligible for a fourth option. (Although Costa turned pro in 2003, he was not on a roster for 90 days, so that's not a "year" in this context.) A fourth option is relatively rare but can happen when a player reaches the Majors quickly.
Mets News:
Luis Castillo is sitting out another game on Wednesday and said he's eyeing Saturday for his spring debut.
Orlando Hernandez said he’s prepared to pitch in a Grapefruit League game the next turn through the rotation.
From Adam Rubin:
Orlando Hernandez is throwing a simulated game this morning, but this one was far less structured than Pedro Martinez’s the previous day. There were no fielders, and just three minor-league hitters - Peeter Ramos, Rene Reyes and John Hattig. Jeff Wilpon, Omar Minaya, Tony Bernazard, Sandy Johnson and Bryan Lambe were on hand to watch in an otherwise-desolate Tradition Field.Pedro Martinez flew to the Dominican Republic today after the death of a family friend. He’s expected back in South Florida tomorrow. Doctors plan to induce labor Friday, and Ryan Church will be there to welcome his first child, Mason. Church plans to return Monday, when the Mets play the Nationals, minutes from his home in Viera.Marlon Anderson hasn’t swung a bat since feeling discomfort in the rib-cage area underneath his right arm while facing the Orioles in Fort Lauderdale in what he estimated was too quick a return from a bruised sternum suffered in the collision with Church. “Nothing helps it but rest,” Anderson said. Adhering to new MLB rules, Mets clubhouse officials were drug tested on Wednesday.
From seamlessbaseball.com – the top 50 fantasy players:
3. Jose Reyes - When the lowest stolen base projection you can find on him is 59, you can sleep safe in one category.
4. David Wright - Who among you would take Wright over Hanley or Reyes? I’ve been debating it of late. The only thing that breaks the deal is how much easier it is to find top-tier third base production in the later rounds. If Wright played shortstop, he’d be first overall.
6. Johan Santana - Limited the Red Sox to two hits over four innings on Monday. 25 wins in his future?
24. Carlos Beltran - Maddeningly inconsistent and injury prone; dizzyingly talented.
NL-East prediction from redsoxdiary.blogspot.com:
1. The Mets
The Mets were dominant last year and looked to make me happy and charge into the postseason. Then it happened: the worst month that I – and baseball – have ever seen. The worst collapse in baseball history has been hanging over the Mets since October. Before they fleeced the Twins to bring a guy named Santana into camp, they may not have hit this top spot. Yes they did give away some potentially great prospects, but still kept the outfield one they liked best (Fernando Martinez), and got arguably the best pitcher in baseball.Santana will be the ace of an already capable staff of pitchers. John Maine is now even slotted to potentially be the number 2 starter, after having the best spring of any of the pitchers so far and his 15 win season last year. He and Oliver Perez had similar seasons in 2007, Perez also getting 15 wins and 10 losses, but having a lower ERA of 3.56. Then there’s Pedro Martinez. He made only five starts last season, won three of them and posted a 2.57 ERA. He asked for the ball on the last day, but Willie Randolph decided to not risk overworking and re-injuring him. This did not pan out as hoped.The ageless El Duque is trying to be the 5th starter, and may or may not lose the job to young Mike Pelfrey, who has yet to prove himself in the majors. The Mets’ biggest pitching weakness comes in the bullpen. It was overworked and just looked tired at the end of the year last year, and coughed up runs and more runs like they were trying to give the games away, with September seeing the Mets blow two 4 run leads in 2 days. Aaron Heilman is an adequate reliever and Duaner Sanchez is returning after a year off from surgery. Billy Wagner is still closing games, but they have become a lot more nerve wracking then in his earlier days. He’s not yet John Franco’s “let’s put two or three guys on base and then close the game” status, but he’s moving towards there.The Mets offense remains the same. The collapse perhaps cost David Wright the MVP, and there’s no reason to think he will not be a 30-30 guy again this season. Beltran has played well, and if Reyes doesn’t hit .197 in September again he is a spark plug at the start of the lineup. Luis Castillo is not the speedy guy he once was and worked last season, but is already plagued by injury to start this year. Carlos Delgado couldn’t do much last season in terms of getting on base, but they won regardless. Moises Alou is effective when he can play, Ryan Church is a good outfielder who might even eclipse expectations for Lastings Milledge, while Brian Schneider is an upgrade in defense and a downgrade in offense.All in all, on paper the Mets are the team to beat in the division, but it all comes down to injuries. Each of the top three teams have guys that can easily make or break the entire team’s season with a ticket to the disabled list. We’ll see who is healthiest and who is first come September. Watch it be Washington.
Minor League Bios:
Michael Antonini P R L 6-2 200 8-6-85 Georgia College & State University
Antonino’s senior year stats at GC&SU were 7-6, 3.97 in 15 starts, 91.0 IP, 89 H, 19 BB, and 89 Ks. The Mets selected Antonini in the 18th round (573rd overall) of the 2007 amateur draft out of Georgia College & State University. He has been assigned to Kingsport to kick off his pro career. Antonini is a native of Aston, PA. In 2007, Antonini started the season with Kingsport (1-1, 3.71, 1.06 in 5 appearances, 3 starts), but finished it with Brooklyn (0-0, 0.46, 0.92 in 7 appearances, 2 starts). In late January 2007, Baseball America ranked Mike as the 26th overall Mets prospect, adding: "paul loduca caught antonini at brroklyn and proclaimed his changeup big league ready"
Luis Aquayo 1B L P 6-2 260 12-10-83 San Juan, Puerto RicoI
n 2007, Aquayo played for the GCL Mets and batted .165/.247/.177 in 79 at bats.
Rafael Arroyo C R R 5-8 175 10-26-82 Cal State Los Angeles
Arroyo was drafted in the 22nd round of the 2004 draft by the Mets. He signed and was immediately assigned to ingsport (rookie), where he hit .258/.425/.460 in 124 at bats. He started the 2007 season with St. Lucie (.210, .303/.257, in 105 at bats), but finished it with Binghamton. .203/.309/.254 in 59 at bats). Observation: Arroyoa was a disappointment in 2007 and may only make New Orleans as a 3rd string bullpen catcher.
Garry Bakker RP R R 6-2 216 3-28-83 University Of North Carolina
Bakker was first drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 24th round of the 2001 draft; however, he chose to attend college instead. He was next drafted (and signed) by the Chicago White Sox in the 11th round of the 2004 draft. Bakker spent 4 seasons in the White Sox organization (13-16, 4.61 in 123 games, 31 starts, 1.41 WHIP) and was selected by the Mets in the Winter 2007 Rule V draft.
Ex-Mets:
Mike Cameron will apply for a therapeutic use exemption that would allow him to take certain substances not approved by Major League Baseball. Cameron will undergo neurological tests on Friday to see if he is still dealing with post-concussion syndrome or other effects of his collision with Carlos Beltran. If so, he could qualify. He says he feels fine physically, but has small lapses "here and there," and just wants to make sure there's nothing out there that can help him. He's already started to begin the season on a 25-game suspension for using a banned amphetamine.Source: Brewers.mlb.com
OF Lastings Milledge is batting .394 in ST.
OF Carlos Gomez is batting .160.
Atlanta Braves SP Mike Hampton (groin) said he's ready to pitch after feeling no pain when he woke March 11, a day after testing his right groin with a bullpen session and wind sprints. The left-hander strained the groin March 7 in his second start
The Kansas City Star reports Kansas City Royals OF Justin Huber hit a double in his lone at-bat on March 11 and raised his spring average to .500 at 6-for-12.
Lenny Dykstra might not have read books, but no one ever doubted his smarts. The former Phillies star was a savvy leadoff hitter who could work a contract negotiation as cleverly as he worked a rookie pitcher. Retired now and 45, Dykstra, whose baseball career occasionally was marred by messy excesses - driving too fast, gambling too much - has transformed himself into a big player in the investment world. He lives in Wayne Gretzky's old mansion, has a private jet, a string of successful car washes, and a growing reputation as a stock-market guru. -- Philadelphia Inquirer
From: rksbaseballbookshelf.wordpress.com:
Potential is such as sad word when it comes to sports. It seems it more often used when an athlete fails to live up to the predictions. Daryl Strawberry, who turns 46 today, was one such player. When he burst on to the scene with the Mets in 1983, people started comparing him with Ted Williams and were practically reserving a space for him in Cooperstown. His home runs were legendary; they still talk about the one he hit off the clock in St. Louis in 1985.Five hundred dingers were not out of reach for him; he ended up with 335 (252 with the Mets) in a career that lasted, to my amazement, for 17 years (although he only had one season of 100-plus games after he turned 30). Unfortunately, Strawberry succumbed to the glitz of the game and lost previous time to injuries and fast living.
And lastly: In the MiLB.com mailbag:
Can you explain what it means to have options as far as the Minor Leagues go? How does it work and how many does each player start out with? -- Scot R., Columbus, Ohio Royals vice president Dean Taylor explains that each player on a 40-man roster has three seasons of optional service available. Just one option is used up per season, no matter how many times a player might bounce between, say, Kansas City and Omaha. There are other little technicalities that can arise but basically that's it. One interesting aside: It's possible for a player to have a fourth option, which happens to be the case with outfielder Shane Costa. If a player has less than five years of pro service and has already been optioned three times, he's eligible for a fourth option. (Although Costa turned pro in 2003, he was not on a roster for 90 days, so that's not a "year" in this context.) A fourth option is relatively rare but can happen when a player reaches the Majors quickly.
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