May 26, 2006
Minor League Recap
AAA Norfolk Tides
- The Norfolk Tides (19-28) won their fourth game in a row and beat the Syracuse Sky Chiefs 7-2. Lastings Milledge did not pick up three hits, but he did go 1 for 5 with his fourth homerun of the year. Anderson Hernandez went 1 for 5 with one run scored, Jose Offerman went 2 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI, Victor Diaz went 2 for 4 with two runs scored, two doubles, one walk, and two RBIs, Jeff Keppinger went 3 for 5, Tagg Bozied went 1 for 5 with a double and two RBIs, and Chris Basak went 3 for 4 with two runs scored, a double, and his second homerun of the year. Jose Lima pitched a gem to improve to 3-3. Lima gave up nine hits , one earned run on one homerun, and struck out five in eight innings.
AA Binghamton Mets
- The Binghamton Mets (20-27) got blanked by the Portland Sea Dogs 4-0. Carlos Gomez had a rough day at the plate and went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts and one walk, Jorge Padilla went 1 for 3 with a walk and a double, Andy Wilson went 1 for 4, and Zac Clements went 2 for 4. Bryan Edwards started the game for the B-Mets and lasted four innings while giving up four hits, four runs, two earned runs, and one walk.
High-A St. Lucie Mets
- The St. Lucie Mets (25-21) lost to the Tampa Yankees 10-5. Corey Coles went 2 for 5 with a run scored, a double, and an RBI, Ambiorix Concepcion went 2 for 5 with his fourteenth stolen base of the year, Mike Carp went 2 for 5 with a run scored and a double, Joshua Peterson went 2 for 5, and Jonathan Malo went 2 for 4 with a run scored. Jose Sanchez took the loss for the Mets to drop to 3-3. Sanchez threw 5.2 innings and gave up seven hits, six earned runs, and two walks while striking out four.
Low-A Hagerstown Suns
- The Hagerstown Suns (28-17) lost to the Delmarva Shorebirds 4-1. Hector Pellot went 1 for 2 with a double and a walk, Rafael Arroyo went 1 for 4 with a run scored and a double, and Elvis Cruz went 1 for 3 with a double. Ryan Meyers took the loss to drop to 1-5. Myers went five innings and gave up three hits, one homer, three runs, two earned runs, and five walks while striking out four.
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Glad to see that Lima pitched well scattering 9 hits - he’s exactly where he belongs. His audition as a side-show clown in the Mets dugout is hopefully a scene never to be seen again.
When does Omar pull the trigger on Kaz no-bat Matsui and bring back AHern or promote Keppinger? Matsui is a regular rally wrecker; more of an automatic out then the pitcher and can’t even perform fundamentals such as moving runners.
Where is Fernando Martinez?? Haven’t heard from him in a while.
Oh yea, and how is Keppinger doing in the minors?? He is in AAA, right??
Lastings took a Major leaguer deep too. Gustavo Chacin, Toronto’s number 3 guy, was on rehab assignment and we let him up starting with Lastings hitting a lead off homerun.
I put in a thread from yest but im sure hardly anyone saw it. Jim Callis was asked about Pedro Beato
It looks like we’ll be able to sign someone we took a chance drafting in the 17th who turned out to be a 1st rounder. Good job amateur scouting department
Just so everyone is clear, we demoted Williams after acquiring him. Have no idea when he reports or pitches for the tides though. Bell is still on the mlb roster
Thanks for the updates Chris. You always are on top of things.
Nice to see all the important Mets at AAA do well - Diaz, Milledge, Kepp and AHern. I could really care less about anyone else (other than MacLane and other arms). I wonder if Diaz sees any time with the big club if Nady’s back bothers him or he continues to slump.
Dave Williams has had streaks where he was very effective against ML hitters, getting a fair amount of Ks. So, I like the deal — a lefty with potential at almost no cost? Sweet. I’ve heard that he’s a flyball pitcher, so he might improve significantly if Shea saves him a few HRs. Honestly, when I heard the Reds were putting him on waivers I thought, “the Mets should take a shot!”
As for using him as a reliever — do we need another lefty long man? I’d rather try to “fix” Williams as a starter — I think the odds that he’ll be better than most of Trachs/Bannister/Maine/Soler/Duque/Gonzalez/Lima are not insignificant.
Yes, matshity needs to go, all he does is pop up, ground out, and strike out those are his only options, usually its popping up with that retarded swing of his. Anderson Hernandez shouldn’t of lost his job due to injury only in baseball does that happen.
Kaz has had 3 big hits in the last week — a game-tying single against the Yanks, a double to set up the tying rally in another game… I can guarantee you that A-Hern would have made outs in all of those spots. Yeah Kaz is an out machine but he’s STILL way better at the plate than A-Hern.
If Keppinger was tearing up AAA I’d be clamoring for him, but last I checked Jeff’s SLG was under .300.
Turns out my memories of Dave Williams were overly positive. The guy’s best year was 2004, at age 25, when he posted a 1.25 WHIP and 7.9 K/9 in AAA before posting a 1.14 and 7.7 in 38 innings with the Pirates. Unfortunately, in 2005 he pitched 140 innings for the Pirates and wasn’t particularly good in any respect. Maybe Chris’s reliever idea is a good one. I guess we’ll see…
The more I look at it, I cant believe that Pittsbaurgh or Cincy didnt notice this. ANd they say Aaron had trouble the second or third time through the lineup. This guy certainly does. He may not end up a reliever with us but, in 3 to 5 yrs, he’ll be a setup man the likes of Arthur RHodes. You’ll see. We’ll maybe not as effective but who knows
I’ll post this here again since it is a more recent thread.
Regarding Dave Williams…I’ve always liked this guy for some reason. Ever since he pitched for the Pirates 2 or 3 years ago. He always seemed like a guy with poor stuff but managed to just get it done and put up respectable numbers. Interesting to note though, Williams has a 2.14 ERA at home (Cincinnati, in 3 starts) and a 12.79 ERA on the road (in 5 starts). That is odd but again, its a small sample size. Also, how can you hate the guy… he was born in Alaska!!
So was Schilling, and surely no one hates him! :)
Poor stuff, eh? That’s not encouraging in a new acquisition…
Todd, I think you are too hard on Kaz, as was Jay Greenberg in an article in NYPost. First of all, as argonbunnies pointed out, he has had some clutch hits. Second, he is in a slump, but I see no reason that he won’t approach his average of his first two years which is acceptable if he is playing defense. And he is playing defense great. If left alone, and the Mets fans don’t boo him too hard, he should do just fine - not 8 million dollar a year fine but fine. I like Keppinger and feel bad that he has been ignored by Willie and the Mets, but he won’t give you the defense that Kaz is giving right now. I like Anderson Hernandez but I think he needs to develop some confidence with the bat; maybe big leagues next year.
I think Soler is a cause for optimism and I think Heath Bell will do just fine.
I like Nady, but I think he’ll sputter a bit (he already is) and while he will probably hit 20 home runs if he gets 500 at bats, he’ll bat around .260 and only give average defense. I like the idea of the Mets trying to resign Floyd, putting Milledge in right field to take advantage of his strong arm, and platooning Floyd and Nady in left field and playing the hot hand. By the way, does anyone know how it came to be that Floyd bats left but throws right?
Mike, I’m not one to suggest more work for other people, but I do have a suggestion to make the minor league update even better than it already is if you are open to the suggestion. Would you consider adding probable pitchers for the next day’s games? With all the interest in the Niese’s, Pelfrey’s and MacLane’s, it would be cool to know who’s going to go. Consider it?
Dave Williams has always been a guy with poor stuff. He’s bounced around, and up-and-down, and it’s certainly not because he couldn’t harness 95 MPH heat. :) We gave up nothing for him, and perhaps he can become a solid lefty reliever down the road…and yes, he’d be better than Lima or Gonzalez. But I’d certainly prefer Soler, Maine, & Bannister. Not much in the way of upside with this move, but it could make another rush of injuries more palatable in the short-term.
Pelfrey goes tonight, yes?
I am going to attempt to go to see Pelfrey tonight in Trenton, but presently I feel like garbage(time for some drugs). If I can get there I will give some kind of report tom.
I see both Keppinger & AHern play in the same games for the Tides. I assume one plays at short? 3rd? Which one palys 2B?
Matsui’s troubles arnn’t related to a simple mid-May slump. He’s 30 years old, and after parts of 3 seasons in the majors, he’s not only been a poor hitter, but he’s been consistently *declining*. The following is part of yesterday’s Mets post on my blog (to read the whole thing, click on my name):
When a 30+ year-old guy has over 900 plate appearences in MLB, and he’s declining so significantly acros the board, he’s doomed. There’s NO REASON to keep penciling him in. None.
There are tons of players like this; presumably, their parents or early coaches recognize the advantage of batting left-handed, as the majority of opposing pitchers are right-handed. Unless you’re a first-baseman it is usually a disadvantage to throw left-handed, which is something that’s hard to teach if one is naturally right-handed anyway.
Other than Floyd, guys like Delgado, Thome, Giambi, Matsui (Hideki), and plenty of others bat left-handed and throw right-handed. In fact, just think of left-handed hitters and then go to their ESPN player page and check their throwing hand; the vast majority of them will be right-handed throwers. Occasionally you will see the inverse: Rickey Henderson, Mike Hampton, and some others are left-handed throwers but right-handed hitters. Go figure.
So Matsui sucks, so what? There is a good reason he is still in the lineup - the Mets have nobody better to play 2B. I hope Oamr can swing a deal for a 2B, but until he does I would play Kaz ahead of Hernandez, Keppinger, Woodward or Valentin. If Hernandez hits okay at AAA for the next couple of months and Matsui doesn’t improve at the plate then I would call Hernandez back up - maybe after the all-star break.
I’m gonna have to classify Rickey’s membership in a very small, idiosyncratic club as Not Really All That Surprising!
His error on Wednesday notwithstanding, you could certainly make the argument that Chris Woodward is better than Kaz Matsui; at this point, maybe even significantly so.
Relax there Toddy, Lima was no more exhuberant or demonstrative then Delgado or Reyes are everyday of the week and I dont hear anyoyne saying anything about them. If you dont like the way he looks or acts then you need to just lighten up or just start rooting for someone else, maybe the Royals or even the silent and clean cut yankees. The guy stunk it up and he is down for it. No need to pour salt, the guy tried and all he ever did was put his best effort for the team.
I do agree that Kaz has been stinking it up and that he has been wrecking just about every rally, but dont forget that Floyd did just that for six weeks.
Lighten up there Toddy boy and enjoy being 9+ over 500. Soon to be 11 or 12 after the florida trip.
I agree that Woodward should get some starts at 2B. He should also spell Wright at 3B occasionally; Wright has started every game this year. I have to think that David’s erros/mental lapses this year are due to fatigue, and that he’d benefit from the occasional day off.
Well, I did check out your blog, and with all due respect, I did not find anything convincing concerning Kaz’ “decline”. When I have moaned about Minaya landing or having his eye on mid 30’s players, people on this website have pointed out to me that this is 2006, and players are no longer washed up at 35. By your definitiion, the decline began at 28 or earlier. I think he’s got a few good years left in him at least if he gets his confidence up. It might be his eyesight, it might be his confidence, it might be (I don’t think so) that he was never any good, but I cannot buy that he is in steep physical decline. Go Kaz!!
You could make the argument, but I think I would rather have Matsui. That error on Wednesday was the second time Woodward has done that at 2B this year. I assume if he played more his defense would get better, but I also think his offense would decline if he played regularly. I like Woodward as a reserve and he has had a lot of huge hits for the Mets, but I’m not sold on him as a starter. And Kaz has no value whatsoever as a bench player.
Eli-
I presented a small sample of evidence showing that as Kaz moves past his prime years, he’s declining in a number of key offensive indicators. You say that “with all due respect” (thanks), you don’t find “anything convincing concerning” this decline. Fair enough, although I have no idea what you find unconvincing & why.
But then, you present your counter-evidence, supporting your notion that Kaz should stay in the Met line-up: “I think he’s got a few good years left in him at least if he gets his confidence up”
Color me unpersuaded. You can go with your gut feelings (and I hope you’re right & I’m wrong). But I’ll stick with the stats, thank you very much.
Joe-
You make a good point regarding the defensive nature of 2nd base. Then, instead of playing the pretty good fielding, awful hitting, 30 year old with no signs whatsoever he’ll ever improve with the bat, why not go with the guy in his early 20’s who fields very well & *may* improve at the plate?
Just so I understand this, you are advocating starting Matsui, who, in your estimation, is so bad that he’s not even good enough to be a bench player, just so that the Mets could have Woodward on the bench in the event that they need him to pinch hit?
Eric, that does indeed seem to be what Joe’s saying.
Willie may not be much of a game manager, but his ability to get Met fans in his corner has been nothing short of astounding.
Something like that. It’s a lot like the keep Heilman in the bullpen argument (which I also whole heartedly support).
You are missing my point - I believe the Matsui is a better starter than Woodward would be at 2B. I also believe that Woodward is a better bench player than Matsui because he is more versatile and is a better clutch hitter.
I wish we had a GM and manager who didn’t somehow have a team with some big holes to fill in the rotation at 2B, a very young offensive core and a nice all-around veteran/youth balance, and some nice prospects on the way with a top 5 record in baseball. I mean, anything less than 35-11 right now is really unacceptable, and proves Willie and Omar should be fired immediately.
Yeesh. I’m as harsh on Randolph’s stubborness and managerial flaws as anyone, but how about some credit for the GOOD things he does? I don’t believe anyone here is dumb enough to think that the Mets are 28-18 by luck, or that “any manager” woulda done it. For all the whining about managers like Bobby V–who were indeed superior in-game managers to Willie (at this juncture)–we hit MANY more long-term tailspins under Bobby V’s volatile personality, and it’s not always a good thing to be insanely creative and funky. Willie certainly could use some of Bobby V’s spunk, but Bobby V could also have used some of Willie’s even keel and ability to keep the team focused on one game at a time. He’s an outstanding clubhouse manager, and that should not be overlooked. Joe Torre isn’t known for his in-game decisions either.
As for Minaya, he has yet to make a single move I disliked. He’s made a few that I would have been okay with either way. And he’s refused to touch our TRUE top prospects. Maybe I just don’t expect perfection every single day, but I couldn’t be happier with the direction this team is going, and with our season so far. Does that mean I’m 100% satisfied with every move made? Of course not. But it seems nobody ever says anything about great moves Willie makes. When something goes right, it must be luck or to someone else’s credit. When it’s wrong, it’s all Willie’s ineptness.
All that said, Willie certainly needs to improve on various aspects of managing to become a top captain. But I’ll certainly give him some time to hone his craft.
What about the last two years of Kaz Matsui and Chris Woodward would lead you to make this statement?
The Mets need a solid, Adam Kennedy-type, at second base. The only comfort I can take out of Matsui is that he has absolutely no chance of returning next season. With Julio and Zambrano gone, the Mets will be as crap-free in 2007 as they have in years.