SB Nation - John Maine

What Have We Learned? A Brief History of a Non-Dynasty, Part 1

Mark Himmelstein — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:22:12 -0000

More photos » by KATHY WILLENS - AP

First things first, allow me to (re)introduce myself. Many of you, grizzled Amazin' Avenue vets that may be, are probably thinking "Who the hell is Mark Himmelstein?" Well, Mark Himmelstein is me, formerly known around these parts as Meddler. Eric Simon and co. have been generous enough to have me join the site's wonderful team of writers. I'm honored, and look forward to lamenting, and maybe one day even celebrating (please?), with the greatest community of Mets fans there is.

Just three short years ago, if you asked a Mets fan how they thought this team would be remembered once the decade was over, you probably would have heard words like "accomplishment," "chemistry," "dominance," and even "championship," without a hint of irony. After a 2006 season that included 96 wins and a trip to the NLCS, it was a success that seemed destined to go on forever. It didn't. And though for the next two seasons the team would continue to be better than most Major League Baseball teams, they would stay closer to the average than to the elite. This relative mediocrity made the process feel more like a tease than the triumph that was expected, despite the relative level of success. Now, after a 2009 season lost to plenty of bad luck and at least as many bad decisions, there aren't many straws left to grasp at. What went so wrong? Everything seemed to be lined up so nicely for a sustained run at success, even a shot at a dynasty. Two of the best young players in the game had just shot up through the farm system and the organization had the financial resources to match any other non-Yankee club in the league. Looking back on the events of the last half-decade, things clearly have not worked out as hoped.

The Mets began the Aughties with a bang. They made it all the way to first World Series since Y2K had officially not happened. Though they would flounder through the rest of the early part of the decade, it wasn't long before hope would rear its head again. There was some optimism brewing below the major league franchise. Finally, some talent coming up through the homegrown ranks. A young shorstop named Jose Reyes reached the majors the day before his 20th birthday and dazzled crowds with a stunning array of tools. Meanwhile, a third baseman from the 2001 draft class was starting to garner lots of attention in the upper levels of the minor leagues. In 2004, David Wright joined Jose Reyes on the major league roster, and it soon became clear that the two were destined to be the face of any and all efforts to revitalize a broken franchise.

2005 - The Beginning

Enter Omar Minaya. Taking over the General Manager position, Omar brought lots of promises to the table. Youth, athleticism, an "old school" mentality, and a willingness to aggressively shift the organization's financial weight around on the open market. Right away, he brought in one of the best pitchers in the game and one of the best outfielders the free agent market had seen in a long time: Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran. Though the overhaul seemed as yet incomplete by the end of the 2005 season, the signs were encouraging. Here's a rundown of the final product (The less commonly referenced stats are linked to their glossaries):

Making Runs Happen

PA	Avg	OBP	SLG	wOBA	HR%	HR/FB	XBH%	BB%	SO%	SB	CS	bRAA	RS
6146	.258	.322	.416	.334	2.8%	10.7%	7.9%	7.9%	17.5%	153	40	-7.0	722

Making Runs Not Happen

BF	ERA	FIP	tRA (SP)	tRA (RP)	SO%	BB%	HR%	pRAA	DE	PADE	UZR	RA
6121	3.77	4.00	4.27	4.22	16.5%	8.0%	2.2%	52.1	.701	1.50	-24.6	648

Miscellaneous Facts and Musings

The team run differential was +74. The 83-79 record may have actually been an underachievement for this team.
Pedro Martinez accounted for 50.9 of the 52.1 pRAA. The rest of the rotation produced just 1.1 pRAA, essentially average. His tRA was a stellar 2.43. It was arguably best single season pitching performance the Mets got all decade.
Tom Glavine also had his best season in a Mets uniform with a 4.36 tRA and 5.2 pRAA. After Tommy and Petey, the rest of the rotation was below average, producing a combined -4.1 pRAA, which is perfectly acceptable when your top two starters combine for 57.3 pRAA.
Only eight different starting pitchers were used all season, and four threw at least 150 innings. Ah, the good old days.
David Wright lead the team in wOBA at .410. The second best mark on the team, .384, was not Carlos Beltran, Mike Piazza, Jose Reyes, or Cliff Floyd. That leaves _________________.
Though Mike Piazza appeared to be fading away by posting just a .343 wOBA, Cliff Floyd had one of the best years of his career with a .381 mark of his own.
Fun fact: the offense had exactly the same number of walks as extra base hits: 486.
Its curious how much the PADE and UZR methods disagree on the team-wide defense.

Though the starting pitching was excellent, the rest of the team still needed work. Carlos Beltran failed to live up to expectations in his first season in Flushing, and his collision with Mike Cameron in the outfield left the offense without one of its more productive players for a good portion of the season. Still, the offense, bullpen, and defense were all within earshot of average, and the starting pitching, mostly thanks to Pedro Martinez's stellar year, was superb.

2006 - Destiny or Illusion?

Just like in 2005, Omar brought in two new marquee names for the 2006 season. Though the faded star of Mike Piazza had finally physically departed, the additions of Carlos Delgado and Billy Wagner appeared to be the perfect way to balance a roster with potential for greatness. Delgado was a force of run creation at the time, coming off an excellent year with the with the Marlins after his shift to the Senior Circuit. Billy Wagner had the fastball to dominate the late innings and high leverage situations, plus the attitude to win over the infamously ravenous New York Media. The pair seemed to be a perfect way to correct two of the team's biggest weaknesses the previous season.

Making Runs Happen

PA	Avg	OBP	SLG	wOBA	HR%	HR/FB	XBH%	BB%	SO%	SB	CS	bRAA	RS
6291	.264	.334	.445	.348	3.2%	11.8%	9.0%	8.7%	17.0%	146	35	39.0	834

Making Runs Not Happen

BF	ERA	FIP	tRA (SP)	tRA (RP)	SO%	BB%	HR%	pRAA	DE	PADE	UZR	RA
6240	4.16	4.37	5.39	3.66	18.6%	8.4%	2.9%	20.9	.703	2.34	9.8	731

Miscellaneous Facts and Musings

The team run differential was +103. They were very much for real.
The offense was absolutely stellar, lead by Carlos Beltran's ridiculous .441 wOBA, which even more incredibly was held down by a .262 BABIP.
The second highest wOBA among Mets outfielders wasn't produced by Xavier Nady, Shawn Green, or Cliff Floyd. It was Endy Chavez's .359. Endy added to that a 12.7 UZR in just 814.2 defensive innings, making him a 2.5 WAR player.
Carlos Delgado was as advertised, his .389 wOBA was third on the team behind Beltran and Wright.
The surprise of the year was easily Jose Valentin, who managed a .360 wOBA and 9.2 UZR in 94 games at second base, a position he hadn't played since 1994, and had only played 19 games at in his major league career. His 3.1 WAR made him the fifth most valuable player on the team.
Among players with at least as many as PA's as Xavier Nady's 292, there were eight wOBA's greater than .350: Beltran, Wright (.394), Delgado, Reyes (.377), Valentin, Chavez, Nady (.358), and Lo Duca (.354)
The pRAA splits were 53.7 for the bullpen and -32.8 for the rotation. The bullpen supplanted Pedro Martinez as the team's pitching strength, and there wasn't all that much else to talk about in a positive light.
13 different pitchers started games. Only four provided positive pRAA figures. Pedro Martinez still lead the team at 10.3, despite missing most of the second half. The other three were Orlando Hernandez, John Maine, and Brian Bannister, none of whom pitched the full year either, at least not for the Mets.
Like Delgado, Billy Wagner was also as advertised, posting a 2.65 tRA, tied for the team lead among qualified relievers with Chad Bradford.
Aaron Heilman, Pedro Feliciano, and Duaner Sanchez also each had sub-4.00 tRA's in at least 50 innings apiece.
The team's PADE and UZR match up much better in 2006 than 2005. They were a quality defensive squad.

This was a team that got it done in exactly the way the 2005 version didn't, as well as failed in the one area that the 2005 version was superior. Carlos Beltran emerged as the player the Mets thought they were buying and then some, while Jose Reyes finally grew into the player Mets fans had been hanging their dreams on for years. Unfortunately, once Pedro Martinez's health began to fail him, the lack of pitching depth was brutally exposed. It was the one obvious weakness on an otherwise incredibly complete team. And despite the playoff push coming to a crashing halt in Game 7 of the NLCS, there was even some hope for life after Pedro. The second half arrival of John Maine and clutchy playoff performance of Oliver Perez promised to give the future of the Mets rotation a new, younger look, and the beginnings of the depth they so lacked in 2006.

2007 - Oh So Close

The playoffs seemed like the natural end to the 2007 season even before it began. The everyday unit that carried the 2006 team was still largely intact, and the previous year's high leverage relief specialists all returned as well. However, the trademark splash Omar Minaya had become known for in his first two years on the job was strangely absent. This was a bold decision, considering Pedro Martinez, the team's most effective pitcher over the last two years, was slated to miss the majority of the season recovering from surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. And some of the moves that were made were eyebrow raisers. Scott Schoeneweis and Guillermo Mota were given multi-year deals based on strong, but very short performances from the end of 2006, while major contributors Chad Bradford and Darren Oliver were allowed to walk away in Free Agency. Still, the roster construction was very similar to the team with a +103 run differential the previous year. How hard could a second straight NL East crown be?

Making Runs Happen

PA	Avg	OBP	SLG	wOBA	HR%	HR/FB	XBH%	BB%	SO%	SB	CS	bRAA	RS
6343	.275	.342	.432	.344	2.8%	11.1%	7.9%	8.7%	15.5%	200	46	42.0	804

Making Runs Not Happen

BF	ERA	FIP	tRA (SP)	tRA (RP)	SO%	BB%	HR%	pRAA	DE	PADE	UZR	RA
6293	4.27	4.46	4.93	4.71	18.0%	9.1%	2.6%	-6.4	.701	1.51	6.8	750

Miscellaneous Facts and Musings

The team run differential was +54 runs. We'll get back to this in a bit.
Though it functioned differently, the offensive output was very similar in 2007 to its 2006 predecessor. Less power, fewer strikeouts, a more aggressive running game, and a slightly lower league average wOBA actually meant their bRAA improved by three runs.
David Wright lead the team in wOBA with a .422 mark. Moises Alou's .398 was second.
Nine different players had a wOBA of .345 or higher in at least 200 PA: Wright, Alou, Carlos Beltran (.377), Damian Easley (.367), Luis Castillo (.361), Lastings Milledge (.357), Shawn Green (.351), Jose Reyes (.349), and Ruben Gotay (.345).
The big offensive disappointment was Carlos Delgado, whose wOBA fell to .342.
Though the team lacked a dominant starting pitcher and the rotation as a whole only improved slightly from 2006, they did have three guys who contributed more than any starter from the year before. Oliver Perez, John Maine, and Orlando Hernandez all produced pRAA figures greater than Pedro's 2006 output of 10.3. This really says more about the 2006 group than the 2007 one.
Oliver Perez's 4.19 tRA and 16.1 pRAA lead the starting staff in both categories. I'll say that again. Oliver Perez once lead a pitching staff in something meaningful.
Unfortunately, the 2007 bullpen couldn't do what the 2006 version did to make up for the lack of quality in the rotation. Wagner was once again excellent, but beyond him, no other reliever managed a sub-4.00 tRA in at least 60 innings. The only other two relievers who were above average were Aaron Heilman and Pedro Feliciano, with 4.45 and 4.13 tRA's, respectively.
Believe it or not, the second and third best tRA's among relievers with at least 20 IP were from Jorge Sosa (3.74) and Ambiorix Burgos (3.81), but neither threw enough relief innings to have a huge impact.
Though the defense wasn't quite as good as the previous year, PADE and UZR both agree that it was still pretty solid.

Of course, we all know how this season ended, with one of the greatest collapses in regular season baseball history, and one of the greatest comebacks, care of the Philadelphia Phillies. Because it went down in this way, and because the Mets did indeed control the NL East for much of the 2007 season, many fans were still willing to write off the failure as the aberration to the rule that was 2006. But there was one particularly troubling statistical sign: The +54 run differential. Looking back at 2005, the +74 run differential yielded an 83-79 record. Did the Mets actually over-perform in 2007? Using the Pythagenpat method developed by David Smyth and Patriot, we can project that the 2005 team should have had about a .550 winning percentage, approximately 89 wins, and the 2007 team a .533 winning percentage, about 86 wins, so perhaps they did. Still, the high powered offense was intact even without superior production from Carlos Delgado or the surprise contributions from Jose Valentin, and Omar had found the back half a rotation that his team lacked in 2006. Now all they needed was a front.....right?

In Part 2: 2008, 2009, and beyond

(Non-)Tender is the Night

Jim McLennan — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 01:00:18 -0000

10pm Arizona time today marks the non-tender deadline: the last chance for teams to offer contracts to unsigned players on their 40-man roster. If they opt not to do so, players become free agents, and can sign with any club. It looks like the Diamondbacks will offer deals to all their players in this category, such as Conor Jackson, but might there be a chance for the team to pick someone up, released by another club? There are usually some useful pieces that get cut loose, and it can be a chance to pick someone up for a relative song.

Tim Dierkes has put up a list of potential non-tenders at MLBTradeRumors.com. Some of these will certainly be given contracts (his list contains Jackson, and you can take it to the bank that the team will not let him walk away from Arizona), and others we might not want to touch with someone else's ten-foot bargepole. However, after the jump, we'll take a look at some interesting names in the positions the D-backs need help, on on whom we may want to kick the tires if they become available.

Jeremy Accardo. Over the past three seasons, Accardo has an ERA+ of 160 for the Blue Jays, though admittedly, he only threw 37 major-league innings in 2008 and 2009 combined, and spent most of last year in Triple-A [posting an ERA of 3.00 in 27 appearances]. A local boy - born in Mesa - he could be a useful arm to add to the Diamondbacks bullpen.
Garrett Atkins. Purple Row says he has been officially non-tendered by the Rockies. Last year was a disaster for him - OPS+ of just 66 - but his career numbers are still solid. He's only 30, is a career .289 hitter, averaging 20 homers per season, and even adjusting for Coors, has a career OPS+ of 102. Of particular interest to Arizona because he murders LHP, so could be a nice platoon-mate for Allen at first-base.
Taylor Buchholz. While we're pillaging Coors Field, maybe they'll let Buchholz slip through. This may seem unlikely, since he was lights-out in the Rockies bullpen last season, posting an ERA of 2.17 over 63 games. Normally, there'd be little chance of that kind of performance being non-tendered, but the Rockies have to find an awful lof of arbitration money for 2010.
Jack Cust. A former Diamondbacks' top-draft pick, I should stress there's absolutely no chance of us taking on Mr. Hands of Stone. But I just think it would be amusing to have the 2008 and 2009 K leaders from both leagues playing on the Diamondbacks next year...
Ryan Garko. While he flopped badly with the Giants down the stretch, he has produced four straight season of 100+ OPS+. He's another who kills southpaws - Garko's career line vs. LHP is .313/.392/.495, though he's never going to win any Gold Gloves at first. Will probably still be in SF: Grant from McCC reckons, "If the Giants start 2010 with Garko as the starting first baseman, that's just fine."
Kelly Johnson. Like Atkins, a poor 2009 derailed what was looking like a decent career - an OPS+ of 108 prior to last season is excellent for a second-baseman, and he has a good defensive reputation as wel;. Ken Rosenthal reports that the Braves are trying to trade Johnson, but will non-tender him if a deal can not be worked out before the deadline.
John Maine. 28-years old, ERA+ of 106 in his four seasons with the Mets. Should be a no-brainer to keep that guy in the Big Apple, right? Apparently not. New York have been dangling him in trade talks, such as with the Brewers for outfielder Corey Hart. Still, even if that falls through, you'd have to be stupid to let him walk away. However, we are talking about the Mets...
Brandon Medders. A tale of two Brandons, both former D-backs who'll be aged 30 next Opening Day. B. Lyon, career ERA+ of 111, gets a three-year, $15m deal from the Astros. B. Medders, career ERA+ 136, is a possible non-tender candidate from the Giants. Seems fairly certain he will be offered a contract though, and the Giants would be mental not to do so.
Chien-Ming Wang. Perhaps the most intriguing name on the list, this would have seemed unthinkable last year, with career numbers of 54-20 and an ERA+ of 117. However, Wang imploded - his first three starts led to 23 earned runs in just six IP, and he had season-ending shoulder surgery on July 30. Some team will offer the sinkerballer an incentive-laden contract: 50/50 whether its a bargain or a bust.

Tuesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:36:15 -0000

by Matt Slocum - AP

Today's Frosty Mug is so full, I didn't even have time to caption this picture of Randy Wolf.

View full size photo »

Some things to read while evening out the teams.

It turned out to be a pretty active first day of the Winter Meetings. The Brewers were the talk of the late night rumor mill, based on reports that they're close to signing a three year deal with Randy Wolf (also noted in Rumorville). Tom H. says the deal is rumored to be in the $25-27 million range, and is also quantifying the amount of smoke surrounding it.

With that said, the deal mustn't be done yet, because Arn Tellem, who represents Wolf, is meeting with the Mets this morning. Jon Heyman says the Mets aren't willing to offer Wolf a three year deal.

Is this the move you were hoping for from the Brewers? I'd be happy with it at this point, as long as the price isn't much above $27 million. There's always some risk involved, but this is almost certainly a better deal than, for example, the four year deal Joel Pineiro is seeking.

Wolf might not be the only starting pitcher the Brewers acquire this week. They've reportedly discussed a deal with the Mets that would send Corey Hart to New York for John Maine, a former student of Rick Peterson who has missed most of the last year with shoulder issues (FanShot). It's unclear how much fire is behind this smoke, but the Mets are also rumored to be discussing a similar trade with the Angels, with Juan Rivera taking Hart's place.

The Brewers also added a little depth to their middle infield yesterday, claiming shortstop Luis Cruz off waivers from the Pirates (FanShot). Cruz played seven positions (everything but pitcher and catcher) last season in AAA, but has virtually zero ability with the bat (a .274 OBP in AAA last season), and Adam McCalvy confirmed the move was made for minor league, not major league depth. The Brewers don't have a true shortstop prospect in the minors above Brent Brewer and Josh Prince, neither of whom played above A-ball last season.

The Brewer bullpen suffered a blow yesterday, as Mark DiFelice underwent surgery to repair damage to his labrum and rotator cuff, and will miss the entire 2010 season (FanShot). DiFelice is 33 and undergoing his second major shoulder procedure, but intends to try to pitch in the majors again in 2011, telling Adam McCalvy "I don't want it to end like this."

This raises the stakes a little bit in the search for additional bullpen help, but the Crew won't be getting said help from Rafael Betancourt. Late in the day yesterday it was reported that the Brewers were unlikely to lure Betancourt away from a return to the Rockies. I haven't seen it confirmed, but I'm pretty sure he accepted arbitration late last night.

Looking back at a rumor from the weekend, In-Between Hops has come out against a Jeff Suppan-for-Juan Pierre deal, fearing the extra $4 million in salary the Brewers would have to take on would make it difficult for them to sign a pitcher like Randy Wolf.

And, looking back even farther, Dave Allen of FanGraphs has a look at the pitch-blocking ability of Gregg Zaun. Ken Macha is making me crazy: I should see this as a positive, but instead I see it as the excuse that might be used to keep an underperforming/overused Zaun in the lineup and a more deserving catcher on the bench.

In the minors, Brewerfan.net has a new Power 50 up. It's always interesting to see how guys move up and down the charts during the offseason. This edition's big gainers were Kentrail Davis, Jake Odorizzi and John Axford, with Hernan Iribarren, Chris Cody and Max Walla losing significant ground.

And around here, we're looking for your help to select a Brewer All-Decade Team in a series we're calling Making Your '00 Face. That link will take you to the voting for first base, where Prince Fielder has opened up what will likely turn out to be an insurmountable lead. Voting for second base will open at 4 pm today.

Around baseball:

Braves: Reliever Rafael Soriano has accepted the team's offer of arbitration.
Cardinals: Have agreed to a one year, $7.5 million deal for Brad Penny, pending a physical.
Nationals: Signed Ivan Rodriguez to a two year deal worth $6 million, acquired reliever Brian Bruney from the Yankees for a PTBNL, and released reliever Saul Rivera.
Pirates: Signed reliever Vinnie Chulk to a minor league deal.
Rangers: Acquired pitcher Clay Rapada from the Tigers for a PTBNL or cash.
Red Sox: Signed pitcher Fabio Castro and re-signed Kason Gabbard.
Rockies: Released outfielder Matt Murton, who is expected to spend 2010 in Japan.
Tigers: Re-signed Adam Everett to a one year deal, and signed reliever Brad Thomas, who has spent the last two seasons pitching in Korea.
Twins: Carl Pavano has accepted the team's arbitration offer.

The Rule 5 Draft is on Thursday, so I'm almost done burying you in links like these: Harry Pavlidis of The Hardball Times and Lisa Winston of MiLB.com have a look at several players who recently played in the Arizona Fall League and were left unprotected in the draft.

Competition is heating up in the market for Edwin Jackson. One report yesterday had the Tigers receiving 12 offers for his services. I guess that's what you get when you put a pitcher who threw over 200 effective innings last season and is due about $5 million on the market.

Speaking of pitchers the Brewers might be interested in, Justin Duchscherer declined the A's offer of salary arbitration.

I think most of us will be happy to see these former Brewers sign elsewhere, and keeping one of them in the division would be a double bonus: Jason Kendall is reportedly drawing interest from the Royals, and Braden Looper has expressed interest in pitching for the Cubs.

In case you were wondering, Keith Law has an explanation of how the Winter Meetings, usually held in a warm vacation spot, ended up in Indianapolis. The cold temps and snow haven't kept people from exchanging some tidbits of info you probably would never have known without the internet (and might not have missed):

There was apparently a small tiff between Scott Boras and new Hall of Famer Whitey Herzog over comments Herzog made about Matt Holliday, a Boras client.
Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez didn't shoot anything while out deer hunting with Bobby Cox last week.
Former D-Back, Indian, Ray and Ranger Nick Bierbrodt, who hasn't pitched in the majors since 2004, is a ttempting a comeback.
New Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopolous is battling a cold this week, so he's not shaking anyone's hand.
Speaking of the Blue Jays, radio reporter Mike Wilner has an annoying ring tone and left his phone in the media workroom yesterday.
Craig Calcaterra brought an airport card to the meetings, making him one of the few writers not reliant on slow internet service.

And, of course we're all having fun this week, but Paul DePodesta has a reminder for all of us that many of this week's rumors will be just that, and not to get too worked up over them. Of course, no one ever gets too worked up around here, right?

Away from the meetings, here's a strange story. After months of investigation, Major League Baseball has concluded that new Twins prospect Miguel Angel Sano, who claims to be 16, is somewhere between 16 and 18. Sano also recently changed his name to Miguel Jean. If he turns out to be Miguel Tejada in disguise, the Twins will probably be very upset.

On this day in 1991, Brewer reliever Julio Machado was arrested for murder after shooting a passenger in a car that had just been involved in an accident. Machado was later found guilty and served 12 years in prison.

I don't have any Brewer birthdays today, but it is a Woot-off day, so there's that.

Drink up.

Twitter Is Ridiculous Applesauce - Omar Meets The Agents, Juan Pierre Is Available And Nonsensical Rumors

James Kannengieser — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:05:48 -0000

It seems reporters/"journalists" are neglecting to consider source bias and failing to corroborate rumors with multiple sources before posting on Twitter or a blog. All in the name of page hitzzz I suppose.

Meet the Mets

Omar Minaya met with the agents for various players last night, including John Lackey, Jason Marquis, Bengie Molina, Joel Pineiro and Randy Wolf.

In an interview with Daily 'Stache, Adam Rubin says the Mets should focus on pitching this offseason, namely Lackey. He also says Jeff Francoeur is the most reliable provider of good quotes.

Steve Henson says that 3-4 teams are interested in Dodgers OF Juan Pierre. A trade for Pierre would likely include a bad contract player, AKA Luis Castillo. No thanks on Pierre. Speaking of undesirable players, Jerry Crasnick reports that Elmer Dessens will likely re-sign with the Mets. If it's a major league deal you better get ready for Dessens Avenue.

Ken Davidoff tweets that Yorvit Torrealba is on the Mets radar. Interesting, considering the bizarre chain of events involving the Mets and Torrealba two offseasons ago.

Joel Sherman reports that a John Maine for Corey Hart trade is being discussed. Hart is just 27 years old and two years removed from a 4+ win season but I'd rather hold on to Maine. Will at BlueAndOrange agrees and thinks the deal is plausible, especially considering Omar Minaya's affinity for bad corner outfielders.

Mets Fever is also a fan of Adam Kennedy. If Castillo can be moved, Kennedy is the way to go.

LOL Rumors of the Day

Early yesterday it was reported that Pat Burrell had been traded to the Mets. This story was debunked almost immediately and the original story has been taken down from PhillyBlurbs, the website with the original report. Folks, cool it with your bogus anonymous sources, you're not providing a valuable service and it's annoying. No one is impressed.

Ed Price of Fanhouse tweeted the following yesterday:

Rumor that #Mets acquire Edwin Jackson

This was followed shortly by a clarification tweet from Price:

To be clear: #Mets and Edwin Jackson not confirmed. Heard in the lobby.

Why not get confirmation before posting the rumor? Does "heard in the lobby" count as a reliable source nowadays?

Around MLB

The Nationals gave Pudge Rodriguez 2 years, $6 million for some reason.

Randy Wolf reportedly signed with the Brewers for 3 years and an unknown dollar amount.

Chuck Brownson at The Hardball Times discusses swaps for bad contracts, including Dontrelle Willis, Milton Bradley, Gil Meche and Kevin Millwood.

Tim Marchman thinks an intra-Chicago trade between the Cubs and White Sox involving Milton Bradley makes sense.

Matt Murton, a notorious ginger and player good enough to start on many major league teams, is going to play for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan. I wonder if Murton realizes he's good enough for MLB.

Off topic link of the day: Tom Tango reviews the incredibly enjoyable movie Taken and heaps justifiable praise on Liam Neeson. I agree with him, Taken is fantastic.

Monday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:57:28 -0000

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - AP

J.J. Hardy will most likely be traded this offseason, but no matter what Buster Olney says, he's almost certainly not going to be non-tendered.

Browse more photos »

Some things to read while getting new cufflinks.

So, with the World Series possibly one day away from being over, we're quickly closing in on hot stove season. Let's start today's rumor roundup with J.J. Hardy. Buster Olney thinks the Brewers could non-tender Hardy, but Al and I both agree that the concept is sheer lunacy. The logic behind it (as cited on MLB Trade Rumors) is beyond flawed:

Olney writes that the Red Sox inquired about Hardy at the deadline, but balked when the Brewers asked for excellent prospects in return. Olney wonders if this is a sign of things to come, and if no market for Hardy develops, would the Brewers be better off non-tendering the former All-Star?

So let me get this straight: The Brewers turned down an offer from the Red Sox because it wasn't enough. If nothing else develops, instead of returning to the Red Sox and asking for the same offer, Olney thinks the Brewers could let Hardy walk for free? On what planet does that make sense?

Roguejim also has a look at Hardy's trade value, and MLB Trade Rumors has a look at other shortstops that could be available via trade.

Elsewhere on the (hypothetical) market, we have Mat Gamel. MLB Trade Rumors has him listed among third basemen who could be on the move this offseason. The Nashville Sounds' website has an article from Baseball America with Gamel's reaction to a tough season offensively.

Until Jarrod Washburn either becomes a Brewer or signs somewhere else, his name is most likely going to keep coming up. Keep Turning Up the Heat! has a look at Washburn's recent performance and would accept a one year deal for him, but also notes that the 2010 Brewers are probably in trouble if Washburn is their biggest acquisition.

Meanwhile, Mike Cameron's name continues to come up in connection to other teams: The Cub Reporter has a look at Cameron as a potential fit in Wrigley in 2010, but doesn't think the two sides are a match.

As they suggested they would, the Brewers have found another job in the organization for former interim pitching coach Chris Bosio. He'll serve as the team's advance scout next season (FanShot).

Jonathan Lucroy is off to a hot start in the AFL, as he hit his second home run on Friday. Tom H. also got a positive review from a scout who recently saw Lucroy play for Peoria. Lucroy is probably a candidate to represent the Brewers when rosters are announced later today for the Rising Stars Game, which will be played on Saturday and broadcast live on MLB Network.

For more on Lucroy, the rest of the Brewers in the AFL and Alcides Escobar's season debut weekend in Venezuela, be sure to check out today's Fall/Winter League Update.

Elsewhere in the minors, I may have committed a Twitter foul. Yesterday afternoon I made a joke about the somewhat unexciting nature of Eric Arnett's recent Twitter activity, and today his account has been removed. Hopefully I'm not responsible for that. Meanwhile, Seth McClung has a picture of his daughter's Halloween costume.

Yet again, we have less-than-encouraging news about the depth of prospects in the Brewer organization, at least defensively: Alex Pedicini of The Hardball Times has the top four minor leaguers at each position, ranked by Total Zone, and there's not a single Brewer prospect among the 28 players listed.

Around baseball:

Astros: Declined their option for 2010 on Doug Brocail, and re-signed Geoff Blum to a one year deal worth $1.5 million.
Giants: Re-signed Freddy Sanchez to a two year deal worth $12 million, and declined their 2010 option on Noah Lowry. They also removed pitchers Justin Miller and Kelvin Pichardo from the 40-man roster. Miller is expected to become a free agent.
Indians: Removed pitchers Mike Gosling and Scott Lewis and infielder Niuman Romero from their 40-man roster.

Did Robin Yount use a corked bat? A game used Robin Yount bat with cork in it is up for auction, leading to discussion regarding the possibility. There's also a strong possibility the bat was corked sometime after it left Yount's possession. I'm reluctant to believe Yount corked the bat, for a simple reason: If Yount knew the bat was corked, he most likely also knew that someone would be able to figure out it had been tampered with. Why, then, would he ever give that bat away? That's like giving your autograph on the back of a steroid prescription.

Could John Maine be a reclamation candidate for Rick Peterson in 2010? Amazin' Avenue suggests he's a candidate to be non-tendered, but concludes the Mets should bring him back.

Baseball Analysts has an interesting look at pitchers' velocity and how it changes as the season goes along, broken down by several demographics. Most of the data isn't exceptionally surprising, but the difference in pitch speed between April and the rest of the season is pretty striking. (h/t Beyond the Box Score)

I'll admit it: I'm having a hard time getting excited for or paying much attention to the World Series. I have yet to sit through an entire game, and I've fallen asleep before the end of both games 3 and 4. Yet somehow, I don't feel as bad now that I know that Jon Heyman caught writers playing Scrabble and solitaire on their computers during Game 3.

Among the five candidates (Lopes, Royster, Yost, Sveum and Macha), I think you can make a solid case that Jerry Royster was easily the worst Brewer manager of the 2000's, even among a pretty bad field of contenders. With that said, his stuff apparently works in Korea, where he has led the Lotte Giants to back-to-back postseason appearances and signed a $600,000 contract extension over the weekend.

If you're hanging around the site tomorrow afternoon, you may notice some minor changes in the site as part of the visual refresh of the SB Nation platform. The changes will be minor, but will also be step one in a project to improve the load time of sites, which should be good news for everyone.

On this day in 1974, the Brewers acquired Hank Aaron from Atlanta for outfielder Dave May and minor league pitcher Roger Alexander. Aaron would go on to hit .232/.326/.360 in his final two seasons as a Brewer, make the 1975 All Star team and hit 22 home runs.

Happy birthday today to:

Taylor Green, 2009 Huntsville Star and current Brewer representative in the Arizona Fall League, who turns 23.
2007-09 Nashville Sound Lindsay Gulin, who turns 33.
Paul Ridgon, who made 27 starts as a 2000-2001 Brewer after coming over from the Indians in the Bob Wickman-Richie Sexson deal, and turns 34.
Paul Hartzell who appeared in four games for the '84 Brewers and turns 56.

Oh, and the Phoenix Desert Dogs ate mac and cheese after Friday's AFL contest. I don't know if they used this recipe.

Drink up.

Non-Tender Candidate: John Maine

James Kannengieser — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:00:33 -0000

The Mets penciled John Maine into the 2009 rotation despite uncertainty about his health, following bone spur surgery after 2008. Expecting him to return to 2007 form was a stretch but it wasn't unreasonable to think he could provide 140 innings with a ~4.30 FIP. The various preseason projection systems pegged him around this level of performance. Like most of the Mets, Maine's season didn't turn out quite as well as hoped.

Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus wrote the following before the season:

Maine tried to pitch through a bone spur in his shoulder last year. The off-season surgery worked out better than that did, and he's pitching well so far. I don't expect it to be a problem once he gets comfortable, but I wouldn't be surprised by a bad April.

Carroll was somewhat prophetic, as Maine struggled mightily in April. In fact, he wasn't very good from Opening Day through June 6, the day of his last start before hitting the DL until September with arm fatigue and various other ailments. During this time, Maine threw 61.2 innings, striking out 42 and walking 34. His swinging strike % during this stretch was a solid 9% but if a pitcher is going to walk that many batters he better have a K/9 higher than 6.13.

Maine didn't return until ~~the playoff push~~ garbage time, making 4 September starts. He pitched better than in April-June, with a 13:4 K/BB ratio in 19.2 innings. His last start of the season was also his best and his fastball velocity was improved from the poor early season showing. Overall, it was a borderline replacement level season. A decent 4.43 ERA masked a lucky .253 BABIP and 7.5% HR/FB%. An xFIP of 5.14 and a tERA of 4.89 are better indicators of the kind of season he had. Still, his velocity was about where it was in 2007 and an offseason of rest won't hurt his continued recovery from surgery.

Verdict: Bring him back in 2010. He's just 28 years old, is relatively cheap and his batted ball profile meshes well with Citi Field's dimensions. Hopefully the outfield defense will be improved next season (adios Gary Sheffield, hello Matt Holliday or Mike Cameron?). It would be a mistake to guarantee a rotation spot (likewise for Oliver Perez) and his spring training performance should be under tight scrutiny. Maine earned $2.6 million last season, avoiding arbitration. He wouldn't cost much more than that next season. For a pitcher who was a 2.5-3 WAR performer just 2 years ago, this is a more than fair price to pay.

Five Numbers To Avoid When Evaluating Starting Pitchers

Sam Page — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:00:59 -0000

They are: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Invariably, with the offseason, people start making their fantasy teams, which contain a lineup and a 1-5 starting rotation. During the long winter, these teams find themselves posted all over the internet, usually looking something like this:

this has to hapen........trade fmarn and some b-prosects for roy hallday.......

sign john lacky for 6 yr 90million $$

.....explode oliver perez in2 the sun

1. johan

2. halldaday

3. lackey

4. pelfry

5. niese/maine

champtionship

The Mets certainly need pitching help for next season. According to fangraphs, the pitching staff finished 27th in the majors, one of just 6 with a cumulative WAR lower than Albert Pujols alone. My concern here, however, is how we talk about starting pitchers, not a specific solution. The standard 1-5 ranking makes sense, because the 5-man rotation is the centerpiece of all modern pitching staffs. Discussing specific pitchers, or the construction of a rotation, with this 1-5 rubric, however, holds the discussion back.

First, labeling a pitcher a number is vague and virtually meaningless. Numerous times this season, I suffered through a discussion that began along the lines of "I really thought Pelfrey was going to be a solid number two this season, but now I can see he's just a four, or a three at best." What can we surmise from this assessment? That Pelfrey got worse? That he didn't meet someone's vague expectations? It doesn't describe how he's an average pitcher with decent control who needs to throw his slider more often and is heavily dependent on his defense for game management. It certainly does not talk about how with better up-the-middle infield defense, and a pitching coach that kept him down in the zone, he could put up some pretty nice numbers; or that he has been 4.8 WAR in the past two years. In some ways, this way of talking about a rotation is even worse than talking about wins and losses, since at least wins gives you a general, but very imprecise, sense of where a pitcher stands relative to the league. Besides, what does being a #2 mean when your competition is this group:

Especially in the offseason, the point of accessing a pitcher's value is so that you can compare him to other potential rotation candidates. How deep can a comparison be when everyone is 1-5? We don't compare hitters this way; Albert Pujols is a 3rd-spot hitter, but so is Jose Lopez on his respective team. The inevitable solution is a bunch of equally vague qualifiers like, "Solid 3" or "4 on a good team," which only muddle the picture further.

More importantly, however, the 1-5 ranking is the very framework that has failed the Mets so often. Rotations don't actually go 1-5. Look at the graphic above, which shows eleven pitchers started for the Mets this season, all with varying numbers of innings pitched. For a fanbase that has been so quick to bemoan the lack of depth and forward thinking from the Mets, penciling-in 4. John Maine 5. Jon Niese seems a tinge hypocritical. By putting them down as "the four" and "the five" you are implicitly expecting that they will pitch the fourth and fifth most innings next year and give the fourth and fifth best performances. Anyone who expects John Maine or Jon Niese a lock for over 100 innings next year is nuts. Many fans wrote down 2. Pelfrey and 3. Perez last season and were perfectly happy to do so at the time.

So, when you talk about pitchers, talk about what they contribute to this team, not where they slot in. Also mention any concerns going forward, and the plan if those concerns become real problems.

New York Mets Too Much For Washington Nationals, 6-2 Mets Sunday.

Ed Chigliak — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:12:23 -0000

More photos » by Henny Ray Abrams - AP

3 months ago: Washington Nationals' starting pitcher Garrett Mock delivers in the first inning of the baseball game against the New York Mets at Citi Field in New York, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams)

Browse more photos »

Game Notes:

• Ian Desmond's decision to throw home in the second when Mets’ catcher Josh Thole bounced a grounder off DC starter Garrett Mock with a runner on third, may not have ultimately been a good one, but it was an aggressive play, and the extra runner that Desmond let on didn’t cost the Nationals. Jim Riggleman, Garrett Mock and catcher Jamie Burke’s decision to pitch to the Mets' catcher in the 7-spot with one down, a runner on third and the .250-hitting Wilson Valdez up next with the Mets' pitcher John Maine to follow...Well...1-0 NY...And Valdez did ground into a DP in the next AB for the record...(ed. note - " I know, It's not like Thole's a .300+ hitting backstop that you have to avoid pitching to, I know, he's a rookie called up from Doubl...What? He is hitting over .300? Whatever...pitch to him, go ahead...")

• Runners on first and second after back to back singles in the third. Garrett Mock fields a grounder from David Wright, but double pumps before throwing to second for the force, Ian Desmond can’t get the ball out of his glove to make the DP throw to first. First and third for Carlos Beltran, who takes a two-seam fastball back up the middle for an RBI single. Daniel Murphy doubles in the next AB, Wright and Beltran score, 4-0 NY.

More Game Notes After The JUMP...But First

Historical Note: When the Washington Nationals do eventually lose their 100th game of 2009, two or three games from now, it will be the first time in franchise history going back to 1969 with Montreal that a team has had back-to-back 100-loss seasons, and it will be the first time a DC-based franchise drops 100 or more in two-straight season since the Washington Senators (now the Texas Rangers) finished with 100+ losses in 4 consecutive seasons from 1961-64. The Original Senators, (now the Twins), had 5 100-Loss seasons, but never back-to-back...

• Mets win, 6-2 final.

• "Game 149: No heros or goats, only FAIL" - Doghouse

For The Completists, Full Game Report After The JUMP...

Nationals now 51-98.

Game Notes (cont)...

• With WIlson Valdez on first and Angel Pagan up with two out in the Mets’ fourth, new Nationals’ back stop Jamie Burke’s tested for the first time. Valdez breaks for second, Burke’s throw is right over the bag, Desmond catches it and tags Valdez for Burke’s first caught stealing as a National. Burke’s first RBI opp comes in the top of the fifth, first and third, one out, and Burke K’s swinging through a high fastball. The pitcher follows with a groundout and it’s 4-0 NY after four and a half.

• John Maine dominates DC, but he’s on a pitch count, so he’s out after 5.0 scoreless over which he strikes out just 1, and holds the Nationals to 2 hits and 1 walk. Maine throws 75 of the 80 pitches he was scheduled to throw, 50 of them for strikes, and gets 5 groundouts and 9 fly outs out of the 18 batters he faces before he hands it to the Mets’ bullpen...Garrett Mock through 5.0, you ask? 5.0 IP, 8 hits, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K’s, 82 pitches, 55 for strikes, 8 groundouts and 3 flyouts from 22 batters faced.

Mock ends up throwing 115 pitches, 74 for strikes, over 7.0 IP, allowing 9 hits, 4 runs and 2 walks while striking out 5 and getting 10 groundouts and 5 flyouts from the 30 batters he faces. Mock’s replaced by Zack Segovia, who give up a leadoff single Carlos Beltran that’s erased by a line drive to second by Daniel Murphy that’s an easy DP when Alberto Gonzalez makes the catch with Beltran running. Segovia then walks two batters with two down and is replaced by Victor Garate, who gives up a two-out, two-run triple to the corner in right, 6-0 Mets. Logan Kensing comes on and walks the first batter he faces, Fernando Tatis, but strikes out Pagan to end a long eighth.

• The Nationals mount a rally in the ninth with back to back RBI doubles by Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn, who collect their 97th and 101st RBI’s of the year after a one-out infield single by Ian Desmond. Josh Willingham takes strike three, Elijah Dukes walks and Francisco Rodriguez comes on to get the last out with a backwards K of Cristian Guzman.

The Mets clinch 4th and the season series with the Washington Nationals, going up 10-5 with 4 games remaining.

GAME REPORT:

Washington Nationals At New York Mets. Game 149 Of 162.

Willie Harris smacks a 1-2 pitch right to Jeff Francoeur, who catches the first out of the day. Ian Desmond flies out to Carlos Beltran in center. Ryan Zimmerman grounds out to short, Wilson Valdez fires from deep in the hole to get Mets’ right-hander John Maine through a scoreless first...Angel Pagan doubles to the wall in right with a low liner on an 0-2 pitch that DC righty Garrett Mock leaves up in the zone. Ryan Zimmerman charges and throws out Luis Castillo on what would have been a bunt single but is instead a sac. David Wright stares a full-count curve all the way in for a called strike three. Carlos Beltran grounds out to second and Alberto Gonzalez’s throw ends the first...

Adam Dunn grounds to first, Daniel Murphy tosses it a little to high to the covering pitcher. Josh Willingham pops out behind the plate. Elijah Dukes hits a one-hop liner to Luis Castillo to end the second scoreless frame for Maine...Daniel Murphy rips a line drive to the outfield just right of center and an odd bounce off the wall turns a double into a triple. Garrett Mock busts Jeff Francoeur inside with a two-strike fastball for a swinging K. Josh Thole grounds back to the mound and off Mock’s glove, and Ian Desmond tries for the play at home, but the throw is late. 1-0 NY. Wilson Valdez grounds to short, Desmond fields, steps on second and throws to first, double play.

Alberto Gonzalez grounds out to short. Jamie Burke in his first DC AB, works the count full and walks. Garrett Mock pops up a bunt, but it drops in for a sac. Willie Harris pops out to Angel Pagan in left to end the third scoreless for John Maine...Maine pops out in his first AB of the day. Angel Pagan drops a soft liner into short center for a one-out single off Mock. Luis Castillo lines to right to put two on for David Wright. David Wright grounds back to Mock, who takes out the runner at second but can’t get a DP, Desmond holds on to it after struggling on the exchange. Carlos Beltran singles up the middle on a two-seam fastball outside. 2-0 NY as Pagan scores from third. Daniel Murphy hits a carbon-copy of his first triple, though this time it’s a two-run double off the wall in right center. 4-0 NY. Jeff Francoeur pops out to end the third.

Ian Desmond gets jammed and pops out to Beltran in short center. Ryan Zimmerman pops out to Daniel Murphy foul of first. Adam Dunn pops out to left...Josh Thole grounds out to second base to start the Mets’ fourth. Wilson Valdez takes a one-out walk from Mock. John Maine K’s trying to bunt with two strikes. Angel Pagan up when Valdez gets caught trying to steal second. Jamie Burke throws out the first baserunner who tests him, nailing Valdez on the attempted stolen base.

Josh Willingham singles to right for the Nationals’ first hit. Elijah Dukes pops out to second on the first pitch he sees. Dukes doesn’t run to first, Castillo catches it anyway, sparing Dukes embarrassment. Alberto Gonzalez punches a hit and run single through second. Jamie Burke K’s swinging through a high fastball from Maine and Garrett Mock grounds out to end DC’s fifth, stranding two...Angel Pagan grounds to second base for the first out of NY’s fifth. Mock’s still in, and he gives up a single to Luis Castillo, who promptly takes second for the first SB off the Nationals’ catcher. David Wright flies to deeep center on a 3-0 pitch. Castillo takes third. Carlos Beltran grounds to third, and Ryan Zimmerman makes it look easy. 4-0 NY after five.

Elmer Dessens takes over for the Mets in the sixth inning. David Wright and Wilson Valdez converge on a foul pop from Willie Harris, but they both let it drop. Harris flies out to short left. Ian Desmond’s robbed on a scorched single to second that Daniel Murphy dives for and stabs. Two down. Ryan Zimmerman flies out to Pagan to end a quick sixth...Daniel Murphy pops out to Ian Desmond in short left. Desmond throws out Jeff Francoeur on a weak grounder to short. Mock walks Thole with two down. Wilson Valdez flies out to Dukes in right. Still 4-0 NY.

Adam Dunn starts the seventh against Dessens with a fly ball out to Pagan in left. Josh Willingham pops out to Luis Castillo at second. Elijah Dukes flies out to Carlos Beltran in center. 7.0 scoreless frames...Pinch hitter Cory Sullivan vs Mock to start the seventh. Mock throws a high fastball by Sullivan for a swinging K. Angel Pagan sneaks a fly ball to center in front of Willie Harris. Luis Castillo grounds to second, Alberto Gonzalez takes out the lead runner. David Wright up with two down, one on. Mock strikes Wright out with another fastball up and in.

Sean Green starts the eighth for NY against Alberto Gonzalez. Gonzalez grounds out to short for Wilson Valdez. Pinch Hittin’ Pete Orr grounds out to second. Josh Bard grounds out to second too to end the eighth scoreless for the Nationals...Carlos Beltran smokes a low liner to right for a leadoff single. Daniel Murphy lines to second with Beltran running, Alberto Gonzalez fields and throws to first, double play. Jeff Francoeur walks with two down. Mets’ catcher Josh Thole takes the second two-out walk and DC Manager Jim Riggleman’s seen enough. Victor Garate vs WIlson Valdez. Two-run triple to right for Valdez, 6-0 NY. Logan Kensing replaces Garate and walks Fernando Tatis with two down. Angel Pagan K’s swinging through a full-count fastball to end the eighth.

Brian Stokes takes over in the ninth. Willie Harris pops out to the catcher. Ian Desmond hits an excuse-me single a foot in front of home and beats it out. Ryan Zimmerman hits an RBI line drive to left center to finally get the Nationals on the board, Desmond scores, Zimmerman in at second, 6-1 NY. Adam Dunn doubles Zimmerman in from second with an RBI single, 6-2. Josh Willingham takes a two-strike slider outside for a backwards K. Elijah Dukes uses his Discerning Eye to draw a two-out walk. Cristian Guzman will have to face Francisco Rodriguez. Guzman flinches at a backdoor change inside that breaks into the zone for a called strike three. Mets win, 6-2 final.

Nationals now 51-98.

Maine Starts, Mets Almost Finish: Phillies 5, Mets 4

Eric Simon — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:22:59 -0000

This was John Maine's first big league start in more than three months and he looked, well, okay. His fastball was in the low nineties, which is a few ticks lower than it was early in the season. He only stuck it out for three innings, but he was on a tight pitch count for obvious reasons. He threw all of his pitches -- the fastball, slider, and changeup -- with varying degrees of effectiveness and control. He allowed just one run on two hits and a walk in his three innings, tossing 57 pitches (61.4% for strikes) along the way. The results, while decent, take a back seat to the process, which was encouraging. Maine was back on the mound and looked okay; his arm didn't become detached from his body at any point, so that's a good sign.

There were three bright spots for the Mets offensively. Josh Thole went 4-for-4 and is eight for his first eighteen as a big leaguer. Jeff Francoeur had three hits and got his on-base percentage up to .306, practically dwarfing Omir Santos's .295. Finally, Anderson Hernandez hit his first homerun since re-joining the Mets and his third career homerun overall.

For the Phillies, their carousel of closer craptaculance continued, as Brad Lidge -- for at least one game -- took the mantle of ineptitude away from Ryan Madsen and did everything in his power to give it right back. Lidge allowed three hits and two runs in the ninth, allowing the Mets to close a 5-2 gap to 5-4 before finally "saving" the game by striking out Angel Pagan to end things.

Haiku by Howard Megdal

In Maine's return start,
Thole looks like future star
Lidge nearly blows it

Swag Contest

Swag contest results can be found here and the next game's swag form already available. You can read more about the swag contest here.

SB Nation Coverage

* Traditional Recap
* Boxscore
* Amazin' Avenue Gamethread
* The Good Phight Gamethread

Win Probability Added

Big winners: Josh Thole, +12.9% WPA, Jeff Francoeur, +5.5% WPA
Big losers: Tobi Stoner, -15.8% WPA, Angel Pagan, -12.5% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Hernandez two-run homerun in eighth, +6.3% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Victorino two-run homerun in fifth, -12.7% WPA
Total pitcher WPA: -13.9% WPA
Total batter WPA: -36.1% WPA
GWRBI!: Andy Tracy

Game Thread Roll Call

Nice job by firejerrynow; his effort in the game thread embiggens us all.

Num	Name	# of Posts
1	firejerrynow	41
2	fxcarden	31
3	MetsFan4Decades	30
4	Michkin	30
5	Evan_S	26
6	lstorie1971	23
7	sj10689	19
8	metsguy234	12
9	itsmetsforme	5
10	firejerrymanuel	1

Rained Out Mets Applesauce - Castillo's baby, pinch hitter Livan, LOOGY, Cliff Lee, Freddy Sanchez, Vin Scully

Joe Budd — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:25:07 -0000

So, the rainout leads to a day-night doubleheader today. I can live with that; double the baseball.

Meet the Mets

Luis Castillo will miss at least this afternoon's game due to the birth of his child. Since this shortens the bench even further, Livan Hernandez will be a pinch hitter.

Eddie Coleman has further context on the Omar Minaya/Adam Rubin dust-up. The Post's George Willis thinks that a big trade (Victor Martinez) is the only thing that will save Omar. Doesn't this seem like what got him into trouble to begin with? Filip Bondy concurs but substitutes Roy Halladay for Martinez.

A more modest, yet equally confusing, notion is that the Mets are interested in acquiring another left handed reliever. John Grabow possibly? I don't get it, not with Billy Wagner coming back.

John Maine's shoulder is still not improving, possibly threatening his career.

Someone in the Met organization has anger problems.

A fan is encouraging a Citi Field boycott on Sept. 8.

Around the NL East

So, what, the Phillies just got the reigning AL Cy Young winner. It's not like he's Roy Halladay or anything. And he can't really hit or help the Phillies score runs. Because that's a real issue with Philadelphia.

Bobby Cox extended his record of being told to go home early. Brian McCann joined him. The Braves lost to the Marlins. That's 147 ejections for Cox.

The Marlin fans are starting to worry that their team won't make a move to compete with Philly.

Hopefully the Met winning streak will last longer than the Nationals'.

Around MLB

Check out Delwyn Young's circus catch.

The Giants acquired Freddy Sanchez, further depleting their organizational pitching depth.

Good news, Vin Scully will work at least one more year.

Randy Johnson has a torn rotator cuff. Have we seen the last of the Big Unit?

The Yankees acquired former Rockies pitching prospect Jason Hirsh (a fly ball pitcher in Yankee Stadium).