peeder
Mar 30, 2008 Mar 31, 2008 19 3555
Fan since birth (I was conceived right after the miracle WS win in '69...think about that.)
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Diary: Pedro's little friend dies =(
by peeder on Oct 24, 2006 2:36 AM EDT
on Amazin' Avenue
(moved from diaries. still too depressed to blog. --eric)
Nelson de la Rosa, 2 feet 4 inches tall, died recently in New York. RIP.
He was Pedro's lucky charm in the 2004 postseason. My sympathies go out to Mr. de la Rosa's family (he not only had a wife but a child...clearly a stud) and I hope all his luck is now with our ace.
In other news, virtually all of the Mets had at least five surgeries today, some upwards of a hundred. They are all expected to be ready for spring training, from which point a new set of broken bones, torn ligaments and hanging eyeballs will accumulate, but be carefully disguised by the training staff until the season has concluded.
2 comments
The Annual Prediction Poll: Results
by peeder on Oct 1, 2006 6:20 PM EDT
on Amazin' Avenue
Whew! What a season! The Mets came out strong and were one first-week game away from claiming the NL East championship wire-to-wire!
Turns out that the Annual Prediction Poll this year was a bit pessimistic compared to the results. Most of you chose 90-94 wins, including myself. While a copycat poll was posted on the front page after the season began, people were still voting in it when the Mets had already leapt out to a huge lead, so it doesn't count.
What a wonderful thing to have been pessimistic in this way! Lets go Mets, make the postseason one for the ages!!!
Diary: All-star Game Live Blogging thread
by peeder on Jul 11, 2006 8:27 PM EDT
on Amazin' Avenue
(moved from the diaries. hoffman = awful --eric)
Big applause for Jose Reyes from the Pitt crowd...we might not know how nationally popular our young stars are.
Bittersweet to see Kazmir lined up in someone else's uniform. Bay to an extent as well.
Feel free to use this to comment on the game, which might determine how many games we'll have in Shea later on... =)
Lima to be Wright's Home Run Derby pitcher
by peeder on Jul 9, 2006 1:24 AM EDT
on Amazin' Avenue
Whichever Met said this:
The long grand slam Dontrelle Willis hit against Jose Lima on Friday night still was in the Mets' consciousness on Saturday when they reassembled at Shea Stadium.So when the topic of clubhouse conversation turned to David Wright's participation in the CENTURY 21 Home Run Derby on ESPN in Pittsburgh on Monday night, Lima's pitch to Willis was fair game.
"David should get Jose to throw to him," one teammate said in typical clubhouse sarcasm. "He'd win for sure."
When you get back to San Fran, I'm buying.
Who da D.H.?
by peeder on Jun 16, 2006 3:05 AM EDT
on Amazin' Avenue
So shoot me for jumping the gun. But we have ourselves a little lineup controversy due to Bud's experiyament: "interleague" baseball.
Which means that Willie doesn't have to bat the pitcher in our upcoming games at Fenway and the roach, rat, and thief infested steaming pit in the bronx. He could bat someone else, if he wanna.
Who would dat be? Any ideas? We don't have Piatza to do it any more. So who is it?
Take the poll, and leave your representation below.
Diary: Jorge Julio Traded for El Duque
by peeder on May 24, 2006 6:16 PM EDT
on Amazin' Avenue
(moved from diaries --eric)
I think the news that we have traded Jorge Julio for El Duque Orlando Hernandez is crazy. Not only have we gotten way, way older, we have also weakened the bullpen we wanted to protect so much we trapped Heilman there and probably lost four games so far as a result.
With none of our backend starters, including El Duque, likely to eat many innings (Duque has averaged 5IP/start so far, and gone 2-4 with a 6.11 ERA for Arizona), Heilman and Sanchez will be over-used in the absence of Julio.
As Eli pointed out, this amounts to Benson for Duque (and Maine). Who fires on that trade? Julio at least had a sizable upside.
This was an impulsive trade that doesn't net us much more than what we already have on the mend in Bannister and Maine. Checkmarks like postseason experience don't do much for me when Duque is unlikely to appear as a postseason starter for us...we will need something better regardless. I would probably trust Trachsel over Duque in a postseason start anyway.
El Duque's K/9 is strong, and his K/BB is acceptable, but he is being hit fairly hard, with a 1.58 WHIP and a .545 SLG against. Shea will improve that SLG a bit, but it's not clear Duque will prevent as many runs over the course of the year as Julio may have.
I believe the trade amounts to a matter of confidence: Willie did not have faith in Julio, but he will obviously have faith in Duque (those shared championships on the Yankees will do that). Omar probably also looked at the relief performance in last year's postseason, and being postseason-bound, wanted someone he felt more reliable than Julio to call upon in a jam. Duque's role as a starter may be temporary.
There are always things we might not know behind the scenes, such as possible health or character issues with Julio (I'm certainly not suggesting there are any). However, El Duque's suspect durability...he has failed to reach 100IP in 2 of his last 4 seasons...means that we may well be going from the frying pan straight into the fire.
Diary: Angel Hernandez Must Be Ejected From Baseball
by peeder on May 7, 2006 6:44 PM EDT
on Amazin' Avenue
(moved from diaries. --Eric)
After the game, both Lima and Lo Duca said that Hernandez told them that he was calling pitches farther off the plate strikes for Smoltz, but not for Lima.''When the umpire said 'I'm going to give you a couple of inches off the plate, but I'm not going to give you 4-5 inches because you're not John Smoltz,' I'm trying to protect my pitcher,'' Lo Duca said.
I'm sorry, but the umpire openly admitted to having a biased strikezone. That is grounds for immediate termination. Bud Selig, you are on notice.
[UPDATE: 5/8 @ 9:35 AM by Eric Simon]: The Star Ledger has picked up on this story and has some interesting info; definitely worth a read.
Is AAA a corrosive environment?
by peeder on May 1, 2006 4:33 AM EDT
on Amazin' Avenue
With Henry Owens and Michael Pelfrey, two of our best prospects, dominating AA ball, a good question is why aren't they being brought up to at least AAA?
Thinking about this for a moment, I'm thinking how AAA might differ from AA outside the lines. I'm wondering if it may be a bad influence on younger players.
And I'm not suggesting that it may have more partying or anything. I'm just thinking that it probably has lots of really frutstrated guys in it that have had their taste of the big show and haven't been able to put it together. Not even well enough to be a sub...and lots of MLB subs are pretty lame.
The Annual Prediction Poll
by peeder on Apr 1, 2006 12:49 AM EST
on Amazin' Avenue
I'm more optimistic than I was last year, where the majority of you guessed correctly. Maybe we'll have similar excellence in prognostication this year.
Since I'm so optimistic, I'll put more wins higher on the poll, and shift everything up by five.
Vote now, before the season begins!
Is Omar getting value for our young arms?
by peeder on Jan 8, 2006 12:29 AM EST
on Amazin' Avenue
Lessee...Seo for...Duaner Sanchez?
Gaby Hernandez for...Paul Lo Duca?
Aaron Heilman for...
Wait. Stop me there.
The Politics of Beards
by peeder on Nov 29, 2005 11:00 PM EST
on Amazin' Avenue
The signing of Delgado raises a question, and one that is highlighted in a NYTimes article (behind a paywall, but I'll quote the relevant bits):
And yet, the Mets asked Delgado to conform to a team policy that has curiously popped up on cue, a requirement for all players to stand on the top dugout step for the playing of "God Bless America."No big deal. Delgado accepted. It may seem as if Delgado has compromised his principles to acquiesce to the Mets' rule, but as he said, "The most important thing about integrity is to realize where your priorities are."
More overleaf:
Postseason predictions
by peeder on Oct 2, 2005 5:12 PM EDT
on Amazin' Avenue
Not sure if anybody's interested here, but if you are, it's just a click:
My own opinion is that The Question Is Moot. The ChiSox have suffered longer than anyone so it might be their year; afaik they don't have any cute "curses" to reverse, so maybe the committee that decides on the results will nix them this year and try to develop a more marketable storyline.
More likely, the Red Sox and Skanks will duke it out again but the characters are getting a bit tired and some of the more colorful ones have moved on. St Louis might do a bit better for itself this year but it's doubtful.
A pretty boring postseason I'm predicting. Last year was much more interesting.
Who sells more tickets...Pedro or Wright?
by peeder on Aug 30, 2005 3:25 AM EDT
on Amazin' Avenue
So here's my question to the Amazin' Faithful. If you're Omar Minaya and you are looking to the future and deciding what your strategy will emphasize for developing the brand...what are you going to pick? Unpredictable youth or proven veterans?
Who is selling more tickets and generating more interest this year...Pedro Martinez or David Wright?
My own take on this is based on the following theory: the thing that sells the most tickets is winning, period. Next up isn't certain, but I contend it's meeting, being charmed by, and watching the development of young talent (whether drafted by us or traded for early in their pro careers) like Jose Reyes and David Wright.
Challenge to the Mets
by peeder on Aug 10, 2005 5:12 PM EDT
on Amazin' Avenue
People are saying the Mets only come to play when people are watching. Late night games on the West coast the Mets just phone it in.
OK, Mets...you show us different the rest of this season. Let's see you go .500...hell, .600+ the rest of the way in
- Night games west of the Mississippi
- Untelevised games
- "Meaningless" games, should we fall into those
- ...you get the picture...
We want the Cards incl the Wild one
by peeder on Jul 22, 2005 3:19 PM EDT
on Amazin' Avenue
Just in case anyone's still hopin for the playoffs this year (I am...sorry, I bleed blue and orange)...I was just realizing that the spot we actually want is the Wild Card.
That's right: we do not want to win the division.
Why not? Because the Wild Card team will get to face the Cards in a 5-game series. And we have a certain Señor Martínez who can take the mound for two of those games in St. Looey. All we need then is a lucky break or two and we're in the NLCS with a heap'o'mediocrity that is the rest of the NL this year.
Are we sandbagging? Is this a race to #2???
Get me some relief!
by peeder on Jun 11, 2005 11:47 AM EDT
on Amazin' Avenue
First Graves and now Mesa?
From mlb.com:
This is not a rumor: The Mets have interest in Pirates closer Jose Mesa and other Pirates pitchers of less reknown. The club's interest will not necessarily diminish if, and when, they get the Graves situation finalized.I dunno about you, but I'm not so excited about "former closers" that are largely washed up and on the decline of their careers doing setup work. Pit has some pitchers of interest (though I'm not excited about a return of Rick White) but they'll probably keep those. In any case, I don't think Mesa is worth even a B-grade prospect as a rental.
Are they still talking about Percival?
Poll: Biggest surprise ahead!!!
by peeder on May 26, 2005 11:14 PM EDT
on Amazin' Avenue
OK so here's a diversion...what do you think will be the biggest surprise to come in what's left of this season?
The Mayor's Trophy Game
by peeder on May 20, 2005 1:46 PM EDT
on Amazin' Avenue
I remember as a kid in the 70's hearing about the Mayor's Trophy Game between my beloved Mets and the hated Yankees. I'm not sure it was ever televised but I might have listened to Murph call it once or twice.
Scavenging around on the 'net I have heard conflicting stories about when they stopped playing it...it used to be in May or so. Did they stop when interleague play started, or before that? Did they play starters in it? Was it really contested?
Please share your memories in the comments.
Predictions Here
by peeder on Apr 4, 2005 3:48 AM EDT
on Amazin' Avenue
Getcher predictions heeer
(You know, beeer heeeer)
OK I'll make this simple. I think the Mets will lose about 10 more games than expected (i.e. league average) in the bullpen. That will be the major story this year. We won in 2000 with an outstanding pen. No longer.
So on the record, the Mets will go something like 78-84 and we will think a lot about what our future holds with Beltran Wright and Reyes making huge impact (in that order). Wright or Reyes may even make the All-star team. It will be an entertaining enough season...a couple pickups after the break will help, but this is no championship team.
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