Saturday, July 14, 2007
N.L. News & Notes
The Mets have been drifting sideways for the last month and a half. They are 14 up and 21 down since June 1st. They are also 28th in the Majors in runs scored over that time. Well, they didn’t exactly put the offensive worries behind them tonight, but they did win. It was a terrific pitching performance by Tom Glavine for career win 298 on Ralph Kiner night (HoF ‘75.) Glavine faced one batter over the minimum in eight innings, yielding only a solo home run to straight away center. It was wacked by Reds’ second baseman, Brandon Phillips, from the state of North Carolina, who has been scorching out of the break (six RBIs in the previous game.)
Coming in tonight, the Reds had responded to organization’s managerial change by winning 7 of 9 for interim manager Pete Mackanin. Unfortunately, they are long out of the race, 13 and 1/2 back in the lousy N.L. Central, only three days after the All-Star break. Quite a disappointment coming off of a promising 2006. Three games out of the All-Star break last year saw the Reds with a winning record and very much alive in the N.L. Central and the Wild Card.
Similarly, the Mets, though leading the East, face quite a different season than last year on the flip side of the All-Star break. At this point in 2006, they had a double digit lead and no challengers at all. They were 18 games over .500 rather than 10. They have let both the Braves and the Phils are hang around this year. The Mets June swoon has bled over into July and led to some changes coming out of the break.
Hitting coach Rick Down was fired. Mets General Manager Omar Minaya pulled an old George Steinbrenner act, gave his club the, “Listen here, you people, (read:the players) you haven’t been performing up to par, and somebody has to pay with their job,” routine. The hitting coach is an easy target, Minaya threw an extra body on the pyre letting go Clarion fave, 48 year old Julio Franco from his pinch hitting duties to keep a 3rd catcher, Sandy Alomar, Jr. If this is it for Franco, and it very well could be, he got a hit in his last at bat ever (a pinch hit single in the 12th inning of a 17 inning Mets win in Houston just before the break.) Unfortunately for Franco, from the legendary San Pedro de Macoris, in the Dominican Republic, his career average has gone down to just below .300, due to this year’s right at, but not below, the Mendoza line effort.
Those hanging around in the N.L. East include the Phillies. Their three game winning streak has them within 4 games of the Mets' lead. Think their centerfielder, All-Star Aaron Rowand, is a little bit pissed that everyone came out of San Francisco talking about how Tony La Russa should have pinch hit for him in the bottom of the ninth of the All-Star game with Albert Pujlos sitting on the N.L.'s bench. Yes, maybe so, but Rowland is surely trying to prove the opposite case. After flying out with the tying and winning runs on in an exhibition game, Rowland has had seven hits in his first two real games after the break including an explosion today for three doubles and a home run. Raising his average to .322. It is tough to get noticed on a team with reigning MVP Ryan Howard and another superb player, Chase Utley.
The Braves, too, are sticking around. They have some veteran pitching, Smoltz is a gamer and a future Hall of Famer. The slumbering Andruw Jones may finally have awakened, two homers in his last two games. The Braves are 1.5 games back.
Coming in tonight, the Reds had responded to organization’s managerial change by winning 7 of 9 for interim manager Pete Mackanin. Unfortunately, they are long out of the race, 13 and 1/2 back in the lousy N.L. Central, only three days after the All-Star break. Quite a disappointment coming off of a promising 2006. Three games out of the All-Star break last year saw the Reds with a winning record and very much alive in the N.L. Central and the Wild Card.
Similarly, the Mets, though leading the East, face quite a different season than last year on the flip side of the All-Star break. At this point in 2006, they had a double digit lead and no challengers at all. They were 18 games over .500 rather than 10. They have let both the Braves and the Phils are hang around this year. The Mets June swoon has bled over into July and led to some changes coming out of the break.
Hitting coach Rick Down was fired. Mets General Manager Omar Minaya pulled an old George Steinbrenner act, gave his club the, “Listen here, you people, (read:the players) you haven’t been performing up to par, and somebody has to pay with their job,” routine. The hitting coach is an easy target, Minaya threw an extra body on the pyre letting go Clarion fave, 48 year old Julio Franco from his pinch hitting duties to keep a 3rd catcher, Sandy Alomar, Jr. If this is it for Franco, and it very well could be, he got a hit in his last at bat ever (a pinch hit single in the 12th inning of a 17 inning Mets win in Houston just before the break.) Unfortunately for Franco, from the legendary San Pedro de Macoris, in the Dominican Republic, his career average has gone down to just below .300, due to this year’s right at, but not below, the Mendoza line effort.
Those hanging around in the N.L. East include the Phillies. Their three game winning streak has them within 4 games of the Mets' lead. Think their centerfielder, All-Star Aaron Rowand, is a little bit pissed that everyone came out of San Francisco talking about how Tony La Russa should have pinch hit for him in the bottom of the ninth of the All-Star game with Albert Pujlos sitting on the N.L.'s bench. Yes, maybe so, but Rowland is surely trying to prove the opposite case. After flying out with the tying and winning runs on in an exhibition game, Rowland has had seven hits in his first two real games after the break including an explosion today for three doubles and a home run. Raising his average to .322. It is tough to get noticed on a team with reigning MVP Ryan Howard and another superb player, Chase Utley.
The Braves, too, are sticking around. They have some veteran pitching, Smoltz is a gamer and a future Hall of Famer. The slumbering Andruw Jones may finally have awakened, two homers in his last two games. The Braves are 1.5 games back.
Comments:
Brandon Phillips and the Reds stayed hot, sweeping the Braves. Second baseman Phillips had the game winning hit in the 15th inning yesterday. This was after making a super game saving catch on a screaming line drive in the bottom of the 10th with runners in scoring position.
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