Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Post-Breakfast Mets notes
The Mets won late last night in San Diego behind the superb pitching and overall efforts of Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez. The game was billed as a pitching duel. Leading N.L. ERA man Jake Peavy versus the crafty veteran. These two, going into the game, were two of the top five guys in holding right handed batters to the lowest batting average. Cy Young candidate Peavy was holding righties to .188, but El Duque---the old man, was even better holding them to a miniscule .171 batting average.
Last night too, Peavy was good, but Hernandez was even better. While Peavy’s ERA crept up from 2.19 to 2.30, Hernandez put nothing but zeroes on the board. Then in a game he was winning only 1-0 against Peavy in the 5th, he ignited the offense, too. As the Clarion detailed last week the Mets made some personnel and coaching changes coming out of the All-Star break. One of those changes was to bring in all time runs scored leader, Ricky Henderson, to coach first. When El Duque raised his season average above .220 with a single in the 5th, “The Rick” was there coaching first base. Lo and behold, the Padres elected to play behind “El Duque,” who wouldn’t? A 41 year old pitcher, why are you going to need to hold him on? Answer: because if you don’t he is going to swipe his third stolen base of his nine year career. (albeit only the last three seasons in the N.L.)
And if that isn’t enough for you to buy into what kind of influence Ricky Henderson is bringing already, Jose Valentin stole his first bag of the season last night. MVP candidate, Jose Reyes, tutored by Henderson in Spring’s past, swiped 3rd base in the ninth inning, in patented Henderson style. El Duque’s steal sparked a two run rally and gave him some breathing room against Peavy. Reyes steal, coming on the heels of what should have been called a wild pitch; he had Royce Ring rattled from the word go, also produced a rally and three more insurance runs.
The Mets need that kind of spark. With Delgado and Beltran in season long funks, the Mets need to find ways to manufacture runs. So what do you do, you bring the all-time leader in runs scored, an outgoing, infectious, fun loving clubhouse guy, to boot. (At least when things are going well, “The Rick” is a blast, good for the guys. When things are going poorly, less so.) Notice some of the guys the Rick is ahead of that all time runs scored list, like everybody!! Including in the top ten, names like Rose, Cobb, Aaron, Ruth and Musial!! Sure everybody’s heard the legendary story about the time "the Rick" walked up to first baseman John Olerud in the Mets’ spring training, gave him the once over and said, “Man, I used to play with a cat in Toronto once, who wore his batting helmet all the time like that.” Olerud, amazed, looked back at him and said, “Uh, Rick, Rick, that was me.” "The Rick", self-glossed and referenced by all, including "The Rick" himself, in the third person, is a unique character, no doubt. He might just help the Mets rather stodgy, quiet clubhouse.
The Mets fans can be proud of themselves. A couple of days back the Clarion linked a story from the Herald-Tribune of Southwest Florida. (Ah, remember the good old days when a paper could actually be referred to as from a city!!) Detailing how Southwest Florida had just sold out Tropicana Field for back to back games for the first time in club history. How’s about bringing the fans out on the road? The Yanks fans definitely gave Rays fans a run for their money volume-wise. Well Mets fans deserve their props, too. In another warm weather city, some 3,000 miles away, the Mets fans were doing a great job of revving up the “Let’s go Mets” chants much to the annoyance of the Padres crowd. The crowd attempted to boo them down, but the Mets fans kept coming back. Hard to recall, but there are just a few downsides to being as laid back San Diegoans. Pads fans were also apparently drowned out by Red Sox fans during last month’s inter-league series, this according to their own home announcers.
A few more scouting notes on the game:
When the Padres and Mets get together it figures to be low scoring. It is a match up of two of the three lowest team ERAs. But the Mets would seem to have a decided advantage in the high scoring games, not only do they have the deeper bullpen, but the Padres, shockingly have yet to win a game this season when the opponent scored seven runs or more, 0-10 after last night.
El Duque was so dominant last night only one member of the Padres line-up even got a hit off him. Adrian Gonzales had two doubles. El Duque was doing a terrific job changing the length of time he was pausing between pitches. On top of his quirky, ever changing delivery, he had the Padres hitters completely off balance all night.
Also noted during the Mets top of the ninth insurance run outburst, the Padres walked David Wright to get to Carlos Delgado. Bad idea jeans. Delgado a very proud guy, who once took a stance on not standing up for God Bless America, wasn’t about to let the Pads intentionally walk somebody to load the bases to face him. Delgado is career .329 with 171 RBI’s with the bases juiced, including eleven grand slams. Last night it was only a two run single, but you could see it on Delgado’s face as he approached the batter’s box. There was no way this at-bat was going to end without him producing runs.
Mets manager Willie Randolph had back-to-back-to-back left-handed hitters in the Mets line-up last night. Typically a no, no, especially come the late innings. When asked about it before the game, Willie intimated that the Mets weren’t too intimidated by Padres lefty relief specialist Royce Ring, previously Mets property. Apparently, Willie knew whereof he spoke, the Mets touched up Ring for three runs in the ninth, including lefty Delgado’s two run single.
Padres back-up centerfielder Hiram Bocachica, (little girl mouth?) made two weak defensive efforts last night when he could have had potential plays at the plate. He spiked one throw so badly it didn’t reach second base on the fly. On the other, he would have had a shot at El Duque at the plate, which if nothing else, as a Padres supporter one might have thought would have drained Hernandez of some energy, a little mojo, but Hiram fumbled the ball in his haste and never even got off a throw. Guess Mike Cameron won’t be seeing the pine for a while again.
Last night too, Peavy was good, but Hernandez was even better. While Peavy’s ERA crept up from 2.19 to 2.30, Hernandez put nothing but zeroes on the board. Then in a game he was winning only 1-0 against Peavy in the 5th, he ignited the offense, too. As the Clarion detailed last week the Mets made some personnel and coaching changes coming out of the All-Star break. One of those changes was to bring in all time runs scored leader, Ricky Henderson, to coach first. When El Duque raised his season average above .220 with a single in the 5th, “The Rick” was there coaching first base. Lo and behold, the Padres elected to play behind “El Duque,” who wouldn’t? A 41 year old pitcher, why are you going to need to hold him on? Answer: because if you don’t he is going to swipe his third stolen base of his nine year career. (albeit only the last three seasons in the N.L.)
And if that isn’t enough for you to buy into what kind of influence Ricky Henderson is bringing already, Jose Valentin stole his first bag of the season last night. MVP candidate, Jose Reyes, tutored by Henderson in Spring’s past, swiped 3rd base in the ninth inning, in patented Henderson style. El Duque’s steal sparked a two run rally and gave him some breathing room against Peavy. Reyes steal, coming on the heels of what should have been called a wild pitch; he had Royce Ring rattled from the word go, also produced a rally and three more insurance runs.
The Mets need that kind of spark. With Delgado and Beltran in season long funks, the Mets need to find ways to manufacture runs. So what do you do, you bring the all-time leader in runs scored, an outgoing, infectious, fun loving clubhouse guy, to boot. (At least when things are going well, “The Rick” is a blast, good for the guys. When things are going poorly, less so.) Notice some of the guys the Rick is ahead of that all time runs scored list, like everybody!! Including in the top ten, names like Rose, Cobb, Aaron, Ruth and Musial!! Sure everybody’s heard the legendary story about the time "the Rick" walked up to first baseman John Olerud in the Mets’ spring training, gave him the once over and said, “Man, I used to play with a cat in Toronto once, who wore his batting helmet all the time like that.” Olerud, amazed, looked back at him and said, “Uh, Rick, Rick, that was me.” "The Rick", self-glossed and referenced by all, including "The Rick" himself, in the third person, is a unique character, no doubt. He might just help the Mets rather stodgy, quiet clubhouse.
The Mets fans can be proud of themselves. A couple of days back the Clarion linked a story from the Herald-Tribune of Southwest Florida. (Ah, remember the good old days when a paper could actually be referred to as from a city!!) Detailing how Southwest Florida had just sold out Tropicana Field for back to back games for the first time in club history. How’s about bringing the fans out on the road? The Yanks fans definitely gave Rays fans a run for their money volume-wise. Well Mets fans deserve their props, too. In another warm weather city, some 3,000 miles away, the Mets fans were doing a great job of revving up the “Let’s go Mets” chants much to the annoyance of the Padres crowd. The crowd attempted to boo them down, but the Mets fans kept coming back. Hard to recall, but there are just a few downsides to being as laid back San Diegoans. Pads fans were also apparently drowned out by Red Sox fans during last month’s inter-league series, this according to their own home announcers.
A few more scouting notes on the game:
When the Padres and Mets get together it figures to be low scoring. It is a match up of two of the three lowest team ERAs. But the Mets would seem to have a decided advantage in the high scoring games, not only do they have the deeper bullpen, but the Padres, shockingly have yet to win a game this season when the opponent scored seven runs or more, 0-10 after last night.
El Duque was so dominant last night only one member of the Padres line-up even got a hit off him. Adrian Gonzales had two doubles. El Duque was doing a terrific job changing the length of time he was pausing between pitches. On top of his quirky, ever changing delivery, he had the Padres hitters completely off balance all night.
Also noted during the Mets top of the ninth insurance run outburst, the Padres walked David Wright to get to Carlos Delgado. Bad idea jeans. Delgado a very proud guy, who once took a stance on not standing up for God Bless America, wasn’t about to let the Pads intentionally walk somebody to load the bases to face him. Delgado is career .329 with 171 RBI’s with the bases juiced, including eleven grand slams. Last night it was only a two run single, but you could see it on Delgado’s face as he approached the batter’s box. There was no way this at-bat was going to end without him producing runs.
Mets manager Willie Randolph had back-to-back-to-back left-handed hitters in the Mets line-up last night. Typically a no, no, especially come the late innings. When asked about it before the game, Willie intimated that the Mets weren’t too intimidated by Padres lefty relief specialist Royce Ring, previously Mets property. Apparently, Willie knew whereof he spoke, the Mets touched up Ring for three runs in the ninth, including lefty Delgado’s two run single.
Padres back-up centerfielder Hiram Bocachica, (little girl mouth?) made two weak defensive efforts last night when he could have had potential plays at the plate. He spiked one throw so badly it didn’t reach second base on the fly. On the other, he would have had a shot at El Duque at the plate, which if nothing else, as a Padres supporter one might have thought would have drained Hernandez of some energy, a little mojo, but Hiram fumbled the ball in his haste and never even got off a throw. Guess Mike Cameron won’t be seeing the pine for a while again.
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