This and That

It's been a hectic past week and I apologize for the lack of updates. It was good to see the Mets beat up on some lesser teams, but the real test will come in these next few series. I'm going to be out of town all weekend, so I'll recap the Phillies-Mets when I get back. Until then, keep calm and carry on. Let's Go Mets!

It's a Long Season

The Mets have started to hit, pitch and play defense. When any group of professional athletes get together and perform at their expected level, good things tend to happen. We are at the beginning of a long sports season. We'll see some more losing streaks, as well as some more winning streaks. I like the way the Mets are playing right now. Jason Bay has made a positive impact offensively and the starters are pitching deeper into games. I like the Beato - Izzy - K-Rod strategy for the last 3 innings. Hopefully the current positive momentum carries through DC and into Philly. I guess we'll find out.

Homestand Part Deux

Last night was more of the same, Mets are in the game due to good-not-great pitching, couldn't score, bullpen comes in and the wheels fall off. Some nice defensive plays at 3rd and at the plate, which was refreshing to see. Justin Turner is probably an upgrade at 2B, even though he couldn't seem to throw the ball properly. Hopefully that was just first-game jitters. Also nice to see Beltran hit one out of the park.

Parnell has looked overmatched from day one. The official word is that he may have a blood clot in his finger. Hopefully that gets straightened out because he has been killing the team recently.

I have just about had it with Scott Hairston and Willie Harris. In fact, I have had it with the depth issues this team has had over the past 3 years. I know depth has to be cultivated over the years via the farm system, but I really thought that this year would see the end of pretending that aging bench players can be every-day major leaguers. I guess not. I will be elated to see Jason Bay return to left field tomorrow.

Food for Thought on Chris Young, Front Office

Joe Janish at Mets Today has posted an interesting writeup on the condition of Chris Young, and takes a look at what biceps tendonitis can mean for a starting pitcher. The article provides an inside scoop at the nature of the injury and what can be done to prevent the condition in the future.

My question is this: If the cause of the injury is Chris Young's pitching mechanics, as the Mets Today article indicates, is there someone within the organization who's job it is to correct the issue? Moreover, if not then why not?

When I was a track and field athlete in college, we had a staff of trainers that were knowledgeable regarding sports injury and could provide treatment and preventative measures whether those are strengthening exercises or changes in mechanics. One would think that a professional sports organization would have a similar staff of trainers in place. At the very least, one might think that hiring a training staff with the skills and knowledge necessary to prevent recurring injury would seem like a good way to get the most out of "bargain bin" starters like Chris Young.

In Moneyball terms, having a competent training staff could be another way to exploit an undervalued market, and hopefully it's something Sandy Alderson has thought of.

Streak broken, off day

Ok, I lied. No game recaps, I fell asleep during game 2 of the double header and couldn't watch today. Long story short, game 1 of doubleheader seemed fine. I'm ok losing those kinds of games, I just wish David Wright could have provided some offense. Game 2 was atrocious. Big Pelf has to get it together. I support the theory that he's a headcase and overthinks his pitching. Glad to see that the Mets could scratch out a win today. The armchair manager in me would like to see Thole hit 2nd for a few more games. Getting on base is nice and all, but driving in runs is what counts. There's gotta be a stat for that, right?

Mount DickeyManjaro

So, notable knuckleballer and consummate nutjob R.A. Dickey wants to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in the off season. Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa and for all intents and purposes the 4th tallest mountain in the world, was first introduced to Dickey via an Ernest Hemingway short story and has captivated him ever since. Usually I wouldn't mind an eccentric personality pursuing an eccentric hobby when there's no baseball to be played, but if I were a member of the Mets' so-called "prevention and recovery" squad this would raise all kinds of red flags. The last thing this team needs is their only feel-good story from the past 3 years breaking all of the nails on his throwing hand or being eaten by a leopard during the trek.

On the other hand though, if there's anyone on the roster that would be best suited to fight off a wild animal with his bare cuticles, it would be R.A. Dickey. Who knows? Maybe the introspective experience of ascending the peak will provide the kind of inspiration needed to re-invent himself yet again. At least it will be another angle they can work into the Disney movie.

Meanwhile, D.J. Carrasco has performed adequately for today. The spot starter went 3 2/3 innings while avoiding the dreaded "big inning", allowing 3 solo home runs. If this Met offense is worth its salt, they ought to be able to put up some runs against the remaining innings from Derek "I think we'll go with Oliver Perez instead" Lowe and the Atlanta bullpen. The Mets didn't have an early lead in this game, so statistically they have a better chance of not losing. At least I think that's how statistics work. Recap of both games coming later tonight.

Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2011 Dissapoint-Mets!

Ouch.

Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch.

4 games that played out exactly the same way. The Mets play decently at first, scratch out a few early runs, make what seems to be the most of decent-but-not-spectacular starting pitching and capitalize offensively, then the wheels come off. Defensive mistakes cost the Mets outs and lead to big innings for the bad guys. "Turbo" Troy Tulowitski hits home runs in each game. The Mets mount offensive comebacks but fall just short. Of course, the home outfield looking like they've never had to run down a fly ball certainly didn't help things.

The way the Mets played during this homestand reminded me of how they played during the final weeks of 2008 and 2009. Wimpy, coasting, unable to overcome adversity. I suppose it's better to get these kinds of games out of the way early than to collapse at the end of the season, but geez. I don't know what to look for in this next series. I'm operating under the assumption that the Braves are a better team than the Rockies, although the Rockies are off to a hot start and certainly looked like they were playing to win each game against the Mets. Then again, maybe that's just because the Mets looked like the visiting team. The Rockies certainly didn't have any trouble hitting home runs, reading fly outs or making game-saving infield plays at Citi Field.

We're only 13 games in, and every team goes through bad stretches, but this team needs to sharpen up in order to be worth watching. As I type this, I see Jordan Zimmerman and the Washington Nationals embroiled in a pitchers duel with Cliff Lee and the Phillies. The Nationals, who are far inferior on paper, are playing hard and making a legitimate effort to win the series. Terry Collins is right when he says that the Mets are a talented team, but right now they aren't playing any better than their record implies. I don't know if the team isn't trying hard enough or is trying too hard and choking, but I'm tired of it. From the looks of things, Terry is tired of it too. At least this weekend, the Mets won't look lost in their own ballpark.

Feliciano Goes Down

Latest news on Mets-come-Yankees reliever Pedro Feliciano is that he has a torn shoulder capsule and will quite possibly require season-ending surgery. Sound familiar? The unofficial rehab assignment has Pedro and Johan playing lefty catch together in Port Ace-LOOGY. No disrespect to "Perpetual Pedro", but I can't help but think that the Mets dodged a bullet on this one. Glad that he got the contract he was looking for, and hopefully he makes a full recovery, but it's somewhat refreshing to see that other NY team overpay for a player and have that investment turn into a liability.

How Many Mets Does it Take to Screw in a Lightbulb?

Hello friends, and welcome to the inaugural post of Upstate met Fan. My name's Keaston and I'll be your host. I am not a baseball insider and I get a majority of my information/game analysis from the usual suspects; Metsblog and the SNY blog network, Mets Today, various sports media outlets and, of course, by watching the games.

I am somewhat of a blue-collar fan and hope to provide insight, analysis and even a little bit of humor through what is hopefully a fresh perspective. Living over 100 miles away from any Major-League stadium, I do not get to go to as many games as I'd like but I do feel somewhat insulated from the hectic "win now" attitude that can sometimes permeate the fanbase and popular media. I've bounced around the idea of starting a Mets blog through the lens of an upstate New Yorker for awhile and am happy to finally get this thing off the ground.

Another post will be coming later recapping today's double-header and a little bit of the season at large. For now, welcome to my little slice of the intertubes. Lets Go Mets!