Recently, starter Oliver Perez was demoted to the bullpen after an 0-3; 5.94 ERA start. Seems fitting right? This all comes a brief time ago after signing a three year/$36M contract. The Mets didn't send him to the minors due to him not accepting that kind of demotion and more than likely having to shred the contract and eat the money. Writers say Perez doesn't pitch as well in the cold, which is plausible if you think of Pedro Martinez, but hardly an excuse for lack of velocity. Oliver Perez and Red Sox reliever Manny Delcarmen can surely commiserate such a problem as Delcarmen has struggled to get his velocity back after an injury. Interestingly, the two are the same age (28) and neither should be hitting a "dead-arm" age yet. Both have been extensively injured throughout their careers.
The real problem for the Mets is the fact who is the person to replace Perez. Jon Niese has been diagnosed with a mild strain of his right hamstring after exiting Sunday's game. Two pitchers are needed now. Johan Santana has yet to win, John Maine is having command issues, while Mike Pelfrey continues to showcase himself as the number one guy for now. Hisanori Takahasi (3-1; 3.12ERA) will take Niese's start on Friday, but rumor has it that Perez's replacement will be R.A. Dickey, whose been added to the roster while they await word on the extent of Niese's hamstring. Dickey hasn't played in the bigs since last season, but sports a 4-2; 2.23ERA at Triple A Buffalo.
The question is are Hisanori Takahashi and R.A. Dickey be the replacements to keep the Mets afloat? At least, Chris Carter is exciting to watch while Jeff Francouer took his mental health day.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Baseball reflects life sometimes....
I apologize for my brief disappearance, but I've been busy getting ready for graduation, figuring out how I'm gonna pay my bills on my limited income, and relationship issues. Quite simply, it hasn't been all roses here, a lot of questions that need answers.
The season is underway and in full swing. Some teams have found their identities and others, like my Red Sox haven't. It's hard to pin-point the exact problem because every night it's something different. Is it me or since Josh Beckett signed the new contract he's sucked? Wake is angry he's been relegated to the bullpen, but has little to show he deserves to be in the rotation. Buc has been dynamite and in another start mediocre. Lackey had one bad start. I'm still re-visiting my disgust for Dice-K..how many more years do I have to put up with him? Pedey's mini-slump has hurt the offense with it being crippled by injuries to Cameron (possibly beginning a minor league assignment this week), Ellsbury, and now V-Tek is sore, but not expected to miss much time. V-Mart STILL can't throw runners out. The OF positions are in constant shuffle with one really getting accommodated to playing consecutive days aside from J.D.
Meanwhile, the Phils and Mets continue to excite. I've been watching a lot of Phillies games as of late including the fantastic Hamels outing against the Cards, when the other idiot jumped onto the field. The Mets win streak ended a week ago today, but who knew Mike Pelfrey would be this good?!? It's been a refreshing change to watch when I've had the time instead of banging my head against the wall with the Sox. The Phils look like a well-oiled machine mowing through their competition without J-Roll in the line-up. Don't fret about Blanton's outing today, he'll come around. The Mets got into a funk after being dismantled by the Phils last weekend, dropping games to the Reds, but the dugout has never looked that good in years..finally, the Metsies look like they're havin fun. Ike Davis is electrifying on the field.
Still, for all the bad, at least we've gotten some surprises (Darnell McDonald, Ortiz's bat is starting to come alive, and Hermida). The Sox are far from consistent, but should the pitching and hitting become more consistent, we'll see the Sox team we've been hoping to see....just like I'm hoping to get my first REAL job interview in a very inconsistent job market.
Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net
The season is underway and in full swing. Some teams have found their identities and others, like my Red Sox haven't. It's hard to pin-point the exact problem because every night it's something different. Is it me or since Josh Beckett signed the new contract he's sucked? Wake is angry he's been relegated to the bullpen, but has little to show he deserves to be in the rotation. Buc has been dynamite and in another start mediocre. Lackey had one bad start. I'm still re-visiting my disgust for Dice-K..how many more years do I have to put up with him? Pedey's mini-slump has hurt the offense with it being crippled by injuries to Cameron (possibly beginning a minor league assignment this week), Ellsbury, and now V-Tek is sore, but not expected to miss much time. V-Mart STILL can't throw runners out. The OF positions are in constant shuffle with one really getting accommodated to playing consecutive days aside from J.D.
Meanwhile, the Phils and Mets continue to excite. I've been watching a lot of Phillies games as of late including the fantastic Hamels outing against the Cards, when the other idiot jumped onto the field. The Mets win streak ended a week ago today, but who knew Mike Pelfrey would be this good?!? It's been a refreshing change to watch when I've had the time instead of banging my head against the wall with the Sox. The Phils look like a well-oiled machine mowing through their competition without J-Roll in the line-up. Don't fret about Blanton's outing today, he'll come around. The Mets got into a funk after being dismantled by the Phils last weekend, dropping games to the Reds, but the dugout has never looked that good in years..finally, the Metsies look like they're havin fun. Ike Davis is electrifying on the field.
Still, for all the bad, at least we've gotten some surprises (Darnell McDonald, Ortiz's bat is starting to come alive, and Hermida). The Sox are far from consistent, but should the pitching and hitting become more consistent, we'll see the Sox team we've been hoping to see....just like I'm hoping to get my first REAL job interview in a very inconsistent job market.
Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net
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