Baseball Info: Mei 2012

Kamis, 31 Mei 2012

Terry's comments on tonight's Mets loss to the Phillies

Terry Collins talked to reporters after tonight's loss and had the following to say about:

Carlos Ruiz, and his game-tying two-run homerun in the eighth against BobbyParnell:

'That was the guy we knew who was sitting over there. We had the match up we wanted. We had Bobby ready for him. Bobby was going to face him no matter when he came in.'

Lucas Duda, who went 3 for 4, including two homeruns:

'Certainly off Cliff, it was a big swing for him. If we get him going, our lineup is going to change immensely'He's been swinging at some first pitches. He's worked very hard to make some adjustments in his swing, to get the bat out front, which we saw tonight. Hopefully it continues.'

The Mets bullpen, and their 5.39 ERA this season:

'What you might have seen tonight were guys that pitched three nights in a row. Tonight they made some pitches they wish they could get back. Had we'd been able to stayed tied, Frankie would have gotten in the game, to try and give us another chance. We let the one inning get away. There's no question, we've got to make better pitches than that.'

Wilpon discusses Wright, teams play, minor league system

Prior to tonight's game, Jeff Wilpon spoke with reporters and according to MetsBlog's Vinny Cartiglia, stated there is no reason to rush the David Wright situation, saying:

'As Sandy said last night. He is under contract this year. We have an option for next year. There is no gun to anybody's head. So, let it just play out. At the right time, Sandy and I will discuss it and it will move on.'

Wilpon went on to say that Wright is very special to him personally, the organization, the fan base, and the community. So, 'Give it time. Let it play out. And, we will hopefully have a good conclusion.'

He also discussed the team's play thus far, saying he is 'happy.' Though it is not unexpected. 'Listening to Sandy and the baseball guys. They thought we would have a competitive team. And that's what they are showing.'

Wilpon also praised the Minor League system for being better than people had given it credit for, as well as the club's depth; citing the fact the Mets are on their fourth string shortstop. Wilpon went on to say a lot of different guys are contributing and 'it's great to see.'

Rabu, 30 Mei 2012

Alderson plans to speak with Wright's agents this season

Sandy Alderson told reporters Tuesday that he plans to speak this season with the agents for David Wright about a new contract extension.

'We certainly will talk to his agent sometime this season,' Alderson said. 'I don't want to infer that we will make an offer. We won't make an offer. We expect to talk to his agent this season certainly.'

Alderson repeatedly reminded reporters that Wright is under team control through 2013.

'So we'll talk to the agent this year,' Alderson said again. 'We can talk about a lot of things that will come up short of an offer. And I'm not trying to suggest that we're going to make one or not make one or what have you. I've said we'd like to have David here long term. I stand by that statement.'

According to Alderson, he felt the need to address local media on this topic, so to avoid having to field dozens of individual phone calls with dozens of individual questions. Instead, he thought it would be easier to address everyone at once.

Matthew Cerrone: First of all, great job by Sandy taking this bull by the horns. I'm sure beat reporters and columnists call every day. He says one thing to one person, another to some one else, talk radio interprets it as they want, fans see one quote not the other, next you think you know people are calling and writing and demanding an extension now and it all gets out of hand. To call time out, gather every one, stand there and an answer everyone's questions equally, all at once, means the message is at least consistent and he can spend his time working on real baseball issues' you know, like actually talking to Wright's agents (not just talking to reporters about talking to Wright's agents).

As for the contract (or possible contract), I've heard from multiple agents around baseball who say it is becoming increasingly more difficult to negotiate with teams (especially in season), because NO teams say the first number and NO teams fax over formal offer sheets anymore. It's not just the Mets, it's everyone. So, the chance of making a formal offer in season, for any player on any team, becomes more complicated, given scheduling and in-season commitemnts.

My understanding is Wright's agents and Alderson will have basic talks, get a sense of what each side wants, and if they all agree this is home for David, they'll table it and hammer out a deal in the off season (during which the Mets will likely have to over pay for keeping him from free agency). If there is a sense David insists on testing free agency, like Jose Reyes insisted, then I bet they pick up his option and we begin hearing trade rumors in November, though he wouldn't likely get dealt (if he's ever dealt at all) until next July (after the All-Star game)'

Last week on SNY, Alderson told Gary Cohen and Ron Darling there was no 'impediment' to keeping Wright long-term as long as he was interested in staying.

In addition, earlier this month, Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal said, 'The Mets are quietly preparing a long-term contract extension for Wright,' according to a baseball official familiar with the team's thinking.

Vinny's Suggested Links and NYC Backpages for May 30

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In today’s New York Times, Andrew Keh recaps yesterday’s exclusive hour long pre-game Q&A that R.A. Dickey had with over 100 fans. For a look at Jack Egbert‘s journey to the big leagues, check out this post by Bob Klapisch … Continue reading →

Selasa, 29 Mei 2012

Thole, Bay, Tejada play in Extended Spring Training game

Josh Thole, Jason Bay, and Ruben Tejada all played in an extended Spring Training game today in Port St. Lucie, the team said.

Thole caught five innings and both Bay and Tejada took at-bats, although neither Bay or Tejada played the field in that game.

Bay was placed on the 15-day disabled list in late April after breaking a rib on a diving attempt in left field.

Thole was placed on the seven-day disabled list earlier this month after sustaining a concussion on a play at the plate in Philadelphia.

Tejada was placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 7 after straining his right quadricep muscle while diving into first base against the Diamondbacks on May 6.

Acosta to be DFA'd; Schwinden, Quintanilla en route to NY

Chris Schwinden and Omar Quintanilla are on their way to New York, according to the team's beat reporters on Twitter.

6:54 pm: Mike Puma of the New York Post says Manny Acosta will be designated for assignment to make room for Quintanilla on the 40-man roster.

Michael Baron (May 28, 5:52 pm): Clearly, Justin Turner is headed for the disabled list. Terry Collins has said in the past he does not see Jordany Valdespin as a shortstop, and with Ronny Cedeno still hurting, there is no natural shortstop available on the active roster ' Quintanilla fits the bill and he has played well for Buffalo this season, committing just five errors in 192 chances.

As for Schwinden, it might be that Manny Acosta has finally reached the end of the line in the bullpen. Schwinden is already on the 40-man roster but Quintanilla is not. So presumably Schwinden would take Acosta's place in the bullpen and Quintanilla would take Acosta's spot on the 40-man roster.

An interesting development in the minor leagues has been the emergence of Elvin Ramirez at Triple-A Buffalo. He has been lights out since his promotion from Double-A Binghamton, allowing just five hits, one walk and 16 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings. He was outstanding for the Bisons once again today, striking out the side in one inning of relief. He is not on the 40-man roster, and with the need for a natural shortstop right now, making two 40-man roster moves in one day might come at a significant cost. Nevertheless, I would expect Ramirez will be garnering some Major League consideration in the short-term.

Senin, 28 Mei 2012

Today's Mets/Phillies lineups at Citi Field (1:10 PM)

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Standings, beat reports, and a look ahead to June

The Mets and Nationals won yesterday, while the Braves, Marlins and Phillies lost.

To read more about yesterday's win over the Padres, check out this post from MetsBlog.com, as well as beat reports from MLB.com, the Wall Street Journal, Star-Ledger, Bergen Record, ESPN,Newsday, the Daily News and New York Post.

The Mets open a three-game series with the Phillies this afternoon at Citi Field, with Jon Niese facing Cole Hamels at 1:10 pm.

Here is the next month ahead, in which the Mets play nine of their next ten series against teams with a record of .500 or better:

So far in 2012, the Mets are 17-13 this season against teams with a .500 record or better; 10-8 against teams with a .500 record or below.

Michael Baron: The Mets did what they had to do against the Pirates and Padres ' they took five of seven but thanks to an untimely mistake in the outfield last Monday, it could have been better. Their path gets a little more difficult beginning with their series against the Phillies today if only because the competition will be consistently tough for an extended period of time. They have fared well against the better teams in the league so far, and that has been a great sign for this team. Nevertheless, we will probably learn what this team is made of and what track they'll be taking into the summer by the time they get to Chicago at the end of June.

R.A. Dickey's strikeouts, and the rising knuckleball

In yesterday's 2-0 win over the Padres, R.A. Dickey allowed three hits and a walk while striking out ten in 7 1/3 innings.

Dickey faced 26 batters and threw 102 pitches, 66 of which were strikes, and he is now tied for the league lead with seven wins against one loss and a 3.06 ERA in ten starts.

'The game is about ebbs and flows and right now I'm fortunate to be in the middle of a flow,' Dickey said after the game. 'The key is don't get out of the water, regardless of where you are. Overall, I feel pretty good with where [the knuckleball] is right now.'

Dickey has held hitters to leadoff an inning to a .194 average this season.

In addition, Dickey became the first Mets pitcher with double-digit strikeouts in consecutive games since 2006, when Pedro Martinez struck out ten on May 9 against the Phillies and then another ten on May 14 against the Brewers.

'[Home Plate umpire] Tim Tschida said, 'I've never seen the ball do that kind of stuff,'' Terry Collins told reporters after the game. 'That tells you how good his knuckleball was.'

Dickey's 29 strikeouts over his last three starts are the highest three-start total of his career, and it also ties for the second highest total in a three-game span in the majors this season.

Michael Baron: Dickey has been phenomenal once again this year. The most enjoyable part about watching Dickey is that it's a continuous evolution for him ' everyday it seems he has a new trick up his sleeve to dazzle the opposition, and the results always seem to be positive, at a minimum. In his last two starts, Dickey has featured a knuckleball which has risen up through the strikezone, almost like a tailing fastball but he has the ability to slow it down from pitch to pitch. That new movement has allowed him to keep from using his fastball very much, forcing the opposition to adjust to his stuff rather than Dickey having to adjust to a lack of the feel for his knuckleball.

Yes, the Padres and Pirates have second rate offenses, but they are still Major League teams ' if he hadn't executed his knuckleball and mixed the program as well as he had, he would have struggled as much as he flourished over that span. I said it last week ' he seems to know how to locate his knuckleball, which is proving to be devastating for anyone he faces.

Minggu, 27 Mei 2012

Mets vs. Phillies Beach Viewing Party in AC Cancelled

Due to weather delays earlier this week, beach restoration efforts in Atlantic City will occupy the same small stretch of beach that the Mets vs Phillies viewing Party, presented by the Atlantic City Allianc,e was scheduled to occur on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28th. For technical and safety reasons, the viewing party on the beach is cancelled.

Please visit doatlanticcity.com for a list of Atlantic City locations that will be showing the Phillies vs. Mets game at 1 p.m.

Vinny's suggested links and NYC backpages for May 27

The Mets are worth watching again, Bob Klapisch writes in the Bergan Record.

David Wright talks about leadership, being named captain and more, in this Q&A with the New York Post.

Bob Ojeda relives the glory and pain of pitching, in this must-read post to the New York Times.

Lastly, here are New York's backpages from this morning:

Sabtu, 26 Mei 2012

Quotes & comments from Dillon Gee's outing on Friday

In last night's 6-1 win over the Padres, Dillon Gee allowed a run on four hits in seven innings with three walks and a career-high nine strikeouts.

Gee faced 27 batters and threw 106 pitches, 71 of which were strikes.

'My mechanics have been all out of whack,'' Gee told reporters after the game. 'I'm not out there throwing 95, so I rely on my mechanics to get me through games. Lately I was up in the zone a lot, mechanically I just felt out of whack, out of sync. My right foot didn't know what my left foot was doing. I just felt lost, really, to be honest. I've been searching for the past couple weeks. Sometimes the best medicine is to put everything down and say 'Screw it', go out there the next day.''

Gee improved to 4-3 with a 4.92 ERA last night and has won his last two starts while allowing four runs over his last 13 2/3 innings.

Terry Collins feels Gee gets stronger in the middle of his starts, telling reporters:

'What I've seen late in the game, it's almost like his sinker's better, his two-seam fastball's getting better, he's starting to locate it better, and I think he knows he can make pitches.'

Gee has won back-to-back starts for the first time since last June, and the Mets are now 11-0 when their starting pitcher goes at least seven innings or more in a game.

Michael Baron: Gee certainly hasn't used consistent mechanics from start-to-start so far this season. There appeared to be a lot of rocking, a lot of swaying, and a lot of drifting into his windup which was creating uncontrollable movement on all of his pitches. In his last two starts, Gee has appeared much smoother in his delivery and, while he was certainly wilder against the Blue Jays last Sunday, he has been able to induce weak contact, especially with his slider which has been incorporated with more frequency in his most recent outings.

Gee was helped by a tremendous double play by Mike Baxter in the first inning which seemed to help settle him down and set the tone for the rest of his start. Generally, Gee had awesome late movement on all of his pitches and worked quickly, which is the key to success not just for Gee but for everyone in the rotation. But when Gee is getting that heavy downward action on his change-up and breaking balls, he is clearly incredibly difficult to read from both sides of the plate.

Today's Mets/Padres lineups at Citi Field (1:10 PM)

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Vinny's suggested op-ed columns for May 26

Kevin Kernan of the New York Post says the Mets must keep the heat on the dregs of the National League.

Despite the Mets decision to keep Ike Davis on the big league roster, Tim Smith of the Daily News believes Davis should still be sent to the minor leagues.

In a report for the New York Times, Faith and Fear in Flushing's Greg Prince writes about Banner Day tomorrow at Citi Field, saying 'If precedent is a reliable indicator, paint will be spilled, linens will be ruined and at least a few people will have something clever to say.'

Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal explores Tim Byrdak's season and his heavy usage through the first two months of the season.

Jumat, 25 Mei 2012

Big Apple Mets: Are pitch counts ruining the game?

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Quotes & comments from Hefner's outing on Thursday

In last night's 11-5 loss to the Padres, Jeremy Hefner allowed six runs and nine hits over 3 2/3 innings before being removed from the game.

Hefner faced 20 batters and threw 73 pitches, 52 of which were strikes.

Hefner threw two scoreless innings prior to a 68 minute rain delay, but came back out and allowed all six runs in the third and fourth innings.

'I'm just real disappointed,' Hefner told reporters after the game. 'I gotta be able to keep us in the game, regardless of rain delays, or whatever the circumstances are. ' It was pretty difficult, but I still think I had the ability to go in and shut down the lineup. It's a learning experience, and if I ever have to face it again, I now know what to do.'

Collins was non-commital as to whether or not Hefner will get another start after his poor performance on Thursday, although he acknowledged the options are limited right now:

'We haven't even thought about that, even talked about that,' Collins said. 'We haven't had time to discuss it yet, where we're headed and what we're gonna do. So we'll just wait a couple days and make that decision. ' We are certainly aware of what we've got and what we're looking at'We are running out of bodies.'

Since Mike Pelfrey went on the disabled list, his replacements in the rotation (Hefner, Miguel Batista, and Chris Schwinden) have gone 1-3 with a 7.28 ERA, having allowed 42 hits, 10 walks, 14 strikeouts and seven home runs since April 27.

Michael Baron: To be fair, it's so hard to judge Hefner after last night. Yes, he got absolutely shelled after the rain delay, but it was clear he wasn't throwing with the same conviction or game plan as he was prior to the delay. Early in the game, he did a great job mixing in his curveball and he was getting outs quickly and efficiently, needing only 17 pitches to get through the first two innings. But after the delay, he mostly threw fastballs between 88-89 mph ' there isn't a pitcher in baseball who can survive throwing only mediocre fastballs, regardless of how productive an opposing lineup is.

Hefner has shown an ability to throw strikes in two prior relief appearances, and he did so once again last night, at the very least. It's fair to give him another opportunity that would go uninterrupted so he can maintain his rhythm from beginning to end. Besides, until Chris Young is (hopefully) ready or Miguel Batista is ready to return from the disabled list, the Mets do not have anyone else to take his place, anyway.

Kamis, 24 Mei 2012

Warthen: Chris Young returning by June 1 is a 'stretch'

According to Andy McCullough of the Star Ledger, Dan Warthen isn't sure Chris Young will be able to return to the big leagues by June 1, saying:

'If he comes out of (tomorrow's start) feeling good. I think he's going to give us a call and say 'Hey, look. I'd like to go to Buffalo.' And if he comes out still cranky, 'Maybe I should stay in the warmth for a little while.''' It's tough for a timetable right now, but I would think June 1 would be a stretch.'

Young has not made a rehab start since May 16 after returning home for the birth of his child. He is expected to return to the mound tomorrow night for Single-A St. Lucie. He had surgery to repair a torn capsule in his right shoulder last May.

Young has pitched to a 2.53 ERA in 10 2/3 innings over two rehab starts with St. Lucie.

Ottawa Citizen: B-Mets may remain in Binghamton in 2013

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Vinny's suggested links and NYC backpages for May 24

According to Anthony McCarron of the Daily News, the Mets lack depth at first base behind Ike Davis.

Jon Niese demonstrated the ability to make the necessary between-starts adjustments that will be key to his development, Brian Costa writes in this report to the Wall Street Journal.

Bud Selig has no plans to extend replay use by umpires, according to the Star Ledger.

Lastly, here are New York's backpages from this morning:

Rabu, 23 Mei 2012

Vinny's suggested links and NYC backpages for May 23

The Mets could have a winning record this year. Or they could keep getting outscored like they are. But they can't do both, according to Michael Salfino of the Wall Street Journal.

According to WFAN.com, the Mets may not have a choice but to send down Ike Davis.

Meanwhile, in the New York Post, Ken Davidoff writes if you're going to drop hints about it why not just send Davis to Buffalo.

To read team MetsBlog's thought's on whether or not the Mets should send Davis to the minors, click here.

Lastly, here are New York's backpages from this morning:

Niese needs to prepare better vs. unfamiliar opponents

In a report for the New York Post, Mike Puma says the Mets have concluded that 'Jon Niese needs to pay a little more attention to his homework before facing an unfamiliar opponent.'

'He's had a couple of poor games against teams he doesn't know very well,' Dan Warthen said, according to Puma. 'A couple of us talked to him the other day and told him he could do a little bit better with the studying of hitters. ' Teams in our division he's very familiar with and pitches well. We encourage him to be a little more proactive in watching more video and preparing himself that way.'

Niese faces the Pirates today. It's the fourth time this season he will have faced a team outside the National League East, and he's gone 0-2 with a 12.00 ERA in his three prior starts against non-divisional opponents. He is 2-0 with a 2.05 ERA against opponents inside the National League East.

Overall, Niese is 2-2 with a 4.85 ERA with 18 walks and 39 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings this season. He has thrown 747 pitches in eight starts this season, 555 of which (74 percent) have been fastballs and cutters. He has thrown his curveball only 171 times (nearly 23 percent of the time).

Michael Baron: In his starts against Houston and Toronto in particular, he fell in love with his cutter. Those are two dead-fastball hitting teams and there isn't enough differential between those pitches to fool those hitters ' his fastball has averaged just under 91 mph and his cutter has averaged just below 88 mph so far this season. He has failed to incorporate his outstanding curveball consistently against those clubs which would have helped to off-set his fastball much better. What's worse, his location has been ridiculously poor with both the fastball and cutter, which only compounded his problems. His cutter in particular plays into the strength of the right-handed hitter no matter what, since it follows an inside path towards the hitters happy zone ' if he can't come down and in with it, as has been the case recently, he's dead meat.

Whatever the explanation of his struggles are, it's all a part of the growing and maturation process he needs to get through in order to become the pitcher he is capable of becoming. Sandy Alderson said last September growth needs to take place among the starting pitchers, and Niese is no exception, even after he has signed his long-term contract extension.

Wednesday's Mets/Pirates lineups in Pittsburgh (12:35 PM)

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Selasa, 22 Mei 2012

Baxter takes responsibility for the blunder in the 8th inning

In the eighth inning of last night's 5-4 loss to the Pirates, Neil Walker led off and hit a routine fly ball to left-centerfield, but Kirk Nieuwenhuis bumped into Mike Baxter as he tried to make the catch and the ball came loose.

Walker reached third base and was driven home on a sacrifice fly from Clint Barmes.

'I didn't hear him,' Baxter told reporters after the game. 'I should have taken a look. It's 100 percent my fault. That's a fundamental of baseball. Kirk has the right of way on that ball. I've got to get out of his way on that ball. That one hurts. ' I was calling for it. But it's irrelevant, to be honest with you. As off-outfielders, your job is to know where he's at and if he's going to make a play on it, you get out of the way.'

Nieuwenhuis also took responsibility for the blunder.

I should have looked over at him, took a peek, and saw where he was at,' Nieuwenhuis said. 'That's my fault. ' It was pretty loud out there in the outfield by the stands a little bit. But it's part of the game. You've got to deal with it. It's not an excuse. You've got to do what you've got to do to make that play. It's a routine play.'

Michael Baron: Fundamentally speaking, it was in fact Baxter's fault. If the centerfielder waves off anyone, whether it's a corner outfielder of an infielder retreating after a popup behind the diamond, they are to get out of the way. Period. However, there has to be some responsibility put on Nieuwenhuis for not having an awareness of Baxter in that situation and either adjusting, or letting him catch the ball and deal with the fundamental miscue later. This does happen ' unfortunately, it happened at the worst possible time for the Mets last night.

I thought Terry Collins did an outstanding job immediately embracing Baxter while in the dugout during the top of the ninth inning. This is a kid who has found a niche and enjoyed a lot of success in a pinch hitting role, and so it's important Baxter's confidence not get shaken. It's a moment where that can easily happen, but Collins recognized that and did what he could to ease Baxter's mind. It doesn't cure the loss, but whatever was said hopefully kept Baxter's head on straight.

Standings, beat reports, and what's next for the Mets

The Mets, Braves, and Phillies lost last night, while the Marlins and Nationals won.

To read more about last night's debacle, check out this post on MetsBlog, as well as beat reports from MLB.com, the Wall Street Journal, Star-Ledger, Bergen Record, ESPN, Newsday, the Daily News and New York Post.

The Mets will look to even their three-game series with the Pirates tonight in Pittsburgh at 7:05 pm, with R.A. Dickey (5-1, 3.75 ERA) facing James McDonald (3-2, 2.68 ERA).

Pedro Beato makes second rehab appearance

Last night in Daytona Beach, Pedro Beato pitched a scoreless inning of relief in St. Lucie's 4-3 loss to the Daytona Cubs.

Beato has now pitched two scoreless innings during his rehabilitation assignment with Single-A St. Lucie.

Beato was placed on the 15-day disabled list just before the season started with a right rotator cuff strain. He was moved to the 60-day disabled list (and removed from the 40-man roster) on May 8th, retroactive to March 27, and so he would be eligible to return in five days.

Michael Baron: Before the season started, I expected Beato to go to the minor leagues anyway. But given the struggles in the bullpen, I have to believe he will at least be considered as a major league option once he is ready. He probably needs a full Spring Training slate before that happens, which makes a May 27 return doubtful at any level.

Senin, 21 Mei 2012

Vinny Rottino expected to join Mets today in Pittsburgh

'Vinny Rottino is expected to rejoin the Mets today in Pittsburgh,' according to a baseball source, Adam Rubin reports for ESPN New York.

Rottino is hitting .307 with a .361 OBP this year for Triple-A Buffalo. He was promoted to the Mets a few weeks ago, during which he was hitless in four at bats. He hit .277 with three HR and nine RBI in his nine games for Buffalo after being returned to Triple-A.

Matthew Cerrone: Rottino will likely replace a pitcher, meaning a five-man bench and a seven-man bullpen. The Mets need Jeremy Hefner in the rotation, so either Chris Schwinden or Manny Acosta should get the boot. Acosta has a history here, some good, some bad, and though he's been mostly terrible this season, I bet he sticks here and Schwinden goes back down.

Standings, Weekend News and What's Next for the Mets

In case you missed it, this past weekend in Toronto, the Mets lost Friday and Saturday to the Blue Jays, but rebounded to win yesterday, which you can read about here, here and here.

Also this past weekend, Miguel Batista was put on the DL with a strained oblique and lower-back pain. Chris Schwinden was added to the roster, though Jeremy Hefner will likely start Thursday in place of Batista.

Speaking of the pitching staff, Terry Collins said Jenrry Mejia is likely to pitch in the bullpen this season ' if he is promoted to the big-league club when done with his rehab assignment.

Later today, Ruben Tejada could begin a minor-league rehab assignment, while Jason Bay could begin taking batting practice, Terry Collins said this weekend.

In response to questions about a pending roster crunch, Collins suggested the team might consider sending Ike Davis to the minor leagues when players begin returning from the disabled list. 'There is nothing etched in stone,' he explained.

Matthew Cerrone: Tough weekend, but I'm thrilled the Mets got it together yesterday to salvage the series. This has been a difficult stretch. They are banged up, not hitting, the bullpen is giving everyone fits, and they've been doing a lot of travel. However, through it, they've managed to keep their heads up and record over .500, which is a good sign for when things lighten up - as they play three against the Pirates starting tonight, then return home to play the Padres and Phillies.

I mentioned the other day that a possible solution for when Bay returns might be to let him return to right field, then send down Ike, move Lucas Duda to first and move Kirk Nieuwenhuis to right field. However, now Nieuwenhuis isn't hitting, while looking completely unprepared to re-adjust to big-league pitching. Worse, Andres Torres is in a huge slump as well, making the entire situation less than ideal. Eh, there's nothing anyone can do just yet, as Bay is probably at least another week or so from being considered for a return. So, there's time for this to hopefully shake itself out'

As for Mejia, as I understand it, the plan will be to let him keep making starts at Double-A, after which he'll likely get bumped up to Triple-A in a week or so. There he will make two or three starts, depending on how stressful his innings are. Then, around mid-June, the team will consider promoting him to the big-league roster, at which point he will keep on a schedule for his recovery, but pitch in relief. I have no idea if this is wise or not. I'll need to see it play out. But, he was mishandled in his first big-league stint, as that front office was making decisions that would save their jobs and not to help this kid's future. This time, I trust this administration is doing what they think is best for Mejia and the franchise for the long-term, but I'm skeptical ' again ' about him jockeying between starting and relieving, especially in his return from Tommy John surgery.

Lastly, tonight at 7:10 pm, the Mets will begin a three-game series in Pittsburgh against the Pirates, with LHP Johan Santana (1-2, 2.89 ERA) taking on LHP Erik Bedard (2-5, 3.07 ERA).

Terry discusses Francisco, Baxter, Gee's performance

After today's 6-5 win over the Blue Jays, Terry Collins said he thought Frank Francisco could be amped up returning to Toronto today, and was really happy with the job he did.

'I said 'if you're ever going to show your true colors, now is the time,'' Collins said.

Collins hopes today's outing for Francisco turns the tide for him.

Mike Baxter will sit against Erik Bedard tomorrow, but Collins wants to find more playing time for him against right-handed pitching.

'His bat is speaking for itself. When you have a red hot bat like his, you've got to get him in there,' Collins said.

Collins is not considering Baxter at first base at this time.

Collins thought Dillon Gee did an outstanding job and it was a big start for him.

'He needed to get back on track,' Collins said. 'He went out and pitched a great ballgame.'

Collins and Sandy Alderson have not yet decided which position player will be recalled for tomorrow's game against the Pirates.

Minggu, 20 Mei 2012

Pedro Beato makes FSL debut with St. Lucie

Yesterday in Lakeland, Florida, Pedro Beato pitched two scoreless innings of relief in St. Lucie's 7-3 win over the Lakeland Flying Tigers in the Florida State League.

Michael Baron: Before the season started, I would've expected Beato to go to the minor leagues anyway. But given the struggles in the bullpen, I have to believe he will at least be considered as a major league option once he is ready, although he probably needs a full Spring Training slate before that happens, making a May 27 return doubtful at any level.

Three suggested op-ed's and NYC backpages for May 20

In a report for Newsday, David Lennon examines the impact of the new dimensions at Citi Field so far this season.

In today's Daily News, Bob Raissman writes 'The Mets manager will never be cast as Mr. Sunshine. He illuminates by speaking the truth.'

Jeff Bradley of the Star Ledger spoke with Paul O'Neill about the similarities between the 1993 Yankees and the 2012 Mets.

Quotes & comments from Hefner's outing on Saturday

In yesterday's 2-0 loss to the Blue Jays, Jeremy Hefner allowed two runs and four hits with five strikeouts in five innings of relief of Miguel Batista, who left the game after the second inning due to a muscle strain in his back.

Hefner faced 19 batters and threw 65 pitches, 43 of which were strikes, but took the loss after allowing two runs in the fifth inning yesterday.

'I'm disappointed in [the fifth inning],' Hefner told reporters after the game. 'I got out of my mechanics a little bit and left a few balls up and they got a couple of runs,' said Hefner, who surrendered two runs in five innings. 'I got a few strikeouts and just tried to keep the ball down and make them hit it into the ground. It's a quick field, so if they get it in the gaps, it's extra bases for sure.'

Hefner has now made two relief appearances in his big league career, and is 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA in eight innings.

'I applaud the job Jeremy Hefner did, coming here this morning and giving us that outing, it was tremendous,' Terry Collins said after the game.

Collins also said Hefner would start in Batista's place on Thursday, should Batista be unavailable.

Michael Baron: It's hard to say right now if Hefner is any kind of short-term or long-term solution for this team, but he looked good in Spring Training, has pitched well for Triple-A Buffalo this season, and has been an element of stability in two stints with the Mets so far this year. Yesterday he threw strikes with four pitches: a fastball, curveball, slider, and change-up. He actually threw his curveball and slider more than his fastball, but that's a recipe for success against the Blue Jays, who routinely crush fastballs.

Hefner's curveball has been particularly impressive in his two appearances with the Mets. It is a classic 12-6 curveball but he has the ability to center the pitch and then drop it through the strike zone to nick the outside corner in the lower part of the strike zone. As is the case with Jon Niese and the cutter, it would be wise not to fall in love with that pitch, but as long as he can throw his other pitches for strikes in any count, the curveball can be a formidable weapon for him.

Sabtu, 19 Mei 2012

Mets plan to promote Jeremy Hefner

The Mets are planning to promote RHP Jeremy Hefner from Triple-A Buffalo for today's game against the Blue Jays, Adam Rubin reports to ESPN New York.com.

However, he points out, no move has been announced, though he speculates that Manny Acosta could be removed from the roster if Hefner is added.

Hefner tossed three scoreless innings in his big-league debut against the Giants last month, allowing three hits and one walk, after which he was sent back down to Triple-A.

Matthew Cerrone: It's not that Hefner is the end-all, be-all savior. But, he has shown a good command of his repertoire and he's not walking many batters these days in Triple-A. I like the move, because Hefner can pitch in relief (and lord knows they need the help right now) and he can start (depending on which pitcher Batista decides to be going forward). Again, not a world-changing move here, but a necessary one given the state of the pitching staff and being in the AL East this weekend.

Manny Acosta has a 10.53 ERA!

Polaroid Last night in Toronto, Manny Acosta allowed five earned runs and walked four batters in only two innings of work.

In 17 games this season, Acosta is 1-2 with a 10.53 ERA, allowing 42 base-runners in only 19 2/3 innings.

Last night, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York said the Mets are expected to promote Jeremy Hefner from Triple-A Buffalo for today's game against the Blue Jays.

Hefner threw three scoreless innings of relief against the Giants last month at Citi Field.

Michael Baron: Acosta is killing this team. The fact he could be less effective than D.J. Carrasco is noteworthy in and of itself. Right now, he's doing nothing more than throwing the ball as hard as he can ' and when he does throw his slider, he has basically no break on it, and hitters do not miss it. He's got no game plan, no approach, and no mound presence. The sum total of those problems are a 10.53 ERA on his line.

At this stage, he is becoming increasingly more difficult to justify a roster spot. If the Mets promote Hefner from Triple-A Buffalo, I have to believe Acosta is the odd man out. They must find more consistency in that bullpen and figure out a way to bridge the gap to Chris Young (and maybe Matt Harvey later this year) in the rotation. Hefner might not be to savior, but he has thrown strikes with consistency at Triple-A and, right now, he might be the best answer the Mets have.

Jumat, 18 Mei 2012

Photos: Mets wearing NHL jerseys to Toronto tonight

The Mets are wearing NHL jerseys on their flight to Toronto tonight:

Apparently, Dillon Gee has shaved his goatee'

For more photos of the Mets in their NHL jerseys, check the Mets Twitter feed.

Vinny's suggested Op-Eds and NYC backpages for May 18

Daniel Murphy is not only hitting well he's playing a solid second base, Sean Brennan says in this report for the Daily News.

In a post to ESPN New York, Kieran Darcy explains why the 2012 Mets are better than the 2012 Yankees.

Teammates have long admired Wright for the way he plays the game. But they have never been in such awe of him, writes Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal.

David Wright is finally becoming the ultimate leader, George Willis writes in the New York Post.

Meanwhile, in the Star Ledger, Jeff Bradley says Wright is having a super star season.

Lastly, here are New York's backpages from this morning:

Kamis, 17 Mei 2012

Today's Mets/Reds lineups at Citi Field (1:10 PM)

About MetsBlog

MetsBlog.com and Matthew Cerrone are not responsible for what is written by non-MetsBlog.com writers within the sites comments section.

Performance Review: Santana struggled, found rhythm late

In last night's 6-3 loss to the Reds, Johan Santana allowed two runs and six hits, while walking two and striking out five over 6 2/3 innings. However, he took his fifth no decision of the season and ' for the second time in four starts ' left with a lead only to have the bullpen relinquish it.

'There's not much I can do, but just watch and hope that we get it done,' Santana told reporters after the game. 'It's always tough. You have a chance to win a ballgame and it didn't happen. I'm just trying to do my job. Once I do my job and I'm out of the game, I just hope that the guys can finish it, but it's out of my control. That wasn't the case tonight.'

Santana faced 29 batters and threw 107 pitches, 71 of which were strikes.

'He is the guy that I've heard about,' Terry Collins said after the game. 'I'd never seen him pitch before, but listening to the people that had seen him pitch, the one general characteristic I'd heard was, 'Wait until you see this guy compete.' He's absolutely done all of that.'

Santana is 1-2 with a 2.89 ERA this season, striking out 46 in 43 2/3 innings over eight starts.

Michael Baron: Santana featured a great change-up once again, and he did an outstanding job varying the speed and location of it over the course of his outing as well. The Reds looked clueless against it, which made his fastball all the more effective. He threw a lot of pitches early once again but he worked at an unusually slow pace in the first three innings. Presumably he was struggling to get comfortable, but he seemed to switch gears in the fourth inning, starting throwing with greater authority and sped his tempo up. He was helped by two outstanding defensive plays by Mike Baxter in left field which unquestionably kept the Reds at Bay and Santana in the game. But when a pitcher is throwing strikes and working in rhythm, the defense always seems to follow suit, such was the case with Santana last night.

Now, if only he could get the wins he deserves on his line'

Rabu, 16 Mei 2012

My reactions to Wright/Collins situation

Last night, following a solo home run by Rickie Weeks, D.J Carrasco plunked Ryan Braun with the next pitch.

David Wright was scheduled to lead off the bottom of the inning, but Terry Collins pulled him from the game and put Jordany Valdespin in instead. Wright erupted. Emphatically yelling at Collins, demanding to stay in the game before storming down the tunnel and in to the clubhouse. Wright later returned and next to Collins on the top step, spoke passionately about the situation, as Collins stared intensely at the field.

Vinny Cartiglia: Seriously, this was awesome. Normally it's easy to say David was wrong, Terry was right or vice versa. In this situation, however, I agree with both sides. I totally understand why Collins pulled Wright from the game. Honestly, I think I would have done the same. David could have easily been drilled with a fastball on the wrist, elbow, or the head and needed a DL stint to which we would all have been furious that he was left in the game. Wright is very important to this club and there is no reason he should have been put in harms way during an 8-0 game. And so, I am glad Terry did what he did.

On the flip side of that coin, I get why Wright was upset. He's the leader of this club and official or not, he is the captain. That may have never been more evident then it was last night. Honestly, the dude is awesome. The passion he displayed. The fact that he stood there ' in front of his teammates ' and said I'm willing to take one for this team was pretty cool to watch. That brief moment in the Mets dugout showed just how much David cares about this team and thanks to the SNY camera crew, we all got to witness it.

I couldn't agree more with Matthew Cerrone who stated the following last night on MetsBlog:

Vinny's Op-Eds to Read and today's backpages for May 16

Mike Baxter is becoming a valuable pinch hitter, Brian Costa explains in the Wall Street Journal.

The ability to work pitchers deep into counts has been one of the keys to the Mets offensive success this season, Mike Salfino explains in this report to the Wall Street Journal.

In today's Star Ledger, Jeff Bradley says Terry Collins is not a fan of bullpen roles, but he accepts it is part of the game.

Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post believes the Mets may be tiptoeing a razor-thin margin of error, but they give a damn and play hard every night.

In regards to the situation last night between David Wright and Terry Collins'

In the Daily News, Tim Smith explains why he felt Collins made the right move.

Likewise, Rich Coutinho of WFAN.com says Wright respects his manager and understands he made the right move pulling him from the game.

Lastly, here are New York's backpages from this morning:

Standings, Beat Reports and What's on Tap for Today

The Mets and Nationals lost last night, while the Marlins, Braves and Phillies won.

To read more about last night's loss to the Brewers, check out this post from MetsBlog.com, as well as beat reports from MLB.com, the Wall Street Journal, Star-Ledger, Bergen Record, ESPN,Newsday, the Daily News and New York Post.

Later today, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Bud Selig and Fred Wilpon will be at City Hall to announce that the 2013 All-Star Game will be played at Citi Field.

To watch the official announcement live at 11:30 am, click here.

Tonight at 7:10 pm, the Mets begin a two-game series against the Reds at Citi Field, with Johan Santana (1-2, 2.92 ERA) taking on Mike Leake (0-5, 7.11 ERA).

Selasa, 15 Mei 2012

Performance Review: Batista last night against the Brewers

Last night, in a win against the Brewers, Miguel Batista pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out five.

Batista faced 26 batters and threw 108 pitches, 64 of which were strikes.

Following the game, Batista told reporters that he's been battling a groin issue for the last five to six days, which he can always feel, though there is no pain. He said he will be evaluated again by a team doctor later today.

'I told him it's been going on for a while so don't worry about it,' Batista said he told Terry Collins, when confronted during the game about his occasional limp. Nevertheless, despite not allowing a run, Batista was pulled from the game after the seventh inning.

'He made key pitches when he had to and, when he does that, he has the ability to expand the strike zone,' Collins said. 'When he needs it, he makes a quality pitch.'

Michael Baron: For the most part, it's been a difficult season for Batista so far. He had been relying mostly on his fastball, and while he still throws hard despite his advanced age, he didn't have much command of it and was falling behind most hitters he was facing. But in the middle of his start last week, he began using his secondary pitches and suddenly became more effective.

Batista carried that new game plan into last night's start. He primarily threw both a sinker and slider as his secondary pitches but also effectively threw his change-up and curveball and became very unpredictable. In the end, he gave the Mets exactly what they needed ' quality length and something to build on as they wait for Chris Young to return.

Jason Bay cleared for baseball activity

Jason Bay has been cleared to begin baseball activity and will leave for Port St. Lucie on Thursday, according to WFUV's Amit Badlani.

Bay was batting .240 with 3 HR and 5 RBI in 50 at bats before being placed on the 15-day disabled list with a broken rib in late April.

Bay will eventually play in minor league rehab games before returning to the Mets, Terry Collins told reporters after the game.

Senin, 14 Mei 2012

NL East Standings, In Case You Missed and What's Next

This past weekend against the Marlins, the Mets lost Friday, won Saturday and blew a two-run lead on Sunday, which you can read about here, here and here, to finish 4-2 on the road trip.

Also this weekend, ESPN New York reported that, while Jason Bay will soon head to St. Lucie to start his rehab, Ruben Tejada and Josh Thole have yet to be cleared for baseball activity.

The Mets announced that Dwight Gooden, Rusty Staub and radio personalities Howie Rose and Evan Roberts will be judges for Banner Day, which is scheduled for Sunday, May 27.

Tonight at 7:10 pm, Miguel Batista (0-1, 5.89 ERA) will open a two-game set against the Brewers. Yovani Gallardo (2-3, 5.35 ERA) will start for Milwaukee.

Wright's Intangibles

There are a multitude of reasons for the organization to workout a contract extension with Wright in the short-term. Most notably, it would show they have an ability to invest in their major league roster, as well as show they have a desire to retain their homegrown stars and build a long-term historical legacy with them. Considering he is under team control through next year, there is time to see how Wright responds to the new dimensions at Citi Field and continue his early-season success.

It's easy to simply label Wright as the 'face of the franchise,' but I don't think that statement alone places a fair enough value on what Wright means to this club. This season he has showed a lot of character and guts, and he has showed the kind of impact he can have on his teammates. There are few players who mean as much to their franchise as Wright does to the Mets. His growth and status, even at this fairly early stage in his career, has become even more evident in this transitional point in the team's history. And, as I had discussed with SNY's Matt Dunn this past weekend in Miami,everyone is a fan of Wright, and there would be a certain emptiness with this franchise if the two sides parted ways. That has meaningful value and needs to be a major consideration as they hopefully get closer to a negotiation.

Backpages and Mets Op-Eds for May 14

Daniel Murphy is grateful for the support he receives from 'Mamma Murph,' Anthony DiComo writes in this report to MLB.com.

WFAN.com wonders, should Terry Collins demote struggling closer Frank Francisco?

According to Joel Sherman in the New York Post, more organizations need to to think about following the Cardinals' path with Albert Pujols.

Here are today's backpages'

Minggu, 13 Mei 2012

Gooden, Staub, Rose, Roberts to judge Banner Day

The Mets announced that Dwight Gooden and Rusty Staub, and radio personalities Howie Rose and Evan Roberts will be judges for Banner Day.

Banner Day is scheduled for Sunday, May 27 prior to the 1:10 p.m. Mets ' Padres game at Citi Field.

The judges will select three finalists and then fans texting at the ballpark and at home through Twitter and Facebook will decide the winning banner. The grand prize will be a trip for two to 2013 Mets Spring Training in Port St. Lucie.

The Mets also announced guidelines for the return of Banner Day:

Banner Day participants must have tickets to the game
Participants must check in at the Bullpen Plaza on 126th Street at 37th Avenue
Registration begins at 10:00 a.m. Space is limited.
Banners must celebrate the Mets 50th Anniversary, expressing fans' favorite memories or moments in franchise history.
Banners must be at least 22' by 28' in size.
Banners may not contain vulgar or abusive language.
Commercially produced banners are permitted, but banners may not contain commercial messages, web sites or Twitter handles.
Only the fans required to carry each banner will be permitted onto the field, up to a maximum of four.
The Mets reserve the right to deny access to the field to any banner or person that is deemed inappropriate.

For more information, check out Mets.com.

About Last Night: Dickey threw a lot of 'tumbleweeds' yesterday

In yesterday's 9-3 win over the Marlins, R.A. Dickey allowed two runs and nine hits in six innings to earn his fifth victory of the season.

Dickey faced 26 batters and threw 95 pitches, 65 of which were strikes.

'I threw a lot of tumbleweeds up there,' Dickey told reporters after the game. 'Balls that were just kind of over-rotating on me. Fortunately, I didn't have my swing-and-miss knuckleball tonight, but they were hitting enough pieces of it to get me some groundballs in bigger situations, and I was able to make a big pitch occasionally when I needed it.'

For the first time in his career, Dickey earned a win without recording a strikeout.

Dickey was hit in the wrist by a pitch from Ricky Nolasco, but insists his wrist is fine and is not scheduled to undergo any tests.

'I'm glad it hit me in a meatier part of my wrist,' Dickey said. 'I got feeling back in my hand pretty quickly and felt it would be ok.'

Michael Baron: It was clear from the beginning Dickey was going to have to work hard, as it was apparent his knuckleball was floating up in the zone rather than diving down through it. Dickey is creative enough to be able to make such adjustments, as he can vary the speed on his knuckleball and spot his fastball, which he did effectively yesterday. The thing is, it's so humid inside Marlins Park, and humidity usually doesn't work in favor of the knuckleball. But the fact Dickey was able to quickly adjust to the conditions and the inconsistent effectiveness of the pitch shows he expected issues and that allowed him to persevere through six innings.

About Last Night: Wright is hitting .402, knows it's early

In yesterday's 9-3 win over the Marlins, David Wright went 4-for-6 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored to raise his National League leading batting average to .402 for the season.

'[Wright] is a star and he's showing exactly how good he is,' Terry Collins said after the game. 'I just know one thing: He's playing outstanding baseball.'

Wright was modest about reaching the .400 plateau, telling reporters 'It feels like it's May. There is a long way to go. Those are unrealistic goals.'

Wright's .489 on-base percentage also leads the league, and he now has four home runs and 20 RBI with 20 walks against 18 strikeouts in 133 plate appearances so far this season.

Brian Erni: I'd love to say something eloquent about Wright's start that hasn't been said already. Maybe point out a stat that has flown under the radar. But the truth is there's not much left to say. Unconscious, another level, beast mode. Really any sports cliche, young or old, can be used to describe the first six weeks of 2012 for Wright. He's 12 for 24 (.500) on this road trip, with a homer and 7 RBI, and his defense has been unbelievable.

This winter when Tim Teufel looked at video of Wright, he found David had developed a backwards hop step after the pitch, which made him flat-footed and put him in a bad position to throw. Now that he has cut it out, Wright's range has improved and is throwing has been on the mark. Not only has it resulted in several highlight reel plays, but also just one error in 74 chances. So far, this has been really fun to watch.

Michael Baron: This is just fun to watch, and I'm so happy for Wright that he's been able to bounce back after a forgettable 2011 season. He has been locked in since day one, he's not flying open and trying to pull everything ' rather, he is taking what he's getting and not missing anything he's being offered. He's also been outstanding defensively ' yesterday in particular he ranged into foul territory and blindly threw a runner out at first. But his throwing has been great even on the routine plays as well, which is something he knows he's struggled with in his career.

As Wright said, it's still early ' there are 129 games to go, and a lot can happen. He probably won't hit .400 this season, and he will go through a slump at some point as well. But right now, he's contributing towards winning and his teammates are feeding off his ability to lead by example.

Sabtu, 12 Mei 2012

About Last Night: The bullpen was not productive late

In last night's 6-5 loss to the Marlins, the Mets bullpen combined to allow three runs, two earned in three innings of relief of Johan Santana.

'It's just one of those nights where we just didn't pitch late in the game, which we've been doing very well lately, 'Terry Collins said after the game. '[The Marlins] have a good team. It was just one of those games.'

Frank Francisco entered with a one-run lead in the ninth inning, but allowed two earned runs in only 2/3 of inning to blow his second save of the season and fall to 1-2 with a 6.59 ERA in 15 appearances.

'That's baseball,' Francisco told reporters after the game. 'That's going to happen. Hopefully it's the last time. I can't put that in my mind because I know how baseball goes. I don't feel bad. I feel bad because we lost. But, personally, I know I was fighting out there. I leave everything I have out there for my team. We lost. But I don't feel bad.'

Francisco has allowed 25 base-runners with 15 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings so far this season.

Michael Baron: Simply put, it has not been a good year for Francisco so far. His stuff has been inconsistent as has his approach, and in the end, he has had trouble executing and closing out games. Last night, the Marlins hit some ropes against him and, considering Terry Collins has pulled Francisco in such situations before, I was hoping for the same once it was apparent he did not have it in the ninth inning. But, he is the closer and despite the mess he pitched himself into, it's his job to seal the deal and he just didn't do it last night. The scary part is this ineffectiveness has been a recurring theme, especially lately.

One thing I like about Francisco is he's a standup guy, and has been honest about his season to this point. Last night was a tough loss to digest considering they appeared to be headed to their 12th come-from-behind win, and Francisco's comments and reflection about last night can be taken a number of ways. However, he's simply putting the poor performance behind him and trying to turn the page, which is what everyone in that clubhouse needs to do in order to not come out flat and uninspired today.

Today's Mets/Marlins lineups in Miami (1:05 PM)

About MetsBlog

MetsBlog.com and Matthew Cerrone are not responsible for what is written by non-MetsBlog.com writers within the sites comments section.

Johan Santana struggled early, dominated late

Last night, Johan Santana allowed three earned runs on six hits with no walks and seven strikeouts over six innings.

The three earned runs all came in the first inning, and after a 25-pitch first, he settled in to throw just 57 pitches over the next five innings.

'I made my adjustments,' Santana told reporters after the game. 'We attacked them, mixed all my pitches, but they took advantage at the beginning of the game.'

Santana took a no-decision, and is 1-2 with a 2.92 ERA in 37 innings over seven starts this year.

Michael Baron: Things weren't looking good for Santana early. He had very little life to his pitches in the first inning and his change-up in particular was floating rather than diving. The result was a lot of hard contact. Of course, it's debatable whether or not Andres Torres should have caught Jose Reyes' triple in the first inning, but that was a rope and was indicative of Santana's early struggles.

Santana really settled in after that first inning, and found that consistency with his change-up. It got to the point where it was downright filthy and Miami was simply waving at it in the end. His ability to adjust after a rough start is a representation of Santana's ability to still be an ace and give this team everything he has which, as I've said repeatedly over the first six weeks of the season, is a dramatic upgrade in and of itself over what this team had last season. He's getting stronger and better with each start, and when compared to where he is today versus where he was at the end of last season, he truly represents an amazing feat.