I hope Willie Randolph noticed.Ryan Zimmerman, a young man who was playing for the Virginia Cavaliers a mere 4 months ago, stroked a single off of a major league pitcher in the ninth inning down by a run.
That very same ball headed towards right field, towards an older gentleman, Gerald Williams, who was playing for Grambling University a mere 4 score ago. The ball, just like Williams' career, slipped by him and rolled away...as Zimmerman, the young prospect, headed to second just as he is headed towards the spring and summer of his career. He scored the tying run as the Nationals finished their sweep of the Mets, who are trying to win as many games as possible.
The Nationals, four and a half games ahead of the Mets, must not be trying to win as many games as possible. Oh pity those Washington Nationals, falling for the folly of youth as they dust off the Mets and play more meaningful games in September. Too bad they don't have the veteran prescence only Gerald Williams can provide.
Meanwhile, here's everybody's favorite champion of the young player on not bringing up Anderson Hernandez:
"Right now the way [Miguel] Cairo and Kaz [Matsui] have held the position down this year, they deserve to finish up the year,".Really?
I could handle it if Randolph was against bringing up Hernandez because he didn't want to stunt his development, or say, he wanted to send Hernandez to winter ball and didn't want to tire him out. Fine. But, when you use the excuse that you want to reward Kaz Matsui, who has hit for two weeks in September, and Miguel Cairo, who has hit for about four weeks in May, well that makes me want to jump off the upper deck!
And then Miguel Cairo, who has held down second base so well, gets slotted into right field today?
And who exactly is so valuable to keep on the 40 man roster?
Dae Sung Koo?
Danny Graves?
Jose Offerman?
Why, all of them, of course...because Willie is going to try and win as many games as possible. Who better to execute that task than the veteran leaders who get forced at second base on singles to center? Bullpen stalwarts who groove 3-0 fastballs to monster hitters, and throw wild pitches in AAA playoff games?
And who better than Ice, right fielder extrordinare?
Yes, pity those Washington Nationals, and pity Ryan Zimmerman...being brought up to face major league pitching instead of spending valuable time at home playing NHL2K6. He could be learning the nuances of the major league game while sitting on the couch and watching veterans like Gerald Williams play.
Oh pity.
***
Cliff Floyd's grannie against the Nats was the first Mets slam at Shea since May of 2001.
Wha wha whaaaaaaaaaaat?
Is there a more telling sign of Mets ineptitude than that?
Right before Floyd's slam, Carlos Beltran hit a one out pop up to run his streak to 0 for 8 with the bases loaded.
For fun and torture, here is a sampling of various three hole hitters, and their numbers with the bases loaded this season:
- Bob Abreu: 5/17, 18 RBI
- Sean Casey: 3/7, 10 RBI
- Geoff Jenkins: 4/9, 15 RBI
- Milton Bradley: 3/8, 8 RBI
- Albert Pujols: 1/6, 6 RBI
- Derrek Lee: 1/4, 5 RBI
- Brian Giles: 2/6, 5 RBI
- Mike Sweeney: 3/5, 9 RBI
- David Ortiz: 6/15, 20 RBI
- Lew Ford: 3/11, 6 RBI
- Larry Jones: (Can this be right?) 1/1, 7 RBI (five walks)
Here's more salt in your wound: from 2002-2004, Beltran is 9/23 with 29 RBI. In his career before his Met days, he's 23/66, with 70 RBI's.
***
More Beltran nonsense:
In his career as a 2 hole hitter, Beltran is hitting .292/.379/.546 in 857 AB's.
Beltran's numbers as a third hole hitter in 2,063 AB's: .277/.344/.476.
***
Another twist of the knife provided to us by, of all people, Fran Healy. Heals tells us during Thursday's telecast that a Mets scout was talking to Albert Pujols' agent about drafting him in the ninth round back in 1999. Apparently, and I don't know if I heard this right, but the agent demanded a $250,000 signing bonus...and the scout said "not for a ninth round pick." Negotiations ended right then and there.When Pujols found out, he fired his agent.
Of course, under the tutelage of Tom McCraw and Rick Down, Pujols would have been the modern day Ozzie Canseco.
Or he could have been in the minor leagues watching Gerald Williams take away his playing time.
12 comments:
I heard Fran tell that story when they were in St Louis and said the exact same thing. That Pujols would be in AAA right now if he were a Met. Getting some seasoning with Scott Kazmir (if he were a Met). I blame Looper for blowing the game, just because I want to. I know there were two errors but how do you give up a leadoff hit to a college player when you are supposed to be a major league closer. And how about one freaking strikeout somewhere in an inning? Just one.
P.S. good job by Willie ppitching to Castilla. That Keith Osik--he is a terror,
Firstly, Metsra, I want to say, way cool Mookie Son fireball grab in the previous edition.
Secondly I want to say that I'm officially drowning my sorrows, drunk on English cask ale and just waiting for the countdown to hear the next Mets victory (even if it's only in my dreams.)
I fed off of Met mediocrity for two years plus since I've moved here and this season has been a quandry of trying to find superlatives in a season that ultimately disappoints.
In the end, the Mets have given us more baseball days of hope this year than they did in any year since 2000.
I intend on writing the superlaive epithet of our 2005 but only only after the stank of disappointment has faded.
Let's hope the offseason give us plenty to write about.
And let's also hope that you continue writing your blog which, in my humble opinion is one of the best there are for the Mets.
Great job on the big opening paragraph (the one ending with "trying to win as many games as possible"). It even brought an unusually big smile to the face of my dad, who had just come home from his daily dozen+ hours managing a 7-Eleven.
Here are some quotes from tonight's mild-mannered rant on the Mets by Tony Mercurio, the mumbly voice of the Norfolk Tides.
"[The Nats swept the Mets]. Robinson continues to keep the Nationals on a roll and the Mets continue to die."
"The Mets continue to boggle the minds of human beings as to what they are trying to do."
He also blamed Rick Peterson for Seo's rotting away in AAA, explaining that Peterson asked for Seo to be sent to Norfolk on the grounds that the two of them didn't get along. Did I just miss this item, or is this uncommon/dubious knowledge?
I've HAD it. Absolutely HAD IT!
Clearly, Looper can't close. I've tried to give him the benefit of the doubt all season. But today, following the game on Yahoo while at work, I knew for certain that the score would be tied when they started Looper in the ninth. Whatever the guy had going for him is now gone. it's just not happening any more.
And I never want to see Ice play another game for the rest of they year. Is there no Tide that we can at least get a look at for the remainder of the season?
Two games have been recently blown by Offerman and Williams, who vets who allegedly are on the roster because they don't do stupid stuff like Offerman did on the basepaths the other day and bobble like Ice did today.
Clearly there are players in the system, kids that we can start making some decisions on, that can come up and do -- at the very minimum -- better than what these two clowns did.
I'm the most optimistic guy out there, but this is just plain unacceptable.
e-love,
Did you use the whole link? You might have only pasted part of the link because the comment section cuts it off.
jdon, you can blame Looper.
Kyle, the Seo/Peterson story only came to light within the last month, as Seo was blowing up.
Jaap, Thanks as always for the kind words. Take heart in the fact that you are a safe distance from the toxicity of the September stank of Shea Stadium. Sounds like we will both have an arsenal of postscripts when this is all said and done.
Dave, couldn't have said it better my own self.
e-love try this...
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Just watched the great Adam LaRoche hit his 16th home run earlier. One more than Beltran in about 100 less at bats. It is sad how similar their numbers are, except AVG.
The lowlight of the season for me is getting swept at home by the Nats with still something to prove. I guess they don't have much pride. They have a lot of work to do in the offseason, but it seems to me that they need to start with an attitude adjustment.
Metstra, excellent blogs this season. I have been checking daily all year. You are both insightful and funny. Please keep it up.
jp, thank you. Hopefully I can keep the fireplace warm until spring training for all of you. My crack staff is working on that.
*If* the Phils can pull out a win tonight, they'll be just 4 games behind the Braves in the NL East standings. If the Mets can then sweep the Braves while the Phils sweep the Reds, the Phils will be just 1 game behind the Braves. The Mets' mission is clear -- sweep the Braves and give someone else a chance to win the NL East for the first time in over a dozen years, and possibly keep the Braves out of the playoffs. Then the Mets should... uh... "try to win as many games as possible" when they head to Philadelphia for their next series.
Sadly, it doesn't look like the Phils are going to pull it off tonight. Larry did his damage, and then the infamous Chase Utley couldn't get the job done with men on second and third and two out in the 8th.
That would leave the Marlins as potential title-takers... and I don't want to see Josh Beckett in the playoffs again.
But that's just me. If I were an actual Met, I think I'd rather see anyone but the Braves win the division. Here's their chance -- the Mets have a reason to live again.
How long is a score anyway? Four score and seven years ago is how many years?
Is this like measuring my weight in stones intead of pounds?
Casey Stengel. That's what the Mets need now.
A score is twenty years, so four score and seven is 87.
Also see, Things the Mets Can't Do These days.
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