Breaking News: Blue Jays Cut Ties With B.J. Ryan

In a somewhat surprising move today the Toronto Blue Jays have cut ties with former All-Star relief pitcher, B.J. Ryan.

The Blue Jays signed B.J. Ryan to a mammoth five year deal following the 2005 season, which was the largest ever for a reliever at the time.

Ryan, who was the Blue Jays closer as recently as this year has struggled mightily this entire season. In 20.2 innings pitched Ryan posted an ERA hovering near 7, which is more than double what his career ERA (3.37).

Much of B.J. Ryan’s troubles can be attributed to a decrease in velocity, which most likely stems from Tommy John surgery he had during the 2007 season.

With the Mets struggling in all areas this season, it may make sense for them to take a flier on the former star pitcher, especially a left handed one to try to add depth to their bullpen.

The Blame Game: New York Mets Edition

The New York Mets find themselves in a rather messy predicament at the halfway mark of the 2009 season. As of now one of baseball’s highest paid teams sits three games below .500 with a 39-42 record which is good for third place in the National League East behind the bargain basement Florida Marlins and the rival Philadelphia Phillies.

This is hardly the kind of performance that management could’ve expected in the offseason after the team acquired superstars, Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez and J.J. Putz.

While there is certainly a lot of baseball left to be played in the season, as of now there is no sunshine for Mets fans, who have had a dark cloud held over their heads ever since the conclusion of the 2006 season.

Obviously, New York fans are always quick to blame someone for their team’s struggles and this year there is plenty of blame to go around.

 

Injuries

The amount of injuries that have plagued the Mets this season has been astronomical. Three out of their four top players (Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado) have all been out for over a month and there is no telling when any of them will be back in a Mets uniform. Two fifths of the starting pitching staff is disabled as well. This Wednesday Oliver Perez will throw his first big league pitch in over two months following a grueling battle with knee tendinitis.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for John Maine, who suffered a major setback with pain in his surgically repaired shoulder and only just recently was cleared to throw.

Then there is J.J. Putz, whom the Mets envisioned as being the player to shut down the opposition in the eighth inning. Shockingly, Putz failed to deliver. In 29 appearances with the Mets, he posted a down right terrible 5.22 ERA and was charged with four losses. Anyone familiar with Putz and his tenure with the Mariners knew something was wrong. Midseason it was discovered that Putz would require elbow surgery that will keep him out of action until at least August.

 

Jerry Manuel

Playing the role of manager is no easy task in its self. However, playing the role of manager in the city that never sleeps takes the game to the next level.

From the moment Jerry took the jump from bench coach to manager he has had a target placed on his back by both the fans and the media. It is understandable as the team has suffered two back-to-back collapses as well as a disappointing playoff lose in 2006.

While I am not the biggest fan of Jerry’s antics at times, I think he’s trying to take a step in the right direction. He certainly shows more heart and emotion on the field than his predecessor, Willie Randolph did. Also, at the moment Jerry is being handed a lineup card filled with many players that belong in Buffalo.

Still a team’s performance is a reflection of the manager and when a team, like the Mets, is underperforming that reflects poorly on the manager.

 

Omar Minaya

Believe it or not I believe a majority of the blame falls on the shoulders of Omar Minaya, and rightfully so. Granted he assembled an All-Star caliber team, however in doing so he neglected a key component in any championship team.

That component is depth. Minaya relied too heavily on Fernando Tatis and Daniel Murphy’s success from last season to carry over. Unfortunately it did not. Both players are hitting below .250 and neither appears to be improving. Unfortunately when taking a statistical look at things this isn’t all that surprising.

Murphy hit .290 in his minor league career (957 ABs), which is by no means poor, but it isn’t a guarantee that his success would translate over into the big leagues. Neither was the .313 batting average he compiled with the big league club in 131 at bats last year.

Fernando Tatis, on the other hand is a career .264 hitter, and that includes a very successful campaign with the Cardinals in 1999 where he hit nearly .300.

Another critical mistake by Minaya was his unwillingness to sign free agent second basemen Orlando Hudson, who did not command an unreasonable contract and on numerous occasions stated his desire to be a Met.

Rather Minaya stuck with Luis Castillo, the second basemen he signed to a ridiculous four year deal, and was rewarded with little improvement and about a quarter of the run production that Hudson has driven in.

 

In reality as entertaining as it is to point fingers at certain people, the reality is there is no one person or thing to blame this disappointing first half on. The only thing Mets fans can do is patiently wait out the storm and hope that once healthy their star players can pick up where they left off.

PREGAME: Mets vs. Dodgers

The Mets (39-42) host the Dodgers (52-30) in a three-game series at Citi Field this week. Tonight, Mike Pelfrey (6-3, 4.26) makes the start for the Mets, while Clayton Kershaw (5-5, 3.49) takes the mound for Los Angeles.

Game time is 7:10 PM EST, and will be broadcast locally on SNY. Follow live online via MLB.TV or MLB.com's Gameday application.

Pitching Matchup
Mike Pelfrey: 15 GS, 6-3, 4.26 ERA, 88.2 IP, 97 H, 42 ER, 31 BB, 43 K

Clayton Kershaw: 16 GS, 5-5, 3.49 ERA, 87.2 IP, 63 H, 34 ER, 52 BB, 88 K

Tonight's Lineup

Luis Castillo, 2b

Alex Cora, ss

David Wright, 3b

Gary Sheffield, rf

Fernando Tatis, 1b

Ryan Church, cf

Nick Evans, lf

Omir Santos, c

Mike Pelfrey, sp

Omar Minaya spoke with reporters today in regards to Mets players on the DL.

• Jose Reyes was in New York today to receive a cortisone shot after feeling discomfort in his hamstring.
• Carlos Beltran has been riding an exercise bike and will be reevaluated after the All-Star break.
• Carlos Delgado has begun hitting off of a tee and things are going smoothly, and is targeting a mid-August return.
• J.J. Putz continues to rehab, but nothing baseball-wise.
• John Maine threw a flat ground session today.
• Billy Wagner is now throwing to live hitters and is doing great, according to team officials. The Mets still say he is likely to return late August-early September.

What a list...I really hope Reyes comes back soon, as I think he is the one the Mets miss the most. He allows guys like Cora and Castillo to slide in the order, while also giving the Mets a legitimate threat in many ways at the top of the order.

Delgado and Beltran would be nice to have right now, too, as it would allow Sheffield to hit in the sixth hole where he belongs and where he is more likely to see fastballs.

Either way, this team has been stricken with bad luck from the get-go...first it was Ollie, then Delgado, then Pelfrey, then Maine, then Reyes, then Beltran, etc., etc...

Come on guys, let's keep afloat until our players get healthy! LGM!

Anatomy of a Franchise: The New York Mets - Part IV - Was 1969 a Fluke?

Bob Scheffing was promoted to the Mets General Manager after the untimely death of Johnny Murphy in January 1970. The Mets had just come off their “Miracle” season of 1969 with their first Playoff, World Series and Championship in its brief seven year history.

The two sided answer to the question, was 1969 a fluke? That would be answered in the next coming months as the Mets prepared for yet another Spring Training in St. Petersburg Florida where they shared the training facilities with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Bob Scheffing came to the Mets organization after a career as a player with a little over 500 games with the Cubs, Reds, and Cardinals. A rather pedestrian .263 career lifetime average set no fires blazing in that realm. He managed both the Cubs and the Tigers, did a little broadcasting and some scouting before becoming the Mets GM.

I have nothing against the man personally and his only point of note in Mets history that it was under his tenure that Nolan Ryan was traded to the Angels for Jim Fregosi in what has been called the most lopsided trade in Mets history. Scheffing was put in a corner by Ryan. Nolan clearly not a big city boy absolutely hated New York and wanted out of this city in the worst way. So what did Scheffing do? He sent him to LA. Now that was a real small town in 1971. Right.

Here was a great opportunity for the Mets ownership to build this franchise and make it a force to be reckoned with for the next decade. They went with a relatively inexperience person in a front office position where they needed a power guy.

This, now looking back, begins the pattern of poor moves that we still see almost 40 years later.

Here is the starting lineup for the 1970 Mets.

1. Tommy Agee CF
2. Bud Harrelson SS
3. Joey Foy 3B
4. Cleon Jones LF
5. Art Shamsky 1B
6. Ron Swoboda RF
7. Wayne Garrett 2B
8. Jerry Grote C
9. Tom Seaver P

This was a pretty good team and it was expected to be near or at the top of the National League Eastern Division.

The Mets finished the 1970 season with an 83-79 record. They had the same record in 1971 and 1972 and although the pitchers did well, the lack of hitting and run production resulted in 3 straight 3rd place finishes.

I moved to Vernon Connecticut in August of 1970 because a good teaching job became available at a small private school specializing in Special Education. My wife’s, whose Mets record was now a glimmering 0-8 was pregnant with out first child and the house we rented had one of those huge roof top antennas’ which rotated 360 degrees. So I was now able to get both New York as well as Boston TV channels as clear as day. Life couldn’t get better than this.

Prior to the 1972 season, one of my boyhood heroes that I got to know personally, who by the way he carried himself with dignity and pride passed away. Gil Hodges was dead at 48 years old from a massive coronary heart attack, just like my Dad.

My memories of the years following the 69 Mets until the “Ya Gotta Believe” Tug McGraw’s rallying cry in the summer of 1973 were that of a fan who now expected his team should and could win all the games they played. Neither the team nor I, I’m sorry to say had a whole lot of enthusiasm. I had an excuse. They didn’t.

When they started their great comeback in the summer of ‘73’ the Mets sat in the cellar in the east with a 61-71 record. Yogi Berra who was as much fun as Casey Stengel was in the sixties, made one outrageous statement after another that kept the media close and put the spotlight on a team that seemed to cherish the limelight they were in. His best quote that year every fan in baseball knows, “It ain’t over till it’s over”. That was Yogi’s answer when asked about the Mets chances that summer.

On September 3rd 1970 Ellen and I drove to the city in my 1967 Dodge Charger with more horsepower beneath the hood than in all of General George Custer’s 7th Cavalry. I was so positive that “Her Streak” was going to end that day, I promised her dinner at Mama Leones in the city the next day.

The Mets had beaten the Phillies 5-0 the previous day and had won 3 of their last 4 so the NL Eastern Division had 5 teams within 6 games of 1st place all of them with a losing record. Oh the mediocrity, or oh the parity depending on your perspective.

The Mets led 3-2 going into the fifth inning and I was feeling good. Craig Swan was pitching well. He had given up a run in each of the first two innings but we had scored three. I figured if we win the game and end the streak I might even consider the request to have a third child which was very much on Ellen’s mind at the time. Barbara Lynn Marsh came to us on June 25th that year and I had her in Mets pink from day one, while my, now almost 3 year old son, Russell Michael was sporting his first Gil Hodges first baseman’s glove.

My dream however was short lived as Greg (The Bull) Luzinski blasted a 2 run homerun off Swan as the Phil’s went on to defeat the Mets 6-3.

Guess who never got to Mama Leones that next day. She was lucky I took her to Nathans for dogs and fries.

Over 30,000 of us went home thinking that no way were the Mets going to make it to the post season and her streak stood now at 9.

Of course, wouldn’t you know it, after my trip to Shea the Mets went on to win 18 of their next 25 and win the pennant with an 82-79 record. Now this was a miracle.

Every lifelong Mets fan alive knows that these underdogs of underdogs went on to beat up the Big Red Machine in the playoffs and Bud Harrelson kicked Pete Rose’s ass.

They also just missed winning their second World Series in 5 years as they led the powerful Oakland A’s 3games to 2 with Seaver and Koosman to pitch game 6 and 7. But that victory was not meant to be.

That year ended another streak in Mets history. They finished over .500 for 5 consecutive years. They had the opportunity to become a dynasty with this team. The ownership made poor decisions from the GM down. Mrs. Payson might have been a wonderful little old lady but she knew squat about baseball and turned the operation over to people who knew little more than she did. The fact that they did as well as they did during these 5 years was because they had kept some of the great talented pitching core together with the exception of Nolan Ryan. Plus frankly during this time the rest of the National League wasn’t having any breakout teams as of yet.

This trend will only get worse during the next 10 years which I call “The Lost Years” coming to you in part 5 of the Anatomy of a Franchise.

Thanks for listening.

Vegas Rich

Sunday Banter: Little Leaguers play better than this

You can't sugar coat what we have been seeing this year from the Mets. It is clearly a team that is unwatchable at this point. The more Mets fans clamor over getting a trade done, Omar comes out and says he will stand pat with what he has.. Is he kidding? I have seen better play from Little Leaguers this year.. At least they catch..

Another point is , when the Mets come home next week - Stay home! The Mets will get the point.. The Dodgers will come in and pound the baseball and outscore the Mets. That's all you have to do is let the Mets make a couple of errors or walk the bases loaded and wait for the big hit from the opposition. Even the great Johan Santana has let his guard down in recent starts...

So let's get it straight Mets Fans, No Trades because we have players coming off the DL soon (we hope). By then the Mets will be 7 games behind and looking up at the Phillies again...

The Mets don't care that we want to see a winning product on the field, they just care about their pockets...

I think Omar overrates his minor leaguers. Nick Evans is nothing special to watch, either is F-Mart ( who is now hurt). Daniel Murphy could be something, but is now pressing.. Jon Niese did not impress me or the Mets (obviously Minors)..

It's really, really sad that in a big  market the Mets can't get back on track by making a move, but instead making excuses. Show some balls Wilpons and spend some money!