A Walk Off a Day, Balks, Unsung Hero
By Mike Silva ~ May 18th, 2009. Filed under: Morning Digest.
- Sometimes there are things that don’t show up in the statistics. Each season you point to a period of games where there was a turnaround. In 2006 it was the Mets 9-1 road trip that basically sealed the deal on the division. This year the Yankees three consecutive walk off wins might be where you point to the season turning around.
- The Brett Gardner play was a calculated risk. I know some believe it was bad baseball move per se, but I like the risk taking and spunk. Sometimes plays like that tell you something about a team. It wasn’t like he was a dead duck; another step and Mauer would have completely been in no man’s land.
- On the topic of that play, that was a great heads up play by Mauer to fake the throw. These little types of things are examples of the “baseball smarts” that seem to be lacking on the Queens side.
- Last night’s ESPN Sunday game was aggravating for a number of reasons. The main one was hearing the “coffee klatch” announcing of Steve Phillies, Joe Morgan, and Jon Miller. I have nothing against these men individually, but I am not feeling the booth. From Jon Miller needing an inning to know that Sheffield was in right, Joe Morgan talking about the Celtics, and Phillips concocting a trade for Beltran was a bit much for one game. I didn’t even get to the Mets blowing two bases loaded opportunities.
- What a bizarre display by Mike Pelfrey. Not sure what about the San Francisco mound or environment made him so uncomfortable. The one thing about this team is that they are very emotional. This is a good thing, but sometimes it works against you if you don’t channel it properly. Regardless, Pelfrey didn’t pitch poorly against the pseudo Triple 4-A that the Giants put out there. Let’s see if he can step up and become the solid #2 behind Santana.
- The unsung hero in yesterday’s Yankees win was Mark Teixeira. I am not sure many first basemen turn the double play on the Span grounder. Despite the average hovering around the Mendoza line I believe Teixeira will prove his worth more as the season continues.
- Last night was the latest edition of the NYBD Weekly Digest. Howard and I talked about the Yankees in the first half hour and the Mets in the back half. We discussed whether the Bombers still need a bat, what would be the right bullpen roles for the club, and the karma of recent walk off wins. Our Mets talk centered on the Delgado injury, Gary Sheffield, whether this team needs another bat, and the good vs. great debate that has been stirred up on the site this week. It was a fun hour of radio which you can download the replay on demand here.
May 18th, 2009 at 8:58 am
“Last night’s ESPN Sunday game was aggravating for a number of reasons.”
Seriously? Phillips was echoing basically every ridiculous sentiment you’ve expressed on this blog about the Mets core. No leadership. No “edge”. Etc. Backpedaling much?
May 18th, 2009 at 9:29 am
James
The difference between what I am saying and the mainstream is that I have never been a proponent of trading these guys. I am just demanding they play smarter baseball.
Regardless of what the numbers say Wright , Beltran, and Reyes have had periods where they make mental mistakes. I am not expecting these things never to happen, but great players minimize these mistakes and don’t make them in critical games.
The ESPN/Mike Francesa crew wants to throw these guys off ship and start over. That would put this team in even more of a predicament. You would never get equal value for them.
You have to live and die with this core. Maybe you can add to it at the end of the season, but for the most part they will write this period of Mets history.
All we can do, and what I am trying to do, is demand that they smarten up and add baseball intelligence to their immense skill sets. This team needs to jump on their back now more than ever with Delgado’s bat out of the lineup.
May 18th, 2009 at 9:30 am
Im a Yankees fan. So I watched about an hours worth of the Mets game on ESPN last night before a new Family Guy episode started and clearly diverted my attention (lol). As a die hard Yankees fan, I loath ESPN and their Boston bias BS. But….aside from that last nights trio of ‘tards was hilarious. From John Miller’s stupid pronunciation of “Carlos Bel-TRON” and idiotic comments such as calling a ground rule double “an automatic double” to Joe Morgan’s absolutely terrible comments that start off with no point and end before he finds one, to lastly Steve Phillips’ NY hatred-fueled commentary. I was only glad that I didnt have to watch a Yankee game with those nimrods last night.
For the record, the first Yanks/Sox ESPN game earlier this season I watched….muted.