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Bridesmaids

Edgy DC Jul 08 2010 08:23 AM

This is the thread that looks at the ongoing most outstanding performers at the upper minor league clubs for the Mets who haven't yet been called up this season. Start off with starting pitching and that starts with Pat Misch. Mischie is just coming off a six-strikeout complete-game 6-2 victory over the Syracuse Chiefs. (Jerry would have pulled him after 5 2/3), his fourth straight victory. He's a lefty and you bet they're wondering if he's a fit for the Flushing pen, perhaps even the mythical eighth-inning man. W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR HB BB SO WHIP HLD GF 9 3 3.12 17 17 2 1 0 112.1 112 45 39 8 5 19 64 1.17 0 0 Obviously Maine and Perez are going to come up eventually, but I imagine Omar would rather throw any spot starts that open up to Pat Misch. This brings us to acting relif pitchers, rather than speculative ones, and that begins with Michael O'Conner. Interesting fact: out of 900ish Mets, only three have borne the telltale sign of Irish heritabe that is a prefixed "O'-": Charlie O'Brien (1990-1993), Darren O'Day (2009), and Tom O'Malley (1989-1990). (Source: The Ultimate Mets Database). O'Connor even brings the seriously celtophiliac middle name of "Patrick." But I tell you this journeyman brings more, having passed through the systems of the Washington Nationals, the Kansas City Royals, and the San Diego Padres, he knows the flaming cauldron of competition. He has drunk from the crystal fountain of Major League ball before, pitching in 26 games for the Nats in 2006 and 2008, including a seven-inning, one-run shutdown[/url of a juggernaut 2006 Mets team. I think he deserves another sip. Besides, he looks like the sad-sack guy from 500 Days of Summer, so I've got to give him my sympathy. W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR HB BB SO WHIP HLD GF 1 1 2.97 30 0 0 0 1 36.1 34 15 12 4 1 11 36 1.24 5 9 And dude, he's a lefty. Jose De La Torre, however, hasn't tasted shit. He's one of those guys who starts out as an organizational pitcher, but just won't stop pitching well. He's twenty-freaking-five years old, but after getting the Tomato Juice surgery in 2008, he tore it up for Bingo in 2009. He probably will have little troube adjusting, because he throws everything hard, a two seamer, a 91-mph four-seamer, and a tough slider for his out pitch. W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR HB BB SO WHIP HLD GF 0 1 3.22 17 0 0 0 0 22.1 22 13 8 2 3 7 22 1.3 2 6 He was a fringey prospect even before he got knifed, appearing among the bottom ten of top 50 prospect lists. Nonetheless, He brought an emotional darkness to the Eastern League in 2009 while riding a bunch of busses and he's depressing the hell out of International League batters now. Wouldn't you want him doing the same in the National League East if a spot opens up? Well, wouldn't you?

Farmer Ted Jul 08 2010 08:44 AM Re: Bridesmaids Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jul 08 2010 08:52 AM

Misch is a Farmer Ted Family Favorite. I'd pull him up before giving Ollie a second chance. I'm mean fifth chance. Rumor Mill today has Mets talking with Cubbies about Ted Lilly.

Edgy DC Jul 08 2010 08:52 AM Re: Bridesmaids

Sure, but bidnessss is bidness.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 08 2010 08:56 AM Re: Bridesmaids

I was looking this morning at potential RH bench hitters to call up for the Tatis role, as Jerry is evidently pondering prior to this weekend's series. Hessman is the obvious choice but he's still listed on the 7-day DL at Buffalo: Any word on his health? Cervanek and Pascucci are RH hitters and infielders but neither is having a particularly strong year. Andy Green fits the bill (RH, versatile infielder) but he's nothing to get excited about and has that 2009 smell.

Benjamin Grimm Jul 08 2010 09:02 AM Re: Bridesmaids

Might this right-handed bat come from outside the organization? That was the impression I got when I read Jerry's quote, but I don't really have any good reason for having gotten that impression.

Edgy DC Jul 08 2010 09:09 AM Re: Bridesmaids

Hessman has been out a month and is still tied for the league lead in homers. His injury was orignally described as a "Hand contusion" (after a HBP), but it's grown more complicated and there's different accounts --- some saying he'll be back soon and some saying he won't be back at all. "[The doctor] says it's a cartilage tumor that had grown off the bone," Hessman said. "He said it's a common thing but he hasn't really seen it in a baseball player. You get hit by a pitch it kind of breaks it up so he said it's pretty much like a stress fracture type thing. So it's growing off the bone. It's a little chunk of bone, I guess, hanging off there that kind of broke up. We treat it like a stress fracture to where we don't do anything with the hand, don't put any heavy loads on it, for three weeks." If you need a corner infielder to be your righthanded bat, he's your dude. Cervenak is your next bet, and he can give Tatis-like (or better) emergency duty at the middle-infield positions, but he's not scaring anybody this year. Russ Adams is hitting comparably but a better infielder with that Chris Woodward-like Blue Jay experience vibe.

MFS62 Jul 08 2010 09:16 AM Re: Bridesmaids

From listening to the Buffalo games, it sounds like Cervenak is a very good fielding third baseman. Don't know if he plays any other positions, because with the Mets third is not a very easy career path to the majors. Later

Fman99 Jul 08 2010 10:09 AM Re: Bridesmaids

I bagged a bridesmaid once. Holy hell.

MFS62 Jul 08 2010 10:10 AM Re: Bridesmaids

Fman99 wrote: I bagged a bridesmaid once. Holy hell. And for that I nominate you for the Sonny Corleone Hall of Fame. Later

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 09 2010 09:04 AM Re: Bridesmaids

Might this right-handed bat come from outside the organization? That was the impression I got when I read Jerry's quote, but I don't really have any good reason for having gotten that impression. Adam Rubin suggests it could be Jerry's favorite, Nick The Stick: ...so could Nick Evans be on the way from Double-A Binghamton? The evidence is mounting. Evans was a healthy scratch from Binghamton's game on Thursday at Altoona. And a team official acknowledged late Thursday: "We are considering a right-handed bat now." Evans also wouldn't burn an option, since you can go up and down as many times during a season as required and he was already optioned to the minors during spring training. The Mets right now essentially have an eight-man bullpen with Hisanori Takahashi reassigned there for the weekend -- unnecessary considering the team enters the series off an off-day. Meanwhile, with Fernando Tatis on the disabled list, there's no righty bat for the bench aside from the non-starter between Rod Barajas and Henry Blanco (or both if Josh Thole starts). Evans, 24, is hitting .290 with 15 homers and 46 RBIs in 303 at-bats with Binghamton this season.

Edgy DC Jul 09 2010 09:11 AM Re: Bridesmaids

And Mike Jacobs has homered five times in five games. I wish they had him on a hardcore get-whatever-catching-skills-you-ever-had-back regimen.

MFS62 Jul 09 2010 09:37 AM Re: Bridesmaids

Edgy DC wrote: And Mike Jacobs has homered five times in five games. Did he do it, too? Thought it was my kid: http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/07/02/1 ... oking.html Later

Edgy DC Jul 21 2010 08:35 AM Re: Bridesmaids

Mike Hessman in his first game back: 2-5 with a double, RBI, and a run scored. He DH'd, though it's unclear (as to my initial reading) whether or not that was by choice or he's unready to play the field.

Centerfield Jul 21 2010 01:18 PM Re: Bridesmaids

Which thread was it where we were picking bridesmaids from a Mets' farmhands' wedding?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 21 2010 01:30 PM Re: Bridesmaids

Curly, Pearly, Blackie, Blondie A classic! Know not where it has gone. But Adan Rubin was talking up the prospect today. [url]http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/7160/farm-report-nickeas-catching-on-at-plate Mike Nickeas has long been viewed as a major league-caliber player defensively. It was at the plate where the 27-year-old catcher struggled to produce. Nickeas, originally drafted by the Texas Rangers in the fifth round in 2004, was traded to the Mets for Victor Diaz two years later. He entered this season a career .231 hitter in 1,249 minor league at-bats. This year has been an entirely different story. Nickeas went 1-for-2 for Double-A Binghamton at Bowie on Tuesday to lift his season average to .302 with three homers and 27 RBIs. He has more walks (37) than strikeouts (24) in 189 at-bats with the B-Mets. Nickeas was a late addition to last week’s Eastern League All-Star Game, replacing Nick Evans, who was in the majors at the time. Nickeas’ only other regular-season All-Star selection came in the Northwest League during his first full professional season in 2004, which coincided with being named the best defensive catcher in the Rangers’ organization by Baseball America. The reason for the hitting surge? “A couple of things,” Nickeas said. “One is being healthy. My elbow surgery last year really helped me be able to do some things that I wasn’t able to do before physically. I think the main key, though, for me is [Binghamton hitting coach] Luis Natera really taking some time to help me correct some things with my swing that weren’t good. He took the time, which is difficult to do, so I give him a lot of credit. He took a guy that’s kind of an older guy in Double-A and spent time with me. I really appreciate that.” As for the precise mechanical differences, Nickeas added: “I’m getting my foot down early to see the ball. And I’m trying to come right down on top of the ball as opposed to kind of looping my barrel into a ball. That’s the key for me. If I can get my foot down, I can recognize the pitch and try to drive something with a downward plane into the ball.” Nickeas went 0-for-2 with a flyout in the All-Star Game last Wednesday. He played two innings at first base, a position he has only dabbled at with the Mets organization, and also caught an inning. “I’m starting to get a little more comfortable doing it,” Nickeas said about first base. Nickeas was never supposed to get this much playing time with the B-Mets. Former Tampa Bay Rays catcher Shawn Riggans opened the season as the No. 1 catcher with the Double-A club, but quickly landed on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. Subsequently, catchers Luke Montz and Omir Santos -- both higher than Nickeas on the depth chart -- went down with injuries. Santos has been out since June 22. “I used to be concerned about stuff like that, whereas now I kind of am like, ‘I know things are going to happen throughout the year,’” Nickeas said. “People do get hurt. People get traded. So I try not to let that bother me anymore. When I get the opportunity to play, I just go after it as best I can.” As for defense, he’s been considered major league caliber for some time. “I’ve been told that. I don’t know, because I haven’t been there,” Nickeas said. “From the spring trainings and stuff, I feel very comfortable defensively. The offense is always what I’ve been told has held me back.” Of course, no one is perfect. On a throw to second base on a steal attempt with Binghamton this year, pitcher Eric Niesen failed to get out of the way and was hit in the back of the head. Niesen suffered a concussion as the result of the April 23 incident and missed a month. “It was one of those things where the stars had to align for that to happen and they did,” Nickeas said. “Obviously I felt terrible about it. I was really disappointed he was out for as long as he was. He kind of threw [the pitch] and then ducked, and my heel kind of slipped at home plate.” Meanwhile, Nickeas has an athletic pedigree. His father Mark, who was born in England but later became a U.S. citizen, played soccer professionally in his native country, as well as in the North American Soccer League for the Vancouver Whitecaps and San Jose Quakes and indoors with the Dallas Sidekicks. Nickeas was born in Vancouver during his father’s career there.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 22 2010 12:16 PM Re: Bridesmaids

Hessman gets the cause-celebre treatment from THT. In fact, pro-rating Hessman's TotalZone numbers for the years that results are available, he averaged about 14 runs above the typical Triple-A third baseman. That doesn't mean he'd be +14 per 150 games in the majors—a realistic translation is probably about +9—but even if we irrationally slash those numbers by half, a well-established +7 indicates a very good defender. If you can accept the claim that Hessman is a solid fielder—possibly even an elite one—the picture changes considerably. If we translate Hessman's stats back to 2005, he comes out with a major-league-equivalent OPS of about .700, and that includes his dreadful 2006 season. A probably more accurate assessment is rendered by various projection systems, some of which put him above .760. An OPS of .760 is a convenient number, it turns out. Last year, the major league average at third base was .757. (With, admittedly, a higher OBP and a lower SLG than Hessman would bring to the table.) Even if you are pessimistic and think he's closer to a .700-level player, you may be interested to know that nine teams got less than a .700 OPS from third base last year. Those clubs include the Twins, Phillies and Cardinals.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 27 2010 08:36 AM Re: Bridesmaids

Congrats, Hessman-- you left the yard. In the meantime, Misch and Luca Duda are killing it for an intermittently-depleted Bison squad. Respectively: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, season-high 8 K; 3-3 (for 3 of the Bisons' 6 hits), 2 2Bs, 2 RBI.

Edgy DC Aug 02 2010 09:07 AM Re: Bridesmaids

Fernando Martinez has been tearing the cover off the ball this weekend, getting nine hits over the last five games and triple-slashing (see what I did?) to the tune of .500 / .550 / .944 // 1.494. Chad Cordero is off to a solid start, throwing a single scoreless inning in each of his first three appearances. Downside there: four hits, two walks, one strikeout. But he's a ground ball guy, isn't he? (Maybe I just associate the name "Chad" with grounders.) Anyhow, if Cordero joins the Mets, the team's bullpen will have the two pitchers (along with Francisco Rodriguez) to reach their 100th career save at the youngest age.

Willets Point Aug 02 2010 09:34 AM Re: Bridesmaids

Every time this thread comes up I expect to see that photo that JCL posted a poll about.

Ashie62 Aug 02 2010 09:35 AM Re: Bridesmaids

Edgy DC wrote: Fernando Martinez has been tearing the cover off the ball this weekend, getting nine hits over the last five games and triple-slashing (see what I did?) to the tune of .500 / .550 / .944 // 1.494. Chad Cordero is off to a solid start, throwing a single scoreless inning in each of his first three appearances. Downside there: four hits, two walks, one strikeout. But he's a ground ball guy, isn't he? (Maybe I just associate the name "Chad" with grounders.) Anyhow, if Cordero joins the Mets, the team's bullpen will have the two pitchers (along with Francisco Rodriguez) to reach their 100th career save at the youngest age. Ironically, both relievers now suck.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 02 2010 09:38 AM Re: Bridesmaids

Willets Point wrote: Every time this thread comes up I expect to see that photo that JCL posted a poll about. Can someone find that thread? I struck out.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 02 2010 09:39 AM Re: Bridesmaids

Edgy DC wrote: Fernando Martinez has been tearing the cover off the ball this weekend, getting nine hits over the last five games and triple-slashing (see what I did?) to the tune of .500 / .550 / .944 // 1.494. Chad Cordero is off to a solid start, throwing a single scoreless inning in each of his first three appearances. Downside there: four hits, two walks, one strikeout. But he's a ground ball guy, isn't he? (Maybe I just associate the name "Chad" with grounders.) Anyhow, if Cordero joins the Mets, the team's bullpen will have the two pitchers (along with Francisco Rodriguez) to reach their 100th career save at the youngest age. Additionally, his sitting in the pen next to Frankie will be more slimming for Mr. Rod than the world's longest pinstripes.

seawolf17 Aug 02 2010 09:39 AM Re: Bridesmaids

Willets Point wrote: Every time this thread comes up I expect to see that photo that JCL posted a poll about. Me too. I keep thinking someone's found it. I say cut Ollie and Francoeur and bring 'em both up, by the way.

Edgy DC Aug 02 2010 09:41 AM Re: Bridesmaids

Sheesh, call me demanding, but I'd like a tastier treat than Chad Cordero at the other end of the Ollie release.

Centerfield Aug 02 2010 10:06 AM Re: Bridesmaids

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Willets Point wrote: Every time this thread comes up I expect to see that photo that JCL posted a poll about. Can someone find that thread? I struck out. Me too. Edge?

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 02 2010 10:10 AM Re: Bridesmaids

Edgy DC wrote: Sheesh, call me demanding, but I'd like a tastier treat than Chad Cordero at the other end of the Ollie release. Rose Cordero?

Ashie62 Aug 02 2010 11:07 AM Re: Bridesmaids

She looks like an alien.

Edgy DC Aug 02 2010 11:19 AM Re: Bridesmaids

A malnourished alien.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 02 2010 11:28 AM Re: Bridesmaids

Shoe designer Calleen Cordero, then? (Yeah, I really overestimated the amount of caliente Corderos out there.)

Edgy DC Aug 10 2010 02:21 PM Re: Bridesmaids

Chad Cordero has a 1.69 ERA after six appearances for the Buffs. He threw an eight pitch --- and seven-strike --- innning last night.

TransMonk Aug 10 2010 02:50 PM Re: Bridesmaids

Get that straight brim to flushing... Sean Green be damned.

Edgy DC Aug 12 2010 10:15 AM Re: Bridesmaids

Sean Green threw two scoreless last night after throwing an inning the night before. Sounds like somebody's ready for Eighth-Inning Roulette.