Master Index of Archived Threads


Penned Up Anger

AG/DC Aug 13 2008 08:04 AM

...from the Blogosphere. It would have killed me to read some of these after the Pirate loss. This morning, they're kind of fun. Kind of. Always Amazin': I think the Mets' starters should pitch deeper into games, but there's a bullpen for a reason. And if we can't get the impression that the bullpen will do its job down the stretch, then how could we possibly hope for any games past the end of September? Amazin' Avenue: Deliver your Rx for Mets bullpen success in the comments below ... and try to keep it at PG13 levels, OK? Brooklyn Met Fan: I honestly don't know what to make of this mess. It's one thing to say that pitchers and entire pens can slump but this is ridiculous already. It feels worse than last year and BMF is acutely concerned because I'm not sure I can see these guys turning it around. The Eddie Kranepool Society: The more I keep telling myself I shouldn’t get aggravated about this team, the more I become like a fucking wild man watching these games. Here’s how psychotic I am. I listened to the game at work and when Schoeneweis gave up the single to Steve Pearce, I shut the radio and walked out of the office and went home. So what do I do when I get home? I watch the replay of the game. I deserve a kick in the ass. I’ll say this, I’ve been an Aaron Heilman defender but when you fall behind 3-0 to Luis Rivas (LUIS “FUCKIN” RIVAS) and you just struck out Nate McLouth, and you allow Rivas to get a base hit against you, you deserve to get hit with an empty Rheingold bottle. Faith and Fear in Flushing: What exactly is the point of being a contender if you can't build on an early 4-0 lead over the Pirates? Or can't preserve a 5-1 lead bequeathed you by six innings of Pedro Martinez? Are the Phillies and Marlins both really flawed enough to let this crew of light hitters and heavy downers pass them? Can't anybody who doesn't have a strained left forearm get ninth-inning outs? There were too many of these games earlier in the season, but that was when the season looked for naught. They've brought us to the edge...no they've brought us over the edge into contention, into believing 2008 could be something else. On days like this (and there have been quite a few), it looks like nothing else but more of what the Mets were doing early on and a little too much of recently. Not tacking on, not shutting doors, not kicking lousy teams who have no reason to beat you but do to the proverbial curb. It is they who kicked, it is we who are curbed. Hotfoot: If he wasn't already prior to yesterday's game, Aaron Heilman is officially a liability with this team. Despite finishing each season the past few years with reliable numbers to warrant him a bullpen spot for the next season, his situational statistics for his career are just awful. Metphistopholes: Attention Met-ells shoppers: We have a little lost boy. His name is Aaron, and he's wearing a Met uniform with a 48 on the back. The Mets Police: I hope Omar is checking the waiver wire every five seconds. Metstradamus: You ever get the feeling that the Mets bullpen could be a ride at Disneyworld? Seriously, I know people that have been on the tower of terror so many times that it bores them. The Mets bullpen is the new Tower of Terror. Guaranteed to slay your spirit. Mike's Mets: and No No Hitters: There’s nothing worse than turning on the TV hoping to watch a new show only to find out that the network is airing a rerun. Monday afternoon’s TV listing for “Pittsburgh Pirates at New York Mets” should have been proceeded by an (R), because the 7-5 loss was essentially a rerun of … well … name your 2008 game - Solid starting pitching. Enough offensive support to win. Horrendous bullpen.

metirish Aug 13 2008 09:39 AM

I just read this on THE Daily News....even when we win some are not happy. pownder99 Aug 13, 2008 7:25:44 AM I know it worked out for them last night --- but I for one was peeved that they did not go to Kunz yet AGAIN. Plus, they had the guy throw about 50 pitches in the pen which probably limits his availability tonight. Give the kid a chance already. When he let Feliciano stay in to pitch to Nieves, I was sick. If Billy Wagner were a righty, no WAY does he not start that inning or especially pitch to the righty. Manuel is managing AROUND Kunz and I don't understand why. On a side note --- Kunz saying, "Whether it's warming up and scaring the other team" is bulletin board fodder if they get to him at some point in this series, even if it's the 7th inning. I'm sure there's a lot of "oooh, we're scared of you" going on in that locker today.

AG/DC Aug 13 2008 09:47 AM

OK, one, the argument for Kunz is compeling, but let's not act like he''s either a no-brainer or blameless in recent debacles. He's neither. Two, whining about burning a guy out on warmup pitches is under-informed over-analysis. How do any of us know how many pitches he threw in the pen, whether that's beyond the standard, or what effect that had? Maybe we should all be attacking Guy Conti at this point, but I'll trust him over pownder99.

Frayed Knot Aug 13 2008 09:55 AM

Ignoring for a second the idiocy of equating Kunz with Wagner based solely on the title of 'closer' attached to their names while ignoring the gap of a mere 15 years of pro ball and 800+ MLB innings pitched -- "if Billy Wagner were a righty, no WAY does he not start that inning or especially pitch to the righty" -- I'm constantly amused as to the lengths some fans will go through so as to create "victim" status for themselves.

AG/DC Aug 13 2008 10:05 AM

I blame Oprah.

AG/DC Aug 27 2008 08:31 AM

OK, let's talk about what we do with this pen. We have to think in terms of which ones we're still trying to redeem, and which ones we want to start moving to the back of the room while we try some new things. Sanchez and Feliciano are beyond ineffective, they're ineffectual. Felicano's got a slider that he gets down and in to righties, down and out to lefties, but doesn't really have the bite to get a decent lefthander up and in like he used to. He's a one pitch pitcher. That's more than Duaner, who has nothing. My guess is that his fastball will return somewhat next year, but he can try and prove that next year at minumum wage for sombebody. He's a young pitcher with an old pitcher's arm right now. Not fooling anybody. Which means trying to hang onto the Show as your lefthanded specialist, Smith from the right, Heilman as your horse and Ayala and Reyes along to help. Pray that Wagner comes back with his skills. Jonathon Niese is 5-1 with a 3.65 ERA in Norfolk. I dream that he's our answer from the left side. He hasn't pitched in relief all year, and has logged 165 innings.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 27 2008 08:38 AM

Ideally, trade Feliciano & Sanchez to the MFYs straight up for Damaso Marte, promote Reyes. If that doesn't work, trade Feliciano & Sanchez to the Braves straight up for Will Ohman, promote Reyes. If that doesn't work...

HahnSolo Aug 27 2008 09:27 AM

I'd like the three innings I got from Heilman last night. I'd like them every night. Seriously though. I have some kahnfidence in Smith, and I still think Heilman is the best pitcher out there. I don't care to see either of the lefties on the mound (even in l/l matchups). I haven't seen enough of Ayala, but I did see him give up an 800-foot out to Howard, then blow a 2-outs nobody on save. Stokes has done decent work as the long man on a couple of occasions, and that is more than we could say of anybody last September. Right now (today) I would like to incorporate Smith and Ayala in the 7th/8th, with Heilman getting the 9th. I guess if I have to match up lefties I bring in Schoenweis, since Feliciano can't retire the first guy he faces. Sanchez and Feliciano get strictly mop up duty.

AG/DC Aug 27 2008 09:35 AM

Literally. They get to mop up the clubhouse.