This was an interesting part of the game and important for the Mets’ bullpen. Jorge Sosa came in for Scott Schoeneweis with two outs and runners on the corners in the sixth in his second relief appearance.
When Willie Randolph switched Sosa from the rotation to the pen, the assumption was he’d mostly work long or at least start the inning. Working out of this situation could dictate the make-up of the Mets’ pen down the stretch.
Sosa walked the first hitter to load the bases, but got Corey Hart on a foul pop-up to get out of the inning.
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If Sosa is on his game and is throwing hard and controlling his slider, he’s a great asset to have in our bullpen. But if he’s leaving pitches up in the zone, that’ll hurt in releif just as much (but probably more) than it would if he were starting. I’d love to see Sosa being effective as a MRP, but I’ll have to keep my fingers crossed that he pitches better than he has his last 7 games.
It looks like the Mets from last season have returned to us in the way they play, if only for one series
I think Sosa should platoon with Anderson in right field and he should be a pinch hitter instead of Glavine.
More seriously, the Brewers coverage is showing an little fight between Ned Yost and Gaffinino(?).
Good all around game. Pitcher working his way back does well with the start; another pitcher working his way back does well in relief. Offense comes alive. Shawn Green has just about his best day of the season.
And with 3 games down, 54 to go
THE CASTILLO TRADE STILL SUCKS!
BTW, I won’t be able to post my take on the Castillo trade for the next 3 days because I will be on an Internet-free “getaway weekend” with my wife until about this time on Monday. If Hope-to-reach-Mendoza-line Castillo manages a few HBPs in Chicago then I’ll give him his well-deserved props next week. ;-)
Do Willie and Omar know yet that the growing nickname amoungst Met fans on the internet for Castillo is “Banjo”?
After only three games?
And that it’s… not loving?
ADL – We know your opinion of the trade, so come up with something else. When your team wins 12-4 its time to stop bitching for 24 hours. Thats a rule even on the internet.
Sosa was great. With 2 pitches he belongs in the pen and he doesn’t have to pace himself.
Very funny, Mike C. You wish. Esp since you created the nickname yourself before he even had a single at bat for the Mets. Not prejudiced much, are we.
People I think of as true fans do not insult their team’s players but actually root for them to do well. But I know that’s a foreign concept to some, who pick favorites and insult, deride and actually hope for the failure of those who don’t meet their exacting standards.l
adl-
That’s ok about not posting your feeling on the Castillo trade. Most of us a) already know it, b) don’t care c) don’t agree. So have a lovely vacation and try to enjoy that they just took 2 of 3 from one of the top teams in the leauge.
They’re all Mets but…
If Willie can say that Green and Anderson are “his guys” in interviews and implicitly say that Castro and Milledge, for example, AREN’T?
Then sure. They’re all Mets but some of them are “my guys”.
I heard Banjo on a different fan message board before I started using it here, however, I assure you.
As a fan of a team, I think it is more than within my rights to have an opinion on which players should start and which should be used in roles off the bench.
Castillo would be more than fine as a late-inning defensive replacement at second or as a… pinch-hitter called in specifically to bunt or… as a pinch-runner.
He’s certainly an upgrade at that role over Andy Hernandy.
But as the starting secondbaseman in the number two hole?
The dude is Liquid Banjo.
It’s fine to have an opinion on who should start and who should sit.
It’s not fine to root against your own team’s players, or make up mocking nicknames for them.
And you created the name on another site, which I also happen to frequent (both of us under other names, of course).
Castillo is pressing right now, trying to show his new team what he can do. Once he settles in and relaxes, he’ll do better offensively. Right now, he’s trying to be something that he isn’t offensively.
Do I think Gotay is a better player offensively? Yes, at least at the moment, until he goes cold or the league figure him out. Do I think Gotay can play reliable defense up the middle? Not so much.
Would I play Gotay more than Willie seems inclined to do, using Castillo as a late-inning replacement in those games? Yes. Does that mean I feel it’s a good thing to insult and deride the guy who’s playing instead, esp when he’s only been here for three games, two of which we’ve won? Not so much.
He IS showing the team what he can do…
A weak single a game and above-average-but-hardly-game-changing defense.
And in other situations, that’d be all fine and good, stick the weak-hitting veteran in there mostly for his defense in the eight-spot and hope for the best.
But (a.) the weak-hitting veteran in the eight-hole there for his defense should be LoDuca when he’s healthy and (b.) there’s a better offensive option being ignored for the sake of his “spot”.
Has middle-infield defense been the problem for the team this year, Laurie? Has it been anywhere near the problem?
If it had been the stake through this team’s heart, I would completely agree with you.
But the team’s main problems, other than injuries of course, have been the back-end of the bullpen, the back-end of the starting rotation and a complacent inconsistent offense.
Gotay is an offensive spark where the team hasn’t had much of one. So is Milledge.
Castillo is another level-headed, been-there-done-that veteran who’ll probably get you a weak single a game and then cash his check and go home.
Gotay plays like he has something to prove.
Castillo plays like he’s doing just fine thank you.
Everybody’s who’s satisfied with how they’re playing, please exit the ride now.
Laurie: You are the best. Guys like Mike C must boo when some of the Mets do good. I think he hates more Mets than he likes.
And to answer your question Mike C about the middle infield defense being a problem the answer is YES since Valentin wnt down for the first time. Since then there have been so many balls going thru rangelss 2nd basmen that can’t be counted since there are no errors. An opn minded view would make you realize that. Gotay is working and slowly improving but he costs the team runs especially with a 1st basemen with limited range as well. A team without power starters needs good D at 2nd and SS. We
Hm.
I dunno about that. I just would like to see the Mets use their players better.
If Willie and Omar could use the team better and everyone was healthy, I think the only players I’d DFA out-of-hand would be the Schmota Brothers.
Green is still a servicable pinch-hitter off the bench, Castillo is a fine defensive replacement/pinch-runner/pinch-hitter when a bunt or short single is needed, Anderson is a fine pinch-hitter and emergency corner outfielder.
But if everyone’s healthy, Alou Milledge and Beltran are your outfield, Wright Reyes Gotay and Delgado are your infield, LoDuca’s your catcher…
Chavez is your primary back-up outfielder, Easley is your primary back-up infielder and you wanna get Castro more work than he was getting earlier in the year.
You gotta use the best allaround players you have at their positions, damn seniority damn chemistry damn “gut instinct”, and you gotta just let ‘em play.
(Newhan doesn’t even belong in AAA but the roster changes have messed a whole lot of things up and you couldn’t immediately call A-Hern or Ambres up to take his place and that makes sense.)
I’m a lot more frustrated with Willie’s misuse of the talent, I guess, but he’s so off his rocker that it’s depressing even talking about it at this point.
Mike C,
If everyone is healthy we would have Valentin as 2B and your Banjo guy would not be here. Also CarGo would be in the mix as a spot starter/defensive replacement.
Dave
I don’t count Valentin in either direction because he was too injured to be playing looooong before he broke his leg.
Valentin playing at 30% in his knee brace just to get his contract vested for next year is a worse option at second base than any of the options we have at hand, Banjo included.
His injury was a blessing in disguise because Willie was going to keep running him out there, out of misplaced loyalty, no matter how much he shouldn’t have been out there to begin with.
No matter how little he hit and fielded.
Mike C,
I was replying to your post “if everyone is healthy”, the fact that Valentin blew his knee means the Mets went and got Castillo who they think plays good D, hits 300 and we can place in the 2 hole.
For what it is worth he was hitting well for a few games before he broke his leg. Not sure what his D was like tho.
Mike C:
You obviously are a very poor judge of talent if you want Ambres back on the team. A journeyman AAA player who got one hit does not a solid bench player make. And if you dream of everyone being healthy its never the case in the summer. Good managment has a team survive by working thru the injuries. There are a lot this year but the Phillies and Braves are trying to keep up with our injuries.
You are blinded by Gotay’s great start but refuse to look at the damage a weak 2nd baseman causes a pitching staff, and since he didn’t hit 300 in the minors theres little reason to believe he’ll hold up in the bigs either.
You are also a very poor fan because almost every one of your notes has a derogotory name for at least one of your players. Make fun of the Braves, criticize a move but by calling them names you make your notes iritating to say the least.
Ambres did not get enough chances to prove himself either way…
Newhan has proven himself time and time again that he’s awful.
I would at least rather give a guy to prove himself or not rather than play an awful awful AWFUL Newhan, sure.