Looking at the second half ….
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- July
- 16
Hi guys. Really enjoyed watching the All-Star Game last night, even though I didn’t get home until three in the morning. Billy Wagner, of course, made it all so interesting.
With a half-dozen or so blown saves in the first half, he’s on my list of second half questions.
The others:
-How healthy is Pedro Martinez?
-Will Carlos Delgado have a good second half?
-Will they score for Johan Santana?
-Will John Maine step up and Oliver Perez continue his good pitching?
-Will their come-and-go focus come and stay?
Let me know your concerns. Talk with you tomorrow from Cincinnati.
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on Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 at 5:51 pm by John Delcos.
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usually when teams go on long winning streaks half way through the season, they burn out and don’t amount to anything. i’ve lost all hope in this team, and 3 years from now we’ll look back on this .500-at-best, 3rd place season and say “hmmm…wasn’t there a 9ish game winning streak that year?”...”o well..”
my biggest concern is the closer. This division is for the taking. With or without Pedro, The Mets have the best starting rotation in the league with the breakout of Pelfrey. I have documented Wagners terrible record in big games on the all star thread. With all the talk of Castillo maybe not getting his starting role back, regardless of his contract. I wonder if the braintrust will consider moving Wagner out of the closers spot if he continues to sputter.
Why can’t we all be as optimistic about the Mets as Matt B is?
I really don’t see Pedro being healthy the rest of the year and at some point we will se El Duque starting.
I think Delgado will hit .250 25 homeruns and 90-95 rbi’s.
They will score runs for Santana and Maine will step up. Who knows how Ollie will pitch the rest of the year.
I think Jerry is too good of a manager too let this team lose its focus.
With all that said the Mets will finish 2nd in the division and miss the playoffs.
The biggest 2nd half question is not on your list JD. It has to be Church. If he is healthy, Mets can live w/Tatis/Chavez. If he is not, then offense could struggle putting pressure on pitching….
First 30 games will decide season as Mets have 24 against teams (3 against Phils, 3 against Cards; rest are against Bucs, Astros, Pads, Nats, Reds and Marlins) they ought to be able to handle. The last 37 are tougher.
And Phils first 28 are tougher including a west coast trip and first 12 of 15 on road.
20-10/19-11 needed in these next 30 games to have a shot at division (only realistic chance for playoffs).
Get out to a lead and hold on (this time)....
All games are important. We saw that last season when the team crashed and burned playing lousy teams like Florida and the Gnats. Team has to take care of business. Hustle. None of this “we have so much talent sometimes I think we just get bored” they had in 2007 and in the period after 1986.
I worry about Wagner but is Lidge in Philadelphia reliable? I got to see it to believe it.
A) Pedro will pitch .500 for the rest of the season
B) Johan is still too good of a pitcher and will win more than the Mets lose in the 2nd half
C) Delgado is over-the-hill, but will produce 20-25 hrs and drive in 85-90 rbi’s
D) Wagner is just OK, not an elite closer but serviceable (still better than Benitez)
E) Maine and Perez and Pelfrey will be close to 15 game winners this year
F) For the most part, this team will stay pretty much focused because Jerry Manuel is infinitely better manager than Willie
And there you have it…..it will be touch and go with the Mets making the playoffs this year. If they play .537 baseball (same as 1st half), they will win only 87 games. I think they need to get to 90 and it is possible if they get off to a good start this weekend…..
3 Biggest questions for me are Pedro, Delgado, and Church. Church makes the line up better. Pedro was pitching well, but hopefully, he can get past this groin/shoulder issue, and Delgado needs to continue his current play. Hopefully Johan has a signature 2nd half, Perez continues to pitch well, Maine pitches better, and Pelfrey does everything he is doing right now.
JD
All good questions.
I have two more.
Will Heilman continue pitching well
Can Easley/Reyes continue to make us forget Castillo?
I think Pedro will only show us flashes of his old self, and otherwise will be more of a 500 pitcher the rest of the season.
Delgado, as others have said, will be a .250 hitter with about 25 homers and 80-85 rbi’s.
Santana will continue to turn in quality performances and will have more run support (I hope) the rest of the way.
Maine, I think, will straighten out his issues of late and be a 15+ winner this year.
The key behind OP will be how they handle him after his next not so great mound performance. That, and, how much pressure his agent puts on him to perform towards the end of the year.
Ryan Church is someone I think can help the Mets big if he can come back.
I am sure that Wagner is going to make a lot of games unecessarily interesting the rest of the way. The Mets hopefully have learned by now NEVER to bring him in in the middle of an inning, or, any where near Philadelphia.
If the Mets can get a few breaks, and, with the strength of the NL East as a whole, I think they still cannot be counted out.
Mets Fans,
I was just interested to see the production of Carlos Delgado since Jerry Manuel became the manager. I just did a rough calculation and came up with .363 clip? If that is WOW!! Can someone confirm please?
I thought it was to good to be true!! More like .272
JD: You missed one:
Is Mike Pelfrey really coming into his own and has he finally “figured it out” or is this just a good stretch?
Pedro is definitely less healthy than the Mets are letting on, as always. Why he wasn’t put on the DL just for safety is beyond me.
Delgado’ll have sporadic really great looking games that obscure long spells of absolutely nothing, as always. “Oooooh, pretty home run! I’ve completely forgotten that he went 2-30 in the last six games!”
Santana will get some more support but not enough for all these idiots saying that he’s “underachieving” to notice that he’s got the 4th best ERA in the National League. Distracted by Delgado’s very occasional moonshots I’m sure.
Ollie will continue to be good with occasional hiccups. Maine will continue to be uneven as hell.
There will be more focus than there was but not enough to make up on still depending on so very much age.
The Mets are certainly no longer embarassing but the fact remains that if Philly’s bats ever wake up, the team we root for is screwed.
Mike C
OP will be continue to be good w/occasional hiccups? And Maine will be uneven as hell?
Both have been uneven as hell.
And when does Delgado get any credit from you? He is not the player he once was but he is on pace for 25-30/85-90.
Philly bats not awake? Howard is on pace for 45/140, Utley 40/120, Burrell 40/100. The only guy not having an excellent season is Rollins.
There seems to be a consensus / concern that Pedro does not have the stamina to go past 5 innings (but, by and large, he’s been stellar the first time through lineups).
Anybody up for a Smoltz-ian move to the closer’s role?
(Yeah, I don’t want to be the guy to say it to his face, either…)
My concerns or things the Mets need to have happen in order to make the playoffs:
Reyes has to stay out of a long slump
Church has to come back healthy
Maine has to start pitching like the top of the rotation starter we thought he could be
The continued development of Mike Pelfrey. Right now he is pitching like the #2 guy on the staff.
Just wanted to spark a little logical conversation in response to Ray’s earlier comment on moving Wagner out of the Closer’s Role. So my question is who else on this team do you feel has what it takes to Close.
Is Duaner ready at this point in his Career/Comeback ?
Do we trust Heilman not to hang a changeup in a big spot?
I only list those two guys because I dont see a trade as a viable option as the mets have a lot bigger fish to fry if they chose to make a move. Would love to see everyone’s thoughts.
Other closers-Internal
sanchez-I sometimes wonder how Dirty is getting people out since he can barely touch 90. So how could he be considered.
heilman-I suppose it is possible. He is a 2nd half pitcher.
Other closers-external
Is there any closer that could be traded for? I doubt it.
Do Mets have pieces to make a trade for closer w/o opening up another hole in lineup or pitching? No
Besides, unless Mets traded Wagner (is anybody willing to take on his 15MM or so he is owed for this and next yr?), Mets are gonna have to hope Wagner has gotten his bad outings over and done with.
I meant to say unless Mets trade Wagner it is not like they are going to pay him his remaining 5 MM or so this yr and 11MM next to be a setup guy while Heilman or Sanchez close.
This isn’t the same as Castillo who is a so-so player. Despite Wagner’s recent struggles, he has been one of the best closers around.
Scoop, Yes, Billy the kid has been a great closer in his career during the regular season. During the post season his cumulative ERA is 9.58 for his career with a 10.80 all star ERA. In other words, the guy is not a big game pitcher. While I can see the Mets still winning the division with him closing, I cant see a pennant or even a WS appearance with this dude. Pedro is an interesting Idea, but who would take his spot? and how would he respond? Heilman has the best stuff in the pen. If he continues to show he has straightened out his head problems, he would be an excellent closer. I also like Joe Smith, who doesnt give up many longballs. To Billy the Kid, I once won 20 games in a season. Top that choker!!
Ollie’s looked good recently while Maine has stayed uneven… the Warthog seems to have helped Pelfrey and Ollie a lot more than he’s helped Maine, for reasons I suppose only the Mets understand.
And… no… you don’t give Delgado any credit, we’re already dangerously close to Minaya taking the supreme idiot move and picking up his option for next year.
Look, yes, when he’s really rested, when he’s up against a mediocre rightie, he still looks like he can hit dingers. That’s… great, that’s wonderful, if they ever bring back the old “Home Run Derby” show he can definitely go there.
He can’t field his position and he’s inconsistent as hell for average. Someone has to be out there hoping to hold out for a psychic butterfly effect and maybe maybe maybe the Mets front-office realizes how done this guy is.
Gotta at least try it. Someone’s gotta speak up to ignore the moonshots in the laughers and point out that he’s just too beat up and old to keep a second longer than you’re stuck with him.
If he produces a little while you’re stuck with him, mazeltov, but you have to throw him away. He’s old, he’s beat-up, let him fade away as a DH for the Mariners or something.
Well if we do have to give Billy credit for something, i guess getting willie, jacket and milledge out of here is a good place to start.
Matt B- Don’t watch then
My biggest concerns?
The production of the corner OFs- Church has to come back healthy, and we need to make a trade, because relying on Tatis, and Chavez to keep up what they’re doing is foolish..
Wagner- He blew 6 saves in the 1st half, and we all know his history in August and September; will that repeat, or will he actually flourish in the 2nd half like he did in ‘06?
Rotation besides Santana, Pelfrey: Maine has to start going more than 6 innings more often, Perez has to be more reliable, and Pedro has to stay healthy
Many concerns, but considering the lack of a dominating team in the division, it’s very much up for grabs…
Hey Billy/Sloppy, There are some whiners who are Mets fans, but at least most of them dont hide under different names to take potshots at other posters here. And how come you got all quiet about Omar and Jerry, you phoney coward.
Billy/Sloppy/DC/Buck/Guv … All your personalities are sounding alike, which is to say boring and annoying. Stick with one name and try to bring something to the table. And, stop attacking other posters. You’re not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer to be ripping others.-JD
David
u r absolutely right. wags is the only closer we have.
Hey that was a pretty good guess on my part that Buck was Sloppy!
What is that saying, “a blank blank can’t change it stripes?” I guess a Billy/Sloppy/DC/Buck/Guv can’t change either….even w/a name change.