The LoHud Mets Blog

Mets Pregame Notebook ….

July

-Jerry Manuel said he’ll know by six if he’ll have Billy Wagner as his closer.

-Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran were flipped in the batting order, with Delgado fourth and Beltran fifth.

-If Johan Santana had demanded the ball in the ninth inning, Manuel would have given it to him. Manuel said today’s starters don’t have the mentality to go nine.

-If he had to do it again, Jose Reyes said he would have take the out at first in the ninth inning.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 at 4:47 pm by John Delcos.
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11 Responses to “Mets Pregame Notebook ….”

Bill July 23rd, 2008 at 4:51 pm
JD- Anyword from Jerry on why Marlon and his .290 Slugging percentage and Smalls-esque approach to the OF has taken over as his starter in LF. And how about why he chose to sit his surging power-hitting catcher against a pitcher who leads the league in HRs allowed for the guy who once hit the ball out of the IF on a fly (I swear, I saw him do it!)
Patrick July 23rd, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Glad to see Jerry is still talking out of both sides of his mouth.
Steve (The Original) July 23rd, 2008 at 5:00 pm
I bet Castro's back is acting up on him. It's perfect weather for that to happen.
Nick July 23rd, 2008 at 5:05 pm
No manager in today's baseball wants to start the same catcher in a day game after a night game so Jerry is matching up Schneider against the RH tonight and Castro against the LH tomorrow.
Mike July 23rd, 2008 at 5:06 pm
I wish people would look at the bigger picture. Castro started last night, it was warm, muggy and a 3 hour game. Tomorrow is a day game and a LH (Moyer) is going.

I want Castro in their too, but I'd much rather see him v and rested than having him play his 3rd straight game.
John Delcos July 23rd, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Mike: Schneider is starting tonight vs. RHP Brett Myers. Ramon Castro is starting tomorrow vs. LHP Jamie Moyer.-JD
Mike July 23rd, 2008 at 6:09 pm
JD- Yeah, that's what I was saying. People were wondering why Castro is riding pine tonight despite being hot.

Your reasoning (and mine) are the same. I was trying to relay that.
Kalyan Pokala July 23rd, 2008 at 6:15 pm
John…isn't it a little disingenuous for Jerry to say he would have let Johan pitch the 9th if he had asked for it? How do we know for a fact that he would have? It's like he wants credit for a situation that didn't even take place.

When you're the manager the buck stops with you. Don't blame anyone else for your decisions. If Johan had said "I'm done" that's fine. But don't say the decision was Johan's…you are the manager and the boss. You make the decisions and the players play the game. That decision was all on Jerry. If he wanted Johan to pitch the ninth then he should have sent Johan back out there and let Johan bat for himself in the 8th. He can't have it both ways, he can't take credit for what he would have done and at the same duck taking accountability for what he DID do. It doesn't work that way. He decided to go to the bullpen, and the decision is never the player's. He fills out the lineup card. Not the player's. It's not the player's responsibility to lobby to stay in the game. Some guys are very deferential to the manager's decisions. Johan's that type of guy. He's not going to be Curt Schilling and think he's the manager and ace all wrapped up into one.

And what if Johan HAD demanded to stay in the game and Jerry didn't do it. I sincerely doubt Johan would have thrown Jerry under the bus like that.
NYMetsGrrl94 July 23rd, 2008 at 6:36 pm
I feel like Joe Smith is the only reliever other than Wagner that has the mentality to be a closer. He is the only one that did his job last night and he has been able to do his job and get outs with men on base. One thing he can do that Wagner can't is come in during the middle of an inning and get outs.

If the Mets are in a situation similar to last night at some point again I just want them to give Joe a chance.
Bill July 23rd, 2008 at 7:07 pm
I dont understand why Joe was used as the 1 batter guy when hes been at least passable against lefties (.750 OPS against). Feliciano, aside from being brutal lately against everyone, is getting smoked by righties to the tune of a .970 OPS against. In other words, lefties are hitting Joe like they're '05 Mullet-less Mike, while righties hit Feliciano like they're '00 pumped up Fu Manchu Piazza.
dave July 24th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Remind me again why Anderson is a starter?

Glad they flipped the Carlos's.

I would think about putting Beltran in 3, David @ 4 and Delgado 5.

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