Concerns

By Ed "In Westchester" Semlies
Posted Tuesday, May 22, 2007

I’m a little nervous about writing a positive piece on anyone or any segment of the team this week. Last week if you recall, I submitted a column about the bullpen and how well it had done, including Scott Schoeneweis.

The Show then proceeded to crap the bed within an hour of my hitting “send”.

So what to do? Do I write about how nice it is to see David Wright inaugurate Citifield against the Yankees Saturday afternoon? Do I write about Oliver Perez and his continued improvement? How about the continued mastery of one Tom Glavine, who, despite some missteps, still seems to work his way out of trouble (note to John Maine, please pay attention to the last.)

No, I’m going to write about my concerns. They are not many, but they are important.

First we have the curious case of Carlos Delgado. I find myself in the position of agreeing with Joe Morgan, which is a scary proposition. Joe mentioned Sunday night that he thinks Carlos may still be suffering from the after effects of his off-season wrist surgery. I am starting to think this may be true. How else can a man who hit 39 home runs last year while batting .265 with 114 RBI and a .548 SLG % be hitting .214, with 3 home runs and a .321 SLG%?

I understand that players slump, but this is getting to be ridiculous. If it is bothering him, let him rest. Of course, the problem is that this week the Mets have 3 games in Atlanta that they need to take at least 2 of. The odd thing is that Delgado, who historically (2004-2006) has hit lefties at a .245 clip, is hitting .308 against them this year. He is struggling mightily against righties, though, hitting just .168, though all 3 Home Runs have been off of righties.

Now, I am not one to support shifting the lineup around normally, but I’m thinking that once Alou comes back, it may be wise to move Delgado to the 5 spot for a few games, with Wright or Alou to the #4 spot. Or even moving Beltran there, and hitting Wright third. Just for a week or so, to see if it helps.

I’m concerned about John Maine. Sunday marked the 4th start in a row where he just did not have it. He cannot rely on his fastball to blow guys away and needs to get his secondary stuff into the mix more. If Lo Duca is calling for all those fastballs, then Petersen needs to talk to him. They need to revamp his game plan, as guys appear to be waiting on the fastball. John also seems to let problems affect him a little bit. I’m thinking the Paulie needs to walk out there a little more frequently when this starts to happen, to settle him down a bit, help him keep his focus. He seems to have those moments more frequently of late. April was a great month for John, May has not been as kind. For the long term, he needs to get back on track. The rotation needs the top 3 to be on top of their games each time out. The occasional blip is understandable. Pitchers can slump as well as hitters, but they need to come out of it quicker.

Schoeneweis and Burgos are concerns. Of course, Burgos will probably be the odd man out in another 10 days when Mota returns. Plus, he is more of a long term project, so I am not overly concerned. The Show however is a concern for both the short and long term, as he is signed to a 3 year deal. Yes, he had a scoreless inning in Sunday, but that followed a craptastic performance on Saturday where he single-handedly allowed the Yankees back into the game. I went from being able to enjoy a leisurely dinner out with the wife for our anniversary, to hearing Billy Wagner allow the 7th Yankee run as I pulled into the parking lot. For a guy that is supposed to be able to get out righties, I haven’t seen it.

Is it lack of work? Is it poor mechanics? I don’t have the answer but I hope Rick Peterson does. This needs to be fixed otherwise Willie is going to have to overuse Feliciano, Smith and Heilman, and we all have seen what happens to an overworked bullpen.

This is an important week for the Mets. First, three games in Atlanta - a house of horrors in the past - with a chance to put some more distance between them. Then, three games in Florida against a plucky Marlins team which will throw Willis at us Friday. Division games are obviously quite important. Let’s hope the Mets can continue to be road warriors and that some of my concerns can be alleviated.

Ed is thinking of getting his head shaved in keeping with the trend the Mets started, but is afraid he would scare small children. Come visit Ed at his home. Or join him in the forums.