Mack Attack: July 6, 2008

By John Mackin Ade
Posted Sunday, July 6, 2008

Phils: 40 losses - Marlins: 43 – Mets: 44 - Braves: 47 – Nats: 55

Interesting Article on Tex:

C.J. Wilson lauded the arrivals of players such as Milton Bradley and Eddie Guardado for their influence in the clubhouse. But he also said there were key players on last year’s team who were more interested in money than in winning baseball games. He also said an unnamed key veteran was “mean” to younger players. “I can’t even begin to tell you how much better it is now than it was two years ago,” Wilson told KTCK’s Bob Sturm. “And the most obvious thing I can say is, you look at the roster, the guys that we have now versus the guys that we had then.” ...While Wilson didn’t name any departures directly, he told Sturm a “dark cloud” was lifted from the club last July. He also said a “big” and “medium-sized” cloud disappeared after the 2006 season. The Rangers traded Eric Gagne, Kenny Lofton and Mark Teixeira in the final week of July 2007. Wilson cited Gagne as an excellent teammate but made no mention of the other two players. “They weren’t interested in being part of a team,” Wilson said of the unnamed players. “They were just interested in bank accounts - BBTF

International Signing:

The Mets signed 16-year old Dominican 3B Aderilyn Rodriguez, which included a bonus of $500,000+.

A Look Back at the Trades:

1/21/06:

Traded:

RHP Kris Benson

Trying to rehab back after 2 dismal years

Acquired:

RHP Jorge Julio

Traded for SP Orlando Hernandez

18-12 over 2 years for Mets

RHP John Maine

27-19 over 3 years for Mets

Conclusion: Maine and El Duque for Benson? I’d do this 1000x

So, did the current Mets come from the Mets system:

Lucy also won the Divisional Championship, with a team full of Mets prospect talent, in 2006:

They were: 56 players that played on this team:

6 played at Lucy only in a rehab situation

8 roster players made the Bigs

Current Mets: 2

SP Mike Pelfrey

RP Carlos Muniz

Big Time Players:

None… yet

Marginal Pros:

SP Brian Bannister - struggling with KC this year

RP Matt Lindstrom – struggling with Florida this year

C Jesus Flores – starting this year for the Nats

Cups of Coffee

SP Alay Soler - no comment

SP Phil Humber – 5.52 ERA in AAA this year

SP Chuck Smith – 2 cups with the Marlins

Zephyrs:

John Rodriguez homered and drove home three runs in the New Orleans 8-2 win last night in Albuquerque. Brandon Knight pitched six
scoreless innings scattering four hits and earned the win. Knight left the game after the sixth inning following a one hour and 33 minute rain delay.

A driving rain storm and dangerous lightning delayed the contest. Isotope starter Frankie De La Cruz walked two batters in the third inning and Rodriguez smoked a three run home run. In the fourth another walk led to a 2 run Michel Abreu home run and the Z’s jumped out to a 6-0 lead. The league leader in home runs Dallas McPherson homered following the delay to put the Isotopes on the board. New Orleans added a pair of runs in the ninth inning and won their second consecutive game. The Isotopes have dropped a season high eight in a row.

B-Mets:

Caleb Stewart drove in the game-tying run in the sixth, but the Akron Aeros rallied in the seventh, picking up a 2-1 win over the Binghamton Mets at NYSEG Stadium Saturday. Akron has won the first two games of the series. Akron (54-33) went ahead in the first. After loading the bases with one out against Bobby Parnell, Matt Whitney hit an RBI single to left for a 1-0 Aeros lead. That was the only run Parnell would allow in 5 2/3 innings. The B-Mets (48-39) put two men into scoring position with one out in the sixth, as Fernando Martinez singled and Nick Evans doubled, chasing Akron starter Jim Deters. Two batters later, Stewart hit a ground ball up the middle off Reid Santos (1-0), scoring Martinez and tying the game 1-1. Akron loaded the bases with no outs against Edgar Alfonzo (1-2) in the seventh before Whitney reached on a run-scoring fielder’s choice that proved to be the game-winner. Scott Roehl got the final four outs for Akron to earn his first save.

Gnats:

The Sand Gnats (40-47, 7-10) have been nothing but pests to the Drive (47-40, 7-10) at Fluor Field. For the second straight game, Savannah used a four-run inning and was able to stave off a late Greenville rally for a 6-5 victory in the series finale. With the Drive leading 2-1 through four innings of play, the Sand Gnats took control against starter Terumasa Matsuo (3-3). A Casey Craig single, coupled with a fielding by right-fielder Jered Stanley deadlocked the two teams. After a sacrifice fly by Juan Lagares gave Savannah the lead, Jose Jimenez added a two-run homer.

Representing the winning run, Nick Abel struckout Stanley with a high-rising fastball to secure the victory. Taking advantage of Brant Rustich’s lack of control in the first inning, the Drive were able to jump out to an early 2-0 lead. Kristopher Negron and Navarro each scored on a wild pitch, two of the three the right-hander threw during the frame. Reliever Julio Polanco (1-1) earned the win, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings, scattering three hits and two walks while fanning four. Equally impressive on the mound was Maikel Cleto (3-6) for the Sand Gnats. The right-hander allowed the Drive’s lone run on three hits and a walk over 6.0 innings, but did not surrender Greenville’s first base-hit until the fourth inning.

Clones:

The Cyclones lost an extra-inning affair on Saturday, by a score of 6-1, when Mahoning Valley plated five runs in the 10th inning. The loss drops Brooklyn to a game over .500, bringing the Cyclones' record to 10-9.

2B Josh Satin hit the Cyclones' first home run of the year at home; it came in the bottom of the fourth inning to score Brooklyn first and only run of the game. SS Reese Havens continued his hot hitting, picking up a pair of hits and raising his average to .250. 1B Ike Davis also extended his hitting streak to ten games, with at least one hit in every game in which he's played.

RHP Scott Shaw made the start for the Cyclones, pitching 5.1 innings and allowing just one run. LHP Jimmy Johnson relieved Shaw and pitched a scoreless two thirds of an inning. RHP Chris Schwinden (0-1) picked up the loss, tossing 3.0 innings, giving up four hits and allowing two runs. LHP Matias Carrillo came on in the 10th and allowed two walks and gave up a grand slam.

K-Port:

Kingsport Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores has been named the Appalachian League Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending June 29. The Venezuelan native is leading the league in hits(22) and has hit safely in 12 of the team's first 13 games, putting together hitting streaks of 4 and 8 games, the second of which he is still on. He tripled in a 4-hit, 3 RBI game last week against Pulaski and drove in 4, thanks to a 3-run homer, Saturday in a 13-4 victory. His 17 RBI's are one shy of the league leader through 13 games. Just 16 years old, Flores is drawing both local and national attention. Kingsport Mets General Manager, Roman Stout, commented "Wilmer is an exciting young player. He represents us well both on and off the field. We look forward to watching him continue to grow and develop."

Minor League Bios:

Jacob Eigsti SS Indiana State

Eigsti was drafted in the 29th round of the 2006 draft by the Mets, out of Indiana State College.

He played 4 years at Indiana State where he put up some impressive slugging percentages (2004: .452, 2005: .424, and 2006: .429). Eigsti also stole 23 bases in 2005 and 15 in 2006. He was signed and immediately assigned to Brooklyn, where he played 25 games (14-72, .194).

In May 2007, Eigsti was activated and assigned to Savannah, replacing Juan Lagares who was reassigned to the “extended” camp (.125 in 8 at bats). Later in May, returned to extended camp when Legares was called back up. The Mets farmed him out to Brooklyn so he could get some play time, and it definitely worked. Eigsti was named to the NY-Penn All-Star team in mid-August and hit .275/.332/.352 in 244 at bats.

Ex-Mets:

P Matt Durkin signed on with the Orange County Flyers of the Golden Baseball League.

This Day in Mets History:

1970 - Brave Felix Milan goes 6-for-6 and collects 4 RBIs in a 12-4 victory over the Giants. He is the first Braves' player to get 6 hits in one game.

2004 - Recently acquired outfielder Richard Hidalgo establishes a club record homering in five straight games for the Mets. In 16 games with New York, the former Astro has eight home runs compared to hit just four with Houston in 56 games.

And lastly:

“There comes a time in every man's life, and I've had plenty of them." -CASEY STENGEL