Mack Attack: June 9, 2008

Posted Monday, June 9, 2008

“Same old thing,” a disgusted Willie Randolph said. “We can’t get a big hit with men in scoring position. Can’t win games like that. Somebody has got to step up and get a big hit. What’s that? Three games in a row now?”

“I have no explanation, man,” Carlos Beltran said. “We come here thinking this team has been playing good. We came here trying to go out there and win this series. It’s been disappointing for us, not being able to score runs.”

“Just like that,” Brian Schneider said. “Are you kidding?”

“It’s tough to win,” Carlos Delgado suggested, “when you score one run. If you score one run, it doesn’t matter if you give up two or 20,”

 

Did You Notice The Mets Drafted 12 Outfielders This Week?

Did you wonder why?

I mean, a year ago, Mets fans were drooling over which two of the phenoms in the organization (Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez, and Fernando Martinez) would join Carlos Beltran in the ‘dream outfield’. Well, Gomez and Lasto are long gone and Martinez is injured for the 3rd year in a row.

Everyone seems to be happy with Ryan Church (when he’s playing), but, have you taken a look at how the minor league outfielders are doing this year.

AAA – don’t get excited here… none of these guys has a future in the Mets outfield: Jesus Felicano: .328, Chris Agulla: .298, Val Pascucci: .297.

AA - Martinez .(IR), Eric Reed: .273, Caleb Stewart: .256

A+ - D.J. Wabick: .276, Ezequiel Carrera: .244, Brahiam Maldonado: .217

A - Michael Parker: .212, Richard Pena: .257, Casey Craig (AAAA player): .331

Suffice to say, the Mets minor league organization could use a little lightning in a bottle this year when it comes to an outfield prospect.

 

Trips To The DL So Far in 2008:

5/27/08 Matt Wise 15-day right rotator cuff tendinitis
5/24/08 Marlon Anderson 15-day left hamstring strain
5/22/08 Moises Alou 15-day strained left calf
5/13/08 Angel Pagan 15-day left shoulder contusion
4/8/08 Matt Wise Placed 15-day right forearm stiffness
4/2/08 Pedro Martinez 15-day left hamstring strain
3/30/08 Orlando Hernandez 15-day right foot surgery
3/30/08 Duaner Sanchez 15-day right shoulder surgery
3/30/08 Ramon Castro 15-day right hamstring injury
3/23/08 Jason Vargas 15-day left hip surgery
3/23/08 Ambiorix Burgos 15-day Tommy John surgery
3/23/08 Moises Alou 15-day hernia surgery

 

Draft Picks Yesterday/Today:

Eric Beaulac RHP R R 6-5 190 11-13-86 Le Moyne College (NY)

The Mets drafted Beaulac in the 9th round of the 2008 draft.

2008 stats from Le Moyne: 14 GS, 2.83 ERA, 113K/43BB, 54 Hits allowed in 92 1/3 IP, 11 XBH allowed all season but also 15 WPs.

From a local paper before the draft:

At 6-foot-5, 195 pounds, the lanky Beaulac looks every inch the part of a Grade A prospect. His hard stuff sizzles up to 94 MPH, and his tabletop-drop slider sends hitters raking through the dirt to find it. He set a school record with 113 strikeouts (in 92 1/3 innings) this season, to go along with a 9-2 record and a 2.83 ERA

Scouting report:

Le Moyne righthander Eric Beaulac ranked as the top prospect in the New York Collegiate League last summer but saw his stock drop early this spring as his command and stuff were erratic. He was much better down the stretch, striking out nine in a no-hitter May 10 against Rider and finishing at 9-2, 2.83 with 113 strikeouts and 43 walks in 92 innings. Beaulac's 6-foot-5, 195-pound frame helps him get plenty of sink on his average fastball, which topped out at 93-94 down the stretch. He pitches in the 90-92 range early in games but drops into the high 80s after the fifth or sixth inning, leading some scouts to believe he'll be a reliever in pro ball. He also has failed to develop his changeup, though his slider is back to being an average pitch, and sometimes plus. Beaulac's delivery has some effort and he needs to add strength to his thin frame, but he's a good athlete and fields his position well.

Brian Valenzuela LHP L L 5-10 155 10-21-89 Vista Murrieta H.S. (CA.)

The Mets drafted Valenzuela in the 10th round of the 2008 draft.

 

Jeffrey Kaplan RHP R R 6-0 195 7-9-85 Cal State Fulerton

The Mets drafted Kaplan in the 11th round of the 2008 draft.

2008 stats at Cal State: 105 IP 112 H 89 K 33 BB .278 BAA 4.37 ERA - fastball in 91-93 range

Turns 23 in July.

 

Other Draft News:

Berry College junior pitcher Collin McHigh, who was drafted in the 18th round by the New York Mets on the second day of the Major League Baseball Draft on Friday, will sign with the Mets this afternoon at The Cage Center at Berry. McHugh, a 6-2, right-handed pitcher from Stone Mountain, Ga., is coming off a season where, despite a 2-4 record, he led the team and the Southern States Athletic Conference in strikeouts per-nine innings with a rate of 9.05 strikeouts per-nine innings.

Mack’s Facts:

Mets Top 10 Draft Picks: - 2007:

Rd 1: RHP Eddie Kunz - banner year in AA – projected to be Met in 2009

Rd 1: LHP Nathan Vineyard – poor start in 2008 for Gnats (14.63) – on IR for year

Rd 2: RHP Scott Moviel - poor start in 2008 for Gnats (6.05)

Rd. 2: RHP Brant Rustich - poor start in 2008 for Gnats (5.79)

Rd. 3 LHP Eric Niesen - good start for Lucy (.494)

Rd. 3 RHP Stephen Clyne - poor start at Lucy (9.86)

Rd. 4 3B Richard Lucas - in extended camp

Rd. 5 3B Zach Lutz - in extended camp

Rd. 6 RHP Guillaume Leduc - in extended camp

Rd. 7 1B Lucas Duda - excellent season for Lucy in 2008 (.288)

Rd. 8 RHP Dan McDonald - in extended camp

Rd. 9 RHP Michael Olmstead - in extended camp

Rd. 10 SS Brandon Richey - in extended camp

 

Zephyrs:

The New Orleans Zephyrs got more timely hitting, and another outstanding start from Tony Armas to win their third straight game against the Oklahoma RedHawks on Sunday, 3-0. The win moves the Zephyrs into a first-place tie in the American Southern with Oklahoma, the first time the Z's have been atop the division since they were 4-2 on April 8. Armas tossed seven shutout innings, limiting the RedHawks to five hits and recording seven strikeouts to win his second start in a row. It was the ninth straight quality start for Armas (4-5), who has posted a 1.80 ERA over his last nine starts, with 53 strikeouts in 60.1 innings. He has held the opposition to a .194 batting average in that span. The Zephyrs gave Armas all the support he needed in the second inning, when they loaded the bases with nobody out, but had to settle for one run. John Rodriguez, in his Zephyrs debut, grounded into a double play that scored a run. The Z's tallied two more runs in the fifth, when with one out, Mike Nickeas singled and Anderson Hernandez doubled over the head of left fielder Ryan Roberts, who got a late break on the ball. Nickeas scored on a ground out by Argenis Reyes, and Chris Aguila delivered an infield hit to give New Orleans a 3-0 lead. Aguila, Nickeas and Michel Abreu all had two-hit efforts for the Zephyrs. Jose Santiago pitched a perfect eighth inning, and Carlos Muniz worked around two hits to record his seventh save with a scoreless ninth.

B-Mets:

Mike Carp and Emmanuel Garcia each hit a pair of homers, helping the Binghamton Mets to a 17-4 win over the New Britain Rock Cats at NYSEG Stadium Sunday. The B-Mets swept the three-game series, earning their fifth straight win. The B-Mets (34-28) jumped on New Britain starter Jay Rainville in the first. Eric Reed and Nick Evans began the inning with a single and double, respectively, before Daniel Murphy’s sacrifice fly brought in Reed and Caleb Stewart doubled in Murphy. Stewart scored on Josh Petersen’s double. After Jose Coronado walked, Garcia reached Rainville (5-6) for a three-run homer, putting the B-Mets ahead 6-0. After New Britain (28-34) got within 6-1 on David Winfree’s longball off Eric Brown in the top of the second, the B-Mets put the game away in the bottom of the inning, sending 13 men to the plate. Carp’s grand slam put Binghamton up 10-1 before Garcia hit a two-run shot. Rafael Arroyo followed Garcia’s homer with a longball of his own before Evans and Murphy hit back-to-back RBI doubles to put the B-Mets ahead 15-1. Brown (3-5) allowed a two-run homer to Brock Peterson in the third before Dustin Martin’s groundout scored another in the fifth, cutting Binghamton’s lead to 15-4. However, Carp hit his second homer of the game in the bottom of the fifth, a two-run shot that capped off the scoring.

 

Gnats:

Scott Moviel tossed 7.0 strong innings while Jordan Abruzzo and Casey Craig both went 3-for-4 as the Sand Gnats earned a series win with a 6-4 triumph over the visiting RiverDogs on Sunday afternoon. Trailing 1-0 in the first, Savannah scored three runs off Charleston right-hander Noel Castillo. Greg Veloz, Abruzzo and Jose Jimenez each singled to load the bases before Joaquin Rodriguez tied the game with a sacrifice fly. After Carlos Guzman walked, Michael Parker knocked in a pair with a bloop single to right field. Moviel (5-7) pitched comfortably with the 3-1 lead, retiring 11 consecutive batters at one point and lasting a season-high 7 innings. The right-hander allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on just 3 hits while striking out 6. After a run in the fifth, the Gnats added two insurance runs in the seventh. Abruzzo singled home Veloz and Rodriguez plated Craig with his second sacrifice fly of the afternoon The RiverDogs (41-22) made it interesting in the ninth as Dave Williams and Austin Krum singled off Savannah reliever John Holdzkom. With Abraham Almonte batting as the tying run, Holdzkom rebounded with the strikeout. After a wild pitch allowed Williams to score, Holdzkom struck out Snyder. Then Jesus Montero grounded out to end the game and hand the Gnats a series win over the RiverDogs after losing eight of the first nine with Charleston to begin 2008.

 

This Day In Mets History:

1989 - Mets outfielder Darryl Strawberry hits his S career home run in a ten-inning, 4-3, loss to the Pirates.

1990 - Dodger switch-hitter Eddie Murray ties Mickey Mantle's major league mark hitting a homer from both sides of the plate for the tenth time in his career.

1999 - After being ejected in the 12th inning by plate umpire Randy Marsh for arguing a catcher's interference call, Bobby Valentine returns to the dugout with a fake mustache and glasses. The National League will suspend the Mets' manager for two games and fine him for using the disguise.