The Mack Attack - 5-14-8

By John Mackin Ade
Posted Wednesday, May 14, 2008

May 14,, 2008

Mets News:

Mets down one in the loss column...

John Maine now holds a 2.81 ERA this season and opponents are batting just .213 against him

I have updated by “Mets Minor League Bios” (over 100 pages, 40,000+ words) with the new VSL roster. If any of you want a free copy of it, email me at macksmets@gmail.com and I’ll email it to you.

Raul Casanova has cleared waivers and will report to Triple-A New Orleans

Mets Contracts:

Carlos Beltran of - 7 years/$119M (2005-11) - $11M signing bonus - $5M at signing 1/05, $2M 6/15/05, $2M 1/15/06, $2M 1/15/07 05:$10M, 06:$12M, 07:$12M, 08:$18.5M, 09:$18.5M, 10:$18.5M, 11:$18.5M - $0.1M bonus each for All Star, Gold Glove or Silver Slugger - $0.2M bonus for 4th-place finish in 2006 NL MVP vote - signed as a free agent 1/05 - $22M deferred to 2012-18 - 8 annual installments of $3,142,857 @ 1.7175% interest - $8.5M deferred annually from 2008-2011 - club agreed to not offer arbitration after 2011 season - perks: hotel suite on road, 15-person suite at home games, club agreed to lease ocular enhancer machine (device that throws numbered & multi-colored tennis balls at 150 mph) - agent: Scott Boras - ML service: 9.014

Zephyrs:

The New Orleans Zephyrs squandered numerous scoring chances Tuesday afternoon, falling to the Sacramento River Cats in the series finale, 4-3.

The Zephyrs got a three-run homer from Anderson Hernandez to take a 3-1 lead in the fifth, but that was the only hit they would collect in 11 at-bats with runners in scoring position, as the Z's stranded a season-high 12 base runners. Left-hander Willie Collazo was called upon to make a spot start for the Z's, and filled in admirably. Making his first start since last July 6 at Iowa, Collazo went seven innings and allowed three runs on six hits with three strikeouts. A 3-3 game was handed to closer Carlos Muniz in the ninth, and he gave up a pair of bloop singles to put runners at the corners with two out. Wes Bankston hit a sharp one-hopper down the third base line that was snagged by Anderson Machado, but Machado's throw to first was off the mark, giving Sacramento the go-ahead run on an infield single. Argenis Reyes and Mike Nickeas contributed multi-hit games for New Orleans, which dropped each of the final three games of the series by one run apiece.

B-Mets:

Going into Tuesday’s game, the B-Met relief squad has allowed only 3 ERs in the last 18.2 IP (1.45).

Bobby Parnell tossed seven strong innings and Fernando Martinez drove in the go-ahead run in the Binghamton Mets’ 4-2 win over the New Britain Rock Cats at NYSEG Stadium Tuesday. The win is Binghamton’s second straight and fifth in their last six games.

New Britain (20-17) took a 1-0 lead on Dustin Martin’s RBI double in the fourth before Felix Molina singled in the fifth and later scored on a wild pitch. Parnell (3-2) retired the last eight in a row after Molina’s single.

The B-Mets (16-21) got on the board against Jay Rainville in the fifth when Emmanuel Garcia bunted his way on, moved to second on an error and scored on Rafael Arroyo’s double to center. Caleb Stewart hit a game-tying homer off Rainville (2-5) in the sixth.

Jonathan Malo began Binghamton’s seventh-inning rally with a leadoff single. After Arroyo was hit by a pitch, Martinez grounded a single through the right side to score Malo with the go-ahead run. Arroyo later scored on a throwing error.

Eddie Kunz worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the ninth to earn his seventh save in as many chances.

Lucy:

Roster moves: Activate P Nick Abel from DL - Send P Tim Stronach to Brooklyn

Hell of a game Tueday night at Lucy. Lost 1-0, Basically it was Vero Beach's Heath Rollins against Dillon Gee, both of which pitched an outstanding game. Lucy only had 2 hits, but VB had 6, one of which drive the winning run home.

Gee's stats: 7 IP 1 ER 8 Ks

Gnats:

Michael Parker ripped a two-run single and Richard Lucas hit a two-run homer as the Sand Gnats scored four runs in the eighth to beat the Tourists 6-2 on Tuesday at Historic Grayson Stadium.

Savannah was frustrated by wasted opportunities with runners in scoring position all night before Parker provided the breakthrough with a line-drive single up the middle to score Daniel Stegall and Jose Jimenez and give the Gnats their first lead at 4-2. Lucas followed with a two-run homer that stayed just inside the foul pole in right field to give the Gnats some insurance and end a personal 1-for-23 slump.

Just like Monday, the game was scoreless heading into the sixth inning. Asheville scored on run-scoring singles from Brian Rike and Jeffrey Cunningham to take a 2-0 lead.

Savannah answered with a run in the bottom half when Richard Pena scored on a throwing error from Asheville pitcher Connor Graham after Francisco Pena singled.

The seventh began with three consecutive Asheville throwing errors, allowing Savannah to load the bases with no outs. Pena grounded into a double play that scored Lucas to tie the game. After Casey Craig walked, Jordan Abruzzo struck out to end the inning.

Scott Moviel pitched well again, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits in 6.0 innings. He struck out a season high seven batters without allowing a walk. John Holdzkom (2-1) earned the win, pitching 2.0 scoreless innings before Julio Polanco shut the door in the ninth to end it.

VSL:

The VSL Mets won their first game of the season, 8-5, against the Mariners on Monday. Victor Aquilar got the victory and Johan Romero got the save after 2.1 innings of zero run ball. Multiple hits were stroked by SS Jose Bellorin (who are these guys?), LF Adrian Pirela, and C Luis Hernandez (spent the season with the Rookie-level Mets of the Venezuelan Summer League), but the big hit was a 3-RBI producing triple by 1B Quinton De Cuba (joined the Mets after a season with the DSL Padres).

Tuesday brought a 5-0 victory against the Tigers. Oralbus Hernandez took the victory (3IP, 0ER) in relief. C Quinton De Cuba belted 2 homers.

The recent prospect from the Netherlands, Marinus Vernouij (6-3, 215 3B), will be playing for the VSL Mets this season. Now, there’s a language problem!

Minor League Bios:

Scott Schafer P R R 6-1 160 Texas State College

Schafer was a high school star out of Houston, Texas, earning first-team All District honors while pitching for Memorial High School. His Texas State coach was quoted to say: "Scott is an incredible young pitching talent with four pitches that he can use," Harrington said. "He throws for strikes and has great poise on the field. Scott brings a tremendous competitive spirit to our program." He throws a 90-92 mph fast ball.

Breiner Soto CF R R 6-2 147 2-23-90 Maracay, Venezuela

Soto debuted with the 2007 VSL Mets, batting .189/.302/.216 in 74 at bats.

Daniel Stegall OF L R 6-3 180 9-24-87 Greenwood High School (AR.)

Stegall was selected in the 7th round by the Mets in the 2006 draft. He first committed to playing football for the Miami Hurricanes, but decided to pursue a career in baseball instead. He signed straight out of high school where he struck out 89 batters in 53 innings in his senior year, with a 1.63 ERA. Oh… he also hit .562.

He immediately signed and played for the GCL Mets, where he batted .214/.324/.262 in 145 Abs. Baseball America tagged him the ‘Best Athlete’ of all Mets draftees in 2006: Stegall was a Miami quarterback recruit, is raw as a hitter, but all of his other tools are above-average and he profiles as a classic right fielder.

In February 2007, Scout.com surprisingly named Stegall as the 23rd top Mets prospect. John Sickles of MinorLeagueBaseball.com fame, mentioned Stegall in 2007 as a “player of note’. He started the 2007 season with Savannah (.200/.249/.243 in 235 at bats), but was sent down to Kingsport to finish out the year.

Stegall started off 2007 in Savannah, but was demoted at the all-star break to Kingsport, where he went .228/.323/.315 in 248 at bats.

Ex-Mets:

On a foul ball in the second inning of tonight's game vs the Marlins, Jeff Keppinger fouled a ball off his left knee. X-rays revealed that the Reds SS suffered a fractured left kneecap. He will undergo an MRI tomorrow. Bad news for the Reds and Keppinger who was on pace for a career year

Lastings Milledge on taunting out of the Nats dugout against the Mets

: “Well, what were we supposed to do? We’re not supposed to cater to anybody on the opposing team,” Milledge said. “We’re not going to cater to him or anybody else. We’ve been down the last couple of days and we wanted to get something going. And if he doesn’t like it, then he’s got to deal with it. Anybody don’t like it, they just have to deal with it.”

Guillermo Mota picked up a one-out save Monday against the Cardinals.

The Chicago Cubs released OF Corey Coles.

The Mets released P Nelson Arriechi

San Diego signed C Shawn Wooten.

Toronto signed P Ryan Meyers.

This Day In Mets History:

1972 - After 21 seasons with Giants in New York and San Francisco, 41-year old Willie Mays makes a dramatic debut for his new team as he hits a game winning home run off his former team giving the Mets a 5-4 victory. The 'Say Hey Kid's' 647th career homer in the fifth breaks a 4-4 deadlock.

1996 - Dwight Gooden becomes the eighth Yankee to throw a no-hitter. Doc's gem is a 2-0 victory over the Mariners at Yankee Stadium.

And lastly:

"They throw the ball; I hit it; they hit the ball I catch it; -Willie Mays

John Maine won his fifth game Tuesday night. Related info: Question your sanity in our forums!