The Mack Attack - 5-17-8

By John Mackin Ade
Posted Friday, May 16, 2008

May 16, 2008

Mets News:

From Adam Rubin after last night’s loss:

That undercurrent of discontent over some Mets ducking the media boiled over after the game. As reporters spoke with Billy Wagner after the loss, first about the Yankees series, then about today’s game, Wagner wondered aloud why the closer was drawing attention. He looked over toward the area of Carlos Delgado’s locker and blurted: “Someone tell me why the (expletive) you’re talking to the closer. I didn’t even play. They’re over there, not being interviewed. … I got it. They’re gone. (Expletive) shocker.”

( keep saying all year… stop knocking the pitching… it’s the bats)

Fernando Martinez had an MRI in New York on Thursday on his right hamstring.

Johan Santana continues to lengthen the distance between himself and the New York media. He simply refuses to talk to them and spends as little time as he has to in the clubhouse. Eventually, this will rub wrong with his fellow Mets.

(It seems to me that the positive, kid-like, chemistry from 2 years ago just isn’t there anymore. I’m told it used to be fun to be in the Mets locker room, and especially, in the dugout during the game. Now, it’s a job. Has the players changed that much? Is it the lack of Jose fooling around? It just isn’t a happy team anymore.)

Pedro Martinez threw a four-inning, 55-pitch simulated game in Port St. Lucie as he continued his recovery from a strained left hamstring, Omar Minaya said. The GM said Martinez successfully fielded a bunt and covered first base, but warned it's difficult to declare that the pitcher had definitively cleared a hurdle since he has yet to pitch in a minor-league game. "The adrenaline is going to be different, so you just don't know," Minaya said. Minaya said Martinez likely would pitch in another simulated game, ramping up to 75-80 pitches, before advancing to a rehab game with St. Lucie. That scenario would mean Martinez would return no sooner than the May 29-June 1 Dodgers series at Shea. – NY Daily News

From: “We’ve Got Heart” (Nats blog):

As much as I’ve regretted losing Brian Schneider and Ryan Church, I’m beginning to wonder how much Mets fans are really starting to regret the fact that their team let Jesus Flores go in the Rule 5 draft. Flores, who is in his second year in the majors, has been doing a great job showing the Mets what they lost. Despite struggling in Columbus earlier this season, Flores has come back to the Majors and is playing with the determination to stay here. The game got off to a quiet start with both pitchers putting up zero’s through the fourth inning. Tim Redding, who has been excellent this year, gave up just one run in six innings of work. His former teammate, Schneider hit a solo shot in the fifth to give his team a one run lead. Ryan Zimmerman answered by hitting his own solo shot the next inning. The teams stayed tied at one until Flores got the team going in the seventh. Flores hit a single to left, which drove in Elijah Dukes and sparked a four run inning. Felipe Lopez and Guzman also got big hits to drive in one and two runs respectively.

Reliever Scott Schoeneweis was taken by ambulance yesterday morning near his home in Greenwich, Conn., and hospitalized for seven hours after a severe case of the stomach ailment that has been going around the Mets' clubhouse lately. Doctors at first thought Schoeneweis might have appendicitis but ruled it out and sent him on his way with medication. Amazingly, Schoeneweis came to Shea Stadium and said he could have pitched in an emergency. -- NY Post

Mack’s Facts:

101 players have played for both the Mets and Yankees:

Juan Acevedo Jack Aker Neil Allen Sandy Alomar Jason Anderson Tucker Ashford Armando Benitez Yogi Berra Daryl Boston Darren Bragg Tim Burke Ray Burris Miguel Cairo John Candelaria Duke Carmel Alberto Castillo Rick Cerone Tony Clark David Cone Billy Cowan Wilson Delgado Octavio Dotel Dock Ellis Kevin Elster Scott Erickson Alvaro Espinoza Tony Fernandez Tim Foli Bob Friend Karim Garcia Rob Gardner Paul Gibson Jesse Gonder Dwight Gooden Lee Guetterman Greg Harris Rickey Henderson Felix Heredia Orlando Hernandez Keith Hughes Stan Jefferson Lance Johnson Dave Kingman Matt Lawton Tim Leary Ricky Ledee Al Leiter Cory Lidle Phil Linz Graeme Lloyd Phil Lombardi Terrence Long Rob MacDonald Elliott Maddox Josias Manzanillo Lee Mazzilli Doc Medich Doug Mientkiewicz Dale Murray C. J. Nitkowski Bob Ojeda John Olerud Jesse Orosco John Pacella Juan Padilla Lenny Randle Willie Randolph Jeff Reardon Hal Reniff Kenny Rogers Rey Sanchez Rafael Santana Don Schulze Bill Short Charley Smith Shane Spencer Roy Staiger Mike Stanton Kelly Stinnett Darryl Strawberry Tom Sturdivant Bill Sudakis Ron Swoboda Frank Tanana Tony Tarasco Walt Terrell Ralph Terry Ryan Thompson Marv Throneberry Dick Tidrow Mike Torrez Bubba Trammell Robin Ventura José Vizcaino Claudell Washington Allen Watson Dave Wally Whitehurst Gerald Williams Gene Woodling Todd Zeile

4 managers have managed both the teams (Joe Torre, Yogi Berra, Casey Stengel, and Dallas Green).

Mets Contracts:

Carlos Delgado 1b - 4 years/$52M (2005-08), plus 2009 option - acquired 11/05 in trade from Florida (as part of deal, Marlins paid Mets $7M - $1M in 2006, $2M in 2007, $4M in 2008) - 05:$4M, 06:$13.5M, 07:$14.5M, 08:$16M, 09:$16M option ($4M buyout) - 2009 option may vest based on MVP voting rank - if 2009 option does not vest, club has $12M mutual option ($4M buyout) - MVP award bonus ($50,000 for finishing 2nd to Bonds in MVP vote) - signed as a free agent 1/05 - 4 years/$68M (2001-04) - $4.8M signing bonus - 01:$10M, 02:$17.2M, 03:$17.5M, 04:$18.5M - complete no-trade clause - $50,000 All Star award bonus - 3 years/$36M (2000-02) - agent: David Sloane - ML service: 13.002

Zephyrs:

The Zephyr hitting woes continued on Thursday night as the
Nashville Sounds defeated the Zephyrs 2-1 at Greer Stadium. The Z’s were no
hit for six innings and had a total of two hits. Sounds starter Lindsey
Gulin worked six innings and did not allow a hit while striking out 10
Zephyrs. Ben Howard entered the game in the seventh and on his first pitch
allowed a single to Gustavo Molina to break up the no hit bid. Two
batters later Anderson Machado singled and drove home the lone Zephyrs run.
Brian Stokes suffered the loss working six innings and allowed two runs.
The Sounds scored a run in the second inning on a infield hit by Brendan
Katin that scored Russell Branyan who had doubled in the inning. The Sounds
added a second run in the third when Stokes allowed two hits and two
consecutive walks. The Sounds pen used four pitchers, struck out a total of
13 Z’s and Luis Pena earned the save.

B-Mets

The B-Met bullpen is now up to 14 straight scoreless innings going into Thursday’s game.

Eddie Kunz has earned a save in 3 consecutive games and has 8 in 8 attempts for the season.

Nick Evans singled in Daniel Murphy in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Binghamton Mets a 7-6, extra-inning win over the New Britain Rock Cats at NYSEG Stadium Thursday. Binghamton, which swept the three-game series, has won a season-high four straight and seven of eight.

New Britain (20-19) pushed across three in the first on Luke Hughes’ leadoff homer and RBIs by David Winfree and Erik Lis. Binghamton got a run back in the bottom of the first when Jose Coronado reached on an error and later scored on Caleb Stewart’s groundout. However, Steve Tolleson’s fielder’s choice tallied another run for New Britain in the top of the second for a 4-1 Rock Cats lead.

The B-Mets (18-21) took their first lead in the bottom of the second. Salomon Manriquez and Emmanuel Garcia began the inning with a double and walk, respectively, before Salvador Paniagua smacked a game-tying, three-run homer to center. Three batters later, Murphy singled and stole second before scoring on Evans’ triple to right for a 5-4 Binghamton advantage.

In the third, Toby Gardenhire tied the game with a squeeze bunt before Felix Molina’s sacrifice fly put New Britain ahead 6-5. Binghamton tied it on three straight hits in the seventh when Evans singled, Stewart doubled and Ambiorix Concecpion singled, the latter scoring Evans.

After Eddie Camacho (2-2) tossed a 1-2-3 top of the 11th, Murphy ripped a one-out double to left off Ben Julianel (0-2) in the bottom of the inning. Evans followed with a groundball single through the right side, scoring Murphy with the winning run.

Lucy:

P Brandon Nall announced his retirement

Brandon Nall P R R 6-4 190 3-18-82 College: Louisiana State U.

The Nall brothers were star athletes at LSU (recently the brothers did short stints in the Hollywood film "Glory Road.")… Stedman was the top golfer in his college and Brandon was the star baseball player. Brandon was drafted in his junior year by the Atlanta Braves in 2002, but turned down the offer. Nall spent three years at LSU, but he missed two of those years recovering from surgery and went un-drafted in 2005.

After graduation he played in a summer league and was picked up by the New York Mets by Mets minor-league pitching coordinator Rick Waits. As Waits put it, "During the middle of the season in 2005, a very good friend of mine, a scout from the Northeast, calls me and says, ‘You ought to see this kid. He went to LSU. He didn’t get drafted. He’s throwing the ball great. He’s just a kid who was missed.’ So I called our top scout and asked him where he was. He said, ‘As a matter of fact I’m right around here.’ He went in to watch Brandon Nall pitch, and Brandon Nall threw a seven-inning no-hitter that night and topped out at like 91, 92 mph. And obviously in the next two days we signed him.

Nall had a fantastic 2006 season at Hagerstown (A), posting a 2.91 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 38 outings. He finished the season at Binghamton (AA. John Sickles has Nall as the 19th top 2007 Mets prospect, with a C rating, and the comment: “good numbers but old for the level.”

Nall pitched part of the 2007 season with St. Lucie (3-2, 2.21, 0.89, in 21 relief appearances), but was promoted and ended the season with Binghamton (2-0, 4.57, 1.55 in 34 appearances).

From Scout.com in March 2008:

Repertoire: Fastball, Slider, Changeup

Fastball: Nall throws both a two-seam fastball and a four-seamer, but it is the two-seamer which he relies on more. He can dial it up to 90-91 if he chooses, but the pitch is most effective when he slows it down to 87-88 MPH so it can have more movement. He can use the sinking fastball as a strikeout pitch, but relies on it to set up his other pitches or when he needs a groundball. His four-seam fastball is not nearly as reliable. Though he can throw it with a similar velocity, he has more trouble spotting it consistently and thus uses it infrequently. He throws the four-seam more as a get-over pitch.

Other Pitches: His slider his is most dynamic pitch. He flips it in between 77-81 MPH with a lot sweeping movement as it breaks hard and away to right-handers. It is a feel pitch for Nall, and he executes it best when is he throwing it often. When he lacks the touch on his slider, he can get hit hard, but when it is on, it can be extremely difficult to hit. He continues to work on a changeup, but he did not throw it much in 2007 so its development is still a long ways away. He will mix the changeup in when he feels pressured to throw something other than his two-seam fastball or slider.

Gnats:

Jordan Abruzzo went 4-for-4 and the Sand Gnats rallied in the sixth for a 4-3 victory and a series win over the first-place Asheville Tourists in front of 1,944 on Thursday night at Historic Grayson Stadium.

The Tourists (27-14) scored three times in the sixth to take a two-run lead after the Gnats had led up to that point. Casey Craig began the Gnats rally in the bottom of the sixth with a one-out single. Abruzzo followed with a bloop single to right that moved Craig to second. Francisco Pena then singled to right and Craig slid in just ahead of Brian Rike’s throw to cut the deficit to one.

Jose Jimenez lined a base-hit to left that was misplayed by Brian Lapin, scoring Abruzzo from third and allowing Pena to score all the way from first with the eventual winning run.

The Tourists were in a position to tie the game in the ninth when David Christensen singled off Nick Waechter to lead off the inning. Christensen then stole second during Warren Schaeffer’s at bat to put a runner at second with no one out. Waechter got Schaeffer to ground out to third for the first out. Jose Bierd was then called in to get the final two outs and he did just that, striking out Beau Seabury and inducing a ground out by Evererth Cabrera. Bierd picked up his team-leading fifth save of the season.

Angel Calero pitched well again for Savannah, permitting 3 runs on 4 hits in 5.1 innings. Waechter (2-0) recorded the win, pitching 3.0 scoreless innings while striking out 3.

VSL

The VSL Mets remain undefeated, winning their 4th game in a row, 6-5, against the Pirates. Josmar Carreno (1-0, 0.00) got the win in relief. The big bat came from OF Cesar Diaz, who went 3-5, including a 2 RBI home run.

Minor League Bios:

Joshua Stinson P R R 6-4 195 3-14-88 Northwood H.S. (Ga.)

Stinson was drafted in the 37th round of the 2006 draft by the Mets straight out of Northwood High School, in Louisiana. Stinson was projected as early round talent, but he had a scholarship offer from Northwestern State and fell to the late rounds. He also had a 2.30 ERA and has hit 94 on the gun.

Baseball America said, at the time of his selection: “Josh Stinson is a 6-foot-4, 190-pounder with a 90-91 mph fastball. His velocity and secondary pitches could improve if he cleans up his mechanics and stops falling away from the plate.”

Stinson signed with the Mets in June 2006 and was assigned to the GCL team. He also won the 2006 Sterling Award as the best player for the 2006 Gulf Coast Mets, posting a 1.79 ERA between GCL and H-Town.

Baseball America says that the Mets may have ‘gotten a steal” with Stinson in the 37th round. They also tagged him as the best late-round Mets draft pick in 2006. Stinson throws primarily 2-seam FBs which ranges from 85 mph to 89 mph. Normally, there is a 3-4 mph differential between a 4-seam FB and a 2-seamer which would project to 92-93 mph for the 4-seamer. A number of pitchers have had a 4-6 mph differential including a young Greg Maddux who abandoned his 4-seamer. GM's 2-seamer topped off at 89 mph, but his 4-seamer topped off at 94-95 mph.

John Sickles has Stinson as the 11th top 2007 Mets prospect, with a C+ rating, and the comment: “interesting arm but another guy who will need time.” Stinson’s combined 2006 stats for the GCL Mets and Hagerstown are 12 games, 7 starts, 1-3, 1.80, and 1.17.

Stinson will have no trouble forgetting 2007, where he pitched for Savannah (3-11, 4.86, 1.50 in 26 games, 21 starts).

Ex-Mets:

Padres left-handed reliever Glendon Rusch declined his assignment to Triple-A Portland and became a free agent

This Day In Mets History

1973 - Angel fireballer Nolan Ryan no-hits the Royals, 3-0. It is the first of a record seven no-hitters the 'Ryan Express' throw during his career including another one in two months

1998 - The Marlins trade Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, Charles Johnson, Jim Eisenreich, and Manuel Barrios to the Dodgers for Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile.

And lastly:

You know a team has injury problems when its vice president for media relations comes out of batting practice with a bandage and a limp. Such was the case for Jay Horwitz, who was struck on the lower left leg by a one-hopper hit by Brian Schneider on Wednesday. Horwitz was on his way to the bullpen to fetch Mets pitcher John Maine for a television interview when he was hit. Horwitz ended up with a bandage around his ankle and playful teasing echoing in his ears. -- NY Times