The Mack Attack - 5-6-08

By John Mackin Ade
Posted Tuesday, May 6, 2008

May 6, 2008

Mets News

The Top 15 Slugging Percentages in the Organization:

1. 1B-DH Nick Evans/B-Mets .591

2. 1B-DH Mike Carp/B-Mets .579

3. 3B David Wright/Mets .569

4. 3B Fernando Tatis/N.O. .561

5. OF Chris Aguilar/N.O. .560

6. C-DH Jordan Abruzzo/Gnats .545

7. 3B-2B Dan Murphy/B-Mets .504

8. OF Ryan Church/Mets .491

9. 1B-OF Lucas Duda/Lucy .471

10. SS Jose Reyes/Mets .461

11. 3B Leivi Ventura/Lucy .429

12. OF Ezequiel Carrera/Lucy .421

13. C Josh Thole/Lucy .417

14. OF Jesus Feliciano/N.O. .405

15. C Francesco Pena/Gnats .400

 

The Mets are ranked 6th in the National League in ERA:

1. Arizona 3.35

2. St. Louis 3.53

3. Atlanta 3.58

4. Philadelphia 3.76

5. LA Dodgers 3.76

6. NY Mets 3.77

11. Washington 4.46

13 Florida 4.58

The Mets are ranked 5th in the NL in lowest BA against their pitchers:

1. Arizona .221

2. Atlanta .230

3. St. Louis .243

4. Chicago Cubs .246

5. NY Mets .250

7 Philadelphia .256

10 Washington .265

15 Florida .273

New York Observer:

The most inexplicable part of the public flaying of Oliver Perez by Randolph and Wagner is the Mets need Perez, both this season and beyond. This year, a Perez who merely repeats his 2007 would give New York a third starter far better than those possessed by division rivals Atlanta or Philadelphia, along with nearly every team in the National League. And with Perez set to hit the free agent market, plenty of pitching-starved teams will recognize that not only does he have the potential to be far better than his career so far—don’t forget, he is only in Year Two of a completely reconstructed pitching motion—but that 2007, which might well be his floor, already placed him among the league’s better pitchers. For an organization bereft of major-league-ready alternatives, the loss would be staggering.

Mets Contracts

Nate Field rhp - 1 year (2008) - signed as a free agent 12/12/07 (minor-league contract) - 1 year (2007) - DFA 5/07, sent outright to AAA 5/3/07 - contract purchased 4/07 - signed as a free agent 11/06 (minor-league contract) - 1 year (2006), signed as a free agent 11/05 (minor-league contract) - contract purchased 9/06, sent outright to AAA (by Rockies) 10/06 - 1 year/$0.3275M (2005), re-signed 3/05 - 1 year/$0.3065M (2004) - 1 year (2003) - contract purchased 6/03 - signed 1998 as amateur free agent - ML service: 1.152

 

Zephyrs

The Mets released OF Ben Johnson and C Shawn Wooten.

SP Claudio Vargas’ 1st outing for N.O.: 4.0 IP 6 ER 9 H 4K

SP Jason Vargas has resumed throwing and may return in July.

Michel Abreu leads all Pacific Coast League first basemen in fielding percentage, having committed just one error in 262 chances (.996).

 

B-Mets

Going into Monday, the B-Mets allowed 33 runs in 35 innings in their past 2 games

The team ERA is now 6.09

This week’s started: Tuesday – Jose Sanchez (2-2, 5.52), Wednesday – Bobby Parnell (1-2, 6.21), and Thursday – Eric Brown (0-3, 6.90).

ProjectProspect.com updated their top 25 baseball prospects and Fernando Martinez dropped from 20th to 22nd:

Fernando Martinez CF Has yet to hit stride in AA this season: .254/.287/.349 after 136 PA; 2 XBH in last 42 at-bats 19.5 NYM AA

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The Reading Phillies scored nine runs over the fourth and fifth innings on their way to an 11-0 win over the Binghamton Mets at FirstEnergy Stadium Monday. The loss is Binghamton’s third in a row and ninth in their last 10 games. B-Mets (11-20) starter Jonathon Niese cruised through the first three innings, allowing no hits while facing the minimum. However, Reading broke out in the fourth, as six of the first seven batters got hits. Jason Donald opened the scoring with a two-run homer before Mike Eylward and Gookie Dawkins added RBI singles for a 4-0 lead. Reading (15-15) continued the onslaught in the fifth. Niese (2-3) was chased after back-to-back RBI doubles by Donald and Greg Golson. Reliever Joe Hietpas then allowed an RBI single to Neil Sellers and an Eylward two-run homer for a 9-0 Phillies lead. Michael Spidale and Luke Appert drove in runs with fielder’s choices in the eighth to close out the scoring. Binghamton managed just three hits off three Reading pitchers, with Mike Carp, Niese and Daniel Murphy picking up singles. Reading starter Carlos Carrasco (3-2) struck out seven over seven innings, retiring the last 13 in a row.

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Lucy:

SP Toby Stoner was simply lights out for 5 innings last night. 9 Ks in 6 IP. Don’t be surprised if, when he gets his legs he’s not the first call-up to B-Town this year. Lucy eventually went into the tank again, losing Monday night, 9-2, to Lakeland. The Mets gave Stoner basically no support, throwing up only 4 hits for the entire game. How was the Lucy relief squad? Well, if ERA’s are an indication, tonight’s pitchers included Steve Clyne (11.57), Edgar Alfonzo (18.00), and John Wesley (17.18).

 

Gnats:

Mike Antonini pitched another great outing last night. It’s a pleasure to finally report nightly on a team down here with consistent starting pitching. Both Antonini and Angel Calero are turning heads in the Sally League, with both Edgar and Elvin Ramirez not far behind.

Like last year, errors are starting to become a factor in deciding who wins a Gnat game. Greg Veloz’s 8th error of the season and Mathew Boussard’s 11th, cost Savannah a hard earned victory on Monday night that Antonini deserved to win.

 

Minor League Bios

Raul Reyes OF L L 6-0 183 12-30-86 Dominican Republic

Raul Reyes was a product of the Dominican baseball league. Reyes first year in the stateside Mets organization was 2006 where he had a banner year for Kingsport (.273/.393/.413). OnDeck updated their 2006 end of the year ratings for the Appalachian League and ranked Reyes as 14th top hitter in the league (138.29 rating) and the 38th top overall league prospect.

Reyes played 2007 for Brooklyn (.233/.321/.289 in 253 at bats).

Brandon Richey SS R R 5-10 180 4-27-86 Northwestern State University

Richey’s stats for his 2006 year at NSU: .424/.513/.693, with 11 HRs, 14 doubles, and 3 triples.

A scouting report prior to the draft:

Very athletic shortstop that will have an impact on the Demons and the conference immediately… transfer from LSU-Eunice.

NSU First Team All-America, First Team All-Region, LA JUCO Player of the Year after helping LSU-Eunice to the JUCO World Series championship… hit .424 with 11 HR and 53 RBI… set 5 school records with 98 hits, 21 doubles, 32 stolen bases, 85 runs scored and a .514 on-base percentage… his .424 batting average ranks second in the record book along with his .693 slugging percentage while his 11 home runs ranks third… hit .391 with a home run and three RBI in the world series as team finished 52-11.

High School 3-time All-District honors… hit .461 as a sophomore, .442 as a junior and .431 as a senior at Hardin-Jefferson High School in Sour Lake, Texas… graduated with a 3.3 grade point average.

The Mets drafted Richey in the 10th round of the 2007 draft. He started the 2007 season for Kingsport (.243/.314/.375 in 136 at bats), and ended with Savannah (.167/.250/.194 in 36 at bats).

Ex-Mets:

Mike Cameron hit 2 home runs and drove in 4 for Milwaukee

Steve Trachsel's outing broke a streak in which Orioles starters had gone six or more innings in six straight outings. Asked whether Trachsel's rotation spot could be in jeopardy, Trembley said: "I don't know. The game just got over. We're going to talk to [pitching coach Rick Kranitz] and do what we've got to do

This Day In Mets History:

1956 - Reds' outfielder Gus Bell homers off Bob Miller in both ends of a doubleheader

1994 - The Cubs 10-1 victory over the Pirates ends Anthony Young's record 29-game losing streak as a starter. The hard luck pitcher, obtained from the Mets for shortstop Jose Vizcaino, had not won as a starter for over two years.

 

And lastly

A 43-year-old Nashua, N.H. woman faces murder charges after a man she's accused of running down during the weekend died. Witnesses say the incident was sparked by an argument between Red Sox and Yankees fans at a Nashua bar early Friday morning. Ivonne Hernandez is accused of killing 29-year-old Matthew Beaudoin, and injuring his friend, 21-year-old Maria Hughes, by running them down with her car. She's also charged with drunken driving.