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Well it is the time of year again to make my annual prediction as I have on this thread the past two years. THE DETROIT TIGERS WILL GET INTO POST SEASON PLAY AND HEY, MAYBE WILL FINALLY WIN IT ALL. I love watching on YOU TUBE when I get a chance the tigers I really liked in the 80's , like when they won everything in 84.
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PAPA GRANDE, OH MY , GOOD LUCK[HA-HA-HA-HA] I better shut up , the Mets may do better then the tigers.
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It is probably me just getting older, very natural. But years ago it seem so long from the period the world series ended to the beginning of the baseball season. These days I say. it's here already. it seems just like yesterday.
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Yankees win their home opener 4-2 over the Orioles. Another good outing from Kuroda and the bullpen held even though they're now without Robertson for two weeks due to a groin injury.
Great ceremony with Rivera and Pettitte throwing out the first pitch to Jeter and Posada. We may never see the likes of four greats for one team with such a legacy of championship triumphs over such a long period (13 years between first and last titles) again.
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Posted: |
Apr 30, 2014 - 7:26 AM
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By: |
ANZALDIMAN
(Member)
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Welcome back Donna. I hope you'll continue to participate as time allows. 
The Mets are 15-11 as we enter May, and the starting pitching is a big reason why. Jonathon Niese and Dillon Gee are bulldogs. Pure and simple. Both those guys have had quality outings since the season began. Niese pitched an absolute gem against the Phillies in the rain last night in Philadelphia. He threw strikes and kept the Phillies off balance the whole night. Jon Niese has become a solid lefthander who knows how to pitch. His health has always been an issue but if he can just hang in there and get innings I think he's at the very least a 15 game winner type of pitcher provided he gets some run support. When you consider the possibilities of this pitching staff at full strength next year with a (hopefully) healthy Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, and Noah Syndergaard added to the mix along with Mejia and Montero the near future for this franchise looks very very good.
Other than his abysmal outing out on the west coast when he got lit up badly by the Angels 40 year old veteran Bartolo Colon has overall so far been a good pick up. Colon is a crafty veteran who lives and dies on the two seam fastball that he throws in the high 80's to low 90's. He can ramp it up or dial it down as the game progresses depending on the situation. No surprises from him. It's all he throws. When he's on and painting the corners, the infielders will be busy with ground balls. When he's not, and if he's getting the ball up in the zone the outfielders will get stiff necks watching balls fly over their heads and out of the ballpark. I'm not sure where Colon is going to fit in to the Mets crowded rotation down the road, but for now he's a veteran who knows how to pitch and will keep you in most ballgames when he moves the ball around and stays out of the hitters wheelhouses. The Mets have him inked for one more season, and given Alderson's past moves I would not at all be surprised if Colon (provided he continues to pitch well) is used as trade bait to a contender at some point after the All Star break.
The offense of course needs to get going to help support that good pitching. Curtis Granderson is swinging at pitcher's pitches and is striking out at an alarming clip. This is a guy who was once viewed as a home run threat each and every time he strode to the plate. Not so long ago, the Mets signed another guy who came in with a similar reputation. It's only been one month, but with the Mets outfield situation already crowded as it is (and with Lagares set to come off the disabled list) Granderson, if he wasn't making 60 million dollars would certainly be the odd man out. He needs to break out. Badly. I've referenced Jason Bay in the recent past on this thread far more often in a negative way than I'd have liked to, and as a Mets fan you can't help but be reminded of those years when you look at the awful at bats so far this season by Granderson night after night. We shall see.
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Posted: |
May 7, 2014 - 8:32 AM
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By: |
ANZALDIMAN
(Member)
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Well, no sooner do I get excited about the prospects for the Mets this year and then I'm brought back to the reality of expectations. While still hovering around .500, the team has stumbled over the last week and much of that has to do with..surprise, the shakier than Don Knotts on a high wire Mets bullpen. This continues to be an issue and as the season wears on if the cast of characters out there remains the same it does not instill much confidence. No lead feels safe. Jon Niese was handed an early lead and pitched yet another gem deep into the game the other night against Miami and the effort went up in smoke when Collins lifted Niese late and turned over a 3-0 lead to the bullpen. While the jury is still out on Matsuzaka, Familia, Rice, Germen, and Torres, Farnsworth and Valverde filling in at closer is enough to make most Mets fans reach early and often for the roll of stomach antacids.
The starting pitching is still doing a very good job, but those guys can't provide their own offense to help themselves. Matsuzaka could not find the strike zone and the 2014 upstart Marlins (as they so often do even in their "off years") made the Mets pay. When you stock a bullpen in the offseason with budget friendly aging retreads, faded former stars, and castoffs from other organizations as GM Sandy Alderson has the last several years, you only hope to discover the occasional small gold nugget that may be buried deep within the compost pile. Terry Collins can only use the tools he's been provided with. Alderson handed him a pitchfork. Collins will just have to keep digging to find some combination that works. It's years like this that make a Mets fan long for the days of the solid pen from both sides that former Mets manager Willie Randolph had. A long time ago now.
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Valverde, along with the guy I least wanted the Mets to pick up last season, Kyle Farnsworth, are two of the retreads that will be counted on now in the bullpen. 
The last thing the Mets need is for him to throw out his back or sprain an ankle and end up on the disabled list with the others at this point. 
