Mike's Mets: Mike Steffanos Archives

Greetings from the Frozen North

As tough as winters can be where I live in Connecticut at times, I've often consoled myself that it could be worse. At least the worse that winter has to offer is usually confined to December, January and February. This year mother nature decided to throw us a curve in...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Our Town

[This post is dedicated to my neighbor Jim -- not just for being a fellow Met fan in a sea of Yankee and Red Sox worshipers, but also for prodding me this week to get off my a** and write something new for this blog.] I have some thoughts on...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In Search of Grit

Despite the reality of rapidly dwindling playoff hopes, key injuries and the trade of Carlos Beltran, many of us Mets fans are still tuning in to watch our team play. The local media has reacted to this in various ways, ranging from ridicule to actual attempts to analyze why we...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Playing the Long Game

I haven't been able to post for a while, so I'd like to belatedly chime in on the Carlos Beltran trade. I've always been a fan of Carlos, and I was sorry to see him go last week. Not only will I miss watching him play, but I can't believe...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Link: Brandon Nimmo

I have to confess that I almost never find feature stories written on draft picks worthwhile reads. They're usually formulaic and superficial. That said, Andy McCullough's long feature on Mets' top pick Brandon Nimmo in The Star-Ledger is very much the exception to the rule. It is very much worth...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

K-Rod Trade Was the Right Move

I was working on another piece for the blog tonifht when I read the news that Frankie Rodriguez was traded to Milwaukee along with cash for "two players to be named". I was somewhat surprised when I read this. While I knew that K-Rod and his $17.5 million option wouldn't...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

A Reasonable Plan, Part 1

Joel Sherman had a column in Monday's New York Post citing two unnamed sources that Sandy Alderson is now "leaning strongly toward authorizing a substantial offer after the season to try to retain [Jose] Reyes". We started the season with most of the local writers, including Sherman, predicting that Reyes...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Quick Hits: Reyes Edition

Apologies for disappearing for a few days. I've been fighting some sort of summertime flue that's really floored me. I tried three separate times to write a follow-up to my Reyes piece from last week that I finally just scrapped. I just wasn't able to concentrate and it was basically...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The Reyes Dilemma (Archive Copy)

Note: This is not new content. This article in its entirety has already been published on the Mets Today web site earlier this week. It is reposted here for archive purposes. While Sandy Alderson had to know the job he was taking on with the Mets would not be easy,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Not So Pretty in Pink

Reader and friend Reverend Al recently attended a Binghamton Mets game. It was Cancer Awareness Day, so the B-Mets were wearing special pink uniforms. Al forwarded a picture of manager Wally Backman in his pink uniform, and was kind enough to give us permission to post it here. Al reports...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New Guest Post on Mets Today

I have written a new guest post for Joe Janish's Mets Today blog. I wrote about the dilemma the Mets face in deciding if they will pursue a contract with Jose Reyes and, if they do, how far they are willing to go. Please check it out. I have some...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Thoughts on the Mets 2011 Amateur Draft

I've always taken a lot of interest in player development. Years ago there was little opportunity to hear much about your team's minor league system behind some few paragraphs in the Sporting News that was already out of date when you got it. The internet can be a mixed blessing...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An Extraordinary Life

As many of you already know, Mets author and blogger Dana Brand passed away unexpectedly on May 25. I shared a few thoughts on what a privilege it was to get to know Dana a little here. I had the opportunity yesterday to attend the public memorial service for Dana...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Make Up Your Minds, Please

All spring and into the early part of the season I've been reading over and over again about how the Mets needed to sell off their veteran assets to stock up their farm system. The Post's Joel Sherman has been hitting that theme quite hard. As the Mets continue to...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

One of the Good Guys

I first became aware of Dand Brand through a link from another blog. At that point in June of 2006 Dana was in the process of writing his first book, Mets Fan. I linked to his web site from this post. Back then I was blogging every day and my...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Just When You Think It Can't Get Any Worse

I received an email last night from The New Yorker magazine plugging an article about Fred Wilpon that would be coming out today. To be honest with you, I expected a fairly boring read with the standard denials of foreknowledge regarding Madoff's Ponzi scheme. As I'm sure you know by...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Loving the One You're With

Thanks to this post by Rob Neyer I came across this one on David Schoenfield's SweetSpot blog about the difficulty in teams producing homegrown pitchers that win at least 50 games for their franchise. The criteria was that the pitcher had to be signed by that club as a draftee...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

The Land Where Rational Thought Does Not Prevail

I have felt for a long time that the Mets needed to place much more of a priority on developing their own young talent. Back in 2005, the first year of this blog's existence, I wrote a long piece about all of the Milledge for Manny Ramirez rumors where I...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Quick Hits -- Friday the Thirteenth Edition

Just a few quick thoughts on what's been happening: Beltran This is undoubtedly Beltran's last season in New York, and he seems determined to go out with a bang. As remarkable as today's three home run game was, even more impressive has been Carlos' presence in the lineup virtually every...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Then and Now

I was sitting in my living room watching the Mets drop last night's game to the Rockies when it occurred to me that the optimism I had at the start of the season was gone. As I sit here writing this the Mets are 5 games under .500. That's not...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Thoughts on David Wright

Andy McCullough, the Mets beat writer for The Star-Ledger, had an interesting column Tuesday on the possibilities of the Mets trading David Wright. Well worth the read, if you haven't checked it out already. I'm not a big fan of the notion promoted by some New York media types that...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Dillon Gee

At the risk of sounding hard-hearted, I'm fine with Dillon Gee shuffling back off to Buffalo where he can start games and be ready for the next time they need him. I know he pitched well here in 5 starts last September and a couple of starts this April. If...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Is Wilpon the Next Owner Out?

The decision by Major League Baseball to take control of the Dodgers from Frank McCourt has led to much speculation on the implications of this move for Mets ownership. One of the more serious problems that McCourt had in the eyes of baseball was the way he used the Dodgers'...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Punchers Chance (Archive Copy)

Note: This article in its entirety has already been published on the Mets Today web site earlier this week. It is published here for archive purposes. Since coming up a whisker short of making it to the World Series in 2006, the Mets have had a way of failing to...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Zen and the Art of Self-Delusion

The Post's Joel Sherman has written several times this spring advocating for the Mets to go into full fire sale mode. I don't agree with this point of view, of course, but I do understand the logic behind it. In his Hardball Blog yesterday, however, Sherman made the following point...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Fire Sale Blues

Remember back a few winters ago when you were constantly reading that a trade that would bring Manny Ramirez to the Mets was inevitable? This year's "inevitable" seems to be a fire sale this summer in Flushing. Particularly with Jose Reyes, the question of a trade doesn't seem to be...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Your Obligatory Brad Emaus Post

As I'm sure you already know, the Mets designated Brad Emaus for assignment today. It's at least unlikely that we'll see him in a Mets uniform again. That the Mets made this move so quickly tells you just how bad things are going for them right now. If they were...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Guest Post on Mets Today

I have written my first guest post for Joe Janish's Mets Today blog. I hope you will give it a look. Also, a reminder that I will be a guest tonight on Steve Keane's "This Call To The Bullpen" podcast tonight at 11 PM. Details here. I'm working on a...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Appearance Tonight on This Call To The Bullpen

I'm going to be a guest tonight (Tuesday, April 19) on Steve Keane's terrific This Call To The Bullpen podcast. The show will be broadcast live at 11 PM Eastern Time. I hope you can find the time to listen to it live. If you do miss the broadcast, you...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It's All Your Fault, Terry Collins

The Mets and their new manager weren't promising fans a championship in 2011, but they did assure us that we would be watching a better brand of baseball this season. After falling to the Rockies in both games of Thursday's doubleheader, the Mets have lost five in a row and...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Drinking the Kool-Aid

Since early on in the history of my blogging career I have received my share of nasty emails and comments. It comes with the territory -- if you're going to share your thoughts about a subject that people care about, you really shouldn't be surprised when a reader takes it...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Opening Week Observations

I was sitting in front of my television set yesterday doing my best to enjoy yesterday's home opener. Several times during the game I found myself muttering "this team sucks" in frustration with yet another failure to deliver a big hit. This is coming from a guy who has spent...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Lose, Sometimes It Rains...

I have a friend who's a Red Sox fan, so that allows me to put my disappointment over the last couple of games into some perspective. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be a prohibitive favorite to make the playoffs and still be winless six game...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Farm Fresh

As the Mets are in the midst of playing the rubber game in Philadelphia (not very well, sadly), players who might be part of the future of this organization are getting their seasons underway. Today is the first game for all of the full-season Mets farm clubs: Buffalo (AAA), Binghamton...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pelfrey's No Ace, But We Already Knew That

It was kind of heartening to see the fight that the Mets showed tonight in Philadelphia, although I most decidedly not one who believes in moral victories. Still, I know the big story from this game will be another ugly implosion from Mike Pelfrey. Pelfrey's inability to stop the bleeding...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Quick Hits 4-6-2011

Back when I had more time to do this blog I frequently used to post my reaction to items I came across in my reading. I had a couple of extra minutes today, so... Mike Pelfrey as potential trade bait. Ed Ryan at Mets Fever links to a Jayson Stark...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chris Young

I was impressed with Chris Young's effort in the Mets win over Philadelphia tonight. When a right-handed pitcher with a mid-80s fastball can pitch that well against the Phillies in that bandbox of a park, he's accomplished something. The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article on Young, with the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Silence Is Golden

When I was a kid I was raised primarily by my grandmother, who I wrote about at some length in this piece. No one on earth loved me more than this great woman, but on occasions when I got on her nerves she wasn't afraid to let me know that...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Personal Note -- What Happened and What Will Happen

I wrote my last blog post of the 2010 season on April 12. Fully eleven months elapsed before I began blogging again in April. The vast majority of citizens of the world, including Mets fans who read blogs, paid little notice to the disappearance of one of a chorus of...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)

A 161 Win Season Is Still Within Reach

The New York Post's Mike Vaccaro wasted no time in piling it on after the disheartening Opening Day loss to the fish: In so many ways, Pelfrey's quagmire reflected something the Mets are going to encounter time and again this season. They have good players; other teams have better players,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Season Preview: The Conventional Wisdom Ain't Always Right

I've already given my thoughts on the roster and my initial prediction that the Mets will be a .500 team with a chance to do better. Here are a few more thoughts as we approach the opener this evening on where I believe some of the conventional wisdom regarding this...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Season Preview: Can Anyone Here Play This Game?

In our third installment of our season preview series we'll take a look at the position players. Catcher Josh Thole is going to be the guy this year. As a hitter, he's somewhat of a throwback to guys I watched in the 70s and 80s. He chokes up, uses the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Mike Pelfrey 2011 Season Stats

Updated Sunday, June 26, 2011 Mike Pelfrey (4-6) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/1@FLA4.155424110.381.85LL 4/6@PHI276811127.004.50LND 4/11COL5.14363405.061.88LND 4/16@ATL555424110.381.85LL 4/22ARI71154201.291.00WW 4/29@PHI4.14483118.312.08LL April (6 Games)28252342161337.391.961-51-3 5/5SFG7.22145211.170.78WW 5/10@COL6.23362134.051.05WW 5/16FLA71161211.291.14LND 5/22@NYY65584217.501.67LL 5/28PHA7.22246202.350.78LND May (5 Games)3513122818963.091.062-32-1 6/2PIT5771031112.602.20WND 6/8@MIL62242013.000.67LND 6/13@PIT72246202.350.57LL 6/18LAA91155011.000.56WW 6/24@TEX64483216.001.67LL June (5 Games)3316163119354.361.032-31-2 Season (16 Games)9654511015325144.781.315-114-6 Month By Month MonthStartsIP/StartH/9K/9BB/9HR/9ERAAVGOBPSLG April64.713.55.14.21.07.39.341.410.528 May57.07.24.62.31.53.09.217.273.380 June56.68.55.20.81.44.36.244.262.386 Season166.09.55.02.31.34.78.266.316.430...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jon Niese 2011 Season Stats

Updated Tuesday, June 28, 2011 John Niese (7-6) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/2@FLA72243102.570.71WND 4/7@PHA466871013.502.25LL 4/13COL65575327.501.67LL 4/19HOU62273503.002.00LL 4/24ARI73263202.571.14WW 4/30@PHA6.12263212.841.26LL April (6 Games)36.1201938241434.711.432-41-4 5/6LAD5.23375314.761.76WND 5/12@COL6.15573227.111.42WW 5/18WAS70067100.001.00WW 5/24@CHC56275103.601.60LL 5/29PHI6.11056400.001.42WW May (5 Games)30.1151032261132.971.424-13-1 6/3ATL7.22287112.351.17LND 6/9@MIL7.21138401.170.91WW 6/14@ATL6.12254002.840.79WW 6/19LAA45483009.002.00LL 6/25@TEX5.22267223.181.41WW June (5 Games)31.112113029733.161.183-23-1 Season (16 Games)984740100793293.671.359-77-6 Month By Month MonthStartsIP/StartH/9K/9BB/9HR/9ERAAVGOBPSLG April66.19.45.93.50.74.71.277.357.401 May56.19.57.73.30.92.97.264.326.388 June56.38.68.32.00.93.16.250.297.400 Season166.19.27.32.90.83.67.265.329.397...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Season Preview: Armed or Just Dangerous?

In Part One of our season preview we put forth our thoughts on the financial situation surrounding the Mets. In part 2 we'll take a look at the team that's been assembled and what can be reasonably expected from them. Starting Pitching Obviously the biggest story here is Johan Santana's...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

What If

The news of Ollie Perez' release by the Mets didn't catch any of us by surprise. The lefty came to camp armed with a fastball had all of the giddy up of an AMC Gremlin with even less chance of actually reaching a desired destination. With both Perez and Luis...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Thoughts on Luis Castillo

I always kind of liked and respected Luis Castillo as a ballplayer, and I don't harbor any lingering bad feelings towards the guy. I may even be one of the few big-time Mets fans who didn't spend the whole winter obsessively hoping for the Mets to release Luis Castillo. Still,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Duh! Vindicated!

When I was a teenager I had an itch to travel, despite the fact that I never had any money. I spent a lot of time hitchhiking around the country, and I met a wide variety of people in this manner. Most of were pretty nice, and fortunately none of...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Appearance Tonight on Frankie the Sports Guy Show

Yes, I'm still here... I'll be appearing tonight on Frankie the Sports Guy's radio show tonight at 10 PM. You can find the show here, and it will be available for download at that link if you can't catch it live. I will be on about 10:30 PM for about...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Dillon Gee 2011 Season Stats

Updated Tuesday, June 28, 2011 Dillon Gee (8-1) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/17@ATL5.21154201.591.24WW 4/23ARI64255113.001.00WW *4/29@PHI1.244112121.601.80---- April (3 Games)13.1971110524.731.202-02-0 *5/3SFG1.20012100.001.20---- *5/4SFG10011000.001.00---- 5/7LAD5.12273313.381.88WND 5/13@HOU54455407.201.80WND 5/19WAS7.20023300.000.65WW 5/25@CHC64444206.001.00WW 5/30PIT73358013.860.71WW May (7 Games)33.2131325261323.481.135-03-0 6/4ATL70042200.000.86WW 6/10@PIT81185001.131.00WW 6/15@ATL40015200.000.75WND 6/21OAK44431609.002.25LL 6/26@TEX63381214.501.67WW June (5 Games)298824141212.481.244-13-1 Season (15 Games)76302860503053.321.1811-18-1 * Used as a reliever Team results in starts...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chris Capuano 2011 Season Stats

Updated Saturday, June 25, 2011 Chris Capuano (6-7) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result *4/3@FLA.211301013.506.00---- 4/9WAS64478126.001.33WW 4/14COL5.277852111.121.76LL *4/17@ATL.10000000.000.00---- 4/21HOU71164201.291.14WW 4/28@WAS5.244102016.351.76LL April (6 Games)25.117173419646.041.582-22-2 5/4SFG6.12285302.841.74LL 5/9@COL6.22254312.701.20LL 5/15HOU52266303.601.80WW 5/21@NYY5.166650410.131.13LL 5/27PHI62148101.500.83LND May (5 Games)29.1141329281053.991.331-41-3 6/1PIT65582107.501.50LL 6/7@MIL61165211.501.33WW 6/12@PIT70035200.000.71WW 6/17LAA63285303.001.83LL 6/23OAK60057000.000.83WW June (5 Games)31983024812.321.233-23-2 Season (16 Games)85.24038937124103.991.376-86-7 * Used as a reliever Team results in...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chris Young 2011 Season Stats

Updated Friday, May 13, 2011 Gone, but not forgotten... Chris Young (1-0) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/4@PHI5.11157401.691.69WW 4/10WAS71115201.290.43LND 4/26@WAS4.23343235.791.29WND April (3 Games)17551015832.651.062-11-0 5/1@PHI70027300.000.71WND May (1 Game)70027300.000.711-00-0 Season (4 Games)245512221131.880.963-11-0 Month By Month MonthStartsIP/StartH/9K/9BB/9HR/9ERAAVGOBPSLG April35.75.37.94.21.62.65.167.265.350 May17.02.69.03.90.00.00.091.231.136 Season46.04.58.34.11.11.88.146.255.293 If you are just finding this blog again and wondering why I was...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

R.A. Dickey 2011 Season Stats

Updated Saturday, June 25, 2011 R. A. Dickey (3-7) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/3@FLA61057300.001.33WW 4/8WAS53363505.402.20LL 4/14COL6.15584417.111.89LL *4/17@ATL10011000.001.00---- 4/20HOU84484214.501.25LL 4/27@WAS6.22283102.701.35WND April (6 Games)33151436221523.821.552-31-3 5/3SFG66671119.001.33LND 5/8LAD743103213.861.71LL 5/14@HOU5.1661120210.132.06LL 5/20@NYY61146311.501.17WW 5/26@CHC2.20041000.001.50LND 5/31PIT7.233510203.520.91LL May (6 Games)34.220194123854.931.411-51-3 6/5ATL81143111.130.63WW 6/11@PIT83384203.381.25LL 6/16@ATL46464319.002.25LND 6/22OAK81139111.130.50WND June (4 Games)281172020732.250.962-21-1 Season (16 Games)95.24640976530103.761.335-103-7 * Used as a reliever Team results...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Game 6: Evoking Memories of 2009

Nationals 5 - Mets 2 I'm not trying to do a ton of game analysis this season. I try to get something with some thoughts on each game, but my work schedule doesn't allow me to post after games in a timely fashion. I keep it brief and to the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Game 5: Ollie Being Ollie

Nationals 4 - Mets 3 One of the bigger questions for the Mets this year is which Oliver Perez will show up -- the good Ollie, who can be a dominating left-handed pitcher, or the bad Ollie, who doesn't have a clue where the ball is going when it leaves...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Oliver Perez 2010 Season Stats

Updated Sunday, April 11, 2010 Oliver Perez (0-1) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/10WAS5.24446406.351.41LL April (1 Game)5.24446406.351.410-10-1 Season (1 Game)5.24446406.351.410-10-1 Month By Month MonthStartsIP/StartH/9K/9BB/9HR/9ERAAVGOBPSLG April15.76.49.56.40.06.35.190.320.286 Season15.76.49.56.40.06.35.190.320.286 About Mike: I was the original writer on this web site, actually its only writer for the first 15 months of existence. Although I am...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mike Pelfrey 2010 Season Stats

Updated Wednesday, June 15, 2011 Mike Pelfrey (3-5) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/1@FLA4.155424110.381.85LL 4/6@PHI276811127.004.50LND 4/11COL5.14363405.061.88LND 4/16@ATL555424110.381.85LL 4/22ARI71154201.291.00WW 4/29@PHI4.14483118.312.08LL April (6 Games)28252342161337.391.961-51-3 5/5SFG7.22145211.170.78WW 5/10@COL6.23362134.051.05WW 5/16FLA71161211.291.14LND 5/22@NYY65584217.501.67LL 5/28PHA7.22246202.350.78LND May (5 Games)3513122818963.091.062-32-1 6/2PIT5771031112.602.20WND 6/8@MIL62242013.000.67LND 6/13@PIT72246202.350.57LL June (3 Games)1811111811135.501.061-20-1 Season (14 Games)814946884523125.111.374-103-5 Month By Month MonthStartsIP/StartH/9K/9BB/9HR/9ERAAVGOBPSLG April64.713.55.14.21.07.39.341.410.528 May57.07.24.62.31.53.09.217.273.380 June36.09.05.50.51.55.50.257.268.400 Season145.89.85.02.61.35.11.273.327.441 If you...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jon Niese 2010 Season Stats

Updated Sunday, April 11, 2010 John Niese (0-1) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/8FLA61145204.501.67LL April (1 Game)63383204.501.670-10-1 Season (1 Game)63383204.501.670-10-1 Month By Month MonthStartsIP/StartH/9K/9BB/9HR/9ERAAVGOBPSLG April16.012.04.53.00.04.50.308.357.462 Season16.012.04.53.00.04.50.308.357.462 About Mike: I was the original writer on this web site, actually its only writer for the first 15 months of existence. Although I am...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

John Maine 2010 Season Stats

Updated Sunday, April 11, 2010 John Maine (0-0) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/7FLA61145207.201.80LND April (1 Game)54483127.201.800-10-0 Season (1 Game)54483127.201.800-10-0 Month By Month MonthStartsIP/StartH/9K/9BB/9HR/9ERAAVGOBPSLG April15.014.45.41.83.67.20.364.391.682 Season15.014.45.41.83.67.20.364.391.682 About Mike: I was the original writer on this web site, actually its only writer for the first 15 months of existence. Although I am...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Johan Santana 2010 Season Stats

Updated Monday, April 12, 2010 Johan Santana (1-1) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/5FLA61145201.501.00WW 4/11WAS55553319.001.60LL April (2 Games)116698514.911.271-11-1 Season (2 Games)116698514.911.271-11-1 Month By Month MonthStartsIP/StartH/9K/9BB/9HR/9ERAAVGOBPSLG April25.57.46.54.10.84.91.231.318.410 Season25.57.46.54.10.84.91.231.318.410 About Mike: I was the original writer on this web site, actually its only writer for the first 15 months of existence. Although I...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Game 4: Solid Pelfrey + 4 Homers = Win

Mets 8 - Nationals 2 All of the hand-wringing over Mike Pelfrey's spring numbers can come stop, at least for a few days, as Pelfrey delivered a solid 6 inning effort in his first game that counts. That split-fingered change he throws looks like it can be that effective off-speed...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Game 3: Niese Okay, Offense Not So Much

Marlins 3 - Mets 1 Jon Niese looked pretty good in his first start, but the Mets left their bats at home last night. I was impressed how much mileage Niese got out of his fastball and cutter last night. If he takes what he did last night and mixes...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Game 2: Forgetting the Maine

Marlins 7 - Mets 6 (10) There were several different story lines running through this one -- the offense was pretty bad, some dumb plays on the bases, and the Marlins bullpen looks a little shaky in the early going. The biggest story, however, was John Maine's struggles. He lacked...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Game 1: Hope Still Has a Pulse

Mets 7 - Marlins 1 I was at Opening Day yesterday thanks to Dana Brand, the author of the wonderful The Last Days of Shea. The sun was shining, the temperature was comfortable, and for at least a day we were able to put aside all of the over the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mets Fans Understand What's Relevant

Thanks to George Vecsey for yet another condescending piece on the Mets from the New York Times. I used to enjoy the Times' sports coverage once upon a time, but there is a certain arrogance to it now that makes them better suited to Yankees coverage. That's fine, too, whatever...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Season Preview: The Bullpen

The news is out on the latest round of cuts, and they pretty well clarify the bullpen the Mets are going north with: Francisco Rodriguez (R) Ryota Igarashi (R) Jenrry Mejia (R) Sean Green (R) Fernando Nieve (R) Hisanori Takahashi (L) Pedro Feliciano (L) It's somewhat surprising that Kiko Calero...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In Our Prayers

I was saddened to read about the passing of Steve Keane's mom on his The Eddie Kranepool Society blog. I've had the good fortune to talk Mets with Steve at a couple of different events. He's a class act himself, and reading about his mom at the above link you...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 7:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Season Preview: Starting Pitching

Before I get into the meat of this piece I'd like to offer a quick apology for the sporadic posting. The "part-time job" that I started working early this month has developed into a 6 day a week more than full time job. I'm supposed to start full time early...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Checking In

Sorry for disappearing on you for a few days. On top of work I was trying to write something on my concern with the way the Mets are handling top prospect Jenrry Mejia. I do think it's a mistake that I will write something about soon, but I finally abandoned...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Book Review: Faith and Fear in Flushing

Faith and Fear in Flushing: An Intense Personal History of the New York Mets By Greg W. Prince Hardcover, 320 pages, Skyhorse Publishing I'm going to start off this review with a disclaimer. Thanks to a Federal Trade Commission rule that went into effect in December, I'm supposed to inform...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Jose

I started a new job this week that was supposed to be a few part-time hours. It hasn't quite worked out that way, however, as I'm unexpectedly covering for someone who is out. I believe it will get easier next week (especially if that person returns), but in the meantime...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

We Have Seen the Future and His Name Is Hisanori Takahashi

Despite the fact that he has made only one spring training start we here at Mike's Mets are ready to completely give up on Oliver Perez. Sure, at first we actually were impressed that Perez was pitching with better balance and throwing strikes. We were also happy that he was...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Checking In

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. We had a probate hearing for my mom on Wednesday and I've picked up a new part-time job. I'll be heading to that in a few minutes. I have something that I've been working on that I expect to get posted this...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

You Don't Need Rose-Colored Glasses to Believe

When I decided to start blogging again early last month I felt that my starting point would have to be the Mets' bizarre hot stove strategy of allowing almost all of their targeted free agents to sign with other teams at relatively low cost. The things that the Mets did...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

A Note about Comments

It's become a common practice these days for spammers to attach comments to blog posts that are merely attempts to hijack some free advertising. The problem has become so prevalent that these comments, if completely unchecked, would quickly overwhelm most legitimate comments on a blog. I've been using Movable Type's...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Back In High School

Back in high school there were always a few people who liked to instigate fights. They would go up to a guy and ask, "Did you hear what Jimmy is saying about you?" He'd say something back, which of course would get back to the other guy, and eventually...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Job Insecurity

In his Daily Scoop column today at SI.com, Jon Heyman doesn't travel very far out on a limb when he pronounces Mets manager Jerry Manuel as "on the hot seat." I'm going to preface what I say next by noting that I am not a "quick trigger" guy when it...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Looking Back, Looking Ahead (Part 2)

[Note: This is the conclusion of a 2-part article. For Part 1 of this article, please click here.] For all appearances, the Mets operated this past winter without a real plan. Despite claiming that they were putting together a team that would contend for the division title in 2010,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

A Quick Note about Link Exchanges, E-Mail, Etc.

Just some quick housekeeping here. One big mistake I kept making last year when I tried to pick up blogging again was to try to catch up on all of the things I felt that I should have been doing while I was gone. This time around I have...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Third Man?

I'm still trying to finish Part 2 of my Looking Back, Looking Ahead post. Hopefully I will have it up Sunday night, possibly Monday. I've been spending a lot of time job hunting this week and that has cut into writing time. In the meantime, I've had a few...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

About a Bay

I received an email earlier this week from a blogger from StalkingStevePhillips.com who thought I might be interested in his take on Jayson Bay and Johnny Damon. Actually, most of the piece was on Damon, with the following on Bay towards the end: Mr. Bay, at your press conference,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

35 Subscribers Just Can't Be Wrong

In November I wrote a piece about the Dolan's decision to charge $5 per week to access Newsday's website for anyone who wasn't a print subscriber or a customer of the Cablevision's Optimum Online cable internet (also owned by the Dolans). I knew I wasn't going to be paying $260...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The Benefit of the Doubt

Sorry it took so long to get this first one posted. I haven't written much for the past few months and the words still aren't quite flowing freely. I promise we'll get to some talk about the Mets off-season soon, but for my first official baseball posting since my return...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

This Blogging Life

The last thing I posted in this space was a piece about Newsday's new pricing model back in mid-November. Since then, I've probably started a dozen or so posts running the gamut from the Bay signing to reaction to Mark McGwire's shocking "admission" that he did, indeed, use steroids. However,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Life Beyond Newsday

I live in Waterbury, CT, about 70 miles or so away from Shea Stadium. The local paper doesn't offer any Mets coverage at all outside of the standard wire service stuff, so I need to go elsewhere to find my New York Mets news. Thanks to the Internet, I've been...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The Wrong Move

I'll give the Mets some credit yesterday for trying to prove to all of us that the organization is determined to fix what has been broken over the last couple of years, but it seems to me that they've already made their first mistake of the off-season by electing to...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Please Spare Me Another Quick Fix

Just a quick note before I get started here. I want to take a minute to thank those of you who continue to support this blog despite the circumstances in my life that have led to what was essentially a lost summer. I'd also like to thank the contributing bloggers...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Savor the Irony

As I watched the Mets come from behind to just about dash the Fish's dwindling playoff shot, I was surprised that it didn't mean just a little bit more to me. For two straight years the teal-clad bunch played loose with nothing of their own to lose and ended the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Future of Daniel Murphy

Whether you like Daniel Murphy, as I do, or not, his 2009 season has inarguably been a disappointment. The Post's Joel Sherman went as far as identifying Murphy as "one of the key faces of the Mets' failure in 2009", but that strikes me as just hyperbole. In my last...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

We're Back, and This Time We Mean It

Last night I was fortunate enough to attend a Mets game with Dana Brand, Greg Prince and Matthew Silverman. Dana was kind enough to provide the tickets and ride to the game (we live about 20 miles apart up here in Connecticut), and Greg and Matt kicked in some great...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Going Forward

There was a lot of hoopla over Jayson Stark's "break it all down and start over" prescription for fixing the Mets at ESPN.com last week. I don't think Stark got everything wrong, but the piece read very much like it was written by a Phillies beat writer, which is indeed...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Cruel September

I started writing this blog in August of 2005. The Mets under rookie manager Willie Randolph had treaded water around the .500 mark for most of the season, and then put a little run together in late August to force themselves into the pennant race. The highlight was the end...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Let's Get Some Perspective on Sheffield

If you don't mind, I'd like to weigh in briefly on the Sheffield situation. I read something today by the Post's Joel Sherman that I strongly disagreed with. Let me preface this by telling you that I consider Sherman one of the most worthwhile reads on baseball in the local...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Crying in Our Beers

As yours truly struggles to find the time to pick apart this ball club, I pass along this info from Greg Prince regarding tomorrow's "Amazin' Tuesday" get together: Date: Tuesday, July 21 Location: Two Boots Tavern, 384 Grand Street (@ Suffolk St.), 212-228-8685 Time: 7:00pm Admission: Free; also first drink...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mets at the Crossroads: Be It Ever So Humble

Note: This is the first of a series of articles on the current state of the Mets. David Wright has 5 home runs in 327 AB. Of course, only 2 Mets have hit more this season -- the disabled Carlos Beltran and 40-year-old Gary Sheffield. Among all the theories on...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

French Twist

Okay, we're going to try this again. My Mom is now settled in a convalescent home, but her finances are a mess. Things are still kind of nuts, but I figure if I'm ever going to get back to blogging this season it's pretty much now or never. I have...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Greetings from Your Missing Blogger

First of all, a sincere thanks to all of you who contacted me with your best wishes on my current situation with my Mom. At some point I'll catch up on all of the email, but in the meantime please accept my thanks. Others who missed my post on what's...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

A Question of Trust

As I was watching last night's game against the Braves slip away from the Mets, I can't say I was all that surprised. Despite the 7-game winning streak I never had the feeling that the team had put it all together. I should clarify, though, and say that I wasn't...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Jonathon Niese 2009 Season Pitching Stats

Updated Monday, May 11, 2009 Jonathon Niese (1-0) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 5/8PIT62275003.001.17WND May (1 Games)62275003.001.171-00-0 Season (1 Games)62275003.001.171-00-0 Month By Month MonthStartsIP/StartH/9K/9BB/9HR/9ERAAVGOBPSLG May16.010.57.50.00.03.00.292.292.333 Season16.010.57.50.00.03.00.292.292.333 About Mike: I was the original writer on this web site, actually its only writer for the first 15 months of existence. Although I am...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Pirates Series Game 3

Game 30: Mets 8 - Pirates 4 The Mets' first true series win of the season extends their winning streak to 7 and puts them four games over .500. Last year it took the Mets until July 10 to get 4 games over, in game 6 of an eventual 9-game...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pirates Series Game 2

Game 29: Mets 10 - Pirates 1 Jon Maine was fairly hard on himself after this one, but I was happy to see him pitch a game with only 2 walks. Although obviously still not at his best, Maine is starting to look like a dependable starter again. For all...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pirates Series Game 1

Game 28: Mets 7 - Pirates 3 I personally found the most significant number from Jon Niese's first start of the season the 67 strikes thrown out of 95 total pitches. Niese made three starts for the Mets last September, and the one he was effective in was the one...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Phillies Leave Empty-Handed In Actual Wins

Game 27: Mets 7 - Phillies 5 I was somewhat amused reading around some of the Phillies sites that somehow the Phillies have left Citi Field with a moral victory. Hey, no problem, I'm happy with two wins that count in the standings. Some things do concern me, though. The...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

25 + 1 Games In

Note: This is a conclusion to this piece posted yesterday, where I share some thoughts on the Mets 25 26 games into the season. J. J. Putz (continued) I mentioned yesterday that Putz' fastball has topped out at 92-93 mph this season, which is a drop from where he was...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Insert Superlative Here for Johan

Game 26: Mets 1 - Phillies 0 I'm old enough to remember all the great Mets pitchers: Seaver, Koosman, the underrated Jon Matlack and Gooden. There were many near-greats who put up some great seasons: Swan, Darling, Ojeda, El Sid, Viola, Saberhagen, Leiter, etc. There were guys that could have...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

25 Games In

Now that we're caught up on all the games, I thought I'd take a few moments to share some random thoughts on the first 25 games of the season. The Backup Catcher Remember how popular Ramon Castro was here a couple of years ago? Now his propensity for going on...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Mets Hold On For a Series Win

Game 25: Mets 4 - Braves 3 Glass half empty: The Mets left some men on base and made a couple of bad errors, including one by Delgado in the ninth that turned it into a nail biter. Glass half full: Livan Hernandez actually pitched into the seventh, David Wright...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Amazing!: Mets Come From Behind

Game 24: Mets 6 - Braves 4 The Mets were playing in Atlanta, their starter was struggling early and allowed the Braves to put a crooked number up in the second inning, and looked dead offensively against a Braves starter who was pitching very well. All the ingredients were in...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Phillies Series Game 2

Game 23: Phillies 6 - Mets 5 (10) Ollie Perez was once again awful in a supposed make or break game, but the Mets scored some runs off Jamie Moyer, who usually pitches well against them. 40-year-old rookie Ken Takahashi gave them 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief while they...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Phillies Series Game 1

Game 22: Mets 7 - Phillies 4 Losers of 6 of their last 9 games, the Mets limp into Philadelphia looking for a tonic to get May off to a good start. They found one in Phillies starter Chan Ho Park. The Mets score all 7 runs against Park, then...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Checking In

I'm not going to title this, "I'm Back", because I did that last week and then wasn't. Some people have been expressing concern about my lack of posting, so I thought I'd check in. I've been having some health problems over the past few months, and then my mother had...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Marlins Series Game 3

Game 21: Marlins 4 - Mets 3 The Marlins score 2 off Santana to open the game, but he shuts them down through seven and gives the Mets a chance to win. Unfortunately, J.J. Putz is awful in the eighth and the Mets 1-11 with RISP comes back to haunt...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Marlins Series Game 2

Game 20: Marlins 7 - Mets 4 The Mets jump out to a 3-0 lead after two, but only score once more the rest of the way. Sean Green, rapidly establishing himself as the weakest link in the bullpen, allowed the game to get away in the seventh as the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Marlins Series Game 1

Game 19: Mets 7 - Marlins 1 By far John Maine's best start of the season. He allows the Marlins an unearned run in the first, but the Mets score 6 in the bottom of the frame when Omir Santos hits a grand slam for his first major league homer....

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nationals Series Game 3

Game 18: Nationals 8 - Mets 1 The Mets score in the first and do absolutely nothing else offensively on the day. Oliver Perez is terrible again, allowing 9 hits (including 2 home runs) and 7 earned runs in 4-1/3 innings. The Mets miss a chance to notch their first...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nationals Series Game 2

Game 17: Mets 8 - Nationals 2 Mike Pelfrey returns after skipping a start due to forearm tendinitis and pitches effectively into the sixth. Although the Mets score 8, they still manage to strand 15 runners on base. For only the second time in 17 games the Mets string two...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm Back

I'm not feeling 100% yet, but I feel okay enough to catch up on the games that happened since I got really sick. My plan is to update those and the starting pitchers stats, and then some point tomorrow I'll do a regular post. Thanks to all of you who...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Nationals Series Game 1

Game 16: Mets 4 - Nationals 3 Johan Santana pitches six strong innings. Coming into the game with a 4-1 lead, Frankie Rodriguez gives up a couple of runs to provide some late inning drama, but then nails down his fourth save. The four game losing streak is history as...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cardinals Series Game 3

Game 15: Cardinals 12 - Mets 8 Livan Hernandez gets shelled. The Mets were down 12-3 after 6, then scored 2 in the seventh and 3 in the eighth to make it somewhat less pathetic. Sean Green allows 5 runs in 2 innings of relief. The Mets fourth loss in...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cardinals Series Game 2

Game 14: Cardinals 5 - Mets 2 John Maine struggles with his control and the offense sleepwalks for 8 innings against Joel Pineiro. The Mets third loss in a row drops them 2 games under .500. [Note: This was posted May 3, 2009] View John Maine's Full Season Stats Box...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Uninspiring Mets Drop Back Under .500

Game 13: Cardinals 6 - Mets 4 Several things have contributed to the light posting by me the last couple of weeks. One is ongoing personal health issues, another is related to my Mom's health problems, and I've also been extremely busy at work. The work backlog is slowly clearing...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Mets Drop Final in Brewers Series

Game 12: Brewers 4 - Mets 2 I know I'm late with this, but I'm posting it with a link to the box score for archive purposes. Regular posting will resume Wednesday. I will not do a stats page for Nelson Figueroa at this time. Not only are we not...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Another Near-Perfect Performance from Johan

Game 11: Mets 1 - Brewers 0 I don't know what's more amazing -- the fact that Johan Santana has only given up 2 earned runs in three starts or that if he allowed another 4 runs in those three games he could be 0-3 and his ERA would still...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A Good Win

Game 10: Mets 5 - Brewers 4 This game featured important roles for three players for whom I have some concern. Livan Hernandez had a good first outing against the Marlins, and looked good for about 4 innings last night. Then he just seemed to lose his control and started...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Close Games an Early Concern

Game 9: Padres 6 - Mets 5 Sorry to be so late with this. I've been pushing myself way too hard lately, and wound up passing out on the couch last night. I'm tempted to make something out of the Mets poor start this season, but then I read all...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Down on the Farm

Not much time for a big post today, so here's a quick look at how some of the Mets minor league prospects closest to the majors have been faring in the early going. Buffalo (AAA) OF Fernando Martinez: .267/.353/.567, 1 HR, 3 RBI In only 30 AB this season, Martinez...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Perez Bounces Back

Game 8: Mets 7 - Padres 2 It wasn't the most electric stuff I've ever seen from Oliver Perez, but he pitched intelligently and under control. During the game both Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez were very complimentary of the split finger pitch that Perez was using as a changeup...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Overcoming the Home Field Disadvantage

In 2006 the Mets won 50 games at Shea Stadium and 47 on the road en route to a 97 win season. The following year, the Mets road record was 47-34 -- identical to the previous season. The difference between going to the playoffs and watching them at home was...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Opening Sputter

Game 7: Padres 6 - Mets 5 I was driving around listening to this game on the radio while running some errands last night. When I got home I sat down and tried to write this piece and just didn't have the heart to do it. You can dissect this...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

No Support for Johan

Game 6: Marlins 2 - Mets 1 Not really much to say about this one. I had a bunch of people over for Easter and could only sneak away every so often to peek in on this game. I didn't see Murphy's error live, or much offense at all for...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Livan Gives Them What They Needed

Game 5: Mets 8 - Marlins 4 Sorry I didn't get something up on this last night. Unlike last year, I've been trying to get these short game pieces up fairly quickly so that people can gloat, vent or otherwise comment on the games. I didn't get a chance to...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Livan Hernandez 2009 Season Pitching Stats

Updated Monday, May 11, 2009 Livan Hernandez (3-1) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/11@FLA6.22264302.701.35WW 4/17MIL54473017.201.40WND 4/23@STL4.177901314.542.31LL 4/28FLA5.13335215.060.94LND April (4 Games)21.116162512656.751.452-21-1 DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 5/5@ATL6.11172201.421.42WW 5/10PIT62275403.001.83WW May (2 Games)12.133147602.191.622-02-0 Season (6 Games)33.2191939191255.081.514-23-1 Month By Month MonthStartsIP/StartH/9K/9BB/9HR/9ERAAVGOBPSLG April45.310.55.12.52.16.75.298.341.500 May26.210.25.14.40.02.19.318.392.409 Season65.610.45.13.21.35.08.305.359.469 About Mike: I was the original writer on this web site, actually its...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Big Hits Prove Elusive

Game 4: Marlins 5 - Mets 4 Tough one tonight. I guess some will harp on the fact that Maine allowed those two solo home runs, but I came away from his 5-inning stint fairly satisfied. Hopefully it's something he could build on. If Maine returns to his form from...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

John Maine 2009 Season Pitching Stats

Updated Monday, May 11, 2009 John Maine (3-2) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/10@FLA52225123.600.60LND 4/16SDP566743010.802.00LL 4/22@STL5.25572507.942.12LL 4/27FLA61014300.000.67WW April (4 Games)21.2141317151225.401.341-31-2 DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 5/4@ATL63337604.501.50WW 5/9PIT61133211.500.83WW May (2 Games)1244610813.001.172-02-0 Season (6 Games)33.2181723252034.541.283-33-2 Month By Month MonthStartsIP/StartH/9K/9BB/9HR/9ERAAVGOBPSLG April45.47.16.25.00.85.40.218.326.346 May26.04.57.56.00.83.00.150.306.250 Season65.66.16.75.30.84.54.195.319.314 About Mike: I was the original writer on this web site, actually its...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mets Media Coverage Has Become Monotonously Predictable

Before I get into today's rant, I'd like to take a moment to pass along news from Lynn Cohen that GaryKeithandRon.com has just come out with a cool new Ralph Kiner t-shirt. According to Lynn: Just in at GaryKeithandRon.com comes their first t-shirt honoring baseball legend--and Mets broadcasting hero--Ralph Kiner....

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Dreams of an Undefeated Season Fade Away

Game 3: Reds 8 - Mets 6 I didn't catch this afternoon's game. So how did Ollie do? Just kidding. As I'm sure you know by now, after a couple of promising innings, Oliver Perez reverted back to the struggling pitcher we've seen all spring. The moaning and handwringing has...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Oliver Perez 2009 Season Pitching Stats

Updated Sunday, May 03, 2009 Oliver Perez (1-2) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/9@CIN4.188575116.622.31LL 4/15SDP61134201.500.83WW 4/21@STL4.24464507.711.93LND 4/26WAS4.177933214.542.77LL April (4 Games)19.1202023181539.311.971-31-2 DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 5/2@PHI2.144526015.434.71LND May (1 Game)2.144282021315.434.710-10-0 Season (4 Games)21.2242428202139.972.261-41-2 Month By Month MonthStartsIP/StartH/9K/9BB/9HR/9ERAAVGOBPSLG April44.810.78.47.01.49.31.295.411.462 May12.319.37.723.10.015.43.455.611.818 Season54.311.68.38.71.29.97.315.442.506 About Mike: I was the original writer on this web site, actually its only...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

No Style Points Tonight

Game 2: Mets 9 - Reds 7 I had an ugly feeling of déjà vu watching the last few innings of this one. I can't say all that surprised, though, particularly by Frankie Rodriguez in the ninth. I've seen him pitch quite a few times, and he's always been the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 12:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Mike Pelfrey 2009 Season Pitching Stats

Updated Friday, May 08, 2009 Mike Pelfrey (4-0) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/8@CIN54452417.201.80WW 4/13SDP55583229.002.00LND 4/25WAS5.22261303.181.59WW April (3 Games)15.21111196936.321.792-12-0 DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 5/1@PHI5.13370405.061.59WW 5/7PHI73380113.861.29WW May (2 Games)12.166150514.381.622-02-0 Season (5 Games)2817173461445.461.714-14-0 Month By Month MonthStartsIP/StartH/9K/9BB/9HR/9ERAAVGOBPSLG April35.210.93.45.21.76.32.306.394.532 May26.210.90.03.60.74.38.306.382.408 Season55.610.91.94.51.35.46.306.389.477 About Mike: I was the original writer on this web site, actually its only...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thoughts on Opening Day

Sorry I'm later than promised with more in-depth thoughts from yesterday's game. I find that I'm writing more often and with better quality this year when I try to do a little more than I think I can do. Sometimes I drop the ball, or in last night's case passed...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Just As Designed

Game 1: Mets 2 - Reds 1 The Mets used a decent start from Johan Santana, three relievers -- none of whom were here last season -- and a couple of terrific at bats from Daniel Murphy to win their opener in Cincinnati. I'll be back later with some thoughts,...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Johan Santana 2009 Season Pitching Stats

Updated Tuesday, February 16, 2010 Johan Santana (13-9) DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 4/6@CIN5.21137401.591.24WW 4/12@FLA720313100.000.57LL 4/18MIL70057000.000.71WW 4/24WAS611610111.501.17WW 4/29FLA72257312.571.14LND April (5 Games)32.2642244921.100.953-23-1 DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 5/6PHI700610110.000.71WW 5/11ATL6.12076100.001.26LL 5/16@SFG764117015.141.57WW 5/22@BOS73278112.571.14WW 5/27WAS633311614.501.50WW May (5 Games)33.114930421132.431.234-14-1 DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 6/2@PIT63373114.501.33LL 6/9PHI75582146.431.29WW 6/14@NYY399932127.003.67LL 6/20TBR7.12233312.450.82LL 6/25STL72173301.291.43WW 6/30@MIL66594417.502.17LL June (6 Games)36.1272543181486.191.572-42-4 DateOpp.IPRERHKBBHRERAWHIPTeamResultPitcher Result 7/5@PHI72233222.570.71LL 7/11CIN70055100.000.86WW 7/18@ATL70055200.001.00WW 7/24@HOU6.255123316.752.25LL 7/30COL70048100.000.71WW July...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Your Official 2009 Keys to the Mets, Part 1

As I mentioned Thursday, I think there are too many variables in place to make any effort to predict what might happen this season a crapshoot. I can see this team anywhere from around .500 to well into the 90s in wins. I don't have a really solid read on...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Sheffield

I was going to try to give my mangled right hand one more day off, but the Mets signing of Gary Sheffield is something to which I just had to contribute my two cents. I have my concerns about this signing, but not for the reason that many media types...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It Only Hurts When I...

Here's something to keep in mind that I wish someone had said to me last night before I washed the dishes: If you drop a wine glass, let it go. Don't try to catch it while it's shattering into a thousand tiny daggers against the counter. Sadly, no one was...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Your Opening Day Roster

Although it was somewhat of a surprise that the Mets made their final roster calls today, the players going north hold no surprises. ROTATION: Johan Santana Mike Pelfrey Oliver Perez John Maine Livan Hernandez (will be added to roster for April 11 start) Quick Thoughts: Santana has looked great his...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Some Thoughts with a Week to Go

I watched last night's game against the Orioles and came away impressed by several things I saw. Although Oliver Perez still wasn't throwing his best fastball, he certainly looked much better than he did his first couple of outings back from the WBC. The first thing that I noticed was...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Book Review: Maple Street Press Mets Annual 2009

Maple Street Press Mets Annual 2009 Edited by Matthew Silverman and Greg Spira Softcover, 128 pages, Maple Street Press A problem with most sports annuals is they try to cover everything and wind up doing a poor job of previewing anyone. Another problem is that these team previews are often...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sunday Reading, 3-29-2009

This will be a quickie Sunday reading column this week as I am in the process of finishing up a book review that I am committed to finishing tonight. Cut to the Chass Matthew Artus from Always Amazin' once again calls Murray Chass -- who seems to be on a...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 11:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Formula for Bullpen Success Runs Deeper than Two Guys

One of the perks of doing a blog is the opportunity to develop friendships with my fellow bloggers. One of those was with Mets Today's Joe Janish. Joe and I have had interesting email exchanges, because while we agree on many things we don't completely agree on anything. More than...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The WBC Strikes Again

Three years ago I wrote several items critical of the World Baseball Classic for this blog. No matter what spin Selig and the pro-WBC crowd try to put on it, the timing of this in spring is just terrible. No other sport (or Commissioner, for that matter) would risk its...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Two Weeks to Go -- The Bullpen

It's not exactly a secret that the Mets bullpen was their downfall last September, so it's no surprise that most of us are wishing, hoping and praying that this year's edition performs as well as it looks on paper. In less than two weeks we will begin to find out....

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 3:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Two Weeks to Go -- Starting Pitching

Two weeks from today the Mets will be in Cincinnati playing a baseball game that will count in the standings. Sometime between now and then the 25-man roster will be finalized. As of today it looks like most of the decisions are at least close to being made, with a...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Belated Sunday Reading

I know, it's not really Sunday any more, but after missing a couple of days I thought I'd ease back into posting with the usual Sunday feature. Both my Mets-related reading and writing suffered this week due to a backlog of work and ill-timed back issues, but there were a...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

More Thoughts on the Bench

In many ways, the battle for bench and bullpen spots have been the most compelling of the spring for the Mets, particularly since no one really seemed inclined to battle Livan Hernandez all that hard for the fifth starter's job. The latest speculation is that Nick Evans has forced himself...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Pelfrey Looks Strong

Sorry for being a little sporadic on the posting this week. I'm buried in work. I had a chance after dinner tonight to sit down in front of the TV and spend some quality time with this afternoon's game that I had DVR'ed. I was particularly interested in a chance...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 1:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

He Shall Be Livan

I watched a couple of innings of Livan Hernandez' start today, and DVR'ed the rest to watch later. I came away from it convinced of two things: one, that Hernandez has a huge lead in the fifth starter derby, and two, on a good day I can still bring my...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 6:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Things Going Right

Tim Redding won't be ready to open the season with the Mets. John Maine isn't throwing his curveball yet. Freddie Garcia looks like what he is -- a thirty-something pitcher trying to come back from shoulder surgery. Livan Hernandez can't break a pane of glass at ten paces with his...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 2:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Sunday Reading, 3-15-2009

We're going to do something a little different this week. I like to highlight 3 books, two of which are already out and one which is due out sometime this summer. Maple Street Press Mets Annual 2009 Edited by Matt Silverman and Greg Spira 128 pages $12.99 Available now More...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Irrational Thought Rules

It's becoming increasingly clear that rational baseball analysis in the local papers has joined the endangered species list. There was once a time when explaining the nuances of the game to the fans was an important part of what a columnist did. Now it seems proclaiming outrageous statements at the...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 4:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The Bullpen and Fifth Starter

By all accounts, Freddy Garcia had his best outing of the spring so far and still hasn't improved his chances of locking down a fifth starter's job that many thought was his to lose coming into camp. Garcia allowed the Tigers 2 runs in 2 1/3 innings, with one of...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Good News

I get on the media sometimes for their almost relentlessly negative coverage of this team, but I do understand that negative stories tend to draw more attention than the positive ones these days. As print media outlets in particular fight to survive, this is increasingly important. Still, though, when a...

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By Mike Steffanos, posted at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Mike's Mets

New York Mets discussion, news and historical perspective -- now getting by with a little help from my friends.

October 31, 2011

Greetings from the Frozen North

September 26, 2011

Our Town

August 12, 2011

In Search of Grit

August 4, 2011

Playing the Long Game

July 17, 2011

Link: Brandon Nimmo

July 13, 2011

K-Rod Trade Was the Right Move

July 7, 2011

A Reasonable Plan, Part 1

June 23, 2011

Quick Hits: Reyes Edition

June 17, 2011

The Reyes Dilemma (Archive Copy)

June 15, 2011

Not So Pretty in Pink

June 14, 2011

New Guest Post on Mets Today

June 12, 2011

Thoughts on the Mets 2011 Amateur Draft

June 5, 2011

An Extraordinary Life

June 3, 2011

Make Up Your Minds, Please

May 30, 2011

One of the Good Guys

May 24, 2011

Just When You Think It Can't Get Any Worse

May 20, 2011

Loving the One You're With

May 18, 2011

The Land Where Rational Thought Does Not Prevail

May 13, 2011

Quick Hits -- Friday the Thirteenth Edition

May 10, 2011

Then and Now

April 28, 2011

Thoughts on David Wright

April 24, 2011

Dillon Gee

April 22, 2011

Is Wilpon the Next Owner Out?

A Punchers Chance (Archive Copy)

April 21, 2011

Zen and the Art of Self-Delusion

April 20, 2011

Fire Sale Blues

Your Obligatory Brad Emaus Post

April 19, 2011

Guest Post on Mets Today

Appearance Tonight on This Call To The Bullpen

April 15, 2011

It's All Your Fault, Terry Collins

April 11, 2011

Drinking the Kool-Aid

April 9, 2011

Opening Week Observations

April 8, 2011

Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Lose, Sometimes It Rains...

April 7, 2011

Farm Fresh

Pelfrey's No Ace, But We Already Knew That

April 6, 2011

Quick Hits 4-6-2011

Chris Young

April 5, 2011

Silence Is Golden

April 4, 2011

A Personal Note -- What Happened and What Will Happen

April 3, 2011

A 161 Win Season Is Still Within Reach

April 1, 2011

Season Preview: The Conventional Wisdom Ain't Always Right

Season Preview: Can Anyone Here Play This Game?