FanNation

Jerry Manuel Proving his Worth - and should be back in 2009

I want to congratulate Jerry manuel for reading my prior blog which asked him to allow his top starting pitchers to go longer in games during a divisional title race. After Wednesday's brutal loss to the rival Philadelphia Phillies, the Mets won in their version of comeback style and are obviously a different - and better - team with Jerry Manuel at the helm.

The rifts in the clubhouse appear over, the biting comments in the media have stopped, and some Met fans are even calling for Carlos Delgado to return in 2009. Delgado has resurrected his season (and career) while under Manuel, and Jose Reyes, the key that opens the Mets offensive door, has elevated his game since the departure of Willie Randolph. Delgado and Reyes were two of Randolph's biggest critics.

Jerry Manuel needs to be more like Ned Yost

It now appears that closer Billy Wagner is out indefinitely with a sore left elbow. He may be out for the entire year, and unless the Mets become the 1927 Yankees with their lineup, Wagner's loss hampers the Mets' challenge for the NL East Division title.

Currently in first place in the East with a 1.5 game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies, the Mets are using a closer by committee plan to ride out their hot relief pitcher. Somehow, "hot relief pitcher" and "New York Mets" seem equal to the oxymoron's Jumbo Shrimp and Military Intelligence.

Mike Mussina can secure HOF plaque with 4 more wins in 2008

Before (and especially during) this season, the media and general baseball fan base have debated Mike Mussina's HOF credentials. The overriding factor for the NO voters was that "Mussina hasn't won 20 games in a season." Although winning 17 or more games 7 times with two 19 win seasons isn't that bad.

Well, if he does win 20 games this year, there is nothing more for the naysayers to complain about. Currently at 16-7 with a 3.35 ERA, Mussina is having one of his best season's ever - even at the ripe old age of 39, one year removed from arguably his worst season when he went 11-10 with a 5.15 ERA.

Yankees trade for Nady/Marte not all that great for Bombers

I initially thought trading for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte was a steal for the Yankees: the corner outfielder and lefty relief pitcher they needed for three prospects and a Triple A/major league tweener.

But at second glance, the trade isn't as great as everyone is making it out to be - at least in this Yankee fan's mind. For a guy who has hit .330 this year (his career best), Nady has only 57 RBIs and 50 runs - both totals ranking just third on his own team. I would expect those production numbers to be better, especially on the Pirates who are second in the NL in runs scored. The Pirates' problem has been pitching, not hitting.

While Nady doesn't strike out much (55 in 327 at bats this year), he only has 25 walks, leading to a low .383 OBP for a hitter batting .330. The benchmark OBP for a quality batter should be 80 points or more over the batting average. This lower OBP is a prime reason for Nady's low runs scored total.

Nady is an above average fielder in right, but his defensive numbers are considerably worse when he plays left - and that's where he's likely to play in New York. Perhaps one option for Girardi would be to play Johnny Damon in left (when he's healthy) and put Nady in right and Bobby Abreu at DH. Also, unless Nady hits the ball down the line, will he hit as many home runs in Yankee Stadium? His 162 game career average is just 20 home runs and 75 RBIs, and that's the pace he's on this year.

Does everyone remember El Duque's great relief appearance for the Chicago White Sox against Boston in the 2005 playoffs? He came in the game in the sixth with the White Sox leading 4-3, but with the bases loaded and no outs. Well, he came in for Damaso Marte, who had loaded the bases with a single and two walks. Marte's career numbers against the Red Sox hitters aren't good: lots of walks and Ortiz, Manny, Varitek and JD Drew each have an OPS over 1.000. Ortiz has a homer, three RBI's and two walks in 10 plate appearances against Marte.

The big reason I don't like this deal is that the Yankees gave up way too much. The original deal had RHP Ross Ohlendorf, RHP George Kontos, LHP Phil Coke and OF Jose Tabata. Ohlendorf has some major league experience and all three of the other players were at Double A Trenton. But the trade was changed to remove Kontos and Coke and insert Triple A RHP's Daniel McCutchen and Jeff Karstens, both only 25 years of age.

Karstens is very injury prone and had no future with the Yankees, but McCutchen (same 2006 draft that produced Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson and Ian Kennedy) is the one pitcher the Yankees should not have traded. He is a bulldog and, despite a 4-6 record at Triple A, he had adjusted well from a 1-6 start and has two complete games shutouts over the last month. McCutchen will probably be starting in the majors immediately, and while his initial few starts might not be impressive, he will become a very durable and productive starter for many years.

Johan Santana needed to be his own closer

It is July 22, 2038 and Juan Santiago of the New York Mets is approaching the biggest start of his career. He is facing the Atlanta Braves with both teams tied for first place in the revamped National League Atlantic Division. Santiago has been sharp all year, but only sports a 10-7 record to go along with his sparkling 2.46 ERA.

Talk shows and bloggers are reminiscing on the game 30 years earlier when Johan Santana was in a similar circumstance and came through with flying colors. That game 30 years prior saw Santana, when about to be removed from the game against the Philadelphia Phillies, demanded the ball in the 9^th from Met manager Jerry Manuel and proceeded to complete the game, winning that game 5-2.