JB, what do you think of adding the box score from the previous game to each newsletter? I think its good to reference back to since your have a game summary.
Three games in a row where the Mets bullpen won it, out-performed the opposing team's bullpen. The opposing pens are walking guys with the bases loaded, balking, giving up hits, while the Mets pen is holding the line. It is the story of the season.
In the past, Buck and the Mets had two bullpens: He'd go to his "B" pen when the team was down. And we'd stay down. The 3-1 deficit became a 6-4 loss.
In today's MLB, it kind of made sense. Analysts look at the season and say, "We've got to throw 1,400 innings this season." Then they say that given scores and situations, 250 of those innings don't matter. Going to lose anyway. So the strategy has been, "Well, you don't want to use a good arm in that situation. Need some bums around to eat that garbage."
And it sort of makes sense. But we saw Buck do it endlessly in 2022, going to the "B" guys in Pittsburgh late in the year, the Mets down 3-1 in the 6th. He conceded a lot of games, playing for tomorrow, making it extremely unlikely the Mets would pull out a come-from-behind victory. It was his big mistake late in the year, IMO.
Which leads me to Tonkin and Ramirez. Stearns DFA'd those dudes in early April. Whereas in the past it might have been argued that we need a guy like Tonkin -- to pitch all the meaningless innings. Stearns watched us lose two games that way and thought, "Nope."
A bullpen with depth and quality, up and down.
There's that old joke about not needing to outrun a bear, you just have to be faster than the person you are with. That's today's bullpen. You just need to be better than the other's team's pen. And honestly, that's what I wondered going into this season, and what I asked here before it began:
What is the value of a great bullpen? How many wins does that get you?
I love what I am seeing so far and I think it will endure, because there are quality guys down in AAA and Stearns has a knack for the wise pickup.
RIP Whitey Herzog & Carl Erskine. Tow legendary names in baseball! Mets fans cannot forget the contributions that Whitey Herzog made to the Mets before becoming the manager of the Cardinals.
Is Reed Garrett legit? So far, so good. Time will tell if he is "legit" or not but, for now, I will happily ride the wave that Garrett and the rest of the bullpen seem to be surfing at the top of right now. For that matter this whole Mets team seems to be riding at the top of the wave right now. I will happily continue to ride this wave with this Mets team for as long & as far as it goes! #LGM!
Kranick back off the DL, threw last night. Sprout, Tidwell performed well. It's impressive. There really is a pipeline of pitching talent, lining up nicely. Scott, Ziegler, McLean.
I ask myself: Who is Stearns going to trade? And when? And also: Who do we convert into relievers?
The Mets have the prospects to make a big trade, if and when that time comes. Maybe July, maybe in December, maybe not at all. It could be argued that we simply hold onto what we've got. Wait this thing out. Patch things together until the young arms rise. Try to bring one new arm into the rotation at a time. A steady pipeline of talent. Don't sign any expensive FA pitchers. But instead, when the opportunity comes, spend that money on a bat.
Are the Mets finally becoming a smart organization?
Are there any Syracuse Mets fans out there? I'm trying to get info on injury status of Gilbert (hamstring) and now Acuna. Word is that Acuna DNP last two games and rumors have him in NYC (possibly for medicals?). I've been planning to travel to see them on the weekend of the 26th, and now I'm wondering if the guys I most want to see will even be playing.
I seem to feel this every season, and I'm always proven wrong, but I just look at that Phillies team and I'm not that impressed.
Turner & Harper are great. Schwarber is dangerous. But Castellanos is fading, Rojas can't hit at all, Stott is just okay, Bohm is okay w/ pop, Realmuto is a 33-year-old catcher who is not an .800 OPS guy anymore. They all hit in a bandbox which inflates the offensive stats.
They have grit and moxey and I can't discount their inner fire. They rise to the moment.
Wheeler and Suarez look great. Nola is good but not scary.
I don't see why the Mets can't hang with this team.
The Phils are a product of the modern MLB playoff system. Be good enough to make it as a WC and tough enough to maybe make a run. A susperstar in Harper, and an ace like Wheeler, goes a long way. But the whole team? Meh. They are an injury or two away from really being in trouble.
Good newsletter - however you didnt mention the idiotic team and bad for baseball move of taking a starter (who was lights ut) out of a game cause of pitch count. God for the Mets bad for them and baseball when teams do this. Imagine a Pirates fan bought a ticket to see jones and get him for 50 pitche? Its like buying a Springsteen ticket and get only 80 minutes of the show.......
I love that the Mets are taking advantage of other teams' flubs and errors and I can't remember the last Mets' team that showed this trait.
Happy 60th Anniversary of the first Mets' game played at Shea Stadium on April 17, 1962. Jack Fisher, who started for the Mets that day, is throwing out the first pitch.
I think Mendy is telling the truth about Baty. Probably wants him 100% for the west coast swing.
JB, what do you think of adding the box score from the previous game to each newsletter? I think its good to reference back to since your have a game summary.
Three games in a row where the Mets bullpen won it, out-performed the opposing team's bullpen. The opposing pens are walking guys with the bases loaded, balking, giving up hits, while the Mets pen is holding the line. It is the story of the season.
In the past, Buck and the Mets had two bullpens: He'd go to his "B" pen when the team was down. And we'd stay down. The 3-1 deficit became a 6-4 loss.
In today's MLB, it kind of made sense. Analysts look at the season and say, "We've got to throw 1,400 innings this season." Then they say that given scores and situations, 250 of those innings don't matter. Going to lose anyway. So the strategy has been, "Well, you don't want to use a good arm in that situation. Need some bums around to eat that garbage."
And it sort of makes sense. But we saw Buck do it endlessly in 2022, going to the "B" guys in Pittsburgh late in the year, the Mets down 3-1 in the 6th. He conceded a lot of games, playing for tomorrow, making it extremely unlikely the Mets would pull out a come-from-behind victory. It was his big mistake late in the year, IMO.
Which leads me to Tonkin and Ramirez. Stearns DFA'd those dudes in early April. Whereas in the past it might have been argued that we need a guy like Tonkin -- to pitch all the meaningless innings. Stearns watched us lose two games that way and thought, "Nope."
A bullpen with depth and quality, up and down.
There's that old joke about not needing to outrun a bear, you just have to be faster than the person you are with. That's today's bullpen. You just need to be better than the other's team's pen. And honestly, that's what I wondered going into this season, and what I asked here before it began:
What is the value of a great bullpen? How many wins does that get you?
I love what I am seeing so far and I think it will endure, because there are quality guys down in AAA and Stearns has a knack for the wise pickup.
RIP Whitey Herzog & Carl Erskine. Tow legendary names in baseball! Mets fans cannot forget the contributions that Whitey Herzog made to the Mets before becoming the manager of the Cardinals.
Is Reed Garrett legit? So far, so good. Time will tell if he is "legit" or not but, for now, I will happily ride the wave that Garrett and the rest of the bullpen seem to be surfing at the top of right now. For that matter this whole Mets team seems to be riding at the top of the wave right now. I will happily continue to ride this wave with this Mets team for as long & as far as it goes! #LGM!
Kranick back off the DL, threw last night. Sprout, Tidwell performed well. It's impressive. There really is a pipeline of pitching talent, lining up nicely. Scott, Ziegler, McLean.
I ask myself: Who is Stearns going to trade? And when? And also: Who do we convert into relievers?
The Mets have the prospects to make a big trade, if and when that time comes. Maybe July, maybe in December, maybe not at all. It could be argued that we simply hold onto what we've got. Wait this thing out. Patch things together until the young arms rise. Try to bring one new arm into the rotation at a time. A steady pipeline of talent. Don't sign any expensive FA pitchers. But instead, when the opportunity comes, spend that money on a bat.
Are the Mets finally becoming a smart organization?
Are there any Syracuse Mets fans out there? I'm trying to get info on injury status of Gilbert (hamstring) and now Acuna. Word is that Acuna DNP last two games and rumors have him in NYC (possibly for medicals?). I've been planning to travel to see them on the weekend of the 26th, and now I'm wondering if the guys I most want to see will even be playing.
Mets are 1/2 game out of WC3.
I seem to feel this every season, and I'm always proven wrong, but I just look at that Phillies team and I'm not that impressed.
Turner & Harper are great. Schwarber is dangerous. But Castellanos is fading, Rojas can't hit at all, Stott is just okay, Bohm is okay w/ pop, Realmuto is a 33-year-old catcher who is not an .800 OPS guy anymore. They all hit in a bandbox which inflates the offensive stats.
They have grit and moxey and I can't discount their inner fire. They rise to the moment.
Wheeler and Suarez look great. Nola is good but not scary.
I don't see why the Mets can't hang with this team.
The Phils are a product of the modern MLB playoff system. Be good enough to make it as a WC and tough enough to maybe make a run. A susperstar in Harper, and an ace like Wheeler, goes a long way. But the whole team? Meh. They are an injury or two away from really being in trouble.
Good newsletter - however you didnt mention the idiotic team and bad for baseball move of taking a starter (who was lights ut) out of a game cause of pitch count. God for the Mets bad for them and baseball when teams do this. Imagine a Pirates fan bought a ticket to see jones and get him for 50 pitche? Its like buying a Springsteen ticket and get only 80 minutes of the show.......
@jeffrey
"His four seamer is a bit _____ this year"
Shaky?
I love that the Mets are taking advantage of other teams' flubs and errors and I can't remember the last Mets' team that showed this trait.
Happy 60th Anniversary of the first Mets' game played at Shea Stadium on April 17, 1962. Jack Fisher, who started for the Mets that day, is throwing out the first pitch.
I think Mendy is telling the truth about Baty. Probably wants him 100% for the west coast swing.
Let's Go Sevy!