213 Miles From Shea

The Mets played their first Spring Training Game tonight which means its time to start tracking the players. The Mets came out of the gate literally running. They ran a lot tonight as they showed off speed on the base paths. Anyway let’s break down some performances:

Torres made a good impression in his first game, drawing a walk, getting a hit in one official AB, a stolen base and scoring a run off of a Murphy RBI hit. I’m not going to make my entire opinion about Torres off of one game, but this was a good way to start quieting his naysayers.

Rottino, who is a real outside shot of making this club, got off to a bad start tonight as he went 0-2 with two strikeouts. The main attribute that keeps Rottino relevant is the amount of positions he can play, including catcher. As it was for the offense, there wasn’t really much to write home about in this game.

The pitcher to watch in this game for the Mets was Harvey, because of who he is. Harvey had a great first inning. In his second inning, he got into a jam, but he was able to pitch his way out without allowing a run. In his two innings of work he allowed no hits, walked three batters and struck out one. He faced Harper in this game (Harper got the walk) and one has to think that this is the first of many times these two players will face each other at the “Major League Level” (if you can call it that in Spring).

The MVP of the game has to go to Keith Hernandez and the rest of the booth, who were all back to mid season form tonight. Some of the highlights include:

Gary: What did you do this winter?
Keith: I read all 7 Harry Potter books.

Keith: I’m surprised Kevin said Voldemort. He must not be named.

Keith: We may not believe in trickle down economics, but we believe in trickle down Santana

On the eve of the first Intrasquad game of the season, heading into the 31 games in March, the Mets battles are starting to take shape. For the most part the Mets roster is set, with a group of players that positions to lose. Here’s the break down:

Centerfield: Center is not so much a battle in spring as it will be later on in the season. Torres will have the position heading out of camp, but if he doesn’t perform at his top game, then Spring becomes really important for players like Captain Kirk and Matt Den Dekker. Both players, barring an amazing spring, will not break camp with the Mets but after April, when the Mets would get an extra year of team control, could break to get some major time in the major leagues. Eyes will be on these three players this Spring.

Bullpen: The Bullpen is always an area of competition in the spring. The players that will be in the pen are Francisco, Rauch and Ramirez. Byrdak will be in the pen, and I have a feeling Beato will also be there. That means for the rest of the pitchers, its open competition for the remaining spots, including Carrasco, Parnell, Acosta, Carson and others. The Mets will be looking specifically for a pitcher who could be the swingman from the rotation to the pen.

What is unique about this Spring is the bench spots are pretty much set, in that the players trying to push in are mainly prospects, who would benefit from consistent playing time in the minors in the first. Spring remains really important for these players because when the Mets have to call up players for depth, that is when the spring impressions come into play.

The battles this spring are really personally battles within the players. Are certain players going to return to either their old form or rise to the expectations of their development:

• Will Santana be effective and healthy?
• Will Ike bounce back with power?
• Will Bay keep September going?
• How will Duda develop?
• Can Murphy return with the same hitting ability?
• Will Wright fully come back this season?
• Will the rotation hold up? Is there any depth to step up?

All of these answers and more coming up this month?

In recent years, the Mets Farm System has been turning out a large crop of 1B/OF types. Players that have played both or have the ability to play both positions. One has been traded, and others have been shifted in their positions as they have been called up to the majors. The recent list includes:

• Ike Davis (Before becoming our starting 1B, he was also an OF prospect in college)
• Mike Carp (Traded in the three way trade for JJ Putz, is now considered a Fantasy Sleeper)
• Daniel Murphy (Really suited for 1B, also tried time in the OF, really a corner IF)
• Lucas Duda (Similar to Murphy, best suited for Corner IF, also considered a Fantasy Sleeper)
• Kirk Nieuwenhuis (Could make a break to the majors this year, similar player to the above)

The obvious star on this list is Davis, so let’s set him aside for the rest of this article.

Carp, Murphy, Duda and Nieuwenhuis all have incredible similarities. They all started to become prospects at similar time and they all were known for their hitting over their defense. Carp and Murphy broke first, followed by Captain Kirk and then Duda. Although people knock Murphy for his power, his power is somewhat similar to Carp’s and they both are just a step behind Duda and Captain Kirk.

It’s just odd how similar these four players are, and how they all came out of the same farm system. They all are slightly underrated, and the three that are currently in the majors are all considered Fantasy Sleepers this season.

The baseball media has started to view the Mets Farm system in a more positive light, especially with the talent building at the low single A levels, but if these four players start to produce this season in addition to Davis, it will show that the Mets had some hidden stars in the farm.

Over the better half of the last decade, the Mets have moved through several different versions of blue batting practice Jerseys. At the beginning of the century, the Mets were using these Orange BP uniforms. After a couple of seasons, the Mets switched, with the rest of the league, to new Blue uniforms, with double color underarm paneling. The next version of the uniform, last year’s model, got rid of the double panel and replaced it with a single color panel. That was ditched this year for a new basically solid blue uniform (which at this point is old news with the Mets practicing on the field).

There are two main changes to this years model. The print is in orange, not black, and the panel has been completely removed. It looks a lot like the very popular “Los Mets” uniforms from last season. It was rumored a while back that in 2013 the Mets would consider a Blue Alternate on the field, and this could be their way to test drive it.

There are two big differences between this uniform and the Blue Alternate. First is the material, as it is made with a BP material (although the difference in the BP uniforms and the actual uniforms has been getting less and less over the years, and really is only seen in the hats). The real difference is the cuts on the uniforms. The Blue BP, although one solid color, has all the same cuts as the multiple tone BP uniforms in other teams, thus why the back of the uniform looks a little awkward.

With the vast majority of teams in Florida now on the Florida West Coast, the Mets end up playing a lot more games against their neighbors: the Marlins, Nationals and Cardinals. It has been like this for a few years ever since the Orioles moved the West Coast and the Dodgers just moved flat out west. When I was in college, so last year, I used to watch a huge portion of Spring Training games. Because of that, and the team breakdown around the Mets, I ended up learning a lot about the Marlins, Nationals and Cardinals, as if they were my own team because of the amount of times I saw their minor league players play. Outside of those three teams, the next closest teams are the Astros and Braves in the middle of the state and the Tigers slightly more east. Everyone else is lined up on the East Coast. Here is a list of the amount of times the Mets play their opponents this Spring:

Cardinals – 6 games
Marlins – 5 games
Nationals – 5 games
Braves – 5 games
Astros – 4 games
Tigers – 4 games
Yankees – 2 games (at the end of Spring Training)

So in the course of a month, the Mets will play 31 games against 7 teams. At first I was really against this, because I like variety but I started to think about it and there are two major benefits here:
1) It mimics a real month in the season where the Mets would play about this many opponents
2) (And this is the real reason) Until more teams move to the West (since the Mets have a lease right now until 2023, so they are not going anywhere) this is the least taxing situation for the players bodies.

Teams in Florida that the Mets will not play at all this Spring:
– Blue Jays
– Phillies
– Pirates
– Orioles
– Rays
– Red Sox
– Twins

Happy President’s Day.

I was watching the MLB Network tonight, who ran a story about the Nationals’ tryouts for their running mascots. If you don’t know, and I have no idea how you wouldn’t know this, the Nationals have one of the best reincarnations of the racing mascots at their stadiums with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abe Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. The race is rigged so Teddy doesn’t win.

In an attempt to be funny, or something (honestly I have no idea why), the Broadcasters had a discussion about if they feel Teddy can actually win. It led with Bill Ripken exclaiming that its rigged (as to move the conversation along) and Eric Byrnes showing off an impressive amount of knowledge of US Presidents.

Anyway, they also showed some video of the Racing Presidents visiting the New York Islanders. For President’s day. Apparently this has been happening for a few years now.

I. Don’t. Get. It.

One of the mysteries for the Mets going into Spring is what are they going to get out of Andres Torres. Torres is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2011 campaign after a great 2010 season. As of right now, he is the current starter in center for the Mets and is projecting to be the current lead off hitter. However with a few OF coming up through the minors (hello Captain Kirk), there will be pressure on Torres throughout the season to produce. Here are is 2011 numbers, followed by the Baseball Prospectus Projection MLB.com Projection:

2011: 348 AB, .221 BA, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 19 SB, .312 OBP
BP Projection: 584 PA, 12 HR, 66 RBI, .247 BA, .316 OBP, 24 SB
MLB Projection: 411 AB, .243 BA, 10 HR, 30 RBI, 22 SB, .325 OBP

Some interesting highlights stand out. BP projects a lot more Plate Appearances, hence more AB’s for Torres, and higher Batting Average. Both systems have similar projections for batting average. MLB has Torres playing a lot less, but hitting for more power, and stealing more bases. BP, even with the jump of AB’s, says he will have a lot more RBI’s.

If these are his numbers, they are a nice bump, a really nice bump out of what he produced last year, but how is it compared to what the Mets had before in Pagan:

2011: 478 AB, .268 BA, 7 HR, 56 RBI, 32 SB, .322 OBP
BP Projection: 621 PA, 8 HR, 65 RBI, 31 SB, .266 BA, .317 OBP
MLB Projection: 500 AB, .280 BA, 8 HR, 60 RBI, 34 SB

Torres’ 2012 projections are better than what the Mets got from Pagan in 2011, but not as good as Pagan’s 2012 projections. BP and MLB are in much more agreement for what Pagan will do next year, which looks like he will play a full season, not hit for power, and steal a lot of bases. The Mets look to be losing speed without Pagan, but gain some pop potential with Torres. None of this is a surprise though as anyone could have you told you this in the winter.

I’m curious to see what we will get out of Torres, especially since, like many Mets, he will be paying with a chip on his shoulders from naysayers and people calling him a 5th OF. And some OF’s breathing down his neck from the minor league level in 2012.

There is one article I have trouble writing every year, so I usually don’t write it at all because when does Spring Training really start?

I would love to write a countdown article for the beginning of Spring, because that is the beginning of the baseball season. So much will happen between now and April 6th that even though that is the real start of the season, the 2012 season starts now.

But when is now?

Is it tomorrow when Pitchers and Catchers “report”?
Is it the next day when they actually get their physicals?
Is it the day after that when they really work out?
Is it a few days later when the position players start camp?
Is it the first whole team work out?
Is it last week when players started to arrive at camp?
Is it more than a week ago when players were already working out?
Is it March 3rd when the Mets start playing Spring Training Games?
Is it the day before when the Mets play an intrasquad game?

The personal struggle I have with Spring Training articles is too many countdowns. Too many official days. So tomorrow on paper is the official start of spring, but spring has already started, especially with Johan throwing a session last Friday.

I am beyond excited that Spring is starting soon. I’m even more excited that Spring has already started.

” I wish I could have lived my life like Gary Carter… He was a true man… I have always respected him”
– Darryl Strawberry

Gary Carter’s passing has brought out one common theme over and over again. He was more than just a baseball player. In a day when athletes are often remembered for their ability to play the game, and their passion (which Carter is being remembered for) Carter is being equally honored for his character and his positive influence on others.

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives”
– Jackie Robinson

Well, the Orioles situation with South Korea just got more, well Orioles.

Because honestly, the only other two franchises this could happen to either the Pirates, or the Mets.

Anyway, the MLB announced today that it will step in and void Kim’s contract. The Orioles will still be able to sign Kim at a later date. Basically, this move has to be done because relations between the KBA and the MLB have really fell apart since the Orioles stepped in and signed Kim without following protocol.

At this point, this is just bad for the Orioles. Whether they made the move with intent of breaching protocol or not, they now lost Kim (for now), are still banned from South Korea, and now have the MLB in a difficult PR situation. The sad part is, this isn’t surprising! The Orioles have been so disheveled the last decade, getting this involved in a situation seems to fit the team model.