David Lennon at On The Mets Beat writes about last night's All-Star game:
I could understand if Pujols was hurt, but it sounds like the Cardinals slugger was even annoyed by his own manager's slight. And the Mets, who had a lot to gain by the NL winning last night, should be angry, too. Come October, that Rowand fly ball with the bases loaded will be remembered.
Could the National League team that makes it to the World Series blame their misfortune on Tony Larussa? Yes.
Could that same team blame their misfortune on Rowand or Wagner? Yes.
Should that same team not rest all the blame on these three individuals? No.
The sole blame rests on the entire National League All-Stars, if the home field advantage plays a major role this year and everyone needs one person to blame for another year of American League dominance, I would have to point the finger at Tony. After all he was the Manager and did have Pujols on the bench and ready to drive in the winning runs. Instead he chose Aaron Rowand to make the hit. Rowand didn’t and the AL won again, but the fact still remains that baseball is a team sport and you either win as a team or lose as a team.
The National League lost. That’s all there is to it.
From MetsLifer.com
Jose Reyes looked like a kid in a candy store last night during the All Star Game. You can easily see why he's so fun to watch. His youthful exuberance radiates through the TV and it's hard not to be effected by his enthusiasm.
Tom Singer at Mets.com, writes about the Mets All-Stars and how they did last night:
The trio of New Yorkers in the NL's starting lineup stood out like the Golden Gate through a fog blanket, with starters Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and David Wright collecting five of the NL's first six hits.
Beltran and Wright each went 1-for-3 before both left the game in the top of the seventh, but the star of All-Stars was Reyes, who went 3-for-4, stole a base and scored a run while playing longer than any of the other 15 starting position players.
"Oh, man, it was kind of an exciting game for me," said Reyes, who certainly made up for having to miss last year's game with a finger injury.
The final component of the Mets' All-Star quartet wasn't quite as smashing on the other end of the ball, as left-handed reliever Billy Wagner allowed a two-run homer to pinch-hitter Victor Martinez in his one inning of pitching, the eighth.
Don't you just hate a B-. It's like the professor thought you deserved a C, but because of your past history in class he/she gave you the lowest possible grade that's still somewhat acceptable.
That to me sums up the Mets first half of the season as we head into the All Star break. Remember April? Besides the 20 rainouts, Alou & Green we're both in the top 10 in batting in the NL. How far we've come in 2 months.
Of course injuries have played a major part of the season. Chavez, Alou, Green, Perez, Sosa, El Duque, Valentin, Gomez, & Beltran all saw time on the DL.
There were some great stretches like sweeping the World champion Cardinals to open the season at Busch Stadium. And then there were down times like the entire month of June.
The pessimist in me doesn't like the way things are going. We're not beating teams were supposed to be (a.k.a. Colorado Rockies), and we're not coming back to win games. If our starting pitching doesn't keep the opponent under 3 runs, we're in trouble.
The optimist in me looks at all the injuries, the losing streaks, the inability to beat the Braves, the eternal slump of Delgado and says "Hey, we're still in first place!"
Amazing. Two things need to happen in order for the Mets to hold onto their perch atop the NL East. First they need to start hitting with runners in scoring position, especially with 2 outs. Over the last month the Mets are batting below the Mendoza line with runners in scoring position and 2 outs. Champions come through in the clutch.
The second thing is the bullpen needs to improve. I don't care if it's through a trade or if the existing crew just man's up, but the bullpen needs to be strong. I'm not asking them to be perfect, but they need to be as good as they were last year. You heard me, Blowenweiss.
Enjoy the All Star Game and be thankful David Wright is not in the home run derby. Let's sweep the Reds later this week. Let's Go Mets.
Steve Popper at North Jersey, writes about Carlos Beltran and how he feels about the All-Star game:
"That's the way I look at it," Beltran said. "Some people probably go there to have fun. I want to have fun. I want to enjoy every moment of it. But I also will try to take advantage of the opportunity.
"Last year I went with [Albert] Pujols to the cage. We worked together. He was showing me the drills that he does, why it worked for him. Sometimes it works for you, sometimes it doesn't. It doesn't work for everybody. But at least I have an idea of what he does. Maybe you can add that to your game and it can make you better."
David Lennon at On The Mets Beat, writes about David Wright and why he wont be participating in the Home Run Derby this year:
David Wright, not surprisingly, will not participate in this year’s Home Run Derby. Wright finished runner-up to Ryan Howard last season, but saw a drop in his numbers in the second half, when he batted .305 (down from .315) with six home runs (down from 20) and 42 RBI (way down from 74). His slugging percentage also slid from .575 to .469. Still, the Mets third baseman never blamed the derby for his slide after the break and said he declined this year so he could be more of a spectator at the event.
“I had a blast last time,” Wright said. “I just want to enjoy it this year, be on the field with a camcorder leading the cheers. Maybe if I’m around longer, I’ll consider it again. But this year I just want to soak it all in.”
After reading David Lennon’s last post on his Newsday blog (On The Mets Beat), I realized that there is still a chance that John Maine could become an All-Star this year.
Common sense would tell us that if even one starting pitcher backs out of the game, that Maine would have to be next in line. If not, then I would begin to get a little irritated on how much the pitchers are weighed on their reputation and not their performance.
Here’s some of David Lennon’s post:
Just lifted this chart from today's Newsday regarding Tony La Russa's pitching selections. John Maine definitely deserved a spot. Even so, there's probably a good chance he'll make it anyway. In this final week before the break, players are always bowing out for one reason or another.
Anthony Rieber at Newsday, writes about John Maine's comments on notbeing selected to pitch in the All-Star game:
Maine could not hide his disappointment, just as Wagner could not hide his glee. Wagner suggested to Maine that he could be named as an injury replacement before the July 10 game in San Francisco. That didn't seem to buoy the righthander's spirits. "I didn't expect it," Maine said. "It would have been a bonus, but I can't worry about it."
I was befuddled by the fact that Cole Hamels found his way onto the All-Star pitching staff and John Maine found his way to a vacation. There was no doubt in my mind that Maine was going to be one of the pitchers. I guess it just goes to show you that hype and an extra large mouth will bring you attention over a guy who quietly puts together an All-Star caliber season.
While Maine and Hamels both sport the same record (9-4), there are a mountain of differences between the two that just point to Maine for the All-Star team with one of those cartoon hands that have been blown up.
Hamels has a 3.87 earned run average and has been know as a pitcher who likes to give the opposing hitters their home runs (19). Maine on the other hand has given up only 10 home runs and some Phillies fans may point out that Hamels has one more start than Maine or that they play in a band box. It all comes down to one key piece of information, don’t give up home runs.
Hamels does have Maine’s number with strike outs (116 to 84), but Maine isn’t a strike out pitcher by trait, he’s a classic contact pitcher who has shown that he is nothing short of consistent in almost every one of his starts.
Maine is sporting a 2.74 earned run average and in his last four of his five starts has lasted at least 7 innings. Yet again another sign of consistency. Hamels has lasted at least 5 innings in that same time span.
This comparison is just a little bit of what I am trying to allude to. John Maine was hosed for a pitcher who is, right now, over hyped, has a big mouth, and is just not ready to step on the mound of the All-Star game. If the game is lost because of Hamels, I am not going to be happy and will be forced to hate the Phillies just a little bit more, if that’s possible.
Lauren Kobylarz at Mets.com, writes about Willie Randolph and hime not being a coach at the All-Star game:
Earlier in the week, Randolph was invited to serve as a coach for the July 10 game in San Francisco by Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, but he will be forced to decline because he will be having surgery on his right shoulder to counteract routine wear and tear to his throwing arm, which he said has been bothering him for a while.
Without the procedure, Randolph said, the shoulder could be compromised enough to keep him from throwing. He isn't looking forward to the surgery but recognizes its importance, reluctantly putting it ahead of the trip to San Francisco on his priority list.
(from MetsLifer.com)
Anyone who watched Saturday's FOX game of the week (Yanks vs. Giants) may have heard Thom Brennaman make possibly the most idiotic statement of the year. He was going down the list of NL starters for the All Star game and got to Jose Reyes at shortstop to which he remarked, "Jose Reyes does not deserve to be the starter; that should be J.J. Hardy." He went on to claim that J.J. Hardy is the NL MVP this year.
I about lost it. Thankfully, Joe Girardi defended Reyes and said he disagreed with Thom Brennaman and Jose Reyes deserved to start the All Star Game. Still it irks me that Jose Reyes is getting no respect from announcers like Thom Brennaman after putting up staggering numbers through the first half of the season.
But I could be biased as I tend to dislike every announcer on FOX baseball games. That means you Tim McCarver.
Thankfully, Rob Neyer saw this game and defended Jose Reyes publicly in his blog for ESPN.com. Neyer writes:
"One thing that drives me crazy about writers and broadcasters is how they'll get something stuck in their head, and you're not getting it out of there with a titanium sledgehammer. Yes, there was a moment when J.J. Hardy looked like the National League's most valuable player. That moment was approximately May 25, when Hardy was batting .360 and (I believe) led the NL with 15 homers. That was then. Now, he's not anything like the most valuable player. He's not even the most valuable shortstop."
Well said, Mr. Neyer. For Rob Neyer's full post, click here. (ESPN insider)
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