The Dumbest Play in Baseball

from MetsLifer.com
Ryan Church did an admirable job last night hitting in the #2 spot in the order. I like Castillo up there but with him struggling just to run to first base I think Church will see this as an opportunity to show he can produce.

Nobody has been better to start the season, except for maybe Angel Pagan, and Church has already impressed me both at the plate and in the field.

Until last night when we made the dumbest play in baseball.

I believe it was in the 3rd inning with the Mets up 2-0 that Reyes led off the inning with a double. Fantastic way to start the inning. Now any intelligent person knows that a single to any spot in the ballpark score Reyes.

So why in the name of all this good did Ryan Church feel the need to sacrifice bunt? Don't try and tell me he was bunting for a base hit. He never bunts for a base hit. The infield wasn't so out of position like they are for Delgado that he could take advantage of that.

To me that is the dumbest play in baseball: a sacrifice bunt with Reyes on second. I can see laying down a bunt if it was Delgado on second so this way it ensures a run scores on a single. But bunting with Reyes on second is just idiotic.

So of course they walk Wright and Beltran hits into a double play. Inning over. I'm hoping this was Church acting on his own and not a planned play from the dugout because then Willie Randolph should not just hand his managerial duties over to Jerry Manuel.

Listen to me Church, you're hitting over .325 for the first time in your life. Ride it until this dream sequence stops. No bunting with Reyes on in front of you. Period.

Santana Is Still Up In The Air for NY

from Tommy Marcus at Metsbullpen.com

George Steinbrenner was quoted earlier saying:

“It’s up to Minnesota what they want to do and I assume they’re still thinking about trading him. As far as what I’m going to do, I don’t know…The door’s not closed. I’m still thinking about it.”

As far as I can tell, I think the Mets stopped trying so hard to work out a deal for him, and maybe were negotiating with the A's the past few days, that is, until yesterday's trade.

Mike Francesa said yesterday on WFAN:

“I ran in to a few people…I did learn one bit of information…There has not been a conversation yet between the Mets and Twins, and they are on going, where the Twins have made an offer to the Mets or a counter offer that has not included Jose Reyes. So, reports are not true. Reyes has been a deal breaker, from Minnesota’s stand point. The Mets are hoping, by January, that that will not be the case. The Mets are hopeful, they think they will be serious players for Santana. Reyes has been a hang up. They have not come off of Reyes yet…And that’s from the horse’s mouth. All I know is this, the Twins have never ever asked for anything less than Reyes.”

I know that the Mets will not trade Reyes, so with that information, it makes me feel a lot better on the situation we have in trying to get Santana. I think that the Twins really want to get rid of him, and move into a rebuilding process, so sooner or later they are going to accept one of these deals that may be a tiny bit below the expectations that they brought into the Winter Meetings.

Carlos Gomez is the Fastet Man in the Majors

(From MetsLifer.com)
You might think the title is a bit of a hyperbole, but I assure you it's not. During Sunday's Mets game, Carlos Gomez legged out a bunt base hit like I have never seen before. I mean I know he's fast, but what happened next was unreal.

The SNY crew timed Gomez from the batter's box to first base. Ralph Kiner remarked that the record for going home to first was 3.3 seconds and that was by a left handed batter.

Gomez was clocked at just over 3.4. And he bats right handed. And, as Gary Cohen noted, he looked backwards twice on his way to first base.

I had heard people say he's faster than Jose Reyes, but sometimes it's all hype. This is proof.3.4 seconds to first base. I can't even type "3.4 seconds to first base" in 3.4 seconds.

Can't wait for Carlos Gomez to develop and have him and Jose Reyes atop the Mets lineup for years to come.

The Lost Art of First Inning Bunting

(From MetsLifer.com)
Jose Reyes did something in last night's Mets' win that I hadn't seen in a while. He bunted on the first pitch for a base hit.

What a concept! We have the fastest man in the league batting leadoff so why not bunt in the 1st inning every once in a while. Sure Reyes has some pop, but I like the idea of getting him on in the 1st inning. Then let him steal second, third, and why not home?

Just like the New York Giants need to throw to Jeremy Shockey early to get him psyched and the team's energy pumping, the Mets need that Reyes spark early.
The results last night were pretty evident. The Mets scored early, often and the stage was set for a good game.

Let's hope we can see some more of this in the next few games to hopefully get this team on a different kind of streak.

Reyes rising

Jose Reyes is one of the most exciting players in major league baseball today. What makes Mets fans even more excited about Reyes is that he's from the farm system and we've watched him develop right in front of our eyes. Joel Sherman of the NY Post writes about Reyes today in his column.

Well, it was Growth Chart Day at Shea yesterday, which could have been renamed Reyes Day. For no one has grown like him the past three seasons. The Mets can only hope that new field being constructed in the parking lot goes up as swiftly and ideally as Reyes' game. Reyes is now a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop, a sturdy, healthy fixture in the lineup, and possessor of a good enough eye to have more walks than anyone on the patient Yankees. He also led the league in runs, triples and steals, and led the Mets in RBIs despite hitting leadoff.

Silver Slugger

Two Mets have received their first Silver Sluggers awards. Michael Morrissey of the NY Post reports the following:

Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran received their 2006 Silver Slugger awards for being the best offensive players at their positions. It was the first Silver Slugger for both players.