Smith And The Pink Backpack

Anthony DiComo at Mets.com writes about Billy Wagner's gift to Joe Smith before last night's game:

Rummaging through some belongings in his locker prior to Wednesday's game against the Angels, Billy Wagner pulled out a bright pink backpack and, beaming -- almost cackling -- handed it to Joe Smith.

It was the brightest object in the room, emblazoned top to bottom with Hello Kitty logos. Smith's expression drooped as Wagner told him that from now until the end of the year, he would have to carry the backpack out to the bullpen with him before every game.

Schoe Goes Through A Scare

Anthony Rieber at Newsday writes about Scott Schoeneweis and his visit to the hospital yesterday:

Mets reliever Scott Schoeneweis spent the early part of yesterday in a Greenwich, Conn., hospital after waking up with searing abdominal pain and chills and calling an ambulance.

"I thought I was going to die," Schoeneweis, who has survived testicular cancer, said from Shea Stadium after the Mets' 5-3 loss to the Nationals.

Schoeneweis was feeling better after the game and blamed fellow reliever Joe Smith for spreading a stomach bug. Schoeneweis related the story of his six- to seven-hour hospital stay after Mets manager Willie Randolph revealed Schoeneweis was unavailable because he was "under the weather."

Some Bullpen Suggestions

The number one place where the Mets need to make some major improvements is their Bullpen. In order to accomplish this feat and return it to it’s 2006 for there is really only a couple of moves that are going to be required, in my opinion anyway.

1. First of all the Mets have to figure out what they are going to do with Guillermo Mota and his 5.76 earned run average. After he spent the first 50 games on suspension, Mota showed us Met fans why baseball players go on the juice in the first place. He had the knack of making every in game situation considerably worse and cost the Mets some vital games as we can all tell. The Mets can try and move him in a trade and add some cash, or simply eat his contract and send him down to Triple-A to figure himself out.

2. The next move would have to be to sign a legitimate set up pitcher and one such a pitcher will be available.

Scott Linebrink was traded to the Brewers last season and will become a free agent at the end of the World Series. The Mets would become a considerably better team with his veteran presence in the pen. I would say they should sign him to a one year deal, worth $1.75MM. If there is another team willing to go beyond this bid, then the Mets should double up on the deal. They have no other option for a proven veteran set up man and must bring someone of Linebrink’s credentials in to help turn around the mess.

3. Duaner Sanchez has to do anything and everything to make sure that he will remain healthy for the 2008 season. After getting hit by the drunk driver in Miami in 2006, he has missed a year and a half to rotator cuff surgery and a hairline fracture. With Sanchez back in the pen, the Mets will have the option of pitching Sanchez or Linebrink in the eight inning role on any given night and the other, possibly pitching the seventh.

4. Joe Smith, the youngest member of the Mets bullpen, must do everything in his power during the off season to make sure that he doesn’t get dead arm syndrome in the middle of the season next year and let’s not forget to remind Willie Randolph not to over use the youngster and let him get his rest in between appearances.

5. Orlando Hernandez has shown that he doesn’t have the endurance to go the stretch in the starting pitcher’s slot. So the logical move would be to the pen, where he can act as a two headed long inning monster with Jorge Sosa and make the inning or two appearance if the Mets know that they don’t need to get those kinds of innings out of him and his Bugs Bunny pitch.

With all of the above mentioned moves made the bullpen would shape up to look as follows:

Joe Smith
Pedro Feliciano
Jorge Sosa
Orlando Hernandez
Scott Linebrink
Duaner Sanchez
Billy Wagner

This will surly be a far cry, in the good way, from the 2007 bullpen and if you were wondering about Scott Schoeneweis, I would have to try and include him in a deal for a starting pitcher from the Athletics or the Pirates (my personal preference).

Issues Down The Stretch

Obviously wrapping up and securing the division title and home field through round 1 and 2 are the priorities here. But after that, here are some pending issues.

Jose Reyes NEEDS Rest:
Can we get A Hernandez to play some short? With each new view of a pop up flying off of his bat, it's become over-obvious that he is tired. The 48 hours off ending the Cinci series, followed by the scheduled team day off, will be a nice rest period for Reyes. But a little more may actually be in order.

Keeping Castillo Healthy:
Like Reyes, Castillo needs rest. With Gotay as a solid backup, it should not kill the appearance of the offensive lineup. Defense suffers, but Castillo lightening the workload on his knees and Gotay getting at bats is a good thing; gain a bit of pop and keep the valuable, aging, number two hitter fresher for the postseason. Its a symbiotic relationship that helps the team exponentially because in addition to the rest and health benefits of Castillo, Gotay keeps a nice bat on point.

Pedro:
* Building arm strength.
* Properly evaluating his status for the postseason and how he should be used. Bullpen? Starting? If in the rotation is he your number one, two, three, or four starter?

Sorting Out the Rotation for the Playoffs:
'Nuff said for now. See who has it going down the stretch. Clearly the toughest evaluation the team will need to make heading into round one. And of course this impacts......

The Bullpen:
Which starter or starters will go to the pen? The Mets win games the Duke starts at a high rate. He has big stage moxy. On the flip side however, he may be the most adaptable for the pen, an area where the Mets desperately need improvement. El Duque has pitched out of the pen in the postseason before (2005 WS Champion White Sox).

I've been vocal since last November about the temptation and logic behind Pedro being used in the pen. But its apparent that isn't a popular thought and highly unlikely due to ego. Some say his arm wouldn't be capable of getting loose on short notice. But being used an inning a night might be easier on the arm than the workload of 6 at a time. I'm no doctor though.

If he takes a step back in performance over the next and final 3 starts of the regular season, it would be a major risk to let him start a playoff game. So this final stretch will determine a lot.

The team will also need to decide how many bullpen guys they carry as their bench is extremely strong and one impacts the other. And where is Joe Smith? Is he coming back soon or what? What is his chance of being on the postseason roster?

Can Mota restore our confidence in him? Can Willie resist the temptation to burn out Sosa's arm? So far he has severley overused him and I fear for his effectiveness dropping off.

The Bench:
Conine needs some ABs. In addition to the chance Delgado's hip issue lingers, Conine is one of the few attractive righty bat options off the bench. It is dominated by sweet lefty options. But other than Milledge, who starts 50% of the time anyway, Conine is the main righty pinch-hitter late in a game. He needs to get AB's in September for his timing come October.

In blowout games or games that seem to not matter (should the Mets build a more than comfortable lead in the NL east), Chavez should be in there relieving the old and fragile, but important to the postseason, Mosies Alou. Let him come off the bench late in the games like Willie has been doing, or get him more frequent starts in place of Moises.

Regarding the rest of the bench, roster decisions will have to be made and the pitching roster will determine how many bench players are carried. As always it all begins with the pitching.

Catchers:
Getting Castro healthy is number one priority here. All the Mets can do is sit back and wait, hoping he heals. He's on the postseason roster even if he only heals by Septembet 30 and gets no MLB ABs before the first round. Will the Mets carry 3 catchers or will they prefer to carry an extra arm in the bullpen or give that spot to a non-catching bench player?

Joe Smith Sent Down

This news is from Metsblog.com, and I am not yet sure if this is true because I have not heard anything from any other source about this move...

Following this afternoon's game, RHP Joe Smith was sent down to Triple-A New Orleans.In a third of an inning of relief this afternoon, Smith allowed three hits and an earned run. He also allowed two inherited runners to score. RHP Jon Adkins was recalled from New Orleans. In 39 games for the Zephyrs this season, all relief appearances, Adkins is 1-3 with a 3.83 ERA. He has allowed eight home runs in 49.1 IP.
- DJ Short

Smith was quoted in an interview with Marty Noble of Mets.com:
"Lately, my head's been getting in the way. I know more about the hitters and about how the game is played [so much quicker than in the Minor Leagues]. But I'm not pitching as well. I need to get back to where I was."

This is from Bleed Orange And Blue (my site):
Hopefully when he is called back up (and I am praying to god that he will be) he will return to his usual self.
Now im very confident Minaya will make a move, he wouldnt send Smith down unless he he was planning on acquiring another bullpen arm

Smith Learns No Rest In Majors

Marty Noble at Mets.com writes about Joe Smith and him getting used to the Majors:

The batteries recharge rather quickly at age 23. And nary a syllable of complaint has passed Smith's lips. "We play every day" is merely an observation he made last week in Dodger Stadium when asked what he had learned in his first tour of big league duty. When he repeated it, the "every" in every day was emphasized, but understandably so.

"I can't really say I'm tired, but I feel different some days," Smith says. "I'm getting used to [the workload]."

Gomez's New Nickname

Anthony Rieber at On The Mets Beat, writes about Carlos Gomez and his new nickname on the team:

Nothing has happened so far today, but file this one away: Willie Randolph thinks Jose Mesa might have hit Carlos Gomez on purpose with a pitch in the eighth inning on Saturday. “It’s a little suspicious,” he said.

Gomez has picked up a bit of a reputation as a hot dog, which is why Joe Smith asked Carlos Beltran how to say “hot dog” in Spanish. “Perro caliente,” Beltran replied. Gomez seemed to like the new nickname.

A Devistating Tag Team

I may be wrong, but I don’t think there’s a better one two punch than Pedro Feliciano and Joe Smith this season in the Majors.

Feliciano made his first appearance in 2002 for the Mets, but didn’t fair too well. Posting a 7.50 ERA in 6 innings. 2003 and 2004 didn’t fair too much better when he posted a 3.35 and 5.40 ERA. Some time during 2005, in the Minors, Feliciano got it together and in 2006, he was unstoppable with a2.09 ERA. 2007 appears to be the year of the middle relievers for the Mets. Feliciano has posted a 0.90 ERA in 23 appearances.

Smith came out of nowhere to be a dominant reliever and maybe one day a premier set up man. Posting a 1.46 ERA in 27 appearances is great. What makes this feat even more impressive is the fat that Joe Smith was drafted last year. That’s quite the jump and Smith has been more than up to the task.

There’s nothing more the Mets could really ask for out of the bullpen from their tag team middle relievers. They’ve pretty much gone through anyone that has stood in their way (from the batters box).

Smith Stepping Up

Jim Malony at Mets.com, writes about Joe Smith and how he's stepped up in the pen:

There's no doubt Mets manager Willie Randolph has confidence in the youngster.

In a bullpen with several other more experienced late-inning options, such as Aaron Heilman, Pedro Feliciano, Ambiorix Burgos and Scott Schoenweis, Randolph once again demonstrated his faith in the kid. And Smith delivered.

"Nice job by Joe coming in there and attacking the zone, getting the ball down and going after the tough hitters," Randolph said. "I've got a lot of confidence in him, and because I don't use my bullpen necessarily as seventh, eighth or ninth [roles], everyone's got to be ready. Another good job by Joe. He's done a nice job this year."

Not Quite Maris & Mantle...

Over at Fox Sports.com, baseball writer Kevin Hench, in his latest Beyond The Boxscore column (click here for a link), has fun comparing Mets' relievers Joe Smith & Pedro Feliciano's scoreless streak and inter-squad competition to that of the late Yankees' sluggers Roger Maris & Mickey Mantle.

From Hench:

While it hasn't — and will never — grab the headlines of that epic contest, there is a fairly amazing intrasquad competition under way in New York. Mets setup men Joe Smith and Pedro Feliciano have made it all the way into the second week of May — 31 appearances — without allowing a run.

He continues:

When the Mets lost righty setup man Duaner Sanchez last year, it put a huge dent in their chances at winning a title. When Sanchez underwent shoulder surgery last month, the NL East champs with the potentially shaky rotation found themselves in dire need of a quality middle reliever. Enter Joe Smith. The drop-down righty has started the season with 17 straight scoreless appearances as part of a lights-out Mets pen. In addition to his 0.00 ERA, he has a sterling 0.98 WHIP, 18 Ks in 15.1 IP and a .154 OBA. Righties are hitting .132 against him and, get this, slugging .158. While not quite as dominant as Smith's start, New York's lefty setup man Pedro Feliciano has begun the season with 14 straight scoreless appearances, holding lefties to two singles in 15 at bats (.133). It may not be Maris-Mantle '61, but Smith and Feliciano's scoreless streaks are a New York intrasquad competition that bears monitoring. (Though it's worth noting that a mention like this in Beyond the Box Score should knock one or both of these guys off his perch in the next 48 hours.)

Let's hope he does NOT jinx this scoreless run, on our way to the return, shortly, of Mr. Mota and, we hope, eventually, Mr. Sanchez.

Is Smith Getting Worn Out?

Marc Hulet at The Baseball Analyst, writes about Joe Smith:

Every time I look at a New York Mets' box score, rookie reliever Joe Smith's name seems to be present. The 2006 third round draft pick - and 94th overall - out of Wright State appeared in 17 games during the Mets' first 29 games of the 2007 season.

That means Smith has appeared in just under 60 percent of the club's games. If he were to continue on this pace, Smith would finish the year with about 94 appearances. Rubber-armed Mike Marshall he's not, but it's enough to make me nervous.

But are the Mets really doing a disservice to Smith and the longevity of his career due to a dogged determination to win the World Series? If they are, then a lot of teams are guilty of abusing relievers early on in 2007. As of May 6, five relievers had appeared in 18 MLB games and nine more - including Smith - had pitched in 17 games. Another 12 had pitched in 16 games.

Another positive sign for Smith is that he has never thrown more than 25 pitches in any one appearance (but he's hit 25 three times). I can't say that I'm thrilled with the number of games Smith has appeared in early this season but things don't look as bleak as they did when I began researching this column. And really, how much can you complain about a pitcher who had an ERA of 0.00 through his first 17 major league appearances?

Smith's Ritual

Marty Noble at Mets.com, writes about Joe Smith and his ritual between batters:

The ritual began while Joe Smith was learning his craft at Wright State and regularly enduring a rather benign wardrobe malfunction. The bottom of the legs of his uniform pants would ride up and show more of his socks than Smith preferred. He found it necessary to make an adjustment.

That one adjustment, almost unnoticed when it began, has begat a series of uniform pulls and tugs that, over time, have become a ritual for the Mets rookie reliever, one that is neither inconspicuous or rare.

Watch him. After each out, except the final out of an inning, Smith walks to the first base side of the mound, faces the rubber, bends at the waist and "fixes" himself.

"When I got to Brooklyn [his first Minor League assignment after he was drafted last summer], I figured I'd stop so I wouldn't be made fun of," he says. "But the first time I didn't do it, I pitched horrible. So I said 'Let them get on me. I'd rather pitch well.'"

Joking On Smith

Bob Herzog at Newsday, writes about Joe Smith and how his teammates give him his rookie dues:

In the eyes of his teammates, who punctuated Smith's postgame media session with the kind of jocular verbal hazing that in the occasionally juvenile environment of a major-league clubhouse says, "Welcome to the big leagues, kid. Glad you're here."

"Hey, can we get an interview room set up just for him," yelled Tom Glavine. "Yeah, with Oliver, Willie and Joe Smith," chimed in Billy Wagner. Other comments were a bit more risqué, but all were tinged with affection. "He's such a good kid and a good guy to kid," Wagner added.

Smith the Professional

Anthony Di Como at Mets.com, writes about Joe Smith and how he's pitching like a veteran:

"They're showing more confidence in me every day," Smith said. "Every once in a while, I start shaking, but that's just nerves of the situation. Every time, I feel more confident."

It took a while for that attitude to develop, with the revelation finally coming in a Spring Training game against the Red Sox. After hanging a slider on the inner half to 10-time All-Star Manny Ramirez, Smith cringed, then watched in disbelief as Ramirez harmlessly fouled it off. A small victory, but an immeasurable boost.

"You watch them on SportsCenter, they rip the ball," Smith said. "That's all you see. I feel more confident now that I can throw strikes and big-league hitters are actually going to pop up or ground out."

Mets manager Willie Randolph has confidence, too, constantly tossing his previously untested rookie into the fire. It was an extra-inning stint on Tuesday, following bases-loaded jams last Friday and Saturday. And through it all, Smith remains unscored upon -- now a span of 10 innings to start his career.

"That's the best way to do it," said closer Billy Wagner, the anchor of the 'pen. "You can't sit there and baby him and put him in lopsided games, because then you really can't tell anything about him. You can't help but be happy for him, because he has that poise."

Smith Is Rolling

Kevin Kernan at The New York Post, writes about Joe Smith and how well he's doing this season so far:

Smith, 23, is one of the best stories of the young season, coming from nowhere to play a vital role in the Mets' bullpen. Considering the woes the Yankees are having with their bullpen, that makes the Joe Smith story that much more interesting.

"It really hasn't all sunk in yet," Smith said. "It's weird, I look around and see all these famous players and shake my head. Sometimes I'm out in the bullpen watching it on TV and then I look and say, 'Hey, I'm here.' It's weird, but it's awesome." Pitching coach Rick Peterson points out that Smith is no fluke.

"To get a guy to come in with that kind of poise with 30 minor-league innings is absolutely incredible," Peterson said. "He's way mature way beyond his years. It's absolutely phenomenal. He's coming in facing a lot of the middle of the lineups, which is pretty impressive.

"He's an intense kid, but he's got things in great perspective."

Staff defying The Odds

So, once upon a time, critics were saying that the Mets starting pitching was either too old or too inexperienced. That Maine, Perez and Pelfrey couldn’t be counted on. That Glavine and El Duque were going to show their age. That the great offense the Mets possess wasn’t going to be enough to make up for erratic pitching and a depleted bullpen.

Now fifteen games into the season, the Mets pitching seems to be enormously sounder than the team critics said had the best staff in baseball (Phillies). So going down the list, here’s what the Mets starting rotation looks like so far:

Tom Glavine – 3-1; 2.70 ERA
John Maine – 2-0; 1.93 ERA
Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez – 1-1; 4.00 ERA
Mike Pelfrey – 0-0; 3.18 ERA
Oliver Perez – 1-1 3.72 ERA

With none of our starting pitching over the four earned run average mark, it seems that the Mets were right in staying away from, new Giants ace, Barry Zito and his ridiculous demands.

The bullpen has been equally effective in their efforts to remain one of the strongest in the Majors. Here’s a look at what the boys in the pen have been up to:

Ambiorix Burgos – 4.26 ERA
Pedro Feliciano – 0.00 ERA
Aaron Heilman – 4.91 ERA
Scott Schoeneweis – 0.00 ERA
Aaron Sele – 2.84 ERA
Joe Smith – 0.00 ERA
Billy Wagner – 0.00 ERA; 2 Saves

If you ask me, that’s a pretty solid pen.

So, critics, keep writing about how the Mets pitching is horrendous and keep writing about our weaknesses. The Mets will just keep proving you wrong.

Joe Smith Getting Used To NY

Marty Noble at Mets.com, writes about Joe Smith and how he's trying toget used to New York City:

His first ticket, happened on Wednesday -- $115 for illegal parking in Long Island City. He wasn't real pleased.

"The sign said 'No standing.' Well, I wasn't standing. I was parking," Smith said. "If they mean 'No parking,' shouldn't it say 'No parking?' I mean, I just figured they didn't want anyone standing there. I don't know why. I mean, obviously, there are a few things I don't know about New York.

"But there was a lot of room to park."

Clearly, Smith is learning. He drove to Shea on Friday afternoon, only the second time he's done so without following John Maine, and the first such trip on which he didn't get lost. And he made it back on Saturday without incident, escort or a citation.

Smith enjoys the experience

Rookie relief pitcher and possible future closer, Joe Smith takes in all the sights and sounds of his first season. Smith especially pays attention to his mentor Billy Wagner.

Perhaps no one at Shea Stadium on Thursday night, not even Wagner, enjoyed his 326th save as much as Joe Smith, the Mets rookie reliever. Like every rookie, Smith has a checklist of firsts -- first game, first out, first strikeout, first save, et al. Smith has achieved each of those, save the save, and he already has experienced his No. 1 first. "Billy Wagner, ninth inning, save situation, Shea Stadium and '[Enter] Sandman.' That's what I really wanted to see," Smith said. "And a full house, too. But they were pretty loud. Pretty awesome." source Marty Noble