Monday’s Mets News: Back to the Left Coast
So Willie managed to make it through the weekend after the Mets won the series against the Rangers two games to one. Now the Mets are in Cali to take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim or something like that. Not really sure what that means…lol. That would be like the New York Jets of East Ruthersford. No matter how you slice it or dice it, it just sounds dumb. The Angels went from representing the state to representing Anaheim to representing L.A. and Anaheim in my lifetime. Who knows what they did prior to that. Anyway, here’s the pitching probables for the series.
- 06/16/2008 - Mike Pelfrey (2-6) - Jered Weaver (6-6)
- 06/17/2008 - Johan Santana (7-4) - John Lackey (3-1)
- 06/18/2008 - Oliver Perez (5-4) - Jon Garland (6-4)
Mets.com:
Mets heave sigh of relief with split - Marty Noble summarized the second Rangers-Mets game yesterday.
Team cycle becoming a factor for Mets - Jon Blau wrote up a pregame analysis for tonight’s game between the Angels and the Mets.
Late-inning heroics not enough - Jon Blau summarized the first Rangers-Mets game yesterday.
Church itching to be back with Mets - Ryan Church stated, “It’s progressing every day, it’s getting better. I haven’t had any spells or anything like that. It’s just one of those things now, waiting out time on the DL.”
Newsday:
Willie deserves better from Jeff Wilpon - Wallace Matthews wrote that,
No one with the Mets has told Randolph he’s in trouble, not to his face, anyway. He must read it in the papers, leaked through Wilpon’s media lapdogs, hear it on the radio, discern it in the lukewarm votes of confidence from his general manager and the ominous inaccessibility of his bosses.
Randolph gets on plane, going day to day - Mark Herrmann pointed out that,
Minaya was asked by reporters if Randolph and the coaching staff will be working when the team plays the Angels in Anaheim, Calif., tonight, and gave only this vague response: “Willie is our manager. That situation is always under evaluation.”
When he was pressed again about the manager and the coaches, Minaya kept repeating the same basic theme. “You know my feelings on it,” he said. “I think we’re not playing to our potential and I would like to leave myself room to evaluate these things.”
Nine years since last hit, Cancel gets a big one - Katie Strang covered Robinson Cancel’s big pinch hit two-run single off Texas starter Kason Gabbard to break a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning. Strang also pointed out, “Before his at-bat, fans were chanting Martinez’s name in hopes he’d get another at-bat during his first home start of the season, but fortunately for embattled Mets manager Willie Randolph, he did not oblige.” That was a gutsy move by Willie, and he’s lucky it worked out.
New York Daily News:
Rick Peterson, Tom Nieto facing ax but Willie Randolph safe - for now - Adam Rubin wrote,
Sources have told the Daily News that principal owner Fred Wilpon and chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon have authorized Minaya to make the call on whether to fire Randolph, pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto. Bench coach Jerry Manuel would ascend to manager if Randolph is ousted, while Triple-A New Orleans manager Ken Oberkfell and pitching coach Dan Warthen would join the major league staff.
A team insider speculated that Randolph could survive a first round of firings, saying: “I think the coaches are in trouble. That may be the compromise for now.”
I have no idea how firing the first base coach is going to get this team rolling. Minaya has to realize that his players are the problem.
Mets bullpen finds a way to save face in second game vs. Rangers
Slow-footed Brian Schneider easily out at the plate - Now that was some poor base running by Brian Schneider.
Brooklyn Cyclones & Staten Island Yankees get farms up & runnin’
The Mets are working on creating a divisional rivalry. The closest thing they have to that is the Braves, but that’s because I grew up in it. There isn’t any folklore passed down for decades between the Mets and the Braves though. The Mets are an expansion team which makes it tough to form a rivalry, and the Braves bounced around from Boston to Milwaukee to Atlanta and were never in the NL East until 1994. The Phillies have been around forever, but there hasn’t been this kind of hype between the two team since I can remember. I can’t even remember the last time the Phillies were good. They went to the World Series in ‘93 with all of those fat beer guzzling guys with mullets like Kruk, Daulton, and Dykstra.
