Finally First

Tuesday marked the 50th day since the 2009 baseball season was launched. Today, May 28th, both New York teams finally find themselves in first place. The Mets own sole possession of the NL East by a half game, leapfrogging the Philadelphia Phillies. The Yankees are tied at the top of the AL East standings with the Boston Red Sox. The Bombers haven’t been in sole possession of first since 2006’s final game, but that could change as quickly as a David Ortiz lineup switch.
The Mets are winners of five of their last six games and are 17-8 in the month of May. Johan Santana improved his record to 7-2 with a six inning win over the Washington Nationals Wednesday. The five run victory completed New York’s three game sweep of the dreadful Nats. Santana spurned Washington with 11 strikeouts and 120 pitches. He walked six batters, including one with the bases loaded, but limited the damage to three runs. His ERA rose from 1.50 to 1.77, but Santana secured his third straight start in the win column.
The Mets have had five disputed homerun calls this season. Two were reversed and all five went New York’s way, including last night’s Daniel Murphy long ball in the sixth inning. Murphy was awarded a two-run homer after video review overturned the umpires’ original ruling. It was the Mets second homerun replay win in less than a week and Murphy’s fourth shot out of the park on the year. The Mets put together a trio of hits to open the bottom of the first. Second baseman, Luis Castillo and third baseman, David Wright, drew singles off Nationals’ starter, Jordan Zimmerman. Gary Sheffield, hitting over .400 in May and collecting his 1,652nd RBI, roped a double to give the Mets a 2-0 lead. Sheffield tied Tony Perez on the career RBI list for 25th place with the bash to right-center field in the first. Excuse the pun, but the Sheff is cooking. If this is indicative of what he can still do, the acquisition appeals to Met fans.
Murphy lined a single in the third to drive in Angel Pagan. Adam Dunn hit a mammoth homerun of 465 feet off Santana in the fourth inning to trim New York’s lead. Later in the inning, Johan loaded the bases and walked Cristian Guzman. Santana issued four free passes during the frame, the first time he’s done so in his career. The Mets left-hander threw 41 pitches in the fourth inning but got Nick Johnson to fly out to end the inning. Johnson registered three hits and drove in one run for the Nats. Although he could not put Washington ahead in the fourth, the Nationals tied the score with New York’s commanding ace on the mound.
Santana had seven no-decisions last season mostly due to lack of bullpen depth and strength. This year, he twice lost while giving up no earned runs. Last night, Johan did not have his best outing but still won the game. He wasn’t getting some calls and thought he was a bit squeezed by the home plate umpire. Nonetheless, the Mets snapped the 3-3 tie on Murphy’s reviewed homerun. Sheffield walked to start the bottom of the sixth before Murphy clubbed the ball over the arc in right field. The ball seemingly scratched the porch and Sheffield was thrown out at the plate when the ball caromed back into play. After the latest stroke of luck for the Mets, catcher, Ramon Castro, doubled to left field. Ron Villone was summoned from the Nationals’ pen to face rookie right fielder, Fernando Martinez. The 20 year old with a big power bat was playing in his second major league game. He popped the ball behind the plate to Wil Nieves. The Nationals catcher did not make the routine grab, but Martinez never ran on the hit. Thus, he was thrown out at first base and the crowd showered the rookie with his first well-earned boos. The mental mistake cost the Mets an out and they failed to add to the lead when Fernando Tatis’ pinch-hit liner resulted in an inning-ending double play. Pedro Feliciano fanned Dunn to end the top of the seventh and preserve New York’s two run lead. Feliciano has 15 strikeouts this season.
Murphy came through with his bat again in the seventh on a bases loaded double off reliever, Jesus Colome. It would be the final runs scored by New York. Washington would add a run in the ninth on Johnson’s single. Francisco Rodriguez struck out Ryan Zimmerman to end the game. The Nationals fell 20 games below .500 and dropped 15 of their last 18 games last night. The Mets have won 9 of their last 11 at Citi Field. The injured-ravaged team still managed to overtake Philadelphia in the standings. They are playing without Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado and Ryan Church. You cannot understate the impact of the injured players but Jerry Manuel’s back-ups are flourishing and providing a lift. A healthy Wright struck out four time for the first time in his career, but the offense produced seven runs to back Santana. They have scored 21 runs in the CY Young winner’s last three outings. Santana remained tied for the NL wins lead and reached double digits in strikeouts for the fourth time this season. He doesn’t have to be concerned about being a victim of bullpen damage this year. The Met relievers upheld even a mediocre start from their number one arm last night.
Wilson Valdez made his Mets debut last night. Omar Minaya signed Valdez when Reyes was placed on the disabled list. Valdez brings extra insurance and is a decent fielding hitter. He won’t provide the pop and spark of Reyes, but is a candidate to fill in while the shortstop is sidelined. With Alex Cora also ailing, Valdez can be a viable replacement. Murphy broke out of a slump with a career-high night in RBIs. His five runs driven in gave the Mets the bulk of the scoring they needed. He did prolong the game with a ninth inning error, but is still getting accustomed to the Met infield. It’s good to see the orange and blue in first place. Optimism omits feelings of odd omens being the reason for this team’s recent luck. I think the Mets are a for-real ball club. If management inquires about adding another ace to the rotation, (Peavy, Holladay?) New York would be in line for at least a pennant title.
The Yankees are in first place for the first time this season and have won 12 of their last 15 games. A.J. Burnett won his first start since April 14th to give the Yankees a share of the AL East with Boston. The Yanks are 1.5 games ahead of Toronto, who fell for the ninth straight game to Baltimore with Roy Halladay on the mound yesterday. The 9-2 Wednesday night Bomber win saw Burnett shutting out the Texas Rangers through six innings in Arlington. He had not won in his last seven starts, but only allowed three hits last night to snap his longest winless drought. Burnett looked sharp and much more aggressive last night. He went after a hard-hitting Texas lineup to give the team the start they needed. Burnett made several mistakes by placing pitches down the middle to the vaunted Rangers. He fell behind on several batters and threw 118 pitches, only 59% for strikes. But Texas could not string together consistent hits and the Yankees came through with the long ball. They were put in an early hole hard and struggled to dig themselves out. A flick of the leather and a run-in with the wall by outfielder, Johnny Damon, also aided Burnett on Wednesday night. The Yankees’ systemic scheme and active approach are successful. I’ve said it before, but it’s worth noting Nick Swisher’s supreme effort to create clubhouse chemistry. Swisher has swagger and the team is meshing well.
The offense began the series finale with ready wood at the plate. First baseman and former Ranger, Mark Teixeria, knocked his 15th homer with a first inning bomb good for two runs. Hideki Matsui emerged from his slump with two taters to blow the game open Wednesday. Coming into the series, Matsui was in a 3 for 23 funk. He plunked a homer with the first offering from Texas pitcher, Derek Holland and added a seventh inning dinger off Warner Madrigal. It was Matsui’s third career multi-homerun game. Second baseman, Robinson Cano’s ninth inning slam tied the Yankees with the Rangers for the top homerun hitting team in baseball. Both clubs have 77 long balls in 2009.
Holland allowed 10 hits and 6 runs in his second career start. The Texas hurler committed an error on Brett Gardner’s bunt for a base hit, allowing New York runners to advance. His day was done once the error evolved and Jason Jennings took the mound for the Rangers. The Yankees lashed out 15 hits on the evening against the first place AL West club. Derek Jeter snared a single to lead off the game and scored on Teixeria’s drive over the fence. Jeter went 3 for 4 and reached base five times. The captain’s average is now .297. Jeter and Kevin Cash extended the Yankee lead to 3-0 with consecutive two out doubles in the next inning. After Matsui’s first solo shot, New York tacked on two in the sixth. Cash ripped a two run single off Jennings and Matsui’s second round-tripper increased the Yankee lead to eight. Jose Veras gave up Ian Kinsler’s 13th homerun in the bottom of the seventh for Texas’ only score. The ball barely cleared the wall but made it a six run game. Dave Robertson took over to clean up for Veras’ mishap and put the clamp on the middle of the Texas order. Cano plastered a pulverizing homer to cap off the rout in the ninth for New York’s ninth run. Chien-Ming Wang, still a tad rusty, also came in to pitch two hitless innings. Wang struck out two in only his second appearance since returning from the disabled list. Wang’s sinker was in the low 90’s and his fastball a notch above as he continues to rework his velocity and accuracy. The Yankees took the series 2-1 in Texas as the Rangers lost for only the second time in their last 11 at home.
Jorge Posada and Brian Bruney are expected to return to the team against Cleveland on Friday. But, it all starts with substantial, stand-out pitching. Good pitching steers teams to victory, and as long as the Yankee starters take care of business, the team will float at the top of the AL East into October. I am still dubious about the relief pitching. The Yankees can overcome bullpen blemishes with stellar starts. Hopefully getting swept for six games against Boston this year was the only snippet of staggering we will soon see.

Parting points: “We’ll always have each other when everything else is gone” -Incubus

Newsworthy Nicknames

C.C., A.J., J.J., and K-Rod are the nicknames New Yorkers will soon become acquainted with. Baseball fans may or may not know much about the four free agent signings that sparked the Las Vegas winter meetings this week. They soon will be muddled with the monikers as each takes the mound in March. Nicknames are shortened ways to identify a person. They are supposed to be friendly, unique callings or christenings. I like nicknames and think each of the players acquired will have a unique “calling” for their team in 2009.
C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett are both legitimate aces. Sabathia carried the Brewers on his bulging back last fall. Without C.C.’s mound presence, it’s highly likely Milwaukee would have missed the post-season. The hefty hurler will command respect from the other Yankee starters. Sabathia is number one and I assume A.J. is number two for Joe Girardi’s staff. The Sabathia signing is a sure-thing as long as he can endure the New York media and press. I think C.C. will win twenty games next season and live up to his big time contract of $160 million over seven years. I still think the Yankees were better off going after Johan Santana in 2007’s off-season, but C.C. is capable of just as much. He is a workhorse with all the key pitches. I worry only about him coming through in big spots, such as defeating Boston or in the playoffs. His past seasons with the Indians in the post-season were less than spectacular. Sabathia was solid during the 2008 playoffs considering the low run support he received.
Burnett is a hard to figure out. He was arguably the second best pitcher available on the Hot Stove. Derek Lowe is older than A.J., but was probably the better choice for his durability. Jake Peavy also has more quality pitches than Burnett, but indicated to his agent he would have preferred remaining in the National League. The best part about A.J. in pinstripes is he will no longer be pitching against them. In Toronto last season, he and Roy Halladay baffled the Bombers all year. Burnett in particular has a knack for striking out hitters, especially ones from New York. The Bluejays will have to acquire another starter to fill Burnett’s role and that is a good thing of the Yankees. But I worry about Burnett’s health. Signing him for five years at $80 plus million is a risk for Brian Cashman. Burnett has not proven he can stay healthy all year and his ERA is unusually high for a pitcher who whiffs hitters as often as Burnett. I am sure he will be effective enough to win over a dozen times in 2009. But, don’t look for A.J. to be the stopper he was last season.
As far as the Metropolitans go, Omar Minaya deserves an A plus for his off-season so far. The Mets boasted the post-season’s worst setup-closer combination last season. Now, you could argue they have the best in all of baseball, let alone the National League. With Kerry Wood switching from the National League Cubs to the American League Indians, the Cubs no longer can claim they have a better bullpen. The Met added two more relievers in addition to K-Rod and J.J. Putz too. Now all they need is another solid starter, preferably a lefty and a right-handed bat for the outfield.
Obtaining K-Rod for three years at the price they did, the Mets got a bargain. Granted there were no other offers out there for Rodriguez but credit Minaya for pulling off a good deal. K-Rod is ten times better than most closers in baseball and with J.J. setting him up, the game is shortened to at least seven innings. J.J. was a shut-down closer for Seattle so the move to setting up should not be a problem. He was injured last year and played for a team that lost more games than they won. I expect Putz to bounce back beautifully. He throws smoke when he is on and Mets’ fans should enjoy seeing him take the ball at the new Citifield.
Both New York teams still have work to do but they were the only clubs making noise at the winter meetings. Despite a few minor signings and trades, the Mets and Yankees were the clear winners. Nicknames or not, 2009 will be an exciting time for baseball in the Big Apple.


Parting points: Tonight the Heisman trophy will be handed out to the best college football player. The three quarterbacks are all well-deserving. I think Tim Tebow is the best all around player but have a suspicion Colt McCoy will win out. Texas seemed to get the shaft this year and a McCoy Heisman selection would make up for some of that.
Song of the day: REM’s “Losing My Religion”.

Shopping Season

Black Friday came and went with the usual hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Retailers rushed to open shops as early as 4 a.m. and shoppers snatched up bargain buys by the bagfuls. The Major League Baseball shopping season has been extremely slow thus far. I expect teams to start signing free agents and proposing trades following December 7th’s GM meetings. In New York, the Yankees are trying to capture C.C.’s attention with a lucrative offer. The Mets have hibernated but expect to be major players for a consistent closer, right handed bat and second baseman.
Here is a list of stores the New York teams should be hitting up this shopping season:

The Disney Store: Mark Teixeria is the hottest hitter on the market but still remains in Disneyland. With the Red Sox also on the radar, the Yankees need to use their imagination to sign the former Angel. Mark will likely listen to what Anaheim is willing to give before signing with an East Coast team. Southern California probably is hard to pass up, but Teixeria would look great in Yankee pinstripes and knows it. Before the Yankee brass steps foot in the magic kingdom, they better consider who Mark’s agent is. The price for Teixeria will exceed any other hitter this season.

The Big & Tall Men’s Store: C.C. Sabathia is number one on the Yankees Christmas list. Santa (and everybody else) knows this. NY has already dished out their offer to C.C. and the Angels just announced they would like to sign him too. Who knows whether Sabathia even wants to play in New York. He is durable despite being one of the biggest major league starters since David Wells. A long-term deal is what Sabathia seeks and I am somewhat skeptical of signing someone for more than three years. But if C.C. brings a World Championship to New York, it will be worth the price.

Circuit City: The giant electronics retailer is going out of business. The time to find certain items is now. Manny Ramirez’s career also won’t last forever. The right-handed RBI machine is asking for a long-term contract. He’s a big ticket item, not unlike a high definition flat screen TV. Both the Mets and Yankees could consider signing Ramirez. The Dodgers want Manny back after his huge impact during the second half last year. However, LA is only offering the disgruntled player two years. I think Manny will listen to more offers but end up back in Dodger blue. It just really worked out there with his laid back style and competitive team spirit. The Mets could use Manny more than the Yankees. David Wright is their only real deep right handed threat. I do not think Ramirez should be signed for more than two seasons but Omar Minaya likes him and Manny is originally from NY. Before this star player runs out of business, the Mets should get all they can out of his bat.

The used book store: Sometimes the best gifts are second-hand ones. A.J. Burnett is like a used book looking for a second chance after being read through. His career has been up and down and he spends more time on the DL than you would like. Like a used book, you get what you pay for. The Yankees were prepared to offer the pitcher a five year contract according to recent news stories. This would be an incredible mistake in my opinion. Burnett has shown great command against the Yankees and the Red Sox. There is no question he could be a terrific addition as a back end rotation option. But I really hesitate to have him in New York. I think his best days are gone and he is washed up like a torn used gift.

The jewelry store: Francisco Rodriguez, aka K-Rod, is the gem of the Mets offseason. KRod shines like silver and his pitchers are golden. He would definitely be a factor for the Mets bullpen. With their closer situation, signing Rodriguez would fill the Mets’ biggest need. Anyone looking at this diamond should expect to pay. Like any luxury and rare commodity, a good closer is hard to find and usually overpriced. Even though the Mets need a solid closer, there are other options on the market. KRod doesn’t have too many really good seasons left to be as effective as he has been. If the Mets rotation under performs and the bats go dormant like they did in 2008, it doesn’t matter who closes games because it won’t get that far. So before going all out, Omar Minaya should look at the other jewels on the table. (Brian Fuentes, Houston Street)

The discount store: When shopping on a budget, it’s wise to browse discount stores. Often you can find some quality products for less. Andy Pettitte is still a very valuable player despite is dismal post-Allstar break record. Andy is no longer a top of the line pitcher but he knows how to win. If he took a hometown discount, the Yankees should sign him. Mike Mussina is retired and the Yankees need to install at least one veteran pitcher. At the very least, he could be a solid number five pitcher and would not cost the team very much.

The toy store: It is so much fun shopping for toys and re-discovering your youth. Second baseman free agent, Orlando Hudson, is like that shiny new toy train or doll. He guarantees to be a number one present on any team’s wish list. The Mets have to replace Luis Castillo at second base. If Daniel Murphy does not figure into the equation, the Mets are going to have to acquire someone. Hudson would fit perfectly in the infield with David Wright and Jose Reyes. The only drawback to Hudson is he has been injured in the past. But like any good toy, you take a risk in its longevity and running power. Hudson needs to refuel his batteries and he will be in good shape to play.

The homemade gift: Creativity is admired. Ideas arise for specific people on our Christmas lists and the perfect gift can be concocted. The Yankees may not be thinking about him, but Jake Peavy would add an original punch on the mound. The crafty Padre wants to return to his hometown and play for Atlanta. The Braves are unwilling to trade their prized pitching prospect and it looks like Peavy will go elsewhere as of now. It’s time for Brian Cashman to think outside the box and paint a picture to lure Peavy to the pinstripes. I think he’s the second best pitcher available. He is more efficient and eats more innings than Derek Lowe and would be more reliable than Burnett. Even if the Yankees overspend for Sabathia, they should be players in the Peavy stakes.

Parting points: I hope everyone is not too stressed out about the holiday shopping season. I do not enjoy the crowds so I try to get some gifts online or make them myself. I know I am looking forward to seeing how this baseball offseason plays out with the economic situation in the country.

Shutout Santana Shines Supremely

He was brilliant. He was superb. He was great. Johan Santana. What more can you say? Santana mowed down the Marlins with a mix of fastballs, curveballs and misleading changeups. It was that off speed pitch that outshined any other. Clearly Santana does not doubt his own ability. He pitched a complete game shutout (2-0) on three days’ rest in a must-win situation for the New York Mets. Santana’s durability and dominance demonstrates how valuable an ace is to a baseball team. An economical pitcher as artistic as Santana is so pleasant to watch work. This performance ranks up there with the likes of Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine in their heydays. He painted the corners of the plate, struck out nine batters, and consistently and consecutively retired Marlin after Marlin. Kudos to Johan. If the Mets make the post-season, they have no one but Santana to thank. His sheer brilliance down the stretch was irreplaceable. He made today’s three hitter look as easy as blinking an eye.

Parting points: Sad to hear about the death of “Cool Hand Luke” Paul Newman at the age of 83.

Marquis Messes Mets’ Monday

It was the New York Mets vs. Jason Marquis last evening during the final homestand at Shea Stadium. The other Cubs competitors could’ve collected at Wrigley without worry the way this game went. Mets fans are inured to this type of game. The bullpen wasn’t the problem for the Mets entirely. Instead, the team was trounced when the bats bombed with runners on base. David Wright had a homerun in the 9-5 loss last night. Carlos Delgado hit a moon shot during Sunday’s ninth-inning. The Mets are coming up shorts; too little, too late. All season, the hitters have flopped in the clutch and last night, the double play ball hurt the Mets. The pitching isn’t without blame because how can you explain enabling a grand slam by a pitcher? Apparently this is nothing new for New York. Remember when Santana surrendered one to fantastic Felix Hernandez against Seattle? Well, Santana pitches tonight and the Mets need his high earnings to endure more than the norm. How about throwing eight or nine innings? Playing the Cubs is a test for the Mets, and the players knew that coming in to the series. This could be the first round playoff match up, if the Mets should be so lucky to clinch the NL wildcard. They just need to get their momentum back.
Baseball is a great sport. No lead is safe during September. Think about it. The Mets are now relying heavily on the Pittsburgh Pirates to beat the Milwaukee Brewers. If they win, they wouldn’t have to deign their destiny or figure their fate in a sub .500 club.
I am sharpening my number two pencil and writing it down: The Cubs will be in the World Series. Keep in mind, I have an eraser at the end of my pencil.

Parting points: I still have to check out the new Beck cd. I am addicted to the first single, “Gamma Ray”. An amazing artist that Beck.