Early bird gets the worm

Jerry Manuel has quickly instituted early batting practice, optional for the players.

I like this, and it seemed to only pop up when there was a dire need under Willie Randolph.

Today, as always, David Wright was out taking the early BP. Joining him, among others, was Brian Schneider and Carlos Delgado, someone who rarely came out early with the previous manager.

Hopefully it pays off, since the Mets struggled last time in Colorado, especially against tonight's starter, Aaron Cook. Last time the Mets visited Denver, Cook tallied a complete game, four hitter on May 25.

Coaches shuffle

Jerry Manuel just announced his plans for the coaching staff.

Sandy Alomar Sr. will be the new bench coach.
Ken Oberkfell will be the first base coach.
Luis Aguayo is the third base coach.

As reported earlier, Dan Warthen will be the pitching coach.

I like these moves.

Alomar is more than fit to be the bench coach, in my opinion.

Oberkfell, possibly, is being groomed to take over next year. Omar Minaya likes to promote from within, so it's a definite possibility. Don't count out Howard Johnson for the spot.

Good luck at third base, Aguayo. Don't send Brian Schneider home on a strong arm. His feet are practically lead filled.

Game Recap: Nationals 5 -- Mets 3

I have to be blunt. Aaron Heilman blew it again and this loss is all on his back.

Claudio Vargas was downright impressive in his first start with the Mets. He threw 6 1-3 innings, allowing only one run while on the mound and another was charged to him later on in the inning. He gave up three hits, walking four, while striking out six.

I had my expectations set very low for him, but he surprised me, as I'm sure he surprised you. Well done, Vargas. You earned yourself another start, at the least.

Vargas was handed a lead in the fifth inning when Brian Schneider homered to right field, right off the 1988 NL Division Champs banner for the first run of the game.

I'm very pleased by Schneider's hitting ability. Great to see some pop out of this guy who was billed as a "defensive catcher."

Vargas handed the lead right back, allowing Ryan Zimmerman to crank one off the front of the mezzanine level to tie the game up at 1-1.

Vargas was pulled from the game after issuing a one out walk to Elijah Dukes. Aaron Heilman was called in from the bullpen to try and finish out the inning. He eventually recorded three outs, not before the Nationals scored four runs to take the lead.

All the runs came with two outs, and I believe Heilman had two strikes on every batter he faced. He was even ahead 0-2 on Jesus Flores before allowing an RBI single to him.

Heilman needs a change of scenery. New Orleans or another organization, take your pick.

The Mets rally attempts fizzled out too early, as they scored one run in the 7th and 8th innings, but couldn't scratch out anymore. Schneider picked up another RBI with a ground ball to first base, allowing Endy Chavez to score. Carlos Beltran brought home the Mets final run, singling to right and plating Marlon Anderson.

The Mets went down in order in the ninth inning, striking out twice.

This team has fire, but it's equivalent to a cigarette lighter when they need a bonfire. Spurts are shown here and there, but overall, it's just not there. Moises Alou showed a bit of emotion and fire when he was ejected in the fifth after being called out on strikes. Alou immediately slammed his bat into the ground and was ejected seconds later by home plate umpire Dana Demuth.

You have to beat up on last place teams, and now they're heading into tomorrow's matinee hoping for a split of the series, at best. Not good.

Game Ball: Schneider

Game Recap: Mets 6 -- Nationals 3

Revenge is a dish best served by Ryan Church and Brian Schneider.

The ex-Nationals really handed it to their old team, combining to go 5-8, scoring three and driving in five as the Mets took the second game of the four game set by a score of 6-3.

The Mets got another stellar start from John Maine, as he extended his streak of only allowing two runs or less to eight straight starts, allowing just two runs on two hits through six innings. Maine struck out five and walked only one, needing 109 pitches to get through his night.

In the second inning, the Mets got on the board with a bases loaded fielders choice off the bat of Brian Schneider, driving in Moises Alou.

The Mets had the bases loaded with no one out, and managed to scratch out only one run. Something like that needs to change. To score a run without hitting the ball out of the infield is something special though.

The only runs Maine allowed came on a Ryan Zimmerman two run home run after a Damion Easley error. The error, one of two for Easley on the night, allowed Christian Guzman to reach, and later score on Zimmerman's homer to left field. Maine set down 10 in order after the home run, and only had one runner on base due to Easley's second error with two outs in the sixth. Maine bounced back and got Austin Kearns to strike out looking to end his night.

If it wasn't for Johan Santana, Maine would be the far and away ace of this pitching staff. Dominant, in control, and settled down. Simple beautiful. I think he could have gone another inning, easily, but his turn in the order came up in the bottom of the sixth, and the pinch hitter paid off for the Mets. Well done, John. Keep it up.

Church had an amazing day, starting it off with a solo home run to center field to lead off the third inning. Church's ball just missed nailing the home run apple.

I love this guy. I'm sure you've heard that from me before, but I have to say it again. What a steal.

In the sixth, Church kept his hot day going, bringing in two with a double to right. After Brian Schneider and Fernando Tatis both hit one out singles, Church came to the plate with two outs and runners on first and second. Church smoked a ball to right field, a ball that seemed like an easy out for Kearns to end the inning. I'm not sure if Kearns misplayed it or if the ball just hung up in the air, but the ball sailed over the jumping Kearns glove and bounced to the wall, driving in both Schneider and Tatis.

Good? Yes. Lucky? Yes. Will he take it? Yes.
He is getting things done in every way, shape, and form.

Matt Wise made his first appearance in a long while, allowing one run on one hit. Elijah Dukes doubled to left for his first hit of the year. Rob Mackowiack eventually drove him home with a ground ball to second base. Duaner Sanchez walked two batters in the eighth inning, but worked out of a jam without any damage, striking out one.

Strange to bring in a pitcher who hasn't been in the majors in a while and toss him into the fire with a two run lead. This will be questioned by the Willie Randolph haters, for sure. Good stuff from Sanchez, who as Gary Cohen pointed out, has had a few miles per hour knocked off his fastball from the accident. Hopefully he can work back to that over time, but if he's consistently good, it really won't matter.

In the 8th, the Mets tacked on some insurance runs. Jose Reyes broke up his 0-fer night with an RBI single up the middle, driving in Schneider. Church followed that up with a sacrifice fly to right field, plating Marlon Anderson.

Billy Wagner allowed a two out hit, but slammed the door on the Nationals for his eighth save of the year. He still has not allowed an earned run to score.

Keep on truckin'.

Game Ball: Church.

Repost: LMillz was overhyped

On this well placed off-day (I'm writing a final paper on Catch-22 and "national community.") I dug up an old post of mine and will repost it below. Here's my reaction after the Lastings Milledge for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider trade, originally posted December 1, 2007...

I am most likely the only Mets blogger in the universe who is "OK" with this trade. Lastings Milledge, to me, was entirely overhyped, and now we're seeing the sobering conclusion to the saga that was LMillz in Queens. And this Mets fan is happy.

Everyone seems to be calling for Omar's head as if he had a better deal elsewhere, but decided not to take it. Obviously if Omar thought, or even caught a scent of a better trade elsewhere, he would have held onto Lastings and pursued this better option. Milledge's status dropped considerably when teams saw what he could do with an everyday starting position.

The kid can't hit a breaking ball for the life of him, and takes the most roundabout angles on the easiest fly balls ever. To me, Lastings' climax as a player was two years ago, as a much hyped up minor leaguer, when it was discussed that he could be traded for Manny Ramirez. Since then, it's been pretty downhill. After those botched pop flies at Fenway Park and the high-fiving (which I commended when it happened) down the right field line at Shea, it seemed the kid was doomed as a Met. The fans went back and forth on whether or not his attitude was mature enough to handle the New York stage.

When he finally had a chance to break out and shine, he looked nonchalant running to balls that got past him, and just unmotivated. The lack of hustle on his part was extremely frustrating to me, as someone who supported him through all his early problems. With his ego at full blast, it seemed he could take on the world, but when his skills were put to the test on the field, he did not impress me in the least bit. Fans were once weary of this brash young player, and now seem entirely up in arms that he won't be patrolling Shea, and eventually Citi Field, for years to come.

With Brian Schneider being announced as our starting catcher, and Ryan Church as our starting right fielder next year, we seemingly picked up 2/9 of our starting team, for a player that may or may not pan out. Schneider has great defensive skills, which is what some wild things like Oliver Perez need behind the plate. Church, 29 years old, seems to be a newer, younger Shawn Green. There are no overpowering numbers at the plate, just a decent hitting, decent fielding outfielder who is capable of doing what he is paid to do.

Goodbye Lastings, I'm sure you will be haunting Omar and Mets fans for years to come, but right now, good riddance.

Injury updates: Pedro, Wise, Castro

David Lennon in Newsday relays info that Pedro Martinez has begun throwing off a mound in Port St. Lucie.

According to Assistant GM John Ricco, Pedro could face live hitters as early as this week, but in the end, "it just depends on how he's feeling. Patience is part of the process."

A few weeks ago, Pedro was not missed. Now, with Mike Pelfrey beginning to struggle a bit, the Mets could use a guy like him back in the rotation. Don't hurry yourself, Pedro.

*****

Adam Rubin reports in The Daily News that both Matt Wise and Ramon Castro may be activated by next weekend's series against the Cincinnati Reds.

Wise, who went on the DL with a strained forearm on April 2, is expected to throw in back-to-back games to test his arm and stamina, a la Duaner Sanchez's recovery benchmarks.

Castro could have been actiavated already, according to Rubin, but the Mets don't want two catchers with health issues on the roster at the same time. Leaving Raul Casanova up with the big squad gives them a steady, healthy catcher in case Brian Schneider can't go due to his thumb.

When Wise comes back, the Mets have a decision to make. Joe Smith has options, and is the most likely one to head back to AAA. So does Jorge Sosa, who before Arizona was almost entirely ineffective. Joe Janish from Mets Today also points out Aaron Heilman has options, but I think some barnyard animals need to sprout wings and take to the air before he goes anywhere.

And I've missed the Darth Vader walk-up music at Shea this year. Great to see Castro coming back soon.

Resulting move

To make room for Moises Alou, Gustavo Molina was optioned back to AAA. Brian Schneider will be available to catch if needed.

Schneider almost back; can back up tonight

Adam Rubin reports that Brian Schneider has said he is capable of being a backup tonight in Arizona.

If this is true, and the Mets want to go with this statement, expect Gustavo Molina to be heading back to New Orleans while Moises Alou may be activated.

All speculation at this point, but it would be nice to have Alou back, as he might jumpstart this offense after their two hit performance after their finale at Shea on Wednesday.

The lefty lineup

When Moises Alou is activated, and Brian Schneider returns to the lineup, the Mets have an interesting decision in dealing with the lineup.

As of late, the lineup has been as follows:
Jose Reyes - Switch
Luis Castillo - Switch
David Wright - Right
Carlos Beltran - Switch
Ryan Church - Left
Carlos Delgado - Left
Angel Pagan - Switch
Raul Casanova - Switch
Pitcher

When Alou and Schneider return, it will probably be:
Reyes - S
Castillo - S
Wright - R
Beltran - S
Church - L
Alou - R
Delgado - L
Schneider - L
Pitcher

Obviously, stacking the lefties nearly in a row is not going to be good for business. That's all under the assumption that Willie Randolph sticks with his "gut" and keep Castillo where he believes he works the best.

My ideal lineup is as follows:
Reyes - S
Church - L
Beltran - S
Wright - R
Alou - R
Castillo - S
Delgado - L
Schneider - L
Pitcher

That makes the most sense to me, as it won't stack one side of the plate in row. Alou might not see a lot of pitches to hit with Castillo batting behind him, but that could be beneficial for the team.

It's not perfect, but it's worth a shot. Do you have your own lineup idea? Let's see them!

Schneider out of the hospital

Bart Hubbuch is reporting that Brian Schneider has been released from the Hospital for Special Surgery after being treated for a staph infection in his thumb.

Schneider may be able to return to the Mets lineup within the next few days, but Hubbuch points out he still might land on the DL if the Mets want to activate Moises Alou by Friday. If Schneider goes on the DL, Gustavo Molina would be able to stay on the team while Alou can join the team for the first time this season.

I don't want to hurry Schneider, as Raul Casanova and Molina have been decent behind the plate, but Brian, if you could get back to the team ASAP, I know the pitching staff misses you.

No fracture for Alou

Adam Rubin is reporting that Moises Alou will be activated in Arizona on Friday. The MRI showed no fracture in Alou's ankle.

Alou is working out with the team at Shea.

I take this to also mean the Mets expect Brian Schneider back by Friday, but the same article points out that he is still in the hospital.

Well, I'm shocked. I've been taught to expect the worst with Alou, and for once, he's actually not injured. Give him time, I'm sure he'll be hurt sooner or later.

Notes: Santana day, Schneider almost out, Alou MRI today

After last night's rain out, Johan Santana is slated to pitch today, facing off against Ian Snell.

Tonight should be a good game, and it looks like the weather will cooperate tonight.

---

Brian Schneider should be released from the hospital today, and should be back with the Mets within a day or two and will head right back into the lineup.

Thank goodness. The pitchers (sans: Nelson Figueroa) seem to miss Schneider behind the dish. You can see how much of a better game he calls.

---

Moises Alou will receive his MRI today, after getting rained out of New York, as noted yesterday.

Fingers crossed, but definitely expecting the worst. It is Alou.

Schneider should return soon

Brian Schneider will be released from the hospital and should return to the Mets within a few days. He is believed to be heading home to spend a day or two with his family before rejoining the team.

In his place, Raul Casanova and Gustavo Molina have gone a combined 7-14, driving in two runs, and scoring three times.

As well as these guys have been hitting at the plate, the pitchers need Schneider back behind the plate. You can tell how good of a game he calls just by watching the pitching performances over the last few days. They haven't been terrible, but they haven't been great either.

I hope this shows the skeptical fans how valuable Schneider is to this team.

Alou sits, still blocked by the Schneider situation

According to Anthony Rieber of Newsday, Moises Alou was scratched from a minor league game last night due to a sore ankle. Alou is coming back from hernia surgery, which he received before the season.

Alou is rumored to be coming back sometime next week, but nothing can be done until Brian Schneider is able to rejoin the team, or in a worst case scenario, hits the disabled list. When Schneider went down, Gustavo Molina was purchased from AAA to give the Mets an extra catcher.

The Mets are carrying three catchers right now, since Schneider is still on the roster though not at the games. Until Schneider is ready to return to the team, Molina will be up, taking up a roster spot and blocking Alou.

Schneider received more IV, and is still in the hospital through Sunday. Hopefully he'll be out soon and back with the team.

Schneider out longer than thought

Brian Schneider will stay in the hospital longer than thought, most likely until Sunday, receiving IV and the like to try and get healthy.

Gustavo Molina will stick on the roster, probably blocking Moises Alou.

We'll see how that goes.

Trip to Maine

Today I will be heading up to the great state of Maine for a Society of Professional Journalists conference. I'm bringing my trusty laptop along, but I'm not sure if I'll have internet in the hotel room. We're leaving in a few hours, the car ride is roughly four hours long, and we're heading straight to some sort of event, so if I do have internet, it won't be until later this afternoon.

Brian Schneider went down with the infected thumb yesterday, but did not land on the DL, yet. He may still need a trip there if it does not improve from the IV he received. This may stall Moises Alou's trip back to Shea, as the Mets will be carrying three catchers if Schneider can avoid the DL. Once Schneider is healed and Gustavo Molina is sent back to AAA, expect Alou to return, possibly by the middle of next week.

Enjoy Mike Pelfrey and Jair Jurrjens tonight. See you on the other side.

Bye-Bye Brady

Brady Clark has been designated for assignment to make room for Gustavo Molina.

Brian Schneider will not need a trip to the disabled list, as he will need some IV and should be better within a few days.

Bye Brady, I always liked you.

Schneider out with infected thumb

According to Adam Rubin, Brian Schneider is already back in New York, after being sent home to have his infected thumb looked at. Rubin believes this may require some time on the disabled list, so expect Gustavo Molina to be promoted soon.

If Schneider doesn't hit the DL, expect Brady Clark to be the casualty to make room.

Church against lefties

Joel Sherman, in his Hardball blog for the NY Post, brings us the numbers I've been too forgetful to post.

From Sherman:

There were many questions if Ryan Church could handle lefty pitching, since it had been a problem in his career. So far, though, so great. Remember it is a small sample, but right now among the 18 lefty batters in the majors who have at least 25 plate appearances against southpaw pitching, Church has the second best batting average at .355. Only Pittsburgh's Nate McLouth (.400) was higher. Church was 11-for-31 with two homers.

I've been singing this guy's praises since day one. I couldn't be happier with the trade, and I think people have finally stopped griping about it. Church is solid in right, and has been a huge contributor to the team thus far. Brian Schneider has also been very effective and great behind the dish.

Well done, Omar Minaya and Willie Randolph, well done.

Schneider day to day with bruised forearm

Catcher Brian Schneider took a foul tip off the forearm during the ninth inning of Saturday's game against the Phillies.

Billy Wagner was dealing heat to Chase Utley when Utley fouled off a 96 mph fastball which found it's way behind Schneider's leg, landing squarely on the meat of his forearm. The game stopped for a few moments as Schneider paced around the field trying to walk off the pain.

Schneider remained in the game as the Mets went on to win 4-2, but received X-rays afterwards. The results were negative, but Schneider was left with a nasty bruise.

From Jeremy Cothran:

"It's just a lot of pain right there," Schneider said. "I don't have a lot of grip right now. ... It's part of being a catcher."

I have no clue if Schneider is going to play tonight, but he's a gamer, so if he can, he will. I really love this guy behind the plate for the Mets. He calls an excellent game and since ditching his new glove is a force behind the dish.

He also has the ability to find the holes, picking up singles left and right. I like what he can do and I don't think he's gotten enough credit for the hot start the Mets pitching staff has gotten off to.