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Luis Castillo drives in four as Mets beat Orioles in Grapefruit opener
FORT LAUDERDALE - Luis Castillo looked just fine in the leadoff spot Wednesday.
Castillo went 2-for-3 with four RBI as the Mets beat the Orioles, 9-3, at Fort Lauderdale Stadium in both teams' Grapefruit League opener.
The Mets had found no takers for the $18 million remaining on Castillo's contract this winter while trying to trade him, so Castillo reported to camp having dropped 17 pounds, to 193, and manager Jerry Manuel placed him in the leadoff spot.
"What can I say?" Castillo asked. "I'm healthy. I feel good. It's the first game of the spring. I want to have a good spring training and see what happens."
Ryan Church had three RBI in the victory, including a double to deep center. Church feels the concussions that plagued him last season are behind him.
"There were no effects today, and there haven't been," Church said.
Pitcher Sean Green, who arrived with J.J. Putz in the trade with the Mariners, was forced to leave the game when the nail on the middle finger of his pitching hand split open. Green didn't expect to miss any time on the mound.
"I was hoping for two innings, not two outs," Green said.

min0 lee

Maybe with the weight loss he'll get back to being a decent player, last year he was horrible.

IainDaniel

So how long till K-rod shows how shitty he is?

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

Michael Jordan

A Black Guy

Perhaps against the Guidos.

Friday vs. Italy:

Mike Pelfrey
Johan Santana
Mike Antonini
J.J. Putz
Francisco Rodriguez

Jerry must hate Italians.

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Mets release reliever Duaner Sanchez; GM Minaya cites lack of improvement

natural^

Alright Mets, this year, let's NOT CHOKE!!!!

I miss Danny81.
STATS
Height - 5'8" Weight - 169
Squats - 3x10 315lbs. Can't fucking fit the rest on here.

IainDaniel

Omar Minaya was on Mad Dog yesterday... Man he sounds like a retard.

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

Michael Jordan

min0 lee

He sure does.
How many times did he say "You know".

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Daniel Murphy drives in both runs as Mets beat Reds on Opening Day
Daniel Murphy drives in both runs as Mets beat Reds on Opening Day

BY ADAM RUBIN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Monday, April 6th 2009, 3:50 PM

CINCINNATI - Johan Santana pitched like an ace. The bullpen blueprint worked as scripted, with J.J. Putz and Francisco Rodriguez handling the final two frames. And Daniel Murphy and Ryan Church's performances suggested Gary Sheffield need not rush into the starting lineup.

Four years after Braden Looper surrendered two homers against the Reds in the ninth inning on Opening Day to spoil Pedro Martinez's feel-good debut with the organization, there was no demoralizing reprise. The Mets christened their season with a 2-1 win against the Reds as a steady drizzle fell and the temperature hovered in the 30s.

Santana, briefly idled early in spring training by elbow stiffness, consecutively struck out Jerry Hairston Jr. and Darnell McDonald to open his 2009 season. The ace did require 31 pitches to navigate the first inning as control issues arose while pitching in a cold drizzle in his fourth career Opening Day start. Santana walked three of the first six batters he faced - more walks than he issued in 14.2 innings in the Grapefruit League. Still, Santana didn't allow a hit until Jay Bruce's double off the left-center wall with two out in fourth.

Santana nursed a 2-0 lead into the sixth, when McDonald and Joey Votto opened the inning with singles. A sacrifice fly by Brandon Phillips pulled Cincinnati within a run, but Santana retired Jay Bruce on a foul popout to David Wright on his 99th - and what turned out to be his final - pitch.

With Votto on second, two out, and Edwin Encarnacion due up, Jerry Manuel engaged Santana in a brief discussion at the mound. The skipper then pulled Santana and inserted Sean Green, another piece of the retooled bullpen, who arrived with Putz from the Mariners. Green surrendered a threatening liner to left-center, but Murphy, still learning the outfield, corralled the shot, ending the threat and preserving the 2-1 lead. Green, a sinkerball specialist, then tossed a 1-2-3 seventh with three groundouts.

Murphy combined with Church to make an Opening Day case for the late addition of Sheffield being superfluous. After the Mets had gone 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position through four innings, Murphy opened the scoring in the fifth with a solo homer on a full-count fastball from Reds starter Aaron Harang. He then picked up his second RBI an inning later, on a bases-loaded groundout to first base while facing reliever Daniel Ray Herrera. Murphy, a gap hitter who figures to hit for a high average, had gone 103 at-bats to close last season without a homer after going deep on Aug. 13 off Washington's Jesus Colome.

Church, whose playing time is directly threatened once Manuel becomes comfortable with Sheffield's ability to play the outfield, singled in his first two at-bats. His biggest contribution came in an area he indisputably surpasses Sheffield - with his glove.
After Santana walked Encarnacion to open the second, Church raced into the right-center gap and made a feet-first sliding catch on Ramon Hernandez's sinking liner. Church sprung to his feet and doubled Encarnacion off first. Had Sheffield been manning the position, the shot might have been a double that scored Encarnacion and allowed the Reds to strike first.

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Please release Shelfish.

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He looks pretty good....damn he's a showoff, like we need another.

This bullpen looks like it will kick ass.

IainDaniel

Why are they honoring Jackie Robinson with this stadium?

He had nothing to do with the Mets.

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

Michael Jordan

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Fred Wilpon grew up in Brooklyn idolizing the Dodgers, he played on Sandy Koufax's team in Brooklyn high school.
The Mets are really product of what the teams that left New york, the Giants and the Dodgers.
If you look at their uniform the Mets have the old Giant NY logo and their original uniform included Blue for the Dodgers, Orange for the Giants.
I guess in honoring Jackie it really is for the person and not the team but my problem is where is a Tom Seaver statue....Casey Stengle, Gil Hodges...

They say the Phillies honored the old philadelphia Athletics, they honored past and present with a Mike schmidt statue.

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This is good.
Wilpon: Mets Hall of Fame coming to Citi Field
April 15, 2009
Hi all, Peter Botte subbing for A-Rube for the final two games of the Pods series.
First of all, we here at Surfing the Mets understand the concerns of so many Amazin’ fans with the lack of a Mets presence at Citi Field. But let’s please cut it out with ripping the organization for the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, at least for today.
Its official dedication a couple hours ago was a nice ceremony honoring No. 42 and all that he represented. Joe Morgan and Frank Robinson were there, and as always, it featured Rachel Robinson, the ever-classy widow of the former Dodgers star.
Also, Fred Wilpon just told us that plans ARE in the works for a Mets Hall of Fame “museum” to be constructed somewhere out beyond center field - albeit with no ETA provided. Whenever that is finished, it should make that area a destination point beyond simply Shake Shack, Blue Smoke and that Belgian fries place.
As for complaints I’ve heard on the radio and via e-mail about the green seats and the ushers wearing red - non-Mets colors! - I’m sorry, I just can’t get worked up over that stuff. But I am fully on board with anyone whose seats have even the slightest of obstructed views at these prices. Call your congressman; most of them were here anyway for the Jackie photo op.
As for the game tonight, all players and uniform personnel across baseball are donning No. 42, so everyone break out those Butch Huskey jerseys!
Also, Ollie’s on the bump and Shef’s in right for the Mets, so one way or another, you can expect an interesting tilt.
- Botte

IainDaniel

Lame marketing

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

Michael Jordan

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Johan Santana tosses seven scoreless innings as Mets blank Brewers, 1-0

Yankees loss was sure the Mets gain.

soxmuscle

Watching the White Sox game the other day, I found myself laughing hysterically with everybody wearing number 42.

"the second baseman number 42, over to 42, across the diamond to 42, out!.. and a double play for the White Sox!"

Alright Hawk...

Age: 20 | Height: 5'7" | Weight: 150 lbs | Penis: 12 inches

soxmuscle

Why can't the Mets score runs for Santana?

Age: 20 | Height: 5'7" | Weight: 150 lbs | Penis: 12 inches

min0 lee

.

soxmuscle

the rotation has been terrible, David Wright has been a huge disappointment.. and thus the slump.

I really thought they were better than this and I think we'll begin to see it sooner rather than later.

Age: 20 | Height: 5'7" | Weight: 150 lbs | Penis: 12 inches

min0 lee

After Santana they have no one else...damn he is good.

Wright is leaving a lot of runners at the plate.

soxmuscle

Perez hasn't even been inconsistent, he's just been bad.

Maine and Pelfrey have also been bad.

When's Pedro get resigned?

Age: 20 | Height: 5'7" | Weight: 150 lbs | Penis: 12 inches

min0 lee

When his vacation is over.

Perez can drive you crazy....I like the bullpen.

soxmuscle

eh, K-Rod is one of the most overrated players in the game. Good bullpen though, you're right.

Age: 20 | Height: 5'7" | Weight: 150 lbs | Penis: 12 inches

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I don't like the show he puts on.

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We spoke too soon, they blew the lead.

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Can the Best Pitcher in Baseball Redeem the Mets?


“The best pitcher in baseball,” according to Sports Illustrated’s May 4 cover story, is Kansas City’s Zack Greinke, who is 6-0 and leading the major leagues with a 0.40 ERA.

SI is wrong. They might have changed their minds had they been at the game last night, where Johan Santana threw seven shutout innings, allowed two hits and struck out 10 against the world champion Phillies to extend his record to 4-1 and a National League-leading ERA of 0.91.

Greinke is a fine pitcher, who is currently performing way over his head. With luck, he will be touted at the end of the season as a candidate for the American League’s Cy Young Award. Santana is on the verge of nailing down a plaque at the Hall of Fame.

If Johan had been luckier last season, everyone would already understand that he’s headed for Cooperstown, or at least if he’d been lucky enough to have J. J. Putz as his set-up man and Francisco Rodriguez as his closer. Thanks to those two, the Mets are currently leading the National League in bullpen ERA at 2.94; K-Rod, as we go to press, has an ERA of 1.42 with eight saves.

Santana has already led his league in earned run average three times in nine previous seasons (2004 and 2006 with Minnesota and 2008 with the Mets) and won two Cy Young awards. Last season the Mets’ bullpen cost Santana a third Cy Young Award—that’s my opinion, anyway. Seven times he left the mound with a lead only to have the relievers blow it. He wound up third in the Cy Young voting behind San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum and Arizona’s Brandon Webb. How much did those blown saves hurt Johan? Let’s compare the NL’s three best pitchers last season:

W-L ERA Starts IP Hits SO-BB



Lincecum 18-5 2.62 33 227 182 265-84



Webb 22-7 3.30 34 226.2 206 183-65



Santana 16-7 2.53 34 234.1 206 206-63



Santana and Lincecum were neck-and-neck in just about every statistic; Lincecum gets the edge in win-loss percentage and gave up 24 fewer hits, while Santana had a slightly lower ERA, pitched a few more innings, and had a lower strikeouts-to-walks ratio. You can make a good argument for either man’s credentials. But note that Webb, who did not have a better season than Santana, finished second in the voting to Johan’s third. That’s because he was 22-7 to Santana’s 16-7, which is, unfortunately, the first thing that Cy Young voters look at.

If Mets relievers had held on to the lead those seven times Santana presented them with it—or, let’s say it a different way: If the Mets had had K-Rod as a closer last year and he held on to all seven leads (he’s 8 out of 8 this year)—then Santana would have been 23-7 and finished ahead of Lincecum in the voting just as Webb finished ahead of Santana.

And if that had happened, Johan Santana would currently be regarded, correctly, as someone who is on the fast track for the HOF, as nobody with three Cy Youngs has ever been left out of Cooperstown. Blown saves or no in 2008, Santana won’t be left out, either. Look for him to nail it down once and for all down this year’s pennant stretch.

That’s if the Mets have a pennant stretch. As of Wednesday morning, the Mets were 13-13; Santana had won three of four decisions while the rest of the Mets staff was a combined 9-12. Unlike last year, when the bullpen collapsed, the team’s problem this year is that the starters behind Santana can’t hold the lead long enough to hand it to the relievers. Right now, the Mets are looking like a ship that plugs a leak only to see a bigger one spring open somewhere else.

When the Mets made Santana the richest pitcher in baseball with a $137.5 million, six-year contract—the Yankees, of course, topped that with C.C. Sabathia’s seven-year, $161 million deal—it was to “Erase the disgrace,” as one homemade sign seen at Shea last year implored. That it didn’t work out that way was hardly Santana’s fault. Now, after the 2008 ending, he’s got two disgraces to help erase.

At a press conference shortly after he arrived in Port St. Lucie in the spring of 2008, he told reporters, “I’m not going to go out there and try to be a hero. I’m just going to be myself, and, hopefully, with my help we can make everyone forget what happened last year.” But that “with my help” stuff isn’t enough, and no one knows it better than Santana. If the Mets win the pennant, he—not David Wright or Jose Reyes or Carlos Beltran—will have been the biggest reason.

Two years ago Jeff Souhan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune told me, “Johan didn’t just go to New York for the money. At this point in his career, he’d have chosen New York over Minnesota even if the Twins had found a way to match the money.” What did he want? “He wants more run support,” said Souhan. “He wants to build his credentials for the Hall of Fame, and he wants to perform in front of a large Latin community. He wants the national spotlight.”

He’s entitled, of course, to all those things. And if the rest of the Mets rotation can pull itself together, he’ll get them. And in return, Santana will give the Mets a very good shot at erasing those disgraces.

IainDaniel

Hmmm. Wonder who gave you this idea

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

Michael Jordan

min0 lee

Stick to your bird thread.

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Carlos Delgado to have hip surgery, season in doubt for Mets



Los ANGELES - Carlos Delgado will land on an operating table today, three days after he landed on the disabled list with a labrum tear in his right hip.
Team doctor Struan Coleman is scheduled to perform arthroscopic surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan to repair the tear and remove a bone spur that has caused an impingement in the first baseman's right hip.

Read more: "Carlos Delgado to have hip surgery, season in doubt for Mets" - Carlos Delgado to have hip surgery, season in doubt for Mets