Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Updated:Top 15 Moments I have witnessed in Mets History

As we get set for take off in 2011, I bring us back. In Video, my Top 15 Moments I have witnessed live or on TV in Mets history (Click on Link's to Watch)

TOP 15:

1. Cliff Floyd Win's Classic in 10th
After Marlon Anderson's wild inside-the-park home run in the 9th, the Angels took a 3-2 lead in the 10th my Dad and I witnessed Cliff Floyd's Saturday night walk-off 3-run home-run at Shea (On the 13th pitch of the at-bat). This was my happiest moment as a Mets fan. I'll never forget this game.

2. The Grand Slam Single of 1999
Robin Ventura's Grand Slam Single in Game 5 of the NLCS vs. Atlanta turned my into a Mets fan.Watching him get mobbed by his teammates was all I needed at 8 years-old to know what team I would root for. Read about the famous home run.

3. Mike Piazza Caps Off 10-Run 8th
After being down 8-1 on a vital 2001 Friday Night game against the rival Atlanta Braves, Mike Piazza set a sold out Shea Stadium into a frenzy. I was crying when they were down, as it could not get any uglier. I was going crazy, as was my friend at the game! Beating the Braves at home in a fashion that epic...nothing beats it.

4. Delgado's 9-RBI day at Yankee Stadium
The Mets beat the Yankees by 9-runs thanks to a Mets franchise record of 9-RBI's in one game by one player- Carlos Delgado. I was there to witness the Mets fans take over the stadium. (2007)

5. Mike Piazza's post-9/11 go-ahead Home Run
In a post-9/11 New York, Mike Piazza provided some healing in the form of a home run on an emotional night at Shea Stadium. Liza Minnelli preformed "New York, New York", Latino pop star and Mets fan Marc Anthony preformed "God Bless America" in the prime of his career and bag pipes belched the National Anthem, all in a game no Mets fan will ever forget.

6. The Catch
The greatest catch in baseball history.

7. Santos Crushes Red Sox
The best moment of 2009 for New York, Omir Santos gives Mets invaders a reason to take over the cheers at Fenway. His 2-run reviewed home-run in Boston gave the Mets a lead they would not squander.

8. Delgado and Wright Crush Yankees
Carlos Delgado smacked a three-run homer off Yankees starter Aaron Small, and the next batter, David Wright, hit a solo homer as an encore as the Mets held on to defeat the Bombers at Shea. What a game!

9. Beltran's Catch in Houston
With runners on first and second and one out, Carlos Beltran made a catch at the wall in the ninth that prevented a couple of runs from scoring to give John Maine the win.

10. Delgado 12th-Inning Walk-Off
Jose Reyes scored on the Giants' second balk of the 12th inning before slugger Carlos Delgado launched the game-winning homer.

11. John Maine Nearly Throws No-Hitter
In the second to last game of the season, John Maine preserves a Mets Wild Card tie with one of the best pitching performances in Mets history.

12. Wright's Walk-Off off Mariano
After Paul Lo Duca doubled with one out in the Mets' ninth inning, Yanks closer Marino Rivera walked Carlos Delgado to get to David Wright. Wright made Rivera and the Yankees pay as he hit a walk-off single over the head of center fielder Johnny Damon to score Lo Duca and hand the Mets a win. You have to see this to believe it.

13. Pegan's 8th-Inning Grand Slam
Angel Pagan hits a grand slam into the left-field stands, breaking a 5-5 tie game in the bottom of the eighth. This classic game also consisted of a benches clearing brawl.

14. Sheffield's 500th is Clutch
Gary Sheffield hits the 500th home run of his career and his first as a Met to knot the Brewers at 4 in the seventh at Citi Field.

15. Barajas Wins It
Rod Barajas hits a walk-off two-run homer in the ninth, his second home run of the game. It was against San Francisco, with the could-have-had Benji Molina.

Others
Mets advance to NLCS in 2006
Glavine dominates Cards

Josh Thole on Fire

Check out his sick Spring Training stats, above. 382. average. Also, read the TCPalm article about him below:
Josh Thole moves around the New York Mets clubhouse these days with a sense of confidence.It is in stark contrast to Thole's approach last spring, when he quietly stayed close to his locker, absorbing whatever knowledge he could from the slew of veteran catchers around him.Thole, 24, is now the Mets' top catcher after earning the role in the second half of last season when he batted .277 with three homers and 17 RBIs over 73 games. At the same time, he also gained the respect of his pitching staff.Former Marlins catcher Ronny Paulino, a six-year veteran, will serve as Thole's back-up after the eight days left on his 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs are served. Mike Nickeas will fill in for Paulino in the early going."It's to the point where if something goes wrong, I can sit down and have a conversation with somebody and say why that didn't work," Thole said of the confidence he has gained from a year ago."It's just being more comfortable."Mets manager Terry Collins said Thole is ready to be an everyday catcher.The club traded catcher Rod Barajas in August, once Thole had proven himself reliable, and let Henry Blanco go in the offseason."Josh Thole has really improved as a defensive catcher," Collins said. "I saw him last spring for the first time, and the advancement he made from the start of the season to when he got called up was phenomenal."I think the handling of a pitching staff — this pitching staff in particular — makes him an everyday guy."Thole remains modest about his status.He came into camp with no expectations of being the No. 1 catcher and said his confidence instead stems from what he learned last year. The only difference was he felt less pressure to impress, compared to last year when he was battling veterans vying for a spot."The biggest thing was how the pitchers took me in, and having a little bit more experience definitely helped me out a lot," Thole said. "Just building the rapport with the pitchers. That was important for me, and I've been able to carry that into spring training and not lose anything."The bigger concern is how Thole's backups will perform.Nickeas, 28, made his major league debut last year, but played just five games and has spent seven years in the minor leagues.Paulino, 29, was signed this offseason for his bat — he has a .273 career average — but is still working to develop a rapport with the pitching staff after arriving late to camp due to visa issues. He doesn't feel he is too far behind, despite missing a month of camp."I've had the chance to catch pretty much everybody, and I'm getting to know what they like to do," Paulino said this week. "I think it's coming faster than I thought. Every communication and working with them is helping me get through that faster."

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Collins Finalizing Roster: The Willie Harris and Nick Evans Situation

It keeps Willie Harris from sleeping, and Nick Evans does not want to think or talk about it, even with his wife. In the final days of spring training, anxiety and impatience can overcome those players unsure where they will live and work next week.
Harris, a versatile fielder who agreed to a minor-league deal in January, faced a decision Sunday, when he was contractually able to opt out of his deal. Harris arrived at the Mets' spring training facility in the morning after an antsy night, sat on a stool in front of his locker and stared at the empty space in front of him."How's it going?" someone asked."Don't know yet," Harris answered.A few minutes later, Terry Collins walked out of his office and sat next to Harris."You're not worried about making this team, are you?" the manager said, smiling.Harris exhaled.It was not as easy for Evans to relax.
A member of the Mets' organization since being selected in the fifth round of the 2004 amateur draft, the 25-year-old faces looming change. Evans is out of minor-league options, meaning that the team risks losing him on waivers if it tries to demote him.With Daniel Murphy a strong candidate to earn the final spot on the bench, Evans faces a likely trip to the waiver wire, and the possible end of his time with the only team he has known. If Carlos Beltran begins the season on the disabled list, Evans could break camp with the Mets, but that would be a temporary reprieve.
"I'm completely unsure of what's going on, and where I'm going to be a week from now," Evans said. "I'm really trying hard not to think about it. It sounds stupid, but I'm trying not to wonder about it - although I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't curious."After the Mets acquired Harris and Scott Hairston, Evans understood that he was not at the top of the depth chart.
"You know the guys they signed," he said. "You know who is here, and who are the best bets to make the team."So he resolved to make the team's choice as difficult as he could. Evans has done exactly that, batting .333 while trying to force Mets decision-makers into reconsidering their plans."You just hope that you catch somebody on the right day," he said. "You just hope that you do well on a day when somebody is watching."Collins has been a fan of Evans' offense and attitude since the two met last spring, but many other factors will influence the decision. "It's nice to have someone in a position of power who has seen you play well, but you don't know if that will be enough," Evans said. "I just want to play. I came up with the Mets. I love the Mets, and I want to make the Mets. But I just want to play baseball in the major leagues."It remains unclear if Evans will make his living playing baseball, as the 32-year-old Harris has. His life is in flux right now, an ordeal that he processes in private. "I don't want to get my family's hopes up or down," Evans said. "So I just keep my thoughts to myself."

ESPN Projects the Mets Bullpen

Pedro Feliciano is with the New York Yankees, albeit with arm woes. Hisanori Takahashi is with the Los Angeles Angels. And other than Francisco Rodriguez and Bobby Parnell, the New York Mets' bullpen should have an entirely new look in 2011.

One decision appears to remain -- whether Blaine Boyer or Jason Isringhausen occupies the final spot:


FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ

Rodriguez
Rodriguez

Last year: 4-2, 2.20 ERA, 25 saves

Pro: After a tumultuous end to 2010, with his suspension by the team and a criminal plea bargain that includes 52 weeks of anger-management training, K-Rod appears a calmer individual off the field. He also has shown no ill effects from surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb, which he injured striking his girlfriend's father at Citi Field.

Con: Rodriguez's contract will vest for 2012 at $17.5 million if the closer finishes 55 games. That's a plateau he reached every season from 2005 through '09. His usage threatens to be a thorny issue that will be closely monitored by agent Paul Kinzer and the players' union.

Projection: 3-3, 3.01 ERA, 34 saves


BOBBY PARNELL

Parnell
Parnell

Last year: 0-1, 2.83 ERA

Pro: Parnell's fastball is among the fastest in the majors. He touched 102 mph last season, and averaged 96.4 mph. That, coupled with his slider, makes him the likely primary setup man to K-Rod.

Con: While Parnell limited his walks to eight in 35 major league innings last season, he did issue 46 walks in 88⅓ innings the previous season. His changeup can use polishing.

Projection: 2-3, 3.33 ERA


TIM BYRDAK

Byrdak
Byrdak

Last year: 2-2, 3.49 ERA

Pro: The southpaw handled lefty batters last season, holding them to a .213 average while pitching in relief for the Houston Astros. During his nine seasons in the majors, lefty batters are hitting .202 against Byrdak.

Con: Byrdak cannot duplicate the durability of predecessor Pedro Feliciano, who set consecutive franchise records with 86, 88 and 92 appearances the past three seasons. Not that Feliciano might be able to duplicate that durability with the Yankees, either, after experiencing left arm woes during spring training. At 37, Byrdak is at the age where injury risk could be a factor.

Projection: 3-3, 3.56 ERA


TAYLOR BUCHHOLZ

Buchholz
Buchholz

Last year: 1-0, 3.75 ERA

Pro: Buchholz was an elite setup man with the Colorado Rockies in 2008, when he was 6-6 with a 2.17 ERA and one save. He now has had two offseasons to recover from Tommy John surgery, giving him ample time to rediscover his past form.

Con: He's a Philadelphia Phillies fan, who grew up in Springfield, Pa. On a more serious note, Buchholz has yet to demonstrate his '08 form since elbow surgery. He actually has spent the past calendar year with four different organizations -- Colorado, Toronto, Boston and the Mets.

Projection: 3-3, 3.91 ERA


D.J. CARRASCO

Carrasco
Carrasco

Last year: 3-2, 3.68 ERA

Pro: Carrasco is capable of going multiple innings, as his spring training usage demonstrates. In his first six Grapefruit League appearances, he logged a combined 15⅔ innings -- setting himself up to be the Mets' long reliever/spot starter.

Con: Carrasco has a career 4.31 ERA in six major league seasons with the Royals, White Sox, Pirates and Diamondbacks. In his lone season as a starter, he was 6-8 with a 4.79 ERA with K.C. in 2005.

Projection: 1-2, 3.88 ERA


PEDRO BEATO

Beato
Beato

Last year: Did not pitch

Pro: Beato may be a find in the Rule 5 draft. Originally drafted by the Mets out of Brooklyn's Xaverian High School, he did not sign because the organization offered $750,000 instead of the $1 million he sought. When the Mets scouted Beato in Double-A last year with the Orioles, his fastball comfortably sat at 92 mph.

Con: As one Met pointed out, it is one thing to put up numbers in the minors or in the Grapefruit League. It's another thing to walk into a major league stadium with 40,000 spectators and produce. Beato has never appeared in a major league game.

Projection: 0-1, 4.11 ERA