Random Observations From Blogger Night

The Mets invited bloggers to a game earlier this week, and I'm finally getting around to posting about it. Better late than never I suppose.

Before the game, the Mets along with the Council of Fashion Designers of America, launched their 50th anniversary clothing collection. Proceeds from all sales will be split between the Mets Foundation and CFDA Foundation. All items can be  purchased at Citi Field or at Edition01.com.

For photos of the collection, check out Mets Police.

Now for a few observations...

• Nobody did the wave. Thanks for that.

• Ever watch a game on t.v. and ask yourself, "Why are they cheering so much for Scott Hairston?" as he steps up to the plate? I noticed this at a game once before and again earlier this week. What you and I don't realize while watching at home is that the Mets put up the noise meter on the scoreboard asking fans to cheer as loud as they can. Hence the occasional cheering for random players (e.g. Scott Hairston).

A Few Thoughts on Matt Harvey

I couldn't fit this thought into 140 characters, so I've taken to the blog...

Fans have been calling for Matt Harvey to be called up for some time now. Many were upset when the Mets announced that Miguel Batista would get the start on Saturday instead of Harvey.

Looking back, would it really have made that much of a difference?

While Batista was stinkin' up the joint in Queens, Harvey was doing the same up in Buffalo.

Let's say the team's decision had been different. Harvey was called up and he got the start yesterday. What if he pitched the same way for the big league club as he did for Buffalo? What help would he have been?

His confidence would no doubt have taken a slight blow, and lord knows the nonsense that would have been talked about on Twitter and throughout the media.

I'm not saying that I expect Harvey to never struggle. He will. It's just a part of baseball and a part of life. Everyone struggles sometimes.

The Mets were on hand to evaluate Harvey's previous start, and they apparently weren't impressed enough with what they saw.

I'm going to go ahead and guess that they know more about Harvey and the situation than you or I.

If he hasn't been called up, and doesn't get called up, there's probably a good reason for it.

He's not the savior. He shouldn't be treated as such.

You know that if he gets called up, is put on this pedestal, and fails miserably, fans will be enraged wondering why the team would put him in such situations and how he was thrust into a position when he wasn't ready.

Don't deny it. You know it would happen.

ICYMI: The Week In Review

Turns out, it wasn't Harvey-Time this past week. Despite all of the hoopla surrounding Matt Harvey, the Mets decided to leave him in Triple-A Buffalo and have Miguel Batista start in the rotation. Did the Mets make the right move? Well, both pitchers were smacked around in their starts on Saturday.

The Mets have recalled Elvin Ramirez for some help in the bullpen. So far, there has been no corresponding move. Kirk Nieuwenhuis or Miguel Batista could get the boot.

Jeremy Hefner was called up to take Johan Santana's spot on the roster.

To make room for Jason Bay, who was coming off the disabled list, the Mets traded Omar Quintanilla to the Orioles for cash.

R.A. Dickey won his 13th game of the season on Thursday, extending his winning streak to 11 games. He has gone unbeaten in 16 straight starts.

Terry Collins called a team meeting to address a quote from Pedro Beato following Tuesday's loss, suggesting that Josh Thole could have made a better attempt at catching his wild pitch. Here's the quote: "I tried to get it down...on the floor, so he can swing over it. And I yanked it a little too far. Unfortunately, Thole wasn't able to get to it and it got away from him." I don't know. Maybe it's just me, but I don't see a problem with the quote. 


In another example of quotes being blown way out of proportion, Miguel Batista told reporters this past week that the Mets are better than the first place Nationals. Read the quote and judge for yourself. Of course it didn't help that Batista made the comments after surrendering two runs to the Nationals.

On the injury front...

The Mets placed Johan Santana on the disabled list with a sprained ankle. Santana has struggled lately. He told reporters after Saturday's game that he doesn't attribute his struggles to the 134 pitches he threw in his no-hitter, or the surgery he had on his shoulder. Instead, he found that he was changing his delivery on the mound to support his ailing ankle.

Frank Francisco is expected to throw a bullpen session today. Francisco could begin rehab games next week.

Mike Baxter has moved his rehab games to Double-A Binghamton.

Jon Rauch had both of his knees drained earlier in the week. He was unavailable for one game, but entered Wednesday's game and pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

Lucas Duda returned to the lineup on Wednesday after receiving a cortisone shot to help with his strained left hamstring.

ICYMI: The Week In Review

It's almost Harvey-Time. With Dillon Gee undergoing what could be season ending surgery, all eyes will be on Matt Harvey Monday night as he auditions for a spot in the rotation. A number of Mets executives will be on hand for his start Monday, which can be seen on SNY.

According to Terry Collins, with Gee out for the foreseeable future, his choice of replacement has been narrowed down to Harvey and Miguel Batista. 

The Mets called up left-handed reliever Josh Edgin from Buffalo. Don't let his line fool you. Despite posting a 7.71 ERA in 2.1 innings of work, he has been impressive, striking out six batters, five of which were lefties.

R.A. Dickey may find himself working a little more as the season goes on. Terry Collins has suggested that after August 1, if the Mets are still in the race, Dickey could begin pitching on short rest.

Speaking of Dickey, the knuckleballer made his first-ever All-Star appearance this week. He allowed a leadoff single to the Angels' Mike Trout, but went on to pitch a scoreless sixth inning.

Of course, this year's All-Star Game was not without its controversy. National League manager Tony LaRussa chose to start San Francisco's Matt Cain over Dickey because starting catcher, Buster Posey, couldn't catch a knuckleball.

David Wright made his sixth All-Star Game appearance. He went 0-2.

Terry Collins, who was selected by Tony LasRussa to join the National League coaching staff for this year's game, coached first base and made a pitching change late in the game.

The Mets and Yankees will play fewer games against each other starting next season. Instead of the usual six games, the two will play just three or four games.

Chris Schwinden is back with the Mets. After the Mets dumped him earlier in the season, he has since played with the Blue Jays, Indians, and Yankees. He is now back with Buffalo as a non-40 man roster player.

On the injury front...

Dillon Gee underwent surgery on Friday to replace part of a damaged artery in his right shoulder. Gee was hospitalized earlier in the week with a blood clot. Doctors used a catheter to break up the clot. He could begin throwing in about eight weeks, but all signs indicate that Gee is done for the season.

Frank Francisco was shut down this week after he continued to feel discomfort in his oblique.

Jason Bay has moved his rehab assignment to Triple-A Buffalo. He went 1-4 with a walk and two strikeouts for Buffalo. He did not play in the outfield. He could return to the Mets on Tuesday.

Mike Baxter is scheduled to begin his rehab assignment in St. Lucie today.

Lucas Duda will sit out of today's game with a strained left hamstring. It had been bothering him for over a week, but the All-Star break did not help him any.

Gee To Have Surgery, May Be Done For The Season

According to ESPN New York, Dillon Gee will undergo surgery on Friday to repair an artery in his pitching shoulder.

The right-hander was hospitalized after it was discovered that he had a blood clot. Gee complained of numbness in his pitching hand following his start on Saturday.

The surgery should prevent the recurrence of blood clotting.

In 17 starts this season, Gee is 6-7 with a 4.10 ERA.

The Mets don't expect Gee to resume throwing for six to eight weeks.

I'll take Gee being out for the rest of the year if it means he is healthy in the long run. He's a person first and baseball player second. 

Here's to a speedy recovery.

Now the big question is...what to do about the rotation? 

Dickey's Signature Pitch Is Apparently Too Much To Handle

The San Francisco Giants fans stuffed the All-Star ballot. They have three starters in the National League lineup with Melky Cabrera in center field, Buster Posey behind the plate, and Pedro Sandoval at third base.

For good measure, National League manager Tony LaRussa decided to have Giants pitcher Matt Cain start the game.

Now I don't want to take anything away from Matt Cain. He has had an excellent year to date, going 9-3 with a 2.62 ERA and a perfect game to boot.

But come on. How do you now start R.A. Dickey? The guy has been the best pitcher in baseball in the first half with a 12-1 record and a 2.40 ERA. Not to mention he threw back-to-back one-hitters.

So you may be asking yourself, "Why isn't Dickey starting?" The answer: Buster Posey can't catch a knuckleball.

An "All-Star" catcher can't figure out, or be bothered to figure out, how to catch Dickey's signature pitch.

I don't know what's gone on behind the scenes. Maybe Posey wanted to catch Dickey. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he didn't have an issue with it. But in the end, LaRussa made the final decision.

(Side note: Don't pitchers in the ASG normally throw just 1-2 innings anyway?)

According to The New York Times, LaRussa stated that he also wanted to, "Honor Cain's 'career of excellence, and it's getting better and better.'" 

Forgive me, but I thought the 2012 All-Star Game was about honoring those who have shown excellence in, ya know, 2012. 

Dickey has taken the nation by storm. He has become a feel-good story. Always the underdog, he has fought to get where he is today and it's finally his time to shine.

None of that matters apparently.

Hope everyone enjoys watching the American League vs. The San Francisco Giants tomorrow night.

ICYMI: The Week In Review

When the Mets return to action following the All-Star break, Johan Santana, R.A. Dickey, and Jon Niese are the scheduled starters in Atlanta.

R.A. Dickey and David Wright were chosen to participate in the All-Star game, although neither will be starting (What a joke).

Dickey continues to garner national attention. He was named N.L. Player of the Month for June, he is set to appear on the Late Show with David Letterman on Wednesday, and he was ABC World News' Person of the Week.

Prospects Wilmer Flores and Zack Wheeler will participate in the Futures Game today in Kansas City. Game time is 5p.m. on ESPN 2.

Justin Hampson was designated for assignment and Jordany Valdespin took his place on the roster. Valdespin hit home runs in back-to-back games against the Cubs.

Pedro Beato was called up after the team optioned Jeremy Hefner to Buffalo. Beato pitched a scoreless inning of relief on Thursday.


The Mets reclaimed Chris Schwinden. I don't know why. 


 If you're into Twitter, Matt Harvey has joined. Tweet him at @MattHarvey43.

On the injury front...

Frank Francisco is scheduled to pitch in a rehab game on Wednesday. Francisco strained his left oblique during the Subway Series.

Andres Torres has been day-to-day with back spasms.

The Mets are planning on Jason Bay making a rehab start in St. Lucie today. They expect him to play two or three games there before moving on to Triple-A Buffalo.

Mike Baxter told ESPN New York that he has full range of motion in his injured shoulder and has been hitting off a tee. He has been rehabbing in St. Lucie.