I know this isn't a sports thing or a baseball thing. The problem is this country's over obsession with drama. And maybe it is the writers and bloggers obsession with recycling the same non-story so many times the readers start to find it irritating. The only thing I am going to say about last night's instance where Mets 3B David Wright seemed to be yelling at manager Terry Collins in the dugout after being lifted for a pinch hitter is that it is not a story. You, and I am saying "you" the reader, make the non-story into a story when you yap about it all night on twitter. "You" chose to take your anti-Wright agenda out on Wright for no other reason than that you don't like Wright. "You" use this to sit on your soap box and make a case why Collins should not be the manager, just because you do not like him.
The attention should be on the game, and its understandable how some could be lost after the Mets 8-0 loss at home last night to the Milwaukee Brewers. I don't like doing game recaps but there are a couple of important things that I will mention later in this article. Zack Grienke was dealing, reminding some of how good of a pitcher he really is. Grienke looked solid in 7 IP giving up just 5 hits while striking out 7. Wright had two hits, and PH Mike Baxter added two more of the six the Mets had for the game. I give Grienke credit for bringing his A game; some games are just that one-sided.
Very important was the fact that Dillon Gee was the anti-Grienke, looking bad again, giving up 7 more runs despite pitching into the 6th inning. Gee told WFAN's Ed Coleman that he felt great and thought he threw his pitches well last night, and will have to look at some video tapes with pitching coach Dan Warthen. There has to be some concern that the league has caught up to Gee, who won 13 games as a rookie last season.
I think its early to think about Gee being taken out of the rotation, but he is making it easier for the Mets when Matt Harvey is ready to come to the majors. Chris Young will be up here first, probably taking Miguel Batista's spot. Harvey may not be far behind, especially if he keeps up the recent stretch of solid starts for AAA Buffalo. The best Gee can do is prolong Harvey's stay in AAA, since Johan Santana, RA Dickey and Jonathon Niese are all entrenched in the rotation. Hitters are right on his fastball this season, and unless his command is perfect, they lay off the offspead pitches. And we all know that Gee seldomly has command of his pitches, something that will ultimately lead to him being removed from the rotation at some point this season.
I will stress one bright spot, and that was the relief performance from RHP Ramon Ramirez. Pressed into action after DJ Carrasco was ejected after hitting Milwaukee's Ryan Braun, Ramirez was going to be left in to take a beating if he did not have his stuff last night. Carrasco is the long man and Manny Acosta had already pitched; most importantly relievers Tim Byrdak, Jon Rauch, Bobby Parnell and Frank Francisco were not pitching unless it was an emergency. And though the game was out of reach, it was an inspiring performance from Ramirez. He pitched a season high 2 2/3 IP, giving up 2 hits and a walk, while striking out 5. He has been so-so this year, and perhaps is not taking a lot of heat for his performance because Francisco and Acosta have been much, much worse. The Mets need Ramirez to resemble what he was last season in San Francisco. Hopefully, this was a major step in the right direction for Ramirez.
The Mets take on the Reds for the last two games of their homestand, before heading to Toronto, where I will be for the Friday and Saturday games. This will be my first trip to Toronto, where I have always been fascinated by the stadium, now known as the Rogers Centre. It should be a great trip, which will leave just four teams I have not seen the Mets play in person, Kansas City, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland and Seattle.
The attention should be on the game, and its understandable how some could be lost after the Mets 8-0 loss at home last night to the Milwaukee Brewers. I don't like doing game recaps but there are a couple of important things that I will mention later in this article. Zack Grienke was dealing, reminding some of how good of a pitcher he really is. Grienke looked solid in 7 IP giving up just 5 hits while striking out 7. Wright had two hits, and PH Mike Baxter added two more of the six the Mets had for the game. I give Grienke credit for bringing his A game; some games are just that one-sided.
Very important was the fact that Dillon Gee was the anti-Grienke, looking bad again, giving up 7 more runs despite pitching into the 6th inning. Gee told WFAN's Ed Coleman that he felt great and thought he threw his pitches well last night, and will have to look at some video tapes with pitching coach Dan Warthen. There has to be some concern that the league has caught up to Gee, who won 13 games as a rookie last season.
I think its early to think about Gee being taken out of the rotation, but he is making it easier for the Mets when Matt Harvey is ready to come to the majors. Chris Young will be up here first, probably taking Miguel Batista's spot. Harvey may not be far behind, especially if he keeps up the recent stretch of solid starts for AAA Buffalo. The best Gee can do is prolong Harvey's stay in AAA, since Johan Santana, RA Dickey and Jonathon Niese are all entrenched in the rotation. Hitters are right on his fastball this season, and unless his command is perfect, they lay off the offspead pitches. And we all know that Gee seldomly has command of his pitches, something that will ultimately lead to him being removed from the rotation at some point this season.
I will stress one bright spot, and that was the relief performance from RHP Ramon Ramirez. Pressed into action after DJ Carrasco was ejected after hitting Milwaukee's Ryan Braun, Ramirez was going to be left in to take a beating if he did not have his stuff last night. Carrasco is the long man and Manny Acosta had already pitched; most importantly relievers Tim Byrdak, Jon Rauch, Bobby Parnell and Frank Francisco were not pitching unless it was an emergency. And though the game was out of reach, it was an inspiring performance from Ramirez. He pitched a season high 2 2/3 IP, giving up 2 hits and a walk, while striking out 5. He has been so-so this year, and perhaps is not taking a lot of heat for his performance because Francisco and Acosta have been much, much worse. The Mets need Ramirez to resemble what he was last season in San Francisco. Hopefully, this was a major step in the right direction for Ramirez.
The Mets take on the Reds for the last two games of their homestand, before heading to Toronto, where I will be for the Friday and Saturday games. This will be my first trip to Toronto, where I have always been fascinated by the stadium, now known as the Rogers Centre. It should be a great trip, which will leave just four teams I have not seen the Mets play in person, Kansas City, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland and Seattle.
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