Category Archives: Baseball

Down goes Tejada

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After Ruben Tejada suffered a strained right quadriceps yesterday, a Mets source told The Post that MRI exam results on the shortstop were “not good’’ and that a trip to the disabled list was “very likely” though not a given.

With two outs in the fourth inning of the Mets’ 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks, Tejada’s spike caught in the clay as he legged out a bunt single. He stumbled onto first base, laying motionless for a minute before being helped off the field and replaced by Justin Turner. The status of Tejada, who also sustained facial bruises on the play, remains very much up in the air, subject to further evaluation today.

“The final decision won’t be made until he’s evaluated. Tejada still thinks he can play in a few days,’’ a source told The Post.

– Brian Lewis and Mike Puma, N.Y. Post.

So per one source, it’s very likely but not a given that Tejada goes on the disabled list, Tejada thinks he can play in a few days and a final decision won’t be made until he’s evaluated. OK.

Tejada’s header was one of the worst-looking falls you’ll see on a baseball field without an obvious bone break or ligament tear. I was watching in a bar so we couldn’t hear the audio, and my friends and I watched the replay trying to figure out exactly which part of him seemed most likely to be hurting: Something in his leg prompted the fall, then he appeared to catch his wrist on the bag, then slammed his face on the ground.

If he’s actually bound for the disabled list, Ronny Cedeno can’t get back soon enough. Neither Justin Turner nor Jordany Valdespin is quite qualified to play shortstop at the Major League level. Turner will likely make the plays hit to him without covering much ground. Mets fans <3 Valdespin something fierce, I know, but Valdespin made 32 errors in 98 games at short in the Minors in 2011. Pro-rated to a full season, that’s about 50 errors. Maybe a first baseman of Ike Davis’ caliber saves him a few on throws, but it’s… well, it’s not good.

Cedeno won’t likely hit much, but he appears to be a capable and adequately rangy defender at short — something the Mets certainly need with Daniel Murphy and David Wright flanking the position and pitching staff that yields a fair amount of contact. The former Pirate, sidelined since April 21 with an intercostal strain, is set to begin a rehab assignment tomorrow and will be eligible to return on Friday.

If there’s a setback in Cedeno’s rehab, the Mets’ next best option is likely Omar Quintanilla. Quintanilla’s not on the 40-man roster and his career Major League offensive numbers are downright woeful, but he can play shortstop and, for what it’s worth, is off to a real nice start in Triple-A Buffalo. The 30-year-old has a .291/.378/.523 line through 28 games with the Bisons.

Also, if you’re still somehow greeting injuries like Tejada’s with a “here we go again, only the Mets, LOLMets” thing, you probably haven’t been paying much attention this season. From Wednesday-Saturday, the Brewers lost one starting player to injury every day — three of them requiring DL stints. The Nationals have Jayson Werth, Michael Morse, Ryan Zimmerman, Brad Lidge and Drew Storen on the DL, among others. The Phillies are down Cliff Lee, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and two bullpen arms. The Yankees have 10 guys on the disabled list, including Mariano Rivera.  The Red Sox have 11, including Jacoby Ellsbury, Kevin Youkilis and Carl Crawford.

Injuries suck, but they happen. Best-case scenario for the Mets, Tejada only needs a few days and Turner doesn’t hurt them in the interim. Worst-case scenario, a fireball from space destroys the planet. Most likely, the outcome will fall somewhere between those two.

Roster things happening

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The Mets sent Chris Schwinden back to Triple-A and selected Vinny Rottino’s contract from Buffalo today, moving Mike Pelfrey to the 60-day DL to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. And Terry Collins said that Miguel Batista will start in Schwinden’s spot on Tuesday.

Rottino you probably remember from Spring Training. He gives the Mets some flexibility defensively, since he can fill in at all four corners and behind the plate. Plus he hits right-handed, which has somehow become a plus for the suddenly lefty-heavy Mets.

Rottino’s solid career offensive numbers in the Minors are somewhat inflated by several seasons in the Pacific Coast League, though his home parks there have been more or less neutral ones. Since he seems likely to be used primarily as a bench bat, he wouldn’t be my choice for the call. But since Batista’s move to the rotation leaves the Mets short in the bullpen, there are certainly more moves to come.

If I had to guess, Batista will return to the bullpen after the spot start and the Mets will call on someone else for that spot in the rotation when it next comes up. Jeremy Hefner’s scheduled to pitch for the Bisons tonight, so he’d be scheduled to pitch again on regular rest Wednesday, then Monday the 14th. Since the Mets have an off-day on Thursday the 10th, Monday the 14th appears to be the next time they’ll need a starter in that fifth spot.

Oof

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By now, though, you know that none of that matters. While shagging fly balls in the outfield during batting practice before the game, Mariano Rivera twisted his knee and fell to the ground in obvious pain. Waiting his turn in the cage almost four hundred feet away, A-Rod spoke for Yankee fans everywhere when he said, “Oh, my god! Oh, my god! He’s hurt!” Manager Joe Girardi raced to where Mariano lay on the warning track, and moments later he and bullpen coach Mike Harkey were hoisting the greatest closer of all time — and by at least one measure, the greatest pitcher of all time — onto a cart that would drive him off into the sunset, perhaps forever.

The true extent of Rivera’s injury wouldn’t be revealed until after the game, but the specter of disaster loomed over the entire evening. At one point Ken Singleton reported that it was simply a twisted knee and said something about how Girardi would have to do without him for a few days. Anyone who had seen the play (you can watch it here) knew it was much worse.

Within minutes after the final out, Rivera himself confirmed the worst. He had torn his ACL and his meniscus. The exact course of action won’t be known until Rivera flies back to New York and meets with team doctors, but one thing is for sure: he won’t pitch again in 2012, and since this season had long been rumored to be his last, there’s no guarantee that he’ll want to return for 2013, nor is it clear that he’ll even be able to pitch next year. When asked if he thought he would pitch again, an emotional Rivera gave a sobering answer: “At this point, I don’t know. At this point, I don’t know. We have to face this first.”

– Hank Waddles, BronxBanterBlog.com.

That just sucks. Not much else to say about it. Here’s hoping he recovers and gives it one last go in 2013.

Time waits for no man except Jamie Moyer.

Twitter Q&A

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I haven’t tried that specific Steak N’ Shake, but I had a Steak N’ Shake burger in Florida and was underwhelmed. Despite all the hype around its arrival in New York, it doesn’t hold a candle to the new breed of highish-end fast-food burger places that have taken the city by storm. I only had one so, as with almost all sandwich reviews here, I’m working with a miserably small sample, but to me it’s not much of an upgrade over the best of the big fast-food chains (ie Wendy’s). Still tasty, don’t get me wrong, but not worth skipping Shake Shack or Five Guys for.

He’s certainly the early favorite. I haven’t had a good look at every one of the league’s rookies yet, obviously, but most of the good ones appear to have some sort of very baseball-y and typically late-90sish chin beard, and none can boast Nieuwenhuis’ flowing blond surfer-bro locks. If you’re strictly looking for guys who might be in an 80s movie, Bryce Harper has to be considered too. Also, Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco looks like he might play the best friend of the guy whose girlfriend dumps him for Kirk Nieuwenhuis.

I can’t speak for any of those guys and I won’t try to, but I can say that a) the once-endless SNY/Wilpon/Mets conspiracy theories are one of the more frustrating aspects of my job (not that Adam’s suggesting any of them here) and b) no one has ever told me what to write or what not to write. The only time I’ve ever heard from anyone at the Mets was when I misstated the terms of Cory Sullivan’s contract in a column criticizing the Mets for giving guaranteed Major League money to people like Cory Sullivan, when, in fact, Sullivan had a split contract.

The afternoon shows on SNY seem to rip the Mets as thoroughly and frequently as WFAN does at times. Bob doesn’t mince words about the Mets when he’s fired up about something in the post-game show. And I think the SNY booth is as critical of the team it covers as any in baseball.

Every now and then, yes. At Citi Field and in Port St. Lucie during Spring Training it happens pretty frequently, but maybe once a month around the city someone will say hello. It’s hilarious and awesome, and makes me feel a little closer to achieving my goal of a James Rebhorn-level of notoriety.

If you’re reading this and you do happen to see me out in public, by the way, please say what’s up. The ensuing conversation will probably be kind of awkward, but it makes me feel super awesome and cool. Also — and I’m hoping if I bury it in a Q&A post he won’t see this — if you ever see Matt Cerrone and I in a bar and you come up to me all like, “TED BERG! YES! I LOVE TEDQUARTERS SO MUCH!” and act like you have no idea who Cerrone is, I’ll buy you a beer. The opposite thing happens all the time, though I suspect there’s no acting involved.

Dude I thought you were an optimist. That coffee cup is half-full. But no, you probably shouldn’t drink it.

 

In case you missed it

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I was at the St. Louis Cardinals game last night (I got to school in St. Louis), and brought a friend who is graduating but had never seen a baseball game live.  As they’re announcing the players, I lean over to him and point out Beltran.  “Watch him,” I said, “he’s really good at baseball.”

Little did I know Beltran was in a 3-for-30-something slump.

Little did it matter.

Bottom of the first, Beltran blasts a line-drive, no-doubt homer into right, the kind of homer you know is gone off the bat.

Bottom two, a selfish RBI for Beltran.

Bottom three, a homer just left of center.

Bottom five, single.  No score help, but considering that AJ Burnett was hammered for 12 runs in 3 innings before taken out, it didn’t matter much.

Overall, 4-5 night, 2 singles, 2 homers, 7 RBI.  Needless to say, my friend now knows the greatness that is Beltran.

Figured between baseball and Carlos Beltran being awesome, you might appreciate the story.

– Ben, via email.

He’s right, you know: Carlos Beltran is awesome, and I do appreciate the story.

Pleading the fifth

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Assuming neither Matt Harvey nor Jeurys Familia is quite ready for prime time — which seems safe to assume given their results to date at Triple-A Buffalo — none of the Mets’ internal options to man the fifth spot in their starting rotation appears likely to thrill many fans. But with Chris Schwinden getting roughed up in his first two outings in Mike Pelfrey’s stead and Terry Collins neglecting to commit to a third start for the righty, now seems a good time to look at the pitchers the Mets could use in his next turn on Tuesday in Philadelphia.

Since the team can free up a 40-man roster spot by transferring Pelfrey to the 60-day DL, roster status isn’t a huge consideration. First, the incumbent.

Schwinden: Thanks to a breakout 2011 campaign in Triple-A, Schwinden earned the first call for the Mets and with it the tough task of starting games in Colorado and Houston in his first two outings. In eight total innings, he allowed four home runs and struck out only one batter, so it’s an understatement to say there’s not much to like about the way he pitched. But no matter how damning, eight innings’ worth of evidence is not a hell of a lot upon which to judge a guy’s Major League credentials. And looking at 2011 Minor League returns alone, Schwinden still seems like the best option of all the guys listed here. He’s suffering from a devil-you-know scenario, but if you believe an inexperienced pitcher like Schwinden might need some time to adjust to big-league hitters, you have to at least consider that calling on someone to replace him could mean returning to Square 1 in that regard.

Miguel Batista: The 41-year-old pitcher, poet and Kenny G fan has not started his season well and typically posts woeful peripheral stats, walking about as many hitters as he strikes out. But against the odds, Batista’s brand of magic has worked for most of his career: He has posted an average or above-average ERA+ in 10 of his last 11 seasons. He has been mostly used in relief the last three years, though, and adequate returns in short outings certainly don’t necessarily forebode them in starts. Plus, moving him into the rotation would mean finding another option to eat up innings in relief.

Jeremy Hefner: Hefner pitched three scoreless innings in relief after Batista’s short spot start on April 23 and is off to a nice start in Triple-A, yielding a 2.08 ERA in 26 innings over four outings. He hasn’t struck out a ton of batters above A-ball but he doesn’t walk many either, and though he got hit hard in the Pacific Coast League last year, so does pretty much everybody. Already on the 40-man, Hefner seems the most likely option to replace Schwinden if the Mets decide to do so. It’s no safe bet he’ll be any better, but he’ll be someone different if they want one.

Garrett Olson: Olson, you’ll recall, showed up at Spring Training with a sweet beard and an outside chance of making the Mets as the second lefty in the bullpen. He’s been working as a starter in Buffalo (with one relief appearance thrown in), sporting a 3.29 ERA in 27 1/3 innings. But he has walked 15 batters in that small sample and free passes have been an issue for him in the past. Neither that nor his 6.78 ERA in 44 Major League starts seem to bode well for his chances of helping the Mets in the rotation this season.

Dylan Owen: Owen started the season in Wally Backman’s bullpen in Buffalo, but has made a couple of strong starts in place of Hefner and Schwinden while they’ve been up with the big club. His most recent was a gem: He struck out seven and walked none in seven innings, allowing one run. Owen, a 5-11, 25-year-old righty, enjoyed early success in the Minors but has been plagued by the gopherball in recent years. In 183 1/3 Triple-A innings across parts of three seasons, he’s allowed 26 homers. It’s worth noting that Dillon Gee yielded longballs at about the same rate in Triple-A, but Gee boasted more strikeouts and fewer walks.

Collin McHugh: Dave suggested this on Twitter last night. The Mets have four starts with sub-3.00 ERA in Binghamton, but none has better peripherals than the right-handed McHugh. McHugh doesn’t throw overwhelmingly hard by Major League standards, but he throws a broad enough variety of pitches to get some strikeouts: More than a batter an inning in his 120 1/3 innings in Double-A without a ton of walks and with very few home runs. The Mets did not protect McHugh from the Rule 5 Draft this offseason, for whatever that’s worth, and bringing him up would mean skipping Triple-A, where – at least by reputation – pitchers learn what happens when they throw mistakes to professional hitters. McHugh keeps a blog and a funny Twitter account, though neither of those things is necessarily predictive of Major League success (Exhibit A: me).

And a little down the road:

Chris Young: Toby Hyde did a nice job dispelling the hope around Young on the podcast today. In short: Young is an injury-prone pitcher recovering from shoulder surgery. It’d be great for the Mets if he can return and make some starts, but it’s not something to bank on.

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Ee-yah

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During today’s broadcast, Gary Cohen noted that Craig Biggio holds the modern Major League record for most times hit by pitch and that the all-time record belongs to a player from the 19th century named Hughie Jennings. Given the awful news about Junior Seau this afternoon, it doesn’t seem in good taste to make light of Jennings’ Wikipedia page about now, given Jennings’ habit of enduring terrifying head injuries. But it’s a colorful read in old-timey baseball stuff regardless.

Girl-drink drunk

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I’m hardly the authority on masculinity, but there are a slew of commercials now (and probably always) asserting that real men should choose one specific beer or liquor over another. And it strikes me that ordering drinks based on what a commercial says is manly is probably, in truth, about the least manly thing imaginable.

I enjoy so-called “girly drinks” without shame. I developed a taste for bourbon about five years ago so I don’t enjoy big pink beverages as often now as I did before that, but I’ve never had much patience for dudes getting broken up over my pina coladas. Have you had a pina colada, bro? It’s a f@#$ing coconut milkshake that gets you drunk. I’ve got nothing to apologize for. Same goes for daquiris, mojitos, mai tais, and — heaven forbid — beer with some sort of fruit slice in it. If it tastes good, I could hardly care less that you think there’s some sort of stigma attached.

What I have come to admire about Cole Hamels in my three years of archiving the web’s most embarrassing photos of Cole Hamels is that it seems like he really doesn’t care what people say or think about him; he’s happy to pose for embarrassing photo after embarrassing photo because he’s certain he’s awesome.

So the following photo, posted to the Hamels’ Twitter account, might actually be the most embarrassing photo of Cole Hamels yet. If he embraced the Strawberry Cosmo (or whatever it is) with a face that said, “yeah I know it’s pink, but screw everybody, I’ve got a 10:1 K:BB and I’ll drink whatever’s in front of me,” I’d probably still post it for general silliness but it wouldn’t rank anywhere near the top of the list.

That Hamels is trying his best to look exasperated by the drink’s presence (and making a typically silly Hamels-face in the process) is what’s so embarrassing, as if he’s trying to say, “Get this girl stuff out of here, I like Nickelback and boobs and play sports!” And he can’t even quite pull it off because he’s kind of intrigued by the strawberry:

Upon further review, it’s still not nearly as embarrassing as this one. And I think ol’ Colbert’s just having some fun, and maybe even making fun of the type of guy who’d react violently to getting that drink. It has been added to the archive regardless, since it is undoubtedly embarrassing.

Also, obligatory:

More foods being served in helmets

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Though the full-sized helmet nachos at Great American Ballpark may lack meat, they obviously represent progress toward the goal shared by most thoughtful humans of having all foods served in helmets. It just makes sense: It’s like a bowl, only way more stylish to wear on your head once you’ve finished the food inside.

It is an underreported fact that during his tenure in Queens, John Olerud regularly enjoyed postgame Minestrone in the very same helmet he wore to play first base. We’ve already got ice cream, tacos and nachos in helmets. The next logical steps seem like cereal and spaghetti.

Anyone think I can convince my wife to replace all our bowls with plastic baseball helmets? They’d match our decor.

Helmet-nacho news via Greg.