I didn’t want to write about this because this whole story is ridiculous, but I feel obligated to add my two cents. Basically, Willie Randolph said that he is held to a different standard because he is black, and that he is treated unfairly by SNY.
Asked directly if he believes black managers are held to different standards than their white counterparts, Randolph said: “I don’t know how to put my finger on it, but I think there’s something there. Herman Edwards did pretty well here and he won a couple of playoff [games], and they were pretty hard on Herm. Isiah [Thomas] didn’t do a great job, but they beat up Isiah pretty good. … I don’t know if people are used to a certain figurehead. There’s something weird about it.
Besides those comments, made to the Bergen Record’s Ian O’Connor Monday, being utterly unfounded, Willie’s rant just puts him on the defensive and makes him sound like a manager who has already been fired. Blaming anything on racial bias is really slumping to the lowest of the low, and he should be ashamed for alleging this. Today he called his remarks “tongue-in-cheek” and said that race shouldn’t have anything to do with his job.
Is Willie being treated unfairly? Maybe, but it has nothing to do with his race and has everything to do with being the Mets’ manager in New York. As a Knicks and Jets fan I laugh at the comparison with Herm and Isiah, but come on Willie, there’s no reason you should compare yourself with either one of them. Expect more frustrated rants if the Mets’ uninspired play continues much longer.
-Jonathan Kraft
Categories: Mets
Tagged: Mets, NL East, Willie Randolph
NL Beast bloggers attended the game tonight, and what a great game it was. It didn’t have a ton of lead changes or great plays in the field; it was just a good old fashion pitchers’ duel.
Jason Bergmann pitched excellently. 7 innings, 5 hits, 5 strikeouts and 3 walks. The Phillies lineup couldn’t get to him and they remained cold after last night’s shutout. Bergmann has gone 7 innings and let up no runs in both of his last two starts. In his last game start ago against the Mets he picked up a win in a 1-0 decision. Tonight, he would not be able to secure the W.
Cole Hamels owned the night. 7 inings, 4 hits, 2 walks, and 11 strikeouts. Few times throughout the night did Hamels look shaky. When he did get in a jam, he calmly pitched his way out. There’s little else to say except that he now has 19 straight scoreless innings. His ERA is down to 2.69 and his WHIP is now at 1.02. He didn’t pick up the win, but he is coming into his own after a somewhat slow start. No longer does he have the one or two tough innings early in the game. Right now for Hamels, it’s lights out from the start. The only question is whether he’ll go 7, 8, or 9 innings.
After Tom Gordon got the job done for Phils in the bottom of the 8th, John Rauch came in for the Nats to try to keep the game scoreless. Pedro Feliz led off with a double, and then was pinch-ran for by Eric Bruntlett. Why, I ask? Is Bruntlett that much faster than Feliz? Feliz certainly is better in the field. Carlos Ruiz laid down a fabulous sacrifice to move Bruntlett to third and Greg Dobbs followed with the lone RBI of the night, a single to center. Dobbs was thrown out on the next play when Shane Victorino flied out to center. From where we were sitting Dobbs looked clearly safe, but it was a good relay and Charlie Manuel, standing right there, did not argue the call.
One run is all the Phillies would need. Despite a good effort by the Nats in the 9th, they could not get past Brad Lidge. A great pitching outing for both teams. Unfortunately both Bergmann and Hamels did not receive a win. They both deserved one.
-Greg Berlin
Categories: NL East · Nationals · Phillies
Tagged: Brad Lidge, Carlos Ruiz, Charlie Manuel, Cole Hamels, Eric Bruntlett, Greg Dobbs, Jason Bergmann, John Rauch, Nationals, Pedro Feliz, Phillies, Shane Victorino, Tom Gordon
Mike Piazza retired today, ending a stellar 16-season career that will inevitably end in an induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He ended his career with a .308 batting average, 427 home runs, and 1335 RBIs. Here’s what Piazza said today:
“I knew this day was coming and over the last two years. I started to make my peace with it. I gave it my all and left everything on the field.”
It will be very interesting to see which hat Piazza wears when he enters the Hall. He entered the league with the Dodgers, of course, but took the Mets to the World Series in 2000. I’d be inclined to say he goes in as a Met, but, then again, I’m biased. Adios, Pizza Man.
-Jonathan Kraft
Categories: Mets
Tagged: Dodgers, Mets, Mike Piazza
It was clear that Tom Glavine would have to face his former team at some point this season. Glavine’s first start against the Mets ended in his second win of the year and an outing far better than the last time Tom Glavine pitched in a game that included the New York Mets.
Glavine was very effective, surrendering just one earned run in six innings of work on a home run to Luis Castillo, of all people, in the first inning. He walked one and struck out four on just 82 pitches. The Mets countered with John Maine, who did not pitch well. Maine was unable to keep his fastball down in the zone and paid dearly, surrendering four earned runs in just four innings of work on eight hits, walking three and striking out two on 99 pitches–hardly the dominant stuff he showed in his last few starts. Maine drops to 5-3 on the year.
Aaron Heilman continued his fascination with giving up the long ball, giving up his fifth of the year in just 22.2 innings of work, this one a three-run shot to Brian McCann in the 7th. Also driving in runs for the Braves were Mark Teixiera, Yunel Escobar, and Kelly Johnson.
David Wright and Jose Reyes combined to go 2-8 on the day. Once again, when Jose doesn’t get on base, the Mets don’t score runs. The Jekyll and Hyde season continues.
-Jonathan Kraft
Categories: Braves · Mets
Tagged: Mets, Braves, Yunel Escobar, Tom Glavine, David Wright, Aaron Heilman, Kelly Johnson, Jose Reyes, John Maine, Luis Castillo, Brian McCann, Mark Teixiera
The Game: Washington Nationals (20-26) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (24-22)
The Matchup: Jason Bergmann (1-1, 7.45, 21/4 K/BB, 1.40 WHIP) vs. Cole Hamels (5-3, 2.89, 54/19 K/BB, 1.04 WHIP)
The Story: The Phillies looking to break a three game losing streak, while the Nats look to create one of their own. Unfortunately for the Nats, they’ll be facing Phillies stud lefty Cole Hamels. Hamels is coming off his best game of the year, a complete game shutout at home against the Braves. For the Nationals, Jason Bergmann will try to notch his second win in a row since being recalled from the minors.
The Phillies have fallen to 4th place in the division after going 4-7 in their last 11. The Nationals remain in last.
Stat of the Day: The Nationals are 11-11 at home, the Phillies are 11-11 on the road. Both teams have played 46 games this season, 5 more than the Mets at the start of the day, and 4 more then the Mets after their loss to the Braves earlier today. The Braves have now played 44 games, and the Marlins 43.
-Greg Berlin
Categories: NL East · Nationals · Phillies
Tagged: Cole Hamels, Jason Bergmann, Nationals, Phillies
Beast: Finally, their star shows up for them: Ryan Zimmerman. Zimm hit .321 for the week, with 7 RBIs and 3 HRs. He’s done well in May after a horrid start and he’s one of the few things the Nats have to get excited about.
Runners Up: Cristian Guzman, Tim Redding, Aaron Boone
Least: Lastings Milledge. He hit .174 for the week. That’s 4/23 overall and it’s not going to get the Nats anywhere (not that we were expecting it). On the year he’s hitting .241, which is pretty much around his career numbers. Why is he a starter? Same question goes for Austin Kearns…
Runners Down: Austin Kearns, Elijah Dukes
Categories: NL East · Nationals
Tagged: Aaron Boone, Austin Kearns, Cristian Guzman, Elijah Dukes, Nationals, Phillies, Ryan Zimmerman, Tim Redding
Beast: I was torn, but decided to go with Jayson Werth over Ryan Howard. A three homer game can’t be looked over. Not too mention a total of 12 RBIs on the week. Not too shabby.
Runners Up: Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, Chris Coste
Least: We’ll count last night, just because. It’s Brett Myers. A 8 run, 6 earned outing followed by last night’s lackluster 3 ER performance. This is a really a Least award building over the season. We get it Brett, you don’t want to be a starter. But for now, you have to find a way to contribute to this team every fifth day.
Runners Down: So Taguchi, Ryan Madson
-Greg Berlin
Categories: NL East · Phillies
Tagged: Brett Myers, Cole Hamels, Jayson Werth, Ryan Howard, Ryan Madson, So Taguchi
The Game: New York Mets (22-19) at Atlanta Braves (22-21)
The Matchup: John Maine (5-2, 2.81) vs. Tom Glavine (1-1, 4.41)
The Story: The Mets face Tom Glavine for the first time since the last game of last season, when Glavine pitched only a third of an inning but surrendered….okay there’s no need to repeat what happened, the words “monumental collapse” do it justice enough. If last year’s collapse hasn’t been talked about enough this year, just wait until the broadcast today; it’s going to be nonstop. The Mets roll into Atlanta having taken two-straight from the Yankees, after losing three of four to the Nationals. New York’s core players, Jose Reyes and David Wright, have finally started to turn a corner and hit consistently, which is necessary for the Mets to succeed.
Consistency has been hard to come by for the Mets but also for the Braves, who have seen flashes of brilliance from pitching (Jair Jurrjens, Tim Hudson) and hitting (Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, Mark Kotsay), but not from their bullpen, which has suffered greatly from the losses of Rafael Soriano and Peter Moylan.
John Maine takes the mound for the Mets as the Amazin’s second most valuable starting pitcher. Maine hasn’t allowed more than two runs in his seven last starts. Glavine has had less success this year, and just picked up his first win of the season in his last start. He hasn’t been bad by any means, though, and looks to pick up his 305th win today against his old club.
The Lineups:
Mets: Reyes (SS), Castillo (2B), Wright (3B), Beltran (CF), Church (RF), Alou (LF), Delgado (1B), Schneider (C), Maine (P)
Braves: Escobar (SS), Kotsay (CF), Jones (3B), Teixiera (1B), McCann (C), Francoeur (RF), Johnson (2B), Blanco (LF), Glavine (P)
Categories: Braves · Mets
Tagged: Braves, Brian McCann, Chipper Jones, David Wright, Jair Jurrjens, John Maine, Jose Reyes, Mark Kotsay, Mets, Peter Moylan, Rafael Soriano, Tim Hudson, Tom Glavine
The Nats, led by right-hander Tim Redding, shutout the Phillies 4-0 last night. Redding pitched 6 and a third innings, he allowed 7 hits, gave up 2 walks, and struck out 2. The Phillies certainly had their chances throughout, with men seemingly every inning. The Phillies left 9 men on base throughout the game, many times coming in the middle of the order or with only 1 out. But they couldn’t find their way around Redding.
Brett Myers did not have the same luck. While he was not lit up as he has been in some earlier starts, he only lasted 6 innings, allowing 3 earned runs, giving up 8 hits, striking out 2, and walking 3. One of those walks was a four pitch at bat to Redding.
Myers got off to a poor start in the first when Dmitri Young hit a sac-fly to Shane Victorino, scoring Cristian Guzman. I was at the game and it did not look like Victorino played the ball correctly. He ran in on the ball immediately, preventing him from using his momentum to make a great throw to the cutoff. Still, his throw was okay. It was Jimmy Rollins‘ throw that really was the problem. It was off enough that it made the play close. Guzman was safe despite Carlos Ruiz’s best effort.
The Nats tacked on three more runs in the game with a two RBI Lastings Milledge double in the 3rd, and a Dimitri Young double play in the 7th. Weird, yea, but Guzman scored despite getting the two outs.
The Phillies have now lost 7 of 11, and 3 in a row, a season-high losing streak. The Nats won their second in a row.
Categories: NL East · Nationals · Phillies
Tagged: Brett Myers, Carlos Ruiz, Cristian Guzman, Dmitri Young, Jimmy Rollins, Lastings Milledge, Nationals, Shane Victorino, Tim Redding
Roger Rubin of the Daily News reports that Pedro Martinez is seriously considering retirement at the end of this season so that he can care for his ailing father, who is suffering from brain cancer.
“It’s taking a toll on me and my family, my dad’s situation,” Martinez said, referring to a form of brain cancer afflicting his 78-year-old father, Pablo. “I haven’t been there for them. I just realized that between last year and this year I haven’t been there for my family, my parents.
“That’ll probably drag me away from the game a little sooner than people expect.
“After this season, I’m going to go back home and think about it and I’m going to decide.”
This news came after Pedro threw 77 pitches in 4.2 innings in a minor league appearance at Tradition Field yesterday. Marty Noble reports that Pedro might be healthy enough to rejoin the team and pitch against Florida next week.
-Jonathan Kraft
Categories: Mets
Tagged: Mets, Pedro Martinez
