New York Mets

The New York Mets are currently 24 - 21 on the season. Most people would look at their record and say that it was decent and nothing to be over happy about. I don't look at it that way though. I look at their winning percentage which is .533, or 53%. If you take that number and multiply it by the 162 game season, that will put the Mets at a final record of 87 - 75. I would gladly take almost 90 wins from a team that was expected to be the door mat of the National League East.

My expectations for the Mets this season was for them to compete and have a chance at beating each team that they played. I didn't expect them to come out and win the division running away. All I wanted was for them to compete, which is exactly what they are doing right now. I give a majority of the credit to Terry Collins, David Wright, and Johan Santana. Collins has brought in a winning mentallity to their locker room. I love the fact that he is realistic as well and he himeself admitted that all he wanted to do this season was compete. David Wright pushed his batting average over .400 with three more hits last night against the San Diego Padres. I also expected Johan to be effective. I was not going to be one of those fans who exepected him to come back and win the Cy Young award coming off shoulder surgery. I was going to be happy if his ERA ended around 3.50 or lower. Right now, his ERA is sitting at 3.24, which is more than I expected. I can't ask for much more out of him.

The encouraging part is that the New York Metropolitans win on both the road and at home. They are 12 - 9 at home and they are 12 - 12 on the road. The only concern I have for them is their run differential. They are -35 in that category, which is never a good sign. Either way, this season has been a success this far and I hope they can continue playing and winning. Go Mets.

Brandon Beachy

Brandon Beachy is one of the best young pitchers in the game today. He is currently 25 years old with room to grow. The Atlanta Braves star shut out the Miami Marlins last night by himself. The final score was 7 - 0. He only allowed five hits and gave up no walks. He has the lowest ERA in the major leagues among qualifying pitchers. It currently stands at 1.33. He has seven quality starts in the eight starts that he has made thus far. The only reason why he doesn't have eight is because he pitched five innings in his first start of the season. A pitcher needs to throw six innings to qualify.

Brandon Beachy isn't a household name yet. Soon enough, he will be a name that everybody remembers.

Brandon Beachy of the Atlanta Braves.



Angels fire hitting coach, Trout doesn't care

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have fired their hitting coach Mickey Hatcher. Of course, everyone thinks that Hatcher is now the reason why Pujols is struggling and I don't believe that for a second. Kendrys Morales is batting over .300 and Mike Trout certainly hasn't had any problems hitting the baseball. Trout is all of 20 years old and has been a player thus far than Bryce Harper. Both have tremendous potential and its to early to judge. Harper gets all the media attention, but to this point, Trout deserves it more.

Pujols went 3 - 4 last night and that certainly won't hurt. Erick Aybar is another member of the Angels who has struggled mightily this season. It was even reported that he was going to be benched if he wasn't such a strong defender at short stop, a gold glover.

If you talk to anyone that follows baseball right now, the only thing you will end up talking about will be Albert. "What do you think is wrong with Pujols?" is the question you will receive. Some people say that is it because of the massive contract. That is another thing that I just can't believe. When you are in the batters box attempting to hit a 94 MPH fastball with a reaction time of less than a half a second, the last thing you are thinking about is your contract. See ball, hit ball.The fact of the matter is that he is chasing and swinging at pitches in the dirt. It is not something extremely complex and difficult to figure out. All he has to do is swing at strikes and the ball will do the rest. Maybe the best thing for him to do at this point would be to get a couple tips from Mike Trout.

The Angels young center fielder - Mike Trout.





Poor Washington

Its one step forward and two steps back for the Washington Nationals right now.

Positives:
Strasburg is back from Tommy John surgery and is still lights out
Bryce Harper is playing well and has not been rattled by the media or the major leagues
They have the lowest starting pitching ERA in all of baseball
ESPN was in town last night to broadcast their game in prime time

Negatives:
Ryan Zimmerman has been on the DL
Michael Morse has yet to play in a game this season due to injury. He was arguably their best hitter last year.
Jayson Werth broke his left wrist last night and there is no timetable for his return
Although they were playing in prime time last night, the Phillies reigned supreme
Adam LaRoche has missed three of the last four games with injury

The Washington Nationals looked to be the real deal and it appeared to be their year to possibly make a run at the division title with the Phillies having injury problems of their own. Now both the Phils and Nats are both dealing with major injuries. Maybe the Nationals need to hire a new trainer.

Ryan Braun (Going going gone)

4 - 4 with three home runs, a triple, and 6 RBI's. That's not a bad day at the office for the Brewers left fielder. This is the first time in the history of Petco Park that three home runs were hit by the same player in the same game. That is no easy feat to accomplish. He hit the home runs in his first three at bats and then, as an encore, he decided to take it easy on the Padre pitchers and only hit a triple.

Sadly for baseball fans, the first question to come to mind is, "Did he do it clean?" This is exactly why baseball needs to get rid of steroids. A player that accomplishes such a feat should not be hindered and bothered with questions like that. Fans should be able to enjoy the moment and not worry if he did it naturally or not. Even though he was "proven" not guilty, his name was still linked and will be forever.

Bryce Harper

The Washington Nationals brought Bryce Harper to the major leagues to play in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night. The previous day, he was playing for the Syracuse Chiefs and the game was snowed out. The very next day was spent flying over to Los Angeles and arriving at 2:00 A.M., then preparing for his major league debut the same day. Harper went 1 - 3 with an RBI. He also displayed his arm strength by throwing an absolute bullet to Wilson Ramos. The runner would have been out, but Ramos dropped the ball.

This should be the beginning of a very successful career for Harper. Its hard to believe that he is only 19 years old. Most people at that age are almost ready to finish their freshman year in college. He is playing in the MLB and needs to make sure to enjoy it and have fun. If he puts unecessary pressure on himself, he will not succeed. He has a long career ahead of him and needs to play the game for the right reasons.

Here is the link to the amazing throw: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyGj8dwlMUo

He also made an amazing catch against the wall while playing center field.



David Wright Makes History

New York Mets third baseman David Wright now holds the record for most RBI's in franchise history. Wright hit a two - run home run last night, at Citi Field, off Mark Buehrle last night to straight away center field. His career RBI total with the team is now 735 and he passed Darryl Strawberry for the honor. The past few years Wright has been criticized for his lack of power and injury problems so it was fitting that he hit a long home run for the record.

Some have questioned whether the Mets should sign him to a long term deal or not. I see no reason why they shouldn't. He doesn't need to sign a ridiculous deal like the Angels did with Pujols. I see nothing wrong with signing him for four or five more years to a deal with a lot of incentives. When healthy and not playing in the Grand Canyon that used to be Citi Field, he is a productive player at a premier position.

David Wright. The Mets all - time leader in RBI's.



Yankees Big Three

Who says the Yankee's are getting old? Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Mariano Rivera have something to say about that. Jeter is batting .411 on the season with 4 home runs and 13 RBI's. Last night in Arlington, he went 4 - 5 with an RBI. A - Rod is hitting .250 with 3 home runs and 7 RBI's. He went 1 - 2 last night along with 3 RBI last night, with a home run. Rivera came into the ninth inning and shut the door for his fourth save this season.

If you listened to the media last year, Jeter and A - Rod were terrible according to them. They began to ask questions like, "Is it time for Jeter to retire?" The answer was an easy one, absolutely not. The captain of the Yankee's still has "it". The only reason why Jeter should retire is if he is no longer able to play or if he isn't having fun playing the game any longer.

A - Rod is currently trying to chase down Bonds/Aaron for the most home runs in major league history. This year he surpassed Ken Griffey Jr. on the list. Just another accomplishment for a famous Yankee.

Rivera continues to set the record for saves in a career each time he saves another game. This may or may not be Mo's last season. He said that he is the only one that knows if this will be his last season or not. I see no reason why he should retire. He is 42 and his cutter can still reach 93 MPH at that age which is remarkable. He is still extremely effective in the ninth inning. He still has the ability to play, so it leaves the decision entirely up to him.



The Grandyman Can!

Yankee's outfielder Curtis Granderson hit three home runs in the first four innings of last night's game against the Minnesota Twins. He eventually hit two more singles in his next two at bats and went 5 - 5 on the night. Granderson used to be the center fielder of the Detroit Tigers and imagine what that line up would be if he were at the top leading off. Austin Jackson was sent there in the trade to get Granderson to the Yankee's in the first place and I know that Jackson is a very good outfielder, but Granderson is simply better. Not by a lot, but enough to make their line up even more potent.

Granderson made history last night by becoming the first person to ever hit three home runs at the new Yankee Stadium. He received a curtain call from the Yankee faithful after his third bomb of the night.



Bartolo Colon: 38 consecutive strikes

Bartolo Colon, of the Oakland Athletics, threw 38 consecutive pitches for strikes last night against the Angels. That includes foul balls and ball that were put in play. That number is amazing and most guys would not be able to through that many strikes in the bull pen. That is incredible. I personally believe that this is more impressive than Cliff Lee and Matt Cain last night.

Lee pitched 10 innings and let up no earned runs. Cain was able to pitch 9 shutout innings. The unfortunate part of this story for them is that fact that Cain got a no decision out of it and even though Lee pitched 10 innings, he also got a no decision and his team lost. What does a guy have to do to win a game?

Colon was more impressive though because sometimes the call depends on the home plate umpire. To be pounding the zone like that explains why he was able to give his club a victory.



Jamie Moyer: Getting it done!

A 78 MPH fastball will win some games for you as long as you can locate it. Moyer, at the age of 49, has become the oldest pitcher to win a game in major league history. He has also faced 8.9% of all the batters in major league history, and that is a fact. Even taking into account players like Babe Ruth and the all time greats that played before he was born.

Its different to say that he one this game as a member of the Colorado Rockies and not the Philadelphia Phillies. This is an impressive accomplishment because the guy is almost 50 years old and he is still doing what he loves. Plus, it cannot be forgotten, that he is coming off Tommy John surgery.



Bobby V: Stop talking

Bobby Valentine has never been afraid of speaking his mind, but now he needs to stop. Yesterday, he questioned Kevin Youkilis and his commitment toward the team. Nobody really has any idea what Valentine was trying to do. If he was trying to fire his team up and inspire them or inspire a certain player, he picked the wrong guy to do so. Youkilis has always played hard.

Dustin Pedroia was the first to defend him and say that he was confused by Valentine's actions, here are some of his quotes below:

"I really don't know what Bobby is trying to do," Pedroia said. "That's not the way we go about our stuff around here. He'll figure that out. The whole team is behind Youk. We have each other's backs here."

"Maybe that works in Japan," Pedroia said, referring to Valentine's success as a manager in that country.

Whatever is going on in Boston needs to stop if they have a chance at even making the playoffs at this point.

Vin Scully returns for Jackie Robinson Day

The Los Angeles Dodgers announcer returned to the microphone yesterday on Jackie Robinson day. He missed the previous five games, including the Opening Day for Dodger stadium, due to a bad cold. Scully is one of the best of all time and that is why he is in the Hall of Fame.

Since his broadcasting career started in 1950, he has called three perfect games, 19 no-hitters, 25 World Series and 12 All-Star Games. He also called Kirk Gibson's famous home run and Hank Aaron's 715th home run.



Baseball news

Since the Mets and Phillies open up a three game series today, I have a bit of news from each team. Lets start with the Mets. To update a previous story about David Wright, doctors have cleared him to resume baseball activities. The Mets were 4 - 0 when he was in the line up and are 0 - 2 without him. The organization said that his status for the game will be decided at game time.

Now, on to the Phillies, Pat Burrell signed a one-day minor league contract with them and retired as a member of the Phils. He is fourth in team history in home runs, eighth in RBI's, and ninth in extra base hits. He will retire with two World Series rings to his name. One with the Phillies in 2008 and one with the Giants in 2010.



Tim Lincecum rocked by Rockies

Tim Lincecum got destroyed last night by the Colorado Rockies. Needless to say, it was the shortest pitching performance in his career. He pitched 2 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and two walks with six earned runs. In his two starts this season, he has pitched 7 2/3 innings, 14 hits, three walks, and 11 earned runs. That translates to a WHIP of 2.22 and an overall ERA of 12.91.

I believe that the Giants pitcher may be due for a bad year, here is why:

In 2007, he had a WHIP of 1.28 and a ERA of 4.00.
In 2008, he had a WHIP of 1.17 and a ERA of 2.62.
In 2009, he had a WHIP of 1.05 and a ERA of 2.48.
In 2010, he had a WHIP of 1.27 and a ERA of 3.43.
In 2011, he had a WHIP of 1.21 and a ERA of 2.74.

He is not throwing his fastball for as many strikes as he has in the previous year. So when he finally throws it for a strike, it is getting hit all over the ball park. Plus, whenever he throws that pitch, the velocity has gone down every year since his rookie season. It has been a growing concern ever since the trend was noticed. I don't believe that Lincecum will be able to pitch like he has for the past few years, I believe that he will struggle this season.



Wright brakes his pinkie

David Wright of the New York Mets broke his pinkie finger on his right hand sliding back into first base in a game against the Washington Nationals. This is the worst news possible for the Mets at this point. Wright has been on fire this season. A broken pinkie would mean adjustments to a swing that is perfect right now. The Mets superstar played through a stress fracture in his back last year and only batted .226.

Mets fans are finally excited and this is not what they needed. Terry Collins said he is not sure if Wright will go on the DL or not. Hopefully he can play around the injury. When he is at the plate, he could leave the pinkie extended off the bat and that should not be to difficult. The problem will arise when he is playing defense. All of your fingers are needed when throwing a baseball and if the swelling goes down, he should be able to play. Wright is being fitted for a specially made splint for the pinkie in Manhattan. Lets hope he will be able to play through this injury.

As you can see in this picture, the ball is resting on his right pinkie finger.



Mets Are Undefeated!

That's right, my New York Mets are undefeated four games through the season!

Fun Fact:
New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers: 7 - 1
Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies: 3 - 9

They moved the fences in at Citi Field and its their pitching that is winning them ball games. Here are the scores of their games:

vs. Atlanta: 1 - 0
vs. Atlanta: 4 - 2
vs. Atlanta: 7 - 5
vs. Washington: 4 - 3

Even in the game that was 7 - 5, Jonathon Niese took a no-hitter into the seventh inning.  Mike Pelfrey pitched decently well last night in their win over the Nationals. He was bending, but he never broke. He allowed 10 hits and walked only one batter. That turns out to be a WHIP of 1.94, which is a very high WHIP. Daniel Murphy, whose defense was being questioned, made a great diving play right behind second base to prevent the Nationals from scoring late in the game. He then came up and delivered the game winning hit, a line drive into right field. Mets fans left Citi Field chanting, "Undefeated! Undefeated!" showing that people are still excited about this team, which is what is needed after years of not being competitive.

Mets fans finally have a reason to smile.



Opening Day!

Its is finally here: Opening Day of 2012. Everyone starts out with hope and the promise of a fresh start. Fans get to see their old favorites return, young players grow and develop, the new faces in the lineup, the team chemistry. All of it comes out of this one day.

Its the one time of the year where the Pirates have the same record as the Yankees. Neither team is superior to one another on this day. Speaking of the Pirates, they start the season off by playing their in state rival, the Phillies. Jim Thome of the Phillies will be playing his first game at first base in numerous years after serving as a designated hitter in the American League.

The Mets get Johan Santana back after rehabing for a year and a half to recover from shoulder sugery. Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw are setting out to defend their Cy Young award. Prince Fielder gets to hit behind Miguel Cabrera and the two of them could be the most powerful duo in the game today.

No matter who you root for, their is nothing to dislike about the Opening Day in baseball.



The Top 10

The list of the top 10 players in the league has been release, according to ESPN. This list is composed of five pitchers and five batters. There are two Detroit Tigers in the top four (Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander). The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim picked up the number one player in the league today in this past free agency, Albert Pujols.

Pujols is very consistant and is very rarely injured. The guy hits the ball with great power, but he also hits for a very high average. That is what separates him from a player like Ryan Howard. Howard hits just as many, if not more, home runs that Pujols. The strike out totals and terrible batting average is what holds the Phillies first basemen back.

Clayton Kershaw is ranked at number seven and has the potential to rise to the top spot. When he first came in to the league, he immediately drew comparisons to the great Sandy Koufax. His curveball is devastating and his numbers from this past season are remarkable. Its no wonder why he has won his first Cy Young at the age of 23.

I believe Robinson Cano should be ranked a little higher than 10. The guy hits for average, power, drives in runs, and is very good defensively. He is the best second baseman in the game today.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7769773/ranking-top-500-major-league-baseball-players-2012-nos-1-10

The number one player in Major League Baseball, Albert Pujols.



More player rankings

There are 7 players, on this list of 15, that play for the Yankees, Red Sox, and Phillies. That is the reason why those three teams combined for a record of 289 - 197 in the 2011 season. The majority of the hitters on this list hit a lot of home runs.

In the list, there is a comment about Mariano Rivera and it basically says that he should not be ranked 12th and that the list must be a lifetime achievement award. Whoever said something so irrational, knows nothing about baseball. The guy has made himself a hall of fame career by using one pitch. Plus, the consistency you get from him is second to none. In my opinion, he is still the best closer in the game today.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7740099/ranking-top-500-major-league-baseball-players-2012-nos-11-25

Mariano Rivera.