Teixeira Lands on DL: How It Affects the Yanks

Mark Texeira spent very little time on the DL over the first nine years or so of his career and for the first three years of his Yankees tenure he rarely missed time, missing only 16 games in that span, but the last year and a half hasn't been kind.

Just a few days after telling reporters he wasn't sure if his surgically repaired wrist (which cost him 147 games last season) would ever be the same, Teixeira pulled up lame during last night's win over the Toronto Blue Jays. While the severity of the hamstring injury is not yet known, it was evident in Teixeira's face and reaction that it wasn't good. He was visabily upset and slammed his glove when he came out (thankfully not injuring anything else in his fit of anger).

To me, this is a fairly decent blow to the Yanks. I have felt that they need Texeira to have a solid season in order to make it back to the playoffs. Now, a two week stint on the DL isn't going to break his or the Yankees season, but you have to hope that it's limited to a two or three week at the most stay. Out of the big editions the Yanks have made in the offseason, I think Tex returning was a big one. Ellsbury has to prove he's going to be able to stay on the field and even with the solid season he had last year, Beltran is getting up there in age. There's already some question marks in the lineup at second and third base, so adding first to that weakens the team both at the plate and defensively. If Teixeira isn't going to be out there for at least 140 games and give the Yanks the glove and bat he was for the first three years in pinstrips, there is going to be that much more pressure on the new guys to produce. To my thinking, the biggest bat in this lineup with a chance to carry the team on his shoulders may very well be Brian McCann, who if he stays healthy might ravage that short left-hand porch in Yankee Stadium to the tune of 35 to maybe even 40 home runs. That doesn't remove the need for Teixeira in that lineup though.

My gut? Teixeira is going to be hard pressed to be the player he was. While I'm not thinking he's going to miss most of the year again, I have a feeling this isn't going to be his one trip to DL Land, and Yankee fans might want to temper expectations for him going forward.

Daniel Murphy and the Paternity Problem

There's been a decent amount of talk on the whole Daniel Murphy paternity leave situation where he missed the first two games of the season due to the birth of his first son, who was born to a c-section. WFAN's Mike Francesa and Boomer Esiason both had rather hard feelings on the matter. Francesa remarked "You’re a Major League Baseball player, you can hire a nurse to take care of the baby if your wife needs help." Esiason was a little less pointed but still said "Quite frankly, I would have said C-section before the season starts. I need to be at opening day, I’m sorry."

Listen, both talk show hosts have a right to their opinion, but in the end, it really seems like they are chastising Murphy for not making The Mets and the first two games of the season a priority... which, frankly, is quite twisted.
Murphy is an important part of this team, and without his bat there is no doubt the lineup suffers. However, I find it hard to accept that grown men, both whom which have children, could really feel a baseball game, even a professional one, is more important than family. I highly doubt that either would have a problem with a garbage man, a cook, an auto mechanic or a business executive missing three days of work for the birth or their first born. Because Murphy's job is on a national stage he's expect to not want to be there for his family? C'mon. I'm curious to know if Francesa missed work when his kids were born.

The Mets need all the help they can get, and there is defintely a chance that Murphy's bat could have helped the Mets squeak out a win in one of those two losses to start the season, but I'm in support of his decision to be at home with his family for the days his union collectively barganed for. In a world where I constantly question people's priorities, I can honestly say Daniel Murphy's seem firmly in the right place.

GAME FOUR - Mets 4 Reds 3 - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Well, they finally won one. After a opening series sweep by the likely NL East Champs, The Washington Nationals, the Mets managed to win the first of a three game series with the Cincinnati Reds. Let's take a quick look at the good, the bad and the ugly from the Mets first win of 2014.

THE GOOD
Jenrry Mejia: Six fairly solid innings of 4 hit, 1 run, 8 Strikeout ball. The five walks are a bit of a blemish, as like Zach Wheeler is prone to do, Mejia put himself in some trouble, but overall he seemed in command of the Reds' lineup.

Lucas Duda: One day after being handed the first base job (a move I think is a mistake), Duda launches two homeruns and drives in all four runs. We'll see how well his accention to everyday player goes, but I fear we won't be seeing a hell of a lot of days like this.

Kyle Farnsworth: After three games of terrible bullpen, (four if you count John Lannan's poor outing tonight) it was nice to see a solid effort from someone... which leads to...

Jose Valverde: He had to walk someone, because it's written in the contract of every Mets closer that saves must come with some agita, but Valverde closed out the win and is 1 for 1 in save situations and I think is the only member of the bullpen to not give up a run yet this season.

THE BAD
Daniel Murphy's Defense: I love Murph, and I think his bat and grit are intricate to this team, but he's looked bad in the field in the two games he's played. If this team continues to fail to make double-plays, there are going to be a lot of hard luck losses in the future.

Rubin Tejada: Not really hitting and defense not looking that good either. Making no real contributions to this team. I just cannot see him lasting much longer.

John Lannan: Has pitched twice, hasn't gotten through a whole inning either time, and has given up 2 runs in each appearance. He has an ERA of 36.00. Nuff said.

THE UGLY
Travis d'Arnaud's bat: I hate to say it, and I'm not giving up on the kid, but at some point he needs to use his bat for something other than to lean on.

I Heard You Missed Us... We're Back!

So, basically I took most of the last year and a half off of the Baseball Blog thing. The reasons aren't important. What IS important is that I'm back and ready to share my innermost thoughts and desires with you. Wait... no... not like that. Don't be a pervert.

So Matt Harvey is on the shelf for 2014, but the Mets have actually spent some money so there's a somewhat slightly higher expectation with the team. Will they be relevant? Can they play at least .500 ball or even *gasp* dare to contend for a wild card?

We shall see... and i'm back to take that trip together with you.

And there will be no crying here people. Let's be adults.

Until we start screaming at the TV that is.

Harvey The Savior

The important thing about Matt Harvey isn't his ability to throw a baseball... I mean it IS, but it ISN'T. Confused? Ok, I'll explain.

The Mets really haven't been very relevant over the last number of years, thanks to ownership forgetting they are in charge of an actual Major League team in an actual huge market. The embarrassing Bernie Madoff scandal isn't something I need to rehash here, but it's effect have been long reaching and have neutered the team's ability to do much more than pretend to care about its fans while they rebuild.

The few bright spots since 2007's collapse out of the playoffs have come with younger players giving the fans some dim hope. Daniel Murphy and Ike Davis come to mind as some relief to the pain of watching the likes of Mike Jacobs, but even these brief respites haven't given way to wide-spread excitement like the young Mr. Harvey has.

Harvey is Dwight Gooden. He's Generation K. He's Jose Reyes and David Wright combined. Harvey is a view that there is a light at the end of the tunnel that is';t signaling an oncoming freight train.

Fans can look at Harvey and his electric stuff on the mound and they can dare to dream again. Especially when they whisper, in a hashed like voice afraid that being too loud will wake them from a dream, names like Zach Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard and Rafael Montero. Add them to existing pitchers Dillon Gee and Jon Niese and suddenly you start thinking of comparisons to the holy five of Gooden, Ron Darling, Sid Fernandez, Bobby Ojeda and Rick Aguilera.

And for Mets fans, who can remember the pain of Oliver Perez, those names are music. Sweet, sweet music.

So, yeah... Harvey's arm is the thing... but the dream of that arms is even bigger.

The "Pre-Spring Training" 2012 Mets overview

While I'm not quite as optimistic, I do agree I think the general feeling the Mets are a disaster is totally unfounded. I'm not even convinced they have the worst rotation in the NL East. If Josh Johnson doesn't return to health, and he's been fairly injury prone, their pitching staff is basically Sanchez and Buehrle.

As presently built, I see the Mets as a team that can finish at .500 (this is counting on at least 29/30 starts from Johan Santana). If Mike Pelfrey can pitch like he did in 2008 & 2010 instead of how he pitched in 2009 & 2011... If Jason Bay can return to even about 80% of what he was in 2009... If Niese and Murphy can stay healthy for the whole season... If we get the 2010 Wright instead of the 2011 version... Then I can see the Mets winning upwards of 86 games. In that area, a couple of things go right and suddenly 88/89 wins are not out of the question and maybe that gets you a wild card.

Yeah, that is a lot of "Ifs". I know. But most of those "ifs" aren't exactly extremely difficult to imagine possibilites.

Is it likely? Probabally not. But it's not an insane thought. I wouldn't count on the Mets losing 90 games, much less 100. Of course if they get ravaged by injury again, then all bets are off... but you can basically say that about ANY team in the Majors.

Nestordamus Predictions: Booms and Busts of 2012

Yes, many of you must know the famous French apothecary and reputed seer Nostradamus who made many predictions of the future than may or may not have been true, depending on your interpretation (or misinterpretation) of his writings.

Well, I have taken his place as the prominate seer of futures that can easily be misinterpretated. Yes, I: Nestordamus will amaze you all with my flawless predictions that will all come true... except the ones that don't.*

So let's turn our eye to the 2012 Baseball season and make some Boom or Bust predictions. We'll flip back and forth.

BOOM: Cole Hamels

Yeah, not exactly a stretch. However in his walk year before his first chance at free agency I think we'll see a rise in the game of this young hotshot who will figure to break the bak in 2013. Unlikely to remain with the Phillies due to the incredible salaries already being paid to Halliday, Lee, Utley, Rollins, Papelbon and Howard, Hamels will be looking for a simular contract to C.C. Sabathia or C.J. Wilson, if not more. 2012 will be a season that Hamels looks to show he's not as injury prone as he's been labeled in the past, and he'll look to elevate himself to the level of his two high-profile rotation-mates in Halliday and Lee.

BUST: Hiroki Kuroda

Every Yankee fan I know has pointed to the trade of Jesus Monatro to the Mariners for Michael Pineda and the (same night) signing of the right-handed Kuroda as the proof the Yankees now have the best rotation in the AL. I think this is quite premature to claim this, and in fact think the signing of Kuroda wasn't the windfall they seem to think it is. His 3.07 ERA was excellent last year and throughout his four year MLB career his ERA has been pretty good. However remember he did lose 16 games last year, has only has one season in his career with a winning record (8-7 in 2009), has never pitched in the American League and he'll be 37 years old. Add in that short porch in right field and I have a bad feeling about him. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he'll be Kevin Brown bad... but I'm not expecting more than say a 13-9 4.30 ERA type season. Not too bad, but not the 17-6 3.65 ERA type season I'm hearing thrown about.

BOOM: Brandon Belt

The Giants don't have a lot of offense to go along with that wonderful pitching, but the youngster is someone who will add a hell of a bat to the lineup in support of the power arms that highlight the Giants chances of the playoffs. Belt's 2001 season was supposed to be his coming out party but he stumbled batting .225 in 63 games while shuffeling back and forth between the Giants and AAA. I think Belt learned a lot from last year though and the experiance will help make him mentally tougher and overall a stronger player. In support of my way of thinking, his spring was fantastic. He hit for both power and average and drew a decent amount of walks as well.