Maine's In Massachusetts: Red Sox Sign John Maine

On May 20, 2010, John Maine took the mound against the Washington Nationals trying to rebound from his first poor start in a month.  Maine had given up six runs in five innings against the Florida Marlins in his previous start, after a four-start stretch in which his ERA was 2.49.

However, something didn't look right to manager Jerry Manuel after Maine walked leadoff batter Nyjer Morgan on five pitches.  Despite Maine's claims that he felt fine, Manuel took him out of the game.  John Maine never pitched again for the Mets, spending the rest of the season on the disabled list with shoulder fatigue.  When the Mets chose not to re-sign Maine during the offseason, he became a free agent and agreed to a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies, going 1-3 with a 7.43 ERA in 11 starts for their Triple-A affiliate, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, in 2011.

Now comes word that John Maine will be changing his Sox, as the former Met hurler has agreed to a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox and has been invited to their spring training camp to compete for a spot on their roster.  Should Maine break camp with the Red Sox, he will be used as a relief pitcher, a role in which he has been rarely used.

Maine pitched for the Mets from 2006 to 2010, going 39-32 with a 4.17 ERA.  He ranks 23rd all-time in wins as a Met.  He also ranks in the top 20 in winning percentage (.549, 14th), fewest hits per nine innings (7.85, 8th) and most strikeouts per nine innings (7.76, 6th).  In addition, Maine was 1-0 with a 2.63 ERA in three postseason starts for the Mets.  And of course, Maine almost pitched the team's first no-hitter in the penultimate game of the 2007 season, helping the Mets temporarily stave off elimination with his 14-strikeout performance against the Florida Marlins.

If John Maine makes the Red Sox out of spring training, he will play for another former Met, as Bobby Valentine is the new skipper in Beantown.  As Mets' manager from 1996 to 2002, Valentine was known for going to his bullpen early and often.  None of Valentine's pitching staffs in his six-plus years as Mets' skipper recorded 10 complete games (the 1998 and 2002 squads had nine complete games apiece).  Prior to Valentine's arrival in New York, the Mets had never had a full, non-strike shortened season in which the starting staff didn't reach double digits in complete games.

Given that Maine's role on the Red Sox would be out of the bullpen, he'd probably get his fair share of opportunities to pitch for Bobby Valentine.  Of course, he has to make the team first.  Considering his lack of success (and health) since 2010, that might be easier said than done.

As a Mets fan who was also a John Maine fan, I'd like to wish him all the luck in the world as he tries to return to the major leagues as a member of the Boston Red Sox.  More than likely, he's going to need it.

Rockies Get A Second Sacker; It's NOT Justin Turner!

Earlier this week, it was reported that the Colorado Rockies were looking at Mets' utility infielder Justin Turner as a trade option to compete for their open second base position.  Turner would have competed with a number of in-house candidates for the opportunity to be Troy Tulowitzki's double play partner.  However, that deal appears to be deader than Fausto Carmona's career.

According to a tweet by Jim Bowden, the Rockies have acquired middle infielder Marco Scutaro from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for journeyman pitcher Clayton Mortensen.

Confirming Troy Renck's report that the Boston Red Sox have traded Marco Scutaro to the Colorado Rockies for Claytong Mortensen...no cash
— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) January 21, 2012

Scutaro will take over at second base for the Rockies, while the Red Sox will use Mortensen as a starter.  However, with Scutaro's $6 million salary now off the Red Sox's books, Boston might use that money to pursue a more attractive starting pitcher (Roy Oswalt?), as Mortensen has never been very impressive in the major leagues (4-8, 5.12 ERA in 95 IP).

Long-time Mets fans might remember Scutaro for being a part of the 2002 and 2003 teams.  If they don't, it's because they were too busy cursing out Steve Phillips for his not-so-brilliant acquisitions of Mo Vaughn, Roberto Alomar, Jeromy Burnitz, Jeff D'Amico and Shawn Estes.

Scutaro is entering his 11th major league campaign and will be playing in the thin air of Denver.  The air around Justin Turner, however, is thick with sighs of relief, as he would most likely not have received much playing time in Colorado had he been traded there.  Instead, he appears to be staying on the Mets, competing for the second base job and spelling David Wright at third whenever he needs a day off or steps on Ike Davis again.

Justin Turner had a fine rookie season for the Mets last year.  In 117 games, he banged out 30 doubles and drove in 51 runs.  He also was one of the toughest players to strike out on the team, fanning only 59 times in 487 plate appearances.  His ability to play anywhere in the infield and his penchant for making contact will make him a valuable asset on the 2012 Mets, especially since the team still hasn't figured out how not to continue racking up injuries.

Good luck to the Rockies and their new 36-year-old second baseman.  We'll be just fine in New York with our 27-year-old redhead.

If Studious Metsimus Had A 2012 Hall of Fame Vote...

On Monday, the National Baseball Hall of Fame will announce their 2012 inductees.  First-time candidates include former Met Jeromy Burnitz, Vinny Castilla, one-time Met nemesis Brian Jordan (okay, many-time Met nemesis), Javy Lopez, Bill Mueller, Terry Mulholland, Phil Nevin, Brad Radke, Tim Salmon, Ruben Sierra, Bernie Williams, Tony Womack and Eric Young.

Holdovers from previous years include Jeff Bagwell, Juan Gonzalez, Barry Larkin, Edgar Martinez, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Mark McGwire, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Rafael Palmeiro, Tim Raines, Lee Smith, Alan Trammell and Larry Walker.

For the second straight year, Studious Metsimus was not allowed to cast an official Hall of Fame vote.  (Note to self:  Hire Bobby Bonilla to show the Bronx to the BBWAA if they don't accept our votes next year.)  However, if we did have a say in who should be checking priceline.com for the best rates on airfare and hotels in Cooperstown, these are the players who would make the cut.


Barry Larkin

Had Ozzie Smith not been a contemporary of Barry Larkin over the early part of Larkin's career, we wouldn't be having this discussion right now.  Larkin would have been inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2010.  But because Larkin's defensive wizardry was never validated with numerous Gold Gloves due to Smith's presence in St. Louis, he didn't receive the necessary 75% of the vote during his first two years of eligibility.  (Larkin's three Gold Glove Awards were earned after Smith had played 16 seasons and earned 13 Gold Gloves.)  Larkin received 51.6% of the votes in 2010 and jumped to 62.1% last year.  That bodes well for the former Reds' shortstop in 2012.

Over his 19-year career, all with Cincinnati, Larkin hit .295 with 2,340 hits, 441 doubles, 198 HR, 379 SB and 1,329 runs scored.  Larkin hit .300 or better nine times, won nine Silver Slugger Awards and was a 12-time All-Star.  He also won the Gold Glove Award three times (1994-1996), was the National League MVP in 1995 and became the first shortstop to record a 30-30 season when he collected 33 HR and 36 SB in 1996.  Furthermore, Larkin was an outstanding post-season hitter, batting .338 with five doubles, two triples and eight stolen bases in 17 career post-season games, which included a 1990 World Series championship.

If Ozzie Smith made the Hall of Fame primarily because of his defense, then Barry Larkin should make it as well.  Not only was he a standout player on the field, but at the plate, there was no comparison between Larkin and Smith.  After two strikes in 2010 and 2011, Larkin will not strike out in his third attempt at making the Hall of Fame.  He's as good as in.


Jeff Bagwell

How did Bagwell only garner 41.7% of the votes last year?  He was one of the most feared hitters in the National League during his 15-year career, all with the Houston Astros.

Bagwell averaged over 100 runs scored and 100 RBIs per season over his entire career, crossing the plate 1,517 times and driving in 1,529 runs in his decade and a half of service.  Every player in the 1,500/1,500 club who is eligible for the Hall of Fame and hasn't been suspended for steroids (I'm wagging my finger at you, Rafael Palmeiro) has been enshrined in Cooperstown.  Bagwell should be the next on this list.

The Astros' first baseman had an amazing career in the majors.  During his best six-year stretch (1996-2001), Bagwell hit .301, had a .429 on-base percentage and slugged .583, giving him an eye-popping 1.022 OPS.  He tallied 236 doubles, 236 home runs and stole 121 bases.  Bagwell also scored 765 runs and drove in 754 more during those six campaigns.

For his career, Bagwell hit .297, had an on-base percentage of .408 and finished with a .540 slugging percentage.  He lashed 2,314 hits, including 488 doubles and 449 HR.  He was also an intelligent baserunner, stealing 202 bases.  Bagwell scored 100 or more runs in a season nine times, drove in 100 or more runs eight times (and narrowly missed twice, picking up 96 RBI in 1992 and 98 RBI in 2002) and registered triple-digit walks on seven occasions.

Bagwell also won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1991 and the National League MVP Award in 1994, a year in which he hit .368, led the league in runs scored, RBIs, total bases, slugging percentage, OPS and won both the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards?  Furthermore, Bagwell led the Astros to six postseason appearances in nine years from 1997-2005.  Prior to Bagwell's arrival in Houston, the Astros had only made the playoffs three times in three decades of existence.  'Nuff said!


Larry Walker

It's always tough to consider a man who played the majority of his career at Coors Field.  After all, Andres Galarraga was a .267 career hitter who had never hit 30 HR or driven in 100 runs in a season in his first eight years in the majors.  Then he goes to Colorado, wins a batting title in his first season there (hitting a whopping .370) and averages .316, 34 HR and 116 RBI in his five seasons in Denver.  The same thing happened to other mediocre players who flourished during their years as a Rockie, like Dante Bichette, Ellis Burks and Vinny Castilla.  So how did Galarraga do in his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility (2010)?  He received only 4.1% of the votes and was taken off subsequent ballots.  That being said, Larry Walker should still be a Hall of Famer.

Prior to becoming a Colorado Rockie, Larry Walker was already a good hitter and complete player.  In his final three years in Montreal, Walker had a .294 batting average, .371 on-base percentage and .516 slugging percentage, averaging 33 doubles, 21 HR, 88 RBI and 21 SB.  He also was an All-Star, won a Silver Slugger Award and two Gold Gloves while in Montreal.  Although those numbers are not quite Hall of Fame-worthy, they were still very good.  Then he signed with Colorado and became one of the best players in the major leagues.

In his first season as a Rockie (1995), Walker hit .306 with 36 HR and 101 RBI.  His .607 slugging percentage was second in the league and he helped lead the third-year Rockies to their first-ever playoff appearance.  Year two in Colorado was fraught with injuries, as Walker only played in 83 games but still managed 18 HR, 58 RBI and 18 SB in half a season's worth of games.  Fully healthy in 1997, Walker's career took off into the stratosphere.  Walker's 1997 numbers (.366 batting average, 46 doubles, 49 HR, 130 RBI, 143 runs scored, 33 SB, .452 OBP, .720 SLG, 1.172 OPS) almost looked like they came straight from a video game.  But Walker wasn't done after his phenomenal '97 campaign.  Over the next five seasons, Walker won three batting titles (1998, 1999, 2001), finished second another year (2002) and had a combined .350 batting average over those five seasons.  Basically, he was Tony Gwynn with power and Gwynn was a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

In ten years as a Rockie, Walker posted a .334 batting average, .426 on-base percentage, .618 slugging percentage and 1.044 OPS.  Only 24 players in major league history finished with a higher career batting average than what Larry Walker put up in that ten-year span.  Of those 24, the only three who finished with a higher on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS were Ted Williams, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, all first ballot Hall of Famers and all legends of the sport.

Larry Walker played 17 years in the major leagues.  However, because of injuries, he only had four seasons in which he played at least 140 games.  From 1994-2005, Walker missed an average of 44 games per season, failing to play more than 103 games in five of those 12 campaigns.  Despite his multiple trips to the disabled list, Walker finished his career with 2,160 hits, including 471 doubles and 383 HR.  He also stole 230 bases, scored 1,355 runs and drove in 1,311 more.  His combined averages (.313 BA, .400 OBP, .565 SLG) are among the highest career marks of anyone not already in the Hall of Fame.  Walker was a five-time All-Star, won seven Gold Gloves and three Silver Slugger Awards.  He also finished in the top 20 in the MVP vote seven times, winning the 1997 MVP Award.  Not all of his awards and accolades came as a member of the Colorado Rockies, proving that Walker was an exceptional player before and after his time in Colorado.  Simply stated, Larry Walker has earned the right to become the first player with a Rockies hat on his Hall of Fame plaque.

As is the case every season, there are always quality players left out of the Hall of Fame, but will garner enough votes for future consideration.  This year such players include Jack Morris (53.5% of the votes in 2011, but his 3.90 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over 18 seasons might offset his 254 career victories), Edgar Martinez (.312 career batting average, .418 on-base percentage, 514 doubles, 309 HR, seven-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger, but might be hurt because of his DH status) and Lee Smith (478 career saves, retired as the all-time saves leader, but was never the dominant closer of his era a la Goose Gossage, Bruce Sutter and Dennis Eckersley).

Also of note, none of the first-time candidates should become Hall of Famers either this year or ever.  When Bernie Williams, who averaged 85 runs, 28 doubles, 18 HR, 79 RBI and nine stolen bases per season over his 16-year career is the most attractive new candidate, players who fell short in previous years will be camping out in front of their phones come Hall of Fame selection day.

The time might eventually come for Jack Morris, Edgar Martinez and Lee Smith, but if Studious Metsimus had a vote for the Hall of Fame Class of 2012, Barry Larkin, Jeff Bagwell and Larry Walker would be graduating to the team of baseball immortals.

Don't Trade Jonathon Niese!

On Friday, a story broke about the possibility of trading Jonathon Niese to the Colorado Rockies for outfielder Seth Smith.  Fortunately, that trade will not become a reality, as earlier today, Jerry Crasnick of espn.com and Baseball America tweeted that the Mets have no interest in sending Niese to Colorado for Smith.

Of course, looking at Jerry Crasnick's tweet on the topic suggests the Mets wouldn't trade Niese to Colorado in a package involving Smith.  It doesn't say the Mets wouldn't trade him to the Rockies in a Smith-less deal.

Trading Niese at all right now would be foolish.  A player like Seth Smith, who will turn 30 before the 2012 season ends, does not give the Mets the production at an outfield position they need.  Since becoming an everyday player in 2009, Smith has averaged 24 doubles, 16 HR and 55 RBI per season, while hitting .275 with a .346 on-base percentage.  He has also played an average of 138 games a year over the past three seasons.

By comparison, Lucas Duda has played in 129 games in the major leagues since his first call-up in 2010.  In those 129 games (which are nine fewer than Smith has averaged per season since 2009), Duda has combined to hit .273 with a .347 on-base percentage, picking up 27 doubles, 14 HR and 63 RBI along the way.  Seems like the same player, doesn't it?  The only difference is that Duda is giving the Mets Seth Smith-type numbers at age 25, before entering the prime of his career, while Smith has already entered his peak years and has been achieving his numbers in a hitters' park.  Duda has played half of his games at cavernous Citi Field.

Although Niese has spent time on the disabled list in 2010 and 2011, he has still averaged 28 starts per season over the past two years.  Before getting hurt, he made great strides in 2011.  Niese increased his strikeout rate (7.7 K/9 IP in 2010, 7.9 K/9 IP in 2011) while showing better command of his pitches (3.2 BB/9 IP in 2010, 2.5 BB/9 IP in 2011).  He also did a better job of keeping the ball in the park, reducing his home runs allowed from 20 in 2010 to 14 in 2011.

Jonathon Niese is the type of pitcher the Mets have given up on too soon in the past.  Rick Aguilera did fairly well (37-27, 3.58 ERA) in his four and a half seasons in New York.  Kevin Tapani was also a promising prospect in the Mets organization.  Both pitchers were traded to Minnesota while they were still in their twenties.  Aguilera went on to become the Twins' all-time saves leader (recently surpassed by Joe Nathan and Tapani won 143 games in a 13-year career in the big leagues.

Even a player like Pete Schourek, whom the Mets gave up on after three seasons in New York, went on to surprise the non-believers.  In 1994, he went 7-2 for the Cincinnati Reds, who claimed him off waivers.  He followed that up by going 18-5 in 1995, leading the Reds to a division title and finishing second to Greg Maddux for the National League Cy Young Award.

It's been quite some time since the Mets have let a homegrown pitcher develop in the big leagues.  Not since Bobby Jones has the organization produced a pitcher that had some success in the major leagues as a member of the Mets.  Unfortunately, Jones last pitched for the Mets over a decade ago.  The team has failed to develop and keep one of its own pitchers ever since, choosing to fill its starting rotation with free agent acquisitions and players acquired via the trade market.  The one recent exception has been Mike Pelfrey, and he's only become the first Mets pitcher to give up more hits than innings pitched in six different seasons.

Jonathon Niese has the potential to become the next great homegrown pitcher for the Mets.  He also has the potential to be traded to a player of Seth Smith's caliber.  After so many failures with trading away young pitching talent too soon, shouldn't the Mets give Niese a chance? 

Colorado Carlos

In 2011, Carlos Beltran had his finest and healthiest season in three years, combining to hit .300 for New York and San Francisco.  He also added 39 doubles, 22 home runs and 84 RBIs between the two teams.  Despite those impressive numbers, Beltran wasn't attracting much attention in the free agent market.  Until now.

According to Jon Heyman, there is one team that's putting Beltran on top of their wish list this offseason.  Heyman's tweets say it all:

#rockies are making a push for carlos beltran. they also made an offer to cuddyer. want 1 or the other.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 13, 2011

#rockies goal is to sign either beltran or cuddyer. they offered cuddyer more than the $25M for 3 the #twins bid
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 13, 2011

#rockies a terrific fit for beltran. they are interested in cuddyer too but figure it might be hard to get him out of minny
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 13, 2011

If Colorado doesn't get Michael Cuddyer from Minnesota, they will go all out for Beltran.  You may recall that in a game at Coors Field this past May, Beltran swatted three home runs for the Mets against the Rockies.  All three blasts came with a man on base, making Carlos the first Met to ever hit three multi-run homers in the same game.

Although Beltran only has a .276 career batting average at Coors Field, more than half of his hits have gone for extra bases.  As a result, Beltran's lifetime slugging percentage in Denver is .552, which is well above his career mark of .496.

Colorado could be a good fit for Beltran offensively, but Coors Field's spacious outfield could be difficult on his ailing knees.  Carlos has publicly stated that he would not want to be a DH, so staying in the National League would afford him the opportunity to remain an everyday outfielder, although it would be a risk for any team to sign him to a long-term deal.

Stay tuned for more news on Carlos Beltran as it breaks.  Hopefully, Jon Heyman will have his Twitter finger ready to go should Beltran sign with the Rockies soon.

New Homestand, New Hope

After defeating the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday night in an emotional extra-inning affair, the Mets return to Citi Field to begin a week-long homestand against the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although the Mets are still in last place with a 12-16 record, they're not as far out of contention as their record and division standing would suggest. In fact, parity in baseball has made fans in every major league city hold on to hopes of meaningful baseball games in the summer.

Because baseball doesn't have a salary cap, it's difficult to achieve parity. Usually the teams with the highest payrolls have the best chance to extend their seasons past 162 games. More often than not, these teams usually finish well above .500 and have a relatively simple time making their way to the postseason. However, in the early going this season, an overwhelming number of teams are right around the .500 mark.

As of today, only five teams in baseball are more than three games above .500. Those teams are the Indians (19-8), Marlins (18-9), Phillies (18-9), Rockies (17-9) and Yankees (17-9). With identical 16-13 records, the Angels, Rangers and Cardinals can all lay claim to having the sixth-best record in baseball.

Want more proof that there's parity in baseball? Of the 30 teams in the major leagues, a whopping 20 franchises (or two-thirds of all clubs) are between three games over .500 and four games under .500. At 12-16, the Mets are one of those 20 teams that are separated by a mere 3½ games.

Let's now focus strictly on the National League. As of now, only four NL teams have winning records (Marlins, Phillies, Rockies, Cardinals). The Mets have played three of these four teams (they don't play St. Louis until after the All-Star Break) and are a combined 4-9 against them. Against all other opponents, the Mets have a winning record (8-7). After 28 games, the Mets have played nearly half of their schedule against teams that have winning percentages above .650. What about those three .650+ teams? How have the Marlins, Phillies and Rockies racked up so many wins early on? A quick look at their early season schedules reveal quite a tale.

The Marlins have played 27 games, but only six of them have come against teams with winning records. The Phillies have also played 27 games, with only two of those games being played against above-.500 teams (they split those two games against the Marlins). Meanwhile, the Rockies have played three of their 26 games against a winning team, losing two of three to the Marlins.

That means the Mets have played more games against the "elite" teams in the National League (13) than the Marlins, Phillies and Rockies have played combined (11). Of course the Marlins, Phillies and Rockies have good records. They've feasted on the dregs of the National League!

In addition, neither one of those three teams has played more games on the road than at home. The Mets, on the other hand, have played 15 of their 28 games away from Citi Field.

Now the Mets come back home, where they won their last four ballgames before going 3-3 on their recent Washington/Philadelphia trip. They will be facing the Giants and the Dodgers, teams with a combined 28-30 record. Meanwhile, the Marlins will playing six of their next nine games against teams with winning records (Cardinals, Phillies), while the Phillies will be facing their first real test of the season, with series against the Marlins and three of the other five division leaders (Cardinals, Rangers, Rockies) over the next three weeks.

The Mets are in last place now, but they have the opportunity to make a statement this week at home against the Giants and Dodgers. Parity is the name of the game in the major leagues this season, and the teams that have risen above it have done so by taking advantage of their weak early season schedules. But all that is about to change in the next few weeks. Will the Mets be able to rise if the other teams fall? If they do, this week's homestand could give new hope for the team and its fans.

Top Ten Reasons Why The Mets Shouldn't Sign Jeff Francis

The Mets have been looking to add a starting pitcher this offseason. Some of the names being bandied about are Chris Young, Brandon Webb and Freddy Garcia. Another pitcher whose name has been mentioned quite a bit as a potential pickup is Jeff Francis.

Jeff Francis? Really? I mean, really? The man did not pitch at all in 2009 and has a 55-50 career record for the Colorado Rockies. Despite his winning career record, I have found ten reasons why it would be insane for the Mets to even consider signing Jeff Francis, unless if they need someone to pick up the sunflower seeds spit out by Oliver Perez while he's waiting (and waiting...and waiting...) for the phone to ring in the bullpen.


TOP TEN REASONS WHY THE METS SHOULDN'T SIGN JEFF FRANCIS

10. Jeff Francis is the ultimate Jekyll and Hyde pitcher. When he's good, he's very good (2.26 ERA, 1.08 WHIP in his 55 career victories). When he's bad, he's Oliver Perez (8.36 ERA, 1.85 WHIP in his 50 career losses).

9. Despite the fact that Francis will be 30 by Opening Day and has been a starting pitcher in the major leagues since 2004, he has only surpassed 200 innings in a season once (215.1 innings in 2007). In that season, he allowed over 300 baserunners (234 hits allowed, 63 walks, 7 hit batsmen).

8. Over his career, Francis has made 149 starts but has only amassed 882.2 innings pitched, an average of less than six innings per start. In 2010, that number went down to just barely above five innings per start (19 starts, 104.1 innings pitched). Since the Mets no longer have Pedro Feliciano (or Turk Wendell for that matter), having a starting pitcher that can give your bullpen a rest is imperative. Jeff Francis is not that man.

7. In his best year (2007), the Colorado Rockies went 17-6 over their final 23 regular season games. How did Jeff Francis do while the rest of the team was going on their amazing September/October run? He went 2-3 with a 4.78 ERA. When the Rockies won 21 out of 22 games from late September to the game in which they won the National League pennant, who was charged with the only loss during that time period? Jeff Francis.

6. Now that we're on the topic of Francis' 2007 season, his one good season was more the result of great run support than outstanding pitching. The Rockies scored six runs or more in half of his 34 starts. What are the odds the Mets can give him that many runs of support?

5. Since the beginning of the 2008 season, Jeff Francis is 8-16 with a 5.01 ERA. Over the same time period, Oliver Perez is 13-16 with a 5.17 ERA. Having Francis on the team might actually make Oliver Perez believe he has a puncher's chance to make the rotation.


4. Nearly one-quarter of his 50 career losses have been against the San Diego Padres. In 21 career starts against the offensively-inept Padres, Francis is 5-12 with a 5.66 ERA. If Francis can't shut down what passes for an offense in San Diego, what chance does he have against the teams in the NL East with better offenses, like the Phillies and the Braves? Speaking of the NL East Champion Phillies and the NL Wild Card-winning Braves...

3. Jeff Francis has been remarkably consistent against the Phillies and the Braves, but not in the way the Mets would like. He has started five games against Philadelphia and five games against Atlanta. He has pitched exactly 26.1 innings against each of the two teams. He has allowed 20 runs (all earned) against the Phillies and 20 runs (19 earned) against the Braves. He has allowed 47 baserunners against each team (36 hits, 11 walks vs. Philadelphia; 39 hits, 8 walks vs. Atlanta). In 10 combined starts against the two teams, Francis is the owner of a hellish 6.66 ERA and 1.78 WHIP.

2. Jeff Francis has worn uniform #26 throughout his major league career. Needless to say, if the Mets were desperate enough to sign him, Dave Kingman would be very upset that his number was given to a schlub like Jeff Francis.

1. If Francis were to falter in the Mets' rotation, Oliver Perez might be called upon to replace him. 'Nuff said.

Should The Mets Consider Signing Jorge de la Rosa?

The free agent class for pitchers this off-season is simple. There's Cliff Lee and there's everyone else. That being said (sorry if I just brought back bad memories of Omar Minaya), since the Mets do not appear to be contestants on "Who Wants To Be A Lee-lionaire?", there is one member of "everyone else" that the Mets should consider signing. How does Jorge de la Rosa sound to you?

De la Rosa might not be the sexiest name out there. Heck, just writing his name is difficult enough. (Upper case "D", lower case "d", make up your mind!) But George, George, George of the Rose (Jorge de la Rosa translates into "George of the Rose") has left the jungle that is home to below-average pitchers and has become a respectable major league pitcher.

The Rockies pitcher has improved in each of the last five seasons. Here are Jorge de la Rosa's numbers since 2006, which was the first season in which he started more than ten games:

• 2006: 13 starts, 6.49 ERA, 1.71 WHIP
• 2007: 23 starts, 5.82 ERA, 1.64 WHIP
• 2008: 23 starts, 4.92 ERA, 1.46 WHIP
• 2009: 32 starts, 4.38 ERA, 1.38 WHIP
• 2010: 20 starts, 4.22 ERA, 1.32 WHIP

No other pitcher in the major leagues with at least 10 starts in each of the past five seasons has improved every season in both ERA and WHIP.

Since becoming a Colorado Rockie prior to the 2008 season, de la Rosa has become increasingly harder to hit. In 2008, he held hitters to a .262 batting average (.349 on-base percentage). That went down to .249 (.335 OBP) in 2009, followed by a career-best .235 (.324 OBP) in 2010.

In addition to allowing fewer baserunners, de la Rosa has also become an elite strikeout pitcher, averaging nearly one punchout per inning as a Rockie (434 Ks in 436.2 innings).

Did I mention that de la Rosa is a lefty? A left-handed starter is just what the Mets need now that Johan Santana might not be available for the beginning of the 2011 season and Oliver Perez shouldn't be available...ever.

Let's face it. Jorge de la Rosa is not going to contend for the Cy Young Award, and any team acquiring him shouldn't expect him to. However, whoever signs de la Rosa should expect a quality starter who will eat up innings (he averaged over six innings per start in 2010, and pitched at least six innings in each of his last nine starts), send many batters back to their respective dugouts without putting the ball in play, and will keep his team in the ballgame.

As a 29-year-old (he will turn 30 shortly after Opening Day), the best may be yet to come for George, George, George of the Rose. The Mets are going to be shopping for a quality arm to help their questionable rotation. De la Rosa made $5.6 million in 2010. He's already a better pitcher than Oliver Perez was when the Mets re-signed him two years ago, but will probably not be seeking a three-year, $36 million deal like the one given to Ollie.

De la Rosa is probably worth between $8 million and $10 million per year. Shouldn't the Mets take a chance on this improving pitcher rather than try to patch their staff together, hoping to find another R.A. Dickey where one might not exist?

Many teams are looking to sign Jorge de la Rosa this off-season. The Mets should be one of them.

The 2006 Cardinals Cursed More Than Just The Mets

Do you see the scene to the left? Those are the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals just moments after winning Game 5 of the World Series, giving them their tenth World Series championship and first since 1982.

On their way to the championship, the Cardinals edged out the Astros to win the NL Central division title, the Padres in the NLDS, the Mets in the NLCS and the Tigers in the Fall Classic.

To Mets fans, their heartbreaking loss in Game 7 to St. Louis is all they remember from the 2006 postseason. It signified the beginning of the end of what was supposed to be an extended run of excellence for the Mets, after ending the Braves' streak of 14 consecutive division titles and cruising to the best regular season record in the National League.

After losing to the Cardinals in 2006, the Mets followed it up with two late-season collapses in 2007 and 2008. The opening of Citi Field in 2009 was the only highlight of an otherwise horrible season in which the Mets finished 70-92. The current 2010 season hasn't been much better, with the Mets virtually eliminated from playoff contention with a month of baseball still remaining.

But what about the other teams the Cardinals had to knock out on their way to the promised land? Mets fans might think they were the only team to be pooped on by the Redbirds in 2006, but they are not alone. In fact, every team the Cardinals eliminated that year has failed to return to the heights they once had since that fateful season.


The Cardinals finished the 2006 regular season with a mediocre 83-78 record. They edged out the second-place Houston Astros by a game and a half in the NL Central, eliminating them on the next-to-last day of the season. The previous year, the Astros had defeated the Cardinals in the NLCS to reach the World Series for the first time in franchise history.

Since the Cardinals knocked out the Astros in the 2006 division race, Houston hasn't sniffed the top of the NL Central, finishing 12 games behind the Cubs in 2007, 11 1/2 games behind the Cubs in 2008 and 17 games behind the Cardinals in 2009. This season, the Astros have a 64-72 record and stand 15 games behind the first-place Cincinnati Reds.

The Cardinals' division series opponent in 2006 was the San Diego Padres. After winning the NL West division title in 2005, the Padres repeated as division champions in 2006. However, the Cardinals took out the favored Padres in four games in the NLDS. What happened to the Padres after the 2006 NLDS should look familiar to the Mets and their fans.

The 2007 Padres were one strike away from winning the National League Wild Card berth, when on the next-to-last day of the season, Tony Gwynn, Jr. (son of Padres legend Tony Gwynn) hit an RBI triple to send the game into extra innings, a game the Padres eventually lost. The Padres lost the last game of the regular season as well, forcing a one-game playoff with the Colorado Rockies to decide the NL Wild Card winner. When Matt Holliday scored the winning run in the bottom of the 13th inning, the Rockies went to the playoffs and the Padres were the victim of a late-season collapse.


After defeating the Padres in the NLDS, the Cardinals played the heavily favored Mets in the NLCS. Let's just skip over that series on move on to the World Series.

In the 2006 World Series, the Cardinals played the American League champion Detroit Tigers. The last time those two teams met each other in the Fall Classic was in 1968, when the Tigers defeated the Cardinals in seven games. This time around, the results were different, with the Cardinals splitting the first two games in Detroit, then taking all three games at Busch Stadium, winning the World Series in five games.

Since falling to the Cardinals in 2006, the Tigers have been one of the biggest disappointments in baseball. After winning 95 games in 2006, the Tigers dropped to 88 wins in 2007, finishing second in the NL Central to the Cleveland Indians. They also finished six games behind the New York Yankees for the American League Wild Card berth. The Tigers then felt they needed to upgrade their offense for the 2008 season, putting together a team that baseball experts predicted would score 1,000 runs. Even ESPN's Buster Olney chimed in, saying:

"Justin Verlander might win 20 games with the staggering run support he is likely to receive, because there are days when he may allow six runs in five innings and still win by a touchdown; the Tigers may be the latest team to take a run at scoring 1,000 runs."

Well, the Tigers began the 2008 season by losing their first seven games. After 13 starts, Justin Verlander was 2-9, with a 5.05 ERA. The Tigers' vaunted offense failed to come anywhere near 1,000 runs, scoring only 821 times. The end result was a 74-88 record, good enough for last place in the NL Central.

The 2009 Tigers appeared to be on the verge of ending the "curse" imposed on the teams that were defeated by the Cardinals in 2006. The Tigers had been in first place for 146 days of the 2009 season. But after holding a three-game division lead over the Minnesota Twins with four games to play, the Tigers became the first team to blow such a lead when they lost the tiebreaker game to Minnesota at the Metrodome. Just like the Padres had lost their one-game playoff to the Rockies in 2007 in the bottom of the 13th inning, the Tigers also lost in the unlucky 13th, when Alexi Casilla's game-winning hit brought home ex-Met Carlos Gomez.

The 2010 season may have yet another collapse. The San Diego Padres, who owned the best record in the National League for most of the season, have now lost 10 consecutive games. Their chokehold on the NL West has loosened and the Giants and Rockies are now closing in on them in the standings, with the Giants standing one game out of first and the Rockies looming 4 1/2 games out, waiting to make their latest September run at the postseason.

So Mets fans, you're not alone in going through collapses and disappointing seasons since the end of the 2006 season. Astros fans have had no September games to be interested in since losing the division title to the Cardinals in 2006. Padres fans suffered through a collapse in 2007 and might be about to experience a similar collapse in 2010. The Tigers underachieved like no other team in 2008 and followed that up with a monumental collapse in 2009.

Since the Cardinals won the World Series in 2006, they have remained one of the best teams in the National League. They are the defending NL Central champions and are in the hunt this year for a postseason spot. But those who fell to them in 2006 haven't had similar success. The Curious Conundrum that is the Curse of the Cardinals is alive and well. The Mets and their fans have been infected by the Red Plague for years, but at least they can take solace in the fact that they're not alone.

...And Then There Were Three

On Saturday night, Ubaldo Jimenez pitched the first no-hitter in Colorado Rockies history. His 4-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves left only three teams in the major leagues without a no-hitter. There are the Tampa Bay Rays, who have only been in the league since 1998 and the San Diego Padres, who have also never hit for the cycle since making their debut in 1969.

The third team without a no-hitter is the New York Mets. Although the Mets have 33 one-hitters to their credit, no pitcher has kept an opponent hitless while wearing the orange and blue.

Numerous pitchers have worn the Mets pinstripes and then pitched a no-hitter after leaving the team, such as Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden, David Cone and some Texan with the first name of Lynn. Perhaps you've heard of him. He was also known for his ability to give noogies at a moment's notice.

Someday, a Met moundsman will pitch a no-hitter before he leaves the team. Until then, Mets fans will just have to settle for 20-inning victories where they couldn't figure out how to score until the position players started taking the mound.

Maybe they should just start a position player and he'll get the Mets their first no-hitter. Stranger things have happened and they usually involve the Mets in some way. After all, the Mets could have had Ubaldo Jimenez and weren't able to sign him back in 2000. Then again, if they had, there's no way he would have thrown Saturday night's no-hitter, right?

Don't get your hopes up, Padres and Rays fans. The Mets will get their first no-hitter before you do. The man who will do it has probably not been born yet, but it will happen. Count on it!

We Believe In Comebacks, But Not Winning

The Mets are off to their worst start in 18 years. Not since 1992 have they begun the season with a 2-6 record. The team is in last place, five games behind the Phillies. The team's slogan for 2010, "We Believe In Comebacks", was supposed to be for the team coming back into contention after a miserable 2009 season.

Apparently, the team didn't read the fine print when they were informed of the new slogan. So far, the Mets have been able to come back from late-inning deficits, but have not finished the job.

Last Wednesday against the Marlins, the Mets erased a five-run seventh-inning deficit, turning a 6-1 deficit into a 6-6 game that went into extra innings. Unfortunately, Hisanori Takahashi gave up the go-ahead run in the tenth inning and the Mets fell to the Marlins by the final score of 7-6.

On Saturday, the Mets entered the ninth inning against Nationals' closer Matt Capps trailing by one run. Capps was not particularly effective, giving up a line drive single to Jose Reyes, followed by two walks. The Mets appeared poised to complete the comeback when Rod Barajas lined a frozen rope to left field. Of course, that's Willie Harris territory, meaning that the catch was made and the comeback was thwarted.

Now we get to last night's game. The Mets were already in last place and needed a victory to get back on track. They were trailing 5-3 going to the eighth inning, but scored a run in each of the last two frames to send the game into extra innings. Could the Mets finally complete a comeback, pulling out a much-needed victory at Coors Field?

I'll let the following set of pictures paint the picture of what happened on the fourth pitch from Jenrry Mejia to Rockies' catcher Chris Iannetta.



For the third time this year, the Mets appeared poised to come back from a deficit, snaring a victory from the jaws of defeat. Instead, all they snared was another heartbreaking loss. Had they completed each comeback, their record would be a much more attractive 5-3 instead of the dreadful 2-6 that's staring back at us from the newspaper.

The Mets do believe in coming back. They've shown the ability to fight back from an early deficit on three occasions this year. However, if they want to remain relevant in the NL East race and not continue to be the laughing stock of baseball, they must add "We Believe In Winning" to the equation.

If the Mets don't learn how to pull out these tight ballgames soon, not only will their 2010 slogan seem silly, but the fans will stop believing in coming back...to Citi Field, that is.