Baseball Thread V

He does know his baseball all right... enough so that his screen name is a replacement player from the dreaded 1994-95 work stoppage.

Just kidding, Lou. Carry on.

 

Don't look know but Vincent Padilla has gotten hot for the Rangers. In his last two starts he's 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA (15.0 IP) ,13 K, and just 4 BB. Padilla always seemed to have good stuff with the Phillies but control was always an issue.

Do you think the Phillies wish they never traded him? It was a money move if I recall and they recieved a PTBNL. Any idea who the PTBNL turned out to be?

 

My second choice of screen name was going to be Kevin Millar another scab former Red Sox player.

 

Okay, time for some of us honest folk to own up to some things. Yes, I said the Mets did not look like a division winning team with the pitching staff they had put together, and yes, I said Lastings Milledge looked like he wasn't ready for the majors.

Now -- if I may -- the Mets are looking good in the NL East because they made significant changes in the pitching department and don't have to use Victor Zambrano and/or Jose Lima anymore. I congratulate Omar Minaya for those moves. The other reason for their place in the standings, though, is that the rest of the division just happens to be God-awful. Hey, you take what the world gives you.

And I still believe Milledge, who will someday be a quality player, needs to be sent back down when Nady is ready to play. He has a load of talent, but can still do some silly things.

Other than that, carry on, and leave Lou alone while he tries to work his way back to the majors.

 

Tough call on Milledge but I think he needs to go back to Triple A. If you can improve the club with a trade for a good pitcher (starter or reliever) you might consider moving Nady or Floyd. But you don't just trade from your outfield depth to make room for Milledge. That depth has been a big part of the Mets' success so far. Chavez has been a perfect fit as the fourth outfielder and Milledge has shown some great skills and instincts, but he's also made his share of rookie mistakes. The big drawback to sending him back down is that he doesn't get to learn from Floyd, Delgado, Wright, Lo Duca, etc. Those guys run a good clubhouse and Milledge is probably learning a lot from just being around them.

 

The latter part is really where I stand. He's maturing daily and Floyd is his mentor, a mentor that won't be there next season. It's going to be either outfield depth or infield depth. Chavez has definitely cemented himself as a solid #4 outfielder. He's developing at the plate nicely and he has more defensive skills than I thought.

In the end it just about Minaya getting in the right free-agents. The veterans like Delgado, Franco, LoDuca, Pedro, Glavine...those guys can bring together a team quickly. What Delgado has done for Beltran is worth his contract alone.

 

Mike Scioscia's man-love for Darin Erstad ruined another game last night.
Scioscia pinch runs him in in the 7th of a tight game, then lets Erstad bat in the bottom of the 9th with 2 on. Game ending double play. With Kendry Morales sitting, who could have pinch-hit.

Erstad just finished a 3-33 minor league rehab stint.

Erstad needs to be DFA'd, because Scioscia can't resist using all that veteran grit and leadership.

 

I'm betting Milledge stays and a reliver goes (bye-bye Heath Bell).
Or maybe they release Eli Marrero (who has yet to move off the bench)

 

Here we go again:

Reyes singles, Chavez RBI double ... eighth straight game on this trip Mets have scored in top of first!