New York Mets' Rookie deGrom Ends the Teams' Pitchers' 0-64 Slump

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The New York Mets have had a slight problem with their pitchers this season. Not necessarily with their actual pitching performances, although the Mets have had better years in regard to pitching statistics - the problem was with their bats. Being primarily a fan of the American League and the designated hitter, I really did not see that this was some kind of record. Had I heard mention of the hitless streak? Sure. Did it mean that much to me? Not really. 

A huge proponent for the National League to just give in and adopt the DH, it did not occur to me that anything was amiss. I watch interleague play, of course, but I always assumed that pitchers just did not really put in much effort towards hitting (I have seen that Bartolo Colon has had some interesting at-bats since joining the Mets but I loved watching him literally stand there and look at the opposing pitcher like they were crazy ... I miss him on the A's!).

That the Mets' pitchers were 0-64 to start the season? In my mind was really a "so what, who cares?" type thing. Pitchers, in my little world at least, are just not supposed to hit. Seriously, I sound like a ridiculous baseball fan to some people when I say things like that but I definitely believe it (I do not think that the NL's lack of the DH makes anything THAT much more "strategic" - Am I biased? YES! Grew up an A.L. girl but still this is a "smart persons' sport" which I believe and a smart person should be able to see the merits of the DH vs. anything slightly "strategic- but whatever, that's just my opinion). It opens them up to injury and half of them are not even good at it anyway. Actually I'd say more than half but whatever I'm completely digressing from the story at hand ... one I actually found to be quite cute and interesting.

So as I was saying the Mets' pitchers were a Major League Baseball record 0-64 at the plate to start the season. I'm sure to the Mets' fans that seemed like an eternity and I guess it is. They broke the previous record held by the 1914 St. Louis Browns who opened their season in an 0-45 slump. A century is a long time to hold a record, however random or unpleasant, and the Mets pitchers beat it by being worse by 19 at-bats! Damn! 

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But as all streaks must come to an end the Mets' undesirable one did Thursday when rookie pitcher, Jacob deGrom, singled in the third inning of the final game of the Subway Series against the New York Yankees. The story would still be a good one if I only described deGrom as a "rookie." However, it the first MLB start of this kid's career as well as his first big league at-bat. He was a shortstop and would sometimes come in to pitch, in a relief role, while playing in college at Stetson University. 

The 25-year old was a starting pitcher during his four seasons in the minors going 21-11 in 58 starts with a 3.62 ERA but he would not have been the person you, I or anyone else would have picked to break the Mets' pitchers' hitless streak. deGrom hit .176 in just 34 plate appearances during time in the minors and he had only just been brought up from Triple-A Las Vegas to replace injured Mets' starter, Dillon Gee. Gee is on the disabled list with a right lat strain.

Even though the Mets went on to lose the game to the Yankees by a score of 1-0, I'd consider this somewhat of a win for deGrom - breaking the hitless streak, getting his first major league hit and compiling some good statistics - giving up just one run on four hits while striking out six and walking only two. The one run came on a RBI double in the seventh inning by Alfonso Soriano. I feel for the Mets since they didn't get the win but they will get more wins if deGrom pitches and hits the way he did at Citi Field on Thursday afternoon. The Mets and Yankees split the four game each winning two games apiece.

Bartolo Dazzles as Mets defeat Braves! #TeamBartolo!!

At almost 41-years old Bartolo Colon pitched like he was in his 20′s again. Over seven innings he did not allow a runner past second base ruining the Braves’ home opener at Turner Field. Colon allowed only six hits, struck out five and an issued not a single walk. He threw 101 pitches in the game and 70 of them were for strikes. Colon explained,

“They know I throw a lot of strikes, so they swing a lot and that helps me.”

That’s an extremely true statement. Last season in Oakland Colon used his fastball 90% of the time. He went 18-6 with a 2.65 ERA. He was second in the American League in both wins and ERA and finished sixth in the Cy Young Award voting.

To Read more about the Mets & Braves game and one of my fave players!! CLICK HERE!!

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*I also did an article on Bartolo and why the Mets should feel lucky to have him - and how I think he got snubbed in the Cy Young Award Voting for Sports Unbiased. If you want to check it out CLICK HERE! (I'm very much #Team Bartolo!!!)

MLB News: Rick Ankiel Retires

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Rick Ankiel officially announced his retirement Wednesday via St. Louis broadcaster Dan McLaughlin who made the announcement during the St. Louis Cardinals Spring Training Broadcast. This brings to an end the career of a very unique and intriguing ballplayer.

Drafted straight out of high school in 1997 by the Cardinals, Ankiel made his major league debut as a pitcher in 1999 at the age of 20. In 2000 he was rated at the number one overall prospect in baseball by Baseball America. After having a good regular season Ankiel faltered in the playoffs. He completely lost control of his pitches. He had two very poor starts, one in the NLCS against the Braves and the other in the NLCS against the Mets. He lasted no more than three innings in each start.

Ankiel continued to struggle in 2001 and was soon sent to the minors. Shortly after he had Tommy John surgery and besides on appearance pitching in relief for the Cardinals in 2004, it looked as though his career was at its end.

Read the rest of the story on OPSN - Outside Pitch Sports Network, a Major League Baseball Advanced Media Afiliate

Sogard Loses out to Wright in MLBN's Face of MLB Competition

After a three month long, hard fought, Twitter battle by the fans, David Wright the third baseman of the New York Mets was named Major League Baseball Network’s (MLBN) Face of MLB for 2014. The competition began with 30 different “faces,” one for each franchise, pitted against each other in a bracket-style competition. On Thursday it was whittled down to just two, Wright and Oakland Athletics’ second baseman Eric Sogard.

Eric Sogard (Image courtesy of Christian Peterson/Getty Images)

The vote was close and the battle intense. Wright received 51% of the fan votes to Sogard’s 49%. Neither player was expected to be in this position back in December. Not with the faces of guys like the New York Yankees Derek Jeter, the Boston Red Sox’s David Ortiz and last year’s winner, from the Cincinnati Reds, Joey Votto in the mix.

The Oakland fans, however, took it upon themselves to launch a campaign much bigger than anyone could have thought possible. The Nerd Power campaign stems from the fact that Sogard is one of very few, if any, ball players that still wear their glasses on the field. Unfortunately for the Sogard, the A’s and their fans their ridiculously hilarious, creative tweets just weren’t enough to over take the Mets’ fans and their Captain America campaign for Wright.

For More of this Story Check Out Sports Unbiased - Your Alternative Source for Sports

It's Sogard vs. Wright, East Coast vs. West Coast in Face of MLB Finals!

The final two contestants in MLB Network's (MLBN) Face of Major League Baseball competition were announced on the show, The Hot Stove, this morning. The final two will be Eric Sogard of the Oakland Athletics and David Wright of the New York Mets. It's a battle of East Coast versus West Coast and a battle of a big name player in Wright versus a virtually, until now, unknown player in Sogard. 

Sogard's fans have made his "Nerd Power" extremely hard to beat. Their tweets, along with his teammates tweets, have been hilarious and the internet "memes" have been as well. The Athletics and their fans are supporting Sogard in this way but they are not offering prizes or follows for votes. Sogard is a great face for the Athletics. He is an underdog, a status the A's themselves embrace. He is the epitome of small market teams and the adversities they face in the shadow of so many big market teams. 

To Read The Rest of this Article Check out the MLB Pro Blog OPSN - Outside Pitch Sports Network

MLBN's Face of MLB Competition Down to the Final Four!

If you haven't heard about it yet then you must not have a Twitter account. MLB Network's (MLBN) Face of MLB is a bracket-style competition that faces off each of the fan voted "face of the franchise" players against each other. The competition is now down to the Final Four: David Wright of the New York Mets, Eric Sogard of the Oakland Athletics, Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners and Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays.Not who you thought it would be, huh? While Wright and Hernandez may be big names, not one of the teams is a team that gets a lot of press on a regular basis. First are two east coast teams, both usually overshadowed by the New York Yankees and then there are two American League West teams. Let's face it, not many in the eastern U.S. stay up late to watch the A's battle the Mariners!

To Read the Rest of my Article and VOTE in our S.U. Poll Check Out Sports Unbiased - Your Alternative Source For Sports!

Nolan Ryan to Return to Astros in Advisory Role

Nolan Ryan
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Since Nolan Ryan resigned as CEO of the Texas Rangers back in October, there have been rumors about him going to work for the Houston Astros. It appears that those rumors have become fact.  According to Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston, Ryan will be joining the Astros front office in an advisory role.

Ryan will be an adviser to the club's business and baseball advising owner Jim Crane, general manager Jeff Lunhow, and team president Reid Ryan. Reid is Ryan's oldest son and that is likely the reason that Ryan is coming out of his brief retirement. About working with his son Ryan told the Houston Chronicle,

"It would be special and totally different than I have dealt with before because it's on the major league level and an organization. And if I could assist him in some way, it would be fun and challenging."

The Astros and Ryan met in January but any decisions had been kept quiet until now. On Monday Crane told the MLB.com's Brian McTaggart that the team was hoping to hear back from Ryan "any day." Crane didn't have much longer to wait because the answer he was waiting for came today in the form of a "yes."

In January, Ryan talked about the potential differences between working with the Rangers and the Astros ,

"I see my role in baseball different now from when I was with the Rangers. That gives you kind of a different feel about it and about the way it would involve my time and commitment. It would be more on a consultant type basis."

During his 27-year career Ryan pitched for both ball clubs.

Nolan Ryan with the Astros in the 1980's
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He was with the Astros for eight seasons and spent five with the Rangers. Before being back home in his native state of Texas, Ryan also pitched for the New York Mets and the then California Angels. An eight time All-Star , Ryan finished his 27-year career having pitched 5,386 innings, winning 394 games and posting a 3.19 ERA.

The Astros are currently trying to rebuild their team which finished 5th in the American League West last season with a 51-111 record. Hopefully, Ryan's advice will be helpful for the ball club.

For More News from around MLB Check Out: MLB Nation!

Mets' Matt Harvey May See Some Late Season Action

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Matt Harvey, the ace of the New York Mets, who underwent Tommy John surgery just this past October is recovering at an unexpectedly rapid pace. When it was announced that Harvey would undergo the surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow it was assumed that he would miss all of the 2014 season. The usual recovery period for someone undergoing this kind of surgery is usually 12-15 months. It can take others even longer and has been known in some cases to take up to two years.

Initially, Harvey wanted so much to pitch in 2014 that he was prepared to skip surgery and just work on rehabilitation. Ultimately he opted for the procedure because there is a much greater chance of re-injury in taking he former course of action. Harvey says that he knows in the long run he made the right choice telling Daniel Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal,

"It's frustrating knowing I'm not going to spring training and going to pitch, but going forward, you look at some of the deals that have been made, financially, performance-wise, it was the best decision.  Going forward, having a long career, it's a decision I'm happy I've made."

In an unexpected twist however, it was recently reported by Dan Martin of the New York Post that Harvey could begin throwing by February 22, exactly four months to the day that his surgery was performed. He is progressing much faster than anticipated and is very optimistic that he may not miss the entire 2014 season. Harvey would like to get in a couple quality starts by September.

Depending on any setbacks in Harvey's recovery and whether or not the Mets are in post season contention will likely influence how soon the young phenom will be back in the game. If the Mets are out of contention, there is no reason to rush the 24-year old right hander. The Mets have seen this happen before to Atlanta Braves' RHP Brandon Beachy.  Beachy, who returned just 13 months after his surgery re-injured himself requiring yet another surgical procedure. The Mets cannot take that chance with their budding star and Harvey understands that. In his interview with the Post he said,

"I can't throw the uniform on and go back on the mound without the permission of higher-ups."

Harvey coming back by the season's end would be a month or two short of the year long recovery period but with the way he is progressing now it looks as though it may be a strong possibility. Whether or not the Mets decide to take that chance is another story.

Up until his injury last season, Harvey was performing at a Cy Young level. He started the All-Star game at his home park and was was 9-5 with a 2.27 ERA.

For more news from around the league check out MLB Nation!

Is Fernando Rodney the Last Hope for the Orioles, Mets? Who Will Win Out?

**IF YOU ARE READING THIS ON YOUR MOBILE & CANNOT SEE IT - TRY SWITCHING TO "VIEW ON WEB" OR "WEB VIEW" & YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE IT!** (Sorry about that)

With pitchers and catchers set to report to Spring Training in just weeks, there are still teams in need of key players and the free agent pool is getting smaller by the day. The Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets have this problem and both need to fill the same key role. They need a late-inning reliever, preferably an experienced closer.

Grant Balfour

The Orioles traded their closer Jim Johnson to Oakland then proceeded to blow off a what seemed like done-deal with former Oakland closer Grant Balfour due to medical concerns about his wrist and knee. The Mets, who have basically ignored their bullpen needs this off-season, seemed to have suddenly remembered that their closer, Bobby Parnell, is coming off of neck surgery and may be a liability in the closer role. With just a group of youngsters to back up Parnell, it seems they need a

Fernando Rodney

plan “B” as well.

For more and to find out how Fernando Rodney fits in this situation go to Sports Unbiased! - Your Site for all Sports, News, Polls and Predictions!

Bartolo Colon's 2013 Cy Young Snub Will Benefit The Mets In 2014: Here's Why

Updated, Edited & now on Sports Unbiased ~ #TeamBartolo

I’ve been reading articles by others regarding the Mets and their two-year $20 million signing of veteran pitcher, Bartolo Colon.  All the reviews have been positive to a point but, in my mind, not positive enough. Colon is the 2005 CY Young Award winner and, just this past season, was the Oakland Athletics’ Ace. His critics don’t appear to fully understand how good Colon was last season. The Mets have signed a veteran pitcher who should have won the 2013 American League CY Young, not finished sixth. After all, Colon finished the season with the second most wins and the second best ERA in the AL.




Read the rest on Sports Unbiased ... your site for all Sports News, Polls and Predictions!

Why I am still Team Bartolo

Why the Mets should feel lucky to have him and why the I think he should have gotten more credit for his performance in 2013!

I've been reading articles by others regarding the Mets and their two year $20 million signing of veteran pitcher, 2005 CY Young Award winner and most recently former Oakland Athletic, Bartolo Colon. All the reviews have been positive to a point but in my mind not positive enough. They don't understand how good Colon was last season and what they are getting is a veteran who should have won the 2013 American League CY Young (yes, even over Max Scherzer!). But he finished 6th in the CY Young Voting not exactly where you would expect to find the guy who finished the season with the second most wins and the second best ERA in the AL.

Granted we know the REAL reason the Colon didn't even get a single first place vote, the positive testosterone test of 2012. These things are not easily forgiven especially by the members of the Baseball Writers Association of American (BWAA). Yet, Colon, stood up immediately and took responsibility for his actions. Then later took his punishment in a stand up and honest fashion, unlike many who are either fighting their suspensions or denying that they are guilty of any wrong doing. Colon issued a statement in 2012 saying,

"I apologize to the fans, to my teammates and to the Oakland A's," Colon said in a statement released by the players' association. "I accept responsibility for my actions and I will serve my suspension as required by the joint drug program."

Colon's reaction to, well, getting caught and the A's reaction by re-signing the then almost 40 year old for the 2013 season gave me reason to believe there was a little more there to Colon, a reason to keep him around. The A's took a one year $2 million gamble on a guy I think they knew from personality and attitude alone would be an asset to the club and an asset he was!

 Personally I was skeptical of Colon at first he let down the entire club and the fans but after developing a fondness for his happy personality I decided to give the guy a chance. This all was difficult since I wasn't his biggest fan in 2012. Too many seasons with the Angels had left a bitter taste in my mouth. Yet from then on I was all about being #TeamBartolo and took on a "show me a positive test from 2013 and until you do I will support him 100% " attitude. Of course there were no positive tests for Colon last season who went on to have one of the best in his career finishing 18-6 with a 2.65 ERA in 2013. He succeeded in establishing himself as the team's Ace, again helping to lead Oakland to a second straight American League Western Division Title. He's a happy guy all around, always smiling and wishing he could pitch everyday! . He also believes, and I agree, that he may just have a few more years of baseball in him.

Apparently the Mets concurred with this assesment signing the free agent to a two year $20 million deal. The reviews of this trade have been positive but not all have believed in the idea that Colon will be the Mets' Ace in 2014 even with starter Matt Harvey out for the season having a torn UCL in his elbow. If Colon pitches like he did in both seasons with the A's it is certainly possible that he could be the Mets new Ace. They are lucky to have him!

Back to my original thought when I began this post. It is that Colon finishing 6th in the CY Young voting is just not right in my mind. He had MANY more wins that Sanchez who finished first in ERA and while he had fewer wins than Max Scherzer who obviously was the AL wins leader! I think that those two second place finishes should trump Sanchez's fifth place finish in wins and Scherzers third place finish in ERA. Just my opinion of course but to not even get any first place votes just makes me cringe - he was clean this season, he took his punishment and didn't weasel his way out of it the way Milwaukee Brewers 2012 NL MVP Ryan Braun did. Colon made a mistake, apologized and payed for it. Give the guy a break. He pitched brilliantly in 2013 without the use of performance enhancing drugs. Given the chance he could have easily won as many games as Scherzer having missed a start due to his suspension and two or three starts during a brief stint on the disabled list in late July. Not to mention that he out pitched Scherzer when they faced off in the final game of a four game series against Detroit, he got a no decision in that game when closer Grant Balfour blew his second save of the season, giving up a walk off homer to Torii Hunter, taking the loss.

I'm not saying that the taking of PEDs is ever ok. It is not of course and there are many athletes over the years I wish were not tainted with the stigma. But Colon is not a Barry Bonds or a Mark McGwire (although I do LOVE McGwire!) he took responsibility and is a good influence for the most part to the teams he plays for. At least he was one in Oakland! The fans grew to love the big guy and he was good to the fans and the club in 2013. So he made a mistake and that leads to him finishing sixth in the voting? Just seems harsh. Of course what I think is of no real matter, but I've been wanting to write this blog for a long time! Since before the end of the season I've had all this just sitting there in my head ... finally I found a moment here to talk about it! 

Finally, I will ALWAYS be #TeamBartolo, unless of course you show me a current positive test, but I just don't see that happening in this case. I wish him all the best in New York and I look forward to hopefully seeing him pitch and pitch well in Oakland .... I mean the Athletics' can't possibly win EVERY single game in 2014? .... He's a guy I would take one loss from. (However if it were really possible for a Major League Baseball team to go undefeated I'd have to have the Athletics shut him down! LOL!) #Team Bartolo! 

Find a Revised Version of this post on Sports Unbiased - your site to all Sports News, Polls and Predictions!