Acosta began the season in the Buffalo Bisons bullpen but made it back to MLB in early June. His 2011 MLB season was very much like 2010 — uneven and marked by strings of strong outings that may or may not have outweighed the bad ones. His overall stats were a little worse in comparison to ’10, with his ERA jumping a half-run (2.95 to 3.45), a raised WHIP (1.21 to 1.38), and a lower strikeout rate (9.53 K/9 to 8.81). One thing he did improve was his walk rate, which was reduced from 4.1 BB/9 in 2010 to 2.9 BB/9 in 2011. But, opposing hitters took advantage of more pitches to hit, as batters hit for a higher average (.219 in ’10 to .269 in ’11), with more power (slugging percentage jumped over 100 points, from .328 to .430); batters increased their OPS against him from .636 in ’10 to .759 in ’11. Acosta allowed 9.6 hits per nine innings in 2011, compared to 6.8 in 2010. Finally, he allowed 7 of 17 inherited runners to score, or 41% — that’s bad (the league average is 30%). http://www.metstoday.com/7120/11-12-offseason/2011-analysis-manny-acosta 10-24-11: - http://risingapple.com/2011/10/24/2011-season-in-review-fernando-martinez - So what is next for F-Mart? In an ideal world, he would’ve spent most of the year at Buffalo, healthy and getting plate appearances, and then received consistent playing time with the Mets as their season drew to a close. Since that wasn’t the case, it seems likely that Martinez will begin his fourth season in Buffalo at the age of 23 (although to be fair, none of those seasons have been full ones). But what about long term? Given his chronic leg problems, F-Mart isn’t a candidate to replace Angel Pagan in center. With Jason Bay locked into left field and Lucas Duda seemingly next year’s starting right fielder, Martinez is going to have to either hit like crazy or serve as an injury replacement in order to see significant playing time next year. It seems like Martinez has been around forever, and yet he only has registered 145 Major League plate appearances. At this point, it doesn’t seem like he will develop into the hitting stud which he was once projected, but that doesn’t mean he should be written off completely. There is still time for F-Mart to home his raw talent and become a productive player at the Major League level. 10-24-11: - http://scoutingthesally.com/game-report-mets-prospect-juan-urbina - Fastball: Urbina featured an above average fastball. He worked primarily in the 87 to 91 MPH range, touching 93 more than once. When working in the high 80′s, he showed some plus downward movement on his 2 seam fastball. As the night went on, he had difficulty commanding this pitch. His 4 seam fastball left something to be desired. At times was flat, especially when he reached back for extra velocity. A 93 MPH flat 4 seam fastball got driven for a home run, another was lined sharply for an out. He did not lose velocity despite getting tired, and he last fastball he threw was 93. When right, he worked in and out with his fastball on right handed hitters, setting them up for his vaulted change up. Change up: Going into this game, any scouting report I found about Urbina talked about how good of a pitch his change up is, Those reports didn’t disappoint. Clearly it’s his best pitch and the pitch that has the ceiling of a plus-plus offering. His arm action on this pitch is tremendous, especially when you consider he is only 18. He only slowed down his motion as he got tired and I don’t believe, even then, a good swing was made on the pitch. It sat between 80-83, with good downward movement. On more than one occasion, it just dropped off, resulting in an ugly swing and miss. Breaking Ball: Honestly, I didn’t see enough to really say anything about his breaking pitches. I have heard he throws a Curveball and a Slider, but they weren’t on display that evening. Now, Darren Oliver has his best chance at getting the one thing all players long for, a World Series ring. With the series tied at 1, Oliver and the Rangers head home for the next three games as the heavy favorite to win the Series. For Oliver, it would be the crowning achievement for a man who was out of the Major Leagues just seven years ago. If the Rangers can win the World Series it would be another defining moment in the professional life of Darren Oliver. It would make him a World Series champion and give him a World Series ring that so few players ever get a chance to wear. It is funny how a moment can change a life. One moment, he was almost out of baseball. Because he chose to sign with the Mets, he worked with Peterson and emerged as a quality reliever. Now, he’s in his second World Series. His resiliency and his openness to change under Peterson led him to this moment–back with his original team and trying to win the organization’s first World Series title. What a moment that would be. http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/10/22/darren-olivers-second-act Last week, I lamented the Mets' mediocrity, and — while I still rue every single member of that organization — my life is made infinitely more miserable by Yankee fans. Even though the Yankees had an early exit from this year's playoffs at the hands of some guy named Fister, I still hear it from my Yankee−fan friends because the Mets are constantly cast in the shadow of the most successful sports franchise in history. Our cross−town rivals outclass us in every way: legacy and championships, not to mention those fancy pinstriped jerseys. After each Yankees victory, Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" (1977) can be heard booming from the PA system. It doesn't get classier than that. Do you know what they play after the Mets win? Me neither, 'cause I've never seen it actually happen, but I'm pretty sure it's in Spanish. http://www.tuftsdaily.com/sports/zach-drucker-the-loser-1.2657886
Acosta began the season in the Buffalo Bisons bullpen but made it back to MLB in early June. His 2011 MLB season was very much like 2010 — uneven and marked by strings of strong outings that may or may not have outweighed the bad ones. His overall stats were a little worse in comparison to ’10, with his ERA jumping a half-run (2.95 to 3.45), a raised WHIP (1.21 to 1.38), and a lower strikeout rate (9.53 K/9 to 8.81). One thing he did improve was his walk rate, which was reduced from 4.1 BB/9 in 2010 to 2.9 BB/9 in 2011. But, opposing hitters took advantage of more pitches to hit, as batters hit for a higher average (.219 in ’10 to .269 in ’11), with more power (slugging percentage jumped over 100 points, from .328 to .430); batters increased their OPS against him from .636 in ’10 to .759 in ’11. Acosta allowed 9.6 hits per nine innings in 2011, compared to 6.8 in 2010. Finally, he allowed 7 of 17 inherited runners to score, or 41% — that’s bad (the league average is 30%). http://www.metstoday.com/7120/11-12-offseason/2011-analysis-manny-acosta 10-24-11: - http://risingapple.com/2011/10/24/2011-season-in-review-fernando-martinez - So what is next for F-Mart? In an ideal world, he would’ve spent most of the year at Buffalo, healthy and getting plate appearances, and then received consistent playing time with the Mets as their season drew to a close. Since that wasn’t the case, it seems likely that Martinez will begin his fourth season in Buffalo at the age of 23 (although to be fair, none of those seasons have been full ones). But what about long term? Given his chronic leg problems, F-Mart isn’t a candidate to replace Angel Pagan in center. With Jason Bay locked into left field and Lucas Duda seemingly next year’s starting right fielder, Martinez is going to have to either hit like crazy or serve as an injury replacement in order to see significant playing time next year. It seems like Martinez has been around forever, and yet he only has registered 145 Major League plate appearances. At this point, it doesn’t seem like he will develop into the hitting stud which he was once projected, but that doesn’t mean he should be written off completely. There is still time for F-Mart to home his raw talent and become a productive player at the Major League level. 10-24-11: - http://scoutingthesally.com/game-report-mets-prospect-juan-urbina - Fastball: Urbina featured an above average fastball. He worked primarily in the 87 to 91 MPH range, touching 93 more than once. When working in the high 80′s, he showed some plus downward movement on his 2 seam fastball. As the night went on, he had difficulty commanding this pitch. His 4 seam fastball left something to be desired. At times was flat, especially when he reached back for extra velocity. A 93 MPH flat 4 seam fastball got driven for a home run, another was lined sharply for an out. He did not lose velocity despite getting tired, and he last fastball he threw was 93. When right, he worked in and out with his fastball on right handed hitters, setting them up for his vaulted change up. Change up: Going into this game, any scouting report I found about Urbina talked about how good of a pitch his change up is, Those reports didn’t disappoint. Clearly it’s his best pitch and the pitch that has the ceiling of a plus-plus offering. His arm action on this pitch is tremendous, especially when you consider he is only 18. He only slowed down his motion as he got tired and I don’t believe, even then, a good swing was made on the pitch. It sat between 80-83, with good downward movement. On more than one occasion, it just dropped off, resulting in an ugly swing and miss. Breaking Ball: Honestly, I didn’t see enough to really say anything about his breaking pitches. I have heard he throws a Curveball and a Slider, but they weren’t on display that evening. Now, Darren Oliver has his best chance at getting the one thing all players long for, a World Series ring. With the series tied at 1, Oliver and the Rangers head home for the next three games as the heavy favorite to win the Series. For Oliver, it would be the crowning achievement for a man who was out of the Major Leagues just seven years ago. If the Rangers can win the World Series it would be another defining moment in the professional life of Darren Oliver. It would make him a World Series champion and give him a World Series ring that so few players ever get a chance to wear. It is funny how a moment can change a life. One moment, he was almost out of baseball. Because he chose to sign with the Mets, he worked with Peterson and emerged as a quality reliever. Now, he’s in his second World Series. His resiliency and his openness to change under Peterson led him to this moment–back with his original team and trying to win the organization’s first World Series title. What a moment that would be. http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/10/22/darren-olivers-second-act Last week, I lamented the Mets' mediocrity, and — while I still rue every single member of that organization — my life is made infinitely more miserable by Yankee fans. Even though the Yankees had an early exit from this year's playoffs at the hands of some guy named Fister, I still hear it from my Yankee−fan friends because the Mets are constantly cast in the shadow of the most successful sports franchise in history. Our cross−town rivals outclass us in every way: legacy and championships, not to mention those fancy pinstriped jerseys. After each Yankees victory, Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" (1977) can be heard booming from the PA system. It doesn't get classier than that. Do you know what they play after the Mets win? Me neither, 'cause I've never seen it actually happen, but I'm pretty sure it's in Spanish. http://www.tuftsdaily.com/sports/zach-drucker-the-loser-1.2657886
Jose Reyes — Aside from carrying the team this year for stretches at a time, the spark-plug shortstop won the first batting title in franchise history with an average of .337. Furthermore, the pending free agent scored at least 100 runs (101) for the fourth time in his career and stole 39 bases; he is the franchise leader in both categories. If this was goodbye, thanks for the memories, Jose! - http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ycn-9174449 Darren Oliver, Texas Rangers -- Yes, Darren Oliver is still in the league. Yes, Oliver is still effective with a 7.6 bWAR since departing the Mets for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim following the 2006 season. He was an afterthought in 2006 following a year where was released from two different minor league organizations, but the Minaya touch unearthed another gem that added gusto to the southpaw's second wind in the Majors. Oliver was on the roster for the last Mets playoff appearance, which should make it even easier for you to root him on. He'll also be joined by fellow 2006 teammate Endy Chavez, another player who needs no introduction to Mets fans. And Oliver will be cheered on by a few ex-Mets alumni in Rangers co-owner Nolan Ryan and pitching coach Mike Maddux. - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/9/30/2459916/a-mets-fans-guide-to-recognizing-your-saints-in-the-2011-mlb-playoffs 10-3-11: - http://www.metsminorleagueblog.com/season-review-the-full-season-catchers - Kai Gronauer led the B-Mets in games caught with 51, hitting .253/.326/.373 at age 24. His season was interrupted by a hamstring injury. Gronauer is a good communicator and a good interview, but threw out 29% of opposing base stealers (17 of 58). That’s not enough to even be Nickeas. Darryl Strawberry (1990): Until recently the best offensive player the Mets have ever produced, Straw’s contract expired at the end of the 1990 season. At the time he was at the pinnacle of his career: at age 29 he was on pace the break the all time home run record and was coming off a 37-home run season. Darryl spurned the Mets, instead inking a lucrative five-year $22.25 million contract with his hometown Los Angeles Dodgers. He proved to be a bust in LA, hitting only only 38 home runs in three years there before being released. He drifted to San Francisco and then later to the Yankees where he enjoyed a revival of sorts, but his sure-fire Hall of Fame career when he left the Mets was lost in a haze of injuries and drug abuse. He has since reconcilled with the Mets and recently surfaced, warning Reyes to stay in New York. Hard to envision what could have happened had he stayed (many blame the influence of hometown friends on his demise in LA) but the cost of replacing him—first Vince Coleman and then Bobby Bonilla—ushered in a Mets Dark Age that lasted from 1991 to 1998 and the arrival of Mike Piazza. - http://www.metstoday.com/7084/11-12-offseason/adios-jose-five-free-agents-who-left-the-mets Bob Knepper and the Astros led 3-0 in the ninth inning. A New York loss would tie the series and put the Mets at Mike Scott's mercy in Game 7. Scott already had two complete game victories, suffocating New York on eight hits. The Mets were 108-54 during the season, running away with the NL East by a staggering 21½ games. Suddenly, everything was in peril. Mets outfielder Mookie Wilson: "The team was arrogant enough to deny defeat. They didn't think that was possible. But once the series started, I sensed fear for the first time. … I think of all the things we feared the most was facing Scott in Game 7. We knew what was at stake. We knew that if we lost Game 6, Game 7 was pretty much a write-off. Mentally, most of the guys on that team didn't think that we could beat Scott.'' - http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/story/2011-10-03/1986-playoffs-bill-buckner-mets-red-sox/50646152/1
