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
From July onward, Acosta owned a 2.11 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 3.41 K/BB. The reliever also earned seven save opportunities, and converted four of them. On the season, Acosta hurled a 3.45 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and 3.07 K/BB. On the surface, the righty’s 2011 was inferior to his 2010 production, but in many ways, his 2011 was more consistent and actually showed important growth. The 30 year-old dipped a bit in the strikeout department (from 9.53 K/9 to 8.81 K/9), but sacrificed some sitdowns for walks (from 4.08 BB/9 to 2.87 BB/9). In addition, while Acosta was supported by an unsustainable .280 BABIP in 2010, his .326 BABIP in 2011 was working against him (thus the spike from 6.8 Hits/9 to 9.6 Hits/9). And as beautiful as his 2.95 ERA was last season, his 3.52 xFIP correctly suggested a more human projection–which was true given Acosta’s 3.45 ERA in 2011. But unlike 2010, Acosta’s 3.60 xFIP in 2011 fully legitimized his surface statistics. - http://risingapple.com/2011/10/20/2011-season-in-review-manny-acosta St. Louis has almost totally rebuilt its roster with just Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and Chris Carpenter remaining from the 2006 champs (Adam Wainwright missed this season after Tommy John surgery). The Mets, meanwhile, have just Reyes and Wright left from that 97-win team; and face an offseason in which they must decide whether to keep going forward with that duo. I spoke to five Mets executives and the sense I got was they believe Reyes will sign elsewhere and -- at the least -- they will be open-minded when teams inquire onWright - http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/out_of_their_league_sPwuHFy9bpaNPhhqOdiAzI#ixzz1bPfhSomF The Mets and Yankees are tentatively planning to play two exhibition games against each other toward the end of spring training next year, according to two baseball officials familiar with the schedule. Under the plan being discussed, the teams would play one game at the Mets' spring training complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and the other game at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. They would mark the first spring training games between the New York teams since 1996. The teams used to play each other regularly in the spring, with the Yankees winning 45 of 87 games all-time. But when the Yankees moved their spring training base from Fort Lauderdale to Tampa in 1996, the travel became inconvenient. And after the start of the Subway Series in 1997, the novelty wore off. – www.wsj.org I’m not saying that the Mets aren’t hitting the ball (they are), but they’ve resorted to playing small ball, hitting doubles, getting gritty. I personally like the gritty Mets better than the guys that hit home runs all the time. Evantually, it’s like, “Look at that, he hit another one.” It’s tough to expect powerful run production from rookies like Lucas Duda, Justin Turner, etc. It shouldn’t matter how we get the run, as long as we get the run. While I think bringing in the fences will quiet down the Mets Blogosphere, it can only do so much to help them win games. http://itsallmetstome.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/will-bringing-in-the-walls-help The raised 16-foot wall in left field is expected to be chopped down to a more reasonable eight feet and the 415-foot graveyard in right-center field is expected to be moved in 25 feet to leave the new depth 390 feet from home plate. Additionally, the Mets will get rid of the quirky Mo's Zone nook in the right-field corner by moving the fencing closer. The move comes after three seasons of debate about how the park's cavernous dimensions affected the team's power hitters. While there's no way of knowing how much truth there is to the popular theory that the home-runs-turned-flyouts were psychologically damaging to Jason Bay and David Wright, the park did yield the third-lowest home-run rate in the National League last year at 1.33 home runs per game. http://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/10/21/2505842/new-york-mets-new-dimensions-fences-move-Citi-Field
Michael Baron: For most of the month, or really, most of the time since Francisco Rodriguez was dealt to the Brewers, I’ve said it’s been a time of learning about the current pieces in the Mets bullpen. It hasn’t been so much about finding out who these players are so much as it’s been about learning who they aren’t. In the case of Acosta, there has been a lot of growth with him as a player this season. Having said that, I think it’s clear he isn’t consistent enough to close on a regular basis. However, Acosta has most definitely proven he can be a very good setup man and a guy who could be mixed-and-matched in the seventh and eighth innings, depending on the matchups. While nothing is set in stone, I expect him to not just be back next season but to figure prominently in that role. Since June 28, Acosta has pitched to a 1.89 ERA in 38 innings. - http://www.metsblog.com/2011/09/25/what-to-make-of-manny-acosta
Medical staff treating Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter for cancerous brain tumors discovered "an abnormal and unusual spot" on his right temple, his daughter Kimmy Bloemers wrote in the family's online journal Sunday night. He was immediately dispatched to get a biopsy. "When I saw the look on my dad's face, I just wanted to cry," Bloemers wrote. "This journey has been so emotional when there has been just one thing after the next that dad has to conquer. Dad did not complain; he just had look of sadness. I really hate that dad has to go through such a tough road. Dad got the biopsy and actually had several spots removed in various places. We hope to find out the results soon." - http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/7021281/hofer-gary-carter-suffers-setback-cancer-battle 
The Rays took the much-maligned Kyle Farnsworth and turned him into an effective closer this season. I wonder, if someone studied the issue deeply, if relief pitchers are actually more effective working as a closer than as a setup man. Are the best relief pitchers used as closers because they’re the best relievers, or is there something about the usage pattern that makes closers the best relievers? Because the closer role is the only relief role in history that has a regular usage pattern associated with it, and there might be something to that. I guess the point is that the Mets might be better off signing a non-closer on the cheap, sticking him in the ninth, and then watching him transform into an elite reliever. Maybe it’s just the usage pattern. - http://www.patrickfloodblog.com/2011/09/26/the-search-for-a-closer/#comment-3367 
The last time the Mets blocked a minor league team from coming into the Tri-State Area it led to the wildly successful Long Island Ducks and the Atlantic League. Seventeen years later the Mets play the baseball grinch again by blocking the Scranton Yankees from playing their 2012 International League home schedule at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium in Newark. This time, however, I don’t believe baseball in Newark will have a happy ending. Newark baseball has a rich tradition that dates back to 1902. There were the Newark Indians, Newark Pepper of the Federal League, and the Newark Eagles of the Negro National League. Effa Manley was their owner and she was the first woman to own and operate a professional baseball team. The current Newark Bears edition, which plays in the independent Can-Am League, is a spinoff of the Yankees minor league affiliate of the same name that existed from 1926 to 1949. - http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=40312
