Posted: Sunday, 11 May 2008 6:50AM
Coleman's Corner: Get Back On The Schneid
Ed Coleman
mets@wfan.com
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New York, NY (WFAN) -- Well, 20% of the season is now in the books, and the Mets are not exactly where they thought they would be or probably where they should be. The fast start that the team had envisioned and had hoped for has not happened, and with 1/ 5 of the schedule complete, we've already seen the good, the bad and the ugly. Now for a little more good and a little less ugly. No one is running away with this division, and although I think that Fredi Gonzalez has done a superb job with the 20-win Marlins thus far, I don't believe that first place Florida will be there in two months. The Mets have issues, and the sooner they start addressing them, the better.
They can begin on Friday night when they commence a 7 game homestand against lowly Cincinnati and Washington by getting Mike Pelfrey back on line. And the best way to do that is to have Brian Schneider behind the plate. Schneider should be ready to go after having two straight days off to rest his infected left thumb. This is nothing against Raul Casanova who's done a fine job filling in for Ramon Castro (Castro will be activated on Friday night), hitting .283 with a homer and 6 RBI in 12 starts. But the difference in Pelfrey with Schneider behind the dish is like night and day. Pelfrey has made 5 starts - Casanova has caught the last 3. In those three, Pelfrey has logged just 15 1/3 innings and given up 28 hits (including all 3 of his home runs), 14 runs, walked 10 and struck out 4. His ERA is an unsightly 8.22. Schneider caught Pelfrey's first two starts - in 12 innings, 10 hits, just 2 runs, 4 walks and 7 strikeouts - his ERA with Schneider - 1.50. Pelfrey is a much different pitcher with a more experienced backstop who handles pitching staffs well to guide him through a game. Let's face it - Pelfrey sometimes needs someone to slap him upside the head and get him back on track, and Schneider can and is not hesitant to do that. By the way, Pelfrey could possibly help himself by studying some film of the last guy he opposed on the mound - Arizona's 8-0 Brandon Webb. Now Webb has a Cy Young under his belt and a season last year where he won 18 games, pitched 236 innings, struck out 194 and also racked up 42 consecutive scoreless frames. I'm not saying that Pelfrey is ready for that, but they're both big boys (Pelfrey is actually 5 inches taller at 6-7) with tremendous power sinkers and good offspeed stuff. The difference is that Webb commands his offspeed pitches much better and has a better idea of how to set up hitters. He has five years on Pelfrey (29 to 24) and experience counts, but there's no reason that Pelfrey can't make strides toward being that kind of dominant pitcher with more work - and more confidence.
 Before we leave Schneider (and let me throw in Ryan Church for good measure) - how do all those off-season detractors feel about the Lastings Milledge deal now? Schneider's been hurt and has only 65 AB, but he's hitting .308 with a .395 OBP. Church has been the Mets' most consistent player so far, batting .328 with 6 homers and 24 RBI and leads the team with 27 runs scored. His OBP is .394 - he's hit in four different spots in the order and has handled the # 2 slot exceptionally well - and they're both plus players defensively. Milledge will have four games back at Shea next week when the Nationals come calling to state his case - let's just hope he shows up on time.
Has anyone seen Carlos Beltran? Just looking around for the Mets' cleanup hitter, that's all. You know, when you make a proclamation like Jimmy Rollins did last year, it actually helps if you go out and play like Rollins did. Come to think of it, maybe Beltran has - Rollins has been on the shelf for most of the season, and it seems like Beltran has been right there alongside him for a good part of it. His numbers for the cleanup spot (.218 - 2 - 13) are pathetic. He has scored 25 runs but that's largely due to 25 walks. He does have 10 doubles, but then again 7 of them came in the first 6 games. Beltran has not driven in a run in the last 9 games - he's hitting .368 with RISP and less than 2 outs - but he has yet to get a hit (clutch?) with RISP and 2 outs (0-19). Overall he's batting just .184. He did hit the ball hard 3X in the final game in Los Angeles (2 of them for outs), so maybe the wakeup call has finally been received.
The other Carlos - Delgado - actually has a 6 game hitting streak going (7-23), but there are liabilities attached. Have you noticed it takes 3 hits to deliver him from first base? And speaking of first base, he has become a statue around the bag. Delgado simply has to at least stop more of the balls hit directly at or around him, because his range has diminished greatly. The Mets need more of his big-bat presence in the lineup to offset his presence in the field. Maybe he can follow Church's lead - 9 of Ryan's last 14 hits have been for extra bases (4 homers, 4 doubles and a triple). That's what you need from Delgado - well, maybe not the triple.
Speaking of triples, how about John Maine? Three straight wins - all following Met losses - that's picking up your team. The walks are coming down and Maine's success is going up. Listen to what closer Billy Wagner had to say about the 8 1/3 innings Maine delivered on Wednesday against the Dodgers - "Anytime you can give the bullpen a physical and mental day off, we can relax and take a deep breath. I think we have 115 appearances in 32 games (they do). That's tough. And for him to step up and pitch a big game like that with a day off tomorrow, it'll speak volumes down the road".
And Wagner's numbers speak for themselves. Just 1 unearned run in 13 innings of work - only 3 hits and 2 walks - 13 strikeouts and that flat zero ERA to go along with 7 saves - outstanding.
C U at Shea (or maybe Yankee Stadium next weekend)
Eddie C |
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