I am certain that on some level, my tardiness in reporting that Anderson Hernandez is once again a member of the Mets is a realization that acknowleding it publically will prevent me from walking around pretending it never happened, which is what I really want to do.
Once upon a time, I held a reasonable hope that the Mets might once and for all cure themselves of their penchant for carrying worthless middle infield reserves who play too often, only to see Wilson Valdez, Angel Berroa, Argenis Reyes and now Hernandez come back from the dead, almost all of them polluting the No. 4 and/or 11 jerseys.
Hernandez was actually reacquired by trade late last week from the Washington Nationals, for whom he flamed out this season already — and to whom I was only too happy to see him go a year ago (and that was for Luis Ayala). I know, with the way things have gone this year this is about what we’re going to get but it doesn’t remind me any less of Wilson Delgado and Ricky Gutierrez stinking up the joint out there in 2004.
Hernandez’ addition to the roster resulted in a DFA for Berroa and for Anderson’s third different number with the Mets — he’d worn 1 and 4 in previous visits. The Mets also replaced the injured Jon Neise on the roster by recalling Elmer Dessens from AAA. Dessens was back in No. 64.
Ayala
Submitted by Jon Springer on Wed, 08/12/2009 – 8:57am.
Ayala was the opposite of everyone else in the ’08 pen. Instead of walking everyone, he threw too many strikes.
I believe he’s already been released by the Twins this season, so no great loss. I do think the Mets would have considered keeping Ayala around had their first (and practically only) goal of the off-season not been to make a show of how revolted they were with the bullpen.
What do they do now? Limp to the finish line, fire Omar (he should have been whacked last year) and consider a manager who can resist the passive, play-not-to-lose style of every manager under Omar.
Flotsam & jetsam…
Submitted by gored82 on Wed, 08/12/2009 – 12:00pm.
Not to make light of your characterization of the organization and its follies, but rosters throughout the major leagues are populated by light-hitting middle infield reserves; to wit, Jeff Keppinger (another ex-Met!), Ramon Santiago, Ronny Cedeno, Cesar Izturis, Paul Janish, Alfredo Amezaga, Alberto Gonzalez, Brendan Harris, Augie Ojeda, etc. etc.
Mets ’10?
Submitted by Sideline Guy (not verified) on Wed, 08/12/2009 – 12:45pm.
I would love to see John Stearns back in the clubhouse as manager. I think he’d kick these guys in the teeth. At least he might get some of them to use two hands when catching a pop-up.
Could we get someone in the Twins organization to handle GM duties? They never have any money and they always seem to field a competitive team year in, year out.
Middle Infielders
Submitted by Chris C. (not verified) on Thu, 08/13/2009 – 7:49am.
I like the Stearns idea. It would have been nice to see him around during the Mets’ good years.
Augie Ojeda is a light-hitting middle infielder? Every time I see him on SNY, etc. he looks like Miguel Tejada at the plate. WHat does he eat before facing the Mets?
Ojeda
Submitted by gored82 on Thu, 08/13/2009 – 11:08pm.
.242-5 HR-28 RBI this year, .242-0-17 last year, .274-1-12 in 2007…but 9-for-20 and 9 RBI last year and this year vs our Stems…I still call him light-hitting since 20 ABs is a rather small body of work…
more info here http://ultimatemets.com/profile.php?PlayerCode=5461 and here http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=MLB&id=3036
Jerry
Submitted by Jon Springer on Fri, 08/14/2009 – 7:22am.
Sadly, those figures are more than enough for Jerry to treat him as if he’s Albert Pujols. It’s stuff like that — intentional walks of the 8th hitter, same three relievers every night, bunting your best hitter left alive in the first inning, that’s been driving me nuts since the start of the year.
btw, my objection isn’t to the existence of weak-hitting middle infielders, necessarily, just that they’ve played too often for the Mets in recent years. And if I may whine a little more — it’s been six years since Reyes arrived we still haven’t managed to develop even a replacement-level middle infielder of our own.