The overrated apprenticeship of Bobby Parnell

Although many have their doubts, the Mets' front office stated this week that journeyman reliever Jason Isringhausen will be part of the team until at least the remainder of the 2011 season. This was mostly done so Isringhausen could be Bobby Parnell’s mentor as Parnell tries to grasp what it takes to be a big-league [...]

Should Bobby Parnell be Mets’ 8th-inning reliever?

Coming into the 2011 season, the Mets were counting on Bobby Parnell to be their 8th inning reliever, the main bridge to closer Francisco Rodriguez. But Parnell was terrible and soon found his way on the DL. Even after he was healthy, Parnell spent extra time in Buffalo trying to get back on track. Since [...]

Mets Notes: Reyes, Turner and old pal Jeff Francoeur

So much has been made about the fantastic season Jose Reyes is in the midst of right now that it’s easy to forget that this is what we missed the past two seasons. In Reyes’ last full year before the assorted leg injuries that torpedoed his 2009 season, he set career highs in hits (204), [...]

The A-B-C guide to the Mets bullpen

It’s often said that having too many good players is a nice problem to have. Judging strictly by Spring Training results, that is exactly the dilemma the Mets have in figuring out who makes their bullpen. Through games of Sunday, the Mets have three relievers who have not allowed an earned run, one with an [...]

Mets bullpen: Analyzing NL LOOGY performance

Following up on yesterday’s piece asking if the Mets need a LOOGY, I decided that we needed to see what these lefty relievers contributed, both overall and then broken down versus LHB and RHB, to determine what others have gotten from these guys. The first thing I did was do a Play Index search at [...]

Is Bobby Parnell’s roster spot in jeopardy?

This time last year, few expected Bobby Parnell to open the year with Triple-A, figuring he had a bullpen spot locked up. But a poor Spring led to an assignment to Buffalo, where he spent the first two-and-a-half months of the year. Could it be déjà vu all over again for Parnell here in 2011? [...]

Christmas wishes for the 2011 Mets

The Mets have already had their team Christmas party but they must have decided this year not to exchange gifts. Now, you may be wondering what millionaires give as gifts or what millionaires want to receive as gifts. I cannot answer that question. But I can tell you what players on the Mets really need. [...]

End of season report card for the Mets

For a season that opened up with hope, and which was carried to the All-Star break, the Mets once again flamed out and disappointed their fans and had their second consecutive losing season (79-83). Change is now on the horizon as GM Omar Minaya and manager Jerry Manuel were given their pink slips on Monday. [...]

The Mets' 2005 Draft and FA signings

The 2005 draft has been very kind to the New York Mets. Five players selected that year have reached the major leagues; the seventh most of all National League clubs, but few of those clubs can match the impact of the Mets draftees: Mike Pelfrey (1st round), Jon Niese (2nd round), Bobby Parnell (9th round) [...]

From bad to worse

The New York Mets have reached the point in the season where things become awkward; they are now waiting to die. After Friday's 7-5 loss to the Phillies, Mets manager Jerry Manuel awkwardly said it was a "tough loss," the dying equivalent of "I'm sorry." Condolences accepted. The news is no shock though. The Mets [...]