Baseball Guru
08-28-2005, 10:53 AM
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=klapisch_bob&id=2143845&CMP=OTC-DT9705204233
Special to ESPN.com
SAN FRANCISCO -- The postgame music has been blasting through the walls of manager Willie Randolph's office these days, proof that his Mets are more than just loose -- they've taken on a swagger that challenges the notion that they don't have the talent to hang with the Marlins or the pedigree to stand up to the Braves.
All that's changed in the last week, following the Mets' four-game sweep of the Diamondbacks and their climb to within (entering Saturday's game) 1½ games of the top wild-card spot. The Mets have gone from hapless (and hopeless) in the Art Howe era to young and edgy in Randolph's first pennant race.
"We like coming to the ballpark now," is how Roberto Hernandez put it. "Everyone knows we've [stunk] on the road this year, but now we know it's right in front of us. It's right there."
The reliever was talking about the Mets' first trip to the playoffs since 2000, not to mention their return to respectability. The metamorphosis has been noticed even in the Bronx, where Joe Torre told reporters on Thursday, "the Mets are kicking the [bleep] out of people."
They scored 39 runs in four games against Arizona, batting .326., never once trailing in the series. Obviously, it's a small sample -- against a long-since-expired Diamondbacks pitching staff -- but the outburst was notable in that the Mets' youngest players were the catalysts.
Suddenly, it's David Wright and Jose Reyes who are leading the National League in hits since the All-Star break with 56 and 53, respectively. Along with Mike Jacobs, the new-age Mets have all but eclipsed Carlos Beltran (one HR in his last 103 at-bats, one RBI in his last 14 games) and Mike Piazza (on the disabled list for another week).
AP/Roy Dabner
Pedro Martinez flirted with another no-hitter Aug. 25 vs. the Diamondbacks.The Mets' "young blood" as Randolph calls it, helped the Mets sweep a four-game series on the road for only the second time since 1992. And history was made in the process.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Jacobs is the only player in history to hit four homers in his first four games following his major-league debut. He's so hot, Wright calls him "Roy Hobbs" and is only half-kidding when he says, "You're almost disappointed when he doesn't hit a home run every at-bat."
Jacobs almost didn't make it to the big-league roster last Sunday, when he was hurriedly summoned from Double-A Binghamton after the Mets realized Piazza would be out longer than expected with a broken left hand.
The left-handed-hitting Jacobs was batting .321, working on a 22-game hitting streak in the minors (one game shy of the Binghamton franchise record). His call-up was so unexpected, he arrived at Shea without his bats and was forced to borrow Cliff Floyd's in his first plate appearance -- a pinch-hit, three-run home run against the Nationals.
With four homers in his first 13 at-bats, Jacobs achieved instant rock-star status. The record-setter came in the ninth inning in Wednesday night's 18-4 win over Arizona. After hitting a homer in the second inning, Jacobs watched in the ninth inning as Jose Valverde, the D-Backs' 6-foot-5, 254-pound reliever, overpowered Victor Diaz on three 96 mph fastballs.
Jacobs wasn't intimidated. He crushed a 3-2 heater over the right field wall -- officially turning him into baseball's greatest home run hitter in a four-game debut.
"I was just like, 'Wow, that's pretty tight, man,'" Jacobs said. "That's awesome, you know? I had a few multi-home run games this year down in Double-A, but obviously doing it in the big leagues is so much more special."
The obvious question, of course, is how long Jacobs can stay this dangerous, just as the Mets must be wondering if beating up on the Diamondbacks (and possibly the Giants) will count for anything when they embark on a monster trip to Florida, Atlanta and St. Louis which starts Sept. 2.
The Mets are obviously bolstered by Pedro Martinez's leadership on the road, but there are lingering questions about his durability. Randolph pulled his ace after just six innings and 100 pitches Thursday, despite holding a mere 2-0 lead.
Aaron Heilman nearly gave away that surplus in the seventh inning before the Mets eventually prevailed, 3-1. But Martinez, who's nursing a stiff back as he approaches his highest innings total since 1998, isn't the only pitcher with health issues.
A club officials says Kris Benson has "something going on" with his right shoulder, which is why, when Steve Trachsel made his first start of the year Friday and the Mets temporarily went to a six-man rotation, it was Benson, not Pedro, who was given extra rest.
To anyone who asks, Pedro says, "I'm fine …" Still, he concedes calling one's self healthy in late August is a relative description.
"The only way I'm going to feel better is when I'm home [in the Dominican Republic], eating my mother's food, lying on the beach, sleeping as long as I want for 15 straight days," he said.
"That's when everything will be OK. Right now, another 24 hours isn't going to make a difference. Not this late in the season."
Randolph wants to believe Pedro is telling the truth and remains adamant about sending Martinez to the mound every fifth day. The manager says, simply, "We want him to pitch as much as possible."
Indeed, the young Mets, as electric as they are, still need a steadying hand.
Twice during the Arizona series, Randolph had to admonish his players for over-aggressiveness. On Wednesday, Diaz tagged up from second base on fly ball to center when the Mets were ahead 17-0. A day later, Wright (successfully) opted to snuff out a runner trying to score from third on a grounder when the D-Backs had men on first and third and none out. Wright ignored an obvious double play with the Mets leading by only two runs.
The manager said, "They're young, sometimes they make mistakes. But I like the fresh blood, the young blood. Right now, it's exciting to watch them play."
Bob Klapisch is a sports columnist for The Record (N.J.) and a regular contributor to ESPN.com.
Special to ESPN.com
SAN FRANCISCO -- The postgame music has been blasting through the walls of manager Willie Randolph's office these days, proof that his Mets are more than just loose -- they've taken on a swagger that challenges the notion that they don't have the talent to hang with the Marlins or the pedigree to stand up to the Braves.
All that's changed in the last week, following the Mets' four-game sweep of the Diamondbacks and their climb to within (entering Saturday's game) 1½ games of the top wild-card spot. The Mets have gone from hapless (and hopeless) in the Art Howe era to young and edgy in Randolph's first pennant race.
"We like coming to the ballpark now," is how Roberto Hernandez put it. "Everyone knows we've [stunk] on the road this year, but now we know it's right in front of us. It's right there."
The reliever was talking about the Mets' first trip to the playoffs since 2000, not to mention their return to respectability. The metamorphosis has been noticed even in the Bronx, where Joe Torre told reporters on Thursday, "the Mets are kicking the [bleep] out of people."
They scored 39 runs in four games against Arizona, batting .326., never once trailing in the series. Obviously, it's a small sample -- against a long-since-expired Diamondbacks pitching staff -- but the outburst was notable in that the Mets' youngest players were the catalysts.
Suddenly, it's David Wright and Jose Reyes who are leading the National League in hits since the All-Star break with 56 and 53, respectively. Along with Mike Jacobs, the new-age Mets have all but eclipsed Carlos Beltran (one HR in his last 103 at-bats, one RBI in his last 14 games) and Mike Piazza (on the disabled list for another week).
AP/Roy Dabner
Pedro Martinez flirted with another no-hitter Aug. 25 vs. the Diamondbacks.The Mets' "young blood" as Randolph calls it, helped the Mets sweep a four-game series on the road for only the second time since 1992. And history was made in the process.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Jacobs is the only player in history to hit four homers in his first four games following his major-league debut. He's so hot, Wright calls him "Roy Hobbs" and is only half-kidding when he says, "You're almost disappointed when he doesn't hit a home run every at-bat."
Jacobs almost didn't make it to the big-league roster last Sunday, when he was hurriedly summoned from Double-A Binghamton after the Mets realized Piazza would be out longer than expected with a broken left hand.
The left-handed-hitting Jacobs was batting .321, working on a 22-game hitting streak in the minors (one game shy of the Binghamton franchise record). His call-up was so unexpected, he arrived at Shea without his bats and was forced to borrow Cliff Floyd's in his first plate appearance -- a pinch-hit, three-run home run against the Nationals.
With four homers in his first 13 at-bats, Jacobs achieved instant rock-star status. The record-setter came in the ninth inning in Wednesday night's 18-4 win over Arizona. After hitting a homer in the second inning, Jacobs watched in the ninth inning as Jose Valverde, the D-Backs' 6-foot-5, 254-pound reliever, overpowered Victor Diaz on three 96 mph fastballs.
Jacobs wasn't intimidated. He crushed a 3-2 heater over the right field wall -- officially turning him into baseball's greatest home run hitter in a four-game debut.
"I was just like, 'Wow, that's pretty tight, man,'" Jacobs said. "That's awesome, you know? I had a few multi-home run games this year down in Double-A, but obviously doing it in the big leagues is so much more special."
The obvious question, of course, is how long Jacobs can stay this dangerous, just as the Mets must be wondering if beating up on the Diamondbacks (and possibly the Giants) will count for anything when they embark on a monster trip to Florida, Atlanta and St. Louis which starts Sept. 2.
The Mets are obviously bolstered by Pedro Martinez's leadership on the road, but there are lingering questions about his durability. Randolph pulled his ace after just six innings and 100 pitches Thursday, despite holding a mere 2-0 lead.
Aaron Heilman nearly gave away that surplus in the seventh inning before the Mets eventually prevailed, 3-1. But Martinez, who's nursing a stiff back as he approaches his highest innings total since 1998, isn't the only pitcher with health issues.
A club officials says Kris Benson has "something going on" with his right shoulder, which is why, when Steve Trachsel made his first start of the year Friday and the Mets temporarily went to a six-man rotation, it was Benson, not Pedro, who was given extra rest.
To anyone who asks, Pedro says, "I'm fine …" Still, he concedes calling one's self healthy in late August is a relative description.
"The only way I'm going to feel better is when I'm home [in the Dominican Republic], eating my mother's food, lying on the beach, sleeping as long as I want for 15 straight days," he said.
"That's when everything will be OK. Right now, another 24 hours isn't going to make a difference. Not this late in the season."
Randolph wants to believe Pedro is telling the truth and remains adamant about sending Martinez to the mound every fifth day. The manager says, simply, "We want him to pitch as much as possible."
Indeed, the young Mets, as electric as they are, still need a steadying hand.
Twice during the Arizona series, Randolph had to admonish his players for over-aggressiveness. On Wednesday, Diaz tagged up from second base on fly ball to center when the Mets were ahead 17-0. A day later, Wright (successfully) opted to snuff out a runner trying to score from third on a grounder when the D-Backs had men on first and third and none out. Wright ignored an obvious double play with the Mets leading by only two runs.
The manager said, "They're young, sometimes they make mistakes. But I like the fresh blood, the young blood. Right now, it's exciting to watch them play."
Bob Klapisch is a sports columnist for The Record (N.J.) and a regular contributor to ESPN.com.