Santana Good, Maine Not so Much

Dominic Pinto — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:28:31 +0000

Johana Santana threw four scoreless innings and struck out four against the Marlins today in spring training. Meanwhile, John Maine was tagged for five runs in two-thirds of an inning by the Marlins on Sunday. Maine allowed three hits and walked three before being pulled. He’s been limited to 2 2/3 innings this spring.

Yesterday Ollie P and Hisanori Takahashi looked real good vs. the Tigers. Perez pitched four hitless innings Saturday in his start against the Tigers. Takahashi allowed one hit in three scoreless innings. Takahashi notched three more strikeouts, giving him nine in six scoreless innings.Keep in mind they were facing a Tigers lineup that included just two regulars and Perez didn’t strike out any of the 14 hitters he faced but it’s still very positive for Ollie.

Still very early so I’m not concerned good or bad with the starters, but you like to see Johan and Ollie doing well. I wonder if Takashashi will take a rotation spot over Maine or Niese.

Beltran Working Hard

Dominic Pinto — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:07:34 +0000

Carlos Beltran told the Newark Star Ledger that by April, he believes he will be able to play in rehabilitation games. Then it would take about a week to 10 days before he could rejoin the club.

With Jose Reyes out as well, the opening day lineup could look like the following:

Angel Pagan CF, Luis Castillo 2b, David Wright 3b, Jason Bay LF, Dan Murphy 1B, Jeff Francoeur RF, Cora/Tejada SS, Barajas C and the pitcher.

The earlier we can get Beltran back the better, this team will need all the help it can get with Reyes out. Beltran added that he doesn’t want to rush back unless he’s right. He says he will not rush his recovery to compensate for the loss of Reyes. Besides, he requires time to build the strength in his legs. Because, he says, “shape-wise, I want to do great.”

Reyes’ Thyroid, HGH & Carton

Dominic Pinto — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:04:24 +0000

Update

Reyes is out 2-8 weeks, basically until his thyroid levels come back down to normal. It looks like Ruben Tejada may start the season as the opening day shortstop. Without Reyes & Beltran things will be very grim for this team offensively a la 2009.

Update 3/10/10 5:40p:

A source tells Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News that Jose Reyes will not need treatment for a thyroid condition. According to Rubin’s source the most extensive change for Reyes could be a dietary modification — which is pretty insignificant. No radioactive iodine treatment may be required, the source indicated, although the person did not want to conclusively declare that to be the case for fear of a public-relations headache if a late test result somehow determines otherwise.

Update 3/10/10 9:30a:

In an interview with Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes, Jose Reyes denied having a thyroid problem.

“The specialists who took care of me in New York have told me that I’m fine and that there’s nothing wrong with my thyroid,” said Reyes. “The test [taken to follow one conducted during his physical] showed that I’m fine. We just have to wait for the results of the additional test. The [doctors] found inflammation in my throat and no medicine to treat the thyroid or any other condition has been prescribed.”

Here we go again. What is with the total lack of communication? How do the Mets continue to handle these medical issues in the media wrong every single time???

So test results have officially confirmed that Jose Reyes has an over active thryoid. He will undergo further tests to figure out the best course of treatment, which will be known by Thursday. It is thought that his condition is fully treatable.

He may or may not be ready for Opening day though. Best case scenario is that he’s back by this weekend. We should always expect the worst with the Mets at this point. His long term health is the most important thing but this whole situation is such a downer. I mean first Beltran then K-Rod and pink eye and now Reyes I’m starting to get that awful injury bug feeling from last season.

Is any one else annoyed with Craig Carton of the Boomer & Carton show on WFAN? For the past week or so he’s been pretty much saying that Jose Reyes case of hyperthyroidism was a result of Dr. Galea injecting Reyes with HGH. That’s a pretty bold statement. Regardless if it’s a possiblity I think it’s totally unfair to Jose Reyes.

I used to like Carton, but ever since he became a Yankee fan last year during their run and now this, pretty much accusing Reyes of doing HGH, he’s really annoyed me and I think most Met fans.

I did a quick Google search of ‘hgh and thryoid’ and a bunch of the links actually said that HGH may help treat hyperthyroidism. See http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/83/10/3493 and http://www.hgh-pro.com/thyroid.html

Here’s some more info on Hyperthyroidism from Google Health.

The thyroid gland is an important organ of the endocrine system. It is located in the front of the neck just below the voice box. The gland produces the hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which control the way every cell in the body uses energy. This process is called your metabolism.

Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid releases too much of its hormones over a short (acute) or long (chronic) period of time. Many diseases and conditions can cause this problem, including:

Getting too much iodine
Graves disease (accounts for most cases of hyperthyroidism)
Inflammation (thyroiditis) of the thyroid due to viral infections or other causes
Noncancerous growths of the thyroid gland or pituitary gland
Taking large amounts of thyroid hormone
Tumors of the testes or ovaries.

Tests & diagnosis

Physical examination may reveal thyroid enlargement, tremor, hyperactive reflexes, or an increased heart rate. Systolic blood pressure (the first number in a blood pressure reading) may be high.

Subclinical hyperthyroidism is a mild form of hyperthyroidism that is diagnosed by abnormal blood levels of thyroid hormones, often in the absence of any symptoms.

Blood tests are also done to measure levels of thyroid hormones.

TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level is usually low
T3 and free T4 levels are usually high

This disease may also affect the results of the following tests:

Cholesterol test
Glucose test
Radioactive iodine uptake
T3RU
Triglycerides
Vitamin B12 (in rare cases)

Prognosis

Hyperthyroidism is generally treatable and only rarely is life threatening. Some of its causes may go away without treatment.

Hyperthyroidism caused by Graves disease usually gets worse over time. It has many complications, some of which are severe and affect quality of life.

Prevention

There are no known ways to prevent hyperthyroidism.

Complications

Thyroid crisis (storm), also called thyrotoxicosis, is a sudden worsening of hyperthyroidism symptoms that may occur with infection or stress. Fever, decreased mental alertness, and abdominal pain may occur. Immediate hospitalization is needed.

Other complications related to hyperthyroidism include:

Heart-related complications including:
- Rapid heart rate
- Congestive heart failure
- Atrial fibrillation
Increased risk for osteoporosis, if hyperthyroidism is present for a long time
Surgery-related complications, including:
- Scarring of the neck
- Hoarseness due to nerve damage to the voice box
- Low calcium level due to damage to the parathyroid glands (located near the thyroid gland)
Treatments for hypothyroidism, such as radioactive iodine, surgery, and medications to replace thyroid hormones can have complications

Santana Back, Feeling Good

Dominic Pinto — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:06:25 +0000

Johan Santana made his spring training debut today and pitched for the first time since his elbow surgery last year. Santana gave up four runs and six hits in one and 2/3 of an inning but he said he felt good afterward, which is the bottom line. Santana had the following to say after today’s outing.

“I felt good because I was able to throw all of my pitches. I was a little bit off with my mechanics, releasing the ball. That’s part of spring training. That’s what we’re here for, trying to make adjustments and throw all of my pitches. The good thing is I felt good. I didn’t feel any problem in my arm. So that’s good.”

I don’t care that he gave up four runs, including a 2 run shot to opening day home run specialist Kaz Matsui. I didnt’t even care that Ollie P had a rough outing yesterday. Bottom line is health, especially for Johan, so if he continues to feel good physically everything else will fall into place by opening day.

Ike Ike Baby

Dominic Pinto — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 03:28:52 +0000

We had a feeling going into spring training Ike Davis was going to make it very tough on Mets management to send him back down to the minors. Ike Davis officially proved our hunch today. While he did make an error in the field, he walked twice, scored twice and drove in four RBI’s on one heck of a home run as the Mets pounded the Cardinals 17-11. D Wright also hit one out as did Gary Matthews Jr. but Davis was the story. I watched his home run on SNY’s encore and it was a bomb.

So should Dan Murphy be worried? In the long term absolutely. I don’t think the Mets will allow Davis though, to start the season with the big club. Whether he deserves to or not at the end of March will be a different story. I think even if he continues to mash the ball they will send him down to the minors to refine his skills a bit more. But at least we know the future isn’t too far away and as much as I hate overhyping young talent, like the Mets have done so many, many times in the past, we may have something special waiting at first for us in Ike Davis.

Reyes, The Feds & HGH

Dominic Pinto — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:47:27 +0000

Jose Reyes had a meeting with the FBI in regard to a Dr. Anthony Galea and HGH last Thursday. Reyes went to Galea last year for his hamsring to receive plasma replacement therapy, where blood is removed from the body, spun and then replaced back into the body. Galea is under investigation for conspiring to smuggle HGH into the U.S. from Canada. Galea’s list of clients include, Tiger Woods, Carlos Delgado and NFL QB Chris Simms. See a pic of Dr. Galea below:

“They asked me if he injected me with (HGH). I said ‘no,’ Reyes said. “What we do there, basically, he took my blood out, put it in some machine, spin it around and put it back in my leg.

“They called me that morning and said they want to meet me. They said, ‘It’s the FBI.’ I said, ‘Man, what did I do wrong,’ Reyes said. “It kind of surprised me a little bit and I was scared. After talking to them, they said it should be no problem with me, it’s just an investigation. I said, ‘Fine. Thanks God.’ They said that’s it… That’s no fun, man. I’ll tell you that. Everything is clear right now. So there’s nothing to worry about. I just have to play baseball.”

“I don’t do nothing wrong. I went there. I get what I had to do and got out of there,” Reyes said. “There’s nothing to worry about for me. … Right now I don’t worry because he don’t put nothing like that in my body. I know what he was doing with me. I don’t have to worry about that.

Not just because I’m a Met fan, but I believe Jose here, this Dr. Galea though sounds more like Dr. Nick from the Simpsons.

Mets Add Big Rod

Dominic Pinto — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:22:19 +0000

Pending a physical, Rod Barajas has signed with the Mets for a one year one million dollar deal. Barajas has some pop as he hit 19 HR’s last season with 71 RBI, although he only batted .226.

A good signing here by Omar, while Barajas isn’t great, he’s a pro. He should be the starter this year with Henry Blanco, aka Hank White, as the backup. He threw out 33% of base stealers last season and supposedly is good with pitchers. Maybe he can give the team some tips on beating Roy Halladay, his former battery mate, while he now catches the best pitcher in the N.L. East this season in Johan.

Spring is in the Air

Dominic Pinto — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:06:20 +0000

This has felt like one of the longest off seasons in team history, mainly because our season was pretty much over last July, but finally pitchers and catchers are officially reporting to Spring Training today.

It’s really hard to assess this team, will we return to 2006-08 competitive form or the sloppy play and mental mistakes that dominated last season. I think with the return of health and the starters the team will be in decent shape but the true success of the team will revolve around the rotation as it did last season. We were hoping for 15 wins out of Pelfrey last year and it seemed he took a step back. We thought that Maine and Perez would give you at least 10 wins and they both got hurt. Ollie will be key this season, let hope that off season training in Arizona paid off.

There are some key position battles that will play out in spring training.

First base is open for either Dan Murphy, who I’d say is the leading candidate, Mike Jacobs or Fernando Tatis.

Centerfield, till Carlos Beltran returns, will be manned by either Gary Matthews Jr. or Angel Pagan, I don’t see either one getting too much of a strangle hold on the position though.

The last spot in the rotation is also up in the air. Will it be Fernando Nieve, Jon Niese, Nelson Figeuroa or maybe Hisanori Takahashi.

Finally, in an off season in which Omar Minaya cornered the back up catcher market, and by the way we’re still looking at Rod Barajas, the starting catcher position is the last one to be played out this spring. We have a multitude of candidates in Omir Santos, Josh Thole, Chris Coste, Shawn Riggins and of course Henry Blanco aka Hank White.I’m not even sure if any of these guys will get enough playing time to show their stuff. I assume the one that works the best with the pitchers will have the edge here, although if Josh Thole is batting .400 at the end of March, you never know.

Well it’s almost here folks, the first step is in place, pitchers and catchers. The success of the team will rest on these pitchers and catchers this season. The rest of the team will join by next Tuesday and we’ll see what we have.

Are We Spoiled??

Dominic Pinto — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:28:45 +0000

So I was thinking about how angry I am this off season, the anger that has stemmed from the lack of free agent signings and trades by the Mets. I was thinking about the frustration that has boiled over from last season, that continues to stew and is near the top of the lid of the pot and ready to spill all over the place.

And so I thought to myself am I, along with my fellow Met fans, justified to be this mad? Could it possibly be that we have become a little spoiled over the past few off seasons acquisitions? So now I’m thinking may be that is the case. I mean only the Red Sox and Cardinals gave out larger single contracts to a player this off season, in Lackey and Holliday.

I think much of the anger that Met fans feel stems from the lack of spending/trades in actually improving the team’s needs from last season. The main need was starting pitching, and we can say all we want about how guys were over paid this off season, but the bottom line is we did nothing to improve the rotation. One could argue we’ve taken a step back.

At this point it really may be better to take an underdog mentality into this season. Expect the team to be horrible and maybe we’ll be surprised. Yes,this is hard to do considering one year ago at this time we were picked as World Series champs by Sports Illustrated, but at this point I’m almost tired of being angry. I’ve come to accept the fact that we weren’t willing to spend more this off season.

All that said, there are a couple of things that still bother me. One is the lack of real answers, a lack of knowing what the real plan is. A day after last season they come out and insinuate they are going to make big moves and here they are a month before Spring Training and they have signed one impact free agent. I really feel like a pawn in a government run by Omar Minaya as George Bush and Jeff Wilpon as Dick Cheney.

So I’ll ask again Are We Spoiled? Are we acting like spoiled brats pouting? Jealous of the Yankees and Phillies that are contstantly in our face? Are we forgetting about the majority of baseball organizations who don’t have nearly as high a payroll as we do?

Or are we justified in our off season anger? Anger from lack of improving the team’s specific needs and lack of spending wisely. Anger from the high ticket prices for a team that was horrible last year and that hasn’t won a championship in a long tme?

Being a Pessimet, I feel our anger is justified, but there’s one thing that will turn that anger into happiness, and that is simply winning. Let’s hope the team gets off to a fast start in 2010 or things will get ugly quickly, and unfortunately I think it will stay that way for a long time before it gets better.

Ice Man Returneth

Dominic Pinto — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:20:03 +0000

UPDATE 2/10/10: Mike Jacobs has signed a minor league deal with the Mets for 900k if he makes the roster and can make more in incentives which could push the total to 2.05 million.

According to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com the Mets may be close to signing former Met Mike Jacobs. Jacobs was traded to Florida for Carlos Delgado back before the ‘06 season.

Russel Branyan is also still available and will probably be cheap but as usual this off season the Mets are not interested.

I’m definitely not sold on Murphy, I mean he’s pretty much a stop gap till Ike Davis is ready, so I would rather have a verteran with pop in Branyan, manning first.