Mets baseball blog

Backman back in the family

Wally Backman was hired Monday as manager of the Mets’Brooklyn Cyclones farm team in the New York-Penn League.

A member of the Mets’ 1986 World Series championship team, Backman was hired to manage the Arizona Diamondbacks in November 2004. He was fired four days later after The New York Times reported he had been arrested twice and had financial problems.

“I am thrilled and grateful to be coming back to the Mets’ organization,” he said in a statement. “Brooklyn is a major minor league team, and I know the borough’s fans are — like me — intensely passionate about baseball and about winning.” Continue

Mets lower 2010 season ticket prices

Ticket prices are tumbling for the Mets, mirroring their performance on the field.

The Mets said Thursday they are cutting the price of 2010 season tickets by an average of at least 10 percent and in some categories more than 20 percent following a disappointing opening year at Citi Field.

“What happened on the field this year was certainly disappointing,” Mets executive vice president Dave Howard said. “We think it will prove to be an aberration. The injuries were so widespread and had such an impact. We’re confident we’ll come back healthy and better next year. But the economy is still a challenge and we just wanted to be as aggressive as we could in reducing the pricing.” Continue

Sheffield coming undone

It is the 2009 Mets. So, of course, the story never gets better. Only more humiliating. Only more dispiriting. Only more bizarre.

Gary Sheffield went from on his best behavior to, well, being Gary Sheffield. That means the five-month honeymoon is over replaced by Sheffield's familiar demands for more money combined with less professionalism. So even one of the Mets' few feel-good stories this year -- Sheffield proving to be a mature, useful player -- has now exploded on them.

The Mets rejected his bizarre request for a contract extension. So Sheffield, according to sources, initially became verbally abusive, then demanded he be released or traded to the Marlins, then threatened to return home to Florida, and finally just pulled himself from the starting lineup. He struck out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning and then ignored reporters' interview attempts after the game. Continue

Bernazard probably safe with Mets

The Mets have let it be known that they are taking the Tony Bernazard investigation seriously, putting it in the hands of non-baseball people in the organization, and that makes me think there's a pretty good chance the assistant GM will survive his latest firestorm.

In a roundabout way, meanwhile, that could mean trouble for Omar Minaya.

At least that was the sense Thursday after talking to people close to the situation, that Jeff Wilpon still values Bernazard's baseball opinions enough to let him slide on the various off-the-field antics that have made headlines the last few days. Continue

Bad News Mets have 4 all-stars

The Mets defied logic yesterday by landing four invitations -- most in the entire National League -- to the July 14 All-Star Game in St. Louis.

Despite sitting three games under .500 and four games back in the East, third baseman David Wright and center fielder Carlos Beltran were voted in as starters, while Johan Santana and closer Frankie Rodriguez were tabbed by NL manager Charlie Manuel of the Phillies. Continue

Injuries may pave way for Fernando Martinez

Ryan Church will be examined by team doctors in New York on Monday. He may have a hamstring strain that would send him to the disabled list, potentially paving the way for top prospect Fernando Martinez's promotion. "After last year, let's just find out what it is and deal with it," Church said Sunday.

Mets officials don't want to promote the outfielder without regular playing time available. But the combination of Church on the DL, Carlos Beltran's bruised right knee and Daniel Murphy shifting to first base would allow for an everyday role. Beltran served as DH all weekend against the Red Sox and said he could not have played center field Sunday. Asked if he could play Monday night, Beltran was noncommittal. "I'm going to go to the ballpark and take some fly balls and decide," he said. Continue

Perez sent to bullpen

The Mets played it safe Monday when they decided to stick Oliver Perez in the bullpen rather than banish him to the minor leagues. But is that enough of a wake-up call for a $36-million pitcher with a 9.97 ERA?

"I hope so," manager Jerry Manuel said before last night's game at Turner Field. "Because there may not be a next one."

Tough talk, sure. But the Mets still have a serious problem on their hands with Perez, whose fragile psyche is as much of an issue as his off-kilter mechanics and sore right knee. Continue

What about Ollie?

 The Mets got an unscheduled off day here yesterday due to the rain, but they remain in a fix when it comes to Oliver Perez.

The struggling left-hander's status stayed cloudy after Perez apparently balked at a trip to the minor leagues that the Mets hoped would enable him to salvage a season already gone terribly wrong.

The Mets are set to take Perez's spot in the rotation away after yet another terrible start Saturday, when he allowed four runs on five hits and six walks in a season-low 2 1/3 innings of their eventual 6-5 loss to the Phillies in 10 innings.Continue

Pelfrey likes it cool

The forecast for today's game against the Reds calls for cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-50s, a significant upgrade from the near-freezing conditions for Opening Day at Great American Ball Park.

Mike Pelfrey is probably the only one disappointed by the news. The Wichita, Kan., product actually was looking forward to more frosty temps for his first start this season.

"I love it," Pelfrey said. "Just the fact that I know the hitters don't want to be there."

It seemed that way Monday, when the Mets' pitching staff limited the Reds to only three hits, a franchise record for Opening Day. They had allowed four hits on three different occasions, the last time in 2002 against the Pirates. Continue

Mets have much to prove

Today, the Mets begin the single-most pressure-packed season in their history. This afternoon, at Great American Ballpark, against a feisty batch of upstart Cincinnati Reds, the Mets will attempt to finally reverse two years' worth of negative feelings and numbing failures. They also will attempt to prove that this core of players, celebrated as a championship core for a fourth time, really is that.

That it really is composed of championship timbre.

"I think we're ready," manager Jerry Manuel said yesterday, after a final tune-up at Citi Field, on the brink of a 162-game test unlike any of the 47 others that have preceded it. "I think we're prepared. I'm excited, the players are excited. We're healthy. We're looking forward to it, and we can't wait to get it going." Continue