dlbags said:

Absolutely the when is the thing. I’d say if he keeps showing the discipline he has at the plate and bats lefties like he has so far; which is the only reason he’s not up yet he could really do it.

Oddly he’s made two errors and his D is supposed to be one of the best things about him.

if I were Daniel Murphy I’d be really worried with what we’ve seen thus far. But it’s only 3 days and spring.training and he’s been seeing the iffy pitchers. So who knows?

Still it’s hard not to get excited about him.

I wouldn’t say Murphy get nervous just yet. 3 days vs. minor league pitchers but “it’s hard not to get excited about him” I completely agree with. Why else would I be focussing the blog on him.

freshprince07 said:

I don’t think so and I hope not. No reason to rush Ike to the big leagues just yet, Murphy is more than adequate at 1st for now.

lezgomets said:

I don’t think he’ll make the team. Not because his skills aren’t good enough to go in the bigs, I just think that the Mets don’t want to rush him to the bigs. When players get rushed to the bigs the outcome usually isn’t that good. He is very talented though, that was one of the hardest hit balls I ever saw. This kid has some serious talent, and he just needs a little more seasoning in AAA. If he keeps showing the Mets that he can hit that good then I am sure that he will be the Opening Day first baseman for 2011. I can’t wait to see this phenom play with the Mets.

Davis is definitely the first basemen of the future especially if Murphy doesn’t step it up this year (I do expect murphy to have a good year though).

The reaction seems to be that Davis should not be on the roster and stick to Murphy. Please answer this poll about what to do:

W: Tobi Stoner (1-0)
L: Charlie Zink (0-1)
S: Jack Everts (1)

First game for the starters and a bunch of long balls led to a victory.

Box Score from MLB.com:

Game Notes:

• R.A. Dickey started and was not good giving up 5 runs and not making it through the 3rd inning. It was windy and his knuckleball wasn’t doing anything.
• David Wright hit an opposite field home run in the first inning.
• Gary Mathews Jr. also hit a homer.
• Sean Green gave up 4 runs in the 8th inning as the lefties were just pounding him.
• The Mets scored 5 runs in the 8th inning  off of a Ike Davis Grand Slam. He was 1 for 1 with 2 walks.

Game Ball:

I will be giving out a game ball (like a little league team) every time the team wins. You can track the leaders of game balls in the side bar. Today’s game ball goes to Ike Davis.

Up Next:

The Florida Marlins will be coming into town at Tradition Field at 1:10 on SNY. They also will be playing a split squad game at Jupiter against the Cardinals.

Image from Metsblog

I’d say I watched him throw a good 30 pitches, maybe more, he had essentially the same delivery on each pitch, and not once did he spin around, he finished each throw square to the batter, both feet on the ground.

In addition, his arm slot was the repeatedly the same, and he seems more explosive with his whole body as he releases the ball, he’s not slinging it like I remember.

I think that this is the year for Perez. If he does well the team will do pretty well. I can see him going 15-8 which would be very good. The key with him is to have confidence and not alter his motion every pitch. Stay consistent.

W: Johnny Venters (1-0)
L: Josh Stinson (0-1)

For a full recap and box score, click here.

Miche started and was good but errors in the 7th cost them 5 runs.

The Pitching:

• Pat Miche started and pitched 3 good innings. He gave up no runs and 1 hit. He did walk 2 though. Even though he pitched pretty well, I really hope Niese gets the 5th starter spot and not Miche.
• Eric Niesen then pitched 2 good innings.
• Then things started to fall apart. Eddie Kunz came in with a 4-0 lead and walked the bases loaded to open up the inning. Freddie Freeman of the Braves then hit a RBI ground out, Jayson Heyward doubled and Yunel Escobar hit one off of Anderson Hernandez’s glove, the game was then tied. Kunz was then taken out and relieved by Josh Stinson.
• Stinson got out of the 6th but then in the 7th gave up 5 runs but only 1 was earned.
• Neal Musser  pitched a scoreless 8th but the Mets were already trailing 9-5.

The Hitting:

• Angel Pagan drove in the first run of the day in the 5th with a single. He was 1 for 3.
• The Mets scored 3 in the 6th off of Braves pitcher Steve Marek with RBI singles from Daniel Murphy and Josh Thole and a triple by Fernando Martinez. Martinez was 2 for 3.
• In the 7th after the Braes tied the game, Mike Cervenak drove in Daniel Murphy to give the Mets a 5-4 lead.
• In our Ike Davis watch, he was 1 for 2.

The Defense:

• The Mets recored 4 errors in the game all in the 7th inning.
• First Josh Thole made a bad throw back to the pitcher Stinson after a pitch.
• Ike Davis made a error fielding a ground ball.
• Anderson Hernandez made a bad throw to first.
• One on a pickoff by Stinson on the throw to Davis.

The Mets will next play tomorrow at Tradition Field against the Cardinals at 1:10 PM. R.A. DIckey will start for the Mets and face Eva  MacLane of the Cardinals.

Image from Metsblog

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=7175839&c_id=nym

Davis was the first overall pick by the Mets in the 2008 draft and has quickly made it to double-A last year where he hit .309 in 207 at bats. He has 13 home runs and 43 RBIs. He is left handed and plays first base. He did say that he might be able to play right field as well. When he was drafted, this is what MLB.com said about him:

Power: Davis has some untapped raw power that could be developed as a pro.

Running Speed: He’s a tick below Major League average in terms of speed.

Base running: Not a base-clogger by any means, he’s a decent baserunner.

Arm Strength: Also a pitcher who throws about 87 mph, his arm plays fine from the outfield or first base.

Fielding: He’s a solid corner outfielder and can handle himself well around first.

Image from Metsblog

Range: He’s got good instincts in the outfield and would have no trouble covering enough ground to stay there.

Physical Description: Davis has a good, projectable and athletic body.

Medical Update: Healthy.

Strengths: Smooth swing from the left side; good athleticism; good bloodlines — former big league pitcher Ron Davis is his dad.

Weaknesses: He doesn’t always repeat his swing, leading to incomplete at-bats at times. Sometimes he appears to be a little low energy.

Summary: On radars since high school, when he was a 19th-round pick of the Rays in 2005, the son of ex-big leaguer Ron Davis has a sweet left-handed swing that should generate more power in the future. He’s not speedy, but he is a solid base runner and would be fine as a corner outfielder or first baseman at the next level.
In June 2008, BA did a post-draft adjustment of their top 10 Mets prospects and Davis was ranked #2, with the comments: “hulking lefthanded slugger can handle the outfield and pitch, too.

This spring, Ike has seemed like he plays the position pretty well. He has been working with Daniel Murphy, Mike Jacobs and Fernando Tatis at first base. His hitting has seemed amazing. Every time he hit BP, weather it was the knuckleballer R.A. Dickey or the fireballer Jenry Mejia, I kept reading that he is smacking them out to the warning track. He did that today with his double to go along with his other single. Scouts keep calling him, “the real deal.”

He is going to need to sure up his defense a little to get even better. He also strikes out a lot in the minors and if he could lower that it would help a lot. He is definitly the first basemen of the future though.

After his big day today here was a interview he had with Chris Carlin:

Ike is competing for a spot on the opening day roster but I doubt he is on it. Good luck though. Have a good spring and you might get it.

The Lineup:

1. CF – Gary Mathews Jr.
2. 2B – Luis Castillo
3. SS – Jose Reyes
4. 3B – David Wright
5. LF – Jason Bay
6. DH – Mike Jacobs
7. RF – Jeff Francoeur
8. 1B – Ike Davis
9. C – Chris Coste

The Pitchers:

• ATL – TBA
• NYM – Nelson Figueroa, Hisanori Takahashi, Bobby Parnell, Elmer Dessens

How to Catch It:

• 1:10 PM, Tradition Field
• SNY
• MLB Network

• Jose Reyes got a 2 RBI tripple. He hit 3rd.
• David Wright hit a ground rule double and was 1 for 2.
• Jenry Mejia was called in by Jerry Manual who spoke to him and then they laughed.

Pitching Lines:

*2 ER

1. Last week Jose Reyes was debriefed by the FBI about seeing a canadian doctor. Reyes is Debriefed
2. Darryl Strawberry has been working with Jeff Francoeur and they say that he will have a very good year.
3. The team gathered to watch the Gold Medal Hockey Game and Jason Bay and a couple of minor leaguers were the only ones rooting for Canada. They were happy.

My guess is that the latino players didn’t care and didn’t watch. Intersquad game tomorrow which I don’t think I will be able to post about until later so I recommend reading Metsblog tomorrow morning. I will talk about i later in the afternoon though but I will be a little late.

I wouldn’t worry. Reyes doesn’t seem like the guy that would take steroids and he isn’t showing in this spring. As Richard Neer was saying on WFAN, he hopes Jack Bauer doesn’t stab him with a knife to get information from Reyes. I love 24.

In other news from camp today, Jeff Franceur says that Mets camp is completely different from Braves camp and he thinks he will continue the last two months of last season into this season.

Photo from Metsblog and taken by Michael Baron.

Well every player thinks that they will have a good year. Just hope that Francoeur is right.

Former Met and spring training coach Darryl Strawberry has been working with Francoeur and had this to say:

“I think he should be a 25-homer-a-year guy, with 90 to 100 RBIs easy…You don’t just hit 25 home runs one year, then you drop off and you’re done. That’s not how this game works. When you have the ability – and he has the tools to do it – it’s just all about the right mind-set and the right approach to hitting.”

I think Francoeur can hit 20-25 homers but I doubt he will drive in 100. 80 maybe but he strikes out a lot and NEVER walks.

1. It was photo day and the players had to be at the ball park at 7:30 AM. Here are some of the photos taken by Michael Baron.
2. Kelvim Escobar most likely will start the season on the Disabled List. Don’t Count on Escobar, Mejia?
3. Francisco Rodriguez is still dealing with pinkeye and will see a doctor on Monday. Source Mets.com
4. The day was mostly focussed on routine plays.