A Word on Yesterdays Met Lineup

If you were at Citi Field yesterday (as I was), you got to see a piece of history. No, it wasn't a perfect game, or a 500th home run, or a 300th win. It was the worst Met starting lineup since, at the very least, 2005 . That's not an understatement either. In case you forgot, or blocked it out, here it is:

1. Pagan, lf

2. F. Martinez, rf

3. Beltran, cf

4. Tatis, 3b

5. Murphy, 1b

6. R. Martinez, 2b

7. Schneider, c

8. Valdez, ss

9. Redding, rhp

Wow. That's terrible.

I'm normally not a big line up guy. I don't look at the order on a day to day basis and analyze it all too much. I've always subscribed to the theory that good hitters will hit, regardless of if they are leading off or bringing up the rear. I know this goes against saber metrics, so feel free to shoot me in the face the next time we meet. In general, I find the over analysis of lineups to be missing the point. The game is about who's in the game and who's not, not about whether they are hitting 4th, 5th or 6th.

Yesterday's lineup issues have nothing to do with order. It has everything to do with the decision to sit two of the three best healthy players on the team on the same day. I question why Gary Sheffield and David Wright had to sit during the same game. This is a team that has encountered a wealth of injuries over the last three weeks. Despite the negatives of the last two seasons, health was, for the most part, a relative constant. Now that the injury bug has hit flushing, I'm not sure the Mets are handling it as well as they should be. Besides being completely unprepared for long term injuries by starters at almost every position (that's a topic for another post), lineups like yesterday's make it seam like the team doesn't know how to play short handed.

I'm all for giving guys time off. But again, why two on the same day? Is it because Josh Johnson was on the hill? Johnson is a guy who the Mets have never been able to figure out. It's usually a theory I would yell and scream about on "The Edge", but didn't yesterday reek of a "give away game?" The logic behind the give away game doesn't make any sense to me anyway. If your facing a pitcher who has always given you trouble, why wouldn't you want to arm yourself with the best arsenal possible. Especially if your playing shorthanded to begin with.

Make no mistake, my issue with the lineup is not that guys got time off. I'm all for that. It's the fact that the Mets put themselves at a decided disadvantage before the game even started.Gary Sheffield is forty years old and will need more than a few days off as we get further into the summer. He may have been winded after an exciting 11th inning on the base paths on Friday night. You could make a convincing argument that Sheff is the MVP of May. He's carried the team in the last two weeks. What's most encouraging about him is that he's hitting bullet line drives. That's how you know that a player is locked in. David Wright has had about 3 off days in his entire career (and I'm not really exaggerating). He's also hitting .335 with 30 rbi's. Not exactly in need of a "mental health day". I think its a great idea to give Wright a day off here and there, but if Sheff couldn't go, why couldn't' Wright sit today? or Friday night?

It just doesn't make any sense....

Other notes:

* Prediction: Omir Santos is the starting catcher by August 1. Not because he's going to continue this hot streak he's been on, but because he'll beat Schneider out fair and square. I think everyone in my section yesterday had the same thought about Schneider. Nobody really missed him.

* Have no fear: according to David Lennon, Carlos Beltran left yesterdays game because of a virus. I don't know if he'll play this afternoon, but at least its not the knees again.

*I wonder what will happen with Tim Redding. This is the second consecutive start that he's been categorically terrible. With Oliver Perez no where near the big club yet, (Lennon reported that Ollie is headed back to Port St. Lucie for another MRI) will it be time for Nelson Figeroa round two? I say yes. I don't think the Mets want to keep John Niese on a trampoline between the majors and the farm. The general consensus is that too much movement between levels is bad for the development of a pitcher. The certainly can't keep sending Redding out their. I think its time for everyones favorite spot starter...Figgy!

* Next time you go to Citi Field- get a hamburger....delicious.

- Jordan Lauterbach