Results tagged ‘ Yankees ’
K-Rod Puts Off-Base Bruney in Place
If you’re one for trash talk, then take a look at the war of words between Brian Bruney and Francisco Rodriguez.
Your initial reaction may pose the question, “Who the heck is Brian Bruney?” If so, then you and K-Rod have something in common.
Bruney, a rehabbing Yankees reliever, unleashed on K-Rod following the Mets’ ninth-inning meltdown Friday night.
Only he did so from a Class AA locker room while on a rehab assignment.
Instead of commenting on only the relevant, aka his own performance and injury status, Bruney decided to take a shot at the Mets star closer whose first blown save in 17 chances came when Luis Castillo failed to squeeze a routine, game-ending pop-up in Friday’s 9-8 setback.
Bruney was quoted as saying, “Couldn’t have happened to a better guy on the mound, either. He’s got a tired act. He gets what he deserves, man. I just don’t like watching the guy pitch. I think it’s embarrassing.”
Wow. This Bruney character is almost as unbelievable as the dropped pop-up itself.
Consider this. Bruney has 13 career saves since breaking into the majors with Arizona in 2004.
During that same time span, Rodriguez has saved 222 games, including an all-time MLB-record 62 last season alone.
But wait, K-Rod’s 16 saves this season are more than Bruney’s career number.
It gets even better.
Rodriguez actually has more saves (222) since 2004 than Bruney has innings pitched (191.1).
Mets Move On from Miscue
The hardest thing in baseball has to be the ability to never get too high or too low, while remembering that all 162 games are equally important.
I could never master that skill, which is one of numerous reasons why I’m a major league blogger rather than a Major League Baseball player.
In an ultimate display of a “new day, new opportunity” mentality, the Mets bounced back from Friday’s floundering finish to triple up the Yankees, 6-2, Saturday afternoon.
It was a huge victory for obvious reasons, and it also allowed the Mets to gain a game on the Phillies, who lost to Boston for a second straight night, in the NL East standings. New York sits 3.0 games back of their division rival with their ace set to pitch Sunday.
Mets second baseman Luis Castillo (you may have heard of him) went 2-for-5 on the Saturday afternoon, but the real star was substitute starter Fernando Nieve. Silencing the Yankees on the way to his first win since he went 3-3 for Houston in 2006, Nieve threw 6.2 innings of two-run ball.
Absolutely Baffled, But Can’t Crush Castillo
The Subway Series opener ended in absolutely excruciating fashion. In all that I’ve seen in my years as a Mets fan, I never witnessed something like that, and I never want to again.
Not even the greatest of mind-altering drugs could swing one’s emotion so drastically and quickly than that dropped pop-up did Friday night. From euphoria to devastation in 0.24 seconds.
If I felt awful, then I can imagine what Luis Castillo was feeling inside. If you saw the second baseman during his post-game locker room interview, then you got a pretty good idea.
Appearing completely distraught, Castillo made no excuses. He stated the obvious that the play was a routine one before solemnly repeating, “I feel bad … I feel bad.” Postgame Reaction Video (courtesy of SNY.tv)
I can’t crush Castillo here, and for those of you who know me well know that I never would.
I’ve always been a huge fan of this sparkplug of a second baseman, who was as important to Florida’s 2003 World Series run as Josh Beckett, Miguel Cabrera, or pick a Marlin.
I lobbied for the Mets to sign Castillo from that particular year’s free agent crop, and not an unproven Kaz Matsui.
Instead the Mets waited another four years to finally acquire Castillo, doing so via a deadline deal with the Twins in 2007.
Needless to say, Castillo has been a shade of the All-Star/Gold Glover he was for so many years in South Florida, but the Mets second base situation could be much worse.
Chase Utley types are exactly a dime-a-dozen, and Castillo can still contribute now that he has returned to playing shape. His poor play last year was not a reflection of his potential, but more likely the result of Hideki Irabu-like eating habits.
Call for Castillo’s head if it helps you sleep at night, but the last thing the Mets need is another fill-in at second base. Especially when their starting second baseman is batting .281 and has scored the third-most runs (34) on the team.
Remember That Debacle?: Even more baffling than Friday’s finish is the fact that Mets brass gave Matsui a three-year, $22 million contract the same year Castillo received a three-year, $18 million deal from Florida.
Apparently, a three-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner has less value to the Mets than a Japanese shortstop who had yet to play a single game at the major league level. Oh, and it gets even better for those of you who don’t remember back to that infamous period of Mets history back in 2003. The Mets signed Matsui at a premium price and proceeded to move budding star Jose Reyes from shortstop to second base to accommodate Matsui. Ahhhh … the good ol’ days.
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