The Misadventures of Nick Evans

Nick Evans might be one of the unluckiest players in baseball. Honestly, the kid cannot catch a break.

Evans isn't a young stud player with tons of potential and hype around him. He's a serviceable player who can field multiple positions and has some signs of power in his bat. He's an ok player or at least that's what we think because Evans can never seem to get the opportunity to prove if he's more than that.

Evans had an offensive explosion yesterday in Philadelphia and single-handedly led the Mets to a desperate victory. We've seen these glimpses of success before, but that's all they are. Glimpses. Nick has the misfortune of being stuck behind a true young stud in Ike Davis, and now the emergence of the gentle giant, Lucas Duda, has pushed Evans further down the depth chart.

Besides Davis & Duda, Daniel Murphy is also a guy who's pushed Evans further out of the minds of Mets management. If you'll remember it was Murphy & Evans who platooning in left field just a few seasons ago. Murphy ultimately stayed on the club while Evans has been gaining frequent flier miles on his trips to and from the minors.

Why do I like Nick Evans? Who knows. I think it's the whole underdog vibe I get from him. The Jason Bay contract is keeping him in the lineup, but would we get an improvement in production if Nick Evans was given the shot to play everyday? I guarantee you it couldn't get that much worse. Does Evans deserve more playing time than Scott Hairsston and Willie Harris? Probably, but those two veterans have experience on their side and force Evans to the bench.

I doubt Evans will ever become an every day player. At least on the Mets. Because we all know how the Mets have a fantastic track record of trading away young players who don't amount to anything....

Hope vs Reality: The Mets Sworn Enemies

Hope: The Mets can hang on until at least one of their All Star bats can return from injury.
Reality: The Mets won't win a series before that happens.

Hope: David Wright can be more consistent.
Reality: David Wright will never be consistent this season with all the turmoil around this team.

Hope: That replacement pitchers like Redding and Nieve can keep the Mets in games.
Reality: Replacement pitchers like Redding and Nieve can't be relied upon.

Hope: Johan Santana will save us from having this losing streak continue.
Reality: The Mets will struggle to score one run for him today.

Hope: Omar Minaya can make a trade to help this team immediately.
Reality: The Mets need a fantasy baseball league draft to help this team immediately.

Hope: Oliver Perez can return to his old self and win some games.
Reality: Oliver Perez will return to his old self and win some games, but get absolutely destroyed in others.

Hope: The Mets can stay at .500 until the All Star Break.
Reality: The Mets will be games under .500 by the All Star Break.

Hope: The Mets can turn this around with a good series against Philadelphia.
Reality: The Mets might still be under .500 even if they sweep the Phillies.

Hope: Fernando Tatis will break out of this season long slump.
Reality: Fernando Tatis will lead the league in double plays.

Hope: Nick Evans can get a chance to play.
Reality: The Mets hate Nick Evans.

Hope: Fernando Martinez turns out to be the CF everyone's been talking about.
Reality: Fernando Martinez will need to see a sports psychologist before the end of July.

Hope: I need to watch the game tonight because the Mets just might win this one.
Reality: I don't need to watch the game tonight because torture is just not as enjoyable as it once was.

This Mets Team is Scrappy

Craig Carton over at WFAN has declared this Mets team's nickname to be Scrappy-Doo, and I can't argue with him.

The Mets team that we've seen this week is a very far cry from the opening day roster, and is completely different from any Mets team I've seen in the last decade.

It's full of youth.

You've got Murphy, FMart, Nick Evans, David Wright & Omir Santos all contributing (okay, FMart isn't really contributing, but he does play a good CF). Then you've got Nieve, Parnell, and Pelfrey on the mound.

Throw in Church, who's relatively young, and you've got one of the youngest Mets teams in recent history. Outside of Wright & Santana, there are no big name stars and there are absolutely no home run hitters.

This is small ball at its best and quite frankly, it's kind of fun to watch. Now how long will this honeymoon last? Who knows. It could end tomorrow. The Mets could lose the next 5 games or more, but who would think we'd find the Mets a half game out with this squad of Scrappy-Doos?

If the Mets can remain in contention while the kids are out playing and having fun, this may be one of the most entertaining and enjoyable baseball seasons in a long time. I'm still waiting for Beltran/Delgado/Reyes to come back and heaven knows how badly I want some power back in this lineup, but in the mean time I'm going to enjoy seeing what this team of feisty youngsters can do.

You should too.

Welcome Back Nick Evans

Man was it good to see Nick Evans back in a Mets uniform yesterday.

The forgotten kid had all been left for dead until the Mets called him up yesterday from the dead to fill in for Gary Sheffield who (surprise!) is out with an injury for a few games. Last month Brad Bortone at Bugs & Cranks wrote a great post about Nick Evans and the raw deal he's gotten from the Mets, but yesterday Evans let his play do the talking.

In his season debut, Evans went 2 for 3 with 2 runs and 2 RBI. Evans turned on a high first-pitch fastball in the 4th inning yesterday that was scorched into the left field seats. If you watch the replay of Evans swing, you'll notice that he swung so hard that he almost fell over after he made contact. The kid was swinging from his heels and probably putting all his frustration about being stuck in obscurity and jubilation for being back in the majors into that one swing.

I don't think I've felt happier for a Mets player this season than I was for Nick Evans last night. I'm not here to crown Evans the savior of the Mets lineup or that he's going to become the next Ted Williams. I'm just glad the kid is getting a chance to play in the majors so we can see what he can do.

Welcome back Nick Evans. Hope you're here for a while.

The 25 Man Roster for the 2009 Mets

Here it is folks. For opening day, the Mets players in uniform will be...


Starters= Schneider, Delgado, Castillo, Reyes, Wright, Church, Beltran, & Murphy
Bench = Castro, Tatis, Marlon Anderson, Cora, Nick Evans, & Jeremy Reed
Pitchers = Santana, Pelfrey, Maine & Ollie
Bullpen = Putz, KRod, Parnell, Stokes, Feliciano, Green & O'Day

The plan is for Nick Evans to be sent down to Triple A after four days to bring in Livan Hernandez as the fifth starter. Evidently, Jeremy Reed is seen as a better fit than Evans to start the season. However, if I'm Jerry Manuel, I keep a close eye on Reed & Marlon Anderson to see about bringing Evans back if either of these guys struggle.

So there you have it. The 25 guys who'll be in uniform on opening day. Not the most formidable squad you've ever seen, but the lineup has a balance of speed and power that I think can produce runs.

The pitching on days when a man named Santana is not on the mound will be the question mark.

Haven't We Had Enough of Marlon Anderson?

So I'm taking a look at the roster spots this morning and it just troubles me that Marlon Anderson's name is on the roster. Aren't we done with this guy?

Marlon Anderson was a great bench player at one time. In fact, two years ago he was money in clutch pinch hit situations that made him one of the smart mid-season pickups of 2007.

However, last year he bombed. He didn't just bomb, he did something worse than bomb but I can't think of that term should be. That's how bad he was.

Anderson batted .210 for the season and was used sparingly. He's another left handed bat, which is the last thing the Mets need coming off the bench with their starting lineup being full of lefties.

Alex Cora, who we might be talking about next season like we're talking about Anderson this season, is the backup for Castillo if & when Castillo falls apart.

I just don't see why Anderson is needed. I'd much rather let Nick Evans try and succeed at the big league level or give another young kid a shot than keep Marlon around for his shotty fielding in the outfield.

Prove me wrong Marlon Anderson. I'm begging you.

Tatis Out

As if the Mets health wasn't bad enough as it is, it appears the Mets may lose Fernando Tatis who left Tuesday's game with a separated shoulder.

So the Mets lost one of the main infielders playing the outfield for them. Yup, that's right.

The question will be whether Jerry Manuel gives Endy Chavez a shot or goes with the Evans/Murphy platoon. I like Murphy a lot, but Nick Evans has me worried a bit. I think Endy and Evans are about the same at the plate these days, but at least Endy gives you a solid glove. The only issue is that Endy is a lefty and Evans at least gives you a right-handed bat in the lineup.

If Tatis is done for the season, that's a major blow to the Mets as he's been one of the few clutch hitters this season with men in scoring position. It would be a shame to see his amazing comeback season end abruptly like this.

2008 Mets Top Prospects

The always informative TopProspectAlert.com just released their updated mid-season list of the top prospects in the Mets farm system.

We all know #1 is Fernando Martinez, the prize jewel of the Mets farm system, but the rest of the top 10 is a mix of unknowns and once heard. The big surprise to me is that pitching prospect Eddie Kunz, who started the season as the #2 prospect dropped to #7, and was replaced in the 2 spot by little known pitcher Ike Davis.

Evan young Nick Evans cracked the top 10 after his call up this season. Check out the top 10 list and other information on the Mets farm system by visiting TopProspectAlert.com.

Someone Tell Nick Evans to Calm Down

Nick Evans thinks he's Moise Alou at the plate. The kid can't resist from swinging at the first pitch every single time he's up.

Ahhhhhhhhhh, that's frustrating. Especially when he was up last night in the late innings with runners on base. He strikes out on 3 pitches in the dirt!

Oh poor Nick Evans. He started with such a bang that now it's all down hill from here.

Nice knowing you Nick. You seem like a nice kid. But as my fellow blogger, Bryan, pointed out to me you play left field like Todd Hundley.

I'm guessing we'll see you sent to Triple A in the coming week. Hope to see you again in September.

By the way is it just me or does Nick Evans look like a poor man's Jason Sehorn?

Let's Mess with the Mets Lineup

Ok, so the Mets won a game last night. Hallelujah. But we all know that this team needs a shake up. I was watching as Tatis & Castro were knocking the cover off the ball and I had some ideas to spice up this Mets lineup. So here we go.

Luis Castillo made a great play in the infield last night, but we all know his knees are ready to fall off. His hitting has declined and even Keith Hernandez couldn't comment on a play by Castillo without saying "he would have had that 5 years ago." That doesn't help us know.

Some of you may remember that Fernando Tatis used to be a second baseman with the Expos who had some pop in his bat. Is Castillo's defense really that essential? I say let's throw Fernando Tatis at second and see how that works.

Hmm, Delgado's out of the lineup and the Mets win. Coincidence? Probably, but if Delgado continues to decline, he's more of a liability than an asset. Enter Nick Evans. Did you know that he actually is a first baseman that the Mets move to the outfield? It's not surprising as Evans looks like a nervous little leaguer every time the ball is hit to him in left. Let's move Nick Evans to first if he continues to perform well.

Assuming Church gets back to good health and Alou/Pagan are healthy, here's the Mets lineup I'd like to see:

1. Reyes - SS
2. Church - RF
3. Wright - 3B
4. Beltran - CF
5. Alou/Pagan - LF
6. Tatis - 2B
7. Schneider/Castro - C
8. Evans - 1B

Your bench then looks like Chavez, Delgado, Anderson, Easley. You could potentially platoon Delgado & Evans versus righties/lefties. Now this all hinges on Evans being able to continue to perform at a high level, which is a pipe dream but let me at least dream.

Or we could just go get Xavier Nady and put him at first? Yeah. . . .

Ryan Church Still Out

During Tuesday night's SNY broadcast, Kevin Burkhardt remarked that Ryan Church was not even in the ballpark on Tuesday.

Church had an MRI and a CAT scan (yikes) to check if there was any brain damage. Fortunately there was nothing wrong, but Chuch still feels very dizzy. Doctors have recommended that he get lots of rest and stay out of the light.

So it look like the Mets best hitter this season will be out at least until the end of the week. Ryan Church we wish you a speedy recovery. Head injuries are not something you want to mess with.

For now, Nick Evan good luck.

Back from Vacation But the Mets Aren't

I've spent the last 5 days away from the Mets enjoying the Jersey shore and some time off fully expecting that when I came back the Mets would have changed their ways.

Wrong.

I at least expected a new manager to be in the dugout on Monday if the Mets continued to lose.

Wrong.

So I'm back from vacation, but Jose Reyes' glove, David Wright's bat and Willie Randolph's will to win is still on vacation.

Welcome to the 2008 Mets. Your disappointment is now.

I actually listened to part of Monday's game on the radio while driving in the car. I believe it was the 5th inning when Wright singled and Beltran singled to make it 1st & 2nd and no one out. Delgado fouls out. Schneider grounds out. So poor Nick Evans is left to clean up the slack.

The worst part was I fully expected Evans to get a hit. Wow. That's sad. I was leaning on a 22-year old kid playing his third game in the major to come through and help the Mets cut the Marlins' lead to 6-5.

Evans struck out. But you know what, the kid doesn't deserve that kind of pressure.

And so the Willie Randolph dance continues. He should be gone by now, but he's not so I guess I have to deal with that. But don't expect Met fans to continue to deal with losing. We won't accept it.