Fernando Martinez is NOT Alex Escobar

I wasn't planning on writing again tonight, but I saw something tonight that made me flip my lid. This isn't the first time either. I've started to see this a lot lately.

Metsblog had an update today about Fernando Martinez. F-Mart is injured again and missing a little time. There really is no word on the severity of the injury, and it's likely that the Mets are just being cautious as usual. But then I made the mistake of reading the Metsblog comments.

I'd ignore this comment if it was an isolated incident, but I have started to see comments like this a lot lately:

I’ve seen F-Mart before – his name then was Alex Escobar. Escobar never made it on the major league level and from all accounts, neither will F-Mart.

Sigh.

Should Mets Consider Installing Windmills at Citifield?

The Mets trotted out today what may be a DH away from their starting lineup on Opening Day. And it is TRULY AWFUL.

Below is their projected lineup for Game One, and beside each player is the number of strikeouts they average over 162 games in their career.

Cora, SS - 56
Castillo, 2B - 82
Wright, 3B - 122 (140 last year)
Jacobs, 1B - 141 (132 last year in less than 500 at bats)
Bay, LF - 157
Matthews, CF - 107 (74 last year in only 360 at bats)
Francoeur, RF - 120
Barajas, C - 88

The Mets struck out 928 times last year, which, believe it or not, was the least of all National League teams. They also led the league in batting average, if you can believe that. Last year's team featured just an absolute ton of empty contact - low slugging, low on-base, etc.

However, from last year's lineup to this year's, we have effectively done the following, including injuries.

Pagan out, Bay in.
Murphy out, Jacobs in.
Beltran out, Matthews in.
Santos out, Barajas in.

All of those players out struck out pretty rarely. All of the replacements whiff a ton.

Just an observation. A windy one. Anyone care to guess how many Mets Roy Halladay will strike out in his first start against us?