Bobby Parnell is back in the bullpen for 2010, according to some notes filed by Adam Rubin from Port St. Lucie.
Rubin also noted that “Parnell in no way pulled an Aaron Heilman, but he does envision himself one day as a starting pitcher.”
I was at Parnell’s best start: Aug. 14 at home against San Francisco. He went six innings, allowing only three hits and striking out seven.
I watched from the bridge in center field, some of the best seats in Citi Field.
The Mets dressed up the team’s rookies in various costumes after yesterday’s 4-0 win in Florida. Thanks to the power of the Internet, we can see those photos.
Here is my favorite, Bobby Parnell as some sort of German…um…woman?
Nick Evans as Minnie Mouse and Josh Thole as a Playboy bunny.
Lance Broadway as a nurse and Tobi Stoner as a French Maid.
Hilarious.
Bobby Parnell is heading back to the bullpen for the rest of the season, according to Jerry Manuel.
Parnell, who was long slated for Winter Ball as a starting pitcher, will still start in the off-season.
This is so strange. The season is in the tank and Parnell is going to start anyway, why not let him pitch? Sure, he might give you only four innings or so as a starter, but that’s four innings that he won’t normally get.
That is, unless, he’ll be slated for lots of innings out of the bullpen. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Watching Daniel Murphy boot that ball brought something to mind…
“So the winning run is at second base, with two outs … Little roller up along first … Up in the air! Murphy boots it! Here comes Ross, and the Braves win it!”
I’m sure you all thought about that, too. Right?
All we can do at this point is laugh. I know I said that back when Luis Castillo dropped the ball, but this is a new low.
Every time I think the Mets have found every single way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, they come out with something like this. It’s really unfathomable. It is beyond fathom.
In a lost season, it would be nice to at least see some decent baseball.
Sixteen hits and only five runs? Not decent.
Seven hits and three walks in 3 1-3 innings for Bobby Parnell? Far from decent.
The fact that Jerry Manuel pulled Parnell as if the Mets were trying to win? Confusing.
Asking for a four-out save from K-Rod with the season in the tank? Just…why?
So many questions, so little answers.
Man, 2009 can’t end quick enough.
There’s bad baseball and there’s really-terrible-just-awful-no-fundamental-miserable-downright-sad-looking baseball. And the Mets are no doubt the latter.
In a somewhat joke of a poll, I asked fans who the ace of the Mets rotation was now that Johan Santana is on the DL.
Here are the results…
Now if only Mike Pelfrey can turn in his last performance for the every start.
Next Poll: Is Omir Santos your starting catcher in 2010?
It’s almost exciting watching how many ways the Mets will find to lose a game. Today it came via the grand slam.
Bobby Parnell surrendered a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning, ending his day. Parnell allowed eight earned runs on nine hits and two walks. He lasted only 4 2-3 innings, needing 110 pitches.
Is the Parnell experiment over yet? Or will the Mets just let him take his licks in the rotation?
Ken Takahashi pitched 1-3 of an inning, allowing one run to score.
Lance Broadway made his Mets debut, pitching three innings and allowing two earned runs on four hits. He walked one and struck out three.
Yay?
The Mets got a pair of two-run doubles from Jeff Francoeur and Brian Schneider respectively.
Just a game closer to ending 2009.
Revenge, I guess, is a dish best served on a hot Wednesday night in August.
Bobby Parnell made his third start for the Mets and surrendered eight runs in the second inning, just like the Mets did to the Braves the night before.
I called Monday’s game a “stinker.” Thursday night’s game was so much worse.
Parnell ended up allowing nine hits and nine earned runs, walking two and striking out one in three innings. Parnell was going to be limited to 100 or so pitches, but was only around to throw 72, 40 for strikes.
The offense pounded out 10 hits, but were only able to plate two runs. Luis Castillo, Daniel Murphy and Wilson Valdez each picked up two hits, with Murphy knocking a triple in the sixth inning.
Castillo and Angel Pagan drove in the Mets only runs with RBI hits in the third and fifth innings.
Overall, a miserable game. The highlight may have come when my girlfriends parents appeared on the Kiss Cam at Citi Field. What a thrill.
A huge tip of the cap to anyone that stayed at Citi Field for the entire thing. True fans.
The Mets got runs from an Angel Pagan solo home run in the first inning, a Jeff Francoeur double in the fourth and a Gary Sheffield sac-fly in the sixth to compile their three runs.
Still, the star of the game was Parnell, who looked absolutely dominant out there. He pumped mostly fastballs by the slightly anemic Giants bats.
From my seats out in right-centerfield, I had an awesome view of the game as I was perched out in “The Piazza.” 
Too bad they’re still 9.5 games out of the Wild Card.
When Bobby Parnell made his first major league start against the Padres last week, he was help to a 60-75 pitch limit. Thanks to two long frames, he only lasted 2 1-3 innings on the mound before reaching his cap.
As Parnell takes the mound tonight against Barry Zito and the San Francisco Giants, he’s been allotted about 85 pitches.
Parnell was likely going to winter ball as a starter, reports Adam Rubin, so this experiment was going to happen sooner or later.
“I felt good,” Parnell told the Daily News. “I feel like I'm in condition. My arm strength was good, but obviously it's going to take a little while to keep building it up. I think we're just going to take gradual steps and build it up slowly.”
What was the most exciting thing about last night’s Mets game? Probably seeing my Twitter friend Doug Whitehorn just miss catching a foul ball.
That says something.
The Mets lost their eighth of their last ten and are on the brink of a second consecutive season getting swept out of San Diego.
Bobby Parnell made his first major league start, lasting only 2 1-3 innings due to his pitch limit. He allowed two runs on four hits and three walks, though one run was charged to him after he left the game. He needed 68 pitches to get through seven outs, 42 of them landing for strikes.
Sean Green was the one bump in the otherwise decent bullpen effort, allowing one run in his 1-3 of an inning.
The Mets bats were again held quiet against a rookie pitcher they had never seen before. The lone Mets run came on an Alex Cora solo home run in the first inning. It was Cora’s first home run since April 29, 2007.
Johan Santana is on the mound for the Mets today as they try to avoid a sweep.
Bobby Parnell is making his first major league start for the Mets tonight. Still no Luis Castillo or Gary Sheffield.
Last night was terrible. Hopefully it’s only a 24-hour bug.
Anyway, here’s what I missed…
- Bobby Parnell will make a start on Saturday, filling in for Mike Pelfrey. Pelfrey will be back with the Mets in Arizona, starting on Monday.
I like the idea of seeing what the Mets might have in Parnell, but don’t you think they should stretch him out a little more? Though he was on the mound for three innings on Wednesday, he only threw 30 pitches. I guess the Mets are hoping to get just five innings out of him, as he will be held to a 60-75 pitch limit, reports Adam Rubin.
- Angel Berroa DFA’d to make room for Anderson Hernandez.
Oh, goody.
- Gary Sheffield and Luis Castillo may not be as injured as we all thought.
Sheffield was in one of the lineups for the Mets last night, but ended up sitting out. Castillo may return as early as Saturday, said Jerry Manuel.
- Mets lose to Padres by a score of 8-3.
Not much to see here. Livan Hernandez had a rough first inning, as usual, but couldn’t stitch together much after that.
Mike Pelfrey will miss his scheduled start on Saturday in San Diego for the birth of his first child. Pelfrey did not make the trip to California.
That, coupled with Jon Niese’s injury, leaves two holes in the Mets rotation over the next week. Here’s how the pitching matchups look for the next five games…
The way I see it, Pelfrey can work the first game of the Arizona series, slotting back in behind Santana. That means the Mets will need just one pitcher to fill in on Saturday.
Nelson Figueroa was more than serviceable yesterday, coming off a disaster of a start against the Diamondbacks. Bobby Parnell’s named has also been tossed around as a starter, so that could be an option.
And don’t bother looking down at the minor leagues. No pitcher is near the “major league ready” level of Jon Niese, so don’t expect a call-up to fare well.
Wednesday’s 9-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals was one of the more impressive games I’ve seen the Mets play this season. But can they consider it a victory after possibly losing two more players to the disabled list?
We know Jon Niese will miss the rest of the season after completely tearing his hamstring tendon off the bone and already had the subsequent surgery. Gary Sheffield is in murkier waters, leaving the game with cramps in the sixth inning.
Sheffield had recently come off the DL, so where he ends up in the next few days is one big question mark.
But back to the game.
The Mets pounded out 15 hits and plated nine runs. David Wright connected for a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
They got a two-run triple from Nelson Figueroa, who entered the game in relief of Niese and pitched 4 1-3 beautiful innings.
Angel Pagan had the best day of all, going 3-4 with 4 RBI. In the 6th, he drove a ball into the gap between center and right field, tripling in Jeremy Reed. Two innings later, Pagan drove a ball to straightaway center, a 425-foot two run home run. That homer chased in Bobby Parnell, who is 1-1 in his career with a run scored.
Parnell’s efforts on the mound should not be overlooked, either. Three solid innings in relief, which he needed only 30 pitches, striking out three. I suggested it and Jerry Manuel may be in favor of it, but it looks like Parnell may get a chance to start this season.
So a solid all-around victory is marred by the definite loss of a young, up-and-coming pitcher and a possible loss of the team’s biggest slugger. Is that a win?
That leaves a hole in the already thin rotation.
Do the Mets trust Figueroa enough to hand him a starting job after his effort against Arizona? (Though today was absolutely brilliant for the New York native.)
Parnell pitched three innings for a reason. He earned his first career save, picked up his first career hit in his first career at bat and scored his first career run.
(Side note, for those wondering about how Parnell earned a save in a game that ended 9-0, here is the MLB save rule:
Parnell satisfied the three inning rule, therefore earning the save.)
Anyway…
Robert Allen Parnell was drafted by the Mets in the 9th round of the 2005 amateur draft out of Charleston Southern University.
In 94 games in Single-A through Triple-A, Parnell started 92 times. Only when Parnell came to spring training did the Mets move him into a relief role.
So today, as Parnell worked and worked and worked, something in the back of my mind was shouting “Are they really going to make Parnell a starter?” Seems I wasn’t alone in my thoughts, either: Joe Janish jumped on this as well.
With the Mets minor leagues already devoid of talent due to injuries at the big league level and no prospects are seemingly ready to make the jump, this “Parnell, SP” may be something to keep your eye on for the rest of this season and beyond.
There were many people, myself included, campaigning to have Nelson Figueroa called up.
Well, he was. And he stunk.
Figueroa: 1.2 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 HR, 53 pitches
Yikes.
So the Mets were in a 6-0 hole in a hurry, but they battled back. An RBI triple here (Angel Pagan), a pair of RBI singles there (Luis Castillo and David Wright) and a solo home run (Daniel Murphy) brought the Mets within one.
But that would be as close as they would get.
The team must tip their cap to the bullpen who allowed only three hits in 7 1-3 innings. Tim Redding turned in a 3 1-3 inning outing, allowing two hits and walking only one. Bobby Parnell tossed two scoreless, as well.
This seems fitting.
Though there are conflicting reports about the validity of the proposed trade for Roy Halladay, I took to Twitter and asked my followers if they would have pulled the trigger on a trade that sent Fernando Martinez, Bobby Parnell, Jon Niese and Ruben Tejada to the Blue Jays for Roy Halladay.
Here are their responses…
YES
BlueAndOrange said: yes
mikexdavis said: The deal would be done before I could even finish this tweet.
michellegraz said: Yes
Sicilianboy6 said: yess I wuld, we'd still have holt,Flores, davis and meija
julierubes said: YES! Him and Santana together with an eventually healthy roster. YES.
SportsEcycloped said: Yes
gecko32899 said: i wouldn't have had to think about it. We'd be selling orange Halladay shirts by sunrise
Turbo1289 said: We should have got Halladay so the Phillies wont get him, besides Santana and Halladay would be awesome
dmgerbino said: Yes, I would make the trade
elZi said: Yes I would
Matt_Pignataro said: Yes. Just think of a rotation with Santana and Halladay, one and two, especially in the playoffs. Wow!
Sportz_Nut said: yes I would have. Halladay and Santana at the top of a rotation? KRod closing? Mets are built to win NOW!!!
JohnnyRanz said: Absolutely!
Mike_Peters said: in a heartbeat...
twayward said: YES!!!
darknova306 said: I did that trade 37 times in my sleep and would do it again (if we extend him). Rotation behind Johan is a huge concern now.
darknova306 continued: it's really a trade for 2010. We're built to win now/soon. If they don't intend to win now, blow up the team for prospects.
kerelcoop said: Yes & I would have added another minor leaguer if the BlueJays asked.
ArizonaSecrets said: YES
patrickboegel said: yes, very much so yes
sparbz said: Yeah.
ClareLafferty said: yes..we need the pitching help
bstronge said: them and beltran!!
tfc3rid said: No question about it... I'd do that yesterday...
MarcARodriguez said: if it's true , it should have happened in a heartbeat, front office is gonzo for not pulling the trigger
metsphanatic said: i would have done it in a heart beat
disgruntmetsfan said: Throw in Ray Ramirez and a bag of sunflower seeds and the price is just right.
reggittino said: In a heartbeat
fscker said: what's wrong with the mets? that's a no brainer.
MetsToob said: Yes!
NO
ProctorsArm said: Unless Halladay can bring Reyes, Beltran and Delgado back with him, no.
mattclausen said: nope....I have another but crazier offer in mind
YaGottaBKiddnMe said: no. we need to have some semblance of a farm system that can at least sorta play baseball.
Retire31 said: No. I'm not stupid.
yaysarcasm said: No. But I'm starting to think F-Mart is going to be a bust, and we should get rid of him. Lets not Milledge this up
McKern said: No. For all the reasons others has said. I don't want the #mets having any more reason to tighten up and not score.
Topher33 said: No, Mets would be giving up way too much. Plus, who's to say they'd be able to score any runs for him.
thebrowncoat said: No. One player can't make this team a contender. Mortgaging the future would be stupid. And we got Santana for less than that
Drewthedew086 said: I agree with the non-move as well. We're never going to get out of the situation we're in now if we don't hold on to prospect
nymets945 said: Nope unless they gave us Alex Rios as well
wrongheaven said: I wouldn't.
Jbones72 said: no glad they didn't make trade
metsjetsgirl said: No. Wouldn't help the non-existent offense. You can't win games without run support. Not worth depleting the farm.
drsexington said: No to the Halladay trade. Doc is a great P but he ain't the answer unless he plays every position a la Bugs Bunny.
pAuLiE_bRuZ said: i'm happy we turned down the halladay deal, losing all that talent for yes a great pitcher but then what? no young talent!
Jim1975 said: definately not. It looks like the future is all we have. we should have stepped in and got Pedro.
BlackMagic718 said: As of today, no.
letsgoduke said: of course not. That is a ridiculous trade. If we were the red sox, maybe.
NYMetsGrrl94 said: No. The loss of prospects isn't worth it when the Mets aren't in any race.
tyronem said: nope.
s2kmikey said: no. we don't score any runs for santana. what makes people think we'll score any for halladay?
FMauceri said: I wouldn't make that trade. Mets would be giving up too much potential. And they can't afford the salary.
gabefarkas said: No. I like Bobby Parnell too much, and out bullpen would have been decimated by that trade.
andy79 said: no. too high a cost to ultimately miss the playoffs this year. keep the young guys.
Colarusso42 said: . call me a sentimental Mets' fan but I wouldn't have made that trade. Not cost-effective.
dances_w_vowels said: No.
Split pretty evenly. I’m intrigued.
Easily the most participated in Twitter Poll. If this level of response keeps up, I won’t be able to use everyone’s, so start making them count!!
Where do you stand on the true/not true proposed Halladay trade?
According to Jon Heyman of SI.com (again), the Mets turned down a proposed trade between them and the Toronto Blue Jays for Roy Halladay.
Halladay, the most prized pitcher on the market and easily one of the best in the games, is being sought after by many teams. Heyman relays that the Jays asked for Fernando Martinez, Bobby Parnell, Jon Niese and Ruben Tejada in return for Halladay.
“The Mets responded with a resounding no,” writes Heyman.
Update – 10:02 a.m.: Keith Law tweeted that this proposal is “bogus,” citing multiple sources. (Still, the rest of the post stands.)
If you read my blog, you know I put very little stock in prospects. They’re too much of a hit or miss affair to have too much value placed upon them. But, these three prospects are probably three of the top five prospects in the Mets system right now.
But, Halladay is one of the top five pitchers in the league.
And here I am, on the fence about all of this. I’m glad the Mets didn’t pull this trade off in the situation they’re in. 2009 seems to be slipping away and shipping out more farm pieces for a cog in an otherwise broken down machine doesn’t do much good.
For 2010, though, this could have been amazing. Can you imagine a 1-2 punch of Halladay and Johan Santana? It would easily be the best combo of pitchers in the game.
Honestly, if the Mets made the trade, I would be ecstatic for the team. Bringing in a pitcher of that caliber must be celebrated, even if a lot of young talent was heading to Canada.
The Mets didn’t pull the trigger and I’m OK with that, too. It shows they’re not in desperation mode to try and save this season. Maybe they think they have a shot with what they have or maybe they’ve given up, but either way a knee-jerk reaction was not made, and that means something.
(Side note: Don’t you think J.P. Riccardi could have asked for some better players? Or did he not think they were going to take it anyway? Using the Mets to prompt the Phillies, I assume. But still… Where’s Holt? Mejia? Thole?)
Great play by Daniel Murphy. But, one question, where’s all the love for Bobby Parnell??
I don’t remember what it feels like when the Mets have a larger number than the other team.
The New York Mets (41-43) beat the Los Angeles Dodgers (53-32) by a score of 5-4.
Oliver Perez did just enough to put himself in line for a win. Five innings, 108 pitches, four hits. But he walked seven and allowed two earned runs. He also struck out two.
I’m calling this a successful first start for Perez after coming off the DL. Sure, it was a lot of pitches and sure, almost half of them were balls, but it’s good enough. Not $36 million good, but good enough.
Bobby Parnell turned in 1 2-3 solid innings in relief, highlighted by a terrific play by Daniel Murphy.
It’s really one of the coolest plays of the year, so I won’t even explain it to you. Just GO HERE and watch the video.
Sean Green allowed one run in his one inning of work, bringing the Dodgers within two runs. Francisco Rodriguez entered in the ninth, allowed a solo home run to Manny Ramirez to start, let on two more runners before inducing a game-ending double play.
He likes to make the fans sweat. That’s for sure.
The Mets finally picked up extra base hits tonight. Three, to be exact.
Jeremy Reed doubled in the second inning and later scored on a Luis Castillo RBI single.
Murphy picked up his second double of the night in the third inning, and scored on a David Wright RBI single. A fielder’s choice plated Wright later that inning and Reed delivered an RBI single to cap off the three-run inning.
Didn’t think I’d see that tonight. Well I didn’t think I’d see one run tonight, nevermind three in one inning.
In the fifth, Brian Schneider ripped a RBI single to right field, plating one run. That run proved to be the eventual game-winner.
A win is a win. It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t easy but they won.
