The Mets latest addition, middle infielder Chin-lung Hu, can hit — in the minor leagues. In eight Minor League seasons with six different teams in the Dodger organization, Hue averaged .299. Last season, in Triple-A, he hit .317 with only 16 strikeouts in 223 plate appearances. Unfortunately, with the Dodgers he only hit .191 during four trials with the team. As the Mets only gave up a minor league pitcher who was unlikely to make the Mets roster to get Hu, the trade is a low-risk transaction, another move by Alderson that further adds to the glut of middle infielders that the Mets have been accumulating.
Mets 2011 Starting Pitchers
This is what espn.com predicts will be the New Yorks Mets starting pitchers on next season’s opening day:
Mike Pelfrey
Jon Niese
R.A. Dickey
Dillon Gee
Boof Bonser or Pat Misch
When considering the list, two words come to mind: losing season.
Mets Well-Stocked at Second Base
The Mets have made the competition for second base more interesting. As of today, six candidates will be challenging to man the position: Luis Castillo, Daniel Murphy, Ruben Tejada, Justin Turner, Brad Emaus, and Russ Adams.
Luis Castillo is a player with an inflated salary, a leftover from an era when Omar Minaya did for the Mets what Isiah Thomas did for the Knicks, overspending on players who underperformed. Fortunately, the Mets don’t have an Eddie Curry on their roster. Hopefully, Alderson will find another team willing to part with prospects to obtain Castillo’s services.
Daniel Murphy is a player whom the Mets misplayed when they tried to convert him into an outfielder. The team’s latest hope is that he can succeed at second base.
Ruben Tejada is a player who was pushed too soon into a starting position. He’d benefit by starting this season in Triple-A. Let’s see if the Mets have the wisdom to make that move.
Justin Turner should have been a September call-up. Why he wasn’t is mystifying. Last season in Buffalo he hit .333 with a .906 OPS. He deserves a shot at second base.
Brad Emaus is a 2010 Rule 5 selection. Why didn’t the Blue Jays protect him? Last season in Triple-A he hit .298 with an .890 OPS. Another player who should be given a fair chance to make the Mets starting lineup.
Russ Adams also played for Buffalo last season, hitting .264. As he’s 31, I’d rather see the Mets start the season with someone younger.
Carl Dennis, poet
If you’re unfamiliar with Carl Dennis’ poetry, a good introduction is his New and Selected Poems 1974-2004. The strength of his poetry is its accessibility. His lines don’t create mazes readers must waste their mental energy wending their way through in their hunt for meaning. Instead, his language opens door for readers into rooms in which Dennis has turned on the lights.
As an example, his poem, “Listeners,” is about traveling words. In particular, it’s about words of his that began their journey on a telephone life, overheard by a telephone operator “lonely among the night wires,” “night wires” a metaphor that deepens rather than obscures meaning. Further on, Dennis comments that such operators “all do it … breaking the rules.” (This is an activity born before the Internet when party lines still reigned.)
To Dennis, words, once said, can travel on unexpected paths, reaching ears for which they were never intended. Even whispers said to oneself — even thoughts — can enter what Dennis refers to as the “far world” where they can assume new forms, such as stone, losing not only their identify but also their ability to engage others.
While Dennis’ “stones” might not engage his poetic characters who encounter them, his words have the power to pull readers into a poetic world he makes “near.”
Bats and Stats 