Aubrey Huff, step right up! You’re a power-hitting first baseman on a team that might be looking to shed your contract. You can also play the outfield, though you haven’t done so since 2006. But hey, that hasn’t stopped Gary Sheffield (though his knee might).
Tonight, the Mets got to see Huff in person, and what does the Orioles first baseman do?
He drops a popup that results in two runs scoring, and those two runs are the difference in the game.
After the seventh-inning play, in which Huff and second baseman Brian Roberts ran for the ball down the line behind first base, Keith Hernandez said it was Roberts’ ball, but he wanted no part of it.
Just imagine if Huff does come to the Mets, and there is a popup at a very critical time that is within reach of both Huff and second baseman Luis Castillo. Will both players want it? Will neither? The way things go for the Mets, they would probably both go for the ball, collide, and the ball would drop while someone got hurt.
I know what you’re thinking, Mr. Huff. You’re worried that you’ve flunked your audition. But not to worry, the other player mentioned as a possible new first baseman for the Mets, Nick Johnson of the Nationals, also dropped a popup just last Friday, and his error resulted in his team losing the game.
As I noted last week, Johnson’s eighth inning drop prolonged Gabe Kapler’s at bat. Kapler then homered, breaking a 3-3 tie, and the Rays won, 4-3.
So look out, Mark DeRosa, Matt Holliday, Jermaine Dye and anyone else who might get mentioned in a Met trade rumor. Better use two hands on those popups.
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Tonight’s Met win was shaky on several fronts, including Mike Pelfrey failing to get out of the sixth inning and Bobby Parnell being unable to get anyone out in the ninth. But it was a win. Once again, the Mets quickly rebounded from a horrendous loss. If only they did not have so much practice.
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Over the weekend, Mike Pelfrey helped separate Francisco Rodriguez and Brian Bruney. Tonight, it looked like someone might have to separate Pelfrey and David Wright after their heated exchange in the dugout. (Actually, it wasn’t an exchange – Wright was doing all the talking.) I’m glad Wright is stepping up his leadership role. Now let’s seem him set more of an example by running hard to first and taking the extra base where possible, which he did not appear to do on Huff’s drop and on another play earlier in the game.
On the other hand, if Wright had tried to go to second on the throw home after Huff’s drop, he might have been out. After a period when the Mets seemed to be going for the extra base at all times whether or not it made sense, maybe it’s good that Wright did not seem to be thinking along those lines.
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Squawker Lisa, I see that Anderson Hernandez hit a three-run homer off of CC Sabathia tonight. That doubles Hernandez’ career homer total to two. Hernandez was traded by the Mets last year for the great Luis Ayala because the Mets did not think Hernandez could hit at the major-league level. Looks like all Hernandez needed were some Yankee Stadium at bats!
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