At Fox Sports, Kevin Hench organized a list of the top nine players who had to unexpectedly fill in this season.

Ranking number five on the list is Fernando Tatis, filling in for the injured Moises Alou and Ryan Church this season.  About Tatis, he writes:

Moises Alou has hit .342 in his first 102 games for the Mets. The problem is the Mets have played 276 games over that stretch. The fact that Alou blew out his hamstring while rehabbing a calf injury pretty much sums up his tenure in New York. Enter Tatis. The once-promising third baseman most famous for hitting two grand slams in one inning as a member of the Cardinals had played 28 games in the bigs over the last four seasons. But reinvented as an everyday outfielder Tatis has enjoyed an improbable resurrection this season in Queens, hitting .310 with an .873 OPS.

Tatis is batting .310 with 9 HRs and 33 RBIs in 184 ABs this year.

If this were Deal Or No Deal baseball edition and we were told Fernando Tatis would bat .280 with 5 HRs and 25 RBIs in the same span, I know I would have taken the deal right away because I wasn’t confident in Tatis’s ability to play baseball at the major league level.  Fortunately for us, Deal Or No Deal baseball edition does not exist and Tatis’s stats have been much better than that.

Frankly, we’ve taken Tatis and his surprising production for granted.

The look on my face when we first called up Fernando Tatis was similar to the look of the average person when he realizes that he stepped in dog crap on the street - frustrated, annoyed and helpless all at once.  Yet, I had that same look for Jose Valentin in 2006.  Both times I feared that we were calling up an aging re-tread that was no longer good enough to be playing baseball on the major league level.  However, both times Tatis and Valentein turned in more than adequate performances, which could have easily been well below average.

There was something about Fernando Tatis that Mets fans and commentators did not want to embrace. It was too easy to compare Tatis to other reclamation projects like Brady Clark, Abraham Nunez, and Sandy Alomar, Jr. Tatis was just another old player trying to relive past glory. So used to the idea of these projects failing, nobody held out any hope that it might succeed this time, but it has.

If Tatis does nothing else this year, even if he starts batting .150 down the stretch and loses his spot in the lineup permanently, this project was definitely a success. Tatis had a good year to clobber baseballs down in Triple-A New Orleans to refine his power, then he moved up and amazingly, clobbered some baseballs on the major league level. Sometimes those statistics do carry over. Sometimes it really is that easy.

In 177 at-bats, Tatis has a .316 average with 9 HRs and 33 RBIs. At first glance, his power might remind of 2007’s Damion Easley. Easley hit 7 HRs in his first 74 at-bats that year but then finished with 10 HRs in 193 at-bats, numbers more in line with his career averages.

Admittedly, Tatis could just be on a streak as well. He had 1 HR in his first 90 at-bats. Since then, he has 8 HRs in his last 87 at-bats. But Tatis has career statistics that suggest he could keep up his power, at the very least. In 2002 with Montreal, he had 15 HRs and 55 RBIs in 381 at-bats. That’s more or less his statistics as a Met doubled. In 2000 with St. Louis, he had 18 HRs and 64 RBIs in 324 at-bats. So even after his mammoth 34 HR year in 1999, he showed the potential to slug. It’s just his batting average and on-base percentage, which he hadn’t shown he could keep respectable again until now. In 2000, his OBP was still good (.379), but his batting average had slipped to .253. In 2002, he batted a miserable .228 with a .303 OBP.

Career-wise, Tatis has walked, keeping his OBP around 100 points higher than his batting average. This makes his current average of .316 and OBP of .361 interesting, as its one of the shorter gaps of his career. Perhaps he feels the hot streak and wants to go after pitches to slug. But for example, in his mammoth 1999 year, he had a sparkling .404 OBP, over 100 points higher than his average. In 2000, he had a .379 OBP, again over 100 points higher. So maybe if pitchers begin to pitch around him, he’ll take the walks, rather than take ugly swings and lose his hot streak.

Ultimately, one can continue to doubt the legitimacy of Tatis if they wish, but this is a hot streak any logical Mets fan should want to ride out. Carlos Delgado might be coming out of his slugging stupor. Does that mean riding out his streak wasn’t worth it? Of course not. Let’s ride this one out, as well.

One of the primary trade deadline rumors surrounding the Mets is the question of whether or not they will make a move for a starting outfielder to replace the likes of Endy Chavez and Fernando Tatis having to play everyday.  Sure, the Mets missed out on Xavier Nady and plenty of fans are disappointed that the Mets failed to acquire him.  But in all reality people making Nady out to be super-stud that he’s not, because somehow this year he has managed to bat .43 points above his career average. 

There are some bigger names out there like Manny Ramirez and Matt Holiday, both of whom are amazing but to acquire them we would have to unload what’s left in our already ransacked minor league system.  I like Adam Dunn, but he’s not worth what the Reds are probably asking for him.  Randy Winn’s name has been involved in a trade rumor to the Mets more than once. 

Winn is a career .285 hitter with below average power and slightly above average speed.  However, he’s being paid $8 million this year, most of which the Mets would likely have to cover in a trade.  In addition to that, he’s under contract for next season at $8.25 million.  I don’t know about you, but this off season I think $8.25 million could be used much more productively. 

The notion of trading for Randy Winn isn’t terrible at first glance - he’s an adequate starter that would fit decently into the Mets lineup.  Yet, when the peripherals are examined like his contract the idea becomes more and more nonsensical.  Trading for him and his inflated contract becomes even more questionable when Kenny Lofton is sitting at home waiting for a phone call from a team. 

Lofton is a career .299 hitter and plays a similar style of baseball to Winn.  He’s not a power hitter, but on average he’ll hit you about 10 HRs in a season.  He’s definitely as good of a base stealer as Winn, if not better.  To sign Lofton, it will likely only cost a few million dollars and a guarantee of playing time on a contender - all of which the Mets can offer.  For other players like Winn it will cost us more money and a prospect or two - all of which for a player comparable and possible worse than Lofton. 

It would be silly for the Mets to get caught up in the trade deadline market where everyday teams are driving up the price on each other for players that are average to mediocre.  It is made especially silly by the fact that there is a quality player (Kenny Lofton) sitting at home waiting for a call from a team like the Mets. 

As many of you have seen so far this year, Fernando Tatis has gotten alot of big hits for the Mets in his two months with the team. I wanted to see just how vital he has been to some of these Mets wins..

• May 28-Tatis hits a walkoff two run double. With the Mets down 6-5, Tatis delivers a game winning hit to win the ballgame for the Mets.
• July 6- Tatis hits two run homer off Chad Durbin in extra innings to lift the Mets over the Phillies 4-2.
• July 10-Tatis hits go ahead two run homer off SF reliever Sergio Romo to put the Mets ahead 5-3.
• July 17-Tatis has go ahead hit off Reds closer Francisco Cordero after David Wright tied game with homer.
• July 26-Tatis hits solo shot in the 9th off Cards closer Ryan Franklin to tie game.

Not only has Tatis produced, but he has done this against team’s most potent relievers. The likes of Cordero Durbin and Franklin all hold prominent roles in their respective teams bullpens.

That’s five hits in his tenure with the Mets that all tied the game or outright gave the Mets the lead late in ballgames. I think we do need another outfielder, but there is no one i want out their more pinch hitting in the 9th than Mr. Tatis.

The Mets were decidedly average up until two weeks before the break. Hovering around or just below .500 for most of the first three months of the season, there was little there to give one enough of an idea that we had a playoff bound club on our hands.

Just as the first half was coming to a close, the Mets got on a roll. Winning 11 of their last 13 games, and putting themselves within a half game of first place in the NL East. They saw the emergence of Mike Pelfrey becoming the pitcher they had always envisioned him to be, going 6-0 with a 2.07 ERA since the start of June.

They saw their offense meet the expectations placed upon it, and the rebirth of Carlos Delgado who had all but become a shell of his former self. Delgado is batting .367, with 12 runs scored, six doubles, three home runs, seven RBIs in 45 at-bats since July 1st

They received the much needed help from players filling in for the numerous injuries sustained by their starters. Lacking Ryan Church, Moises Alou, and Luis Castillo for extended periods, their absence was adequately filled by the likes of Damion Easley, Argenis Reyes, Endy Chavez, and a Fernando Tatis who seemingly rose from the dead.

The bullpen has been outstanding as well as the starting pitching, setting records for the lack of runs and hits allowed throughout the streak. The Mets became the first team in modern baseball history (since 1900) to hold their opponent to three hits in five consecutive games. The bullpen hasn’t allowed a run in the last 19.1 innings of work and are 3-0 during that stretch.

Who are the real Mets? Are they the ones who floundered around for the first four months, inconsistent and unable to find their much needed groove or are they the Mets of the last two weeks, loose, relaxed and dominating their opponents at seemingly effortless clip.

The Mets haven’t had a groove like this since 2006, the second half will prove if they have the magic of that year in them, or if the last two weeks were simply an abberation.

Gary Grund contributed to this blog post.

One of the main problems for the Mets this season has been the fact that the Mets’ bench players (or as Gary Cohen so affectionately calls them, “The Irregulars,”) have gotten a little too regular.

This is not exactly a new problem, considering the Mets’ outfield was also decimated in 2007. Moises Alou was missing in action from May 13 through July 26 that year and only played in 87 games. Before Alou was injured, Lastings Milledge was hurt in the minors, and he didn’t return until July 12. Endy Chavez lost nearly three months of his season after a base-running injury on June 6 in a forgettable game against the Phillies. A young, not-yet-ready Carlos Gomez started in their stead until July 12 when he too was injured, shelving him for two full months. Even Shawn Green had a short D.L. stint from May 29 - June 11.

This year, though, Alou has only played a mind-boggling 15 games, putting him on pace for a much lower total. Alou is also on his third disabled list trip of this season as the Mets hit the halfway mark. Angel Pagan was impressive in spring training and April, but he hasn’t seen action since May 12. Ryan Church finally returned today and hopefully he is handled with kids’ gloves. No whammies.

This has led to a plethora of players getting the opportunity at starting for the Mets in left field and right field this season. One could argue that many of them should not be starting a major league baseball game in 2008.

Distancing himself from the likes of Brady Clark, Abraham Nunez, and Gustavo Molina, Fernando Tatis actually made a contribution for the Mets in 2008. He’s tailed off since his start, but he is at least maintaining statistics good for a bench player. The key phrase in that sentence is bench player. It’s time for Tatis to stop getting starts and start being solely a right-handed bat off the bench. These 1-for-4 and 1-for-5 days aren’t helping much.

One of the strategies that Jerry Manuel said he’d employ as manager is to use the No. 2 hole to get guys going. I guess one of the main guys he meant when he said that was Marlon Anderson. Anderson has gotten two starts at the spot under Manuel and went 1-for-6. For some reason, Anderson is one of the guys the Mets view as a potential No. 2 hitter on some days. He’s 1-for-14 when in the No. 2 hole at an atrocious .071 clip. Currently, Anderson is batting .198 as just another left-handed bat on the Mets. As such, he probably shouldn’t even be on the team, let alone getting the occasional start.

Trot Nixon today added his name to the long list of Mets’ outfield injuries over the past two years. When the Mets traded for him, the move was mildly praised as everyone mused, “Intangibles! Nixon’s got ‘em!” Hopefully, he’s leading the team in grit and determination because he’s not leading the team in anything else. Admittedly, it’s a small sample size, but since the Mets acquired him on June 15, he’s batted .171. His lone saving grace was a solo shot he hit against the Rockies during a blowout. Oh, and he had a decent first game against Texas. Considering Nixon is a guy who is limited to outfield play, unlike some of the others, it’s probably best to cut the cord on this project.

The Andy Phillips move just doesn’t make sense for the Mets. For the Yankees, Phillips was known as a light-hitting defensive alternative, and outside of a half year with the Yankees in 2007, his stats match up with that. He did bat over .300 this season for the Reds’ Triple-A Louisville, but when called up to Cincinnati, he batted .143 in 21 at-bats. Since that Carlos Delgado platoon is never going to happen with anybody and since other guys can play first base, the Phillips move is puzzling.

With Church back, right field is hopefully taken care of. As far as left field goes, just starting Chavez every day isn’t such a bad idea. He hardly ever gets at-bats versus lefties, but what’s funny is he’s actually batting for a higher average. That’s obviously skewed, but Chavez’s average against lefties from 2005-2007 is actually .328 in 128 at-bats. Chavez is hitting about as well as any of “the irregulars,” and he’s certainly the best defensive outfielder of the bunch. Why not just start him in left field for the time being?

Strangely enough, the same thing is happening to Damion Easley this season. He’s batting .215 in 93 at-bats against righties and .333 in 42 at-bats against lefties. Like Chavez, Easley is hitting about as well as any of the “irregulars.” In a perfect world, he could be used as a utility infielder, starting whenever someone in the infield is out. Unfortunately, Luis Castillo has been too injured for that.

Going into the season, the Mets’ outfield looked like a strength, actually. Pagan was slated as a hot-hitting No. 4 outfielder, and Chavez was actually the Mets’ No. 5. Who knew all these guys would end up getting time?

SI.com’s Jon Heyman just spoke to WFAN’s Mike Franseca about Willie Randolph’s job status. Listen here.

“Willie’s on very thin ice. I don’t think there is any other way to put it. I’ve heard he’s gonna survive today. I’m not sure why that is. Could be just linguistics. They met yesterday and Omar Minaya has been his biggest supporter and I think the other support has just fallen down. Its kind of Omar by himself right now.”

“I would be very surprised if he makes it through the next few days. I’m also hearing that there will be a big shakeup with the coaching staff and that would be the hitting and pitching coaches. I think they want to start a new but I’m hearing Jerry Manuel will be the guy. Even though that is not something new. I think they want someone who know what has gone on here the last sixty five days. They’ve discussed other candidates but that is for next year in case Manuel doesn’t turn it around. He has two thirds of a season to turn it around and if he doesn’t then they will go in another direction.”

“I heard they are very high on Dan Warthen, the pitching coach in Triple A, as a replacement for Rick Peterson. I couldn’t guarantee that would be the move but he used to be the pitching coach with the Tigers and is very respected around the league. I haven’t heard anything on the hitting coach front.”

“They are trying to shake things up with the players too but that’s not so easy to do. I hear Omar’s on the phones trying to do something. Obviously, they can’t go on much longer with Tatis in the outfield and the Alou situation. They would love to do something with the personal, it’s just not easy to do.”

“I would be shocked if Willie is not gone by the end of the week”.

It appears that the Mets are willing to take my advice and do what needs to be done, shake up their roster.

They’ve already gone ahead and given some of the underperforming comfortable vets notice by benching their main offender in Carlos Delgado, and shown that if they can get production from others, they’re more than willing to give them the opportunity (see Fernando Tatis, Endy Chavez)

“In The Know” Dan Graziano (copyright Matthew Cerrone, of Mets Blog) writes at the Star Ledger that the Mets are now looking to take it a step further and have already begun investigating some deals to bring in fresh blood. According to Graziano, based on information from officials with three major-league teams, the Mets are making inquiries into a number of players such as Kevin Millar, Jason Bay and Xavier Nady.

Graziano cites the 2004 Boston Red Sox as an example of a team that floundered until a radical July makeover that included trading Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs gave them a shot in the arm that led them to their first World Championship in 86 years.

You’re welcome, guys. Anytime you need a little help, I’m here for ya.

I know it was a tough night but it was a tougher day for Scott Schoeneweis. Late last night on his Mets Blog for the NY Post Bart Hubbach reported that Schoeneweis who is a testicular cancer survivor, was rushed to the hospital by ambulance yesterday morning and was hospitalized for seven hours. Adam Rubin of the Daily News has more on Schoeneweis who took some over the counter medication because he felt flu like symptoms that are going around in the Mets clubhouse:

Schoeneweis thought that medication might have been spoiled and complicated matters since it “tasted like moldy towels.”

At one point, he said, his arms turned blue and his hands were numb. He called an ambulance at 7 a.m.

“I thought I was going to die,” he said.

Doctors thought at one point he had appendicitis, but ruled that out when they pressed the area and Schoeneweis wasn’t in intolerable pain. Turns out Joe Smith had the same symptoms, only far less severe, in L.A. during the most recent road trip. “Joe’s the carrier,” Schoeneweis good-naturedly said.

So, Willie Randolph basher’s be aware that he had few options coming out of the bullpen last night. Plus, Rubin points out that Aaron Heilman over his previous six appearances, he had allowed one run and four hits in 7 1/3 innings.

Check out the rest of Adam’s blog where you’ll find notes on Mike Pelfrey, Fernando Tatis, and Jose Reyes who was summoned into Randolph’s office for a chat with the skipper before batting practice Wednesday.

Johan Santana has a policy of not speaking to the media between starts and because of the many places I’ve read about this in the past and now recently here and here. I personally think it’s in his best interest to shelf this policy. It’s just making unnecessary enemies in the media.

Joe D from Dugout Central, like me, was very impressed with John Maine sticking up for his fellow teammates, calling John “Rambo” in his latest post. Check it out.

Well, obviously the Mets have to score some more runs. You can go elsewhere to read about how terrible Aaron Heilman is/was I’m so sick of the topic. So lets hope they get the split today with the “Bush League” Nats and then beat up on our crosstown rivals this weekend. Lets Go Mets!!