Mets Prospects Article in the NY Times
- From: mrbrklyn <spam-killer@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2007 18:54:25 -0800 (PST)
December 7, 2007
Mets' Prospects Maturing in the Dominican Republic
By BEN SHPIGEL
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, Dec. 6 -- After being frisked by
pistol-toting security guards, fans passing through the turnstiles at
Estadio Quisqueya are greeted by vendors selling the essentials of any
authentic baseball experience: empanadas, cold Presidente and breath
mints.
Eyes are drawn toward the outfield fence, where billboards display the
smiling faces of presidential candidates, although ears may not be
able to decide which sound is louder: the whistles or the
Thundersticks, the merengue or the public-address announcer, who
extends the first syllable of a player's last name for seven
Mississippis.
Welcome to the stadium that is the home of the city's two teams,
Escogido and Licey. Escogido has a roster that includes the Mets' top
two position-player prospects -- Carlos Gómez and Fernando Martínez. So
far, circumstances have prevented them from playing together in the
outfield for Escogido: Martínez, the first overall pick in the
Dominican League draft, is still rehabilitating an injury to his right
hand at the Mets' complex in nearby Boca de Nigua, and Gómez, who was
married Saturday, is on his honeymoon at a resort on the opposite end
of the island. But the real question is whether Martínez and Gómez
will ever play together for the Mets.
To some extent, Martínez and Gómez could become the Mets' outfield
equivalent of David Wright and José Reyes, two cornerstones who could
flank Carlos Beltrán in center field when Citi Field opens in 2009 and
then remain with the Mets into the next decade. Or, just as easily,
one or both of the players could be gone next week, or next month,
traded to Minnesota, Oakland or Baltimore as General Manager Omar
Minaya fulfills his quest to snare a front-line pitcher.
"It's always hard to give up those guys," Minaya said in a recent
interview.
Minaya did, however, give up one of those guys last week, trading
Lastings Milledge to Washington. That left Martínez and Gómez, whom
Baseball America recently singled out, as the only two nonpitchers
among the Mets' top-10 prospects, with Martínez ranking No. 1 and
Gómez No. 3.
The left-handed-hitting Martínez, 19, is more of a prospect than a
known quantity. He projects as a player with 30-home run potential and
a precocious ability to hit to the opposite field. But he must improve
his plate discipline and his defense, particularly the routes he takes
to fly balls. For the moment, there may be more interest in Gómez, a
right-handed hitter who turned 22 on Tuesday. He plays a premium
position (center field), is at least as fast as Reyes and in 58 games
for the Mets last season proved that he was already a fine defender.
His 2007 highlight came on June 15 at Yankee Stadium, when he reached
into the left-field stands to snag a drive from Miguel Cairo, then
fired a one-hopper to second to complete a double play. It was the
same game in which Gómez drove Roger Clemens to distraction by bunting
for two hits.
"My dad came down for a few days, and when I found out Carlos was
getting married and wouldn't be around, I had to apologize to him,"
said Vincent Sinisi, one of Gómez's Escogido teammates. "I told him
how sorry I was that he came all the way here and he couldn't see
Carlos play. I mean, he's got the arm, the power, the speed,
everything."
When Mako Oliveras took over as Escogido's manager Nov. 16, he said
one of his first decisions was to put the 6-foot-4 Gómez into the
leadoff spot. At first, Oliveras said, Gómez preferred to bunt his way
on base because he knew he could usually beat the throw. But Oliveras
worked with Gómez, reminding him that he would not develop as quickly
if he did not hone his swing and grind out at-bats, and Gómez
responded. He is batting .247 in 81 at-bats with 6 stolen bases and 11
runs for Escogido, but Oliveras said the early-season struggles had
weighed down his average.
"When I got here, we were in last place," said Oliveras, who also
manages the Mets' Class AA team in Binghamton, N.Y. "We've moved to
fourth because of him. I don't want to jinx him or blow smoke here,
but if everything continues to go well and he stays healthy, he could
be like Reyes."
Gómez was called up by the Mets early last season because of injuries
to other players. But he also missed two months after breaking a bone
in his left hand. He could stand to benefit from starting 2008 in the
minor leagues so he could improve his recognition of breaking balls
and pitch selection. But whether he will even be with the Mets next
season is another question, one dependent on Minaya.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/07/sports/baseball/07mets.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print
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