Brian Stokes

He's my No. 2 option for the No. 5 spot. 

Vote: No!

Contestant #5-RHP-Brian Stokes

What else does this guy need to do to get some respect?

Stokes has a 2.75 ERA this year, after being the best right-handed reliever in last season's Met bullpen. He's walked only five batters in 20 innings, after walking just eight in 33 last year. He works fast, gets ahead in the count, and has a 93-98 MPH fastball. 

Continue reading "I've Had Enough of Tim Redding."

The mentally-shaken Mets proceeded to meltdown behind Brian Stokes in the bottom of the 11th, and the Dodgers won 3-2 after two embarrassing defensive errors. 

But, this post isn't about one stomach-turning loss. It's about the entire season to this point. With that in mind, here are my general thoughts at this juncture:

Continue reading "The New York Mets: A Quarter Season in Review"

n to come back.  And did anyone notice that the bullpen pitched three scoreless innings?  Brian Stokes, Pedro Feliciano, Joe Smith and Luis Ayala all did their jobs last night, and for that they deserve credit.

Continue reading "Delgado's Two Bombs Save The Day"

while allowing just one hit.  Although Maine was on a short leash with regard to pitch count, Brian Stokes made sure the bullpen got its rest, throwing four shutout innings of his own.  Stokes provided the time type of long relief outing New York's bullpen has sorely missed since the departure of Darren Oliver after the 2006 season.  The offense scored 12 runs to complement the stellar pitching, and Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis each homered to lead the onslaught.  Jose and Argenis Reyes had two hits apiece, and Carlos Beltran drove in two, as New York scored eight runs in the third inning to put it away early.  Things are looking pretty good for the time being, but the real test will come the next time the Mets have a slim lead late in a game.

Continue reading "Perfect Game Moves Mets Back Into First"

aine has been just as guilty as anyone, but he's still got to be better than any alternative.  Brian Stokes looked decent in his start on Saturday, but the Mets might be wiser to use Stokes in long relief should he remain with the big league club.  Omar Minaya expressed his reluctance to call up left-hander Jon Niese, because that would cause him to be arbitration-eligible one year earlier.

Continue reading "Mets' Season May Depend on Kunz"