Wil-Ponderous

Shari Frost invented a truly amazing word that seems to capture the essence of every single move Wilpon and Co. make. Their wilponderous decisions over the years have certainly been head scratchers and jaw dropping. She can rant with the best of them and that is why she was given here own forum at SelltheMets.com. She has her own Wil-ponderous link, so check it out. Here is her first rant back in late September.

So they fired Art Howe, which is great but that's like putting a band aid on fractured skull. Since Nelson Doubleday was bought out Fred Wilpon and his idiot son Jeff have proven that they are spinning their wheels in Alabama mud. In other words under their guidance this team is going nowhere.

Lets look at some of their brilliant decisions-they sign an overweight, aging Mo Vaughn based on 2 swings in his home batting cage, even though the man had been out of baseball for a year and a half. Now there is some careful evaluation from some baseball professionals.

Since they were burned by the Mo debacle, they pass on signing Vladimir Guerrero because of his back injury, so Vlad goes to Anaheim and becomes the American League MVP, while we got stuck with Mike Cameron, a supposed gold glover who's dropped as many balls in centerfield as Roger Cedeno did when he played center.

Yeah he's got 29 homeruns-all meaningless solo shots.

They gave away their crowned jewel rookie Scott Kazmir a flame throwing left hander for Victor Zambrano who had known elbow problems and someone convinced Fred Wilpon that he was one of the premier power pitchers in the American League. I don't know what Svengali convinced him of this.

Then of course there is the signing of Kaz Matsui, a supposed gold glove short stop in Japan. I do realize that offensive numbers in Japan translate here like our body weight does on the moon, but I never heard of defensive numbers being that much less. If this guy was a gold glove in Japan, then I must be the Queen of Siam.

This signing was upon the insistence of idiot #1 son-Jeff Wilpon.

I have said for a long time that playing for the Wilpons has to be the problem, they have gone through a bunch of managers with little results, the players have changed also over the years, so have the GMs. What hasn't changed is the hands on way the Wilpons deal with this team. That would be fine if they knew anything about baseball.

They have proven time and time again that they know nothing-Fred thinks because he went to school with Sandy Kofax that he's a baseball aficionado, and Jeff doesn't know a baseball from a moth ball. My great grandmother had a saying "No camel sees it's own hump" and that's the case with the Wilpons. They try to re-arrange and fire everyone within the organization without realizing they are the problem. There is no other way to explain how certified hall of famers and superstars come to play for the Mets and look like they never played the game before, players that have shown the Mets nothing have gone on to other teams and flourished.

The Wilpons either need to sell this team or just become silent owners, and get someone qualified to run their baseball operations while they keep their mouths shut and their hands off.

-- Shari Forst

Just awesome.

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Some important Hot Stove dates to have:

Close of World Series marks the commencement of the 15-day period during which eligible players may elect free agency or demand a trade.

November 10 Waivers secured on/after Aug. 1, 2004, expire at 5:00 p.m. ET.
November 11 New waiver period begins. Waivers (exclusive of Special waivers) secured today and after shall be in effect until February 15, 2005.
November 19 Day to file reserve lists for all Minor League levels and Major Leagues
December 7 Last date for former club of player who declared free agency under Art. XX (B) to offer salary arbitration. If Club does not offer, then it loses all rights to negotiate with and sign the free agent until May 1st of the next season.
December 10-13 Winter meetings, Anaheim, Calif.
December 13 Major League Rule 5 Draft
December 19 Last date for player, who declared free agency under Art. XX (B), to accept an arbitration offer of former club. If player rejects offer to go to arbitration, his former club may still negotiate with and sign him until January 8th of next season.
December 20 Last date to tender contracts.

As a part II of my Magglio post, I am listing the upcoming outfield free agents over the next few years. They factor heavily in my desire that the Mets have to pursue Magglio as opposed to waiting until next year for someone else.

x-denotes team option
m-denotes mutual option

After 2005 season:
Jose Guillen, Tim Salmon, Johnny Damon, Carlos Lee, Rondell White, Bobby Higginson, Bernie Williams, Kenny Lofton, x-Mark Kotsay, Randy Winn, Jose Cruz Jr, x-Sammy Sosa, Preston Wilson, Jeff Conine, Juan Pierre, Shawn Green, Larry Walker, Reggie Sanders, Roger Cedeno, Jay Payton, Terrence Long, Brian Giles, Michael Tucker, and Joe McEwing

After the 2006 season:
Darin Erstad, Melvin Mora, Trot Nixon, Shannon Stewart, Torii Hunter, Gary Sheffield, Raul Ibanez, m-Luis Gonzalez, x-Chipper Jones, x-Jim Edmonds, Cliff Floyd, x-Mike Cameron, Barry Bonds, and Ryan Klesko

After 2007 season:
x-Bobby Abreu, x-Geoff Jenkins, Andruw Jones, and Ichiro Suzuki

The names bolded are names of interest, but after looking at the list of players after the 2005 & 2006 season, how do you not go after a player of Magglo's stature? You wait for after the 2007 season for Suzuki or Abreu? That does not make sense. This year’s top three outfielders are just too good to pass by without landing one of them. The only name out there next year I really like is Carlos Lee. Unless the Mets try and trade for him and sign him long term, it just does not make sense to wait for something that it is not there. His contract may get extended by the White Sox and even if he hits free agency after 2005, the Mets still have to compete to get him. There is absolutely no guarantees he will land at Shea.

If this is not proof enough that I will not have Mets games in 2006 if Cablevision is still my cable provider, I do not know what is. MSG is suing the Mets for making arrangements to start their own cable network and they claim that it is in direct violation of the contract. MSG contends that the Mets could not start making other arrangements until Nov 1st 2005. This is a last ditch and desperate effort by the Dolan's to save their soon to be useless MSG, Fox Sports NY, and Metro channels. What are the chances of Cablevision actually carrying the new Mets network in 2006?

Baseball America has the World Wood Bat Association top 20 prospects listed today.

The Chicago Sun times reports that Manny Ramirez may find himself back on waivers this off season. The World Series MVP is still due almost $80 million dollars over the next four years but is especially enticing because of the fact that he may cost nothing to attain and bring one of the best right handed bats of the game to whatever team picks him up. If Manny could be moved, then the BoSox would presumably be big players for Carlos Beltran.

Carlos Beltran's decision to return to Houston could heavily be tied to Roger Clemens' decision to return to baseball for one more year. Beltran wants to go to a contender which crosses the Mets off the list.

The Cleveland Indians remain interested in Kendry Morales and the talks are getting serious. Indians assistant general manager John Mirabelli said the 22-year-old Morales is, at the minimum, Double-A ready back in August and described him as polished hitter. There do not seem to be any questions about his age and the fact that I'm not reading much about the Mets being all over him is perplexing to say the least. Pony up the cash Wilpon. OF and 1B happen to be a little thin at the top of the minor league system.

If Willie gets the managerial gig, he wants Zim as his bench coach. This news is certainly disturbing if for nothing other than the fact that someone is trying to turn the Mets into the Yankees!!!!!

Hopefully Wally aces his interview so we can save ourselves from Yankee retreads. I was OK with the possibility of Randolph being the manager, but enough is enough.

The Sox finally broke their World Series drought by putting the sweep of the Cardinals under their belt. Boston is still standing, which is certainly good news. I was expecting widespread chaos in Boston with some looting, fires, rapes, etc. You know, some good ole' fashion ones like in LA when the Lakers won a few years back. At any rate it did not happen and Derek Lowe came up big in another playoff. Scott Boras is salivating after Lowe's horrible regular season and his sudden dominance in the playoffs. Lowe will command more money than he is worth after these last three stellar starts. Buyer beware on Derek Lowe for sure. Reported interested teams are the Tigers, Rangers, Baltimore, and Phillies.

As I was watching the game at the bar with some friends, one of whom was wearing a Red Sox shirt and hat, and the Red Sox won the series, there were plenty of Boston fans cheering. At which point, the ever so classy Yankee fans started chanting Boston sucks and other various chants. Instead of congratulating the team that handed their team's ass to them with the greatest meltdown in the history of sports, they continued to be sore losers. Then one Yankee fan tastefully threw insults at my friend with the Red Sox garb. Unreal, and people wonder why I do not like Yankee fans? I know it is not all of them, but it sure seems that way. Anything associated with the Yankees seems to be lacking class these days starting with A-Rod's fem slap to the their tasteless fans.