You Couldn't Make This Up If You Tried
"As far as just looking at Paul Lo Duca across the field, I'm not really into how he acts behind the plate," Thomson said Wednesday during a conference call. "I know a bit about (Jays catcher) Gregg Zaun and I know he wants to win and he's not going to let anything get in his way to do that, and I like that.
"And then with Vernon Wells in centre field, I'm not really concerned about the outfield with him out there. . . . Just watching the Mets outfield, if Cliff Floyd is out there it's not a real good fit for him out there. He can hit the ball but as far as defense, he's a little shaky.
"I just liked what's happening in Toronto."
Do I really need to say anything about this? Are any comments necessary? I was perplexed when I read about the Schoeneweis deal, but the John Thompson comments were just what I needed for some levity. Thompson claims he is now healthy and that's great because after posting a 1.56 WHIP, .295 BAA, and 4.82 ERA in the NL East, he'll need to be healthy to face the beasts of the AL East. Not one team figures to be a weak offensive team in that division.
There are so many levels that John Thompson's remarks are crazy. Beltran being a gold glove centerfielder, Cliff Floyd not even being on the team, and Paul LoDuca being one of the few guys that you can outwardly see his desire to win games are a few places we can start though. It is just crazy how not only so many writers seem to be out of touch with the game of baseball, but there seem to be quite a few number of players that pay little attention to goings on of their own profession. John Thompson seems to be partially stuck in 2004 combined with a skewed view of present day.
Fucking ponderous.....
Raines has some personal baggage to overcome. During the Pittsburgh drug trials in the early 1980s, Raines testified that he kept a gram of coke in his uniform pocket, snorted during games, and made a point of sliding head-first so as not to break the vial. Not exactly a wholesome image there.
Then again, the voters didn't spend much time moralizing about Paul Molitor's early indiscretions with cocaine and marijuana. Raines addressed his problem and rehabilitated his image, and he was a sympathetic figure at the end of his career, selflessly contributing off the bench for two World Championship teams in New York and fighting lupus before his retirement.
We all know a big deal will not be made form Raines' cocaine use and I'm definitely not saying a big deal should be made of it, but it will certainly be interesting to see how these writers treat Mr. Raines when his time comes up. If you are going to condemn steroid use, then you certainly would have to condemn a player who admitted to using cocaine during a game....right?
Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo....and one has to wonder what the real motive is for this sudden desire to be champions of all that is good and holy for some writers.
posted by michael o. at 10:27 PM
20 Comments:
Lets point and laugh at the Phillies. Lets make fun of thier poor situation.
John Thomson is funny. Haha. I'm confused by every single comment he made.
To be honost, I have a bigger problem with coke head palyers than steroid using ones. Mainly because alot of these guys are... for one reason or another, given this wierd ass "hero" tag. Becuase they overcame "obstacles" or someshit. Whatever. I hate coke heads.
10:58 PM
Scott Fuckin' Schoeneweis is getting Bradford money, My eyes are bleeding.
8:13 AM
The Phillies may have a decent team and all and some very, very good young parts, but there is not much behind them besides their top two pitching prospects, and they are very far away so anything can happen. They are not in as good as shape as the Mets....Good stuff. In fact NO one in the NL East outside of the Marlins are, but they should give the Mets trouble for a years to come...Not necessarily 2007 or 2008 even, but they will be tough for a while.
John Thomson is funny. Haha. I'm confused by every single comment he made.
Me too man...
Benny, I do not think it is fair to distinguish one illegal drug for another. That's just me though...in fact, all cheating is equal. Some might be deemed worse, but everyone that cheated consciously did so knowing they were being aided and that is the crux of it. It's black and white for me. If you let ball scuffers and ball doctor-ers in, then steroid users and coke heads get let in...that's just how I roll.
Scott Fuckin' Schoeneweis is getting Bradford money, My eyes are bleeding.
Mine too...I just wish it was Justin Spier or something and I'd get it...this move I cannot rationalize. I cannot figure this one out. They must know something we do not.
9:42 AM
ATTENTION BENNY!
Did you send me an email on fantasy baseball yet? I had to purge a lot of emails yesterday and it occurred to me that if you sent me something, I might have deleted it. Kindly resend :-)
John Thomson is an a-hole
As for Schoenweis, I'm trying to give Omar this benefit of the doubt here. He likes these low cost, high return guys, but I see Schoenweis is neither. WTF? Those of you who mocked me about getting pissy about the cheapness shown with Chad Bradford just goes to show that the Wilflops are not opening their wallets for anyone, then they are backed into a corner with these retreads. Again. So much for full autonomy.
9:48 AM
Actually, Thompson’s remarks were so crazy…so off base with reality…that I love the guy. I mean, how can you not. Instant classics in terms of quote. I might buy a Thompson Blue Jay jersey and wear it around Shea….
RE: Scott S. vs. Chad Bradford. I’m not saying I get the deal, but we are not talking about apples and oranges here. Bradford is a sidearming righty and Scott S. is a left. If Joe Smith wasn’t in the hole with him being ready to go in ’07 most likely (late ’07), having Bradford and the harder throwing version of him would be a bit redundant. Obviously Bradford has stones the size of casaba melons and we do not quite know what Smith has in him, but I do believe he was a closer and we can reasonable believe he can handle pressure. Whereas Scott S. frees up Dave Williams for the rotation (Omar said he believes he could be a 15 game winner) and allows Humber and Pelfrey to get their feet wet and some work in at AAA before being recalled if necessary while still giving the Mets two lefties in the pen. Also, Scott can start and Bradford was strictly a reliever. I understand why they brought him in, but not for three years while he has a 5.01 career ERA. I can only assume he did not have that many offers or he wouldn’t be on the board right now. I’m not really quite drawing the conclusions as to why he was brought in. Obviously the Mets think he hot steak to end the season is the real Scott S. and Peterson must like him .
Still a perplexing move, but certainly not a comparable reliever with Bradford and Scott S. fits in the team with less redundancy than Bradford does. Two sidearmers is just silly if they throw with the same arm.
10:59 AM
And the Mets needed another lefty. Surprised it's three years but will lose no sleep. Funny to see how people seem to be freaking out about the signing though as usual not here. The comments in MLBTrada Rumors were hilarious.
11:18 AM
Oh, I cannot wait to go read over there. Obviously not the end of the world, but a perplexing one nonetheless because of the three years. I just wonder what other offers he really had that the Mets had to go three years $3 million +. Just really bizarre for a guy who has really average to less than average for his career. This move should not be compared with Bradford either. Truly different roles in the bullpen and if the Mets did not have Joe Smith, they probably would have brought Bradford back...
11:21 AM
Hello there. I don't understand why so many people here give a lot of credit to the Phillies and Marlins.
Meanwhile, the Mets are the busiest team in the NL east adding so many fresh arms yet there are so many complains from Met fans. I don't get it.
Here is what I think about the Schoeneweis deal:
1. A lot of Omar's moves make people scratch their heads. Seo for Sanchez, Benson for Maine and Julio, signing Chavez and Valentin. Omar's greatest talent is that he can find underrated players who are on their way up.
2. Schoeneweis' numbers are much better than what people think: during his 8-year career, he limited lefies to .231/.303/.302. That's pretty good.
3. We only had Feliciano as our left hand specialist before this deal. Wagner is our closer, Williams isn't impressive against lefties. Feliciano had a nice year in 06. Schoeneweis is our insurance if Feliciano can't repeat his success. LHRP is important because our main enemies are the Phillies in 07.
4. So why 3 years and 10.7 mil? Why not Bradford? First of all, Schoe made 2.75 mil last year. Ask him to take a paid cut in this market is impossible especially when he had a strong finish in 06. Second, MLB average salary is going higher and higher. 3.6 mil/year for Schoe is very close to the league average. If he really pitches well for us, he will be a bargain at that price for the next three years. Third, there could be a million reasons why we gave the money to Schoe but not Bradford. Maybe they know something that we don't, Bradford's health concern, our inability to get an ace at this point. Who knows?
I know that if you are smart you better not criticize Omar's moves before you see how they actually work out on the field. Also, is a 10.7 mil deal really that much of a financial risk for a big market team like the Mets?
11:21 AM
Very well put MD. Agreed on all counts. At first, I was a bit confused when I heard about this signing. But then I thought pretty much everything you just stated about Omar and his signings. Came to the same conclusion, just wait to see how it plays out on the field.
11:51 AM
metdynasty,
It's not so much that they signed Scott S...I see how he fits into the equation for the above mentioned reasons. However, I think the head scratcher is with the Mets reluctance to hand out long term deals to pitchers. Five years for starter was their max and three years for any reliever is excessive with the near impossible predictability of them. While $3+ million doesn't seem like a lot, it is still $3+ million. Like you said, that is one average player they can get for that type of cash. They've turned away from people for that type of money so to just poo poo it is not 100% right. Even the Mets are not in the business of just tossing around $10+ million commitments. I understand the idea that he's a lefty and going to give them another lefty option, but three years for a guy who has largely had an ineffective career is a bit perplexing. Is it the worst thing? Is it a Weaver deal for $40 million? Obviously not it is in the ONLY Met news going on so it is going to be commented on. However, to call this move a good deal or a shrewd move seems incorrect at this time. At the end of three years it could end up being worth it if Scott is used in the correct way. Used correctly he could put up solid number being primarily a lefty specialist, but the fact remains he’s had an unspectacular career. Three years for a top reliever is hard to swallow for some teams and three years for a guy with an ERA north of 5.00 seems really hard to swallow especially when he’s been hanging on the market for so long.
To recap….
End of the world? No.
Could it end up being good? Yes.
Does it give the Mets some versatility with their current lefties? Yes.
Is the deal a bargain? No.
Was it a good deal? On the surface, no.
Spier was the premium reliever on the market and got 4 years $20 million. I’d rather of splurged for him as it only cost the Mets a second rounder since they picked up Alou and he held lefties under .200 last season, .211 since 2004 and held all batters combined under what Scott S. simply held lefties too. Yes, he can start, but the likelihood of him being around as a starter with Williams and Vargas in the mix seems remote.
Clearly the deal seems a bit off even in this climate hot ending for ’06 for Scott or not. Again, not going to hamstring the team, but I’m all for fiscal responsibility after the 2002 through 2004 version of the Mets. This is simply a case of the Mets waiting too long and scraps are left now. It could end up being solid like I said, but there were better options for relatively similar pay.
12:04 PM
thanks anthony.
Like Omar, I also believe that paying players the right amount of money is very important. If a player thinks he is underpaid, it affects his performance on the field. If we are underpaid, we won't be too happy at work either for the same reason. Overpaying is bad for the organization, but most of the fans want their team to squeeze their players. I see a lot of complains from fellow met fans about how we shouldn't give that much money to Valentin, Duque and Alou. I think Omar paid them just about the right amount and I don't remember Omar ever over or underpaid one single player after he took the Mets GM job. That's remarkable comparing to his peers.
IMO, Redsox underpaid Matsuzaka but overpaid the lions which I believe will bite them later on. Many people said the Beltran was overpaid but now no one is saying that anymore.
So let's wait and see how Schoe plays first before we criticize Omar for giving him 10.7 mil.
12:38 PM
Obviously it could turn out ok. It could turn out ok to pay Weaver $10 million per year over four years. However, when you talk about finding underpaid players that could end up being worth their contract, it usually does not refer to 33 year olds but rather young guys. I do not think anyone is being over critical here, but after seeing better options fall off the board like Riske or Spier that could have allowed Omar to move Heilman + Milledge for a starter if he could find the right deal, it seems Omar just felt he had one option and had to overpay. Crazy climate or not, three years seems excessive for this type of player who figures to be more of a lefty specialist than anything.
I'm not so sure that the dollars per year is the problem as it is the years and the Mets are going against what their plan has been of the off-season and not getting into crazy commitments for pitchers. Obviously it could turn out fine, but the point is future valuation of a 33 year old who profiles best as a lefty specialist and not even a shut down lefty specialist is a bit presumptuous. Three years to a prove set up guy? Fine. The Mets have turned down better players for similar terms in the past so it's not just a case of the Mets believe they have money to burn.
But don't take things out of context. I really do not see anyone being overly critical about the move. As with any more it is a wait in and see, but say this makes 100% sense at this point in time with three lefties already in the mix for the big league roster is not on point. Scott doesn't free up Heilman for a trade but gives the Mets lefty depth. Not many teams like going three years on relievers and $3 million+ is over three years is not throw away money. Of course I hope it works out, but I would be remiss if I didn't voice the obvious concerns with the move, though not a big one.
1:04 PM
Daisuke is not under paid. Yes, the posting fee doesn't count towards his salary, but try telling the team that has to pay the posting fee that. In order for a team to stay on a budget and keep on par with their plans, it has to be taken into account for them. The guy had never thrown a pitch in the bigs yet and could end up being OK rather than an Ace. That is more of a wait and see contract to me and the Red Sox could re up him in three years if they see fit and want to do right by him.
1:05 PM
Mike, since you professed to missing Buster Olney, he seems to be writing better. Anyway, I agree with this:
"Got some e-mails, too, suggesting that if Mark McGwire were to simply come clean, he would greatly improve his chances of being inducted into the Hall of Fame. I think it's too late for that, and any admission of what is widely assumed anyway -- that he used performance-enhancing drugs -- would come far too late. It is clear that a large portion of the baseball writers will not tolerate even the strong whiff of steroid use, and if McGwire were to acknowledge that he used performance-enhancing drugs, it would solidify the stance of the hard-liners who never vote for a player they consider a cheater.
I don't think McGwire, Bonds, Sheffield, etc. will ever get into the Hall, but their only chance might come if time shifts the perspective of the voters on the Steroid Era. It's too bad McGwire didn't just come clean in front of Congress. Because of the way he handled the questions, he effectively lost what he aimed to preserve with his non-answers.
Terence Moore writes that he'll never vote for McGwire. Hall of Fame writer Hal McCoy says the writers got it right by not voting for McGwire, and that McGwire and Sammy Sosa were undoubtedly aided by "juiced bodies and juiced baseballs." Gwen Knapp thinks that morality should be part of this conversation, and writes that she was one of the two voters who cast a ballot for Ken Caminiti.
Meanwhile, more bad news for McGwire: a Missouri state legislator wants to strip Mark McGwire Highway of its title."
Poor guy. He's going to lose his highway!
1:27 PM
That highway tidbit is priceless!!! Is McGwire even living in this country anymore? Talk about being bunkered down somewhere.
1:44 PM
Coop, i didn't e-mail you anything. And I PROBABLY wont until I set up the league which is in about later February.
Every argument you gave for Schonwiases you can say for Darren Oliver. And I know Oliver is old and to count on him for a repeat performance is not fair BUT couldn't the Mets just resign Oliver on a cheaper deal? Someone who has performed in New York already? With the ever imporant small sample size of the playoffs under his belt?
And why SHOULD McGwire "come clean" in front of Congress? Why? There was no reason for him to. What does that prove? He's done playing, and it won't progress whatever the hell Congress wanted to do anyway.
And McGwire did come clean on the things he did, the andro. Which was allowed in baseball, and legal in the U.S. at the time.
Whatever.
1:52 PM
It proves nothing but it saves him from looking like an ass, which seems to count these days for Hall of Fame voters.
2:00 PM
Nothing curious about the Schoenweis move if you think of some of the other moves Omar has made recently.
He traded for Shawn Green acquired Dave Newhan as a free agent. Its obvious that Mr. Minayawitz is trying to field an all Jewish team. I can hear Chris Russo complainiing about it now. Here comes Lieberthal, Jason Marquis, Youkilis. Its obvious that Minayawitz is out to make a point about his people.
Adam
5:34 PM
Adam...you may be onto something.
8:44 PM
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2:54 AM
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