the metropolitans

Adios Spring Training

2009-04-02T19:53:00.005-04:00

The Sports Illustrated Baseball Preview is out and they have selected the Mets as the favorites to win the 2009 World Series. This is a promising thought considering that the last two years have been abysmal for the organization and its fans.

I think the Mets have an awesome chance at winning the World Series and making the last few years seem like ancient history. That being said, the Phillies are top dog until they are taken down. I do the Mets taking them down as they did have a winning record against the Phillies last year.

Examining the roster that Omar Minaya has put together, this team is extremely well rounded. I have some concerns at certain positions but find me a team that doesn’t. It’s going to be a good year with a great team in a great stadium!

***

Here are my picks for the division winners:

NL East: New York (plus pitching, defense and offense)

NL Central: Chicago (no solid competitor)

NL West: Arizona (Dodgers pitching took a big step back)

NL Wildcard: Philadelphia (too much offense and great bullpen)

AL East: Boston (unmatched depth can handle)

AL Central: Minnesota (plus pitching and defense with a solid Offense)

AL West: Anaheim (it’s the AL worst again)

AL Wildcard: Cleveland (offense should terrorize & team has two aces)

***

My favorites for post season awards are as follows:

NL MVP: David Wright
Tons of rbi opportunities along with golden boy status should make this one easy. Only Pujols or Howard can take it from him.

AL MVP: Mark Teixeira
He’ll have the lineup around him to put up huge numbers assuming the pressure of New York doesn’t affect him too much

NL Cy Young: Johan Santana
This should be his fifth Cy but he was robbed by Bartolo Colon and the pen shouldn’t cost him 7/8 games again this year.

AL Cy Young: Roy Halladay
He’s got the best stuff in the AL and he’ll have to bring it every time out pitching in that division.

As for the ROY and MOY, it’s hard to say who’s so I won’t even waste my time.

***

Hernandez is the 5th starter thanks in part to his not imploding during spring training. The starting rotation consists of Santana followed by Pelfrey, Maine, Perez and Hernandez, who will get called up April 11th. It’s a very solid staff with a good mixture of pitching types.

The bullpen is going to consist of K-Pod, Putz, Green, Feliciano, O’Day, Parnell and Stokes. Parnell and Stokes surprised many with their stuff this spring and finalized the near total overhaul of the bullpen. It has a great mix of overhead and sidearm throwers with a lot of hard throwers. There is also a significant reserve in the minors should anyone falter.

Jerry Manuel has set the lineup with Daniel Murphy batting second. This should give him an opportunity to excel. His growth and an decent year from the Delgado/Castillo would make this an extremely dangerous lineup.

The bench currently consists of Jeremy Reed, Marlon Anderson, Ramon Castro, Nick Evans and Alex Cora. If I were Marlon Anderson, I would not miss anytime. Nick Evans has brought his power stroke to camp this year and has shown me that he belongs.

***

Seeing Orlando Hudson and Will Ohman sign on the cheap really irked me. Especially Hudson, since he gives the dodgers and awesome DP combo and would've been an improvement over Castillo.

***

Ya think so?

***

She is sexy and I can’t wait for the first date!

the season is almost here

2009-02-20T16:59:00.004-05:00

It is time to be excited. Baseball is in the air.

Pitchers and catchers reported and for at least a few weeks, hope and excitement are abundant. Everyone is hoping for the continued development of the kid they saw last fall and for just another good year from their aging stars.

Things wont pan out the way most hope, but it’s always good when you get that first whiff of baseball on a cold February day.

Well everywhere except in one place. It’s amazing how this A-Rod story has trumped everything baseball in Tampa Bay. That’s a good thing too because it helps some people avoid the spotlight (Girardi, Matsui, Mariano, etc).

I think the happiest guys are AJ Burnett, CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira. They are after thoughts despite signing some of the most insane contracts ever signed in baseball (this will change as we get further into the season and Burnett shuts it down after stubbing his toe on a door).

***

Livan Hernandez is in the fold and this effectively has ended the Pedro Martinez era. I can’t say that I’m excited about Livan. He eats innings but his best years are behind him. I hate to see Pedro go since he can be of some use. It wouldn’t be much use around here though.

***

Buying tickets for games this year is going to be a joke. The brokers have swooped in have snatched everything up. That in addition to the fewer seats is going to spike the prices and cause a lot of fans to have a long distance love with the Mets.

Seeing the Mets promoting Stubhub, I can’t help but to think that they have taken the seats and have thrown them on Stubhub themselves. I’m sure that they love to turn the lovely profit Stubhub usually provides. I believe this more now that the Giants have fluctuating ticket pricing.

***

Can we keep Mike Pelfrey off the golf carts?

***

I’m tired of hearing this “team to beat” crap from the players. The Phillies are the team to beat because they won the World Series and they will remain as the team to beat until they are officially eliminated from an opportunity to win the World Series.

A-Lightning-Rod

2009-02-09T07:29:00.005-05:00

Alex Rodriguez is a guy who has two amazing abilities. He pounces on fastballs in a snake like fashion. He also does incredibly stupid things.

Everyone knows by now that he has been implicated as testing positive in MLB’s 2003 steroid sampling.

I can understand why the guy would do it. He is hungry. He wants to put up the best numbers ever and become a baseball immortal. To do that you need a physical advantage and the steroids do that.

In the end his image is tarnished and who knows if he’s going to the HOF. I do know that he will become a baseball immortal. It’ll probably along the lines of Pete Rose rather than Hank Aaron.

This is the Yankees problem and I don’t feel bad about the Mets not making a push for him in 2000. This guy is an rbi machine but the trouble is too much. I would’ve hated dealing with stripper-gate, Madonna-gate, and now this fiasco. He’s like TO but with a better attitude.

***

Jason Stark had this interest bit about Fernando Martinez in a recent article.

“He looks to me like he can be a young Bobby Abreu… His discipline at the plate is good. He worked counts. He hung in against left-handers. He did a lot of good things. He may be 20 years old, but he doesn’t look like it, the way he handles himself. He really plays under control.”

This is always good to hear. Seeing the Rays bring up Evan Longoria and Cole Hamels becoming a superstar so fast give me hope that we may have another Reyes or Wright. I just hope this guy can stay healthy (he left DR because of a swollen elbow).

our second place team

2009-02-04T16:09:00.001-05:00

"We like our team," Minaya said. "I'm ready to go with this team. We addressed our priorities, and our team today is better than it was at the end of last year."
-Omar Minaya at the Oliver Perez press conference

I don’t know if I’m being a tad extreme but I find something wrong with this statement. The Mets are still flawed and I worry about this team’s direction.

I appreciate what Omar has done to shore up the bullpen. It will improve with K-Rod-Putz replacing Wagner-Heilman/Sanchez and just improved health. That being said, the Philly pen is slighty better.

The starting staff is a big question mark. Johan just came off knee surgery. Maine had shoulder surgery. Ollie is a Dr. Jeckyl – Mr. Hyde. Pelfrey just came off a career high in innings pitched (Verducci Effect). Redding-Garcia can’t be counted on for much considering their past and age. That rotation isn’t better than the one in Citizen’s Bank Park.

The Mets offense finished among the best in the NL last year but I felt that it was a mirage. The offense was not clutch. I don’t know if I can expect much of an improvement from Reyes, Wright, and Beltran. Everyone else is pretty much a question mark. This offense doesn't compare to Phillie's.

I don’t get how management feels that it’s done. The team has holes! There is talent available at low cost. There is a cash cow of a new stadium with pricey seats. Yet the payroll will match that of last year.

Because of this attitude, the Mets will be looking over their shoulder at the Braves. Our New York Mets are a second place team.

happy new year

2009-01-05T22:07:00.007-05:00

With the New Year here it can only mean one thing:

We’re only a few weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting!

I’m excited about the work done by Omar Minaya in reshaping the bullpen but I’m still very nervous about the status of our rotation and downright feel like crap when I think of first base.

Scott Boras is a douche bag and hearing his name associated with your team is always a downer. It especially sucks for us because he’s the man we’re going to have to deal with if Derek Lowe or Oliver Perez (hopefully both) put on the orange and blue. I would like to have both in the fold considering that the only production that is a lock for 2009 is that of Johan Santana.

Mike Pelfrey is expected to grow, but the same was thought of John Maine and Oliver Perez heading into 2008. I would hope that he matches his 2008 production at a minimum. John Maine isn’t instilling confidence coming off surgery while John Niese is just a rookie pitcher.

We’ll need both pitchers in the fold to help offset that uncertainty. Lowe is a lock for 200ip and a decent era. Ollie is a head case, but there is no denying that he can pitch and win. Another important factor to consider with them both is their (I think) nonexistent injury history (this is why I say no to Ben Sheets).

As for first base, I hate Carlos Delgado. I also hate that Mark Teixeira isn’t going to be a Met. The Mets should’ve signed him and moved him like they did with Beltran (they signed him and moved Cameron). Now there is no real option at first beyond 2009and it is going to suck.

***

I’m sure most of you have gotten some correspondence from the Mets for 2009 home games. Here’s your new seating chart. I already miss the simplicity of Shea.

***

Pat Burrell signed a good contract with the Rays and I like the move for them. His home/away splits were balanced and he should bring value to them especially as a DH. Thank god he’s not in the NL East anymore.

***

The Cubs signed Milton Bradley to a 3 year deal. Bad move since he’s always hurt and liable to explode at any moment.

***

JC Romero is going to sit out 50 games. Did his roids use save his career and turn him around in Philadelphia?

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I'm loving the site redesign by ESPN. The old design was a mess and was due to be replaced.

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I wonder where some of these guys like John Smoltz will end up.

Prospect Analysis

2008-12-16T21:37:00.006-05:00

Baseball Prospectus has released its review of the Mets Top 11 Prospects. Some people will find it disheartening that the team has no 5 star can’t miss prospects in the system. Others will say that the Mets have drafted poorly or are running a depleted system.

I pay no mind to negative talk. These same people have attacked the Mets minor league for as long as I can remember (Generation K maybe?). These same people have failed to realize that the team has produced talent. It hasn’t produced many of the superstar prospects that scouts drool over, but the talent is there. There was doom and gloom two summers ago when Omar drafted all those relievers but our system still managed to produced enough talent to land Johan, Church, & Putz. That being done while keeping our top prospect, Fernando Martinez.

We haven’t had many cant miss prospects come in and contribute, but you can attribute that to not sucking for a while, Humber’s injury, Kazmir’s trade, and the negative attention Milledge couldn’t avoid.

In the end I don’t worry and neither should you. Kevin Goldstein would agree with me. The article can be read here free of charge.

***

Rumors of a Luis Castillo trade are floating around. I would be amazed if Omar can move this guy. Its easy to sign a guy to a bad contract. It’s nearly impossible to push on to someone’s payroll.

***

Fred Wilpon hasn’t been called Freddie Coupon in a while. After getting swindled for a nice chunk of change, is the nickname due for a comeback?

***

I haven’t heard much about this, but I wonder how the new stadium will “play.” Shea has been a pitchers park and the Mets have always seemed to benefit due to that. What’s going to happen if CitiField proves to be a Citizens Stank Park or Enron Field?

***

The Buffalo Bison have a new logo in town (behind the bills) and a new manager.

***

I secretly pray for Minaya to sign Teixeira and spin Delgado to the Angels for a decent prospect.

***

The pitching situation is getting interesting. I hope the Mets don’t things on the cheap and sign based on talent. When you miss the playoffs two years in a row by less than three games, a 5th starter matters. Things could’ve been different last year if Kyle Lohse made those 17 starts by Figueroa, Neise, Vargas, Stokes, and the immortal Brandon Knight.

There are too many question marks this year outside of Santana and signing both Lowe and Garland/Perez (who sounds better when you factor his age) would ease some worries. Sheets would be nice but after years of glass players crapping out, I must say pass.

***

Furcal may be coming back east. Thank god Glavine isn’t here to give up a leadoff homerun to him.

***

Adios Argenis Reyes and Bling Bling Burgos. I liked Reyes, but sometimes I thought I was the only one in the fan club.

Good bye Greg Maddux

2008-12-13T00:31:00.002-05:00

Greg Maddux called it a career this week. It was a rather low publicity send off when you think of the treatment Roger Clemens got as he retired (all three/four times). He deserves a lot more attention if you ask me considering he was the best pitcher since the expansion era. Yea I said it, expansion era.

I know a lot of people will think of Koufax, Carlton, Martinez, etc. I like to think that Maddux is the best because of what he did with what he had for how long he did it when he did it.

Look at his numbers and try to find someone comparable. You may or may not. I look at his stats and see someone who is 5th on the all times win list during the era of steroids, five man rotations and specialized bullpens. To have done it while topping out at maybe 92 mph is amazing. I will never forget the time he had a 76 pitch complete game against the Cubs in 1997. He only threw 13 balls!

I hate that his career took a back seat because of his low profile personality and how that douche Clemens roided his way into the spot light. Maddux will have the last laugh though when he gets that 100% vote into the hall 5 years from now.

***

The Mets have traded Scott Schoeneweis to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Conor Robertson. I personally thought Scott got a raw deal here considering he was signed as a lefty specialist but was used in a different role. He in fact faced more right handed batters than lefties while here. He did have some moments of failure against lefties in key moments (Jody Gerut), but his problems were magnified by an injured knee last year, Willie Randolph, and our bullpen injuries woes this year.

Conor Robertson is nothing to be excited about. This move was about clearing salary and clearing the air of the 2008 stench. The Mets ate $1.6m of his salary and I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets Delgado out in a big spot next year.

***

Scott Proctor was non-tendered by the Dodgers and I hope Omar takes a look at him. He can be effective but made the worst move a reliever can make: he became one of Joe Torre’s guys and practically warmed up every single day of the season.

Daniel Cabrera is also an interesting non-tender. He has electric stuff but his erratic stuff turned off the pitching starved Oriole’s. I didn’t think that was possible. Omar struck gold in that Baltimore cave once, can he do it again?

***

The Yankees have officially won the AJ Burnett sweepstakes. Uh, congratulations? Burnett has great stuff (his “stuff” got us Al Leiter). Too bad he is 32 years old and is extremely injury prone. By the contract runs he will have at least 5 trips to the DL.

I don’t get it. He’s had three 200 ip seasons and only one was not in a contract year. In his career year of 2008, he had a 4+ ERA.

This seems like another Pavano-ish contract for me (maybe even worse, Pavano isn’t surly). He can pitch but his best friends in the stadium will be the Yankees medical staff.

The smarter money would’ve been Ben Sheets who has shown his great stuff consistently and only sought a short term deal.

Is the game over when they stop selling beer?

2008-12-11T17:13:00.005-05:00

Omar Minaya has gone out and rebuilt the Mets bullpen. He has done in an excellent fashion nonetheless. Getting the two best closers available at an incredibly reasonable price was a masterstroke. The Mets now have what may be the best back end of any team in the majors.

K-Rod is among the best closers in the game and is signed to a friendly contract considering his abilities at his position. He has 3 plus pitches and is only 26 years old. Some may want to rain on the parade saying he lost some speed on his fastball but I will say that he was still clocked at 92mph last year. His change up also offsets that decline. K-Rod was also pitching on a balky ankle that should be healed up by spring training.

JJ Putz was basically picked up for Heilman and Cleto. Carp would never see Citi and Green/Reed is basically the same as Chavez/Smith. Heilman wasn’t going to start here while Cleto wouldn’t help this team within 3 years. Omar got a premier closer for them. He’s like our Jonathan Broxton, but better. He is also a nice insurance policy.

In the end, our bullpen now ranks among the best in the majors. I hope that the starters can eat up some innings that will limit the pens exposure thus ensuring a better performance. If that happens, we should now have a lot more 7 inning games.

***

Duaner Sanchez looks a lot like Francisco Rodriguez.

***

I don’t understand how Brian Cashman still has a job. He has been behind some awful trades and signings. This year, he has continued that trend.

He basically bid against himself in the Sabathia deal. Raising his offer and adding a 7th year was confusing and risky. What really confused me was the 3rd year opt out. If Sabathia goes out and has three awesome years, he will opt out and the Yankees will have to resign/extend him. It could turn his risky 7-year deal into what effectively is a 10-year deal. That is a bad idea on so many levels. Not saying that he is a bad pickup, it is just a bad contract.

Reports have the Yankees leading the chase for AJ Burnett with a 5-year $85 million contract. Two words: Carl Pavano. Anyone giving him more than three years is retarded. His numbers and injury history do not justify those years nor that salary.

***

Mark Teixeira is looking at a nice payday. What free agent wouldn’t want Boston, LA, New York and the Orioles chasing him. Boras must be walking around with a boner. I forgot what its like to have a good first baseman (zing!).

***

My quick thoughts on some acquisitions:

Detroit acquires Gerald Laird for some minor leaguers to Texas: Good move for Detroit as it fills their biggest need. Texas always needs pitching no matter how young.

Reds acquire Ramon Hernandez for Ryan Freel: Hernandez needs a change of scenery and will show max effort in a contract year. Ryan Freel is much like Melvin Mora in my opinion. He plays many positions (unfortunately, the DL is one of them). Reds should get good production from this deal.

Khalil Greene to the Cards: Greene has been hyped forever. Will he be another Sean Burroughs?

San Francisco got younger at shortstop with Edgar Renteria: wow. Just think about that statement. When was the last time that either the Giants or Padres developed a very good position player? They made a move that means nothing in my opinion.

Braves acquire Javier Vasquez for Lillibridge, etc: The Braves need starters like the Mets needed bullpen relief. This is a good move in that regards. Too bad he is their ace when in actuality he is a nice #3 guy.

Brewers sign Jorge Julio to one year deal: Just kidding!

Boston fleeced the Royals with the Ramon Ramirez-Coco Crisp trade.

Jeremy Affeldt to the Giants is risky because his strikeouts were unreasonably high and may have . However, The dollar amount isn’t that bad.

Cubs and Gregg is a downgrade. Chicago has Obama but are losing their shot at a World Series because the of the ownership’s financial situation (Tribune sale/bankruptcy).

Olsen and Willingham to the Nationals is an improvement, but almost anyone is. (Btw… if the Nats get Tex by some miracle, they will have 3 lovely first basemen.)

Holliday will really earn his next contract playing in Oakland. This move is a plus for both teams if other Beane moves pan out.

***

Scott Schoeneweis for Jason Marquis? I'm down for that. Get it done Omar!

***

I'm getting that uneasy feeling that a Peavy trade is gonna be a lot like the Brian Roberts trade last year. A whole lot of nothing.

Let's turn on that stove!

2008-10-30T17:28:00.004-04:00

Now that the Phillies have found a way to throw salt on the wound, it's time to focus on next year. We all know the names and the needs. Minaya has some options and I think that the Wilpons are going to want alot of fans in the shiny new seats. That adds up to many "potential" moves and hopefully just as many smart moves. I'll start this off by saying that Brian Fuentes does not need to be Met. I'm saying that one based off a gut feeling like my boy Willie used to do. I'm also looking forward to a different face at first base next year.

***

The Marlins and Royals have opened things up and got Mike Jacobs out of the division. The trade fills a need for both teams as the Royals had a big hole at 1B and Leo Nunez would fit in nicely with any team.

***

I doubt that Willie will manage another team in the Major Leagues. It sucks too because had he gotten the job, Milwaukee would've underperformed and gave the Mets a little wiggle room.

***

Can Omar kick tires on Chad Cordero? I wouldn't mind seeing him signed to a small deal.

Picking Up the Pieces

2008-10-12T22:29:00.000-04:00

The empty feeling hasn’t subsided for many Mets fans. It’s hard watching the Phillies and their scumbag fans enjoying playoff baseball.

It’s even harder to watch when you hear about potential trades that make little to no sense at all. The proposed trade of Beltran for Cano, Versa, Kennedy, and a minor leaguer is plain old retarded.

Nobody is untradeable in my eyes, but it would take an amazing package to convince me to that the Mets should make a trade involving Beltran. Beltran is an invaluable player because of his skill set. I can’t think of a comparable player who can man his position/production or of a package that can offset his loss while improving the team. The fact that Cano and the rest of that bunch is included just baffles me.

Robinson Cano is like having Carlos Delgado at 2nd base. He is a lazy defender and streaky. Ian Kennedy is still living off three starts and sounds like a Tom Glavine in the making. Veras is intriguing and is a great third player needed in a deal. The problem with that is the first two players blow.

The only way this trade makes sense is in the Wilpon’s pockets. It saves a ton of money spent on a player older than 30.

This trade would give Omar Minaya some payroll flexibility, but that isn’t always a good thing. If Omar can improve other parts of the with the money saved, he’d still have to plug in someone in centerfield.

Last year, the Tori Hunter signed a 5 year contract worth $90 million. That’s a big number for a guy who I don’t feel is in the same league as Carlos Beltran. Anyone who can provide similar output is going to cost big bucks and make Beltran’s paycheck seem like a bargain this year.

I can go days as to why this trade shouldn’t be made. That’s not saying Beltran can’t be traded. Omar and management need to realize that Beltran is the goods and making a trade for the sake of making a trade is the wrong move. Trade him only if you feel that will improve the team. Cano and Kennedy will not improve the team unless they are part of some grander scheme.

Placing the blame

2008-09-29T13:51:00.004-04:00

As the dust settles and I begin negotiations with the devil to acquire opening day tickets for next year, I think its time to look at the top three reasons at why this team failed.

1. Willie Randolph: Willie was a burden on this team. He represented the collapse in my eyes and was pretty much the worst manager I have ever seen in a Mets uniform (1994 – present). A mistake was made when it was announced that he would be back in 2008. He gave us 69 games of management that would eventually cost the team its playoff hopes.

2. The Offense: This team scored 4 or runs in 78 games this season. They scored a grand 183 runs in those 78 games. That translates to 2.3 runs a game. In the remaining 84 games, they threw 616 runs on the board.

They scored a bunch of runs but were just frustrating considering the talent they had. It is understandable that you are not going to hit the ball hard every time out, but some consistency would have been nice. The main culprit of that is obviously Carlos Delgado. Jose Reyes was guilty of it in April. Beltran had a down month. Wright was erratic. Castillo, Alou and Schneider/Castro were essentially worthless. David Wright was also atrocious at times, just not over long stretches.

3. The Starting Pitching: This may surprise many but the starting pitching was actually worse than the relief corps. Outside of Johan Santana and Mike Pelfrey, no starter was consistent this year. Maine and Perez took substantial drops in performance and their 5+ inning outings were frustrating. Pedro gave you a high wire act every time out.

The biggest factor in having an effective bullpen is limiting its use. We saw too much of Pedro Feliciano, Scott Schoeneweis and Joe Smith. The starting staff did not give the Mets enough innings and it came back to bite them in the ass.

Most people blame the bullpen, but I really cannot get mad at them. Wagner, Sanchez, and Heilman were all hurt. Feliciano, Schoeneweis, and Smith were out there just too damn much. That adds up to a bad pen. Sure they pissed us off and were hated but they were not in a position to succeed if you really think about it.

Minaya deserves some blame but this team had enough talent to win. He did not add anyone in the pen, but besides Chad Bradford, I cannot think of anyone who was moved. Maybe Ayala was all that he could land on.

***

I think it is done and settled with… Carlos Delgado cant hold Ryan Howard's jock strap.

***

I am officially rooting for a Dodger-Red Sox World Series.

"Being a Mets fan really sucks"

2008-09-25T10:25:00.003-04:00

Those words did not come from my mouth, but came to me from my friend's fingers via a text message during the 9th inning of last night's game. For three consecutive innings, the Mets had a prime scoring opportunity only to come away with one run during those three innings. Keep in mind, it was a known fact the Phillies were opening the door for the Mets to close the gap during those chances and that this game was a golden opportunity to even up the loss column.

Of course, we are plagued Met fans damned to never to derive any sort of enjoyment from our favorite professional baseball team. Not us, we are doomed for a lifetime of let downs and not just any old let down. Let downs of enormous proportions. What will it take to reverse these misfortunes? If had those answers, I would certainly present them. However, there is nothing else we can do but grin and bear it.

Missed opportunities were abundant and now the Mets are in a Wild Card tie with the Brewers and in second place. They came into the game with a 72%+ chance of making the playoffs and had a 5-1 lead only to lose by three runs and end up with a 54%+ chance of making the playoffs.

Ticklish? Yeah, I think it would be safe to say things are ticklish and I think it is safe to say I watching the Mets last night was another poor allocation of my time. With Pedro up tonight and the Mets holding an open audition for Saturday's 2nd game, it is not exactly a a rosy outlook with a team that no one really wants to play coming to town this weekend and the team that knocked the Mets out of the playoffs last season.

* * *

The Mets will stay on WFAN and I guess that is good. There are no other stations with any sort of Met fan broadcasters in prominent roles.

Why must the Met fans not be allowed to boo? I am not a big boo person and have only booed for Roger Cedeno, but seriously. Last night I can forgive anyone with a temptation to boo.

"As everyone knows, this is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately town and lately we haven't gotten the job done," David Wright said. "There's a lot of frustration. There's frustration with the fans, there's frustration in the stands, there's frustration in the dugout.

I am mostly frustrated because this is the second year in a row I might be giving the Mets a micro-loan for the payment of my playoff tickets that may never get used. If they refunded the money automatically, which they should do, it wouldn't be an issue, but they make it a process to get any money back. Typically that would not be an issue as I just put it towards my next season tickets, but we know that there will probably not be any partial season packages and frankly if they fail to make the playoffs again after a terrible collapse, I probably would not want to get them again.

Short rest for Johan? They don't need it. Some clutch hitting would have be fine and Johan cannot do that. This is on the offense to help this team make the playoffs and not Johan.

Evan Weiner is wrong. The Mets downsized and should have no problems filling their stadium and the Yankees will not have any issues whatsoever.

Ironic that the Twins might actually make the playoffs and the Mets might get left out, no?

Things Are Getting Kind of 'Ticklish'

2008-09-24T09:43:00.003-04:00

So the Mets have 29 blown saves this season. That is a very troubling number as they move towards a potential playoff birth, but I need to take a step back for a moment and think a bit more positively about this situation. For one, Jerry Manuel is not Willie Randolph. He believes in the dynamic nature of human beings and that sometimes you have to stray from some notion that you may have had at a previous point in time. Amazing.

While it was clear some of the guys that were supposed to be depended on in 2007 out the bullpen were not getting it done, Willie thought nothing of it. According to him, the sky was not falling. In September of this season, the top four relievers in innings pitched are Brian Stokes, Joe Smith, Luis Ayala, and Nelson Figueroa. Shit, Manuel is not a afraid to get Bobby Parnell into the mix late in the game if it means Ws in his pocket.

The Mets will have to take eight relievers into the playoffs if they squeak in to compliment their four starting pitchers and there really is no choice. Stokes has been striking a lot of people out while not walking many, Schoeneweis has been death on lefties, Figueroa has been surprisingly effective out of the bullpen and has been looking great doing it, Bobby Parnell throws gas, Smitty has humiliated righties, Feliciano has made lefties look like Andruw Jones, Heilman has been rather effective against righties, and Ayala has been effective in a Joe Borowski circa 2007 kind of way. John Maine might even make it back in time to be thrown into the bullpen, which I am not counting on.

Too many guys who are effective against only one side of the plate? Yes. But figure on Jerry managing his games in the playoffs like this one. If it takes the entire bullpen throwing five pitches each to make it through the game, who cares? It may not be pretty, but they are competant enough.

* * *

Yes....Duaner Sanchez was left off of the above list and I know he will probably make the playoff roster, but it should not be a foregone conclusion and I would love to see Parnell get a legit look. At least he is different...

The other day when Manuel had Bobby in for two innings, he said that he needed to get a good look at him on the mound at Shea. I take that to mean he is pretty open minded and with the Mets having enough injured players, they can get whoever they want on the playoff roster.

Four years to fix the bullpen? Am I the only one who looks around and thinks things are not as bad as they seem in the bullpen...at least beyond 2008? Stokes and Parnell look like good bets, Heilman is better than he has shown, Kunz (his GB% is tasty!) and Smith will be useful even if they won't be stellar against lefties, Nelly Figs might have found a home out there, and the Mets have cash.

I remain optimistic long term as additions get made and some guys come into their own, but I just hope they can sort things out sooner.

Reyes is good. He is having his best year yet and anyone that has ever had bad thoughts about Reyes (trade him for Johan!) should be ashamed.

Minaya gets four more years and that is a good thing. If you take a look at his worst three moves, are they really that terrible? Also, take note on how Brian Bannister and his 76 ERA+ are now off the list as one of his worst moves. I was never a believer in Bannister and things finally caught up to him.

I like Daniel Murphy, but Keith LOVES Daniel Murphy. Going so far as to call him the future #3 hitter with David Wright on the team seems a bit ambitious for me, but I'll take Keith's word for it since I believe whatever the man says.

Today's action...

-> Reyes vs Myers (Biiiig edge Phillies. Hitters are batting .353 against Reyes in the 2nd half)
-> Maholm vs Sabathia (Ummm...biiiiig edge Brewers.)
-> Zambrano vs Perez (5.51 post-all star ERA....slight edge Mets.)

It is go time. The Mets need to man-up.

Prove It

2008-09-22T14:33:00.003-04:00

The Phillies close out the season with 6 games against the Braves and Nationals at home. They have a combined record of 22-8 in games against those teams this year. Atlanta has particularly sucked against them by winning only 2 of 15.

The Brewers close out the season at home with 6 games against the Cubs and Pirates. They have a combined record of 16-9 against them with a sparkling 11-1 record against the Pirates.

The Mets finish out with the Marlins and Cubs. They last faced the Cubs at Wrigley while scoring two runs in the games. The losses where lopsided but closely fought contest until the Mets pen let game get away from them (surprise!). The Marlins have proven to a consistent pain while playing above their heads.

From an impartial perspective, the Mets have the toughest time coming this week.

The schedule favors the Phillies and Brewers this week.
Facing Zambrano and Harden should be difficult.
Pelfrey (0-3, 7.91 ERA) against the Marlins should be difficult to overcome.

The Mets have to prove they belong on the field in October. They can too. The offense and starting pitching is good enough to carry this team into the playoffs despite the ‘pen.

They just have to do it. I mean, we need a Dane Cook Playoff commercial and I don’t need to hear about a damn collapse next year.

***

Brad Lidge… Gary Anderson anyone?

Let us hope so.

***

Say hello to your Buffalo Bisons.

***

I think Maine should shut it down. I can’t see him making an impact and I would hate to see his ’09 spent rehabbing from something worse.

***

Game 82? Does that take away from the ‘games left’ presentation we’ve seen 81 times?

***

I still can’t believe the Phillies are pitching the way they are.

Their bullen has only 15 Blown Saves (Mets have 29). They also have the majors third ranked bullpen ERA (3.23).

***

Willie sliding into 2nd base last night made me sick. He was such a damn douche.

'the collapse' vs september 2008

2008-09-19T16:13:00.004-04:00

Bunches of you haven’t gotten over what happened last year. It’s understandable. Coming off a year in which we were a game away from the World Series, our hopes were high and everyone was ready for the ticker tape parade.

Those hopes and dreams were dashed when Tom Glavine officially moved past Bobby Bonilla on the “Worst Mets Ever” list. It wasn’t helped by the constant media coverage that decided that losing a 7 game lead with 17 games left is worse than losing 6 with 12 games left (the ’64 Phillies accomplished that one).

This is a new year however. We came into the season as underdogs by virtue that you own a division until you lose it. Expectations had to be different considering the changes outside of Johan Santana were minimal (re: Willie was still manager).

For a Mets fan to get upset about blowing a lead and speaking of a collapse, is a bit overdoing it in my opinion. They should remember a few things before they get all riled up:

We were at one point 7.5 games out of first at one point
Willie Randolph gave us a lovely .493 winning percentage this year
Delgado has sucked for half the year
Luis Castillo (Jose Castillo was a typo)
Our bullpen has been run into the ground by over use and injuries
Billy Wagner
Concussions
Willie Randolph
Maine’s injuries

I am actually quite happy that the Mets are in a race despite all these problems. That being said, any comparisons to last year are 100% unwarranted. This season was going to be a race and its shaping out that way. Appreciate the excitement that comes with the race and just enjoy baseball.

***

The Mets are the only team in baseball with three 100+ rbi guys.

***

Beltran has been awesome this year and totally under the radar.

***

I still cant believe Delgado has done what he’s done. I still don't know if he should be our first option at 1B next year, but I'm glad he's improved.

***

The “empty” minors are producing:

Daniel Murphy looks like he could play full time next year.
Argenis Reyes gives me the same feeling Edgardo Alfonso once did.
Kunz brings hope for the bullpen.
Niese looked great in his second start.

***

I’ll be posting periodically. Hope you guys can bear with me.

P.S. Isn’t it great not having Willie Randolph here?

Delgado > Howard

2008-07-29T10:32:00.000-04:00

Yes, many thought I was a bit overzealous when I said that Delgado has been better than Howard this year, but I stand by that claim and that is likely to remain true over the course of the season. Delgado's OPS+ of 120 is actually really respectable this year and Ryan Howard has simply not hit as well as him with a 110 OPS+. More RBIs? Sure. More homers? Sure.

If this were MVP voting that might be all that mattered, but it is not. It is real life and no matter what anyone tries to tell you, the Mets first baseman has outplayed the 2007 MVP. Again, if you asked me who I wanted for 2008 through 2012, it would be a no brainer, but for this season alone, you can keep Howard and his iron mitt.

In fact, Delgado has played so well of late, I would actually consider bringing him back and picking up his option while Mike Carp gets some more ABs in the minor leagues...yeah I said it. Ossy just fell off of his chair, but let us all maintain some sanity.

* * *

Not that Maine has been lighting the world on fire, but this is bad. Really bad.

"I'm fine," Maine told the interim manager.

"You're not fine," Manuel replied.

Pedro to the pen? It can't hurt. In fact, it might be a good idea for the remainder of the season since he has been so brittle and the Mets could use some relief help.

We don't need no stinkin' bats. With Tatis playing like an All-Star, Church working his way back, and Delgado playing like it is the early 2000s, who needs to pick up a bat? They have scored as much as the o' so talked about Philly offense and are just fiiiiiine. I'll take the Met front four over anyone in the Phillies have with the exception of Cole Hamels and the Marlins rotation has a Blanton-esque ERA.....the Mets are not going to be chasing anyone. That is my bold statement for the day.

Posada is done for the season.

"After speaking with Brian and Joe, we thought it was best for me — and the team — to have the surgery now," Posada said. "I've always taken pride in being there for my team and playing every day with them. With Xavier here now, there isn't as much pressure on me to return."

Ho-hum....another day and more baseless claims.

2008-07-22T10:42:00.002-04:00

Mets vs. Phillies vs. Marlins

Len from Manhattan: And Delgado vs. Howard is closer than you think, no?

SportsNation Jayson Stark: (1:18 PM ET ) How is Delgado/Howard closer than I think? We're talking a 30-RBI difference (and 11 homers). And nearly an 80 point difference in hitting with RISP. Sorry, Len. Not seeing that one.

Sometimes something so painful has to be written. No matter how much you want to resist the urge, there is simply no other recourse.

Carlos Delgado has an OPS+ of 116 while Ryan Howard has an OPS+ of 113. Now, 10 out of 10 sane individuals would take Howard over Delgado no matter what the numbers suggest, but if you are scrubbing the teams against each other at this current juncture, then it would not be fair to be so dismissive of Delgado.

Furthermore, Howard's Warp1 is 2.7 while Delgado's is 3.3. Win Shares? Delgado has 9 and Howard has 12. While you can probably construct an argument for either side, I would just say both have been extremely disappointing and have been equally as valuable (or equally as bad). By my count, the Mets would win or push at all positions in the infield with the exception of second base.

Regardless, Stark points out the fact that the Mets have been outscored by the Phillies....but they were outscored by a whole eleven runs during the year. Whoooopeeeee! If you take away both team's home parks which are drastically different, the Mets have scored 271 runs in 53 games while the Phillies scored 248 runs in 49 games.

The notion that the Phillies are much better than the Mets offensively is completely and utterly ridiculous. This falsity that keeps getting perpetuated must end! The Mets rotation is vastly better while the Phillies bullpen can certainly mow down opposing batters more efficiently than the Mets bullpen, but we are talking about one component that is better than the Mets out of the big three components.

The teams might not be all that far off in terms of talent if you assume nothing from Pedro and Church, but at least the Mets have more room for growth and starting pitching on their side. I am simply not buying much growth for the Phillies and I'm not getting giddy over their offense which is more of a show of power than real substance. Side with the better offense and the rotation which is the Mets barring a disaster.

* * *

Mr. Billy Wags with arm trouble is a big deal. Very big.

Joe Blanton is facing the Mets tonight and nothing would be more deflating than the Mets pounding the new Philly acquisition that has come to help stabalize the rotation.

10 things to know about Joe!!!!

1. Blanton's wife, LeeAndra, is a die-hard fan. According to his blog on MLB.com, called "Big Joe's Bluegrass Blog," his wife has yet to miss a start, home or away. "She's a trooper, for sure," he wrote. "She pretty much goes on every trip with me - even though she's not crazy about flying." That's love.

Love or trust issues? We all know what happens on the road...

10. The Mets are the perfect team for Blanton's debut with the Phillies. He hasn't given up a run in 15 career innings against the Mets.

That just means the Mets are due.

Sugary...

"Everything you want to accomplish is right there in front of us," Mets third baseman David Wright said. "We just have to go out there and grab it."

The Mets don't neeeeed Pedro. It would be nice if he can be league average pitcher, but he is their #5 right now. The Mets season does not hinge on their #5.

Here is why you don't give 36 year old catchers big contracts.

"That's the biggest thing," he said. "I don't want to miss two years. I'm already flustered with this one because I haven't been 100 percent and I've been trying to play through a lot of pain."

The Mets have certainly changed how people perceive this team really quickly...

Philly Making Power Moves?

2008-07-17T21:24:00.008-04:00

There have been many, many acts of futilty throughout history born out of desperation. It is inevitable. You can either go down quietly or you can try and do something....anything. To me, it is sort of admirable the way the Phillies decided to 'go after it'.

I know this all sounds petty and irrational being the Phillies run differential is 39 runs better than the Mets, but I am a believer again. The Mets are a juggernaut and have finally started clicking and the Phillies could not just stand idly by and let the Mets blow past them. They had to take action immediately.

Joe Blanton may be an innings eater and hat has value for sure, but his 77 ERA+ and the overall negative trend of his career leaves me not all that concerned. He peaked in 2005 and has been either slightly above or slightly below average since with a his worst season yet in 2008.

The beauty of it all is that Brett Myers and Adam Eaton have basically just been as bad as he has so he basically gives them no discernable upgrade unless of course he turns it around and becomes league average again....dare to dream Philly fans...dare to dream. I mean, sure this helps and they dealt from a position of depth, but you will excuse me if I yawn this one off.

* * *

Pedro gets pushed back and I really do not expect much from him the rest of the way. He has become extremely fragile since joining the Mets, but Tony Armas can probably hold the five spot good enough for the Mets needs.

Overall, Pedro has been really bad so it is not like there is that much to replace.

Strangest quote...

Manager Jerry Manuel characterized Church's situation as "kinda ticklish," referring to the effects of the concussion Church sustained on May 20.

Kind of ticklish?

The man speaks the truth.

Before he became aware of Hernandez's premature departure, Manuel reiterated that El Duque would be hard-pressed to displace of the regular starters.

"I wouldn't take any of those guys out," Manuel said. "It's gonna be tough for El Duque."

Fun facts from Buster....

Batters with highest percentage of working into hitters' counts (min. 200 PA):
Albert Pujols, 33.3
Ken Griffey Jr., 32.6
Pat Burrell, 28.8
Adam Dunn, 28.5
Ray Durham, 28.0
Jayson Werth, 27.9
Chipper Jones, 27.7
Nick Swisher, 27.4
Jim Thome, 27.3
Jason Giambi, 26.9

Batters with lowest percentage of working into hitters' counts (min. 200 PA):
Alexei Ramirez, 8.2
Ivan Rodriguez, 8.5
Miguel Olivo, 9.2
Joey Gathright, 10.3
Clint Barmes, 11.1
Erick Aybar, 11.3
Carlos Gomez, 11.3
Corey Patterson, 11.3
Jason Bartlett, 11.7
Hunter Pence, 11.8

Pitchers with highest percentage of working into hitters' counts (min. 300 PA):
Oliver Perez, 27.6
Phil Dumatrait, 26.5
Daisuke Matsuzaka, 25.6
Miguel Batista, 25.2
Tom Gorzelanny, 24.7
Dana Eveland, 24.5
Andrew Miller, 24.5
Doug Davis, 24.4
Seth McClung, 24.0
Barry Zito, 23.8

Pitchers with lowest percentage of working into hitters' counts (min. 300 PA):
John Lackey, 9.2
Ervin Santana, 10.2
Kevin Slowey, 11.8
Greg Maddux, 12.0
Joel Pineiro, 12.0
Dan Haren, 12.3
Andy Sonnanstine, 12.3
Justin Duchscherer, 12.5
Carlos Silva, 12.6
Paul Byrd, 13.1

2nd Half Swelliciousness

2008-07-17T10:15:00.001-04:00

The Mets have now won nine straight games, which is their longest such streak since 2000 and I think ever. It is ALL Jerry Manuel and no one else.

Obviously I am kidding, but this team is in much better shape than they were with Willie.

One thing I love is the fact that Manuel is a man who is not afraid to let kids contribute. Why not? You have the players...why not let them help you regardless of how old they are?

Willie would never have batted Nick Evans in the two spot on Sunday. Now, that is not why they won, but it is encouraging that Jerry is comfortable with himself enough to throw the 'ole vote of confidence behind the young kid and he went out and had a day for himself. Willie had some sort of inferiority complex which made him belittle rookies and keep young players down until they grew a moustache and started playing second base.

Also, Jerry is not afraid to stack lefties. Willie was allergic to stacking lefties for fear at some point during the game the opposing manager might bring a lefty in and then be able to mow down his lefties in a big spot.

However, managing for a situation in the game that may never happen is poor form and Manuel has been concentrating on putting the best product on the field and in the best order regardless of some silly little propensity to live and manage by some playbook that makes sense only to one person.

Compounding mistakes? Not really Manuel's thing.

"We haven't really discussed that at length," Manuel said. "I think we're all a little worried about dealing with that. I think when the time comes, we'll make a decision and see how it fits and go forward from there. But right now, we're really playing well at that position. I mean, very well. That's going to be a tough one.

Omar paid the slappy hitting second basemen too much for too many years? So what? A good manager is not afraid to bench a guy with a four year contract in favor of a guy who is here on a one year contract and is supposed to be on the bench if the bench player is playing better. Easley is not a highly regarded fielder, but he made some sparkling plays Sunday night and certainly has not hurt the Mets defensively.

Managers may not be solely responsible for his team's performance, but he can certainly help contribute in meaningful ways and put his team in the best position to win. That is what managers are supposed to do and that is what Willie failed to do from day #1. If something is not working, fix it. Manuel seems to operate that way and is always looking to fix the team and get the best players in there.

Willie was a firm believer in staying the course and when this team was at their worst, he actually said that he does not need to say anything to his players and they know the deal and what is at stake. That is absolutely egregious and I believe Manuel will never assume his player's know the deal. He seems like the type of guy that will remind his team what exactly is going on in case they lose sight of things.

Raise your hand if you still care about how Willie was treated by the Mets....no one? Good. I'm glad we are all in sync.

* * *

Mike Pelfrey looks like an absolute stud. It was a frustrating ride at times getting here, but the guy had 19 starts heading into this season. Why it is assumed that any pitcher should be amazing from day #1 is beyond me.

Since June 1st, he has tossed 109, 112, 112, 113, 98, 98, 109, 113, and 119 pitches and has been a horse. His ERA+ of 112 is extremely impressive when you think about the fact he was almost dropped from the rotation with a sub 80 ERA+ not too long ago. The fact of life is that if you want to develop young talent, you need to let them take their lumps.

Evan Longoria, Edison Volquez, and David Wright do not come along often. Jose Reyes, Carlos Quentin, and Mike Pelfrey are more of the norm where there will be ups and downs, but confidence and patience will pay off handsomely and being at the stadium on Sunday while the fans are going absolutely nuts for Pelfrey was amazing. It felt like 2006 again when the fans were excited and there was a playoff atmosphere at Shea. The Mets may regress a bit and fall behind the Phillies again most likely, but they will catch up again if that happens.

Fuentes prefers Yankees!

"I've never played in Yankee Stadium," he told The Post. "I have no preference, but putting on the New York Yankees would be something special by itself."

No preference...NONE. Does this article have a point?

Ye of little faith... Aaron was simply too good and simply did not look all that off when he was getting beat like a rented mule. His K/9 is over 9 and his H/9 is under 9. Heilman is still pretty good and just had a terrible run.

Delgado thinks the break may be bad and when you are playing this good, it is hard to see anyone wanting to take a break.

"It's nice to get the break, but by the same token, you wonder if we continue to play are we going to play good?" Delgado said after the Mets' 7-0 victory over Colorado, which pushed their win streak to nine games. "It boils down to executing. We're playing good, but eventually you're not going to win, so we have to find a way to get back to where we are right now - executing, pitching well, catching the ball and coming up with some good at-bats."

F-Mart gets some praise.

"When you look at the field, there are guys that stand out, guys that you notice," an NL scout who was at yesterday's Futures Game said. "He's one of those guys. He has one of the best swings of anyone out there."

Mr. Billy Wagner is good.

I may be impartial here, but Sunday night should be in the top five.

Some athletes just don't get it. Instead of criticizing the Mets, he should be praising them for being right! Zito would have been a bust at $75 million.

I am excited to start heading down the road of obesity.

The team said today that the new Queens stadium, Citi Field, will include a Blue Smoke restaurant and a Shake Shack stand when it opens next spring.

Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group's other offerings will include a taqueria (tah-kuh-REE-uh) and Belgian-style fries with dipping sauces.

The award-winning restaurateur also will open the Sterling Club, which will provide premium seating and views of home plate; a bar and lounge, and a cafe serving comfort foods.

Sugar Pants to the rescue.

"I spoke to David Wright," NL manager Clint Hurdle said after the game. "I told David, 'You were the last pick. I went and got you. Have you ever pitched in an All-Star Game?'

"I said, 'You wanted to be in this thing. That's all I've read, all I've heard for the last three days. You won't believe how much you might be in it here real quick.'

"He said, 'Let's go.' He's good to go."

Adam Rubin was feeling quite generous when handing out his mid-season grades.

Callis, Law, and Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, oh my!

Joe (Troy, NY): What do you think of Wilmer Flores? I know he is only 16 but does BA think he is legit prospect or just a flash in the pan? Please give a diehard Mets fan something to look forward to.....

Jim Callis: He's very legit. He's one of the best prospects in the Mets system, though he may move to third base down the road.

Hmmmm...While I like any positive endorsement of Met prospects, saying he is one of the best prospects of a shitty system really tells us nothing. That being said, it is still nice to see.

Mark (Villanova): Any chance Flores moves to 2nd with Wright and Reyes already on one side of the infield?

Jim Callis: He might be better suited for third base, but yes, with Wright around, Flores could wind up at second base.

Going to second would certainly bolster his value.

Joe: (NYC): Is Jon Niese a decent prospect or is Omar just trying to build him up in the media for a trade?

Jim Callis: No, he's a solid prospect. Mid-rotation lefthander.

Sweet.

John(s. fla): How good is Fernando Martinez?

Keith Law: I still think he's a superstar. He's going to hit, hit for power, and play a good RF.

Sweet.

RJ (Pittsburgh): Pelfrey's last 9: 59.7ip, 41k, 19bb, 0(!)hr, 2.26era. Still not an ace but a) has he turned a corner? b) should we expect him to continue to improve? Thanks Keith.

Keith Law: Yes, yes.

The experts are still cautiously optimistic, but he is a beast.

Morgan answered like six questions and none added any value. Way to earn your keep Joe.

Tony B...Champion of the People

2008-06-23T11:42:00.001-04:00

As the Mets Turn: Chapter 12
Who gives a crap and move on.

"There's nothing to that, honestly," Manuel told The Post. "I've always gotten along real well with guys like [Mets assistant GM] John Ricco, guys like Tony Bernazard, Omar [Minaya]. The conversations are always about baseball: What are we doing, where are we going, are we trying different things. I never had any of these meetings secretly. Everyone could always see us talking."

The paranoia has a firm grip on Willie and sensationalism is running rampant in the media. It was clear this was a mistake from the start and the Wilpons had a wiff of that.

Fred Wilpon was enamored of the idea of the Mets becoming racial groundbreakers by being the first New York team to hire a black manager - Randolph, like Wilpon, is also a Brooklyn native - and was mollified by Minaya's contention that he'd picked a manager who would be an asset in working with minority communities in the offseason.

Ooooooh that was problem #1. You hire coaches and baseball people as well as players for baseball reasons and not PR reasons. Perhaps the biggest flaw with the Mets is that they do things for the wrong reasons and for all this negative press on Bernazard, he seemed to be right.

Minaya's assistant, Tony Bernazard, was never a Randolph fan and had pushed for Montreal Expos third base/infield coach Manny Acta for the job. Acta was instead hired as one of Randolph's coaches.

Also, let us say he did lobby for Randolph's firing, a firing I thought should have happened a long time ago. Doesn't that make people feel better that he is fighting for what is right? Why should he champion a guy he believes is the wrong guy. Who cares how it happened, it had to happen and people have lost sight of that. Willie was lucky to even be the manager for any portion of 2008 and that is glazed over as the man was on borrowed time.

Tony is being painted as a bad guy and maybe he is. However, it would not be for lobbying for Randolph's dismissal. That was a solid baseball decision and something that is good for the team. They surely have other holes, but that was an easy one to plug up and a manager may not create a ton of value, but he certainly should not be adding negative value and I truly felt Randolph did that.

* * *

This is a tasty link.

“When a guy talks about coming to our place where he has a chance to win and compete against the Yankees and the Red Sox, and then he goes to a place like Kansas City, that’s an eye-opener,“ he was quoted saying in USA Today. ”We may have dodged a bullet with that one.”

Yep, whew, they dodged that bullet. Almost got stuck with Gil Meche and his 128 ERA+ last year. Of course, Ricciardi knew what few others could have understood — Meche would not have HAD that 128 ERA+ in Toronto because he did not have the heart and guts and competitive fire necessary to take on the Red Sox and the Yankees and all that. Yes, J.P. knows more than stats and tools. He can see into the hearts of men.

Moises might be done. I assume he will attempt to come back and the Mets will let him being they owe him a lot of money, but really, nothing is to be expected of him anymore. It is a shame though as he was a borderline Hall of Fame talent when healthy. He has career 128 OPS+ and was remarkably consistent. Here are his breakdowns of his career monthly stats:
March/April .331/.394/.587
May .295/.364/.449
June .291/.349/.497
July .300/.370/.531
August .296/.365/.523
Sept/Oct .316/.382/.529

He could have been a remarkable run producer if he had been able to stay on the field and it is too bad he will remembered as a fragile player who could not stay healthy and often pissed on his hands.

The SNY team has done a great job of being unbiased.

Me likely. It seems stupid and small, but I think it is a nice little gesture.

Oh....please. Enough with this backstabbing crap. And is everyone collectively tired of hearing Gossage speak about anything?

Luis should be a full time platoon guy. Hopefully Manuel puts that into practive soon.

Jerry calls Mets fans a pile of crap.

Mike Pelfrey is turning into a Major League pitcher. He has been looking good and controling games with his fastball that he seems to be getting more swing and missess on.

The Mets are only 3.5 games out, but I am tempering any excitement until they prove they can be consistent. The issue is not getting hot while someone else is cold. That is too be expected, but staying consistent for a month will be the thing that lets me sleep at night.

Random Notes 8-20-08

2008-06-20T11:59:00.000-04:00

Huh? Was this REALLY necessary? And if Randolph did not see it coming, he needs to sharpen up his self awareness. A lot.

Oh Joe Blanton... There were people who actually wanted you for Lastings Milledge. His ERA+ of 80 can stay where it is while the Mets have found Figuerora who posted an 79 ERA+, Mike Pelfrey who posted an 88 ERA+, and Claudio Vargas who posted an 105 ERA+.

The lesson to learn here is you do not trade for mediocritity. Yes, he can give you innings, but I would rather keep my depth or use the depth for something better than in a trade for league average players.

I still like Ricky P. Also, he seems to get it.

"We haven't pitched up to our capabilities and we didn't play well defensively and when that happens you lose games," Peterson said. "In 2006, we turned so many great double plays and everyone said our pitching was so great. Our pitching was good, it was OK. It was solid in 2006, it wasn't great.

"We were in the top of the league in pitching, but our defense was at the top of the league and that's why we had great pitching that year. So, in this case, a lot of things went wrong with the team, and pitching certainly was one of them."

If Willie was the pitching coach, his take would have been, "look at our ERA! I am awesome!" Peterson is a realist.

Gossage just keep his mouth closed.

"There's not enough mustard in the city to cover Reyes," said Gossage, who was at the Stadium to give a pitching clinic to Bronx Little Leaguers and raise money to support inner-city youth baseball leagues in six cities. "He needs to act like a professional.

"I don't want this sport to turn into football where they dance after every play. I can't stand that - the dancing, the laughing - there's no place for that in the game. He's not the first great player to play - I wouldn't even say great because he hasn't won anything yet."

Riiiiight. Baseball is turning into football in regards to the celebrating. THERE IS NO CELEBRATING!! It is kind of sad that there is none because it looks like no one gives a shit. The entire 'been there done that' attitude is old and god forbid someone shows some enthusiam while playing the game.

It is good that Reyes showed no signs of sulking, but I never believed that crap about him before.

Lennon has the five keys to success.

Beware of all of this Bernazard talk.

Every time the Mets played the Nationals, Bernazard conversed extensively with Washington manager Manny Acta, the Mets' former third-base coach, creating the perception that Bernazard wished that Acta was managing the Mets. To clear up any murkiness, Bernazard, who mostly avoids the limelight, conducted an interview with The Washington Post last September in which he effusively praised Acta's managing skills.

And early Tuesday morning, when the hatchet fell on Randolph and the two coaches, Bernazard could be seen in the team hotel, giddy as a schoolgirl with a new dress.

Why is praising Acta bad? That seems honest. And I was giddy about Randolph's firing as well. Maybe...just maybe...he is smarter than the people who sought to keep him.

Tim Marchman likes Jose. And again, shame on all of you who ripped Reyes earlier. Did we all not learn our lesson when we all thought Wright's star had diminished a bit?

I like Jerry so far. Also, let us not get caught up with one win or one loss. This is a process and judge the 'new' Mets on a month or so.

Randolph Redux

2008-06-18T00:10:00.001-04:00

So um....I don't know if you have heard, but he Mets fired their manager. Is that still even being talked about?

I did not have time yesterday to fully dive into the depths of my brain to say everything I wanted to say about the issue. Luckily, I do not have to today as Rob Neyer had a chat and many of the things I wanted to say were illustrated perfectly by others which saves me oodles of time.

When a team wins, the manager generally gets a great deal of credit. More to the point, while the Mets' losing record may not be -- almost certainly is not -- strictly Randolph's fault, it's fairly obvious that something had to change. Willie Randolph may be a fine manager, but he does not seem to be the right manager for this team, right now. Maybe this team isn't good enough to win, no matter who's calling the shots in the dugout. But there's only one way to find out.

To continue down the road of mediocrity and not do anything is criminal. Changing Minaya mid-season would have ZERO outcome on the Mets in '08 and '09, however, the managerial change might have an effect. Something had to be done and this was the only option.

Those of you calling for Minaya's head may be justified, but it would be fruitless. It might serve the point to satiate your need for blood being spilled, but Willie's blood at least may lead to something good. Again, it may not, but as Rob said, there is only one way to find out.

Nick (NJ): How was this team supposed to win 90 games? They have Wright/Beltran/Reyes on paper with Alou (he's more fragile than paper)/Castillo (couldn't hit a ball through paper) and Delgado (umm...can't think of a paper analogy) who was done last year. This roster is horribly constructed - and don't even start on the bench. This is all on Omar.

Rob Neyer: (12:21 PM ET ) Here's what I can tell you, Nick ... Before the season, I looked at five "computer" projections -- that is, projections based on data rather than blue sky -- and all five showed the Mets with somewhere between 92 and 98 wins. One thing I've learned over the years is that if you try to outsmart the data you're usually going to be wrong.

Blame Minaya if you want, but the same roster everyone is ripping him for putting together was also the same roster that many other people thought was good as well. Simulations are not real life, which is obvious, but all you can do is put together the best team you can on paper and hope for the best. The Mets won 88 games in '07 and added Ryan Church and Johan Santana which is a significant upgrade that theoretically should have pushed them in the mid 90's for wins.

Enter reality, that is not happening and the manager is the easy target.

Mario (Queens, NYC): Willie's been on more championship teams than everyone in the Mets organization combined. Aside from the horrendous handling of his dismissal, it was simply the wrong move. There are no legit managerial alternatives, so it was clear that it was just a shot across the bow to shake things up and deflect responsibility. While I've been an Omar fan to this point, I'm now glad to see that he's now directly next in line for a canning if the team continues to falter. By the way, what are the stats on a team making the playoffs after a mid-season managerial change?

Rob Neyer: How is Jerry Manuel not legit? He's got experience, and a career winning record as a major league manager. Seems to me there are few *more* legitimate options than Manuel.

This is my most favorite-est argument in the universe. Willie is just a BORN winner with so much class, dignity, and grace. That mustache is so elegant and demands soooo much respect. I mean, really. Are there actually people out there that think anything Willie has done as a player or third base coach means he should be managing a big league ball club?

Since he has been the manager, he has proven to be inept (lack of strategic ability), stubborn (especially with young guys), childish (playing favorites and making many snide remarks), delusional (blaming SNY for being racist and calling Met fans out for being fair-weather fans), and too hands off at times ("There’s no certain point you get to where you’ve got to make any speeches. We know where we are").

Yes, Willie may have been a good big league ballplayer. Yes, he has a few championship rings. Yes, he is probably a good father and husband. Yes, he probably has a good soul and does not look at child porn. Yes, he is a local guy. However, none of that has anything to do with being a good manager and especially not for this Met team.

As for Jerry Manual, everyone knows he has more managerial experience than Willie does, right?

Terrence (NYC): The Mets should go against every inkling of their beliefs, tendencies, and beliefs- and hire Wally Backman. Pull a George Costanza, and just do the opposite. He's exactly what this team needs.

Rob Neyer: Perhaps. If the Mets don't make a strong second-half push, Manuel's probably gone. And maybe Backman is just what the millionaires need.

I really need Terrence to be the special assistant to the Grand Puba of the Mets.

Justin (Massena, NY): Well, if the Keith Hernandez for Manager '09 campaign is starting here, I'm throwing Ron Darling in for Pitching Coach. Those two, as broadcasters, have at least made watching the blunderous Mets games really entertaining this year.

Rob Neyer: Yes, but as a TV watcher I must vociferously protest. Don't free Mex and Ronnie!

Please...keep them in the booth.

Justin (Queens, NY): I believe your assesment was correct when you said "Randolph may be a fine manager, but he does not seem to be the right manager for this team, right now." The Mets need a disciplinarian, someone who won't be afraid to bench Reyes after he has a mental gaffe (then smiles) or tell Delgado he isn't playing verus lefties. I suggest Keith Hernandez manager for next season.

Rob Neyer: Specifically, I don't think Hernandez has any interest in managing. Generally, I think the Mets should hire someone -- if they don't keep Manuel -- who's actually managed before, even if only in the minors.

And really, this is the basis of every argument I had for not hiring Randolph in the first place. This team was on the precipice of what we all thought would be multiple playoff births and the first World Series win in twenty+ years and leading the charge was a guy who was a third base coach and bench coach for one season. Ummm.....am I missing something?

Anders (Montreal): I don't know who to finger point at - Minaya gave Luis Castillo a 4/25$ contract, but Randolph is the one batting him second. I'm so confused.

Rob Neyer: It's funny, I was completely on board with the anti-Castillo sentiment ... until I noticed this morning that he's got a .368 on-base percentage. I'm far from his biggest fan, but Castillo's not the problem. Not this year, anyway (the contract's still a joke).

That was the best one of the day....

* * *

So Manuel is a coach for thirty seconds and it begins with his shortstop coming up gimpy and Ramirez and Manuel run out to tend to him. Reyes wants to stay in and Manuel pulls him. Reyes throw a hissy fit, tosses his helmet, and goes into the dugout and subsequently right into the locker room. Then Jerry goes and down to give him a stern talking to and give him some 'choice words' (in Darling's words).

Did I lose you? Ok...then let us continue....Easley can't get to ball in the hole that Reyes would have at least had a shot on, can't turn a double play that Reyes probably makes, and then makes a mental gaffe by not covering second on a pick off move. Basically, not having Reyes might have cost the Mets the game as the tone was set early.

Yes...there is no mistaking this is the Mets. Just as dysfunctional as ever. Manuel's first day at the office was a rough one, but let us not go crazy about one game. Everyone relax...please. For all of our santity relax...THERE IS NOTHING TO GO CRAZY ABOUT. Things are fine and rosey...just relax! Anyone buying this?

Pat (Belfast, PA): Buster, obviously I'm biased and upset with Wang's injury, but isn't this once again a good time to examine why pitchers still hit in the NL? The "tradition" factor is silly, as is a need for the leagues being "different" in some way. All of the minors and college use the DH, if I'm not mistaken, so why isn't this addressed?

Buster Olney: Pat: You and Hank Steinbrenner are thinking along the same lines. I wish the rules were uniform; I wish they played without a DH. But that is not happening, it will probably never happen in our lifetimes, so to worry about it is a little like fretting about the weather; it's just not going to change.

Did I miss the point in time where pitchers became comprised of egg shells and pixie dust? Should quarterbacks start wearing flags in their pants so they no longer get tackled?

Main Entry: ath·lete
Pronunciation: \ˈath-ˌlēt, ÷ˈa-thə-ˌlēt\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin athleta, from Greek athlētēs, from athlein to contend for a prize, from athlon prize, contest
Date: 15th century

: a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina

I really love sports. However, I really hate the point in time when players stopped becoming athletes and starting becoming investments. Not just investments, but they were deemed extremely fragile investments.

Overall, Buster is a weenie that has nothing good to say about what the Mets did. Nieto went because Randolph went and he was his guy. On top of that, Obie needed to get in the mix and that was a good place to get him in there. Peterson might have worn out his welcome...he might not have. However, to be dismissive of the firing and saying it accomplishes nothing is absurd. If they had no desire to keep him around in '09, why pussy foot in '08?

I get it. The Mets firing Willie when they did seems absurd. I agree they had plenty....and I mean PLENTY...of opportunities to do so. However, to call them back stabbing is just silly. He was under .500 69 games into the season and he just captained the largest collapse in the history of the galaxy and they are paying him MILLIONS of dollars through 2010. I think Willie will be able to remove the knife from his back and find a way to carry on.

Tim Marchman is awesome. I repeat....awesome.

Quotes, quotes, and more quotes.

The players don't seem all that upset, but I do not expect them to trash Manuel or the management. However, it seems they are especially blah about this firing.

I still love Professor Rick.

"I wear this bracelet because I’m … very in tune with Eastern philosophy and universal law. [The bracelet rings signify] faith, compassion, equanimity and love. … The Eastern language writes in symbols, and the symbol for crisis they also use for opportunity. I’ve been given a great opportunity here, and as I walk out that door, I seek my next opportunity. I walk out in peace, and I wish everybody else here the best. … Hopefully, the Tuscany tile will do a lot better than a hardwood floor."

Some good words about Jerry.

Keep Moving...There Is Nothing To See Here....

2008-06-17T11:50:00.008-04:00

Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch!

I somehow feel vindicated and applaud my own steel resolve. I was berated at times and called many unspeakable things for keeping my cause alive, but it is finally over. However, I think the Mets sort of handled this badly to put it mildly. There were plenty of reasons to get rid of Willie, but at 3:15 AM East Coast time?

I was sleeping parallel to the foot of my bed with the TV on and my blow up doll still on the bed with a few frozen bananas laying around. I was in one of those in and out of consciousness states and then I heard the news that Willie was fired. No shit, I thought I was dreaming. I gave the old one eye squinting/half sleeping stare at the TV and indeed, Willie was gone.

I smiled a bit and then it dawned on me that this team is run by a group of absolute morons. There were plenty of times to give Willie his walking papers and the Mets wait until after the 1st game of a West Coast trip while the Mets are in the midst of a streak where they had just won 3 or 4 games. Fucking ponderous.

I wanted this to happened I believe this team needed a shake up, but this is how they decided to do it? Why didn't they do it before the team left Anaheim or weeks earlier when everyone knew this needed to happen. I guess I should expect this from my team and it is hard for me to complain now that my man Ken Oberkfell is up in the bigs and ready to jump on that managerial position this off-season. I guess I should not concern myself about the 'why' at this point and just focus on the 'fuck yeah'. Winning cures all and this will be a figment of our little imaginations if the Mets do just that.

As for Jerry, he is not chopped liver (a little bonus story about Willie being confused in there). From '98 to '03, he owned a 500-471 record which is good for a .515 winning%. He finished 2nd, 2nd, 1st, 3rd, 2nd, and 2nd during his reign as a manager and has four winning seasons on his resume with two losing seasons with one AL manager of the year award in 2000. The team is familiar with him and he is familiar with the team so I am optimistic that things will go as smoothly as they can.

As for Peterson, it seems there were other factors at play with him. The Mets have done well under his watch in terms of pitching, but Mulder and Hudson had issues with him and it is very possible that he rubbed a lot of pitchers and other people in the organization the wrong way. I liked him and will be unhappy to see him go, but it seems to me that people were maybe sick of him and felt a change was needed there.

* * *

Some people just don't get it.

mets33196 Jun 16, 2008 11:01:50 AM Report Offensive Post
its no big secret Baseball is a white man sport...just look at the fan crowds...especially Shea. Most bloggers here are white...therefore the FIRE Minaya / Randolph cries. Its only because Minaya is Hispanic and Randolph black. And u most of u bloggers 99% are illiterate ignorant I D I O T S with no life. I am a white hispanic by the way....but most of u people are racist against hispanics....and blacks...bottom line. I bet u all believe Clemens is innocent and pure, yet Bonds is guilty from day one. U made that decision from day one....before the facts., yet Clemens the Bush lover Texan is still considered innocent. McNamee GOOOD JOB !!!!!!!!! and Good Luck

Really? I mean, really?

This is a very amusing story.

There are so many things wrong with this article I hardly know where to start.

Another coach who could be in jeopardy may be first-base coach Tom Nieto. If Nieto is fired, that could be viewed as a warning shot by Randolph, as Nieto and Randolph have a solid working relationship from their days together with the Yankees. But at this point, Randolph doesn't need any more warning shots.

If this had happened, it would have been deplorable. This team needed a shake up and it was going to come in the form of firing your first base coach to send your incompetent manager a message? What exactly would that do for Randolph? I am to believe that is going to make him better? Getting rid of him was the right thing to do.

Ted Berg has a nice article about the state of the Mets.

Beltran and Heilman helped out the Mets efforts to try and end the game with more runs on the board than the other team. It is good to see Beltran's average inch up more his power numbers increase as well. His OPS+ is equal to his 2007 OPS+ when he knocked 33 homers and drove in 112 runs, so I think he is doing a bit better than many people think.

Buster attempt to layout what possibly goes on in the Mets personnel meetings but comes eerily close to what my actual relationship sounds like.

The personnel meetings the Mets hold are said by participants to run on for hours, the discussion often turning circular and pointless. And maybe that's when it starts to happen in their organization when they get to the point where the staff members are so beaten down emotionally and intellectually that they don't have the ability to stand up and scream: Are you people crazy? Are you serious? Because this is a really bad idea -- no, no, wait, let's go one step further: It's really just flat-out nuts.

Scary. But one does have to wonder what the hell is going on in those meetings? Randolph should have been gone long ago and they certainly have had better opportunities to do so. I mean, they do have to consider the PR aspect of things, no?

Progress, But No Results

2008-06-16T11:00:00.002-04:00

I prefer results oriented activities, but some people are looking at the silver lining in this 3-7 skid the Mets are mired in.

"We have to dig down deeper, and I think we have," Randolph said. "It might not show in our record, but we are starting to play better. We have to start making our own breaks." As for his situation, he said it is not weighing on the players, noting some may like him and some may not. Everyone is always so concerned about the fragile psyches of ballplayers. Here's a tip - just go out and play.

I typically would not expect him to say anything else because he cannot be outright negative, but I think everyone is past the point of sugar coating things. There is one thing about Willie that has made him a bit more endearing these days and it was his stand up comedy performance during the post game on Friday. Frankly, I like that side of him a bit more and maybe he should let that permeate his entire being and maybe he should be showing a bit more personality. Of course, that makes him more fun of a manager, but that still does not cover up his shortcomings as a tactical manager.

That being said, I think things have gone a bit out of control. The entire Pelfrey thing was ridiculous, the Pedro chants were silly, etc. Everyone is now getting on him for non-issues. I have seen Willie do plenty of egregious things and they helped build my disdain for him as a manager, but he simply cannot win these days. It has gotten to the point that actual sound baseball decisions are being scrutinized and this my friends, is not good.

I have not wanted him since his facial hair edict but I have discovered that I actually do have a heart and actually feel bad for him. There should be a different manager leading this ballclub, but I just hope everyone can keep perspective whilst this ridiculousness is going on.

* * *

A little Michael Iona chatter.

I would actually love to see the A's make that type of splash. It is always nice to see smaller market teams jump into the fray on these types of players and if the Mets do not get him, Oak-town would be a great landing spot.

By way of tc, a 3-d look at the new home of the Mets.

It is always good when Johan Keri weighs in on anything and especially so when it is on the Mets.

All those teams did a better job of scouting and player acquisition than the Mets did. They also did so with smaller payrolls, in some cases much smaller.

They say necessity is the mother of invention. Maybe necessity is what the Mets have been missing.

Part of their '06 success is exactly what Jonah is talking about. These kind of lightening in a bottle scenarios happen every year and typically propel a certain team to, and possibly through, the playoffs.

There were a few people who look really smart stating that the Mets were due to regress in 2007 as a result of the likes of Valentin, Oliver, Chavez, etc. playing over their heads and the unlikelihood that Omar would be able to replace their unrealistic output.

Willie gate is getting ugly.

The rumor mill is churning.

Sources have told the Daily News that principal owner Fred Wilpon and chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon have authorized Minaya to fire Randolph, pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto. Bench coach Jerry Manuel would ascend to manager if Randolph is ousted, while Triple-A New Orleans manager Ken Oberkfell and pitching coach Dan Warthen would join the major league staff.

The ever-looming presence of Kenny.... Everyone is on notice these days.

Church is feeling better these days.

“I’m improving every day, getting better,” he said. “I haven’t had any dizzy spells. Now it’s just about waiting out the time on the DL. Everything is completely gone.”

Cocaine helped the Mets land Keith Hernandez.

Wally has some pointed things to say about the Mets.

These $140-million Mets are looking more and more like a one-run horse, and that run is now almost two years in the past. Someone has to take the fall and as always, the ready-made scapegoat is the manager.

Randolph's big mistake, it turns out, was his failure to understand the modern ballplayer, many of whom make more for one season than he made for an entire career but still need to be "motivated" by someone else. Randolph, in his own way more a self-made man than Fred Wilpon, thought he was coming here to be a manager, not a kennel-keeper. He arrived a grown man and expected to work with other grown men, in his clubhouse and the front office.

On the surface, you would have to agree with him. We cannot 100% for sure know if this is true, but it sure seems true, doesn't it? That still does not change the fact that Willie is not a good tactical manager, but it certainly adds another dynamic to his non-self imposed

Here come the Yankees....

They are now three games over .500 and feel like a different team. There was some debate on the Boomer and Carton Show about who is in a better position to make the playoffs. The Mets and Yankees are both five losses behind the division leader, but the Red Sox were a more formidable opponent than the Phillies. However, the Yankees took a while to get a healthy team on the field and did not gel until late in the year and Mets are still mired in a funk with a healthy team.

Alou is done for and Church will be great to get back, but the shake ups on the Yankee side that are getting situated have a much greater impact to their push for the pennant than the Mets. The x-factor here is that the Yankees might have lost Wang for the majority of the remainder of the 2008 season, but I still have more faith in Kennedy and Hughes straightening out a bit more to give some meaningful innings than say Delgado or Castillo turning things around and dropping down some quality production.

The Yankees are looking to be in a much better position these days and I do not think it is all that much debatable. Wang is a big loss, but at least if they so choose, they have more bullets to get some sort of a deal done to replace his innings than the Mets would have to augment their current team and production via a trade.

Prognosis Negative

2008-06-13T11:50:00.005-04:00

.477 winning % and a negative run differential with a 3-7 record in their last ten games. Hey, at least there is the Wild Card, right? Not so much. 7.5 games out of the Wild Card and six teams to leap frog versus three to leapfrog over for the division. The Phillies have an OPS+ of 107 and an ERA+ of 113 versus the Mets OPS+ of 97 and ERA+ of 96.

Last year, the Mets had an OPS+ of 107 and an ERA+ of 100 versus the Phillies OPS+ of 111 and an ERA+ of 97. Ten teams have been more proficient at hitting this season with only the Dodgers, Rockies, Giants, Padres, and Nationals being worse. Nine teams have been more proficient in regards to pitching this year with only the Padres, Marlins, Astros, Nationals, Pirates, and Rockies being worse.

Basically, things are not looking good and there really is no indication that things will be getting better and there is no reason to think the Mets are any better than the Phillies at this point in time and not in the near future. To think everyone will have an awakening and become the team everyone thinks they should have been, seems a bit naive at this point and I apolgize for being optimistic in the face of such mounting evidence. It is ugly. Very ugly.

* * *

Pelfrey looked tremendous in his last start and almost become league average with it. A jump to league average may seem like something marginal, but it is not and would be very encouraging. We all forget how he has pitched so few pro innings to date and still has plenty of room for growth.

You cannot make this stuff up.

"I'm feeling like it's very sore to walk," Alou said.

The 41-year-old left fielder would like to be active when the Mets begin a three-game series in Anaheim next week - Alou could be the DH in an AL park - but also knows his team needs healthy bodies for the weekend.

"I can't hold Omar [Minaya] and Willie [Randolph] to be a player short to see if I'd be able to [DH]," Alou said.

Who cares...let him hang around to DH. His bat then will be more valuable at that point than whatever they replace him with in the short term.

Instead of winning 20, Johan will fall short. He has been getting better and better and owns a 141 ERA+, 1.18 WHIP, and 2.85 ERA. He is definitely heating up.

Sure HoJo could take the fall, but then rip out the entire staff then. The hitting is not there so the hitting coach is a natural target, but hitting is far from their only problem. Hitting, culture, pitching, etc...You name it, it is wrong.

If not Randolph, then who? People want to give him a pass and go after Omar, but why? I think Omar deserves more of a second chance than Randolph does. I mean, what has Randolph done? Won? Not so much. Turned the team around? Not so much.

I am not ready to lambast Omar just yet and everyone cannot have it both ways. Didn't everyone WANT Johan? Gomez, Guerra, Humber, and Mulvey make things look better in terms of the farm system that people have been ripping him for, but then no Johan. As for the draft, it seems he is being capped by management to stay within slotting. Sure it is his job to convince them to do otherwise and he has failed at that, but he is still being restricted.

Also, he screwed up with some of his drafting by picking college relievers too early, but signing Beltran, Pedro, Wagner, and Alou hurt them bad as well. However, three of the four were necessary and you could easily say the Alou business was a colossal waste and a pick would have been better, but not the others. Has he REALLY killed the system? Looks to me like he had little choice. You can fault him for not persuading management to say fuck slot, but I simply cannot kill him for that.

As for some trades, the Bell deal was bad as was the Lindstrom deal. The Bannister deal was a league average pitcher jettisoned off, but he would be welcome these days. If you are going to hang the season on those deals, then you are missing some greater issues. His better moves (Duaner, Maine, and Perez) far outweigh the bad ones.

Delgado was a stud and had a 161 OPS+ before they got him and had a 131 OPS+ in year #1 and now Omar is an idiot for getting him? As bad as he was in '07, he had an OPS+ of 103 which is not terrible. Not many predicted this precipitous of a fall. He depended too much on El Duque? He picked him up for peanuts. The Castillo deal was a joke for sure, but he can be an expensive back up if they want to bite the bullet.

Overall, who would have done something differently? Adding Bannister and Bell help, but I do not remember people crying too much at the time of the deals. Fact is, Omar's moves did not work out in all cases, but he has done more good than bad and many of these deals are defensible. He should be on notice, but I think he should get another chance and the easiest and best thing to do is get rid of Willie. He doesn't get it and doesn't get how to manage and effectively use his players.

What goodwill has he built up? He has proved to be an inept manager from day one and has not built up any goodwill in my eyes. I have no real solution as to who to bring him, but anyone would be better by simply being different.

I Talk Prospects to Ignore the Pain

2008-06-11T11:53:00.000-04:00

Jim Callis talks top 10 and I talk prospects so I can ignore the bigs.

1. Fernando Martinez, of
Still young and talented, but his lack of production may mean he's overhyped.
2. Ike Davis, 1b
Hulking lefthanded slugger can handle the outfield and pitch, too.
3. Reese Havens, ss
More likely a third baseman or possibly a catcher, stands out with approach and pop.
4. Jon Niese, lhp
Quietly having success in Double-A at age 21, he owns three solid pitches.
5. Dan Murphy, 3b
Having a breakout year with a .325 average and eight homers in Double-A.
6. Mike Carp, 1b
Back on track in Double-A after slumping in 2007, he's hitting .351 with nine homers.
7. Eddie Kunz, rhp
New York's top 2007 pick has held his own in Double-A in his first full season.
8. Brad Holt, rhp
2008 supplemental first-rounder can touch 96 mph, needs a reliable second pitch.
9. Javier Rodriguez, of
2008 second-rounder is a lean athlete with speed and projectable power.
10. Nick Evans, 1b
Another Double-A masher (.295, nine homers), he destroys lefthanded pitching.

First thing you may notice is the #2 and #3 prospects were the 2008 first rounders and #8 and #9 were drafted in the sandwich round and the second round respectively. Now, that might seem disconcerting to some, but I would a bit shocked and disappointed if a team's first rounders were not immediately in the top ten.

I mean, you would have to have a system better than Tampa to not have that happen and I would venture to guess Davis and Havens would have cracked a lot of top tens and plenty of top fives. Yes, the Met systems is weaker than many others, but Davis and Havens are solid ballplayers for sure.

As far as Holt and Rodriguez go, Holt can throw really, really hard which will always garner some attention. I am tepid on him to say the least and I think the Mets should give him a go as a starter and let him work on his secondary stuff and not make some Brandon Morrow debacle out of him and rush him through as a reliever with the lack of anything but a fastball or a Mike Pelfrey debacle and just plain 'ole rush him and change him too much.

Rodriguez has a sweet swing. You do not need to be a scout to see that and he looks like a solid player and if Mr. Callis says he has projectable power to go along with that sweet swing, I am a fan. He has a little bit of a uppercut, but nothing tremendous, and should be able to generate some lift. Some guys are too flat to really hit for a ton of power like Milledge, but this guy looks solid fundamentally.

Also, the Mets finally have some guys at higher levels that are performing. Five of the top ten are in AA and Murphy, Carp, and Evans are all in the top 15 in OPS in the league. Niese has put together a solid year and is still walking a bit too many, but had put up some solid numbers.

As for the Mets #1 prospect, I wholeheartedly agree with Callis. Yes, he is talented, but his best trait these days is being 19 in AA. Yes, he has been held back because of injuries, but why in the name of Kim Kardashian's ass do they continue to rush him? The only year you could call a good one is the first half of '06 when he had an OPS of .880 at 17 years old. Since them, he has put up .641, .713, and .722. I want him to be a stud just as much as anyone, but I cannot see one justifiable reason to rush him and not allow him to let his talent and production dictate when he is moved rather than some absurd timetable like a new stadium.

Overall, every year I am perhaps overly optimistic about the Mets system. Right now, it is painfully clear they need more pitching and especially so because Pelfrey is going through so many ups and downs. However, there are some bats and a few potential impact players that will be ready as early as 2009 which is in stark contrast to some previous season where the Mets have been pitching heavy and laden with prospects in the lower ranks.

* * *

Also from the above link:

Waggoner is a hot name on college baseball's coaching hot stove. He truly believes he can get quality players to come to Marshall, and he has expressed affection for the school and administration. He says he's not thinking of going anywhere. However, Marshall must step up and deliver a home ballpark to have any shot at keeping such an up-and-coming talent in town for long. Right now, that looks like a longshot, because the school claims to be short on funds.

The other hot name on college coaching wish lists is New Orleans' Tom Walter. The Privateers have reached regionals in consecutive years for the first time in nearly two decades despite unimaginable adversity resulting from Hurricane Katrina. The local Times-Picayune ran a terrific story about Walter that outlines all the obstacles New Orleans has had to overcome and what the future might hold for the coach and the program. It's well worth a read.

Basketball and Football both scout the college ranks for coaches. More often than not, it does not work out because the coaches go from being a big fish in a little pond to being quite the opposite and scrutinized more than they are used to. Less job security, less input, less everything...

However, with such a lack of coaching talent (seemingly anyway), it is surprising no MLB teams have even tried this approach for looking for coaches. MLB seems to be a tightly knit frat that respects ex-MLB ballplayers more whereas in the past, non-MLB players were used more liberally.

I have no idea if it is a respect thing, but it is something that probably hurts the coaching pool. Football and basketball have plenty of non-ex pros as coaches, but in baseball? Not so much. Maybe it is time to broaden the horizon a bit and expand the search for coaches.

Rob Neyer speaks my language.

Dan (NJ) : Do you think the Mets have what it takes to make a run at the wild card, let alone the division? They look pretty messed up right now.

Rob Neyer: I haven't looked it up lately, but over their last 162 games the Mets are essentially a .500 team. Are they more talented than that? I believe they are, but I think they need a shock to their system. Like a new manager.

It seems that Mr. Neyer cannot get enough of the Mets and some national baseball writers are taking notice of our crusade.

Speaking of consistency, over their last 162 games the Mets are 82-80. Yes, it's cherry-picking. While 162 is not an arbitrary numbers, it's little more indicative than 142 (72-70) or 182 (90-92). But you know, 182 games is a fair number of games. The Mets are two games under .500 in their last 182 games. That means something, doesn't it?

Bad luck? Maybe. But over those same 182 games the Mets have scored 868 runs and they've allowed 869 runs. Exactly the profile of a .500 team. Over 182 games. That means something doesn't it.

And yet the organization just rolls merrily along with the same manager and the same general manager. If I were a Mets fan I would be leading a revolt in the streets. (Actually, I would be hoping that someone else would lead a revolt that I could follow, at a safe distance.)

Blissfully ignorant they continue to trudge down the path of mediocrity.

“Until they prove differently, they’ve been playing this way for almost a year now, so it’s hard to believe they’re going to turn back to 2006 all at once before the All-Star break,” Darling said.

Why anyone thinks things will magically turn around is beyond me.

But Darling says it’s time to re-think the metrics of the Mets’ presumed superiority. The reason, he says, is linked to the changing industry itself: more and more teams are drifting away from older, higher-priced players, particularly free agents, and are instead filling their rosters with younger, less expensive talent. In many respects, having too much money is a curse – the Yankees and Tigers are prime examples — which is why Darling says the Mets’ $140 million payroll is a guarantee of nothing.

That will never happen as the Mets have committed themselves to winning. Rebuilding is not an option at this point and that typically leads to a vicious circle.

“We’re back to the days where 35 is old again,” Darling said. “Except for the last 10 years, when a player reached his mid-30s, he was done, he was old. And old players play like horse-[bleep]. That’s the tradition of the game for the last 50 years.”

Does this mean the Mets are cooked for 2008? Darling won’t – can’t – say that. The wild card is their beacon of light, and it’s probably what’s keeping Willie Randolph employed. Still, the manager seems more out of touch every day, insisting he saw “positives” in the blowout against the Diamondbacks, trying to convince reporters that Arizona’s hitters “found a few holes and we didn’t.”

And there we have it...even keeled Willie.

I find it ridiculous that the Willie watch is on and off and on and off. It is a flat out yes he should be gone, but how does a few wins change that? As Rob Neyer said, it is not just this season. This mediocrity goes back a looooong ways.

It seems the Mets had a closed door meeting which is nice that something is going on outside of the eye of the media, but we also have not heard about many of these and one has to wonder if they have not been happening, why not?

We know where we are.

2008-06-10T11:24:00.001-04:00

Is it just me, or is this a bit of an issue?

“We’ve got to play better baseball,” Randolph said. “It starts on Tuesday. It could have started three or four days ago. We had an urgency three or four days ago. There’s no certain point you get to where you’ve got to make any speeches. We know where we are. We know where we are.”

I know they are all adults and are aware of the fact that they are playing poorly. However, isn't every team full of adults that are supposed to be self aware? I mean for the most part I think they are somewhat at the very least. That being said, that does not mean things should go unsaid and Willie should assume that everything is known and nothing needs to be said.

I do believe this season has been one big colossal team effort of complete ineptitude. Pinpointing this on one person certainly is not right as I have stated many times, but some people are just better motivators than others and some people are better fits for some teams than others.

As for the Mets, whatever Willie's method of motivation is, it is not working. From the worst regular season collapse to being one of the biggest shocks (in a bad way of course) of the 2008 season, it is getting clearer and clearer that something is just not clicking. Getting swept in two four games series in a matter of two weeks is simply improbable, incomprehensible, and unforgivable.

I have been fooled many, many, many times this season in regards to thinking the Mets have turned a corner. I am a beaten man who now has no idea who the real Mets are. I am in denial at this point that the Mets are a crappy .500 team and I am holding out hope this team shakes out of their funk. However, combine 7.5 games out of first with a Philly run differential closing in on 100 and that spells out a bad things for the Mets. It is no longer early anymore, but I remain slightly hopeful. Perhaps misguidedly, but I still think changes need to be made.

* * *

The Royals were not impressed by Joba.

"Nothing like we haven't faced before," leadoff man David DeJesus said after Chamberlain threw 41/3 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) in the Yankees' 6-3 win.

DeJesus called Chamberlain "all right," saying, "Just a guy throwing hard." DeJesus, who went 1-for-2 with a double and a walk off Chamberlain, said that when he faced the flamethrowing righty, he was missing his location with his off-speed pitches.

Kansas City right fielder Mark Teahen praised Chamberlain's pitches but said that he was "more or less the same as he was as a reliever," adding, "Nothing special."

Of course, the media wanted them to fawn all over him and bow down to his greatness....I mean, these guys are competitors? What were they expected to say?

And it continues...

"I was ready to come here at 1 because I thought the game started at 4," Castro said. "I'm a little embarrassed. It's my fault. It won't happen again."

Randolph, already reeling from the team's fourth consecutive loss, was not amused afterward.

"The explanation is not acceptable, and he'll be fined for it," he said.

The Mets have been an absolute circus this year yet again for all the wrong reasons.

Church is headed to the DL and I know the Mets have been maligned as it relates to the way they handled Church, but concussions are difficult to deal with. I guess they could have played it more safely, but I really cannot say they did anything egregious.

Sugar Pants speaks on the Mets failures.

“There’s a few options,” David Wright said. “We can just continue to go out there and have these ups and down and just play out the rest of the season or we can figure it out and get things turned around, take this to heart, figure it out and rattle off a good month or so. But this is where we need to make a stand. We’re already too far behind the Phillies as far as where we’d like to be.”

BP talks Mike Carp.

Mike Carp, 1B/LF Double-A Binghamton (Mets)
In a system running quite low on prospects, at least Carp continues to enjoy the best rebound in the system. Last year, he was one of the organization’s biggest disappointments, batting just .251/.337/.387 at Binghamton, but in his defense, he was just 20 years old at the start of the season. This year he returned to the B-Mets, smacked a home run on Opening Night, and has never looked back since. On Friday night he had a strange game, going 4-for-4 with a double yet somehow not scoring or driving in a run. He made up for those counting stats on Sunday by slugging two home runs (driving in six), which helped raise his season averages to .351/.404/.553 on the season. The Mets have tried to increase his value even more this year by trying him some in left field, but scouts have characterized that as something of a disaster. Offensively, though, he’s a smash hit who could get a shot at being a cheap replacement for Carlos Delgado in 2009.

He has been great this year and has dropped 24 XBHs in 55 games. Walking some more would be nice, but it is really hard to complain about what he has been doing in 2008.

Most mailbags are bad, but this one was chock full o' good questions and comments.

These guys have it in their noggins that they're really a top-notch team, while they have nothing to prove it except a near-appearance in the Fall Classic a couple of years ago. Hey, the Rockies were there last year, and look at them now.

A little sense of urgency would be nice.

“The Phillies are a good team, they’re on a hot streak and we have be careful about letting them get too far ahead of us,” Minaya said. “Let’s face it, we’re not getting it done the way we should. I know there’s still 100 games left, but you have to be careful with this how-many-games-we’ve-got-left business.”

That 'how-many-games-we've-got-left business was pervasive in the Met clubhouse at the end of last season and everyone tried to play all calm and cool like there was nothing to get worried about. Well, there was and there is now.

Adam Rubin is taking things a bit too far.

Minaya used to espouse the idea of having a young and athletic roster, which proved lip service in reality. Like a college student with a credit card, he just spent and spent and spent without considering any consequences. He offered too many years - to Luis Castillo, Orlando Hernandez, Guillermo Mota and Julio Franco, to name a few - perhaps even more frequently than too many dollars.

The Mets also have Beltran, Church, Reyes, and Wright who are extremely athletic as well as Schneider who is an extremely proficient fielder and Santana who is extremely athletic.

I am not saying that he does not have a few brittle players, but for the most part, they are have some athletes there. The Castillo signing was a bizarre one, but I do not fault him for Alou and Delgado. Delgado was a beast the year prior and pretty damn good in his first year with the Mets. Who knew he would fall off of a cliff.

He also made some stellar pick ups like Oliver Perez and John Maine for nothing. The worst thing he has done is let the farm system go to shit with terrible picks and the misguided notion he needs to fall in line with the commish while other teams blow through that notion.

Griffey Jr. blasted # 600 yesterday and he is in an elite club of 600 or more homers. Only Sosa, Mays, Ruth, Aaron, and Bonds have more and considering how many games he has missed since 2001, it is truly an impressive feat.

It is rare when a #1 overall pick actually succeeds and becomes the player everyone expected them to be, but Griffey did it.

I Like Ike

2008-06-06T11:18:00.004-04:00

Ike Davis was a solid pick for the Mets giving them the ability to fill whatever need is there be it a corner outfielder or a first baseman. Most likely Ike will stick at first and that is a huge hole for the Mets and they got a good one.

The Mets said they wanted to focus on college bats with their first two picks, and Davis was probably the best hitter left on the board. His pitch recognition is good, and he has a clean swing once he gets it started. He has 30-plus homer power in the big leagues if everything clicks. He's also a good defender with a plus arm at first base.

With the second pick, the Mets went with Reese Havens. If the guy can stick at second, the Mets would pick themselves up a nice offensive second baseman and one that I liked better than Weeks because he can add more with the stick. Best of all, the words 'great' and 'pick' were in the same sentence when Keith Law spoke about this Reese.

This is a great pick for the Mets. He makes all the plays at shortstop because he reads the ball off the bat so well. At the plate he has excellent pitch recognition and hand-eye coordination. If he has to move to second base because of the presence of Jose Reyes at shortstop, he has more than enough bat. Havens has a great approach and instincts, and he should move quickly through the Mets' system.

Brad Holt was not my favorite pick at 33 being that he appears to be a Mike Pelfrey clone with less sink on his fastball, but it is what it is. He throws mostly fastballs and lacks good secondary offerings and will most likely be shifted into the bullpen as a result or be doomed to be jerked around by the Mets organization. I would have preferred Zach Collier, who got picked right after Holt, but the Mets probably felt the need to get an arm rather than pick up another bat.

The key for now is getting them playing this year and starting their pro careers. With arms, you are OK with letting them have the extra time off, but get Havens and Davis moving ASAP. They should not represent tough signs and should go for slot which makes life easier.

The biggest shocker of the day was the Reds taking Yonder Alonso. What happens to Votto? There was plenty of other talent on the board to take that would have made more sense, but I guess his pop was too much to pass up.

The biggest steal of the day was Justin Smoak going to Texas at 11. Scary to think about how much damage he could do in that park and it is really good to see the lower teams get the top guys. No one really fell because of signability with the exception of Gerrit Cole, but there is other baggage that comes with that one.

* * *

If you have some time, fish through these pictures. There are some crazy ass ones in there like some guy who dislocated his ankle and it makes a left turn, the first one obviously, Nick Blackburn laid out, Aaron Rowand sliding, etc...

Mike Pelfrey continues to toss up encouraging performances and the Mets finally seem committed to giving him a chance. He can go out there knowing he has everyone's support and is not fighting for a job which should allow him to concentrate on getting big league hitters out.

The Brewers drafted Cutter Dykstra.

Javier Rodriguez, who is the Mets pick at 68, has a sweet swing. Check it out...

Sean Ratliff knocked 20 homers in 61 games this season, but he also k'd 76 times. He is an intriguing pick, but he needs to substantially cut down on his k's.

Overall, only one HS kid was selected by the Mets which is certainly interesting.

dg speaks the draft...

Dare I say it? I like the Mets picks so far. We actually grabbed a two bagger with some cojones, then grabbed another for good measure. Plus, watched video of the kid from Puerto Rico and the kids has serious bat speed!

BP's Kevin Goldstein had Brad Holt as their 50th best prospect and applauded the Mets' choice.

And here's John Manuel on our Sixth Rounder:
• How did Josh Satin last until the sixth round? That’s a surprise, but he’s a college value pick with legit power and a small chance to stay at second base as a pro. The California senior has enough ability to be a useful outfielder and has the raw power to at least have a chance to reach the big leagues. He could be a utility player if he retains his athleticism and can play second or third base. Satin was the Cape Cod League all-star game MVP in 2007.

Today's game plan? Get Brett Hunter.

Chats, chats, and more chats 6/5/08

2008-06-05T09:00:00.002-04:00

First up...Steve Phillips.

(yes that was done with MS Paint...I have Photoshop but I have no idea what I'm doing)

Steve Phillips: (1:40 PM ET ) I lived through similar circumstances with Bobby Valentine. Ozzie, like Bobby, lacks that filter between his brain and his mouth that the rest of us seem to have. That being said, the passion and emotion that makes Ozzie good as a manager is the same thing that gets him in trouble every few weeks. With the team in first place and seeming to still respond to Ozzie, I think it would be wrong to make a move and let him go. Sometimes with managers like Ozzie, you can't focus on the content of what is said, you just have to focus on the emotion and where it is coming from.

Steve Phillips: (1:41 PM ET ) Plus, they just signed him to an extension, and it's highly unlikely that anybody would make a change with that much time left. Is till think he is effective as a manager.

There are two things that no one is allowed to do.
1) Put baby in the corner.
2) Say such mean and hurtful things about Bobby V. Sure, he was not my favorite, but even mentioning him in the same breath while speaking about what Ozzie did is preposturous and especially so coming from Steve Phillips.

Chuck (Massachusetts): Who do you think the Pirates will take with the #2 pick and what is your assessment on how the new management is doing?

Steve Phillips: (1:52 PM ET ) From what I've heard, it sounds like they'll take Pedro Alvarez, third baseman from Vandy, even though he is represented by Scott Boras. The new management is doing what they can, and it's difficult to judge over such a short period of time. They have an interesting decision to make on Xavier Nady in that they have to decide whether he's figured something out, or whether he's at his peak value now. I think they should trade him.

Trade Nady and trade Bay. It sounds harsh, but they can draft Alvarez and give him whatever he wants since they will save cash by not having the Bay and Nady around and they can get a nice haul for both. Of course both should be deal if they can get a princely return, but they should at least try. This is a long term project and they should mimic the Marlins method of rebuilding for sure because they are far away.

All in all Phillips answered twelve or thirteen questions and none of any substance. Congrats.

Next up...Keith Law.

Dennis (New Canaan, CT): Keith your draft coverage has been incredible, and I am excited for the draft tomorrow. I have 2 questions, first are you going to be on during the coverage tomorrow? Secondly, what directions do you think the Mets will go tomorrow?

Keith Law: (2:26 PM ET ) I will be on, analyzing picks with Jim Callis of BA. I hear the Mets are leaning towards bats at both 18 and 22, and maybe a reliever at 33 to come to the big leagues this year.

Music to my ears! It seems they are hot on Weeks though, but I am on the fence with him. I want a masher. Masher!!! Although, Ike Davis and Jamile Weeks would not be the worst thing. Wright, Reyes, Davis, and Weeks in the infield with Martinez and Beltran in the outfield? Could be good stuff all around. Maybe Castro at 18, Davis at 22, and Weeks at 33 if he falls a bit. If not Havens should do at 33 in place of Weeks as I am just not seeing a big enough difference to overdraft Weeks.

The Mets need to just buy their way out of trouble. If they take two hitters early, they can take the best available arm unless they can get a steal at 33 with a bat that dropped and they can go pitching later. Take some high ceiling guys like when they nabbed Efferson in 2007, but actually sign them this time, and shell out tremendous piles of cash for Micheal Inoa. Their best prospect was an international signee and if there is a once in a lifetime arm out there, they need to be pursued by the Mets.

Inoa, a 6-foot-7, 200-pound righty, creates easy velocity through relatively sound mechanics. At the workout, Inoa consistently sat at 91-92 mph with his fastball, topping out at 94. He also throws a softer breaking ball which was inconsistent at times, and will also show a splitter. Inoa turns 17 in September.

Of course the tricky part is getting past the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Braves, etc. who will be chasing the lanky Domincican, but the Mets are in dire need here and big time draft with bats coupled with some high ceiling pitchers in the 2nd and 3rd round and Inoa would be a tremendous one year improvement. I feel the need to repeat it. It would be tremendous one year improvement.

Two more names mentioned in the article are Johenser Cevallos and Carlos Perez. Let us see if Omar can pull off some magic and put the money the Mets are getting from the 20% ticket hike, $5 dollar hot dogs, $8 beers, and $15 parking to good use.

Ken (Tarzana, Ca): Tell me the Padres are not going to draft a college pitcher who needs Tommy John surgery?

Keith Law: (2:27 PM ET ) I don't think they've done that on purpose in the past.

Awesome.

Jonathan (Tampa, FL): What is your take on UC Davis Irvine catcher Jake Jeffries?

Keith Law: (2:48 PM ET ) Late first day draft. Good catch and throw guy, makes a lot of contact, probably 20 or 30 power.

Seems like another option if Castro is not their guy at 18 or 22.

John Manual...

Rob (Cranford, NJ): Hey Jim. The Mets seem to be linked with Ike Davis and Jason Castro as first round picks. What can you tell me about them? Thanks.

John Manuel: I did our West draft stuff so I'll be answering a lot of West questions. The Mets have been linked hard to those players, and I am particularly a fan of Ike Davis. He got better this year, incorporated his lower half into his swing more and improved his power considerably. Long track record, big league dad (Ron Davis), I think Davis can be a big league corner OF. Jason Castro, Stanford's catcher, hit well on the Cape last summer and carried it over to the spring, he's got a lot of AJ Pierzynski in him as a player, without all the drama.

I would not be unhappy about that duo for the Mets.

Fred (Davidson, NC): Wouldn't the Mets be better off drafting Tim Melville and Garrit Cole with their two first round picks than Davis and Castro if available?

John Manuel: Maybe, but I happen to like those two college bats.

Neither would Manual...Besides, taking two young arms like that is dicey to say the least. How many of those work out verus college bats? I am not turning into some guy who hates to draft upside and wants to go conservative, it is just that these bats are extremely good and Lawrie would be a great pick as a high school bat if he falls.

* * *

tc added a nice bit to the conversation the other day that should not go unnoticed.

Jon Miller, Joe Morgan, Tim McCarver, and Joe Buck need to be put out of their misery for the sake of all humanity.

What is just crazy is that no one gets it. I mean, there is no way they get it. How can these TV execs and TV producers think this is ok? I do not HATE Morgan and Miller like I hate McCarver and Buck, but I can appreciate anyone's disdain for them. It is not like I do not get it, but is there that much of a dearth of talent out there?

Even the Yankees, who are the classiest sports team in the galaxy, have two horrible teams on the TV and the radio. I mean worse than the FOX and ESPN teams bad. I mean Rock Star bad (I have not seen it, but my brother had bought it in some bargain bin because he wanted to see it anyway and it cost as much to buy as a rental but took the DVD out midway and actually broke it in half).

I, too, am a fan of binge drinking copious amounts of alcohol on the weekends. It makes me forget about things like my job, my girlfriend, and my asshole boss (if you are reading this, you are truly a dick, ... and I did nothing in work today but watch YouTube videos of draft prospects).

We salute you! I'm typing my blog during work so fuck you to my boss too! However, I actually like mine so I am issuing a public apology because I already feel bad. Sorry.

Josh Hamilton is good.

       2007 2008
Games   90   49
ABs    298  243
Runs    52   43
Hits    87   80
2Bs     17   16
HRs     19   17
RBIs    47   67
BA    .292 .329
OPB   .368 .375
SLG   .554 .630
OPS+   131  171

So basically he has equaled his output from last season, which was already very impressive, in 59 games this season.

K-Rod can barely feed his family.

So far he has earned $11.9 million and is earning $10 million this season. By my accounts, that $21.9 million should be able 'take care of them' and give them things he 'never had'. I have no problem if people want to chase their highest payday, but I have an issue with them doing so under some ridiculous premise that he is trying to feed his family. He will get $50 million at least no matter where he goes giving him a total of $71.9+ million in guaranteed and pocketed money.

Jose Reyes is on fire. Fire! His OPS is right there with Hanley Ramirez and his OPS+ is about 10 off. The Mets took down Matt Cain and went on to win their seventh out of nine games. Smells like a hot streak to me.

John Smoltz pulls a shocking move and gets shoulder surgery. I completely thought he would be done after this year rather than get surgery, but this is a shocker. Let's see if he can make it back at 42 years of age after yet another surgery.

The only pitcher in baseball history with 200 wins and 150 saves already has returned from four operations on his elbow, but it's highly improbable for someone his age to come back from a major procedure. No wonder the news conference took on the tenor of a retirement announcement.

If you are wondering if he is a Hall of Famer, he is.

Pedro feels fine and dandy.

Drafty, Draft, Draft. I Like The Draft: Part Dos / Fuck Yeah: Pedro Edition

2008-06-04T10:31:00.005-04:00

I was praying for a little Eric Hosmer (#4 on K Law's list), but it appears as if the Royals are fed up with being losers and have decided that they are undeterred by the potential price tag of Hosmer. And methinks that if they go after him that early, they will have a pretty good idea if they can afford him.

I was also feeling greedy and was hoping that Gerrit Cole (#10 on K Law's list) would fall as well due to signability concerns and Mets would nab him at 22, but I have backed off of that desire and would prefer they pass on him if he is on the board and wait until 33 to see if he really falls. I like the arm, but there have been mixed reports on him and while his upside is sky high, he is far from a sure thing and there stands to be some pretty good talent on the board that I would rather see get drafted first.

There are few guys that have had the Mets associated with them for either the fact they are actually a good fit or there is legitimate interested in them. If there is no Yonder Alonso (#14 on K Law's list) falling down in the draft or Justin Smoak (#3 on K Law's list), then Brett Lawrie (#52 on K Law's list) is the guy I want at 18. The Mets could gamble and wait until 22 if they really, really want Castro and he is still on the board, but Lawrie reminds me a lot of Jay Bruce.

He is a very good high school bat who just keeps impressing and is hot riser close to the draft. According to MILB.com, he has plus, plus raw power and a he is recognized to have tremendous upside with the bat. He may drop a bit due to concerns about where he play, but that may be the break the Mets need to pick him and he will not be a guy that will cause them upset the commish with some outrageous contract.

For the Mets second pick, I am sure a lot of people may be down with Jason Castro (#20 on K Law's list), but I am bit unsure about that one. I would go Ike Davis here (#46 on K Law's list) because I believe in the bat more and any catcher would take longer to hit the bigs than a position player. It is not that I dislike Castro, but Jason is no stud behind the plate and if he has to move, his bat simply will not play as well as a guy like Davis'. Also, Ryan Babineau will be available in the later rounds as a guy who could really be the Schneider-esque backstop Omar likes so much and might be a better fit than Castro if the Mets can get some big time bats with their first two picks.

For the third pick, I am down with a gambling pick on an arm. Brett Hunter and Gerrit Cole would play perfectly here and it not unfathomable that one of them would be available here and would be a solid, solid pick. If Ike Davis is gone or the Mets choose to go with Jason Castro at 22 (or 18 for that matter and pass up on Ike Davis altogether), Allan Dykstra (#60 on K Law's list) would be a solid pick at 33.

A popular pick here would be Cutter Dykstra (out of the top 75 on K Law's list), but he would be a bit of an overdraft here to say the least. I would not mind him with a later pick if he is still around and having him shift to second, but the novelty of having a Lenny's son as a Met might be clouding my vision a bit.

As always, things change on draft day and it is impossible to predict who will be around at 18 much less 33. However, outside of the standard studs that we all know would be a gift at 18, I would love to see Brett Wallace (#9 on K Law's list) fall to the Mets because he can flat out rake. He is Ike Davis' teammate and the best hitter on the team which is pretty impressive because Davis can rake pretty well himself.

As for the 33rd pick, I would take Andrew Cashner if he fell, which I do not expect to happen. I just see too much offensive ability being available at 18 and 22 and I have become allergic to college relievers and even ones that that throw in the high 90s and look dominating (thank you Craig Hansen). I would also take Reese Havens at 33 if he falls out of the first round as a Dustin Pedoria type with a little bit more pop.

The reality is after all of my whining about the Mets needing to go over slot, they might not have to nor might they have the opportunity to. Just because a guy like Cole might be on the board at 18 or 22, does not mean he is the best investment. However, at 33 he would be a good risk to take on. I think the Mets should focus on offense unless a stud arm that falls in their lap with less questions because there could be some absolute mashers on the board.

* * *

Pedro Martinez may not have struck out ten or threw a shut out, but for the love of Evangeline Lilly and all that is holy that was an amazing performance. Pedro was hitting 90 mph for most of the game and owned some pretty impressive secondary pitches. The party pooper might point out that the Giants have the 14th best offense in the NL, but to you I say may you be banished to a life in which you can only watch Yankee games and hear Michael Kay refer to Derek Jeter as Captain Jetes.

“It’s not over until the season is over,” Martinez said afterward. “But I would say I feel really, really good and really confident that I’m going to be healthy this time for a little while. So I’m going to pray to God that I stay that way and I just continue to do what I did today, give the team an opportunity to win and be here with the team especially – be here with the team. Have my presence out there every five days.”

What is even more impressive that since September 16th of 2005, he only threw 109 or more pitches once on June 22nd of 2006. I know it was not his arm that kept him on the sideline this time, but there were positives here and it was a good moment for the Mets. At least for a day, the Mets were a feel good story both for the fans and for the team.

It was a big shock to all of us," Ryan Church said. "Now it's a big shot in the arm for us that he's back. Everything he does, he just makes it fun and keeps everybody loose."

I am tempering my excitement right now in regards to the state of the Mets, but things do not feel as dreary as they did a week or so ago.

* * *

Willie quotes...

"I'm not worried at all," Schneider said. "It's not something I've ever thought about. ... I knew there was a chance coming in that I wouldn't get to play as consistently as I have in the past. Before anything like that happens I'm sure Willie will come talk about it."

One thing good about Willie is that he will sit his guys down and let them know what is happening like he did with Green last season. However, the only caveat here is that it is most likely a vet because rooks haven't earned the right, but that is another story.

"He's got to finish the year out," the Mets' manager said. "It's too early to say he's not going to have the year he had last year."

I think it is good that said that publicly, but I hope he is sitting down with Perez behind closed doors and really digging into it. Also, Willie issued a conflicting statement that did not instill much confidence.

Randolph described Oliver Perez's start Monday as both "horrible" and "terrible" but took it one step further when he did not completely dismiss a reporter's question about moving the lefthander to the bullpen. "We haven't got to that point yet," Randolph said

Barry Zito is a disaster. A big time disaster. Barry costs a lot of money and is giving them an ERA+ of 72. Last year he gave in a Glavine-esque 98 ERA+. If he can get back into the 113 / 116 range he was in during his last two years in San Francisco this thing will not look like the worst contract in the history of baseball, but it does not look promising for him. He never topped 4.48 in terms of ERA in the AL and posted a 4.53 in 2007 and has a 5.87 in 2008 so far.

Drafty, Draft, Draft. I Like The Draft...

2008-06-03T16:06:00.001-04:00

Klap speaks about the draft.

Minaya says the Mets will abide by only one edict when choosing between college or high school candidates, and deciding whether to pursue pitchers or position players: This time around, the GM said, "we're going after the best available players. That's going to come first."

We can only hope that is the case dollars and commisioner's office be damned.

That sets the stage for the draft, in which the next generation of Mets is waiting to be plucked. With Alou, Wagner, Delgado and Pedro Martinez all nearing the end of their careers, the next set of decisions the Mets make will be important, if not critical.

Damn straight. With so many early picks and what looks like a decent draft class, the Mets have the ability to give the farm system a quick facelift like the Red Sox and Yankees have been able to do in recent years.

Michael Salfino is also talking draft and thinks the Mets should go for Andrew Cashner, who is a college closer who can pump it into triple digits, Reese Havens, a shortstop the Red Sox are rumored to be hot for, and Isaac Galloway.

For the record, more triple digit arms fail than succeed. That doesn't mean Cashner will not be good, but it certainnly appears that the Mets have a dire need for starting pitchers and positional players more and should focus on that. If he really is the best player on the board, so be it. However, it does not seem like he will be to me. If he falls a bit more to 33, shake and bake. However, at 18 and 22, they should focus on something better.

A little tidbit for yo' bad selves...K Law has Cashner as the 22nd overall prospect in the entire draft so the Mets taking him there would be in line with his talent, but another college reliever?

* * *

Steven Goldman brings up some good questions.

The chicken-and-egg question is, are the two teams bad at drafting or bad at development? That is, did Eric Duncan fail the Yankees, or did the Yankees fail him? Would Billy Traber have been an ace starter if he signed with a team other than the Mets? There is no sure answer, but "both" is a disconcerting possibility.

Sometimes you have to wonder...

Nate Silver has some pretty good insight to managers and their effect on a team.

Mark (Milwaukee): Along the lines of the BP home page today, would you consider manager affect be one of the unchartered areas in baseball analysis? Randolph has been in the news of late and around here Ned Yost is taking a thumping but I'm not convinced. Do you have a general philosophy about how much any manager affects the play on the field? I have a hard time blaming Yost for a number of the Brewers problems.

Nate Silver: Sure. My general philosophy about managers is embodied by the Hippocratic Oath: first, never do harm. Don't railroad your young players, don't overuse your young pitchers, don't overmanage. I don't think that either Randolph or Yost have any of those problems particularly. At the same time, I also don't think that there's a whole hell of a lot of difference between an "established" manager and a replacement-level one, and so I don't think you should need too much of an excuse to let go of a Yost or a Randolph if you think you need a change of direction.

1) Never do harm: Randolph has been guilty of that. Yes, he has done some good, but his stubborn attitude and his propensity to stick with vets too long and kids too short outweigh that. He likes to be even keeled and tries not to have some knee jerk reaction to things and while I think that is a good trait at times, Willie takes it to the max. Also, he likes to utilize his gut rather than make decisions based upon information which is just an egregious errror. Numbers do tell us things.

2) Don't railroad your young players: There have been many times that young guys did not get a chance. Keppinger, Bell, Humber in the pen last season while Mota was scuffling, Milledge while Green was adding next to nothing, Gotay while the field was performing at a dreadful level, keeping Wright down in the batting order for way too long (minor, but indicitive of a trend).... While he has not burned anyone's arm out (he tried hard with Joe Smith in '07), he seems to give them a really short teather while the grizzled veterans have all the time in the world.

3) Don't overuse young pitchers: He has been pretty good in not beating anyone up, but the Mets really have not had a young pitcher putting up a good enough performance to warrent being overused. Smith came close and it is unclear if he was beat up early on which lead to him folding in the 2nd half, but Randolph gets the benefit of doubt here.

4) Don't overmanage: Sometimes his pitching matchups are bit too much for me and he is not the greatest double switcher, but I cannot say he overmanages. To that end, I think he just lacks the ability to really be a good tactical manager and often just makes the flat out wrong moves.

I agree with Nate a lot in what he says and agree that you can get a league average manager in here to do the same job Randolph has done. Now that may not be reason enough to switch and I am sure there is sentiment out there that if the Mets fealt they had a viable option Willie would be gone, but a change like that shakes this up and that can help.

His job is safe for now because he went 5-2 in the last seven games, but my view has not changed since day #1.

Howard Medgal writes an article that is my worst nightmare and suggests that some believe Joe Torre should have, would have, or could have been the Met manager had he been available. Just thinking about that makes me cringe and that is exactly something the Mets would have done. They would have tried to capture some of that 'Yankee magic' with a 'proven winner' and 'consummate professional'. Blech. Anyway, before I get too derailed, I just wanted to bring to you all this excerpt.

There certainly are aspects to Willie Randolph’s managing that could improve—for instance, his use of Pedro Feliciano, his most versatile and effective reliever besides Billy Wagner, in primarily blowouts, or only as a lefty specialist, despite his ability to get righties out, and pitch multiple innings at a time. Feliciano has now pitched in 30 games—16 of them in games the Mets won or lost by 4 runs or more, and in 6 of the 14 close contests, he’s faced two batters or less. A change to a more optimal usage pattern would help every other member of the bullpen, Heilman included, to pitch in more comfortable roles.

Not that Feliciano has been terrific against righties, but it is worth a shot, no? Historically he has been proficient against batters from both sides of the plate and with the bullpen in a weird spot, it would help if Willie had the ability to optimize what he has.

Oliver Perez came into last night's game with the Giants with an 84 ERA+, the most walks allowed in the National League, and a 1.525 WHIP. After the game, it got worse. He had a 71 ERA+, the most walks in the National League, and a 1.633 WHIP. Good times.

With all the talk about Mike Pelfrey moving out of the rotation, one has to wonder why Oliver Perez would not at least be in the discussion. In May, he has posted game scores of 41, 58, 67, 33, and 47. He has been what everyone outside of us Met fans thought he would be. Just an erratic lefty who could not put it together. After last season, I was rather sure he was the real deal and was coming into his own, but I was wrong.

At this point, I am glad I am not the GM because I wanted to hand Perez a rather hefty sum of money. I am not sure what the Mets game plan is for next season, but giving Oliver a few wheel barrels of money might prove to be a bad idea.

Mike Pelfrey will remain in the rotation and that is the right thing to do.

If one thing is more of an indictor of the fans disgust with the Mets this season than the All-Star voting, please let me know. The fans have booed before, but they have always kept some Mets in the voting no matter what. This year? Not so much.

I was quite shocked ESPN was allowed to play the Mets games as their Sunday night game being the Mets had a Monday night game in San Francisco. Whether they wanted the game or not should be irrlevant because ESPN put the Mets in a bad spot which should not be allowed.

The Mets are going to have a grueling flight all the way to San Francisco, where they open that series tomorrow night with the Giants," Miller said.

Naturally, Miller neglected to explain why the Mets were forced to make that "grueling" late-night, cross-country flight. In order to have done that, Miller would've had to say this: "If the guys I work for at ESPN didn't move the game from day to night, the Mets would not been forced to make that grueling flight. In fact, they probably would have already arrived in San Francisco."

It's Monday and We're Mediocre!

2008-06-02T11:30:00.000-04:00

For now at least....

I say that thinking maybe, just maybe the Mets are poised to break out. Jose has his OPS+ up to 117 and is looking like an MVP again. Shame on everyone who started to say crazy things like the Mets should have dished him off for Santana and not Gomez (102 OPS+ in the OF...a 117 OPS+ at short is miles more valuable), Mulvey (4.07 ERA and .279 BAA in Rochester), Humber (5.53 ERA and .300 BAA in Rochester), and Guerra (4.23 ERA). I like all those guys and still believe in them long term, but Jose Reyes is worth more than all of them in a trade.

The Mets are now tied with Atlanta who has been in a bit of a free fall and are 3.5 games in back of the Phillies. One game of .500 means the Mets are pretty close to under .500 which is a bad thing for a $140 million team. After going 1-7 from May 14th through May 26th, the Mets have went 5-1 to get over the hump of respectability and need to apply the pressure with San Fran, San Diego, Texas, Seattle, and Colorado in their not so distant future.

Sure I am stating the obvious, but the obvious is not always that obvious. Take Aaron Heilman for example. He is murdering righties to the tune of a .209/.291/.239 while getting murdered by lefties to the tune of a .391/.473/.783 line. And yet he faces way too many lefties. Why is this? I have no idea but he has to be a ROOGY or demoted to figure things out. Those are the two options. I still think he has some skill, but it is not showing itself right now. Enter the problem....Feliciano is playing more like a LOOGY and now the Mets have two ROOGYs.

That is entirely too many guys who have trouble with batters from the opposite side of the plate. Schoeneweis has been great, but still showing a bit of a LOOGY split. This bullpen has the ability to be tremendous, but Feliciano and Heilman need to figure out how they got guys from the opposite side of the plate out in 2007 or else they will be in trouble. Simply too many specialists and bullpen that is not deep enough. If Dirty can actually stick this time, that will be a big boon and I think Vargas should help out in the pen as well, but right now, Heilman should be a ROOGY with Smith and Feliciano picking up more of a role as a non-specialist until something works itself out.

* * *

Keith Law talks draft and it seems as though the Mets might have to rethink their choice of picks.

Brett Lawrie is heavily in Cincinnati's mix at No. 7, while Jason Castro has popped up at No. 8 to the White Sox or perhaps at No. 9 to Washington. If the Reds don't take a college pitcher, then both Houston (Aaron Crow?) and Texas (Shooter Hunt, Christian Friedrich) will likely go in that direction, unless a top player falls to Texas due to signability concerns.

Castro was who the Mets were targeting with one of their two first rounds picks and Law mused that Lawrie might be a fit for the Mets who are looking for more positional depth.

With so many bad managers out there, you would think Wally Backman would get a shot.

"All I need is an interview," Wally Backman said. "If they want the best person to take care of their players, I know I'm the right guy. I'll earn my spot."

Backman wasn't talking about Willie Randolph's job. He was talking about any job in the New York Mets organization or any job in affiliated baseball. Because each major league team has about seven minor league teams, that's about 200 managerial jobs. Backman, a three-time manager of the year award winner, is not good enough for one of those?

What is the harm in giving him a spot in the farm to see how he does?

Mark Prior = D - O - N - E

Jay Bruce? Pretty good. And really, this really shows you a thing or two about drafting. The Mets were down to Pelfrey and Bruce in the 2005 draft and they went with Pelfrey. Not that I could argue all that much at the time because Pelfrey looked special, but their age and perceived 'closeness' to the bigs probably factored in.

Jay Bruce owns a cool 331 OPS+ (albeit in six games) at 21 years old and looks like a super star and Mike Pelfrey owns an 81 ERA+ at 24 (soon to be 25) and is still trying to find his way. Who do you think would help more this season? Draft the top talent on the board and operate in no other fashion. The rest will work itself out and they really need to take note of this for the upcoming draft.

Kunz is in AA with a 3.91 ERA. I would have preferred a high school guy with huge upside than a close to the bigs reliever. Enough with the draft disasters of the past few years and loosen the purse strings and get some fucking talent.

Pedro is more of a character to me these days than a big part of this team's success. It is nice to have him around an all, but I am not expecting much. That is not to say he can not and will not add much, but I think people should temper their expectations on what type of impact he will have on this team. I think he adds to the clubhouse in a big way, but I find it hard to pin the happiness of the team on one guy.

I used to think otherwise, but I have changed my mind. He might help out the bullpen by pushing Vargas out there, but that will remain to be seen as a big help until Vargas starts producing out there.

Pelfrey has been bad, but not bad enough to jettison him back to the minors. How bad would any one of us rip another organization for taking a big league retread like Vargas, who has done well, over a guy who might be a big part of the team's future?

I think Pelfrey needs to stay. Vargas has an ERA+ of 90 vs. Pelfrey's ERA+ of 81. Vargas is 30 going on 31 and Pelfrey is 24 going on 25. Unless Pelfrey blows up, he needs to stay in the rotation and the Mets have to think about what they really want from him because right now the difference is minimal. If they are done with him and think he offers nothing, then move on. If they still think he can offer something, as I do, he 100% needs to stay.

Ryan Church is still playing some insanely good ball. He was concussed and just came back so I get batting him sixth, but he needs to start hitting in the top third of the order. Bat him 2nd or 3rd and adjust accordingly. I would not mind getting Church more RBI opportunities and more protection.

Enter in the problem....Castillo now has an OPS+ of 98 and has become league average. But it is the worst league average you can be with his nine XBHs. Sure he steals a few bases, but with the exception of his recent power surge, does not offer much thump. Give me some thump through the top of order and I'll show you a team that can wear out the opposing starting pitchers quickly.

Tatis has been playing well and the Mets should ride him like a rented mule.

At least Aaron has a good support system... Just so crazy how one of the top relievers in the bigs can go to crap. I still believe he can turn it around, but now you have to wonder if it is more mental than anything else.

BP has some valuable insight into Johan.

When Santana was supposedly heading to the Red Sox or Yankees, there were whispers that his problems with the long ball would be exacerbated there, due to their parks' respective leanings towards aiding offense. When he was eventually dealt to the Mets, these whispers were silenced, thanks to the offense-dampening Shea Stadium. However, what we have seen from Santana in 2008 belies the nature of the stadium, as his HR/9 has climbed from 1.4 to 1.5 per nine. Granted, he's gone from giving up 30 homers per 200 innings to 32 over the same time frame, but the thing that has Mets fans worried is that he was supposed improve, at least superficially, thanks to a league switch and move to a pitcher-friendly haven.

This has not happened for a few reasons. First, Santana has lost additional velocity. He's dipped another half-a-mile per hour on his fastball, which had already dropped from 93.1 to 91.7 mph. He rarely used his cutter in the past, but it's been cut out of the equation entirely at this point. The past two seasons have shown Santana using his fastball more so than in the past, despite its status as an inferior pitch relative to what he was capable of before. It's a bit much to say Santana's lost it—he's still one of the top pitchers in the NL thanks to low walk totals and a still-excellent 7.9 K/9—but this is not the Santana the Mets thought they were trading for, the one they signed to pitch for them through 2013. Though it has not hurt them too much in 2008—the Mets have other problems to focus on outside of Santana's rising homer totals—it's something that's going to become bothersome and problematic in the future if their expensive ace can't figure out a way to pitch his way out of this recent trend.

It is hard to say he has been a complete disappointment, but his drop in velocity and the fact he is not as dominating as expected is worrisome. Pedro was more dominating in his first year as a Met at four years older. While Johan has basically been in line with his 2007 performance, I think we all expected more.

Carlos Delgado... Humanitarian, scholar, and all around good guy.

2008-05-29T10:53:00.000-04:00

Peter Gammons is a bit overdramatic at times.

Some like to blame Carlos Delgado for not being Thurman Munson. Delgado will never be a baseball evangelist, just a fair, socially responsible man who never self-promotes. Recently, he apologized to Billy Wagner for Wagner's being left in a media storm (even though a family emergency forced Delgado to leave the park), he helped Randolph and Rick Peterson guide Ramon Castro through an experience with a new pitcher, and he pulled Reyes aside on the field during a pitching change to exact his focus. But somehow Delgado's bat speed and character have become blurred lines in the case of a very decent man.

Really? People blame him for not being Thurman Munson? He never did anything redeeming for this team? No one thinks he is a decent man? Strange stuff. What I really hate is when baseball writers blur some line between humanity and baseball skills. If I had a kid, I would let Carlos Delgado babysit it and I wouldn't even call in to check.

However, what does that have to do with baseball? What does him being an all around swell guy do for him being a run product at first base and not contributing negative value? He has a .215/.298/.387 line and though May has been better, it is still pretty damn bad. An 81 OPS+ and a .3 WARP is terrible. Just terrible.

The Mets are struggling and something needs to happen. This is not about charity and respecting that Carlos Delgado was a borderline Hall of Famer for his service in Toronto and being a man who stands by his convictions. This is about keeping a $140 million team from becoming a complete disaster.

Let us not confuse why Met fans are over Carlos Delgado. When things are going bad, you look at ways to fix your team and using Delgado in different manner is a place to start or getting someone to share a significant amount of playing time would be another. Cutting him out of the picture might help, but there are a few guys who could be kicked off before he does so for now, I will not call for him to be cut. From Buster:

Scott Hatteberg was cut loose to make room for Bruce on the roster, and first baseman Joey Votto was sorry to see Hatteberg go. Heard this: The Mets would like Hatteberg, but they'll try to go after him if and when he clears waivers, so they don't have to pay him his full salary.

Scott has been bad in limited time this year, but was fairly productive in '06 and '07. Though older than Delagdo, he seems to have aged better and would be a bigger contributer to this team in 2008.

* * *

It is early, but you have to think that Jesus Flores stands a good chance to be one of the top five catchers in the league when you factor in offense and defense in a few years. I do not blame Omar because he was an A-ball catcher, but that hardly lessens my disappointment.

Chase Utley has 1,000,000 homers this year. His home road splits are nuts, but overall, the homers numbers overall for the Phillies are basically the same home and away.

What is that sound? Brian Bannister and his 6.00+ ERA in May coming back down to planet Earth.

Pedro Martinez looked decent again A-ballers, but he was beaten by uber prospect David Price.

Wallace Matthews trying to write something positive?

But what the Mets did Wednesday night happens about as often as Jay Horwitz wears an orange blazer to work or Luis Castillo hits a baseball out of the park. Both happened Wednesday night, and consequently, for only the second time in 25 attempts, the Mets won a game they were trailing after seven innings. For the first time all season, they won a game they were trailing after eight. And for the one of the few times all season, they actually left the field looking like a team that cares about winning and cares about each other.

He also ties in some comedic relief into his article...

The end almost, but not quite, erased the memory of what had happened so many hours before. First, the Mets announced that Ryan Church would not play again until he regains his mental focus, a casualty of his second concussion of the young season.

Unfortunately, they could not make the same announcement about Perez, the cause of whose loss of focus is as yet undiagnosed. All the Mets know is that it is a persistent, even chronic condition, immune to all known forms of treatment and liable to recur at any time.

Baseball was better off letting Cuban buy the Pirates since the Cubbies do not need a shot in the arm, but I will take it.

I agree with the Mets course of action here...

With Pedro Martinez expected to start next week in San Francisco, the Mets are considering a plan that would keep Mike Pelfrey in the rotation, shift Claudio Vargas to the bullpen and demote reliever Carlos Muniz. The front office is worried about losing Vargas if they expose him to waivers, but also reluctant to demote Pelfrey, believing it would be best if he continues to develop at the major-league level.

While on the topic of Carlos Delgado, it seems Willie is on board. Hopefully Willie can make these little tweaks to maximize this team and start turning this thing around.

The surprise teams this year are young and exciting while the disappointing Mets still look like the old recycled product sent out in the past.

If the Mets do not step it up and pay out the nose for the best prospects left on the board during this upcoming draft, I will be angry. Not that me being angry matters or will help anything, but I will be angry.

An Example of How to Not Run a Franchise

2008-05-27T11:44:00.001-04:00

Rob Neyer checks in on the Mets.

"Willie has my support. He has the support of our ownership," Minaya said. "Willie's job was never in danger going into this meeting."

If not, why not?

Yeah. Winning would be good. You can't read anything about the Mets these days without seeing a reference to their payroll: $138 million. And it's worse than 23-26. Over their last 162 games -- Randolph's last 162 games -- the Mets are 79-83. The Mets, with the largest payroll in the National League, have a losing record over their last season's worth of games.

I know that's cherry-picking. It's not arbitrary cherry-picking; 162 games is not a meaningless number. But I'll bet I could find a 162-game stretch when Joe Torre's Yankees lost more games than they won.

Well, maybe not. But close, probably. Usually, I would acknowledge the possibility that Randolph's team simply has gone through a 162-game stretch of tough luck, and anyway it's the general manager's fault for not spending that $138 million on the right players.

But last year Randolph presided over one of the worst collapses in major league history. His team is losing again this year. With the exception of David Wright (who's unflappable) and Ryan Church (who wasn't around last year), nobody on the roster is doing anything extraordinary and a lot of guys are struggling. Jose Reyes, now in his sixth major league season, seems to do something silly on the bases every other game.

Reyes is not the problem, but something is clearly wrong. Would getting rid of Willie solve the problem? We have been over this and it might not. However, what else can you do and what other move is as simple?

Publicly, the players complain that Randolph shouldn't be held accountable for their struggles. But if not him, then who? The owners aren't going to fire themselves, or Omar Minaya. They can't fire the players. But a message must be sent to the players, somehow.

Unfortunately, the owners seem to have decided to send exactly the wrong message, which is that nobody's accountable for this mess.

And it is a mess. The Mets resume their place as the joke of baseball and I am left wondering just how a team that was supposed to be so good is so bad. Rob Neyer had called them the best bet to win 100 games and now they are wallowing around in fourth place and knocking on last place's door.

As if the Mets needed another distraction at this point because they seemed distracted prior to this managerial mess, it is only adding to the ridiculousness that has become Met baseball. Right now, the Mets have two of batters being too heavily relied on with a sub .400 SLG% and should be buried at the 7th and 8th place in the batter order and yet they remain entrenched where they are.

However, much like what the Mets front office is doing to rectify the problem, which is nothing, a similar approach is being taken with the day to day management of the players. In not so unrelated news, that was also the same approach used while this team was in a free fall at the end of last season.

I had titled a post steady as she goes the other day when I thought the Mets were about to turn things around a bit, but it is more applicable to their demise. Steady as she goes straight down into the shitter with no action taken. Brilliant. I think Neyer said it best the other day:

I like Willie Randolph. When I see him interviewed on TV, he strikes me as sensitive, thoughtful, and intelligent. He might be the perfect manager for the Brewers, or the Indians, or the Mariners or the Reds or the Pirates. But with each passing day that the Mets lose and look bad doing it, he seems like the wrong manager for the Mets.

* * *

This all seems like a fictional comedy story, but it is not.

When a manager is not fired, as Willie Randolph was not after a long meeting yesterday with Mets owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon and general manager Omar Minaya, it is usually not news. Managers are not fired all the time. Only rarely, though, can a manager for a team with a $140 million payroll lose more games than he wins for a full year, wax paranoid about racist camera angles, follow that up by losing six of seven games, and then keep his job. This is why yesterday's press conference was carried live on ESPNews. What baseball fan, given the chance, wouldn't gawk at this bizarre spectacle?

Hey, but he thought the racism remarks were off the record. I'm not sorry I said it, I'm just sorry I got caught, right? Also, let us not forget accused SNY for painting him in a negative light and trashed the fans.

Bureaucratic dynamics aside, not firing Randolph is a perfectly sound reaction to the team's lousiness. While I've written a lot about all the reasons why the skipper should go, no obviously better manager is around, and anyway, the main problems are that there are lots of bad players on the team, and lots of decent players being used badly. These problems can be at least addressed, if not fixed, without getting rid of the manager.

Decent players used badly could be rectified without changing the manager? How so? He is the one using the players incorrectly.

This may all be tinkering around the edges, in total disproportion to the gravity of the team's plight, but by not firing the manager, the Mets have made it clear that they're not going to do much else, and there's nothing and no one to trade for a cure-all anyway. Now the right play is to minimize the damage the weaker players on the team can do and get some flawed younger players into situations where they can contribute to the limits of their skills. The Mets are what they are, which is apparently not very good, or at least not as good as most people thought they were. I still suspect, though, that there's a baseball team lurking somewhere under the spectacle.

Klap says why not now? What did Randolph say to save his job?

Wright predictably says it is not Randolph's fault and we know the players have some blame on their shoulders. However, one change is easy and the other is not.

Another notable piece on Willie.

The Mets Get Pantsed In Atlanta

2008-05-23T10:30:00.003-04:00

This my friends, is what I call ugly. I'm talking Sarah Jessica Parker ugly (don't worry...I just puked in my mouth a little too). I'm not going to pretend that Willie's job hinges on one game these days because that is silly. They get swept by the Braves and his head is on the line and if win the last game he is safe for now?

Poppycock. Pull the plug now. Mind you he is not THE problem, but he is a problem and frankly I do not want to look at him anymore. What is even worse is that what we can see is what we get. What can be done? Outside of a lobotomy on each player to see if their personality changes a bit to form a team with super chemistry, not much.

On the postgame show someone had mentioned juggling the lineup. Reyes, Church, Beltran, Wright, Alou (when he comes back from the 15-day DL), Delgado, Schneider, and Castillo would be a start and it looked like Willie was on the right track for a bit, but he cannot resist batting the light hitting second baseman in the two slot. It is in his DNA.

That is not the solution to what ails the Mets mind you, but it could help spark things a bit. As Ron Darling said on the broadcast yesterday, the Braves were out hustling the Mets right out the stadium. Have they hit rock bottom? I am not so sure about that. I think it could get worse and they are practically unwatchable right now. Give me a reason to turn on the TV. Give me a reason to write a dumb blog about a crappy baseball team. The players are starting to feel the way we do which means things have gotten really, really bad.

"I can accept losing," Wright was quoted as saying. "Not easily, but every team loses here and there. But to go out and give the effort we're giving, to go out and lose without a fight . . . I just don't think we have the fire I would hope we'd have."

I think we all become irrationally emotionally invested in this team and sometimes you feel like you get nothing back. Not that the Mets owe me anything or try to intentionally give anything back to the fans, but they certainly aren't unintentionally giving us anything back and I am not so sure they are even trying to give themselves much of anything.

"Losing like this, I hope, would ruin their nights," Wright told the site after the Mets' third straight loss to the Braves. "I want them to take it personally when we lose. I want them to be ticked off. If it was a matter of talent, it'd be different. If we just weren't any good, I could put my head on the pillow at night and sleep. But to go through the motions every night . . . "

If you did not think things were bad before, you should be getting a clearer picture of the state of this Mets team. This team really does not care.

* * *

More...

During SNY's coverage of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Braves, the network's on-air personalities responded to Randolph's criticism.

"Why is Willie wasting any time watching us, for one, and two, I just think it's wrong," said Ron Darling. "I think his comments are wrong.

"I think some of the best things we do are watching not only Willie, but also his staff, go about their business educating these young men on how to play the game."

Fellow SNY analyst Keith Hernandez said he was surprised by the comments.

"In my 17 years of major league baseball and 10-plus years of being up here in the booth, I've just never heard of a manager make those kinds of comments before, and I'm really quite surprised that Willie made those comments," he said.

Hopefully we all get put out of our misery soon.

Wednesday, Randolph tried to put an end to it with a public apology for his words published in the Record on Monday. But the one place his apology didn’t reach was the ears of ownership, with neither Fred or Jeff Wilpon taking his calls yet. Omar Minaya returned the call Wednesday on behalf of ownership.

Asked if he felt that silence was something to worry about, Randolph said, “I reached out. Omar said that they got my call and would get back to me. But I don’t read into anything.”

Yeah. They respect Willie.

More on the Mets upcoming draft. Just spend already. You have the money...

Ted Berg is still trying to drop some perspective on us, but he admits change is needed. It is just that I am not sure what he is saying is going to much of a boon, but moving the lineup around and making Delgado a productive platoon parter would be a place to start.

Let us all hope that something gets done rather than throwing the same old product out there. If you wanted to get creative, now would be a good time.

Pedro plans to pitch through 2010.

"I have said this before and I'll say it again: I want to pitch at least for two or three more seasons," Martinez said.

Adam Rubin figures out what I finally figured out and other smart people told me a while ago.

Pedro's contract has been very,very close to a disaster. The Mets paid a whole lotta money for nothing. Sure, they might have gotten Fernando Martinez because they had Pedro. 'Might have' being operative phrase. We will never know of course, but something tells me the Mets would have been able to get where they are now without Pedro and the money they spent on him. I love Pedro, but he has been a bad place to put your money and everyone against four years or even three years for Pedro was right.

Down, Down, Down....

2008-05-22T11:48:00.001-04:00

Ted Berg tried to lay some perspective on us the other day and I said it was really hard to keep perspective with this team and they did not take too long to prove me right. Really right. I have tried to be optimistic for the most part, but right now, that is hard to do.

"It's not acceptable," Randolph said. "This is not the way we want to play baseball. We need to get on a streak and play more consistently. We're better than this. No one's happy with where we are and how we're playing."

It is hard to point fingers at one person or one cause, but this team just does not have it. They have talent, but they do not have it. What is it? Good question. However, it is clear that this team lacks focus and losing to Glavine and three overall to the Braves is utterly ridiculous. The inability for this team to step up is extremely frustrating.

Keeping things in perspective is just not possible because it looks like this team is just losing control. They are almost as close to last place as they are first place and truly a .500 team in every way. You do not need to be a genius to look at their roster and recognize they have talent and you do not need to be a genius to see that this team is simply not playing up to their potential.

With less than 30% of the season played, there is time to turn things around, but time is running out quickly.

* * *

If this goes down, I will be piiiiiiissssed.

18. METS. New York has the financial wherewithal to spend as much as any team does on the draft, but it apparently will stick to slotting once again in 2008, even if Hosmer is still on the table. The Mets need a catcher for the near future, and Castro has convinced scouts he can handle the defensive responsibilities and produce at the plate. New York has checked out Friedrich, but it's unlikely he'd get this far.

I mean really. Who cares about the Commish? He cannot do anything and your farm is pretty barren. After Omar made overtures this past off-season about abandoning slot, I would be very disappointed if they passed up a better player so they do not piss anyone off.

If they pass up Hosmer? Utterly ridiculous and why this team will never get over that next hump. You simply cannot pass up a gift like that and they better step it up on all fronts.

Would Pedro retire to be with his parents? Would Omar give him a Clemens-esque deal to keep him going another year or two?

Just in time for the summer to keep the boys cool.

This sweat-absorbing, friction-fighting wonder powder will keep you gloriously dry and comfortable during everyday manly activities...like chainsaw juggling.

Tim Marchman does a great job making a case for Jose Reyes to not be the scapegoat.

It is true that Reyes's game went into notable decline about a year ago. From last July 1 up to the beginning of last night's game against Atlanta, Reyes hit .268 AVG/.334 OBA/.414 SLG with 61 steals in 81 tries; over the preceding year, he'd hit .322/.383/.510 with 73 steals in 90 tries. Many explanations have been offered for this: that Reyes has been sulking over his contract, that he was ruined by Rickey Henderson's brief stint as the Mets hitting coach, that he lost his mojo after ceding to demands that he stop acting so exuberant on the field, etc.

Pedro's dad is not doing well.

Pablo Jaime, 78, is suffering from an inoperable brain tumor, and Martinez said recently that his father does not have long to live.

"His dad's not doing well and had a seizure," Willie Randolph said before the game. "We'll just see what happens when [Pedro] gets back [from the Dominican]. All the other stuff in terms of pitching is on hold."

Pedro should really put baseball on hold and tend to his family. The Mets success does not hinge on him so he needs to do what he feels is right.

Joel Sherman pens a good piece about Willie.

I am not foolish enough to believe race still does not motivate repugnant feelings. But I do think sports have more of a meritocracy than most environments, and that the great divide between love and hate is winning and losing. Again, Willie, look to your Knicks past: The city did not love DeBusschere and Bradley more than Reed and Frazier. The whole team won, and the whole team is remembered fondly. Just like Bernie Williams and Paul O'Neill will be from those champion Yankees for which Randolph was a coach.

There is racism out there, but sports to me was always kind of different. If you are winning, no fan gives a shit who is from where or is what color.

Randolph lived these New York moments, and constantly brags he is a New Yorker and understands how things work. But most days it seems he just showed up from Ames, Iowa. His self-awareness is poor, and that is hurting him way more than the color of his skin or what angle SNY cameras are shooting him. He thinks of himself as a tough, been-there, seen-that kind of guy. But his sensitivity and lack of savvy reveal the opposite.

He tried, for example, to backtrack off the critical statements he made about race and SNY by saying he thought he was off the record with the reporter. Even if I believed Randolph (which I don't), he should know reporters grant off-the-record requests to gain the truth, so being off the record would only make you believe Randolph's harshest assessments (not his current spin) most.

Willie just does not get it and should not be managing this team. Especially so after grasping for straws and attacking the fans. Really? The fans?

"If you look at my body of work since I've been here," Randolph said, "I'm proud of that, because prior to that Mets fans were hiding. You couldn't even find them ... The season's just starting and you're booing my guys already? You're booing your team?'"

Mets fans were hiding? Interesting statement. Mets fans are not hiding anymore because of Willie's body of work. Sound logic, right? I am really glad he spouted his mouth off with such madness because it only makes everything I have been saying stronger and he just validated a lot of things that I thought.

I think at times he can be immature and stubborn and these articles truly outline that. If the Mets want Willie to be their leader, so be it. However, it is a mistake.

Torre feels bad for Willie and no one is arguing that this job is not extremely difficult, but not everyone can do it.

Losing Church would be very, very bad. The Mets need him to be healthy and performing.

Steady As She Goes

2008-05-20T10:06:00.001-04:00

It is not really a shocker that the three best teams from a pitching perspective are the Diamondbacks, Braves, and Cubs. They are just annihilating other teams in regards to run differential and are getting it done on the offensive end as well.

The Mets are in the second tier of pitching talent sitting fifth in ERA+ with a 106 behind the Phillies, which is rather surprising to me. What else is rather surprising is the fact that the ace by far of the Mets staff has been Johan Maine.

Name     ERA+
Maine    145
Santana  123
Pelfrey   98
Perez     96
Figueroa 79

I have been under a rock for a bit so I really had no idea John Maine was doing so well. In fact, it is even more of sad commentary that I had no idea because he is on my fantasy team, which is making a hard charge towards first place and all others in my league should be wary of the impending doom that is about to befall them.

Mike Pelfrey has actually made some nice strides this year slightly outperforming Oliver Perez and you really have to say that this team is looking pretty solid right now from a rotation standpoint with Pedro Martinez making his way back. Five 100+ ERA+ guys in the rotation for the second half? Nice. That could really be the catalyst that finally pushes this team to the top of the NL East.

Scary trend.... Johan has 11 homers in 60 innings and the other four starters 14 homers in 166.1 innings. Let us hope he can squash his staggering homerun totals in short order. He is on pace for an amazing 40 dingers after moving into a nice pitchers park which hurts righties and into the NL. He certainly has been very good so far, but I think we all were expecting Cy Young worthy and he is not even sniffing that at this point.

* * *

I have forgotten what it is like to have Pedro on this team anymore. It is hard for me to take these things seriously, but eventually he is going to stay healthy enough for a nice string of starts.

Speaking of injured pitchers, where the hell is The Duque?

Interesting.

METS AREN'T REALLY AMAZIN'

As they arrive in Atlanta for a four-game series, the Mets (22-19) are coming off a two-game sweep of the Yankees and are just one game out of first place. But tensions are high, with closer Billy Wagner calling out his teammates last week and Carlos Delgado, still hovering at .230, being dumped into the seventh spot in the lineup.

Last I checked the Braves were behind the Mets. Their run differential is pretty and all, but Smoltz may not see the mound again in 2008 and Chipper is good for about 30 games on the DL. Temper the excitement down there.

Ted Berg lays it down.

People claim that the players don't care enough to win. Nonsense. Go try to find a player in the Major Leagues who doesn't want desperately to win every single game he plays in. You won't. You don't make the big leagues if you don't care.

Is that 100% true? I mean, no one wants to lose, but there are surely people that want it more and some people that are just not effected as much. Maybe I am crazy here, but I think some people are more emotionally invested in winning and losing than others. I think it is obvious that these guys want to win a shitload more than they want to lose, but I think there are varying degrees of desire.

All in all, a good article that dishes out some perspective, but this team makes it really hard to keep perspective when the manager is crying racism and they cannot put some room between themselves and a .500 record.

Bobby V. may not have had the smoothest ride here and I might not want him managing my team, though I would take him 100 out of 100 times over Willie, but it would be great to see him back in the bigs. The man can beat any ump in a quiz of baseball rules and he really should be given a chance somewhere. His style would be perfect for a young and burgeoning team.

Oh my, my, my, how two little games can change perception.

The Mets offense put on a display in both games against the Yankees, coolly beating their two best pitchers while providing a glimpse at just how potent the team can be when everything is humming.

"We worked the count a little bit, drew some walks," third baseman David Wright said. "We didn't try to do too much and went the other way."

This was the strategy Wright outlined against Yankees ace Chien-Ming Wang and their No. 2, Andy Pettitte. The Mets' execution was flawless. They combined for 18 runs and 22 hits, mashed four homers and drew eight walks.

If they can remain patient, they can blast Glavine out of the water and that would be good for my soul.

Vargas and Nellie Figs have been pleasant surprises so far. You really cannot complain about getting the type of output that they have been giving as the 6th and 7th pitchers.

Teixiera would be great, but he is going to cost a lot of cash. Mike Carp certainly makes me feel better hitting .338/.389/.537 in Binghamton, but he needs to take a few more walks for me. Luckily enough, Nick Evans is hitting .291/.356/.557 and Dan Murphy is hitting .329/.369/.482. I would not like to rely on one of those guys, but if you tell me all three can go after it and the best man wins, I would be OK with that.

All Church, All The Time

2008-05-19T11:22:00.000-04:00

I know the jury on the Milledge for Church/Schneider deal and this will be judged years down the line, but as of now, it is looking like Omar knew a little something. Yes, I know that I just posted about Church two days ago, but it is not easy to temper my excitement on the topic. Keith Law was asked in a chat if Milledge was just traded for a platoon player and a backup catcher and he agreed with that sentiment. Now, Church is looking like an All-Star and Milledge is barely holding onto his centerfield job.

Given the fact the Nationals are in last place with no hope of any meaningful baseball this year, he should take his lumps unless things get really, really, ugly. I guess his 68 OPS+ might mean things are already really, really ugly, but I think he should still be given a chance to catch fire.

As for Church, he just keeps on going and going and going and going. He leads the team in homers and batting average and is on pace to knock in well over 100 runs and score well over 100 runs. Toss in sparkling defense and you have a guy turning in a pretty tremendous season. I really thought he would be good for the Mets and he probably has a bit of cooling off to do, but he has far exceeded my expectations thus far.

As far as how much cooling off, he did have an OPS+ of 118, 131, and 114 over the past three seasons so it is quite possible he is can toss out a pretty impressive season and this is not a complete aberration. Just a slight aberration.

* * *

The Mets swept the -18 run differential Yankees and pushed them further down into last place. The Yankees are six games out of first place and looking pretty bad. Last year big time offense helped the Yankees overcome shitty pitching, but this year, the Yankees and their 10th place offense are not looking like they are up to the challenge. To further add to the hilarity of it all is that Johan, who they could have had if they just included Ian Kennedy, beat them in game one with a good performance.

Johan's eleven homers in nine games is a concern, but I think the Yankees would more than welcome his presence these days.

Manny rules.

By way of Rob Neyer...a book that every manager should read. That means you Willie.

Buster Olney has an interesting tidbit on on the Mets managerial situation.

An NL talent evaluator came up with an interesting name for the Mets, if they decide to change managers: Jim Fregosi. "He knows all about the bright-light and big-city stuff from his days in Philly and he would know how to handle New York, and he would be good with Jose Reyes," the evaluator said. "The veteran players would really like him. And his teams play hard."

Josh Hamilton is crazy good. He is leading the AL in homers and on pace for like 1,000,000 RBIs or something like that. He is obviously one of the most talented baseball players in the universe to be able to do what he is doing after his long road to the bigs. He has 37 career homers and could have easily logged over 100 if he was able to stay out of trouble. Scary to think how good he is going to become and how great he will end up despite losing so much time.

Not so much.

"They don't like me?" Randolph said. " 'We don't like Willie.' Wait a minute, why don't you like me? I don't get it. Did I do anything to you? If you look at what I've done for your club, you should like me a little bit."

You've done for the club? Wowee.

Randolph excluded Ozzie Guillen from the conversation, but wanted to know why the traits often admired in the calm, cool and collected likes of Joe Torre are portrayed as flaws in Torre's former third base coach.

"Is it racial?" Randolph asked. "Huh? It smells a little bit."

I can 100% say that my dislike of Willie as the manager of this team has nothing to do with race.

Jonah Keri thinks the Rays are for real while the Marlins are headed for a fall. That seems to be about right.

Oliver Perez was on point last night and continued to mow down lefties. His .094 BAA for lefties is just pure insanity.

Wake Me Up When The Mets Start Playing Baseball

2008-05-16T07:52:00.007-04:00

Ossy: braun is paid
Ossy: http://www.money.co.uk/article/1000390-13-year-old-steals-dads-credit-card-to-buy-hookers.
Me: Awesome
Me: Braun is awesome too
Ossy: pelfrey no hitter into the 7th
Me: Huh?
Me: They are on now?
Me: What the fuck?
Me: I've been in my own little shell
Ossy: yea
Ossy: sny is broadcasting from the RF bleachers too
Ossy: cohen and kieth
Ossy: we're down 1-0
Ossy: bot 9
Ossy: this is bad if we lose this one
Me: So the no hitter is gone.
Me: Damn
Ossy: beltran on 3rd
Ossy: 1 out
Ossy: with delgado
Ossy: i have no confidence in him bringing him in
Ossy: of course
Ossy: he lines out to 2b
Ossy: and beltran gets doubled off
Me: Delgado blows.

I have been feeling very weird about this team lately. I have been incredibly busy these days and no matter how busy I have been in the past, I typically made time to write a little something about the Mets. Now? Blah. There is shockingly just nothing compelling about this team and they have become completely boring. Almost 40 games into the season, the Mets are one game over .500 and playing the sub .500 Yankees this weekend.

There is a little less juice for me these days in regards to this series because instead of having two teams at the top of the pack, you have two teams just trying to hold on. The Yankees at least have an excuse being they have serious pitching problems, but the Mets have been largely healthy and their off-season vision of how this team would be comprised has been largely intact.

The team they wanted to run out there has been run out for the most part and a team that is universally believed to have talent. They had pitching, they had hitting, they had defense, and they had some good relievers. Where is the disconnect? What is the problem? If Omar and the Wilpons want to take a Randolph-like approach to this team for the rest of the season, great. However, they will miss the playoffs again.

Something needs to give here and the team is not looking like a cohesive group. Maybe I am completely wrong, but Wagner does not seem to care what Willie thinks and Wagner is amped up enough and thinks enough is going on that he feels the need to speak out. I have been optimistic all season, but at this point, I think it is hard to be. Yes, the Mets are 2.5 games out of first, but it is a painful 2.5 games.

"Somebody tell me why the -- the closer is getting interviewed and I didn't even play," Wagner said, "and they're over there not being interviewed."

Let the record state he pointed in the direction of the row of lockers where Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran dress.

There was no one there.

"Oh, I got it," Wagner said. "They're gone. -- shocker."

(Beltran already had spoken. Delgado never did.)

A little less than a year ago, Paul Lo Duca angered the Mets' front office by uttering a similar sentiment. "Nobody else wants to talk," he said. "Some of these guys have to start talking. They speak English, believe me."

And there you have it. Willie is the captain on this ship and it seems to have firmly run aground. If I had my way, he would have been axed after missing the World Series by one game, but the Mets lied to themselves despite glaring holes in his baseball reasoning. Fast forward to 2008 and not much has changed except the clubhouse has seemingly moved backwards. Something about this team just feels all wrong right now and this season is quickly turning into a disaster.

* * *

Ha!

David Sloan? Bat shit crazy.

"That a joke too? You're a funny guy."

And then, at 12:46 pm, in apparent celebration of Mother's Day, David Sloane, the agent for Carlos Delgado, wrote back the following e-mail, which I present to you in its entirety:

"So's your Mom."

Nice. I am officially sick of Delgado and his agent.

Klap thinks the Mets are out of control.

At some point, winning players have to become emotionally invested in the wins and losses. That's a formal way of putting it. Here's a simpler expression of the truth: the Mets need an edge. Wagner says, "There needs to be other guys that are accountable" and not leave the explaining to the same teammates every day. That creates "tension" in the clubhouse, because it creates the impression that certain cliques don't care about winning or losing.

Preach on brother.

Adding insult to incompetence. Losing that game hurts.

Tim Marchman gives the Mets a slight edge for the Subway Series.

I Am A Believer!

2008-05-12T09:53:00.004-04:00

Ryan Church is sporting an OPS+ of 144 so far this season and has been the Mets best hitter so far. David Wright is right behind with an OPS+ 0f 139, but it is undeniable that Church has been rather spectacular so far being great at the plate and being extremely solid in right field.

If you add in fielding and go by WARP1, Church is sporting a 2.1 vs. Wright's 1.8. Now I am not saying that Church is a better player than David, but he certainly is a very good ballplayer and far from a platoon player. Against lefties he has a .328/.391/.546 line vs. a .324/.405/.514 line against righties.

It is also certainly worth noting that Milledge is sporting an OPS+ of 75. While I think Milledge is going to be a tremendous ballplayer down the line, I have been resolute in the fact that Chruch will be much more helpful in 2008 and 2009 in getting the Mets a championship.

As far as Omar's other big moves, they have worked out pretty well this season. Johan has been very good, though not great, and Brian Schneider has been very solid and is giving the Mets more offensive value than Lastings Milledge is giving the Nats. All of that has me perplexed as to why the Mets are simply a .500 team. Given the current team that was in place and the fact that Omar's moves worked out so well, you would think the Mets would be far better than they have been so far.

We are at the point when it is not longer early. Enough of a sample size has gone by that you can start drawing some conclusions. Tampa is better than anyone could have expected, the Yankees young pitching woes are probably going to cost them a playoff spot, the Marlins are shockingly legit, St. Louis is surprisingly good, and the Mets are far better than this.

Given they added positively to a team that barely missed the playoffs and they still find themselves in the same spot, something needs to get looked at. The common thread between the two needs to be identified and dealt with. The mediocrity is frustrating because this team should be anything but mediocre.

* * *

Schoenweis is pretty good.

Castillo is down again. So far his four year deal looks like a bad thing. I am stopping short of saying disaster because he is not making all that much in the big scheme of baseball, but it is clearly ugly.

Delgado batting seventh is a positive sign for Willie showing his cognitive reasoning skills. Delgado may be a nice guy, but he is a bad hitter these days.

While Ollie has not been horrible, he certainly has not bee all that great. The good part is becoming more affordable, but the bad part is he is not pitching as good as the Mets need him to.

If there is anything positive to take out of here it is that Pelfrey is willing to change things up a bit.

The Incredible Shrinking Run Differential

2008-05-01T09:00:00.002-04:00

So the Mets have now scored 119 runs and given up 118. Basically, they are a .500 team. To the naked eye, they have looked like a .500 team to this point so that is not really all that surprising. I know they are better than this and Mr. Billy Wagner knows they are better than this.

"It's very easy to say, 'Hey, yeah, you're going to have these games,' and you will have these games," Wagner said. "But when there's not a lot of effort and a lot of desire, that's when you worry.

"I just think that today we just didn't show up. I'm not saying that Pittsburgh can't beat the New York Mets. I'm just saying there's no way we should have this lopsided of a score. ... We weren't good at defense. We weren't good at pitching. There was no get up and go. That can't happen."

And about the starting pitcher ...

"Perez has honestly got to step up and know that we've just used every guy in our bullpen the night before," Wagner said. "He can't come out there and decide that, gee, he hasn't got it today and so be it."

When Wagner's words were relayed to Perez, the hot-and-cold, 2-2 lefty said, "I don't have a problem with that. I didn't do my job."

Randolph said it was a combo of faulty focus and mechanical failure: "Choose the one you like."

Many people dislike him, but I happen to think Wagner is a good guy who is not afraid to shake things up a bit. At this point, the Mets need to shake things up a bit.

"That's my job," Reyes said, "to be at the left-field line there."

Randolph saw it another way.

"Those are mental mistakes," he said. "That's just a lack of focus on that particular play."

And now you have the player thinking he knows more than the manager. Which he probably does, but it certainly speaks volumes to me about what is going on here. This team is very talented and seemingly very listless. The good news is their first month of baseball was a month in which they played better than .500 ball and no one else really grabbed the division.

However, this team needs to wake up and start playing a lot better if they plan to excise some demons.

All Quient On the Met Front

2008-04-29T14:01:00.002-04:00

Yup. No new news. Nothing. Nothing at all. So, we'll just go back to yesterday's post. Let me clarify things a bit and just make it clear that I do think players at times appear soft and appear to have lost their edge. I complain often about how these thin skinned cry baby players are just gigantic babies when they get all offended if the opposite team celebrates when something good happens.

The push to make robot players with no emotion is a truly bizarre one because colorful people make the game exciting. That being said, the fact that I think baseball players might be thin skinned at times does not have much to do with this situation. Right, I get when people say they should just man up and deal with the booing, but they are still getting killed at home before the game even gets going. Before they even have a chance to do something bad, the boos come raining down.

We are talking about sucking homefield advantage out of the equation and really creating an atmosphere that is less hospitable than when they go away sometimes. When they go down to Florida, it seems they have more support to me. Plenty fans of the Mets are there and actually cheer the team on. You can always hear some nice Mets chants and hear the support.

The only over .500 team last season to have a below .500 home record? The Mets. I'm not saying this has anything to do with it, but it is worth noting. I am just as frustrated as anyone else because the Mets are my favorite team, but it all seems a bit out of control. Enough of me talking...

You are not. The booing has gone beyond ridiculous. I think writing it off as "bandwagoneers" is maybe a little simplistic, but I'm at a loss as to how else to explain it. Certainly nobody who's sat through more than a handful of years of Met baseball can be that impatient.

I get being frustrated by listless play. I've thrown more than one shoe at the radio already this season, but for the love of god. If you hate this team and its players so much that you're willing to voice your disapproval at the drop of a hat, then why the hell are you spending money on the tickets? Just for the opportunity to boo? Isn't that what the Knicks are for? (And, by the way, I do think that situation has informed this one, at least a bit).

I'm all for booing when it's waranted. But, like Delgado's take on curtain calls, I think it rarely is, at least when the home team's involved. Hell, I'm not even much for booing the visitors, with some extremely notable exceptions.

Booing Milledge earlier this season, for instance. Fuck the heck?!?

I digress ...

We're losing it fast, I'm afraid. It doesn't help that the fans are feeling screwed by ownership (ticket prices up, etc.), but in the typical management/labor dychotomy, I'd think that would bring regular joes like us closer to the team.

The sad thing is, these Mets may very well need the full-blooded support of their vocal fanbase this season. Shit, we should be working to make sure they want to win for us. All this booing is, essentially, asking them to become the very thing I think many folks think they're booing: bored, self-serving, in-it-for-the-money players. What the hell else is their motivation if they get told how much they suck every time they come home?

Not to get too personal or anything, but after round about 14 years of being told I didn't measure up, not getting any lovin' and working my fingers to the bone for no apparent reason, I eventually moved out of the house. Now I'm busting my balls to make due as a single dad, but it's a hell of a lot better than putting up with the bullshit.

I took the metaphor too far, but the point is I think we'd all better start showing these players a good time in the sack before we get served with some divorce papers in the form of a .500 season. We need them to want to win for us, the relationship needs to be a two-way street, we need to show a little bit of unconditional love now and then, so they know we value their hard work.

(Which is certainly not a call for rainbows and puppydogs and kitten pie, for christsake. We should sure as hell call 'em like we see 'em, but goddamnit, if I'm shelling out the money to go to a game to support this franchise with which I've lived and died since I was 6 years old, I'm sure as hell not going to waste my time telling them how much I hate them - even if I do at that particular moment. That's what blog comment sections are for).

Phew.

A classic rant by Chris, but there is a lot of truth there. I do understand that the end of '07, ticket prices, and seemingly blasé attitude of the players have concocted an explosive situation. I am in the same boat. I get my Sunday package, I went to the last game of the season last year and witnessed the horrific game, and I pay too much for hot dogs and beer after shelling out what seems like $50 between gas and tolls to get to games only to see handsomely paid players seemingly mail it in.

It is a bad thing. Considering that the average fans has had to put up with the past 10-15 years such as steroids, strikes, absurd costs to go to a game, smaller stadiums which make it harder for average fan, skyrocketing ridiculous salaries, lack of accountability, and the ultimate pussy-fying of the game on the field, the players should be kissing all of our lily white, and brown (and all colors in between) asses!

We need baseball to go back to the 1970s-80s when it was a man's game...not the MTV/ESPN pinball version we see on TV the past several seasons.

Baseball 70s style: When men were men and fat guys were all stars.

I am not saying the fans need to dish out a heaping helping as ass kissing or that booing is completely unacceptable, but there seems to be a big rift between a lot of fans and the players and that is in both directions. We have seen this before and if the Mets turn it around and boos turn into cheers, there will be some lingering 'fuck you' thoughts from the players back out to the fans. Right or wrong, it is probably going to happen.

In fact, the boos serve the opposite purpose, the players get tighter and under-perform. Remember the time that there was that one player who was underachieving and not trying hard, but then the fans booed him a bunch and he realized he was sucking, so because of the boos, he turned his career around and started trying? Yeah, that doesn't exist. The boos can only hurt.

It seems sort of backwards, doesn't it? You are trying to hurt the team you supposedly love.

And really, the "That's baseball in NY" argument is so tired. Tell that to Philly fans or Boston fans. It's passionate, but ill-informed fan behavior. I thought Mets fans were a little smarter, but apparently not. We're just the same as anybody else, if not worse.

Which is what I'm saying. Why make a contentious atmosphere? Booing is fine at times, but Shea is becoming an ugly place to play when Johan Santana pitches well for the Mets this season and gets booed. Think about it. I'm not saying Johan got mad or really was affected, but it certainly says something and I do think that other players take note that New York's stands are filled with douches.

Ultimately money talks and trumps all, but maybe the fact that a player does not feel like dealing with 'New York fans being New York fans' comes into play eventually. They can get paid anywhere, why should they do it here?

I agree with most of the sentiments here, and I rarely boo anyone at sporting events, least of all the Mets.

Having said that, I think that Omar and the organization brought this upon themselves a bit by failing to hold anyone accountable for '07. It was The Collapse, sure, but in truth outside of a short spurt in August, it was a team that underachieved and seemed to lack focus and motivation all season, and everyone who was paying attention knew it. By the time The Collapse happened, as historic as it was, it wasn't all that surprising.

Randolph had to be fired, his professional blood spilled as a purification ritual. I'm serious about that. Someone had to be held accountable for breaking the hearts of half of New York City. When that didn't happen, you just knew that this team was going to be on a very short leash in terms of the patience of their fans. Trading for/buying Santana was a nice gesture, but it didn't address the issue.

The booing, of course, as has been noted by so many here, will only tend to make the players less inspired, and it's a vicious cycle. A new leader, a new voice - both in the clubhouse and in the media - would have gone a long way towards helping the wounds heal. The decision not to do that is haunting this franchise in a very serious way.

I actually do not think this gets brought up enough. Getting Johan assuaged some of the anger, but apparently not enough. This scene is all too familiar and at some point ownership or Omar needs to make a statement. Getting rid of Willie and getting someone with an outward greater sense of urgency and legitimacy would have helped.

Willie has seemed like a bumbling fool in my eyes since day number one with little idea of how to navigate his team through the season but was lucky enough to get saddled with enough talent to cover up his many deficiencies. The Mets were not bereft of solid managerial options either. Being that they love the ride the '86 vibe to death and Gary Carter has proved himself a worthy as a manager, it seems almost too convenient. However, now, the Mets missed their opportunity and the bad blood lives on.

Excellent point that I failed to bring up previously. I think that this whole booing issue would not exist to this extreme had there been some accountability for September. I think the feeling among fans (and I could be wrong, I can't speak for the entire fan base) may have been that they were taken for granted after The Collapse™ by the front office.

Now I don't know if firing Wilie would have been the action to take, given it was a complete and total team and front office effort, and given that Willie was one year off a playoff appearance, som in essence, 2006 may have saved Willie's job after 2007.

But this is a new year and my feeling is that ownership has issued a silent mandate to "win or else" this year to Willie, with Omar on notice next in line should Randolph get the axe.

Was it all Wilie's fault? No. He cannot make the players perform, but he wasted a lot of wins by simply running Mota out there, generally mishandling the bullpen, and not letting the best players play 100% of the time. To me, that is very bad thing and he failed to motivate his team. It is that simple to me and the main reasoning as to why I think Willie should be gone. No Willie + Johan + new manager = a longer honeymoon between the fans and the '08 Mets. Again, the Mets failed to act as they have in so many instances and created what can only be called an ugly situation.

Am I being a little overdramatic? Probably, but it is clear that there is a problem that needs fixing. The only way to fix it is a ridiculous hot streak with a comfortable cushion between 1st and 2nd place or a playoff birth. However, with all the bad blood, either might a bit harder to achieve.

* * *

People talk Delgado.

An arbitrary fun-fact from Sherman, "In the past 25 years, just one champion has had a regular first baseman older than 32 (the 2001 Diamondbacks with 37-year-old Mark Grace)." Delgado's making $16MM this season, and although 35 is often a notorious age at which batters decline, this cliff fall is not the norm. Still, a contract of that magnitude will keep Delgado in New York for at least a short while longer.

In Buster Olney's latest, he speculated Delgado's release, which seems to be slightly more than speculation at this point. Olney cited Xavier Nady or Scott Hatteberg as potential replacements should the Mets want to trade for a replacement. Nady, however, might not be available until the Pirates say "uncle."

Hard to envision them simply cutting Delgado, but one has to wonder how much longer this can go on. His .205/.300/ .341 line and his OPS+ of 74 is rather putrid. His OPS+ has went from 161, 129, 161, 131, 103, to 74. While I thought he would be better than this, it is quite reasonable that the man has simply lost it. While I previously agreed with Benny that Delgado can only go up from here, I am starting to think I might want to rescind that statement because I think Delgado can dish out some negative value in 2008.

The positive thing is that it does seem that Willie gets it and has dropped Delgado in the batting order.

More Delgado stuff.

"It's not nice when they boo you (at home), sometimes unfairly," he said. "But who am I to say? I'm not going to stand on the top step and say, 'Don't boo.' I think it's wrong, but nobody's going to listen to me. All I'm saying is we want the fans to be on our side. We haven't been playing that great, all we have to do is play better."

The boo-talk is getting boring, but Mary Noble has some good words on the topic.

As does Bob Raissman.

"You really can judge people on a baseball team when things aren't going good," Ron Darling said on Ch. 11. "That's when you see the real personality and toughness of your teammates."
If Darling had substituted the words "fans of" for "people on," he would've expanded his point. It would have been a great one. But it's a rare day when a broadcaster, or any media member for that matter, dares criticize fans.

Keith Law talks the draft.

First baseman Eric Hosmer would probably go in the top five to eight picks overall if it wasn't for his reported demand for a signing bonus of $7 million. Neither Hosmer nor his advisor, Scott Boras, responded to requests for comment. Hosmer has incredible bat speed, plus-plus raw power and good athleticism for a corner player; he's above-average defensively at first with an above-average arm, and might be able to slide to right field for a team already locked in at first base. Hosmer gets his hands into great position to offer both contact and power, gets his arms extended on anything that's not in on his hands and accelerates his wrists from his loaded position get the bat to the ball extremely quickly. If Hosmer has a flaw as a hitter, it's on hard stuff inside, where he can get a little tied up. But in Tuesday's game, almost everything he saw was away, including the breaking ball he hit out to dead center field to win the game -- a ball I never saw land.

Cross your fingers and pray for him to fall.

Tampa keeps on keepin' on with the best run differential in the AL East and has scored one less run than the '1000 run Yankee offense'. With the Yankees pitching woes and plethora of DHs, things could get interesting. Mussina's 4.94 ERA seems passable right now, but his 3.29 k/9 is ugly and he is not going to survive pitching to that much contact. Well, maybe he can survive, but he'll be sporting a high era.

As for Kennedy and Hughes, their future still looks bright, but right now, they are getting smacked around pretty good. I would love to revisit some of those Yankee fan predictions of how many combined wins their trio of young arms would have in '08 because right now they have one. The one win is not coming out of the rotation either and belongs to Joba.

Tim Marchman goes over the early surprises.

Zito might hit the bullpen to work things out. Wow.

"We've got to do something," said Bochy, after Zito allowed a six-run first inning. "We can't keep doing what we're doing and getting what we're getting."

Hattenberg is not happy on the bench.

Getting Late Early

2008-04-28T11:03:00.006-04:00

Oh, it is getting ugly.

In balance, this was a good day for the tattered relationship between the Mets and their fans. But because it was played in the cauldron of coiled anger and hatred that Shea has become, it had its ups and downs.

Most of them centered on Carlos Delgado. They booed when his name was announced as a member of the starting lineup. They cheered after his first home run. They asked for a curtain call after his second, and he refused. Some of them booed then, but most seemed to understand.

There's a lot of work to do here. The Mets and their fans are going to spend this season in couples counseling, and both sides are going to have to do their part. The team can help by grinding out workmanlike wins like the ones they got the past two days -- against the Braves, with clutch hits, solid defense and good late-inning relief work. The fans could help by occasionally letting the team know, with the odd "Let's Go Mets" chant or even an unrequited demand for a curtain call, that they still do want to see them do well.

It is never a good scene when the fans and players are at odds. It has happened with Beltran before when he refused curtain calls and it is happening now and I would tend to think Delgado is not alone in his displeasure with the fans. Sure, the Mets have been disappointing so far, but they are still in 2nd place and in striking distance of first place.

Some guys seem to think that a .500 team 25 games into the season is an egregious thing. Give it time. If they are still wallowing around .500 and looking average in another month, then maybe it is clear some things need changing.

One person familiar with Fred and Jeff Wilpon's philosophy says "the honeymoon is over" for both the manager and general manager. That means the Mets have to do more than simply remain competitive with a mediocre field in the National League. With a $140 million payroll, the Mets should be good enough to run away from the rest of the East; that's the consensus from the franchise's highest echelons. That's why a win over the Braves was symbolically important to the Mets, because it reminded everyone in the clubhouse what efficient baseball feels like.

They have allowed the 9th fewest runs as a team in the bigs and are 6th in the NL. They have the10th best run differential in the big leagues and the 7th best run differential in the NL. The Mets offense has been very disappointing, but Reyes got off to a slow start and I think that aspect of the Mets has some significant room for growth.

My perfect season would go something like this:

1) Mets continue to be average
2) Willie gets fired after 50 games
3) Oberkefell or Carters takes over
4) Mets play .600 ball thereafter with Alou in the lineup and Pedro in the rotation

I think the fans need to throttle back and put things in perspective a bit. The last thing any Met fans need is the players not liking the fans and having some bad blood. I get that people are upset because of some high expectations that are not getting fulfilled, but did I miss where the Mets stunk it up completely? I think Delgado and Heilman have flat out sucked, but I think drawing the ire of the fans this early and in this manner is a bit ridiculous.

Delgado could have tried to repair the situation by acknowledging the crowd, but he did not and I think that is a mistake. Also, he might want to start hitting better if he wants the spotlight taken off of him or Willie really just needs to burry him in the 7th spot until he proves Sunday was not a fluke. Regardless of how shitty Delgado is playing, booing a 2nd place team should not get done. I think this divide between the fans and the team is going to wider unless the Mets go on a tear soon which does not seem likely right now. We will know things have gotten bad if Wright stops being Sugary about the topic and thankfully we are not there yet....the operative word there is yet.

* * *

John Smoltz is having some issues.

If 20 strikeouts in his previous two starts seduced some into thinking John Smoltz might go on like this forever, Sunday served as a reminder that it can't.

Even the bearded Braves icon can't ignore pain and keep mowing down hitters in perpetuity. Now he'll have his sore shoulder checked to see how bad the wear and tear has become and whether he needs to take some more time off.

He was so good prior to Sunday that some of the fears about this shoulder had been allayed, but the concerns are back. If the Braves are going to have any shot, they need him to be healthy.

We all should just forget that Alou exists.

Ooooooo boy.

The central question: Do the Giants continue to let Barry Zito get his brains beaten every time he takes the mound, or do they take what certainly will be an embarrassing public-relations hit and remove their $126 million pitcher from the rotation and try to get him right?

.336 BAA, 1.95 WHIP, 7.53 ERA, 3.45 k/9, and .73 k/bb. That could of been the Mets $75 million dollar mistake so everyone take a deep breath and thank the baseball gods.

The Phillies #2 is not looking like a #2.

Normally, the righthander's fastball tops out in the low-to-mid 90s. For most of the season, including yesterday's loss, it hasn't cracked 89.

"I haven't seen a fastball," Manuel said. "It topped out today at 89. Myers is usually 92-95, somewhere in there. I haven't seen the fastball since the start of the season."

His 5.11 ERA is ugly.

Sure Delgado had some spin, but he has been around for a while.

But Delgado spoke with David Wright, wandered over and sat down next to Carlos Beltran, leaving the fans hanging until they sat down, too. So even on a day that was his best of the season and a win that the team needed, the questions still hung in the air – where was this tenuous relationship headed?

"First, it surprised me," Delgado said. "Is it for me? What did I do? The way I look at it, fans here are passionate. Sometimes you never know what they're going to do. You hit a home run [and] you have respect for the game. You shake hands with your friends. You don't want to show anybody up. The game goes on. That's the way I felt. I hit a solo home run in the seventh inning. We had a two-run lead and went to a three-run lead. Yeah, it's a big run, but what are you going to do?"

He gets the idea of a curtain call and that is not showing anyone up. That is between you and the fans. Nice try, but I ain't buying what you are selling.

Delgado insisted afterward this was no statement. But it was the strongest one yet to define this current reality: Met fans don't like this team too much and the players don't like the fans, either. If there are more days like yesterday and more weekends such as this one, when the Mets recover from a Friday loss to beat co-aces Tim Hudson and John Smoltz, perhaps the relationship can heal.

Winning a lot heals all, but the players will probably not forget.

"To some extent it is overdone," Billy Wagner said of the disapproval at Shea that comes quickly and loud. He added, "I think it gets a little malicious with no reason for us."

As Sherman said, at the first sign of trouble, the booing commences. It could be in the first inning and it could be when the team is winning in the fifth. However, when there is a sniff of some trouble, you can be sure that that the fans will turn.

Ryan Church can flash the leather.

Mike Carp is enjoying a nice rebound season.

"It's been fun. I've always had a rough time in April since I signed," said Carp, a ninth-round pick out of Lakewood (Calif.) High in 2004 who had a .232 average during the opening month of his first three full pro seasons. "This year I wanted to prove to the Mets last year was a fluke."

He has been hitting lefties just as well as he is hitting righties, which is a great sign. The six homers he has hit this season in 24 games is more than half of what he hit in 98 games last season and it seems that he is back on track.

Do The Right Thing

2008-04-22T11:20:00.002-04:00

I like Angel Pagan a lot, but the just thinking about the return of Moises Alout makes me happy from an offensive standpoint. I do understand the step back in defense the Mets will be taking, but as good as Pagan has been, Alou is a just a beast.

Over the last four seasons, he has dropped an OPS+ of 131, 138, 132, and 138. Sweet. As good as Angel Pagan is, Alou is miles ahead offensively. For me, Alou is more the passable enough in left with solid defense everywhere else with the exception of first, so it is hardly a concern.

The Mets are rolling right now and their starting pitching has been sparkling for the most part and the only real blemish with this team right now is Carlos Delgado and his 64 OPS+. That is horrific and Delgado really needs to be dropped. Enter in the real problem, which is Willie.

Mets manager Willie Randolph said it's premature to consider reacting to first baseman Carlos Delgado's slump.

For now, Delgado remains in the fifth spot in the Mets' lineup.

"It's too early for me," Randolph said. "A lot depends on how the team is doing."

If Willie insists on batting Castillo second and will continue to be stubborn with Delgado, there are not many options out there. Castillo, his 61 OPS+, and his inability to hit a ball out of the infield have no business being anywhere but 8th and Delgado is just a diminished player at this point, but we know how this story is going to play out....at least in the early chapters.

Reyes OPS+ 114
Castillo OPS+ 61
Wright OPS+ 207
Beltran OPS+ 100
Delgado OPS+ 64
Alou OPS+ kickass
Church OPS+ 127
Schneider OPS + 88

The weird thing is Willie did drop Delgado last year and had dropped Castillo this year. There were some moments of clarity, but he inevtiably goes back to his stubborn ways and thinks the players are still capable of their yesteryear production. If you come to grips with that, the most optimal lineup should be Reyes, Church, Wright, Beltran, Alou, Delagado, Schneider, and Castillo.

I do not buy into balancing the out the lineup and spreading out your big guns. Your best players should be at the top and the bad hitters should be at the bottom. For me, it is simple. For others, not so much. I truly hope Willie comes to grips that Castillo and Delgado are done and does the right thing. He should not wait for a complete disaster to take action, but make sensible decisions when they are the obvious and right thing to do.

* * *

Frank Thomas is a big, big man.

Last night was a ugly game. Very ugly. However, I did enjoy watching Zambrano and Marmol. Zambrano striking out Wright with back to back filthy pitches in the first was fun to watch and watching Marmol strike out Anderson with a frisbee was fun as well.

Other than that, ugly, ugly, ugly.

Wright is awesome.

Know who had a hotter week than the Braves' Chipper Jones? OK, nobody had a hotter week. But in the interest of spreading things around a little, let's give some credit to the Mets' David Wright, who hit .522 in his team's six games, with a sick .633 on-base percentage and nine RBIs along the way. Wright was so good for the Mets -- who, by the way, went 5-1 -- that he overshadowed the re-emergence of shortstop Jose Reyes (.429, two homers, two RBIs, two stolen bases). Reyes scored seven runs in the six games, two more than he had in his first nine.

Tim Marchman talks Yankee baseball.

A Heaping Helping of Awesome

2008-04-21T11:27:00.006-04:00

Joe Smith? Off the charts with a 208 ERA+. Pedro II? Off the charts with a 186 ERA+. Mr. Billy Wags? Off the charts with no hits and one walk in seven innings. Dirty? Looking like he is off the charts with some great looking outings.

As a team, they have a 118 ERA+ which is just great. Heilman will come around and Johan will get into a groove and look sharper. Perez has looked like the ace of the staff by far with a 155 ERA+ while making people look stupid. Every game he goes out there this year, Scott Boras is seeing the piles of cash just multiply innumerably.

I cannot say any of the above is all that shocking because I believed in those arms. However, Pelfrey and his ERA+ of 122 is good for second on the staff and a welcomed surprise. The Mets now have five above average starters that I can see continuing to perform at their current level for the remainder of the season, or in Figgy's case, until Pedro comes back.

With the Mets three games over .500 and .5 games out of first, it is hard to not feel good. Amazing how much difference a week makes.

* * *

Chase Utley is awesome.

Willie lays it down.

"Welcome to the club, just like everybody else," Randolph said. "No one feels sorry for us when we have injuries, so we're definitely not going to feel sorry for them, that's for sure. Injuries are part of the game. We've got guys out, too."

No Alou? No problem. No Pedro? No problem. Shit is part of the game.

David Wright is awesome.

David Wright & Chase Utley are awesome. Why do I think the MVP is going to come down to those two?

Alou is making his way back.

Philly fans? Classless.

Jose Reyes is killing it these days and it amazes me how quickly Mets fans get down on some players. Guys like Heilman and Reyes are too good to keep down and will be alright.

Fred Wilpon? Brilliant.

2008-04-18T10:40:00.001-04:00

More Forbes fun.

The New York Mets were second at $824 million and the Boston Red Sox third at $816 million, the magazine said Wednesday. After that, there was a big gap to the Los Angeles Dodgers ($694 million) and the Chicago Cubs ($642 million).

Suck on it Boston! We're #2! We're #2!

The Yankees were listed by Forbes as having $327 million in revenue last year and a $47.3 million operating loss, up from a $25.2 million loss on revenue of $302 million the previous year. Forbes' revenue figure is after deducting revenue sharing payments, which the Yankees estimate at about $92 million. The team also paid approximately $24 million in luxury tax, which is reflected in the operating loss.

The Mets had an operating profit of $32.9 million, according to Forbes. Boston, according to Forbes, had a $19.1 million operating loss.

Wilpon is looking rather brilliant right now. At this rate, he is going to be up a billion dollars off of his initial investment very soon. A billion!!!!! Wilpon paid Doubleday $130 million for his 50% stake in the Mets back in 2002 roundabouts in October. According to MLB4U.com, Wilpon bought the Mets with Doubleday for $80.75 million in 1986. Let's round up there and say his portion was worth oooooohhhhh say $41 million. His cost basis for the Mets is roughly $171 million at this point excluding any other investment that he might have thrown into the pot.

$824,000,000 - $171,000,000 = a shitload of money. Since 2000, the Mets as a franchise have averaged a 15% growth rate in terms of team value. If that average continues, the Mets will be worth over a billion after the 2010 season and Wilpon will have made over a billion dollars in his investment after the 2011 season. You just expunged your coffee from your body through your nose? Don't worry, I did too.

Actually, all my crude math is very conservative because shiny new stadiums add a lot of value to franchise valuations. Sure, Wilpon put a lot of money into the stadium, but this is all still very, very impressive. Since he has been the sole owner, he has put another $23 million into the Mets bank account from profits while most likely taking a tidy paycheck for himself and his son as well. Wilpon has done pretty good from a business standpoint. Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good.

* * *

Good teams take other team's mistakes and rub their faces in it. Last night was one of those games when it was hard to tell whether the pitching was that good or the hitting was that bad. Either way, Ronnie Belliard was playing a bit too deep even with a lefty up and booted a Ryan Church grounder that should have been an out.

A walk and a single later, Church crossed home plate and the game was tied. Some spectacular relief pitching and some timely hitting later and the Mets stood victorious. The Nationals are not horrible, but they are not all that good. Certainly sweeping them is nothing to brag about, but a sweep is never easy no matter who is on the other end. Even historically bad teams win 1 out of 3 games. Marginally bad teams do a better than that and the Nationals are surely not historically bad and are more towards marginally bad end of things.

The Mets are looking better these days and all the doomsdayers can settle down for the time being because this team is actually good. They are still the favorites to win the NL East and are still the most complete team in the NL East. With the Diamondbacks laying waste to everyone these days, I might rescind the statement that the Mets are the best team in the NL for the time being, but they could easily reclaim that top spot in a week or two. It is early folks, let's act like it and while we are at, let's stop booing whenever anything negative happens.

Whatever happened to the eternally optimistic Met fans? I thought we 'gotta believe' or some shit like that? I have thought the Mets were at least a fringe playoff team in every season since 2001 with the exception of maybe one season. How is that for optimism? I'm not all that old, but seeing the plethora of pessimism this year is certainly perplexing (say plethora of pessimism is perplexing three times really fast). The only negativity should be thrown towards Willie and the rest is all good so far and should only get better.

Klaw drops some perspective.

Wilson (NYC): 1 to 10. How bad was the Bannister-Burgos deal for the Mets?

Keith Law: At the time, I thought it made sense. Bannister couldn't and still can't miss a bat. If the argument is that he's going to be the one guy who defies the prevailing sabermetric wisdom about balls in play, well, I don't know how you can fault the Mets for not seeing that.

The deal looks bad now. Very bad. However, at the time, it did not look terrible. At least not to this Met fan.

Immy (DC): Great chat, Keith. Do you think Mike Pelfrey's start is indicative of his future development, or just a nice break from his disappointing 2007 and 2008 spring training?

Keith Law: I'm cautiously optimistic. He's been getting groundballs in his last two starts. That and throwing strikes are the two keys for him.

The 'ole compliment on how great the chat/book/hair is to get your answer taken. The oldest trick in the book! It did however work in this instance and it seems the Pelfrey meter has gone from cold to lukewarm.

Delgado looks done. Not can't play done, but done as a middle of the order beast. Though Willie hates to stack lefties, I would love to see Reyes, Church, Wright, Beltran, Alou, Delgado, Schneider, and Castillo trotted out there the majority of the time. Of course I am getting ahead of myself because Alou is not back in the lineup yet, but I'm just sayin'.

Martinez is all rainbows and unicorns.

"I am surprised with the way I am recovering," Martinez was quoted as saying. "It's going much faster than I thought. Everything is moving smoothly. The Mets know that I'm working and that I will not abandon them. I don't want it to be a long wait like everybody thinks."

No rush Petey. No rush.

Santana vs. Hamels? Fucking A!

"I don't even care," Hamels said. "The guy could have eight arms and it's not going to bother me."

Willie is gaining confidence in Smitty of late. However, is that at a good thing (he actually gets used) or is that a bad thing (he gets overused).

"Joe did a great job -- [he] got a big double play for us and made a great pitch on Zimmerman," Randolph said. "He's really whipping the ball in and going after people. I'm really happy with the way he threw. It was very similar [to last season].

"He looks similar to last year, but different. He's whipping the ball better, and that's key for him. He's able to pop the ball in there, use his slider. He's throwing well. ... When you're a submariner or sidearmer, the feel and rhythm of your delivery is so different. It's unorthodox. His mechanics were out of whack [in Spring Training]."

Right. He's popping and whipping. Everyone get that? That quote wreaks of someone talking about something they have no idea about.

It turns out Tejada is a bit older than his listed age.

The Astros' media guide lists Tejada's birthday as May 25, 1976. However, in addition to the birth certificate produced by ESPN, the Chronicle reported that Tejada's green card, driver's license and other legal papers in the United States list his actual birthday as May 25, 1974.

"Fact of the matter is that he plays like he's 25, so I don't think it really matters a whole lot," Astros GM Ed Wade told the Chronicle. "We're still trying to figure out Jose Cruz Sr.'s age."

Green card, driver's license, and other legal papers corroborate that he is indeed two years older? Don't you have to look at this stuff before you know...you start writing paychecks totaling $12 million a year? Not that I care or think it really matters all that much at this point. Maybe it would matter if someone just gave him a long term deal, but now? No es importante. Although, it does make Wade look a little dumber than he already did for trading for him right before he gets outed for roids.

Whether or not you think he should have traded for him is irrelevant and Tejada is still a valuable player, but Wade probably could have gotten him for a bit cheaper a few days after he did.

I like Ryan Church and he looks good in the two spot, but enough with the bunting. I get it. You can bunt when necessary, however, please do not get into the frame of mind that you are there to move players along. If you are going to do that, you might as well bat 6th or 7th so you can not feel the need to do that and swing away.

1st and 2nd no outs in the bottom of the 12th? Swing away baby. Swing away.

Can we talk about how weird it is to have your starter pitch from the stretch at all times and closer using the windup when no one is on base? When they brought that up in the telecast, I almost dropped my latest issue of Barely Legal.....almost.

Oh, and Figgy rules. One more thing, Willie did push the right buttons and he did a good job with the bullpen calling the right numbers at the right time and using Schneider at the end was a gamble, but it paid off. Good stuff!

Beltran is going to get boooooooooed this weekend.

There are two things going on there...

Manager Willie Randolph, an old-school veteran of the gang warfare between the Yankees and Red Sox, was not among the intermingling groups of front-office members and players. Not this week, and rarely.

To see one of his former lieutenants fawned over by members of the Mets organization probably makes every game against Washington an annoyance for Randolph. But that doesn't seem to be changing any time soon, and neither does the inexplicable chumminess between some Mets and the team that humiliated them only seven months ago.

"How does that happen? How does that become normal?" Randolph said. "I don't know. It's just foreign to me, that's all. I'm fine with, 'Hey, how you doing?' That stuff. I wish that we could enforce it more, really. They talk about it, but I don't really see anyone policing it. You can't force people not to talk to someone."

#1) I agree with Willie. Too much chumminess is not ok.
#2) Willie know quite well that the Mets front office would rather have Acta and is a bit miffed. Too bad.

Random Stuff 4-17-08

2008-04-17T10:45:00.004-04:00

Johnny Baseball has not been horrible, but I think everyone has really, really high expectations for him in 2008. Since people have such high expectations, he has been a slight disappointment.

"It was the walks," Maine said of his unhappiness.

Indeed, the free passes continue to be a problem for Maine this year. He's walked 12 in 16 2/3 innings. No other Met has more than seven.

Maine (1-1) said he's not comfortable with his fastball.

"It doesn't feel 100 percent right now," he said. "Hopefully warmer weather will help it."

The bar has been set high for him this year and a mid-rotation starter would be a huge disappointment at this point for John Maine.

Also from the above link, Church likes #2.

In his second straight game in the two-hole, Ryan Church had two hits, including a solo homer. He had a hit and a walk in that spot on Tuesday, too.

"I love it," Church said. "I've been getting some pitches that I've been able to do something with."

Yesterday someone said in the comments (sorry, too lazy to look!) that Willie could be prepping for Alou and batting Church 7th is just nuts when you have Castillo in front of him. So, Willie could be doing some pre-Alou tinkering. If so...

Reyes
Church
Wright
Beltran
Delgado
Alou

Wow. That has some punch straight down to six and could do some insane damage.

As for Church, I was a believer. Now, it seems other people are coming around.

Joe Smith has looked amazing this season.

"I made a few changes in my delivery, subtle. I'm trying to stay crouched through the whole thing, trying to get to the lowest release point," said Smith, who opened with 151/3 scoreless frames last year before struggling and being demoted - an experience the 24-year-old learned from.

"I went through a little bit of everything. I started hot, went through the middle of the year struggling, got sent down, had to come back. Last year was a good year for me; I learned a lot from it," said Smith, who had a 6.43 spring ERA. "I was working on stuff, had a tough spring, but they showed faith in me. Now I'm going to do what I can to help the team win."

Smith is good.

Carlos Beltran, team leader? Believe it.

"As a teammate, I know, I see when somebody's not happy and I didn't think he was happy," Beltran said last night. "I tell him 'I want you to be the Reyes that you always have been.; "

First Los making bold claims and now this? Very good.

"I have to enjoy my game and be the way I am," Reyes said. "I can't worry about the other team getting mad because other teams they do that, what we do they do it, too. I don't care about that. I just care about this team."

Hmmmm...Methinks the Metsies are waking up. Maybe I'm looking into this too much, but I like what I am seeing.

"We don't care if these other teams get offended," Beltran said. "We're going to play the game like that."

Last night seeing Reyes at the top of the steps in the dugout going nuts felt right. I makes me smile like a five year old girl in a Barbie factory....or like a 43 year old pedophile in a Barbie factory with five year old girls... whichever you prefer.

Tim Marchman talks Forbes. Read it and like it.

It seems the guy might have been playing around.

So far, Beltran only has one homerun. However, he has 13 walks (good for 2nd in the league) and he has a 7 doubles (good for third). The patience is there and the pop is there, so the homeruns will be coming.

Jon Heyman goes over some baaaad deals.

Pavano's agent Tom O'Connell -- the fourth agent the right-hander has gone through in his career -- believes that Pavano would still be a desired commodity on the free-agent market this winter, even with his injury history. "Carl's a 1-2 starter," O'Connell said. "Those guys don't grow on trees. Those guys are very rare, 200-inning guys are very rare in this game, and they're the ones that make the money. And he did it two years in a row, before he got hurt, and I'm sure he's going to do it again."

Are you sure you are sure? I hate agents and their stupid spin. It generally seems as though they assume everyone is stupid. I get the fact that they have to say positive things about their player, but this makes both himself and his player that he is representing look stupid. How about just admitting Pavano had a rough time of it and is chomping at the bit to get back into the flow of things and is coming along great?

Is Tom O'Connell trying to be Scott Boras' evil twin? The sheer lunacy of such a statement wreaks of Boras.

Nelly Figs

2008-04-16T11:06:00.002-04:00

I had posted this quote the other day about Nelson Figueroa.

"He pitched his butt off in front of Omar at the Caribbean Series," says one scout. "And he pitched like that all winter long. I know people see the name and wonder. But you see a guy pitch like that, and you say to yourself, 'Why isn't this guy in the big leagues?'"

He first appeared in the big leagues at 26 with Arizona and put up a 7.47 ERA in 15 innings with an ERA+ of 64. He followed that up with an 89 innings performance with an 108 ERA+. He got bounced around yet again and put up an 81 ERA+ in 93 innings, 132 ERA+ in 35.3 innings, and a 75 ERA+ in 28.3 innings. In 11 minor league seasons, he put up a 3.47 ERA, 8.38 h/9, 7.59 k/9, and a 1.23 whip.

Now, I do not pretend to be a genius, but I do know that Nelson Figueroa is worthy of an actual full time shot at the bigs. At first glance you won't see anything spectacular and you probably will not find anything spectacular no matter how much digging you do, but there are a lot of bad pitchers in the bigs. A lot.

         AAA            MLB
2002     3.63 (IL)     5.03
2003     2.97 (PCL)    3.31
2004     4.19 (PCL)    5.72
2005     No where
2006     4.38 (PCL)
2007     No where

You will pardon me if I just do not think he got a fair shot. He looks like a AAAA player, but his body of work in the bigs was not all that big with some bright moments speckled around. When you watched him pitch in his last start, you saw someone with a game plan who worked both sides of the plate and had the ability to pump his fastball up a mph or two as he did when he blew a 88 mph heater by Bill Hall.

The guy has a clue. Now, he is not going to win a Cy Young any day soon, but he can certainly pitch in the majors in this universe and quite possibly as a starter. While many people might be a little reluctant to think he is an answer to the Mets pitching depth issues, I believe he is. He is going to be like any other 4ish/5ish type starter with his ups and downs. When he is not in control of his pitches and getting a little help, he will get tuned up.

However, it is not a stretch to see many, many more capable starts coming from him. I do not think his Friday start was a one and done feel good story for one. I think he can produce quite a few more of those given a chance and is probably better than a sizable bunch of current big league pitchers.

* * *

Oh how much a different a day makes. Four hits for Reyes brings him up to a .273 BA. Sure his .298 OBP is ugly, but most of us know he is too good to not perform at an extremely high level. Wright is making things happen and is in MVP form already. Pelfrey goes seven and gives up five hits, no runs, and two walks while striking out four. He had one really scary inning, but he pounded the strike zone for the most part and is looking at a tidy 1.50 ERA in 2008. Duaner came back and threw a shut out inning and Heilman continued on his quest to prove to everyone he is actually good.

In a strange situation, the Mets fans booed Milledge. Booing Milledge? He gets treated like crap in New York and only tries really hard and he gets booed after getting traded in a trade that most fans hated? Weird. He did not seem to mind much, but it just really goes back to the fact that the Mets fans will boo anyone and everyone this season.

I was wrong. Castillo came back and despite Willie lauding him as the greatest #2 hitter ever to live, Luis found himself batting eighth. Of course, Church in the two spot was the surprising move, but if he wanted to bat Castillo eighth, stacking three lefties is a bit excessive especially when a lefty is starting. Also, having a guy who can poke 60 XBHs in the two hole is never a bad thing. It is unclear at this point how Willie will handle this post-Nationals, who are throwing a few more lefties out there, but this is encouraging.

Luis is the worst bat in the lineup right now and this team needs a spark. He is not going to provide that in his decrepit state.

Pedro is more optimistic than most, but there is no rush. The Mets have three really good starters and two that can do good job at holding down the backend.

Wow. That is absolutely terrible.

This one is actually not too bad.

Luis just came back and already needs a rest. He cannot play more than three or four consecutive games in a row at this point in his career and the Mets have him for four more years. I did not think he would be productive for all four years, but I thought he would be decent for two years. I am having extreme doubts about that at this point.

Sugary spin....

"Everybody in here knows Pelfrey has that in him," Wright said. "When he gets on a roll and pounds the strike zone, especially on a cold night, he's pretty unhittable."

I still believe!

"I feel like I'm getting more comfortable and more confident every time out," he said. "Even though the results didn't always show it, I felt like I was getting better."

Inane Parity Babble

2008-04-15T09:40:00.002-04:00

St. Louis? Oakland? Baltimore? Kansas City? South-siders? Florida? Six of the top nine teams were supposed to be bad, right? I mean, small sample size aside, this season has been a bizarre season so far.

MLB           W  L   PCT  GB
Arizona       9  3  .750   -
St. Louis     9  4  .692 0.5
Milwaukee     8  4  .667   1
Oakland       9  5  .643   1
Baltimore     8  5  .615 1.5
Kansas City   7  5  .583   2
Chicago Sox   7  5  .583   2
Chicago Cubs  7  5  .583   2
Florida       7  5  .583   2
Boston       8 6   .571   2
LA Angels     8  6  .571   2
San Diego     7  6  .538 2.5
Toronto       7  6  .538 2.5
NY Yankees    7  7  .500   3
Pittsburgh    6  6  .500   3
Cincinnati    6  7  .462 3.5
Minnesota     6  7  .462 3.5
Tampa Bay     6  7  .462 3.5
Seattle       6  7  .462 3.5
Philadelphia  6  7  .462 3.5
NY Mets       5  6  .455 3.5
LA Dodgers    5  7  .417   4
Atlanta       5  7  .417   4
Colorado      5  7  .417   4
Houston       5  8  .385 4.5
Texas         5  8  .385 4.5
San Francisco 5  8  .385 4.5
Cleveland     5  8  .385 4.5
Washington    4  9  .308 5.5
Detroit       3 10  .231 6.5

In 2007 at the same point, the top nine was Atlanta, Arizona, San Diego, Detroit, the Mets, Minnesota, the Dodgers, Cleveland, and Boston. It is common to have some bad teams get off to good starts and maybe some of these hot teams in 2008 are not exactly as bad as we all thought, but this season feels different.

David Wright lays it out.

"Last year has nothing to do with not being able to make pitches," Wright said. "Last year has nothing to do with not being able to hit with guys in scoring position. It has nothing to do with that. It has to do with our lack of execution. We're not putting away teams when we have the opportunity. We're allowing them to slowly get back into games. That's coming up to bite us."

......

As bad as things seem, the Mets' team statistics aren't horrific, either. They rank second in the NL in hitting with runners in scoring position (.310), trailing only the Brewers (.333). Overall, they are ranked sixth in the league in hitting (.265), seventh in ERA (3.84) and seventh in bullpen ERA (3.86) - all befitting a team teetering around .500.

The good news is the Mets will turn it around at some point and I am confident in that. They are under .500, but still have a rather comfortable run differential (yes, one win was a huge blowout) and join the Braves as the only NL East teams to own a positive run differential.

The craziness continues with the Rays scoring the most runs in the AL East while holding opponents to less run than the Red Sox and the Yankees. According to the Pythagorean record, they should be tied for first with the Blue Jays.

I do think things will start to right themselves, but this year marks the year of parity (or mediocrity depending how you want to look at it). It may be early, but you get the sense that some teams that you thought were going to be very, very good are not going to be quite that good and some upstart teams are emerging.

Gone are the days of Mets being the best bet to win 100 games. Gone are the days of Detroit being the team to beat. Gone are the days Tampa is everyone's whipping boy. 2008 seems like the year shit gets turned upside down and an inordinate amount of teams will be involved in a dog fight not just for the Wild Card, but for first place right down to the wire.

* * *

The players are taking notice.

Like Santana, catcher Brian Schneider was playing for a different team — in Schneider’s case, the Washington Nationals — during the Mets’ implosion last season. Before Sunday’s game, he said he was surprised by what seems to be the lingering bitterness among Mets fans.

“You can say it doesn’t bother you, but it gets to you after a little while,” Schneider said. “I’m not used to it happening on a regular basis like that. It was tough catching for Johan yesterday and seeing him get booed off the field. I didn’t think that was right; he’s a key factor for the team.”

The booing has become absurd. Any chance players choose not to come to Queens because the fans are douchebags? I'm not against a little booing here and there, but this is getting nuts.

Leave it to Timmy Marchman to lay it down.

By signing a contract, a player pledges "to conform to high standards of personal conduct, fair play, and good sportsmanship."

The American public, including that part of it that roots for the Mets, is bound by no reciprocal pledges to any players, and is under no obligation to observe any standard of conduct toward players that can't be printed on the back of a ticket. But that doesn't make it any less wrong to boo a player such as Johan Santana, who plays hard and well, keeps himself in shape, and behaves like a decent human being, and so does everything anyone has any right to ask of him.

I actually kind of feel weird to be associated with the many, many boobs out there rooting for the Mets. I like to believe Met fans are a better type of fan, but at this point, I look completely wrong.

Willie? Jackass.

"He's still a nice player, but let's not get crazy," Randolph said.

"He's not going to be in that tree all year," Randolph said of Pagan, who is also tied with David Wright for the team lead with 10 RBIs. "We've seen a lot of players come through the pike and do what Pagan's doing, so let's keep this in perspective."

From Willie to Angel. "I'm not impressed."

"I like Luis in the No. 2 spot," Randolph said. "He's still one of the better No. 2 hitters in the game."

Just let that one sink in. Wow....that is grounds to get fired in my book.

Petey is looooong long ways away at this point. I'm not terribly concerned either and I will speak more about that one tomorrow.

One of the best things about the baseball season? Joe Morgan chats!!!! I cannot wait to read his contradictory trainwreck.

Neyer checks in on Banny.

But Bannister has given up a .175 batting average on balls in play.

Major league pitchers typically give up a .300 batting average on balls in play. You figure a pitcher is really, really, really doing well if he can knock that down to .270 or .280. Anything under .250 is essentially impossible, at least for long.

Bannister has not yet allowed an extra-base hit. Yes, he's always been fairly stingy with the home runs; last year he gave up 15 in 165 innings. He also gave up 47 doubles and four triples.

Bannister's going to regress to the mean. On the other hand, Bannister's now logged 224 innings in the major leagues. He's 17-10 with a 3.66 ERA. Those are the numbers of a star. Maybe it's all been something of a fluke, but at some point we might look silly if we don't allow for the possibility that instead he's simply unique.

I was never a believer in Bannister, but it was nothing personal. However, not believing in him does not mean I am not loving every single second of this stuff.

Brady Clark? Banished to the Land of Wind and Ghosts.

2008-04-14T10:12:00.003-04:00

Brady Clark is 35 years old and an eight year veteran. Basically, he has no excuse for making costly blunders. Your veteran bench guys are only there to play smart baseball. They are not expected to light the world on fire, but they are surely expected to know the game of baseball when they are in.

"I screwed it up," Clark said after the Mets ended up stranding three runners without scoring in that inning. "My instincts told me to go, and by the time I thought better of it, it was too late."

I get that people make mistakes. However, when you are in the position that a Brady Clark type player is in, you make the most of whatever small opportunities you get. Yesterday, he did not and made what seems like a game changing mistake. The Mets lost in many different ways yesterday so I am not pinning this all on him, but that was a pivotal spot where they had the Brewers on the ropes. In that position, he fakes breaking to home so he can draw a throw or takes a nice lead and breaks to home if Fielder goes to second.

It may be hard to concentrate at all times being this is a long season, but bench guys need to play smart ball to contribute because they are not always going to be able to do the things that more talented starters can do. Brady Clark failed miserably at that on Sunday. Double plays? They happen and you have to give some credit to the pitchers for executing. However, baserunning mistakes and hacking at first pitches while the pitcher is clearly laboring is inexcusable.

I can accept losing when you play the game smart. I can accept a starter getting roughed up every now and then when you play the game smart. This team did not play the game smart yesterday.

* * *

Sugar will be on Letterman tonight.

In honor of Jackie Robinson, the Mets will be wearing 42 tomorrow.

Every Met will wear jersey No. 42 tomorrow against the Nationals in honor of Jackie Robinson. Tomorrow is the 61st anniversary of Robinson breaking baseball's color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Cone will do fifty games for the YES Network and something about that feels so wrong. However, while we are on the topic of the YES Network, I just wanted to say they are a borefest. I jumped over the Yankee game on Friday during commercials for the Mets game and holy crap was it terribly boring.

Boring stories, boring voices, boring play by play. Boring.

The infirmary report:

Reyes should be back Tuesday and Sanchez could be back later this week after pitching in back to back games.

More terrible rants...

"If Duaner Sanchez is activated tomorrow, I'll drive him to Shea rather than risk him taking a taxi."

Haha. Good one.

And the RANT OF THE WEEK!

"The Mets should have signed Carlos Santana instead. At least then they would get that eighth-inning song they're looking for."

Jackass.

Schneider feels the pain for his battery mates.

"It doesn't matter if I get four or five hits and have a couple of home runs," Schneider said. "It doesn't matter, if the team loses. Some people may not believe that, but it's true, because I'm back there battling with the pitchers, too. So when the pitchers have a little bit of a rough day, I do, too, because I'm back there working with them."

Overall, he and Church have looked great. Really good to have two solid all around players that can meaningfully contribute and represent upgrades in each of their respective positions from the 2007 squad. However, the Mets are neutralizing their upgrades by playing shitty ball. Not good.

Wow! LoDuca wants the Mets to lose? Why would a division rival want that?

Moises is coming back and is playing a rehab game in St. Lucie this weekend.

Also from the above link...

Fill-in Angel Pagan, who led off the past two games with Jose Reyes (strained hamstring) sidelined, lifted his average to .385 with a 2-for-4 performance Sunday against Milwaukee. Still, despite Pagan's success, Willie Randolph plans to return him to the No. 6 or 7 slot in the batting order once Reyes is healthy, rather than consider Pagan for Luis Castillo's No. 2 spot. Randolph predicted Pagan would be a reserve player when Alou is back.

Well, it looks like I was right. Not that Castillo did bad yesterday, he actually had some very good at-bats, but he is not a spark plug. Right now, this team needs a spark and it seems that Pagan has been delivering that whenever given the opportunity. Conclusion? I am no fan of Willie Randolph.

Greg Maddux says this is his last year and that is not good. I wish he could keep going, and going, and going... He is off to another great start and already has two wins. Seeing him hit 400 would just be flat out insane. At 349 wins that seems like a stretch, but you never know.

Jim Callis does a little Yu Darvish action.

"He has plus stuff, and plus command and control to go with plus makeup," one scout said. "If I had a big game, I would be comfortable with him on the mound. He's a No. 1 starter for me. Absolutely filthy last year, and he played most of the year at 20. We'll see what happens as the innings pile on his arm, but he would be 1-1 in the draft . . .

"We're not talking a 'blow them away with a fastball and knee-wobbling stuff' kind of guy. We're talking a kid with a projectable body who knows how to pitch and is still developing physically—and is really good right now. He still might end up with jaw-dropping stuff. He's still very young."

With Bannister continuing to defy all logic, I'm sure we'll see a new Banny Blog today so keep an eye out for that.

Pondering the Two Spot

2008-04-12T07:31:00.002-04:00

Though these have nothing to do with actually numbers, I like them. ESPN's Power Rankings have the Mets as the third best team in the bigs. Also, they mention how nice Angel Pagan looks in the #2 spot.

Not that this means much at all, but I was going to write a post about Pagan in the #2 hole before he became the #2 hitter. Of course, that post seems pointless now hence me skipping it. However, it bears noting that many people can see that Pagan looks fantastical there and who thinks Castillo and his balky knees will be there when he returns? Um, me for one.

Willie could care less that Pagan looks good there. I am 99.99999% sure Luis will resume his place as the #2 hitter when he returns despite how great Pagan has looked. For me, a slappy hitter serves no purpose there. Not that Pagan is a masher, but he is a more valuable bat right now while Castillo's stick looks like the weakest on the team.

I am not saying Castillo serves no purpose and is 100% useless. I am not saying he is a disaster in the #2 spot, but I am saying Angel Pagan is better suited there for now. Let us see how Willie plays this one. If I am wrong, feel free to come leave nasty comments and chastise me. I would actually welcome that because it means Willie might actually be learning, but toss me into the 'ye of little faith' category.

* * *

Two nights...two great wins. The Mets are also getting calls their way and even Nelly Fig was getting a Glavine circa '95 strikezone. I mean, what the fuck? When did the Mets start getting calls like this? Some great at-bats from the Mets end of things and a spectacular showing by the bullpen and my man Aaron came out there and did what he does best. Shut down the opposition. It would have been a perfect night if I just remembered to check out my fantasy baseball team and put Edison Volquez into the starting lineup.

Reyes has a tight hammy. And now we play the waiting game....

"It's sore right now," Reyes said after the game. "Let's see how it feels tomorrow. Before the game I felt it. So I went to Willie (Randolph) before the game and told him that I'm not going to give you 100 percent today. He said to be smart about it. ... It's nothing big."

Clay Buccholz has a nasty curveball. Nasty.

Is it possible the NL is not as bad as people think?

Fun Facts

2008-04-11T09:48:00.003-04:00

Aaron Heilman is a good pitcher. Let us not get on the poor guy's case as he has gone from non-prospect to one of the top relievers in the game and a few bad outings should not spoil that.

Fun fact. The Phillies won as many Playoff games as the Mets in 2007. Also, the Phillies are the third best team in the division. Another fun fact. Kris Benson has a higher career ERA+ than Brett Myers. I will not deny that Myers has talent and at 27 has room to grown, but he certainly has not fulfilled his expectations so far. Also, in the bullpen last year, he posted an ERA+ of 107 which is really not all that good for a reliever. Aaron Heilman put up an ERA+ of 140 after posting 130 and 120 in the previous two seasons.

Once the fact that the Phillies have maybe two potentially league average starters at best and at least two below average starters after Hamels sets in, Philly will start to get worried. People easily forget Kyle Lohse was one of the reasons they snuck into the playoffs. Without someone stepping up again, it will be really hard for them to keep up with the Mets while they will be left to sift through the scrap heap once again for a solution.

This is about the time Philly fans start pounding their chests and say that their offense will carry the team. To that we must point out the obvious that the Phillies are not really a better offensive team. I know they are considered the offensive cream of the crop in the NL, but I look at their lineup and I'm left scratching my head. Their road OPS was a full .039 lower than their home OPS last season. In fact, the top three teams in road runs in 2007 were the Phillies, Mets, and Braves in that order and they were tightly packed.

Those three teams are shockingly equal on the road.

Check it: BA OBP SLG OPS
Phillies .268 .350 .442 .793
Mets .280 .346 .439 .785
Braves .282 .340 .452 .792

The Met rotation allowed 71 less runs than the Phillies did in '07. For me, you have clear case for the Mets to be labled as favorites over the Phillies and I do not see it as something that can even be debated coherently. After the first game of this series, some people would have you believe something different. However, I think we are all smart enough to realize one, two, three, four, five, etc... games are not enough to start drawing major conclusions and I think we all smart enough to realize while the Phillies offense if good, their home park allows them to put up gaudy numbers.

As strange as the season has started, the Mets are still in 2nd place. Me? I am not complaining and I am not worrying about the Phillies.

* * *

How about a little optimism?

Nick (Long Island, NY): Any opinion on Mike Pelfrey's performance last night? Hopefully this could be the confidence boost he needs to trust his stuff and become more consistant.

Keith Law: The groundballs - 10 of 12 field outs, I think - are a great sign. And he did it against one of the best lineups in the league.

Retribution for Schoe in front of the home crowd is nice. Pagan is nice. Reyes being out at home and being called safe is nice. Nice. Nice, nice, nice. That game last night brought a little smile to my face and helped me remember why I miss baseball in the winter.

Vargas is finally inked and that is good.

How do you not root for this guy?

“I finally had a chance to start in Philly, and I gave them eight quality starts out of 12,” Figueroa said, a note of annoyance in his voice. “Then they sent me to the bullpen. And the questions start again.”
Then came Milwaukee, then Washington, then Pittsburgh. His major league performance was a little worse than average. No team gave him even a dozen starts.
“I know my rap has been that I’m a quadruple-A pitcher,” Figueroa said. “Well, I have had very limited opportunities to get the ball every fifth day and start.”

Focus your anger Nelson. Focus.

And I repeat, don't panic.

At this point, it looks like the Brewers made the wrong call. Of course, it is about keeping your money free for guys like Braun, Fielder, Gallardo, and Weeks rather than tying it up in Cordero, but they did give Gagne $10m to do nothing this season.

Silly. Can someone just sign Bonds already? I mean, get over it. Yes, he is a jerk (though I do not 100% agree). Yes, he did roids. Yes, he is a distraction. However, the man can rake. His last three OPS+ have been 174, 156, and 170 and no one wants him?

Johnson is going to be on a different team shortly and the early speculation is the Giants might be landing spot.

I like this deal for the Indians and I do not think it impairs their ability to get CC. Actually, it might help being they have some more cost certainly for their number crunchers to factor in.

Random Stuff 4-10-08

2008-04-10T10:08:00.003-04:00

Things must be bad for the Giants when Tim Marchman feels the need to equate them to the Knicks.

Isiah Thomas may not be the most reflective or self-aware of men; he may in fact be the least. Still, at some point soon he will, presumably, have a great deal of spare time to think about how he's spent the last several years, and it may occur to him that given unlimited resources and full control of the most renowned and best loved team in basketball, he managed to do nothing other than destroy both it and his own reputation. This may bother him; it may not. If it does, he should head west, and enjoy an evening at San Francisco's beautiful AT&T Park. A Giants game will make him feel good about himself again.

The Giants are ugly man. They are ugly.

Agents devoid of scruples? I don't buy it. I don't buy it one bit.

"It was a further part of the conspiracy that, on occasion, sports representation agents for professional baseball players referred their client-players to defendants Scruggs, Danto and MacPherson for the purpose of obtaining anabolic steroids and other drugs which those individuals knew to be banned by Major League Baseball and therefore unavailable to the players through lawful medical channels absent the illegal prescriptions provided by Scruggs," the indictment said.

Agents are not always bad people, but most of the time, it seems they are.

Sugar breaks it down.

And before the game, David Wright said of team-wide killer instinct: "It is kind of like a muscle. You have to work it out to be able to truly flex it. We had it in 2006 (when they led the NL East for all but one day). In '06 we got a team down and we piled on and piled on. We have to reacquire that ability to bury teams."

Ok. I think I am starting to buy into this complacency thing. Steve Popper has a brief comment on the topic.

So how do the Mets get out of this malaise? Fire the manager? Okay, okay, don't get ahead of yourself. It is just six games into the season.

Now, I am not panicking at all, but I can see how people could be concerned being last season they operated in mostly the same non-urgent manner.

Steve Popper may have only had a little to say, but Jon Heyman has a lot to say on the topic.

Also from Jon's above link:

One scout says the Mets are making a mistake by not turning Aaron Heilman into a starter. "He's a sinkerball pitcher. Rather than trying to throw 97, he should be throwing 89-92 and starting,'' that scout says. The Mets don't believe Heilman has enough pitches to start (he is a fastball-change up guy). Yet oddly enough, Mike Pelfrey, who has one reliable pitch, is a starter for them.

Interesting. However, who pitches the 8th? I think he is needed more in the bullpen at this point.

Willie was not a fan of Perez on Tuesday. However, I am impressed when pitchers can be a little off and still shut down the opponent. You are not going to be on point every game of the season, but it is encouraging and the sign of a tremendous pitcher to work through your problems and put your team in a position to win.

You cannot deny that Perez might not have been the sharpest, but I think you could handle it different in regards to speaking to the media.

The Duque? Done.

"They'll put him in a boot for a couple of weeks and see where he is after that," manager Willie Randolph said before last night's win over the Phillies at Shea.

Hernandez had experimented with virtually no leg kick in his delivery during spring training in order to take pressure off the foot, then decided to go back to a modified version of his old high kick.

"My hope is that once the two weeks are over, he's got to find a niche there somewhere that's going to be able to work for him," general manager Omar Minaya said.

I hope Omar is referring to the bullpen. Actually, scary thing is the Mets might not have a choice but try him out in the rotation.

Citi Field? Good stuff. I just hope we can get in there to see some games.

Is there one person out there that thinks Castillo will make it through four years? I cannot envision a scenario in which he is playing second base in 2011 for the Mets.

Sign Vargas already. Not only is he a warm body, but he is one that can give the Mets a chance to win.

In related news, Robinson Tejada passed through waivers. I just think that the Mets should be exploring all options and claiming him off of waivers seemed to be a low risk move that could work out for a short Sosa-eque run.

As mediocre as the Mets look, so do many, many, many other good teams. With the exception of the D-Backs, no one is sporting a gaudy record that people expect to be in the hunt at the end of the season. The Mets will rise to the top simply because they are too good not to. However, my doubts that they can win it all with Willie at the helm get stronger every single day.

A must read.

What, Me Worry?

2008-04-08T04:36:00.002-04:00

It is early. We know this. Well, some of us know this. The only thing that is being reinforced for me early in the season is that I do not like Willie Randolph. Other than that, nothing is really all that apparent. As of this morning, the Mets were tied with their two biggest rivals.

The Marlins are running away with the division with their stellar undefeated record on the road, but I am not all that concerned right now. I certainly am not ready to say Beltran is 100% right just yet, but it is too early to call the Mets listless and uninspired. I am also not ready to say that Atlanta's manhandling of the Mets means anything. I mean, the Mets faced Smoltz and Hudson, which is not fun at all.

On the bright side of things, Church, Beltran, Wright, Schneider, Pagan, and Delagdo all look good at the plate. Their ISoD as a team is .069, which is rather impressive. Jose has not looked good at all and has yet to steal a base, but again, it has been five games. Personally, I think the Mets have looked decent so far. Nothing spectacular, but nothing that really raises any caution flags, with the exception of Willie continually saying some of his guys are spare parts to the media. Everyone that is not relaxed, relax.

* * *

Is everyone five years old?

Pedro is going to start his rehab at Port St. Lucie. Actually, his rehab sounds more like a relaxing vacation.

Huh, what?

"When you start the season, I try to get my guys to stay small and not try to get too big, especially the big boys who are accustomed to hitting home runs," Randolph said. "For guys like that it's good just to start small and as you get more comfortable open up. It's a good approach, but we have to get the big knocks, too."

That was very John Madden-esque in terms of the contradictory statements.

"You gotta play small...except when you gotta play big...and if you are playing big....you cannot play small. But when you are playing small....you cannot play big."

"At the end of the day as a hitter you want to execute and you want to execute well," Delgado said. "Whether it's small, patient, staying behind the ball, using your hands, it's all the same. All you want to do is get that feel that you're in a hitting position before the ball gets there."

Now that is a statement I can get behind. What you have to do is try and hit like your normally do and do it fundamentally correct. If you do that, good things will happen.

The D-Backs are locking up Chris Young. They are looking to structure it similar to the Tulowitzki deal, which makes sense. I think Troy is a good comp for this deal and it is certainly nice to bypass the messiness of arbitration. However, if the deal is only five years, then it doesn't make tons of sense if it does not buy out at least one year of free agency. I would assume it did and added on an option, but we shall see.

I hope Boras keeps flapping his lips. Flap, flap, flap, flap, flap. Then maybe the Mets can catch a big time pick late in the first round.

I can only dream I have a weeding this fun.

Note To Ollie

2008-04-04T11:29:00.002-04:00

I briefly went over Oliver Perez yesterday morning, but there was no game today and nothing new has entered my mind regarding the Mets. I do not really care that A-Rod is all grown up these days and realizes he has made mistakes by listening to Boras for some coin, but it actually has a lot to do with this situation that is going to happen between the Mets and Perez.

Could Perez succeed elsewhere? Yes. But for a guy that has gone through some pretty low lows after being arguably the best lefty in the league for a year at such a young age, Ollie should proceed with extreme caution. The Mets are a deep pocketed National League team that is going to have what seems to be a neutral park to go with a pretty impressive foundation of young and extremely talented players. Johan knew that this place sets him up to compile while winning, which players do claim is important, but I have my suspicions.

Will Ollie be in line with Johan's thinking? You hire Boras to chase every last penny and drag out negotiations and this is definitely one of those cases where you kind of get the feeling that things might not actually work out for the player if they leave. Oliver is a great position to really put up impressive numbers as Met while making plenty of money. He is entering his prime years and seems to be putting things back together and the Mets will put up a fair offer for sure. However, the question is, will a few million dollars be more important than being in the right place? Hopefully Perez sees the light.

* * *

The Duque update.

Orlando Hernandez’s Florida State League start is over after five innings. El Duque allowed two runs on three hits while striking out six and walking one. He allowed a third-inning solo homer to Vero Beach Rays first baseman Matthew Fields. I’m told El Duque had impressive offspeed pitches, but his fastball looked offspeed, too.

His fastball is sitting in the low to mid 80's these days. But you know what? I'm thinking he could be completely mediocre with that the way he changes speed. Fantastic? No. However, as a #3 or #4, he is simply keeping a seat warm. Also, it is possible he can Livan Hernandez light, who also tops out at 85.

Believe me. I would not want to him starting game #1 of the inevitable World Series trip the Mets will make, but he will be utilitarian.

The Mets are eyeballing Claudio Vargas, which gets two thumbs up from me. Also, Nellie Fig might get a chance to stick around a bit longer.

Just in the last year, Figueroa has been A) the winning pitcher in the Mexican League all-star game last summer, B) the MVP of the Taiwan Series last fall, C) the MVP of the Dominican Series this winter and D) the MVP of the Caribbean Series in January. We guarantee no pitcher in history has ever done all that in fewer than 12 months.

"He pitched his butt off in front of Omar at the Caribbean Series," says one scout. "And he pitched like that all winter long. I know people see the name and wonder. But you see a guy pitch like that, and you say to yourself, 'Why isn't this guy in the big leagues?'"

The only problem is, Willie sees him as another arm. Just another pile of poo to toss against the wall in some no doubt poorly chosen situation like say letting him sit for three weeks without pitching and then give him a start.

KLaw loves DWright as much as we do.

Kevin (STL): True or false: David Wright is the best all around player in the NL.

Keith Law: True.

Fuck yeah.

Tyler (Conyers, GA): True or false: When healthy, Chipper Jones is still a better player than David Wright.

Keith Law: False.

Ha ha. Douche. Look, they are both amazing players, but can we stop the homerism? Not only is David Wright better now, he is probably better than Chipper ever was at the same age. Chipper hit the bigs for good at 23 and had a 108 OPS+. He followed that up with a 136 OPS+, 199 OPS+, and a 148 OPS+. Wright hit the bigs for good in 2004 at 21 and put up OPS+ of 118, 139, and 150.

Chipper is already a Hall of Famer and it is crazy to think his injuries have held him back, but he could have been even more highly regarded than he already is. That being said, Wright is looking like he could be even better than Chipper.

re: david wright: really? not hanley? i know he's got less history but he rakes

Keith Law: Can't play his position. Hanley is atrocious at short. And the first person to talk about Hanley's and Wright's error totals gets banned for life.

K-Law loves Sugar Pants, who is made of sugar and spice and everything nice*.

* Everything nice basically consists of concaine, hookers, whiskey, and beating up people weaker than you and yes, this is a Pozcar

Tyler (Conyers, GA): How in the world can you say David Wright is better than Chipper when Chipper is healthy? In 2007 Chipper beat Wright in AVG (.337 vs. .325) OBP (.425 vs. .416) SLG (.604 vs. .546) FPCT (.971 vs. .954) and ZR (.797 vs. .771). It is not even close who is the better player when both are healthy and on the field.

Keith Law: Um, no. Jones has been a bad defensive third baseman for years now, while Wright is among the best. And Shea Stadium kills power hitters. Try again.

Wow Tyler. That is quite a compelling argument. Actually, not much annoys me more than people who try and argue who is better between two Hall of Famers. I mean, aren't they both pretty damn good? However in this case, you would be hard pressed to find many people who are not biased siding with him.

So far, all good stuff buzzing around.

gmulligan1 (Kew Gdns, NY): Is there any hope at all that Omar Minaya might do some research and take the amateur draft seriously this year?

Kevin Goldstein: They have a ton of picks this year, and they're willing to spend money -- that's the early word on the streets.

Timmy rehashes some bad memories.

Bannister was just one among many players shipped abroad from New York for no discernible reason in around that time. Relievers Heath Bell, Matt Lindstrom, Royce Ring, and Henry Owens were all cast off that November in deals that brought in four fringe minor leaguers who have since pitched a combined 11.3 innings and taken 27 at-bats in New York, and show little promise of doing much more any time in the future. Casting backward a few months, second baseman Jeff Keppinger was sent off in July, in exchange for recently released second baseman Ruben Gotay; going forward, the streak was capped in December, when catcher Jesus Flores, then 21, was left exposed to the Rule 5 draft, and snatched up by Washington. In retrospect, even given Bannister's strong 2006 and Bell's emergence as a top setup man (last year he pitched 93.7 innings with a 2.02 ERA and 102 strikeouts), the last two of these losses were the most consequential.

The thing is, I was not horrified by everything. For one, I did not think Bannister was all that good and still remain skeptical despite his gem against the Tigers. Keppinger for Gotay was not horrible, though they just released Gotay. As for Flores, he was an A-ball catcher. I agree with everyone else who says, "well look at the 40 man and tell me you could not find room!" You probably could have, but we all know that every spot on the 40 man roster is very valuable. Not many people have A-ball catchers on there I would presume.

The moves that went wrong were all, in their way, defensible, but in the aggregate they betray a worrying carelessness and a lack of that knack for picking which young players with long odds of real success will actually succeed that separate good from excellent general managers. The costs are paid in wins, money paid to uninspiring veterans, and perhaps worst of all in cohesiveness. The Mets are, far more than they need be, a collection of bland players in their baseball middle age, who came up elsewhere and will retire elsewhere having made no real impression and done nothing unique. This isn't the worst of all possible situations; but things didn't need to be this way.

However, what does jump out is the fact that, as Tim said, there was really no discernible reason for the moves. Basically, most of these guys were just people who were already deemed useless and never really got a shot. No matter what popped up, they found person, after person, after person to stand in when these guys could have. So at that point, Omar decided to traded them for people he might like instead. Did they all look horrible at the time? Eh. Kind of looked like spare parts getting spit out, but nothing egregious*. In hindsight, these deals are horrible and worst off, were kind of done peripherally. They were not made to fill any needs, but more or less because Omar likes to make little moves a lot. Sometimes they work out and sometimes they do not. These did not.

*With the exception of Heath Bell who I backed, and back, and backed, and backed. Actually, 90% of us did and everyone saw his usefulness but the Mets.

Gotham goes over the Mets teop ten prospects as BA sees it and I am not agreeing. Well, not totally disagreeing either.

1.Fernando Martinez – OF
2.Eddie Kunz – RP
3.Brant Rustich – SP/RP (above, left / photo courtesy UCLA)
4.Jonathon Niese – SP
5.Nathan Vineyard – SP
6.Robert Parnell – SP
7.Joe Smith – RP
8.Scott Moviel – SP
9.Danny Murphy – 3B
10.Wilmer Flores – 3B/SS

After this spring, Niese shoots up the charts to #2 without even thinking twice for me. Kunz is after Vineyard, and just about ried with Rustich.

The sky is no longer falling.

Mets officials believe Pedro Martinez's injury really is a mild strain that will sideline him only until mid-May, so they're not inclined to seek any outside pitching help now. Assuming Orlando Hernandez progresses well during a minor-league rehab assignment that began last night with high-A St. Lucie, the Mets should need just one start from Nelson Figueroa next weekend against the Brewers before El Duque slots into the rotation. In five innings last night, El Duque allowed two runs on three hits, struck out six and walked one while also hitting a batter and throwing a wild pitch.

Hmmmm...

"I love his demeanor, the way he attacks hitters, his intensity," B-Mets manager Mako Oliveras said. "Last year, at the end, I was really proud of Parnell. Hopefully he gets to pitch in the big leagues."

Parnell spent three weeks in big league spring training before being sent to minor league camp. At major league camp, he got to learn by watching the Mets major leaguers pitch and work out.

"I got to see how they hold their change-ups," Parnell said. "I'm trying to develop that this year, so I got to see when they were comfortable throwing it, what count they use it in to set up hitters."

A nice change would make me rethink his ceiling. Right now, he is a reliever, but with a change, he has the arm to be a starter.

Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss

2008-04-03T09:59:00.007-04:00

In Oliver Perez I trust. He was absolutely amazing last night and everything was working. There were a few articles the other about about how Oliver Perez will most likely be gone if he is a stud this year, but I say why? If Pedro is gone, which at this point is looking more likely ever day he is not on the field, Perez is not going to cost all that much more than Pedro is getting these days.

It is evident even more these days that keeping Perez should be a top priority for the Mets just because Pedro cannot be depended on. And while I would welcome him back in '09, his price tag needs to be ever shrinking. Sure the hammy is more freak accident than anything else, but it still happened. No matter what he does for the rest of the year, he cannot prove that he is healthy because he'll be four to six weeks down already and there stands a good chance he will miss some more time. Basically, he will not be able to allay many fears this year no matter what which will inevitably hurt his value.

It is not that it is all that big of an issue and having him in the rotation for those 150 to 180 innings is a big boon, but he is a luxury in '08 and '09 while Perez is a necessity. Now, I am a big Ollie believer and I understand he will not pitch like that all year and I understand the Marlins are a bad team, however, even at the low end of what I am predicting for Ollie this year, he will be a very important pitcher.

The game plan now for me is simple. If John Maine can continue to build of of his 2006 ERA+ of 121 and his 2007 ERA+ of 109 with another solid year through mid July, the Mets need to try and get him bought out with another year of free agency tacked on with a nice little team option. Then, go after Perez and make all efforts to retain him and hope some market buster does not jump in like the Giants did with Zito and do something ridiculous. If there is money left and Pedro wants to come back for a reasonable sum of money, welcome him back.

* * *

Swelliciousness to the Nth degree.

Wright had three hits, including a 433-foot, three-run home run. Carlos Beltran had three doubles and every starter reached base except for Perez.

Wright went through the first month of the season without a home run last year, not connecting until his 92nd at-bat of the season. He had only five extra-base hits in April last year and already had four in this first three-game series.

Wright for MVP is looking mighty good early on. He is in mid-season form from day #1. Oh, and Carlos looks pretty good as well. A little friendly competition never hurt anyone, right?

Sure losing a homer sucks, but replay? Please no. Maybe one per game, but that is it.

If you can learn to separate the fact that Church and Schneider are here because Milledge is gone, you will appreciate them a lot more. Chruch is a good player and seems like a good guy. Schneider has done some amazing things already defensively and he comes with a nice swing that kind of makes you wonder how he was close to the Mendoza line in 2007. If you ask me, these are exactly the type of role players you need to win a World Series and as good as I think Milledge will be, these guys are without a question more valuable this season.

Willie's dumb comment of the day:

Figueroa, for now at least, will not replace Martinez in the rotation.

"He's an extra arm," Willie Randolph said. "He's in the bullpen."

Way to make him feel special.

If you are not reading THE RANT, you are probably a lot less annoyed than I am.

"Mets' new motto: Santana and Maine and pray for rain."

Ralph R. Carrieri

Nissequogue

Ziiiiiiiiing!

Ralph is a lame douchebag. Not only is Ollie a stud, but Pelfrey is better than a lot of other 5th starters and The Duque will be back when they need a fifth. Carrieri's lame attempt at being funny was a miserable failure since the Mets actually do not have any problems right now in the rotation. Later? Maybe. Right now? Not so much.

Huh? Why should anyone be disappointed in Matt Lienart? In fact, I would be disappointed if he was not in photos of this ilk. The guy is young, rich, and a professional athlete. Marriage and fidelity are terrific, but years of nefarious activities should be a prerequisite for these guys. David Wright surely knows this and so does Matt and why that is wrong is beyond me.

I like to believe I am the voice of reason. However, I admit that I probably do not convey that voice all that well in space being I am a grammatical disaster and long winded. For that reason, I am glad Tim Marchman is out there. He is the voice of reason and does it in a much better way than me.

Because Pedro Martinez is 36 years old and last pitched a full slate in 2005, his latest injury comes as no surprise. It was expected and inevitable. This being so, there's no reason why it should unnerve Mets fans at all. The news that Martinez will be out for 4–6 weeks with a left hamstring strain after just throwing 57 pitches may have been heartbreaking, but neither the injury nor an extended leave for the team's no. 2 starter should affect the team's chances at all.

Yes, yes, yes, and yes.

The main reason for this is that the Mets are not especially reliant on Martinez. Baseball Prospectus, for instance, projected before the start of the season that the team would win 93 games, with Martinez pitching 125 innings. Both numbers seemed, and still seem, reasonable. With a deep lineup, a strong defense, and excellent frontline pitching, the Mets are a very good team that won't be ruined by not getting innings they shouldn't have been counting on. A full, healthy season from Martinez would of course have made the team even better; but then, so would a .400 batting average from Jose Reyes. One was no more to be counted on than the other.

I still expect Pedro to add more than 125 innings and his performance will be in line with my original thinking in terms of what he would add.

Two ways of thinking about this should make the point clear. The first is that the Mets won 88 games and missed the playoffs by a game last year, when Martinez made only five starts, and are a better team now than they were a year ago. Johan Santana, rather than Tom Glavine, fronts the rotation; Jose Reyes and David Wright are a year older and a year closer to their absolute primes; John Maine and Oliver Perez have matured, and the team didn't have a regular second baseman then, and does now. A minimal contribution from Martinez didn't cripple them last year, and won't this year.

I want your babies Tim Marchman....oh wait, did I just type that?

The Mets and Binghamton have extended through 2010. Good.

I actually like Robinson Tejada, who has a great arm. It cannot hurt to give a look and see if he can put some decent starts together.

Pop! Goes the Hamstring

2008-04-02T09:35:00.002-04:00

How about this tidbit?

Santana is followed tonight by New York's former No. 1, Pedro Martinez, who is coming off of an abbreviated season in which he threw just 28 innings after coming back from shoulder surgery. The Marlins will therefore be facing, in back-to-back starts, arguably the best left-handed changeup and best right-handed changeups around. Martinez has used his change to strike out 10.2 per nine for his career, the third-highest rate of all pitchers in history (minimum 1000 IP), while Santana has relied on his for 9.5 K/9, the fifth-best rate all time.

That is my impressive my friends. Mighty impressive. Of course, things are not all that great right now as Pedro is all gimped up. While that is not good, let us not go too crazy about his injury and one rough start. Yes, it would have been really nice if he came out and smoked people, but he had a bad game and it just so happens it was his first start which was compounded by an injury.

The inevitable legions of negative nellies will get in line to suggest the sky is falling, but it is not. Things will be copacetic folks and you need to keep your heads up. This team is good enough to survive without him, but methinks he will give us what we expected this year and I think he will be very effective. Even if he goes on the DL, he can come back healthy and still give us what we all expected. 150 to 180 innings of solid well above average pitching. While he is gone, things should work out.

The Mets could revert to a four-man rotation for now, not needing a fifth starter until April 12 – two days before Orlando Hernandez is eligible to return from the disabled list. And if Hernandez isn't ready then the options become the likes of converted relievers, Nelson Figueroa or Brian Stokes, or starter Tony Armas Jr, a late arrival in camp due to visa issues.

Losing Pedro is always a big problem, but this is not going to have a major impact this on team just yet.

* * *

Mr. Billy Wags likes Heilman. I do too. He would be a welcome as the future closer of my favorite team.

Churchy may hate Jewish people, but he is no platoon player. Why must I keep repeating myself?

It looks like Rocco Baldelli will be a free agent after this season.

The Duque news...

Orlando Hernandez, who will miss at least two starts while on the disabled list, expects to start high-A St. Lucie's Florida State League opener Thursday against Vero Beach. El Duque (bunion) has been working out with the Mets at Dolphin Stadium. He ran in the outfield the past two days, and threw in the bullpen Monday.
"Every time it's better," Hernandez said.

Also from the above link...

Randolph said he could foresee Aaron Heilman as the Mets' closer some day, but not in the rotation. "Not with us," the manager said. ". . . He's going to be a free agent some day. Who knows?" Heilman is under the Mets' control through 2010.

Why so dismissive?

Perez vs. Miller should be fun pitching match-up to watch.

Sweet Baby Jebus

2008-04-01T13:08:00.002-04:00

Haha... 135.00 ERA. Nice.

Opending Day Bitches! / Pointless Exercise II

2008-03-31T10:57:00.003-04:00

It is upon us. The 2008 season is finally going to fire on all cylinders today and 2008 is the year of retribution for the Mets. The theme today seems to be forgetting 2007, which is just plain silly. Why would you want to forget? I have done stupid thing upon stupid thing in my life and I would never trade that in for the world.

I mean, how else does anyone learn anything. Why not use that horrific collapse to fuel your desire to bury everyone else in the league? Why would you want to forget that and perhaps take things for granted again if you are cruising in late August? Why would you want to perpetuate complacency? I say quite the contrary. The Mets need to remind themselves of 2007 (and 2006 for that matter) every day of the season to give them something to play for.

Individual Award Predictions:

National League
MVP
1) David Wright
People know he got snubbed last year and that is going to give him a bit more attention this year. Of course the Mets absolutely kicking ass will not hurt either. However, he will be hurt by the fact that Beltran and Reyes are going to be amazing as well, but in the end, he will be the best player on the best team and will get the nod as he continues to step up his game.
2) Ryan Braun
Dude is good. The Brewers are good. The only thing that might hold him back is his transition to left. However, he played short in college so I think he will adjust fine because he is a tremendous athlete which was evident when you watched play third last season. He may have butchered things a bit, but he was able to make some sparkling plays on some tough balls.
3) Mark Teixeira
I am thinking big for Mark this season. The Braves might just miss the playoffs, but he will be tremendous this season in the field and at the plate.

CY Young
1) Johan Santana
Dominating from start to finish, he will breeze past 20 wins and lay waste to everyone. Nice.
2) Brandon Webb
He's my fantasy team's ace and I am not sure if you got the memo, but he is really good. I like them the D-Backs as the best in the West and he will be their driving force yet again.
3) Jake Peavy
Hard to believe he was born in the 80's. He is entering his prime and I see no reason why he will not be just as devastating as last season. However, he was reeeeaaaallly good last year so I expect a slight pullback, but that will still leave him as one of the top five starters in the NL.

ROY
1) Jay Bruce
Late start and all, he will be the last guy standing. The Mets had it down to him and Pelfrey in the 2005 draft and the Mets look like they chose wrong. Bruce is a stud.
2) Edison Vólquez
Is he even a rookie? I think he might be and he was lights out this spring. Of course, I think a large part of his 2nd place finish will be the fact he is in the bigs from day #1, but he will be pretty impressive as well.
3) Kosuke Fukudome
While good, there are plenty of young guys who are just flat out better.

American League
MVP
1) Grady Sizemore
This is finally the year he goes from star to mega-star.
2) Alex Rodriguez
Just another Hall of Fame like season for A-Rod...ho-hum. Thankfully, he will be sitting in October because this is the year the Yankees miss the playoffs.
3) Miguel Cabrera
I know he is the sexy pick this year, but is finishing third really that bad?

Cy Young
1) Justin Verlander
I think this guy is going to be huge this year and he will be the ace for the AL Central winning Tigers. Huge offense behind a great arm means lots of wins and the voters love them wins.
2) Erik Bedard
If he is healthy enough for 32 starts, he is going to compile some scary numbers.
3) Dustin McGowan
Boom. Dustin McGowan just finished third in the Cy Young voting. What are you going to do about it?

ROY
1) Evan Longoria
It is hard to ignore all the love he is getting. He will be up for good sooner rather than later and the kid should be ripping from day #1. With an impressive offense, he should be able to put up some rather impressive stats as well.
2) Clay Buchholz
On the universe's best team, the best rookie pitcher in the MLB should have a fine season.
3) Phil Hughes
What about Joba? It's about compiling and Phil should be able to do that better since he will be in the rotation from day #1. He'll be out a few weeks as usual, but assuming Joba is going to go from lights out set-up man to lights out starter mid-season is a stretch for me. If he stays in the bullpen all season, he gets this spot.

* * *

100k turned out to see this siliness. However, it is pretty interesting to see a game played in that type of field.

Pelfrey wins by default. Let us see if he can step up his game for once.

Outside of New York, people are talking some Mets baseball.

Ohio likes the Mets. Third overall? I'll take that.

Chicago likes the Mets......at least I think that is what they are saying.

Canada like the Mets, but I still do not like Canada.

Pittsburgh thinks Johan can win 25 and I agree.

Jack Morris seems to be bat shit crazy these days. Santana's change-up is gold. Pure gold. He has made a living off of it so far and I would advise him to keep doing exactly what he has been doing.

Klap likes El Trigres to win it all. Not a bad choice, but I think the World Series that was supposed to happen in 2006 actually happens in 2008 and the Mets will be the last team standing.

Wright is focussed.

Pointless Exercise 2008

2008-03-28T10:44:00.006-04:00

Ok, ok, ok...stop me if you heard this one before.

The New York Mets are the best team in the National League and frankly, it is not even close. The Mets should run away things and a healthy Pedro means the Mets might actually field a team that could quite possibly make your head explode. I mean, sure the season could be exasperatingly boring, but a little boring is good every once in a while. With all that said, my picks:

NL East

1) Mets (suck it Philly fans and Atlanta 'fans')
Easy, breezy, beautiful. Willie gets some more undue credit for turning this team around as they motor on to 95 wins. They would have gotten 100, but they started mailing it in after Sept. 1st.

2) Braves
Pitching? Check. Offense? Check. Fielding? Check. Stupid rally cry? Check. Organizational depth? Check. If not for Omar's crafty moves this off-season, I might actually pick the Braves. However, Pedro covers Glavine's innings (still cannot believe I dumped $250 on that dumb ass jersey) and Johan covers....um...well no one's innings. He brings 9 to 10 wins alone. Good lord, that is tough to overcome. Nice team for sure, but Wild Card candidate the whole way.

3) Phillies
When your off-season was lost when you failed to resign Kyle Lohse, things are not good. The Mets have four pitchers better than their second best pitcher. 'Nuff said.

4) Nationals
The mini-Mets will be reminiscent of the Devil Rays. Sure they might be bad, but they are an annoying team that could really give some teams fits.

5) Marlins
I will enjoy watching Cameron Maybin, Hanley Ramirez, Jeremy Hermedia, and Andrew Miller, but yikes. Bad team.

Quick and Dirty:

NL Central
1) Cubbies
2) Brewers
3) Reds
4) Cardinals
5) Astros
6) Pirates

The most exciting fight might be between the Astros and Pittsburgh for last place. Someone did remind Ed Wade someone needs to start games, right?

NL West
1) D-Backs
2) Dodgers
3) Padres
4) Rockies
5) Giants

I would have picked the Dodgers if not for these two words. Juan Pierre. I just have no faith Joe Torre will do the right thing and the D-Backs have a good enough team to outlast everyone in the West. It will be a fight until the end, but it will be D-Backs as the last team standing.

The Wild Card
Brewers

The best recipe for the playoffs is feasting without famine. Sounds like a good recipe to fatten up on to me. The Brewers have some great young arms, tremendous young bats, and three terrible teams in their division. The West has four good teams and the bad team has some scarily good pitching. No esta bien para otras equipos. The Braves will be in on this one and miss out by a game or two, but I think Gallardo and Parra are really going to be a big boon for this team.

American League
AL East
1) Red Sox
2) Yankees
3) Rays
4) Blue Jays
5) Orioles

The Red Sox are good and the Yankees are depending too much on young arms and two sub .400 SLG outfielders and one really ugly one. The Rays are good. Reeeeallly good. Not second place good, but good enough to show the world they actually exist. The Jays will be battling for third no doubt, but I think the Rays will shock people and a four teams with 80 or more wins in the AL East is what I'm seeing.

AL Central
1) Tigers
2) Indians
3) Twins
4) White Sox
5) Royals

I like the Royals and do not think they will be putrid. In fact, I think they can take out the White Sox for fourth. The Tigers edge the Twins out by a hair, but fear not Cleveland fans, they will be in the playoffs.

AL West
1) Angels
2) Mariners
3) A's
4) Rangers

The West will be better than anticipated with some pretty decent baseball. The Angels are still going to edge out the Mariners despite the injury concerns. It will be a fun race to watch with the A's being the feel good story and putting forth a better year than anyone expected.

Wildcard
Cleveland

I picked the Yankees to miss the playoffs for four years now and this will be my fifth. I will be right one of these days at which point I will unleash a barrage of 'I told you sos' like you have never seen. I just think the Indians are really, really good and have a weaker bottom three in the Central than the East has. I think the AL East will produce four 80 win teams as stated above and that simply means not enough wins to go around for everyone in the division to produce two playoff teams.

Not that there is anything wrong with that. The Yankees are on a great path, but depending on their young pitching is big risk and there will be high highs as well as low lows. And their offense? I think they are very good, but as good as everyone thinks? Damon and Cabrera are not boppers, Abreu and Matsui are diminished players at this point, Giambi is more valuable than people think, but still nothing tremendous, Posada is just not as good as his MVP-like numbers would suggest from last season, and Jeter, while very good, is getting older and not the offensive player he used to be. A-Rod and Cano are unabashed studs. However, A-Rod will regress off his insanely good historic 2007 season. That is nothing to be ashamed about as 20% less than what he did last year is still good for one of the top five players in the league, but it is unreasonable to expect him to replicate that.

The Yankees will be very good in 2008, but the Indians are just as good, if not better, and have an easier road to the playoffs.

We'll cover the individual awards on Monday.

* * *

I will unjustifiably miss you a lot Ruben. I will miss the Sunday's we spent together when I would stand up and yell R-R-R-R-R-R-R-u-u-u-u-u-ben (rolling the Rs of course) every time you got up. I hope you land on your feet little guy.

This is one large helping of a bad idea.

Pelf and The Duque are going to fight it out today and it really frustrates me to see Pelfrey continually shit the bed. If The Duque sits in the mid 80's again, Mike might win by default. However, the man needs to step it up. At 24, he is starting to not look like a prospect this year.

At this point, I'd call up the Cardinals and see if they would do a Reyes for Pelfrey swap. They seem to be two guys that need a change of scenery and still have some considerable upside. I think Mike can be good, but this scrapping of pitches and yo-yo-ing that seems to be going on with him cannot be all that good for him. Maybe Duncan's approach will work better.

Fuck yeah..

Willie Randolph, as you know, has to win and keep winning if he'd like to keep his job. This is as it should be. The manager always gets the credit when things go right and the blame when things go wrong, and in both cases this is often unfair, but Randolph was directly accountable for several inscrutable choices that directly cost the Mets a playoff spot and millions upon millions of dollars in associated revenues last year. His inexplicable willingness to repeatedly hand the ball to bad relievers in tight games down the stretch in September, his refusal to give Lastings Milledge the playing time he'd earned, and his inability to dispel the evil funk that settled on the team in the last weeks of the season could, individually and collectively, be fairly said to be why the Mets aren't now gunning for a third straight NL East title.

In two of three seasons, the Mets have played below their talent. Whatever his strengths, this is good reason to think that Randolph isn't a good enough manager to actively improve his team's chances. Fortunately for him, all he has to do is not actively damage them. If he can't do that much — and all that would take is an ability to learn from past mistakes — he has no business running the Mets.

Preach on brother Tim. Your words resonate like a symphony to me. I've said it a million times before, Randolph adds nothing to this team. He takes away a few wins and at best, we can hope he does no damage as Marchman states. He is a disaster when it comes to the Xs and Os and his reluctance to trust youth over stale veterans is borderline criminal. One win cost the Mets 1st place and I believe Randolph added negatively to the team, which should never happen and is unacceptable for a team of this caliber to lead by a sub-par captain.

When he first started managing, people said give him a chance. It's his first time out and he is learning. You know what? Learn in Pittsburgh. Learn in AAA. Not on the Mets when they have a team that is ready right now. Frankly, it blew my mind they gave the reigns to someone with zero managerial experience and only one year of bench coach experience to the most passive manager I have seen. Three years later, Randolph has proved to me he just might be incapable of learning from his mistakes because he is stubborn. Just like he says the young kids have to 'earn their chops', he has to earn his. As of now, he is far from doing that.

Randolph believes what ultimately doomed them is "we weren't ready to be a champion. Baseball is funny. It can fool you. You think - because it's such a long marathon - we've got time, we've got time. But the game is cruel sometimes. When you think you've got time, you don't.

Yup. He just said that. Willie is the one who kept saying they had time and was saying there is no reason to panic....publicly at least. There were a few million people that believed the entire 'we've got time' thing was bullshit.

I truly think Joe Girardi is a much better manager to lead the youth movement in the Bronx. With kids, you need to be a bit more stern sometimes and Girardi will do that.

David Wright? Sugary.

How is it possible that this guy already is entering his fourth full season in the majors? Wasn't it just last week when he leaped on the scene? Check out this fact: He already has hit 97 home runs, which is 10th in team history, and driven in 365 runs.

Never mind that Wright already has scored a nice $55-million contract, has received his share of publicity thanks to dozens of magazine covers and can't walk in Manhattan without people snapping photos on their cell phones.

He's living the life of a superstar and he's only 25 years old.

The Roberts to the Cubs talks are just about dead. Seriously, what a terrible and horrific rumor and I am very happy to not read about it anymore.

Inking Rios long term is a great deal for the Blue Jays. I think Rios is just about to become a mega-star and will far outperform Vernon Wells over the next few seasons.

If anyone knows how to get around a firewall at work, please let me know. My company decided to block ESPN.com for some reason and I cry a little bit on the inside everyday I cannot frequently check Rob Neyer's blog. IM me @ mineral207 or email me @ metropolitans at optonline.net

Matsui Gets Hitched?

2008-03-27T12:01:00.004-04:00

I have no time to really delve into anything important, so instead we'll focus on Matsui and his new wife.

It is not that I care about him getting married as much as the ridiculousness of his statement.

Hideki Matsui has just released a statement revealing he was married yesterday in New York (the team had given him the day off).

Big news in Japan. He will hold a news conference at 10:40 a.m.

"The bride is a 25-year-old civilian and had been formerly working in a reputable position at a highly respected company," the statement said.

Ummm...sure. I am glad he clarified that she is not a government employee or an active member of the armed forces. Apparently there was a bet in between Jeter, Matsui, and Abreu in regards to who would get married first. No word on whether there was a side bet on who would infect someone with herpes first.

From the comments of the above link:

If an when Jeter gets married it will be the biggest thing to hit NewYork in years. You will be talking about Mrs. Yankee. It seems however after Jeter dates them they go off and hook up or get married to someone else. So we'll see.

Huh? The biggest thing to hit NY in years? Loser.

* * *

I guess I'm a regular Page 6 today.

Heather Mills is trying to prove Sir Paul McCartney is worth much more than the £400million he claimed in their divorce battle.

She has told friends she is employing a team of forensic accountants to examine her former husband's finances.

Such information, she hopes, will lead to the divorce ruling being overturned and see more money go to their daughter Beatrice, four.

He probably is. However, here is the thing....he actually earned it.

"Heather says she can prove the amount of money that is being given to look after Bea will not last over the year. She is putting it to the test.

"Even with Bea travelling in economy Heather says it's not enough. She is keeping every receipt - including her invoice to her security team - to show that £35,000 is just not sufficient.

"Heather's thinking is that Bea should not be seen to have a different lifestyle when she is with Heather compared to Paul - and she is going about proving that is not possible.

"Heather is hoping Paul will discretely make a payment to her annually rather than want to go back to court and rake all this up again."

Never trust a woman with one leg....never.

First Pagan looks like he is in and now Nelson is on the fringe. I guess if you told me three months ago that both of these guys might be in the starting rotation/lineup come opening day, I probably would have probably thought disaster struck. However, things are still looking pretty damn good.

Justin Huber traded for a PTBNL and $$?

The Royals traded Huber to San Diego on Wednesday for a player to be determined. The deal came one day after Huber hit a two-run double against the Padres in an 8-4 victory.

“The way our club was shaping up,” general manager Dayton Moore said, “we just didn’t see the opportunity for him to be on our team. He’s out of options, and I really wish we had more time. He had a terrific spring, and we think he’s going to be a good hitter. It just didn’t work out.”

Poppycock. That would have been just want the Mets needed. Couldn't they beat out a PTBNL deal?

Joel Sherman smoked a doobie and wrote a column. Good times.