Cerebral Blockage

A-Rod wants to be a Met... Old news. I mean, who doesn't want to be a Met? However, when A-Rod says things like this, it makes me want to throw a live badger at this head and watch the hilarity that ensues.

Great, {sniff, sniff} A-Rod's all grown up and mature. He chased the money and did not want to make the same mistake again by leaving the Yankees....except he signed the type of contract that usually accompanied by 'US Government' and 'Lockheed Martin' in the same sentence.

Of course, A-Rod is still the best player on the field and there may be a shred of sour grapes in what I am saying. It would be impossible for me to not think about the 'what ifs' and what would it have been like with him on the team. He probably would still be at shortstop and would have probably never moved. Reyes would probably have been dished off for Alfonso Soriano or something years ago.

In the end, only little baby jesus knows what would have happened and I am quite satisfied at the way things turned out without A-Rod. The Mets would probably be older and less athletic as either Wright or Reyes would have probably been gone and with the ridiculously cheap contracts the Mets have Reyes and Wright signed to, they add much more value to the team compared to what A-Rod would have cost.

* * *

The Mets might look to Sosa as a rotation option which is not the worst thing in the universe. However, within the same piece, it is noted that the Mets might have Pelfrey scrap his slider? Didn't they make him scrap his curveball? I think we can file this one under 'mismanaged' and let him wallow around in the organization for years and years.

Of course, the spot maybe be Pelfrey's by default with Jon Niese right behind him.

Although decisionmakers favor using Pelfrey initially, if he starts poorly, his spot could become tenuous. Young lefthander Jon Niese, who has been impressive this spring, could then become a candidate to relace Pelfrey.

We kind of figured that though. He is the best prospect they have that is close to the bigs and a jump from AA is not crazy. Put that together with his good performance in spring and you have someone who might get a shot by default.

Moises is eyeing an April return and that would not be so bad.

Ken Rosenthal says Randolph is on the hot seat. Omar is just looking for a reason. Willie...give it him...go ahead, I dare you.

John Maine is the best 4th pitcher in the bigs and could rack up 20 wins because of this. Yes, it does not matter all that much who starts where once the season starts, but the back end guys will face a lot more bad pitchers. Feast baby...

Phil Rogers like the Mets in the NL East and thinks Johan will be the ace of the NL East. However, he also thinks Willie is smart.

Rob Neyer goes over his top 50 players over the next fives years.

1. David Wright (25)
Great hitter, good fielder, fine baserunner … and last year, at 24, he was the best player in the National League.

Sweet.

7. Jose Reyes (24)
As thrilling as Reyes is, it's worth noting that he's almost 25 and his career OPS falls short of the league average (and that's the National League average).

Reyes' game is not solely based around offense, but he brings up a good point.

5. Johan Santana (29)

It's possible that we've seen his best work. On the other hand, his best was the best … and now that he's in the National League, even less than his best may be good enough for two or three Cy Young Awards.

Music to my ears.

26. Carlos Beltran (30)

Yes, he's old for this list. No, he may not be a Hall of Famer. But Beltran's broad range of skills may well allow him to remain among the game's elite for at least five more seasons.

Is it wrong that I still think the best he has to offer is still to come?

Common Sense Prevails!

The LoDuca lovers (just speculation that he is the apple of their eye) are out in full force. Look, I do not love Yorvit. However, what else was out there? The trade possibilities were uninspiring and the Mets need to hang onto whatever little prospects they have if no one was appreciably better. Besides, you cannot overlook the fact that Ramon Castro, who might be better than anyone they have been looking at or rumored to be looking at, is still around and will get a large chunk of playing time.

Jonathan (Dallas, TX): The Mets have officially signed Yorvit Torrealba. The downfall of Omar Minaya has begun.

SportsNation Keith Law: Torrealba's not a good player - didn't make my top 50 free agents - but what were the alternatives on the market? He's not blocking anyone. They didn't pass on a significantly better free agent catcher, unless you want to roll the dice on Barrett bouncing back (which he will, but there's risk there). In the abstract, it's a bad signing. In context, it's understandable.

If you can name some type of scenario where the Mets make out better, I would love to know. Ramon Hernandez would have been nice, but he was not going to share time with Castro and he would have cost a top prospect and would not have been a complete salary dump. Laird? Is he all that much better of a choice? Shoppach? I'm a big fan of him, but there is still some uncertainty there and he would have cost more talent than Laird even though Castro could be better.

jLuft: So Shoppach can't hit outside breaking pitches. Yorvit can't hit...at all. Aren't there minor leaguers, salary dumps (Ramon Hernandez?), or younger and cheaper players (Shoppach) that would easily be able to equal or beat Yorvit's production and not require a multi-year deal? I don't see how this is a defensible signing. What do you project Yorvit to hit next year with Shea as his home park?

SportsNation Keith Law: You have to give something up in players to get those other guys. And I don't think the Mets wanted to deal any of their better prospects to fill the catching hole when they might want to have them available to go after a big SP.

I think the main thing people are glazing over with this signing is that Yorvit will not be the everyday starter and there will be two guys getting significant amounts of time. I will guarantee that the two headed monster of Torrealba and Castro will put up better numbers than anyone the Mets were looking at. This is not a bad thing at all. Is it a great thing? Shit no, but it is more of an innocuous move that does not deserve as much ire and attention as it is getting. Remember, the key word to this off-season should be prudent. The Mets simply cannot panic as a result of their meltdown and this move was a prudent move when you factor in the other options and Ramon Castro.

* * *

Now to second base....

Andre (GA): Hey Keith, I have a 2 part question: I kinda feel Luis Castillo is too old, almost no power and too expensive to man 2B for the mets. How ready is Ruben Gotay to play there as a regular and is he worth it?? and two with Minaya expressing his desire to trade young talent for an ace pitcher, who do see becoming a trading partner with the Mets and what player might be involved??

SportsNation Keith Law: The Mets don't feel Gotay is good enough defensively to handle 2b. I think his range is fine, and he needs work turning the double play, but that can improve with work. His bat is ready - I'd take his bat over Castillo's, especially since Castillo is old, slowing down, and getting a little thick. The Mets will kick the tires on any #1/#2 starters made available, but right now only Erik Bedard really fits that bill, and Baltimore would like to make sure they can't sign him long-term before they shop him.

As Danny stated yesterday and as we have discussed before, a Gotay and Easley platoon would be just fine. No need to go crazy at second if you do not have to and it certainly gives the Mets some leverage. They are not desperate, but it would be nice to upgrade.

Castillo for longer than two years would be a disaster and Omar should know that. The fact that Houston is looking at Castillo for a long time and are looking to add Cordero as well is mind boggling. When they should be looking at rebuilding, they are looking at bringing in more pieces that will not be around when they are winning. Fucking ponderous.

It looks like Jake Peavy and the Padres are going to be talking contract extension and that is upsetting. However, not as upsetting as I thought it would be since I thought he was going to be a free agent after the '08 season, but it turns out he had an option for '09 anyway. The Padres are not poor and Barry Axelrod is not Scott Boras. I fully expect something to be in place prior to the beginning of the season.

Wallace Matthews is being a negative nelly again and he did not have to wait long to eat his words.

If anyone is being used here, it's the Yankees, but they must know this, mustn't they? Because if they believe they're getting Rodriguez in a room by himself, they must also believe somebody can do a better job of managing this team than Joe Torre. (Oh, wait a minute ... )

Ziiiiing! Ha ha...he's so funny with that subtle knock at the Yankees. First, Joe Girardi is probably going to be a better manager than Torre in many, many, many respects. Second, A-Rod has signed already.

The sides still are working on putting together a provision that would allow Rodriguez to share revenue created by his pursuit of the career home record held by Barry Bonds, who was indicted Thursday on perjury and obstruction charges. A-Rod has 518 homers, 244 shy of the mark.

Well, Matthews is part right I guess because A-Rod's deal has Boras written all over it. It is a bizarre and hard to determine provision. Or at least I would presume it to be hard to determine for a team that already sells out all of it's games and maximizes their revenue.

"Because he's generating such enormous revenue potential, both to the player and the club, there should be some way for the player and the club to capitalize on that achievement in some fashion," said Gene Orza, the union's chief operating officer. "The devil will be in the details. The minds of men and women in the sport should be able to figure this out."

Shocking statement from the player's union. Really, take more money out of the owner's pocket and put it into the pocket of a player?

"There are a few cynics who say, 'Well, he really couldn't get this there,' " Steinbrenner said. "Trust me, he would have gotten probably more. He is making a sacrifice to be a Yankee, there's no question. ... He showed what was really in his heart and what he really wanted."

Everyone is in save face mode. The Yankees are saying he came crawling back to them. A-Rod is saying he finally had an epiphany. Who gives a shit. Everyone made out and no one is going to give two shits about this come the start of the season much less three years from now. I am just very excited the A-Rod watch is over.

I think Neyer said it best though...

We've been reading that A-Rod came back to the Yankees because he's been so disturbed by all the nasty things people have been saying about him. Sorry. I'm not buying that. I think he's come back for the same reason the Yankees have reneged on their sworn promise to spurn all negotiations if he opted out of his old deal: business.

Rodriguez simply wasn't going to get that $35 million per season that Scott Boras was talking about. Not from the Yankees or anyone else. And it seems he wasn't going to get even $30 million from anyone else. Teams really have wised up. Crawling back to the Steinbrothers is simply good business for A-Rod and his agent.

The Yankees need a third baseman. They literally have more money than they can spend this winter, considering the thin crop of free agents who might be slotted into the roster. Yes, they look a little silly, negotiating with A-Rod so soon after swearing they absolutely, positively would not. You know what? Nobody's going to care. People say things they don't really mean all the time, and the grown-ups all knew it (even if I didn't). Locking up A-Rod forever is simply good business for the Yankees.

None of this is about pride, or redemption, or egos. It's about business.

Just an aside, A-Rod is still a big douche.

Jeter is a criminal. So is Bonds.


Wait. Barry did steroids? Get out of here. I'm shocked. Can we all stop this? Barry did roids and lied about it, but a lot of other people did as well. Sure, not in front of a Federal Grand Jury, but we are talking about baseball and steroids. He impeded a legal proceeding, which is a bad thing, but so did the former President of the United States.

Now this is all supposed to tarnish his legacy? It should be just as tarnished as it was two days ago, which is marginally and I'm not buying "but now we reeeaaalllllyy know" argument. To act like this is all Bonds' fault it nuts. This steroid debacle was everyone's fault and is similar to the mortgage mess. The mortgage mess is the brokers fault for originating the loans, the investors fault for having an appetite for riskier loans with high interest rates which had driven the entire market, the rating agencies faults for putting those risky securities on par with government bonds, the borrowers faults for not being a more educated consumer (I mean it is only the biggest investment you will make in your life), etc.

How has Bonds become the fall guy for this steroid era? When the Mitchell report comes out, many, many, many big names will be named and yet everyone wants to vilify Bonds for taking steroids as if he was the only one. Again, cheating in the game of baseball has been around since the first pitch in many forms. For me, I do not seperate forms of cheating. In sports, everyone tries to get a leg up on the competition. That does not make it ok, but cheating is certainly not isolated and certainly not new.

If this impacts his Hall of Fame bid, it will be a shame. It is widely believed he was a Hall of Famer anyway and I could see how steroids would take a borderline guy out, but he is not a borderline guy. What if it comes out that Roger Clemens took them? Nothing. He will not be vilified and he will be in the Hall of Fame and I wonder why Bonds is getting treated differently.

The 'C' Word

It seems the 'c' word is being dropped and this wreaks of Boras possibly miscalculating the market for A-Rod. In his effort to continually push the envelope in regards to player compensation, he forgot that though baseball is thriving, there is a not unlimited cash outside of the Bronx.

"Over the past few days, press reports coming out of the general managers' meetings relating to the sharing of information between clubs as to their plans regarding players potentially raise serious questions concerning the fairness and integrity of the free-agent market," the union said in a statement Thursday night after the four-day session ended. "Such questions are amplified by reports stating that the commissioner is attempting to influence the market for at least one player."

I call bullshit! Look, if a team wants A-Rod, they will pay A-Rod what they think is appropriate. If Boras falls flat on his face and fails to get A-Rod the contract he has been so adamant about getting him, it will not be his fault according to Boras himself. It will be the owners colluding. Fiscal responsibility? Who needs that shit?

At $30+ million a year, it would be hard for any team to extract full value out of A-Rod. You need a team with plenty of disposable income that can spend that much on a player and not think twice. There is no other team in baseball outside of the Yankees that could truly afford that price tag and there are few people that would really argue that two $15 million dollar players are not more valuable than one $30 million player. Of course, the problem is there just is not that much out there this off-season which does bode well for A-Rod.

However, can Boras get someone to bid against themselves like he did with the Giants and Zito last year? Probably not since we are talking about money in a different stratosphere. I am 100% sure he will get some good offers and I am 100% sure that he will get $20 to $25 million per season, which would make it pretty hard to scream collusion. There was only eleven players with a salary more than $15 million in 2007. Only three made over $20 million. There is simply too much room in the $20 million range for anyone to rationally jump into the $30 million range and I do not think it will happen.

Every team but five made over $10 million in 2006. Eleven teams made over $20 million. Only one team made over $30 million and that was the Marlins with an astounding $43.3 million profit. Even if teams clear a considerable amount of payroll, they will need to backfill positions which will inevitably cost a sizable chunk of change being shitty players now make between $5 and $8 million and then they need to come up with another $30 million for A-Rod? I do not see that happening and truly believe he will now end up in the $20 to $25 million dollar range with something being added in so Boras can save face in some way.

Not many teams have the financial wherewithal to get this done no matter what anyone says without owners dipping into their own pockets, which seems unlikely. It seems that Boras may have finally out-Borassed himself.

* * *

The Mets top ten is out and it certainly is interesting.

1. Fernando Martinez, of
2. Deolis Guerra, rhp
3. Carlos Gomez, of
4. Kevin Mulvey, rhp
5. Eddie Kunz, rhp
6. Brant Rustich, rhp
7. Philip Humber, rhp
8. Jon Niese, lhp
9. Nathan Vineyard, lhp
10. Robert Parnell, rhp

Mulvey has passed Humber on the list which is not all that surprising, but is more of a testament to Mulvey taking a nice leap forward than Humber taking a huge step back. Comparatively speaking, Humber's numbers for New Orleans were pretty good when put up against his peers. However, the most interesting thing overall is that the Mets are waking up.

“We’ve adhered to the commissioner’s slot recommendations,” Minaya said. “We’ve been good citizens. But not all the teams have done that, and the competitive balance is not fair. We have to take that position under review as an organization.”

Playing fair only hurts the Mets long term and it is unfair to expect some teams to adhere to the commissioner's wishes while other teams just ignore Bud's wishes. Now, the Mets have found themselves in quite a pickle in regards to their organizational depth.

It looks like Ben Sheets might be dangled out there by the Brewers. There might be a weak free agent market, but there are some big names out there that might be available via trade and it really seems like some huge names will be moved.

Also within the piece, Ken Oberkfell seems to the leading candidate for the Mets first base coach vacancy. FINALLY! Ken gets a taste of the bigs again and it is only a matter of time before he has his own big league team.

I think Tejada would be a great pickup for the Yankees, but he might not cost one of the big three? The Yankees have done a nice job with their system and have some top flight arms, but am I missing where they really bulked up the rest of their system? Austin Jackson? Alan Horne? Shelly Duncan? Jose Tabata? Who are they giving the Orioles that makes it worth it for them to trade Tejada? Some middle relief prospects?

The Angels should make every effort to get Cabrera, but Kendrick, Wood, and Adenhart? I don't know about that. Cabrera will be the best right handed hitter for the next 10+ years, but that seems like a lot.

Make sure the sound is cranked.

Hmmmm...

Mike(NYC): Hey Mr.Law would you trade Gomez and Phillip Humber for Matt Garza and one of their relief arms?

SportsNation Keith Law: (2:58 PM ET ) No, Gomez is extremely raw but has a high enough ceiling that that's a poor risk for the Mets - Garza's got good stuff but isn't exactly a sure thing himself. And the Mets shouldn't deal Humber now while his value's a little down.

I repeat....Hmmmmm....I still would deal Gomez and his upside for Garza as many guys like him fizzle out. The Mets have Beltran, F-Mart, and Milledge so he is really expendable and Garza is young and very good. However, I would see if you it can get done with Niese instead of Humber or something of that ilk. Straight up would be even better, but that won't happen.

Just Say No to A-Rod

The Angels are joining the Mets in chasing A-Rod? I had no idea the Mets were even chasing A-Rod. I do not care what is out there, the Mets are not chasing A-Rod.

Scott Boras is scheduled to meet with the Mets this week concerning you-know-who, and Tuesday the new GM of the Angels certainly made it known his team will be in the A-Rod sweepstakes.

But other than the Giants and Dodgers, who have previously expressed their intention to explore the A-Rod situation, only the Mets and Angels seem interested in Alex Rodriguez and his hefty price tag.

I know many people think that any play for A-Rod would be a good one, but I seriously do not agree and it seems to be a square peg in a round hole situation no matter how it shakes out. Too much money over too many years when the Mets already have a great third baseman as is. Of course, a good GM is always open to anything.

It would not be shocking if they made a similar pitch in this spot to see if they could get Rodriguez at a price that would make a significant roster shuffle - likely Wright to a new position - worthwhile. But it is probably even more likely that they simply will not make an offer and concentrate their full attention on finding pitching in this difficult market.

The article does mention that the Mets are most likely just humoring Boras and trying to keep a good working relationship rather than being genuinely interested, which makes sense. However, one has to wonder if Wright would be more likely to hang around after his contract expires if he stays at third versus being moved to first. Would he rather go play third base for someone else if the Mets move him?

I do not think this is a black and white situation and it is not just as easy as move Wright and Delgado, who they will most certainly have to eat $6 million to $10 million when you factor in the buyout. It is easier to find offense at first than any where else and though A-Rod makes this team a better offensive team in 2008 and beyond, his signing could have bigger implications than just money. No matter what Wright says about being a good soldier to accommodate A-Rod, one has to wonder what he would ultimately do and I think this is more delicate than people realize.

* * *

Tom Glavine looks like he might be heading back to Atlanta and that is just fine by me.

"I think it would be nice for our fans if Tommy finished as a Brave," Wren said. "At the same time, we're looking for a quality pitcher, and we feel Tommy is still that."

He did some nice things here and I will not deny that, but it is 100% time to move on for the Mets. Besides, the insistence by Willie to use him as their #1 scares me when I think about the Mets in the playoffs and this is truly a case of addition by subtraction in many ways.

The Yankees are possibly looking to acquire Miguel Cabrera.

A canvas of executives indicated the Yanks would have to trade Melky Cabrera and one of their high-end starters, perhaps Ian Kennedy, but more probably Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain in a package. And there are no signs the Yanks are willing to part with their best young pitchers, even to replace A-Rod.

Melky and Ian? First, the is a bizarre report that the Yankees would balk at that. At least that is what they are saying now. Second, that would be truly a ridiculous trade and if the Marlins do not get Phil or Joba back, that trade would be a horrific one for the ages.

I think Kennedy is a solid pitching prospect, but not in the same tier as the other two and you will excuse me if I do not think Melky is good enough to be a centerpiece of a deal of that magnitude. I am not nearly as high on him as many Yankee fans are and just think he is going to be a mediocre regular player down the line. Other teams would have to give up the likes Kershaw, Kemp, Wood, etc. and the Yankees would give up Melky and Horne? Ridiculous. People are crazy and Yankee fans are crazy for thinking this deal is even discussed without Hughes or Joba.

It seems I have been proven 100% wrong.

“It is about the two draft picks," Cashman said. “By offering arbitration, we get the first-round pick of the team that signs him and a sandwich pick."

It really seems that LoDuca's days as a Met are over.

It looks like instant replay is backed by the vast majority of big league GMs.

With the Mets and Yankees among those in favor, baseball's general managers formally recommended that the sport adopt instant replay.

After several years of discussion, the GMs voted on the issue for the first time yesterday, and replay was approved 25-5. It would be used only for "boundary calls" such as whether a ball is fair, clears a wall or is touched by a fan.

"It just makes sense to me to use everything available to get it right," Yankees GM Brian Cashman said.

Marlon gets two years and $2.2 million. He truly seems to flourish here and he is certainly welcome back.

I would not mind Silva, but I do have my limits.

The Mets have interest in free-agent pitcher Carlos Silva and planned to meet here with Silva's agents, Barry Praver and Scott Shapiro. Yet they are wary of the large price that Silva (perhaps five years and $50 million) could command on the open market.

Of course, that is way to much and Silva is getting a lot of attention making it likely that he does receive that amount. This is one of the worst markets in recent years which is saying a lot because they have been rather paltry the last few years. Silva may cash in big time and he might become a bit expensive for rational GMs.

Wow. There is a video as well and this has to be one of the stranger things that I have seen.

Carlos Gomez for Matt Garza? Sign me up. I know Gomez has some immense upside, but Garza has front end potential and is under control for another four years. The Mets would be dealing from an obvious position of strength and this would truly be a tremendous move for Omar if he can get this done.

You cannot make this stuff up.

Millions of Chinese-made toys have been pulled from shelves in North America and Australia after scientists found they contain a chemical that converts into a powerful date rape drug when ingested. Two children in the United States and three in Australia were hospitalized after swallowing the beads.

The Astros continue to venture down a very perplexing road.

The Phillies made a great deal to get Brad Lidge form the Astros, which allows them to move Brett Myers back into the rotation after he did a decent job as a makeshift closer. The Astros received Michael Bourn, a talented outfielder, as the main piece in return, and he has a chance to be pretty good. No great surprise that new Astros GM Ed Wade dealt with his former team.

Why maximize the value of your players?

This team is so far away from winning, they might as well blow things up. Oswalt would be in his mid-30's by the time they might become competitive and it will be extremely difficult to become competitive without trading him. He may be an icon down there, but anything that is not tied down should be dealt with only Pence as an untouchable.

Especially with a horrific free agent class, they can look to really cash in with three guys who would be in the in the top ten of available free agents with ease.

As for the other side, Nate Silver likes the deal for the Astros. However, the caveat I would add to this is that Lidge is not necessarily for one year as the Phillies could easily afford to extend him. Even so, I would still take my chances with a sandwich pick and a first rounder instead of those two beacons of mediocrity.

Cordero for Gomez or Pelfrey? If I did not like Cordero for Humber, I certainly do not like that deal as I still maintain Humber or Pelfrey would be solid arms out of the bullpen for much cheaper and much longer with some upside in the rotation. For me, this is no brainer to not do and the Nationals could just sit and stew in their horribleness.

It looks like the Mets do have some interest in a Japanese import.

A pitcher the Mets have their eye on is Japanese righty Hiroki Kuroda. The 32-year-old is a free agent, though it's uncertain whether he'll head to the United States or what his timetable is.

Eleven of this year's free agents have been nabbed for steroids. Good times!

Magnificent Bastard

Here we go again.



Joe Torre might not be the smartest manager alive when it comes to Xs and Os. He might not be able to win any beauty contests. He might like to ruin the arms of certain relievers. However, you have to give the man credit. He knows how to pick a team.

He took over the Yankees when they were on the precipice of a dynasty and promptly won a World Series in his first year managing the Yankees after only posting a winning record in five of his previous fourteen years as a manager with no playoff appearances. A long time later, he is heralded as one of the greatest human beings ever to live on this planet and rumor has it that he shits gold nuggets.

Now, he takes over the reigns of a team that arguably is positioned for the best five to ten year run out of any team in the big leagues. No only do they have purchasing power, but they have insane prospects all over. Outfield, infield, the rotation, and the bullpen. If the Dodgers play their cards right, they could have a little mini-dynasty themselves over the next few years and guess who will only be adding to their legacy?

Yes, Joe Torre. After only notching a .500 or better record in five of fourteen years previous to becoming the Yankees skipper, he notched twelve straight winning seasons with a trip to the playoffs in every season. Now, he stands to build up his resume and continue piling up wins and playoff appearances while sitting in sunny LA. Make no mistake, he will miss the electricity of being around New York fans, but I do not think he will be complaining all that much.

* * *

Easley is back and he should be welcomed back by all. I thought he was great for the team and a valuable piece.

Here is a thought....if the Mets truly want to pursue A-Rod, tell him he can play first base for the New York Mets. If it comes down to money and the Mets are the most generous, then great. Let him choose to play for the Mets or third base for someone else. I think the Mets should be done asking their more than capable future MVPs to move anywhere.

Moises is back in what was no brainer move #1 for the Mets.

Four or five years for a 37-year old catcher coming off of a career year? No thanks. I know he could slide down to first at any time after this year, but he does not nearly put up the offense for first and people should not get blinded by his 2007 season, which is far out of line with his previous years. He batted over .280 exactly twice and never above .290. He also only slugged over .500 once prior to last season. Did he just become a vastly better hitter in '07? Doubtful. These things happen and I am not sure Posada would be worth what it would take to get him here. The Mets might be paying Delgado money to him to put up Delgado's '07 numbers at first for a while. Jorge loses all his value when he is not catching and history does not bod well for 37+ year old catchers.

Curt Schilling is eying the Mets.

Here is the deal. If the Mets shift The Duque to the pen and were looking to bring Glavine back, get Schilling. No need to go down the Glavine road again as it is time they break ties with him and Schilling has the ability to be worlds more effective at this point in his career.

Nate Silver hits the nail on the head.

What They Should Do: Weak Buy. Repeat after me: There is no need to panic. The Mets absolutely have to find themselves a catcher, since Paul Lo Duca and Ramon Castro are free agents. They were wise to re-sign Moises Alou in left field, but should not do the same with Shawn Green in right, instead leaving the job to Lastings Milledge. And they may need to sign or re-sign a second baseman, as Ruben Gotay might or might not be a capable regular. But none of those swaps should require a substantial increase in payroll, and the starting pitching isn't the disaster that it seems, since even assuming that Tom Glavine departs, Pedro Martinez has been resuscitated to take his place. Sure, it wouldn't hurt if the Mets increased their spending a little, giving the 3.8 million fans who turned out to Shea Stadium last year something to chew on. But with CitiField set to open in 2009, it's more the talk radio jocks than the fans that need to be placated.

What They Will Do: Strong Buy. It's not like Omar Minaya needs many excuses to be aggressive, and he'll have several after the Mets' flop in September. Mets fans will have to hope that youngsters such as Milledge and Fernando Martinez aren't collateral damage.

Righteous.

Quick aside...I sometimes enter words in google to check their spelling. Apparently, my first spelling of it was wrong and this is what came up:

1. richeous

A misspelling of the word righteous. Dumbass.

You spelled righteous richeous, you are a a dumbass.

Random Tidbits 10-30-07

The Yankees are again dominating the news with the never ending drama that is the Yankees. A-Rod is out, Torre is out, Mattingly will be out, and Girardi is in.

Some think that A-Rod is the answer for the Mets, but that has to be one of the more preposterous things that I have read. Him on the team does not guarantee anything and could end up being a hindrance when they really need to open their pockets for something that they actually need, which is not a third baseman. We are not talking about a small amount of money or years. Quite the opposite actually.

On the field, A-Rod would give the Mets a third baseman who can hit 50 home runs a year and actually throw the ball to first base. His presence would allow Carlos Beltran to blend into the scenery - which is how he would like it. It would allow Wright - who would move to first - and Reyes to flourish, while not having the pressure to win solely on them.

I am guessing he is alluding to David Wright not being able to throw to first or something. It is not like I have huge problem with Wright moving to first since he would probably be very good there, but the Mets would be better advised to save all of their bullets for pitching. No matter what you think, the Mets do not have unlimited resources and spending that much on one player is just not a smart move. Is he tempting? Of course. The Mets would have a chance to twist the Yankees proverbial nipples, but it would not be the right thing to do.

But, what do I know?

In fact, early indicators suggest the Mets are leaning toward a full metal jacket courtship of the slugger, pending David Wright's blessing.

This is no small obstacle, since ownership is wary of offending Flushing's most marketable and loyal star. "We already have a third baseman," is what one high-ranking official said on Monday. That's the party line -- for now.

If I could choose a perfect situation, Randolph leaves with Carter getting the nod as the skipper with Rudy becoming the hitting coach and HoJo moving to the first base coach slot. Of course, that will not happen so not hiring Rudy is the right thing to do.

Castillo will probably be back, Alou will be back, and LoDuca is probably gone.

Torre is probably headed to LA with Mattingly as his bench coach. Mattingly might have been gone either way, but they never should have entertained him being the manager. Girardi was the right choice from get go and they might have had a chance to keep both on board if they had done the right thing out of the gate.

The Braves picked up Jair Jurrjens in what is a solid move for them. If they pick up Glavine, they will have a pretty good rotation and should be able to make some serious noise next season.

The Heart and Soul of the Yankees?

Since the Mets game was going nowhere fast on Monday I decided to check out the Yankee game as it was on its way to becoming the worst shut out in the history of their storied franchise on the road or some shit like that. There were a few things of note that jumped out at me while I was watching the game.

1) Michael Kaye is still an utter and complete douchebag.
2) Al Leiter does color commentary with a smattering of anger. You really get the feeling he hates Kaye, hates being there, or hates someone in his general vicinity. I am not sure if his sarcasm is an attempt to be funny, but I much preferred his early days of broadcasting as a guest on FOX.
3) Methinks Alex Rodriguez getting away from the Yankees in 2008 will have much greater consequences than a lot of people think.

Though seemingly innocuous and possibly an attempt to build up a Yankee player, Kaye was talking about how Cano and Melky are usually following A-Rod around. They get with him and work out before the game and are always talking to him trying to pick his brain.

While this discussion was going on, the cameras were on the dugout where Melky and A-Rod were talking. Sure enough, Robinson Cano comes into the screen and joins them where the remained talking for a while. Despite all the things we have read about Rodriguez and the young guys in Texas, it seems that A-Rod has become a role model for these two and someone they could impart knowledge from.

I have not exactly been studying the Yankees over the last few years and the dearth of young guys makes this harder to actually evaluate, but it does not seem like there are many leaders on the team. Sure Jeter goes out there and does his thing and is media darling, but you get the feeling not everyone is behind everyone and it has been kind of a loner atmosphere where everyone does their job on the field and that is where it ends.

Maybe things have changed and they are more team oriented, but I am not sure I see that. As for A-Rod, not only has he possibly emerged as the leader of the Yankees, but A-Rod is 1st in the AL in homers (has 28% of the team's homers), runs (15% of team's runs), OPS, RBIs (17% of the team's RBIs), and SLG, 3rd in OBP, and 5th in walks. He has carried this team for long stretches this year and without him, the Yankees would have no shot at the wild card this season.

The Yankees now have three guys on their roster in Matsui, Damon, and Giambi that are borderline useless in the field and are making about $50 million between each other in '08. I think Pettitte will be back, but Mussina, who is signed through 2008, is baked and Clemens has been OK. Even if Clemens does come back, it will not be until mid-season. Hughes has not been dominant nor appears to be able to be that difference maker just yet which leaves them with a potential rotation of Pettitte, Wang, Chamberlain, Hughes, and Mussina/Igawa/Clippard/Kennedy. Not a bad rotation, but nothing amazing.

Throw all of that on top of A-Rod's possible lost production that they simply will not be able to replace if the lose him compounded with the possible loss in leadership and the Yankees could be headed for a few years of struggling. They will not be battling it out for last place anytime soon, but seeing them not in the playoffs in 2007, 2008, and 2009 is not out of the question until they have more time to retool.

That is not a bad thing mind you. Rebuilding a team the right way can pay big dividends, but even if they wanted to do it faster, the free agents just are not there to fill in their needs and their mentality has seemingly changed anyway. Imagine the Mets opening their new stadium after three straight playoff appearances and charging to the playoffs in their stadium's inaugural season while the Yankees come off three straight seasons in which they fail to make the playoffs? Times could be a changing and it is pretty clear the Yankees need to bring back A-Rod at all costs or else things could get very interesting.

* * *

I was just perusing some stats and I checked out Barry Lamar's stats. One thing I found rather exceptional was that from 1992 through 2007, Barry only had below a 1.000 OPS once. That was 2006 when he posted a .999 OPS. That is fourteen straight years of an OPS over 1.000 for those of you keeping score at home.

Sweet Jebus... If it exists, you can fry it.

Pedro tossed six shut-out innings and gave up five hits, one run, no earned runs, and two walks while striking out four. Of course it was against A ballers again, but that is his choice which is increasingly becoming a curious one.

He threw 88 pitches and seems to have his arm strength, but as they were saying on the broadcast on Monday night, you never know where your stuff is until you use it at the higher levels. The young guys will swing at everything whereas the AA and AAA guys will be more adept at laying off some off-speed or breaking pitches not in the zone. It stands to reason that he should of moved up to face a tougher challenge instead of taking on kids again.

I know I should never question Pedro being he is one of the greatest pitchers of all time, but jumping from A-ball to the bigs is a big jump after not having pitched competitively for long time.

Lastings talking about the Braves...

"They can have our number all they want," Milledge said. "If they don't win the division they're not going to get into the playoffs, and we don't have to worry about it."

I think it is important to not let the Braves or the Phillies get the best of the Mets again so this thing is not closer than it needs to be and Tuesday's game outlines that. The Mets let an important game get away that opens the door for the Phillies and gives them some unnecessary momentum. The Phillies and Braves can certainly make things more interesting this week and I am sure the Mets are not taking that lightly.

SI's John Donovan mysteriously has the Mets ranked 7th overall, which seems criminally low. Dayn Perry has them ranked fifth.

Phil Humber picked up his 11th win on Monday in five innings of work. He gave up two hits, no earned runs, and one walk while striking out two to lower his ERA to 4.27.

Really...if the Mets are looking for bullpen help, they should give him a hard look in September out of the bullpen.

Pelfrey was pulled early and I'm not sure why. Maybe they were getting him ready for Saturday and just wanted to him to get a little tuneup since he would be going on short rest?

Here are some interesting links you have the time...

Nothing gross at all...

The hipster olympics...

A-Rod

Ready for a 3,000 word post to get you revved up for the weekend? Didn’t think so, but you are getting one anyway. So I guess what we are watching here is A-Rod be the baseball player equivalent to what the Baconator is to the food industry. A-Rod has absolutely carried the Yankees this season and as much as I like to make fun of him, you have to tip your cap to him. His 162 game average for his career is just mind boggling. His 162 game average has a .306/.387.577 line with 127 runs, 34 doubles, 44 homers, 127 RBIs, and 22 steals. Below are the most similar batters through age 30 for A-Rod:

1. Ken Griffey (847)
2. Mel Ott (816) *
3. Hank Aaron (789) *
4. Frank Robinson (786) *
5. Mickey Mantle (783) *
6. Jimmie Foxx (754) *
7. Eddie Mathews (752) *
8. Johnny Bench (693) *
9. Vladimir Guerrero (689)
10. Cal Ripken (680) *

Every one is not only a Hall of Famer, but the best of the best and their comps are not even close. Not one guy is even over 850. Why? Because his numbers are probably that much better. Of course we are in different era and in a more offensively charged one, but that should not diminish what he is going to do by the time his career is done. When he is done playing baseball, he is going to be the single best offensive player, and possibly the greatest overall, in the history of baseball.

It is too bad he is caught up in all these money issues marring his image. I guess you have to have a big ego to play big league ball whether or not you are vocal about it or not and there is some sort of satisfaction in regards to being paid the highest salary in pro sports. I am not saying I do not get it, but it does end up creating a bit of distraction for A-Rod, clouds his accomplishments a bit to date, and influences public opinion about him. Right or wrong, that is what it does and that is A-Rod's choice as well. I honestly do think he is getting embraced more by fans these days as evidenced by him leading the All-Star voting.

However, a guy as good as he is should be held in the same regards as Michael Jordan was held in the basketball world during his prime years. Griffey would have, but he got hurt. Bonds would have, but he has a PR issues. A-Rod should be, but he spent a lot of years creating a negative portrayal of himself. It will be interesting to see how he is perceived after he signs his new contract and to see if he can get as much respect from the baseball fans as someone with his numbers would typically garner.

* * *

"I really didn't like it," Randolph said. "But it got the job done. He tried to go around the catcher and a lot of these guys do that nowadays; it's so silly. You end up getting hurt."

As if that weren't enough...

"To me, go in a straight line to the plate, you get there quicker," Randolph said. "He got lucky there that he got the tag in behind him. ... It was a great call by Sandy."

Wow...I guess Willie paid attention in geometry.

We discussed the ridiculousness of the first statement earlier today, but the second one might be worse. Willie is strangely suggesting that no player should try and avoid the catch with a hook slide or some other fancy sliding techniques. He apparently leans towards collisions and injuries. One thing is clear about Willie, he has his own way and likes to make sure everyone knows it. I sometimes think it is more about doing things his way rather than winning. He is almost trying to insert his dominance and make statements with what he does and in a way, he comes off childish to me and especially in the above statements. He sounds like a little kid who does not want to admit he is wrong about something. If he truly works in Newhan and Easley with Milledge as he said he would, he just proves to everyone he has some sort of issues with Milledge and that is no way to run a team.

Is it Rick Down or Downs? I have no idea anymore and I do not care. However, Neyer had a nice piece on him and said he was just a scapegoat. All this talk about hitting coaches doing nothing brings up a good point and a commenter brought it to light.

However, if we insist that hitting coaches can't be held responsible for the failures of their charges, aren't we saying that teams don't actually need hitting coaches at all? If we excuse them by saying they weren't responsible for actual play on the field, we're also saying that coaches have absolutely no impact on the team's performance. If we don't blame them for individual players' failures, we shouldn't give them credit for individual players' successes, either.

I think we can all agree they can help out a young player more than veterans and can help older players as well. To what degree? We can argue about that all day, but whether or not they do much, it behooves a team to have a good one. But if they truly do nothing, what's the use of having them? Also, if you have a hitting coach and the team is not hitting or taking pitches or they are just not having good at-bats for an extended period of time, do you assume the hitting coach is trying to do all he can do and it truly is a talent issue or do you try something else?

Do not feel bad for Rick. Hitting coaches get fired all the time whether it be right or wrong. You have to blame someone, right? Unfortunately Rick is the hitting coach while the players are slumping and the Mets thought Rickey is more of a value add than Rick was. HoJo slides into the arguably useless role of hitting coach/sunflower seed eater and Rickey helps Milledge and Gomez's approach to the game. For me, this is an upgrade even if Rick did nothing wrong to get fired.

"(Rickey) has a knowledge about the game in so many ways," said Mets general manager Omar Minaya. "I think, whether it's base-running, or fielding, as an outfield coach, or offensively, as a hitter, Rickey can help out. It's not that one guy is going to make that big of a difference."

It would seem the Mets are better off than they were last week and that is all that we can really ask for.

Wright throws his support behind HoJo.

"We definitely didn't do what we wanted offensively, but it wasn't anything to do with Rick Down," Wright said. "But that being said, HoJo will step in well. He has groomed me into the hitter I am for the last few years. From what I know, what I'm hoping is the HoJo's going to be the hitting guy. He has a good relationship with a lot of the guys here. I love the guy, he's done tremendous things for me."

I'm sure this has spread like wild fire by now, but in case you have not received this email forward:

So anyway, here you go. The definitive Rickey Henderson.

1) In June 1999, when Henderson was playing with the Mets, he saw reporters running around the clubhouse before a game. He asked a teammate what was going on and he was told that Tom Robson, the team’s hitting coach, had just been fired. Henderson said, “Who’s he?”

2) Rickey... on referring to himself in the third person:
“Listen, people are always saying, ‘Rickey says Rickey.’ But it’s been blown way out of proportion. People might catch me, when they know I’m ticked off, saying, ‘Rickey, what the heck are you doing, Rickey?’ They say, ‘Darn, Rickey, what are you saying Rickey for? Why don’t you just say, ‘I?’ But I never did. I always said, ‘Rickey,’ and it became something for people to joke about.”

3) In the early 1980s, the Oakland A’s accounting department was freaking out. The books were off $1 million. After an investigation, it was determined Rickey was the reason why. The GM asked him about a $1 million bonus he had received and Rickey said instead of cashing it, he framed it and hung it on a wall at his house.

4) In 1996, Henderson’s first season with San Diego, he boarded the team bus and was looking for a seat. Steve Finley said, “You have tenure, sit wherever you want.” Henderson looked at Finley and said, “Ten years? Ricky’s been playing at least 16, 17 years.”

5) This one might be my second favorite. This wasn’t too long ago, I think it was the year he ended up playing with the Red Sox. Anyway, he called San Diego GM Kevin Towers and left the following message: “This is Rickey calling on behalf of Rickey. Rickey wants to play baseball.”

6) This one happened in Seattle. Rickey struck out and as the next batter was walking past him, he heard Henderson say, “Don’t worry, Rickey, you’re still the best.”

7) Rickey once asked a teammate how long it would take him to drive to the Dominican Republic.

8) Moments after breaking Lou Brock’s stolen base record, Henderson told the crowd – with Brock mere feet next to him – “Lou Brock was a great base stealer, but today, I am the greatest of all-time.”

9) Henderson once fell asleep on an ice pack and got frostbite – which forced him to miss three games — in mid-August.

10) A reporter asked Henderson if Ken Caminiti’s estimate that 50 percent of Major League players were taking steroids was accurate. His response was, “Well, Rickey’s not one of them, so that’s 49 percent right there.”

11) Henderson broke Ty Cobb’s career record for runs scored with a home run. After taking his usual 45 seconds or so around the bases, Rickey slid into home plate.

12) On being Nolan Ryan’s 5,000th career strikeout: “It gave me no chance. He (Ryan) just blew it by me. But it’s an honor. I’ll have another paragraph in all the baseball books. I’m already in the books three or four times.”

13) San Diego GM Kevin Towers was trying to contact Rickey at a nearby hotel. He knew Henderson always used fake names to avoid the press, fans, etc. He was trying to think like Rickey and after several attempts; he was able to get Henderson on the phone.

Rickey had checked in under Richard Pryor.

14) I didn’t believe this one at first. However, I emailed a few contacts within the Sox organization and they claim it actually happened. This is priceless, it really is.

The morning after the Sox finished off their 2004 World Series sweep against St. Louis, Henderson called someone in the organization looking for tickets to Game 6 at Fenway Park.

15) The Mets were staying in a hotel less than a mile from Cinergy Field in Cincinnati. While some players walked, most took the team bus. A few minutes after they arrived — again it was less than a mile – the last players off the bus noticed a stretched limo that had just pulled up.

Of course, Rickey emerged from the back seat.

16) A reporter once asked Rickey if he talked to himself, “Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I’m trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?”

17) OK, I know everyone has been waiting for it. Alas, according to both parties involved, it’s not true. I wish it were. Heck, both Rickey Henderson and John Olerud have said they wish it were true. But it just didn’t happen.

The story went that a few weeks into Henderson’s stint with the Mariners, he walked up to Olerud at the batting cage and asked him why he wore a batting helmet in the field. Olerud explained that he had an aneurysm at nine years old and he wore the helmet for protection. Legend goes that Henderson said, “Yeah, I used to play with a guy that had the same thing.” Legend also goes that Olerud said, “That was me, Rickey.”

Henderson played with Olerud on the Blue Jays and the Mets.

18) Rickey was asked if he had the Garth Brooks album with Friends in Low Places and Henderson said, “Rickey doesn’t have albums. Rickey has CDs.”

19) During a contract holdout with Oakland in the early 1990s, Henderson said, “If they want to pay me like Mike Gallego, I’ll play like Gallego.”

20) In the late 1980s, the Yankees sent Henderson a six-figure bonus check. After a few months passed, an internal audit revealed the check had not been cashed. Current Yankees GM Brian Cashman – then a low-level nobody with the organization – called Rickey and asked if there was a problem with the check. Henderson said, “I’m just waiting for the money market rates to go up.”

21) This is my all-time favorite. Rickey was pulled over by a San Diego police officer for speeding. As the officer was approaching Rickey’s car, the window went down a few inches and a folded $100 bill emerged. The officer let Rickey and his money head home without a ticket.

22) When he was on the Yankees in the mid-1980s, Henderson told teammates that his condo had such a great view that he could see, “The Entire State Building.”

23) During one of his stays with Oakland, Henderson’s locker was next to Billy Beane’s. After making the team out of spring training, Beane was sent to the minors after a few months. Upon his return, about six weeks later, Henderson looked at Beane and said, “Hey, man, where have you been? Haven’t seen you in awhile.”

24) To this day and dating back 25 years, before every game he plays, Henderson stands completely naked in front of a full length locker room mirror and says, “Ricky’s the best,” for several minutes.

25) In the last week of his lone season with the Red Sox, Chairman Tom Werner asked Henderson what he would like for his ‘going-away’ gift. Henderson said he wasn’t going anywhere, but he would like owner John Henry’s Mercedes. Werner said it would be tough to get the same make and model in less than a week and Henderson said, “No, I want his car.” Turns out the Sox got Henderson a Red Thunderbird and when he saw it on the field before the last game of the season, Rickey said, “Whose ugly car is on the field?”

All joking aside, his old Newark Bear teammates gave him a rousing vote of confidence.

You want some swellicious and bizarre links? Done and done.

BP's Hit List is out and they think Omar needs some reinforcements if the Mets are to succeed.

Lastings Milledge and a rehabbing Pedro Martinez may provide some help down the stretch, but this team will need Omar Minaya to summon further reinforcements if the Mets are to prevail.

And they throw the Yankees under the bus, which is always nice.

Don't kid yourselves, Yankee fans--despite the high ranking and the upcoming soft schedule, it's all over but the shouting and pouting, not to mention the laying of bets on whether Joe Torre, Brian Cashman, or Alex Rodriguez will be around for the next step. The team's worst first half of the three-division era has left the Yanks needing to play .684 ball the rest of the way to reach the 95-win level of the last two AL Wild Card winners, not to mention a .737 clip to match Boston's 99-win pace.

Swellicious.

Apparently Franco is having trouble being honest with himself.

From '04 to '06, Jorge Posada had a line of .270/.375/.468 with an average of 21 homers and 80+ RBIs. He is 35 and is having arguably his best season ever. He's on pace for 67 XBHs and 94 RBIs, which is a mark he hasn't topped since '03 and only topped 90 RBIs once since then. The Yankees are probably going to extend him before the season is out and one has to wonder if anything beyond one year will be anything but a dangerous deal. Catchers get old fast and Posada might already be on borrowed time. It certainly might help that he used to be an infielder and has not caught his entire life, but I can see the papers writing about how his new contract has been nothing but a disaster come mid 2009.

It is hard to feel bad for these guys...

Who isn't pulling for Cuban to be owner of the Cubs? Hopefully it happens after the Mets sign Zambrano because if he gets in before Carlos has a chance to entertain other offers, he could be off the table quickly.

Giving Credit When Credit Is Due

A-Rod has taken a ton of crap over the past few years, but he is carrying the Yankees right now. I've witnessed two walk of bombs to center field including one with the bases juiced. He has a .351/.418/.965 line with five doubles, ten homers, and twenty six RBIs in fourteen games. That puts him on pace for 116 homers, 58 doubles, and 301 RBIs. Just let that sink in. Of course it will not last, but could he make a run at the homerun record this year? I think the answer is yes.

A-Rod looks completely relaxed right now and appears to be....brace yourself...having fun. A relaxed A-Rod without crazy booing coming his way is dangerous for opposing teams. You also have to give credit to him as a person with the daily curtain calls and you can imagine what is really going through his head. I'm sure he would prefer to give the finger rather than tip his cap, but he's on cloud nine right now.

He will always be a jackass and him doing good helps the Yankees win, but I am pulling for the guy. Also, the bigger the year he has the less likely he'll be a Yankee in '08. With the numbers he'll put up this year, he'll be able to reel in a crazy contract that will take him to when he is 40 years old. He can opt out of his current contract and say he is looking to gain security (not monetary, but more so knowing where he'll reside) and he can say he 100% wants to be a Yankee. However, when they don't show as much love as some other teams are likely to show, he walks and does not look so bad.

My prediction? The Giants. They are going to use Bonds' money on A-Rod and need to bolster their offense big time and they do not have many other avenues to do it and probably cannot pass up an offensive player of his ilk. A-Rod will be adored and will get to stay away from Yankee stadium other than every third year. It just makes sense.

* * *

Beltran is a beast...the Mets rotation is tight. Oh, and Reyes with two walks? This is going to be one fuuuuun season. Lastly, Castro can rake. Really, I'm intrigued to see what he could do over the course of an entire season. Would he get exposed? I don't think he would in this lineup.

Wedge was crazy for not walking A-Rod with first base open when he hit the aforementioned game winning jack. He is ridiculously hot and your pitcher seemed amped up. I would have taken my chances with the next guy.

Next week should be some regular stuff and hopefully of some substance. I've put forth, weak, weak, weak performances lately.

Silencio Es Dorado

One of the big news stories of the week was big non story in that A-Rod isn't talking about his contract anymore.

"It can come up every day of the year," Rodriguez said Thursday before departing for a road spring training game against Cincinnati. "I'm going to give you the same answer. Nothing has changed. I'm not going to talk about my contract."

No where in the universe can someone with a .299/.396/.549 line and 119 homers and 357 RBIs over three seasons be on a fan bases' bad side but in New York with Alex Rodriguez. Producing has a way of making nice with fans, but strangely enough, A-Rod is perceived as an under achiever and not many Yankee fans would be terribly upset should he actually use his opt out clause.

Of course, this is because A-Rod has a knack for saying all the wrong things. After the above statement, most writers and fans were left wondering why he did not just say that earlier in the year. Instead he said it was up the fans to accept him and the team to decide if he comes back. In other words, he wants some love and attention.

We all say things that we know is a mistake right after we say it. When I was with my ex, during a fight I turned to her friend and said, "your friend (meaning my ex) is a real c*nt". Well, that's one of those things that leave your mouth and there is instant remorse. I got on the phone and called my friend and said I was coming over to sleep on the couch. Was my anger founded? Yes. Did I say what I wanted to because I thought it was warranted? Yes. But sometimes you have to use that thing in between your ears.

In A-Rod's case, he is right. The guy has put up eye popping numbers over the last three seasons and gets booed and receives little respect. Is he right to be annoyed at the fans? Fuck yeah. Is it natural that he is going to have some negative feelings towards the fans like Carlos Beltran did after all the prolonged booing? Yes. However, sometimes you have to be a professional and be a bit smarter. Use silence as a tool and become more media savvy. I can say without a shadow of a doubt, if A-Rod used the David Wright/Derek Jeter standard line gig (as much as I do not like the standard line thing, it is a must for some people), he would be in a different place.

Last year, he was clueless in the Red Sox series when he failed to produce at all. He said he thought he did pretty good while even some of his own teammates called him out. Instead of saying, "we didn't win and I just didn't get the job done", he was talking about how he didn't think he did too bad. Earlier in the year, a guy who has a quarter of a billion dollar contract was looking for adoration from the public and media despite being clueless to the atmosphere he created for himself.

It's kind of one of those head scratching situations that confound you. He seems to have such a distorted view of reality and this dates back to his Ranger days. Of course, his antics and general ignorance would not matter if he is playing in a market that does not have a rabid media and that is probably where he should go. I think Boras and A-Rod know this and ultimately that is why he will not be a Yankee in 2008 ending what was truly a weird four years.

* * *

Milledge seems to have the right outlook.

"I've already proved what I can do," Milledge said Friday. "Personally, I feel I deserve a chance. It might fall into the numbers game. I did everything I can do to make it possible for me to make the team. It's all up in the hands of the front office now."

You cannot control everything, but you can control the way you play. If you just go out there and do your thing, everything else will eventually fall into place. Right now, Milledge just needs to produce and his time will come sooner rather than later.

In related news, Green lives on another planet.

His batting average now is .145, down nine points from the previous day. And even with his first 15 at-bats -- all fruitless -- removed from the equation, Shawn Green is batting .200 this spring. But the numbers conceal some positives and muddle the picture.

Green was hitless Friday in three at-bats in the Mets' 2-1 victory against the Cardinals. He flied out and grounded out twice. But the fly ball headed for the berm beyond right field before the March wind interfered.

And Green still hasn't become accustomed to the changes in his swing. He's been getting to pitches too quickly, he says.

"I know how it looks," he said. "But I'm still excited about the progress I've made."

Riiiiiiigggghhhttt.

Congrats to Carlos Delgado!

Pedro is feeling good.

Pedro Martinez said yesterday that his rehab "is going to perfection right now, and I can't be any happier with the way things are going."

The Mets' ace, who is rehabbing his torn rotator cuff, said he is throwing at 75 feet.

The Duque shows some positive signs.

If Pedro speaks, I would listen.

While Martinez is taking his time in what still is an August timetable for his return, he said Sanchez shouldn't be thinking of throwing off the mound, but instead he should just be concentrating on building up his strength.

"I tried to seduce him to joining me down there," Martinez said, referring to the Mets' minor-league complex.

"If you ask me, I wouldn't let him throw (off the mound). He should be doing more to rehab his shoulder."

The Mets have the depth to make it through a month or so without Duaner and the big picture must be kept in mind. It's not about having Duaner back as early as possible, it's to have him pitching in the playoffs.