Let's All Point and Laugh

If Beltran signs with the Mets, he will have revealed himself to be a fraud.

The Mets are about nothing.

The Mets are a bad team with a stupid front office. Despite throwing millions at a few high-profile free agents in recent years, they aren't close to being competitive.

They're promising they'll do things right under new general manager Omar Minaya. But even if Minaya is allowed the autonomy his predecessors never had, the Mets are years away from being competitive.

Quick...who was the douchebag who said that? If you said Richard Justice back in '05, you would be correct. Predictably the Mets were within' one game of the World Series a season later just for good measure. Anyone care to wager which team will have a better record and who will have more playoff appearances over the next decade between the Mets and the Astros?

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Milledge swore on his album and used derogatory terms? Big fucking whoop. I'd be more concerned about this guy wearing two watches at one time. I'm starting to think Milledge is not going to get a fair shake in this town and I've never heard as many non-stories about anyone in my life.

I think the Mets are leading the league in steroid suspensions.

Some of Joe Morgan's answers in his chat:

I'm sure he'll get hot, because he is a good player.

Hmmm...

Fielder has unlimited potential, but it's about how hard he works and if he does continue to learn and progress, he could be one of the elite power hitters. But that's not easy, since so many others don't. I think he's a special player and he probably will.

Double hmmm....

I'm disappointed in the Reds, because they got off to a good start and I thought their confidence would be high. But things haven't gone well the last two weeks, so they'll need to straighten it out.

Straighten it out? Brilliant! You gotta respect the in depth analysis.

It's tough for me to answer that question from afar, because I don't see how they go about their business on a day-to-day basis. There are incidents on EVERY team where players get upset about incidents that happen on the field. They didn't fire the guy in Toronto, so I don't think that's a reason to fire him.

His stock answer for no comment is 'I don't see them everyday so I cannot comment ab0ut that'. It seems he says that about EVERY team so what exactly is his job?

Brian(NY): Joe here's a tough one for ya...if you we're to start a franchise from scratch for the next 5 years who would you're infield team be , mine would be Pujols,Kinsler,Reyes and Wright.

SportsNation Joe Morgan: I can't argue with that. I'm not sure I'd put Kinsler ahead of Cano. He's hitting home runs, but is he a better hitter than Cano, who hit .340 last year. I wouldn't argue with that infield other than 2B, but I'd have to think more about it.

And Cobb hit .340 in 1923. What's your point? Not many experts would choose Cano if they had a choice of any second baseman in the league. Of course second base is not exactly the strongest position in the league, but Robinson Cano is not on top of that list.

Dave (Richmond VA): Hey Joe! How good do you think that Phil Hughes can be this year? Is he a legit number 2 or 3?

SportsNation Joe Morgan: I don't know how good he can be, since he hasn't pitched enough games.

Speechless. Joe....here is a hint. He's asking you to make an educated guess based on his existing track record and all the baseball you have managed to take in over the years.

I am addicted to reading his chats. I really am.

Dave Pinto has some interesting thoughts on rearranging the divisions.

Some highlights from Jonah Keri's chat:

Sherman (New York): All of you "revolutionists" are ruining the game of baseball! Your "stats" are a joke and they DO NOT truly measure a player's ability to win ball games. Do us all a favor and leave our game alone!

SportsNation Jonah Keri: Really cool of Buster Olney to drop by today.

First...ziiiing!!! Second....from New York eh? I guess you are part of the camp that thinks Jeter is a really great fielder as well.

Mike(Charlotte): Derek Jeter is a gold glove shortstop at this stage of his career!!!

SportsNation Jonah Keri: Just because the BBWAA say he's a great fielder doesn't make it so. There's a whole chapter devoted to Jeter's defense, and defense in general, in Baseball Between the Numbers.

Just because a fielder rarely makes obvious mistakes doesn't mean he's great. Jeter's range has never been all that good, especially to his left. He compensates in other ways with positioning and general intelligence. But he's nowhere near someone like Adam Everett when it comes to defense.

Jeter's bat still makes him a fantastic player, though.

Then is just went on and on and on and on with people trying to defend Jeter's fielder ability and his overall clutchiness and intangibleness. Get over it already. Then Jonah really endeared himself to Mets fans.

Scott (NJ): Best SS in NYC right now is...?

SportsNation Jonah Keri: Jose Reyes. Best in baseball.

As if that wasn't enough...

Seth (New York, NY): Does Pedro come back for real in August? Does Omar Minaya make a trade for another pitcher?

SportsNation Jonah Keri: How about neither? Ollie Perez has been fantastic this season. Glavine looks ageless. I don't think John Maine will maintain a 2.15 ERA all year, but he's still a solid pitcher too. It's conceivable that the Mets could go to the playoffs with those 3 guys are their top 3 starters, then pound other teams into submission with Wright, Reyes, Beltran, Delgado et al.

Pedro's a great wild card. But the Mets are really, really good. They could win without him.

Preach on brother Jonah.

The Yankees were 8.5 games out coming into the 2nd game of their double header and Boston looks like the best team in the bigs by a quite a bit. The Red Sox, Tigers, Indians, Angels, White Sox, Mariners, Athletics, and Twins all have a better record than the Yankees. They really look like they are in trouble. The team just has not looked like the Yankees of yesteryear and many of their key players have simply looked underwhelming.

Jorge Sosa looks like a stud. I repeat. A stud.

Easter Fun

Rob Neyer drops this little gem on us yesterday...

So I'm watching the Yankees last night, because they're the Yankees. In the second inning, with Baltimore's Kevin Millar on first base, Corey Patterson bunted. Broadcasters Michael Kay and Ken Singleton, take it away ...

Kay: A push-bunt toward third, A-Rod fields, there was nobody covering second, so A-Rod will take the out at first. Sacrifice successful, 5-3, and heads-up by Jeter: third base was not covered when A-Rod fielded the ball, and Jeter darted over to cover the bag.

Singleton: Now I don't know if there's supposed to be somebody at second or not, but when this ball is fielded by Alex Rodriguez, they had plenty of time to get Kevin Millar. He's not the fastest runner. The ball is bunted fairly hard. I mean, a couple hops, and you can see there's a play at second base if somebody's there to cover.

Kay: Robinson Cano never made a move toward covering second. His initial step was to first, because he was backing up the throw, I guess, to first base.

Singleton: No, he is supposed to go over there on a bunt play. If the first baseman charges, he's the one that's supposed to cover first. My question more would be with Derek Jeter, who alertly -- as you said -- went over to third to cover up in case Millar went there. But at first, if he moves over to second, there's a chance for a force play there.

Kay: But Phelps never charged, that's why it seemed strange that Cano didn't move to second.

Singleton: That's my point. When a bunt is laid down, the second baseman, his job is to get to first base and cover. If the first baseman doesn't charge, he lets the first baseman take it.

If you weren't paying attention, it would slip right past you, but Singleton was suggesting, ever so gently, that perhaps Jeter should have covered second base. Singleton also, and again ever so gently, made it terribly obvious that even after all the years Kay's been in the broadcast booth, he doesn't seem to know that the second baseman automatically breaks for first base when the batter squares around to bunt.

I love it.