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NY Mets 3rd Quarter Report.

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 1:56:21 EDT

The Mets went into a major tailspin in this quarter. The Mets went 13-26 since my last report, which was after 81 games. In this quarter nothing went right. The rotation faltered badly, the bullpen was even worse and even the offense tailed off significantly. There were injuries, but all teams have those. The Mets lack of depth and poor off-season additions to the pen killed them.

Offense: Besides, Tejada and Davis, few really were consistent. Wright has tailed off hitting around .240 since the 2nd half began. Murphy has been up and down and he has shown no power. Thole, Torres and Bay were virtually non-existent. Duda slumped, got hurt, then demoted. Nieuwenhuis slumped, got benched then demoted. Nickeas finally got sent down after being the worst offensive player in MLB. Hairston still hits lefties, but hasn't hit righties enough in TC's eyes. The Mets ability to score with 2-outs has waned. They take far too many first pitch strikes and lack agressiveness. Couple that with their lack of speed and power and scoring often takes 3 hits. TC's reluctance to hit-and-run is puzzling. When you don't score, you take risks. They've become a team reliant on platoons, often to the point of being rather sad.

Second Quarter report

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 23:05:30 EDT

The Mets are 44-37. They went 23-18 in this second quarter despite injuries and a difficult schedule. The Mets current rotation is 32-16 and is leading the way. RA is the overwhelming choice right now for Cy Young and Wright is an MVP candidate. Santana is pitching like the old Santana minus the velocity and Jon Niese is coming on strong. The Mets must address their pen both internally(Beato, Edgin and Mejia) and externally(Balfour, Gregerson). If they could add a right-hand hitting catcher, that would be awesome, but highly unlikely. Anyway, let's take a look at this "surprising" team at the official half-way mark.

Starting Pitching: The current rotation is 32-16. The only weak spot right now is Dillon Gee and he's been fairly solid. Ideally, the Mets would be better served moving Dillon for BP help or a strong right-handed bat, but that may have to wait until the off-season. Matt Harvey is pitching great @ AAA and is close. If Gee goes, Matt comes up and enters the rotation where he expects to be next year and many years to come. To me Gee's only future here is in the pen. Harvey and Wheeler will be here in 2013 and the Mets even have Collin McHugh who is supposedly similar to Gee. This team's future rotation is bright. Currently, it's pretty good as well. RA has been unreal. I think RA stands for Routinely Amazing. Johan has been the Comeback Player of the Year. Niese has been solid and getting better. Young is a total pro. This is the Mets strength. There is no doubt about that.

First Quarter report

Sat, 19 May 2012 18:40:26 EDT

The Mets are 21-19. Many are surprised, I'm not. I thought this was a better team then many gave them credit for being. Let's take a look at the first 40 games shall we...

One word... gutsy. This team has moxie. They've overcome injuries and a toxic bullpen to get to 2 over. The credit goes to the players and their belief in each other. They are a terrific late inning scoring team. They hit well with 2 outs and RISP. They hustle and hustle. I love it!

Two words, David Wright. What can you say? The guy is hitting .409 with a .500+ OBP. He's playing gold glove 3B. He's the man and even wanted to take a bullet for the team. As Dusty Baker said " He's one good cat." Please sign him and give him the C. He's earned it. Any Wright needs to go fans now? If so, get a clue.

Opening Day thoughts...

Tue, 01 May 2012 13:26:20 EDT

As I sit here typing this on Wednesday morning(I actually have this week off) I'm very excited about the upcoming 2012 NY Mets season. This despite the terrible ownership of the Wilponzis and the media's gloom-and-doom predictions. I'm not thinking division or wild-card, but I truly believe this team is capable of a winning record. I see them as a 75-85 win team. The more Santana starts, the closer to 85 they'll be. I think there is more talent here than many are giving credit. Here's how I see it...

The rotation is better than 2011 Opening Day. How? Last year Mike Pelfrey opened the year. This year he won't pitch in the opening series. That's progress. Johan is back and looks sharp. We can't expect 20 wins, but 12-15 isn't beyond reach. He also makes everyone on the staff better just by being there and instills confidence in this staff. He's a true ace. Dickey is going to battle and give you innings. He's heart and guts personified. Niese is going to have a breakthrough year. This organization wisely re-upped him for 5 years instilling their belief in him. I see a 15-game winner here. Jordan Zimmermann gets all the hype, but Niese has nearly twice as many career wins and is the same age. I'll take him any day over Jordan. I'll grant you the backend is very troublesome. Pelfrey is the opposite of Dickey. IMHO, he's regressing to the point he'll either be taken out of the rotation mid-late summer, traded(dumped) or possibly even demoted. Gee also troubles me. I see him pitching more like seasons' end, then seasons' beginning. However, the Mets have Harvey who should be ready to step in and could have Young by August. Familia could be used as well, though I believe the Mets see him as the future closer. The Mets have some depth in the minors to use and even Mark Cahoon could be used as a backend guy if he rebounds from a poor 2011. He's a lefty with guile. There is some hope here unlike last year.

New Year's thoughts...

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 1:27:34 EST

Though the off-season isn't complete yet(The Mets still need to add 3 players to the bench and a long reliever/starter), I've been doing some musings on the Mets off-season up to now and here's what I see...

I see a team which is going to be better than many "experts" believe, but isn't anywhere near where it needs and wants to be. I like the potential for the offense from the 2nd spot to the 6th spot. Murphy-Wright-Davis-Bay-Duda could be a productive grouping. I see a potential for 15+HRS-30+2B and 70+RBI from that group. I see Wright-Davis getting 90+ and Bay somewhere between 75-90. Murphy and Duda are unproven so expecting 60 or so may be more likely. With Torres, Thole and Tejada, I'm not expecting much from in terms of run production. I'm hoping Nieuwenhuis or another CF(Crisp?) is starting Opening Day with Torres sliding to the bench. Thole has some potential offensively, but lacks power. Tejada is there for defense and if he knocks in 45 runs that may be enough to justify him playing everyday. The Mets must add to their bench which right now only has Justin Turner and Rob Johnson. I'd love to see Ryan Theriot come in as the middle infielder and Rick Ankiel be brought in if the Mets don't trade for Eric Young or sign a CF like Crisp. Adding bench depth will be important over the next few weeks and can be crucial to this offense. Overall, I think the Mets will surprise in this area.

Games 141-162

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 0:28:13 EDT

The Mets went 8-14 to close the final segment, ending 8 under @ 77-85. It was a disappointing end to a year which saw this team battle and at times overachieve, despite not having it's ace all year, it's closer for close to half the year and it's corner infielders for months at a time. There were 2 games worse than 2010, but played better ball and much harder despite that.

The Mets bullpen imploded. Parnell was ineffective and Collins never verbally or even in terms of usage, was behind him. First he gave Izzy the job, then Parnell. Instead of riding him to end the year, he gave opportunities to Acosta a journeyman who has no future as a closer or even a valuable reliever. He's a pedestrian middle reliever and that's it. Beato tired after showing talent most of the year. Byrdak got an extension and was the most consistent reliever all year. That is sad, yet true. Izzy gave his all, but his age showed. Igarashi is rubbish and Carrasco was a huge flop. Josh Stinson showed promise, but also that he's far from ready. The pen needs to be blown up, real good. It's a reconstruction project. Sandy stated the closer will come from outside the organization. I'd love to deal for Soria, but an incentive-based deal with Brad Lidge may be the way they go. Anyway, the pen was the worst in MLB.

If I were Commissioner of Baseball...

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 21:53:11 EDT

If I were appointed Commissioner of Major League Baseball, I'd make sweeping changes. The game needs some real tweaking and I wouldn't hesitate to impliment change. Here would be my changes...

1) Both leagues would have the DH - Look I hate the DH, but the minors have the DH, the independent leagues have the DH, as does college baseball. Only the NL doesn't. It's time to make the DH uniform.

2) Elimination of the All-Star game stipulation - One of the dumbest decisions ever was awarding homefield for the World Series based on an exhibition game, no one wants to play in. I'd eliminate it and simply give homefield to the team with the best record.

3) Elimination of the homeplate collision - Even before Santana's and Posey's season-ending injuries the last 2 years, I hated this rule. Home plate is the only base where you are allowed to physically run into a fielder to dislodge the ball. I'd end that. On any play where the catcher has the ball, the player must either slide or avoid the tag without any physical contact. If the catcher blocks the plate without the ball, the player is automatically safe.

Games 121-140

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 0:13:43 EDT

The Mets went 11-9 in this segment. The Mets are 69-71 and are fighting each and every game. You really can't ask for more. This is in my opinion, the grittiest Mets team since 2000. I enjoy watching them.

First, I want to touch on the future. Lucas Duda is earning that RF job. He's showing the power, that was lacking earlier. He is also by far the best clutch hitter on this roster. Thinking about a 3-4-5 of Duda-Wright and Davis makes me pretty pumped. All 3 have power and can hit for average. The Mets could have 3 players there with 30 plus doubles, 20 plus HRS and 80 + RBI. That's comforting. Duda needs to work on his defense. That should be a focus in his off-season baseball playing. I really like this kid. He's the anti- Fernando Martinez.

Games 101-120.

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 19:03:42 EDT

The Mets traded Beltran during this segment picking up a hard-throwing young pitcher they hope will be ready by 2013 along with Matt Harvey. That would add 2 power arms to a staff with none. The Mets started off hot w/out Beltran, then faded as their pedestrian rotation continued to struggle and their bullpen continued to bleed. The result an 8-12 segment and a 5-game losing streak to end it.

The Mets rotation just can't get it done. Pelfrey stumbles virtually every start, Dickey looks more like the journeyman pitcher then the surprise of 2010, Niese is up and down, Gee has hit a wall and Capuano gives you innings, but hardly shutdown pitching. Quality starts as diluted as they are, are almost non-existent. When they do give the Mets some quality, the bullpen tends to blow it. The Mets backend is comprised of Acosta(6HRS-25 inn), Igarashi (4.98 ERA) and Carrasco(4.86 ERA). The three are not MLB quality pitchers and should all be gone next year. The 4 others are up-and-down for the most part, though have value. Parnell(3-4-4.26 ERA) has regressed after looking like he turned the corner. Many believed he might get a shot at the closer's job when they dealt Rodriguez, but didn't. Perhaps it have some effect on him mentally, because since then, he's looked ordinary. He throws hard and at times looks unhittable, but until he is consistent, he'll be what he is and that's a middle reliever with potential. Beato has also slipped(2-1-3.88ERA) from possible set-up guy, to basically a 6th or 7th inning guy at best. He's also been too inconsistent. Izzy(3-2-6SV-3.54ERA) has only one blown save since being named closer(and Turner blew that game), but also has blown up when called upon in tied games. He's one away from 300 saves and should get it, but afterwards should be setting up, giving the Mets a chance to evaluate Parnell. The Mets best reliever in this segment has been lefty-specialist Brydak(1-0-SV-3.45ERA). That's really how sad the pitching has been. Unless these guys pick it up, the slide will continue.

Games 81-100

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 11:32:56 EDT

The Mets went 9-11 in this segment. They are 50-50 for the year. That seems to be about where they should be. There is so much to discuss in this segment and that will unfold over the last 3. As with the last few, I really like what I see from one of the scrappiest Mets teams ever. Though, they're hovering around .500,this has been the most enjoyable season for me since 2006.

What I loved about this segment is the fact KO-Rod is gone. Gone is that 17.5 million dollar albatross Omar hung over the Mets in yet another boondoggle. Alderson deftly dealt him before Bora$ could get him to submit his no-trade list. I highly doubt he'd have waived the option or upgraded it for $500,000, if he stayed. The Mets will also get 2 prospects from a list the Brewers will submit. The Mets have until September to choose. They did send 5 million to the Brewers, but again, that far better than what they faced. Sandy has now rid the Mets of 3 players, few fans liked, or respected and who did little but cause harm both on-and-off the -field. Sandy could be called the "terminator" of bad signings.

NY Mets: 2011 Grades

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 1:44:06 EDT

Below are the final grades for the 2011 NY Mets. I deleted Beltran and TKO-Rod from my mid-season grade list. I've added Evans & Acosta. Here they are...

Offense

C- Josh Thole- C: Josh has 3 HR-40 RBI and hit .268. He done a decent job behind the plate, but never really got untracked.

C- Ronny Paulino- D+: Ronny numbers 2 HR- 19 RBI and .268 average were extremely disappointing. His defense was porous.

NY Mets:Road Warriors.

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:47:30 EDT

The Mets have become road warriors. They've won 13 of their last 19 on the road beating Milwaukee, Atlanta, Texas, Detroit and now LA in the process. In that streak their only non-series win was a 4 game split with the improving Pirates. 4 of the 6 teams they played were either in first in their division or wild-card when they played them. That's very impressive. Remember this was a team that didn't win it's first road series against a NL foe until August last year in Houston. Unbelievable, yet true.

Collins speculated on this yesterday. He stated the team has no distractions on the road and this group really gets along. He said the focus is just on baseball. He then stated he has to figure a way to get them to play like this at home. Interesting.

Games 61-80

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:54:20 EDT

The Mets went 12-8 over this latest segment. They had a winning 10 game road trip where they beat Milwaukee and Atlanta 2 of 3 and split against a vastly improved Pirates team. They would have swept Atlanta and gone 7-3, if not for Rodriguez choking away a 2-run lead. Tonight they ensured another winning road trip by winning 16-9. They're 4-1 with one to go. They've scored 52 runs in those 4 wins! In 3 of the 4, they scored 14 or more! They've won 10 of 15 on the road against 4 teams currently in first place in either their division or the wild-card. When was the last time, the Mets played that well on a long road trip? Then they go do it again on a shorter trip? Truly impressive.

The Mets are being led by their solid rotation( minus Pelfrey on the road), Jose Reyes and his amazing season and their plucky, reinvigorated manager Terry Collins. The latter deserves Manager of the Year consideration for getting this team to .500 and over despite losing their power corner infielders for over a month and not having their ace pitcher all year. Truly Amazin'.

How about the Mets rotation?

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:32:11 EDT

While the overall numbers aren't sparkling, their pitching as of late(the last month or so) has been as good as anyone's in MLB. They don't strike-out that many. They don't complete games(they have 2 and one was a loss). They never pitch into 9th. However, they are getting quality starts virtually every night. If not for the pen, they could have 5 or so more wins at least. They've kept this team near .500 despite all the injuries and the 5-13 start. Kudos to them and Dan Warthen.

Let's break down each guy...

Dillon Gee has been incredible. He's 7-0 with a 3.05 ERA. Every night, he throws well. He's not fast, but he can strikeout hitters. Last year he led the IL in K'S. Collins compared him to Rick Reed whom he managed in AAA. I think that's spot on. Gee is the 2011 version of Dickey, minus all the previous mediocrity. Gee is only 25 and could be a staple in the rotation for years. This kid knows how to pitch.The latter is too often overshadowed by style, so that's why he was overlooked. I look at numbers, not just potential and "stuff." Gee's production speaks volumes, while other hyped players struggle, get hurt, or just never develop. He won't go undefeated, but he could win 13-15 games a year. That to me is solid and if he's a backend starter, you have a good rotation.

Games 41-60

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 21:34:44 EDT

The Mets end the 20 game segment with 3 straight wins to go 10-10 over the period. They are now 29-31, just 2 games under .500.

Amazingly, the Mets are treading water despite losing their power-hitting corner infielders and yet another reliever in Buchholtz. The reason? The kids and supposed spare parts are stepping up big time and Jose Reyes is carrying the load for the vets with help from Beltran. The rotation while not going deep and completing games has yielded quality starts and if not for bullpen meltdowns, might have this team over .500.

Also let's give Terry Collins some credit. Unlike Manuel who threw his hands up and looked for excuses, this guy has stayed upbeat while showing a fire-in-the-belly Jerry sorely lacked. He's made some mistakes with his pen, but considering how toxic they've been over the last 2 weeks(a near 11 ERA and 5 games blown after the 7th) he really can't be blamed too much.

Reyes

Sun, 29 May 2011 9:44:11 EDT

Today, Skier and I had an argument regarding Reyes and Wright. Skier trashed Wright to pump up Reyes and I don't get this argument. The re-signing of Reyes isn't about Wright, but rather the fact the Mets would have to put out an additional 90 million or so for a player who is talented, but flawed. Wright on the other hand, is signed through 2013 and the club holds options. Reyes holds the option of free-agency and the Mets are at his mercy. Even trading Wright doesn't mean Sandy would want to allocate 90 million to a player who has an up-and -down past, is fundamentally flawed(he hates that) and at times seems disinterested or disconnected(picked off 3 times already this year).

In a perfect world, the Mets would deal Beltran and Rodriguez and re-sign Reyes. I want him back as do most Mets fans. However, some feel they need to pit him against Wright. Trashing one homegrown Met to support another makes no sense. It's all about circumstances and timing. Reyes is a would-be free-agent and looking to get about 15 million a year for 5-6 years. That means putting out 75-90 million. That's a lot for a non-slugger who has been oft-injured, disinterested at times and quite frankly is not a good fundamental player. The Mets also need those funds to get players, especially pitchers. Jose is fast, has great range and a gun. He's a triple machine. That's why he's going to get the money. However, when you factor in the Mets financial woes(which won't be solved by July 31) and the money they'll have to allocate long term, it's obvious who is getting dealt. Reyes can also bring back starting pitching. Though he may be a rental, teams like Boston, LA-ANA and SF may be willing to do that for a player they believe can help them win a WS. They may also believe they'll re-sign him.

Games 21-40

Sun, 15 May 2011 18:54:51 EDT

What a difference 20 games make, eh? The Mets went 12-8 over this span and have actually won 14 of 22 overall. The Mets have been getting great relief pitching and have been hitting big homers. Imo, Terry Collins has done a terrific job using players like Pridie and Turner who have been journeymen players. They've won big games with key hits and each has hit a huge HR. He's used his pen well even w/out Beato. The team has stayed upbeat despite all the negativity in the press and among some of the fan base. They're 19-21 going home and have won 3 straight series and have already won 4 on the road this year(Fla, Was, Col & Hou).

I believe in the next installment we'll improvement and creep closer to respectability. This isn't a good team, but it's not as bad as it's played. I stated the above in my initial 20 game breakdown. They've responded well and are only 2 under. This despite losing Pagan, Davis, Parnell and Beato to the DL, Young for the year and still no Santana. Wright and Bay have done little offensively as well. Reyes, Beltran and Davis have carried the load. The Mets have gotten key contributions from Pridie, Turner and even Murphy. This club has shown some spunk. They've rallied a few times down late. They didn't battle and fall short like last year or past years, but have actually won those type of games. Overall, you can't be that upset with their position in the standings.

Games 1-20

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:00:02 EDT

I like to break down a season into (8) 20 game segments. Here I'll be discussing games 1-20 in the first installment of my 8 blog entry series. I will also end it with some thoughts overall about this team. The first 20 games were pretty ugly, but ended with some hope. Here we go...

The Mets starters were horrendous. They have the 2nd worst ERA in the NL next to Arizona. The "top 3" were particularly brutal. Pelfrey, Niese and Dickey won 2 games while losing 8 and it could have been even worse. Each had only one quality start. That can't continue or else this team will be lucky to win 70 games. Young pitched brilliantly in his 2 starts before the injury and Capuano has done a solid job for a #5, actaully leading the staff in wins with 2. Gee was ok in his spot start, while Carrasco was putrid. Overall they were 6-10 with a 5.3 ERA and no complete games. Ugly and troubling. This is at best a pedestrian group. Mejia could replace a flailing starter later on this year. That could even happen over the next 20 games, but I doubt it. More length(like the last 3 starts) is absolutely necessary.

MLB Predictions

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:39:58 EDT

Today for me is the real Opening Day since my Mets play for the first time. My Mets are going to surprise and there may be a few others. Having said that, here's my picks for the MLB 2011 season...

NL East NL Central NL West AL East AL Central AL West

Phils Brewers Rockies Red Sox Twins A's

Braves Cardinals Giants Yankees Chisox Angels

Minaya's blunders are history.

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:11:39 EDT

This weekend was one of the most enjoyable for Mets fans since 2006. The 2 albatrosses were summarily waived. The fan base took a deep breath and then screamed out woo-hoo! The 2 pariahs are history. A giant weight just came off the organization. We fans rejoiced.

These 2 overpaid, oft-injured failures were the poster boys of Minaya's regime. There were others, but none more obvious then these 2 stiffs. Perez went 3-9 with nearly a 7 ERA since signing that 3 year-36 million dollar boondoggle of a contract. Castillo twice hit under .250, couldn't cover any ground and too often was on the DL. An aging, oft-injured slap hitter with no range has little value in MLB. The fact Minaya paid him $6.25 million per year showed how incredibly inept he was. The 36 million to Perez bordered on criminal.

NY Mets 2011 Outlook

Sat, 05 Mar 2011 18:36:01 EST

Believe it or not, I'm more excited about this season, then any since 2007. Why? I'll tell the reasons in the following paragraphs. Here we go...

First of all, I love the new leadership. The hiring of Sandy Alderson was the best thing the Wilpon's ever did. Sandy immediately hired 2 very competent assistants in Ricciardi and DePodesta. As GM's, they had flaws, but both know the game and understand talent. Sandy will lean on them to make big decisions. He'll have to with a diminished payroll and uncertainty with the ownership of the team. I have faith in Sandy who has won a title and has been GM of a team that went to the World Series 3 straight years. He has a plan, uses statistical data, as well as logic and is unfailingly bright. He's the antithesis of Minaya in everyway. Sandy is in control and there is no doubt. The Mets finally have a unified voice and it's a good one.

The Mets are on the right track

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:28:22 EST

Finally, the Mets are heading in the right direction. Gone are the idiotic signings of overrated aging players and risky moves. Sandy and his minions have gone with the low-cost, high-reward route. They have taken a smart and pragmatic approach to this team's re-tooling. Omar left them with a mess and slowly, but surely, they'll clean it up. The moves they made this off-season are a small start. Let's take a look...

The Mets have added Chris Young and Chris Capuano to the rotation. These are not top-of-the-rotation guys, but rather backend guys who hopefully will allow them to hold-the-fort while Santana properly recovers. Young is coming off surgery, but ended the year healthy going 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in 20 innings. He's still young(pun intended). The Mets can't expect 34 starts, but 25 may be enough here.Capuano is a solid pitcher, who if healthy, could be a nice backend guy and if Young prospers and Santana returns, can slide to long relief. Both are fairly cheap and could prove useful in 2011 and perhaps beyond. Nice moves here.

The Mets are becoming a professional organization

Sat, 05 Mar 2011 18:31:56 EST

Until recently, the Mets were a professional organization in name only. Now with the hiring of Alderson and his lieutenants Ricciardi and DePodesta, this team has a true brain trust and direction. The hiring of Terry Collins was another move to bolster the organization. They hired a bright man with experience who also ran the farm system and intimately knows the personnel.

With a competent front-office and manager in place this team can move forward and resurrect it's image on-and-off-the-field. They've been a laughing stock the last 4 years under Minaya, Bernazard, Randolph, Manuel and of course Jeff Wilpon. They've humiliated themselves on the field choking away 2 late season leads and of course have had a myriad of blunders like dropped pop-ups, stand up outs at home plate and of course even a runner missing 3rd base. They've had players suspiciously spending time on the DL and epic failures despite immense salaries. Off-the-field they were even worse. Managers fired in the middle-of-the-night, the GM blaming a sports writer for his failures and an assistant GM fighting players, berating scouts and scolding club house managers. They even messed up a PR visit to Walter Read when the biggest failures and slackers failing to show. IMO, the latter was the final straw for even the laissez-faire Wilpons. Change was finally made and it was all-out.

Who'll manage the Mets?

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:59:58 EDT

Sandy Alderson is beginning interviews to replace Jerry Manuel this week. He stated he wants to have a manager in place within 30 days. I hope it's much sooner. Below I give my take on the men that most feel will be interviewed and have a shot at managing the 2011 NY Mets. To me Wally Backman should be the clear favorite. I start with him, then list the others. I would love it if Wally interviews so well, the other interviews would be moot. I see Backman as a slam dunk for the 2011 team which will rely on youth and need an injection of energy and pride. Wally will do that for sure. So here's my take...

Wally Backman- He is coming in for an interview this weekend. IMO he is the best man for the job. Backman is a Met, has managed in their system and is a fiery guy who the players respect. He stresses fundamentals and is obsessed with winning. He'll fight for his players and we haven't see that type of guy in the dugout since Bobby Valentine. I see him as a Davey Johnson-type manager. I think he'll get the most out of the talent he's given and the team will play hard, smart and with passion. I also believe those who don't will be held accountable. IMO, he'd be a shot-in-the-arm to this team.

Hire Sandy and begin the purge.

Sat, 23 Oct 2010 1:34:39 EDT

Once the Mets get their mandatory minority candidate interview done, it's time to offer Sandy Alderson the keys to the team and have Jeff Wilpon disappear letting a real pro run the show.

Hopefully, Sandy will surround himself with competent baseball men and hire a dynamic manager who will stress fundamentals and bring energy and accountability to the dugout. That has been missing since Valentine was here. Then that coach needs to hire a solid and professional staff. The only leftover he should consider is Chip Hale. I for one hope it's Wally Backman. I think Wally bring energy and a sense of unity this team has been lacking. He wants the job, is a real Met and knows how to win. Wally to me could be another Davey Johnson-type manager. For those wanting Valentine, Alderson doesn't like spending money on a manager. That would immediately eliminate Bobby.

A new beginning

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 22:31:16 EDT

Though it's be rumored for weeks, seemingly today the Minaya and Manuel being dismissed rumors have become an eventuality. I believe the overwhelming amount of Mets fans(those who never drank the kool-aid) are thrilled beyond belief. Minaya and Manuel symbolize losing, a lack of personal accountability and down right incompetence and stupidity. No one deserves the axe more than them. No one.

So this breathes life back into an organization which has descended into the abyss created by those 2 and the ownership's apathy and delusion. A new beginning will start on Oct 4. There is nothing this franchise, organization and fan base needed more.

The last 6 years have been far from great. Outside of 2006, they've been disappointing, embarrassing and downright aggravating. 2 losing records, 2 choke jobs and of course a mediocre first season. The Mets have have 2 dullards as managers and a host of aging, overpaid, underperforming players. There have been numerous scandals on-and-off-the-field and injuries that too often could have be minimized with competent care from the medical staff, front office and manager. The lack of heart displayed by the players was disturbing. The lack of accountability from the front-office was galling. Change wasn't just needed, it was essential to this franchise having any future.

A national disgrace.

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 22:57:17 EDT

The 2010 Mets are a total disgrace both on-and-off the field. This team which for the first half played with pride and vigor has collapsed and has had one disgrace after another on and off the field of play. Much of this came into play with the return of Beltran, Castillo and Perez from injuries and banishment. They've played liked they don't care and have been basically isolated. Then they decided to thumb their nose to the true heroes of this great land. That was the last straw for me and hopefully for the absentee owners.This blog entry is about them and this team's lack of leadership and class. I'm holding nothing back. Buckle up your seatbelt, because here we go...

The Mets last week were set to do something selfless for once. After the disaster their season has become and the KO-Rod incident, they were off to visit the heroes of Iraq and Afghanistan @ the Walter Reed hospital. This was a few hours giving back to those whose commitment is unquestioned and sacrifice undeniable. Whether you agree politically or not with the wars, all agree these men and women are brave and selfless.

NY Mets minor leagues

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:40:16 EDT

IMHO, this system is getting better under the watch of Krivsky and Collins, but is at best pedestrian. The Mets have some good prospects, but in the areas they need to address the most, they're sorely lacking. When you look at starting pitching, the bullpen and 2B there is a dearth of talent. Those areas must be addressed in 2011. The Mets need one, maybe 2 starters, a total overhaul of their pen and a 2B man. They have few options in the minors there. They do have some options in the OF though.

I've listed a few prospects that have been touted or have performed well. After each, I gave my take. Honestly, I do not believe there is much there that will help this team next year where it is most needed. I also believe a few prospects are that in name only.

KO-Rod got what he deserved.

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:21:43 EDT

The KO-Rod incident is a perfect example of just desserts and further the reason for the existence of a higher power. I mean how appropriate was it he gets hurt slugging a 53 year-old grandfather? How great is it he'll lose part, if not all of his 2010 salary and could even lose most of his 2011 salary as well? Karmic.

This hot-headed jackwagon's antics finally caught up with him. First, it was his idiotic self-serving histrionics on the mound. Then it was his fight with a cast-off like Brian Bruney(ironically, now a Mets player @ AAA Buffalo). Then it was a scuffle with pitching coach Randy Niemann(who is about Pena's age). It was well-known that his teammates and particularly his bullpen mates were far from enamored with this primadonna. After this incident(nee assault), few were vocal in their support. In fact, his bullpen mates were very strangely silent on this. That speaks volumes. Perhaps they saw this coming. Perhaps they may even be glad to be rid of him.

The dishonesty and deception is galling

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:55:26 EDT

I think most if not all Mets fans would have been on board with going with a youth movement in 2010. I know I would have. However, this organization didn't do that and is only doing it now because their plan failed so miserably. That's dishonest and galling to me and so many Mets fans. In fact, it's downright wrong.

Coming in they tried to sell Mets fans that their rotation was good enough. Maine and Perez were healthy and ready to repeat their 2007 seasons, they said. They didn't need a #2 because Pelfrey, Perez or Maine would step in there. Their pen would be better also. The Mets had Escobar(1.25 million) and a new Japanese import in Igarashi(2 yrs-5 million) to help the pen. The Mets had experienced back-ups on the bench in Tatis($850,000) and Cora(2 million). Their line-up would be better as well. Castillo was healthy again and coming off a solid year(their belief, not mine). Beltran was coming back mid-April or May and would be healthier than the last few years. They added a LF in Bay(4yrs-66 million) who was healthy and were ready to roll. They even solved their medical problems. They even had a slogan, "prevention and recovery."They also were willing to start the year with a platoon of Tatis and Jacobs at 1B. All lies and pure folly. Many of us railed against most, if not all of these situations. Most of us were right, as were most objective experts and fans. We all saw this coming and saw this charade for what it was. This team was hoping and grasping at straws and not doing what they're paid to do. How could they be so blind and dumb? I mean Tommy( he can really play that pinball) could have seen this coming.