Tales Of A Transplanted Mets Fan

Top V Albums of 2010

2010-12-09T08:54:00.001-05:00

And here are my favorite albums of 2010.

1. Black Keys - Brothers

2. The Hold Steady - Heaven is Whenever

3. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More

4. The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

5. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Also loved:

Girl Talk - All Day

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Mojo

Crazy Thoughts

2010-08-27T09:29:00.004-04:00

Omar said this week he thinks Ollie Perez can bounce back. How can he possibly bounce back if he doesn't pitch?

Some have speculated that the Mets consider trading Jose Reyes. If you are going to break up "the core," wouldn't it make more sense to trade the more-replaceable David Wright? I am not saying either one should be traded, but honestly, isn't it easier to find a third baseman who does what Wright does than a shortstop with Jose's abilities?

I edited this because on second thought i realized I was insane.

OK, that is all. Except: Hire Bobby V.

Thank you.

Bobby V is out there for the taking.

2010-07-28T13:30:00.001-04:00

I am excited to go to Sunday's Mets Hall Of Fame Day and see Darryl and Doc and Davey and Cashen go into the Mets Hall Of Fame. It will be nice to remember a team of winners. It has been a long time! I have actually enjoyed this season more than any other in many years, primarily because I had no optimism whatsoever going into it.

Yesterday's win was great and all that, but in conversing with my buddy for our plans on Sunday, I got all fired up about the state of the Mets.

On Opening Day I said that if they were going to implode, I hoped the Mets would implode early so they could fire Jerry Manuel and hire Bobby Valentine. My opinion still stands, even though the word is that these players 'love' playing for Jerry. I don't really care what a .500 ball club loves. Every year ownership and Omar say the on-field performance is 'unacceptable' but they never follow through and do anything except give out more bad contracts. Willie should have been fired earlier, Ollie should have been released, players should be benched when they suck. That's how you show losing is unacceptable: Consequences. It is unfathomable to me how this team can have great homegrown players like Wright Reyes, Ike Davis and Mike Pelfrey and Jon Niese and still have no idea how to build around them.

The idea that the Mets are cheap is silly. The Mets do spend money, but that doesn't mean the lousy performance isn't ownership and Omar's fault. It is their fault because they never stick to a plan. They just throw money at the problem. They brag about how much money they spend while really they should be embarrassed. Their teams play like a $65MM payroll, and that is actually an insult to the Devil Rays.

I feel bad for Luis Castillo because the guys busts his ass out there and everyone hates him because Omar gave him a bad contract. As if that's Luis' fault. He's a slap singles hitter with so-so defense and bad knees, that's what he's been and that's what he was when we signed him, and he had no business getting a four year deal, but what was he supposed to do, turn it down?

Meanwhile, Bobby V doesn't take any sh*t. He said Todd Hundley was partying too much, he said he had losers in the clubhouse, and he got Benny Agbayani to play like an all-star. Enough said.

Hire Bobby V, trade Jason Bay and K-Rod, find someone to take Beltran before his bum knees go out again, and find a new GM too.

Joseaaaaaye, jose jose jose... Pelfrey... Pelfrey

2010-04-20T22:29:00.001-04:00

The Mets win two in a row, on the backs of Jose and Big Pelf! I have almost no optimism, but I still can enjoy the hell out of a Mets win! In fact, maybe I am enjoying it more, now that the burden of hope is lifted. Maybe I should have tried lowering my expectations sooner!

Igarashi strains hamstring - how does this play out?

2010-04-20T22:23:00.002-04:00

So Igarashi tweaked his hammy tonight. Who wants to bet against this chain of events:

-Igarashi is declared day to day

-after about 5 days of playing shorthanded, we're told he could be ready for action tomorrow.

-make that tomorrow.

-Igarashi is seen warming up but does not enter the game

-the next day, Jerry Manuel says Igarashi is ready to play. An hour later, he goes on the 15 day DL.

-After about two weeks, we hear he is due back by the weekend.

-he's due back by the next homestand.

-sometime this weekend.

-season ending surgery.

tools for transplanted baseball fans

2010-04-20T21:12:00.001-04:00

If you re an out of market baseball fan, you need to get yourself an mlb.tv subscription and a roku player. The subscription is about $120 and the roku about $100. The roku is primarily used to stream netflix movuies to your TV, but starting this season you ll be able to stream mlb games in broadcast quality (or better). Plus if you re away from a tv you can listen to the radio broadcast for any game, any time, home or away. A much better deal than the directv extra innings package, and in fact, you don t need any tv service at all! Love it!

¡sǝʌıɹɹɐ ʎɐp ƃuıuǝdo lıʇun WITH OPTIMISM pɐǝɥ ʎɯ uo puɐʇs llıʍ ı

2010-04-02T11:29:00.001-04:00

Well, if you are looking for optimism, this is the place. I have to admit, all the negativity leading up to the Mets Opening Day is not unfounded, but here is my silver-lining take on it:

The Mets have historically had awesome offseasons, leading to ridiculously high-expectations, where everyone dons their rose-colored glasses going into the season. We fans have been let down time and time again. This time it's different and so one of two things will happen:

The Mets will exceed all of our expectations and 2010 will be a most magical year, indeed.

Everything will fall apart, and Minaya and Manuel will be fired and teh roster turned upside down, ushering in a new era of Mets greatness (?led by Bobby Valentine?)!!

That is all. See you at the ballpark!!

Meet Me At The Apple!

2010-03-26T14:00:00.003-04:00

Last year, I was fortunate to be able to go to Opening Day, the first regular season Mets game to be played at CitiField. The first sensory experience I had that day was Joe Beningo and Evan Roberts broadcasting from the plaza, discussing how little Mets-ness there was at the new stadium. Things will be different this year. I expect to meet my buddies at The Apple, because the Shea Stadium Home Run Apple is being moved to a very prominent location right outside the main entrance. We'll take a shot of ourselves there, then walk over to the left field entrance and walk on in through the Endy Chavez Rotunda. Can't wait!

I love Bobby Ojeda - Transplanted ex Mets Update

2010-03-26T11:23:00.001-04:00

Mets World Series champ Bobby Ojeda answered five questions for the New York Post (one more than the number of full sized fingers on his hand), and Matt Cerrone posted a quote that states exactly why I feel Jerry Manuel shoulod have been fired last year:

Q: Coming out of spring training with Carlos Beltran out and Jose Reyes questionable for Opening Day, do you think the first month of this season is about survival for the Mets?
A: You can't have that attitude. You heard that ad nauseum last year. "Let's hold on until so and so comes back." It drove me nuts. On any given team, you are going to have people injured. The attitude has to be that you are going to go out and stick it to people. We are going to remember what happened last year and teams are going to pay. "Just survive until Beltran and Reyes get healthy" is a loser attitude.

Exactly! That is a direct shot at Jerry Manuel, and it is completely deserved. We hear all the time from the Wilpons that the Mets performance has been 'unacceptable', but Jerry M sent a consistent message to the contrary all season long.

Transplanted ex-Mets update: Dwight Gooden arrested for DUI

2010-03-24T12:38:00.002-04:00

The Mets got Reyes back on the field today, but Matt Cerrone passes along word that Mets graffiti artist Doc Gooden was arrested for DUI early this morning. Can the season start already?

UPDATE from the Associated Press:

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. (AP)—Former Major League Baseball star Dwight Gooden has been charged in New Jersey with driving under the influence of drugs and leaving the scene of an accident.
Franklin Lakes police Capt. Joseph Seltenrich says the 45-year-old former pitcher for the New York Mets and Yankees had a child in his vehicle at the time of the two-vehicle crash around 9 a.m. Tuesday. It wasn’t clear whose child it was.

If this isn't the saddest story you'll hear all day I feel bad for you.

Who The Hell Is Ike Davis?

2010-02-27T14:01:00.002-05:00

I've been reading a lot about Mets first baseman prospect Ike Davis on Matt Cerrone's Metsblog this week. Seems the kid is getting a ton of hype by the Mets organization, which leads the cynic in me to believe they are trying to boost his value so they can trade him. Wonder if he'll be as good as Lastings Milledge, Alex Escobar or Carlos Gomez? Personally I am rooting for Mike Jacobs to win the job.

TomPetty.com > News > Listen to 'Good Enough'

2010-02-25T21:11:00.001-05:00

TomPetty.com > News > Listen to 'Good Enough'

Posted using ShareThis

Mets have no sense of tradition!

2010-02-20T22:17:00.001-05:00

I just saw a note that the Mets will be giving away a Citi Field Home Run Apple savings bank to the first 25,000 fans on Opening Day. I was surprised to see this, because a magnetic schedule has been the Opening Day giveaway for as long as I can remember. Turns out they will be giving away the calendar this year on Friday April 9th. Another bit of evidence noting the Mets' lack of a sense of tradition!

I'm Shockingly Excited For Opening Day!

2010-02-15T15:52:00.000-05:00

2009 was the worst season in my personal history of being a Mets fan. There, I said it.

After three seasons of blogging, by the time late August hit, I just didn't have the heart to post on a regular basis any more. I had absolutely no motivation to write about the Mets, not even to vent. That's how disengaged I felt.

I could not have been less engaged, less enthused, or more disappointed in the Mets than I was in 2009. I went to fewer Mets games than I had in probably 20 years, which is saying a lot considering that for three of those seasons I lived in North Carolina!

It wasn't the injuries. The multitude of them was almost comical.

It wasn't the losses. I've seen seasons with far fewer wins and felt exponentially more joy in following the team.

The lack of enjoyment I had about the Mets was because of the manager, the players who played for him, the arena they played in, and the management that oversaw it all.

Yes, there were injuries that decimated the roster. But even the players who were left standing had more talent than the club Bobby Valentine inherited when he took over the Mets in the late 1990's. The difference was that he demanded excellence and heart from his players, while Jerry Manuel demanded that his players "tread water" until the stars came back. I'm still scratching my head why we were supposed to wait for Delgado and Beltran to come back from the DL and be saviors - these were the same guys who were healthy when the team fell short in the 2006 playoffs and then had September collapses in 2007 and 2008.

I wished the Mets could have backfilled the roster with some players with heart like we used to have - Turk Wendell, Benny Agbayani, Matt Franco, Joe McEwing, even Masato Yoshi for crying out loud, they may not have been blessed with superior talent but they sure had intensity. Al Leiter, John Franco, Cliff Floyd and Carlos Baerga won't get many Hall Of Fame votes but they sure etched a place in Mets fans hearts in a way that the current roster just hasn't and quite likely won't.

There was some great talent on the Mets roster last season, and Reyes and Santana are fun to watch, but they have been the exception to the rule of personality-devoid, essentially clutch-less robots collecting paychecks from the Wilpons. How can we argue with Cole Hamels assertion that the team is made up of choke artists? Was he wrong?

The Mets spent billions of dollars to build (and millions to hype) a stadium with obstructed views all over the place. Dave Howard can debate the semantics if he'd like, but when I am sitting in the second row of a section and one handrail is blocking the pitcher from my line of sight, and another blocks the batter, and I have to peer through plexiglass to see anything, I am not getting my money's worth.

Omar Minya, Jeff Wilpon, Tony Bernazard, Dave Howard, Jerry Manuel... they all embarrassed themselves to such a degree in 2009 that I will not even waste another typestroke describing it.

However, here I am, just weeks away from Opening Day and I suddenly find myself excited for the season.

I can't even remember the last time I missed an Opening Day, and last year was the hardest ticket to come by. The only way to get a seat to Opening Day last year was to buy a ticket plan of 15 games or more, or to pay a scalper. Fortunately, I had a guardian angel hook me up so I wouldn't miss the first game in the new stadium. That guardian angel would not be coming through in 2010. However, I wouldn't need him. The Mets announced that they were bringing back the Six Packs, which have been absent for at least five years, when the 6 pack became a 7 pack and then an eight pack, before last year the smallest package was 15 games, 14 of which were undesirable.

There is an Opening Day Six Pack for sale, and my two buddies and I were debating the investment. The available seats were not great, but the price was not wholly unreasonable. We were not sure whether to give more money to this club when they gave us so little in 2009. Coincidentally, the same day we were discussing the purchase, I got a call from the Mets about 2010 tickets. I'll leave this guy's name out of this post because I don't have his permission to print it, but I do want the record to show that my phone calls with this guy represented the best experience I have had with or related to the Mets since Carlos Beltran took a third strike looking. I told the guy I wasn't sure about the seats, and he volunteered to take a walk out into the cold, and send me a picture from his blackberry of the seats available so I could be sure my view would be satisfactory.

Yes, I won't be able balls hit to the left field wall, and we won't be able to see Jason Bay if he's playing deep, and there are still some plexiglass panels within my field of vision, but just the fact that there is a guy working for the Mets who is still committed to customer service gives me a glimmer of hope that this season will not be an unmitigated disaster.

But even if it is, I am excited for six days to share a beer with my buddies and share some laughs (probably at the team's expense).

OK, Mets, Bring on Opening Day!

And bring back Bobby Valentine while you're at it.

brian schneider era is over.

2009-12-01T17:45:00.001-05:00

brian schneider era is over. schneider will take it one day at a time with the phillies.

Transplanted ex-Mets Update: Ed Hearn

2009-10-13T09:20:00.001-04:00

Mets Police lets us know that the New York Times has an article on the whereabouts of former Mets Catcher Ed Hearn. Ed Hearn sticks out in my mind primarily as being the subject of a David Letterman joke following the 1986 World Series. Dave was talking about the hype and hysteria surrounding the World Champs and held up a prop, a book called Ed! The Untold Story of the 1986 World Champion Mets Back-Up Catcher. I remember thinking I would like to read that book. Check out Mets Police and the article at:

http://www.metspolice.com/2009/10/daily-news-article-about-former-new.html

Ed Hearn's website says that Ed is the first and only current or former athlete from our country's top professional sports league to recieve the coveted (his words) C.S.P. designation (Certified Speaking Professional) from the National Speakers Association.

View the irony-free video: Ed Hearn: An Inspirational Champion at http://www.edhearn.com/newvideo.html.

Newsday: Mets to cut 2010 ticket prices 10-20 percent

2009-10-01T15:28:00.001-04:00

According to an article posted on Newsday.com, the Mets announced today that some seating locations at CitiField will have cuts or more than 20 percent. All season tickets will go down in price.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/mets-to-cut-2010-ticket-prices-10-20-percent-1.1492193

Bobby V Is Back!

2009-09-29T15:06:00.001-04:00

Neil Best passes along the news that ESPN has hired former Mets manager Bobby Valentine:

Bobby V will serve as a "Baseball Tonight" analyst beginning with the league championship series next month. Next season he will be a regular contributor, as well as work for 1050 ESPN radio and the soon-to-be-launched Web site ESPNNewyork.com.

Next season he will be a regular contributor, as well as work for 1050 ESPN radio and the soon-to-be-launched Web site ESPNNewyork.com.

Valentine did not dispute the assumption he would like to return to managing in the majors, but he added, "At this time I'm totally committed in thinking about trying to be as good as I can be for the team that showed interest."

The "team" he meant is ESPN.

ESPN executive Norby Williamson said he assumed Valentine will be with the network at least through 2010.

Valentine said it was difficult to follow American baseball closely while managing in Japan, but he offered this when asked about the 2009 Mets:

"I followed it from afar and I have some friends there that I've shared tears with, because I think it's been a tragedy.

"It's been disappointment after disappointment, and I don't think anybody could have fixed it as the season was going on. As soon as it seemed like things were getting better, they seemed to get worse.

"I was kind of a fan that was really disappointed and upset by the outcome."

http://www.newsday.com/blogs/sports/watchdog-1.812020/espn-hires-bobby-valentine-who-calls-mets-season-a-tragedy-1.1484902?localLinksEnabled=false

Transplanted ex-Mets Update: Mike Hampton out for 2010

2009-09-15T17:02:00.001-04:00

37 Year Old Mike Hampton, on the disabled list since August 18th, will have surgery on his pitching shoulder and both knees. He may miss the entire 2010 season. Hampton's infamous 8 year, $121M contract that he signed with the Rockies after helping the Mets reach the World Series in 2000, runs out after this season and he will be a free agent. For some reason his MRI results are in the hands of Mets' Dr. David Altchek. No idea why anyone would approach anyone on the Mets medical staff for medical advice!

Maybe you shouldn't take financial advice from Lenny Dykstra

2009-09-14T11:57:00.001-04:00

The Mets were officially eliminated from playoff contention last night, at the hands of Pedro Martinez and the Phillies. As if the season couldn't have been bad enough, this just put a rotten cherry on the worst sundae I've ever eaten. The offseason officially begins for Mets fans, though we still have a couple more weeks of rooting against the Phillies and Yankees.

Earlier this season, I posted a link to ex-Mets OF Lenny Dykstra's financial column for The Street. Sports Illustrated has posted word that Lenny is broke, and is auctioning off his 1986 World Series ring to raise money. So much for limiting downside risk, dude.

Worst Player Acquisitions in Mets Recent History

2009-09-08T21:35:00.002-04:00

On February 3, 2009, Oliver Pérez signed a three-year, $36 million deal to return to the Mets. Could this shape up to be the worst contract the Mets have ever committed themselves to? There's some stiff competition for that title. Here's some other bad Mets acquisitions:

Roger Cedeno
The deal: In December 2001, Steve Phillips signed Roger Cedeno to a four-year, $18-million contract. He hit .260 in 2002 and .267 in 2003, with a combined 39 stolen bases, in a tenure also marked by sloppy defense. Tom Glavine was caught on camera rolling his eyes after one botched Cedeno play.

Some lowlights: In June 2002, Cedeno got into a fight with Roberto Alomar in the Mets clubhouse. In November 2002 Cedeno was arrested and charged with driving under influence. In July 2003 Art Howe said Cedeno could steal more bases if he slimmed down. In December 2003 Jeff Cirillo rejected a trade to New York for Roger Cedeno.

The exit: Finally, in April 2004 Cedeno was traded to the St Louis Cardinals for future Hall of Famers catcher Chris Widger and shortstop Wilson Delgado.

Bobby Bonilla II
In 1999, the New York Mets acquired Bonilla from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Mel Rojas.
Lowlights: During Game Six of the 1999 NLCS where the Mets were eliminated by the Braves in a gut-wrenching eleven inning game, Bonilla reportedly sat in the clubhouse playing cards with teammate Rickey Henderson.

The exit: When the New York Mets placed Bonilla on unconditional waivers in 2000, they agreed to pay out the remainder of his contract by deferring the remaining $5.9 million. Instead of paying him upfront for that money they came to an agreement where the Mets would pay him 25 equal payments of $1,193,248.20 every July 1 from 2011 until 2035. Bobby Bonilla essentially lent the Mets six million dollars at an interest rate over 20%.

Mo Vaughn
In December 2001 the Mets traded pitcher Kevin Appier to the California Angels of Los Angeles for first baseman Mo Vaughn, committing $42 Million for the next 4 years, to a player that had missed the entire previous season to a biceps injury.

Lowlights: In April 2002 Mo Vaughn was sidelined with a broken right hand just one week into his Mets career. That year, he hit .259 with 26 home runs, 72 runs batted in and 145 strikeouts in 487 at-bats. He also made 18 errors. In the first month of 2003, he hit .190 with 3 homers and 15 RBIs and 22 K's.

The exit: In May 2003, Mo Vaughn went on the disabled list with an arthritic left knee and never played baseball again.

Tom Glavine
The deal: In 2003, the Mets signed Glavine to signing a four-year, $42.5 million deal.
2003 Record: 9-14 4.52 ERA
2004 Record: 11-14 3.60 ERA
2005: 13-13, 3.53 ERA
2006: 15-7, 3.82 ERA

The Mets stupidly signed Glavine to another one year deal in 2007, when he couldn't get one from the Braves. That year he went on to pitch in one of the worst games in Mets history. Needing a win to either win the division or force a play-off game with the Phillies for the division, Glavine allowed 8 runs while recording only one out. Afterwards, he was incredulous as to the notion that the loss was devastating.

Vince Coleman:
The deal: Before the 1991 season, the Mets signed Coleman to a four year deal worth $12 Million
Lowlights:
In 235 games over three seasons, Coleman hit .270 with a .336 on base percentage and just 99 stolen bases. Coleman was one of three Mets named in a complaint of rape filed by a 31
year old woman in Florida, though prosecutors did not pursue the charges. In April 1993, Coleman injured Dwight Gooden's arm by swinging a golf club in the clubhouse. In July 2003, Coleman threw a lit firecracker into a crowd of fans outside Dodger Stadium, injuring three children. He was put on "administrative leave" for the rest of the season.

The exit: At the end of the season, the Mets traded him, with cash, to the Kansas City Royals for Kevin McReynolds.

Art Howe:
The deal: When the Mets couldn't land Lou Pinella, they instead hired Art Howe to a four year, $9.4 Million deal to be their manager. Howe's tenure lasted just two years, when the club went a combined 137-186.
The exit: In a fittingly mis-managed manner, in mid-September 2004 word leaked to the media that the Mets had fired manager Art Howe. Still, the club elected to keep him on as a lame-duck for the final 2½ weeks of the season.

Mets Guy In Michigan in Chicago

2009-08-29T20:11:00.001-04:00

My brother in-law recently transplanted from Brooklyn to central Illinois. The Mets are in Chicago this weekend, but he opted not to make the trek. Can't say I blame him, though Wrigley Field is the true mecca of baseball. The White Sox have a stadium, too, of course, and I've been lucky enough to have visited it twice, as I've also done with aforementioned Wrigley. Mets Guy in Michigan was also in Chicago recently, and visited Comiskey Park. Check out his blog for his review. Seems there are other teams besides the Mets in MLB who have contempt for their fans.

http://metsguyinmichigan.blogspot.com/2009/08/separate-and-not-quite-equal-at-us.html

Well Said, Eddie Kranepool

2009-08-21T13:59:00.004-04:00

Steve Keane nails it once again, with his take on the Sheffield drama. Although most fans are quick to call Sheff a baby, it's actually hard not to sympathize with his side when you think about it.

...all he did was be the consummate pro. He played through hurting legs when the team was short of sluggers he went out and played a better than average left field. Sheffield produced more than anyone could have hope for. So with the Mets clearly out of contention the logical move would be to put him on waivers, see who bites and if someone does, make a deal. General Managing 101.

I have to say, I too would be annoyed if I were in Gary's shoes. The Mets don't want to trade me to a contender, and they won't discuss a contract extension for 2010. Wonder how Dwight Gooden feels about this?

Then again, Adam Rubin makes a compelling argument as well!

If you sign up to play for a team, and that team decides to keep you for the entire season, how exactly can you have any legitimate gripe?
The Mets could have saved about one-sixth of Sheffield's $400,000 salary by letting him go to the team that claimed him. And then what? Don't the Mets have to field a competitive team for the rest of the year? (Or whatever you'd label what they are right now.)

And while Sheffield shouldn't be begrudged for requesting a 2010 contract, when it was spurned, how about going back out on the field that night and proving you merit it?

Point. Counterpoint. We report, you deride.

The Livan Hernandez Era Is Over

2009-08-20T16:38:00.001-04:00

OK, one last time:

Livan wears his war wound like a crown. He'll have to sell cartoon ballons in town, because he's not a Met anymore. While Livan Hernandez surprised us all by winning the 5th starter position out of Sping Training, and was probably our best pitcher in April, Livan has finally run out of gas for us, and had to be released to make way for... Billy Wagner. Billyball is back in New York, sports fans, at least for now.

Transplanted ex-Mets update: Tom Seaver on Joba Chamberlain

2009-08-18T16:41:00.001-04:00

Mets Police passes along a link to an article where Tom Seaver essentially says that the Joba Rules could be detrimental to Joba Chamberlain's long term career. There's probably something about wine in there too, but I don't know for sure, I didn't read the link.

Transplanted ex-Mets update: Bobby Bonilla

2009-08-18T15:55:00.001-04:00

Nice catch by Andrew Vazzano to pass along word from Twitter that one-time Mets nemesis, and twice-Mets headache Bobby Bonilla will start collecting paychecks from the Mets in 2011, as part of the buyout agreement when they released him in the Bobby Valentine era of 2000.

Sent to you by Mike via Google Reader:

Bobby Bonilla’s back on the payroll in 2011

via The 'Ropolitans | NY Mets Baseball Blog by Andrew Vazzano on 8/18/09

Joe Foriello of DisgruntledMetsFan.com just tweeted something that I had completely forgotten about.

Here's his tweet:

Does anyone realize that starting in 2011, the New York Mets will pay Bobby Bonilla $1.2 mil / year for 25 years? What an organization!

That's right. Starting July 1, 2011, and on every July 1 until 2035, the Mets will send a check to Bobby Bonilla worth $1,193,248.20.

When the Mets released Bonilla in January of 2000, instead of picking up the $5.9 million owed to him for that year, they agreed to pay him nearly $1.2 million over the course of 25 years. That's almost $30 million.

Yikes.

Might as well bring him back as a coach somewhere for that much money. Or have him cut the grass at Citi Field.

Or maybe he can play left field.

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Transplanted ex-Mets update: Todd Pratt

2009-08-16T20:21:00.001-04:00

Wondering whatever happened to 1999 NLDS hero, ex-Mets catcher Todd Pratt? He's a coach for the Douglasville Bulls, of the Metro-Atlanta based independent Sunbelt League.

The Mets are hexed. It's

2009-08-05T17:59:00.001-04:00

The Mets are hexed. It's the only explanation at this point. Castillo yesterday and the sausage man today. Unreal.

Transplanted ex-Mets update: Pedro Martinez

2009-07-31T22:46:00.001-04:00

Pedro Martinez allowed five runs and three hits in five innings tonight for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Philadelphia Phillies' AAA affiliate. The Yahoo! Sports report stated that Pedro reached 93 on teh radar gun with his fastball, and his changeup was "effective."

'Ropolitans: Wally Backman is axed

2009-07-31T12:37:00.001-04:00

Andrew Vazzano passes along word that transplanted ex-Mets 2B, and 1986 World Series champ, Wally Backman has been fired as manager of the Joliet JackHammers of the Northern League. Andrew wonders if this opens the door for a return to the Mets, but I sincerely doubt the Jackhammer job has been the biggest obstacle to a reuinion in Queens.

It's Dancey Dance Time For The Mets

2009-07-30T11:29:00.001-04:00

Despite all the front office hoopla, and despite half the roster being on the DL, or unavailable due to electrolyte deficiency, the Mets have won four in a row and are trying to convince us not to write them off for October baseball. Can this hot streak be sustained long enough to put the Mets into contention, and then can the return of key players propel them into the playoffs? That remains to be seen, of course, but in the meantime we can't go a day without some silliness. New York Post Page Six section alleges Jose Reyes was spotted dancing his but off at a New York City club the other night, even though he's supposed to be rehabbing his hamstring, or knee, or ankle, or whatever. The New York Mets flatly discredit the reports (is Richard Johnson after the Mets Shortstop position?), but that doesn't mean it's not worth posting about.

So Where's All The Mets Stuff At Citi Field?

2009-07-28T20:48:00.004-04:00

As the current homestand approached, I kept hearing about the unveiling of more Mets-ness at the Mets new home. Certainly that story was obscured by Rubingate, but watching today's broadcast, Citi Field looks exactly the same as when I went in April. Can someone out there give me an update on how Citi Field has been Metsmerized? I see the outfield walls are still black.

Image Source: http://nomas-nyc.com

UPDATE: Citi may not yet have been Metsmerized. On WFAN yesterday afternoon, Evan Roberts was talking about expecting to see improvements to Citi Field to make it more Mets-centric when he attended last night's game, and I never heard a follow up. However, the only reference I could find online was this article in Newsday where the Mets will now show live action on the replay boards for those with obstructed views, and a vague reference to long term plans for displays of Mets memories. So much for that.

Conflict Of Interest?

2009-07-28T10:03:00.001-04:00

WFAN's morning show host Craig Carton talked out of both sides of his mouth this morning - he said that Adam Rubin absolutely crossed the line this morning as a beat reporter, but then admitted that he used to go out drinking with players on the teams he covered as a beat reporter.

Adam Rubin is a beat reporter. From where I sit, he's supposed to get chummy with the Mets players and brass, so he can give us a behind-the-scenes description of the day to day activities of the Mets. It seems to me like he's been pretty fair with his coverage. However, it is of course IMPOSSIBLE for Adam not to have a personal bias one way or another about the people he's covering. Unless all he puts down are facts, i.e. this is the lineup, this was the score, and translates box scores into sentences and gives transcriptions of post-game interviews given by other reporters, there is NO WAY for him not to have a personal bias influence his writing. And that's fine. The only way sports reporting can be even remotely interesting is for there to be some opinions, which are, by definition, personally biased. And I think most of us, as readers, get it. We can't stand Wallace Matthews because we think he has an anti-Mets bias, but we do read his columns, because his columns are entertaining, which is why we read columnists. This isn't national politics, for crying out loud, it's baseball!

In the case of Tony Bernazard, Adam Rubin broke a real news story, about how a member of the Mets front office was behaving innapropriately. Actual journalism! And apparently the Mets didn't like that. For years we've made fun of Fred Wilpon's assessment of Steve Phillips's qualifications for the GM job, saying Steve had the "Skill Sets" for the job. We had no idea what that meant, until now. Clearly, Omar does not have the skill sets necessary to talk to the media and the public. For all the boneheaded moves Steve Phillips made as GM, he was at least better than Omar at spinning to the public the Mets asinine agenda. Yesterday's smear job on Adam Rubin was ludicrous.

Omar announces Tony was fired, and then, for some God-unknown reason, mentions that Adam Rubin has been lobbying the Mets for a job in player development.

Even if that were true, and take it to the extreme, that Adam Rubin was actually telling the Mets that he should replace Tony B as VP of player development, how exactly is that relevant to the Mets decision to fire Tony? Either Tony deserved to be fired, or he didn't. If Adam Rubin's reporting was bogus, then Tony should not have been fired. But clearly, the reporting was spot-on, and that's why the Mets axed Tony from Princeton.

Later in the day, Jeff Wilpon implied he didn't think Adam's inquiries about how one gets a job in player development were unethical. Omar said he regretted bringing up Adam Rubin's name in the press conference because it was not the right forum. Exactly what forum would be appropriate for this nonsense?

This is so crazy. Adam Rubin is paid by the Daily News to cover the Mets, and I assume his paychecks for appearing on Daily News Live come from the Daily News as well, not SNY. Where is he being compensated by the Mets to call into the question of ethics? Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez, Ron Darling and everyone on SNY who supposedly cover the Mets in an unbiased fashion, all collect paychecks from the Mets. Mike Francesca is paid by the Yankees (YES Network). There are conflicts of interest all over the place! If Adam Rubin did get hired by the Mets, I would expect he would cease to cover the Mets as a beat reporter because there would be an actual conflict of interest. But unless he is being compensated by the Mets in ways we don't know about, I don't see anything unethical, regardless of his future career aspirations.

Full disclosure: I have no relationship with Adam Rubin, other than my appreciation for the one time he printed my finding that the Mets were putting less urinals per man in Citi Field than there were in Shea Stadium.

List Of Jobs With The Mets I'm Not After

2009-07-28T09:02:00.001-04:00

Just to set the record straight, last week when I asked "How exactly does anyone in the Mets medical department still have a job?" I was not lobying for a position in the Mets Medical Department.

Further, when I suggested the Mets get a partial refund from HOK for designing a stadium with so many obstructed views, I was not lobbying for a job with the Mets in Stadium Development.

And when I said that the Mets should Fire Omar, Tony, and Jerry, I was not lobbying for a job as GM, VP of Player Development, or as manager of the Mets. I did, however, suggest that Bobby Valentine would be a good candidate for any of those jobs and other than meeting Bobby V at his restaurant in Willets Point a few years back, I have no conflict of interest there either.

In the effort of full disclosure, however, I must admit I was once offered a job by the Mets: This past offseason, the Mets called me to sell me season tickets. When I declined, explaining that being a transplanted Mets fan there was no way I would be able to make it to that many games, the Mets salesperson suggested I sell any tickets I didn't want on the secondary market. I declined the offer to be a ticket broker for the Mets. And, looking at the prices on StubHub recently, I think I did the right thing.

Hey Mets: It's Bobby Valentine Time

2009-07-27T22:27:00.002-04:00

According to the Daily News, transplanted ex-Mets Manager Bobby Valentine is leaving Japan's Chiba Lotte Marines.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2009/07/27/2009-07-27_former_met_skipper_bobby_valentine_bids_japan_sayonara.html#ixzz0MW6YJwhh

With Omar Minaya sticking one foot out the door and another on a banana peel, during today's Press Conference to end all Press Conferences, the road to the return of Bobby V is clearly paved: Omar's Successor fires Jerry and hires Bobby V. I'll get back to you on the whereabouts of Carlos Baerga for that 1B Coach job next...

http://www.bobbysway.jp/

Hope The Mets Brought Back Some Orange Juice With Them!

2009-07-27T09:13:00.001-04:00

The Mets bats came alive this weekend - apparently they really like hitting in Houston's Minute Maid Park. I wonder how the Astros fans feel about the corporate naming rights of their stadium? After ENRON FIELD, anything is an improvement, but I would love to know how many fans were just hoping their team could play in the Astronondome after the Enron debacle. Still, it seems like when the corporate naming rights goes to a tangible consumer product, there is considerably less outrage than when it's a telecom company or a bank. If the Citi naming rights ever implodes (perhaps less inevitable than we all thought), the Wilpons would be wise to solicit a more fan friendly way to sell out:

Some suggestions:

Pepsi Field

Subway Stadium

Sharp Park

or, my personal recommendation, for continuity and integrity: CITY FIELD

FAFIF: Transplanted Mets Fan's Guide to Petco Park

2009-07-24T08:51:00.001-04:00

Jason, from Faith and Fear in Flushing, is in San Diego this week, so decided to take in a game at Petco Park. If you're a Mets fan who is looking to transplant to another city, San Diego is a fine choice. I've been to a Petco game myself, and got to see Mike Cameron and Mike Piazza in their San Diego days, and think it's a great place to see a ballgame. You should take a moment to check out Jason's review here.

Breaking News: John Maine may be done for season

2009-07-24T08:40:00.001-04:00

I logged on to Newsday.com this morning so I could see how badly it still looks, when I saw that they have a report that states John Maine may be on the shelf for the rest of 2009:

Mets pitcher John Maine will seek a second opinion on his injured right shoulder, multiple sources confirmed Thursday. Maine, who went on the disabled list June 12 with a pinched nerve in the shoulder, is expected to visit Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., in the next few days, sources said, indicating that his season may be in jeopardy.

How exactly does anyone in the Mets medical department still have a job?

Day One of New Newsday.com Format: Thumbs Down

2009-07-23T21:43:00.001-04:00

Newsday.com has redesigned (again), in the next step in their effort to generate revenue through their online presence. Well, it's only been a day, but I have to give it a hearty thumbs down so far. The site is slower, clumsier, ugly, difficult to navigate, and archaic: the blogs are not even RSS functional, nor even have comment section set-up. And you expect us to pay for this?

In April, Newsday announced that they "plan to end the distribution of free Web content and make our newsgathering capabilities a service to our customers." Poor first step, folks. Who would pay for this?

Head To Citi Field and see a winning Mets ballcub.

2009-07-23T12:59:00.000-04:00

I've seen the Mets play three times this season (twice at Citi and once in D.C), and the Mets are 0-3 in those games. If you want to be guaranteed to see a winning Mets team this season, head to Citi Field on Saturday, August 22, when the 1969 Mets will make an appearance. Tom Seaver will be there, so if you're watching the game at home I am sure can tune in to the TV broadcast at some point to hear about his winery. But I'm excited to hear about Nolan Ryan's planned appearance. As everyone knows, the Mets franchise is bitten by the Nolan Ryan curse. In 1971 they traded a young Nolan Ryan, for Jim Fregosi. Nolan would go on to pitch seven no-hitters across his major league career (which lasted a mind boggling 27 seasons). And of course, the Mets as a franchise have never had a pitcher throw a no-hitter. Thus, the Nolan Ryan curse. Can the Mets Reverse The Curse by inviting their 1969 star to Citi Field? Wait and see, wait and see...

End It Now

2009-07-22T21:43:00.002-04:00

This has been a season of one embarrassment after another. Opening a $800 million ballpark with obstructed views named after a bankrupt bank, with the first pitch caught by a former player under the glare of steroid allegations, and the bigwigs more concerned about Dwight Gooden's illegal autograph than the fact that the team had no depth, and even worse, no heart. And that was all just the first week of the season.

Now that Tony from Princeton has finally exposed himself as the ass that he is, and Omar has failed to make the postseason for the third straight season, the time is now for a regime change. Jerry Manuel has got to go as well. He told Schmuck Francesca today that biggest drag on teh Mets clubhouse has been waiting for the stars to get back. Why are they waiting for the stars to come back, Jerry? Aren't these all major league players Jerry? I any one of them being paid less than a half million dollars a year to play baseball? How about telling tehse guys that they have the ability to win games without burden of the injured players that choked the last two seasons?

Fire Bernazard, Fire Omar, Fire Jerry, bring in a Moneyball GM like the Red Socks have, bring in Rob Neyer as a special advisor, HIRE BOBBY VALENTINE, install Carlos Baerga as first base coach, and start building a fun ballclub - baseball like it oughta be.

Have the Mets given up?

2009-07-20T12:54:00.001-04:00

I know injuries are the most obvious and logical reason for the Mets losing ways this season, but I also think it's a convenient excuse. I think Jerry Manuel's message of "let's tread water until our big guys get back" has been a detriment to the team. The 1997 Mets, led by Bobby Valentine, were a lot more competitive, and the most talented player on that team was Todd Hundley. 2009 may be a lost season for the Mets, but Omar shouldn't rest this offseason - this team needs to be rebuilt. Start by shipping out Jerry Manuel, and re-hiring Bobby V. Then, say "see you later" to Carlos Delgado, Luis Castillo, Brian Schneider, and start building anew. I also think teh time is now to say "bye bye" to Mr. Beltran. Trade him while his value is still high. Build the team around David Wright, Jose Reyes and Johan Santana and K-Rod. Everyone else is disposable. We need some fun at Citi Field, and that means players with some personality and passion. We watch sports for entertainment, and the way these guys lose (and even the way they win), just is not entertaining.

All Star Break is over

2009-07-17T19:46:00.002-04:00

Second verse, same as the first. I've been pretty bogged down with work and school lately, so it's been hard to keep up with posting, but I figured I should at least post my thoughts on the Ryan Church Era being over. I received the news via text message from my cousin, while I was visiting my dad in Florida. I about drove off the road. Not because they traded Church, who you had to figure wasn't long for the team, but because Omar imported a guy with abolutely none of what the Mets offense have been missing: power. It was a weird move actually: a swap of guys who had fallen out of favor with managemnet, but not necessarily the fans. Both guys have the potential to be fan favorites, and come back to bite the other team, but neither guy really has the potential to be a difference maker.

I'm looking forward to watching some baseball this weekend, in between studying for a midterm and finishing up the next part of my project. Can anyone out there help me with Equity Valuation or Weighted Average Cost of Capital?

Mets Confessions via Text Messages

2009-07-01T20:52:00.001-04:00

My friend Bob* and I had a text message conversation yesterday morning, while I was commuting into the city for a business meeting. I forgot to bring a newspaper, so he kept me entertained. We both vented about our frustration with this team.

ME: Good Morning to you and how you be?

BOB: Not bad. Yourself

ME: Fine. on the train to nyc.

BOB: When is our Mets game? How much do I owe you?

ME: september 6. 30 bucks. they should be in last place by then. Bobby V would do better with this crew

BOB: Totally, I'm tiring of the Manuel Schtick

ME: the 97 mets had less talent and won more.

BOB: More heart and a better manager. Also more clubhouse leaders.

ME: and more Baergas

BOB: Sorely missed

ME: At least myheinousanusreyes is back.

BOB: Nobody worth rooting for besides Johan and K-Rod. Even Wright is a loser

ME: k-rod couldn't get mariano rivera out. johan has thrown more teammates under the bus than Cindy Brady would... at least he's a man though.

BOB: He's a man. He's a man.

ME: to hell with all these guys

BOB: I've never been so disconnected before. Minus them sucking, I think some of it is getting older and being distracted by kids.

ME: yeah me too. but also these guys just aren't that likeable. even in 2007, before september, i wasn't digging on this group.

BOB: It's the personalities. Nobody has a good one. We need another Ventura.

ME: yeah he was great and so was leiter, turk wendell and even derek bell

BOB: Yep on all those guys - these guys are dull...dull quotes...dull looks on their faces. We'd be better off with Manuel as a player.

ME: bunch of spoiled millionares

BOB: Yep. Even the Yanks have Damon and Swisher, who are fun guys.

ME: a caller to mike francesca proposed ryan church for nick swisher. i thought that was a good deal for both teams.

BOB: I would do it. I like Church, but he is SUCH a dud.

ME: yeah and swisher has more power, which we need too. You know who's another guy the Mets miss? Cliff Floyd.

BOB: BIG time

ME: ok, getting off the train now. Get back to work!

*name has been changed to protect the innocent

Transplanted Ex-1986 Mets

2009-06-25T20:09:00.001-04:00

How long did it take to build and disassemble that World Series-winning team?

http://www.flipflopflyin.com/flipflopflyball/info-86mets.html

Transplanted ex-Mets update: Orlando El Duque Hernandez

2009-06-11T19:59:00.002-04:00

Hey hey hey, El Duque isn't done yet. Former Mets pitcher and younger/older half-brother of Livan Hernandez, Orlando Hernandez has signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers.

The last time Mets fans saw El Duque he was due back any day now from a foot injury in 2007, but he missed all of 2008 when he injured his toe while rehabbing his foot. I'm pretty sure Suzyn Waldman blames the foot injury on El Duque being sad about Elian Gonzalez.

Another ex-Mets pitcher, Pedro Martinez, is reportedly in talks with the Tampa Ray Devil Bays to join the club, pending the results of an upcoming workout. Metsblog notes that the Rays will face the Mets at Citi Field for a three game set next weekend.

Meanwhile, in Japan, former Mets manager Bobby Valentine's Chiba Lotte Marines scored 15 runs in one inning against the Hiroshima Carp as part of a 23-2 win on Thursday.

Photos of Nationals Park (Mets V. Expos)

2009-06-09T15:56:00.011-04:00

Alright, time to get one last post out of the way about my trip to Nationals Park, before the Mets kick off their big series with the Phillies (weather permitting).

All in all, I was very impressed with Nationals Park. What may be most impressive is that the Mets and Nationals both started work on their stadiums at roughly the same time in 2006, but the Washington, D.C. park opened a full year before Citi Field. I can't explain why it took the Mets longer, because both stadiums were designed by HOK. Maybe someone out there has a guess?

We took the DC Metro to the Park, which sits at the Navy Yards stop on the Green Line. Luckily I had my cousin with me to figure out how to buy a Metro Card - I have to admit I was totally baffled by the vending machines at the train station! One thing to note when riding teh DC Metro: you have to swipe your card both when you enter and exit the stations - it's kinda like the Jersey Turnpike tolls where you pay depending on how far you travel and what time of day, rather than a flat per-ride price.

When you depart the train you walk into the park down this main corridor where they are building condos and luxury apartment buildings. How great would it be to be able to watch the game from your apartment? I wonder how rents with ballpark views will compare to those with views of The Capitol?

MASN was broadcasting their pre-game show from the ballpark courtyard. I thought it was really cool to see a player from the 1986 Mets at the game. How could you top that? You can buy day of game grandstand seats for $5.00 each, but we opted for upper deck seats behind the plate for $20. I thought that was a pretty good deal. Here was our view:

There is a huge analog clock next to the giant HDTV scoreboard in centerfield. I am not sure if this is intentional, going back to rickety RFK days or what, but there is something wrong with the clock. At gametime it was about 10 minutes slow, and by the end of teh game (2 hrs. later) it was almost a full hour behind. And another thing, and I am sure I am not the first to note this, but someone should inform Walgreens that the baseball team stole their logo.

The TV announcers may complain about their high perch, but there is not an obstructed view in all of Nationals park. And I checked. You can watch teh game while walking around the entire park, almost at every level, with great views of the action. Wherever you go. There is phenomenal food choices (I did have a tasty W shaped pretzel), and overall a very fine atmosphere. Credit for this must go to thw aforementioned all-star ushers. Very friendly for out of town fans!

Here are some more pics for your perusal. Overall, I rate this ballpark an A

Meeting Doc Gooden

2009-06-08T12:04:00.001-04:00

So here is the story of how I met transplanted ex-Mets superstar pitcher Dwight "Doctor K" Gooden:

I give a ton of credit to my cousin who has been a Mets fan for over 30 years, despite growing up in Western, PA where most baseball fans would grow up rooting for the Pirates, or maybe even the Indians or something. But he stuck with the Mets through the lean times and even though he now lives in the Washington DC area, we try to meet up at least once a year for a Mets game. The first autograph I ever got was Dwight Gooden. I don't know how young I was, but it used to be that if you showed up early at Shea you could hang out at the field level and often times the players would come over to the railings and sign things. I was fortunate enough to get Dwight Gooden's autograph on a baseball, and then I asked for a second autograph for my cousin. Everyone in the crowd snickered, yeah sure for your cousin, but Doc obliged and I sent the artifact out to my cousin in PA.

So this weekend my very understanding wife and my son and I drove down to southern Maryland to meet up with my cousin and his wife and their two kids. Saturday night my cousin and I took the DC Metro into the game. My cousin's got this old shirt, I mean like 20 years old or something, that he wears to most Mets games. It's a grey Dwight Gooden T-Shirt with an illustration of Doc on it and METS written across the top. I wish I had a picture of this shirt, because no written description could do it justice. But anyway, like I said my cousin wears it to almost all Mets games he goes to, and says they almost never lose when he wears it. When we showed up at his house my wife asked where the Gooden shirt was.

So he's got the shirt on and we're walking around Nationals Park in between innings, and this dude at a memorabilia kiosk calls us over. He wants to know about the shirt my cousin's got on, and where he got it. It's an old shirt, my cousin says. The guy at the kiosk says he has been getting requests for T-shirts featuring Negro League stars, and the one my cousin has on is great because it says Mets on it! The guy was serious! So my cousin just says it's an old shirt that he's had for years. The guy says, "Well it fits you great - it's probably your best shirt!" We just walked away laughing and of course made jokes for the rest of the game about Negro League superstar Dwight Gooden, and remember that time he faced Satchel Paige and that kind of thing.

My cousin was very patient as I took about a thousand pictures of the ballpark. The great thing about the park is that it's got open views of the field from practically every level, so you can walk around and watch the game from every angle. Which is what we did once the game was out of hand. We started way up on top and circled around, and as you'll see when I post pictures, I have photos from about a dozen different of angles. So by the time the top of the ninth rolled around, we were at the lowest level, right at home plate. I'm taking shots from where I thought was a good view, when an usher invited me to go even closer. So I got separated from my cousin to walk down the ramp and take a few shots. I got some closer pictures of Castillo and Beltran as they batted and then since it was 2 outs in the ninth I figured I should get back up to my cousin before we got separated when the game ended. I turned around to walk up the ramp when a different usher calls back to me, "Hey! You know who's here? Dwight Gooden!" I guess he spotted my Mets hat, and knew Dwight Gooden from his post-Negro League days?

"Where?," I asked.

"Go that way and ask the usher - his name is Howard."

I found Howard, and asked him if Doc Gooden was sitting nearby, right as Beltran made the last out of the game. "He's right there - standing up right now to leave."

I asked the usher he would take our picture. The Nationals my not have many wins, but they lead the league in my favorte ushers. Dwight was with a young boy (his son?) but obliged for the photo anyway - he even smiled! I thanked Doc for the 1980's memories, and ran back to my cousin. "You are not going to believe this," as I showed him my camera.

My cousin laughed in astonishment. "I was just about to say that the luck in this shirt had run out!"

I think I owe my cousin and his shirt a few beers for the karma.

Quick Review: Nationals Park

2009-06-07T20:50:00.002-04:00

Still recovering from the long drive up from DC. I'll post a full review soon, hopefully tomorrow, but in the meantime here are some quick reactions about my trip to see the Mets play at Nationals Park:

I want to know if HOK (the designers of Citi Field) also did this park because whoever did, did a much better job.
Access to the park is super easy from the DC Metro.
360 degrees of the field from ALL levels.
No obstructed views.
Fantastic food options.
A great value - I scored upper deck seats day of game for $20 each. There are also grandstand seats for $5, available day of game only, but we bought our seats from the kiosk and I think you have to talk to a live person to get the $5 seats?
Something is crazy with the big analog clock in right field, it was 15 minutes slow at game time, but by the end of the game it was almost a full hour behind!
Someone needs to tell Walgreens that the Nationals stole their logo.
How do 8 runs get scored in a baseball game that only lasts two hours?
I am officially a jinx for the 2009 Mets - I am 0 for 3 seeing the in person this year!
TONS of Mets fans at the park.
I will have to post this separately, as it is too long and crazy story to bury it here, but I managed to get my picture taken with Dwight Gooden, who was in attendance at the game!
Brag all you want, Washington fans, but until your team finishes above .500 for the season, they are still the Expos!

That's all for now - I'll post more pics, comments and stories later this week!

Just got my pic taken

2009-06-06T21:11:00.002-04:00

Just got my pic taken with Dwight Gooden!

$20 for this view

2009-06-06T19:50:00.002-04:00

Live from Nationals Park

Live blog at Nationals Park: Lets Go Mets!

2009-06-06T19:06:00.001-04:00

First Pitch at Nationals Park. Mets vs. Expos

Transplanted ex-Mets update: Tom Glavine

2009-06-03T20:18:00.001-04:00

Metsblog passes along word from FOX Sports that the Braves have released Tom Glavine, who was in the midst of rehabbing from an injury and seemed to be progressing well. Money seemed to be a factor for the Braves. I wonder if Glavine is devastated by the news.

I hate agreeing with Wallace Matthews, but I do

2009-05-30T11:35:00.001-04:00

I usually take umbrage with the way Wallace Matthews takes any opportunity to slam the Mets, but I begrudgingly admit that I often agree with his rants. Today is one of those times - his column discusses the surprisingly low attendance at Mets and Yankees games. The owners will want to blame the economy, but that's only half the story. This season will likely be the fewest games I've gone to in about 15 years, and for three of those years I lived in North Carolina! I haven't directly been impacted by the economy, but the way the Mets have structured the price of a ticket, plus the hidden surcharges, plus the price of parking, and the way they built the damn ballpark so that only those who pay triple-figures can actually get a good view, I am less than enthusiastic about making the trek to a game. Shea was a dump, for sure, but at least those in the upper tank could see the whole field for under $15 a seat. Mezzanine and Loge seats behind the plate were great views for less than $40 most nights. Citi Field is just one big rip-off.

The Ramon Castro Era Is Over

2009-05-30T09:00:00.003-04:00

I am very happy today, as the Mets won an 11 inning thriller with a game winning hit by Omir Santos, as well as because the Ramon Castro Era is over. I have never been a fan, and am glad that we will see more of Omir. It occurred to me, with news that the Mets have acquired minor league outfielder Emil Brown, that the Mets must surely lead the league in players whose first names have just four letters:

Omir
Ryan
Alex
Gary
Jose
Sean
Mike

Remember, as tempting as it is, NO GLOATING about injuries to competing team's players!

Transplanted ex-Mets Outfielder Clint Hurdle Fired as manager of The Rockies

2009-05-29T21:39:00.001-04:00

Two-time Mets Utility Player Clint Hurdle was fired today as manager of the Colorado Rockies.

Hurdle had three stints as a Met, but appeared in just 59 games over three seasons (1983, 1985 and 1987) in the mid eighties. He hit .195 as a Met.

Before moving on to the Rockies organization, Hurdle managed the Mets A, AA, and AAA farm teams.

Ex-Mets Manager Joe Torre Is Full Of Balogna

2009-05-29T17:04:00.002-04:00

Joe Torre says that Manny Ramirez should decline an invitation to the All Star Game if selected.

“To me, I think the significance of the All-Star Game is to reward players who have a good first half,” Torre said. “We don’t always do that, because it’s a popularity vote, for the most part. If you want to include the fans, that’s how it’s got to be.”

Really, Joe? It's to reward players who had a great first half? Is that why you selected seven Yankees to the 2001 squad when none were voted in by the fans?

METS BOOK REVIEW: Faith And Fear In Flushing: The Book

2009-05-29T16:22:00.003-04:00

If you're a fan of Faith And Fear In Flushing: The Blog you've likely already picked up Faith And Fear In Flushing: The Book. Greg and Jason's blogsite has long been called "The Blog For Mets Fans Who Like To Read" so I guess it's only natural for the blog to become a book! The site's postings consistently articulate what Mets fans collectively are feeling at any given time. If you're a Mets fans you leave the site feeling validated and with a sense of camaraderie in your emotions. Greg Prince's book does exactly the same thing. Sometimes as Mets fans we feel like we're constantly having to explain our fandom. Some folks think we just choose to be contrarian. Yankees fans sometimes malign us for sticking with a faux-underdog. They don't get it. We're Mets Fans because we're Mets Fans, and I could spend a thousand pages trying to explain it but instead I'll just direct you to Greg's fine book for what must be the best articulation of what it's like to be a Mets fan between two hard covers.

The well-deserved positive reviews are pouring in, and if you haven't been convinced enough yet to purchase this tome, I'd like to list just a few of my favorite things about Faith and Fear in Flushing: An Intense Personal History of the New York Mets

I finally have a mnemonic device to remember the name of the blog! I have a brain freeze when it comes to remembering the name of the site, and I all too often type it or remember it as "Fear And Faith In Flushing." Thankfully, the cover of the book gives me an associative device to remember it. Ray Knight is on the top half of the cover (Faith) and Aaron Heilman is on the bottom half (Fear). It is officially ingrained!

It's written by a blogger! If you're a blogger you can't help but feel like we were all published along with Greg Prince. Don't you just feel totally validated? And hey, if your significant other can't fathom why you would want to spend countless hours on the computer ~~barking~~ blogging at the moon, it is especially helpful to be able to hold up a real live book published by a real live publisher and say "See here, this book was written by a blogger! That could be me someday!" Or at least, "Hey, look here in the acknowledgments! This guy Dave Murray is a Mets blogger too! I could be named in an acknowledgments section someday!"

There's an entire chapter devoted to the 1997 Mets. 1997 was one of the most fun seasons for me as a fan of the Mets. Carlos Baerga, John Olerud, Matt Franco, Edgardo Alfonzo, and my all-time favorite manager Bobby Valentine made for one of the most gratifying seasons as a season can be without winning a damn thing, and I'm not the only one who remembers it as such!

The Afterword with Gary Cohen. Greg transcribes a conversation with Gary Cohen, and they talk about the closing of Shea Stadium, and if you didn't already believe that Gary was one of us, these few pages assert that we're all in this together. And that for me is what this book is all about. That sense of community among Mets fans, simultaneously optimistic and bitter, and always believing.

Out Of Sight, Out Of My Mind

2009-05-21T17:19:00.000-04:00

Can the Mets make it any harder to stay enthused about the team? The only good thing about teh last four days is that they are playing in California, at gametimes too late for those of us with day jobs to stay up and endure the beatings.

Condolences to transplanted ex-Mets reliever Scott Schoeneweis, who is mourning the sudden death of his wife.

Congratulations to ex-Mets superstar Darryl Strawberry on the release of his latest autobiography. I think this is like the eighth or ninth.

Transplanted Ex-Mets Update: Lastings Milledge has surgery on busted hand

2009-05-17T09:36:00.001-04:00

Another game that proves nothing can be predicted in baseball: Johan Santana finally got run support, and he needed all of it, as the Mets beat Randy Johnson and the San Franciscans in a game slightly less than a pitchers duel. A Philly won the Preakness, and the Phillies beat the Expos, but the Expos' AAAllstar candidate Lastings Milledge had surgery on his broken ring finger.

Mets go for the sweep today!

What A Win! Mets on National TV today.

2009-05-16T11:55:00.003-04:00

It was hard to find a Mets fan who was optimistic about their chances last night, sending Livan Hernandez up to the hill to face Tim Lincecum. And for sure, Livan did not have the stuff while the reigning Cy Young champ did. However, late inning heroics by the Mets sent them on to their second consecutive win against the San Francisco Treats.

Santana vs. Randy Johnson should give the FOX Network a nice ratings boost. A lot of sports fans will have their TV sets on today to watch the horse race, but apart from the three minutes around race time, I'm thinking baseball will dominate those sets. What do I know though. Eiter way, it's a good day to be a transplanted Mets fan, with our ace on National TV.

Lets Go Mets!

Transplanted Ex-Mets on the All Star Ballot

2009-05-14T22:01:00.001-04:00

Voting for the All Star Game has started - so lets make sure we have enough transplanted ex-Mets on the field as possible in St. Louis this summer.

AL
1B Mike Jacobs
SS Marco Scutaro

3B Melvin Mora
OF Carlos Gomez, Xavier Nady, Jason Bay

Did I miss anyone in the AL?

For the NL, you may be inclined to vote all Mets, or all ex-Mets, but whatever you do you just HAVE to vote in Lastings Milledge, for the Natinals/Expos!

If you want to vote for some ex-Mets instead of some current Mets, here are your options:

2B Anderson Hernandez or Kaz Matsui
C Jesus Flores
OF Mike Cameron, Lastings Milledge

Did I miss anyone in the NL?

Don't Bury Me, I Ain't Dead Yet

2009-05-13T16:30:00.001-04:00

I am back from a much needed North Carolina vacation - I transplanted myself back to where I had once been transplanted to, and the Mets didn't lose a game the whole time I was gone! Apparently I am a jinx. The Mets have lost both times I've seen them in person, at the home opener and again on April 19th. My next scheduled visit with teh Mets is in Washington D.C. where I'll see them take on the Expos. Remember, Natinals fans, until you finish over .500, you're still the Expos. Or at least the Natinals.

For the record, I still have not heard back from mr. Dave Howard about my obstructed view from the Promenade, but my pal Tubby reports that TV sets have been installed at the food court above the Jackie Robinson rotunda. Hopefully the outfield walls color is the next modification.

Happy Birthday Carlos Beltran

2009-04-24T20:27:00.001-04:00

We have truly entered the Twilight Zone, Mets fans. Castillo is getting cheered and David Wright is getting booed. On the bright side, Johan Santana has two runs to support his pitching effort, thanks to the birthday boy and some shoddy Expos defense.

Comparing the Mets and Angels respective homes

2009-04-22T11:54:00.000-04:00

If the Mets have an American League soulmate, surely it's the California Angels of Anaheim. They're an expansion team that shares a media market with one of the most storied franchises in baseball... And maybe that's about it. But as I sat in the club level of Angel Stadium on a gorgeous night' I couldn't help but compare and contrast the stadium with Citi Field. This was my first visit to this stadium, but I've only been to Citi twice so it's as fair as I can be...

The first thing I noticed was all the green. The seats were green, the walls were green, and the railings were green... Yet it didn't occur to me that I was sitting in a ballpark that could be the home field for any team other than the Angels. A big part of this, of course, must be the fact that the place is called Angel Stadium! And when you approach the entrance to the stadium you know exactly what you're there to see - the giant A's caps leave no doubt. Does anyone think there'd be nearly as much griping about black outfield walls or Dodgers Rotunda if Citi Field were named Mets Park? Maybe. But actually the biggest signal of all that I was at an Angels game was: the fans. The green seats were awash in red. Something about that color red that unifies fans - go to a Cardinals game or even a Rutgers game and the place will be filled with fans donning the same color. (He other thing that's red are the ads. Almost without exception, all the ads in the park are red. Maybe if the schlubs who "designed" that Arpielle sign had incorporated some orange and blue - it would still be ugly, but at least it'd be Mets ugly.

We have the Pepsi Porch, the Angels have the Budweiser Patio. In centerfield we have a giant apple, they have, a waterfall! They have open air bullpens as well, but there is no tarp blocking the view from or of above. Parking cost eight bucks but the food inside wasn't cheap. I did get a free banner as a giveaway, commemorating the fact that Vlad Guerrero and Lou Gherig are the only 2 players to have achieved some sort of esoteric offensive feat I neglected to take note of.

The crowd was into the game pretty well, and I felt some tremors that were either caused by fan frenzy, trucks on the nearby freeway, or maybe it was an earthquake?

It was a real nice experience, even though I saw the Mets blow the 4-0 lead I heard them achieve on the xm radio in the car, on the centerfield out of town scoreboard. You can't have everything, you know.

Live Video from the California Angels Of Anaheim game

2009-04-22T08:28:00.002-04:00

This video was sent without the express written consent of the commissioner

Reporting Live From Angel Stadium

2009-04-21T22:11:00.002-04:00

I find myself in Anaheim today and managed to get into Angel Stadium for free thanks to a generous fan in the parking lot. Parking was $8.00 by the way, on a beautiful night for baseball

Can You Spot The Differences Between These Two Photos?

2009-04-21T19:15:00.003-04:00

The first photo shows the view from section 522 Promenade at Citi Field, according to Mets.com. The second is the photo I snapped from my seat in section 522 on April 19th. Not even counting the giant heads in my way, the silver bar, black bar, and yes the plexiglass all blocked my view (never mind that what went on on the field that day weren't worth watching anyway). These were not sold to me as "obstructed view" but should qualify as such under Dave Howards declaration of the definition of an obstructed view on WFAN. I will let you know what the Mets response to me is.

Speaking of Dave Howard's appearance on WFAN, he was untruthful when he said there are TV's at every concession stand. That is absolutely false. In the food court above the Jackie Robinson Rotunda there is not one TV in the whole section. You can hear the audio, but there are no sets. It would be a perfect place to put a giant screen behind the seats, like they have in the centerfield food area, but alas there is nothing. Dave Howard needs to walk around his stadium a little more before he goes on the radio.

And while he may be playing a weird game of semantics when he says there is blue in the forest green colored seats, will he also try to say there is blue in the black outfield walls? These black walls need to be turned blue, pronto. Just erase the black like you want to do with Doc Gooden's signature!

Look, all in all it is a beautiful ballpark, but the Mets should get a partial refund from HOK, and I should get one as well for my obstructed view seat.

2009-04-19T13:47:00.001-04:00

This doesn't qualify as an obstructed seat at Citi Field?

What is tendinitis? What does tendonitis look like in an MRI?

2009-04-17T14:49:00.001-04:00

Still waiting on word on who will be the starter for the Mets on Sunday - it may be Nelson Figueroa, in which case I told my buddy Tubby that we have to sing, bugs Bunny opera-style Figaro! Figaro! Figaro! Anyway, it could still be Mike Pelfrey who doesn't seem concerned about his diagnosis of tendinitis. So what is tendonitis anyway? I asked my cousin, who is an out-of-market Mets fan in the Washington, D.C. area who just happens to be a PT. Here's what he said:

"...looking at an MRI is very interesting because of the details. They show everything from muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones in a black or white picture. Problems usually show up in a brighter contrast, usually white. Tendinitis is swelling in the tendon so you will usually see a bright white color around the affected tendon, or the tendon will appear enlarged."

So there you go!

Citi Mets: Watch The Financial News Tomorrow

2009-04-16T15:53:00.001-04:00

Citigroup will announce its first quarter earnings tomorrow. They are expected to "post a small first-quarter loss." Anything worse than that will make big news, and will undoubtedly renew attention on the naming rights of the Mets ballpark.

Citi Field Revue Review

2009-04-16T11:00:00.001-04:00

I made it to Opening Day! This post is a few days late but unfortunately there are just some things that take precedence over barking at the moon.

It was a tremendous experience to be able to be at the first home game at Citibank Field. It was really cool, yet very very surreal to be at a Mets home game in this brand new place. My friends and I just kept saying that over and over again. After going to Shea for so many years, it was just downright bizarre.

I took the old 7 train to the new ballpark, and got jitters the first time I saw the place from the windows of the subway car. The old whatchamacallit with the circular staircase is gone, and the new platform works just fine. SNY was broadcasting from the plaza in front of the promenade, and I am sure the Wilpons were just thrilled that the station the own was broadcasting from the stadium they built, and Bob Raissman was criticizing elements of the ballpark amplified so it was the first voice we heard when arriving "Who plays here, the New York Citis? Where's all the Mets stuff?"

It was a gorgeous evening for a ballgame, and when my friends arrived we hunted around the outside of the Jackie Robinson Rotunda for our bricks. I found mine really quickly and was thrilled at my purchase. Then, we shunned the masses and headed for the Endy Chavez Rotunda at Left Field to go into the ballpark. Thanks MetsGrrl, for the tip!

We mosied around the concourse to find something to eat - I was starving - but first decided to relieve ourselves in the new bathrooms. It was my first time with a waterless urinal - kind of like peeing into a shower drain, I guess is the best comparison I can give you. There were lots of food choices, as we've heard time and again. The line at Shake Shack was crazy an hour before first pitch, so we walked around for a different place to get a burger. Most of the concession stands are specialized - you can get hot dogs at one counter but no burgers. You can get chicken at another, but no hot dogs. So we had to walk around awhile to find the burger stand. Let me tell you, this was the most maddeningly sh*tty experience of the night. Apparently Aramark's claim that all their shortcomings were due to Shea's antiquated facilities were just bogus. They had no idea how to execute these burger transactions. You ordered your food at the counter and then paid at a separate register. There were some hot trays containing burgers that I guess you could self-serve, but none of the items were labeled so you didn't know what was a cheeseburger or what was a "drive-in burger" We stood there forever to give our order, and then even though there seemed to be plenty of food around, it actually took 20 minutes to get the food. They handed out burgers out of order, and no management stepped up to organize what could have been very easily managed into a quick and orderly process. Either this will get better or worse as Aramark either "works out the kinks" or ignores it as the focus shifts away and people just accept the crappy service as expected.

Our seats were out in left field, and yes, we had some blind spots in deep left, but I think people may be making too much of these "obstructed" views. I've only sat in one place so far, of course, and I didn't pay for my tickets, so I'll have to see how the experience plays out after a few more trips. Sunday night I'll get the Upper Deck, I mean Promenade experience and let you know what I think. It was strange to watch a Mets game from the outfield, but the best part was being so close to the giant apple (or tomato as my buddy Tubby called it) when David Wright hit his three run bomb.

Maybe the best part of the experience is if you don't like your seats you can walk around the park and get a better view elsewhere. We watched the last two innings over by the right field foul pole. Different sounds, different view. Mets games are a whole new experience!

What's really great about having the new stadium is, to be honest, is that it's no longer embarrassing! I mean, to take an out of towner to the place where your heart lives, and have it be, well, a dump, kind of hurts the experience. Shea had it's charm, but that charm was in it's history, not it's aesthetics.

Speaking of aesthetics, other than Aramark, the one criticism of the new stadium I have to agree on, is the lack of Mets-ness to the place. There are very few reminders that you're playing at the Mets home stadium! The green seats don't bother me at all, and I'll take Dave Howard at his word that there will be more Mets stuff "rolled out" in time. But the one thing that really annoys me is those black outfield walls. Having black and orange as the dominant backdrop just does not feel right, and I think it's an easy change for the Mets to make. I'm hoping we can get a bit of a groundswell of support going for this change.

All in all, it was a fun experience, even if the play on the field was frustrating. Ryan Church's error, Mike Pelfrey's balk, Duaner Sanchez and Heath Bell's performances, and the final score certainly did not add to the fun of the evening. But cold beer, a good friend, seeing Seaver and Piazza throw out the first pitch, and a freakin cat running on the field of our new home made for quite a fun night indeed.

Can't wait to get back!

Today, We All Become Transplanted Mets Fans

2009-04-13T10:53:00.001-04:00

It was a tearful day last September when we left Shea for the last time. It was torturous, all winter long, to see our home dismantled bit by bit. It was a twist of the knife to see Citi in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. And it was just plain surreal to see the videos of the old scoreboard being torn down and the last of Shea imploded.

Today, the surreal becomes real as we all become Transplanted Mets Fans. We've moved. And while it will take a long time for our house to feel like a home, we officially have a new permanent address starting tonight at 7-ish. Sure, they already had those exhibition games, but since they didn't count in the standings we could watch the games on SNY and let our hearts fool us into thinking we were watching some weird road game. The most startling difference were the colors. The colors! Gone is the backdrop of blue walls and orange seats, replaced by greens and reds - where are they playing anyway? PetCo? Fenway? There will be no denying it after tonight, when the Mets will have a home record for 2009 without any games having been played at Shea.

I'll ride in on the 7 train, meet my buddy Tubby for a pregame tailgate and pour a little for our homie Mr Shea, go look for my brick, and settle in for the first home game of the post-Shea era. I'll take plenty of photos for posterity and I'll even post a couple mobile ones too, but tonight is all about settling in and feeling what it's like to root for the Mets with a sell out crowd 13,000 people or so smaller than the last time I did so. I'm very curious to see what it sounds like and feels like since I sorta already have an idea of what it looks like inside what must be the most photographed building ever. We'll be seated behind the left field outfield wall, sorta where the old picnic area was at Shea. That was the one place at Shea I never managed to sit, so it's a little ironic that we'll be in that spot in the ballpark tonight. Hopefully we'll spot that GIANT apple popping out of the hat, er, I mean, concrete cylinder.

Go Big Pelf! Lets Go Mets!

Transplanted ex-Mets Update: Tom Glavine suffers shoulder discomfort

2009-04-13T09:15:00.001-04:00

Agent Glavine ended a minor league start early on Sunday after experiencing shoulder discomfort. He left the game after only 36 in two innings. Glavine earned a spot in the Braves' rotation in spring training but began the season on the disabled list until the Braves need a fifth starter.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-braves-glavine&prov=ap&type=lgns

The Marlon Anderson Era is Over

2009-04-11T16:26:00.002-04:00

Matt Cerrone posts the inevitable news that The Marlon Anderson Era is Over. Marlon's been released and put out to pasture and should be turned into glue or something.

By the way, the reason I have always announced the departure of a Met by saying The _____ Era Is Over is as a tribute to a dear departed friend of mine, Dino Tortu, who used to always say that. I believe "The Butch Huskey Era Is Over" was the first time I heard him say it, but I'm not sure. Anyway, I'll raise a glass to my good friend Dino on Tuesday. Thanks for the memories.

Cantu. Cantu. The Guy Named Jorge Cantu.

2009-04-11T16:09:00.002-04:00

I have an every-other night agreement with my wife this season. We only have one TV in the house, and I can only take it over every other night. I've reluctantly agreed so far, but it hasn't yet become much of an issue. Since the season started on Monday there have been off days and day games that have made it easy to comply. Tonight is the first night that it's really a pain, and I'll have to "watch" Livan make his first start on the radio or internet or something.

Not as much of a pain as it was to actually watch the game last night though. One for Eleven with runners in scoring position is not fun. And Luis Castillo has done nothing to stave off the inevitable boos that are about to come his way when the road trip is over. I hope the fans aren't too rough on him. He stinks, no doubt about it, but what has he done to incur our wrath, really? It's Omar who signed him, and Willie who refused to bench him. Argenis Reyes isn't breathing down his neck anymore for his job, so if we boo, what are we asking for? Alex Cora? I don't think Jerry Manuel will stick with Luis through thick and thin, but I don't really understand the vitrol. There have been plenty of Mets enemies to don teh orange and blue who deserved every expletive they recieved, but Luis is trying. He's just not very good.

Even though the Mets are only 2-2, I had a very good Friday myself. I fininished Faith and Fear In Flushing (the book) and found out that my Opening Day streak will continue!

I will not say how I came by the tickets, but I will just say that I did not give in and pay a scalper or mortgage my home for a ticket plan. They were a gift, and I am thrilled thrilled thrilled. I will absolutely post photos on Tuesday, even though there are so many photos of this building out there that I feel like I've already been to the place. I'll try and find something unique that I can share for all you transplanted Mets fans out there.

One Down

2009-04-08T14:03:00.001-04:00

It was so difficult to avoid the temptation Monday afternoon to check out the various live blogs, etc. to see what was going on between the Mets and Reds on Opening Day 2009 over in Cincinnati while I distractedly worked in my office. My company has a pretty hefty firewall that blocks out most sports sites, so following any GameDay apps on Yahoo or ESPN were out anyway, so it wasn't as hard to avoid as it might have been, but I still am proud of myself for avoiding any sites that might have hinted at the latest updates. I even hunkered down in office, rather than venture out into the hallways where I might run into someone who did have word from the outside world. Anyone I did talk to I made sure to start off the conversation by saying I was trying to avoid hearing about the Mets game... all so I could watch the "Encore" presentation that night on SNY and pretend it was a live night game. Success! And SNY themselves were smart enough to leave the final score out of their news roll on the bottom of the screen. Instead viewers only learned that Plaxico Burress had been released and Gary Sheffield had been signed, over and over and over again.

I'll spare a lengthy postgame recap here, as I can't come up with any scenario to explain why you'd be reading Transplanted Mets Fan 44 hours after the game ended hoping to find out what happened. However, I must say I am thrilled to have seen Johan Santana pitch 5 and a 1/3 innings, give up just one run, and have his 2-1 win preserved by Sean Green JJ Putz and K-Rod. Daniel Murphy drove in both runs and Ryan Church looked sweet in the outfield, making all of wonder exactly how Jerry will Cook Up A Way To Use Shef this season. I was pretty annoyed when I heard the news about the Sheffeild signing, wondering why Omar thought we needed one of the biggest jerks in baseball on the roster, although I was happier the next day after reading about how Doc Gooden felt more connected to the team because of it, and especially after reading Gary say he was willing to be a bench player if it meant winning a World Championship, as well as after finding out David Wright had done some recruiting for the Mets. So who am I to judge?

Game Two is this evening and we'll tune in to see Big Pelf take the mound for the first time this regular season. Of course we'll also tune in to see glimpses of Mr. Met's evil twin brother.

Happy Opening Day 2009!

2009-04-06T11:37:00.001-04:00

The Mets are already 1/2 game up on the Phillies!

Banking On Opening Day Tickets! Did the Mets Misread The Market?

2009-03-27T21:30:00.003-04:00

I've gone to every Mets Home Opener for as long as I can remember. When I would take the day off of work to go to the game, I insisted HR record the day off as a "personal holiday" and not just a vacation day.

This year, I will not be there. By choice.

I would love to be there. LOOVE to be there. But the price has been set too high for me.

For the past several years, the only way to get into Opening Day at Shea Stadium was to buy a six, seven, or eight game ticket plan (depending on the year). This year the Mets made available a FIFTEEN game pack that included Opening Day. The prices weren't too bad, but the games thrown into the mix with the Opener were not exactly gold must-see. All the games were weeknights (or weekdays). The lowest price for the pack was about $300 a seat. I live in Central Jersey and have a one year old son. Maybe when I was 21, single, and living on Long Island I could go to fifteen weeknight games, but that's just not realistic now. I also was a little put off by the way the Mets tried to leverage the one game they knew everyone wanted to be at to get people to buy tickets they knew they'd have the hardest time selling.

I passed.

As a long time plan holder, the Mets called me to ask why I wasn't renewing.

I explained my rationale, and the salesperson (nice fellow) reasoned with me that by not buying the fifteen game plan I was missing out on an opportunity to get goood seats in the new ballpark, and that I could just sell any tickets for games I couldn't get to on StubHub.

I passed.

This week the Mets announced that they were making a special FIVE game pack available that included Opening Day and any other four games in April or May. On the surface, this was a much better deal than the fifteen game pack (previously marketed as the only guaranteed way to Opening Day), and folks who bought the fifteen game pack were rightfully miffed. There was still a catch though, to this five game pack. These tickets were field level, and had a much higher price point. Even though you could pick any five games, you would have a hard time getting a package for less that $485.

I passed.

I have paid about $100 for a baseball ticket exactly one time. Once. A guy I knew knew a guy who had front row season tickets to Shea a few years back and a group of us took advantage. I forget the actual price but it was around $100 a seat. I did that once. I would do it again, for Opening Day 2009, because it's a very special occassion. But there is no way I am going to commit to five games at about $100 a pop. For a baseball game! Insane.

Like I said, I do want to go to Opening Day. And I've been watching the ticket availability on StubHub and other broker sites. In early winter you couldn't get an Opening Day seat to Citi Field for less than $1000. Later on the lowest price was around $450. Last week it was $280. Today I saw a ticket there for $180. The face value of that seat was probablyless than $30, but the point is that ticket prices are dropping. The most telling thing is that while the lowest price for Opening Day tickets are around $200, you can buy a ticket for the next game for under $20. Twenty bucks. Same opponent, same seat, two days later saves you $180.

But I digress to the point of this blog posting. I am fully aware that two nights later is not the same as Opening Night. But I think back to that Mets salesperson trying to persuade me to buy a plan, and even my friend who suggested we but teh five game pack and sell teh other four games.

I am worried that the Mets have misread the market, and have duped thousands of season and plan holders into the same midset - that these tickets will be in high demand all season long. I think a lot of people "invested" in ticket plans this year, with teh intention to go to the games they wanted to go, and break even or even make money by selling the rest on stubhub. I know for a fact that the stubhub angle was used as a sales pitch at least once by the Mets (on me). But I think the reality is that the market is not going to be what the Mets thought (and sold).

Ticket prices went up this year, and they went up last year about 20% over the 2007 season. So the tickets being sold for Citi are much more expensive than the ones at Shea just two years ago. I surmise that the reason the Mets felt they could raise the prices so much is they saw their tickets being sold at prices much higher than face value on ebay for the past few years and thought that their ticket prices must be too low. And I tend to agree that the Mets should be allowed to sell their tickets for market value, and had every right to raise their prices to the market. But the flaw in the logic was thinking that just because some people were willing to pay much higher than face value, that it meant many many people were willing to pay thos eprices. It's forgetting that the vast majority of ticket holders paid face value for the tickets and were very happy doing so. Even ignoring the current economic climate, I still think the Mets misread the market. Add in that recession on all of our minds, and then add in the double surcharge that stubhub collects (15% from the seller, and another convenience fee to the buyer) and suddenly the marketplace is flooded with overpriced commodities.

Matt Cerrone had a posting on the topic of ticket brokers on Metsblog today, and there were many people posting in the comments section that they had regular season tickets available for sale, and that they "only" wanted face value for them. They only wanted to sell them for what they paid and weren't looking to make a profit. But what if they overpaid for them in the first place? I suspect that there are many fans out there who suddenly find themselves in the position of being amateur ticket brokers and are going to be stuck selling their tickets for less than they paid. They are going to take a loss they weren't prepared to take, and the Mets helped talk them into it.

I don'[t have a problem with ticket brokers, per se. Professional ticket brokers would sell those Opening Day tickets for a large amounts, sell teh rest for face value or below, and still come out ahead. But the average fan who got involved in this are going to go to the hot games like Opening Day and the Yankees series, and not be able to sell the rest.

As for me, I picked up two tickets for $36 each to the Sunday April 19th afternoon game against the Brewers. They are even giving a way a magnetic calendar, previously an Opening Day tradition. So that will be my Opening Day. I don't even have to use up one of my vacation days to attend it.

And he shall be Livan! And he shall be a good man.

2009-03-26T11:00:00.001-04:00

Meet The fifth starter for the Mets - Livan Hernandez.

Livan has beaten out Jon Neise, Freddy Garcia, and Tim Redding for the 5th spot in the Mets rotation. Welcome to the fold, sir.

Jon Niese will stand by in AAA, and Freddie Garcia has agreed to stay with the organization and build up his arm strength in either AAA or extended Spring Training.

Livan makes a great amount of sense for the Mets fifth start job. We should be very optimistic for this. Part of the Mets trouble the last several years for the Mets has been the over-reliance on the bullpen. The Mets starters rarely seemed to be able to give teh bullpen a break, and even though the 'pen should be vastly improved this year, the Mets don't want to burn them out. Livan Hernandez threw over 199 innings every year from 1998 to 2007, and pitched 180 innings last year. His best days are behind him, and he doesn't strike many batters out anymore, but if he stays healthy, goes out and pitches six innings every fifth day, the Mets should be able to have enough offense to win many of his starts.

The question is, does this make Pedro Martinez officially a transplanted ex-Met? Maybe, but maybe not. WFAN and the tabloids are all freaking out about Oliver Perez's dismal performance this spring, especially after Danny Wharthen and Jerry Manuel expressd concern that Ollie may not have been working all that hard while pitching for Mexico in the WBC. He's apparently about 15 lbs overweight and needs a good kick in the rear. Add John Maine's less than stellar spring and suddenly the Mets rotation isn't so rock solid. Mike Pelfrey looked good on the mound until yesterday, but he's hobbling around the clubhouse. Should the Mets give in to Pedro's demands and get some insurance for the rotation?

Let me hear your thoughts.

Parking at Citi Field will cost $18 in 2009

2009-03-25T18:28:00.001-04:00

Parking at Citi Field will cost $18.00, Dave Howard announced today on WFAN.

It was $15.00 in 2008 and $14.00 in 2007.

image link
Gary Dunair on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14504460@N02/

I Feel Duped

2009-03-24T21:33:00.004-04:00

I feel duped. I feel like a fool. A naive fool. And I am upset.

Today, via a link from Metsblog, I learned that Jeff Pearlman has a book coming out about Roger Clemens, and in the book Pearlman cites "several sources" as saying that Mike Piazza used steroids and even admitted as much to writers he trusted.

As the hundreds of major league ballplayers who turned to performance-enhancing drugs throughout the 1990s did their absolute best to keep the media at arm's length, Piazza took the opposite approach. According to several sources, when the subject of performance enhancing was broached with reporters he especially trusted, Piazza fessed up. "Sure, I use," he told one. "But in limited doses, and not all that often." (Piazza has denied using performance-enhancing drugs, but there has always been speculation.)

There has always been speculation? By whom? Why had I never heard such speculation? Actually I had heard the opposite, that Piazza's name had never been linked with steroids! When the Mitchell Report came out, some Mets fans crowed that the Yankees should give back the 2000 World Series title to the Mets because of all the juiced up Yankees named in the report vs. the number of Mets from the 2000 squad. I never once heard a whisper about Piazza. As recently as a few weeks ago, Craig Carton on WFAN said that he loves to needle Mike Piazza, and tell him he should have been on the juice so that his fly ball off Mariano Rivera would have gone over the centerfield wall at Shea. Call me a fool, but I had really bought into the amazing story of a 62nd round draft choice who had become the greatest hitting catcher in major league history sheerly by hard work (and family connections).

This is the third time in less than a month I've read about Piazza's rumored steroid use. On February 26th, Joel Sherman wrote in the New York Post:

He navigated from ultra-non-prospect to 427 career homers. I can pretend that while he was doing this people were not talking about certain physical quirks that raised suspicion, notably a back full of acne. But that would be dishonest.

(snip)

For the record, Piazza says he was a clean player. "Absolutely" is the word he used. He claims he is not on the now infamous list of 104 failed steroid tests from the survey phase in 2003. "No, not that I know," he said.

To me, that last line is actually the most damning. Why would he qualify his "no" with a "not that I know"? Wouldn't he know? Hasn't it been documented that players on the list were informed? Isn't that the same flimsy reasoning that A-Rod tried to use as an alibi for his own lies?

On March 4th, former NY Times columnist Murray Chass wrote a much more direct allegation:

Circumstantial evidence against Piazza is almost as strong as it is against Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.

(snip)
Now as naïve as I might have been about steroids, the one thing I knew was that use of steroids supposedly causes the user to have acne on his back. As I said, Piazza had plenty of acne on his back.

When steroids became a daily subject in newspaper articles I wanted to write about Piazza’s acne-covered back. I was prepared to describe it in disgusting living color. But two or three times my editors at The New York Times would not allow it. Piazza, they said, had never been accused of using steroids so I couldn’t write about it.
(snip)

Whatever the reason, I never got Piazza’s suspicious acne into the paper. Then all of a sudden the acne was gone. Piazza’s back was clear and clean. There was not a speck of acne on it. His back looked as smooth as a baby’s bottom.

What a remarkable development. It was a medical miracle. If teenagers could get hold of whatever Piazza used to clear up his back, they would be rid of the acne problem forever.
(snip)
But the method Piazza used became apparent to me. It wasn’t medicine or any substance; it was abstinence. This was during the 2004 season, the first season baseball was testing for performance-enhancing substances with identification and penalties attached. If Piazza had been using steroids and didn’t want to get caught, he had to stop using. If he stopped using, his back would clear up.

His back cleared up. Completely.

Now, severe backne certainly isn't enough to accuse anyone of anything, not even when it suddenly disappears. But the fact is that three separate journalists are raising this issue while also alluding to a whisper campaign. This really ticked me off at the time I read the first two articles. Why now, guys? What has changed in 2009 that causes you to put the whispers into black and white since the first part of the decade, besides the Alex Rodriguez scandal? Without new evidence, if it wasn't appropriate in 2001 or 2004 to write about Mike Piazza and steroids, it's not now. These writers were part of the PR machine that fueled New York's Mike Piazza As Hero storyline, and now all of a sudden the sure-thing-first-ballot-hall-of-famer notion isn't such a sure thing. These writers decided for themselves that this was the time they would write the angle, even though they'd been sitting on the story for years. The only thing that's changed is the way Alex Rodriguez has been selling newspapers at a time when newspapers are going out of business.

But while we can cry all we want about due process, the evidence is now out there for public debate. And there won't be a court trial for Piazza like there will likely be for Bonds and Clemens, so we won't get a jury or judge to give us a "beyond a reasonable doubt" conclusion. It's up to us. And as gullible as I may have been during Mike Piazza's Mets career, I do now feel inclined to believe Peralman and Chass and Sherman today, as wrong as I think it is for them to print the allegations.

And I am hurt.

I am embarrassed to have been so naive, and I'm bummed that there is one less "good guy" in the world of sports for us to root for. Yes, it underscores the reality that athletes make lousy role models, and that's actually a good thing to be reminded of, but it sure was fun rooting for Mike Piazza, and those memories are now inarguably tainted. Also inarguable is that if Mike Piazza used steroids, it makes him less "great." Even if 50% of the players between 1996 and 2003 used PEDs, even if it was 99% of baseball players, even if you think greenies and spitballs and stealing signs are worse than steroids, the reality is that these rumors, if true, taint the Mike Piazza Era. If you didn't think he did steroids, and evaluated his career, that evaluation must change to some degree with the knowledge that he used illegal performance enhancers that were not available to Carlton Fisk.

What a shame.

Pictures worth a thousand words, and a thousand words

2009-03-22T15:01:00.003-04:00

Thanks for visiting today. Now I'd like to send you elsewhere! Some of my fellow bloggers have posted some photos that I think you'll be interested in.

First, Mets Guy in Michigan posts a pic from inside CitY Field that shows how the Mets have taken a relic from Shea and found a use for it in the new park. And I'm not referring to the apple!

Next, Loge 13 shows how our tax dollars are being used to make sure Long Islanders find their way to ballgames.

Today I took a drive down to my local Barnes & Noble and picked up Faith And Fear In Flushing (the book!), written by fellow blogger Greg Prince. Now, normally I wouldn't mention buying a book like this before I'd read it, but I have yet to read even one blog posting by Greg that I didn't absolutely love. Also, even if this book is downright terrible (inconceivable, but stick with me), I'm just so thrilled to see a Mets blogger get published that I am too proud to wait! I feel like the entire Mets blogging community got published. Congratulations, Greg! And if anyone out there isn't a regular reader of Faith and Fear In Flushing, you are seriously missing out. Read the blog and buy the book, already!

Transplanted ex-Mets who Should Keep Their Mouth Shut

2009-03-22T11:19:00.001-04:00

If you read Newsday today you saw some ex-Mets with opinions. Opinions I'd rather them keep to themselves.

First, Gary Carter says A-Rod should be forgiven for his transgressions since he's come clean about them. Please. A-Rod's "apology" was so weak, so full of balogna... as Dwight Schrute would say, "Apology Rejected."

Tom Glavine says Pedro Martinez needs "to be mindful what the market is, what you can realistically get" and then pats himself on the back for taking less money to pitch in Atlanta. OK, buddy. This from a guy who took more money from the Mets even though everyone knew he'd rather pitch in Georgia. Hey Tom, get off your high horse and go take a taxi, OK?

World Baseball Classic is hazardous to Mets health

2009-03-17T08:35:00.001-04:00

As if it weren't bad enough that the Mets had 16 players missing from Spring Training because of this World Baseball Classic, now we are hearing the Mets players are being abused. And I don't mean Fernando Tatis' whining that he wasn't given the same level of respect as better players. I am not even talking about David Wright getting kneed in the head. Something like that you can never predict, and could have happened just as easily in a Spring Training exhibition (I think). No, my biggest gripe is the way Oliver Perez and K-Rod are being used in this tournament. K-Rod has now recorded two 4 out saves, after recording NONE all last season. And Ollie Perez threw 85 pitches yesterday! IN March! These were the Mets two biggest financial investments in the off-season, and I think it is ridiculous how the managers are not considering at least a little bit of the shape these players' bodies are generally in this kind of year, and the marathon season that is in front of them long after we forget who won this WBC.

transplanted ex-Mets Update: Duaner Sanchez

2009-03-15T17:19:00.001-04:00

transplanted ex-Mets Update: Duaner Sanchez
Tardy Sanchez has signed with the San Diego Padres.

Catching Spring Fever

2009-03-13T12:26:00.002-04:00

This is the one time of year when folks in the metropolitan area start talking about college basketball. March Madness talk starts to become part of sports radio discussion, and Final Four ads start showing up as well. And then the infamous brackets start getting passed around at the office and suddenly everyone is an expert. I was sure that if it weren't for gambling, college sports would go the way of the dinosaurs, That is, until I moved down South. There, college basketball is a year round passion. Every day is another big game, and practically everyone is known by the school they support. I was told that sooner or later I would get caught up in it, but three years went by and other than knowing who Coach K was (but not how to spell the full last name), I left North Carolina without caring about the ACC any more than before I even heard of it.

So here we are in March, and college basketball is again crowding its way into the discussion, and I am here to say, March, March go away please bring on Opening Day. The WBC plays on, but without the Dominicans as Jose Reyes and Pedro Martinez couldn't beat the Netherlands to advance in the tournament. So Jose and Tatis are back in Mets camp, and Pedro Martinez will have to find some other way to show he still has the ability to pitch effectively and convince GMS that he is healthy enough to do so for a full season. I'd rather have Pedro Martinez's lion heart on the squad than Freddie G, Livan, or Redding, but it's not up to me so I'll save my breath.

I scored some tickets to see the Mets at CITY FIELD, though not Opening Day, and let me tell you I am salivating at getting myself into that ballpark. I can't wait to search for my name on the Fanwalk, pose for a picture next to the old Mets Magic Home Run Apple, and have myself some stadium fare. In fact, I told my buddy Tubby to bring his wallet because we're going to stuff our faces with the new grub so much that we're going to be the first people to clog up those new toilets! Most of all of course I'm excited to see the old Mets at the new Shea. I'm going to pretend it's Opening Day because they are handing out magnetic schedules at the gate, an Opening Day tradition as far back as I can remember. This year they'll give them out on Sunday April 19th and since I was shut out of Opening Night anyway I have the right to pretend, don't I?

TBS Sunday Baseball Schedule for out of market Mets fans

2009-03-12T16:45:00.001-04:00

For all you transplanted Mets fans out there, here's the TBS Mets broadcast schedule (blackouts apply) for April and May:

Sunday April 12, 1 p.m.
Mets @ Florida Marlins

Sunday May 24, 1:30 p.m.
Mets @ Boston Red Sox

The Dirty Sanchez Era Is Over

2009-03-10T10:46:00.001-04:00

Put away those goggles. Call him Tardy, Dirty, or just washed-up, but Duaner Sanchez has been released by the New York Mets.

http://www.metsblog.com/2009/03/10/news-mets-release-duaner-sanchez/

FOX Baseball Schedule For Out-Of-Market Mets Fans

2009-03-05T08:02:00.001-05:00

If you're a Mets fan who lives outside of SNY coverage area, and you are unwilling or unable to purchase DirecTV Extra Innings, here are the Mets games scheduled to be on national television this season on FOX:

All games 4 p.m. unless noted.

Saturday, May 2, 2009 (*3:30 PM ET)

New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies

Saturday, May 16, 2009

New York Mets at San Francisco Giants

Saturday, June 13, 2009

New York Mets at New York Yankees

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Tampa Bay Rays at New York Mets

Saturday, July 4, 2009

New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies

Saturday, July 18, 2009

New York Mets at Atlanta Braves

Saturday, August 29, 2009

New York Mets at Chicago Cubs

Saturday, September 12, 2009

New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies

Transplanted Ex-Mets Update: Darryl Strawberry and Moises Alou

2009-03-03T14:53:00.001-05:00

Adam Rubin has some tidbits on some former Mets over at Surfing The Mets, the Daily News Mets blog:

Darryl Strawberry says he would have taken steroids if they were available to him during his playing career.

Moises Alou will retire from playing baseball after the WBC.

We Now Interrupt This Mets Spring Training To Bring You An International Tournament

2009-03-02T20:52:00.000-05:00

I could not post this weekend because I was too busy holding my breath over the Johan Santana Elbow Crisis. Now that the crisis has passed(?) and the winter storm has passed as well, I can write a few words about Spring Training. Just in time for Jerry Manuel's first Mets Spring to get blown up by the World Baseball Classic. Can anyone even remember who won the last time they held this thing?

So, in case you missed it, here's a round up of the goings on at Mets camp, other than us all freaking out about Johan and until Jose Reyes, K-Rod and company took off to play for the WBC.

Schmuck Francessa had a feud going with Ryan Church and David Wright. Wright and Franny have patched things up, but apparently Mikey doesn't want to admit he was wrong about Church so he isn't willing to try and smooth things over. Schmuck and His Lap Dog were ignorant as a duo, but at least they were entertaining. As a solo act, the WFAN drivetime show is so tediously dreary that I'd rather just listen to music. Speaking of which, check out the Heartless Bastards' new album. It is great!

Newsday's David Lennon has an interview with Pedro Martinez. Petey says he's not willing to accept a low base pay with incentives deal at thi spoint because he feels "a lot better than the last four years," and that the only team he's personally sat down with is Omar Minaya and the Mets, because he pays people to do that. Speaking of Newsday, I've thought a lot about Newsday's plan to pay for their online service since posting about it on Friday. Maybe I rushed to judgement before finding out the intended terms? Or maybe it's the fact that Cablevision charges for internet service, and then charges to read media coverage (Newsday.com) about the other entities it owns (Knicks/Rangers) that is so troubling. Either way, check out Neil Best's watchdog column (while you still can) for an interesting back and forth between him and his readers. Food for thought, whichever side of the debate you're on.

Former Mets pitcher Tom Sturdivant has passed away at the age of 78. Tom pitched 16 games as a reliever for the Mets for the better parts of two months in 1964.

Look for SNY to soup up their Mets broadcasts this season with some new high-tech HD features. They are called

SNY magnify
flow motion
pitch differential
speed tracker
distance tracker

Check out this tech-y article for details on what the heck these things are. It remainds to be seen how long these things will be in placed before we find them intrusive. Also not mentioned is what corporations will be sponsoring these gadgets. I predict the LensCrafter Magnifyer, Moen Flow Motion, Empire Roofing Pitch Differential, Illy Espresso Speed Tracker, and Garmin Nuvi Distance Tracker. wocka wocka wocka.

OK, that's all for now. I guess I didn't write all that much about Mets spring training? Anyway, today transplanted ex-Mets pitcher Mike Hampton was roughed up by the A-Rod-less Junkees, allowing four runs and six hits in two innings.

Bad News For Out Of Market Mets Fans: Newsday to begin charging for online content

2009-02-27T10:10:00.002-05:00

It's ironic that this news should break today. I was just telling my co-workers that ever since I moved from Long Island four years ago, I've continued to get my news from Newsday online, primarily because of their Mets baseball coverage, but also as a one-stop-shop for all other news topics. This has had the tangential effect of meaning I never know what's going on in my local area (Greensboro and now central Jersey), but I've continued to be updated on things like transit strikes in NYC or Trump's negotaitions to put a restaurant/catering hall/megaplex at Jones Beach.

So now comes the news that Newsday will soon stop offering its content for free online at Newsday.com.

"When we purchased Newsday, we were aware of the long-term issues facing the traditional newspaper industry," Rutledge told analysts Thursday. "We plan to end the distribution of free Web content and make our newsgathering capabilities a service to our customers."

If you're an out of market Mets fan, other than Metsblog.com, checking Newsday.com has been a great way to stay connected to the Mets news of the day. We can debate all day long whether this is a good business decision for Newsday, risking their 67 million monthly page views, but it's undeniable that this is bad news for us fans. Newsday's Mets coverage is damn good. But there is not a chance in the world that I would pay to read the newspaper online. With the proliferation of blogs, espn.com and numerous other sources, the news is just far too accessible for me to feel the need to pay for Newsday.

You might ask why it's OK to pay for a physical newspaper but silly to pay for online content. Well, historically the business model for newspapers has been simple. Charge for the paper to cover the large expense of printing and distributing a daily newspaper, but all of the profits come from advertising. The overhead on a website is much, much, less. Newsday shoudl be able to figure out how to make money on advertising. At this point they shoudl have a very, very good idea of the demographics of the people who are reading their online content, even more so than their newspaper audience. They should have no trouble selling this to advertisers. Some "expert" over at Cablevision (owner of Newsday) must think they can make more money charging a subscription fee for their content, but I think their doomed for failure here. Unlike with cable model, where they until recently had a monopoly on paid television service, as I said earlier there is just too much news content widely available for this to work.

So, out of market Mets fans, enjoy Anthony Rieber's and Ken Davidoff's and Neil Best's, and even Wallace Matthews' columns while you can. Newsday is going to try and see how much you'll pay for what you used to get for free.

Transplanted ex-Mets Update: Dougie Eye Chart heading to L.A.

2009-02-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

Former Mets 1B Doug Mientkiewicz and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a minor league contract yesterday.

Transplanted Ex-Mets Update: Mike Piazza to coach Italy World Baseball Classic team

2009-02-25T16:45:00.001-05:00

Head on over to MLB.com to read about Mike Piazza's new role as batting coach for the Italian team in the WBC. Mike says he knows his playing days are over and he's happy to be home with his kid.

41 Days Until Opening Day - All The Mets News That's Fit To Blog

2009-02-24T20:05:00.002-05:00

Matt Cerrone spent another day in Mets camp, live blogging an intrasquad game, and I spent another day at the office. But don't worry; I won't bore you with the details of my day, I'll just give you the highlights of the Mets news of the day, OK? As for the game: John Maine pitched well, while JJ Putz did not. Wright and Beltran both homered. So there you go. Check out the Daily News for some neat pics.

Fernando Tatis is nursing a sore hand after one of Jerry Manuel's hitting drills.

Jose Valentin has a slightly better chance to make the big league club than I do.

When you show up at the Mets new Field this season, driving through Willets Point will feel a little different. Namely, it won't feel like you're driving on the moon!

Tom Verducci the Junkees lover makes a case for non-junkee Carlos Delgado for the Hall Of Fame.

Transplated ex-Mets Update:

The New York Post has an update on Endy Chavez, who thinks about "the catch" every day.
Luis Ayala is competing for the eighth-inning setup role in Minneapolis, while Chan Ho Park is competing for the 5th spot in the Philies rotation.

And that's... about it.

42 Days Until Opening Day

2009-02-23T14:09:00.001-05:00

Jerry Manuel is either a madman or a genuis, and I am not sure which. He has the media eating out of his hand - every whim he mentions this spring makes headlines. First it was his idea to bat Castillo in the leadoff spot, and now the suggestion that Daniel Murphy could be the every day left fielder for the Mets in 2009 makes the back cover of Newsday. Wow, is it a slow news day or what? Three days into Spiring Training, I sure hope Daniel has a shot at the job!

Expect the pressure to intensify on the Mets to reconsider the naming rights of their new stadium, as reports state that the bank whose name is currently adorned on the side of the building is currently negotiating with the United States Government for Uncle Sam to have a 40% ownership in the bank. This report was good news for Wall Street, but for Roosevelt Avenue I'm not so sure.

There will be fierce competition for the 5th spot in the rotation this Spring. Freddie Garcia pretty much has said he'll be the 5th starter or he's outta here, but that didn't stop the Mets brass from declaring Tim Redding the frontrunner. Redding may not be ready however, as he's still recovering from some offseason surgery. Jon Niese is still in the mix, as is Livan Hernandez, while Pedro Martinez is still unsigned but gearing up for the World Baseball Classic.

I am all for the World Baseball Classic, but wouldn't it make more sense to have it held in November rather than March? This way, players would have much longer to recuperate from any injuries that may occur, and it wouldn't disrupt Spring Training.

Finally, here's a transplanted ex-Mets Update for you: Anna Benson's husband Kris Benson has signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers.

43 Days From Opening Day

2009-02-22T11:51:00.008-05:00

I am a bit of a baseball snob, and rue the commercialization of the game, so I can't wholly explain what it is I really dig about the sign that designates the Pepsi Porch at City Field. But it really does resemble the Long Island City sign, which any Long Islander who has taken the cheap route into NYC via the Queensboro Bridge will recognize. If you have to put advertising up in your ballpark, it's really a good idea to put some thought into it. Of course I miss when Shea Stadium was RC Cola territory...

Some people like the taste of Coke. Some people prefer Pepsi. But there will always be some people who prefer the refreshing taste of RC Cola...

By the way, if you're a cola purist, you may be interested to know that Pepsi is set to launch Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback, sodas sweetened with real sugar (as opposed to High fructose corn syrup). There are those who swear by sugar's superior taste, but even if you doubt anyone could tell the difference in a blind taste test, reports of suppressed mercury contamination studies should shy anyone away from HFCS!

How do I feel about Luis Castillo taking over for Jose Reyes in the leadoff spot?

2009-02-16T21:26:00.002-05:00

Jerry Manuel made some minor waves this weekend when he stated in a media session that he'll be experimenting this spring with having Luis Castillo bat leadoff and having Jose Reyes bad second or third. Now, some may say Jerry's just trying to shake things up during the spring, and has no real intentions of Castillo in teh leadoff spot as a long term solution, but I ask, why not? It makes perfect sense to me!

Luis "Slappy" Castillo has no power. None, zippo. The dude had 11 extra base hits in 2008. Eleven. One more time: In 298 at bats his bat took him past first base eleven times. Castillo has just one tool left as a hitter: patience. His on base percentage was .355 last year, within three points of Jose Reyes. And while of course Luis doesn't have the base stealling prowess of Reyes, Castillo doesn't clog up the basepaths. He swiped 17 bases last year and knows how to go first to third.

Now, don't get me wrong, I would love to see Castillo shipped out of here and Orlando Hudson brought in, butif we are stuck with this guy, we might as well find a use for him. And having a no-power guy batting in RBI situations just doesn't make sense. And listen, even if you're not sold on this thought, just the idea that the Mets are talking about Castillo as a leadoff hitter can only cause other GMs to start thinking about him as a leadoff hitter. And that can only make him more marketable (tradeable) .

Spring Has Sprung! Why Are Mets Fans So Angry?

2009-02-14T12:20:00.002-05:00

Pitchers and catchers have reported to Port St. Lucie, so I don't care what any groundhog says, winter is officially over.

I guess Omar figures you can never have enough spare parts, as the Mets this week have signed Livan Hernandez and Ramon Martinez to minor league deals. Yeah, I see ya Ramon. The fifth spot of the rotation should be going to Freddie Garcia, Tim Redding, or Jon Niese, but I guess the old adage is true - you can never have enough over the hill pitchers. The Ramon Martinez signing is odd as well - I am not sure what he did to ingratiate himself at the end of last season to warrant an invitation. But, I guess we'll see. Omar must be really really worried about Luis Castillo because even though he's got Alex Cora as insurance, he still invited Ramon Martinez to camp, along with Jose Valentin for Pete's sake. Is there an adage about crippled second basemen too?

Anyhow, now that the Junkees have another spectacle on their hands, the Mets can put the Manny Mania and Citi Calamity behind them and just start playing baseball. I wish I would never read another "sports" article that wasn't about money or drugs. I love the game of baseball for the game of baseball. The entertainment value of the game should be the playing of the game, and the drama that ensues between pitcher and batter. I know it's naive to believe that all the players are playing fair and not using illegal substances, and that the motivation is winning and not money... I know it's naive but isn't that why we watch sports? As an escape from the day to day realities of life? Don't we have enough concerns about salaries at our own jobs? Don't we have enough concerns about the drugs our kids might be tempted by to become obsessed with the drugs the athletes are using? We should definitely worry about the banking system, but only to the extent that they'll be able to remain solvent, not about which buildings they decide to put their advertising on the sides of.

I, in all likelihood, won't make it to Opening Day this year, and it's a little sad to me that the price of a ticket to the game has eclipsed the price I'm willing to pay, but it's only a bittersweet sadness. The tickets are out there to be had, and if it was really really important to me I would find the cash to get in. But my priorities were reorganized in 2008 with the birth of my son. So, as excited as I am to see the Mets glorious new ballpark, and as anxious as I am to hunt around to see the brick I sponsored on the Fanwalk, it can wait a little while. After all, if Manny Ramirez can turn down a $25 million dollar offer to play baseball for one season, then decide $200 is too much to pay for a ticket to a baseball game. Maybe I won't be able to brag about being at the first game in the new stadium, but that's OK. Regardless of the date on the calendar, my first game at the new park will be special because I'll be there with people I care about, watching a game I love, and the team I've chosen to root for through thick and thin.

We've got a lot to be thankful for, fellow Mets fans. Yes, our team has some holes, and we're not too thrilled about the associations with a dubious bank and a pyramid schemer, but we've got a very competitive team to go to war with, and a shiny new park to go to war in, so try to remember what it was like when you were a kid and baseball was fun. The reality is that the game wasn't so pure back then either, but it was you who was different. You were young and less jaded and more innocent, and you weren't worried about how much money the guys were making or what they were doing after hours. It was just fun to spend an afternoon at the ballpark, munching on hot dogs and laughing with your family. It was just fun to sit at your lucky spot on the couch, not moving an inch during a nail-biter against the rival team.

Do yourself a favor. Try your damnedest to recapture that innocence this season. Spring has sprung and the past has melted away. Change the radio station when the WFAN jocks start talking about salaries, steroids, or ratings. None of those things are important and none of them contribute to the enjoyment of watching a baseball game. Instead, argue with your friends about Jose Reyes vs. Derek Jeter and who should fill out the 25 man rosters. Explain the infield fly rule to your nephew and go visit Cooperstown. Suspend disbelief. But if you're unable to do so, do yourself a favor and slowly walk away. Find something else to do. Seriously. Following 162 games of baseball is an investment of time that's only worth it if you're having fun. If you think the game is made up of a bunch of juiced up millionaires who don't care about the fans, you're right. You're right, you're right, you're right. You've figured it all out and you've given yourself a very good excuse to excuse yourself from the situation. Don't feel bad about it; you've still got your memories of "when it was a game," and no one can take that away from you. But now you've got a world of spare time on your hands. All those things you say you wish you would do if you could only find the time - well there you go. Go play catch in the backyard, go call an old friend, go do whatever. The ballplayers won't miss you at all.

But if you can summon that innocence, the game hasn't change done iota from when you fell in love with it. The bases are still 90 feet apart, and there are still 3 strikes before you're out. The game looks a lot crisper on the HDTV set, and the food at the stadium tastes a little better and the seats are a little more roomier. The only thing standing between you and your enjoyment is you. So what's it going to be, fellow Mets fans? Are we going to BELIEVE? Or are we going to wish for baseball like it oughta be? Either way, it's up to you.