Heat is On Manuel: Bobby Valentine on Japanese Farewell Tour in 2009

While Jerry Manuel got the Mets to perform well enough to have his "interim" tag removed as manager, the two year deal he recieved offers no guarantees for a long tenure at the helm.  And with the news today that Transplanted ex-Mets manager and fan favorite Bobby Valentine will not be offered a contract extension by The Chiba Lotte Marines after his current four-year deal expires at the end of 2009 season, the heat is offically on Jerry Manuel.  The media loves Jerry because of his candor, but Mets fans have him on short leash after the September collapse of 2008.

Merry K Rod X Mas and a Putz-y New Year

Although I'm sad that the Argenis Reyes (Our Heinous Anus) Era is Over... I couldn't be happier with what Santa Minaya put under my tree this year. I feel a lot better about the bullpen now, naturally, though I am definitely concerned with how we'll replace Ollie Perez if he signs elsewhere... He has his challenges, for sure, but on any given night he can be an ace. You can't say the same about any of the other names being tossed about.

I also have to smirk at the doings of our fellow NL Easters. Today Rafael Furcal backed out of a handshake agreement with the Braves, to instead turn around and re-sign with the Dodgers. This has not been a fun offseason for the Braves. Go watch Mike Hampton have a great year with Houston.

I'm definitely jealous of the WiPhebeaters' signing of Ibanez, but I am scratching my head at the signing of Chan Ho Park, and giving Jamie Moyer a 2 year deal. Were they not paying attention to the Mets, and how our two year deals with players on the wrong side of 40 turned out (see Moises Alou, El Duque, and Julio Franco)?

Transplated ex-Met update: Ty Wigginton has been released, but Matt Cerrone throws cold water on Mets fans hoping for his return.

Now if you'll excuse me, I just head about this great investment opportunity in Egypt...

A Chiti Situation

The Mets and Citicorp say they are committed to the partnership that gives the troubled Citi Bank naming rights to the Mets' new stadium for 20 years.  Yeah, right. 

 

Of all the corporate names the Mets could have partnered with to name the stadium, "Citi Field" isn't all that bad.  But the PR nightmare of all that money going to a dubious marketing program while thousands of people are laid off is just really unfortunate.

 

Once Citi finally, inevitably, backs out of the deal, the Mets should just give the new stadium a new permanent, seamless, apropos name:

 

CITY FIELD

 

You read it here first.

 

(maybe)?

Transplanted ex-Met Mike Hampton reminisces about Shea Stadium

From today's Sporting News interview with Mike Hampton:

 

Q:What came into your mind when you arrived at Shea Stadium on Tuesday?

A: Honestly, the 2000 NLCS.  We were facing the Cardinals.  The atmosphere was just electric.  It was just the best time in the world for me career-wise.  Just to be able to go out there and win and get to go to the World Series is something I will never forget.

Junkees Add Another

Apparently they didn't have enough players on their past or current roster who had been accused of steroid abuse, so they added another today. The Yankees traded resurgent reliever Kyle Farnsworth for declining Ivan "Not so Pudge-y anymore since steroid-testing" Rodriguez. Welcome to the Junkees, Pudge.

Billy Joel is a Jerk (Part II)

I got a couple angry comments to my recent post, "Billy Joel is a Jerk." Yeah, I admit, I have a love/hate relationship with the guy. I love him because I grew up with his music, and as a Long Islander he's practically a local hero. On the other hand I hate him because he's eschewed pop music (for dubious reasons) and he's become a greedy bastard who milks his fans for every penny.

He gave me more ammo recently when it was announced that he'd be performing the last concert ever at Shea Stadium. Tickets went on sale, and sold out in like an hour or something. So what did they do? Added a second show, of course! Meaning, those 50,000 people who bought tickets to what they thought was the Last Concert Ever At Shea Stadium suddenly found themselves with tickets to... The Second-To-Last Concert Ever at Shea Stadium. Nice.

"Forgiveable," people said to me. It's nothing to get worked up about. I just have a bias against the guy and will look for any reason to dis him, they said. OK. It's going to be the same concert anyway, right? Yeah, except until the concerts actually happened.

The Wednesday night show, according to a friend of mine who was there, featured an overweight, out-of-breath, "pumpkin-headed" Joel who was barely able to hit the notes. But the stage looked cool. And there were special guests! A group of A-minus list pop stars like John Mellencamp, the overrated John Mayer, and Don Henley. OK, not bad.

Until Friday night rolls around. Same pumpkin-head, same stage... But the special guests? A little different. How about Roger Daltrey, Garth Brooks, Steven Tyler, and... Paul F*ckin McCartney. Are you kidding me? Are you KIDDING Me. Everyone knows The Beatles performance at Shea Stadium (the first concert ever at Shea) in 1965 is one of the most famous concerts of all time, and who better to put a lid on the whole thing than Sir Paul himself. (Yes, McCartney was in a band before Wings) Holy moly. So, you still don't think the Wednesday-nighters got ripped off?

Transplanted ex-Met Carlos Gomez hurt while making catch

Carlos Gomez sustained a lower back injury when he crashed into the padded wall while making a catch in yesterdays Twins game against the Indians. Making a long chase after a Ben Francisco fly ball, Gomez jumped, caught the ball, and slammed into the outfield wall. He crumpled on the warning track and spent several minutes writhing in pain before he was immobilized on a backboard, loaded on a cart and transported to a Cleveland hospital. Gomez returned to the ballpark about 10 minutes after the end of the game, saying he "never had so much pain in my life," An MRI came back negative.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8379808/Twins%27-Gomez-hurt-while-making-catch

Sign Ollie!!

The friggin Junkees traded for Transplanted X-Met Xavier Nady, the right-handed bat the Mets have been missing ever since they traded him for Oliver Perez and Bert Hernandez a few seasons ago.

After a mind-wrenching, several-seasons-long stretch of alternating brilliant/horrible starts, O'Perez finally has found his groove, mere months away from free agency.  In April and May we were wondering if the Mets should try to sign him to a contract.  Even though lefthanders with his stuff aren't easy to come by, his inconsistency drove us to agita so often that we were just about ready to be done with him.  Well, the time has come to grit our teeth and overpay for the Scott Boras client.  He's a lefty, he can dominate the Phillies (and Junkees), and he's young.  And yesterday sealed the deal:  signing O'Perez is the only way we can stomach seeing our boy Nady (whose jersey was hung up in the Mets dugout during the 2006 playoff run to honor the player who had to be traded because Duaner Sanchez's favorite restaurant didn't deliver) play right field for the friggin Junkees every day.

You hear me, Omar????!!!  Sign Oliver Perez! 

I'm headed to Shea tonight to see the FIRST PLACE METS take on the Cardinals.  The Brandon Knight era begins.  I think this guy is technically a rookie, since he's only been in 11 games in his career, even though he's closing in on his 33rd birthday.  Hope the bullpen is rested.  Yes, they are.  Thank you Mike Pelfrey!

David Wright News

I started stuffing the ballot for David Wright to be named to the all-star game, but then I remembered how much his performance tailed off after last year's appearance and thought that maybe he's better off taking the three days off.  If he makes it in by 4 votes, blame me.

Biggest Game of The Year

My boss is a big Phillies fan, and yesterday morning I walked into his office and proclaimed last night's game as the biggest game of the year for the Mets.  A chance to have  a winning road trip, take 3 of 4 from the Phils, move to withing 2 1/2 games of first, and find out what Pedro has left in the tank.  Howie Rose must have heard me, because he said the same thing about 50 times during the radio broadcast last night.  My boss said the Phillies were due for an offensive breakout.  He was right.  But, too little too late....  Mets Win!

Mets Fast Forward

Mets Fast Forward is a great program on SNY, especially the morning after a west coast night game.  They show the highlights of the previous game, in a one-hour period.  This is a great way to watch a game...  except when SNY runs the results of last night's game in the crawl at the bottom of the screen!!!  Brilliant, just brilliant.

Not To Worry Ed McMahon...

..you may already be a winner in the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes.

Link: Ed McMahon: It's The Economy

 

Schneider Still Sidelined

Brian Schneider remains in the hospital with a staph infection in his left thumb, unsure when he'll be able to return to the team.

Says my brother in law Len:

"I just wanna know how many times Schneider took the old saying 'rub some dirt on it' literally over the past few weeks.  Obviously, the old adage needs to be changed to, "just rub some alcohol in it so you're not hospitalized and intraveneously fed for a week'.  "

Re: Confusion

This is a controversy.  In some places I'm reading Wright tried to convince him to go out... in other places I read Wright told him NOT to go.  Delgado was asked about it after the game and he claimed he's only given two curtain calls his whole career... after his 4 homerun game, and when he hit his 400th.  He says he has too much respect for the game to give a curtain call after a solo homer in the seventh.  I don't know what to think.

Mets Beat Braves, Fashion Beats Smoltz, Delgado Beats Ball But Won't Beat Fans

The Mets beat the Braves today at Shea, taking two of three from Atlanta.

 

John Smoltz looked really bad today.  I don't mean his lousy pitching performance.  I mean the schmuck buttoned his jersey wrong and pitched six innings with the ATLANTA across his chest all askew.

Apparently Delgado thought he was Beltran of 2006 today and refused to take a curtain call.  Unlike Julio Franco, David Wright couldn't convice him to go out there.  As Ron Darling noted in the broadcast, the fans are undefeated in this town.  So now Delgado can go play first base in wherever Rey Ordonez is playing, along with the rest of the idiots who tried to take on Mets fans.