Oh boy. Losing your #2 starter in the 4th inning of his first start of the year is not fun. Especially when you already have another pitcher on the DL (El Duque), and he is being replaced by your former first round pick (Pelfrey, aka Tongue). Is it time to Panic? Well, based on all the newspaper reports and Buster Olney, yes. Based on my gut, no.
Why not Ed you ask? Why shouldn't we panic? Pedro heard a pop. He's 36. Pelfrey has done nothing, we have no idea what El Duque is going to be able to give us. We have no depth in AAA or hell, even AA. If ever there was a time to panic, it is now.
Well, it's quite simple. We still have, in Johan, Ollie and John, 3 starters who can each win at minimum 15 games (and odds are, each will go over). El Duque will come back shortly, and be able to fill the void. Pelfrey is another question. If we get the Pelfrey from the end of last season, we will be fine. If we get the early 2007 Pelfrey, well, then we got problems.
Let's go into the wayback machine to 2006. Does everyone remember how many starters we used that year? Pedro missed time. Trachsel missed time. Lima got starts. Alay Soler. Bannister got a few. J(G)eremi(y, e, what way is he spelling it now?) got starts. It was a veritable cornucopia of arms. And some of them sucked.
So that's part one of why I say it is NOT time to panic. We've been here before, and muddled through.
So what's the second reason. It's quite simple. BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG PEDRO IS GOING TO BE OUT! The results of the MRI aren't in. Hell, he hasn't even taken it yet. Until we know the severity of the injury, it is silly to get worked up. Let the media panic. Let Buster Olney act like an ass on BBT. For all we know, he tweaked it and he will miss the month of April, or 4 starts. Fine. Will it suck, sure. But then we still have May - September. Add to that, we have an even more rested Pedor for that stretch and then the playoffs.
Now, if it is a major injury, feel free to Panic. I probably will. But you know what? There is still enough talent on this team to be able to overcome the injury. It is time for Mike Pelfrey to put up or shut up. He had a chance this spring, he had the #5 spot by the short hairs, and he punted. Well Mike, you have another shot. Show everyone why you were drafted so high.
Last thing on Pedro, if I'm him, I want Willie changing the rotation so he no longer has to pitch in that park. He has awful luck there the past couple of seasons. First the hip, now this.
Last night was a loss. The good, well, they came back from 4 runs down to force extras. Pagan had a key hit. Schneider went 3-4. Church had a hit. Only Beltran failed to get a hit. Sho had to face a righty, yet got him out (someone please tell Willie that this does not prove Sho can get them out regularly). Willie then pulled Sho in favor of Joe Smith, who completed the inning and looked like the Joe Smith from early last year. Sosa did a good job replacing Pedro. Heilman was great again, for two innings.
The bad, well, Matt Wise giving up a 1st career homer to a 6' 170 lb shortstop. With two outs. Not good.
Tonight, Ollie takes the hill against Andrew Miller. Let's go Ollie!
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
This Week in Wally's World
Opening Day. A new season begins. A time to think good thoughts, to enjoy seeing Santana shut down the Marlins, Jose get on base, Wright clear the loaded bases with a double. To forget last year. Except, that is, if you are Wally Matthews.
Who better to piss on the parade the next morning after a resounding win? Who better to bring up the end of last season? Who else but Wally would try to compare Johan's win to Tom Glavine's win in the opener last year?
I know, I know, the collapse is going to be the story, at least in the early going. But why today? Why after seeing a truly dominant performance in all areas of the game does Wally feel the need to rehash all that happened at the end of last season? (Oh, and Wally, do us a favor and look at the Mets record. While they blew the lead at the end, they played 500 ball basically from June on forward, so the collapse was a long one).
"Don't Celebrate Yet, Mets Fans" was the headline. The funny thing is this, the second paragraph in the story
Meanwhile, I'm sure there were a number of Mets fans wondering what cliches Wally would spill out. He didn't disappoint, that's for sure.
And of course, Wally followed Vic Zeigel of the Daily News in pointing out a pointless miscue by Luis Castillo:
Both conveniently forgot two things. One, that Castillo is still recovering from off-season knee surgery (which every media person in New York had written about ad-nauseum this spring). Two, that Castillo also bunted for a single and then stole second base. Did he make a mistake? Sure. But it is possible that he forgot how many outs there were, and it is also possible that Sandy Alomar had given him the stop sign. But why let other possibilities get in the way of stirring the pot? Why let that stop Wally from once again writing a Mets bashing article?
He then proceeded to talk about how winning the first game means nothing, and brought up a couple of teams that lost the first game and wound up winning the division. And of course, one team mentioned was the 1998 Yankees, because what would a column in Wally's World be without a mention of his favorite team? Of course, Wally forgot to mention another Mets team that won their opener, the 1986 World Champions.
Then again, why would I expect Wally to bring up something that would blow away his theory?
Who better to piss on the parade the next morning after a resounding win? Who better to bring up the end of last season? Who else but Wally would try to compare Johan's win to Tom Glavine's win in the opener last year?
I know, I know, the collapse is going to be the story, at least in the early going. But why today? Why after seeing a truly dominant performance in all areas of the game does Wally feel the need to rehash all that happened at the end of last season? (Oh, and Wally, do us a favor and look at the Mets record. While they blew the lead at the end, they played 500 ball basically from June on forward, so the collapse was a long one).
"Don't Celebrate Yet, Mets Fans" was the headline. The funny thing is this, the second paragraph in the story
The Mets beat the Marlins, 7-2, yesterday behind a gem of an Opening Day outing by Santana, and you could almost see the headline writers trotting out the cliches in 130-point type, about PAYBACK and VENGEANCE, about "Wiping the Slate Clean" and "Evening the Score."
Meanwhile, I'm sure there were a number of Mets fans wondering what cliches Wally would spill out. He didn't disappoint, that's for sure.
And of course, Wally followed Vic Zeigel of the Daily News in pointing out a pointless miscue by Luis Castillo:
Yesterday, Santana came as advertised, but there were other signs that this club is not completely over the bugaboos that brought it down last year, notably a first-inning brain freeze by Luis Castillo, who somehow stopped running on a wind-blown, two-out pop fly by Carlos Beltran that dropped in. Castillo should have easily scored the first run of the game but was forced to hold at third.
Both conveniently forgot two things. One, that Castillo is still recovering from off-season knee surgery (which every media person in New York had written about ad-nauseum this spring). Two, that Castillo also bunted for a single and then stole second base. Did he make a mistake? Sure. But it is possible that he forgot how many outs there were, and it is also possible that Sandy Alomar had given him the stop sign. But why let other possibilities get in the way of stirring the pot? Why let that stop Wally from once again writing a Mets bashing article?
He then proceeded to talk about how winning the first game means nothing, and brought up a couple of teams that lost the first game and wound up winning the division. And of course, one team mentioned was the 1998 Yankees, because what would a column in Wally's World be without a mention of his favorite team? Of course, Wally forgot to mention another Mets team that won their opener, the 1986 World Champions.
Then again, why would I expect Wally to bring up something that would blow away his theory?
Monday, March 31, 2008
2008 - A New Beginning.?.?
Game 1 is in the books. What looked to be a little worrisome, considering Mark Hendrickson is a lefty junkballer (you know, the guys who give the Mets fits) turned out to be a nice all-around performance as the Mets started off with a 7-2 victory over the Marlins. Contributions from many of the new guys, from Angel Pagan, to Ryan Church, to Johan Santana. The old guard helped out as well, with Jose, David and Beltran contributing. Ah, I love DVR.
Johan went 7, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits, 2 walks and 8 k's. Matt Wise started the 8th, and allowed a couple of hits surrounding an out. Willie had the quick hook with a 4 run lead, and brought in Scot Schoenweis to face a lefty, who he retired. The next batter was Josh Willingham, a righty. Last year, Sho would have stayed in. This year, Willie stunned all of the Mets fan base into complete silence by actually doing what the book says and pulling Sho in favor of a righty (Jorge Sosa) to face the righty Willingham. Let's hope Willie follows "The Book" more than "The Gut" the rest of the year. Sosa got the last out on a nasty slider. Heilman pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, with 2 k's. He looked real good, throwing nice change-ups and a few bb-type fastballs. Frankly, the only pitcher who didn't look that good was Wise, but he seemed to be thisclose on a few of his pitches, and the 2nd hit was an infield single that was only a hit to due Amezega having a great jump off first, barely beating Reyes' throw.
The lineup did well overall. A couple of RISP left hanging ealry, but then came the 6 run 4th inning, capped by a DW bases loaded clearing double to drive in the final 3 runs. Beltran led off with a raked double to left. Delgado walked, Pagan doubled, driving in Beltran. Church followed with a single, moving Pagan to third. Schneider hit a liner to first that Jacobs snared, but Church beat him back to the bag. Johan k'd, but Jose singled to drive in Pagan. Castillo followed with a walk, and DW finished Hendrickson off.
A good start. Delgado, though hitless, did look better. The walk was nice to see, and he did look to be trying to go to left against the shift. Jose had 2 hits, but was caught stealing (on a bad call from what I saw). Castillo had the first SB of the season, along with a hit and 2 walks. Well rounded offensive attack.
Tomorrow, Pedro vs. VandenHurk.
Johan went 7, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits, 2 walks and 8 k's. Matt Wise started the 8th, and allowed a couple of hits surrounding an out. Willie had the quick hook with a 4 run lead, and brought in Scot Schoenweis to face a lefty, who he retired. The next batter was Josh Willingham, a righty. Last year, Sho would have stayed in. This year, Willie stunned all of the Mets fan base into complete silence by actually doing what the book says and pulling Sho in favor of a righty (Jorge Sosa) to face the righty Willingham. Let's hope Willie follows "The Book" more than "The Gut" the rest of the year. Sosa got the last out on a nasty slider. Heilman pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, with 2 k's. He looked real good, throwing nice change-ups and a few bb-type fastballs. Frankly, the only pitcher who didn't look that good was Wise, but he seemed to be thisclose on a few of his pitches, and the 2nd hit was an infield single that was only a hit to due Amezega having a great jump off first, barely beating Reyes' throw.
The lineup did well overall. A couple of RISP left hanging ealry, but then came the 6 run 4th inning, capped by a DW bases loaded clearing double to drive in the final 3 runs. Beltran led off with a raked double to left. Delgado walked, Pagan doubled, driving in Beltran. Church followed with a single, moving Pagan to third. Schneider hit a liner to first that Jacobs snared, but Church beat him back to the bag. Johan k'd, but Jose singled to drive in Pagan. Castillo followed with a walk, and DW finished Hendrickson off.
A good start. Delgado, though hitless, did look better. The walk was nice to see, and he did look to be trying to go to left against the shift. Jose had 2 hits, but was caught stealing (on a bad call from what I saw). Castillo had the first SB of the season, along with a hit and 2 walks. Well rounded offensive attack.
Tomorrow, Pedro vs. VandenHurk.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
2008 Preview Time!
The season begins today for the Braves and Nationals. Tomorrow, the Mets open in Florida against the Marlins, then move on to Atlanta for 3, before coming home and welcoming the Phils for the Home Opener on April 8.
Now, most of the previews we've read talked about "The Collapse" and how it was Willie's fault, or Jose's fault or some combination of the two. The result of that is the perception that the team lacks "chemistry". Now, I don't downplay the need for some cohesion, but frankly, the players can hate each other so long as they get it done on the field. Most of the "experts" are picking the Mets to finish behind the Braves (the chic pick for most) and the Phils. Good. Let them underestimate our team.
I'm not going to sit here and waste my time poking holes in the theory that the Braves have the best starting pitching in the NL East (we all know that Hampton is no given, and, well, Tommy is bound to cause some Braves fans to feel devastated). And yes, the Phils have a nice lineup, but their pitching is possibly the most suspect in the National League. The Nationals may be improved. The Marlins, notsomuch.
The Mets are not perfect. There are still questions in the pen (Stokes over Register? Sho against righties? Joe Smith? Dirty's arm?). The 5th starter is a huge question (will Duque be able to be there all year, and if not, can Pelfrey improve enough to take over?) But for the most part the rotation is solid (Santana, Pedro, Perez and Maine is quite an impressive 1-4. I don't know why the experts cannot see this). Wagner is still a top tier closer. Heilman has accepted his role and looked fantastic this spring.
Folks, the question is really the lineup. 1-4 is fine. Once we get to #5, that's when questions start. Alou is already on the DL. How many more games will he miss once he comes back? Can Delgado rebound? Can Church hit lefties? Can Schneider hit, period? I'm not worried about Reyes, he will be fine. Castillo will do his job as well. Wright will have an MVP season, but split votes with Jose and Beltran, allowing some other player to win.
I think Delgado will be better than last season. I think he has healed up. I think his missing time this spring hurt him. He had a good second half, after a poor first half, which was encouraging. Hopefully he can rebound this year and put up 25-30 and hit 285. He's had good and bad games this spring. Let's hope the good outweigh the bad once the season starts.
I have concerns about the bench. Now, we know what we get with Endy. Angel Pagan is on the team as well apparently. Angle had good minor league numbers, but notheing special in the bigs when he's had a chance. He also "Pagan'd" a few balls in the outfield this spring. He will be playing left until Alou returns. Also on the bench are pinch-hitting specialist Marlon Anderson (I swear, if Willie puts him in center this year, I'm taking a drive to Flushing), Ramon Castro (unless his hammy forces him to the DL, then Casanova will be the 2nd string catcher), and Damien Easley.
Notice the absence of Ruben Gotay, who was claimed on waivers by the Braves last week). Now, I don't think Gotay is going to be a star, but I do wish we had someone in his 20's who could hit (that's right Anderson Hernandez, HIT) who could play if Castillo's knees begin to bother him. Now, we have Easley, or Hernandez (who will be in NOLA). Not good. Gotay was waived to allow for either Fernando Tatis or Brady Clark to make the team. Both suck. Both are right handed batters, something that is needed on the bench. Tatis allegdly can play multiple positions. Clark is a natual outfielder. I don't want either, but will settle for Clark over Tatis. Alas, as noted, they both suck. I'm not devastated over Gotay being claimed, I think Omar took a calculated gamble, and lost. But it does suck a bit.
So what do I think is gonna happen? Do I see another Division Title, or another miss? I'm not sure. I think the talent is there to quite frankly run away with the division. The pitching is the strongest in the NL. The lineup is strong. The pen is improved from last year. I just have questions about Willie and his ability to put guys in situations where they can succeed. I hope that last year taught him a lesson. Starting tomorrow, we will start to learn for sure if it did.
Prediction - 95-67. Win division by 12 games over Braves. NL representative in the World Series. That's all you get for now.
Now, most of the previews we've read talked about "The Collapse" and how it was Willie's fault, or Jose's fault or some combination of the two. The result of that is the perception that the team lacks "chemistry". Now, I don't downplay the need for some cohesion, but frankly, the players can hate each other so long as they get it done on the field. Most of the "experts" are picking the Mets to finish behind the Braves (the chic pick for most) and the Phils. Good. Let them underestimate our team.
I'm not going to sit here and waste my time poking holes in the theory that the Braves have the best starting pitching in the NL East (we all know that Hampton is no given, and, well, Tommy is bound to cause some Braves fans to feel devastated). And yes, the Phils have a nice lineup, but their pitching is possibly the most suspect in the National League. The Nationals may be improved. The Marlins, notsomuch.
The Mets are not perfect. There are still questions in the pen (Stokes over Register? Sho against righties? Joe Smith? Dirty's arm?). The 5th starter is a huge question (will Duque be able to be there all year, and if not, can Pelfrey improve enough to take over?) But for the most part the rotation is solid (Santana, Pedro, Perez and Maine is quite an impressive 1-4. I don't know why the experts cannot see this). Wagner is still a top tier closer. Heilman has accepted his role and looked fantastic this spring.
Folks, the question is really the lineup. 1-4 is fine. Once we get to #5, that's when questions start. Alou is already on the DL. How many more games will he miss once he comes back? Can Delgado rebound? Can Church hit lefties? Can Schneider hit, period? I'm not worried about Reyes, he will be fine. Castillo will do his job as well. Wright will have an MVP season, but split votes with Jose and Beltran, allowing some other player to win.
I think Delgado will be better than last season. I think he has healed up. I think his missing time this spring hurt him. He had a good second half, after a poor first half, which was encouraging. Hopefully he can rebound this year and put up 25-30 and hit 285. He's had good and bad games this spring. Let's hope the good outweigh the bad once the season starts.
I have concerns about the bench. Now, we know what we get with Endy. Angel Pagan is on the team as well apparently. Angle had good minor league numbers, but notheing special in the bigs when he's had a chance. He also "Pagan'd" a few balls in the outfield this spring. He will be playing left until Alou returns. Also on the bench are pinch-hitting specialist Marlon Anderson (I swear, if Willie puts him in center this year, I'm taking a drive to Flushing), Ramon Castro (unless his hammy forces him to the DL, then Casanova will be the 2nd string catcher), and Damien Easley.
Notice the absence of Ruben Gotay, who was claimed on waivers by the Braves last week). Now, I don't think Gotay is going to be a star, but I do wish we had someone in his 20's who could hit (that's right Anderson Hernandez, HIT) who could play if Castillo's knees begin to bother him. Now, we have Easley, or Hernandez (who will be in NOLA). Not good. Gotay was waived to allow for either Fernando Tatis or Brady Clark to make the team. Both suck. Both are right handed batters, something that is needed on the bench. Tatis allegdly can play multiple positions. Clark is a natual outfielder. I don't want either, but will settle for Clark over Tatis. Alas, as noted, they both suck. I'm not devastated over Gotay being claimed, I think Omar took a calculated gamble, and lost. But it does suck a bit.
So what do I think is gonna happen? Do I see another Division Title, or another miss? I'm not sure. I think the talent is there to quite frankly run away with the division. The pitching is the strongest in the NL. The lineup is strong. The pen is improved from last year. I just have questions about Willie and his ability to put guys in situations where they can succeed. I hope that last year taught him a lesson. Starting tomorrow, we will start to learn for sure if it did.
Prediction - 95-67. Win division by 12 games over Braves. NL representative in the World Series. That's all you get for now.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
It's Fantasy Draft Time!
For only the third time, Ed is taking part in a fantasy baseball league. It's a 12 team head to head money league, using the following categories:
Hitters - Runs, HR, RBI, SB, BB, K, AVG, SLG%
Pitchers - W, Saves, H, K's, ERA, WHIP
The first year I was in the league (2006), I was able to snag DW and Jose, along with a few other guys. Alas, I finished out of the money, in 9th. Last year, I was injury riddled, and finished in 11th. This year, I must redeem myself.
Below is my team, in order the players were drafted. I drafted in the 5th slot. Comments follow each name:
Reyes (Do I really need to justify this? DW went 1st overall.)
Beltran (The man will hit 40 hr's and drive in over 100. Book it)
Granderson (some steals, some SLG. And now he breaks his hand. Shit)
Helton (consistent avg, walks and rbi's. Possibly early, but needed a 1st baseman)
Verlander (my ace.)
Markakis (O's are gonna suck, but Nick can flat out rake. I wish he was in Queens)
McCann (I hated to do it, but he's a top catcher)
Orlando Hudson (early, but was worried about losing 2nd base)
Carmona (my #2, starters look pretty good so far)
Francoeur (Frenchy can hit. my utility guy)
Beltre (needed a 3rd baseman, best one left on the board)
Maine (I love this pick. He's gonna win at least 18)
Rafael Soriano (probable Braves closer. I needed a closer.)
Tim Hudson (It killed me, but I needed a good starter, and there weren't a lot of options left)
Heilman (my set up guy. I like this pick.)
Geovany Soto (back up catcher. Possible trade bait)
Oliver Perez (not a bad pick for round 17. I hope he matches last year. I had him then.)
Ryan Garko (Lister on Metsgeek loves Garko. I hope he is right about him)
Ty Wiggington (I always seem to have infield injuries. Ty covers everything but SS)
Joaquin Benoit (relief pitcher, possible Rangers closer)
Jamie Walker (relief pitcher, possible O's closer)
Well, that's it. I'm not so happy with all the Braves, but at least no Yankees. And I have more Mets than Braves. Once again, I cross my fingers.
At least I didn't pick El Duque or Pelfrey this year.
Hitters - Runs, HR, RBI, SB, BB, K, AVG, SLG%
Pitchers - W, Saves, H, K's, ERA, WHIP
The first year I was in the league (2006), I was able to snag DW and Jose, along with a few other guys. Alas, I finished out of the money, in 9th. Last year, I was injury riddled, and finished in 11th. This year, I must redeem myself.
Below is my team, in order the players were drafted. I drafted in the 5th slot. Comments follow each name:
Reyes (Do I really need to justify this? DW went 1st overall.)
Beltran (The man will hit 40 hr's and drive in over 100. Book it)
Granderson (some steals, some SLG. And now he breaks his hand. Shit)
Helton (consistent avg, walks and rbi's. Possibly early, but needed a 1st baseman)
Verlander (my ace.)
Markakis (O's are gonna suck, but Nick can flat out rake. I wish he was in Queens)
McCann (I hated to do it, but he's a top catcher)
Orlando Hudson (early, but was worried about losing 2nd base)
Carmona (my #2, starters look pretty good so far)
Francoeur (Frenchy can hit. my utility guy)
Beltre (needed a 3rd baseman, best one left on the board)
Maine (I love this pick. He's gonna win at least 18)
Rafael Soriano (probable Braves closer. I needed a closer.)
Tim Hudson (It killed me, but I needed a good starter, and there weren't a lot of options left)
Heilman (my set up guy. I like this pick.)
Geovany Soto (back up catcher. Possible trade bait)
Oliver Perez (not a bad pick for round 17. I hope he matches last year. I had him then.)
Ryan Garko (Lister on Metsgeek loves Garko. I hope he is right about him)
Ty Wiggington (I always seem to have infield injuries. Ty covers everything but SS)
Joaquin Benoit (relief pitcher, possible Rangers closer)
Jamie Walker (relief pitcher, possible O's closer)
Well, that's it. I'm not so happy with all the Braves, but at least no Yankees. And I have more Mets than Braves. Once again, I cross my fingers.
At least I didn't pick El Duque or Pelfrey this year.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
This Week in Wally's World
This week, Wally tells us the Mets are crazy to even consider signing Barry Bonds. He is appalled that they would even consider signing Bonds.
Of course, Wally conveniently forgets that this is the Wilpons we are talking about. Does he seriously think Fred would sign Barry? This is a man who traded Carl Everett after some abuse allegations were raised. This is the man who got rid of Bret "Bleach Boy" Saberhagen. The man who had Milledge traded. They let PLD go for pete's sake. The Wiplon's are nothing if not concerned about portraying a positive image these days. Gone are the days of the 86 team. Oh, they may have some fun guys like Pedro, but that is the exception.
What Wally wanted was for the Mets to say "NO WAY" when the question was raised about Bonds. Now, I want no part of Barry, but of course they are going to think about it. Every available player should be considered. At the end of the day though, the odds of Barry playing for the Mets are about as long as Fred inviting Wally into the owners box for every game this season.
And why wouldn't they sign Barry? I mean, he is an OBP and hitting machine. Well, frankly, so they wouldn't have to read stories by every NY area writer like the one Wally wrote. The Mets were tied to every story relating to steroids and HGH thanks to Radomski. Does Wally really think Fred wants the added attentionof signing a guy who is under federal indictment?
But Wally, in his own world, wants things done his way. No one should think, let alone act, in a way that would go against the principles of Wally's World. To even think about signing Bonds is anthema to all that he believes in. Of course, what Wally believes in is building a team the Yankee way. No HGH or steroids there, right Wally?
I wonder, where is Wally's article telling the Yankees to cut Andy (the bestest, most honest cheater in all of baseball) Pettitte. You know, a guy who ADMITTED using HGH? Oh, Wally ripped Andy. But did he tell the Yankees to cut him? Is he railing about Jason Giambi still wearing the hallowed Yankee uni?
Nope, instead Wally is taking a simple "we looked at Barry" comment and using it to craft yet another Mets bashing article. Which is nice, because it gives all Mets fans another chance to see him for the Assclown he is, and me more material to write about. So thanks Wally!
In Wally's World, you can do nothing right if you are the New York Mets. In Wally's World, everything they do should be thought of in terms of WWWMD? (What Would Wally Matthews Do?)
I can tell you what Ed would do if he ran Newsday. See if you can guess.
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In other news, the walking wounded are slowly making their return. Church, Easley, 'Stache, Endy, Dos Carlos' and Dirty all played over the past few days. This of course was a week after the sturm und drang from the local media about the myriad injuries on the team and how it meant they were screwed this coming season. As it stands now, only Moises is not expected to be ready for March 31. El Duque could also miss that date. In my mind, I would rather get the injuries out of the way now, when there is little pressure to play through them. Get healthy now. Play later. The games don't count at this point.
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As for the Islanders, well, what can I say. The season looked good at the start, but lack of offense killed them. Memo to Garth, please find a scorer. kthnksbye
As for the Jets, well, they've spent the GDP of a small country this offseason. Will it matter? We shall see. I'm reserving judgement. Should be an interesting draft. Wonder if they will take Darren (Daddy) McFadden.
Of course, Wally conveniently forgets that this is the Wilpons we are talking about. Does he seriously think Fred would sign Barry? This is a man who traded Carl Everett after some abuse allegations were raised. This is the man who got rid of Bret "Bleach Boy" Saberhagen. The man who had Milledge traded. They let PLD go for pete's sake. The Wiplon's are nothing if not concerned about portraying a positive image these days. Gone are the days of the 86 team. Oh, they may have some fun guys like Pedro, but that is the exception.
What Wally wanted was for the Mets to say "NO WAY" when the question was raised about Bonds. Now, I want no part of Barry, but of course they are going to think about it. Every available player should be considered. At the end of the day though, the odds of Barry playing for the Mets are about as long as Fred inviting Wally into the owners box for every game this season.
And why wouldn't they sign Barry? I mean, he is an OBP and hitting machine. Well, frankly, so they wouldn't have to read stories by every NY area writer like the one Wally wrote. The Mets were tied to every story relating to steroids and HGH thanks to Radomski. Does Wally really think Fred wants the added attentionof signing a guy who is under federal indictment?
But Wally, in his own world, wants things done his way. No one should think, let alone act, in a way that would go against the principles of Wally's World. To even think about signing Bonds is anthema to all that he believes in. Of course, what Wally believes in is building a team the Yankee way. No HGH or steroids there, right Wally?
I wonder, where is Wally's article telling the Yankees to cut Andy (the bestest, most honest cheater in all of baseball) Pettitte. You know, a guy who ADMITTED using HGH? Oh, Wally ripped Andy. But did he tell the Yankees to cut him? Is he railing about Jason Giambi still wearing the hallowed Yankee uni?
Nope, instead Wally is taking a simple "we looked at Barry" comment and using it to craft yet another Mets bashing article. Which is nice, because it gives all Mets fans another chance to see him for the Assclown he is, and me more material to write about. So thanks Wally!
In Wally's World, you can do nothing right if you are the New York Mets. In Wally's World, everything they do should be thought of in terms of WWWMD? (What Would Wally Matthews Do?)
I can tell you what Ed would do if he ran Newsday. See if you can guess.
****************************
In other news, the walking wounded are slowly making their return. Church, Easley, 'Stache, Endy, Dos Carlos' and Dirty all played over the past few days. This of course was a week after the sturm und drang from the local media about the myriad injuries on the team and how it meant they were screwed this coming season. As it stands now, only Moises is not expected to be ready for March 31. El Duque could also miss that date. In my mind, I would rather get the injuries out of the way now, when there is little pressure to play through them. Get healthy now. Play later. The games don't count at this point.
*****************************
As for the Islanders, well, what can I say. The season looked good at the start, but lack of offense killed them. Memo to Garth, please find a scorer. kthnksbye
As for the Jets, well, they've spent the GDP of a small country this offseason. Will it matter? We shall see. I'm reserving judgement. Should be an interesting draft. Wonder if they will take Darren (Daddy) McFadden.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Introducing a New Feature - "This Week in Wally's World"
Since I've been posting, Wally Matthews at Newsday has been the target of some barbs, primarily due to his anti-Mets slant. It seems every wekk Wally gets his panties in a bunch over the Mets, and proceeds to write some drivel. Until now, I have only picked here and there to opine, and had even stopped posting about him because his writing is such repetative tripe (Mets suck, they do nothing right, the poor junkyard guys).
Starting today, and continuing for as long as Wally continues his attacks on my favorite Sports team, I will post a response to Wally's crap. The comments will be there for you to either agree, or tell me I'm as stupid as Wally (which, let's be serious here, is highly impossible).
Onto the fun.
In this weeks version of Wally's World, Wally has written a column mocking the Mets lack of a slogan this year, after last years admittedly asinine "Your Season Has Come" (seriously, it is a good thing there is no slogan, the team has had crap out there for years. There is no need for it, just play the fraking games).
He proceeds to list several suggestions:
"This Time We Mean It."
"One Year Older. One Year Wiser. One Win Better?"
"Missed It By That Much ... "
and so on. He even caps it with a Green Day title "Wake Me Up When September Ends."
So, in the spirit of Wally's column, I have come up with a few slogans for him to use on his columns.
"American Idiot"
"Same Shit, Different Week"
Feel free to add some more in the comments.
Now, Wally a few years ago did show some sack. Back when some asshat gossip writer at the Post "outed" Mike Piazza, Wally, who worked there at the time, wrote a column blasting the guy. The Post didn't run it, and Wally took his pen and went home. Good for him. Since then however, it seems Wally has written a column a week abusing the Mets. Oh, he will occassionaly bash the team in the Bronx, but it is rare, and usually innocuous.
The best is how Wally always manages to put in a little pro-yankee stuff in the column. This week it was
You see Wally, if you want to use the Yanks as the benchmark, at least be consistent. You cannot bash the Mets like this
And yet use the Yankees as the benchmark, when they outspent EVERY OTHER TEAM.
Did the Mets underacheive last year? Sure. Do fans remember that? Sure. Did the team improve over the offseason? Damn right. They added Santana, added Wise to the pen, got rid of Mota. Oh, and Pedro is now 15 months removed from surgery and is looking for a new deal. There is one rule that Wally is forgetting:
Jose Reyes is focused. David Wright is going to get better. Oh, and despite your writing that Carlos Beltran is among the aging portion of the roster at not yet 31 years old, he had a damn fine season last year. Perhaps you should look at more than batting average, and notice that he was among the best on the team in August and September. He is only starting to enter his prime.
So, as we wrap this week, a recap of Wally's column.
"The Mets stink. blah blah blah. Yankees are good. Blah blah blah. The Mets stink"
That's Wally's World.
Feel free to post some comments.
Starting today, and continuing for as long as Wally continues his attacks on my favorite Sports team, I will post a response to Wally's crap. The comments will be there for you to either agree, or tell me I'm as stupid as Wally (which, let's be serious here, is highly impossible).
Onto the fun.
In this weeks version of Wally's World, Wally has written a column mocking the Mets lack of a slogan this year, after last years admittedly asinine "Your Season Has Come" (seriously, it is a good thing there is no slogan, the team has had crap out there for years. There is no need for it, just play the fraking games).
He proceeds to list several suggestions:
"This Time We Mean It."
"One Year Older. One Year Wiser. One Win Better?"
"Missed It By That Much ... "
and so on. He even caps it with a Green Day title "Wake Me Up When September Ends."
So, in the spirit of Wally's column, I have come up with a few slogans for him to use on his columns.
"American Idiot"
"Same Shit, Different Week"
Feel free to add some more in the comments.
Now, Wally a few years ago did show some sack. Back when some asshat gossip writer at the Post "outed" Mike Piazza, Wally, who worked there at the time, wrote a column blasting the guy. The Post didn't run it, and Wally took his pen and went home. Good for him. Since then however, it seems Wally has written a column a week abusing the Mets. Oh, he will occassionaly bash the team in the Bronx, but it is rare, and usually innocuous.
The best is how Wally always manages to put in a little pro-yankee stuff in the column. This week it was
"It wasn't like the Yankees, who had to scrap and scramble to make the playoffs, only to come up empty in the first round."I'm sorry, they had to scrap? They spent $200 million on payroll. They should have walked away with the AL and won the WS. I mean, he bashes the Mets for spending and coming up short. Should the Mets use the Yanks of the past 7 season (no WS wins, one HUGE CHOKE in the ALCS) as a model?
You see Wally, if you want to use the Yanks as the benchmark, at least be consistent. You cannot bash the Mets like this
So far, this incarnation of the Mets, this $145-million boondoggle, hasn't been nearly as good as it was supposed to be,
And yet use the Yankees as the benchmark, when they outspent EVERY OTHER TEAM.
Did the Mets underacheive last year? Sure. Do fans remember that? Sure. Did the team improve over the offseason? Damn right. They added Santana, added Wise to the pen, got rid of Mota. Oh, and Pedro is now 15 months removed from surgery and is looking for a new deal. There is one rule that Wally is forgetting:
Never Underestimate PedroThe man is motivated. A motivated Pedro is damn good.
Jose Reyes is focused. David Wright is going to get better. Oh, and despite your writing that Carlos Beltran is among the aging portion of the roster at not yet 31 years old, he had a damn fine season last year. Perhaps you should look at more than batting average, and notice that he was among the best on the team in August and September. He is only starting to enter his prime.
So, as we wrap this week, a recap of Wally's column.
"The Mets stink. blah blah blah. Yankees are good. Blah blah blah. The Mets stink"
That's Wally's World.
Feel free to post some comments.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
The Return of the Observations
I’ll be typing some of these with my eyes closed. Helps the muscle memory. See if you can figure out which one’s.
1. So Hillary lost two more races last night. Bill’s depressed, because to save money, Hill is firing more interns. (my apologies, but I've got to use the easy ones from time to time)
2. McCain has basically sewn up the Republican nomination, leading to the possibility that Rush and Ann will jump off a bridge.
3. Andy Pettitte, the bestest, nicest, most honest cheater in baseball arrived in Yankee camp Monday and had an hour long press conference. He said he was sorry, felt badly and that he wanted to move on. The NY media of course proceeded to carry him out of the meeting on their shoulders.
4. The Islanders lost another defenseman to injury, making the count 4. No word on whether Ted Nolan is calling Denis Potvin to see if he can play.
5. Lindsay Lohan posed nude. Like Marilyn Monroe did shortly before her death. Was this really smart LiLo? On second thought, I forgot, we are talking about Lohan here.
6. Bill Belichek claims Matt Walsh, who was his videographer is a liar. Scott Pioli claims Walsh was fired for taping conversations. Walsh says, “that’s not true, I have the tapes to prove it.”
7. Last week, Roger Clemens appeared before a House panel investigating Steroids in baseball. We haven't heard that much talk about buttocks in the House since the Clinton andminstration.
8. I swear, I half expected Suzan Waldman to show up at the hearing and scream “of all the dramatic things, Roger Clemens is really showing how bad a guy MacNamee is.
9. Loved the semantic debate over whether MacNamee is a drug dealer. He is of course. I’m just thankful Chris Shays pointed it out. Next for Shays is to figure out if someone who drives a taxi for a living is a hack or livery driver.
10. Chris (Screaming Ninny) Russo and Mike (His Pompousness) Francessa both want to drive Shays out of office. Now, I know the two have a large following, but really, how many are smart enough to vote?
11. Nice prank the Phils pulled on Kyle Kendrick, making him think he’d been traded to a Japanese team. Of course, the Phils don’t get the real issue, which is that Kyle is so stupid he didn’t realize it was not possible. Hell, even the Screaming Ninny knows that. I think.
12. Carlos Beltran has named the Mets the team to beat, and said “Tell Jimmy Rollins”. Jimmy of course was too busy counting his WS share to respond. Oh, wait…
13. Hank Steinbrenner says that Joe Girardi is like Billy Martin, only without the baggage. Well, that, and the track record of being a good manager. But besides that…
14. After the hearing ended, Rep. Waxman said he was sorry that the hearings had been held, but that Clemens wanted to have his chance to speak. Clemens’ lawyer claims Waxman is misremembering the conversation.
15. Castro has resigned as President of Cuba, ceding power to his brother Raul. That makes two old decrepit dictators who are senile who have abdicated their rule. Wonder if Raul will make as many stupid comments and Hank S.
16. Jason Kidd has finally been traded to Dallas. In return, the Nets get a bunch of guys who suck, $3 million, two draft picks, and the carcass of Keith Van Horn.
17. Hank S went off the other day saying football has a big drug problem and should be investigated like baseball. The NFL responded by saying they have testing, and the program works. Yep, it’s a real deterrent, which is why they keep suspending guys who use drugs.
18. The sad thing is that I agree with Hank. Excuse me while I go break my fingers with a hammer.
19. This morning, Joel Sherman in the Post wrote that he wanted to be mad at Andy, but he’s just such a nice guy that he can’t stay angry. I half expected Joel to write “I tried to be mad, but when he looked into my eyes and spoke, he had me at “Hello””.
20. Fernando Martinez (THM The Hitting Machine) stated he will be in NY playing by the end of the season. I’m waiting for Billy to hang the “Know your role rook” sign this morning.
21. Careful THM, the NY media doesn’t like brash young men who seem too arrogant. See Milledge, Lastings.
22. As camp opens for the Mets, the big concern is not how healthy Pedro is, or how Johan will fit in. No. The big concern is with Carlos Gomez being traded, who is going to help Jose choreograph his dugout celebrations?
23. Remember everyone, think about the children. Don't let them grow up to be steroid users. Or blowhard congresspeople.
That’s all for this time folks. Ed will be taking a vacation next week. I’ll say hi to Mickey for you. And if I happen to see Steve Phillips at EPSN the Weekend, I’ll ask him how he has fooled ESPN into thinking he knows baseball.
1. So Hillary lost two more races last night. Bill’s depressed, because to save money, Hill is firing more interns. (my apologies, but I've got to use the easy ones from time to time)
2. McCain has basically sewn up the Republican nomination, leading to the possibility that Rush and Ann will jump off a bridge.
3. Andy Pettitte, the bestest, nicest, most honest cheater in baseball arrived in Yankee camp Monday and had an hour long press conference. He said he was sorry, felt badly and that he wanted to move on. The NY media of course proceeded to carry him out of the meeting on their shoulders.
4. The Islanders lost another defenseman to injury, making the count 4. No word on whether Ted Nolan is calling Denis Potvin to see if he can play.
5. Lindsay Lohan posed nude. Like Marilyn Monroe did shortly before her death. Was this really smart LiLo? On second thought, I forgot, we are talking about Lohan here.
6. Bill Belichek claims Matt Walsh, who was his videographer is a liar. Scott Pioli claims Walsh was fired for taping conversations. Walsh says, “that’s not true, I have the tapes to prove it.”
7. Last week, Roger Clemens appeared before a House panel investigating Steroids in baseball. We haven't heard that much talk about buttocks in the House since the Clinton andminstration.
8. I swear, I half expected Suzan Waldman to show up at the hearing and scream “of all the dramatic things, Roger Clemens is really showing how bad a guy MacNamee is.
9. Loved the semantic debate over whether MacNamee is a drug dealer. He is of course. I’m just thankful Chris Shays pointed it out. Next for Shays is to figure out if someone who drives a taxi for a living is a hack or livery driver.
10. Chris (Screaming Ninny) Russo and Mike (His Pompousness) Francessa both want to drive Shays out of office. Now, I know the two have a large following, but really, how many are smart enough to vote?
11. Nice prank the Phils pulled on Kyle Kendrick, making him think he’d been traded to a Japanese team. Of course, the Phils don’t get the real issue, which is that Kyle is so stupid he didn’t realize it was not possible. Hell, even the Screaming Ninny knows that. I think.
12. Carlos Beltran has named the Mets the team to beat, and said “Tell Jimmy Rollins”. Jimmy of course was too busy counting his WS share to respond. Oh, wait…
13. Hank Steinbrenner says that Joe Girardi is like Billy Martin, only without the baggage. Well, that, and the track record of being a good manager. But besides that…
14. After the hearing ended, Rep. Waxman said he was sorry that the hearings had been held, but that Clemens wanted to have his chance to speak. Clemens’ lawyer claims Waxman is misremembering the conversation.
15. Castro has resigned as President of Cuba, ceding power to his brother Raul. That makes two old decrepit dictators who are senile who have abdicated their rule. Wonder if Raul will make as many stupid comments and Hank S.
16. Jason Kidd has finally been traded to Dallas. In return, the Nets get a bunch of guys who suck, $3 million, two draft picks, and the carcass of Keith Van Horn.
17. Hank S went off the other day saying football has a big drug problem and should be investigated like baseball. The NFL responded by saying they have testing, and the program works. Yep, it’s a real deterrent, which is why they keep suspending guys who use drugs.
18. The sad thing is that I agree with Hank. Excuse me while I go break my fingers with a hammer.
19. This morning, Joel Sherman in the Post wrote that he wanted to be mad at Andy, but he’s just such a nice guy that he can’t stay angry. I half expected Joel to write “I tried to be mad, but when he looked into my eyes and spoke, he had me at “Hello””.
20. Fernando Martinez (THM The Hitting Machine) stated he will be in NY playing by the end of the season. I’m waiting for Billy to hang the “Know your role rook” sign this morning.
21. Careful THM, the NY media doesn’t like brash young men who seem too arrogant. See Milledge, Lastings.
22. As camp opens for the Mets, the big concern is not how healthy Pedro is, or how Johan will fit in. No. The big concern is with Carlos Gomez being traded, who is going to help Jose choreograph his dugout celebrations?
23. Remember everyone, think about the children. Don't let them grow up to be steroid users. Or blowhard congresspeople.
That’s all for this time folks. Ed will be taking a vacation next week. I’ll say hi to Mickey for you. And if I happen to see Steve Phillips at EPSN the Weekend, I’ll ask him how he has fooled ESPN into thinking he knows baseball.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Hope Blooms
February 14. Valentine’s Day. Don’t forget to tell the one you love how much they mean to you.
But the bigger thing happening today is Pitchers and Catchers reporting to Spring Training. Fans across the country are excited (well, maybe not Pirates fans). Mets fans of course have much to look forward to. Hope blooms today.
Several players came early. Johan (do I need to type his last name people?) showed up yesterday and threw for 15 minutes on flat ground with The Jacket, then spoke to him for a while afterwards. Dirty Sanchez was there, saying he hasn’t been in this good a shape since he was 19. Reports are that he is bouncing back from throwing sessions very well. David Wright came early, because, well, he’s David Wright. Aaron Heilman will be happy, as he has a parking spot this year. Pedro isn’t there early, but, he is Pedro, so I think he is already in shape and raring to go.
As fans, this is a happy day. We can begin to put last year behind us. We can start to erase the bad memories (I shall not speak of them here today). We can think about how nice it will be to have Heilman in the 7th, Dirty in the 8th, and Wags in the 9th. We can dream about Johan pitching a dazzler, followed by Pedro doing the same. Add to that the talents of Maine, Perez and El Duque. What a rotation. The kind that brings hope to fans everywhere.
Spring is a time when we start to think about how good things can be. We see low level prospects get hyped up (see Petit, Yusmeiro), and dream of how they will look atShea Citifield. A pitcher comes out of nowhere to make the pen. An infielder flashes some leather and the bat. We start to think about the smell of the grass, the apple popping up after Beltran hits one out. The sounds of Keith (“Nice Level Swing”) and Ronny and Gary on SNY. Baseball in HD. Updates from Eddie C on the FAN. Howie making the call on the FAN.
Guys have now had the offseason to rest. Some, like Castillo and Beltran, had some surgery. Others, like Delgado, got to rest. The spring is the time where we think guys who slumped a bit last year will rebound. We push aside all thoughts of decline, regression. It is a time of hope. Hope that injuries are behind players. Hope that guys will be able to turn on a fastball. Hope that sinkers sink, and command is there. Hope that we won’t have to dip too far into AAA for help. Hope that new additions blend in seamlessly, and that those who left won’t come back to haunt us.
Hope that this year is better than the last. Hope that we can say goodbye to Shea with a big old party in late October. And christen Citifield with a couple of new banners.
But the bigger thing happening today is Pitchers and Catchers reporting to Spring Training. Fans across the country are excited (well, maybe not Pirates fans). Mets fans of course have much to look forward to. Hope blooms today.
Several players came early. Johan (do I need to type his last name people?) showed up yesterday and threw for 15 minutes on flat ground with The Jacket, then spoke to him for a while afterwards. Dirty Sanchez was there, saying he hasn’t been in this good a shape since he was 19. Reports are that he is bouncing back from throwing sessions very well. David Wright came early, because, well, he’s David Wright. Aaron Heilman will be happy, as he has a parking spot this year. Pedro isn’t there early, but, he is Pedro, so I think he is already in shape and raring to go.
As fans, this is a happy day. We can begin to put last year behind us. We can start to erase the bad memories (I shall not speak of them here today). We can think about how nice it will be to have Heilman in the 7th, Dirty in the 8th, and Wags in the 9th. We can dream about Johan pitching a dazzler, followed by Pedro doing the same. Add to that the talents of Maine, Perez and El Duque. What a rotation. The kind that brings hope to fans everywhere.
Spring is a time when we start to think about how good things can be. We see low level prospects get hyped up (see Petit, Yusmeiro), and dream of how they will look at
Guys have now had the offseason to rest. Some, like Castillo and Beltran, had some surgery. Others, like Delgado, got to rest. The spring is the time where we think guys who slumped a bit last year will rebound. We push aside all thoughts of decline, regression. It is a time of hope. Hope that injuries are behind players. Hope that guys will be able to turn on a fastball. Hope that sinkers sink, and command is there. Hope that we won’t have to dip too far into AAA for help. Hope that new additions blend in seamlessly, and that those who left won’t come back to haunt us.
Hope that this year is better than the last. Hope that we can say goodbye to Shea with a big old party in late October. And christen Citifield with a couple of new banners.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Nice Job Elijah!
Oh, I am a Jets fan, make no mistake about it. But it was very nice watching the Giants beat the Patriots last night. The wife is a Giants fan, and frankly, I don't hate them anyway (unlike the Yanks and Rangers). So, kudos to the Giants.
Eli made one of the best plays I have ever seen escaping from that sack on 3 and 5, then making that pass to Tyree (who made the other best play I've ever seen) for the first down. Then, the pass to Plaxico, what a thing of beauty. The look of dejection on the faces of the Patriots was a sight to behold.
So, a tip of the cap, and the drinking of copious amounts of beer to the Giants.
Of course, they now have the bullseye on their backs.
Sorry Tiki (he-he).
Eli made one of the best plays I have ever seen escaping from that sack on 3 and 5, then making that pass to Tyree (who made the other best play I've ever seen) for the first down. Then, the pass to Plaxico, what a thing of beauty. The look of dejection on the faces of the Patriots was a sight to behold.
So, a tip of the cap, and the drinking of copious amounts of beer to the Giants.
Of course, they now have the bullseye on their backs.
Sorry Tiki (he-he).
Friday, February 01, 2008
“Will he make the other team lose?”
The title comes courtesy of my 7 year old daughter.
Yes honey. He will.
For the next 7 years.
'Tis a good day to be a Mets fan.
Hopefully, it will be a good day for the next seven years.
Good job by Omar here.
Good job by the Wilpons', paying $21.5 million on average.
Good job by Johan, who apparently said "I want to be a Met".
Welcome Johan. Welcome.
I leave you with this fans, our rotation next year:
Johan
Pedro
Maine
Ollie
EL Duque
Looks pretty good, don'tcha think?
As lefties in the NL East start to have nightmares.
Mets fans get to have sweet dreams.
BEER TIME ALL!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes honey. He will.
For the next 7 years.
'Tis a good day to be a Mets fan.
Hopefully, it will be a good day for the next seven years.
Good job by Omar here.
Good job by the Wilpons', paying $21.5 million on average.
Good job by Johan, who apparently said "I want to be a Met".
Welcome Johan. Welcome.
I leave you with this fans, our rotation next year:
Johan
Pedro
Maine
Ollie
EL Duque
Looks pretty good, don'tcha think?
As lefties in the NL East start to have nightmares.
Mets fans get to have sweet dreams.
BEER TIME ALL!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Oye Como Va
Johan is a Met!
gigitty giggitty!
After all the talk about how the Red Sox or Yankees were going to get him.
After all the talk about how the Mets prospects weren't good enough to get the deal done.
After all the talk about how the Mets were going to go into next season having done nothing to improve.
Omar tells the Twins - "This is my deal. Take it or leave it", and Bill Smith says "OK."
The price? Humber (basically Major League Ready). Gomez (needs a year in AAA). Mulvey (one full pro season so far.) Guerra (huge upside, but still under 20 and in low A).
Now, before we all fret about the prospects, remember, the Mets have a 1st rounder and 2 sandwich picks (thank you Atlanta!) in the draft this year, so that will help (assuming Omar is really going to ignore the slotting system).
The bottom line is this. Humber isn't Santana. Mulvey is probably a back end guy. Guerra has a lot of upside, but is what, 4 or 5 years away? As for Gomez, I wasn't overly impressed last year. I know he was rushed, but he is going to need a lot of seasoning.
Omar was able to hold onto the jewel, Fernando Martinez. He is probably at least a year awy, if not two. Fine, we can sign a stop gap next offseason if need be. His upside is a lot higher than Gomez.
The time for complaining about this offseason is done. The Mets, with one trade have dramatically altered the landscape of the NL East. The team is stronger. Look at this rotation
Santana
Martinez
Maine
Perez
Hernandez
This gives Pelfrey time in AAA to work on being consistent. Then he can take over for Hernandez when he needs a rest.
Time to rejoice all. Enjoy it. Wilpon better open the wallet. You have a network, and a new ballpark opening in 2009.
And the best pitcher in baseball. Think of the jersey sales.
Oh baby!
gigitty giggitty!
After all the talk about how the Red Sox or Yankees were going to get him.
After all the talk about how the Mets prospects weren't good enough to get the deal done.
After all the talk about how the Mets were going to go into next season having done nothing to improve.
Omar tells the Twins - "This is my deal. Take it or leave it", and Bill Smith says "OK."
The price? Humber (basically Major League Ready). Gomez (needs a year in AAA). Mulvey (one full pro season so far.) Guerra (huge upside, but still under 20 and in low A).
Now, before we all fret about the prospects, remember, the Mets have a 1st rounder and 2 sandwich picks (thank you Atlanta!) in the draft this year, so that will help (assuming Omar is really going to ignore the slotting system).
The bottom line is this. Humber isn't Santana. Mulvey is probably a back end guy. Guerra has a lot of upside, but is what, 4 or 5 years away? As for Gomez, I wasn't overly impressed last year. I know he was rushed, but he is going to need a lot of seasoning.
Omar was able to hold onto the jewel, Fernando Martinez. He is probably at least a year awy, if not two. Fine, we can sign a stop gap next offseason if need be. His upside is a lot higher than Gomez.
The time for complaining about this offseason is done. The Mets, with one trade have dramatically altered the landscape of the NL East. The team is stronger. Look at this rotation
Santana
Martinez
Maine
Perez
Hernandez
This gives Pelfrey time in AAA to work on being consistent. Then he can take over for Hernandez when he needs a rest.
Time to rejoice all. Enjoy it. Wilpon better open the wallet. You have a network, and a new ballpark opening in 2009.
And the best pitcher in baseball. Think of the jersey sales.
Oh baby!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
8 Random Facts about Ed...
is 8 more than you really wanted to know. You can blame Toasty Joe for this pain.
1. Ed's "dream car" is a 1968 Plymouth Barracuda.
2. When younger, Ed disliked chinese food. Now, he eats it way too often.
3. Ed is happy Jackie Hyland is back doing the news in NY. He was sad when she left the CW11.
4. Ed is able to quote lines from way too many bad movies.
5. Ed has never seen Field of Dreams start to finish in one sitting.
6. Ed finally read Moneyball this past summer. (bonus fact - Ed thinks Billy Beane comes across as an arrogant jerk).
7. Ed thinks Mike Milbury knows how to draft talent. It's TRADING that gets him into trouble.
8. Ed's first time on an airplane was on his honeymoon. In Greece.
God, I hate these things.
Anyhow, one week left until the Super Bowl. One more week of everyone trying to figure out if Brady is really hurt. One more week of Ed laughing at how much energy is being expended on that wild goose chase. If Brady did sprain his ankle, the best thing would be this week off. Let's not get excited until say next Friday if he isn't practicing.
Knowing that asshole Belichicken, it could all be a ploy anyway.
I the pundits would just up and admit they don't have a fracking clue where Santana is going or what the offers are. The same stories every week. Cripes, I felt like what the Post and Journal News had today was nearly word for word the same. Yes, we all know the Mets could use Santana. Yes, we know the Yanks and Sox have good deals offered. Yes, we know the Twins would like to deal him before Spring Training. Guess what, we also know that the writers and talking heads are just spewing the same crap day after day, just changing the words around a bit. Enough. Omar made his offer, it is up to the Twins to piss or get off the pot.
Good Luck tonight to Ricky DiPietro. Show everyone Milbury was right drafting you #1 overall.
1. Ed's "dream car" is a 1968 Plymouth Barracuda.
2. When younger, Ed disliked chinese food. Now, he eats it way too often.
3. Ed is happy Jackie Hyland is back doing the news in NY. He was sad when she left the CW11.
4. Ed is able to quote lines from way too many bad movies.
5. Ed has never seen Field of Dreams start to finish in one sitting.
6. Ed finally read Moneyball this past summer. (bonus fact - Ed thinks Billy Beane comes across as an arrogant jerk).
7. Ed thinks Mike Milbury knows how to draft talent. It's TRADING that gets him into trouble.
8. Ed's first time on an airplane was on his honeymoon. In Greece.
God, I hate these things.
Anyhow, one week left until the Super Bowl. One more week of everyone trying to figure out if Brady is really hurt. One more week of Ed laughing at how much energy is being expended on that wild goose chase. If Brady did sprain his ankle, the best thing would be this week off. Let's not get excited until say next Friday if he isn't practicing.
Knowing that asshole Belichicken, it could all be a ploy anyway.
I the pundits would just up and admit they don't have a fracking clue where Santana is going or what the offers are. The same stories every week. Cripes, I felt like what the Post and Journal News had today was nearly word for word the same. Yes, we all know the Mets could use Santana. Yes, we know the Yanks and Sox have good deals offered. Yes, we know the Twins would like to deal him before Spring Training. Guess what, we also know that the writers and talking heads are just spewing the same crap day after day, just changing the words around a bit. Enough. Omar made his offer, it is up to the Twins to piss or get off the pot.
Good Luck tonight to Ricky DiPietro. Show everyone Milbury was right drafting you #1 overall.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Has it Been That Long?
I didn't realize it had been over a month since I last bored anyone. I have been inundated with emails (OK, 1 email) from readers wondering where I've been. They (he) wants to read what I think of the various goings on. So, he goes.
FIrst, I've started a new job, so time will be limited in terms of posting, for a while. Plus, there isn't a whole lot going on these days anyway (the hot stove is at a cool place right now). I'm not one of those guys who bitches after every guy signs elsewhere. I trust Omar to make smart decisions. He re-signed Heilman for $1.2 million. Good deal. Aaron is one of the top set-up guys in the game. Plus, you never know, we may need him to start. OK, that's a reach.
Now, we are left with Church, Chavez, Perez and a couple of others to sign before arbitration. Signing Ollie to a 2 or 3 year deal is a must. I knwo Boras is his agent, but Ollie ain't got a lot to back himself up right now. He is going to need at least 2 more years of solid pitching to get PAID. et 'er done Omar. The others shouldn't be too hard, and the distance in dollars isn't that great.
Enough baseball for now. Congratulations to the New York Giants on reaching the Super Bowl. Can they win? Who knows. They've got as good a chance as anyone. The Pats are good, but they can be had. If the Chargers were healthy, they could have caused Tom and his mates a bit more trouble. So long as the Giants can get healthy, and not take stupid penalties (SAM MADISON!), they could shock the Pats. So long as it doesn't come down to a field goal try that is (am I the only Jets fan who had visions of Doug Brien yesterday?) It would be especially sweet for the Pats season to end in a Super Bowl loss. The benefit to me is that the wife wants to watch the game, so I shall be having a few friends over for some wings, chili and other fine foodstuffs. And beer. Lots of beer.
On the ice, the Islanders have been up and down. As it stands, they are in the top 8. As expected, scoring goals has been an issue. The goals for is among the bottom of the league. In net, Rick DiPietro has been fantastic. He was named as the back-up for the All-Star game. Do others have better stats? Sure, but no other goalie is as relyed upon as Ricky. Remember, this team is going to score an average of 2.5 goals a night. They need a goalie who is going to keep the opposition below that. RIcky has done that for the most part. He is making that 15 year contract look like a smart deal by Wang. He has won 5 times against the Devils this yea, and has won 3 against the Rangers, even the two losses were close. He is going to be a very good goalie for a very long time. And soon, we will see Kyle Okposo on the wing. I can't wait for that.
That's all for today.
Next time, my thoughts on Santana. Should he have recorded "Smooth" with Rob Thomas or not.
FIrst, I've started a new job, so time will be limited in terms of posting, for a while. Plus, there isn't a whole lot going on these days anyway (the hot stove is at a cool place right now). I'm not one of those guys who bitches after every guy signs elsewhere. I trust Omar to make smart decisions. He re-signed Heilman for $1.2 million. Good deal. Aaron is one of the top set-up guys in the game. Plus, you never know, we may need him to start. OK, that's a reach.
Now, we are left with Church, Chavez, Perez and a couple of others to sign before arbitration. Signing Ollie to a 2 or 3 year deal is a must. I knwo Boras is his agent, but Ollie ain't got a lot to back himself up right now. He is going to need at least 2 more years of solid pitching to get PAID. et 'er done Omar. The others shouldn't be too hard, and the distance in dollars isn't that great.
Enough baseball for now. Congratulations to the New York Giants on reaching the Super Bowl. Can they win? Who knows. They've got as good a chance as anyone. The Pats are good, but they can be had. If the Chargers were healthy, they could have caused Tom and his mates a bit more trouble. So long as the Giants can get healthy, and not take stupid penalties (SAM MADISON!), they could shock the Pats. So long as it doesn't come down to a field goal try that is (am I the only Jets fan who had visions of Doug Brien yesterday?) It would be especially sweet for the Pats season to end in a Super Bowl loss. The benefit to me is that the wife wants to watch the game, so I shall be having a few friends over for some wings, chili and other fine foodstuffs. And beer. Lots of beer.
On the ice, the Islanders have been up and down. As it stands, they are in the top 8. As expected, scoring goals has been an issue. The goals for is among the bottom of the league. In net, Rick DiPietro has been fantastic. He was named as the back-up for the All-Star game. Do others have better stats? Sure, but no other goalie is as relyed upon as Ricky. Remember, this team is going to score an average of 2.5 goals a night. They need a goalie who is going to keep the opposition below that. RIcky has done that for the most part. He is making that 15 year contract look like a smart deal by Wang. He has won 5 times against the Devils this yea, and has won 3 against the Rangers, even the two losses were close. He is going to be a very good goalie for a very long time. And soon, we will see Kyle Okposo on the wing. I can't wait for that.
That's all for today.
Next time, my thoughts on Santana. Should he have recorded "Smooth" with Rob Thomas or not.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Wally Apparently Won't Be Happy Until The Mets are Remade in His Image
Hot on the heels of his leading role in running Lastings Milledge out of town, our generations Dick Young, Wally Matthews, has turned his sights on that other malcontent, Jose Reyes. Now, I try not to read Wally, since most of what he writes is simple ass-hatterey, but in this case, I made an exception. I should not have, as my blood boiled.
Now, I hate the Milledge trade. I think it was short-sighted. I think ITAM (as he was named on Metsgeek), is going to be a very special player. I am not going to rant about it for years, because frankly, nothing will change. I wish him luck in Washington, where Manny Acta knows he is getting a good ball player. For those who think "Well, Omar filled two holes" actually, he only needed to fill one big one, PITCHING. I was fine with Milledge in right next year. I was fine with Castro/Estrada behind the plate. Schneider may call a great game, and Church seems to be a nice player, though at 29, he has probably hit his ceiling. I will not boo either of these guys, they are Mets. I also don't think Milledge was going to be the final piece of the puzzle. Had he been dealt for pitching, no problem. But to get back a catcher who can't hit, and a RF with less upside, that bothers me. And we all know why Milledge is gone. The media reminded us of his "shortcomings" every chance they got.
We've all read of the problems he had in high school. We all know about the hi-5's, the missed bus, the note hung on his locker. The rap record (which was amplified by the whole Don Imus thing). But you know what, the guy came to play. He wanted to succeed. He wanted to show everyone that he could play. And he did well in limited time, thanks to injuries. Are we to expect every player to come up and hit 320 right away? If so, then we will never see another youngster stay a Met. David Wright did it, but he is a special player. Others take time. LIke Mike Piazza. Like Daryl Strawberry. Like Jose Reyes.
You remember when Jose came up. Many fans were up in arms that Willie had him hit leadoff. "He can't do it, his OBP is too low". He kept getting hurt. But the team showed patience, and he blossomed, having a fantastic 2006 season. Then came last year. And now comes the blame game, with Wally leading the charge.
Here is what Wally wrote yesterday:
Wally of course forgets that he wrote numerous stories beating on this kid. He also leaves out the decent stats Milledge put up in his time as a Met.
He followed with this:
Yeah, the lesson is that some members of the media will continue to beat on you no matter what you do on the field if you offend their tender sensibilities.
But Wally did say one nice thing about Milledge:
But had to get in the jab
Aw, Wally liked the kid. Yet that didn't stop him from leading the charge against him.
Now, here is where he gets on Jose
See, I don't mind if Jose wasn't smiling. He was pissed they were losing. If he was smiling, people would be all over him for that. Now, Wally gets on him for not smiling.
David Wright had an awful April. Yet, I did not see anyone saying he should be traded.
Reyes had a poor couple of months, yet Wally and others are saying he should go.
Tell me something Wally, if Reyes goes, who plays Shortstop? Anderson Hernandez, aka IPOR (In Play Out Recorded)? Who leads off? Carlos Gomez, who barely hit last year, and who has no spot since Ryan Church is now in Right Field.
Johan Santana is a great pitcher, but, as his record last year shows, even great pitchers will struggle if they do not have a good team around them. Trading Reyes for him removes Gold Glove caliber defense at short, a leadoff hitter, and a guy who has the talent to win multiple MVP's.
Am I happy he slumped? Am I happy he didn't run out a couple of balls? Hell no. But if he were to be traded, I would stop being a Mets fan. You do not trade 24 year old STARS, and that is what he is, a STAR because they slumped. You do not trade a STAR when you do not have a replacement for him.
Heck, there are no guarantees David Wright can improve on his last season (one in which he should have finished a hell of a lot higher in the MVP vote for by the way), so should the Mets trade him?
Wally, a writer can be short sighted and come up with asinine trade proposals. Thankfully, GM's don't listen to all of them. If Minnesota likes Reyes so much, then maybe Omar is right to not trade him. Minnesota has done a great job grooming young talent. Take a look at their roster sometime. Sadly, the Mets don't have the patience of the Twins. And much of that is due to a press that likes to harp on bullshit.
Wally likes to beat on the Mets. He had a column on Thanksgiving talking about how he had the column with the most negative responses in 2006 until that other asshat Jim Bambauch bitching about Al Arbour coaching the Islanders. The guy gets off on pissing on the Mets.
Maybe I need to take Wally with a grain of salt. Maybe I should look at him like what he really is, comedy, and laugh at the crap he spews.
Now, I hate the Milledge trade. I think it was short-sighted. I think ITAM (as he was named on Metsgeek), is going to be a very special player. I am not going to rant about it for years, because frankly, nothing will change. I wish him luck in Washington, where Manny Acta knows he is getting a good ball player. For those who think "Well, Omar filled two holes" actually, he only needed to fill one big one, PITCHING. I was fine with Milledge in right next year. I was fine with Castro/Estrada behind the plate. Schneider may call a great game, and Church seems to be a nice player, though at 29, he has probably hit his ceiling. I will not boo either of these guys, they are Mets. I also don't think Milledge was going to be the final piece of the puzzle. Had he been dealt for pitching, no problem. But to get back a catcher who can't hit, and a RF with less upside, that bothers me. And we all know why Milledge is gone. The media reminded us of his "shortcomings" every chance they got.
We've all read of the problems he had in high school. We all know about the hi-5's, the missed bus, the note hung on his locker. The rap record (which was amplified by the whole Don Imus thing). But you know what, the guy came to play. He wanted to succeed. He wanted to show everyone that he could play. And he did well in limited time, thanks to injuries. Are we to expect every player to come up and hit 320 right away? If so, then we will never see another youngster stay a Met. David Wright did it, but he is a special player. Others take time. LIke Mike Piazza. Like Daryl Strawberry. Like Jose Reyes.
You remember when Jose came up. Many fans were up in arms that Willie had him hit leadoff. "He can't do it, his OBP is too low". He kept getting hurt. But the team showed patience, and he blossomed, having a fantastic 2006 season. Then came last year. And now comes the blame game, with Wally leading the charge.
Here is what Wally wrote yesterday:
Of all the assets Lastings Milledge brought to the Mets, none will be missed nearly as much as his speed. I refer not to his time in the 90-foot dash but to the amazing speed with which his status plummeted from Untouchable to Undesirable. In a little under seven months, L Millz went from the kind of precious property with whom the Mets would not have parted in exchange for Alex Rodriguez, Josh Beckett and a vial of Tom Seaver's DNA thrown in, to a guy they couldn't wait to ship off for the equivalent of a sack of baseballs, a smear of eyeblack and a pine-tar rag.Now that's some kind of hustle.
Wally of course forgets that he wrote numerous stories beating on this kid. He also leaves out the decent stats Milledge put up in his time as a Met.
He followed with this:
There's a lesson to be learned in the fate of Milledge and it has nothing to do with hip-hop lyrics, high-fiving fans or wearing a cross the size of St. Patrick's Cathedral to the plate in your first major-league at-bat.It has everything to do with misjudging assets, overplaying hands and waiting a little too long to pull triggers. And it has a lot to do with Jose Reyes.
Yeah, the lesson is that some members of the media will continue to beat on you no matter what you do on the field if you offend their tender sensibilities.
But Wally did say one nice thing about Milledge:
Now don't get me wrong, Milledge isn't a bad player or a bad kid. In fact, I found him to be invariably polite and cordial in the clubhouse
But had to get in the jab
unlike many of the teammates who openly despised him.
Aw, Wally liked the kid. Yet that didn't stop him from leading the charge against him.
Now, here is where he gets on Jose
Two years ago, Reyes seemed deserving of the franchise player tag. He embodied everything the Mets were looking for - youth, talent and enthusiasm. He brought a joy to his day's work that too many major-leaguers no longer seem able to conjure up. If ever there were a guy to build a team around, it was Reyes.
After last year, however, I'm not so sure. In the second half of last season, when the Mets needed Reyes' talent, he struggled. When they needed his speed, he loafed. When they needed his enthusiasm, he pouted. All of the attributes that had made him an Untouchable were canceled out by his immaturity.
See, I don't mind if Jose wasn't smiling. He was pissed they were losing. If he was smiling, people would be all over him for that. Now, Wally gets on him for not smiling.
David Wright had an awful April. Yet, I did not see anyone saying he should be traded.
Reyes had a poor couple of months, yet Wally and others are saying he should go.
Tell me something Wally, if Reyes goes, who plays Shortstop? Anderson Hernandez, aka IPOR (In Play Out Recorded)? Who leads off? Carlos Gomez, who barely hit last year, and who has no spot since Ryan Church is now in Right Field.
Johan Santana is a great pitcher, but, as his record last year shows, even great pitchers will struggle if they do not have a good team around them. Trading Reyes for him removes Gold Glove caliber defense at short, a leadoff hitter, and a guy who has the talent to win multiple MVP's.
Am I happy he slumped? Am I happy he didn't run out a couple of balls? Hell no. But if he were to be traded, I would stop being a Mets fan. You do not trade 24 year old STARS, and that is what he is, a STAR because they slumped. You do not trade a STAR when you do not have a replacement for him.
Heck, there are no guarantees David Wright can improve on his last season (one in which he should have finished a hell of a lot higher in the MVP vote for by the way), so should the Mets trade him?
Wally, a writer can be short sighted and come up with asinine trade proposals. Thankfully, GM's don't listen to all of them. If Minnesota likes Reyes so much, then maybe Omar is right to not trade him. Minnesota has done a great job grooming young talent. Take a look at their roster sometime. Sadly, the Mets don't have the patience of the Twins. And much of that is due to a press that likes to harp on bullshit.
Wally likes to beat on the Mets. He had a column on Thanksgiving talking about how he had the column with the most negative responses in 2006 until that other asshat Jim Bambauch bitching about Al Arbour coaching the Islanders. The guy gets off on pissing on the Mets.
Maybe I need to take Wally with a grain of salt. Maybe I should look at him like what he really is, comedy, and laugh at the crap he spews.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
We Don't Have Guillermo Mota to Kick Around Anymore
Three Cheers for Omar!
The cleansing has begun. First, Tom Glavine took his ball (and diminished skills) back to Atlanta. The stench of game 162 went with him. Yesterday, a day that shall live in the hearts and minds of Mets fans forever, Mota was traded for catcher Johnny Estrada. So, in return for an ex-roider, Omar got a potential tag-team partner for Ramon Castro. Add to that the fact that the Brewers will pick up the entire $3.2 million tab for Mota for next season, and it is a win-win.
The best part was this quote from Brewers GM Bob Melvin:
Reading that got me to thinking that maybe Omar also sent along some of Willie's post-game comments in the trade as well, since I recall Willie and Omar saying similar things about Mota last year. Of course, what Melvin doesn't realize is that while Mota can pitch 2 innings, they will inevitably be accompanied with a line like this:
2 ip, 5 runs, 5 earned, 6 hits, 3 bb, 3 k's
So, unless the Brewers are planning on scoring 10 runs in games Mota pitches, he ain't gonna help them much. Unless they just plan on losing. A lot.
The initial joy was seeing Mota go. The fact that a catcher (albiet one who has a low OBP, with decent power and decent avg) was able to be brought in was the cherry on top. Reports today say that Omar did this trade in the hope of possibly driving down the cost of better catching options (Ramon Hernandez, Kenji Johjima, Bengie Molina) who may be available via trade. Estrada is arbitration eligible, and could get anywhere from $3.5 - $5 million. If Omar is able to swing a deal, he could just non-tender Estada. Of course, this means giving away Mota for nothing. In my mind, no problem. So long as he is not on the roster.
I wasn't worried that Mota would be in the pen next season. I figured he would come to camp and one of two things would happen:
1. He would suck, and Omar would see this and cut his ass.
2. He would pitch well, allowing Omar to trade him to some unlucky bastard, who would then have to suffer through Mota next year.
Instead, Omar was able to give us reason for thanks tomorrow. Omar's reputation took a hit after last year. Many of his trades did not work out. Some started to not give him the benefit of the doubt. I admit, my faith wavered. But it has been reborn.
Omar still has work to do. The pen needs to be re-tooled. A back-up first baseman would be nice (not Marlon Anderson, a guy who can actually play first. Oh, speaking of Marlon, Willie, I better not see his ass in Center next year, OK?) I don't see a trade for an ace, though you never know. I just hope Milledge is not part of a deal, since that opens another hole to fill.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving. If you are travelling, be safe.
Hip Hip Hooray!
Hip Hip Hooray!
Hip Hip Hooray!
The cleansing has begun. First, Tom Glavine took his ball (and diminished skills) back to Atlanta. The stench of game 162 went with him. Yesterday, a day that shall live in the hearts and minds of Mets fans forever, Mota was traded for catcher Johnny Estrada. So, in return for an ex-roider, Omar got a potential tag-team partner for Ramon Castro. Add to that the fact that the Brewers will pick up the entire $3.2 million tab for Mota for next season, and it is a win-win.
The best part was this quote from Brewers GM Bob Melvin:
"Mota showed that he was a guy who could pitch multiple innings last year"
Reading that got me to thinking that maybe Omar also sent along some of Willie's post-game comments in the trade as well, since I recall Willie and Omar saying similar things about Mota last year. Of course, what Melvin doesn't realize is that while Mota can pitch 2 innings, they will inevitably be accompanied with a line like this:
2 ip, 5 runs, 5 earned, 6 hits, 3 bb, 3 k's
So, unless the Brewers are planning on scoring 10 runs in games Mota pitches, he ain't gonna help them much. Unless they just plan on losing. A lot.
The initial joy was seeing Mota go. The fact that a catcher (albiet one who has a low OBP, with decent power and decent avg) was able to be brought in was the cherry on top. Reports today say that Omar did this trade in the hope of possibly driving down the cost of better catching options (Ramon Hernandez, Kenji Johjima, Bengie Molina) who may be available via trade. Estrada is arbitration eligible, and could get anywhere from $3.5 - $5 million. If Omar is able to swing a deal, he could just non-tender Estada. Of course, this means giving away Mota for nothing. In my mind, no problem. So long as he is not on the roster.
I wasn't worried that Mota would be in the pen next season. I figured he would come to camp and one of two things would happen:
1. He would suck, and Omar would see this and cut his ass.
2. He would pitch well, allowing Omar to trade him to some unlucky bastard, who would then have to suffer through Mota next year.
Instead, Omar was able to give us reason for thanks tomorrow. Omar's reputation took a hit after last year. Many of his trades did not work out. Some started to not give him the benefit of the doubt. I admit, my faith wavered. But it has been reborn.
Omar still has work to do. The pen needs to be re-tooled. A back-up first baseman would be nice (not Marlon Anderson, a guy who can actually play first. Oh, speaking of Marlon, Willie, I better not see his ass in Center next year, OK?) I don't see a trade for an ace, though you never know. I just hope Milledge is not part of a deal, since that opens another hole to fill.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving. If you are travelling, be safe.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The Voters, They Be Crazy
The NL MVP Voting results were announced today. Jimmy Rollins wins. David Wright finishes 4th. Let's take a looksee at some stats, shall we?
Jimmy Rollins - MVP
AVG... HR... RBI... OBP... SLG%... Steals... Doubles... OPS... Runs
296,... 30, ... 94,... 344,.... 531, .... 41, .... .. 38, .... 875,... 139
David Wright – 4th in Voting
AVG... HR RBI OBP SLG% Steals Doubles OPS Runs
325 ... 30 107 ...416 ...546 .... 34 . ...42 .. ...962... 113
(please ignore the dots, I can't figure out how to post a table)
Jimmy Rollins - MVP
AVG... HR... RBI... OBP... SLG%... Steals... Doubles... OPS... Runs
296,... 30, ... 94,... 344,.... 531, .... 41, .... .. 38, .... 875,... 139
David Wright – 4th in Voting
AVG... HR RBI OBP SLG% Steals Doubles OPS Runs
325 ... 30 107 ...416 ...546 .... 34 . ...42 .. ...962... 113
(please ignore the dots, I can't figure out how to post a table)
Can somebody please explain this to me? How does Rollins win the award despite being behind Wright in nearly every category? Of course he had more runs, he was a leadoff hitter. He had more steals, fine. He had more hits, fine. He also had 49 walks to 94 for Wright.
It all boils down to what seems to be Jimmy talking smack before the season about how the Phillies were the team to beat. Yes, they won the division, but that was more due to the Mets sucking for the last month than anything the Phillies did.
Let’s look at September for a second (AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS):
Rollins – 298, 333, 542, 875 (this following an August of 296, 371, 487, 858)
Wright – 352, 432, 602, 1.034 (this following an August of 394, 516, 657, 1.173)
The ONLY month Rollins outperformed Wright was April (they were close in July.) So tell me, during the stretch, who was more valuable? Wright was hurt by the Mets pitching staff suddenly morphing into a bunch of Jose Lima clones.
And Philly fans, don’t pull out the “well, we made the playoffs” argument. That’s bullshit. Ryan Howard won it the year before over Pujols, whose team made the playoffs.
Jimmy Rollins had a nice season. Yet, it is not even as good as the 2006 season Jose Reyes put up, and Reyes finished 7th in the voting that year.
Matt Holliday put up some sick numbers, but people take Coors Field into account in discounting his stats. Fine, I have no problem with that. But they fails to do the same for Rollins when it comes to his splits, where Rollins only improves his OBP on the road, and everything else is better in the bandbox that is CBP.
So the lesson apparently is this, Wright must make a comment about how the Mets are the team to beat, then put up sub-par numbers compared to everyone else. So long as the Mets win the division and Wright flaps his gums, he should win the MVP.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
What Did the Media Expect Him to Say?
Now, to be clear, I have no love for the Yankees. I do enjoy when things go wrong. I get great joy out of hearing Giuliani get eviscerated by the media for rooting for the Sox (note to Rudy, when you are a fan, you never, repeat NEVER root for your fiercest rival, unless they are playing the other team in our city, and even then, you need to think it over very carefully (I sat out the Braves/Yanks World Series). There is no "I am an AL guy". Rooting for the Sox is like a Giants fan rooting for the Cowboys, an Islander fan rooting for the Rangers, or a Mets fan rooting for the Phillies or Braves. It is not done.) Now, I am enjoying all of the reports about the Yankees manager search, and how the press is working themselves into a lather over what Girardi, Mattingly and today, Pena, have/will said/say.
Today, all the headlines were of Mattingly saying "I can do it". Well of course that is what he said? Did these nimrods really think Donnie as going to walk into the meeting with George and the Spawn (Hank and Hal) and say "I don't think I can manage this team? What idiot walks into a job interview and says they can't do the job? Seriously? This was the shock of the day?
The best part is that everyone with half a brain knows that Donnie is getting the job. No matter how ill George is, he is still "The Boss", and he will get his way. Shit, if he could, he would dig up Martin and name him manager. The Spawn can crow all they want about how they are "in charge", but until George passes, he has the final say. Mattingly was a good soldier for George, he was a bright light when the team was down in the dumps, and missed out on getting his ring when he retired after 1995. He came back after pleas from George. You think George is going to change his addled mind now? No chance in hell.
The whole process is a sham. Pena is being interviewed so the Yanks follow the edict from MLB about interviewing minority candidates. He has little in the way of Yankee ties. Girardi won rings, and Mattingly played his whole career in the Bronx. Pena had little shot going in. Too bad really, because he did a fine job with the Royals, a crappy situation, and would do well with the Yankees.
What really irks me, and should piss off Selig as well, is that the Yanks are doing all this during the World Series, when all organization moves are supposed to be quiet, so as to not distract from the Series. Once again though, George bends Selig over and does what he wants, and Selig says nothing besides "thank you George, may I have another?" We are about to see the Rockies, who are a great story right now, face the Sox, who toppled the Yankees in the regular season. There is the Rockies feel good story, and the star power of the Sox. We have the Rockies, who have some good young players who have gotten insanely hot for the last month, facing a juggernaut in the Sox. Yet all the media in NY (and ESPN as well, with their wall to wall coverage of the Torre saga DURING THE FRAKING ALCS) are talking about is the Yankees managerial search. Stories about what each guy said, how the Spawn feel about each guy. In other words, Yankee media comination during a time that should be spent covering the World Series. And MLB wonders why ratings are down. Tell your TV partners to forget about the Yankees and concentrate on the playoffs. Talk about the Rockies, and how they are giving a full share to the family of their AAA first base coach who died after being struck in the neck with a ball. Talk about how good Beckett is, and how good Tulowitski is (we can stop with the "Mets should have kept Matsui stuff though). This is a time MLB can have new stars put in the spotlight. Instead, all we get though is coverage of Torre checking his mail, and how Mattingly says he can do the job.
The Spawn will have to wait a while before they can name their manager. Of course, they will be able to frak things up royally with player moves and the like. I see the Yankees reverting to the late 80's, early 90's, with bombast from the front office and lots of losses. And this brings a smile to my face.
Today, all the headlines were of Mattingly saying "I can do it". Well of course that is what he said? Did these nimrods really think Donnie as going to walk into the meeting with George and the Spawn (Hank and Hal) and say "I don't think I can manage this team? What idiot walks into a job interview and says they can't do the job? Seriously? This was the shock of the day?
The best part is that everyone with half a brain knows that Donnie is getting the job. No matter how ill George is, he is still "The Boss", and he will get his way. Shit, if he could, he would dig up Martin and name him manager. The Spawn can crow all they want about how they are "in charge", but until George passes, he has the final say. Mattingly was a good soldier for George, he was a bright light when the team was down in the dumps, and missed out on getting his ring when he retired after 1995. He came back after pleas from George. You think George is going to change his addled mind now? No chance in hell.
The whole process is a sham. Pena is being interviewed so the Yanks follow the edict from MLB about interviewing minority candidates. He has little in the way of Yankee ties. Girardi won rings, and Mattingly played his whole career in the Bronx. Pena had little shot going in. Too bad really, because he did a fine job with the Royals, a crappy situation, and would do well with the Yankees.
What really irks me, and should piss off Selig as well, is that the Yanks are doing all this during the World Series, when all organization moves are supposed to be quiet, so as to not distract from the Series. Once again though, George bends Selig over and does what he wants, and Selig says nothing besides "thank you George, may I have another?" We are about to see the Rockies, who are a great story right now, face the Sox, who toppled the Yankees in the regular season. There is the Rockies feel good story, and the star power of the Sox. We have the Rockies, who have some good young players who have gotten insanely hot for the last month, facing a juggernaut in the Sox. Yet all the media in NY (and ESPN as well, with their wall to wall coverage of the Torre saga DURING THE FRAKING ALCS) are talking about is the Yankees managerial search. Stories about what each guy said, how the Spawn feel about each guy. In other words, Yankee media comination during a time that should be spent covering the World Series. And MLB wonders why ratings are down. Tell your TV partners to forget about the Yankees and concentrate on the playoffs. Talk about the Rockies, and how they are giving a full share to the family of their AAA first base coach who died after being struck in the neck with a ball. Talk about how good Beckett is, and how good Tulowitski is (we can stop with the "Mets should have kept Matsui stuff though). This is a time MLB can have new stars put in the spotlight. Instead, all we get though is coverage of Torre checking his mail, and how Mattingly says he can do the job.
The Spawn will have to wait a while before they can name their manager. Of course, they will be able to frak things up royally with player moves and the like. I see the Yankees reverting to the late 80's, early 90's, with bombast from the front office and lots of losses. And this brings a smile to my face.
Monday, October 22, 2007
So Much Crap, So Little Space
Where to begin? I have thoughts on a lot of items today, the Mets, the Yankees, the Jets, the Islanders and other stuff. Hmmmmmm.
Let's start with the Jets. Ugh. That about sums it up. Chad comes out firing, giving a large F U to critics by throwing a ball 50 yards in the air to Coles for a touchdown. Of course, his arm was then done for the day, so they didn't attempt anything tha long again. Smart gameplanning there Brian Scott. For all the tooth gnashing over Chad, maybe someone ought to think about BS. Some might say too bad the Dolphins didn't hire him after last year.
Once again, they get away from the running game. It must be nice to be Thomas Jones, making millions to run 12 times. Jesus guys, can you give him 20 rushes at least? Might have helped control the damn game and kept the awful defense off the field.
Speaking of the defense(less), fandom to Eric, it is time to scrap the travesty of a 3-4 alignment and go to a 4-3. Vilma and Robertson are not built for a 3-4. You are not getting any pressure on the QB. Smell that Eric? It's not lasagna from Vesuvio. It's stink emitted by your defense.
So next week, Chad will be the back-up and Kellen Clemens will start. What will the excuse be that fans and critics will use when Clemens can't get it done either?
Islanders -
If I told you they would be 5-3 after 8 games, would you take it? I would have. Pleasant surprise so far on the Island. Bill Guerin has 4 goals in his last two games. Comrie got off the schneid against the Devils (Poor Brent, they are in deep poop right now). The defense has been good, with Campoli showing that his rookie year of 2 years ago wasn't the fluke, last year was. Bryan Berard is playing very well, and the special teams are doing very well. Ricky has been good when he has had to be. Now, they get a week off. A week. What the hell is wrong with the schedule makers? They played 5 games in 7 nights recently, now they get 6 days off? Un-balanced schedule + stupidity.
Mets
Nothing to report here, except some are calling for Torre to join the organization, either as bench coach (and I made this joke on Metsgeek last week), or on SNY. The thought is that he can be ready to replace Willie if need be. Yeah, that'll work. Bring in Torre and Willie will be running scared all year. Plus, who do you think Willie learned his Proven Veteran® theory from? It is a recipe for disaster. No thanks.
Yankees
Loving the turmoil in the Bronx. They tried to give Torre a performance incentive laden contract in the hopes he would reject it and that the kool-aid drinkers would bash Torre. Of course, that is what happened. I like how Yankee fans say "well, he hasn't won anything in 7 years". If that is the feeling, well, what about these guys:
Jeter
Rivera
Posada
Pettitte
If they all get passes for what they did, why not Joe? Is it Joe's fault that Damon throws like my 7 year old daughter? Is it his fault Giambalco can't play any position other than DH, along with 3 other guys? That Matsui keep getting hurt? That A-Rod can't handle the pressure of the playoffs? That 19 game winner Wang blew it in two playoff starts? That Clemens sucks?
Nope. But that is what the "braintrust" thinks. It is quite breathtaking to watch Hank turn into George and belittle Torre. I wonder how many free agents are going to want to play in the Bronx? Oh, I know they can offer a lot of money, but one day, a player is going to stand up and say "you know what, I don't care about the money, I am not going to work for a bunch of incompetents." Will Johan Santana really want to play there next year? Time will tell I suppose.
As for the next manager, it could be Girardi, Mattingly or Pena. Now, we all know the Yankees are going to interview all 3 of them, because they have to follow the guidelines in regards to interviewing minority candidates. But we also know George has his heart set on Mattingly. The process is a farce.
Other Stuff -
I love reading on various web-sites that Red Sox fans are the new Yankee fans. Sorry, I don't buy it. They won 1 World Series. For the most part, the Sox fans I know are not obnoxious pricks like a lot of Yankee fans I know. Of course, there are exceptions, and there are surely a number of "Mass-holes". But they have a long way to go to reach Yankee-Hole levels. Part of the problem is the internet, where you have Simmons crowing about the Sox and Patriots, and fans of other teams project that upon non-media related fans. Is Simmons right to crow? Sure. He is a fan, he should be happy about the Sox. Of course it is fair for people to think he is a twit for crowing in every column he writes. I do not agree that people paint all Sox fans with the same brush. Again, I am sure there are a number of twits in the Sox fan-base, but to me it reeks of jealousy over the fact the Sox won. Now that they are going to face the Rockies with a 2nd WS on the line, this perception will only grow. I guess we will have to see who Jesus loves more, the Rockies, or the Mass-Holes.
Patriots fans on the other hand are Mass-holes. Every last one of them. :)
That's all for today folks. Depending on what breaking news happens, I may post later this week. Since we are not in the Hot-stove yet, I won't be posting every day. Once it starts, I will be a tad more regular.
Let's start with the Jets. Ugh. That about sums it up. Chad comes out firing, giving a large F U to critics by throwing a ball 50 yards in the air to Coles for a touchdown. Of course, his arm was then done for the day, so they didn't attempt anything tha long again. Smart gameplanning there Brian Scott. For all the tooth gnashing over Chad, maybe someone ought to think about BS. Some might say too bad the Dolphins didn't hire him after last year.
Once again, they get away from the running game. It must be nice to be Thomas Jones, making millions to run 12 times. Jesus guys, can you give him 20 rushes at least? Might have helped control the damn game and kept the awful defense off the field.
Speaking of the defense(less), fandom to Eric, it is time to scrap the travesty of a 3-4 alignment and go to a 4-3. Vilma and Robertson are not built for a 3-4. You are not getting any pressure on the QB. Smell that Eric? It's not lasagna from Vesuvio. It's stink emitted by your defense.
So next week, Chad will be the back-up and Kellen Clemens will start. What will the excuse be that fans and critics will use when Clemens can't get it done either?
Islanders -
If I told you they would be 5-3 after 8 games, would you take it? I would have. Pleasant surprise so far on the Island. Bill Guerin has 4 goals in his last two games. Comrie got off the schneid against the Devils (Poor Brent, they are in deep poop right now). The defense has been good, with Campoli showing that his rookie year of 2 years ago wasn't the fluke, last year was. Bryan Berard is playing very well, and the special teams are doing very well. Ricky has been good when he has had to be. Now, they get a week off. A week. What the hell is wrong with the schedule makers? They played 5 games in 7 nights recently, now they get 6 days off? Un-balanced schedule + stupidity.
Mets
Nothing to report here, except some are calling for Torre to join the organization, either as bench coach (and I made this joke on Metsgeek last week), or on SNY. The thought is that he can be ready to replace Willie if need be. Yeah, that'll work. Bring in Torre and Willie will be running scared all year. Plus, who do you think Willie learned his Proven Veteran® theory from? It is a recipe for disaster. No thanks.
Yankees
Loving the turmoil in the Bronx. They tried to give Torre a performance incentive laden contract in the hopes he would reject it and that the kool-aid drinkers would bash Torre. Of course, that is what happened. I like how Yankee fans say "well, he hasn't won anything in 7 years". If that is the feeling, well, what about these guys:
Jeter
Rivera
Posada
Pettitte
If they all get passes for what they did, why not Joe? Is it Joe's fault that Damon throws like my 7 year old daughter? Is it his fault Giambalco can't play any position other than DH, along with 3 other guys? That Matsui keep getting hurt? That A-Rod can't handle the pressure of the playoffs? That 19 game winner Wang blew it in two playoff starts? That Clemens sucks?
Nope. But that is what the "braintrust" thinks. It is quite breathtaking to watch Hank turn into George and belittle Torre. I wonder how many free agents are going to want to play in the Bronx? Oh, I know they can offer a lot of money, but one day, a player is going to stand up and say "you know what, I don't care about the money, I am not going to work for a bunch of incompetents." Will Johan Santana really want to play there next year? Time will tell I suppose.
As for the next manager, it could be Girardi, Mattingly or Pena. Now, we all know the Yankees are going to interview all 3 of them, because they have to follow the guidelines in regards to interviewing minority candidates. But we also know George has his heart set on Mattingly. The process is a farce.
Other Stuff -
I love reading on various web-sites that Red Sox fans are the new Yankee fans. Sorry, I don't buy it. They won 1 World Series. For the most part, the Sox fans I know are not obnoxious pricks like a lot of Yankee fans I know. Of course, there are exceptions, and there are surely a number of "Mass-holes". But they have a long way to go to reach Yankee-Hole levels. Part of the problem is the internet, where you have Simmons crowing about the Sox and Patriots, and fans of other teams project that upon non-media related fans. Is Simmons right to crow? Sure. He is a fan, he should be happy about the Sox. Of course it is fair for people to think he is a twit for crowing in every column he writes. I do not agree that people paint all Sox fans with the same brush. Again, I am sure there are a number of twits in the Sox fan-base, but to me it reeks of jealousy over the fact the Sox won. Now that they are going to face the Rockies with a 2nd WS on the line, this perception will only grow. I guess we will have to see who Jesus loves more, the Rockies, or the Mass-Holes.
Patriots fans on the other hand are Mass-holes. Every last one of them. :)
That's all for today folks. Depending on what breaking news happens, I may post later this week. Since we are not in the Hot-stove yet, I won't be posting every day. Once it starts, I will be a tad more regular.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Sadly, It is Time For Chad to No Longer Hang
It pained me to write that heading (partly because it is awful). Seriously. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Chad. The guy plays his heart out every week. He took them to within Doug Brien's faulty leg of the AFC Championship Game with a shoulder that made Pedro Martinez's look healthy. He came back from 2 shoulder surgeries to lead them to the playoffs last year despite a running game that misfired more then the Mets offense the last week of the season. However, with each passing week is is becoming clearer that Chad just is not going to be able to succeed in this offense.
It has taken me a while to see this. Like all the players I have looked up to in all of the sports I follow, there comes a time when you realize that your favorite player is no longer getting it done and the time has come to move on. With the Mets, it was Mike Piazza. With the Islanders, Alexei Yashin. With the Jets, it was Marvin Jones and Mo Lewis. Now, I am seeing it with Chad. The guy just can't throw a ball more than 10 yards to scare a defense. Even with a strong running game, they are going to collpase on the wide-outs. They will let them go long, stacking the box, since they know Chad ain't throwing it deep.
I tried to rationalize this with the usual excuses. Paul Hackett has taken over Brian Schottenheimer's mind. Herm Edwards is haunting them. Bill Belicheck sent tapes to all the other teams. Sadly, none of those are the reasons. Quite simply, Chad is not a starter. Sure, he is a leader, and guys will run through walls for him, as will he. Sure he can hit the quick slant. But the guy throws as hard as Tom Glavine, and we all know what happened to Tom in the last game of the season. The same is happening to Chad.
There is just one problem. His replacement, Kellen Clemens. How the hell am I, as a Mets fan, supposed to root for a guy with the last name Clemens? Not only that, his first name starts with a "K", just like Roider does with his kids.
Seriously now, the concern with Kellen is that he has little experience. I know he looked good inthe 4th quarter a few weeks ago, but he also looked like crap the first 3 quarters. Teams are going to blitz like crazy to get in his head. They are going to dare him to beat them more than once until he makes them honest. Can he do it? I know he has a strong arm, but so did Browning Nagle, and we all remember how that turned out (shudder). Where is his head? It is funny, because in training camp, the media kept talking about how poorly he was doing, until he did well in a couple of pre-season games against the scrubs. This is the same media that chastised Mangini last pre-season for making Chad wait out a "competition" before he was named starter.
The calls for Chad's head began a few weeks ago, and figure to grow louder after yesterday. Will Mangini make the move? Hard to tell. However, it is time to do so.
It has taken me a while to see this. Like all the players I have looked up to in all of the sports I follow, there comes a time when you realize that your favorite player is no longer getting it done and the time has come to move on. With the Mets, it was Mike Piazza. With the Islanders, Alexei Yashin. With the Jets, it was Marvin Jones and Mo Lewis. Now, I am seeing it with Chad. The guy just can't throw a ball more than 10 yards to scare a defense. Even with a strong running game, they are going to collpase on the wide-outs. They will let them go long, stacking the box, since they know Chad ain't throwing it deep.
I tried to rationalize this with the usual excuses. Paul Hackett has taken over Brian Schottenheimer's mind. Herm Edwards is haunting them. Bill Belicheck sent tapes to all the other teams. Sadly, none of those are the reasons. Quite simply, Chad is not a starter. Sure, he is a leader, and guys will run through walls for him, as will he. Sure he can hit the quick slant. But the guy throws as hard as Tom Glavine, and we all know what happened to Tom in the last game of the season. The same is happening to Chad.
There is just one problem. His replacement, Kellen Clemens. How the hell am I, as a Mets fan, supposed to root for a guy with the last name Clemens? Not only that, his first name starts with a "K", just like Roider does with his kids.
Seriously now, the concern with Kellen is that he has little experience. I know he looked good inthe 4th quarter a few weeks ago, but he also looked like crap the first 3 quarters. Teams are going to blitz like crazy to get in his head. They are going to dare him to beat them more than once until he makes them honest. Can he do it? I know he has a strong arm, but so did Browning Nagle, and we all remember how that turned out (shudder). Where is his head? It is funny, because in training camp, the media kept talking about how poorly he was doing, until he did well in a couple of pre-season games against the scrubs. This is the same media that chastised Mangini last pre-season for making Chad wait out a "competition" before he was named starter.
The calls for Chad's head began a few weeks ago, and figure to grow louder after yesterday. Will Mangini make the move? Hard to tell. However, it is time to do so.
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