Tag Archives: Jose Reyes

December 8, 2011 · 12:52 pm

Daily Rounds 12/8/2011

The annual war of words between the Giants and Cowboys have begun. CP3 talks have slowed to a crawl. The Marlins continue to shop and continue to shop in the expensive stores. Some scheduling news and why the best owner for the Dodgers could be….oh you’ll have to wait for it. Finally a crazy wrestling link and more in today’s edition.

Rights Reserved to the New York Daily News

–Justin Tuck does not like the Cowboys and it appears the feeling is mutual. DeMarcus Ware fired back which is unusual for him since he doesn’t usually entertain such back and forth usually but perhaps the tone is changing given how important this set of games are for both teams as they are the only ones left in the race for the division. Ebenezer Samuel of the Daily News has more on that.

The Cowboys and Giants don’t need any added fuel to the fire but that’s what we got and from a very unlikely source. The Giants on Sunday played valiantly and more importantly had a fire that they lacked for two weeks prior to that when they basically pulled a no-show against Philly and New Orleans. Philly they could’ve beaten while New Orleans just absolutely decimated them. Now comes the real challenge thanks to Sunday’s gaffe by the Cowboys. If you’re not familiar, here is a short summary of events. With the score tied at 13, the Cowboys were driving to set up for a field goal attempt. When Dan Bailey went for the attempt at a 48 yard field goal, Jason Garrett decided to call a timeout effectively icing his own kicker. The kick went up and it was good. The explanation Garret gave was that the play clock was running down and he couldn’t risk them not getting it off which is a viable excuse and if he had been called for the delay of game penalty the level of difficulty would’ve been raised and in a game the Cowboys HAD to win to give them separation from the Giants, they had to ensure the shortest field goal attempt they could. They kicked it a second time and wouldn’t you know it? No good. You know how the story goes from here, they go into overtime. The home team gets the ball and they score on a short bubble screen that goes for 52 yards. The Giants who had lost four in a row now effectively control their own fate. Win out, and the Giants are in. Win 3 out of 4 and the Giants probably need some help. But thanks to the Cowboys mishap, the Giants are masters of their own destiny which is where you want to be as a football team regardless of what anyone says.

As for wanting to be a Cowboy? Let’s be real Ware. The Cowboys have been colossaly overrated for years now and every single season they seem to have a stretch where they invite fans to hope and dream again before they make one bone headed play after another. The Cowboys could’ve opened the season 6-0 and there’s a fair argument to be made there but the coaching up and down of Tony Romo due to his rib injury earlier in the season and the constant miscues continue to haunt the Boys as they look to get to their first Super Bowl since 1995. In fact, the Cowboys would like to win a playoff game, which would be their first since 1996. Meanwhile Tuck’s New York Giants annual December slide notwithstanding, he has a Super Bowl to his credit. One that came on the back of a victory over the Cowboys when the Boys were the number two seed in the NFC and the Giants were a measly six seed. Sunday’s game is must win for both so the SNF game should be entertaining and hard hitting and could get chippy.

While the Mets and Yankees were rather quiet on the trade/acquisition front another rivalry was beginning to fizzle. Bobby Valentine fired the first salvo which should make Yankee-Red Sox games even MORE fun given the new manager’s experience against the Yankees as Mets manager. Ken Davidoff says he’s just having fun. Meanwhile the Jose Reyes press conference introducing him as a Marlins player happened yesterday and it was painful for any Met fan to watch as Jose Reyes said what every Met fan probably thought: they never made a real offer. They didn’t want me here. Sandy Alderson also had something to say about that. Ken Davidoff says the Mets were in a no-win position during the Reyes derby. John Harper of the Daily News says the hurt kid in Reyes came out during the press conference.

Yesterday’s press conference was admittedly tough to watch but even tougher when Reyes said what was virtually on every single Met fan’s mind. He felt the Mets never went out to retain him like the Marlins did and that’s the plain old facts no matter what great line that Sandy Alderson had in response to Reyes’ sad story about the Mets (lack of) pursuit of him this winter. And trust me it was a good one. But like Sandy said, his gift bag of flowers and chocolates would not have cost $106 million and that signals a significant rift between what Reyes felt his value was and what the Mets determined it to be. Remember, the Met front office now are inundated with stat geeks who make personnel decisions based on projection models and come up with contract figures they feel comfortable in giving and their admitted comfort in handing a long term contract in the range of six years and north of $100 million was a problem.

Here’s the problem: I don’t think the Mets WANTED to go for six years and I don’t think the Mets COULD go over $100 million. Two of Reyes’ major qualifications for resigning him. Meanwhile the full court press was on Reyes by Jeffrey Loria who came into his meeting with Reyes wearing a Jose Reyes Miami Marlin uniform underneath a trench coat which sounds about as odd and weird and endearing as he could make it sound. The Mets were in kind of a pickle and despite all the referendum about Reyes’ legs being a concern given his style of play, he was a home grown player and a New York team should be able to resign that home grown player if not for anything other than the fact than as a good faith effort to their fan base which is who is really being affected in all of this. A fan base who’s heard rumors abound that every player NOT named David Wright is being put on the block. In fact, the Mets were listening in on offers on Jon Niese who got several nibbles and Ike Davis, surprisingly, who got several nibbles notably from the Pirates who came away disappointed in how high the price tag was.

The Mets are asking for a lot for many of their players as they should. They are giving up salary controlled players years before arbitration in hopes they get strong positional talent of which they have very little of in the minor leagues. The Mets have future aces in Matt Harvey, Jeurys Familia, Jenry Mejia, and Zach Wheeler but very little in terms of positional talent which is what they are seeking. The Mets are right to be shopping everyone BUT Wright and I believe they should trade Wright but they are correct in not dealing him now while his value is low. Let him get some hacks at the shortened fences in Citi and hopefully it will help.

Meanwhile, Davidoff is right, for all the love and angst over Reyes leaving this is a guy that in 9 years has led the Mets to one postseason appearance. Let’s not make him out to be this all time great. Of course I’m in the bandwagon that the Mets should’ve made some sort of pursuit during the beginning hours and perhaps he would not have felt like they had no intent on signing him but it is what it is and we can move on. Either way Reyes was going to take the money, money the Mets did NOT have.

By the way, in other Winter meeting news, the Marlins struck out on Albert Pujols who was thought to be re-signing with the Cardinals until a mystery team entered the fray and now that team is known NOT to be the Angels because they are no longer a mystery team. They are the second team in pursuit of Pujols while there are sources who indicate that the mystery team are the Cubs who just want to drive the price up. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports finds a report indicating the Angels only having a certain amount of money to spend laughable considering their true intentions on signing both CJ Wilson AND Albert Pujols. Meanwhile, the Prince Fielder market won’t shape up until Pujols is signed and don’t be surprised if you see the Marlins go hard after Prince who is after all 4 years younger than Pujols’ given age and is a rock though not as defensively inclined given his body can’t cline as much as Pujols if you know what I mean. The Gio Gonzalez trade market is all but done as no team is willing to give up the Ubaldo Jiminez package for him as A’s GM Billy Beane had been hoping.

Amazing that the Marlins are continuing to spend that kind of money though the no, no-trade clause in contracts should scare any free agent given the Marlins history of winning a title and then throwing away expensive parts as far away as possible for cheaper ones. Its a business model that works for them so the promise of winning a title may be enough to lure these guys and then they can worry about the other stuff later but I’d be kind of worried also given their SEC case pending. As for the Gio Gonzalez trade market, I think that was kind of a tester to feel out what teams were inclined to give and who would give up more or stay firm. Billy Beane is smarter than you or me and it would appear he’s setting up the pieces to score big on Gio Gonzalez as it is a buyer’s market on pitchers with no free agent pitcher looking like a safe bet. Would YOU give CJ Wilson a 6 year contract? Sure he doesn’t have the wear and tear on his arm that Mark Buerlhe does but Buerlhe isn’t a hard thrower. I like the Buerhle signing for one reason: he gives you stability. With the condition of Josh Johnson’s arm you never know how long you will have him in any given season and Buerhle is an innings eater and a consistent presence on the mound. Not great performance but good and he gives you plenty of starts. Meanwhile, I expect Prince to get his 8 year $200 million contract especially if the Angels are going to be spenders and especially if the Marlins are uber aggressive and then you add the Cubs and perhaps a late push by Mark Attanasio and the Brewers. There could be even more hype and hysteria behind Prince once this Pujols to St Louis thing gets sorted out because let’s face it, nobody believes that Pujols is leaving St Louis.

The NBA season is soon to begin and by that I mean the trades, signings and all that will turn from rumor and innuendo to fact and misery for teams who will eventually sign one player to a long term extension that their fan base will immediately be pissed off about. Happens every year, and no new CBA will change that. Speaking of CBA, more facts keep coming out about the CBA every day like a clause that gives teams up to $500,000 to spend on freeing up players from their contracts overseas which is important for those trying to free up the JR Smiths and Wilson Chandler’s of the world and Howard Beck of the New York Times looks back fondly on his days spent in hotels and 4Am Press conferences. Meanwhile, with NHL announcing realignment, JA Adande wonders openly about what the NBA would look like under that same process. Sam Amick of SI.com AND Bill Simmons look at the leaders in the CP3 sweepstakes (hint: they’re all from California) which went quiet yesterday but are soon to pick up as most insiders believe a deal will be announced in 48 hours. His label mate Zack Lowe (who writes one of the more underrated sports blogs in Point Forward) writes about how the new schedule with its back to back to backs may be….fair? Marc Berman says the Knicks have officially bowed out of the CP3 trade-a-thon believing they will get their guy in free agency.

The Dwight Howard trade talks are just plain weird. But the CP3 sweepstakes should be interesting given that CP3 will most certainly welcome a change but won’t commit and will definitely opt out at the end of the season. It looks as though the Knicks won’t have the ability to trade for him so that means he won’t be able to get his max contract there unless something crazy happens in the next 48 hours. Simmons is right, Hornets GM Dell Demps is playing this right. Since he took the job he’s been preparing for this moment and the time has come and he’s moving swiftly and decisively. Unfortunately the Clippers wont give up Eric Gordon (understandably), the Warriors won’t give up Stephan Curry (curiously) and the Lakers want Dwight (I get that) more than CP3.

I’ve said I could live with Deron Williams if they don’t get CP3 and that looks realistic. CP3 will have to make a huge pay concession to play in New York and I hope he’s willing to do that as a Knick fan, if not I go back to that Melo trade as to why we didn’t get CP3. Remember that trade.

Finally Chris Erskine says the best owner for the Dodgers would be….the fans. While I found an awesome link about the greatest feuds in Wrestling history.

Although I’m sure they wouldn’t want those crazy Dodger fans who attacked Brian Stowe. I’m sure those guys watched a ton of wrestling growing up…and now.

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Tagged as Albert Pujols, Angels, Baseball rumors, Buerhle, Buerlhe, Chris Paul trade rumors, CP3, Jose Reyes, Miami Marlins, Prince Fielder, Winter Meetings

December 6, 2011 · 12:53 pm

Daily Rounds 12/6/2011

We’ve got Jose Reyes reaction, and some NBA and a brand new title for the daily blog posting, here goes:

Rights Reserved to ESPN.com

Like any morning after something major happens people begin reflecting and beginning the phase of ~~rebuildi~~ patching up what’s left. That’s what Met fans are left to do and mostly what Sandy Alderson and co. will be left with as they face a new era minus Jose Reyes. Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the time is right to deal David Wright. Meanwhile John Harper and Andy Martino of the Daily News say that money issues have put Sandy Alderson in a tough position to find results while being limited in what the front office can spend. Ken Davidoff of Newsday wants to cut a deal with Mets management: if the Mets aren’t contending by July, start selling off assets like a rockstar in bankruptcy court. Then there’s Mike Vacarro of the New York Post that asks the question that I’ve been asking Why believe anything the Wilpons are pushing Sandy Alderson to say?

There isn’t a good way to spin this Jose Reyes deal. In fact, Sandy Alderson said ALL the right things because they were the only things to say. In New York, like it or not, the word rebuilding can NOT appear anywhere close to the vicinity of your team otherwise its like a black mark that won’t go away. The Mets have been going down this road for the last few years so it was no surprise that Jose Reyes was sent out with nothing, not even an offer because well, the fact is that the Mets didn’t have the money to give him that offer. You can even say that if this was the plan all along, to just wait for the market to play itself out for Reyes and hope against hope that there wouldn’t be some hard pressed fool willing to give Jose Reyes the Carl Crawford money, it was a stupid plan. In fact, it hurt the franchise more than anything. Sandy Alderson played the market wrong just like the Wilpons have done for so long. And you know what? Not for a minute do I believe Sandy was that dumb.

Last season prior to the trade deadline rumors circulated that the Tampa Bay Rays contacted the Mets about Jose Reyes. They would’ve had to offer them some kind of gravy boat offer, much better than Victor Zambrano for Scott Kazmir anyway, that would’ve netted the Mets something in the vicinity of decent prospects to work with. But the Mets held on because there was some faint hope of a playoff run. Then they got this deal for Carlos Beltran for a top prospect that the front office drooled over and pulled the trigger. The Mets may have never gotten such an offer for Reyes, but you have to believe that the Wilpons put a kibosh on any Reyes trade talk because they hoped the Mets would make a run deep into September that would’ve given them a few extra dollars. You know. To pocket for the long term. Because every single article pertaining to the Wilpon finances are right. The Coupons are facing a cash crunch and moves like allowing your homegrown player to leave without nary a call to check in leave you wondering exactly HOW these guys are even running a New York franchise.

I would appeal to Bud Selig to put an end to this reign but Selig is the Coupon’s biggest enablers. The Coupons have been milking Selig’s favor into interest free loans that by the way they STILL haven’t paid Major League Baseball back on. They have pending litigation in the Madoff trial that will force them to pay some kind of settlement but not in the hundreds of millions that Met fans had hoped that would’ve left them in no other financial position except to sell.

The Mets are a profitable team if run the right way. In fact, if the Coupons sold the franchise today to someone say the reputation of Mark Cuban the gates would be pouring in with new customers and a revived fan base; confident that ridding the Wilpons would be the equivalent of getting a star franchise player. Yesterday I woke up resigned to the fact that Reyes was gone, today I woke up angry. Angry that the franchise I love is run by a bunch of ass clowns that hold on stubbornly to a team they should’ve let go of a few years ago. A whole family of morons who blindly invested in a guy that gave them hand written statements but only when they asked for it because they thought he was good for it. A family of idiots who built a shrine, not for the team they own, but for a team that left 50 years ago and relocated to Los Angeles. That is if the Coupons even recognize the existence of the LA Dodgers.

Somehow baseball ran off Dodgers former owners the McCourts rather quickly citing concerns that he was using moneys gained from the baseball operation to fund his own wild lifestyle. But here the Coupons are, still plowing forward selling us on an impossible dream. Ready? The Mets think that Ike Davis and Johan Santana won’t regress following their surgeries and won’t see any DL time. They believe that Jason Bay and David Wright will hit 25-30 home runs each now that the walls have been brought in closer. They believe that Mike Pelfrey will get better in basically his last chance in a Met uniform. They believe that with $15 million to spend virtually they can fix the bullpen, get two quality back end of rotation starters and then some bench support including back up catcher.

I’m not kidding. That’s the Mets plans. Those are the lofty dreams that the Mets front office is pitching to Met fans. This may be coming from a place of anger. But don’t bother sending me offers to buy packages this season. I’m done. If you win, then I’ll come and partake but don’t bother selling Met fans on something that has NEVER happened. Is there a remote possibility that this all can play out? Sure. But these are the Mets. We know how this story will play out. The Coupons are playing us for fools. I won’t be played. I can’t be. I say after the third inning, Met fans stage a walk out of every single home game. That is, whoever still decides to support the franchise. Nobody believes for a second that whatever team occupies Citi Field next season will have any real hope of doing anything closely resembling productive.

I am in agreement with Sherman and Davidoff. I say start trading guys left and right. Screw it. You’ve given up on the season already. Don’t sell your fans hope that isn’t there. Don’t insult them with talk about optimism that isn’t there. I could understand if this were a team in Wichita, Kansas or Duluth, Mississippi. But it isn’t. This is a New York team. Unfortunately no matter where this franchise would be, I wouldn’t believe the Coupons to lead it.

As NBA free agency sure to heat up, the Knicks are still in on Grant Hill according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Also within that report, Kurt Thomas and the Knicks (namely Assistant GM Allan Houston, his former teammate) talked and the game that was supposed to bring Carmelo back to Denver was not rescheduled within the context of this new 66 game schedule set to be released by today. Nets PG Deron Williams said he would guarantee a contract extension if the Nets were to trade for Dwight Howard according to Stefan Bondy. Zack Lowe of SI writes about how players will test the new CBA in many ways. In Bill Simmons second post to his twelve days of Christmas series of articles, he looks at the list of available free agents and who is destined to be overpaid. Then there’s Adrian Woj’s Yahoo Sports column about two GM’s making a race to trade for Chris Paul AND Dwight Howard. As reported in the Newsday blog Knick Fix, Alan Hahn says the Knicks are undeterred by reports that New Orleans will do no deals with New York because of their lack of assets believing they can pull off a trade to land CP3 and complete the trifecta that CP3 toasted about at Carmelo’s wedding prior to last season. Finally, a story that may interest only me, but the amnesty clause will NOT be used on Brandon Roy, one of my favorite non-Knick players according to Jason Quick of the Oregonian.

Rights Reserved to New York Post

Rights Reserved to SI.comRights Reserved to Yahoo Sports

Here’s the thing, I don’t think a Chris Paul trade to the Knicks is going to happen. I give it a less than 5% shot of actually occurring. Why? Because it doesn’t make sense. The Knicks have NOBODY to give up outside of trading the rest of their team for Paul which would leave them with 3 players making roughly all of their cap. Remember two players, by themselves will take up 40 million and if you’re reading this right, CP3 will probably opt out as a token thing just to reup with the Knicks for the max 5 year 100 million contract that Deron Williams was alluding to when he said he was definitely opting out. So you have three guys making 60 million and oh by the way, the cap will remain set at $58 million next season with the luxury threshold being at $70 million much like this season. So where exactly are the Knicks going to fill in the rest of the roster spots? No, the Knicks and its fanbase have to be patient and I for one am willing to do that. We can not throw all our money at three players as great as that sounds.

But I’ll give you another reason why a trade to the Knicks or a super team forming in Los Angeles isn’t realistic. Its not good business. If the labor deal pushed to prevent big market teams hoarding small market teams for talent then you have to understand that a Knick trade for pennies on the dollar OR the Lakers getting BOTH Dwight Howard and CP3 will not look good in any way. What makes it worse is that the NBA owns the Hornets and you can believe that every small owner will NOT push for EITHER trade to EITHER coast which ultimately leaves the Hornets in a no-win position. I think you allow CP3 to make it to free agency and no matter what kind of influence CAA has over the process and getting Paul traded the fact is, I believe CP3 will not sour on the Hornets and he will play his hardest and play out his time with the Hornets and give an honest effort. He’s been class his entire time in the league and will not allow trade rumors to negatively deflect from his purpose which is to win a championship.

With that being said, the Knicks pursuit of Grant Hill? I love it. I’ve been a fan of his for quite some time since his days on the Pistons when I thought he was going to become Scottie Pippen 2.0. Hill’s injury history are no doubt a part of his legacy but this second life in Phoenix has been revelatory. Now if the Knicks can somehow get the Phoenix training staff along with Hill in that deal, it would be fantastic. As far as the trade rumors go, it makes for good business but the fact is until December 9th, anything and everything in a fan’s mind is fair game including Dwight Howard and Deron Williams in NJ or Dwight Howard and CP3 in LA alongside Kobe OR alongside Blake.

Last note before I go, like I said, one of my favorite players will not be amnestied. Brandon Roy will be a Blazer this upcoming season. Makes sense, given that they don’t know how his legs will react and one would argue that this shortened season could be worse on his legs given the back to back to back that the Blazers will likely have to sit him in atleast one game and then rest him up in two of those games for extended periods of time. Tis a shame since I wanted to see him on the Knicks. Ahh well, dream another dream a different time.

More news coming later in the day as I give you a daily double dose today with some NFL notes and thoughts regarding week 13 and some important fantasy news. Stay tuned sports fans.

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Tagged as Coupons, CP3, Dwight Howard, Jose Reyes, Knicks, Marlins, Mets, NBA, trade rumors, Wilpons

December 5, 2011 · 2:07 pm

Sports Round up 12/05/2011

So many stories to begin with but to start it all off, a New York superstar is now leaving his nest for beachier pastures:

Rights Reserved to Metsblog.com

The Jose Reyes era in a Met uniform is (un)officially over. According to reports that began popping up last night, the former Mets shortstop had apparently agreed to a 6 year $106 million contract. And here are the opinions flowing in first from John Harper of the Daily News who says the Mets were justified somewhat in letting Reyes go. Joel Sherman of the New York Post says now the job of Sandy Alderson will be to repair the image of the Mets. Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald says move over Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes is here. Finally the voice of Met fans, Matthew Cerrone of Metsblog.com gave his opinion about why this sucks.

They say its always darkest before dawn. Ok fine, so that was a line from the Dark Knight. But it holds true. Here are the facts:

1. The Mets knew him better than anyone else.
2. They were never going to guarantee that sixth year so the Marlins knew what it would take for them to absolutely score Jose Reyes.
3. The Mets were virtually transparent throughout this whole process about their lack of immediacy to move on resigning their superstar.
4. The Mets are broke and this was eventually going to happen and the Met front office played this perfectly to reflect on that.

Those are the indisputable facts of this. I disagree with Harper who believes that Jose will NEVER be better than he was last year. I think he has the potential to be the guy everyone was gushing over from 2006-2009 and then again last season. He’s a speedster capable of stealing 60 bases a season. He’s the prototypical top of the order bat. He can hit for average and has shown flashes of power.

But that injury bug had to worry Met officials and no longer is Omar Minaya and staff involved in negotiations where they would’ve certainly pushed for a Reyes resigning. But Joel Sherman is right, in baseball senses, this is absolutely the right move. Could the Mets have gone to $100 million? Not likely. So the Marlins knew that he wanted a $100 million deal and a 6 year commitment something that everyone knew the Mets were never going to guarantee. Stories are coming out that some officials within the Met organization were scared to even guarantee 5 which apparently would’ve been the Met offer. Of course we don’t know that because the Mets never gave him an offer which I find is the only indefensible thing about this whole process. The Mets were never involved. They never got up to make an offer. They practically pushed him out saying they didn’t want to set the market. They told him to come back with the best offer and then the Mets would then tell him if they were willing to compete with it. All the Marlins had to do was put a desperate deal together that fit the rumored parameters of what he wanted and they knew they had their man. This was so easy that the Marlins couldn’t have botched such a thing and they didn’t. You knew they were desperate to make a splash with their new stadium being built. The Mets and the front office never had any intention of matching any crazy offer. Even the first 6 year $90 million deal that was reported, was probably something the Mets would not have matched had Reyes come back to them with that offer but Reyes and his agent never did, knowing that if they got over $100 million from practically the only team that was offering him a contract he would take it. Now Reyes joins his homie in South Florida, Hanley Ramirez, who will not be thrilled to be shifting positions though it is the right move in baseball senses. Ramirez is way too big to be playing shortstop anyway and a corner infield position is probably best for a guy losing his lateral movement. You put Reyes who has a cannon of an arm and the ability to make huge plays.

Its clear what the Marlins are doing. They are building a Latino-emphasized team for a Latino fan base to embrace. Their move to Miami was about the money but their success will be predicated on how much they can depend on that fan base to come out. Latin countries love their baseball, so fielding a team that caters to that fan base ONLY makes sense and financially they will need to begin filling up that park to justify their spending spree. Either way, the Marlins got an excellent corner stone player and now will have to win and sustain a winner for a long time for the first time EVER in their history.

As for the Mets, I think Sherman is way too judgemental on the Mets for my taste. Rebuilding their image? The Mets have an image problem yes but THIS is not something that would rebuild it. Met fans have to be realistic about their owners current financial situation. Sadly, the owners have to be realistic too. When I first heard about Reyes signing with the Marlins I was upset and ready to just blast the Coupons but I woke up calmer and with more understanding. I realized one thing about this whole mess: Alderson has to face all the blame and all the questions surrounding this mess. But the Wilpons, as long as their buddy Bud Selig is commissioner, has an enabler that will allow them to pay back their loans on their time and so financially they will be solvent for the foreseeable future. Alderson is also the right play at GM. He is a former Marine who can face all the questions about credibility with a stone face and give the politically correct answers back to a media who will want him to admit two things: the Mets are broke and the Coupon family is no longer able to carry the burden of fielding a big market team. Unfortunately the Coupons will stay in ownership for as long as they like. That Madoff judgement doesn’t look like it will leave them broke (in terms of rich people, so if the Madoff ruling took them for a large sum of money or whatever they were rumored to be paying, they wouldn’t be rich enough to own a sports team but rich enough to still be hundred times richer than you or me….isn’t that rich?) so they will be around and will expect you to come to the stadium and fill the seats.

Unfortunately if history is any indicator and if last season and the season prior are any kind of model by which to go on, believe you me, the Mets are in trouble more financially than anything Madoff could ever do. The saving grace? The Mets field a winner. But first they will have to build a team. Want to prove that you aren’t broke and that the Reyes decision was strictly smart baseball business? Fine. Spend that money you would’ve spent on Reyes back into the team. Lets see you do that. I doubt they will. Sigh, the life and times of a Met fan.

Speaking of disappointments the Giants ALMOST came away with the upset of the year when they took the defending Super Bowl champs and current undefeated team and current MVP of the season Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers to the wire . Unfortunately there was :51 left on the clock and Aaron Rodgers needing ONLY to get into field goal range to clinch it and that he did. Gary Meyers says the Giants gave their best effort and it wasn’t enough. Mike Lupica says, nice try Giants.

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In the end, they were the defending champs and the Giants were a reeling team fighting in desperation and showing their true colors. Lets face it, since losing their secondary and much of their depth throughout the season the Giants have fought and clawed and been the antithesis of the Philadelphia Eagles. They were not supposed to beat them and were not even supposed to be in the same league with them yesterday unless the Giants summoned a fight and resolve that had gone missing the last two weeks. Shows how important Michael Boley is to a linebacker unit that was pretty much decimated with injury and lack of experience. Then losing Osi Umeniyora and JPP for period of the game had to be troubling but the Giants kept fighting. I said it prior to the game, if the Giants could get stops they would win the game because their offense could put up points. But a killer pick six early on in the game came back to haunt them and then a phantom hands to the face penalty also kept a drive going for the Packers who eventually scored. Tom Coughlin used up challenges and the Giants were absolutely terrible with time management last night. He challenged two plays that had no chance of being over turned which left him with none. No play after that looked like it needed reviewing to over turn but the Giants were fortunate. However, this idea that the Giants were right to throw it on the first two downs when they were at the Packer goal to go situation in under two minutes to go is absolutely insane. You don’t leave QB’s like Aaron Rodgers time like that to go the length of the field to kick a chip shot field goal. The Packer offense is SO explosive and we all know that and yet the Giants mindset was to make sure they scored. Well, the Giants know that should they run would they have necessarily gotten it in on first down? No. Second down? Probably but not a certainty. Then on third down you throw it up for Nicks to make a play on it. That Nicks play was in their back pocket the whole time and yet Gilbride, the Giants OC, refused to go to it. Leaving Aaron Rodgers with the time to do what he does best.

Those are the many negatives I take back from this game. The positives? Lets count them shall we? The Giants played toe to toe with the best team in football and almost won. The Giants finally showed some heart. They had a lot of calls go against them but they remained composed and kept fighting. Michael Boley and Ahmad Bradshaw reportedly stayed healthy throughout this game but we’ll know once the week progresses as to how they feel. This looks eerily similar to the last time the Giants won the Super Bowl in 2007? They will have to win out from here to ensure they win the division. Even though the Lions and Bears (who look like they will be without Matt Forte which should effectively end their season) are reeling, the Giants still have to handle business on their end beginning in Dallas which I can assure you is MOST realistic. Look, this was statistically and hypothetically the toughest schedule in the NFL in terms of games and the Giants were 6-2 heading into it. They beat the Patriots, hung in there with the 49ers and almost won that game. Played poorly against the Eagles and Saints and then looked rejuvenated against the Packers. If they take yesterday’s attitude into their remaining schedule, Antrel Rolle’s prediction that the Giants and Packers will meet again WILL come true. The Giants have to handle their business moving forward. The G-Men can do this and now is the time for the famous Jim Fassel speech. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ab2pnlWkd4

The Jets went into Washington in basically Giant territory of win-it all and came away with a commanding 34-19 victory over the Redskins who’ve lost 7 straight. Filip Bondy says Sanchize commandeered the Jets to victory. Mike Vaccaro believes this could be the start of something huge for Gang Green.

I’m not going to pretend like I saw this game from beginning to end. Unfortunately the rigors of married life throw a monkey wrench into those things. But what I did see, I saw Mark Sanchez and a game plan centered around trying to protect him. I saw a close game up until about 5 minutes left in the game when Sanchez led a drive that culminated in a TD pass to Santonio Holmes which was as beautiful a pass as you’ll see perfectly lobbed over the defender’s head who Holmes had beaten anyway. I saw the defense force a turnover immediately on hapless Rex Grossman. I saw the Jets punch it in for insurance.

But I also saw more miscues on special teams and an offense that somehow could NOT trust Sanchez with anything more than a quick slant pattern. The Jets are a terribly conflicting team but they have the elements of a defense that can be great. They have the elements of an offense that has weapons there to be great. Their special teams has been sloppy at best these last 6 weeks but they have the elements of a team that can make another run but they have the elements of a team that can and will give Jet fans heartburn and asthma attacks on the way. Do I think the Jets are a Super Bowl contender? No. Do I think they can beat the Patriots? OH YEAH. The Pats are NOT unbeatable. For that matter, the Pack are not unbeatable. The Jets HAVE to play on top of their game though. Giving teams like the Patriots those kind of turnovers will cost them. Be thankful they were ONLY playing the Redskins.

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And the Broncos just keep winning. Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post writes more so than the Tebow-factor, John Fox has quietly pulled ALL the right strings.

Look, I can’t begin to explain to you how this Tebow thing is going. I just know that its bigger than you, me, Denver or the great sport of football. Its in that grey area that nobody can quite put their finger on. The Broncos have now won 5 in a row and it should be written in the rulebooks of the NFL that if the game is close against the Denver Broncos and Tim Tebow is playing in that game, the game should be called because Tebow is going to do something that makes this liberal country get into the silly conversation about religion that has me tired even thinking about it. Tim Tebow is amazing. Tim Tebow is fantastic. He’s a great kid. You can say till your blue that his style of quarterbacking won’t get it done but the Broncos aren’t winning solely on the left arm and legs of Tebow. Or his heart. Its the defense and a coach, John Fox, that was given a QB that if you gave him a polygraph today would admit he didn’t want. Now the Broncos and Tim Tebow are linked and no matter what John Elways says or does, barring a collapse and Tebow completely blowing games down the stretch, John Elway will be hard pressed to find an immediate successor for the Broncos QB job which up until two weeks ago even was open for applicants.

I know that Elway believes that Tebow can’t be a conventional QB. But credit John Fox for realizing that early on. The job of the head coach is to put the team in the best position to win and he has done that. Fox’s coaching staff has protected Tebow within the confines of a system that he can win in while teaching Tebow the finer points of throwing the football and the system they are running. Some of the throws Tebow has made have been exceptional including that sideline throw to Demairiyus Thomas who had a huge day for the Broncos. BUT, the fact is that more than Tim Tebow, the Broncos have been putting together wins as a team. At some point all the detractors have to realize that and just give up this ill fated discussion UNTIL Tim Tebow gives us a reason to.

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Tagged as Aaron Rodgers, Coupons, Eli Manning, Jets, Jose Reyes, Marlins, Mets, Metsblog, MVP, NFL, Packers, Tim Tebow, Tom Coughlin, Wilpons

December 4, 2011 · 2:39 pm

Sports Roundup 12/4/2011 and Week 13 Picks!

Bill Simmons of Grantland.com is bringing you Day 1 of a 12 day series in which he covers the frantic NBA Free Agent Experience and makes the simple yet honest point: Even though the lockout was meant to stop dumb contracts, we’re about to get even MORE dumb contracts in the coming days. Gentlemen, start your paychecks. Speaking of which, Vishnu Parasuraman of Grantland explains the new deal in a comprehensive yet simple way. Ok fine, so I got an Indian sports writer in there. SUE ME!

I’m a huge Bill Simmons fan so you’ll be seeing alot of his posts linked for sure. He’s a huge basketball junkie thus his opus titled the Book of Basketball which went through his thoughts and long held beliefs of the game so you knew he would have something for basketball junkies as the NBA was coming out of the lockout. His point? the deal could’ve been struck five months ago but players held stubbornly and owners were too dick headed to admit their faults. Now, we have a 66 game season in which the league and its elder statesmen will be subjected to AT LEAST one back to back to back set of games. NBA fans won’t care but remember that teams with older players will be rested more to survive the grind. An interesting point that Simmons made was that this proved how vital the NBA views its slate of games on Christmas Day. Its their Thanksgiving. They didn’t want to lose it and couldn’t afford to do so and Simmons argued that it made sense and the NBA should consider making some cosmetic changes to their schedule in order to not get in the way of football and therefore step on their own toes. Not many people pay attention to basketball on Sundays while the NFL is still pumping out its product. And now with the NFL set to have a Thursday game every week and then some Saturday games starting on Christmas eve, you can bet that the NBA will be keeping a close watch on games.

By the way, here’s the updated schedule of games that will kick off the NBA season:

Boston AT New York (Rondo vs. CP3?), Miami AT Dallas (the banner will be unveiled but the rings apparently won’t be given out), Chicago AT Los Angeles (Who’s going to be the wingman for Derrick Rose this year?), Orlando AT OKC and Clippers AT Golden State. Got all that? That’s TNT for Knicks Celts followed by ABC for the next two games with the NBA Finals rematch and Kobe vs. MVP Derrick Rose and finally ESPN gets the last two games. When’s the last time the NBA went out of its way to put the Clippers in a marquee NBA television night? Ahh, the power of Blake.

I would make the argument that the NFL will have a tough slate to take away from the NBA but it appears Roger Goodell has paved the streets clean of NFL football, even disposing of Jay Cutler to make the Sunday night game with the Packers and Bears less interesting unless Caleb Hanie’s body gets possessed by a better QB. Maybe he needs to bring the stache back?

Bill Madden of the New York Daily News is breaking down the wishlist and rumor mill stuff of the Winter Meetings. For those that don’t know, this is where all the action happens and deals get done. Oh, and so does Ken Davidoff of Newsday and Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes that the Yankees are going to be quiet for once and that’s because they are trying to cut costs. Meanwhile here is Jon Heyman of SI (and soon to be CBS Sports) and Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports gives us the skinny on Yu Darvish the sought after pitcher from the Nippon Ham club in Japan.

The Winter Meetings are interesting because fans are under the impression that this is MLB’s way of getting all 30 GM’s and player agents under one roof to make deals and sign contracts with players but its not. Its a convention for GM’s, kind of like one of those training seminars your company sends you to and oh by the way every other power broker in the sport ends up in the same hotel (what are the odds?) and winds up swinging deals. There’s only enough Public Safety Seminars one can stomach apparently. Blackberries will be used and this is the week that cell phone companies see a spike in calls made and received from certain phone lines. Either way, plenty of rumors to get to.

The Sherman article interests me because this is not the first time we’ve heard that the Yankees are tightening up their belts. They ALWAYS say that and like Sherman points out seemingly always spend more and shrug it off because they can. The Yankees are being more judicious with how they spend their money and they are right, CJ Wilson is NOT worth a major contract. He’s a third starter in my opinion and NOT a number one. His cost has been inflated because there’s no other marquee pitching talent available unless the Mariners somehow decide to put King Felix on the block but that’s a long shot especially if the rumors are true and they are going to make a run at Prince Fielder. Jon Danks could be an interesting option seeing as how Kenny Williams has all but put the Rebuilding notice on his White Sox club and may part ways with their best pitcher to start collecting young assets. The Yankees won’t trade their Killer B”s for anyone outside of Felix in my opinion. They still could dangle Jesus Montero and get a pretty good return so the Yankees always have that. We’ll see how it goes.

As for the Mets, I’ve always been in the trade David Wright Camp. If the Mets were really interested in rebuilding and trying to maintain a level or status of a long term winner, they would look to trade Wright and I think it would be mandatory should Jose Reyes leave for another team. One team he may be leaving for are the Miami Marlins who are now facing charges from the SEC about possible violations in how they got their majority-taxpayer-funded brand new ballpark. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports writes that free agents looking at Miami may be scared off by the investigation which has real legs and could possibly end up costing the Marlins a lot. This is part of a bigger problem that baseball is facing as this will only make the SEC open every single team’s books about how they are getting local governments to raise money via taxpayers to fund these new stadiums. Baseball is largely guilty of strong arming these local branches on a yearly basis that some in the industry view it as an “about time” investigation.

Back to the Metropolitans. Sandy Alderson vows that the Mets will be fun to watch and reportedly have a gentleman’s agreement with them and Reyes where Reyes will bring back the final offers to the Mets and the Mets will either allow Reyes to walk or the Mets will match. Of course that doesn’t mean Jose will take the first genuinely intriguing offer the Mets have. He will most certainly take it back to other teams and given the state of the Miami Marlins with this pending investigation, Reyes may think twice about taking a multi-year deal to stay there. The Marlins are willing to give Reyes a 6 year deal, something the Mets are rightfully reluctant to do.

I get Alderson’s hesitation with Reyes. No one doubts the skill, but the injury history gives prospective employers pause and makes Reyes’ suitors that much smaller. Marlins have been effectively ambitious this offseason finally inking a player with some star power to let baseball know they are serious, in Heath Bell who was given a 3 year deal worth $27 million which is a lot for a 34 year old closer. That gives everyone but the Mets an effective end of game solution. The Braves have Craig Kimbrel who won the Rookie of the Year award in the NL. The Phillies signed Papelbon. The Nationals have young Drew Storen ready to go. So the Mets are looking to add a prominent closer themselves without breaking the bank given their other litany of needs which begs the question: if you’re not going to go after Reyes, why not turn your attention elsewhere and spend that 16-20 million you had slotted for Jose on the relief market and mid level starter market?

The interest in Reyes is real but the Mets have two budgets for the upcoming season: one that HAS Reyes on board and another that doesn’t have Reyes on board. The on that has Reyes on board ranges from $100-110 million and one can only figure that the one that doesn’t include Reyes is somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 million cheaper. So the Mets won’t just spend the money to spend it and Alderson is cautiously spending the money because let’s face it, without Reyes or any kind of prominent free agent signing, the Mets will have a much lower draw at CitiField effectively eliminating any chance of turning a profit for the year.

Unless the Mets miraculously turn competitive. Which isn’t impossible but highly improbable given the state of the other teams in the division and the current state of the Mets.

My prediction on Reyes? He resigns with the Mets for 5 years and $95 million with a 6th year option based on games played over the final two guaranteed years. Most fans have this idea that the Mets won’t spend but I don’t think the Wilpons are that frugal and that stupid. They are stupid but not cheap. They will spend and they know the ramifications of trying to field a Reyes-less team in 2012 to their bottom line. Alderson and Co. know the skill set of Reyes and what he means to the franchise. The fan base is almost unanimous that they want him back. But at an effective price. I think the fanbase more is about the rebuilding process and know that any exorbitant price tag given the state of the franchise’s finances would be crippling to any long term repairs the Mets hope to do. Let’s be honest, we don’t know how much the bill will be on the Madoff case but reports indicate that it won’t be as high as one ~~wished~~ thought. Either way, the Mets will need all available space to sign their superstars if it is indeed their wish. Let’s say Reyes leaves, David Wright will most certainly be discussed and presented as a carrot for any team to make deals but given his status being lowered, they won’t get back what they hope. I think the Mets wait till the trade deadline so that with the new changes to CitiField can help build back up Wright’s status and then trade him.

Though, in either scenario, I think the Mets should trade Wright. Not only for the Mets, but for Wright. I admit he’s a very good player but he’s NOT a superstar and the Mets have treated him as such while other teams have looked at his last three years and seen a lower tier player. Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals is a better defensive AND offensive player and has been for the last two years at the very least.

Here’s hoping that Reyes decides to take a hometown discount.

Now, on to Sunday’s picks:

BILLS (-2) over Titans- This is pretty much must win territory for Buffalo. The Bills, now looking at their schedule again with clarity provided for us by the last few weeks of action, face a pretty tough schedule. Where once the Chargers and Patriots were looking like the toughest tests on the schedule, the Chargers look like they have given up on the season and Norv Turner, and the Patriots may basically be resting their starters by Week 17 . The Dolphins are competitive and nobody’s patsies and the Broncos are Tebow’s Team and look virtually unbeatable.

BEARS (-7) over Chiefs- I’m not saying that this is a slam dunk. The Chiefs CAN play as evidenced by their near upset win over the Steelers who looked old on Sunday night. But unless Caleb Hanie plays mistake free football the Bears season is effectively over. Which brings me to the QB carousel that took place this week and left one very famous name without a seat. Donovan McNabb is no longer an employed member of the NFL. Its a sad ending to a very good career which had its ups and downs. Mostly, I think he benefited just as much as he faltered by playing in a demanding market like Philly. McNabb has such thick skin that after being released by the Vikings citing his lack of a work ethic and weight gain, he was marketing himself as a STARTER for any franchise who wanted him. A STARTER. This is a guy who was traded IN DIVISION by the coach who constantly made excuses for him and was shown the door by an organization so messed up and screwed up in the head like the Redskins that he was replaced early in the season by a rookie who nobody expected to sniff the Metrodome turf. I couldn’t believe how quickly he fell out of grace and now out of touch with his own ability. McNabb’s biggest liability at this point is what made him famous in Philly: his unquestioning belief in himself. As much as TO loves him some me, McNabb really loves him some me and not being picked up on waivers and TO’s inability to get anyone to even bother showing up for a private workout is fitting for two players who once were considered elite at their position yet many had lingering questions about their make up.

Oakland (+2) over DOLPHINS- I think this game is going to be fantastic. No lies. I have to admit that trading two number one picks for Carson Palmer in my mind STILL isn’t a defensible trade but he’s been paying off these last few weeks and IF and WHEN Run DMC joins the fold the Raiders could end up being a very dangerous team moving forward. Teams are now beginning to respect the pass which is opening up lanes for their rushing attack. Michael Bush is lining up a very nice pay day for him next year.

Bengals (+6.5) over STEELERS- How old did the Steelers look as compared to the hyped up KC Chiefs who field one of the youngest teams in the league? Pitt’s moxie and veteran know how to pull out the W helped them but the Bengals are much more talented and with a full game from AJ Green should easily beat the Steelers IN Pittsburgh.

Ravens (-7) over BROWNS- Classic let down game for the Ravens considering their season. The one remaining question they have left to answer is if they can maintain their level no matter the competition. That question must be answered with a win today. MUST.

Jets (-3) over REDSKINS- This is closer than many people think but I see a HUGE win for the Jets. I mean a dominating performance. I smell it coming.

Falcons (-1.5) over TEXANS- Would’ve been a good game had even Matt Leinart played. But some people love TJ Yates and believe he will be their starting QB moving forward and some are even giving him a small chance at Tom Bradying the Texans this year to a Super Bowl. Hold your horses. The defense has playmakers and the offense getting Andre Johnson back is a huge plus but let’s hold your horses and let them play today’s game and then we’ll fast lane them into the Super Bowl.

Bucs (-2) over PANTHERS- Cam needs a strong finish to the season to secure that once locked up Offensive Rookie of the Year award he had giftwrapped back in September. Last week was a good start in beating a Colts team he HAD to beat. But looking at his stats they tell you something. Since throwing for 422, 432 and 374 in three out of his first four games in the NFL, Cam doesn’t have a single 300 yard passing game since and only thrown north of 250 three times only one resulting in a win. Its when he’s thrown for less than 220 (158 and 208) when he’s won so there’s that to consider for Ron Rivera and co as they move forward with Cam’s progression. I wish ONCE in a team’s life that they unleashed a QB like the Falcons did Michael Vick and Eagles did until he got injured. He puts not only defenses in such a bad way, but also referees who have problems knowing when to call late hit penalties and can sometimes get confused and make a huge call that can tilt the game in the team’s favor. Cam has one thing going for him that Vick never had: he’s built like a tank. Vick is injury prone not because of his style but because he’s built like a receiver. Not Desean Jackson skinny but enough where one good pop as he’s going full speed can really hurt him. Cam loves contact and can bring the lumber as grown folk would say. If the Carolina offensive coaches can devise a way to have Cam throw 20-25 times and run 8-12 times and then run the football with their two headed beast at running back HOW is that a bad thing? Some of you will say well Swith, isn’t that what they are doing already? Yes. But their defense doesn’t stop anyone. I’m saying, don’t start making Cam chuck the ball. Stick to the plan. Stubbornly if you have to. In his first year of development you have to let Cam know that the game plan that the coaches have set up is the right way to go and should NEVER be abandoned. Teams that have trust and faith in their coaching staff to put them in the right place always wind up winning games. Faith and patience go a long way in the NFL. Look at the Super Bowl run the Giants made in 2007 and then their first 11 games of 2008. They stubbornly stayed with the running game even when teams were beating them and they always won because they forcefully displayed their will against their opponents. That’s what winning teams do: impose their wills on other teams.

PATRIOTS (-20) over Colts- Two more reasons that Peyton Manning should get some MVP consideration this year: this outrageous line and the fact that NBC chucked this game so far out of its rotation as quickly as it could because Peyton wasn’t playing that they almost tripped over themselves getting to the league office to try and get Giants/Packers (Fox protected it) or Lions and Saints which will now be flexed into Sunday Night. By the way, here’s a theory for all you conspiracy nuts: Have you noticed the crappy schedule ESPN got this year for their Monday Night Package? It appears ex- ESPN chief was in charge of not only giving NBC its incredibly lucrative flex scheduling deal but also giving ESPN its latest which is not to say that its payback for his fall, but let’s just say its kind of dicey the way it all went down.

SAINTS (-9) over Lions- Speaking of which, the Saints looked unstoppable on Monday night but that’s because the Giants defense were looking fifty different directions and never knew where to line up or where to go. They were a hot mess the whole evening and trust me, the Saints didn’t do them any favors with the way they ran up the score. That last touchdown was meant to send a message and let’s be honest, anyone who is crying about how disgraceful and unsportsmanlike it was needs to chill. If you can’t STOP a team from scoring then get somebody who can. The Saints were right to never take the foot off the pedal. That mentality will be the ONLY thing that helps them beat the Packers if and when they meet again down the road in the playoffs.

As it relates to the Lions and mainly Ndamukong Suh. Look, he had a dirty play which reminded NFL fans of his earlier shady plays. Then his post game press conference was NOT an apology I don’t care WHAT he says. Does he need counseling? No. He lets his emotions show during games which is a good thing. BUT, this young man’s recent car crash shows that there is a very dizzying pattern that seems to be playing out. The Lions need someone to talk to him. They were IN that game against the Packers until Suh stepped on that Packer line man and then the Pack ran away with that game. They need Suh long term to be the rock and the NFL wants Suh to be a prominent wheel in its promotional cog. There’s a lot at stake and the NFL hopes that the Lions will take care of it.

Also is Roger Goodell trying to get a consulting job on the side? First he advises Michael Vick where to go and now he advises Suh to appeal? Even though his appeal magically met earlier in the week and he lost it making him ineligible to play against the Saints after some furor broke out about the commissioner’s shady appeal for Suh to do so. Hmmm. You would think his 10 million salary would be enough, no?

Broncos (-1) over VIKINGS- This game is a lot closer now that Von Miller is a game time decision. With no AP though, I can’t give the Vikes an edge here and no matter what, you can’t go against Tebow right?

49ers (-13) over Rams- Finally, a team that plays consistently across the board. I know they will show up against the Rams who have been playing SLIGHTLY better these last few weeks.

Cowboys (-4.5) over CARDS- You know that Patrick Peterson touchdown is coming. You can feel it like I can, can’t you?

Packers (-6) over GIANTS- IF the team that wore the Giants uniforms the last two weeks against Philly and the Saints show up, forget about this game and the season. Those last two Cowboy games are for naught. IF the Giants show some fight, and this is basically Custer’s last stand here for the G-Men, then they have a shot. They certainly have the offense, with Bradshaw back, to score points.

Chargers (-3) over JAGUARS- Barely.

Enjoy Week 13!

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Tagged as Bill Simmons, David Wright, Grantland, Jesus Montero, Jose Reyes, Madoff, Mets, MLB, NBA, NFL, Winter Meetings, Yankees

February 16, 2011 · 12:55 am

2011 Spring Training questions

With today being another one of those unofficial national holidays according ONLY to us warped, out-of-touch sports fans, I thought it would be helpful to address five concerns our local ballclubs have going into this season.

This isn’t a final list of problems or some list meant to read into the future of the two teams, but let’s just say there is a lot of unresolved business heading into the 2011 season for BOTH the Yankees and Mets.

Because the Yankees face a helluva lot less drama I’m going to start with them.

Also, understand that the order is NOT based on importance.

1. Core Four being…replaced?
Yankee fans have long dreaded the day that this would happen but more than any season it has become crystalized: replacements for the Core Four are here. Well, technically its three now that Andy Pettite has retired. But the Yankees have two young pitchers who are capable of replacing the wily veteran though I wonder how effective they will be in the immediate future.

Jesus Montero, is somewhere in every Top 5 prospect list. He’s projected to be a 30 homer, 100 RBI guy that hits for average but can’t play defense which was Posada’s flaw. But already the Yankees have told Posada that he should concentrate on being a DH. The Yankees have a good supply of defensive catchers they can use if they need someone back there.

Speaking of changing positions, the Yankees have already begun discussions on moving Derek Jeter to centerfield to make room for Eduardo Nunes. Nunes is the shortstop the Yankees wouldn’t part with in their failed attempt at trading for Cliff Lee. I wonder how insane all those defensive stat geeks will get when they bring out their plus/minus projections for Derek Jeter the centerfielder?

One doesn’t give out $30 something million to a set up man unless its a clear indication that a succession plan has been put into place. Mariano Rivera however is the ultimate pro so I see no chance of him causing problems with Rafael Soriano. Though I can’t imagine they were thrilled to hear Mariano having contract talks with the Red Sox.

Seems to me the Yankees have made it a priority to spell out the next group of stars that will replace the legends of yet another great Yankee generation. I just wonder if these guys will appreciate being shown the door before they have decided its time to leave.

2. No Cliff Lee. No Andy Pettite. No problem?
No matter what the spin is during introductory press conferences let’s be real: its spring training its all peachy keen. But this will be a big issue as the season plays itself out especially if the rotation stays as presently constructed. Who knows what to expect from A.J. Burnett? Phil Hughes doesn’t have a long enough resume to just assume that he will keep pitching at the level he did last year. There’s a chance that Bartolo Colon will make this rotation which would be incredible when considering that he essentially is plan B for not getting Cliff Lee. Then there’s Joba Chamberlain who has had his growth as a pitcher permanently stunted by his constant movement from the bullpen to the rotation.

The only person you can rely on to have a big year is C.C. Sabathia who now has back tracked his previous comments of playing out his 7 year $161 million deal and may opt out of the deal and force the Yankees into paying him even more money in a deal that would keep him in pinstripes for “8 to 10 more years” as he has been quoted as saying he would like to pitch.

The rotation will be a concern if C.C. leaves which brings us to…

3. Jesus Montero: future Yankee star or trade bait?
After losing out on Cliff Lee, the Yankees may end up ace-less after 2012 when, if every reporter is reading the signals right, C.C. Sabathia will opt out of his contract and perhaps leave to play elsewhere. Sabathia was probably the only person in the Bronx who rejoiced when Lee didn’t sign with the Yankees because it now gives him leverage to ask for more money. Add into the fact that the best free agent pitcher in next years market will be Mark Buerhle, the Yankees will be hard pressed to find solutions there unless they explore the trade market where a potential ace may be available.

According to rumors coming from Minneapolis, Francisco Liriano may become available, and I have a feeling (note sarcasm) they will approach this a bit differently than the Johan Santana trade. It will most certainly cost Jesus Montero and who knows what else. Will the rotation issues force the Yankees into using their best prospect in a deal to plug a major hole? Should be interesting.

4. Who are Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances?
If the Yankees are correct, they are future aces in the Yankee system honing their craft just in time. Three of the top 5 prospects in the system are catchers but the other two are these young guns who could be the key to how they approach their pitching problems. If they show a continuing trend upward I wonder how Cashman will respond to CC’s contract opt out. Their progress this season will go a long way in future organizational decisions.

5. A-Rod.
Either he needs to get back with Kate Hudson who apparently also helped Muse win a Grammy (why havent the Mets made David Wright go after her? Seriously?), or he just needs to have a bounceback year. I think the latter is the liklier outcome but remember that he’s on the wrong side of 30 and coming off a hip condition which will make his range progressively worse at 3B. Eventually he will be a full time DH but this year his health will be monitored closely. If he continues trending downward it will be interesting to see how they approach him about full time DH’ing once Posada’s contract ends. Boy that 10 year contract will feel like a prison sentence.

Now that we are done with the Nickelodeon type drama of the Yankees its time to move on to the TNT of drama filled teams: the New York Mets. Here are 5 questions heading into next season for the Metropolitans in no particular order:

1. Beltran and Reyes’ future-

This is a case of long term and short term futures. The first half will be crucial for both of these players.

Beltran will likely have to take a huge paycut to stay in New York in light of recent events. If he plays well, the Mets will like to trade him but I doubt they will find a team willing to pay the price in prospects for what will likely be a half year rental. I see the Mets holding on to Beltran and recouping 2 first round picks from him.

Reyes on the other hand is the one I see getting dealt. He is the biggest chip the Mets have and its more than likely that this front office will look to deal him away because of the prospects he will be able to land them. The scarcity of elite shortstops with the tools Reyes has will make him a commodity and I can’t see this front office’s unwillingness to sign Reyes to a long term contract now (when his value would be lower due to some down years) as anything other than a sign that they will look to deal him for the best possible haul.

If they do trade him, the hope is that the front office knows what its getting in return. This year will be interesting- especially the first half. There are several reasons to hope these two get off to strong starts.

2. Madoff-
So many questions remain since the contents of the Madoff trust’s lawsuit against the Wilpon’s were revealed. One thing is clear for me: the Wilpons knew something was up with this guy. I’m not implying they were in on it, but to plead ignorance is stupid and won’t hold up. The Mets will eventually be up for sale and its anyone’s guess who will wind up with them.

What we do know is that next years financial flexibility that Sandy Alderson pointed to may not be there thanks to the mess they are currently in. What I do know is that the Mets will have to find a way to play through the distraction and it leads me to the next concern/question for 2011

3. How will the new manager and GM handle their roles?

Terry Collins was hired over Wally Backman who was the clear cut fan favorite and remains in the system eager for an opportunity to succeed Collins should he slip. The big worry about Collins was his temperment and ability to relate to players and it will be interesting to see if he’s lost touch with that after being out of the major league coaching ranks for a decade.

Sandy Alderson was brought in, in hindsight I suppose, as a cleaner of messes. He did so in San Diego with the Padres and in Dominican Republic with the corruption of the academies there. He now faces his most high profile mess to clean up and its unclear whether he was sent with a specific directive from the Commissioner’s office or he actually thought he would get to play GM with a bigger bank account. Whatever the case is, his skills will be put to the test.

Every move will be crucial as the Mets now seemingly will have very little of the $60 million coming off the books to reinvest. So the Mets will have to be smart with how they spend their payroll as long as the drama with the Wilpons is unresolved. If the Mets dont resolve this ownership issue expect more Chris Capuano and Chris Young signings. Lucky for Met fans Sandy Alderson has plenty of experience dealing with limited resources.

4. When Opening Day comes who will be on the team?

Its a natural question to ponder since there are two names that Met fans won’t miss all that much if they were left without a roster spot come Opening Day. Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo are approaching epic levels of disdain and do you blame them? These were two guys who received contracts that were universally hated the moment it was announced and basically the worst case scenario played out. Every four pitch walk and every weak grounder resulting in a double play built the vitriol that exists today.

If they were not to come to camp, they would fall under the “addition by subtraction” principle.

But there is one other figure that looms large and that is Johan Santana who for the third consecutive year had offseason surgery to repair something in his throwing arm. When he will come back. What condition he will come back in. How long it will take for him to get into competitive shape are all questions that have yet to be answered and the longer it takes to get a timetable for these things, the worse it will be for Met fans who already have such little to look forward to this year.

If I had to guess right now, I’d say Santana comes back in August. Gets into playing shape in September and hopefully pitches in some very meaningful games during that month. Best case scenario for the Mets? They are by some miracle in contention in August and instead of making the major deal to swing for a pitcher they will be getting their ace back in time for the stretch run which would be great. Of course that’s absolutely best case scenario.

5. Will young guys step up?

Jon Niese, Josh Thole, Ike Davis, Dillon Gee, Bobby Parnell, are all pretty much guaranteed roster spots and will be counted on to take that next step in their development. Niese I think has the opportunity to be a good number 2 starter thanks to that curveball which he rarely uses. Pitching coach Dan Warthen got his contract renewed because of the pitching staff’s success last season despite a dismal overall record. Dillon Gee won’t blow anyone away with his stuff but his guile and toughness will be needed to navigate out of that 5 hole. Bobby Parnell’s success will be counted upon greatly next season when you remember that a $17.5 million option for next year in K-Rod’s contract automatically kicks in if he appears in 55 games. If Parnell takes that next step then the Mets will have a legitimate reason for keeping K-Rod on the bench so that option doesn’t kick in. In fact, thanks to Madoff, it may not even matter if Parnell is good or not- he will definitely see more action as the year moves along.

Ike Davis was the breakout rookie for the Mets and depending on how well Bay snaps out of last year’s funk and Wright comes back and Beltran returns to form, the Mets could have a formidable heart of the line up rife with power. Davis suffered through the usual rookie spell where he wasn’t lining up the breaking balls. He made adjustments at the end of the season to bump his average up from .246 to .264. Hopefully Davis keeps trending upwards.

Five rookies who are probably going to see the light of day during September call ups:

Jenrry Mejia- Dan Warthen believes that Mejia could be an elite closer. Scouts think that Mejia projects as a front line starter. Either way, the hope here is that he doesn’t get screwed up like this guy.

Lucas Duda & Kirk Nieuwenheis- I would love for Captain Kirk to make it to the majors if for nothing other than his nickname but here’s what I know about this guy: he’s a winner. His entire life he’s won. He was a former football quarterback which tells me that the mental aspect of the game won’t be a problem. He plays hard but because of his lack of range and mobility most people find it difficult to put him at one position. He deserves a legitimate shot at the majors. Duda played well for the Mets during his call up and will probably see some time again. He even has the opportunity to break camp with the Mets and come up north but it depends on how he plays during Spring Training.
I grouped them together because they feel and look like the same player.

Reese Havens- He’s got a plus bat but he’s average in the field. Frankly I could care less. I need him to stay healthy. He’s the classic what if proposition for Met prospects “what if he were healthy?” Most would agree that he would be the starting 2b for the Mets come opening day. That’s how good people think he can be but unfortunately at bats are hard to come by when you’re injured all the time.

Fernando Martinez- Listen, he’s 22 so its not out of the realm of possibility that the guy could make 2011 his coming out party. Well let’s face it, at some point he’ll be 25 and he’ll be old news and not worth all the hassle. Maybe its the pressure of living up to all the high standards that were put on him from the moment he hit homeruns in Shea Stadium when he was 16.

The Mets youngsters will play a major role in shaping how this year plays out. There are a lot of what ifs but if you can’t be optimistic during Spring Training, when can you?
I’m ready for baseball.

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Filed under Spring Training 2011

Tagged as A-Rod, alex Rodriguez, Bernie Madoff, Derek Jeter, Jose Reyes, Mets, New York, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Sandy Alderson, Spring Training, Yankees

January 30, 2011 · 5:51 pm

Meet the Mess part 5020304?

Consider Friday’s news about the Mets as a good thing. A sign that things are finally improving for the better.

A year ago, I may not have been so forgiving but at this point, who really cares? At this point, the Mets are so far along in the punchline scale that its very difficult to see them recovering.

As a Met fan, I must admit the next few hundred or maybe thousand words (who knows where this will go and it may be fragmented arguments and a lot of run on thoughts about the Mets) may sound very redundant on the point I’ve been making about the Mets: the ownership situation has been the liability.

I”ve been pretty much anti-Coupon* family for a long time. After 2006 in which everything went right for the Mets and there was actual hope within the organization the Mets began basically deconstructing a very good team in hopes that they could strike lightning in a bottle again. For some time I, like many Met fans began putting it all on the lap of the General Manager Omar Minaya. Usually the GM is the first people blame.

*= Coupon= Wilpons

But as I began reading more and more reports it became obvious that there was a higher power involved in personnel decisions. Rumblings of GM’s complaining about Jeff Wilpon’s inclusion in the decision making process led many to believe that Minaya was more of a worker bee- given instructions by the Queen Bee and ordered to make it happen.

Many of the decisions that followed were done to improve the bottom line more so than the actual product on the field. Many of their decisions had very little on building a good team as much as it had to do with building a good product. The Mets became obsessed with big ticket items surrounded by middling salaried players.

I always felt that the Mets, in their minds, were competing with the Yankees. They defended their decisions and poor results by saying that they were one of the Top 5 payrolls cluelessly not realizing that it was in that very argument that they were being made to look like fools. A top 5 payroll and these are the results?

But nothing made me more aware of their absolute lack of common sense than when the Madoff Ponzi scheme came to light and rumors began swirling about the Coupon family’s involvement. They weren’t in collusion with Bernie Madoff- they too were swindled for sums of cash. That figure was kept under wraps but became fodder for writers to discuss and ponder over.

I would never suggest that the Coupons actually reveal the figure they lost, but their continued refusal to accept that it would affect the day to day operations for the Mets was comical. How in the world could you stand to lose anywhere between $250-$700 million and insist to the fan base that this would NOT affect payroll?

It was then that the $145 million payroll became a burden than a badge of honor for the Wilpons. The situation became even more dire when according to multiple reports Bud Selig, the Commissioner of baseball, had to get hands and “suggest”* that the Coupons hire Sandy Alderson who was at the time working for MLB in the Commissioner’s office coincidentally cleaning up another mess- the baseball academies in the Dominican Republic

*= read demand

The thing that always irked me about the Coupons was their insistence in pushing this myth of fiscal security down our throats. While the Madoff scandal was breaking before our very eyes, it became clear that Sterling Equities, the Coupon family owned corporation and majority holder of the Mets, had taken a dent thanks to Bernie and Co.

They continued to insist to the fans that nothing would change and repeated so everyone could hear, that the Mets had one of the highest payrolls in baseball which to them may have sounded great but to me or any other fan with a clue sounded like a cop out. An excuse that a major corporate CEO should never have to use to justify anything. That’s like Terrell Owens’ financial adviser saying that he had $25 million reasons to live in response to allegations that he tried to take his own life.

Are you serious? That’s what you’re going to say? The Jason Bay signing was a mirage. A move intended to shift the focus off of darker days ahead. The day when the lie was no longer going to work. That day came Friday.

Friday, like a kid who had no excuse left, tried one last ploy to ease concern. Except like every move since 2006- it only created a bigger sense of worry. The Mets announced Friday that they would look to sell 20-25% of minority stake in the Mets. Which naturally begs the question: why would anyone go through such a risk? They’d be paying to help ease the cost of bills when the truth behind the Madoff scandal comes out.

And this decision can make one assume that there is more revelations to come. The Mets were seen as winners in the Madoff scandal when it was revealed that they had withdrawn somewhere between 40-50 million dollars. Irving Picard, the man in charge with collecting money to pay back investors burned by Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, is going after the Wilpons and truth is no one really knows what he does. In fact, it stands to reason that one should only assume the worst: that the Mets will owe between $700 million to $1 billion when all is said and done which will lead to the greatest thing this Met fan can ever hope to hear: The Coupon family must sell the Mets.

To say that someone wouldn’t be interested in minority stake would be foolish. If there is more bad news, whoever buys the 25% would stand to gain from the windfall as only Sterling Equities would be held accountable for the Madoff mess and would automatically give the minority owner exclusive rights to negotiate a purchase which is very appealing.

Let’s not forget that the Mets have several things going for them. They are located in the world’s number one market, they have their own television network which is a cash cow. They have a brand new stadium which, under the right ownership group and situation could make it a very lucrative building. Also, more importantly, baseball will not allow the Mets to fold. They have the might and backing of the league office which always helps.

Organizationally the Mets are headed in the right direction. They are trimming payroll and refusing to get involved in long term contracts that make no sense. Its incredible that GM’s get paid ridiculous sums to go out there and sign free agents to ridiculous deals but if there is ONE thing that’s very clear nowadays its this: most sports franchise owners have Jerry Jones syndrome.

They’d rather spend more time figuring out how to maximize their profit potential by building these crazy state of the art stadiums than actually go the time-tested formula of building a perennial contender that will actually draw fans into said building. How is that such a difficult formula to go by?

The gift and curse of today’s society is technology. Now that we’ve been given all this technology and ability to have all this information at our finger tips we’re now complaining that we have TOO much information as if that’s a bad thing.

Nowadays, you can Google anyone and find something about them that five years ago may not have been possible. The biggest problem, the fastest rising tech company today (Facebook) faces is privacy concerns. People are so scared that they will be found out on the internet for their weird tendencies that they don’t want anyone to know about. Of course, that information ends up on the internet and it is very difficult to keep that from happening unless you’re like Mikhail Prokhorov and hate technology and computers and don’t believe in them like they are some myth concocted by teenage geeks who made everyone believe their fantasy world of Warcraft was some realistic universe that somehow NORMAL people are slowly becoming a part of.*

*= I have very good excuse for that weird run on sentence. A few days ago I had a conversation with a tech friend. I’ve recently been on Engadget, CNet and other techy blogs and like any person who found this vast amount of information I naturally brought it up to friends who I felt would be versed in such things so I could know even more. Needless to say, telling tech geeks about their own world is somehow insulting to them and they make this very earnest attempt to make you feel and sound stupid. Its in the looks of bewilderment like for instance bringing up IPAD 2 and Iphone 5 rumors. I read up on what NFC is and as a sports geek myself I made the joke about how before two weeks the only NFC I knew was in football. There were crickets at night that were louder than the silence that I got on that joke. He went on to tell me that this technology is the future but that word has been floating around for the last couple of years and most new products will include this technology which by the way is basically a way for you to pay for your Starbucks treinte with your cell phone. But you get what I’m saying. And before anyone makes the counter argument that sports geeks are the same way let me remind you that the stereotype is that we’re stupid morons with pot bellies and we’re in the beer and wings crowd and not the wine and cheese. We don’t snub our noses at the novices, we merely detest people with ten thousand questions while the biggest game in the universe (that being whatever we’re presently watching) is going on. Please don’t do that, there is a time and place for such things and THAT is not it.

But the idea that TOO much information is somehow bad is not true in every sector of society which includes sports management. I’ve long been a fan of learning how championship teams are built. There isn’t a formula involved that is true but there are a few maxims that General Managers hold on to: you need guys who keep the clubhouse loose- because when the going gets tough, they are the ones that will calm your superstars down by coming into the clubhouse and farting real loud. They are as important to a team as the superstar.

A few years ago I wrote an article about what I felt was missing from the Mets and what changed in the locker room dynamic between 2006 and 2007. How could the Mets go from being a dominant contender in 06 to a bunch of choke artists in 2007? For one, David Wright who was their cornerstone player, did not have Cliff Floyd who was both mentor and best friend on the team. He played a valuable role in teaching Wright, then a novice, on all things baseball related and always kept him comfortable even under the duress of the media maelstorm that is New York. Most notably I remember a TRL appearance by David Wright where he brought along Cliff Floyd. For some the guessture was nice but many stories after that intimated that Wright needed Floyd there to get over the nerves of being on national TV because he was only now coming into his own.

Missing players like that have been the Mets problem. Which of course makes the entirety of the Mets product look shoddy. Reyes, Wright, etc are not built to be leaders who can motivate a group and get them out of the doldrums of a losing season. That attitude needs to be built in and come from somewhere which is why the Mets needed a Terry Collins type.

But that we’ll get to. The Mets need more than just a fiery manager. They need a culture shift which is what Sandy Alderson and staff hope to do. They’ve spent pennies in comparison to the old regime and it doesn’t automatically invite parades but its nice to see business done in other ways. That throwing money at a situation doesn’t make it ok. That telling everyone about how much money you are spending isn’t going to make anyone respect you anymore. That its about how you spend that money and not how much.

If this episode has taught us anything its this: the Coupons lie is finally coming to bite them where it hurts. It is no longer a secret. The Mets ownership group has to continue their coming clean act. They have to be forthcoming in the next few months in order to put any rumors to rest.

What does that entail? If the situation is as bad as everyone’s assuming, cut the crap Coupon family. Just sell. Don’t sell minority stakes and stave off the eventual: cut your losses and let go. Their stubborn refusal is still evident when they made it a point to emphasize that this is NOT about them selling the team.

Its clear they know more than they are letting on and will allow the system to leak the information. That eventually we will learn what they already know. But here’s what I’ve known for a while now: the Wilpons are what’s wrong with the Mets. They have never been completely honest about anything. Its all coming back to haunt the Mets and honestly its about time. The Mets ownership group needs new blood and not a moment sooner.

The front office looks solid and sounds like they know what they are doing, but given the Coupons history of being honest maybe they had no idea what they were getting into and the promise of reinvesting that 50-70 million that will come off the books may not be realistic. We will get into that in part two of this. But for now the message is clear: Sell Coupons. Save yourselves and just sell the Mets and be on your way. You’ve done more harm than good. If you love the Mets as much as you say you do then just sell the team to people who will do something with them.

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Tagged as baseball, Coupons, David Wright, Fred Wilpon, Jeff Wilpon, Jose Reyes, Mets, MLB, New York, Sandy Alderson, SNY, Terry Collins

April 16, 2010 · 2:58 am

Mets 5- Rockies 0

Phew. And I mean that. You have no idea how relieved I am to be talking about a Mets win but don’t worry doomsday fans, I have some negative Nancy stuff too but worry not optimists, nothing too much like the last few days.

– First things first and much kudos and respect goes to Mike Pelfrey. 7 innings, 6 K’s, and 0 walks. Ok, so he had one balk*, but to his credit he didn’t lose his marbles and kept his cool. Let’s be honest, the Mets needed this like the Houston Astros needed a win.** Maybe this is what the Mets needed to get to start things going and get a winning streak started.

*= Here’s a guy that led the league last year with 6 and threw 3 in one game. But this time the balk wasn’t his fault, Melvin Mora called time and the umpire didn’t grant time and Pelf stopped in mid pitching motion. He saw a sports psychologist in the offseason to fix whatever was ailing him and for two starts it seems as though its paying off. Remember a few nights ago that someone called in and asked if the Mets need to see a sports psychologist? Well I think that answers that doesn’t it? LET THE HEALING BEGIN!

**= I had a few dirty analogies but I figured I’d stay away from them. Who knows if the kids are reading this?

– The Mets made Pelfrey add a pitch to his repertoire and I know I’ve been saying over the last few days about going away from the strength of the pitcher. But Pelfrey mixed in the split finger effectively. Its becoming an out pitch instead of solely relying on the sinker. The sinker I suppose is a very useful pitch in the air with the humidor effect as Rockies hitters were getting good slices on the ball later on, but the hits either hung up there or just died at the warning track. It seemed as though that luck that had eluded the Mets were repaying them back.

– The last two nights the Mets have been terrorized by really athletic Rockies pitchers who flashed some power. Well today Mike Pelfrey did it all even getting a hit and drawing a walk. Not only that, Pelfrey scored a run* and drove in a run which of course always helps. I suppose it was all in the cards for him today.

*= Last night Aaron Cook took advantage of Mike Jacobs’ mental error and scored a run as Jacobs forgot to check him at 3rd. So it was nice to see some shoddy defense by the Rockies which benefited the Mets. Its about time some bad stuff happened to another team. Geez!

– Don’t mean to be a negative nancy but during the 3rd inning after Pelfrey scored to make it 2-0, David Wright came up to bat with Jose Reyes on 2nd and Luis Castillo on 1st and no outs. Well, you’d think that Wright drew a walk or grounded into a double play right? No. Would you believe that Wright somehow made 3 outs?* Well, not exactly but let me explain. Its not quite sure what happened but based on the field it looked like Reyes faked the steal and Castillo jumped thinking he was stealing and tried to go double steal which is a great idea given both of their speed. Unfortunately Reyes wasn’t going and just stood there as Castillo got caught in a run down. That is one out. The second out came when Reyes tried to steal 3rd and got caught**. Which of course makes two outs and Wright struck out three pitches later. Yes. Somehow Wright put a cap on that rally with a punch out. ***

*= I know I’m tough on him but come on. COME ON! He’s the franchise, if he doesn’t like it, too bad.

**= Its clear Reyes still isn’t at full speed and while the Mets like to see him run and try to steal a base its clear he isn’t going all out and i’m noticing the drastic reduction in his speed which is troubling. Its not like he’ll lose it completely but as he gets older, it only gets worse.

***= No, I refuse to be nice. I hate watching Wright in situations like this because I feel bad looking at him struggling through it. Its as if he is hearing the entire Met fan base screaming at him to come through and him worrying about letting them down. He plays so tight in these situations and it s sad and frustrating all at the same time to see it happen.

– It was the Rockies B-team with Melvin Mora playing 2nd and Giambi playing 1st but a win is a win and I’ll take it.

– The best thing about today’s game was how patient the Mets were. Once again, they didn’t let a guy who clearly didn’t come out with his A stuff to beat them. They were patient at the plate, especially David Wright who’s OBP right now is somewhere in the ridiculous .500 range. He’s still striking out a lot but he comes up and makes sure to see a lot of pitches. That plays well because if most of the line up is starting to be patient then the Mets can get quicker to the bullpen and take their chances with them in a close game. The Mets have been using that approach this season and its helped a lot. The best thing about this is that its been happening all season for the Mets, not just today so its a habit that’s sinking in and more often than not the Mets will be successful.

– You’re not going to believe me if I told you but Fernando Nieve, Hisanori Takahashi and Ryota Igarashi never stepped foot into the game. That’s right. It was Pelf for 7 shutout 5 hit innings and then Pedro Feliciano with a scoreless 8th and then K-Rod for a solid ninth. Yes sir, if the season continues to go like this the Mets will be fine.

– The Mets desperately needed this victory for morality more-so than anything else. You can talk about this being the beginning of the season but playing here, in NYC, its a completely different ball game and to be honest those who aren’t from here will never understand it. The season is young but the seat that Jerry Manuel is sitting on didn’t get that much cooler with today’s victory. His job is on the line this early in the season and obviously if the team doesn’t produce the Mets will end up replacing him and while I don’t completely agree with it, I think that it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. His job, GM Omar Minaya’s job is also on the brink of being lost had the Mets lost this game which would’ve made it 5 straight. But this victory cemented in the Mets heads that they do have some semblance of pitching and can beat good teams. Good teams battle adversity and live long enough to tell about it. Again, last year who knows how this game would’v ended, but it seems as if the team unity and all the bonding that guys did and having a better, more lively clubhouse has something to do with it. I like this group because they seem to like each other genuinely and support each other the same way. Can’t wait to see how this victory helps Pelfrey gain some confidence and also for the Mets.

– Tomorrow’s game will be the first regular season on WB 11 so make sure you get tuned in for that. While there was some debate over whether to put Johan Santana tomorrow night the Mets instead decided to stick to script and have Santana pitching the national game on FOX on Saturday. It doesn’t get any easier for the Mets as they are slotted to face both Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright this weekend which always is interesting. The Mets need this momentum to keep going.

SEASON: 3-6

MY PREDICTION: 5-4

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Tagged as David Wright, Jerry Manuel, Jose Reyes, Luis Castillo, Mets, Mike Pelfrey, Rockies

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