So here are my predicted records for the year...perhaps I'll think of some explanations for them later in the week, when somehow, some of them already become mathematically impossible.

Edit: So, I had some adding problems. Fixing it up. And yes, Russ, I was predicting a tornado come into Atlanta wiping out a four game Mets-Braves series, especially after what happened there during the SEC tourney.

AL East:

Boston Red Sox : 2007 :96-66 2008: 97-65
New York Yankees: 2007: 94-68 2008: 94-68
Toronto Blue Jays: 2007: 83-79 2008: 82-80
Tampa Bay Rays: 2007: 66-96 2008: 79-83
Baltimore Orioles: 2007: 69-93 2008: 63-99

AL Central:

Detroit Tigers: 2007: 88-74 2008: 94-68
Cleveland Indians: 2007: 96-66 2008: 93-69
Minnesota Twins: 2007: 79-83 2008: 75-87
Kansas City Royals 2007: 69-93 2008: 74-88
Chicago White Sox 2007: 72-90 2008: 72-90

AL West:

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: 2007: 94-68 2008: 94-68
Seattle Mariners: 2007: 88-74 2008: 84-78
Texas Rangers 2007: 75-87 2008: 75-87
Oakland Athletics: 2007: 76-86 2008: 69-93

NL East:

New York Mets: 2007: 88-74 2008: 92-70
Atlanta Braves 2007: 84-78 2008: 89-73
Philadelphia Phillies: 2007: 89-73 2008: 87-75
Washington Nationals: 2007: 73-89 2008: 73-89
Florida Marlins 2007: 71-91 2008: 67-95

NL Central:

Chicago Cubs: 2007: 85-77 2008: 87-75
Milwaukee Brewers: 2007: 83-79 2008: 84-78
Cincinnati Reds: 2007: 72-90 2008: 77-85
St. Louis Cardinals: 2007: 78-84 2008: 71-91
Houston Astros: 2007: 73-89 2008: 71-91
Pittsburgh Pirates: 2007: 68-94 2008: 65-97

NL West:

Arizona Diamondbacks: 2007: 90-72 2008: 91-71
Colorado Rockies: 2007: 90-73 2008: 89-73
Los Angeles Dodgers: 2007: 82-80 2008: 87-75
San Diego Padres 2007: 89-74 2008: 87-75
San Francisco Giants: 2007: 71-91 2008: 69 -93

The 25 Man Roster

We are less than two weeks away from Opening Day and the Mets are starting to figure out who they want on their roster come March 31st. I have predicted a 24 man team, with a 25th spot still up for grabs. Here it is:

C (2)
Ramon Castro
Brian Schneider

Neither catcher has played too much during the spring due to injury, but I think both will be healthy enough come March 31st. I think this is a position where we really can't expect to get too much offense, but it should be a solid number 7 or 8 position in the lineup when compared to other contenders. Look for spring surprise Robinson Cancel to make the roster if one of the two can't go.

IF (6)

Jose B. Reyes
David Wright
Carlos Delgado
Damion Easley
Marlon Anderson
Luis Castillo

The infield is the strongest part of this team. Reyes and Wright have been hitting this spring (each hitting over .300). Luis Castillo has had only 14 at bats so far, with hits in 4 of those at bats. He's slowly coming along and will look to post similar numbers to what he did last season. Carlos Delgado is another story, as he looks to put away last season's miserable season. After multiple injuries this spring, Delgado finally looks to be healthy enough, however he is batting under .200 and has already shown frustration by throwing a bat after one of his plate appearances. Something like that during the spring is a cause for concern from my view. If Easley and Anderson are healthy, they can be a huge asset off the bench, and can really play anywhere, including the outfield.

OF (4)
Angel Pagan
Ryan Church
Carlos Beltran
Endy Chavez

As it is looking now, the Mets starting outfield will be Pagan, Beltran and Church, from left to right. Pagan's huge spring makes the Moises Alou injury look at least a little less substantial (we all expected an injury anyway), and keeps Endy on the bench, where he can do his best work. Marlon Anderson and Damion Easley are expected to get looks in the outfield, and as veterans I expect them to play adequate enough defense, nothing flashy, just getting the job done.

SP (5)
Johan Santana
John Maine
Oliver Perez
Pedro Martinez
Mike Pelfrey

I put Pelfrey here in the rotation, even though there's a chance the Mets won't use a 5th starter to begin the season. I don't think El Duque will be ready to start the season, perhaps an extended spring training would be best for him. Johan and Maine have been incredible this spring, each recording at least 20 grapefruit sized K's. Perez has been alright, only walking three so far, which is a good sign. Pedro has been great as well, but time will tell if he can keep up the pace.

RP (7)
Jorge Sosa (0.00)
Matt Wise (0.96)
Pedro Feliciano (0.00)
Aaron Heilman(0.00)
Billy Wagner(1.29)
Duaner Sanchez (5.40)
Scott Schoeneweis (1.00)
Look for the Mets to add an 8th arm to the pen if they want to skip the 5th spot in the rotation for the start of the season. Some possible contenders for that spot would be Steven Register (see below), Joe Smith, or possibly shifting Orlando Hernandez to the pen to start the year (or maybe for good). The pen has been very good this spring, and I posted each player's ERA through yesterday. Duaner's era is up to 5.40 and only 5IP, but I think they'll carry him to start the year, and take it slow with him. For all of you Schoenweis haters, I really do expect him to be a major contributor to the pen this year. The Mets should keep at least 7 men in the pen all year, as last year's collapse was due in part to fatigue in the pen at the end.

25th man Race
Ruben Gotay
Brady Clark
Steven Register

The last spot I feel is still up for grabs, and each of the three have their own situation for the future. Ruben Gotay has options remaining and can be sent to the minors. He has been hurt this spring, so it looks as though he will start the year in New Orleans. Steven Register, a Mets Rule V pick, must make the Mets major league squad, or be offered back to the Rockies. I don't think the Mets can keep him in the majors all year (but perhaps they will keep him to start and let Duaner rehab more) as I see 7 pitchers in the pen already. This leaves Brady Clark, who I think will win the 25th spot. Having Clark for late inning pinch hitting will open the door for Endy to come in for defense if say Damion Easley if he is in LF. This team is still lacking that power bat off the bench, but for now, I believe this is the team that will shipped off to Florida once camp breaks.

AT&T Park Visit...

Recently Andrew and myself traveled out yonder to the west coast to visit brother Ben. During the travels we decided to make a pit stop in one of the premier ball parks of the National League, AT&T Park. This beautiful park constructed recently is home to the San Fransisco Giants. It's awesome. Great views, great seats, terrible team. Anyway, I figure I share some of the better pictures with you, hope you enjoy



For more photos, check out my facebook, or just give a holler....keep trucking


P.S. - Sorry Kaz about the Butt problems....

Devils and Dusty Baker

Hey All --

Not sure if A-Dubz sent this article to everyone else, but he sent it to me. I posted a reply to it at Flashing the Leather and will just copy and paste it below.



Once in a Blue Moon, someone writes an absolutely essential piece. Dante Alighieri wrote The Divine Comedy. Then Giovanni Boccaccio wrote The Decameron. William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. Thomas Jefferson wrote "The Declaration of Independence." Herman Melville wrote Moby Dick, or The Whale. Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life.

Since Darwin's publication in 1859, there really have not been any seminal works. However, on 10 March 2008, less than a week ago, Paul Daugherty changed that and drew the United States up ahead of those wankers in England and the caffoni in Italy.

His recent article, [Cincinnati Reds Manager Dusty] Baker judges by his senses just may change how people see, not only baseball, but the world.



Before reading Daugherty's article, I thought that batters wanted to walk. Now I realize that "walks aren't what you want from players hitting third through sixth." He also continues to advocate the Reds trading Joey Votto and Homer Bailey for Joe Blanton.

Before reading this jewel, my problem was not so much with Blanton (although I thought this would be a terrible trade for the Reds to make) as it was with Daugherty's argument for him and arguments against statistics in general. Now I have been made to understand that the only pitching statistic that matters is "Games Won."

He has also made me realize that stats like Flyball/Groundball Ratio are unnecessarily complex and Home and Road ERA Splits are too arbitrary and confusing to have any utility when assessing players' strong and weak points.

He goes on to break down statistical analysis the way it should be done: A way that average scientists like me can understand. Who knew that at the end of the season, when all is said and done, each time a batter walks, he has wasted an opportunity to bat in one half of a run? If I had only known that taking fewer first-pitch strikes would improve run production, I could have imparted that wisdom to Tim Raines. If only he'd realized that those 1330 plate appearances where he'd walked could have been changed into 665 RBI, maybe he could have been a first ballot Hall-of-Famer.

Finally, Daugherty ties up the article in the clearest, simplest manner, by listing the Managerial Win tallies of Dusty Baker and Bill James. 1162 - 0.

Just to put Daugherty's numbers in a bit more perspective here, a little further research shows that Baker also lost 1041 games (for a Winning Rate of .527). Never mind the fact that he has managed the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs who have consistently had two of the highest payrolls in the NL in recent years.

In 2002, Baker's final year in SF, the Giants finished in second place, with 95 Wins and a $78 M payroll, but the only teams with higher payrolls and fewer wins were the NY Mets (75 Wins, $95 M) and the LA Dodgers (92 W, $95 M). In 2006, Baker's final year in Chicago, the Cubs finished with 66 Wins, least in the National League, 17 1/2 games out of first. Please also note that the Cubs had the highest payroll in their division and 3rd highest in the National League.

But, then again, at least Baker knows his scotch.

Another ridiculous trade

This may go down as the most lop-sided deal in Major League history.

On November 14th, 2003, the Minnesota Twins sent their cancerous catcher, who was coming off a career year, to the San Francisco Giants. In return for A.J. Pierzynski, the Twins received a package that consisted of Boof Bonser, Francisco Liriano, and Joe Nathan. At the time, Joe Nathan was the only one with any Major League experience, and was coming off a season in which he was a much-used reliever, who gained 12 wins in the role. A.J. Pierzynski had just had a year in which he hit .312, with 11 homers and 74 RBIs. Liriano and Bonser were just 20 and 21, respectively, at the time of the deal.

A year later, Pierzynski was cut from the Giants, and Joe Nathan had just completed a season in which he had 44 saves with an ERA of 1.62. Since the trade, the Twins have gotten 160 saves and 47 wins from the 3 players they received. Joe Nathan is arguably the best closer in baseball, Francisco Liriano showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie season, and has the opportunity to solidify tha position this season, and Boof Bonser is a serviceable 5th starter. The Giants got one season from a catcher that his new teammates called a "cancer" by the end of the season.

Imagine the position the Giants could be in today if they had never pulled the triggr on this deal. A rotation of Liriano, Cain, Lincecum, Bonser + whoever (not Zito in all likelyhood with this rotation), with Joe Nathan closing out games. Scary to think about that.

Here's hoping that the Santana trade has a different outcome!

Couple of interesting things:

First for all who, like me, wondered exactly what a "Simulated game" involved.

Second, a player who actually understands and uses stats, none other than former Met Brian Bannister.

Ranking the Rotations!

In preparation for the upcoming season, I have decided to rank the top two thirds of the rotations in Major League Baseball. The rankings are based on overall talent, potential and my own gut feeling. Obviously it is hard to tell how things will shape up this early on, but I am content with the rankings. Feel free to disagree in the comments section!

1. D-backs- Brandon Webb and Dan Haren is an elite 1-2 punch and Randy Johnson can still contribute IF he is healthy. Micah Owings had some moments last year, especially when swinging the bat.
2. Mets- Strong at the top with Johan Santana and better than solid in the middle with John Maine and Oliver Perez. The problem of fifth starter should figure itself out. Pedro Martinez staying healthy is the “x-factor.”
3. Padres- Jake Peavy and Chris Young is a 1-2 punch that rivals that of the D-backs. IF Mark Prior can stay healthy, this may be the best staff in baseball.
4. Red Sox- Josh Beckett was fantastic last year, but had an ERA of over 5 the year before. Dice-K was up and down and Curt Schilling’s availability is an enigma. Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester will play a major part.
5. Angels- John Lackey is an overlooked ace, but Kelvim Escobar is having trouble staying healthy and Ervin Santana needs to get his act together. Jon Garland is solid, but nothing more.
6. Indians- One of the best 1-2 punches in baseball (C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona). Too bad everyone is shaky behind them.
7. Mariners- See Indians (replace Sabathia and Carmona with Erik Bedard and Felix Hernandez).
8. Dodgers- Brad Penny is coming off his best season yet and Chad Billingsley could develop into a very good pitcher. There are also many questions in Hiroki Kuroda’s translation to MLB and Jason Schmidt’s health.
9. Braves- Tim Hudson had a great bounce-back year and John Smoltz just keeps on truckin’. Tom Glavine is average, however, and it is hard to take Mike Hampton seriously at this point.
10. Giants- Based on one year, Barry Zito may be one of the worst signings in MLB history. Talent-wise, Zito is probably the third best starter on his team at this point in his career, behind the fantastic Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain.
11. Cubs- Carlos Zambrano gets the benefit of the doubt despite a down year. Rich Hill looks like he will be a good one, but don’t expect Ted Lilly to reproduce his ’07 numbers.
12. Tigers- Justin Verlander is great. Jeremy Bonderman and Dontrelle Willis are inconsistent. Kenny Rogers may be at the end of his career.
13. Yankees- After a great 2005, Andy Pettitte has followed it up with two 4+ ERA seasons. Chien Ming Wang is consistently very good, but Mike Mussina is a bad apple. If two of the three pitching prospects contribute positively this year, this staff could move up significantly.
14. Blue Jays- Roy Halladay is a regular at the all star game (maybe because the Blue Jays usually don’t have many other good players), and A.J. Burnett can be dominant when healthy. The back end of their rotation has shown some promise.
15. Phillies- Cole Hamels’ ERA (much like the power numbers of everyone in his lineup) is inflated due to the bam-box he plays in. If Brett Myers can put everything together this year, he can be a world-beater. Adam Eaton is an early candidate for the Brett Tomko pitcher of the year award.
16. Rays- Scott Kazmir can be dominant when healthy and James Shields was dominant for a good portion of last year. The addition of Matt Garza makes this a legitimate rotation, and if Edwin Jackson can turn around his 5-15 record from last season, this rotation can be one of the best.
17. White Sox- Mark Buehrle was solid last year but has flirted with disaster in recent years, including a near 5-ERA two years ago. Javier Vasquez had a good year but it was his first sub-4 ERA since 2003. Jose Contreras has been abominable.
18. Twins- This rotation all hinges on the health of Francisco Liriano. If he is healthy, he is as good as anyone. Kevin Slowey and Scott Baker give the rotation some promise.
19. Pirates- Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny are give the Pirates a top of the rotation that is similar to the Mets’ middle of the rotation with Maine and Perez. Zach Duke has been a disappointment thus far.
20. Reds- Aaron Harang is one of the most underrated pitchers in the game. Bronson Arroyo is probably closer to the pitcher he was last year than two years ago. Homer Bailey has worlds of potential, but struggled in limited play last year.

So there you have it. Stay tuned for the top 20 Lineup Rankings!

First post

So I feel it's time for my first post to this blog. I haven't decided what my posts will be about. Maybe a little of everything. Whatever is currently on my mind about baseball. Perhaps some posts about the current state of the Mets, but maybe some more dissecting of past actions.

Today's post: The art of the trade "for x number of minor leaguers"

When a trade goes down in baseball where a superstar is traded for a few minor league players, the average baseball fan doesn't think much of it. But to a fan like myself, it's intriguing. "Buy low, sell high". Does the team receiving the superstar know exactly who they are giving away? 3 years down the road, will these minor leaguers become superstars of their own? To the team giving away the superstar, was it the impending free agency of the superstar that forced the trade?

Obviously, the most recent trade like this was when the Mets traded 4 of their minor leaguers for Johan Santana. Two of these minor leaguers, Phil Humber and Carlos Gomez, already saw some major league time. How will they turn out? My opinion is that Humber will be a serviceable number 3 starter, and Gomez will be an above average hitter with some good defense. The other two players, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra, their futures are harder to determine. The overwhelming consensus regarding this trade was a win for the Mets. But only time will tell.

I'd also like to bring up a few other of these trades, which I think are pretty interesting. Obviously these don't come close to all of the big trades in the past 10 or so years, but just a few off the top of my head...

July 31, 1998: Randy Johnson traded by the Seattle Mariners to the Houston Astros for a player to be named later, Freddy Garcia, and Carlos Guillen. The Houston Astros sent John Halama (October 1, 1998) to the Seattle Mariners to complete the trade.

I remember the day this trade went down, and by the end of the season, thinking it was a great trade for the Astros. For the rest of the season, Randy Johnson went 10-1 with an unbelievable 1.28 ERA and led the Astros to the playoffs. But they won their division by 12 games. If the Astros never made the trade, they still would have won the division, and kept those "minor leaguers", two of which turned out to become All-Stars. Interesting to think about.

November 24, 2005: Josh Beckett traded by the Florida Marlins with Mike Lowell and Guillermo Mota to the Boston Red Sox for Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, Harvey Garcia, and Jesus Delgado (minors).

This trade I would consider more even. The Red Sox acquired Beckett and Lowell, and in two seasons won the World Series again. The Marlins got back Anibal Sanchez, who threw a no-hitter already, and Hanley Ramirez, possibly the best shortstop in the game already. More time will tell who the real winner is, but at this point, I'd give it to the Red Sox.

July 30, 2004: Scott Kazmir traded by the New York Mets with Jose Diaz to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Bartolome Fortunato and Victor Zambrano.

Enough said.


Anyone have any other interesting trades to dissect?

A Cold Goodbye

According to ESPN, the last professional sporting event ever to be played at Yankee Stadium might be an NHL hockey game featuring the New York Rangers. This intrigues me for a couple of reasons.

As a Ranger fan, I would love to see my team play an outdoors game. Watching this year's "Outdoor Classic" between the Sabers and Penguins made me think that the NHL should definitely play more games outdoors. It could possibly bring in more fans, and if not, it still looks really cool on TV from my warm house.

The second reason I would love to see this happen is because it would mean the last game at Yankee Stadium won't even be a Yankee game. That pleases me.

As another poster on this site likes to say, "what do you think?"

Carlos and Carlos Return Today

After watching players like Eziquel Carrera and Daniel Murphy take the field for the past few weeks, we finally get our 4 and 5 hitters back. Carlos Beltran, after recovering from knee surgery, while CarlosDelgado is returning from a hip injury as well as his recovery from a broken hand suffered in the game we will not mention.

I think the Carlos' are going to be the key for the Mets this season, at least from a hitting standpoint. As the Carlos' go, the Mets go. Yeah, it's easy to say that the key to the lineup is almost 25% of the lineup, or that it's the cleanup and 5 hitter, but let me explain:

Obviously when Reyes hits, the Mets do better. But I think we know what we can expect from him (he'll be better than his last September). Who knows what we're going to get from Castillo, but when he hits, he's not going to win games singlehandedly. David Wright is clearly going to continue to be amazing. Church, and Schneider; We don't expect too much from them, just keep their heads above water and don't screw too much up. Left field is a problem and some players are going to have to step into a more prominent role than they are used to to keep the Mets contending.

Who knows what we're going to get from Carlos Delgado. He is a big wild card here. I don't think we can ever expect anything he did with the Blue Jays, but are we going to see something closer to his 2006 numbers (38, 114, .265) or is he on the decline and his 2007 numbers are going to be Carlos Delgado from now on (24, 87, .258). If Delgado hits, the Mets should be fine on the offensive attack. What if Delgado doesn't hit? Are the Mets in trouble?

They could be. But here's where the faster Carlos comes into play. We clearly saw over the last two years that he is able to handle New York pressure. Hitting 41 and 33 home runs over the last two years with 116 and 112 RBIs, we need him to continue this. If Delgado isn't hitting, we might need to see more out of Beltran. If Delgado hits, Beltran would be able to slip back a bit, as his knees are going to be a lingering factor throughout the season.

The Carlos Crew needs to be consistent, or at least one of them at any given time needs to strike fear into the opposing pitcher. Having both of them have a average year won't do the job for the Mets. They are going to have to pick up each other up throughout the entire season if the other can't come through.

Todays Game....3/9

Today we welcome the Houston Astros to tradition field on a very special day, Guy Conti's birthday! John Maine will start for the Metropolitans as for the 'Stros Jack Cassel, The lineup is as follows....

METS

1. Jose Reyes SS
2. Endy Chavez
3. David Wright
4. Ryan Church
5. Oledo Saenz DH
6. Angel Pagan LF
7. Jose Valentin 1B
8. Ramon Castro C
9. Anderson Hernandez 2B

ASTROS

1. Erstad – 1B
2. Manzella - SS
3. Pence - RF
4. Wigginton - 3B
5. Newhan - 2B
6. Abercrombie – LF
7. Gorneault - CF
8. House - DH
9. Quintero –C

Should be a good one for a couple of reasons, the young Hunter Pence is playing today and is very exciting to watch. He’s a weird looking dude, lanky and tall, but somehow someway, the man can play great baseball. A former Met and an Ads favorite Ty Wigginton is also in the lineup for the Stro's. As for the Metropolitans, Jose Valentin is back in the lineup, nice to see him be able to play some first base in lieu of Delgado.

Since I am writing this after the opening pitch, I have a few game notes. Jose Reyes was nice enough to start the game with a lead off HR, beautiful swing; he just drove the ball right over the right field wall. David Wright got things off to the Wright start too, hehe with an arguable triple, could be an error, but never the less strong drive to deep center field. Later in the second there was what I like to call a "scrub rally," where the lesser known players were Angel pagan was able to get a double out of a single and eventually able to score. Exciting stuff.

Also, Kevin Burkhardt is announcing the game which is kind of fun. A change of pace I guess, but he’s still needs to work on a few of his mechanics, I guess this is his spring training too. He did have a good quote though, "If John Maine can keep his stuff low in the zone, he’s gonna be a beast." This is very true. John Maine is most defiantly a force to be reckoned with. Especially if he puts up the same first half numbers as last year. Like Burkhardt said, get low Maine, get low....

Read: "Now starting in left for Mets ... Barry Bonds?"

in reference to this weeks underthetressel poll, some recent rumors, and specifically today's Newsday article by David Lennon, I'd like to discuss the Mets and Barry Bonds.... while so far the poll has indicated (and not surprisingly) that people are strongly opposed to Bonds coming to the Mets, David Lennon offers some good quotes and ideas about the prospect of possibly signing the home run king....

Lennon's article was a great read and here are some interesting quotes (http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-spmets0309,0,3083813.story) --

"Despite all the negatives associated with Bonds, and there are many, the boost to this lineup would be immeasurable. It's just that the Mets simply aren't that desperate -- yet."

"As one Met said Saturday: 'Why not bring in a talent like that? We'd win.'"

"When the question of Bonds coming to the Mets was posed to one veteran Saturday, the response was similar to what some of the Giants used to say. 'I don't want to be answering for Barry all the time,' the player said. 'If you could guarantee we'd win the World Series, I'd sign anybody.'"

what do you all think? yes, Barry would create a "media firestorm," as Lennon put it, around the team.... but as fans, would you do anything to win? could you cheer for Bonds? would you cheer for Bonds? if Bonds were on the team, would you cheer and chant for him after a huge home run the same way you would another player you like more?

it's pretty strong that Mets fans do not want Bonds, but could Mets fans accept Bonds?

An old saying

As a previous poster said, there will be smoother sailing ahead, well there's an old saying about March.....

"In like a lion, out like a lamb."

Let's hope the same is true for the Metropolitans.

Mike Pelfrey...3/8

Hey, this is really my first post, so lets make it a good one! I'm not gonna write a very long one right now, but I have a few thoughts on todays game. Pelfrey started out very strong going nearly two innings without any problems before things got rough in the 3rd. He looked like he struggled, allowing a 2 run double Followed immediately a 2 run HR. He left after 3 and 1/3 with the bases loaded only for our best investment, Scott Schowenweiss to come in an hopefully save the day(It's happening right now.)

But the thing is I don't know what to think about this performance. I know it's spring training so hopefully, he's toying with new pitches, and trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. But it does scare me a little. Since El Douque may or may not start, Mike Pelfrey could very well be our 5th starter. If we need to rely on our bullpen like we did last year, then so help us God.

P.S. Scott Showenweiss just gave up a bases clearing double....

P.P.S. Repeat after me - It's still spring, It's still spring.....

game: mets v. marlins 3/8

some early observations of the game and information for those who cannot see it on TV today.... endy chavez, easley, wright, reyes, church, and schneider are all in the lineup today... which is nice to see.... saenz is also in this game, and a player I like to see in case for some reason delgado is not ready straight away..... pelfrey is on the mound, and this is a big start for him.... who knows when duque will get back out there, and how well he will pitch with the new delivery... this is a big opportunity for pelfrey to shine.... he looks good early on.

it's nice to see endy in center, but seeing him again makes me think.... do we want to play chavez everyday in left the first month of the season or more while alou is out? do we feel comfortable spelling endy in left with out of position infielders? i don't know... what do you think?

Spring Training: Mets vs. Indians

I'm sitting here watching the Mets minor league defense let routine play after routine play go for hits/ errors, and all I hear John Kruk and Karl Ravech say is how Oliver Perez is letting it get to his head. After an error and a mis-played pop up led to 1st and 2nd, no out, Oliver Perez gave up a long fly ball to Travis Hafner which was mis-played by Angel Pagan. So the ESPN announcers mention that Pagan misplayed it, but then go on to say that Perez is not "picking his teammates up" and that his defense's bad play is getting into his head. Then Jhonny Peralta hit a single and Travis Hafner was thrown out trying to score, but the catcher dropped the ball. So by this point there should have been four outs. However, the ESPN announcers continue to explain how Perez could not "pick his teammates up" and how he was rattled by the poor defense behind him. I don't know if there is something I'm missing here, but when base runners get on due to poor defense, and then they score due to poor defense, how is that the pitchers fault? Then they showed his stat-line which said 6 runs, 6 ER. The first batter that got on, got on by way of error. Isn't that an unearned run? I guess it's spring training for ESPN as well.

By the wow...

Late last night, Andrew and I were talking about the Mets, when he changed the subject to something surprising and exciting (I don't remember what exactly, maybe a college basketball upset), and he meant to say "by the way" but accidentally said "by the wow." So from henceforth, "by the wow" will be used to change the subject to something surprising or exciting.

By the wow, Andrew and I will soon be posting our NL Contenders Preview!

hint of optimism

while I understand some previous poster's reasons for distress, I see no need to shout 'mayday' from the crow's nest just yet... fortunately, or unfortunately (for I am excited for the game of ball to begin), there is still 3 weeks until the season gets underway, and there is time for most of these wounds to heal.... marlon anderson and easley should be back tonight.... I heard an interview with schneider on FAN where he said he feels good and is ready to get back behind the plate....delgado is in the cage... castillo is running around... church's head is bound to clear... stache is almost ready, as is endy chavez... beltran is always nursing some kind of injury and says he'll be back in time for the season to begin.... hey, even duque is balancing himself back on the mound .... the pitching staff is healthy and thats what matters most right now.

despite these promising thoughts, alou is made of glass and i think we need to go after another position player.... when he is in the game, alou is a hitting machine... but when hes not in the game, he is not helpful to this team.... i liked some of the recommendations and the thumbs up/thumbs down technique of the previous poster.... i think kenny lofton is the best idea right now for the mets, to spell alou for 80 games.... kenny is still fast, a 300 hitter and heads up player, and has been to the playoffs every season since 1995 except 1... then again i also think the mets could use a power bat who could play outfield and or 1b.... omar smiled today, i hope sarcastically and comically, when reporters mentioned that bonds and sammy sosa were still avaliable.... then again, if we make no moves i still think we will be all right.... we still have dan murphy and angel pagan to pick up the slack

sit tight folks ... don't worry yet, friends.... it might look like stormy weather and rough waters now, but there is clearer sailing ahead

believe

Possible Injury Solutions

As Adam correctly pointed out, the Mets are in serious danger of not being able to field a team. You think we would have learned our lesson after Alou missed half the season, but decided to sign no legitimate backup outfielders (Shannon Stewart, Corey Patterson). But instead of crying over spilled milk and herniated discs, I will examine possible solutions to our injury problems.

Playing Brady Clark at 1B:
Possibly a combination of Tom Brady and Clark Kent, Brady Clark possesses the superhuman powers of neither. However, he has shown an uncanny ability to be somewhat solid in the past, but nothing exciting. He's never played first base before, but how hard can it be? He's half Super Man.
I give this move: 5 Thumbs Up

Trading Jorge Sosa for Marcus Thames:
With the sudden increase in effective arms in the pen (Register, Wise, Padilla, etc.) Sosa is even more expendable that he was before. Detroit could use some bullpen help. I was never a fan of Thames, but he has some power and I would rather play him full time than Endy Chavez, who has shown that he is not a full time player.
I give this move: 4 Thumbs Up, 1 Thumb Down

Trading for Xavier Nady:
Versatile is a word I would never before have used to describe Xavier Nady. But with the current holes in the outfield and at first base, Nady could be used to effectively fill our holes. But at what cost? Nady would certainly cost more than Thames, but do we have the pieces to even make this possible? Joe Smith? Jon Neise? Ruben Gotay? I doubt the Pirates would bite on this.
I give this move: 7 Thumbs Up, 2 Thumbs Down

Trading for Dan Johnson:
With the minor-league signing of Mike Sweeney, and the Billy Beane man-crush on Jack Cust, Dan Johnson has suddenly become expendable to the A's. Not that he has been the definition of consistent over his short career, but he is still young, he has power and he walks a lot. We could do much worse than getting this guy, but what will Beane want back? Johnson is out of options, so maybe we can get him "on the cheap."
I give this move: 6 Thumbs Up

Signing Kenny Lofton:
Yes, he is almost as ancient as the guy he would be replacing, but the guy can still play. He can still hit around .300 and he still has a solid set of legs. This would be the perfect Omar Minaya move. Believe me, I took Omar Minaya Math 101, so I know that two 40 year old players = one 30 year old player.
I give this move: 7.5 Thumbs Up

Trading for Lastings Milledge:
Milledge is a talented young outfielder with great bat speed and huge upside. He literally drips talent from the dreadlocks that his former team made him cut. I think his combination of power and speed would fit well with direction of our team and our older players could serve as mentors. He probably wouldn't cost much- maybe an average catcher and a career fourth outfielder.
I give this move: 8 Thumbs Up

Well that's it for now. Obviously there are other possible solutions out there, but these are just a handful of things to think over.

Filling out half the lineup card is all we can do

The Mets injury situation is really getting out of hand. I thought it would be fun (and a little depressing at the same time) to try to create what the Mets lineup would look like right now. Taking players from the 40 man roster this is the lineup I created. Jose Reyes (SS), Anderson Hernandez (2B), David Wright (3B), Ramon Castro (C), Angel Pagan (CF)....... That's it. The Mets currently have five healthy hitters left on their 40 man roster. If you remember, the Mets were close to being fined for not bringing enough regulars to their first spring training game of the year, but were excused for that reason, they simply don't have anyone they can bring.

The latest injury this time is Moises Alou, who I never really considered healthy in the first place. As Richard put it: "I don't think the news should be that Alou is injured. It should be 'Alou to miss portion of retirement to play 50 games of baseball'. " Alou's backup Endy Chavez has been out all spring due to a variety of injuries he sustained in Winter Ball. He was probably only playing to rehab his injury from last season.

The list of players just simply rehabbing last years injuries are simply amazing. Castillo and his knee surgery (which I can't see helping him at all), Beltran's knee surgery (which he now is worried about), Easley and his grotesque ankle injury, and Valentin who may simply he ending a nice career in a rehab stint in the minors.

All of the Mets projected backups are either injured, rehabbing or now starting. It was getting so bad that Michel Abreu was starting to be looked at as a serious candidate for first base (only because he hit a home run off of a pitcher that was probably more focused on his history exam than striking him out)... that is until he also got hurt. Ryan Church was looking to show Mets fans what he can do, now is just looking for an explanation as to why his head hurts so much. Ask Marlon Anderson's sternum for that answer. Brian Schneider can probably still do his best job while injured, which would be to go over game plans with pitchers. Even a visa problem prevented Olmedo Seaenz (aka the Big Red Tomato) from playing in any spring training games that cost an admission.

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