Razor Shines is one optimistic fellow

Brian Costa, the new beat writer for the Star-Ledger, did a Sunday Q&A with Mets new third base coach Razor Shines.

Here are some highlights:

Why Razor? Is there a story behind the name?

"There's no story behind it. It's my middle name. It's my father's middle name, and my son's middle name. I think it goes a little farther back than my father, to his father. I don't know the story behind it."

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How many championship rings do you have?

"I don't like to discuss that, but I'll tell you the number is 12. Most of them are from playing. I came up in the Expos organization with Randy Johnson, Marquis Grissom, Larry Walker, all those guys. We won five [minor-league] championships in six years in that system."

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You worked in the Phillies' organization last year. Now you're with the Mets. Who is the team to beat in the N.L. East this year?

"Let me see how to answer this. I'll answer it this way: The team to beat will be the team that's on top when it's all said and done. And we expect to be that team."

The article also notes that since Shines was with the Phillies last year, he will be recieving a World Series ring. When asked if he would wear it around his new team, he responded with "no chance."

Shines seems like the eternal optimist, something I think a team needs around. He'll always be there to tell you there are brighter days ahead and all that good stuff. I'm comfortable with that as long as their is a realist somewhere on the team to give the players a reality check when needed.