Links: The MexHex, Joe Janish interview

Marty Noble and Keith Hernandez team up to attempt to debunk the "17" curse. Interesting, to say the least. Click here to read the article.

Mike Steffanos over at Mike's Mets conducts an in-depth interview of Joe Janish from Mets Today. A great read. Click here to read the article.

Mets about face on CC

Yesterday, the baseball world was buzzing with the rumor that the Mets would make a run for CC Sabathia. Today, it's a completely different story.

From Marty Noble:

The Mets learned Friday they have more than a passing interest in signing CC Sabathia. They were delighted by the very prospect of a Johan Santana-Sabathia tandem. If they could have pulled off the deal for Roy Oswalt a few summers ago, it could have been Santana-Oswalt-Sabathia -- SOS for their opponents. And why not dream?

Turns out it is a dream, two-thirds of it, anyway. Oswalt never made it to Queens, and from what folks in the Mets hierarchy said Friday, Sabathia won't either; not because the club doesn't want him, but because it has no intention of making a run at him. A published report said the Mets would.

Not surprised. Rumors get blown out of the water, just from one person saying "Yeah, we'd like a guy like him," it turns into a full on "METS PURSUING CC!!!!!"

Just another reason to take every rumor you hear with a big grain of salt.

Marty Noble lays down the law

Just read the first question and answer from Marty Noble's latest mailbag:

With Carlos Delgado struggling, Ryan Church and Angel Pagan playing well and giving the outfield some speed, Endy Chavez on the bench and Moises Alou due back, why not give Alou a shot at first base?
-- John D., St. Albans, N.Y.

Your e-mail arrived before the developments of Sunday -- Delgado hit two home runs and we got word from the Mets that Alou might have a broken bone in his left foot. But if all matters had remained as they were -- Delgado not hitting and Alou moving closer to a return -- the notion of Alou playing first base, now or ever, is unsound.

You want to take a veteran who has played every one of his 15,900 big league innings in the outfield, a veteran who is prone to injury, and put him at a position that is completely foreign to him? Wow! Maybe you didn't see Mike Piazza try first base. Maybe you don't recall -- or you never knew -- that Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays and Henry Aaron hardly prospered when they were moved to first. It is a difficult position to play and, for a veteran 41 years old, a position even more difficult to learn. The footwork alone could put Alou at risk.

The Mets haven't given that a thought. And they shouldn't.

This question is then posed with varying players, such as Ryan Church, a few more times throughout the article, and Nobles stands pat on his views. Very funny. A few deal with first, others want Aaron Heilman to sit in the bullpen for eternity, and again Noble tells them what's up. Funny stuff.