My praise for the Amazin’ Avenue Annual

I was lucky enough to receive a preview copy of the Amazin’ Avenue Annual, the first book foray from the good men at AmazinAvenue.com.

And legitimately, it’s a book.  All 342 pages of one.

(I’m going to be frank here: I hate reading long things on the Internet.  Did I read it all?  Hell no.  Did I skim, read parts here and there and continue scrolling?  Yes.  That doesn’t mean it’s not good.)

I’ll be going to school, finding a rarely used printer, and printing out this book (because I’m in college and money goes toward food).

I highly, highly recommend either downloading or purchasing the book when it becomes available in a day or two. (Yeah, the only thing there right now is a banner.  Don’t be alarmed.)

It contains essays on topics ranging from the business of the Mets in 2009 to the Gary, Keith and Ron drinking game.  It also has player previews and statistical breakdowns on many.  Just a thorough, thorough look at the Mets organization from minds of very well informed fans.

Pick it up.

And to the guys at Amazin’ Avenue and all that contributed to the book, awesome, awesome job.

Taking a stab at the 25-man roster

Though most of the positions are set for Opening Day (even though spring training is just kicking off), a few remain up in the air to be battled for in Port St. Lucie.

As I have it penciled in now, the Mets will carry four outfielders, with Gary Matthews Jr. able to play all OF positions.  Fernando Tatis can also work at the corners if needed.

I also have the Mets carrying three catchers.  I’m assuming Henry Blanco is going to be Johan Santana’s personal catcher.  I’m also assuming at 34, Rod Barajas may need some time off.  That leaves Santos on the roster as well.  (Assuming the team is smart and wants Josh Thole to get the full starting time in Triple-A.)

I have Fernando Nieve making the team as the long-relief man in the bullpen and Jon Niese as the team’s fifth starter.

The bench would be made up of GMJ, Alex Cora, Fernando Tatis, Henry Blanco and Omir Santos.

The outfield

• Jason Bay
• Angel Pagan
• Gary Matthews Jr.
• Jeff Francoeur

The infield

• Daniel Murphy
• Luis Castillo
• Jose Reyes
• David Wright
• Alex Cora
• Fernando Tatis

The catchers

• Rod Barajas
• Henry Blanco
• Omir Santos

The starters

• Johan Santana
• Mike Pelfrey
• Oliver Perez
• John Maine
• Jon Niese

The bullpen

• Francisco Rodriguez
• Kelvim Escobar
• Pedro Feliciano
• Bobby Parnell
• Sean Green
• Ryota Igarashi
• Fernando Nieve

Where do you stand?  Who do you think will make the 25-man roster?

Mets philosophy: Sign a lot, see what sticks

Perusing the always-updated MLBTradeRumors.com, the latest headline reads, “Mets Won't Add Barajas; Delgado Possible.”

Which leads me to my point: The Mets, even after signing Mike Jacobs to a minor-league deal, might still bring back Carlos Delgado?  Why?  Well, because they don’t trust any of the guys they currently have.

The Mets are employing the “Sign a lot and see what sticks” method.  Not necessarily going out and signing the big names (Orlando Hudson), but rather pulling from the scrap heap and overseas to, most literally, patch together a baseball team.

Kevin Kernan quotes Omar Minaya as saying, “There's going to be a lot of competition in camp. That's something we've been trying to do.”

Well congrats.  It’s working.  Too bad the competition level won’t be very high.

I’m glad the team is stockpiling.  After all the injuries last season, it’s a wise move.  As of now, it seems the Mets have six candidates for the 5th starter, a few pitchers vying for the bullpen, four first baseman and a whole cast of catchers.

I’m fine with bringing in more arms than needed.  Pitchers always seem to get hurt and Buffalo needs all the help they can get.  But first base and catcher need to be positions that are focused and fine tuned in spring training, not constantly rotated.

As we all know, pitchers and catchers develop a rapport.  Some catchers make some pitchers better, others vice versa.  With so many catchers in camp and likely seeing time in games, will the Mets pitchers suffer?  Will the get the chance to develop the same rapport?  We’ll have to wait and see.

And as for first base, everyone gets on Daniel Murphy for his lack of experience and talent.  Is bringing in (at least) three other men to compete with him going to help or hurt?  Will it push him to be better or disrupt his rhythm.

I think Murphy should get a bulk of time during spring training, but only if that’s who the team wants to go with at first, and it seems that’s the truth.  If the team want to see him improve, he needs reps at first.  That is what spring training is for.

Spring training in Port St. Lucie will be interesting to say the least.  Seeing the team that Minaya assembled this off-season will be exciting, no matter how they play.  But it will also be interesting to see who will make the team come opening day.  The jobs are their for the taking, it seems.  Who will step up to claim them?

The Wilpons, Omar and the Mets and my opinion on it all

Little will change for the Mets until they change the way they operate — from ownership on down.

The Mets, multiple industry sources say, do not function like most clubs. Their unique style would be fine if they were building championship teams. Instead, they’re coming off a 70-win season and losing out on free agent after free agent -- except for one, left fielder Jason Bay, who seemingly lacked a better option.

-Ken Rosenthal

I agree with Rosenthal to a point (you should probably read the article, then come back here).

Yes, the Mets look hapless right now. Three bad years in a row. “Bad,” though, is relative.

A win or two more in ‘07, and the Mets are in the playoffs. Same goes for ‘08. Last season, thanks to injuries, they needed about 30 more wins.

Is Omar the problem? Maybe. Is it the Wilpons? Again, maybe.

We’ll see the change in the GM position before the keys to the franchise switch hands, but to me, Omar gets a lot of unnecessary flack.

I’m sure you all have had (or still have) bosses that you hate. They just don’t do things the way you’d like, but you have to deal with them anyway. It makes your life at work a lot harder because you have to wait around for them to approve this or them to check that.

To me, from the complete outside looking in, this what Omar has to deal with. I’m not saying Omar is a saint and the best GM ever, far from it. But it seems to be a perfect storm of ineptitude.

Bad ownership makes a mediocre GM look even worse. A new stadium and TV station magnify the holes. And the fans, three seasons removed from a playoff run and Game 7 of the NLCS, are ready to jump ship.

All this combined, has brewed the perfect storm of cynicism, sarcasm and dislike, all pointed toward Flushing.

Is the state of the Mets bad? Without a doubt. But it has become too easy, and the norm around these parts, to pile on this team.

The fans, if they’ve been here from the start, have seen worse. A lot worse. But the media is feeding into it and it’s blowing holes in an already sinking ship. It’s easy for the media to blast the Wilpons and Omar & Co. for anything and everything, and they have.

So who is the problem with the Mets? How will it ever get turned around? Where will 2010 take them?

Honestly, no one can know.

There is a chance, a small, miniscule one at that, the team jumps out of the gate, things clicking and running smoothly and they surprise everyone in ‘10.

Say they win 80 games. Will that please the fans? Maybe.

Say they make the playoffs. Even as a Wild Card team, I’d be thrilled.

Imagine if they get through the first round? To the NLCS? Maybe even the World Series?

Am I dreaming? Am I too hopeful? Do I actually think this will happen? Yes, yes and no.

But in this off-season, which was weak to start, the Mets have become an easy target and everyone has their Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle out and ready to fire.

There is no quick fix. Ownership changing hands won’t do much. Cleaning house will just set the franchise back by 10 years.

Fred, Jeff and Omar don’t want to lose. They don’t want people canceling ticket plans. They don’t want all this criticism.

But due to their flaws, the flaws in the people they’ve hired, the flaws in the people they’ve dealt with and all of them falling into some mystical alignment to create the super-flaws, this team is where it is now.

No one wants this. But here we are.

Just sit back and enjoy the ride. Baseball, and especially the Mets, is about entertainment. And heck, if this team isn’t entertaining, I don’t know what is.

Don’t punish Beltran

With the reports surfacing that Carlos Beltran had surgery, specifically, without the permission of the New York Mets, this leaves the team in a tough situation.

Many people are reporting that the Mets are “threatening some form of action,” according to Joel Sherman.

But they shouldn’t.

Outside of some menial fine or deduction from his contract, I’d be fine with a slap on the wrist and a warning to the rest of the team to never ever do this again.

The problem: If the Mets take a hard stance on this and truly “punish” him in some way (outside of monetarily, I can’t imagine what they’d do), what will that accomplish?  Yes, it would warn others to never do it, but between Beltran and the Mets, there will be bad blood.

And that’s something the Mets can’t afford.  After these last three seasons, the Mets need to keep their players healthy and happy. 

Regardless of the trust for the Mets medical staff (and who can blame him?), the Mets need to shake their finger at Beltran and move on. Anything more will likely created unneeded tension between the player and the team.

The Mets are not ‘Major League’

For the past few weeks, I’ve been listening to a lot of WFAN. I truly enjoy the station for it’s varying opinions and entertaining hosts. But as of late, Mets fans have been taking to the airwaves blasting the Wilpons and Omar Minaya for a slow start to the offseason.

But why? John Lackey was overpaid and Roy Halladay was never coming to the Mets. The Mets are still in on Jason Bay and are likely the leading team to land the free agent.

The more worrying comments I’ve heard on air is that:

1. The Wilpons are too cheap to put money into the team.
2. The Wilpons are content with losing.

Do you actually think the owners of the team don’t want to spend money on their team and don’t want to win?

This isn’t “Major League.”

If you’re unfamiliar with the 1989 movie, in it, a Las Vegas showgirl inherits the Cleveland Indians. She wants to move the team to Miami, but to do this, the Indians must draw less than 800,000 fans. She instructs the GM to field the worst team possible so no fans come and she can move the team, fire the whole team and start anew.

A few differences between the Mets and Major League…

• The Wilpons are not Las Vegas showgirls
• The Wilpons just built a brand new, very expensive stadium
• The Wilpons do not want the team to lose
• There is no Roger Dorn

But, there are a few similarities…

• Carlos Delgado is Pedro Cerrano
• Oliver Perez is Rick Vaughn
• Jose Reyes is Willie Mays Hayes

Anyway…

The Wilpons do not want to lose. To think that is downright insane. What owner in their right mind would actually go out of their way to, not save money, but cut costs so much that the team suffers?

Putting a poor team on the field, as we saw last year, makes people stop going to games. Yes, last year’s team wasn’t very good. Chalk it up to injuries, lack of depth or whatever you like, but to think that the owners of the team were pleased with this in bonkers.

The Mets are getting torn apart in the papers and on the airwaves. Has the offseason been a success so far? No, not at all. But there have been barely any moves at all. Mets fans must be patient right now.

If, by March, the team is no better than it is today, there will be reason for concern. But that is not the case.

In “Major League,” Rachel Phelps wants her team to lose. She puts the worst possible team on the field. (Of course, they overcome the odds and make the playoffs. It wouldn’t be a Hollywood movie without that!)

The Wilpons, like every fan, player and employee of the team, want them to win.

The team had the second highest payroll in the major leagues last year. No, spending money does not automatically earn you wins. But it’s an indication that the Wilpons are willing to spend money, willing to pay lots of money out of pocket to put a quality team on the field.

If you actually think the Wilpons would much rather see the Mets lose, look terrible on the field and watch their multi-million dollar stadium stay half-empty, take all your Mets merchandise and donate it to a fan with a level head.

This is not a Hollywood movie. The Wilpons are not dastardly villians out to make baseball miserable for Mets fans. They want to win just as much as the fans do. They’d make more money if the Mets were better, so why wouldn’t they want that?

To think they want the team to lose just to save some money (of which, they have a lot), is nuts. They want to win, they want to bring in players to help them win and they want the fans to come out and support their team and cheer for the win.

To think otherwise is just flat-out wrong.

Back as the underdogs

As a Mets fan, we’re used to the idea that we’re usually not the best.  Sure, I’ve only been alive for 21 years, but for most of that short time, the Mets have rarely been considered the best team in their division.

The Braves, before 2006, had won the division 11 straight years.  In ‘06, the Mets won the division as the favored team.

Since then, due to signings and tradings, the Mets have been projected for the last few years to contened for the NL, or last year by many Sports Illustrated writers, to win the World Series.

But now, barring signings of Matt Holliday and John Lackey, among others, the Mets will roll into 2010 as underdogs.  The experts will likely favor the defending NL champions Philadelphia Phillies, with Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels leading their rotation. 

Playing second fiddle will be the Atlanta Braves, with a young, very talented pitching staff and a solid team.

After the Braves, the Marlins will probably slot in third in predictions.  If they keep Josh Johnson (as I expect they will), they must be considered a viable threat to the others in the NL East, even with their miniscule payroll.

So where does that leave the Mets?  Predictions will (hopefully) place them above the Washington Nationals, but still 4th out of 5 teams in the East.

That means the Mets will once again be underdogs.  A team that has some semblance of talent, but will take some luck, some streaks and good coaching to steer their way to being a winner.

I like the Mets as underdogs.  It tears away all the preconceived notions of winning.  It may go so far to take pressure off the players, but that can never be fully evaluated.  I like the team as loveable losers who I hope will surprise me.

Being the class of the division is fun sometimes, but I like my team to come out of nowhere, surprise everyone, while all along we fans knew they had it in them.  It’s more fun, more exciting and more entertaining.

I want them to win, and so do you, but isn’t it better when they shock everyone else in the process?  If teams want to take the Mets for granted, I hope that somehow, someway, the team responds and makes a statement.

Once again, the Mets are underdogs.  And I like it that way.

Clearing up the Ben Sheets stuff

Yesterday, I posted a little tidbit about the Mets and  free agent Ben Sheets.  I included some Twitter responses as well.  And Kerel Cooper even posted a video response.

Let me clear something up on my stance regarding Sheets…

Sheets, when healthy, is a premier pitcher in the game.  But he’s rarely healthy.  Even when he’s pitching, he’s usually not 100 percent.

I would support the Mets efforts in tracking and possibly signing Sheets on a incentive-heavy contract.  But in no way do I want the Mets to look at Sheets as their go-to guy that will solve their rotation woes.

Sheets should be an addendum to whomever the Mets sign/trade for.  In no way can you rely on an arm that missed all of the previous season to to injury and surgery.

The thing with Sheets is, it’s not “if” he gets hurt, but rather “when” will he get hurt.  After, as Cooper said, we just witnessed a “bizarre season” of injury, there’s reason for fans to be wary. 

If Sheets can come out and pitch in 20-25 games as “old Ben Sheets,” missing a month or two to injury, I would consider it a success.  He’d hopefully give you better quality performances than most of the rotation that is already in place for those 20-25 starts. 

Obviously, this all hinges on Sheets health coming into 2010 and if he’s even ready to pitch again. 

As commenter dances_w_vowels wrote on the post yesterday, “He had an injury, he didn't lose his stuff.”

Take a chance on him.  Bring him in, see what he can do and hope he works out.  Just as long as you’re not relying on him to shore up the rotation.

Matt Holliday will use the Mets to make more money elsewhere

The Mets brass met with Scott Boras last night.  Matt Holliday, of course, was the topic of choice, according to many reports.

But it’s just a tease.

Boras, Holliday’s agent, believes that he deserves “Mark Teixeira money.”  Teixeira signed a 8 year / $180 million contract with the Yankees in 2008.

With the Mets in the current predicament that they’re in (reeling after three disappointing years), they are the perfect candidate for an agent like Boras to help springboard his client into the higher pay bracket.

Boras will meet with the Mets and we will hear of numbers and contract deals.  Boras will turn around to the other teams and use these numbers to help drive up the price of Holliday.

Sure, the Mets might be able to swing a deal for Holliday as their leftfielder for the next few years, but I don’t count on it.

Something that is bothering me

Omar Minaya and Jeff Wilpon are on WFAN right now.

Two times already, they have said that “the Mets will have one of the highest payrolls in baseball.”

Um…why?

Can’t you have a winning team without spending so much money? Making the right signings, for the right price or fostering the minor leagues to produce quality players who are under your control.

Enough with the “big payroll” talk and tell me you’re going to give the fans a “winning team.”

Being a realist at the deadline

The Mets are employing the “wait-and-see” approach to the rest of the season.  Sure, Omar Minaya is probably fielding calls left and right as the non-waiver deadline approaches, but if you’re waiting to see a blockbuster deal, I wouldn’t get my hopes up.

That said, there is always the chance that something huge happens that changes for the outlook for this season and beyond.  But being a realist, I’m not expecting it.

Sure, I’d love to get Victor Martinez or Carl Crawford or Scott Kazmir or Adrian Gonzalez or Roy Halladay.  Who wouldn’t?

If the Mets do make a deal, it will most likely be for a bullpen arm or back of the rotation starter.

The Mets won’t want to deal for any sort of bat, outside of maybe a left fielder or bench player.  They won’t deal for a starting shortstop, first baseman or center fielder because they seem pretty confident with what they have and what will likely be coming off the DL soon.

Over the next few hours leading up to the 4 p.m. non-waiver deadline today, you’re going to hear and read some of the craziest trade rumors ever – but you won’t be reading them here.

Though my traffic might suffer because I’m not posting every whisper and rumor that some other blogs might tout as “TRADE TALKS BETWEEN THE METS AND ______,” you won’t see that at The ‘Ropolitans.

I, too, will be employing the wait-and-see approach to the deadline.  Don’t believe everything you read today, unless it’s written here.

Is Tony Clark an option?

Ex-Met Tony Clark was released by the Arizona Diamondbacks after a dreadful first half to the season.  The 37-year-old was hitting just .180 with a .301 OBP (which is exactly what Omir Santos’ OBP is).

Clark has four home runs and 11 RBI in 73 plate appearances in 34 games.  In 20 of those games, Clark has appeared at first base, starting only 13 of them.

Is there a place for Clark on the Mets?

The aging first baseman would take time away from Daniel Murphy or Fernando Tatis.  Murphy’s OBP is only a mere .312, which is pretty awful considering he has 265 plate appearances under his belt.  Clark’s average is much lower, but I’m willing to look beyond that and at his .301 OBP.  That’s more telling.

I wouldn’t mind the team taking a chance on Clark.  He’s not a perfect fit but he might be someone they could add to try and catch lightning in a bottle. 

If he’s willing to accept a demotion to the minor leagues, I’d really love to see him at Triple-A Buffalo playing some first base but also coaching and mentoring the players there.  They obviously need a little help.

If I was Omar Minaya, I would at least look into it.  I’m not saying I’d love Clark on the Mets right now, but trying to add a little something here or there might be the trick to keeping this ship above water just long enough for the regulars to come back.

Church for Frenchy: My reaction

It’s too late at night for me to start looking up statistics and quoting OBP and whatnot. But from where I stand, the Mets just swapped Ryan Church, a player whom I liked, for Jeff Francoeur, a player I had grown to hate simply because he was a Brave.

(Also, is it just me or have the Mets and Braves barely played this season?)

Simply, the Mets got a five-year-younger Church. They are, in essence the same player. Streaky, with some pop, and can drive in runs. And both have cannons for arms.

Was it even worth the phone calls?

Francoeur (I hate that name already), also known as Frenchy, may benefit from a change of scenery. At least, I hope so.

Frenchy is a decent player, but nothing special. Both teams were down on the players they sent away, so I guess it's all about meaningless. Still, this just doesn't sit right with me.

I will miss Church. I really will. He was a solid player that ran into (literally) some hard times and seemed to suffer from an over-crowded outfield on the Mets. I don’t wish him well, though, because he’s the enemy again.

And I was this close to buying a Church shirt this week.

Guess I should get a Frenchy shirt.

Wright shows fire, excites Mets fans everywhere

Even if the Mets lost last night, I think a lot of fans would still be pleased at one thing that happened during the game.

OK, maybe not.  But they should still be (and are) very excited to see David Wright stepping up and getting vocal.  Sure, it was with one of his best buddies on the team, Mike Pelfrey, but it still counts for something.

After the sixth inning ended, an inning Pelfrey just couldn’t finish, Wright was shown jawing at the pitcher in the dugout.  Things looked heated, but positive, and ended with a nice slap on the rear, meaning things were well.

Sure, Wright is the King of Cliché, and if you caught his interview on Joe Buck Live earlier this week, you know what I mean.  Still, he never trips up and always has the right things to say about himself or the team.  I just wish he would be negative once in a while.  Seems we got something of that sort last night.

A lot of fans, myself included, would like to see Wright step up as more of a leader on the Mets.  With Carlos Delgado, the unnamed leader on the team, out with a hip injury, someone needs to step up in his place.  Wright, the young stud third baseman, would be perfect for the role.

He’s already the face of the franchise, why not be the leader in the clubhouse?

It may be only one incident that the cameras were lucky enough to catch, but it’s a sight for sore eyes for some Mets fans.  If Wright can step up and become a leader that other players rally around while putting up spectacular numbers at the plate, he will cement himself as the MVM (Most Valuable Met).

Do the Mets need to make a move? [Shortstop]

The first in a series of posts looking at the Mets and if they need to make a trade.  Am I pulling the emergency lever too soon?  Maybe, but it needs to be discussed.

With Jose Reyes is likely out until the All-Star Break, meaning the Mets must rely on Alex Cora and Wilson Valdez to carry them at short.  Can they manage? 

So far, Cora has been pretty good.  He is playing through injury, with a torn ligament in his thumb, so that might be something to keep an eye on.  Valdez is more known for his glove, though he’s already picked up four hits and three RBI in 13 at bats. 

Don’t expect either of those to continue.  Cora is a backup and Valdez can’t hit a lick.  The Mets might be interested in making a move, and a few are seemingly available.  Jack Wilson from Pittsburgh is an interesting option, especially since the team seems to be in a selling-mode.  The Pirates didn’t take much for All-Star Nate McLouth, the Mets might be able to get a bargain on Wilson.

The question here, like above, is what happens when Reyes is ready to return.  Wilson is a starting shortstop and outside of last year, has played over 135 games since 2002.  If Reyes is slotted to come back sometime in July, maybe the Mets can’t trade Wilson elsewhere when he returns. 

Above all, I’d like to see the Mets make a play for Mark DeRosa.  He’s a utility infielder, playing at all infield positions and both corner outfield spots.  The Cleveland Indians are tanking and DeRosa is supposedly being shopped around.  DeRosa is batting .264 / .332 / .433 in 2009, playing a majority time at third base. 

This is likely the most logical move for the Mets, as he can play almost any position.

With one of these trades Cora could be slotted back into his backup role for Reyes and Luis Castillo, who needs days off.

I don’t think the Mets can make it by with just Cora and Valdez splitting time, especially for the amount of time Reyes is supposed to miss.  I think the Mets may be best suited to trade for DeRosa, and if not, for Wilson, to fill in while Reyes is out.

How to fix the Mets

Yesterday, I asked my Twitter followers for two internal roster moves they would make as general manager.  Today, I’m expanding on that to a few more moves and trading some players.

Here’s my plan to get the Mets back on the winning side of things.

Put Jose Reyes on the DL

Tendinitis or no tendinitis, the man is in pain.  I may not be a doctor, but I know the basics of being an athlete.  Ever stub your toe, then limp around on the other leg for a while?  Doesn’t that other leg start to hurt more from the added effort?  Think of that, but multiply it by 100. 

He’s better served to the Mets sitting out for two weeks in May than two months.  They would be able to call up another player, preferably one with pop and not named Fernando Martinez.  Javier Valentin, who only has seven hits after signing last week, also has two home runs in his short stint.

Don’t call up F-Mart

Unless the top prospect is going to get into five games a week, it’s not worth it.  Having to compete with Ryan Church, Fernando Tatis, Gary Sheffield and Angel Pagan for playing time is unfair for all the players.  The outfield is already overstuffed with players.  Don’t throw another name into the mix.

Trade J.J. Putz

This one might be a little drastic, but hear me out.

The Cleveland Indians need a closer (Kerry Wood’s 7.71 ERA just isn’t cutting it) and the Mets fancy Mark DeRosa.  The contract numbers are fairly similar, with Putz owed $5 million this year and DeRosa earning $5.5 million.

Putz does have a team option for next year, another reason the Mets would probably land another player as well.  Putz should be able to return at least another major league player, and maybe two decent minor leaguers.  I could see the Mets getting two major leaguers and two B-level minor leaguers for Putz.

The Indians have a few players that could be up for the taking, such as Victor Martinez, Cliff Lee and Kelly Soppach.  Obviously, to snag Lee, the Mets would have to sweeten the deal with F. Martinez and a few other very good players (Jon Niese, Eddie Kunz, Nick Evans).  V. Martinez is intriguing as he can play both catcher and first base.  He has seven home runs this season and is batting .400 over 42 games. 

Bobby Parnell would take over in the 8th inning for the Mets.  This means the Mets would have no backup option if Francisco Rodriguez did suffer an injury, but I think it’s worth the trade.

If the Mets could somehow land DeRosa and Martinez, a lot of answers would be solved.

Send Ramon Martinez packing

He can’t hit, can barely field and is a waste of a roster spot.  I’d rather see a player with a much better glove (Argenis Reyes) trying to learn a “new” position and stinking at the plate over a player who is bad on both sides of the ball.  Promote A-Rey in place of R-Mart.

Keep Daniel Murphy at first base

Say the Mets do land Martinez from the Indians, let him be the backup at first base and catch most of the games.  Begin grooming Murphy for his future role at first base or keep him there as a showcase if you plan on trading him this season.  I think Murphy could be a very good first baseman, but power needs to be found elsewhere in the lineup.

Play a consistent roster

With Interleague Play coming up, stick Sheffield at DH, batting fourth, for the whole shebang.  Play Church in right field for the next 15 games.  On the other side of the outfield, play Pagan for the next 15.  Consistency helps players and the constant roster shuffling is nauseating.

Jeremy Reed is a late-game defensive replacement and not much else.  Fernando Tatis is the super-utility player.  Let him come in every two weeks for a start, have him pinch hit (even is he’s pretty awful at it) and keep the same seven fielders fielding, day in and day out.

These are just a few fixes that you may or may not agree with.  I think if the Mets brass pulls a few of these moves (or non-moves) the team would be in better shape.

Do something, anything, to Williets Point

Have you been to Willets Point lately?  No?  Consider yourself lucky.

Part war-zone, part third world country, Willets Point has fallen into disrepair.  A menagerie of wracked buildings and cratered roads, the city has turned it’s back on this section of Queens with intention.

Rising over the roofline of automobile shops – many of which may or may not be chop shops – is the beauty of Citi Field.  The new Mets stadium stands in stark contrast to the mess surrounding it. 

On my way to Citi Field on Tuesday, I missed my turn into the parking lot.  Thinking quickly, I made a quick right down Willets Point Boulevard, hoping it would take me back to where I needed to be.

At that point in my journey, I failed to realize where I had turned or what I would witness over the next three minutes.

If I had been told I was suddenly transported to a decrepit town in a third-world country, I would have believed you.  From shanty-looking buildings, stray dogs wandering the hills and valleys that used to be a road, and the overall atmosphere of broken-down lives and businesses I no longer would have thought I was in New York.

I understand that the city has let Willets Point fall from bustling neighborhood (which may or may not have been so decrepit) to a haggard mess so they can claim eminent domain over the area.  Though the families and stores that survive there have been wronged by this doing, it is truly remarkable how far they have let the place fall around them.

On one hand, the city taking the land would clean up the area around Citi Field and nearby Arthur Ashe Stadium.  As it stands now, I was barely comfortable driving down Willets Point Blvd. in broad daylight.  I could only imagine what it would be like at night.

(Is it fear of the unknown or the base of simple mess and dirty neighborhood that strikes fear into me, I’m not sure.  Whatever it was, I’m sure many people would share the same sentiment.)

On the other hand, these people have a right to their land and property ownership.  If they legally own the buildings they inhabit and are just the victims of a mismanaged effort to claim eminent domain, then they should rightfully be angry at what has happened.

There is no right way to solve this problem.  Either way, people will be upset and people will be wronged.

If you had to ask me for my stance on this, I would begrudgingly tell you I support the city taking eminent domain, but not what they have done.  The neighborhood has fallen into such dilapidation it seems beyond saving.  Even though the city has slapped this neighborhood in the face by failing to provide the simplest needs and wants, it has worked.

The folks of Willets Point have let the city beat them, have let the city win.  Instead of standing strong in the face of adversity, they have played directly into the city’s hand as the neighborhood decayed.

They did not take things into their own hands and help keep the locale clean.  No, they let it fall apart around them.

There is no saving Willets Point.  It has fallen too far out of commission to be rescued.  The city of New York, however unjustly, should do a service to this area by taking it and tearing it down. 

The city, at it’s furthest reaches, would struggle to find a comparable scar on it's overall beauty. 

Tear down Willets Point.  Start anew.  It’s the only way now.

Scare tactics by Jerry Manuel

A headline in the NY Daily News today reads: Slumping Mets eye major shakeup: Coaches on firing line; Pelfrey, Perez or Maine may get demoted.

The Mets are off to a 6-9 start.  Their starting pitching, outside of Johan Santana, has been nothing short of miserable.  The offense apparently decides what days it feels like showing up to the ballpark.

That leads Jerry Manuel and the Mets to shift gears from positive motivation to scare tactics.

A team insider later elaborated that no one, aside from Johan Santana, has immunity. Translation: Perez or Pelfrey, who can be optioned to the minors without passing through waivers, could be ticketed for the minors, while Livan Hernandez's standing as fifth starter could be on shaky ground.
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While nothing is imminent, dialogue about coaching changes already has begun, a source told The News.
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The more interesting question would be whether to pull the plug on Gary Sheffield, who went 0-for-5 Thursday as part of Manuel's rejiggered lineup, dropping his average to .111.

Manuel has been the king of saying one thing and doing another during his tenure here in New York.  Right now, this just seems like the next form of motivation before they actually start to do something about it (i.e. roster moves and coaching positions).

I’m not glad it has come to this, but I’m glad this is what they’re doing.  Nothing scares a player more than getting demoted and/or cut.

Let Manuel talk this talk and walk this walk for a while.  If it doesn’t work out though, he might be the man out of a job.

Four games, 38 left on base

The Mets are 2-2 in this young season and a major problem has already shown itself.  Leaving runners on base, a problem this team has struggled with in the past.

In the first game of the season, the Mets managed to squeak out a 2-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds while leaving 12 runners on base.  The Mets then left 12 runners on base combined between the next two games against the Reds.  They split those two games against Cincy.

In the first game against the Marlins, the spotlight shone on this inability once more.  The Mets left 14 runners on base and eventually lost the close game in the bottom of the ninth inning.

This, as you can obviously tell, is not a good sign.

While it is nice that they are, at least, getting runners on base with 40 hits and 22 walks so far this year, they can’t seem to get enough runners to touch home plate.

Gasp! I agree will Wallace Matthews

In my life long love/hate relationship with Wallace Matthews, I usually find myself shaking my head and pounding my fist when I finish up reading his columns. Only once in a blue moon do I sit here and nod "Why yes, Wally...you're actually right!"

Well today is one of those days (it's also Square Root Day, which only happens nine times a century -- coincidence? I think not).

Matthews column today focuses on Johan Santana's elbow and how the Mets magically declared him fit as a fiddle after zero medical tests and 31 pitches on a mound.

Yet based on one bullpen session, in which Warthen acknowledged Santana threw at about 80 percent velocity, not only did the Mets proclaim him recovered from whatever elbow woe caused him to be scratched from starts Friday and today, but they canceled plans to fly him back to New York for an MRI.

I'll concede them the weather yesterday, which made flying home iffy at best, but how can they possibly declare Santana healed when no one more qualified than a pitching coach has even looked at him? One with glasses, no less?

He's so right it hurts.

The Mets better be taking the utmost caution with their prized possession. He is the single most valuable person to the franchise, both monetarily and talent wise.

My train of thought here is that he will hang around in Florida a little while longer before heading back to New York for tests once the weather is a bit nicer. There is no reason not to heed caution and get him tested no matter what. Haven't they heard "Better Safe Than Sorry"?

Santana is a gamer. He pitched through the pain of a torn meniscus last year -- what makes them think he's going to proclaim himself injured now?

I would also like to know why he has to go to New York. The Mets have been hosting spring training in Florida from their inception, first in St. Petersburg and now in Port St. Lucie. Could it have occurred to them in that time that maybe the better thing to do is to find a doctor in Florida whom they trust instead of shipping every injury back to New York for "tests."

I'm sure there are plenty of MRI machines in the state of Florida with all the old people escaping to warmer weather. They break their hips a lot, if you hadn't heard.

The Mets need to get Santana tested, be it in Florida, New York or Kalamazoo. He's too important to the team and there is no need to make assumptions about his arm without taking a good, hard look at it.

Because you know what they say about assumptions...