Yankees

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-borowitz/yankees-sign-iraqi-hurler_b_150950.html

Bye Bye Show

Mets have traded Scott Schoenewies to the D-Backs for righty relief pitcher Connor Robertson. Robertson was a throw-in in the Dan Haren trade. He is 27 years old with a 2.82 ERA in 217 career-minor league games, during which he struck out 382 batters in 305 innings. He has not pitched much in the majors and when he has, he was not effective. I do not know much about Robertson but as of now I am not a big fan of this trade unless Omar is cutting salary in order to sign Sheets, Dunn, Lowe, Perez, etc. Show was great as a lefty specialist and that's it. He was really only bad when he was misused (aka used against right handed batters). I liked Show (more than Feliciano, although Feliciano is probably better if he can get back to his 2006 level). I hope Omar didn't sell low on him.

Phillies and Ibanez Agree to Deal

The Phillies and Raul Ibanez agreed to a 3 year $30 million dollar deal today. I am actually not upset about this deal. While I am a fan of Ibanez and did want the Mets to possibly get him at the trade deadline last year, I did not want the Mets to get him this year. He is old and probably the worst left fielder in baseball. He is also a Type A free agent which means Phillies lose their first round pick to the Mariners as the Mets did to the Angels with K-Rod. This also means that the Mets have more of a reason to sign Adam Dunn. GET ADAM DUNN!! He's in his prime years, has a ton of power, and excellet OBP, isn't a type A free agent, and we can move him to 1b in 2010. With Dunn we could possibly have the best 1-5 line up in baseball to go along with our best 8th-9th inning duo of Putz and K-Rod.

Phuck Cole Hammels

I read this quote from Cole Hammels over at Metsblog.com and it makes me dislike Hammels even more than I already did. I already disliked him for his bitching over the amount the Phillies were offering for arbitration last year. You're one of the better pitchers in baseball and are sure to make a ton of money when you hit free agency and you're complaining about one year's raise? It annoyed me especially when John Maine was saying that he was happy with whatever he was being offered for arbitration. Now Hammels comes out with this quote that they see the Mets as choke artists. Even if you do, that's just unprofessional to say to the media. Get off your high horse.

Hello New Bullpen!

UPDATE: The Mets also gave up OF Ezequiel Carrera and RHP Maikel Cleto in the trade. So overall the Mets get Putz, Reed, and Green. The Mariners get Aaron Heilman, Endy Chavez, Maikel Cleto, Ezequiel Carrera, Jason Vargas, Mike Carp, and Franklin Gutierrez. The Indians get Joe Smith and Luis Valbuena.

So today the Mets completely revamped their bullpen. First Omar signs K-Rod to be the closer. Then Omar trades Mike Carp, Joe Smith, Aaron Heilman, Endy Chavez (all players I like; Chavez and Smith being most Mets fans' favorites), and an unnamed second prospect for JJ Putz, Sean Green (relief pitcher; not ex-Met OF), and Jeremy Reed (backup OF). As much as I liked Smith, Carp, Heilman, and Endy I have to say this is a very good move. Putz was a dominant closer for two straight years (2006 and 2007) only to get injured last year but still have a relatively good year. Now the Mets have two very good closers for the 8th and 9th innnings (could possibly be best 8th/9th in baseball). If K-Rod gets injured we have a legitimate closer in waiting. Now I would love to see Omar go out and get Chad Cordero and maybe Brandon Lyon or Eric Gagne (preferrably Lyon, but whoever comes cheaper) for the bullpen. This also means that with Mike Carp gone, I see even more of a need to sign Adam Dunn so he can replace Delgado after next year.

Johan, K-Rod, and importance of brand names

I just read this article over at Metsblog.com and think that it is great. This to me shows how important a single player on a team can be regardless of the numbers he puts up. I am a big fan of team chemistry and this is only a good sign. I also think that this article helps show my point that regardless of what Pedro did on the field his off the field presence was very very important to the Mets organization for the present and even more so the future.

Mets Sign K-Rod

The Mets and K-Rod have agreed to a 3 year deal worth $37 million along with a 4th year option that kicks in depending on innings pitched. I am actually happy with this move (although I would have gone in a different direction) because it is only for 3 or 4 years and not a ridiculous amount of money per year. I have always like K-Rod and am happy to see him become a Met. I personally would have signed Kerry Wood because of draft picks but that's just me. Now I would love to see the Mets get Chad Cordero, Adam Dunn, Houston Street or Brandon Lyon, Pedro Martinez or Brad Penny, Oliver Perez or Ben Sheets, and a few reclamation projects like Derrick Turnbow, Eric Gagne, Mark Prior, Mark Mulder, Bartolo Colon, etc. (minor league deals).

Arbitration

Well the date has passed when teams had to decided to offer their free agent players arbitration, which for those of you who don't know is an offer to negotiate a one year deal for more money. If a player declines and he is ranked A or B, the team gets compensatory draft picks when he signs with another team. If a ranked player is not offered arbitration, the team that signs him does not have to surrender any draft picks to the team losing said player. Here are the ranked players who were and were not offered arbitration:
Type A free agents who have been offered Arbitration:

Jason Varitek, Mark Teixeira, Manny Ramirez, Rual Ibanez, A.J. Burnett, Derek Lowe, Oliver Perez, C.C. Sabathia, Ben Sheets, Darren Oliver, Brian Fuentes, Francisco Rodriguez, Orlando Hudson, Juan Cruz, Orlando Cabrera

Type A free agents who were not offered Arbitration:

Edgar Renteria, Bobby Abreu, Andy Pettitte, Bob Howry, Russ Springer, Trevor Hoffman, Kerry Wood, Adam Dunn, Pat Burrell, Jamie Moyer, Doug Brocail

Type B free agents offered Arbitration:

Mark Grudzielanek, Casey Blake, Paul Byrd, Jon Garland, Brian Shouse, Brandon Lyon, Milton Bradley, David Weathers, Dennys Reyes

Type B not offered Arbitration:

Ivan Rodriguez, Gregg Zaun, Jeff Kent, Garrett Anderson, Moises Alou, Braden Looper, Gregg Maddux, Brad Penny, John Smoltz, Luis Ayala, Joe Beimel, Eric Gagne, Jason Isringhausen, Frank Thomas, Alan Embree, Randy Johnson, Paul Lo Duca, Mark Loretta, Juan Uribe, Luis Gonzalez, Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Wolf, Arthur Rhodes, Rudy Seanez

First off I would have liked to see the Mets offer Luis Ayala arbitration because if he sings accepts, he wouldn't make that much money and is a solid pitcher. If he declines we get a Sandwich draft pick (comes between 1st and 2nd rounds of draft; David Wright was picked in this round btw). The two biggest names that I would have liked the Mets to sign before arbitration decisions were made just got sweeter because of these decisions: Kerry Wood and Adam Dunn. The Mets could (and should) sign both of these players because neither was offered arbitration. Kerry Wood comes with injury risk and Adam Dunn plays a poor left field, K's too much, and has a low BA but the upside to both of these players is much greater than the risk. Kerry Wood was a gritty fan favorite in Chicago and wouild be loved by New York. He had a phenominal year as his first as a closer. He has great stuff and posted a better WHIP than K-Rod last year. I would additionally trade for Houston Street (or another player with closer experience) to be an injury back up (sign Chad Cordero). As for Adam Dunn he is still only going to be 29 next year which still puts him in his prime. He has tremendous power and gets on base at close to a .400 clip which seeing as he only hits .250 is amazing. He also could potentially move to 1b when Delgado leaves after next season. A line up 1-5 of Reyes, Dunn, Wright, Beltran, Delgado is amazing. There is the potential to hit 150 homeruns, take 400 walks and score 500 runs. The most important thing is that we do not have to surrender draft picks when we sign them thus helping our farm system. We would only have to sign one type A free agent (starting pitcher) and we would get draft picks back in return anyway because of Oliver Perez (and if we sign him, we don't lose picks). All of this being said, I highly doubt that the Mets are going to sign either of these players unfortunately.

Bobby Abreu?

So reports are that the Yankees are not offering Bobby Abreu arbitration which means that whoever signs him will not have to surrender draft picks. While I think this is a dumb move by the Yanks, it could end up being good for the Mets. While I do not like Bobby Abreu and never have, he is a solid player. If he does not have a high asking price I would sign him for 2-3 years. He is probably the cheapest option out there because you would not have to surrender draft picks. The Mets would be getting a solid bat to shore up the OF until F-Mart is ready while being able to keep their draft picks.

Furcal at 2b?

Rafel Furcal is a 31 yr old speedy SS who also happens to be an unranked free agent. According to Metsblog.com, the Mets have made an offer to Furcal to play 2b. This is an interesting move because the last time Furcal was a free agent there was speculation about the Mets getting him. Furcal has always been a productive player when healthy. However he has had trouble staying healthy. He has a cannon for an arm and while that does not mean much at 2b, it does not hurt. He is speedy and can hit for a relatively good average. I'm unsure about how I feel about the move. On one hand if Furcal can stay healthy and can maintain his level of production, the Mets would have an amazing infield and very good and speedy 1 and 2 hitters. He also would not cost any draft picks to sing due to lack of playing time the past few years. However on the flipside, he is injury prone and would command a 4 year contract (sound like another 2b on our team?). This would also block Murphy from playing 2b in the future which I think is the best move for him. I do not think he has the power to play a coner outfield spot or 1b. His bat would be above average at 2b but I don't think that is how the Mets see him in the future.

Mets Prospects

Here is a list of the Mets' top 30 prospects according to Mets Prospect Hub. I want to say a few things about the Mets' farm system and its prospects. It is both overrated and underrated. The Mets farm system carries around a reputation as one of the worst in baseball and does not have much talen. This is flat out not true. The Mets may not have one of the better minor league systems but it is not as bas as many make it out to be. The Mets do not have a lot of major league ready talent which is why they have this reputaiton. However the Mets have a lot of good young talent (Flores, F-Mart, Marte, Mejia, etc.). Mets prospects are overrated beause of the pure fact that they play in NY. The Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, and Dodgers all have their prospects overrated because of where they play and the large fan base that surrounds it. For example: Dan Murphy is not a god. He has a solid to above average bat but he is not amazing. He does not have a whole bunch of power. While he is a good player, he is not a super star.

Also my philosophy on trading prospects is that if you are getting a proven and relatively young star, trade prospects. I would give up F-Mart and others for a Jake Peavy. I would also give up prospects for Carlos Lee (although maybe not F-Mart). I just think that if you are getting a proven star, then it is acceptable to trade away people who only have potential. I am not an advocate of trading away higher prospects for unproven non-stars (aka Zambrano/Kazmir).

I also want to say who a couple of my personal favorite prospects are because it is my blog and I can do that: Mike Carp, Jenrry Mejia (very excited about him), Francisco Pena, Ruben Tejada, Reese Havens.

Lucky Charms 11/20/08

• Dan Murphy has been diagnosed with a grade 2 hamstring strain and should be ready for spring training. He'll be working out to stay in shape for the rest of the winter.
• Chase Utley had hip surgery and should be out until at least May.
• The Mets added Mike Carp to added to the 40 man roster to protect him from the Rule V draft.
• Aaron Heilman still wants to be a starter but does not necessarily want to be traded according to his agent. Once again I feel that trading Heilman now would be selling low because he does have the talent to be good. Switching him to starter may be the type of change he needs. If we could trade Heilman for what he is worth, I am all for it.
• Also since the Astros are trying to shed some contract, maybe trying to bring Ty Wiggington back to play 2b if we can also trade Castillo for someone valuable? He could also be a super sub.
• Joel Sherman wrote in an article for the NY Post “Luis Castillo requested an offseason meeting in which he implored Mets officials not to trade him and also pledged to re-dedicate himself to offseason training to assure he is in top condition next season…Mets officials were pleased that Castillo did not want to flee from the problems. Instead, he stated a desire to play and win as a Met, and change the fans’ booing opinion of him, as well.” I still think Castillo can be a productive Met. Before he was on the Mets he was described as "hard nosed" and "gritty", exactly the type of player many Mets fans say the Mets don't have but they need.
  

Lucky Charms 11/19/08

• So the Red Sox have traded Coco Crisp to the Royals for relief pitcher Ramon Ramirez. This is a good move for the Sox who are trading a pretty good who's underused for a solid relief pitcher which improves their bullpen which was arguably their weaksest link last year. This also gives the Royals seven outfielders. This could mean the Mets could trade for one. I would not like to get Jose Guillen but I would love to see them get David DeJesus.
  
• Mike Mussina said he's retiring which means the Yankees need to spend big this offseason to improve their rotation. I personally never liked Mussina and was pissed when he won his 20th game. With Mussina gone (along with Sheff and possibly Giambi) I can begin to like the Yankees more.
  
• Reports are that the Yanks offered CC a 6 year $140 mil contract. This is too much money for CC but it is one that the Yankees need to make, who do not have a true ace. However CC is reported to have a desire to stay in the NL and possibly on the West Coast. So even though the Yankees will have the highest bid, it does not mean he will be a Yankee next year necessarily.
  
• Ryan Dempster signed with the Cubs for 4 years $52 million.
• Nick Swisher was traded to the Yankees for very little. Pretty good move by the Yankees in my mind because they did not have to give up much.
• It is beginning to look like Jake Peavy may not be traded.
• The Astros are looking to dump salary this offseason. Carlos Lee and Jose Valverde may be two trade targets for the Mets. I would LOVE to see the Mets get Carlos Lee. He would be a perfect fit for the Mets: a relatively young LF who hits for both average and power.
• Dan Murphy has "discomfort" in his right knee and is currently not playing.
  

Santana vs. Lincecum: 2008 Cy Young

First off let me say that if you had told me 2 or 3 weeks before the season ended that Tim Lincecum would have been the NL Cy Young I would have been extremely happy because at that point he did deserve it. I really did not want to see Brandon Webb (who I actually really like) win a Cy Young award that he did not deserve. However the rest of the season played out and the NL Cy Young ended up being Lincecum follwed by Webb then Santana, when in reality Santana should have won the award. Here Santana, Lincecum, and Webb's stats : QS/GS=quality starts/games started

Lincecum: 18 W, 227 INN, 2.62 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 265 K, 26/33 QS/GS (Lincecum pitched 4 innings of 1 run relief in which he picked up a win on April 2; doesn't count as a start)
Santana: 16 W, 234.3 INN, 2.53 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 206K, 28/34 QS/GS
Webb: 22W 226.7 INN, 3.30 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 183 K, 24/34 QS/GS

Webb was only put into consideration because of his win total which is a huge problem with the way Cy Youngs are chosen. More emphasis should be put on ERA, WHIP, and QS/GS and much less on wins. I think that ERA is the most important statistic for a pitcher because it reflects how well a pitcher did what a pitcher is supposed to do: prevent runs from scoring. Santana had the lowest ERA in the MLB. WHIP is also a great indicator of how well a pitcher pitches because he keeps players off base. QS/GS is good because it gives the total number of games a pitcher could realistically keep his team in it to win. Sanata led the top 3 in each of these categories. Webb should not have even been in the top 5 in the Cy Young voting let alone top 3.

Some argue that Lincecum played on the Giants so his wins totals are amazing because he was on a bad team. First off, if anything playing for the Giants made it easier for Lincecum to pitch but more on that later. Lets take a look at the run support for Lincecum and Santana. The average number of runs scored in games Lincecum pitched in was 4.441176. The average number of runs scored in games Santana pitched in was 4.735294. WHOA! Huge difference. The Mets scored on average 0.294118 runs more than the Giants in those games. Santana had 9 games where the Mets scored 0, 1, or 2 runs compared to only 7 by the Giants. Also there are 15 games that Johan gave up 3 or less runs that he recieved either a No Decision or a Loss. Lincecum only had 10.

Now as for why pitching for the Giants was more helpful to Lincecum is due to two big factors: pressure and media scrutiny. Pitching for the Giants who were realistically in the running for the playoffs did not pitch under the same amount of pressure as Johan Santana who was brought in to be the Mets savior. I can't even count the number of times I was watching Santana pitch and heard people say "He needs to win this one" or "This is why he was brought here." As for the media scrutiny, I do not live in San Francisco but I doubt that it is the same type of enviornment as New York. When there is a free agent possibly going to NY people ask if they can handle the pressure. You never hear that about SF. I actually believe that the SF media is just glad to have a bright young amazing pitcher on their team. Santana on the other hand pitches under a microscope every game because of the NY media and fans. Santana was viewed as a bust in the beginning of the year because he wasn't shutting every team out but was still pitching very well with an ERA in the low 3's. Santana was even booed after one of his games which he didn't actually pitch terribly in. I highly doubt that happened in SF to Lincecum.

Then there is the argument that since Lincecum is on the Giants he doesn't get to pitch against the lowly Giants while Santana gets to pitch against the Nationals. This argument is easily shot down when you take a look at the divisions. Lincecum pitched against the Padres (the lowest scoring team in baseball) 6 times, the Dodgers twice (24th highest scoring), and the Nationals once (the 3rd lowest scoring). Santana however pitched against the Giants only once (2nd lowest scoring), the Padres twice, Dodgers once, and the Nationals 3 times. Colorado and Arizona are also in the lower half of the league in scoring (18th and 20th) who Linceucm faced 6 and 4 times. Santana only faced Arizona twice and did not get to pitch against the Rockies. On the other hand Santana faced the Phillies (9th highest scoring team) 5 times and Yankees twice (10th highest) while Lincecum only faced the Phillies twice. The Marlins and Braves are in the middle of the pack offensively (14th and 16th) who Santna faced 3 times each while Lincecum only faced the Braves twice and Marlins none at all.

Let's also add that Santana pitched the last month of the season with an injured knee and did not tell anyone about it. He got surgery a week after the season ended. Santana also pitched an absolutely historic gem on the second to last day of the season on 3 days rest to keep the Mets' post-season hopes alive.

Lincecum had more strike outs than Santana but K's are just a flashy statistic. Fans like lots of runs scored, lots of strike outs, and lots of home runs. The Rangers scored the most runs, Detriot hit the most home runs (FLA 3rd), and AJ Burnett had the 3rd most strike outs. None of those 3 teams made the playoffs and Burnett wasn't that great this year. While flashiness is fun and draws fans into the stands, it doesnt always equate to wins. Santana finished 5th in baseball in K's by the way so it's not like he had none.

Anyway in conclusion, Johan Santana should have been the NL Cy Young Award winner. Lincecum had an amazing season and has a bright future ahead of him but his season was not as good or as valuable as Santana's. Webb shouldn't have been in the top 5 for Cy Young.

Lucky Charms 11/11/08

• Cubs C Geovany Soto won the NL Rookie of the Year award almost unanimously losing only one first place vote to Joey Votto. This was an obvious choice and he deserved to win. Soto batted .285 with 23 homers and 86 RBIs.
  
• Tim Lincecum won the NL Cy Young. I am not very surprised. I had a feeling that Webb would win it and I had a little hope that some people were smart enough to see than Johan Santana was the best pitcher over the course of the year. You can look at my argument here. I hate the way the Cy Young is chosen. Lincecum had a great year and deserved second place but he wasn't as good or as valuable as Santana. If the Mets had a halfway decent bullpen, Santana would have been the near unanimous Cy Young.
• Mike Piazza is writing a book about his time in baseball that is due out in 2010. I'm excited about this book. I love Piazza and would love to hear about his stories and his time in the majors with people like Pedro, Bobby V, and Ricky Henderson.
• Matt Holliday was traded to the Okland A's which at first may not seem like it has an impact on the Mets. However this trade is very important to the Mets for two reasons. 1. The Phillies, who were rumored to be in the hunt, don't get Holliday. 2. Houston Street goes to the Rockies. The Rockies are rumored to want to trade Street which immediately puts the Mets in the discussion. I never really liked Street but he is a solid pitcher and if we can get him for Heilman, Evans, and a lower level prospect I may not be opposed to a trade.
• The Nationals get Josh Willingham and Scott Olsen from the Marlins in exchange for 2B Emilio Bonifacio and minor leaguers RHP P.J. Dean and OF Jake Smolinski. Mike Jacobs was also traded a little while back to the Royals for Pitcher Leo Nunez. This allows the Marlins to move Uggla to 3b or 1b because of his terrible defense. The trade also still gives the Nationals a surplus of OF. Now they have Willingham, Elijah Dukes, Willy Harris, Lastings Milledge, Austin Kearns and Wily Mo Pena. The Mets and Nationals have made trades before (Ayala, Church, Milledge,etc.). The Nats declined Willy Mo's $5 million option but he exercised his $2 million option. It's not sure where he fits into the Nationals plans and is only 26 years old. He has MONSTER power and can be a poor man's Adam Dunn. I've always loved Willy Mo and think if he can be a very solid Major League player. I'd love it if the Mets traded for him because even if he doesn't pan out, he can still be a power bat off the bench. I don't see the Mets getting him and think they'd prefer Kearns.
  

A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned

Clever title right? Here's another idea for a starting pitcher who may be cheap. Brad Penny just filed for Free Agency and is coming off of a poor and injury plagued season. However Penny was a very effective pitcher before last year and was even the opening day starter for the Dodgers. He is also a former All-Star who has good stuff when healthy. If Penny can come back and stay healthy he will be a very good addition to the Mets. He is also only a Type B free agent so he won't cost as much draft pick wise as Lowe, Perez, Sabathia, etc. Penny has the potential to be a solid number 2 pitcher and could come cheap. Santana, Maine, Penny, Pelfrey, and another starter (Lowe, Perez, Pedro, Prior, Sheets, Vazquez, Jackson, etc.) would be quite the rotation.

Closer Situation

• Apparently word is that K-Rod said he is willing to be flexible in regards to contract situation. This could possibly be because he heard that the Mets weren't interested with the high price tag. Maybe he wants to be a Met or it could be that the Mets will help raise the bidding war for him. With a lower price tag (in particular length of contract) I would want to get K-Rod. I have always really liked K-Rod but don't want him for 5+ years on one contract.
  
• Brian Fuentes is looking for a four year dear worth around $44 million. I think this is very reasonable although I would try to knock it down to three years for a little more money. This looks good for the Mets although there will most likely be other teams involved in the bidding.

Lucky Charms 11/5/08

• The Hot Stove Talk begins. I love the Hot Stove discussions. It's fun to theorize and make up different scenarios that will most likely not happen.
  
• Mets are looking at Raul Ibanez to shore up left field. Ibanez is 37 years old and one of absolute WORST fielders in baseball. On the flip side, he is a very solid middle of the line up bat and a great clubhouse guy. Peter Gammons at ESPN.com had this to say of Ibanez "“His 338 RBIs the past three years are more than Ramirez, Teixeira, or Vladimir Guerrero; he is a leader, a tremendous person and a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat.” Ibanez is also a native New Yorker and a friend of Carlos Beltran. If the Mets can sign him for 2 years I'd definitely take a good look at him especially since he has said he wants to play in New York. His defense won't be as big of a factor because of Beltran being the best defensive CF in baseball which brings me to the next point.
• Congrats to Carlos Beltran and David Wright for winning Gold Glove Awards for the 3rd and 2nd straight years. Reyes seemed to have a bad year in the field but he should be getting some in his future. The only reason Santana probably did not win one was due to Greg Maddux winning his 18th.
• Ryan Church spoke about Mike Francessa's comments about how Church hates playing in NY for the Mets. Here is a more detailed story at Metsblog.com. Basically Church likes it here and said he would like to finish his career here. Sounds good to me.
• Rays still like Aaron Heilman (with good reason) and there are rumors of Edwin Jackson/ Andy Sonnanstine for Heilman and another player. I have mixed feelings about this. I think Heilman still has a lot of protential and I'm not sure about this trade if it happens. I think the trade for Jackson could end up being pretty good but I probably wouldn't do it for Sonnanstine. I would try to pry Crawford away from them and although we'd have to give up a lot I think he is worth it.
  
• There are also rumors about the White Sox shopping around Javier Vazquez. Now I have never been a fan of Javier Vazquez but he has always put up solid numbers especially his K ratios. Also there has been rumor of Castillo for Vazquez. Now altough I've never been a fan, and do like Castillo, it would be dumb not to make this move. Murphy can go to second and we would have a very solid pitcher on our hands. That being said, this trade probably won't happen.
• Word is that Russell Martin is on the trading block as well. It would obviously be great to get him but I really don't see it happening. I am perfectly content with Schnider/Castro behind the plate and think that there are more things we need to improve on.

Why do the Phillies hate the Mets so much?

Honestly I don't get it. I understand some healthy competition but what the Phillies are doing is ridiculous. Everything about the Phillies World Series win seems to have to do with the Mets. This isn't a Red Sox/ Yankees type of situation where there has been years and years of history and rivalry. I don't even consider the Phillies the Mets rival. The Mets' rival is the Braves and will always be. Everything out of Jimmy Rollilns mouth seems to be about the Mets. Why can't your victory be about the Phillies winning not the Mets losing? It's ridiculous. I have a feeling that if the Mets had won the WS Reyes and other players won't be talking about the Phillies..... Ridiculous..

List of 2008 Free Agent Players

I got this from MLBTradeRumors.com : Also remember that options can be exercised and in several cases will definitely be exercised (Delgado etc.). Also remember this are just estimations about Type of FAs but they should be pretty accurate. Also some people may retire from the MLB.

Catchers
Brad Ausmus (40)
Paul Bako (37)
Rod Barajas (33) - $2.5MM club option for '09 with a $0.5MM buyout
Josh Bard (31)
Michael Barrett (32)
Henry Blanco (37) - $3MM mutual option for '09 with a $0.3MM buyout
Johnny Estrada (33)
Toby Hall (33)
Jason LaRue (35)
Paul Lo Duca (37) - Type B
Miguel Olivo (30) - $2.7MM mutual option for '09 with a $0.1MM buyout - Type B
Ivan Rodriguez (37) - Type A
David Ross (32)
Javier Valentin (33)
Jason Varitek (37) - Type A
Gregg Zaun (38) - Type B

First basemen
Rich Aurilia (37)
Hank Blalock (28) - $6.2MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Sean Casey (34)
Tony Clark (37)
Carlos Delgado (37) - $12MM club option for '09 with a $4MM buyout - Type B
Nomar Garciaparra (35)
Jason Giambi (38) - $22MM club option for '09 with a $5MM buyout
Eric Hinske (31)
Doug Mientkiewicz (35)
Kevin Millar (37)
Richie Sexson (34)
Mark Teixeira (29) - Type A
Daryle Ward (34)

Second basemen
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Craig Counsell (38)
Ray Durham (37)
Damion Easley (39)
David Eckstein (34)
Mark Grudzielanek (39) - Type B
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Orlando Hudson (31) - Type A
Tadahito Iguchi (34)
Jeff Kent (41) - Type B
Felipe Lopez (29)
Mark Loretta (37) - Type B
Nick Punto (31)

Shortstops
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Orlando Cabrera (34) - Type A
Alex Cintron (30)
Alex Cora (33)
Craig Counsell (38)
David Eckstein (34)
Adam Everett (32)
Rafael Furcal (31)
Nomar Garciaparra (35)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Cesar Izturis (29)
Felipe Lopez (29)
Edgar Renteria (33) - Type A
Juan Uribe (30) - Type B
Ramon Vazquez (32)
Omar Vizquel (42) - $5.2MM club option for '09 with a $0.3MM buyout

Third basemen
Rich Aurilia (37)
Casey Blake (35) - Type B
Hank Blalock (28) - $6.2MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Aaron Boone (36)
Russell Branyan (33)
Craig Counsell (38)
Joe Crede (31)
Nomar Garciaparra (35)
Mark Loretta (37) - Type B
Juan Uribe (30) - Type B
Ramon Vazquez (32)

Left fielders
Moises Alou (42) - Type B
Garret Anderson (37) - Type B
Milton Bradley (31) - Type A
Emil Brown (34)
Pat Burrell (32) - Type A
Adam Dunn (29) - Type A
Cliff Floyd (36) - $2.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Luis Gonzalez (41) - Type B
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Raul Ibanez (37) - Type A
Gabe Kapler (33)
Kevin Mench (31)
Jason Michaels (33) - $2.6MM club option for '09
Craig Monroe (32)
Greg Norton (36)
Jay Payton (36)
Manny Ramirez (37) - Type A
Juan Rivera (30)

Center fielders
Rocco Baldelli (27)
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Mike Cameron (36) - $10MM club option for '09 with a $750K buyout - Type B
Jim Edmonds (39)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Gabe Kapler (33)
Mark Kotsay (33)
Corey Patterson (29)
Scott Podsednik (33)

Right fielders
Bobby Abreu (35) - Type A
Casey Blake (35) - Type B
Cliff Floyd (36) - $2.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Brian Giles (38) - $9MM club option for '09 with a $3MM buyout - Type A
Ken Griffey Jr. (39) - Type B
Gabe Kapler (33)
Jason Michaels (33) - $2.6MM club option for '09
Brad Wilkerson (32)

DHs
Milton Bradley (31) - Type A
Cliff Floyd (36) - $2.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Jason Giambi (38) - $22MM club option for '09 with $5MM buyout
Mike Sweeney (35)
Frank Thomas (41) - Type B
Jose Vidro (34)

Starting pitchers
Kris Benson (33)
A.J. Burnett (32) - can opt out after '08 season - Type A
Paul Byrd (38) - Type B
Roger Clemens (46)
Matt Clement (33)
Bartolo Colon (36)
Ryan Dempster (32) - Type A
Shawn Estes (36)
Josh Fogg (32)
Freddy Garcia (33)
Jon Garland (29) - Type B
Tom Glavine (43)
Mike Hampton (36)
Mark Hendrickson (35)
Livan Hernandez (34)
Orlando Hernandez (43)
Jason Jennings (30)
Randy Johnson (45)
Kenshin Kawakami (34)
Jon Lieber (39)
Braden Looper (34) - Type B
Rodrigo Lopez (33) - club option for '09
Derek Lowe (36) - Type A
Greg Maddux (43) - Type B
Pedro Martinez (37)
Sergio Mitre (28)
Jamie Moyer (46) - Type A
Mark Mulder (31)
Mike Mussina (40) - Type A
Carl Pavano (33) - $13MM club option for '09 with a $1.95MM buyout
Brad Penny (31) - $8.75MM club option for '09 with a $2MM buyout - Type B
Odalis Perez (32)
Oliver Perez (27) - Type A
Andy Pettitte (37) - Type A
Sidney Ponson (32)
Mark Prior (27)
Kenny Rogers (44)
Glendon Rusch (34)
C.C. Sabathia (28) - Type A
Curt Schilling (42)
Ben Sheets (30) - Type A
John Smoltz (42) - Type B
Koji Uehara (34)
Tim Wakefield (42) - perpetual $4MM club option - Type B
Kip Wells (32)
Randy Wolf (32) - Type B

Closers
Chad Cordero (27)
Brian Fuentes (33) - Type A
Eric Gagne (33) - Type B
Eddie Guardado (38)
Trevor Hoffman (41) - Type B
Jason Isringhausen (36) - Type A
Brandon Lyon (29) - Type B
Francisco Rodriguez (27) - Type A
Salomon Torres (37) - $3.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.3MM buyout - Type B
Kerry Wood (32) - Type A

Middle relievers
Jeremy Affeldt (30) - Type B
Luis Ayala (31)
Joe Beimel (32) - Type B
Joe Borowski (38)
Doug Brocail (42) - Type A
Shawn Chacon (31)
Juan Cruz (30) - Type A
Alan Embree (39) - $3MM club option for '09 - Type B
Scott Eyre (37)
Kyle Farnsworth (33)
Casey Fossum (31)
Keith Foulke (35)
Tom Gordon (41) - $4.5MM club option for '09 with a $1MM buyout
LaTroy Hawkins (36)
Mark Hendrickson (35)
Matt Herges (39)
Bob Howry (35) - Type B
Jon Lieber (39)
Jason Johnson (35)
Damaso Marte (34) - $6MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout - Type A
Trever Miller (36) - $2MM club option for '09 with a $0.4MM buyout - Type B
Guillermo Mota (35)
Will Ohman (31)
Darren Oliver (38) - Type A
Chan Ho Park (36)
Horacio Ramirez (29)
Al Reyes (38)
Dennys Reyes (32) - Type B
Arthur Rhodes (39)
Juan Rincon (30)
Glendon Rusch (34)
Rudy Seanez (40)
Brian Shouse (40) - Type B
Russ Springer (40) - Type A
Mike Timlin (43)
Ron Villone (39)
David Weathers (39) - Type B
Kip Wells (32)
Matt Wise (33)
Jamey Wright (34) - Type B

Fernando's back!

The Mets and Fernando Tatis have a greed to a one year deal. I think this is a great move by the Mets. He is a very valuable bat off the bench and can start if necessary. Good move Omar.

Congratulations Phillies

The Phillies won the World Series last night just as I had a feeling they would once the Rays were their opponent. Congrats, they deserved it. I don't hate the Phillies like a great deal of Mets fans do, I just don't like them. Also, I do not see the Phillies as our rivals. Our rivals are and forver will be the Braves. The Rays aren't the new rivals to the Red Sox just because the Yankees weren't in the equation this year. I don't like Jimmy Rollins, Brett Myers, or Cole Hammels but I do like Ryan Howard, Lidge, and Utley. I hate Phillie fans more than I hate the Phillies themselves. Anyway, Mets '09!

Garret Anderson?

The Angels have just declines next year's option on Garret Anderson. Anderson is a left handed LF who hit .293 with 15 HR and 84 RBI in 145 games this season. He has always put up solid number but he is also 36 and played a good chunk of his games this year at DH. He could be willing to sign a one or two year deal to play LF until F-Mart is ready. The Mets could go this route if they decide not to go with one of the bigger FA's or explore the trade market. He should be fairly cheap and the Mets could spend the extra money on pitching. I wouldn't sign him unless Manny wants 4+ years, we don't go for Dunn or Ibanez. Thoughts?

Matt Holliday

It is rumored that the Rockies have made outfielder Matt Holliday available to other teams for mainly pitching. The Mets are one of several teams rumored to be interested. If you are the Mets how much would you be willing to give up. Holliday playing half his games at Coors Field is one of the best hittters in the game. He will no doubt be a good hitter playing half his games else where but how good is the question? He is great at Coors and only good elsewhere. As a fan would you want the Mets to give up a package of Niese, Murphy, Kunz, and Heillman for Holliday? I would actually probably say no to this deal (although it would be a tough call). I would say no because there are a few OFs on the Free Angent market who we could sign without giving up these players: Dunn, Manny, Ibanez, Burrell, Abreu, etc. While only Manny is the only one who is as good/better than Holliday the others are still solid options.

Poll

On the right I added a poll. Answer and comment here if u choose other.

Congrats Fernando Tatis

Fernando Tatis was voted NL Comeback Player of the Year by fellow MLB players. "The career of Tatis, 33, took a steady downturn after his breakout season of 1999, when he batted .298 with 34 home runs and 107 RBIs with the Cardinals. By 2003 with the Expos, Tatis had skidded to .194 in 53 games. He did not play professionally in 2004 or 2005."- MLB.com This year Tatis in 92 games with the Mets hit .297, with 11 homers, 47 RBI and 33 runs scored. Also remember that Tatis did not start all of those games. Tatis was a huge part of the Mets resurgance in teh second half and helped them contend for the NL East title. Tatis hurt his shoulder in mid September and missed the rest of the season. Tatis is one of my new favorite players. The only reason Tatis came back to professional baseball after the 2005 season was so he could make enough money for his hometown so they could build a church in his hometown of San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic. He is a good guy and a hard worker. I love when he hits a homeroom and he does his sidestep, clap, and point to God. I think it's very classy without being too show offish. Here is a video of an interview with Tatis after he found out about his winning of the award. I really hope the Mets bring Tatis back next year. He was a great addition to the team and was a catalyst for the team for a long period of time. He provides the Mets with a great backup outfielder/infielder who can start when needed.

CentSports

Hey guys I am doing this thing where you bet imaginary money on actual games and when you make $20 or more you can cash out and get real $. It's pretty cool. If you click on this link http://www.centsports.com/?opcode=256759 and sign up we become "cronies" and when one of us wins we get 5% of the other person's bet so it's a good way to rack up some money. It's pretty fun. Try it out. The link is also on the top right of the page.

Prior and Mulder

Today the Cardinals declined their option on Mark Mulder's contract for next season thus making him a free agent. Mark Prior is also a free agent. Both of these players have had a lot of success when healthy, but their problem is staying healthy. Prior is only 28 and Mulder is only 31. I personally am a huge fan of signing talented guys coming off of surgery to minor league deals with incentives. I would sign both of these guys to contracts because neither would cost much and could probably sign both to minor league deals. I wouldn't rely on either but if even one of them could help out the team he would be a huge boost and cheap. Signing them, especially Prior, is one of the ultimate low risk/high reward type of move. Think about if Mark Prior could come back healthy pitching even in the realm of his prime, we would have a good rotation. If BOTH of them could come back and pitch like they have the ability to, we would have a great rotation. I am a big supporter of signing both of them to minor league deals. Please Omar listen to me for once and sign them.

Playoff Hopes and Predictions: World Series

Well the Red Sox were eliminated but did come close to winning it. As soon as they put in Price to close the game I knew it was over for the Sox. It's a Phillies vs. Rays matchup. I want the Rays to win but I have a gut feeling that the Phillies will. I love Cliff Floyd and Carl Crawford so I am pulling for the Rays. They should win because of their superior pitching but many many times the best team does not win. So here we go. I can't wait unitl the Hot Stove begins, one of my favorite parts of the year.

Jake Peavy

There have been rumors going around that Jake Peavy is being shopped around. While I personally do not see him getting traded, I wouldn't be shocked if he did. Some teams that have been mentioned to trade for Peavy are the Braves, Yankees, and Astros, among others. Peavy is only 27 years old and is owed $59 million over the next four years with a $22 million option for 2013. Peavy also currently has a no-trade clause so he can pretty much choose where he goes. Peavy is one of the best pitchers in baseball. The only issue with Peavy is that he is an injury risk. He has had injury problems in the past and could have problems in the future but he is not Ben Sheets-injury prone. While I do not see the Mets giving up their young talent to get Peavy, I think they should if they have the opportunity. GM Kevin Towers is reportedly looking for pitching and middle infielders in the package. If I were Omar I'd give up F-Mart, Niese/Parnell, Murphy, and Carp for Peavy. Obviously there are other combos you could go with but basically in my mind the only future star you are giving up is F-Mart and he has injury concerns. Murphy is a bit overhyped but he is a good hitter. In my mind though aces are much harder to come by than anyone else. Think about that rotation next year.
1. Santana
2. Peavy
3. Maine
4. Pelfrey
5. FA

That would be the best rotation in baseball regardless of which free agent the Mets sign. While I see none of this happening, it is nice to dream...

Joba the Drunk

Joba Chamberlain was arrested yesterday on DUI and speeding charges. Joba also was driving while having an open container in his car. Following in the footsteps of fellow Yankee pitcher Sydney Ponson, Joba has made a great decision. I just don't understand it. If you're as talented as someone like Joba Chamberlain (or even Ponson) why in God's good name would you get involved in stupid shit like this.

Things That Annoy Me

I have been meaning to put up some things about baseball games that really annoy me. Here is my list of things that should never happen at baseball games.

• Leaving a game early. If you paid for tickets (or even if you got them for free) to a game, regardless of the score, stay for the whole game. There are only 2 reasons a fan should leave a game early: 1. An emergency that needs attending to. 2. Bad weather (and even this one is iffy). The first one is obvious. The second one I would not personally leave a game early for bad weather unless the game is delayed so long and I have to be somewhere important. If you ever find yourself at a baseball game and the game is a blow out and you get up to leave, do me a favor and please don't call yourself a "fan." Look at last night's game between the Red Sox and Rays. The Rays were up 7-0 with one of the better bullpens in the game this year and so called Red Sox "fans" got up and left. It's a f*cking playoff game. ARE YOU CRAZY!? ALCS tickets at Fenway are a ton of $, why not get full value out of it. I bet the people who left last night are very disappointed they didn't stay to see an amazing come back victory with a walk off in the bottom of the 9th.
• The Wave. STOP. Plain and simple, keep the wave away from baseball. I don't like it at ANY sporting event. It's fun to do in random situations like at rallys or in school but not during a game. It is dumb. ESPECIALLY in close games in important situations. Sign the Petition here.
• Thunder Sticks. Do I even need to explain how annoying and stupid these things are? Keep them away from baseball.
• The Tomahawk Chop. THE. MOST. ANNOYING. CHANT.
• UPDATE: Booing players on YOUR team. It's perfectly fine when at Shea to boo Chipper Jones, Albert Pujols, Barry Bonds, Jimmy Rollins, etc. But don't boo you own players, especially when they don't deserve it. I'm not a fan of booing your players at ANY point in the game regardless of how they're doing. It can't help the team. It can only hurt. It can get in players' heads and cause them to do even worse and thus create more booing.
  
• UPDATE: Negative chants (outside of booing opposing teams). So-and-so sucks. I don't like it. It just annoys me. Especially if your saying X sucks when X clearly does not suck.
  

Luis Castillo

I was thinking about writing an article about this even before I came across this article on another blog . Mets fans are calling for Omar to get rid of Luis Castillo at any cost. I think that Luis Castillo, when healthy, can be a very productive (while not great) hitter. He gets on base at a good clip (.370 OBP), can hit around .300 and can steal 20+ bases (He stole 17 out of 19 bases this year despite his injuries). He is not nearly as good defensively as he was in his Gold Glove but is still solid. Omar did sign him for too long of a contract. 4 years for an aging player with knee problems is too much. Castillo is a "gritty" and "hard-nosed" player that soo many Mets fans call for. He played through injuries and is currently planning to play winter ball to get back on track. This is a good sign. It shows that Castillo is not going to just assume he has the starting role because of his past and his contract. He wants to earn the starting job. Mets fans should be happy to hear this. I feel it would be ill-advised to cut or trade Castillo now because his value is at its lowest ever. Give him a chance to prove himself. Why go out and overpay for Orlando Hudson (who also has had injury problems btw) when we have a solid player already. We can use that money towards areas that really matter (RP, LF, SP).

Rumors: Beltran and Church

There have been several rumors floating around about the Mets shopping around Carlos Beltran and Ryan Church. One such rumor is a Beltran to the Yankees trade. The Mets would send Beltran and in return get Cano (with the Yanks eating some salary), either Jose Veras or Brian Bruney, Ian Kennedy, and another prospect from the Yankees system (WasWatching.com). Why on earth would the Mets trade the best CF in baseball for an overrated 2b, a middle relief pitcher, an overrated prospect who was terrible this year, and another prospect? The Mets would then have 2 second basemen on their hands and 0 starting centerfielders. Who would the Mets put in center? It's not like they have a MLB ready prospect ready to take over to Beltran. They could put Chavez in center and sacrifice a ton of offense or move Church over and sacrifice defense and leave the question of who will play RF. Also, officials said the Mets aren't necescarily "shopping" Beltran or listening to "offers" but will be hearing "inquiries" from other teams. This makes it unlikely that he will be moved but has a better chance of being moved than Wright or Reyes. I do not think that this rumor will ever happen because it makes no sense on the Mets part.

Another rumor floating around for the past couple of weeks is the idea of trading Ryan Church. Church burst onto the NY scence and quickly became a fan favorite in his first year in NY before he suffered multiple concussions that forced him out of the lineup for many weeks. When he returned Church did not play at the same level and was never able to get into a rythm. He was also playing the last couple of weeks of the season with a hip injury. Mike Francesa said on his show that his sources told him that Church hates playing in NY and does not like the Mets team. However, when Church first came off the DL and played his first game since the concussions he got a standing ovation that moved both him and his wife. He said his wife cried at the ovation. Church also said at the time he would be open to signing a long term contract and buying out his remaining arbitration years. I like Church and actually want to buy a Los Mets Church jersey. I would be open to signing him to a long term contract. He is a very good outfielder with a very strong and accurate arm. He can swing a good bat and hits for a decent average with good pop. He even showed he can hit left handers this year and in past years. I would be open to trading Church depending on who we get. The only Mets I would be completely be opposed to trading are Wright, Reyes, Beltran, Maine, Pelfrey, and Santana. I also don't see Church getting traded because we also don't have anyone to replace him. I just don't see it happening but I wouldn't be shocked if it did happen.

Playoff Hopes and Predictions: Championship Series

Well my NL hopefuls got eliminated while my AL hopefuls got through. Now the two match ups are Dodgers vs. Phillies and Rays vs. Red Sox. I am hoping for the Sox to win and then go on to win the World Series. I think the Red Sox have a good shot a doing so, especially with the Cubs out of it. I really don't care much about who wins the Dodgers vs. Phillies matchup. I'll hope for the Dodgers because Lowe and Manny playing against the Sox in Boston would be very interesting. Like I said before, the Dodgers are deceptively good and are better than most people think. They have a legitimate shot to win the series vs the Phillies. I think that it will be a Sox vs. Phillies matchup but I'm hoping the Dodgers can beat the Phillies.

My Favorite Shea Moments

In honor of Shea Stadium being demolished and Citi Field being opened next year, I decided to write about my favorite memories at Shea. I have not been to many games in my lifetime because everyone in my family is Yankee fans. However there are two games in particular that I attended that were truly amazin' in my mind.

The first game that sticks out was on Saturday, April 15, 2005. My godfather called my dad the day before and asked if we wanted to go to a 1:00PM game the next day. The Mets were playing the Marlins and injured starter Kris Benson was being replaced by none other than Mr. "Jeckle and Hyde" Aaron Heilman. For the Marlins, former World Series MVP, Josh Beckett was starting and newly acquired 1b Carlos Delgado in the heart of the lineup. On teh way to the game my godfather tells us that he could have gotten us tickets for Sunday's game but he couldn't have gone with us. Of course my two favorite starters were pitching against each other, Pedro Martinez and Al Lieter. We joked around with my godfather giving him grief for not giving us tickets to Sunday's game instead. We were kidding of course and just glad to be going to in the first place. My dad joked and said "Watch Heilman pitches the first Mets' no-hitter in history." He nearly did. The game was amazing as Heilman blanked the Marlins to throw a one-hit complete game shut out. The one hit by Luis Castillo was a dribbler to 2b Miguel Cairo which I thought could have been considered an error but the offical scorers disagreed. Regardless, the game was great. Heilman only walked 3 and struck out 7 Marlins including one to the heavily booed at the time, Carlos Delgado. To make the game even better for me my favorite Met Mike Piazza went 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs. Reyes had also had a double but Wright unfortunately had the day off because of back spasms. The Mets won 4-0. The Mets won the Sunday game 4-3 with a walk off single by Ramon Castro, but I don't think it could have matched the Mets game I went to. Even Wright not playing could not take away from a great game and possibly the best game I've ever been to.

Game two was this July 27th, my birthday. My friend had tickets to the game and the four of us took the ferry and the train to the game. New Met ace Johan Santana was going up the Cardinals' Kyle Loshe. The Mets would go on to win the game 9-1 with Johan Santana tossing his first CG as a Met and the first CG by a Mets pitcher in 2008. The game was amazing with Johan taking a no hitter into the 5th. Wright, Castro, and one of my new favorites, Fernando Tatis hitting home runs. Johan Santana became a new favorite when he got a hit and ran the bases like a real player, not wearing the jacket and running hard. The CG came after the Mets bullpen struggled the night before and the Mets needed a long outing from Johan. He delivered and didn't give up a run until 7th giving up a solo shot to Albert Pujols. The Pujols HR came right after Carlos Beltran robbed Ryan Ludwick of a HR and being the top play of the day on ESPN. Another great play in the game came in the third when Endy Chavez bunted Jose Reyes to third. Chavez was hustling to first and dodged the tag and slid head first into first. My friends and I were going crazy. It was truly an Amazin' game which I will always remember. The game just helped give me one of the best birthdays of my short life.

World Series Homefield advantage

Let's take a look at how home field advantage for the World Series is determined. Prior to 2003 the home field advantage for the World Series was alternated between NL and AL. However after the 2002 All-Star game ended in a tie, commissioner Bud Selig changed the rule and made the winning team of the All-Star game have the home field advantage for the World Series. While to many home field advantage may not seem like much, it can have a significant impact on any game, especially the World Series. I personally do not like the current way of having the All-Star game decide who has home field advantage. You may think that I think this because I am a fan of the NL and the Mets. This is not the case however.

I think it is unfair that the All-Star game decides the World Series because many times the best players do not play in the All-Star game. Those who play are voted on by the fans. This year Wright was only on due to Soriano injury and Reyes was not on the team at all despite the fact that he had an historically good first half becoming the first player in history to have 10 home runs, 10 triples, 20 doubles, and 30 stolen bases before the All Star break. Santan was not on the team despite having one of the lowest ERAs in the NL at the time. These are just 3 snubs from the Mets this year and does not take into account everyone else in the league for every other year. Also, the All-Star game is an exhibition game meant for fun. This means that the fans want to see all players get in the game so many times managers take out their starting and sometimes best players for backups who may not even deserve to be on the team in the first place.

My solution would not be to go back to alternating years (although it is better than the current All-Star game method). The World Series home field advantage should be determined by the team with the better record throughout the year. This rewards teams who play in an exceptionally tough division who have to win more games to get into the playoffs because of their division. Also, it gives teams who are lightyears ahead of the rest of their division motivation to continue winning games and not slack off. In the case of a tie for best record in MLB in both leagues (Yankees & Mets in 2006, although neither made it to WS) then you go to a coin toss or opposite of who had the advantage in the previous year. This system is more fair and would make the teams continue to play rahter than slack off and take the rest of the season lightly after clinching a post season birth. Also, it forces managers to be more stategic. For example if a team has the best record in the MLB and is in the AL but the best NL team is only a couple games behind them with a week left to play, do you rest your regulars or go for the best record and a chance for home field advantage? More managing and strategy = better baseball. (which is why the DH makes it easier to manage in the AL, but that is a whole other can of worms).

CC, Manny, and K-Rod

UPDATE: According to MLBTR.com Manny may be looking for 5 years for $85 million years. NO WAY do I go for it if these are the conditions. 5 years is way too many.

The three major free agents this offseason are CC Sabathia, Manny Ramirez, and Francisco Rodriguez. Listening to Mets fans talk, they want all three. This definitely will not happen as all three will be demanding large and expensive contracts. CC will probably be asking for 5-7 years. Manny will be looking for at least 3-4 years. K-Rod will be looking forat least 4-5 years. I think that all 3 of these contracts at their asking price will be too much because Manny is 37 and has been injured in the past, CC has thrown a ton of innings the past 2 years and any 7 year deal is alot, K-Rod has lost a few MPH on his fastball and has a violent motion. Having any 3 of these players would significantly change the view on this team. Having a lineup starting Reyes, Beltran, Wright, Manny, Delgado is ridiculous. Johan and CC would be the best 1-2 punch in baseball. K-Rod is a significant upgrade over Luis Ayala/closer by comitteee that the Mets finished with. There are guys I would sign over each of them due to age, $, or shorter contract term (Dunn, Perez/Sheets/Lowe, Fuentes/Wood). However I would not be against signing any 3 of these guys, which I think readers thought after my last couple of posts. Manny would be a great signing for a 2 and possibly even 3 year deal as long as we can keep him happy. Manny is also known as a "clutch" player which many believe is important. Although if you look at it statistically, clutch is an overused term but thats aside from the point. K-Rod is great but will be overpaid because of the flashy but relatively hollow saves record. He is a top 10 closer and would be a good signing but he may take away $ to improve the rotation, lineup or rest of the bullpen. CC is probably the riskiest signing because of the lenght of the contract and the innings he has pitched. It would also be the most lucrative contract because teams like the Yankees and Angels will also be involved in the bidding but the Mets may have an edge up on them because we are in the NL.

The Gangsta Years

Jerry Manuel agreed to a 2 year deal with a third year option as manager of the New York Mets. I like this move a lot and like Jerry. He is very fun to listen to and always has good quotes from his threatening to stab Jose Reyes on the field to Johan's gangsta performance on the second to last day of the season. Manuel motivated the Mets and did overall a very good job as manager. He was also manager of the year with the White Sox in 2000.

Lucky Charms 10/3/08

• The Mets announced that Omar Minaya's contract has been extended through 2012 with team options for 2013 and 2014. It is a good move in my opinion.
• Minaya said the Mets intend to pick up Carlos Delgado's $12 million option for next year. Another smart move.
  
• The Mets have reportedly offered Jerry Manuel a 2 year $2 million dollar deal but he has yet to accept it, possibly holding out for more. Give him more and bring him back or get Bobby Valentine back. Either would be fine with me.
  
• Cubs are down 2 games to the Dodgers and barring 3 straight wins (which is definintely possibly) the Cubs are all but done. God must really hate the Cubs. Dodgers are like I said a deceptively good team.
• Brewers are also down 2 games to the Phillies but I can't say I'm surprised about this. CC should have pitched game 3 on more rest rather than yesterday. Hindsight is 20/20 thought.
• Rays are up 1 game on the White Sox.
• Red Sox are up 1 game on the Angels.

Ambiorix Burgos is Hell-bound

According to the Daily News, Mets pitcher Amiorix Burgos is wanted for allegedly hitting and killing 2 women in the Dominican Republic with his Hummer. Burgos is also wanted for a gun possesion charge. Brilliant. This is one quality guy. Trade him ASAP. Some team who doesn't really care about the character of their players (Yankees possibly) because Burgos does have a lot of talent. Just get rid of him.

Johan Santana = New Favorite

Johan Santana today underwent knee surgery because he had a torn meniscus. How long has Johan Santana been dealing with pain in his knee one may ask? How about the whole month of September. Yes September, the same month he won pitcher of the month. Truly amazing. He did not tell the team about the pain. He pitched with a torn meniscus on the second to last day of the season on 3 days rest. A game in which he threw a 3 hit complete game shut out. Johan Santana is truly amazin'. He should win the Cy Young regardless of this new news. However now that we know this, there is no doubt in my mind he should win the Cy Young. This shows the type of player and competitor Santana is. Johan Santana will go down as a legend in Mets lore, even if they did not make the post season.

Off Season Moves : The Bullpen

UPDATE: I've been thinking about this more and thinking that the Mets should give Kunz and Parnell a shot to make the pen given a strong spring training. Also signing Lyon would be good to have as a back up closer.

The Bullpen is the area that needs the most work this offseason. As of now Smith, Schoeneweis is under contract with Heilman, Feliciano and Sanchez arbitration eligible. Lets take a look at who to keep, who to get rid of and who to go out and get.

I know I will get ripped for this but strictly from a pitching standpoint Scott Schoeneweis is very good at his job and terrible at anything else. His job is to get lefties out. He put up a .174 BAA for lefties and .333 BAA for righties. He is a good left handed specialist but that is it. If the Mets want to carry a left handed specialist he is the guy to keep since he is under contract and very good at getting lefties out. There is a problem of the fans hating him. I personally like him. He is a competitor and pitched all of last year hurt. He was in tears following the game Sunday. I would keep Schoenewies unless we can get someone better in a trade.

Pedro Feliciano has shown he can be very good at getting lefties out and he has also shown he can be just as bad at getting righties out as Show. He was pretty good against righties in '07 and '06 but was terrible this year (even worse than Show). I would offer him arbitration and give him another shot (altough I have never particularly liked him) especially if we trade Schow.

Aaron Heilman. I really like him. He had a terrible terrible year though. He just did not get the job done, especially against lefties (which is odd because his change up makes him usually very effective against lefties). He actually did decent against righties who hit .222 against him. He has been battling tendonitis all year. He did not use this as an excuse though for his poor season. He has good stuff and can be very effective and has shown it in the past. The fans hate him for this season though and it would be tough for me to argue to not trade him but I will do it anyway. He has a lot of potential and can be very useful. I would hate to see him traded for less than he is worth.

Duaner Sanchez was effective at times but forthe most part did not get the job done this year. This was his first year pitching since his terrible injury from the taxi incident in 2006. He should have been given more time off this year and it showed in his decreased velocity towards the later parts of the seaosn. I think we should bring him back for another year and see how he does. He can still be quite effective and it showed at points this season.

Joe Smith is coming back as the rightie groundball pitcher.

As for the closer situation I would love for the Mets to get Kerry Wood but he is probably going back to the Cubs. The Mets should go get Brian Fuentes. K-Rod will cost too much for too many years. His season was good but will be overrated because of his save totals. I love K-Rod and wouldn't mind signing him but I think a smarter move would be for Wood or Fuentes.

Brandon Lyon could be signed as a middle reliever who could potentially close for us in case of injury. Juan Cruz is an undervalued pitcher who could be a very good signing. Also bringin back Stokes and Wise may not be bad moves either. I thought Ayala did a good job and could be brought back as a decent middle reliever.

Burgos has a great arm and could be a sleeper pick for closer if the Mets decide to go internally for closer. He is a hot head who beats his girlfriend but there have been many jerks who have had success in the big leagues (Sheffield, Clemens, Myers, etc.).

Kunz is another pick to close but should be kept in the minors for another year. He could be used in the bullpen in the 2009 season but not as the closer. Bobby Parnell was converted to a starter but many believe he will be better in the bullpen and the Mets may decided to switch him back and while he may not be a closer he could possibly be a good middle reliever.

There is also the trade possibilities of Houston Street, Francisco Cordero, and possibly Joakim Soria. I love Soria but do not see the Royals trading him. I like Francisco Cordero but he may cost too much in prospects, altough he is a very intriguing option. I have always felt Street was overrated and do not want the Mets to trade for him because the A's will ask for way too much and we would likely end up being fleeced for him.


I know there is a lot of rambling just now but to clear things up here is what my 2009 bullpen would look like:

Fuentes
Smith
Schoenewies
Heilman
Cruz
Long Man (Knight or Figueroa)

Johan Santana and the Cy Young Award

I have a huge problem with the way the Cy Young Award is handed out. The Cy Young award is supposed to be handed out to the best pitcher in the league. However many times the award is handed out to the pitcher who has the most wins, which is a terrible reflection on how good a pitcher really is. The goal of a pitcher is to prevent runs from scoring. There is a statistic that measures how good a pitcher is at doing that. That statistic is called ERA. In my opinion the pitcher with the lowest ERA in the league (given that he has pitched enough innings) deserves the Cy Young. A pitchers win-loss record is many times a reflection on how lucky he was, how good the bullpen was, or how good his offense was (something which for the most part is out of a pitcher's control). Take for example Steve Trachsel and Randy Johnson in 2006. Steve Trachsel finished the year with 15 wins (1 shy of the league leader) but had a 4.97 ERA. Randy Johnson finished with 17 wins (2 shy of the league leader) and an ERA of 5.00. It is amazing how these two pitchers had so many wins yet pitched so poorly. Now these are extreme examples but take this year for instance. The Cy Young candidates are Brandon Webb, Tim Lincecum, CC Sabathia, and Johan Santana. The front runner for this award is probably Brandon Webb because he has 22 wins. Yet Santana has on average given up nearly a full run less per game than Webb.

I'll give you these stats anonymously and you tell me which pitcher you would rather have.
A: 227 INN, 2.62 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 265 K, 26/33 Games started were quality (GS/QS)
B: 253 INN, 2.70 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 251 K, 25/35 GS/QS
C: 234.3 INN, 2.53 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 206K, 28/34 GS/QS
D: 226.7 INN, 3.3o ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 183 K, 24/34 GS/QS
E: 206.7 INN, 2.96 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 187 K, 21/33 GS/QS
F: 227.3 INN, 3.09 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 196 K, 23/33 GS/QS
(I only included K's because people love them but in the grand scheme it is not very important and just very flashy.)

I would take pitcher C over the rest of them followed probably by A then C then E then F then D. A is Lincecum, B is CC Sabathia, C is Santana, D is Webb, and E is Dempster. F is Hamels. Interesting how those stats stack up to one another when they are anonymous w/o wins. Santana has the lowest ERA in the MLB (yes even lower than Cliff Lee). He was undefeated since June 28th. If CC was in the NL the whole year and put up similar stats I would of course have to go with him. He wasn't though and didn't put up similar stats in both leagues. This award is for the year, not half of the year. Santana outpitched the rest of the league and if all the pitchers had the same run support and same bullpen, Santana would have the most wins. He pitched under more pressure than any other pitcher because of the NY media and fans. He was brought in to be the savior of the team and he did his best to be just that. He pitched one of the greatest games on the second to last day of the season. CC did a great job down the stretch as well but for the whole year Santana was better overall. The Cy Young Award should go to Santana but because he only has 16 wins and Webb has 22 and Lincecum has 18 it is unlikely Santana will win the award. This is not the only time in history where a pitcher will be robbed of the award. It has happend many many times before. It happend to Pedro the year Zito won. It happend last year with CC. It happend when Colon won it. It happened when Carpenter won it. It happend to many many others in the past. Johan should win but most likely won't and may not even finish top 3. It is a shame that the Cy Young award doesn't usually go to the best pitcher in the league.

Playoff Hopes and Predictions: 1st Round

Here are what I hope and what I think will happen in the first round:

MIL Vs PHI: I think that with a healthy Sheets the Brewers would win the series because CC and Sheets healthy are better than anyone the Phillies have (even Hamels). However Sheets is not healthy. I hope the Brew Crew wins but the Phillies will probably win.

CHC Vs. LAD: This is a tough call because the Dodgers are deceptively good. Not many give them credit. However I am going to hope and think that the Cubs will win with my boy Rich Harden and Kerry Wood. The Cubs have a great 3 man punch in the rotation in Dempster, Zambrano, and Harden. They also have a good bullpen with Wood and Marmol. I am going to go with the Cubs and hope they make it to the W.S,

LAA Vs. BOS: This is another tough call. Both teams are very good. Healthy the Sox probably have a better team but they are not healthy. It will be a good fight but I think overall the Sox will probably pull off a series win. I also hope they make it to the W.S.

TBR Vs. CHW: I think and hope the Rays have this one. I don't really feel like going into why because I am tired but yea Rays.

Off Season Moves : The Line-Up

First off let me start by saying anyone who wants to trade Wright, Reyes, or Beltran are crazy. These are arguably the best or second best players at each of their respective positions. That is also not to mention that Wright and Reyes are the faces of the franchise, are entering their prime years, and the front office would receive the wrath of the media and fans of NY for trading them. A Beltran trade would not aggravate NY like a Wright or Reyes trade would but it is nearly as dumb as trading them. He is the best center fielder in baseball. Beltran is in his prime and also one of the few players who contributed in the last few weeks of the season. So Wright, Reyes, and Beltran are deemed untouchable by me and we would be crazy to trade them.

Now the toughest offseason decision may come with the decision on whether or not to pick up the option on Delgado's contract. Delgado had a great bounce back year after an injury plagued 2007 and a slow start to 2008. Delgado finished 5th in the NL (8th in MLB) in RBI's with 115 and 3rd in MLB and NL in HRs with 38. This was all after a terrible start to the season. Delgado is an average 1b defensively but does a good job at catching wild throws. He was a legitimate MVP candidate until the Mets fell out of it and will probably finish top 5 in the voting this year. His option is for one year $12 million dollars but it would cost $4 million to decline the option. I would pick up the option. $8 million dollars is cheap for the production Delgado can put up. He is getting older and is injury prone but there are not many better options out there besides Texiera who will draw a ton of interest from other teams. I would pick up Delgado's option.

2b is currently manned by the injury prone Luis Castillo. Omar made possibly the biggest mistake as a Mets GM by signing Castillo for 4 years. Believe it or not, Castillo (healthy) IS a better option that Argenis Reyes. O-Dog Orlando Hudson is the best defensive 2b in the game right now but other than that he is a very average player. He doesn't hit for power, doesn't have a lot of speed, and has a career BA of .283. He has been hurt several times in the past 2 or 3 years and I don't see how signing him to a large pricey contract will be a smart move. I like him but I think sticking with Castillo would be a better option. I have heard the rumor that the Mets could possibly trade Castillo for Eric Byrnes. I would probably make that trade but I just don't see that happening even if the Mets do eat a lot of contract. He had a good year in 2007 but was terrible this year when he did play and has not been very good through his career. He is however a lively, hardnosed, gritty player which fans feel like the Mets need. So if the Met could make this trade I would go for it and have Murphy play second or sign a guy like Grudzielanek or Loretta to be a backup option.

As for LF (if the Mets do not make the Byrnes trade) I would sign Adam Dunn to a no more than 3 or 4 year deal. I have always been a big fan of Dunn. He is only 29, has a ton of power and gets on base a lot. On the flipside he strikes out a lot, doesn't hit for a good average, and isn't very good defensively. Reports however are that the Mets front office is not very big on him so I don't see this happening. I don't think that a platoon of Evans and Murphy is good enough for the whole year (especially if we use Murphy at 2b) so I would sign a stop gap player to a one or two year deal until F-Mart or someone else can take over. Raul Ibanez, a native New Yorker, expressed desire to come here and Carlos Beltran has said he is a great guy. He is also durable. Juan Rivera also would aslo be a younger and righthanded guy to go with. I would aslo sign Kevin Mench to a mior league deal if he would accept it. Manny Ramirez is without a doubt an amazing hitter but he is getting older, has been injury prone the past few years, and can be a huge headache. If he would go for a one or two year deal I would take a shot at him.

As far as catching goes I would stick with the tandem of Castro and Schneider although there has been rumors about Pudge coming to the Mets. I like Pudge but I wouldn't cut either Castro or Schneider for him. Depending on who we could get in a trade I may consider trading one of them and bringing Pudge aboard. However I would just stick with Castro and Schnider.

Right Field is Church. I wouldn't trade him unless we could get someone real good and I don't see that happening. I like Church alot and he should be the starting day RF.

Now finally to the Bench. Castro as the backup catcher. Endy Chavez and Fernando Tatis as the 4 and 5th outfielders. I would bring Trot Nixon back on a minor league deal and give him the shot to make the team because he is the ideal gritty tough nosed gamer. I would aslo bring Angel Pagan back on a minor league deal to see if he can recover from his injruty. I would ring Robinson Cancel back on a minor league deal. Argenis Reyes is a nice back up option for 2b. Easley is a solid and good player but he may be a little too old and injury prone to bring back. I would also have Valentino Pascucci as a backup 1b and possibly give Chris Aguila a shot as a backup OF.

So here is my ideal situation:

C: Schneider
1b: Delgado
2b: Castillo
ss: J. Reyes
3b. Wright
LF: Dunn
CF: Beltran
RF: Church

BN: Castro
BN: Chavez
BN: Pascucci
BN: Tatis
BN: A. Reyes

The Other Side of Things in the NL East by T-Stro

A look at the Phillies by Tim Mastro

In March 2007 Jimmy Rollins had the “audacity” to claim that the Phillies were the team to beat in the NL East, not the Mets. After this comment he was abused and hated for what he said (what is he suppose to say? "The Mets are better than us"?). It was almost laughable to some at the time, how was a Phillie team made up of some unproven young players, some never-wases, some supposedly has-beens, and some good players here and there, suppose to be better than the free-spending, headline grabbing New York Mets. Fast forward to now; with a MVP award on his shelf and back to back NL East titles, its J-Roll that’s having the last laugh.

As a student at the University of Delaware I’m basically right in the heart of Phillie country. Two of my roommates are from the Philly area so I’ve watched almost every Phillies game since we moved back in. The only baseball I get here is the Phils (aside from the occasional O’s or Nats game on MASN). As a Met fan I’m suppose to hate the Phillies and root against them and I do, but they are just so fun to watch, aside from possible the worst commentary team in the history of sports. *RANT* I understand Harry Kalas is a legend but he is so annoying. Gary Matthews has the IQ of a four year old and sounds like he’s chewing on rocks, while Chris Wheeler is probably the most biased color man ever. “Wheels” is only outdone by the bias on the post-game show (especially you Mitch Williams, two words: Joe Carter), love those announcers that use the words we and us. *RANT OVER*

While watching the Phightin Phils one thing sticks out to me in particular and that is how much they remind me of the 99-00 Mets. The quality that both these teams share is that neither was ever out of a game. This whole September even if the Phils were down, somehow you think they would win, meanwhile with the current crop of Mets even if they were up, somehow you think they would find a way to lose. Just like the 2000 Mets it seemed almost like a different person every night would step up and be the hero for the Phillies. Both teams had so many weapons that could change the game at any point in time. They both were also so good at doing the little things like going from first to third, hitting behind the runner, sacrifices etc.

What is it that makes the Phils so good? It starts with the pitching. Young Cole Hamels was slowly brought up a couple years ago and is now turning into one of the premier pitchers in the game. The wily veteran Jamie Moyer is still going strong into his 40s while Brett Myers has shaped up his sometimes erratic behavior on and off the field and while doing so has found his ace potential stuff. A midseason trade saw the Phils acquire Joe Blanton as a solid number 4 starter. Then there is one of if not the best bullpens in the National League. Led by closer Brad Lidge, who they took a big risk on (that Pujols homerun is still probably traveling in orbit somewhere) and it certainly has paid off as Lidge did not blow a single save this year. Its not just Lidge however, the pen also contains solid and reliable relievers like J.C Romero, Scott Eyre, Ryan Madson, Rudy Seanez, and Chad Durbin (so this is what a functioning bullpen looks like… neat).

The Phils also have one of the most fearsome lineups in the league, its strong, fast, balanced, and has tons of pop, complete with a solid bench as well. Jayson Werth has figured out how to hit right-handers and has emerged into a legit star. Pat Burrell started the season off looking like an MVP candidate, and while he did find himself in a slump in August he woke up at the end of September to help the Phils into October. Shane Victorino is one of the best sparkplugs in the game and Charlie Manuel’s decision to move him down in the order to provide energy to the bottom of the lineup proved to be a genius move. Ryan Howard started off the season terribly but he turned it around and managed to help power the Phils and get himself a mention in the MVP race. J-Roll proved to be a tough leader and an energizer for this offense. This is J-Rolls team and he wants the pressure on himself to take this team to the next level, J-Roll thrives on this pressure and he almost always seems to come through in tough situations (are you taking notes Mr. Reyes?). Finally the Phillies have something so important it deserves its own paragraph:

They have Chase Utley.

33 HRs 104 RBIs and 113 Rs are some crazy good numbers for a second baseman. Also consider that Utley finished the season hitting safely in 18 of his last 19 games while the Phillies were making their surge past the Mets into first and into October. The last time I’ve seen a player that was as pure as a hitter as Utley was Edgardo Alfonzo. Alfonzo developed into a star in the late 90s and early 2000s and was amazingly clutch for the Mets back then. Utley right now is developing into probably the best player in the NL behind Albert Pujols.

Last year after the Mets’ collapse it was clear that the Phillies did not really win the division as much as the Mets lost it. The Phillies were thrilled with making into the playoffs that they were quickly dismissed by the Rockies. This year it seems like the Phillies really won the division. This year the celebrations at Citizens Bank Park were much more subdued than last year. Its like the Phillies expected to make the playoffs this year, they have higher goals than just making it this time around. This year they are not just happy to be there, they are actual World Series contenders.

Off Season Moves : The Rotation

This is going to be the first of several editions of my ideas on what the Mets should do this off season. (Silver lining for my day yesterday: I won my fantasy league and $300) I'm going to do this series in parts. Let's all not try to overreact to the defeat yesterday and move on. Part 1: the Starting Rotation.

So for next season we have 3/5ths of the rotation already under contract: Johan Santana, John Maine, and Mike Pelfrey. All 3 of these guys have ace potential. Santan however is the only known commodity (should win Cy Young this year but probably won't). Pelfrey pitched many innings over his career high so people worry about an injury risk for next year/ bad year due to wear down. I don't think this should be much of a problem though. Maine has the potential to be an good number 2 guy and hopefully he rebounds quickly from his offseason surgery to remove the bone spurs from his elbow. Now that leaves 2 spots open with possibly the best 1 -3 punch in baseball if all stay healthy and live up to expectations.

Free Agent pithcers: Oliver Perez, Ben Sheets, CC Sabathia, Pedro Martinez, Randy Wolf, Kyle Loshe, Derek Lowe, AJ Burnett (possibly), Freddy Garcia, Paul Byrd, Jon Garland, Carl Pavano, Brad Penny (possibly), and Mark Prior just to name a few.

I am a huge fan of both Sheets and Perez as far as top of the line starters go. Sheets is one of the best pitchers in the league when healthy but he can't stay healthy. Perez is one of the best pitchers in the league when in the zone, however he often loses his head and his control goes along with it. I would be happy with signing either of these guys but the prices may be too high. I would be happy with signing one of them and Pedro. I know he sucked this year but this was the first real year he pitched without his "stuff". He was never able to find a groove and he is one of the smartest pitchers in the game. He is a clubhouse leader and a fun guy. He won't cost draft picks because he is not Type A or B free agent. He can come back as a number 5 starter and he could end up pitching like a number 3. Look at Mike Mussina. Great year this year after he was supposedly done and he is not nearly as good of a clubhouse guy as Pedro. If we decide to go for cheaper options than Perez or Sheets, I would definitely love to get Lowe. I say sign a combo of Sheet/Perez and Pedro or Lowe and Pedro. I also really like Paul Byrd but wouldn't sign him over Pedro. Freddy Garcia also wouldn't be a bad signing. I do not think Niese is ready to start in the Majors yet.

As for minor league depth. Bring back Claudio Vargas, Tony Armas, Nelson Figueroa (love him), and Brandon Knight. Knight and Figueroa could both be good long men. Also sign Mark Prior to a minor league deal. I love low risk/high reward moves like that. I was all for signing Colon this offseason to a minor league deal and if he'd go for why not again this year.

Playoff Predictions by Stevie D.

Hers playoff predictions from Stevie D. I'm surprised because I agree with most of it but I'll do mine later.

Play-offs predictions:
National League:
The Cubs are the National League Favorites, having the best pitching, starting with Zambrano, Harden, Lilly, and Dempster, and bullpen, in the NL and maybe in baseball. However, 100 years of sadness, chokes, and near-misses come to mind. The Phillies present the biggest challenge to the Cubs, having a better line-up, a solid bullpen anchored by Lidge who hasn’t blown a save this year and a decent starting rotation, anchored by the young gun Cole Hamels and the old vet, Jamie Moyer. I see these two teams meeting in the NLCS, with the Cubs and their better pitching prevailing, as pitching wins in the postseason.

American League:
The American League is much tighter and more complex than the National League. The ALDS gets off to a great match up with the Angels playing the Red Sox. I believe the winner of this series will represent the American League in the World Series. The Angels are healthier, have the better bullpen, and have as good as a rotation. The Red Sox have a strong rotation and a better line-up, as well as more play-off experience and you can never count out the defending champs. I’m going to go with the Angles, though I hate both of these teams and wished there was a way they would both lose, but it cannot happen. The Rays, the young, surprise AL East winners, will take on the winner of the AL Central. Though they may have play-off jitters, I see them moving on. In the Rays vs. The Angels, it’s the young scrappy team that has won with timely hitting and solid starting pitching against the high priced team with great pitching and a powerful middle of the line-up. I think that the Angels experience and pitching will be too much for the Rays to handle and that they will move on to the World Series.

World Series:
I predict it as the Cubs vs. the Angels. If this is the Series, be prepared for a well pitched exciting series in which every game comes down to the late innings. The Cubs have the edge in the starting pitching and it’s a toss-up on the bullpens. The Angels have the better line-up, with more weapons in the middle. The Cubs also have the expectations of 100 years on their back, which might make them tight. However, I believe that the Cubs are going to win in 7 games, behind Zambrano and Harden, who will each win two games and just enough hitting to support those guys.

AL vs. NL by Stevie D.

Here's another post by new writer Stevie D. I disagree with a decent amount of the stuff in here and will almost definitely write a response to this.

AL vs NL

By Steven Delianites

There is a growing gap between the two baseball leagues. The American League has been dominating the National League for the last two years. “The Junior Circuit” or the American League as it’s called, in the last two years has posted a 286-217 record (.569 winning percentage) in interleague play over the last two years, going 149-102 in 2008, whipping “the Senior Circuit.” The American League has also gone unbeaten in the last 11 all-star games (10-0-1). The Worst division in baseball is in the National League, the NL West and the best is in the American League, AL East. This year, the Yankees and Mets finished with the same record, the Yankees finished 6 games out of the wild card, the Mets only 1. Last year, the Red Sox crushed the Rockies in the World Series, sweeping them and out-scoring them by a huge margin. 3 out of the top 4 records in baseball are in the AL. The AL has home field advantage again in the World Series. All four play-off teams in the National League have under .500 records against the American League, as opposed to the American League play-off teams who are all over .500 against the NL. All these signs point to an American League team winning the World Series again and distancing the AL as the superior league. There are several reasons for this. The first and foremost is better pitching, both starting and in the bullpen. One of the most telling signs is AL pitchers coming to the NL and having better stats and being much better pitchers, though there are exceptions (Barry Zito). The AL’s ERA is lower than the NL’s ERA. The American League also has more offense. The more traditional baseball fan would argue that the DH is ruining baseball and has given the AL this big advantage, but it’s not just the DH that is giving the AL more offense. The National League has fallen behind in terms of talent, attendance, and in spending wisely. The NL needs to win the World Series this year to show they are just as good and can hang with the “big boys.”These figures are important with the World Series coming up.

Who's to Blame?

Who is to blame for the Mets missing the post season in 2008? There are many different people and moves that can be blamed for the Mets season. I personally agree with what Mets owner Jeff Wilpon said today "I feel totally different than last year. I think last year we underachieved. This year we overachieved.'' I have to agree with him. I think that the Mets were lucky to be where they were. Without injuries I feel that the Mets were the best team in the league. They would have had the best rotation in baseball. Their offense would have been drammatically better and the bullpen would have been better. If you have to blame one single thing, blame injuries because we had a ton. Check out my earlier post for all the injuries "Goodbye Shea and 2008 Mets." If you want to blame individual people, there's alot to be spread around. You can blame nearly every member of the bullpen because at one point in time they blew a game. You can blame Manuel for his use of the bullpen. He overused the same guys day in and day out regardless of the situation. Even today he left Schow in when a right handed PH was announced. You can blame Wright for not hitting enough with runners in scoring position all year. You can blame plenty of people. I don't blame individuals. The offense didn't show up and the bullpen choked. In reality the Mets overachieved due to all of the injuries. You cannot really blame them for this. Sure it sucks that they didn't make the playoffs but thats life. Last year they should have made it. Last year they choked. This year is a little different in my eyes. Life goes on. Next year guys.

Spirit- by A, Gochal

This is the first post that is not by me (The Red King). It is by new writer Gochal. Here it is, copy and pasted right from the email.

Spirit

Watching the Mets is one of the most exciting things professionally sports has to offer. In looking at other teams in the league no one appears to have quite as much fun as the Mets have day in and day out. I mean isn’t that the fundamental aspect of baseball. Anyone whose played little league has heard at least 100 times “Just go out there and have fun”, or “win or lose you’re here to have fun and play baseball”. The Mets simply love the game and love to have fun. They are in touch with that inner spirit of the game, and that is why they are the best team in baseball. Look at what happens when you just have fun, your fans have fun, you win games, and you make unbelievable plays. I mean if your just having fun then you’re not thinking about the pressure. The obvious Met who love to have fun of course is Jose Reyes, but take a look at Endy Chaves. Time after time he comes up with big plays, and why is that? He’s not thinking about the pressure he’s just there to play the game. It’s a known fact that when you’re relaxed and not nervous you play better, and Endy is a perfect example of this.

One conversation I always seem to have with people is the difference between college and professional sports. The general idea that I get is that college sports are more enjoyable to watch. For the most part I agree with this. In college, athletes seem to play harder because it is for their own reasons, their own reputation. Professional athletes seem to lose that edge once they start getting paid. They tend to focus on making money, and playing like it’s their duty to play, not because of their love for the game. In general I would agree with these people, college sports are more enjoyable, except the Mets. The Mets have that spirit, that edge, that love for the sport and it shows every play.

Most simply stated, The Mets have fun, love the game, and that makes them the best team in baseball.