Blogging Mets

High Noon was 4pm Saturday — the non-waiver trade deadline. It came and went with nary a whimper from the New York Mets. The Mets stood pat while everyone around them made trades in an effort to get better. Omar Minaya is apparently happy with the team he assembled.

Make no mistake, none of the trades made Saturday will be world-changers. Those blockbusters (Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Dan Haren) were made earlier in the month. These were deals to make their teams a little bit better. And with the Mets doing nothing, teams that were already better than the Mets pulled that much more ahead of them.

It appears Minaya was working the phones all morning and afternoon. He reportedly offered Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo to the Cubs for Carlos Zambrano — a “your trash for our trash” proposition. The Cubs said no, reportedly not wanting to take Castillo and his barely-to-the-outfield-grass power. This would have been a good one for the Mets. Zambrano is a handful, but he’s still got talent. When he’s on, he’s an ace. Perez and Castillo are just dead weight, although to be fair Castillo has improved considerably since his nightmare first full season with the team, when he was injured half the time, and looked disinterested when he did take the field.

Remember when Steve Phillips offered Darryl Hamilton and Dennis Cook to the Dodgers for a still-in-his-prime Gary Sheffield? Well, the Astros reportedly made a similarly ridiculous offer to the Mets — Bobby Parnell and Josh Thole for Brett Myers. I don’t think I would have traded those two for Roy Oswalt, let alone for a far inferior pitcher in Myers.  Had Minaya made that deal he would have deserved far more than being fired — I’m thinking a public hanging from his ankles a la Mussolini, complete with rock throwing, torch-bearing Mets fans.

The Pirates also wanted to send former Met Octavio Dotel back to Flushing in exchange for a lefty pitcher named Robert Carson. I don’t know anything about this Carson character, but one scout called him “a sleeper,” so it was probably a good thing that Minaya turned this deal down as well.

I think other GMs sensed the Mets desperation and figured they would try to extort Minaya. But to his credit, Minaya said no. That’s all the credit he gets, however.

Minaya earlier said he didn’t want to make a trade “for the sake of making a trade.” On the surface I agree with this strategy. But what kind of a message does it send to the fans by doing nothing? Other teams were able to pull off deals that make them marginally better. Why couldn’t the Mets? Perhaps they are unwilling to take on even a dime of extra payroll. Perhaps the Mets value their prospects very highly, and don’t want to let them go. Or perhaps aside from the top tier prospects, the Mets have no one that any other team wants. 

Whatever the reason, it’s more of the same from the Mets — nothing. And we’re getting damn tired of it.

July 2010 is not a month that Mike Pelfrey will recall fondly. He did not go to his first All-Star game. He did not win a game, losing three. His ERA for season rose from 2.93 to 4.10. He watched a potential 20-win season go by the wayside. The way things are going, he’ll be lucky to win 15.

If you told any Mets fan before the season that Pelfrey would win 15 games this year, they would have happily taken it. But the way he started the season now makes that a disappointment. He was looking like the legitimate number two starter the Mets desperately needed. He doesn’t look like that anymore.

It points out what a huge mistake Omar Minaya made by not obtaining a frontline starter in the off season, and that was magnified by his inability to land Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt or Dan Haren over the past few weeks. R.A. Dickey is pitching like a number two right now, but as I’ve written in the past, how long will that last? Hopefully it lasts for the rest of the season, but who can tell?

According to the New York Post,  Minaya’s trade deadline strategy is to get a starter who is having a down year so he doesn’t have to give up any good prospects. That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Has Minaya thought for a moment that maybe those pitchers are having bad years because they are on the downside of their careers? The paper uses Guillermo Mota in 2006 as a successful  example of that strategy. That is not fair because, as we learned later, Mota only put up good numbers because he was on steroids.

The Mets cannot win with this pitching staff. We all knew that going into the season. Why didn’t Minaya?

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Oh, by the way, the Mets lost Friday night — a loss that can be blamed on a Jose Reyes error. It was a simple play, but the ball just skipped over his glove. Gee, who wrote the other day that something is not right with Reyes in the field?

Well, it’s official — Roy Oswalt is going to the Phillies for J.A. Happ and a couple of prospects. And my question is this — how could the Mets let that happen?

Now, I know what you’re saying — how could the Mets stop it? Well, the Yankees seem to be able to stop their opponents from getting players. Cecil Fielder, Jose Canseco, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira to name a few. Why do the Mets always sit by impotently and watch their rivals get better?

I don’t know if the Mets were ever in on Oswalt. They certainly can’t use money as a reason. According to reports, the Astros will pay $11 million of the $23 million Oswalt is owed through next season. And Oswalt didn’t demand that his $16 million option be picked up for 2012 in order to waive his no trade clause. So the Phillies get Oswalt for a season and a third for $12 million (plus a $2 million buyout if the 2012 option is  not picked up). That’s a bargain for a front-line starter.

Over the course of a year, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. has been able to trade for three of the best pitchers in the game — Oswalt, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. He traded Lee away in the off-season amid much criticism, knowing full well the Phillies were not going to be able to afford the $100+ million mega contract Lee will demand on the free agent market this winter. But he made up for it now by getting Oswalt, who is just as good as Lee, but costs much, much less.

This just points to the inadequacy of Omar Minaya. Minaya is good at throwing money at big free agents, and he did a remarkable job of picking up such unwanted guys as R.A. Dickey and Rod Barajas this past off-season. But when it comes to making big, team-altering trades, Minaya is not up to the task. Yes, obtaining Johan Santana for next to nothing was a stroke of patience and brilliance. The Carlos Delgado was a good one, too. But that’s pretty much it. Creative thinking is not one of Minaya’s few strengths.

As I said, I have no idea if the Mets were ever serious about Oswalt. Based on the deal with the Phillies, it is safe to assume the Astros wanted a young, major league-ready pitcher such as Mike Pelfrey or Jonathon Niese to headline any trade. If that is the case, it was probably wise for Minaya to stand pat. Although, in a best case scenario, Pelfrey and Niese will turn out to be as good as Oswalt. So why take a chance that they will not be as good, and why not trade either one for the real thing? Age and health have a lot to do with it, I’m sure.

If the Astros would have taken Jenrry Meija, then the Mets were stupid not to pull the trigger. Meija looks great, and he pitched reasonably well out of the bullpen this season before being sent down to be a starter, but he has yet to prove he can make it as a major league starter. Pelfrey and Niese have, which is why the Mets were smart not to give them up. But of course, these reasons are why the Astros probably didn’t want Meija as the main guy in the trade.

But all of this is just a bunch of words. The end result is that Philadelphia now has the best one-two punch in the game, a distinction that could have been designated in Flushing.

David Wright and Jose Reyes have been the faces of the New York Mets for the past half-decade. The left side of their infield is one of the Mets’ strengths, withthe teams fortunes hinging on its success, both offensively and defensively. But the left side just doesn’t seem right lately, defensively anyway.

Have you noticed Wright is throwing everything sidearm? He used to come over the top on his throws to first, unless he had a lot of time, then he would drop down. And that’s when Wright would have problems. His sidearm throws would often tail away from the first baseman. He was always much better coming over the top.

But lately everything is sidearm, which makes me wonder — is there an arm issue to worry about? Throwing sidearm is what players do when they are having arm or shoulder issues. I have no idea if that is the case. Wright certainly hasn’t said anything. I just wonder.

Now to Reyes, who doesn’t seem himself in the infield these days. He is dropping ground balls, and other plays he always makes are skipping by him. That ground ball in the first inning of Wednesday’s game is just the latest example. I don’t think there is a physical issue. Perhaps he is losing concentration. I have no idea, but I think it’s worth sitting both Wright and Reyes down and asking if there is anything wrong.

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Speaking of physical issues, the Mets said on Wednesday that Jason Bay may wind up on the disabled list with the “mild concussion” he suffered when he slammed into the wall while making that sensational catch in Los Angeles last Friday.

He actually played Saturday and Sunday before the headaches started Sunday night. Let’s hope the Mets truly learned their lesson from the Ryan Church fiasco and don’t rush him back. Perhaps the blow to the head is what Bay needs to straighten out his season!

*****

Nice comeback from 6 runs down Wednesday night, but the Mets need actual victories, not moral victories. What in the world was Jerry Manuel thinking by pitching to Albert Pujols with runners on first and third in the 13th? You have Pedro Feliciano, who should never pitch to right handed hitters, up against one of the greatest right handed hitter in baseball history. There were no righties in the bullpen, but rather than walking Pujols and taking his chances with Matt Holliday, Manuel had Feliciano pitch to Pujols. And of course he came through with the game winning hit. They always say, “don’t let their best hitter beat you.” And that’s just what Manuel allowed to happen. Another reason why Manuel’s got to go.

The MLB non-waiver trade deadline is Saturday, July 31st, and by all accounts, the Mets will be happy to watch the clock strike 4PM Eastern Time without making any deals. Most reports agree that the Mets are not anxious to make a move, that they don’t want to make a trade just for the sake of making one. I agree with that thinking, but how about making a trade so the team can be better?

I’ve already made my feelings known about Roy Oswalt. I would trade  any minor leaguer in the Mets system for him, but it appears the Astros want major league-ready talent, such as Jon Niese, in addition to blue chip prospects. Unless Houston lowers its demands, Oswalt isn’t going anywhere.

I would also explore the trade value of Angel Pagan. Pagan is overachieving this season, and his trade value will never be higher. And looking ahead, where does he fit in with the Mets in 2011? Assuming Bay and Beltran don’t go anywhere, the Mets are going to need another big bat in right. In fact, given the lineup, it’s the only place to make a major upgrade. Pagan is a nice player, but the Mets need more. The Mets might make a play for free agent Carl Crawford, who would replace Beltran in center in 2012 (or sooner if the Mets trade Beltran, which I actually advocated last off-season before his knee surgery). The Mets don’t need Crawford and Pagan in the same lineup — Crawford is like a much better version of Pagan. Pagan is important to the Mets right now, and I’m not saying to give up on this season, but if he’s not in the team’s future plans and he could net someone substantial now, I say it must be considered.

Then there is the nonsense with the Royals. The always-wrong, five-foot tall Ken Rosenthal broke into “MLB Tonight” on the MLB Network Sunday night to report that the Mets were having “discussions” with the Kansas City. He claimed the deals being bandied-about were Oliver Perez for Gil Meche, Jeff Francoeur for Kyle Farnsworth, and/or Luis Castillo for Jose Guillen. Both teams denied any deal is imminent. And pretty much every other reporter, reporters who are right at least some of the time, said there is nothing to it. Good work as usual, Rosenthal.

Which brings us to the only player the Mets have a realistic chance of obtaining — Ted Lilly. I’ll take a moment so you to catch the breath that you just lost upon hearing of such an exciting deal. Lilly’s presence would allow the Mets to slide Hisanori Takahashi (whom Rosenthal called “Ken Takahashi” — the guy from last year – in one of his well-researched reports during Saturday’s game) into the bullpen where he belongs, strengthening that part of the club. But Lilly is not the difference-maker Oswalt would be, or Cliff Lee would have been. I would trade for Lilly, but I wouldn’t give up prospects of any note — certainly not Jenrry Mejia. That would be Kazmir-Zambrano Part II. Lilly is perfectly adequate, but not much more than that.

Perfectly adequate — it seems that is what the Mets have been striving for lately. Don’t the loyal, long-suffering fans deserve more?

Ever since I moved to Los Angeles in 2006, I anxiously awaited the release of the Mets upcoming schedule so I could see when they were coming West. That first season, I couldn’t wait for them to come to LA in June, so I drove down to San Diego when they played there in April. In June I saw them in beautiful Dodger Stadium, then followed them to Arizona to watch a game in the warehouse like BOB (as in Bank One Ballpark, its name before Chase gobbled up the bank and put its own name on the field). 

As the years went on, the trips out of town ended but I still took the short drive to Dodger Stadium to see my hometown team. Not this year, though. Even though it was circled on my calender, I just didn’t want to go. Why spend upwards of $100 to watch an offense that can’t get out if its own way when I can watch the game on TV? After watching those games, I didn’t regret my decision in  the least.

What a difference four years make. That 2006 road trip went down in team history — the Mets went 9-1 in LA, Arizona and Philadelphia, solidifying their hold on the NL East. This time around, they went 2-9 (including one gift win from the umpires) in San Francisco, Arizona and LA, losing their grip on the Wild Card chase. The Mets were shut out four times, managing only 23 runs — that’s an average of two runs per game. That is not going to get it done, and it certainly didn’t.

The only positive you can take away from this trip is that the pitching was generally pretty good — two of those shutouts were 1-0, the other two 2-0. They also lost by the score of 3-2 twice, and 4-3 once. If  the Mets offense could even gave approached a mediocre level, they could have easily gone at least 6-5.

So what happens now? Yesterday I called for the firing of Jerry Manuel, but that won’t happen for one simple reason — if Omar Minaya fires Manuel, then Minaya himself is the next to go of things turn even worse. If he fires Howard Johnson as I expect he might, even though Minaya says no changes are planned, then he still has someone else to blame (Manuel) if the downward trend continues. Minaya certainly wants to build a winner, but he’s also fighting to save his own neck.

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Speaking of fighting, how about that scene on the mound yesterday between Manuel and R.A. Dickey? If you missed it, Dickey apparently tweaked his hamstring in the 6th inning. He convinced Manuel and the trainer that he should remain in the game. But two batters later after hobbling off the mound if field a grounder, they paid another trip to the mound.

This time Manuel wanted to take Dickey out. Dickey protested — in fact, I can’t recall ever seeing a pitcher plead that much to stay in a game. He didn’t seem to yell — it all seemed very professional and respectful. But when it was all said and done, Dickey was gone.

“R.A., he’s a bulldog,” Manuel said after the game. “He is a tremendous competitor and he wanted to stay in the game in the worst way. But because I saw him trying to protect it, I didn’t think it was wise to let him throw anymore.”

“Jerry and I, we are just now learning how to communicate with one another,” Dickey said. “He needs to know what he can trust. He knows I am a competitor. He has managed competitors his whole life, so a lot of people tell him one thing, when in actuality it’s something totally different. I respect Jerry immensely, and more than that I know without a shadow of a doubt that he has my best interests at heart.”

Dickey said he doesn’t expect to miss his next start. Let’s hope he’s right, because the Mets really can’t do without him right now.

I’m not a “fire the manager” kind of guy. The manager is generally blameless when a team stops hitting or pitching. But sometimes a manager just has to go. The uninspiring Art Howe earned his dismissal. Willie Randolph should have been fired following the 2007 season — someone had to pay for the epic late-season collapse, and because no one did, the hangover lasted into 2008 until he was finally fired midway through the season. And now it should be Jerry Manuel’s turn to be shown the door.

Sure, Manuel is a nice guy and he gives great quotes and the players seem to like him. And no one is blaming him for the ineptitude of the Mets offense on that dismal 2-9 West coast swing. He’s just not a good manager, and the lack of hitting just magnifies that.

Manuel often makes decisions that can only be described as baffling. For example, on Saturday, in the 12th with the game on the line and runners on second and third with one out, Manuel brings in… Oliver Perez? Yes, that Oliver Perez. Oh, and Frankie Rodriguez was sitting in the bullpen waiting for the call. If there was a situation where a game needed saving, this was it. Rodriguez has had his problems lately, but whom would you rather have on the mound in that situation?

Manuel wanted Perez. With human walk-off Andre Ethier next up, it made sense to walk him and load the bases. However, Manuel decided to pitch to Ethier. Fortunately he fouled out, but still, I thought it was a mistake to pitch to him. Rafael Furcal was then intentionally walked (again, I would have rather pitched to him than Ethier), and Jamey Carroll grounded out to get Perez miraculously out of the inning.

Okay, so Perez somehow got the job done, so does Manuel just shake his hand and rest on that laurel? No, he brings him out for the next inning (did I mention K-Rod was sitting in the bullpen?), and Perez promptly, and predictably gave up a game winning home run to James Loney.

Maybe Manuel was thinking he had another 20-inning game on his hands, and with the bullpen empty (except for his closer) he wanted to leave Perez in there to pitch several innings and avoid using a starter. Perhaps Manuel shouldn’t have used three pitchers in the eighth, but that’s besides the point. Anyway, he should have known Perez is damaged goods, that he cannot depend on him for anything. Perez got him out of one jam — Manuel should have been happy with that. Instead, Manuel (and Perez) cost the Mets the game.

That was just the most recent example of Manuel’s strategic shortcomings. He also insists on sacrifice bunting whenever the occasion arises. Now, admittedly I am a fierce opponent of sacrificing in most situations, so I am critical of that strategy in general. But Manuel consistently calls for bunts early in games when they are definitely not necessary. And I can’t for the life of me understand why he continues to bunt with a runner on second base and no outs. I see what he’s going for — move a runner to third so he can score on an out. But all that does is take your team out of a potentially big inning.

A manager can only have so much effect on what happens on the field. The rare good strategist, like a Bobby Valentine or a Tony LaRussa, can actually win games with their moves. But a bad strategist, like Manuel in my opinion, can actually cost his team games. And that’s just what Manuel is doing. It’s time for him to go. As far as a replacement, some guy named Valentine is available…

These past few games since the All Star break have truly exposed the Mets deficiencies — hitting and pitching (isn’t that all baseball is, anyway?!) I have two quick fixes for these problems — Roy Oswalt and Adam Dunn.

Let’s start with the pitching. Johan Santana and Jon Niese are doing just fine, and will probably remain that way for the rest of the season. My first half MVP R.A. Dickey has been sensational. The Mets need him to continue to pitch like he has been if they have any hope for the post season. But what are the odds of that? Journeymen pitchers usually revert to form at some point (see Figueroa, Nelson). Then we have Mike Pelfrey, who was incredible up until his last four starts. What kind of Pelfrey can we expect for the rest of the season? Who knows. And then there’s Hisanori Takahashi. He started off well, but he’s proving lately that he belongs in the bullpen.

So that’s the rotation — two sure things (one of them a rookie), and three wild cards. Niese is very good, but he’s not a number 2 guy (not yet, anyway). Pelfrey was looking like a number 2, but not lately. Despite his performance thus far, Dickey is not a number 2 or 3 starter — he’s a 4 or 5 at best. He shouldn’t be counted on to be a top of the rotation guy. The Mets desperately need a dependable guy behind Santana, and that’s where Oswalt comes in.

It’s said the Astros are reluctant to pay any of the $25 million Oswalt is owed through next season. Plus, speculation is that Oswalt will want his $16 million option for 2012 picked up in order to waive his no-trade clause. I say, “so what.” The Mets can afford it, unless they are saving their money to make a run at Cliff Lee in the off-season. But it appears the Yankees really, really want him, and there no way the Mets will win a bidding war with the Yankees.

It’s also unknown whether the Astros are interested in any of the Mets farmhands. I would trade anyone in the system for Oswalt. I would also throw in Angel Pagan. He has been excellent this season, but his trade value has never been higher, and if they can get a difference-maker for Pagan, I would do it in a second.

Now to the hitting, where the Mets have been anemic since the All Star break. I was a big proponent of signing Dunn when he was a free agent following the 2008 season. The Mets needed a power-hitting left fielder, and Dunn was out there, ready for the plucking. And for some reason, I don’t think the Mets ever considered him. Sure, Dunn strikes out a lot. But he’s also good for 40 homers and a near .400 on base percentage because he also walks so often. And he ended up signing a reasonable 2-year, $20 million contract.

A year and a half later, he would still fit nicely into the lineup. Imagine having that home run threat in the middle of the lineup, surrounded by Wright, Beltran, Bay and Davis. He’s not a great fielder, but he’d be adequate in left, assuming Jason Bay can play right. Bay has been a pleasant surprise in the field, and I think he could slide over to right. I have no idea what the Nationals want for Dunn, or even if they are sold on the idea of trading him. So this could all be moot.

But you know what, none of this will happen. The Mets just don’t make bold, creative moves anymore. When it looked like the Yankees were about to land Lee before the All Star break, I said to my friend, “This is the difference between the Mets and the Yankees. The find a player they want and they just go out and get him, regardless of the cost in money or prospects. The Mets don’t do that.” Granted, they are practically printing money up in The Bronx. But they are also printing World Series tickets. At some point, the Mets need to step up and do what it takes to get to late October.

If you told Mets fans before the season began that at the All Star break, Carlos Beltran would have played exactly zero games, Jason Bay would have as many home runs as Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan, Johan Santana would be just about a .500 pitcher with a dramatic decline in velocity, and Oliver Perez and John Maine would be out of the rotation (well, that would have been no surprise to anyone than Omar Minaya), they would have told you the Mets would probably be battling for the cellar in the NL East. In fact, they probably would have been confident placing a bet on that. Instead, they are four games out of first, and one game off the pace in the Wild Card race. How are they doing it? Let’s take a look:

David Wright

Wright is back to his old self. He’s tied for the league lead in RBIs with 65, is 7th in hitting at .314, and has 14 home runs — 4 more than all of last season. Wright went into the break red-hot — driving the ball like the good old days.

Ike Davis

Before Davis joined the team, the middle of the lineup had Wright and Jason Bay… and nothing. Davis added another threat in the middle of that lineup, making it far more formidable. He’s one pace for 20 homers and 80 RBIs — not a bad rookie year indeed. But he doesn’t look like a rookie — he has an idea of what he’s doing at the plate. He’s solid defensively as well, even taking away those three crazy circus catches.

Angel Pagan

Who could have expected this? Following a season in which it sometimes looked like he was playing another sport, Pagan has been playing excellent, fundamental baseball. His .315 batting average is 5th in the league. He also has 19 stolen bases, tied with a resurgent Jose Reyes for 4th in the league. He’s destined to spend some time on the bench when Carlos Beltran comes back after the All Star game, but Jerry Manuel will make sure Pagan gets his at-bats.

Starting Pitching

Despite his ordinary 7-5 record, Santana is 10th in the league with a 2.98 ERA. He could easily have as many as 12 wins if the offense had cooperated. But he has lost something on his fastball, and that’s a  concern. Mike Pelfrey should have been an All-Star. Up until his last few starts, Pelfrey was finally living up to his potential. His 10 wins is tied for third in the NL. Jon Niese is having a solid rookie year — 6-3, 3.61 ERA. Hisanori Takahashi has been up and down (mostly up) with a 7-3 ERA.  And then there’s…

First Half MVP

R.A. Dickey? Wright would have been an obvious, not incorrect choice. You could make a case for Pelfrey as well. But I’m going with Dickey. Keep in mind the circumstances that surrounded his call-up. The Mets were coming off that horrendous four-game sweep at the hands of the Marlins in which they lost one starter because of injury (Niese), and two to incompetence (Perez and Maine). The season could have been over right there. But Dickey came up and brought stability to an incredibly unstable situation. He and his knuckleball have been sensational — 6-2, 2.77 ERA in 10 starts. How long can his magic last? No one thought it would last this long, so who can say? Let’s just enjoy the ride.

So what does the second half have in store? Can Dickey keep it up (that sounds dirty)? Will Beltran be his old self, or will there be considerable rust? Can Jeff Francoeur get on another streak and keep Pagan on the bench? Will Bay ever start to hit? And what ever happened to Sean Green? Will he remain in witness protection (along with Perez and Maine)? Let us pray that we never see those three again. Then the Mets will have a fighting chance for the post-season.

When Roger Clemens forced a trade from the Blue Jays to the Yankees prior to the 1999 season, he said he wanted to go to a club that had a chance of winning the World Series. And what better team than the Yankees, winners of two of the previous three championships? During a Mets broadcast, Ralph Kiner expressed his dismay at the move. He said he was surprised Clemens would want to be a cog on an established team, rather than being the leader, THE MAN, on an up-and-coming club. Well, LeBron James is following Clemens’ lead.

When Lebron announced Thursday night that he was joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, he said it gave him the best chance to win. He’ll get no argument there. But this is Wade’s team. This will never be LeBron’s team. He will never be THE MAN in Miami, as long as Wade is around. And apparently that’s okay with LeBron.

And that is a bit surprising. Most superstar athletes crave to be THE MAN. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal co-existed with the Lakers until Kobe couldn’t take it any more, and forced the team to decide between him and Shaq. Now Kobe is THE MAN in Los Angeles.

LeBron took the easy way out. It would have been a bold move to stay in Cleveland, where the path to a championship is not paved with Wade and Bosh. Choosing the Knicks would have also been bold. Or the Bulls. Even bolder if the Nets. And just crazy if he picked the loser Clippers. 

You want to know what a bold move is? When Reggie White was a free agent after the 1992 NFL season, there were rumors he was headed to the Green Bay Packers. No way the great White would go to a struggling Packers franchise and have to play in the middle of the winter in Wisconsin, said the “experts.” But he did indeed sign with the Packers, and helped make them Super Bowl champions (of course, having Brett Favre didn’t hurt, but White was THE MAN on that team).

You could even argue that Alex Rodriguez signing with a pretty crummy Texas Rangers team before the 2001 season was a bold move. But it appeared A-Rod was more motivated by money than winning, and it’s hard to call that “bold.” (Speaking of A-Rod, you think Scott Boras was watching LeBron’s one-hour special and saying, “Why didn’t I think of this?”). The same goes for Carlos Beltran when he picked the Mets in 2005, who were coming off the awful Art Howe years.

You have to hand it to LeBron for one thing — it wasn’t about the money. He could have signed with the Cavaliers for $30 million more, but chose to take less with the Heat. Of course, he’ll easily make that money up, and then some, with endorsements.

He took the easiest possible path to a championship. It’s hard to blame an athlete for that. It worked for Clemens — he owns two World Series rings. Clemens has his own issues now than worrying about not being the leader of those teams. But you have to wonder – when LeBron is an old man and looks back on his career, will he wish he was THE MAN on his championship teams, rather than the second (or third) fiddle? That is, if he wins any championships at all in Miami.