Blogging Mets

Mets Sign Jason Bay — 1/5/10

It took more than two months, but Omar Minaya finally got his man, signing Bay to a four-year, $66 million contract. Bay was the power hitter the Mets thought they needed to put them over the top.

20 Inning Game in St. Louis – 4/17/10

It was a game for the ages — a six hour, 53 minute marathon that saw the first 18 innings scoreless, then each team scoring a run in the 19th, and the Mets finally winning it in the 20th, 2-1. Closer Francisco Rodriguez got the win, starter Mike Pelfrey earned the save and outfielder/first baseman Joe Mather took the loss. It was that kind of game.

Ike Davis Flips Out Again and Again and Again – 5/11/10

With his major league career less than a month old, Davis pulled off his third flip-over-the-dugout-railing catch, this one the final out of a win against the Nationals. Davis’s solid rookie year gives the Mets hope for the future.

Mets Sweep Phillies in 3 Straight Shutouts — 5/25-5/27/10

The Mets proved, for the time being, anyway, that they were just as good as the Phillies, winning 8-0, 5-0 and 3-0 at Citi Field in the best three game series in years.

Mets Beat Yanks 4-0 — 6/18/10

This win at Yankee Stadium was significant for several reasons. First, they beat the Yankees. Second, it extended the Mets winning streak to eight games (their second such streak of the season).  Third, they went a season-high eleven games over .500 to stand at 39-28. It marked the high point of the season as it was all downhill from there, the Mets going  40-55 the rest of way.

Jason Bay’s Concussion — 7/23/10

Bay somehow managed to sustain what would be a season-ending concussion while making an incredible catch at Dodger Stadium. His head didn’t even hit the fence — rather, his face hit the padding, and the whiplash effect of his head bouncing back caused the injury.

K-Rod Family Feud — 8/11/10

Rodriguez decided it was a good idea to slug his girlfriend’s father in full view of his teammates’ wives and children. It was a damaging punch, and not just for the victim — K-Rod was suspended, he tore a ligament in his thumb and was lost for the season, he lost $3 million, and he was arrested and charged with assault. Not his best moment.

R.A. Dickey 1-hitter — 8/13/10

But this was Dickey’s best moment. The knuckleballer who came out of nowhere to be the team’s MVP threw a one-hitter against the Phillies. The only hit he allowed was a single to opposing pitcher Cole Hamels in the sixth inning.

Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel Fired — 10/4/10

These firings were well-deserved, as Minaya was a lousy GM and Manuel was a lousy manager. These moves mark the beginning of the Mets rebuilding process. 

Sandy Alderson Hired — 10/28/10

The Mets went out and got a seasoned pro to run the franchise — the first time we’ve been able to say that in a really long time. His early inactivity is likely a product of the roster and payroll he inherited. Alderson appears to have a plan that includes patience — a difficult concept for notoriously impatient Mets fans to stomach.

Mets GM Sandy Alderson made another blockbuster move on Monday to go along with the huge acquisitions of D.J. Carrasco and Ronny Paulino. He somehow was able to pry second baseman/shortstop Chin lung-Hu away from the Dodgers, tragically parting with minor league pitcher Mike Antonini.

If you’re like me, you are both panting and salivating at the thought of watching Hu patrol the middle of the Mets infield for years and years to come. It’s yet another shrewd move by the experienced and ultra-talented new Mets general manager and his highly-regarded lieutenants.

This useless move comes on the same day the Mets failed to make what really could have been a shrewd move — signing Brandon Webb (left). Instead, he signed with the Rangers for a reported base salary of just $3 million. If he meets incentives, the deal could be worth $8-$10 million.

Except for one start, Webb has missed the past two seasons to injury, so signing him is definitely a risk. But the Mets are apparently willing to sign Chris Young or Jeff Francis, and they are both damaged goods as well. Either one will likely cost around the same $3 million Webb got. But if Webb is healthy, he’s an ace. The other two are back-of-the-rotation guys at best.

The Mets are always talking about low cost-high return players. At $3 million, Webb definitely fits that description as well as their budget. And if he manages to meet his incentives, well, that just means he’s pitching like the ace he used to be.

This is different from the Ben Sheets signing last off-season. Sheets was in the same boat as Webb, yet he somehow commanded $10 million from the A’s — a high price to pay for a pitcher coming off an injury who ended up spending part of 2010 on the DL. $3 million for Webb is not too much.

Now, who knows if the Mets even considered Webb. Of if Webb even considered the Mets. Or what his medical records say. There are of course things we don’t know. But for a team starved for starting pitching, this seems like a low-cost opportunity that slipped away.

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez were adorable animated characters and they had a conversation about who sucked more? I know I have. Well, my dream has come true:

In a column in the Daily News on Saturday, Filip Bondy ran down the “scandals and setbacks” of New York’s sports teams in 2010. Among the many baffling comments (in writing about the LeBron James scandal, for example,  he calls Cleveland “just another New York suburb”), is the one he wrote about the firings and Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel:

Many fans view these dismissals as a positive, but Minaya in particular represented a long-term commitment by the Mets to recruit and sign players from all over North and Central America. He stuck his neck out with minority hires. The Mets quickly dived back into the good-old-boy network to find replacements, Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins.

Is Bondy saying that Minaya should have kept his job because he is a minority and brought in minority players and front office personnel? And is he criticizing the Wilpons for hiring white men as GM and manager? It certainly seems that is what he is saying.

I guess Bondy doesn’t look any further than the color of a person’s skin while evaluating their performance. Many of the moves Minaya made — moves that involved both minority and white players — did not work. That’s why he was fired, and deservedly so. The same goes for Manuel, who was a horrible manager, whether he was black and or white or green or blue.

There are definitely inequities in hiring in baseball, as well as every other sport. Most front office members are white, but all sports have taken measures to change that. And that’s a  good thing. But to suggest that a minority should keep his job simply because he is  a minority is just plain wrong, as is the suggestion that another minority should be hired to replace him.

In Alderson and Collins, the Mets went out and hired the people they thought were best for their respective  jobs — the same thinking that led to Minaya’s and Manuel’s hirings in the first place. I doubt the color of their skin played any role in the decisions.

The Mets have put together a promo to encourage fans to become season ticket holders. Now, the Mets are co-owners of a television network staffed with professional writers, producers and directors. It appears the Mets didn’t want to bother them to make this promo, apparently scouring junior high schools for the least talented kids they could find. This is just awful, especially the editing. The only thing I’ll say about Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins is that they must be better baseball people than actors. Also, make sure to check out Alderson’s “To Do” list — it does not include acquiring any players. Good thing he is sticking to the plan:

New Mets GM Sandy Alderson has pretty much done nothing so far this off-season to improve the team. Alderson warned us that given the payroll and roster constraints, the 2011 Mets would look much like the 2010 version, so this should not come as a shock to anyone. But still, are you disappointed that Alderson has not done more to make changes in a team that has proven to be flawed?

In my very first post in this site, I said that the Mets are arguably the most successful expansion team in baseball history, what with their four World Series appearances (most among expansion teams) and two victories (tied with the Blue Jays and Marlins). I decided to take a closer look, using using playoff appearances and .500 or better winning seasons. Since the teams have not played in the same number of seasons, I used percentages as well. Then I made this nifty chart (leaders in bold): 

Yes, the Mets do indeed lead all expansion teams when it comes to the World Series, but their regular season performance leaves much to be desired –  their seven playoff appearances is among the leaders, but less than half of their seasons have been .500 or better.

The Astros are the most successful regular season expansion team with nine playoff appearances, tied with the Angels. And they lead the way when it comes to .500 or better seasons. However, with just one losing World Series appearance, it is hard to call them the most successful franchise.

The Angels won in their only World Series appearance. For all of their playoff experience, they need more than one championship to be called the best.

In their short history, the Diamondbacks have done well, with one World Series win, and appearing in the playoffs in 30% of their seasons. Half of their seasons have been winning or better. But it’s too early to call them the best.

The Marlins have two World Series victories, but their regular season record has been dismal.

Then there are the Blue Jays. They too have two World Series victories. And they’ve had five playoff appearances — that 14% is tied with the Mets. And their 55% of .500 or better seasons is second only to the Astros. As much as I wanted to call the Mets the best, the Jays have had the most balanced success in the regular and post-season. Their regular season performance gives the Blue Jays the edge,  just slightly, over Mets to make them the most successful expansion franchise in baseball, in my opinion.

But if you want to go ahead and call the Mets the best, I won’t argue with you!

With Christmas right around the corner, let’s take a look at some officially MLB sanctioned Mets gifts you could give your loved ones. Again, MLB gave its okay to sell these things.

For $3699, you can get a Mets coffin so you or your loved one can stare at a Mets logo as you rot away.

Decorate your garden with these Mets gnomes, showing the world that not only are you a Mets fan, but you are also the biggest dork in the neighborhood.

This Mets hammer will come in handy to smash over your head as you watch the 2011 Mets on the field.

This Mets stealth fighter is a reminder of how Sandy Alderson went through the winter meetings without being noticed by rival GMs.

I don’t know what this thing is supposed to be.

Several reports late Monday night say Cliff Lee has spurned the big money from the Yankees and is returning to the Philadelphia Phillies. The deal is said to be five years, $100 million, with an easy vesting option for a sixth year.

Lee apparently really liked pitching in Philly for the second half of the 2009 season and took a huge discount to return. The Yankees final officer was said to be seven years, $161 million. The Texas Rangers offer was less than the Yankees, but more than the Phils.

I have mixed feeling about this. Of course, now the Mets will have to face Lee several times a year, and with a rotation of Lee, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, the Phillies could be unbeatable. On the other hand, it’s really nice to see the Yankees lose once in a while. The last time they failed to sign a targeted player despite throwing big money at him was Greg Maddux in the mid 90s.

It also says something about Lee. Every player says it is not about the money, then they go out and sign with the highest bidder. I don’t know of Lee ever said that, but it is clear in his case, it was indeed not about the money.

There are multiple reports that the Texas Rangers are considering signing Adrian Beltre to play third base, and that they are considering moving Michael Young. If this is the case, the Mets should jump all over this and make Young their second baseman.

Many people only learned about Young during the 2010 World Series. He is one of those under-the-radar guys who happens to be one of the better hitters in baseball. He is a career .300 hitter, and had five-straight 200+ hit seasons. He got a bit of a late start in his career (he only became a regular at age 25), but if he can stay healthy, he is such a good hitter that he has an outside chance at 3000 hits. He just turned 34.

Young came up as a second baseman, moved to shortstop, then moved to third. A Gold Glover, he can easily slide back to the right side of the infield.

Now the downside — he has three years left on a contract that pays $16 million per year. That’s a lot of money for a second baseman. But if the Mets can unload a couple of bad contracts of their own, the move might make financial sense.

What if the Mets could send Carlos Beltran and Luis Castillo to Texas for Young? Beltran and Castillo have a combined $24.5 coming to them this season on the last years of their respective contracts. The Rangers may not want to take on the extra money this season, but in the long run they’ll save $23.5 million. That could be enticing.

Plus, they still need one more outfielder/DH type. They are reportedly considering resigning Vladimir Guerrero, who would probably cost upwards of $10 million. With Beltran, they won’t have to. As far as Castillo, he is useless, but the Mets should demand that Texas take him to make the money part of the deal work. Including Oliver Perez as well would be great, but I’m trying to be realistic here.  The Mets might have to add a prospect to make the deal more appealing.

This gives the Mets an $8.5 million savings this year, money they could use for pitching. Or they could sign Guerrero themselves to play right field. That would make for a pretty powerful lineup.

None of this is likely to happen, as I assume Texas would prefer to get prospects instead of high-salaried players for Young, especially if Cliff Lee spurns the Yankees and the Rangers have to pay him 20+ million per season. 

Also, Sandy Alderson has already said he doesn’t want to take on any big, long-term contracts. I don’t disagree with his strategy, but I would break it if I could get a hitter like Michael Young.