Mets Public Record

Remembering “The Kid” Brings Out the Kid in Me

2012-01-21T23:05:00.001-05:00

I must’ve been a little over nine years old when I found out that one of my favorite players, Mets third baseman Hubie Brooks, was heading off to Montreal of all places, to become an Expo. In return, the Mets would be adding a catcher by the name of Gary Carter. Now I say Gary Carter because let’s face it, I was nine years old and the list of major league baseball players that I could actually call by name was scant at best. I can recall guys like Joel Youngblood, Neil Allen, and the aforementioned Brooks, all Mets, of course. But to name other players on other teams, that was not happening. I guess what I’m trying to say is, at that age, “who the heck was Gary Carter?”

After finishing the 1984 season second only to the Chicago Cubs in the NL East, the Mets front office felt that a veteran catcher who could hit as well as he performed behind the plate was in order. That’s where Carter stepped in. Frank Cashen, the general manager of the Mets at the time, was convinced that Carter would be the missing piece for a franchise anxious to return to the glory days of the late nineteen-sixties and early seventies. In Cashen’s mind, acquiring an All-Star catcher with a million-dollar smile would be the solution that would knock some of the rust off his team caused by a near-decade of irrelevance.

In Carter’s first game as a Met, on April 9, 1985, he hit a tenth inning walk-off home run on Opening Day against, none other than, Neil Allen. Maybe Cashen and the Mets were on to something, I thought. Frankly, as a young Mets fan, I probably didn’t even realize the ramifications of what Carter had just accomplished. At nine, the only thing I’d check the newspaper for was the box score not what had actually gone on during the game. Understanding the dramatics of baseball had not quite sunken in for me yet. Really, I passed out during Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Don’t worry I was lucky enough to wake up in time to see the ball go through Bill Buckner’s legs.

Oh, those were the days when Carter’s bushy red-orange locks would be bouncing up-and-down as he rumbled into second base standing up, clapping his hands after smacking an RBI double. “Great days, indeed,” if you don’t mind me stealing a line from John Lennon. And I was just a bright-eyed little kid back then in Queens, NY, who was proud to call the Mets, his team to beat. I thought these guys would live forever. Carter as well as other players during that amazing World Series run of 1986 will always be immortalized in the minds of Mets fans. There’s no denying that. Carter was definitely an integral part if not the catalyst for the team’s success that year. However, believing that now pains me to read of the unfortunate turn that Carter’s health has taken of late. Being such a well-liked player in his day, then as a coach, it doesn’t seem fair.

I’ve been reading Kimmy Carter’s blog, Gary’s daughter. The situation has gone from bad to worse. I’m hoping for the best for him. But however her father comes out of this, as Mets fans, we will always remember those fond memories of the mid-eighties. How her father’s enthusiasm and passion not only led his team into baseball’s record books but ignited a city in the process. There has been a lot of debate amongst Mets fans on whether the Mets organization should retire Carter’s uniform number eight. If they do decide to go for it, they’d better get cracking. I believe they should. It’s the least they could do to appease what has become a very disgusted fan base. I think it may bring Mets fans together in a positive light.

Here’s to you Gary, the Expos’ greatest Met. Wish you well and hope you get better soon.

Santana Aims His Rehab for Opening Day

2012-01-12T21:35:00.011-05:00

I read today in the NY Daily News that Johan Santana was back at it down in Port St. Lucie, Florida, throwing long tosses to check on his arm strength, making sure everything in his repaired left shoulder was still intact. In the piece, Santana mentioned that his goal still is to be ready for his 2012 Opening Day start. The last thing he wants now is a setback. (Keep you fingers crossed and hope that he feels no pain when he wakes up tom'row.)

If he's able to accomplish what he set out to do it would make for a great story heading into the upcoming season for the Mets. Unfortunately for Santana, he is still owed an extremely large chunk of money. Which means that even if he's able to pitch effectively and remain competitive throughout the first half of the season, Sandy Alderson will most likely see to it that he finishes the second half with another ball club other than the Mets. If this scenario holds true, it would add another low light to a franchise that had so much promise back when Santana was initially signed only to see it slip away.

It would be pretty sad if Mets fans were unable to witness his comeback and have to endure two or three years of Santana pitching for the Phillies just like Pedro.

An Offer Reyes Didn't Have A Chance to Refuse

2011-12-07T22:17:00.003-05:00

If Mets fans weren't jaded enough by the departure of their All-Star shortstop, the local tabloids are making matters worse by printing stories that GM Sandy Alderson and Co. didn't even make Jose Reyes an offer.

Below is my reaction:

If the Mets had upped what they were considering, $80M/5yr, maybe Reyes would be sporting a Mets uniform instead of that crazy new Marlins uni, "ALDERSON, GROW A PAIR!", boo-hoo, we lost $70M last season, can someone for a second stop promoted their blog on this page (this was posted on a Mets Facebook Fan page) and clue me in on some other team that is crying poverty?

Mets Off-Season Outlook for 2012

2011-12-02T19:50:00.003-05:00

As a Mets fan, if you had to guess what my worst fear this off-season is, you’d probably say, the possibility of losing Jose Reyes to free agency, without a doubt. But you’d be wrong - it’s not. My biggest fear would be to come to find out that Reyes wasn’t even given a fair offer due to financial instability of the Mets owners. It’s no secret that the NY Mets are hard-up for cash. After failing to sell a large stake of their ballclub this past season, the Mets principal owners, the Wilpons, have opted to sell off their most-coveted asset, piece by piece. If that approach somehow manages to be successful, there may still be some hope for Mets fans that the organization could generate enough capital to keep their home-grown superstar from fleeing elsewhere.

Realistically though, with a projected payroll for this upcoming season significantly reduced from last year’s and a general manager like Sandy Alderson who believes that a fertile farm system wins championships, common sense would tell you that Reyes is on his way out. Under that scenario, the Mets roster could likely resemble a much slower, cheaper, and not so stronger squad heading into 2012. Now I know what you’re thinking, it can’t all be that bad. There are still plenty of high expectations even if the All-Star shortstop is nowhere to be found in the Mets clubhouse come Opening Day.

For a second, why not put the up-to-the-minute Reyes coverage on hold and take a deep breath? Savor the possibility of a full season with Ruben Tejada at shortstop and Ike Davis at first. Add in David Wright, if he doesn’t get traded, at third base, and you may have something there. Sprinkle in a little Lucas Duda in right to complement veterans Jason Bay and Angel Pagan in left and center and things don’t seem half bad. Almost looking up, you could say? Plus, if the front office decides to move either Bay or Pagan next year, they do have options in their farm system to plug that hole. Kirk Nieuwenhuis (pronounced New-en-hoos), a 24-year-old center fielder who has made a steady climb in the Mets farm system since he was drafted in 2008, has shown a propensity to get on base in addition to extra-base power. Although, like most young hitters, he’s had more then his fair share of swings and misses.

Of course, there is a catch. The Mets need pitching and the word on the street is that with Johan Santana’s status still up-in-the-air, the current starting staff is nothing more than a bunch of back-of-the-rotation arms. To make matters worse, one of the few promising bright spots in the rotation last year actually did better than expected and is now demanding a multi-year contract. Left-hander Chris Capuano, who was considered low-risk, high-reward before the 2011 campaign, finished the season hitting all his benchmarks, in good health and eligible to re-sign with another club. Alderson’s confidence has wavered when asked if he’s capable of committing the 33-year-old left-hander to anything more that a one-year deal. But that should be the least of Mets fans’ worries.

In desperate need of improvement is the Mets bullpen which doesn’t even have a closer at this point. It’s safe to say that they could benefit from a little spending in this department. Unlike starting pitching, the free agent market for relievers is bursting at the seams. Viable candidates to close out games such as Ryan Madson, Matt Capps, Brad Lidge or Frank Francisco would all command an asking price that is way above what Alderson had in mind. So with all this talk of reducing payroll, where does this leave Mets fans who are trying to remain optimistic even when all signs point elsewhere? The division that their team plays in, the NL East has and will continue to remain competitive on and off the field.

To quell some of these concerns, the Mets do have some strong young arms on the horizon. Zack Wheeler, who was acquired in the Carlos Beltran trade, is considered a top-flight pitcher with great mechanics at High-A Port Lucie, but Mets fans will probably not see the 21-year-old right-hander until 2013. An even better upside is another right-hander, 22-year-old Jeurys Familia, who is sure to start the 2012 season at Triple-A Buffalo, and could be seen in a big-league uniform sooner rather than later. Familia’s stuff has been compared to that of Seattle’s Michael Pineda. September call-up, anyone?

If I had to give advice to Mets fans this off-season, I would tell them to proceed with caution as they evaluate the team for the upcoming season. There are still a whole lot of ‘what ifs’ left to answer. Until then, Mets fans will have to continue in a holding pattern and wait. To help pass the time, I suggest trying to combine the phrases, “payroll flexibility” and “largest media market” in the same sentence. I still haven’t been able to wrap my head around that one.

This post also ran on Baseball Digest.com.

Jose Reyes Offered Salary Arbitration from Mets

2011-11-25T01:23:00.006-05:00

According to Mets.com, the Mets offered Jose Reyes salary arbitration to ensure that they are compensated with 2012 draft picks if Reyes decides to sign with another club.

If the All-Star shortstop accepts, he would be agreeing to just another year w/the Mets that would earn him a pay raise from his $11M salary from last year. Unfortunately, this scenario is highly unlikely due to the fact that if Reyes took the offer, he would be denying himself the possibility of a multi-year contract for much more money.

Mets 2011 Season Report Card

2011-11-12T17:25:00.005-05:00

Last week, I was asked to contribute my take on the Mets 2011 season using a report card-style format, here it goes.

Rotation: B-

How many wins the Mets rotation earned this season does not tell the whole story. Durability is more like it. R.A. Dickey, Mike Pelfrey, and Chris Capuano were each able to take the mound more than thirty times during the 2011 season and gave the Mets some stability in the back-end of their rotation. Let’s just hope help is on the way with the addition of a healthy Johan Santana and a rested Jonathon Niese to shore up the front-end for 2012.

Bullpen: F

This grade to me was a no-brainer. After shipping out their closer, Francisco Rodriguez, the Mets bullpen became its own worst enemy. A closer by committee ensued with the end result being a very serviceable Manny Acosta. All kidding aside, right-hander Bobby Parnell overcame his bouts with poor circulation, Ryota Igarashi was shown the door while young lefty Danny Herrera, all 5’6”, 165 lbs. of him proved that it doesn’t take much to be invited to the MLB Fan Cave. This area of the Mets roster was one disaster after another, beginning with the signing of D.J. Carrasco to the lack of a set-up man. Even if K-Rod had stayed, chances are slim that he would’ve been capable of exercising his highly-publicized option with this crew.

Catchers: C

Honestly, I gave the Mets catchers a “C” because the word, catcher, starts with C, meaning there’s not much to get excited about in this department. I’ll admit the signing of Ronny Paulino did raise the grade. However, Josh Thole’s bat was as unspectacular as his glove which isn’t saying much and the reason he was able to stay on the roster was due to his ability to catch the knuckleball.

Infield: C+

If there was such a grade as “I” (I for infield, wink, wink, nudge, nudge) the Mets infielders would’ve earned it. But in this case, the letter “I” would be for inconsistency. Correct me if I’m wrong, but at one point in the season, all four of the Mets Opening Day starters, David Wright, Jose Reyes, Daniel Murphy, and Ike Davis, were either on the DL or unable to perform on a daily basis. However, there is a silver lining in all of this and it goes by the name of shortstop Ruben Tejada, the Mets version of a blue-chip prospect on the rise.

Outfield: B-

For this category, you could accuse me of judging lightly. Coupled with an underperforming Jason Bay and Angel Pagan (who further exemplified the injury woes that still plague this Mets team) and the Carlos Beltran trade, you could grade this category lower than it actually is. The saving grace, you ask? A budding star in Lucas Duda whom Mets fans anticipate will fill the void left by the departed Beltran and give the ball club some desperately-needed power.

Best Offensive Player

If ever there was a player who could define the phrase “limitless potential”, it would be Jose Reyes. In addition to his speed, Reyes was able to bring home the franchise’s first NL Batting title. Owner of the fan-favorite chant, “Jose, Jose, Jose,” Reyes was the star attraction the entire season, whether it was on the field, singing reggaeton, or nursing a very temperamental hamstring.

Top Pitcher

Dillon Gee. I know what you’re thinking, Gee is just a rookie and of course, it would be unfair to compare his rookie season with that of say, Hall of Famer Tom Seaver’s, but you have to be pleased with the competitiveness he showed on the mound. His ability to effectively change speeds and give MLB hitters different looks at the plate earned him an above-average first full season.

In summation, the Mets need bullpen help, bad!

Check out my baseball podcast, Mets Public Record, airing this Tuesday night at 11 PM EST!

It's A Wrap, the Mets 2011 Season Is Over

2011-09-29T19:51:00.003-04:00

It's the end of another long and arduous season, the Mets told all of us at the beginning of the year that the team was going to be competitive, that there was plenty of funds to compete on the main stage...but Mets fans were duped, they had been had, after witnessing a solid month of June that saw their record hover around five hundred, the ballclub sent veteran players like Carlos Beltran and Francisco Rodriguez packing.

Throughout the 2011 campaign, there was this very live volcano waiting to erupt, a major lawsuit being played out with the main characters of Peter and Paul being portrayed as Fred and Saul...

For more on the Mets 2011 season, listen to the Season Wrap-Up on Mets Public Record.

With No Einhorn, Will Mets Sign Reyes

2011-09-01T19:22:00.010-04:00

With no deal reached, Mets Today's Joe Janish posted this entry entitled, "David Einhorn Pulls Out of Mets Deal."

Here was my comment...

I was a little surprised when I saw that Einhorn and the current Mets owners couldn't reach a deal...everything seemed so certain...he was at Citi Field wearing a Mets cap, talking about how much of a fan he was of the Mets, pictures of him as a younger man wearing Mets jerseys...WTF was that all about?

I guess with the possibility of the Wilpons/Katz not having to be raked over the coals for $1B, their hands perhaps not as tied as before and the minority stake they were giving could very well have been reduced...for that previous commenter, I believe the Mets will sign Reyes.

Goal for Mets Should Be to Finish Strong

2011-08-27T00:02:00.004-04:00

Update: Saturday and Sunday's matchups against the Braves have been post-poned due to the strong possibility of Hurricane Irene affecting the NYC Metro area

Intro - MPR - 08/25/11

Hello, my fellow Mets fans...

The Mets will be opening up a weekend series against one of their long-time hated rivals, the Atlanta Braves, at Cit Field. Chris Capuano will take the mound for the Mets on Friday night opposite Tim Hudson which should make for an interesting ball game.

The Mets are coming off of a series-salvaged-win against the Phillies on Wednesday, but before we get into the latest surrounding the NY Mets, I just want to let you guys and gals know that this podcast will be taking its usual end of the summer break. Meaning, tonight will be the last podcast until Sept 15th which is a Thursday night. I do have a guest scheduled for that show, so I will leave it at that.

On Monday night’s podcast we had a caller, Buck, who stated that he was sick of the “ifs” year-in-and-year-out surrounding this Mets club.

Rich and I established that some of the Mets, notably, Mike Pelfrey and Angel Pagan had actually taken a step back this season.

So to continue with this topic I will take the flipside of this argument and ask Met fans who they feel has actually blossomed this season or taken a step forward. Aside from Reyes and Murphy, who would you say has made a considerable impact this season, Justin Turner? Dillon Gee?

To listen to the rest of Thursday night's podcast, CLICK HERE!

Sick of the "ifs," It's A Step-Back Season on MPR

2011-08-23T18:51:00.009-04:00

Intro - Mon. Aug 22nd

Hello my fellow Mets fans...

With tonight’s 10-0 loss to the Phillies, the Mets have now lost 14 of the 19 games they’ve played here in August. That amounts to a won-lost record of 5-14. Very similar to the 5-13 record that the Mets had displayed during the first month of the season.

What do you know Mets fans, they’ve come full circle!

(whistle sound – up and down)

Better yet, if you add those two back-to-back losses to the Washington Nationals at the end of July, the Mets have lost 16 out of their last 21 games, a 5-16 record.

This is starting to scare me, folks, I’m scared, very scared. Collins looks like he’s about to jump off a bridge

Pagan was pulled from tonight’s game, with an apparent stomach virus (colitis), taken out of the game and replaced by Jason Pridie.

Dillon Gee was smacked around for 8 earned runs in just 3.2 IP.

In defense of Gee though, he was initially scheduled to start Tuesday night’s game but there was a last minute-scratch of Jon Niese with an ailing back that Collins believes is good-to-go for Tuesday night...

To hear more, CLICK HERE!

MPR - Thursday Night's Intro - 08/18/11

2011-08-19T22:19:00.007-04:00

Hello my fellow Mets fans…...

As you know, the Mets had the day off today. Friday will open up a weekend series with one of the hottest teams in baseball, the leaders of the National League Central division, the Milwaukee Brewers, who currently have a comfortable 6 1/2 game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals...

It looks more than likely that Mike Pelfrey will be making the start for the Mets opposite Shaun Marcum. If you remember, last Saturday, Pelfrey was hit in the arm with a line drive off the bat of the Diamondbacks Gerardo Parra. Pelfrey left that game with a 4-2 lead only to see it squandered by a three-run home run by Arizona’s Ryan Roberts off of DJ Carrasco.

Reports are coming out of Mets camp that it is “conceivable” that Jose Reyes may be coming back sooner than later. Reyes is eligible to come off the DL on August 23rd, next Tuesday.

I’ll see it when I believe it, he’s not coming off the DL, why should he, I spoke about this briefly on Monday night, that the Mets should just shut the guy down. Meaning, don’t rush him back. Why does he have to play? See what you get out of Ruben Tejada.

If Reyes’ asking price after the season is too high, he can take his bum hamstring and go play for the Washington Nationals. Look at Beltran, he was traded to the Giants, and now he’s on the DL with a strained right hand and wrist, believe me, if the Mets are unable to sign Reyes, or some other team throws a ton of money at him, is it really that big a deal?

Maybe injury-prone is injury-prone and Reyes may be one of those players...

To listen to the what comes next, CLICK HERE!

Talking Mets on Monday Night with Justin Silberman

2011-08-16T22:06:00.006-04:00

In case you missed it, Justin Silberman of the Blog Talk Radio show, Mets Live! Wright or Wrong? was a guest on the podcast last night.

Check it out!

Tonight's Intro - Mets Split Series with Padres at Home

2011-08-11T20:19:00.003-04:00

Terry Collins will tell you that there are a lot of guys playing for jobs on this Mets team…guys like Lucas Duda

If the Mets are unable to sign Jose Reyes, you can believe Ruben Tejada is playing for a position in 2012, RIGHT NOW

Collins, will shout that he wants 25 guys next year that are willing to give him all they have for 162 nights…give him all they’ve got!

Mets closer Jason Isringhausen is looking for just one of those days so he can put the milestone of career save number 300 behind him, it is a milestone

Just give’m all you’ve got!

Collins doesn’t care where the Mets are, where they stand, for him, just come out and play the game right

Ruben Tejada, slide when you’re supposed to slide, make the play because according to your manager guys on your team are playing for their baseball lives

And one more false move is going to cost you, you got that Mr. Bobby Parnell.

Enjoy tonight's show.

Kerel Cooper Drops By MPR

2011-08-09T20:14:00.004-04:00

Kerel Cooper of On The Black.com was a guest on the show last night where he spoke about Jose Reyes, Daniel Murphy, and other things Mets. Kerel also was there to promote his live Mets video chat on USTREAM with Dave Doyle of Mets Report.

If you want to participate next Tuesday at 7 PM to chat about the Mets, check out this link.

Another Loss to Braves, Mets Lose Reyes and Murphy

2011-08-07T14:12:00.030-04:00

While driving back from the bagel store with my morning coffee listening to the radio, WFAN's Howie Rose calls Jason Heywood's solo HR putting the Braves up, 1-0, TOP 2nd.

Jason Bay continues his hot-hotting with a single up-the-middle to extend his hitting-streak to nine games, he would later score in the bottom half of the second thanks to a base hit by Mets starting pitcher Dillon Gee...Nick Evans would eventually cross the plate as well giving the Mets a 2-1 lead over the Braves.

SNY reports Jose Reyes out of today's game with a stiff left hamstring, MRI pending, this is not good news for Mets fans. BTW, Mets have lost four Sundays in a row.

As a wild pitch uncorked by Gee proved costly, the Braves were able to tie up the ball game as Jose Constanza, who moved to third on the WP, scores on an unsuccessful double-play attempt to get the speedy Michael Bourn at first, BOT 4th, 2-2

The situation for the Mets goes from bad to worse as Dillon Gee fails to retire Jason Heyward, walking him with 2 outs which leads to back-to-back HRs, a 2-run shot by Alex Gonzalez and a solo blast off the bat of Jose Constanza, 5-2 ATL TOP 5th

Feels like another loss?? Very depressing, I am very close to turning this game off after witnessing Carrasco's terrible pick-off attempt of Michael Bourn.

I decide to give this game one more chance and it pays off, for now, with runners on 2nd and 3rd, Daniel Murphy produces a squibbler down the third-base line allowing Jason Bay to score...Willie Harris, playing for the injured Jose Reyes, plates another run with a single out of the reach of 2nd baseman Dan Uggla, 5-4 ATL, TOP 7th

Acting as the Mets 4th second baseman of the game, Daniel Murphy's knee is caught between second and the base runner's spike, Murphy is taken out of the game with the help of his trainers, awaiting the extent of the injury...Manny Acosta gets out of the inning unscathed.

Head's up play by Bay as he steals second uncontested, Angel Pagan records a sinking liner that dips under the glove of LF Martin Prado allowing Bay to score the tying run, 5-5 BOT 7th...

anxiously awaiting word on Murphy's status

A make or break at-bat for Bobby Parnell as PH Brooks Conrad is caught looking leaving runners on first and third, the score is still tied. TOP 8th

As predicted, Chipper Jones slaps a single to right field scoring the go-ahead run, TOP 9th, 6-5 ATL

Bobby Parnell slips and falls as the Mets experience another "crushing defeat."

Latino Night - Mets vs. Braves

2011-08-05T19:17:00.020-04:00

Jose Reyes swings at the first pitch vs. Tim Hudson, BOT 1st, 0-0, Murphy hit a 2-out single....Ike Davis season may be over...David Wright clubs a 2B off the CF wall, Murphy scores, 1-0 Mets...TOP 2nd, Dickey looks good...Uggla, 0-for-1

Just realized that RHP Tim Hudson is batting 8th for the Braves with Jose Constanza batting 9th, Braves now lead 2-1 in the BOT of the 2nd, "Los Mets" uniforms were at first a good idea, although with the the score now, 2-1, not so grand...

BOT 4th, Mets strand 3 runners, Lucas Duda gets hit on first pitch, Bay executes a ground-rule 2B, a shame because Pagan would have easily scored with the tying run...

Uggla strikes out, 0-for-3, 25-game hitting streak in jeopardy, Dickey with 5 SO thus far, 5.1 IP...gets out of the inning w/RISP, BOT 6th...

With one out, David Wright called safe on a botched routine grounder to short from Freddie Freeman, error, dropped the ball, nothing comes of it as Jason Bay is caught looking with the final out

Ron Darling, "if I'm R.A. Dickey, cannot led up another run...don't want to have to deal with that Atlanta bullpen, for more on ATL BP (link)

BOT 7th, Reyes pops up to end the inning, Dickey out of the game with the possibility of his tenth loss of the season?

Wright makes a head's up play tagging Constanza in a run-down trying to score from third, Uggla up for the 4th time, unsuccessful thus far, may be the at-bat of the game, Igarashi on the mound, Uggla extends his hitting streak, two runs score, Braves up, 4-1...Gary Cohen, "the Mets go after hot-hitting Uggla"

Very realistic at this stage of the game that the Mets could be on the verge of losing five in a row and slip nine games behind the Braves and light years beyond the Phillies.

Mets rally with runners on first and second, 1 out, Pagan flies out on the first pitch he sees vs. Johnny Venters, Jason Bay grounds out to second with the second pitch he sees, TOP 9th

If the Astros were in the NL East, they would be 35 games behind Philadelphia.

"Hairston down swinging and the ball game is over"

MPR - Intro - Thursday 07/28/11

2011-07-28T22:39:00.008-04:00

Hello, my fellow Mets fans, here's the opening segment to last night's broadcast...

I have a lot to get to tonight, the Mets are back in business, they have relieved themselves of the elephant in the room, which was Carlos Beltran, he is now, a San Francisco Giant, other than Seattle, Beltran is farthest from the Mets...if Willie Harris’ goal rings true, the Mets will meet Beltran in the post season, (who knows?)

Sandy Alderson has assured Mets fans that barring something extraordinary, he will keep the club intact and in his words, “he likes the group that he has and he has a lot of confidence in them." (and why not?)

By sweeping the Reds, the Mets have forced their way back into the conversation for a possible NL Wild Card spot.

Now, quickly looking back to July 19th...

Since July 19th, a Tuesday, the return of Reyes to the ball club, the Mets have won 7 of 10 and since July 22nd, a Friday, the return of David Wright, (seven games ago) the Mets have won 5 of those 7 games.

...and in that time, including today’s 10-9 win, Wright has gone 15-for-33 (.455 BA) with 6 multi-hit games, he’s only played in seven games, six multi-hit games to go along with 2 HRS, 12 RBI (4 of those RBIs coming on Wed. night)– here’s the unbelievable stat, 3 SOs, 3 SOs in 33 ABs

But before I get into more Mets talk and I do want to touch on how well the offense has been playing, another 10 runs today on 14 hits, and I do want to speak about when Mets fans can expect Johan Santana back on the mound pitching in a Mets uniform.

(commentary)

You heard Wright’s numbers, off the charts...

how about Daniel Murphy, with a four-hit day on Wednesday night to complement Wright, it was Murphy’s first career four-hit game, for the Reds series he went 10-for-17 (.588), can you believe that, 4 doubles (his 28th double of the season, he had 38 doubles last season)

Murphy’s average is now up to .319 and today [Thursday] he went 1-for-3 w/3 runs scored , a stolen base, and two walks.

The Mets will have a tough time finding a place for him to play with Ike Davis having cemented himself at first base, assuming he comes back by next Spring.

And the Mets also like Justin Turner...but Murphy is not just a guy taking advantage of his playing time, this is a major league ball player...

If you'd like to catch this show and listen to the rest of it, CLICK HERE!

Mets Look to Turn the Page on Beltran

2011-07-27T20:26:00.005-04:00

Kerel Cooper of On The Black.com posted video of San Francisco pitching prospect, Zack Wheeler, who coincidentally is the player named in the pending Carlos Beltran trade.

Here was my response:

Haha! Are you trying to rub it into Beltran's face with this video post?

On a serious note, I had to undergo some Met therapy the last few days and finally came to grips with him leaving...I championed for him to go to the Giants last Thursday night, so Mets fans wouldn't have to see him compete against them. I even accepted the Braves, but not the Phils...imagine playing the Phillies and having to watch Beltran slug a HR at Citizens' Bank, not sure if I'm ready for that...Wright's been good at the plate. LGM!

After Kerel confirmed that he wasn't taking jabs at Beltran, I replied with...

for the record, it was this past Monday night that I felt that the Giants would be a good fit for Beltran...actually, the one thing I noticed when I was checking out his career numbers was that his speed dropped when he came to the Mets, he was stealing 40 bases with the Royals and when he signed with the Mets, half that?? He was hurt while with the Mets as well, and the no arbitration clause in his contract made him a no-brainer to be traded this season, Alderson wasn't even able to obtain some draft picks if another team signed him in the off-season.

David Wright Is Now Batting

2011-07-22T19:22:00.002-04:00

Nice job, Gary Cohen!

"Wright smacks an RBI double for his first AB "RIGHT out of the BOX!"

If Santana returns along with Wright, and some how Beltran blocks several trades, we may have something here, I'm not saying playoffs but at least a worthwhile team.

Dillon Gee Needs to Get Back On the Radar

2011-07-19T19:16:00.004-04:00

After seven wins, Dillon Gee, during his last four starts, has gone 1-3, giving up 23 hits in 22 innings pitched and posting an earned run average of 6.55 in that span. To his credit, Gee did strike out seven Yankee batters on July 2nd at Citi Field.

Decimated, the Mets Lose 4-1

2011-07-19T19:04:00.005-04:00

I think it's safe to say that last night's game was the most decimated that the Mets have looked all season, almost frightening...Nick Evans at first base after Hairston gets hit on the shin, out of the game, Willie Harris 2-for-3 w/SB...the Mets and Capuano are below .500.

K-Rod's Last Save, Is Just That, His Last (as a Met)

2011-07-13T19:26:00.006-04:00

Perhaps you've just woken up from a long mid-week binder of Johnny Walker Black over ice and you have yet to hear of the news that Francisco Rodriguez, K-Rod, will no longer be a part of the Mets.

Check out my reaction with a little help from Joe Petruccio of My Mets Journal with his latest entry entitled, "HOT DOG!!! K-ROD'S GONE!!!

I think you nailed it!

Let's face it, K-Rod quickly grew stale after his ERA ballooned...we need some character guys in the pen, K-Rod was a prima donna,

"if he's up, then he's coming in"...oh well, now Collins doesn't have to answer anymore of those stupid questions about games finished and vesting options. LGM!

Fate of Mets Closer Up in the Air After the Break

2011-07-10T16:23:00.007-04:00

With all the attention now shifted off of Jose Reyes, the status of Francisco Rodriguez as a Met, has been brought into the forefront as we head into the break.

Earlier today, I commented on Joe Janish's Mets Today blog for the post entitled, "Francisco Rodriguez Signs with Scott Boras."

Okay, K-Rod has been pretty good so far, 23/26 SavOpp - 46K/42.2 IP - his ERA has been below average of what we expect out of a prime closer...if the Mets were not so cash-strapped, I think they would have eaten the option for next year and just kept him.

As for Boras, he's a business man, if he's within his right, I say, so be it...K-Rod will be a tough sell, no question, his stock has dropped since he signed that god-forsaken option.

Latest Loss May Be a Specter for Things to Come

2011-07-10T01:44:00.006-04:00

Murphy, you’re making me look bad, that DP in the top of the 8th last night was a dagger to the heart, Beltran had just alluded the tag of Giants first baseman, Aubrey Huff, and you blew it…teams will continue to pitch around Beltran unless you can keep it up at the plate.

Mets infield defense has to improve or we’re going to be seeing a lot of unnecessary mistakes by Tejada, Turner, and Duda on the infield…I’ll give you a pass Murphy on this one because you’ve been swinging a good stick lately.

Looking forward to Sunday night’s rubber match on ESPN, where it will be Mike Pelfrey vs. Matt Cain, should be a good game.

As the Temperature in NY Rises, Trade Talks Heat Up

2011-07-06T20:19:00.004-04:00

My reaction to the latest trade rumors involving the Mets bullpen on Facebook...

Bullpens come and go, if K-Rod really wanted to stay in NY, he'd renegotiate that vesting option of his...Izzy's done, let's face it, he gives up a walk, hit, run almost every APP lately, and Byrdak, who cares, the guy got caught with his pants down the other night...to reinforce what Rob said, it doesn't look as if anybody's going to catch the Braves or the Phillies.

Here's the link that started it all.

I Think It's Time for Murphy to Get His Due

2011-07-05T20:07:00.003-04:00

Daniel Murphy (Team Stats) - .302 AVG (2nd for everyday player) behind Reyes – 5 HR – 35 RBI (2nd) behind Beltran – 35 runs (3rd) behind Reyes and Beltran – 4 SB – tied w/Beltran for 2nd in hits with 85 - 2 triples

Our Thoughts Are with Willie Harris and his Family

2011-06-30T20:03:00.008-04:00

After learning of the sad news concerning Willie Harris' family, I received an email from Tati, a life-long Mets fan:

Sad what happened to Willie's baby, I really like him, too. While watching a Mets game on TV earlier this year, one of the commentators (Kevin) was talking about Willie's life growing up and what a tough role he had in his family--he had to help his mom care for his handicapped sister at a young age---that meant, taking care of her at home while mom was at work.

As a result he was unable to get to his baseball practice on time so he made an arrangement with the coaches that would allow him to arrive later and still get some training time in. His sister eventually passed away at a young age, but ever since hearing Willie's story and admiring his dedication to his craft, I've rooted for him. I'm very sorry to hear of his family's loss.

Mets Get Two Grand Slams for the Price of One

2011-06-28T23:29:00.003-04:00

It took the Mets almost two seasons to hit a grand slam. They wind up hitting two in one game against the same pitcher no less.

With Tuesday night's win, the Mets are now over five hundred for the first time since the first week of the season when their record was 3-2, LGM!

I Guess Things Are Bigger in Texas

2011-06-26T21:03:00.005-04:00

After a disappointing outing from Mike Pelfrey that led to a loss on Friday, the Mets offense showed some clout and helped the team win the three-game series against the Rangers.

Mets batters plated 22 runs on 31 hits earning two straight victories and a five hundred record heading into the Motor City.

For more Mets news and opinions, check out Mets Public Record tomorrow night at 11 PM on Blog Talk Radio.

Mets 'Complete' the Victory

2011-06-19T00:20:00.006-04:00

With tonight's victory against the LA Angels, the Mets are now 35-36. Since April 20th, when the team was 5-13, they have gone 30-23...not too shabby.

Mike Pelfrey earned his fourth victory of the season in complete-game fashion.

Due to Washington's current 8-game winning streak, the Mets are now tied with the Nats for third place in the NL East.

Carlos Beltran went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI including his 10th home run of the season. Beltran now has 43 RBI and is batting .286.

Jason Bay continues to make strides at the plate with another muti-hit game. In Bay's last seven games, including tonight's, he is 9-for-27 with 3 RBI, 2 SB, and 3 runs scored.

Good win for the Mets!

Kerel Cooper of On The Black Helps Fight Cancer

2011-06-14T20:21:00.004-04:00

"When the news of [Gary] Carter broke of him having brain cancer, I reached out to Darren, of the 7Line.com, and threw out the idea of doing a Carter shirt and donating the proceeds to cancer research."

Kerel Cooper of the popular Mets video blog, On the Black, was a guest of the broadcast last night where he spoke about his positive endeavor and his beloved Mets.

For a full listen of the show, go here.

If you're wondering, one hundred percent of the profits will be going either to the Gary Carter Foundation or the American Cancer Society.

Where you can get a Carter T-shirt and help a good cause, click here.

As Bay Goes, So Go the Mets

2011-06-12T21:45:00.008-04:00

Underneath it all, those who are following the Mets these days have been waiting and waiting a very long time for the franchise's last big free-agent signing, Jason Bay, to get going.

I know, Jose Reyes, has always been relegated to the role of little engine that could. However, for the last few road games, if Jason Bay is sitting on the bench, swinging at a third strike, grounding into a double-play, seeing a sports psychologist, whatever the task may be, taking Bay's temperature prior to the game has been in the equation.

If you had to ask me, I'd say that Jason Bay needs to hire his own P.R. department. To help him defend his thought process of each at-bat and understand the stammer of his mechanics. Bay was pleased when he was told that his Vancouver Canucks were closing in on a Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, his bat speed cannot share the same sentiment.

If what you've just read makes no sense, what I'm attempting to get at is that if and when Jason Bay starts producing, then the Mets will be able to get rid of this monkey on their back.

Until then, the team will continue to have to pick up the slack for a slumping Bay.

Will Bay Benching Lead to a Break-Out?

2011-06-07T20:39:00.009-04:00

Jason Bay is back in the Mets starting lineup tonight against the Brewers.

During last night's broadcast, I mentioned to fellow Met fan Rich Rivera that aside from switching out O'Connor for Manny Acosta in the bullpen the only change Collins has made since that infamous blow-out has been his benching of Bay on Sunday night.

After saying that, this is what Rich had to say, "I don't think that's long-term, just trying something different, giving him [Bay] back-to-back days off, in hopes that he comes into the Milwaukee series with some separation from his troubles."

"I don't think it's a terrible idea, I'm still a believer in Jason Bay, I think he's too good of a ball player...I feel like he still has that one game that sets off a couple of good games, I would like to see back-to-back RBI games."

There you go, some reason to continue to watch and wait for Bay to break-out.

Has David Wright Worn Out His Welcome?

2011-06-04T00:29:00.004-04:00

With trade talks surrounding the Mets ball club shifting from - will Jose Reyes be traded at the deadline to - how can the Mets swap out some other player to afford Reyes' new contract, with that someone else being David Wright, the question arose in my mind that perhaps Wright's style of play doesn't fit well with what Sandy Alderson has planned for this Mets franchise.

Having Ruben Tejada at second, Justin Turner at third, and Daniel Murphy at first, made me question if a strikeout hitter like Wright with little offensive production would be able to gel with a bunch of scrappy, disciplined hitters who make at the very least, contact.

Something to consider.

We Know Fred's A Fan But This Is Ridiculous

2011-05-24T22:51:00.008-04:00

Is it possible that Fred Wilpon was feeling a bit victimized back on April 20th from all the bad criticism he had received for buddying up with the biggest con man in U. S. history? It's possible. Using that theory, Wilpon compelled himself to publicly lambaste his star players in a recent interview with the New Yorker. Perhaps to force someone else to carry the burden of his discontent.

Yankees Allow Mets to Taste Victory but Not to Touch It

2011-05-22T22:50:00.005-04:00

With overcast skies hovering above Yankee Stadium on Sunday, the Bombers’ pitching coach Larry Rothschild possessed a look of nervousness as he watched his young right-hander, Ivan Nova, surrender a total of eleven base hits that gave the Mets a 3-1 lead. Unable to finish the top half of the seventh inning, Yankees manager Joe Girardi was forced to summon his bullpen hoping to limit the damage caused by a Carlos Beltran single to centerfield. RHP Luis Ayala would eventually finish the job started by Nova and go on to pitch a scoreless eighth as well. What ensued between the top of the seventh and eighth innings for both teams would be another story altogether.

After confirming to his manager that he was feeling great, Mets starter Mike Pelfrey, took the hill in the bottom half of the seventh inning with his sights on recording his fourth victory of the season. Unfortunately for Pelfrey and the Mets, he would never get that chance or finish the seventh inning for that matter. Neither would two other Mets pitchers until left-hander Pat Misch was able to get Derek Jeter to ground out to second for the third out. By then it was too late, the Yankees had added eight runs on six hits and completed a disheartening 9-3 loss for the Mets that left nothing more than a bitter taste in their mouths.

Is It Time for Thole to Step Down?

2011-05-22T11:30:00.007-04:00

Josh Burton of Mets Today suggested that Ronny Paulino become the starting catcher for the Mets and have Josh Thole take on a more back-up role.

This was my comment:

On Thole, I agree with you, Paulino needs to be the starting catcher until Josh can get his bat going, he looks overwhelmed at the plate, I think the responsibility of being the everyday catcher is starting to wear on him, having Collins relinquish him from catching Pelfrey doesn't help matters either. It's definitely mental at this point.

Sometimes you can give praise to a catcher's defense if he's not hitting, unfortunately, this is not the case here.

Although, Paulino has cooled off since his 5-hit debut at CBP. His last game last Wednesday, he went 0-for-3 with 3 strikeouts.

Minus A Slugger, Mets Lose to Yanks

2011-05-21T22:36:00.007-04:00

No disrespect to David Wright but Ike Davis could have helped the Mets tonight. Davis gives the Mets another chance for a big inning. Having Jason Bay and Carlos Beltran come up short in a big spot in the top of the seventh made me realize that having another slugger like Davis in the lineup would have closed the gap between the two teams in tonight's game.

On the bright side, I have been very impressed with Reyes defensively in this series. He had a great night amid the loss.

NYC Braces For the Subway Series

2011-05-20T18:43:00.007-04:00

I spotted a couple of Mets fans darting into the F, M, B, D stop on 6th and 40th earlier today. They both were headed to Yankee Stadium, I would imagine, to watch tonight's game. With them long gone, I thought to myself how fun NYC becomes when the Mets and Yankees square off in their customary home-and-away duel to win the right for local supremacy.

With the start of another Subway Series, life in the Big City becomes a little more tolerable. The smell of bad odors seem to be whisked away, the loose cannons who share your commute home for the weekend seem somewhat charming. I don't know what it is about playing the Yankees. Who know's? Maybe having the Mets play their cross-town rival is not such a good thing. Looking at it with a bitter pill, I feel that perhaps it exposes the inferiority of the Mets more so than when they are scheduled to play only those in their respective league.

The Yankees, with their obnoxious payroll, have been under the microscope as of late. And the Mets haven't...only if you count a billion dollar lawsuit that continues to hover above the franchise's head. Enjoy the game!

Mets Earn Their First Shutout

2011-05-18T23:13:00.004-04:00

Jon Niese, Jason Isringhausen, and Francisco Rodriguez combined to give the Mets pitching staff their first shutout of the season by beating the Nats, 3-0, last night.

On this very blog, see below, I had reinforced the notion that the Mets staff was looking for their first goose-egg performance of the year.

You can thank me later, haha.

Mets Starters Still Looking for A Shutout

2011-05-15T12:58:00.004-04:00

With 39 games into the season, the Mets pitching staff is still looking for their first shutout of the year.

As for the Mets starters, they are ranked 14th in the NL in ERA at 4.74. Also, the rotation has yet to complete a game. That said Johan Santana get your ass up here.

Check out this post in Mets.blog for a more comprehensive look at these disappointing statistics.

Dickey - More Myth Than Legend

2011-05-15T02:39:00.003-04:00

I'm not going to sugar-coat it, R. A. Dickey is a mess - not only has he not won since his first start on April 3rd but his strikeouts are way down and his hits allowed are way up, take his last 3 starts - 2 losses, 1 ND - 30 hits, 15 ER, just 6 Ks in 18.1 IP plus his new deficiency, giving up late-inning HRs.

R.A. - stop talking about climbing Kilimanjaro and figure out how to throw your knuckleball, I can't stomach anymore of this.

Houston, We Have No Bullpen

2011-05-14T00:30:00.008-04:00

I had a very bad feeling about this game after seeing Jose Reyes get picked off for the third time this season at first base in the first inning. Plus, Dillon Gee, who I scooped up the night before and added to my fantasy team as a spot starter in hopes of stealing a win, was pitching like a hometown guy who's parents drove all the way form Ft. Worth, Tex. to see their son pitch at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Unfortunately, Gee did not hold up his end of the bargain.

In defense of Gee, he was serviceable but in no way compared to his counterpart, Bud Norris, who struck out 8 Met hitters and pitched into the eighth inning with a strong 4-1 lead. Then, disaster struck, Justin Turner singled and Fernando Martinez, coming off the bench, slammed a 2-run homer to put the Mets within one run.

With Norris all but out of gas, Astros manager Brad Mills now had to rely on his unreliable bullpen. Opting to go with the right-hander, Jeff Fulchino, instead of the lefty, Fernando Abad, Reyes would work out a walk and David Wright would proceed with a clutch 2-run jack that was the icing on the cake for a very exciting and impressive Mets victory.

Never saw that coming. Now I can think twice when Reyes gets picked off in the first inning and our starter walks the lead-off hitter, who happens to be the opposing team's pitcher, that led to a run. Great win!

Top Candidate for Minority Stake Has Cold Feet

2011-05-11T19:21:00.000-04:00

I was very pleased to hear that the projected front runner to own a percentage of the Mets, Steve Cohen, has had second thoughts about the idea and will no longer pursue the financially sagging franchise.

This past weekend, I sat down and read up on the current allegations being brought upon SAC Capital, Cohen's multi-billion dollar hedge fund empire. This guy, let me tell you, is not my type of guy, and I feel that the Mets may have dodge a bullet by not having the opportunity to finalize a deal with him.

Think about it, having the Wilpons and Cohen both involved in a well-publicized lawsuit with fraud and inside trading being the major keywords. Throughout the season, the Mets wouldn't stand a chance. Forget about shutting down Twitter accounts, Josh Thole, you may have to close up shop for a season or two.

Like I said, the Mets may have averted disaster.

It's True - Mets Hitters Leave Runners Stranded

2011-05-10T23:03:00.009-04:00

I knew there was some truth to this. It wasn't just my imagination when time and time again I witnessed Jose Reyes left stranded at third.

For a thorough look into the subject, check out Brian Joura of Mets360.com with, Examining Mets Futility with the Bases Loaded.

Taking it a step further is Ed Leryo of the Mets blog, Studious Mestimus, with his latest post, It's Not Just the Failure to Hit With the Bases Loaded.

Helton's Been A Hall of A Guy

2011-05-09T20:24:00.004-04:00

Todd Helton COL (1997-2011) 15 seasons, all as a Rockie

At 23, Helton played his first MLB game and then embarked on a career that has now spanned three decades. The left-handed hitting first baseman is currently 37 years old. Helton holds one batting title, in 2000, when he hit .372. In the five seasons that followed, Helton would finish 2nd (.336) - 4th (.329) - 2nd (.358) - 2nd (.347) and 4th (.320), respectively, among the best hitters in the NL during those seasons.

Career numbers - .324 BA – 336 HR – 1,254 RBI – 2,266 hits - .423 OBP - .554 SLG

Helton has never won an MVP however looking back on that 2000 season; he played in 160 games where he led the league in hits (216), doubles (59), RBI (147), SLG (.698), OPS (1.162), and total bases (405) – all career highs. Helton that year also had 42 home runs and 138 runs scored, another career best.

The durable Knoxville, Tennessee-native, earned a reputation as a batter who was tough to strike out. In 7000 career at-bats, Helton managed to strikeout 983 times. Do the math and that’s 14 percent of the time or another way to look at it, one out of every seven at-bats.

Again, referencing the 2000 season, most likely, his best year as a ball player, Helton struck out just 61 times in 580 at-bats or if you want to use plate appearances the numbers are even more startling. In 697 trips to the plate, Helton struck out nine percent of the time and heard STRIKE 3 once in every eleventh time up at the plate.

For some of Helton’s defensive statistics, check out baseball-reference.com.

Sunday Night Wrap

2011-05-08T23:22:00.004-04:00

Chris Young back on the DL

Sandy Alderson said that he would be very surprised if Young was ready to go at the end of this current DL stint, the MRI showed some swelling in the back of his shoulder in the area of an old injury – the question is whether this is a new injury or it’s an aggravation of the old injury or just an acute response to a chronic condition.

Mets Lose, 4-2

Happy Mother’s Day to young mothers and old, the Mets were unable to complete the sweep earlier today by dropping the third game after winning the first two against the Dodgers.

Andre Ethier’s 30-game hitting streak was snapped on Saturday night but he redeemed himself on Sunday going 2-for-4 with a HR, a 2-run HR that gave the Dodgers a 3-run lead which RA Dickey and the Mets were unable to recover from, but the Mets hitters had their chances. Now, off to Colorado for a 3-game series starting Monday night.

LHP - Not Ike's Forte

Ike Davis struggled today as he always does against left-handed pitching. In 24 games, including today’s, Davis was up against the best pitcher in the Dodgers rotation, Clayton Kershaw, who happens to be a lefty. Ike is batting .159 vs. LHP with 17 of his 30 SO in just 40 AB coming against left-handers. Against RHP, Davis is batting .367.

He’s also not getting on base as much against lefties, look at these numbers, .277 OBP vs. LHP/.446 vs. RHP, slugging, .250 LHP/.722 RHP and all his homers, seven, have come against righties. Those are some tell-tale numbers. Perhaps Collins should rest Davis the next time the Mets face a left-hander which is Houston’s JA Happ on Saturday evening.

Collins on Reyes
"I see a guy who loves to play, plays with passion and enthusiasm, it’s been amazing to watch him – if I was a fan, I’d make sure I’d get to see him play."

It's Time For Mets Fans to Start Looking into the Mirror

2011-05-08T12:53:00.007-04:00

If you were asked to boycott Citi Field due to the departure of Jose Reyes, would you?

Perhaps last year at this time, you would have answered with a confident, "Naahh."

Nowadays, the reality of a Mets team without Reyes is more plausible than ever so if I were to ask that question again, would you boycott Citi Field if the Mets decided to part ways with the home-grown shortstop, sorry to say but I feel that Mets fans would rather endure several seasons of rebuilding than chant, "Jose, Jose, Jose," sad isn't it.

Have Mets fans become so jaded from the well-documented collapses of '07 and '08, that they would rather root for David Wright and a bunch of Triple-A castoffs than put their stock in battle-tested players such as Francisco Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran? Probably.

I say, let's see Reyes play a whole season without experiencing any setbacks before we deem him enemy #1. If the Mets are able to pull out the sweep today against the Dodgers, they will be just two games below five-hundred, not bad.

Advice to Mets fans, look into the mirror and see what you've become. If you ask me, it's pretty pathetic.

K-Rod or EKG-Rod, Which Is It

2011-05-07T14:01:00.002-04:00

Mike Silva of NY Baseball Digest wonders what we make of K-Rod. I gave my two cents below.

Rodriguez' appearances so far have not been all that clean, however, looking at the numbers you had posted, he's having a very good year. Collins has already alluded to the fact that Francisco needs to be up against the wall in order to extract his best stuff which tells me that Rodriguez is closer to the end than to the beginning of his run as a closer and the moniker of "K-Rod" should be more in-line with "EKG-Rod"

Mets Fans Need Reyes More Than Ever

2011-05-07T01:46:00.010-04:00

After reading Joe Janish's take on last night's 6-3 win over the Dodgers, I left a comment.

I was at the game Friday night and let me tell you, when Reyes legged out his second triple, the Mets were down by one at the time and the first thing that popped into my head was that if the Mets are unable to come back and win this game, I believed that the fans in attendance wouldn't have felt upset by a loss because of what they had seen from Reyes up until that point

that's why you have to keep this guy, even if the team is playing poorly, his style of play puts, to be frank, asses in the seats

Here's another comment I left on Kerel Cooper of On The Black's recap of the Mets second straight victory.

At the game on Friday night, Reyes was electric, the guy can flat-out play when he's healthy, I understand that it's par for the course these days for front offices to let their big-name players dangle out there on the diamond during their walk year, not sure if I buy into that philosophy

the more and more I see Reyes play, the more I realize that he is a very special player

Has Pelfrey Filled The Void Left By Perez?

2011-05-01T11:57:00.006-04:00

Ed Ryan of Mets Fever posed the possibility albeit after witnessing Mike Pelfrey’s latest performance on Friday night in Philadelphia that he may be looked upon as the next Ollie Perez.

Here was my response:

In defense of Pelfrey, Collins still hasn't learned that the best way to avoid the big hit is to not pitch to a team's biggest RBI threat. Pelfrey was pitching fine until Ryan Howard hit that HR into the upper deck on Friday night.

Again, Collins continues to take risks with the opposing team's best RBI man...you would think that he would've learned his lesson during the Colorado series pitching to Tulo.

As for Pelfrey becoming the next Ollie, I feel that Mets fans, as sick as this may sound, are experiencing a void left by the departed Perez.

Mets And Phillies Going in Opposite Directions

2011-04-30T16:05:00.004-04:00

After watching Jon Niese go toe-to-toe with Philadelphia's Roy Halladay, Niese was unable to close the deal and earned his fourth loss of the season.

In vintage Philly fashion, the afternoon went from a 1-0 Mets lead to a 2-1 Phillies victory thanks to a solo homer from John Mayberry and a well-executed sac fly off the bat of the hot-hitting Placido Polanco.

The Mets will try and avoid the sweep on Sunday night opposite Cliff Lee, good luck with that!

Mets Fans Feeling Better

2011-04-23T19:47:00.007-04:00

Dillon Gee did another great job filling in for Chris Young who is on the mend. Chris Capuano earned himself another start with his pitching performance on Tuesday night. The Mets desperately needed a well-pitched game.

Ike Davis has been a beast at the plate, three homers, three games. Jason Bay is back and has been labeled a "calm presence" in the clubhouse by his manager.

Terry Collins can live with Daniel Murphy's defense if he continues to get the big hit that drives runners in.

The Mets look to be settling in with their bullpen; Pedro Beato pitching the seventh, Jason Isringhausen as the set-up guy to K-Rod.

The Mets go for the sweep on Sunday. Looking forward to Niese, hopefully, he can keep the momentum going.

Why Can't Cappy Join Izzy and Iggy?

2011-04-19T18:57:00.003-04:00

During Monday night’s broadcast, I introduced the idea of placing right-hander Dillon Gee into the Mets rotation which would mean that left-hander Chris Capuano would be headed to the bullpen.

With righty Chris Young on the DL with biceps tendinitis, the front office should heed the warning signs of his injury. By putting Cappy in the pen, it will take the strain off of his recovery as well as the current Mets bullpen.

A Hit Here Or A Pitch There Who Knows

2011-04-13T23:02:00.007-04:00

David Wright had a look of "get me out of here" on his face in the Mets clubhouse after the game last night speaking to reporters. Mimicking his manager, Terry Collins, Wright was sure that a timely hit here or a well-executed pitch there was all that was needed to change the team's losing ways.

Perhaps David's right, no pun intended. If Collins had opted to intentionally walk Troy Tulowitzki in the top of the fifth inning, the reality of another disappointing loss, 6 out of their last 7, may not have materialized. Tulo smacked a 3-run shot off starter Jon Niese that sneaked inside the right field foul pole putting the Rockies up 4-3.

I don't think I have to spell it out for you. The Mets never recovered and in the words of their manager, looked deflated in the dugout.

So Far So Good For Some

2011-04-12T20:36:00.002-04:00

With tonight's game postponed due to the bad weather, here are some Mets stats to ponder compliments of Mets.com.

Jose Reyes SS: 10 games, 16/47 (.340), 23 total bases, 2 triples last night, 3 stolen bases, on-base percentage, .354

David Wright 3B: .325 BA with 3 doubles, 2 home runs, 12 strike outs, ouch! .378 OBP

Ike Davis 1B: 13/37 .351 BA with 11 RBI, 3 2B, 4 walks, 8 SO

Chris Young RHP: 2 starts, 1-0 W-L record, 1.46 earned run average, 6 hits, 2 runs, both earned in 12.1 innings pitched, with 12 strike outs

R.A. Dickey RHP: 2 starts, 1-1, 2.45 ERA, 8 K

Pedro Beato RHP: 4 appearances, 6.0 IP, 0.00 ERA

It's Cold, the Mets Lost, Let's Start Booing

2011-04-09T10:48:00.005-04:00

I know we've all heard the expression, "it's easy to complain." As Mets fans, it's in our blood, unfortunately, and yesterday's home opener was just another opportunity for the Mets faithful to grunt and groan, "the Wilpons are terrible owners, they lied about yesterday's game being a sellout, just another miserable season to look forward to."

I'll admit, your favorite team should be able to produce a victory on their home opener, but if that outcome does not materialize, should fans revert to booing.

In the immortal words of Leo Durocher, "if my mother was rounding third in an attempt to score, I'd raise hell so she would never make it to home plate" or something to that effect. Is this what Mets fans have become, grumpy old men or women, who will stop at nothing just to see their team win!! I'm sure Mike Pelfrey's mother wasn't very happy with the reception his son received by Mets fans yesterday.

Perhaps if the sun was shining and fans were drinking more beer than coffee, the lost to the Nationals wouldn't have stung as much.

I wasn't upset, I was happy to see Citi Field back in business and best of all, I now have a Mr. Met Bobble Head. I guess I'm one of those simple-minded Mets fans who just wants to watch a baseball game and is not overly concerned with who's on the field.

By the way, Reyes has a 6-game hitting streak.

In A Loss, Mets Fans Look for Something Positive

2011-04-06T23:03:00.007-04:00

I know it's devastating when your team climbs all the way back from a 7-0 deficit to tie the game at seven and then loses the game, 10-7. However, there were a few positives that came out of this one.

Mets hitters continue to put up crooked numbers. Their closer, Francisco Rodriguez got some work in, and again the Mets showed some resiliency by not giving up and not backing down against their NL East rival on the road, the Philadelphia Phillies.

I know what you're saying, they have to face the ultimate ace in Roy Halladay tom'row afternoon before their home opener at Citi Field on Friday. Which means they lost the series before Halladay throws the first pitch.

However, if you can show some signs of positive life which the Mets did. It does make for an easier situation when your starter, Mike Pelfrey, gets knocked out of the game in the 3rd inning without recording an out. Pelfrey surrendered 8 hits, seven runs, 6 of them earned bumping his ERA after two starts to 15.63. Sorry folks, I had to do it, I dropped Pelfrey from my fantasy baseball team.

Hopefully, Pelfrey gets his act together and/or Jon Niese one-ups Halladay on Thursday and the Mets go home happy. Either way, it's still early and anything can happen.

Mets Reads Over the Weekend

2011-04-03T16:47:00.007-04:00

If you haven't heard, Yankees GM Brian Cashman, rubbed Mets fans the wrong way over the weekend with his comments that stemmed from the Pedro Feliciano signing.

Check out this piece by Jon Lewin of Subway Squawkers with his perspective on Cashman's slight.

Kerel Cooper of On The Black.com keeps the party going with this feed of Chris Rock on the David Letterman Show.

Michael Baron of MetsBlog.com gives an update on the status of Jason Bay and Jason Isringhausen.

Some Thoughts On the Mets First Win of the Season

2011-04-03T01:26:00.007-04:00

What was up with that pop up early on in the game between Emaus and Reyes, somebody has to catch that ball. Also, heading into the bottom of the tenth, I wasn't sure who Collins was going to bring in to pitch. Parnell had already been used and there was no way K-Rod was coming out after blowing the save. I thought Blaine Boyer did a good job aka the Verizon guy w/the red beard.

David Wright was able to redeem himself for that bad play at third that prolonged the inning for Niese by producing the go-ahead run in the tenth inning. I know it's only two games but the defense needs a little more fine-tuning, don't you think.

I know the Mets won (6-4 @FLA, 10 inngs.) and I don’t want to knit-pick but did you catch when Collins replaced Ike Davis for Chin-lung Hu as a pinch runner, assuring Murphy 1B for the remainder of the game. The hit that tied the game up for the Marlins went through Murphy. The first thing I thought was, “Could Ike have made that play?”

During the post-game, Collins defended his move by saying he liked the defense he had set up for the ninth w/Hu and Willie Harris in LF, I’d image not necessarily Murphy at 1B, great game, anyway, great win for TC.

Beltran update - scored the Mets second run from first on a double in the gap from Ike Davis. Most likely a day off Sunday in the rubber match for Beltran. Good luck, R.A.

Sanchez Starts Where He Left Off Last Season

2011-04-02T12:44:00.003-04:00

The Florida Marlins have always been a thorn in the Mets side. Most recently, Florida’s 27 year-old-first baseman, Gaby Sanchez, has earned himself the moniker of “Met-killer” for his outstanding offensive production against them.

Looking at last season’s numbers against the Mets, in 18 games, Sanchez went 27-for-68 (.397 BA) with 9 doubles, 3 home runs, and 15 RBI finishing with an OPS of 1.090.

In last night’s game, a loss for the Mets, Sanchez continued his onslaught by registering a 2-for-4 performance at the plate with a double, run scored, and a run batted in.

With two games remaining in the series, the Mets starters, Jon Niese and R.A Dickey, will be paying close attention to Sanchez, I’m sure.

On Last Night's Opening Day Loss to the Marlins, 6-2

2011-04-02T01:08:00.004-04:00

I couldn't believe Marlins' skipper Edwin Rodriguez pulled Josh Johnson with a 3-run lead in the top of the 7th at home. If that was Johan Santana pitching at Citi Field with a three-run lead, on Opening Day, there's no way he's coming out of that game. Johnson's supposed to be the Marlins ace, right. I'd be pretty upset if my manager pulled me out of a game like that.

As for the Mets, Josh Thole should be batting 7th, followed by Brad Emaus, 8th.

Wright's 0-for-4 night w/2 SO, not a good start for him.

What can you do, Terry Collins said it, "We've got 161 of these games left."

Why All the Hubbub for a Rule 5 Player?

2011-03-24T22:50:00.004-04:00

Brad Emaus (2007-2010) about 4 MiLB seasons, six feet, 200 lbs, right-handed hitting infielder with some pop. In 87 career AAA games, Emaus batted .298 with 92 hits in 309 at-bats to go along with a .395 on-base percentage and 10 homers, 25 doubles, 49 runs batted in. Considered a grinder at the plate with the propensity to get on base, so far this spring with the Mets, Emaus currently has 14 hits and 6 base-on-balls in 41 at-bats resulting in a .396 OBP.

The 24-year-old plays an adequate second base with slightly above-average range. Last season for Triple-A Las Vegas and Double-AA New Hampshire, 113 games, Emaus committed 20 errors and completed 54 double plays finishing with a .954 fielding percentage.

Emaus has been touted as the Mets Opening Day starter thanks in part to Justin Turner’s minor league options, Daniel Murphy’s defensive liabilities, and Luis Hernandez’ ability to sustain some freakish injuries. But don’t tell Emaus that.

For even blander minor league statistics on Brad Emaus, go to baseball reference.com.

After The Release of Castillo, Ollie P May Be On His Last Breath

2011-03-20T00:12:00.003-04:00

Oliver Perez, LHP (2002-2010) 9 MLB seasons, all in the National League. Nicknamed “Big-Game Ollie” by Mets enthusiasts, Perez split his time in the big leagues with the Padres, Pirates, and most notably, with the Mets.

After signing a three-year, $36 million contract, prior to the 2009 season, Perez has been more noticeable off the field than on it. Highlighting the two seasons following that deal, the left-hander managed to pitch in 31 major league games. In that short span, Perez produced a 3-9 W-L record and a 6.82 earned run average. He also surrendered a total of 85 runs and 123 hits in just 112 and a third innings pitched.

Regarded as a major bust by MLB standards, Perez’ strike-out-to-walk-ratio for those lean years sits at one-for-one. Looking at it another way, Perez averaged 7.8 Ks per nine innings to go along with 8.0 walks per nine on average for 2009 and 2010.

Not to cry over spilled milk, Perez did manage to win double-digit games in 2004, ‘07, and ‘08 for Pittsburgh and New York. In 2004 as a Pirate, Perez won 12 games striking out a career-high 239 batters in just under 200 IP. His 2.98 ERA that year and 2 complete games were career highs as well.

For more disappointing Ollie P statistics, check out baseball reference.com.

Mets Fans Ask, Who's On Second?

2011-03-15T22:45:00.006-04:00

What do Richie Rivera of Mets Public Record and Mets manager Terry Collins have in common? They both believe that the second base position should be considered a defensive position. Looked upon more for his bat than his glove, here’s a small sample of what Luis Castillo could bring to the Mets if he’s able to play everyday at second base.

Luis Castillo 2B (1996-2010) 15 MLB seasons, 10 yrs with Florida, played in 152 games for the 2003 World Series Champion Marlins. In addition to a World Series ring, Castillo found himself receiving votes for the NL MVP as well. He also spent some time with the Twins, now he’s with the Mets. When healthy, Castillo has been able to produce on a consistent basis in terms of batting average and on-base percentage year after year.

From 2002-2007, 6 seasons as a Marlin, one-and-a-half as a Twin, and one-half as a Met, you’re looking at a .301 BA and a .371 OBP in around 142 games a year. During that span, Castillo averaged 168 hits, 87 runs scored, and 24 stolen bases (48 in 2002).

But I feel that in 2000, at the age of 24, Luis had his best offensive year. Career highs in batting (.334), on-base percentage (.418) stolen bases (62), runs scored (101), and walks (78) are proof that this particular season is a step above the rest.

For more of Castillo’s stats, check out baseball reference.com.

Q/A With Daniel Shoptaw of Cardinal 70

2011-03-12T16:35:00.006-05:00

Last week, Daniel Shoptaw of the St. Louis Cardinals blog, Cardinal 70, who is also the head of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, asked me five general questions regarding the Mets.

C70: What was your opinion of the New York Mets off-season?

AC: On the Mets off season, their front office did what they had to do. GM Sandy Alderson was made to cry payroll inflexibility throughout the winter. I did however think that he did a good job completing some bargain-basement deals to help with the Mets' "Santana-less" pitching staff.

C70: Will the Madoff situation impact the Mets in a major way?

AC: The impact of the Madoff situation on the Mets, financially it will hurt them. You won't notice any major impact until it comes time to re-sign either Jose Reyes or Carlos Beltran, more so Reyes.

C70: What are the expectations for Carlos Beltran?

AC: Regarding Carlos Beltran, it's all up to him now, nobody but he can make sure that his career hasn't ended from having very bad knees. The proposed move to right field may help him in the short term but, in all honesty, his iron man days just might be over. As for expectations this year, if he's able to find his stroke on a consistent basis at the plate, it won't matter to Mets fans how well he plays in the outfield.

C70: Is there a prospect that will make a significant impact this season?

AC: If RHP Dillon Gee makes the Mets starting rotation, he may draw some attention. As for other top prospects, CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis, has been considered a replacement for the aging Beltran, INF Jordany Valdespin was part of the team's 40-man roster at the start of Spring Training and of course, Jenrry Mejia, Ruben Tejada, Fernando Martinez are always on the periphery.

C70: What's your prediction for New York's record and divisional finish?

AC: If everything breaks right, I still think the Mets have a chance to be in the conversation for the NL Wild Card, as for the NL East, 3rd place...as for season record, maybe 86-76 that's "if" everything breaks right.

Check out other Mets bloggers comments and Daniel's blog here.

If Cooperstown Calls, Piazza Will Go In As A Met

2011-03-06T21:55:00.016-05:00

Former Mets catcher Mike Piazza has been in the headlines of late mostly as the hitting coordinator for the Italian national baseball team. With this upcoming 2011 season marking the fourth year since Piazza has stepped away from Major League Baseball, Mets fans have had more than enough time to ponder the thought of the 12-time NL All-Star Catcher representing them if and when Piazza is nominated into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Here are some numbers to look at that may help shed some light on the situation.

Mike Piazza C (1992-2007) 16 MLB seasons, .308 career batting average, 427 career home runs, 1,335 runs batted in, and a total of 2,127 hits.

8 years with NYM, 1998-2005, best year as a Met, 2000, finished third in the NL MVP voting. In 136 games behind the plate, Pizza hit .348 with 113 RBI and 38 HR to go along with a .614 slugging percentage and a 1.012 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage). His other two impressive seasons with New York were in 1999 and 2001. If you average out those three years plus most of 1998, you get a .319 BA, 34 HR, 102 RBI, 152 runs scored, and an average OPS of .982.

To be fair, his seven years with the Los Angeles Dodgers produced four very strong seasons as well, 1994-1997. Looking at those averages, .341 BA per season, 33 HR, 104 RBI, 84 runs and an average OPS of .993.

It’s awfully close but if you factor in Piazza's clutch performance during the Mets 1999 NLCS vs. the Braves and the 2000 Subway Series against the Yankees in addition to the home run that Piazza hit as a Met on September 21, 2001, the first home game at Shea Stadium after the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9-11, you may have some hard evidence that would tip the scales into the Mets favor.

For more power numbers from Piazza, check out baseball reference.com where you can make your own decision as to which team will claim Piazza in the Hall.

For Fans, Jose Reyes Has Been Worth It

2011-03-05T17:08:00.003-05:00

Jose Reyes SS NYM – listed in 8 MLB seasons (2003-2010), all as a Met, however, he played just 36 games in 2009 and his first two seasons, 2003-04, he played in 69 and 53 games, respectively. Using the other five seasons, Reyes played in 153 games per season. He used his speed during those years to steal 288 bases, 78 of those stolen back in 2007. Reyes also had 75 triples during that span and averaged a .337 on-base percentage which allowed him to be a very deadly weapon on the base paths.

Reyes finished seventh on the NL MVP voting in 2006 where he batted .300, a career high, with 194 hits, 17 triples, 19 home runs, and 64 stolen bases to go along with 81 RBI. Similar to that year, in 2008, Jose batted .297 with 204 hits, career best, and 19 triples, also a career best. In his last full year, 2010, Reyes saw his stolen bases drop significantly as he finished the season with just thirty.

As a 3-time NL All-Star, Jose Reyes’ stats are worth a look at baseball reference.com.

Could This Year Be Bay's Next Stand?

2011-03-03T19:49:00.006-05:00

Recently, WFAN’s Joe Beningo professed on his mid-morning radio show here in New York that Jason Bay would have a better season in 2011. “If anything, he would have a better season by accident” is what Beningo said. Unlike last year, where Bay was unfortunately an “accident” waiting to happen, Mets fans should expect better from him this year.

Jason Raymond Bay, OF (2003-2010) 8 seasons

2004-2009 (6 seasons, 4 ½ PIT, 1 ½ BOS) 149 games per season, 162 in 2005, in that span, Bay averaged 30 home runs, 99 runs batted in, 94 runs, 23 doubles, .279 BA, he put up what you would consider solid numbers, consistent numbers.

Bay’s rookie season, as a Pirate in 2004, he was awarded the NL ROY, 120 games, 116 hits/411 at-bats, 26 HRs, 82 RBIs, 24 doubles, 4 triples, you get the picture, it was a very convincing rookie year.

When choosing his most productive season offensively, you have to think 2005 when Bay played in all 162 regular season games for Pittsburgh. He batted .306, drove in 101 runs, slammed 32 homers, and stole 21 bases. The more I look at it, I'm confident that Bay’s 2005 season was his best thus far.

Check it out for yourself if you don’t believe me at baseball reference.com.

Albert Pujols Is On Another Planet

2011-02-22T23:00:00.003-05:00

With some of you Mets bloggers clogging the NYM blogosphere with candy-coded dreams of Albert Pujols perched atop first base for the remainder of his career with the Mets, here’s some stats to chew on.

Albert Pujols, STL 2001-2010, (10 full seasons) all in the National League and all as a Cardinal. At age 20, his first year in the majors, Pujols batted .329 with 37 home runs, 130 runs batted in, and 47 doubles in 161 games which earned him ROY.

For the next nine seasons, Pujols averaged 41 HRs, 122 RBIs, 42 doubles which seems to be his strong suit. He led the NL in total bases, four times, highlighted by 394 in 2003. He currently has a career batting average of .331.

It’s hard to choose his best season. Looking at 2003, Pujols finished with a .359 BA thanks in part to 212 hits, 51 of those hits being doubles, 43 HRs, 124 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.106, the second highest of his career.

If you average out his three MVP seasons of 2005, 2008-09, this is what you get: .338 BA, 123 RBIs, 118 runs scored, 42 HRs , and an OPS of 1.085 which is par for the course when you’re comparing Pujols’ overall numbers.

His career on-base percentage is unbelievable, .426, which will only get better assuming his career stays pretty much the same. Pujols finished his last three seasons in total walks with 104, 115, and 103, respectively, a far cry from his rookie season (69) when he struck out more than he walked, that hasn't happened since.

Pujols is a nine-time NL All-Star and his yearly base salary has gone from $200K in 2001 all the way up to $14.595 million last season.

For more salivating statistics, check out baseball reference.com.

Michael Young - Ten Years Back

2011-02-20T19:46:00.004-05:00

Michael Young INF, 2000-2010, 11 seasons, all with the Texas Rangers, eight seasons with at least 155 games or more. In 2009, Young played in 135 games. Looking at nine seasons, 2002 through 2010, Young averaged 85 runs batted in, batted .303 on average during that time with 195 hits, 37 doubles, 96 runs scored, all averages.

In 2006, Young played in 162 games. He hit .314 that season with 52 doubles, 217 hits, 14 home runs, and 103 RBIs, part of a string of five consecutive seasons of more than 200 hits per season…in 2009, he batted .322 with 22 home runs, 10 stolen bases, however, saw the least amount of at-bats, 593, since his first full year with Texas (2002) where he played in just 106 games.

Post season stat capsule - six games, 2010 ALCS vs. NYY...9H/27AB (.333), 3 doubles, 4 RBIs, 12 total bases.

Young won a Gold Glove in 2008 and is also a six-time American League All-Star.

For more of his statistics, check out baseball reference.com

Get Well, Miguel

2011-02-17T19:36:00.004-05:00

On the heels of the recent news involving Tigers Miguel Cabrera, here’s some statistical notes to enjoy.

2003-2010, 4 seasons with the Marlins not counting his rookie year, 115 RBIs, 32 HRs, .319 BA, all averages, not much speed, the classic run-producer who also hits for average…189 hits per season during his time with the Marlins, in obscurity no less…he was 20 years old when the Marlins won the World Series against the Yankees with Josh Beckett, Dontrelle Willis.

In his first season, 2003, he hit .268 in 87 games, 12 home runs in 314 AB, 62 RBIs, career strike outs, moderate…on-base pct., high three-eighties for his career.

3 seasons with the Tigers, under the tutelage of the well-traveled Jim Leyland, RBIs, 119 in three seasons, 36 dingers, all averages again, his home run numbers went up in the American League, durable, has stayed healthy throughout his career, averaged 678 plate appearances in seven full seasons...broke more than 300 total bases in last 7 seasons which is the majority of his career.

He has not won an MVP yet, closest was last season, he was the runner up in the American League, came in fifth for ROY in 2003 in the NL.

AC Wayne Is A Guest on Kerel Cooper's On The Black.com

2011-02-05T11:53:00.010-05:00

Last week, Kerel Cooper of OntheBlack.com and I sat down via Skype to discuss the Wilpons decision to sell 20-25 percent of the team along with what we expect from the Mets this upcoming spring training. Check it out and let me know what you think.

The Mets Need More Money

2011-01-31T18:52:00.002-05:00

Before this story broke, the most intriguing dilemma facing the Mets was where to play Carlos Beltran. Now, the Wilpons are faced with the prospect of selling a minority stake in their team to address the uncertainty that lies ahead. What would being a minority owner entail? He or she would receive a 20-25 percent stake in the Mets with the exclusion of the SNY cable network.

I have read that many are interested in acquiring a piece of the Mets but will probably never be able to control the team as much as the Wilpons or their bother-in-law, Saul Katz, does.

Either way, if they do or if they don’t sell a portion of their team it will affect the Mets ballclub financially.

Collins Has My Vote, For Now

2010-11-27T15:15:00.004-05:00

The Mets announced this past Tuesday at a press conference at Citi Field that Terry Collins, their former minor league field coordinator, will become the franchise’s 20th Mets manager.

Collins has been received with mixed reviews, some like his passion for the game, his eagerness to discipline his players, others have felt that his fiery intense demeanor could clash with some of the Mets players and of course, the NY media.

Asked about one Met player in particular, one that has been rumored of late, as a player who is by no means untouchable, Jose Reyes. Collins stated that he would not hesitate in making sure his players got the message of playing the game the right way.

The new Mets manager has been viewed as a person with a checkered past, in 2002, he was charged with a D.U.I, his major league managerial experiences include the Houston Astros and most notably, the Anaheim Angels, in which a very distraught Collins, voluntarily resigned amid a divided clubhouse.

Collins also left prematurely while managing in Japan, where he felt ownership was not taking his recommendations very seriously. Collins felt very strongly that younger players were beneficial for success than older players.

However, Collins does look like a fresh new start for the Mets, and will be, if anything, a confidence boost for a Mets team in need of one.

There is no doubt that Terry Collins loves baseball, he took a managing job for the China national team for Christ’s sake...I do feel perhaps that Collins may be a quitter and there is no doubt that Collins is a live wire who is not fit for this town. In my opinion, he’ll have to prove to me and the remaining Mets fans that he is the right man for the job.

Just Another Mets Mourning - Jerry And Omar Are Toast

2010-10-05T19:19:00.003-04:00

...a couple of your suggestions struck a nerve...Pagan needs to stay, he's your speed guy for sure, I think we can discard the healthy factor with him, he's as healthy as he's going to be...for Beltran to be able to command a lucrative trade for the Mets, he has to stay on the field, same goes for Santana, some dude on ESPN NY was professing that the Mets trade Santana, who the hell is going to trade for a guy who's two sheets from a career-ending injury, Thole starts w/o a doubt, I still have faith in Jason Bay and I agree with you that Ike Davis needs to grow out the tendrils, nice...good stuff, Lets' Go Mets!

Mets Prospects On the Rise

2010-09-26T15:06:00.005-04:00

Dillon Gee RHP, in four rookie starts in which he is averaging six and two-thirds innings per outing, Gee has a 2-1 won-lost record to go along with a 2.00 earned run average and fifteen strikeouts.

With the return of ace Johan Santana uncertain for next season, Gee could be a serious contender for the Mets starting rotation in 2011.

Lucas Duda OF, after recording just one hit in his first 33 big league at-bats (.030 BA), Duda has gone 9-for-22 (.409 BA) with four doubles, two home runs, and nine runs batted in.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel has given Lucas Duda high marks as a hitter who is exceptional at going the other way.

Kerel Cooper of OnTheBlack Joins Mets Public Record

2010-09-03T17:30:00.002-04:00

Check out the latest episode of Mets Public Record on Blogtalkradio with guest Kerel Cooper of OnTheBlack.com.

For Better or For Worse, Beltran’s Here To Stay

2010-09-01T00:27:00.004-04:00

As Mets fans, we talk about Carlos Beltran all the time, the strength of his knees, the possibility of having him play left field, the large sum of money that he’s owed next season. Some fans have even went as far as to say that the Mets wanted to move Beltran before the start of this season and that was the reason why the organization was so slighted when he decided to undergo major surgery on his ailing knees.

Analyzing the current situation, I feel that perhaps this wasn’t the case. What seems more accurate to me now is that the Mets front office knew of the consequences in a rehabbing Beltran. They were aware that even if he managed to make his way back this season which he has, he still would have to work harder than before to get back to one-hundred percent, which he hasn’t.

With such a hefty sum of money left on the final year of his contract for next season, he will be tough to move. The best case scenario obviously will be a healthy Beltran in All-Star form. However, if this procedure he opted for prior to the start of the season leaves him further in a state of underperformance, GM Omar Minaya and the Mets organization will have to endure another scarring disappointment heading into the 2011 season.

Mets Fans Need Answers to Some Tough Questions

2010-08-29T23:52:00.010-04:00

Will the Mets finish this season at .500, above, or below?

Is R.A. Dickey one of the top starting pitchers in the National League?

Who will make their way back into the Mets starting lineup first, Jose Reyes or Jason Bay?

Could these last five weeks with the NY Mets be Luis Castillo's swan song with the ball club?

Is Chip Hale capabale of becoming the next hitting coach for the Mets?

Let me know what you think.

When It Counts, Reyes Has A Mid-Life Crisis

2010-08-25T23:09:00.008-04:00

I thought Reyes was a little too aggressive in that final at-bat on Wednesday night...you could tell that Nunez was rattled after David Wright took him deep to make the score, 5-4, in the top of the ninth, in addition to the solid hits by Frenchy and Thole...it seemed like the Marlins were pitching around Castillo to get to Reyes...at this stage of Reyes' career, he has to learn a little restraint at the plate in these late-game situations, you could tell that Nunez didn't have it on this night.

Not sure is Pat Misch is the answer, Ryota Igarashi, again, was ineffective...Niese and the gang will now go for the series win on Thursday night.

Side note, did you hear Ojeda after the game, he was pretty ticked off that the Mets were watching the Braves/Rockies game…come on Bobby O, all baseball players scoreboard watch this time of year.

Santana, This Bud’s For You

2010-08-22T23:09:00.006-04:00

After watching Jose Tabata’s solo home run clear the left field fence on Sunday to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, I headed to my fridge and reached for a beer…and why not, Johan Santana has managed to complete three consecutive games that have resulted in just one victory and, believe it or not, two losses. I feel for the guy. “This one’s for you, buddy.”

As much as it may be eating him up inside, the Mets ace left-hander never seems to show it. After the game, when speaking with the media, words to the effect of “it's just another game, I made a mistake, and home runs are part of the game,” have satisfied Santana’s ego. However, and I can only speak for myself, witnessing this type of futility has forced me to drink myself into oblivion. Hoping that when I wake up this whole wasted season was just a false version of reality.

“When we look back at the end of the season, we’ll see a lot of missed opportunities with him (meaning Santana).” I couldn’t have said it better myself, thanks Frenchy for clarifying that…maybe that’s why Rod Barajas didn’t hesitate to bolt for Los Angeles when he was given the chance (Barajas was picked up on waivers Sunday and traded to the Dodgers for cash), at least the Wilpons got something of value in return…it’s obvious that they’ve been hard-up for money these days, but that’s a story for another day.

Not to stray too far off-course, the Mets can still salvage the remaining thirty-eight games of the season and attempt to finish off 2010 on a decent note (if finishing above .500 can be considered ‘salvaging.’)

As for missed opportunities, with this Mets offense, it’s unavoidable. Pretty much par for the course at this point.

Mets Offense Goes From Pathetic to Electric Overnight

2010-08-20T22:51:00.003-04:00

Jerry Manuel’s infamous post game comments after Thursday night’s loss to the Houston Astros in which the beleaguered Mets manager categorized his offense as “pathetic” may now seem more like a battle cry for his struggling hitters than anything else.

After mustering up just three singles the previous night, the Mets offense exploded on Friday with seven runs on fifteen hits. Be it against the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates, the charge was led by Chris Carter who was inserted into the clean-up spot as a way to shake things up. Carter went 2-for-4 with a home run including two runs batted in.

David Wright and Jose Reyes continued their late-August surge with identical line scores. They both went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Rookie catcher Josh Thole also contributed with two hits and two RBIs of his own.

With such an overmatched opponent in the Pirates, there should be no reason why the Mets hitters shouldn't be able to keep this up. If so, will Jeff Francoeur continue to sport the Keith Hernandez-style moustache?

Mets Find Disqualified As a Word They Can Work With

2010-08-18T00:18:00.003-04:00

Mets manager Jerry Manuel stated that he was obviously disappointed, discouraged, and frustrated upon hearing the news that his closer would no longer be available for the remainder of the season. Francisco Rodriguez underwent season-ending surgery on his right thumb on Tuesday. His injury, unfortunately, stemmed from a previous altercation that led to his arrest and a two-day stint on the Mets restricted list.

The latest news surrounding the fiery closer is that the Mets front office has removed the guarantee from his once-guaranteed contract and deemed him disqualified for the rest of the 2010 season. Meaning, they will hold back the remaining salary owed to him. The player’s association has yet to proceed with their side of the story. However, it is more than likely that K-Rod and his agent will be filing a grievance sometime soon. Stay tuned.

The K-Rod Konundrum: A Recent Reply

2010-08-14T23:32:00.002-04:00

Similar to how they handled Ryan Church's concussion last season, the Mets find themselves in unchartered territory w/the K-Rod situation...Joel Sherman suggested that the Mets attempt to void the remainder of Rodriguez' contract, however, as he stated in his piece in Sat.'s Post, that is very difficult to accomplish.

Minaya alluded to his conversation prior to dishing out the 2-gm susp. w/the players' association on the extent of the susp., I'm sure the front office wanted to come down hard on K-Rod but not sure if the union has specific rules as to what clubs can and cannot do.

I personally felt that what occurred after the game on Wed. night w/K-Rod was embarrassing to all that were affected, the players, their families, the Mets organization as well as the fans.

...to add to your comment, I don't think K-Rod should be gone for the whole season but perhaps a little longer than two games, maybe five would've sufficed, have him come back on either Mon. or Tues on the road in Houston...overall, just a bad scene.

No Regret, No Surrender for Dickey and the Mets

2010-08-13T23:05:00.000-04:00

R.A. Dickey told reporters after last night’s one-hit complete-game shutout against the Phillies that having no regret was what made his last outing so special…not the phantom homerun by Mike Hessman, not the fact that Frenchy may have had a play on Philadelphia starting pitcher Cole Hamels on his way to first base (Hamels’ bloop hit to right field ruined Dickey’s no-hit bid).

If Francoeur had decided from the get-go that he was committed to throwing out the opposing pitcher at first and was deemed successful, it would have secured the organization’s first-ever no-hitter. Oh well, it wasn’t meant to be…the Mets did win back-to-back games though and if I'm not mistaken, the last time that happened, Alex Cora and Fernando Tatis were still on the 25-man roster. And thanks to Johan Santana’s gutsy performance on Thursday, Jerry Manuel and his makeshift bullpen had the luxury of playing the role of spectator once again.

The Mets offense is still a concern...not to worry, according to their manager, it will come soon enough. The question is, When????

Santana Does His Job and Does It Well

2010-08-12T20:57:00.001-04:00

Jose Reyes remained consistent at the plate by going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, not to mention his two stolen bases, nice to see Jose, Jose, Jose tearing up those base paths...Johan Santana proved again why he's the ace of the Mets staff and an exceptional second-half pitcher to boot by throwing a complete-game shutout, the team’s 17th overall this season...Carlos Beltran found his groove at the plate for once by going 3-for-3...if it’s any consolation, the Mets have won three out of their last five games and will attempt to win back-to-back games since June 23rd tom’row night against the Phils...with the exception of K-Rod’s misfortunes off-the-field, another positive victory for the Metsies.

Losing For the Mets Comes Easy, Winning…That’s A Different Story

2010-08-11T23:12:00.000-04:00

The fact that the Mets have not be able to win back-to-back games since late June speaks volumes...the offense has managed just seven hits and three runs in the first two games of this series against the Rockies…Wright and Beltran look awful at the plate, and guess what, the Phillies are in town this weekend w/the possibility of Ollie Perez starting on Saturday.

“Fire Jerry” chants can be heard throughout Citi Field, with last night’s loss, the Mets have fallen into fourth place in the NL East. Could be worse?

Somethin’ Not Wright with Beltran

2010-08-08T18:29:00.000-04:00

Manager Jerry Manuel made his intentions known on August 2nd that Carlos Beltran would be batting exclusively for him in the third spot of the Mets starting lineup from that day forward.

Since that decision was made, the veteran centerfielder has contributed very little offensively by going 3-for-22 registering seven strikeouts. Initially made to protect clean-up hitter David Wright while batting fifth, Beltran struggles have created a trickle-down effect (he is currently batting .195) when stationed within the top third of the Mets lineup.

Having Beltran in the three-hole, David Wright has gone 2-for-19 with seven strikeouts during the same 6-game span. Coincidence? I think not. Perhaps it’s time for Jerry to re-evaluate his decision.

Long Overdue, Pelfrey and the Mets Have Lost Their Way

2010-08-04T23:34:00.000-04:00

Prior to Wednesday night’s rubber game against the Atlanta Braves, Mets manager Jerry Manuel reminded his starter Mike Pelfrey that he was a good pitcher. He also let him know that along with the fifty some-odd games remaining on the schedule, this particular one was very important, not only for the Mets as a whole but also for the struggling right hander who hasn’t earned a victory in more than a month: June 25th to be exact.

Since accumulating a 10-2 won-lost record with a save somewhere in-between to start the season, Pelfrey, along with his teammates have found themselves on the short end of a long list of opportunities. Pelfrey’s last seven outings, last night’s included, have produced six Mets losses. His once miniscule earned run average now reads 4.16 thanks in part to surrendering 31 earned runs in just 30 innings. The eight hits allowed last night by Pelfrey now add up to a total of 62 hits that were produced during his last seven starts.

Overall, Manuel felt that Pelfrey pitched better this time out. Further, the Mets skipper felt strongly that it was the right hander’s mismanagement of Atlanta’s three and four hitters, Chipper Jones and Brian McCann, last night which caused his starter’s undoing and not his overall lack of execution.

“It was bad, we didn’t play very well, we’re a better team than that,” Manuel said. “We have to find a way to get back on that track…we can’t kick it [the ball] around like that.”

The Mets infielders committed four errors, two by Jose Reyes alone. With last night’s 8-3 loss to the Braves, the Mets find themselves in third place seven-and-a-half games out.

Fortunately for the Mets, they have an off day scheduled for Thursday where they will be able to refresh and only hope to play better the rest of way.

Manuel’s Seat in the Mets Dugout a Little Warmer These Days

2010-08-03T19:55:00.000-04:00

It’s no secret that Mets manager Jerry Manuel’s days are numbered. However, it may be only partly his fault…no significant moves were made before the trade deadline by his general manager to help bolster his team…injuries to Jose Reyes, Jason Bay, and Rod Barajas have more than forced their share of starts and stops causing the organization to be steered in different directions…once a youthful, energetic bunch before the All-Star Break leading the charge to victory eventually has become a slow-moving cast of aging veterans in centerfielder Carlos Beltran and second baseman Luis Castillo struggling to retain what is left of their once-impressive careers…the constant reshuffling of the Mets lineup doesn’t help Manuel’s chances as a vision of stability but neither does finding a place to store a little-used Oliver Perez, Manuel inherited that dilemma.

If the Mets somehow turn this ship around, I guess all the credit has to go to Manuel, he has kept his signature laid-back style and a sense of calm throughout his tenure as what seems like the longest running interim manager the Mets have ever had…I have to admit, I never really believed in the Mets former bench coach under Willie Randolph as anything other than a bench coach…what do I know, players seem to enjoy playing under him.

On the flipside though, if the Mets continue on this downward spiral, Manuel’s seat as manager will be viewed as nothing other than a place kept warm for the next guy to occupy.

Mets Should Either Shape Up Or Ship Out

2010-07-26T23:04:00.000-04:00

Prior to the All-Star Break or Pre-Beltran, the Mets had a nice makeup…younger outfield with Frenchy, Pagan, and Bay…a nice smooth DP-tandem in Reyes and Tejada w/Wright and Davis on the corner infield spots…Thole would be getting more PT as well…strong starting pitching and a so-so bullpen back ended w/an All-Star closer in Rodriguez.

Now, the lineup is a little older w/Castillo and Beltran not to mention that both of them are coming off of long stints on the DL and if Barajas didn’t land on the DL, he would have been starting over Thole.

I don’t blame Beltran…I personally felt that the absence of Reyes after that PR series was the Mets downfall, but there is some truth to blaming Beltran, not him specifically but the veteran movement that has now superseded the youth movement that made the Mets so exciting before the break, throw in Ollie Perez and you have a big bowl of been-there-done-that with those three guys…we’ve seen what Beltran, Castillo, and Perez can give ‘ya, I say, “shape up or ship out.”

Could Hojo Be Very Close to Losing His Mojo?

2010-07-26T19:51:00.001-04:00

The Mets world, well let’s just say, has turned everything Howard Johnson. Every where you look, the mention of his firing has become front-and-center. It could very well happen as we speak or sometime early afternoon prior to Tuesday nights’ Mets game against the St. Louis Cardinals, one of their long-time rivals.

Or it could not happen at all. However, if Johnson is not let go prematurely then Mets fans will have to come up with other reasons why their team has found itself in the dumps of late, if not Howard Johnson, then why or who for that matter?

Howard Johnson is one of just three Mets all-time to have been given an open invitation into one of major league baseball’s more impressive clubs, the 30-30 Club.

Catch Mets Hater on Mets Public Record

2010-07-22T19:16:00.000-04:00

Check out Mets Hater on Mets Public Record.

For more Mets Hater, you can check out his Blogtalkradio show or discuss your feelings about the NY Mets on his Mets Hater forum.

Mets Who’s Hot and Who’s Not

2010-07-21T20:03:00.000-04:00

Hot

C Josh Thole: since his call-up on June 25th, Thole is batting 12-for-24, that’s .500 with 6 runs batted in and an on-base percentage of .571…in about 27 plate appearances he has struck out three times, about 12 percent of the time, (if you’re wondering about Ike Davis, the first baseman undergoes strike three around a quarter of the time)…the most impressive statistic though is Thole’s ability to hit in the clutch…he is batting 5-for-7 with runners in scoring position, in the same situation with 2 outs, a perfect 2-for-2…the Mets front office must have noticed those numbers or else Mets fans would have seen Oliver Perez replacing the 23-year-old catcher.

RHP Bobby Parnell: since his call-up on June 30th, Parnell is holding a 1.32 ERA…in 13.2 innings pitched (41 outs), the young right-hander has 15 strikeouts to just three walks and has given up 13 hits while allowing two runners to score. Mets manager Jerry Manuel has also decided to go with Parnell as his eighth-inning guy.

Honorable Mentions: OF Angel Pagan and LHP Johan Santana

Not

C Rod Barajas: since June 1st, the veteran catcher is batting .161 (15-for-93) with just 2 RBIs and 3 extra-base hits, all doubles. Barajas does put the ball in play, however, his lack of speed lessens the chance of anything productive taking effect if an opposing infielder happens to botch a routine play…in 884 career games, Barajas has swiped just two bases in only four stolen-base attempts.

RHP Mike Pelfrey: since a nine-inning performance on June 8th against the San Diego Padres, Pelfrey’s next seven starts have seen his earned run average jump from 2.23 to 4.01…in that span, he has earned a 2-4 won-lost record in which he has surrendered 62 hits and allowed 31 runs, all earned…looking at the right-hander’s strike outs, previous to that June 8th start, Pelfrey was averaging five strike outs an outing, his last seven starts have yielded just under two strike outs a start.

Under Consideration: LF Jason Bay and LHP Pedro Feliciano

Is It Time For Ike Davis to Carry the Mets On His Back?

2010-07-18T22:59:00.000-04:00

On July 11th, Mets Ike Davis reintroduced Mets fans to the sight of his signature mammoth-style homeruns with his eleventh; he now has thirteen. In his last five games, the rookie first baseman is batting .368 (7-for-19) with 3 homers, 2 doubles, and 6 runs batted in. In that span, he has also scored three runs. During a disappointing four-game series against the San Francisco Giants this past weekend, Davis has temporarily arisen as one of the Mets lone bright spots.

Heading into the All-Star Break, Davis was being held accountable for his propensity to strikeout. In 291 at-bats thus far this season, the 23-year-old Davis has racked up a total of 75 strikeouts, that’s almost one strike out for every four at-bats. In his defense, this is his rookie season. To combat that negative statistic, Davis has kept his on-base percentage in the high three-thirties and has amassed 32 base-on-balls.

The Mets have showed great patience this season with free-agent Jason Bay, veteran centerfielder Carlos Beltran, and the oft-injured Mets spark plug Jose Reyes. With those three players hampered by starts and stops this year, it may be the perfect time for the former Mets clean-up hitter, Ike Davis, to begin carrying his team on his back.

The Loss of King James Seems Trivial Right Now

2010-07-13T23:05:00.000-04:00

When pro basketball phenom, Lebron James, bolted to the Miami Heat like a freshman on his first year away from home, the city of Cleveland wept and tried desperately to pick up the pieces. Devoid of any real baseball contender this season due to the woeful Indians, the proprietors of this working-class city have been made to concentrate on other forms of entertainment. Holed up in their neighborhood diners and dives, the will to soldier on grows worse under the spell of, “could it get any worse?”

After organizing voice mails and sorting through sheets of paper, a co-worker of mine ruined my second-cup-of-coffee with oh, by the way, George Steinbrenner died. The most infamous man of Rocky River, Ohio, a suburb east of Cleveland, was no longer among us.

I proceeded to walk back to my desk, half-cup-coffee in hand, and began to search the web for anything I could find pertaining to the man. As the former principle owner of the New York Yankees, he was suspended by the commissioner of baseball for two years in 1974 for illegal contributions to Richard Nixon’s 1972 re-election campaign. Not to throw salt on the man’s grave but he also did fire Billy Martin a total of, oh, I don’t know, we all stopped counting.

With all due respect to Cleveland, Steinbrenner, labeled as a prodigal son, was raised on broad shoulders but yearned for the temptations that the Big City had to offer. With $8.7 million he negotiated a deal to purchase the Yankees from CBS, the outright owners at the time. He brought his brute and blunt strength to the negotiating table and that is how he ran his team: no facial hair, no long hair, —like Mickey Mantle, one could say.

Despite the tenacious and relentless pursuit of the best players money could buy, Steinbrenner was once asked to resign as the organization’s general partner for paying a self-described gambler to uncover some dirt on the Yankee Hall of Famer, Dave Winfield.

Oh, the memories, of seven World Championships and eleven pennants, the launch of the Yankees very own cable network, YES, and the tell-all book by their former skipper, Joe Torre, Steinbrenner’s diminishing presence still loomed large.

With the approval of major league baseball, the “Boss” was allowed to give full autonomy to his two sons, Hank and Hal Steinbrenner, of one of the most storied franchises in all of sports.

“He built the Yankees into champions, and that’s something nobody can deny. He was a very generous, caring, passionate man,” Yogi Berra said of the elder Steinbrenner.

Even though I’m an avid Mets fan, I can still admire what he accomplished.

At the Mid-Point of the Season, Mets Fans Can Only Be Surprised

2010-07-12T18:33:00.000-04:00

If you’re able to imagine back-to-back postponed games, followed by an off-day, then you will have no problem sitting through the next three days devoid of your favorite team, the New York Mets.

As Mike Pelfrey and Johan Santana head towards different ends of the spectrum, we mustn’t forget the unexpected surprises that were unleashed by this Mets ballclub during the last three-and-half months.

One that comes to mind is the performance of centerfielder Angel Pagan. At the plate, in the outfield or heck, on the base paths, the 29-year-old Pagan has been on-point. Playing in 80 of the Mets 87 games, Pagan has used his speed and athleticism to track down fly balls and swipe 19 bases. Batting .315 heading into the break, he is currently atop the team leaders in hits (94), doubles (17), triples (6), runs batted in (40), and runs scored (49).

Off-the-field, Pagan’s name has been mentioned on a daily basis due to the pending reunion of a certain Mets Gold Glove centerfielder.

On the pitching front for the Mets, the steady emergence of one of the most unlikely of heroes is veteran right-hander R.A. Dickey. Owning a won-lost record of 6-2, the crafty knuckleballer has confidently portrayed himself as the quintessential engine that could.

Brought up to reinforce a beleaguered starting rotation on May 19th, Dickey started off brilliantly capturing a 6-0 record in seven starts. Although his last three outings have produced two losses in which he has allowed 20 hits and 11 runs in 18.2 innings, his last performance on July 9th against the Braves has been his most disappointing to date. Dickey surrendered back-to-back home runs that broke a 2-2 tie which proved to be all the scoring the Braves would need in nailing down the victory.

“There’s so many things outside of your control that you really don’t know if that was your last shot. So you can tell yourself a million times over that you’re going to get another opportunity, but the reality is that may not happen,” Dickey has said.

With the Mets falling victim to back-to-back series losses at Citi Field before the break, a place that has given Mets fans nothing but good times, Dickey’s sentiment can be seen as the rallying cry for the orange-and-blue and their fans during the second half of the season.

For now, it’s time to enjoy the highs and continue to act surprised as the opportunities present themselves.

Kerel Cooper of Ontheblack.com Pays Mets Public Record A Visit

2010-07-08T18:26:00.000-04:00

Tonight on Mets Public Record at ten, Kerel Cooper of the popular Mets video blog, On the Black, pays us a visit.

To listen to the show, click the link.

Mets Fans Ask Jason Bay, Is There Anybody Out There?

2010-06-27T22:49:00.000-04:00

What can you say, it’s a great time to be a Mets fans. Better yet, it’s a great time to be a Mets player. Except if you’re outfielder Jason Bay. I’m aware that he has shown steady signs of coming out of it by hitting safely in 4 out of his last 6 games. However, with the month of July awfully near, Bay has just four home runs and 31 runs batted in.

With such below-average offensive production, you have to wonder if Jason Bay is really basking in the glory that has energized this current Mets ball club. It very well may be that throughout these last twenty some odd games, Bay has found himself at his locker or perched in leftfield feeling left out.

More known for his power numbers than his defensive skills, Bay has at least been able to win the hearts of Mets fans with hustle and a steady glove in leftfield. Coming off of one of the more productive seasons of his career with the Boston Red Sox in 2009 in which he hit 36 home runs, drove in 119 RBIs, and totaled 285 bases, Mets fans have reason to believe that one day those numbers will be heading their way as well.

Back in May, Mets manager Jerry Manuel used the word baffling in his attempt to explain the many starts and stops of the organization’s latest free agent acquisition when he’s at the plate.

“There are a lot of guys doing a lot of good things to help us win offensively, and I’m not one of them,” was the response given by Bay back on May 5th.

Even with 11 hits in his last 12 games, that sentiment by Bay may still ring true. It has been a little more than two weeks since his last home run. With this upcoming trip to Puerto Rico, Mets fans can only hope that Bay will find a clearer sense of belonging and start building up his sagging power numbers