Mets talkback

Whoa, Jerry. I simply inquired as to what may have happened to Jason Pridie. I didn’t suggest that he should be an opening-day starter. You are, of course, entitled to your opinion, but mine is that Nick Evans and Jason Pridie were better contributors to the Mets last year than Scott Hairston and Willie Harris were. And you can throw Jason Bay in there as well. If you disagree, that’s fine with me.

Secondly, it takes no special talent or effort to root for the superstars in MLB. Their talent is so obvious that one would have to be a fool not to recognize and appreciate it. It short, it’s too easy. I like more of a challenge: I prefer to concentrate on the fortunes of marginal players who have to struggle to get playing time. Some examples would be Clem Labine of the 1950s Dodgers, Rod Kanehl of the ’62 Mets, Bud Harrelson, Rob Gardner and Al Weis of the ’69 Amazin’s.

Who in his right mind would have considered Tom Seaver to be overrated? I preferred to root for Jerry Koosman and Jim McAndrew in 1969. They were more like real human beings to me. Seaver was a god, one of a kind.

From the 1986 Mets, I chose to pull for Lenny Dykstra, Mookie Wilson and Wally Bachman over established stars like Keith Hernández, Gary Carter or Darryl Strawberry. Among the pitchers, I honed in on Ron Darling, Bobby Ojeda and Sid Fernández. Doc Gooden was in the Seaver category, too easy.

With the departures of Pagán, Evans and Pridie, I will be obliged to find a new set of marginal players to root for on the 2012 Mets. Right now, I’d say that Lucas Duda is out in front for my attention, followed by Andrés Torres and Mike Nickeas. If Reese Havens ever makes it up to the parent club, I’ll probably be pulling extra hard for him.

Just thought you’d like to know the reasoning behind my peculiar rooting style.

Veloz

Fast Eddie wrote:

Whoa, Jerry. I simply inquired as to what may have happened to Jason Pridie. I didn’t suggest that he should be an opening-day starter. You are, of course, entitled to your opinion, but mine is that Nick Evans and Jason Pridie were better contributors to the Mets last year than Scott Hairston and Willie Harris were. And you can throw Jason Bay in there as well. If you disagree, that’s fine with me.
Secondly, it takes no special talent or effort to root for the superstars in MLB. Their talent is so obvious that one would have to be a fool not to recognize and appreciate it. It short, it’s too easy. I like more of a challenge: I prefer to concentrate on the fortunes of marginal players who have to struggle to get playing time. Some examples would be Clem Labine of the 1950s Dodgers, Rod Kanehl of the ’62 Mets, Bud Harrelson, Rob Gardner and Al Weis of the ’69 Amazin’s.
Who in his right mind would have considered Tom Seaver to be overrated? I preferred to root for Jerry Koosman and Jim McAndrew in 1969. They were more like real human beings to me. Seaver was a god, one of a kind.
From the 1986 Mets, I chose to pull for Lenny Dykstra, Mookie Wilson and Wally Bachman over established stars like Keith Hernández, Gary Carter or Darryl Strawberry. Among the pitchers, I honed in on Ron Darling, Bobby Ojeda and Sid Fernández. Doc Gooden was in the Seaver category, too easy.
With the departures of Pagán, Evans and Pridie, I will be obliged to find a new set of marginal players to root for on the 2012 Mets. Right now, I’d say that Lucas Duda is out in front for my attention, followed by Andrés Torres and Mike Nickeas. If Reese Havens ever makes it up to the parent club, I’ll probably be pulling extra hard for him.
Just thought you’d like to know the reasoning behind my peculiar rooting style.
Veloz

Thanks for the letting me know why you like guys like Evans and Pridie. I just think sometimes the Mets have these guys in the minors that are never projected as major league players and they give us fans a false hope. I remember the late 70s when there was a guy named Gil Flores at Tidewater, he had some pretty good minor league stats but he never was brought up to play in the majors other than for a cup of coffee. I asked around about him and a scout told me that the Mets need players to fill out their rosters and what the do is hang onto guys that are not projected to play in the majors. Many times this explains why the minor league team might win their league title. They keep players at that level who are good for that level, while the real projected players are constantly moving up.
Anyway, I wasn't getting on your case Eddie. I always appreciate reading your opinion.

OMG, I can’t wait for ST to begin for real! Right now I’m bored shitless, so my mind tends to wander to the fantastic, which means that a lot of questions start popping into my noggin, to wit:

How much longer will David Wright be a Met? Will he ever again play like the guy who was a legitimate MLB star through the 2008 season? Sadly, I have a hunch that David is as done as yesterday’s pot roast. I don’t want to hear about the goddam LF wall at Citi; that doesn’t explain Wright’s surging strikeout totals the past three years. His swing is starting to look like Swiss cheese. Who knows? Maybe he’ll regain his batting eye this season, in which case the Mets will have to decide if he’s worth the $16M option they have on his services for 2013. My guess is that he won’t--and that the club will trade him for prospects by July 31.

So what are the odds that by season’s end Dan Murphy will be the Mets’ 3B and Reese Havens will be patrolling 2B? Havens was a SS at the University of South Carolina—and a good one—so he shouldn’t have any trouble in the field. It’s strictly a matter of whether he can stay healthy and show some talent with the bat. Murph was NEVER a 2B until he got to Flushing; he’d be much more comfortable at the hot corner, which seems to suit his build and range. Stay tuned.

If all of the above comes to pass, won’t the Mets be a tad heavy with LH hitters? Out of eight slots in the lineup, only two (Bay, if he’s still starting, and Tejada) will be right-hand batters; Torres is a switch hitter and the rest (Murphy, Davis, Havens, Thole, and Duda) will be lefties. Maybe that will work well for them. Not many teams have as many as two tough southpaws in their rotation, and the good ones are usually spaced apart.

Gotta go now. The voices in my head are getting angry.

Veloz

My heart goes to the the Gary Carter family. Sad day for the Mets and former teammates. Gary brought grit and a fiery competitiveness to the Mets team's of the 80's.
Played injured, played hard all the time with shot knees. I have good memories of him. Never forget the single that started the game 6 rally in the 9th. I feel if he was given an opportunity he would have been a great MLB manager too.
Gary is in a better place now where he has no more pain and suffering. I was hoping there would be more comments on this site for Gary. Lets acknowledge him today Mets fans.

Fast Eddie wrote:

OMG, I can’t wait for ST to begin for real! Right now I’m bored shitless, so my mind tends to wander to the fantastic, which means that a lot of questions start popping into my noggin, to wit:
How much longer will David Wright be a Met? Will he ever again play like the guy who was a legitimate MLB star through the 2008 season? Sadly, I have a hunch that David is as done as yesterday’s pot roast. I don’t want to hear about the goddam LF wall at Citi; that doesn’t explain Wright’s surging strikeout totals the past three years. His swing is starting to look like Swiss cheese. Who knows? Maybe he’ll regain his batting eye this season, in which case the Mets will have to decide if he’s worth the $16M option they have on his services for 2013. My guess is that he won’t--and that the club will trade him for prospects by July 31.
So what are the odds that by season’s end Dan Murphy will be the Mets’ 3B and Reese Havens will be patrolling 2B? Havens was a SS at the University of South Carolina—and a good one—so he shouldn’t have any trouble in the field. It’s strictly a matter of whether he can stay healthy and show some talent with the bat. Murph was NEVER a 2B until he got to Flushing; he’d be much more comfortable at the hot corner, which seems to suit his build and range. Stay tuned.
If all of the above comes to pass, won’t the Mets be a tad heavy with LH hitters? Out of eight slots in the lineup, only two (Bay, if he’s still starting, and Tejada) will be right-hand batters; Torres is a switch hitter and the rest (Murphy, Davis, Havens, Thole, and Duda) will be lefties. Maybe that will work well for them. Not many teams have as many as two tough southpaws in their rotation, and the good ones are usually spaced apart.
Gotta go now. The voices in my head are getting angry.
Veloz

I get that feeling that David's days as a Mets are numbered. They are hoping that he starts off the gate well and make himself more marketable. Murphy's best and most natural position is 3rd base....though he may not win any gold gloves there, as long as he hits in the .300 range and drives in runs who cares. I feel that Havens is their best option at 2B if this kid can stay healthy. There are others who have a shot like Valdespin, but I like Haven's
power potential. I also look for Niewenhuis or Den Dekker to overtake Andres Torres in CF sometime this year. I know there chances are slim this year, but I am willing to sacrifice a season for a better future. If they finish .500 (81-81) I would consider this to be a successful season and something to continue to build on. I also am looking and hoping to get a peek at either or both Matt Harvey or Jerrys Familia sometime late this summer.

displaced Mets fan wrote:

<quoted text>
I get that feeling that David's days as a Mets are numbered. They are hoping that he starts off the gate well and make himself more marketable. Murphy's best and most natural position is 3rd base....though he may not win any gold gloves there, as long as he hits in the .300 range and drives in runs who cares. I feel that Havens is their best option at 2B if this kid can stay healthy. There are others who have a shot like Valdespin, but I like Haven's
power potential. I also look for Niewenhuis or Den Dekker to overtake Andres Torres in CF sometime this year. I know there chances are slim this year, but I am willing to sacrifice a season for a better future. If they finish .500 (81-81) I would consider this to be a successful season and something to continue to build on. I also am looking and hoping to get a peek at either or both Matt Harvey or Jerrys Familia sometime late this summer.

I agree 100%. We need to view 2012 as a stepping stone to 2013 and beyond. A .500 record would be a definite plus.

Veloz

displaced Mets fan wrote:

<quoted text>
I get that feeling that David's days as a Mets are numbered. They are hoping that he starts off the gate well and make himself more marketable. Murphy's best and most natural position is 3rd base....though he may not win any gold gloves there, as long as he hits in the .300 range and drives in runs who cares. I feel that Havens is their best option at 2B if this kid can stay healthy. There are others who have a shot like Valdespin, but I like Haven's
power potential. I also look for Niewenhuis or Den Dekker to overtake Andres Torres in CF sometime this year. I know there chances are slim this year, but I am willing to sacrifice a season for a better future. If they finish .500 (81-81) I would consider this to be a successful season and something to continue to build on. I also am looking and hoping to get a peek at either or both Matt Harvey or Jerrys Familia sometime late this summer.

Amen Dis amen.

displaced Mets fan wrote:

<quoted text>
I get that feeling that David's days as a Mets are numbered. They are hoping that he starts off the gate well and make himself more marketable. Murphy's best and most natural position is 3rd base....though he may not win any gold gloves there, as long as he hits in the .300 range and drives in runs who cares. I feel that Havens is their best option at 2B if this kid can stay healthy. There are others who have a shot like Valdespin, but I like Haven's
power potential. I also look for Niewenhuis or Den Dekker to overtake Andres Torres in CF sometime this year. I know there chances are slim this year, but I am willing to sacrifice a season for a better future. If they finish .500 (81-81) I would consider this to be a successful season and something to continue to build on. I also am looking and hoping to get a peek at either or both Matt Harvey or Jerrys Familia sometime late this summer.

Dis as far as the fielder are concerned the Mets aren't in bad shape in fact they are pretty good. Now the starting pitching really raises the flags. I believe that Harvey and Familia might make appearances in the early part of Spring Training. If they do I'll try to watch them when they pitch in a game having SNY I get to see them. A 500 season would be good if the current staff can put some kind of win streak together. Interesting point and pitcher to watch will be the Enigma Pelfrey because this is the walk year his 6th year in the majors and after this season he is a free agent so now he will have to really pitch to get any kind of contract at 28 this could be his only big contract and shot.

My sincerest condolences for Mr Carter.....a true class act

HarleyRyder wrote:

My sincerest condolences for Mr Carter.....a true class act

Totally agree...and a great HOF catcher and leader he was.....and an even greater man.....

HarleyRyder wrote:

My sincerest condolences for Mr Carter.....a true class act

Thanks for the respect.

tango wrote:

<quoted text>Totally agree...and a great HOF catcher and leader he was.....and an even greater man.....

Thanks for the respect.

The big news from PSL so far has been about Jon Niese's nose job, which he says Carlos Beltran offered to pay for. Wider nasal passages should result in better conditioning for Niese, he says. Good idea.

In the spirit of that announcement, I'd like to take up a collection to have a couple of holes drilled in Mike Pelfrey's skull to let some of the air out.

Veloz

Fast Eddie wrote:

The big news from PSL so far has been about Jon Niese's nose job, which he says Carlos Beltran offered to pay for. Wider nasal passages should result in better conditioning for Niese, he says. Good idea.
In the spirit of that announcement, I'd like to take up a collection to have a couple of holes drilled in Mike Pelfrey's skull to let some of the air out.
Veloz

Yeah okay....smoking good weed lately?

Fast Eddie wrote:

The big news from PSL so far has been about Jon Niese's nose job, which he says Carlos Beltran offered to pay for. Wider nasal passages should result in better conditioning for Niese, he says. Good idea.
In the spirit of that announcement, I'd like to take up a collection to have a couple of holes drilled in Mike Pelfrey's skull to let some of the air out.
Veloz

I'd rethink that Eddie. Lord knows what else would crawl out of there!!

Met Mad Hatter wrote:

<quoted text>I'd rethink that Eddie. Lord knows what else would crawl out of there!!

I just hope that Pelfrey will finally acquire some sense of what he’s supposed to be doing out there on the mound. Remember how a few years ago he was falling all over himself—often balking in the process--whenever he’d try to pitch from the stretch position? The guy is a physical giant but a mental midget. He is easily flustered. As Ted Williams used to say,“If you don’t think too good, don’t think too much.” This is why they teach fundamentals: so that you can do it right without actually thinking about it.

Veloz

How can a player be both early and late for the same appointment? Apparently, Ruben Tejada is capable of that invisible-man act. A question for management: What is the point of setting reporting dates that aren't really to be taken seriously? If you want a player to report early, you need to 1- inform him of that fact, and 2- provide him with some incentive to do so.

This silly kerfuffle could be the start of an interesting year for us Mets fans.

Veloz

My thoughts on the Mets and about the division....Phillies are still the cream of the crop...but they are getting old....they cannot last forever. Braves are little more stable since they have a young pitching staff and some up and coming young pitchers. Marlins are about to open a new stadium and have spent tons of money to entice their fan base....but I feel they overspent their means.....this is still South Florida and attendance may be fine for a while, but as it dwindles, they are going to have a financial crises in a year or two.....Jose Reyes may not finish out his contract with the Marlins for one of two reasons....they will not afford him in two years or he may pop too many hammys to finish out the contract.....this contract could be a potential disaster. Also spending a ton on a 33 year Mark Buerhle with a lot of mileage on that left arm could also be potentially disastrous.....(see Johan Santana). Nationals have overspent on Jayson Werth and have nothing to show for that for the moment and now have overspent on Ryan Zimmerman.

What I am trying to say is right now it's not about where we end up this year....but where we end up in the next 1-5 years...so we finish last this year....big deal. Mets are staying pat with a plan to give them financial flexibility and building a rich farm system.....hopefully one that produces stud pitchers. I like the young players that are in camp right now (Davis, Duda, Tejeda, Thole, Murphy (if he can resemble a 2B))....these guys will continue to mature and develop at this level and be the "core" that will establish themselves as winners in the years to come.
Now if Pelfrey can figure himself out, it might a productive season....81-81 will be a good season for this team and this season be a stepping stone for better years to come. We will look back on the winter of 2012 and we will be glad that they did stand pat and cut payroll while everyone around them is spending themselves into a financial mess and getting old to boot. Stick with the plan Sandy.....that philosophy worked for fine forbow tie Frank Cashen some time ago.

displaced Mets fan wrote:

My thoughts on the Mets and about the division....Phillies are still the cream of the crop...but they are getting old....they cannot last forever. Braves are little more stable since they have a young pitching staff and some up and coming young pitchers. Marlins are about to open a new stadium and have spent tons of money to entice their fan base....but I feel they overspent their means.....this is still South Florida and attendance may be fine for a while, but as it dwindles, they are going to have a financial crises in a year or two.....Jose Reyes may not finish out his contract with the Marlins for one of two reasons....they will not afford him in two years or he may pop too many hammys to finish out the contract.....this contract could be a potential disaster. Also spending a ton on a 33 year Mark Buerhle with a lot of mileage on that left arm could also be potentially disastrous.....(see Johan Santana). Nationals have overspent on Jayson Werth and have nothing to show for that for the moment and now have overspent on Ryan Zimmerman.
What I am trying to say is right now it's not about where we end up this year....but where we end up in the next 1-5 years...so we finish last this year....big deal. Mets are staying pat with a plan to give them financial flexibility and building a rich farm system.....hopefully one that produces stud pitchers. I like the young players that are in camp right now (Davis, Duda, Tejeda, Thole, Murphy (if he can resemble a 2B))....these guys will continue to mature and develop at this level and be the "core" that will establish themselves as winners in the years to come.
Now if Pelfrey can figure himself out, it might a productive season....81-81 will be a good season for this team and this season be a stepping stone for better years to come. We will look back on the winter of 2012 and we will be glad that they did stand pat and cut payroll while everyone around them is spending themselves into a financial mess and getting old to boot. Stick with the plan Sandy.....that philosophy worked for fine forbow tie Frank Cashen some time ago.

Nice post Dis: Like they say, "Its not whether you win or lose but how you play the game". I recently listened in on WFAN's Mike Francesa interview with Sandy Alderson. I was really impressed with Sandy.He is a very refreshing personality compared to the bozo we had. He comes across as knowing exactly what needs to be done. If the Wilpons can overcome the lawsuits, they will be in better shape and Sandy will make the professional decisions that will bring the Mets back in contention.

The best plan for the Mets’ front office is to trade high-maintenance players (e.g., Wright, Santana) and stockpile high draft picks in return. One very good thing about young players is their job insecurity and the hunger that propels them to play with great intensity. Personally, I’m looking forward to watching the youngsters compete for a spot on the opening day roster. The likes of Tejada, Davis and Duda have been fun to watch the past two years. The key for fans is to keep expectations low.

My prediction: the Mets will finish somewhere in the NL East this year.(Yeah, I know, I’m going way out on a limb here.)

Veloz