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Would You Give Up Your Youth For. . .
2007-11-29 19:20:00
In a totally hypothetical situation, yet possibly plausible, the Mets starting rotation next year could be Pedro Martinez, Dan Haren, Joe Blanton, Dontrelle Willis and Oliver Perez.I know what you're thinking. The answer is no I'm not high. But this is a scenario worth considering. That hypothetical starting rotation consists of 4 pitchers with young arms and one solid veteran. It's a rotation that's pretty much set for the next 3 years with Pedro's longevity being the only question mark.What will it take to get them? Ha, here's the kicker. The Mets would more than likely have to give up Fernando Martinez, John Maine, Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez, Ruben Gotay, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra. The A's would want Maine, Gotay, Mulvey & Gomez for Haren & Blanton. The Marlins would get Guerra, Milledge & Martinez for Dontrelle Willis.So the Mets would give up basically their top 3 position prospects, their top 2 pitching prospects, and one solid starter for three yo...
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The Next Mets Radio Announcer
2007-11-29 14:48:00
In case you haven't heard Tom McCarthy will be leaving the WFAN Mets radio broadcasting booth next year to return to his previous employer, the Philadelphia Phillies (commence booing). It's too bad because I like McCarthy and he eerily sounds exactly like Gary Cohen so it was quite nostalgic having him in the booth with Howie Rose.So this opens the door for a new announcer to become one of the voices of the Mets on radio. For once, Mike & the Mad Dog had an intelligent and interesting discussion yesterday afternoon regarding who should be the replacement. Here were some of their recommendations, with my thoughts on the nominee.1) Gary Cohen - Forget it. Cohen, Hernandez & Darling are a Mets fans' dream team on TV. Don't mess that up.2) Ed Coleman - He'd be good, but to me Ed C is the Ahmad Rahsad of the Mets. A guy you want in the locker room, giving you interviews and inside news but not necessarily in the booth.3) Chris Carlin - A Mets fan, but too brash to be an ever...
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Santana First, Haren Second
2007-11-27 19:07:00
A lot of people are talking about how the Mets should go after Dan Haren of the A's instead of Johan Santana . They offer some good reasons including the fact that Haren will take less prospects to get and is locked up until 2010 in a reasonable contract. With Santana it will take 4-5 top prospects and a $150 million dollar contract. Both pitchers are aces and reasonably aged with Haren at 27 and Santana at 29.To that argument I say, who would you want on the mound in game 7 of the World Series? If you answer Haren, you're on crack. You know you want Santana.The Mets have the rarest of rare opportunities to get THE best pitcher in baseball. Period. When's the last time the Mets had the best pitcher in baseball? Hmmmm. 1986, Doc Gooden. It's been over 20 years, and the Mets in that time frame have often settled for second best (or third, fourth or sixteenth best).Where has that gotten us? No championships. One World Series. And a few playoff births.The Mets need to start thinking ...

Best Trade This Offseason
2007-11-21 17:42:00
The Mets recently traded Guillermo Mota to the Brewers for catcher Johnny Estrada.Suckers.Did the Brewers even see Mota pitch? Are they that desperate to get rid of Estrada that they'd take Mr. Mota? Does Estrada have cholera?This is the classic example of addition by subtraction. Even if Estrada doesn't play a single game for the Mets this was precisely the move Omar needed to make.It eliminates the temptation for Willie Randolph to continue to go to "his guy" in the bullpen during key situations. No more Mota. Those are three words I love to utter.Estrada is a decent catcher offensively, but is not so great defensively. Still he's younger than Lo Duca and has more pop than him too. I'm still thinking we'll never see Estrada in a Mets uniform because he'll be used as a piece of some kind of larger trade. Omar still wants Ramon Hernandez if you ask me.Besides I wouldn't mind Estrada and Castro in a platoon. Just go get some top pitching.
More About: Trade , Offseason

An Early Christmas Present for Mets Lifers
2007-11-19 14:55:00
According to the Associate Press, Tom Glavine has signed a one year deal with the Atlanta Braves.You've always been a Brave, even with the Mets . Good riddance. See ya Tommy. Looking forward to facing you in September.
More About: Christmas , Present , Early , Resent

Mets are Wasting Time with Tier 2 Pitchers
2007-11-14 18:05:00
Livan Hernandez? Haven't we had enough talk about Livan Hernandez over the past few seasons?Carlos Silva? Does he really give us something that we don't already have in John Maine or Oliver Perez?A Japanese import? Is our biggest off season signing going to be on a pitching version of a potential Kaz Matsui?Omar, what are you doing? You're killing me is what you're doing. I know nothing has been inked yet and there's still plenty of hot stove talk to be tossed around, but I don't like the direction the Mets are headed in.The Mets need, scratch that, the Mets NEED a tier 1 starting pitcher. That's not Silva. That's certainly not Livan Hernandez. It's not even Joe Blanton. The Mets have solid #2 & #3 starters in Maine & Perez and basically any of the additions I've mentioned are just additions of Maine & Perez type pitchers.With Pedro recovering still and not knowing what to expect from him, the Mets need that dominant, consistent #1 starter to anchor the startin...
More About: Time , Pitchers , Tier

Gammons: Wright Shouldn't Move for A-Rod
2007-11-09 19:13:00
Peter Gammons in his blog for ESPN.com discusses why David Wright should not switch positions to accommodate A-Rod. He states that the Mets are treating Wright "as if he's Damion Easley" by asking him to switch positions.Gammons makes a case for Wright by stating how he's a gold glove 3rd baseman (which is just shocking to me), the fact that he's never played another position, and his role as a leader on the Mets gives him the right to stay at his native position.But possibly the most surprising evidence Gammons gives is when he compares A-Rod to Wright at age 24. Unbeknown to me David Wright actually outperforms A-Rod in every major category except for slugging and home run totals which are not far behind.I'm a huge David Wright fan. He's taken the place of Mike Piazza as my favorite Met (I still love you Mike), but after reading Gammons' post I found myself ashamed at wanting Wright to move. Gammons talks about Wright's character and his willingness to shoulder the blame fo...
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Glavine is Persona Non Grada
2007-11-08 19:53:00
Omar Minaya is saying that he's still interested in having Tom Glavine return to the Mets in 2008.Ok. Did he watch the last game of the season? Scratch that. Did he watch the last month that Glavine pitched in which the Mets won zero games from his starts?I'm done with Glavine as I'm sure many Mets Lifers are. But Mets brass should be done with him too. If hiis lackluster performance in key games down the stretch isn't enough, his comments about losing "not being the end of the world" after the season should show you where his loyalties lie. Do you see him saying that in a Braves uniform?Let him go back to Atlanta, play golf with his buddy Smoltzy and let the Mets focus on a big game pitcher with #1 starter quality. Focus on Santana, Oswalt, even Petite is a better option than Glavine at this point.Let's close the book on this Atlanta experiment that never panned out so we can look forward to facing him in 2008.P.S. Sign A-Rod too.
More About: Persona

Roy Oswalt for Jose Reyes
2007-11-01 13:53:00
Rumors, rumors, rumors. That's what the hot stove season is for, and we as fans love it. This latest rumor though has me a little disappointed.Late yesterday afternoon, a rumor was start that the Mets might look to trade Jose Reyes to the Astros for Roy Oswalt. Now any of you that have read this blog previously know of my blogging partner's and my infatuation with Roy Oswalt in a Mets uniform. He struggled early this past season, but Oswalt is possibly the most consistent pitcher in the major leagues over the past 5 years.Even so, I don't want to give up Jose Reyes. For Johann Santana? Maybe. I just think Reyes is too special of a player to give up at this point. He's that marquee lead off batter that is too hard to find and that the Mets have lacked for so long.Still the chance to get Oswalt is huge and shows that Omar and the Mets brass know they need to make some big moves this offseason. I like that thinking, but let's not give up on Reyes yet.

Rickey Henderson is Reyes' Problem
2007-11-01 13:44:00
Last night I spoke with a friend who has connections within the Mets organization, and he shared with me some of the rumors within Shea Stadium of why Jose Reyes was slumping down the stretch. I have mentioned before on this blog that I didn't think the Reyes' slump had anything to do with baseball, but that there was something going on in his personal life that was affecting his performance.Turns out, it was Rickey Henderson .Now let me start by saying these claims are purely speculation from someone who has a link to the rumor mill within the Mets organization. But the word is that Rickey Henderson got Jose Reyes and some other young players involved in some gambling. Turns out that Reyes may have lost a huge amount of money to Rickey Henderson as well as others. Much like alcohol or drugs can take over a person's life, gambling can have that effect as well and may have an element in Reyes' late season decline.Now if this is true the blame cannot solely rest on Henderson becaus...
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Get A-Rod, But Don't Move Wright
2007-10-30 17:41:00
I love this hot stove talk. Mets fans across the blogosphere are talking about whether or not the Mets should pursue Alex Rodriguez, and if they do where do you move David Wright .But I ask why move David Wright?Sure Wright is a nice guy and even said last year that he'd play the outfield if it meant the Mets could sign A-Rod. Wright is not the greatest defensive 3rd baseman on the planet, and some think he'll eventually be playing first base, but I say leave David Wright where he is.Move Jose Reyes.What? Why move a potential gold glove shortstop? Why? Because A-Rod is a natural shortstop. He was a gold glove shortstop until he move to 3rd base to accommodate the Yankees. Put A-Rod at third and move Reyes over to 2nd.I know the Reyes at 2nd base experiment didn't go over well when Kaz Matsui was here, but that's more Matsui's fault than Reyes'. Reyes will be a great defensive second baseman, and in another year when Delgado is a free agent and if the Mets want to test Wright at...

Let the Hot Stove Begin
2007-10-29 14:00:00
Finally the World Series is over! I think I watched a total of 1 hour of the World Series. I just couldn't get into it. Add that to the fact that every other person has become a Red Sox fan and I really had no interest in watching.But now it's over. A-Rod has opted it out of his contract. Scott Boras is doing cartwheels. So it's officially time for the Hot Stove to be revved up.I'm looking forward to an exciting off season. I hope I hear the name Johan Santana mentioned in combo with the Mets more than I've ever heard the words "Tom Glavine." I do not want to hear about trades for anyone on the White Sox pitching staff. I'm curious to see how many times Lastings Milledge is thrown into trade rumors. And I am anxious to see what becomes of Paul Lo Duca.The priorities for free agent signings should be:1) Marquee starting pitching (no Livan Hernandez, please)2) Bullpen help (duh)3) Catcher (if we don't sign Lo Duca)This Halloween season I want all treats, no tricks, for the Mets...

Mathematically Alive
2007-10-24 14:48:00
I received the following in an email this morning about a documentary that highlights a Mets fans journey through the 2006 season and playoffs called Mathematically Alive . It looks kind of interesting but then I thought it's a good thing they didn't do a documentary of fans through the 2007 season that would be called A New York Choke-job Massacre. Here's the info if you're interested:www.mathematicallyalive.com Mathematically Alive - A Story of Fandom Joseph Coburn & Katherine Foronjy This engaging documentary is for all New York Mets fans and for anyone who is a devoted fan of a sports team. Directors Coburn and Foronjy reveal the stories of a spectrum of Mets devotees and take us on their roller coaster ride of emotion through the 2006 playoffs. Mathematically Alive explores why Sports are such an integral part of American culture. What the affects are of following a team and, more importantly, why fans continue to invest so much emotion, time, and money into their tea...

Who Would You Trade?
2007-10-18 19:29:00
No one is untradeable. Ok, Derek Jeter and David Wright are untradeable. But then again the Mets traded Tom Seaver who was the face of this franchise in those horrid early years.This offseason I am confident the trade rumors will be buzzing like an angry wasps' nest. Names will be dropped like your Dick Vitale at the Final Four. But of all the Mets I believe three names will be mentioned the most this offseason: Carlos Gomez, Fernando Martinez, and Lasting Milledge.Why? Two words: "youth" & "upside." At this point none of them have really proven what kind of big league talent they will become. Martinez is the equivalent of an 8th grader scouting college basketball scholarships. If he turns out to be good, you got him for a prayer. If he doesn't no sleep lost. Gomez has shown signs of brilliance amidst a streak of immaturity. And Milledge? Well, is he a young Gary Sheffield or a future Bernard Gilkey?No one has a crystal ball so the real question is who are you willing to trade...
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Hilarious Mets T-Shirt
2007-10-14 20:23:00
I saw a guy in the mall this weekend wearing a t-shirt that I had never seen before. I stopped him and asked him where he got it. His reply? EBay. Where else? Here's an image of the shirt to the right and click here to order it for yourself from eBay. This might be the funniest Mets shirt I have ever seen. Classic.
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ESPN's 50 greatest moments in LCS history
2007-10-11 02:37:00
If you get a chance, check out ESPN's 50 greatest moments in LCS history. These lists are always subjective but nonetheless, entertaining.Some Mets highlights include Gary Carter's game-winning single (#48) in Game 5 against Houston in '86. Endy's catch comes in at #34. Dykstra's walk off in Game 3 in '86 is listed at #31. Robin Ventura's Grand Single came in high at #9 while Game 6 against the Astros was the highest-ranked Mets moment at #6, which is a game many consider to be the greatest ever played. Amazing when you think about that NLCS; there are 3 moments in this list from that one series alone.Some low lights include Scocia's home run (#27) off Gooden in Game 4, 1988, against the Dodgers...which of course led to Gibson's extra inning blast of McDowell in that same game (#26). It was 11 years before the Mets finally made it back to the post season. And of course, who could forget Kenny Rogers and the infamous series ending, bases loaded walk to Atlanta in '99? (#18)...
More About: History , Moments , Greatest , Espn

Don't Sell Out Jose Reyes Quite Yet
2007-10-10 20:11:00
Man, we're tough in New York. A guy wins a couple World Series, makes the playoffs every year, now he's going to be fired. That's the place we live, and now Mets fans are ready to turn on Jose Reyes .We've even talked about here in this blog, but we've come to realize the error of our ways and I'm here to tell you that you shouldn't sell out Jose Reyes quite yet.Let's flashback to April of 2007. Jose Reyes was the talk of baseball. An MVP year was expected. Derek Jeter called him the most exciting player in baseball. Joe Morgan christened him as possibly one of the best players we'll ever see play the game. And you know what? He looked like it the first 3 months of the season.In May any team in baseball would have given their first-born child to get Jose Reyes. But now Mets fans are looking like they are done with him.Did Jose Reyes utterly collapse the second half of the season? Yes. Did he look lost at the plate? Absolutely. Did he appear to be complacent at times by not r...
More About: Sell

Mets Lifer's Most Wanted
2007-10-09 19:13:00
The offseason and hot stove are right around the corner. And I've got a list of things I want for 2008. Namely a few personnel improvements. Here's my wish list:1. Johann Santana - No explanation needed. He'll be the dominant starting pitcher the Mets have missed since the age of Doc Gooden. Anytime Pedro Martinez becomes you're #2 starter, you're in a good place.2. Luis Castillo - I like his grit, his hustle, and his ability to be the best #2 hitter in the National League. Add that with his defense and we have the best up the middle infield in all of baseball.3. Paul Lo Duca - In the middle of the season I was ready to say farewell to Paully Walnuts, but I've looked at the available catchers and I'm not sure there's really an upgrade out there to be had. Jorge Posada? If you think the Yanks will let the Mets steal him, you're crazy. Castro is an option but his durability is questionable. Lo Duca is a New Yorker at heart and I like the fire he brings. Plus his ability to si...
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Karma
2007-10-09 04:31:00
This post is dedicated to all of those Mets fans who have endured relentless abuse from Yankees fans over the years. The Yankees are the most over rated team in sports and it’s about time everyone starts to acknowledge that fact. Many will argue they’ve been the model for consistency citing their 14 year playoff run. But the only thing they’ve been consistent at is blowing cheese in the playoffs. Rather than drafting a blueprint for success, this grossly overpaid franchise has written a script for failure since 2000, proving that money may buy you the regular season, but it can’t buy you a championship. With all the abuse Mets fans take from Yankees fans, you would think they win the World Series every year. News flash: It’s been seven years since the Yanks last won the World Series. In that time, and more than $1.5 billion dollars later, the over hyped Yankees have been knocked out of the first round 4 times, lost to two expansion teams in the World Series, and endured th...
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Phillies Phinished!
2007-10-07 16:24:00
I must admit, I nearly shed a tear when the Phillies got swept last night by the Colorado Rockies. After going down quietly in their first post season appearance in 14 years, the Phillies reminded me of the golden opportunity the Mets missed out on. It was also proof that the Mets were their own worst enemy as they choked on the pressure down the stretch rather than the Phillies being the better team to take the NL East. Granted, there’s not much I can say to rip the Phillies, they downright embarrassed our club, but their quick exit in the first round has got to be disappointing for them and their fans. Aw...too bad. But hey, at least they had that Town Hall celebration last Monday. That was kind of cute…yeah, like the first time your child poops in the potty for the first time cute.
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Glavine Turns Down Option
2007-10-06 17:07:00
Tom Glavine made it official that he no longer wants to be a Met. He's salivating at the thought of returning to Atlanta and telling close friends that he has no idea what he has been doing the last 5 years.He has been heard to say that it was a nasty case of amnesia and he woke up this morning with a bunch of stuff commemorating his 300th win, but he's not sure how he got since he wasn't pitching for the Braves.In all seriousness, so long, farewell, Mr. Glavine. Can't wait for you to pitch at Shea next year.Click here for details on Glavine's options.

Mets That Leave And Get Better And Vice Versa
2007-10-05 14:43:00
Kaz Matsui pounded a grand slam against the Phillies last night to help the Rockies put Philly in a 2-0 hole in its best of 5 series.This is just another instance of a player who was horrible with the Mets , gets traded, and then all of a sudden comes through in the clutch for his new team. Add Kaz Matsui to the list of Jeff Kent, Carl Everet, Jason Isringhausen, and others who did nothing for us while they were here but now produce for their new teams.Then of course there's the opposite scenario. Players who were good and then come to the Mets and are awful. Actually this is a really long list which includes the likes of Mo Vaughn, Roberto Alomar, Frank Viola, Brett Saberhagen, Vince Coleman, Bobby Bonilla, Jeromy Burnitz, Cliff Floyd, Scott Schoenweiss, and of course TOM GLAVINE.Now there are plenty more people that could be added to this list, but this is just off the top of my head. Please feel free to reminisce about other players in the comments.
More About: Leave , Vice

Mets Lifer in Cleveland
2007-10-05 03:55:00
Those of you who are becoming familiar with this site know that we like to extend an occasional shout out to Mets Lifers everywhere. Tonight, my shout out goes to the big Mets fan in Cleveland who was in attendance during the Yanks, Indians game. Sporting the classic blue t shirt with orange Mets lettering across his chest, this Mets Lifer was doing all he could to express his passion for his favorite team while the legendary "Drum Guy" was being interviewed during the telecast. Great job!

Time To Heal, Literally
2007-10-04 19:55:00
Looks like Carlos Beltran's knees, John Maine's hip and Jason Vargas' elbow are all being tended to in this report from the New York Time s.All are expected to recover before spring training. Whew, what would we do if Jason Vargas wasn't at 100%.
More About: Literally , Ally , Heal

We Are Not Alone
2007-10-04 15:01:00
I wanted to thank all those Mets Lifers out there who have emailed me, posted comments and even approached me this past week with words of encouragement. This is possibly the worst baseball week of our lives, but it is definitely good to know that there are others out there going through the same thing, having the same feelings, and having to deal with annoying Phillies and Yankees fans who keep rubbing it in our faces.They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I know that's absolutely true for Mets Lifers. We're battle tested in disappointment. We're forever the underdog. We're second fiddle to baseball's preeminent dynasty. But we're ok with it. We live and die with our team. We're not the Adam Sommers of this world.I'm planning on watching the playoffs via SportsCenter. I can't deal with an entire game, but I like to know who won, who lost and what went down. I'm focusing on fantasy football and the upcoming college basketball season to keep me entertained unti...

The Worst Mets Fan Ever
2007-10-03 15:35:00
Adam Sommers of the Daily News is the most shameful Mets fan I have ever seen (see picture to the right). He disgusts me and should disgust you too. Actually, he should disgust any fan who gives their allegiance to any team and has cheered for that team through thick and thin.He's the definition of a fair weather fan. He could also be called a flat leaver. An idiot. A jerk. And a traitor.In this morning's Daily News, Adam Sommers writes an article about how he's done cheering for the Mets, a team he claims to have been a fan of for his whole life. Who's he leaving the Mets for? The Yankees of course. He wants to jump on a bandwagon.Good. They can have him. But I bet not even a true Yankees fan would want this guy on his side. By way of Metsblog.com, here's a link to the Sommer's article in the Daily News.But if you really want to let Adam Sommers know how you feel, send him an email. He openly publishes it in his articles so I'm sure he'd love to hear from his readers. Adam ...

My List of Demands to Willie Randolph
2007-10-03 14:32:00
Ok, Willie . Now you can go take a vacation since Omar has announced that you're not going to be fired (yet). But don't think that you can go manage this team the same way you did this year.Nope. Some changes need to be made. There's no negotiating these points. It's my way or the highway. So read them carefully. Memorize them. Tattoo them on your body if that's what it takes. I want these points to roll off your tongue as if you were naming your children.Here are my demands:1. Bunt more - You have possibly the fastest team in baseball next year if Reyes, Gomez, & Chavez are all back on the team. And them with Wright, Beltran and possibly Gotay and you have 6 guys who can steal 20 bases. Don't be afraid to bunt, especially if Chavez/Gomez/Reyes are on 3rd base and there's only 1 out. You'll add more runs and avoid more double plays. You'll thank me for this later when you win manager of the year.2. Erase Guillermo Mota from your memory - Guillermo who? That's right. Nev...
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Report Links Mets’ Schoeneweis to Steroids
2007-10-02 22:43:00
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.Oh wait, they're serious? Have they seen him pitch? Ok, it dates back to 2003 & 2004. Back when he was good. No wonder. First Mota now Schoeneweis.They should have shared some with Glavine for Sunday's big game.To see the article from the New York Times, click here.
More About: Links , Report , Steroids

Blockbuster Proposal & A Deal with the Devil
2007-10-02 20:17:00
This off season is going to be one of the greatest challenges in Omar Minaya's career. It was only a few months ago Minaya was universally viewed - by fans, analysts and journalists alike - as the organization's savior. He bcame a sensation, and most of all, was beloved by all Mets fans. Now, within the span of 18 cold hard days, he has been reduced to nothing more than one of many faces of failure on this team. How quickly things turn.So this winter, Omar has a lot of work to do, not too mention, he has to answer to all of the Mets Lifers out there who undoubtedly expect, and rightly so, some form of payback for the collasal embarrasment we have to endure now and for many years to come. We've pledged our allegiance, now it's time for Omar and company to do the same. If Omar and the Wilpons (who by the way, in my eyes, have lost all rights to criticize anyone ever since they endorsed the Kazmir for Zambrano deal) really want to make up for this humilation, I put before you, a Bl...
More About: Proposal , Blockbuster , Deal , Devil , Prop

Mets Close Door on 2007
2007-10-02 16:08:00
Take a look at this depressing feature from ESPN, but notice Easley's comment and what the female commentator says about Alou's final comment. Now compare that to anything Tom Glavine has to say and you'll see who the true Mets are.
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