Mets Merized Online

It’s a foregone conclusion that Jerry Manuel is on the “Flushing short term managerial plan”. It’s hard to not like Jerry. He came off as personable, insightful, and easygoing when he first stepped into his predecessor Willie Randolph’s shoes. His dubious exodus from New York sent a message to me that things were about to change and that nothing is what it appears.  Last year, many of the blogs were filled with “Fire Jerry” chants and mantras on practically every networking site out there, so expect this season to have the vultures perched on the...

The Daily News is reporting that Citi Field is getting a little trim, particularly in center field.  The height of Citi Field’s center-field wall will be sliced in half, making the ballpark more homer-friendly, the Daily News has learned. Last season, the wall measured 16 feet in front of the sparsely used Home Run Apple. Now, with the second level of padding being removed, it will measure eight feet in the middle of the outfield. Still, as the Daily News exclusively reported in September, the stadium’s spacious dimensions won’t be altered. The Mets hit 95 homers last season,...

Spring Training is upon us, and as pitchers and catchers are getting ready to report to Port St. Lucie, I just don’t feel any excitement so far.  Usually at this time of year I’m looking forward to Spring Training and the upcoming baseball season, but so far I don’t feel any the usual excitement and anticipation stirring inside me. 2009 was just awful to be a fan of the New York Mets.  Injuries and incompetence ran rampant and by July we were out of playoff contention.  For me October 4th, 2009, the last regular season game, could not come fast enough.  The day after the season...

In a post to his blog on the NY Post, Joel Sherman says that Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran is furious with the Mets and that he may be looking out for “number one” in 2010 as far as his return from injury. Sherman writes, When might Carlos Beltran get on a major league field? Beltran is furious with the Mets and how they have publicly handled his surgery. He wonders if he should have been playing last year (in other words, was he properly diagnosed?). More important, he pushed to initially play in pain and then rush back in a lost season. The Mets probably should not expect Beltran...

If one plans to fail, there’s no easier route to get there than by failing to plan… To the many fans of the Orange and Blue, and bloggers and journalists in general, this topic may be coming too early to garner discussion or deep consideration. I am a planner and if I was anticipating every possible angle to make enough improvements this year for a beleaguered Mets franchise, it’s not hard to see where to first focus my attention. We have gotten a steady dose of ideas internet-wide. It’s clear that the job of our GM has become overwhelming to say the least, and possibly leaves...

ESPN’s Enrique Rojas reported via Twitter that Mets prospect Fernando Martinez was named the MVP of the Caribbean Series last night. Martinez went 2-4 with a walk and an RBI to lead the Dominican Republic to a 7-4 victory over Venezuela. Overall, Martinez had a great series, batting .348 (8-for-23) with a double and two home runs. It looks like F-Mart is in prime mid-season form, and it would be great to see him carry this over and have a great spring training. While Angel Pagan and Gary Matthews Jr. are virtual locks to make the team, there is one spot left open at least until Carlos...

According to this report on MASN Sports, Japanese free agent Hisanori Takahashi has reportedly rejected deals from both the Mets and Orioles. The Mets had actually offered the reliever a Major League contract, but couldn’t reach an agreement on the dollars according to another report appearing on NPB Tracker. I’m a little surprised that the Mets continue to focus so much on the bullpen, especially after signing Chris Everts, Elmer Dessens, Ryota Igarashi, Kelvim Escobar and most recently Bobby Livingston. They also bring back Bobby Parnell, Pedro Feliciano, Pat Misch and Sean Green...

Although Tom Petty wrote his classic song, ‘The Waiting (is the hardest part)’ over 20 years ago, this songs rings true today. Am I the only one tired of waiting for John Maine to develop into what we all expected? He came onto the scene in 2006 and showed promise, potential and a bright future. Now 3 years removed from his debut he is still labeled as one who has promise, potential and a bright future. Will this ever be reached? Very few pitchers burst onto the scene and have an impact their rookie year. Our own Doc Gooden was an exception. Others that come to mind are Fernando Valenzuela...

This morning I was genuinely touched by the sheer thoughtfulness and care exhibited by Buster Olney of ESPN.com, who took it upon himself to seek out not one, but two talent evaluators to give us an assessment of our catcher Omir Santos. For those of you who don’t subscribe to ESPN Insider, here is what the two evaluators concluded, “I think Santos is more like an up/down guy for a good club… Santos is decent emergency protection at AAA for a good club and a backup catcher for a club that isn’t going to contend.  He can run into a fastball, but the more action he sees, the more that...

I am a passenger on the Daniel Murphy bandwagon.  I’ve been defending Daniel all winter and will continue doing so.  Whether you agree or not, see the writing on the wall.  Murphy will be the Mets starting 1st baseman this year.  My prediction is that Daniel will prove his detractors wrong and have a breakout season in 2010. In January at the Mets seasons ticket holders get-together at CitiField I had the pleasure to meet Daniel Murphy.   He is a good looking kid with a great smile.  He’s also 6′3″ tall, weighs 210 lbs, and has a great ballplayers physique.  Hearing...