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Good morning Mets fans! I hope everyone is having a great Thursday. I can’t speak for everyone, but the sights and sounds of spring have given me my second wind, and I can’t wait for the season to start.

Here are a few thoughts I have been having…

Recently, our former “untouchable” prospect Lastings Milledge had some very unkind words to say about his former club. Here is a sample: "I can’t go through anything worse than I went through in New York. It only gets better from here," Milledge told SI.com. "A lot of veterans (on the Mets) didn’t like the way I play the game. They thought I didn’t respect it."

I really liked Lastings, and had high hopes for him in NY, but he made his own bed. I don’t think he would have received as much scrutiny if he were an established vet, rather than a rookie coming in and acting crazy. I thought high fiving the fans was actually cool. ”Oh wow! A player interacting with fans! No way!”

He could have toned it down a bit, if only out of respect for “the pecking order” that I am certain every player in the major leagues is aware exists. Anyway, I wish him luck in D.C.; it’s hard to high five a crowd that isn’t there so he will be ok. (Ouch)

Meanwhile, in the halls of justice, things keep getting worse for our good friend Roidger Clemens. Congress has just sent a referral to the Justice Department to examine whether or not he committed perjury. If anyone can find the truth, they will, and it has become blatantly clear that no one is going to jail to protect Roidger like Greg Anderson did for Bonds. The evidence will continue to mount, he will continue to assert his innocence and in the end throwing his agents, friends and wife under the bus will have all been for naught. His only brightside is a possible presidential pardon from another fellow Texan on his way out.

I believe it was one of my colleagues here on MetsMerized that suggested the Mets signing the troubled Scott Spezio. I don’t know, his weird little beard thing creeps me out in red…imagine it blue or orange. Yuck!

One more day till Johan makes his debut this spring! Let’s go Mets!

The Mets fell to the Tigers today with a score of 4-2. Mike Pelfrey pitched two scoreless innings followed by Matt Wise, Brian Stokes, Pedro Feliciano and Jorge Sosa who kept the scoreless streak going. However, Willie Collazo gave up all 4 runs.

Ramon Castro brought Angel Pagan home on a sacrifice fly and Michael Abreu scored on a triple by Anderson Machado.

Tomorrow the Mets travel to Jupiter to play the Cardinals. John Maine is scheduled to start and Duaner Sanchez will make an appearance.

Mets.com

The Mets walked away from an exhibition game against the University of Michigan today with a 4-4 tie. A homerun by Michel Abreu, that was initially ruled a double, saved the Mets from an embarassing loss, to say the least.

You can read an interesting article with quick hits from the game here:

New York Post – Mets open with a tie

I can’t believe it.  The first televised Spring Training game is only 4 days away.  SNY will be televising from Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie at 1pm this coming Friday as the Mets take on the Cardinals..  And what a coincidence that Johann Santana will be making that start.  I am anxious to see him, and the rest of our team in a live game for the first time since the fall of ‘07. 

So what’s cookin’ down south?  Duaner Sanchez made his first throws to live batters today in an intrasquad game.  The Mets vs. the Mets.  He went one innning, giving up 2 hits, no earned runs, 1K, 1 BB, and threw 26 pitches.  The best part is that he threw all of his pitches and rumor has it that his change up was outstanding. 

El Duque may not be ready for the first month of the season.  But even if he isn’t, with all the off days early on, the Mets may choose to go with a four-man rotation to start the season.  Or if they prefer, they can use Pelfrey as the fifth starter until El Duque is ready.

The confidence level of this team is, well, motivating. Everyone knows what they have to do and how to do it.  This team knows that the fans still believe in them, but even still, they know they cannot let us or themselves down again.  We expect nothing less than going all the way.

An SNY poll during Mets Hot Stove Live tonight asked the fans how many games they expect the Mets to win this year.  Fifty-four percent of the viewers said 96+ games.  Forty percent said between 91 and 95 games.  Want my opinion?  Well, I’m gonna give it to you anyway.  If everyone stays healthy and performs at their best abilities, Carlos Beltran (NOT Jimmy Rollins) will be absolutely right with his pick for the team to beat.

Salutations fellow Mets fans! I trust you are all having a happy and healthy Thursday. For some reason, I feel like leaving my sensible self aside for a moment and just being a cocky Mets fan…one moment…

“Yeah baby! We got Johan Santana! That’s 20 wins and 250 strikeouts EASY! Put it all together with the best left side of the infield in the game, Beltran, rejuvenated Delgado and a healthy Pedro and the NL East is ours! Wooooooooo!!!

Ok, now I feel a little better. Fallout from Carlos Beltran’s comments has officially begun. Here is what the “MVP” had to say…

"Two things come to mind," he said. "One, there are four other teams in our division who are going to make sure that doesn’t happen, and two, has anyone ever heard of plagiarism? That was pretty good, especially coming from him. He’s a quiet guy, so it was probably shocking when he said it. Not shocking in a bad way, like ‘Wow, I can’t believe he said that.’ More like, ‘Wow, he finally said something because he’s a leader on that team and you definitely need to be a vocal leader.’"

Just a quick observation, How exactly is that plagiarism to say that we are the team to beat? Did Jimmy copyright that? I know, he must have been original when he made that statement last season. Goodness knows no one else has said it before. In my opinion, Jimmy knows the Phillies backs are to the wall now. They had nothing to lose last year because everyone had the pressure on the Mets to win. I wonder how many Brad Lidge gopher balls are going to put Charlie Manuel on the hot seat? We all know it will happen sooner or later. Will Brett Myers have to move back to the pen because Lidge gets committed? Stay tuned…

Also, by saying there are four other teams that are going to make sure it doesn’t happen, was he referring to the Nats and Florida too? I hope he isn’t serious.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying there is no pressure on the Mets because there certainly is. I’m saying that while there is pressure, the Mets have that proverbial chip on their shoulder and are hungry to prove something. The Phillies had a great run last year, but I hope they enjoyed it. Soon things will be made right…

One of the things I loved most about growing up in the 1980’s besides the Mets was the variety of different cartoons. Sandwiched in between school days and my nights watching Darryl and company were “GI Joe”,” M.A.S.K”, “Thundercats” and “He-Man”. As much as I loved each episode, I HATED the public service announcement(psa) at the end. I remember such gems as,”Don’t talk to strangers!”, “Buckle up!”, and “Stay away from strange animals!”

Surfing through YouTube led me to a few of them and I will include one for informational purposes here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq6mYL19OqQ&feature=related

I got to thinking, what would I want to tell today’s Mets to help them have a strong, healthy and competitive season? Here are a couple I had…

For Duaner Sanchez: “Remember to buckle up during late night cab rides or you might hurt your shoulder and compromise the stability of the bullpen yet again.”

For Moises Alou: “Sit still…sit VERY still. Dang it! You got hurt anyway!”

Any ideas for more? I’d love to hear em’!

Did anyone else watch the Andy Pettitte train wreck…I mean press conference yesterday? I’m not a Skankee fan, but I don’t understand why everyone is so intent on him actually saying that he cheated. He admitted he did it, he can rationalize all he wants by saying it was to heal faster. Sorry buddy, if you are getting an edge others aren’t then it IS cheating, whether you say it or not. His first clue should have been when he took something that was meant to help his sick dad. Or maybe when Brian McNamee injected him instead of a physician? I have been around doctors my whole life and have never met one who would inject you with whatever you brought into his office. The shadiness of it all should have clued him in.

At any rate, I wonder if all of this attention being focused on the Bronx helps the Mets. I’m glad the steroid and HGH circus isn’t coming to Queens…at least I hope not. I can’t wait for some games to start already! Once the boys report to camp I become insatiable! I need to see that #57 whiff some clueless rookies! Hope everyone is having a great Tuesday!

Carlos Beltran told reporters that he may sit out the first few exhibition games next month. He is still recovering from knee surgeries in the offseason. Make no mistake, he is in Florida taking batting practice and according to witnesses he is looking really great. He is just unable to turn bases and run at full strength but has every intention of being ready on Opening Day. And he better be ready after his announcement to Jimmy Rollins and the Phillies.

Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez decided to take it easy on Saturday while returning to the mound to practice. "I’m feeling OK," he said. "It was my first time on the mound and I didn’t throw at 100 percent today." Reports say he left the mound after throwing only 35 pitches.

And last but not least, Billy Wagner spoke his mind once again, announcing that he may need less time on the mound this year. "There’s no doubt, the older you get, the more you have to take care of yourself…" Wagner said. "…You have to be used in your element, in your role, and not abused."

I don’t know guys. I think that Beltran and El Duque can get away with playing less until they fully recover, but Wagner is just bellyaching again. There’s something about a healthy relief pitcher under the age of 40 complaining about being over-worked. And maybe he was last year, sure that’s arguable, however its a new year lets get a new mindset.

I know I don’t normally blog on Saturdays, but felt compelled to today. I’m sure many of you have read Carlos Beltrans’ comments upon arrival at Mets camp today. For those of you that haven’t, here’s a refresher…

"To Jimmy Rollins: We are the team to beat."

When I first read those words I was stunned. Was I on the right team website? Did Carlos get possessed by a body snatcher? He continued…

"Let me tell you this," Beltran said. "Without Santana, we felt, as a team, that we had a chance to win in our division. With him now, I have no doubt that we’re going to win in our division.. I have no doubt in that. We’ve got what it takes."

Could it be that the $119 million dollar man is stepping into the role of vocal clubhouse leader? I know one thing, now he has no choice but to back those bold words up with results. In my opinion, I think this might be the spark that ignites the gas from the acquisition of Johan Santana. The Mets as an organization are on a bit of a roll…and it sounds like everyone is ready to go. That could spell trouble for very good, but little improved Phillie and Braves teams, along with the rest of the N.L.

Even Billy Wagner sounded like he wasn’t wearing a Phillies shirt underneath for once…

“It takes a special person to be able to do that," closer Billy Wagner said. "Now you have to lead. You have to stand there and take the punches in the bad games, and you have to be there to answer the questions and deal with it.."

In response to the threat of hazing from Phillies fans, Beltran had this to say…

"I don’t care," Beltran said. "They boo me in Houston. One more city won’t make a difference."

One thing is for sure, he can add New York to the list if he doesn’t back it up. However, I have a feeling we can expect good things from our star centerfielder…and dare I say it? Leader?

Finally, amid all of the turmoil with steroids, HGH, the Mitchell report and everything else, baseball is being played. I realize that it’s only spring training and full squad workouts do not begin for a few more days, but it’s still baseball. When I read yesterday that Johan Santana had already reported to Mets camp and was throwing I could not help but get excited. Not just because of baseball being played but because of what it all means. To me, spring training signifies new beginnings, when the pain of last year fades and hope springs eternal. I can smell the fresh cut grass, the leather and the glove oil. The simple crack of a bat and pop of a fastball in a catchers mitt are music to my ears. That feeling from 2006 is back for me. The Phillies, Braves and the rest of MLB are in trouble if the Mets are feeling it too.

Just a few quick notes:

Speaking of other teams, doesn’t it get a little irritating when their fans are so quick to throw a collapse or choke in your face? For instance, Phillies fans forget all of their lean years and especially 1993. Mitch Williams? Joe Carter ring a bell? Also, Braves fans will be quick to tell you about all of the NL East titles they won, but what they neglect to mention is how many times they choked in the post season and World Series. Anyway, do all of those division titles make up for the consecutive years of futility in Atlanta? I didn’t think so. Granted, the Mets have not always been a top tier team either, but I hope you see what I mean. Anyone can win at any time in baseball. There is a wonderful mixture of skill, strategy, science and even luck in every baseball game. Not taking anything away from soccer, but zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…

Maybe this is wrong of me, but I took great pleasure in seeing Roger Clemens squirm yesterday. It must really suck to being used to be in control on a MLB mound to getting high, hard heat thrown at you from several congressmen. It was priceless, the “Rocket”, stuttering and using terms like “misremembered”, all the way down to the looks with murder in his heart towards Brian McNamee. Good thing that representative from Mitchell’s firm was there or we might have had a serious fist fight driven by ‘roid rage. Last note on this, who else finds Clemens attorney to be obnoxious? Something about that guy just bugs me.

Anyway, I look forward to see who else is reporting today. Maybe some position players will surprise us in Port St. Lucie. Of course Pedro could grace us with his presence too…

It’s time to go! Lets Go Mets!!! Have a great day everyone!

From the early days that Shea Stadium first embraced their new team, the New York Mets, Karl Ehrhardt was a fixture at almost every game from 1964 through 1981.

We all knew Karl by his more famous nickname, the "Sign Man".

He had become famous for holding up the most perfect signs throughout key moments of each game. Sometimes the signs displayed his frustration, but mostly they shared our exuberance and excitement. Whatever the situation was, you can bet that the Sign Man always had the perfect words.

It is so sad that he will not be able to say a final goodbye to Shea Stadium as it too gets ready for an appointment with destiny.

Karl was 83 years old and died at his home in the Glen Oaks section of Queens. He had been recovering from vascular surgery. The German born immigrant came to the United States when he was only six years old and during World War II, he served our country and was a translator for U.S. forces overseas.

He helped popularize many of the motto’s and phrases now associated with the Mets including Amazin’ Mets, Ya Gotta Believe, Miracle Mets, Tom Terrific, etc. You name them, he had them, in fact, he had over 1,200 different signs in his arsenal.

Some of you may even remember that special night when the Mets won the 1969 World Series and left him speechless. The sign he raised high above his head during the celebration on the field read, "There Are No Words."

"I just called them the way I saw them," Ehrhardt told The New York Times in 2006.

"Before I went to the ballpark, I would try to crystal-ball what might happen that particular day," he said. "I would read all the newspapers to learn who was hot and who was in a slump, stuff like that, and create my signs accordingly."

I hope the Wilpon’s choose to honor the Sign Man with a fitting tribute and a lasting memorial to him at the new Citi Field. He helped define the New York Mets back in the early days while they were searching for their own identity, and millions of fans will always remember him for his unbridled enthusiasm and never-ending dedication to the team.

The Sign Man was most likely the first Mets fan to bleed orange and blue. I would love to see a life sized poster of him adorning one of the corridors at the field level at Shea Stadium this, our final season. As we say our goodbyes to Shea Stadium this season, seeing a poster of the Sign Man holding up a sign that says "Always Amazin", would be so fitting.

Farewell Sign Man, we will never forget you.