Mets Merized Online

I just got my Mets email subscription and it was a letter from Mets manager, Willie Randolph.

Check it out…

Our team is ready to go. That’s the message I want to send to you Mets fans as we prepare for today’s opener in South Florida. The goal this year is to make our final season at Shea something special and I think we can.

We’ve had a great spring. Our batting order certainly can produce runs. Jose Reyes has been spectacular in the field and on the bases. Carlos Beltran has recovered from his off-season knee surgeries and has been diving for balls in the outfield, while Luis Castillo is back to normal after his knee operation. I look for David Wright to once again play at his All-Star pace and we expect Carlos Delgado to have a bounce-back year. Brian Schneider adds a good defensive presence for us behind the plate, while I look for Ryan Church to play a solid rightfield.

Our line-up is intact except for Moses Alou, who should be back in late April or early May. Guys like Endy Chavez, Damion Easley and Angel Pagan can fill in for Moises until he returns. You need to have a solid bench to win and we certainly do.

Our pitching has been great all spring. The addition of Johan Santana makes our staff better from top to bottom. Pedro Martinez is healthy and hasn’t missed a beat, while John Maine and Oliver Perez, who each won 15 games for us a year ago, are perhaps two of the young star pitchers in the major leagues.

The bullpen will once again be anchored by Billy Wagner, one of the best closers in the game. Aaron Heilman, Pedro Feliciano, Scott Schoeneweis, Matt Wise and Jorge Sosa all can perform in a variety of roles for us.

Orlando Hernandez, Duaner Sanchez and Ramon Castro will start the season on the Disabled List, but should be ready to go not too far into the season.

With Orlando Hernandez on the Disabled List, Mike Pelfrey will pitch this Saturday against Atlanta. He deserves the chance.

In closing I want to say one more thing. We all hated the way last year ended for us. For 98 percent of the season we were the best team in our division, but we let it slip away. When I spoke to the team this spring I didn’t look backwards that much, I tried to look forward so we can all learn from what happened. The lesson is simple: don’t take anything for granted and don’t expect things to happen just because you think they will.

The season is here. It’s time to make it happen.

Hope to see you back at Shea in April.

I especially liked reading his lesson at the end. Last season it seemed he took everything for granted and it’s now clear that we have a new and improved Willie Randolph at the helm!

Right handed pitcher Brian Stokes was designated for assignment. I think the Mets may have called this one wrong. Even if you really believed that Joe Smith would out-produce Stokes, something that was not even debatable, why not keep Smith in the minors for the first month and see if Brian Stokes was as good as he looked?

He had all the things you would look for in a solid reliever and had a great knack for changing speeds and making batters look silly at the plate. Unfortunately, I’m certain that Stokes will be immediately picked up another team, but don’t worry… Mets Merized will closely watch the performances of both Stokes and Smith so we can see how this one worked out.

Willie Randolph was pleased to announce his Opening Day lineup for tomorrow’s 4:10 p.m. start against the pesky Marlins. Here it is…

SS Jose Reyes
2B Luis Castillo
3B David Wright
CF Carlos Beltran
1B Carlos Delgado
LF Angel Pagan
RF Ryan Church
C Brian Schneider
P Johan Santana

As I expected, the Marlins are going to test the Mets lineup from the 5 spot down to the 8 spot in the order by throwing a lefthander at us on Opening Day. Mark Hendrickson is far from the best the Marlins got to offer, but he’s left handed and as I have stated numerous times already, I see lefty pitching as an Achilles heel for the Mets.

Let’s all watch and see how Delgado, Church and Schneider respond to the 12 or so at-bats they get tomorrow. It will tell the tale for the rest of the season. That’s it for now…

LETS GO METS!

Surprise, surprise…

For those of you including myself, who thought Joe Smith and Mike Pelfrey would begin the season in New Orleans… think again! Both Smith and Pelfrey were all smiles today when they were told by Willie Randolph they had made the team.

Pelfrey and his 8.15 Spring ERA will take the mound against the Braves on Saturday!

Smith and his 6.76 Spring ERA will be on hand to bail Pelfrey out if needed.

So if they’re in then who’s out you ask?

Good question. El Duque was placed on the DL and will remain in Florida until he gains more arm strength. Pelfrey will have two starts to prove he deserves the five spot. If he fails, El Duque will get his shot next.

Also, Duaner Sanchez will officially hit the DL as well. As for Nelson Figueroa, Ricardo Rincon and Brian Stokes? Your guess is as good as mine right now. The Mets will try to convince them to accept minor league assignments, but don’t expect Rincon or Stokes to bite. They will fly the coop for greener pastures elsewhere. We will probably get to retain the least desirable of the three in Figueroa. I really liked Stokes, he will have a solid season for somebody… Maybe the Braves or Phillies???

Thanks to WFAN and John Delcos for the hot tips…

National League

NL East – New York Mets
NL Central – Chicago Cubs
NL West – Arizona Diamondbacks
NL Wild Card – Milwaukee Brewers
NLCS Champs – New York Mets

Cy Young Award – Johan Santana – New York Mets
Comeback Player of the Year – Kerry Wood – Chicago Cubs
Most Valuable Player – David Wright – New York Mets
Manager of the Year – Willie Randolph – New York Mets
Rookie of the Year – Kosuke Fukudome – Chicago Cubs
Homerun Champ – Prince Fielder – Milwaukee Brewers
Batting Champion – Matt Holliday – Colorado Rockies
Stolen Base Leader – Jose Reyes – New York Mets
Most Underrated Player – Chase Utley – Philadelphia Phillies
Most Overrated Player – Aaron Rowand – San Francisco Giants
Biggest Surprise – Lastings Milledge – Washington Nationals
Biggest Bust – Troy Glaus – St. Louis Cardinals

American League

AL East – Boston Red Sox
AL Central – Cleveland Indians
AL West – Seattle Mariners
AL Wild Card – Los Angeles Angels
ALCS Champs – Cleveland Indians

Cy Young Award - C.C. Sabathia – Cleveland Indians
Comeback Player of the Year – Manny Ramirez – Boston Red Sox
Most Valuable Player – Alex Rodriguez – New York Yankees
Manager of the Year - Eric Wedge – Cleveland Indians
Rookie of the Year – Evan Longoria – Tampa Bay Rays
Homerun Champ – Alex Rodriguez – New York Yankees
Batting Champion – Ichiro Suzuki – Seattle Mariners
Stolen Base Leader – Carl Crawford – Tampa Bay Rays
Most Underrated Player – Grady Sizemore – Cleveland Indians
Most Overrated Player – Dontrelle Willis – Detroit Tigers
Biggest Surprise – Felix Hernandez – Seattle Mariners
Biggest Bust – Jorge Posada – New York Yankees

World Series - New York Mets will beat the Cleveland Indians

Okay… Bring on all the criticism!

The Mets have not decided on a fifth starter this far into Spring Training. They’re saying Jorge Sosa may get the job, with both Brian Stokes and Joe Smith able to prove themselves worthy of the bullpen. Both Mike Pelfrey and El Duque aren’t ready to start, but I think Pelfrey will be ready before El Duque. I hope they at least give Nelson Figueroa a spot in the bullpen. He has performed consistently throughout Spring Training and really fits in with the Mets mold of Latino superstars.

The Mets are starting their season without Moises Alou, which everybody expected to happen…okay, maybe everyone except Omar. Angel Pagan will most likely get the starting job, proving himself worthy on Day One. He has showed us that getting him back from the Cubs was absolutely worth it. Moises said he hopes to be back sometime in April. I wouldn’t rush Moises if I were Willie. I’d rather have him hurt now, when it doesn’t really matter, than in September, when we really need everybody to be in their A-game.

The Mets may also need a back-up catcher because Ramon Castro may be out with a strained hamstring. Raul Casanova is most likely to get that job, if needed. Despite being in a bunch where Omar signed or aquired five catchers, Casanova has stood out the most.

And most importantly, Johan Santana has proven to be the ace we so desperately needed. Okay, so he kinda stunk in the beginning against St. Louis, but the Mets kinda stunk against the Cards to begin with. What’s the deal with that? And every Mets fan (and every baseball fan for that matter) is counting down until Monday, when Santana makes his official Mets debut against the Marlins.

Despite the problems and vacancies being thrown our way, Omar not only made the big move, but he made the little moves as well. In our frustration, we may have questioned the small moves, like getting Pagan, Casanova, Stokes, and even Schnieder and Church (instead of using Milledge in a bigger deal). But once again, Omar has given us a group of talented players. I feel good about the Mets on Opening Day….and it’s not just because they’re playing the Marlins; they have the stuff to be a dominant force for the whole season and beyond.

The Mets are ready to bring home the brass ring. Everything I’ve seen this spring tells me all I need to know about how dominating the Mets will be in 2008. With 19 Spring Training wins already in the books, it shows that the Mets are ready to move on and get this party started already.

I know there are so many of you who put no stock in Spring Training records and stats, but that’s hogwash. It all counts and it all means something. I bet if the Mets spring record was 7 – 24, and Johan and Pedro had ERA’s that were hovering around 7.00, most of you would have been dangling off of your ledges already.

Of course Spring Training stats mean something. It’s the basis for every single decision the manager makes before starting the regular season. It’s the deciding factor between heading up north or getting sloshed at Bourbon Street. It’s the only thing the general manager relies on before deciding to make a last minute trade or going with what he’s got. It’s the only way a pitcher can determine if his new pitch (or delivery) is working or not. It also means something to the team psychologically when you go into the new season coming off of a fantastic spring rather than a dismal spring you would much rather forget. You can all tell yourselves that Spring Training means nothing, but those in the know and those who make all the decisions will tell you otherwise.

Go ask Olmedo Saenz if his .199 spring batting average had anything to do with being waived. Then go ask Angel Pagan if his .350 average had anything to do with his getting the Opening Day left fielders job. While your buddying it up with Saenz, you might want to ask Ruben Gotay, Michel Abreu, and others if their sub-par performances had any correlation with why they’re pigging out on gumbo and jambalaya instead of sipping Pina Coladas and feasting on jumbo prawns with Brady Clark and Matt Wise in Port St. Lucie.

So the next time someone tells you that Spring Training records and stats mean absolutely nothing, make sure you set them straight.

I hardly ever get mixed up in politics.

I find it at best to be boring and headache inducing, not to mention listening to divisive politicians who rarely have the best interests of the people at heart. So when I mention it, I try to be as light hearted as possible considering the sensitive nature of the subject.

That being said, I thought I would mix up this 3 horse race (Obama, Clinton & McCain) with my own candidate…Mr. David Wright.

If ever there was a candidate that always said the right thing and was less divisive, I have never heard of him. Just think of the possibilities!

Here is a short list of several changes I think President-elect Wright should make if voted in:

• Tom Seavers’ birthday would be made a national holiday.
• Mr. Met would be named Secretary of Defense and the new strategy in Iraq would be to fire as many Phillies and Yankees t-shirts at insurgents as possible, making them sick to their stomachs and causing an immediate cease fire.
• Citifield would become the Wright administrations “Camp David”.
• The White House would immediately become “The Wright House” and be redecorated in orange and blue décor…including the rose garden to the same colors.

Anyway, as you can see the possibilities are endless! Now if D-Wright was 10 years older and the Mets didn’t need him so much this could be a reality. Who knows?

All kidding aside, things are looking pretty good for the Mets as they head to Miami to open the season against the “Fishies”. I know there are some worries such as who will complement Church in RF, who our 5^th starter will be and if Delgado will return to form, but I am confident that Omar can and will do what he can to fix problems that may arise. Sure we could get into all the different names but then it would feel like Hot Stove season all over again where speculation runs rampant from cabin fever, but I’ll pass on that.

I can’t speak for everyone obviously, but I can’t wait for the Mets season to start. We have to feel pretty good about our chances to win this thing but it’s gonna be a battle!

I’ve been keeping my eyes wide open and I’ve been spending a great deal of time reading baseball predictions everywhere I go. But all Mets fans know that when Steve Phillips says that the Mets will have the best overall record in the National League, you know we’re sitting pretty!

After years and years of dogging the Mets, you know it had to be killing our old GM to say such glowing remarks about his former team.

Check out the ESPN video right here.

He’s not the only one riding that Mets bandwagon either. Plenty of analysts from around the sports blogosphere have the Mets running away with the division including this prediction from Trev Alberts at MLB.com that made me feel so giddy. (I’m not really feeling giddy and I don’t even know what that word means)

Not only does Alberts go on a limb and predict the Mets will face the Yankees in another Subway Series…

He goes on to say that Johan Santana will pitch the Mets’ first ever no-hitter by the All Star break! (By the way, he is now my favorite sports analyst of all time)

You gotta hear it to believe it!  Mets will go all the way!

Now here is tonight’s Mets Merized Question…

Do you believe that Johan Santana will pitch a no-hitter for the Mets in 2008?

Check Out Our New Duds – On another note, let us know what you think of our new banner. I thought that for Shea’s farewell we needed to give her some major props. I hope you like it!

The more I see Lastings Milledge putting up explosive numbers this spring, the more I find myself looking at Ryan Church and scratching my head.

Lastings Milledge currently leads the Nationals in at-bats with 66. Ahh… Isn’t it great to be young and healthy? He also is hitting .348 with a .411 on-base percentage. He leads the team in runs scored with 13 and has 9 RBI while slugging an impressive .500 with 6 stolen bases for good measure. Did I mention he also leads the team in total bases with 33? Incidentally, currently no Mets regular player has an on-base over .400 or a slugging percentage of .500.

Now in the other corner we have Ryan Church, who just got his first RBI of the spring on Sunday. Woo Hoo! Rather than embarrass him by posting his lackluster numbers this spring, let me instead focus on my one big problem with him…

It is becoming more apparent as we move along this process that Church is not a regular player and instead is probably going to end up a platoon player as soon as Willie Randolph realizes he can’t hit a lick against left handed pitching.

Last season he hit a meager .229 versus southpaws which was actually down from his career average. In other words there was NO improvement. So far this spring, he has yet to get a hit against a lefty. <sniff, sniff>

We can’t cry over the loss of Milledge anymore. All we can do is admire what could have been and rectify our own situation by doing what is necessary to succeed. That means finding a platoon partner for Church that can give us some much needed pop from the right side of the plate. And no, I’m not talking about Damion Easley. What we need is a legitimate bat!

He doesn’t have to be the kind of player that will cost us a boatload, just someone who can give us 150-250 quality at-bats and can play a decent right field.

Think about this for a moment… You have a lefty on the mound and then after Beltran at clean-up you have Carlos Delgado, Ryan Church, Angel Pagan, Brian Schneider and then the pitchers spot. Brutal…

I think we need to address this before we get LEFT out in the cold…

Hey either way, the Mets still win the division hands down. All I’m saying is lets win the division by 20 games instead of 5 games.