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Representatives Dennis Kucinich and Ted Poe are urging the Obama administration to get Citigroup out of Citi Field. They are demanding that to 20-year/$400 million deal be dropped because of a $45 billion bailout and because 50,000 employees will be losing their jobs.

I never liked the name Citi Field. To me, it sounded kind of silly. Even sillier was the explanation that it was the city’s field. Or something like that. Like, what happens if the Mets are bad? Are we as fans going to dub it Chitty Field?

Of course, there have been talks of Taxpayer Field. I would hope that if this happened, the Taxpayers would get to name the field and name it something reasonable.

Before Citigroup swooped in and purchased the naming rights, the new ballpark was slated to be called Mets Ballpark. Not corporate? Check! Something we as fans can live with? Check! Still wishing this could happen? I know I am.

We called Shea Stadium home from 1964-2008. We’ve had good times and bad times. And sure, Shea Stadium was a giant blue cupcake with unsanitary bathrooms, but it was OUR giant blue cupcake with unsanitary bathrooms. Would I be opposed to New Shea Stadium? No, considering the Cardinals have been through 3 Busch Stadiums.

Of course, I also wouldn’t be objected to changing the name all together. If it were my choice, I would either name it after Joan Whitney Payson or our greatest Met, Tom Seaver. Personally, Payson Field or Seaver Field has a much better ring to it than Citi Field.

Whether the Obama administration orders Citigroup to forfeit the naming rights or not, we still have a new home to look forward to in 2009. I think I’ll be happy as long as we don’t end up in Wilpon’s Tomb.

Last week I wrote that I had a hunch that if Oliver Perez was going to sign with the Mets, it would happen by this weekend.

I still feel that way, but I’m a little skeptical about whether Oliver Perez wants to play for the Mets in the first place.

He has said nothing about having a desire to return to the Mets in all this time. What is he waiting for to take the Mets offer? It’s the only offer he has received, and the Mets were even nice enough to improve it even though there were no other teams bidding against them.

Another site is reporting that a league source told him, that if the Mets do not break any significant ground with Perez by this weekend, Minaya and company are moving on to Randy Wolf or Ben Sheets. I don’t know how true that is or if the writer is credentialed, so take it for what it’s worth.

It’s not really that big of a revelation as I think most of us have already targeted this weekend as the “make or break” time for an Oliver Perez deal.

Spring Training is only 15 days away, and the Mets have been reluctant to address any other team needs until the starting rotation is resolved.

Look for a resolution in the next 48 hours.

A recent USA Today article discusses the proverbial winners and losers of the 2008-09 offseason. Obviously the signing period is not over and the rankings could change depending on where major free agents like Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn, and Ben Sheets sign.

Of note to Met fans are the ranking that the team garnered at #2. Let Bob Nightengale explain:

The Mets decided to do something to change their gags of the last two Septembers. They signed closer Francisco Rodriguez, who had a record 62-save season last year, and traded for Seattle Mariners closer J.J. Putz. Just like that, the Mets might have the best 1-2 bullpen punch in baseball.

After being buried in anxiety over what the starting rotation that will hand leads to the bullpen would look like, it did help to think about what we have done this offseason. Nonetheless we will need to secure another starting pitcher to make this offseason better.

The other teams that received interesting marks include, among the winners: the Yankees at 1(for almost spending as much money in contracts as the entire GDP of American Samoa), the Cleveland Indians at 3(who have quietly addressed their two biggest needs, bullpen and an infield bat), and the Oakland Athletics at 4(Holliday and Giambi).

The Washington Nationals were labeled the biggest(brace yourselves) loser of the offseason for not really signing anybody after talking strong. That could change if they get Dunn, but as it stands, Daniel Cabrera is their big signing.

By the way, I almost did a double take when I read that this was the fifth year for the Nats in Washington. My, how the time has flown. No change headed their way.

In other news from around the league, the Pittsburgh Pirates are the favorites to sign ex-Met Braden Looper.

The Red Sox and catcher Jason Varitek have finally come to an agreement.

ESPN is reporting that the Boston Red Sox and catcher Jason Varitek have reached a preliminary agreement on a one-year contract worth $5 million, two major league sources tell ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark and Jerry Crasnick.

The Red Sox have a club option for $5 million in 2010. If they decline, there is a player option for $3 million. Only in the player option are incentives that would pay Varitek up to $2 million if he plays 120 games, or a smaller amount if he plays 80 games, the sources told Stark.

Varitek must take a physical before the agreement is completed. Boston’s 12-year veteran, who hit .220 last year, became a free agent after completing a $40 million, four-year contract.

This is great news for baseball fans everywhere who were sick of reading more Varitek threads than Manny Ramirez!

For months we have been inundated with constant updates, and bickering and rumors about Varitek on rumor mills everywhere. MLB Blogs had over two dozen Varitek blog posts a week. MLB Trade Rumors actually had a daily Varitek thread just to keep up. I bet nobody is more relieved today than Tim Dierkes, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Heyman.

The Red Sox will now have their 37-year old, .226 hitting catcher back for at least two more seasons.

Suddenly, Brian Schneider looks like a stud!

I love music. As I’m sure many of you can agree, there are poignant moments in our lives when we can not only remember what was happening, but also be able to put a song to it.

Case in point, 1988 NLCS. Mets vs. Dodgers. The two teams traded punches back and forth until Game 7 when the Orel Hershiser led Dodgers shutout the Mets 6-0 and ended the Mets season. I can remember waking up for school the next day, listening to WSUL and the DJ dedicating Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” to distraught Mets fans.

I can honestly say that today, I’m not as depressed as I was that cold October morning. Though 20+ years later I find myself in a similar spot. Our beloved Mets have had two straight seasons that have ended “badly” to say the least. I can honestly say that I’ve moved on from that and I’m ready for pitchers and catchers to report. I think as a baseball fan in general, moving on prepares us for the hope each Spring Training brings. After all, everyone is undefeated in February.

This winter has been a long one. I miss the smell of fresh cut grass and BBQ hot dogs and burgers and the sound of bats cracking and leather poppin’. The sound of Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer” haunting and teasing me at the same time while it blares from the radio…

“…a voice inside my head said don’t look back, you can never look back.”

How true. The past is just that, PAST.

I’m ready to look toward the future. Spring will soon be here and it will be time for new memories…and new music.

UPDATE 12:20 PM

Done Deal!

WFAN is reporting that Aaron Heilman of the Seattle Mariners, has been traded to the Chicago Cubs for Ronny Cedeno.

Wow, that west coast trip didn’t last long… This can’t be good for Heilman’s psyche…

Original Post

ESPN 1000 Radio, is reporting that the Chicago Cubs are pursuing a trade that might land them former Met Aaron Heilman in return for Ronny Cedeno.

The Cubs also continue to pursue Seattle pitcher Aaron Heilman. The Mariners are looking for middle infield help, possibly switching one of their current guys to first base next year. They are known to have interest in Ronny Cedeno, who is out of options. Heilman, a former Met, would be exactly the swingman that Piniella could use as a fifth starter or a sixth and seventh inning middle reliever. If the Cubs aren’t able to revisit the Peavy trade talks, we’ll reiterate that left-hander Randy Wolf is on their radar screen. The Cubs tried to sign Wolf in 2006 before he opted to sign a deal with the Dodgers.

The Cubs sure have been busy this off season…

I wonder if they are going to restart trade talks with San Diego for Jake Peavy now that they have new owners?

MLBTR mentions that Ken Rosenthal had earlier reported that the Mariners were willing to trade Heilman.

It’s only late January, it’s already late January. Are you feeling as if K-Rod and the guy whose name is profane in Yiddish maybe aren’t the pieces that make us complete? Maybe eight-ten more saves and a few fewer blown games won’t get us over the hump?

Now, hold on just a minute, you say. We’ve added Tim Redding, Freddy Garcia, Alex Cora, Rob Mackowiak, and, um, er some other guys this winter. Heck, we might even sign Randy Wolf–a mediocre innings-eater if ever there was one. What’s the matter? Still not smelling success with this crew?

Well, look, it’s inevitable–probably–that we’re going to add Ollie P. or Ben Sheets, and then that, surely, will get us to the promised land. Yeah, I’m thinking what you’re thinking: somehow, it still doesn’t feel as if we have what we need. Perez the Unpredictable and/or Sheets–not another incantation of Pedro or El Duque. God, no more injury-laden stars of yesteryear!

Maybe there’s another way to look at this. Maybe this really just wasn’t a great free agent market with the exception of guys like Sabathia and Teixeira, who, it just so happens, were signed by a certain unmentionable ball club. Was Derek Lowe the guy we had to get? Well, that creep opted for the Dark Side, too. Who needs ‘em!

To be fair, this is a good Mets team going into ‘09. These are not your 1967, 1978, 1993, or 2003 NY Mets. We are coming off of four consecutive winning seasons. And don’t ruin it by bringing up those collapses. We are a solid team, but we need a little oomph. We all want the playoffs this year, but none of us have this as the true goal–our third championship. Funny, Aaron Heilman was quoted in a Seattle paper saying words to the effect that NY baseball is so intense that fans don’t consider the season a success unless you win a championship every year.  An exaggeration, yes, but not a huge one.

So what is the front office doing besides reminding us that pitching can be everything? I agree for the most part, but right now I just don’t see a championship pitching staff on the mound or a Murderers Row in the field. There is a one-man Murderers Row out there, and I imagine 99% of us would take him in a heart beat over Ollie P. A man of 37 vs. 27? Yeah, but this is the aging gracefully (maybe perfectly) guy against the guy who’s just aging. He’s a native son to boot, and I imagine would be every bit as thrilled to end his career playing in his city as we would be to watch him. The critical mass has been building, including fans, Mets players, and the Mets manager! C’mon front office his antics and less-than-Gold Glove performances will be far outweighed by the sempiternal crack of his bat. Get this man! Nagging feeling no more.  

One of our writers Tanya, got in touch with the CitiField ticket office regarding single game ticket sales.

I’ll let her tell you the rest.

I spoke with two people over at the Sh…er…Citi Field ticket office. So weird to say that.

I asked them when the single game tickets will go on sale, and if Opening Day and the Subway Series will be a part of that.

Here’s what they told me.

While there is no exact date in place, it will be around the end of February and the beginning of March.

Opening Day and Subway Series tickets will not be a part of  it.

Those will be only be available in a lottery like last year. I know, it sucks!

Thanks Tanya!

Check out Citi Field of Dreams and get Tanya’s unique spin on everything Mets, and make sure to check out her weekly features right here at MMO every Wednesday and Sunday.

Today, she has a great blog on why Jerry Manuel isn’t so fond of the World Baseball Classic.

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Detroit Tigers pitching coach Rick Knapp is saying Kenny Rogers has decided to retire, according to mlive.com.

Rogers has not made this official. Knapp is claiming since he is close to the pitcher, he claims it as fact.

Other reports have indicated the 44 year old pitcher has been contemplating coming back in 2009 to give himself another year.

Should he retire, he will be known by one horrible moment in Mets Fan-dom and one immensely incredible year for the Tigers.

Who could ever forget the 1999 National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves?

Rogers came in the game in the bottom of the eleventh inning. He walked in the winning run after loading the bases. If you are going to lose, lose with dignity. Lose with a single or something. Not walking in the winning run.

To make matters worse, he walked off the mound shrugging his shoulders.

You can talk all you want about John Franco and Armando Benitez messing up. Rogers was called in and did not get the job done. It was his fault as well. He pitched scared.

For the Tigers fans, he will always be great.

During the 2006 postseason, Rogers went 3-0 having not allowed a run
in 23 innings of work. Nobody believed it and everyone began to assume
he was cheating.

Unfortunately, the Tigers could not finish off the St. Louis Cardinals.

I guess we will know in the next few days if he does decide to
retire. He just better not make his way to New York. Mets fans still
want a piece of him, including yours truly.