Jon Star from Bleacher Report had a well researched piece on which parks were the most difficult to homer in during the 2009 season. He writes that PETCO Park ranks number one and remains the hardest place in the big leagues to homer in. Star lists Citi Field as the second most difficult and writes, Citi Field became notorious for its lack of home runs last season. Tall walls, a significant cut out in the right-center field power [...]

Seeing highlights of Nationals’ pitcher Stephen Strasburg from yesterday’s game against Detroit bummed me out just a little.  I love watching great pitchers do their thing, and it’s especially exciting to see young pitchers like Strasburg break into the bigs and blow hitters away.  But I’m just a bit bummed out, because he’s in the Mets’ division and will most likely be facing our team a lot over the next few years.  I’m bummed out [...]

I have a sneaky suspicion that someone from the front office, maybe even Omar Minaya, took Jerry Manuel on the side and told him how it was regarding prospects Jenrry Mejia and Ike Davis. Yesterday, in the lesser of the two big miscommunication snafus, the other being Reyes, Minaya made a statement contradicting what Manuel had said two hours earlier regarding Mejia’s chances of starting the season in the Mets bullpen. It ain’t happening is [...]

Watching Johan Santana’s understandably horrific spring training debut yesterday, something dawned in this Mets fans head.  No, there is no fear whatsoever that Johan is a different pitcher post-op, in fact, quite the contrary.  Based on his velocity and arm slot, I am positive he will have a monster year.  The reason I have absolutely no fear that Johan will return to form this season, is the same reason that I really began to fear [...]

The Grapefruit League afforded the 6-3 Mets fans the opportunity to see some of our rotation’s hopefuls at work and get a glimpse of what we will be expecting to see in less than a month. There were a lot of things to be happy about if you’re a Met fan… and quite a few things that were the topic of some discussions. Johan Santana made his Grapefruit League debut today against the Houston Astros. [...]

The Mets have confirmed that Jose Reyes does have a hyperactive thyroid gland and that he will remain in New York for more testing. Results of those tests will not be know until Thursday at the earliest. This is not something that we didn’t already know, but it’s the first time the Mets have actually confirmed as much. Before the volley of doomsday posts hits the Mets blogosphere, let me add that most experts do believe [...]

You know how on a mini golf course, you might be playing well, and then you meet a green where the hole lies in a hump or mound. . Nothing feels worse than thinking you’re going to reach the top, sink the shot, only to realize you’ve come up inches short, back comes your ball, and now you’re in the same or worse position, plus a stroke and the blow to your confidence to-boot. For [...]

According to Yahoo! Sports, All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez returned to New York Mets camp on Monday after being hampered by conjunctivitis for more than two weeks. He also threw a very successful bullpen session this morning at Port St. Lucie. Rodriguez had been told to stay away from the team until the pink eye cleared, but the contagious infection took longer than expected to improve. He was sick when he reported to New York’s spring [...]

Okay so it’s almost afternoon, but Afternoon Grind doesn’t have that same ring to it… Making The Grade According to Adam Rubin, Bobby Parnell and/or Sean Green could be in at least a little trouble in making the club. Or at least in a competition. If Jenrry Mejia and/or Hisanori Takahashi sneaks into the bullpen, one or two reliever incumbents could find themselves in the minors … or traded. This is the best part of [...]

Communication is important and it’s something that the Mets need to work on improving and fast if they want any success in the near future.  The last couple of seasons have shown how the lack of communication has hurt this franchise on and off the field.  The Mets promised things would be different this year, but it’s clear that not much has changed from a season ago. Carlos Beltran’s surgery is a key example of [...]

Last week, manager Jerry Manual and pitching coach Dan Warthen started a mild furor in the Mets blogosphere with comments suggesting that 20-year old Jenrry Mejia could start the season in the Mets bullpen, possibly even as the setup man. According to Brian Costa, Omar Minaya and Mets officials completely shot down any thoughts about Jenrry Mejia starting the season in the bullpen. General manager Omar Minaya said Monday that the plan going into camp [...]