As all of us grow older, the players we grew up enjoying, emulating and idolizing, have since retired leaving us nostalgic for days gone by. I remember the first time I read the back of a baseball card and found a player born the year I entered high school. Age had finally caught up to me. Sure I wasn’t ready for shuffle board at The Villages or for dinner at 3, nonetheless it hit me. [...]

Hey Everybody, Here are a few newsworthy stories from last week for today’s Morning Grind: Mets Ink Capuano and Buchholz Sandy Alderson has continued his genius signings and has inked RHP Taylor Buchholz and LHP Chris Capuano, both to one year, incentive laden deals. Capuano will receive a base salary of $1.5 million and Buchholz $600,000. I love the signing of Capuano because he is capable of being a successful starter and reliever. He is a 1st half pitcher, lifetime 29-24 [...]

So the Mets just signed Chris Capuano and Taylor Bucholz to add some more depth to the pitching rotation. Both of these are solid signings and may pay off in big ways. Capuano is only a few years removed from an 18-win season, and Bucholz has shown he can be a valuable seventh or even eighth inning reliever. For the most part, barring a rumored Chris Young or Jeff Francis signing for further insurance and [...]

Updated 4:00 PM The Daily News published quotes from a telephone conversation with former Mets manager Dallas Green and his wife who are making their way out to Arizona to be with their son John as they mourn the loss of their granddaughter Christina-Taylor Green. Green tried to find a way to put into words what never can be put into words, just because there never are any. “It’s pretty hard. We’re all hurting pretty bad. [...]

ESPN’s Buster Olney had some Mets information in his ESPN Insider column today, Heard this: Among the possible moves that the Mets have discussed internally is simply releasing Luis Castillo, the second baseman who they have tried and failed repeatedly to trade. Castillo is about to enter Year No. 4 of a four-year, $24 million deal, and he is owed $6 million for 2011. Castillo, 35, posted a .604 OPS in 2011, which ranked 291st [...]

Ask any Mets fan who the greatest rightfielder in franchise history is and before you get to the word “franchise”, you’ll get your answer – Darryl Strawberry.  Now ask them who the best rightfielder is after the Straw Man and you’ll hear crickets. It’s no surprise that no one can name the second best rightfielder in Mets history.  After all, since Darryl planted his Strawberry Patch and claimed the position for his own, the Mets [...]

One of our readers, MetsTheory22, sent me an email asking me to come up with and post my All-Time Worst Mets Lineup. The funny thing about that is that I’ve never actually posted my All-Time Best Mets Lineup. Here’s my take on the best and worst of the New York Mets… * * * * * * * * * * *       My Ultimate Mets Lineup C - Mike Piazza – Over 1,000 hits and 266 [...]

In 2007 and again in 2008, the Mets missed clinching a playoff berth by just one game. No matter which team it is or even which sport, missing the playoffs by one game in back to back years is not a comfortable place to be. As the Mets enter into a new era with a brand new philosophy based on tried and true principles, lets hope that it never happens again. That said, I wonder [...]