The 2012 Mets: We All Have Something To Prove

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• NJstuckinTX February 21, 2012 at 10:16 am

  I always liked Baghdad Bob, even though he played for the other team. Unfortunately, Alderson has to do something similar until the Mets can sort out their finances. Fuzzy Math on 3. 1… 2… 4… 5… 3!
• Mr North Jersey February 21, 2012 at 10:19 am

  I heard him say that as well on Francesa I believe. Definitely trying to spin the payroll angle to take some of the negativity viewed toward it off. Same goes for the views of the team. No biggie it’s more or less what I would expect in this situation.
• Alex68 February 21, 2012 at 10:19 am

  Joe D, thanks for this article, i said the same thing last year, the payroll for the players on the field was like $54 million at one point, injuries have ravished this ballclub for the past 5 years like no other team i have ever seen, which it was very unfortunate because from 2006i thought our ballclub was ready to win at least 1 WS.. of course, fast forwarding to now we’d be lucky to win 75 games..
  also, funny, the GM is BEGGING the players to step up and saying they have something to prove, what about him?? as a GM this will be his 8th straight losing season, doesn’t HE have something to prove as well? i mean, it’s not as if he’s working for free, he’s earning a paycheck to build a winning baseball team and he’s failing MISERABLY at that too, why doesn’t he take responsability for the sh*** job he’s done as a GM as well? all of the sudden he wants tejada to be reyes 2.0? wright to be wright of 2006? bay to be bay of 2009? yeah, good luck with that…
  • Bob L February 21, 2012 at 3:45 pm

    IF you assume we’ll be a below .500 team this year, then that’ll make 7 “straight losing seasons” for Alderson, NOT 8.
    And i think it’s ludicrous to comp Sandy’s record as an A’s GM and his tenure with the Mets–markedly different franchises over arguably different baseball times (rampant F/As, steroid/PED era, markedly different financial horizons, etc.).
    Yes, markedly opposite financial dynamics, even conceding our current financial woes.We are the NY Mets in the greatest baseball city on the planet WITH a Cable TV Network.
    But, since you brought it up, Alderson’s teams were 1,200 – 1,164 over his 15 year tenure, winning 1 WS, 3 pennants, 4 Division titles and he rebuilt the A’s Farm to build those winning ball clubs.
    What’s our record over the 15 years span that Alderson was A’s GM?: 1,225 – 1,135-under our guru Frank Cashen’s hand and encompassing our 7-year golden period ’84 – ’90, when we won less than 90 games only 1x (87 in ’89) and over 100 games 2x.
    Alderson’s A’s also won over 100 games in a 5-year period (’88 – ’92). In fact, those A’s teams missed 3 years of consecutive 100-win Seasons by 1 game (99 in ’89).
    My round-about point is that Alderson was successful with a lot less at his disposal in Oakland than he has in NY (even conceding our current straits) and i have full confidence, he’ll rebuild our franchise also.
    • Alex68 February 21, 2012 at 3:54 pm

      Bob, yes you’re right, make that 7th straight season as a FAILURE, also, you wanna go back 20 years ago to show some achievements of his??? well, during his tenure in oakland he won 1 WS, so did we, and we had coke addicts, they had STEROID JUNKIES who became great using advantages of PED’s..
      • Bob L February 21, 2012 at 4:11 pm

        Ok, we can disagree. i think the guy has rebuilding credentials. You don’t. That’s okay.
• srt February 21, 2012 at 10:20 am

  Once the season starts, TC should become the voice of the current club, not so much Sandy.

  Listening to TC’s live press conference right now, I think he’s off to a good start.

  ‘Alderson now reminds me of a person who is finding it hard to come to grips with the reality of the situation.’
  Not sure I agree with this, based on one of SAs recent interviews. He more or less said he knew when he came here they were $$ challenged. He more or less admitted it’s a little more challenged than he realized coming in. He was emphatic that ‘this isn’t the As’, he didn’t come here to be GM of a small market team and he expected the situation to be temporary.

  However, getting anything out of Johan this season will be a determining factor in what that bottom line payroll number this season means about getting value for that dollar. Goes without saying that SA inherited that contract and if Johan doesn’t produce at all…again that’s a chunk of change sitting on the DL. What’s done is done though.

  Not a doubt in my mind SA would love to have more than just a bit of low end payroll flexibility right now. What GM wouldn’t?
• Lifelongmetsfan February 21, 2012 at 10:40 am

  Compare the projected 2012 Met Lineup with the Projected Line-ups of the Phillies, Braves, Nationals and Marlins. No contest, not even close.

  The Met line-up compares favorably with the Pittsburgh Pirate Line-up.
  Not trying to be cynical or a jerk but this is what the Met team is now, a 2nd Division team fighting to stay out of last place.
  • Alex68 February 21, 2012 at 10:50 am

    a 2nd Division team fighting to stay out of last place”

    problem is, who they’re gonna fight for last place?!?!!? seems to me they have that battle won before it began. as painful as it is, that’s the reality.. this team is not equipped to compete, sandy once again is concern about slashing payroll, winning is not even in his vocabulary..
  • Vinny B February 21, 2012 at 11:13 am

    No contest? I think the Nationals lineup is weak. They have:

    1 Desmond

    2 Werth

    3 Zimmerman

    4 LaRoach

    5 Morse

    6 Espinosa

    7 Ramos

    8 Bernadina

    Other than Zimmerman and Morse, they don’t have much at all. There’s no way our linueup with Davis, Duda, Wright, and Murphy is weaker than that. And I can’t see how our lineup is not even close to Atlanta and Philly. I can see them being better, but “not even close”? Come on. I think the Marlins have the best offense, but again, I wouldn’t say it’s “no contest”.
    • Bob L February 21, 2012 at 6:04 pm

      i agree with you, Vinny B. Our lineup isn’t bad at all. And i’d expect DW and Ike to benefit from the friendlier confines of the ‘new’ Citi as well as Bay should also improve. The key is health to all our regulars because we don’t have too much depth. Although, i think Captain Kirk,and maybe Valdespin may help us from the Farm before long.
      Our lineup does comp with the Phillies, Braves, Marlins, and Nats. Our pitching, on paper, does not. That’s where we need luck and maybe a drunken night at a local nightspot in PSL among Sandy and Fred whereby Sandy gets the dollars (borrowed!) to sign Oswalt!
    • t agee February 21, 2012 at 6:28 pm

      Harper Hood, Marrero and Lombardozzi could help that O this year.
• Metsie February 21, 2012 at 10:53 am

  ROFLMAO!

  That blurb sounded like all the advanced calculus people went through to make Cliff Lee look like he took more money to go to Philly!

  Square the Hypotenuse and correlate the square and Ipity Apity Opp you have the number I want you to believe!

  Nothing up my Sleeve…. PRESTO!
  Just way too funny!
  Me thinks a look at the stat sheet instead of the spreadsheet might have produced better results!
  • any February 21, 2012 at 10:56 am

    still beating that dead horse?

    Cliff lee is getting paid more this year than if he had signed with the Yankees.
    • Metsie February 21, 2012 at 11:01 am

      Yep more this year less overall!

      I’m not beating a dead horse I’m beating a fake horse!
      you guys had to start adding years to the contract he took in order for it to work out the way you wanted it to to make your point!

      And I’m the one people ask if he is for real!

      ROFLMAO!
      • any February 21, 2012 at 12:01 pm

        well, you seem to count option years in. and they may not happen.

        just please stop making it sound like Lee left some huge payday on the table to go play for chump change just because he loved Philly. he didn’t.
        • Metsie February 21, 2012 at 12:43 pm

          Excuse me but you guys counted them too!
          And I didn’t object because at least those options ARE included in the deal he signed and was offered!

          You guys started adding Arbitration which has NOTHING to do with the deal he signed it is extra and a SEPERATE deal!
          Which the Yankees could have done just as well if you are going to add POST contract possibilities!

          I mean if your going to go that far why not say the Phillies could resign him to a 50 Mil per 5 year deal as well?

          Thats possible too? But then again so too could the Yankees!

          Bottom line the deal he SIGNED is less than the deal he was OFFERED based on the terms of the contract!

          150 Mil is MORE than 130 Mil in ANY universe and by any mathematical formula you could use!
          Per year doesn’t matter if it did then you could say Reyes turned down the money Sandy didn’t offer because while we wanted far fewer years (Supposedly) we were not offering him more per year than the Marlins are this year!

          That is IF Sandy had made an offer in the area you all would have been happy paying!
          If the 4 Year 90/80 Mil offer everyone would have been happy making was actually made then you would be saying Reyes took less money to leave right now using your per year tunnelvision!
• any February 21, 2012 at 10:55 am

  well, the federal government has been using fuzzier math for years, doesn’t that bother you?

  anyway, I understand his point. If you discount the 3 guys that did not exist for the team last year (other than on payday), no, it never was a 140 mill team. more like 95million (given that 45 or so was dead contracts).

  so fine, ollie and slappy come off the books, and payroll drops by 18million, but roster wise there was no change. All just bookkeeping mumbo jumbo.

  and by the same light, any production Johan gives you is effectively “free”.
• Alex68 February 21, 2012 at 10:57 am

  From terry collins news conference:
  “I don’t want to these guys to think for one second there’s no expectations. There are expectations.” Really?? not to finish last??
  “The crux of the message is pretty obvious and that is: we’re better than people think we are.”
  so if they win 70 instead of 69 i guess he’s right.. they’re 1 win better
  “Collins also said he believes Johan Santana will be ready for opening day, and that he’s hoping for 25-28 starts from Santana”
  What kind of starts will they be is the question..
  “Patience is a tough word in New York, but we’ve got to have it.”
  translation: 2014 we may be able to compete..
  “plus Andres Torres to bat leadoff”
  My god… we’re in Real trouble….
  • Mr North Jersey February 21, 2012 at 11:11 am

    Bro I’m telling you by the ASB you will be right up on the Andres Torres “Comeback Player of the Year” bandwagon.

    You’ll be kicking back beer in hand saying damn that MNJ that SOB called it on Torres.
    • Metsie February 21, 2012 at 11:43 am

      LOL MNJ from your mouth to God’s Ears!
      I certainly don’t WANT him to do badly I just think if saving money is so important paying 2.7 Mil for League Minimum contribution is a bit of a waste!

      I look at the waste of what we signed and I see enough to cover paying Reyes!
  • Alex68 February 21, 2012 at 11:15 am

    NJ, Unlike others i do admit i am wrong and take the heat if nessesary.. i was wrong on bay, murphy and duda and i am the first one to admit it and jump on the bandwagon, but i am more right than wrong castillo, perez, wright in the clutch, sandy alderson etc..
    • Mr North Jersey February 21, 2012 at 11:37 am

      No doubt but just in case, you know I am just teasing you about Torres right? Just having some fun with your pessimism over Torres.