By Elliot Chester I. Collin McHugh’s third pitch as a major league baseball player was not a bad one, a four-seam 91-mile-per-hour fastball that tailed away from Charlie Blackmon, a slap-hitting nobody who had just two hits all season entering the late August game. But Blackmon, recently installed as the Colorado Rockies’ starting right fielder due to a rash of injuries, stayed with the pitch and sliced the ball past the jutting field-level seats of [...]

Maybe it is me, but I don’t think I will ever understand Jordany Valdespin. At one time I wanted him to get a chance and wonder why he hadn’t. Now, it is clear. The guy’s elevator doesn’t go to the top and he ranks low on the charm and responsibility meters. When asked by reporters today in Port St. Lucie to explain why his Twitter account had a photo of himself wearing a Marlins cap, he [...]

On Friday, Kevin Kernan of the New York Post wrote of high praise for Travis d’Arnaud coming from some of his former coaches. D’Arnaud is a former farmhand of the Philadelphia Phillies who originally drafted him. He was the center piece in the deal that sent Roy Halladay from Toronto to the Phillies, and his stature as an elite catching prospect is widely known around baseball. During his time with the Phillies, d’Arnaud was given high praise for [...]

One year ago today, Gary Carter lost his battle with brain cancer at the young age of 57.  Carter’s loss was felt throughout the Mets community, with tributes ranging from t-shirts to a home plate candlelight vigil to commemorative patches on the team’s jerseys and the outfield wall at Citi Field. Carter was a leader both on and off the field, despite his relative short time as a Met.  His five years with the team [...]

As of Saturday, all Mets players are supposed to be in camp, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN. The three players who have yet to report are Jenrry Mejia (visa issues), Jordany Valdespin, and infielder Wilfredo Tovar. Here are some other Mets notes from Spring Training. Marlon Byrd arrived at camp on Friday, and according to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Mets manager Terry Collins believes he can win the starting right field job outright. “If you’re [...]

Keith Hernandez flied out to center for the second out of the inning. A tomblike silence fell over Shea. Fans stared in disbelief. The 108 regular season wins plus 6 more in the post-season meant nothing. Vin Scully announced Marty Barrett was chosen player of the game. And then…number 8 stepped to the plate. In a career that spanned nearly 2300 games and 8000 at-bats over 19 seasons, there are many memorable moments. However, the [...]

Yesterday, I was at the hospital all day getting treated, when I heard and read about Fred Wilpon’s announcement to reporters at St. Lucie. I quickly posted a little bit of what he had to say from my phone with the intention of expanding on it the next day (today). I came home this morning to an inbox full of emails regarding what the Mets owner had to say, with a few of them asking [...]

Fred Wilpon’s proclamation in Port St. Lucie yesterday the Mets are now out of debt and ready to jump into the free-agent market brought a skeptical response. The feeling wasn’t  “oh boy, let’s go get Jacoby Ellsbury next year,’’ but rather “I’ll believe it when it see it.’’ Remember, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and not re-signing R.A. Dickey spoke volumes about immediately competing. I never thought the Wilpons were cheap. I thought [...]

Newest Mets outfielder Collin Cowgill has been getting raves for his gritty play, and has even been compared to another Mets outfielder, Lenny Dykstra, for his intensity on the field and his all-out style of play. In an article by Mike Puma in the NY Post, Cowgill’s former manager and one-time Mets Rico Brogna had this to say: “He reminds me of the way Dude played,” Brogna said, referring to Dykstra, who was nicknamed Nails. [...]

Terry Collins, Johan Santana, Jon Niese, and Bobby Parnell talk about why they are very excited about the Mets pitching staff this season. Collins’ notes that for the first time in over three years, Santana goes into this season healthy and with no offseason surgery or rehab. He also tabs Johan as his Opening Day starter. Niese is very high on the rotation and thinks the Mets have a great starting five. As it shakes [...]