So on this Father’s Day, we are grateful to the many dads out there who taught us how to play America’s pastime.

With the Chicago Cubs in town for this past weekend’s series, a few of the visiting players shared their memories growing up learning the tools of the trade from their fathers.

Scott Hairston (Photo by Jim Mancari)

Following in Dad’s Footsteps

As the son of a Major Leaguer, former Met and current Cubs’ outfielder Scott Hairston recalls always being at the old Comiskey Park to watch his dad, Jerry Sr., play. Jerry Sr. spent 13 of his big-league seasons with the Chicago White Sox, so Scott grew up in Naperville, Ill., and always wanted to play for a Chicago team.

“My dad was a huge influence on me obviously being a baseball player,” Hairston said. “With his direction, the discipline I received from him made me the man I am today. I love my father, and I appreciate all the hard work he’s done to raise us five kids.”

Even though Scott is now a veteran, he finds that he calls his dad often to discuss the game. He said that his father is someone he can turn to in good times and bad times, and that’s important since the game of baseball has many ups and downs.

“My dad is always there for me,” Hairston said. “Everybody needs somebody to talk to. It helped me because my dad played a lot of years. What he’d been through, chances are I’ve been through.”

Teaching Work Ethic

Hairston’s teammate and fellow outfielder David DeJesus – who was born in Brooklyn – also has great memories of learning the game from his father. The family moved to Manalapan, N.J., and the first thing that David’s father, Heryk Sr., did was built an outdoor batting cage for his three sons: David, Michael and Heryk Jr.

David DeJesus (Photo by Jim Mancari)

Heryk Sr. never played organized baseball growing up in Puerto Rico, but he could tell from an early age that his sons had talent. In addition to the batting cage, the kids also took at least 400 swings per day – left-handed of course – in their basement. Heryk Sr. hung a blanket from the ceiling and stacked mattress pads behind it so his sons could get their work in. These sessions were often videotaped so the family could all review the tapes later on in the evening.

Heryk Sr. laid the foundation for David, and for that David is very grateful.

“The most important aspect was the work ethic,” DeJesus said. “Sometimes as a young high schooler, you don’t really want to go and hit. At five o’clock every day when he got home and the garage door went up, that’s when we knew we were going to the baseball field to go practice. It gave me that work ethic to work hard every day.”

Heryk Sr. was in the ballpark for all three games of the series and was able to spend some time with his son. David now has his own son, three-year-old Kingston, who loves baseball. David hopes his son’s interest in baseball continues to grow so he can share the same experiences he had with his father.

Baseball Comes First

Of all the stories these Cubs’ players shared, first baseman Anthony Rizzo has the best one. He spoke of the time his brother, John Jr., was making his first Holy Communion in Florida. However, with Anthony’s dad John Sr. as the ringleader, the family didn’t exactly make it through the whole ceremony.

Anthony Rizzo (Photo by Jim Mancari)

“He (John Sr.) snuck me out of there to go play a game,” Rizzo said. “From the Communion, we went straight to the field.”

John Sr. was able to be with his son at the 2013 World Baseball Classic while Anthony played for Team Italy. Rizzo said he and his father further bonded as he represented his Italian heritage.

Rizzo’s dad coached him all throughout Little League, through travel ball and right up until high school. Rizzo said that John Sr. served as a vital mentor in his path to the big leagues.

“He’s shaped me as a person,” Rizzo said. “Whether I do good or bad, it doesn’t matter as long as he knows I’m happy and as long as our family is happy.”

John Sr. was also at Citi Field the entire series, and the two got to spend some more quality time together.

Happy Father’s Day

It’s great to see that even players who reach the big leagues never forget where they came from. Each one of these players’ dads played a major role in helping their sons achieve their baseball dreams.

They each had some final thoughts to pass along to their dads.

“I love you, that’s it,” DeJesus said.

“Happy Father’s Day,” Rizzo said. “I hope he enjoys it. I hope to have another 50 or 60 Father’s Day’s with him.”

“Thanks Dad for being there for me and directing me during the course of manhood and being a baseball player,” Hairston said. “That appreciation will never die as long as I’m living.”

Usually at this time, the team is at least still somewhat relevant and playing somewhat exciting baseball.

But not this year.

Sure, there are some good things to look forward to with the big-league club, especially the much-anticipated debut of Zack Wheeler on Tuesday.

However, later on in the day Tuesday, the Mets’ short-season Single-A affiliate, the Brooklyn Cyclones, will open their 13th season in Coney Island.

I have been tabbed the Cyclones’ beat reporter for Mets Merized Online, and I’m excited for this opportunity to get to know the prospects who are way down on the farm.

Many of these guys are right out of high school and college and have a long road ahead of them. But they surely will be showing up each night with enthusiasm as they begin their baseball careers.

Just look at the Mets’ roster right now. Daniel Murphy, Bobby Parnell, Lucas Duda, Dillon Gee, Josh Satin, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Jordany Valdespin and Juan Lagares all were Brooklyn Cyclones. Not to mention some first baseman in the Mets’ farm system named Ike Davis.

I will be covering the majority of the home games this summer and will try to provide brief updates on road games. I will have player insights, and maybe I will try to develop a weekly spot with manager Rich Donnelly – a coach who has seen it all in his experience with baseball.

I’m always open to suggestions about my coverage. Got a question for a prospect? Got a story idea? I’d love to hear about it. I will be checking the comments section of my stories frequently, so drop me a note and I’ll take care of the rest.

I hope you enjoy the coverage of the future Mets. It’s certainly a luxury to have a minor-league affiliate so close to the parent club.

And MCU Park is truly a great venue to watch a ballgame. After Hurricane Sandy, the Cyclones ripped up the damaged grass field and installed a beautiful FieldTurf surface. It will be interesting to see how this affects the game.

I’ll be bringing you all that and more this summer. Thank you in advance for following the Cyclones!

On Monday night, I watch the replay of Johan Santana’s no-hitter on SNY and was just as captivated as the night I watched it live on television.

But this time around, I kept thinking to myself what could have been with Santana had his Mets’ tenure not been decimated by injuries.

Then I of course looked to the future hope of the Mets’ starting rotation that almost certainly does not include the veteran lefty.

Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Jon Niese, Noah Syndergaard and Rafael Montero are an impressive starting five, right? But odds are against the Mets in having all of these players pan out as expected.

That’s where Santana comes back into the picture.

The Mets have a $25 million team option for 2014 on Johan. He will make $25.5 million this season after not throwing a single pitch.

That option would have vested if Santana won a Cy Young with the Mets in any of his years here or pitched 215 innings this season.

The team has a $5.5 million buyout, which it will obviously exercise. Santana at that point becomes a free agent.

So would the Mets be interested in bringing back Johan on an incentives-based minor-league deal?

The answer is likely yes, since there would really be no consequence if his comeback attempt fails. They’ll be paying him $5.5 million anyway, so maybe the team can squeeze out the final ounces of talent left in Johan.

Even if he only regains some of his once dominant form, he can still wins some ballgames. When healthy, he pitched to a 3.18 ERA in New York.

More importantly, he can serve as a mentor to the unproven guys like Wheeler, Syndergaard and Montero. The Mets will almost certainly need some starting pitching insurance, so what better than having a former two-time Cy Young Award winner in house?

But the problem with all this is that Santana may still be able to earn a guaranteed Major League deal with another team. If that’s the case, he’ll likely choose that over a minor-league deal.

There is no sense of loyalty in the game today. Even though the Mets paid Santana $137.5 million for 46 total wins (about $3 million per win), he probably doesn’t feel like he owes the Mets anything.

As a fan, I can easily sit here and say that Santana owes the organization at least one more year in which he accepts minimum salary to account the for the money he’s earned during all the time he’s missed.

But then I put myself in Santana’s shoes. My talent has diminished since coming to New York. I’m coming off major shoulder surgery and have a very uncertain future. I’m attempting a comeback, and I would have much more confidence if a team showed confidence in me by giving me a guaranteed deal.

Maybe the Twins would step in and reunite with Johan for his last go-around so he could finish his career where it started.

Even so though, odds are the Santana won’t receive a guaranteed deal based on his age and recent string of injuries.

It’s a tricky situation to say the least. Many Mets’ fans probably just want the Wilpon’s to sign the $5.5 million buyout check to Johan and be done with him for good.

Yet, I’m sure many of us wouldn’t mind if he’s brought back (on the right deal of course) to try to give it one last shot in the orange and blue.

And if that’s not the case, then at least he’ll always be etched in Mets’ lore as the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in franchise history.

The unfortunate thing about it all is that the no-hitter was supposed to only be one chapter in a storied Mets’ career. Santana had a handful of other great moments here, but sadly his injuries will cloud his on-field performance.

Updated with thoughts by Joe D. on 5/31

When Terry Collins removed Dillon Gee in the eighth inning last night after registering one out, I like everyone else who were interacting on Twitter busted a gasket.

Here was Gee, pitching the game of his life and in the midst of retiring 15 consecutive batters – including the last five via a strikeout – and Collins decided to pull him despite only throwing 88 pitches to that point? Has he gone mad?

We’ve seen this so many times before from Collins and as usual his reasoning was as irrational as ever citing that “he didn’t want Gee to lose the game.”

Time and time again he’s done this and in fact it had the inverse effect resulting in losses for Jeremy Hefner, Shaun Marcum and Jon Niese. Despite his illogical attempts to secure a win for his pitchers, in most cases it led to a loss or no-decision.

Also, what does it say to his pitchers that Collins doesn’t trust them enough to win their own games?

Last night worked out okay for Gee, but that still doesn’t make what Collins did rational or right.

It was a terrible call, and to compound it by going to Scott Rice who desperately needs a day off, only made the decision even more foolish.

Rice leads the league in appearances and has played in 31 of the Mets’ first 51 games. That’s a recipe for disaster for the rookie who is on pace for 100 appearances – smashing every franchise record in the books.

Original Post 5/30

So picture yourself as Dillon Gee.

You’ve had a rough start to this season after coming off surgery.

Questions about your role have been brought up with the impending arrival of super prospect Zack Wheeler.
You take the ball in the Subway Series against the Yankees – trying to lead your team to incredibly rare four-game sweep.

And you deliver the game of your life.

But after a career-high 12 strikeouts and retiring 15 batters in row, you see your manager Terry Collins trotting out from the dugout. You’ve only thrown 88 pitches though and have looked great!

Pitching coach Dan Warthen didn’t pay a visit to check on you. You didn’t allow a hit or walk to signal for the pitching change. You simply dominated but wound up being pulled after 7.1 innings.

Now looking back on all this, Scott Rice came in and did another great job retiring the two lefties. Collins looks like a genius for pushing the right button at the right time, but was that button pushed a bit prematurely?

Once Ichiro was announced as the pinch hitter and with Brett Gardner on deck, the decision to bring in Rice to face the lefties made sense at the time.

But here’s the thing: Gee didn’t seem to have much trouble with the bevy of Yankee hitters thrown his way all night, except for a meaningless solo homer he allowed to Robinson Cano.

This could be considered a case of over-managing by Collins, but the result was favorable for the Mets.

Gee showed little emotion after being pulled, but he had to have been perturbed. He easily could have gone the distance if he kept up his pace.

At least give him a chance to get through eight innings. Now that the Mets have a somewhat established closer in Bobby Parnell, the ninth inning was his based on the save situation.

But Gee would have had even more of a confidence boost if he’d been given the chance to put up eight frames of one run ball.

In the end, this really isn’t that big of a deal. The most important thing is that the Mets won the ballgame and pulled off the four-game sweep.

Gee now needs to focus on building upon this effort to erase the rough start to his season. This is the type of effort that can really get him going.

And with Wheeler not too far away, each start for Gee – and Jeremy Hefner for that matter – will be highly scrutinized.

The team is 10 games under .500, the first baseman is batting .147 and virtually no one is showing up to Citi Field.

It seems that every time the Mets fall behind, the game is over. Sure, the team has had a few exciting late-game wins, but there is very little fight right now.

One issue that has hindered the team is giving up three or more runs in a single inning. The Mets have done this 31 times this year, which leads the bigs.

On the flip side, the team has scored three or more runs offensively in an inning just 19 times.

Even if this team can get on some sort of hot streak (unlikely), it won’t be by overpowering its opponents. It would be by playing sound baseball and scratching out enough runs to win a close ballgame.

But if the team plans on changing its ways, limiting the big inning from a defensive standpoint is a good way to start.

Rallies happen; they are part of the game. Minimizing the damage though is key to winning – or at least staying competitive – in ballgames.

Other than Matt Harvey and Bobby Parnell, the Mets’ pitching staff has been very inconsistent. Scott Rice has been good lately, but collectively the unit has struggled.

The pieces for future success are on the farm, so we’ll just have to be patient until they are ready. But for the time being, the team is still responsible for at least providing somewhat of a decent product for its fanbase.

Because if they don’t, that fanbase will dwindle even further than it already has.

Every day we hear the same thing from Terry Collins, and who could blame him?

There have been times this year when the team has shown it can play exciting baseball, and now they just have to try to do that more consistently. Obviously as they’ve shown, that’s easier said than done.

Limiting big innings is a good start. This team is not going to score many runs, so the runs it does score are sacred.

There is still time, and there’s no better time than the present to turn things around.

One of my greatest wishes as a relatively young Mets fan is wanting to have seen Tom Seaver pitch.

Sure, I’ve seen the highlight videos and World Series tapes that portrayed his dominance, but it’s still not the same as seeing the best pitcher in Mets’ history actually toe the rubber.

However, albeit still very early, we younger Mets fans are seeing firsthand what it was like when Seaver took the mound in the form of Matt Harvey – just throwing it out there that I was also too young to remember Doc Gooden as well.

Harvey has been dominant this year, and his body of work is very similar to that of Seaver.

Harvey has a slightly bigger build than Seaver when he pitched, but Seaver still fit the mold of a powerful right-hander.

Both have explosive fastballs and aren’t afraid to challenge hitters up in the zone – again going back to at least what I’ve seen from Seaver on the tapes.

Both have at least one good secondary pitch: Seaver mostly a slider and Harvey a curveball, slider and change-up. Harvey already has shown great command of each of these pitches, just like Seaver demonstrated with his slider.

Certainly, the mental approach by each pitcher resembles one another. That “bulldog” mentality if always wanting to win allowed each to experience success very early in their careers – and we naturally hope Harvey’s success continues for plenty more years.

But of all the similarities between the two, the fact that each came up with an inept offensive team is just uncanny.

The Mets really have never been known as an offensive team, but to not somehow scratch together a run when your pitcher is working on a perfect game really is embarrassing. Yes, Hector Santiago threw a very good game Tuesday night for the White Sox, but that’s where you have to dig deep and dent the plate at least once.

I looked at Seaver’s rookie year in 1967 and compared it with the first few months of Harvey’s career. Seaver made 34 starts during his Rookie of the Year campaign and finished with a 16-13 record.

However, he had just a 2.76 ERA, and in those 34 starts, he only gave up four or more runs eight times. He also threw 18 complete games, but we’ll overlook that for now since today’s game is much different than back then – especially when dealing with pitch counts and innings limits.

As for Harvey in 17 career starts, he’s given up four or more runs in a start just once and has a collective 2.07 ERA. Yet his career mark is only 7-5.

Now I don’t want to only point the finger at the offense for a lack of production. There likely were times – albeit few – that the Mets actually scored a comfortable amount of runs for Seaver, and the same will be true for Harvey eventually.

It may not even out fully, but there will be times when Harvey doesn’t have his best stuff and the Mets score enough runs to get him the win.

But just imagine if Seaver and Harvey had any sort of consistent run support. Is it so much for a pitcher to ask his team to score four runs per game? If that was the case for Harvey, he could potentially be 11-1, not to even mention the no-decisions.

Ok, it’s definitely not as cut and dry as that, but what I’m saying here is that it’s just the typical Mets way to have an ace-type pitcher yet not be able to score a single run.

Let’s hope that changes as Harvey continues to progress. Based on what we saw Tuesday night, he may only need one run per game.

Luckily, he’s a decent hitter too, so he should be able to help himself at the plate. Like a typical Little League superstar game, Harvey could pitch a complete game shutout and hit a home run to win the game.

That might be his only chance to consistently pick up wins.

Most baseball pundits cast off the Mets’ outfield as being the worst in the league heading into the season.

On paper, maybe that is correct, but based on performance, the Mets outfield hasn’t been all that bad.

Lucas Duda has looked good offensively, Marlon Byrd has had some big hits, Mike Baxter gives all-out effort every time he’s on the field, and Jordany Valdespin proved last night what a great asset he is to the ball club.

Of the group, Collin Cowgill has struggled since his Opening Day grand slam, and Kirk Nieuwenhuis really didn’t have a place on this roster.

So Juan Lagares was called up to replace Kirk. But the timing of it all is somewhat strange.

Lagares was hitting .346 in Las Vegas so a call-up was certainly warranted. But where does he fit on the big league roster at this point?

Duda is entrenched in left field. That’s a given. In right, Byrd hasn’t exactly played himself out of the batting order, and again Baxter – as exhibited by his key hustle double last night – produces when given the chance.

Center field has been the revolving door, but Valdespin has shown that he could be productive if given the chance. Cowgill might be in a cold spell, but he could very well regain his hot form from spring training.

The thing that confuses me is that Lagares should not be in the Majors unless he’s playing every day. He’s said to be a great defensive center fielder – which is of course important – but he needs to consistently be put up against top-notch pitching.

If Terry Collins is insistent on trying to get Cowgill regular at-bats, then Lagares should still be in Vegas. And throw Valdespin in the mix, and who knows what’s going on in center?

Even a platoon situation with Lagares and Valdespin would not do the kid much good. If he ever plans on being a regular, he’ll need to face both righties and lefties.

Here’s a potential scenario, that I hope does not play, out but could be an option. If Ike Davis continues his abysmal stretch, the Mets may consider sending him down to Vegas to find himself. Duda then moves to first, and Valdespin can play left with Lagares in center.

We learned last season that even after a slow start, Davis can turn it on in a big way. His second half last year has basically earned him a free pass to struggle early on this year. But if he doesn’t find his stroke like he did last season, maybe a change would do him good.

Again though, let’s hope Davis finds his stroke.

Right now, let Valdespin play; he’s an electric talent. Everyone keeps saying that he’s so raw, but the only way to get more refined is to constantly be in the lineup.

Not many players can say they are not in the starting lineup the day after hitting a walk-off grand slam. Sure, the Mets are facing a lefty, but again, you have to give Valdespin the exposure.

Same goes for Lagares. If Collins can find him regular at-bats, that’s one thing. But if Cowgill is getting the start over him, then he should be playing every day in Vegas.

Maybe I haven’t given this enough time to properly play out, but there’s no point in having a prospect sit on the bench in the Majors when he could be refining his game every day in the minors.

Phillies 5, Mets 0 before we even blinked.

But then I realized that Citizens Bank Park is band box, and one or two big swings would get the Mets right back in the game.

Sure enough, homers from the red-hot John Buck and Lucas Duda made it a 5-2 game heading into the fifth.

With one out and runners on second and third in the fifth, Ike Davis lifted a ball to shallow center that it looked like Ben Revere might not get to. Revere made the catch on the run, but there was no way he’d be able to set himself and throw out Jordany Valdespin trying to tag up from third.

OK, we got ourselves a 5-3 game. We’re right back in this.

Hold on just a second.

I again cringed as I saw Daniel Murphy had been doubled off second base on a play that was right in front of him. That’s inexcusable.

Unfortunately, the Mets are not a talented enough team to have mental mistakes. Physical errors of course are part of the game, but the mental mistakes are the ones that can cost games.

Now, even if that run counted and the game was 5-3, that does not automatically mean the Mets would have come all the way back to tie the game or even take the lead. But again, in that type of ballpark, anything can happen.

It’s impossible to think that any team – even the best teams in the league – will play perfect all-around baseball. It just doesn’t happen. But the teams that limit the mental mistakes always put themselves in a better position to win games.

Had the Mets lost the game on a Murphy error at second base in the bottom of the ninth inning, it would still leave Mets fans with a bad feeling, but at least we could say that errors happen and it was just terrible timing.

But the mental mistake in the fifth inning was a huge rally killer for a team that struggled putting together any sort of rally in the final two games of the Philadelphia series.

If the Mets goes out there each night and makes a bunch of errors and loses, so be it. But the losses will sting even more if the team beats itself by making mental mistakes.

Murphy at least seems like the type of player that will learn from that mistake to ensure it never happens again.

That hasn’t stopped me before, but based on the wind, I had a feeling I was in store for a low-scoring game.

I even turned to my buddy before the game and told him to look at how quickly the flags on the top of the stadium were blowing in from the outfield. “We’re not going to see any homers tonight,” I said.

I sometimes like when I’m wrong.

Lucas Duda and Ike Davis crushed pure bombs deep into right field, while John Buck hit an impressive opposite-field two-run shot to right as well.

Duda’s ball was actually still rising as it cleared the yard and landed halfway up the Pepsi Porch. Davis’ blast was a moonshot that reached Shea Bridge. So much for the wind blowing in!

These home runs were an excellent sign for both players.

Duda struggled to open the spring but seemed to gain his stroke over the final few weeks. The contact he made on his homer last night was so solid, and he even added a booming double to right center as well.

For Davis – who had a good spring – that home run washed away any lingering thoughts about his Opening Day “Golden Sombrero.” Davis is going to strike out; it’s a fact. But if he’s dropping bombs like last night, the strikeouts won’t be too much of a concern.

Even more impressive is that these two lefties hit their homers off lefty Clayton Richard, who is no slouch on the mound after a 14-14 campaign last year for a mostly poor team. Davis and Duda don’t necessarily struggle against lefties, but it’s a great sign to see them display power against a southpaw.

Davis and Duda’s offense is one of the keys to this Mets’ season if the team stays relevant. The power they can provide in the middle of the order if they’re hitting can really go a long way.

Throw in right-handed hitters David Wright, Marlon Byrd and the hot-hitting Buck, and all of a sudden you have the makings of a balanced offensive lineup. And just imagine if Travis d’Arnaud pans out like expected!

It’s just two games, I know, but there is some potential here, which is exciting from a fan’s perspective. For a team that’s not supposed to set any home run records, Davis and Duda can at least provide a little bit of thump for the Amazins.

He said that the best lineup will have length, and I agree. The team isn’t exactly an offensive powerhouse, so it will have to create ways to get the maximum production.

The potential lineup would be the following:

1. Jordany Valdespin, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Collin Cowgill, CF
2. Ruben Tejada, SS
3. Daniel Murphy, 2B
4. David Wright, 3B
5. Ike Davis, 1B
6. Marlon Byrd, RF
7. Lucas Duda, LF
8. John Buck, C

Let’s start with spots No. 2-8. I like Tejada in the No. 2 hole better than the No. 8 hole. Based on his spring training (though that shouldn’t be the primary indicator), he’s more suited as a guy who can move runners over rather than hit for a high average.

Moving a runner over in the No. 8 hole is useless since the pitcher follows. But in the No. 2 hole, at least Tejada can give Murphy, Wright, Davis, etc. a chance to drive in runs.

Murphy, Wright, Davis, Byrd, Duda and Buck would then create a nice lefty/righty split throughout the lineup. I can’t say that I’m totally sold on lefty/righty matchups, but teams that do set up these matchups will have fits with the Mets’ order.

I would like to see someone (in this case Byrd) bat between Davis and Duda. Both have shown they can strikeout often, and it would be extremely frustrating to see them both strikeout in a row to kill a rally.

Of course, Byrd can potentially strikeout as well, but at least this spring, his contact has been terrific.

Wright is the focal point of the offense, and having him in the cleanup position allows more guys to be on base when he steps to the plate. That of course is dependent on the players in front of him getting on base, but if they do, opposing teams will not be able to pitch around Wright as easily.

The major question mark right now with this lineup is the leadoff spot (and center field for that matter). The Mets don’t have a bona fide candidate to fill both these roles, so they will try to piece together the leadoff man/center fielder position with what they have.

Valdespin has hit well this spring and has good speed, but he definitely does not fit the mold as a leadoff hitter. And his defense in center field is extremely suspect.

Captain Kirk plays a mean center field, but his hitting still leaves much to be questioned.

Cowgill had a nice spring, isn’t a defensive liability and could be the guy who steps up when called upon. A Valdespin/Cowgill platoon – with Cowgill as also a defensive replacement for Spin late in games – could be the optimal solution.

The overall goal with a lineup should be to extend a rally as long as possible. Keeping this potential middle of the order together can do that, even if it’s a little suspect at the very top.

In a perfect world, all three leadoff guys burst out of the gate, giving Terry Collins a tough decision on who to start. Let’s hope it’s not the other way around in that Collins is forced to struggle with the choice since all three are slumping.

K-Rod said he would welcome a reunion with the Mets and would be extra motivated if given a second chance to redeem himself.

Rodriguez is currently a free agent, and the Mets showed minimal interest earlier in the offseason.

But please, please, please Sandy Alderson: Don’t bring this guy back!

The Mets have moved on from K-Rod and his antics, and there’s really no point in reverting. Why watch a washed up reliever struggle when we have some young guys capable of getting the job the done?

And if those younger guys struggle, give them the chance to work through their mistakes rather than keep giving the same guy numerous chances.

He has already been given a second chance with the Mets. After the whole incident with his girlfriend’s father in 2010, he returned to the Mets in 2011 – after many rumors of a potential release – and actually pitched pretty well.

In fact, he pitched so well that the Milwaukee Brewers traded for him for their stretch run, and he resurrected himself as a setup man.

That was his second chance. The Brewers re-signed him for the 2012 season, and he tanked to 2-7 record with a 4.38 ERA.

So basically he’s now seeking a third chance. Well, he’s come to wrong the place.

With the game on the line in the seventh and eighth inning, I’d much rather see the ball handed off to Bobby Parnell (if he’s not closing), Jeurys Familia, Josh Edgin or Robert Carson.

Give these guys a chance. We know that K-Rod is more of a headache than what his production will be on the field. He was actually charged with domestic abuse in September, 2012, so it doesn’t seem he’s changed too much.

It’s great that K-Rod wants to redeem himself to Mets fans for a three-year period of craziness. But hopefully, the Mets stay far away from this guy.

That would give him about five starts, assuming there are no other setbacks, before Opening Day.

Frankly, I don’t care if he’s starting Opening Day. I just want him to get fully healthy as soon as possible, even if that means missing a few starts early in the season.

The Mets are faced with a tough situation regarding Santana is he regains some of his form from previous seasons.

In one scenario, Santana could get off to a great start when he returns, and the team too could play great baseball out of the gate.

Santana would provide leadership and experience for the Mets’ young pitchers, and if he has his stuff working, he will try to keep the Mets competitive for as long as possible, hopefully deep into September or even October.

But scenario two could work out just as well for the Mets.

Santana could pitch very well out of the gate, and the Mets could swing a deal similar to what they did in 2011 with Carlos Beltran.

Beltran was tearing the cover off the ball and the Giants needed an outfield bat, so Sandy Alderson pulled off a deal for San Francisco’s top pitching prospect, Zack Wheeler.

Now, even if Santana starts red hot, he likely wouldn’t command a Wheeler-type prospect in a midseason trade, merely based on his recent injury history. But there’s no reason why the Mets can’t acquire an impact player as they gear up for a strong season in 2014.

It’s going to be a difficult call. If the team is hanging tough, Santana will likely be part of that success, yet the team needs to be realistic in its chances. A contender needing a starting pitcher could certainly look to bring in a starter of Santana’s caliber.

These scenarios, however, will be rendered irrelevant if Santana continues to struggle with injuries or pitches poorly.

But from the Mets’ perspective, a healthy Santana can help this team both in the present –  if he’s pitching well – and in the future – if the team can acquire another young prospect in a trade.

I’m sure many of us are excited to see the Mets’ catcher of the future, Travis d’Arnaud, take the field this spring.

Sure, he likely won’t head north with the big club right away, but all reports indicate that he is the real deal.

I don’t know about you, but I am definitely seeking the reassurance that d’Arnaud has what it takes to be a Major League catcher. Luckily, I received that reassurance a few days ago.

I had a conversation with Anthony Iapoce, an Astoria native and the new special assistant to the general manager of the Chicago Cubs.

He spent the last few seasons as the roving minor league hitting coordinator for the Toronto Blue Jays, and that’s where he was able to provide expert analysis on d’Arnaud.

“Travis is a gamer and a great teammate,” Iapoce said. “He can handle the bat and knows how to play the game.”

These are certainly encouraging words from someone that has seen him play. Many of the reports we’ve all read on d’Arnaud were from the Mets’ beat reporters, who likely will be seeing him play live for the first time this spring.

Iapoce went on to say that the young catcher is a leader and a rare talent as an offensive-minded catcher. He said the Mets are very lucky, and fans will be excited to see this kid develop.

One concern that Iapoce mentioned, however, is that d’Arnaud has spent time on the disabled list in each of the past few seasons, with his major injury – a torn posterior cruciate ligament last summer – shutting him down for several months.

If d’Arnaud can stay healthy, he’s going to be fun to watch and will hopefully contribute to some competitive Mets’ teams in the near future.

Certainly, Iapoce’s words have me really excited to see the 23-year-old stud in action.

Updated by Joe D.

According to Mike Puma of the NY Post, after telling reporters that Frank Francisco has been shut down due to inflammation in his right elbow, Mets manager Terry Collins told Puma that “he wants Bobby Parnell to take over as the team’s closer.”

“We keep talking about 2014 … why not get a head start?” Collins said. “I’m not panicking, but you’ve got to get somebody ready, and Bobby to me is that guy.”

Adam Rubin of ESPN New York quotes pitching coach Dan Warthen, who says:

“His last 11 outings, he didn’t give up anything. I thought his maturity changed. I thought he and [Jon] Niese both had breakout years last year. And I think he’s there. I think he’s ready to close.”

Not surprising news, but big news nonetheless.

The Mets developing their own homegrown closer? This is unheard of, somebody pinch me!

I would love to see Parnell grab this opportunity and run with it.

I want to see him succeed and earn a big, huge paycheck next season as a top shelf closer – hopefully, still with the Mets of course.

Take the bull by the horns, Bobby… This your time to shine…

Original Post 2/8

Frank Francisco told the New York Post yesterday that he is the Mets’ closer.

Sure, he might have been signed last offseason to be the Mets’ closer, but it’s not like he went out last year and was stellar on the mound.

In fact, his numbers (5.53 ERA and 23 saves) were pretty poor for a closer.

So while he “thinks” he is this team’s closer, nothing is set in stone.

The Mets today agreed to a contract with another veteran reliever, Brandon Lyon. He’s been mostly a setup man in his career, but he does have experience closing. He may push Francisco for save opportunities.

In a perfect world, Francisco, who will earn closer’s money at $6.5 million in 2013, will have a great season and cement his role as the closer early on. Meanwhile, the veteran bullpen options like Lyon, Scott Atchison and LaTroy Hawkins will push youngsters Bobby Parnell, Jeurys Familia and Josh Edgin in spring training to pitch at a high level.

But nothing in this world is perfect.

With the expectations low for the Mets this season, the organization needs to have a short leash with overpriced veterans. If Francisco tanks, get him out of there. He’s not part of this team’s future, so the Mets should just bite the bullet on his salary if necessary.

I’d rather see Parnell, Familia and Edgin, as well as a few others, get the chance late in games rather than run a struggling Francisco out there. Leads will be precious for the 2013 Mets, so the most qualified relievers – not the highest paid – should get the first crack at saving games.

Again, maybe the most qualified relievers this season will in fact be Francisco and Lyon. They’ve shown in their careers that they can be effective late in games, so it’s certainly possible that they can be productive.

But as far as Francisco claiming that he is the Mets’ closer before spring training has even started, that’s a little much.

I’m glad that he’s confident in his abilities, but he should have said that he’s willing to work super hard to rebound from a poor year last year in order to re-earn his spot.

He could have said, “I am this team’s closer, and I am going to prove that right from the start of spring training.”

The key word here is “prove.” It’s not like Francisco is Mariano Rivera. Even with Rivera coming off an injury, his track record suggests he’ll be just fine.

Francisco’s career has been middling at best, and with Parnell waiting in the wings, Francisco’s job should be far from safe.

But of course, I can’t control myself in reading all the news stories about what is actually in the book before I read it for myself.

So that leads me to a very intriguing discussion.

Piazza admitted in his book to using androstenedione and Ephedra before the substances were banned, according to the New York Post. The 12-time All-Star catcher also said in his book that he took Vioxx (an anti-inflammatory), “greenies” (stimulants) and Dymetadrine (asthma medicine), the Post reports.

The New York Times reports that Piazza wrote in the book that he inquired about HGH, not knowing it was a banned substance, but his trainer advised against using it.

So let’s assume that Piazza is clean of HGH. He claims he never used “steroids,” and to this point, we all know he has never had a positive test on record.

But the real question now is how will Piazza’s admission to using these other drugs – mainly the currently-banned substances of andro and Ephedra – affect his chances at the Hall of Fame.

There will likely continue to be a rift amongst the voters. Some will say that since these substances were legal at the time, Piazza was not cheating. However, some will say that he was still enhancing his performance by using the substances, thus tainting his incredible numbers.

If I had to guess, the voters that voted for him this year will vote for him again next year. But then again, some may now change their vote since Piazza admitted to using “substances” during his career.

Of the writers that did not vote for him this year based on the suspicion of drug use, some may change their votes since Piazza admits to have never used “illegal substances.” But of course, the majority will have their initial inklings about Piazza confirmed and therefore will continue to exclude him from Cooperstown.

Talk about a voting conundrum!

I’m not exactly sure if Piazza’s book will help or hurt him. It almost begs the question of why he would even choose to admit anything in the first place. The timing of the book’s release is also strange, since he could have “cleared his name” before the voting occurred.

But then again, would his admission to using drugs clear his name or would it spark even more speculation like it already has?

I want to believe Piazza. I feel like he might have kept quiet if he used banned substances and would have hoped that no test results ever leaked.

He instead chose to be honest, and from what he admitted in the book, he never cheated according to what was and what was not illegal at the time.

I’m eager to see what else he has to say in his book. I just hope that all the juicy excerpts haven’t been revealed already.

The release of this book just keeps Piazza’s name in the news cycle, which will spark much more debate on whether he’s worthy of baseball immortality.

The Mets seem to be rolling the dice when it comes to bringing in veterans on minor-league deals to compete for spots in the bullpen.

The team will likely head north in about two months with seven relievers, but spring training will decide who those lucky seven are.

LaTroy Hawkins and Scott Atchison were recently signed to minor-league deals. Do these guys have enough left in the tank to be contributors to this year’s bullpen?

Seriously, what do the Mets have to lose? At the very worst, Hawkins and Atchison will light a fire under the younger relievers who are battling for a roster spot.

Robert Carson and Josh Edgin had strong moments in 2012 but were inconsistent for the most part. Bobby Parnell is expected to keep progressing, and Jeremy Hefner will likely latch on as the long man in the pen.

The Mets signed side-armer Greg Burke to a minor-league deal early in the offseason, so we’ll see what he’s got this spring. Youngsters Jeurys Familia and Elvin Ramirez will also be given a long look.

With the exception of Parnell (who has been inconsistent in his own right), none of the above in-house bullpen candidates are proven commodities. But since relief pitching in general is such a volatile position, the Mets could either have the makings of a solid bullpen, or they could completely tank.

If a few of these arms can get hot at the right time, they could form a strong unit, especially if either Hawkins or Atchison (or both) can be effective. With the team’s lack of offense, it will be imperative for the bullpen to hold rare leads late in games.

And then of course there’s Frank Francisco. The Mets took a gamble bringing him in last year, and for the most part that backfired. But it wasn’t just a one-and-done with Frankie; he signed a two-year deal.

I wish the Mets would bring in some legitimate closing competition for Francisco. Parnell is on the doorstep of becoming a closer, but he needs to work through his inconsistencies to take the next step.

On the free-agent market, Brian Wilson, Matt Capps and Jose Valverde are still available. Valverde fell out of favor with Detroit in last year’s playoffs, while Wilson has already auditioned for the Mets but seems unwilling to accept a minor-league deal.

But as spring training nears, Wilson may be forced to lower his demands and prove that he can still close.

On a minor-league deal, I would love to see the Mets sign Wilson. Nothing would be guaranteed, and he would have to show the organization in spring training that he’s still got it.

Maybe Capps could be a guy the Mets bring in to push Francisco. However, he missed several months last season with the Twins dealing with shoulder inflammation.

Capps will probably draw interest on a Major-League deal, but again as the clock keeps ticking, he too may be forced to swallow his pride.

Signing one of these two closers to a minor-league deal would fit with Sandy Alderson’s theme of trying to piece together a bullpen of reclamation projects trying to resurrect their careers.

The good thing about this plan is that if it falters, not only would it be a short-term problem, but also none of the contracts would be guaranteed.

The Mets were the only team in the game to have not signed a Major League free agent before the Marcum deal.

Of course, the Mets are going through a rebuilding phase, but the team didn’t even sign a bench player or relief pitcher to a pro deal.

What this means is that the team will be relying on youngsters to get them through this season.

“Get them through” can be interpreted in one of two ways.

First, these young guys can burst onto the scene and form a competitive team. Maybe we’re not talking about going all the way to the World Series, but the team could have the potential to play exciting baseball.

Look at the Oakland A’s last year. A team of young no-names went on a run and won the AL West division over the likes of the powerhouse Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The Mets will be trying to unseat the Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies atop the NL East, but it might take more than just an extended late season run to do this.

But the more likely scenario is that the young players will be under constant scrutiny to see if they belong in the Majors. “Get them through” in this case would apply to just getting through this season – no matter what their record winds up being – in anticipation to be a competitive team in 2014, when superstar prospects like Zack Wheeler and Travis d’Arnaud are ready to contribute to the big club.

This year will be telling for guys like Lucas Duda, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Mike Baxter, Josh Edgin and others. They’ll be given every chance to succeed to see if they fit into the mix in 2014.

Players like Daniel Murphy, Ruben Tejada, Dillon Gee and Bobby Parnell are not off the hook. They too have to prove that they can have sustained Major League success.

Marcum is a nice stopgap who can eat innings if he’s healthy, but the future of this team lies far from the hands of Shaun Marcum.

This year’s award winners received their hardware, and of course, R.A. Dickey was the main event.

Dickey took home the 2012 NL Cy Young Award and was honored with the BBWAA’s “Joe DiMaggio Toast of the Town” award for forging a special bond with the New York fans.

R.A. Dickey at BBWAA Dinner

Before Dickey took to the podium, the dais featured some of the top players in the game today including Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, David Price, Buster Posey and C.C. Sabathia. Former Met killer Chipper Jones was also in attendance to receive the BBWAA’s “Long and Meritorious Service” award.

The 1973 NL champion New York Mets were honored for their 40th anniversary. Rusty Staub and Buddy Harrelson accepted the “Willie, Clipper and the Duke” award. Willie Mays was actually there too and was given a standing ovation.

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson was tasked with introducing the 1973 team. But before doing that, he acknowledged Dickey for his remarkable season.

“The contributions he’s made for the Mets not just this year but over three years, it’s been a privilege of mine to watch him perform over the last two,” he said. “I think everyone, Mets fans and baseball fans everywhere, will agree that last year was truly not just historic but in some ways a storybook finish to his career here. I hope it’s not finished. I hope that sometime down the line that we will meet again.”

However, he said he was not infringing on Blue Jays’ general manager Alex Anthopoulos, who was sitting at the table right in front of the podium.

Sandy Alderson, the comedian

Alderson must have thought he was a comedian, but many Mets fans in attendance were not too impressed with his routine. He said that he has been in contact with several outfielders that he “met on the Internet, one of which went to Stanford.” Naturally, he was poking fun at the Manti Te’o situation, but still Sandy, why don’t you go get us an outfielder rather than joking about it?

But Alderson wished Dickey well, even though he was the guy who sent him out of town.

“Perhaps R.A. will become the first back-to-back Cy Young winner in two different leagues representing two different countries,” he said. “I hope that happens.”

Dickey was introduced by Phil Niekro, the greatest knuckleballer in history who served as a mentor to Dickey as he learned to throw the mysterious pitch.

Niekro was honored to be part of the event and even said to his wife that if his wedding had been scheduled for Saturday, he would have postponed it in order to be in New York for R.A.’s special night.

When Dickey won the Cy Young, Niekro called right away, and Dickey kept saying, “We did it! We did it!”

“I said, ‘We didn’t do it. You did it. You were out there busting your butt from the first day of spring training to the end, you’re taking the signs and you’re striking them out, and you’re pitching one-hitters and shutouts. You did it.’”

But Dickey still said that it was a team effort.

Niekro said that he was so proud of Dickey, and he’s sure that the likes of Charlie Hough, Tim Wakefield, his brother Joe Niekro, Hoyt Wilhelm, Tom Candiotti and Wilbur Wood would all feel the same way.

Phil Niekro introduces Dickey

“This has never happened to us before,” Niekro said. “No knuckleballer in the history of the game had won a Cy Young Award. You (Dickey) have brought us up to a level that none of us ever thought we’d get to.”

Dickey and Niekro embraced before it was R.A.’s turn to accept his award. He started with a litany of thank you’s to the Wilpons, Alderson and Mets’ public relations director Jay Horwitz.

“I have so many thank you’s for my Met family, and that’s what it really felt like when I was here,” Dickey said. “I don’t think I could have ever wished to play for a better manager than Terry Collins.”

Dickey of course thanked his wife Anne for sticking by him at his lowest times and traveling all over the country, Latin America and now Canada with him as he pursued his dreams. He talked about Cy Young’s wife, Robba, to put his thanks into perspective.

“For every Cy Young Award winner who has a mate and is married, there needs to be a Robba Young Award to go along side of it,” he said.

Dickey – a Star Wars buff of course – gave a special thank you to whom he calls the “Jedi Council of Knuckleballers” made up of Hough, Wakefield and Niekro. He said he remembers meeting Hough in 2005 as he was on his way out as a conventional pitcher.

“I was throwing 85 (mph) and didn’t have the control of a Greg Maddux,” he said. “I was serving up some balls that still haven’t landed.”

But he was grateful to his manager and pitching coach with the Texas Rangers, Buck Showalter and Orel Hershiser, for giving him the confidence to reinvent himself.

“75,000 knuckleballs off a cinderblock wall later, and here I am,” Dickey said. “I would not be here if it wasn’t for Charlie, Phil and Tim. This is an award to not only be celebrated with them but also the city of New York and the New York Mets fanbase.”

Phil Niekro and R.A. Dickey embrace.

Dickey only spoke for a few minutes since he likely had to feel a bit strange. Here’s a guy being celebrated in his former town for his accomplishments with his former team, but yet that team sent him packing even though he wanted to be back. Sure, the trade made sense for a rebuilding franchise, but it’s still tough to Dickey leave after such an inspirational season.

This year’s dinner marks the second straight year (Jose Reyes in 2012) that a Mets’ award winner accepted an award as a member of another team.

Even so, the night was a great event for baseball fans and one that Dickey will cherish for the rest of his life.

To turn attention away from Mike Piazza and the Hall of Fame vote for just a minute, let’s discuss the future Mike Piazza, or so we hope.

The Mets acquired Travis d’Arnaud, their catcher of the future, in the trade that sent R.A. Dickey to the Toronto Blue Jays.

But why can’t the future be right now?

d’Arnaud said he’s ready to play and recovered from a knee injury that ended his minor league season early last year.

All indications point to d’Arnaud starting the 2013 campaign in the minors. That’s fine, but there’s no need to extend his stay just so he can get “seasoning.”

The Mets likely want to have him start in the minors in order to delay his eventual free agency as well as adjust to his new surroundings. If he spends the first 20 days of this season in the minors, his free-agent clock will start in 2014, rather than this year.

But once that day passes, I’d really like to see the 24-year-old catching prospect in the Majors.

The best way to gain experience in the big leagues is to actually play in the big leagues. I’m all about making sure a prospect is ready, but from everything I’ve read on d’Arnaud, he’s ready.

Especially if the team won’t be too competitive this season, I’d rather see d’Arnaud struggle to find his way so that he’s ready for 2014, when the team has more financial flexibility to improve the roster.

But who knows? Maybe the kid bursts onto the scene and takes positive strides this season. We won’t ever know unless he’s given the chance.

The Mets are also weary of starting d’Arnaud in the bigs right away because the organization wants the catcher to develop chemistry with top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler.

Well, just like I believe d’Arnaud should be in the bigs as soon as possible, that’s how I feel about Wheeler. Give the young guys a shot, and they can develop chemistry together at Citi Field, rather than Las Vegas.

So the plan should be to let them both spend the necessary 20 days in the minors for free agency purposes, and then once they’re available, bring them up in May.

If the organization doesn’t have the money to bring in star players, at least it can give the fans a feel for what they have to look forward to in the coming seasons.

No offense to John Buck, but he’s not exactly a guy who fills up a stadium. But d’Arnaud playing regularly on the other hand may get the fanbase excited.

The sooner d’Arnaud and Wheeler crack the roster, the sooner the Mets will reveal their long-term identity.

MLB.com’s Marty Noble wrote a piece that the Mets should try to make a push to acquire Miami Marlins budding superstar slugger Giancarlo Stanton.

Stanton is just 23 years old and has shown mammoth power in just three professional seasons.

But hold on, the Marlins have already traded the rest of their star players. Why would the team part ways with its only young power bat?

Well, Stanton is a hot commodity right now, and the Marlins are in a position in which they certainly won’t be competitive (at least on paper) for the next few seasons.

So from the Marlins’ standpoint, building around the young slugger will make for a competitive team when Stanton enters his prime.

If he were to be traded, however, the Marlins would demand a package of a number of stellar prospects as well as cash. But as of now, we can only gauge on how many prospects or how much money it would take to get a deal done.

Obviously, all 30 teams would salivate at the chance to acquire Stanton at the right price, since he’d first be eligible for salary arbitration after the 2013 season.

From the Mets point of view, if a deal can somehow be worked out, I’d say do it.

Not too often does a young power hitter become available before he’s eligible for free agency. Of course though, it would take a hefty package to acquire Stanton.

The Mets have a surplus (albeit small) of young pitching prospects including Zack Wheeler, Jenrry Mejia, Jeurys Familia, Collin McHugh or the newly-acquired Noah Syndergaard. Matt Harvey can even be thrown in that mix as a young pitcher in the organization.

Naturally, if the Marlins ask for three or more of these prospects, the Mets should shy away. But for two – maybe one of Wheeler or Harvey and one of Mejia, Familia, McHugh or Syndergaard – and cash (though the Mets don’t have much), a deal would make sense at least for the Mets.

Likely it would take at least three of these pitching prospects and maybe a few offensive prospects to get a deal done. If the Marlins’ demands are through the roof, maybe it’s best to stay away.

If Stanton does become available, we know the Evil Empire would be involved. Stanton could easily hit 50 home runs playing in Yankee Stadium.

But based on the power he’s shown, even the cavernous Citi Field would be no match for Stanton.

At this point, it’s just wishful thinking. But who knows? The Mets and Marlins have made deals in the past, so can they agree on one more?