It would have been difficult to recognize Dillon Gee at Citi Field Kids Day had he not been wearing his No. 35 jersey. He was sporting a dark beard and doesn’t exactly have the impressive frame of a Mike Pelfrey. But similar to Josh Thole, here’s another young guy who will do whatever it takes to help out the ballclub anyway he can. In addition to announcing Pelfrey as the Opening Day starter, Terry Collins [...]

When he introduced Mike Pelfrey to the children at Citi Field Kids Day on Wednesday, Terry Collins said that Mike will be the Opening Day starter. Everyone was taken aback since I believe this was the first time Collins had said that. Like the other players, Pelfrey is eager to begin spring training and looks forwards to the challenge of starting Opening Day against Josh Johnson of the Marlins. He commented on the improvement he [...]

Like Mike Pelfrey, Bobby Parnell is downright big. He is rather soft-spoken and to the point, but he is eager to begin the 2011 campaign and elevate his game to the next level. At Citi Field Kids Day, Parnell answered some questions for the children about what it means to be a big leaguer and when did he discover that he wanted to play professional baseball. Parnell told the kids to follow their dreams and [...]

Of all the players at Citi Field Kids Day, I was most impressed by Josh Thole, who Terry Collins introduced as a rising young star in the National League. Even after speaking with Beningo and Roberts on WFAN in the morning and then fielding basically the same set of questions in the afternoon, Thole smiled and delivered in-depth, informative answers. What’s more is that he seemed like a genuine, friendly guy. Thus far in his [...]

OK, so that phrase is very overused, but you have to admit it’s true. What you are about to read, Mets fans, should look like solid gold on your screen. “I feel 100 percent,” said Jose Reyes. “I feel pain free.” No more thyroid issues, no more oblique problems, no more batting third, and simply the Jose Reyes that we know and love. Terry Collins introduced Jose Reyes at Citi Field Kids Day as the [...]

Before I get into the interview with R.A. Dickey from the Citi Field Kids Day on Wednesday, let me set up the situation. Dickey walks out with his customary beard but with an insane bro-flow going on. Listening to him speak made me feel like I was sitting in English Literature class. His appearance and eloquent speech would have made him a great English professor, which was his backup plan had baseball not worked out. [...]

Yesterday at Citi Field, the Mets hosted their first of six annual Citi Field Kids Days, where children from all over the New York area are treated to a private tour of the Mets clubhouse and a complimentary lunch. The kids and the media filed into the Mets clubhouse for a brief presentation and, to the children’s surprise, out stepped Terry Collins flanked by Bobby Parnell, Dillon Gee, R.A. Dickey, Mike Pelfrey, Josh Thole and [...]

Finally, the Mets have signed Chris Young to a one-year deal. Rumors of the Mets’ interest had been circulating for much of the offseason, but the deal is done. So with the addition of Young, that begs the question: What should we expect the pitching rotation to look like? In my last post, I gave my predictions on how the roster may be shaped, including the pitching rotation. It seems as though, at least for [...]

With the signing of Willie Harris to take over as the team’s fourth outfielder and the high possibility of a Chris Young signing soon, it seems as though the Mets have addressed all of their needs heading into the season. Granted, there are still position battles to be won (second base, bullpen and bench spots) as well as a ton of question marks. Unless the Mets plan on adding another bullpen arm (maybe a loogy), [...]

The Reds yesterday signed Fred Lewis to a one-year deal worth $900,000. This is a great signing for the Reds, but it will force the Mets to turn their attention elsewhere. The NL Central defending champion Reds will sport an outfield comprised of the young stud Jay Bruce in right, exciting Drew Stubbs in center, and fiery Jonny Gomes in left. Stubbs and Gomes both bat right handed, so Lewis should find a decent number [...]