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I just got my Mets email subscription and it was a letter from Mets manager, Willie Randolph.

Check it out...

Our team is ready to go. That's the message I want to send to you Mets fans as we prepare for today's opener in South Florida. The goal this year is to make our final season at Shea something special and I think we can.

We've had a great spring. Our batting order certainly can produce runs. Jose Reyes has been spectacular in the field and on the bases. Carlos Beltran has recovered from his off-season knee surgeries and has been diving for balls in the outfield, while Luis Castillo is back to normal after his knee operation. I look for David Wright to once again play at his All-Star pace and we expect Carlos Delgado to have a bounce-back year. Brian Schneider adds a good defensive presence for us behind the plate, while I look for Ryan Church to play a solid rightfield.

Our line-up is intact except for Moses Alou, who should be back in late April or early May. Guys like Endy Chavez, Damion Easley and Angel Pagan can fill in for Moises until he returns. You need to have a solid bench to win and we certainly do.

Our pitching has been great all spring. The addition of Johan Santana makes our staff better from top to bottom. Pedro Martinez is healthy and hasn't missed a beat, while John Maine and Oliver Perez, who each won 15 games for us a year ago, are perhaps two of the young star pitchers in the major leagues.

The bullpen will once again be anchored by Billy Wagner, one of the best closers in the game. Aaron Heilman, Pedro Feliciano, Scott Schoeneweis, Matt Wise and Jorge Sosa all can perform in a variety of roles for us.

Orlando Hernandez, Duaner Sanchez and Ramon Castro will start the season on the Disabled List, but should be ready to go not too far into the season.

With Orlando Hernandez on the Disabled List, Mike Pelfrey will pitch this Saturday against Atlanta. He deserves the chance.

In closing I want to say one more thing. We all hated the way last year ended for us. For 98 percent of the season we were the best team in our division, but we let it slip away. When I spoke to the team this spring I didn't look backwards that much, I tried to look forward so we can all learn from what happened. The lesson is simple: don't take anything for granted and don't expect things to happen just because you think they will.

The season is here. It's time to make it happen.

Hope to see you back at Shea in April.

I especially liked reading his lesson at the end. Last season it seemed he took everything for granted and it's now clear that we have a new and improved Willie Randolph at the helm!

Posted by Joe D. at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Well, it only seems fair that we are right back where we left off six months ago, Mets vs. Marlins. Except this time, it is just the beginning.

The NY Mets kick off the 2008 season against the Florida Marlins for a three game series at Dolphin Stadium.

While we want to turn the page on last year, let’s not forget Hanley Ramirez’ comments before that last game, “F8@& everybody on the Mets. I'm going to kick their *&^Y%A$ tomorrow.''

Seems like the shortstops of the NL East love to talk trash… hope the Mets bring it on the field.

The probable pitching match-ups are… 

Monday: Johan Santana, LHP (0-0, -.--)  vs. Mark Hendrickson, LHP (0-0, -.--)

Tuesday: Pedro Martinez, RHP (0-0, -.--)  vs. Rick VandenHurk, RHP (0-0, -.--)

Wednesday:  Oliver Perez, LHP (0-0, -.--) vs. Andrew Miller, LHP (0-0, -.--)

I am extremely giddy to see those two names at the top of our rotation, beautiful.

Think about this, The Mets finished 2007 with the 7^th best ERA, 3^rd best BAA, and 6^th best WHIP. That was pretty much a whole year without Johan Santana, Pedro Martinez, and Duaner Sanchez. Oh and not to mention our fifth starter won 5 games all year.

It will also be interesting to see how the Mets handle two lefties right off the bat. Now, Mark Hendrickson and Andrew Miller shouldn’t be confused with Randy Johnson circa 2001 but they’re lefties nonetheless.

The Mets bullpen is clearly better than the Marlins so advantage Mets there. I’ll take

Offensively (2007 numbers)...

Mets: .278 BA, 804 R, .342 OBP, .432 SLG, 200 SB (NL Ranks: 2nd, 4th, 3rd, 7th, 1st)  

Marlins: .267 BA, 790 R, .336 OBP, .448 SLG, 105 SB (NL Ranks: 8th, 6th, 7th, 3rd, 6th)

Marlins bats held their own last year, but that was with Miguel Cabrera in the middle. Good luck with that now.

The Mets offense is constructed similarly to 2007 with the hope that some young guys improve and some older bounce back. Most are healthy for now so keep stretching those legs and let’s have a great first series.  

Prediction: Hard to think that with that rotation the Marlins will be able to hold the Mets at bay and with a line-up lacking Miguel Cabrera the Marlins start at the bottom of the barrel. If Oliver Perez can control his pitches the Mets sweep.

Oh and see you next year Hanley…

Posted by Brian McGarvey at 07:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Right handed pitcher Brian Stokes was designated for assignment. I think the Mets may have called this one wrong. Even if you really believed that Joe Smith would out-produce Stokes, something that was not even debatable, why not keep Smith in the minors for the first month and see if Brian Stokes was as good as he looked?

He had all the things you would look for in a solid reliever and had a great knack for changing speeds and making batters look silly at the plate. Unfortunately, I'm certain that Stokes will be immediately picked up another team, but don't worry... Mets Merized will closely watch the performances of both Stokes and Smith so we can see how this one worked out.

Willie Randolph was pleased to announce his Opening Day lineup for tomorrow's 4:10 p.m. start against the pesky Marlins. Here it is...

SS Jose Reyes
2B Luis Castillo
3B David Wright
CF Carlos Beltran
1B Carlos Delgado
LF Angel Pagan
RF Ryan Church
C Brian Schneider
P Johan Santana

As I expected, the Marlins are going to test the Mets lineup from the 5 spot down to the 8 spot in the order by throwing a lefthander at us on Opening Day. Mark Hendrickson is far from the best the Marlins got to offer, but he's left handed and as I have stated numerous times already, I see lefty pitching as an Achilles heel for the Mets.

Let's all watch and see how Delgado, Church and Schneider respond to the 12 or so at-bats they get tomorrow. It will tell the tale for the rest of the season. That's it for now...

LETS GO METS!

Posted by Joe D. at 02:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Surprise, surprise...

For those of you including myself, who thought Joe Smith and Mike Pelfrey would begin the season in New Orleans... think again! Both Smith and Pelfrey were all smiles today when they were told by Willie Randolph they had made the team.

Pelfrey and his 8.15 Spring ERA will take the mound against the Braves on Saturday!

Smith and his 6.76 Spring ERA will be on hand to bail Pelfrey out if needed.

So if they're in then who's out you ask?

Good question. El Duque was placed on the DL and will remain in Florida until he gains more arm strength. Pelfrey will have two starts to prove he deserves the five spot. If he fails, El Duque will get his shot next.

Also, Duaner Sanchez will officially hit the DL as well. As for Nelson Figueroa, Ricardo Rincon and Brian Stokes? Your guess is as good as mine right now. The Mets will try to convince them to accept minor league assignments, but don't expect Rincon or Stokes to bite. They will fly the coop for greener pastures elsewhere. We will probably get to retain the least desirable of the three in Figueroa. I really liked Stokes, he will have a solid season for somebody... Maybe the Braves or Phillies???

Thanks to WFAN and John Delcos for the hot tips...

Posted by Joe D. at 12:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, after todays game it all begins anew for our beloved "Orange and Blue". We answered so many questions during the long winter and through Spring Training, but a few more questions still linger before everything gets finalized for Opening Day.

1. Will El Duque start the season on the Disabled List and open the number five spot for Mike Pelfrey? Adam Rubin from the Daily News pens an interesting article that gives some insight on this likely possibility.

2. Will Brady Clark get bumped by an ineffective Fernando Tatis? It seems to be the way most Mets insiders are leaning, but I have some hope that common sense will prevail and that Brady Clark will be in that dugout on Monday.

3. What about the bullpen? Today we will certainly find out the fates of Joe Smith, Nelson Figueroa, Brian Stokes and company. Matt Wise is a lock to join Pedro Feliciano, Aaron Heilman, Scott Schoeneweis and Billy Wagner. After that, your guess is as good as mine.

4. Is it okay to give some props to John Maine for doing an absolutely awesome job this spring? I know that will bring a jeer from all of you "spring stats mean crap" crowd, but what the heck. Yesterday he pitched four shutout innings and lowered his spring ERA to 1.53 with only one earned run allowed in the last 24 2/3 innings. Bring on those damned Phillies!

5. Finally, will Carlos Beltran deliver on his rallying cry that the Mets are the team to beat and will win the NL East this season? So far I like what I see from Beltran. The usually soft-spoken Beltran is now among the most vocal guys in the clubhouse and appears willing to take a leadership role on this team. Yesterday his two run blast reminded me of how devastating he can be with his bat when Carlos is motivated. Bring it on!

Here is a Mets survey that was submitted by Tessa AKA: MetsGal. Thanks for stopping by!

Mets Survey

Posted by Joe D. at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

National League

NL East - New York Mets
NL Central - Chicago Cubs
NL West - Arizona Diamondbacks
NL Wild Card - Milwaukee Brewers
NLCS Champs - New York Mets

Cy Young Award - Johan Santana - New York Mets
Comeback Player of the Year - Kerry Wood - Chicago Cubs
Most Valuable Player - David Wright - New York Mets
Manager of the Year - Willie Randolph - New York Mets
Rookie of the Year - Kosuke Fukudome - Chicago Cubs
Homerun Champ - Prince Fielder - Milwaukee Brewers
Batting Champion - Matt Holliday - Colorado Rockies
Stolen Base Leader - Jose Reyes - New York Mets
Most Underrated Player - Chase Utley - Philadelphia Phillies
Most Overrated Player - Aaron Rowand - San Francisco Giants
Biggest Surprise - Lastings Milledge - Washington Nationals
Biggest Bust - Troy Glaus - St. Louis Cardinals

American League

AL East - Boston Red Sox
AL Central - Cleveland Indians
AL West - Seattle Mariners
AL Wild Card - Los Angeles Angels
ALCS Champs - Cleveland Indians

Cy Young Award - C.C. Sabathia - Cleveland Indians
Comeback Player of the Year - Manny Ramirez - Boston Red Sox
Most Valuable Player - Alex Rodriguez - New York Yankees
Manager of the Year - Eric Wedge - Cleveland Indians
Rookie of the Year - Evan Longoria - Tampa Bay Rays
Homerun Champ - Alex Rodriguez - New York Yankees
Batting Champion - Ichiro Suzuki - Seattle Mariners
Stolen Base Leader - Carl Crawford - Tampa Bay Rays
Most Underrated Player - Grady Sizemore - Cleveland Indians
Most Overrated Player - Dontrelle Willis - Detroit Tigers
Biggest Surprise - Felix Hernandez - Seattle Mariners
Biggest Bust - Jorge Posada - New York Yankees

World Series - New York Mets will beat the Cleveland Indians

Okay... Bring on all the criticism!

Posted by Joe D. at 11:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

With just one more day until 2008 Opening Day, I think it would be fitting to review what the Mets Front Office has done this off-season, and it was quite a lot.

I don't know if Omar Minaya expected this to happen with the Moises Alou injury, but he made a great move regardless of that. He went out and picked up OF Angel Pagan. He was a former Mets prospect before he went to the Cubs. When we got him back, I was excited. I thought he could provide some help with us in the outfield in case one of our outfielders did get hurt. He's quick, has a good bat, and can charge the outfield well. He earned a shot with the Mets major league club this spring.

The Mets were surrounded with tons of rumors regarding what we were going to do with Lastings Milledge. He was a good player, but the Mets just didn't want him. The fans were expecting a big move. Maybe he'd be involved in a Dan Haren, Erik Bedard, or Johan Santana move at the time. But, Omar went on and traded Milledge to the Nats for Brian Schneider and Ryan Church. I wasn't absolutely "thrilled", but as the days & weeks went on realizing what the trade really was, we were sort of getting used to it.

This next pick-up was minor, but I thought this guy could help our bullpen: Brian Stokes. He was previously with the Rays, but I do think he could provide us with some good innings. I just hope this don't end up being another Guillermo Mota situation; decent in the beginning, horrible at the end.

Last but certainly not least, Omar Minaya made the big one. Omar Minaya traded Carlos Gomez, Philip Humber, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey to the Minnesota Twins for arguably the best pitcher in baseball, Johan Santana. Mets fans were ecstatic when the trade was finally approved after the contract extension. This one move turned a so-so offseason into one of the best in franchise history.

There you have it; this year's off-season moves. Let's just hope that all of them work out the way we planned, especially Johan Santana. Let's Go Mets!

Posted by Joey Bealey at 11:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Jason Botts: This name jumped out to me as a very nice fit for the Mets. In his career minor league experience, the switch hitter's played at first base in 237 games, and the outfield in 278 games. Not to mention that he can flat hit; in Triple A last season in 220 at-bats he hit .320 with 13 home runs and 39 RBI's, not to mention an OBP of .398. Though already 27 years old, there's still upside present with Botts, but he won't find big league playing time with Texas, they already have 6 outfielders on their 25 man roster. He'd be able to give Carlos Delgado and Moises Alou rest on a more frequent basis, or possibly be a platoon partner with Ryan Church. I don't think its necessary that the Mets make a move in the near future, but if an opportunity presents itself to acquire Jason Botts, I'd pursue it if I were Omar Minaya.

Royce Ring: Again, a guy who's never flourished in the bigs but has always had some upside. Ring, who was in the Mets organization from 2003-2006, walked 17 batters in 20 innings last season, but also struck out 21. His minor league numbers are even better, 58 strikeouts in 44 innings. The Braves didn't ask for much in exchange for Tyler Yates, so I wonder if Ring would come relatively cheaply for the Mets. A possible trade may even present an opportunity to rid ourselves of Scott Schoeneweis.

Edwin Jackson: I doubt that Jackson will be dealt to the Mets now that he's been linked to trade rumors with the Angels, but I can only imagine the numbers he'd put up under the wing of Rick Peterson. He put horrendous numbers last season (5-15 record, 5.76 ERA), but then again Oliver Perez put up a 2-10 record with a 6.63 ERA before the Mets traded for him. Edwin Jackson to the Mets is just wishful thinking, but what a possible asset he would be to this team if he ever lived up to the hype.

Posted by Milo Taibi at 11:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Posted by Charlie Ryczek at 10:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

The Mets have not decided on a fifth starter this far into Spring Training. They're saying Jorge Sosa may get the job, with both Brian Stokes and Joe Smith able to prove themselves worthy of the bullpen. Both Mike Pelfrey and El Duque aren't ready to start, but I think Pelfrey will be ready before El Duque. I hope they at least give Nelson Figueroa a spot in the bullpen. He has performed consistently throughout Spring Training and really fits in with the Mets mold of Latino superstars.

The Mets are starting their season without Moises Alou, which everybody expected to happen...okay, maybe everyone except Omar. Angel Pagan will most likely get the starting job, proving himself worthy on Day One. He has showed us that getting him back from the Cubs was absolutely worth it. Moises said he hopes to be back sometime in April. I wouldn't rush Moises if I were Willie. I'd rather have him hurt now, when it doesn't really matter, than in September, when we really need everybody to be in their A-game.

The Mets may also need a back-up catcher because Ramon Castro may be out with a strained hamstring. Raul Casanova is most likely to get that job, if needed. Despite being in a bunch where Omar signed or aquired five catchers, Casanova has stood out the most.

And most importantly, Johan Santana has proven to be the ace we so desperately needed. Okay, so he kinda stunk in the beginning against St. Louis, but the Mets kinda stunk against the Cards to begin with. What's the deal with that? And every Mets fan (and every baseball fan for that matter) is counting down until Monday, when Santana makes his official Mets debut against the Marlins.

Despite the problems and vacancies being thrown our way, Omar not only made the big move, but he made the little moves as well. In our frustration, we may have questioned the small moves, like getting Pagan, Casanova, Stokes, and even Schnieder and Church (instead of using Milledge in a bigger deal). But once again, Omar has given us a group of talented players. I feel good about the Mets on Opening Day....and it's not just because they're playing the Marlins; they have the stuff to be a dominant force for the whole season and beyond.

Posted by Jessica DeMattia at 06:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

The Mets are ready to bring home the brass ring. Everything I've seen this spring tells me all I need to know about how dominating the Mets will be in 2008. With 19 Spring Training wins already in the books, it shows that the Mets are ready to move on and get this party started already.

I know there are so many of you who put no stock in Spring Training records and stats, but that's hogwash. It all counts and it all means something. I bet if the Mets spring record was 7 - 24, and Johan and Pedro had ERA's that were hovering around 7.00, most of you would have been dangling off of your ledges already.

Of course Spring Training stats mean something. It's the basis for every single decision the manager makes before starting the regular season. It's the deciding factor between heading up north or getting sloshed at Bourbon Street. It's the only thing the general manager relies on before deciding to make a last minute trade or going with what he's got. It's the only way a pitcher can determine if his new pitch (or delivery) is working or not. It also means something to the team psychologically when you go into the new season coming off of a fantastic spring rather than a dismal spring you would much rather forget. You can all tell yourselves that Spring Training means nothing, but those in the know and those who make all the decisions will tell you otherwise.

Go ask Olmedo Saenz if his .199 spring batting average had anything to do with being waived. Then go ask Angel Pagan if his .350 average had anything to do with his getting the Opening Day left fielders job. While your buddying it up with Saenz, you might want to ask Ruben Gotay, Michel Abreu, and others if their sub-par performances had any correlation with why they're pigging out on gumbo and jambalaya instead of sipping Pina Coladas and feasting on jumbo prawns with Brady Clark and Matt Wise in Port St. Lucie.

So the next time someone tells you that Spring Training records and stats mean absolutely nothing, make sure you set them straight.

Posted by Joe D. at 05:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

The Atlanta Braves claimed Rubén Gotay today. Gotay was placed on waivers yesterday and many Mets fans questioned the move. Some say its because the Mets are in desperate need of a right-handed batter.

When he was asked by reporters yesterday about the Mets placing him on waivers he replied, “I thought I did a good job last year. I didn’t think I deserved this.”

The 25-year old infielder who debuted in 2004 with the Royals has a career batting average of .258 with 10 homeruns and 69 RBIs.

Posted by Kelly Horn at 03:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Good afternoon fellow Mets Merizers, I’ve been (as usual) skimming through Mets related information on the net and would like to discuss a few tidbits from discussions regarding our Mets.

1. On the Mets.com fan forum last night there was a thread about facing Tom Glavine in the first series vs. the Braves.  I know many Mets fans are bitter over Glavine’s late season results from last year but the amount of venom people are sending is way is mind boggling. I would like to share a response I added to the thread. If you would like to check out the full thread go here.

OK people I understand many of you hate Glavine but you can not let that blind the fact that he is still one of the better starting pitchers in the game. If you put your biased thoughts aside and check the facts. Glavine is simply a master on the mound and as a baseball fan, not just a big Mets fan, I see the greatness that this guy consists of. He is a true competitor and a true ambassador of the game. As a Mets fan I am grateful and honored to have had the privilege to have seen him in the orange and blue for the last 5 years. It is extremely sickening how many of you are so disrespectful to the game and to those few in the game today that are not only a good player on the field but a true class act off the field. In a time when most (yes most) players are careless, heartless and just greedy its refreshing to know that there really are some truly good people in the game and no doubt he is one of them. I really feel sorry for those of you who are so bitter and conceded to open your eyes and actually watch and see what a pitching genius he is. His style of pitching is a thing of beauty and its extremely pathetic that you people as fans of the greatest game on earth can not be thankful for having the opportunity to watch this guy pitch.

2. With Ruben Gotay placed on waivers on Wednesday there has been much conversation regarding reasons for the move. In part to these conversations many continue to misunderstand the rules and types of waivers. Here is a run down on how waivers work.

There are two forms of waivers, irrevocable waivers and non irrevocable waivers.

Irrevocable waivers a player can not be pulled back. If he is claimed the claiming team gets him. This is the type of waivers that are required in order to attempt to send down a player who is out of options. The player can only be sent down if he clears. The Red Sox placed Manny Ramirez on Irrevocable waivers in 2003 to try to clear his salary.

Non Irrevocable waivers a player can be pulled back. This form of waivers is key after the July 31st non waiver trade deadline. In this form if a player is claimed the team putting him on waivers can either pull him back or let the claiming team have him. If they pull him back they can try to work out a trade with the claiming team. If a player is placed on this type of waivers after the trading deadline and is not claimed he can be traded to any team during the course of that month (August or September) if he is claimed he can only be traded to that team. There are risks in this form as well. Say a first place team is in need of a #3 starter and a quality starter with a high salary is placed on waivers and the 2nd place team doesn't want the 1st place team to acquire the player so they will put in a claim to block a deal. Since the 2nd place team has a worse record the first place team can not do anything about the blocking. The 2nd place team may not have interest in adding the high salary but take the chance by putting in a claim to block the 1st place team from getting him. The team putting the player on waivers can say OK you can have him and the claiming team is stuck with the contract. A great example of this occurred in the early 90's when the Braves where in the NL West prior to realignment. Braves where a few games ahead of the Padres and where in need of bullpen help. Randy Myers was on the Reds and was not as affective as he use to be and the Reds wanted to rid themselves of his contract. The Padres put in a claim for him to block him from the Braves but where then stuck with Myers when the Reds chose not to pull him back.

3. With this being the final year of Shea, I thought it would be interesting to compare exactly how the improved amenities of Citi Field compare to those of Shea.

Seat width
Shea Stadium – 19” to 20”
Citi Field – 19” to 24”

Legroom
Shea Stadium – 32”
Citi Field – 33” to 39”

Average Concourse Width
Shea Stadium – 21 ft.
Citi Field – 43 ft.

Wheelchair Seating
Shea Stadium – 174
Citi Field – 830

Luxury Suites
Shea Stadium – 45
Citi Field – 54

Restaurants (total capacity)
Shea Stadium – 2 (528)  
Citi Field – 4 (3,334)

Team Store
Shea Stadium – 2,600 sq. ft.
Citi Field – 7,200 sq. ft.

# of toilets
Shea Stadium – 568.
Citi Field – 646

Public Elevators
Shea Stadium – 4
Citi Field – 11

Field dimensions
Shea Stadium Left field – 338
Citi Field Left Field – 335

Shea Stadium Left center – 371
Citi Field Left Center – 379

Shea Stadium Center – 410
Citi Field Center – 408

Shea Stadium Right Center – 371
Citi Field Right Center – 383

Shea Stadium Right field – 338
Citi Field Right field – 330

Left, Center and Right will be shallower while the gaps will be deeper.

Now on a lighter note...

4. The Giants let Barry Bonds go after last season, and the home-run record holder is still on the free-agent market. Onion Sports lists the most likely places for Bonds to end up:

Expos: Signing Bonds might be their last chance to get back into the MLB

Mariners: Team in dire need of someone who can do that thing where they take a bat and then make the ball go really far away

Phillies: In need of a player to be in pictures while standing back-to-back with Ryan Howard

Tigers: Lineup has a hole between the third and fourth batters

Rangers: Always looking for pitching—any pitching, from anyone

Diamondbacks: Young team needs someone over 40 to keep Randy Johnson company

Barnum & Bailey Circus: People would pay good money to watch Bonds try to hit a baseball thrown by an elephant

Giants: Desperately need a hitter like Barry Bonds following the departure of Barry Bonds

Reds: Have a bunch of size 11 caps that are basically going to waste

Posted by Christian (MetsMan) at 02:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I hardly ever get mixed up in politics.

I find it at best to be boring and headache inducing, not to mention listening to divisive politicians who rarely have the best interests of the people at heart. So when I mention it, I try to be as light hearted as possible considering the sensitive nature of the subject.

That being said, I thought I would mix up this 3 horse race (Obama, Clinton & McCain) with my own candidate…Mr. David Wright.

If ever there was a candidate that always said the right thing and was less divisive, I have never heard of him. Just think of the possibilities!

Here is a short list of several changes I think President-elect Wright should make if voted in:

• Tom Seavers’ birthday would be made a national holiday.
• Mr. Met would be named Secretary of Defense and the new strategy in Iraq would be to fire as many Phillies and Yankees t-shirts at insurgents as possible, making them sick to their stomachs and causing an immediate cease fire.
• Citifield would become the Wright administrations “Camp David”.
• The White House would immediately become “The Wright House” and be redecorated in orange and blue décor…including the rose garden to the same colors.

Anyway, as you can see the possibilities are endless! Now if D-Wright was 10 years older and the Mets didn’t need him so much this could be a reality. Who knows?

All kidding aside, things are looking pretty good for the Mets as they head to Miami to open the season against the “Fishies”. I know there are some worries such as who will complement Church in RF, who our 5^th starter will be and if Delgado will return to form, but I am confident that Omar can and will do what he can to fix problems that may arise. Sure we could get into all the different names but then it would feel like Hot Stove season all over again where speculation runs rampant from cabin fever, but I’ll pass on that.

I can’t speak for everyone obviously, but I can’t wait for the Mets season to start. We have to feel pretty good about our chances to win this thing but it’s gonna be a battle!

Posted by Adam Baker at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I have always been a guy who preached having Mike Pelfrey in the No. 5 spots of the Mets rotation no matter what. Pelfrey, I said, is either going to be the future of this team or another pitching bust. But the only way to find it out, I declared, was to give him as much of a full season as possible to see what he is made of.

I have to come off that stand now. I feel like Jon Niese is the new Mike Pelfrey and should be given the chance to be in the rotation.

There are a lot of question marks with Niese, of course. He is a baby at 21-years-old. He has no high level minor league experience and has never had the workload that a full professional season would entail.

But he has tons of upside as well. He is 6-foot-3 but looks bigger and is left-handed. His fastball can reach the mid 90s and he also features a curve, splitter and slider. He was a two-time state Player of the Year in Ohio.

He had a good spring albeit in limited action and appeared to have a nice calm demeanor about him.

Pelfrey and El Duque look awful this spring. El Duque is using a whole new windup and who the heck thinks 57-year-old pitcher can all of a sudden start using a new windup. That’s why you don’t teach old dogs (or pitchers) new tricks.

He is clearly feeling the effects of his bum foot and just doesn’t appear ready. Pelfrey started well this spring but got absolutely destroyed by Cardinal backups and has even said things in the press like he’d be surprised if he won the job.

Confidence much?

Why not give a young guy a shot here? It is exactly what they’d be doing with Pelfrey. Sosa is better fit in the bullpen and should stay there. Jason (or potentially Claudio) Vargas has nowhere near the potential that Niese has. El Duque is probably a ways away from being effective.

Pelfrey has had his opportunities and has not seized them. That’s not saying he will not, he just clearly isn’t ready.

Let’s see what Niese is made of, if only for a few starts until El Duque proves he can get people out. If Niese has success let him stay.

Yes he is young, but so is Joba Chamberlain and he is doing just fine.

In other words I’d rather see a young prospect prove he is worthy of this role rather than giving the job to some journeymen who will probably also have mixed results.

And Niese is the best prospect the Mets have right now.

Posted by Mike Bailey at 11:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I've been keeping my eyes wide open and I've been spending a great deal of time reading baseball predictions everywhere I go. But all Mets fans know that when Steve Phillips says that the Mets will have the best overall record in the National League, you know we're sitting pretty!

After years and years of dogging the Mets, you know it had to be killing our old GM to say such glowing remarks about his former team.

Check out the ESPN video right here.

He's not the only one riding that Mets bandwagon either. Plenty of analysts from around the sports blogosphere have the Mets running away with the division including this prediction from Trev Alberts at MLB.com that made me feel so giddy. (I'm not really feeling giddy and I don't even know what that word means)

Not only does Alberts go on a limb and predict the Mets will face the Yankees in another Subway Series...

He goes on to say that Johan Santana will pitch the Mets' first ever no-hitter by the All Star break! (By the way, he is now my favorite sports analyst of all time)

You gotta hear it to believe it!  Mets will go all the way!

Now here is tonight's Mets Merized Question...

Do you believe that Johan Santana will pitch a no-hitter for the Mets in 2008?

Check Out Our New Duds - On another note, let us know what you think of our new banner. I thought that for Shea's farewell we needed to give her some major props. I hope you like it!

Posted by Joe D. at 06:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

The more I see Lastings Milledge putting up explosive numbers this spring, the more I find myself looking at Ryan Church and scratching my head.

Lastings Milledge currently leads the Nationals in at-bats with 66. Ahh... Isn't it great to be young and healthy? He also is hitting .348 with a .411 on-base percentage. He leads the team in runs scored with 13 and has 9 RBI while slugging an impressive .500 with 6 stolen bases for good measure. Did I mention he also leads the team in total bases with 33? Incidentally, currently no Mets regular player has an on-base over .400 or a slugging percentage of .500.

Now in the other corner we have Ryan Church, who just got his first RBI of the spring on Sunday. Woo Hoo! Rather than embarrass him by posting his lackluster numbers this spring, let me instead focus on my one big problem with him...

It is becoming more apparent as we move along this process that Church is not a regular player and instead is probably going to end up a platoon player as soon as Willie Randolph realizes he can't hit a lick against left handed pitching.

Last season he hit a meager .229 versus southpaws which was actually down from his career average. In other words there was NO improvement. So far this spring, he has yet to get a hit against a lefty. <sniff, sniff>

We can't cry over the loss of Milledge anymore. All we can do is admire what could have been and rectify our own situation by doing what is necessary to succeed. That means finding a platoon partner for Church that can give us some much needed pop from the right side of the plate. And no, I'm not talking about Damion Easley. What we need is a legitimate bat!

He doesn't have to be the kind of player that will cost us a boatload, just someone who can give us 150-250 quality at-bats and can play a decent right field.

Think about this for a moment... You have a lefty on the mound and then after Beltran at clean-up you have Carlos Delgado, Ryan Church, Angel Pagan, Brian Schneider and then the pitchers spot. Brutal...

I think we need to address this before we get LEFT out in the cold...

Hey either way, the Mets still win the division hands down. All I'm saying is lets win the division by 20 games instead of 5 games.

Posted by Joe D. at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (40)

Happy opening day everyone! Oh, you missed it? Guess I can’t blame you. Unless you happened to be up at 6am ET and sitting in front of your tv. Such is the brilliance of Bud Selig. Opening day used to be a day when baseball was celebrated. Games were on all day and it was truly an event. This year, you have the opening series at an absurd hour from Japan, then they go back to exhibition games for a while, all this to showcase baseball in Japan and to have these teams be ambassadors for the game. BUT…as our good friend Bobby V. has pointed out, these games are detracting from the regular season in Japan. So much for good will. The next “opening day” we have to look forward to is the Sunday night ESPN game, which is good for ESPN, but still not what’s best for the game in my opinion.

As for our Mets, they looked pretty good today against the Braves. I was thoroughly enjoying Jon Niese’s breaking ball, until he lost control of it in the 5^th inning. Wish he had some more experience so he could be another option at the 5^th starter’s spot. As it is, it’ll be interesting to see if Nelson Figueroa takes advantage of his opportunity.

I’m Pete Balich and I’d like to thank metsmerizedonline.com for the opportunity to post and I look forward to an exciting season of WINNING Mets ball.

Posted by Pete Balich at 05:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

One of my biggest gripes against Willie Randolph has always been his laid back, one day at a time approach to the game.

Don't get me wrong, I love Willie and I think he's the perfect manager for the team, but his lack of a sense of urgency really bugs the hell out of me. Last year as the team continued to falter and eventually choked it's way out of a division title, we kept hearing the same old, tired lines day after day from Willie. Here are some you may remember...

"I trust my guys. They will turn it on soon enough."

"It's just one game and one loss, there's plenty of season left."

"I've been in this situation before, we're just going through a team slump, we'll be there in the end."

"It's a tough loss, but I still believe in my guys."

I THINK WILLIE RANDOLPH HAS TURNED A CORNER!

After losing the division by just one single, solitary game, I think that Willie now realizes how important all 162 games really are. This spring there are some signs that Willie has seen the light.

I don't believe we will see him throwing caution to the wind like he did on so many occasions last season. No more starts from guys like Brian Lawrence down the stretch. No more pitch counts and less in game decisions by Rick Peterson. No more managing like there's always tomorrow. AND... a must win attitude for every game, not just the last game of the season.

So where is some the evidence of this new and improved Willie Randolph you ask?

A strong case for it lies in todays decision to not allow Johan Santana or Pedro Martinez to pitch against the Braves and the Marlins today and Wednesday. Instead they will both pitch in minor league games to remain on their schedule. A stroke of genius that shows just how much Willie wants to keep an edge and start the season off strong. It's a great sign for the team and for Mets fans to see Willie thinking ahead and actually employing some strategies that could mean the difference between a win and a loss.

I applaud the move and wanted to also acknowledge that I love the new tough-talking Willie who showed up this Spring with a little extra kick in his usually subdued personality.

Now let's go win ourselves a pennant! 

Posted by Joe D. at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Posted by Dave Ponte at 09:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Hang on a few seconds... I'm waiting for my Advil to kick in... Okay, there it goes...

Ahh... Relief at last...

I can't begin to tell you how horrible the new show "Loud Mouths" on SNY is. It features loudmouths Chris Carlin and Adam Schein in a head to head format where they shout about all of the day's top sports stories. The idea for the format is as old as the hills and reminds me of CNN's Crossfire which has since been canceled.

The problem is that even when they agree on something they still manage to shout and talk over each other and disagree as to the reasons why they agree. It's like Jerry Springer meets Hannity and Colmes.

Adam Schein has never been one of my favorites to begin with, and today he reinforced that position by proclaiming Ian Kennedy as the next Greg Maddux based solely on three major league starts. The next Greg Maddux???

Chris Carlin, who I actually enjoy on WFAN, just needs to take some Xanax and calm down. Even so, he didn't endear himself to Mets fans during today's broadcast when he pointed to Mike Hampton as a reason we shouldn't count the Braves out this season. Mike Hampton? Are you serious?

After that gut-wrenching opening the show went into their "Boom or Bust" segment. They actually took the time out to explain what boom or bust meant as if 95% of their sports nuts viewers couldn't figure it out on their own. The topics were what you would expect and the format was archaic at best and a needless spattering of noise at worst.

About 20 minutes into to the broadcast they went into their viewer call-in segment which was being portrayed as spontaneous questions with just as spontaneous answers. Instead you had one email, one voice mail and one live call that was as staged as a showing of Macbeth at Radio City.

I have to apologize to everyone because I could not make it to the end of the show. After 24 minutes I had to bail out. Hopefully, SNY will do the same in very short order.

Posted by Joe D. at 06:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

In what was supposed to be a showcase for the final word on who gets the number five spot in the rotation, both Orlando Hernandez and Mike Pelfrey fell flat on their faces as the Mets fell to the Cardinals 14-4.

Each pitcher delivered equally terrible results which now makes a difficult choice for Randolph even tougher.

"They didn't throw too well," Randolph said. "They didn't step up or distinguish themselves."

Sporting his brand-spanking new delivery, El Duque was shelled for five runs, four hits and a couple of walks in just three innings that he needed 68 pitches to complete.

Pelfrey was even worse and got absolutely mauled by a Cardinals roster that was filled with mostly reserves. Pelfrey allowed eight runs and 13 hits in 4 1/3 innings. Brutal...

The final curtain will fall for both these pitchers on Friday, when each of them are set to make their final start of the spring. After that... It's decision time...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Mets made it official and announced Johan Santana as their Opening Day starter, followed by Pedro Martinez, Oliver Perez and John Maine.

The only thing I like about March Madness is that when it's over we can get onto the business of non-stop baseball coverage!

Hey don't forget to check out the new fancy duds at Mets.com. They are sporting a new streamlined look that's a lot easier on the eyes.

Posted by Joe D. at 09:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)

To make room for Shannon Stewart on their 40 man roster, the Toronto Blue Jays released outfielder Reed Johnson. When playing hurt last season, Johnson hit .236 in 275 at-bats.

I was opposed before to the Mets making any additional transactions before the start of the season, but if I were Omar Minaya I don't know how i'd pass up a signing like this. Not only can he spell any starting outfielder and give them a day off from time to time, but he'd be the ideal platoon partner with Ryan Church. Johnson hit .308 career against left handed pitching, while Church hits .275 career versus right handed pitching. Church hasn't had much experience hitting against lefties (Only 209 career at-bats against lefties), but if he proves to not be able to be an everyday player this season, the Mets would have Johnson to add another right handed bat to the lineup. When healthy a full season in 2006, Johnson had a .390 OBP with a .319 batting average and 147 hits.

If you were Omar Minaya, would you take on Reed Johnson for a one year deal? Leave your answer in the comments section.  

Posted by Milo Taibi at 01:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

In what has become a long battle between two pitchers who have failed to take a convincing lead, Mike Pelfrey and Orlando Hernandez now face their last chance to make a lasting impression.

In one corner you have youth, and in the other corner you have experience. The problem is that Pelfrey's youth seems a little too raw for a team who has their eyes on a division title, while El Duque's experience seems to be a little long in the tooth.

Given the fact Mike Pelfrey will most likely end up in New Orleans should he fail to make the rotation, you can't help rooting for the kid to succeed. On the other hand, El Duque is already on record as saying he will refuse to pitch in relief, so what's a manager to do?

In his last outing, El Duque looked absolutely horrid in a simulated game in which his fastball was virtually non-existent. Not only was he extremely hittable, but his new delivery was nowhere near deceptive as his old delivery. Hitters could tell what was coming and it seemed like they had oodles of time to wait and pound the ball out of the park.

Pelfrey has shown some flashes but clearly is not ready for a major league gig. In his defense, his confidence and pitch selection has improved a great deal from last years version.

In my opinion, the Mets may ultimately fill that five spot via a trade or signing. I think both will get a shot to prove they belong in the rotation, but by the time June rolls along, don't be surprised if Omar rolls the dice and makes a move...

Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if he isn't already looking for a signal on his Nokia so that he can get the Angels or even the Rays on the phone.

Game time is at 1:05 PM. Mets versus Cubs AKA Pelfrey versus El Duque... It's the final countdown! Stay tuned...

Posted by Joe D. at 07:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

The Mets play the first game of their regular season on March 31, against the Florida Marlins. So while players like David Wright, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran are focusing on staying healthy and fine tuning their game at this point, others are battling it out to be on the 25 man roster come the 31st. It is unclear as of yet who will be the 5th starter in the rotation, the long man out of the bullpen, the starting left fielder or even the back-up catcher if Ramon Castro proves to not be ready to play by the start of the season. Here's my view of how the Mets should deal with these openings, leave your opinion in the comments section below.

5th Starter: Mike Pelfrey. Simply put, Mike Pelfrey has to face Major League hitters at some point this year to ever be big league ready. True, he put up some ugly numbers last season (3-8 on the season, 5.57 ERA), but he won't get any better at 24 years old pitching to washed up veterans in New Orleans. He's got to face big league hitters to learn how to pitch at this level.

Long Relief Job: Nelson Figueroa. I don't take anything that happens in Spring Training too seriously, but if the job for a long relief man had to be decided by who's pitched the best as of yet in Spring, you'd have to give the job to Figueroa. I hope that Orlando Hernandez with eventually figure out how to pitch with a new windup effectively, but until that happens I'd be inclined to have Pelfrey and Figueroa fill out these 2 roles and let El Duque start the year in AAA until he feels comfortable enough to face big league hitters.

Left Fielder: Angel Pagan. He's been absolutely great this Spring, and even if he comes back down to earth when the season starts, we know what he's capable of at the big league level from his time with the Cubs. I don't think Omar Minaya should go out and trade away even a mid-level prospect for a right handed bat, now that our Minor League system's been gutted from the Johan Santana trade. I think Angel Pagan starting with Endy Chavez and Brady Clark as the 4th and 5th outfielders would be a good way to hold down the fort until Moises Alou comes off the DL.

Back-up Catcher: Gustavo Molina. This may not be an available job for all I know, but if Ramon Castro or Brian Schneider aren't ready to play on the 31st for whatever reason, I'd rather see someone with an upside over Robinson Cancel or Raul Casanova. Molina's just 26 years old, and could eventually turn into a late blooming prospect for this organization. He's hitting .364 this Spring, the exact number he hit with the Orioles AA Affiliate last season. Even if its for a brief period, it'd be nice to see what we have with Molina at the big league level this year.

Posted by Milo Taibi at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Pedro Martinez is da man!

Yes, da man. I mean, he's no Johan, but he is a great pitcher for his age, and so far, he looks pretty damn good as he gets set to be our 2nd starter in the rotation. Yesterday certainly was a "Good Friday" for all of us Mets fans, as Pedro took on the Nationals. He struck out four, while allowing only 5 hits, and 2 earned runs. Not too shabby. He gave up an infield hit to former Met, Paul Lo Duca, but hey, we all loved Paulie. He looked pretty comfortable out there and continues to impress. It's his second straight solid outing this spring. To most fans, it was just an average pitcher's day. But, for a guy who's returning from a major injury that held him to only 5 starts the previous season, it was a significant step forward. I expect big things for Pedro in 2008.

What about this kid named Angel Pagan?

I briefly heard about him when he was playing for the Chicago Cubs. This kid has 62 AB so far this Spring, along with an astounding .355 batting average. He's played in 20 games, and has responded with 22 hits. At this point, there is no reason why this guy shouldn't start out the season on the Mets MLB roster. In fact he should be the Opening Day left fielder barring any last minute trade or acquisition. He's a solid all-around hitter that can steal bases, and has turned out to be an amazing off season pick-up for the Mets. Look for this guy to do some damage in 2008, and maybe even start @ Citi Field in 2009.

These two guys should be a part of an amazing team in 2008. Will you be there to see them amaze you? I freakin' hope so.

Posted by Joey Bealey at 07:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Coming up today at 12pm on WFAN NY, New York Mets General Manager Omar Minaya will be a guest on the Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts show.

There have been rumors floating around that the Mets are interested in picking up a 1B/OF type player who can hit lefties, and a rumor that Omar has been in contact with the Cleveland Indians. 

One of the players the Mets may be interested in is Indians outfielder David Dellucci.  I'm hoping that the Mets don't consider Dellucci, who at the moment is hurt.

I'm interested to see if Omar addresses any of these questions, plus anything else that's going on in Mets camp. 

Also, don't forget to tune into SNY today at 1PM as Pedro Martinez takes the mound for the Mets.

Posted by Tommy V at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today the Washington Nationals released John Patterson. The 30 year old's always had great stuff, but has only pitched 71 innings over the last 2 seasons. However, when he was fully healthy in 2005 he struck out 185 batters in 198 innings. The reason given for his cut was a, "lack of performance."

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Omar Minaya sign Patterson. Not only did he draft him in the 1996 amateur draft, but the signing would make total sense. It would allow Orlando Hernandez to start the season on the DL and not have to pitch in total discomfort, and it would allow 24 year old Mike Pelfrey to work on his command in Triple A New Orleans to start the season. It'd even allow Nelson Figueroa to win the long relief job to start the year. No interest has yet been reported from the Mets, but you can expect not much time to go by before John Patterson is in a new organization.  

Posted by Milo Taibi at 04:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Ok, now that I got your attention with that headline, although it probably would have been a better fit for a headline when the Mets were shopping for Santana, and well, when the Twins were trying to pry away Fernando Martinez from the Mets.  But, as I was beginning to write the story of how the Mets sent Martinez to minor league camp on Wednesday night, I thought, that would be a cool headline, so there you go!

The New York Mets assigned prized rookie Fernando Martinez to minor league camp on Wednesday night, thus ending what was a very productive Spring Training camp for the youngster. 

Martinez, 19, logged significant playing time this spring thanks to numerous injuries to key Mets outfielders.  He batted .373 in 18 spring games and has already predicted he will be in NY sometime this season.

"He's confident, obviously, and that would be awesome," Willie Randolph said. "He's very talented, so I can see him setting that goal, and hopefully he's going to reach that."

Met fans have not seen the last of F-Mart this season.  Martinez needs some more work in the minors, but he will be in Shea before the season ends.  He is the future, and theres no need to rush the future right now. 

Also sent down to minor league camp were pitchers Nate Field, Joselo Diaz, and Tony Armas. 

Posted by Tommy V at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Last night I was privileged to participate in a Mets Bloggers Roundtable with some of the other top Mets bloggers. It was spearheaded by the good people at the Happy Recap, and included Eric from Mets Geek and Amazin' Avenue, Jason from Faith and Fear in Flushing, and Steve from the Eddie Kranepool Society.

It was great to finally get to meet these guys whose sites I have visited quite frequently. They each had some unique perspectives on the many questions that were on table for the evening, and it was a pleasure to exchange my opinions with other passionate and devoted Mets fans. I have reprinted my questions and my responses for you to read, but I encourage you to visit the Happy Recap and read the full text of our online chat.

THR: What is your take on all the injuries the Mets have been hit with this Spring?

MetsMerized: Injuries are a part of the game and many teams get their fair share of them, especially in the Spring. In the Mets case, several of those affected were battling off season surgeries, advancing age, and then of course they had the fluke accidents as in the cases of Church, Marlon and most recently Delgado. I think the worst is over, but make no mistake that the way the team is currently configured, definitely lends itself to future injuries.

THR: How big was Pedro's start and how well he pitched in his first start of the spring?

MetsMerized: Pedro's first start was fine and it was interesting to see him turn it on when he really needed to. I look forward to even more improvement in his next start and anxiously await a return to form this season. The Mets will need a healthy and effective Pedro if they are to capture the division this season. So far, things are going smoothly and I see no reason for that not to continue.

THR: Who gets the nod as the Mets 5th starter this season? Pelfrey or El Duque?

MetsMerized: It's a simple answer... Mike Pelfrey will get the nod, not so much because he earned it, but because it looks like El Duque will not be ready in time to start the season. It's too bad that the Mets didn't have more candidates to choose from as was the case last Spring when there were 5 candidates vying for the position. My gut feeling tells me that whether Pelfrey and eventually El Duque get their shot at the five spot, in the end it will be someone else who has not yet emerged that will end the season in that role.

THR: What are your thoughts short term and long term on Johan and the trade that got him here?

MetsMerized: The trade was something that the Mets had to do for two reasons. The first was to placate all of the disillusioned fans that were waiting for that one big move that would let them forget the collapse. The second reason was for the players themselves. They needed a shot in the arm and a morale booster, and Johan certainly gives them that. In the short term, Santana will provide the Mets with immediate dividends in terms of a renewed confidence, a bona fide ace, a solidified rotation, and less pressure on the bullpen. Long term there may be lasting benefits as well. He may very well be a future Hall Of Famer as a Met and who knows... he may even be the first Met to hurl that highly anticipated no-hitter. Seriously though, I'm not worried about the duration of the contract. He is young and should be productive throughout the entirety of the deal and provide the Mets with many memorable and magical moments.

THR: Being bloggers, what is your response to what Bob Costas said about what you guys do, calling bloggers "pathetic get-a-life loser"?

MetsMerized: Sometimes even those people that you have a great deal of respect can disappoint you, and that's exactly what Bob Costas did to me. It shocks me mostly because he is a pioneer in the world of broadcast and communication and you hate to see someone like that knock bloggers simply because it is a different type of media. There is definitely an anti-blogging culture that exists in today's media market. You have to appreciate guys like Matt over at metsblog for helping to change that culture and make some progress toward affording bloggers the respect they truly deserve. Some of the biggest news stories of the past decade broke on the Internet and I do believe that dinosaurs like Bob Costas are now in the minority. We still have a ways to go, but as a whole we are making excellent progress.

THR: How important is Fernando Martinez to the Mets future? Is he really the teenage hitting machine...the next Big thing to come out of NY or is he all hype?

MetsMerized: Fernando Martinez is for REAL. His bat speed is jaw dropping and the maturity he has shown thus far this spring has been very surprising to me. Once in a great while a player comes along and with just one look, you can tell he's going to be something special. Martinez is that kind of a player. I for one am not surprised that he has been holding his own with his major league counterparts this Spring. He is quickly developing into one of the best prospects in baseball and Omar knew what he was doing when he refused to part with him in the Johan Santana deal. I've already sen him make some nice grabs in the outfield that showed his outstanding range, and he seems very poised and comfortable at the plate. The Mets have something very special in Fernando Martinez.

THR: Do you think Willie will have a better handle of the bullpen this year, or will he revert to his mishandling ways of the bullpen?

MetsMerized: Willie did not mishandle the bullpen as much as many fans believe. He was in an awkward situation where none of his starters were able to give him even six innings at times. It put a tremendous strain on everyone in that bullpen and after the All Star break when the phone rang it was a call for anyone who wasn't too tired to pitch. Willie has always been one to go with the hot hand rather than assign roles, but aren't most managers guilty of that? This year I expect to see a more refreshed bullpen and I also see some of the guys falling into familiar and regular roles and assignments in the pen.

THR: What are your thoughts of some recent talk of Beltran in a couple of years moving to a corner OF spot?

MetsMerized: I think it's only natural to assume that Beltran will eventually move to a corner outfield spot. It's not a knock on Beltran, many of the great center fielders of the past have made that same progression. Like Steve said, it will extend his career by reducing the wear on his already banged up knees.

THR: Griffey JR. is a great example...

MetsMerized: yes it is

THR: Last Question. Prediction time. How many wins for the Mets this year, and how far they go in the post season?

MetsMerized: I fully expect the Mets to deliver a dominating performance in 2008. They will win 99 games to clinch the division, and advance all the way to the World Series and win it in 6 games. Shea Stadium will have one more magical season before it's appointment with destiny.

Posted by Joe D. at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Hard to believe but Spring Training is almost through and the season is slowly creeping up on us… I can’t wait! I feel like I used to as a child on Christmas Eve, when anticipation and anxiety were at their peaks. I think we can expect good things from the Mets performance this year, unlike that unwrapped present from Grandma on Christmas morning which to quote Jeff Foxworthy,” You may not know what’s in it  but you’re pretty sure you’re not gonna like it..”

We may not know exactly what the Mets record will be, but it is completely obvious that this is going to be an exciting season for many reasons. Here are just a few:

The final season at Shea is going to be one filled with nostalgia, pride and hope. Nostalgic looking back at the way things were, pride in past glories and hope for a bright future as Citi Field continues to raise in the shadow of Shea. Most of us Mets fans won’t be able to stop ourselves from being emotional knowing we are walking away for the last time.

The arrival of Johan Santana will be incredible. I know many of us are disappointed he didn’t come out and blow away hitters in the spring, but forget that isn’t why they train. Johan will be going full steam ahead once the season starts and I think it would not be a stretch to expect 20+ wins from him. He will be a joy to watch.

It will also be fun to see how the Mets respond to the adversity from last season, if they can finally take that next step and put themselves head and shoulders above the pack. I believe they will and the Shea faithful will be happy with the results.

Lastly, I would just like to put my 2 cents in on some stuff going on in the league…

Now that Ryan Church is a new father does that mean he will have a statistically comparable season to Carlos Delgados’ “New Dad” season?

The whole farce with Coco Crisp being traded for Angel Pagan was a nightmare when I first heard it. What good would he have done the Mets? It isn’t like he would be starting the whole season which is why he wants out of Boston to begin with! I’m glad we don’t have a $4 million dollar malcontent benchwarmer. Our benchwarmers are plenty happy!

The Braves say that Mike Hampton had “electric” stuff going in his start the other day…forgive me while I just go ahead and hand them the NL East title. Mike Hampton is a lot like El Duque, you can pretty much bet that he will be ailing at some point this season. They would be better off letting him play the field everyday, at least he can hit.

Oh yeah, watch out Mets because Brad Lidge threw batting practice and his knee feels…well, how DOES it feel Brad? “Right now, [my right knee] feels pretty darn good."

Pretty darn good? Well, good luck with that Brad. Make sure you have that neck collar at Citizens Bank Park…you’ll need it with all of the whiplash you will get from watching homers launch.

Hope everyone has a great day! Don’t work TOO hard!

Posted by Adam Baker at 08:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

It's been four seasons since right-hander Nelson Figueroa has been on a major league roster.  With any luck, yesterday's strong start will bring him one step closer.

Figueroa, 33, made a strong case for a bullpen spot, perhaps the long reliever spot, yesterday when he allowed only one hit and one run over four innings for the split squad Mets, who went on to beat the Houston Astros 6-4. 

“Against Houston and this lineup that they have, I’m just trying to show every time out there that I belong,” Figueroa said.

Figueroa was strong in his first three outings this spring, but struggled in his last outing when he allowed five hits and four runs against the Boston Red Sox.  Yesterday's start was a very positive outing for himself and the Mets. 

“Physically, I’m great,” he said. “I’m trying to take every time out to show that I’m back. I’m healthy. I’m stronger than I was before my surgery and that I can help this team in a lot of different ways.”

I may be a little partial to Figueroa, being that he and I are both Brooklyn born. But in all honesty, I think that he may be a pretty good long reliever for the Mets. 

Figueroa's spot on the Mets all depends on what the Mets can get from El Duque.  If El Duque is ready to pitch for the Mets, he will become the fifth starter, with Pelfrey being sent down to AAA, and perhaps opening a spot for Figueroa.  If the Mets decide that Pelfrey is that fifth starter, and El Duque will work out of the bullpen, then I don't see an opening for Figueroa, but stay tuned.

Posted by Tommy V at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Today at 1:10 p.m. EDT on SNY, and on WFAN, Pedro Martinez will make his Spring Training debut against the Detroit Tigers, marking the first Grapefruit League game for Martinez since the 2006 season. 

"It's always good to see him and watch him pitch," fellow Mets starter Johan Santana said. "He's a great pitcher, a great guy and a great friend. Definitely, I'm looking forward to spending all this time together and to watching him pitch."

Martinez, who missed most of last season while recovering from right rotator cuff surgery, returned down the stretch for the Mets in 2007, and posted a 2.57 ERA with three wins. 

"With Pedro, we'll just see how he grinds and how he goes," Mets manager Willie Randolph said, noting that he expects three or four innings out of Martinez. "He might start breezing and feel pretty good. He's in great physical condition. He looks good, so we'll just get him out there and get the wraps off, and I look forward to seeing him pitch."

I'm looking forward to seeing Pedro pitch today, but I'm really looking forward to the start of the 2008 season already.  By adding Santana to this staff, everyone on the staff should become better.  And now, with a healthy Pedro Martinez, things can only improve for the 2008 Mets.

Posted by Tommy V at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I live almost six hours from Shea Stadium. Not exactly a Sunday drive, although it has been many times. I had the opportunity to buy tickets a few days before they went on sale through some thing I am in so I eagerly logged on to see what I could land for my preplanned trip to the Big Apple, which happened to be a weekend trip in May to see the Mets against the Reds.

Knowing it wasn’t the hugest matchup ever, I thought I may have a chance to land decent seats.

Nope. I was destined for Nose-bleed-city if I were to click purchase. All picked over.

I know that this is the last season at Shea and the acquisition of Johan has peaked even more people’s attention in the Mets, but the scarce ticket supply has me even more worried about what next year and the following years will hold.

Shea holds just over 55,000 people. Citi holds about 13,000 less.

Yikes.

What is it going to be like to get a ticket – at face value – to Citi Field for a guy with no connections or hook-ups? I bet pretty dadgum difficult.

I love the fact that Citi offers better views of the field and will give fans a more exciting atmosphere. Mets fans were much in need of a new place to call home.

But at what expense is this new park going to come to the average guy? Tickets are going to be more expensive as it is but with even less availability – almost 13,000 seats less – what’s it going to cost to see a game live? I won’t even mention the skyrocketing player salaries factoring into all of this.

I never thought I’d be an advocate of ticket-scalping sites, but I have to say at least there is Stubhub – and no I don’t work for them. I am somewhat of a ticket snob in the fact that I don’t get to New York real often so when I am there I like to sit in a quality seat. Kind of like ordering dessert a nice restaurant. You shouldn’t, but what the hell, you are already there!

I am not really too upset about what’s to come. It just makes me wonder what it s going to be like. I will try to make my way down to New York several times and will just have to save a little harder this year and hope next year I don’t have to take out a loan to see a weekend series.

Posted by Mike Bailey at 07:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

The New York Mets slimmed down their roster Thursday by sending three players to the minors, while welcoming a veteran into camp for the first time this season.

The Mets reassigned 1b Michel Abreu to Minor League camp, optioned LHP Willie Collazo and RHP Carlos Muniz to New Orleans (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League, and welcomed 3b Fernando Tatis into camp. 

Abreu, who missed the entire 2007 season due to visa problems, went 2-for-14 with five strikeouts while helping to fill in for Carlos Delgado this spring.  In 2006 he led the Eastern League in hitting and on-base percentage. 

Muniz, who turned 27 yesterday, appeared in two games for the Mets in 2007 and posted a 7.71 ERA in 2.1 innings. 

Collazo, 28, appeared in six games for the Mets in 2007 and posted a 6.35 ERA in 5.2 innings.   

Tatis, 33, finally arrived in camp Thursday after weeks of having visa problems.  The veteran 3b played in 131 games with the New Orleans Zephyrs last year, batting .276 with 21 home runs and 67 RBIs.  He will most likely be back in AAA this year as the Zephyrs' 3b.

None of the above mentioned players figured to be with the Mets at the start of 2008, but keep an eye on Abreu as he could be back with the Mets if 1b Carlos Delgado continues his struggles.

Posted by Tommy V at 06:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Amid all of the excitement and anticipation of the upcoming season, I especially love to watch and examine each of the players' performances, particularly all the new faces.

In todays 6-2 win over the Orioles, I loved that diving catch in right field by Ryan Church. He hasn't done much with the bat yet, but I can see why Omar and Willie raved about his defense. I have no doubt that he'll be a great addition to the team. Incidentally, that Orioles team is an absolute joke and I'm betting they will lose 100 games this season.

Angel Pagan must have heard the unfounded rumors that had him heading to Boston in exchange for disgruntled outfielder Coco Crisp. Despite not starting in todays contest, he came into the game in the 7th inning and hit a pinch hit 2-run homer to put the Mets up for good. It looks like Angel will indeed get his wings and head up north when all is said and done. 

Okay, I know it's only his second game back, but seeing Carlos Delgado strike out in his last six at-bats is a bit much. He looks no different at the plate now then he did during last seasons slump. His front shoulder is still flying open when he swings, and he continues to swing wildly and miss at the low inside pitches which were once the pitches he launched out of the park. Something's gotta give...

Has anyone seen Oliver Perez? From what I've seen so far, he tops out at 87 MPH and is all over the place with his location. By now shouldn't we be seeing something along the lines of what Santana and Maine did in their third starts? Even with today's so-called decent start, his ERA stands at 7.27 and I expect a lot more from a guy who beat us in arbitration and is going to be paid $6 million bucks.

Speaking of John Maine and Johan Santana, I am going on record and guaranteeing that each will win 18 or more games in 2008. The more I see of Maine, the more I love him. I always considered Oliver Perez to be the better overall pitcher in the past, but I was wrong. What makes Maine so special is that he learns as he goes and it helps him become a heady pitcher. It more than makes up for his average arsenal of pitches and it gives him a competitive edge when he's facing the opposition. 

I'll put up some more of my observations moving forward and look forward to your comments. I'd like to thank Adam, Denise, Christian, Milo, Tessa, Kevin, Matt, Rob, Mike, Dave, Jon and Jessica for their contributions. I also want to thank Tommy V. for keeping the site constantly updated with Mets rumors and news. It took three years but we finally got the perfect guy for our breaking news. I would be remiss if I didn't thank Andrew for all of his contributions so far in this young season. Please check out his site The 'Ropolitans especially if you love his game recaps. A special thank you goes out to Kelly, who has been covering for me during my absence and has done an amazing job! Most of all, I want to thank all of our readers. Without you, we wouldn't be where we are. I'm looking forward to a solid 2008 season!

Posted by Joe D. at 03:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

According to WFAN's Ed Coleman, the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox have discussed a Coco Crisp for Angel Pagan deal.

Crisp, who has become expendable with Jacoby Ellsbury slated as the Red Sox everyday center fielder, hit .268 with 6 homers and 60 RBI's and 28 SB's in 526 at-bats in 2007.  His best season came in 2005 with the Cleveland Indians when he hit .300 with 16 homers and 69 RBI's.

I'm not sure why the Mets would want to make this trade to be honest.  Crisp will earn $4.75 million in 2008 and $5.75 million in 2009.  I don't think the Mets need to bring in Crisp, I would rather see them bring in a OF/1B type like Xavier Nady, Aubrey Huff, Reed Johnson, or perhaps a Brandon Inge or Jason Bay if possible.

UPDATE:

Officials from both the Mets and the Red Sox have denied this rumor and say that there is no truth to it. Whew...

Posted by Tommy V at 01:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

We don’t know what apple is coming to CitiField next season but I’m leaning towards a new one. In third grade, I made a papier-mache volcano and after a few test runs, it really stunk so my mom made me put it outside on the night before the science fair. Well, you guessed it, it rained. Also, the wind got hold of it and blew it into the street. Then, I think some raccoons had a turn. I woke up, peeked out the window, in time to watch the garbage man toss it into the truck. My dad and I chased that truck across town. Each time dad grabbed the volcano out of the back of the truck, the piece in his hand tore off. When we were done, it was in 13 pieces and smelled considerably worse than it did when mom made me put it outside. Sadly, I think the current apple is in worse shape than my volcano which still remains in my parents’ basement with its second-place ribbon (it was a pity ribbon and, also, my class was dumb) and 7 neutralizing stick-ups that they change monthly.

Let’s get a new apple. I know I’m in the minority but a new stadium should have a new apple. If I was allowed to design the new apple, it would be the same size as the current one. It would be made out of steel and a bunch of the seats from the upper deck of Shea since they’re already red. There would be two leaves on the stem that can spin like a fan with enough power to blow the visitors’ home run balls foul or back into Citi Field. The fan can also be used to cool the crowd during the summer games. A man in a worm costume will reside inside and pop out of a hole to shoot t-shirts into the crowd or knock-out blow darts into the necks of opposing outfielders. (If we can have a Steroid Era, we can have a Blow Dart Era, Mr. Selig.) Finally, it has to be able to move more than up and down. It needs to be able to go around the brim, slow for the Mexican Hat Danc