Mets Merized Online

Here are some questions I asked of Mets beat writer, Brian Costa of The Star Ledger, during his live chat yesterday.

Joe D: Will Bobby Parnell get lost in a numbers game and start the season in Buffalo? Will he ever revert back to starting as opposed to relief?

Brian Costa: I don’t think he’s in danger of not making the team, but in that bullpen right now, nothing is certain. He may one day become a starter, but I wouldn’t expect it to happen anytime soon.

Joe D: Has anybody taken a leadership role in the clubhouse in the absence of Beltran and the departure of Delgado? What can you tell us about Bay?

Brian Costa: I think Wright has steadily become more of a leader. He’s not a guy who’s going to stand up and shout or anything, but you can see him going over to the mound when a pitcher is struggling in a game and talking to guys on a one-on-one basis in the clubhouse. Bay is a great guy, but I wouldn’t expect him to be a loud voice in the clubhouse, partly because it’s not his nature, partly because he’s the new guy.

Joe D: What more does Nelson Figueroa have to do to earn a spot on this team, and would the Mets risk losing him and designating him before opening day?

Brian Costa: Figueroa has had a great spring, so if he keeps that up, that’s all he can do. But it’s not just about what he does. There are things out of his control that will determine whether there’s a spot for him. I don’t think the Mets want to risk losing him, but the priority is to take the best 25 for Opening Day.

Joe D: With Barajas and Blanco starting on the Mets, and Thole and Coste in Buffalo, where exactly does that leave Omir Santos? Is there any buzz regarding a possible trade or will he simply be released?

Brian Costa: No, there’s no reason for them to release him. They’re open to trading him. If they don’t, they’ll probably carry three catchers in Buffalo.

 Joe D: Do you think the Mets will let Carlos Beltran walk when his contract is up? Just before his surprise surgery, there were rumblings about an extension and him ending his career as a Met.

Brian Costa: Way too early to say. We don’t know how Beltran will recover from his injury. We don’t know what F-Mart will look like in 2011. And from Beltran’s side, who knows how the whole surgery debacle will impact his thinking?

Joe D: Luis Castillo delivered a nice offensive season last year and we can probably count on similar production this year. Yesterday, he made a great play ranging to his right toward second base, and I’m wondering if there’s a chance we can see improved range from his this season?

Brian Costa: Sure, he can improve, but his range is still limited.

Joe D: What’s the story with Kiko Calero? Is he healthy and how does he look? Will he be an option in the 2010 bullpen?

Brian Costa: I didn’t see him pitch Sunday, but he appears to be healthy. He might need some time to get his arm in shape, but he’s definitely an option for the bullpen.

Joe D: I have already seen a significant improvement with Wright’s power and wonder if it’s a product of HoJo’s mantra of pulling the ball which goes against last year’s spring training edict by Manuel of going to the opposite field.

Brian Costa: I think that certainly helps. Honestly, I don’t see Wright’s power as a huge question mark this year. I think last year was an aberration and he’s too good to have another year like that.

You can follow Brian Costa via his Twitter where he posts frequent updates from Mets camp.

Here’s a great Q&A I did with William Price of the Daily News, better known to all of you as The Bitter Bill. Bill was nice enough to answer some questions for us about the upcoming Mets season as well as some other things orange and blue. I’ve been a longtime follower of his blog, and you should be too, otherwise you wouldn’t have to miss gems like this little nugget he had in this mornings blog post.

As for Manuel, I took a shot at him the other day for comparing Jenrry Mejia to Mariano Rivera because they have similar cutters. But Mejia said yesterday he doesn’t even throw a cutter, rather his heater has so much movement it looks like a cutter. Good to hear Manuel is on top of things.

Poor Jerry, it’s only March 1st and already he’s fumbling his words…

Okay, here goes…

1. What are the two biggest keys for the Mets this season, and do you think they have a shot at unseating the Phillies and winning the division?

The first key is Pelfrey, Maine and Perez all staying healthy and all getting their acts together. There’s no room for error. The other key is David Wright rediscovering his power stroke. If he’s not a threat, the lineup is mediocre at best. As for having a shot at the Phils, yes, but it’s a longshot, everything must break right to have a chance.

2. As you wrote in your blog post last Friday, Jerry Manuel wants to bat Joey Kings, as you call him, third rather than leadoff. Good or bad idea?

It’s not a horrible idea, but I don’t like the fact that he will likely go back to leadoff when Beltran returns. Why mess around with him for two months? It doesn’t make much sense.

3. Who do you think will eventually have a bigger impact on the Mets between Ike Davis, Josh Thole and Jenrry Mejia?

Mejia. I’ll take a young pitcher any day of the week.

4. I think all of us can agree that the Mets could have had a better offseason. What one player that got away, would you have wanted to see on the Mets in 2010?

I think Lackey is the guy they should’ve went after. He would’ve taken so much pressure off Pelf, Maine and Ollie and our bullpen. True, it may have cost us Bay, but there were plenty of outfielders out there, but clearly not many big-time pitchers.

5. The Mets promised that they would correct the obvious communication gap last season between the medical team, the players, and everyone in the front office. Have they? And could it create more problems down the road? Do you think that kind of stuff really affects a players decision to sign with a team?

I can’t be sure if the problem is fixed, but the Beltran fiasco certainly makes it appear as if is hasn’t. As for players’ decision to sign with a team, unless the doctors are signing the checks, they are a non-factor.

How many homeruns will Jason Bay hit in 2010?  26

Will Omar Minaya still be the GM on July 15th?  Yes

Which TV Drama will best describe the 2010 Mets? 1. Heroes 2. Breaking Bad 3. Greys Anatomy.  No TV show comes close, but how about Hurt Locker? (Whew, I’m just glad you didn’t say Titanic.)

Besides Johan Santana, will any Mets starter win 15 or more games?  No

Have you ever lobby Jeff Wilpon for a front office position?  Does Mr. Met count as a front-office position?  (He most certainly does count as a front office position!)

Sweet Caroline for Mets sing-along: Good or Totally Sucks?  Awful. Can the Mets come up with anything original? Can we just bring back the Curly Shuffle for goodness sakes?

Whose uniform number should the Mets retire next?  They should retire No. 17 next, but Piazza will likely be the next guy. If not, it will likely be No. 5 in about 20 years.

What Star Wars character best describes Jeff Francoeur?  I’d have to say Chewbacca. He’s big, kind of goofy and doesn’t seem to care what anyone thinks of him. I wonder if he can make that noise.  (I see him more like Luke, sweeping in to destroy the Death Saber Star and save the Mets universe.)

Is Johan Santana better than Roy Halladay?  Roy who?

If you were stranded on deserted island and could have a lifetime supply of one of the following gastronomical delights, which one do you go for? (1. Nathans Hot dogs 2. Shack Burgers 3. Blue Smoke Pulled Pork Sandwiches)  I would have to pick the flat Harry M. Stevens beer with the plastic lids and nice cold Shea Stadium pretzel.  (Ahh, manna from heaven…)

You rock dude!

Thank you for taking some time out of your hectic day for us. We look forward to following the Mets via your blog The Bitter Bill at the Daily News. And for even more of Bill’s keen insights I urge you to follow him on Twitter.

A few days ago, my co-writer Danny Krieger wrote a nice post pitting the recently acquired Mike Jacobs against the incumbent Daniel Murphy.

I decided to do a quick 4-day poll to see what our readers thought about the Mets first base situation going into the 2010 season. Here are those results:

And the winner is…

Daniel Murphy is the overwhelming choice for our readers, more than doubling the support that Mike Jacobs received. As Danny pointed out in his post, Murphy had a higher batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage than Mike Jacobs.

Although I was hoping for a significant upgrade at first base this off season, I think the addition of Mike Jacobs was a good thing whether he wins the job or just a spot on the bench.

I am very curious to see how Murphy builds on last season and his 54 extra-base hits were still pretty impressive in his first full season.

By the way, you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more updates in between posts. Help spread the word about MMO by re-tweeting our posts by clicking the Twitter or Facebook icon below.

Early last week, I was chatting with one of our readers (BayonneMetsFan) in our newly renovated MMO Chat Room. Somehow, we ended up talking about Bryan Hoch’s Mets Online. For those of you who don’t know, Mets Online was probably the first Mets fan site that there ever was. Back when the internet was just scratching the surface of what it would eventually become, thousands of Mets fans like myself would flock each day to Mets Online to get the latest rumors, news, rants and raves about our beloved New York Mets. The site had everything you could want including chat, a forum, trivia and history pages, etc. Simply put, it was the bomb!

The “Online” part of Met Merized Online is actually a tribute to the late, great Mets Online. Unfortunately, it grew so big in size, popularity and influence, MLB, which was trying to launch Mets.com and other team sites, had no choice but to serve Bryan with a cease and desist order, thus ending its glorious run, but in the process paving the way for sites like MetsBlog, Mets Merized Online and a host of others.  

1. I can only imagine how painful it must have been when you were forced to shut down Mets Online. Does it still bother you when you think back, and were there any positives that you were able to take away from your experience?

Well, those days in the summer of ’02 certainly weren’t fun – getting cease-and-desist orders never is. In fact, looking back, it all seems a little surreal. I mean, MLB shutting down my site made headlines on the front cover of Newsday, was run across the AP wire and generated thousands of supportive e-mails, all for a Web site I started in my parents’ house at age 14! Obviously Mets Online grew bigger than I ever thought it would be when it was launched in April 1996, just an excuse to write about something I was passionate about. Really, it grew not because of me, but because the Mets fan base was so devoted and thirsty for any kind of outlet like that, and it really did take on its own life. By the end, though, I was struggling to balance a full college workload and keep the site up to speed, and it had already been running for six years – now with the help of several unpaid volunteer writers. I don’t know how much longer I could have continued had MLB not made my decision for me, but I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason. I didn’t necessarily think that clearly at the time, but I’d like to believe those six years creating and operating Mets Online led to bigger and better things. 

2. I was an avid reader on Mets Online right from the start. For me it was exciting to go online each day and see what the latest Mets news was from your perspective. I know you were a student back then, but somehow you managed to keep the site constantly updated. How did you balance managing the site and going to school, and what was the biggest challenge?

I have no idea how I balanced it, honestly. My high school years were 1996-2000, which was really when the site had its biggest impact – there was no Mets.com until 1999, and even then it left something to be desired in its infancy. We gave a different and unique angle, the fan’s perspective, and I was really proud of being able to do that. I remember thinking that the writers in the press box couldn’t possibly see the game the same way I did from my $5 seat in the upper deck, and that’s funny because I’m now one of those writers and spent a lot of time in those chairs at Shea. But my perception was right. As a professional writer, you’re more balanced and even-handed. There’s no cheering in the press box, as they say. Anyway, I can remember getting home from school and spending untold amounts of hours updating the Rumor Mill, creating new site images, altering the layout, moderating the message board, creating club history pages … it was quite an undertaking, and I’m sure it cost me a few nights when I could have been out doing something other than sitting in front of a screen. But it was a labor of love, there was instant feedback from people who appreciated it, and certainly that was more interesting and important to me than tackling my physics homework (you can ask my teachers about that — sorry). I never operated the site thinking that it would lead anywhere, but when I did land that internship with the Mets in 2000, it did seem like that work all paid off. 

3. What is your opinion of Mets fan sites and blogs today?

I’m a big fan of what Matthew Cerrone has done with MetsBlog.com, having seen him launch it and grow it into something great. Knowing Matthew a little bit online and later when he came to write for me at Inside Pitch Magazine, I know he’s just as serious and devoted to what he’s doing as I once was. It’s fantastic that he has latched on with SNY and that the Mets organization is now so receptive and aware of the influence blogs and the Internet carry among the fan base. He really has become a must-read for fans of baseball. 

4. Knowing what a tremendous Mets fan you are, it must be interesting to balance your loyalty to the Mets while covering the Yankees as a beat writer for MLB.com. Was it difficult at first and what were your feelings about the Yankees before you took on the job and now?

Well, I feel a need to clarify a point here. I spent an early part of my life rooting for the Mets, and I wouldn’t take away anything I did at Mets Online. I might not be covering baseball if I didn’t launch my career that way. But you cannot do the work we are assigned on a daily basis through the eyes of being a fan, which – let’s face it, is a biased viewpoint. You ‘root, root, root’ for your team, and that’s great. It’s fun to be a fan, that’s why you watch the games, wear jerseys and buy tickets!

But things change. I went to college and began seriously pursuing journalism, and I got to cover the Mets on a semi-regular basis for MLB.com, Inside Pitch and various other outlets through 2006. Even though I was still around the Mets, I wasn’t a fan anymore then – you can’t be, you’re too close to the action and the players. The emotion leaves. You don’t get excited about wins and losses, you begin rooting for good stories. I still enjoy watching baseball when it’s well-played, but a game honestly does not affect my day if a certain team wins or loses. 

Yes, I realize that if I was still a fan in 2002 reading some writer saying this, my reaction would probably have been skepticism. But it’s true. By the end of ’05, I knew I definitely wanted to work for MLB.com and it didn’t matter in what capacity or what franchise I was assigned to (at one point, I thought I was headed to Baltimore). Luckily my path led me somewhere even better, to a team where I not only wouldn’t have to relocate from New York, but where the audience and fan interest is gigantic. It really is one of the premier beats in all of sport.

So, to answer your question, no, it wasn’t difficult to adjust outside of learning how to work a different clubhouse, going head-to-head with some of the best reporters in the business and gathering contacts in the organization, which is something I hope I’m continuing to get better at.

5. Should the venerable Marty Noble ever move on to another position or job, would you love the opportunity to become a Mets beat writer?

I don’t look at other people’s jobs and think about taking them, so that’s not something I’ve really considered. I think we’re very well set on the Mets beat between Marty and Anthony DiComo, and I’m extremely happy covering the Yankees. There are often no bigger stories in the game than the Yankees, and you know people are always interested in what you’re writing – like they proudly say, you either love ‘em or you hate ‘em. This job has opened opportunities for me that I never dreamed of, and I honestly can’t imagine doing anything else right now.

6. Speaking of Marty, he’s not to keen on some of the latest advanced metrics such as UZR and wOBA. What are your thoughts and do you feel sabermetrics is essential in analyzing players for the purpose of team building?

I definitely understand the importance of the advanced statistics in the game today, even if some of them are a little over my head. Keep in mind, the baseball cards I used to stash in boxes lived and breathed on BA, HR and RBI, which seem absolutely prehistoric these days. But if there was no value in these advanced statistics, you wouldn’t see most every team hiring front office personnel whose only task is to crunch numbers and produce reports on statistical player evaluation. UZR was interesting this year to me in trying to figure out how much better Derek Jeter was playing defensively than in ’07 and ’08, but I still scratch my head at how it rates Mark Teixeira – maybe the best first baseman I’ve ever seen, and a major reason why they won the World Series – with a negative number. I do side with Joe Torre about the claim that you can’t forget the game has a heartbeat, and I don’t think you can reduce players to simple numbers. But there’s no doubt that sabermetrics are an essential tool in evaluating players. They don’t give you the whole picture, but it helps open it up.  

7. Until last year, most baseball fans spent their hot stove season waiting for sports journalists like Ken Rosenthal and Jon Heyman to post a blog so we could get the latest baseball rumors. If we were lucky, we we’d get 2-3 updates a day. Today, social networking sites have completely transformed the way an average baseball fan gets their news. The information is abundant, ever-changing and has a 30 second turnaround time in how quickly it’s reported. How has the popularity of social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook changed the way you perform your job and has it been good for the industry? If there was one thing you could change about it what would it be?

It’s definitely quicker, that’s for sure. I don’t know how much more immediate the news cycle can be. This isn’t even 24 hours anymore, it’s a 1,440 minute cycle thanks to the Internet – and trust me, since we’re MLB.com, we know all about the necessity of getting things online immediately. It’s amazing to think that only a few decades ago, writers actually had the luxury of covering a day game, grabbing dinner, then taking a train and filing their stories for the newspaper from the hotel! Those days are certainly gone forever. Facebook hasn’t really changed my job at all, but Twitter is another tool in our belts to disperse information even quicker than the blog, as well as interact with readers directly. The only caveat I have about Twitter is that there seems to be such an emphasis on being first with breaking news, you get a lot of erroneous reports as accuracy suffers. Maybe you’re tweeting a one-source item instead of the multiple confirmations you’d need to publish a full article. But that information is attributed to your name, and to me, tweeting something is the same as reporting it. I’d rather be second and correct than first and wrong. 

8. Finally (you had to know this was coming), what is your opinion of the Mets offseason thus far, and have they done enough to contend for NL East title in 2010?

I think I side with Darryl Strawberry, in that the Mets could have put a few more pieces into the mix to improve their chances. It definitely would help them to get a healthy Jose Reyes back, and maybe David Wright doesn’t suffer as much at Citi Field in Year II. I just think they needed some parts they didn’t get, and I’m not sure why. Jason Bay should be a good fit in left field, but losing Carlos Beltran early is a big blow. Pitching help would have been nice as well, though so would turnaround seasons from guys like Mike Pelfrey, John Maine and Oliver Perez. I guess we’ll see, but the NL East has produced the World Series team the last two years running and the Mets aren’t exactly favorites. You know what, though? It’s no fun if you consider yourself out on Opening Day. It’s the story of that franchise, being a lovable underdog. After all, I shouldn’t need to remind you what Tug McGraw used to say, right?

I’d like to thank Bryan for taking the time to answer some questions for me which I was able to share with my readers. You can follow Bryan on his Twitter Feed or read his columns for MLB.com.

I’d love for some of you to share your memories of Mets Online with those who may not remember the father of all Mets blogs.

Ok so the title of my post maybe a bit deceiving, no this feature will not last 80 days, but I thought it would be a cool project to go around the league and connect with bloggers from the other 29 MLB teams and have them weigh in on their teams.

For my first stop of the tour, I check in with Daniel Moroz, founder of Camden Crazies, which is an excellent blog dedicated to the Baltimore Orioles.

In addition to providing up to date information surrounding the ball club, Moroz uses sabermetrics to showcase in-depth analysis of each member of the Orioles roster.

In the interview Moroz discuses a wide range of topics, including the team’s interest in both Matt Holliday and Carlos Delgado, as well as a look at some of the Orioles most prized youngsters.

Without further adieu here is my interview with Daniel Moroz of Camden Crazies:

PH: Obviously last season much of the talk surrounding the Orioles revolved around rookie catcher Matt Weiters. How would you rate Weiters’ rookie campaign in terms of a letter grade? Did he live up to your personal expectations?

DM: I took a more in-depth look at Wieters’ season here, but I thought he’d hit .275/.344/.438 (he actually hit .288/.340/.412) and gave a lot of weight to his being a catcher (and thus needing more transition time).

I was largely disappointed with the below average plate discipline – especially given his strong walk rates in the minors – but he’s still young and learning, and already a pretty good hitter for a catcher at his current level. I’d give him a C relative to expectations (which largely weren’t his fault), but a B- overall.

PH: Last year the Orioles made a very substantial offer to then-free agent, Mark Teixeira. This year it is rumored that the Os are in contact with Matt Holliday’s agent.  In your opinion how likely is the team to land the free agent slugger?

DM: I would be very, very surprised to see the O’s sign Holliday.

The guy’s a great player, but in order to get him to come to Baltimore, the O’s would need to really beat the Cardinals’ offer and I don’t think they’re in a position as a team to spend that kind of money right now. If all goes according to plan, they should be able to make a splash for a big-time free agent next off-season.

PH: While still on the Matt Holliday subject, some have suggested that the Orioles are not very serious in their pursuit of Holliday. What’s your take on this? Do you feel that the team sincerely believes that they have a chance at signing him?

DM: I think that they’d love to have him – all 30 teams would – but once the price-tag went above a certain level they weren’t going to stay in the bidding. It was worth asking, but the team isn’t in serious pursuit.

PH: Another bright spot on the Orioles team last year was the emergence of Nolan Reimold, who was called up early last season and proceeded to produce rather nicely before being shut down with an injury to the Achilles tendon. Do you have an update on his condition and will he be ready for the 2010 season?

DM: Last I checked with Will Carroll (injury expert at Baseball Prospectus), he should be good to go to start the season.

The injury may have negatively affected his range in left-field, which wasn’t too good and held down his total value to the team despite his impressive bat. I’m expecting a rebound with the glove while largely maintaining his offensive production in 2010.

PH: The Orioles have an impressive amount of young talent on their roster. Who in their farm system is closest to being major league ready and are there any hidden gems that haven’t been publicized much?

DM: Jake Arrieta is probably the next starting pitcher to be called up – he’s ended ‘09 in Triple-A. Third-baseman Josh Bell (acquired in the George Sherrill trade) and first-baseman Brandon Snyder should be ready at some point in 2010.

The guy I like best who hasn’t gotten as much attention thus far due to the presence of Tillman and Matusz, is lefty starting pitching prospect Zach Britton. The guy gets a ton of groundballs and upped his strike-out rate this year, and he might be climbing up top prospect lists soon. I ranked him #1 (well, #2 if you count Matusz) recently myself.

PH: Recently, the Orioles signed free agent reliever, Mike Gonzalez, to a two year contract. How do you feel about the deal considering Gonzalez’s spotty health and where does he fit into the Orioles bullpen?

DM: Given the price-tag, he’ll certainly be the closer. I don’t really like the deal, because Gonzalez is a good but not elite relief pitcher (when healthy) and the Orioles aren’t in a position to overpay for a closer right now.

The difference between 75 wins and 76 isn’t really a big deal, and certainly isn’t worth $6-8 M a year as well as a draft-pick. I’m just hoping Andy MacPhail can spin him off for quality prospects at some point. More on Gonzalez here.

PH: The team also recently picked up former Colorado Rockies star, Garrett Atkins. What’s your take on this particular signing? Do you feel that he will be able to bounce back for a dreadful season last year and contribute to the club?

DM: He’s been going down-hill for a while now – and I don’t love the deal at $4.5 M – but I do think he should be able to bounce back some (maybe .265/.335/.425).

Leaving Coors Field and moving to the tougher AL won’t help though, and his defense isn’t stellar. I think there’s a fair chance that Atkins will be slightly underpaid, but it’s not without downside risk and isn’t a straight bargain. More on Atkins here.

PH: The Orioles President of Baseball Operations, Andy MacPhail, has suggested that he is not done making moves this off-season. What area of the team do you think needs to be addressed next?

DM: Bringing in a guy like Carlos Delgado to hold down the fort at first-base would be nice. I’d like to see Luke Scott – who can’t really be used optimally by the team right now given the presence of Reimold and Pie – traded for a solid return (a B prospect maybe).

Other than that, I would really like to see some international prospects brought into the system. The development of the team at this point has a lot more to do with the progression of the young players already on the team than any move Andy can make at the moment.

PH: The Orioles have struggled quite a bit this past decade; however they have seemingly put together a solid core of young talent. With the roster set as of today are the Orioles contenders in 2010?

DM: Of course – and I think they’ll sweep the season series with the Yankees and Red Sox too.. Seriously though, a .500 season probably isn’t in the cards for 2010 at this point.

I would just like to see some improvement from Tillman, Matusz, Reimold, Wieters, and maybe 75+ wins. It’s a process, and I’m fully aware of that. In a realistically ideal world, they win ~83 games in ‘10, and then vault into contention with 93+ wins in 2011 and beyond. Boy, wouldn’t that be nice.

Once again I’d like to thank Daniel for being apart of this feature. For more on the Orioles make sure to check out Moroz’s site, Camden Crazies. Also be sure to follow Moroz on Twitter.

Now MLB fans, it’s your turn. I’m interested in your feedback to this new series, and whether or not you would like me to continue these interviews.

A few weeks ago I was granted the opportunity to ask former Mets outfielder and ESPN analyst Brian McRae a few questions regarding his time in New York and what he is currently up to now.

As many will recall McRae spend parts of three seasons in Flushing during which time he hit roughly .250, which is lower than his career average of .261.

During his time with the Mets, McRae played under Bobby Valentine and was on the 1999 playoff team for much of the season before being traded.

Since his playing career ended, McRae has been involved with numerous projects, including owning a radio station, as well as running a youth baseball program.

I hope you enjoy my exclusive interview with former MLB player and analyst, Brian McRae:

PH: Being the son of a Hall of Famer, did you find that while you were coming up through the minor league system that there was more pressure on you to succeed than there was on others?

BM: I was a first round pick so the pressure of having a big league dad wasn’t as great as being a 17 year old in pro ball.

PH: In August of 1997 you came over to the Mets in a trade along with Turk Wendell and Mel Rojas where you would spend the next three years of your career. That being said was it difficult to play in front of the New York crowd, as some players have mentioned in the past?

BM: I enjoy New York as an older player but can see why guys struggle with the media and expectations of playing in the biggest market in the league.

PH: While on the topic of playing in New York do you have any particular moments while playing there that stand out to you? One that stands out to me is in June of 1999 when Bobby Valentine was ejected from a game and later reemerged in disguise. How did the players in the dugout react to that?

BM: The way the 1998 season ended was tough because I thought we were better than the Cubs or Giants. We had no idea that Bobby did what he did until after the game was over.

PH: After you ended your career as an active player you moved into another aspect of the game, broadcasting. Over the years we have seen a number of ex-players go this route. In your opinion, what characteristics does a player need to have to be a good broadcaster?

BM: I was a fan of baseball before I started playing and paid attention to everything that went on in both leagues. Once I started broadcasting it wasn’t hard for me to follow all the teams and make sure I knew all the hot topics.

PH: As I understand it, you are currently the General Manager of the KC Sluggers, which is a program that has seen the likes of Albert Pujols and Joey Devine participate in. Could you tell our readers a little bit more about the program and what your responsibilities are as GM?

BM: The KC Sluggers organization is for high school kids in the area to play summer and fall ball in front of coaches and scouts. We play 70 games and travel the mid-west. As the GM I do everything from coaching to raising money.

This concludes my interview with Brian McRae. I would personally like to thank him for taking some time out of his very busy schedule to answer the questions I had for him.

Roger Kahn, working for the New York Herald Tribune, was the beat writer for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1950s.  He covered them during the Dodgers glory days of Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Duke Snider and Gil Hodges.  He witnessed and wrote about incredible pennant races, worlds series, personalities larger than life, and so much heartbreak for players and fans.

Kahn’s book, The Boys of Summer, inspired me to write this article.  I highly recommend reading this book during this winter’s respite from baseball games.

In both 1950 and 1951, the Dodgers lost the pennant in the final inning of the final game of the season.  This sounds eerily similar to the plight of the New York Mets in 2007 and 2008.  History does repeat itself.

In 1950, the Phillies were coasting to the NL pennant  They had a seven game lead over the Dodgers with eleven games left to play.  But the Phillies lost eight of their last ten entering the last game of the season.   As the two teams squared off against each other on the final day of the season at Shibe Park, the Phillies lead was down to one game.  With the score tied in the 9th inning, the Dodgers Cal Abrams led off with a double.  After a walk,  Duke Snider singled up the middle.  With no out, the 3rd base coach (who was fired after the season), waved Abrams home, and was easily thrown out.  The Dodgers failed to score.  In the bottom of the 10th, Dick Sisler hit a 3 run HR off of Don Newcombe.  The Dodgers and their fans had their hearts broken.

We are much more familiar with the heartbreak of 1951.  The Dodgers led the Giants by 13 games.  The Giants caught them and forced a playoff series (best 2 out of 3).  The Giants won game one in Brooklyn but the Dodgers responded with a win at the Polo Grounds.  The turning point of game two was when a fellow by the name of Bobby Thompson struck out with the bases loaded.  In game three, it happened so quickly.  A 4-1 Dodgers lead in the 9th.  Two singles and a double.  Ralph Branca was brought in.  The rest is history.

Players have hot streaks and slumps, bloops for hits and wicked line drives for outs.  No one remembers that Don Mueller had a seeing eye single past Gil Hodges in the 9th inning of game three or that Bobby Thompson’s home run barely traveled 300 feet.  One day Thompson strikes out and the next day he is the hero.

As Kahn said “choker and hero are two masks for the same plain face”. Did the Dodgers choke?  Did they lack courage or character?  Or were they just unlucky?  What is choking anyway.  As Pee Wee Reese said ” when you chew gum and saliva don’t come you’re choking”.  To me it sounds like everyone’s mouth gets dry when the pressure is on.  Puking before a game doesn’t imply choking.

The Dodgers remained defiant.  They did not choke.  Choking doesn’t exist.  It is imagined by the fans and media.  Pressure affects everyone.

Personally, and in this context, I despise the word “choke”.  It has no place in the dictionary of sports.  It is a sleazy and short-sighted way of not examining the true reasons behind failing.  Have you ever heard anyone claim that Gil Hodges or Duke Snider choked?  Yet numerous times they didn’t come through in the clutch during the Worlds Series.

I think that Brooklyn Dodgers history teaches us why we love the Mets so much.  It is psychological, but by no means a personality flaw or an indication of mental illness.  It is a sign of character and a testimonial to the quality of our existence that we can identify, sympathize, and commiserate with our beloved Mets.  Our cause is noble – we fall in love with the loser.  It is a justified essential trait that makes us better human beings.  Yankee fans, unfortunately for them are lacking this trait, and will never understand the wisdom of this argument.

The Jackie Robinson Rotunda.  The Ebbets Field resemblance.  The quirky right field.  Maybe the Wilpons have accurately defined our history by making CitiField a memorial to honor the Brooklyn Dodgers.  They were the Mets predecessors and when they left for L.A., like it or not, we inherited their history and legacy. The Mets were born and created in their image.  That is something to be proud of, and not forgotten.

Imagine if the Dodgers had moved to Queens.  We would all be New York Dodgers fans.  And what a proud history we would have.  We would have a dozen retired numbers.  The legacy of Robinson, Snider, Hodges, Campanella, Furillo, Reese, Newcombe and Branca would be genuinely ours to honor.

Many of us were Mets fans from the beginning.  Forty five years of the Mets memories at Shea Stadium are significant too.  They are just very different.  Let’s not measure them in wins and losses. Truly, nothing beats rooting for the New York Mets.  I feel lucky and proud to be a fan.

This past week, New York Mets beat writer, Brian Costa, of the Star Ledger was kind enough to allow me to submit to him questions regarding Mets Hot Stove rumors.

To obtain the questions I scoured the forums, as well as the chat room here at Mets Merized to try to come up with the best and most frequently asked questions regarding the team’s future.

I’m confident that this interview will give you, the fans, valuable insight on the team’s plans for the 2010 season. Enjoy!

PH: It seems that the Mets are making an effort to stock up on catchers this off-season. They have already signed Chris Coste and are rumored to be looking into Henry Blanco and Bengie Molina. That being said, where does this leave Omir Santos, who showed the potential of being a solid backup behind the plate? Could he be used as a piece in a trade to fill one of the team’s other needs?

BC: The signing of Blanco is bad news for Santos, who now appears unlikely to make the Opening Day roster. Santos would be a viable backup, but Blanco will be a better one. If the Mets pursue a trade with a team that could use an extra catcher, sure, it’s conceivable they could throw in Santos. But he would be a very small piece of any significant trade.

PH: Many have criticized Mets GM Omar Minaya over the years for unnecessarily overpaying on veteran players, such as Julio Franco and Marlon Anderson. Recently, he re-signed utility infielder, Alex Cora, to a one year deal worth $2 million dollars with a vesting option for 2011. In your opinion, for a team that is rumored to be cutting back why would Minaya commit so much money to a reserve position that could have been filled at a cheaper price?

BC: I know why the Mets wanted to re-sign Cora, but I don’t know how they arrived at $2 million, other than that’s what his base salary was last year. I agree, it’s a lot of money for a utility infielder. But I don’t think it’s going to have any bearing on whether or not they sign Matt Holliday or John Lackey or anyone else.

PH: It seems as if there are two different schools of thought amongst sports writers on how to “fix” the Mets. One theory seems to be that the team is a couple of free agent signings away from a return to the post-season, whereas the other theory feels that the team needs to rebuild entirely. What is your take on this? Do the Mets need to rebuild entirely or will one or two big-name free agents be enough for a playoff run?

BC: No, I don’t think they need to rebuild entirely. And no, I don’t think a big-name free agent or two is all this team needs. Long-term, I think they need to invest more in their farm system — the draft in particular — because that will be the foundation of whatever success they have in the next decade, especially with other teams increasingly locking up young talent early with long-term deals, which leads to weaker and older free-agent markets. But that doesn’t mean they have to give up on next year. If they address their needs in the offseason and stay reasonably healthy (remember Jose Reyes?) — all major ifs — it’s not crazy to think they could contend for a playoff spot.

PH: Roy Halladay, Matt Holliday, John Lackey, Jason Bay and Adrian Gonzalez are all names that have been thrown around a countless number of times on the Mets blogosphere. Based on your knowledge, which one of these five players do the Mets have the best chance of landing this off-season?

BC: I’m not sure they’ll land any of them, but Holliday and Lackey seem like the most realistic targets at this point.

PH: The Mets have been linked to a number of second tier pitching free agents this year, mainly Joel Pineiro, Randy Wolf and Jason Marquis. Of these three pitchers, who is the best fit for the Mets rotation?

BC: In terms of pure ability, probably Wolf, with Pineiro a close second. But a lot of it depends on how much all three are asking for. Marquis might be a better overall value than the other two, especially since he’s a local guy who would love to pitch for the Mets.

PH: Even with a solid 2009 campaign, Luis Castillo still has about $12 million left on his contract, which is turn off for many of the teams interested in acquiring him. In your opinion, will Omar Minaya be able to move the 34 year-old this winter to clear the way for someone else to take over at second base or should do you think Castillo should return?

BC: They can move him. It’s just a matter of what they’ll be able to get in return, and whether that’ll make it worth doing. It’s good when the other GM says, “Sure, we’ll take Castillo.” Not so good when he continues, “if you’ll take Milton Bradley.” My guess is they’ll find a way to move him and sign Hudson.

PH: Around this time last off-season, the Mets acquired J.J. Putz. Clearly things did not work out the way the team would have liked with him last year. Have you heard if the Mets are keeping in contact with the pitcher’s agent or will the team look elsewhere to fill the setup role?

BC: The Mets haven’t talked to his agent lately, and I expect Putz to sign elsewhere. The bullpen isn’t a priority for the Mets right now. They’ll address their other needs first. Plus, Putz would prefer to be a closer — and if not, then to sign for more money than the Mets are likely to offer.

PH: This isn’t really a hot stove question, but pitcher Dillon Gee turned heads last Spring and had a decent year in Buffalo before being shut down with an injury. Do you have an update on his health and whether or not he will be ready to go for Spring Training this year?

BC: Gee, as you know, is rehabbing from labrum surgery. He is expected to be ready for spring training.

Once again thank you to Brian Costa, who took time out of his busy schedule to answer a number of questions for me. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend checking out his blog on NJ.com, as well as following him on Twitter.

On Wednesday evening I had the pleasure and privilege of interviewing current Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher, Seth McClung.

Now before I begin, I’d just like to express my gratitude to him not only for doing the interview but also for his speedy responses.

For the past few weeks all the buzz around baseball has been focused on Hot Stove talk. So I figured why not change things up a bit and talk to a player about baseball in general.

For those of you who are not familiar with him, McClung is a six year veteran in the big leagues and has pitched as both a starter and a reliever for both the Tampa Bay Rays (2003, 2005-2006) and the Milwaukee Brewers (2007-present).

His best year statistically was in 2007 when  he went (6-6) with an ERA of 4.02 in 105.1 innings pitched.

McClung is one of the growing number of MLB players that maintains a Twitter account to interact with his fans on a personal level.

What is pretty unique, in my opinion, is that this interview was conducted entirely over Twitter, which means that both my questions and his responses had to be 140 characters or less (although in the interest of improving readability I have spelled out some abbreviations that were used to accommodate such a small amount of space).

For more on McClung’s use of the popular social media website check out his interview with OnMilwaukee.com’s Andy Tarnoff.

Now without further adieu here is my exclusive Twitterview with Seth McClung:

PH: Throughout your major league career you’ve been a starter and a reliever which role do you prefer and why?

SM: Starting, but I am always one to put the team before myself. I want to win more than anything, therefore I will do what I am asked to do.

PH: The Brewers came so close to winning it all in 2008. What needs to happen for the team to return to the post-season in 2010?

SM: The team that shows up to camp just needs to work hard, I’ll promise to do that and do my best and we will see what happens.

PH: During your years with the Tampa Bay Rays, the team struggled. Could you have imagined them turning it around and reaching the World Series as quickly as they did in 2008?

SM: I always thought that I would be on the team when they did it. I knew they had talent, but I didn’t think it would happen so fast for them.

PH: What was it like watching the players on the New York Mets become so decimated by injuries? Have you ever seen anything similar to that in your career?

SM: It was a hard year for them, but I really didn’t pay that much attention to their fate though.

PH: In your opinion who is the toughest hitter in the National League to get out while you’re on the mound? In the American League?

SM: It’s the big leauges buddy. They’re all tough!

PH: Baseball bloggers these days love to talk about sabermetrics. What’s your personal take on them? Do you look at sabermetric stats when preparing to pitch?

SM: There is a place for numbers, but the only one I care about is the zero at the end of the inning. It’s easy to over evaluate.

And that concludes my candid interview with Seth McClung of the Brewers. Once again I would like to personally thank Seth for doing the interview with me.

Bart Hubbuch of the NY Post was gracious enough to honor our request to answer a few reader submitted questions for us. He does an excellent job of covering the Mets all year long and is a valuable source of information both in the regular season and the hot stove season as well. I hope you enjoy what I believe is a great read on another slow Mets news day. Enjoy…  

Last off season, Omar Minaya proclaimed Mike  Pelfrey the team’s number two starter and we all saw him regress instead of  stepping up. Are the Mets willing to stick with him, or could he be included in  a trade to upgrade the rotation or shore up another weakness?

It’s safe to say Pelfrey’s sub-par season in 2009 set off alarm bells for the Mets. His lack of mental toughness has become a big concern. I’m not sure the Mets are still convinced he has the psychological makeup to be a No. 2 starter, much less an ace. That’s why you see them suddenly saying the top of the rotation is an area of need this winter. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Pelfrey included in trade proposals this year. His extremely cheap salary ($500,000) next season would make him an attractive trade candidate for teams looking to cut payroll, too.

There are so many conflicting reports out there  regarding the Mets and free agent Matt Holliday. Who do you think he will ultimately sign with, and what if any are the Mets backup  plans?

I just don’t see Holliday coming here. Maybe the Mets have been saving up to go after him, but I don’t think that’s the case. And all of their other actions (i.e., draft spending, lack of moves at the trade deadline) since the Madoff scheme came to light indicate this team just doesn’t have a lot of cash at its disposal at the moment. Not only that, but I’m also not sure Holliday truly wants to come to the Mets considering how Citi Field is basically Death Valley for right-handed power hitters. They might go hard after Jason Bay instead, but I think he wants to stay in the AL. I know Mets fans probably won’t like it, but somebody like Xavier Nady, Rick Ankiel or Marlon Byrd might be the fallback.

It looks like Dan Warthen will keep his job  as pitching coach despite an across the board decline in performance by mostly  every pitcher including Perez, Pelfrey, Putz, Santana and K-Rod. I know  Warthen can’t pitch for these guys, but he presided over a team that issued the  second most bases on balls and led the league in bases loaded walks and wild  pitches. Was he ever in any danger of being fired and is he on the hot seat  in 2010?

It’s not just Warthen. All of the coaching staff will be on the hot seat with Jerry Manuel in the final year of his contract. I don’t know if Warthen being brought back was the Mets blaming injuries instead of the pitching coach for all the 2009 woes as much as it was them not wanting to spend the money to go after Dave Duncan or someone of his caliber. It would not surprise me, though, if Warthen gets the ax before Manuel if the Mets get off to another poor start and the pitchers are walking people all over the place again.

Do you think the Mets are actively shopping Luis  Castillo or are there no truth to some of the recent rumors that had him going  to the Chicago Cubs as part of a 3 team deal?

Absolutely, they’re shopping Castillo. Omar Minaya would dearly love for somebody to take the $12 million left on Castillo’s contract off the Mets’ hands. People are leery, though, despite Castillo’s terrific year at the plate last season. As well as him being extremely overpaid, other clubs don’t trust Castillo to stay healthy and are wary of his age and defensive limitations.

With last season now behind them, are the Mets  concerned with the drop in David Wright’s homerun total and do they have any  plans to address the situation by altering his swing or the dimensions of Citi  Field?

I don’t see any changes to the dimensions happening before next season. But if Wright (who, let’s not kid ourselves, is the face of the franchise) has another really poor season power-wise, I bet those fences come in by 2011.

Is there any chance that the Mets will attempt  to acquire San Diego first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and do you think they have  the pieces to get something done?

I could see them making an attempt, but I don’t know how serious they will be. First, the Mets are extremely high on Ike Davis and don’t want to block his arrival at first base in 2011. That’s why you see them talking about Carlos Delgado as a one-year stopgap. Second, it would probably require gutting their farm system to get the Padres’ interest. Lastly, Gonzalez is extremely underpaid for his production (about $3 million a year, from what I understand) and will be looking for an enormous raise — think: Mark Teixeira money — in the next year or two. I just don’t see the Mets gutting their system and paying out huge bucks for a first baseman when they think they have a potential All-Star waiting in the wings.

All of us at MMO would like to thank Bart for taking some time to answer some questions and give us some of his opinions on what might lie ahead for the Mets this Hot Stove season. I encourage all of you to add Bart Hubbuch to your Twitter accounts, and also follow his Mets Blog at the NY Post. He is a valuable source of Mets information and never misses a beat.

I also want to thank all the many readers who submitted questions. I’m sorry we couldn’t use all of them, but I will try to answer some of the ones we didn’t use in our MMO Mailbag feature later this week. By the way, you can also follow Mets Merized Online on Twitter too.