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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

1. What was your favorite Mets moment?

In this clip, Rick discusses his friendship with Willie Randolph, and how special it was to get within one out of the World Series with a rotation comprised of Tom Glavine, Steve Trachsel, John Maine, and Oliver Perez, who was called up from AAA and ultimately found himself pitching in game seven of the NLCS.

2. Is their an optimal number of innings pitched or a minimum body of work that a young pitcher should have before being promoted to the Major Leagues?

Rick explains how economics figures into the equation, but ultimately if a prospect is obviously better than someone already on the Major League roster, why hold him back?

3. Why are pitch counts so important?

Rick explains why it is essential to monitor a pitcher’s pitch counts, and that besides a decline in performance it’s also a matter of preventing injuries.

4. I assume you’re familiar with the Verducci Effect, what are your thoughts on it?

Rick totally shocked me when I learned that it was he who told Tom Verducci about the effects of increasing a pitchers workload too fast in his formative years.

I will post the rest of my interview with former Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson later this week.

We congratulate Rick and wish him the best of luck with his new team the Milwaukee Brewers. He inherits a staff with a great young starter in Yovani Gallardo, but also a staff with many challenges as well.

We are pleased to announce that Rick has agreed to periodically share his unique perspectives on pitching and baseball, as a contributing writer for Mets Merized Online. We are honored to have him share his insights with our readers.

Finally, for all of you aspiring pitchers out there, check out 3PSports.com to learn more about the importance of performance based behaviors and how they can help you improve your performance and minimize injuries.

Rick Peterson is one of the most foremost experts in the country when it comes to peak performance coaching. He has dedicated a lifetime to developing a unique approach to coaching, and the results have been quite dramatic and speak for themselves.

While with Oakland, his staff led the American League in ERA for two years, posting a 3.63 in 2003 and 3.58 in 2002. Under his guidance, the A’s finished in the top three in ERA from 1999-2003. Tim Hudson, Barry Zito and Mark Mulder all flourished under his tutelage. Each became a 20-game winner and Zito captured the 2002 American League Cy Young Award. We watched Mike Pelfrey and John Maine emerge as Mets starters under his guidance, and even Oliver Perez delivered his best performance while Rick was the Mets pitching coach.

Rick was kind enough to answer several general questions about baseball, his time with the Mets, Scott Kazmir, the rise in pitching related injuries, his future, pitch counts, and the Peterson Effect which I know you will all get a kick out of.

Before I get to those other questions, I wanted to know more about 3P Sports and asked Rick to tell me how it all came about. I found his story to be quite compelling and it revealed a side about Rick that most Mets fans probably didn’t know.

Besides learning that he was a New Jersey native, had a degree in Psychology, and was an accomplished oil painter, what really stands out the most is how dedicated he is to genuinely wanting to help baseball players prolong their careers by minimizing injuries and enhancing their performance. His panel of experts at 3P Sports includes Al Leiter, Tom Glavine, Jim Duquette and even one of the most respected and well known orthopedic surgeons in the world, Dr. James Andrews. Interestingly enough is the fact that Rick Peterson was the first person to walk through the doors of Dr. Andrew’s American Sports Medicine Institute, so many years ago.

In this audio clip, Rick explains how 3P Sports evolved from just an idea into what it is today. He also explains the principles of the Peak, Performance, Pitching program. 

In the next part of my interview, we tackle a host of questions on baseball, the Mets and pitching in general. Here is a sneak preview where I asked Rick about pitch counts.

Check back tomorrow for Part 2 of my interview with former Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson. Listen to us discuss Rick’s favorite Mets moment, Scott Kazmir, innings pitched, and the Verducci Effect.

MMO - Do you address each and every fundamental mistake you see with each player after/during each game to ensure that it does not happen again, or is it just part of the game learning experience?

JM - They are addressed at some point that we would consider an appropriate time. Sometimes the appropriate time is not right away, sometimes it is right away, but we have to determine what is that right time. But those fundamental mistakes are addressed, no doubt. 

MMO - Why do so many base runners rounding 2nd and 3rd turn their head to look at the ball when they should be picking up their coaches?

JM – What you’re really witnessing is the player maybe being at this level and exposed a lot earlier than what you would have seen in the past. Therefore, you will see a lot of fundamental mistakes unfortunately. But that’s because people are coming to this level at a much quicker rate without the experience of the development systems.

You can also listen to the audio of the interview on our media player below.

I was just discussing this with someone the other day. Jerry Manuel is right. Many of the Mets’ top prospects have either been rushed to the majors, or promoted within the farm system at a much quickened rate.

Because of this, many of these players come up without the benefit of a full learning experience in the minors. The talent and the skills may be Major League ready, but they lack the fundamentals and approach to the game that they could only get by making full use of the minor league developmental system.

Most players first learn basic baseball fundamentals in high school or college, but it’s at the lower levels that these fundamentals become more refined, much of them through mistakes they make that are addressed early on, long before they arrive to the Major Leagues. The coaches and instructors constantly work with these players and teach them about a variety of things including situational hitting, when or when not to steal, who to throw the ball to, how to slide, etc.

Unfortunately, the Mets have been forced to push some of these players quicker than they may have liked due to some unforeseen injuries and circumstances. And while it’s always exciting to see a young player promoted from the minors, the one drawback is how raw and inexperienced they look and act. It goes without saying that you should expect to see more than the usual number of fundamental mistakes, as we have seen from Daniel Murphy, Nick Evans, Fernando Martinez, and Angel Pagan this season.

This past weekend, Nick Evans told Mets Merized Online that he was going to Winter Ball this off season. I would suspect that Murphy, F-Mart (if healthy), and Angel Pagan may join Evans as well. At this point the best thing to do is to continue playing them so that they can further develop their skills, as well as their baseball IQ.

Thanks to Dave and Jerry Manuel, and also Randy aka Bayonne, who submitted both questions.

Finally, to read about Dave’s amazing experience at Citi Field, go to NYsportSpace and read about his excellent adventure. He also took a bunch of great photo’s which you can see there too.

On Friday, we were fortunate enough to ask Angel Pagan a few questions while the Mets were taking batting practice at Citi Field. David Ponte did a superb job covering the Mets for us that day on the field and from the press box. He had to do some quick thinking as most of the questions we sent him off with were for some other players we had been targeting. He did a fine job, and was able to give us a glimpse into the type of player Angel Pagan is.

Here is their Q&A which I transcribed for you, or you can listen to the interview by clicking play on our media player. 

Q – How do you feel about your season so far?

A – It’s been very positive for me. I’m doing pretty good and I’m helping the club.

Q – How do you feel about leftfield next year?

A – Pretty good. If they give it to me I’ll do my best. I’ll be getting ready for next season and I’ll come prepared to bring my best and help this club to win a championship.

Q - Where would you ideally want to bat in the lineup?

A – Where ever they put me. They can put me in the nine hole after the pitcher, and I’ll take it. Wherever this team needs me to produce, I will do my best for them.

Phil Hoops recently wrote a nice piece on Angel Pagan, and Satish Ram selected him for Metsmerized Player of the Month for August. Pagan has been a catalyst since becoming an everyday player due to all of the injuries. In just 64 games played, Pagan has hit.301 with 13 doubles, 8 triples, 6 homeruns, 28 RBIs, 13 stolen bases and 41 runs scored. His .832 OPS is among the highest on the team. 

Whatever his role ends up being next season, Pagan is a gamer who’s willing to do anything to help this team win. He’s also had his share of baserunning gaffes this season, but those are things that will improve as he gains more experience. We actually talked about that with Jerry Manuel. The bottom line is that Pagan has been one bright spot in a a season with so few of them. You can never have enough guys like Angel in the clubhouse.

A view from the press box during our first day with press credentials.

We’ll be posting a few more interviews later today, including one with manager Jerry Manuel. And later this week, I’ll have an exclusive interview with a former Met that I know you won’t want to miss.

We want to thank Mike, Shannon, Doug and Dave for their help and assistance, and Jay Horwitz for being so cordial. Remember to also visit Dave at NYsportSpace for more on the Mets and all the other New York sports teams. Football season is here, so catch all the Jets and Giants action on NYsportSpace.

MMO has learned that first baseman Nick Evans will be one of several Mets that will be playing winter ball this off season. David Ponte met up with Evans this past weekend and asked him what his plans were for the off season.

Q- What positives if any can you take from this season?

A – I think it’s definitely a good learning experience for everybody to go through struggles like this. Hopefully we all learn from it and be ready for next year.

Q – What are your plans for this off season; one baseball thing and one non baseball thing?

A – I’m going to be in Winter Ball all off season working on stuff. So I’ll pretty much be spending most of time down there. I’m pretty much focusing on “all baseball” this off season.

You can listen to the audio here:

Nick Evans has lost some of his shine this past season. I believe a lot of it had to do with not making the team out of spring training. He went to AAA-Buffalo and got mired in a terrible slump that had him batting .211 and it led to a demotion to AA-Binghamton.  He was hardly impressive for the B-Mets, batting .276, but earned a callup after the Mets placed Johan Santana on the DL. Once considered the heir apparent to first base, especially after the Mets traded Mike Carp in the J.J. Putz deal, Evans may have to reinvent himself this winter if he wants to get back on the Mets radar for the short and long term. He’s still young, but the Mets do not have the luxury of time on their side as they look to quench the thirst of an unhappy fanbase.

The Mets have yet to officially announce which players will be playing winter baseball, but we have learned that first baseman Ike Davis and shortstop Ruben Tejada will be playing in the Arizona Fall League.

Ike Davis is also participating in the World Cup in Europe after being selected for Team USA, as we reported last week.

David Ponte contributed to this report and you can follow his take on the Mets and all New York sports at NYsportSpace.

Will Sommer: How did you begin your coaching career in minor league baseball?

Mako Oliveras: I signed in 1968 with the Red Sox and ever since then I’ve been in baseball

Will Sommer: For how many years have you been coaching with the Mets organization?

Mako Oliveras: This is my 3rd year. I have been the manager of the B-Mets since 2007.

Will Sommer: What are your thoughts on how the season has gone so far?

Mako Oliveras: Well you know record-wise it’s not what we’d like to have but with developing players we’ve done a good job.  (Jonathan) Malo, Tejada, Holt, Mejia, (Emmanuel) Garcia are guys who are all so better now than when they started the season.

Will Sommer: Ruben Tejada is 19 years old and struggled somewhat last year in advanced A ball, how do you think he’s held up this year physically and mentally?

Mako Oliveras: I think with better players he’s turned it up a notch. He’s been doing outstanding. He’s hitting close to .280, and he’s been a very solid player all year.

Will Sommer: Have any coaches in Binghamton told you that you will indeed be called up to the majors September 1st?

Josh Thole: No, nothing I’m just trying to finish the season strong with Binghamton, and that’s all I’m focused on.

Will Sommer: So as to Adam Rubin’s report you haven’t heard anything about you getting the call?

Josh Thole: Nothing, I’m just trying to win here in Binghamton. And that’s all I’m focused on.

Will Sommer: What inspired you to write your book “The Magnificent Seasons?”

Art Shamsky: Well the book is really about three special teams. I realized about 20 years after we had won that there was so much interest in the ’69 Mets. And it was a year where all three of the teams, the Jets, the Mets and the Knicks, or that period of time, all were underdogs and had never won before. If you look back in the history of New York professional sports, the Jets had never won before and the Knicks had never won a championship before and, of course, the Mets had never won one before, so I saw how people were still, 20 years later, were still coming out to see the ’69 Mets, and I realized that it was a very, very special team, and knew that the Jets and the Knicks were also very special teams and that each team had its own set of characters. Of course, the Jets had Joe Namath and were really huge underdogs, as we were; and the Knicks had an array of stars, including Willis Reed and Bill Bradley and Dave Deboucher and Dick Barnett, and Walt Frazier; and even though they weren’t as big as underdogs as we were, they were still not favored to win because they were playing in the championship against a Los Angeles Laker team that had Will Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor. So it was an exciting time for New York sports.

It was a terrible time for New Yorkers and many people around the country and the world because of the war in Vietnam and a lot of things that were going on. And so I just thought it was really a book that I think people would enjoy learning about these teams and learning about how three of us were underdogs and won. And then I put it in the backdrop of what was going on in the city and the country and the world at the time, using some timeline events to show how important these teams were, particularly to New Yorkers, but people all over the country who followed the exploits of these teams and really followed them as underdogs. And then I think it really made people look at everything in perspective. If we could win, things could get better for them, too; and I think that’s really why I wanted to write it.

Will Sommer: When did you realize that all three teams were underdogs, and all three teams upset a Baltimore team at one point?

Art Shamsky: Well, we were the second team to win. The Jets won January 12, 1969, and then we had all spring and summer to see how exciting that was for them. And then when we won in October (I think we won October 16, 1969.) it was the Knicks’ turn. And quite honestly, I think even the New York Rangers had a chance to win also. I think they went to the finals that year, which would have been incredible for four teams to win; but I think after we won, the Knicks kind of didn’t feel any pressure, but I think they just saw that there was an opportunity for them because, heck, if the Jets could win and we could win, so could they. And they certainly had, of the three teams on paper, they had the best chance to win. We were really underdogs to the Baltimore Orioles, and the Jets were underdogs to the Baltimore Colts, and I think the Knicks beat the Baltimore Bullets in the quarter finals. As good as it was for New York’s sports, it was tough for Baltimore sports teams because they had lost to all of us.

Will Sommer: During the ‘69 season, Did the Mets have a sense that it wasn’t just about baseball because so many of your fans either had relatives or friends fighting in the Viet nam War – - did you have a greater sense of pride?

Art Shamsky: You know, it’s interesting, I talked to everybody who was part of those winning teams and asked them if they knew what was going on, and obviously they knew. They knew that the world was going through some really tough times. Remember now, in 1968 when the Jet season started, you had two assassinations in this country and all sorts of social unrest with the Democratic Convention in Chicago was turned into all sorts of problems and then we got into ’69 with the war in Viet Nam really going through people’s minds. And then in ’70 when the Knicks won, just to use a timeline event, I think they won in May 7 or 8, and two days before they one, or three days before they won, they had the shootings at Kent State University where five students were killed by the National Guard, and nine were injured; so it was just really difficult times, and I think… I don’t want to say “coincidence,” I think it was really something very special as after the Jets won, then we won, and the Knicks, that you had these three teams really doing some incredible things and really, if you stop and think about it. You weren’t there, but I’m sure you’ve read about all these things, but if you look at those teams when Joe Namath running off the field after they won Super Bowl 3 with his finger pointed up to the sky, and then when Cleon Jones catches the last out of the ’69 World Series and basically goes down to one knee; and then Willis Reed running on the court, game 7 against the Lakers when nobody thought he was even going to play, those are icon moments in the history of sports, particularly in New York City. So I think those three things are just symbolic of what it meant to the City of New York, and again, people in the country who followed these teams, because I know Mets fans are all over the United States. Some of the transplanted New Yorkers are moved to other places, so even back in the late sixties, so we were being followed by many people all over the country, and I just think it was a situation where… You may never see again in professional sports, where a city has three championship teams, and particularly teams that never won before.

Will Sommer: How long did it take to write your book? 

Art Shamsky: I thought about it for a long time, but the actual writing of it took about a year. I spent many, many hours at the New York City Public Library doing research on events that took place in the ‘60s, late ’60s, particularly ’68, ’69, and ’70. And the interviews… I did over a hundred interviews and they were time-consuming. Basically, the interviews themselves, while they took some time, just translating them onto a computer and putting them on word-processing took a lot of time. And then picking out particular answers that I thought were prevalent to what the book was trying to do. So all in all it took about a year, but it was really a labor of love. I really enjoyed doing it and was lucky enough to have tremendous cooperation with not only the players who were on the winning teams, but players who were on some of the losing teams. And then I also interviewed politicians, newscasters, sportscasters, Viet Nam veterans, and was lucky enough to get Joe Namath and Bill Bradley and Tom Seaver to do the forwards; and I got Bob Costas, the great sports announcer, to do the intro. So I had – - And really, the great artist, LeRoy Neiman, was nice enough to let me use some of his artwork to put on the cover. So you had that combination of people involved that was really terrific for me.

Will Sommer: The Mets were a last-place team from ’62 to ’68. Did you guys have any feeling in spring training of ’69 that you would be World Series champions?

Art Shamsky: Probably, if anybody would have said that, you would have said they’re crazy based on what we had done before. I came over to the team in ’68 from the Cincinnati Reds along with some other players. Gil Hodges came over around the same time in terms of being named manager of the Mets, and although there was a nucleus of young pitchers, really it was really a team that had been known as the “Loveable Losers,” particularly from the first few years. The first year in existence in 1962, they lost 120 games. I mean it’s very hard to believe a team could lose 120 games. And I think because of that, people just expected the team to lose, and then the event that happened in subsequent years where the Mets really didn’t play well, I think fans just came out and started to – - just came out to the game to see them lose, to see them screw up and do things on the field, whether it be base-running or just trying to catch balls and stuff; and then I think really what by us winning in ’69, and in 1968 we finished in 9th place a half game out of 10th. There was only one division, then in 1969 they went to two divisions. But I think by finishing 9th, almost in last place, it made the victory in 1969 so much better. If you are unexpecting to win, and you do win, and people don’t think you can win, and you still win, that victory is so much more sweeter than it would have been if you were expected to win, and it was a different situation. But by not having played well their first seven years in existence and coming off 1968 where the team, even though they had some good young pitchers, really wasn’t considered a contender. And then to go ahead and win it all the next year, I think that victory is why that team is so special now, even 40 years later. The legacy of that team lives on forever because people appreciate what that team accomplished, and the cast of characters who made up the team.

Will Sommer: When, during the season, did you starting thinking as a team, “Hey, we have a shot of running the tables”?

Art Shamsky: I think even at this point 40 years ago in July, I don’t think we really thought we could win the Division. We were still, I think, as of August 1, nine games behind the Chicago Cubs in the National League East. And there was no wild card back then. Only the two teams from the division who won the division would play in the playoffs. So I don’t think really we started thinking about that until really the middle to the 3rd week of August when we knew we were on a roll because I think from the middle of August on, we were almost unbeatable; and as we got into September, we knew that we were playing very well and that all sorts of things are possible. Now, the thing I think that really is important here is to understand that this was a team that got help every night from a different person basically. It really was the epitome of a team victory in a sense because, if you look back on the box scores, it wasn’t just one person, although guys were having some really good years. Cleon Jones was hitting 340 and Tommie Agee was having a great year, but there was also guys like Kenny Boswell, and Ed Charles, and Wayne Garrett, and Donn Clende non, and Ed Kranepool, and Jerry Grote, and J.C. Martin, who were really contributing; myself and Ron Swoboda. It seemed like there was a different person doing something to help us win a ballgame, and I think people remember that. People remember the names of the players on that team because they were treated to different people contributing to that victory.

Will Sommer: Basically the polar opposite to this year’s team.

Art Shamsky: Well, it’s not over yet. That’s how I, you know, who knows what’ll happen. Think about baseball, and particularly the National League East this year is that basically the National League East, although the Phillies are on a roll right now, it’s not a tremendously strong division. So if you still stay within contention, there’s enough teams that you’ll be playing over the course of the year that you should be able to beat. Now whether they do that or not, that’s a different story, but if you can stay in somewhat contention, at least into September, you never know what can happen; and when the Mets get some people back healthy, that they might be able to play a little better.

Will Sommer: When people think of the 1969 Mets, they think of Seaver, Koosman. Who, in the clubhouse, was the unsung hero in 1969?

Art Shamsky: You know, that might be true what people think, but we wouldn’t have won without Cleon Jones, and we wouldn’t have won without Tommie Agee. We might not have won without Donn Clendenon. I mean, if you look at the people on that team, the players on that team, again as I said before, everybody contributed to something. But look at what Tommie Agee did that year. He led off and, I think, and hit 26 homeruns leading off, plays he made defensively in the outfield. Cleon Jones hitting 340. You look at the platoons that were out there. He platooned in right field, Gil Hodges; he platooned in first base, platooned in second base, he platooned in third base, and he platooned at times behind the plate. So you had what is that? Five positions where he was getting at least ten people in the games playing and doing things to help win. And everybody did contribute. I mean, when I wasn’t playing and Swoboda was, he was doing it. And when Clendenon wasn’t playing, and Kranepool was, they were doing it. And the same went along with Weis and Boswell at second base, and Garrett and Charles at third base, and also J.C. Martin and Grote. The thing about Grote though, he was the best defensive catcher I ever saw, great defensive catcher. So we were strong up the middle defensively, catcher, short, second, and third base, no matter who was playing. So an unsung hero, you can name a lot of guys. I mean I could go down the list and there would be, it would be 15 to 20 guys who I think were unsung heroes. But the fact remains that their names are remembered by everybody who have some memory of that 1969 championship team.

Will Sommer: And my final question is: Do you plan on attending the celebration on August 22nd?

Art Shamsky: My plans were to attend it, but I’m not sure. I had a conflict with something that I was committed to out of town, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it; but if I’m not there, my soul will be there and I’m hoping that’ll be a wonderful weekend, but I’m doing my best to be there.

Editors note: This was originally posted on Mets Fans Forever

1. According to a report by Jon Heyman, Omar Minaya rejected a trade that would have landed Roy Halladay in exchange for prospects; F-Mart, Tejada, Niese and Parnell. I was actually shocked Omar turned it down, and felt the deal could save this season and set the Mets up for next season too. What are your thoughts?

If that were an actual, bona fide proposal for a yea or nay, then two GMs ought to be out of a job. An oft-injured outfielder, a hard-throwing reliever, a projected middle-of-the-rotation starter and a non-power-hitting, teenage middle infielder playing above his level? For Roy Halladay? Look at what the Mariners gave up for Erik Bedard. Erik Bedard! Even high-ranking Mets officials say the Blue Jays, at best, were just floating ideas to see how much they could get. The Mets don’t even believe Halladay will be traded. So why did this report come out? No doubt someone high up with the Mets said it. Reports usually aren’t fiction. I would suggest the probable reason is that the Mets could then say: A, “Look, we’re talking to teams.” And, B, “Look, there’s a big market for our guys.” A report that Omar Minaya is safe not coincidentally surfaced the same day. Think about whose interest that is in.

2. I get the sense that not even the Mets themselves know if they are buyers or sellers. Lets assume they are sellers… What players, if any, might we be able to move for prospects? Do we have anything a contending team might want from us?

The Mets are not renting players. If it helps them for 2010 and beyond, great, such as Francoeur-Church (although it’s highly debatable whether it achieved that). As for selling, the Mets wouldn’t do that. They can’t admit they’re out. And trade what? You need Bobby Parnell and Pedro Feliciano for 2010. In Parnell’s case, he’s an affordable, late-inning option on a team with a bloated payroll that needs young players to offset big contracts. In the latter case, have you seen how many lefthanded relievers the Mets have gone through this season trying to find someone competent to join with Feliciano?

Fortunately, Fernando may exceed the at-bat total (130 by Baseball America standards), so I’ll hopefully be absolved of ranking him if the magazine asks me again next offseason to do it. I wouldn’t commit to it this far out, but Jenrry Mejia is the guy scouts say is the most legit, so he’d probably be my No. 1 right now, followed by Wilmer Flores and then Brad Holt. Beyond that, I’ll still need to do a lot of research to get a legitimate top 10. Josh Thole probably has crept in there somewhere, although I’d like to see better power numbers. One scout said a Scott Hatteberg-type career would probably be the best case scenario.

It clearly was botched, whether the advice was sound and things unpredictably went wrong, or whether the original treatment course was just plain bad. The Mets knew a bone bruise existed, yet had a $119 million player injected with cortisone. A month later the bone bruise had doubled in size. Sources continue to tell me Beltran is privately upset. And whenever I get Mets officials ranting at me, I ask to point out what’s factually incorrect in my reporting. No one ever has a reply. Usually, the response is more about how the trainers should be off-limits from my scrutiny, since they’re not public people. More generally, there are clear problems with the way Hospital for Special Surgery recommendations are used. I had a conversation with an AL official on Monday who, unsolicited, said 29 of 30 teams would have placed Jose Reyes on the DL as far back as San Francisco, or at least L.A. You may remember that even in Boston, Omar Minaya was still calling Reyes day-to-day.

I would argue that time is now.

The option is for $9.1 million. I believe when the Mets acquired Putz last December, the intention fully was to pick that up, if only to trade him. Now, I don’t think that’s possible. It’s too big a gamble for a team that only has a net of about $30 million coming off the payroll and so many holes. That would be nearly a third of the net coming off for a luxury item.

I seem to be the only one saying Omar Minaya is not safe. While I can’t say Omar is definitely out, my sources tell me Jeff Wilpon’s view is tipping and a three-year extension worth an estimated $1.1 million a year would not be an obstacle to making a change.

Adam, thanks again for your time. We look forward to reading more about the Mets each day in the Daily News and on your blog, Surfing The Mets.

JD - One of the most talked about pitching prospects lately has been Jenrry Mejia. A few days ago I read in one of your blog posts that he hit 102 MPH on the radar gun and I think you sparked a whirlwind of excitement in the Mets blogosphere. I would love for you to share your thoughts on Mejia. Is the hype justified? What type of a starter does he project as? What is his ETA?

BM – First of all, let me say this: The 102 mph is what flashed on the scoreboard at NYSEG Stadium here in Binghamton. I have no way of verifying the accuracy of that.

That being said, Mejia has shown some pretty electric stuff. His fastball is, of course, fantastic – he’s hitting the high 90s with ease. He’s got an excellent change-up, and he’s been working hard on his curveball, which he used as an effective strikeout pitch in his last start.

Is the hype justified? That’s hard to say. Remember, he’s still a 19-year-old kid. He’s still learning how to pitch. No matter how good your stuff is, you’ve still got to learn how to pitch, rather than just throw that speed-ball by guys. He’s got to get stronger mentally, learn how to handle tough situations when they arise. Talent-wise? The sky’s the limit for him. He could be a high-end starter, I think. But he’s got a way to go.

JD – You have seen quite a few hitting prospects over the years march through Binghamton. Which ones gave you the best impressions and where do Nick Evans and Daniel Murphy rank in that group?

BM – Murphy is the best minor-league hitter I’ve seen in four years. He was fantastic – he could hit for power (he put one home run off the top of the big video board here last year), he could hit for average, he could go the other way. My favorite Daniel Murphy stat from last year was that he never went more than two games without a hit. That’s just stunning.

Evans was fantastic last year – a little more power than Murphy, but still a good average hitter as well. This season’s been an interesting one for him – he was awful in Buffalo to start and took about two weeks to get going here. But now that he has, he seems to have refound his swing. The coaches I talked to here said Evans had to learn how to deal with failure – something he hadn’t really had to do until the start of this season in Buffalo.

Other good prospects: Mike Carp (who’s in Seattle after the Putz trade) could rake as well as anyone, and Josh Thole’s been fantastic this year.

JD – We’ve heard so many conflicting opinions on Fernando Martinez ranging from some scouts tabbing him as the teenage hitting machine to others saying there’s nothing there to get excited about. Look into your proverbial crystal ball and tell us what you see in F-Marts future?

BM – If I had any skill with a proverbial crystal ball, I’d have a big house on the ocean and spend my days hanging out with my wife and playing with my dog.

But with Fernando, he was such a better player by the end of last year than he was when he first came here in 2007. And remember – the kid is just 20 years old. 20! I don’t buy the notion that, because he was rushed through the system, he should be showing people something now. The fact that he put up solid Double-A numbers and was hitting well at Triple-A tells you all you need to know about his talent. Is he the next hall of famer? That I can’t say for sure. But look at it this way – if it takes him another three years, he’ll still be only 23. That’s still so young in baseball terms.

(By the way, the F-Mart nickname has got to go. Is this what it’s come to in sports, guys just get nicknames based on their initials? It was fine for A-Rod, but that’s it. Fernando itself is a great name to use almost as a nickname for him).

JD - How is right handed pitcher Brad Holt doing in Binghamton? He had such an amazing season last year, and he has really shot up so many of the prospect ranking lists around the web. Will he remain a starter or convert to a reliever? Is he someone Mets fans should get excited about?

BM – Holt has made just one start (as of Friday, June 26, when I’m writing this) because he sprained his ankle after his first start. Nothing serious, and he’s on track to start on Saturday the 27th in Akron. So I really can’t speak to his potential, having seen him just once.

JD - What’s the story on Josh Thole? Is he the catcher of the future for the Mets and do you care to make any comparisons so we can get an idea of what to expect?

BM – Thole’s having a great, great season so far. He’s as good a hitter here as Murphy was last year, and you know my feelings on Murphy. He doesn’t have the power that Murphy did, but he’s just as good an average hitter. His defense is coming along – he’s getting better both calling the games and making the throws to second. Plus he’s got a fantastic attitude – total team-first guy, very positive attitude. I’m not good at comparisons, but just know that Thole’s going to be a very good player for a long time. 

JD - Final Jeopardy question… After being selected with the Mets top pick in last years Amateur Draft, some have referred to Ike Davis as a bust. Care to disagree?

BM – Absolutely. You’re going to call a guy a bust after 58 games at Short Season A-Ball? Please. This isn’t the NFL or the NBA – in baseball, guys take longer to develop. Davis has had a great June, both at St. Lucie and since he’s been called up to Binghamton. You’ve got to give a guy a chance to develop.

I want to thank Brian for taking the time out to answer some questions for our site, and I urge all of you to check out his daily updates at Behind the Plate. I’ve been a dedicated reader going on three years and have learned so much about our future Mets in the process.

1. Please tell us how two very unlikely partners came to start Subway Squawkers?

Jon: When Lisa and I were at The Daily News, our boss gave us the opportunity to create original content for the Web site. For several
years, the Yankees had dominated the New York baseball world. But in the spring of 2006, the Mets were on the rise and the rivalry no longer seemed so one-sided. So we came up with a project that would treat both teams equally, which was a novelty at the time.

Lisa: Jon and I used to work together. And we disagreed constantly, albeit in a friendly way, about everything under the sun, especially the Mets and Yankees. For some reason, our co-workers found our arguments entertaining. So we wanted to do a blog that would reflect our real-life conversations, where we argued about our teams in a good-natured way.

We’ve tried to translate that spirit to Subway Squawkers. We’re proud that we’re a place where Yankee fans, Met fans, and even Red Sox fans can argue about their teams, but also have fun with it.

2. I recently read some articles suggesting that all inter-league rivalry series like Mets/Yankees and Cardinals/Royals be reduced to three games per season instead of six. Chipper Jones spoke out against playing six games last year citing that it’s unfair to some teams, and it’s picking up steam. What are your thoughts on that?

Lisa: Other than the fact that Larry Jones gets on my last nerve (something I have in common with Met fans!) I don’t want to see the big rivalry games cut, especially not with the new ballparks. With the exception of Opening Day, the Subway Series tickets are the toughest tickets to get at either ballpark this year, so fans are still very much into it. I wouldn’t mind seeing the Subway Series games be spaced further apart from the Phillies and Sox games, though.

Jon: Having a home-and-home rivalry series is great for New York fans and I hope it continues. But how many other inter-league rivalries have the intensity of Mets-Yankees? If Orioles-Nationals is more the norm, I can see the point of having all teams in a division play the same schedule. Just as long as Lar-ry doesn’t get credit for the idea!

3. Do the both of you ever attend a Mets or Yankees games together?

Lisa: Yes, and we usually have a good time. Jon gets annoyed whenever I wear a Yankee shirt to Citi Field, though. I think he’d prefer that I go incognito or something when entering enemy territory!

Jon: I don’t wear any Met gear to Yankee Stadium unless it’s the Subway Series, and that’s the only time I want to see Yankee jerseys at Citi Field. But I do enjoy going to Met games with Lisa, especially since she likes Citi Field as much as I do. I don’t mind the occasional Yankee game, but I would much rather see the Mets.

4. For both of you – Who is your favorite player ever to play for both the Mets and Yankees?

Lisa: Darryl Strawberry. Despite all his struggles – or maybe because of them – I find him a compelling figure.

Jon: David Cone. Someone who had a good career as both a Met and a Yankee. And someone who has always appreciated being an important part of both teams.

 5. Do the both of you take jabs at each other after a particularly brutal loss?

Lisa: Yes and no. We make jokes about our teams, but we try to heed the old adage about how comedy is tragedy plus time. For example, Squawker Jon wanted to do a jig after the Red Sox won the 2004 ALCS. But when I called Jon on the phone, literally weeping on the Staten Island Ferry after witnessing the horror of Game 7 in person, he had the good sense not to gloat or tease me that night.

A few days later, though, Jon toasted the Sox’s victory with champagne in front of me. Then I mocked him for celebrating in the first place, given that his team didn’t even make the playoffs that year! It would have been like me buying champagne to toast the Phillies winning it all last year.

Jon: We do make fun of many losses, but often the other person is making even bigger fun of his or her team’s screwups. But when it comes to the really brutal losses, we do tend to wait a little while. Lisa held her tongue after the Mets lost the 2006 NLCS. But, starting the following spring, she has voted for Yadier Molina for the NL All-Star team three years in a row!

6. Have you reached a consensus as to which new park is your favorite, Citi Field or the new Yankee Stadium?

Lisa: Jon and I both like – make that love – the food at Citi Field. Yankee Stadium food is decidedly mediocre, at least the stuff that’s available to the average fan. Also, the seats at Citi Field are closer to the action, while the Yanks moved the upper deck back 30 feet.

What Citi Field gets wrong is the breathtaking lack of Mets’ history in the park. True, the Mets will never be able to outdo the Yankees’ rich history. But romanticism aside, the Mets actually have won more championships – and have had much better attendance – than Fred Wilpon’s beloved Brooklyn Dodgers ever did. It would be nice if the Mets’ ownership would celebrate their own team in their own ballpark.

Jon: Citi Field is a great place to watch a ballgame and has fantastic food. The new Yankee Stadium is big and cold and just a newer version of the old place. The Mets may have had an advantage in that nobody wanted a newer version of Shea, so they were to incorporate the best ideas from other new ballparks. While Citi Field does fail on honoring Mets’ history, the new Yankee Stadium could also do a much better job of showcasing the many championships and Monument Park.

 7. Jon, what will the Mets need most at the trade deadline?

What the Mets need most is not to give up what’s left of their farm system in a panic move. Unfortunately, the Mets are a lot more than one player away at this point. But if they did not have to give up too much, I would like to see the Mets get an outfielder who could also play first.

8. Jon, Jerry Manuel – Boom or Bust?

Boom last year, somewhat of a bust this year with his odd treatment of some players. But as the injuries mount, I am admiring more his ability to keep the Mets in the race. Now if he would just stop batting Gary Sheffield cleanup.

9. Lisa, Joe Girardi – Boom or Bust?

Boom. He was the right choice after the Joe Torre era. He was a little tentative the first year, but, Red Sox aside, he’s been coming into his own this season.

10. Lisa, you’re an expert on rivalries, does the Phillies/Mets compare to the Red Sox/Yankees from what you’ve seen and heard lately?

The Phillies-Mets rivalry has a lot more trash talk!

Yankees-Red Sox used to have that, but now the players on both sides try to downplay the rivalry.

11. Last one, predictions for the weekend series?

Lisa: Yankees will win the Subway Series, two games to one. And if I’m wrong, I predict I will hear it from Mets fans – and my writing partner!

Jon: With Maine now hurt, things could get ugly for the Mets in the first two games. But Johan Santana will salvage the final game.

Thanks guys for taking some time out for our readers. I love your site Subway Squawkers and I’ll keep checking in everyday!

Please enjoy this interview I recently conducted with Michael Shapiro, author of the new book, “Bottom of the Ninth”.

Will Sommer
Your book, Bottom of the Ninth, what inspired you to write it?

Michael Shapiro
I guess the thing that really inspired me to write Bottom of the Ninth was the idea that… What baseball became over the 1960s, when I really became a fan, was not necessarily inevitable. The Mets of the early 1960s were not inevitable.  Expansion the way it happened was not inevitable, and really the fact that football over the 1960s would slowly pass baseball by as the most popular sport in the country was not inevitable either.  So if it wasn’t inevitable, why did it happen?  I went back and I began to look at the story about what was happening in the late 1950s, really after the Dodgers and the Giants left New York, and New York (inaudible) National League team, what happened?  The Mets didn’t just appear.  Events and people guiding those events really began to set in motion what essentially the chain of events that led to what we have right now in baseball, and that really led me to Branch Rickey into the Continental League and to really a story that I hadn’t really never heard of about this attempt to start a third Major League and as a way of really bringing baseball into the 20th Century in many ways.

Will Sommer
Now the Continental League, Branch Rickey was obviously involved, but who else was?

Michael Shapiro
Branch Rickey was the man. What happened was the Dodgers and the Giants leave New York.  Bill Shea, an attorney, is sent by the mayor to find another National League team to replace the Dodgers and the Giants, except no National League team wants to move and the league has no intention really of expanding. So as Shea travels around the country, he discovers all these other cities that have been trying for years without success to get teams of their own in Houston, in Atlanta, in Minneapolis, in Toronto, and he realizes that there’s a whole host of cities that want in that have been kept out, and so it doesn’t take all that much time to begin to see that there are a lot of allies to this.  But what he needs is a blueprint, and the blueprint and the idea is Branch Rickey, the idea of a third Major League, eight teams, seven new cities that have never had teams of their own, one in New York because you need New York, the media capital, and the idea that they would play each other for the first four or five seasons until they were ready to play the big leaguers and that most importantly they would share the money that they got from TV so that no team would be at a financial advantage over the others where the Yankees really dominated the American League.

Will Sommer
Now Branch Rickey, you say that in your book, that he ended up losing out because he wanted to truly start the Continental League.

Michael Shapiro
What happened with Rickey is that it was clear when you go down to the Law Firm of Congress and read through Rickey’s papers, what you begin to see is a guy who truly believed that he had found the path of baseball salvation. that he could really… The game in his view, and he was right about this, was really falling on hard times.  Attendance was down.  People no longer wanted to go into downtown ballparks where they couldn’t find parking, new games like professional football really beginning to capture people’s imaginations, the game was really sort of stuck in many ways where it was in 1903 when the American League and National League had join forces.  There had been no expansion since then; and Rickey saw that baseball was going to lose, hence the idea of coming up this idea of a third league.  What happened is that the men who joined with Rickey, it became ever clearer as this thing began to unfold were very much like the guys who in the big league owners.  They didn’t really care about baseball. They cared about getting in, to being part of the Major Leagues.  All they wanted was to be part of the Major Leagues. They didn’t care about how good the teams were; they didn’t care about how good the games were as Rickey did; they just wanted to be Major League owners.  And so for them it became ever clearer, this was just a device. For Rickey, he really believed in this; and at the end what happened was as soon as the Major Leagues after fighting this thing tooth and nail finally realized that they had to give in or else face the threat of congressional sanction which meant really looking again at the historic exemption from antitrust laws, once they saw that was going to happen, they said, “Fine, we’ll make a deal.  We’ll take four of you in now, four of you guys later, and you’ll do away with your league.”  As soon as they made that offer in August of 1960, they immediately said, “Okay, the hell with the Continental League.  And thank you very much, Mr. Rickey, we really appreciate your help.”  They were never serious about this.  He was serious about this.  He had the vision. He had the plan and in a sense they just kind of used him.

Will Sommer
So basically what you’re saying, Branch Rickey did see this Continental League challenging Major League Baseball, but the other people involved saw it more like a bluff.

Michael Shapiro
Exactly. Craig Cullinan, who was one of the guys who was instrumental with Houston, eventually getting the Colt .45s, now the Astros, said years later, “Well it was great boss.  I mean we really got these guys to  give into us and finally allow us to have teams.”  But right before the 1960 World Series, which is where the book ends, Cullinan went to Pittsburgh because all of sudden people were vying for who’s going to get Houston a very valuable franchise and he wrote to Rickey and he said, “Look, I hope we can see each other in Pittsburgh, but I have to think that if we had all stayed together, we really could have made this enterprise work.”  But the fact was none of these guys believed in this except for Rickey.  All they wanted was teams of their own; and in many ways, that is baseball.  I mean that is baseball to a tee.

I mean you look at the comparisons of football.  At the same time that this is happening, Lamar Hunt is starting the American Football League and he’s tempted by the NFL to abandon one of his – - one of the guys who had joined in with him, a guy named Bob Howsam from Denver, who was also the guy who the Denver represented him for the Continental League, and Hunt wouldn’t do it. And the AFL started, had a rocky first season and slowly over the course of the next few years, more and more people began to turn out for the AFL and within 10 years, they and the NFL had merged and at the same time the NFL began, accepted the idea that what was good for everyone was good for each of them.  Pete Rozelle could push League Think as much he wanted, but he needed George Hallas and Art Rooney and Art Modell and Wellington Mara to say, “You’re right.  We’re the guys who were from the beginning and we realize that if we all throw in together we can be more successful.

Baseball never got it and to this day resist that, and I think that that is really many reasons why football has emerged as the great American sport.

Will Sommer
You write about Casey Stengal, why?

Michael Shapiro
The reason I wrote about Stengel is that really what the book is about is a story about these two old men. These two grand old men of baseball who loved the game and who don’t want to walk away from it.  They want to stay part of the game. And I think what’s really touching about this is that Stengel is the face of, the embodiment of the most successful in the game, the New York Yankees, and the Yankees wanted to get rid of him.  He’s been around too long; the players are getting tired of him; the owners are getting tired of him, and Stengel wants to show that he is as smart on the field as by the extension Rickey is off the field.  He has the vision; he sees the game, and he still has something to give.  In the end, what happens is he… The Yankees lose the 1960 World Series and there is a pretext which they really need and that’s to fire him.

Will Sommer
How long did it take to you write Bottom of the Ninth?

Michael Shapiro
Well writing a report, I guess about a year and a half, almost two years of a lot of research and then the writing. I mean these things take awhile.