ADD DESTROYING CRIMINAL EVIDENCE TO A-ROD’S RAP LIST?

On Friday afternoon, Michael Schmidt of the New York Times broke the story and identified Alex Rodriguez as the player who allegedly purchased documents from a former employee of Biogenesis of America in an attempt to destroy evidence linking him to the anti-aging clinic’s distribution of performance-enhancing drugs.

When the Miami New Times broke the story in January, I remember saying “this is the White Whale. This is the one that will blow the lid completely off the entire steroid and PED scandal.”

Since that day more than a dozen players have been implicated and tied to Biogensis including Rodriguez, Melky Cabrera, Gio Gonzalez, Bartolo Colon, Nelson Cruz and Yasmani Grandal and 2012 MVP Ryan Braun.

While they all continue denying everything and scrambling for and convenient excuse they can find, the plot keeps thickening and the sordid details are piling up by the hundreds. Real details and real documents that even MLB themselves are trying to illegally buy at any price to get to the bottom of this and protect what little integrity the game has left.

The person charged with the role of Super Spy is none other than Bud Selig himself who has been authorizing and signing off on huge sums of cash that is being used to secure whatever documents they can get their hands on from former employees of the lab who are now all seeking to pay off their significant mounting legal fees.

And while Alex Rodriguez is no less guilty of doing the same thing, there is a huge difference.

MLB wants those documents so they can go after every player that is implicated and try to clean up the game.

A-Rod on the other hand, was seeking to get those documents and destroy them before the FBI or MLB got a hold of them.

But wait, there’s more…

Of course, Rodriguez flatly denied the accusation through a spokesman, but then he dropped another bombshell alleging that it was the New York Yankees that were paying for and buying those documents from the rogue former employee. Wow…

Oh and one more thing… Let’s stop calling them documents and lets start referring to them instead as illegally obtained evidence to hinder an ongoing federal, state and MLB investigation.

These are all allegations at this time, but when this is all over, I think more than a few people, including players, will be looking at life from a different perspective…

Collin Cowgill is MMO’s 2013 Top Spring Performer

Spring training is a time for veterans to get their work in as they prepare for the 162 game grind they are about to embark on. While the veterans are gearing up, there are usually a few roster spots that are up for grabs. These spots are usually a battle between some aging veterans looking to catch on as a reserve, or a young upstart looking to get his first taste of the majors. This spring, the Mets came into camp with seemingly more questions about their roster then they have had in the previous five seasons combined.

What we saw, was a group of young players come in with fire in their belly. They were hungry for a spot on the Mets roster, and with all the openings, there was plenty of spots to be had. Some players surprised, some disappointed, and then some just blew our socks off.

Collin Cowgill wowed Mets fans, coaches, and team brass alike from the beginning of spring training. The youngster is gritty, and showed off his skills ending the spring with a .303/.378/.591 slash line in 66 at-bats. He flexed his muscles cranking five homers, drove in ten RBI, while also hitting four doubles and stealing four bases.

“He reminds me of the way Dude played,” Cowgill’s former manager and one-time Met Rico Brogna said, referring to Dykstra, who was nicknamed Nails. “He’s got the run-through-the wall mentality to make a play 24/7. He just does whatever it takes to get the job done. The entire game matters to him, all aspects, from the moment he arrives at the ballpark.”

The 26-year-old started hitting from day one, and continued to show he belonged up until the final day of spring. He is a right-handed bat, which the Mets need; he has some speed, and showed home run and gap power. He may not have all-world skills across the board, but he is a gamer, and he is just the type of player the Mets need.

Cowgill earned the starting center field job by playing better than the rest of his competition. He saw the opportunity and he went after it. Congratulations Collin, and welcome to the New York Mets!

Honorable Mentions

1. Matt Harvey: The power righty dominated to the tune of a 2.96 ERA.

2. Jon Niese: The Opening Day starter continued to build on a strong 2012 campaign.

3. Jordany Valdespin: Spin has plenty of talent, but Collins did not trust him in the outfield defensively.

Tune in every Monday as I will take on the task of announcing MMO’s Player of the Week!

NL West At A Glance

Arizona Diamondbacks: The D’Backs made tough decisions this off-season  They decided to build their roster based on their team concept, and not based on just overall talent. Some think Justin Upton was the move that proved their concept, but I think it was sending Trevor Bauer to Cleveland. Kevin Towers and Kirk Gibson have an idea of what they want this team to look and act like, and they apparently did not fit that mold. Miguel Montero is one of the best and most underrated players in the sport, and he’s surrounded by a lot more underrated talents. Martin Prado, Aaron Hill and Paul Goldschmidt are all players you never talk about but should. One thing that hurts though, rookie Adam Eaton who excelled in twenty games last year was supposed to be their starting CF this year is now out for about 8 weeks with a strained UCL. Their rotation is young but talented. They are lead by Ian Kennedy and Wade Miley but also have Brandon McCarthy and Randall Delgado whom they acquired in the Upton deal. I am really curious to see what Heath Bell does for this team. If he can revive his career then he and J.J. Putz could be a lights out combination.

San Francisco Giants: The Giants are your defending champions, and just like in 2011, I’m predicting they will finish second in the NL West following their title. The Giants didn’t really improve on anything, and sure the reply “they won it all,” is valid, it can still be argued they needed to improve. Offensively they are very weak, and unless Tim Lincecum returns to Cy Young form, this team cannot boast a dominating staff that will offset the lack of run support. I will believe the 2012 Angel Pagan was the real thing, when and if I see it in 2013. Buster Posey, and Pablo Sandoval provide the run support for the champs, and while I’d love to have them both on most teams, I don’t think they can carry an offense. The Giants chose to not offer Lincecum a longterm deal for a reason, and I think we started to see why last year. Madison Bumgarner and Cain are the real deal, but if Vogelsong, Lincecum and Zito struggle as I expect – there will be a repeat for San Francisco, just not the one they were hoping for.

San Diego Padres: The Pads were one of the best second half teams in 2012. Manager Bud Black seems to be getting the most out of his young roster, and I expect it to get a little better in 2013. First baseman Yonder Alonso needs to turn the corner though and become the complimentary corner player to Chase Headley. Speaking of Headley, is he the real deal after an MVP caliber season or was it a fluke? The Padres are just joining the masses who decided their park is “too” pitching friendly. So how will that help or hurt this team? Only time will tell, but I like their under the radar roster and I think they can squeak by in the NL West to get to third place.

Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers are the sexy pick in this division, which is exactly why I’m predicting them 4th. They went out and grabbed Zack Greinke and Korean free agent Hyun-Jin Ryu to solidify their rotation. During the 2012 season, they also added Hanley Ramirez (now out for 8 weeks), Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett. A-Gone is a superstar, and if he can take the reins and keep players like Beckett and Ramirez in check, things might be better than I expect. To take it a step further, if Matt Kemp and Adrian Gonzalez stay healthy and they along with Clayton Kershaw can be the faces of this franchise and overshadow any issues – this team will be dangerous. I think the talent is there and I’d be a fool to deny it. However, I can just picture this blowing up in their faces like we’ve seen so many times. The end result will be Don Mattingly without a job. Regardless, there are not many better things in sports than turning on a Dodgers game and listening to the poetic methods of Vin Scully.

Colorado Rockies: The Rockies are starting to look more and more like the mid 2000’s Rockies that couldn’t put together a team and had a terrible rotation year after year. This year’s biggest question marks will be based on what they get in a trade for Carlos Gonzalez and whether or not Troy Tulowitzki can return as an MVP candidate. Their best pitcher is coming off Tommy John Surgery (De La Rosa), and I can’t pencil him in as a guarantee just yet. Coors Field effect is less of a big deal than it used to be, but they can’t compete in the NL West with this pitching staff.

Projected Standings

XtreemIcon: Giants, Dodgers, D-Backs, Padres, Rockies
Jessep: D-Backs, Giants, Padres, Dodgers, Rockies
Joe D: Giants, Dodgers, D-Backs, Padres, Rockies

Top Sleeper

XtreemIcon: Josh Rutledge, Colorado
Jessep: Gerrardo Parra, Arizona
Joe D: Tyler Colvin, Colorado

Top Rookie

XtreemIcon: Tyler Skaggs, Arizona
Jessep: Adam Eaton, Arizona
Joe D: Tyler Skaggs, Arizona

Top Pitcher

XtreemIcon: Matt Cain, San Francisco
Jessep: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles
Joe D: Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco

Top Hitter

XtreemIcon: Matt Kemp, Los Angeles
Jessep: Chase Headley, San Diego
Joe D: Matt Kemp, Los Angeles

Next up will be the NL Central.

How cool is that Tron graphic from Kelly? I asked her if she would make me a cool graphic to go with my post and in a matter of nano seconds she emails me this. All Mets sites feature great posts to read, but to have artwork like Kelly’s mixed in with all of our rants and raves really adds a different character and flair to MMO. Thanks Kelly.

After many great posts from my fellow bloggers here, I thought it was time to give you my take on the Carlos Beltran trade and what he meant to me as player and person, and close out what has been a phenomenal Carlos Beltran Appreciation week at MMO.

Like Ed and Kelly, Beltran was by far my favorite Mets player on the team. It’s been that way since 2005 when he joined the team. He replaced the void that once belonged to Mike Piazza who had been my favorite current Met until he moved on.

It was easy for me to root for Beltran because as a Met fan, I’ve learned to love rooting for the underdogs. After the rude welcome to the New York Mets by gasbags like Joe Beningo and Mike Lupica, and the ensuing mass-negativity that would follow, I knew Beltran was going to be my guy. With the deck stacked against him from jump street, plus a new big contract, and then the weight of a fanbase starving for another post season on his shoulders, it was easy for me to view Beltran as the underdog and thus began my personal journey between me and Tron.

I still remember the day when Omar Minaya was introduced by Fred Wilpon, and Minaya laid out his vision for bringing the Mets back to the post season. He said it would take five years to get back there, but he obviously didn’t know at the time that he would be the winner of that offseason’s Carlos Beltran sweepstakes. Apologies to Yankees and Astros fans.

Things got off to a shaky start for No. 15. as unrealistic fan expectations, several injuries including a devastating outfield collision with Mike Cameron, and a never-ending bashing in the media, all contributed to a less than stellar 2005 season. During the last game of that season, one look at Beltran’s face and you could see he had just been put through an emotional wringer – he looked like he had aged ten years. The smile on his face was gone. Welcome to the Big Apple, Carlos.

What a difference a year can make… By the time Opening Day in 2006 rolled around, Beltran-Bashing had reached a fever-pitch in New York. Radio and cable-TV sportstalk blasted Beltran daily - calling him out for being soft, for being overrated, and even for being Latino, and fans were buying into it in droves. It was an ugly time for being a Mets fan, especially a Met fan like me who had just got his brand new Carlos Beltran jersey that Christmas. I couldn’t believe he was being treated and portrayed so poorly.

It didn’t take long before some of those haters were jumping back on the Mets bandwagon as after a slow April start (4 HR, 11 RBI), Beltran delivered a huge month in May (10 HR, 26 RBI) and was now in the top five in about a dozen different offensive categories in the NL, and well on his way to an MVP caliber season. Together with Carlos Delgado, they formed a powerful tandem and after one year of rebuilding, the New York Mets were now in the thick of a post season run and were the top team in the NL East. Beltran would hit a franchise best 41 home runs with 116 RBIs, 127 runs, 38 doubles and 18 steals in one of the best all around seasons in Mets history. He would also win his first Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards and finish 4th in the MVP voting that season.

Beltran led the Mets to their first post season since 2000 that year, and for all the grief Mets fans have given him for that called third strike in game seven of the NLCS, the fact of the matter is that Beltran outplayed everyone in that series. The Mets won Game 1 of the NLCS 2-0 as Tom Glavine and Jeff Weaver locked horns in a pitchers duel. All the scoring came courtesy of 2-run blast by Carlos Beltran, who also made a tremendous play in the outfield – doubling off Albert Pujols at first base with a laser to Delgado.

In Game 4, with the Mets down 2-1 in the series, Carlos Beltran powered the Mets to a 12-5 thrashing of the Cardinals to even the series. Beltran was on base all five times going 3-3 with two walks, four runs scored and jolting another 2-run homer, his second in the series.

Then there’s Game 7 – that’s the game the Mets lost 3-1 with the only run from the Mets coming from Carlos Beltran who doubled and scored in the first inning. Despite a record breaking season, and an NLCS in which he posted a 1.054 OPS in 27 at-bats, Beltran was singled out for simply making the last out in a hard fought series. Never mind his 8 runs scored, his 3 home runs, and his being on base 12 times in seven games, blame Beltran.

In the next two seasons, Beltran would go on to rack up 73 doubles and 60 home runs while driving in 224 runs and scoring 209 in 2007-2008. He also stoled 48 bases and earned two more Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger. But the stigma of that Adam Wainwright curveball was simply too much to overcome for most Mets fans, and sadly his heroics were always met with a subdued calm instead of an exuberant celebration. Sadly, that said more about many Mets fans than it did Carlos Beltran.

In 2009, a misdiagnosed knee injury led to what might have been Beltran’s best season as a Met. When the Mets finally shut Beltran down toward the end of the first half, he was leading the National League with a .338 batting average and a .423 on-base as well as doubles and extra-base hits. Unfortunately, what the Mets diagnosed as simple knee sprain and treated with a cortisone shot, ended up being a serious bone bruise. He would eventually miss more than half the season and although he tried to come back at the end after the Mets treated him with just rest, he would sit out the last remaining games and was prescribed more rest as treatment during the offseason. Bad idea.

The 2010 season couldn’t have started any worse for Carlos Beltran as the Mets organization unfairly attacked him for seeking a second opinion on his knee that had now swollen to twice it’s size and was a constant source of pain. The Mets went ballistic when Beltran proceeded with surgery to repair it even when it was proven that their own medical doctor gave the approval, and that GM Omar Minaya admitting he knew about it and wished his centerfield luck the night before. The Mets would spend the rest of that season portraying Beltran in a bad light at every chance they got. He now not only had a fanbase and a belligerent New York media railing against him, but the Mets owners and front office too, and they used their network SNY to do a daily hatchet job on Beltran all through the end of the season. It didn’t really matter to Beltran, and while it must have hurt him deeply, he never uttered a bad word about his team, the fans or the media, and he continued to pursue every opportunity to help the community here in New York or abroad in his hometown of Puerto Rico with many different charitable events, many of which MMO was honored to cover.

When the 2010 season finally ended, so did the tenures of Omar Minaya and manager Jerry Manuel. Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins were tabbed to replace them. but the biggest story of the offseason wasn’t them, it was Carlos Beltran and his knee and whether or not he would move to right field to help the team. For months this debate fueled sportstalk shows on radio and cable TV until Spring Training arrived and Carlos Beltran would shut all the pundits and talking heads up. Beltran walked into the new managers office and said he would voluntarily play right field much to the shock and ultimate adoration of Terry Collins who lauded him for selfless act.

Of course than the conversation shifted to how many games will Beltran play a week, and how many days can he play until his knee would give out again – just the usual trash journalism. But as has always been the case, Carlos Beltran would once again shut up the always ignorant media and go on to post an MVP caliber season and actually lead the team in games played. Yes, you read that right. Carlos Beltran had become the Mets’ Iron Man.. So lets get rid of him.

The writing was on the wall and Beltran was now a marked man. With every swing of his mighty bat, his value continued to soar, and this under-appreciated Mets all-star was writing his own ticket out of town.

The truth is, Beltran needed to go. Not for all the reasons that have been regurgitated countless times on blogs, radio and TV, but because it really was time for Beltran to shake the dust of this town off of him and go someplace where his talents and his good nature will be more appreciated.

New York took a great player, chewed him up and spit him out, and yet they never dulled his shine. The experience never affected his ability to give back. Even in leaving, he did so with class. He thanked the Wilpons, for what I do not know. He thanked the front office who was bent on getting rid of him from day one. He thanked the manager who I know will sincerely miss his right fielder. And of course he thanked all his teammates who were all saddened and shocked to see him go. His final words?

“The Mets did the right thing. I don’t blame them. They tried to do what they felt was best for the team. I’m happy for them”

Yes, the Mets were being selfish. Not Beltran… He was being what he always was. A class act whose mark was left in the Mets record books, and whose spirit touched everyone that was privileged enough to play with him. You don’t believe me? Just ask the players.

Farewell No. 15.

This concludes our week-long tribute to Carlos Beltran. I want to thank everyone on MMO who contributed, and of course I want to thank all of you for reading and interacting with us.

On Thursday, a judge in Chula Vista, CA ordered the 48 year old Mitchell to stand trial from an incident at the Bonita Golf Course. In July, Mitchell allegedly punched another golfer in the head repeatedly, nearly causing the man to suffer a concussion. The individual, whose name has not been released, was confronted by Mitchell for supposedly making ‘disparaging remarks’ about him.

The former NL MVP is no stranger to the legal system. Growing up in San Diego the one time gang member had been shot 3 times in his youth. In 1991, he was arrested for rape but the charges were dropped. In 99, he was arrested for assault after beating up his father. While managing the Sonoma County Crushers in 01, Mitchell was involved in a bench clearing brawl in which he punched the owner of the opposing team in the head. As a result he was suspended 9 games. The following year he was suspended 7 games after beating up his own 3^rd base coach. He currently owes the state of California almost $5.2 million in unpaid taxes. Former teammate Doc Gooden claimed that during the 1986 season an ‘enraged’ Mitchell physically held him hostage and forced him to watch as he decapitated his girlfriend’s cat. Mitchell adamantly denied these accusations.

Mitchell only appeared in 115 games for the Mets, mainly as a utility player. Gary Carter nicknamed him ‘World’ cause he could play everywhere. In 328 AB’s he hit 275 with 12 HR’s and knocked in 44 RBI’s. But he is best remembered for his role in Game 6.

As the Mets trailed 5-3 going to the bottom of the 10^th Mitchell returned to the clubhouse and began changing out of his uniform. When he was advised that Davey Johnson wanted him to pinch-hit in case Carter was able to get something going with 2 outs, he was already in his street clothes and on the phone making plane reservations to go home for the winter. Urban legend has it that he did not dress completely for his At-Bat, not having time to put on his cup. It was Mitchell who ultimately scored the tying run on Bob Stanley’s wild pitch.

He caused a huge dilemma for GM Frank Cashen. There was no doubt that Mitchell had the talent to be a great player. But with that talent came the fact that he was known to be hot-headed, volatile and short-tempered. Two months after getting that big hit, Mitchell was traded to San Diego along with Stan Jefferson and Shawn Abner for Kevin McReynolds, Gene Walter and Adam Ging.

Halfway through the 87 season Mitchell was traded to the Giants. In 1989, Mitchell helped lead San Francisco to the Pennant. He hit 291 with 47 HR’s and 125 RBI’s and became the first Giant to win the MVP since Willie McCovey 2 decades earlier.

However, 89 was the peak of his career. He was a 2-time All-Star but his indifferent attitude on the field combined with off-field distractions and numerous problems in his personal life caused friction with teammates and team owners. He frequently arrived in Spring Training 30-35 pounds overweight. In 1995, he played in Japan, becoming the highest paid ballplayer in that nation’s history. But he quickly wore out his welcome there as well. When he needed to have knee surgery, he refused to let the Japanese doctors operate and chose to fly back to the US, a move that was seen as a huge slap in the face to the proud Japanese people.

Mitchell left the game in 1998, a career 284 hitter with 234 HR’s, 760 RBI’s and 630 Runs. In his brief but memorable 13 year career, he played for 8 different teams.

Today we will take a look at the award races across Major League Baseball and my picks.

National League MVP: Albert Pujols has had this award sealed since June, and there is no other player as all-around offensively accomplished. Could have had a shot at the triple crown if Hanley didn’t run away with Avg.

Verdict : Albert Pujols

American League MVP: The two best offensive players in the American League have been Mark Teixiera and Joe Mauer. Teixiera is tied for the lead in HR (with Carlos Pena who hasn’t played since August) and leads RBI’s. Mauer finally found his power as unleashed 28 HR’s and 95 RBI, but he decisively leads the league in Avg., OBP, SLG, and OPS.  Mauer leads Tex by 71 points in Avg., while Tex leads Mauer by 11 HR and 26 RBI. The month of April was a wash for both of them, but Tex’s team is the best in the AL, and Mauer’s is fighting for the playoffs.

Verdict: Mark Teixiera

National League Cy Young: Adam Wainwright’s Wins/K/ERA (rank in parenthesis) line looks like 19(1^st)/204(4^th)/2.58(3^rd). Fellow Cardinal and former winner Chris Carpenter has 17(2^nd)/144(25^th)/2.24(1^st). Defending winner Tim Lincecum has 15(4^th)/261(1^st)/2.48(2^nd). This really could go any way. If it were Game Seven of the World Series, I’d be confident in any of them. Lincecum is hurt because his wins are less than the two Cards, but he’s actually had a better season this year than his Cy Young year last year.

Verdict: Tim Lincecum

American League Cy Young: CC Sabathia is the only one with a chance at 20 wins, as he has 19 with one start left. However his peripherals don’t match up to the Greinke, King Felix, or Roy Halladay. Verlander leads K’s by 20+ over Greinke(237), but his ERA is considerably worse. The two all around best pitchers are Felix Hernandez and Zack Greinke. Greinke has 17 wins with one start left and leads the Majors with a 2.06 ERA. Felix has 18 wins with one start left with 211 K’s(4^th) and a 2.48 ERA(2^nd).

Verdict: Zach Greinke.

National League Rookie of the Year: Let’s start with hitters. Chris Coghlan (FLA) leads Runs, Avg., OBP, and OPS. Everth Cabrera (SD) and Dexter Fowler (COL) have 20+ Steals, and Andrew McCutchen (PIT) has double digit HR’s and SB’s. Among pitchers, Tommy Hanson (ATL) and JA Happ (PHI) have both had great seasons and similar numbers, though Hanson had 36 fewer innings than Happ.

Verdict: Chris Coghlan

American League Rookie of the Year: Ricky Romero (TOR), Rick Porcello (DET), and Jeff Niemann (TB) had the best seasons among starters. Gordon Beckham (CHI) had the best all around year among hitters, though Matt Wieters (BAL) lead batting avg., and Elvis Andrus (TEX) and Chris Getz (CHI) both finished with 20+ SB’s.

Verdict: Gordon Beckham

NL Manager of the Year: Jim Tracy took over a Colorado team that was headed for a high draft pick at the end of May. Now, they’re heading to the playoffs, and have a chance at stealing the division.

Verdict: Jim Tracy

AL Manager of the Year: Joe Girardi does have the highest paid team, but they have the best record by 8 games over anyone else.

Verdict: Joe Girardi

Till Next Time

Paul
NL MVP: David Wright
AL MVP: Josh Hamilton
NL Cy Young: Johan Santana
AL Cy Young: Daisuke Matsuzaka
NL Rookie of the Year: Cameron Maybin
AL Rookie of the Year: Matt Wieters

Jessica
NL MVP – David Wright
AL MVP – Grady Sizemore
NL Cy Young – Johan Santana
AL Cy Young – CC Sabathia
NL Rookie of the Year – Tommy Hanson
AL Rookie of the Year – Elvis Andrus

Ryan
NL MVP – Albert Pujols
AL MVP – Grady Sizemore
NL Cy Young – Johan Santana
AL Cy Young – Roy Halladay
NL Rookie of the Year – Cameron Maybin
AL Rookie of the Year – Elvis Andrus

Joe D
NL MVP – David Wright
AL MVP – Evan Longoria
NL Cy Young – Johan Santana
AL Cy Young – Scott Kazmir
NL Rookie of the Year – Jordan Zimmerman
AL Rookie of the Year – Adam Miller

Sach
NL MVP: Albert Pujols
AL MVP: Grady Sizemore
NL Cy Young: Johan Santana
AL Cy Young: Roy Halladay
NL Rookie of the Year: Cameron Maybin
AL Rookie of the Year: Matt Wieters

Rob
NL MVP – Ryan Braun
AL MVP – Grady Sizemore
NL Cy Young – Brandon Webb
AL Cy Young – Roy Halladay
NL Rookie of the Year – Cameron Maybin
AL Rookie of the Year – Matt Weiters

Mikey J
NL MVP – David Wright
AL MVP – Grady Sizemore
NL Cy Young – Tim Lincecum
AL Cy Young – Daisuke Matsuzaka
NL Rookie of the Year – Micah Hoffpauir
AL Rookie of the Year – David Price

Matt
NL MVP – Manny Ramirez
AL MVP – Evan Longoria
NL Cy Young – Johan Santana
AL Cy Young – Felix Hernandez
NL Rookie of the Year – Tommy Hanson
AL Rookie of the Year – Matt Wieters