I’m gonna name a couple arms that might interest you Mets fans: Johan Santana, Dan Haren, Joe Blanton, Eric Bedard, Livan Hernandez, Carlos Silva, and Dontrelle Willis. Out of those seven names, I seriously think three of them can make the team without much trouble. Yeah, those are the obvious names, but still. Silva, Livan, and Willis can be a Met tomorrow for all I care. But for Johan, Haren, Blanton, and Bedard, we’re gonna have to give up arms, and plenty of them. However, this past week, everyone has been talking about Johan this, Johan that. Those people forgot that there are other pitchers can also help the team.

Dontrelle Willis pretty much had the worst season he can have. It was ugly, disappointing, and abysmal. The reason being… he changed his mechanics, big time. If he can only get back to his old mechanics, the crazy herky-jerky style, he’ll hopefully go back to his All-Star form. But that’s if, he can go back. Ha, "Jacket" said he can fix anybody, can he fix Dontrelle? Maybe, but that’s a big maybe.

Johan Santana is currently more popular than Christmas when it comes to NY sports. Everytime you turn on a sports report, the first thing you hear is Johan. Now with news coming out that the Yankees are willing to send Hughes, Kennedy, and even Cano, it seems like Johan’s future will be spent in the big city. Again, that’s a maybe.

Dan Haren is the man I want. He’s cheap, he’s durable, and he knows how to pitch. The starter for the AL All Star team last season, he can be a great addition for the Mets. I’ve been hearing that the A’s want Carlos Gomez and a few arms like Humber, Heilman, or Mulvey. Whatever it is, I’m willing to do it, as long as we get Kiko Calero in the deal too. That’s also a maybe.

Eric Bedard and former Met Chad Bradford are also worth talking about. Bedard had a great ’07 season along with a few nods for that Cy Young award before he got hurt in September. The Mets need a bullpen arm, and yeah, Chad Bradford can come back and help the Mets. Oh yeah, that’s also a maybe.

The players the Mets want are all attainable, well maybe not Johan, but most of them are reasonable to get. If Omar can push the right buttons during Winter Meetings, hey maybe we can get a #1 starter before Christmas. Maybe Omar can wrap it up for our Christmas present! Now, I’m just dreaming now, but who knows. Maybe that #1 starter can be a life changer for the Mets. Maybe that #1 starter can win us a championship.

The post From The Orange Seats – Oh, We Need Pitching.. appeared first on Metsmerized.

Sitting in front of a computer while watching some SNY made me think, what does the future hold for us? Well, I know we have the best left-infield in the NL East, if not the MLB, but what about the opposite side? Hmph, that will expose some unknowns. Ruben Gotay maybe get the nod as the starting second baseman next year and maybe in the next few years if he develops his defense. Carlos Delgado will be here next year, but what about the year after that? Enter Mike Carp. Carp, who is in Binghamton right now, is almost a mirror image of Mike Jacobs: good power, OK contact, so-so fielding, and slightly below average speed. But, he does have the potential to go .280 | 30 | 90 if he does deliever. The infield is set, now the outfield.

Carlos Beltran is set until, well, long. So he’s good stint in CF. Now, next year I really hope Lastings Milledge and maybe Carlos Gomez gets the nod in LF and RF, respectively. Although I really think Gomez needs half-a-season to fully develop. If I was Omar, I’d stick a power bat at RF to fill the void for ’08. Now, the future. One big name you should all know: Fernando Martinez. The kid is only 18-years-old and will be 19 in the off-season. F-Mart will be ready by 2009 the earliest, 2010 the latest. Fernando is the perfect example of the five-tool player. He can hit .295 | 25 | 95 | 40 SBs. So, that’s a really good sign. Having Milledge, Martinez, and Gomez in the outfield for the next 10 years is very lightening and warming. That’s if Omar doesn’t trade one of them away.

Catching. Well, Lo Duca will be a free-agent after this season, so you’re gonna need a fill-in catcher until Francisco Pena, the 17-year-old phenom is ready, which would be in 3-or-4 years. But once the calendar flips for 2010, our team is looking amazing.

With Pelfrey and Humber an automatic starter in the future, you’re gonna have to go deep to find more pitching. You have Jonathan Niese who is in St. Lucie, and Deolis Guerra, who is 17 and also in St. Lucie and Josh Stinson. However, Guerra and Stinson are still very far from the majors. Minaya needs to make a pitching signing, maybe a Carlos Zambrano and a reliever after this season to have a good pitching staff in the future.

With all of that being said, you’re gonna have Jose Reyes and David Wright, who is hopefully the captain next year, leading the team. Man oh man, this is gonna be a fun future with the kids playing. Let’s go Mets!

I’m going to the game tonight, so yeah. Oliver, you better be good! 

Oh, and good luck to the Mets in the next two weeks. When I return, you guys better have a 20 game lead. =) 

The post From The Orange Seats – The Future is Bright… Real Bright appeared first on Metsmerized.

Let’s see, Manny Acta did the correct thing with accepting that Washington job. Sure, they’re not the greatest team in the world, but hey, a job is a job. Acta does a good job keeping the clubhouse happy and set, from what I see from the Nationals. The Nationals aren’t pissed because they’re losing, they aren’t mad because they’re last, they’re actually normal and hungry to play. I think Manny Acta is doing a great job with that.

The Mets need something to spark up the team. I told you this before, and I’m telling you this again. Mets hitting isn’t the main problem, Mets situational hitting is. In their last 3 games, they had 28 hits, and only 8 runs. Even worst, they’re horrible with RISP.

Carlos Delgado, in 95 at-bats with RISP, is batting .211. Carlos Beltran, in 90 at-bats with RISP, is batting .240. Paul Lo Duca, in 78 at-bats with RISP, is batting .192! Jose Valentin, in 43 at-bats with RISP, is batting .209. If you ask me, those are not what the Mets are capable of doing. Last year, the Mets were .274 with RISP, this year, .250. Something needs to happen.

Pitching is not the issue anymore, hitting is. And if the Mets can’t execute with RISP, then they’re not going to be NL East champs. Not with this kind of hitting. Again, Mets need that person to spark. And that person should be Moises Alou when he may come back next week, (I hope). Maybe a trade can raise this horrendous stat.

So, leadership needs to be taken here. If somebody’s gonna do it, it needs to be David Wright. The man is the only consistent hitter, other than Jose Reyes. Reyes is the spark; David is the leader, in my opinion. Now, if you ask me who should be the team captain, David Wright is the man.

The Mets need to hear from a Manny Acta like, or take inspiration from the recent Ralph Kiner tribute. Someone needs to something, fast.

Mets Merized Question of the DAY! 

Last week’s answer was Timo Perez! 

This week’s question is:

When did David Wright debut for the Mets and who did he face?

The post From The Orange Seats – Where’s Manny Acta When You Need Him? PLUS QUESTION OF THE DAY! appeared first on Metsmerized.

All-Star Weekend is embraced by the fans, loved by the players, and enjoyed by the management. But, it’s still very important to the players and coaches. Whoever wins this, will take a big jump towards a World Series victory. For the NL, it’s put up or shut up. After being dominated by the AL for the past couple years, they need to win this game, badly. Heh, the National League needs to learn how to take advantage of the All-Star game to get that advantage in the World Series. Believe me, it’ll help, alot.

So when the All-Star game is over, it’ll go back to the Mets, the injury-plagued Mets. When the season resumes, the Mets will most likely have Oliver Perez and Moises Alou back within the first few games of the second half. Then, the Mets would have Endy Chavez, Jorge Sosa, and Pedro Martinez by August. I’m telling you folks. If the Mets play winning ball, doesn’t necessarily have to be a great July, the Mets will win the division easily. The Mets need to play above .500 in the last few weeks of July to achieve success in August.

There’s one question that still stumps me. What will Omar Minaya do this time to shake up the team? What will he do to improve this team? If you ask me, he’s gonna need one more player. That one player should be, well. I don’t really know. But, this Mets team needs one more player to complete the amazing team it should be. Maybe some bullpen help, maybe a good bat to help this offense pump. Again, I’m not God, so I don’t know.

With that being said, it’s time to play ball, National League vs. American League in the 78th Mid-Summer Classic. Enjoy guys, it’s gonna be one fun game at AT&T Park.

Mets Merized QUESTION OF THE WEEK!

Last week’s answer was the Texas Rangers.

This week’s question is: On July 16, 2006, the Mets set a franchise record by scoring 11 runs in one inning. It took place in the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs. David Wright, Cliff Floyd, and Carlos Beltran all hit home-runs.

Who started this inning and what was the result?
 

The post From The Orange Seats – It’s Put Up or Shut Up PLUS QUESTION OF THE WEEK! appeared first on Metsmerized.

Within the last four or five days, the Mets have put two important pitchers on the DL: Jorge Sosa and Oliver Perez. With that said, that leaves the rotation looking kinda thin; it pretty much looks like this: Glavine, Hernandez, Maine, Pelfrey, and Jason Vargas. The Mets are lucky in that the All-Star break is coming up, and the Mets can have their pitchers rest. Perez will most likely make a start in the few days after the break of the All-Star game, returning healthy and safe from any back stiffness. Sosa, on the other hand, suffered from a Grade 2 strained left hamstring. From a fan’s point of view, these days off are a godsend. Players who aren’t 100% will return better than before, and the pitchers have time to recover their arms.

There was some good news about Moises Alou. Reports say his quad is getting better and stronger and he may be a couple weeks away from returning. If he does return in mid-July, Alou would’ve missed about two months of playing time. Now, if Alou does return to the offensive form he was before, the Mets will have a good chance of expanding their NL East lead in August and September. Now, you’re saying, what happens if he does return, what would happen to Carlos Gomez? Well, I believe he’s going to stay. Willie loves a speedy outfielder who can run, catch, and throw. Not to mention, he can also bunt and pinch run too in close situations. 

Players need to step up big before and after the All-Star Break. In my opinion, those players need to be the bench players. If the Mets want an easy cruise through July and August, Mike Pelfrey and Jason Vargas must pitch their A-games. And I do mean their A-games. In a season where pitching wasn’t the issue, it is now. But, if you ask me, they’ll do fine. Even the Ruben Gotay’s and the Ricky Ledee’s on the bench will perform. You know why? They’re hungry, no, not for food silly. They’re hungry for that championship. They’re hungry for a win. They’re hungry for that satisfaction. They’re hungry because they want it all. And you know what, I’m fine with that.

Mets need that one guy to hustle, to play with their all, and to get dirty. Like in the 1986 season, the 2007 Mets need a Wally Backman. They need that adrenaline to boost up all of our players to succeed without the starters. With all the DL stints, the Mets need to put that on the side, and play with whatever they got now. And believe me, if they do, they’re gonna go far, real far.

That’s it from the Orange Seats.

Mets Merized would like to wish all the readers a HAPPY and SAFE JULY 4th!

Mets Merized QUESTION OF THE WEEK!

Last week answer was Tsuyoshi Shinjo.

This weeks question is: Who did Jose Reyes play against in his major league debut?

The post From The Orange Seats – Oh No, Not Another DL! PLUS QUESTION OF THE WEEK! appeared first on Metsmerized.

Today is the final day for All Star voting! 

If you are a REAL Mets fan, than I implore you to vote today for Paul Lo Duca.

He is the heart and soul of the New York Mets and we owe it to ourselves to show him how much we appreciate the impact he has made on our team.

I’m sure there are those of you who think there are catchers more deserving for the All Star nod, but until Major League Baseball adopts a better way to vote, the current system is just a popularity contest.

We need your help to get Paul Lo Duca to San Francisco.  If you truly bleed orange and blue, then please help us get the word out!

Mets Merized Online has just sent a bulletin to almost 20,000 of our Myspace Friends from our very popular Mr. Met page imploring our readers to vote now and vote often!

I encourage all of you to spread the word, because together, we can make a difference!

Remember that you can vote up to 25 times per email registration.

Click here to vote!

The post Do You Really Bleed Orange And Blue? Then Prove It! appeared first on Metsmerized.

There are still a few bumps on the road. Carlos Delgado still can’t seem to hit the ball with consistency. Since June 10th, Delgado’s average has been .220. He hasn’t been able to find those strings of hits to push is over .240, or even .250. Once he finds his steady swing, boy oh boy, the Mets will be unstoppable!

Since I’ve been talking about my perspective on hitting, let’s talk about pitching. During this Mets streak, Tom Glavine looked like the dominant Tom from the early 90’s when he was on the Braves. Back then, Glavine had his control and played with the hitters mind. Good job Glavine, do it again! El-Duque showed me something that made this streak legit. He told Willie, "No man, I wanna pitch to this batter, man." Then Willie agreed, and I’m sure he was happy with the results. Orlando thougt "he’s my batter and I will get him out myself." This determination added to the confidence boost the Mets needed.

Jorge Sosa is a guy who can either pitch like Cy Young, or like Sidney Ponson. But, for most of the time, he’s been pitching lights-out. Sosa has been that fresh air we needed after a bit of a rough ride with Pelfrey. Sosa came in and delivered for the Mets. The Mets needed a pitcher, and we got one.

Now, let’s talk about my man, the "Maine Man." John Maine continues to be the most consistent starter for the Mets this season. He showed that in his previous start, he has the stuff to be the Mets top pitcher for the next few years. And folks, he’s not even in his prime yet. Yes, I know he had his rough outings, but he’s been the stopper on most occasions for any Mets losing streaks. In my opinion, John Maine is the Mets ace. Maine is poised like one, and man, can he pitch.

Last week, I was worried that we needed Moises Alou. Well, we could still use him, but we don’t need him. Carlos Gomez is developing into the player I thought he’d be. A little impatient, extremely speedy, and some pop in his bat. Right now, Carlos Gomez is making us forget Moises Alou. Now, Alou is that player that will make the Mets an offensive juggernaut. However, we don’t need that right now.

The fans are electrifying Shea Stadium right now, and it seems to help out the Mets in a big way. We, the Mets fans, are the catalyst to the Mets success. Without our support, they’re going no where. So, even when the Mets are down, continue to root for them. That’s what they needed all along.

Just as they say on the Flight of the Concord, IT’S BUSINESS TIME! Heh, in a different context of course. But, in all seriousness, LET’S GO METS!

The post From The Orange Seats – WE’RE BAAAAAAACK! appeared first on Metsmerized.