First let me thank the guys over at Real Dirty Mets. For the past 5 years I was a contributing writer for that site and it was a very fun and rewarding run. I have been a fan of the Orange and Blue for since birth (41 years) and I can safely say I have stuck with this team through both the good as well as the bad.

My forte if you will is my “This Day In Mets Infamy” series which usually involves my critique of how the team may be doing on a given day, as well as reporting what historic Mets tidbits may have happened on that day – whether it Is through birthdays, the passing of a player or whatever transaction may have occurred on that day in any given year. I always try to end my “column” with a Mo Vaughn joke of the day because … WELL BECAUSE I CAN !!!

You will soon find out that my humor spans from a dry sarcastic wit to lame puns, and even a top 10 list. I enjoy feedback so I can’t wait to read all your thoughts  whether you love, hate or are ambivalent towards my writing.

Anyway with that said….. HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!!!!!

Mets alumni celebrating a birthday today includes:

One of the most overlooked closers in Mets history, Skip Lockwood is 67  (1946). In his 5 seasons (’75-’79) with the Mets, Lockwood compiled a record of 24-36 with a beyond respectable ERA of 2.80 (remember those Mid to late ’70’s Mets teams barely scored runs) and 65 saves. He would bolt the Mets after the ’79 season and sign with the Boston Red Sox.

Middle reliever from the ’11 season, Mike O’Connor is 33 (1980) O’Connor appeared in 9 games for the Mets during the ’11 season. He ended up going 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA.

The New York Mets traded back up catcher Tom Wilson  to the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor league catcher Tony Soccaras on August 17, 2004.

The New York Mets traded reserve infielder, Anderson Hernandez to the Washington Nationals for reliever, Luis Ayala on August 17, 2008. Ayala was brought in after Billy Wagner went down with a shoulder injury. Needless to say Ayala wasn’t able to stabilize the pen as the Mets collapsed down the stretch for the second straight season.

Mo Vaughn really is lobbying John Buck to name his newborn baby son Mo Bangferyer Buck…… John Buck has respectfully declined.

The post This Day In Mets Infamy With Rusty: The “Getting To Know You” Edition appeared first on Metsmerized.

With help from Satish Ram, I compiled the draft results of all 30 teams (as well as IFA signings) during the 2005-2010 seasons, and I compared them to the Mets. The results provide a clearer picture of how the Mets stocked their farm during 2005-2010, and the results debunk some the most common arguments about Minaya’s tenure. The link to our data is at the end of this post. below.

This research shows that the Mets compared to all other 30 teams are above average.  The Mets finished 10th overall with 37 total points, and the MLB average is about 30 points.  When compared to other teams, the Mets actually produced a strong amount of players – in fact, only seven teams produced more.

The Mets also have some starters with All-star potential like Ike Davis, Jon Niese and Matt Harvey. In addition to those three, they have quality starters like Ruben Tejada and Daniel Murphy that still provide value in other ways. The Mets do not have a proven superstar player, which is what prevents them from ranking higher, but their combination of depth, quality starters, and potential all-stars separate the Mets from the average team.

Some have argued the fact that Atlanta has had much more success drafting in comparison to the Mets and use this as a knock against the 2005-2010 era. While it’s true the Mets fall way short of Atlanta, my research shows why it is misleading to use Atlanta as a measuring stick.

Virtually every team in the major leagues falls way short of Atlanta.

Atlanta crushed the competition with a staggering 58.5 points.  If we were to use Atlanta as the standard for all teams, every team would look like they drafted poorly as well. The best way to judge how the Mets drafted is to compare how they did to every team, and when done so, they look significantly stronger.

Another common misconception is that the Mets haven’t drafted any elite players and that defines their drafts as mediocre. Like I mentioned earlier, it’s true the Mets haven’t drafted an elite player, but the results show that this doesn’t make the Mets’ drafts mediocre. It just prevents the Mets from ranking even higher.

Many of the elite players were already picked before the Mets even had a chance to pick in their drafts. The Mets could not have drafted a player like Evan Longroria, Ryan Braun or Troy Tulowitzki because they did not have the opportunity to do so.

Sure, there are a few elite players who fell into the later rounds, but since my research shows there are only 35 or so all-stars drafted, and only some fell to the later rounds, criticizing the Mets for not drafting those players is like criticizing the Mets for not finding a needle in a haystack.

This is why I also made a separate ranking which includes draft positioning.  It penalizes the teams who continually pick high, and it gives points to teams who pick later to level the playing field.

When I take draft positioning into account, the Mets jump up to 5th overall with 39 points (the MLB average is 28.6). It’s true the Mets hurt themselves by giving up 1st round picks in some years, but even if they didn’t give up any picks, they would still be operating at a disadvantage against teams like the Nationals and Rays who had the luxury of many top draft picks. What the adjusted ranking does prove is that the Mets did a solid job with what they had available to them.

The reasons why the Mets have been struggling are due to factors like disastrous free agent signings, devastating injuries, financial problems, and an overall failure to surround the team with quality players through trades and free agents.

The players drafted from 2005-2010 are not the problem, but currently they are part of the solution.  The results back this up. Many of these players have bright futures, and will be fundamental to getting this franchise back on the right path.

The post Comparing Mets 2005-2010 Draft and IFA Signings To Other MLB Teams? appeared first on Metsmerized.

I wanted to get a sense of what some of the most popular Mets bloggers, Mets personalities and Top Mets Tweeps thought about Sandy Alderson’s foray into Twitter. Most of the people who responded were very positive about it. Check it out…

I love that Sandy is on twitter. It shows he can relate and interact with the fans along with a sense of humor. I think he should continue to do so. Keep the hits coming. No pressure Sandy. 🙂 ~ Lori Martini, Song Writer “Believe” and Actress

I am fine with his foray into Twitter. His sense of humor is something that is fresh and different; as Matt Cerrone said on my Sunday show, he is probably making more fun of the people that cover the Mets, than the team itself. I do think if humor and sarcasm are the foundation of his account, then he might have to watch the timing of the information. I am not sure if the fans will be interested in hearing about the team’s finances in a humorous manner if they are in the midst of losing 12 of 15. If the timing and appropriateness is managed, I think it’s great! ~ Mike Silva, NY Baseball Digest

I think Sandy has chosen the wrong time to break out his stand-up act. He may think it’s funny to tweet about how he’s saving money traveling to Florida, but it is so inappropriate. Because Mets fans, like myself, think it’s sad that we have a ballclub in a city like New York that is virtually broke. Is it funny dumping salary? Is it funny watching a team fall apart and free agents being signed by other clubs as this one withers on the vine? Very insensitive. Or maybe he’s just trying to get fired. ~ Joe Petruccio, Artist – My Mets Journal

When I found out that Sandy was on Twitter, I was excited becuse not only was it another Mets personality to follow on Twitter, but I actually enjoy his Tweets. I understand where some people may believe that he crossed a line, but having a dry, sarcastic sense of humor, I didn’t find them at all offensive. I think the intended PR move with having Sandy on Twitter was for fans to have the ability to interact with their GM, and for Sandy to be able to listen more to the fans. From what I’ve seen on Twitter, people either love his sense of humor or hate it. Like I said, I enjoy Sandy’s tweets and hope that he doesn’t get Thole’d. ~ Jessica DeMattia, It’s All Mets To Me

I think it’s smart for Sandy Alderson to be on Twitter, as he has become the figurehead / face of the franchise and he can use social media channels like this to deflect some of the negative press against the Mets. As a PR professional I appreciate the strategy of controlling the message; if you can’t get other people to write favorable news about your company, then becoming a source and creating good news yourself is an effective alternative tactic to get positive buzz. ~ Joe Janish, Mets Today – ESPN Sweet Spot

I think Sandy diving into Twitter is fantastic. I personally think he’s hysterical and fans are taking it too seriously. He’s having fun with it. One thing I do think the organization is trying to do is make the GM of the team more visible. Typically the GM is a guy that nobody really sees unless being interviewed. Now fans can access him on a minute to minute basis and it appears he will be willing to at some point answer fans questions. In a year where the results may not be so good on the field, I think Sandy on Twitter could lighten the mood some. ~ Joe DeMayo, St. Lucie to Flushing

For a team with a recent history of miscommunication and lack of communication – it can only be a good thing. ~ Jon Chattman, Huffington Post – The Cheap Pop

I have no problem with Sandy’s tweets – I think he’s trying to create levity in a rather down situation. He’s trying to show the organization isn’t thin-skinned IMO & in some respects is being proactive rather than the usual Mets reactive tendencies. ~ Ed Marcus, Real Dirty Mets

I like that Sandy got onto to twitter. I think it is a great communication tool if it is used right. At first I thought his first few tweets were making fun of the Mets, but upon further review I believe he is making fun of the fans that are making fun of the Mets. At first I thought his first few tweets were a little strange, but since he has said he is going to get serious once Spring training starts I am OK with them. ~ FL Met Fan Rich

To date, I have found Sandy Alderson’s tweets to be entertaining. Unfortunately, some fans and the media take every single thing he tweets to heart (e.g. His early tweets MUST mean he is making fun of the team’s finances!). To me it seems he is just having a good time, poking fun at the ridiculous and over-dramatic responses from fans and others about the team’s current state. I’m not offended by anything he has said. I will say, I have, at times, questioned whether or not it has really been Sandy tweeting. I don’t know him personally, so I can’t say I know his type of humor. Rumor has it though, that this is how he is. I find it refreshing. I think more fans would prefer it if he would interact with his followers. Once this happens (He’s promised to do so once he arrives in Port St. Lucie), I think that will be the time to analyze whether or not his being on twitter is appropriate and beneficial to the team. ~ Kelly Lake, Aerys Sports – Curious Case of Sidd Finch

These are some of the most passionate Mets fans I know and follow. They are all very opinionated.and I always enjoy reading their thoughts on the team. I linked to all of their sites so you can follow them too, and they are all on Twitter if you wish to follow them there as well.

The post Mets Blogosphere Weighs In On Alderson/Twitter appeared first on Metsmerized.

I even asked if we should make one with a halo or without…

Well as luck would have it, longtime friend of MMO and frequent commenter, Mr. North Jersey decided to take on the challenge and offered up this clever rendition:

Nice job… I love the hint of Mr. Met in the role of the Creator!

You can catch more of Mr. North Jersey at his site; Real Dirty Mets.

For more of MNJ’s movie poster parodies click here!

The post Sandy Almighty appeared first on Metsmerized.

For this weeks edition of MMO Take Five, I spoke with Real Dirty Mets Blog’s very own Ed Marcus (AKA Rusty Jr).

Brandon Butler: What are your thoughts on the Mets potentially changing Citi Field’s dimensions?

Ed Marcus: I am pretty ambivalent on the altering of the dimensions of Citi Field. I admit I was never fond of the quirkiness of the dimensions, but bringing in the fences will not only help our offense score runs, but it will obviously help our opposition. I just hope when all is said and done Citi will play like Shea did – mostly neutral, but with a slight edge to pitching.

Brandon Butler: Chris Capuano has been made available in trade talks recently. Do you believe the team will bring him back in 2012, given the free agent market for pitchers is relatively low?

Ed Marcus: Capuano is a tough call. I think the Mets would like him back. The fans woudn’t mind him coming back, and Chris has stated that he would love to come back. It depends on how much money the Mets are willing to commit to him & if it will be a multiyear contract. The contract that he signed this past offseason was an incentive laden contract for a pitcher who was coming off his second shoulder surgery.  He has proven that he has been healthy & somewhat reliable, but it wouldn’t surprse me if another team offers him more $.

Brandon Butler: In your mind, who do you think surprised you the most this year with this Mets team?

Ed Marcus: No one has surprised me.  I’m mainly disappointed because I felt that this team was good enough to finish over .500. However, I am very pleased that for the most part this team has showed a never say die attitude.

Brandon Butler: Since its the end of the season, if you had to give a grade to both Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins, what grade would you give them, and why?

Ed Marcus: I have to give Sandy Alderson an A. He has done everything as well as you could expect from him. From cutting ties with Perez and Castillo, to getting out from under K-Rods contract, and trading Carlos Beltran for Zach Wheeler. He got raves for the players that he selected in this past draft. With the offseason lingering, his ultimate test will be resigning Jose Reyes. If he cannot resign him, then Ruben Tejada will have to prove that he is a suitable replacement.

As for Terry Collins, he gets a B+. He has proven that he can handle the different egos that makes up this team and he has been the polar opposite of Jerry Manual.

Brandon Butler: Final question. Lucas Duda has really shown that he belongs on this Mets team with his offensive ability. Will we see Duda in RF on Opening Day 2012 despite his defensive struggles?

Ed Marcus: Yes, Duda will be starting in right field next season unless Sandy can swing a deal for a top flight player.

The post MMO Take Five With Real Dirty Mets Blog’s Ed Marcus appeared first on Metsmerized.

I wanted to post something before the game and I had a choice to either write something about the trash at Citi Field or some non Mets news that smelled very Phishy. What a choice, huh?

I decided to go with the latter, but before I do, I wanted to thank our friends at the uber-cool Real Dirty Mets Blog. for pointing me toward this phoul stench of a story. GravediggerHebner explains:

According to many reports, including this one from The Houston Chronicle, the G20 Summit has forced the Philadelphia Phillies inter-league series originally scheduled in Toronto, Ontario for June 25-27 to be moved to Philadelphia.  The games will be played in the Phillies home ballpark, Citizens Bank Park, but will be “road” games for the Phillies.  The DH will be used and the Toronto Blue Jays will be considered the “home” team and will bat last.

Additionally, Major League Baseball released the following statement:

“After reviewing all of the options with the parties and taking all of the security considerations into account, it was determined that the best course of action is to play the series in Philadelphia,” Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. “I appreciate the cooperation of the Blue Jays, the Phillies and all of the parties who have helped resolve this challenging situation.”

Personally, I think it’s already unfair that they get to play the normally alotted 82 games in that tiny bandbox, but 85 games?

I also understand that the Phillies will not have homefield advantage because of the DH and not getting last licks, but that doesn’t mean I have to buy into it.

Why didin’t they just swap series with another team instead, was all of this really neccesary?

Hopefully, there will not be any homerun records at stake at the season winds down.

The post There’s Something Very Phishy About This Post appeared first on Metsmerized.

Our old friend David Ponte from NYsportSpace, is at it again and draws on his unique wit to compile his “10 Positive Prophecies for the 2010 Mets“.  I always enjoy reading his take take on the Mets and this one is definitely worth a look. My favorite one is number three:

Johan Santana will throw a no hitter at CitiField. This pitching accomplishment has eluded every Mets pitcher that’s ever donned Blue and Orange. Johan will do this in August in a game that no one expects him to, and the reason why will be because not one spectator will utter the words “no” or “hitter” in the 9 inning span.

Are you nervous about tonight’s game against the Marlins with John Maine on the mound? Well you shouldn’t be, and in fact I urge all of you to just relax, grab a cold beer, tune in and enjoy the game. I just finished reading a great post on The Real Dirty Mets Blog that will show you just how spectacular John Maine has been against the Marlins. You want clear and convincing evidence? Then go to TRDMB and check it out.

I really don’t understand what the big deal is about this 7 Nation Army, so maybe someone can explain it to me. I mean I completely understand that we have players hailing from Venezuela, Japan, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Canada, Panama and Mexico, but that really doesn’t mean anything in the grand scheme of things… does it? I just want the Mets to put together the best 25 players they can, regardless of where they are from. Just give me a team that will play good, fundamental baseball and give me meaningful games in September. Is that too much to ask?

Finally, I caught some cool chatter yesterday on Twitter from all my fellow Mets bloggers and fans. It looks like most of us are in agreement on two things…

1. You can play Mike Jacobs if you want, but please don’t bat him higher than 5th in the order.

2. It looks like Jerry Manuel made a good decision keeping Fernando Nieve over Nelson Figueroa, but Figgy would have been better than Sean Green.

Incidentally, are you following us on Twitter and Facebook yet? What are you waiting for?

Have a great day, and Lets Go Mets!

The post Checking In With Some Friends… appeared first on Metsmerized.

Most of this is being fueled by the same Peter Gammons who said Jason Bay would rather play in Beirut when in fact Bay had already agreed to a contract three days earlier with the Mets as we all later learned. As is usually th case with Gammons and his former cronies at ESPN, it turns out we only got a half truth, the half that would raise fears in our fanbase and further embarrass our team.

I encourage all of you to read this post entitled “Jason Bay Tells His Side of the Story” at The Real Dirty Mets Blog along with the accompanying article he links back to from Rob Bradford of WEEI Radio.

It’s an eye opening account that sheds light on the real story behind the “so-called bum knees” that you all should be aware of.

For those of you looking for the short of it, put your minds at ease, Jason Bay’s knees are fine.

The post Real Story Regarding Jason Bay’s Knees appeared first on Metsmerized.