Some interesting linkage today dealing with our Mets and other baseball topics also remember tonight at 9PM EST its Pro Baseball Central with our guest tonight Craig from the Marlins blog FISH STRIPES as we continue our segment of keeping the NL East enemy close.

 

Looks like Omar has decided to solidify the pen by offering LOOGY extraordinaire Will Ohman a contract, who if he signs would be the final pieced in the pen.  I liked Omar’s idea of having some spots up for grabs as to infuse some competion in camp but after two seasons of bullpen malaise Minaya wants to build the best bullpen he can and by adding Ohman (.197/.285/.318 vs. LH) he would do just that.

 

It would set the pen up to look like quite strong:

 

Frankie Rodriguez

J J Putz

 

Sean Green

Duaner Sanchez

Tim Redding

 

Pedro Feliciano L

Will Ohman L

 

The back end with Rodriguez and Putz is solid. Green could be the guy that guy that breaks out big if Old School Dan Werthen can get him to keep his fastball down and work his slider as when he does he gets ground ball out. He doesn’t give up a lot of extra base hits but he needs to work on his control as his BB/K rate of 36/62 needs improvement. Hopefully Duaner returns to his Dirty days after battling injury and bad attitude. Redding will compete for the 5^th spot with the Chief but I have confidence that Freddy Garcia will win that battle and Redding will be the long/swing man. That leaves Feliciano and maybe Ohman as two top lefties in the pen. On paper it’s a pretty impressive pen and one Omar should be proud of putting together but let’s see how it plays out on the field.

 

Brain Schneider doesn’t want to be a part of a platoon at catcher. That’s fine but for that to happen he needs to do three things, (1) Stay healthy, last year he pulled a hammy in spring training and that hurt him in more ways than one (2) Tell Team USA thanks but no thanks if they call for him at the WBC and (3) Don’t suck. Not just with the bat even though that was a problem but more so with his glove and calling a game, the two areas he was a big disappointment with last year. Schneider needs to understand he’s not here for his stick.

 

Welcome to the MIKE FRANCESA IS A BIG BLOW HARD CLUB,  Ryan Church. The club meets Monday-Friday from 1-6 at this location.

 

The more the Used Car Salesman opens his mouth the more he proves my point that he is a total asshole.

 

Neil Best of the outstanding WATCHDOG blog (some day Neil will reciprocate a link) has a transcript of Ron Darlings appearence on MLB Network. I was intrigued about this quote:

 

ON THE DYNAMIC OF THE 1986 METS TEAM:

 

“The leaders were Hernandez and Carter, guys who had come over and learned winning baseball from where they played, but I think even more importantly you say ‘had fun’ and you’re right, it is a different time [now], a lot of the stuff that happened in ’86 certainly couldn’t happen now in 2008 and 2009 but that team was so solid and I’ll tell you the nature of that team. We were coming back we had lost a 4 game series in Chicago, we get into St. Louis about 8 o’clock at night and Davey Johnson pulls the bus over at a Morton’s Steakhouse. He rushes the entire team in and we all go in there and sit, after a 4 game loss, heads down, the whole team sat in there for 3-4 hours and just kind of discussed how the game went. That’s how close they were.”

 

I can’t imagine what this site would be like if I was bloging back in the day. I’d would have started a blog just on the comings and goings at Rusty’s as that was the place to be back in the day.

 

 

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Man O Manischewitz  we are swimming in baseball news today most of it negative of course but still with temps looking at the high 50’s in NYC today and players  breaking down the gates to get into St Lonesome to work out spring is defintetly in the air.

Tomorrow night at 9PM we will have another edition of Pro Baseball Central and our guest will be Craig from the Florida Marlins blog FISH STRIPES. We will talk NL East, the lowdown on the new stadium and get an overview on the Marlins, plus we will have Mets news from the opening of camp and I’m sure Joe McDonald and I will touch on Alex Rodriguez and the effect his being outted has on the Highlanders, so join us at Pro Baseball Central tomorrow night at 9PM EST and as always you can join the debate by calling in at (646) 595-4462

 

Glad to see someone in the main stream call out Captain Craptastic to step up and show some leadership. Seriously Highlander fans, how bad is it when D-Wright shows more support for Alex Rodriguez than your field leader?  This story doesn’t go away until Jeter steps up and sticks by his teammate no matter how much it hurts him. It’s not always about you Diva errrrrrr I mean Derek,

Another reason I have a little “spring” in my step today is while reading the NY Daily News with my Special K this morning, I saw the first Mets Notebook of the year by Adam Rubin.  Ah when the ink stain wretches fly down to Florida that means spring is in the air.

They shoot horse don’t they? Well maybe someone needs to put Titan Tom Glavine out of his misery. So much for wanting to be around wifey and the kids. Phony bastard!

 

LHP Joe Beimel is crying that no team will pay him big dough to pitch. Maybe it’s because you’re not worth a multi-million dollar salary to be a LOOGY.  There are guys out there that can do as good if not better job for half the price. I’d love to get on board the collusion conspiracy train but the truth is ML front offices have smarten up and have stop over paying guys who are league average or below.

The ‘Stache is back!

We pause now for this public safety announcement: Brady Anderson please report to the free clinic for testing!

Every spring there are a plethora of baseball books that are released but this one by Darryl Strawberry looks to be a winner.  Just read this clip from PAGE SIX of the NY Post and you will know why some people are sad that Shea Stadium is being torn down:

    Although he doesn’t name names, Strawberry relates how team members picked out girls from the stands for quickies. He once watched a pitcher march a frisky fan to a private room for oral sex: “I was jealous. When I saw her heading back to her seat, I gave her a sign. She smiled, turned right back around, and met me in that same little room . . . I had to be quick and run back out on the field.”

 

Another time, “I was in the clubhouse, having one last quickie with this cute little Florida girl. Charlie Samuels, the equipment manager, came in and caught us. He just stood there shaking his head while I finished up.”

 

Nik Kolidas of Kiners Korner is my hero. Not a good posting but a GREAT posting here.

 

 I am a supporter of Israel. But I’m also very proud to be from Brooklyn.   

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It’s not the Sugar Hill Gang or N.W.A. but here it is submitted for your approval a blast from the Mets past

A tip of the Mets cap to two very funny guys (Funny? Funny how? Like they are here to amuse you like funny) Will Nunziata and Steve Mittleman not only are they lovely and talented but they’re Mets fans too for the link.

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The whole steroid stigma won’t be lifted until there is some kind of amnesty for the “Roid Ragers. Kind of like the cities do for illegal guns have the players hand in all their syringes and unused PED’s with no questions asked.  Then the rank and file of the Players Association must take back there union. I know most of the members of the MLBPA have never worked a day in their lives so as someone who is a union member let explain to you fellows that even the cleanest of the clean are all painted with broad brush of taint. A large segment of the baseball fans feel you are all a bunch of dirty cheaters and I know if I were cleaner than the Board of Health I would be on my union reps ass to uphold my reputation. Remember the union works for you not the other way around.

 

Enough with Chemical Alex lets talk Mets.

 

Baseball Prospectus one of the best sites for baseball info has using their PECOTA system tabbed the Mets to win the NL East at a record of 93-69. PECOTA also has the Mets giving up 713 runs, the lowest in the NL and their offense scoring 833 runs (only the Cubs @ 865 and the Phillies @ 837 scoring more).  PECOTA projects big years for the BIG 3 but also a solid season for Carlos Delgado (.277/.355/.486 26 HR 96 RBI)

 

I’m happy to see Johan Santana turn down an invite to the WBC, a tournament baseball needs like more drug test leaks  

 

The usual suspects are in Mets camp already. I swear D-Wright has a key to the place and it looks like Dan Murphy is following in his foot steps. I’m falling in line with a vast majority of Mets fans as I feel if the Mets are not getting Manny then let Murphy have the everyday LF job. Say no to Bobby Abreu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

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Its 48 hours since the Alex Rodriguez was juiced story and I’m officially bored with the whole thing but when it comes to my anger, Rodriguez ridin’ dirty, pisses me off the least in fact here are my anger issues with this whole sordid affair:

 

The Leak

 

 To me this should upset you more than the crime of using PED’s. Look at it like this, say you when you were a teenager you broke the law but at your sentencing the judge says that the charges and verdict will be sealed with the contents never seeing the light of day. Now you’re an adult and you have walk the straight and narrow and have become a pillar of the community but one day someone who maybe you picked last for punch ball or stole his prom date finds a way to get that sealed envelope and made it’s contents public, Well that’s what happened to Rodriguez and Bonds and the reason the public doesn’t give a shit is because they are two of the most polarizing players in baseball. Let’s hope Sully didn’t steal some Bazooka down at the General Store as a kid but Sully is beloved by the nation and would be given immunity.

 

MLBPA

 

 For years the union has been stealing the owner’s lunch money and kicking them in the nuts so it gave them a false bravado that they were tough guys. So Gene Orza’ mind was so clouded he thought he’d act like Moe Green with the Feds came a calling. “You want names”? “I’ll give you names, Gene Orza, I was making my bones when you guys were junior G-Men” You want the names of the BALCO 10? Well kiss my ass”. Well they didn’t kiss Orza’ ass the kicked all over the data center and then took ALL THE NAMES, of the players on the confidential list. Orza and Fehr should do the honorable thing and resign from their positions as they have failed the rank and file terribly. It’s not to often I agree when the Sock Puppet, Curt Schilling but he’s right it’s time for everyone to come clean and fess up to taking PED’s  because every major league player has been pricked with dirty syringe whether they are innocent or not. The one issue never addressed by the union is the health of its members as pertains to the side effects of taking PED’s and what treatment will be needed for the players down the line when they feel the side effects of taking these drugs. No Orza and Fehr are to busy being play-play gangsta’s and doing a poor job of that as well. 

 

 

The Main Stream Media

 

At first I thought Jason Stark and Crazy Uncle Bill Madden were getting a head start on their April 1 columns but these two are actually serious about what they wrote. Stark, is crying about the tainted records that Rodriguez will establish and how he is not a Hall of Famer and how there will be more great players left out of the Hall because of this scandal. And Mad Man Madden wants the Highlanders to eat Rodriguez’ contract which is as nutty as those “70 Show “costumes Madden wears on TV common guys get a grip will you! I guess Madden and Stark miss the good old days when ballplayers abused alcohol and used the code word “belly ache” for gonorrhea.

 

Captain Craptastic

 

Here is your time to shine Jeets. You have to show up at Rodriguez presser with your arm around his shoulder grit your teeth and say “Alex’s teammates are behind him 100 %” if not the Highlander season is doomed. They way Cap Crap stood up for the Giambino and Reverend Pettite he has to step up with his Sergeant of (injured) Arms Jorgie Posada and embrace this dumb bastard in order to show that he is a leader. On second thought Jeets just be yourself so I can watch the Highlander season go down the drain.

 

This story is one big distraction to me as I try to find the Mets a lefty reliever and a right handed bat that will PAY the team to play for them.

 

Dave Singer at NY Sports Dog got his hands on some great video of a couple of Mets fans who infiltrated Shea security to get some great inside the wreckage video of the demise of Shea.

 

Also check out Michael Leggett’s Random Fandom Red Sox NYC site for his pics and video of Shea. 

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Just a quick post as I’ running  out the door, I will be a guest on Mike Silva’s NY Baseball Digest show tonight on Blog Talk Radio at 7PM EST I’m pretty sure we will a few topics to discuss.

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I should be enjoying some good old fashion schadenfreude over the A-Rod on ‘Roids story that broke this morning as it has all the elements that brings out the viciousness in me. There is Alex Rodriguez the biggest self-centered phony to hit this town in a long time, then there is Gene Orza who allegedly tip off Rodriguez that the piss cops were heading to his home which enhances Orza’ rep as a scummy weasel and then of course there are the New York Highlanders who can’t get enough bad news to satisfy my hate but there are a couple of things that keep me from dancing like an extra in Riverdance.

What this outing of Alex Rodriguez does is justify the village idiot, Jose Canseco as the voice of truth. Even though, he will forever be a rat bastard and a no good snitch, one thing he’s not is a liar. Everything he wrote in his two books (let that swirl around your head for a moment, Jose Canseco writing 2 books) has come out to be true. Canseco may be an idiot but he is an idiot savant when it comes to performance enhancing drugs and the ball players that use them.

The other reason that I take no joy in this news is it hurts baseball. For reasons I can’t explain, baseball is held to a higher standard than other sports.NFL players wind up on the police blotter weekly, NBA players produce more out of wedlock kids than that nutty woman in California hell, even Olympic swimmers hitting the chronic don’t face the scorn of baseball players who take PED’s.

A week before spring training starts I don’t want to hear about PED’s I want to hear about rookie phenoms and vets coming into camp healthy and fans thinking we have a chance for a big season and looking forward to summer and enjoying ourselves in our new home  ball park but no we can’t because of more fallout from drug use that happened six years ago. It takes all the fun out of being a hater.  

 

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Dear Mister Fantasy play us a tune
Something to make us all happy
Do anything take us out of this gloom
Sing a song, play guitar
Make it snappy
Yeah, yeah

Over at NYBD, Frank Maniscalco (A/K/A Frankie the Sports Guy) has set up a Fantasy Baseball League on CBS Sportsline (some how Frankie and fantasy just don’t go together LOL….. just a joke Frank a little levity com’on we all should be happy as I’m sure nobody here saw there name on the Madoff Rip Off List)

There are prizes and it should be a lot of fun, I’m already signed up (my team name is Son of Skill Sets) and I suck at fantasy baseball but I’m willing to give it a go.

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This from the Huffington Post, as much as this is funny is it really fiction?

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Maybe I’m just a cynical prick, but this whole “Bernie Madoff stole my fortune” just doesn’t movemy sympathy needle one iota. It’s not like Freddy and Uncle Saul will be moving back to a one bedroom apartment above an Asian fish market in Bensonhurst any time soon, sure Bernie Madoff fucked the Skill Sets over and what makes it worse Madoff was a long time pal of Freddy Skill Sets but I’m sure  Freddy, Jeffy, Uncle Saul and the whole Skill Set clan will not be getting WIC cards sent to there Gold Coast homes any time soon, so save your tears for the men and women of the U.S. Military who are protecting you and for the first responders in your area who are on the scene when needed in emergency situation who are woefully underpaid for the services they provide us. Remember as well Manny is not a Mets not because of Madoff but because of the Used Car Salesman.

 

The Skill Sets worship at the altar of Selig and do what ever he commands them to do. It’s the baseball version of Jonestown. The Mets are not going over budget because Selig doesn’t want them going over the salary cap. What salary cap? The best salary cap in all of sports that’s what. The NFL, NBA, and NHL all have hard caps but the difference between those three and baseball‘ is they have a minimum payroll you have to adhere to, in baseball that is not an issue you can havea $20 mil payroll like the Marlins and never get a new stadium but they still make money playing on a football field in front of a lot of folded up chairs because once the get their cut from MLB (all inclusive with  national TV/radio, MLB.com etc. they’ve made payroll before they even sell a ticket) or a $190 mil payroll like the Highlanders and throw some coin in the pot for the oppressed small market kids that it seems the Skill Sets aspire to become if not for the fact that so many damn people keep showing up at the ballpark and watch and listen on TV and radio even they would feel shamed in acting in that manner.

 

As bizarre as this may sound I actually like Freddy Skill Sets (his kid is another story) because we are both from around the same neighborhood in Brooklyn and he is a very charitable guy and really my only beef with him and the rest of the Skill Sets in command of the organization is the way they allow themselves to walk lock step with Emperor Selig.

 

It’s like a game of Simon Says with the Mets when it comes to commissioner’s office more like a Selig Says. “Selig says, do not go over the luxury tax”.  “Selig says, make sure you use the slotting system in the free agent draft”. “Selig says, build a new ball park but figure out a way to get some tax payer dough to do it” 

 

If the Skill Sets would just come out say they have had enough of the oppression put on them by Selig and Co. and acted like they should, the flagship team of the National League, playing in the biggest and greatest city in the world before some of the most passionate fans in sports, I would never utter the name Skill Set in vain again in fact I would reach out to some of my “Brooklyn friends” to see what could be done about this Madoff guy. Anything for you Freddy, I’d even sit down and have a Dr. Browns with Jeffey to burrythe hatchet if that’s what it would take to get you to regain focus.

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