A few nuggets as I pray my roof doesn’t leak tonight, it may be a long, long night on Staten Island:

ITEM: OMAR MINAYA WILL BE FIRED ON MONDAY

Says who? Says Matt Pignataro of 7 Train To Shea that’s who. Matt’s source tell him that Minaya will be relived of his GM duties and WIL NOT be reassigned in the organization. It’s the only move to make. Just pay him and wish him well we’ve got rebuilding to do around here. By the way, Matt will be my guest this Tuesday night Oct 5^th at 10PM ET on THIS CALL TO THE BULLPEN on BLOG TALK RADIO.

ITEM: WHO STAYS WHO GOES ?

Adam Rubin on ESPNNewYork has a Take ‘Em or Trash ‘Em poll on the website. Some of the more interesting results are 58 % of the voters say to Trash Carlos Beltran. I’m sure the organization would love to move him but how much of his contract would the Mets eat to get Beltran out of town? It will be tough enough to move Beltran due to his salary but now with this lastest flare up with his knee, it could be near impossible. I love how the Mets and Beltran are talking up the fact that the MRI on his knee show that it’s just inflammation and that his knee has healed nicely since the surgery. It seems to me the only thing Mets management and Beltran agree on is they both hate each others guts.

97% say Trash Luis Castillo, my question is who are the 3 % who voted to keep him? Same with the 2% out of 100 % who say keep Oliver Perez.

93 % say David Wright needs t stay and 77 % think Jason Bay will rebound in 2011. The voters also overwhelmingly want The Skill Sets, Omar, and Manuel out of here with a huge negative vote. Oh boy is this going to be one helluva winter!

ITEM: TIKI BARBER NEEDS TO BE PUNCHED IN THE FACE

Yeah I know it’s not Mets related but this bugs the living shit out of me. I despise Tiki Barber, always have while he played for the G-Men as he always came off as a selfish “Me-First” prick and I do not feel he belongs in the NY Giants Ring of Honor. Seems Barber could not take the high road when promoting the unveiling on Sunday night of the Ring of Honor as Big Mouth Tiki trashed Coach Tom Coughlin saying he was losing the team and that Coughlin has to treat people with more respect. A guy who cheated on his pregnant wife giving advise on treating people with respect, WOW what an A-1 scumbag.

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First things first, my condolences to Dan Werthen  and his family for the loss of his brother, and prayers and good thought to Angel Pagan and his family as his daughter undergoes eye surgery.

Unlike this time last year, this playing out the schedule is not as depressing as last season. Mostly due to the young players who have shown promise and the win last night was an example of that. I loved how Keith Hernandez reacted to Gary Cohen’ query to whether the Mets should but on the suicide squeeze with Ruben Tejada at bat. Mex’ voice went up a couple of octaves when he answered “Why? Let him swing the bat” Hernandez then tried as delicately as he could to hint that these games men nothing but the fact that you can see what guys like Tejada and the other young’ens can do in a big spot. Tejada did swing the bat to the tune of a game winning double and for a guy who struggled at the plate it was a great reward for his perseverance.

The TV guys were also a bit critical of Jerry Manuel for lifting Big Pelf in the 8^th with one out and one on and the score 2-1. It’s nice that Manuel is still managing like these games mean something but moves like that seem to me selfish on Manuel part, like he’s trying to prove a point that he can still manage even though he knows that Sunday is his last game as Mets manager. I would have loved to see Big Pelf work out of that situation.

As I opened with last night on my THIS CALL TO THE BULLPEN RADIO SHOW, I watched the first hour of Ken Burns’ sequel to great BASEBALL nine part series, The Tenth Inning and found it disappointing. I would have loved to see more on the Montreal Expos, it would have been nice to get more in depth on the situation that led to the Expos leaving Montreal for DC.  The other gripe I have with the program is the timing of airing it the last week of baseball’s regular season.  The perfect time to schedule this program would be in February or March when we need to get our baseball fix.  I think that’s the reason I couldn’t get into the show last night as I kept wanting to checkout what the Mets, Highlanders, Rays and Reds were doing.

I have a bad feeling about Carlos Beltran’ right knee now that he was removed from last night’s game. Beltran is scheduled to go for an MRI this morning and hopefully he is on the same page with management on this doctor’s trip.

Today’s first game of the Mets-Brewski’s double dip is sponsored by Rosita’s Brazilian Hot Wax, today’s  matchup is Bush vs. Dickey,

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Join me Tuesday September 28th at 10PM ET for THIS CALL TO THE BULLPEN on BLOGTALK RADIO. I will be discussing the state of the Mets organization going over GM and Managerial candidates. I will also look at the post season landscape and who are the the top candidates for MVP, Cy Young, ROY and Manager of the Year in both leagues.

I’m looking for listeners to call in tomorrow night so if you listen to the show live please call in at (646) 727-2465.

If you can’t listen live remember you can hear the program at our show page on BLOGTALK Radio, or right here at Kranepool Society (radio player on lower left side bar) or on iTunes.

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If anyone is going to $iti Field tomorrow night, I’d suggest that when Carlos Beltran comes up for his first at bat, you stand up and give him a hand. Beltran backed up the talk last night as he tried to 7-10 split Chase Utley and Wilson Valdez in the 7^th inning. Beltran’s only regret is that “he didn’t hit anyone”. Too bad this didn’t happen in August as the incident has seemed to give the club a little spark. It’s also a shame that the manager wasn’t fired in August and another voice brought in to challenge the manhood of the players as Utley and the Phuck Phaces have, the second half of the season might have been much different.

I posed the question on Twitter last night, other that Ton’s O Fun Sabathia, what starting pitcher on the Highlanders would you take over any of the Mets starters? The only pitcher who got any mention from the Bronx side was Phil Hughes but would you take Hughes over Big Pelf? Hell to the No! Someone mentioned Ivan Nova which tells you the state of the Highlander rotation when Burnett and Vasquez got nary a Tweet. By the way Mets fans, it may be time for us to get into full Tampa Bay Ray mode as the GP Stu Steinberg, of the Canarsie Steinberg’s,  grew up a full blooded  Mets fan and I believe is still a Mets season ticket holder. It won’t be a total loss for the Bronx Bastards if they go one and done in the post season, it will give the maintenance crew enough time to set the Jerry Kenny Memorial in Fossil Park for an April unveiling.

What makes this September easier to take over last September is the fact that, a new GM and manager will be hired, that Ike Davis and Josh Thole have certainly shown they belong in the big leagues, that the pitching staff has the potential to be good to solid next season as RA Dickey should be back, Big Pelf continues to mature mentally, Jon Niese continues his progression and the emergence of Dillon Gee as a solid 4 or 5 in the rotation. The team will miss Johan Santana for sure and hopefully they can add another vet arm in the winter (money permitting and a savy front office man to boot) so I’m getting a bit more optimistic about the future than I had been say a month ago. It all depends on who get the GM and managers spot if my optimism will bloom into down right excitement.

Steve Popper says it’s time for Mets ownership to go all out and hire Bobby Valentine as the next manager of the Mets. I have to say with all the young talent and the need for a much needed shot of enthusiasm both on the field and in the stands if the Mets don’t go full bore for BV it will be a big mistake. This team as it will be loaded with young players and veterans who need to be challenged and no one does that better than Valentine.  This whole Utley incident has shown a light on Jerry Manuel that proves he’s not fit to manage. Instead of saying in his post game presser that “ well that’s how we played back in the day” and “I would think the players would respond” He should have closed the clubhouse door after the game and told his players that the Phillies have played you guys for chumps for four years now and will keep playing you for chumps until you fight back. No one is saying to clear the benches (although that would be fun) but there comes a time when the manager had to challenge his player’s manhood, their pride to tell them it’s time they stopped squatting to pee and stand up like men. That’s not Jerry Mnauel’ style and that’s why we’re also rans again in 2010.

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I saw none of last nights Mets-Phillies game as I had a much better evening enjoying a night at the theater taking in the play LOMBARDI. If you are a football fan this is a must see show. If you are a fan of the theater this is a must see show. Dan Lauria looks like a clone of the great coach and Judith Light is outstanding as Marie Lombardi. Both should be up for Tony Awards for their performance.

After the show, we strolled around 8^th and 9^th Avenue has it such a warm night and the bar’s and restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen were jam packed. Every joint has big screen TV’s and I swear every place we passed had the Highlanders-Red Sox game on. So the only word I had on the Mets-Philies game was that the Amazin’s bit the dust again for the sixth straight via a mobile phone alert, so it wasn’t until this morning that I found out there was a bit of controversy in the game concerning Chase Utley aggressive/dirty slid into Ruben Tejada to try to break up a double play. Of course the Mets did a lot od staring and yapping from the dugout and after the game David Wright talk very softly on how that slide just wasn’t cricket and maybe the Mets should re-think their approach when it comes to sliding into the bases. Gee David ya think?

The Phillies love picking on the Mets for a couple of reasons, they know that the Mets never retaliate and they know it drives the fan base nuts.

Was Utley’ slide dirty? It was late that’s for sure but there is always a thin line between hard aggressive base running and dirty base running, it’s all in the eyes of the team getting run at.

It should make for an interesting game tonight as Jerry Manuel has kind of put his team on notice that they have to take it into their own hands on how they want to respond to Utley (as he is a short timer here) and Wright has stated the team needs to send a message.

The Mets have the right pitcher on the mound if they wish to rumble with the Phuck Phaces as Dillon Gee has proven he has his teammates backs in Buffalo.

So let’s see if this is just the Mets clucking and waving their feathers or if there really are a pair of cojones in those athletic supporters

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Still waiting to get back to my normal routine as office still under renovation. This was one longggggggggggg day and my ass is dragging.  I get to do it all over again tomorrow as well, yippeee!

But at least the night should be great as I’m going to see LOMBARDI the new play based on the book When Pride Still Mattered by David Maranis, one of my all time favorite books about the great Vince Lombardi.  Can’t wait for that, but for now I’m ready to fall face first into my bed as 5AM is right around the corner, so I’ll leave you with this, it’s pretty, pretty, pppprrreeetttty funny that Stan Kasten resigned his position as President of the Washington Nationals just when the word on the street is the Mets are looking for a Baseball Czar. Successful baseball exec, NYU, Columbia Law School grad, Jersey Guy ? It all makes sense, What do you think Stan Kasten running the Mets ? Works for me.

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Okay now that the Mets have absolutely no chance of the post season as they were mathematically eliminated from the 2010 post season, can we put the 2011 plan in motion?

I am sick and tired of all the rumor and innuendo about Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel’s job situation if both of them are getting the boot then boot them out today.  It’s obvious that Manuel is a done and it should be even more obvious that Minaya is as well. There is no reason to keep Jerry Manuel around, let him go home, let Dave Jauss run the team for the next two weeks and start taking interviews for the job of Mets manager in 2011.

Same for Minaya, either fired him or put out a press release that he will be reassigned to VP of Scouting and Player Personnel. It’s the petty himming and hawing bullshit that pisses me off with this organization, time to fucking man up there Jeffey Skill Sets and take charge. Think of this as your second Bar Mitzvah, “today you are a baseball man”

Peter Gammons is still spouting off about Bobby Valentine being the organization choice to manage the Mets. I don’t want to go all in on this Valentine Returns talk because I don’t want to be crushed if it doesn’t happen. Right now guys like Gammons and the other baseball yenta Jon Heyman are giving me a bad case of Blue and Orange balls.

I would be one happy Mets fan if Valentine was brought back not only as manager but in a capacity of a decision maker on player trades and acquisitions. You could name John Ricco the GM and let him be the paper pusher as that seems to be his strength and also the team spokesman with the proviso that he ever utters the term “at the end of day” he has to have his nipples twisted.

If you have a plan Jeffey start putting it in place.  Top candidates are starting to find employment so put down the Nintendo DS and tell your little buddies no more play dates this week you have a lot of work to do young man get to it  and start making moves. As of today it’s 2011 on my Mets calendar.

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I read where Jon Heyman is spouting off about the Mets dealing Carlos Beltran to theRed Sox in a package that would include Jacoby Ellsbury  so long as the Mets eat about $15 mil of the $18 mil owed to Beltran in what will be his walk year.

As stated here time and again I am not a huge Carlos Beltran fan. He is an extremely talented player and a player who has produced for the Mets at a rate that Mets refuse to acknowledge. I think my frustration with Beltran is he’s been here so long, I think I’m just tired of him. So that is really on me and not Beltran. There is no statistical measure or in depth analysis I’m just a bit sick and tired of watching him. That said, to trade Beltran along with nearly  90 % of his salary and have Jacoby Ellsbury as the centerpiece of the deal is out and out ludicrous. Why would you deal off Beltran to save a measly $3mil ?

I think if that is the best deal the Mets can find for Beltran, then you’re better off keeping him. The problem with keeping him though is where do you play him? As of now, Beltran is a right fielder and if he’s is on board with that it would be a huge plus for the Mets in 2011. If he turns into a sour puss over the move, then you may have no choice put to move him for pennies on the dollar.

Beltran is not my cup of tea, but I respect his talent, I hope he accepts the right field job and has a career year, maybe I’d warm up to him if he did.

Bobby Parnell is done for the season with an inflamed elbow. Hopefully he recovers over the winter and is strong and ready for spring training.

I guess Jerry Manuel has found out what a lot of people who don’t see the world through pinstriped glasses knew, that St. Joseph of Torre is as phony as a counterfeit fifty. I have to side with Manuel here, look we all know that Manuel is a goner after October 3,  Seems The Sports Bloviator had a love fest with St. Joe on WFA N yesterday prior to Torre and his pet prodigy Donnie Baseball showing up for the unveiling of a monument as big as Mount Rushmore in honor of the late convicted felon and two time suspended owner of the NY Highlanders, the Bloviator badgered Torre about becoming Mets skipper in 2011. Instead of giving the standard hand job, saying that the Mets have a manager and it would inappropriate to talk about a job that someone is still employed (even though we know the skids in the Mets clubhouse are greased up like Weezer for Manuel) Torre politicked for the job to which Manuel found that a clear violation of the mangers code. It’s all about St. Joe.

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It’s been one of those days.  I was in every boro of the city except for the Boggie Down Bronx and I’m guessing I may hit the home of the Highlanders, a 5 broro cycle if you will, tomorrow.  So I’m just getting in to read e mails and news and also draft my fantasy hockey team so hold on to your hats:

I was asked to write a guest blog at the site 85% Sports. It’s about  how the corporate-ization of sporting events have killed the die hard fans influence for the home team and total “at the game” expirence.

The primaries are over. The acceptance speech has been given. Now Howard Megdal has thrown down the gauntlet to Jeffey Skill Sets with this summit letter, putting the Mets owner on notice that the people have spoken and Jeffey owes Howard an interview for the Mets General Managers job.  Let’s see if the Skill Sets understand the concept of LOGIC, PASSION and TRANSPARENCY

Oh yeah, by the way, the Mets GM job is wide open as it’s as good as a lead pipe cinch that Omar Minaya will be stripped of his GM duties. Guess what I bet, Jerry Manuel gets fired at season’s end too. DUH!!!

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Last week Angel Pagan arrived late to $iti Field, the Mets had no problem with this since Pagan contacted management that he a family issue to take care of.  No problem. The next day while I was reading the Daily News, it was reported that Pagan was taking his daughter to the doctor and afterwards got jammed up in traffic getting to the game. Again no problem, but was it any of our business that Pagan was late due to taking care of his daughter ?  No.

A.J. Burnett shows up at Camden Yards with a black eye. He goes on to pitch the Highlander’s to victory, when questioned after the game about how he got yoked in the eye, Burnett gave the MSM nothing. When Pee Wee Cashman was asked about the black eye he said it wasn’t any of his business and if Burnett keeps pitching like he did Friday with the eye, Pee Wee would look to blacken his eye at every start. HA HA HA so funny.

Highlander pitching coach Dave Eiland leaves the team for about four weeks in June for what was called personal reasons. When asked about Eiland ,manager Joe Girardi told the media he was taking care of a personal matter and that’s all you’re getting.

Staten Island Yankees pitching coach Pat Daneker, lost his World Series ring when after spending a night in a drunken stupor with a prostitute. The story came and went. Were any of these stories our business? Nope and the Highlanders made sure it stayed that way.

How is it the Highlanders get to clam up on incidents involving their personnel but the when a Mets player takes his kid to the doctor the details are printed in the paper’s ?

Maybe when The Skill Sets re-configure the front office and the way the baseball ops does business, they also pick up from the Highlanders the gift of allowing no leaks to the press and also letting them know when to go fuck off.

Blogging at this site will be sporadic over the next week as I’ll be on the move as our office is getting a face lift with a badly needed paint job and a new carpet. Our office could have double as a set for the old NYPD Blue TV show. So during the daytime I’ll be all over the city but mostly in Queens with no computer access. So anything  I do post will be at night if I’m not exhaust from gallivanting from boro to boro.

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