Its official the somewhat new and improved Mets coaching staff has been announced via press release.  The names are the ones we figured on.  Old School Dan Warthen and Chip Hale remain on staff at their positions. Obie becomes Terry Collins sounding board in the dugout. Mookie Wilson is back with the team as first base coach (and I’d bet outfield and base running coach as well)

Two names that were added are of hitting coach Dave Hudgens and bullpen coach Joe Debus, here are their bios:

Hudgens spent the last five years (2006-2010) as the Field Coordinator for the Cleveland Indians.  He is currently managing Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League.  Hudgens was the hitting coach for the Oakland Athletics in 1999 and from 2003-2005.  He managed four years in Oakland’s minor league system from 1985-1988, including three years at Medford (A) of the Northwest League.  Hudgens, who was originally selected by the Mets in the first round of the January 1975 draft but did not sign, served as the Athletics’ Assistant Director of Player Development from 1996-1998 and 2000-2002.  He played six minor league seasons with the Athletics and Indians and appeared in six games with Oakland in 1983.

Debus was a professional scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2009-2010.  He served on the coaching staff of the Orix Buffaloes in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League during Terry Collins’ tenure as Manager from 2007-2008.  He served as the minor league catching coordinator for the Dodgers from 2002-2004 and in 2005 he was the bullpen coach for the big league squad.  Debus began his coaching career in the Dodgers minor league system in 1990 and served as a coach or manager through the 1999 campaign.  In 2000 and 2001 Debus was the General Manager of the Elmira Pioneers of the Independent Northern League.  He played 10 seasons in the minor leagues, advancing as high as Triple-A.

This what you’d call a “grizzled” coaching staff

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First let me offer my sympathies to those of you who root for the NY Jets as I can’t even imagine what that Mets/Jets daily double fandom is like. Last night myself and Kendrick Thomas co-hosted NY Football Blogs Live on Blog Talk Radio where we broke down the Jets-Dolphins game and looked at the road ahead for the Jets and a preview of tonight’s Giants-Vikings neutral site matchup at Ford Field. My rant against Brett Farve is worth a listen.

By the way, as bad as Jets strength and condition coach Sal Alosi’ un-sportsman like move, tripping Nolan  Carroll as he went down the side line on a punt return was, the cries for Alosi to be fired is comical. The NFL allows players who are convicted of DUI’s and vehicular homicide to thrive in the league but a coach doing something stupid should be burned at the stake.  If MLB operated like the NFL, The Used Car Salesman would be America’s number one villain. Maybe the NY Daily News Eye-Sore Team will stop wasting newsprint on the steroid witch hunt and do some real investigative reporting on the NFL.  Yeah, fat chance.

The Apple gets there Hudgens crossed, one Hudgens is a hitting coach the other gets hit on. By the way that picture of Reyes with the sign is fucking hilarious and the pic of the lovely Vanessa is museum quality.

Sandy Alderson has another thing in common with Mets fans, he won’t go out of his way to watch Oliver Perez pitch. I know there is a lot of talk about using OP as a LOOGY and there may be some merit in that move but Perez and Castillo represent the FAIL of the Minaya administration. Perez not accepting a minor league assignment to work out his pitching problems and Castillo after having a game winning hit last summer and acting like he just had a wisdom tooth pulled is exactly that kind of mindset that has to be eradicated in the Mets clubhouse . I’m on board with the patient Alderson approach but some things just can’t let simmer. Both Perez and Castillo need to be released.  

Johnny Cueto for Jose Reyes? I’d make that deal in a heartbeat if I were the Mets before Walt Jocketty sobers up.

Chris Jaffe has a terrific article up on The Hardball Times chronicling baseball mangers with the largest breaks in service form managerial jobs. He has a write up on Mets manager Terry Collins in the article.

“Hey Davis you suck” “Earn your money Baron”, LA Clipper fans heckling their point guard Baron Davis? Nope. It’s Clippers owner Donald Sterling sitting at courtside at the Staple Center berating his point guard during a game. I can’t get on Sterling too much, if I owned the Mets I’d probably act the same way.

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Tonight at 9PM ET I will taking my Mets batting helmet off and secure my NY Football Giants helmet as I co-host the NY FOOTBALL BLOGS show on Blog Talk Radio with NY Football blogs contributor Kendrick Thomas. Kendrick and I will breakdown the Jets-Dolphins game and look at the mess the NFL is in with the blizzard that hit the Twin Cities forcing the Giants and Vikings to move their game to Ford Field in Detroit tomorrow night.

Thomas Kraunzner will also have a segement on Fantasy Football.

If you can’t join us live, then be sure to visit the show page on Blog Talk Radio to listen at your leisure.

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Just  a few more comments on last nights conference call with Sandy Alderson, a doff of my Mets cap and a bow to the guys at Amazin’ Avenue for transcribing the entire call, thank you guys.

Last year at this time I was quite disgusted with the Mets front office, the manager, players and the owner. After listening to Alderson last night my attitude has done the ol’ 180 degree spin.  He took over an organization that had some huge cracks in its foundation and as any home owner knows cracks in the foundation spell disaster.  Alderson is not just going to patch the foundation of the Mets, he is going to rebuild it so it’s rock solid.

The Tea Party segment of the Mets fans base are clueless in their negativity on the direction of the team. For all of you dolts who are calling talk radio and ranting how you’re not going to buy tickets or Met merchandise, I guess you were happy with the past administration (for now on the past GM name will not appear on this site ever again) and maybe if the former GM get another job running a team (doubt it) you can switch your rooting interest.

Howard Megdal ran a campaign for GM this past summer on a platform of Logic, Transparency and Passion well we didn’t get Howard as Mets GM but Sandy Alderson has embraced those three characteristics very well.

So all you disgruntled so-called Mets it’s fine that you stay away from Citi Field but when the ship gets back on course don’t be a hypocrite and jump on the band wagon, use your heads and jump on now.

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Just finished up the conference call with Sandy Alderson and here are a few observations:

From a bloggers stand point Alderson treated us with a lot of respect and said he will try to meet with us in this forum as often as he can, which is smart as he is bringing his message to the fans and not to some wind bag on talk radio or MSM-types with hidden agendas.

I asked him about the urgency of putting together the starting pitching staff and Alderson agreed that it is a top priority. The FO is not looking at guys who will pitch for low salary but he is looking at low risk/high reward types. More to the fact, he is looking at doctors reports on pitchers (obviously Chris Young and Jeff Francis) He will not sit back and wait to see who falls in his lap and by the end of the month he hopes to have acquired some arms for the rotation.

Alderson understands the frustration and the passion of the fan base and he enjoys the feedback from the Mets fans. He seems to be tired of all the Moneyball questions and said if ownership wanted him to run team as a small market club he would not have taken the job. He is well aware that this is the major of major markets which reads to me that Alderson will run the Mets similar to how the Red Sox are run.

The best part of the conference call was when Alderson addressed the minor league system and how he wants it run. He hit on every issue I have screamed about here for years. The minor league managers and coaches will hold to strict set of guidelines on how to play the game, this way as the minor leaguers move up the ladder, there are no surprises. Everything you worked on and learned in Rookie Ball will be implemented in A, AA and AAA. Alderson then said that everyone players, coaches, mangers, instructors etc. will be given field manuals on how the Mets Way will be followed. Excuse me I think I need a moment (Deeeeeeeeep Breeeeeeeeeeeath) I’m sorry, I’m just so happy!!!!!!

The naming of the coaching staff is being held up due to administrative paper work but it seems all the names we’ve heard, Obie as bench coach, Mookie at 1^st base, Chip Hale at 3^rd, Warthen PC, Dave Hudgens hitting coach and Jon Debus as bullpen coach. Official announcement will be made Monday or Tuesday.

For a more in depth view of the call check out Mets Blog.

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Today is Baseball Bloggers Alliance (BBA) Day, and as a member from the beginning of the Alliance and the NY NL Chapter President, I’d like to tell you about the BBA.

The BBA was founded in 2009 by Daniel Shoptaw, who blogs about the St. Louis Cardinals at his C70 at the Bat site. Daniel had e-mailed me about the BBA and asked if would like to join up and I immediately said yes. What I liked about the BBA was it was a place for someone like me who is passionate about my team to meet up with other passionate baseball fans who are also bloggers.  My membership in the BBA has been a tremendous help in doing my THIS CALL TO THE BULLPEN radio show and in hosting the BASEBALL BLOGGERS ALLIANCE BASEBALL TALK SHOW on Blog Talk Radio, as I can always find a blogger to come on and talk about their team when they are facing the NY Mets, to give me a fans/bloggers eye view of ups and downs of their team, which helps myself and my listeners get a better idea of the opponent facing the Mets in that series.

Besides the BBA Talk Radio show, we also vote on season ending awards in the same fashion as the Baseball Writers of America, in fact they seem a bit worried about our views as they issued a cease and desist letter for the BBA not use the terms they use for their award. We wear that C & D as a badge of accomplishment.

The BBA is 230 members strong, with chapters which are history oriented, cover fantasy baseball, the analytical part of baseball and those who cover general baseball news and views. The majority of the membership though is of team specific sites and I am very proud to say that the New York Mets have the highest number of bloggers in the BBA at 19.

So I’d like for you to take a little time today and visit our BBA site and also check out our broadcasts on Blog Talk Radio.    

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This evening, Mets GM Sandy Alderson will sit down for a conference call to take questions from some Mets bloggers. It just so happens that yours truly was invited to participate in this conference call.

Remember back on November 4^th how I ranted about not being asked to contribute to the last bloggers conference call and I also made this statement:

I have found out from some very good sources that I have as much chance of being invited to a bloggers event at Citi Field as Keith Olbermann has of being the keynote speaker at the Tea Party Convention.

Well guess what? The devil wears North Face.  Not only was I asked to join the conference call but I have been invited (and I’ve accepted graciously) to attend the Mets Holiday party at Citi Field. Some law enforcement buddies of mine have offered me their Kevlar vest for the occasion. 

First thing I’ll do when I arrive at the festivities is check for plastic drop cloths on the floor as I don’t want to wind up like my buddy in the picture above, Tommy DeVito.  It should be an interesting afternoon.

I may have to designate a search and rescue team to come look for me on Tuesday afternoon.

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I had the pleasure of appearing on Mike Silva’s NY Baseball Talk show last night on Blog Talk Radio where we discussed the disconnect that some Mets have with reality.

The fact that I know who Boof Bonser is has impressed my friends.  Hey, we can’t neglect our Bisons now, can we?

The Mets selected 2B Brad Emaus from the Toronto Blue Jays (JP must know something here) and RHP Pedro Beato (FINALLY A MET!!!!) from the Baltimore Orioles in the Rule V draft. Emaus has some power and is built like Dan Uggla, so I guess throw Emaus name in the 2B competition this spring. Beato was drafted by the Mets in 2007 as a draft and follow and tried to sign him for $1mil in 2008 but the Commissioner’s office advised against spending that money on a 15^th round pick. Beato went back into the draft was taken by the O’s and given the same $1mil the Mets were willing to give out. Oh well, Beato born in the DR was is a Brooklyn boy as he excelled at Xaverian H.S. in beautiful Bay Ridge Brooklyn.

Looks like Ken Oberkfell will be rewarded with the position as Terry Collins consigliere, good to have Obie on board.

Word on the street is Johan Santana won’t be ready to pitch for the Mets until June. No problem. What I’m curious about is how the manager and GM handle the everyday questions about Santana. I’m hoping they address it in spring and inform the MSM that the next time you hear about Johan is when he’s ready to join the big league. Let’s concentrate on the living.

So the Highlanders look ready to shit their pants and offer Cliff Lee a 7 year deal. The kicker will be if the Rangers make a play of 6yrs and sweeten the dough, what will Lee do? Now that Carl Crawford will be grazing in the left field of Fenway Park , the Red Sox have to be favored to win the AL East with that potent lineup and terrific pitching, Lee has the Boss’s Boys by the balls. Yes, I fuckin’ love it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    

We will now have a moment of silence to mourn the death of #Frenchtober

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Thirty years ago today, I was working in  computer operations for the defunct Manufactures Hanover Bank at 55 Water St on Manhattan. I was 22 years old and had the luxury of still living at home and spending most nights out running the streets on NYC. So when I got up on the morning of December 8th 1980 and went into the bathroom for a leak, shower and shave, I switched on the radio which was always set to 102.7 WNEW FM and heard Richard Neer talk about the DEATH of John Lennon, I thought I was still feeling the effects of the past evening.

Unfortunately it wasn’t. It was fact. John Lennon was gunned down in front of his Dakota Apartments home by a fucking lunatic . How could this happen? Lennon was not just a rock and roll icon, he was one of us, a New Yorker and not just any New Yorker but a guy who hung out at the downtown bars and rock clubs just like the rest of us.

It was the coolest thing about Lennon and Yoko, they never thought they were special, they just felt they were one of a few million folks who called the city home. They would walk into Max’s Kansas City and blend in.

It’s still kind of surreal when one night Lennon walked past a group of myself and my buddies,who were there to see the Von Lmo band, of which a couple of neighborhood guys played in, and as he past he looked at us and said “how are you lads”? What? did John Lennon just ask us how we’re doing? HOLY SHIT!!!!

John Lennon, gone but certainly not forgotten.

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Talk about your information over load, It’s tough to keep up with every rumor and innuendo coming out of Orlando , it’s like when my kids came back from trick or treating on Halloween. They dump their bag of candy on the table and separate all the good stuff (Kit Kats, Peanut M & M, and Butterfingers) from the crap (some dolt gave my kids Trail Mix and Granola Bars who eats that shit?) that’s how I look at the communiqués coming from the meetings.

The Carlos Beltran trade rumors are the most fun.  It’s clear that Sandy Alderson would love to deal Beltran but he’s not going to give him away, not even for 50 cents on the dollar. I love this quote from Nick Cafaro of the Boston Globe (via Mets Blog) on the Red Sox interest in Beltran:

“?The Sox like the right side of Beltran’s switch-hitting bat and feel he could play left field … ?If the Mets can eat a little more than half of his salary and don’t ask for too much in return, it’s a deal that could get done.”

Does Sandy Alderson look wicked stupid to you?  Sure the Mets will send Beltran to the Sawx along with $12 mil for a case of Sam Adams Winter Lager and play date for Wally and Mr. Met. You hear the names Dice-K and Marco Scutaro thrown in the trade banter but that’s $31 mil in salary coming back to the Mets , where the plan is take on LESS money. Plus the fact that Dice-K sucks and is a prima donna and Scutaro, while once the Mets bloggers darling, would be regulated to utility infielder. The only way a deal like this makes sense is if the Sawx take our other two un-adoptable’s OP and Castillo. In that case, you can keep the beer.

Alderson said he’d bring back a couple of players from the meetings and he delivered as promised in the form of reliever D.J. Carrasco and catcher Rony Paulino. Not a big purchase but two serviceable pieces to fill two holes on the team. These signings are similar to going to an auto parts store and buying spark plugs and a fan belt for your car, not a big time purchase but two parts you need to keep the engine running.

By the way, Paulino will have to sit out the first eight games of the season due t o testing positive for banned substance. Paulino is using the defense that he ingested a diet supplement and didn’t know it contained something on MLB banned list. This defense has become the baseball version of “But you honor, she swore to me that she was 18”.

The Skill Sets are in a bit of a jam as they made some money off the Bernie Madoff scheme and now the retirees of Sterling Equities want part of the dough. From the looks of things, Freddy and Uncle Saul want this to go away and will try to settle out of court with the defendants. Smart move as who knows what could come out at a court hearing.

Tip of the Mets cap to Brooklyn Mets Fan for this under the radar news that strength coach Rick Slate has been fired. A long overdue firing at that.

While some are getting their Fruit of the Looms in a bunch over the lack of player movement by the Mets, the important parts of the plan are taking shape in form of hiring Chad MacDonald as amateur scouting director and Dick Scott as minor league field coordinator (Terry Collins old job) who will work with J.P. Riccardi in rebuilding the Mets famr system. This, my fellow Mets fans is the BIG picture.

No one in this town did more to hurt their reputation than Derek Jeter did yesterday at his ridiculous press conference. Jeter came off as whinny little over pampered brat.  There is no one on the Highlanders who misses St. Joseph of Torre more that Jeter as there is no one in the organization that will fawn over him and tell him his shit smells fresh cut grass, like St Joe did. The fact that Pee Wee Cashman told Jeter to take your flabby ass and saggy tities out on the street and see what you get was downright Gangsta’ . Oh yeah by way Jeets, A-Rod’s Better HA! HA!

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