I can’t believe there are some media types out there taking Chip Hale to task for sending Carlos Beltran yesterday with 2 outs in the bottom of the 2^nd inning, on a Daniel Murphy single to right. This past December, Beltran told a group of Mets bloggers that he feels great, that his knee felt good and that he has been doing a lot of running.

Beltran made his spring debut yesterday, as a DH not a right fielder, on his first at bat got a base hit to right showing a beautiful hitting stroke. With two outs, Daniel Murphy hit a single and Hale never hesitated in sending Beltran, who was rumbling and stumbling around third and headed home, slid under the catcher tag to score a run. Now the debate has started should Hale have sent Beltran? Yeah why not?

For what we know, Beltran is not injured nor is he coming off any post season surgeries. His last surgery was over a year ago and he returned back to action in July, playing the last 64 games of the season, the last 20 of them like the Carlos Beltran of old. Now you can make the argument that he hasn’t played a full season in two years but if we are going to hold our breath every time Beltran goes from 1^st to 3^rd or 2^nd to home hoping he doesn’t blow out a knee, then the Mets are in a lot of trouble.

Again Beltran has stated he’s fine, he must play with a knee brace on but if he proclaims himself fit to play then why hold him back? Terry Collins it seems was a bit upset that Hale sent Beltran and said he should have made it known before the game to go slow with Carlos, maybe this is the first misstep by the manager. Don’t blame Chip Hale he was just doing what he does best, coaching the hell out of 3^rd base.

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I’m dealing with my desktop computer and laptop having virus’. I just finished eradicating them in both machines (or I should say the computer tech knocked them out) so I’m a bit backed up, reading wise that is.  So  I’m just going to chillax the rest of the day and start fresh tomorrow.

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I’m having computer issues today, I call the tech I usually use and he can’t make it over here until tomorrow, so I’m making due on an antique computer which is not cooperating with my DSL making it  Bengi Molina like slow so I’m trying to put together a quick and dirty post.

I watched a little of the Summer of ’86 special on MSG. First, it’s pretty funny that when it comes to baseball teams in this town, past and present, the two teams that have been chronicled the most in print and film are the New York Mets and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Besides the fact that Can O’ Corn is involved in this special and Spike Lee, who I called out on this site 6 years ago, what more can I possibly learn about this team that  I haven’t learned in the last 25 years? Don’t get me wrong the 1984-1990 era of Mets baseball was the best time I ever had as a Mets fan (I also wonder what that era would be like if there was blogging and social media back then? “I’m at Rusty’s Mex Darling just walk in w/2 blondes” “Doc pitching 2nite at Shea Rolling Stones at MSG what do I do?” oh man I’d have been a hot mess ) but really I’d rather wait for the 25^th year anniversary celebration at Cit Field and just watch my box set DVD’s of the 1986 post season thank you.

I can’t believe today’s Mets-Braves game is not on TV. I have the whole afternoon free and I’d love to sit down and watch some Mets baseball. On another TV note, I have to tell all of you Highlander fans out there how sorry I am for you guys that you have to choose between John Sterling and Michael Kay as to who brings you the play by play of your team. I was so pissed off last night that the Highlanders-Red Sox game was blacked out on NESN so I had to listen to Kay and Singleton instead of Don Orsillo and the Rem Dawg.  At least Sterling is entertaining, Kay is just a whinny shit who thinks the Highlanaders are baseball’s Harlem Globetrotters and the other 29 teams the Washington Generals. Look, most teams have homers who broadcast their games, I know that but Kay takes his homerism to major douchebagary heights.

Ed Marcus’ 50 All Time Mets is down to 4 (Jerry Koosman was #5 ) with Darryl Strawberry checks in at the clean up spot. Straw has contended as he looks back on his career that the biggest mistake he made was leaving the Mets. It was a contentious time with Straw and Frank Cashen when he tested the free agent waters. Howie Rose was hosting Mets Extra back then and every show he’s yell out PAY THE MAN!!!! in taking up the Strawberry cause.

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If reports are true, Ollie Perez is pitching for his Mets life this afternoon against the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Lonesome. Terry Collins is saying that this isn’t true that Ollie will pitch again after this start, but if he has a typical OP start, command issues, lack of zip on fastball, tons of walks then what’s the sense of giving him another start ? At some point you have to stop wasting your time with OP.

The Mets money woes may not be as dire as we think. The Skill Sets spent $15K on dirt. DIRT!!! But it seems like $15K spent wisely.

Ed Marcus posts up #6 in his all time Mets list. He was baseball’s Marlboro Man and one of my favorite Mets of all time and now he entertains us on TV. Just be careful if he asks you to help him move.

Adam Rubin posted his idea of what the Mets 25 man roster will look like on opening day. He has both Perez and Castillo off the team which is fine by me. He has Taylor Buchholz in the pen but notes that Jason Isringhausen is still in the mix and could grab Buchholz spot. Nick Evans is not on Rubin’s roster either and that is upsetting as Evans has worked hard to get back to the big league level but he’d have to beat out Chin-lung Hu or Willie Harris for a spot and I don’t see him beating either players out. There has to be a team that could use a good righty bat who can play both corner infield positions?

Dwight Gooden’s life just gets sadder and sadder. He has now agreed to become a sideshow act for Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Rehab show on VH1. The show is like a junk yard for D list celeb’s that have their lives have swirled out of control. How in the world did Doc become a D-Lister? That is as crushing as his fight with drug and alcohol addiction.

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Tomorrow night at 11PM ET Eric Simon of Amazin’ Avenue will join me on THIS CALL TO THE BULLPEN PODCAST on Blog Talk Radio.

Eric and I will be discussing the Mets early spring results and we will look at the 2011 Amazin ‘Avenue Annual, (ACTA publishing) which you can purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble (online and at the brick and mortar) and from ACTA Publishing directly.

The Annual has great articles ranging from Sam Page’ Conversation with R.A. Dickey to Joe Posnanski (Yes THE Joe Posnanski) writing about Carlos Beltran. There are also sections on the new look Mets front office as well as stats and player projections for players on the big league roster as well as on the farm.

The 2011 Amazin’ Avenue Annual is a must read for all Mets fans.

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I will be hosting the Baseball Bloggers Alliance (BBA) Baseball Talk Podcast tonight at 10PM ET on Blog Talk Radio. My guests will be Kevin ‘Duk” Kaduk of Yahoo Sports Big League Stew blog and Mike Henderson of the Washington Nationals website Nationals Daily News.     

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When Sandy Alderson was hired to run the Mets baseball operations, the phrase we heard over and over again was “Now there are adults running the show”. When Terry Collins was hired as manager it was not the most popular choice to make since the bulk of the fan base wanted Wally Backman to get the job because if there is one thing that Mets fans love it’s former Mets players with World Series rings (that should be an incentive to present and future Mets, if you win a World Series as a Met your set for life. Meals will be free, endorsements plentiful; no matter if you are the star or 25^th man you’re revered) but so far this early in spring, it’s safe to say, the on the field Mets are doing much better than the off the field Mets.

Before camp even started, Collins showed strong leadership by naming Big Pelf the opening day starter and the first seven spots in his lineup. He also made it known that the question of who will be the centerfielder will be answered quickly and decisively.  

Alderson and Collins showed Carlos Beltran the veteran respect he has earned and deserved. They laid out the centerfield scenario; Beltran will be given every chance to prove that he and his knee are up to the task of covering the vast canyon that centerfield in Citi Field is. If he can’t, then the move to right field will be made and Angel Pagan, who has proven to be a terrific centerfielder, will take over the job. The key in this plan was, once the decision was made, it will be final, no yo-yoing back and forth.  

I guess with that information and the fact that he has been treated with respect for the first time in his Mets career and knowing that his knee will be a problem for as long as he plays baseball, Carlos Beltran got to camp early yesterday, asked to meet with Collins and Pagan to let them know it’s time for him to shift over the right field and let Pagan take the helm of center field. It was a crowning moment for Beltran, Collins and Pagan.

Beltran has gotten a bad rap by the segment of Mets fans. It seems that called third strike he took from Adam Wainright in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS has followed him his whole Mets career. I’ve said before, the folks who criticize Beltran for taking that pitch obviously has never played baseball beyond Little League. The reason a curveball is such a potent pitch is when you’re standing in that batter’s box, pitchers who can throw a hook like Wainright, can throw the pitch with such a big break, that the pitch looks like it’s coming straight at you but then breaks over the plate. It’s the pitch that separates all stars from journeymen but I digress.

His first year as a Met was not as good as hoped and his last two seasons have been injury riddled but from 2006 to 2008 he was the best player on the Mets and one of the best in all of baseball. Hopefully the move to right field works for Beltran and helps keep the stress off his arthritic knee. This will be his last season as a Met but hopefully he goes out on the same high note as he has started this spring.

Who knows, maybe this is something Mets fans will look back on in September as a galvanizing moment for a club that might just be figuring out that if they stick together and block out the noise from ownership and the media barbs that this team is not worthy of having New York in its name, they can do something special. So far this early spring it’s been all positives coming from camp even when Ollie Perez pitches the team puts a positive spin like” no children or animals were harmed during Perez’ performance.”   Who knows? One thing is for sure I can’t wait for a month from today.

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