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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17 days until pitchers and catchers but it’s just one more day until Pro Baseball Central so join Joe McDonald and me tomorrow night on Blog Talk Radio at 9PM to join in on the baseball chatter call in to the show at (646) 595-4462. More Pro Baseball Central news later.

 

J-Man is one cool dude, as he has taken up our fight for Manny by letting all parties involved know he’d love to pencil 24 RAMIREZ into his lineup card:

 “But that’s [general manager] Omar [Minaya], that’s the Wilpons, their thing,” Manuel said to a group of reporters yesterday at the Holy Apostle Soup Kitchen in Manhattan, where he was helping unload supplies for City Harvest, a group that provides supplies for the needy around the city. “I’m like the fans: If we get him, cool. If not, we’ll deal with it. We have a pretty good team.”

 

It pays to have job security, I wonder if J-Man would put the Manny burden on managements shoulders like that if he were in the last year of a contract instead of starting a new deal? Never the less it’s good to have J-Man on our side.

I also like how J-Man dealt with the most overrated question about Manny, how to deal with him in the clubhouse:

“If you’ve got a guy who performs on the field, you can handle the rest of that stuff. I don’t think it’s an issue. I don’t have a problem with the clubhouse. I’ve got an office that’s about so big,” Manuel said, holding his hands close together. “The clubhouse, I let them do what they do.”

 

Look I have never played in professional sports but I have played on teams throughout my life with guys I despised so much I wouldn’t pee on them if they were on fire but as long as we were teammates I had their back and they had mine, maybe it’s the long season and the time together that atmosphere in the pro clubhouse means a lot but I’m sure if Manny is hitting home runs and protecting D-Wright in the batting order and giving Carlos Delgado beaucoup RBI opps in his walk year,  Manny would be the Man of the Year in the Mets Cave.

 

More Manny, this comment from Matt Cerrone (hope you’re feeling better Matt) on Manny and the Mets:

also, i have a feeling the team may have miscalculated just how vocal their fans would be about manny… i

listened to WFAN last night from 3 am to 4 am, thanks to my asthma and a cold, and every single Mets call was about manny… over and over and over again… manny, manny, manny… i’m not saying this is a reason for the Mets to change course, not at all, they should do what they see fit, but they may want to consider how they are spinning this to the public, especially if there is any chance ramirez ends up signing a one-year deal with the Dodgers,because, if that happens, i suspect most fans are going to lose it…

 

If I have one major pet peeve with the Mets organization it is they are clueless about their fan base and I get the feeling they couldn’t give damn about us. If the Skill Sets showed one once the passion of its fan base the name “Mets” would be acknowledge with more respect instead of laughter.

 

According to reports the Mets have sold 25,000 per game so far as just about everyone who committed to buying season tickets has poinied up the dough. But guess which seats are not selling so fast? Yes those high priced club seats that hold the ample ass’ of those captains of industry that have thrown us into this recession. Don’t worry Skill Sets the working folks of NY won’t let you down.

 

      

 

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With 21 days until pitchers and catchers open the gates at St. Lonesome, FINALLY, there is some Mets news:

 

Last night on Pro Baseball Central Joe McDonald and I got into a spirited conversation that started out as a positions by position comparison of the Mets and Phillies and then morphed into a debate of whether Carlos Delgado is a Hall of Famer. Joe says “Yes of course” and I say “No way”

 

Am I the only one reading the words of Jeffey Skill Sets as a cryptic message that Manny could be a Met? I’ve seen where Omar has soured on Manny about how he acted in Boston last year but I have to think that Scott Boras is on the phone right now with Omar to talk Manny.  Am I just getting my hopes up? Am I just so delusional that I’m holding out hope? Maybe but unlike when Cliff Floyd played under the Art Howe reign of error I think I see a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

I’m happy with the Freddy Garcia signing and I hope he makes his $9mil which he would get if he meets all the incentives in his minor league deal.

 

Great story on D Wright in the NY Daily News and I like this statement by Wright:

 

Wright is ready to be more vocal in team meetings – he says he started to feel right about speaking up only last year – and active in uniting the factions of a diverse clubhouse.

 

“I try to reach out to the free agents we sign, and the players we trade for,” he says. “When young players come up, I will try to steer them toward doing things the proper way. . . . I grew up in a military town, where there is a ton of diversity, so I’m used to talking to different people. I’m getting more confident in that as the years go by.”

 

It’s time for Wright to take over the team, there is no need to name him Captain-it should be accepted already in the clubhouse- but J-Man should just let it known that Wright is THE MAN. This is why I’m still holding out hope on Manny as a Met because Wright has made it known he is on board with Manny.

 

Then there was this little nugget that needs some clarification:

 

While he worked, Wright was the subject of much scrutiny and criticism. He says that none of the post-collapse chatter affected him as much as his own disgust.

 

“Nobody enjoys hearing they should be traded,” he says, shrugging. “You never want to be disliked, but I understand that with the position I’m in, in the market I’m in, it’s not going to be happy-go-lucky all the time, like it was it ’06. You have to take the bad with the good.”

 

 

I know of no Mets fan that ever said D-Wright should be traded and I know some of the Shea disdidents have booed Wright which is ignorant but Wright has to know that the only person in this town that even utter the word trade with Wright’s name was the mid day blow hard in Astoria and no one gives a rats ass about his opinion when it comes to the Mets.

 

Are the Phillies serious about this?

 

The site Amazin’ Avenue has a great post of Mets on the cover of Sports Illustrated from 1962-1985. WOW brings back memories.

 

 

 

 

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Well, so much for the quiet off season, as word comes via Scott Boras’ House Organ,- the Zelig like Jon Heyman, that the Braves have made a 4yr/$60 mil offer to the Boras/Lowe tag team. WHOA!!! I’ve been on board the Lowe bandwagon but if this offer is legit well for Lowe/Boras it’s too legit to quit.

 

How does Omar top that with a 4yr/$64 mil deal? Har-har-hardee-har-har would be the response out of Flushing.

 

The Braves are desperate after the defection of John Smoltz to the Olde Towne Team and the rumbling of the fan base that Frank Wren is a do nothing GM.  Also a factor here as it pertains to the Mets and Lowe, it seems Omar is the lone Lowe supporter among the decision makers in the organization with the rest of the brain trust clearly pro-Ollie Perez.

 

It could also be the old dirt and scandal from Lowe’ past is being brought back to the surface and the murmur of Lowe still in the grip of evil spirits.

 

So as it this story heats up it now looks like Ollie Perez will be the odd man in for the Mets as no way in the Mets up the ante in years or money to Lowe/Boras.

 

I still prefer Derek Lowe over OP as Lowe is a much more established and proven arm but at $15 mil a year for four years is too rich for my blood and a real overpayment for a guy who is not an ace.

 

What this does though is make OP the object of Omar’s affection but at what price? It’s reported (again by Zelig Heyman) that the Mets have met with OP and put a 3yr/$30 mil offer on the table, I’m sure Boras will counter with at least 5yr/$50 so figure OP will be back in the Flushing fold at 4yr/$40+mil with incentives and the like.

 

Hopefully there will be some kind of Mets news the next couple of day as we ready for our next installment of Pro Baseball Central this Thursday night (Jan 15^th) at 9PM EST on Blogtalk Radio. So join us Thursday at 9 and call in and give us your opinions at (646) 595-4462.

 

(UPDATE: The AJC is reporting that Derek Lowe has signed the 4yr/$60mil deal with the Braves. Panic in Peachtree!)

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Well, so much for the quiet off season, as word comes via Scott Boras’ House Organ,- the Zelig like Jon Heyman, that the Braves have made a 4yr/$60 mil offer to the Boras/Lowe tag team. WHOA!!! I’ve been on board the Lowe bandwagon but if this offer is legit well for Lowe/Boras it’s too legit to quit.

 

How does Omar top that with a 4yr/$64 mil deal? Har-har-hardee-har-har would be the response out of Flushing.

 

The Braves are desperate after the defection of John Smoltz to the Olde Towne Team and the rumbling of the fan base that Frank Wren is a do nothing GM.  Also a factor here as it pertains to the Mets and Lowe, it seems Omar is the lone Lowe supporter among the decision makers in the organization with the rest of the brain trust clearly pro-Ollie Perez.

 

It could also be the old dirt and scandal from Lowe’ past is being brought back to the surface and the murmur of Lowe still in the grip of evil spirits.

 

So as it this story heats up it now looks like Ollie Perez will be the odd man in for the Mets as no way in the Mets up the ante in years or money to Lowe/Boras.

 

I still prefer Derek Lowe over OP as Lowe is a much more established and proven arm but at $15 mil a year for four years is too rich for my blood and a real overpayment for a guy who is not an ace.

 

What this does though is make OP the object of Omar’s affection but at what price? It’s reported (again by Zelig Heyman) that the Mets have met with OP and put a 3yr/$30 mil offer on the table, I’m sure Boras will counter with at least 5yr/$50 so figure OP will be back in the Flushing fold at 4yr/$40+mil with incentives and the like.

 

Hopefully there will be some kind of Mets news the next couple of day as we ready for our next installment of Pro Baseball Central this Thursday night (Jan 15^th) at 9PM EST on Blogtalk Radio. So join us Thursday at 9 and call in and give us your opinions at (646) 595-4462.

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I’m having my living room torn apart and a massive redesign so between the noise, the clutter of furniture, debris and taking down Christmas decorations I’m sneaking in a post before the workers come back from lunch so just a quickie for today

Looks like the free agent market is starting to flow a bit with word that Omar and Scott Boras will sit down for lunch today and discuss Derek Lowe and Ollie P (you would think with all the fan pressure and media pressure even the Great Bloviator Francesa is on our side that the  Mets should find a way to get Manny Ramirez that the Skill Sets would let Omar even discuss it with Boras.) It looks like Omar wants to get his pitching in a row as he has offered deals to Tim Redding and is getting ready for Randy Wolf as the word is Mets pitchers and catchers are to report to St Lonesome on Feb 13.

A must read today is Curt Schillings 38 Pitches blog where he destroys Dan Shaughnessy of the Globe even using his “CHB” (Curly Haired Boyfriend) nickname. I hope Bob Ryan can give Shaughnessy some help getting the broom stick Schilling stuck up his ass removed

Remember tomorrow night at 9 EST Pro Baseball Central back on the air with the first show of ’09

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Still a bit stunned after watching the Celtics lose to the Knicks last night at MSG. Memo to Al Harrington, I know last night was the highlight of your career but remember, come April you will be sitting on your couch while the C’s are deep into the playoffs so get your popcorn ready. I’m pretty sure that the Knicks will be raising banner on the 14^th before the game with the Wiz to commemorate the victory over Boston.

 

So while we wait for Scott Boras/Derek Lowe to produce a counter offer to the Mets let me alert you to the fact that Pro Baseball Central will be back this week on the air this Thursday night at 9PM (EST) on Blog Talk Radio. So join Joe McDonald and yours truly for our first PBC of 2009.

 

Yesterday, in the Daily News they had a piece on Anthony Young and it was good to see Ol’ A.Y. is alive and well and to reflect on his 27 consecutive loses which was a hard to believe 16 years ago.

 

Over at NYBD Frank Maniscalco has a fantasy baseball column up and some details of a Fantasy League that Frank will be running. Also check out the NYBD show from last night on the Hot Stove with Mike Silva and Howard Megdal.

 

Mets Geek has an in-depth piece on RHP Sean Green who came over with J J Putz from the Mariners and will take over the Joe Smith role. Green could be a big part of the late inning Mets pen.

 

I love how the Mets Police has gone on the war path over the awful black Mets jerseys. Really,  with the new ball park opening this year it’s time to ditch the black. The Mets should stay with the pinstriped classic uni for home games with either the snow whites for Sunday games with the all blue cap, orange top button and NY on he front  and the road uni should be left alone but if you want to tweak that you could go with a gray top and pants with orange/blue stripe on the pant leg with the classic orange NY on the left breast. I’d even go with the old NY Giants all black cap with the orange NY for the road cap well. Anything is better than those awful looking black jersey’s. Wow all of a sudden I have the urge to listen to Peter Allen records.

 

Hopefully by the end of the week (Please Omar sign Lowe/Manny/ Orlando Hudson and trade Gimp Castillo on Thursday) there will be some movement on the free agent logjam or we will all need a good colon cleansing soon

 

 

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First and foremost a Happy and Healthy New Year to everyone and a huge thank you for your support of this site and of Pro Baseball Central and my wish to you is good health and happiness and hopefully post season baseball for our Mets.

 

Finally Omar has reached out to Scott Boras and Derek Lowe with an offer. While the Mets offer of 3yrs/$36mil is nowhere near the reported 5yr/$90mil that Boras was looking for, it is a starting point.  The Mets do not want to go more than 3 years with Lowe and with the big boys on the sideline (Highlanders and Red Sox) this looks like advantage Mets.  I could see a scenario where there is a 4^th year option and maybe the money goes up two or three million with Omar telling Scot Boras he’s doing it as a face saving measure and let Boras know he “owes him one” but it looks like this will get done soon.

Then it will be interesting to see where Omar turns next. The longer Manny Ramirez sits out on the open market the more pressure there is on the Skill Sets to get in the Manny game. Word is leaking out of the air tight front office bunker that Omar wants to get Manny in Blue and Orange but the stumbling block is getting the Skill Sets to release the purse strings. If Manny slips through the Mets hands due to Jeffey and Freddie not giving Omar FULL AUTONOMY  to make this deal and Manny Ramirez signs with GOD FORBID the Highlanders or goes back to LA for a 2 year deal I am putting the Mets on notice that whatever past posting here toward management they thought were venomous and nasty will look like love letters  compared to the carpet bombing I have in store for them if they pussy out with Manny. I’m not looking for them to go more than 2yrs for Manny so I don’t think that’s outlandish.

 

Long time reader of this site Nik Kolidas has a new Mets blog Kiner’s Korner which not only has a terrific layout but the content is first rate. Click on the link and bookmark the page and thank me latter.

 

Outstanding job by Amazin’ Avenue with their detailed comparison of Oliver Perez vs. Ben Sheets. If or when Derek Lowe signs with the Mets adding Ben Sheets to a 2yr deal would an outstanding outside the box move by the Mets. Which means it won’t happen.

 

Over at Mike Silva’s NY Baseball Digest there are a couple of items that are must reads. First Mike has a posting on January as the Month of Manny and this passage should be e-mailed to Jeffey Skill Sets or better yet I would love to hand deliver it to him and shove it in his face to make sure he gets the message:

   {The Mets, although improved, might need something to get past their 2007/2008 failures. Johan Santana should have done it, but the dour Willie Randolph negated all good will from that coup of a signing. The excitement of having two closers is nice, but putting Ramirez in left field would create a fresh buzz to the new ballpark. Imagine opening day and Manny hits a three run homer in the first. They may need to check the new buildings structure to ensure it’s ready for that kind of punishment. Manny would take a solid lineup and make it great. There is that g-word again. Unfortunately, there is no Hank Steinbrenner in the Wilpon family. Even an engaging salesman like Omar MInaya has been unable to convince Fred and Jeff on Ramirez. The fans remember Vladimir Guerrero and the winter of 2003. Maybe another rally with Craig Carton at Citi Field would help the Wilpon’s remember.}

 

BRAVO MIKE!!!!!

 

Also on NYBD is Frank Maniscalco who will be the sites Czar of Fantasy Baseball this year. You may know Frank as Frankie The Sports Guy and now he has added fantasy baseball to his ever growing résumé.

 

Good to see Charles Barkley getting that last DUI of 2008 out of the way early.

 

 

   

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If you missed our live broadcast of Pro Baseball Central,  you missed a discussion of the Highlanders signing Mark Teixiera and and another spirited debate on the Mets going after Derek Lowe and/or Oliver Perez. Joe McDonald and I were joined by Mike Silva of NY Baseball Digest and after a some good baseball discussion we went off on a tangent going over drinking establishments in Bay Ridge and a travelogue of Ireland and alot of other silliness. To figure out the meaning of the picture with this post you have to listen to the show and believe me it will be worth it.

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First let me wish all of you a Happy Hanukkah and Gut Yontif and let you know that Pro Baseball Central with your favorite goyim Joe McDoanld and myself will be on the air for a special TUESDAY edtion of Pro Baseball Central. But before the show check out the great interview Joe did with J-Man at the Winter Meetings the link is up right now on the Pro Baseball Central site.

So join us tomorrow night and of course gives a call to vent on the Mets at (646) 595-4462

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