Here is the most critical component of this Mets team and the twelve men mentioned here hold the future of the season in their left and right arms. Without pitching we are nothing!
Starting Rotation
Johan Santana
Mike Pelfrey
Oliver Perez
John Maine
Nelson Figueroa/Jon Neise
I’m starting to calm down a bit about starters 2-5 in this rotation. Big Pelf and OP have improved with each spring appearance and hopeful they gain confidence in these starts. Maine goes tomorrow and hopefully he bounces back and is focused in this start. The fifth spot if given on merit should go to Nelly Figs as he has continued from his great performance in the Caribbean World Series so far this spring. Neise has shown that the hammy tear from last year is healed. The easiest move here is Niese in the fifth slot and Figs in the pen as long/middle man
Bullpen
Frankie Rodriguez
Pedro Felicaino
Sean Green
Hisanori Takahashi
Ryota Igarashi
Bobby Parnell
Kiko Calero
This all changes if the front office makes the huge mistake by letting Jenry Mejia come North, then someone has got to go most likely Parnell. Takahashi has also pitched himself into a job and the 40 man roster with his stellar spring, by the way has anyone in the organization realized that Takahashi uses his left arm to pitch ? Again the pen is in flux as brain trust decides if they want LOOGY Joe Beimel (at their price) and keeping Mejia but the locks are Frankie Rodz, Feliciano, Green and I guess Igarashi. That leaves three spots with I’d think Takahashi getting one of them. The next two could be filled by Parnell, Calero, Mejia, Beimel or some other arm from another organization. Then again Nelly Figs could be sent packing once more.
BANG BANG
I’m moving to a new desk today (a nice corner spot) so I wanted to post some items before I get busy with the heavy lifting so here we go:
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No one is a bigger fanboy of Petey than me but no way, no how does Omar bring him back. Thank you Petey and good luck. See you in Cooperstown.
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Okay all you commentators who told me I was out of my mind about bringing Jason Varitek to the Mets, after further review you guys are right I’m nuts. It just that I am not impressed with Brian Schneider both with the stick and especially behind the plate.
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Anthony (or as we say in Brooklyn ANT-NEE) has a post on Hot Foot on the culinary treats awaiting us at $iti Field. If I were on the concession planning committee I would add an old time New York candy store at the ballpark as well. Have penny candies, Pretzels, Mets periodicals and of course EGG CREAMS!!!! If Freddy Skill Sets doesn’t have a spot for an Egg Cream concession then he’s not as Brooklyn as I think he is.
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Speaking of $iti Field, Maury Brown of the Biz of Baseball posts on how the name $iti Field will still be atop the ballpark even with the firm throwing 50,000 workers out into the street a month before Christmas.
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Do you get the feeling that Francisco Rodriguez’ agent Paul Kinzer is in a bit over his head in negotiating a contract for his client? How do you not have the medical records from the Angles to show the Mets or any other team interested in K-Rod?
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Happy Birthday Jay Hook. Also the late Cal Koonce was born on this day.
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Omar better keep an eye on Brain Sabean as he is looking to grab all the fringe relievers on the market. I’m not a big fan of Sabean as I feel he is very overrated as a GM but the signing of Jeremy Affeldt was solid and the word is he is looking to lock up Joe Beimel and Juan Cruz as he sees the NL West as weak enough for the Giants to make a run at the division in ‘09
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In this post by Joe Posnanski he writes about listening to football on the radio and how football in person is much tougher to watch than on TV as you need to see replays from three or four angles to appreciate what happened on every play. The best part of the post though is that Posnanski is writing a book on the 1975 Cincinnati Reds. I will be all over that book when it’s released. Back in those days, as much as I was a Mets fan the Mets were pretty bad and I just found the Big Red Machine fascinating.
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WCBS880 has pics of $iti Field (with its grass in place) and the demo of Shea Stadium. I wish Shea was demoed already as watching these pics is torture. I hate watching Shea just waste away Please give the place the dignity it deserves.
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I know hockey does not have the pizzazz of baseball or football in this town but Henrik Lundquist should be a much bigger deal in NYC than he is. Hopefully he and the Rangers will enjoy a Stanley Cup during his Ranger career as his goaltending will lead to his 30 to hang from the Garden rafters.Â
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Legendary basketball coach Pete Newell has passed away at 93 and big men everywhere are sad.