Kranepool Society :: A New York Mets Blog
A daily account of the trials and tribulations of the New York Mets. Contact me at sinymets@aol.com
Jesus H. Christ, you go out for a little lunch around here and all hell breaks loose. Just after I link up Eric Seidman’ post on Fangraphs on Brad Emaus getting some PA’s to show whether he belongs or not on the big league roster, Stone Cold Sandy DFA’s Emaus and calls up Ginger Turner.
I definitely feel Alderson was quick on the trigger here, even though this means more time for Daniel Murphy and his Magic Bat at 2nd base.
I’m just back from Citi Field where the Mets held Citi Kids Day for some 5th and 6th grade public school children of NYC. The attraction besides getting to sit in the Mets Clubhouse, we meeting Mets players Dillon Gee, Josh Thole, Bobby Parnell, R.A. Dickey, Jose Reyes and 2011 Opening Day starter Mike Pelfrey along with manager Terry Collins.
I haven’t had time to transcribe what I have from the interviews with the players (I hope to have some of it up tomorrow as I came home and now I’m off to MSG for Rangers-Maple Leafs) but the main theme I picked up from the players is, they feel this team is no also ran and 2011 is not just a bridge to the future. The word you heard the most today was “preparation” as in lack of it last year and lot’s of emphasis on it this year.
Mike Pelfrey, beaming from the announcement that he will be on the mound April 1 in Florida, told us of Terry Collins sitting with the players at lunch today going over relay throws and defensive alignments. The whole time Big Pelf had a big grin conveying his liking of this new direction.
More tomorrow ……………………..
It’s gone beyond getting aggravated about the way the Mets are going about their non-business so far this off season. I am getting a kick out of Mets fans and non-Mets fans trying to figure out what moves the Mets are ready to make. Well, if you know the Mets next move, then could you please make a call to (718) 507-METS and ask for Omar and tell him the move because it seems to me he’s out of idea’s.
The new bit of pretzel logical coming out of Queens is if the team can’t sign Jason Bay then they will up the offer they’ve made to Bengi Molina. If they can’t sign Molina then they will up their offer to Bay. Go ahead digest that little nugget for a minute I’ll wait……..Hummm so what should I have for lunch? I really could go for a slice but West Broadway is a mess….soup? Yeah, it’s a good soup day how about a minestrone and an toasted everything bagel? Yeah soup and bagel it is Oh shit…..I’m sorry….back to Omar Economics………
Here’s an astute observation by yours truly, The Mets have no plan! Omar is powerless he is under the iron fist of Baby Doc Jeffey Skill Sets and the Minister of Mets Miss Information, DiamondVison Dave Howard. Those two, my friends, are the faces of your franchise. The faces I’d love to smash my fist into.
Bay, Molina, Molina, Bay, the Mets act like these two are the missing links to competitiveness (we all agree that the Mets are not contenders right? RIGHT????) meanwhile there are about FOUR spots in the starting pitching rotation that needs addressing but I guess there is still plenty of time to fuck that up this winter.
Trying to dry out from a soaking rain this morning so retreving my Mets news took a bit longer than usual.
Looks like the shake up we have been looking for will be internal as OP, Angel P and Jon Neise are ready to pitch in and F-Mart goes back to Buffalo and Tim Redding and Fernando Nieve go back to obscurity.
I’m sorry I’m missing Manny Being Manny in Flushing tonight and you can boo him and call him a cheat but if he were the Mets left fielder life would be a lot easier and first palce would be closer to reality than a pipe dream.
Time to cook lunch yummmmmmm sloppy joes while standing ankle deep  in mud
A rough morning. Had a 9AM game and one of my big strong arm guys pitching and he couldn’t find home plate with a map, compass and a guide dog. After two innings we are down 8-0 and I’m ready to blow a fucking gasket, walks and errors that’s all I see in my sleep lately. After the 60 th pitch I’d seen enough and I bring in a kid to pitch that while not throwing hard, throws strikes and he holds the fort as we nibble back to 8-4 until he runs out of gas. I go to option three which on this team is the equivalent of Manny Acta going to his pen and lo and behold after seven walks, three errors and leaving about eight runners on base the score after 6 innings is 13-6.
There was another game to be played on the field after ours and the teams were milling around waiting for our game to end. The coach of one of the teams was a guy I’ve known for a few years so I told “Don’t worry Jim we’ll be quick” and we both laughed. What are you gonna do cry? First kid up grounds out. Next kid walks. Next one hits a bloop over short. Next batter drills one to the gap in left center-a bloop and a blast-and it’s 13-8. Next batter walks then another walk and a strike out and a hit batsman. New pitcher and it’s 13-9 with two out. First pitch to the batter a hit down the left field line and holy shit it’s 13-11 with two out and then a infield hit and it’s 13-12 with two out. Now I’d love to say the next batter drove in two more runs but that only happens in the movies. The next kid K’d and we lost 13-12 but from the roar of the crowd and the kids waiting to play you would have thought we won a championship.
When the game ended we took the kids over to the snack stand which was the plan win or lose to buy them lunch. As we come off the field, the people at the complex were clapping and patting the kids on the back which was great because they really deserved to for not giving up and fighting back. But the best part of it was when one of the kids, the pitcher I took out after two innings said “We never give up because the coaches never give up on us”
And that right there is worth all the vacation days I’ve used and all the overtime I’ve given up and all the food, drinks, and baseballs I’ve bought and all the time I’ve put into practicing with these kids. Johan Santana, Alex Rodriguez Carlos Beltran they are all making a ton of money in baseball more than me but I guarantee they are not loving baseball more than I am.
Jerry Manuel: Damn, what is this crawling up my butt? Oh it’s my lineup for tonight!
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Murphy – 1B
Church – RF
Beltran – CF
Sheffield – DH
Wright – 3B
Reed – LF
Santos – C
Martinez – SS
Castillo – 2B
Santana – LHP
Trying to watch both the Mets-Pads game and Rangers-Caps Game 1 sticking mostly with the Rangers (who are up 3-2 after 2 periods and without a doubt if Alexander Ovechkin played at the 53 rd St park in Brooklyn, he’d get his ass kicked every game.
Looks like Good Ollie has made his 2009 debut tonight so far it’s 2-1 Mets after 5 hopefully Good Ollie can last until the 7th so the firm of Putz & Rodriguez can close this one out.
Long day today as my kids are still home on Easter break so we had to hit the city for the day of theatre lunch and shopping so I’m beat and broke ( a bad combination ) so after reading my e-mails I’m ready for baseball and hockey for the evening.
Back in the A.M
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