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
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Mike and Steve talk about start of the baseball season. Hear them remember Johan Santana’s career, talk about the promising Mets prospects and Hal Steinbrenner’s media tour. They also will chat about the NCAA tournament championship game and Tim McCarver’s retirement.
As I’ve stated on this site more than a few times, I’m not a big fan of Mike Piazza. I acknowledge that he is an very talent hitter, not just a great hitting catcher but one of the best right handed hitters of his era. I’ve defended him against the witch hunt against him that kept from being a first ballot Hall of Famer and hope that someday the Mets retire his number 31. After reading Piazza’s autobiography, Long Shot (Simon & Shuster) I still believe he is a hall of famer player and that his 31 should be emblazoned on the Citi Field outfield wall and I’ve reinforced my feeling that Piazza is a self-centered, what’s in it for me kind of guy.
The book itself is a pretty good read and may have been a better read for me if I didn’t read it right after devouring Terry Francona’s book which was outstanding. But I give a lot of credit to Lonnie Wheeler who co-wrote the book with Piazza for putting the pieces of Piazza’s life and career together into this book.
Piazza destroys the myth about his relationship with Tommy Lasorda and how that relationship gave him the career he had. It’s no myth, it’s the etched in stone truth. The other revelation in this book is that Mike’s dad Vince was a typical overbearing Little League stage dad who was all in Mike’s business and the Dodgers baseball business as well. What’s sad about the relationship that Vince Piazza had with Tommy Lasorda and all the meddling both of them did with getting Mike a shot to make the big leagues is it overshadows the hard work and perseverance that Mike put in to get to the big leagues and have the great career he had.
Mike doesn’t seem to get that every time he had a problem with a minor league manager or coach and ran to daddy or his Dutch Uncle Tommy, it left a black mark on his reputation. Again to his credit Piazza let his bat do most of the talking as he rose up the ranks of the Dodger chain. The trip to the top though left Piazza bitter towards the organization as not many of the Dodgers minor league staff thought he was worthy of the prominent spot he had in the origination.
Piazza in some chapters enjoyed his time with the Mets and in some chapters he didn’t. He loved New York City and Mets fans as he was taken aback by the passion of the Mets fan base after playing in front of the laid back LA crowd. But had some differences with ownership and with of all people Mets P.R. man Jay Horowitz, who is beloved by everyone in the Mets org. Same as he blamed Vin Scully for turning Dodgers fans against him. Talk about delusional!
Piazza speaks unabashedly about his deep commitment to his Catholic faith but he also lists all the D-List Hollywood bimbos he bedded during his baseball career. He speaks of the deep friendship he enjoyed with Erick Karos, Todd Zeile John Franco and Al Leiter. But only Franco and Leiter attended his wedding, in fact it was at his wedding that Piazza realized that he burned a lot of bridges with teammates as his wife side of the church was filled with friends and his side was quite sparse.
Of course Piazza goes in to detail about his feud with Roger Clemens and the fact that he never confronted Clemens about his attempt to decapitate him. Piazza talked tough about confronting Clemens but when he had the chance at the 2004 All Star Game when he and Clemens, NL teammates met in private and Piazza had his chance to level Clemens did nothing. In fact Piazza talks about getting even with every pitcher who hit him with a pitch but the only one he went after was Guillermo Mota who mocked him by saying “how come you didn’t go after Clemens like you went after me”?
There is of course the chapter on supplements and what Piazza took and didn’t take which I read fast because I’m tired of reading and talking about PED’s.
As I said, Long Shot is an enjoyable read especially for Mets fans as the best part of the book is Piazza going into detail about the 1999 and 2000 seasons, his relationship with Bobby Valentine and his emotions following the 9/11 attacks and his home run against the Braves in the first game back after the attack.
So it seems Sandy Alderson and John Ricco took a trip to Houston to have a bite with Michael Bourn and Scott Boras over the weekend. I’m sure Alderson let Bourn and Agent Orange know that, yes I’m interested in making you a Met. No I do not want to lose my spot in line to pick the Next Great Baseball Prospect but if I were to give that pick up I want you on my team at my price and my terms.
Sherman of the Post claims that the Mets could work a deal with BournBoras on multiyear deal with an out clause after one year. Interesting concept and imaginative as well but why would BourneBoras take the risk? Is it because the market for Bourn is more of a gas station mini mart with the Mets and Mariners the only teams mentioned in the running for Bourn’s services rather than the big box store teams like the Highlanders, Red Sox , Cubs or the new and biggest high end store the Rodeo Drive Dodgers?
I’m trying to see where BournBoras have any leverage, we are a mere two weeks from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training and here’s Michael Bourn still on the free agent ho’ stroll. It seems the only hold up in the Mets making an offer and signing Bourn is the elusive 11th pick in the entry draft. MLB it seems will not help the Metropolitans out with a favorable ruling of allowing the Mets to receive the 10th and protected pick in the draft over the Pittsburgh Pirates who are being rewarded for their incompetent handling of Stanford RHP Mark Appel in last year’s draft.
I go back and forth on the value of the 11th pick over signing a better than average CF’er. Seems Alderson feels the same way. The shame of it is Bourn and the Mets are a perfect fit both need each other in the worst way but the obstacles in front of them may derail this match made in baseball heaven.
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It would be a boon to SNY’s Mets coverage to add Bobby Valentine to the pre and post game show. IN fact I hope SNY takes it further and adds Bobby V to the broadcast booth when either Keith Hernandez or Ron Darling are not scheduled. Talk about must see TV.
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This past Friday night the crew of Kult of Mets Personalities welcomed Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog and writer Jeff Pearlman to the podcast for some spirited debate on the results from the latest Baseball Hall of Fame vote
Needing some help in the pitching staff, the Mets went out and signed lefthander Aaron Laffey to a minor league deal and invited him to Spring Training.
The former Yankee, who made 11 relief appearances in the Bronx. Last year in 22 appearances – 16 starts – he went 4-6 with a 4.56 ERA in Toronto.
Sports betting review says, the 27 year-old held lefties to a .262 batting average and a .721 OPS in 148 career games, 65 of them starts with four teams over six seasons. He also pitched for the Indians and Mariners.
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Last night on The Kult of Mets Personalities we were joined by Mike Silva as we discussed the ongoing saga of David Wright and R.A. Dickey’s contract extensions or lack thereof
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WAKE UP THE ECHOS!!!!!! Look who is number 1 in the nation!!!! Two more wins and the FIGHTIN’ IRISH will be National Champions!!!!! Hail Hail to Ol’ Notre Dame………………….
I was set to put up a post on Saturday but got caught up with tons of chores. Same thing yesterday so I’ve had to save up all kinds on Mets minutia until today. So without further ado:
Belated happy birthday to The Franchise, Tom Seaver who turned 68 years old this past Saturday. As I thought about Seaver when reminded it was his birthday, I thought what would be a great birthday gift for someone like Seaver who has just about everything a man could ask for a great family, a fabulous legacy as a New York sports icon, and a successful wine vineyard what else does he need? There is only one thing that Seaver doesn’t have that he richly deserves a statue outside of Citi Field.
Every team has a venue to celebrate its past and its legendary players, unlike those teams who knew that a team museum was a necessary part of any new stadium project; the Mets had to be shamed into building a Mets Hall of Fame and Museum. Let’s not dwell on the past inefficiencies of Citi Field as management, with plenty of prodding, have made some necessary changes to Citi Field to where it is starting to feel like a real home. There is one piece though that is missing and it really is a terrible oversight that this hasn’t happen yet, a statue of Tom Seaver in his legendary pitching delivery, right knee with a dirt smudge, left leg extended, right hand cocked and ready and the ballet like follow through, the diagram for the perfect pitching mechanic. It wouldn’t just be a statue; it would be an exquisite work of baseball art. The Seaver statue would look very nice just outside the Seaver Entrance to Citi Field but a more perfect place would be in the exact spot of “Seaver’s office” where the old Shea Stadium pitchers mound used to be.
The Mets will put a limited number of single game tickets on sale today starting at 10 AM along with special Holiday Pack ticket packages.
Tomorrow starting at 11:30 AM Mets pitcher Matt Harvey will be joining other folks from the Mets organization in handing out hot meals to those residents of the Rockaways still devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Harvey and the Mets contingent will be at the United Methodist Church 1032 Beach 19 St in Far Rockaway.
Memo to Sandy Alderson:
Just sign R.A. Dickey to a contract extension and put to rest all this trade talk. I understand you are just doing your due diligence by putting Dickey’s name out there and see what the response is from your fellow GM’s but I’ve come to the conclusion there is no deal you can make that will bring back the value that Dickey gives this organization both on and off the field. The Mets need R.A. Dickey more than he needs the Mets as when his playing days are over there would be no better candidate to be the organization Czar of Pitching than Dickey. Let’s think outside the box here and make a move that will be beneficial to the Mets today and in years to come by cutting the bullshit and sign up R.A. Dickey to a contract extension by the end of this week.
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Nik Kolidas and Gene Anthony sat down with former Mets pitching coach and current Baltimore Orioles Director of Pitching Development Rick Peterson who gave his views on pitching today, his work with the Orioles and his days with the Mets. As usual when it comes to the Kult of Mets Personalities there is always a bombshell or two from our guests and Rick Peterson is no exception. Enjoy!
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