Great job by both Mike Silva and Dave Singer to post this video of the at bat Dae-Sung Koo had against the Big Doofus in the Mets-Highlanders game of May 25th, 2005

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1 day until pitchers and 1,000,000 catchers march

Even though I nearly busted my ass walking down my ice covered driveway this morning (my kids took the tea pot and a broom outside yesterday and said they are starting the Staten Island Curling Club with my driveway acting as the home arena) it’s good to know that the Mets catchers have seen their shadows (I picture all these backstops standing around like birds on a wire) so that could only mean 6 weeks of spring training.

Speaking of catchers, yesterday the stories out of St. Lonesome had Henry Blanco as the one catcher with a roster spot sewn up but Omar Minaya says he’s not an everyday player. His tag team partner though changes everyday. One day the stories are about Omir Santos, then today we read about how Josh Thole can hit in whatever league he plays in plus he worked this off season with Bob Natal the Mets Catching Coordinator on his receiving skills. Now we are hearing that the Mets are working on signing Rod Barajas to either a minor league deal or a bargain basement ML deal. It’s to the point now that every pitcher in camp will have his own personal catcher.

JR of JR’s Sports Briefs did a video of the Mets Blood drive at $iti Field the other day. Usually the Mets do this drive in the spring but I guess with the shortage of blood in area hospitals they decided to go with a winter drive as well as a spring one as well.

Mike Silva is looking for the Mets promotional schedule on the team website but it’s no where to be found. I’m sure when they do decide to release the list of promotions it will be the same as every year, opening day schedule magnet, a couple of bobble head days,  drawstring bag day, notebook day, various t-shirts and lunch bag day.  Now I won’t kill these giveaway days as I have more Mets swag than I my basement can handle and I am a sucker for bobble heads but it would be refreshing to see something a little more imaginative from the Mets promo department. I don’t expect that though.

I don’t know why this bothers me but it does

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Before we look at some Mets-Minutia and the fact that there are 24 days until pitchers and catchers,   a few football thoughts:

I guess this is not a great revelation but Peyton Manning is not just a great QB but he is an immortal football player. His dissection of the Jets secondary was surgeon like.

Sorry Lito Shepard for the kiss of death yesterday.

There is a fine line between confidence and assholeness and the Jets were heading to asshole-ness. None other than Peyton Manning made that known in his post game interview when he said his team knew when to keep their mouth’s shut. You know the rallying cry all week in Indy’s locker room was shutting up Sexy Rexy and his team, which is what Manning did.

I’m not a fan of Brett Farve as I feel is a lot over exposed and a bit overrated but I have new found respect for after yesterday. Farve is one tough sumnabitch.

Get ready for two weeks of Archie Manning career retrospective with the Saints and stories of the son of New Orleans, Peyton going against his daddy’s team and the team he grew up with.

12 men in the huddle late in a Championship game is unacceptable. Brad Childress is lucky he doesn’t coach in NYC, Philly or Boston  if he did he’d have to enter the witness protection program.

Back to baseball

Mets mini-camp opens today and Jerry Manuel will grace the club with his prescience. Adam Rubin (of course!) is on the scene with the first dispatch.

Mike Silva thinks that Ben Sheets is there for the taking for the Mets if they are creative.

Last week there were two great columns about Mariners GM and former Mets Scouting Director Jack Zduriencik who has made his mark and his team a contender this off season.

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I will be joining Mike Silva on his NY Baseball Digest show tonight at 7PM

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Motivation to blog about the Mets is a real challenge today. Everyday at the Winter Meetings is Groundhog Day. But I guess there are a few moves that need to be addressed so here we go:

Scott Boras has entered the building and I agree with Mike Silva, Boras needs the Mets to get in the mix for Matt Holiday just to drive the price up. The Mets, Cardinals, Red Sox and maybe the Angels are Holiday’s best bets and with Boras blowing smoke up Mets managements ass about having the wherewith all to sign Holiday it’s quite clear that playing for a winning team is not paramount to Holiday signing a contract.

“The Mets have a network and they have an infrastructure there that is, I mean, it’s a juggernaut economically,” Boras said at the winter meetings Wednesday afternoon. “We’ve seen what NESN has done and they’ve become if not a multi-billion, over a billion-dollar franchise. The YES Network is a multi-billion dollar network and franchise. The infrastructure that they’ve built with the SNY network follows. They’ve got a brand new ballpark. They’re in New York City. Their revenues are in the top three or four in baseball. I mean, the New York Mets have a lot of choices. And the Wilpon family is very successful. Sure, the Mets can sign any player they want to if they so choose to.”

There is nothing in that statement that you can argue with. If you are a Mets fan, Scott Boras just did you the biggest favor of the off season by calling bullshit on the Mets inactivity. Of course he doesn’t give a shit about you or me or any Mets fan but by calling out the ownership to get in the game, we owe him some gratitude.

The piece of baseball news I’ve heard so far these winter meetings was that Peter Gammons has left the WWL and will join MLB.com and the MLB Network. I have had the pleasure of watching the Cape Cod League All Star game with Gammons a few years ago in Orleans and he was a real gentleman. We not just talked baseball but he is a real encyclopedia of Rock and Roll history as well. Congratulations Pete!

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My main concern right now is the fact that David Wright has NOT been placed on the DL by the Mets. And not the 15 day one either, put him on the 60 day then have a nurse sent to his Manhattan apartment to monitor him and when he feels and checks out better by a doctor fuel up the Skill Sets yacht (take the for sale sign off and cancel the ad in the Buy Lines Freddy) and sail him to the Caribbean for some much needed R & R and tell him see you in March!

I don’t know what was scarier yesterday, the sight of Wright getting hit in the head and lying motionless on the ground or the fear that his health and safety is in the hands of the most incompetent bunch of fuckers in sports, The Skill Sets!

Can’t you just picture Jeffey Skill Sets visiting Wright in the hospital. “Dave how are ya”? “You know what take Sunday off in fact here’s free pass to Great Adventure go ride the Kingda Ka on me”

A must read this morning is from Metsradamus who correctly points out the softness of the Mets is what has fueled this pitching inside and may have led to Wright getting beaned. I have stated this here before, the word around the league is the Mets are as soft as two-ply Charmin. Pitch inside, dust them off the plate, hell drill ‘em in the ribs, the Mets will turn the other cheeck never a fear of retaliation isn’t near. Turk Wendell Mets fans turn their lonely eyes to you .

But finally FINALLY someone stepped up as Johan Santana there behind Kung Fu Panda (on purpose) and drilled Bengi Mollina (The one Mollina who needs to get drilled is Yadier but that’s another post for another time) Sure the Panda hit it out of the park after hitting the dirt but sometimes you lose a battle to win the war.

Check out Mike Silva’s NYBD and his post on the NY Times story on left handed catchers. He mentions Benny DiSteffano the pride of Bensohurst has the last lefty receiver in the bigs. When I started with the City 25 years ago I worked with DiSteffano’s sister. When he was with the Pirates their Mom, would make a pot of pasta, meatballs and gravy for the Bucos. Chuck Tanner was the manager back then and it was the highlight of his season when the club made the trip to Shea and Mama DiStefano’s home cooked meal. By the way, being a lefty myself I own a left handed catcher mitt.

Oh by the way, my sympathy for Matt Cain ended when he tipped his cap to the crowd as he was booed when he was removed from last night’s game. That was a real asshole move by Cain.

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The days watching baseball get tougher and tougher now that our Mets are non-entities but last night I watched what was one of the best baseball games I have seen in years.

 The Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox hooked up last night in a game that if it were a post season game would be an instant classic. King Felix Hernandez and Mark Buehrle worked fast, threw strikes and neither one gave an inch. King Felix was helped out by great defensive plays by Adrian Beltre and Ichiro and Buehrle had impeccable command, The game went 14 innings until Junior Griffey drove in the game winner with a single to right to give the M’s a 1-0 win.

 

So Carlos Delgado has pulled an oblique muscle as he tries to come back from hip surgery. Only the NY Mets could get a guy hurt rehabbing from an injury. Nah, nothing wrong with the team training staff <eyes pointed up to the sky>

 

I watched part of Petey’s return and it gave me a big YAWN!!!! I watched the Philly telecast and Tom McCarthy nearly pissed his pants going wild over Petey hitting 91 on the gun. He looked hittable and I’d bet by his third start he’ll get his tits lit.

 

By the way Mike Silva has video of the Shane Victordouchebag getting a beer bath from some fat slob in the Wrigley bleachers. Phillies fans are outraged by the Cub fans gross behavior. That’s like Hugh Hefner calling Dennis Hoff a pimp.

 

The Mets have decided to wear throwback uni’s this weekend but they will not not be “Mets Throwbacks” but more like the uniform worn by the 1905 World Champion New York Giants. The difference though will be a Mr. Met patch on the sleeve and the sleeve cuffs will be blue and orange. Next season the Skill Sets have planned to rename the team the Bridegrooms.

 

Check out Pro Baseball Central tonight at 9PM EDST as Joe McDonald and I talk about the mess that is the NY Mets and what the future of the franchise looks like you can join the conversation as well at (646) 595-4462. If you can’t join us live you can listen on the podcast right here at TEKS or on our Pro Baseball Central site.  

 

More than Beltran, or Delgado or anyone of the dozen players on the DL The player who is missed the most is Jose Reyes, not just for his bat and glove but for his energy. Love him or hate him you can not deney this lifeless bunch of Mets could use a does of Jose-Jose-Jose.

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Tonight at 6:30PM EDST I will be a guest of Mike Silva’ on his New York Baseball Digest radio show on Blog Talk Radio and then later tonight at 9:30PM EDSTalso on Blog Talk Radio we will have our Pro Baseball Central show. I wonder what the subject matter will be?

We’d love your input on PBC so call in the show at (646) 595-4462

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I did not see last nights Mets-Brewski game as I was attending the Staten Island Highlanders-Aberdeen Iron Birds game that was delayed 1 hour due to daily rain event here in NYC, but before the game I was a guest on Mike Silva’ NY Baseball Digest radio program, where Mike and I discussed the state of the Mets and what direction we felt this team should take. We both agreed that Mets fans have to relax a bit with their yelping for Omar Minaya to make a knee jerk trade as it’s not about trading, in fact this would be the worst time to make a deal of top prospects for a D-list of players that some fans think will lift this team. But one of the things we discussed was a Tweet I read from ESPN1050 that the had info that Jerry Manuel was told by the front office to knock off the rhetoric about injuries and calling out the front office to make a deal that has added gasoline to the fans/media bon fire this by the way I brought up yesterday and I agree with management telling Manuel to zip it.

Well it seems J-Man has gotten the message loud and clear as he closed the doors to his clubhouse after the game (another suggestion I brought up) and from the sound of it, reversed his sermon and told his team to stop looking for outside help and look at each other. Manuel tried to stem the tide of individualism that seems to have crept into his clubhouse and from this vantage point it looks like Manuel’ job is on the line. Not for this season but for next.

I don’t think it’s the fact that the team is losing but the way they lose that has them being mocked and laughed at throughout baseball and has caused embarassment to all who root for the Mets. The Mets players are lucky I’m not the team owner because I would have closed the club house door with a handful of player release forms in my hand and tell the players that the forms are loaded and “I’m not afraid to use them”

The last time the Mets had a month like this June was back in September 2003 when the Walking Cadaver Art Howe was in charge and “battling” all the way to a 7-19 record. That was the Met team with such notables as Jason “Goggles” Phillips, Vane Wilson, Tsuyoshi Shinjo, Danny Garcia and The Brothers Glavine. Another fact that gave me a “WOW” moment was that Pedro Feliciano is the only player to play for both losing Mets squads. Felicano has been a Met for 6 years AMAZING!!

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No blogging for the weekend as I’m off the U.S. Military Academy in West Point for a weekend camping trip with my sons Boy Scout troop. Even though the troop has a strict no electronics policy when it comes to these trips, the subversive that I am will sneak a radio in my bag to try to listen or at least get a score of this weekend Mets-Phillies series. Hopefully my tent mate won’t turn me in and have my ass hauled off to the stockade.

 

Sure it’s a big series but I think it’s to the Mets benefit that they are playing in Philly since they are so concerned about fan reaction. Remember the words of Bobby Knight, “when you start listening to the people in the stands, you end up joining them”. It seems that it’s not a lack of focus with the Mets but misplaced focus that is doing them in.

 

On that subject a must listen is Mike Silva’s interview with Kevin Kernan of the NY Post  that connects the paranoia of the owner and front office rubbing off on the uniform personnel. Silva’s comment says it all:

 

   The Mets have a reputation for trying to control the news around their club. It never works and often makes things even worse in the long run. How can you expect your players to toughen up when management has an equally, if not worse, thin skin? What’s next? You’re going to throw the fans out and play in an empty stadium so you don’t hear any boos? Keep playing like this and you might not need to worry about that.

 

HOME RUN  Mike!!!!

 

David Lennon calls out the lack of intestinal fortitude of the Mets:

 

Often, it’s hard to pin down the intangibles with numbers, but not in this case. With Wednesday’s loss to the Marlins, the Mets (9-12) stumbled to 1-10 when trailing after six innings. After seven, they are 0-11.

 

The newest member of the Douche Bag Hall of Fame is Philadelphia Inquirer columnist John Gonzalez. Its guys like Gonzalez that makes the demise of newspapers easier to take. If a blogger ever wrote a poorly put together piece like this Buzz Bissinger would go to his mother’s basement and kick his ass. I’d call Gonzalez a rank amateur but the fact that he lives and worked in Philadelphia is punishment enough. For a fan base that for vast majority of its existence has been apathetic towards it’s baseball team, they really need a good strong glass of shut the fuck up. Phillies fans are starting to make Highlander fans tolerable.

 

Shrek and Johnny Bench Santos are safe for a while longer and Brian Schneider is still feeling the effects of a sore calf. Take your time Bri.

 

Enjoy your weekend and while your snug in your bed think of me sleeping in the woods and don’t smirk.

 

LET’S  GO METS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

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