Join us tonight at 9PM ET for PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL. Our guest will be Pulitzer Prize winner, Michael D’Antonio author of the book FOREVER BLUE: The True Story of Walter O’Malley, Baseball’s Most Controversial Owner, and the Dodgers of Brooklyn and Los Angeles (published by Riverhead Books/Penguin)

From 9PM to 9:30PM we will take your phone calls so if you want to discuss the Mets, Yankees or anything else in MLB give us a call at (646) 595-4462

If you can’t join us live, you can here the show on the podcast either at Kranepool Society, Blogtalk Radio or at our PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL site.

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Last night on Pro Baseball Central, we had Brian Costa, Mets beat writer for the Newark Star-Ledger on as a guest and when I asked him how things were down in St. Lonesome, he felt bad about letting us know the weather is very Un-Florida like, temps in the upper 30’s and 40’s, as he knew as we were speaking,  we here in the NY Metro area were in the midst of a snowstorm.

I know it’s the “in” thing around these parts to bitch and moan about this awful winter weather and believe me I’ve had enough of this shit as much as the next irate New Yorker , but what gets me is the shock of some people that the month of February sucks, weather wise that is. It’s always sucked. It’s winter, we live in the Northeast get over it.

Speaking of last night’s PBC, in addition to Brian Costa, we also had John Delcos join us as well as Mike Henderson of Nationals Pride, who gave us some great insight into the Nationals and what to expect from the DC team this season. So while you’re vegetating during this “Snow-Acain” click on the to the podcast here at Kranepool  Society or at our page on Blog Talk Radio and sit back, relax and be entertained .

One more piece of news about myself and Blog Talk Radio. I’m putting together my own radio progam on the network called, THIS CALL TO THE BULLPEN, and the first episode will air tonight at 11PM ET. This will be like a test run and will run until 11:30PM but this Wednesday March 3rd,  I will do a full hour show  that will air live from 5PM to 6PM ET (when you first start a show on Blog Talk Radio your options are a bit narrow)

Whereas PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL is a Mets intensive show, THIS CALL TO THE BULLPEN will encompass all news and views from MLB and a smattering of other sports topics that are newsworthy. I also want to bring on bloggers and baseball writers from other teams to get a more broad view of the happenings  around MLB.  But a big part of what I want to do with THIS CALL TO THE BULLPEN, is to interview authors of baseball and other sports books along with folks at SABR who write outstanding essays in the various publications that SABR publishes.

I’ve received a lot of books and publications and after I read them, I find myself asking questions on how the subjects were researched and many more who, what, where and how’s.

I am in touch with many of these writers and bloggers and I’m putting together a guest list, so you can keep checking here at Kranepool Society for those announcements and if you’d like to be a guest on the show just drop me an e-mail at sinymets@aol.com

So if you’re up late tonight tune in and call in the call in number for THIS CALL TO THE BULLPEN is (646) 727-2465

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Join us tonight at 9PM ET for PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL on BLOG TALK RADIO. Our guests will be Brian Costa, Mets beat writer for the Newark Star-Ledger calling us from Port St. Lucie and Mike Henderson of the Washington Nationals blog, NATIONALS PRIDE.

You can join in the conversation as well by using our call in line at (646) 595-4462

If you can’t join us live, you can listen to the podcast right here at Kranepool Society or on Blogtalk Radio or at our PBC site as well.

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Tonight at 9PM ET we  will have another edition of PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL on BLOGTALK RADIO.  Our guest tonight will be Ben Kabak of the Yankee blog River Ave Blues.

You can join in the conversation as well by calling into the show at (646) 595-4462

See you on the radio tonight at 9PM ET on PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL

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 7 days until pitcher and catchers

The Mets off season reminds me of the old TV show Green Acres. Remember, Mr. Haney the guy who sold a lot junk to the residents of Hootersville? Well that seems to be who Omar Minaya has morphed into a purveyor of useless pieces.

The latest move that makes no sense is the signing of Mike Jacobs. Jacobs was cut loose by the KC Royals because for over $3 mil a year the Royals got a player who can’t hit lefties, has an aversion to getting on base, and plays defense like Edward Scissorhands. Brilliant let’s sign him up. Think about this, in 7 days you’ll have so many players lining up at first base it will look like an Italian bakery on Christmas Eve, get there early and take a number.

Great story on Johan Santana by John Harper who donned the tools of ignorance to catch Santana down in Florida. This is what, the third or fourth story on Santana this winter and each one Johan is sending a message to Mets fans that the season won’t be the disaster most of us think it will be. From your mouth to Tug McGraw’s ears, Johan.

As per Jon Heyman, the Mets are taking a Pasadena on Rod Barajas but have signed John Harper to a one year deal.

No PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL tonight but we should have a show next week to welcome in Spring Training.

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  13 days until pitchers and catchers

Last night’s hour long PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL show, went by in a flash thanks our own Yankee-Doodle, Michael calling in and Matt Silverman coming on to talk about the ’69 Mets. Some of the topics I wanted to get to in the opening of the show got pushed back as I went on a bit of a Fernando Martinez rant, so I guess I’ll touch on those here.

By the way I got to see F-Mart’s AB last night with the bases loaded and two out in the Dominican Republic v. Venezuela Caribbean World Series game. Martinez did not get a hit in the AB but it was an impressive turn at the plate that lasted 10 pitches until he hit a foul pop that was caught by the Venezuelan right fielder.

I’m not anti-Fernando in any way; I just want the kid to stop acing like he’s a 27 year old journeyman who has never gotten a chance and be the 20 year old who plays so well this spring that he beats out Angel Pagan to be Carlos Beltran’s understudy.

Looks like me and Orlando Hudson have something in common; we both will never play second base for the Mets. So after all the debate about second base for the Mets what’s done is done, Luis Castillo is the Mets second baseman for better or worse till death due us part (or until Reese Havens can prove he can play at the big league level) for 2010.

What is the under/over on how many times Gary Cohen or Howie Rose say “Just out of the reach of Castillo, for a base hit” this season? Let’s set the number at 75.

The last place in the world I thought I’d ever see the name Municipal Credit Union would be on a ball park marquee.  I wonder if those of us with accounts at MCU will get a discount on Cyclones tickets.

I’m very happy for Nelly Figs and his great performance the other day for DR in the Caribbean Series but it wasn’t like he was pitching against the Phillies or Highlanders, it was against Mexico and 45 year old  270 lb Vinny Castila, The Big Fajita!

Maybe things are not as bleak for the Mets as we think. FOX has the Amazin’s scheduled for broadcast 8 times this coming season and one of the games is a prime timer versus the Bronx Bastards.

Maple Street Press is coming out with it’s Mets Annual in a few weeks and there will be a section on the Mets Blogosphere, that will include yours truly.

Matt Silverman is putting out a revised paperback version of his book “100 Things Mets Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die” 

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Join us tonight for another episode of PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL at 9PM ET on BlogTalk Radio. Our guest will be Matthew Silverman, co-editor of the book THE MIRACLE HAS LANDED: The Amazin’ Story of How the 1969 Mets Shocked the World (Maple Street Press in association with SABR) a very detailed chronicle of the 1969 World Champion New York Mets.  

If you can’t join us live you can here the podcast here at the Kranepool Society or on BlogTalk Radio and our PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL site.

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Join Steve Keane and Joe McDonald tonight at 9PM ET for another edition of PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL. We will dissect the latest snubs by Bengi Molina and Joel Pineiro of the Mets and we will discuss which way the Mets will turn to solidify their starting pitching and a front line catcher. We will look at which Mets prospects could rise from a spring training to make the final 25 man roster and a host of other Mets and baseball news,

You can join in as well with comments and question by calling in at (646) 595-4462.

If you can’t join us live you can download the podcast at The Eddie Kranepool Society, BlogTalkRadio or at our PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL site.

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All of NYC is wrapped up in the Jets run to the Super Bowl (47 % of all the television sets in the Metro NY area were tuned to the Jets-Chargers game Sunday, that’s about 10 mil TV’s WOW!!!) so Mets news is fighting for space in the NY sports media but there is a few items of interest:

If you listen to Pro Baseball Central last Thursday you heard the song Metropolitans that I played to start the show. It’s a punk/garage version of Meet The Mets and it should be the 8^th inning song played at $iti Field. But of course Mets management are tragically un-hip so it won’t happen, but it will be a staple of Pro Baseball Central. Check out the band who wrote and performs the song the 45 Adapters at their website and check out their new EP “Not One More Day”

The Mets are going to Louisiana to checkout the workout of Ben Sheets. There are about a dozen teams looking a Sheets but the Mets may have a bit of an inside track. Sheets’ named his son Seaver after Tom Terrific.

Art Shamsky’ new website is up and running and if you’re a long time Mets fan you’ll enjoy the features on the site.

I would love to have Eric Byrnes on the Mets. A guy off injury who plays balls to the wall type of game that the Mets sorely need and he’s a very good outfielder. But I doubt it will happen. Makes too much sense to sign him.

You may want to clip and save this article, if Jason Bay comes up with a bum knee this season.

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As you know I made reference to Joe Mc Donald proclaiming on PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL last Thursday that the Mets will be a 90+ win team in 2010. His reasoning was that Oliver Perez will revert to his Good Ollie personality. I did say, it was encouraging news that OP, under the urging of both Scott Boras and Carlos Beltran, has spent the off season in Arizona, training hard to lose both the stigma of bring mentality and physically inept to pitch in the big leagues.

I’ve been looking around at the team as it now is constructed and have tried to make the case for 90 wins. It all starts of course with the pitching staff:

#1 Santana 15-17 wins

#2 Pelf/Joel Piniero/Bronson Arroyo/Aaron Harang/Gil Meche 10-12 wins

#3 Pelf/OP/Maine/Doug Davis/Jon Garland 8-10 wins

#4 one of the above at #3  8-10 wins

#5 Maine/Neise/Neve/Holt/Stoner/(Gulp!) Smoltz 8-10 wins

That comes to 49-59 wins from your starting rotation

Now from the seven relievers you figure will be in the pen:

Frankie Rodz

Ryoto Igarashi

Bobby Parnell

Kelvin Escobar

Sean Green

Pedro Feliciano

Lefty to be named later

You figure you can and average of 4 wins from each. That’s an additional 28 wins, brining my projection to 77 to 87 wins.

Now say I leave the bullpen projection alone but I up the ante on the #2 pitcher to 12-14 wins and the #3 to 10-12 wins, that would put the team’ record between 81-91 wins. Of course all this is predicated on the Mets signing one of the remaining free agent pitchers, of which just Joel Piniero is desirable if he comes cheap or can trade for the one of the Arroyo/Harang/Meche troika.

So what do you think? Am I out of mind thinking there is a way the Mets could be a 90 win team and contend? Am I drinking the Omar/Jeffey Kool Aid? Has Joe Mac brainwashed me?  Or am I just tired of freezing my ass off this winter and dying for spring and summer and baseball season? Could be the cold has made me delirious.

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