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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  2 days until pitchers and catchers

Ed Ryan over at Mets Fever has a great write up on Shawn Riggans, the catcher cut loose by the Tampa Bay Rays and picked up by the Mets as part of the parade of back up catchers. After reading Ryan’s piece, if Riggans is healthy he could make a run at one of the catcher roster spots on the Mets.

JOSE,

 JOSE-JOSE-JOSE,

 JOSE,

 JOSE 

“Once again, Daniel Murphy was the first player to arrive. This kid won’t lose the job because he was lazy.”

And my Murphy man-crush continues to blossom.

Adam Rubin can write it and Omar Minaya can say it but it would be a major upset for Mike Jacobs to beat on Murph for the first base job. Why the Mets keeping fucking with Murph is puzzling. He has been working out in Florida all winter; he’s the first guy at the workouts and the last to leave. He is doing everything plus more to become a strong first baseman and a better hitter. I have no beef with Mike Jacobs but I just don’t see where he is a fit here. Jacobs reeks of DH.

Dave Singer at NY Sports Dog has the complete TV/Radio Mets Spring Training Schedule posted.  First game Tuesday March 2 will be on SNY.

D-Wright has been in camp since late January, and it seems his mind set is to pull the ball more in 2010. The biggest plus for Wright this year will be the protection in the lineup he’ll get from Jason Bay. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, Sandy Koufax is in the house!

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You’re a Mets fan, and even with the underwhelming personnel moves this off season the  front office has made and the anger you have about this bunch of underachievers, you looked at the calendar today as see February 1 and you know that in17 days, pitchers and catchers will report to Port St. Lonesome.

You try to look beyond the fact the team has holes on the defensive end and the pitching staff can with either be solid or shit but you’re a Mets fan, you know that miracles can happen. But then, you read a story like this where J.J. Putz, the former Mets reliever now bullpen fodder for the Chicago White Sox, tells about his season with the Mets. A disclaimer Mets fans the following excerpts are graphic and may not be suitable for all readers. If you suffer from high blood pressure, night sweats and have heard voices in your head, proceed with caution.

Putz claims he was damaged goods when he arrived in NY via Seattle but (this is where it gets upsetting) he was never given a physical exam by the Mets. Here is what went down as per Putz:

  When the trade went down last year, I never really had a physical with the Mets,” said Putz. “I had the bone spur (in the right elbow). It was discovered the previous year in Seattle, and it never got checked out by any other doctors until I got to spring training, and the spring training physical is kind of a formality. It was bugging me all through April, and in May I got an injection. It just got to the point where I couldn’t pitch. I couldn’t throw strikes, my velocity was way down.”

So the Mariners sent a player not fit to pitch to the Mets probably realizing that the inept Mets front office would never notice. Do you get the impression that the rest of MLB thinks, the whole Mets front office fell off a turnip truck?

Now, as bad as that declaration by Putz was, it gets even worse as we see here in a statement that will be dissected and maybe, just maybe be what’s needed to be a   cleansing of the Mets front office of incompetence and give this organization the high colonic it needs. This is Exhibit A that the New York Mets organization is run by a bunch of fucking liars:

 Being hurt is never fun, especially when you go to a team like New York, where the expectation level is so high, and you’re not able to do what you know you can do. (The Mets) gave up a lot to get me, so it was disappointing and frustrating.”

Especially when the Mets told Putz not to talk about being hurt with the media.

“I knew that I wasn’t right. I wasn’t healthy. The toughest part was having to face the media and tell them that you feel fine, even though you know there’s something wrong and they don’t want you telling them that you’re banged up.”

There you have it. You can’t believe anything you hear out of Mets managment. What little shred of credibility the Mets front office had is gone now. Now you know why Carlos Beltran went outside the organization to get his knee fixed and you know why no free agents want to come to Flushing. $iti Field might as well be in Chernobyl, it’s that toxic.

What’s the over/under when Jason Bay’s knee blows out? 40 games?

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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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Loss in all the Beltran minutia is the fact that the Mets are going to need a centerfield for the first three months of the season, and the pickin’s are slim.

I don’t know how some folks have come to the conclusion that Angel Pagan is the centerfielder understudy for Carlos Beltan. What has Angel Pagan done in his career that allows this position to be handed to him this spring? I don’t dislike Pagan, I think he’s a good backup, his baseball I.Q. sucks but he is a good 4^th OF’er. The big knock I have on him is he’s a journeyman with injury issues and quite frankly he has not earned a permanent spot in the starting 8.

When you look at the Mets today January 17, the only positions that should be givens are 3B, SS, LF, RF, Ace pitcher and closer. Everyother position should be open competition (throw Perpetual Pedro in the lock column as well)

To that issue, where is the manger of the Mets, the Gangsta’? I wrote a few weeks ago that I felt he should have been at the Jason Bay unveiling and now with Beltran out we haven’t heard from him again. Of all the imbeciles in the Mets organization, the one guy I want to hear from has clamed up. Maybe Jerry Manuel has to get permission from the head beer vendor, the ladies room matron in the Acela Club and then Jay Horowitz before he can speak about his team? If  I were Jerry Manuel and I know I’ll most likely be out of a job but Memorial Day, instead of being a Gansta’ I’d be going all Conan O’Brian on the Mets ass’

I need for Jerry Manuel to come out and say that if Angel Pagan thinks he’s the CF’er he is sorely mistaken. I need for Jerry Manuel to say that the 2^nd base job is wide open and the amount of money you make does not influence who plays. I’d make it know to every right handed hitter coming into camp that you would be doing yourself a favor by brining a 1^st baseman’ glove with you to spring training. I’d also let it be known that a team that has two collapses and season of indifferent play better be ready to come to work early and stay late. You don’t want to be the first guy clocking out of a spring workout.

But then again this would only happen to a team that is committed to winning. As it stands now I feel that Jerry Manuel is Art Howe with a sense of humor and all the Mets organization cares about is that you renew your Sunday ticket plan.

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All hell is breaking with the Mets as we have learned that Carlos Beltran has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to relieve osteoarthritis. From reports it looks like Beltran has been working out to be in shape for spring training and started to feel pain in his knee.

The biggest story is not just the surgery but it seems Beltran did this on his own going to his own doctor, Dr Richard Stedman in Colorado. It’s unacceptable for a player to not let the team know he’s going for surgery and to make it worse, he doesn’t use the team’s physician. This just cements the feeling that the Mets players have no faith in the Mets medical staff.

Now this is not end of the world news as Beltran will be out about 3 months so for the first month of the season Angel Pagan can handle centerfield, so there is no need for the organization to make a panic move for a centerfielder.

What this does though is make you question how the organization looks at Beltran in regard to not coming to the team about his knee and using an outside doctor to perform the surgery and how does this effect Beltran to getting an extension of his contract, something he has been hinting at.

Since this news is still breaking, I’ll have some more on it tomorrow

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With a win under their belt in thrilling fashion no less, the talk this morning is not about Big Pelf’ outstanding performance pounding the strike zone down low like a blacksmith, but about a former Met who is still on the Skill Set dole as a roving instructor, SNY commentator and the now the spokesman for management John Franco.

 

Those statements that Franco made on Sirius/XM  MLB Home Plate channel with Jeff Joyce and Kevin Kennedy was part Franco’ observation and mostly it was John doing his duty for the Skill Sets. The only thing missing was at the end of the interview hearing Jeffey Skill Set saying “I’m Jeff Wilpon and I approve this message”

 

See Jeffey wants no part of taking on his team, instead of himself waiting for the team to come home and going into the clubhouse and letting them know that he does not hold Omar Minaya, Jerry Manuel or any of the front office people responsible for this slide and is putting the bulls eye right on the players back. And I (I hope you all are sitting down) applaud him for that. I just wish he would have the balls to do it himself and not send Clemenza Franco to do his dirty work. Franco in fact went out of his way to praise Jerry Manuel and his coaches for giving the players the proper instruction during spring training and working extremely hard in the ‘fundies” and making it out that it’s the players who are at fault. It’s about time that the players got a good swift kick in the ass. The message from management is loud and clear to the team “Don’t worry about what management is doing, just shut the fuck up and play”

 

Nothing that Franco said was out of line in fact in fact isn’t in a convenient  winky-dink that as Franco was telling Joyce and Kennedy that he feels the Mets play more like individuals than as a team and that some players are more “me” than “we” guys that J-Man had all his ladies take the bus”  Franco called out the team as looking at padding their stats than worrying about moving runners over and stealing a base when it’s to the teams advantage and not the individuals gain, and how many times have we wanted D-Wright to take the reins of the clubhouse ?

 

I know this for a fact Franco will have no problem walking into that clubhouse when the team arrives back in Queens on Tuesday. Ask any Met who played with Franco and they will tell you he was the most feared guy in that clubhouse, and I guarantee that if D-Wright wants a sit down with Franco, Johnny will be more than happy to accommodate him.  

 

 

What this message does as well is let the players, media and fans know that Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya are not getting fired today, tomorrow or next year but if I were a Mets player I’d be careful buying green bananas.

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So where do we begin with the First Night of $iti Field?

 

The opening was very nice I hear (I Tivo’d the pre game and I’ll watch it tonight as I ran a practice for my Babe Ruth League team last night that I wanted to do an hour and lasted two hours instead ) as The Franchise and Mike Piazza staged a sequel to the closing of Shea with the first pitch at $iti. At least The Franchise stayed for the game as Piazza I guess scared of having to answer any questions about PED’s took a powder after the ceremony. Should have brought Jerry Grote in instead, he never ducked anything.

 

You know what’s missing from $iti Field? Signage  Not enough advertising signs <eye’s rolling>

 

Okay yes I get it the food is wonderful at the new ballpark. The team can’t catch and has pitching question marks and clutch hitting is still a foreign substance but the food is really good <both eyes rolling> Maybe the team will perform as good as the Shake Shack or Box Frites some day.

 

I guess Big Pelf couldn’t build off his last start where he started like shit but finished strong. I wasn’t concerned until I heard J-Man on the post game saying he was concerned about Big Pelf so now I’m concerned and I guess you should be too.

 

Like a lot of Mets bloggers I was a Heath Bell fan and thought the Mets handled him badly but you know what Heath? Time to shut the fuck up! You too Duaner, especially you Duaner. If you put half the energy into to training that you do in running your mouth you might still be here. Sanchez has questioned why he had to prove himself in spring training as he is clueless that he never stepped up when counted on last year. Enjoy San Diego fellas’ and the dog days of August when you’re in last place.

 

I know with the novelty of the new stadium (I’m going Saturday and I’m leaving my scorebook home as I know I’ll be spending more time out of my seat than in it) and everyone is milling about but the site of ass-less seats behind home plate can not make the Skill Sets happy.

 

I love the cat running on the field last night. I didn’t get a good look at the fleet feline until this morning when I picked up the Daily News and I did a double take as the cat looks just like one of our cats (Sandy) I have to frame that back cover.

 

 

I hope Omar read the game summary of the Dodgers-Giants game last night.

 

 

  

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I’m amazed how much some folks have their balls in an uproar over Gary Sheffield joining the team. Some are worried about team chemistry, how did that chemistry hold up the last two seasons? This team needs a bad ass even if it’s an over the hill one. The chemistry issued should be moot now that it’s known Sheff signed here because the “face of the franchise”, D-Wright called him and said that the Mets were the team for him.

What are you all afraid of? If Sheffield falls on his face he’ll be gone by the All Star break, if he produces, guess what? Your favorite team just might win the NL East

For all of you concerned with the psyche of Ryan Church think about this. Maybe Church needs a kick in the ass to get motivated. No, I’m not drunk, think about it. In spring training J-Man said the Dan Murphy was a better hitter and that Fernando Tatis would be Church’s partner in RF an now they bring in Sheffield as a way to put a carrot in front of Church to produce. I guess we won’t read about this from the scribes who have access to the team on a daily basis as they are too busy stuffing their faces at the Shake Shack concession at $iti.

Which brings me to Ollie Perez and it’s good thing it was cold and shity and $iti since most fans were busy trying eat their way from left field to right. You know what the season didn‘t start yet but I’m already fed up with how good he food is at $iti Field if it’s a choice of great food or a championship baseball team, I’ll eat a fucking bowl of Alpo okay!

Perez had no feel for the ball today he claimed as he not only lacked command but a clue as well but then again that’s Ollie Being Ollie.

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Back in the mid 1970’s the NYC Board of Education said that I had to take algebra in High School but really who gives a shit how much a + b equals and (ab) x( cd)? After a couple of weeks of this nonsense I decided my time would be better spent at the OTB on 18 Ave and in a back booth at the J & V Pizzeria. It looks like the management at 105.7 THE FAN in Baltimore feels the same way about exhibition baseball like I did about algebra.

The Mets and Orioles game yesterday was delayed by rain (to the point that Big Pelf tossed but a mere 13 pitches as the rain came and cut his afternoon short) and O’s radio yackers Joe Angel and Fred Manfra did their best to fill about 40 minutes of improvisation when they were told by the head muck Dee-muck at the station to shut it down and go grab and Early Bird dinner. Just as Angel and Manfra were sipping their soup the game resumed without any radio transmission back to Bawlermore.

It was an exhibition game at the end of endless spring training so no one really cares that the game wasn’t broadcast right? Right?

I just called 105.7 and asked why they are not broadcasting the game as scheduled. I was told by the producer that they have not resumed the broadcast after the rain delay because Fred Manfra and Joe Angle left and there is no one there to broadcast the game.

I think this stinks. Now I know it’s a “spring training” game and all that but come on. How bush league can you get? Your broadcasters walk off the set during a rain delay and decide to go home? What do you think?

What do I think? Are you fucking serious? Go take a walk around the Inner Harbor, or Babe’s Museum or score an 8-Ball, you’re in Bawlermore damn it!

Angel was so distraught over missing the remaining innings he posted this on a Baltimore Sun blog:

The decision to end the broadcast was made by the decision making level

at our flagship station. It didn’t come from us…..and certainly not from

the Orioles. Thanks for listening……..There’s a lot to look forward to

with Orioles baseball. Fred and I are grateful and privileged to be your

Orioles baseball companions. See you on the radio!

In other words the boss said pull the plug and they did but Angel wants it to be crystal clear that he and Manfra didn’t walk off the job. Watch out for that bus fellas!

 oh yeah, enjoy this clip  

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