Brooklyn Cyclones Defeat Wilmington But Gain No Ground

From the desk: THE SURF AVENUE SLUGGERS

Wilmington vs. Brooklyn

I - BKN 2; WIL 1

II - WIL 11; BKN 7

III - BKN 9; WIL 1

IV - WIL 1; BKN 0

V - BKN 2; WIL 1

Cyclones Limit Wilmington to Three Hits; Keep Heat on Hudson Valley Renegades

Despite eleven hits, the Cyclones mustered only two runs, but the pitching made it stand.  Shortstop 

Shervyen Newton singled home a run in the second, and after Wilmington tied the game in the top of the fifth, JT Schwartz drove in the game's decisive run in the bottom of the frame.  Starter Jeffrey Colon was relieved after yielding the tying run.  He allowed two hits and one walk with five strikeouts in 4.2 innings.  Right-hander Sammy Tavarez followed with 2.1 scoreless innings for the win, and Daison Acosta closed the game with two scoreless innings of no-hit ball for his ninth save.  Up at Dutchess County Stadium, the Jersey Shore BlueClaws were drubbed by the Renegades, who get to spend another night with a half-game lead ahead of the Cyclones, with just seven games left in the season.  Boxscore

Chase for the SAL North Division 2nd half flag continues ... Brandon Nimmo bobblehead .. Coney Island .. Can You Dig It?! Let's Go Cyclones #LGM pic.twitter.com/e2YiC28pnG

— B'klynTrolleyBlogger (@BTB_MikeII) September 3, 2022

Meet the Epps, Meet the Epps

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET 

Step Right Up and Greet the Epps ...

Back in November 2021, a newly hired general manager named Billy Eppler inherited a high-level core of players.  That group featured Jacob deGrom - who only very recently returned to action - Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, and Edwin Diaz.

Shortly after moving into his new office, Eppler selected two outfielders from the free agent market called Starling Marte and Mark Canha, then, on Dec. 1, signed pitcher Max Scherzer (at Steve Cohen's behest).  Not yet done, Eppler signed free agent infielder Eduardo Escobar, reliever Adam Ottavino, and acquired starting pitcher Chris Bassitt from the Oakland A's.

Mets fans looked around and said this was good.

By May, as expected, the Mets finally parted ways with Robinson Cano - a move that would have mentally and financially crippled the previous regime.  This front office deemed Cano's DFA necessary and did indeed improve the team via the old adage, addition by subtraction.  It's also safe to say the previous owners would not have been copacetic with all of Billy Eppler's off-season acquisitions, much less agreeing to Max Scherzer's present annual value.

I digress ...

Over the last few years, JD Davis and Dom Smith were afforded a fair chance at earning their keep, respectively.  Mission unfulfilled as the former was dealt away at the trade deadline, and the latter remains on the 40-man roster at Syracuse.  In turn, Billy Eppler acquired lefty-hitting Daniel Vogelbach, lefty-hitting outfielder Tyler Naquin, and right-swinging Darin Ruf to reinforce the bench and lineup.

All the acquired players by Billy Eppler mentioned above, be it in the offseason or at the deadline, have a game, a hit, or a standout moment this season that we can point to and deem unequivocally as essential contributions toward the team's success.

I'd be remiss if I didn't extend well-deserved props to Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker, Trevor Williams, David Peterson, Luis Guillorme, and others.

Let us not forget minor league call-up, Brett Baty.  He homered during his major league debut against the Atlanta Braves.  Left-hander Nate Fisher, a former banker from the Seattle Mariners system, allowed just one hit in three innings of relief in his major league debut against the Phillies this past Sunday.  The point here is it takes a 40-man roster to win championships.  We must also remember how Eppler did not recklessly empty the farm system of its top prospects at the deadline.

The Mets are 21-9 since the All-Star break.  They own a 43-19 record against their N.L. East division rivals and enter Tuesday's action with a four-game lead over the second-place Braves.  Their overall record (79-44) is second best in all of baseball behind the Dodgers.  Except for Apr. 11, the Mets have spent every day this season in first place. 

Billy Eppler has no doubt impacted this team.  However, we still need to buckle up because the real fun has yet to begin.  The month of September is a mere ten days away.  That's when Eppler's most crucial off-season acquisition comes into play.  There are few if none, more qualified managers in baseball to lead the Mets through a pennant race than Buck Showalter.

Let's Go Epps!

There's Great Joy in Metsville

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

Back in the Summer of '22 ...

The Mets continue taking bites out of the dog days of summer.  They survived the seasonal June swoon with a 13-10 record, followed by a strong 17-8 month of July.  So far, they're off to a 7-2 start in August.

Except for eleven games, the Mets in 2021 spent nearly all of their first 110 games in first place.  They teetered for another week in and out of first.  But, by August 14, they were getting swept by the Dodgers and would never climb back atop the N.L.  East standings again.  

As we know, the division-winning Atlanta Braves defeated the Houston Astros to become baseball's world champions.  It was a disappointing season in Flushing, to say the least.

Welcome to 2022 ...

Through the first 110 games of this season, the Mets have occupied first place for all but one day back on April 11, when they fell a half-game back of the Phillies.  They've remained in first place ever since.  By June 1, the Mets had built a 10.5 game division lead.  But, as expected, the Braves awoke from their slumber.  Atlanta posted a 23-27 record in their first 50 games through May, then in June, caught fire with a 21-6 record to pull within three games of the Mets.  They continued with an 18-8 record in July but gained no ground in the standings.  

On Tuesday, August 2, the Braves defeated the Phillies to pull within 2.5 games of first.  A year ago today, the Mets were traveling home from Philadelphia, where they initially ceded first place upon getting swept by the Phillies.

With a 3.5 game lead this past Thursday, the Mets hosted the Braves for the opening game of a mid-summer-defining five-game series at Citi Field.  Carlos Carrasco won his twelfth game, and Edwin Diaz registered six outs to earn his 24th save.  The Braves evened the series with a win in game two.  But the Mets answered with a doubleheader sweep on Saturday and wrapped up their fourth win in five games on Sunday.

Highlighting the series was the unveiling of Flushing's dynamic one-two punch, Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom, who, before his August 2 start at Washington, last climbed a major league mound on July 7 of last year.  Through two starts, deGrom has allowed three runs on four hits and one walk with 18 strikeouts through 10.2 innings.  On Monday, he struck out twelve Braves in a triumphant return to Citi Field.  Max Scherzer pitched the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, allowing no runs on four hits and no walks with eleven strikeouts for his eighth win against two losses with a 1.98 ERA.

I'd be remiss if I didn't laud the entire staff, a deep quality staff.  The foursome of Chris Bassitt, Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker, and David Peterson have joined together for a 36-16 combined record with a 3.43 ERA in 440 innings pitched.

Meanwhile, closer Edwin Diaz continues having a season for the ages.  He has yielded only 27 hits in 45.1 innings with an eye-popping 91 strikeouts for a 5.4 H/9 and 18.1 K/9 average, respectively.  Said another way, he has struck out 52.9% of all batters faced, which is reflective of his 0.860 WHiP, to go along with a stellar 1.39 ERA.

Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor have been the clear leaders at the plate.  Alonso tops the National League with 96 RBI, and Lindor is third.  Brandon Nimmo has carved his niche as a premiere leadoff hitter, and Jeff McNeil has consistently maintained a .300 batting average.

In his first season, Billy Eppler's off-season acquisitions have been essential cogs in this machine we call the Mets.  The performances of Chris Bassitt and Starling Marte have been exemplary.  Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha have been nothing short of serviceable and, in Escobar's case, clutch.  And while Eppler's trade deadline acquisitions were met with some criticism, extensive renovations were not needed.  What Eppler did with the acquisitions of Daniel Vogelbach, Darin Ruf, and Tyler Naquin was fix a leaky roof and replace the windows.  Now the lineup at Flushing by the Bay is water-tight.  As planned, they're all contributing to the Mets' fine play in August.

Above all else, I believe Buck Showalter plays a significant role in the Mets' success.  His attention to detail and insistence on fundamentals is the team's bedrock.  He's genuinely bucking analytical trends and transforming his team into savvy players.  Buck's experience is vast, and his baseball intuition uncanny.  Just the other day, they executed a suicide squeeze.  Baseball is back, indeed.  Buck Showalter corrects the years of novice managers and their inexperienced folly.

The Mets enter Wednesday night's game against the Reds with a 71-39 (.645) record.  They've won four in a row.  Moreover, they're winning at a historic pace for this franchise.  

Last season, the Mets and Braves did not face each other in August, which proved a disadvantage for the Mets.  This season, the schedule makers had something else in mind, and the Mets seized the moment.  Their division lead over the Braves is now back up to seven.  

It's been an incredibly entertaining summer.  For better or worse, we'll be talking about this season for years to come as a relaunch of the New York Mets under the ownership of Steve Cohen.

In the meantime, the battle for the N.L. East flag rages on ...

Let's Go Mets!

The Metsian Podcast: Rocky Mountain High

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

@THE_SamMaxwell     @MetFanRich     @BTB_MikeII

@THEMetsianPod

#LGM

The Metsian Podcast "Rat in the Grass" Episode

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

@THE_SamMaxwell     @MetFanRich     @BTB_MikeII

@THEMetsianPod

 

It's been said before but bears repeating.  The first-place Mets lead the National League in wins and still have yet to lose a series this season.  They're getting it done with solid pitching, fielding, and timely hitting.  However, we've seen this before.  The season is about a fifth of the way through.  So, let us pause and ask what differentiates this team from last year's Mets, who, on Aug. 14, 2021, dropped in the standings behind the Phillies and Braves and never recovered.  Please join Sam, Rich, and I, as we recap the week and chase down the "rat in the grass" on another getaway day edition of The Metsian Podcast.

seventy-three minutes

The Metsian Podcast: Season Opening Roundtable w/ National League Town's Greg Prince & Jeff Hysen

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

GUESTS

Greg Prince & Jeff Hysen

NATIONAL LEAGUE TOWN PODCAST

ninety-minutes

 

We're almost there.  Three more days and a wake-up until the New York Mets open the 2022 regular season at Washington.  Tonight, the National League Town Podcast proprietors Greg Prince and Jeff Hysen join Sam, Rich, and me on The Metsian Podcast in a collective first pitch roundtable extravaganza.  Speaking of which, pitching is suddenly a problem, again.  Otherwise, positional player chess, transactions real or imagined, minutiae, opinions, and potential rude remarks are all on the docket.  No stone will be left unturned. 

#LGM

The Metsian Podcast: Bringing 2021 Season to a Close with MLB Illustrated's Sadie

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

GUEST
Graphics Designer, Digital Marketer, Baseball Fan

@MLBIllustrated     @PrintsBySadie

SADIE

METS FAN FROM ALBERTA, CANADA

seventy-one minutes

2021 

Regular Season 

Finale

The Metsian Podcast: Dog Days of Summer Keep Chewing Away

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

@THE_SamMaxwell     @MetFanRich     @BTB_MikeII 

THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER 

KEEP CHEWING UP THE METS

#LGM

The Metsian Podcast: Putting April Through the Translator with The Record/NorthJersey Mets Columnist Justin Tuscano

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

GUEST

From The Record and NorthJersey.com

New York Mets Columnist 

JUSTIN C. TUSCANO

104 minutes

APRIL WRAP-UP

Early Assessments ~ Hitting Woes ~ Mother Nature

Zack Scott ~ Luis Rojas ~ Chili Davis ~ Sandy Alderson

Jacob deGrom ~ Michael Conforto ~ Pete Alonso ~ Francisco Lindor

Tom Seaver ~ Doc Gooden ~ Brandon Nimmo

and so much more!

#LGM

Rain Out Theater with The Media Goon, Keith Blacknick of QBC on Another Metsian Podcast

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

FEATURED GUEST

The Media Goon and Co-Founder Queens Baseball Convention

KIETH BLACKNICK

Mother Nature says no baseball for you.  One of the wackiest starts to a season continues, or not.  Out of fourteen scheduled games, the Mets have played just eight yet find themselves atop the N.L. East standings.  Helping The Metsian Podcast make sense of it all is The Media Goon, Keith Blacknick, of the Queens Baseball Convention.

ninety-five minutes

#LFGM

The Metsian Podcast Opening Day Special with Guest Noelle Gold

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

SPECIAL GUEST

Great Niece of Gil Hodges & Mets Fan Extraordinaire

NOELLE GOLD

120 minutes

OPENING DAY at CITI FIELD

Review of Series at Philadelphia

Gil Hodges, Umpires, and so much more!

#LGM

N.Y. Mets: Opening Night in the Nation's Capital

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

Northbound and down, loaded up and trucking, 

the Mets are gonna do what they said can't be done.

They've got a long way to go and a short summer to get there. 

They're northbound. Just watch ol' Mr. Met run!

OPENING NIGHT
NEW YORK METS
vs.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS

FROM

Capitol Hill Grounds

With Defensive Shortcomings and Outstanding Bullpen Issues, The Mets Lineup Must Lead The Way 

Even though the Mets last season batted miserably with runners in scoring position, timely hitting this upcoming season is the least of my concerns.  By all indications, the Mets will be featuring a lengthy and potent lineup with few if any dead spots.  With the resumption of a full 162 game schedule, the law of averages will hopefully play a normalizing role as well.

I think we fans agree that Brandon Nimmo and his career .390 OBP is the logical choice for batting leadoff.  However, this season I want to see from him a more aggressive approach at the plate.  Otherwise, on average, Nimmo has scored runs in 49.8% of his 365 career games played.  I anticipate that percentage climbing as the hitters batting behind him should prove problematic for opposing pitchers.

Batting second in my order is Jeff McNeil.  Bat control factored heavily in my decision.  McNeil's and Francisco Lindor's respective rate of strikeouts are separated by mere percentage points.  Lindor strikes out in 15.7% of his at-bats, whereas McNeil fans 13.3% on average.  This might be a hot take, but I believe McNeil is the more traditional and polished slap-style hitter than Lindor, who swings a tad bit more from his heels.  I seek bat control from the second spot, someone adept at hitting the ball to all fields for the sake of advancing runners and not getting doubled-up.

Deep in my heart, I want Dominic Smith batting third.  The old adage says bat your best hitter third, and I believe Dom to be the Mets' most pure hitter.  However, I just cannot fathom Francisco Lindor hitting any further down the lineup.  Lindor's switch-hitting abilities, low strikeouts, and his .500 plus slugging average in three of the last four seasons make him quite the unique number three-hitter.  Dom Smith is better equipped to hit as far down as sixth with limited protection behind him; Lindor not so much.  But in truth, hitting sixth is never what Mets fans envisioned insofar as Francisco Lindor's proper place in the lineup.

Batting cleanup in my lineup is Michael Conforto.  Few hitters in baseball will be afforded the level of lineup protection the Mets will be providing Lindor and Conforto with Pete Alonso and Dom Smith hitting behind them.  Lindor and Conforto should game in, and game out see the best and more hittable pitches being offered.

 

Pete Alonso put the squeeze on Grapefruit League pitchers.  In 16 games and 50 at-bats, the Polar Bear slashed .340/.421./700/1.121, with six doubles, four home runs, and 16 runs batted in.

While Dom Smith offers exceptional protection for the top half of the lineup, he, in turn, will have to protect him either J.D. Davis or Luis Guillorme and James McCann.

McCann has never played in more than 118 games (72.9%) nor achieved 500 plate appearances in any of his five-plus full seasons in the bigs.  However, the Mets appeared to sign him while in the midst of an offensive uptick.  In 2019 with the White Sox, McCann registered career highs in all batting categories for a season that somewhat resembles JT Realmuto-like production.  Last season, he was arguably on track to surpass those numbers.  Not many other eighth batters in baseball can say that.

See pitch, hit pitch.

Time to play ball!

#LGM

A Metsian Podcast: Just Basking in the Florida Sunshine w/ Guest, Baseball Author Brian Wright

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

w/ SAM, RICH & MIKE

GUEST

Baseball Author

Brian Wright

seventy-seven minutes

#LGM

N.Y. Mets: Third Base Debate Rages On

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

SPRING TRAINING

updated, Saturday, 10:30 pm

Who's on First; What's on Second; I Don't Know is on Third.

That's for Luis Rojas to decide ...

Luis Rojas has legitimate fielding issues to deal with, for which Spring Training offers no solution. 

For those of you who missed Saturday's game, the Mets committed three errors at third base.  It's as if we're just biding time until this ongoing condition makes its triumphant return to Flushing, where the onus will again be on Rojas, like previous managers under Sandy Alderson, to manage around it.  

The problem at second base is the easiest fix of all.  There is no problem.  Jeff McNeil is clearly the only answer.  He spent his minor league years playing primarily as an infielder, and comparatively, little time roaming the outfield.  As such, I want him eliminated from any and all talk about playing left field.  The infield is his comfort zone.  But as is their custom, perceived or real, the Mets forced him to play beyond the infield diamond on a more frequent basis.  This must stop.  His frame and build and agility are best suited for second base, even more so than third base.  I beg management to just leave him alone.

That leaves four other positions in question: first base, left field, center field, and third base.

Why mince words ... despite improved glove work, Pete Alonso remains a defensive liability.  In the absence of a universal designated hitter, he remains the incumbent at first base.  That means Dom Smith, the Mets' best fielding first baseman and one of their top batsmen, will be shoehorned into left field.  There really is no escaping this scenario.

Meanwhile, Brandon Nimmo teeters on being a par center fielder; we get it.  But his career OBP/OPS can not be denied.  He is among MLB's elite when it comes to reaching base safely.  Therefore, fans like me are willing to put up with his fielding deficiencies.  If and when a clear-cut upgrade comes along, make a move.  Until then, I'm agreeable with Brandon Nimmo as the starting centerfielder.  Let Luis Rojas implement late-inning replacement if he chooses.  That's his job.

The most conflicting situation facing Luis Rojas involves the hot corner.  If it's an offensive threat you desire, then you lean towards JD Davis.  But if it's a defensive specialist you seek, then Luis Guillorme is your man.  By starting Guillorme over Davis, Manager Rojas reduces the team's four outstanding liabilities by one.  But this does not preclude JD Davis from forcing himself into the line-up.  Sometimes offensive production speaks for itself.  If he's wielding a lethal bat, he starts, no questions asked.  But in more normalized situations, with the expectation Francisco Lindor, Michael Conforto, and Pete Alonso are providing the requisite production, I prefer Luis Guillorme starting at third and having JD Davis pinch hit off the bench.  I'm otherwise completely open to a full platoon at third.  However, like Jeff McNeil, the last place I want to see Davis is in left field.

Jonathan Villar remains an unknown variable; he might yet factor into the equation.  Although, he committed two of the Mets' three errors on Saturday.  The third error of the day was committed by an A-level third baseman who shall remain nameless.  He is not what this is about. 

Guillorme did not play Saturday against the Nats.  But if his 2020 slash of .333/.426/.439/.865 through 29 games and 57 at-bats, and this Spring's five hits through eleven Grapefruit at-bats to date is any indication of things to come, then we'll soon be having a much different conversation.

A Metsian Podcast: Grapefruit League Recaps & 1974 Retrospective with FAFIF's Greg Prince

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

GUEST

FAITH AND FEAR IN FLUSHING

GREG PRINCE

115 minutes

Edwin Diaz ~ Brandon Nimmo ~ Dellin Betances ~ Sean Reid-Foley ~ Pete Alonso

? Albert Almora Jr. ? Scott Hairston ? Marlon Byrd ? Eric Young Jr. ? Kevin Pillar ?

Fred Wilpon at Spring Training ~ the 1974 New York Mets

and so much more!

#LGM

N.Y. Mets: Like a Nor'Easter Over Flushing Bay

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

Pitchers & Catchers report in two more days when finally the Mets can again set about the business of playing baseball.

After one of the most comprehensively altering off-seasons in Mets history, Flushing begins digging out from a winter Nor'Easter marked by hype, controversy, and transformative acquisitions.   

Once his Mets' purchase was finalized by Major League Baseball, Steve Cohen officially arrived on the scene in November.  At long last, the Wilpon Era was over.  Replete with a Twitter account at the ready, Cohen, in an instant single-handed revived the spirits of New York City's increasingly despondent National League fan base.

Already a minority shareholder in the team, Cohen and Sandy Alderson were by no means strangers to one another.  However, I still wonder why Cohen acted so quickly in hiring Alderson to be his President of Baseball Operations.  With Steve Cohen in place, being a Mets executive instantly became one of the most sought after positions in all of baseball.  Why not wait and play the field or see who makes themselves available?  Instead, Cohen wasted little time in recruiting Sandy Alderson back into the Mets fold.  In turn, Alderson wiped out all vestiges of Brodie Van Wagenen's front office, all except "the survivor" John Ricco, that is.

Before hiring a general manager, Sandy Alderson's skeleton crew moved quickly in signing free-agents Brian McCann and Trevor May and executing the mega-deal for Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco.  Not till a week after the big trade was Jared Porter hired as general manager.  All of this taking place in December.  

Flushing goes on to revel in one of the happiest New Year's holidays of recent history, pandemic withstanding.  But then a major controversy came crashing the party.  Roughly one year after hiring Carlos Beltran as manager then immediately having to let him go when it was discovered he participated in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal, the Mets, after less than forty days on the job are forced to fire Jared Porter post-haste after it was revealed he texted numerous unsolicited lewd pictures to a female reporter.

Kicking off the month of February, news comes down of similar behavior involving former manager Mickey Callaway.  In what is being called the "worst kept secret in sports," several female members of the media claim Callaway's harassing behavior spanned five years, covering his time in Cleveland, New York, and Anaheim.  

As one who hired both, these incidents put Sandy Alderson's hiring practices squarely under the spotlight.  When a reporter questioned if he ever consulted with a woman at any point during his vetting of Porter, Sandy Alderson said no.  Therefore, it's now up to him to decipher whether his practices are fundamentally flawed, self-serving, or otherwise.

Then came the GameStop and supposed stock manipulation uproar that caused Steve Cohen's professional life as an investor to bleed over into his endeavors as Mets owner.  He suspended his Twitter account at once, and you might say the honeymoon period ended with it.

Meanwhile, free agency was not as cooperative as Mets fans anticipated.  However, for the first time in a long time, spending power was not a primary issue.  It certainly appears as if George Springer and Trevor Bauer never once contemplated playing in New York.  Instead, each used the Mets to facilitate an agreeable contract elsewhere, for it takes two to set a market ... just ask Baurer's agent.  I am actually very agreeable to missing out on both.  Just because they were the best available doesn't necessarily make them worthy of premium dollars.

This month's second wave of transactions saw the trading away of Steven Matz to Toronto for three prospects, one of which the Mets parlayed into Kansas City's eighth-ranked prospect, outfielder Khalil Lee.  Alderson and interim general manager Zack Scott also traded for pitchers Joey Lucchesi and Jordan Yamamoto.  From the free-agent market, they signed outfielder Albert Amora Jr, pitcher Aaron Loup, and infielder Jonathan Villar.

And that was only in the first one hundred days of the Cohen Era.

The Mets still have several outstanding issues entering Spring Training.

Major League Baseball will not be implementing a universal DH this season.  As rules go, I'm happy about it, but it's problematic for the Mets.  The likely alignment when the Mets are not playing American League teams is Dom Smith playing left and Pete Alonso at first.  Otherwise, Dom Smith will DH and make the occasional start at first - not an optimal situation.

Albert Almora Jr. brings a potential platoon into the center field equation.  This is, of course, the backup plan after having missed out on George Springer.  Brandon Nimmo looks to be the starter heading into the season.  In fact, I welcome Nimmo and his career .838 OPS.  At the very least, Albert Almora Jr. should become the customary late-inning replacement.

The situation at third base remains fluid.  The job belongs to JD Davis until notified otherwise.  No one is questioning his bat.  However, his glovework leaves much to be desired.  Thus the Mets seem more than interested in making another move.

Meanwhile, Francisco Lindor and Michael Conforto have pressing contract concerns that require the Mets address.

Lastly, on the premise simmering in pockets of Metsville, that because the Mets have a billionaire owner, their inability to secure JT Realmuto, Brad Hand, George Springer, Trevor Baurer, James Paxton, D.J. LeMahieu, Cory Kluber, Nolan Arenado, et al, constitutes a failed off-season.

To all of it, I say, nonsense.

A Metsian Podcast: Gathering Around the Hot Stove With Tim Healey of Newsday

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

With SAM, RICH & MIKE

GUEST

Mets Reporter Tim Healey of Newsday

sixty-eight minutes

THE HOT STOVE

#LGM

Recaps and Previews with Megan Bungeroth and Mets Daddy on Another Metsian Podcast

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

Atlanta Braves Sweep Mets at Citi Field

A METSIAN PODCAST

with SAM, RICH, and MIKE

SPECIAL GUESTS

John of MetsDaddy.com

and

WRITER/EDITOR HAILING FROM CHICAGO 

Megan Bungeroth

8/25/2019

Ninety Minutes

STUFF

Chicago Cubs Preview w/ Megan Bungeroth

The Cleveland Indians Series ~ The Atlanta Braves Series

Brodie Van Wagenen ~ Roster ~ Mickey Callaway

Asdrubal Cabrera ~ Francisco Cirvelli ~ Billy Hamilton ~ Adeiny Hechavarria

Good Pitching ~ An Untimely Offensive Shut Down ~ Poor Fundies

Pete Alonso ~ Brandon Nimmo ~ Jed Lowrey ~ Big Foot

JD Davis ~ Jeff McNeil ~ Todd Frazier ~ Michael Conforto

Randy Jones ~ Jose Offerman ~ Roy Staiger

Ed Lynch ~ Doc Ellis ~ Dillon Gee ~ Rick Reed

The Next 12 Games ... and so much more!

#LGM

Another Metsian Date Night Podcast with That Mets Chick, Bre

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

There was something about that 1976 season that ...

 A METSIAN PODCAST

with SAM, RICH, and MIKE

WITH GUEST

Bre aka ThatMetsChick.com

Ninety Minutes

STUFF

First Quarter of the Season ~ Series vs. Nationals

Keon Broxton ~ Carlos Gomez ~ Brandon Nimmo ~ Juan Lagares

The Jeff/BVW/Mickey Pow Pow

Jeff McNeil ~ Michael Conforto ~ The 25-Man Roster

Anthony Kay ~ Robinson Cano

Kevin Plawecki ~ Dave Kingman ~ Terry Leach

More about that 1976 season, and much much more.

Another Metsian Homecoming Podcast with Stephen Keane

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

OPENING DAY at CITI FIELD

First Pitch Ceremonies with Gil Hodges Jr. and Ed Kranepool

A METSIAN PODCAST

with SAM, RICH, and MIKE

Special Guest:

Pioneer of Online Fandom; The Godfather of Mets Bloggers

Stephen Keane

aka

The Kranepool Society

eighty-three minutes

STUFF

Opening Day at Citi Field

Gil Hodges; Joan Hodges; Gil Hodges Jr.

Tom Seaver; Willie Mays; Ed Kranepool

RON DARLING BOOK CONTROVERSY

Noah Syndergaard; Jacob deGrom; the Bullpen

Pete Alonso; Wilson Ramos; Brandon Nimmo; Robinson Cano

Mickey Callaway; analytics; Chilli Davis

and so much more ..!