WILPONIANISM

An e-mail I sent in to Bill Daughtry's show on 1050ESPN Radio:


Let's get right to the heart of Met Matters and WILPONIANISM shall we?


Are the Mets going to make a genuine effort to sign Cliff Lee this winter?   Are they willing to do what other clubs won't?   Will they do enough to convince him to pitch here?

ANSWER ~ I'm leaning towards no; They won't.

The time is coming soon when the Mets need to decide whether WRIGHT and REYES are going to anchor this team before they're up for big money.   If the Mets don't commit in theory one way or another now,  we'll just continue to spin our tires in the mud when it gets to that.   If they know they are not committed to them long term for big money, Trade Them.  If they are committed in theory, hurry up and continue the re-build process we started (started out of desperation and we are still deciding whether it worked out by design or accident!).   MY OPINION?   I have no idea what the Wilpons think anymore.

So what exactly is the plan here Bill?   Have the Mets thought about these things?   I say no because they are practiced at the art of Band-aids.   They're still a reactive ownership.

The Wilpons themselves represent the biggest problem for the Mets' fan base.   They have NEVER been forthright, truthful, open...about the financial health of the club.   Additionally is the Mets Medical Staff that inept to still be getting (injuries in general) Reyes' oblique injury somewhat wrong OR are the dictates of the Wilpons at work in such matters?

In business, CORRECTIONS hurt.   All business' go through corrections.   The Mets need a correction Bill. If the Mets do not impose a correction upon themselves they will forever chase their tails in a circle.   The time is now.   It was started already.   They just need to recognize, follow through and finish the job.  Remember how the Rangers recognized they needed a correction because of the ARod contract?   Remember how Colorado recognized they had a problem on their hands with the Mike Hampton contract?  Corrections.   Look at Colorado and Texas in today's standings after a rebuilding process and a painful correction.

Joe McDonald did it with the Mets in the 60's.  Much of his work had a tremendous (if indirect) effect on the 1986 Mets also (after all, Hubie Brooks, Mookie, Orosco, Backman, Mazzilli and the trade return of Ron Darling...etc) .  The 80's Mets built by Frank Cashen were the next example of harnessing a group of young players, seeing who is going to work out and building around them.  Joe McLvaine tried it also in the 90's.  It didn't work out but we were all on board with the plan.

These kids saved Manuel's job.   They saved Omar's credibility.   They kept this team in the mix.   The kids changed the whole atmosphere around the team.   The kids changed the fan's whole perception about the Flushing Ballclub.

The Yankees used to have AURA and MYSTIQUE appearing nightly once.   Now that the Met regulars are back together again, our version ~ ANGST and ANXIETY start their summer tour through mediocrity.

The CORRECTION I speak of, of course is Beltran, Castillo, Maine, Perez, Barajas, and Francoeur.  Beltran, Castillo, Maine and Ollie need to be corrected post haste!   Find a way to rid the roster of these players or minimize their playing time and/or impact.   The money is spent!   That's part of a correction. Within two years there's a lot of money coming off their (Mets) books.   Those players are the OLD GUARD.   This ship needs to sail.   We need to move on.   The correction needs to be made.

If the Mets are not committed players at the trade deadline (and for what I have no idea), if they are not serious players for Lee this winter, if they are not thinking about Wright and Reyes with regards to the future.....what are they doing?  What exactly is the plan here?

Give me all the kids I can have if the Mets do nothing by the deadline.   I want Thole full time.   I want F-Mart and Tejada playing.   There's a whole list of names I want involved on the big club between now and Opening Day next year Bill.   The rest of Baseball and the respective GM's out there may not like our prospects but there are a handful I do like and want to see them now.   This is where the team is.   We are not a serious playoff contender.   Period.   Rebuild it now.   Complete what you started Jeff.   Do it!   So much of it has been done already.   Just finish the job.   We can then trade and use free agency to supplement, compliment and augment as needed.   Build a core and do it now.   There are players in this organization that can be somebody.

If you want to help this club right now...package Francoeur and a prospect for a right field upgrade and some bullpen help.   Oh yea...get another starter too; anyone at this point. Just do not overpay for something average if that will make Met fans happy.  Me?  I'm not interested in an average pitcher.  I'd rather give a kid a chance in our present context.

The OLD GUARD is back and so is the Met fan's angst and anxiety.   Is it me Bill?   Do I just not get it? You know for three years I've been screaming for this.   And for three years all I've heard is people complain about the Mets and how bad this, and how bad that.....and they don't this, and they don't that crap.   And I was told I couldn't have been anymore wrong than I was in 2007.   Oh Yea...I was called lost and lacking baseball acumen back then by someone.  Really Bill?   Really?   I'll blow this horn till I die or get what I want (win or lose...just give us the chance to have a clean slate).

Bill...after all this, I can still go on about how the Johan Santana window is closing...and the "then what" scenario; ~ About needing to replace K-Rod after next year (Parnell has stuff to be a closer). Those are more MET opportunities for applying Band-aids in the Wilponian world we live in. When will this vicious cycle end?

After that Bill....you know where my head is at. What kind of club does Jeff want his POP's team to be? It's all on him.

Gee I wish we had more forthright ownership.


Mike.BTB

http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.blogspot.com/

Spring Training: Met's Positional Players, My Anxiety

In no particular order, here is the Good, the Bad and the Ugly...

Mets Spring Training:  Positional Players

****

CATCHER - ....has been a problem for the Mets since MIKE PIAZZA's last game and has gone unresolved to the present.  Omar has never really found a stable solution for this position.  Omar brought in PAUL LoDUCA to replace Piazza and was servicable for a year and 1/2.  It's been a revolving door ever since.

I would give the job outright to JOSH THOLE.  It's easy to get caught up in the sparkle of a promising September call-up like he experienced in '09.  Having said that, I don't think I'm getting caught up by a sparkling Sept. call-up.

The other options are OMIR SANTOS and HENRY BLANCO.  Bengie MOLINA chose against signing with the Mets for less money to stay in S.F.  Omar tried.  I cede him that.  But by no means was Molina a solution for the catching position.  At best he would have been the latest through the revolving door.

Back to Santos and Blanco, they are considered the defensive specialists.  Problem is they are both offensively challenged.  Let's be honest.  If you're going to tell me one of them is the starter while we continue to look for someone else and we're sending Thole to the farm for more seasoning.....That's fair.  If I'm being forced to be pragmatic about this....that's fair.  But my official stance is I would give the job to Thole.  My official opinion is Omar hasn't been able to give this position stability entering the 5th year since Piazza last played here.  And my sarcasm asks...Santos and Blanco?  Really?  Make the arguement why one of those two should start over Thole and get back to me.

I'm going to admit, all I want from my catchers is superlative defense.  I'm a Jerry Grote guy if that gives you an idea what I'm talking about.  Having said that....gimmie Thole.

****

FIRSTBASE - I made it quite clear...I wanted Carlos Delgado back under a one-year deal...Like Jane wanted Damon back!  He is so close to 500 HR and 1600 RBI and I wanted him to do it as a Met.  If you know me by now and how I followed the Winter Leagues, even I have to admit he was not moving well and struggled in Puerto Rican League play.  I saw it for myself.  Ask me and I will tell you, in better days, it was Delgado and not J.Reyes that made the Mets' line-up dangerous. 

A quick digression which leads me into our other options.... When Carlos Delgado was a free agent he chose to go to Florida over us.  There were rumors and speculation it was because Tony Bernazard was playing the Latino Card and it turned Delgado off.  Omar traded to get Carlos Delgado anyway.  He traded a kid of ours at the time, Mike Jacobs.  Now we just re-signed Jacobs.

DANIEL MURPHY - This is tough for me.  We need more slugging from 1B.  It's just too hard to "hide" him in our line-up.  I like the kid and I want to be patient with him.  In 508 at-bat he only struck out 69 times and had 38 doubles, while batting .266 in his first full year.  It's something to work with.  He makes contact and maybe he can build upon and translate those doubles into something else.  Oh yea...He's still learning how to play the position.  He's still raw out there, but I won't say his glove is for self-defensive purposes only.  But this is such a tough call.  After you look at our options, we don't have much choice.

FERNANDO TATIS - ...again?  Really?  C'Mon!!  I'm all for a strict platoon at firstbase.  But are we doing this Tatis thing again?  Not happy.

MIKE JACOBS - ...is very interesting.  I was sorry to see him go in the Delgado deal.  He never lived up to the promise he showed here once he left.  He topped 30 HR in his career but has struggled away from "Shea".  I have mixed emotions about him.  I'm glad to see him back.  Maybe he can pick-up where he left off here and recapture some of that swing we saw and actually win the 1B job.  But Jacobs completes a cycle of sorts as he is here and Delgado is not.  Omar is literally back to where the 1B situation was when he arrived here for the 2005 season.

****

SECOND BASE - ...Luis Castillo had a nice bounce back season.  He really got a bad rap around here for the foolish contract Omar signed him to, then offering up a stinker of a season in 2008.  But the truth is he's always been a .300 hitter with very solid defense.  Omar was killed routinely about Luis Castillo and still is.  All the talk here in NYC is Luis Castillo is the reason why we don't have Orlando Hudson playing 2B for us.  The Mets won't eat Castillo's contract.  I'm not drinking that HUDSON Kool-Aid.  I think Castillo can give us another season like he offered last year.  He was one of the few things that went right around here last year.  But he still gets a bad rap.  I myself don't like the contract Omar gave him, but I could be more critical of this situation than I am.  Side note...There is no one worth mentioning coming up from the farm.  It's Luis Castillo or bust Met fans.

****

SHORTSTOP - this is easy.  If Jose Reyes is fully healthy, he's one of the most dynamic players in all of baseball.  If Jose Reyes, who has now lost two complete seasons to leg injuries that sandwich his career, is not healthy, meaning if his legs aren't the same, he is not Jose Reyes and is no longer one of the most dynamic players in baseball.  It's that simple.  His legs are what make him special.  If his legs are compromised, his unique skill is over.  Simple.

****

THIRD BASE - David Wright.  He waited till his 5th full year in the league to have his Sophomore Jinx.  What happened to him last year?  Ya can't blame his lack of HRs on CitiField.  He was equally futile on the road.  His strike outs went through the roof.  Now it could have been because everyone dropped like flies around him in the line-up and it was just easier not to give David Wright a good pitch to hit.  Why would anyone have done that last year?  Maybe getting beaned in the head shook his batter's-box confidence a little.  That's just speculation on my part.  I expect David to bounce back and get back to what he's done between '05-'08.  But he needs a healthy Carlos Beltran in the line-up also.

****

INFIELDERS - ALEX CORA, can play 1B, 2B, 3B and SS.  Another one of the few bright spots for the Mets last year with his ability to step in for injured players and actually improve the defense in the absense of the starter.  His attitude and leadership were heralded throughout the clubhouse.  He is rehabbed from thumb surgeries and ready for the season.

****

LEFT FIELD - JASON BAY.  I can't knock this signing.  As a matter of fact it's about time.  LF has been another of Omar's revolving door postions.  One of Omar's fetishes is trying to capture lightning in a bottle from older players at the end of their careers and injury comebacks.  Omar, not once but twice, mistakenly signed Moises Alou for this position.  First time shame on me....second time shame on OMAR!  At least now with Jason Bay the position is settled for a few years.  There are some health concerns that scared the Red Sox away and a few other teams felt likewise.  The fact that I wouldn't trust the Met's Med Staff to put on a band-aid at current,  has to leave a small fraction of uncertainty in Met Minds.

****

CENTER FIELD - CARLOS BELTRAN....out till June.  Surgery-Gate.  Who knew...Who didn't...who gave the OK?.....NON-SENSE!!  Front office buffoonery.  We just have to bide our time and wait, and that hopefully he comes back healthy and ready to contribute.  Carlos Beltran is a player who asked the Yankees to sign him for less money the Mets offered him.  He wound up here.  His first year here was a rough start especially with the fans.  The fans really got on his case his first year here.  I'd admit it, but I was not one of them.  Met fans can not get the image of him watching a curveball fall in for strike three to end the 2006 NLCS out of their minds.  And now because of this surgery snafu, I fear the Mets and Beltran are headed towards an ugly divorce.  That's just me.  I am a Beltran fan.  He is one of the few players, as they go, who signed for the big money then performed and delivered above his career averages after signing.  Usually teams fall into the trap of paying for past performance.  Beltran had his career years here.  Yet he gets critisized at every opportunity.  The rumor is he told Bengie Molina not to sign here.

****

Until he gets back there's ANGEL PAGAN and FERNANDO MARTINEZ

ANGEL PAGAN is someone I've liked since he played with the Brooklyn Cyclones (A) in 2001.  In spring training of 2008 he was winning the day and himself a LF job.  Injury ended that.  Last year was another season waisted to injury also.  He's not a kid anymore however much Met fans thinks he still is.  But when he was on the field he always seamed in the mix, part of a rally and doing good things.  Beltran's injury is probably Pagan's last chance to show his worth here but he has to stay healthy.  If he can manage that he can be a good player for us.  I am pulling for him.
FERNANDO MARTINEZ, a product from the farm I claim doesn't exist anymore.  He was MVP of the Caribbean Series for his Dominican Republic team this winter.  He is still only 21 and seems to be our only "blue chipper".  That remains to be seen.  But I like this kid and want to see him get substantial time in CF in Beltran's absence.

****

RIGHT FIELD - ...anyone the Braves don't want anymore I am skeptical of.  JEFF FRANCOEUR gives me the willies.  Another postion Omar has never straightened out is RF.  Remember Shawn Greene?  Remember all the other shleps we threw out there?  I bet you don't.  That's my point.  If the Braves gave up on him and accepted Ryan Church in return, whom they themselves did not retain, what does Omar see in Francoeur that John Schuerholz didn't?  If Schuerholz doesn't want him, I want everyone who reads this to ask themselves, why would I want him? I know he did well in the short time he was here last year.  Maybe a change of scenery will do him good.  Maybe we'll get the Francoeur of 2006-07.  Bottom Line > Jeff Francoeur is a roll of the dice.  I'm hoping we don't roll craps.

****

That about covers the impotant stuff about the Mets positional players. The Mets offense will be living a precarious existence this season if ANYTHING goes wrong. There is just no room for error on this team and I don't see this team washing out the taste from our mouths in reference to the way the last 3 seasons have gone. I'm trying folks....I'm trying to be optimistic.

Let's Go Mets !!

(sigh)

http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.mlblogs.com/

http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.blogspot.com/

Jason Bay? OK......... Perez & Maine...Oh The Pain!

The Mets signed Jason Bay today to a 4 year contract worth $66 Million. Well...At least they didn't do anything foolish like sign him for five. I'm on record as wanting to offer him a 3 year take it or leave it deal. It works out $6 million more than the Red Sox were willing to give him.

Here's what I think. BIG WHOOOP!!! I'm not gonna say anything silly. Jason Bay is a good player. Our bench is instantly made better by having Angel Pagan sitting on it (that was not sarcasm). But he is not changing anything at Citi Field until the Mets get a pitcher that can shotgun with Johan Santana. Period.

Don't plan on any trips down I-95 looking for success unless you're looking to buy a PHILLY-CheezSteak. Until the Mets get that pitcher, Jason Bay is inconsequential and a year too long.

Let me make this clear also. I like John Maine and I still believe Ollie Perez is correctible as ridiculous as that sounds, I really do. His problems are simple if you ask me. Allow me to digress a moment on OLLIE.

When Ollie Perez learns how to plant his landing foot perpendicular to home plate; - When he gets his toes pointed towards his catcher, most of his problems will go away. Psychotherapy is not the answer. I can't believe no one sees this. Any weekend pitching coaches out there? Do you concur? His landing foot falls everywhere it's not supposed to. He consistently lands closed to the catcher and you're always having to throw across your body. The rock rolls down the hill from there. I'm Done.

But honestly, has anyone even heard about Oliver and Maine? Hello? Realistically, what can we expect from them in 2010? C'mon, I'm a fan too. I'm just being pragmatic. We are closer to PRAY FOR RAIN vs OLLIE and MAINE than we are trusting them every fifth day.

So now I guess the Mets turn to their fan base and say 'SEE! The winter was fruitful. We told you. - We got R.A. DICKEY to sign a minor league deal. We stole Kelvim Escobar from under every one's noses and now we just hit a scorching line drive with Jason Bay. Bengie Molina looks close to joining as well - SEE?!

I can hear them now.

Let me ask you something.....All you Met optimists out there, are you feeling good right now? And all you Met pessimists out there, are you feeling a little grumpy right now?

Hear this. It doesn't change anything in the N.L. East yet. We had bigger needs to fill than LF. Our outfield is now BAY-lf - BELTRAN-cf >(is he going to stay healthy?) - and FRANCOEUR-rf.

*sigh* I've seen worse. I've seen better. Funny how Jason Bay didn't mean much to us when he was in our minor league system but now he's worthy of over payment for services yet rendered (raising one eyebrow).

Jose Reyes' hamstring? How's that coming along? Will he be able to run like he used to? This is the second season he's lost to hamstring issues. If he can't run......(fill in the blank).

Blog ya later. I've spent the last two days preparing a Fred Wilpon/Mets' General Manager rant. Sheeesh... this blogging ain't EZ. I give you good folks credit for tsome of the things you have going on in your sites. Looking forward to checkin them out in 2010.

HAPPY NEW YEAR BLOGGERHOOD!!!

Philly Fans, I hope you've been enjoying your view from the top of the division. We just didn't want to be there. I'm throwing you guys a bone. I'm in a good mood today. Here Philly....Chew on this!!!!



http://theBrooklynTrolleyBlogger.mlblogs.com/
http://baseballtrolleyblogger.blogspot.com/