F-Mart, You Forgot Didn't You? We're Going to Need Him.

Fernando Martinez. He even came with a built-in nickname...F-Mart.

What happens to him now? Where does he fit into the Mets' future plans now that they signed Jason Bay? Is he a trade chip now? Did he turn off any advanced scouts with his play? Did he turn any on? Funny how our once most prized prospect's name wasn't even mentioned once this winter, about anything. Does he at least get to go back to being our top prospect again? Hmmm?.

I like Angel Pagan coming off our bench. I like Angel Pagan, period. He just needs to stay injury free if he wants to stay here and play for the Mets. Carlos Beltran is the X-Factor here. Is he going to stay healthy? He's becoming quite the fragile one. Can Jason Bay cover enough of CitiField's expansive left/center field. Heck, can Beltran's creeky knees keep after it in that big outfield? These are the things that concern me. Jason Bay can leg out a double OK, but he's not the swiftest of foot shagging balls in the gap. Jason doesn't have the Monster behind him here. At Citi he'll have an overly contrived, impotently high, black wall lined with orange laughing at him behind his back all game long.

The CitiField outfield demands swift footed fielders with good arms. The dimensions practically demand it. With Jason Bay out there I fear all we did was give city pigeons another statue to land on. This is not the second coming of DoNN Clendenon here folks. Donn's team had better PITCHING!

In a couple of years, 2 or 3, Jason Bay's contract and the contract of 7 other players will account for $110 million alone as a result of these back loaded contracts Omar has been giving out. Fred WILPON is going to freak!-just like he did in 1993 and 2003. He's going to be up to his earlobes in bad, late ballooning contracts of aged players and be fielding a miserable team with no young talent coming up from the farm in the near or distant future. I will scream this all day and all year. We keep mindlessly throwing money at second rate solutions to revolving and repeating problems, (see everyone other than Reyes, Wright & Beltran, the only stable elements the last 5 years). Meanwhile, we keep losing draft picks signing these free agents, and our farm system that has come to a grinding halt, a system with drying blood and lacking pulse, a thriving system since 1964, a proud system, is blue and orange in the face suffering lack of talent as a partial consequence. Whatever Tony Bernazard was or wasn't doing, and Omar Minaya not really following through with his reputation of scouting and evaluative acumen he originally was reknown for, sped up the decay of our lethargic minor system.

I'm a capitalist folks. I do not want a salary cap. You can't begrudge the Mets. They spend money. All I'm asking for is a plan...A freakin' PLAN and stop throwing away perfectly good money on mindless out the door purchases. Be smarter. Use free agency sparingly to put you over the top or to get that last piece of the puzzle. It shouldn't be used to stock your roster. Farm production, astute trades then free agency, in that order, is what I'm all about. Any dummy can write a check. Any GM can spend over a billion dollars in 10 years and walk away with one World Series to show for it. *(Holy Cow...I went there!)* You think that's smart GM'ing? I call it going to Vegas and doubling-down until you win back your losses and walking away with some cash too.

Where are my TUMS?


METS' HISTORY is, was and always should be ensconced in Pitching and Defense. With CitiField's dimensions, that traditional Mets' philosophy is never more appropriate, never more ideal, for this team, than right now!

Captain Chaos and his sidekick Confusion (that would be Mets-R-Us featuring lil'Jeff), need now, more than ever to hire outside consultation.

We are heading into the iceberg but in the First Class section no one has a clue.


Jason Bay is another patch in the quilt, not a piece to a puzzle.

Another short sighted move fostered by an organization that has no real plan in place? Check.

This team has not developed anyone since Wright and Reyes that have had impact. That covers a 4 to 5 year drought. I like Pelfrey. Yep, I sure do. Just don't talk impact to me yet.

Fernando Martinez. Don't forget about him Met fans. I know you did! Someone is going to get hurt in our outfield in a New York Minute. I hope he's there to step in and step up.


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There's Life in Flushing.....? Barely

The Mets Twitched!
Stop the presses!!

EXTRA!! EXTRA!! Read all about it.



The Mets' winter just started to show life; a twitch. They're reportedly on the verge of signing a knucleballer named R.A. Dickey to a minor league deal.

I know he's no John Lackey, but he IS - R.A. freakin' Dickey!!!



ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! Pedro, Dickey? Is this where the Mets' minds are?

C'MON !! Really?

Mets Make Me Shake My Head

My Room, Brooklyn - I'm currently listening to sports radio. Apparently the Mets have an interest in bringing Pedro Martinez back, as is being reported by Jayson Stark.

Apparently the Mets have shown interest in bringing Pedro back.

The METS....WANT To brING Pedro BACK?

I still can't believe what I'm hearing. I still can't believe it after typing it 3 times. The Mets want to bring Pedro Martinez........, back.

Let me tell you exactly where I stand, post haste. The biggest reason John Lackey is not a Met today is because Fred and Jeff, Jeff and Fred, the Wilpons, don't have the gumption to operate as a New York entity should. We are the largest market in the country. The Metropolitans' enterprise rakes in money. Period. But the Mets continue to be run like a small market club. They sported a $140 million dollar payroll last year, good for 3rd highest in baseball and tops in the NL. The Wilpons have been agreeable with regards to payroll for the most part. But the Wilpons must be feeling over extended. How else can you explain the Mets' inaction this winter? It's been reported the Wilpons actually made money off the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme scandal. So what gives? I call it timidity. Yes! Good word....TIMIDITY. The Wilpons just don't seem to have the convictions, and the acumen to run a sporting entity. Remember in a previous post I told you it was Doubleday who knew enough to re-up Piazza after aquiring him in the trade with Florida. Fred Wilpon didn't want to cut that check. They, Fred, is a mawkish owner. There!! I said it! He knows real estate, but he don't know Didley (a little Brooklynese for ya) about running a sporting enterprise. That's where I give Boss Steinbrenner all glory. He understood it takes money to make money, and you can't be afraid to fail. The Wilpons operate terrified! The Wilpons made it a policy this past season or before last, NO NEWSPAPERS IN THE CLUBHOUSE. They didn't want the team to read all the bad press they thought the Mets were enduring. What does that tell you?...About paranoia? It's not the money that concerns me. Like I said, the Wilpons have been agreeable, for the most part. They did make Duquette operate on the cheap though. That was indeed a mandate. I'm just saying the Mets need to hire someone from the outside who the Wilpons can't set a mandate upon, someone whom the ownership is virtually unfamiliar with, someone who will take it to the Wilpon's wheelhouse and TELL them what's in their best interest. As long as the Metropolitan Club is profitable there will be little preventative maintenance. That's the Wilpon's undoing. They'll wait till things start going sour in the stands and inevitability in the wallet, then they'll get reactive. There in lies one of my biggest criticisms about the Wilpons; Pro-active vs. Re-active. The Wilpons are the latter.

How can you not call him mawkish when his highest, loftiest stated goal to his fan base was a want to play meaningful games in September. That's it, no more no less. That is a Limbo Bar a jelly fish couldn't wiggle it's way under. - Talk about setting low standards. Nothing ventured nothing gained Mr. Wilpon. This is so far beyond Omar Minaya.

Their biggest need this offseason was a number 2 pitcher. Lackey filled that need perfectly, someone who was big game but who could shotgun Johan Santana. The Mets made minimal efforts to pursue him.

When the trade deadline passed and the Mets made no improvements (for arguement sake), Omar tried painting a silver lining on this club's black cloud by telling us he learned how highly other organizations thought of our prospects. Really?! When the Phillies completed their deal for Roy Halladay, Omar reasoned and I paraphrase - I guess other teams had better options than we did. Uh......DUH ! OK, not getting Halladay isn't anyone's fault really because better chips were found elsewhere. But not pursuing Lackey with verve is inexcusable. However I kept that sentiment in the backround of my mind.

Today, first off, I hear the Nationals...Yes the NATIONALS are signing Jason Marquis. Jason wanted to pitch for the Mets...! He said as much. It's not that I wanted him in earnest, but then I'm not running the club. I'm just a fan right? So, Halladay? - Mets get a pass. John Lackey? Inexcusable. Marquis could have been very useful. He's very servicable and a nice pitcher. Nothing, nein, nyet, nada !!

Strike one, two ,three strikes........YER OUT!!!! (think Bugs Bunny when he played the GasHouse Gorillas).

So their grand master plan is to talk to Pedro's agent? Really? Really. Really!? I suppose Ben Sheets is in their cross hairs too?

Nothing ventured, nothing gained Mr. Wilpon. Timidity. Yea, that's it.