The NEW Mets of 2005

I'm interested to see if the Matsui/Reyes thing is classic or dud.

*Felix Heredia making the bullpen. He and Peterson must be fooled by the sping ERA of ... 7.

*Wright hitting 8th. Sure lineup orders don't matter much, but ensuring your rising young stud gets fewer PAs than Walkless Jose Reyes?

*Marlon Anderson as your (f)utility infielder, Victor Diaz your AAA rightfielder.

Given the continuing TimeWarner-MSG war, no Mets TV except on WPIX (all Saturdays and Sundays in the near future). Maybe I'll be taking the 7 train on warmish April/May eves for budget seats.

Wednesday April 13 Houston
Thursday April 14 Houston
Friday April 15 Florida
Monday May 16 Cincinnati
Tuesday May 17 Cincinnati
Wednesday May 18 Cincinnati
Tuesday May 31 Arizona
Wednesday June 1 Arizona
Thursday June 2 Arizona
Tuesday September 13 Washington
Wednesday September 14 Washington
Thursday September 15 Washington
Thursday September 29 Colorado

If any of the Apr/May eves aren't frigid, I'd be up for it.

Any non-zoo bars to watch the first inning today at lunch? I know MSG is having an anti-Time Warner viewing on the UES, but I'm in Chelsea.

Chelsea bars with a tv? I dunno, there's gotta be one or two that would have it. If only I could invite you over to the office, morbs.

I had no clue Manny Aybar made the staff.

Here's the way I see it: Either platoon advantages are important and should be chased, or they're not and you should just use your best available pitcher. It shouldn't be "chase platoon advantages" through the eighth inning, and then "use the closer regardless of matchups" in the ninth. There's significant dissonance to the way bullpens are run these days, and while the Mets didn't necessarily lose because of it, that they did lose puts the problem into stark relief.

"Looper-scooper" easily grabbed the worst first impression opening day fan award from Jose Lima. Did he throw a pitch that didn't get hit?

Note, however, that in no way do I think this should apply to Braden Looper!

Tracer, you mean like 2003, when the Bosox had the best pen in the AL?

If I had a nickel for every time I saw Soxxy Pedro leave a game after 6 or 7 w/ a save-type lead, only to have the bullpen / fielders blow it, I'd probably have two bits.

maybe what I'm getting at tangentially is a simple and obvious "gosh, middle relief kind of sucks, don't it" truism...

A good reliever is a good reliever. "There's something special about the 9th inning" is just a Brantleyism.

Puhleez, Joe Randa, no mo'...

- what was Ishii doing pitching to Jimenez?
- why is Minky batting 5th, in FRONT of Wright?
- why does Mike DeJean suck?
- how long before folks call Mike & the Mad Dog wanting Randolph's head on a corn dog pole?

Puhleez, no M&MD audience in my universe.

Wow, Piazza just threw out Morgan Ensberg at second -- botched hit-and-run obv.

Not to moan about a guy who's hitting .400 the first week, but when does Jose Reyes get his first walk? It's 30 PAs and counting...

Also, way for Old Man Glavine to put himself in & extricate himself from a jammy jam.

Pettite - 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 Ks, 85 pitches, 56 strikes
Glavine - 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 5 Ks, 66 pitches, 36 strikes

Minky bunting with two on and nobody out, tho? I prefer Sunday's homer binge to smallball.

That was funny shit, esp it being Pedro's face and all.

I'd love to zip out and see the Evil Rocket at Shea tomw night, but low 50s and plunging will be quite hellish out there even in a $5 seat. Pedro v Leiter on Saturday? (not Value price tho)

"Jams" has been awful quiet about the Mets revival!

Depending on how little fun I have Sat night, I may trot out to Shea Sunday (Glavine v Burnett, forecast high of 70). Tomw's game a near sellout.

I almost posted a question like, "who the hell is Tomw, & why is HIS game nearly sold out?"

From the Times:

The most bizarre injury, however, was the one to Kazuo Matsui, whose cornea was slightly scratched by a contact lens he wore while sleeping Wednesday night.

Matsui's eyesight first became a topic of discussion last spring, when coaches worried that he was not seeing the catcher's signs from his position in the infield. He experimented with glasses and then discarded them because they were not comfortable on his face. Since February, he has worn corrective contacts to bed, but he needs to get re-fitted for a different pair. Matsui said that his vision was slightly blurred last night, which did not affect his hitting. But it did make him feel off-kilter in the field.

If the first Met no-hitter had been subject to a cable turf blackout, the Time Warner HQ would be a-smouldering this morning...

Never saw a reliever get ejected from the bullpen before. Bad day for Kaz and Jose; the new mature AJ Burnett performed as hyped. Even tho it was a TV broadcast, I went cuz I could not STAND another day of Tom Seaver overpraising Walkless Reyes ("a future Hall of Famer if he stays healthy"), whose hitting approach just SUCKS; he gets himself out once or twice a game. He is no leadoff hitter -- he should be #8 or at Norfolk.

I arrived at the ticket window 30 mins before gametime and got the best walk-up seat imaginable -- Sec 15 right behind first (ask for the back rows of the loge); only $12 yesterday. I think they sell Loge& Mezz Back Rows on gameday only.

Nice to hear Gary Cohen go off mid-game on the Mets' utter inability to go deep in the count so far. They drew 0 walks last night.

Rob Neyer interview on MetsGeek; Yusmeiro Petit content!, and he's not optimistic on the No-Name Bullpen:

http://www.metsgeek.com/main/articles/2005/04/18/interview-rob-neyer

(post-premium content)

REYES COMES ALIVE

Pressure to keep Diaz around and deal Cameron to a sucker mounts...

As for defense, keep in mind MC will be playing out of position (and, psst, the glovework as usual won't come close to making up for the likely offensive gap).

PECOTA's 50th Percentile sez:
CAMERON: 390 ABs, 18.6 VORP [.250/.342/.457]
DIAZ: 334 ABs, 8.0 VORP [.263/.311/.446]

PECOTA's 75th Percentile sez:
CAMERON: 432 ABs, 33.3 VORP [.270/.365/.493]
DIAZ: 375 ABs, 18.0 VORP [.281/.332/.477]

What this means: PECOTA luv's Cameron's wrist more than the baseball gods do. Not really much difference - I'm guessing the OBP differential is a result of strike zone experience, & w/ strike zone experience comes boosts in the OPS numbers, so, yeah, trade the limp-wristed gimp that don't wanna play RF boo-hoo. Or trade them both, move Floyd to right, put Piazza in the OF, and let Festivus commence! OR: trade Floyd!

If the organization isn't inclined or able to deal Cameron, let's say he comes back around the 40th game. Given Cameron's and Floyd's injury profile, I think Randolph can still find Diaz 350-400 PAs, don't you?

What do you make of the continuing Wily Mo Pena rumors, Morbs? Is this something you would welcome? The positives, of course, are that Pena is young, cheap and can mash lefties like nobody's business. The negative is that he hits righties like he was swinging a toothpick.

Anyway, Diaz is not The Answer by any means, but he can be an effective utility man. Can he play D?

(Also: any NYers interested in going to Saturday's Mets game? I was thinking of attending...)

Also, Cameron's "injury profile" = averaging 140-150 games played since becoming a full-time player in 1999. Last year saw his lowest GP / AB totals during this stretch.

"While another season, or even two, at AAA might make Pena a better player, there's no chance of him getting that seasoning. If the Mets were to take on Pena in a trade, as Peter Gammons stated yesterday that they are interested in, he would automatically make the 25-man roster at the start of the season. Whether he played rightfield or not would be another story. The fact remains that Pena has got the tools. He's pretty fast for a guy his size (6'3", 220) , and has a Richard Hidalgo like gun for an arm. His defense is questionable, and his hitting skills are not quite MLB-ready, but both of those things he can work on. And the power is there. Oh my, is the power ever there."

And Mr. Gammons said:

"Cincinnati is calling around in an attempt to acquire pitching. There are the rumors of the Mets and Nationals' being interested in acquiring Willy Mo Pena. The Reds also told the Astros they would move Junior Griffey to Houston – for four top prospects."

Fixed. I'm sure they would take that trade for about anyone, if they are willing to cut the check.

.360/.492/.680

Oh, wait - that's Diaz, isn't it?

1) The Mets flipping Floyd (or, more likely, Killa Cam) to a would-be contender in need of OF / DH help (cf. um, Brewers? Blue Jays? Cubs? Houston?)

2) Diaz getting playing time @ 1B in place of the currently-hittastic Minky?

3) Diaz going back to 2B once Matsui and/or Reyes goes down w/ injuries?

huh.

1) Nope, that MF'er can still hit.

2) C'mon, Mink was passed off as a major signing, and Willie and Minaya have trumpeted his defense (which *is* nice to have after last year's hellish Who's On First).

3) Maybe, tho Vic was apparently a Lead Glove IF. Then again, the '86 Mets gave shortstop time to KEVIN MITCHELL.

Yeah, I figured Diaz was moved to the OF for less-than-stellar defensive performance between the bags (never mind being blocked by other folk).

I really hope they don't come over all idiotic and start trading away the youngsters. I love the thought of this team getting better together.

I can't remotely see Mike P being re-signed. DHing in his future. Who are next winter's FA catchers?

I'll be buying a David Wright shirt soon as he is going NOWHERE for 12-14 years. If Reyes never learns to walk and becomes an overrated Soriano-style "star," I'd listen for a nice package from a Bowden/Syd Thrift type. (I've been waiting for Randolph quotes on Jose's plate lunging, and alas one of the FAN guys paraphrased something about "not taking hisaggressivenessaway." SIGH)

i bought pedro and carlos shirts saturday, morbs.

Matsui (2B)
Wright (3B)
Beltran (CF)
Floyd (LF)
Piazza (C)
Minky (1B)
Diaz / Killa (RF)
Reyes (SS)
Lenny Harris (SUPASTAR)

Or, ha, put Minky's high OBP in the leadoff spot, and move Matsui down to 7th, just to piss off HR. That's a pretty sweet lineup! Hell, that could potentially be the best line-up in the NL East!

xpost

What's weird about Randolph is he persisted in batting Wright/Diaz 7/8 last night behind CHRIS WOODWARD.

is heilman for real? isn't he pretty old (26?) to be hitting the bigs for his first extended stint?

Also, Morb OTM w/ CHRIS WOODWARD batting 6th. And PLAYING FIRST BASE.

Also also: technically, Wright hasn't not mashed since he's been in the bigs. Also also also: I think someone in my big fancy company was dumped by his then-girl, & she's now DATING DW!

Was Woodward batting cleanup, tho?

"Still nothing on the Victor Zambrano front. The man whom Mets coach Rick Peterson claimed he could fix 'in ten minutes' is still walking around six batters per nine, though rotation-mate Kazuhisa Ishii is making him look good by comparison. Maybe that's why the Mets traded for Ishii."

Dammit, the two games I get to see on TV this weekend from DC have The Wrong Zambrano and Rollercoaster Heilman on the mound. Maybe if the weather is tol'able Monday eve I'll go to Pedro vs Phils.

Reyes actually got a HBP Saturday night -- well, not really, it didn't touch him -- so his OBP is actually about .007 higher than his BA.

Anyone see the Mudball game Saturday night? A joke. The time has come to require all games to be suspended and completed if less than 9 innings are played (Dontrelle got a cheep 6-inning win this weekend, yes?).

he kind of looks like michael moriarty.

No slight taken at the HR-Morgan blog author, but I think we can easily caricature Morgan's view of walks re Jose. He's trying to say (maybe) since Reyes wan't a walk machine in the minors (tho his rates weren't this abysmal), he won't with the Mets. But Joe's view of OBP as an analyst seems to defy his player record -- he led the league in walks FOUR times, including his first full year in '65, and his career OBP was .392:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/morgajo02.shtml

i mean, if i'm not mistaken he had a couple seasons where he was caught stealing about 50% of the time! lawdamercy.

Reyes buys himself more leadoff time with a 4-for-5. You know the OBP cries have reached a new level when Mike friggin' Francesa is on FAN saying "He can't lead awff if he nevah wahks."

Latest NY paper filler: bars with an influx of Time Warner-plagued Mets fans on game nights.

First Clemens, now Pedro - those Sox, they sure know how to motivate future HOFers!

Just wait til they cut Jeremi Gonzalez loose.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=250503121

I'll be at tonight's Jae Seo farewell start. Benson returns tomorrow, Cameron possible this weekend in Milwaukee. Looks like Diaz is ensuring his return to Norfolk.

Team W-L ERA
Phillies 0-5 6.04
Marlins 1-6 3.61
Braves 1-7 9.36
Nationals 6-4 3.00

Stellar night from Seo (bye), Floyd and Diaz (he's staying! for now) even put Reyes' two-game walk streak in the shade.

And TimeWarner gives us back the games. I'm quite amazed any manager can refrain from slapping that pregame/postgame idiot Matt Loughlin (tho Bobby V always looked like he wanted to).

I'm going Friday night, when Pedro was SPOSED ta pitch, goddammit! Instead it's Tommy (Ghost of) Glavine (v Carpenter?).

Looks like I'm seeing The Wrong Zambrano vs Big Ugly on Saturday.

Gary Cohen actually said on FAN when Diaz was sent down the other night, "It's not often a player takes a .964 OPS back to AAA..."

At first base.

Hitting second.

Um, no.

Nice that Manny Aybar got to throw some slo-pitch in the 9th.

Daily News media guy on why the Mets are better in the booth:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/story/311293p-266326c.html

"Aw, he pulled the old okey-doke," said Mets Manager Willie Randolph, using a term he may have heard in his childhood divided between South Carolina and Brooklyn. Asked to explain the old okey-doke, Randolph said, "You know, he was laying in the weeds."

Other sights and sounds on Saturday:

*Five brawls in the stands (tallied by hstencil)
*"You're the REAL Matsui, Matsui!"
*J.Lo and Marc Anthony in their box

The top of the Mets batting order, Jose Reyes and Kaz Matsui, has had a tough start to 2005, with Reyes' first 100 plate appearances coming and going without one walk to his credit. Meanwhile, a hitter like David Wright bats in the lower third of the line-up, behind spot-starter Chris Woodward and struggling slugger Mike Piazza. "We don't want to rush Wright along too quickly," says Mets skipper Randolph at a recent press conference. "Even if he is the future of our franchise, and he's hitting well enough that he should be higher in the order, it's too soon to subject him to that sort of pressure. Once he learns how to hit in the lower part of the order, then he can earn a promotion to the top of the order." When asked about Reyes and his struggles with patience, Randolph paused, scratched his chest, and then said, "That's a lot of meat!"

I see the Mets puttering along at .500 for another 2-3 weeks, at which time Minaya will retool (cut bait on a crappy pitcher or 3 for starters, SEND REYES TO NORFOLK) or doom them to third or fourth.

I was afraid to watch that Ishii-Willis matchup; they'd never beaten him before.

Well, the key stat is Beltran has the best Stolen Base Percentage -- EVER! (minimum 2000 AB or whatever) One of the Mets broadcasters had some theory about the reason he wasn't stealing with Piazza batting right behind him, but I can't recall it.

Cairo apparently takes 2B job from Kaz... then pulls a hammy.

1999
23-4, 2.07 ERA, 0.92 WHIP

2000
18-6, 1.74 ERA, 0.74 WHIP

2004
16-9, 3.90 ERA, 1.17 WHIP

2005 (following tonight's start)
6-1, 2.62 ERA, 0.70 WHIP

Of course, he won the Cy Young in '99-'00.
Looking at that anemic WHIP, it's a bit surprising that his ERA is so high. I'm assuming that he's been burned by the six tacos he's served up this year -- there must be a few three-run jobs in that bunch. Otherwise, it would seem that he's been a bit unlucky (although his run support is fairly good this year).

As for the WHIP / ERA discrepancy - look at last year (his worst ever, I think) (ha ha ha) - that's because of 26 tacos.

A festive night in Flushing, with another patented semi-disastrous catch in RF by Cameron. And Troy Glaus takes b.p. CAPLESS, no doubt so as not to muss the hair prematurely.

2003: 186.2 IP, 7 HR, 37 2B, 5 3B
2004: 217.0 IP, 26 HR, 37 2B, 8 3B
2005: 79.0 IP, 6 HR, 11 2B, 1 3B

As for homers this year:

4/4: Adam Dunn, 3 runs
5/7: Carlos Lee, 3 runs; Lyly Overbay, 2 runs
5/14: Mark Grudz, 2 runs; Abraham Nunez (???), solo shot
6/2: Tony Clark, solo shot

Those account for 12 of the 24 runs he's allowed.

Jeez, Benson is pitching like his salary of late.

hstencil and I will be witnessing Pedro-Oswalt tomorrow.

Presently, [David] Wright’s on pace this season for 75 walks and 70 extra-base hits. In fact, since 1900 only 46 players have logged at least 75 walks in a season at age 22 or younger, and only 29 players have logged at least 70 extra-base hits in a season under those same conditions. Of course, Wright is slated to do both this season. So here then is a list of players, since 1900, to pull off the 75/70 feat before their 23rd birthday:

Player Season Extra-base hits Walks
Jimmie Foxx 1930 83 93
Eddie Mathews 1953 86 99
Mel Ott 1929 81 113
Ted Williams 1939 86 107
Ted Williams 1940 80 96
Ted Williams 1941 73 147

...Wright’s played in the stingiest park and in the lowest-scoring environment of any of these players. His projected numbers, should they come to pass, won’t stack up on a raw basis to those of the Foxx, Mathews, Ott and Williams, but we must account for the fact that Wright is having a tougher go of it in terms of home park and league. So I hereby declare David Wright to be "really, really good."

2 hours and 15 minutes. 110 pitches. 80 strikes. 2 hits. 1 walk. TWELVE STRIKEOUTS. Pedro hearts Houston!

Still no official Graves word from Mets.

gagne 2003's WHIP in 82.1 ip: 0.69

The Pedro game the other night was the top NL Game Score of the year:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/bestgames

BTW - was there any sensible reason why Willie Randolph decided to PH for Mike Cameron w/ 2 outs in the 9th down 1 run? With MARLON ANDERSON?

Went to Friday night's 12-2 drubbing. Even the pregame stunk: Lasorda and corporate ex-con Michael Milken doing their prostate cure pitch (someone needs to hook Ken Lay up with a disease), then Greta van Susteren throwing out the first ball.

Then while the Mets make their most spirited comeback of the year on Saturday, I'm at the Odessa eating spinach pirogies.

And where the hell is Mr. Gerard C? His CSTB post re: Glavine being the worst free-agent signing in Mets history (& calling for Glavine to get familiar w/ the waiver wire), while probably valid, does come after a series of quality starts from Mr. Hockey (from May 13th to June 14th). Not counting yesterday's debacle, of course. And, of course, the overriding point of GC's complaint (that paying a 37-year-old $10M per year to have 6 good starts out of 25+ is a move worthy of the Yankees) is still valid as a mofo.

DeJean gone at last... and ICE WILLIAMS is back. WTF??! Numerous columnists advising Omar to 'sell,' and barring they go 9-7 or better in this next stretch -- I'd be surprised -- I agree.

Glavine > George Foster

well tomahawk chop me to death --- Tom Glavine had a good month!

please note that I said "with the possible exception of George Foster".

Piazza now leads NL catchers in VORP, so punch those All-Star ballots with -- lack of shame.

somehow i doubt whatever slight edge he has in VORP is enough to cover that. plus it's the principle of the thing, VORP gives him big points for playing a position he's got no business manning and you're going to accept it at face value??

Similar reasoning to why I voted A-Rod for AL 3b -- there's no other defensible choice, in spite of his having the worst defensive numbers at the position this year in MLB.

It may actually be so fun to hear sports-radio call-ins if the Mets take 2 of 3 in the Zoo...

"At least as good with him at first"??? Did you see the Mets last year?

Who'd like to hear me and Dahlem do a podcast?

"The thing about Jose is he's so young and inexperienced, he gives you flashes of what a leadoff hitter's supposed to be, but then he goes up and down. He's got, what, 80 hits? That's a lot of hits."
--Mets manager Willie Randolph, on putting Jose Reyes and his .287 OBP back in the leadoff spot (New York Newsday)

"When he's getting his hits, forgetting about the walks for a change, he looks and feels more like a leadoff guy. If he continues to get his hits like that, he's going to be up there a lot more. He gets us going. It's as plain and simple as that."
--Randolph

Cano can't run like Reyes, so there's the'excitement' hype.

Equivalent Avg:

Cano .270
Reyes .242

And even in hoops it doesn't necessarilly mean a hell of lot. Magic Johnson had to be one of the most mediocre one-on-one defensive ever.

Randolph got so weary discussing Zambrano's Ugly Win last night he pleaded "Throw him a mulligan."

And then Floyd was walked, and Pizza dorked to second.

On my way to the F train Sunday morning, I said to a friend "I don't know why I'm going to watch Willis 3-hit the Mets."

Mets' second-half rotation, if I was Minaya:

Pedro, Benson, Trachsel or whoever they get for Glavine, Heilman, Seo.

You mean Tanana as a geriatric Met, yes?

Yes. I seem to remember that season batters were tearing him apart at the plate. Tanana only pitched in NY for both the Mets and Yanks in his last season. When Tanana was young, he was a flame thrower, after his arm got tore up, he spent most of his career a slow throwing, pitch placement type pitcher giving up bunches of hits and not getting many k's. Not a bad guy to have around as a middle of the staff starter especially if you are a big hitting team, as he ate up a bunch of innings and could usually stay healthy.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/t/tananfr01.shtml

Mets take 3 of 4 in DC! I can't wait to see the hilarious 11th inning -- Floyd and Piazza both thrown out on the bases as the Mets take the lead, then F.Robby (whose crotchetiness is starting to really irk me, sorry) pitches a bitch about Randolph not bringing Looper in til Bell goes to the mound and throws (which is legal).

I really hope the Nats' Cinderella panties are starting to slip.

DID ALL THE OTHER METS WATCHERS JUST LEAVE?

Heavens, Piazza finally batting behind Wright. All we need is someone to con Willie into making Reyes "a second leadoff hitter" in the 7th spot and runs will follow.

Fact: the NL West (ie, EVERY team within the division) is horribly flawed. No team has had a winning week since mid-May.

nl avg.: .260/.328/.412

probably not a huge deal, but his def facing deflated hitting, esp compared to randy johnson's avg opponent's OPS of .762, almost a 50 point difference. the al east is a beast.

Goddamn letdown at Shea last night, coming back and falling short. A sellout for Merengue Night -- it took forever to even get all the Anglos down the ramps after the last out.

Look for the Mets to plunk Oswalt (too many Cliff Floyd HBPs) on Sunday, perhaps on his world-class butt.

Despite All the Baggage, the Mets Need Ramirez
By MURRAY CHASS

First, before we explore the possibility that the Red Sox might trade Manny Ramirez in the next few days, perhaps to the Mets, let's pause for a moment and feel sorry for Manny. He makes $20 million a year - that's the No. 20 with six zeroes attached - for playing baseball in Boston, and he's tired and uncomfortable.

He was so tired he declined to play Wednesday afternoon against Tampa Bay despite a shortage of players because of injuries. He's so uncomfortable in Boston because fans love him so much he has lost his privacy, so he has begun his annual exercise of asking the Red Sox to trade him.

Last October I wrote a column questioning his refusal to donate a few thousand dollars to the baseball team at his high school, George Washington in Upper Manhattan, and some readers excoriated me for suggesting he was wrong for not helping the players on the team that was so integral to his career and wealth.

Those readers had a right to their opinion, but I wonder how they or other Red Sox fans feel now that Ramirez has demonstrated disrespect for his teammates by refusing to play when they needed him, and worse, has asked out in the middle of a division race that could determine the team's ability to get back to the World Series to defend its championship. How should one characterize Ramirez for deserting a ship whose sails are full of wind?

Four and a half years ago, Ramirez signed with the Red Sox as a free agent for eight years and $160 million. Yet, Larry Lucchino, the team's chief executive, told a Boston radio station yesterday that Ramirez requested a trade only a year later, a week before the new ownership group assumed control of the team in 2002, and that he has requested a trade every year since. Manny has made it an annual rite.

All of that being said, the Mets should waste no time taking the malcontent off the Red Sox hands. Omar Minaya, the Mets' general manager, flirted last winter with the idea of trying to wrest Ramirez from the Red Sox, and if he wasn't on the telephone yesterday with the Red Sox general manager, Theo Epstein, he wasn't doing his job. Minaya declined to discuss any trade talks he might be having.

As presently constructed, the Mets are not a legitimate contender for a playoff spot. They have a combustible bullpen, their defense leaks at times and they often can't score enough runs. Witness their inability to score more than three runs in the first two games of a three-game series at run-friendly Coors Field in Colorado this week.

Ramirez leads the major leagues in runs batted in with 92, and he is tied for the American League lead in home runs with 28. That's the kind of hitter that would look good in the Mets' lineup. Fred Wilpon, the Mets' owner, might not think Ramirez's salary would look good on his payroll, but he let Minaya commit $172 million for Carlos Beltran and Pedro Martínez last winter, and why bother to spend that money if he's not ready to spend a little more to enhance the Mets' chances of making the playoffs?

The acquisition of Ramirez would fit, too, with the new Latin face of the Mets. Minaya, the first Latino general manager in baseball, didn't sign Beltran and Martínez because they are Latinos. He signed them because they were the best hitter and the best pitcher in the free-agent market. But infusing a Latin flavor into a team in New York City isn't the worst marketing strategy the Mets could adopt. Ramirez would add a very attractive name to the cast. Lucchino, reached on his cellphone yesterday afternoon, said he was in a meeting and couldn't talk. He suggested talking to Epstein or Charles Steinberg, the Red Sox executive vice president for public affairs. Epstein did not return a call. Steinberg did, but had little to offer.

Are the Red Sox willing to trade Ramirez?

"Larry acknowledged that all things are possible with players as you go up to the trading deadline," Steinberg said.

Would the Red Sox be willing to pay any part of Ramirez's salary?

"I don't know the answer," Steinberg said.

In an interview with the radio station WEEI in Boston, Lucchino certainly did not rule out the possibility of a trade.

"You know that we are not sentimental people," he said. "We try not to be. As much as we like and admire our veterans, you've got to be prepared to trade them if it's in the best interest of the club. Theo is certainly willing to be bold and make moves that other G.M.'s might shy away from, so this is the time for us to think about trades, and certainly Manny's name will come up from time to time, I'm sure, in the next 72 hours."

The trade deadline is 4 p.m. Sunday. That's not much time to work out a trade for a player with Ramirez's contract, but if the two teams want to do it, they have enough time. Money and the players the Red Sox would receive would seem to be the two hurdles for the Mets to jump over. Minaya, who played minor league baseball, is athletic enough to make the leaps.

The Red Sox, who a year ago traded Nomar Garciaparra at the deadline, would have to decide if they could afford to lose Ramirez's run production. Cliff Floyd or Mike Cameron wouldn't be a sufficient replacement offensively. But Ramirez should be able to go one for four in trade requests.

Would Manny be happy in New York? Would people let him walk the streets and eat in restaurants without bothering him for autographs and pictures? Would Manny hang out with old friends and be distracted from the job that pays him $20 million a year?

Let's find out.

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company

Sox get Cameron, Huff, and Baez
DRays get Mets prospects and Hanley Ramiriz
Mets get Manny and Embree

Discuss!

Yance, what the hell, you only come here for Yard Work photo grabs? I saw Britney's "Toxic" video on the big screen at Lincoln Ctr last night and it was awsum!

The homoerotic shots of David Wright are what i need.

also, that trade HAS to = total horseshit. the sox get hosed in that deal! have all sox fans COMPLETELY turned on manny, btw?

I don't think Manny's going anywhere (although the Cameron/Huff/Baez makes more sense than the Manny for Cameron/Benson/Looper swap rumored in today's NY Post!).

xpost - SoSH, unsurprisingly, has been mostly unreachable all afternoon, although they seem dismissive of it in the trade threads right now.

http://sonsofsamhorn.net/index.php?showtopic=14034&st=2540

That's a terrible trade. Our best hitter and our best prospect for a couple Tampa Bay losers. Great. If this happens...fuck it, no way Theo is this dumb.

Reyes' 20-game hitting streak (.374) would be all the more inpressive if 12-14 walks were mixed in (I bet he has 2 or 3).

As I implied on the way to Friday's game, this is the METS-JAYS CONNEXION (2005).

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/primer/discussion/30909/

Jams, you should go to a game with me in September esp since hstencil is boycotting.

That has to be a mistake -- the '59 Sox won the pennant (and not due to a late-summer surge away from .500. Maybe he meant the 1974 White Sox?

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHW/1974_sched.shtml

Cool Jams, I'll email you on dates at some point.

If Kaz Matsui returns as a pinch-hitter after midnight Eastern, does he make a sound? Pedro being outpitched by Chan Ho Park, fuuuuuck...

Reyes' OBP back to .300 on the nose (seven hits, all singles, in his last 6 games. very "exciting").

gotta steal that line too ...

The injured first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, who was on the bench, said he choked on a sunflower seed. "If that's not the play of the year, I'll protest," Mientkiewicz said, already lobbying ESPN to give Wright an ESPY award. "He had better not get a girlfriend between now and the ESPY's, because I want to go with him."

HEY-O

obv reyes! sculted & lean beats boyish &...clean anyday. wright's a little soft looking.

MetsGeek takes Beltran's measure:

http://www.metsgeek.com/main/articles/2005/08/11/temperature_check_carlos_beltran/

Is there a story you want to tell us?

DR, I won't examine too closely your choice of a persona to assume my Wright Lust, the Nelly Mascot of the 21st Century (I've still never seen QEFTSG).

sounds awful. get better mike!

"Cameron is being taped to make sure that he doesn't move. He may nor may not be conscious. This was a head-to-head collision at full speed. They are immobilizing Cameron before taking him off the field.

Beltran appears groggy, and seems to have a shoulder injury. He can't seem to lift his left arm higher than parallel to his shoulder."

I guess Jason Phillips won't be 'catching' today.

I don't think I've ever seen a no-no + shutout broken up like that.

No it fucking isn't! I heard that disaster on my walkman in the waiting room of the New London train station...

You know DR, NOW I remember that Pedro lost perfect game -- only cuz of Sanders!

From the Always Amazin' blog:

"Over his past seven starts (48 innings), Glavine has been rejuvented, sporting a 2.81 ERA with only seven walks. In fact, he's only walked one man over his last four starts..." George Foster?

"The Pirates' Lloyd "Lionheart" McClendon, must not have gotten the memo that David Wright just crushes pitching when you intentionally walk the man in front of him. After last night's base hit in such an opportunity, Wright's now six for seven with a eye-opening 15 RBI in the situation."

The most revolting Mets victory I've seen in 35 years.

And Willie: 6-0 til you yank the starter in the first? Like Padilla couldn't have come in cold yesterday and thrown better than Benson?

Mets need a 5-2 AZ/SF trip to be taken seriously, but it'll still feel like a tease with no Cameron and maybe a shell of Piazza the rest of the way.

Travel tip: US Airways lost the luggage of two Mets catchers last week.

As soon as Benson gave up the double to Guzman, he should've run himself off the mound.

The Mets will also be getting an email from mefor flashing DO THE WAVE on the left-field video screen. Not sure I've ever seen that anywhere. What's next, DON'T WATCH THE GAME ?

Mets 5 games over for the first time since early '02.

Ilarfed to see a Prospectus column call Mets-Cubs awhile back a Flat Earth Society matchup. Idiot shill Fran Healy likes "the way Willie goes by his gut..."

Worrying, from Newsday's David Lennon on Pedro (ace of the new 6-man rotation):

Martinez had a cortisone shot for the foot problem last season, and his back was wrapped with a heating pad yesterday. He refuses to use either of his nagging conditions as excuses, but when he found out he has pitched 176 innings this year, he made a face that appeared to say, "Wow."

After 217 innings last season, and 27 more during the postseason, Martinez seems gassed. A hard worker by nature, Martinez injured his back during spring training, and he may need to cut down some to get through the next five weeks.

"The last two years have been pretty hard for me," he said. "I'm a little more beat up than I was last season."

Martinez pointed out his weight was down to 178 pounds from 190 at the start of spring training, and the dramatic loss was unusual. Even so, he dismissed any talk of getting the kid-glove treatment down the stretch.

"If I'm not hurt and I'm able to get you out, then forget about everything else," he said. "I'll get you out."

Mike Jacobs, career (4 MLB games):
7 for 12, with 1 double and 4 homers.

Now I know what Krukker & HR meant 2 weeks ago by 'watch out for Arizona': They'll seriously inflate your run differential.

Zambrano out of Mets' rotation, pending Benson's health:

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-spmnotes264398647aug26,0,6199601.story?

Mets' Prospectus postseason chances up to a yearlong high of 38%, trailing only the division leaders. (note: season ends with four at home vs Colorado)

- Willie

I do have strong feelings on fuckin' Reyes popping up a bunt on the first pitch with a runner on 2nd and 1 out yesterday.

A-Rod 76.2
Wright 56.0
Ensberg 55.5

Gotta do 2 out of 3 this series.

no no no no no no no no

no

Dave you haven't made the NEW Trax! His win in Phoenix took only 2:27!

ALSO WAIT FOR NEXT YEAR

ALSO CARLOS STOP SUCKING

GEAR WITH THE REVERSE BELTRAN JINX!

Forget the pitching mishandling, they've gotten this far without a first or second baseman.

Willie, I've given up on you moving Exciting Jose out of #1 (how about 2, with Beltran leading off), but let me put this lineup in yer Subway toasted hero:

Reyes
Beltran
Wright
Floyd
Diaz
Jacobs/Woodward
Castro
Woodward/Cairo

sincerely
Morbs

Mets call up lefty reliever Tim Hamulack, Kaz effin' Ishii and erstwhile White Sock Shingo Takatsu.

8th inning vs Urbina looks quintessential:

M Anderson hit for M DiFelice.
M Anderson struck out looking.
J Offerman hit for R Hernandez.
J Offerman struck out swinging.
J Reyes flied out to center.

Newsday idiot Heyman's solution includes starting Marlon Anderson at 2b. Worse yet, Willie's answer is that Cairo is playing for HIS DEFENSE.

That was truly a mirage in Phoenix last week.

Come back Art Howe, all is forgiven.

http://www.metsgeek.com/articles/2005/09/15/and-weve-reached-a-new-low/

Weather permitting, Jams and I are sposed to see Pedro-Smoltz tonight, the matchup being the only reason I'm not rooting for a rainout.

Someone needs to tell Cowboy Brantley there is NO difference between pitching the 8th or 9th -- at least not to Braden Looper!

NO LOOPER

Last winter, I wrote to you about our plans for the Mets. Now
that our season is over, I want to follow up with a review of
our 2005 season, and our goals for 2006. But before we talk
baseball, I want to thank you for your support of the Mets this
year, including the best home attendance total since 1989. Your
loyalty and commitment gives our ownership, staff and players
the inspiration to strive for even more in 2006 and beyond.

We are pleased with the progress the team made this year.
Pleased, but not by any means satisfied. I wrote to you this
winter that I would settle for nothing less than a championship,
and that remains the standard for success. I believe that we
have made great strides toward our goal, and have shown flashes
of tremendous potential - but I am also the first to admit that
there is still work to be done.

Our lineup has a combination of speed and power that makes us
dangerous - we were second in all of baseball with 153 stolen
bases and in the top half with 175 home runs. Our starting
pitchers, particularly the front of the rotation, performed
well, and when Kris Benson and Steve Trachsel were both healthy,
we found ourselves with an abundance of quality starters. Our
bullpen pitched well at times, but we had difficulty closing out
games toward the end of the season. Overall, our pitching staff
was one of our strengths, finishing third in the League and
eighth in MLB with a team ERA of 3.76. However, we have said
that our team will be built on pitching and defense, and the
gloves did not support the arms well enough this year. As a team
we made 106 errors, which permitted 49 unearned runs to score.
These figures ranked us in the lower half of all clubs. We will
certainly be working to correct these and other areas needing
improvement in the coming months.

The Mets finished the 2005 season with our highest win total,
and highest standing in the division, since the World Series
year of 2000. The wins and losses alone, however, do not tell
a complete story. There was a tangible change in the atmosphere
at Shea Stadium, with a new sense of enthusiasm and belief that
extends beyond just the fans. Our players, having briefly tasted
again how sweet it is to be in playoff contention, are hungrier
than ever to get to the post-season next year. Our core group of
young players and new acquisitions joined our veterans to
provide our fans with countless memories as we fought late into
the season for a playoff spot. Here are just a few of the
reasons to look back on 2005 with pride and toward the future
with optimism:

++++++++++++++++++++
The "Kiddie Corps."
++++++++++++++++++++

A group of youngsters from our minor league system made a
tremendous impact on the 2005 season. They gave our team energy,
with an obvious love of the game and youthful bravado that had
the whole city cheering them on. A few in particular stand out:

- The 2005 Mets were the first team in MLB history to have both
the starting 3B and SS be 22 years old or younger and play 150
games or more. You cannot say enough good things about, David
Wright. Only 22 years old and in his first full season, he
finished either first or second on the team in virtually every
offensive category: games (160), runs (99), hits (176),
doubles (42), home runs (27), RBI (102), total bases (301),
walks (72), stolen bases (17), on-base percentage (.388),
slugging percentage (.523), and batting average (.306).
Impressive as they are, though, those numbers, again, do not
tell the whole story. He also provided the team with character,
hustle, heart, and a leadership that belies his age. In
addition, his no-holds-barred pursuit of foul balls gained
him a cult following, and we became almost accustomed to his
penchant for the spectacular (Who can ever forget his
over-the-shoulder, diving, barehanded catch in San Diego?).
While he made several spectacular plays, David muffed too many
balls this year; he would be the first to tell you he is not
happy with his error total of 24. However, with his
extraordinary work ethic, we are confident that David will
improve in that area next season. It will be a joy to continue
to watch one of the game's top young talents continue to blossom
for the Mets.

- There is, perhaps, no more exciting player in baseball to
watch than Jose Reyes. He attacks the game with abandon and
can energize a crowd with one thrilling race around the bases.
Having played a full season, he has put to rest any questions
about the leg injuries of the past and showed us all how speed
can truly change the game. His 60 stolen bases are the
second-highest single-season total in Mets history, as are his
17 triples. To get the most of his speed, however, Jose must
get on base more often. His on-base percentage of .300 is too
low for a premium lead-off hitter. On defense, his range,
quickness and arm-strength make him one of the best young
shortstops in the game.

- Aaron Heilman and Jae Seo re-established themselves as
promising young pitchers this season. Having heard about their
prospect status for so long, we tend to forget that they are
still young pitchers by MLB standards. At 26, Heilman posted
the lowest ERA (0.68) in the majors among relievers with
30-or-more innings after the All-Star break. Aaron was
particularly effective in front of the home crowd. He went 4-1
with a 1.62 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 61.0 innings at Shea.
However, Heilman's breakthrough performance actually came as a
starter when he hurled the 23rd complete-game one-hitter in
franchise history on April 15th vs. Florida in a 4-0 victory.
Seo, 27, developed a devastating curveball and splitter this
season to go along with his outstanding fastball/change-up
combination. Jae won six consecutive decisions from May through
September and was 8-2 overall with a miniscule 2.59 ERA. Seo's
brilliance allowed the Mets to go 11-3 in his 14 starts.

- When Mike Piazza broke his hand in August, 24-year-old Mike
Jacobs was called up as an emergency back-up; he promptly made
history. "Jake" became the first player ever to hit four home
runs in his first four games, including a pinch-hit home run in
his first big league at-bat that put him on the map. And though
it would have been impossible to keep up that kind of
production, he continued to impress. He went on another power
surge at the end of the year to finish with 11 total home runs
and a batting average of .310 in 100 at-bats. While Jacobs may
have been a bit of an unknown to those outside the Mets, he has
been on the organization's radar for years: this year he won his
second Sterling Award as the top position player in our minor
league system.

+++++++++++++++
The New Faces.
+++++++++++++++

When we acquired Pedro Martinez, and then Carlos Beltran,
the identity of the Mets changed overnight. Those two players
made us serious contenders, not only on the field, but also
in the free agent and trade markets. We will continue to see
the benefits of those signings for years.

- What can you say about Pedro? He is one of the greatest
pitchers of all time, and he injected our team with pride
and energy, both on the mound and in the clubhouse. He has
the ability to light up a room with his personality, and to
carry a team with his talent. Each time Pedro pitched for us,
it was more than a game. It was an event. He responded to the
challenge, and turned in one of his finest overall seasons in
years. He gave us a chance to win in every time out. He tossed
four complete games, and piled up 217 innings. Pedro finished
the year with 15 wins, a 2.82 ERA (fourth lowest in all of
baseball among starters), an opponents' batting average of .204
(second lowest in MLB) and 208 strikeouts (tied for fifth-most
in baseball). He showed us that his brilliant Hall of Fame
career is still going strong, and that we are in store for
much more from him in the coming years.

- Coming into this season, expectations were set perhaps
unreasonably high for Carlos Beltran - in part because of his
salary, and in part because he hit .435 with eight home runs
in 12 postseason games last year. He was viewed as a savior
to the offense, and that expectation is unfair to any player.
Carlos remains a special player ... one who can change a game
with speed, power or defense. In addition, at 28, he is still
a young man and now has under his belt a full year on a new team
in a new city. We are all tremendously proud of the effort he
gave and the way he handled himself this season, and recognize
that he played through pain for most of the year - first,
playing with a strained quadriceps, and then with a facial
fracture after the horrific collision with Mike Cameron. Even
so, he finished the year with respectable numbers, hitting .266
with 16 home runs, and 34 doubles, while scoring 83 times and
driving in 78. As I said, I think expectations were too high for
Carlos before the year, and right now, they may be too low. Next
season I am confident we will all see his true abilities shine
through.

+++++++++++++++++++
Valuable Veterans.
+++++++++++++++++++

Cliff Floyd and Tom Glavine enjoyed resurgent seasons in 2005.

- The chants of "MVP" that filled Shea when Cliff stepped into
the batter's box illustrated his capability when healthy for a
whole year. He was a leader on this team, nurturing some of our
younger players and coming up with clutch hits to help us win
ballgames. Cliff has heard the word "potential" used all too
often, as injuries have robbed him of years of production. He
has a fiery desire to win, and seems to respond best when the
spotlight is on him - a trait that is invaluable on a stage
like New York. Cliff's big bat slugged a career-best 34 home
runs and drove in 98, and was a consistent force in the middle
of our lineup. In addition, he made more than one highlight reel
with his defense in left field and led the National League with
15 outfield assists. Despite being a big leaguer for more than
decade, Cliff turns just 33 this winter. When he stays on the
field, we can count on him to produce.

- Tom Glavine continued to build upon his Hall of Fame
credentials. Glavine, who is closing in on 300 career wins,
became the 29th major league pitcher to win 275 or more games
with a brilliant, two-hit, 11-strikeout performance in an 11-0
victory over Colorado on September 29th. Tom relied more on his
curveball and splitter to baffle National League hitters. The
results were simply amazing. Tom posted a sparkling 2.22 ERA
in 15 starts after the All-Star break.

- I also want to acknowledge the contributions of our perennial
All-Star and future Hall of Famer, Mike Piazza. It is unclear
what the future will hold, but there is no question about Mike's
many accomplishments in a Mets uniform. Mike's arrival in 1998
turned our team around. His big bat and on-field leadership
sent us to the playoffs in 1999, and to the World Series the
following year. Mike Piazza has given us many great Mets
memories. It was a personal privilege to witness the warm
reception by our fans during our two final homestands and the
extraordinary honor of a 10-minute standing ovation during our
final game this season. An ovation like that says it all.

++++++++++++++++++++
Rookie of the Year.
++++++++++++++++++++

Willie Randolph did as much as anyone to change the direction
of the Mets this year. He is a perennial winner who helped
every member of this team believe that they had a chance to win
every time they took the field. With 83 wins, Willie finished
tied for the fourth highest win total in Mets' history for a
first-year manager. The last two MLB rookie managers to finish
with a winning record after inheriting a team that finished at
least 20 games below .500 the previous year were Mike Scioscia
(2000) and Davey Johnson (1984) - each went on to win the World
Series two years later. Willie's poised demeanor helped our
young club ride through some slumps and keep the resolve to
bounce back every time. With that being said, I also know that
Willie is not happy to be on the outside of the playoffs looking
in, and that he will do everything in his power to change that
situation by next October.

Like many Mets fans, I am a dreamer. I have always tried to
think big and reach for goals that may, to others, seem beyond
reach. However, I am also a realist who knows that dreams often
go unrealized without hard work to back them up. In baseball,
that means bolstering your strengths and addressing your
weaknesses. This off-season, I will continue to dream big dreams
for the future of the New York Mets. I can promise you that our
entire organization, with the support and resources provided by our
committed owners, will be working tirelessly to ensure that we are
doing all we can to turn those dreams into a reality.

I thank you again for believing in the Mets, and look forward
to a productive winter. I hope to see you back at Shea in a few
months.

Sincerely,

Omar Minaya
Executive Vice President & General Manager
New York Mets

Perhaps Omar should have a talk with his manager about batting his boy Jose 8th instead of 1st. Its the Tracy-Izturis syndrome manifest in NY.