The New York Post has some great quotes from Gary Cohen about his optimism for the 2012 New York Mets:
"“Mets fans always talk about ’84. They had gone through seven straight horrible seasons and then all of a sudden there was a great young infusion of talent — (broadcast partners) Ronnie (Darling) and Keith (Hernandez) were a part of that — and they won 90 games out of nowhere and that led up to the World Series a few years later. Those are the years the Mets fans tend to relish and what they are waiting for.”"
With all due respect to Mr. Cohen, this team actually reminds me more of 1983. That team had a veteran leader (Keith Hernandez) and a rising star (Darryl Strawberry) but it also had an aging former power hitter (George Foster). Most of the players making the buzz though were yet to be major leaguers: Ron Darling, Dwight Gooden, Sid Fernandez, Lenny Dykstra. And even Strawberry and Hernandez didn't join the team until May 6th and June 15th of that year, respectively.
This year's team has a veteran leader (David Wright), a couple of rising stars (Ike Davis and Lucas Duda), and an aging power hitter (Jason Bay). But most of the buzz is still on the farm (Matt Harvey, Jeurys Familia, Zack Wheeler, Jordany Valdespin, Kirk Neiuwenhuis, Matt den Dekkar, Jenrry Mejia.)
I hope Gary Cohen is right but it seems more likely that I will be.
Friday, March 30, 2012
"Pelfrey has good stuff but you wonder if he just needs to get out of New York and start over."
Apparently the Mets brainstormed the idea of releasing Mike Pelfrey this Spring. A couple of comments that came out of the idea:
"...one Met made a case for retaining Pelfrey that was representative of how many players feel, saying, “If we got rid of him, he would (stick it to us).”"
"Some of his longtime rivals, observing from a distance, believe that Pelfrey would benefit from pitching in a new city, free of the expectations of a fan base that often expresses its displeasure with him.
“Pelfrey has good stuff,” said an NL East player who has faced Pelfrey for years. “But you wonder if he just needs to get out of New York and start over.”"
I hate to say 'I told you so' but back in 2006 and 2007, I was always much more impressed with Philip Humber than Mike Pelfrey, even though most scouts had them fairly even or Pelfrey a tick higher as a prospect. Even though Humber hasn't established himself as the top-notch starter a #3 overall draft pick should be, I always thought his raw intelligence gave him an upside that Pelfrey doesn't have. I can't put my finger on it but Pelfrey has a deer-in-headlights look that many small-town folks get in New York.
Likewise, I thought it should have been Pelfrey and not Humber that went to Minnesota in the Johan Santana trade. Pelfrey probably would have thrived in Minnesota and the trade would have been far more equal than anyone looking back on it today thinks. Unfortunately, we'll never know.
"...one Met made a case for retaining Pelfrey that was representative of how many players feel, saying, “If we got rid of him, he would (stick it to us).”"
"Some of his longtime rivals, observing from a distance, believe that Pelfrey would benefit from pitching in a new city, free of the expectations of a fan base that often expresses its displeasure with him.
“Pelfrey has good stuff,” said an NL East player who has faced Pelfrey for years. “But you wonder if he just needs to get out of New York and start over.”"
I hate to say 'I told you so' but back in 2006 and 2007, I was always much more impressed with Philip Humber than Mike Pelfrey, even though most scouts had them fairly even or Pelfrey a tick higher as a prospect. Even though Humber hasn't established himself as the top-notch starter a #3 overall draft pick should be, I always thought his raw intelligence gave him an upside that Pelfrey doesn't have. I can't put my finger on it but Pelfrey has a deer-in-headlights look that many small-town folks get in New York.
Likewise, I thought it should have been Pelfrey and not Humber that went to Minnesota in the Johan Santana trade. Pelfrey probably would have thrived in Minnesota and the trade would have been far more equal than anyone looking back on it today thinks. Unfortunately, we'll never know.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
WSJ's analysis of the current and future New York Mets
The Wall Street Journal has a couple of articles on the New York Mets today. They have a preseason position-by-position preview, with plenty of useful and useless information for each player, such as this tidbit on David Wright:
"Useless Information: Is trying to sell his Flatiron District bachelor pad for $6.25 million after relocating to the Upper East Side last year."
WSJ also has a great piece on how the Mets are trying to avoid doing with Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey, Jeurys Familia, and Jenrry Mejia what they did with Jason Isringhausen, Bill Pulsipher, and Paul Wilson (aka 'Generation K'). Apparently they convened a post-mortem after Generation K disintegrated:
"Could the injuries have been prevented? Maybe not, Pulsipher said. But a few years after the three of them debuted, Mets officials convened to try to figure out why they broke down.
The numbers revealed a common thread: a rapid increase in workload. Isringhausen threw just over 90 innings in 1993, then threw more than 193 innings the following year. For Wilson, the jump was even more dramatic, from 49 innings in 1994 to 186 in 1995. Pulsipher logged just under 140 innings in 1993, then threw 201 in 1994."
All-in-all, the WSJ article and the recent Mets.com article both talk about how the Mets are optimistic about their prospects. The WSJ article also talks about the limits the Mets now have on their pitching prospects, so there's hope the team has finally learned from its erroneous ways.
"Useless Information: Is trying to sell his Flatiron District bachelor pad for $6.25 million after relocating to the Upper East Side last year."
WSJ also has a great piece on how the Mets are trying to avoid doing with Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey, Jeurys Familia, and Jenrry Mejia what they did with Jason Isringhausen, Bill Pulsipher, and Paul Wilson (aka 'Generation K'). Apparently they convened a post-mortem after Generation K disintegrated:
"Could the injuries have been prevented? Maybe not, Pulsipher said. But a few years after the three of them debuted, Mets officials convened to try to figure out why they broke down.
The numbers revealed a common thread: a rapid increase in workload. Isringhausen threw just over 90 innings in 1993, then threw more than 193 innings the following year. For Wilson, the jump was even more dramatic, from 49 innings in 1994 to 186 in 1995. Pulsipher logged just under 140 innings in 1993, then threw 201 in 1994."
All-in-all, the WSJ article and the recent Mets.com article both talk about how the Mets are optimistic about their prospects. The WSJ article also talks about the limits the Mets now have on their pitching prospects, so there's hope the team has finally learned from its erroneous ways.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
"Being a Mets fan is not an auto-immune disease, though it might sometimes feel that way."
Ted Berg writes a touching and courageous piece about his own health and being a Met fan:
"Here’s my deal: I have a pair of incurable but non-terminal auto-immune diseases -– multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s disease. I’m not seeking pity and I don’t want to bog this post down with personal medical history, but it turns out they can team up to be a real pain in the ass sometimes. I’m lucky in that I’ve avoided the worst of both, but I found out about the M.S. because a side effect of medication I was taking for Crohn’s amplified the symptoms. I went off that medication upon the M.S. diagnosis in 2008 and suffered a Crohn’s flare-up this summer. I went on steroids to calm it, started absorbing food again and gained a bunch of weight. The weight puts extra stress on my back that’s already aching from the M.S., but working out to try to drop that weight –- as I did this morning –- makes my back hurt more. And painkillers can trigger the Crohn’s disease again."
"Being a Mets fan is not an auto-immune disease, though it might sometimes feel that way. And being a Mets fan these past few years has been rough, at least relative to being a fan of most other teams or being a Mets fan back in the late 80s."
"Rooting for a team means emotionally investing in something, and that brings with it the risk of some pain –- not lasting physical pain, but pain nonetheless. But when that pain comes like it has the last few years, what’s the sense in wallowing in it?
Especially with baseball. It’s baseball. Baseball. For one thing, you can opt out at any time. If the Mets actually make you miserable, stop following the Mets. If you can’t or won’t, I suggest for the sake of your sanity finding whatever small shred of hope you have for the upcoming season and seizing it, rather than floundering about in so much Met-fan self-pity."
Well said Mr. Berg. Let's Go Mets.
"Here’s my deal: I have a pair of incurable but non-terminal auto-immune diseases -– multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s disease. I’m not seeking pity and I don’t want to bog this post down with personal medical history, but it turns out they can team up to be a real pain in the ass sometimes. I’m lucky in that I’ve avoided the worst of both, but I found out about the M.S. because a side effect of medication I was taking for Crohn’s amplified the symptoms. I went off that medication upon the M.S. diagnosis in 2008 and suffered a Crohn’s flare-up this summer. I went on steroids to calm it, started absorbing food again and gained a bunch of weight. The weight puts extra stress on my back that’s already aching from the M.S., but working out to try to drop that weight –- as I did this morning –- makes my back hurt more. And painkillers can trigger the Crohn’s disease again."
"Being a Mets fan is not an auto-immune disease, though it might sometimes feel that way. And being a Mets fan these past few years has been rough, at least relative to being a fan of most other teams or being a Mets fan back in the late 80s."
"Rooting for a team means emotionally investing in something, and that brings with it the risk of some pain –- not lasting physical pain, but pain nonetheless. But when that pain comes like it has the last few years, what’s the sense in wallowing in it?
Especially with baseball. It’s baseball. Baseball. For one thing, you can opt out at any time. If the Mets actually make you miserable, stop following the Mets. If you can’t or won’t, I suggest for the sake of your sanity finding whatever small shred of hope you have for the upcoming season and seizing it, rather than floundering about in so much Met-fan self-pity."
Well said Mr. Berg. Let's Go Mets.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Creative advertisement for a Japanese Baseball team
You gotta love Japanese baseball just for ads like this one for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks:
Of course, the team's website also features instructions on how to enjoy watching baseball, including the appropriate time to release the "jet balloons":
Of course, the team's website also features instructions on how to enjoy watching baseball, including the appropriate time to release the "jet balloons":
Monday, March 26, 2012
The poetic simplicity of Spring Training, according to Mets blogger Patrick Flood
Patrick Flood writes a very long and extremely descriptive piece on his thoughts from spending time at the Mets Spring Training facility. Patrick is quickly becoming one of my favorite Mets bloggers with his dry humor and vivid use of language. Read this piece for the comparison of Johan Santana's changeup to driving behind a car with no brake lights, as well as for this nugget on where a press pass allows you to sit at Digital Domain Park:
"You, with a press pass, can also sit in places other people aren’t always allowed to sit. You can sit in the air-conditioned media room where there is free soda. You can sit in the conference room and listen to the manager’s post-game press conference. You can sit on the top of the scattered picnic tables, and security persons are less inclined to ask you not to do so. You can sit just about anywhere in the stadium during the major league games. You can sit in section 203, row L, seat 15, provided it’s unoccupied, but if that seat wins free KFC giftcard in a scoreboard promotion, you don’t get the giftcard because it’s not actually your seat. This will be made clear by several people, even if you have no intention of trying to claim the KFC giftcard. You can both sit and stand on the Arrigo Dodge Chrysler Jeep Palm Beach Party Zone along the right field line, but — full disclosure – “Party Zone” appears to be a misnomer. You can sit on the berm behind right field, on bladeless grass that seems to have no dirt beneath it, only older yellowed grass no matter how far you dig with your fingers, and watch the five-year-olds play catch with their mothers with found baseballs. Only most mothers are informed about their participation in the game of catch mid-flight, so it’s really more watching five-year-olds peg their mothers with baseballs."
"You, with a press pass, can also sit in places other people aren’t always allowed to sit. You can sit in the air-conditioned media room where there is free soda. You can sit in the conference room and listen to the manager’s post-game press conference. You can sit on the top of the scattered picnic tables, and security persons are less inclined to ask you not to do so. You can sit just about anywhere in the stadium during the major league games. You can sit in section 203, row L, seat 15, provided it’s unoccupied, but if that seat wins free KFC giftcard in a scoreboard promotion, you don’t get the giftcard because it’s not actually your seat. This will be made clear by several people, even if you have no intention of trying to claim the KFC giftcard. You can both sit and stand on the Arrigo Dodge Chrysler Jeep Palm Beach Party Zone along the right field line, but — full disclosure – “Party Zone” appears to be a misnomer. You can sit on the berm behind right field, on bladeless grass that seems to have no dirt beneath it, only older yellowed grass no matter how far you dig with your fingers, and watch the five-year-olds play catch with their mothers with found baseballs. Only most mothers are informed about their participation in the game of catch mid-flight, so it’s really more watching five-year-olds peg their mothers with baseballs."
"The runner on third for the St. Louis Cardinals, 'Minor League Guy!'"
Spring Training is a time for prospects to get time with the Major League team but this is really embarrassing for this guy. As Amazin Avenue pointed out yesterday:
"It's bad enough that you were issued #91 in Spring Training, but your regional sports network can't even figure out your name, well, it might just be time to hang 'em up."
Friday, March 23, 2012
Could the Mets Release Mike Pelfrey?
You know the saying, "With friends like these, who needs enemies?" The same can be said of the person that wrote this post on whether the Mets should cut Mike Pelfrey:
"I’m a big Pelfrey fan, have been from his college days but this is now six years in with inconsistent performance."
Patrick Flood recently wrote about how Mike Pelfrey isn't as bad as everyone thinks and isn't as good as everyone believes he could be. However, I think the big man is out of lifelines with the $1 million question hanging out there.
"I’m a big Pelfrey fan, have been from his college days but this is now six years in with inconsistent performance."
Patrick Flood recently wrote about how Mike Pelfrey isn't as bad as everyone thinks and isn't as good as everyone believes he could be. However, I think the big man is out of lifelines with the $1 million question hanging out there.
Another thing to remind you how young Ruben Tejada is | Tedquarters.net
No need to elaborate on this. Very well said, Mr. Berg.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Today in Stuff Albert Pujols Does | Tedquarters.net
Ted Berg posted a great quote from Tom Verducci's SI article about Albert Pujols:
"Pujols is nearly done with the hitting session in the St. Louis cage, during which he will have hit 85 balls off a tee or thrown to him by Silvestri. (After one swing, in a baseball reenactment of The Princess and the Pea, he tells Silvestri something isn’t right with the ball he just hit. Silvestri fetches it and finds that it’s the one ball in the bucket that’s not regulation MLB issue.)"
If you've read Jonah Keri's "The Extra 2%" about the Tampa Bay Rays (nee Devil Rays), you might recall the following pieces about Tampa Bay giving Pujols a tryout while in junior college:
"[Tampa Bay area scout Fernando] Arango claims his prospect looked like Lou Gehrig. [Tampa Bay scouting director Dan] Jennings saw no such thing.
Arango observed a 60-yard dash in 7.1 seconds, a good time for a player that size. The Devil Rays tried him at his college position of shortstop, where Arango says he handled an array of sharply hit grounders and showed good instincts for a big man. Jennings looked at the player's body, then suggested maybe he should catch. He'd never caught before and was worried he'd make a bad impression. Arango told him to relax, put on the equipment, and humor everyone for a few minutes. His first throw to second base came in a flash: 1.89 seconds. That time was phenomenal for a high school catcher and solid for a college catcher; several big league catchers show similar times. Only this player had never caught at any level.
Then he got in the batter's box and started roping line drives all over the park. Growing up, his dad had taught him to hit the ball with authority to right-center. Do that consistently, his father told him, and he could one day hit .300 in the big leagues. Jennings wasn't impressed. "Where's the power?" he muttered. Arango got the message. "They'd like you to hit it a little farther," he told his pupil. On the very next pitch, the kid crushed the ball off the top of the left-field foul pole."
Add that to the list of things Albert Pujols has done.
"Pujols is nearly done with the hitting session in the St. Louis cage, during which he will have hit 85 balls off a tee or thrown to him by Silvestri. (After one swing, in a baseball reenactment of The Princess and the Pea, he tells Silvestri something isn’t right with the ball he just hit. Silvestri fetches it and finds that it’s the one ball in the bucket that’s not regulation MLB issue.)"
If you've read Jonah Keri's "The Extra 2%" about the Tampa Bay Rays (nee Devil Rays), you might recall the following pieces about Tampa Bay giving Pujols a tryout while in junior college:
"[Tampa Bay area scout Fernando] Arango claims his prospect looked like Lou Gehrig. [Tampa Bay scouting director Dan] Jennings saw no such thing.
Arango observed a 60-yard dash in 7.1 seconds, a good time for a player that size. The Devil Rays tried him at his college position of shortstop, where Arango says he handled an array of sharply hit grounders and showed good instincts for a big man. Jennings looked at the player's body, then suggested maybe he should catch. He'd never caught before and was worried he'd make a bad impression. Arango told him to relax, put on the equipment, and humor everyone for a few minutes. His first throw to second base came in a flash: 1.89 seconds. That time was phenomenal for a high school catcher and solid for a college catcher; several big league catchers show similar times. Only this player had never caught at any level.
Then he got in the batter's box and started roping line drives all over the park. Growing up, his dad had taught him to hit the ball with authority to right-center. Do that consistently, his father told him, and he could one day hit .300 in the big leagues. Jennings wasn't impressed. "Where's the power?" he muttered. Arango got the message. "They'd like you to hit it a little farther," he told his pupil. On the very next pitch, the kid crushed the ball off the top of the left-field foul pole."
Add that to the list of things Albert Pujols has done.
Johan Santana to the World: I’m Back
Flying under the radar with all the Tim Tebow news yesterday was a phenomenal outing by Johan Santana. I'm starting to get optimistic! (I hope it's not all for naught.)
Phoenix Suns love a big chill in cryosauna
The Colbert Report should do a story about this new training technique as part of its "Craziest F@#$%ing Thing I've Ever Heard" series.
New York sure to test Tebow, on and off the field | NorthJersey.com
More about Tim Tebow coming to the New York Jets:
"Tebow has had a large and fervent following since his days at Florida, and as much as the two national titles he brought to the program, he drew people in because of his Christian faith. He is hardly the first player to name-drop God or kneel in prayer amid the chaos of a game; Jeremy Lin, New York's most recent fad, makes no secret of his Christian faith, either.
But Tebow is seen as more outspoken, more passionate. As appealing as that is to some, it's a turnoff for others, and there is very little middle ground to be found."
As much as been made about Jeremy's Lin's public statement of faith, it's usually a simple "Thank God" rather than the full-blown unilateral religiosity of Tim Tebow. That's what makes him different and more uncomfortable to listen to.
"Tebow has had a large and fervent following since his days at Florida, and as much as the two national titles he brought to the program, he drew people in because of his Christian faith. He is hardly the first player to name-drop God or kneel in prayer amid the chaos of a game; Jeremy Lin, New York's most recent fad, makes no secret of his Christian faith, either.
But Tebow is seen as more outspoken, more passionate. As appealing as that is to some, it's a turnoff for others, and there is very little middle ground to be found."
As much as been made about Jeremy's Lin's public statement of faith, it's usually a simple "Thank God" rather than the full-blown unilateral religiosity of Tim Tebow. That's what makes him different and more uncomfortable to listen to.
The carrot and the stick for Mark Sanchez
A very astute post in The New York Times today about the effect of adding Tim Tebow to the development of Mark Sanchez:
"Drew Brees was the 32nd pick in the 2001 draft, but he largely disappointed in his first three seasons. Brees had a 10-17 record as a starter, completed just 59.4 percent of his passes and threw 31 interceptions, with only 29 touchdown passes. The Chargers drafted Eli Manning, then traded him for Philip Rivers and other picks on the first day of the 2004 draft, as Brees was considered nothing more than a journeyman. But he turned his career around by completing 65.5 percent of his passes and throwing for 27 touchdowns (with just 7 interceptions) and led the Chargers to an 11-4 record."
Granted, the article does mention Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, and Jon Kitna, so Drew Brees is definitely the exception rather than the norm. Basically, if the big contract was the carrot being offered to Sanchez, would adding Tebow be the stick to get him going? Let's hope that is how it will work.
"Drew Brees was the 32nd pick in the 2001 draft, but he largely disappointed in his first three seasons. Brees had a 10-17 record as a starter, completed just 59.4 percent of his passes and threw 31 interceptions, with only 29 touchdown passes. The Chargers drafted Eli Manning, then traded him for Philip Rivers and other picks on the first day of the 2004 draft, as Brees was considered nothing more than a journeyman. But he turned his career around by completing 65.5 percent of his passes and throwing for 27 touchdowns (with just 7 interceptions) and led the Chargers to an 11-4 record."
Granted, the article does mention Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, and Jon Kitna, so Drew Brees is definitely the exception rather than the norm. Basically, if the big contract was the carrot being offered to Sanchez, would adding Tebow be the stick to get him going? Let's hope that is how it will work.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
The funny Chinese animation version of the Mets owners settling the Madoff victims suit
That's cruel what Irving Picard does to Mr. Met. The rest is pure comedy. ENJOY!
Unburied Treasure: When Keith Hernandez Was the Game’s Best First Baseman
Great post of an old 1984 magazine article about Keith Hernandez. Many of today's Met fans only know Hernandez as an announcer and a Just For Men pitchman. They never saw him play and don't fully realize what his arrival in 1983 did to the franchise as a whole.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Korea Catches Baseball Fever | Baseball Prospectus
Interesting column about the rising popularity of baseball in South Korea.
Monday, March 19, 2012
The best analysis I've read on the whole Wilpon/Picard settlement
Toby Hyde of Mets Minor League Blog provides a phenomenal analysis of the reasons why the Wilpon family settled with the trustee for the Bernie Madoff victims. If you read one piece that clearly lays out the who, what, when, where, why, and how the settlement was reached, this is it.
Friday, March 16, 2012
A coach should take advantage of the strengths of his star players? What a revolutionary concept!!
Thank you Chris Matassino of SNY Why Guys for saying what has been on my mind for years:
"...in my opinion its [sic] up to the coach to adapt his system to the players he has, not the other way around. A coach should take advantage of the strengths of his star players, not try and mold them to fit his coaching philosophy."
I can't begin to tell you how many times I hear about a coach and 'his system' and think to myself, "Is this guy so dumb that he can't figure out what his players are good at and then tailor his strategy to exploit that?" I see this in football and basketball and it annoys the hell out of me. I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks this way because I was starting to feel like I was.
"...in my opinion its [sic] up to the coach to adapt his system to the players he has, not the other way around. A coach should take advantage of the strengths of his star players, not try and mold them to fit his coaching philosophy."
I can't begin to tell you how many times I hear about a coach and 'his system' and think to myself, "Is this guy so dumb that he can't figure out what his players are good at and then tailor his strategy to exploit that?" I see this in football and basketball and it annoys the hell out of me. I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks this way because I was starting to feel like I was.
High praise for Matt Harvey from 'Larry' himself.
High praise for Matt Harvey by the Shea villian himself, Larry "Chipper" Jones:
"A short time after Chipper Jones grounded out against Matt Harvey last Friday, Josh Thole arrived at third base. The future Hall of Famer, shaking his head, had a question for the Mets catcher.
“Where did you get this guy?” Jones said. “He’s throwing bowling balls up there.”"
It's been a long time since someone spoke of a Mets pitching prospect this way. The fact that it comes from an adversary is even more telling.
"A short time after Chipper Jones grounded out against Matt Harvey last Friday, Josh Thole arrived at third base. The future Hall of Famer, shaking his head, had a question for the Mets catcher.
“Where did you get this guy?” Jones said. “He’s throwing bowling balls up there.”"
It's been a long time since someone spoke of a Mets pitching prospect this way. The fact that it comes from an adversary is even more telling.
Friday, March 9, 2012
David Brooks is a Met fan?
From David Brooks' column today:
"I have no choice but to love the Mets. Just as I have no choice but to hate the Phillies."
Let's Go Mets!
"I have no choice but to love the Mets. Just as I have no choice but to hate the Phillies."
Let's Go Mets!
Sandy Koufax, Hall of Famer, gives New York Mets reliever Bobby Parnell some pitching tips | NYPOST.com
How awesome would it be as a professional baseball player to hear that Sandy Koufax wanted to meet you because he heard so much about you (Zack Wheeler/Matt Harvey) or he took an interest in your pitching (Bobby Parnell) and wanted to offer some advice?
Broadcaster Rankings (TV): #10 – #1 | Fangraphs
Fangraphs ranked the broadcasters in Major League Baseball. The New York Mets' announcers Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, and Keith Hernandez ranked #2, behind the legendary Vin Scully.
For the record, the YES Network announcers came in at #22, which is remarkably high for them.
For the record, the YES Network announcers came in at #22, which is remarkably high for them.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
You can't apply on Monster.com for a job as a Major League Baseball player.
Excellent and very well written blog post by Ted Berg, which starts off with:
"There’s a pitcher who’s in Mets Major League camp that’s staying at my hotel. It doesn’t seem appropriate to say his name and it doesn’t much matter for the sake of this weird and potentially off-putting post anyway, but I can say with some confidence that he’s very unlikely to make the Mets’ roster out of Spring Training.
And nearly every evening I see this guy sitting in his car in the hotel parking lot talking on the phone, and something about it makes me sad. I don’t know what he’s saying or to whom. For all I know he just spends an inordinate amount of time ordering pizza or engaging solicitors. But I assume he’s talking to his dad or his sister or his best friend or his old coach, someone or some combination of people who care about him a whole lot and want to hear about his progress and performance in Port St. Lucie."
You will be glad you read this post about the business of baseball and the individuals that play the game, which can also be written as 'individuals that work in this field'.
"There’s a pitcher who’s in Mets Major League camp that’s staying at my hotel. It doesn’t seem appropriate to say his name and it doesn’t much matter for the sake of this weird and potentially off-putting post anyway, but I can say with some confidence that he’s very unlikely to make the Mets’ roster out of Spring Training.
And nearly every evening I see this guy sitting in his car in the hotel parking lot talking on the phone, and something about it makes me sad. I don’t know what he’s saying or to whom. For all I know he just spends an inordinate amount of time ordering pizza or engaging solicitors. But I assume he’s talking to his dad or his sister or his best friend or his old coach, someone or some combination of people who care about him a whole lot and want to hear about his progress and performance in Port St. Lucie."
You will be glad you read this post about the business of baseball and the individuals that play the game, which can also be written as 'individuals that work in this field'.
Why David Wright is awesome...
Great interview by Matt Cerrone of Metsblog with David Wright on being a team leader and some other topics:
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Johan Santana does more stuff
Ted Berg puts it best:
"It’s March 6, so it’s important not to get carried away. But then, it’s March 6 and Johan Santana is pitching in vaguely competitive baseball games, throwing fastballs at least in the high 80s, and looking and acting and sounding like Johan Santana.
So screw it: Get carried away. Go all Twitter on this and take it seven steps down the road. Let your imaginations run wild. It’s Johan Santana and he’s doing stuff and his arm still appears to be intact.
It’s hard to believe it’s for real, and that there won’t be speedbumps or roadblocks along the way for Santana. I get that. But as a fan, I want to roll the windows down and put the pedal to the floor until the next one arrives, since it has kind of been a while since I’ve enjoyed the thrill of the open road."
"It’s March 6, so it’s important not to get carried away. But then, it’s March 6 and Johan Santana is pitching in vaguely competitive baseball games, throwing fastballs at least in the high 80s, and looking and acting and sounding like Johan Santana.
So screw it: Get carried away. Go all Twitter on this and take it seven steps down the road. Let your imaginations run wild. It’s Johan Santana and he’s doing stuff and his arm still appears to be intact.
It’s hard to believe it’s for real, and that there won’t be speedbumps or roadblocks along the way for Santana. I get that. But as a fan, I want to roll the windows down and put the pedal to the floor until the next one arrives, since it has kind of been a while since I’ve enjoyed the thrill of the open road."
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Team Captains for the New York Mets?
The ever optimistic Rich Coutinho gives another reason to be optimistic about the 2012 New York Mets:
"Remember this Mets fans — I know you feel beat up right now and naturally your expectations have been lowered. But Johan Santana does not have low expectations and wants nothing to do with any players who possess those tendencies. He intends on being on the mound on Opening Day and plans on making his next start five days later because that is what he was made to do...To me, that is best reason Mets fans should be optimistic — Johan Santana is hell-bent on carrying this pitching staff."
Couple that with this quote from Metsblog.com today about David Wright:
"It’s worth noting that Wright did a lot of hanging with and goofing around with the younger guys, specifically [Cesar] Puello."
The Mets haven't had a real team captain since Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter (R.I.P. Kid) They had John Franco but I always felt he was too chummy with management and did more to undermine the team than to lead them. Let's face it, John Franco may have worn the 'C' on his jersey but it was Mike Piazza's team all those years.
Does it make sense to Terry Collins to anoint Johan Santana and David Wright team captains this season and let them lead the team? Or would that undermine Sandy Alderson's ability to trade them (and, more importantly, their contracts) during the season?
"Remember this Mets fans — I know you feel beat up right now and naturally your expectations have been lowered. But Johan Santana does not have low expectations and wants nothing to do with any players who possess those tendencies. He intends on being on the mound on Opening Day and plans on making his next start five days later because that is what he was made to do...To me, that is best reason Mets fans should be optimistic — Johan Santana is hell-bent on carrying this pitching staff."
Couple that with this quote from Metsblog.com today about David Wright:
"It’s worth noting that Wright did a lot of hanging with and goofing around with the younger guys, specifically [Cesar] Puello."
The Mets haven't had a real team captain since Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter (R.I.P. Kid) They had John Franco but I always felt he was too chummy with management and did more to undermine the team than to lead them. Let's face it, John Franco may have worn the 'C' on his jersey but it was Mike Piazza's team all those years.
Does it make sense to Terry Collins to anoint Johan Santana and David Wright team captains this season and let them lead the team? Or would that undermine Sandy Alderson's ability to trade them (and, more importantly, their contracts) during the season?
Torres overcomes ADHD to become elite defender - NYPOST.com
Nice column by Kevin Kernan about Andres Torres. Some nice quotes from Torres essentially describing what everyone with ADHD goes through:
"“If you find the right medication plus therapy and some professional help, you can find success like I did,’’ Torres told The Post. “I struggled for many years.’’
Torres, 34, was diagnosed with the condition in 2002 but took medication for only two or three days. “I was thinking, ‘I’m a good athlete, I don’t need to take anything,’ ’’ he explained.
Thinking that he could overcome the condition without medication was a bad decision. “The focus wasn’t there,’’ he said. “It’s not about just being hyper. You have to find focus in everything you do.’’"
"“If you find the right medication plus therapy and some professional help, you can find success like I did,’’ Torres told The Post. “I struggled for many years.’’
Torres, 34, was diagnosed with the condition in 2002 but took medication for only two or three days. “I was thinking, ‘I’m a good athlete, I don’t need to take anything,’ ’’ he explained.
Thinking that he could overcome the condition without medication was a bad decision. “The focus wasn’t there,’’ he said. “It’s not about just being hyper. You have to find focus in everything you do.’’"
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