The Hot Stove has been, for lack of a better pun, quite cold this winter. Bloggers and baseball analysts have weighed in on where they think players will end up, but in the end, it just ends up as speculation with little concrete information to back any bold statement up. While most teams wait for the market on free agents to come down, the New York Yankees have gotten the most bang for their megabucks - as they always do. Just like every New York Met fan, I'm flabbergasted, outraged, annoyed, and above-all-else, envious.
The Yankees always get their man. C.C. A.J. It goes beyond initialed pitchers. The Mets traditionally settle for second, third or twelfth best. While the Yankees often feel like they don't have enough and need more, the Mets are a franchise that always hold out hope everything on paper will translate to the field and figure problems will work themselves out. While the Bronx Bombers sign marquee players in their prime, the Mets do the same, only past their prime. Look at any or all of the following Mets signings/acquisitions over the past few years: Tom Glavine, Mo Vaughn, Roberto Alomar, and Moises Alou.
I could go on and name drop pre-90's signings and trades but why insult Willie Mays, Vince Coleman, and Warren Spahn? They knew they were past their prime. The Mets just didn't. While there are moments of greatness, the franchise always seems to do the wrong thing or handle situations poorly. Look at past lousy trades they've made...paging Juan Samuel - are you there Juan Samuel? Look at how they handled the Shea Stadium closing ceremony last year. Why have it after a game they lost and not beforehand? Half the stadium walked out. I could even take them to task for overcharging for Shea memorabilia and ripping the stadium apart throughout the fall and winter in almost a secretive fashion. I could go on... the way they treated Dwight Gooden, the way they ran Kevin Mitchell out of town, and the way they traded Tom Seaver for a bag of balls. I could go on, and will.
This off-season was crucial for General Manager Omar Minaya to make an impact. The team is moving to a state-of-the-art ballpark and are coming off of two seasons which ended in collapses. 2007 in particular saw the team fail in epic and embarrassing proportions. 2008's answer? Bringing back Willie Randolph and resigning 40-year-old-plus Alou. Randolph couldn't shake the monkey off the team's back, Alou got hurt, and it didn't work. A surprise to nobody.
Minaya started off strong for the 2009 campaign by signing F-Rod to close and trading for J.J. Putz to set him up. But, the GM has been virtually M.I.A. ever since - doing as he always does in trying to find lightning in a bottle by signing low-risk has-been or never-been players. It's worked in the past, but that doesn't mean it's always going to work. Today's Endy Chavez is tomorrow's Pat Tabler.
To get to the point of all this, the New York Mets are a team I love. They just don't love me back. Lately, they are being run like The Montreal Expos version 2.0. I'd be OK with this if the Bronx neighbors didn't get all the good players or if the Mets couldn't afford to land players like Derek Lowe and Manny Ramirez. But, they can.
Devil's advocate you can say Ramirez is a liability all around, and that'd agreed. Still, there's no doubt he'd add some character to this team. Why wait for the market to go down? The Yankees have already got stronger. The Phillies have gotten stronger. The Braves have, and even the Nationals have.
Maybe Bernard Madoff is the real reason the Wilpons are standing pat this off-season. Maybe Fernando Tatis can repeat his performance last year like Minaya preaches. Maybe Ryan Church can keep his head-on straight and management will avoid taking him on risky Colorado flights.
Or maybe, just maybe, it's the same Mets. Being a Mets fan is like being in an abusive relationship. When things are going good, you can't believe how well they're going. When things are bad, however, they're really bad...like Timo Perez around the basepaths bad.
Here's hoping the Mets break character, and pick up a quality starting pitcher who can help solidify the rotation; a young veteran outfielder whose proven he can stay healthy, and a few capable bats for the bench. A one-way ticket out of town for Luis Castillo is also in order.
Let's hope the team gets some swagger, and we, as fans, and they, as an organization, stop milking 1986 accomplishments. Not to take anything away from that year, because it was simply amazing and I still get choked up by highlights from it, but we need new highlights.
It'd be easier to accept being a fan of the other New York baseball team if the organization didn't continually remind us that they're second in town. The average fan knows how to run this team. They have for years. It's time the owners figure it out, too. If they do, I'll be watching and buying tickets. If they don't, I'll be watching and buying tickets. Loyal as always. Don't think they don't know that.
The number one problem with the Mets is the owner’s son, Jeff Wilpon. He is a fan of baseball and mistakes that enthusiasm for the knowledge to assess professional baseball players. He should leave baseball decisions to the GM and stop leaking stories to the press all the time because he likes the attention!
Omar’s current problem is Scott Boras, the maniacal agent for Oliver Perez. No on else is bidding for Perez so Boras pretends there are others and holds out until nearly spring training. Boras is bad for baseball! Omar should move on and take a risk to give Ben Sheets a one year contract – after a couple years of injuries he is due for one outstanding year before getting injured again.
To win a championship, the Mets need to add a defensively strong left fielder who is under 32, can hit 280 and drive in 85+ runs. Although Manny is entertaining and I do stop to watch every time I see him come to bat, Manny can better serve an American League team where he can DH and field occasionally instead of loafing in left field of Citi Park.
Hey, will Citigroup be able to pay the Met’s millions for the new stadium’s naming rights with tax payer’s bailout money?
It'd be easier to accept being a fan of the other New York baseball team if the organization didn't continually remind us that they're second in town. The average fan knows how to run this team. They have for years. It's time the owners figure it out, too. If they do, I'll be watching and buying tickets. If they don't, I'll be watching and buying tickets. Loyal as always. Don't think they don't know that.
Or maybe, just maybe, it's the same Yankees. Being a Yankees fan is like being in an abusive relationship. When things are going good, you can't believe how well they're going. When things are bad, however, they're really bad...like Jason Giambi trying to play first base bad.
Here's hoping the Yankees break character, and pick up a quality starting pitcher who can help solidify the rotation; a young veteran outfielder whose proven he can stay healthy, and a few capable bats for the bench. A one-way ticket out of town for Johnny Damon is also in order.
To get to the point of all this, the New York Yankees are a team I love. They just don't love me back. Lately, they are being run like The Montreal Expos version 2.0. I'd be OK with this if their Queens neighbors didn't get all the good players or if the Yankees couldn't afford to land players like Derek Lowe and Manny Ramirez. But, they can.
Devil's advocate you can say Ramirez is a liability all around, and that'd agreed. Still, there's no doubt he'd add some character to this team. Why wait for the market to go down? The Red Sox have already got stronger. The Rays have gotten stronger.
This off-season was crucial for General Manager Brian Cashman to make an impact. The team is moving to a state-of-the-art ballpark and are coming off of eight seasons which ended in collapses. 2007 in particular saw the team get blown out by the Indians in the first round. 2008's answer? Giving Darrell Rasner and Sidney Ponson 35 starts between them. It didn't work. A surprise to nobody.
P.S. Forget Dunn already. He's exactly what we DON'T need. He's an all or nothing hitter, plays horrible D, never contributed to a winner, his desire has been questioned and he's left-handed. At least Manny mashes consistently and has produced in the playoffs. Plus, talk about bringing some swagger to Queens. When Jose Reyes is on his game, our offense is a machine. With Manny's bat and personality added to the lineup, Reyes is going to explode. Manny = riding signature "double finger point", choreographed handshakes w/ Reyes, and 10-sec HR poses to the World Series. Dunn = K's with RISP, BB that eventually leave him stranded, year long struggles versus LHP - not only the hamels of the league but also the Lilly's, and Wandy Rodriguez's, and finally, another Met-less October.
I feel your pain, thought I don't agree with your take on the Mets.
Repeat after me 10 times;
"THE METS ARE NOT THE OTHER YANKEES"
ok feel better?
The Yankees make far more boneheaded moves than the Mets
only they have so much money they send them away or spend them
away by throwing away another 30-200 million. The Mets can't hide their
mistakes they live with them.
Carl Pavano, Kevin Brown, Big Unich, Irabu, diceK Jr, Giambi, ARod redux,
are few Yankee boners that pop directly to mind.
The Mets have had as many great surprises as ugly boneheaded moves.
They can't do everything right, and I prefer a team that doesn't try and win
with their purse but with their guts and guile.
We are not in spring training yet, the hot stove is still warm,
but I think you are being a dark cloud cynic.
oh, and I believe the Wilpons are pretty broke.
Don't get me wrong, we've had our ups and downs. There was 1986, Mike Piazza's post 9/11Home Run...um, uh...well, we have had some ups, but more downs.
It comes down to is ownership . In the Bronx they are determined to win at all costs, the Wilpon's have a win if you can as long as it's not at too big of a cost--but let's pay homage to the Brooklyn Dodgers if we can (forget about truly honoring the end of Shea with a great ceremony as long as we can push the new Ebbets Field with a lousy patch). I fear that until they turn into true Mets fans and not business men (and looking at their Maddof scandal that may not be their strong-suit either) this team is doomed to tease its fans.
That said, I'm hoping to take my son, Jake Rocco, to his first Mets game this year whenever single game tickets finally go on sale--yes it is tantamount to child abuse, but as they say misery loves company...
spot on.
horrible insurance plans this year for both our corner outfield spots. it seems like Omar's strategy is to sign a bench full of $2mil/year guys and hope one of them pans out rather than signing one sure thing.
And yeah, Lowe was not worth investing 4 years into and just the possibility of the headcase Manny can be scares me to think what he'll turn into. I'd like to invoke the Steve Phillips rule of the anti 24+1 team.
And it's really annoying me that Omar won't move on from Oliver Perez. there's no competition, yet ollie/boras want more money/years. why don't we move on and do sheets (i know injury prone, but did you see the batch of cheap starters that Omar just signed as insurance for such a case as that?), or anyone else?
Omar has been MIA.
For the same cost of Castillo they can probably go grab Dunn for 1-2 years. I know it's K or HR with that guy, but 40 HR in that new stadium would fill seats. He can even fill in at first on 2010 when Delgado takes off. And if there is money left go ofter Sheets with a decent base and good incentives. Hell grab Pedro too and don't start him up till July.
It's a good day!!!
Just like every New York Met fan, I'm flabbergasted, outraged, annoyed, and above-all-else, envious.
I'm a Met fan and I'm none of that.
The Yankees always get their man. C.C. A.J. It goes beyond initialed pitchers. The Mets traditionally settle for second, third or twelfth best.
Is last year, when they got the best available pitcher, too far to look back?
Look at any or all of the following Mets signings/acquisitions over the past few years: Tom Glavine, Mo Vaughn, Roberto Alomar, and Moises Alou.
But please ignore Johan Santana, Carlos Beltran, and Mike Piazza?