Random Mets Thoughts

*I can totally understand why the pre-season outlook isn't so great for the Mets, but does ESPN really have to make us a national punchline this early in the game?

*I really want to see Jon Niese make the rotation. The kid was ready. The injury bug sucks.

*I am plotting my plan to get David Wright's autograph this year at Spring Training.

*However, I am starting to think that meeting David Wright would be anti-climatic.

*How are the Mets supposed to win games without pitching? Seriously, we could have skipped one catcher and gotten Pedro back for a million.

*But I'd take John Smoltz at this point or Chein Ming Wang....crap, he signed with the Nationals.

*Is it bad that I find myself longing for the days of Rick Peterson's jacket?

*Jose Reyes batting 8th: best. idea. ever. seriously. omg. why didn't we think of it two years ago?

*I was actually being serious. Have him steal second, pitcher sac bunts and Jose scores on a routine groundout to short.

*At least we'd be scoring with our outs.

*Ya gotta believe seems like such a hypocritical statement when you know the team doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell.

*But ya gotta say it =)

The Mole Has Arrived.

That's right. Carlos Beltran is in Mets camp.

Beltran will be missing the first month of the season.

But in that time, I'm willing to bet that both Angel Pagan AND Gary Matthews, Jr. get hurt.

Get well soon!

As the Palm Trees Sway

As the palm trees sway,

the Mets are at play.

In the bright sunshine,

the Mets should be fine.

No more pain,

instead we will gain.

Gain strength,

gain experience.

As the palm trees sway,

the fans will say "Hooray!"

For a long, dormant winter

is soon behind us.

As the palm trees sway,

our confidence is at bay.

We know better than

"Ya Gotta Believe!"

As the palm trees sway,

the Mets are at play.

As the palm trees sway,

spring training begins.

2 Days...

...until pitchers and catchers officially report.

However, most pitchers and catchers have already reported.

...

..

.

and David Wright.

Baseball season officially begins!

Today....

Today is Valentine's Day.

Tomorrow is President's Day.

But Thursday is something much, much better: THE OFFICIAL START TO BASEBALL 2010!!!

Enjoy the candy today because peanuts and crackerjacks will sonn be heading our way!

28 Days...

I've been hitting "new post" on this thing all week and finding that I have writer's block.

But today is different.

Today marks 28 days until my first Mets game since July 2008. Okay, it's a Spring Training game, but still, I'm going to see the New York Metropolitans in action...and hopefully not the B-Mets. The last time I saw the Mets play here, the only player of any significance that showed up was Johan Santana, and that's only because he has a house here in Ft. Myers.

I've been really lucky to have mostly good experiences when it comes to spring training. Sure, the Mets usually lose when I go to a spring training game, but I still manage to have fun and score a few autographs. I'm not gonna mention any names on this blog, except one, but lets just say some players were a lot better at signing autographs than others.

However, the story I still find myself telling is one where I failed to get David Wright's autograph, an experience I'm still bitter about, even though it happened more than 3 years ago. The short version of it is that I got trampled outside the team bus after the game. I dropped my Sharpie and almost got knocked down with the barricade. I didn't even get the Sharpie back. And to add insult to injury, my brother was standing next to me and managed to get the autograph.

So, if David Wright happens to read this....I'll see you in four weeks!

This Team Has Potential

Yup.

You read that right. I said the team has potential.

You see, the 2009 team did something so epic that I doubt it can be topped. I mean, to top the 2009 team, the whole 2010 team would have to get hurt, including Luis Castillo AND Daniel Murphy. And David Wright would have to miss significant playing time. And I don't forsee a whole team getting hurt two years in a row. Although losing Carlos Beltran got us off to a solid start.

Okay, so the 2010 team has no pitching, no viable options at catcher and first base (but give Murph time), and a huge defensive hole in centerfield, but 2009 will not be repeated.

I don't know what's gotten into me, maybe because it's pitchers and catchers getting so close, but 2010 is a fresh slate for the Metsies. Hopefully they don't blow it.

What do you guys think?

Twins Close To Signing Hudson

ESPN's Buster Olney reports that Orlando Hudson is nearing a 1-year/$5 million deal with the Twins.

What I don't understand is why the Hudson/Mets rumors started to begin with. Sure, it would be a defensive upgrade over Luis Castillo, but why have an extra position player that you don't need?Especially considering we owe Castillo $6 million next year. That is definitely not an easy trade.

If I were the Metsies right now, I'd be begging Pedro Martinez to come back. Or at least thinking about a more viable pitching option than Oliver Perez.

This rotation worries me. A lot. The Mets should consider selling blindfolds. Seriously.

14 Days...

...until pitchers and catchers report!

Or, if it's the Mets we're talking about, 14 days until Johan Santana and some other guys show up to Spring Training. I wonder if any position players will report; Daniel Murphy was the only position player to show up at mini-camp. David Wright probably has a bunker at Tradition Field.

We're going into this spring training with a lot of questions. Mine include:

1) Who's gonna be the starting catcher?

2) Are the Mets even making an effort to look for a viable #2 starter behind Johan Santana?

3) Are we really going to put Oliver Perez in the rotation?

4) How long will it take for John Maine's arm to give out?

And most importantly.....

5) How much longer do we have to listen to Jerry Manuel's mumbling press conferences?

Is There Anybody Out There?

Hello?

Is anybody reading this?

Am I just writing for myself (although there's nothing wrong with that)?

Is there anybody out there?

The Mets Are The Real Putzes

J.J. Putz's Mets experience, although short, was like any other Mets experience. Putz performed when we needed him for about a month, got hurt, and was out of comission for the rest of the season. As it turns out, it really was the team's fault.

Says Putz (courtesy of The 'Ropolitans):

“When the trade went down last year, I never really had a physical with the Mets. I had the bone spur (in the right elbow). It was discovered the previous year in Seattle, and it never got checked out by any other doctors until I got to spring training, and the spring training physical is kind of a formality. It was bugging me all through April, and in May I got an injection. It just got to the point where I couldn’t pitch. I couldn’t throw strikes, my velocity was way down.”

Wow. How stupid. I don't have any words for this. Now I'm seeing that this trade may have been more about getting rid of Aaron Heilman. And just as a refresher, we also lost fan favorite Endy Chavez in that deal.

Had the Mets given Putz a proper physical....well, we'd still be screwed. But we can't worry about the coulda, woulda, shouldas. We have to worry about this 2010 team and the gaping holes in their roster.