Writing It All's Met's Blog

This BLOG is CLOSED

2011-07-27T14:25:00.003-07:00

As a fan of baseball and the NY Mets, there comes a time when a parting of the ways is necessary and good.

Today is my final post for this blog as I have decided to spend my time and money on other endeavors and not to spend it on MLB.TV and the NY Mets or any of its blogs.

It stinks that the belief system, sprung from a free agency program that is so so so over priced and WRONG, creates the idea that when a team doesn't have enough to make a playoff spot the GM decides to trade players for "future players."

People say that if we can't win with what we have, we might as well look for something else and get rid of players who are at the end of their contracts....re-signing them probably isn't a good idea because these greedy bastards and their agents see only dollar signs followed by a lot of zeros.

Next year the Mets are scheduled to play Toronto in Toronto. I had thought about making sure I could fly out for the series and watch all three games--even though the American League plays a different and uglier brand of baseball then the National League--even though I have been unemployed for almost the entire three years I have lived in Canada as a permanent resident. But now I'm not interested.

I am not going to do that. Not going to spend money to buy another year of MLB.TV. Not going to watch games televised on television. Not going to listen to games on the radio. Not going to follow any team.

I am a loyal fan and switching teams is not ever a solution. Leaving baseball is the solution I seek.

I truly hope that the Mets lose the rest of their games and leave the imbecilic owners and their general manager with a lot of players and no fans in the stands.

Major League Baseball is being run by a man who shouldn't even be a local cities' dog catcher. He has biases and instead of looking out for what is good for the game, Bud Selig makes sure the owners he likes are treated better than the owners he doesn't like. Look at his relationship with LA and NYMet's ownership to see what I mean.

I am tired of caring so much only to be disappointed by cronyism, bad business deals, over payed players, stupid decisions by GMs, overpriced tickets, over over priced concessions and the time I spend caring about something that is supposed to provide me with pleasure, but only makes me angry and bitter.

The NFL is no longer an interest of mine and I won't spend a plug nickel to watch any games.

There are so many more important tasks to do with one's time and money: traveling, hanging out with family and friends, enjoying the great outdoors, reading, etc....

Goodbye NY Mets and Major League Baseball.

I know my departure won't change one iota of the things I don't like about it, but I don't leave because I believe it will hurt the game. I leave because the game is no longer fun and has hurt and disappointed me.

Off-Day Post: My Plan For The Future

2011-06-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

This is an day off for the Mets as they head to Milwaukee to begin a 10-game road trip, so I wanted to write a post about what I would do now with this team.

I am basing this more on players than finances. Though in some cases, certain trades would free up some money.

There are three players I would trade before the trading deadline: David Wright, Jason Bay, and Francisco Rodriguez.

David Wright has been on my trade radar beginning last season. I have mentioned in this blog and in comments I left on other blogs, that I really believe Wright is as good as he's ever going to be and though a clean-cut and likable person, he is still young enough that we could pick up some decent minor league prospects for him.

Jason Bay is a favourite of mine. One because I believe he's a good ballplayer who plays the game the right way--always hustling. Two, he's a Canadian from British Columbia, so he's my home town guy. But, sometimes a team or city and a player just don't click. I think Bay does not fit in with this city and a trade would allow him to find a new home and more on-field success.

Francisco Rodriguez was another of the Minaya mistakes. K-Rod is nothing more than an average pitcher. His statistics are misleading and as he's shown this year and last, he has a difficult time 'closing games out.'
I would think a team in the thick of the race would take the chance and agree to trade for him.

If all of this was accomplished, it would enable the Mets to offer Jose Reyes a multi-million dollar, multi-year deal. I would guarantee four years of the contract. Give Reyes a fifth year player option and the Mets a sixth year team option.

He is the spark plug of this team. He's an exciting player--probably the most exciting in the game right now. If the Mets lose or trade him, you would have to wonder why the Mets exist as a team.

I would field this team: 3B- Daniel Murphy; SS-Jose Reyes 2B-Justin Turner 1B-Ike Davis
CF-Angel Pagan RF-Fernando Martinez LF-Lucas Duda or Kirk Nieuwenhuis

The off-season would be a busy one for sure but this is what I see as the best first steps to making this a stronger and more competitive team.

Oh, and of course The Wilpons would sell the club

Let's Do The Right Thing

2011-06-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

The argument that the New York Mets need to honor some of their players who were responsible for bringing the World Series Trophy to New York in 1986 has been made often.

And on the sad revelation that Gary Carter has inoperable brain cancer, the time to do the honoring is NOW.

Gary Carter was the final piece in the puzzle that Frank Cashen put together during his successful tenure as the team's general manager.

Carter's first regular season game as a Met came April 9, 1985 at Shea Stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals. In the bottom of the 10th with the game tied at 5, Carter took a Neil Allen pitch and put it over the left field fence to give the Mets a 6-5 win.

I can remember the moment, like it was yesterday, Carter's fist in the air as he circled the bases. The Mets finished that exciting season in second place behind the Cardinals-- three games back.

Honoring Gary Carter and Keith Hernandez by retiring their numbers is long overdue, but it is a MUST that the ownership of this team give the fans and Gary a chance to thank each other and to celebrate what his addition to this ball club meant for the franchise and its fans.

The cancer Gary Carter is fighting has taken the lives of other baseball players and managers: Tug McGraw, Dick Howser, Dan Quisenberry and Johnny Oates.

It is aggressive and Carter will be undergoing chemotherapy and radiation to try and stop the growth of the tumors.

Those therapies in themselves wreak havoc on a body. So why wait for Carter to be unable to walk out to the field wearing jersey number 8 as it's retired to go up alongside 37,14, 41, 42 and Shea?

Do it now. Honor this man for the contributions he made to this franchise.

To delay or do anything less is unconscionable.

He said what????

2011-05-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

A wise fool is a quiet fool....Wilpons are just not very smart; they don't know a thing about running a business.
And they're going to be the reason why the Mets will flounder for years.

It's frustrating when the owner(s) show how ignorant they are about the team they supposedly love.

Even the way they had the Mets new ballpark constructed....The Mets never played at Ebbets Field.
I admire and respect Jackie Robinson but he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers not the Mets, so why is the rotunda named for him?
It wasn't until after the first season at the new ballpark that they started making changes to reflect the history of the team that does play there.
Pathetic and even worse is the fact that Bud Selig refuses to step in and put MLB in charge of the team as he did with the LA Dodgers. OH, that's right....Selig despises McCourt and Selig and Wilpon go back 30 years together.
Unreal. Sad.

Pelfrey Speaks But Met's Fans Aren't Buying It

2011-05-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

After game comments by Mike Pelfrey: "We let it slip away, and it's on me more than anybody, but we'll be fine."

I have to disagree. It doesn't add up. When during the season do we stop saying, "we'll be fine?" and realize that though we have talented players, they're not consistent, can't seem to put teams away early or late.

Take the second game of the series with the Mets having loaded the bases early and only scratched out two runs. They need to PUT THE HAMMER DOWN. When a team puts up a 4 or 5 or 6 spot early in the game, the whole complexion of that game changes--for the better.

But by only scoring a couple of runs, it's easy for the opponent to realize that they have 27 outs remaining to tie and then go ahead.

It's frustrating to hear players say things that come across as casual. Obviously they can't be quoted in the paper saying things that sound panicky but saying, "we'll be fine." is almost like an advertiser misleading the public on how much a sale will save the consumer.

It's not true and the fans of the Mets don't really buy it.

Let's Go Mets!

It's Always Pitching

2011-05-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

Whether you're a little leaguer or a major leaguer, the game of baseball always comes down to pitching. Those that have the consistency and depth in their pitching staff will succeed, those that don't---well you lose 9-3.

This year continues to be one of teasing. The Mets get a little hot and get back to .500 and then slip a couple of games under.

Up next: The Chicago Cubs in Wrigley. Two night games and then a day game.

The Mets need Jonathan Niese to continue where he left off in his last outing. It would appear that the only outcome that will be considered a success is a sweep. And it's doable against the Cubs.

Let's Go Mets!

Writing It All's Met's Blog: Mets Turner the Corner

2011-05-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

Writing It All's Met's Blog: Mets Turner the Corner

Mets Turner the Corner

2011-05-20T20:04:00.000-07:00

The New York Mets have finally crawled their way back to .500 with a 2-1 nail-biting win over the Yankees.
Justin Turner along with Daniel Murphy provided the run support needed by R.A. Dickey, Mike O'Connor, Jason Isringhausen and Francisco Rodriguez.
Rodriguez looked the best I've seen him all this early season.

Of course it's been the Justin Turner show for the past week. He's now batting .364 and has a .417 OBP.

When big players like Wright and Ike go down, this team has shown its true colors with other players stepping up and carrying some of the load.

The pitching staff has been pretty damn near perfect and now R.A. Dickey finally has his second win with a quality outing.

The important thing now is to take at least two out of three from the Yankees.

Let's Go Mets!

On David Wright, Jose Reyes and Ownership

2011-05-13T16:47:00.001-07:00

As a life long fan of the NYMets (I just turned 50) and one who has experienced more sorrow than joy over this long period, it is frustrating to see two players the Mets have developed become somewhat of a centerpiece for what is wrong with baseball today.

I think free agency has become a problem that is tearing away at the team philosophy of the sport of baseball.

I don't think players should be the "property" of teams as they were for decades before the advent of free agency, but what free agency has developed into is hurting the game.

The monies that are being paid in today's game (and in all the major sports) are so high up in the stratosphere that GMs and owners seem only to worry about how to cut their overall overhead than build a team of players who gel together and win.

David Wright is a great PR plus for the Mets. Homegrown, polite, empathetic to the fans' needs and a nice guy are some of the qualities he shows that connect with fans, both young and old.
But his play on the field is nothing more than average. He has an average arm, makes too many throwing errors and strikes out way too often compared to the first couple of years he played with the Mets.

Jose Reyes is the centerpiece of this team on the field. As Jose goes at the plate, so go the Mets. He is exciting, exuberant, and passionate about the sport. I don't know any fan who doesn't enjoy watching him play-whether they root for the Mets or not.

And Jose has repeatedly said he wants to stay with the only team he has known. I believe him and I think so do the fans of this team.

Wright is signed for a couple of more years (including the option) and Reyes is playing out the option year of his contract.

It would be a huge mistake not to make a more than a serious attempt to re-sign Reyes to a contract that will keep him in a Met's uniform well into his thirties.

When GM Sandy Alderson says that he has a philosophy of not signing guys who are in their late twenties to long term contacts, he is merely covering himself should the Mets not re-sign him or worse, trade him before the July 31st non-waiver trading deadline.

I am still on the side that feels David Wright should be traded and traded soon. He can still get the Mets some quality minor leaquers and his trade can help continue to build the Mets minor league system.

But I know or at least feel strongly that trading David is not going to happen; Re-signing Jose is also not going to happen. It isn't going to happen because the Wilpons are terrible owners.

The Wilpons are broke and in this day and age, having a lot of money is paramount to being able to play the free agency game that exists today.

The Wilpons are stubborn and refuse to admit their financial shortcomings so they are unable to play the free agency game. They would rather lose one of the most exciting players to grace the fields of major league ballparks, than let go of their majority hold on this team.

This is why I don't believe that they would suggest to their GM to move Wright. They need a well-liked player to appease the many fans who will be acrimonious in the decision to let Reyes go.

If the owners trade Wright and then let Reyes leave, the Mets home attendance will look more and more like the home field of the Florida Marlins.

All of this because of how free agency has spiraled out of control.

I hope I am wrong.

But I fear I am not.

Let's Go Mets!!

Terry Collins On the Hot Seat? Give Me A Break!!!!

2011-04-11T12:48:00.002-07:00

I have become a semi-regular viewer of OnTheBlack.com, A Mets video blog. Kerel Cooper does a nice job of discussing The Mets and some of his videos are pretty cool too.

In his April 10th video blog, he and Dave Doyle (metsreport.com) comment on a story in The Bergen Record that Terry Collins' job is in jeopardy.

Both Kerel and Dave are mystified by such a statement and I wholeheartedly concur, but I wanted to comment on this feeling by fans that we need to win NOW and anything short of that is failure.

First, publishing a sports article that suggests the manager's job is in trouble after one week is a blatant attempt to sell papers and really nothing more than that. Trashy journalism as well.

The foundation for winning in baseball is solid pitching (starting and relief) and defense.

Collins has been given a pitching staff that probably would be better suited for a AAA minor league team. His bullpen is terrible and pitching is one of the areas Alderson was hired to make better.

But he needs time.

Lets face it fans, this is a team that is going through transition. Even without admitting it, we have an ownership that is broke and that has impacted the little to nothing we did in the off season with free agency to better the roster.

We as fans need to be patient and realistically need to admit that we are probably not going to be hoisting a World Series Champion 2011 flag after this season.

And that is ok.

I know all the cliches and I disagree with them.

I can't imagine today's fan being patient with the '62 Mets. Imagine that we had to wait until 1969 before making the playoffs and winning it all.

Granted in the 60s there was no such thing as free agency and players didn't jump ship because they had visions of contracts with too many zeros to count.

People seem to want everything NOW. Well to those impatient fans I say, TOUGH!!!!

I believe that Collins has done his best in spring training to light a fire under his players. They are playing a bit more aggressively than under Jerry Manual, and hopefully we'll win a few more than we lose. I'm not expecting miracles this year and it may take two or even three years before this franchise takes a serious crack at the playoffs.

Just remember that the GM and ownership are part of the equation. And I believe that until this franchise has a change in ownership, the players on this team will be teeing off on the golf course and not suiting up for the playoffs.

Lets Go Mets!!!!

Honesty is Always the Best Policy

2011-04-10T17:48:00.000-07:00

Yes it is early in the season but honestly, early is enough time to see that the Mets are not really very good and will probably be around .500 for the season.

Because the team's bullpen has been ineffective, GM Sandy Alderson has decided to call up two pitchers, Isringhausen and Igarashi - send down Lucas Duda (who probably should be playing at Buffalo) and designate Blayne Boyer for assignment.

The problem is this move handcuffs Manager Terry Collins because he has only four players off the bench.

This is the second straight series the Mets have lost and now fall back to one game under .500.

A pretty sharp 7 inning one hit-performance by Chris Young went by the wayside when Collins went to his bullpen. Sometimes starting pitchers need to finish the game they started.

Tom Seaver has repeatedly said during his visits to the booth over the last few years, that each pitcher has a pitch count. This means that pitchers know how many pitches they can throw. Seaver said his was 125.

Today's game has changed so much and players salaries have grown to astronomical levels that teams try to protect their investments by limiting their pitch count. You get close to 100, and you're out of the game.

This philosophy is wrong. Unless Chris Young told his manager that he's tiring, he should not have been removed.

And honestly folks, this year, though still fresh, looks like it's going to be a long one.

Wild Game vs. Washington

2011-04-10T00:44:00.001-07:00

Chris Capuano didn't have the prettiest night on the mound, but he went six innings, contributed to the offense and left the game ahead. A sometimes shaky bullpen (Bucholz looked good; Parnell didn't) managed to finish the game and give Capuano his first win as a Met.

As we head into week two of this season it is becoming more exciting to watch Ike Davis play. He's going to be the future of this team. He's a Keith Hernandez in the field and at the plate. This is the guy you build a team around while signing Reyes to a new long term deal.

Rodriguez showed fans that spring training really means nothing as a predictor for how a player will start the season. He didn't give up a run the entire spring and then comes into his first save situation and blows it. Against the Nationals, he was brought in for a four out save. He looked sharp in the 8th and gave fans and the coaching staff a scare in the 9th.

And of course there was Carlos Beltran's two beautiful home runs. He makes it look so easy and from the right side which seems to be his weaker side of the plate.

Daniel Murphy had a nice pinch hit. I just wish there was a place to play him everyday.

Sunday the Mets send Chris Young (who I think will have a very good season) against Met killer Jason Marquis.

Lets Go Mets!!

Don't Ever Forget It

2011-04-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

Jose Reyes is the force that drives this team and that is something the Wilpons and Sandy Alderson should never forget.
Nothing more to do but remind you of that incredible defensive play in the home opener versus Washington on April 8th during the top of the 5th. His gem of a play saved several runs and allowed the Mets to get close before they lost it in the 8th inning.
For him not to be part of this franchise for many more years to come is inconceivable and sends two messages:
1) That the ownership of the Mets is broke but too proud to admit it and to sell the team.
2) That the GM and his staff really don't get it and don't have a good grasp of talent and how to build a winner.

I know that Alderson came into his new role saying that he has a philosophy of not signing players who are close to 30 to long term contracts. This was nothing more than an attempt to cover his tail should the first message above be the real reason Jose was not re-signed.

Today vs. Washington the Mets continued to show how poor they are as hitters with runners in scoring position and fewer than two outs. The bullpen didn't do a great job of keeping the Nationals from scoring, either. Two areas that make me get nervous about how this season is actually going to turn out.

You had to notice the small patches of empty seats from all parts of the stadium. The might have sold all tickets but a larger size number of people decided to stay home.
It will be interesting to see how many people attend the next two games vs Washington and even the three that follow against Colorado.

Mr. Wilpon: Sell this franchise NOW!!!!

There's No Place Like Home

2011-04-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

After getting shellacked by the Phillies, two out of three games, the Mets return to NY for their first home stand of the new season.
Facing Washington and then Colorado, I am more curious about how many empty seats we will see during this seven game home stand, than even how well the Mets will play.

I'm not sure what Terry Collins was thinking leaving Daniel Murphy in the game after pinch-hitting by putting him in left field. On the second ball hit out to left center field, he almost collided with Angel Pagan who made the catch. I really like Murphy but to put him back in the outfield where he was embarrassed and awful during Jerry Manual's managerial tenure makes NO SENSE.
I'm very disappointed in Collins and can't imagine what he was thinking. Keep these moves up, Terry and you'll be unemployed before you can say, Houston Astros.

The second game of the Phillies series had a small silver lining: the Mets have fight and came back from a seven run deficit--even though the bullpen didn't hold on and the Phils won 10-7.

Early in the final game facing Roy Halladay, the Mets had a chance to get on the scoreboard and change the complexion of the game. They failed to score, left runners on and the Phillies punished them 11-0.

It's better to score early than to play catch up from a large deficit--but that's blatantly obvious.

I'm still of the belief that Jonathan Niese is going to be a quality pitcher. Mike Pelfrey, on the other hand, is starting to worry me.

Great to hear that Ralph Kiner, the long time (now retired) voice of the Mets is going to throw out the first ball. Good move and well-deserved.

Fans

2011-04-04T20:20:00.001-07:00

As the Mets prepare to play a series against the Philadelphia Phillies, I started to think about baseball fans.
Philadelphia has got to be the home of the meanest, almost inhumane fan. They are inconsiderate, rude and seem to know little about the game...just like those Florida Marlins fans-another group who are as fickle as the weather, know little about the sport of baseball, and are rude and inconsiderate.
After watching the opening series, I couldn't help but think why baseball doesn't just contract the Marlins? They would be doing the sport a favour.
The Florida Marlins are a team that plays like a triple-A squad. They have a manager who probably knows as much about baseball as my seven year old nephew. They are moving to a stadium that is in a part of town no one really wants to visit. It's a crime infested neighbourhood and when the Orange Bowl was there (The stadium is being built in the spot where the OB used to stand), attendance always suffered partly due to the area that surrounds the stadium. Their owner is beyond a doubt one of the stupidest people to have ever own a team.

Baseball attempted to contract Florida along with Minnesota in 2002 but Congress intervened and threatened to take away MLB's anti-trust status if they went ahead with the contraction.

But it is time to start the process of contraction and free the baseball fans of America from this mess of an organization.

It will be interesting to see, as it always is, the behaviour of the Philadelphia fans. Just don't expect too much if you don't want to be disappointed.

Lets Go Mets!

A wise fool is a quiet fool

2011-04-04T14:38:00.000-07:00

This quote from Pedro Feliciano prompted my latest blog post:
"I will show him in the Subway Series when I strike out Ike Davis," Feliciano said. "When I jump up and down on the mound I’ll be like, 'That’s for you.'''

I believe that players should speak less, listen more and save their "payback" for when they play.
I'm very surprised that Feliciano would say something as ignorant and DUMB as what he said.
It really does sound like sour grapes. At first, I was sorry that the Mets let Feliciano go but maybe Sandy and his crew really do believe that he's burnt out and signing him to a two year deal was one year too much and for money that he was not worth.
When teams post comments from the opposition as a way to fire them up, it might backfire or may be lost in the preparation before the game, but why give ammo to the other guys?
In this case, I say thanks Pedro for those encouraging words and we'll see you on the ball field.

Let's Go Mets!!

Good First Series

2011-04-04T13:20:00.001-07:00

The Mets got off to a good start to their 2011 season taking two out of three from the Florida Marlins.
What I liked most of all was that everyone on the bench contributed to their two wins. I think Collins did a great job of getting his bench players time and they responded with good defense and hitting.
Now it's time to face the Phillies; and face them in COLD weather, quite the opposite from balmy Miami.
I sure hope that the Wilpons were paying attention to Jose Reyes and they took a look around the stadium and the POOR attendance at Sunday's game. I would hate to see a predominately empty Citi Field but I still feel that the fans must make their presence and dislike of the current ownership known by staying away as much as possible so the Wilpons are FORCED to sell and all of us true and loyal fans can get an owner who understands how to run a business team and who has the money to compete in the game we love.
Lets go Mets!!

Play Ball

2011-03-31T23:50:00.000-07:00

It's been almost six months since I last published something on my Met's Blog and with the season opener just hours away, it is time to get back to the blog.

This year I've decided that I'm not going to make any predictions and just react to what happens as this long season unfolds.

My Father told me something recently that his older brother would say when asked, "Who do you think is going to win?" My Uncle would say, "That's why they play the game."
And since no matter how teams look on paper, the game isn't played on paper but between the lines and so with a one hundred and sixty two game season, anything can and usually does happen.

I'm excited to some degree more than I have been in the last two years at the start of the season. I'm very pleased that Sandy Alderson is the general manager and I like the staff he's assembled. I believe that given a few years to make his mark, the Mets will be improved during that time. He has said he's going to target the minor league system so the team can continue to develop players. And even though he wasn't the fan favourite going into the managerial sweepstakes, Terry Collins seems like the right guy to start that rebuilding process. He knows many of the younger players because of his job last year when he oversaw the Met's farm system and he brings enough enthusiasm and a strong work ethic to motivate the players and get the most out of them.

So with start of the season in Miami versus The Marlins, I'm excited and hopeful for this team and what they may be able to accomplish. They are hard working and positive and a lot of hard work can pay off in big ways come playoff time.

So lets go Mets!!!!

GM selection is down to a pair

2010-10-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

The "brain trust" of the Mets have narrowed the search for their next general manager. Sandy Alderson and Josh Byrnes are the finalists.
Byrnes is the former GM for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Alderson is the former GM of the Oakland A's and CEO of the San Diego Padres.

My hope is that the Mets will select Alderson but keep in mind that Byrnes is still being paid by the D'Backs so if they hire him, his price tag will be affordable.

I firmly believe that Met's ownership is hurting financially so their decision might be based on dollars and cents not common sense.

Alderson has the more experience and clearly stronger success rate. He interviews on Tuesday following Monday's second interview with Byrnes.

The interviews will be conducted by principal owner Fred Wilpon, team president Saul Katz and Jeff Wilpon.

Wilpons: Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?

2010-10-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

From Adam Rubin's blog comes the information that the Wilpons had asked permission to speak with several members of the Marlin's front office.

What does this tell us? It says that Jeff and his father have no idea what they're doing. I spent many years living in S. Florida and Larry Bienfest is as baseball saavy as Omar Minaya.

The Marlins have absolutely no idea what they're doing and that is from the owner down. They are a mediocre franchise with very little baseball and talent savvy.

For the Mets to seek out members of the Marlins' front office is just a symptom of how uncouth the Wilpons are.

The Mets need a GM like Dave Dombrowski(Detroit), Billy Bean (San Diego), Theo Epstein (Boston), Frank Wren (Atlanta) Andrew Friedman (Tampa), Ruben Amayo (Philadelphia) or Bill Smith (Minnesota). These are men who have built or maintained winning clubs and some from small markets. Out of the seven I mentioned, four of those teams are in this year's playoff hunt and the others have either been in the playoffs or have been very competitive and finished just out of the running.

I am not saying these men would give up what they have to leave for the Mets but the challenge is enticing. I believe the Mets are close with a lot of young talent. What they need is for someone to continue to build the minor league system, bring in some proven veterans along with some strong starting and bullpen pitching.

Remember the fish rots from the head down. The Mets need new and intelligent owners.
Short of that, we're in for many long seasons of mediocre baseball.

Writing It All's Met's Blog: Failure is the Only Option

2010-09-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

Writing It All's Met's Blog: Failure is the Only Option

Failure is the Only Option

2010-09-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm a die-hard Mets fan which is why I believe, now that it is more than clear, we're out of the playoff race, that the Mets must continue their downward spiral over the course of these next 3 weeks.

This spiral should force the Wilpons to cut ties with GM, Omar Minaya, his staff and of course, the entire coaching staff: manager, bench coach, pitching coach, first base coach and hitting coach.

It's tough to watch this team implode but that is what we've been doing since the 2007 season. Bad decisions by the medical staff, bad trades, bad signings and re-signings have created the mess we see now.

I find it so tough to get excited about the many call-ups since if we continue after the season with the current GM and front office, these players are going to be playing on a mediocre team that has almost no chance at playing baseball in October.

Watching a clip from SNY last week, one of the loudmouth gang said that the only way to better this franchise is to have a regime change. I couldn't agree more. Let's hope that the Wilpons are not bamboozled into sticking with Minaya just because he is signed to an expensive contract.

Of course we still have the problem of what to do or how to get rid of Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo. The Wilpons haven't been willing to just let them go because they don't want to lose the money they're paying them but in actuality, these two players are wasting away sitting on the bench--and collecting hefty paychecks.

It won't be too difficult for the Mets to have a losing month as they are playing the rest of the East through most of September.

October should be a cathartic month if regime change happens. Let's hope so.

Playing Out of the Playoffs

2010-08-02T21:31:00.000-07:00

With the Mets loss to the first place Braves today, they have begun to truly play themselves out of contention for anything playoff related.

Doesn't take a genuis to see this.

It's sad and aggravating and frustrating that a team like this is still mediocre in a division that is very mediocre.

Blame still falls squarely on the owners. The Wilpons are destroying this franchise and due to their obvious poor investments they appear to have little money to spend on this team. Now I hope that they will think of the good of the many and realize that they are not doing the job as owners and should sell the franchise.

But no matter, having a GM who can't seem to judge talent or make quality deals, doesn't help. I'm not talking about doing nothing at this year's non waiver trade deadline but obviously signing guys like Castillo and Perez to long term big contracts...Castillo has lost something since his latest DL stint and Perez...oh..never mind.

Jerry Manual is sure to lose his job at the season's end and he's as much as said that. He's not the best manager around and certainly can't be blamed for some of the personnel on the field, but his managerial skills are really suspect and changing managers won't really change much for this team.

Two more games with the Braves and then three with the Phillies...If they're not careful the Mets could be looking up at the rest of the division as Washington moves past them.

It's sad seeing so many empty seats and realizing that the fans don't buy into the smoke and mirrors Wilpon and company are throwing at them. Good for them. Maybe more empty seats along with the latest lawsuit against the Wilpons related to the Madoff ponzi scheme will force the owners to put the for sale sign up.

Must wins in the desert

2010-07-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

The Mets have a reprieve of sorts.

After losing three out of four to the SF Giants, who have a pretty strong pitching staff, and soon to face the LA Dodgers four games, they travel to Arizona to play the Diamondbacks.

This is probably one of the three worst teams in the National League and so it is imperative that the Mets sweep.
After NY returns home, the face the D-Backs three more times.
6-0 isn't only realistic against this team, it's a necessity.

The Mets will throw Mike Pelfrey, R.A. Dickey and Jon Niese, all of whom have had pretty successful seasons so far.
And the Mets usually play very well in Arizona...sort of a home away from home.

It's later in July and with the wild-card race as tight as ever and the Mets in the thick of that race and still within a fair reach of the NL East top spot, winning games against second division clubs is a must.

I would love to see Angel Pagan make three starts and believe that Frenchy has played himself into a spot on the bench. It is said he's great in the clubhouse, but it is clear now why the Braves let him go. He's not very good and certainly not very consistent offensively.

Having Ollie Perez back on the squad pains me to no end and only brings up my disdain for GM Omar Minaya. Perez stinks and had he been on the Braves or even the Phillies, I believe these clubs would have taken their losses and cut him loose.
Minaya can't and won't. But I wouldn't think that the ownership is smart enough to realize how ignorant and unqualified their GM is.

I still believe that as long as Minaya is GM the Mets will not win another World Series.

Things I Know

2010-07-18T20:51:00.000-07:00

I know that Johan Santana wants to go over to Jerry Manual and tell him that the next time he allows one run and pitches eight innings, "LEAVE ME IN THE F(^*)&% GAME!!!

I know that Omar Minaya is the one variable that is preventing this club from going further. Who signs Guillermo Mota to a contract extension after he tests positive for steroids and has to miss the first fifty games?
Who signs Francisco Rodriguez to a multi-year deal to be the club's closer when he hasn't been truly effective since 2004??
Who signs Oliver Perez to a multi-million dollar multi-year contract when he's a free agent after Perez has spent his tenure with the Mets showing how horribly ineffective he is??
I can fill up chapters in a book with examples of Minaya's absolute stupidity regarding talent, development and everything else it takes to run a ball club.

I know that Jerry Manual is a funny guy and probably a nice man but he isn't really much of a tactical manager. Rodriguez going out in tenth inning, intentionally walking the winning run with two out and the tying run on second. He's not a very good manager.

I know that the Major League umpires are getting worse and making more terrible mistakes. Case in point: The ninth inning of the fourth game of the GIANTS/METS series. The third base umpire calls an obviously fair ball, foul. One, it's not his call to make and two, it was clearly fair and finally why did the home plate umpire (Phil Cuzzi) change his call?

I know that the Mets won today but it was not pretty, or well-managed, with some of the wrong players and the umpires didn't seem to know what they were doing.....

It's for all these reasons and many more, that we have blogs to talk about, argue, dissect and criticize all that we love about the New York Metropolitans