Once again it’s time to grab your favorite mid-day drink, kick your feet up, and get your daily dose of Mets in the Papers.
Brian Heyman, “Beltran Feeling Good After Rehab Game in Center”
“After every game, they’ll evaluate,” Mets assistant general manager John Ricco said from Denver. “Then it’s two things. It’s the physical, the skill part. That’s really in his court. As long as the physical continues to be fine, then it’s going to be totally on him whether he feels ready to come back.”
Bart Hubuch, “Helmet Not the Wright Fit”
“It’s just not comfortable,” Wright said of the bulbous, heavily padded S100 helmet from Rawlings. “It’s just the last thing I need to be worried about in the box, to be trying to shove it on my head.”
Bart Hubbuch, “Mets’ Bats Help Lefty Earn First Career Win”
“How does the first win feel? It’s better than setting [negative] records,” Misch said with a chuckle. “It’s a good feeling. It’s stuff you dream about and think of. Did I think it would take this long? Who knows? I’m just pretty excited.”
Helen Kennedy, “‘Miracle Met’ Jerry Koosman Goes Off to Prison For Failing To Pay Taxes”
 Forty years after he helped boost a laughingstock team to World Series glory, the retired pitcher was slapped with a six-month sentence for failing to pay taxes. Koosman, 66, a two-time All-Star lefty, apologized as he was read his fate, saying he got suckered by the anti-tax fringe movement.
David Lennon, “No Changes to Citi Field Layout in 2010″
“We all said we’d give it the season and talk about it then,” said assistant GM John Ricco, the traveling executive on this road trip. “There’s been nothing definitive on it yet.”
David Lennon, “Memorable Day for Mets’ Misch, Thole”
Even in the darkest of seasons – and this is among the very worst for the Mets – there is the occasional point of light. The unlikely battery of Misch and Thole stopped the wild card-leading Rockies as the Mets chased Jason Marquis, a 14-game winner, after five innings.
Adam Rubin, “Ciitng Comfort, Mets’ David Wright Reverts to Normal Batting Helmet”
David Wright has shelved the oversized helmet he wore upon returning from a concussion during Tuesday’s series opener in Colorado. Wright was the recipient of good-natured barbs from teammates, opponents and on television, but he said he is reverting to his normal helmet because the new one is heavy and uncomfortable.
Happy Labor Day Weekend!
10 comments
CaseStreet
9/4/2009-12:10pm at 12:10 pm (UTC -4)
Dave Cameron talks about Pedro on fangraphs.com.
“For the season, Pedro has now thrown 23 innings and ran a 4/23 BB/K rate. He’s still prone to the longball, but even giving up frequent home runs, his FIP stands at 3.74. Given his command of the strike zone and ability to keep hitters off balance, Martinez is still capable of shutting teams down on any given night. Durability is going to be a constant question with him, but his ability to get big league hitters out should not be.”
If Pedro stays strong, could Pedro come back home for his last hoorah?
stickguy
9/4/2009-1:25pm at 1:25 pm (UTC -4)
Home? Is that LA or Boston (I don’t figure he will be going back to Montreal, but I guess it could be the Nats!)
but no, I don’t see him getting a deal with the Mets. A livan invite to ST, maybe, but a guaranteed deal for 5mill? Doubt it.
Figures he would do this with the Phils. They also get myers back, 3 months after his hip surgery 9anyone seen Delgado lately?)
I wold have to give up on this team if Omar’s off season is Pedro and Vlad.
trs86
9/4/2009-1:36pm at 1:36 pm (UTC -4)
Stick, you keep asking about Delgado and we keep telling you. LOL. Delgado was ready to come back and taking batting pracitce and got injured AGAIN. It was not even related to the 1st injury.
stickguy
9/4/2009-1:54pm at 1:54 pm (UTC -4)
I know what happened to delgado. It was just a commentary on the relative states of the 2 teams.
ANd having old broken down farts, who are more likely to get hurt trying to rehab from a different injury.
Just like Pedro when he was on the Mets!
trs86
9/4/2009-5:12pm at 5:12 pm (UTC -4)
Completely agree and that is why I did not want Delgado back this year.
stickguy
9/4/2009-2:33pm at 2:33 pm (UTC -4)
I’m still annoyed at the Stark piece form yesterday, and how much traction it is getting. Stark had a few valid points, covered with a heaping helping of BS, sensationalism, and smoke blowing by his “sources”, some of whom seemed to be less informed about the Mets than the average blog poster.
You can propose any number of solutions, but in essence, the message is the same (or should be the same) as every other off season: some combo of system guys, trades, and prudent FA signings to plug the holes.
Yes, there are a lot of “ifs” this year, but every team has ifs. Starting with, will our key guys be healthy? If the answer to that is no, you aren’t likely to have a good season!
so, assuming the core guys are back by ST (and hoping they stay on the field!), the foundation is there for a playoff run.
And a few shrewed moves can significantly bolster the core. I think Lackey wears a giant red flag (LT deals at big $$ to aging pitchers with injury history? Not usually a good idea!)
But, maybe a trade for salary, as opposed to a FA signing? What if the Rays still need to clear payroll. Pena makes 10mill next year. Get him for a couple of 2nd tier porspects, and boom, a power bat and hole filled.
Holliday I would like, but don’t see him here (too$$, or he wants to be elsewhere, or both).
Francouer? I bet they try to ride him 1 more year. Not expensive enough to keep you from making a change mid season, and no long term committment.
SP? if not lackey, the rest of the potential FAs aren’t that good, so maybe rolling dice on a Harden, or try to trade? Make it your 1 “big” trade of the season.
So, just getting a pena, means they have to piece together catcher (santos/vet or thole is fine and cheap), and settle on a LF (I could see an evans/carter platoon, or shoot for a mid level upgrade. Still wondering where Murton is..
Also, bostick and another minors arm to fill out the pen, along with losers from the #4/5 SP competition (maine/neive, etc.)
a line up of: reyes/castillo/beltran/pena/wright/LF/francouer/C is not bad, especially if they can piece together a pitching staff.
and, most of the parts are in house, or relatviely scrap heap. Only big moves are trading for Pena (or equivilant) and 1 SP. Look at Marquis this year. came for peanuts, and had a good year.
and with a few guys at least in AA/AAA already hitting the show (thole, neise, F Mart), the farm is helping. The next layer could be up later next season in a pinch (Davis, with Kirk N. coming quick too), and potentially starting by 2011.
And who knows which guys in A/A+ ball (the supposed cream of the crop, Flores, etc.) will have a big AA season next year? Once they do that (See: davis), then yeah, you are close!
Gotta keep that in mind, much of this “lower level minors great talent” everyone keeps referring to (while denegrating the upper level!) is going to be hitting AA next year.
trs86
9/4/2009-5:09pm at 5:09 pm (UTC -4)
I really appreciate the plugs he has given us, but I wish ALL of these media outlets including Cerrone would stop posting false information on our payroll. It has not been set and NO ONE in the Mets front office has said anything about a pay cut. In fact it seems they have went above normal to insure money is not a problem.
Example in post today Cerrone said Holliday would take our ENTIRE off-season budget. Really? So now we only have 15-18M to spend? So We are going to reduce payroll by 15+M? Ok well get ready for the firestorm from hell.
stickguy
9/4/2009-5:49pm at 5:49 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t think they should say anything about payroll. That should be confidential team info, and no reason to give the competition (including agnets!) any info to work with. And, especially with this FO, don’t believe anything they say. you will have to wait for the season to start to know what happened!
But, as noted above, lowering the payroll is actually a good thing, if they can put the needed talent on the field anyway. I would rather have a better team at 115m than less talent, even though they spent 130.
I swear, some posters seem to think that this is a payroll race (whoever spends the most wins?).
all goes back to spending smart. Not Omars Forte, but who would complain if they brought a new GM in that managed to plug the holes and save money?
That money has to come from somewhere. 15 mill means every fan through the turnstile has to account for an extra $5 profit to the Mets. Or, they cut elsewehre.
How about if they trim the ML payroll, but invest that money in MiL FAs and the draft?
trs86
9/4/2009-5:52pm at 5:52 pm (UTC -4)
Oh I agree that a smarter payroll is needed. However, for us to be competitive NEXT year we will have to spend our way out unless we gut the farm.
stickguy
9/4/2009-6:05pm at 6:05 pm (UTC -4)
probably, but a few smart moves and “spending our way out of it” just means roughly keeping payroll the same.
It will also be nice if they avoid any LT albatross (potential) contracts. Lackey for 5/80 would qualify.
After 2010, they have I think 1 guy on a LT deal (Santana). Everyone else (unless K Rods optin vests) is done after 2011.
even the “bad” deals of ollie and Castillo.
This goes back to the idea of needing to operate in a 3 year window mode (not looking only at next year, as Omar seems to do).
you want to stagger your longer deals, so you don’t have to remake the team all at once. an’t have all the big contracts expiring together, unless you want to act like the marlins and make a run, then cut payroll to $27.95!