Once again it’s time to grab your favorite morning drink, kick your feet up, and get your daily dose of Mets in the Papers.
Denis Hamill, “Ghosts of Shea Haunt Greedy Mets”
Ever since they tore down working-class Shea and replaced it with a stadium named after a failing bank, and designed around luxury boxes for yuppies, the team has been cursed. The Ghosts of Shea set loose a pox, causing so much carnage that they should change the name from Citi Field to Potter’s Field.
Brian Lewis, “Beltran Back in Citi Tonight”
“I’ve been working to come back, so that’s my ultimate goal,” Beltran said in a team release after Sunday’s fifth and final rehab game for the Cyclones. “I haven’t spoken to Omar or the trainers yet about coming back, but I feel like I can come back and play. I’m ready.”
Marty Noble, “Shea Stadium’s Open Letter to Citi Field”
The Mets’ home season, their first at Citi Field, has 12 games remaining. It hardly has gone according to plan. Citi is where the Mets hang their hats these days. And Citi hangs its head after 69 games. It hardly is the first ballpark to deal with abject disappointment. Shea Stadium was quite familiar with the experience.
Steve Popper, “Mets Assistant GM Ricco Not After the Boss’ Job”
“I’m really comfortable doing what I do and doing it well. So far it’s worked out well. He knows that about me. For me, the way I see it the best is him running things and me helping him do that and us winning.”
Anthony Rieber, “Reasons to Watch Mets? Let Us Count Them”
That’s pretty much it. The Mets are about 2010 now. Five months to pitchers and catchers.
Adam Rubin, “Mets Center Fielder Carlos Beltran Set For Return After Rehab Start”
It says something about him,” Luis Castillo said. “I could understand a player saying he should get even more rest so he might get even better, but he wants to play. He wants to be with the team. He wants to give the team a pick-up and be ready for next year.
Adam Rubin, “Tobi To Be With Mets”
Righthander Tobi Stoner is expected to join the Mets on Tuesday with the completion of Triple-A Buffalo’s season. The 24-year-old Stoner, a 16th-round pick in 2006 out of Davis & Elkins College in West Virginia, went 7-7 with a 3.96 ERA in 16 starts for the Bisons.
Roger Rubin, “Mets Batting Leaders Gary Sheffield, Carlos Delgado Doubtful To Return This Season”
When asked about Sheffield, the manager said, “I don’t foresee him playing.” And he described Delgado as “pretty close to being out” for the rest of the season.
Let’s Go Mets !
16 comments
prismo
9/8/2009-10:49am at 10:49 am (UTC -4)
Wow, a lot of terrible articles out today about the Mets (the only worthwhile ones being related to Beltran and Stoner’s arrivals). I guess there’s just not much left to write about this team!
CaseStreet
9/8/2009-10:54am at 10:54 am (UTC -4)
Denis Hamill’s is probably the worst. Never heard of him.
stickguy
9/8/2009-12:10pm at 12:10 pm (UTC -4)
I read that one. Turns out he’s Pete Hamill’s brother (per the comments).
Oh, and the comments section was great. Absolutely roasted the guy. Called him a hack, etc.
Frankly, that piece was something you would find on a 2nd rate blog that no one reads.
CaseStreet
9/8/2009-12:31pm at 12:31 pm (UTC -4)
man, they tore him a new one. serves him right.
stickguy
9/8/2009-12:02pm at 12:02 pm (UTC -4)
the writer’s love to pile on when a team is having a bad year. Get’s more readers, plus you have the whole Mets FO vs. Rubin angle. But, mostly it is crap they produce, and means nothing.
Now, if any of them would like to do some actual research and put out a carefully thought out, well reasoned plan for the future (as in this off seaosn), that I would read!
Only place you seem to see that though is on this blog.
You do have to laugh about someone who’s premise is the new stadium has bad juju and cursed the team! Although maybe they buried some kryptonite at 3B…
My favorite though is still the guy that looked at the current less than stellar team, and concluded that the Mets have no hope of contending for at least 5-8 years. The Royals could be in the WS twice in that time frame!
saltygary
9/8/2009-12:37pm at 12:37 pm (UTC -4)
Here is a more positive article:
By Peter Gammons, ESPN
Though some days they may bear a gruesome resemblance, these are not the 1962 Mets, nor will they begin a demolition process and start selling Tom Seaver down the Ohio River.
Those lineups some days had better been forgotten. The pipes and the workmanship at Citi Field may be faulted, similar to the lack of work done on building up inventory to have in place in Buffalo and Binghamton.
But none of us can begin to comprehend the financial crush and the emotional betrayal that Bernie Madoff laid on the Wilpon family. Because they have refused to use Madoff’s $525-700 billion theft as any kind of excuse for the sitcom that this season became, we don’t know how it has impacted operations; we do know that they have cut out the Instructional League (centering on their Dominican camp, partly necessitated by the pullout of other East Coast Instructional League teams) and seemed all too happy to get out from under Billy Wagner’s contract and not have to shell out $3-5 million for the draft choices he would have brought them next June.
This is not hopeless. Johan Santana and Carlos Beltran should be fine in 2010. So should David Wright. So there are three of the top 15 to 20 players in the National League, and that’s before even beginning to try to figure out what Jose Reyes is at this point in his career.
And they’re not going to be able to restock the franchise by trading any of the above. That doesn’t happen these days, as the Twins found out when they traded Santana.
However, here is some advice for the Wilpons: Hire a really strong, competent, forceful CEO with a widespread understanding of the business, development and people. The list should start with Sandy Alderson, and as he becomes the face of the organization, he should begin with these promises:
1. They will not allow the commissioner’s office to determine whom they draft, and use their market and SNY television network advantage to acquire talent through the draft and the international stage.
2. Stop worrying about comparisons with the Yankees, because in the Hal Steinbrenner/Brian Cashman Era, they are not fading.
An Alderson or Pat Gillick or Gerry Hunsicker can help Omar Minaya assemble all he needs in terms of the organization.
Then they address their needs.
1. One quality starting pitcher. Santana should be back. As we saw with Mike Pelfrey on Sunday, it is there. Jonathon Niese looks to be a quality back-end guy, as does Bobby Parnell. So go try to sign a front-end pitcher. John Lackey wants close to CC Sabathia cash, which may be tough to do with the Santana contract. They can do what Colorado did, find a Jason Marquis; in this case, it could be to accept Bronson Arroyo’s contract … there are ways, and the bullpen should be fine. Maybe Brad Holt and/or Jenrry Mejia can help by June. A big key is sitting down with Scott Boras and forcing Oliver Perez to get serious about his future.
2. Catcher. They may be tempted to take a short-term solution like Jason Varitek, but more likely they will make a deal for a younger catcher like Arizona’s Chris Snyder, the Angels’ Jeff Mathis, Colorado’s Chris Iannetta or Cleveland’s Kelly Shoppach.
3. One corner bat. Even with Carlos Delgado’s contract off the books, going above $15 million for Jason Bay or Matt Holliday and taking on a free-agent pitching contract may be tough for the Wilpons right now. So they will have to be creative, using Daniel Murphy at first or in left. Jeff Francoeur may continue to make strides and deserves every opportunity.
With Holt, Mejia, first baseman Ike Davis (.905 OPS between Single-A and Double-A), Fernando Martinez, Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Ruben Tejada (who led the Eastern League in chances and double plays) knocking at the door, the farm system is nowhere near as bad as has been colored.
Beltran, Wright and Santana are core players; heck, Luis Castillo has a .397 on-base percentage. They need Reyes, they need Pelfrey, they need Perez, and it’s not hapless and hopeless.
The Mets need work — a lot of work — and they need someone at the top like Alderson to channel the talents of Minaya, John Ricco, et al. The Wilpons have to realize that, as Bobby Knight always said, if you listen to the guys in the stands, pretty soon you’ll be sitting up there with them.
stickguy
9/8/2009-1:03pm at 1:03 pm (UTC -4)
I liked this article. It is almost like he has been reading some of my posts for material!
I can quibble about some of the details (such as spending resources on a young catcher), but overall, I like th eframework, and more improtantly, agree with his overall assesment.
2009 has been a disaster, but I guarantee a lot of teams would be happy to switch places with the mets (say their 40 man + another 1/2 dozen prospects).
I have no proble seeing the mets making a few retooling moves, and winning 90 games again next year. That, and maybe the Phils can have everyone and their brother get hurt for a change!
CaseStreet
9/8/2009-3:39pm at 3:39 pm (UTC -4)
I appreciate how Gammons recognizes the Mets talent in Davis, F-Mart, Tejada and even Kirk N.
It’ll be fun to see who will replace Castillo when his contract expires: Flores, Havens, or Tejada.
stickguy
9/8/2009-4:36pm at 4:36 pm (UTC -4)
Wait, we stil have to wait 2 more years?
How about the first on ready gets the job!
j/k, kind of. But, I would still be surprised to see him make it through 2 more full years healthy, and I still think they could use more production out of the position (or at least make him the leadoff hitter)
CaseStreet
9/8/2009-6:22pm at 6:22 pm (UTC -4)
then where does Pagan play?
Pagan-Murphy-Beltran-Wright-Frenchy-Santos-Castillo in 2010
CaseStreet
9/8/2009-12:42pm at 12:42 pm (UTC -4)
BTW, I’ve read a few comments here promoting Ike Davis to the Mets next year.
The guys had a nice year, but aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves? He’ll be 23 next March and has played two seasons of professional baseball.
Can we give him a couple of years before calling him up to the Mets? What’s the rush? At this point, is he going to do any better than Murphy or whatever FA Omar may bring in? Probably not.
There may be an argument for not letting him WASTE in AAA, but I disagree. Look at Kendry Morales from the Angels. He spent the past 3 seasons in AAA at age 23-25 and now he’s raking in Anaheim.
I’m not saying Davis would do the same, but why not let a guy mature and develop, then you have him on a cheap contract during his best years.
Just my opinion.
stickguy
9/8/2009-12:59pm at 12:59 pm (UTC -4)
I am all for giving a guy a little extra time when they can, but once they are ready, they are just wasting production.
But, no way you annoint Davis, or pencil him in for arrviing at any particular time. Let him force the issue by putting up numbers.
The Kendry situation is a little different though. They had a slightly better incumbant blocking him than the Mets are likely to in 2010!
So, if Davis is cruching the ball in AAA on th e4th of July, and whoever is playing 1B is stinking up the joint (or being the Mets, gets hurt), then by all means call him up.
CaseStreet
9/8/2009-2:22pm at 2:22 pm (UTC -4)
Kendry was blocked by Rob Quinlan and Casey Kotchman and then Tex for only 54 games, though Kendry did play 57 games in 06, 43 in 07 and 27 in 08.
In the end, I do agree with your last statement.
stickguy
9/8/2009-3:02pm at 3:02 pm (UTC -4)
his other problem (and a big reason they got Tex) was he didn’t do all that good when he did play.
Of course, that is another reason why sometimes you have to give younger guys some time to put it all together!
trs86
9/8/2009-3:25pm at 3:25 pm (UTC -4)
I have wanted the Mets to trade for Kendry for years. The Angels had all but given up on Kendry because he had not produced to their liking in his stints in the majors. They did not want him at 1B this year and spent the off-season searching for a replacement. Luck on their part more than scouting.
CaseStreet
9/8/2009-3:48pm at 3:48 pm (UTC -4)
You and me both. Kendry and Rivera would’ve made a huge difference on this team.