Smithtown's Frank Catalanotto
Today’s Mets related news we didn’t quite get around to making a post about:
- SI’s Jon Heyman used his dandy opposable thumbs to tweet that the Mets are one of three clubs interested in utilityman Frank Catalanotto who hails from Smithtown. Lets all have a lunch of bread and cheese to celebrate (that’s for you, Smithtown). Anything that gets Smithtown progeny Melissa Joan Hart, Lori Loughlin or Soledad O’Brien to Citi Field is alright by me.
Smithtown's Lori Loughlin
- Heyman’s busy thumbs also tweeted regarding John Smoltz that the Mets “have fallen behind in Smoltz derby,” which sounds like a version of a demolition derby that they probably would be best served falling behind in anyway. Or is it a hat?
Smithtown's Soledad O'Brien
- Stephen Brown of The Brooklyn Paper reports that the home park of the Mets minor league affiliate Brooklyn Cyclones will soon have a new name as the naming rights deal for the former Keyspan Park has come to an end. No official announcement of the new corporate sponsor has been made so if you’ve got some extra cash sitting around now’s your chance to get your name on a minor league ballpark. I didn’t really think this story was important I just needed some text to put this bewitching picture of Melissa Joan Hart below. You’re welcome.
Smithtown's Melissa Joan Hart
25 comments
trs86
1/29/2010-6:29pm at 6:29 pm (UTC -4)
Depends on the price. He is REALLY the LH version of Tatis.
prismo
1/29/2010-6:53pm at 6:53 pm (UTC -4)
Also hailing from Smithtown…my dad!
And everyone knows: Clarissa Explains it All > Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Lori Loughlin…lose the six-pack. Yuck.
GravediggerHebner
1/29/2010-7:42pm at 7:42 pm (UTC -4)
The thing about the show I chose was I was kind of trying to make sure I used a legal, consenting adult, but if you’re into 15 year old girls, and witches, might I recommend Selena Gomez in the first season of Wizards of Waverly Place. Plus it was easier for me to work the word “bewitching” into that sentence that it would’ve been to put “explaining” or “Clarissaing” in.
Agreed about the six-pack, not my thing either but I figured someone out there might like it. I was going to include Smithtown’s own Rosie O’Donnell in a “for the ladies” pic but ultimately went with Catalanotto.
prismo
1/29/2010-8:05pm at 8:05 pm (UTC -4)
Considering that Melissa Joan Hart’s 9 years older than me (yowza!), she’s the one who better make sure *I’m* the legal, consenting adult!
I’ll pass on the 15 year old girl though, thanks anyway. :p
GravediggerHebner
1/29/2010-8:11pm at 8:11 pm (UTC -4)
Well they still make The Wizards of Waverly Place, and I think Selena turns 18 this year.
Ever since the very public countdown for the Olsen twins to turn 18, I’ve become a fan of such things. Protocol is important, even for perverts.
Hazmet
1/29/2010-8:30pm at 8:30 pm (UTC -4)
I’ll meet you by the Smithtown Bull on Rt 25! Also, Smithtown Landing, nice golf course great teachers & staff.
GDH – Rosie’s actually from next door in Commack.
I grew up in the hills of dicks as my Ex NYC Homicide Detective English Teacher used to say. aka Dix Hills. Home of fity cents burnt out home and the great John Coltrane for an all to brief time. For Jets fans home of Wesley Walker, Emerson Boozer and others. The roads actually were dirt when my family moved there in the 50′s.
Apologies for the detour, you struck a chord with your dad being from the area.
metsfan4decades
1/29/2010-7:44pm at 7:44 pm (UTC -4)
Are they laughing at us? Hey, we’re going to have the last laugh this season.
http://www.hotfootblog.com/2010/01/29/the-real-dirty-mets-blog-a-stunner-for-optimism/
GravediggerHebner
1/29/2010-7:48pm at 7:48 pm (UTC -4)
I suppose it’s possible they’re laughing but not necessarily. I left a comment at that blog a couple of days ago and today I received an email from them about some changes they’re making, including taking “guest submission” posts and videos.
I have noticed hotfoot link to other blog’s posts recently so I think he’s simply “spreading the news,” sort of like TRS did the other day when he basically just made a post which was a link to a post at Mets Merized Online.
metsfan4decades
1/29/2010-7:53pm at 7:53 pm (UTC -4)
On MC’s latest post he puts up a question from a fan about ‘The Mets Should Trade for Joe Mauer’.
Got a laugh out of Alex’s comment. I really beginning to think DWright killed his dog or something:
alex68 January 29, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Joe mauer?? Really?? We can’t even trade for harang and phillips and some ACTUALLY ask for the mets to trade for mauer??? Wow.. only mets fans are this amazing.. although I would trade david wright in a heartbeat for mauer..
saltygary
1/29/2010-7:54pm at 7:54 pm (UTC -4)
For those without a ESPN Insider Account:
Mets prospect Martinez still cutting his teeth
Friday, January 29, 2010 | Print Entry
Posted by Jorge Arangure Jr.
Only in sports, and perhaps most notoriously in baseball, can a prospect be considered a bust at the tender age of 21. That label has seemingly stuck to New York Mets outfield prospect Fernando Martinez who — along with suffering myriad injuries that have stunted his development — underperformed (.176 average in 91 at bats) in a hasty call-up to the majors last year.
“In an ideal world we wanted him to spend all of last year in Triple-A and get at-bats,” Mets general manager Omar Minaya said. “We put him in a situation where as a young man he was hitting in the fifth hole. I think he gained something from that experience. And really we didn’t have a choice [but to call him up]. We were down to our fourth and fifth options.”
Martinez’s struggles have continued. Through the Dominican Winter League’s regular season, Martinez batted just .191 with a .213 slugging percentage for the Leones del Escogido. Suddenly whispers abounded about whether Martinez was out of shape and whether he could ever actually live up to his potential.
Yet because of the fickle nature of prospect evaluation, Martinez’s status shot right up again after having a splendid performance in the Dominican League Finals. In Game 3 of the finals, Martinez had a series-record six hits in a win. Martinez hit .387 with 2 home runs and a series-high 6 RBIs in helping lead the Leones to a title.
Even before the Mets acquired outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. in trade from the Los Angeles Angels, Martinez was likely to begin his 2010 season in the minors. Yet at least now he likely heads to Buffalo with some momentum.
“Really we just want him to stay healthy,” Minaya said. “We expect him to be a contributor in the majors in a year or so.”
Just what the Mets’ long-term plans are for Martinez is uncertain. Obviously he won’t be playing left field since the team just signed Jason Bay. Currently, Jeff Francoeur is the team’s right fielder, but he may not be a long-term answer at the position. Then perhaps Martinez may land in an unlikely spot: centerfield.
“We believe he can play centerfield, but that hasn’t been determined,” Minaya said.
The Mets may decide to have Martinez play centerfield for Buffalo to prepare him, or at least gauge whether he can replace Beltran, whose ongoing knee problems might force him into a corner outfield spot. Last year Martinez started 7 games in centerfield for the Mets.
Regardless, this season appears pivotal for Martinez. He will need to show some development at the plate. In 1,105 career minor league games, he’s only posted a .782 OPS. This year’s performance may determine whether Martinez is destined to be a superstar, or perhaps simply an average or above-average player.
“Our opinion of him has not changed,” Minaya said. “It’s just a matter that we have to give him a chance to play.”
saltygary
1/29/2010-7:55pm at 7:55 pm (UTC -4)
Not that the stars ever align, but having him replace Beltran as an effective center fielder would be pretty sweet. This guy needs to be healthy this year.
GravediggerHebner
1/29/2010-8:00pm at 8:00 pm (UTC -4)
Good stuff, and as always thank you Salty for sharing the “inside” stuff that you pay for with us. I and I’m sure everybody else without insider access appreciate it.
Kingman 26
1/29/2010-8:05pm at 8:05 pm (UTC -4)
Thanks for posting this Salty! Much appreciated!
saltygary
1/29/2010-8:12pm at 8:12 pm (UTC -4)
Anytime guys. It’s worth paying money to know what the industrial sports machine thinks about the Metsies.
Hazmet
1/29/2010-8:43pm at 8:43 pm (UTC -4)
Great job, thanks for the info. I always thought that was the eventual plan all along for F-Mart. It would be nice to see the Mets get back to the blueprint for him. Let him get a full year playing center for the Bisons and next year he could come in to right if Frenchy was to leave or be ready to step in for Carlos.
I heart Beltran but I’m seriously concerned about his wheels. 29 more missed games and he will have missed one full seasons worth of his contract. That’s frightning to me.
trs86
1/29/2010-9:10pm at 9:10 pm (UTC -4)
Half of those were last year.
Hazmet
1/29/2010-9:34pm at 9:34 pm (UTC -4)
I totally understand that but the numbers are the numbers. And he is on the back end of his deal and we know how those usually work out. However, he is only 32 and should be in his prime. I always look back to his first year with the Mets and wonder if things may have been different for his legs if they didn’t play their new investment that night in Washington with like 6″ of water on the field. For me that was the beginning.
GravediggerHebner
1/29/2010-8:20pm at 8:20 pm (UTC -4)
Have you guys seen this whole Mike Bacsik Tim Redding thing? If not, just google their names together. Fascinating.
Basically Redding publicly accuses Bacsik of deliberately giving up Barry Bonds’ record breaking home run. I watched Baseball Tonight earlier (against my better judgment) and caught a phone interview with Bacsik in which he described Redding as “one of the worst teammates I’ve ever had.”
saltygary
1/29/2010-8:27pm at 8:27 pm (UTC -4)
Seeing that I have a dual signed buckner/mookie 16×20 behind my desk at work, you think Billy gave and call to Bacsik about a wonderful retirement opportunity?
GravediggerHebner
1/30/2010-12:23am at 12:23 am (UTC -4)
Shhh, don’t tell anyone I’m still up.
In the interest of gaining favor with Stickguy and Kingman’s Positiviality ™ Crew, I give you this:
http://metsfever.blogspot.com/2010/01/is-mets-plan-character.html
“Maybe the plan without throwing the core under the bus is to surround them with guys who can teach them to be mentally tough and win…”
stickguy
1/30/2010-9:01am at 9:01 am (UTC -4)
OK, you are in. Grab a Blue Moon from the fridge and take a load off.
Interesting piece, and certainly defensible and just as likely as all the other opinions floated around! And certainly something that the nabobs have been screaming for for years.
Or it could be coincidence. Who knows.
I still think the problem was lack of talent (such as viable pen arms), but some cajones isn’t going to hurt either.
Now, just make Catalanato the hitting coach, cora the manager, and fogg the pitching coach, so we don’t have to see them on the field.
stickguy
1/30/2010-9:32am at 9:32 am (UTC -4)
Here is one for TRS> He’ll know where it came from.
“so the onice of course is on the starters “
Kingman 26
1/30/2010-11:11am at 11:11 am (UTC -4)
“onice”??
Holy crap, does anyone in America know how to spell or write anymore??
trs86
1/30/2010-11:20am at 11:20 am (UTC -4)
What the hell does that even mean?
Kingman 26
1/30/2010-11:21am at 11:21 am (UTC -4)
I am guessing the moronic writer was trying to use the word “onus” which would make sense.