A tip of the orange-and-blue cap to our friend Matt Cerrone at Metsblog for posting this email from Terry Collins today:
“With our 2011 opener tonight in Florida, I want to make this pledge to Mets fans: our team will play the game the right way. We will always hustle on the bases, run balls down in the outfield and never take anything for granted, no matter the score of the game. We had a great Spring Training. From day one my message has been look ahead, not backward, and not to worry about what the people outside the clubhouse are saying. If we pitch and play defense like I know we can, we will surprise a lot of people, a lot of people. It’s been 12 years since I have started a season as a major league manager. I can’t tell you how proud I am to be leading the New York Mets and am very excited about the season ahead. Thanks for your support and see you at Citi Field.”
After the way the Mets almost went out of their way to play the game the wrong way last year–on and off the field–one can simply hope that this email is not a cruel April Fool’s Day joke.
But seriously folks, it is the beginning of a new year, and hope does indeed spring eternal. This writer was happy to see Collins selected, as the feeling here was that a very different direction was needed from on-field leadership, and that he was one of the best choices to provide that.
May that spring hope stretch out into summer and fall.
Let’s go Mets!
65 comments
metsfan4decades
4/1/2011-11:19am at 11:19 am (UTC -4)
I received the entire email.
‘Ike Davis will continue to develop at first base and Jose Thole is one of the fine young catchers in the game’.
I know Terry had a ghost writer for this. Here’s hoping these kind of mistakes are not indicative of the entire season.
LGM!
stickguy
4/1/2011-11:40am at 11:40 am (UTC -4)
if they are smart, they let it sit, and release an “april fools” follow up later.
wannybackstra
4/1/2011-11:33am at 11:33 am (UTC -4)
Jose may be Josh’s adopted brother.
Anyway, I hope Terry is not off to a Jerry-like start. I don’t like the idea of Harris starting tonight based on the fact that he’s drawn a few walks off of Josh Johnson in a small sample of at bats. I hope I’m wrong and it is probably not that big of a deal.
But Pelfrey is a groundball pitcher and you don’t need a defensive specialist in LF for him (whereas when Niese is pitching I’d prefer to see Harris in LF than Duda). I’d rather go with the big bat today and Harris to play defense for the lefty fly ball pitcher when Niese goes.
But Terry’s motivation appears to be that he thinks Harris is the better offensive option tonight. I hope he’s right.
TRS86
4/1/2011-11:34am at 11:34 am (UTC -4)
I think it was just to lessen the pressure on Duda and reward Harris.
wannybackstra
4/1/2011-11:37am at 11:37 am (UTC -4)
Who said? Form what I’ve read, Collins was talking up Harris’s success against Johnson.
And what pressure? Why is it more pressure tonight than tomorrow or Sunday?
TRS86
4/1/2011-11:39am at 11:39 am (UTC -4)
Opening day I guess.
As for Collins talking up his success did you expect him to talk down his ability? Again, I think that Duda will get more starts than anyone else there while Bay is out.
wannybackstra
4/1/2011-11:45am at 11:45 am (UTC -4)
Why do you always have to argue in non-sequiturs and red herrings?
Where in the world did anyone suggest that Collins should talk down Harris’s ability? And what does that have to do with this discussion?
TRS86
4/1/2011-11:54am at 11:54 am (UTC -4)
I am saying that IMO Collins wanted to let Duda relax a little and take some pressure off him by not starting him in his first game against JJ. Thus by default he started Harris. Knowing that some would question the move he talked up Harris.
Is this what happen? I have no idea. However, we do know that just because he “talked up” a player does not mean that he actually thinks that player is good.
wannybackstra
4/1/2011-11:59am at 11:59 am (UTC -4)
AFLAC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TRS86
4/1/2011-12:02pm at 12:02 pm (UTC -4)
So because I have a different opinion and normally see things differently than you do you think it’s fine just to dismiss the argument?
Again, do you think it’s plausible that Collins started Harris to take the pressure off Duda? I do and because of that I think anything said to highlight Harris could be due to that move. If you can’t understand that side of the argument then so be it.
saltygary
4/1/2011-12:10pm at 12:10 pm (UTC -4)
http://tinyurl.com/3skp79w
wannybackstra
4/1/2011-12:10pm at 12:10 pm (UTC -4)
AFLAC!!!!!!!
TRS86
4/1/2011-12:30pm at 12:30 pm (UTC -4)
So basically you agree.
Dirtysanchez
4/1/2011-11:39am at 11:39 am (UTC -4)
opening day…duda virtually 0 exp vs JJ as opposed to willie who has some success against jj.
stickguy
4/1/2011-11:39am at 11:39 am (UTC -4)
I agree. If anything, this is sending the message to Duda that they don’t think he is good enough to face JJ. So, it could lead to him putting more pressure on himself to prove them wrong.
Better that Collins did say that he just liked the harris/JJ match up, based on past success, and leave it at that.
Dirtysanchez
4/1/2011-11:42am at 11:42 am (UTC -4)
I dont think duda is in any rush to face JJ…im sure he wont mind lol
TRS86
4/1/2011-11:44am at 11:44 am (UTC -4)
I don’t see how it would hurt Duda’s confidence at all. He gets to come up and watch opening day and then play the next two. Opening day based on reading a lot of player interviews is a big deal.
Dirtysanchez
4/1/2011-11:48am at 11:48 am (UTC -4)
I dont either. Nobody wants to get embarrased on opening day..let alone a rookie against one of the best in the game. Willie has more experiance than duda against JJ so he gets the start…no controversy, just common sense. The fact that Duda broke camp with the mets im sure is enough of a confidence booster. Like I said, im sure duda is in no rush to face JJ lol…nobody is im sure.
metsfan4decades
4/1/2011-11:52am at 11:52 am (UTC -4)
Something that’s been in the back of my mind….I’ve read one too many stories on Duda and his confidence level. Some have been direct quotes from Lucas himself.
They’re making it out as if the young man has no confidence in himself at all and some of his teammates have noticed.
TRS86
4/1/2011-11:55am at 11:55 am (UTC -4)
Which even if it’s only slightly true, why not bring him up and give him a better chance to be successful by allowing him to break the opening day nerves with a PH appearance and then start the following day?
metsfan4decades
4/1/2011-11:48am at 11:48 am (UTC -4)
I find the reasons for Harris over Duda tonight to be more plausible than Jerry switching the roster up so Pelf’s first start wasn’t against the Marlins last year.
Did I say how glad I am that Jerry is gone?
Dirtysanchez
4/1/2011-11:51am at 11:51 am (UTC -4)
Thats so funny…you would think that would be a big talking story but it was almost as if jerry never existed. Im sooo glad he is gone but its funny that got like 0 attention considering the despise alot of people(myself included) had for him.
wannybackstra
4/1/2011-1:06pm at 1:06 pm (UTC -4)
I’d go so far as to say it’s reasonable — better than plausible. And while I still would not have done it this way I am glad we at least have someone aboard who could actually articulate a logical explanation for decisions.
TRS86
4/1/2011-11:38am at 11:38 am (UTC -4)
http://content.usatoday.com/sportsdata/baseball/mlb/salaries/team
Interesting. Although this list is misleading (it’s not total payroll, just guys currently with MLB contracts so it’s missing Ollie and Castillo) I do wonder if the Phillies win will it be because they bought a championship?
New York Yankees $ 202,689,028
Philadelphia Phillies $ 172,976,379
Boston Red Sox $ 161,762,475
Los Angeles Angels $ 138,543,166
Chicago White Sox $ 127,789,000
Chicago Cubs $ 125,047,329
New York Mets $ 118,847,309
So there is actually a larger difference between the Phillies and Cubs than there is between the Redsox and Yanks.
metsfan4decades
4/1/2011-11:41am at 11:41 am (UTC -4)
Phills almost 173? I thought I read somewhere yesterday their payroll was 167. Either way, I wonder how much of an increase that’s been compared to 5 years ago.
I keep saying the Phils are the Yankees of the NL. That includes their fans and sense of entitlement. They somehow expect at the trade deadline to give up crappy pieces for an elite bat. As in the other team would readily jump on that just b/c they want it to be so.
Dirtysanchez
4/1/2011-11:43am at 11:43 am (UTC -4)
Phillies fans are WAY worse than yankee fans imo. Yankee fans are obnoxious brats…philly fans are just flat out disgusting people from their core outward.
stickguy
4/1/2011-11:46am at 11:46 am (UTC -4)
in 2007 I think they were right about 100 even, maybe high 90s.
typical though. Teams get good with young talent, win with a moderate payroll, then get old and expensive on the down hill slide.
mets did the same thing from 2006-2010.
Ceetar
4/1/2011-11:48am at 11:48 am (UTC -4)
Difference is the Mets choked it away and added crazy injuries on top of it, but yeah. You push the limits when you’re close, add Santana/Halladay/Lee etc, and hope prospects and trades can step up and pick up the slack when the money catches up.
Dirtysanchez
4/1/2011-11:42am at 11:42 am (UTC -4)
They now have the highest payroll in the NL…it could be said they bought it sure…probably wont though because the 4 pitchers on the phills will dominate the headlines
Ceetar
4/1/2011-11:46am at 11:46 am (UTC -4)
They certainly purchased it, as Hamels is easily the 4th of those guys and he’s the one that’s homegrown. And he’s had more seasons in Philly than the other three combined.
Still,i wonder if that payroll is sustainable. Right now they’re expecting a high rate of return per $ on those pitchers and Howard, but as those players age they’re going to be getting less and less value and need to spend more to replace it.
TRS86
4/1/2011-11:47am at 11:47 am (UTC -4)
It’s not the point that it’s the highest in the NL. It’s the fact that it’s REALLY the highest in the NL. Almost 50M higher.
stickguy
4/1/2011-11:43am at 11:43 am (UTC -4)
I don’t think Amaro was kidding when he said they were tapped out this year, so don’t expect any more big money acquisitions.
interesting off season for them too. They have a couple guys expiring (rollins and ibanez) but lee gets a massive raise. Curious to see how high they keep payroll, and if not this high, how they manage to lower it!
most likely Oswalt gets squeezed out.
TRS86
4/1/2011-1:23pm at 1:23 pm (UTC -4)
You know, I miss kingman for this discussion. LOL.
wannybackstra
4/1/2011-1:27pm at 1:27 pm (UTC -4)
He’s probably bored of discussions seeded in jealousy trying to discredit the Phillies.
Anyway, some of these comments seem to imply that the Phillies system doesn’t produce players. But without their system producing quality prospects they wouldn’t have been able to trade for top players.
The idea that having homegrown players in the lineup is superior is overstated and overrated.
TRS86
4/1/2011-1:33pm at 1:33 pm (UTC -4)
Hey not me. No doubt they have achieved a lot of success in their entire organization of late. Just stating that many feel the Yanks bought their last championship and to me if the Phillies win you could make the same case. At least that they bought an NL pennant.
As for Kingman, he’s taking a break.
TRS86
4/1/2011-1:34pm at 1:34 pm (UTC -4)
That being said, I knew I could count on you to have his back in defending the Phillies.
kistics
4/1/2011-1:34pm at 1:34 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t understand how they can publish these salary numbers when they are clearly misleading/inaccurate?
TRS86
4/1/2011-1:41pm at 1:41 pm (UTC -4)
Well technically they are accurate. LOL.
It’s just a different kind of chart that only shows opening day payroll. Now that being said I wonder why they count guys on the DL but not guys on the 40 man who are not on the roster. I guess 15 day DL guys count as active?
kistics
4/1/2011-1:54pm at 1:54 pm (UTC -4)
But the teams don’t give a rats ass about these numbers and so do we.
TRS86
4/1/2011-1:56pm at 1:56 pm (UTC -4)
Uh?
metsfan4decades
4/1/2011-11:43am at 11:43 am (UTC -4)
I’m sure all Met fans know the story of Sidd Finch. For some of the younger ones who never read the SI story, it’s worth the read:
http://images.si.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1119283/1/index.htm
The ultimate April Fool’s Day story.
saltygary
4/1/2011-12:22pm at 12:22 pm (UTC -4)
Just as a FYI I’ve been trying to keep a somewhat accurate payroll spreadsheet and this is what I have. Feel free to provide input.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AgoabF6Dl2AhdEV4Zk4yb285R3htN2t2VGE5RGt6b0E&hl=en&authkey=CM7O9ugK
saltygary
4/1/2011-12:24pm at 12:24 pm (UTC -4)
Notables… Active Roster is at $76.5m. Add in the DL and you have $116.3m. Add in contracts for player in the minors and inactive players you got $139.3.
This only players I didn’t account for is minor league contracts on the 40 man roster.
TRS86
4/1/2011-12:29pm at 12:29 pm (UTC -4)
Which all totaled would be around 146 million or so.
saltygary
4/1/2011-12:33pm at 12:33 pm (UTC -4)
Nope ! totaled is $139. Click on the spreadsheet and take a look… I always could be wrong.
TRS86
4/1/2011-12:43pm at 12:43 pm (UTC -4)
No I am saying after you add in the 11 or more players that are on the 40 man and not on the opening day lineup. Total payroll includes the entire 40 man roster. For the luxury tax it even includes benefits.
saltygary
4/1/2011-12:52pm at 12:52 pm (UTC -4)
ahhh thanks.
metsfan4decades
4/1/2011-12:44pm at 12:44 pm (UTC -4)
Nice…thanks.
How much better would that look without Perez’s 12 MIL?
So we’re not paying Izzy anything right now?
TRS86
4/1/2011-12:49pm at 12:49 pm (UTC -4)
If it is JUST an invite and no contract then they would be paying him living cost I think.
saltygary
4/1/2011-12:51pm at 12:51 pm (UTC -4)
Izzy is the one confusion I have. He is not on the active roster and I cannot find his contract and what it covers.
saltygary
4/1/2011-12:56pm at 12:56 pm (UTC -4)
It’s crazy 21m to people that aren’t on the team:
Ollie, Castillo, Saberhagan, Bonilla and GMJ.
Prismo
4/1/2011-12:44pm at 12:44 pm (UTC -4)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/post/nats-spell-john-lannans-name-wrong/2011/04/01/AFUqUpGC_blog.html
saltygary
4/1/2011-12:57pm at 12:57 pm (UTC -4)
Charlie Samuels is available…
wannybackstra
4/1/2011-1:14pm at 1:14 pm (UTC -4)
Fatcessa sarcastically tearing apart Terry Collins’ message. i guess the fat buffoon expects terry to be negative on opening day.
negativity is ok for us… but the manager?
Ceetar
4/1/2011-1:18pm at 1:18 pm (UTC -4)
and ad-libbing stupid stuff. You know, I get how crappy radio is, but you’d think with opening day i could at least get some discussion or interviews or news type talk without the bashing and ignorance. Tried Kay, he’s talking about how the Mets really want to the team to lose because Beltran and Reyes are leaving and they really should want to trade them, and the K-Rod thing.
Oh well.
wannybackstra
4/1/2011-1:23pm at 1:23 pm (UTC -4)
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/01/sports/baseball/01vecsey.html?_r=2&ref=sports
TRS86
4/1/2011-1:39pm at 1:39 pm (UTC -4)
I swear, watching the Phillies game and their announcers act like they expected Halladay to throw a no-hitter today. All upset when Myers got a hit in the 3rd inning. Fans were groaning.
Ceetar
4/1/2011-1:49pm at 1:49 pm (UTC -4)
It’ll be all the sweeter if he wears down and isn’t quite as good as last year then.
stickguy
4/1/2011-2:03pm at 2:03 pm (UTC -4)
well, he finished the playoffs doing that. Sore shoulder, pulled groin. All those innings over the years do add up.
Ceetar
4/1/2011-2:19pm at 2:19 pm (UTC -4)
he’s getting hit pretty hard. the ball speed off the bat I mean, not the results.
TRS86
4/1/2011-1:44pm at 1:44 pm (UTC -4)
Astros need to just have Carlos Lee stay in the dugout and let Bourn play LF and CF.
wannybackstra
4/1/2011-1:55pm at 1:55 pm (UTC -4)
I guess he makes too much money to be a PH all season and a DH in interleague games.
TRS86
4/1/2011-2:01pm at 2:01 pm (UTC -4)
He still has some pop but he can’t even get on base anymore. Really just need to eat enough contract to trade him to an AL team to DH.
njstuckintx
4/1/2011-2:16pm at 2:16 pm (UTC -4)
I was at the last preseason game vs. the sox here in houston. There was such a dinky little hit by Agonz that dropped in for a 2 run single that anyone other than Lee could have snagged easy. He’s killing that team, both financially and by his play.
stickguy
4/1/2011-2:05pm at 2:05 pm (UTC -4)
Gotta love early season baseball.
at 10:00 this morning, 20 minutes from CBP, it was snowing.