Obligatory dawn of spring training snapshot. #mets twitter.com/mikekerwick/st…
— Mike Kerwick (@mikekerwick) February 11, 2013
Feb 11
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63 comments
Stick
2/11/2013-10:33am at 10:33 am (UTC -4)
thank goodness. It is about time. man, this offseason seems to have been really long. Probably from wasting time on other sites that just rehash the same nonsense day after day.
so it will be nice to actually see guys playing, and discuss making the roster, as opposed to crying like a big baby that Sandy is a mean man that is ruining everything, as some subset of the fanbase seems to spend all their time doing.
Intelligent, rational fans are still out there, but man, it is getting harder to find them.
srt
2/11/2013-10:47am at 10:47 am (UTC -4)
And as usual, crossing my fingers none of our starting 8 plus pitchers goes down with an injury…..
srt
2/11/2013-10:46am at 10:46 am (UTC -4)
Baseball is back!
Stick
2/11/2013-11:02am at 11:02 am (UTC -4)
I could use a trip to Fla. Cooped up in the house all day with this incessant gray, rainy weather is taking a toll on me!
kingman 26
2/11/2013-12:18pm at 12:18 pm (UTC -4)
I’m going to LA Friday–should be in the 70s…I will say hi to the Pacific Ocean for you…
Prismo
2/11/2013-12:58pm at 12:58 pm (UTC -4)
And I’m going to Orlando Saturday-should be in the 70s (after Sunday). Let’s send Stick post cards from our warm and sunny destinations.
kingman 26
2/11/2013-2:17pm at 2:17 pm (UTC -4)
I certainly will stop by here to remind him…after I spend some time at my hotel’s pool across the street from the ocean…
Stick
2/11/2013-2:41pm at 2:41 pm (UTC -4)
why don’t you pick up a couple of starlets for a fun evening too. Really rub it in!
kingman 26
2/11/2013-3:21pm at 3:21 pm (UTC -4)
I usually do that in Las Vegas, but hey, thanks for the suggestion!
gategem
2/11/2013-7:00pm at 7:00 pm (UTC -4)
I have family that lives along the space coast of Florida. The house is on a channel where dolphins swim right up to the backyard. There’s a pool in the backyard and if I walk across A1A I’m at the beach. I was thinking of scheduling a visit. One of my favorite pastimes down there is to walk down A1A to the area of the beach where the girls from the Doll House sunbathe. I’ve always found them to be friendly to an old geezer.
darknova306
2/11/2013-11:51am at 11:51 am (UTC -4)
BASEBALLLLL!!!!!!!!
Mr North Jersey
2/11/2013-11:55am at 11:55 am (UTC -4)
@nickcafardo
MLBPA executive counsel David Prouty said he has been in talks with MLB through the mets on the Michael Bourn saga.
https://twitter.com/nickcafardo/status/301000260812161025
Something worth keeping an eye on?
TX
2/11/2013-12:01pm at 12:01 pm (UTC -4)
Here’s to hoping!
kingman 26
2/11/2013-12:19pm at 12:19 pm (UTC -4)
Thanks Mr. N.
If they sign Bourn, I am ready to delude myself with wild card possibilities…or at least 82+ wins…
And serious contention in 2014.
SaltyGary
2/11/2013-12:35pm at 12:35 pm (UTC -4)
This is not the first I have heard this and I don’t get it. If Bourn was really worth 12 wins (if you think they will only win 70 IDK), if would have been signed by now. Don’t let the excitement delude your judgment.
darknova306
2/11/2013-12:46pm at 12:46 pm (UTC -4)
Bourn is becoming the O-Dawg of the Alderson era, in my mind.
greggofboken
2/11/2013-12:54pm at 12:54 pm (UTC -4)
Bourn stands a shot at elevating the team to a slightly better 2013 than 2012. His real value is putting into position a solid addition for 2014, the likes of whom might not be replicable in next year’s free agent market.
SaltyGary
2/11/2013-12:59pm at 12:59 pm (UTC -4)
Don’t disagree with you at all. Just sating that adding 12 wins would be hard for Pujols to accomplish on this team let alone Bourn.
Prismo
2/11/2013-1:02pm at 1:02 pm (UTC -4)
Perception is potentially important in how a team performs as well. You’re right – Bourn himself is probably only worth 3-4 wins over the course of a season (above Kirk, etc).
But if the perception of the team changes from “OMG NO OUTFIELD NO OFFENSE 70 WIN TEAM” to “Hey we signed a big league outfielder, a real starting pitcher, and several relief options. We have Harvey, Wheeler, d’Arnaud…we might be good!” and that leads to more confidence in the clubhouse, it might also lead to additional wins that aren’t statistically related to Bourn’s play.
Just throwing that out there to think about. I’m not sure it’s “real” but something to ponder.
TX
2/11/2013-1:18pm at 1:18 pm (UTC -4)
I agree. It’s not specific to Bourn, but rather the combo of Bourn, a better BP, a healthy Ike, etc. I think the BP changes bring the most to the table, as far as potential additional wins.
If they sign Bourn, with all the rest they did, I’ll go out on a limb and state they finish above .500.
darknova306
2/11/2013-1:19pm at 1:19 pm (UTC -4)
Definitely a possibility, though it’s impossible to know or quantify.
Stick
2/11/2013-1:24pm at 1:24 pm (UTC -4)
If that scerario happens, I would think it is more likely the fans (buying in, maybe buying tickets), not the players. they know who adds what.
and I still don’t buy that simply replacing a cowpie/kirk platoon with Bourn is going to lift a cloud off the players, and take them from sucking to kicking ass!
darknova306
2/11/2013-1:32pm at 1:32 pm (UTC -4)
If the team finishes at/above .500, it’ll be due to bullpen improvements and the rotation living up to the wildly high expectations everyone has. Bourn is most definitely not the missing piece to .500 or contention.
greggofboken
2/11/2013-1:53pm at 1:53 pm (UTC -4)
I’m with Stick. Beyond the slight impact that Bourn will directly have on the won-lost record, his “intangible” effect will be on fan perception rather than on ballclub psyche. Since fan perception right now is in the basement and not likely get a jolt out of John Buck’s cool stylings at bat or the efforts of Lucas Duda to avoid goring himself while dodging incoming missiles, Bourn’s value on ticket sales is not a small point.
kingman 26
2/11/2013-2:21pm at 2:21 pm (UTC -4)
Attitude is huge in sports, and discounting it is ridiculous.
Keith Hernandez and Jason Kidd made HUGE differences in how the Mets and Nets went practically overnight from being perennial losers to elite teams.
Of course talent is also very much required, but as Yogi Berra once said, “Ninety per cent of the game is half mental.”
Amen.
srt
2/11/2013-1:30pm at 1:30 pm (UTC -4)
I really hope the BP has improved to the point where we can pick up some games there.
Stick
2/11/2013-1:39pm at 1:39 pm (UTC -4)
no guarantees of course, but just on paper, it looks way better. FFF staying reasonably healthy will certainly help, as will a couple of the new guys not falling off the cliff like last years did!
but hard to be worse when you got rid of Manny, DJ and ramirez! And are likely to have a couple spare lefties.
kingman 26
2/11/2013-2:31pm at 2:31 pm (UTC -4)
Not sure where you get that Gary.
I think Marcum is clearly good for a few wins over what was in his spot in 2012.
It is very possible that from the huge number of bullpen arm’s a couple more win’s will be worked out.
d’Oorknob might add a couple of win’s.
AND if you add Bourn’s leadoff ability (22nd best OBP in the NL last year) and great defense and speed, all of this C O M B I N E D might make the team 8–10 win’s better than last year.
Got it? I added a bunch of extra unnecessary apostrophe’s to make this comment more amenable to you…
Stick
2/11/2013-2:43pm at 2:43 pm (UTC -4)
marcum is winning 22 games? man, that would be one heck of a value signing!
greggofboken
2/11/2013-2:56pm at 2:56 pm (UTC -4)
This seems overly optimistic to me in light of the loss of Dickey and what I consider the strong likelihood that both Wright and Parnell may return a little more to earth than they were on the whole last year. Sans Bourn, I think we come close to pulling even w/last year’s group despite these factors. That’s yards better than my initial expectations at the start of the off-season.
kingman 26
2/11/2013-3:23pm at 3:23 pm (UTC -4)
Give me a break Stkic.
I meant as 4th or 5th starter.
And Gregg I think Harvey and Marcum and Gee all for the entire year (hopefully) make up for a lot of the loss of Dickey.
wanny
2/11/2013-3:25pm at 3:25 pm (UTC -4)
Stkic. Is that a Slavic name?
srt
2/11/2013-1:24pm at 1:24 pm (UTC -4)
Kingman might be taking that float out of storage.
Stick
2/11/2013-1:25pm at 1:25 pm (UTC -4)
All because of michael Bourn. And he calls me dilusional!
kingman 26
2/11/2013-2:19pm at 2:19 pm (UTC -4)
NOT all because of Michael Bourn.
Not remotely.
Without him, I am very excited by the offseason moves; Marcum and the pen additions will make a big difference, and adding d’Oorknob and Wheeler will also have the chance to make a big difference.
Adding a Gold Glove CF with great speed who had the 22nd best OBP in the NL last year as leadoff hitter will only hasten the improvement and return to relevance.
kingman 26
2/11/2013-2:26pm at 2:26 pm (UTC -4)
Look, all I can say is that the Parade Float will be ready when needed.
And in all seriousness, while there is a long way to go, if Harvey, Wheeler, Niese, Syndergaard, d’Oorknob, Flores, and Montero mostly reach their potential, this is going to be an excellent team in 3 years.
If St. Dimples of the Holy Borough of Queens can stay relevant too and Ike plays like he did before the illness and the collision with His Magnificence, really, this team can be great.
It’s all the starting pitching. Every part of the team is better than it appears when you have a great rotation. Nothing proves that more than the 1969 Mets.
Prismo
2/11/2013-2:42pm at 2:42 pm (UTC -4)
“St. Dimples of the Holy Borough of Queens”
Are you trying to prop David up to become the next Pope?
Stick
2/11/2013-2:46pm at 2:46 pm (UTC -4)
I do have one major bone to pick with Sandy on how he is putting the roster together.
the dude really needs to find players with names that are easier to spell. Get Joe Smith back maybe. I have no shot at ever getting D’auberville or Synergies right.
at least Cowpie is easy to remember.
Prismo
2/11/2013-3:15pm at 3:15 pm (UTC -4)
d’Arnaud is a french name (hence why it’s pronounced dar-no). Somewhere back in time his family was from the french village of Arnaud. In french, putting “de” before a word means “of” – so his surname would mean “of Arnaud.” But since Arnaud starts with the letter a (vowel sound) the de is chained on and it becomes d’Arnaud.
Perhaps this will help.
kingman 26
2/11/2013-3:24pm at 3:24 pm (UTC -4)
I’d love for St. Dimples The Holy One to be the next Pope!
Does the Vatican have 2-3 prospects on the level of d’Oorknob and Securitygaard??
TX
2/11/2013-3:25pm at 3:25 pm (UTC -4)
I hope they start Darrrrr-Noooo chants, similar to our beloved Strawberry.
srt
2/11/2013-5:14pm at 5:14 pm (UTC -4)
I can never remember how to spell his name so I’ve been referring to him as TAD.
gategem
2/11/2013-7:28pm at 7:28 pm (UTC -4)
Kong, after reading your quotes it sounds as if there won’t be any grass left on that float. It seems you smoked it all. If you have any brownies left over let me know.
gategem
2/11/2013-7:31pm at 7:31 pm (UTC -4)
Prismo, reading your comments is like going to college.
Hazmet
2/11/2013-7:39pm at 7:39 pm (UTC -4)
They should just put a “P” on Wright’s jersey instead of a “C” that should cover all bases.
srt
2/11/2013-2:22pm at 2:22 pm (UTC -4)
Who was it here that was very high in Jack Leathersich?
MMO has a nice interview up with him.
Sounds like JP Ricciardi is high on this kid too – saying he might get a cup of coffee in the MLs this season. Pretty high praise for a kid just starting AA.
Stick
2/11/2013-2:47pm at 2:47 pm (UTC -4)
it is nice to actually see hope for a pen that features some young, live power arm guys in the near future. Been a long time since the Mets had that (something the Braves have made a signature of the team).
Prismo
2/11/2013-2:23pm at 2:23 pm (UTC -4)
One note on Bourn:
I will be upset when the Mets sign Bourn and confirm that Duda is still the starting left fielder.
I would much rather see Kirk/Cowgill in left, Bourn in center, Brown/Baxter in right, with Kirk/Cowgill. It would immediately make our defense a force to be reckoned with (not that teams are generally frightened by defenses, but hey).
kingman 26
2/11/2013-2:27pm at 2:27 pm (UTC -4)
I cannot imagine that Kirk sits…he has to play for defense.
When Baxter is hitting .118 in May, this issue will work itself out.
Prismo
2/11/2013-2:41pm at 2:41 pm (UTC -4)
I’m hoping Brown plays well and takes over RF. Certainly wouldn’t bet my life on that though, hah.
Stick
2/11/2013-2:52pm at 2:52 pm (UTC -4)
I am still high on Brown (at least the guy on the street corner told me it was Brown…)
anyway, I think he is much more likely to be a platoon force though, and will easily replace the last 2 years of Hairston, and whatever he would have done this year.
If Bourn comes in, I see it as Kirk/baxter (one of them) in RF sharing time with Brown.
Duda will still get a shot at keeping LF, and cowpie will serve as his caddy, and take some starts vs. LHP if Duda is not mauling them.
However, bourn would make the trade Duda idea better, though he does not replace the power, you can go with a speed team to start, depending on Buck, Ike and Wright for the longer hits, with Brown and Kirk chipping in some.
once D’orio and Flores come up to play C and 2B, then the team will have a lot more slugging (and RHB) available, making Duda’s power even less of an issue.
srt
2/11/2013-5:16pm at 5:16 pm (UTC -4)
I have to believe that Duda and his bat might be on a very short leash to start the season. I can’t imagine him keeping the LF job if his bat starts off weak – mostly b/c I can’t imagine his defense being close enough to make up for lack of offense.
I’m pulling for him though. Could be a trade chip if he hits well b/c let’s face it…he really doesn’t belong in the OF.
Mr North Jersey
2/11/2013-2:38pm at 2:38 pm (UTC -4)
I am listening to the Baseball Tonight podcast and Jayson Stark made what I found an interesting observation concerning the Braves.
He said he found it surprising that a poll of MLB GM’s had the Braves on top as most improved team and he thinks it might be due to the belief that the Upton brothers may be better together that if they were apart.
What stood out to me though was the following observation. He said that in a way the Braves traded Chipper Jones, Martin Prado, Michael Bourn, David Ross, Tommy Hanson, Randall Delgado and prospects and got back the Upton brothers, Gerald Laird, Jordan Walden and Chris Johnson and he asked does this make the Braves better or just different?
Here is the link for those able to listen to it.
http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=8936837
Stick
2/11/2013-2:55pm at 2:55 pm (UTC -4)
I am glad i am not the only one that feels this way. I said that a few times, since one of my pet peeves (and there are many!) is that people focus on the inflow, ignoring the outflow.
yes, Atlanta added 2 Uptons. But losing Bourn (at least according to Tex and Knog!) is a major blow to them, and they lost their key man in the lineup, Chipper (and yes, they still relied on him, mentally too).
you can reasonably argue that it is a lateral move, at least offensively.
the rest of those names in the “trade”? I don’t know enough to say what it means, but Prado was pretty damned good for them.
wanny
2/11/2013-3:06pm at 3:06 pm (UTC -4)
Stark lists the Mets as one of the three most unimproved teams in the NL yet ranks Marcum as the third best one year signing and Hawkins as the best minor league signing.
I think the loss of Dickey makes the Mets an unimproved team for the 2013 season — maybe even a worse team. But I think the trade of Dickey made the Mets an improved organization for the future. Therefore, I can’t agree with the Mets as an unimproved team overall.
How have the Padres improved? Or the Rockies? Or Pittsburgh? Or…you get it.
Stick
2/11/2013-3:17pm at 3:17 pm (UTC -4)
Psst. I will let you in on the secret, if you promise not to tell anyone else.
it is because no one gives a crap about those teams. And when you diss the Mets, you get a lot of people all stirred up, which generates hits. Not that these guys are click whores or anything…
kingman 26
2/11/2013-3:26pm at 3:26 pm (UTC -4)
Really though, if Harvey has 30+ starts like last year’s small sample, and if Gee and Marcum are healthy all year, and if Niese simply repeats 2012, the rotation will be a strength, even if Johan flames out. Again.
But that’s a lot of ifs.
greggofboken
2/11/2013-4:16pm at 4:16 pm (UTC -4)
If Harvey did for 30 games what he did in 10, he’d have ended up w/a 4.8 WAR and been the 4th best pitcher in the league.
From your mouth to God’s ear.
kingman 26
2/11/2013-5:01pm at 5:01 pm (UTC -4)
And let’s not forget his oWAR with that .333 BA and .778 OPS!
Prismo
2/11/2013-3:27pm at 3:27 pm (UTC -4)
This stuff is meaningless. Most unimproved is such a convoluted phrase it makes my head spin. Do they mean LEAST IMPROVED (double negative, HELLO)? But that assumes every team has improved in the off-season, which is completely absurd!
Prismo
2/11/2013-3:27pm at 3:27 pm (UTC -4)
Sorry not a double negative. But most unimproved isn’t right in my book. WHY CAN I STILL NOT EDIT COMMENTS.
Mr North Jersey
2/11/2013-3:34pm at 3:34 pm (UTC -4)
LoL, edit, edit where is the edit button?
srt
2/11/2013-5:18pm at 5:18 pm (UTC -4)
Least improved ML team?
IMO it has to be the Marlins, hands down.