Somebody grab a bottle for Mientkiewicz

[Guest GYC]

]The New York Mets have an option on Doug Mientkiewicz that would pay the first baseman $4 million next season. "I don't why they would pick up my option, but if they do, I might quit," he said. "I'm serious. I don't want to be back there." The Mets must announce a decision within three days of the end of he World Series. No doubt, they will elect to pay Mientkiewicz a $450,000 buyout and make him a free agent. He said his preference would be to return to the Twins, who aren't as solid with Justin Morneau at first base as everyone figured when Mientkiewicz was shipped to Boston on July 31, 2003. "People think Gardy [manager Ron Gardenhire] and I have a big problem," Mientkiewicz said. "Nothing could be further from the truth. He's like an older brother to me. We get mad, yell some, but it's because we're both competitive and emotional. "I always thought Minnesota was a great place to play. After a year with the Mets, an organization that doesn't have a clue, I know that for sure."

[Elster88]

Source?

[Willets Point]

Mientkiewicz has been secretly posting as Bret Sabermetric all these years!

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think Bret would (and maybe has) cited trading Blaedergroen for Mientkeiwicz as evidence of the Mets' cluelessness.

[metirish]

I would love to see the source, I'd be shocked if Mink said that, and disappointed.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

http://www.startribune.com/stories/503/5687450.html

Minny paper

[Guest sharpie]

Does he think he can make anywhere close to $4 million next year? A sure-handed first baseman who has hit under .250 for the last couple of seasons without much power ain't getting no $4 mil.

Tony Clark made $750,000 for the D-Backs last season. Sounds about right for Minky along with his $450,000 buyout.

He and his wife just had a baby (named Steel from that Star-Trib article). You'd think he wouldn't retire if the Mets picked up his option.

[seawolf17]

What?! Doug Mientkiewicz might be an ass?!? I'm stunned.

Seeya, Doug. Take your .216 average elsewhere.

Dick.

[Elster88]

The organization had a clue about who to start at first base in September. Don't let the door hit ya on the way out, Minky.

[Willets Point]

="seawolf17"] Seeya, Doug. Take your .216 average elsewhere.

see ya, see ya,
hope you had a good good time
da dum
hope you have a good good mornin'
um-hmmm
hope we get to see you again
da dum

whistling ...

see ya, see ya,
hope you had a good good time
da dum
hope you have a good good mornin'
um-hmmm
i hope we get to see you again
da dum

whistling ...

see ya, see ya,
glad that you could stay a while
da dum
glad that we could say good mornin'
to you
hope you have a shiny day
da dum
hope you have a shiny day
um-hmmm
hope you have a shiny day
so long,
bye bye now

la la la la la ...

[Guest Edgy DC]

Holy crap. A Magic Garden reference.



Funny thing is that Mientkiewicz has something of a point, in that the very act of the Mets picking his option up would provide evidence of cluelessness.

It's almost like he's daring them to pick up the option and to dare him back to back up his words and refuse it. He's being very subtle, I think. He's double-dog daring them.

[Willets Point]

On my "How long will it take for someone to get my Magic Garden reference" internal poll, I never expected it would be within 6 minutes.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

In as much of a defense as I can muster for Mientkiewicz, he was putting up good power numbers (for him) and certainly did what was asked of him defensively when healthy. But like matsui, it seemed as if WWSB turned on him when he got hurt for a second time. Then he barely used him at all, putting in Woody at 1B as Jacobs' defensive replacement.

Maybe that's a lesson for future Mets: Get hurt only once a year.

Anyway, no great loss for Metville, or Long Island City.

[MFS62]

="Willets Point"]On my "How long will it take for someone to get my Magic Garden reference" internal poll, I never expected it would be within 6 minutes.

I was late to your party. I would have gotten the reference because I used to think the one on the right in the picture (without the guitar) was hot.

Later

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

I hope Minky gets his wish of returning to Minnesota. As long as he isn't at Shea I'll be happy. The Mets need a first baseman that can actually provide some offense. I believe Mientkiewicz has clearly demonstrated that he is not capable of doing so. I think the Red Sox had him in the role that his skills are best suited for, late inning defensive replacement.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Well, you kinda can't blame him. On a personal level, he sucked, got hurt, started to turn it around then got injured on a ball-to-the-walls takeout slide and never saw the light of day again. Now, part of that was that Jacobs was on a tear and we didn't need Mientky, but that still had to suck for him.

Meanwhile, on an organizational level, the Mets did all the stuff we complained about all season--sending Seo down after his 3 dazzling starts, putting Heilman in the nether recesses of the pen for too long after his, etc etc. Players are aware of that shit too and it must piss them off when they're trying to win games without the best players on the field.

Unfortunate, and he shouldn't have said anything publicly about his dissatisfaction, but as JD said, no great loss.

I'd be shocked if he gets handed a starting job anywhere. He'll most likely end up in a platoon with a youngster on a non-contending team.

sigh. I always liked Dougie . . . Shame to see it end so poorly.

[soupcan]

I liked calling him 'Monkeywrench'.

I'll miss that.

[smg58]

I'd be curious to know what his gripes with the organization are, or if he was just mad that Jake got the playing time in September.

For what it's worth, the Red Sox agreed to pony up his buyout as part of the deal. Minaya got a similar offering from the Dodgers in the Ishii deal. So the Mets don't have to pay to free themselves of either of them.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Which greases the skids that much more, doesn't it, Precious?

[Elster88]

True. Though I think Jeff spends 450K just on cereal.

[Guest Edgy DC]

speculates

]His problems during the season seemed to be with manager Willie Randolph, as he felt at odds with the manager once he began to struggle at the plate. His playing time diminished with Randolph inserting a procession of players to audition for the first base job. Mientkiewicz played just 87 games, hitting .240 with 11 home runs. When Jacobs got hot, matching the 11 home runs in just 100 at-bats down the stretch, it sealed Mientkiewicz's fate.

[Elster88]

Minky told jeering fans that they were right, and told the newspapers that he sucked. Then he didn't like it that Willie was trying other guys out at first?

Show a little confidence in yourself, for one.

Don't put yourself down, for two.

For three, don't suck.

[Frayed Knot]

Just a hunch, but I could see Monkeywrench in da Bronx next year.
They need a gloveman/1st baseman good enough to keep G-I-am-bi anchored in the DH spot and to go in for defense when he doesn't. He's still young enough to where they could gamble on at least a partial bounce back year with the bat and will probably come cheap enough to where they could dump him if he doesn't. They could bat him 8th and treat any offense he gives them as a bonus. The short RF porch won't hurt him either.

[Guest silverdsl]

A player who makes comments like Mientkiewicz did isn't a player I want on the Yankees. I've got no problem with players being up-front about not enjoying their time with a particular team but I do think it's inappropriate to be that harsh about it. Especially if his issue is that he had a problem with Willie Randolph over playing time - that's one person not an entire organization. Seems to me that I can remember Mientkiewicz complaining about a lack of playing time with other teams he's been with as well - maybe the Red Sox?

[Guest Edgy DC]

"I won't take your reserve role but I will have this nice little championship ball. So there."