Get used to it

[nymr83]

Vic Sage wrote: if by "core" you mean Wright, Reyes and Maine, then you're correct. However, I don't think that's a big enough group to consider a "core". Perez is a FA to be, and everybody else is around 30 or more (give or take a decade or so). so what they've got now is not so much a "core" but moreo of a "co__"

Wright and Reyes, the two best hitters on the Mets, are young. Santana and Beltran (the other two members of the Mets' 4 best players) are neither young nor old (in baseball terms.) Maine is young, Perez is young (and if the Mets want him back they'll get him back unless there are concerns of which we are unaware besides money.)

The Mets are old, on the other hand, at 1B, 2B, and LF, as well as 2 members of the rotation.

The rightfielder is young enough.

i don't think the Mets are too old, especially when you consider that their best players are their youngest. They have a better "young core" than all but 2 or 3 teams in the game, or so I'm willing to argue if someone wants to start a "who has the best core" thread.

The biggest (age related) knock that I feel can legitimately be made against the Mets is that they are insufficiently redundant at the positions where age should be their biggest concern (1B, the rotation, LF.)

[duan]

slightly off topic but Alan Hansen, the great Liverpool Centre-Half and current Match Of The Day pundit, said of Man Utd on the opening day of the 1995-1996 season "you'll win nothing with kids" when the red devils lost 3-1 to Aston Villa.

Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt were all 22 or under at the start of the season and all played a part in 30 or so league games.

Utd were champions at the end of the season and Ferguson's second great United team was born and Hansen has forever had to eat humble pie.

In other words, if the kids are good enough you can win plenty with 'em.
I'd suspect, it's similar with the 'aul fellas!

[metirish]

That's the first thing I thought about when I read Minaya's comments.

The Goat might have a broken ankle and will have a CT scan today, the team Doctor suspects that he fractured it on the sliding into the plate.

[TransMonk]

Dan Murphy starting at 1B for the Mets in Jupiter today as Michel Abreu stayed in PSL with a strained right hip flexor.

Injury run down 03/04 courtesy of Adam Rubin:

As we await formal word on what�s expected to be a broken ankle for Ruben Gotay, here�s the rest of a lengthy a.m. injury briefing.

� Duaner Sanchez expects to pitch Wednesday in Port St. Lucie against the Dodgers. �Just taking my time,� said Sanchez, who last appeared Friday.

� Ryan Church plans to swim in a pool at the minor-league complex today, and hopes to be cleared to be on a baseball field in some capacity tomorrow. �I�m better. I�m rested, too,� Church said. �I�ve never been to bed at 6 o�clock - 6 p.m.�

� Luis Castillo will run the bases for the first time today to test his surgically cleaned knees. The Mets errantly said he had started doing that last weekend. He hopes to play this weekend.

� Jose Valentin sounded pessimistic he could be ready for Opening Day as he recovers from an ACL tear. Valentin said he can�t afford to rush, since re-injury means the end of his career. �This is now or never for me,� Valentin said. �Stopping right away, that�s the problem � and going right again. I still feel that soreness and weakness.� Valentin hasn�t started sliding yet, either.

� Damion Easley said he�s �close� to returning.

� Marlon Anderson �can�t tell� when he�ll be able to return from a bruised sternum. �It�s hard to swing,� Anderson said.

� Carlos Delgado (hip) is still not ready to bat.

� Endy Chavez has started running bases and expects to make his first Grapefruit League start this weekend. �I�m not sure,� Chavez said. �That�s what I believe.�

� Carlos Beltran is running bases and plans to test his surgically cleaned knees sliding today.

� Michel Abreu is out with a strained right hip flexor, which occurred Monday.

[smg58]

While I think Gotay is redundant -- with Anderson and Valentin, the Mets need for another reserve second baseman who only hits righthanded pitching well is limited -- he does have value. The timing of a significant injury would really stink if the Orioles deal Brian Roberts this week, because the Orioles would then have a need that Gotay could fill if healthy.

A significant injury to Gotay would open the 25th spot on the roster up for grabs, though. Maybe it will finally motivate the Mets to grab a righty bat with some pop who could cover them in the outfield and/or at first base, because I'm beginning to think that's a need more than a luxury.

[Centerfield]

Alou hurt now as per Metsblog.com.

[metirish]

Centerfield wrote: Alou hurt now as per Metsblog.com.

From newsday

] Moises Alou is headed to New York today after complaining of discomfort in the right groin area. The Mets decided to send him for more tests, including an MRI, after Alou didn't feel right following Monday's game against the Braves. Also, lefthander Jason Vargas was sent to Philadelphia to be examined for a sore left hip. "I have never seen so many injuries," general manager Omar Minaya said. With less than a month before Opening Day, the injuries here in Mets camp have reached epidemic proportions.Check out the holes in what was expected to be their lineup for March 31 against the Marlins. Jose Reyes (SS) ........ healthy Luis Castillo (2B) ........ OUT -- knees David Wright (3B) ........healthy Carlos Beltran (CF) ..... OUT -- knees Carlos Delgado (1B) .... OUT -- hip Moises Alou (LF) .........OUT -- groin Ryan Church (RF) ........OUT-- concussion Brian Schneider (C) ......OUT -- hamstring Johan Santana (LHP) ... pitching today, so presumably OK Now let's look at the projected bench, too: Ramon Castro (C) ........... healthy Ruben Gotay (SS) .......... OUT -- ankle Damion Easley (INF/OF) .. OUT -- ankle Endy Chavez (OF) ........... OUT -- hamstring/ankle Marlon Anderson ............. OUT -- bruised chest That's right. The Mets are currently missing 12 of their projected 15 position players on March 5.

[TransMonk]

Alou having hernia surgery, will miss 4-6 weeks.

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080305&content_id=2406441&vkey=spt2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym

Hopefully that only means 2 weeks of the regular season...but with Alou it could be 4-6 months.

[Guest themetfairy]

I can't speak from experience, but D-Dad had hernia surgery about a year and a half ago. It took him a while before he felt fully back to normal after that (i.e., much longer than 4-6 weeks).

[Guest KC]

I'll be surprised if Delgado or Alou were much of positive factor on the
2008 Mets anyways.

[Benjamin Grimm]

TransMonk wrote: Alou having hernia surgery, will miss 4-6 weeks.

Sounds like Pagan is coming north, huh?

[Farmer Ted]

Holy. Ouch.

[nymr83]

KC wrote: I'll be surprised if Delgado or Alou were much of positive factor on the 2008 Mets anyways.

I expect Alou to be positive when he plays, he always has been. The question with Alou is how many games will you get out of him.
I'd rather have a guy like Alou put up his kind of numbers in 100 games than have a guy like the 2007 version of Shawn Green put up his numbers over 150.
As long as you keep your games played expectations reasonable with Alou you shouldn't be disappointed.

[Guest AG/DC]

Sign Rickey NOW!!!!

[Guest Triple Dee]

AG/DC wrote: Sign Rickey NOW!!!!

Wrong.

It's B.A.R.R.Y time!!!!

[Benjamin Grimm]

How about D.A.R.R.Y.L.?

Is Kenny Lofton still available? Does he have anything left?

[smg58]

Lofton was still available last time I checked, although my first choice is still a righthanded bat. I mentioned Huber a couple of days ago, but I bet Marcus Thames could be had from Detroit, and I'd have to ask the Angels about Kendry Morales.

[Guest AG/DC]

Triple Dee wrote: ="AG/DC"]Sign Rickey NOW!!!! Wrong. It's B.A.R.R.Y. time!!!!

I've got "BALCO-Augmented Recrimination-Rattled." I can't think what the Y stands for.

[metirish]

As pointed out today by Adam Rubin the outfield looks light without Alou and that Chavez, Anderson and Pagan will be taking turns out there, unless Minaya trades for a bat, Nady is one bat he mentioned that might be available, some other names are Matt Murton, Scott Hairtson , Emil Brown and Nelson Cruz.

[Centerfield]

Yutz

[metirish]

Centerfield wrote: Yutz

Never heard of him , I'd like Nady out there.

[metirish]

Would you do Sosa to the Tigers for Thames?

[Vic Sage]

so alou is out, and even when he comes back he'll likely find his way back to the DL at some point. And Beltrans knees are still bothering him. And Church has bats in his belfrey after that concussion. he's also never played an entire season, I don't think.

Thats our OF. and the right side of our infield is the same.

We're going to end up playing Pagan, Chavez (if he's healthy!), and Marlon freakin Anderson as our starting OF, in games that matter. Brady Clark is even looking good at this point, for the bench!

Nobody else is concerned by this?

[Guest AG/DC]

Well, we're on page three and it's March 6. I'd say there's concern.

[soupcan]

AG/DC wrote: ...it's March 6.

That's what I'm hanging my hat on right now.

Still three weeks to go and by then the picture could change radically.

[TransMonk]

Vic Sage wrote: Nobody else is concerned by this?

It makes me want to puke. Especially because "we are the team to beat".

More disturbing to me than the amount of injuries is management's reluctance to find it concerning (at least to ANY degree publicly...they're probably all drinking heavily and pulling their hair out when the press is gone).

At any rate...we have to have a picture of an ostrich around here somewhere.

[Benjamin Grimm]

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

metirish wrote: Would you do Sosa to the Tigers for Thames?

How about the other Sosa ... Sammy ... who I think is out there for a song. Temporary solution.

[Willets Point]

Rickey? Barry? Sammy?

Yup! That's just what this team needs: more old guys!

[Guest Number 6]

Doesn't matter to me how old he is, if he hits .248/.419/.478 (as BP projects for Bonds).

I doubt the Mets will make any inquiries, which I think is a shame.