The Thyroid of Reyes (split from 3/5 IGT)

[metirish]

Fuck

[metirish]

There's detail on Metsblog. I hate the whole thing but this is what pisses me off the most:

Minaya says that when Reyes returns to camp, he will need to be built up again, �as far as running and those types of things,� coming off his injury. He said that this is why he went out and re-signed Alex Cora this offseason.

Oh, FU Omar.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The Mets will get hung for this six different ways, but it's not their fault and they may, in fact, be the heroes here.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Now Keith is saying it's two to eight weeks.

I feel bad for Jose, especially if this isn't caused by any controlled substance. The reports on him were so positive; his legs feel great, he's missed playing baseball, he hit that triple and poured it on, he was prepared for a big year, and then this comes along seemingly out of nowhere.

[Guest attgig]

so, if we expect the worst, the line up is now.... what?

09 part two... *sigh*

[Benjamin Grimm]

I hope that Jerry lets Tejada get his chance to show what he can do over the next couple of weeks, or more.

Otherwise, does Cora get this job by default? Or is Catalanotto a candidate?

[metirish]

Joe Posnanski has a nice column about Jose and all today

Jose Reyes' thyroid problem? With the Mets it's always something

Of course, different people have different ideas about what makes an exciting baseball player. But, in general, the blueprint would look an awful lot like Jose Reyes. In fact, not that long ago, Bill James and I plotted out a formula (admittedly the formula is a lot more me than Bill -- he just offered suggestions) to try and determine the most exciting players in baseball. I lost that original formula, but I tried to recreate it, taking into account triples (the most exciting play in baseball!), stolen bases, batting average, defensive excitement (subjective) and a couple of other things. I'm pretty sure I created the most wildly flawed formula to appear on the Internet today. Here then, according to this wildly flawed formula, are the 11 most exciting seasons of the last 25 years: 1. Jose Reyes, 2006. 2. Jose Reyes, 2008 3. Jimmy Rollins, 2007 4. Ichiro Suzuki, 2001 5. Carl Crawford, 2004 6. Jose Reyes, 2007 7. Chuck Knoblauch, 1996. 8. Hanley Ramirez, 2006 9. Tony Gwynn, 1987 10. Tim Raines, 1985 11. Carlos Beltran, 2001. Obviously, you can create your own formula -- and I hope you will -- but the point is that at least according to one fairly standard view, Reyes defined exciting baseball. He hit lots of triples. He also hit doubles and a few home runs. He led the league in stolen bases three years in a row. He made dazzling plays at shortstop. Sure, there were always people who thought Reyes needed to get on base more and could have been a touch steadier defensively. But that stuff would come! The point with Reyes was excitement. He was exciting. The Mets were exciting. Anyway, that's how it was in 2006, when Reyes was 23 years old and the Mets won 97 games. That's also how it was in 2007, when Reyes stole 78 bases -- most in 20 years -- and the Mets led the National League East by seven games in mid-September, you know, before losing 12 of their last 17 and blowing it to the Phillies. Oh well, there was excitement even then. The Mets signed the best pitcher in baseball, Johan Santana. Reyes has probably his best season -- led the league with 204 hits and 19 triples, stole 56 bases. And the Mets led the National League East by 3� games in mid-September, you know, before losing four of their next five and never again getting back into first place. Sure, the late season fadeouts hurt. They hurt a lot. But -- and it's easy to forget this -- the Mets still looked to be in awfully good shape. Reyes was exciting. Santana was dazzling. Third baseman David Wright was one of the best players in baseball. Center fielder Carlos Beltran was one of the best players in baseball. Carlos Delgado had hit 38 home runs -- the 11th time in 12 years he hit 30-plus homers. Francisco Rodriguez came to New York after he had set the single-season save record in Anaheim -- finally, the Mets had their answer for the Great Rivera. So, how did it all go so wrong? Just look at the Mets now. They are now arguing over Jose Reyes' thyroid. That's the big story at Mets camp these days. The Mets seem to believe -- based on what they're hearing from doctors -- that Reyes has an overactive thyroid. Reyes seems to believe -- based on what he's hearing from doctors -- that his thyroid is fine. Everybody is waiting for the results from the latest tests. These days, Jose Reyes' thyroid has the third highest Q-Rating in New York, behind only David Paterson and David Letterman. It could get its own show by the weekend. Of course, the thyroid talk is just an emblem of the Mets' issues -- of Carlos Beltran's knee surgery, of David Wright's power outage, of Carlos Delgado's hip injury, of the surgery Johan Santana had to remove bone chips, of the Mets' abominable 70-92 record last year.* * The Mets became the first team in baseball history to spend $140 million (well, $149 million and some change) and have a losing record. Here is a list of all the teams to spend $140 million on payroll in a season and their win total: 2009 Mets: 70 wins 2009 Yankees: 103 wins 2008 Yankees: 89 wins 2007 Yankees: 94 wins 2007 Red Sox: 96 wins 2006 Yankees: 97 wins 2005 Yankees: 95 wins 2004 Yankees: 101 wins 2003 Yankees: 101 wins In other words, the thyroid talk is just the latest in a whole bunch of really weird things to happen to the Mets. Of course, Mets fans -- at least the ones I hear from all the time -- seem to think this is all just part of being ... Mets fans. It's all part of the tradition. The Mets have a proud history of "The Mets Being The Mets" that, of course, goes back to the 1962 team that most people would agree was the worst baseball team of the last 100 years. The teams that followed were not much better -- until the 1969 Miracle Mets and the 1973 Ya Gotta Believe Mets. Then, the late 1970s, another dreadful lull, that time when Joe Torre came to understand that it's hard to be a genius with Lenny Randle at third, Doug Flynn at second and Craig Swan as your Opening Day starter. Then, came the great mid-80s Mets that didn't win quite as much as they should have won. Then came the dreadful early 1990s Mets, the good-but-not-good enough late 1990s Mets, the dreadful early 2000s Mets, and finally this team dealing with a spotty lineup, a spotty rotation and a thyroid problem. The thing is, that if they could stop the bad momentum ... this Mets team has talent. Johan Santana, if he's healthy, is as good as anybody. Beltran appears to be on the mend after knee surgery -- he says that he's feeling better about his knee than he has in years. You would like to believe that David Wright, having worked out whatever swing problems he had last year, will return to being a terrific player. Jason Bay gives the Mets a strong middle-of-the lineup bat. The rotation -- with 20-somethings Mike Pelfrey, John Maine and Oliver Perez -- could be OK, and K-Rod is still a top closer no matter what Goose Gossage may have said about him.*

[metirish]

"There is no medication for this," Minaya said.

"We heard it could be something that could have been dietary or it could have been a virus," Minaya said.



Wait , I thought all he had to take was a pill?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Why take a pill when you could rest for eight weeks?

[metirish]

Why take a pill when you could rest for eight weeks?[/quote:rdavcpp7]

With pay....he's like Conan O'Brien now.

[TransMonk]

I hat baseball.

[ashie62]

I wasn't serious last year when I said Reyes would never play another game as a Met..but..

2009 de ja vu....

[Benjamin Grimm]

Minaya said 20-year-old Ruben Tejada could be the Mets' Opening Day shortstop, with Alex Cora also an option. The switch-hitting Tejada is somewhat used to a big stage, having represented Panama in the World Baseball Classic. He makes solid contact, but he has a small, 6-foot, 160-pound frame and isn't projected to hit for much power. Tejada hit .289 with five homers and 46 RBI in 488 at-bats with Double-A Binghamton last season.

It's a huge blow to the Mets, who already are without Carlos Beltran, likely until mid-May. Jerry Manuel hoped to use Reyes in the No. 3 hole until Beltran returned.

"The good thing is Ruben Tejada is playing pretty well," Minaya said. "I know Jerry has been playing him. And that's one of the reasons we went out there and were able to get a guy like a Cora. Then again, let's wait and see how the end of spring training goes."[/quote:1nslww4p]

[Guest Number 6]

I feel bad for Jose, especially if this isn't caused by any controlled substance.[/quote:2rglyvdy]

Fuck it, I feel bad for us.

[Ceetar]

The Mets will get hung for this six different ways, but it's not their fault and they may, in fact, be the heroes here.[/quote:l9pclkj6]


Impossible to predict or plan for. And really, they may have saved Reyes from having more complications down the line, health wise.


Let's just hope that this is as minor as it's hinted at, it's closer to 2 weeks (and technically it's already been 1 right?) for the iodine to get through his system and his thyroid levels to go down, and he's cleared for baseball next week. *crosses fingers* I don't know what else to do at this point.

[Centerfield]

How did Omar know that Reyes had a thyroid issue before he had the thyroid issue?

And if he did know that, why didn't he tell anyone?

He's ruining us!

[Ceetar]

How did Omar know that Reyes had a thyroid issue before he had the thyroid issue?

And if he did know that, why didn't he tell anyone?

He's ruining us![/quote:2ca4u0we]


Obviously, Omar recommended this great seafood place to Reyes, and he's eaten there for every meal since November. He's also been sprinkling iodine in his water bottle.

[Guest attgig]

any updates on beltran's health? maybe he's ahead of schedule? maybe???

[Fman99]

Man, if Alex Cora and Angel Pagan* are in the opening day lineup I will be sad.

*Just typing this made me throw up in my mouth.

[metirish]

Man, if Alex Cora and Angel Pagan* are in the opening day lineup I will be sad.

*Just typing this made me throw up in my mouth.

[Ceetar]

any updates on beltran's health? maybe he's ahead of schedule? maybe???[/quote:393ggx07]

Would you believe them if they said so?

Last I heard was he should begin baseball activity when the Mets leave Florida. I don't see how baseball activity takes a month, but we'll see.

I'm still going to close my eyes and pretend Jose's test next week comes back all clear.

[HahnSolo]

"The good thing is Ruben Tejada is playing pretty well," Minaya said. "I know Jerry has been playing him. And that's one of the reasons we went out there and were able to get a guy like a Cora."

How is that one of the reasons you were able to go and get a guy like Cora? I thought the primary reason you got a guy like Cora is that he had few other suitors.

"I have no time to unravel your logic Murray."

[ashie62]

If Tejada plays well in Jose's absence the Mets have their next SS of the future.

Then, if and when healthy, the Mets can do with Reyes what they wish as long as it doesn't involve a safeword

[Frayed Knot]

Right, because a few weeks from a mediocre prospect certainly trumps 5 years of major league accomplishments.

[ashie62]

Right, because a few weeks from a mediocre prospect certainly trumps 5 years of major league accomplishments.[/quote:2qkrfkqq]

4 full years from Reyes, that is granted.

I am not that impressed by a player that is a perpetual question mark no matter how good they are.

[Guest Edgy DC]

All players are question marks. None are statements. That includes, especially, 20-year-olds who have never played above AA and didn't put up such eye-popping numbers there.

This seems obvious.

[Fman99]

Man, if Alex Cora and Angel Pagan* are in the opening day lineup I will be sad.

*Just typing this made me throw up in my mouth.

[ashie62]

All players are question marks. None are statements. That includes, especially, 20-year-olds who have never played above AA and didn't put up such eye-popping numbers there.

This seems obvious.[/quote:35llxha0]

Some question marks are more equal than others?????

If you were the Mets GM, how do you, or would you, plan for the next "generation" core. Omar brought in Pedro, Delgado ,had Reyes & Wright and threw up a flag that he was building a team to win now. That was a few years ago..The Mets haven't won anything other than a few playoff games. The Mets are perceived as bumblers and the links on this board from sportswriters would lead you to believe the Mets have done little right since inception and don't know how to tie their shoes.

I take solace that "Sports Journalism" is an oxymoron.

Is it possible that it is time to start building a newer youthful core??? I don't know but am beginning to wonder.

Make David Wright a Met for life and beyond that all jobs are open competition, sans Santana

A hard rain is gonna fall

[Guest Edgy DC]

Accepting your list of facts as actual facts for the time being, breaking camp without Ruben Tejada on the roster doesn't offset in any way the development of a "new youthful core."

Again, that's obvious.

[ashie62]

Obvious to who?