Benjamin Grimm

That is a real childhood photo of Murphy, but it was already black and white when I found it. I wasn't looking for a boyhood photo, but when I found that one I felt like I had to use it.

SCHAEFER METS PLAYER OF THE WEEK, 2013 Week ending April 6: John Buck, 7.21 points. Week ending April 13: Matt Harvey, 9.04 points. Week ending April 20: David Wright, 6.24 points. Week ending April 27: David Wright, 4.68 points. Week ending May 4: Ruben Tejada, 5.03 points. Week ending May 11: Matt Harvey, 5.94 points. Week ending May 18: Daniel Murphy, 10.08 points. Week ending May 25: Daniel Murphy, 6.86 points. Week ending June 1: Daniel Murphy, 5.80 points. Week ending June 8: Omar Quintanilla, 4.59 points. Week ending June 15: David Wright, 6.68 points. Week ending June 22: Omar Quintanilla, 5.20 points. Week ending June 29: Matt Harvey, 8.78 points. Week ending July 6: Kirk Nieuwenhuis, 6.19 points. Week ending July 13: Jeremy Hefner, 8.13 points. Week ending July 20: Marlon Byrd, 4.46 points. Week ending July 27: Matt Harvey, 10.15 points. Week ending August 3: Daniel Murphy, 4.59 points. Week ending August 10: Wilmer Flores, 5.73 points. Week ending August 17: Marlon Byrd, 5.96 points. Week ending August 24: Marlon Byrd, 5.74 points. Week ending August 31: Daniel Murphy, 6.68 points. Week ending September 7: Daniel Murphy, 4.46 points. Week ending September 14: Daisuke Matsuzaka, 7.14 points. Week ending September 21: Daniel Murphy, 6.64 points. Week ending September 28: Aaron Harang, 6.02 points.

Everybody's best day, Schaefer-wise: Aardsma, David6/14/20131.03Ankiel, Rick5/22/20133.09Atchison, Scott8/3/20131.74Baxter, Mike5/9/20131.96Black, Vic9/15/20130.74Brown, Andrew8/11/20132.55Buck, John7/6/20133.16Burke, Greg4/7/20131.14Byrd, Marlon6/27/20133.68Byrdak, Tim9/2/20130.59Carson, Robert4/23/20131.25Centeno, Juan9/18/20131.16Cowgill, Collin4/1/20132.17d'Arnaud, Travis9/15/20132.07Davis, Ike6/2/20133.11den Dekker, Matt9/10/20131.49Duda, Lucas9/13/20133.43Edgin, Josh7/12/20131.40Familia, Jeurys4/26/20131.46Feliciano, Pedro9/25/20130.67Flores, Wilmer8/10/20132.45Francisco, Frank9/23/20130.62Gee, Dillon5/30/20135.26Germen, Gonzalez7/20/20132.15Harang, Aaron9/28/20133.40Harvey, Matt5/7/20135.94Hawkins, LaTroy6/20/20131.38Hefner, Jeremy4/30/20134.97Henn, Sean9/9/20130.18Laffey, Aaron4/7/20130.08Lagares, Juan8/6/20132.79Lutz, Zach9/18/20131.29Lyon, Brandon5/20/20131.00Marcum, Shaun6/26/20135.22Matsuzaka, Daisuke9/25/20135.07Mejia, Jenrry7/26/20134.00Murphy, Daniel7/26/20133.99Niese, Jon8/27/20136.00Nieuwenhuis, Kirk7/5/20134.37Parnell, Bobby7/7/20131.56Quintanilla, Omar6/4/20132.45Recker, Anthony6/18/20132.18Rice, Scott5/19/20131.48Satin, Josh9/18/20133.06Tejada, Ruben4/28/20131.91Torres, Carlos7/23/20133.98Tovar, Wilfredo9/22/20131.12Turner, Justin8/9/20132.50Valdespin, Jordany5/1/20132.95Wheeler, Zack7/10/20134.09Wright, David4/16/20133.54Young, Eric9/29/20132.30

SCHAEFER METS PLAYERS OF THE MONTH, SEPTEMBER 2013 The Schaefer Mets Player of the Month for September 2013 is DANIEL MURPHY. This is Murph's third win, and second this season. He had 3 home runs, 15 runs batted in, and 5 stolen bases in September, and batted .306/.347/.481. Daniel's 22.10 points for the month left him comfortably ahead of runnerup Eric Young, who scored 12 runs and stole 13 bases in September, while batting .237. The Schaefer Mets Pitcher of the Month is JONATHON NIESE, who was 2-2 with a 3.79 ERA over 6 starts and 38 innings. The 2.90 points Niese earned in the final game of the season (a game in which Terry Collins was considering sitting him out) put him past Daisuke Matsuzaka, 3-1 in September with a 3.07 ERA in five starts. Niese, clearly, pushed for the start knowing that a prestigious Schaefer award was within his grasp. The Schaefer Mets Relief Pitcher of the Month is, for the second consecutive month, LATROY HAWKINS. LaTroy had a 0.00 ERA in September over 12 games and 12 innings. He had 7 saves, striking out 11 and walking none. The Schaefer Mets Bench Player of the Month for September is first-time winner ZACH LUTZ. Zach earned 3.07 Schaefer points coming off the bench, finishing ahead of Josh Satin (1.89 points) and Matt den Dekker (1.52 points.) Andrew Brown, who won in July and August, appeared more frequently as a starter after the trade of Marlon Byrd, which deprived him of a chance for a three-peat. Updated award winner standings, with this month's winners in bold: PLAYER OF THE MONTH David Wright 13 Johan Santana 6 Carlos Beltran 5 Jose Reyes 5 R. A. Dickey 4 Daniel Murphy 3 Cliff Floyd 2 Tom Glavine 2 Carlos Delgado 2 Ike Davis 2 Mike Cameron 1 John Maine 1 Angel Pagan 1 Jeff Francoeur 1 Lucas Duda 1 Ruben Tejada 1 John Buck 1 Matt Harvey 1 Marlon Byrd 1 Dillon Gee 1 PITCHER OF THE MONTH R. A. Dickey 10 Johan Santana 9 Pedro Martinez 6 John Maine 5 Mike Pelfrey 4 Tom Glavine 3 Matt Harvey 3 Dillon Gee 3 Jonathon Niese 3 Orlando Hernandez 2 Alay Soler 1 Steve Trachsel 1 Oliver Perez 1 Livan Hernandez 1 Tim Redding 1 Chris Capuano 1 RELIEVER OF THE MONTH Brian Stokes 5 Billy Wagner 4 Aaron Heilman 4 Bobby Parnell 4 Francisco Rodriguez 3 Duaner Sanchez 2 Raul Valdes 2 Pedro Beato 2 Manny Acosta 2 Jon Rauch 2 LaTroy Hawkins 2 Darren Oliver 1 Chad Bradford 1 Guillermo Mota 1 Joe Smith 1 Jorge Sosa 1 Scott Schoeneweis 1 Pedro Feliciano 1 Sean Green 1 Fernando Nieve 1 Hisanori Takahashi 1 Elmer Dessens 1 Jason Isringhausen 1 Frank Francisco 1 Josh Edgin 1 Scott Rice 1 Carlos Torres 1 BENCH PLAYER OF THE MONTH Fernando Tatis 3 Daniel Murphy 3 Jordany Valdespin 3 Julio Franco 2 Damion Easley 2 Marlon Anderson 2 Endy Chavez 2 Josh Thole 2 Justin Turner 2 Scott Hairston 2 Andrew Brown 2 Eli Marrero 1 Michael Tucker 1 Ricky Ledee 1 David Newhan 1 Ramon Castro 1 Ruben Gotay 1 Robinson Cancel 1 Gary Sheffield 1 Alex Cora 1 Jeremy Reed 1 Omir Santos 1 Cory Sullivan 1 Chris Carter 1 Mike Hessman 1 Nick Evans 1 Jason Pridie 1 Willie Harris 1 Val Pascucci 1 Mike Baxter 1 Ronny Cede�o 1 Kelly Shoppach 1 Josh Satin 1 Zach Lutz 1

Just don't stay up until 2 a.m. doing it. It might make you cranky.

I'm with Vic. I also think starting pitching is going to be important if the Mets are really planning to try to play in October. They have two guys in their rotation who aren't innings-limited. (Gee and Niese.) Even if Harvey pitches in 2014, I'm sure they'll be cautious with him. Wheeler will be limited. Syndergaard and Montero too, if they join the Mets during the summer. And Mejia as well, I guess. That's why I think that guys like Harang and Matsuzaka should be in the mix, and hopefully they'll acquire one or two veteran pitchers significantly better than those two.

Having David Murphy and Daniel Murphy on the same team will be a Schaefer-tallying nightmare. The Mets have a "glut" at first base? I hardly think so. They have a lot of guys who can play there, but that doesn't mean that it's not a weakness that needs to be addressed. The article above is interesting, but it makes my head spin. Most of the names are unfamiliar to me, so I don't know how I feel about the players coming to the Mets. But Byrd will command more money than the Mets should give him. Buck is a been-there-done-that, I'd say. A return by Beltran would be nice. (Vanis takee!) I expect that Hawkins will be back. It's our educated guess that Drew tops the Mets list among available shortstops in free agency. How old is he?

You're welcome, and no problem. You stuck with it longer than many others did! Just be sure to have m.e.t.b.o.t.'s oil changed by Opening Day 2014. I expect I'll probably continue this tradition next year.

Chris Russo is an idiot, but I hope he's right.

Niese 3 Germen 1 Black 1 Francisco 1 Young 1 Wright 1 Lagares 1 den Dekker 1

Voting for the final three games of the season will close on Thursday morning, some time after 10 a.m. We'll have the September Players of the Month announcement on Thursday, and the Players of the Year announcement on Friday, thereby wrapping up all Schaefer business for 2013. Schaefer POTG 09/27/2013; Milwaukee 4, Mets 2 Schaefer POTG, 9/28/2013: Brewers 4 Mets 2 Schaefer POTG, 9/29/2013: Mets 3 Brewers 2

Adam Rubin says... NEW YORK -- Here is a player-by-player primer on each Met, broken down by contract status: Free agents � LaTroy Hawkins, right-handed reliever. Hawkins appears the most likely to be re-signed, even though he will be 41 years old next season. He was productive stepping into the closer�s role after Bobby Parnell's injury, while dialing his fastball up to 95 mph. � Daisuke Matsuzaka and Aaron Harang, right-handed starters. Terry Collins liked Dice-K, so perhaps it is not out of the realm of possibility to re-sign him as a fifth-starter competitor who would allow Noah Syndergaard, Rafael Montero and Jacob deGrom to open the season in the minors. For that matter, Harang fits that profile, too. � Tim Byrdak and Pedro Feliciano, left-handed relievers. Both returned from shoulder injuries after missing substantial time. It likely is time for the Mets to move on from both, but their careers do not appear over yet. � David Aardsma, right-handed reliever. Productive, although he wilted with too much use. Aardsma could be useful to re-sign if the price is right. � Frank Francisco, right-handed reliever. The ex-closer collected $6.5 million this season while mostly nursing a sore elbow and irking Mets officials. No chance he returns. � Johan Santana, left-handed starter. The one-time ace wants to pitch again after undergoing a second surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder. If he is capable, he very likely would sign elsewhere. The best news: Santana's $31 million owed in 2013, including a buyout of next season, comes off the books. Signed to contracts � Jonathon Niese, left-handed starter. After missing nearly two months with a rotator cuff strain, Niese finished strongly and should help anchor the 2014 rotation. His salary jumps to $5 million next season, up from $3 million this year. � David Wright, third baseman. The captain sees a major salary bump. Wright will earn $20 million in 2014 -- a raise of $9 million. Arbitration eligible � Ike Davis and Lucas Duda, first basemen. It is likely one gets traded, although there is a slim chance Duda opens the season at Triple-A with Davis at Citi Field. Davis made $3.125 million this year and could receive an ever-so-slight pay cut. The Mets insist he will not be non-tendered. Duda, first-time eligible for arbitration, likely only makes $700,000 or $800,000 in 2014. � Parnell, closer. Doctors assure Collins that Parnell will be fine for spring training after undergoing surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck, but the manager is concerned. Vic Black would be the alternative. Parnell�s salary should creep upward after he earned $1.7 million while converting 22 of 26 save chances. � Dillon Gee, right-handed starter. Gee missed 200 innings by one frame. He will be first-time eligible for arbitration. � Daniel Murphy, second baseman. ESPNNewYork.com hears the Mets will listen on offers for Murphy, but the best bet is he is the Opening Day second baseman. Murphy is due to get another raise after earning $2.925 million this season. � Ruben Tejada, shortstop. After the broken leg mends, Tejada needs to seriously demonstrate his work ethic to the organization. Still, that may not be enough if the Mets can find the right external shortstop addition. � Justin Turner, infielder. The best bet is that he serves as a backup infielder again next season. � Eric Young Jr., outfielder/second baseman. The Mets recognize they need his speed in the lineup. So Young should be in the starting lineup somewhere next season, whether that�s in the outfield or at second base. � Scott Atchison, right-handed reliever. Believe it or not, while Atchison is 37 years old, he does not have enough MLB service time to be eligible for free agency. He is a definite non-tender candidate in December. � Mike Baxter, outfielder. Baxter should be arbitration eligible as a Super 2. Regardless, his 40-man roster spot appears in jeopardy. That does not preclude Baxter from being re-signed to a minor league deal. The 2013 Baxter, who hit .189, did not resemble the 2012 Baxter. The Mets believe the shoulder injury suffered in Santana's no-hitter may have hurt Baxter's swing. � Omar Quintanilla, shortstop. The Mets view Q as a backup, not a full-time player. Under control � Matt Harvey, right-handed starter. The question remains: Tommy John surgery or no Tommy John surgery? Harvey should be airing it out in about six weeks, perhaps in the Arizona Fall League, to see whether the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow will hold up. � Zack Wheeler, right-handed starter. Wheeler should be good for 200 innings in 2014. � Black, right-handed reliever. If Parnell is not ready to close because of a slow recovery from surgery, the hard-throwing Black is the primary alternative. Otherwise, Black projects as handling the eighth inning next season. � Travis d�Arnaud, catcher. He�s the guy behind the plate, but needs to shorten his swing after hitting .202 in his first major league season. � Juan Lagares and Matt den Dekker, center fielders. Lagares had a franchise-rookie-record 15 outfield assists and is very likely the full-time center fielder in 2014, even with some offensive difficulties. Den Dekker is just as likely to open next season in Triple-A. The Mets do not plan to platoon Lagares and den Dekker in the majors -- not in April, anyway. � Josh Edgin and Scott Rice, left-handed relievers. Both are coming off surgeries. The Mets need to find a lefty from outside the organization they can trust, but Rice and Edgin could be useful complements. � Jeurys Familia and Gonzalez Germen, right-handed relievers. Both should vie for a bullpen role in 2014. � Jeremy Hefner, right-handed starter. Hefner will miss most, if not all, of 2014 recovering from Tommy John surgery. � Anthony Recker, catcher. After a nearly full season in the majors, Recker could find himself in Triple-A in 2014. Sandy Alderson has suggested he needs to find a veteran catcher in case d�Arnaud�s injury propensity continues. � Josh Satin, infielder. A year after being taken off the 40-man roster and clearing waivers, Satin is now viewed as a valuable righty bat for the bench who can get on base. Look for him to have a backup role in 2014. � Carlos Torres, right-handed starter/reliever. Torres would appear to have a legitimate shot as the long reliever/spot starter. � Jordany Valdespin, infielder. The Biogenesis suspension is his latest baggage. It would be surprising if he makes it to spring training as a Met. � Greg Burke, Robert Carson and Sean Henn, relievers. If they survive the winter on the 40-man roster, they look Triple-A bound. � Andrew Brown, Juan Centeno, Wilmer Flores, Zach Lutz and Wilfredo Tovar, 51s. Centeno and Recker could be the Triple-A catchers. Flores likely is ticketed for Las Vegas, according to Collins, if the infielder is not going to be a starter at the major league level. Lutz and Tovar probably open next season in the minors, too. Brown�s 40-man roster spot is an open question. � Jenrry Mejia, right-handed starter. Mejia showed flashes as a starting pitcher before surgery to clean out his right elbow. He is a logical fifth-starter competitor in spring training. � Kirk Nieuwenhuis, outfielder. Getting snubbed for a September call-up does not bode well for Nieuwenhuis� future with the organization.

He's ignoring the distinction between the words "would" and "could".

Voting for the two games listed below will close on Tuesday afternoon, some time after 2 p.m. Schaefer POTG 9/25/13 - Mets 1, Reds 0 Schaefer POTG 9/26/13 - Brewers 4, Mets 2

Blue Jays have lost, so they, along with the Mets and Brewers, end up with 74 wins. Phillies are losing 10 to 5 in the 7th in Atlanta. If they win, it's a four-way tie at 74 wins. If they lose, the Mets clinch third place.

The Mets finish with 74 wins. So did the Brewers. The Phillies can get to 74 if they win today's game. I count 19 teams that have 75 or more. It can become 20 if the Blue Jays win their game today. So the best the Mets can finish is tied for 20th place overall. And they could end in a two-, three-, or four-way tie for 21st. If I understand correctly, they've finished poorly enough that they won't lose a draft pick if they sign a type A free agent. Do I have that right?

My guess was six games too optimistic. Not too bad, I guess. I hope that next spring I have (legitimate) reason to predict them to win 90 or more.

This is the thread that Steve is referring to.

Brown 0.25 Duda 0.5 Feliciano 0.6 Francisco 0.6 Harang 3.5 Hawkins 1 Lagares 1 Lutz 0.25 Murphy 1 Young 1.3

In ninth place among Mets managers in games managed: Games Davey Johnson 1012 Bobby Valentine 1003 Joe Torre 709 Gil Hodges 649 Yogi Berra 588 Casey Stengel 582 Willie Randolph 555 Dallas Green 512 Terry Collins 484 Jerry Manuel 417 Wes Westrum 380 Art Howe 323 Bud Harrelson 274 George Bamberger 208 Joe Frazier 207 Jeff Torborg 200 Frank Howard 116 Roy McMillan 53 Salty Parker 11 Mike Cubbage 7 Two more years would bring him into third place, with 810 games. In eighth place in wins. Two more years would bring him, pessimistically, to around 360, which would leave him in third place. Two great years would still leave him in third place. Wins Davey Johnson 595 Bobby Valentine 536 Gil Hodges 339 Willie Randolph 302 Yogi Berra 292 Joe Torre 286 Dallas Green 229 Terry Collins 224 Jerry Manuel 204 Casey Stengel 175 Bud Harrelson 145 Wes Westrum 142 Art Howe 137 Joe Frazier 101 Jeff Torborg 85 George Bamberger 81 Frank Howard 52 Roy McMillan 26 Salty Parker 4 Mike Cubbage 3 He's in seventh place for losses. Two seasons of .500 or less would put him ahead of Joe Torre for second place. Losses Bobby Valentine 467 Joe Torre 420 Davey Johnson 417 Casey Stengel 404 Gil Hodges 309 Yogi Berra 296 Dallas Green 283 Terry Collins 260 Willie Randolph 253 Wes Westrum 237 Jerry Manuel 213 Art Howe 186 Bud Harrelson 129 George Bamberger 127 Jeff Torborg 115 Joe Frazier 106 Frank Howard 64 Roy McMillan 27 Salty Parker 7 Mike Cubbage 4 Winning Pct. (Minimum 200 games managed) Davey Johnson .588 Willie Randolph .544 Bobby Valentine .534 Bud Harrelson .529 Gil Hodges .523 Yogi Berra .497 Jerry Manuel .489 Joe Frazier .488 Terry Collins .463 Dallas Green .447 Jeff Torborg .425 Art Howe .424 Joe Torre .405 George Bamberger .389 Wes Westrum .375 Casey Stengel .302