G-Fafif

"Our client contends his employer acted like a dick 'cause it could" would seem to sum up Tejada's case.

Edgy MD wrote: "Tejada Files Grievance Against Mets, Told to Get in Line." Why, it's practically my last name!

As valuable by one reckoning as any 2013 Met. If the Mets couldn�t have projected Murphy or Gee assuming statistical leadership as everyday players and starting pitchers, nobody would have guessed that as August rolled around, the Mets closer � on those occasions when they needed one � would be LaTroy Hawkins, heretofore Bobby Parnell�s setup man. The promotion from the eighth to the ninth was one he certainly didn�t demand but dutifully filled. Parnell had been one of the pleasant developments of the first half, but after showing signs of breaking out, he felt a pain in his neck. His year ended with a third of the schedule yet to be played. Enter (after a failed cameo by David Aardsma) the Hawk, who didn�t exactly swoop in with glee. LaTroy understood he was signed to serve not just as a pitcher but as a mentor. As the season was concluding, he mentioned the veterans who taught him the ropes when he was a neophyte Twin in the 1990s. One of the names belonged to Rick Aguilera, then the resident closer at the Metrodome, a decade earlier a building block of great Met things to come. Now, in his own baseball autumn, LaTroy Hawkins hoped he could set an example for the Parnells, the Gonzalez Germens and the Vic Blacks who were following in his footsteps. Whatever words of wisdom he offered were more than backed up by what he demonstrated from the mound. Hawkins had exactly zero saves through four months of the season. Beginning August 6, he compiled 13, blowing only one along the way. It wasn�t the plan to send a 40-year-old right arm to pitch so many ninths, but he became the best possible option and he didn�t disappoint. When 2013 was over, Hawkins had saved more games, logged more innings and chalked up more appearances than he had in any season since 2004. Back then, he was the Cubs� closer. That September, Mets fans knew him (gleefully) as the pitcher who gave up an instantly legendary game-tying ninth-inning home run to Victor Diaz. Diaz wouldn�t pan out and eventually be traded for Mike Nickeas. Nickeas wouldn�t do much and eventually be thrown in with R.A. Dickey to obtain Travis d�Arnaud, Noah Syndergaard and John Buck. Buck would be traded for Black, who earned his first major league save on a night in September when Hawkins needed a rest. LaTroy gave Vic his blessing, having played catch with the kid between outings. �Some guys,� Hawkins told the Star-Ledger�s Jorge Castillo, �have late life on the ball.� Hawk was referring to his latest prot�g�s 97-MPH stuff, but at the tail end of his nineteenth big league season, he had proven himself an authority on late life.

1 of 3 Mets to last on active roster from Opening to Closing Day sans interruption in 2013. Quintessential veteran presence who also performed. Perhaps it's a function of the marketplace that the Mets never seem to have these kinds of guys for very long. Wish him well, appreciate what he did but at 41, can't assume he'd be as valuable here again.

LaTroy LaGoes to CoLorado, 1 year, $2.5 mil.

Jose Valentin, whom I once huzzahed for future Met manager, is the Padres' new 1B coach.

Cam's AFL season: .216, 0 HR, 1 RBI 12 BB, 12 K, 0 SB, 0 CS .365 OBP, 51 AB, 0 E

CPF Trivia Factoid: That logo was designed by my uncle/godfather in a logo design contest during the 1988-89 offseason. I wore that pin on the inside of my jacket on Jeopardy! for luck. (Didn't work, obviously.) That is more exciting to learn than anything Sandy Alderson has said in interviews today. Excellence again and again!

Perpetually amused Sandy Alderson talked to Lupica earlier today. Asked if he could craft the Mets into a "legitimate playoff contender" this offseason, Alderson began by suggesting the state of the franchise is not "dire" even before free agency gets underway in earnest. "Nobody can guarantee anything," Alderson said. "I start with the premise that during the last 100 games of last season we were pretty good. We were .500. That's not great, but it's not real bad. It was a nice starting point. We haven't really lost much from the group that went .500 the last 100 games. We get some players back. So the starting point isn't as dire as some people like to imagine, I don't believe. "We're working hard to improve the team. Again, we have a little more flexibility than we've had in past years, which was a goal of ours going into this offseason. So that's a plus. Because nothing has happened to this point, as it hasn't happened in 28 other cities, is no big reason to panic. We're doing our work. We understand people want to see improvement. We want to see improvement as well. We'll continue to work straight through to March 31." On fan disdain for the Mets' payroll level, which ESPNNewYork.com believes will go slightly downward from last year's roughly $95 million, Alderson said: "No fan is probably ever going to be satisfied with what his or her team is spending on players. It's kind of too bad that the measure of commitment, the measure of loyalty to the fan base, is measured in dollar signs. That be as it may, we're going to spend more money this year than we've spent in recent years, just in terms of what we have to spend. You know, last year we only spent about $5 million on free agents (Shaun Marcum and Brandon Lyon). So this is going to be a new day. We have it to spend. We have to spend it wisely. That's what we're trying to do." Told $5 million is like agent Scott Boras' property taxes, Alderson replied: "That's probably his California state taxes, yeah." Finally, asked about the "Red Sox model" the Mets widely have discussed emulating, which means mid-tier free agents rather than premier free agents, Alderson said: "Look, I referred to the fact that we spent $5 million on free agents last year. They spent close to $70 million just for last year. I just want to make sure we understand the 'Red Sox model' is not inexpensive. "In some ways, they were similar to the Mets probably in the sense that they got burned by some big contracts, decided not to go that route, decided to protect their draft picks and ended up signing players with the resources they had in what you might loosely define in the mid-range, but in actuality Stephen Drew [was signed] at $9.5 million ... "And, of course, the real kicker is: Can you do it again? Or can another team do it again? So I think there's a lesson to be learned there. But the notion that 10 teams this year are going to follow the Red Sox model, it's like chasing money in the stock market. At some point the same thing doesn't necessarily work over the succeeding period of time and you've got to come up with a different concept. "Look, we've got some holes to fill. We're going to try to do that." The group that went .500 for 100 games (which is an odd thing to flaunt) played its best when it had Byrd and Harvey, neither of whom appears adequately replaced for 2014.

Ronny Paulino wasn't Jerry Grote. Jon Rauch wasn't Bob Gibson. Shaun Marcum wasn't Sal Maglie. The "nice" thing is nice but if any of those guys was more than a stopgap measure, their personalities would be uncharming footnotes to their competive-natured performances. The bit about Byrd giving out advice is a hoot and a half. He was the club's standout offensive player for close to three months and was enough of a mensch to work with other players, yet he's cast as a busybody who's shoving a wrench into the well-oiled Big Met Machine. Murphy's quite imperfect, but the idea that he's poisoning the minds of young hitters by not taking pitches as much as the FO would like (because maybe one approach doesn't suit all) must be somebody's way of telling Martino, "We don't want to give him a raise and hope we can trade him before arbitration."

Edgy MD wrote: I wish all PS awards (MotY, RotY) had 10 slots on the ballot. I wish all postseason awards had Mets names engraved on them.

According to Martino, choosy front offices choose Mets with utmost care. Not too hot, not too cold, not too impatient, not too nasty, not too quiet, not too meddlesome -- not mentioned: they should be good. Perhaps they should just clone their beau ideal Mr. Wright 20 or so times and surround him with a couple of "character guys". The Mets are trying to spend more money than in recent winters, acquire more power, and ultimately win more games. But the team has identified other goals, too, which need to remain high priorities: Avoid divisive personalities, and increase player buy-in to its offensive philosophy. In Sandy Alderson�s previous three offseasons, the GM was shackled by budget constraints, and forced to choose from an undesirable pile of free agents. In many cases, he did not choose well, signing guys who brought a sour vibe into the clubhouse, in some cases creating more trouble than was justified by their limited contributions. It began with catcher Ronny Paulino and reliever D.J. Carrasco in 2011; the former was uninterested in following game plans, and the latter drove the coaching staff crazy with frequent whining about his usage. Subsequent years brought Jon Rauch�s unrelenting surliness and Frank Francisco�s unwillingness to pitch, along with attempts to dissuade youngsters from doing so. Shaun Marcum was, well, not charming, and while Marlon Byrd arrived with a questionable reputation, he was generally a pleasant surprise in the clubhouse -- save for what many Mets people saw as his overcoaching of teammates. It is that latter point that the Mets want to address, in addition to bringing in more pleasant people. On every level of the organization up to major league hitting coach Dave Hudgens, Alderson�s staff has spent three years working to instill a hitting philosophy that stresses plate discipline and on-base percentage. Agree or disagree with that view -- many baseball folks criticize it for making hitters less aggressive, a characterization that proponents dispute -- it is one that the GM insists on. Players like Byrd and Daniel Murphy are good hitters, but operate in a mode that is far from Aldersonian. Byrd is an aggressive swinger, unwilling or unable to draw many walks (his walk rate last year was a lowly 5.4 percent), and more than willing to encourage teammates to follow his own ideas while they worked pregame in the batting cage. That is one of the reasons the Mets did not pursue a reunion with the outfielder, who signed a two-year, $16 million deal with Philadelphia on Tuesday. The Mets are open trading Murphy for similar reasons. Murphy has earned the respect of the front office by working to turn himself into a passable second baseman, but he is another aggressive hitter, whose style does not fit what the general manager, hitting coach, and organizational instructors teach. This is one of the reasons that the team might be ready to move him. It's not that every Met has to be the same player, but the front office would like to see a higher percentage of the lineup mirror its overall philosophy. As club officials note, it is easier to enforce standards on minor leaguers and rookies if those youngsters see veterans modeling the program. Byrd and Murphy have many strong qualities as hitters, but they will never do that. Both Curtis Granderson and Nelson Cruz, free agents outfielders in whom the Mets are interested, would be better fits from both a personality and performance standpoint. Both have reputations as nice people; the only knock on Granderson is that he is pleasant, but not a leader, and while Cruz carries Biogenesis baggage, he is known as a nice, if quiet, guy. On the surface, Granderson does not seem like Alderson�s type of hitter. Although his career on-base percentage is a respectable .340, that number sunk to .317 in 2012, the outfielder�s most recent full season. When I pointed this out to a Mets official, that person immediately mentioned being impressed by Granderson�s walk rate, which at 10.2 percent is better than Byrd�s, Murphy�s (5.6 percent) Cruz�s (7.9 percent), or Jhonny Peralta (8.3 percent). The Mets might not sign either Granderson or Cruz, after seeing the frenzied outfield market develop; a trade for an Andre Ethier or Nick Markakis is also possible. Either way, it is time to end the era of sourpuss imports, and free swingers -- time to be more selective about the people invited to Queens.

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Great job, G-FAFIF! Thanks. I couldn't have done it without sporadically recognized performances.

The rest of the Mets with MVP votes over the years: Tom Seaver (7 + the year he was traded away) David Wright (6) Mike Piazza (4, including the year he was traded here) Bud Harrelson (3) Keith Hernandez (3) Darryl Strawberry (3) Edgardo Alfonzo (3) Tommie Agee (2) Rusty Staub (2) Tug McGraw (2)

Roger McDowell 1986's 17th-place pitcher (tied, kind of ironically, with Dave Smith), collecting 5 points for each hot foot delivered on camera. Closers seem to get some love, and we need someone in the range of the 1988 team. Randall K. Myers? Voters loved to love Myers, at least 3 points worth for 16th place that divisional championship season. Great quiz. Missed it by that much. Thank you. And thanks all for playing! 1. Ron Hunt 2. Tommy Davis 3. Cleon Jones 4. Donn Clendenon 5. Felix Millan 6. Jesse Orosco 7. Bobby Ojeda 8. Lenny Dykstra 9. Roger McDowell 10. Ray Knight 11. Randy Myers 12. Kevin McReynolds 13. David Cone 14. Dave Magadan 15. Bret Saberhagen 16. John Franco 17. Lance Johnson 18. Todd Hundley 19. Bernard Gilkey 20. John Olerud 21. Robin Ventura 22. Cliff Floyd 23. Johan Santana 24. R.A. Dickey Repeatedly valuable: Carlos Delgado (2), Dave Kingman (2), Jerry Koosman (3), Jose Reyes (5), Gary Carter (2), Dwight Gooden (3), Howard Johnson (3), Carlos Beltran (3 + the year he was traded away) Not valuable: Al Leiter, Frank Viola, Mike Hampton, Ron Darling, Bobby Bonilla, Sid Fernandez

Carlos Beltran. As Deacon Jones would say, multiyear. 1. Ron Hunt 2. Tommy Davis 3. Cleon Jones 4. Donn Clendenon 5. Felix Millan 6. Jesse Orosco 7. Bobby Ojeda 8. Lenny Dykstra 9. 10. Ray Knight 11. 12. Kevin McReynolds 13. David Cone 14. Dave Magadan 15. Bret Saberhagen 16. John Franco 17. Lance Johnson 18. Todd Hundley 19. Bernard Gilkey 20. John Olerud 21. Robin Ventura 22. Cliff Floyd 23. Johan Santana 24. R.A. Dickey Repeatedly valuable: Carlos Delgado (2), Dave Kingman (2), Jerry Koosman (3), Jose Reyes (5), Gary Carter (2), Dwight Gooden (3), Howard Johnson (3), Carlos Beltran (3 + the year he was traded away) Not valuable: Al Leiter, Frank Viola, Mike Hampton, Ron Darling, Bobby Bonilla, Sid Fernandez

Darling? Franco? Bonilla? Breach of guess etiquette, but no, yes and no. Franco in 1994, 3 points for 20th place. sid fernandez El nope. Hojo! Valuably considered thrice. Fliff Cloyd His name comes out funny in the laundry, but it is also correct: 4 points, just like Marcus Giles and Jim Edmonds, with whom he shared 26th place in 2005. 1. Ron Hunt 2. Tommy Davis 3. Cleon Jones 4. Donn Clendenon 5. Felix Millan 6. Jesse Orosco 7. Bobby Ojeda 8. Lenny Dykstra 9. 10. Ray Knight 11. 12. Kevin McReynolds 13. David Cone 14. Dave Magadan 15. Bret Saberhagen 16. John Franco 17. Lance Johnson 18. Todd Hundley 19. Bernard Gilkey 20. John Olerud 21. Robin Ventura 22. Cliff Floyd 23. Johan Santana 24. R.A. Dickey Repeatedly valuable: Carlos Delgado (2), Dave Kingman (2), Jerry Koosman (3), Jose Reyes (5), Gary Carter (2), Dwight Gooden (3), Howard Johnson (3) Not valuable: Al Leiter, Frank Viola, Mike Hampton, Ron Darling, Bobby Bonilla, Sid Fernandez

Magadan? Seems right that this answer was slow to arrive. 4 points for 22nd place on the 1990 ballot. 1. Ron Hunt 2. Tommy Davis 3. Cleon Jones 4. Donn Clendenon 5. Felix Millan 6. Jesse Orosco 7. Bobby Ojeda 8. Lenny Dykstra 9. 10. Ray Knight 11. 12. Kevin McReynolds 13. David Cone 14. Dave Magadan 15. Bret Saberhagen 16. 17. Lance Johnson 18. Todd Hundley 19. Bernard Gilkey 20. John Olerud 21. Robin Ventura 22. 23. Johan Santana 24. R.A. Dickey Repeatedly valuable: Carlos Delgado (2), Dave Kingman (2), Jerry Koosman (3), Jose Reyes (5), Gary Carter (2), Dwight Gooden (3) Not valuable: Al Leiter, Frank Viola, Mike Hampton

Doc? Multiplicity. 1. Ron Hunt 2. Tommy Davis 3. Cleon Jones 4. Donn Clendenon 5. Felix Millan 6. Jesse Orosco 7. Bobby Ojeda 8. Lenny Dykstra 9. 10. Ray Knight 11. 12. Kevin McReynolds 13. David Cone 14. 15. Bret Saberhagen 16. 17. Lance Johnson 18. Todd Hundley 19. Bernard Gilkey 20. John Olerud 21. Robin Ventura 22. 23. Johan Santana 24. R.A. Dickey Repeatedly valuable: Carlos Delgado (2), Dave Kingman (2), Jerry Koosman (3), Jose Reyes (5), Gary Carter (2), Dwight Gooden (3) Not valuable: Al Leiter, Frank Viola, Mike Hampton

If Dykstra and Knight are on that list with a hole in the middle, there must have been another '86er. Ojeda? Already named. But you're on the right track. Has our favorite Marlin/Blue Jay Jose Reyes had any love? I'd think he'd be on multiple ballots, but he wasn't healthy a lot, either. Lots of ballots. Gary Carter? Two-timer. 1. Ron Hunt 2. Tommy Davis 3. Cleon Jones 4. Donn Clendenon 5. Felix Millan 6. Jesse Orosco 7. Bobby Ojeda 8. Lenny Dykstra 9. 10. Ray Knight 11. 12. Kevin McReynolds 13. David Cone 14. 15. Bret Saberhagen 16. 17. Lance Johnson 18. Todd Hundley 19. Bernard Gilkey 20. John Olerud 21. Robin Ventura 22. 23. Johan Santana 24. R.A. Dickey Repeatedly valuable: Carlos Delgado (2), Dave Kingman (2), Jerry Koosman (3), Jose Reyes (5), Gary Carter (2) Not valuable: Al Leiter, Frank Viola, Mike Hampton

Jerry Koosman? Kooz too valuable, named three times. Saberhagen in whatever his "on" even-numbered year was. 92 or 94. Bret was quite the Met in 1994 and was awarded one tenth-place vote which placed him in a three-way tie for 22nd with future teammate Brett Butler and Andy Benes. Ray Knight? No 86ing that answer: 9 points, 14th place in That Championship Season. 1. Ron Hunt 2. Tommy Davis 3. Cleon Jones 4. Donn Clendenon 5. Felix Millan 6. Jesse Orosco 7. Bobby Ojeda 8. Lenny Dykstra 9. 10. Ray Knight 11. 12. Kevin McReynolds 13. David Cone 14. 15. Bret Saberhagen 16. 17. Lance Johnson 18. Todd Hundley 19. Bernard Gilkey 20. John Olerud 21. Robin Ventura 22. 23. Johan Santana 24. R.A. Dickey Repeatedly valuable: Carlos Delgado (2), Dave Kingman (2), Jerry Koosman (3) Not valuable: Al Leiter, Frank Viola, Mike Hampton

Johan Santana Nohan doubt about it. 30 points, a 14th-place tie with Chase (BOO!) Utley in 2008. Sticking with that year -- Mr. Grand Slam Single? Not in the Year of Hampton, but the year before, everything Robin did counted: 113 points, 6th place in the '99 voting. 1. Ron Hunt 2. Tommy Davis 3. Cleon Jones 4. Donn Clendenon 5. Felix Millan 6. Jesse Orosco 7. Bobby Ojeda 8. Lenny Dykstra 9. 10. 11. 12. Kevin McReynolds 13. David Cone 14. 15. 16. 17. Lance Johnson 18. Todd Hundley 19. Bernard Gilkey 20. John Olerud 21. Robin Ventura 22. 23. Johan Santana 24. R.A. Dickey Repeatedly valuable: Carlos Delgado (2), Dave Kingman (2) Not valuable: Al Leiter, Frank Viola, Mike Hampton

Mike Hampton? Mike's football mentality didn't bowl over the baseball writers. No votes. 1. Ron Hunt 2. Tommy Davis 3. Cleon Jones 4. Donn Clendenon 5. Felix Millan 6. Jesse Orosco 7. Bobby Ojeda 8. Lenny Dykstra 9. 10. 11. 12. Kevin McReynolds 13. David Cone 14. 15. 16. 17. Lance Johnson 18. Todd Hundley 19. Bernard Gilkey 20. John Olerud 21. 22. 23. 24. R.A. Dickey Repeatedly valuable: Carlos Delgado (2), Dave Kingman (2) Not valuable: Al Leiter, Frank Viola, Mike Hampton

Felix Millan Cat's right! 12 points tied Felix for 16th with Willie Davis. McReynolds, '88. More votes than Bruce Babbitt that election year: 162 points, 3rd place. 1. Ron Hunt 2. Tommy Davis 3. Cleon Jones 4. Donn Clendenon 5. Felix Millan 6. Jesse Orosco 7. Bobby Ojeda 8. Lenny Dykstra 9. 10. 11. 12. Kevin McReynolds 13. David Cone 14. 15. 16. 17. Lance Johnson 18. Todd Hundley 19. Bernard Gilkey 20. John Olerud 21. 22. 23. 24. R.A. Dickey Repeatedly valuable: Carlos Delgado (2), Dave Kingman (2) Not valuable: Al Leiter, Frank Viola