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Edgy DC wrote: It almost seemed like Track was trying to bait an emotionally vulnerable Castillo into making a complaint about racial mistreatment, and that would have certainly been career suicide. Castillo demonstrating better judgment in this regard than former manager Willie Randolph with his "smells a little bit" comment to Ian O'Connor in 2008 when O'Connor (that hack) tried to make his shaky managerial status a race thing. One former star second baseman learning from another...sort of.

metirish wrote: As baseball gets more expensive, the fanbase gets whiter. I guess conventional thinking says this is true but in the small sample size of games I go to I see plenty of non whites , and it's not just whites complaining here about Castillo. Based on my outsized sample of games at Citi Field, I'd concur, both on the diverse composition of the crowd (even if it ain't exactly the Polo Grounds bleachers in '62), and the reactions to given players by given fans. I went to Latin Fiesta night or whatever it was called in 2007, the first time the Mets wore "Los Mets" uniforms (which wasn't a twist invented by the Mets; see the San Francisco Gigantes, who were doing that stuff in 2005; the Marineros and Cervecerias may have also been ahead of the curve on that one), sat among a heavily Latin section of fans and the player cheered most heartily around me was David Wright. For that matter, based on my personal interaction with many in the blogging community, the almost endless string of impassioned, anti-Blame Beltran pieces -- the ones that beatify this guy -- are written by folks who are (DNA tests pending) quite white. I'm willing to accept there is a jerk contingent that might be swayed by non-baseball factors like ethnicity when they can't quite put their finger on why they don't like a particular player (or articulate anything deeper than "he sucks"). But mostly, I believe Mets fans want good players who win games. That's my gross generalization for the day.

What's lacking in this piece is any actual fan perspective on a story that's supposed to be about what "the fans" (as if we're all a homogeneous mass) are thinking, beyond an anecdotal reference to Twitter. There are dozens (and dozens) of active blogs eliciting hundreds (and hundreds) of comments daily. There's Facebook. There are no doubt databases in Flushing with contact info for those who are Mets customers that an industrious reporter can probably gain access to. Through these media, one can initiate actual human contact with actual human Mets fans. And oh yeah, there are frigging thousands of Mets fans coming in and out of Port St. Lucie where he is right now. Interview somebody. Get somebody on the record. Talk to ten or twenty or more fans. Sit in the stands for a few innings of an exhibition game (as opposed to Tweeting away in the press box) and if you see/hear somebody booing Castillo, ask why. Probe a little. Ken Davidoff wrote a non-ethnic piece in Newsday today, the crux of which is blame the Mets for giving him the money, not Castillo for taking the money: Mets fans who shake their fist at Castillo miss the point. It shouldn't surprise you that a middle infielder with heavy mileage, particularly one so reliant upon speed, should acquire the injury bug. It's a familiar argument made on behalf of any and every albatross who's ever been been aggressively unloved by a vocal portion of fans. Davidoff and Martino and their credentialed brethren see these guys as human beings whose performance and skills they may mock in the course of a season and career...but still human beings. Which is swell. If they were covering Castillo with such intricacy since 2007, he might be viewed more multidimensionally in general. But mostly he's been viewed as a ballplayer whose liabilities have outweighed his remaining assets and nobody's given a damn that he may be a decent guy -- maybe even a misunderstood, wonderful guy -- behind the scenes. Which is not inappropriate. Back of the baseball card, as the cliche of the year goes. I find it darkly amusing that guys who define the physical parameters of their job as essentially the clubhouse, the press box and the dugout during BP feel compelled to tell people with whom they don't speak (save, perhaps, in 140-character bursts) what those people -- "you people" -- are thinking.

Andy Martino offers a kernel of a nugget of an intriguing idea...for a column in 2007. Luis Castillo batted .302 in 2009, and played through injuries while many of his Mets teammates spent their summer on the disabled list. He was proud of this, and was stunned on Opening Day last year, when Citi Field fans booed him during introductions. "Yeah, man," Castillo says, shaking his head and wincing. "I'm not the only guy with a lot of injuries the year before, and I'm batting .300. It is what it is." But what is it, exactly? Why is one of the toughest and most passionate Mets so unpopular among fans? Asked if the issue was about race, Castillo, who is Dominican, shrugged and wondered why the public did not appreciate his willingness to play through intense foot and leg pain. "When you are hurt, you try so hard, because you don't want fans and your teammates to think you don't want to play," Castillo says. "That's hard, man, to play when you're hurt. Sometimes the fans don't understand that." Castillo, reluctant like most players to wander into a subject fraught with controversy and misinterpretation, chose not to discuss race. A friend of his only partially accepted the premise that Castillo's troubles were related to his skin color and heritage. "Yeah, sometimes that is tough," the friend, a fellow Hispanic in baseball, said about Castillo's experience. "But it's harder to say that's the main issue with Castillo, because he hasn't performed. If you had that same mistreatment of a guy that was performing really well, then it would be more obvious." Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan have played well as Mets, and have not faced the same anger. People who root for a team value production, above all other qualities, and have unleashed negativity on many white players in the past. But are nonwhite players more vulnerable to being labeled lazy malcontents, and less likely to be called "gamers?" Must they work harder to receive credit for positive contributions to the team? Castillo presents a complicated case. Yes, he came to New York as a declining player and signed a generous four-year, $24 million contract. Yes, he dropped a popup in 2009 that cost the Mets a game against the Yankees, and missed a voluntary visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2010. Those events aside, Castillo's mentoring of Reyes, willingness to play hurt and his cerebral approach at the plate have long earned him praise from teammates. The public's perception is often different. Castillo is jeered at Citi Field and at the Mets' spring home, Digital Domain Park, and abused on the Internet. In a sampling of recent Twitter posts, he is described as "lazy" and "hated." It is difficult not to explore Castillo's plight through the prism of race, because that subject has defined much of the discussion around the recent Mets. Under former general manager Omar Minaya, the team constructed a heavily Hispanic roster, and created the website LosMets.com. As in many clubhouses, players often gravitated toward cliques divided by ethnicity. The divide spilled into the public several times, as in 2007, when catcher Paul Lo Duca said of Hispanic teammates, "Some of these guys have to start talking (to the media). They speak English, believe me." Whatever its motivations, the anti-Castillo crowd might receive long-awaited news this month, as the Mets ponder releasing the infielder. The three-time Gold Glover is competing with Brad Emaus, Luis Hernandez and Daniel Murphy for a roster spot, although most scouts say he is the superior player. The veteran, whose efforts have never been accepted in a city that prides itself on acceptance, is left to wonder about his future. Thursday, Castillo sat on a bench in front of his locker, looked up and asked a reporter: "What do you think will happen?"

George Weiss just ordered haircuts and shaves for the lot of them.

If the Iron Duke wanted a hit, he may have one now.

Shouldn't some of them be indicating sleeveless Red or Pirate jerseys?

2029- Ike Davis

No. 10: Kirk Gibson game, 1988 WS -- or as I like to call it, the game that never should have been played.

Steve Chill-caught only wishes he'd peaked as a rookie.

President William Henry Harrison.

Johan has "regular" soreness. Carlos has "good" soreness. May the rest of the roster exhibit "soarness". (Bill Gallo helped me with that one.)

Bill Pulsipher

Tank I kept taped to the wall next to my bed for several years of my adolescence: One black ballplayer to another black ballplayer: "That's COLD, baby!" Uptight white veteran ballplayer: "You think it's cold now, Willie, you should wait 'til we get to Montreal." Tank to the two two horrified-looking black ballplayers: "You'll have to forgive Joe. He doesn't learn the new slang until May." I think the strip peaked right around then.

The Second Spitter wrote: Watching Spring Training is a bit like going to a whorehouse; it provides some relief after long abstinence, but it's not very meaningful and there's always something better on the horizon. --Ring Lardner, Chicago Daily Tribune, March 12, 1909

The Record says Santana may not/will not pitch in 2011. The bad news is one of the co-bylines is Steve Popper, so it might be true. The good news is the other co-byline is Bob Klapisch's, so it may be nothing more than soft rain. Johan Santana's season in jeopardy for the Mets Saturday, March 12, 2011 BY STEVE POPPER AND BOB KLAPISCH THE RECORD STAFF WRITERS PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. � The slim glimmer of hope the Mets have clung to, waiting for Johan Santana to return this season, could be wiped out as soon as today. One member of the Mets� organization said that the team is ready to shut down the rehabilitation schedule for Santana if he does not feel comfortable after what is expected to be a simple session of playing catch. According to the source, Santana has not been progressing in his return to light throwing and the team is concerned enough to halt this section of his rehabilitation. By doing so, the Mets� timetable of a possible late-June, early-July return to the team would likely be wiped out. Internally, the Mets believe they�ll be �lucky� if Santana pitches this year. Derailing this plan would not be a complete surprise as the Mets already have seemed to take an optimistic tack concerning Santana�s return. While they have spoken about hanging in until his return and viewing it like pulling off a trade for an ace when he returns, the prospects of Santana�s return to form this season always has been fraught with the uncertainty of history. Santana underwent surgery in September to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder. Mark Prior and Chien-Ming Wang each underwent a similar surgery and have yet to win another game in the major leagues. The Mets� plan for Santana was outlined when he arrived at camp, having just started playing catch last month. �We have a framework that was provided by our physicians to sort of gauge how Johan is progressing,� Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said Feb. 17 when Santana reported. �And it really involves three stages. �The first is recovery from surgery, the second is a return to throwing and the third is a return to pitching. Johan has gone through phase one, recovery from the surgery. There�s a healing process, a restoration of range of motion, that sort of thing, and that took about 4, 4� months. The second stage is a return to throwing, which is the stage that he�s in currently. We expect that to last maybe three months. It will involve flat ground, a gradual lengthening of the toss, tossing and also intensity, velocity. We expect that�s going to take about three months. � �The third phase is actual return to pitching, and the medical expectation is maybe six to eight weeks, so if you do the math, it gets you to the end of June, first part, middle part of July.� Alderson was clear at that time to point out he didn�t want to put unrealistic expectations on Santana, and that the Mets would continue to monitor his progress. The source said Santana has not been fluid in recent workouts � having increased just last week from three to four sessions of playing catch per week. Santana said just last week that he was feeling good and he has continued working out on his own at the Mets� spring training complex. Even as optimistic as Santana has been with his progress and knowing his work ethic, he admitted he was uncertain about the future of his career. �Injuries are part of the game,� Santana said last month. �You never know when they are going to happen and how severe they will be and how it will affect your career. I am very optimistic and that�s the way I am. I�m going to try and do my best and get in great shape and strengthen my arm. �It�s hard to tell right now. When you get your arm all cleaned up and fixed, there�s always a question mark. You never know, time will tell. But if everything goes right and I feel good, I�m going to continue playing as much as I can.�

Edgy DC wrote: Detach, detach, detach yourself from all that. The Mets didn't find their second baseman in 2006 until May So true. In early March, the competition was Matsui, Keppinger, Hernandez and Boone. Valentin on nobody's depth chart. Also reminded of the three-way battle among Luis Rivera, Tim Bogar and comer Fernando Vina to play shortstop in 1994. The winner? Jose Vizcaino, acquired just before the season began. Gave the Mets two fine years (and opened a window for Anthony Young to be let out).

MFS62 wrote: Sheesh. Sounds like something out of a Jetsons episode. "Gee Dad, ya think we'll get to see Stephen Spaceburg?"

Ceetar wrote: smg58 wrote: One bad inning and the league has caught up to him? Do we really need that shit from Mets commentators? be fair now...it was two bad innings. Be even fairer. They were talking in a broader sense from throughout the spring, and included Bobby Ojeda's assessment in their own. And it wasn't deemed fatal. Dickey ain't dead by any stretch. And thank god the Mets announcers express opinions, not propaganda. Was listening to the Bravescast for a couple of innings and the entire spiel was "watch out Phillies, the Braves are awesome!" Brooks Conrad was a Gold Glover by the time they were done.

Observations proffered by Hagin and Coleman today: --League maybe catching up to Dickey. --Murphy not a second baseman. Observation proffered by me: --I think I'm finally getting used to Wayne Hagin.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Shea rocked because of the people in it. By its twilight, the structure-- with apologies to Greg-- was a shithole. You needen't apologize to me, but you will be hearing from the attorneys for Praeger-Kavanaugh-Waterbury.

Phil Taylor, SI columnist and (professional niceties aside) Mets fan, thinks we (including he) deserve better. All baseball fans deserve a spring, that blissful period when they get to dream, however unrealistically, that every question mark about their team will become an exclamation point. Not so for the Mets' faithful, who are preoccupied with worry that any day now we�I mean, they�will pull up to a traffic light and see team executives on the median, holding a cardboard sign: spare a FEW DOLLARS TO HELP SIGN A FREE AGENT? The team's debts are estimated by The Wall Street Journal at $500 million, and that's not counting any obligations from the lawsuit. Wilpon and his son, Jeff, the Mets' chief operating officer, said last season that the Madoff issue would not affect the team's finances, but by October they were acknowledging that they had "a short-term liquidity issue." In November they borrowed a reported $25 million from Major League Baseball to help cover operating costs, and since then, reports the New York Post, they have been pressuring JPMorgan Chase�which led a syndicate of banks that loaned the Mets $430 million last year�for millions of additional dollars to cover basic operating costs. Not much new ground, but cute the way he reveals his lingering allegiance.

Denis Hamil takes a similar tack, sort of, here. Unfortunately timed allusion included. Okay, it's time for the Mets-a-thon. We've had tsunami telethons, Jerry Lewis muscular dystrophy telethons, AIDS telethons and Haiti hunger telethons. Now it's time for all truly humanitarian Mets fans to step up to the plate to save this working class team that just tore down a perfectly sound and paid-off working class 55,000-seat stadium to build an $850 million 40,000-seat stadium - mortgaged to the jockstrap, named after a bank and designed for Wall Street yuppies who want to eat steak and drink martinis, instead of working stiffs from Area Code 718 who built this team on hot dogs and beers and diehard loyalty.

Perhaps what the company in question meant is the Mets aren't a "professional" sports team in the sense that they have been revealed to be a non-profit operation.

The Coliseum is only 5.83 miles from the Queens border? Seems further.