MFS62

EDIT: Thought my post would be better in another thread. SO I moved it there. Later

The pods have taken over poor Steve. Even Donald Sutherland couldn't save him. Later

To date, an arm injury was a significant factor in Rustich's moving forward or lack of movement. From what I've read on "Inside Pitch" (subscription site), his arm is improving. Positive signs are coming out of his early test results. Rustich is not currently on track for spring training and the organization is going to be very cautious with . He's NOT going to be ready to throw off a mound when camp starts. He hasn't started a throwing program yet, but will start soon. When he does return to game action and joins a team, expect it to be St. Lucie but it won't be because they feel he can't handle a higher level. Rustich is still a very valuable guy for the Org., but they want to keep him close to the complex, pitch in warm weather, and make sure everything is right before they get aggressive with him. When he's healthy, he'll move very fast. Good luck with your kid, LWFS. Later

Here's some long distance optimism from my pal, the German Mets fan. Its a nice recap that seems to mirror some of what has already been said. 1) Fact is, the 2009/2010 free agent market was very thin. There was no true elite talent available and only two legit impact bats in Holliday and Bay. The Mets got one of the two and thus get a RH slugger they�ve lacked for quite some time. As for the pitching market, sure, the Mets could have used a more dependable SP for their rotation vs. what they have now. However, was any of the available options dependable and worth a larger investment ? - Lackey - as good as he is - has missed time in both 08 and 09 with shoulder issues. Nothing major but definitely a concern for a 31-year-old who is supposed to be a true workhorse and who gets a 10+ % share of the overall payroll for several years - Pineiro - a very good 2009 season under the tutalage of Dave Duncan that followed a career that makes Ollie Perez look consistent. Hardly worth a larger investment. - R.Wolf - coming off a fine 2009 season but already in his mid 30s and with a track record full of serious injuries before being healthy in 2009 and for most of 2008. These three could have helped for sure and made for a nice 2010 spring outlook - but at what price and without any guarantees. All other available SP were either consistently mediocre (Garland, Marquis) or major risks like Sheets, Harden or Bedard. So, this leaves the Mets with essentially the same rotation they had in 2008 and in 2009. In 2008, it fell one game short of reaching the postseason. Had the Mets had a closer in 2008, it would have been enough. In 2009, injuries struck while Pelfrey regressed and the team collapsed entirely. Santana is one of the greatest pitchers in Baseball. If Pelfrey - Maine - Perez manage to combine for 85+ starts, 500+ IP and an overall ERA of 4.00, the Mets will be alright. If you look up their 2008 production, that�s essentially what they did back then. The Mets had no legit 5th starter in 2008 or 2009 either. At least this year, there�s a good shot to see a younger, more promising pitcher like Jon Niese or Fernando Nieve get a long look here. Can�t do much worse than what was used in previous years. 2) The Mets resisted trading away any prospects. While there�s a lot of debate among prospect raters whether the Mets have a terrible farm (Rubin and some BA guys) or a pretty solid and underrated farm (K.Law, Sickels, Goldstein of BP as well), it was vital keeping this group of prospects intact. If the Mets want to become a successful franchise again, they need a steady pipeline of young talent at all levels of the system. Last year, one of the big problems besides the rash of injuries was the lack of talent at AAA to help out when injuries struck. And not only that, for fans it�s easier accepting a lost season when you�re getting a glimpse of the future. However, except for a few F.Martinez games, the replacements essentially were the Angel Berroas and Corey Sullivans of the world. Mediocre Quadruple A players who have seen the best side of their career. By keeping all the prospects, the AAA and AA rosters - for the first time in years - will feature several promising young talents. Even if there�s a lot of debate regarding the future value of Ike Davis, Jenry Mejia, Fernando Martinez, Reese Havens, Brad Holt, Josh Thole, Kirk Nieuwenhuis or Ruben Tejeda - fact is they�re all young and will all just be a phone call away from the majors if needed - without being totally rushed. 3) Yes, the Mets look well below average at C and 2b right now offensively and possibly defensively as well. 1b and RF are big question marks too - though the young age of Franceour and Murphy somewhat help. CF remains a concern as well as long Beltran is out and Pagan / Matthews have to fill in. That said, assuming health from Reyes, a bounceback from Wright. Bay producing on a normal level, the lineup won�t be all that terrible. The Braves also have major lineup question marks at multiple spots: - brittle Troy Glaus at 1b - unproven Martin Prado at 2b - declining Chipper Jones (age 38) at 3b - overrated Melky Cabrera in LF - Matt Diaz in RF And I�d certainly rather have Reyes - Wright - Bay than McCann - Escobar - McLouth among the more predictable lineup anchors. Sure, the Braves have a better rotation on paper - though it�s an all RH staff, Lowe looked poor in 2009, Hudson is 35 and missed most of 2008 / 2009, Kawakami is a mediocre filler. Hanson & Jurrjens look like legit young aces though and thus give the Braves the edge for now. However, this is far from a landslide. Is it really a foregone conclusion that Hudson outpitches Maine ? Santana & Pelfrey perform worse overall than Hanson & Jurrjens ? Perez does worse than Lowe ? Kawakami outpitches Niese / Nieve ? Let�s play the season to find out. Overall, I see the Mets as an 85-win team on paper right now. Not in the ballpark of the Phillies but on par with the Braves, Marlins and fellow 2nd place / Wild Card contenders in the NL. With a few good breaks the Mets win 90 games and reach the playoffs while developing a stronger farm nucleus. With a few bad breaks the Mets win 80 games and clean house at some point in 2010 and a new GM inherits a roster without too many crippling long term contracts. Reply | Quote Later

duan wrote: jesus christ, that octopus thing is only half a step removed from sacrificing a chicken. That reminds me. I wonder if Pedro Cerrano is available as a free agent? Later

G-Fafif wrote: Bush the Elder an Astros patron more than anything now that nobody in the family owns a franchise. Buddies with the owner. Plus he lived in a hotel room in Houston all those years, kind of. He used to head up the CIA. He wants you to think he used to live in Houston and now roots for the 'Stros. Who can be sure? Later

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Yvonne De Carlo Ben, you're showing your age. LOL! She may not have pitched in the majors, but she sure had some nice curves. Later

Was he the first player in Major League history whose first name began with "Y"? There have been some since then (e.g.- Yorvit Torealba), but I don't remember any before him. Later

Edgy DC wrote: I don't know if he's writing his own copy these days (but I guess he is). This reads like it was translated from the Japanese by a Commodore 64. Be careful, Edgy. Computers do have memory. And one day, when they take over the world, you might get attacked by a Vic-20. Later

At least they're putting up a statue to Bud, the former owner. The only thing a statue of the current owner (Wendy Selig-Prieb) would be good for would be a cure for Steve Phillips' sex addiction. Later

Now we know why we haven't seen him for a while: http://www.insidetherockies.com/2010/02/05/first-baseman-josh-phelps-should-add-power-to-sky-sox/ Later

Thanks, folks. That statue of Spahnie is what I had envisioned as a pitcher's pose. Later

And since the Mets will be playing in San Juan this summer, let me point out that outside Hiram Bithorn Stadium is a great statue of Roberto Clemente. (I saw it on a trip there) A statue of a batter is probably easier than a pitcher. You can show a batter in his stance. What position should a pitcher be in? His windup? Later

I stumbled on #3 because I mis-read the clue, and was trying to come up with three teams with the first three letters the same. Then I got back on my feet and got all the rest. I'd have bet the ranch, and lost if I got #3. Surprised Alex didn't ask the first Canadian-born player in the HOF. (I think its Fergie Jenkins) Later

The Madoff scandal was widely publicized. He, as well as many of his victims, were Jewish. Nobody really knows how much money they lost. (although current court settlement lawsuits may reveal much of that information) But nobody also knows how much money Fred also may have lost with the decline of the real estate market the past few years. Yes, there have been stories this off season about a "limit" on team spending. He has been called "Freddie coupon" as in looking for bargains. I don't think any of those stories have said, or even intimated, it is because he is Jewish. As you've probably figured out by now, I would have been very sensitive to those kinds of things, and haven't picked up on that. Of course, it might depend on the paradigm through which you read them. But there also have been stories in which Omar and Fred have claimed there is no limit. Nobody knows which is correct. Nor do we know why they haven't spent as much as some fans would have liked. (FK nailed the Steinbrenner comparison angle) As has been written here at the CPF, they have spent. And since there weren't any other of the "name" players they felt were substantially better than what they already have, why spend? Especially since there is a crop of players coming up through the system who will be filling some of those perceived holes shortly. Later

Benjamin Grimm wrote: metirish wrote: What's wrong with Wright and mental issuses? He thinks he's Marlene Dietrich. Sad, really. Nahhh. Marlene said she "vanted to be alone". David doesn't mind the cameras and reporters. I believe he thinks he's Kim Kardashian. Later

If he's the one performing YOUR surgery, he is to you. Later

OK, you want a blast from the past? Millan's season in 1975 was an interesting one: He not only played, but started all 162 games and batted 2nd in the lineup in EVERY game. He broke his own club record at the time with 676 at-bats. He broke the club record for doubles with 37. He broke his own club record for hits with 191. He led the NL in HBP with 12. He had four hits in a game three times. He only struck out 28 times. Here's the question: Even though 1975 was Millan's career year, there was one Met record he had set earlier that he did not break in 1975. What was it? Later

Edgy DC wrote: ... The fact that they all play elsewhere is a second asset that keeps it from being any sort of crunch. I'd imagine the majority of minor-league veterans will have seen some time at first by the time they hit 25. Good points. Later

With the signing of Val Pascucci, the Buffalo Mets will have 7 players with 1B experience on their squad. Catalanotto may be ML bench or nothing but there still seems to be a AAA overload at 1B/OF. And that�s with Ike Davis and Lucas Duda pushing from behind at BNG. Evans, Nick (1B-OF-3B) Val Pascucci (OF-1B) Frank Catalanotto (1B-2B-3B-LF-RF) Chris Coste (C-1B) Mike Cervenak (3B-1B) Mike Hessman (1B-3B, LF-RF) Marshall Hubbard (1B) Since the Buffalo team will only be able to use the DH when playing AL teams on the road, this seems like an overload. The contest for a spot during ST should be interesting. If anything, I'd like to see Ike Davis win the full time spot. Later Should this be broken out into a thread about the projected minor league rosters?