Centerfield

I will miss the snow whites. They were by far my favorite uniform. My favorite, now by default, is the road gray. I like the blue alternative jerseys, both home and away. I'm glad they have them to change things up. I have never liked the home pinstripe. I'd be ok if I never saw pinstripes on the Mets again. I don't like any of the hats. I'll be looking at alternate hats to buy this year. Maybe I missed this, but why do we have camouflage unis anyway? It makes sense in some cities where there is a military presence, but it makes no sense here in NY. It's crazy and dumb. If the Mets players wanted to camouflage themselves, they should dress like empty seats.

Orel Hershiser makes that team. No?

Some speculation on what it would take to get Bautista. Sheesh. Seems like a lot. http://tipofthetower.com/2014/10/02/toronto-blue-jays-jose-bautista-being-targeted-by-mets/ I'd give up Murphy and Wheeler in a heartbeat. Plawecki OR Nimmo is fine, it would be hard to give up both. I'd rather give up Montero than Matz, but would try to push hard to give up Niese or Gee instead.

Congratulations to Lagares. He has been terrific since day 1 and it's great to see him get the recognition. The best part about this award is that Juan is the real deal and not just some poser-I-dive-on-regular-balls-to-make-Sportcenter-Jim-Edmondsy-type centerfielder. Watching the post-season, it seemed like it was every other game that Hunter Pence and Aoki would stumble around and sprawl out on warning track flyballs and make the play look spectacular. The same flyballs Carlos Beltran would have camped under, then caught while thumbing through a good book. Lagares does just the opposite. Like Beltran* before him, he makes the spectacular look routine. His highlight reels feature him getting a great jump, tracking it perfectly, then catching it in stride while making small talk with Granderson. Great job Lagares. Now work on your hitting. *Too many references to Beltran right? I know. I'm still trying to get over him. And I know it's especially wrong to bring him up in this thread. Like a guy who brings up his hot-but-pscho-ex-girlfriend-from-college at his wife's birthday party. I'm working my way through this. Give me time.

Yup. And next year there will be three more.

Edgy MD wrote: NL Players Choice for the Outstanding Rookie. Do you mean next year meaning this next year's cards for this year's rookies (d'Arnaud, Familia, deGrom) or next year meaning our three outstanding rookies next year (Herrera, Syndegaard, some yet to be determined phenom)?

I have no doubt that the Mets will eventually end up with Markakis, or Cuddyer or Rios, or some other loser that doesn't hit HR's. Our acquisition will be coupled with rhetoric that we only needed to add about 10 HR's or so, and that our run differential suggests we are right there (without accounting for regression from some of our guys who had big years). But I got no room for your realistic predictions in this thread. In this thread the Mets go big and get a real legitimate power hitter. A hitter that looms ominously on the on deck circle. (For all the HR's that he hit, Duda still needs work on his looming.) In this thread the Mets are a big market team and try to build championship teams, instead of teams that may possibly compete for the wild card if everything breaks their way. In this thread, the Mets are a big market ballclub.

Yeah, that's what I was wondering. If it doesn't make sense to get him for nothing, certainly it makes no sense to give up actual young talent for him. Meanwhile, Alex Gordon has submitted a resume. http://www.blessyouboys.com/2014/11/1/7141191/mlb-trade-rumors-royals-open-to-trading-alex-gordon While 19 HR's and an OPS around .800 is not exactly a clean up hitter, we have to consider all possibilities. He does bring GG defense in LF.

Would you take Kemp and his entire salary if LA offered it to you?

Strength and conditioning guru Mike Barwis will start working with players in Port St. Lucie this week. Which, in a way, means spring training has started no? http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/baseballinsider/sources-ny-mets-move-offseason-fitness-program-michigan-port-st-lucie-blog-entry-1.1993426 Predict now whether Bartolo Colon completes one solitary workout with Barwis.

Ceetar wrote: More a 5 really. Wright 3, Duda 4, LFer 5, Granderson 6 to do the L/R/L/R thing. I want a cleanup hitter. I don't care if he hits with his toes.

I think Dilson looks like he is going to be a player, and ideally I'd like to keep him. But for the right guy, you have to give up something. I don't think he's worth it for Cespedes. But if the Marlins came and asked for Dilson, Plawecki and Montero, I'd drive the bus to Florida. I'm also high on Matz too. The articles say that he has the makeup of a gutsy star pitcher. I also don't think that his trade value would be reflective of his ability, since so much press has been given to Syndegaard, Montero etc. But we need to find our Gary Carter.

We are a cleanup hitter away from being a playoff team in 2015. I really believe this. This is the closest we have been in a long time. There is talk that Jose Bautista may be available. Or Yoenis Cespedes, though we may have to be careful here since he had an OPS in the .750's and is already 29 year old. There is some guy named Stanton on the Marlins and the Cuban guy who they say will be the next Abreu/Puig. I don't know which of these guys will work. I'll leave that to you Sandy. I think we have the assets to make this happen. I ask you to leave Harvey and deGrom alone. Syndegaard too. Otherwise, use your judgment. At your disposal are Bartolo Colon, Jon Niese, Dillon Gee, Daniel Murphy, Wilmer Flores, Brandon Nimmo, Kevin Plawecki, Rafael Montero, Stephen Matz and Dilson Herrera. Some combination of these guys can get it done. For the right guy (Stanton) I may even be willing to give up one of Zack Wheeler, Travis d'Arnaud or Lucas Duda too. There is also that pile of cash you are sitting on since we have been masquerading as a small market team the last few years. Maybe you can convince Nelson Cruz to come back. You can do this Sandy. Frank Cashen went and got us a 3 and 4. We are just asking for a 4.

We all laughed when that ball bounced off his head and over the wall. I fear that ball may have done more damage then we knew at the time. I'm starting to feel for the poor guy.

Lucas Duda will be 29 years old next year. It will be interesting to see if his name is floated around in any trade rumors. I wonder if we have seen a breakout year or a career year.

Wait, that existing wall we are seeing are the original dimensions right? I think the current fence has been removed.

Two thoughts while watching tonight's game: 1. We will need a right handed power hitter in the NLCS next year against Bumgarner. 2. James Shields does not look at the plate while delivering a pitch.

This has to be my favorite non-Met baseball game ever. Until this game, nothing really bad every happened to the MFY's. After this, they have to relive this series every time a team goes up 3-0. "The Royals take a 3-0 lead! Of course, no team has ever come back from being down 3-0 except the 2004 Boston Red Sox, who stormed past the Yankees after being down 3 games to none..." I remember being in a neighborhood bar watching the game and having everyone cheer when the Sox took the lead. It absolutely exploded when Damon hit the HR. I don't know if they were all Red Sox fans, or if some were Mets fans, but that entire bar hated the MFY's *Other Favorite non-Met Games: -Livan Hernandez/Eric Gregg Game: Come on, watching the Braves complain about a wide strike zone? Love it. God has a sense of humor. -2001 WS Game 7: Because you just can't count on Mariano Rivera in big spots. -1991 WS Game 6: "And we'll see you tomorrow night!"

Ashie62 wrote: I don't believe Murphy or Nieuwenhuis will be in that lineup. Agreed. 1. Herrera 2. Flores 3. Wright 4. Devastating Cleanup Hitter acquired via trade 5. Duda 6. d'Arnaud 7. Granderson 8. Lagares 9. Harvey

I'm fine with Flores/Reynolds/Tejada. Hopefully they can get the job done until Cechini is ready. Get me a corner outfielder (or two) that can mash and let's win the World Series.

Illegitimate Beef: A website frequented by Fman.

Wow. El Duque was on the Mets. I forgot that ever happened.

They are going to debut the Abreu commemorative patch.

Holy fucking wow zvon. The bottom two are my favorite. The bottom left is just amazing.

This is great. When was the last time someone came out of the blue like this? Harvey came with a good amount of fanfare.