batmagadanleadoff

Edgy MD wrote: Sure, but we now know all along that they were spending money they didn't have, drawing from an account of future windfalls that never came.... If it turns out that the Mets were spending beyond their means even before the Madoff scandal broke, then the owners are even more incompetent that I would have ever imagined. If the owners couldn't leverage their New Yorkness market advantages in order to compete financially with the Yanks and Red Sox and Phillies, then the Wilpons needed to get run out of town like 10 years ago.

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: Which free-agent signed so far did you want the Mets to sign? ... Hanley's not the Hanley of old. Hanley might not be what he used to be, but that's not the point and besides, who is? Hanley's about a gazillion times better than Tejada is -- he'll hit more HR's in two weeks than Ruben'll hit in five or six years. And Hanley's exactly the kind of FA a big boy franchise from a big market goes after if they think that SS is their biggest hole. I don't wanna beat a dead horse any more than I have to, but the idea that today's Mets would sign a quality SS FA that's as good as peak Hanley if only that SS were on the market is ludicrous.

Edgy MD wrote: Tough market for Sandy to be shopping BarDilloJon. That trade might not be made until, at least, Spring Training. Once the pitchers start throwing is when the injuries start happening, and then you'll have teams that suddenly need a major league starter with more urgency than before.

If the Mets are World Series contenders, it's only because qualifying for the playoffs in 2015 baseball is markedly different than what it was 30 years ago. I can assure everybody that this Mets team, put back in time to 30 years ago, would not have sniffed a World Series even if you could replay the season Monte Carlo style, say 1,000 times. Jeez, the '85 Mets, featuring the Great version of Dwight Gooden and three offensive superstars, couldn't even make the playoffs.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: A Boy Named Seo wrote: Heyman sez we're interested in 27-year old, power-hitting shortstop Jung-Ho Kang (39 HR's in Korea last year). Sounds like a mythical beast to me. Sounds like a super-villain to me! Nah. He's an alien from the planet Rigel VII. "We're Gung Ho for Jung-Ho".

Here's the Baseball Prospectus entry from its 2014 annual, released just before last season began: Oh, and it was all going so well, too. Parnell was following up his breakout 2012 with an even better 2013 until August, when a herniated disc in his neck required season-ending surgery. By now, though, we know what he is - the fastball doesn't miss quite as many bats as the velocity might indicate, but that doesn't matter because the contact is always on the ground. One possible monkey wrench: Parnell allegedly dropped 30 pounds following surgery. Going by his listed weight, that puts him at 170 pounds, which might not be enough to drop and drive.

Here's the Baseball Prospectus entry from its 2014 annual, released just before last season began: Two years ago, Familia seemed a future fixture in a rotation, or perhaps the end of a bullpen. Well, a lackluster 2012, elbow surgery in 2013 and wildness in the Arizona Fall League have at least answered that question: he's a reliever. Still, he's likely to be a very good one. The post-surgery velocity still approaches triple-digits, and the slider still buckles knees. Familia may need more time than most due to some maturity concerns, but when he finally gains a measure of control, opposing hitters won't be any less afraid.

Mike Trout What do you do to follow a rookie season in which you reach base nearly 40 percent of the time and smash 65 extra-base hits in 559 at-bats? You reach base 43 percent of the time and tally 10 more extra-base knocks. A lightning-quick bat and tremendous strength give Trout ownership of the inner half of the plate, while a great eye, stick control and reach give him lease to the outer half as well. There is not a pitch he can't muscle to the replica of Pride Rock beyond the Angel Stadium fence. Trout's 10 Batter WARP season was higher than the output of several franchises. If he does not win an MVP award soon, Kanye West might need to jump on a stage to get the job done.

Scatttered entries from BP's 2014 print annual, released just before the start of the 2014 season. R.A. Dickey Win Cy Young Award, climb Kilmanjaro, write best-selling memoir, New Yorker profile; quite a bucket list Dickey's been working on. In 2013, he crossed off another item: disappointing star. It wasn't really his fault - how many knuckleballers have ever been staff aces? Like Mark Buehrle, Dickey got off to a poor start, improving when he found the missing miles per hour on his knuckler, which he threw more than ever last year (as though trying to get a grip on it). For the $25 million he's still owed, Dickey seems a dubious investment, but (again like Buehrle) he's likely to eat innings, and he'll play amicable ambassador to fans (he thanked them in September [2013] for bearing the Jays "agonizing season - you deserve better"). If he can master his pet pitch again, maybe he'll cross Comeback Player of the Year off his list before his contract expires.

Sheesh. These comments are wacky. You should read the team comment section (in addition to the players comments section, from which I've been posting). In the Mets team comment, Howard Megdal is (as they say in the legal profession) cited with approval. Could you've thunk that? excerpt: It wasn't so long ago that the Mets had a tendency to spend lots of money, sometimes unwisely (see, for example, $153,550,596 in 2009 per Cot's Baseball Contracts - second only to the Yankees' payroll - in exchange for 70 wins). This could be frustrating. But for the past few offseasons, they've had virtually no money at all to spend. That's frustrating in its own way. But this offseason? Going into the winter [of 2013-14], it was hard to know for sure how much money the Mets actually had to spend, because these days, it's not entirely up to them. It depends in part on JPMorgan Chase, to whom they have a loan of around $250 million coming due this Summer [2014]. And that's just the most immediate debt. Overall, as the reporting of Howard Megdal at Capital New York has made clear, the Wilpons, through their various holdings, owe more than a billion dollars. More than $600 million of that, borrowed against television network SNY, comes due in 2015, which means the team and its fans will very possibly have to go through all of this again next offseason. Can the Mets refinance? Can they come up with the money? How much will their creditors allow them to give to capable and pricey players, in the interests of the team's long-term health, before their debt is paid? That last question had been partially answered this Winter, and the answer appears to be: Some, but not enough.

Here's the Baseball Prospectus entry from its 2014 annual, released just before last season began: You have to feel for Mejia. First he inexplicably made the Mets as a reliever out of 2010 spring training, botching his burgeoning development as a starter. Once he'd cleared that hurdle, he underwent Tommy John surgery in mid-2011. After recovering from that, he reported to Triple-A Buffalo in 2012, where the Mets once again couldn't decide if he should start or relieve. And finally, after all that, Mejia made five solid major-league starts in 2013, with 27 strikeouts against four walks in 27 innings ... and on August 28th, he underwent season-ending surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. There's a great pitcher in here, we swear - try as the Mets and Mother Nature might to keep him down.

Here's the Baseball Prospectus entry from its 2014 annual, released just before last season began: After signing a four year, $24.2 million extension before the season, Niese started opening day and on some nights looked like a bargain frontline starter. Although his ERA doesn't initially stand up to scrutiny - the strikeouts went down, the walks went up and Niese missed eight weeks with a shoulder strain - it's encouraging that he was much better after returning from the DL. His velocity ticked up a tad, which made his changeup that much more effective against right-handers: Batters put the change in play over 20 percent of the time before the injury, and just 7 percent after. So the next time someone tells you the Mets can't properly rehab an injury, you can point to Niese - and probably no one else. But still!

Edgy MD wrote: I think you may be confusing AARP with Social Security there. Anyone over 50 is eligible for AARP. Yes I did.

Terry Collins is baseball's oldest manager, and at 65, the only AARP eligible skipper.

Here's the Baseball Prospectus entry from its 2014 annual, released just before last season began: Flores' hit tool is further along than most of the other 2013 Mets debutants, but the questions about his defense are right there with the rest of them. With David Wright, the Mets have exactly one position locked down for the foreseeable future, and that's the only position at which Flores might approach average. He is the prototypical B athlete, and his unnatural throwing motion will cost him wherever he plays. Flores has a wealth of minor-league experience for a 22-year old, and the bat showed flashes at the major-league level, so the lack of production is not of much concern. But if he's to stay a Met, a Daniel Murphy-esque positional hunt - perhaps including left field - could be in order.

Here's the Baseball Prospectus entry from its 2014 annual, released just before last season began: Gee didn't overpower anybody to begin with, so when he revealed in June [2013] that he was battling elbow tendinitis, one might've thought he couldn't afford to lose any more velocity. Though the strikeouts took a nosedive and he surrendered more hits than ever, Gee could still accomplish the best year of his career because his success was never predicated on velocity in the first place. If the elbow cooperates in 2014 and Gee gets consistently back to the low 90s, he could have a nice run as a third starter. He's an established regular either way, even if he'll always captain the "How the hell does this guy get anyone out?" All-Stars.

Here's the Baseball Prospectus entry from its 2014 annual, released just before last season began: It didn't look good for deGrom as a ninth-round pick who almost immediately underwent Tommy John surgery, but his consistency over just two minor-league seasons since his recovery makes him a contender for the fifth starter's spot in 2014. The power righty's strikeout numbers took a hit with his graduation to the high minors; that can be expected with such a rapid rise, but further acclimation might be useful before the big jump [to the majors]. One added plus: His power arsenal - a mid 90s fastball with sink and a hard slider - would translate well to the bullpen if need be.

Here's the Baseball Prospectus entry from its 2014 annual, released just before last season began: Satin reignited possibly the most common phrase in the Mets clubhouse: "Ahhh, we'll stick him at first." (Close second: 'Hey, anyone here throw left-handed?") Satin is being squeezed out of an opportunity by other similar players, but in the right organization, he's a valuable bat; he's short to the ball, but not at the expense of power. Some will unfairly judge him for being a 28 year-old rookie, ignoring that Satin has hit wherever he's been and was held down due to positional ambiguity and not quite enough power. The team willing to play him full time at first base probably won't be very good, but hey, it only takes one.

I'm just trying to figure who the other players in this "abundance" of decent hitters forced into tougher positions are? Flores is sure on that track. Thole? Duda was, I guess, up until this season. Duda, obviously. Though yeah, Duda alone doesn't constitute an abundance, even if Duda in the outfield was such an egregious miscalculation of matching skills to position. Here's BP's take on Duda in the outfield, excerpted from the team comment, rather than from the player comment section: Duda, "if there is a merciful god, will never be forced to play in the outfield again. It was like watching an eager but uncoordinated puppy trying to play catch with a Frisbee sized for a St. Bernard."

Here's the Baseball Prospectus entry from its 2014 annual, released just before last season began: Recker's time in the big leagues is going to be brief: He looks overmatched at the plate, and neither his throwing nor his receiving grants him much leeway. He earns a full comment here because he is, without a doubt, the best looking player in the league. You may commence Googling now. His surname's outstanding nickname potential might be wasted on a career backup, but "Home-Recker" has some legs. Yeah, we're pretty clever around here.

Here's the Baseball Prospectus entry from its 2014 annual, released just before last season began: Is there a villain in Harvey's season, somebody who should have steered him off his elbow surgery trajectory? When disaster strikes, the blame game begins, but it was difficult to see the warning signs when April and May's Best Pitcher in the World became July and August's Merely Top 5 Pitcher in the Word. Harvey hadn't quite been the leviathan he was early in the season, sure, but this is a man who struck out Miguel Cabrera on three pitches with a partially torn UCL. After a dalliance with rehab and a throwing program, Harvey opted for Tommy John surgery, which has a success rate of around 85 percent; for Harvey, "success" means a return to pitching perfection.

Here's the Baseball Prospectus entry from its 2014 annual, released just before last season began: Murphy is the sort of player the Mets seem to be developing in abundance. He hits for a decent average, but paucities of on-base and slugging force his questionable defense into more demanding positions than he can play. The -7.5 FRAA doesn't tell the whole story: When Ike Davis is repeatedly caught off first base because he needs to pursue everything to his right [because of Murphy's limited range] that's rarified air. Three years ago, the Mets thought they had a big league hitter on their hands, and searched desperately for a place to play him. But the hitting leveled off and the search has failed. He may hit through the end of the decade, but he won't be a viable starter nearly as long.

This one was on the money: Here's the Baseball Prospectus entry from its 2014 annual on Marlins phenom Jose Fernandez, released just before last season began: As Sam Miller wrote on Baseball Prospectus ... "a team that won 31 percent of its games with any other starter won 64 percent of its games when Fernandez started. When he was on the mound, a 110-loss team became a 100-win team." Brought up to the majors after not throwing a pitch above Single-A (and few even at that level), Fernandez arrived packing a 99 mph four-seamer and two plus off-speed offerings. He showed the ability to absolutely dominate - in consecutive starts around the trade deadline, he struck out a total of 27 and walked one, with 40 swinging strikes - and the ability to avoid big innings, allowing more than three runs in just three starts. He had a 1.50 ERA in his final 18 starts, and the second best ERA+ in history by a starter younger than 21. That sick anxiety you have about him getting injured because every pitcher does? We all have it.

I'm surprised the bankrupt and thus penny-pinching Mets haven't phased out hard tickets yet. ______________________________________________________________ [fimg=644]http://mar10.hugginsandscott.com/pl/19220_1969_mets_psa.jpg[/fimg] Sports teams are phasing out hard tickets; why? Jared Hopkins 8:49 a.m. CST, December 5, 2014 Fans who buy 2015 White Sox season tickets will get their choice of the best available seats, a special pin and hat, a media guide, the option to buy postseason games, parking discounts and invitations to special events. What they won't get are the tickets. "I just called them and expressed my displeasure," season ticket holder Merrill O'Ryan, 49, said. "If I don't have that paper ticket anymore ... I won't be able to save it in a scrap book." The Sox will require season ticket holders to print tickets off a computer or use smartphones for scanning. (They can pay an additional $20 for hard tickets to be mailed). Three other MLB teams also have dropped hard tickets. More and more major sports franchises are dropping hard tickets. The Bulls, for instance, eliminated hard tickets entirely before this season. Next year the 49ers will do away with hard tickets in favor of a mobile app or printing tickets. Sports franchises pitch digital entry as a convenience to fans and see it as a way to expand their electronic footprint. But to many, those tickets are more than just rectangular pieces of cardboard. They are valuable souvenirs and tangible mementos of great games or special outings. So it isn't surprising that going digital has drawn ire from traditionalists, online message-board users and sports memorabilia collectors. Brian Schwartz, co-owner of Schwartz Sports Memorabilia in Morton Grove, said a hard game ticket provides an unexpected collector's item. "Besides opening day or a playoff game, you never know when history is going to be made," he said. "Wrigley Field was empty when Kerry Wood struck out 20 guys." "Tickets are not manufactured collectibles. Baseball cards, football cards � those are manufactured collectibles," said Joe Orlando, president of Professional Sports Authenticator. "They're like tiny time capsules and you can relive those moments again." Teams and industry experts said everyday life is headed toward paperless. They also say the decision is intended to ease the transfering of tickets with fewer complications and to curb fraud or counterfeit tickets. "You can manage your tickets significantly better," said Brooks Boyer, Sox senior vice president of sales and marketing. "It gives people the option to use mobile ticketing where they don't have to use a ticket at all." MLB Advanced Media, the league's media arm, owns Tickets.com, which manages ticket services for the league's 30 teams. Last season, 80 percent of single-game tickets were delivered digitally, an increase from 2011 when that number was 50 percent, according to MLB Advanced Media. Bulls fans access tickets using the team's mobile app or by printing them. Like other teams, the Bulls plan to launch a rewards program, with perks based on attendance and purchases at the United Center. A spokeswoman said the digital change has been positive. She said single-game Bulls tickets may still be hard tickets, depending on where they purchased. (Unlike the Sox, there is no option to receive hard season tickets). The Blackhawks and Bears mail hard-copy tickets to their season ticket holders. Spokesmen for both teams said the teams offer digital options for season ticket holders and are monitoring the situation to see what's best for fans. A Cubs spokesman said the team plans to mail hard season tickets to fans for 2015, although it will continue a pilot program that allows some fans to use digital tickets. Experts said the move is a natural progression as consumers increasingly incorporate technology into their lives and as teams seek a marketing edge. The data gleaned from fans is not unlike what has long been practiced by airlines, supermarkets and online retailers. "It allows them to see what people are buying," said Irving Rein, who teaches at the Northwestern University School of Communication and recently co-wrote "The Sports Strategist: Developing Leaders for a High-Performance Industry." "They're trying to have a better customer experience and it gives them access to material and information they never had before." Bernard Mullin, CEO of The Aspire Group, an Atlanta-based sports-marketing firm, said when ticket are shared electronically � bar-car codes and other secure information is sent � the team learns about the person transferring it as well as where it's sent. That's because teams and their ticket brokers � such as Ticketmaster � require registration information. That data can lead to emails or texts about events or merchandise, which Mullin said is not spam but fans hearing directly. "We're constantly trying to find the contact information of anybody who has the interest so we can communicate with them," Mullin said.... read the rest at http://www.redeyechicago.com/sports/ct-sports-tickets-spt-1202-20141125,0,3521631.story

Also... I'm kind of curious who left off Pedro, just, y'know, because. [fimg=444]http://caseymarketingservices.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/vote-for-pedro.jpg[/fimg] I didn't vote in this thread, but if I did, or if I had a real HOF ballot, I might omit Pedro. Here's why: if I decide that there are more than 10 deserving candidates --- and Pedro would surely be one of those deserving candidates, he's a no-doubter, inner circle HOF'er --- I'd winnow my list of candidates to 10 based on how long each candidate was HOF eligible, descending order. I'd give players like Raines and Trammell and (Edgar) Martinez priority over newer eligibles, like Pedro.