TransMonk

Where to hit Soriano would really depend who else the Mets get to compliment the team (i.e. who's in left if Sori plays 2B, or who's at 2B if Sori plays left). Unfortunately, it seems to me that Soriano's abilities would create a managers nightmare. He hits for power and is fast but strikesout a ton. No matter where you put him, there are weaknesses to be had. He's obviously not going to lead off. IMO he strikesout too much to bat 2nd. I can see 3rd with moving Beltran to 2nd...that would provide 3 speedy guys at the top of the lineup and also keeps the lefty-righty thing inline. Not 4th or 5th. Batting him 6th or below really depends on who is around him. What if we keep Floyd? That would give you Soriano, Floyd, Green or some combination thereof before the pitcher. That's a lot of Ks at the bottom of the lineup.

Yes...he's the best offensive option available.

Mussina would be pretty far down on my list. He would do if other options (Zito, Schmidt, Daisy Duke) didn't work out. I'm getting tired of not having any starting pitching between the ages of 27-37. The young pitchers are so green that you don't know what your going to get from start to start. The old pitchers are so weathered that you don't know if they're going to be healthy enough to make their next start.

Traded along with Ken Singleton and Tim Foli to the Montreal Expos for Rusty Staub in 1972. Pat Zachry

Watching that game live, I remember thinking that Karsay was so hot about not getting those calls against Alfonzo that he might make a mistake against Mike...and make a mistake he did. Great at-bat for Fonzie, and Mike's most memorable HR in a Mets uniform.

Padres pick up option for Cameron, decline option on Piazza.

I finally get to experience Mets Classics now that the season is over. For some reason my satellite provider blacked out these games during the season. Tonight I'm taking in September 21, 2001...probably my favorite regular season game of all time.

Nymr83 wrote: ...a lineup of 9 delgados would vastly outscore a lineup of 9 loducas I guess I'd like to see the evidence to back that up. Once again, we're back to stratomatic sim games that have nothing to do with flesh-and-blood team baseball. For the third time, it's fine. I'll concede Delgado should be higher than LoDuca on the 2006 rankings. This is an argument that I've spent enough time on for not caring that much about.

Vic Sage wrote: If you think a powerless, speedless, walkless contact hitter is harder to find and as valuable to a lineup than a guy who averages 40 bombs, 100 runs and 120 rbis a season (with a lifetime OB% close to .400), then you simply aren't watching the same game i am. I guess I think a guy near the top of the lineup who extends innings with hits and productive outs creating more run scoring opportunities for the leadoff, #3 and cleanup hitters is as valuable as a power hitter who is as likely to strikeout or hit into a DP as he is to drive in those created run scoring opportunites. Again, it's apples and bananas. Without either, you are missing part of a winning fruit salad. As far as watching the same game as you, I thought that was the point of this thread. We can debate the value of players to the team without strictly going by the year end stat totals. Otherwise, we might as well list all of the offensive players by decreasing OPS and call the rankings done and not have to watch the games at all. Where is Eli Marrero anyways?

Vic Sage wrote: so one has to really twist oneself into a pretzel to give anything but the most polite tip of the cap to Paul LoDuca. MVP? Puhleez. Well, I'm already doughy and salty, sooo... No one is claiming that LoDuca is the MVP of this team. The argument, at least as I understand it, is if LoDuca meant as much to the 2006 team as Delgado did. If games were played on Strat-o-matic or in sim leagues, then, yes, give me Delgado every time. However, rallys killed and playing with pain are not stats that appear on the back of baseball cards. Delgado did an great job as a cleanup hitter as his SLG percentage would indicate. But he had some wicked slumps this year, and long strings where he was almost useless at the plate. LoDuca performed consistently nearly every time he was in the lineup despite a torn ligament in his thumb, and despite his not having good second halves in the past. Comparing the value of a slugging cleanup hitter who getting exta base hits to the value of a consistent #2 hitter who can get the leadoff runner to third and not strike out is like comparing apples to bananas. In my opinion, consistent #2 hitters are harder to find than consistent cleanup hitters. Having LoDuca hitting #2 makes everyone around him better, including Delgado. And like I said before, I'm not expecting to change anyone's mind. I just appreciate LoDuca's overall value to the team as much as Delgado's.

Chicks dig the long ball, stat debaters dig the OPS.

Nymr83 wrote: i'd like to question putting LoDuca ahead of Delgado (someone did that) Delgado was clearly the better hitter and even if the "defensive spectrum" put LoDuca ahead i'd argue that Delgado's postseason should have swung things back. I did that. You'd have to prove to me that Delgado was "clearly the better hitter", since LoDuca's average was 50+ points higher. Delgado hit a ton of homeruns, which we expected him to do, and he compiled a lot of walks due to the HRs he was hitting and the fact that Wright was hitting below expectations much of the 2nd half, but I would have liked to have seen Carlos' batting average closer to his career numbers. There isn't a huge margin between the two as far as their worth to the team in 2006, in fact, I would put them about equal. They both thrived in their first year in New York, they both played their positions as well as expected, they both became leaders on the team, and they both provided fits for the spots they occupied in the batting order. I listed LoDuca higher on the list because he was much more consistent all season long, he played through greater injuries and he handled a pitching staff that sent 12 different starting pitchers to the mound this year. I'm not going to fight the fact that Delgado will be higher than LoDuca when the final list is compiled. In my opinion, I think that they were both great assets to the team and if Delgado is part of the "A tier" of hitters, then LoDuca would have to be there too.

metirish wrote: Mark Buehrle is intriqing,why have the Sox not tied him up? Trachsel had a better ERA than him this year. Although, he has had much better subsequent years. Did Buehrle just have an off year, or are his best days behind him?

Dont get me wrong...I have no reason to believe that Matsuzaka is worth breaking the bank. I only want to make a bid and if it turns into war of overpaying (which it probably will), then the Yanks can have him. But he's worth a look. Is Zito overrated? Compared to what? Trachsel, Maine, Schmidt, Mulder, Perez? These are the starting pitchers we have under contract right now: Maine Perez Bannister Pelfrey Soler I highly doubt Trachsel or O Hernandez will be back and I know Zambrano won't. Pedro's out until mid-season. Glavine right now is a question mark. No, I don't think Zito's overrated.

="MFS62"]="TransMonk"]I don't want Lugo, Alou or Belliard on my team. Schmidt wouldn't be at the top of my pitchers list either. Not that they listen to me. So, who would you go after? My X-mas list that will go out to rich Uncle Wilpon and connected Uncle Omar reads as follows: 1. Contract extension for Willie Randolph. He deserves it and it shows potential FA that we're committed to winning. 2. Bring back Tom Glavine. Our opening day rotation for 2007 is pitiful, at least this would solidify the top end and let us evaluate what else needs to be done. Also, it would be nice to have him for his 300th win...to have him go back to ATL to do it would feel pretty crappy 3. Re-sign Endy Chavez 4. Re-sign Chad Bradford 5. Sign Barry Zito - he's tops on my list, anyone else is settling for less because we couldn't get him 6. Put in an honest bid for Matsuzaka 7. I would not be opposed to Soriano, after all, he is the best bet as an offensive FA...what position he would play and where he would bat in the lineup are the 2 big questions. I would want him to play second base and I would keep Cliff Floyd (knowing that Endy and eventually Milledge are waiting) and dismiss Chris Woodward and have Andy Pants for a defensive replacement. That's all for now. I believe this is the offseason to shoot for the moon and, moreover, that the moon isn't that far away. Omar has done things over the past two offseasons that I didn't believe were possible, so now my expectations are higher. The goal should be to get better each year, not just plug in parts so that if everything goes right it may work out. Schmidt, Alou, Lugo and Belliard are all question marks IMO. If they play to their potential them they are an asset to any team. If they don't, then they will be a liability. Zito and Soriano are known quanities that would only help this club.

I don't want Lugo, Alou or Belliard on my team. Schmidt wouldn't be at the top of my pitchers list either. Not that they listen to me.

I don't think Pudge's chance of making the HOF has diminished. He's one of the best defensive catchers ever and has had one of the most consistent offensive careers of anyone over the past 15+ years. As for his power, whatever the allegations about him getting "smaller" over the past few years, he's only hit over 30 HRs once in his career and over 20 five times. I've certainly never considered his power to be one of his top three attributes.

May 23rd against Philly...Beltran hits the 16th inning walkoff HR off Ryan Madsen who had just pitched 7 shutout innings in relief. Mets win 9-8!

Mostly from the gut: 30 Beltran 29 Reyes 28 Wright 27 LoDuca 26 Delgado 25 Glavine 24 Feliciano 23 Sanchez 22 O. Hernandez 21 Wagner 20 Heilman 19 Valentin 18 Oliver 17 Bradford 16 Chavez 15 Maine 14 Martinez 13 Trachsel 12 Nady 11 Floyd 10 Green 9 Franco 8 Mota 7 Castro 6 Woodward 5 Bannister 4 Soler 3 Perez 2 R. Hernandez 1 Milledge

I went with the Cards. I'm an NL guy and I agree with Elster that this "AL is overwhelmingly better" crap needs to stop. I refuse to watch any of the games on FOX, though. FOX ruins baseball. I'll listen to the series on the radio. I'm boycotting FOX games unless they are Mets playoff games until their contract runs out.

Even after the loss, I can't consider this season a disappointment. Thanks to Omar for making the right choices on guys to bring to New York. Thanks to Willie for leading us past the Braves to a NL East Division Championship. Thanks to the players who gave us a season of domination within the division and the league. Most of all, thanks to the members of the CPF for allowing me to share an amazing season with all of them. It was a fun ride...although we fell a little short. You'll never know how much it means to a Midwesterner to have peeps to share this season (and hell, the last ten seasons) with. Thanks.

Green is now the leading Mets hitter for average in the NLCS (20 AB minimum): .350 AVG, 20 AB, 7 H, 2 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 2K

Nymr83 wrote: heres what i'd do: we're "starting" Oliver Perez, right? WRONG, LaRussa submits his lineup card and then notices that Traschel is taking the mound against a lineup designed to face a lefty! Genius!

cleonjones11 wrote: Willie just said Oliver Perez in the press conference...poop... ="Yancy Street Gang"]Shit. I think we may regret that. Hope I'm wrong. I think it's the right call.

I said Perez. He's a starter...Darren's not. Keep Ollie on a short leash and if he gets into any trouble send in Ollie. Why have them switch roles now?