metirish

]Tuesday, February 21, 2006 By BOB KLAPISCHSPORTS COLUMNIST PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- The debate has raged both in the manager's office and clubhouse, not to mention chat rooms and blogs. Everyone, it seems, has an opinion about the Mets' batting order, with the winds of war swirling around one burning issue: Where does David Wright hit in 2006?The question hasn't been officially answered, as Willie Randolph continues to say, "I'm playing around with a few ideas." Yet, the manager is dropping hints that Wright will bat fifth, with Paul Lo Duca in the two hole and Carlos Beltran behind him in the No. 3 spot.Clearly, there are no fatal choices here -- one major league executive recently said, "[The Mets] will probably outscore everyone in that [Eastern] division" -- but Randolph is apparently content to play it safe, keeping Wright out of the third spot."I guess I'm a show-me guy, I want to see that David can keep making the adjustments," Randolph said Monday, leaving yet another clue. Fair enough, he doesn't want to rush the kid. But anyone who saw Wright tear up the National League after the All-Star break last year -- batting .333 with 16 homers in 273 at-bats -- would agree he became the Mets' greatest all-around threat.That's why a case could be made for batting Wright third instead of Beltran, who finished 2005 with career lows in home runs (16) and RBI (78). That could all change in Beltran's second summer at Shea, but until he rebounds, traditional baseball theory says a team's purest hitter (in this case, Wright) belongs in the three-hole, not the No. 5 spot.Of course, batting Wright third effectively would crown him as the Mets' crown jewel, effectively demoting Beltran. That's probably too great of an admission for Randolph to make, and politically, a nearly impossible move for a team that has $119 million invested in the center fielder.Wright himself seems uncomfortable with the dialogue, insisting it's still "a lot of fun" to slowly work his way to the lineup's hot spot."Look, I started off batting seventh last year, so to me it was great that Willie started trusting me, moving me up a little at a time," Wright said. "People tell me all the time, 'You should be ticked off where you're hitting.' But I'm not, not at all."Wright sounds convincing, but egos and organizational obstacles aside, the stats suggest not only is Wright better suited than Beltran to hit third, but Beltran is a better choice than Lo Duca to bat second.By his own admission, Lo Duca intends to serve as a traditional No. 2 hitter, bunting, hitting-and-running, taking enough pitches for Jose Reyes to steal a base. Lo Duca described that selfless profile when he said last week, "My job is to get [Reyes] to third base with less than two outs and we'll have a 1-0 lead with the guys behind me."But the Mets, who finished seventh in runs last year, now have enough firepower to play for more than a run at a time -- which could be a necessity, given the holes in their starting rotation.They can maximize that big-inning potential by using the more gifted Beltran behind Reyes. Despite last year's disappointing numbers, Beltran's career slugging percentage is still 62 points higher than Lo Duca's, he's hit 96 more homers, has 224 more walks and has grounded into fewer double plays.In short, Beltran is more likely to extend a rally than Lo Duca -- not unlike the Yankees' plan for Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter, their No. 1 and 2 hitters, to both get on base.With Reyes and Beltran as table setters, they'd create the perfect introduction to Shea's version of murderer's row -- Wright, Carlos Delgado and Cliff Floyd, who combined to slug 94 home runs last year.It might not be Gary Sheffield, Jason Giambi and Alex Rodriguez, but the Mets are moving in that direction. The difference, however, is that the Yankees are able to alternate left- and right-handed hitters all the way through the batting order, whereas the Mets would be vulnerable to a lefty relief specialist if Wright does, in fact, bat third.Doing so would mean pairing Delgado and Floyd, both left-handed hitters, in the No. 4 and 5 spots. It's the kind of subtle lineup flaw that opposing managers can exploit, especially in the late innings, and probably reason enough for Randolph to keep Wright batting fifth. At least for now.But sooner or later, the 23-year-old third baseman will become the franchise's marquee player, no matter where he hits.Don't tell that to Wright, who, hand on his heart, thinks Delgado is a better hitter than he is -- "just look at his numbers last year in a non-hitter's ballpark [Dolphins Stadium]" and promises that Beltran is ready for a bounce-back year."There's going to be a lot less pressure on Carlos this time around," Wright said. "That's why it doesn't matter where I hit. This team is going to score runs, period."Klapisch's opening-day Mets' lineupJose Reyes SSCarlos Beltran CFDavid Wright 3BCarlos Delgado 1BCliff Floyd LFVictor Diaz RFPaul Lo Duca CKaz Matsui 2BPedro Martinez P--------------------------------------------------------------------------------E-mail:klapisch@northjersey.com

I don't think he is, form what I read he will make his mind up about playing after the WBC, and if you believe what is in the papers then several teams are after him, Sox, yanks, Rangers and Houston, his kid is in the Astro system so they might be favorites to sign him.

Like FK said he will not be allowed to wear #42, here he is Sunday back to wearing #99

Very cool helmets, here Willie gets teh boys to work on dance moves.. Omar sports an old Mets cap...

Right, and raise your hands here who saw Ruth play..Jesus Christ, fuck him...Ruth never faced the pitchers Bonds has.

Ok I'll get hammered for this but I hope Bonds breaks the record, I could realy care less about Aaron, I have seen Bonds I think four times and it was amazing, best hitter I have ever seen, shit he's probably the best player ever, remember he won MVP's back when he was smaller, he has had a great career , has he taken steroids?, probably, has that been proven?....again I hope he breaks Aaron's record, when i think of Hank I don't think of a classic slugger, but Bonds later in his career was...yeah I know you can throw the steroids question at me...but still that swing is the best.

Why is this thread screwed up?, it's way off kilter.

For little wolf if it's a girl.....

WOW, I set Rubin up with some soft balls to welcome him to the board and Edgy comes in with some high heat queations.....damn good ones though...I see Rubin is our newest registered user....cool deal FK.

Bob Klapisch on Pedro....I hope he doesn't pitch for the DR... ] Sunday, February 19, 2006 By BOB KLAPISCH PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- After watching Pedro Martinez long-toss for 15 minutes on Saturday, it's a dead heat who's being more cautious -- the Mets' ace, who's clearly still in pain, or the Mets' hierarchy, which is inexplicably afraid to order Pedro out of the World Baseball Classic. Say what you want about George Steinbrenner and his off the charts buffoonery quotient: The Boss is the only owner who's honest about his fears of the upcoming international tournament. When The Boss blasted the WBC the other day, he wasn't just taking on Bud Selig, he was challenging Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon to remember their priorities. The Mets, who have six players headed for the tournament, have no stomach for this fight, even though in Pedro's case they have everything to lose. Martinez himself says he's a week behind the other Met pitchers, still unable to run or move side to side -- and most significantly, not yet throwing off a mound. The long-toss session in the outfield at least proved there's nothing wrong with Pedro's arm, but his big right toe remains mysteriously sore, even though it's been almost five months since his last start. With the first round of the WBC scheduled to begin in two weeks, it's virtually impossible to envision Martinez pitching for the Dominican Republic. But he nevertheless prattled on about his plans to leave the Mets in early March. "I would love to represent my country and to actually be a part of it even if it's not in the first round," is what Martinez said. Any Met official should've cringed, remembering that Pedro is already in his decline phase -- 34 years old and no longer topping 90 mph on the radar gun. The potential crisis here is obvious: without a healthy Martinez, the entire off-season resurrection could crumble. That's how questionable the rotation might be, given the age of the Nos. 2 and 3 starters (Tom Glavine and Steve Trachsel are a combined 75 years old) and the fact that Jae Seo and Kris Benson are gone. If Martinez is headed for a long summer looking for special-fitting shoes or different painkillers, the Mets will need the help of two potential saviors. The first is A's general manager Billy Beane, who eventually could decide to trade Barry Zito. The other is rookie Mike Pelfrey, who impressed everyone in camp with his blistering fastball on Saturday. While Pedro was reduced to a game of catch with manager Willie Randolph, the Mets' No. 1 draft pick offered glimpses of why he's the club's best pitching prospect of the last two decades, and why he was able to hold out for a $3.55 million signing bonus on top of a total contract worth $5.25 million. The 6-foot-7, 210-pound Pelfrey is blessed with near-perfect mechanics -- straight over-the-top release point, long, loose follow-through -- although the right-hander modestly says, "This is still a work in progress." The Mets made no attempt to hide their enthusiasm. When asked about Pelfrey, Randolph said, "He's huge. I was impressed with how the ball flew out of his hand." There are some baseball people who believe Pelfrey already is the franchise's most talented pitcher -- even today, without having thrown an inning in the minor leagues. But don't expect the Mets to hurry Pelfrey to Shea in 2006 or even 2007, no matter how great the temptation. Instead, they'll wait for Pedro's contract to expire to anoint the next ace, even if Martinez, creakier with each passing summer of his four-year deal, becomes just a 12-15 game winner. In the meantime, the Mets would be doing Martinez a favor by muscling him out of the WBC, giving him a face-saving way out of his commitment to the Dominican Republic. The political pressure on Martinez is, of course, enormous. Just ask Alex Rodriguez what it's like to say no to an entire country obsessed with beating the Americans. Even though fellow countryman Bartolo Colon is the AL's reigning Cy Young Award winner, it's Pedro who's considered the Dominicans' No. 1 pitcher and their best hope of becoming world champs. Those close to Martinez insist he's no dummy, that he would love to get out of the tournament -- and will do so in the first round, as he's already hinting. But he first needs someone to take the heat for him, either Randolph or general manager Omar Minaya. But so far, neither one of Pedro's superiors has taken the initiative. Minaya, in fact, continues to champion the tournament, saying, "If it's good for baseball, then it's good for the Mets." The GM is sticking to his belief that "no one knows Pedro's body better than him. We trust him to make the right decision." Pitching coach Rick Peterson is similarly downplaying Martinez's dilemma, likening him to an Indy 500 race car that simply needs more maintenance than a family sedan. It's not quite that simple, of course. If Pedro is a race car, then his tender sesamoid bone is proof that he's paying the price for years of running at super-high RPMs. The pitching coach said as much, describing the "violent" rotation of Martinez's right foot during his delivery. It's been bothering Pedro since 2004 and forced him to end his season prematurely last September. Now the Mets are left wondering what to do about 2006 and beyond. Keeping Pedro in camp in March is the first step on the road map to prosperity. And then, sooner or later, the Mets will come to their turning point moment, choosing between Zito or Pelfrey, officially ushering in the post-Pedro era. E-mail: klapisch@northjersey.com

A signed 1986 team jersey..bidding starts at $660 http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-1986-NY-METS-TEAM-SIGNED-WORLD-SERIES-JERSEY_W0QQitemZ8764624542QQcategoryZ27264QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Very cool, I like Rubin, can't wait to have him here.Here's my first question. Adam you grew up in Bellmore, were you a Mets fan growing up?, if yes then what are your favorite Met moments from down the years?If you were not a Mets fan is it difficult to be the beat reporter for a team you are not a fan of? ok sorry that is really three questions, still I read you all the time so...

I read an interesting bit of info today in ESPN the mag, Carlos Lee is of course one of the big stars on the Panama squad, his younger brother is also part of that roster, his name?...Carlos Lee...weird.

Cool pics,in some news form St. Lucie, Wagner was sent home after feeling dizzy and dehydrated after doing some drills, apparently his kids are sick so the Mets think he has the flu........

Update on 2nd base. ] Matsui must produce or sit BY DAVID LENNON STAFF CORRESPONDENT February 18, 2006 PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- A mountain of luggage arrived Friday at the Tradition Field clubhouse for Kaz Matsui, with numerous duffel bags and cardboard boxes spilling over the edges of a wheeled cart. But with the second base job very much up for grabs in the next six weeks, Matsui had better not take too long settling in. The Japanese infielder already has been evicted from his end locker of a year ago, replaced by veteran Bret Boone, and manager Willie Randolph made it clear Friday that he's not playing any favorites -- even if the incumbent is making $8 million this year. "I view it as a real competition," Randolph said. "We're in a business where, you know what, there's no babies here. You go out, win the job and take it. I've been told by management, for the most part, that we're going to play the best people. Obviously, you've got to consider stuff like contracts -- that's a reality of the game. But still, when it gets down to it, we're going to try and pick the guy that deserves to win the job." Matsui could take the heat off the front office by dazzling Randolph during spring training, but this time of the year has not been kind to him. In 2004, when he was still a shortstop, Matsui sliced open a finger while fielding a ground ball, and the injury hurt his early adjustment to the majors. A year ago, Matsui was hindered by back problems, and that opened the door for veteran Miguel Cairo. Perhaps the biggest challenge for Matsui is simply staying on the field. "It's a huge spring training for him," Randolph said. "The competition's going to be there. We have the young kid Hernandez, and Keppinger. That's going to be an interesting spot for us, but I feel real good about Kaz. I've said all winter long that he's going to have a good year for us, so we'll see." Numbers game? The Mets traded two creditable starters in Kris Benson and Jae Seo during the offseason, so it's not surprising that Randolph refused to guarantee a spot to the unreliable Victor Zambrano while discussing the rotation. When asked if Zambrano is a lock at No. 4, the manager shook his head. "No, not necessarily," Randolph said. "You might look at our rotation and say he's pretty much in there, but I'm never going to say that because you don't know. We have three or four guys in the back of the depth chart that might step up and knock my socks off. He has to compete." At first, Randolph mentioned only Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine as the names set in stone, then was reminded of Steve Trachsel. But with a long list of backup candidates in camp and an older rotation, the Mets are bound to need plenty of insurance. Glavine, for instance, turns 40 next month. "It's just a number," Glavine said. "In many respects, I feel as good as I have in a long time. I had as good a winter workout-wise and throwing-wise as I've had in a long time, so I'm excited about it."

Jeremy Hill and Tom Glavine.... Heilman jumps for the sky just weird from Lo Duca it's not easy being a pimp

So anyway this kid just got named ABC Evening News 'person of the week', seems like a nice kid.

What are your spring training wishes? - for cablevision to carry SNY, no worries for the team and thye break North in good health. Who are you pulling for to make the the team/ win the position? - Soler, just to finally see what he can do and for all he has gone through. What do you know that Willie seems to ignore? - nothing, WWSB knows it all....

Lima pimping out on 'turn back the clock night' while an Astro.

Chipper Jones might opt out of the WBC, would that open the door for David Wright?. Chipper may opt out of World Classic Get well soon Shea. sorry, registration required...here it is ] Lake Buena Vista, Fla. --- Chipper Jones was the strongest and fittest that he'd been in years. Then he got sick. The Braves third baseman said he lost eight pounds in eight days during a recent bout with the flu, but that's not the reason Jones might withdraw from the upcoming World Baseball Classic. His 18-month-old son, Shea, had a serious intestinal virus and was in and out of an Atlanta hospital for a month. The toddler's condition has improved and stabilized, but Jones wants to make sure Shea is OK before deciding whether to go to Phoenix March 2 for the start of the United States' team training camp. "I would love to play [in the Classic], but my family's most important," said Jones, who reported to spring training along with Braves pitchers and catchers on Thursday, five days before position players were due. If his son remains stable, Jones still plans to play in the WBC. But if Shea has any more problems, Dad doesn't want to be any further away from home than is absolutely necessary for his job. If he had to get back to Atlanta in a hurry, Jones could do it easier from training camp than Arizona. "If everything stays the way it is now with Shea, I'll play [in the WBC]," Jones said. Outfielder Jeff Francoeur is also on the U.S. team for the inaugural Classic. Braves players set to play for other countries include center fielder Andruw Jones (Netherlands); pitcher Jorge Sosa (Dominican Republic); reliever Chris Reitsma and infielders Pete Orr and Scott Thorman (all Canada), and pitcher Oscar Villarreal (Mexico). Jones said before he got sick a few weeks ago, he was "jacked up" with excitement about the WBC and the Braves' season. After injury-plagued seasons in 2004-05, he decided to hire a personal trainer this winter. Jones followed a schedule of rigorous, supervised workouts in Atlanta and at his Texas ranch (yes, the trainer went with him out west). Teammates who saw him said he was noticeably more muscular. Jones said he was up to 228 pounds last month and in outstanding shape --- similar, he said, to the condition he was in during his 1999 National League MVP season when he hit .319 with 45 homers. Thursday, he was so weak after one round of batting practice, he went back to his rental house to sleep. "It feels like a lot of what I worked for this offseason, I lost," he said. "When you take 10 days off, it's easy to lose it, when a bowl of chicken soup is all you can eat. I had a legitimate 100-plus fever for eight days. "I felt like I had to get down here [to spring training] as soon as I could and get started again." In the next two weeks of Braves camp, he hopes to regain his strength and conditioning. He's worked hard and made sacrifices for the upcoming season, and Jones doesn't want to see the efforts wasted. He agreed in November to restructure his contract, taking a pay cut for this season --- from $17 million to $11 million --- and getting two option years (2007-08) converted to guaranteed years. The restructuring, which was Jones' idea, was done to help the Braves free up some salary to fill other needs, including their attempt to re-sign shortstop Rafael Furcal and get a closer. They failed in both pursuits, though the Braves were able to replace Furcal with a quality shortstop, Edgar Renteria. "I've liked Edgar a long time," Jones said of the former Florida and St. Louis All-Star. "I thought we should have been in the running for him a long time ago. Clutch hitter, situational hitter, Gold Glove-caliber shortstop. You can't ask for anything more." But Jones acknowledged the Braves enter spring training with some questions, notably at closer and the top of the batting order. Second baseman Marcus Giles will probably replace leadoff man Furcal, who served as the spark plug of Atlanta's offense with his combination of switch-hitting power and speed. "I'm sure Gilly will be the first option," Jones said. "He's certainly not the prototypical leadoff hitter. I'm not saying he can't adjust. But it's going to be different than it has been around here."

] Deja view all over again SNY-Cablevision fight possible In less than one month - March 16, to be exact - SportsNet New York, the TV home of the Mets, is scheduled to debut. Will you be able to watch it? The question is on the minds of Mets fans who were just spectators on March 19, 2002, when Cablevision, which has more than three million subscribers in the metropolitan area, blacked out opening night of George Steinbrenner's Yankees Sports & Entertainment Network. Cablevision, and its boss James Dolan, proceeded to go to war with YES, refusing to carry the network - and Yankees baseball - for the entire 2002 season. YES and Cablevision did not sign a contract until March 31, 2003 - at exactly 6:39 p.m. - allowing fans, who had been jerked around for an entire season, to catch the Bombers' 2003 opener in Toronto. Up until that point, what transpired were a few attempts at productive negotiations and more than a year of PR spin from both sides. There also were lies, politicians using the situation for personal gain and many Yankee fans dumping cable TV for satellite providers. The saddest part of the conflict was how it affected elderly fans, who had invested a lifetime of emotions in a sport they loved. Senior citizens - some confined to hospitals, their own homes, or elder-care facilities - were deprived of their greatest pleasure. And that was simply having the ability to turn on their TV and watch the Yankees. This was of absolutely no concern to Dolan, who wielded Cablevision's monopoly power like a bully; or Steinbrenner, and his partner, investment bank Goldman Sachs, who used the Yankees' recent success to squeeze as much money as they could from cable operators. Fan interest always finishes second to busine$$. That's what the YES-Cablevision thing was about. That's what it will be about for Fred Wilpon, and the executives running SNY as well. And yet, as things stand today, chances of Mets fans getting to see SNY when it launches appear to be better than they were in the month leading up to YES' 2002 debut. Wilpon is coming to the negotiating table with two cable/entertainment behemoths - Time Warner and Comcast - as his partners in SNY. Not only does this guarantee SNY distribution on local Time Warner and Comcast cable systems, it is also advantageous in the relationship department. Dolan and Time Warner chief Dick Parsons didn't swap Valentine's Day cards the other day, but Cablevision - as a programmer - already has deals in place with Time Warner and Comcast. In the future, Cablevision will bring new networks onto the market while also looking to renew old deals. So, it may make it easier for Cablevision to carry SNY when it knows down the road, during a negotiation, Time Warner or Comcast might be more inclined to cut a deal with Cablevision to carry one of its networks - like AMC, MSG, or FSNY. Out of the YES/Cablevision settlement also came an arbitrator's decision, setting a precedent that regional sports networks should be placed on an "expanded basic" rather than a "premium" tier. With this issue likely off the board, the key negotiating point between SNY and any cable operator, or satellite service, is price. While YES came on the market looking for cable operators to pay about $2.25 per month per subscriber, SNY's asking price appears to be in the $1.60-$1.75 range. Those inclined to be optimistic also believe that because the bulk of Cablevision subscribers reside on Long Island - Mets country - cutting a deal with SNY will be more of a priority, and more palatable, for Dolan. While the path to an agreement between SNY and Cablevision appears to be less littered than the one YES had four years ago, this does not guarantee the two parties will get to the end of the road - a deal. This is why there is absolutely no reason for optimism until a contract is signed. Already, there is some resistance to carrying SNY. Patriot Media, a cable operator servicing 80,000 households in New Jersey (Hunterdon, Somerset, Morris and Mercer counties) has told some of its subscribers it won't carry SNY because of "certain requirements imposed" by "that network." Cable operators never are obligated to provide a definitive reason for a business decision, like raising rates or not carrying SNY, because they are monopolies. With the exception of satellite providers - DirecTV, Dish Network - they have no competition. Over the years, Cablevision has taken advantage of its dual role as a cable operator/programmer. When it owned SportsChannel, Cablevision messed with MSG. Then came YES. Why should SNY be any different? So, Mets fans, until further notice, hope for the best. And prepare for the worst. Originally published on February 17, 2006 http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/story/392170p-332602c.html

]"the Dominican Crocodile Dundee." love it

He's that and more, one of the great pitchers of our time, shit all time really, and enough personality to light up the world.

Sorry i should have posted my pics here...