Ceetar

First game's tomorrow, if you don't count today's intersquad. Fman99 wrote: Ashie62 wrote: First exhibition game against another team that I can watch on TV. Yep. Are you sure it's not "First in game thread in the Crane Pool Forum?"

i'll probably think about filling otu the chart completely if mockability later is a possibility. Pirates over. I'm gonna say Cardinals under, as I suspect even Vegas is gonna, or has, lowered that number. Cubs over, Reds under.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I think "pitchers and catchers" is something that the beat writers get excited about, because they get to truncate their winter in mid-February when they depart for Florida. That's why we see these "pitchers and catchers" countdowns in the newspaper. If I was going to Florida (even though I hate Florida) I'd buy into it more. But I'm not, so I don't. It's more than that. For those of us that wouldn't blink if every single other sport was canceled, it represents baseball being back in some small way. For analysts and what not, mainly those ones not interested in expanding their horizons beyond football and baseball and don't even give a half hour to hockey or basketball usually, it's a time they can start talking about something interesting again instead of having faux fights with other hosts over bad songs they use as intros to their shows. NY has gotten a little reprieve with the two big NBA trades this year though.

Getting into it's a pretty vague term. I'm excited for the news and actual games and stuff, but I'm not Tivoing every game. I pay attention to what's going on, but i do that all offseason anyway. I guess i don't amp it up until I'm actually at a game. This year that'll be 3/17.

Generally, a couple of minutes after the final out of last season.

http://metspolice.com/ posted a lot of the pictures @NewYorkMets tweeted of the Mets photo day today. I wonder if this means we won't see Paulino in any ads/publications since he wasn't there.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: If you're going to support my original point, then please ignore my looking in the mirror post, which I posted before I read this post that i'm now responding to. no no, mirror posts all good. I think you're no the norm. You state that you don't care what name is attached, but most people do, and therefore whoever is the best is the guy you want to be the best. I'm probably closer to this point of view, although I do like Murphy. But I like Murphy because I think he can be the best candidate, and I certainly don't want him if he's not the best. but I'd like him to be the best. There are certainly plenty that want the best candidate that isn't Castillo.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Ceetar wrote: Okay, but I think the _spirit_ of the question is Who do you want to be the best 2Bman? Wouldn't your interpretation render Grimm's companion thread as either redundant or superfluous? Meaningless? Ceetar wrote: I think it's a reasonable expectation for Collins and Sandy to field the team of the best available options, at least to a degree right? You could start a "Who do you think is the Mets best 2b candidate" thread? That would cover all bases. No, I think who you legimately think is going to be the best 2B is different than who you want it to be.

Okay, but I think the _spirit_ of the question is Who do you want to be the best 2Bman? I think it's a reasonable expectation for Collins and Sandy to field the team of the best available options, at least to a degree right? I mean, this isn't Jerry we're talking about.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Who do I want to be the next Mets 2b-man? This one's easy, especially since I'm not emotionally attached to any of the candidates. I want the best 2b-man to be the Mets next 2b-man. I could care less whose name is attached to that title. The Mets can't go wrong by playing the best guy, even if that guy is, ahem, Luis Castillo. (See, 2010 seson). But as soon as it becomes reasonably apparent that the Mets aren't in contention (if that should happen) then I'll go with AnybodyButCastillo, whose future is limited no matter what. Unless playing Castillo improves the Mets haul from a subsequent Castillo trade. This is the easy answer. You could say the same about Perez and the rotation. Also, just because Castillo looks like the best, and puts up a .390 OBP in April, doesn't mean he shouldn't be replaced by Murphy in May either. (Or vice versa) All we're really talking about is who gets to walk out to second that first time.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: As if DosManos needed another ill portent. Asked if a No. 1 factor existed in determining who wins the second base job between Brad Emaus, Daniel Murphy, Luis Castillo and Justin Turner, Terry Collins again stated offense is the priority, which would not seem to bode well for Castillo. �Second base, to me, has become an enormous offensive position,� Collins said. �Why? I�m not really sure, except some of the guys that have been playing there recently [Chase Utley, Dan Uggla] have put up huge numbers at second. But it�s become an offensive position, so to me that�s a big piece to the puzzle, especially when you�ve got that guy [ike Davis] playing first base that can eat up so much ground over there. It helps out." Depends how they value OBP. Unless Collins means he wants a guy who can hit it out. I don't really think that the Mets are necessarily lacking in that regard (if Bay regresses anyway) so maybe that OBP helps Castillo in the race, whereas his age on defense doesn't hurt as much? (Not that I'd classify any of the contestants as a wiz at second..)

I teeter between Murphy and Castillo on this. I picked Castillo based on Murphy not really having played 2B for Collins yet. I think it's unlikely that they'll chose a platoon over Luis though. I don't seem them starting the season that way. I think if Emaus looks good enough to play, they'll let him play. I think they may be hoping for a righty.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Michael Kay might be chalking up any improvement to Buck Showalter, I think most everyone else might, y'know, be looking at the roster. There are some ifs, but they added Derrek Lee, Vlad Guerrero, JJ Hardy and Mark Reynolds to a solid core, some young offensive talent, and waves of young pitching maturing right now. Provided Lee and Guerrero have 1-2 more seasons in them, they could do some serious damage, and not just as a spoiler. That's fair, I'd actually forgotten how much they did this offseason. Hard to keep up with the other teams, particularly junior circle teams, sometimes. Still dont' think they sniff .500, but that's not too bad.

MFS62 wrote: I think that because of his high OBP against righties, he will be moved to the #2 spot in the batting order after the AS break, with Pagan being dropped down. When lefties pitch (I wish he would get a chance to show whet he can do against them), Pagan resumes the #2 spot. Later This is fairly reasonable given that it's possible we're looking at 6,7,8 in the lineup all lefties.

I agree on the Orioles being a tad overrated. Not sure they can't win 75, but I'd lean towards under. People are overrating (Hi Michael Kay!) the impact of Showalter.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I read something today that indicates that even if Frankie finishes his 55 games, if he's on the DL during the last 30 days of the season, the contract won't vest. Obviously, the Mets won't be able to get away with stashing him on the DL with a phony injury, but it's interesting to know that the 55 won't necessarily close the deal. (I also have to wonder if, perhaps, Sandy Alderson has Tonya Harding's phone number on his speed dial.) He has to be 'declared healthy' by doctors. I believe this means even if he exits the last game healthy and beats up someone and breaks his thumb he wouldn't vest

Over Rays, Mets, Giants Under Phils, Braves

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I'd like to see him make the team, but I suspect he's Buffalo-bound. If he fails to win the 2B job, he can stick with the Mets as Murphy's backup if Castillo is released and Emaus goes back to Toronto, but I don't see it playing out that way. This is how I see it as well. I do kinda want to see him get a shot, and was curious why he didn't last September. He'd provide much less jokes than Hu as a backup though. Maybe closer to 250 AB, as he may get more time as a backup early on while Murphy is still learning the ropes so to speak. .270/.335/.410 ish. 6 HBP in half a season in Buffalo? Hmm..Maybe bump that OBP up a tick.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Ceetar wrote: I can make my case, and I will. I could argue that not thinking the Mets offense could easily be near the tops this year is being willfully delusional. Oh, they could. But you appear to be taking the position that they will. If they 'could' then It's hardly delusional of me to think it would shake out that way...

Edgy DC wrote: He's already done OK as a catcher. His OPS+ is 99. But split out against catchers, that jumps up to 106. Really, what's held back his performance is that he didn't touch lefties last year. He may be in danger of being one of those guys who doesn't figure lefties out because he doesn't get a chance to. Hopefully Collins gives guys somewhat of a shot against the splits. I think Thole will get a chance early, since Paulino is out for 8, but I hope a small sample 1/8 or something doesn't force him into a platoon prematurely.

Edgy DC wrote: Jon Heyman practicing some serious douchecraft against Luis Castillo. Wow..just wow.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Of course not. But I don't see any advantage to being willfully delusional. I can make my case, and I will. I could argue that not thinking the Mets offense could easily be near the tops this year is being willfully delusional.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Ceetar wrote: I expect him to be a low-level contributor to the best offense in the league in 2011. So, you think he'll be traded? Optimism is not a sin.

I hear he rocked at Darts the other day. I expect him to be a low-level contributor to the best offense in the league in 2011. .288, 11 HR (3 of which come at Yankee Stadium) 77 RBI. 1.8 WAR

Fman99 wrote: Ceetar wrote: btw, anyone going down to Florida this spring? We're doing Orlando the last week of March, including a Tuesday Mets @ Nationals game in Melbourne. Not driving all the way down to Port St Lucie. Smart of you. We're flying into Orlando the 15th, for Harry Potter World the 16th. I'm told that's the week Florida kids are off from school, so it's gonna be a little crowded I would suspect.