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2012 MLB Team Preview: New York Mets

Posted by on 3 April 2012, 2:34 am

New York Mets logo.

Since their infamous 2007 collapse, the New York Mets just can’t seem to get a break.

Last season the Mets finished fourth in the NL East winning with a 77-85 record, which is not so bad considering the team was riddled with injuries.

The Mets and their fans have to believe that things will get better as I don’t know what else could go wrong.

So, can Mets fans start believing again or will 2012 prove to be another bust in Queens?

Let’s take a look….

THE POSITIVES:

Skipper Terry Collins could not be more perfect a leader for the Mets. Collins truly believes in the team and he manages with passion. The players respect and want to win for Collins because of the energy he brings day in and day out. As Collins heads into his second season in New York, the Mets will once again look for him to be their guide and he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. As ex-Met Carlos Beltran once said, “He is a good man.”  And the Mets could not be luckier for it.

Welcome back Johan Santana! The Mets finally have their ace back and the even better news is that Santana has looked good in Spring Training. The last time Mets fans saw the two-time CY Young winner was September 2, 2010 so it will be a treat to have him take the mound at Citi-Field on Opening Day vs. the Braves. If Santana stays healthy and is pitching like he is capable, the Mets have a certified star at the top of their rotation again and he will win games.

Also take note that first baseman Ike Davis is back too after missing almost all of 2011; and this kid can rake. Baring that his ankle holds up and his Valley Fever doesn’t become an issue look for a big year from a seriously talented Davis.

THE NEGATIVES: Continue reading ‘2012 MLB Team Preview: New York Mets’ »

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Baseball Basics: What is the Rule 5 Draft?

Posted by on 2 December 2011, 11:08 pm

What is the RULE 5 DRAFT in Major League Baseball?

PURPOSE of the RULE 5 DRAFT:

The Rule 5 Draft was generated to stop MLB teams from stockpiling minor league prospects indefinitely in their farm system. With the Rule 5 Draft a player has an opportunity to be picked up by a team who is willing to play him in the Majors.

WHERE AND WHEN IS THE RULE 5 DRAFT:

The Rule 5 Draft happens in December at the annual Winter Meetings of all 30 MLB teams General Managers. This off-season’s Winter Meetings begin on December 5th, with the Rule 5 Draft scheduled for the last day of the Winter Meetings, which is on December 8th.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE RULE 5 DRAFT:

Any minor league player, who has been retained for three, (signed at age 19) or four years, (signed at age 18); and are still not on their respective club’s 40-man roster. Minor leaguers’ who are on the team’s 40-man roster before the fixed time expires are protected, or ineligible to be drafted under Rule 5.

MLB Teams with no open spots on their 40-man roster are not allowed to partake in the Rule 5 Draft.

The Rule 5 Draft allows for a team to steal a raw, top prospect from another club who deems the player is not close to Major League ready in terms of their team. These are diamonds in the rough and are rarely found, but one example of a successful Rule 5 drafted is two-time CY Young winner Johan Santana.

EXAMPLE OF RULE 5 DRAFT: Continue reading ‘Baseball Basics: What is the Rule 5 Draft?’ »

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2011 MLB Team Preview: New York Mets

Posted by on 9 March 2011, 5:14 am

For the first season since 2007, the New York Mets finally made some off-season changes to get the once successful franchise back on track.

In typical Mets fashion, fans started to get hope for the future only to be hit with another blow, that their team’s owner can’t pay because he might be Madoff insider. Yikes.

The large and dedicated Mets fanbase just can’t seem to catch a break. All the fans are thankful for is that the team plays in the same city as the Yankees, so it won’t just disappear.

The Mets have embraced the role of not being the Yankees and getting mad about it instead of doing something about it. Let’s look at the Amazins heading into 2011 season:

The Positives:

It took long enough for the Mets owners to realize that leadership changes had to be made; as GM Omar Minaya and Skipper Jerry Manuel had well worn out their welcome.

Finally, Fred Wilpon did something about it by hiring Sandy Alderson to replace Minaya and Terry Collins to take over as skipper.

Getting a fresh perspective on expectations and acceptable clubhouse behavior will set a new tone.

Collins is a fierce competitor and the players seem to have responded to him, some players even showed up to Spring Training days ahead of schedule. Collins is known for his own dramatic tendencies, and in his last two managerial stints he lost his players respect and was fired from both jobs. That was 11 years ago and Collins acknowledges openly that he didn’t enjoy himself, but now he does.

Look anything is an improvement from Manuel and hopefully Collins will clean up the rebellious, do-whatever attitudes of many Mets players. Mets fans should look at Joe Torre’s managerial history pre-Yankees to see that men can change for the better.

GM Sandy Alderson should thrive and is the guy who can turn this mess around. Alderson has a resume filled with years of success with the Oakland A’s and San Diego Padres. Also, he was a Marine and this should bring some structure. So far Alderson has said all the right things.

The hiring of Collins and Alderson sends the players a clear message, things are about to change and you don’t rule the team anymore.

The Mets definitely don’t lack talent, already have 3B David Wright and P Mike Pelfry to build around, have some terrific young talent in 1B Ike Davis and have a lights out closer in K-rod.

Wright is the franchise’s prize, posting a .283 batting average with 29 homers, 103 RBIs and stole 19 bases in 2010. Wright is in his prime at 27-years of age and look for another solid season from the Mets franchise player.

If the Mets can get production from Jason Bay and Jose Reyes, the Mets have a seriously competitive line-up, who can also run on the basepads. Can’t ask for much more, but need to execute all that wasted talent in 2011.

The Negatives:

The Mets have so many questions and with their lengthy history of giving the wrong answers, makes it hard for fans to trust that better days are ahead.

The traps are all set for the team to fail in 2011, whether they will battle or fold again is up to the players. See any MLB team has the potential to implode, but most don’t fold when it happens like the Mets. Continue reading ‘2011 MLB Team Preview: New York Mets’ »

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David Wright: Dear Diary

Posted by on 13 August 2009, 4:31 am

I found a page from the Diary of the Mets Captain David Wright today and I thought I should share it. Wright is such a template for baseball as he works hard, loves the game, isn’t in the media spotlight that NY athletes can get so easily caught up it and Wright wants to win.

Unfortunately for Wright, his biggest problem or enemy is the team he plays for, the New York Mets.

Dear Diary,

Hey diary, I just wanted to write you because I am to depressed to talk about baseball anymore. Also I need your advice as what to do but I know you can’t really help, even if you could talk.

I think I told you that my Mets teammates elected me captain about two years ago. Nobody seems to know because the only captain in NYC seems to be Derek Jeter anyway.

Just to start I feel like everyone in New York has given up on the Mets. It’s Yankees this, Yankees that, Jeter is the best Captain ever, Yankees rule the city and that is just the beginning of the love for the Yankees. I hate it because I try just as hard as any Yankee but I just don’t know how I got stuck on the Mets.

Even worst the face of the Mets. I think the depression from 2007 is creeping back, again and the whole thing is a mess. Here are the main things that are not getting better:

  1. We suck, again. How is this possible when we have been picked by experts for years as the team to beat? Even said “the Mets are the new New York team to beat!”. That means better than the Yankees. I get my hopes up and it never happens. Continue reading ‘David Wright: Dear Diary’ »

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