Gone
I’ll be gone until March 4th. I am going to Florida and I will be
attending Mets spring training at Port St. Lucie. While I am there, I am going to interview a Mets player, not sure exactly who yet.
Jerry Ree$e vs. Ernie Accorsi
The new Giants General Manager Jerry Reese already is showing that he is way different
from Ernie Accorsi. Jerry Reese already has showed that he wants younger players, and he’s willing to get rid of anyone for more cap room.
He recently cut LaVar Arrington, Luke Petitogut, Carlos Emmons, and Chad Morton. All of those cuts seem fine excepr for LaVar Arrington, a former pro-bowler who signed a mega contract with the Giants just last year.
This reminds me of what the Marlins GM did the season after they signed Delgado.
The LaVar cut was the stupidest thing I’ve seen since the Giants went 4-12 a few years ago. I can see the Emmons cut, but only as an individual cut, because now the Giants have two veteran Linebackers gone.
The good news of all this craziness is that the Giants are loaded with Cap Room.
I don’t know about this Jerry Reese. He Better sign a huge free agent this offseason… I’m hoping Thomas Jones.
Mets Future: Wright, Reyes Should be Co-Captains
Too Many people, in my opinion, prefer Wright over Reyes. Many more people will tell
you they’d rather have Wright as a captain if they had a choice between Wright and Reyes.
David Wright is an amazing third baseman who was selected to the All-Star Game and had an outstanding Home Run Derby, breaking records for most home runs in the first round.
Reyes, who is younger than Wright, made his Major League Debut before David Wright. Jose Reyes, who is energized 24/7, led the major leagues in steals (64) and triples (17), while he also had many more home runs than expected from him, 19. He cracked three homeruns in one game vs. Philly last year.
Jose Reyes, in my opinion, will be controversially the best Met of all time when he retires (Piazza). ESPN the Magazine said on the cover “The Best Shortstop in NY…” referring to Reyes, saying that he is a better shortstop than Jeter, and Reyes is only in the beginning of his career.
As good as Wright is, more people, especially Met Fans, need to realize Reyes’ ability.
Wright and Reyes need to be Co-Captains on the Mets. They represent the Franchise.
David Wright and Jose Reyes have the best 3B-SS tandem in the Major Leagues, and that will stay that way for a very long time. As they grow up and develop their skills, they will win world series together with the Mets. Throughout that time, the Mets will have taken
over the spotlight for the best baseball team in the state of New York. The Yankees are declining in several ways. Ever since the Mets cursed the Yanks in the Subway Series, the Yankees haven’t won it since. They were pushed around by the D-Backs in the ‘01 WS, along with the Marlins killing the Yankees in ‘03 and then in ‘04, the Red Sox made the best comeback in sports history, down 3 games to 0 in game 4. The Yankees never won a playoff series since. The last baseball team in New York to win a playoff series is the New York Mets. Who’d have thought that in ‘04?
The Mets are a juggernaut, the Yankees can’t even win a playoff series. The Yankees will see for themselves this upcoming season.
Let’s Go Mets.
2007 Mets Season Preview
The National League East Division Champions New York Mets are heading into the 2007 season with a similar roster from last season. Throughout the off-season, there were several pitchers that the Mets missed out on, including Barry Zito and Jeff Suppan. The Mets were in severe need for an ace, with Pedro Martinez, who will be out until at least the All-Star break, coming off of surgery on his torn rotator cuff.
First and foremost, the Mets needed to reacquire veteran Tom Glavine, who the Mets signed in 2003. Tom Glavine wasn’t the pitcher he always was when he first came to the New York Mets. Everyone wanted Glavine shipped out because he was giving up too many homeruns and wasn’t doing what was expected of him. He performed miserable in the first half of the 2005 season, but turned himself around and pitched great in the second half. In 2006, he was great. He was 15-7 with 131 strikeouts and a 3.82 Earned Run Average.
Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernandez are the number one and two pitchers in the Mets starting rotation heading into the season. The other youngsters that are fighting for the 3, 4, and 5 spots in the rotation are John Maine, Aaron Sele (who was recently signed to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training), Mike Pelfrey, Alay Soler, and Oliver Perez. There are other contestants, but chances are three of these players will be make the team as a starting pitcher.
The main necessity for the Mets for the first half of the 2007 season is successful
The Mets, last season, had the best bullpen in the National League, 2nd in all of baseball behind the twins. Their bullpen again looks like it should be great. There have only been some minor changes. Darren Oliver is no longer on the team’s roster, while the Mets signed Jorge Sosa, who has been an up-and-down pitcher throughout his career. Guillermo Mota was suspended 60 games without pay by MLB for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He will return, after he signed an extension with the Mets earlier this winter. Duaner Sanchez, who was great last year, said that his arm feels great and he should be ready for Spring Training. Aaron Heilman, who was also great, would like to start, but the Mets prefer using him in the bullpen. Heilman gave up the deciding homerun of the 2006 National League Championship Series to Yadier Molina. Scott Schoeneweis was added to the Mets bullpen, signing a deal with the Mets earlier this winter. The Mets also have Pedro Feliciano returning, who was 7-2 in 60 innings pitched and had a 2.09 Earned Run Average for the 2006 season. Flamethrower Billy Wagner should be great this year as a closer after picking up 40 saves last year and 94 strikeouts.
The Mets have made some minor changes with their position players. Cliff Floyd is no longer with the team. He is now with the Chicago Cubs. Most people say he will be some kind of utility player with them, which is odd. To fill his spot on the Mets roster, the Mets signed a 1-year deal with the 40-year old veteran Moises Alou. The Mets kept 37-year old Jose Valentin, who was a surprise last season for the Mets. He was actually considering retirement following the 2005 season. The Mets also filled in an empty spot on the roster with David Newhan, who will be a utility player for the Mets after the traitor, Chris Woodward, went to the Atlanta Braves. Newhan batted .252 with 4 homers and 18 RBI in 39 games for the Orioles last season.
The Mets re-signed postseason hero Endy Chavez to a 1 year extension. Veteran 48-year old Julio Franco is in his final year of his 2-year deal with the Mets. The Mets signed Damion Easley, who will be a reserve player. He hit .233 with 9 home runs and 28 RBI in 90 games last season. Anderson Hernandez, who started at 2nd base on opening day last season in place of the injured Kazuo Matsui, did great in winter ball, so we’ll see what the Mets do with him. Last season he was injured and then came back, but there wasn’t much room on the roster for him. The Mets also received LF Ben Johnson in a trade. Last season he hit .250 with 4 home runs and 12 RBI in58 games. The status of outfield Lastings Milledge is not known, whether he will make the team or not. If not, he will be back up to MLB very quickly once the season begins.
Carlos Beltran and Shawn Green (who was acquired by trade at midseason last year) are returning to play in the outfield for the Mets, but don’t be surprised if you see Endy Chavez take over the starting position in right field for Shawn Green if he doesn’t play well early in the season.
At first base, Carlos Delgado, who hit 38 home runs for the mets in 2006, with 114 RBI in 144 games, should be fine after opening day, when his wife is expecting their first child. During the off-season, he had surgery on his left arm. Shortstop Jose Reyes is
coming off his best season so far after he led the league in stolen bases with 64. He also had many more home runs than expected, 19. He had 17 triples, also leading the majors.
Third Baseman David Wright, who hit .311 with 26 home runs and 116 RBI, his coming off of a miserable postseason. Also, he hit only a few home runs after the all-star break, when crushed 16 home runs in the first round of the Home Run Derby, and also hit a home run in the All-Star Game.
For catchers, the Mets have veteran Paul Lo Duca, who was a great fill in for long time Mike Piazza. Lo Duca hit .318 in 124 games last season. Ramon Castro is coming back to the Mets. He is a great influence in the locker room. All the Met players say he is the funniest player on the team. Last year he hit 4 homers in 40 games for the Mets.
The Mets re-signed Manager Willie Randolph, the 18th manager in Met history, giving him a raise and making him one of the most paid managers in Major League Baseball. This year would have been the last of a 3-year contract. The Mets and Willie Randolph agreed to a 3-year $5.45 million extension.
The Mets’ third base coach from last year, Manny Acta, became manager of the Washington Nationals. Manny Acta was living in the same building that was hit by Cory Lidle, who was flying his plane. Manny Acta moved out of the apartment just hours before the plane crashed. The Mets re-signed pitching coach Rick Peterson, Bullpen Coach Guy Conti, Bench Coach Jerry Manuel, Batting Coach Rick Down, and Catching Instructor Tom Nieto to 3-year deals. Howard Johnson will coach First base.
Mets coaches all receive new deals
Mets handed all of their coaches a new deal:
Pitching Coach Rick Peterson – 3 years
Bullpen Coach Guy Conti – 2 years
Bench Coach Jerry Manuel – 2 years
Batting Coach Rick Down – 2 years
Catching Instructor Tom Nieto – 2 years
This, along with Willie Randolph’s deal 10 days ago, is good to get over with before Spring Training. Howard Johnson is taking over the vacancy that Manny Acta left. Manny Acta left to become the manager of the Nationals. Sandy Alomar Sr. is moving over to be 3rd base coach and Howard Johnson will be 1st base coach