Mets sign “33-Year-Old Rookie” author Chris Coste
According to a news site inforum.com, the Mets have signed catcher Chris Coste to a contract that guarantees him a spot on the 40-man roster. From what I remember, Coste also plays first base and could offset the Daniel Murphy situation. Coste has hit well in recent years but last year took a turn for the worse when his batting average slipped from .263 in 2008 to .224 in 2009
Regardless of this move, the Mets need to look elsewhere for a first baseman since Coste will not carry the load and may not even be the team’s starting catcher. Daniel Murphy is clearly not the answer, and Murphy fits much better in a reserve role. Although he is a completely different kind of player than Endy Chavez was, they are both similar in that they seem to struggle with a starting job.
Giants defense falls apart, offense no help in 26-6 disaster in Denver
Just days after winning their first game in a month, the players on the New York Giants roster thought it would be fun to play a trick by leaving their playbooks back in New York and winging the entire game. Only one problem: The holiday was not Halloween, it was Thanksgiving.
The game was an odd one, to say the least. The Giants’ run defense looked so bad at times that I wondered if defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan missed the plane to Denver. The TV cameras proved otherwise, zooming in on Sheridan’s face as announcers Bob Papa and Matt Millen got used to saying “first down, Denver”.
Giants quarterback Eli Manning did not look as bad as the rest of the team did — he had some great throws to his go-to receivers and helped the Giants overcome a 16-0 halftime lead to pull within 10 points. The Giants were clearly shorthanded in the running game without Ahmad Bradshaw. Brandon Jacobs just couldn’t find any holes as the offensive line failed to do their job. The play-calling was a bit silly at times as they repeatedly sent Jaco
bs on a run to the outside. Jacobs is not that kind of a runner, he needs to take the ball up the middle.
Although the defense allowed Broncos running back Knowshawn Moreno to run all over them, the Broncos failed to move the ball in the red zone and were often forced to settle for field goals. This kept the Giants in the game, and the defense weren’t struggling too bad until the final quarter when Denver pulled away.
The only real bright spot in this game was when kicker Lawrence Tynes drilled a 52 yard field goal that was a huge boost at the time. Tynes came into the game leading the league in missed chip shots, so this field goal was very promising.
This game hurts the Giants playoff chances, but they still control much of their own destiny if they can bounce back and win the remainder of their games. With matchups at home against division rivals Dallas and Philadelphia, as well as a date in the nation’s capital to face the Redskins, the 6-5 Giants have opportunities ahead of them. It will just be a matter of whether they take advantage of them.
Giants vs. Broncos: Thanksgiving Edition
Thanksgiving, the happy and cheery day where everyone appreciates one another, right?
Ironically enough, the day of “Thanks” will include hard-hitting linebackers, big and nasty defensive linemen, and maybe even some broken bones in the mix.
Thanksgiving Day specials in the NFL will run throughout the day, beginning at 12:30 PM Eastern time when the Green Bay Packers hope to keep their realistic playoff hopes alive when they travel to Detroit to take on the Lions. At 4:15, the Dallas Cowboys will host Oakland Raiders in the first Thanksgiving matchup in the new Cowboys Stadium. Finally, the Giants and Broncos will wrap up the holiday with what appears to be the best matchup of the day.
The Broncos and Giants are in somewhat similar boats — both teams have gone on losing streaks and are hanging in there with a current record of 6-4. Between these two teams, the Giants seem to be the team in the best shape right now. The Giants are coming off a thrilling overtime win against Atlanta and quarterback Eli Manning’s best passing game of his career. The defense 
even showed some signs of improving as they only gave up one score in the first half. The defense did fall apart miserably in the second half, but hopefully for the Giants, defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan has the problem under control.
The Broncos are swirling in a whirlpool of drama — 33-year-old head coach Josh McDaniels was forced to deal with the media following his spat with Chargers players last week when he boasted to them that he “owns them”. Former Giants annual rival and Eagles star Brian Dawkins, who now plays for the Broncos, held a team meeting this week in order to set the team straight.
On the other side of the ball, the Giants are drama-free for once in their history. New York should be ready to take on Denver at full-speed today, as the defense will be much better prepared than last week when middle linebacker Antonio Pierce suddenly went down with an injury just days before the game against Atlanta.
Look for Kevin Boss and the Giants offense to get started up quickly. Manning could be looking for Boss to finish up what they started last week when Boss had two touchdown receptions. Receivers Mario Manningham and Steve Smith also hope to continue their stellar season by contributing to the offense. Runningback Ahmad Bradshaw will miss the game due to an ankle injury, so Brandon Jacobs will really be carrying the load in today’s game. Look for him to wear down the Broncos offense to open up Manning’s passing attack.
Tynes kicks Giants back into playoff position as New York wins in OT
The Giants won five straight games to open the season, then took a month-long vacation.
Fortunately for them, the vacation is over thanks to one the best offensive performances of Eli Manning’s career. Manning, who threw for a career-high 384 yards in the 31-28 victory over Atlanta, fired six passes to receiver Mario Manningham. Mannningham averaged 21 yards per catch and totaled 126 yards on the day.
Receiver Steve Smith entered the game as the NFL’s fifth-leading receiver, and did not disappoint. Smith had a 51-yard reception to pace the Giants’ receivers. Tight end Kevin Boss broke out today by scoring two of the team’s four touchdowns in the game.
On the defensive side, the Giants were gasping for breath following the indefinite loss of linebacker Antonio Pierce. It was already difficult enough for this group to lose Kenny Phillips earlier this season. All in all, Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan has failed to live up to expectations since taking over for former coach Steve Spagnuolo. His squad gave up a last-minute fourth quarter drive for the second consecutive game. On a more positive note, Michael Boley recorded his first sack as a Giant and Michael Tuck also brought down Falcons quarterback Matt “Matty Ice” Ryan for a sack.
The Giants’ offense was on fire throughout the game and it was pretty obvious that they needed to win the coin toss in overtime in order to win this one. The defense was worn down from the Falcons passing attack in the fourth quarter and blew a 31-17 Giants lead in the final minutes.
On special teams, the Giants struggled with kickoffs. The team should consider signing a kickoff kicker because Tynes is struggling to get the ball past the 20 yard line. Tynes missed a field goal early in the game but redeemed himself with the game winning kick. Falcons’ kicker Jason Elam missed a field goal in the game as well, his sixth miss of the season. Tynes’ kick was his second career game-winning kick in overtime. If you are a Giants fan, it shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out when his first was.
The 6-4 Giants won’t have much time to celebrate their victory — they will be traveling to Denver to face the Broncos in just four days in a Thanksgiving showdown at Mile High Stadium. Pending the result of tonight’s game, the Giants are currently in position for one of the two wild card playoff spots in the NFC. Regardless if the Eagles win or lose tonight, the Giants control their own destiny for the NFC East title and the #4 seed in the playoffs. New York has two big divisional games remaining, both being at home. They also have another divisional game in Washington.
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* Game was not completed when this was published |
Should the Mets bring back Carlos Delgado?
Carlos Delgado is probably sitting at home enjoying the off-season with his family.
But that won’t last for long. News reports surfaced today that Delgado will be playing winter ball in Puerto Rico, a sign that the veteran first baseman assumes he has something more to prove. After playing in only 26 games in 2009 before hitting the disabled list for good, Delgado had worked his way back into shape in hopes of returning in 2010. In his career with the Mets, Delgado has hit 104 home runs.
As Delgado’s 38th birthday looms, the Mets’ front office has decisions to make. Do they go with the experienced veteran, or do they take the recently-common Moneyball approach in an attempt to save money while getting younger? These are all questions that the Mets are asking right now. To give a better understanding of what each option entails, read on:
Option #1: Do not re-sign Delgado?
Delgado was injured for most of 2009 and the Mets are worried that they will end up in a financial mess if they re-sign him and end up with the same result. His age could be a factor at this point in his career, perhaps limiting him when it comes to playing day games after night games, etc. At his age, it would make a lot of sense for him to play in the American League as a designated hitter. However, the DH position can be very competitive. Among other weaknesses, Delgado is known for being very streaky at the plate and occasionally struggles with strikeouts. This option doesn’t look to appealing to me.
Option #2: Re-sign Delgado? Yep.
Ah, this is where I stand. The Mets need to keep his leadership in the clubhouse and his presence on the field. Mets’ manager Jerry Manuel had repeatedly stated that Delgado was the leader of his team. Delgado could also supply the Mets with their desperate need for a true power hitter. When healthy, Delgado is an RBI machine and a clutch home run hitter. Keeping Delgado will buy the Mets more time to find a legitimate first baseman for 2010, since Delgado will most certainly walk after this season. I simply cannot see him coming back.
The 2009 Mets were horrible at first base in Delgado’s absence, a clear indication of their lack of depth. Above anything, Daniel Murphy does not belong at first. If anywhere, he belongs on the bench or at the plate. He is too much of a disappointment on the field. How could you predict the Mets having anywhere close to the same or better record in 2010 if they are unable to field a position that needs to be addressed?
According to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post, Mets General Manager Omar Minaya will be traveling to watch Delgado in Puerto Rico next month. It will give the Mets a clue as far as what to expect from Delgado and what kind of money to offer him. Recent teammates of Delgado have also expressed their desire for the club to re-sign him.
Minaya’s decision will most likely be based on Delgado’s performance this winter and his physical health leading into Spring Training. Also, the pool of free-agents that are still available at the time of the decision will be a major factor. It would be a smart idea for Minaya to offer Delgado a smaller incentive-based deal that could be worth quite a bit depending on Delgado’s performance in 2010.