Mets Blogger Round Table
When telling the history of the New York Mets, you will have to include the story of David Wright. Wright was not only one of the best players in franchise history, but he was also one of the most beloved players. More than that, Wright’s tale is a story of perseverance with respect to how he keeps battling back from spinal stenosis and a litany of other ailments.
Certainly, the end of Wright’s career is a story of tragedy with many looking for a story of redemption at the end. With the Mets currently 12 games under .500, there is no better opportunity to finally allow Wright to play in front of his daughters. It is also a good opportunity to allow Mets fans to say good-bye to one of the most beloved players in franchise history.
It seems that while the Mets will allow Wright to play in rehab and simulated games, they are not willing to let him play in Major League games. The Mets will say he’s not physically ready to play while many believe this is just a way for the Mets to not give up the insurance money. More than ever, there seems to be anger among Mets fans over the perception the team is allowing the insurance money to stand in the way of Wright playing again.
With that as the backdrop, our Mets Bloggers have offered their opinions and level of anger over the situation:
James Schapiro (Shea Bridge Report)
11 out of 10.
Good: let David play when he wants.
Bad: Don’t let David play because it’ll save you money. Worst: don’t let David play because it will save you money, but while doing so, put on a charade that you’re trying to let him play in a few days and that there’s still something he has do to. Of course the Wilpons chose the worst option.
Michael Mayer (MMO & MMN)
I have nothing to add to his perfect statement
Metstradamus (Metstradamus Blog)
Anger would eminate from passion … a will to fight. I’m not sure it’s worth it to fight the stupidity of an organization that specializes in same the bad optics that they love to bring up when Yoenis Cespedes plays golf on his off days. Especially when “bad optics” are the best case scenario with insurance fraud being the worst. What a depressing scale, eh?
Michael Baron (nym.news)
I actually choose to not be angry. I also don’t believe the Mets should activate David Wright for the hell of it either. I mean, it’s not like he’s saying publicly he’s ready. He himself has said he still has work to do to get to the place he needs to be in order to play at this level. And he knows his body, condition, and skill better than anyone. When he says he’s ready and the Mets are playing a game, that’s when I’ll get pissed. That doesn’t at all mean the Mets do things right, and aren’t messing with the finances of his contract right now. But I myself certainly don’t want to see a fractional version of Wright or Wright get hurt ten minutes after he gets activated. I trust him, and understand what all of this is and want him to play when he can actually be productive.
Metstradamus
Michael, these are very important points and you’re right. If they want a “major league player”, as they say, then they should have the guts to shut him down and then reason that there are two more years left on his contract and we’d rather have him 100% (or as close as possible) for those two seasons. Why would you rush him back for these three weeks? That’s why this all makes me feel like this is a stunt by the Mets to have the nostalgia night with him and Reyes, and then negotiate a buy out after the season or release him. And honestly, I don’t want nostalgia night. I’d guess that David doesn’t want that either. I think we do too much looking back and not enough looking forward anyway. And nostalgia night with David and Jose one last time on the left side of the infield would be an obvious contrived cash grab. That would make me sick to my stomach.
Michael Baron
I don’t know the Mets are looking for nostalgia night either. John Ricco has indicated they want a productive player when they activate Wright. I also don’t think they’re trying to rush him back. Remember, he got 40 AB and they took it very slow. And at one point he shut it down himself temporarily because he had trouble. This has been an excruciatingly slow and grueling process, for both his sake and the team’s sake. He’s close and I think a lot of people – including me – are itching to see him play. But the last thing anyone needs is for David to come back, get hurt and it all be over. So they’re going to make sure they do everything they can to get him back and get him back to a place this can be managed so he can stay healthy, on the field and can live a normal life after baseball.
Greg Prince (Faith and Fear in Flushing)
It’s such a sui generis situation. Any other player who’d been out two-plus years working his way through rehab would have been reinstated and been used accordingly (sparingly). But no other player would figure to have David’s kind of contract and there wouldn’t be this kind of insurance consideration on the table.
In that same vein, I don’t believe any other player at this stage of his career would have worked as hard as David Wright to get back. David takes his Metsdom and his captaincy very seriously, though I also believe if he was in any other profession, he’d approach it with the same level of dedication.
There’s also the matter of the physical ailment he’s trying to play through. It’s not the usual baseball injury, is it? Both the player and the team ought to be as careful as possible. This is a 35-year-old we’re talking about, with a life after baseball. I’d hate to see his determination backfire into something catastrophic (as if that could happen to a Met).
All that said, it’s clearly about the money. The Mets like getting those checks from the insurance company, this year and next. It’s a lot of money. To forfeit it for a few at-bats (I find the “he needs to come back as a complete player” jazz to be nonsense) is a legitimate if distasteful business consideration.
As a Mets fan, I will take my lead from David. If he thinks he can do it, if he’s not in agony, if he’s been putting in all this effort because playing baseball is what he does and what he’s contracted to do, I think it’s chintzy of the Mets to deny him the logical conclusion of his effort, which is playing baseball.
That, too, is part of doing business. Also, it’s a sport, for cryin’ out loud. David is being sporting about this. The Mets are being less so.
As for the notion that this is strictly about nostalgia, I don’t think so. Not for David, certainly. He’s an active player, as inactive as he’s been. He’s not Minnie Minoso coming out of retirement at the behest of Bill Veeck or something like that. It would certainly warm my sentimental heart to see No. 5 and No. 7 take the field together one last time, but I doubt that’s what’s driving the third baseman. If it was driving the Mets, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. He’d be on the roster already.
And let’s be real: the Mets are incapable of selling tickets for anything in September 2018. The modest bump they might (might) get from “oh boy, the Captain is back,” doesn’t measure up to whatever they’d be forfeiting in recovering on the insurance policy…neither of which should be our concern as fans, but baseball is indeed a business, our favorite team included.
In the end, when he does call it a day, we’ll remember David Wright for so much more than a month full of clouds. He was sunshine for so many seasons. No matter what happens, he shines on.
Mets Daddy
When looking at franchises, there just some players who matter more than others. Most people subscribe to this theory, the Wilpons included. How else could you explain all that they have done for Jose Reyes despite his proving for two years now he is no longer a Major League player.
In the end, when you look at how well the Mets treat Reyes, you have to ask why they are not extending the same courtesies to Wright. Certainly, with all that Wright has given the franchise, including his signing an under-market extension to stay and keep payroll at a level where the Mets could add additional pieces, he has done all that has been asked of him and more.
Right now, he just wants to play in front of his daughters. It’s a human request. One that should not fall on deaf ears. Ultimately, if Wright is not given this chance to at least end his career on the field instead of the trainer’s table, you may see a level of anger from Mets fans you have not seem in quite some time. I know I will be as angry as I’ve ever been.
In the end, we all hope to see Wright play again. Personally, I also hope you return the favor these excellent writers have given me by participating in this and other roundtables by visiting their sites.
For the second straight year, Seth Lugo has the best Player’s Weekend jersey with “Quaterrican.” Seeing that jersey as well as some others we will see over the course of this weekend coupled with the color players from Mets past, it does not you wonder which jerseys Mets players from years past would have selected. On that front, the Mets bloggers offer some of the jerseys we would have like to have seen.
Michael Baron (nym.news)
Tom Seaver. “THE FRANCHISE.”
Second place is Gary Carter. “KID.”
Mark Healey (Gotham Baseball)
Metstradamus (Metstradamus Blog)
Franklin Gutierrez, who was a Met for ten minutes, was nicknamed “Death to Flying Things”. I’m sorry but the only two things that could top that would have been Richie Hebner using a middle finger emoji, or anything Willie Montanez would have come up with.
Also, did you know that George Foster‘s nickname was “Yahtzee”? I would buy that.
Greg Prince (Faith and Fear in Flushing)
I like seeing the nicknames we don’t learn about as matter of course, the ones that are personal or known more in the clubhouse than in the public. So ideally, Tom Seaver would have been SPANKY, Willie Mays BUCK and Howard Johnson SHEIKH.
Also, though it would have been hard to resist CHOO-CHOO for Clarence Coleman, I’d like to believe the catcher of few words from the 1962 Mets would have gone with BUB. And given that it was 1962, I could only hope everything was properly spelled.
James Schapiro (Shea Bridge Report)
Mets Daddy
Looking back, a Darryl Strawberry “Straw” jersey would have been hilarious for the noted coke problems of that team. It would have been funny to see Paul Lo Duca wear a “Captain Red Ass” jersey. Funny, but not likely to happen.
Ultimately, the jersey I would have liked to have seen could have been done this year. After all, what would have been better than seeing Jacob deGrom opting to chose “Sidd Finch” for his jersey?
The answer to the rhetorical question is reading the blogs from the writers who are so generous in contributing their time. Certainly,t hey all have stories to tell about these and many more players. In fact, they may have some nicknames all of their own, but to find that out, you will have to visit those sites.
For the first time in a long time, we are seeing David Wright play in real baseball games in what is his latest attempt to make it back to the majors. Certainly, there are hurdles ahead, and anytime Wright attempts to come back, the idea he could actually return is usually met with some skepticism. That said, Wright is trying and according to reports, he does believe this could be his last chance. With that in mind, we asked our Mets Bloggers if we will see Wright play this season:
Mark Healey (Gotham Baseball)
Yes.
Joe Maracic (Loud Egg)
Michael Mayer (MMO & MMN)
I do think that Wright will play this year. He looks in much better shape than his previous comeback attempts. I’m sure the Mets would enjoy the sales boost in a lost season too.
Greg Prince (Faith and Fear in Flushing)
If David Wright is going to be optimistic, I’m going to be optimistic. If he’s getting ready to play at the major league level, I’m getting ready to see him do so. What a welcome sight that would be.
Tim Ryder (MMO & FOB)
Yes, I believe he does. Like he said, and I’m paraphrasing, he wouldn’t be going through all of this trouble without that goal in mind. Beyond that, and this is just my opinion, I wouldn’t be surprised if he is able to comeback and contribute. He likely won’t be the player he was ever again, but it’s not too far-fetched to think that he could be an integral cog next season. With Frazier in the mix, there would need to be some strings pulled if he is able to continue into ’19, but this team seems to have a thing for sticking random guys at 1B and an even bigger hard-on for blocking Peter Alonso.
Why not do it with the face of your franchise?
James Schapiro (Shea Bridge Report)
At the time, I didn’t know, because nobody knew, that David Wright would not play for more than two years after May 27th, 2016. I didn’t know that in August 2018, the home run he hit that night against the Dodgers would still be the last one I’d seen. I’m not even sure I knew that he’d been hurting.
We all remember this now, of course, because more than two years later he’s just getting to a rehab stint, and that two year absence tends to draw those few moments we have to remember into perspective. We hear tidbits every day, and see stats, and turn it all into completely arbitrary pronouncements — “He was 0 for three with a walk, but didn’t strike out…looks like he’s seeing the ball well, but needs to pick up the bat speed!” — but really, we’ve got nothing to go on. So it’s simple: no news, for the moment, is good news. Every day that David Wright plays a few innings, makes a few plays, and gives an interview in the clubhouse afterwards is a successful rehab day, no matter the numbers.
Here’s where a separate storyline enters the picture: I will be at Citi Field on August 26th, and then, as far as I know, not again until 2019. Will David Wright be in the lineup? Will it be his first game back in the lineup in two years? I don’t know; I’m no doctor. But I hope it is, because there’s something oddly poetic in attending what will be, in effect, two consecutive games that David has played in. I’ve played it all out in my mind; it’s a scenario, after all, that I’ve been looking toward for two years. “Wright’s in the lineup,” I’ll say matter-of-factly to the guy sitting next to me on the third base side. “Yeah, he’s had some trouble, but now he’s back…didn’t you see? He homered against the Dodgers, must have been just the other day.”
Mets Daddy
Personally, I believe the Mets will permit Wright to end his career on the field instead of in the trainer’s room. In the end, they are going to allow him to once again take his position over at third base, have at least one at-bat, and then remove him from a game to a standing ovation. Seeing how much Wright has struggled to get to this point, and with the Mets being so many games under .500, I do believe now is the time, and I look forward to seeing it happen.
While we wait to see what if this is the time Wright does return to the Mets, you should not wait to see what this fine group has written about Wright and all things Mets. Please return the favor for their contributions to this and other roundtables by visiting their sites.
Last week, my brother challenged me to find something nice to say about the Wilpons. Given the tall task this was, I figured the best way to handle this was to turn the question over to the fine people who participate in the Mets Blogger Roundtables:
Mark Healey (Gotham Baseball)
Here’s the deal; unlike a lot of people, I’ve spent some time with Jeff Wilpon. (That’s me interviewing Jeff during a tour of Citi Field) I know he loves baseball. I know he wants to win. I think he gave Sandy some decent money to spend this offseason and it was invested poorly. Jeff, IMO, needs to be less passive aggressive and more out in front of everything that happens. The Wilpons and Katzes are not going anywhere, so we need to put away our pitchforks and find some constructive ways to remind ownership of how much we want this team to succeed.
Editor’s Note: On Gotham Baseball, Mark had a more detailed analysis about how fair the coverage of the Wilpons has been.
Joe Maracic (Loud Egg)
Metstradamus (Metstradamus Blog)
I’m not falling for this. The minute I make some joke like “well, I’m sure Jeff Wilpon has never kicked a puppy”, Bob Woodward is going to link Jeffy to a puppy mill in Greenwich for the Washington Post. I’m out. You make your jokes. Hope they age well.
Greg Prince (Faith and Fear in Flushing)
Shannon Forde cited Jeff Wilpon as being very supportive of her when she was battling the cancer that eventually took her life. That’s what I think of when I try to remember there’s a human being behind the caricature.
Tim Ryder (MMO, FOB)
it’s tough to find anything overwhelmingly pleasant to say about the Wilpons. They’ve been doing an excellent job of trolling an entire fanbase for 16 years. Does that count?
Breanna Susa (That Mets Chick)
The Wilpons are really good at saving money. I bet they have a ton of money saved for their retirement. Their financial advisor must be so proud of them with their savings. Actually they are probably their own financial planners since they wouldnt want to give up that 1% of compensation the planners would recieve. Genuis if you ask me. I guess thats why Jeff graduated from Harvard. Dude knows how to save, its almost as if he’s seen a financial crisis like the one in 2008 when the stock market collapsed. Genuis I tell you.
Mets Daddy
The Wilpons are trying to save baseball by pointing out just how unsustainable its economic model. Teams like the Red Sox, Yankees, and Dodgers are spending at unsustainable rates, and it is going to send them into financial ruin. Once those teams go down, who knows about the future of baseball?
Fortunately, we have people like the Wilpons who are there to advise all of baseball how to avoid financial ruin and to build a profitable baseball organization which is predicated upon building just one team per decade capable of going to the World Series.
On a more serious note, it was good to see the Mets have a tribute video to Matt Harvey and to welcome back Ed Kranepool and put the word out about his need for a new kidney. Fans have been justifiably angry with the Wilpons, but they did deserve credit for doing the right thing in those instances.
Ed Kranepool needs a kidney: [email protected] or call 631-444-6944. https://t.co/6MMPi1JuTk
— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) August 7, 2018
Here’s hoping you take the time out to help out of a Mets great while you’re taking the time to read some of the excellent work from this group of Mets bloggers.
Arguably, this was the most entertaining All Star Game in quite a while. It was not only a close game which went into extra innings, but we got to know more about some of the best players in the game. Certainly, miking Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Francisco Lindor made them much more likeable and did a great job of promoting the young superstar talent in the majors.
Still, given how the All Star Game has dropped drastically in terms of importance and how the ratings have been stagnant, there are ways to improve the game. Here are some suggestions from the Mets Bloggers:
Michael Baron (nym.news)
Get rid of it 🙂
Roger Cormier (Good Fundies)
They should find a way to show Brandon Nimmo on screen for 100 percent of the telecast. Nimmo watching himself watching the game, Nimmo petting a dog, Nimmo studying film. Any of those really, on the lower right hand corner of the screen.
Joe Maracic (Loud Egg)
The losers of that year’s All Star Game each pay a portion of the money Bobby Bonilla is owed that year.
Metstradamus (Metstradamus Blog)
Get rid of interleague play.
That’s if you want to save the All Star Game as is. If not, then scrap the whole thing and just have a season break every four years and make it the World Baseball Classic Semifinals and Finals. If you want to do something the other three years, make it a similar international theme. MLB vs. Cuba.
Greg Prince (Faith and Fear in Flushing)
Give each league a 41-man roster. I was gonna say 40, but 41 will be a subliminal advertisement for the greatness of Seaver. All snubs will be solved up to the 42nd-most deserving NL and AL player. What’s a couple of more minutes of introductions? Those are the best parts of the whole affair.
Also, get rid of Joe Buck and don’t let Matt Vasgersian near the All-Star Game. Team a really good National League announcer with a really good American League announcer. I’d even accept a blending of the defending league champion crews, understanding we might get stuck with somebody from YES one future midsummer night.
Mets Daddy
If we are going to have every team represented in the All Star Game under the pretext that it generates fan enthusiasm for the event, let the fans pick their All Star.
As a Mets fan in 1995, I would have been much more interested in seeing Rico Brogna, Todd Hundley, or John Franco than seeing Bobby Bonilla, which was just further punishment for Mets fans. Seriously, let the fans pick who they want to see – pitchers included.
In addition to wanting to see fans pick their own All Star, I also want everyone visiting the site to read the All Star quality material produced by the people who participate in these roundtables.
Well, the Mets are terrible, and we are at the point where the Mets are sellers at the trade deadline. Given the composition of their roster, there isn’t much in terms of trade assets unless you start giving away some pretty major pieces. Given the rise of the Braves and Phillies and this awful Mets season, it’s worth asking whether the Mets should burn it all to the ground and start over.
Then again, with Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper being free agents and the Mets starting pitching staff, there is a legitimate question whether the Mets truly need to tear it all down in a rebuild. With that as the pre-text, our Mets Bloggers offered their opinion as to whether any of the Mets players should be absolutely untouchable at the trade deadline:
Michael Baron (nym.news)
I don’t think there’s anyone who is untouchable in this scenario. By doing so with sincerity severely handicaps one’s position in the trade market. I think that can be used to posture in an effort to drum up the cost, but in the end, the Mets cannot discount any one single trade scenario they are confronted with. But I also believe if they intend on contending next season, there’s no way they can trade any one starting pitcher. To get this value in free agency would cost 2-4x (if not more) that which they are paying now. That’s not to say Jacob deGrom will repeat his performance, or any one of them will be healthy, but its safe to say that about any starting pitcher. That plus the cost to get equivalent value in years they want to contend would make it foolish to trade from their only strength at this point in time.
Roger Cormier (Good Fundies)
Michael Ganci (Daily Stache)
My one untouchable is Jason Vargas, because no other team would dare touch him. Just kidding, I’d keep Brandon Nimmo and have him cloned eight times. That solves all of our problems.
Mark Healey (Gotham Baseball)
Joe Marcic (Loud Egg)
No player should be untouchable if there is a team out there willing to give a lot of value in return.
Metstradamus (Metstradamus Blog)
I’m sorry, but I have to flake out and say it’s deGrom AND Noah Syndergaard. I know you said one, but these are two guys that should be built around. And if the Mets spent more money on the fringes of the roster, and on scouting and development, you could rebuild rather quickly. Also, sign players for their baseball ability, not for their clubhouse presence.
Greg Prince (Faith and Fear in Flushing)
Everybody is listenable. That’s the key. The Mets should listen to everybody who asks about anybody — and start conversations as they deem fit. They can decide on who shouldn’t be touched from there.
But, honestly, all things being equal, I don’t want anybody laying a finger on deGrom.
Mets Daddy
Unless you are a player on an expiring deal, you should be untouchable because this team does not have a front office in place for next season. Seriously, should we trust John Ricco to trade Wilmer Flores or Zack Wheeler let alone deGrom or Syndergaard?
Say good-bye to Jerry Blevins, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Jeurys Familia. Maybe Jose Bautista and Devin Mesoraco if anyone will actually give you something in return. After that, unless you are firing Vargas and Jose Reyes into the sun, there’s no other realistic moves to be made . . . at least not by this front office.
As you can see in what has been a depressing season, there is still people putting out quality content about this team. While the Mets really don’t have much to offer at the trade deadline, these writers do. You should take the time to visit their sites.
Initially, we planned to run a roundtable on our thoughts about the job Mickey Callaway is doing, but with Sandy Alderson announcing his cancer has returned and due to personal issues, it turns out that roundtable needed to be delayed.
Being a glass half full kind of person, the Mets performance did little to change the opinions set forth on the job Callaway has been doing with the Mets:
Roger Cormier (Good Fundies)
Well, Gary Apple called him ‘Mickey Collins’ the other day. That should say enough. Someone on Twitter correctly noted that if Aaron Boone was the manager of the Mets and Mickey helmed the Yankees, those teams’ current records would be exactly the same. *That *should say enough, except the sentences that “say enough” kind of talk over one another, don’t they? So I’ll say that I don’t think we should say “enough” to Mick, while acknowledging he is over-matched, since this fact is obvious yet forgivable. It’s his first time doing this, and none of his coaching staff can say they’ve managed a major league club before without lying. He’s also dealing with a much more crowded kitchen, full of men who think they are cooks because they bought chef costumes, than he could have possibly imagined.
Mark Healey (Gotham Baseball)
He might be overmatched for the city, not the job. When he said “New York is tough on players,” I think he may have been admitting he wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of media and fan pressure. Willie Randolph played here, and he couldn’t handle it either. I think he’s been forced to follow a script, which is why I think so many of his moves have backfired — much like Terry Collins — but I also thinkhe’s made a few of his own dopey decisions. He reminds me of former New York Giants defensive coordinator Rod Rust; whose read and react defense stifled his own team.
End of the day, if you’re going to struggle and you’re going to lose, lose young and lose playing aggressive. I can take losing, I watched the 1978 Mets. But this guy is boring me to death…
Greg Prince (Faith and Fear in Flushing)
Callaway increasingly comes across as the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time. He’s terrific before a season or a game, when nothing has yet gone wrong. In game and afterward, it’s a debacle.
There must be an immense disconnect between how he presented himself while getting the job and everything we’ve seen since the middle of April, as if he just never fully accounted for what managing in real time would be like.
I often listen and get the gist of what he’s saying as he attempts to explain away the latest loss (or losing streak) but am amazed at how he only makes it worse. It’s not the biggest part of his job, but it is an element. Eloquence isn’t everything, of course. We’d also take a tight-lipped winner.
Editor’s Note: Greg wrote a more extensive piece on his thoughts about Callaway on FAFIF. It’s well worth a read.
Mets Daddy
Initially, I did not believe Callaway was over-matched for the job in the sense he was unable to do the job well from a personal standpoint. However, I did believe him being over-matched in terms of the roster and talent at his disposal on a nightly basis. When your end game options is watching Jose Reyes pop or ground out in a pinch hitting attempt and picking who from Chris Beck, Jerry Blevins, Hansel Robles, Paul Sewald, etal you want to blow the lead, you’re going to look over-matched.
That said, Callaway made a decision yesterday which has given me pause. After Reyes completely dogged it on a grounder Saturday night, Callaway double switched Reyes into the game.
If Reyes was hurt, give him the extra day. If he wasn’t, he needs to be benched. In either event, Reyes can not play a day after completely dogging it.
However, he did play, which now makes all questions about Callaway’s ability to control the game and the clubhouse fair game.
Once again, I want to thank everyone for the well wishes and these excellent writers for contributing to the roundtable. Please make sure you take time to read their great sites, and there’s no excuse this week with a link being provided to FAFIF.
With the news Sandy Alderson is stepping aside from his GM duties to focus on his health, instead of doing the typical roundtable answering a different issue of the day, the Mets Bloggers instead took time to offer our best wishes to Sandy Alderson:
Greg Prince (Faith and Fear in Flushing)
Sandy Alderson should only feel as good as all of us did when the team he built clinched a spot in the World Series.
Michael Baron(nym.news)
I know it has been a bad run on the field for Sandy the last couple of years. And as he said today, the job is merit based, and he knows how poorly he’s ultimately performed. But when it comes to health, and serious health problems which Sandy clearly has, all of that gets pushed aside and you simply hope Sandy and folks all around the world who are just like him – who are good, honest people – don’t have to suffer and get well.
Personally, I wish nothing but the best for Sandy. He has been nothing but nice, respectful, and honest to me when we have talked, and he has taught me a ton about the business of baseball over the years. He’s the kind of person that, when you talk to him, or listen to him, you learn something new, and I think all of us could use more people like that in our lives.
Mathew Brownstein (MMO)
With the news from yesterday’s press conference that Mets’ general manager Sandy Alderson would be taking an immediate leave of absence due to a recurrence of cancer, only one thought came to my mind: thoughts and well wishes for a speedy recovery. That should be the consensus message for the 70-year-old former Marine, who is the second-longest tenured Mets’ GM in franchise history. Baseball takes a leaping step back for any health related matters, and any debate or discussions on the quality of Alderson’s job since the offseason of 2010 takes a back seat for the moment. There’s a time and a place to have a conversation about his tenure in New York, though, the well-respected Alderson only warrants thoughts and prayers during a time that he and his family need it the most. Alderson has always come off as a man with great composure, integrity, and professionalism, and rightly deserves the same treatment back at a time when he faces an uphill climb back to good health. Get well, Sandy.
Roger Cormier (Good Fundies)
In a time when there are more children masquerading as adults than ever, Sandy to me has always been an adult. His biggest weakness is knowing this about himself, but considering the level of difficulty he’s dealt with in his time with the Mets, he pretty much earned the occasional smugness. Wishing him well might be a relatively empty and futile gesture, but it’s the best I can do with my limited resources. It’s something I would imagine Sandy can appreciate.
Mark Healey (Gotham Baseball)
I have always had mixed feelings about Sandy Alderson the Mets GM, but Sandy Alderson the man is a far more important consideration. Cancer hits home for all of us, and at this time, I will pray for Sandy’s healing and full recovery for him and his family.
Ed Marcus
In my time as a blogger I have had the fortune of speaking with Sandy on a few occasions. He has been nothing short of the consulate gentleman regarding us bloggers. He never spoke down to us & never ignored our questions – no matter of negative, misinformed or downright stupid they may have been. I thank Sandy for everything, and I wish him a fast & full recovery from the scourge of cancer
Tim Ryder (MMO & FOB)
Sandy, We, the fans, may not have always agreed with your moves or decisions at the helm of our beloved Metsies, but this isn’t about baseball. This is about life. This is about putting aside opinions (which we notoriously have a ton of), or differences thereof, and supporting one of our own. That’s what this fan base is all about. Loyalty and respect. You’ve always been upfront with us, through the good times and the bad ones. Thank you for all that you’ve done for the organization that we love so much. We are behind you one-hundred percent as you continue your battle and hope to see you back at Citi Field in the very near future. All the best, sir.
Dilip Srindhar (MMO & MMN)
For the longest time, I was a casual baseball observer who looked at batting average, RBI, and Fielding percentage. Then the 2015 Mets happened. I then started paying more attention to the advanced stats and learned all about them and have continued to learn about them. Sandy famously brought the Mets into the sabermetrics (sorta) age. Sandy definitely influenced my interest in statistics and it is an area of interest for me in school now. Towards the end of his tenure, I disagreed with several of his moves but I also think the fans will look back fondly at his tenure. Not just at 2015 and 2016 but they should have a nice group of prospects that will be up in a few years. I guess the best thing I can say is, thanks for giving your all out there, Sandy. Best of luck with your battle.
Mets Daddy
Like you, my father is a Vietnam veteran. My father is the reason why I am a Mets fan to this day, and it was because of that 2015 team you built that my father, brother, and I got to fulfill a lifelong dream and go to a Mets home World Series game. Put another way, what you have done for the Mets mattered to people, and we are forever in your debt for what you have done for this team and its fans.
In return, the best I can do is offer my prayers to you and your family. God bless you.
In the comments section below, I encourage everyone else to share their well wishes and good thoughts to Sandy Alderson.
My grandfather always said if you have nothing nice to say about someone, you should keep it to yourself. Granted my grandfather was hardly unique in that advice, but it does seem to be a good adage for life. Unfortunately, when you want to talk about the Mets, this necessitate you remain almost completely silent.
Right now, about the only good thing to talk about when it comes to the Mets is Brandon Nimmo. To that end, the Mets Blogger Roundtable undertook telling everyone what our favorite things about him are:
Roger Cormier (Good Fundies)
I like how he has broken the brains of “traditional” baseball fans and sportswriters who erected statues in their minds of players who hustled and practiced the religion of stoicism. Now they see a dude who runs out everything and smiles all the time and have to readjust their perspectives because he isn’t going away anytime soon. There are a million different interpretations of how to play The Right Way.
Metstradamus (Metstradamus Blog)
He’s not Andres Torres.
Greg Prince (Faith and Fear in Flushing)
My favorite thing about Brandon Nimmo is his interviews. I don’t think I’ve seen a Mets position player who’s so comfortable and cognizant of what it’s all about while he answers questions. He elaborates, he distributes credit, he’s personable, he’s funny — he gets it. This isn’t dutiful or smooth. This is a genuinely fun kid who understands what it means to be going well.
I don’t know what the internal dynamics are, but he comes off as a natural team leader, as if being drafted first wasn’t so random. Of course it helps that he’s playing like a first among equals. Gives reporters a reason to want to talk to him.
And though I think about most of the Mets most of the time, I take particular joy when a Met explodes into the general baseball consciousness. We don’t have it happen too often. I love that we are, at least in the immediate present, living in the Age of Brandon Nimmo.
Breanna Susa (MMO, That Mets Chick)
His hustle/love for the game.
Mets Daddy
The thing I love best about Nimmo is day-in and day-out, no matter what the odds, he comes to beat you. With the Mets down 10 runs with two outs in the ninth and nobody on, he’s working the count, nudging his elbow out there, and busting it out of the box all for the sake of getting on and helping the Mets win.
This and his positive attitude rub people the wrong way for some reason. It’s just bizarre as he is a guy who seemingly gives his all on every play, plays the game the “right way,” and he gets the most out of his ability.
These are the guys we are supposed to cheer, and in his brief Mets tenure, it has been a pleasure to root for him.
For those of you who were looking for this on Thursday, including the people who graciously take their time out to contribute for the site, I do apologize for not running this on time. There was a family emergency. Thankfully, everything right now seems to be alright.