For all of his faults as a centerfielder, Yoenis Cespedes is an incredibly gifted baseball player coming off of a career year at the relatively young age of 30. In 2015, he hit .291/.328/.542 with 35 homers and 105 RBI. He was the Gold Glove left fielder in the AL, and he set the world ablaze upon coming to the NL. Teams should be lining up to give him a big contract.
So far, they’re not. They’re also not lining up for Justin Upton, who at 27, is just entering his prime. His 162 game average is .271/.351/.473 with 26 homers and 84 RBI. Are we supposed to believe teams aren’t interested because he had a down year offensively while playing at Petco Park? Then there’s an established player like Dexter Fowler, who is a leadoff hitter and a centerfielder on a team that just won 97 games at went to the NLCS. These guys would make a great outfield from left to right.
Heck, you can surround them with a pretty good team. There’s Chris Davis at first, who’s 47 homers lead the AL. There’s Howie Kendrick at second, who’s a good glove and high average guy. The 2013 playoff hero, David Freese, mans the hit corner. Ian Desmond is the rare shortstop who averages around 20 homers a year. By the way, these are all Top 50 free agents who are all unsigned, and we’re 36 days away from pitchers and catchers.
It’s insane! In fact seven of the top 15 free agents remain unsigned. One that did sign was Alex Gordon. He signed a team friendly contract that has been described as a bargain. We’re now hearing questions whether three-time All Star Justin Upton will only seek a one year deal. The Mets, who once discussed a two to three year deal with Cespedes, is now thinking of offering him only a one year deal (of course they’re expecting him not to take it). This all sounds a little too much like Andre Dawson to me.
Due to the owner’s collusion back in 1987, Andre Dawson offered a blank check to get him out of Montreal. Did I just use the word collusion? Yes, I did. At what point does someone bring it up? There are simply too many big time free agents unsigned.
The offseason was somewhat slow to develop, and then we saw a lot of deals happening. The top players were receiving opt out clauses to the dismay of the Commissioner. After that, free agent signings came to a crawl. There are several top free agents left with the start of Spring Training a little more than a month away. The top free agent that did sign in Janusry signed a team friendly deal. Can we at least be suspicious? Doesn’t the Mets reducing their offer to Cespedes scream a little foul?
Better yet, doesn’t it make you yet again question the Mets jumping the gun signing Alejandro De Aza? With all these big time free agents, why wouldn’t you wait a little longer? Even if De Aza fills a real need, is it worth signing him and losing out on Cespedes or Fowler? Did the Mets just get a really bad read on this free agent market or is something else going on here?
I don’t know because none of this makes sense. Players in their prime putting up huge numbers are not supposed to be available now. Yet, here we are. These players are available, and they might be seeking team friendly deals like Gordon because the market seems to be suppressing their value. Whether that’s artificially or not is up for debate.
What is not up for debate is the fact that the Mets had a bad read on this market. As a result, they have De Aza, and they probably won’t have Cespedes. No one is coming to the Mets with an open check. Instead, they’ll go elsewhere on team friendly deals.
MLB is doing this new thing when a notable player joins a new team, they have them fill out a questionnaire so the fans get to know them better. For example, did you know Neil Walker‘s favorite baseball movie is Field of Dreams? Well, I’m sure he will now replace Daniel Murphy as a fan favorite.
I’m joking of course. I think it’s a good idea. For some people, getting to know a player makes you more emotionally invested. That’s a good thing. Speaking of Murphy and new teams, here’s his answers to the Nationals questionnaire:
He’s right, there is so much poop. Infants are popping machines. Luckily, when they’re infants it doesn’t smell so bad do you can keep it in your Diaper Dekor. For the uninitiated, the Diaper Dekor is a device designed to let you keep your child’s poop sitting in the house until either: (1) the bag fills up; or (2) it starts to smell. By the way, you’re exhausted when you have an infant. You will be willing to push those boundaries especially when the diaper changes are so frequent.
The worst poops are the first ones. The meconium poops. It’s this thick tar like bowel movement that gets on and sticks to everything. It doesn’t smell. It just gets onto everything just sticking to it and staining it. It lasts much shorter than you believe it does, but it does create havoc.
It reminds me of when I first gave my son a bath when we brought him home. By the way, the Blooming Bath is awesome. Anyway, I very carefully have my son a bath. I was more careful than a leper in a soup kitchen (his name is Stew by the way). I handled my son like he was nitroglycerine, and I was walking through a minefield on crutches. You get the picture. I was so proud of myself. When you’re a first time parent, everything is an accomplishment. Even your own ability to wake up in the morning and function like a member of society.
I turned around and started heading to the changer with my son, and then I got my reward. Meconium all over my favorite Gary Carter t-shirt. I tell you this younger generation doesn’t respect the greats in baseball history.
Anyway, I just remembered standing there with this poop dripping down my shirt. I was trying to hold my son, while supporting his neck and allowing him to continue to pool all over me. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was trying to angle his butt away from me so he didn’t continues to poop on me and so I wouldn’t have to redo the bath. When he was done, I knew I couldn’t go from tile to carpet. I was somewhat delirious from the lack of sleep, but I knew that much. So, I did then what every strong man does when he’s in a situation he can’t solve.
I called out to my wife, “Help! I don’t know what to do!” She came over and did what all supportive wives do. She laughed at me. She then cleaned up the mess. For the rest of the night, she mocked me for it. It was a story she told everyone when they came to see the baby. I was the butt of the joke. Get it?
In any event, I remembered using Dreft for only God knows how many cycles before finally getting the stain out. Trust me, at some point everything you own will be covered in poop. You can’t buy a new wardrobe. Stop judging me. In any event, that’s what came to mind when I saw Murphy’s answers to the questionnaire.
Just “so much poop.”
Editor’s Note: the products referenced were not paid advertisements. They were products we actually used.
The last image we have of Matt Harvey was him walking off the mound in the ninth inning of a do or die game. He was everything anyone reasonably could’ve asked him to be. Perhaps more. I thought that after that night, he would get the benefit of the doubt. I was wrong.
In a garbage take-down on The Big Lead, Stephen Douglas chastises Matt Harvey for attending a Kings game and the Golden Globes. No, I’m not kidding, and apparently, neither was he. It’s completely unfair and ridiculous to criticize Harvey’s willingness to get ready for the season, and for his attending celebrity events. For starters, does anyone have any evidence that Harvey attending an event negatively impacted his ability to prepare for and/or pitch in a game? No.
Secondly, Harvey did everything he could to get ready for the 2015 season. He did what we could to be available, healthy, and effective in the postseason. He pushed himself further than anyone else has post-Tommy John surgery. You would think he’s forever earned the benefit of the doubt. Apparently not. Apparently attending a Kings game with Pat Sajak means Harvey has punted on the 2016 season. The Golden Globes appearance means he’s only interested in fame and not the back breaking work it took him to get to that point. Nevermind the fact that he was in peak physical form in 2015 despite recovering from major surgery and having been out of baseball rehabbing for a full year.
Also, this article never bothers to criticize Noah Syndergaard for similar behavior. After the World Series, Thor was everywhere soaking up his newfound fame. He took a picture at center ice, center court, and end zones. He was everywhere. No one questioned his dedication. No one questioned his work ethic. No one should have. Harvey deserves the same fair treatment.
Until such time as Harvey allows his personal life to affect his play on the field, we shouldn’t care. I’ll even go a step further. I actually endorse the way Harvey leads his off the field life. After seeing the 80’s Mets and the Doc and Darryl drug problems, I’m alright with a Mets player who wants to attend a hockey game in his spare time. He’s not hurting anyone. He’s not hurting himself. He’s not throwing a potential Hall of Fame career out the window.
It’s time to lay off Matt Harvey and give him the benefit of the doubt. He’s earned it. After last year, he showed he will do what’s necessary to help the Mets win a World Series. He will push himself further than anyone had pushed themselves. Afterwards, he will attend a hockey game.
Big deal.
Editor’s Note: this first appeared on metsmerizedonline.com
If you watched last night’s National Championship Game, Clemson lost 45-40 in the most excruciating way possible. Clemson had control of the game until the onside kick. After that, Alabama took over and won the game.
Before last night’s game, I thought the only thing the Mets and Clemson had in common was Tim Teufel. There’s so much more. Like Mets fans, Clemson fans don’t get to see their team in a position to win a championship often. Honestly, I don’t know if Clemson has ever played for a chance to win the National Championship. I looked it up. It was 1981. That’s even worse than the Mets. These fans waited over 30 years for a championship. They were ahead late. They were in control. They were then out maneuvered. Out executed. It’s a helpless feeling.
That was the 2015 World Series for the Mets and their fans. The Mets lost three late leads. There is a feeling they blew it. Honestly, you don’t know if they blew it or if they were just beat by a better team. It’s a sinking, heless feeling. You lose sleep over it. Lots of sleep. You keep replaying everything over and over again in your head. Here’s the thing. It might just be the beginning.
The Mets have their young starters under cost control the next few years. Clemson has the right coach with Dabo Swinney. They have star quarterback Deshaun Watson returning. There’s real, legitimate hope . . . no matter how the offseason goes. The Mets and Clemson will be back in the mix next year. Your children won’t know the pain you’ve felt for 30 plus years. Things will be better for you and your children. If you reflect upon it, that’s a great feeling.
After all the frustrating years, we’re back. Let’s enjoy this run while it lasts. It doesn’t happen that often. It’ll be great to see people doing the Teufel Shuffle all the way from New York to South Carolina.
With Mike Piazza finally getting elected to the Hall of Fame and this current Mets offseason, I’ve been thinking a lot about missed opportunities in Mets history. For me, the 2000 offseason and 2001 season might’ve been the biggest missed opportunity in Mets history (or at least my lifetime).
Coming off a disappointing loss in the World Series, the Mets had a ton of important decisions to make. The most intriguing one was Alex Rodriguez. The Mets passed calling him a 24 and 1 type of player. The biggest free agent in baseball history, a 25 year old shortstop with 40/40 capability, and the Mets weren’t interested. They weren’t interested despite A-Rod wanting to be a Met. The Mets wouldn’t sign a big bat in lieu of him.
The next big decision was NLCS MVP Mike Hampton. The Mets have up a lot to get him, namely Roger Cedeno and Octavio Dotel. However, Hampton delivered. He was 15-10 with a 3.14 ERA. He won a Silver Slugger. He was an ace. He and Al Leiter were terrific that year during the regular season, and they helped pitch the Mets to the World Series. The Mets wouldn’t outbid the Rockies, who offered him the biggest contract in baseball history (until A-Rod signed with the Rangers) and the benefits of the Denver school system.
With the Mets missing out with these two players (and Mike Mussina), the Mets decided to build a deep, cost effective starting rotation. By the way, where have we heard of a World Series losing team choosing depth over high-end expensive players? In any event, the Mets re-signed Rick Reed and added Kevin Appier and Steve Trachsel. The last two moves were about as popular now as they were then.
The end result? The Mets got a compensatory pick for Mike Hampton (more on that in a minute) and an 82-80 record. It would be the last year the Mrts finished above .500 until 2005, which was Piazza’s last year with the Mets. The end of Piazza’s prime was wasted by the Mets. He would never return to the postseason with them. He would never play in another World Series. Was it worth it? Well, it depends on your point-of-view.
For me, the pivotal figure in this inquiry is Hampton. For startees, I say Hampton because I believe the Mets were never truly enamored with A-Rod. The Wilpons and Nelson Doubleday were fighting over the valuation of the Mets. The Wilpons were buying out Doubleday, and they didn’t want the value of the franchise to increase any further. A-Rod would’ve done that. Furthermore, it’s likely they would’ve had a hard time signing A-Rod, building a pitching staff, and buying out Mr. Doubleday. Hence, it was Hampton and not A-Rod as the pivotal figure.
We know Hampton was terrible in Colorado, but then again most pitchers are. It’s fair to assume, he would’ve continued pitching as well as he did in 2000 for the next year or two with the Mets. That’s about a pitcher with a 4.7 – 6.6 WAR. Would that have been sufficient to keep the Mets afloat in 2001? Would he have been enough to rescue an offense with the least runs scored in all of baseball that year?
We don’t the the corresponding moves. We also don’t know if the lack of moves created a negative vibe over a Mets team that sputtered out of the gate in 2001. This was a team that was Jekyll and Hyde. It was 38-51 in the first half and 44-29 in the second half. In reality, their second half push came too late leaving them no margin of error, as we know all too well with yet another huge Armando Benitez blown save.
Maybe with Hampton the season starts off different. It’s possible the Mets don’t make the flurry of moves they did in 2002 that proved disasterous. Maybe with Hampton the Mets make the postseason in 2001 and/or 2002. Maybe Piazza gets his ring. Maybe Mets fans are not waiting 30 years for a World Series. We don’t know. All we know is two things: (1) the Mets missed Hampton; and (2) Hampton leaving might’ve been the best case scenario.
The second reason Hampton is the pivotal figure is the player the Mets got in his stead. When Hampton left, the Mets received a compensatory pick. With that pick the Mets selected one of the best high school bats. The Mets got a third base prospect by the name of David Wright. Wright has been a big part of Mets history. He’s the Mets All-Time leader in games played, runs, hits, doubles, RBI, and walks. He’s second in homers. He’s hit the first a Mets homerun at Citi Field and the first World Series homerun at Citi Field. He was a big part of two postseason teams, which is no small feat in Mets history.
Essentially, you cannot tell the story of the Mets without David Wright. It’s unfathomable to imagine Wright in another uniform. However, I ask you has he been worth it? Was he worth wasting away the last years of Piazza’s prime? Was he worth losing all momentum from the 1999 and 2000 seasons? Would you rather have had a shot for another World Series run back then in exchange for Wright’s entire career?
Before answering, I ask that you keep some thoughts in mind. The first is if Hampton returns, you don’t hate him the way you do now. In fact, you may not hate him at all. Next, I’m not asking you to assume the Mets win the World Series Hampton re-signs. I’m only requesting you think about how he would’ve impacted the 2001 Mets and/or his impact in subsequent years. With that in mind, what do you do?
Now, if you asked me this question in 2000, I’m taking Hampton. No doubt about it. Hampton was a much better option than Appier. If the Mets got Hampton and Appier without signing Trachsel, even better. However, I’ll be honest, while I can separate myself from my hatred of Hampton, I can’t separate myself from my love of David Wright.
Sure, Piazza is my favorite player, but Wright has also been a terrific Met. He’s a homegrown Met. He has a contract that may make him a lifetime Met. Generally speaking, Wright has been everything good about the sport of baseball since he was called up. He’s created some great memories for Mets fans. His name is all over the record books. I’m not sure I could part with that, perhaps not even at a chance at a World Series.
So begrudgingly, I believe I’d pick the entire career of David Wright over the possibility of another World Series title. Sure, World Series titles are rare, but so are the David Wrights of the world. I’m hoping in 2016 Mets fans can celebrate both Wright and a World Series title. It’s a lot more fun than playing the what if game.
When my son was born, it was not pure exhilaration. It was panic. It was screaming and yelling. When he was born, he didn’t breathe right away. My wife passed out. He was taken from us immediately. The Apgar score was initially a three. Luckily, the NICU team was able to get him to breathe and everything else fell in line by the time they revived my wife.
They allowed us some brief time before taking him to the NICU. I followed him to the unit. We were lucky. He was out of the unit the same day. I never really got a full explanation what happened. I’m not sure I cared either. He was alright. Sure, there were a number of follow-up appointments with the doctors. They were weekly. Eventually, the appointments stopped, and we started living a normal life.
There is not one day that goes by that I don’t think about that fear. The helplessness of standing there with my wife and son in trouble. However, I’m lucky. They were and are both okay. However, there are parents that this is their everyday. If you haven’t lived through it, it’s unexplainable. It really is.
You need help from everyone, whether it’s a friendly phone call, a hot meal, or sometimes money. That’s why I’m writing this. While my hell ended, a good friend of mine is living it now, and he needs help. He needs more help than you can imagine. He needs help with the medicals bills.
With that said, I ask if you read this blog, please contribute. Here’s the link. I promise this is the only time I’ll ask anything like this. I can assure you this is legitimate. I don’t care the amount. Any little bit you can contribute will help. I thank you in advance, and promise to return to Mets baseball tomorrow.
One last thing. No matter what you contribute, if you contribute anything at all, please say a prayer for Grayson.
The Washington Redskins were in the playoffs thereby forcing announcers to determine if they’re going to say a team name or not. The reason for the debate is whether or not people deem the term racist. Have that debate as you wish. What I’m more curious about is how MLB gets a pass:
I honestly take it at face value the team name Indians does not have racist origins. However, there is no way the logo isn’t racist. Even if we accept the person who created the logo didn’t think it was racist, it’s fair also fair to say similar images at the time were used to promote negative stereotypes, i.e. its a racist depiction. A racist depiction that is on the field nine months out of the year. However, it’s alright because it’s not on the field during the All Star Game:
or Memorial Day:
Essentially, whenever MLB creates hats they want everyone to wear they go with the Cleveland “C” as opposed to the official team logo. It’s MLB having it both ways. They don’t want you to see the Chief Wahoo, but they’re not taking it away. It’s pretending there’s no problem. They’re pretending that if you don’t see it, there’s no issue.
Well, there is an issue. There’s a logo that offends people. I’m not sure the logo was ever okay. I’m sure it’s not okay now. Its not political correctness. It’s an issue of not purposefully offending people.
Chief Wahoo needs to go away.
When gauging the free agent market, Sandy Alderson noted there aren’t many pitchers out there who aren’t much better than what they already have:
Alderson yesterday: "Does it really improve the team to give a reliever a 1-2 year deal if we don't believe he's better than what we have?"
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) January 8, 2016
There are dwindling options because the Mets didn’t act while there were high impact guys available. They waited and waited . . . . At that point, the only thing you can hope for is high upside relievers. That’s what “The Final Boss” was. He was a huge upside reliever. He dominated the Korean Leagues. We don’t know if he’s a closer, a high leverage reliever, or just an adept bullpen arm.
We do know he received a two year deal. He received a two year deal with an average annual value of around $3.7 million a year. That’s less than what the Mets are paying Jerry Blevins to be a LOOGY. What’s a better use of the money? A pitcher could be a dominant reliever or someone who can only get lefties out? I like Blevins, and the Mets do need a LOOGY. However, is that more valuable than a late inning reliever who could spell Jeurys Familia on occasion. Blevins isn’t going to take any innings away from Familia. He’s not going to allow the Mets to save Familia from being overworked.
However, that’s a false narrative. The Mets should be able to afford Blevins and The Final Boss. Sure, I think the bullpen is good as is, but the Mets didn’t at the beginning at the offseason. All of a sudden, it’s fine? Is this more of the Mets inability to spend? This isn’t alright. The Mets are just spinning.
Whether or not the Mets are going to add another reliever isn’t the issue. They’ve missed out on yet another reliever. They’ve missed out on yet another high upside player. However, this time the player signed a cheap short-term deal.
The Mets now aren’t even signing the players in their wheelhouse.
There was a long 23 year wait between the induction of Tom Seaver and the induction of Mike Piazza to the Hall of Fame. While I’m still overjoyed at Piazza entering the Hall of Fame as a Met, I’m curious if the Mets will have to wait another 23 years for another one of their players to go in as a Met.
Looking over the future years’ ballots, there are some former Met players like Jason Isringhausen eligible. However, it’s not likely any of them will be elected. Furthermore, if they are elected, they will most likely not be inducted as a Met. Therefore, if we don’t want to wait another 23 years, we’re going to have to look at current players; preferably those towards the end of their careers. As it so happens, it has been rumored Carlos Beltran may retire at the end of the year. That would mean he could be inducted anywhere between 2022 – 2032. That would mean the next possible Mets Hall of Famer would be within the next six to 16 years.
However, I’m getting ahead of myself here. The first question is whether or not Beltran is a Hall of Famer. I’d argue he is.
For his career, Beltran has hit .280/.355/.490 with 392 homers while playing the majority of his career at a premium defensive position. In an average season, he hits 28 homers and 101 RBI. He’s part of the 300/300 club. He’s won the Rookie of the Year, been an eight time All Star, and won three Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers. All of this is indicative of a Hall of Fame career.
The advanced stats also suggest he has a good case. On average, a Hall of Field centerfielder has a 70.4 WAR, 44.0 WAR7 (best seven seasons WAR combined), and a 57.2 JAWS score. Beltran right now is at 68.4/44.3/56.4. Essentially, his peak years were Hall of Fame worthy, and he’s right on the cusp of playing his entire career at a Hall of Fame level.
Even if he falls short in a few areas, he’s bound to get credit for being an incredible postseason player. He has hit .332/.441/.674 in the postseason. Strikeout or not, he’s amongst the greatest postseason performers in major league history. If he retires without playing a game this season, he’s a Hall of Famer.
The next question is what hat will he wear. That’s not as clear cut. Essentially, Beltran will have three options: (1) Royals; (2) Mets; or (3) no affiliation. It’s a tough decision. He played eight years each for the Royals and Mets, playing only 44 games more with the Mets. Overall, he was a better player with the Mets.
He hit .280/.369/.500 with 149 homers as a Met as opposed to .287/.352/.483 with 123 homers as a Royal. He won all of his Gold Gloves as a Met, and he appeared in five of his eight All Star Games as a Met. He accumulated 31.3 WAR with the Mets and 24.7 WAR with the Royals. However, you can’t discount the potential emotional tug he may feel towards the team that drafted him. A place he won his Rookie of the Year Award.
It all got me thinking. Piazza chose the Mets, in part, due to his relationship with the fans. Like Piazza, Beltran initially had a rocky relationship with Mets fans getting booed in 2005. However, even with the strikeout, I believe things got better. He received cheers and standing ovations in his last home game as a Met. He noticed them too. He Was cheered loudly at the 2013 All Star Game during introductions, and that was while wearing a Cardinals uniform. Lastly, but more importantly, Beltran said he could see himself entering the Hall of Fame as a Met.
Like Piazza, Beltran was a great Met. Like Piazza, Beltran deserves induction into the Hall of Fame. When that day comes, I hope Beltran is like Piazza, and he enters the Hall of Fame as a Met.
Editor’s Note: this article first appeared on metsmerizedonline.com
My wife and I work really long hours. Before my son was born, dinner usually consisted of what do we have in the house that we can re-heat really quickly. With that in mind, we usually treated ourselves to a really nice place for dinner on Friday. It was a way of decompressing after a long week.
When my son was born that was no longer an option. It’s not fair to your child, and it’s not fair to the other diners. If you’re at a steakhouse or something looking for a romantic evening, do you really want a toddler screaming at the other table? Can you have a romantic evening with your toddler with you? The answer is no to both. As a result, my wife and I have changed our focus as to where we go. Instead of a nice steak dinner, it’s a burger and fries at a family friendly restaurant.
There’s a real problem with the family friendly restaurants. They’re very popular. They’re full of parents with their kids who want a night off from cooking. That means slower service. That means you’re asking a toddler to sit around and wait and wait. Even the best behaved toddlers will start acting up. They’re more likely to act up if they’re hungry too. Sometimes the crayons and mat don’t cut it. It ruins the experience. It makes you wish you were home eating leftovers. Chick-fil-A now has the perfect solution.
My mind was blown reading that. You can order your dinner in the drive-thru lane, and they’ll have it ready did you at a table when you enter the restaurant? I would seriously do this all the time, especially if they have a Coke Freestyle there (seriously, that’s my holy grail. I love soda). If you’ve ever went out to eat with a toddler, you know how much better it would be to have the food out when you get there than having to wait and wait.
Sadly, there are no Chick-fil-A’s near me. I can’t “eat mor chikin.” However, with that said, I don’t know why other restaurants can’t adapt this, especially those with Roadside Service.
I should be able to call my order in to a place like Applebees, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Chilis, Ruby Tuesday, etc. and make my order. In turn, I can be told what time my table will be ready. To avoid issues, they could request pre-payment for my meal to ensure my arrival. It would create higher turnover of tables during the busy hours. It would also reduce screaming and crying children thereby making the dining experience better for everyone.
Imagine going to Olive Garden and having your meal on the table with the salad and breadsticks. It would be a quicker and much more relaxing dining experience for parents. By the way, this would also work out great for Olive Garden because people would go through less salad and breadsticks thereby helping the bottom line. Same goes for Red Lobster and those cheddar bay biscuits (for most people, not me. I’d still annihilate them).
This makes too much sense not to happen. Hopefully, these restaurants pick up on this and apply the practice to their business. If you do, my family thanks you in advance. Also, I wouldn’t object to a consultant’s fee either.