Ladies and Gentlemen, I have seen the future and it is covered in numbers, charts and trending lines and it will change the way we follow the game of baseball.

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to be invited to a presentation by Bloomberg Sports in conjunction with MLB.com of their new baseball statistical analytical tool. This new technology will not only change how fantasy baseball aficionados compete in Fantasy Baseball Leagues but it will change the way you follow your favorite team.

Bloomberg Sports has two different applications, one for fantasy baseball and the other that gives MLB front offices more information on players than you  could possibly imagine,  we were given a preview to both.

Fantasy Baseball Kit

Former NYC Deputy Mayor and now President of Bloomberg LP, Dan Doctoroff,  lead off the impressive presentation of this product by comparing what Bloomberg has done for the way folks in the financial industry receive data that’s how baseball fans and fantasy players will get all the info they need about every player in MLB to field the strongest fantasy team they can. Now I’m not a hard core fantasy player but even if I didn’t play, as someone who craves as much baseball info I can get, this site will do that and more.

The stats are easy to look up and with the ability to find just about every statistic you need to make your draft choice is just a click, click, click away. Say your in Round 9 of your draft (by the way this tool works with just about every on-line sports sites that run Fantasy leagues, Yahoo, ESPN, CBSports etc. with a pull down tab for easy access) and you want to find a decent utility man who has a good OBA some power and can play some outfield as well as infield, you can customize the Draft Kit to give you a list of players who meet that criteria.

The players are displayed on the screen like baseball cards, as you click on the player, his whole baseball life is at your fingertips. Not just statistics but any news item that mentions that player. All news and stats come to in real-time.

Not only is this site a fountain of baseball information, it is ascetically appealing. Easy to read color charts and player trending graphs are so vibrant and easy to follow.

Along with The Draft Kit there is also an In-Season Tool that is sold separately that gives you real-time news, content, and scores from all MLB teams as well as content written by the Bloomberg Sports staff of which Jonah Kerri is the lead writer, with more top quality baseball writers coming on board soon. You can follow every player on your team in real-time as stats are updated after every at bat. As Mike Silva said to me as we watched the presentation, “It’s like day trading for fantasy baseball fans” Well said.

If you purchase just the Draft Tool Kit is will cost you $19.95. If you buy the In-Season Tools that will cost you $24.95 but if you buy both the both Bloomberg Sports is bundling both for a cost of $24.95. Not only do you get the Draft-Kit and In-Season Tools but you also get the Premium content for the Bloomberg Sports writing staff headed by Jonah Kerri. A worthwhile investment in my opinion if you’re a big time fantasy baseball player and or a hardcore baseball fan.

Pro Application

If the Draft Kit/Draft Tool site wasn’t intense enough, after a delicious lunch, the Bloomberg Sports team of Bo Moon and Stephen Orban, put the presentation into overdrive as we got to see what has been pitched to all 30 MLB teams to help there front office’s work a lot more efficiently.

The Pro App was the one most of the bloggers in attendance were drooling over. It had every stat and parcel of player information you could think of (One of the most asked questions to the Bloomberg staff was about adding more intense sabermetic formulas to the app and they said that will be done, hopefully by next year.) including service time Rule 5 eligibility and options to minor leagues. Also Pitch F/X, pitch counts and pitcher/batter tendencies. Examples were of what certain pitchers throw in different counts and what pitches they go to certain batters. In one way this could be a boon to managers making in game decisions or a bane of their existence as the second guessing could be overwhelming (this info in the hands of bloggers could be like a third world country obtaining a Nuclear weapon) in fact, it was told to us that as much as some teams have bought the program and have embraced it, many felt the facts and figures were “overwhelming” I tried to see which category our beloved Metropolitans fell, but mum was the word.

As much as I was impressed by this product and I was more impressed by the presentation and the hospitality by the Bloomberg Sports and MLB.com staff. They are first rate people with a first rate product.

The amazing thing about the 2009 Mets is, as bad as they are, they’re down right fascinating. There are Mets stories today dealing with the off the field machinations of the ball club that  make the loss to the Curly W’s in DC last night an after thought. But this much is true after last night, as much as Luis Castillo has vindicated himself this year by staying healthy and producing offensively he has to go and go soon. Castillo’ defense is embarrassingly bad, he has the range of an oak tree and moves to his left less than Fox News. No matter how much is left on his contract he either has to be traded and have the Mets eat some money or just buy him out altogether.

On to the Mets news of the day:

Matt Pignataro of Seven Train To Shea spoke to an unnamed NL West exec who claims the Mets problem is they have too many Latin coaches. Now to me, the exec who said that should be fired as the team that is paying him has more problems that Mets have right now. If the exec said that the Mets minor league coaches were awful instructors and do a poor job of  preparing the farm hands to excel and move up the organization system and make a contribution to the big league team, he’d have my full endorsement. To bring up the ethnicity of the coaches is flat out ignorant. Omar Minaya and his staff has not failed because they are Latinos, it’s more the fact that don’t have a grasp for how to build a team and an inability to teach the proper fundamentals of baseball to the farm hands. What we are seeing now with the recent firings of minor league managers and instructors, is the organization admitting that the system is broke and needs a be repaired. That is a step in the right direction. I don’t care if your from Mars, if you can teach guys to go from first to third  on a hit RF and to hit cut off men you’re my guy.

How great would have been if instead of announcing his new gig at ESPN Bobby Valentine was brought out at $iti Field this weekend as the new manager of the NY Mets? BV’s is great on TV and by joining Baseball Tonight, he just might save that sinking ship but his real talent is turning underachievers into winners and he’s not afraid to call guys out and to remove the malingers who just take up valuable space on a 25 man roster. One of Bobby’s favorite sayings and one I use constantly is “Proper Preparation, Prevents Piss Poor Performance” and if that doesn’t sum up the 2009 Mets nothing does.

If you’re a football fan check out NY Football where I will be posting a couple of times a week on the Giants and happenings around the NFL.

I can not wait until Friday night!!!!!!

If you’re a FOO (Friend Of Omar’s) it would be a good idea to hide in one of the many  nooks and crannies of $iti Field. The Skill Sets have taken out the chopping block and let’s hope the ax keeps swinging.

The Mets have fired Ramon Pena the guy in charge of Latin American Talent and Luis Aguayo the Minor League on field coordinator and have let Sandy Johnson the VP of Scouting file retirement papers. Finally something productive is coming out of the Skill Sets Ivory Tower with these moves. But the cleansing of the front office and on field staff has to continue before a turnaround can get under way in Flushing for next season.

I get the feeling more of these moves are coming. Next should be an overhaul of the coaching staff it’s time for some fresh faces and a different way of teaching and it would not be a shock that Omar gets reassigned to a new position and John Ricco takes over as the GM/Point man/Face of the Mets.

It’s going to be a very interesting winter around here.

Seriously, can we all just leave Daniel Murphy alone? The kid will be a solid ML’er and decent first baseman. Take all your ‘We need a first baseman” energy and move it toward the starting pitching where the team is really hurting. Remember if you ain’t got pitching, you ain’t got shit”

Just when I thought I was done watching Baseball Tonight on ESPN (MLB Network blows that amateur production out of the water) they go and drag me back in by signing Bobby Valentine to work the panel. Damn you ESPN!!!!

Jon Niese says don’t blame the Mets for his hammy ripping apart that it was his own fault. He made this statement while blindfolded and Jerry Manuel holding a rifle at his head.

I must head to downtown Brooklyn and make friends with Mikhail Prokhorov and see if he’d liked to go to a Mets game. Maybe my dream of becoming the Mets GM could come true More borscht? More Vodka? Comrade!

Mushnick is ready to attack ESPN twice a week in his column so let’s see if he goes after his boss Rupert Murdoch for allowing the pictures of Anderws to be published in his fish wrap.

Trying hard to put up a post today as I replay a tough loss over and over in my mind, no not the All Star Game, I gave up on that at 10PM when RESCUE ME came on, no I’m talking about my Babe Ruth team losing 8-0 to the top seed last night.

Don’t let the score fool you it was a closer game than that. We had one bad inning (the 3^rd) letting in 4 runs on a couple of errors and a some solid base hits. But the biggest obstacle was the pitcher we were facing a 13 year old with a big time yellow hammer that buckled my guys knees. We could only muster two hits on the night and three base runners total (my son accounting for two of the base runners with a walk, reaching first on a strike out/passed ball and two stolen bases) and now we face an elimination game on Sunday. Not much to say to the kids but “Hang with ‘em.

After the game we went home to watch the All Star Game and the first thing my son told me was “Dad, let’s get all the when I was a kid stuff out early so we can just watch the game” I guess like how the All Star Game was played during the day and how the two leagues played the game like it was a World Series game and how the NL had all the stars and always won and because of that the AL couldn’t draw fans so they sullied the sport with the DH, and how I miss Curt Gowdy calling the big games and that’s when I get the hand and “that’s enough old timer” and I quiet down.

I was listening to Joe (Bada Bing Bada Boom) Beningno and Evan Roberts yesterday and I agree with Joe that there is so much baseball available for us to watch that the All Star Game is no big deal, as it used to be a chance for fans to see players they never get to see much but with the Extra Innings package and ESPN and MLB Network and Mets and Highlander games on every night there isn’t a team or a player I haven’t seen add in that there is no more rivalry between the NL and AL with so much player movement and the fact that both leagues are not run as separate entities (remember when there were League Presidents ?) That has made the All Star Game hum drum.

Admit it you were hoping that President Obama would have brought Artie Lang with him to the game to hang with Doofus Joe Buck. Now that would have been riveting TV.

What you’re shocked that Steve Phillips sounded like a total douchebag last night during the ESPN telecast? Whoever came up with the idea to add Smarmy Steve to the booth needs to be fired. Still smarting over getting canned by the Mets eh Stevie boy ? Well you sucked as a GM and you suck as a TV analyst in fact all you’re any good at is banging secretaries. When Joe Morgan becomes the voice of reason in the ESPN booth then the apocalypses is near. Jon Miller should be arrested for the fucking shirt and tie he wore last night. That outfit was gayer than a weekend on Fire Island.

Tip of the Mets cap to Dave Singer at NY Sportsdog for calling out J- Man for pinch hitting for Daniel Murphy. As I posted on Dave’s site, whatever crime Ryan Church committed to get in the J-Man doghouse, Daniel Murphy must have been an accomplice as he is not getting the Chateau de Bow Wow treatment. With Delgado gone (I think he’s gone for good) can we just let Murphy play first base? Either that or offer the Orioles Jeremy Reed and Eddie Kunz for Aubry Huff.

My evening started out great as I was a guest on The Seven Train To Shea radio show and had a great time with those guys. But after that the night sucked as my Boston Celtics had the rigors of old legs, lack of size and lack of depth catch up with them to lose to the Magic (enjoy it now Orlando as you guys will be gone in 4 to the Cleveland Le Brons) and then the Mets loss coupled with the embarrassing announcing crew on ESPN topped off the evening.          

There is no reason for this game to be a night game and as much as I can’t wait to get to $iti Field, my first time at $iti Field I want romance I want to take my time and stroll all around the park and caress every corner and be dazzled. I can’t do that if my McNuggets are freezing, no I need to do so it in the sunshine.

Even if the game was a Shea,  it’s Opening DAY!!!! It’s a holiday (I’ve tried to get excused absence from work due to religious beliefs but that hasn’t worked. I have to give Norman Siegel at the ACLU a call to see if my civil rights have been violatoted ) KEEP THIS DAY HOLY!!!!!!!!!!  

Sports talk radio host Sid Rosenberg is out at 790 The Ticket in Miami and it hasn’t taken the rumor mill long to point Sidney back up north to NYC. You can take Sid out of NY but you can’t take the NY out of Sid. I hope he lands back here in NYC either at WFAN or 1050 ESPN. By the way great job by Neil Best for breaking this story and to Mike Silva at NYBD for the link

Low budget sure keeps me on my toes
I count every penny and I watch where it goes
Were all on our uppers were all going skint
I used to smoke cigars but now I suck polo mints

A lot of times I can be very dense (hard to believe I know) like when putting together Ikea furniture or stuffing too many clothes in the washing machine and now I can add to the list, under estimating the Bernie Madoff rip off on the Skill Sets. The reason I’ve looked at this situation in a different light is due to my favorite ESPN.com writer Bill Simmons who has a column up on the NBA that brings out the leagues money woes. If someone were to write a No Benjamins Assciation about MLB (Money Left Behind) the Mets would play the lead in the story.

If it were just a weak economy the Mets would have a dented piggy bank but the Madoff rip off has put a torpedo blast in the bow of the SS Skill Set.

Why is Manny not a Met? Money, the lack there of is why. It has nothing to do with attitude or fitting in with the team as Manny would be fine on both points. It’s money. In fact you won’t see another Big Ticket free agent signed by the Mets for a long time and I bet they are now putting money aside for when Jose Reyes and David Wright come up for new contracts in 2012 and 2014 respectively and thankfully Johan Santana became a Met last year as if the same scenario was playing out this season he would never be in Orange and Blue.

With all the talk about the inefficiency of the 5^th starter spot and how Petey is looking rejuvenated unless he signs for $1 mil Petey’s not coming back here. Same with Pudge Rodriguez he’s not coming here either and it’s not so much the talent equation but the money situation.   

The one thing I worry about with Manuel’ bombshells that sooner or later he has to stick with one of them or they become hallow threats. If Gimp Castillo can show he’s capable of leading off while Jose Reyes plays Dominican Patriot in the WBC, then stick with it. Last year J-Man was ready to use a starter as a closer when none of the relievers stepped up to take Billy Wags spot and it seems like he would have used John Maine in that role until Maine had to be shut down with injury.

Of the two I think the Every Day Danny is the one that will stick, in fact I’d be shocked if Church is not out there everyday as well and Tatis becomes more of a ‘swingman” playing maybe two or three games a week in either outfield corner or an infield corner. Trying to read between the lines I think the Mets want both D-Wright and Jose Reyes to get more time off during the July-August heat to keep them fresh for September. 

ESPN is running a nightly Mt Rushmore of sports of all 50 states thru fan voting. David Singer at NY Sportsdog has put a voting poll for Mets fans to vote for their Mt Rushmore. I think the voting ends in a day or two so click over and cast your ballot. My votes went to Gil Hodges, Tom Seaver, Keith Hernandez and of course Ed Kranepool.

I’m still bummed out that Mickey Rourke didn’t win Best Actor.