At this point in the Mets season, my mood has gone from outrage to amusement. The outrage was over the start of the second half of the season when the team decided it was time to pack it in, the amusement is listening to players and the GM tried to tell us the team is still in contention. ROFLMYFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Listening to Omar Minaya discuss the Mets, is like hearing a child try to explain why filling the bathtub with water and Jell-O was a good idea. You’re so pissed off at them as you survey the situation but the more they try to explain themselves and try to wriggle out of bad situation, it starts to become comical.

Omar is trying very very hard to convince the fan base that this team is still in contention when we all know this team talks tough but when it comes down to fighting for a post season spot, they are a collection of conscientious objectors. As much as I’m a fan of D-Wright just once I’d like to hear him say in his after a loss post game statement, that the team needs to get some players who are mentally tough. Who is he worried about pissing off? The manager is clueless and the GM insults our intelligence and the owner is scare shit to be seen in public. Please can someone just say the truth in that clubhouse? Is it that hard to say it? The truth will set your sorry ass’s free.

I bet if Omar came out and said “All this mess is on me. I miscalculated on a lot of the personnel here and I gave out contracts that will haunt me and the organization. I’ve learn a valuable lesson about over paying players and with the help of my front office staff, we are ready to regroup and re-invent they way personnel moves are made with this team”  If he would make a statement like that, I bet talks of fan boycotts would go away. In fact if he made a statement like that and was retained by ownership for another year, the out cry for his head, would die down a bit. But if he keeps going with this tired comedy act of his then he needs to be shown the door. 

I think it has finally sunk into Luis Castillo’ head that he has no future here in Queens. I do feel for the guy for at least he puts up a fight to get in the lineup and has some pride unlike the miserable fuck, Oliver Perez, who is no different from Bernie Madoff as first class scam artist.

See if the organization had the brains and passion of Taryn Cooper Mets fans would never complain again (SHOCKING!!! I know) last night she organized the Citi Field Sit Out where fans were asked to NOT attend last night game. Coop herself made the sacrifice of not using her tickets or putting them up for sale. The protest I’d like is where everyone shows up at Citi Field and in the third inning we all get up and walkout. I wonder if State run SNY TV would cover something like that?

I’ve always been a fan of the HBO show Hard Knocks, but having the Jets and Rex Ryan on this season had made the show appointment TV. Last night was outstanding and the more I watch, the more of a Rex Ryan fan I’m becoming. I always though Ryan was just a big blowhard but the way he interacts with his coaches and players is classic. He pats players on the back and he tells them when they suck. His confrontation with a D-lineman on the bubble after he finds out that DE Ropati Pitotua blew out his Achilles was riveting as he tells the lineman about Pitotua’ injury and asks him if “he wants to make the fuckin’ team or do I have get someone off the street” was Happy Rex morphing into Darth Vader Rex. Special Teams coach Mike Westoff needs his own show, he’s the Paulie Walnuts of Hard Knox.

For your reading pleasure please read this post by Ms. Jacqueline Conrad at Cardinal Diamond Diaries about her Grandmothers influence on her becoming a baseball fan.

Join me tonight at 10PM ET on Blog Talk Radio for THIS CALL TO THE BULLPEN. I have no guest booked for the show so the call in line will be open. To talk baseball tonight call in at (646) 727-2465. Some of the topics I’m looking to discuss is my big concern on who will be the next Mets manager and who is making the call on that hire (Jeffy Skill Sets, Omar or a new GM ?), Rob Dibble calling out Stephen Strasburg to learn to pitch hurt, the Pittsburgh Pirates showing profitability in suckitude and the Cincinnati Reds honoring Pete Rose on the anniversary of Rose breaking Ty Cobb’s hit record and anything else that’s on my mind.

What’s on your mind? Call in and vent at (646) 727-2465 tonight on THIS CALL TO THE BULLPEN. 

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Tonight on THIS CALL TO THE BULLPEN Radio Show at 10PM ET my guest will be Mets General Managerial candidate, Howard Megdal. We will discuss the current state of the NY Mets and how Howard would change the culture of the organization if we were named the Mets GM.

If you can’t join Howard and I live, you can listen to the podcast right here on Kranepool Society (bottom left side bar) or on our show page at Blog Talk Radio. You can also download the show on iTunes as well.

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If there was ever a time that the NY Mets organization needed someone like Howard Megdal, it’s now. A Megdal Administration would be the antithesis of the current stumble bums now running our favorite baseball team into the ground. Howard is running on a platform of LOGIC, TRANSPARENCY, PASSION and oh how the Mets need an infusion of all three.

Please vote now for Howard Megdal for GM and join Howard and myself on THIS CALL TO THE BULLPEN on BLOG TALK RADIO tomorrow night at 10PM ET, as we discuss the present day Mets and Howard’s blueprint of fixing the total Mets organization

Howard Megdal has released his first video ad of his campaign to become the next General Manager of the NY Mets. Not only does Howard look down right General Managerial, and the shots of him with his daughter are fabulous but as an extra added bonus there is a cameo appearance by Dana Brand.

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Yesterday at the Marriott Marquis in the heart of Times Square, Howard Megdal launched his run to become the General Manager of the NY Mets. Do not be fooled by the recent love letter written in the daily fish wraps, it’s time for old ideas and ways of doing business in Flushing to come to a halt and time for a young man with vision and vigor to take over the regins of the Mets baseball operation, as far as I’m concerned, Howard Megdal is the man to lead us to that goal.

Sure things are all sunshine and seashells but don’t fool yourself Mets fans, the Baltimore Orioles don’t come up on the Mets schedule again for a few years. But isn’t winning grand? Wouldn’t you like to have the feeling of being a Victor every year? Well, then there is only one man who can do that for this organization and that’s Howard Megdal.

If you prefer Mike Jacobs or Fernando Tatis at first base or Frank Catalanotto batting clean up then you deserve to have Jeffey Skill Sets as your owner and Omar Minaya as your GM.

We are told not to take the stats from spring training too seriously especially early, but the quotes coming from John Maine after his cameo appearance yesterday left me a bit unsettled.

Because of the rain the last couple of days in Florida, the Mets have tried to rearrange the pitching assignments to make sure every one gets in their work. Maine came into yesterday’s game after Johan Santana pitched four superb innings, starting the fifth inning. He got two quick outs then the roof caved in as he gave up a couple of walks and a couple of doubles and next thing you know he had to be taken out of the game without completing the inning. Now if it were just that, I’d say he was working on different pitchers and looks like those pitches need some fine tuning, but it was Maine’ statements after the game that have me concerned.

 ”I felt good,” Maine said. “It’s just one of those days. My shoulder and arm feel fine. Coming in like that – off my routine – I just wasn’t at all prepared. It was different. I didn’t get the job done. …I just wasn’t kind of that into it and just wasn’t that comfortable.”

 

So physically Maine claims to be fine but mentally he’s all fucked up for the lack of a better term, if there were ever a poor choice of words, “I just wasn’t kind of into it and just wasn’t comfortable” that quote would be it. If I’m the manager or GM, I would have left a call to Mr. Maine to be at the complex at 7AM this morning to explain that quote.

Maine’ biggest problem he said he’s used to starting a game and getting ready to make the game his, that’s fine but this is an exhibition game, a practice game, the one time during the year where the numbers on the scoreboard mean nothing plus it wasn’t like Maine was coming into the game with the bases loaded and no outs, he was starting the fifth inning. With all that Maine was still not fit for duty:

“I am a creature of habit,” Maine said. “I have a certain routine. I was out of sync, off my routine. I just wasn’t prepared. I didn’t get the job done. It’s the whole aspect of throwing before the game, sitting down and doing this.”

The players and management of this team have more excuses than Eric Massa, in fact I’m wondering if someone in the Mets clubhouse tickled Jose Reyes to the point his Thyroid nearly exploded.

Maine makes his next stat on Saturday and if he’s not into that start, maybe management would be into trading for Andy Sonnerstine who looks to be on the trade market. 

Management can spin their confidence about the starting rotation in public all they want but I’m sure behind closed door the brain trust feels their desperately need another solid starter and are working the phone lines to feel out the offers. Give it a day or two but rumors will be flowing like the weekends  rain off your gutters, that the Mets are looking for pitching, especially if Maine has another performances like yesterday .

 

Now that we amateur GM’s are ready to get down to business fortifying the Mets roster for 2010, the one item that is marked ESSENTIAL is The Bill James Handbook for 2010 (published by ACTA Sports). The Handbook is loaded with stats and leader boards that you would hope the front office is studying like it was the college boards.

 

As bad as the Mets season has been there were a few (surprise) Amazin’s who were ranked in the top 10 in some important categories for the 2009 season like Angel Pagan:

 

 

Angel Pagan-4^th in the NL for most Triples (11)

                      9^th in NL Leadoff Hitters OBP (.358)

                      4^th in NL OPS by CF’er

 

If Pagan had some semblance of baseball instinct and the ability to stay healthy the search for the everyday LF’er would be a moot point.

 

Digits like this and much more are in the Handbook. You can get your copy by going to Acta Sports or at the book store or online vendor of your choice. When you’re curled up by the hot stove this winter, your 2010 Bill James Handbook will leave you with that toasty feeling.

 

I think we are all beyond the point of being shocked when another player is stamped defective but in the case of Johan Santana the question is who in the organization knew his elbow was hurting and when did they know it?

 

Jerry Manuel claims that since the All Star break Santana had an issue with the elbow, if this is true, this makes the organization more inept than we ever imagined. As much as we fans give the team doctors and training staff holy hell for the injuries maybe our wrath is misguide and this is just another case of the front office being clueless once again ?

 

Did Santana go to Dan Werthen or Manuel and tell either one that his elbow was not right? Let’s say he did. Now wouldn’t they then go to Omar and tell him we have a problem and in turn wouldn’t Minaya send Santana straight to the doctor for an examination? At that point wouldn’t an MRI be ordered to see what was causing the discomfort in the elbow? This problem didn‘t happen yesterday or last week it seems the Mets have allowed Santana to pitch with a bum wing. Again who is in charge here?

 

We can all joke and laugh about who’s next to get hurt and sit and lament about us poor little Mets fans suffering through a lousy season but in all seriousness this organization is a total embarrassment from the owner to the GM to the coaches manager and players.

 

My biggest fear is not who will be injured next but it’s that the Mets are becoming the Pittsburgh Pirates.

 

Adding to my confused state is one Billy Wagner. What the fuck does this guy want? He has been praised here and every where on his hard work and perseverance at coming back from surgery to get back to the big leagues. The Mets tired to help him and themselves by placing him on waivers and letting him go to a contending team. Now he’s making all kinds of demands and looking to pitch close to his Virginia home. Well, where does he want to go? DC? Baltimore? Atlanta? Miami? Not one of those teams will pay him the kind of money he wants in the off season. It seems this will work in the Mets favor. As long as the offer him arbitration they either get a very good set up man or two more draft picks. Since Wagner is more worried about getting 400 saves than pitching in a post season it seems he will turn down arbitration sign with the Marlins and the Mets get two draft picks. Advantage Mets.

 

I don’t know what’s sadder that Santana is not starting tonight or that the best the Mets can come up with to take his spot is Nelly Figs?