8 days until pitchers and catchers

If you haven’t seen the video of Keith Hernandez working with Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans at first base, click here. Again my opinion on Murphy is certainly biased but if the other 24 players on the Mets roster that comes North has the same desire and work ethic as Murph, things may be a lot better than we think this summer at $iti Field. At the end of the video Hernandez tells Murphy and Evans that if they ever need him for anything to tell Jay Horowitz and he will drive up to St Lonesome to lend a hand.

Two things here, one what the hell took so long for the Mets to utilize Mex in this capacity and two, if Mike Piazza never asked Hernandez’ advice when the Mets were looking for him to make the transition for catcher to first baseman, then he’s a bigger asshole than I think he is.

Nice to see Mike Jacobs back in the org. I hope he likes chicken wings.

The biggest problem I have with Mets management is not so much with it’s ineptness of its baseball ops but more with its dishonestly. When it comes to the teams finances someone is lying  either the media or the team and most likely it’s the team.  With the management not being aggressive on free agents and not making deals that would make the team better by taking on pitchers like Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, or Gil Meche, who have big contracts that teams would love to get out from under, it proves that the coffers of the Skill Sets are not as robust as they claim.

It seems that’s the only reason Omar and Jerry Manuel are still here, it’s more of a “it’s cheaper to keep ‘em” scenario than a performance  factor. The Skill Sets can’t afford to pay Minaya and go out and hire a top of the line GM, so what we get is lots of layers of front office types that makes dealing with the Mets tedious and exhausting.

Everyday there are more and more stories about the teams finances and I’m sure there will be more and more of the cash flow stories throughout the season.  All it will take is for one snitch to blab the inside scoop on what’s going on in the back rooms of $iti Field to bring this to light.

Perfect example of the Mets money woes, Chein- Ming Wang is ready to sign with the Washington Nationals who are putting together a nice team for 2010.

Just sit back and listen to this song and enjoy your snow day!

Kudos to Paul Lukas and the great Uni-Watch site for calling bullshit on these so called retro uni’s the Mets are hawking. As Lukas so eloquently states, these are the same pinstriped uniforms the Mets never wear only in a darker shade of white. Plus they still have the name on the back and of course the ugly ass black shadow. I guess the black is appropriate though as Mets fans we are always in mourning.

If the Blue Jays are dumb enough to trade Roy Halliday to either the Highlanders or Red Sox then Jeffey Skill Sets may have competition for the dopiest executive in baseball. Trading Halliday to their AL East biggest competitors would be like the Mets trading Johan Santana to the Phillies or Braves  Oh shit, I hope I didn’t give Jeffey an idea?

Even though this doesn’t make sense because it’s the right move to make and the Mets the last couple of years haven’t made many right moves, I still feel the Mets will be a major player in the Halladay Sweepstakes.

Mets Lifers are selling some great t-shirts that depict Keith Hernandez’ 17 and Mike Piazza’ 31 as retired numbers and shirts commemorating Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.

The Mets made it official naming their new and improved coaching staff for 2010. Razor Shines leaves the third base coaches box after a horrendous season there and will be relegated to first base where we can do limited damage.

Third base will be manned by Chip Hale who worked for the Minnesota Twins during the successful Tom Kelly era. (How great would it be to have Tom Kelly step in as Mets manager? In fact I may post Kelly’s picture and managerial stats once a week to get the drums beating)

Dave Jauss will be Jerry Manuel’ new bench coach but his real claim to fame is he is the son of legendary Chicago sporst writer Bill Jauss. Papa Jauss was a member of one of favorite all time TV shows The Sportswriters on TV which used to play here on the old SportsChannel network.

Back and hopefully better are Old School Dan Warthen and Randy Niemann  and of course HoJo .

The most important and some what puzzling hire was that of Terry Collins as the Minor League Field Coordinator. From reading his resume I can’t figure out what Collins qualifications are to get such an important job? It’s not like he is coming in with and championship pelts on his belt or a list of players that were developed under his rein plus last year he was managing in something called the Northwoods Summer League. When you look at his body of work hw sure has held a lot of jobs in baseball and not too many with success. I guess as long as he doesn’t curse out the bushers and take his shirt off he’ll be ok.

{UPDATE: Mark Harrington of The Buffalo News thinks Collins is not only a great hire but the guy to step in if (when) J-Man gets the ax this season.}

How aobut this take from Rockies manager Jim Tracy about injuires:

Still, just when they’ve gotten this close, the Rockies were hit with a series of injuries that threaten to curtail their momentum. Their staff ace, Ubaldo Jimenez, is bothered by a barking hamstring that has forced him to skip a start, while Contreras, who came over from the White Sox and allowed only two runs in 9.2 innings in his first two starts, was felled by a quad injury running out a ground ball. Closer Huston Street (33-for-34 in saves) has been out with a biceps injury but, in his absence, lefty Franklin Morales, a former starter, has been just as effective.

Lastly, Tulowitzki, who has thrived under Tracy, has been out for the past couple of days with a back problem. For whatever reason, Hurdle constantly was on Tulowitzki’s case, benching him three times last year, but under Tracy the shortstop has hit 20 of his 24 home runs and raised his average from .226 to .281.

“What is it they say? There’s no crying in baseball?” Tracy said. “You don’t worry about what you don’t have. You just find a way.”

WOW remarkable. You mean to tell me that the Mets way of talking about the guys who aren’t here more than the guys on the roster is not the way to go? You mean instead on making a statement and benching players who continually make bone head play after bone head play you reward them with more playing time? You leaving star players out in front of the firing squad to be question on what level they are hurt is not good management? I’m Shocked!

I never knew that Keith Hernandez was a bobble head devotee as myself. I love the Rusty Staub bobble head in the Expos uni I need to find one of those for my collection.

I am in full football mode today so what I’d like to do is give you folks three winners for today. I meant to so this Friday and I might just make this a Friday staple during the football season:

HOME TEAM IN CAPS

BENGALS -4 ½ over Broncos

Maybe it’s my fascination with Hard Knocks on HBO but I liked what I’ve seen of the Cincy Cats. I’ve always felt Carson Palmer, when healthy is one of the best QB’s in NFL. What is it with these coaches who graduate from Belichick University ? Don’t they know you need pelts on the belt before you can act like an asshole?

Vikings -4 over BROWNS

I won’t mention the over rated hillbilly who QB’s the Men of Norse but the Norsemen have the best RB in NFL in Adrian Petersen who will run roughshod over the Brownies.

SEAHAWKS -8 over Rams

Hate to go against our old Defensive Coordinator in his first game as an NFL head man but it will take awhile before Steve Spagnola turns the Rams into a winner in fact they may move back to LA before it happens.

The less said about last night’s game the better. However it is a testimony to Gary Gohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling that I kept the game on just to hear what the trio had to say. When they took phone calls and a caller asked “why is it the first baseman is left out when the ball is thrown around the horn” and Gary and Ron tried to find a good answer for that, Hernandez gave a classic Keith Hernandez answer saying he didn’t know but he was glad he didn’t to be bothered being involved in the ritual when he played. It’s Keith world and we are all lucky to be living in it.

For all the bitching and moaning I do about the team and its management, there are certain events that make me smile and appreciate being a Mets fan. Two things I read this morning showed me what being a Met and being a Mets fan is all about:

On this date in 1963 a rookie pitcher for the Mets by the name of Grover Powell, beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-0 in his first major league start. In Powell’s next start he went up against the Pittsburgh Pirates and was struck in the face by a line drive off the bat of future Mets 1969 hero, Donn Clendenon. Powell never won another game in the big leagues again. But he did find fame and fortune as a childrens television performer.

Dave Singer of NY Sportsdog wrote a post today on why the Mets should honor the 30^th anniversary of the 1979 team. This is why Mets fans are the greatest and funniest people on earth.

The Mets were 63-99 that year under the ownership of Madame` Lorinda de Roulet and the managerial leadership of one Joseph Torre . If you think this season is bad, I got news for you kids, if didn‘t live through that 1979 season you don’t know what suffering is. No one and  I mean no one went to Mets games in 1979 except for a bunch of 20 something’s who received plenty of free tickets and would go to games just hang out and drink beer and smoke a little herb (back then you sat in the Upper Deck with a bottle of booze and some smoke and just laughed your ass off, awwwwwwww good times kids, good times) It was back in ’79 when I nearly got my ass kicked by Crazy Horse (Tim Foli) as we walked down to seats behind the Mets dugout to break balls. Foli was on deck to pinch hit and I guess he got tired of me telling him how much he sucked, that he came up to the rail screaming at me to shut the fuck up or he’d kick my ass, in which I laughed at him some more and told him “if you feel froggy then leap asshole”, pissing him off even more. As the rent-a-cops came running toward us to see what the commotion was, my buddies and I thought that would be a good time to make a run for the exit and head back to Brooklyn.  

Funny thing was right after that incident, Foli was dealt to the Pirates for Frankie Taveras.  

Two Non-Mets, baseball items:

Only 23 days until the New York Rangers go to camp. Unlike the Mets, the Rangers are stocked with young talented players and The Prospect Park gives you the low down on the Baby Blushirts.   

Newly promoted Brunley beat the Red Devils of Man U for the first time in 40 yrs.

Tonight at 9PM EDST on Blog Talk Radio it’s Pro Baseball Central with yours truly and Joe McDonald and our guest for the evening Rich Mancuso. Check us out live or later on the podcast which you can listen to right here at the Kranepool Society site or at our Pro Baseball Central site.

 There is nothing worse in sports than being called a quitter, remeber back to Keith Hernandez call the club that a few years ago and Mike Piazza jumping on him, so to say tha this team are a bunch on quitters is serious and one I won’t make until I see the team in action this week.

I’ll say this as Ihave to leave and board my flight. Ozzie Gullien is my hero and we cave men have to stick together.

  “Larry Bird is not walking through that door, fans. Kevin McHale is not walking through that door, and Robert Parish is not walking through that door. And if you expect them to walk through that door, they’re going to be gray and old. What we are is young, exciting, hard-working, and we’re going to improve. People don’t realize that, and as soon as they realize those three guys are not coming through that door, the better this town will be for all of us because there are young guys in that (locker) room playing their asses off. I wish we had $90 million under the salary cap. I wish we could buy the world. We can’t; the only thing we can do is work hard, and all the negativity that’s in this town sucks. I’ve been around when Jim Rice was booed. I’ve been around when Yastrzemski was booed. And it stinks. It makes the greatest town, greatest city in the world, lousy. The only thing that will turn this around is being upbeat and positive like we are in that locker room… and if you think I’m going to succumb to negativity, you’re wrong. You’ve got the wrong guy leading this team.”

This is the kind of Rant I want out of my Manager of the Mets the self pro-claimed GANGSTA’ I want him to tell everyone that “Darryl Strawberry, Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter are not walking through that door”. I want him to tell the media, fans and his players to shut the fuck up about who isn’t here and worry about who is here. I want him to order his players on the field today in Milwaukee to take infield as I don’t give a rats ass what time they got into town after last night’s embarrassment. I want him to call out which ever sniveling veteran it was who went crying to the papers whining that “A deal would send the message they want to win and will do what it takes to helps us” and let him know the he and the rest of the 25 man roster needs to grow some balls and get their heads out of their ass on defense. You want to give teams 5 and 6 outs and inning? Babe Ruth couldn’t saved your sorry ass.

Does this team need a slugger DUH!? But if you think by obtaining Adam Dunn, Adam LaRoche, Nick Johnson or the new flavor of the week Mark Teahen is going to make a difference then you’re blinded by the J-Man smoke screen. This team’ piss poor play is a direct reflection of the manager in the words of the great Bobby Valentine, “Proper preparation prevents piss poor performance” and this latest piss poor weekend is on Jerry Manuel.

J-Man is starting to show cracks in his amour. He moans and groans about the team keeping its head above water, and trying to stay in it until the injured get back it seems it had got D-Wright to get his back up when he said he didn’t know about treading water that he plays every game to win. You have Gary Sheffield saying “Management is going to take care of what they think we need, people shouldn’t think we come in here and do double takes at the lineup every day. We should have what it takes to win and we should be doing better, if they got a bat it would be great and everyone would applaud it. That doesn’t mean it should be necessary”

Exactly that goes back to players not coming through the door.

Maybe Omar should take some time from burning cell phone minutes to go straighten out his manager and let him know if he can’t handle this adversity there’s a guy in Japan who thrives on it.

If I’m Ed Wade I’d make my self scares over at Minute Maid Park. How could let this guy Nieve get away for nothing? 

I think  Bobby Parnell could use a day or two off. Maybe join A-Rod in South Beach for some R & R

Brian Schneider had a big 3 run HR last night good for him but he stinks behind the plate More Santos please!!!

Keith Hernandez was talking about Daniel Murphy’s foot work at 1st base as he looked a little awkward on a 4-3 ground ball. Has anyone in the Mets front office asked Mex to work with Danny Boy before a game? I’m sure Keith could take time out from trimming his ’stache to help the kid out?

We have a 12PM game and it is getting darker and darker my the minute and if we don’t get this one in today that will make 6 rain outs and looking at radar it doesn’ t look good. <sigh!>

Santana can claim he is fit to fight all he wants but why do I have a feeling he might accompany Gary Sheffield to New York Hospital for a special 2 for1 on MRI’s?    

This Date in Mets History, in 1969, Donn Clenedenon after turning down a trade from the expansion Montreal Expos to the Houston Astros, agreed to be traded to the New York Mets. Clink went on to be the 1969 World Series MVP

This Date in Mets History in 1983, The St. Louis Cardinals sent Keith Hernandez to the New York Mets after Mgr. Whitey Herzog had had enough of Hernandez and to teach him a lesson he was sent to the woebegon Mets. Hernandez who at first was miserable to be sent to NYC became the Captain of the Mets and lead the team to World Series Championship in 1986 and has become one of the most popular Mets of all time.

On This Date in Mets History in 1977 it was the Day The Music Died as The Franchise George Thomas Seaver, still the greatest player to ever wear a Mets uniform was sent to the Cincinnati Reds run out of town by to of the biggest scumbags to ever walk the earth in M. Donald Grant and Daily News baseball writer Dick Young. Seaver was and still is considered THE FRANCHISE and should have a staute of his famous pitching delivery outside of Ebbits$iti Field. Today Seaver, is a successful wine producer and Grant and Young are still burning in hell.

With Bill Wags rehabing from Tommy John surgery, Ollie Perez in la la land and with sore knee, John Maine with dead arm and now questions about Johan Santana’s health do you think Rick Peterson is getting a good laugh and maybe some vindication?

Take last night. When Jeremy Reed was obtained in the Putz deal this past winter we were told he was as good as Endy Chavez at bat and in the field. So if Reed is such a good outfielder why was he playing first base last night while the defensively challenged Daniel Murphy  was put in left field. I swear I was in a daze for the first inning trying to figure the logic here and sure enough the first batter for the Hollywood Bums, Juan Pierre hits a ball to left that Murphy botched. Just stunning.

Why not just leave Murphy at first base and tell him it’s all yours until Delgado gets back maybe it would relive a bit of pressure off this kid because this is not the same Daniel Murphy we fell in love with. The Murphy kid I saw last year and early this year does not get picked off first base like an inept little leaguer. How many times have we heard Keith Hernandez say that “someone taught Murphy the right way to play baseball”?

Same with second base. If Ramon Martinez is the best we have to play back up infielder then we’re in trouble. I know that Castillo has sucked at the plate lately so if you’re going to give him the night off the let the Latin Joe McEwing (Fernando Tatis) play second he can’t do any worse than Martinez.

I’m sure you have seen all the Few and Chosen books in this series at your local book store and now there is a Mets volume added to this great series in Few and Chosen: Defining Mets Greatness Across the Eras written by Rusty Staub with Phil Pepe , foreword by Keith Hernandez (published by Triumph Books)

Amazing as it seems but we are heading toward the 50^th Anniversary of the first game in Mets history (April 2012, those awful black uni tops better be a bad memory by then) so it is a great time for this book to come out.

Staub and Pepe go position by position to name who they feel are the five best players ever at each ion in Mets history. There are a few surprises like Bud Harrelson rated over Jose Reyes as the best Mets shortstop ever and Bobby Bonila as the second best right fielder in Mets history (Staub left himself off the list which is foolish as he contributed in more in a week than Bonila did in all the years he stole money from the Mets) and Lee Mazzilli the third best center fielder over Tommy Agee and Lenny Dykstra ? NO WAY IN HELL!  In fact Lance Johnson was better than Boardwalk Lee sections like this are what make this book a great conversation starter.

It’s not just the inside of this book that is mesmerizing the cover is a thing of beauty as well with the traditional blue cap on it.