What’s most disappointing about last night’s Mets loss was not just the wasted effort of Ollie Perez or the fact that the early in the season reliable bullpen gave up big runs as Vitamin Pedro had the runs, it was the reaction of the dead manager walking after the loss, (this J-Man quote,  courtesy of Subway Squawkers):

You have to applaud the fight. We have, at least in these first 10 games, given ourselves a shot and haven’t been able to come away with anything significant. I think if we continue to do that, it will eventually turn for us. If we continue to keep this attitude and fight, and bring it every day, some things are going to start going our way.”

Now if the Mets were a 14 year old Babe Ruth team, that would be a good philosophy (As I’ve gotten a bit older and in my 11^th season of managing youth baseball my demeanor has gone from a Billy Martin/Larry Bowa type personality to a Chuck Tanner type telling all my players how much I love having them on the team even when run like their carrying an Kenmore Fridge on their back and have no baseball sense whatsoever) but for a professional baseball team that told us all spring how this was a season of redemption and run commercials of believing in comebacks  (I would love to see a Mets commercial with manager Wally Backman, 3^rd base coach Lenny Dykstra and pitching coach Bobby Ojeda all saying WE BELIEVE IN TOTAL ASS KICKING) as Subway Squawker Jon Levin points out is very Art Howe-ish. We lived through that dead manager era once already; I’m not up to second version of it now.

 

 

40 years ago today I was sitting in my living room with my parents waiting for the event of a lifetime, man walking on the moon. I was 11 years old and from what I can remember, the lunar module landed in the late afternoon but Neil Armstrong didn’t step on the moon surface until night time (10 PM ) I do remember my father waking me up to see this as I fell asleep on the couch as he didn’t want me to miss this unbelievable piece of history. No one could believe what they were seeing and the thing a lot of people feared was the astronauts getting stranded on the moon. In fact President Nixon had a speech already to address this if it happened.

I’m really sad to hear of the passing of Frank McCourt whose life story laid out in Angela’s Ashes is just one of greatest books ever written. I had the pleasure of meeting Frank and Malachy McCourt as they did their show ”A Couple of Blaguards” and it was a thrill and privilege to meet him and I’m honored to be known as a “blaguard” myslef .

 

 

 

 

Isn’t this great?. The first day of Vernal Equinox and it is snowing like a mutha’ here in NYC. Thankfully, it’s not sticking and the forecast tomorrow is for sunny skies and 50 degrees which is fine to conduct my first practice of the baseball season with my 13 year old Babe Ruth League team and to show that I’m more Gansta’ than Jerry Manuel I’m holding practice at a park next to the Berry Projects on SI. I might even wear my sweatpants down to my knees.

 

Last night on Pro Baseball Central we talked about the Mets roster, the Mets announcer’s tournament at Amazin’ Avenue, St Patrick’s Day, Kilts, what’s under the kilt, booze and rubber ducky’s. To hear what you missed check out the podcast at Pro Baseball Central web site.

 

Jon Niese was sent to minor league camp today and that sucks for the kid who had visions of making the team as the 5^th starter. So now it’s just about in stone that Livan Hernandez will get that spot but you can be sure we will see Niese sooner rather than later this season.

 

Ollie P makes his first spring start for the Mets and from what David Lennon says his mechanics while with Team Mexico were so messed up that Old School Dan Warthen had to deconstruct Ollie through video, instruction and a good old fashion ass kicking (ok I made that one up) just another reason for teams to get together and abolish the WBC.

 

Brain Costa at the Star Ledger has a nice piece on Bobby Parnell and his quest to make the Mets in the bullpen. What will be interesting to watch as the cuts come down is how much influence J-Man has on whom goes and who stays. Manuel has talked up Parnell and Nick Evans as two kids he adores and wants on his squad but money and player options may determine who comes North and  who keeps going further North to Buffalo.

 

It’s hard serving to masters isn’t David?  But not to worry as help is on the way for Team USA as Evan Longoria is headed to LA to fortify the Team of the Land of the Corporate Bailout. Craig Calcaterra of the fabulous Shyster Ball site explains with some kind of fantasy mumbo-jumbo. I could never get into that si-fi stuff all that make believe crap as I live in the here and now in real life, oh shit is tonight my fantasy baseball draft? Yikes! Got to go prepare!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

    

 

Busy day as I drafted my 13 year old Babe Ruth team this morning and I’m very happy that I got to pick my top three prospects and now I’m dealing with a nasty head cold that’s sucking the energy out me. I was going to stay away from the computer but after a looking at few stories a few items caught my eye:

John Maine had a very shaky first inning but then settled in to pitch three very strong ones (0 BB 5K) and it looks like it’s not a matter of Bobby Parnell making th team as a reliever but he figures to a major player in the back end of the pen so says Warlord Jerry

Jeopardy Contestant “I’ll take FREE FALL for 100 Alex”

Alex Trebeck: “The Stock Market, Republican Party, Team USA

Jeopardy Contestant: “What is American institutions that are not worth shit”

Trebeck: “Correct”

I’ve got to do a little homework on RHP Fernando Nieve who was picked up by the Mets off waivers from the Astros. I know he was signed by the “Stros at 16 and is now 26 and is a year removed from Tommy John surgery. No risk- high reward pick up by the Mets at best he comes up mid season to bolster the pen worst case he’s filler for the Buffalo pen

I’m done. Time for a hit of Sudefed