When Jerry Manuel took over the managers office form Willie Randolph, the one statement he made that resonated with Mets fans was that his team would be tough and fight through whatever adversity was in front of it. His quote was “Gangsta’s on the field, Ladies on the bus”. I thought it was a great motto and felt maybe Manuel would be a speak softly carry a big stick kind of guy but I was wrong. If anything Manuel let the rash of injuries suffered by his team, become a crutch for losing and all around stupid baseball. Gangsta’ my ass.  but, so far this spring, Manuel looks to be getting his Gangsta’ on.

I’ve been critical of Manuel for not coming to the Jason Bay coronation and not being around for that weak ass Winter Caravan the Mets rolled out this off season, but now I know what Manuel was up to, he was planning his going out in a blazing glory strategy for the season.

Manuel knows that his contract is chump change and the only reason he’s back is a combination of the injuries and Omar Minaya’s contract. Minaya got to stay because the Skill Sets are tired of paying guys not to work for them. Omar does not have the juice he once had the organization and if and when a managerial change is made he will have little input in the new hire, hell if the wheels fall off early, the outcry from Mets fans will so loud, even the tone deaf Skill Sets will hear it. So in a long winded way, I’m saying Jerry Manuel has nothing to lose here if he puts pressure on management to take the best twenty five players he feels give him and the team the best chance to win.

We are already hearing him push for Jenry Mejia to make the team as the 8^th inning set up man and you can bank on Manuel pushing either Hisanori Takahasi or Fernando Nieve to make the starting rotation over a struggling Ollie Perez, and dumping OP in the bullpen, while making it known that he was not responsible for his awful contract, and with Ike Davis at first base over Daniel Murphy. If Manuel thinks Davis would be better than Murphy at first he will make it public knowledge.  

It’s a win/win situation for Manuel. If he gets his way and gets to take the players he wants North, it’s possible he could not just make it through the season but get an extension as well. If he doesn’t, and the team tanks, he gets to spend the summer at home in Cali waiting for the Mets checks to clear. We all should have such problems. 

When I can not only go online and buy tickets to opening day and do so two hours into the exclusive pre-sale time frame, you know this organization has its work cut out for them to not have a repeat of last season.  If Jerry Manuel can convince Jeffey Skill Sets that bringing  Mejia and Davis up North to not only help the team win but also sell tickets, then J-Man will not just be a Gangsta’ he’ll be The Godfather.

tip of the Mets cap to Metstradamus for the picture

Lot’s of noise over Jose Reyes being interrogated by the FBI, concerning Dr. Tony Galea , performance enhancer pusher to the stars, who is under investigation for trying to smuggle HGH into the U.S.

Reyes went to Dr. Galea to take part in his experimental procedure of plasma replacement therapy, hoping it would cure his leg problems last season. Reyes was accompanying by his agent Peter Greenberg and the Mets, even if they weren’t exactly on board with Reyes heading north for this treatment, stand by their player.

Of course the fact that Dr. Galea was trying to smuggle HGH into the country using his assistant as a mule is a big story but because it’s Jose Reyes and Legion of Idiots (a/k/a the Mets front office) it becomes a bigger story.

We’re starting to see that Tony Bernazard had more influence in the organization than he had any right to have. From John Harpers Daily News column today it seems Tony B strong armed his hitting philosophy of having Mets hitters concentrate on hitting to the opposite field, a philosophy that worked as well as his motivational speeches. When the season ended, it looks like Howard Johnson flexed his mussels a bit (it helps that HOJO and D-Wright are joined at the hip) and has pushed his way of hitting on the Mets as a more aggressive type of hitting. Wright of course is on board with this as is Frenchie who let Jerry Manuel know that if he had to hit 80 pitches a day to RF he won’t be coming into camp until the mandatory date of March 2. The revelation of the Bernazard way of hitting, is one more indictment of Omar Minaya’ reign of error. 

It’s March 1^st Do you know who your set up man is?

It becomes somewhat astonishing how many times do the GM and Manager of the Mets open their mouths, they cause Mets fans angst. The latest is from J-Man, about stud pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia being in contention for the 8^th inning set up job. It’s not so much that Manuel said this  (I would hope that this years Manuel Night at The Improv a/k/a post game presser on SNY will be sponsored by Account Temps) it’s that Omar Minaya didn’t call bullshit on this ridiculous way of thinking.  From all accounts Mejia is a sold pitcher who projects to a top of the rotation arm; all he needs is to mature both as a pitcher and as a young adult being that he is just 20 years old.  One never knows if J-Man is serious or he just likes fucking with us Mets fans.

“But doctor you were supposed to remove my appendix but you took out a kidney instead” and the doctor said “Hey, nobody’s perfect”

I stop into a bodega in Alphabet City last night to get a little Cintron and rum, seems like the Mets like a little Cintron too.

Freddy Skill Sets: Hello Sand-a-la !

Sandy Koufax: Hello Fred, what’s up?

FSK: It’s that time a year again! So when am I going to see my favorite high school buddy this spring?

SK: Fred, last time we were in high school the guy the school was named after was still alive (Lafayette) what do you want from me?

FSK:   you know what I need from you, come down for the day Judy will make a nice brisket, you, me, Saul, and David will play a little Mah Jong , Jeffey will make us those nice drinks we like with the paper umbrellas in them and we can make jokes about Jay Horowitz’ big noggin’

SK: HA-HA-HA you know making fun of Horowitz never gets old HA-HA-HA-HA

FSK: See, what a time eh? Oh and one other thing ……….. 

SK: Yeah, yeah I know talk to your pitchers……..every year Fred, every year you want me to talk to these guys especially that Perez character. You know who he reminds me of Freddy? Remember that kid in the 5^th grade Herbie Lipschitz who ate the Elmer’s Glue and had Tourettes?

FSK: OOOOoooooooooohhhhh my God yes HA-HA-HA hooooooooo Sandy you know my bladder ain’t what it used to be, don’t make me pee my pants….HA-HA-HA-HA  I know Ollie is a bit meshugana  but he’s got a live arm so what do you say? You coming down or what?

SK: hey for you Freddy, sure why not.

FSK: you’re a mench Sand-a-la, a real mench !

SK: by the way how is that statue of me coming along? I think right outside the Rotunda will be a nice spot for it.

FSK: We’ll talk Sand-a-la, We’ll talk………..

1 day until pitchers and 1,000,000 catchers march

Even though I nearly busted my ass walking down my ice covered driveway this morning (my kids took the tea pot and a broom outside yesterday and said they are starting the Staten Island Curling Club with my driveway acting as the home arena) it’s good to know that the Mets catchers have seen their shadows (I picture all these backstops standing around like birds on a wire) so that could only mean 6 weeks of spring training.

Speaking of catchers, yesterday the stories out of St. Lonesome had Henry Blanco as the one catcher with a roster spot sewn up but Omar Minaya says he’s not an everyday player. His tag team partner though changes everyday. One day the stories are about Omir Santos, then today we read about how Josh Thole can hit in whatever league he plays in plus he worked this off season with Bob Natal the Mets Catching Coordinator on his receiving skills. Now we are hearing that the Mets are working on signing Rod Barajas to either a minor league deal or a bargain basement ML deal. It’s to the point now that every pitcher in camp will have his own personal catcher.

JR of JR’s Sports Briefs did a video of the Mets Blood drive at $iti Field the other day. Usually the Mets do this drive in the spring but I guess with the shortage of blood in area hospitals they decided to go with a winter drive as well as a spring one as well.

Mike Silva is looking for the Mets promotional schedule on the team website but it’s no where to be found. I’m sure when they do decide to release the list of promotions it will be the same as every year, opening day schedule magnet, a couple of bobble head days,  drawstring bag day, notebook day, various t-shirts and lunch bag day.  Now I won’t kill these giveaway days as I have more Mets swag than I my basement can handle and I am a sucker for bobble heads but it would be refreshing to see something a little more imaginative from the Mets promo department. I don’t expect that though.

I don’t know why this bothers me but it does

  2 days until pitchers and catchers

Ed Ryan over at Mets Fever has a great write up on Shawn Riggans, the catcher cut loose by the Tampa Bay Rays and picked up by the Mets as part of the parade of back up catchers. After reading Ryan’s piece, if Riggans is healthy he could make a run at one of the catcher roster spots on the Mets.

JOSE,

 JOSE-JOSE-JOSE,

 JOSE,

 JOSE 

“Once again, Daniel Murphy was the first player to arrive. This kid won’t lose the job because he was lazy.”

And my Murphy man-crush continues to blossom.

Adam Rubin can write it and Omar Minaya can say it but it would be a major upset for Mike Jacobs to beat on Murph for the first base job. Why the Mets keeping fucking with Murph is puzzling. He has been working out in Florida all winter; he’s the first guy at the workouts and the last to leave. He is doing everything plus more to become a strong first baseman and a better hitter. I have no beef with Mike Jacobs but I just don’t see where he is a fit here. Jacobs reeks of DH.

Dave Singer at NY Sports Dog has the complete TV/Radio Mets Spring Training Schedule posted.  First game Tuesday March 2 will be on SNY.

D-Wright has been in camp since late January, and it seems his mind set is to pull the ball more in 2010. The biggest plus for Wright this year will be the protection in the lineup he’ll get from Jason Bay. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, Sandy Koufax is in the house!

 7 days until pitcher and catchers

The Mets off season reminds me of the old TV show Green Acres. Remember, Mr. Haney the guy who sold a lot junk to the residents of Hootersville? Well that seems to be who Omar Minaya has morphed into a purveyor of useless pieces.

The latest move that makes no sense is the signing of Mike Jacobs. Jacobs was cut loose by the KC Royals because for over $3 mil a year the Royals got a player who can’t hit lefties, has an aversion to getting on base, and plays defense like Edward Scissorhands. Brilliant let’s sign him up. Think about this, in 7 days you’ll have so many players lining up at first base it will look like an Italian bakery on Christmas Eve, get there early and take a number.

Great story on Johan Santana by John Harper who donned the tools of ignorance to catch Santana down in Florida. This is what, the third or fourth story on Santana this winter and each one Johan is sending a message to Mets fans that the season won’t be the disaster most of us think it will be. From your mouth to Tug McGraw’s ears, Johan.

As per Jon Heyman, the Mets are taking a Pasadena on Rod Barajas but have signed John Harper to a one year deal.

No PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL tonight but we should have a show next week to welcome in Spring Training.

  9 days until pitchers and catchers

I’ve had it uptohere with everyone panicking over the impending snow storm heading to NYC by tonight. Yes it is going to snow and snow a lot, about a foot and yes all the assholes will attack the local supermarket to buy 10 gallons of milk and 15 loaves of bread because we all know a snowstorm in NYC is worse than an earthquake in Port A Prince. 

Its fucking incredible how people shit themselves when they here of a snow storm coming. It snows, you shovel, it piles up and guess what? IT GOES AWAY!!!!!!! In the fifty-one years I’ve been breathing and living in NYC THIS HAPPENS EVERY WINTER. DDDDDDDDDDDEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL WWIIIIIITTTTHHHHH IIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT !

Now that I got that out of system, The Mets will now slice the center field wall in half to a new height of 8 ft. Also the player’s moms will be responsible on a rotating basis to provide orange slice for each home game.

Marcus Thames (as pointed out by our resident Highlander fan Michael) has signed a minor league deal with the Bronx Bastards. I called Omar Minaya for to ask about the Mets having any interested in Thames or any other free agent still on the market. Here is a transcript of our conversation:

EKS: Omar, with the team not making many moves this off season and basically going with the same starting pitching staff that was dreadful last season, is there any interest in a pitcher like Jarrod Washburn?

Omar Minaya: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

EKS: Marcus Thames signed a minor league deal with the team in the Bronx. A pretty good righty bat who can play outfield and first base, did you have any interested in bringing Thames into the Mets fold?

Minaya: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

EKS:  Thanks for your time Omar.

Sorry I got to go now and head to Shop Rite before all the olive loaf and liverwurst is gone. I don’t know if you heard but a BIG FUCKING SNOW STORM IS COMING!!!!!!!

 16 days until pitchers and catchers

I’m a bit cranky this morning so bare with me. Last night I had to run to my local Walgreens’s on Hylan Blvd to pick up a prescription and I got stuck on the checkout line behind Staten Island Chuck who was buying hair gel and a bottle of Brut cologne. Chuck was hoping to get a part on Jersey Shore after his cameo today at the SI Zoo (by the way Chuck didn’t see his shadow so it will be an early spring )

Then this morning, the Dunkin Donuts I stop at every morning on Chambers St has changed up the counter personnel and I’m not very happy about that. My two Hindu Princesses are no longer at this location (seems the guy who owns the Chamber St DD has a few of them around the city and has moved my two favorite ladies further uptown) and have been replaced with a couple of Latina’s with bad attitudes. My order is not complicated, XL coffee just milk, and I use a DD debit card to pay for it and NO I don’t want any fucking donuts with that!!!!!   

Reading that Jose Reyes is ready for take off, takes a bit of the edge off the JJ Putz allegations of ineptness in the Mets front office from yesterday, and I was enjoying Kevin Kernan’s article until I got to this paragraph:

  Mets GM Omar Minaya watched Reyes work out last week and was thrilled. Executive VP David Howard was at yesterday’s session, and after watching Reyes blaze down the exact same kind of track that is used in Olympic races, noted, “Mets fans have forgotten how good he is.”

This fucking David Howard is turning into the reincarnation of M. Donald Grant. Why is the Executive of Business Operation watching a workout of a player? Shouldn’t Omar and John Rico and Wayne Krivisy and Jerry Manuel, be the guys making the evaluation of Reyes along with Ray Ramirez and his staff? What’s next for David Howard, overseeing the chop meat at the Shake Shack? No Shyster Dave, we have not forgotten how good Reyes is. Dumb ass !

This isn’t hard. Players play. Coaches coach. Owners own. Fans bitch. VP of Business Ops handles the clubs business. What Howard should be doing is busting the balls of the guy who owns SpongeTech

Jarrod Washburn has taken out a restraining order against the Mets from ever contacting him.

shout out to The Ropolitans for this pic

Sorry for no posts this morning but it’s been a busy day. So busy that I forget all about the David Wright sit down with the Sports Bloviator. I caught the tail end of the sit down as I traveled back from Brooklyn and I guess you could say it was typical David Wright. All positives and nothing controversial.

It looks like it’s a foregone conclusion that Bengi Molina will be the Mets #1 catcher this coming season. Again this looks to be another move where Omar was told to sit in the corner as the way the Mets have made Molina sit and stew is very un-Mets like. Same with Carlos Delgado who I think the Mets brain trust only went to Puerto Rico to see just to get away from freezing cold weather in NYC. Think about it, if the Mets were strictly an Omar Minaya Production, Molina, Delgado and Joel Piniero would be celebrating their multi year deals by now. Looks like those days are over.

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Art Rust Jr. who was sportstalk radio in this town back in the 1980’s. Rust hosted a three hour call in show on WABC and unlike WFAN he actually talked ALL sports. In fact I had called in to his show because a young Mark Messier came on to talk hockey and agreed to take calls from fans. Rust was a great baseball historian and a huge Highlander fan but his real passion was for The Sweet Science and he had all the big time boxers on his show.  R.I.P. Arthur George.

Now maybe it’s that fact that I’ve spent many more days at Shea than I have at Giants Stadium, even though I’ve been to many games there in the past 34 years but there is just not that attachment to the Meadowlands like I had with Shea and from the looks of things, I don’t think many Giants fans do either.

A lot of that non-emotion has to do with the fact that there are a lot of Giants fans who have never been to the Stadium. Think about that as Mets fans. For years, there was a huge waiting list for Giants season tickets, in fact season tickets were left in wills and estates to carry over from family to family. I’ve been lucky between my brothers and friends, I usually get to 2 games a year at Giants Stadium but there is a huge population of Giants fans who have never seen Big Blue play live and in person.

When the Last Days of Shea were upon us, the blogs and news media outlets were full of stories by Mets fans of the joy of growing up going to games at Shea Stadium. For all the complaining we Mets fans did about Shea from leaky pipes, to floods in the bathrooms, to no concourse space and on and on, when the last day at the ball park came, we cried like babies. Something tells me there will no tears shed for Giants Stadium today. I guess that’s one more reason why baseball is better than football, much more emotional.

Another Giants related story that had me thinking Mets was the story in the News about Wellington Mara and the day Giants Stadium opened and how happy he was that the Giants finally had their own home. Mr. Mara ran the Giants for years and when his nephew Tim Mara joined him in ownership, the team took a downward turn. I remember my brothers debating the Wellington/Tim Mara spilt as Wellington wanted to build through the draft and Tim was more of a showman and wanted to go after big name players and thus there was a huge spilt. It wasn’t until Pete Rozelle stepped in and told both Mara’s for the good of the NFL they needed to find someone to run the football operations of the team, and get the Giants back as NFL title contenders. Isn’t that where the Mets are today?

Freddy Skill Sets is not involved in the day to day moves of the Mets, he has turned the team over to his son Jeffey, who in turn has David Howard, the noted house shyster as his consigliore, neither one of them know anything about running a baseball team. They have a lame duck GM in Omar Minaya and a lamer duck manager in Jerry Manuel and now have a team with assets of close to $1 billion dollars but a team that no one wants to play for and is disrespected through out baseball.  What they need is a George Young, a guy to come in a run the baseball ops the right way, with a plan to build a solid foundation. This is not some small market; pocket the revenue sharing, type of franchise. This is a franchise with outstanding financial and fan support resources, what it lacks is leadership and until young Jeffey and Shyster Dave are removed from the day to day doings of the baseball end, the Mets will continue down the path of failure.

The fan base is not just angry but hugely disappointed in the direction this franchise is headed. The easy thing to do is abandon ship but we never will, this team is too much a part of us to that. Guys like me have to much invested here, but that doesn’t mean as fans we just sit back a take it.

I’d love to sit here and wave blue and orange poms-poms and praise the signing of Kelvin Escobar and R.A Dickey and Ryota Igrashi but there is so much more that needs to be done and I don’t have any faith in the front office to get it done.

I feel sorry for Omar Minaya. His biggest mistake as GM to me was hiring his friends into top jobs. It doesn’t work. From Tony Bernazzard to Ramon Pena to Bingo mgr Mako Oliveras to Julio Franco to Luis Aguayo they all failed at their jobs and they all failed Minaya. Now some of you are saying “see too many Latinos” but if you can look past your bias, you’ll see it’s more of guys that Minaya grew up through the ranks from player to scout to front office person throughout baseball that he surrounded himself with and it could just cost him his job. Add in the fact that Minaya is real old school when it comes to evaluating talent and maybe his way of thinking is outdated in today’s baseball.

Ownership and the front office can try to con us with “the team will be better as all those who were injured will be back healthy “ propaganda but their non-action speaks louder than words and the really need to do something to stem the tide of pessimism that they have cast over the franchise.