Hot Foot

yagottabelieve: I’ve learned how to spell Mientkiewicz and...

soupsoup — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:08:34 -0400

I’ve learned how to spell Mientkiewicz and Saltalamacchia but Nieuwenhuis trips me up every time.

brooklynmutt: Love how SNY presents the lineups. The only...

daverosado — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:33:38 -0400

Love how SNY presents the lineups.

The only thing better would be if it showed up blank and they had Keith fill it out with the telestrator. Barring that, this is pretty great.

The Mets are getting in on all this social media stuff. Check...

daverosado — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:13:00 -0400

The Mets are getting in on all this social media stuff. Check out their Google+, Tumblr, and Pinterest pages.

In a pretty logical move (every other team in Major League Baseball is going this way, too), the Mets have gone and made their presence known on 3 of the hottest social networking sites going. This reblog is from the Mets’ Tumblr blog. Just below, their Pinterest page:

And last, but not least, their Google+ profile:

Click the links to check them out.

yagottabelieve: 5-year old Daniel Murphy - manning that infield...

soupsoup — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 23:04:11 -0400

yagottabelieve:

5-year old Daniel Murphy - manning that infield and loving it

This is really great. “A Day in the Life of...

soupsoup — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:53:55 -0400

This is really great.

“A Day in the Life of MetsBlog” with my good buddy Matthew Cerrone

A Reminder to Believe

andrewbeaton — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:01:27 -0400

I rarely have trouble believing.

But with the Mets, particularly in the last couple years, reasons to validate those beliefs have been few and far between. Not that believing needs validation—the funny thing about faith is that it needs no justification—but it’s nice every once in a while. Otherwise, us fans might go and build a golden calf or something.

The start to this season is has been an uplifting moment, reminding me why I believe. Whether the Mets finish 162-0 or 4-158, stretches like these are a taste of the deliciousness of fandom.

And what’s best about the 4-0 start is how it is so antithetical to the pessimistic same-‘ole-Mets narrative that grows louder seemingly every season.

Let’s take a game-by-game look at the Mets four wins to start the season:

Game 1: Mets 1, Braves 0 - In his first start in over a season, Johan Santana throws five shutout innings, but leaves the game without a lead. Classic Mets, not giving Santana run support and ruining a day that should have been his glorious comeback. David Wright goes hitless in his first two at bats. Same ‘ole Mets, same ‘ole Wright of the last couple seasons. But wait—Wright notches an RBI single in the next inning, giving the team a 1-0 lead. The Mets have nowhere near good enough a bullpen to maintain a 1-0 lead, it’s just a matter of time until they blow it. Four relievers, three of whom were newly acquired in the off-season, combine to allow two hits and zero runs as the Mets win on opening day.
Game 2: Mets 4, Braves 2 -No way the Mets can keep this up. The offense just isn’t good enough. Who cares about moving the walls in, this team just doesn’t have any power. Lucas Duda went hitless in the opener and isn’t actually a MLB hitter. Wright might have gone 2-for-4 in the opener, but as Keith Hernandez always says, Wright is only at his best when he’s going the opposite way and his RBI single was to left field. First inning, Wright homers the opposite way to right field. Fourth inning, Duda homers. Seventh inning, Duda homers again. Only one of the two jacks would have gone out at the old Citi Field. After R.A. Dickey allows just two runs in six innings, and the bullpen combines for three scoreless frames to make the Mets 2-0.
Game 3: Mets 7, Braves 5 - OK, this has been nice but sweeping the hated Braves to start the season? Laughable. And is Ruben Tejada seriously going to lead off? That dude looks like he belongs more in the nine slot. Through six innings the Mets led 7-0. Unlike last game where they were carried by the longball, the Mets rally for all their runs, led by a 4-for-5 performance from Tejada in which he hits two doubles, registering two RBI and runs scored. And through six innings, Jon Niese has a no hitter going. It gets broken up in the seventh and after two unearned runs, and the Braves rally themselves back into the ballgame, down just 7-5 after eight innings. Classic Mets, pitcher takes a no-no into the 7th inning and we’re not even going to give him the win. The bullpen finally decides to blow a game, and it’s after a no-hit bid. Of course. Like the previous two games, Frank Francisco tosses a scoreless ninth while striking out the last batter he faces, giving the Mets a 3-0 start.
Game 4: Mets 4, Nationals 3 - Mike Pelfrey on the mound? The question isn’t winning or losing, it’s losing by how much. Pelfrey allows a run in the first inning and two more in the third, giving the Nats an early 3-0 lead. Told ya so! Just wait for the wheels to REALLY fall off. The Mets tack one on in the third and rookie Kirk Nieuwenhuis launches a bomb in the fourth, knotting the game up. Oh of course, tie this game up just to give us hope and break our hearts. The Mets WOULD do that. Pelfrey regains his composure, and grinds out more scoreless ball through 5.2, while the bullpen picks it up without allowing a hit for the remainder of the game. Daniel Murphy knocks home an RBI single in the ninth to a chorus of “undefeated” chants at Citi Field as the Mets move to 4-0.

Now, the italics there, that wasn’t me. I’m not the self-loathing type. I wouldn’t be a fan, particularly of the Mets, if I didn’t have the capacity for irrational optimism.

Those italics, however, are the narrative of what some people usually assign to the Mets. Maybe fans don’t actually do that and it’s just people on the radio but you hear it over and over again—same ‘ole Mets.

Everything the Mets could have done to shake our hope and keep us from believing in these first four contests, they have done the opposite.

I’ve always remembered to believe, but these four games made me remember why.

nedhepburn: Gpoy

soupsoup — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:45:19 -0400

nedhepburn:

Gpoy

bronxbanter: Illustration by Benjamin DeRosa

soupsoup — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 23:28:37 -0500

bronxbanter:

Illustration by Benjamin DeRosa

mikepiazza: I love how he’s a Mets fan. The jokes are always...

soupsoup — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:09:27 -0500

mikepiazza:

I love how he’s a Mets fan. The jokes are always hilarous but have that all too familiar undertone of sadness haha.

"The Mets today announced that they have inducted John Franco in to the team’s Hall of Fame."

daverosado — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:07:34 -0500

“The Mets today announced that they have inducted John Franco in to the team’s Hall of Fame.”

-

Read —> MetsBlog.com

(via sportsnetny)

We can probably all agree that this was a foregone conclusion. John Franco was a fan favorite (yes, and “fan frustrator”) for many years, so this wasn’t really much of a surprise. Good for Johnny Franco, for whom I still remember Go Johnny Go being played and thinking the following two things:

Time for John Franco!

I sure hope it’s a smooth outing…

A former captain of the Mets who I’m glad is getting this honor. Congratulations, Johnny boy.

1986 : A Year To Remember (full video)

soupsoup — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:43:02 -0500

1986 : A Year To Remember (full video)

The New York Times has got ahold of an early version of the New...

soupsoup — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:37:36 -0500

The New York Times has got ahold of an early version of the New York Mets term sheet offering to potential investors. My favorite parts:

Business card with “Owner” title
Dedicated “VVIP” Owners’ Area
Owner’s Night in Mo’s Zone
One annual opportunity to throw out a “1st Pitch”
Private lunch with SNY announcers
Mr. Met made available for Owners at Citi Field events
Access to attend Mets MLB Draft “war room”
Access to purchase tickets to Postseason games (NOT INCLUDED!!!)
Discounts on all MLB-licensed merchandise

Photo

soupsoup — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:27:36 -0500

It's All About Value

andrewbeaton — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:00:06 -0500

Every few weeks, Mets fans are panicked (or excited, depending on the player and the fan) by a new set of articles speculating on whether or not the Mets will trade David Wright. Realistically, nothing changes over these few weeks - its not as if all of these new articles contain credible rumors with actual suitors - but, there is this moon cycle of articles nonetheless.

Following Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings the past couple weeks, there has been a new set of articles stating that the Mets would move Ike Davis or Jon Niese in the right deal.

If you haven’t already - PANIC NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE METS ARE EXPLORING ALL THEIR OPTIONS OF POTENTIAL WAYS TO IMPROVE. THE HORROR!!!

Obviously, the Mets are better with Ike Davis and Jon Niese on the team than not on the team. Furthermore, it is enjoyable to watch two home grown talents succeed. Davis and Niese are young, talented and still under team control for a number of years. Trading them does not seem to make too much sense - they are affordable and good, a commodity any team, especially the cash-strapped Mets, need.

But, it is also clear this front office is calculating. As good, young, and cheap Niese and Davis are, the front office is all about value. If I could peer into the mind of Sandy Alderson and his brain trust, I would guess this is their logic for any trade discussion, whether it is for Wright, Niese, Davis or any other player on the team:

Player X has a value of Y to the Mets. Y is based on their assessment of his talent, contract situation, how he fits into the team, how much money he will generate for the team (Wright, for example, might be more valuable than his skill because he sells more jerseys and tickets and whatnot) and so forth. For the players on the Mets roster, the front office knows Y for a given player - they know, based on their assessments of the player, how valuable he is to them. If a team is willing to offer a package of players whose value exceeds Y they will do the trade…regardless of the name on the back of the jersey.

Niese and Davis have a high value to the team as talented, homegrown players who will remain cheap for a long time. Still, if a team is willing to send a package of players over who the Mets perceive to be more valuable than Niese/Davis - the decision is easy, do the trade.

The Mets are not stupid - Sandy Alderson didn’t wake up one morning and think, “Man, you know what I could do today? Get ride of Ike Davis, Jon Niese and David Wright. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do.” But, if a team is willing to offer a collection of players worth more than Niese, Davis or Wright, in order to acquire one of them, should he really say no?

Negatively reacting to the mere fact that the front office is listening to offers on a player seems silly to me. Should Alderson hang up the phone immediately before hearing what is offered? Or should he examine if it might make the team better?

I imagine that’s all these discussions are about - making the team better based on their value assessments, even if it’s difficult for us to see how trading some players does that.

sportsnetny: The Best Infield Ever… in Suits MetsBlog

soupsoup — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:28:41 -0500

sportsnetny:

The Best Infield Ever… in Suits

MetsBlog

"[David] texted me earlier today. I wish all the best for him. He’s a great player, and I think he’s..."

soupsoup — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:21:20 -0500

“[David] texted me earlier today. I wish all the best for him. He’s a great player, and I think he’s going to be fine because he’s a guy who works hard every day.”

- Jose Reyes (via yagottabelieve)

living-in-the-citi: 50th anniversary mets unis. no black...

soupsoup — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:19:45 -0500

living-in-the-citi:

50th anniversary mets unis. no black shadow!

I dig it!

A Note on Reyes, Wins and Losses

andrewbeaton — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:38:41 -0500

A brief note on Jose Reyes, wins and losses:

In 2011, the Mets were 60-64 with him starting, according to Baseball-Reference. That means, when he was not starting, the team had a record of 17-21.

In 2010, the Mets were 64-68 when he started and 15-15 when he did not.

Obviously there are plenty of other factors — who else was healthy at the time, the opponents the Mets played in the games without him and so forth. My point is not to undermine his importance and value to the team and fanbase.

Rather, I think it is important to illuminate that the future of this team rests on far more than the decision the team makes in regards to Reyes. His talents, demeanor and energy are irreplaceable not only statistically, but also emotionally.

But, whether or not the Mets bring him back is only a part of a much larger puzzle that needs to be assembled. I desperately hope they resign him; I have never watched a more electrifying player. Regardless of the outcome, however, the decision requires perspective — bringing him back is just one step towards building a good team, and is in no way an encompassing solution.

___________

I have a Twitter. Sometimes I say smart things. Other times I don’t. Take a risk and follow @andrewlbeaton

Don't Get Mad at a Poker Player

andrewbeaton — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:03:00 -0500

I have no doubt in my mind that I would lose to Sandy Alderson in a game of poker. He crunches numbers (a long with his uber-smart front office), he reads markets, and he is among the best in the sport at not tipping his hand.

Raise your hand if you saw the Francisco Rodriguez to the Brewers trade coming. (crickets)

Did most baseball pundits see Carlos Beltran being worth one of the best pitching prospects in baseball? Nope, but he sure was traded for one in Zack Wheeler.

And currently, many of those same people point to Jose Reyes being a sure-fire goner. Hold your horses. Whether or not he does inevitably leave, give the front office a chance.

Sure, the 2011 season was not overtly successful. The Mets lost more games than they won. But, it also gave me every reason to believe that Alderson knows exactly what he is doing and has a vision to bring this team to a point of long term sustainable success. And, just because he is not making headlines by being the most aggressive pursuer of Reyes, there is difference between being the aggressor and the winner.

But, if you read a variety of Mets columnists and beat writers, there is a prevailing sense of dissatisfaction among many (though to be clear, not all) of them.

Adam Rubin of ESPN New York - ”If the ultimate verdict with Reyes is a calculated baseball decision, so be it. But shame on the Mets if he departs and it is primarily payroll-constraint induced.”

Joel Sherman, of the New York Post ”The Mets insist they want to retain Jose Reyes, but at their reasonable price, and well, they should really stop saying that.

It is akin to going into a Mercedes dealership, badly wanting a new model and telling a salesman you are willing to go as high as $5,000 to get one.”

Matt Cerrone and Michael Baron at Mets Blog have been good at responding to these claims. For a good example, read this Mets Blog post by Cerrone.

To me, the most frustrating part about the current complaints with the Mets pursuit of Reyes is that the gripes are impatient. What has Sandy Alderson done wrong to warrant the Hatorade cooler being dumped on his head? He has done nothing but sit down and let the market develop, without blindly calling before he sees the flop.

Unfortunately, people who avidly follow the Mets are used to this. As Mets fans, or people who cover the Mets, we have grown accustomed to the fact that every column by Kevin Rosenthal, Jon Heyman and Buster Olney will include the newest tidbit about what top-tier free agent the Mets are pursuing. Now, all of those columns are about what teams are pursuing the Mets’ top-tier free agent.

A few years ago, with Omar Minaya as GM, it was a media inevitability that the Mets would sign Jason Bay OR Matt Holiday. Not if. Before that, we knew to expect big trades like for Johan Santana or Carlos Delgado. And, if the media perceived a hole in the team, whether it was in the lineup or bullpen, the Mets would surely fix it by signing Billy Wagner or Carlos Beltran. After all, the rumors said it was going to be happen.

For those years, the Mets dominated the hot stove. The media knew what Minaya wanted, everybody knew he would spend money, and with enough money, he was skilled enough to get what he wanted. But, the fact that everybody knew this was what he wanted, and he was expected to get it, it inherently drove up the price.

Should Alderson apologize for avoiding that?

When he took over, I believe we all knew to expect something different. I think most people were fine with the wait-and-see approach of last off-season because we were eager for a change from the strategy of throwing big bucks at whoever people thought the team was supposed to show the money.

Sherman likens this strategy that the Mets have employed with Reyes as trying to buy a new Mercedes for $5,000. Find me an article saying the Mets just offered Jose Reyes a two-year $20 million deal, and I’ll accept that the Mets are cheapskate low-ballers.

But, in fact, I think he is doing the opposite. Reyes knows he is in for a giant payday; any initial offer would be a low-ball. The front office is avoiding that because regardless of what the Mets offered at this point, I imagine Reyes would shop himself to other teams and figure out what he is worth. If there were only one Mercedes left in the dealership, Alderson is saying, let me know what the other four guys in the shop will pay for it, and I’ll talk it over with my wife and see if we think that’s most prudent for the family right now.

More than anything — more than being a scout, or some type of numbers crunching SABR-slut — Alderson has a keen understanding of markets. He knows the value of what he has, what he should spend and what he wants. And, he keeps all of it close to his chest. He showed this, more than anything this year.

Just look at the Beltran and K-Rod deals.

The point is, there is this growing dissatisfaction with the front office because they aren’t going for some balls out pursuit of Reyes. And realistically, there is a good chance that he signs elsewhere. But, there is also a good chance he resigns with the Amazins. When all is set and done, I’d be surprised if after he tests the market and receives offers, the Mets do not get a chance to match or respond to whatever his highest offer is. This is not to say they will match it, but I think it makes sense for everybody involved to give the Mets that opportunity. It’s not as if the two parties had a falling out - he still lives with his family in New York, where his career started and he is loved.

At least, I personally, am not going to write him or the front office off before the dust clears. Right now, there is just a giant fuss because the team isn’t kicking the dirt around in the way we’re used to as media and fans.

______________

I have a Twitter. It’s cool. Follow @andrewlbeaton

flipflopflyball: Mark Svartz is the funniest person I know. He...

soupsoup — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 22:02:35 -0500

flipflopflyball:

Mark Svartz is the funniest person I know. He did this.