New York Mets 2010-11 Winter report

[sonny10305]

WOW just in.. Castillo is gone
I guess that lineup card was just to confuse unless of course Collins did not know about Castillo wnen he did it
No news on what that means for the second base job it just narrows the choice
I will have more later or tomororow, I will be speaking to Kevin Burhardt and Of course Daniel Murphy.
Good grief I just tremble and shake everytime my phone goes off now
What next?

Oh..and Beltran just got a cortisone shot in left knee ,please can say say DL

 

[Sausy]

WOW just in.. Castillo is gone
I guess that lineup card was just to confuse unless of course Collins did not know about Castillo wnen he did it
No news on what that means for the second base job it just narrows the choice
I will have more later or tomororow, I will be speaking to Kevin Burhardt and Of course Daniel Murphy.
Good grief I just tremble and shake everytime my phone goes off now
What next?

Oh..and Beltran just got a cortisone shot in left knee ,please can say say DL

Castillo was just a symbol of the horrible culture that infested the Mets.....not a bad guy but he did at times really struggle out there,whether it be from injuries,aging,increased weight.In 2009 he actually had a good season,relatively but last year was injured again and barely played.Thought Omar Minaya made a mistake when he signed Luis to that four year deal,while he had already declined some as the offensive dynamo coming from the Twins off a 2007 trade.... had become much less a threat on the basepaths he clearly was was early on originally with the Marlins.As well as Omar Minaya's proclamations the Mets would emphasize speed and defense and Luis was no longer in his prime,the Mets should have gotten younger.Realize he was hurt by the fans piling on him,and some of it may have been unfair but there were too many injuries and instances of uninspired or sloppy play.He'll get his six million for the trouble with this sudden release but thankfully the Mets have turned the page and are poised to move forward,but I have additional concerns.

Luis Hernandez is praised to the heavens by Terry Collins regarding his passion,defense and commitment and that's all well and good,perhaps defensively he is the best they've got so far.Collin's earlier statements that seemed to indicate his understanding to a large extent second base was becoming an offensive position followed by his recent conversion to Hernandez backer(though apparently he was impressed even last year by Hernandez dramatic improvement at the plate in AAA and his toughness,hit a rare home run after in the same plate appearance breaking bones in his foot)doesn't take into consideration Luis previous lack of hitting skills and the fact Luis doesn't generate offense even if he hits....he really isn't a base stealer nor a big on base percentage guy.He can always come in for defensive purposes in later innings if Collins loves him so much but the Mets,without a whole lot of reliability in their starting rotation right now need as many runs on the board they can get.

That's why I'm a big Daniel Murphy backer,as is of course,our sonny who is never shy regarding all things MurphyIt pains me to hear how the Mets simply haven't the faith Murph can become a reliable defensive second baseman,with him making two errors last weekend in a key opportunity to gain supporters in the organization.No one works harder,he certainly showed his grit and toughness recovering from the knee injury on that cheap takeout.Obviously the Mets shouldn't feel obligated to play him there if they don't see him developing sufficiently defensively but his bat may be sorely needed in a lineup,where as sonny just posted,Carlos Beltran's knee will force him to the DL to start the season.And their pitching rotation might be decent but no one is sold yet they'll hold up enough to consistently keep them in games.

God knows what's going to happen with Jose Reyes,too....sad thing,scary thing is he's looking as good as ever but this is the last year of his contract after his 2011 option was picked up....Mets seem to love Ruben Tejada as his defensive oriented successor(alarming it doesn't seem the Mets are thinking of keeping Jose,probably if he's performing well trading him around the interleague deadline July 31)and Ruben just hasn't proven he will hit in an authoritative manner either....imagine a good up the middle defense but neither really running the bases and generating offense.We're not that stacked we can afford light hitters who may top out at .270-.280 but with minimal run scoring,run producing impact.Good we're turning the page from the Luis Castillo error,er...erabut not all that confident yet.And with the Madoff investing boys the Wilpons starting to get their potential club investers veted and approved by MLB,who knows what the new partners may require in containing costs or promising more liquidity and flexibility so that isn't as pressing a concern...that may take a couple of months at least to shake out.

Season hasn't begun yet and I've got agita!

 

[sonny10305]

Saucy may not write as often as he once did but oh boy when he does he always has such intelligent and profound things to say. Gotta love it

A few things to add, as for Luis Hernandez Collins had suggested Luis was a front runner for the second base job but has backed down on that. He now realizes that would not be the right choice, partly cause of the input he got from hitting coach Dave Hudgens. I dono where Collins was coming from anyways cause Hernandez is not even on the 40 man roster.
After talking to a lot of Mets guys, and Murph himself, I get the sense that Emaus will very likely get the second base job, first of all Ricciardi and Alderson will influence that decision, make no mistake both those guys want Emaus in that role. The Mets did not pay him $25,000 to draft him only to let him go he will get a shot at the very least. As for Turner he has no shot at all he has options and can serve as insurance for us down the line. That takes us to Murph who most now believe (including Murph) that he will be on the bench in a utility role opening day The Mets want his bat very much and Collins is a big fan so he will make the team just not as the opening day second baseman. The more I talk to Murph about this the more sense it makes, Daniel by the way is very ok with that if it happens, sure he wants to play second but mostly he wants to be on the team in any role, so he is going to accept what ever he gets with gratitude and reward the Mets with his outstanding work ethic and play very hard. Plus the second base job will always be in his back pocket, if Emaus or who ever gets the job fails Murph can jump right in, he will also play second in his utility role so it could all turn out fine. Look, as long as Murph is on the team I am fine with it and most importantly so is Murph.
They have to make a decision by the end of the week at the latest cause you have to think they need who ever it is to play in some spring training games with Reyes and Ike don’t ya think? Yes we will know soon.
We will get a chance to se Murph play second in today’s game against the Nats and to make the game even better my boy Nick Evans will play first with Ike playing in the spit squad game with the Braves but happily it is the Nats game with Murphy and Evans that will be televised today on PIX11

By the way I mentioned hitting coach Dave Hudgens, he has said he watched a lot of DWrights at bats from last year and believes the problem he had was just as I wrote many time too much tinkering. Dave said he thought David made way to many adjustments and that it had to be addressed this year Wright has got to be more consistent. Could not agree more just hope David agrees and I think he will.

I want to mention Nick Evans once again cause he is getting down to the wire and his fate is very unclear, as I have said often he is now out of options and how must make the team. Nick did say he has hopes that if he doesn’t make the team perhaps he can still stay with the Mets which he really wants to do. Perhaps if they put him on waivers and he can get thru the Mets could claim him and he could go down to the majors. We of course all want Nick to make the team but if we lose him there is hope to get him back.

I am not going to write anymore on Castillo but I did learn yesterday that most of the Mets players were sorry to see him go, apparently he was very well liked especially by Reyes who was very upset with the whole situation. The thinking is he could end up with the Marlins and some have said even the Phillies. I wish him only the best but very happy he is gone. The thing I got the most upset with him was the attitude he presented when he arrived in camp this year he was very arrogant and basically expected the second base job to be handed to him on a silver platter. But he did not work hard enough and just complained that he was not being given enough playing time and sulked about it a lot something that aggravated Collins to no end. That had a least a bit to do with his being let go,

Saucy I don’t know if you read my previous posts regarding the players that have been cut and what you though abut that, it’s in the two posts just above my last one. I also want to make clear for those who may not know that those guys are not gone they could return at any time it just means they have been cut from the everyday roster.

 

[Sausy]

I will go over them again sonny and comment...once you get me going I just don't shut up!I knew Murph would take that approach,he's a professional first and foremost and will do what is best for his team and teammates.In the end it could still all work out in his favor,but whatever happens Daniel is going to do his best to be positive and productive in whatever role he ends up performing.I'm a Nick Evans fan too,another real professional and good kid,which sonny knows even better than I do getting to know him the past coupleof years.Sometimes you may get too attached to a player who could be better off in a bigger role with another club,though you always root for the guy personally(except of course against the Mets)It's hard though when you know that person,and knows his dream(and yours) is he gets to play for the Mets...I hope it works out for him,but most of all I hope he gets to display a real shot to further his playing career sometime soon.Can't hang on to everyone..though I'm so glad that Ike Davis,Josh Thole,Jonathan Riese,maybe even Murph have got that chance to do very well for themselves and their teammates being Mets and others join them in the future that sonny has seen grow in the system.

On a peeved note(see,I can't just shut up!)this whole Brad Emaus thing is kinda annoying....nothing against Brad as a person but the whole Ricciardi likes someone,then Alderson likes him too(getting Collins was definitely pushed by Ricciardi,getting Emaus,what next?)Brad hasn't done squat and just doesn't deserve the job....nice numbers as a hitter in the minors two of the last three years but nothing earh shattering,not really a power hitter or a burner on the basepaths,he does walk some but not an on base machine,certainly not yet...Castillo was very wrong to have a sense of entitlement to the position,and Collins actually did him a favor by working with him in giving playing time,as annoyed as he rightly was at Castillo's "why do I have to prove myself"? mentality.However Brad Emaus should EARN the position,$25,000 isn't THAT much to drop unless the organization is really much worse off than we think.A Rule 5 guy is a gamble,he pays off or you send him back but no reason just to give him the job.Just wish Daniel had proven more so far with the tough defensive plays.Wouldn't copunt out Hernandez even if Brad doesn't make it though I'm glad,I hope sonny is right at least,that he's moving off his Hernandez obsession at least for the moment.

 

[syam24]

Well, Murphy helped himself with the 3 hits today, should secure a roster spot for sure, even if not the starting 2B, but if he countinues to hit the rest of the spring, that might be possible too. Looks like Ollie might have written the final chapter of his Mets saga today giving up two and almost 3 HR's in his work. More fine pitching by Capuano, the rotation is looking rather stable with Young and Capuano in there. Hoping they keep up the good work once the season starts.

 

[Sausy]

Well, Murphy helped himself with the 3 hits today, should secure a roster spot for sure, even if not the starting 2B, but if he countinues to hit the rest of the spring, that might be possible too. Looks like Ollie might have written the final chapter of his Mets saga today giving up two and almost 3 HR's in his work. More fine pitching by Capuano, the rotation is looking rather stable with Young and Capuano in there. Hoping they keep up the good work once the season starts.

Had to work but great to hear about Murph.I first and foremost don't want Emaus to get the job just because Ricciardi likes him...and Luis Hernandez may hit for decent average and bring the best defense but can't drive in or produce runs on a club that will need to hit to support the starting rotation,not pressure it.Young and Capuano are good gambles....inexpensive and if healthy can bolster the rotation,and be great depth if the Mets keep adding to the quality of the pitching staff.

 

[gtru1981]

So two things.

1.) i was on SNY.tv, that website looks so horrible! Looks like a bunch of second graders created it, the team must be broke.

2.) a video of a new sny commerical is out and it kind of looks very cheesy!
Why does Pagan always look so pissed in pictures and such! lol I heard his interviews, he is a nice guy, but always looks so mad! In the new commercial he looks very angry and Bay looks stoned (but never notice he has nice eyes lol)

All the comments i read were very negative, but funny! I wish i could post one that made me laugh so much, but i dont want to offend Sonny and Saucy!

 

[sonny10305]

Just hung up the phone, expect an announcement any time now that Ollie is gone
Apparently Saturdays fiasco was the final straw, if you missed Ollie’s performance consider yourself lucky it was awful giving up back to back homers, the first two batters he faced, they were hanging sliders that had hit me out of the park written all over them. I swear as soon as those pitches left Ollie’s hand I thought YIKES that’s going to be bad. Ollie’s departure will be good for Isringhausen I expect him to bump Bobby Parnell from the bullpen's primary setup role. Ike Davis introduced me to his fishing buddy Izzy in Florida and I was impressed by how humble he was saying how this was a new experience for him having to make a team but he feels that it's a good thing cause he can come in and get his work done but mostly how he can concentrate a little bit more when he is out there. Spring training really means something to him this year
So bye bye Ollie we will not miss you. Maybe the Phillies will hire him like they did Castillo. Oh yeah have ya heard, Luis is now in Philadelphia , I guess with Phillies’ second base situation is as shaky as Chase Utley’s knees. So maybe they can replace Utleys knees with Castillo’s wobbly ones. now I guess if he does well there it will be the Mets who will have drooped the ball


Mookie Wilson wasted no time this morning and has switched to uniform No. 1, Castillo’s old number

I got the iky sicky feeling of watching OIlie pitch by seeing the great job Chris Capuano did in 6 scoreless innings, striking out five without walking a batter. His ERA is now 1.69. As Syam wrote out rotation is looking more stable. Chris Young is also pitching very well. I had the fun of meeting him in Florida.

Saucy I read what you said about Murphy and Evans and appreciate your thoughts As for Nick he knows only too well that every time he hits the field eyes of the scouts are on him. If he can’t make the team and does not make it back if he goes thru wavers the best case for him would be a spot on another team I want only what is best for Nick and being a part of a new team rather than going back to the minors may be just that .
Nick was 2-for-3 Saturday, including a two-run double, and is hitting .288. I thought that double was outta there for sure I stood up and yelled YES! but it did not quite make it out nice hitting thou. Nick can and has played third, played first, both outfield positions
Murph’s situation with Emaus could easily end up a platoon situation at second which would work for me and Murph, there is little doubt in fact I would say no doubt that he will be on the roster in 2011 he is just that valuable with his spring batting average now at .341. He will give Ike a day off today against Atlanta and play first that will give Collins Murph's bat and get another look at Turner who will play second

Sorry Gtru I can not agree with you about SNY I know a lot of those guys and for me they rock
You are wise not to upset me and Saucy however
As for Pagan I hear what you are saying but actually he is a very happy go lucky dude well liked and can be very funny, his seriousness is just when he plays as seen in the video seen below that you mentioned

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaudbvvaoO0[/ame]

 

[sonny10305]

^^^^ Just a footnote to above post regarding Jason Isringhausen, I just got a text from Ike that read Izzy is down with right elbow inflammation, took some anti-inflammatory medication.
That’s important cause I recall Sandy Alderson saying that Izzy's elbow issue would have to be a consideration in whether he makes the team.
Sandy will be in the booth with Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez at today’s Braves game on SNY at 1PM, I am thinking Gary will ask him about Izzy as well as how it went down with Ollie.
Gary Cohen is back to finish the remaining spring training games, KB will be in the field doing those interviews he does so well.

 

[gtru1981]

SO ITS OFFICIAL!! OLLIE IS GONE!!! My freind txt me with such excitement!! This is good news for Mets fans!!

As far as Angel, he is one of the very few Mets players and i will never bash! I love him and he is my favorite player on the team! He derserves everything that is coming to him, because he worked so hard to get were he is. Just think a average joe who didnt know anything about him, would be like "wow he looks pissed!".

One of the main reasons i read your comments Sonny, is because you talk about Daniel Murphy. Pagan, Murphy and Davis are my top three favorite players, with Bay being number four. Over the months, i started to like less David Wright, he just annoys me now! Pagan and Murphy are guys that make baseball such a great and wonderful sport, not guys like Beltran or Gayroid!!! If i had kids, i would want them to look up to guys like Pagan, Murphy, and Davis!

And i will admit Sonny, i am slightly jealous of you with all your connections!! lol

Thank God Gary Cohen is back! I love seeing and hearing Cohen, Keith and Ron are on!!

 

[sonny10305]

One of the main reasons i read your comments Sonny, is because you talk about Daniel Murphy. Pagan, Murphy and Davis are my top three favorite players, with Bay being number four. Over the months, i started to like less David Wright, he just annoys me now! Pagan and Murphy are guys that make baseball such a great and wonderful sport, not guys like Beltran or Gayroid!!! If i had kids, i would want them to look up to guys like Pagan, Murphy, and Davis!

I am sorry to hear you have turned a little sour on DWright, lemme know why maybe I can win you back. I am thinking you have read a lot of my stuff about David; he is a one of a kind person and ballplayer. I don’t really know him but I know a lot of guys who do and all I ever hear is what a great teammate he is and what a class act he is. I have met him twice first time was in Brooklyn when he played his rehab with the Cyclones after he got bopped in the head and went on the DL for 15 days. The meeting was brief just a smile a word or two and he signed my hat but I spoke to most of the Cyclone payers about him and was told he could not have been nicer. He came in greeted everyone stayed to hang out with the guys after the game and was always humble and friendly towards everyone, no superstar diva stuff. The second time I met him was at an affair hat had a bunch of Mets in attendance including David, that time I got to spend a little more time with him enough to see what a terrific guy he is. I wish I knew him better, maybe someday. David is the most liked player on the team loved by everyone, you would find it hard maybe impossible to find anyone who would have anything bad to say about him. Murph and Ike both talk about how terrific David is and how much he helps them. In Yesterdays game after David came out of the game with the Mets losing he stayed in the dugout to see if the guys were going to come from behind and pull off the win, which of course they did thanks in part to Murph who’s RBI single tied it up. When Murph came into the dugout David high fived him saying that was “Murphalicious,”

I called last night to check on Jason Isringhausen who as you know had problems yesterday with his elbow and was shut down. Good news is he played catch with Dan Warthen and plans to throw a bullpen session today. Izzy said he is not concerned by the elbow issue cause it is with a muscle, not with ligaments and most important it has nothing to do with anywhere they did surgery. So what does it affect? Well it’s a muscle that slows down his wrist from throwing cutters and curveballs. By the end of day yesterday Izzys was throwing curveballs on flat ground, he plans to test his elbow long-tossing this morning. He does not plan to go to the minors and maybe staying in Port St. Lucie in extended spring training might be an option to delay an ultimate decision about whether he gets a major league deal and joins the Mets. Izzy’s feeling is if it happens, it happens, and we'll talk about it then, and as of right he is looking at being ready to go at the end of camp.

As for Bay he is going to scrap just about everything HoJo had him do and go back to the stance he had before and so far he is seeing and hitting the ball a lot better good chance he will have a much better year than he did last He credits hitting coach Dave Hudgens who encouraged him to move closer to what he did in previous years.

Happy Birthday to Ike Davis, the Ike man turns 24 today

 

[syam24]

As Sonny stated above, the "injury" to Izzy does not appear serious to Izzy or management according to published stories, so hopefully, a day or two of rest and good pharmaceuticals, he'll be ready to go again soon. He and Parnell will make a nice lead in to KRod at the end of games, in addition to either lefties, Byrdak or OConnor, or both.

 

[sonny10305]

Syam, Jason Isringhausen’s injury dies not look serious he threw bullpen this morning and is feeling much better and everything feels normal, As you wrote, Izzy is contending for a spot in the team’s bullpen and his role as a set-up man depends on his health, For a couple of days now he took several rounds of anti-inflammatories to reduce the trouble in his elbow. Today went well and now he wants to rest on Thursday and return to game action Friday in a minor league game. He plans on continuing the maintenance of his elbow which is extra exercises. Right now it looks like Bobby Parnell will get the first crack at the eighth inning.

GTRU. I agree it is great having Gary Cohen back I would be hard pressed to think of a game when he did not teach me something. But to be fair to Kevin Burkhardt I thought he did an outstanding job filling in for Cohen.
He now returns to his regular role as field reporter doing interviews like no one else can. Thing is, Kevin has a very special relationship with just about all the players who respect and like him a lot. Guys like Wright, Murph and Pelfrey love the guy.

As we get close to opening day and we wait on the fate of Murph, Evans and Beltran, the pitching is pretty much set, we know what the rotation is going to be. Mike Pelfrey, Jon Niese, R.A. Dickey, Chris Young, and Chris Capuano. The bullpen is still unclear and dono yet where that will end up but I’m thinkin Francisco Rodriguez, Bobby Parnell, D.J. Carrasco, (possible long man) Taylor Buchholz and Tim Byrdak (as the lefty specialist) will all make the team. Now if you are counting that means there are roster spots available for two more pitchers, so and since a couple of guys will be cut. I imagine Blaine Boyer and Mike O'Connor who are on minor league deals and have been tremendous this spring, will both begin the season with the Buffalo Bisons, and of course ya gotta figure they will be the first men up when the Mets need to call up some relievers.
Cause of that whole Rule 5 pick thing Pedro Beato prolly will get one of those two final roster spots. I am down with not because of the rule 5 but cause he is one of the hardest thrower the Mets have in camp this spring.
That leaves one more spot which would be between Manny Acosta, Pat Misch, and Jason Isringhausen. If Izzy stays healthy, the job could be his but I am also a big big Misch fan.
So what all this mean for Acosta and Misch is that they will have to be passed through waivers just like Hernandez and Evans. Of course there is the chance they could all be traded before they're placed on waivers. Thing about Misch is that he has the contractual right to declare himself a free agent after he passes through waivers but if the other guys go through the waiver process unclaimed, they will be optioned to Buffalo.

The race for the second base job got a little smaller this morning Justin Turner has been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. Because Turner had options, he did not need to go thru waivers.

R.A. Dickey pitches today in Jupiter After the game he will go home to Nashville for the birth of his son.

You may have heard that Pagan left the game yesterday with back pain. Apparently during the long bus ride he sat in a very uncomfortable position and after he got off the bus his back bothered him. Supposedly is no big deal he was seen moving well around clubhouse this morning.
Still, he will take today off with Harris in left, (he hit a grand slam yesterday) Hairston at center and Duda in right. Murph will play third today

 

[gtru1981]

So i posted this in the MLB 2011 thread, but i just wanted to post it here for the hell of it lol!!

Jeter's Jersey Is No. 1 In 2010 MLB Sales .

If anyone needed further evidence of the popularity of Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, Major League Baseball and its players association provided it Wednesday when it revealed that more people bought Jeter's jersey in 2010 than any other player's. Jeter was one of three Yankees among the top 20 jersey-sellers, according to sales of official Majestic jerseys in 2010; Alex Rodriguez's was ninth, and Mark Teixeira's was 11th. There were no Mets in the top 20.

 

[gtru1981]

I am sorry to hear you have turned a little sour on DWright, lemme know why maybe I can win you back. I am thinking you have read a lot of my stuff about David; he is a one of a kind person and ballplayer.

I have my reasons for liking him less and less. I just think he isnt the face of this team and seems to be brain washed to whatever the Front office feeds into his head! After watching alot of his interviews, he lacks a personilty and comes off as a complete idiot at times! There are more, but i dont want to get into it lol. This is MY OPINION by the way and no you cant win me back, because i have focused on other players like Pagan, Murphy, and Davis!

 

[sonny10305]

So the word that keeps coming down is that Brad Emaus will be the chosen one for the second baseman’s job. Although the job is still up for grabs we keep getting gentle subtle hints about Emaus from listening to both Collins and Alderson. Collins would still like to give Murphy a shot but both Alderson and Ricciardi, who was behind the team’s decision to select Emaus in the Rule 5 draft, want Emaus. But I also know that Emaus has done nothing to impress the Mets defensively, and his .216 batting average with no homers and one RBI this spring hardly provide a convincing case to make him the starter. Murph on the other hand has been tearing it up with his bat he has been above .300 all spring and is now at about .320 he also leads the Mets with RBIs
How it looks as of today is that Emaus will play second base for the next three or four days
then be re-evaluated by team brass. A decision will follow maybe as soon as Monday. So Emaus will again play second against the Cards today Murph is off but could come In late in the game and Evans will be at first, Capuano pitches
As for how Murph feels as I have written many times he just wants to make the team in any role he can. Now I am not saying this is true cause he never really said it to me but there have been times lately when I got the impression talking to him that he would almost prefer the role as a utility player and pinch-hitter.
HE DID NOT SAY THAT, I’m just reading that into the things he has said to me.
I would be fine with Murph in that utility role he will be outstanding for us there. Plus if Emus falls on his ass at second Murph could jump right in. Murph would play first, second, third and pinch hit and that would be fine with him and me as well. By the way the Cards game was on ESPN yesterday and Murph played third and made some outstanding plays there and seemed more than comfortable.
He also assisted in a couple of sweet double plays with Emaus who was at second, went 2-3 with a double, single and stole a base.
A treat and surprise was seeing Darrell Ceciliani who came into the game in late innings to play at center the kid looked good in a Mets uniform and I was just so psyched to see him in a Mets uniform. He went 0-2 but swung the bat well.

Oliver Perez is with the Washington Nationals now. He won’t be joining the team just yet but will stay behind in Fla after teams break camp to wok on things. Nats pitching coach thinks he can fix Ollie’s mechanics and figure out what happened to his velocity. *covers mouth and giggles*

Luis Castillo did not show up for his first day as a Philly but did come in yesterday where he went 0-4
*covers mouth giggles again*

Jason Isringhausen continues to work on his elbow problem, turns out the pop he felt in his elbow the other day that shut him down was scar tissue breaking loose. Izzy went back to the doctor who did his surgery who said that everything structurally was in great shape and that Izzy probably did break scar tissue in there. What happened is that the tendon moved down a little farther which is what Izzy felt. Cute story, Izzy was on his iPhone video-chatting with his 8-year-old daughter, when he asked her if she was ready for Dad to come home. She said it’s ok; he could still could play baseball. How cute is that

 

[Sausy]

Brad Emaus had a great day at the plate today,four hits....he's always hit and Ricciardi expects if givebn time he'd hit for sure .270-.280,maybe more with 15 homers a year potentially...can be solid-above average defensively but not really rangy or fast on the bases.I'm not in love with him being pushed as the starting scond basemen...as sony and al you guys know who've heard me before I really like Daniel Murphy at second.Think he can be even better driving the ball and knocking in runs and at least serviceable defensively but he;ll do what's best for the team.Thanks sonny for clarifying what Daniel's state of mind appears to be on this accordng to your observations and talks with Daniel.Hopefully in whatever role he plays Daniel will be an important part of the Mets plans for this year and beyond.



Nick Evans,we know a huge favorite of sonny'scontinues to impress playing well when getting the opportunity,three hits and an RBI in today's 16-3 thrashing against the Cards.David Wright hit his second homer and had four hits...sorry gtru that David has faded in your eyes as a player and person...like sonny I cannot see why.I don't agree with his defense of the Wilpons but can see his point of view,they have treated him very well in personal dealings and the whole Madoff thing is a sad and frustrating distraction.No one though is as dedicated and professional a face for the organization as David who wants very much to be a part of the Mets resurgence if it is going to happen.He's a class person and no one doubts his talent and dedication on the field.Derek Jeter for the Yankees rarely comes across as anything but guarded and bland in his public statements but no one denies how much he means to the Yankee organization and being one of the greatest Yankees ever,a true winner on the field and beloved by his teammates.(Maybe somewhat with the exception of his on again,off again friend and teammate Alex Rodriguez,and hell even they co-exist pretty well now)

David is the face of the organization like Jeter is for the Yanks,and I'd love to see David remain a Met for life,like Jeter will be remembered as a Yankee for life.

Josh Thole had a pinch hit homer,his third of the spring and Angel Pagan had three hits,3 RBI including his own third homer of the spring today as well.

Sonny,glad to see Darren Ceciliani as you mention still with the major league club this late into spring training(opening day only a week away!)Nobody should ever doubt this kid,as I read everywhere he's been he's exceeded expectations.People say he's not good enough blah blah but all he does is prove his critics wrong.Compared to a poor man's Jacob Ellsbury,this guy hits and hustles and runs like no one's business and I think especialy with Jose Reye's long term prospects re-upping with the Mets looking very precarious after a full year in the minors don't be surprised to see Darren become the new leadoff guy and bring his own dynamic,infectious style of play to CitiField.

 

[sonny10305]

Oh Saucy my boy I am so glad you got to see that game, it was so much fun

Lets begin with Brad Emaus who did indeed have a great day both offensively and defensively he was sharp at second and was 4-4 at the plate, if he can keep that going he will get my total support in the second base role. Problem is we have not seen much from him till now, his spring training numbers where not all hat great and defensively I don’t think he is any better than Murphy they are pretty much on an even keel, but offensively Murph is far superior so it does not add up giving Emaus the job over Murph. I know both Ricciardi and Alderson like Brads OBP which was excellent in both AA and AAA, but the are talking about batting him 8th so how can he be expected to continues those numbers in that spot. You know the opposing pitchers are going to pitch around him to get to the Pitcher. I have to think that Emaus does not need to abandon his selectiveness at the plate all the time, since a walk as the No. 8 hitter at least serves to clear the pitcher from leading off the following inning. All he has to do is remember if there are runners on base he has got to drive pitches slightly out of the strike zone that he can handle. I am starting to like that kid.

Change of pans for second base today Emaus was supposed to play there for at lat the next three games but Collins put Murph in for today instead, Evans will be in left field cause Bay will not be making the trip to Jupiter Carrasco is on the mound

As for Nick Evans, he did indeed have another great day at the plate going 3-4 his average is now .339 it just brings him closer to a bench spot which I want very badly, oh…and so does Nick. A lot may depend on Beltran and how he does, I keep getting conflicting reports about him some saying he is doing well others not so much but if Carlos does not make it opening day they will have an extra spot for Nick. By the way Bay is not getting any better yesterday he proved he can’t even handle right field now. Thing is Evans can and he is better with his bat than Bay, soooo well….. I’m just sayin.

Josh Thole’s pinch hit homer was sweet, part of that is that he turning in on the inside pitch which he did not do last year so oh baby watch out for that kid. His other goal in life is beating Dillon Gee at darts, seriously, they play like pros.

Yeah seeing Darren Ceciliani in that Mets uniform made me so happy I watched him grow from his days in Brooklyn along with Cory Vaughn and now they are making leaps to the bigs and I am so proud. I have spent hours talking the game with both those guys in Brooklyn watching them grow is a thrill I just get goose bumps seeing them out there Cory is in camp as well we should see him any day now. All tose guys look so darn good in them minor league helmets with the double ear flaps sorta makes em stand out but in a good way cause it says hey look at me I’m playin with the big boys.
Of course the minor league star of the show yesterday was Matt Den Dekker with that Pagan like leap and catch in right and that three run homer, holy mackerel can you imagine what that must felt like for him running that home run trot in the big leagues. Yup there is something very special about a minor leaguer hitting in the big leagues going up against a big league pitcher and knocking it pout of the park. DWright had come out of the game taken his shower and returned to the dugout in his workout clothes to see the minor leaguers play and when Den Dekker came back to the dugout after that homer David was there to give him a hand shake and pat on the back, that’s our David.

Chris Capuano was a little off yesterday allowing three runs and eight hits, he did strikeout four and walking none. He was not as sharp as he was last time but he is dealing with a sore quadriceps and id get behind some hitters. First two innings I thought he had a little trouble with command with too many pitches up in the zone. Not to worry he knows exactly what he needs to do to fix that he knows he was overthrowing a little bit at times, and that he needs to tighten up his mechanics and get a little better downhill action.

Kevin Burkhardt leaves his home in chilly New Jersey today to rejoin the Mets and Gary and Keith for Saturday’s game, welcome back KB

I like everyone in Mets camp love PR man Jay Horwitz, Thursday Beltran asked Jay to pitch run for him in a game they were playing for fun. Check out the one and only Jay running home and sliding? I guess that is what was trying to do. Love ya Jay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsbbZ6saX38&feature=youtu.be

 

[sonny10305]

Very rainy confusing day at Mets camp this morning. Murph told me the mood is as he put it weird with a lot of guys waiting for the word. Murph is looking very good for the bench job he is pretty sure that’s how it will go down, but Evans may not make it. This morning Nicks locker is sitting between two payers that have already gone back to the minors camp it’s kinda spooky. Once again Nick is doing what he did the last two years and wait for his fate and it don’t look to good, unless Beltran starts off on the DL Nick prolly wont make the team
What the problem is besides the obvious is that bouncing between the Majors and Minors during each of the last three seasons has left him without Minor League options, meaning the Mets cannot send him back down to the farm without first exposing him to other teams. Considering the terrific job Nick has been doing, that would mean another team will claiming him.
But that’s what the Mets want or so they keep saying which is why Nick is so confused this morning. The kid wants to know what’s going on, but at the same time he keeps saying he does not want to concern himself with it, He even said yeah I know it sounds stupid, but I try not to think much about it I just play.
It all started when the Mets signed first Willie Harris, then Scott Hairston this past offseason, that’s the first time we all thought oh oh that’s not good for Nick.
A few hours ago we learned that Willie Harris has been told he has made the team which hurts Nick’s chances a lot. I can not get my head around Harris getting the spot and not Nick who can hit for power to be sure, I keep track of Nick and know that he hit 24 homers over three levels last season and was .557 at Triple-A. When he comes up to bat he almost always ends up on base Just yesterday he finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs
So while we wait we can hang our hat on the fact that his making the rooster is not necessarily out of the question. If Carlos Beltran is not healthy enough to make the Opening Day roster the Mets could platoon Hairston and Harris in right field in his place. That would open up one roster spot, which could belong to Evans. As for Beltran as of this morning he will rest today then play in a Grapefruit League game Tuesday, if that goes well he will be on the Opening Day roster and not on the DL

Coulda, shoulda, maybe, are the kinds of things hat have hung over that kids head for as long as I have known him and that might not change. Nick said it well the other night when he said, That’s just the way it goes sometimes you start thinking about that and you’re not going to play the way you want to play. You just try to do the best you can with what you’re given. He went on to say that he is completely unsure of what's going on, and where I'm going to be a week from now, and although he is trying not to wonder about it he'd be a liar if I said I wasn't curious.

I have been flooded with text e-mail and phone calls all last night and this morning about who’s in and who is out. Nothing official yet so I will wit and post it when I know for sure. Murph has promised to let me know as soon as he does.
Like I said it is rainy in St Luice so the game today will prolly not happen. KB text said it’s raining like heck game not looking good. But if they play Murph will be in right field and Emaus at second


When it’s all official I will post the confirmed rooster maybe not today defiantly tomorrow.
I just need to give you guys an idea of what has been going on as of this morning.
Obviously I am over the moon about Murphy but very very concerned and sad about Evans,

Just got a text, game called today

 

[Sausy]

Yep sonny,feel bad about Nick if he doesn't make the club.Hairston and Harris are better defensive players but the team needs as much stick as they can get.He hits like heck and plays like he does,it has to be frustrating.Looking forward to the roster updates.