This Should Make All Humans Smile

The Mets lost for the millionth time and I know Mike Nickeas isn't even in the organization anymore but these pictures of him visiting kids at a Buffalo hospital are too adorable not to enjoy.

All the pictures are from the Bisons.

Here, have an adorable video from yesterday too!

(If you hadn't noticed I'm still going to post about Mike Nickeas because he is and always will be my favorite and if you don't respect that you can show yourself out.)

I Still Exist!

It has been way too long since I have written anything here.  It has also been way too long since the Mets won games consistently and Ike Davis got more than one hit a week.  As long as I pick up my consistency now I can have a better season than the Mets and Ike, right?

Since I last wrote the Mets have basically fallen off the face of the earth.  They only come close to winning once every five games when Matt Harvey starts, and that is only if they manage to score runs for him.  Rick Ankiel and Marlon Byrd have been pleasant surprises offensively which really means the rest of the team needs major help.  The Mets have used about 324783 different outfielders and to everyone's surprise, Lucas Duda has not been the problem.

Sandy Alderson noted that the transitional players brought in to fill gaps have not performed as hoped.  The Mets have a lot of work to do if they want to even be treading water at the All Star Break.  The bullpen has relied on a Pedro Feliciano-level of appearances from Scott Rice and Matt Harvey is on pace to throw a billion innings and have maybe eight wins by the end of the season.  The offense is nonexistent outside of Daniel Murphy, David Wright, and some Lucas Duda.

It is going to be a long season.

As for my relevant minor league happenings this season, Mike Nickeas and Josh Thole are both catching for the Bisons so if I don't find a way to see them I will be a sad girl.  Xavier Nady has my attention again as he hasn't seemed to go more than a day or two without getting a hit and is trying to get back to the major leagues with the Royals.  It was really convenient last weekend when Nady's Storm Chasers were playing against the '51s.  Zach Lutz and Josh Satin are both waiting for the Mets to remember they exist and play 1st base and know how to hit while Ike Davis frustratingly melts away in New York.  Oh and Kai Gronauer has actually gotten some playing time and a few hits for the '51s which is pretty cool.

So I will be here enduring Mets losses, enjoying Indians wins on the side, and following way too many minor league games.  Maybe I'll actually write about some of it!

Let's Go Mets!

Better Safe Than Sorry

The Mets announced today that David Wright has a strained intercostal muscle and will rest for 3-5 days before thinking about resuming any activity.  It is a similar injury to the one Daniel Murphy suffered earlier in spring training and he is just working his way back into games now.  Obviously, Opening Day is in jeopardy for Wright as that is only 17 days away.

One way to look at this is that David should never have been playing in the World Baseball Classic and participating in all those games lead to this injury.  However, if we want to bring the WBC into this maybe we could look at how it helped.  David Wright said this strain has been bothering him since before the tournament started.  If he had stayed back in spring training he would not have been playing as much and perhaps the injury would not have become bothersome enough to bring up for another week.  This is Wright, the guy who has played through a broken back and a broken pinky.  He doesn't complain unless something is really a problem and the WBC put him in a place where he had to bring it up.

The timing could also be worse than it is.  While it's the second half of spring training, it is still spring training.  The games don't count until April 1 so if David needs a month to recover, he'll spend the first two weeks missing meaningless games.  And even if he misses Opening Day and a week or two of April, he'll come back and be ready for the rest of the season.  He will still have plenty of time to have a successful season.  By the mid-May or June nobody will think about whether or not Wright was there on April 4 because he will be there for the 4th of every month until October.

Let's not forget that David could be back in five days and start the season normally.

The Mets are lucky that they can afford to be cautious with Wright.  If he is out for a month, which is what Terry Collins predicts, he will miss minimal regular season time.  Be thankful David had a reason to deal with this now and not in a week or a month.  Spring training injuries happen but I really don't think this is anything to worry about.

Rest up, David!

Where Are They Now: 2010 B-Mets

The 2010 Binghamton Mets are the reason I know what I know about Minor League Baseball.  2010 was the year I finally thought about seeing Mike Nickeas play in person and even though I went to the game specifically to watch him, I left with an interest in a few other players as well.

Naturally, the first player to look at should be Nickeas.  2010 was the best full season he spent in the Mets season.  He was an Eastern League mid-season all star and made his MLB debut in September of that year.  It was a turning point in his career, as the Mets were ready to release him and he was preparing himself for an early transition to coaching if he didn't turn things around.

In 2011, Mike made his first Opening Day roster due to an injury and suspension of Henry Blanco.  Although he was back in AAA by the beginning of May, he was back before roster's expanded in September and fighting to prove he could be the next year's backup catcher.  After the season Mets officials admitted they were not satisfied with Blanco's 2011 performance and were preparing to start the 2012 season with Josh Thole and Nickeas as their catchers.

2012 brought another appearance on the Opening Day roster as he had the role of backup catcher.  He stayed in the majors until August, when he was swapped for Rob Johnson.  He struggled offensively in the big leagues but fortunately he found his stroke back with the Bisons.  He hit .364 during his month in AAA and was back with the Mets as a September call-up.

Throughout both the 2011 and 2012 seasons he gained experience catching R.A. Dickey and his knuckleball.  His defensive ability lead to his inclusion in the trade that sent Dickey to the Blue Jays.

This year will likely find him back with the Bisons.  His career since 2010 may not have lead to a stable place on a big league roster but it did lead to the opportunity for his first MLB hit, home run, and grand slam.  He was with the Mets to witness history when Johan Santana threw the team's first no-hitter and caught R.A. Dickey's one-hitter against the Rays.

That one-hitter also provided everyone with this awesome gif of the knuckleball in which Mike looks as baffled as one can be by the pitch (yet he still manages to catch it).

2010 was the first year I watched Mike Nickeas and the first year I watched Minor League Baseball.  There are other players from that team that will be familiar to Mets fans so I'll get to them later.

Let's Go Mets!

The Never Ending Baseball Season

Why is it such a big deal when pitchers aren't ready for the first round of bullpen sessions?  Why do so many people panic when the shortstop needs an extra day or two before appearing in a game?

Spring training has included less and less training as the years have gone on.  Players are expected to arrive in camp in the best shape of their lives.  If the official report date is February 15, they better be there on February 5.  Players end up spending upwards of two months at the team facilities before six months of regular season baseball.  And the sooner they arrive at the complex, the sooner they're expected to be ready for the season.

Baseball season is already a grind, marathon, and handful of other clichés.  The six month regular season wears on even the best players and the extra month for playoff teams is obviously an additional test.  The demand to come early to spring training isn't always beneficial.  The elongation of spring training is especially exaggerated this year with the World Baseball Classic and certain veterans' routines show just how much spring training is actually needed.

LaTroy Hawkins didn't appear in an actual game until March 8.  Last year, David Wright missed most of the Mets spring training games.  David Wright made it to Opening Day and Hawkins is on track to make it to Opening Day as well.  For players that have secure roster spots there is more than enough time to get ready for the season.  Pitchers don't want to throw too many innings and hitters don't want to take too many swings in games that don't matter.

Spring training has about 1/5 of the games of the regular season.  Add in the first few weeks of workouts and the extra workouts from early arrivals and there is more than enough time to be ready for the season.  Missing a handful of games or starting a few days late isn't going to ruin anybody's regular season.

At this point players are training year round.  It has almost gotten to the point where less training goes on during spring training than during the offseason.  Conditioning schedules are built around individual and official report dates and team workout schedules.  Players that actually rely on spring training to get in shape are criticized for coming into camp overweight or unprepared.  Spring training has turned into a winter long process with the formal camp only being the end of months of preparation.

There was a time when players weren't expected to be ready to throw a bullpen session or take a round of batting practice at the drop of a hat.  2013 is well past that time.  Players are in shape year-round and simply don't need two months of formal spring training.  They get their reps without formal workouts so the uniform is a small change in how they get ready.

Most players are going to be ready for the season regardless of small interruptions to spring training.  It's more important to take the extra time during the days that don't count in order to be there for those that do.  So the next time a player misses a day or even a week of spring training games remember their three-hit day in July is more important than any amount of hits in March.

Let's Go Mets!

"I've Got A Story And I'm Trying To Tell It Right"

In 2006 SNY was launched and all of a sudden there was Mets coverage out the wazoo, well at least compared to what was there before.  One of the new programs was Kids Clubhouse, a magazine show for kids to learn about the Mets and go behind-the-scenes of many aspects of baseball.  At the time Amanda Cole was the host and every fiber of my being wanted to be in her shoes.

Kids Clubhouse went beyond Mets games.  The episode in Cooperstown lead to a family vacation and a visit to the kids area because I just had to see that room after Amanda made it look so cool.  I wanted to be the one interviewing players and telling David Wright I played "8th base in 3rd grade."  I even remember the bloopers because the second that show started I knew it was what I wanted to do.

Then in 2007, Kevin Burkhardt joined Mets broadcasts.  He took over the role of field reporter and brought all kinds of stories and reports on Mets players and history to the broadcast.  Every time the broadcast would "Check in with Kevin" I knew I wanted to listen.  Every time I found myself wishing I could have been the one to do the research and tell people the anecdotes and information.

That's how I knew I wanted to somehow be the one getting the story.  I wanted to be the one exploring every ballpark and giving the "virtual tour."  I wanted to be the one interviewing Joe Smith on the subway.  I wanted to be sitting in the room listening to press conferences and writing the types of stories Kevin Burkhardt tells.

Writers at the Daily News, and New York Post also took note of Kevin and, for once, he became the story.  Kevin Burkhardt worked his way up to SNY.  And once he got to SNY he never stopped working and he became way more than the regular on-field reporter.

Kevin Burkhardt brings the fans closer to the game than more than anybody else can.  He explains everything from how players started playing baseball to what starting pitchers do between starts.  He shows us the best parts of each road ballpark and the parts of Citi Field fans don't get to see on their own.  He does it all and somehow manages to be so casual with his "back to you, Gare."

Any fan that has met him will tell you he's a class act.  Heck, the fact that a reporter has fans has to say something.  The first time I met him I could only utter "thank you" about 3847 times after taking a picture and he somehow didn't hold that against me during future encounters.  He goes out of his way to talk to fans at games and he always seems genuinely interested in what you have to say.  He's either a really good actor or he actually is one of the coolest people ever.

Lest we forget that he reads every twitter mention he gets and replies to most of them (even the ridiculous ones from me).  Kevin clearly knows how important it is to interact with your audience and it makes every report he does even better.  Who wouldn't like to think they influenced some aspect of their team's coverage (even if it's the ridiculousness that become the influence)?

@tholemoley just 8 games Ellie. Hope you enjoyed Nickeas last night ;)
— Kevin Burkhardt (@KBurkhardtSNY) June 30, 2012

@lutzgomets totally have the mind-reading device
— Kevin Burkhardt (@KBurkhardtSNY) January 3, 2013

In the tight-knit Mets community Kevin Burkhardt is one of the biggest celebrities yet he somehow manages to make the "little people" feel important.

Kevin Burkhardt is the best in the business at what he does.  Everything he brings to a broadcast is something I wish I can one day bring to Mets fans and readers.  If I can be half as successful a journalist as Mr. Burkhardt I'll know I did something right.

Kids Clubhouse and Amanda Cole inspired a 6th grader to find her dream.  Kevin Burkhardt kept that dream alive and continues to keep it alive with every report he gives.

Let's Go Mets!

O Canada

Russell Martin dropped out of the World Baseball Classic so the Canadian team is looking for a catcher.

Mike Nickeas was born in Canada, therefore he is eligible for that team.

Let's go Canada, make it happen. This would let Mike complete his international trifecta as he has already represented the USA and Great Britain in other tournaments.

It's not like he's fighting for a Major League role on the Blue Jays so this could give him some fun playing time this spring.

Your move, Canada.

It's Baaaaack

The first weekend of Mets baseball has finished and even though it may not have been the most exciting, it was nice to see some version of games again.  I followed as much as I could on my computer.  Gary, Keith, and Ron were back in the booth for SNY and of course we checked in with Kevin for the first time this year.  It was fun seeing #MetsTwitter active and tweeting about games again, too.

Shaun Marcum got things started yesterday against the Nationals.  Zack Wheeler, Cory Mazzoni, Darin Gorski, and Bobby Parnell also got in the game.  Admittedly a little amped up, Wheeler threw two scoreless innings to start his season.  Future closer Bobby Parnell even got the save.  Ruben Tejada homered off Stephen Strasburg and Collin Cowgill immediately had fans asking for more Cowgill.

So maybe it was exciting.

Today the Mets played against the University of Michigan baseball team as well as the Astros.  In the game against the Astros the bullpen gave us another taste of what the Mets have been eating since 2007 as they blew a 6-1.  The game eventually ended in a tie, because it's Spring Training and that can happen.  Matt Harvey and Travis d'Arnaud were the starting battery against the Astros and like Wheeler yesterday, they were both ready to play real baseball.  Before the game d'Arnaud said he had to listen to classical music to calm himself down and if he hadn't gone 0-for-3 that might have become his new pregame ritual.

Any day I can spend watching baseball is a good day.  I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't jealous of what looked like beautiful weather in Florida as I sit in still-freezing Boston.  But seeing David Wright and his Mets reminds me that baseball will be up north in a matter of weeks.

It was great seeing Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas play in the same game.  You know, and I got to confirm that they still exist even though they were exiled to that Canadian organization in the American League.  Mike even got a hit today!

Baseball is back and it's not going away until the month that has Thanksgiving.  It is a wonderful feeling.

A Warm Welcome

Maybe his new skipper was wishing him a happy birthday.

John Gibbons is getting to know everybody, including minor-league catcher Mike Nickeas, a Vancouver native. twitpic.com/c3hju2
— John Lott (@LottOnBaseball) February 14, 2013

I hope Mike Nickeas had a great day.  He seems to love baseball more than almost anything so I'm sure he was just happy to be playing today.

Happy birthday, Mike! 

The First Look

Vancouver native Mike Nickeas, acquired in the Mets trade, caught Sergio Santos in the bullpen today. #BlueJays twitpic.com/c3fzg1
— John Lott (@LottOnBaseball) February 13, 2013

I guess it's all real now.