#MLBMeanGirls

I may lose all credibility as a human being for doing this but I really don't care.

• "Ma'am, do you have this in the next size up?" "Sorry, we only carry sizes 1, 3, and 5. You could try Sears." - C.C. Sabathia
• "I'm sorry that people are so jealous of me... but I can't help it that I'm so popular." - Logan Morrison
• "There's a 30% chance that it's already raining!" - Tim McCarver
• "Don't have sex, because you will get pregnant and die!" - Translation: Don't look at Roy Halladay for too long.
• "Oh no, I can't say anything else until I have a parent or lawyer present." - Jose Canseco
• "On Wednesdays we wear pink!" - Alex Rodriguez
• "She doesn't even go here!" - Everyone . . . to Nick Evans
• "She's fabulous, but she's evil" - about Cliff Lee
• "I have a fifth sense. It's like I have ESPN or something." - Kevin Millar
• "Nice wig. What's it made of?" "Your mom's chest hair!" - to Tony La Russa
• "That is so fetch!" - C.J. Wilson
• "Yeah! Take your top off!" - The entire world *to* C.J. Wilson
• "Oh, hi. Did you wanna buy some drugs?" - Ron Washington

Feel free to add anything in the comments.

A Catcher To Celebrate

Happy stuff! It's Kai Gronauer's birthday! Let's all wish a happy birthday to everyone's favorite German Mets catcher!

Happy Birthday, Kai!

Should I Have Something To Say?

It's almost December, almost time for the Winter Meetings and I have nothing to say. The Mets have in no way started their offseason and besides announcing that they will in fact be celebrating their 50th season, they really haven't done anything newsworthy. However, this is New York and someone is always coming up with some story.

Today that story happens to be about Ronny Paulino. Apparently he was unresponsive when asked to pinch-hit at some point this season. Interesting, I know. But if people think that one moment is why the Mets shouldn't bring him back they should just stop thinking. I could go on for hours with my ideas about the Mets catchers, but I won't. I'll just say that if the Mets don't bring Paulino back it should be because he didn't hit, which is what they paid him to do.

BUT THAT'S NOT NEWS. That's stuff we already knew. This offseason has been slow for every team. But every team doesn't have fans that need stories to know their team still functions. Maybe it's not a bad thing that I have nothing to say. Maybe I just realized that there isn't anything to talk about right now.

Let's go Mets!

What The Mets Should Be Thankful For

As Thanksgiving approaches kids in elementary school classrooms all over the country are thinking of what they are thankful for.  If the Mets were to join one of those classes they would find that they have more to be thankful for than one might think.

The Mets should be thankful for . . .

Die-hard Fans.  The Mets have been dragged through the mud as an organization recently.  From injuries, to struggling ownership, to poor play on the field, there is no reason for any bandwagon or fair-weather fans to exist.  That leaves a small fan-base.  That small fan-base is made up of the die-hard fans. They still want to support the team and go to games and buy jerseys and t-shirts of their favorite players.  These are the fans that are looking for the Jon Niese and Ruben Tejada shirts in the team store.  They're the ones that can't wait to buy the retro jerseys.  They will find the silver lining of a falling organization. Right now the Mets fan-base is the die-hard fans and the Mets should be thankful they have this fan-base at all.

David Wright.  Ah.  The face of the franchise.  The man that has only played in the Mets organization.  The one person that has been around every year and every day to do whatever is asked.  He has played through injuries of his own and has played when everyone else is injured.  He has been there for oh-so-demanding New York media.  He answers all the questions about the on-field play and off-field uncertainty.  And he has done so with composure.  He had to learn as a 23 and 24 year old how to be a grateful winner and a graceful loser.  He has been the captain of this team for years without having the formal recognition as such.  David Wright has done everything for the Mets and there are a million and one reasons to be thankful for him.

Terry Collins and Sandy Alderson.  Collins and Alderson were the first big pieces of the next-era of the team.  They were both pressed with immediately satisfying the win-now attitude of New York fans.  They definitely did their jobs.  Collins came in and instituted his own philosophies and ideas and it worked.  The team listened and stayed above water for a long time, even through injuries and trades to big players.  Alderson not only had to find Collins, he had to find a way to put together a team despite severe financial limitations.  He found risky players with high-upsides and it worked.  The Mets should be thankful for the security Terry Collins and Sandy Alderson have brought to the organization.

The Future.  The Mets are changing but the Mets are lucky that they have players to look forward to.  Players like Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Jeurys Familia, Wilmer Flores, and Cesar Puello could become key contributors for many years.  David Wright has seemingly been the chosen veteran to lead the next generation and Ike Davis could be right behind him.  Jon Niese can be a cog in the rotation and Pedro Beato in the bullpen.  The Mets should definitely be thankful that their bright future is right in front of them.


There is more for the Mets to be thankful for.  And there are also things for the Mets to worry about and wish they didn't have to deal with.  But focusing on the positives is just more fun.


Let's Go Mets!

I'll Have More To Say Tomorrow

Tomorrow the Mets have to set their 40-man roster, adding any players they want to protect from the Rule 5 draft. I don't know who they're going to protect. I would love for Kai Gronauer and Kirk Nieuwenhuis (yes! I can spell his name!) to the roster. They both had injury-plagued seasons but they also both showed they have talent when they play. Kai is more of a question mark than Kirk because it's pretty evident that the Mets will need a real right fielder in the near future but nobody knows what they want to do with their catchers.

I know Kai Gronauer and Kirk Nieuwenhuis are not the Mets top prospects. Their are pitchers and other position players that have higher "ceilings" than either of them. However, Kirk would definitely be of interest to other teams and I don't want to risk losing Kai either.

Let's go Mets!

Celebrating History

Today the Mets announced their plans to celebrate their 50th season. The season-long celebration will include throwback uniforms, commemorative bobble heads, and the return of Banner Day. I can't wait.

The anniversaries that I saw of the 1986 and 1969 Mets were awesome. I was at the game in 2006 when the Mets honored the 1986 team and it was awesome. I cannot imagine how cool the stuff the Mets put together for their entire history will be. I love these celebrations because they bring the entire fan-base together. If we all have one thing in common it's that we love the Mets. Not all fans may love the current state of the Mets but there was something at some point that made them fall in love with this team.

I fell in love with fact that this team doesn't always win and yet they always are able to convince me that they're really trying their hardest. I went through the jump from 2006 domination to 2007 humiliation. And so many other fans did too.

I may not have spent decades of my life rootiing for this team through thick and thin. Heck, my life hasn't even spanned 2 decades yet. But I'm still able to share my love with my dad and many other fans that have stayed with this team for decades. I read and listen to stories from other fans, share my own and hopefully the Mets will provide reason to remember future moments.

1962 - 2012 … and beyond. Let's celebrate!

Let's go Mets!

A Perfect Fit

Grady Sizemore is a free agent.  The Mets haven't had a stable outfield since the middle of the 2006 season.  Grady can play any outfield position.  The Mets seem to like to play musical chairs in the outfield.  Signing Sizemore could definitely help the Mets.

For the past few seasons Grady has been the definition of injury-prone.  It seemingly started with a rolled ankle against the Yankees and then things snowballed into knee issues.  But that might not be the worst thing in the world.  Despite what the popular opinion of the Mets medical staff may be, they worked with Carlos Beltran through terrible knee issues and he came back to be traded for a top pitching prospect.  It may be a tiny light in the dark, but the medical staff has at least proven they can deal with bad knees.

Away from the injuries, Grady was productive for the Indians.  In eight seasons he has averaged 25 home runs, 39 doubles, and 24 stolen bases per season.  Take a moment to imagine the extra-base hits he would get in Citi Field, even with the adjusted dimensions.  And now imagine the ground he would cover in the outfield.  He would be a plus in the old, huge Citi Field and the smaller outfield just means he would cover an even higher percentage of ground.  Sizemore is also fearless in the outfield.  Yes, that may have contributed to his injuries but it is also quite a contrast from Lucas Duda's tentative approach to playing right field.

Grady Sizemore has said he would be open to playing any outfield position.  Putting him in either corner would benefit Angel Pagan in center field.  There is no way to know why Pagan struggled fielding at times last year, but if any of the struggles were due to an increased level of pressure and ground to cover, Sizemore would change that.  Pagan wouldn't have to worry about covering the gaps on both sides because they would be covered by their own fielders.  Bay, Pagan, and Sizemore could really cover a lot of outfield.

The Mets have said they aren't interested in Grady Sizemore.  However, things could change and maybe they would consider him.  The injury risk is there but it's in so many of this year's free agents.  This injury risk just has incredible upside.

Let's Go Mets!

It's Been A While

Nick Evans has been part of the Mets organization since 2004. For the first time in his professional career it looks like he will find himself with a different organization. Evans cleared waivers last week and had the option of accepting an assignment to AAA or electing free agency. According to Adam Rubin, he will likely elect free agency.

Evans wasn't really a prospect in the minors and never found his place in the majors with the Mets. However, he was always there. Especially during the past few seasons he seemingly could play wherever the Mets threw him. Injuries to Ike Davis and Daniel Murphy put him at first base this year and he was stronger than anybody could have expected there. And while he was playing everyday he was hitting. He always hit in the minors and finally showed towards the end of this season that consistent playing time brings consistent offense.

Without Evans the Mets could have a tough time finding someone else who can fill in all over the field. Josh Satin could very well be that guy. It'll just be weird for it not to be Evans.

Let's go Mets!

P.S. I'm just remembering all the stories from when Daniel Murphy was called up and he and Nick Evans were inseparable. I asked Murphy at Spring Training about being able to play with Evans again and he said he was really excited. Hopefully Murph will do better without Evans than Mike Pelfrey did when his buddy John Maine left.

Team or Player

Yesterday on twitter someone pointed out to me that as a sports fan I tend to like individual players more than teams. I hadn't realized it (or really thought about it) but it's really true. I became a Mets fan because David Wright was my favorite baseball player. And when the Mets traded Xavier Nady I followed the Pirates, Yankees (ugh), Cubs, and Diamondbacks for periods of time. I like the Indians because of Grady Sizemore, Joe Smith, Lou Marson, and enough others to get me to follow the team as a whole. The Mets are really the one team I will always love, no matter who is on the team.

Now a lot of "Mets" fans are facing a reality that they may not have faced before. They are finding out if they really are Mets fans or if they are Jose Reyes fans. Rooting for the Mets means rooting for the team year-in and year-out no matter who is on the roster. The personnel will change each year and for fans of the team it means fresh faces to get to know and spend the season rooting for. Rooting for individual players will take the fan from team to team, experiencing different organizations whenever the player does. If the player is exceptionally good, there won't be many new teams to learn. But if they're a right-handed bench bat it could mean 4 teams in 5 seasons.

The Mets fans will come back next year and root for Jon Niese, Ike Davis, and whoever else is on the team. The Jose Reyes fans will root for the Mets if he's back and will root for him wherever he goes. And some fans will root for the Mets but follow his career wherever it takes him. Even if it means Miami or somewhere else within the division. It will be interesting to see how the fanbase separates when Spring Training rolls around.

I know where I'll be.

Let's go Mets!

Winter Outlook - Catchers

Kai Gronauer is playing baseball this fall for Diablos Rojos in the Panamanian Winter League.  Mister Baseball is great site with a lot of information about baseball and softball in Europe.  Being German, Kai Gronauer is relevant to the site and there is an update on how Kai has been doing in Panama.


I'm glad Kai is playing this offseason.  He missed a good portion of the season due to a hamstring injury but finished the year strong.  Without playing this winter he would have been in a compromised position coming into Spring Training.  The Mets seemingly have the most catchers in their system and yet it's their weakest position.  Anything any of the organization's catchers can do to improve will give them an advantage.  The catchers between Kai Gronauer and Mike Nickeas in AA and AAA are Dusty Ryan and Raul Chavez, two guys that have been around for a while and still haven't impressed the Mets.  


The Mets are thin at catcher and it looks like they will be for the foreseeable future.  2012 could be a big year for Kai Gronauer.  He's another catcher that can defend but for him the transition from Germany hasn't been easy in the hitting department.  If he has a productive Spring Training and start to the year he could find himself in AAA with the Bisons.


The Mets have to decide if they want to have a defensive-minded catcher in the majors in the future.  If they go that direction now Mike Nickeas is the guy, but after that Kai Gronauer would fit that mold and could probably contribute more offensively.  But it doesn't matter if the Mets still don't know what they want from their catchers.


Let's Go Mets!

It's A Business

Mets fans exploded yesterday when reports of Jose Reyes first being offered a contract by the Marlins and then *gasp!* considering the deal and visiting the Marlins came out.  I may have exploded too, I mean if I hadn't already realized that the Mets are not the only team that wants Jose Reyes and that Jose Reyes is not only interested in returning the the Mets.

Reyes is one of the best shortstops and overall players in the game right now.  The Mets are not the only team that can benefit from having him.  Other teams are going to try to sign him.  And when those other teams put out their offers, Reyes has every right to consider the offer.  He has no obligation to only think about the Mets and what they may or may not give him in a contract.

I want Jose Reyes to come back as much as any other Mets fan.  However, I also know the Mets are just one of thirty teams that can offer a contract to him.  He's going to sign wherever he wants to.  No matter what the crazy fans think, their craziness is not going have any impact on his decision.

Can we please just move on and realize we have no say in any of this?

Let's Go Mets!

He's a Free Agent (Again)

I can't do it this year.  Searching through everything about Xavier Nady isn't helping me find a reason for the Mets to sign him.  He hit only .248 for the season before a Dillon Gee pitch fractured his left hand.  And looking at his splits doesn't help.  There is no upside to a player hitting .248 against both right-handed pitchers and left-handed pitchers.  I can't even make the argument that he hit for power this year, as he only hit four home runs.  They were all against lefties so maybe he still has something.  But he wasn't even a run producer this year.  35 RBIs are not going to convince anyone he can be productive in their lineup.  It's just depressing.

If there is a silver lining it was the fact that he did do something in platoon-playing time and his defense didn't suffer from the sporadic playing time.  For the first season since 2008 his elbow stayed healthy through his playing time.  This was a result of Nady playing 52 games at first base and only ten in the outfield.  His defense at first wasn't bad, as he made some nice plays this year.  When he did play left field, he wasn't too bad there either.

He's probably going to be a bench player wherever he signs.  He won't relive his days as the "Untie-er" on the Pirates in 2008.  But there is a good chance he will be more productive next season.  For the first half of the season it seemed like the Diamondbacks had a revolving door at first base so there was no way to know who was playing when.  As a right-handed bat off the bench he'll have a somewhat more defined role.

The Mets don't really need Xavier Nady and I'm not going to convince anyone they do.  But I miss him and think it would be cool if they considered him anyway.