Jake Peavy being shopped?

I've always been a fan of Jake Peavy. Wouldn't mind seeing him behind Johan Santana.

According to the Union-Tribue out of San Deigo, Padres GM Kevin Towers is already in talks with some teams.

From U-T:

Towers said he has heard from clubs interested in trading for ace pitcher Jake Peavy. “We're having talks,” he said.

The GM said he wouldn't be surprised if the Peavy talks heat up next month.

Obviously, the Mets don't have much to trade out of the minor league system. Maybe a package of Luis Castillo, Aaron Heilman and Nick Evans can swing it (obviously joking).

Still, he won't cost as much as CC Sabathia, but the Mets already have an ace on their staff. I just can't see them adding another front-line starter while the bullpen is still a mess. But hey, you never know.

Manny is already on the Phillies $#!% list

Just another reason to have him sign on the dotted line.

In Game 2 of the NLCS, Manny Ramirez was at the plate when Brett Meyers decided to uncork one. The ball buzzed past the back of Manny's head, but no harm was done.

Game 3 was a completely different story. Russel Martin gets pegged in his first AB. Then he gets a bit of chin music on his second appearance at the plate. Retaliation is coming, of course, and Shane Victorino was the nearly unlucky batter.

Hiroki Kuroda spun one right past the back of Victorino's head, before Victorino grounded out to first. As the inning ended, the benches cleared. Who was the angriest member of the Dodgers? Manny Ramirez.

Don't tell me this is all part of his "plan." Don't tell me he's "playing for a contract." That's a gamer right there. And that's something, somone, the Mets need.

The Final Score (jeez, I'm linking to them a lot lately) has a picture up of Manny getting heated. I dig it.

But back to the Phillies $#!% list.

Via Tyler Kepner, in the New York Times:

“He knows the cameras are on him,” reliever Chad Durbin.

Well, obviously.

The Dodgers’ Manny Ramirez, who had a Brett Myers fastball whip behind his back in Game 2, made the biggest fuss in the fracas. He charged in from left field, and coaches restrained him from going after … somebody. The Phillies weren’t really sure, though Ryan Howard did say he told Ramirez during the game that Myers had not been trying to hit him.

Still, the heat of the moment takes over.

If the Phillies hate him, please Mets, sign him. Just another great reason for Manny to patrol left field in Citi Field.

Want your blood to boil?

Just read this:
Mets are legends in their own minds by Wallace Matthews.

It makes a few seemingly unfounded arguments and exploits them to make his "point." Enjoy.

Dear Lupica: Do your research

Sometimes, it helps to do a bit of Google-ing around.

Latest Mike Lupica article, published Oct. 12:

But you go for Manny Ramirez now, even after the way he has produced for the Dodgers, and you pay a lot more than $100 million, or whatever he and Boras are going to be looking for after the .400 finish Ramirez gave the Dodgers, after he dragged THEM across the finish line all by himself.

Article from Oct. 6 in the Rocky Mountain News:

Agent Scott Boras has let it be known through his media outlets that the expectation is for at least five years and $85 million in a deal for Ramirez.

That took me all of one minute.

Count Manny out for the Mets

My heart and dreams were shattered at the same moment.

Ben Shpigel of the New York Times is out covering the NLCS in LA, and he had the opportunity to chat with Manny Ramirez. Talk shifted to the Mets, and Pedro Martinez.

Via Shpigel:

When reminded that the Mets could use a right-handed slugger, Ramirez must have mentioned at least three times that he didn’t think the ball carried well at Shea Stadium. Reminded that the Mets are moving into a new stadium next season, Ramirez hardly seemed to notice.

Great. He won't be a Met because he doesn't like the way the ball carries at Shea.

Time to look elsewhere.

I miss Uncle Cliff

Cliff Floyd was easily one of my favorite Mets. I don't know of anyone who didn't like him. He looks like a big ol' teddy bear.

That's why I want the Rays to win.

Yes, they have Scott Kazmir, and it stings to watch him pitch and prosper with the Rays and not the Mets, but I want Uncle Cliff to win.

I'll never forget that game against the Angels, in the bottom of the 11th inning, with Cliff Floyd at the plate. Tie game, and he rips a ball to right field, but it hooks just foul. The very next pitch: crushed over the right field wall to win the game.

Truly a great moment. I was sad to see Floyd go, especially with all the injuries. But Floyd has really helped the young Rays, and acted as a leader through the season.

Go Rays, but more importantly, go Uncle Cliff.

Commenting on the stupidest trade proposal ever

Honestly, who concocts these miserable trade ideas?

The latest "rumor" out on the web has the Mets trading away Carlos Beltran to the Yankees in return for Robinson Cano, Brian Bruney or Jose Veras, Ian Kennedy, and another prospect or two and some cash.

No to Cano.
No to Bruney.
No to Veras.
No to Kennedy.
No to anyone else they want to throw in (unless it's A-Rod.)

This "rumor" shouldn't even get any press, but it keeps popping up and I feel like I have to comment on it.

The Mets are not going to trade Beltran, unless they're going to get someone worth $119 million. None of those players combined could equal what Beltran does for the Mets.

A lot of people hate Beltran, and I'm not sure why. Sure, he had a stinker of a first season with the Mets, but look at his stats over his Mets career.

2005: .266 BA, .330 OBP, .414 SLG, 16 HR, 78 RBI, 83 runs.
2006: .275 BA, .388 OBP, .594 SLG, 41 HR, 116 RBI, 127 runs.
2007: .276 BA, .353 OBP, .525 SLG, 33 HR, 112 RBI, 93 runs.
2008: .284 BA, .376 OBP, .500 SLG, 27 HR, 112 RBI, 116 runs.

Not to mention three All-Star Game appearances, most likely three straight Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers awards.

What else do I have to say? He's good at the plate, and great in the field. He's a cornerstone of the team, and without him, expect many more balls to fall in for hits.

No way, no how is this trade even considered by Omar Minaya.

Gary Carter and Darryl Strawberry nearly come to blows on team bus (in 1986)

Back in July, I had a post entitled "Jose Reyes and Keith Hernandez nearly come to blows on team plane."

Via The Final Score, we now know that Gary "Camera" Carter and Darryl Strawberry almost tussled on the bus in St. Louis, and if it wasn't for Ray Knight standing up and calming them down, who knows what would have happened.

Knight:

"So anyway, we were sitting there, oh, it couldn’t have been more than two or three minutes waiting for Gary. Straw yells out of the bus, 'Let’s go Camera Carter. You're holding everything up! Get the blank on the bus!

"And so when Gary got on the bus he started heading to the back of the bus for Straw. They' exchanged words. I stood up between them and they calmed down. There were things like that that happened all the time. The next night if Darryl hit a big home run, or Gary did, they would be high-fiving, hugging, like it never happened."

Ah, chemistry.

This is something I wish the Mets had more of. More attitude, more brash, more character.

Will you put up with Manny's antics?

Let's assume the Mets somehow land Manny Ramirez for a respectable contract, and he is the starting left fielder in Citi Field. Will you tolerate his antics of Manny being Manny?

I will.

The guy is a character, we all know it. Yes, he's on his best behavior in Los Angeles because he's playing for a contract. But his years in Boston, he was loved until the very end. If it wasn't for Jason Bay's play, Red Sox Nation would be very angry at losing him.

If Manny can make a catch, high five a fan in Citi Field, turn, and double off a runner, I don't care if he needs a few days off with a "knee injury." Heck, I'd rather keep him happy and playing 140 games, than cranky and playing 160.

Yes, I'm getting way ahead of myself. But hypothetically if the Mets can land Manny, would you be willing to put up with the guy?

Happy Yom Kippur

Shawn Green says...
Happy Yom Kippur to all those who are of the Jewish faith.