2008 Met of the Year Award: Orange Bracket update

It was a successful beginning to the 2008 Met of the Year Award. There was only one close match, while the rest were absolute blowouts, so here are the results and an updated mini-bracket.

Winners names are in bold, followed by percentages and actual votes in parentheses.

1. Johan Santana vs. 16. Marlon Anderson -- 98.73% to 1.27% (78-1)

8. Aaron Heilman vs. 9. Fernando Tatis -- 3.66% to 96.34% (3-79)

5. Scott Schoeneweis vs. 12. Luis Castillo -- 70.89% to 29.11% (56-23)

4. Carlos Beltran vs. 14. Claudio Vargas -- 97.53% to 2.47% (79-2)

Here in an updated mini-bracket.

Check back tomorrow at 9:30 am for the White Bracket voting.

Announcing: The 2008 Met of the Year Award [Voting has begun!]

The 2008 Met of the Year Award will be

awarded to the winner of the tourney.For a printable bracket, click here.
For an large updated bracket, click here.

Here at The 'Ropolitans, I thought it would be both entertaining and interesting to see who the 2008 Met of the Year (MotY) is, as voted on by you, the readers. I have the bracket and polls lined up and over the next two weeks, you will be able to vote in a head-to-head match to determine this years MotY.

Voting can be based on whatever you choose. Stats at the plate, play in the field, a game-winning hit at a game you attended, the fact that he signed your hat at the stadium, how cute he is, VORP -- whatever you choose!

The winner will be awarded a "trophy" and will be entered into The 'Ropolitans MotY Hall of Fame.

The first round of voting begins today, beginning with the Orange Bracket. The White Bracket will be tomorrow, followed by the Black and then the Blue Bracket.

There will be four polls for the first four days, after that it will go down to two polls a day for Round 2 and 3. Round 4 will be held over two days, as will the championship round. The winner will be announced Jan. 1, 2009.

Here are the results [Updated Daily]:

12/19: Orange Bracket Round 1 results.
12/20: White Bracket Round 1 results.
12/21: Black Bracket Round 1 results.
12/22: Blue Bracket Round 1 results.
12/23: VOTING IS OPEN. Polls close at midnight.

Have fun voting and good luck to whichever player you're pulling for.

Let the 2008 Met of the Year tournament...BEGIN!

As if Mike Pelfrey needed any more bad omens

Mike Pelfrey played a fine Santa yesterday for the children during the Mets holiday party, but it may cost him. In my projected 2009 roster, I linked back to a story about Pelfrey and his innings count. Foreshadowing much?

Here's what I wrote back on Sept. 5:

The article outlays the research by SI columnist Tom Verducci, where he found that if a young pitcher, under the age of 25, has his innings count rise by more than 30 innings from one year to the next, he will most likely suffer an injury or suffer from decreased performance the next season.

The 30-inning threshold is an indicator rather than a hard-and-fast rule, Verducci said. And there are exceptions, like Detroit’s Justin Verlander, who followed a 56-inning increase from 2005 to 2006 (when he won 17 games and the American League Rookie of the Year award) by going 18-6 with a nearly identical E.R.A. in 2007.

Well the New York Times brings up another tidbit of info that Pelfrey might want to ignore.

From their Bats blog:

In recent years, the Mets have had various players take on the role of Santa Claus at the team’s Christmas party, and more often than not it has not led to the best of luck the next season.

It goes on to list the players and their assorted maladies.

Mike Cameron -- 2004 Santa -- Collision with Carlos Beltran, misses two months of season.
Kris Benson -- 2005 Santa -- Wife causes him to be traded away.
David Wright -- 2006 Santa -- Great year for Wright, not so much for the fate of the team.
John Maine -- 2007 Santa -- Shoulder injury, costing him most of the season.

Beware, Pelfrey, the Santa curse is now laid upon you.

K-Rod's first Mets baseball card

Actually, just another Photoshop by yours truly. I don't like his hat logo, but it's the best I can do.

Link: Mets all time home grown team vs. acquired team

Head over to Sully Baseball to check out the NEW YORK METS - ALL TIME HOME GROWN TEAM vs. ALL TIME ACQUIRED TEAM.

Love the Anthony Young reference.

Photo of the Day: Francisco Rodriguez in a Mets uniform

Here are two shots from K-Rod's press conference today.He wears it well.

AP Photos

Mets eyeing Redding and Wolf as Plan B

I've suggested both the players over the last few days, and it seems the Mets agree. Randy Wolf and Tim Redding are both on the Mets radar, but rank in behind Oliver Perez and Derek Lowe on the team's wish list.

According to Marty Noble, Wolf is the better option, and he evens goes as far as to liken Redding to Jose Lima.

Inking Redding would more [sic] consistent with the Mets' signing of Jose Lima in 2006. Redding would serve as a No. 5 starter or in reserve. If he were to sign, the impressions Jon Niese would make in Spring Training -- not his ERA and record, but the Mets' sense of his readiness -- might determine Redding's immediate future.

Lima? Really? Redding isn't that bad.

But, this is exactly what I've wanted the Mets to do -- sign a #5-at-best, AAAA type starter to push Niese through spring training.

The Mets should just go ahead and sign Wolf now. I still fail to see why Jon Garland is not talked about as an option, though.

Noble also notes the Mets "anticipate a lull" in roster moves over the coming weeks, especially since three of their most wanted players are all represented by Scott Boras, who has bigger fish to fry right now.

Projecting the Mets 2009 Opening Day roster

The 2009 off-season is so far successful for the New York Mets. With a handful of new players arriving for their first stint in a Mets uniform, and even more players being shipped away, I figured it's time to take stock of the locks, possibles and wild cards in the Mets 2009 25-man roster.

Starting rotation
Johan Santana
John Maine
Mike Pelfrey
Oliver Perez / Derek Lowe / Randy Wolf
Jon Niese / Randy Wolf / ???

The first three are pretty easy here. The other two are still way up in the air. Maine and Pelfrey could be flipped, if you think Pelfrey will be that effective this season. History is not on his side. Brandon Knight is actually listed as the Mets 5th starter on the depth chart.

Outside of the ones we know, I hope the Mets start to stockpile pitching. They're going to need starters when the injuries start, and we all know they're inevitable. I'd like to see Lowe over Perez and Perez over Wolf. I'm scared to hand the starting role to Niese. He needs someone to compete with through spring training.

Bullpen
Closer: Francisco Rodriguez
Set up: J.J. Putz
Duaner Sanchez
Pedro Feliciano
Brian Stokes
Sean Green
Bobby Parnell
A left handed reliever

That's my best guess. The first two are shoe-ins. I believe the Mets will give Sanchez another go-around. If he can prove his worth in spring training, he's back on the team. Hopefully his arm can hold up this time around.

Parnell is a total guess. I don't think the Mets want to use him as a reliever, but they will. The Mets still need another lefty out of the 'pen after trading away Scott Schoeneweis. Maybe, just maybe, they'll get a guy who can throw at least one inning. The lefty specialist role is really wearing on me.

Update: I'm dropping Parnell from this list. He won't make the team out of the gate, but will almost definitely make it up to the big leagues during the season.

Infielders
1B: Carlos Delgado
2B: Orlando Hudson
SS: Jose Reyes
3B: David Wright
Alex Cora
Daniel Murphy
Marlon Anderson

The corners are locks, as is shortstop. Yes, I think the Mets will find a suitor for Luis Castillo (Kansas City? Cincinatti?) and will sign Hudson. Though I expect Hudson to get injured (Hudson is only two years younger than Castillo, and has also spent significant time on the DL) I think Mets fans will just be happy that Castillo is gone -- even if the Mets have to eat part of his albatross of a contract.

I think they will sign Cora, or someone to his degree to fill in for Reyes, Hudson and maybe even Wright when needed. Anderson, who better get his pinch hitting knack back in '09, can fill in at first, though I'd like to see the Mets try out Murphy there from time to time. I still think he's best suited as a first baseman.

Outfielders
LF: Fernando Tatis / Murphy
CF: Carlos Beltran
RF: Ryan Church
Jeremy Reed
Nick Evans

No way, no how do the Mets spring for Manny Ramirez. The Tatis / Murphy combo will be decent at best. Tatis will not hit like 2008 all over again. Beltran is a mainstay, and I couldn't be happier with him. Church, if he can stay healthy, will put up similar numbers to his entire '08 campaign.

Reed and Evans will likely be the fill-ins for Church, with Reed getting the ned for CF when Beltran needs a day.

Update: Evans was dropped in favor of a catcher.

Catchers
Brian Schneider
Ramon Castro

Rumors are swirling that the Mets want to sign Jason Varitek and move Schneider elsewhere. I can't see it happening. People were upset with Schneider's hitting last season, I doubt they'd put up with V-Tek's .220 average. I'd love to see Castro get more time behind the plate if Schneider does stick around. The chemistry between Santana and Castro in undeniable.

(Thanks, James K.)

So there you have it. Not a stretch by any means, but that's how I see the Mets shaking out for the rest of the season. Three more "big" signings or trades -- two for the rotation and one for the bullpen. A tiny signing for the utility playerHopefully a ton more pitchers are brought in "just in case."

To break it down even more...
Pitchers: Santana, Maine, Pelfrey, Lowe / Wolf / Perez, Niese, Rodriguez, Putz, Sanchez, Feliciano, Green, Stokes and some other lefty. (13)
Infielders: Delgado, Hudson, Reyes, Wright, Anderson, Cora, Murphy. (7)
Outfielders: Tatis, (Murphy), Beltran, Church, Reed. (5)
Catchers: Schneider, Castro.

Again, nothing extensive. Castillo is gone, the Mets sign a starter or two, add a lefty in the bullpen and bring on a utility guy. Other than that, the players are already here.

I'll keep track as the season approaches to see which ones I nailed and which ones I missed.

Links: Two of my non-Mets related writings

In the spirit of the off-season, I'll link you to some of my non-Mets related tirades.

The first is from The Quinnipiac Chronicle, the newspaper at my school of which I am a part of. This article focuses on my distaste for the song "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus." It is entirely tongue-in-cheek (except for my actual hatred for the song).

The second comes from a friend of mines blog, J Schil's Blog (one L), run by the admirable Jeremy Schilling. I guest posted about my feelings for tomatoes.

Please enjoy.

Buffalo Bisons unveil new logo

The Mets new Triple-A affiliate unveiled their new logo today and all I have to say is it trumps the Citi Field logo, by a lot.

From the press release:

The Bisons new logo was produced by Phoenix Design Works, who last year designed the inaugural logo for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals -Rich Baseball Operations' Double-A team in the Texas League. For their new design, the Bisons 'modernized' a popular alternate logo from recent seasons that had a standing bison inside a black and white baseball. This new adaptation shows a bison charging out and adds a new dynamic, multi-dimensional feel to an old logo.

Much better than this Domino's ripoff. Maybe they'll change their creepy mascot too.

According to the press release, the Bisons have played in Buffalo for 123 seasons. That's a long time in the Queen City.

Thanks, Howie!