2008 MotY: Black Bracket results

Here are the results from the first round of Black Bracket voting. We had our first big "upset" and also the closes match so far.

4. Billy Wagner vs. 13. Nelson Figueroa -- 79.07% to 20.93% (34-9)

5. John Maine vs. 12. Daniel Murphy -- 31.71% to 68.29% (13-28)

8. Damion Easley vs. 9. Ramon Castro -- 44.44% to 55.56% (20-25)

1. Carlos Delgado vs. 16. Nick Evans -- 97.62% to 2.38% (41-1)

2008 MotY: Black Bracket voting

Update: Polls fixed. Vote away!

Here are your polls for the Black Bracket Round 1 voting.

4. Billy Wagner vs. 13. Nelson Figueroa -- VOTE!

5. John Maine vs. 12. Daniel Murphy -- VOTE!

8. Damion Easley vs. 9. Ramon Castro -- VOTE!

1. Carlos Delgado vs. 16. Nick Evans -- VOTE!

To make up for the delayed voting, this poll will run until 9:00 am on Dec. 21.

Enjoy!

2008 MotY: White Bracket Round 1 results

Sorry for the delay everyone. The site I use, PollDaddy, was down for a long time and I just got yesterday's results. I'm also fighting a might sickness, so sorry for the sparse posting.

Here are the results from the White Bracket Round 1:

6. Joe Smith vs. 11. Angel Pagan -- 82.56% to 17.44% (213-45)

3. Jose Reyes vs. 14. Endy Chavez -- 98.04% to 1.96% (250-5)

7. Pedro Feliciano vs. 10. Pedro Martinez -- 66.4% to 33.6% (166-84)

2. David Wright vs. 15. Jorge Sosa -- 98.41% to 1.59% (247-4)

Not surprised as all the favorites won yesterday. Nice to see Martinez get a handful of votes though.

Results and next vote coming soon

The website I use to run the polls is down for maintenance right now.

As soon as it's back up, I will post the White Bracket results and the Black Bracket polls.

Quoted in Newsday

It's not the best quote in the world, but hey, I'm in Newsday!

Barbara Barker sent out a feeler on David Lennon's Newsday blog the other day asking fans about the recession and baseball. I shot her an e-mail, and she asked to talk to me over the phone.

Unfortunately (or is it fortunately?), I'm not from Long Island or New York, so I almost didn't make the cut. I must have persuaded her when I told her I can see the Long Island sound from my school -- or at least the sports center, to be more exact.

Here's my quote:

The signing even has brought a mixed reaction from hard-core Yankees fans, judging from responses to a query posted on Newsday's baseball blogs. Some, particularly younger fans, feel like Andrew Vazzano, a junior at Quinnipiac University, who says "a team has to spend money to make money." And other fans, even those who are thrilled that the Yankees are trying to improve, seem somewhat taken back by Sabathia's contract.

Now I'm not sure if I'm used separate from that Yankee statement, as just a baseball fan in general, or if she goofed. Obviously, I bleed orange and blue.

I did talk a lot about the Yankees on the phone, so I can see why she could have made the mistake. I guess it's because I feel like the Mets got Francisco Rodriguez for a steal, and traded for J.J. Putz while the Yankees went out and spent considerably more money for their big acquisitions.

Either way, it's pretty cool to see your name in print. Maybe one day I'll be writing the articles...Wouldn't that be nice!

Check out the full article right here. It's worth the read.

2008 Met of the Year Award: White Bracket voting

Here is the second groupings of votes in the 2008 Met of the Year Award tourney.If you're behind, check out the original post and the results from the Orange Bracket.

Today's matchups:

[Voting is over.]

Make sure you vote for the correct Pedro!

Voting ends at 11:59 pm.

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.