David Wright, forever the sound bite

David Wright is pure class.

A quote, via David Lennon:

"I hope that anybody who cheats get caught," Wright said. "Maybe its me being naïve, but I think baseball is clean. You would have to be either very desperate or flat-out stupid to try and beat the system now."

Wright went on to say that A*Rod is a better player that he is.

Seriously, this guy is the face of the franchise, and for exactly that reason he will not (cannot?) be the leader. He is the guy to always come out and say the right things when asked, but he won't be the guy to say the right things when needed.

He's too naïve, if you will, to jump into that roll. As great of a player that Wright is, I just don't think he has that leadership capability, something the Mets have lacked.

Phillies could land Ohman with one-year deal; Why not the Mets?

According to Philly.com, the Phillies are looking at, and have had discussions with, Will Ohman as a possible addition to their bullpen.

[Page] Odle said Ohman, despite getting two- or three-year offers from other teams, was open to a one-year contract with a competitive team like the Phillies.

If the Phillies can land him on a one-year deal, why can't the Mets? I'll tell you why: He doesn't respect them.

"We've had real good positive conversation with the Phillies over the past week, and I know Will would love to pitch in Philadelphia," Ohman's agent, Page Odle, said Sunday. "He's faced them a lot being in Atlanta, and has a lot of respect for the team and the organization."

I tell ya, I get no respect. No respect at all!

Anyway, I'd like the see the Mets up the ante a little bit on Ohman. They need someone else, and I think Omar is ranking the guys he currently has on the team a little too high.

Just one more piece to the puzzle, and I'll be content.

Mets win NL East in 2009, according to PECOTA

Take a look at the 2009 PECOTA standings, with depth charts. (via Amazin' Avenue).

According to Baseball Prospectus, the Mets will finish 2009 with a 93-69 record, besting the Phillies and the Braves, both with a record of 88-74.

Where do I sign?

No Johan in the WBC

Turn in those Venezuela jerseys, Johan Santana will sit out of the World Baseball Classic, according to Adam Rubin.

Via Rubin:

Johan Santana plans to withdraw from the World Baseball Classic at the request of Mets officials and remain in camp during spring training, the Daily News has learned.

This makes me breathe a lot easier. Maybe the Mets listened to my letter.

25 random facts about my Mets fandom

The latest craze on Facebook (Facebook me!) is to post 25 random facts about yourself. I'm going to put a little spin on that and come up with 25 random facts about my Mets loving side of life.

1. I own over 10 Mets hats. (Probably not a lot compared to some, but my mom likes to make note of it.)
2. My friend Jamie Palatini will never let me forget that I fell asleep during the 2000 World Series.
3. I have a large poster of Keith Hernandez on my wall that I'm pretty sure no one else has.
4. I can trace my fandom all the way back to when I received "Metty Bear," a stuffed bear dressed in a Mets uniform. I still have him.
5. My first game at Shea was Marlins @ Mets. (The date escapes me right now.)
6. I have a lucky (unlucky?) helmet.
7. My entire mother's side are fans of the Yankees. Only my father is a Mets fan.
8. I have at least one of Mets branded article of clothing for everything you could possibly wear, save for shoes and underwear.
9. I'm an avid New York Mets fan that has a picture of the five-year-in-a-row World Series winning New York Yankees hanging in my bedroom.
10. I have received exactly one baseball from my time at Shea Stadium. It was given to me by a girl who begged a member of the Braves coaching staff for one. She already had two others.
11. I want to be Mr. Met, just for one day.
12. I wish I knew more about the history of the team.
13. During the season, most things play second fiddle to the games.
14. I actually think I prefer watching games on TV. I'm not sure if it's because it's so expensive to go to the stadium or if Gary, Keith and Ron are just that good.
15. I only owned a package of games once. Otherwise, I just haphazardly buy tickets to games.
16. I have two David Wright plaques next to my bed.
17. I have a man crush on Wright, as well. (As if you couldn't tell, considering #16.)
18. I wish my name was Razor Shines.
19. Favorite meal at Shea: Hot dog, fries, drink in 3rd inning. Pretzel in the 7th.
20. I don't know the exact number, but I'm pretty sure I've seen more losses than wins at a game.
21. I once had a Mets belt buckle, but it has since gone missing.
22. The only autograph I have (in my house), from any Mets player, is the Keith Hernandez signed ball I bought for my dad.
23. I scream "Git! Git! Git!" whenever a ball has a chance to sail over the fence. My roommates hate it.
24. I also scream "Git down! Git down!" when the other team smacks one.
25. I know I will cry like a baby if I ever get to see a World Series championship.

Let's hear yours (you don't need to do 25)!

Ex-Met: Fonzi goes to Japan

Ex-Met Edgardo Alfonzo has found a new home. I hope he likes sushi.

Fonzi is heading to Japan to play for the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Central League. The one-year deal is supposedly worth $380,000.

From the Long Island Ducks to the Yomiuri Giants. Good for you, Fonzi. This now gives hope to every aging veteran hoping to still play. Except for you, Julio Franco. You already have a job.

Here's a strange one to start your day

Fletcher has been reading "The Yankee Years," and he occasionally throws up a quote or two from the latest chapter. Last night, he read this one aloud and it's too good to pass up.

It deals with the Mets, I promise.

George Steinbrenner would shovel debris out of six inches of gunky, green water while dressed in loafers and slacks if it meant winning a World Series, which is exactly what he was doing in the eighth inning of Game 4 of the 2000 World Series at Shea Stadium. A fire had started in a third-deck trash container at Shea. When firefights opened one standpipe to extinguish the fire, pressure built in another standpipe located over the Yankees' clubhouse. The pipe burst, spewing torrents of dirty water and eventually causing the clubhouse ceiling to collapse. Great waves of fetid water cascaded over the clubhouse, and headed in the direction of the Yankees' principal owner.
...

As firefighters arrived to shut off the standpipe and clean up the mess, Steinbrenner jumped in to help them. After they did the best they could to move the water out and shovel away the pieces of the demolished ceiling, Steinbrenner, soaked himself, took a wad of bills from his pocked and peeled off fifties and hundreds to give to the firefighters in appreciation of their effort.

What a peculiar story. Oh, and people said Shea wasn't a dump?

Does anyone remember this story from when it happened? I sure don't.

Because I so shamelessly stole his entire post, please go visit Scott Proctor's Arm.

Orlando Hudson for left field?

From Marty Noble's latest mailbag:

It is recognized that the Luis Castillo contract is not working out. Could the Mets possibly buy out Castillo's contract, the way the Dodgers bought out Andruw Jones', and then sign Orlando Hudson to play second base. Or how about having Hudson switch positions?
-- Andrew T., North Babylon, N.Y.

The Mets have considered the alternatives you cite. Buying out a player isn't easily done. Why would a player forfeit guaranteed money? And deferring payment doesn't necessarily reduce a club's obligation to a player. The club discussed signing Hudson and having him play a different position -- it would have to be left field. But it's thought he eventually would gravitate to second -- or be "gravitated" -- and that scenario, the Mets sensed, would undermine Castillo and create the circumstance where Hudson would play second, and Castillo would become an expensive wallflower.

Does anyone else not see a problem with this?

I understand that Castillo would be very expensive to have him be a reserve player or have his playing time diminished, but isn't winning the most important thing?

If Omar Minaya really wants this problem solved, he'll find out where Jeff Gillooly is and slip him a few bucks.

Braves out on Ohman

The Braves are no longer pursuing Will Ohman, according to Dave O'Brien of the AJC.

Did that $1 million offered to Tom Glavine put them over the top?

Ohman posted a 3.68 ERA last season with the Atlanta Braves. He appeared in 83 games, 58.7 innings, with a 1.244 WHIP. He struck out 53 and walked 22.

He made $1.6 million last season after signing a two-year, $2.5 million deal with the Chicago Cubs before the 2007 season (he was traded to Atlanta after the '07 season).

I think Omar Minaya needs to go for him.

E-mail from a fan

The following is an e-mail from a fan, sent out to a whole lot of people. For some reason, I was one of those people, and he even mentions my e-mail in the tirade.

I don't even know where to begin explaining this e-mail, but I think the word "racist" is the best fit. Here's what I read, at 8 a.m.:

While there is talk a certain Congressman wants the name Citigroup out of Citi Field, I have something to say about that. With the way the METROPOLITANS NOT METINOS have allowed Omar "I PREFER LATINO CRONIES ON MY METINOS" or "MY EMPLOYEES TAKE SIESTAS" or "MY EMPLOYEES TIRE in SEPTEMBER" or "MY ENTIRE TEAM SUCKS" to ruin this team with all his Latino bums who are on the team because they are Latino first but can't play (unlike when the Dodgers broke the color barrier; Jackie Robinson could PLAY FIRST) do not let OMORON name the stadium, or he'll call it METINO FIELD! For putting these Latino bums instead of good Latino ballplayers who won't complete another September MET DOWN, Fred COUPON EXTENDED OMORON'S CONTRACT!

In addition, Kudos to Adam Rubin for his web site and screen name to contact the website. It's called THEROPOLITANS@GMAIL.COM Note that's Ropolitans as in METROPOLITANS!

Go to www.petitiononline.com or GOOGLE "FIRE OMAR MINAYA!" for instant access, and sign the petition to FIRE OMAR MINAYA!

The answers are clear! DO NOT EXTEND OMORON'S CONTRACT! FIRE OMAR MINAYA! HIRE TONY BERNAZARD, OR BRING BACK STEVE PHILLIPS! BRING BACK DAVEY JOHNSON! LET MARTINEZ THE BUM GO (MINAYA WANTS HIM BACK)! TRADE FELICIANO THE BUM (MINAYA GOT HIM BACK)! TRADE SANCHEZ THE BUM (MINAYA WANTS HIM BACK)! TRADE PEREZ THE BUM (MINAYA GOT EL TWISTADOR BACK)! TRADE ARMAS THE BUM! TRADE GARCIA THE BUM (MINAYA DECIDED HE'S READY)! TRADE CASTILLO THE $18 MILLION BUM! TRADE CASTRO THE BIGGEST BUM OF THEM ALL! TRADE EL DUQUE THE BUM! LET AYALA THE BUM GO!

FIRE OMAR MINAYA! FIRE OMAR MINAYA! FIRE OMAR MINAYA! FIRE OMAR MINAYA! FIRE OMAR MINAYA! FIRE OMAR MINAYA!

Alrighty then.

I'm not quite sure why he gives kudos to Adam Rubin for having...my e-mail?

I love how in that last "The Bum" tirade, half of those players are no longer on the Mets.