What's with all the love for Fernando Tatis?

I understand the Mets found a diamond in the rough last year with Fernando Tatis. I understand he was pretty much everything you can ask for, and much, much more for the team in 2008. But does anyone really have faith in this guy, again?

I was sour on Tatis all last season, bemoaning the signing, complaining when he was having visa troubles and downright mad when they were testing him at first base last year. When he finally got called up to the Mets on May 13, he spent the rest of the season proving me wrong.

Last night, I was lying in bed thinking about Tatis (weird, I know) and how he slumped in the second half. Boy, was I wrong.

In the second half of last year, Tatis actually hit nine points higher (.292 to .301), his OBP was 79 points higher (.323 to .402), and his slugging percentage was 90 points higher (.433 to .523).

I don't know what Tatis I was thinking about last night, but I was apparently way off.

Still, whatever Tatis did last season, I don't trust him for it again.

I think there's too much put into the stock of Fernando Tatis, exemplified in this tidbit from Ben Shpigel:

Manager Jerry Manuel plans to use Tatis in an expanded role this season, spreading him among the corner infield and outfield positions, as he ponders various and sometimes bold ways to slot Tatis’s potent right-handed bat into the order.

Is it just me? Probably. Am I hoping that doubting him through spring training will somehow make him play like 2008? A little.

Prove me wrong, Tatis.

First spring training game today

The Mets, well...some of them, are jumping on the bus to Fort Lauderdale Stadium to take on the Baltimore Orioles.

Adam Rubin relays the starting line up:

Luis Castillo -- 2B
Daniel Murphy -- LF
Angel Pagan -- CF
Ryan Church -- rf
Ramon Castro -- C
Alex Cora -- SS
Nick Evans -- 1B
Jose Valentin -- 3B
Fernando Martinez -- DH

Sean Green -- RHP

The Castillo lead off experiment continues. I like Murphy in the two-hole. Let's see what he can do.

Yes, Green is a reliever. He's just "starting" the game, and won't be pitching much more than two innings, if that.

The game begins at 1 p.m., but will not be available on radio or television. (Tomorrow's home game against the Marlins will be the first televised game -- I'll be live blogging, but I have class at 2 p.m.)

Real, meaningful baseball is tantalizingly close.

Why Carlos Delgado will make the Hall of Fame

I've made the case for him before, but Tom Verducci (one of my favorite writers) really drives the point home with his article "Appreciating Carlos Delgado, the lost slugger of the Steroid Era."

Delgado, who leads the majors in home runs by a player from Puerto Rico, was in danger of getting run out of New York only 9 months ago. Due to his historic second half, he was embraced by the team and fans, also getting his option picked up by the Mets.

Verducci writes:

Delgado has maintained a very reasoned position on what happened in the best years of his career. He doesn't want a do-over on the MVP award he didn't win. He is a happy man, content with his family, his decisions and his career. If he retired today, he would rank among the top 30 hitters all time in home runs, slugging, at-bats per home run and intentional walks. But he has plenty of baseball left in him. Last year, while turning 36, he played in 159 games, smashed 38 homers and racked up 310 total bases, his most since 2003. How much longer will he play?

"For sure, this year and another year," he said. "Then after that, I'll see where I am at. Then figure out what you want to do and take it from there."

He would like 1,700 RBIs, which would move him into the top 25. Already, he stands 50th on the RBI list. Already, he has Hall of Fame numbers.

That's just on the field. In 2000, he was award the Major League Player of the Year award and the Hank Aaron Award. He also won the Roberto Clemente Award, in 2006, given to the player who best exemplifies humanitarianism and sportsmanship.

He's a two-time All Star, and now famously came in second place in the MVP voting to Alex Rodriguez in 2003.

According to Baseball-Reference, Delgado is similar to a few big bats, two of which are already in the Hall. Here's the list...

1. Willie Stargell *
2. Jose Canseco
3. Jim Thome
4. Jeff Bagwell
5. Jason Giambi
6. Fred McGriff
7. Andres Galarraga
8. Willie McCovey *
9. Juan Gonzalez
10. Jim Edmonds
* denotes HoF

As it stands now, Delgado might not be Cooperstown bound, but with a few more strong years of baseball, I have no doubt he's heading that way.

Link: Manuel and the media

Bob Raissman has a wonderful column about Jerry Manuel and his use of the media. Click here to read the article.

Johan mentored Perez

Joel Sherman has an interesting tidbit about Johan Santana and Oliver Perez in his Hardball column today.

Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen told me that over the final two months of last season into this spring training camp that Santana has taken on Oliver Perez Oliver Perez as a "special project." According to Warthen, Santana is a tremendous asset in the continuing efforts to get Perez to a) concentrate consistently and b) deliver each pitch with conviction, purpose and accuracy.
---
"Maybe for the first time in Ollie's life he's ready to listen and Johan is there to help," Warthen said. The Met pitching coach said that Santana's stature and ability to speak to Perez in Spanish help deliver messages that Warthen might have difficulty getting Perez to fully comprehend. "We are mainly talking pitching theory and philosophy, and I think it means something coming from Johan Santana," Warthen said.

Santana becomes more and more valuable as time wears on. If Perez, a certified head case, is willing to listen to Santana (and hopefully Warthen), then the Mets may have made a great signing.

If he reverts back to fooling around and changing his delivery at will, then they're due for what they've come to know from Perez.

If Santana can impart just small traces of what he knows and how he handles pitching on Perez, then the Mets are in good shape.

Prospects dominate first intrasquad game

Though no stats are kept on these games, it's nice to see three young guys, who all have an outside chance at making the team, perform well in their first game action of the spring.

Jon Niese, Bobby Parnell and Dillon Gee each threw two innings of shut out baseball yesterday.

At this point in spring training, the pitchers are usually light years ahead of the batters, so don't read into it too much. Still, it's nice to see these guys out there and pitching well. They're likely the future of the franchise.

Ryan Church will be the Mets starting right fielder

Following up "Daniel Murphy will be the Mets starting left fielder," we have this...

Ryan Church will start in right.

Via Adam Rubin:

“I figured I’d talk to him,” Church said. “I knew all I had to do was talk to him. He’s very approachable. He’ll tell you how it is. He came up to me and said, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ You’re getting prepared to be the everyday right fielder for the Mets.’ That’s what my whole goal is.”

Good.

This keeps Fernando Tatis, a right hander, on the bench, giving the Mets one player in that category. I'm very happy with Jerry Manuel, so far.

It's photo day

It's photo day for the Mets down in Port St. Lucie. Here's a shot of John Maine and Duaner Sanchez goofing off.

AP Photo / Jeff Roberson

Daniel Murphy will be the Mets starting left fielder

All off season, the Mets were touting their left field platoon of Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis. Now, before any sort of spring training game, Jerry Manuel has tabbed the young Murphy as the starter in left, for now.

Not only did Murphy get the starting nod, but it seems Ryan Church's job might not be a lock.

Via Adam Rubin:

"I kind of see Murphy being a little better hitter right now, so Tatis could go that way," Manuel said, referring to Tatis being used in right field against southpaws. "It all depends on how well they're doing. If they're not getting hits, they're not going to play."

Bottom line: Murphy will be a starter, Church might have to split time with Tatis.

Putting the left handed Murphy in the field every day will keep the right handed Tatis on the bench. Tatis would be the only righty on the bench, save for anyone making a strong push during spring training.

It's a testament to Murphy's work ethic that before even an intrasquad game (first one today), Murphy has shown that he's a pure hitter and capable enough in the field to be an everyday LF. This nod must give Murphy a ton of confidence.

On the flip side, this might set off a red light for Church, who will stick around camp with Murphy, even when everyone else has already left.

Everything is not set in stone, so if someone is not hitting, they won't be playing. Simple as that.

Joel Sherman brings up a good point in his Hardball blog.

But what this also says to me is that Fernando Martinez is on the clock from the outset of the season and if the touted prospect ever stays healthy long enough to prove he is the real deal then Church's day as a Met are going to move toward extinction.

So, for now, the Mets have Murphy in left, Church in right and Tatis back on the bench. This makes sense to me.

Sunday afternoon reading

I'm in New York City for the day with my parents, so I figured I'd dish you a little bit of my "other" writings.

I work for The Chronicle, the student-run newspaper at Quinnipiac University. I have a weekly opinion column called The Weekly Peeve, which I thoroughly enjoy writing.

Here they are, for your enjoyment...

• People suing McDonald's
• The word "diversity"
• Baby on Board
• So called "fans"
• The tomato
• "I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus"

Enjoy your Sunday.