Mets closing in on Mike Jacobs

I’ve always loved his swing.

Mookie, Melvin officially join Mets

Sorry to be late with this, but easing back into school was not too easy today.

Here’s the presser from the Mets, or at least, the “important” part of it…

The New York Mets today announced that Mookie Wilson has returned to the organization as the team's minor league outfield and base running coordinator. Wilson, a former Mets player, coach and minor league manager, was last with the club in 2005 as the manager of the Brooklyn Cyclones (A) of the New York-Penn League.

"It's good to be back," said Wilson, 53, who makes his home in Eastover, SC. "This is where I started and I'm anxious to do whatever I can for the young kids in our system."

The club also announced that Bob Melvin, a former major league catcher and manger, will join the organization as a professional scout, Guy Conti has been named a Senior Advisor in the Minor League Department, and Frank Fultz has been named the Rehabilitation Pitching Coordinator.

So, let’s say you played on the 1986 New York Mets.  Are you just waiting by your phone for the Mets to call to hire you?

Also, the number of internal Jerry Manuel replacements grows.

Mets claim Jason Pridie

The Mets have claimed OF Jason Pridie off waivers.  To make room, they designated RHP Jack Egbert for assignment.

Might as well buy those World Series tickets now.

Pelfrey: I had a terrible year [Quote]

“I was pretty upset with not only how the team played, but with how I played last year, knowing that’s not me. I had a lost year. I had a terrible year.”

-Mike Pelfrey on his 2009

The CF walls are being lowered

According to Adam Rubin, the Mets will lowed the centerfield walls in Citi Field.

Currently, the wall stands 16 feet tall in front of the Home Run Apple.

Rubin writes that, “the height of Citi Field's center-field wall will be sliced in half, making the ballpark more homer-friendly.”

Does that only apply to the area in front of the apple?  Because cutting the whole centerfield wall in half would make it about six feet tall in most areas.

What I assume is going to happen (don’t quote me on this), is that they will push the area in front of the apple back, so that there will still be a wall in front of the apple, but that the “home run area” will all be at the same level (the lower line).

Here’s a tweet from David Lennon: Mets are, in fact, lowering the cutout in front of the Apple at Citi Field, but may be more aesthetic move than home-run related.

I believe it will end up looking something like this…

Signs of spring

Because hope and subsequent disappointment
can’t come soon enough.

F-Mart, Figgy win Caribbean Series; F-Mart named MVP

Fernando Martinez, Nelson Figueroa and the Dominican Republic team won the Caribbean Series last night with a 7-4 victory over Venezuela.

Martinez was named the MVP of the series, going 8-23 (.348) with a double and two home runs.

Figueroa also tossed a gem in the series, a complete-game three hitter.  He allowed only one earned run on a solo home run.  He walked none and struck out 8.

Figueroa should, and will, get another chance in the Mets rotation sometime this year.  If/When the injuries start to hit the team, Figueroa is likely second on the depth chart to be called up (if he doesn’t make the team out of spring training.)

And I was asked on Twitter if I think F-Mart will contribute this year.  I think he will play a decent chunk of time with the big club, but as to contributing, I’m not so sure.  He’ll be good, but give him time.  Don’t forget, he’s only 21 years old.

A note to my readers

All,

If you’re wondering what happened to the posting on The ‘Ropolitans the last few days, and you haven’t been following my Twitter feed, here is the explanation.

On Monday, I woke up not feeling very well.  Unfortunately, that happens a lot for me.  But after things weren’t getting any better, my wonderful girlfriend called a doctor and dragged me to the car.

Thank goodness, because on the way my entire body froze up and I could not move.  Just imagine falling asleep on your arm, multiply it by 100 and spread it all over your body.  That’s how dehydrated I was.  It happed three more times that day, too.  Scary stuff.

From the doctor, where they called 911, I was sent to Yale New Haven hospital.  I was admitted later that night and ended up spending a few days there.

Diagnosis: A really gross stomach virus which triggered an unknown, underlying condition.  So as I’m somewhat on the mend, I’m set for a whole round of testing to figure out what is really wrong with me.

In the meantime, I’ve had zero energy to do much of anything besides sleep, hence the lack of blog posts.

Anyway, I’ll be getting back into the swing of things next week as we start to dip into single digit days between us and pitchers and catchers reporting.

Thank you for understanding and thank you to all the well wishes already sent my way.  It means so much to me.

-Andrew Vazzano

Davis, Mejia, others heading to ST

Yeah, I’m still pretty sick.  But this might hold you over until I’m better.

From the Mets…

The New York Mets today announced that they signed infielder/outfielder Jolbert Cabrera, infielder Luis Hernandez and lefthanded pitchers Bobby Livingston and Travis Blackley to minor league contracts and invited all four to major league Spring Training camp in Port St. Lucie, Fla. later this month.  Additionally, the team extended major league Spring Training invites to righthanded pitchers Jenrry Mejia and Carlos Muniz, lefthanded pitcher Eric Niesen, catcher Francisco Peña, infielders Ike Davis and Ruben Tejada and outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis. 

Cabrera, 37, spent last season in Baltimore's system, appearing in 78 games for Norfolk (AAA) of the International League.  A .257 career hitter, Cabrera spent time with Cleveland, Los Angeles (NL), Seattle and Cincinnati over parts of eight major league seasons.  He played with Fukuoka of the Japanese League for two seasons (2005, 2006).

Hernandez, 25, split last season between Kansas City and Omaha (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League, hitting .205 (15-73) in 37 games with the Royals.  Hernandez's other major league action came with Baltimore in 2007 and 2008.

Livingston, 27, pitched in three different organizations' minor league system last season-Baltimore, Cleveland and Pittsburgh-and combined to go 10-2 with a 4.02 ERA (80 earned runs/179.0 innings) in 31 games, 29 starts.  Livingston is 3-3 lifetime with a 6.31 ERA after pitching with Seattle and Cincinnati.

Blackley, 27, pitched last season with Reno (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League, finishing the year 4-7 with a 4.85 ERA for the Aces.  For his career, the lefthander is 1-3 with a 9.35 ERA in eight games combined for Seattle and San Francisco.

Mejia, 20, combined to go 4-5 in 19 starts for St. Lucie (A) of the Florida State League and Binghamton (AA) of the Eastern League last season.  He has struck out 205 in 210.0 career minor league innings.

Muniz, 28, pitched with the Mets in 2007 and 2008, going 1-1 in 20 games out of the bullpen.  The righthander spent 2009 with Buffalo (AAA) of the International League.

Niesen, 24, made 27 starts between St. Lucie and Binghamton last season, going a combined 7-11 with a 4.09 ERA.

Peña, 20, caught 100 games for St. Lucie in his third season in the Mets' farm system.  He is the son of former Kansas City Royals manager and current Yankees bench coach Tony Peña.

Davis, 22, won the 2009 Sterling Player of the Year Award, given annually to the top player in the Mets' minor league system.  The first baseman hit .298 (128-429) with 20 home runs and 71 RBI in 114 games between St. Lucie and Binghamton last season.

Tejada, 20, hit .289 for Binghamton while Nieuwenhuis, 22, won St. Lucie's Sterling Award, emblematic of the team MVP.  Nieuwehnhuis ranked 10th in all of the minor leagues with 99 runs scored last season.  He added 16 home runs and 71 RBI with St. Lucie.

Mets never performed physical on Putz [Quote]

“When the trade went down last year, I never really had a physical with the Mets. I had the bone spur (in the right elbow). It was discovered the previous year in Seattle, and it never got checked out by any other doctors until I got to spring training, and the spring training physical is kind of a formality. It was bugging me all through April, and in May I got an injection. It just got to the point where I couldn’t pitch. I couldn’t throw strikes, my velocity was way down.”

-J.J. Putz on his time with the Mets

Click here to read more from the story, because it’s almost too good bad to be true.

This is beyond stupid.

Everyone and their mother was harping on the right elbow of Putz the moment he came to the Mets.  It was an issue, but not one to get hung up on.  Apparently, the Mets didn’t deem it an issue at all.

Extremely disturbing news.