Manuel’s Musing

“I think I'll take him with me to Kissimmee, so he can face Roy Oswalt. That'll be his reward.”

-Jerry Manuel on Ike Davis’ power output

Adam Rubin leaving the Daily News

Adam Rubin appeared on WFAN with Tony Paige last night and at the end of the interview, he revealed that today is his last day with the newspaper.

Rubin denied to reveal where he was heading, but he will not be leaving New York, or even the Mets beat.

Here’s what Rubin had to say (starts around 10:40)…

“Tomorrow is my last day at the Daily News, but I’m still going to be covering the Mets.  I don’t think I’m exactly supposed to say what yet, so hopefully people just hold tight and it will come out soon, I guess.

But I really just want to say about the Daily News that I thoroughly enjoyed the last almost 10 years there including seven-plus seasons as the beat writer.

They stood behind me last year when everything happened with Omar.  they were tremendous to me then.  And just bringing me to New York.  i grew up on Long Island but I was in Birmingham, Al. to cover White Sox Double-A baseball.

For them to show the faith to bring me to New York in the first place, I’m always going to be thankful.”

As to where Rubin is going, Tom Pich from Mets Guide posted to Twitter last night that he was “shocked that Adam Rubin is leaving the Daily News for ESPN.”

Update – 10:55 a.m.: Pich spoke to Rubin who confirms he is heading to ESPNNewYork.com and will start in two weeks.

This makes sense because ESPNNewYork.com, the latest in local ESPN web sites, is just about to launch, but there’s no confirmation of that yet.

The Daily News will miss Rubin, but I guess this means we’re about to welcome a new beat writer onto the Mets beat.

Goodbye, Josh Fogg

Josh Fogg, who signed a minor-league deal with the Mets on Jan. 29, has been released as per his request, according to Adam Rubin.

Back then, I wrote:

Fogg, [Troy] Renck writes, is “one of the coolest guys I have ever covered — think of Vince Vaughn in “Dodgeball.”  Renck believes Fogg has a shot to make the Mets out of spring training, and might even compete for the fifth starter spot.

Unfortunately, that might be the best thing to be said about Fogg.

Happy trails, Peter La Fleur.

One magic loogie [Video]

In honor of Jerry Seinfeld taking in today’s Mets game, I present one of the greatest scenes in the history of television…

Here’s a question I always had about Seinfeld: If Jerry is such a big Mets fan, why did George work for the Yankees?

Noble: Mets all-decade team

Read the whole article here. 

Agree or disagree?

Twitter Poll: Who should start in CF?

With Carlos Beltran sidelined (until early May?), the Mets have a hole in centerfield.  Angel Pagan is the favorite to start in Beltran’s place, but the Mets also have a veteran in Gary Matthews Jr. and a young-gun in Fernando Martinez.

I took to Twitter to see which player fans preferred.  Here are some responses…

F-Mart

kstrauss11: F-Mart for now until Beltran comes back...then F-Mart in right.

metsfanmurph: Fmart because he is currently the best player

m1735: F-Mart. He provides speed that the team lacks sans-Reyes and Beltran, and has more of a future in blue + orange than Pagan

EliseMichelle: I would almost always go with Pagan but the injury streak pushes me towards F-Mart.

Pagan

saffir_99: Pagan. F-Mart probably should stay in the minors a bit longer and GMJ doesn't have his defense anymore.

rad_ryan: Pagan. Fernando hasn't even played a full season in the minors in his career yet. Let him do that first.

maggie162: Pagan - he showed good consistency last year and has decent offense and defense.

GMJ

*crickets*

Where do you stand?  Which player do you want starting in CF in Beltran’s absence?

Manuel’s Musing

“I am still holding out.  I am still believing he will show up here in parking lot No. 7 any day.”

-Jerry Manuel on Jose Reyes

Jeff Wilpon’s Video Blog: Day 4

This is the stuff many Mets fans nightmares are made of…

Why I’m already looking ahead to 2011

Though we’re right on the precipice of the 2010 baseball year, I continually find myself looking ahead to 2011.

Next season for the Mets doesn’t look too bright.  With “injuries” to two starting position players likely keeping them out for Opening Day and beyond, the team will have to struggle to get out of the gates.  

With a dead-man-walking manager, a slow start will likely cost him his job.  With a poor season, there very well may be a new general manager come December.

A new manager and a new general manager, both looking to make a splash, win over fans and get off to a hot start in 2011, will do anything and everything to make the team as good as it can be.

And just look at the possibly roster come 2011…

Here are the players in their walk year: Carlos Beltran, Oliver Perez, Francisco Rodriguez (2012 option), Jose Reyes (if the Mets pick up his ‘11 option) and Luis Castillo.

Obviously, guys like Johan Santana, David Wright and Jason Bay are under contract well beyond 2011.

But what really excites me is the possibility of the young players making big impacts.

Guys like Josh Thole and Ike Davis are already penciled into my ‘11 Opening Day lineup/roster.  Very different players, but both at key positions to make an impact on both sides of the ball.

Fernando Martinez, if he can stay healthy, may be manning right field to start the ‘11 season.  Jenrry Mejia, hopefully continuing his work in the minor leagues as a starter, may be a bit closer to being major-league ready.

Though that might be a bit of a pipe dream to hope all four are perfectly fit for major league duty in only one more year of minor league duty, it’s a dream I will hold on to through this year.

Those four prospects, the cream of the crop of the Mets minor leagues, plus the Mets under contract, and a very strong free agent class next offseason have me dreaming big.  We’ll just have to wait through the 2010 season first.

Manuel’s Musing

“I don't want us to get in the mode of, ‘Oh, here we go again,' as an organization because I think and feel that we're in a position to sustain a hit, whereas last year I didn't think we were there.”

-Jerry Manuel on, um, sustaining hits