Bobby V, ESPN employee

This masked man is not the Marlins next manager.

Manuel’s Musing

“We have probably taken that too far, the pitch count. We have trained the mind to think that they can only throw a certain amount of pitches. If you train to finish the game regardless of what it took, then I think the pitch count would be different. We've trained people to be somewhat limited because injury is a possibility.”

-Jerry Manuel on pitch counts

Which players would you be willing to give up for Cliff Lee?

I asked Twitter that very question.  Not necessarily which package will get it done, but who would you consider throwing in to acquire Lee. Here are some responses…

glenngiangrande: I say nobody is off limits. Mejia, F-Mart, whomever. Show the fan base something and get a deal for an ace done!

ZekeO73: Murph, Thole, Feliciano, Carter. Not an impressive list but, I don't think the Ms should be bailed out for a bad season

Ben_Yoel: Jenrry Mejia, F-Mart, Brad Holt, Josh Thole, Robert Carson, Dillon Gee just to name a few.

Jim1975: package Thole or Feliciano and a pitcher or just Beltran definitely keep Pagan

trmbonemulligan: Flores and many more. No Pagan and MAYBE Mejia

patrickboegel: Mejia, Martinez

dances_w_vowels: as a rental, some package of F-Mart and a young "second-tier" pitching prospect on the Eddie Kunz level. Not Mejia.

How about you?  Which players would you be willing to part with to land Lee this year?

Bobby V to the Fish

Many are reporting that Bobby Valentine has been hired as the new manager of the Florida Marlins.

Not really any thoughts on this.  Glad he's back in baseball, not glad he's in the NL East.

So I'll leave you with this...

Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Manuel’s Musing

“My honest feeling is that he will make a push to be in Puerto Rico. That's home. He might end up there. I don't know.”

-Jerry Manuel on Carlos Beltran returning for the series in Puerto Rico

The magic of R.A. Dickey

What a pleasant surprise he has been.

R.A. Dickey is another of Omar Minaya's scrap heap pickups that has surpassed expectations and performed admirably for the team.  If he could build a team entirely off of low-risk players a year removed from mediocrity, I think he would.  The team would probably be horrible, though.

His one pickup a year seems to do well, though.

Honestly, raise your hand if you thought Dickey would a) make a start for the Mets this season and b) actually do well.

None of you?  That's what I thought.

But I can't complain.  He's been awesome so far and there's no sign of him stopping yet.

Just waiting for the two-year, $10 million contract for Dickey at year's end.

Offense go boom

If you haven't figured it out by now, the blog is lacking a bit.  I started my first real job - eeeep! - last week and I have a fairly long commute.  The job is awesome, but I'm not used to working all day long and driving three hours every day, so I usually come home pretty exhausted.

Last night, I plopped myself in front of the television in the third inning (after listening to the first two in the car) and promptly fell asleep.  I woke up about twenty minutes before the rain delay finished up and watched the Mets pound the Tigers pitching for eight runs in one inning.

Then, I fell asleep again.

I woke up to watch Jon Niese struggle for about two minutes before my eyes fell closed once more.

Later, I woke to see the Mets push a few more across before I was out for the night.  Magically, I woke up right as the game ended and Gary Cohen sent the viewers to the post game.

So my night was filled with naps spotted by the Mets scoring runs.  Not too shabby.

Manuel’s Musing

“He was my Yale. And Felipe Alou was my Harvard.”

-Jerry Manuel on Jim Leyland and coaches he looked up to

Do not agree

From Jon Heyman's "Best decisions of the past year"...

12. The Mets' decision to retain Jerry Manuel after an abysmal 2009 season

Manuel was put on warning, but Mets ownership never seemed close to firing him, even after the team started poorly in 2010. To Manuel's credit, a more confident, positive feeling in the clubhouse has aided the team's rather stark turnaround to the top of the wild card standings. Manuel has a very thick skin (a necessity in New York) and a knack for developing a positive feeling, even when things appear down. He has an option for about $1.5 million for 2010, but a multiyear extension is in order.

To me, the Mets are winning in spite of Manuel.  He's not exactly helping the matter, but he's not really hurting them either.  Yes, he's made some strange bullpen decisions and his campaign to keep Jenrry Mejia on the Mets should have netted him a few slaps on the wrist.

But the Mets keeping Manuel isn't the 12th best decision in baseball. Right now, it's a wash, if anything.

Manuel’s Musing

“We like to win every game we can. When all is said and done, however, if you would have told me that we'd go 7-2 on this nine-game road trip, I'd take it.”

-Jerry Manuel