Rebuttal: My outrage at Citi Field

I miss Shea Stadium. But I'm much more excited for Citi Field.

Andrew Beaton over at Hot Foot feels much different:

It is truly shameful that the Wilpons are sacraficing thousands of seats, the opportunity for thousands of fans to go to a game, in order to build a few extra luxury boxes and earn an extra couple bucks. In fact, MLB teams have financial incentives to build luxury boxes beyond the obvious ones.

Sure, that's an issue here, but if you've been to Shea Stadium at all, you must know it's a dump. That's right, I said it. Shea was a dump.

It wasn't pretty. Citi Field will be gorgeous.
It didn't have the greatest facilities. Citi Field will be better for the players and the fans.
The good food was few and far-between. Citi Field will have scrumptious food at every turn.

There are 10,000 less seats, but it will be a much more pleasing venue for everyone. Better seats, better sight lines, better proximity to the game. It's going to be a better place, no matter which way you slice it.

Plus, you cannot forget that baseball is a business. It is hard to look beyond the emotions and love of the game, but it's an entertainment business. It's sole purpose is to entertain to make a profit. If they can make more money in Citi Field, then so be it.

They make more money because of SNY, would you want them to shut that down too, just because some people can't get it on their cable provider? I don't think so. It's a business, and where they play is just another way they can make money.

And where do you think that money goes? Well, most of it probably goes into the pockets of the Wilpons & Co., but the money gets recycled into the team. More money translates to better facilities, better franchise, and possibly better players.

So Citi Field in an investment in the franchise for the better. It may be a bit tougher to get a ticket, but outside of the huge games, I've never had a problem getting a seat at Shea when I needed it. I'm sure it will be just the same.

Citi Field, I can't wait for you to get here.

Mets must sign Manny Ramirez at all costs

I don't care what you tell me, I will not sway from the notion that the Mets should sign Manny Ramirez at all costs.

He is a professional hitter, a big bat the lineup sorely needs. Sure, there are power guys like Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, and David Wright, but this guy can purely rake. Think Moises Alou at his best, and not injured.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Manny will be the starting left fielder when Citi Field opens in 2009. He's one of Omar Minaya's favorite players, and I think he'd fit in wonderfully with the players, fans, and especially the lineup.

Yes, he's a goofball. Yes, he's a showman. Yes, he can be a handful. But Jerry Manuel is the sort of manager who can control that. He's hands-off at times, but you just know he won't tolerate anything out of line. Heck, he's "gangsta."

And don't come to me whining about Manny corrupting Jose Reyes with his immaturity. If Manny can be Manny, then Jose can be Jose. They may not be the ideal personality, but they put up numbers and help the team win. I don't care if they throw a tiny tantrum when they don't want to leave the game. In fact, I encourage that.

Manny would make this lineup so much better, not only by adding his bat, but by protecting the guys around him. Let's imagine for a second that the Mets sign him:

Jose Reyes
Carlos Beltran
Manny Ramirez
Carlos Delgado
David Wright
Ryan Church
Brian Schneider / Ramon Castro
[Second base? Please not Luis Castillo]
Pitcher

Beltran moves to the two-hole, where he belongs. If pitchers want to walk Manny, they then deal with Delgado and Wright. Wright could be interchanged with Manny. Church can be switched with Beltran. There are a lot of possibilities, but if these are the cogs in the machine, it's going to be a force to reckon with.

We now know Manny is legitimate. He can hit in both the American and National leagues. He can hit. Period. We've suffered through enough of Moises Alou, Fernando Tatis, Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans manning left field, that Manny Ramirez might even be a plus in the defensive categories as well.

He can hit, sort-of field, he'll bring in the money (but he'll also demand a lot), he grew up in New York, and he's all around fun to watch. Count me in for the "Manny in 2009!" campaign.

Poor Cubbies fans

Another year, another lost season.

Sounds like the Mets. But I'm actually talking about the hapless Chicago Cubs. The Mets have at least had two World Series championships this century. The Cubs have come nowhere close.

I actually feel bad for their fans. After a 97-win season, riding high throughout the entirety of the season, they were swept out of the NLDS by Joe Torre and his Dodgers, three games to none.

The funny part about that is the Dodgers won 13 less games, had to battle through the misery that is the NL West, pretty much squeaked into the playoffs, and they came in and handily tore apart Chicago, never even letting them sniff a win.

Yankee fans in this area must not know how to feel. Joe Torre is in the LCS for another year, with Manny Ramirez, Nomar Garciaparra, and Scott Proctor all under his control. Scott Proctor's Arm seems to be a little confused.

Chicago has had a long history of baseball, but the Cubs cannot seem to break the "curse." There's always next year?

WCBS-AM's Suzyn Waldman singing a tribute to Tom Seaver

This is priceless.

Via The Final Score.

I'm waiting for "THOMAS SEAVER IS IN WILPON'S BAWX!! SEAVER IS IN WILPON'S BAWX!!"

Jerry Manuel will be the Mets manager in 2009

The Mets and Jerry Manuel have agreed to a two-year deal, bringing the former interim manager back for the long haul.

According to Jon Heyman, the contract also includes a club option for a third year.

The numbers were leaked before at being a two-year deal worth $1.5 million, so I assume it's very close to that.

Welcome back, Gangsta. Here's to two (or three) more years of Gangsta in the clubhouse.

I guess this means I should learn how to say his name correctly.

Shea Stadium is coming down [Video]

Head over to Newsday to check out a video from inside Shea Stadium as the workers begin tearing the old place down, piece by piece.

What I'd like to know is, if the Mets are selling those seats, how is taking them apart and tossing them around like that going to keep them safe or organized?

Don't expect K-Rod

The Mets need a closer. One of the best closers in the game is a free agent this off-season. Too bad he's going to cost a fortune.

According to Jon Heyman, Francisco Rodriguez would command a five-year, $75 million contract.

Woah.

The Mets are unfortunately still paying Billy Wagner $11 million to get surgery and attempt a recovery for his career, not the Mets. He has thrown his last pitch as a member of the Mets, without a doubt.

I'd love to see K-Rod wearing orange and blue, but the Mets have a lot of fish to fry, and they can't blow it all on a closer, who earned the season saves record last year, but also struggled with putting runners on base. According to Jeremy Cothran, he was the fourth best reliever in the AL last season.

Omar Minaya would love to add him, but the Mets have to look elsewhere. Maybe Eddie Kunz can make an impact, maybe Brant Rustich can join the ranks, but the Mets still need to add a few key free agent acquisitions that won't break the bank.

One giant free agent or a bunch of smaller ones? Omar and the Mets have a lot of holes to patch in the bullpen.

Feast on this tidbit: Bobby Valentine?

If Jerry Manuel and the Mets can't agree on a contract, an interesting name has popped up.

David Lennon, in Newsday:

But if negotiations do fall through, one of the names that could surface again is Bobby Valentine. The club's chilly relationship with Valentine has thawed during the past year, and the Mets' job is one of the few that might prompt him to leave Japan. Having him return to open Citi Field next April would be like the franchise welcoming home a prodigal son.

I think Manuel will be back, but if he's not, I think Valentine is the next best option. He's a fan favorite, and is in that same calm, cool, collected vein of coaching that Manuel also subscribes to.

I'd do anything to see him don that fake mustache and glasses one more time in the Mets dugout.

Carlos Delgado will be your first baseman for 2009

Mets fans suffered through a year of futility before he busted out in July and August. For the sake of the Mets, one can only hope he can recreate his August numbers through the entirety of 2009.

The Mets are close to picking up Carlos Delgado's $12 million option, choosing to keep him around instead of buying him out for $4 million.

I think I can live with it. Hopefully he's not hitting .223 with 13 home runs and 68 RBI at the end of September 2009.

This solves at least one big problem for Omar Minaya. He will not be spending $200 million on Mark Teixeira.

The jury is still out. We saw both sides of Delgado in 2008. The really terrible, slumping Delgado, and the freaking amazing, out-of-his-mind hitting Delgado. I'll take the happy medium.

Bringing back Omar Minaya

Omar Minaya received a three-year extension, carrying him at least to 2012, with team options for '13 and '14.

I'm all for it. In Omar We Trust, as they say.

Yes, the Mets have missed out on the playoffs the last two years. Yes, the bullpen has been the thorn in their own side, and not much was made to resolve that fact last off-season. But here the Mets are, just one game out of the playoffs for another year. Is that good enough to keep bringing him back?

Minaya has a very, very difficult job to do this off-season. Looking at the team from a pessimists perspective, Omar might need to fill two starting pitcher spots, at least three or more bullpen spots, a first baseman, maybe even a second baseman, a left fielder, and almost the entire bench, sparing a fourth-outfielder.

Though people will call for one, a youth-movement is not coming. The Mets are set to open their brand new stadium, Citi Field, next season, so don't expect them to field a team of 24-year-olds fresh out of the minor leagues.

Minaya has done a spectacular job reshaping the franchise, for better or for worse is up to you. You cannot forget that baseball is a business, an entertainment money-maker. I have no problem with "Los Mets" because the money pours in from there. Also, we've read much about how African-Americans are shying away from baseball, while the Latino countries are simply pumping out baseball players as fast as they can.

It's a product of the city, the business, the niche. As long as they perform, it's fine with me.

It also seems he's learning his lesson with veterans. After Tom Glavine, Pedro Martinez, and Moises Alou, though they were all serviceable for a time, they all faltered when the team really needed them. The influx of call-ups like Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans might be enough to signal a change in the "Omar Doctrine."

The Mets have a lot of money to spend this season, somewhere between $40 to $50 million. It's going to be a long off-season, full of Minaya rumors, and he better be ready to catch some flak if the Mets three-peat the "collapse." If, god-forbid, it happens again, I can guarantee Minaya will be jobless next October 1.

Still, I like what he's done, especially with trash-heap guys like Fernando Tatis. The Johan Santana trade will be a gleaming gold star on his resume, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Manny Ramirez in left next season. He has his favorite players, and they're all pretty well known. Omar has a playbook, but it's almost paid off three straight years.

Is almost good enough? Guess we'll just have to wait and find out. Hopefully we don't have to wait until 2012.