Mets Minority Owner David Einhorn Talks to the Media

...via Metsblog.com here's a video of new Mets minority owner, David Einhorn, talking to the media this weekend at Citi Field. The questions and responses are pretty non-descriptive but what else would we expect.


...is it just me or do you think of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective whenever you hear his name. "Finkle is Einhorn. Einhorn is Finkle!" ok maybe it's just me.

Trading an MVP

I'm not sure if it's ever been done before. Has an MVP candidate been traded mid-season and then gone on to win the award?

The Mets have a chance to make history if it hasn't happened. Jose Reyes should be in the discussion mix as an early contender for MVP. If he remains healthy and stays on his current hitting course, Reyes could very well lead the league in hits, triples, stolen bases, runs scored and be in the top 10 in batting average. On a contender, Reyes would be an ideal candidate for MVP, but on the Mets will he get the consideration he deserves?

I realize it's a bit early to talk end of season awards, but the Reyes trade rumors and discussions make it a relevant topic. Would you trade an MVP in mid-season? The irony is if there was ever a person you'd want to sign wouldn't it be someone who's potentially the leagues' MVP? Wouldn't that be a sound investment?

With the salaries of Perez, Beltran, KRod, Castillo and a number of other players coming off the books this year, it really shouldn't be a financial issue for the Mets to sign Reyes. It should be a question of whether his talents can help this team into the future. I think Reyes is showing you that his talent is unquestionable.

With all its faults, Citi Field was built for Jose Reyes. Why wouldn't you keep this player who is finally becoming the best shortstop in New York that we had predicted he would be just 4 years too soon.

Don't Trade Jose Reyes. Trading an MVP is unprecedented, but so are the decisions the Mets seem to make.

When Will It End?

The pain and sufferring never seems to stop with this team. The disappointment just keeps coming. The bullpen that had been so good, now falters in back to back games. Pelfrey pitches a masterpiece only to watch others destroy it.

The stolen base onslaught and hit parade from Jose Reyes is null and void. Late game heartbreak seems to be the only recipe the Mets canserve up consistently. With each loss like this the likelihood of Jose Reyes remaining becomes smaller and another season of disappointment becomes inevitable.

But when will it end?

David Einhorn is Your New Minority Owner of the Mets

...looks like the Wilpons found an investor.

...if you're like me you probably don't know who this guy is so let's turn to the only logical source to get the Cliff Notes details on this guy...wikipedia.

David Einhorn (hedge fund manager) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What to do with Josh Thole?

Amidst all the Mets problems of late, one glaring hole has gotten a pass because of all the other drama. That major flaw is Josh Thole is horrible.

Thole is currently batting .207 with an OBP of .280. He has no home runs and only 4 extra base hits. On top of that, he's not that good behind the plate. His caught stealing percentage is only 19%. When Piazza was a liability behind the plate at least he was giving you some home runs and RBIs to make up for it. But Thole just can't seem to get anything going.

The most baffling part is that Terry Collins still insists on putting him in the #2 spot in the order against righties. Why??? I love the talk about how Thole is a contact hitter who can set the table for the middle of the order. Who are they watching? Thole is 3 strikeouts away from eclipsing his strikeout total for all of last season.

The problem is there aren't many other options. Ronnie Paulino is decent, but he's not tearing up the league by any stretch. I couldn't name you a catching prospect in the minor leagues. If only Nick Evans, could catch...

So for now Mets fans have to deal with Josh Thole's demise at the plate and his inexperience behind it. This would be easier to deal with if a healthy Ike Davis and David Wright were in the lineup along with circa 2009 Jason Bay.

The Bobby Valentine T-Shirt

...from our friends at The7Line.com

Wilpon Opens Mouth But Mets Fans Suffer

...just when you think you're feeling good about Mets baseball the wheels come off faster than you can say "Madoff."

...if giving up 8 runs in an inning to your cross town rivals and ruining a perfectly good baseball game wasn't enough, a Fred Wilpon article in The New Yorker came out today where Wilpon bashes the very players he's built this team around.

...the article is 90% about the Madoff issue but Wilpon let his guard down and called Wright "not a superstar" and referred to Reyes as "everything wrong with him."

...ugh

...get the highlights from MetsBlog.com link below and hope this is soon forgotten.

Wilpon’s candid comments (and Toobin’s insight) | MetsBlog.com

I Like the Subway Series

There's a lot of talk about the irrelevance of inter-league play. I can agree with most of the arguments that highlight the worthlessness of it, but I gotta be honest. I like the Subway Series.

You can cancel all the games the Mets play against the Twins or Royals or Angels or whatever American League team you want, but leave me six games with the Yankees. Why? It's rivalry baseball at its best.

Anyone who has friends, co-workers or family with a rooting interest in the Yankees knows how great it is when the Mets beat the Yankees. Or even better, when they win the series.

The Mets haven't swept a Subway Series since Art Howe was manager. Yes, I know how hard it is to believe that an Art Howe team swept the Yanks. But this weekend is an exciting weekend for Mets baseball. They're playing well. The young players are exciting to watch. The bullpen has been phenomenal. And there's no Luis Castillo so we don't have to suffer through the dropped pop-up conversations.

To me the Subway Series is the epitome of New York baseball. The hallway banter and online squabbling between Mets and Yankees fans that happen every day is finally put to the test on the field.

I think it's good for baseball; it's entertaining to watch and I just pray Dickey doesn't lay an egg tonight.

The Kids Are Alright

The Mets are truly on a roller coaster ride this year. Losing streaks followed by winning streaks followed by injuries followed by surprise performances from unknown players.

While guys like Dickey haven't been able to repeat their success story from last year, guys like Justing Tuner, Jason Pridie and Pedro Beato are filling the void. The current direction of the 2011 Mets is eerily similar to last year. If you'll recall, the Mets were relevant up until the All Star Game, when everything just fell apart.

The reason for their relevance was the fact that the starting pitching was great, except for Oliver Perez, and role players we're playing above their expectation. That's what we're getting from Turner & Pridie in the absence of Davis and Pagan.

Honestly, who would you rather have up with 2 on and 2 out when the Mets are down a run? Turner or Bay? Ok, that was easy. How about Turner or Reyes? I'd still go with Turner.

Daniel Murphy has been playing decent baseball. Pridie, who has struggled of late, hasn't made us yearn for the return of Angel Pagan. And the Paulino/Thole platoon hasn't caused Mets fans to call out for an upgrade at the backstop.

But the key to all of this is the pitching. Niese looked mature out there last night. Dillon Gee has done everything you could have hoped for. Beato has been masterful in the bullpen.

The kids are doing alright. And this is all without having Santana in the rotation, Ike Davis in the lineup, a healthy Wright at third base or even a Jason Bay that hits .240.

How long can this last? I don't know. But it's a fun ride so far. Winning 8 out of your last 12 will do that.

A Bench of Worthlessness

Someone has to be the worst player on the team. It's a fact of life. Not everyone will be an All Star slugger and no team has a guy that can hit .300 as the last resort in an extra inning game.

The issue is the Mets seem to have a bench full of them.

In last night's disappointing loss, the worthlessness of the Mets bench was fairly evident. This should sum it up for you in a nutshell. In the most important moment of the game with a chance to win it on one swing, the Mets decided to pinch hit for a guy batting .205 for a guy batting .050. The lesser of two evils? Perhaps. The results was a hard luck ball that might have been a base hit under other circumstances, but the point is would the outcome have been any different if another bench player was available? I don't think so.

The Mets are a depleted bunch right now with Ike Davis being hurt and David Wright soon to be on the DL so some may defend that the team is at the end of the talent pool. Possibly, but I'd argue that these bench players have been on the roster since Opening Day and have given no reason for us to want them to stay.

Think about it. Brad Emaus was the starting second baseman. He is horrible. So Murphy steps in. Davis gets hurt. Murphy moves to first and the Mets neglect Hu, who made the Opening Day roster, and instead turn to Justin Turner who has been great. Hu rightfully should have been given the shot, but Collins knows that Hu is worthless. And so finally today they put him out of his misery and send him to the minors.

But Hu isn't the scapegoat here. Scott Hairston and Willie Harris have been just as worthless. Again, both of these guys are on the Opening Day roster. Pagan gets hurt. Instead of turning to either Harris or Hairston, they call up Jason Pridie who know is the every day center fielder.

Both Hairston and Harris have been abysmal at the plate. Hairston is giving me flashbacks of Jeff Franceour and Willie Harris is this year's Gary Matthews, Jr.

Ruben Tejada has been called up and I like that move, but what is with the Mets hatred of poor Nick Evans? The kid can play either corner infield or outfield position and for the most part has done more at the plate in the majors than either Hairston or Harris.

In any case the Mets bench is bad. So bad you wish you had Fernando Tatis back. I understand the need to let young guys play every day and that veterans are more suited to coming off the bench cold. But when the Mets are in such roster flux right now and there are platoons at more than 3 positions, that argument should go out the window.

Let the kids play. Bring me Nick Evans.

Is Dickey Becoming Oliver Perez?

The Mets are becoming the team of the one year wonder starting pitcher. One great year does not a solid starter make. At least it doesn't in Flushing.

RA Dickey is reminding me more and more of what Oliver Perez was for this team. Think about it. Both pitchers had a great season which made you believe the following years would also bring success. Both have problems with control in the early innings. Both have lost movement on their main pitch. Both are notable head cases.

No one has been more disappointing in this short season than RA Dickey. I would say he needs to be sent down to the minors, but honestly who is going to pitch while he's out? Chin Lun Hu?

But if Dickey can't regain his mojo, he's not doing us any favors by staying in the rotation as he look completely useless out there.

The Unexpectables

Last night's win against the Astros is a more improbable Mets victory than one might think. Yes, it is the Astros who aren't exactly a fearsome team, but the Mets had not come back to win like this in quite some time.

They haven't won a game when being down by 4 runs since early last year and the way they were able to come back is even more surprising. First, Jason Bay showed some power (finally!) to put the Mets on the board. Then the BLOWpen of April, has disappeared as the relievers went into lock down mode after Dillon Gee gave up four runs in 5 innings.

Add that to the just called-up Fernando Martinez appearing out of oblivion to hit a monster 2-run pinch hit home run. And finally Mr. Anti-Clutch, David Wright, pulls teed up changeup over the left field wall with two outs to put the Mets ahead.

To top it all off, Jason Pridie, who was mired in an 0-15 slump, added an insurance run in the top of the 9th. Of course, K-Rod tried to make things exciting but ultimately notched the save.

This is one of the most unexpected wins of the season. Is it a fluke or are the Mets turning the corner with yet another 3-game win streak. Not to be overly dramatic, but this afternoon's game should give us some answers. Dickey is on the mound and he's been just dreadful. Can Dickey ride this high and master his knuckleball? Will the Mets give the starting pitchers some run support for a 4th straight game?

As the Mets inch closer to .500, it's easy to start getting excited about this teams overerachievement. But part of me is waiting for that 6 game losing streak lurking around the corner.

Don't Trade Jose Reyes Day at Citi Field

This is a great groundswell movement started by uber-Mets fan, Donna Bauer (no relation to Jack). Friday, June 3rd is the unofficial Don't Trade Jose Reyes Day at Citi Field.

In a recent blast email, Donna encouraged Mets fans attending the June 3rd game to:
Weare a Jose Reyes jersey or T-shirt and bring a sign that reads "DON'T TRADE JOSE REYES."

Love this concept and would truly enjoy seeing that game's broadcast show nothing but Don't Trade Reyes signs showing up in the stands.

To join this movement, you can visit the Don't Trade Jose Reyes page on Facebook by clicking here. And to get this awesome Don't Trade Reyes t-shirt pictured above, visit The 7 Line t-shirt store.

David Wright is One of Most Underpaid Players in Baseball

Forbes today came out with a list of the most underpaid players in the majors today. New York Mets third baseman, David Wright, made the top 5 along with Rafael Furcal, Albert Pujols, Rickie Weeks and Jose Bautista.

As Mets fans, we see Wright play ever day. We live through his hot streaks and brutally frigid cold streaks. I know I balked when I saw him featured on this list, but looking at his production compared to his salary Wright is a bargain in today's market.

You can get all the criteria used to compile the list and the full roster of players on it in the link below.

Pujols among MLB's most underpaid players - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

Mets Are a Mess

Financial issues aside, the 2011 Mets are well on their way to trumping the debacle of 2010 and 2009 in stellar fashion. From injuries to idiocy, the Mets can't seem to get anything to go their way.

Look at what has happened and it's only May 10th:

• Chris Young looks to be surprise ace of the staff only to need season ending surgery.
• Top pitching prospect, Jenrry Mejia, starts season in minors with hopes of mid-season call up only to follow in the footsteps of Daniel Murphy and lose an entire season to injury.
• Sign nemesis, Willie Harris, to bolster bench but find he should stay firmly seated on the pines due to lack of ability to hit the ball and ineptitude on the base paths.
• Angel Pagan is named heir apparent to Carlos Beltran in center field but starts the season buried in a slump. Then gets injured to have questions of toughness reemerge. 
• Jason Bay can't start the season, but comes back and reminds Mets fans why we didn't miss him much last year.
• Bobby Parnell returns from great finish last year but can't seem to get anyone out. Heads to only place where Mets pitchers thrive: the disabled list.
• Scott Hairston is signed to provide pinch hitting help. Instead we're pinching ourselves every time he steps to the plate in the hopes that we'll wake up from his nightmare of a swing.
• Comeback player, RA Dickey, returns only to make Mets fans wonder if last season's performance was merely just a dream. His knuckleball looks like a junior high fastball.
• The best and most consistent players are Jose Reyes & Carlos Beltran. The two players the Mets will refuse to have return next year.

All that and I didn't even mention a year without Johan Santana, Hu's horrendousness, Pelfrey's problems and Wright's strikeout epidemic.

This team will have some win streaks, but are they enough to counter balance the depths of despair this team plummets to on a weekly basis. A .500 ball club in July has a chance for the Wild Card, but I question whether we'll ever see .500 in 2011.

Enjoy Jose Reyes

Jose Reyes is playing at a level beyond expectations. He is a triples machine. He is putting the ball in play and not chasing bad pitches. He is the player we all hoped he would be.

Mets fans have put a burden on Reyes ever since he was called up. We expected him to dominate from the get go. We saw flashes of brilliance but it is only now that Reyes appears to be coming into his own. He is now starti g to mature.

These first few weeks of the season have made me realize that the Reyes we are seeing now is just the beginning. He has been slow to mature and injuries haven't helped. But when Reyes is healthy he is the best shortstop and leadoff hitter in the league.

The more i see him the more iwant him to stay. I don't want him to go to San Fran or worse, Philadelphia, and continue his dynamic play. For years we have wanted home grown talent to stay and develop. Reyes is giving us just that. It is only a bit later than we expected.

I hope it is not too late.

Things Will Only Get Worse for the Mets

If you think times are tough now for Mets fans, just wait until summer gets into full swing. Sure the Mets are painful to watch of late as they seem to find ways to tease you into thinking they have a chance to win only to slam the door on your hopes innings later, but this is only just the beginning.

Sandy Alderson has fixed his mind on a massive rebuilding project. Something that Mets fans haven't experience for a long, long time. There will be a huge amount of turnover as the trade deadline nears and pretty soon we won't even recognize the product on the field.

Reyes trade rumors have already started. We know Beltran will exit soon after. David Wright is now circulating as a bargaining chip and I'm pretty sure Alderson would be chomping at the bit at anyone interested in Jason Bay (not that there are any).

For better or worse, it appears the face of the Mets will be changing. We can't say for sure what faces will be left, but you can bank on the fact that this team will not be playing any type of meaningful baseball as soon as July.

Are Mets fans prepared for a Pirates-like lineup or even an Oakland A's product at Citi Field? It's something foreign, but it just might be needed to right this sinking ship.

We can only hope that the turnaround is not a long and difficult road, but something tells me it will be. Am I being overly dramatic? Sure. Is this more fantasy than reality? Unfortunately, no.

The RA Dickey Experiment

Last year was a magical ride for RA Dickey. He was a Cinderella story that shocked Mets nation.

I had hoped he was more than a one hit wonder, but it appears he just might be that. Dickey has shown a lack of control over his knuckleball this season and it doesnt have the same movement as it did last year. I had hoped it was just the first month of warming up, but in his first start of May, it appears to be more of the same.

Last year a 3 run lead with Dickey was an automatic W, but Tuesday Dickey blew a 3 run lead early en route to giving up 5 runs.

I like Dickey. I am not saying the Mets should get rid of him and he is a nice arm to have in the rotation who can eat up innings. But we mistakenly pegged him as an unofficial ace because of last season where honestly he should be a #4 or #5 starter.

The problem for the Mets is they have no #1 starter and so we look down the depth chart in hopes of finding an answer. Instead we just find disappointment.