Would the Mets Get Barry Bonds?

As I sit here in the luxurious Memphis airport (insert sarcasm, here), reading my ESPN the magazine, the craziest of crazy thoughts crossed my mind. Would the Mets actually go get Barry Bonds?

Nah, that's crazy. Right?

Yes, it is, but don't put it past a desperate Omar Minaya. The closer it gets to opening day and the more we see that Moises Alou might be out a really long time, and the more we see that our lineup lacks power will force Minaya to look for some help.

The idea of getting Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs Crisp for Endy Chavez is ludicrous, but signing Barroid Bonds might not be. He plays left field. Draws a ton of walks. Oh and by the way happens to hit a lot of home runs.

I personally wouldn't touch Bonds with a ten foot pole, but don't tell me that the thought hasn't crossed Minaya's mind. The media circus would be insane if Bonds played in New York.

I hope it doesn't come to that, but I do think the Mets need another solid power bat this year to be a contender. That is unless Delgado has a renaissance year and Ryan Church turns into Pat Burrell. Then we'd be ok.

Wow, an entire post about the Mets issues and not a single mention of pitching. Unreal.

The Revolving Door in Left Field

We all knew Moises Alou was going to get hurt at some point this season although I don't think any of us expected it to be in the first two weeks of spring training.

So now the loss of Carlos Gomez leaves us with a revolving door in left field. Believe me I'm glad we got Santana for Gomez and pitching prospects, but it does reveal a significant hole in the Mets lineup: lack of outfielders.

Fernando Martinez is too young (so the experts say) to be thought of as Alou's replacement. That leaves Endy Chavez as the next best option. I don't mind Endy starting the season in left. I don't think he's an everyday player as he tends to wear down and lose some production when he plays everyday, but he's our best option right now.

Then there's the makeshift outfielder option in Marlon Anderson/Damion Easley. Now Anderson played some left field when we first picked him up last season and was hitting the cover off the ball. But of course left field is neither of these guys natural position and their fielding will be exploited if they were to play every day.

That leaves the "trade" option. Sure Xavier Nady's name is being tossed around, but who are we going to trade? We sold the farm for Santana (rightfully so). Jorge Sosa? Not a bad option, but does Sosa get you Nady straight up? I don't think so.

A guy in spring training who's getting some attention is Angel Pagan. Young guy who plays like he wants to be on the team. He's fighting for a roster spot right now, and I love seeing guys do that. They play with a whole lot more passion because basically they're job is on the line. I'm not sure what Pagan's production level would be in the big leagues, but he'll probably bat in the 8th spot and if you can get a hustle guy who can lay down some bunts and play solid defense, that's not a bad thing to have.

I think we'll end up seeing Chavez in left field on opening day, but I'd like to see Angel Pagan given a shot to be on the roster if he keeps playing like he has been the last few weeks.

The Mets Are a Black Cloud

What on earth is going on in Port St. Lucie?

Now Moises Alou is hurt (surprise!). Alou has a strained groin and a sore hip (what is this contagious?), and has been sent back to New York for an MRI.

Maybe the Mets players are trying to rack up airline miles to put them in platinum elite status.

This is getting ridiculous. Let's tally who's hurt. We've got Delgado, El Duque, Gotay, Church, and Anderson was briefly out.

Send Wright, Reyes, and Beltran home right now. Send them to their local batting cages and Gold's Gym to finish their workouts.

The Mets X Factors in 2008

We know what to expect from players like David Wright, Jose Reyes, and even Billy Wagner. We know that they'll go through slumps, but for the most part be the rock solid veteran players that we expect.

But on every team there are "x factors." Those players who aren't the focal point of a team. They aren't superstars, but they're performance just as much plays a role in the fate of a team as those who are the central focus of our opponents.

The list below is comprised of a few players in whom I feel will have a direct impact on the type of season the Mets have. Of course if Wright & Reyes have horrible seasons, then the Mets will suffer, but this is a list of complimentary players that need to succeed to support the season we expect from our marquee guys.

1. Pedro Martinez - Pedro used to be a marquee guy, but those days are gone. Sure he's the headliner on our pitching staff, a guaranteed Hall of Famer, but he needs to prove he's still the pitcher we know and love. Pedro showed excellent control in his few starts of 2007. Even though his velocity isn't there, his movement on his changeup and fastball still make him unhittable at times. The question will be if Pedro can give the Mets 25 starts. If he can, and he pitches like he did last year, the Mets are in a great position to win at least 15 starts. If not, we have a bigger hole in our starting rotation that we originally thought.

2. Moises Alou - I fully expect Moises Alou to miss 3 weeks of the 2008 season. If he misses more than that, we might have a problem. Alou proved last year that the Mets are a much, much better team with Alou in the 5 hole than without him. Alou gets hits and drives in runs. He's a hitting machine. Without him the Mets lack that RBI man in the middle of the lineup, especially if Delgado continues to struggle. Like El Duque, I'll give Alou a pass on a few weeks on the DL, but he can't miss 3 months like he did in 2007.

3. Ryan Church - Ryan Church has the opportunity to change a city in 2008. I don't think anyone really expects much from Ryan Church, but if he bats around .250 with 10 homers and 50 RBIs he might be run out of town (along with Omar Minaya). The trade for Church and Schneider was questionable at best, but if Church proves he has the talent Minaya believes he does we could have gotten a steal. Church needs to bat +.275 and be in the 20 homers/80 RBIs range to have an impact. Sure he'll probably bat in the 7th spot, but this is a corner outfielder were talking about. We should expect that to be a power position and if Church can't put up decent numbers, the Mets will be looking to fill a void come the trading deadline and could suffer offensively scoring runs down the stretch.

4. Marlon Anderson - Amidst the late collapse, the Mets found a true gem in the latter months of the 2007 season in Marlon Anderson. Anderson was a beast off the bench and seemed to play a pivotal role in nearly every comeback win the Mets had. Having a pinch hitter like that can help you win at least 10 games over the course of a season. Was Marlon Anderson's success one of those passing moments or can he produce of the bench consistently? If he can, the Mets have a leg up on pretty much every other team in the NL East as our bench will be significantly better with Anderson, Castro, & Chavez as the key bench players. If Anderson can't reproduce his 2007 success, the Mets will again be searching for a big bat off the bench come the trading deadline. And we all know how Jeff Conine worked out.

Mets Close Door on 2007

Take a look at this depressing feature from ESPN, but notice Easley's comment and what the female commentator says about Alou's final comment. Now compare that to anything Tom Glavine has to say and you'll see who the true Mets are.

2007 Mets: Your Season Has Come (And Gone)

The Mets deserve no second chances. After the game last night Willie Randolph was asked how you deal with a losing streak like this. His reply, "you have to stay positive."

He was then asked what he said to his team after the game. His reply, "Just a few words. Positive stuff."

Positive? What was positive about last night? Okay, Pedro did his thing, but that's one man. There was nothing positive about last night. There has been nothing positive since Sunday's win against the Marlins. Nothing. Why are we staying positive?

This team needs an enema. They need a fire. I saw it Luis Castillo after Wednesday's loss, but I'm not seeing it elsewhere. David Wright is hitting well. Moises Alou is hitting well. But we're lacking a fire and sense of urgency.

What's that you feel against your back? Oh yeah, that's the wall. The wall of torture. The wall of the longest offseason in major league baseball history. It's the wall all Mets fans will want to put their head through because we'll have to deal with Yankees fans whose team is in the playoffs while ours folded like an origami swan. This is the wall we're going to have to climb to get out of this pit we're stuck in.

No one is going to help the Mets win. They need to get out of this ditch themselves. And that's what has me worried.

Stop the Insanity!

This is ridiculous. This is beyond ridiculous, it's painful. No painful is too soft a word, this is torturous. I think this is what they do to the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. They make them watch these Mets games.

No lead is safe. No team is too weak to mount a comeback. But when you think about it is it really surprising that we lost last night? Here are the facts:

-We were playing at home in which we have a worse record than when we play on the road
-We were playing the Nationals who have beat us 13 out of the last 14 times they've played us in September
-We had a lead early which we've had the past 2 games and blown them all in a blaze of glory
-We had a starting pitcher who's never started a game in his life and we trusted him to save this team from destruction

Add that all together and it's no wonder we lost. The only highlight was seeing El Duque return to the mound and get out of an inning. That and Moises Alou destroying every pitcher he faces to extend his hit streak to 30 games.

The Mets are on life support my fellow Mets Lifers. The question is when will they pull the plug?

Master Chief Moises Alou

On the day of Halo 3's release, Moises Alou proved once again that he is the Master Chief of the New York Mets. Alou went 4 for 5 with 3 RBIs and 1 run scored. Alou single handedly brought the Mets back to the brink of victory in the 9th inning.

What else can this man possibly do? At 40+ years old, Alou also has the longest hitting streak in the majors this year at 29 games. This is all from a guy who openly says he's retiring next year.

When Alou was out for 3 months I was not enjoying the fact that he was our biggest offseason acquisition. But Alou has more than won me over. I'd actually consider signing him next year in a Roger Clemens style deal where Alou doesn't have to start playing til June.

I am so desperate to see Alou play in the postseason for this club, but that opportunity is still yet to be confirmed. But if it does happen we might be watching a future legend of New York Mets baseball even though he's only playing for us for one year.

The Big Tease

When the Mets were losing 8-3, I decided to not even watch the game. I was literally sick to my stomach and there were not enough Tums in my house to make me feel better if I continued to watch. So I TiVo'd Bones and House and enjoyed some quality television.


When the shows were over I noticed it was the bottom of the 9th and figured I'd watch this pitiful team for one last inning. Then it happened, I started to get excited. A couple singles, a few walks, and then Alou comes up and smacks a bases clearing double.


It's 10-9 with Delgado up and I'm already seeing a walk-off home run that will rejuvenate this team and carry us into the playoffs. It would be the biggest comeback of the season.

But then my wife said, "Honey, they're just teasing you." Her words pierced me because I knew it was true. Delgado struck out while Chavez stole 3rd (which was just idiotic if you ask me). And then Lo Duca. Oh Lo Duca, why must you swing at the first pitch in a situation like that?

My wife was right. She has seen this team crumble as much as I have and even as a baseball novice she knew from games past what this team would do.

This time I hate the fact that she's right.

A Sense of Loyalty Won't Allow Alou's Dad to Watch Him Play

At a time when scandals and "me first" attitudes plague professional sports, a fantastic article was written this morning in the New York Times by Jack Curry about Felipe Alou and how he won't go watch his son play in person.

No it's not some father jealous of his son story. It's about a man who feels his job prevents him from watching his son play. Felipe Alou is still employed by the San Francisco Giants as a special assistant and feels it would be a conflict of interest to go watch his son play while still "on the clock" for the Giants.

The article goes on to detail the relationship between the Alous and how tough it is for Felipe not to go see Moises play. Overall this is a great article that details the amazing feelings a father has for a son who's a major league baseball player.

I've always like Felipe Alou and this article only increases his stature in my eyes. Let's hope the Giants give him a break and let him see Alou in the playoffs.

Check out the article here.

Moises Alou for MVP

David Wright is a legitimate MVP candidate, but after further review I believe Moises Alou may be just as worthy. I had to laugh the other day that the Marlins walked Carlos Beltran to pitch to Moises Alou. Do they even watch the film tape or read scouting reports?

Let's ignore the fact that Alou has missed 3 months of the season, and I'll also ignore the fact that he's related to the horrific former Mets pitcher, Mel Rojas (they're cousins), but right now Moises Alou may very well be the best hitter in the Mets lineup.

Alou is batting .341 with a slugging percentage of .531. He's currently on a 27-game hitting streak, which is the longest in the National League this year (and a Mets record). Plus in just 78 games this year Alou has knotched 154 total bases with 41 RBIs.

So basically Alou has played half a season, but if he played an entire season at this same pace he'd have numbers that could include him in the MVP discussions.

Let's double Alou's production with the assumption that if he played an entire season he'd continue on this pace. Now let's compare Alou with the person who deserves to win MVP but won't, Matt Holliday.:

Average: Alou = .341; Holliday = .337
RBIs: Alou = 82; Holliday = 131
Total Bases: Alou = 308; Holliday = 371
Slugging: Alou = .531; Holliday = .609

Ok, so Alou doesn't have Holliday's power numbers, but few do. There's no telling what type of production Alou would have had if he remained healthy.

There's nothing we can do about that now, but be thankful he's healthy at the point in the season when we need him most.