You Stay Classy, Rob Parker!

Today was supposed to be a day where Mets history was made. Today was the day Jose Reyes would win the batting title, becoming the first Met in the team’s history to win a batting title. Today was a day for celebration after a season of uncertainty, roster overhaul, and personnel changes.

Well, Rob Parker of ESPN had another idea of what today might have actually meant. Parker, who writes more Yankees-based articles than anything, decided to lay a dead horse called “Reyes is no Jeter” and beat it with a blunt object, repeatedly. Basically, Rob believes that by leaving the game after getting a hit in his first at-bat of today’s game, cushioning his lead in the batting race, Reyes cheated Mets fans. Rob, I’ll tell you this… I, a lifelong Mets fan, don’t feel cheated in any way. But lets focus on the real isue at hand, your hypocrisy. Lets go over a few key points in your mash-up of scrabble words:

– “For sure, it was a selfish move. Forget about helping the Mets win a game — it was about Reyes trying to win a batting crown. Fair or not, it was a move his crosstown rival, Derek Jeter, never would have pulled. ”

Really? I seem to remember Jeter pulling out of this season’s All-Star Game (an event that fans vote on) because he was making sure he was good to go after the All-Star Game to… wait for it… make history? Want more fun facts on your ‘boy’, Derek? Deadspin’s got you covered.

– “Instead of competing all the way through, Reyes took the safe, selfish way out. It’s hard to root for guys who do that — even Reyes, who has had a tremendous bounce-back season.”

I guess its safe to say you never been a fan of players like Bernie Williams, who pulled the same “shenanigans” in his pursuit of the 1998 AL batting title (/fabricated, like your past work, Rob). How about Wade Boggs? Remember him? How about Willie Wilson?

– “Instead, at the finish line, Reyes turned on his teammates, and the paying customers. Worse, he turned himself into a chicken.”

You’re joking, right? (see above). First off, the Mets had nothing to player for, unless you consider locking up 4th place in the division something to play for. Second, the Mets had never had a batting champion before Reyes. Now that he’s got a batting title, the chances of him returning to Flushing are slim-to-none. I can only wish that he takes a ‘hometown discount’ and returns, but if the price is too steep, I’m perfectly fine with him taking his talents (and injuries) elsewhere.

I know you’ve been pushing for a Reyes trade all season, and now that he’s a free agent, you must be going through pairs of pants like an Ex-Lax addict. Reyes has nothing to do with Jeter, and Jeter has nothing to do with Reyes. All your ‘headline’ says to me is “My team is better than yours!”. No… really!? I get it. Your ‘team’ wins. Mine doesn’t. Why is that important? Why is that always part of the equation? Different leagues, different ownerships, different systems, different everything. Do us all a favor and stick to basketball, the Yankees, and keep your biased opinions on Reyes out of your articles (if I can even call them articles). Considering you’re a Queens native who grew up super close to the orange and blue, I’m a little curious to know where this “blah blah blah Mets blah blah blah” tone came from…

Oh yeah… and Stay Classy!

You Stay Classy, Brian Sabean!

In case you missed it, SF Giants catcher Buster Posey had his season ended via leg injury after taking a hard collision at the plate from Scott Cousins of the Florida Marlins. If you can find a replay of the collision, it looks like a run-of-the-mill home plate collision; something that is a legal move in Major League Baseball. Unfortunately for Buster, he ended up injured and out for the rest of the season. One would think, “Hey, its part of the game, and it happens.” But I know one man who thinks otherwise. Since the injury, Cousins has contacted Posey, to no avail, but has apologized both publicly and to the Posey family. So this should be behind us, right? Wrong.

Giants GM Brian Sabean had some choice words for Scott Cousins on the radio in San Francisco, calling the collision “malicious” and adding “If I never hear from Cousins again or he never plays another game in the big leagues, I think we’ll all be happy.” Add that onto the fact that Cousins has been receiving death threats for his “malicious” play at the plate, and we’ve got a world-class instigator in Mr. Sabean.

Hey… Brian… I may not have a lick of major league experience… But last I checked, you don’t have a lick of experience either. Do you know what its like to be in that situation? Do you know what goes on in the heads of both the runner and catcher? You sure talk like you do. Can you look directly into the lens of a camera, instead of hiding behind the microphone, and tell us all that Scott Cousins had it set in his mind to injure Buster Posey? Injuries happen. The right thing to do would have been to tend to your own player, and let the two of them “man up”, like Cousins has been trying to do. Instead, you look like the same irresponsible buffoon who, according to that controversial investigation, knew he had a ‘user’ on his team and kept his mouth shut so he could keep the cash flow running thanks to Señor Shrinky Balls.

The most recent ‘official statement’ reads: “Brian has been in contact with Larry Beinfest… to assure him that there is no ill will toward the player.”

lolwut!? Did you not hear what you said on the radio as you said it? The guy is receiving death threats, and what you said shows no ‘ill will’? How in the world did you become a major league GM with that kind of etiquette? Either way, you’ve got a lot of apologizing to do, and you need to start with Cousins. Sorry, Giants fans, he’s all yours. Minaya might have been a mental case when it came to controlling in-house antics, but he was very careful with his GM-to-player public statements.

Terry Got Trolled

What’s that, Terry?… Angry? Upset? Confused? You shouldn’t be. Nobody around the organization should be. Why? Because your team is… (pause for a quick informational break)

The Mets are clearly okay with being super awful during or after the 7th inning, and last night’s loss to the Pirates made that perfectly clear. Although, a certain Mr. Terry Collins doesn’t seem to be on board with the whole “Hey guys! Let’s just play Single-A ball now. I gotta get home in time for storytime” thing. As a matter of fact, he shouldn’t be on board with that, and I’m glad he isn’t. But last night’s ‘rant’ to reporters after the game struck an odd chord. It was a lot of the same story, and I’d like to break down some of the “Oh No You Di’int!” points:

– “I’m running out of ideas here”

Oh boy… um… Terry… Don’t ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever say that. /nails the coffin shut

– “I’m ringing the rag dry, coming in here, having to look at you guys looking at me like I’m a stinking fool”

Ammunition for the trolls… I mean… Awesome Sports Writers of New York City!

– “We just can’t continue to make foolish mistakes. They’re big-league players. They should be able to do it.

I don’t know, Terry… I see a lot of Bison on that field… /grabs a fork and knife

These are just some of the “things you probably shouldn’t tell a reporter” things, but I happen to agree with a lot of what Terry says in his post-game rant. Baseball is a team game, and if the team can’t play together, you don’t win. If you’re given the chance to play at the major league level, then you’d better play like you belong. I get it. I agree with it. What I don’t agree with, however, is his sudden notion to not to not point fingers at certain players at all. When Daniel Murphy makes a few fundamentally awkward plays that end up costing the team a few runs, you point that out. When your outfielders misjudge a fairly simple fly ball to have it bounce off of their glove, you point that out. But why keep that ‘in the clubhouse”? Why is it such a bad thing to say exactly what it is that fans think about those players? Why the coddling? These guys make far too much money to have to worry about getting their feelings hurt. They’re paid to play a game and be successful at it, not throw a tantrum over how they had their feelings hurt. By all means, call them out. Don’t let their mistakes go.

(end of informational break)

…. in transition and not currently built to win! /pulls up in a Wahmbulance

Major League Greedball: Werth Every Penny

The Mets have already started their final game in their series against the Nationals today, and I couldn’t help but notice the frustration on Jayson Werth’s face as he tossed aside some of his equipment aside after popping up against Chris Young. You see, Moneybags Werth is cashing in on a 7 year (that’s not a typo), $126 million contract (that’s not a typo either).

Before I go any further, let me just add that this kind of money-tossing is something that pushes me further and further away from enjoying the game, when there are public servants and educators out there who bring in just a hundredth of what some athletes make.

You see, with a high amount of greed comes a high amount of expectation. Not only has Werth cashed in on the best contract he’ll ever obtain (mark my words), he has also taken on an incredible amount of pressure. I have no idea how that pressure feels, but it can’t be healthy. Werth hasn’t had the best start to the season, and certainly not the start that a 7-year, $126 million player would have. Here’s the 8-game line on Werth:

Jayson Werth (37 PA): .226 AVG, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 4 R, 6 BB, 7 K

The Mets fan in me can’t stop celebrating Werth’s awful start, being that he plays well against the Mets, especially when he was in Philadelphia. The ‘disgusted by the greed’ fan in me can’t stop celebrating Werth’s awful start. We won’t really know how much pressure Werth is feeling until midway through the season, or perhaps until the season is over. But for the time being, he’s just another overpaid athlete who’ll rake in the big bucks even if he stinks it up. Congratulations, Jayson. You win in life, apparently.

Update: It looks Werth’s slow start isn’t going unnoticed, as Kevin Callahan of the Courier Post asks the important question: “Will the Nats soon see Werth at his best?“. It’s your move, Jayson. Enjoy the multi-million dollar pressure!

Major League Greedball: Manny being… you know…

Thank you, Manny Ramirez, for taking some attention off of the Mets (even if it’s just for today) after they lost to the Nationals today. Dickey looked a little lost on the hill while Zimmermann pulled a ‘Josh Johnson’, the bullpen was equally as spotty, and while sports writers are eating it all up… you decided to call it quits. Thank you, Manny Ramirez. Thank you.

If I really cared about Manny, I’d probably ask a few simple questions like:

Why, Manny Ramirez, would you call it quits so abruptly? You couldn’t help yourself? You stayed with the ‘program’ and were so close to really starting fresh again. So instead of growing a pair (which I’m sure is hard, being that they’re probably the size of raisins by now), you decide to walk away and call it quits like a coward? That’s quite the example you’ve just set. For all of the charities you’ve ever been involved in… For all of the community events you’ve been a part of with the teams you’ve played for… For all of the children and those who dream of walking in the footsteps of some of the greats… You really set quite an example with your cowardly decision.

But I don’t care about Manny. He was caught a second time and instead of being open and honest, another one bites the dust. He’s just another athlete who thought he could cheat the system, and when the system came knocking, he opted into the witness protection program. Typical, cowardly, and forgettable.

Did I mention the Mets looked silly against the Nationals today as they walked 9 batters and… I mean… Steroids McNeedle retired today! Thanks, Manny!

Amazin’

Friday, June 12th, 2009: The Mets and Yankees play a hard fought ballgame in the Bronx.

With 2 on and 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th inning, Mets Closer Francisco Rodriguez throws to Yankees 3rd Baseman Alx Rodriguez, who promptly pops the ball towards Mets 2nd Baseman Luis Castillo.

Chaos ensues in Mets country:

Thanks to Ray Dice Chan over in the Global New York Mets Fan Group over on Facebook for the intense drawing.

Movie Review: Up (Disney / Pixar)

After watching this movie over and over again, I believe the status of Brad Lidge… wait… I mean Brad Lidge’s ERA will continue to skyrocket towards the stars!

Props to Ray Dussault over at the Global New York Mets Fan Group on Facebook for the image.

Word of the Day: Collapse

So what exactly did happen to the 2008 New York Mets? Here’s how I see things, and how some journalists are just looking to get readers to their columns by tagging this Mets season with some misleading terms.

Ted Keith and Jon Heyman over at SI.com both referred to this season as another “Collapse”. Why a collapse? Because for the second straight season, the Mets were beat out in the east by the Phillies after holding a lead in the division with (that magical number) 17 games to go, and were also beat out in the wildcard race. But the finishing touch on why they would call it another collapse is that the final blow, once again, came at the hands of the Florida Marlins. Touching Drama, yes? Wrong.

The 2008 season can be summed up in 2 words, which all Mets fans will understand divided the season into to “mini-seasons”. Those words are Willie and Manuel.

While I don’t completely blame Willie Randolph for his post-2006 failures, there was no doubt that his time as Mets manager was fading fast after the 2007 season. The first half of the season (until Willie’s firing) created not only a 34-35 record, but a large amount of angst and disappointment among the fans. This was supposed to be the year of ‘revenge’ or ‘payback’. After 69 games, that was not the case. But for the final 93 games, hope was restored. Despite missing the playoffs by a slim margin for the second straight season, Jerry Manuel took over Willie’s job and the first half of the season seemed like a meaningless faded memory. Under Manuel, the Mets finished the season going 55-38 the rest of the way. Carlos Delgado finally got his swing back, David Wright and Jose Reyes finally showed some life, Starting Pitching got better under Dan Warthen, and young faces like Murphy, Parnell and Niese began to display what the future may hold. I wouldn’t call the season a collapse by any means, but more of a rebirth of where the success started for this Franchise as far back as 1969: The Farm.

Back to the word of the day: “Collapse”. Why don’t we analyze that a little more, in relations to the world of Professional Sports. If I’m not mistaken, this article pretty much sums it up. If you’re at work or can’t view the link, the article (written by Bryan Armen Graham over at SI.com) is titles “100 Seasons… 100 Heartbreaks”, referring to Philadelphia’s (current and longest) championshipless drought of it’s 4 major sports franchises. The Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers have combined for a total of 100 Championshipless seasons since 1983. That’s 25 years without a major sports championship. I would gamble to call that a “Collapse” of an entire city, let alone 4 major sports franchises. But, this is New York City, and the media hovers to New York City like a fly to a zapper.

So while the ruling media continues to misinform for its own pleasure, I’ll sit back and smile as I think about the bright future this franchise could have as it enters it’s new home (even though I’m not completely happy about Citifield).

Lets Go Mets (add ridiculously “Hooo” exhale).

Phuck!

I haven’t watched the All-Star Game (let alone the Home Run Derby) since Bid Selig called one of them back in 2002, but this video is priceless. Chase Utley was being announced as a contestant in last night’s Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium. As he was making his way out, the fans at the ballpark started to ‘Boo’ him. Watch Utley’s response to the crowd at the ‘Cathedral’.

In case you had trouble hearing, that was “Boo? Fuck You”

Now, fan feelings aside (because I’m a Mets fan who is clearly against the Phillies if you read my old Mets posts), I don’t disagree with Chase’s reaction at all. His choice of words could have been more “National TV” friendly, but I think his reaction is correct. This wasn’t a Phillies/Mets game. This was the 2008 Home Run Derby at one of MLB’s most historic fields. This was a showcase of some of the game’s best players. These guys work their tails off just to make it to the Major League level, let alone the All-Star game. This should be a time to throw down your team’s colors and come together to watch some of the best players in the game. Be proud of who is representing your team, but acknowledge the talent of the other players there as well.

If there’s anything that might be guaranteed to happen after that little boo-fest, it’s that the Philadelphia sports writers and bloggers are going to be all over this like crazy glue… and they’re not exactly going to defend New Yorkers.

Photo Time: New York Mets Board Game