Cutnpaste: - Bobby Parnell, Frank Cashen, Duda/Davis Status, Jeff Wilpon, Sandy and Jose

Bobby Parnell: Young and a power arm is always attractive. Not so much is his command and thought process on the mound. There are no assurances the Mets will make him their closer as there are numerous reports saying that is their greatest need. If Parnell can’t convince the Mets he’s closer worthy, then what must other teams be thinking? Right, he’s a bullpen piece who needs a lot of work. Not a long line here. http://www.newyorkmetsreport.com/2011/10/25/mets-have-precious-few-pieces-to-trade

Frank Cashen took over as general managerin 1980. At that time, the Mets were consistently scoring below the NL average per game and were a dismal 40% below the league average in terms of home runs. Through the draft, trades, and free agent acquisitions, Cashen built an offense that was better than any in Mets' history at clearing the bases. You can also see the impact of the home run on the Mets ability to score runs. Only three times have the Mets have finished above the league average in runs per game without also finishing above league average in home runs, last year being one of them with by far the largest gap between the two statistics. http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/10/31/2523345/visualizing-the-mets-offense-through-time?ref=fangraphs

The concussion symptoms that sidelined Lucas Duda for the season's final seven games, after a collision with the right-field wall in St. Louis, have cleared and Duda is no longer experiencing headaches or other troubles, assistant GM John Ricco said. Ike Davis, who opted not to have surgery on his troublesome left ankle, similarly is doing OK, according to GM Sandy Alderson. Davis is at home in Arizona and just doing conditioning work at this point, according to Alderson. http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/36290/mets-confident-in-duda-ike-health

Chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said Monday that the sale of small blocks of the team to minority investors is “going very well,” but he declined to offer any specifics about the progress. The Wilpons are seeking multiple small shareholders to offset the loss of the planned $200 million minority investment from David Einhorn, which fell through Sept. 1. Team sources previously told ESPNNewYork.com the Mets were looking to sell shares in varying amounts in the neighborhood of $15 million to $20 million apiece with the hope of raising in the vicinity of what Einhorn planned to invest. Wilpon declined to identify anybody who has followed through and invested at that level. http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/36292/jeff-wilpon-sale-not-fans-business?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Sandy Alderson and Co. are doing things their way. This ballpark was built big. That’s the way ownership wanted it, but that has changed, and to Jeff Wilpon’s credit, he has blessed the new dimensions. If Alderson thinks the financially-troubled Mets can survive without a $100 million shortstop, he will make that move as well: Fences in, Reyes out. Hello, Ruben Tejada. Alderson is not going to cancel the 2012 season if Reyes is not a Met. Reyes seems destined to land with a team like the Nationals or Tigers. The Giants or Angels would be an interesting fit, too.  http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/there_no_place_like_homer_2GG2MluoVhPWI85rXJg65I#ixzz1cS9iFcje

Top Three Scariest Moments for the 2011 Mets

The New York Mets have had a season filled with their share of tricks and treats. From the Saturday afternoon comeback against the Yankees and Mariano Rivera to the several Bobby Parnell blown saves, this team has had a wild ride.

On this Halloween day, and in the theme of the the season, I thought it would be interesting to look at the moments that scared us the most from the 2011 season.

Number Three: A 5-13 start

The Mets began the season with decent expectations. They were starting without ace Johan Santana, but were hopeful he would be back by the All-Star break. With a new manager in the fold, they were looking to make a statement. The statement they ended up making was that they were not going to compete. Fans saw the 5-13 start as the end of the season. Only real fans continued to follow them into May and June.

The team started the first series in a promising way by taking two of three from Florida. It went downhill there, though. They lost two of three in Philly and in Washington. If that wasn't bad enough, they were swept in a four game series by the Colorado Rockies at home. That series included a double header sweep.

Two days later, they were swept again in a double header by Atlanta. They even lost two of three to the Houston Astros. That start kept this team out of contention. Even a .500 record in this initial stretch would have been sufficient. They went the rest of the season trying to get even.

Number Two: Two for one special

On August 7th, the Mets were finishing a series with the Atlanta Braves. Jose Reyes suffered a re-strain of his left hamstring. The first injury kept him out from June through the All-Star break. Then, as if that wasn't bad enough, they lost Daniel Murphy. Murphy tore the MCL in his left knee.

Prior to this, he was carrying the team in the absence of Ike Davis and David Wright. This killed the Mets already slim hopes of putting together any kind of postseason run. Reyes came back to win the batting title (though not without controversy) for the first time in Mets history. Murphy is still uncertain for next season.

Number One: Goodbye Carlos

On July 28th, the Mets came to a big decision at the time. They traded their leading power hitter, Carlos Beltran to the San Francisco Giants. The Giants gave up minor league pitching sensation Zack Wheeler. With this trade, the Mets were not only announcing their best hitter this season was no longer a Met, they were saying they were changing direction and had given up on the season to an extent.

It was a scary time for fans because it meant change. As much as Beltran had been scrutinized in Queens, he was also one of the Mets all-time top 15 stat leaders in several categories. They were losing a solid hitter in their history in exchange for an unproven pitcher. For the team, it was scary because the clubhouse dynamic had changed. They had to change with it. The players had to agree that they were not going to throw in the towel.

In hindsight, it may be for the best. Beltran struggled with the Giants and eventually finished the season injured, while Wheeler may turn out to be a top tier pitcher in the rotation. Time will tell just how much the Mets won this trade by, but for now, Sandy Alderson still looks like a genius. At the time, though, Mets fans were being scared out of their seats.

Happy Halloween!

Mack's Mets Memories: 10/23 - 10/30

The New York Mets history takes a celebratory turn this week. This week has historic home runs from Mike Piazza and the ground breaking on Shea Stadium, but they take a back seat to the events listed below.

October 25th, 1986: On this date, the New York Mets were down to their last strike with two out in the 10th Inning and trailing by two runs in Game 6 of the World Series. The jumbo-tron scrolled a message "congratulation world champion Boston Red Sox".

This was supposed to be the coronation of Boston and the celebration of their freedom from the curse of the Bambino. Mookie Wilson and the New York Mets didn't get the memo.

With three consecutive hits by Gary Carter, Kevin Mitchel and Ray Knight, they inched to within a run. A wild pitch and a ball that rolled through the legs of Bill Buckner led to the greatest comeback in World Series history. We all know where we were on that day.

In fact, ESPN NY wrote an interesting article on that very topic. My description of this game can't do it justice. Perhaps the descriptions of fellow-bloggers, friends of Mack's Mets staff and ESPN journalists can.

One final word on this subject. We, as fans, always review that comeback in our minds again and again. Now, here's a new and fun way of viewing that 10th Inning. Enjoy.

October 26th, 1998: On this date, the Mets were able to secure free agent-to-be, Mike Piazza. They inked him to a then record seven year, $91 million deal. He responded by carrying the team into the World Series a few years later in 2000.

October 27th, 1986: The Mets concluded their improbable comeback in Game 6 with a come from behind victory to win the World Series. They took the lead on MVP Ray Knight's go-ahead home run and won the game 8-5. The iconic image (pictured above) of Jesse Orosco leaping into the air and then falling to his knees soon followed.

 

October 29th, 2010: The New York Mets hired Sandy Alderson after an extensive and highly publicized search for their new GM. His first order of business was to hire Terry Collins as manager. He quickly moved to solidify the pitching staff and lighten the team burden of the multiple large contracts that were in place from the previous administration under his predecessor, Omar Minaya.

Cutnpaste: - Omar Minaya, Mookie Wilson, Sandy Alderson, -$120mil Payroll, 1973 Mets-Yanks

If serving as a general manager can be equated to shopping, then Minaya proved himself capable of doing two things at least adequately. Minaya could go into a high-end store and whip out his credit card, pointing at all of the shiny Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran, and Jason Bay baubles and having them wrapped up for the little Mets fans for Christmas. Minaya deserves some kudos for his salesmanship in convincing these stars to choose New York's other team, but signing them was not a matter of good taste, discernment, or insight—these were often the most obvious candidates for large free-agent contracts, and Minaya bought because the Mets had both the need and the budget.  Minaya also demonstrated the ability to dive into the dumpster behind that store and—after rifling through the garbage of others—occasionally come up with a Jose Valentin, Fernando Tatis, or (most recently) R.A. Dickey whom the Mets could utilize. Sure, they were a little used, and they may have had the stench of failure on them, but when employed correctly they had their uses. Minaya's bargain-hunting wasn't always successful, and sometimes the pieces he picked up stuck around longer than they should have or were already past their expiration date and beginning to decompose—Fernando Nieve comes to mind—but the GM had no problem rolling up his sleeve and shoving his arm into the waste basket on the off-chance that he might find something useful and free. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/card/card.php?id=BELTRAN19770424A

Mookie Wilson, one of 12 children, is the son of a South Carolina sharecropper. His real first name is William, but his mother called him “Mookie” as a pet name and that name stuck. He came to the New York Mets in the early 1980s when the team stunk. He played center field, and could run. When Mookie was rounding second base, heading for third for another triple, Jim recalls, “It was worth the whole 145-mile trip from Holyoke. He played with such exuberance and flair. He was considered one of the game’s good guys. He also hinted at the promise of better days.” Which arrived in 1986. The Mets won 108 games and their division by more than 20. http://www.masslive.com/tomshea/index.ssf/2011/10/tom_shea_mookie_wilson_and_new.html

It’s time to see where Sandy Alderson views as pros, cons, strengths and weaknesses of this team. I had a conversation with Metstradamus a few days ago about how he could have bettered the team going into 2011, like trading Angel Pagan and/or Mike Pelfrey when they were at their highest value. Now they have about as much value as dog poop under a shoe. The point is, in 2011, Alderson was damned if he did, damned if he didn’t…do anything, that is. If he traded Pelfrey, we would have screamed as he had a better in St. Louis or someplace like that. People would have “never rooted for the team again” if Angel Pagan their darling who clearly peaked in 2010, was gone. Of course, I am exaggerating but this was something that clearly could have been something positive for the Mets if Alderson had gone the proactive root. http://citifield.wordpress.com/2011/10/22/which-way-do-we-go-george

Can this team have success with a payroll under $120 million a year? I think absolutely and if you want empirical evidence that it can, just look at the teams that have made the playoffs this year. Of the eight teams in the playoffs this year only 2 had payrolls over $110 million. The Yankees and Phillies combined for over $375 million in payroll. The Cardinals and Rangers have payrolls no greater than $105 million. Of course that may change for both teams as both have potentially high-priced players entering free agency, Albert Pujols being the most obvious. - http://www.metstoday.com/7125/11-12-offseason/time-to-let-the-grown-ups-do-their-job

The ’09 Yankees were a batter away from setting up their bullpen bridge and establishing a commanding 3-0 lead in the best of 7 Strat-O-Matic Sim Series. John Milner had other ideas as he hit a 3-run homer off David Robertson in the sixth to tie the game and erase Yankees leads of 5-0 and 8-4. The teams would exchange zeroes until a Hall of Famer scratched a run, literally, off Mariano Rivera in the 13th to win Game 3, 9-8. A series that has seen pitching and defense as the headliners through two games, saw offense rule last night as the Yanks jumped all over Jon Matlack for 5 runs in the third inning. The big blow was a two-run double by Jorge Posada with the bases loaded. Nick Swisher added an RBI single two batters later to make it 5-0. With Andy Pettitte on the mound you figured the lead was safe. The Mets left 14 men on base in Game 2, and had scored only 2 runs through 21 innings. Just like their improbable ’73 pennant, they began an improbable comeback in the bottom half of the third. http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=40905

Looking At Things From THEIR Perspective

I've done a lot of posting about what I'd do, or at least LIKE to do if I were running the Mets. I mean I've listed every solution from signing Reyes to going after Albert Pujols and back again. I think it might be more important to look at things from the perspective about the guys paying the bills.

Let us face some facts:

• Attendance Is Down
• The Team Isn't Winning
• They Either Participated In Or Were Taken By A Ponzi Scheme
• They Will Need To Pay Irving Picard Between $83 and $383 Million

Let us also remember that a year spent rebuilding without stars like Wright and/or Reyes means LOWER attendance, LESS wins and LESS revenue with which to pay Irving Picard. So... forgetting what is in the best interest of the team... what is in the best interest of the OWNERS?

Let us look at assets:

• David Wright, the face of the franchise, he's a homegrown talent with a large fan following. He's had a couple of rougher seasons now, and might net you more talent in a trade.
• Johan Santana, He's beyond the point where he's a draw for fans because he hasn't pitched in a long time and he's not the pitcher he was.
• Ike Davis, He's the future face of the offense which is fine, but he won't draw big box office numbers by himself.
• Scrappy Go-Getters, Daniel Murphy, Lucas Duda and R.A. Dickey might all be fine players but they aren't getting fans into the seats.
• Generation 2K, You have a crop of TOP starting pitching talent in the farm but it could be over a year away and could fizzle like Generation K did.

If Alderson did nothing, and let Reyes walk there isn't enough there to keep the fans interested. The Wilpons WANT fans to be interested. They would love to bring in an Albert Pujols who could single-handedly bring in a slew of fans with his reputation alone. However, Pujols does NOT make sense for the Mets and their pitcher's park. So... what should the Wilpons do to keep fans in the seats for 2012?

The Fan Plan:

• Re-Sign Jose Reyes - (It's a good-will gesture to the fans that you are not going to play it cheap in a big city like NY. It says, "Yes, we can afford to keep our home grown talent.")
• Lock Up Wright - (Does he live up to the marquee billing? Maybe not, but he's the face of the team and you need to maintain the face of your team until you can establish a new one. Think the Yankees with Jeter into Cano.)
• Let Alderson Find His Gems - (I'd love the Mets to anti-up and get a Yu Darvish or C.J. Wilson but that is a little much. Instead let Alderson take low-risk chances on guys like: Chris Young, Scott Kazmir etc...)
• Get A Legit Closer - (For a short-term deal. I'm starting to feel like Francisco Cordero is the best fit because he can come in with a 1-2 year deal, do his job... then retire.)

If the Mets did those things they could stay relatively competitive in 2012 and still start promoting the crop of young talent from 2012 to 2014. This way you aren't sacrificing the future but also not giving the fans reason to panic and/or abandon ship. It is in the Wilpon's best FINANCIAL interest for Alderson to spend SOME money.

Met's Undergoing A Facelift

Every so often a brand or company needs to change things up because what they've become "Known" for isn't a positive. At this point it is better to DROP brand equity and RE-ESTABLISH a new and more POSITIVE image. Think of the big box pizza places:

Pizza Hut - Your favorites. Your Pizza Hut.

Papa John's - Better ingredients, better Pizza... Papa John's

Over a year ago Domino'ss decided to change things up. Domino's was and IS known for CHEAP pizza. You can eat your weight in bread, sauce and cheese for around $20. However nobody ever thought of Domino's as GOOD pizza. Last year they decided to change things up. They started to run commercials where they acknowledged their short-comings and promised to change things. What has followed is one of the most succesful ad campaigns in corporate history. Domino's has never been regarded more favorably by consumers and their sales numbers are way up from where they had been.

Why am I talking about pizza? It's a good question. So let's look at some big-market baseball teams:

New York Yankees - A Team of Legends

Philadelphia Phillies - The Greatest Rotation in History

What are the Mets know as? Lovable Losers? Plucky Underdogs? Choke Artists? Financial Fraud Criminals? The OTHER Team in New York? I'm betting that the Wilpons are looking to change the team and I don't think changes will be small. They started when the Wilpons signed a GM like Sandy Alderson. The Mets were not going to invest in bad contracts with over-achieving players. They were going to change things. Changing the very way we expect to see a New York team run.

Step 1: Clear House

The Mets have already expunged Omar Minaya and his cronies from the franchise. HOWEVER... it wasn't so much the front-office that needed to be cleared as the overall soul of that office's team.

I now believe (THIS IS THE GLASS HALF FULL GUY) that the Mets will be cutting ties with David Wright and quite possibly ALSO Jose Reyes. I think they'll try to trade Johan Santana and I think the Mets are gearing for a resurgent 2013 and a big run in 2014.

That doesn't make the Id of my inner sport's fan very happy, but it does appease my inner Super Igo. If I think logically, I think the Mets can build a winner in two years by cleaning house and starting from basically scratch. If they go other routes... spending money and trading prospects... I can no longer be sure that the Mets will ever break through the ceiling of the other teams in their division.

Step 2: Establish A NEW Brand

The Mets of the Omar Minaya era were headlined by Carlos Beltran, Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, Johan Santana, David Wright and Jose Reyes (Jason Bay?). This was not the Steve Phillips Mets where stars went elsewhere. This was the team who went out and GOT the marquee players.

There is a new generation of Mets on the horizon and I TRULY believe they will make up the future of the franchise. Therefore the Mets will be known for nurturing a crop of pitchers up from the minors and creating a pitching team to rival those jerks who wear red and white.

Step 3: Win The Fans

Convincing me that I can win in two years if I let my favorite players go is one thing. Convincing fans to not abandon ship when the franchise stops paying for top talent this next season is another. The Mets are on the verge of alienating a HUGE percentage of fans. It's going to be rougher for the Wilpons than you might think.

If the Mets don't spend in 2012... attendance will dwindle, viewership will drop and ad sales will take a nose dive. So... the Mets need to give the Met fans a message to help them through. I'm not sure what that will end up being but I expect the slogan surrounding the team to be updated in the near future.

STAY TUNED: Tomorrow I'm going to write a piece on some rumblings around the organization and what it could mean for 2012 and 2013.

The Great Jose Debate Begins

Now that the season is over, the batting title is won and the team looks towards 2012, you are going to hear the name Jose Reyes A LOT. Jose was the BEST player on the Mets in 2011. Sure... Carlos Beltran had a GREAT start to the year and may have landed the Mets with a future Ace, but Jose was the brightest star.

I read a very good article in the NY Post on Jose and how the Mets are in a Lose/Lose scenario with Reyes in terms of bidding. We've heard it all before:

• He's injury prone
• He's the spark plug of the offense
• He's already lost a step
• He's one of the most POPULAR players with the fans
• The Wilpons are cheap
• The Wilpons don't want to appear cheap
• Alderson doesn't like long contracts
• He's home grown.
• We obviously can't keep him
• We obviously can't let him go

A 2012 WITH Reyes:

Glass Half Full: The Mets sign Reyes for 6 years and $105 Mil. Reyes does start 95% of the games and has a good year. The pitching, led by Johan Santana and Jon Niese, holds strong and the Mets win the division with healthy batting out-put from Reyes, Wright, Davis and Jason Bay. Matt Harvey is called up in September and surges to a great opening display, and will be the #3 pitcher in the playoff rotation.

Glass Half Empty: The Mets are forced to offer Reyes 6 years and a vesting option for a 7th. Reyes has an okay year but is hobbled before the All-Star break and starts only 65% of the games. David Wright continues to be hot and cold while Jason Bay is benched in favor Fernando Martinez. The team finishes 5th in the division as the Nationals promote Bryce Harper and surge ahead.

A 2012 WITHOUT Reyes:

Glass Half Full: The Mets watch Jose Reyes leave and use the money they would have spent on Reyes signing Yu Darvish. Meanwhile Ruben Tejada is given the job at SS and Reese Havens wins the starting 2B job in spring training. The story of the year is how the Mets are on the rise as Darvish sparkles and Havens earns an All-Star selection in his first year. Harvey joins the team in late September and the Met 2013 future looks bright.

Glass Half Empty: Not only DON'T the Mets sign Reyes but they fail to land a single legit star. Attendance dwindles and David Wright announces to the media that he would like to be traded. To make matters worse, Johan Santana doesn't pitch a single inning and the team is completely out of the playoff race by Mid-June. Harvey and Familia both get promoted but struggle under the pressure of being looked on as saviors.

Right... so... probably something in the middle of those scenarios either way it shakes out. Here is the basic gist. The Mets sign Reyes, they WILL pay too much. The Mets don't sign Reyes, they get two picks and become the laughing stock of the big-market teams (losing countless fans). I love Reyes as a fan but I love the Mets too and want them to win.

Frankly I don't envy Alderson's position...