2009 New York Mets thread

Already w/the positive vibes on the 2009 Mets thread.

real thread will come later

And it'll be 100% posi, right Morbs?

i bet there's something wrong with putz. i love the guy, but he wasn't right last year. i sort of think the mariners knew something and that's why they wanted to move him before the start of the season. i bet they figured that his value wasn't going to go up as he played games.

i was thinking that too.

i bet they figured that his value wasn't going to go up as he played games.

I was thinking that their new GM probably understands that it makes no sense to have an all-star closer on a rebuilding team, so might as well trade him and replenish the farm, especially in the wake of the Bedard trade.

that too

oy, design issues.

http://thesportshernia.typepad.com/blog/2009/01/other-inventive-patches-found-in-mets-brainstorming-lab.html

btw, Mets are not offering any ticket packs of less than 15 games to former buyers like myself this year. Not biting for that many; I will probably see fewer Mets games this year than I have since the George Bamberger Era.

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/215975/january-15-2009/tip-wag---monkey-on-the-lam

Mets Will Give García Chance to Join Rotation
By TYLER KEPNER
The last two years have been sobering for Freddy García, whose shoulder has kept him from being the premier starter he was for eight seasons. He has bounced to the Philadelphia Phillies and the Detroit Tigers, and now he will try with the Mets.

The Mets agreed to a minor league contract with García, according to a person with knowledge of the deal who was granted anonymity because the move had not been announced. García will have a chance to compete for a spot in the rotation.

García, 33, will go to spring training with more career victories than the Mets’ ace, Johan Santana, but also with significant physical questions. In 14 starts over the last two seasons, he is 2-6 with a 5.55 earned run average.

García was among the top starters in the American League from 1999 through 2006. In that eight-year span, he ranked first in the A.L. in innings pitched, with 1,643 2/3, and second to Mike Mussina in victories, with 116.

García also starred in the postseason, with a 6-2 record and 3.16 E.R.A., including two victories for Seattle in the 2000 A.L. Championship Series. He also won the decisive game of the 2005 World Series for the Chicago White Sox.

But García has not been the same since the White Sox traded him to the Phillies for Gavin Floyd before the 2007 season. García made 11 starts before labrum surgery that August. He was out of the majors for more than a year and made three starts for Detroit last September.

García was 1-1 with a 4.20 E.R.A. for the Tigers, going five innings in each of his starts, and, in November, he was shut down with shoulder soreness while pitching in Venezuela. That problem was said to be muscular, not structural, and the Mets, the Yankees and others were interested in signing him.

The Mets remain hopeful of signing a prominent free agent.

The Mets’ top choice is to retain Oliver Pérez, 27, who could command a four-year deal. Their fallback options include Randy Wolf or Ben Sheets, whose injury history has made teams wary.

Jeff Wilpon, the Mets’ chief operating officer, told Bloomberg News on Thursday that General Manager Omar Minaya had payroll flexibility to add another starter. Wilpon also said Minaya had not approached him about Manny Ramírez, the premier position player still available in free agency.

“I know the perception out there again is that ownership said no,” Wilpon said. “I don’t have the opportunity to say no because Omar hasn’t brought it to me as an option. Omar and the baseball staff aren’t interested.”

Will Manny and Perez sign with anyone before spring training?

Ollie yeah.

Mets-associated people who invested with Bernie Madoff:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090205/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbn_koufax_madoff_mets

And Sandy Koufax too!

called it

2009 New York Mets thread

Jack (NJ): Do you believe that the Wilpon's involvement in Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme could possibly have cost the Mets Manny Ramierez?

Steven Goldman: Yes. That's not based on any inside info as much as the kind of chatter I'm hearing from the chattering classes.

and further, Perrotto:

The Mets are trying to trade reserve catcher Ramon Castro; they feel Robinson Cancel would be a more cost-effective backup for Brian Schneider.

:O

this will not end well

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/02/14/mets.reyes.leadoff.ap/

New York Mets manager Jerry Manuel is pondering the idea of dropping his speedy shortstop from the leadoff spot, one of several tweaks that could be on tap for a team coming off consecutive September collapses.

Luis Castillo might get a shot at the top of the lineup, perhaps with Carlos Beltran batting second and Reyes No. 3. Reyes could also be handed more leadership responsibilities on defense, such as aligning other infielders and visiting the mound.

"This is not about statistical success. This is about winning as a team, and you have to put people in positions that you feel is best to win as a team," Manuel said during a 40-minute news conference.

yeah, i'm on record in thinking Manuel might be an idiot. and SS, I really really wish you would beat up equally on some other big-payroll teams this year.

as for Livan, he's Plan G, or N.

also Castillo has about as much chance lasting as Mets' leadoff hitter as i do.

Jay Jaffe: "Freddy Garcia is the best bet in the Mets' fifth-starter derby, a field crowded by this weekend's signing of Livan Hernandez, whose greatest talent is showing up for work."

truth bomb

I'm really kind of hoping Castillo has a bad spring.

http://blog.nj.com/mets/2009/02/jerry_manuel_testing_my_patien.html

A+ headline

No player on the New York Mets was booed more than Shea Stadium fans than second baseman Luis Castillo last year. This season, Castillo has every intention of making amends for his worst season as a big leaguer.

Castillo and his agents visited Omar Minaya's office after last season, to express remorse for the second baseman's subpar performance in the first season of a four-year, $25 million deal. And to request not to be traded.

Castillo then went to work in the Dominican Republic this winter, traveling 70 minutes each way to the Mets' academy for 4½-hour workouts with former major-leaguer Rafael Landestoy. The result: a slimmer Castillo reported to camp weighing in at 193 pounds, down from the 210 of last spring training.

Newsday points out today that last year Manuel freq said something, then did the opposite.

Mets-Red Sox exhib games just went onsale. Thought I'd see if Saturday "$6" tix were available, but no luck yet accessing.

got in for April 4, could only nab two tho.

wait it's still called Citi Field? LOL

back in yr gopher hole (3B in Bronx)

Perrotto:

The Mets are emerging as the team most likely to sign left-handed reliever Will Ohman, and they're considering releasing right-handed reliever Duaner Sanchez, whose velocity has never returned since injuring his shoulder in a taxi accident during the 2006 season.

they're showing game 5 of the 99 NLCS on espn classic rn

Duaner is released

oof

cubbie4109 (14 hours ago) Show Hide
0
Marked as spam
Reply
stupid bitch!

smart dude! if he had wyled out on her it would have been youtube shameful.
also, why is marge schott going to grapefruit league games?

Redding to miss Opening Day roster

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2009/news/story?id=3979989

lol @ lenny dykstra

http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_8558

he's not a 2009 Met, k

let's not get caught up in minor technicalities here

Boy, you change a thread title for a guy and he goes all Dykstra on you.

No roids for me, thx

what a bizzare story. he sounds like a few pre-collapse look-what-kind-of-car/watch-i-have type pricks i know (knew?).

Schneider, strained calf (yay, Ramon stays?):

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2009/news/story?id=3996027

Ryan (DSM): Sidney Ponson...... No questions, just disbelief.

SportsNation Keith Law: (1:22 PM ET ) Livan Hernandez is probably going to be the fifth starter for a team with delusions of playoff grandeur. FTW.

I didn't even realize the Citi opener is now slated as a night game...

http://www.metspolice.com/2009/03/mets-fans-unite-to-get-opening-night.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/metsgrrl/sets/72157615727996872/

roster set -- Evans down to AAA when Livan comes off DL.

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/team/roster_active.jsp?c_id=nym

btw looks like Castillo is batting 8th, not leadoff, so never listen to Jerry Manuel.

so Wright lobbied Sheffield to sign! He can sleep alone this week.

how about neither? The last two Septembers were obv more painful; I've been comfortably numb since July with this year's surgey ward.

assume "neither" is not on deck.

http://13.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kr0qrspcj11qztpqzo1_500.jpg

looolll!

ahhahahahaha

lulz just came to post that

"And the answer is JERRY GROTE. Cue the duck!"

hahaha wait is that real??

that shit is awesome

could you guys give it a temporary rest until Minaya gives Frenchy an extension?

Speaking just for myself, fuck no we could not.

http://www.life.com/image/first/in-gallery/35132

this fucking team:

Mets made $48M from Madoff
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4581715

this is hilarious. paying ollie perez with blood money.

http://www.metsblog.com/2009/10/25/news-mets-minor-leaguer-dies-of-heart-attack/

Mets Minor League pitcher Rafael Castro has died of a heart attack at the age of 18.

Castro had spent two seasons in the Venezuelan Summer League, and passed away at the Mets academy in Venezuela.

oh man

Ken Belson, NYT:

Lawyers for Sterling Equities, the investment firm controlled by Fred Wilpon, the principal owner of the Mets, said it lost money as a result of the Ponzi scheme orchestrated by Bernard L. Madoff, according to a filing Thursday in the United States Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan.

The trustee recouping money on behalf of victims of the fraud has disqualified claims from investors who took out more money than they put into accounts with Madoff’s firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities. Sterling Equities was among those disqualified on those grounds.

But Sterling Equities’ lawyers argued that losses should be based on how much money was in its account on Nov. 30, 2008, and that the trustee, Irving H. Picard, has no right to recover money from investors who took money out of their account before the Ponzi scheme collapsed.

The filing on Thursday echoed the complaints of other investors who withdrew their original capital from accounts with Madoff as opposed to those who touched little of their money and lost everything.

A hearing on the matter was scheduled for Feb. 2.

hey guys what's going on in this thread

"Madoff's personalized Mets jacket, expected to go for $500 to $700, brought in $14,500."

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/madoff_ill_gotten_gains_auctioned_TD4qjg946hJSWGbnWoP33I

maura!

hey maura

we lol in the mets in this thread pretty much

and rankle morbs, tho it's out of <3

bullshit.

:-O

No, it's true! We DO rankle morbs in this thred!

The Mets (and the Mets' medical staff) rankled Morbs far more this year IMO.

Fernando Martinez, the Mets' highly regarded but oft-injured outfield prospect, returned from summer knee surgery two weeks ago in the Dominican Winter League - only to have another problem.

Martinez, who was hitting .167 with two RBI in six games with Escogido, has been sidelined since last Saturday with blisters. Martinez believes the trouble surfaced during an aggressive batting practice session. He officially is day-to-day, but the blisters reportedly haven't substantially improved.

The continued trouble has led to advice from ex-Met Moises Alou, who is GM of Martinez's winter-ball team. Alou, who used to urinate on his hands to increase the skin's toughness, has recommended Martinez do the same thing.

picking up right where 2009 left off

no

what I mean is, fuck yeah I expected something like Beltran, but more specifically for Reyes to miss most of this year too.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4824101

Let's not post here anymore, shall we?

that espn article doesn't mention that beltran had surgery against the mets wishes

well, this is all news to me

"This was necessary surgery, necessary surgery to work," Boras told The Associated Press.

This is such a cunty and otm response to send to a boss I love it.

Dude must have been chillin hard in the off-season then decided to get crackin before spring training and realized his knee was jacked up...

why the fuck didn't they determine it was necessary before Christmas? where are these articles detailing the Mets' objections?

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/surgery_for_beltran_8Vu8wdR4ImT8h4FkKVCiqN