Ben Sheets Applesauce - Mets show strong interest, Figueroa's strengths, Smoltz could replace Maine

by Joe Budd on Jan 22, 2010 9:40 AM EST in Applesauce

There is some baseball news on this AFC Championship week.

Meet the Mets

I guess we can start with some Ben Sheets news. Ted Berg says that Sheets would be a far superior move to the potential alternative Jon Garland.

Fonzie Forever took issue with Fire Jerry Manuel's Marty Noble piece. Fire Jerry Manuel just piles on more.

The Mets will continue to take a look at Delgado, but if they decide against him, they will most likely turn back to Fernando Tatis. Chad Tracy is also apparently an option.

Patrick Flood continues to write about this year's Met Hall of Fame inductees, this time it's Dwight Gooden.

Pat Andriola writes that the Mets have a hidden gem in Nelson Figueroa.

The Mets could make room for John Smoltz by dealing John Maine, writes Ken Davidoff. This is a suggestion from Davidoff, not a report of actual consideration by the Mets to deal Maine.

Greg Prince reminds us of the days when we were glad that we had a Wilpon owning the team rather than a Steinbrenner.

Project Prospect has Fernando Martinez as the #10 prospect in all of baseball.

As part of their offer, the Red Sox required that Jason Bay undergo knee surgery, a procedure that was strongly discouraged by Bay's own doctors.

Around MLB

The Phillies have agreed to deals with both Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton. Each will likely stay in Philadelphia for another three years.

Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins says that McGwire couldn't hit home runs against him because he couldn't hit while on his back. Oh, and he wants McGwire to apologize to all the pitchers out there.

Mo Vaughn is a part of New York City's massive apartment renovation.

Patrick Sullivan responds to grouchy Murray Chass.

Hideki Irabu once again retired from baseball.

And, in what I hope is good news, Miguel Cabrera has sought out treatment for his alcoholism.

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Comments

The moving maine is just a suggestion from a writer right?

no actual proof they’re considering it right, cause like you said that doesn’t really make any sense.

"We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan'

it's Omar's world, we're just livin in it.

by Gina on Jan 22, 2010 9:46 AM EST reply actions

Right

maybe that post is assuming that we sign Sheets and Garland, and then still want smoltz, creating a logjam… Otherwise, I just don’t get it.

by djg2111 on Jan 22, 2010 10:18 AM EST up reply actions

Sheets vs. Garland?

SIgn ’em both!

Oh, the butcher and the baker and the people on the street: wheredotheygo?!?!?

by CharlieH on Jan 22, 2010 9:51 AM EST reply actions

"Shit, just look at the first clause. That’s a grammatical coat-hanger abortion."

This is my favorite all time sentence! Fire Jerry Manual could have been writing about my sister and I would still love this sentence! Holy crap, well played sir, well played.

Asking a General Manager to slim down his budget is like asking an alcoholic to blow up a distillery.

by scott from peekskill on Jan 22, 2010 11:06 AM EST reply actions

Yeah, the outrage about this sentence on Fonzie

was a bit po-faced, in my opinion.

by deadspy3 on Jan 22, 2010 11:15 AM EST up reply actions

Agreed, It really is "slap your face" humor, but it works really well in this case and is not out of place in the argumentative style FJM writes in..

Asking a General Manager to slim down his budget is like asking an alcoholic to blow up a distillery.

by scott from peekskill on Jan 22, 2010 11:29 AM EST up reply actions

Agreed.

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"
Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Jan 22, 2010 2:20 PM EST up reply actions

Just read the FJM and Pat Sullivan pieces

It is becoming plainly clear that many of the traditional baseball writers are afraid of the new writers. Noble and Murray are prime examples. I actually enjoy some of both these guys writings but they can’t put together a tight argument to save themselves.

Both Murray and Noble, especially Noble, can not justify the way in which they pick players they vote on for the HoF. i would have much more respect for a writer who just came out and said “I like this guy, he was nice and I think he played well.”

Murray and Noble instead bring up statistics they don’t seem to understand and make arguments that are full of holes.

Asking a General Manager to slim down his budget is like asking an alcoholic to blow up a distillery.

by scott from peekskill on Jan 22, 2010 11:44 AM EST reply actions

The misspelling thing was a little dickish

but otherwise I thought it was perfect. If Noble and Co. are naive enough to think that their boyhood heroes were morally perfect, they’re sorely mistaken. Alomar spit in Hirschbeck’s face; he apologized, received a suspension, and is now friends with him.

by Prince on Jan 22, 2010 1:19 PM EST up reply actions

Well but the reason he went after him on spelling

Was because Noble had mocked an e-mailer who misspelled “privilege,” which was the truly dickish thing to do, it having been in an email which wasn’t meant for public consumption compared to Noble’s numerous spelling errors in the very piece in which he’s doing the mocking.

by SuperT on Jan 22, 2010 2:54 PM EST up reply actions

Applesauce

Why are the Mets still even remotely interested in Delgado? Seriously…

Ken Davidoff would condone trading away Maine, to make room for Smoltz? Both are probably going to throw about the same amount of innings in 2010. I know I’d rather have the younger, more controllable pitcher than the older, is-probably-going-to-retire-next-season pitcher.

Ferguson Jenkins is being a dick. And a hypocrite- he was, after all busted with amphetamines that, lo and behold, were the “steroids” of his era.

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"
Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Jan 22, 2010 2:20 PM EST reply actions

garland or Sheets

I would be happy with either signing, but I think I agree with Sheets over Garland. I would like to see a club option on this over a multi year deal just in case his arm explodes. But I think that he should be good to go listening to MLB network about the surgery

by Rickfansince76 on Jan 22, 2010 5:16 PM EST reply actions