Free Francoeur Day Applesauce - Mets trade Frenchy, call up Duda & Mejia, Valentine speculation
by Joe Budd on Sep 1, 2010 7:54 AM EDT
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Meet the Mets
It's gotten to the point where I'm almost rooting for the Braves to sweep this series so that they have a better chance of keeping the division title from Philadelphia. It'll probably happen no matter who I root for, but just wanted to throw that out there.
But, there is now more reason to watch this club beyond trying to keep Philadelphia from the playoffs. For one, Jeff Francoeur is not with the team anymore. His acquisition has made the Texas Rangers really look like Omar Minaya's dream team. In his place, the Mets will give Lucas Duda a shot.
Oh yeah, then there was the whole Jenrry Mejia thing. After dominating Syracuse for 8 innings, the Mets have called up Mejia and will likely have him start Saturday at Wrigley. Matthew Falzano reminds us about his peripherals to this point.
Despite the apparent push to play the young guys, Omar insists that a "youth movement" is impossible in New York.
Peter Gammons speculated yesterday that Bobby Valentine will become the next Met manager, leading Kevin Kearns to suggest Backman and Piazza for the coaching staff.
The Mets plan to discuss a contract extension with R.A. Dickey.
Darryl Strawberry is this week's guest on the Baseball Show.
Around MLB
Ryan Howard is hitting .111 since his return from the DL.
What is it with Canadians and concussions?
Aroldis Chapman made his big league debut last night, tossing a scoreless inning and hitting 102 mph on the radar gun.
Rocco Baldelli has been called up by Tampa.
Is Jose Bautista the next Brady Anderson?
And, finally, Biz of Baseball puts together the greatest minor league promotions of 2010.
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Congrats on V-F Day, Mets Fans
Beyond the Box Score / Capitol Avenue Club / shwitter: @CapitolAvenue
by PWHjort on Sep 1, 2010 8:40 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Thank you...
Since you’re in DC, can you lobby that today be a national noliday for Mets fans?
Duda, will he start with Pagan hurting?
I say get him right in today.
Any task BIG or small, Do it well or not at all
Whatever Happened To...
hating the Braves?
I think peopl ehate the Phils more
especially being it is Cox’s swan song. He is a great manager and as much as I hate the Braves if they win in his final season I wouldn’t be that upset.
I wouls rather the Mets won, but that isnt going to happen
Any task BIG or small, Do it well or not at all
by Rickfansince76 on Sep 1, 2010 8:54 AM EDT up reply actions
I hate them more
They were the hate of my youth. And the chop……
by Pack Bringley on Sep 1, 2010 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions
and the fans don't even show up to games...
There was a (terrible) excuse back when it was, “well, they’re good all the time. Fans are waiting for the playoffs.” (And then they wouldn’t sell out the first round.) But what’s the excuse now?
by Pack Bringley on Sep 1, 2010 11:13 AM EDT up reply actions
I totally agree
The annual loss in the playoffs killed me- to this day I will not have a brave on a fantasy team.
I hate the braves forever
I hate the phillies too but 14 years? Really?
Jerry and Omar assclowns for life
by Ghost of seven in a row on Sep 1, 2010 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions
We hate the Braves more consistently
but we hate the Phils in spurts of volcanic rage
Hey, wait! I'm having one of those things. You know? A headache with pictures?
by KeithsMoustache on Sep 1, 2010 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah I hate the Braves because they've been really good for a long time
I hate the Phillies because they were garbage for a long time and really good for a short time and truthfully not much different than us in the long run but they seem to think they’re the Yankees of the NL.
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
Not to invoke that whatever rule, but...
I compare it to Hitler and the Nazis vs. Stalin and the Commies. As hard as it may be, there’s always a lesser of two evils.
There’s the current evil players (Victorino, Rollins) vs. past evil players (Rocker, Chipper (he’s not as much of a villian these days)), but I think it comes down to what happens in the stands.
The chop is possibly the most horrendously lame cheer in sports, but that’s it – it’s just horrendously lame (and annoying). Phillies fans are the second worst in American sports (Raiders fans win top honors) for many reasons, including intentionally vomitting on little girls. And as letsgocyclones pointed out, the Braves don’t even sell out playoff games. And there’s no other baseball team even close geographically. You almost (but not really) feel bad for them.
Braves fans = polite, but meek no-shows.
Phillies fans = vile
Thus, with complex math, I have deduced that the Phillies and their fans are definitely the current greater of two evils.
Now if the Mets actually decided to be a good team, we wouldn’t have this question…
ugh there's no reason to feel bad for the Braves
they have a MASSIVE fan base, it’s just located outside of Atlanta. They’re a regional team, literally the team of the south. They probably make enough in merchandise sales and tv rights to cover what they don’t make in selling out. People in Atlanta are literally fans of nothing for the most part, there’s a few transplants but by far the majority are not sport fans, and literally go to nothing.
The year the Hawks took the Celtics, back when they were good and not old and near death I think 08, to 6 or 7 games in the first round I had a friend who literally walked up to the box office the night of game 6 and bought tickets. Georgia fans buy season Georgia Tech tickets when they play Tech at home because they’re like 1/5th the cost of Georgia tickets just to see the Tech-Georgia game, and a lot of fans of ACC teams do this too we use to buy them just to see the UNC game when they played in Atlanta. In a state/region that will kill over college football.
Literally the only time they’ve ever consistently shown up for any sporting event is when Vick was in Atlanta, and that in itself is another long issue. There’s no reason to feel bad for the Braves or question their fan bases loyalty, trust me they have a MASSIVE fan base left over from the 90s/early 00’s runs and TBS.
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
"People in Atlanta are literally fans of nothing."
hahaha
by Pack Bringley on Sep 1, 2010 1:32 PM EDT up reply actions
well as far as sports go
they’re fans of annoying rappers, overly crowded clubs, and gun related crimes.
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
and terrible city planning
42-lane highways run through every part of town.
by Pack Bringley on Sep 1, 2010 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions
I still don't quite get it
Do hotels in Atlanta suck a lot? You’d think that a team with a huge regional fanbase could sell out a FERKIN playoff game. If you barred the city of Boston from attending the Red Sox postseason, you could probably sell that shit out with Mainers alone. I know shit’s a good deal more spread out, but still, it’s lame.
by Pack Bringley on Sep 1, 2010 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions
I think it's because the stadium does not have sufficient RV parking....
Southerners won’t do anything absent an RV.
by MookieTheCat on Sep 1, 2010 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
college football
and like you said it’s a bit more spread out. The total cost in $$ it would take to 1. take time off from work, travel get a hotel, just isn’t feasible for most people. Plus it always comes second to college football in the south.
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
oh and one more thing
down here schools start the first week of august, vs what september up there? So there’s no taking your kids to the ballpark for family trips during the week days really.
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
Honestly...
I’m confused by this “don’t sell out the playoffs” stuff. Every time the Braves made the postseason, I would try to get tickets. I got them a couple of times, plus for the World Series the year they won (game 7, though, which wasn’t necessary). All the other times I was unable to get them because they were “sold out”. The games I went to certainly seemed full to me. Something does not compute.
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." A. Bartlett Giamatti
I imagine it depends on what time period you're talking about
and whether you were buying them direct from the braves or through brokers
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
Yeah I don't know specifics
I remember near the end if their era of dominance it being a story that the NLDS games weren’t sold out.
by Pack Bringley on Sep 1, 2010 6:51 PM EDT up reply actions
How are Raiders fans worse than Phillies fans?
Raiders fans my be insane, but they don’t vomit on children or run around on the field or sell their body for tickets.
Save Jenrry Mejia!
In lobby for Josh Byrnes/Chip Hale as Mets 2011 GM/Manager.
I hate the Braves, but it's a respectful type of hate.
I loathe the Phillies.
Save Jenrry Mejia!
In lobby for Josh Byrnes/Chip Hale as Mets 2011 GM/Manager.
Omar is an idiot, youth movement can always work
fans love youth movements as long as they move along. There is always an excitement when a guy comes from the minors..I say more of a buzz than a FA signing.
look out on Long Island, there is a general excitement around the Islanders, even throughout the NHL. Fans are a little more patient with youth
perfect example is Davis to Bay
fans are tolerant of Davis struggling because he is a rookie and it is expected, but fans wantto hang Bay for $60 million reasons
Any task BIG or small, Do it well or not at all
this is why Gee should also get a look
Any task BIG or small, Do it well or not at all
by Rickfansince76 on Sep 1, 2010 8:54 AM EDT up reply actions
This is why...
I am glad that Duda is getting a look. I have been excited about this guy all year, mashing balls in AA and AAA. I am glad the game is on ESPN (living in PA), just for the chance that he (A) may start or (B) pinch hits. My wife got me tickets to the second to last game of the year. I am hoping at this point that there are mostly young guys playing. She thinks I am nuts, but I am hoping 5 years from now, I can say I saw them that night before they made it big.
Coaching staff
I too am on the Bobby V bandwagon. I never wanted to see him go in the first place and I too blamed 85% of the Mets problems back then on Phillips. I like Gammons’ idea of Backman as the bench coach, but that does take away a very good minor league manager. If we want these future prospects to develop appropriately, we need good minor league managers. Look at what his minor league history has shown (in other words, I believe he has a winning record). Piazza is a pipe dream. I do not know if he has ever coached and don’t know if he would be a good coach. Former players don’t always translate into coaches. Overall, though, if the Mets were to have Bobby V, Backman, and Piazza, I think that would be a leap in the right direction.
Backman?
Not sure winning % is an appropriate measure of a minor league manager’s skill, particularly since his primary job (esp. at the lower levels) is to develop young talent. Not necessarily a rap on Backman, but I just don’t know how we as fans can assess this properly from a distance.
OTOH, the kids in Brooklyn have certainly learned by now which choice words will get you run from the game posthaste.
by madisonmetsfan on Sep 1, 2010 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Piazza coached the Italian team in the WBC
Notthat it means much
Jerry and Omar assclowns for life
by Ghost of seven in a row on Sep 1, 2010 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions
There's no way I want Backman as a bench coach to Valentine.
It would be the worst thing in the world to have the guy next in line for the job of manager in that position. Since the manager has to work closely with the bench coach imo it’s always the manager’s pick.
Bobby can always
give Wally the silent treatment a la Dave Wallace.
What's the score, boys?
What did Bugs Bunny do?
What's with the Carrot League baseball today?
6 degrees of suckatude
Arias was given some chances at second base. But he had a couple of mental gaffes in Tampa Bay earlier this month and ended up getting designated for assignment last week to make room for Alex Cora
so it was the DFA of Cora that led to the trade of FYF. It all comes full circle.
I am a fan of both the mets and knicks... so just kill me now.
Wow
You really can’t make this stuff up. Couldn’t they just have received some coupons to the Rangers’ concession stands? Seems like that would be more valuable.
"Sometimes you make a mistake and you get hit in the head." - Eli Manning
When a team think Cora is better Stay away
But Mets are drawn to buying lotto tickets. of Course I might pay 100mil to 1 at 50
Seriously?
I’m telling you – this is Major League the movie in real life.
Ownership has ulterior motives to intentionally suck.
Ryan Howard struggling?
But I thought he got so many RBIs and hits home runs all the time.
by James Kannengieser on Sep 1, 2010 9:30 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
So I wanted Frenchy gone
but I swear if I have to see Arias’s for 162 games next year I’m done for real. That would be the final nail in the coffin.
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
Well, that's how bad 2b is for the Mets,
when you have to consider it’s a live possibility that a guy who was dumped to make room for Alex Cora is now the team’s starter.
Mejia
Mejia should file a restraining order against Jerry – I see him somehow murdering some part of Jenrry’s arm or career before it’s all said and done.
by metsjetsnets on Sep 1, 2010 10:13 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Valentine????
Seriously !!!!??? Look I am not in favor of bringing Willie or either Joe T back either, but if we’re on memory lane….
Of course, Bobby V (or Willie) are prob much cheaper than Joe…
And is there any buzz here abt Omar getting re-assigned at end of season and bringing an intelligent front office leader? (isn’t Towers consulting for Yankees and available?)
by alanmappel@yahoo.com on Sep 1, 2010 10:53 AM EDT reply actions
The buzz I'm hearing is that Omar is in no danger of losing his job, and is really
only at risk of not getting extended.
Dicket contract extension
5 years 35 million? gee, I just want him to be around forever!
ain't had enough...
I love Dickey
(Pause)
But there is no reason to give an extension to a 37 year old arb-eligible pitcher.
by Jeffrey Paternostro on Sep 1, 2010 11:05 AM EDT reply actions
Was just thinking the same thing
Which is more likely to happen next year:
1. Dickey comes back to earth a bit
2. Dickey is so dominant that he forces the Mets to get into a bidding war over a 37—year-old knuckleballer.
by Bieser's Balk on Sep 1, 2010 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions
When Dickey takes over two spots in our rotation
and also closes, we’ll need to give him Ollie $ + Frankie $ + Dickey $. He’ll just use it to do good in Latin America anyway, and to buy volumes of poetry.
by Pack Bringley on Sep 1, 2010 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions
I can't argue with that
Maybe 4 for 48, with a vesting option determined by beard length?
by Bieser's Balk on Sep 1, 2010 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions
Dude seriously....
He wants to transfer to Vandy. Do you have any idea how much tuition and a closetful of popped collar Lacoste shirts cost?
Admittedly slapdashed MS Paintz job
and Lacoste > Polo.
It's a game of redeeming features. ~ Bob Murphy
Couple thoughts...
Has Piazza ever shown any indications that he’s interested in coaching? I’d be happy to at least see what he could do as a hitting coach, he certainly does know a fair amount about it.
I know Dickey is arbitration-eligible, but if the Mets think he’s got a few good years in him, I don’t see a problem with buying out his arb year (I think there’s just one) and then the next couple if it’s a reasonable offer. Would he take 3 years, $5M per, say? B-Ref and Fangraphs both have him at around 3 WAR this year (B-Ref 3.1, Fangraphs 2.7), so that’s a reasonable deal even if he’s half that valuable going forward.
3/15 seems like a lot given this is his first strong year.
I’d think 2/7 w a player friendly vest (I know) would work, but his arb award may blow that out of the water. Anyone know what neighborhood he’s in? $5 million wouldn’t surprise me, but he’s tough to figure.
Dickey being extended? Awesome.
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"
Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.
by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Sep 1, 2010 12:19 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Yeah I don't get extending him
unless it’s an incredibly team friendly cheap short deal
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
Not to be crude, Gina, but
I don’t think you really can get the thought process behind extending Dickey. It’s kinda a guy thing.
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"
Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.
by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Sep 1, 2010 11:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Knowing Omar, he'd extend his wallet with Dickey....
I don’t think J.Arias is going to be the everyday 2b, most likely, he will do the Anderson Hernandez Shuttle Bus Shuffle.
I hope Omar goes after a Free Agent secondbase man and sign him to a reasonable deal in 2011. I don’t want to see Ruben Tejada as an everyday MLB 2b at all. He should be in AAA, and clearly, Reese Havens has the Met Injury Prone Bug.
Maybe they can move Zach Lutz to 2b?
"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"
if they move lutz there
where will they put our no hit middle infielder???
mediocrity thy name is Wilpon- jdon
I'd seriously consider moving Tejada to AA.
I mean, he’s not hitting AT ALL. He looks just terrible up there.
aaah the usual Bobby V speculation.
who i gotta fuck to make it happen this time?
I hate Philadelphia so much.
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