Eff Yeah Baseball Time Applesauce: Super Bowl Over, Pitchers and Catchers Soon, I Guess There's Still Hockey?

Meet the Giants Mets

So the Super Bowl was yesterday, I guess. As a Niners fan, I could barely watch the game without thinking how San Francisco could have beaten either of these teams. Oh well, two weeks to pitchers and catchers. Jay Horwitz enjoyed the game at least. As did Greg Prince and, I'm guessing, Ted Berg's stomach.

No Rick Ankiel for the Mets as the "centerfielder" has re-upped with the Nationals on a minor league deal. Let the battle between Adam Loewen and Mike Baxter begin! MORRRRRRRTAAAAAALLLLL KOMBAAAAAAAAAAAT! I'm betting on Baxter since he ate a whole wheel of cheese or something. I don't know, never saw Anchorman.

Ken Oberkfell continues to work his magic with the Leones del Escogido. Hard to believe he couldn't catch on as a AAA skipper or MLB bench coach somewhere this year. Frankly, I don't see how he's a worse candidate than Teufel or Backman.

Hardball Talk has the top ten catchers for 2012 by projected OPS. Not listed, Josh Thole. I could see Thole sneaking in around .700, maybe something like .290/.360/.340.

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If you are in the market for the pretty good Matt Garza, you are going to have to wait until we get closer to the trade deadline.

Or you impatient types could take a flier on Brandon Webb or Mark Prior, who are both looking to make a comeback. I'd take a flier on Prior who has gotten some velocity back, but sadly I think Webb's shoulder is pretty much toast at this point.

Apparently people (and Brisbee) are still talking like Bryce Harper might possibly begin the season in the bigs. This is patently crazy talk. Yes, he's the best prospect in baseball. Yes, his floor is probably something like average corner outfielder. He's still 19 and hit .256/.329/.395 at AA last season. Now, I expect he will come out and blitz the Eastern League this year, but let him force the issue with his bat.

John Sickels does a prospect retro for one of my favorite non-Mets, Mike Napoli. He's not Jeff Mathis, but the guy can hit a little bit. Come to think of it, that is probably why he is no Jeff Mathis.

Brad Penny will join the Blastings Thilledge in Japan, as he has signed with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks.

Hardball Times has changed the game on PITCHf/x, going back and charting millions of pitches by hand. Freaking Awesome.

And now, Your Mets Highlight of the Day to Tide You Over Until Spring Training: Valdespin goes deep

Yeah, he's far from a perfect prospect, but I think the power surge last year was for real.

And Your Non-Baseball Link of the Day: The Music Video for "Moves" by The New Pornographers

There are so many, many things to like about this video directed by Tom Scharpling of WFMU's "Best Show." It has like every comedian ever in it, plus Ted Leo in drag. Kevin Corrigan plays guitar the same way I imagine Dan Bejar actually plays guitar (with a handgun). The fake Billboard charts are amazing. And John Hodgman gets hit over the head with a beer bottle. Oh yeah, the song's pretty good, too.