Thursday Morning Applesauce: Pelfrey Needs His Sinker, Thole Is Working Hard

by Stephen Schmidt on Feb 9, 2012 9:36 AM EST in Applesauce

Baseball is getting close. With the days until pitchers and catchers report to St. Lucie approaching single digits we're going to start hearing all sorts of puff pieces and ITBSOHL news. In today's papers we were treated to updates on Big Pelf and Josh Thole. Pelfrey seems to realize that the key to his success will be his sinker, you know, sinking. Josh Thole must realize that will lead to more balls in the dirt, because he's focusing on improving his defense. 90 wins, here we come.

On to ownership news. Michael Bloomberg is not interested in purchasing the Mets. Fine by me, I'm still holding out hope that when Buddy boy is gone and the Wilpons are forced out that the new commish will finally allow Mark Cuban into the club.

The Times pointed out today that Sandy Alderson hasn't had a whole lot of money to work with. We've noticed.

Speaking of large contracts (or the Mets lack of giving them out recently), FanGraphs took a look at the ten worst transactions this offseason. It certainly makes me smile to see that both the Nationals and the Phillies made the list once and the Minnows made it twice. Go NL East!

Rich Harden will not fall into the bad transaction category this season, as he will not pitch in 2012. I think it's safe to assume that every AAOP for next year will now include Harden on a minor league deal.

Finally for today, Jose Reyes auctioned his hair off for 10,000 dollars. The Wilpons are probably a bit upset that they didn't see that potential revenue stream first, but I bet they've now got an intern digging around in the Citi Field catacombs for the David Wright super helmet.

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Hey, kids! Lenny Randle sez: "11 days 'til pitchers and catchers. If you don't show up, I'll break your face!"

The 2011 New York Mets: Well, I been down so goddamned long, that it looks like up to me.

by CTRefJay on Feb 9, 2012 9:44 AM EST reply actions 4 recs

Len Randle

Whoa.

by TheBigStapler on Feb 9, 2012 9:47 AM EST up reply actions

Sandy hasn't had a lot of money to work with...

Water is wet, sky is blue, day ends in y, Katy Perry is hot….

Husker/Giants/Mets fan living behind enemy lines.

by CCE718 on Feb 9, 2012 9:53 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

I think Phillies fans are unable to see how the bubble can burst

They mock the Mets, always, but cannot see how they are bound to the same fate of mediocrity and for the same reason. They hand out huge contracts that they can afford now, while people are in the seats, but when the team gets worse—and it will—those fans will disappear. Then, they will be left with enormous contracts and a shrinking payroll.

I understand that it makes sense to invest heavily when in “win now” mode and it has already paid off for Philadelphia but some of the deals that Amaro hands out are ill-advised even within the context of trying to improve the team in the short term. Howard and Papelbon are likely just the start.

Their team will get slightly worse and they will have to make desperate moves to stay on top of the division, trading away top prospects for more aging talent, capping their payroll with expensive role players, handing out more and more super-long contracts to attract the best free agents. Then suddenly they will have no resource left to exhaust. That’s when the quality of their team will drop precipitously.

by TheBigStapler on Feb 9, 2012 10:04 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

I know...

isn’t it wonderful?

Just too bad that it takes time for something like this to happen. But, I will have my lawn chair, popcorn, and a bucket of cold beer waiting for the collapse.

Husker/Giants/Mets fan living behind enemy lines.

by CCE718 on Feb 9, 2012 10:19 AM EST up reply actions

I have repeated this same statement

to Phillies fans over the last two years, and they really don’t get it. I even made the Omar Amaro joke and they were like NO WAY!!

Phillies fans your team is getting old, and is already on that injury train that you thought was so funny when the mets had tickets. The phillies are one elbow tweak in Halladay’s arm from being a .500 team.

by Joshuah on Feb 10, 2012 9:49 AM EST up reply actions

Listen........enough of all this stuff

I want to hear a fastball popping on catcher’s mitt now…….not 11 days from now.

One day, this team is going to kill me.

by fxcarden on Feb 9, 2012 10:06 AM EST reply actions 2 recs

commander sparbz reporting in

looking forward to a year of K-Counters and fxcarden rants.

traveling photoshooper.
i hate shane victorino more than anyone else.
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by sparbz on Feb 9, 2012 10:28 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs