Interviews
A Few More Words on Wilpon with The New Yorker's Jeffrey Toobin
After allowing the initial shock to subside from Jeffrey Toobin's article in this week's edition of The New Yorker regarding the Wilpons and the collateral damage from the Madoff scandal, I found myself asking a lot of questions.
I wasn't necessarily asking questions like, "When will we trade Jose Reyes?" or "Did Fred Wilpon's comments hurt Carlos Beltran's trade value?" I found myself asking about Toobin's interest in the Wilpons and his approach.
So, I went to the source. Toobin, a lawyer that doubles as a legal analyst for CNN and regular contributor for The New Yorker, agreed to a brief email interview to address whether the Mets knew what was coming with his article, his thoughts on the merits of the Madoff trustees' lawsuit, and his personal reaction as a Mets fan to Fred Wilpon's player appraisals.
It won't talk anyone down from any ledges nor end the calls for a Wilpon banishment. Hopefully, it provides you with a bit more perspective on the situation as we sort through the fallout.
A Quick Chat With Mets Minor Leaguer Jeff Glenn
With spring training coming to a close, I thought it only fitting to wrap up our interview series with the guy who wore no. 0 throughout his stay in camp, Mets minor league catcher and '09 ninth rounder Jeff Glenn. After the 19-year old Winter Haven, Florida native spent 24 games with the Gulf Coast League Mets in 2010, batting just .231 with one home run, he was a long shot to make major league camp to say the least.
However, while training this winter at the Mets complex he received an invite from Terry Collins -- who knew Glenn from his short stint managing the GCL team -- and I'm sure the fact that they just needed extra catchers made it no less thrilling for the teenager. Despite being perhaps the most unknown player in all of camp, Glenn was actually a pretty highly thought of prep catching prospect before the draft in '09, known for his highly regarded defensive ability.
Glenn and I talked about his surprise invitation to camp, the experience of catching major leaguers, goals for the 2011 season and more; click the 'Play' button below to listen in.
Click past the break for the transcript of our chat:
A Quick Chat with Mets Minor Leaguer Eric Campbell
Recently I was lucky enough to sit down with Mets minor leaguer 3B/LF Eric Campbell. 2010 was an interesting year for the 23-year old Norwich, CT native; in some ways he resembled a younger Lucas Duda in that he's always been a guy with a solid bat and especially good plate discipline but he's never shown the power many expected. Like Duda, last season that power came on in a big way and by the all star break he was as potent a bat as you could find in the Mets system. At that point he had posted a .327/.398/.522 line, he'd already blown past his career high with nine homers and had already earned a promotion up to Double-A Binghamton.
Unfortunately, that was when he broke his finger which became an injury that sidelined him for over two months. He made it back onto the field for the final 30 games but didn't look the same at the plate. He also struggled in a short winter appearance in the Venezuelan Winter League which begged the question: Was the breakout first half just a fluke or were his injuries the source of the late-season struggles?
Eric and I spoke about this very issue, playing in Venezuela, his defensive flexibility and more. Press the 'Play' button below to listen in!
Click past the break for a transcript of our chat:
A Quick Chat With Mets Minor Leaguer Matt den Dekker
During my stay in camp I was lucky enough to sit down with Mets 2010 fifth rounder OF Matt den Dekker -- or as many have recently come to know him, @UpperDekker. The 23-year old Fort Lauderdale native -- and proud former Gator -- was stellar in his pro debut last summer with Savannah, batting .346/.404/.471 all while featuring major league-caliber defense in center.
We spoke about playing for Florida, his fast start in the pros with Savannah, differences between professional and amateur baseball and more. Click on the 'Play' Button below to listen in!
Click past the break for a transcript of our chat:
A Quick Chat With Mets 1B Ike Davis
Recently I was lucky enough to sit down with Mets first baseman Ike Davis (who just so happens to turn 24 today). Probably to the surprise of very few people who watch enough games, Ike is a very gregarious individual who is willing to talk with just about anyone willing to listen. In fact, it's his voice more than any other that you'll often hear bouncing around the clubhouse before and after games. Also, the fact that he just turned 24 making him over a year younger than me is rather depressing.
We spoke about his thoughts on Terry Collins' camp, coming in with a guaranteed starting job, thoughts on Ken Oberkfell and more. To listen press the 'Play' button below.
Click past the break for the full transcript of our chat:
A Quick Chat With Mets Minor Leaguer RHP Ryan Fraser
Recently I was lucky enough to sit down with Mets minor league fireballer and 2010 16th round selection Ryan Fraser. Fraser was taken out of the U. of Memphis last June and was immediately installed as the Cyclones closer where he went on to post a sterling 1.44 ERA with 12 saves over 26 games. Fraser also struck out over a batter an inning on his way to an appearance in the NYPL all-star game thanks in large part to his high 90's heater.
Listen in as we talked about starting his pro career in Brooklyn, playing for manager Wally Backman, his thoughts on starting vs. relief and more! Click the 'Play' button below to hear our chat.
Click past the break for the transcript of our chat:
A Quick Chat with Mets Minor Leaguer LHP Robert Carson
Recently, I was able to sit down with Mets minor league lefty Robert Carson and we had an interesting chat. The Hattiesburg, Mississippi native talked about his take on his rather aggressive promotion in 2010, his thoughts about being sent to the Arizona Fall League, a potential future in the bullpen and more. Click on the 'Play' button below to listen in!
Click past the break for a transcript of the chat:
A Quick Chat with Mets Minor Leaguer IF Josh Satin
For those unfamiliar with Satin, he spent 2010 between Hi-A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton and as has been the trend with him, he just kept on hitting at each new level. After posting an .865 OPS in 58 games with St. Lucie, Satin topped that effort with an .867 OPS in 79 games with the B-Mets. Long-term, Satin profiles a lot like a righty-batting Daniel Murphy; not super quick nor does he have a ton of pop but he's a strong hitter who takes a good amount of walks, lots of doubles with good pull-side power and he plays lots of positions, though none of them really well.
Overall, we had a really interesting chat. Of everyone I spoke to on the minor league side, Satin may have been the most comfortable speaking to the media and gave some very good answers to my questions. He really gave an interesting perspective into the mind of a minor leaguer I felt. Specifically, we spoke about his experiences in the AFL, playing multiple positions, knocking on the door of the bigs and a whole lot more; click on the 'Play' button below to listen in.
Click past the break for a full transcript of our chat:
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