Johnny Damon, the great evaluator of talent, thinks the Mets were smart to gobble up Scott Schoeneweis with a three-year deal this offseason:
"I thought Schoeneweis was the best left-hander out of the pen in our division," Damon said. "He did not give up homers, he knew how to pitch and he's tough. The Mets made a real good signing."At the New York Post, Joel Sherman thinks Carlos Delgado has his work cut out for him vis-a-vis making the hall of fame. Delgado hit his 400th homerun last season, but four players will probably hit their 500th homeruns this year (Frank Thomas, Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez) and Sammy Sosa could very well hit his 600th longball. Even if he plays another five full seasons and averages 30 homeruns a year, Delgado would wind up around 550, which is an awful lot of homeruns, though less than the 583 that Mark McGwire got snubbed with from voting this past year. There have never been the questions surrounding Delgado about a perceived boost from PEDs like there has around McGwire, so he may have that working in his favor. Ultimately, Delgado may fall short because he simply wasn't quite as good as some of the other slugging first basemen of his time.
Kevin Kernan profiles Omar Minaya's front office inner circle, which includes assistant GM John Ricco, VP of development Tony Bernazard, and VP of scouting Sandy Johnson.
"I allow them to express their opinions," Minaya says with a chuckle. "I cherish experience and track record and I also value statistical information, bringing in young guys. I think it's important to think outside the box. I always tell them, 'Don't be afraid to disagree with the general manager.'"At Fear and Faith in Flushing, Greg looks back on the would-be Mets dynasty of the late-eighties and wonders if the current Mets' stockpile of young talent are on the cusp of something special.
Thus, in a blink, we could be swimming in a plethora of prime: Maine, Pelfrey, Perez, Humber, Gomez, Martinez, Milledge, Carp joining Reyes, Wright and Beltran. Throw in two or three strategically signed free agents by our nonpenurious ownership and we're looking at a nucleus that rivals our not-so-wild dreams from the crest of 1988. If you're inclined to take it a step further, there's the TV network and the new ballpark and the vast resources contemporary sports success seems to yield in staggering amounts every time you turn around. The foundation for this organization shapes up as solid as the accumulated brickage that will define Citi Field.