Monthly Archives: October 2004
The Note…
MLB.com reports
that Willie Randolph interview with the Mets GM Omar Minaya and VP Jim
Duquette will be postponed until Monday. The report also
indicates that Minaya claims he may have one or two more candidates to
interview, but that it requires “calling their respective clubs and
getting permission.”
Metsblog.com’s Take…
Interesting.
Let’s
hope the two mystery managers, who are currently under contract with
otherorganizations, are Wally Backman and Bobby Valentine.
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The Manager…
Dan Lennon of Newsday reports that if Willie Randolph’s meeting with Mets GM Omar Minaya and VP Jim Duquette goes well this afternoon, the job is as good as his. Lennon also remarks that the two areas the Mets have been most obsessed with during the interview process have involved ‘clubhouse discipline and dealing with the media.’
Nearly 3,000 more readers have added to Newsday’s Managerial Poll since we last reported on its results. Bobby Valentine still leads the wish list, receiving nearly 40 percent of the vote, followed by Lou Pinella with 16 percent and Wally Backman and Willie Randolph with roughly 10 percent each. Rudy Jaramillo, the co-front-runner for the position, received only 4.7 percent of the vote.
The Quote…
“It’s not like I’m going to come in and say, ‘This is how it has to be done.’ I firmly believe it’s a team, and an organization-wide concept to where everyone has to work together and be on the same page. There’s no sure-fire formula that one man has. It’s a team concept from the top to bottom.” – Willie Randolph, regarding his upcoming interview with the Mets.
Other Relevant News…
According to the Boston Herald, SP Carl Pavano is interested in signing with the Red Sox. “They are one of the teams I believe would be a good fit for Carl,” Pavano’s agent, Scott Shapiro, told the newspaper.
Metsblog.com’s Take…
On Randolph…
We said it yesterday, and we’ll say it again today – I understand if the Mets take on Willie as their manager, and we’ll support it, we guess, but three seasons keep us from being excited about this: 1) He’s too steeped in Yankees tradition, 2) I’m not that impressed by a guy who sits on his hands all game and coaches a team full of All-Stars, and that goes for you too Mr. Torre, and 3) we believe in the theory that you never take on what the Yankees discard.
Now add a fourth new reason. He sounds like another Art Howe. “I firmly believe it’s a team, and an organization-wide concept to where everyone has to work together and be on the same page. There’s no sure-fire formula that one man has,” he says.
In other words, “Yes Mr. Wilpon, whatever you say sir. Whatever I need to do to get the job, I’ll do. Yes, sir. Right away sir.”
Ugh!
I hope I’m overreacting. Wasn’t that Howe’s mantra, though.
Come on, team, have some guts for once.
On the Yankees-Red Sox Series…
While we normally avoid mentioning the Yankees at Metsblog, seeing as we are the single biggest advocate of the “Yankees are irrelevant, they have nothing to do with the Mets winning the N.L. East, stop worrying about them,” theory, we would be foolish not to comment on them today.
It is refreshing, from a baseball perspective, to finally see the Yankees on the bad side of history for once. The organization suddenly feels human again, and the term empire seemingly doesn’t apply anymore. I like this. Their success is good for baseball, but their dominance is not. Welcome back to earth Yankees’ fans, pull up a chair and enjoy the chaos of the Hot-Stove season.
Also, congrats to the Red Sox fans. My god have you earned this happiness. Now win a World Series so the Cubs and White Sox can become the league’s anchormen, as they’ve been losers longer than you have.
Thirdly, I miss this kind of excitement. I hope Wilpon does too. Come on man, pull yourself together and get us back to October. Focus. Please.
Lastly, this was going to be a busy off-season as it was. Now that the Yankees are on the brink of destruction and immense acquisition, from all sorts of players to coaches, the ripple effect that their cannonball-dive is bound to have on the trade and free agent market is inconceivable. The most likely of which will be a stand-still until the days following the winter meetings, as all agents will be waiting, watching, and listening to what the Yankees plan to do. Therefore, the rest of us rumor mongers and news junkies will be forced to sit at the feet of Brian Cashman, a man who should be ashamed of himself for having that embarrassing pitching staff with a $200 million payroll, and wait on his cue. By the way, if the Yankees sign Carlos Beltran, and force Bernie Williams to DH, they will be paying roughly $50 million to DH’s and 1B next season – ridiculous.
Get ready for a long and crazy winter.
For more Mets news, check out SportSpyder.com
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The Manager…
Lee Jenkins of the New York Times suggests that the Mets managerial search will not be resolved by the start of the World Series, and that a decision will not come until after the Fall Classic. Jenkins also notes that Mets GM Omar Minaya said Tuesday that he considers Bobby Valentine a “candidate.”
Yankees bench coach Willie Randolph is set to meet with the Mets tomorrow. Randolph appears the front-runner and, according to the NY Post, can secure the job with a solid interview.
Other Manager News…
The Seattle Times reports that the Mariners will name Mike Hargrove to succeed Bob Melvin as manager.
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The Quote…
“I certainly would like to see him get the opportunity. I think credential-wise, especially the fact that he’s done it here in New York, certainly qualifies him as a viable candidate in my mind.” – Joe Torre, on his bench coach, Willie Randolph.
The Buzz…
The Chicago Times indicates OF Carlos Beltran will be seeking a deal worth $20 million a year for eight years.
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Metsblog.com’s Take…
We spoke with seven of the top beat reporters following the Mets and their search for a manager – five out of seven would bet on the team hiring Willie Randolph.
I’ll digest this decision if it becomes a reality. My reluctance isn’t based on his ability to manage – though, I can’t help but wonder about a guy who has only coached a team full of All-Stars. Instead, it is based on the fact that his blood is pinstriped. He is so steeped in Yankee tradition, 23 seasons and six World Championships, that he makes Joe Torre more of a Met.
Some would say the Mets could use a little influence from the Yankees organization.
Ugh!
We are the Amazin’ Mets. We stand for something entirely different than the Yankees, and go about it in an entirely different way. Sure it involves a lot of losing, but that’s part of the deal – to suffer before the win. Mets fans understand resiliency, hard work and the power of luck – the heart of what gives us our magic.
I’ll welcome Willie if he slips on the blue and orange. However, if he hints to anything close to wanting to see the Mets be like the Yankees, I will become rather alarmed.
If you come to Shea, Willie, you’re a Met, not a Yankee. Forget all that you know, and be ready to suffer, and then win.
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The Weekend News…
According to multiple reports, Mets GM Omar Minaya dined with former skipper Bobby Valentine Friday night. The get-together was strictly a meal amongst friends, as the Mets have yet to recieve permission to officially speak with Valentine as a candidate for their vacant managerial position. The New York Post indicates, however, that an official follow-up meeting will more than likely occur. Jon Heyman in Newsday, however, quotes a Mets source as saying, “the Wilpons don’t hire the fired.”
Newsday reports that the Mets were “very impressed” with Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo. However, the New York Post notes that the permission the Rangers granted to the Mets to speak to Rudy Jaramillo allows them to hire him only as the team’s manager and not as a hitting coach. Minaya told the Dallas News that the Rangers have allowed the Mets to speak with Jaramillo only through the second week of November. Therefore, if he is to be hired, it will have to be before that point.
Willie Randolph will likely meet with the Mets on Wednesday, while Dodgers field coordinator Terry Collins will meet with the club on Tuesday. There have still been no indications that the Mets have received permission to speak with Wally Backman or Kirk Gibson.
In any case, according to Adam Rubin of the Daily News, Minaya’s plan is to have a manager hired by the time the World Series begins. According to Rubin, Minaya has no problem hiring a person with little major-league managerial experience, and he is believed to “favor identifying an up-and-coming manager.”
The Quote...
“I don’t have a problem being the underdog. I just have a problem with having no chance. And you can read into that however you want.” – Todd Helton, in the Denver Post. Helton hit .347 with 32 home runs and 96 RBIs this season.
The Arizona Fall League…
The Mets have seven players on the Peoria Saguaros competing in this season’s Arizona Fall League.
So far, there stats are as follows:
| Player | Pos | AB | H | 2B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | OBP |
| Brett Harper | 1B | 13 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.385 |
| Joe Hietpas | C | 13 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.500 |
| Wayne Lydon | OF | 34 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0.286 |
| Player | Pos | W | L | IP | SO | BB | ERA | |||
| Brian Bannister | SP | 0 | 0 | 5.2 | 7 | 1 | 4.76 | |||
| Royce Ring | RP | 2 | 0 | 5.2 | 5 | 1 | 0.00 | |||
| Matt Lindstron | RP | 1 | 1 | 2.2 | 1 | 3 | 16.88 | |||
| Kevin Deaton | SP | 0 | 1 | 3.1 | 0 | 1 | 16.20 |
The Plan…
Jason Mastaitis from Always Amazin’ offers his plan to fix the Mets. Metsblog.com’s plan, the MetsThinkTank, will be ready for publication in the days following the World Series.
The Other ‘Relevant’ News…
The A’s declined OF Jermaine Dye‘s option for next season, adding him to an already crowded class of free agent outfielders. Dye batted .265 with 23 HR and 80 RBI last season.
According to the Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Yankees aren’t expecting SP Carl Pavano to give them a serious look.
The Chicago Tribune indicates that the Mets “supposedly” have made OF Magglio Ordonez an “off-season priority, depending on his health.” Due to his season-ending knee injury, it is widely believed that Ordonez has backed off his demands to receive $14 million annually.
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For more Mets news, check out SportSpyder.com
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The Manager…
Newsday reports that Willie Randolph is ‘tentatively scheduled’ to meet with the Mets next Monday.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports
that the Mets are interested in White Sox third-base coach Joey Cora,
though Sox GM Ken Williams has stated no contact between the two
parties has transpired.
The Sun-Times also names Rudy Jaramillo,
“who recently rejected a four-year, $2 million extension to remain the
Rangers’ hitting coach,” is considered the “favorite” for the Mets’
managerial job.
The Buzz...
According to the Florida Sun-Sentinel,
Carl Pavano‘s new agent, Mark Shapiro, is denying reports that his
client has no interest in pitching for either the Yankees or the Mets.
The Daily Herald of Chicago
reports that OF Magglio Ordonez is now being represented by agent Scott
Boras. Before going down for the season with a knee injury, Ordonez was
seeking a five-year, $70 million contract extension from the White Sox.
Whether or not Ordonez will be ready for spring training, or even
opening day, is yet to be determined. The Herald concludes with the
following comment: While his health and future contract are still up in
the air, Ordonez is all but assured of signing with the Mets, Orioles,
Yankees, Dodgers or some other big-revenue team this winter.
The
Minneapolis Star-Tribune re-confirms that the Twins plan is to
“definitely” trade OF Jacque Jones. Following back-to-back .300
seasons, Jones hit just .254 in 2004, but did knock 24 HR along with 80
RBI. Jones is one of the league’s best defensive left fielders.
According to the Palm Beach Post, the Marlins are looking to trade 3B Mike Lowell, prior to November 1, for a left-fielder.
The Quote…
“When
I see an owner who cares about winning, I like it. As a player, you
want to be in this situation every year. You like to see what plans a
team has for the future. I’m going to go some place I feel comfortable.
Right now I don’t know where I’m going to end up. Money is not
everything. Money does mean a lot. I would like to be set for my career
after this. At the same time, I don’t want to get a lot of money at a
place where I’m not happy.” – Carlos Beltran, talking with reporters prior to last night’s playoff game in St. Louis.
The Wife…
For those unaware, Anna Benson, wife of Kris Benson, has updated her website, AnnaBenson.net. Here are a sample of her new photos:
By the way, according to Adam Rubin of the Daily News, the Mets countered Benson’s offer, that’s Kris,
not Anna, with a a three-year deal with a “vesting option for a fourth
season that would guarantee him roughly $20 million if he doesn’t reach
the innings count for the 2008 option to kick in.”
The Pool…
My buddy, Gerome, is running his fourth annual not-for-profit NFL Survivor Pool, starting this Sunday, week six.
Entry fee is 20.00.
The rules are pretty basic. Each
week you must select one NFL team to win. If that NFL team wins, you
remain alive and are allowed to pick again the following week. If your
team loses (or the game ends in a tie), you are Eliminated from the
pool and may no longer make future picks. You
can only select each professional football team once during the life of
the pool – in other words, you can’t pick the same team twice.
If you’d like to participate, email Gerome at dongerome@yahoo.com
Good luck.
For more Mets news, check out SportSpyder.com
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Who Are These Guys…
by Matthew Cerrone
Newsday and the New York Post, among other news sources, have presented polls and surveys in the last few days simply asking: who would you like to see as the next manager of the Mets? But how exactly is a fan supposed to answer that question with no first hand experience?
For all we know, Rudy Jaramillo is the next Lou Brown. But,
because he is the Texas Rangers batting coach and most New York fans
couldn’t pick him out of a police lineup, he will never receive a vote
in a basic poll.
To me,
Kirk Gibson will forever be associated with the Los Angeles Dodgers
team that stole a National League pennant from the best team that never
was, the 1988 New York Mets. To vote for him as the next manager of the Amazins would be an insult to David Cone and Company. However, he could be just what the doctor ordered. I don’t know. And, most likely, neither do you.
Here are some notes, on the more obscure candidates, to help you with your choice:
Kirk Gibson…
Lynn
Hemming of the Detroit News has covered Kirk Gibson for 29 years, and
believes he is exactly what the New York Mets are in need of.
“[Gibson]
is tough, fair, a terrific communicator, he knows the game intimately,
and he has a businessman’s management style,” Hemming told Metsblog. He continued by saying that Gibson would undoubtedly be the Tigers manager if Alan Trammel were not locked into the position.
With
regards to Gibson’s potential relationship with the New York media,
Hemming said, “Gibson is articulate, speaks in crackling straight
sentences, has a high IQ, and never wastes a word. He would find that his patience could be tried in New York, no question. But
I think he has mellowed considerably during his 40s and now could match
up with whatever New York, or the Mets, threw at him.”
In
the end, Hemming believes, “with certitude”, that Gibson is going to be
a very successful big-league manager, and is convinced that he and the
Mets would be “a sound merger at the best possible time for both
parties.”
Gary Carter…
In
an interview with Jon Saraceno of USA Today this past September, Gary
Carter said he has let the Mets know that he would like to manage in
the Major Leagues, preferably in Queens. “Handling the media is half the battle in New York,” Carter told Saraceno.
Carter has worked as a Mets roving instructor in recent years. Though
he has no experience as a manager, according to Joe McDonald at
MOFOSports.net, Carter believes he can handle the job, even at the
Major League level, immediately.
Bob Brenly…
“[Bob Brenly’s] a gut guy,” Richard Obert of the Arizona Republic told Metsblog. “He’s great with the media, very funny, and has a great way of putting things in perspective. I think the New York media would find him refreshing.”
Fired
midway through this season, many believe that Brenly was the least of
Arizona’s problems, citing, instead, a poor infield, injuries and only
one starting pitcher for the team’s demise.
Rudy Jaramillo…
“[Jaramillo]
would bring an aggressive mentality to the dugout and his
players, especially the hitters, will instantly respect him,”
says Todd Willis, Texas Rangers beat reporter for the Dallas News,
to Metsblog.
Asked
how Jaramillo will handle the pressure of the New York
media, Willis replied, “I can say from our standpoint here [in
Texas], he was great to work with. He’s very straight forward
and doesn’t mince many words.”
Yankees
3B, and former Rangers SS, Alex Rodriguez spoke about Jaramillo in
today’s Bergen Record, saying, “In my opinion, he is a Hall of Fame
hitting coach and I think anything he does in baseball he can be great
at.” It appears that if the Mets don’t hire Jaramillo as a
manager, there is a chance they can woo him from Texas, to join their
coaching staff. “The most important thing for me was that he
gained my trust and was as honest as they come. That’s hard to come by
in this game,” Rodriguez added. “Being under his tutelage as a
hitter has been one of the most influential relationships of my career.”
Jim Fregosi…
Of
all the candidates on the table, Fregosi, 62, has the most managerial
experience, having coached the Angels, White Sox, Phillies and Blue
Jays. He is roughly 67 games below .500
spanning 2123 games, however, and he has only finished with an above
.500 record in just five of his 15 seasons, despite taking the Phillies
to the World Series in 1993. Fregosi is highly regarded among baseball people, and is well-known for his abrasive relationship with the Philadelphia media.
Fregosi played third base for the Mets between 1972-73, while hitting just .233 with five home runs in that time.
Wally Backman…
Backman’s track record in the minor leagues speaks for itself. He’s won at every level, as a player and as a manager, and it seems his time has come to manage at the big-league level.
“Backman
won’t lose because he wasn’t prepared,” says Jeff Sanders, Valley Press
beat reporter for the Lancaster JetHawks, Backman’s current employer. “He
knows the numbers and he knows the game inside and out, and his
players, at least in the minors, play for him a lot like he played the
game. It’s fun to watch.”
Metsblog.com’s Poll…
In a focus group, with over 200 participants, when asked, “On
a scale from zero to ten, ten being most confident, zero being no
confidence at all, how confident would you be in each of the following
candidates ability to manage the New York Mets?”, the average
respondent answered:
|
Manager |
Average |
Median |
|
Bobby Valentine |
8.1 |
8.0 |
|
Wally Backman |
6.6 |
7.0 |
|
Willie Randolph |
5.8 |
6.0 |
|
Kirk Gibson |
5.8 |
6.0 |
|
Bob Brenly |
5.5 |
6.0 |
|
Rudy Jaramillo |
4.9 |
5.0 |
|
Gary Carter |
4.6 |
5.0 |
|
Jim Fregosi |
4.2 |
4.0 |
Metsblog.com’s Take…
We want no part of Willie Randolph or Fregosi. Randolph is drenched in Yankee pinstripes and the Mets have, and must regain, their own tradition. Fregosi is Fregosi, let him be.
We’ve always regarded Valentine as the best X’s-n-O’s manager in the game. His 8.1 vote of confidence comes down to one simple phrase: the devil you know, is better than the devil you don’t know. And
while we agree that he is always welcome back at Shea, and we’d be more
than happy to see him back in the blue and orange, spitting sunflower
seeds and tapping his lips with his pointer-finger, if a new era is
what the Mets crave, Valentine is not the answer.
Gibson,
as well as Backman, and potentially Jaramillo, however, sounds like,
and has always been, a tough, win-at-all-costs type of guy. If
he brings half of that energy, discipline and desire to the roll of
manager, the Mets could find themselves with the mix of leadership,
fire, poise, knowledge and dignity that they appear to be in search of.
More importantly, he will come cheap, which is the hidden element beneath this search. The
Mets will continue to pay Jim Duquette the same salary he made last
season, while paying Omar Minaya as well, and they are still paying
Valentine, Steve Phillips and Art Howe through next season – their
management budget, I imagine, is maxed out.
Therefore,
if they want inexpensive, fiery, commanding, successful and baseball
smart, it seems the only options are Backman, Jaramillo or Gibson.
###
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The News…
According
to the AP, Mets GM Omar Minaya has announced the team will only retain
pitching coach Rick Peterson from last year’s bench squad. The new
manager is expected to pick his own coaching staff.
For
those who may have forgot, Mets first round draft pick Philip Humber
has yet to sign. According to FOX Sports, negotiations could linger
until spring training. The Mets have stated all along, however, that
think they’ll eventually get him signed.
Mets catcher Bobby
Estalella became a free agent after declining his assignment to
Syracuse following reinstatement from the disabled list.
Adam
Rubin of the Daily News reports that Victor Zambrano has started to
throw off a mound in Florida – and Mike Cameron, who was originally
slated for offseason surgery on his right hand, will not be having
surgery.
The Manager...
The
Mets received permission to speak to Los Angeles field coordinator
Terry Collins, who previously managed the Astros and Angels.
There
appears to be some confusion over whether or not the Mets have been
granted permission to speak with Tigers bench coach Kirk Gibson.
Multiple reports indicated yesterday that the
Mets had talked with Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski, while MLB.com
reported later in the afternoon that the two parties have had no
contact.
<>David Waldstein of the Star-Ledger reports that Omar
Minaya will “attempt to chat” with Bobby Valentine in the next few days. The nature of the “chat” is not known,
however.
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Metsblog.com’s Take…
First,
the reassignment of Nelson Silverio, the team’s bullpen coach last
season, could be John Franco’s ticket off the mound and into the
coaching staff…finally.
Lastly, in addition to letting go of
Matt Galante, Gary Pettis and others, the Mets part ways with head
trainer Scott Lawrenson, who has been with the organization since 1986
and was the head trainer the past three years.
If you’ve
been following the Mets over the last few years, while Lawrenson has
been in command, you’ll recall that injuries have not been rare.
Just this past season, Jose Reyes pulled a hamstring, twisted an ankle
and broke a leg, Cliff Floyd continued to be brittle, Vance Wilson was
on the shelf, Kaz Matsui had back spasms and was injured for the first
time in his career, Mike Piazza had a lingering knee injury, again, and
Victor Zambrano was unable to rehab the flexor muscle in his throwing
arm – and who can forget Mike Dejean, who tried to return from an ankle
injury, only to learn that he had a broken bone in his leg that had
gone misdiagnosed.
In the case of Reyes, he was continually
rushed back to action without fully recovering, at which point he
reinjured himself.
The Mets and their health is becoming a
tediously painful story. In addition to Lawrenson, it’s is high
time the club take a look at their relationship with the much heralded
Dr. Rokito and NYU Medical.
How is it a team in New
York, with the budget and resources that the Mets have to work with,
continually makes the wrong decision on the health of incoming players?
Be it Robbie Alomar, Mo
Vaughn, Cliff Floyd, Vladimir Guerrero, Zambrano, and so on, it appears
that in addition to needing a new head trainer, they are also in need
of an entirely new medical evaluation staff.
Rokito and NYU have one year at $1.3 million left on their three-year agreement with the Mets, which cannot end soon enough.
The Pool…
My buddy, Gerome, is running his fourth annual not-for-profit NFL Survivor Pool, starting this Sunday, week six.
Entry fee is 20.00.
The rules are pretty basic. Each
week you must select one NFL team to win. If that NFL team wins, you
remain alive and are allowed to pick again the following week. If your
team loses (or the game ends in a tie), you are Eliminated from the
pool and may no longer make future picks. You
can only select each professional football team once during the life of
the pool – in other words, you can’t pick the same team twice.
If you’d like to participate, email Gerome at dongerome@yahoo.com
Good luck.
Note: If you would like to write a Fan Editorial for Metsblog, click here: I Want to Write!
For more Mets news, check out SportSpyder.com
Note: If you would like to receive an email when Metsblog is update, email us at: updates@metsblog.com
The News and Notes…
The Associated Press reports that Time Warner Cable, Comcast and Sterling Entertainment Enterprises, Wilpon’s company, have agreed to form a “New York regional sports network” that will broadcast 125 New York Mets baseball games beginning in the spring of 2006. Mets games will continue to be broadcast on Madison Square Garden Network/Fox Sports New York through the remainder of next season. According to Newsday, the Mets network will be available on expanded basic cable. Lastly, industry sources tell Newsday that the New York Jets are interested in a programming relationship with Mets TV.
The Managerial News…
According Jon Heyman of Newsday, a Mets source places it at “’70-30′ in favor of hiring a manager with major-league experience.”
Reports indicate that the Yankees have given the Mets permission to interview third base coach Willie Randolph. Randolph was interviewed by the Mets during their last managerial hunt, as well.
According to Newsday, the Mets “have their eyes on” Marlins infield coach Perry Hill as a possible addition to the next manager’s coaching staff “if he becomes available.” Hill is regarded around baseball as the Rick Peterson of infield coaches.
Mark Hale of the New York Post reports that the Mets have set up an interview with Tigers bench coach Kirk Gibson for next week.
The Inside Scoop…
We received a ton of questions via email yesterday asking about Rudy Jaramillo. Truthfully, we know nothing about him. Therefore, in response to your questions, Metsblog.com’s Matthew Cerrone spoke with Todd Willis, Texas Rangers beat reporter for the Dallas News, to get the scoop on Minaya’s top choice for the vacant Mets manager position. “Rudy would certainly be an interesting manager,” Willis told Cerrone. “He would bring an aggressive mentality to the dugout and his players, especially the hitters, will instantly respect him.” Asked how Jaramillo will handle the pressure of the New York media, Willis replied, “I can say from our standpoint here [in Texas], he was great to work with. He’s very straight forward and doesn’t mince many words.”
The Buzz…
Assuming, like most, that OF Carlos Beltran will end up signing with the Yankees, the Baltimore Sun is begging the Orioles to make an aggressive push for OF Magglio Ordonez. Join the club.
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Metsblog.com’s Take…
The fact that the Mets are partnering with Comcast and Time Warner to form a pseudo-Mets Network should have an interesting impact on how the club builds for 2005. It would stand to reason that 2005, for the Mets, would be the equivalent of Sweeps Week in the television world – the time of year you bring out the biggest stars and air your most exciting programming in hopes of attracting the most expensive advertising dollars.
Does this mean the Mets will bring in an exciting, big name player or two, so to make the team more attractive to advertisers?
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For more Mets news, check out SportSpyder.com
The News and Notes…
The Mets will interview Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, pronounced “Harrah-me-oh” as Mark Hale of the NY Post points out, on Friday. David Lennon of Newsday remarks that Jaramillo is a “favorite” of GM Omar Minaya, dating back to their days in Texas and the minor leagues. Lennon also notes that many in the Mets organization are “leery” of the hitting coaches experience. “Obviously, I don’t have managerial experience…But I think I can do the job,” Jaramillo told Lennon. “I’m a straightforward guy. I tell people what I think. I’m kind of old school. I would have discipline as a manager, but I feel like I can make adjustments. I’ve made adjustments my whole career.”
In a Newsday poll, 38 percent, of nearly 7,000 respondents, prefer to see Bobby Valentine back as the Mets manager. The next closest candidate is Lou Pinella at 19 percent, with Wally Backman checking in at 10 percent.
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The Detroit News reports that the Tigers would not block the Mets from speaking with bench coach Kirk Gibson, should the team opt to pursue him as a managerial candidate. “I saw the story,” Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski said, regarding a report that Mets special assistant Lenny Dykstra is lobbying in favor of Gibson, “but we’ve not heard from them.”
In a Detroit News poll, roughly 75 percent of respondents feel Gibson would make a good Major League manager.
According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the leading candidate to become the next Arizona manager is Wally Backman. According to Mark Hale of the NY Post, the Mets have yet to ask permission to speak to Backman.
Robin Ventura announced his retirement from baseball following the Dodgers loss this past weekend. Enjoy retirement Robin, and know you will always have a special place in the heart of Mets fans.
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The Buzz...
The Pioneer Press reports that Jacque Jones, eligible for arbitration after making $4.35 million in the last season of a two-year deal, is on the trading block for the second consecutive off-season. The paper goes on to say that if the Twins are unsuccessful in trading Jones, they likely will release the 29-year-old right fielder. It is estimated that Jones would make about $6 million if he remained with the Twins.
AZCentral.com reports that free agent 1B Richie Sexson will be seeking a $30 million, three-year deal from the Diamondbacks during their exclusive negotiation period.
Metsblog.com News…
We will be unveiling five Hot Stove Confidence Ratings toward the end of the week. In the past, a link-based voting process was used. For the current ratings, a focus group style voting system will be used – i.e. we will email the questions to you once a week, and based on responses, the ratings will fluctuate.
The Metsblog MetsThinkTank is rolling along. We expect to be finished within the next few weeks. While most blogs and journalists are offering up their basic vision of a new Mets plan, our ThinkTank will be a comprehensive, well-researched, list of suggestions and solutions created by a team of experts in health and fitness, finance, public relations and journalism.
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