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…i had the chance to meet Mets C Brian Schneider and speak 
with him for roughly three minutes yesterday while at the SNY studios…
…he seems to be a very nice guy…he comes off as being confident, polite and very comfortable and i don’t get the sense he’ll be intimidated by the New York media, because he was very direct, patient, well spoken and looked every one in the eye when asked a question…
…by the way, according to my notes, he has talked with Rick Peterson by phone, and he is being sent video of the team’s pitchers and every hitter in the NL East to help prepare for the coming season…this was interesting to hear, as i didn’t realize this sort of thing occurred during the off-season…
…lastly, i talked with his wife, jordan, for a few minutes, who is very sweet and seemingly quite excited to be in New York – and though they’re keeping their house down south, they are looking for a home either in Manhattan or in Connecticut like so many of his teammates…for what it’s worth, she prefers the city…
…by the way, i still have a hard time accepting that i am roughly the same age as these guys…for whatever reason, every time i meet a player, i expect him to be significantly older than me…or, i have yet to accept my age…it’s one of the two…
…at any rate, here is a written transcript of my quick conversation with schneider, followed by a few of his responses after questioning was opened to other writers…
Matthew Cerrone:
Last year, towards the end of the season, there was a debate here in New York over whether or not Jose Reyes irritated other teams because of his top-step celebrations, and dancing, which extended to Lastings Milledge, and others, as well. Does that sort of stuff annoy other teams?
Brian Schneider:
No. Each player has their own personality. If you know Jose, which we do, that’s his personality, he’s a guy who shows a lot of emotion on the ball field. You kind of look past it. Different guys do different things. It’s one of those things, it didn’t affect our team at all.
Matthew Cerrone:
People wanted to think it gave you guys extra motivation to beat the Mets, but, to me, I can’t imagine you ever need ‘extra motivation’ to win a baseball game, at least I hope you don’t.
Brian Schneider:
No, you don’t need any motivation when you’re out there. You don’t look for motivation, you just have it in you. It didn’t affect us, we’d go out there to win and prove we were a good ball club, that’s it.
Matthew Cerrone:
Right, so, you’re there, and you’re watching the Mets, who were in first in place in your division at the time, and do you notice them falling apart? As a rival team, are you rooting for them to blow it? Or, do you guys just focus on what you need to do?
Brian Schneider:
No, not rooting for it, but you definitely pay attention to it. At the same time, we were looking at people that they were playing because we didn’t want to finish in last place. So, when they were playing the Marlins we wanted to the Mets to win.
Matthew Cerrone:
Can you give me a sense of how you prepare for a game with that day’s pitcher?
Brian Schneider:
A lot of these guys use video these days, everything is so advanced. You guy go against a guy who’s coming in to a series that’s been hot and figure out some of his hits and what he’s done, and, at the same time, you go to the pitchers for the last time they faced this team for their history against this guy. So, there’s a lot of things that go in to it. I’m always the first guy on the field, then after a while you hit the video and so some homework and then I’ll meet with the pitcher that night to see how he wants to do it, because Mike Pelfrey will want to approach it different than John Maine, and we’ll figure out what worked for them in the past and and go from there.
Matthew Cerrone:
You mention Pelfrey, of him and Phil Humber, looking from the outside in having been with another team, what did y you think of them?
Brian Schneider:
I had a chance to face them, and it’s gonna be fun to catch these guys. They both have great arms and very, very promising futures. I look forward to helping them so they can help us.
…after speaking with me, he did a quick photo shoot with his new jersey, then talked with a handful of local reporters and television stations…here are a few noteworthy responses…
Schneider, regarding steroids and the Mitchell Report…
“I think it was good as far as it coming out. The drug-test program that’s in place now, it’s done its job. I think the numbers will continue to go down. Senator Mitchell even said that the numbers are going down, so I think it’s getting better…As far as the guys that were mentioned, they’re grown men, and if they did do it, they have to deal with the consequences.”
Schneider, on being a defensive catcher, more than a hitter, and if fans will need to time to accept him because of it…
“I think sometimes people don’t realize how important defense for a catcher is, and keeping guys out of scoring position, keeping that pitcher in for an extra inning or two and getting them over the hump – and I feel like I bring that to a team…I’ve known Omar for a while now and I think he understands how much passion I have and how much I love controlling a pitching staff and taking care of them and helping get them through a game and controlling the running game. I love throwing guys out and take a lot of pride in the that aspect of the game.”
Schneider, on throwing out runners who are not named Reyes…
“It’s great, I told Omar, kidded around with him right away, I said at least I don’t have to worry about trying to throw him out anymore. Really, it’s two or three guys. David is such a smart runner. He had a lot of success in situations running in the right counts last year, and then there’s Beltran.”
Schneider, on working with his new pitching staff…
“They have a good mix here of experience and promising young guys…I’m going to get tape of all the starters so I can get something on paper…I’m not going to come over here and try to change anybody. If there are some things that I saw or that some of the guys saw, yeah, we’ll definitely address that.”
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Very disappointed that none of my questions were asked lol
Good job Matt. Don’t feel bad about the age thing. I have a hard time believing 99% of the players are all younger than me.
Matt,
How do you fail to mention that Brian’s wife Jordan is probably the best looking wife of a Mets player since Anna Benson?
you’re not kidding… check out mets.com on schneider’s photoshoot and press conference. smokin’ hot wife.
What jersey number is he gonna wear?
Good stuff Matt. As for the age thing, yea, you’re in denial. Face it, you’re grown up now. But don’t forget, baseball is for the kids and the kids in all of us.
That PSA was brought to you by Wet Ones, antibacterial moist wipes that kill 99.99% of germs. Find it at your local pharmacy store.
It is funny though. I’m older than those guys as well yet if I ever met David Wright or Pedro Martinez or pretty much any one of them on the street, I’d feel like I was 12 years old.
I think it has something to do with first becoming a fan as a kid when everyone on the team was at least twice as old as you – and the team always stays around that age as you get older. Weird.
Damn,
I’m older than Wright and Reyes as well.
I try not to think about it as it is depressing that these guys are 23 and 24 years old and already multi millionaires. Then I look at Beltran, who is a little older than me and he is a mega millionaire.
That’s depressing. But when I think about that, I think of a nice Garden…without Isiah. Fire Isiah!
jose reyes is exactly 2 yrs older than me (same bday) and is so much cooler, richer, and better at baseball than me.
This is revealing, considering the number of posters that accuse us of being 12.
Oh wait, I did that, too. . . .
For the record, I’m roughly Schneider’s age, but man, he really does look old.
Yea, Schneider looks older than his age.
im older then reyes and wright and i find it a little sad that despite them being some of the best baseball players in the world i am still more highly compensated both monetarily and in poo-nah-nee. i just wish there were some stars out there to look up to.
Tell me about it — the first player who came up younger than me was Dwight Gooden.
I am 25 so I look at Wright and Reyes differently then I have at other players but I would still feel like a little kid if I ever met them. I am in the same boat as Matt where you have to start to realize wow these guys are your age or in some instances younger. When LeBron James came into the NBA it depressed me because he was like 4 or 5 years younger.
Wow, LeBron must be aging quickly… b/c he’s turning 23 next week — so he’s only 2 yrs younger than you now. :-)
idk, maybe i’m gullible, or maybe overly hopeful, but this sounds like a catcher who understands pitching, and PITCHERS, on a level we havent had in a catcher in a long time.
Don’t get me wrong, he’s probably the best defensive catcher we’ve had since. Oh I don’t know, Charlie O’Brien?
but don’t buy into the defensive hype. at least not too much. the bar is already being set high, and thus we’re being set up for disappointment. remember omar and his promise to get a front line pitcher?
The offseason is not over yet, though I must admit I’m growing increasingly frustrated.
But, other than Haren, who’s price in trade chips the Mets could never have matched, none of the other desirable front line starters have gone off the market yet. And there’s always the surprise trade that Omar is known for.
As for the FAs, I’m glad Silva’s gone and I *hope* Omar doesn’t do something silly for Livan or Lohse.
If the O’s don’t want to deal Bedard to the Mets and Santana is not an option, I’d rather Omar sign Colon and Garcia and call it a day. If the bullpen stays as it is, with Wise and Register joining and Heilman staying (and Mota gone), I’d say it’s been reasonably upgraded from last year.
Xavier (sorry but every time I look at your name, I can’t help but think of the Xavier Musketeers who killed me on a long night in Vegas once…),
I don’t understand why Register is an upgrade. If in fact he is an upgrade, it will be a pleasant surprise. Probably marginal at best.
I do agree with signing Colon or Garcia (preferably Colon) and giving Pelfrey a legit shot to crack the rotation.
I should qualify by saying Register has the potential to be an upgrade. The thing about relievers is that you never know where the next hot pitcher is going to come from. From what I’ve read, Register has good stuff, so maybe The Jacket can work his magic on him…or maybe he’ll become another Danny Graves.
BTW, my screen name is an homage to Xavier Nady (who wore #22 with the Mets).
+2
So true about relievers. Who thought Duaner would turn out the way he did?
Or Joe Smith…for a couple of months.
I think Duaner’s success stems from his glasses. How could you possibly hit while looking at those things? They are like the 2006 version of the Chris Sabo Rec-Specs.
+3
hahahahaha
Chris Sabo. Those were the days. When the only juice ball players had was with their vodka.
Duaner was a closer in waiting for the Dodgers.
if im not mistaken duaner used to setup gagne, he was pretty darn good too but his success was overshadowed by his juicing bullpen mate. either way jae seo for sanchez was a great trade.
That was the perfect time to trade Jae Seo, classic case of sell high.
Like we did with Milledge?
hahaha
and then there’s the opposite end of the spectrum
Re: Studying video
That’s just so bogus. Meeedjah + Schneider are going to constantly harp on his ability to “call a good game.” And studying video. This is baseball folks, probably the least strategic game of the 4 major sports. Sometimes it’s better to do than to think.
That is how you explain:
Lenny Dykstra > Billy Beane
and Beane was a highly touted prospect.
Your kidding right? Least strategic? Watching Video bogus?
While I do feel the mets are highly overrating defense, your severely underrating it.
Wait a minute, let me rethink. Basketball, no strategy, just give the ball to the best player. Hockey, definitely more strategy. Football is clearly king.
Yes, watching video is bogus. Just go out there, make your pitch, put the bat on the ball. Some people think themselves out of their pants. You do the basics, maybe go a little beyond that, but don’t scrutinize and micro-manage.
Points guy,
Good answer to the answer.
The Answer,
Any relation to A.I.? Can I get an autographed tattoo?
I think watching video can greatly affect performance.
You say just make your pitch………..sometimes its not that easy. Guys like perez who walk alot of batters…..there’s a reason they walk them…..maybe its a mechanical flaw in their pitching motion…….something that can only be seen by looking at video.
Plus its one thing to read about hitters weaknesses, its another to actually see them on video.
The more information you have, the better chance you make a correct decision.
The thing with Perez is his arm angle, arm angle, arm angle. That’s what the Jacket will have you believe.
Do you remember that one game where OP dropped his arm and threw almost side arm and struck out the side? Arm angle didn’t seem to hurt him then. The problem with him and Maine is 99% in their heads.
They just lose focus and concentration.
And yea, sure video helps, but not that much and may even hurt if you’re watching too much of it.
Ollie’s arm angle was high and tight when Endy scaled the fence.
YOu’re positively wrong about the value of video and study. These guys are professionals, and they keep books and books and walls of video that help them analyze every hitter / pitcher that they will face. If you care, pick up a copy of Men at Work by George Will. It is a study of Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken, Orel Hershiser and Tony LaRussa, circa the mid-90’s. The preperation is almost unbelievable. I remember thinking to myself as I read it, that no person could do that much preperation for a 1 min at-bat.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you can give all the tools to Schneider and he will never hit over .300
You either have it or you don’t. From there, you can improve only so much.
It’s all about arm angle with Ollie. When he squares up and drives toward the plate he can be unhittable. When he slings the ball across his body he’s going to get hit. I’ve never seen a clearer example of faulty mechanics — you can tell 10 pitches into his start whether he’s going to last.
One good inning as a slinger doesn’t mean anything — he’ll never be consistent until he gets his mechanics right.
i think both sides of the argument have valid points. playing baseball my whole life there were two types of players, guys who just have it and can go up there facing a guy theyve never seen before using a #2 pencil and poke a single somewhere. and guys who NEED that in depth preparation. however at this level of competition when everyone is basically amazing at what they do you need every (legal) edge you can get to win those little battles day in and day out. so i dont think video is overrated. but as far as pure in game strategy is concerned i think baseball actually does come in behind football and hockey. basketball has the least (give the ball to player X and get out of the way).
Points,
I agree with you on his offensive abilities, but for him, I’m talking about the preperation he can do with the pitchers. They also break down opposing hitters at-bats, to see hot zones, cold zones, where they can get an out, and where they will get mashed. Just becauase Ollie sometimes walks 7 in an inning, don’t let it fool you. These guys are pros and are SUPPOSED to be able to place the ball where they want to. Hell, I could in HS, so why not someone who gets paid for it?
So video is bogus. So lets continue to guess where the hitters wheel house is and not pitch to that spot. Are you kidding me Video is good for every sport. Especially Baseball where hundreds and hundreds of pitches are thrown each game. Knowing what pitches a hitter hits better as opposed to what he can’t hit at all is all based on video.
Word got around about Delgado not being able to hit the high inside heat how do you think people knew that. The art of television or as some would call it VIDEO
You mean it’s that simple. Find someone’s weak spot and throw it there? Wow, that’s ingenious!!!
Do you really need video to tell you where the weak spots are? What did the players of yester-year helplessly do?
Delgado’s swing got slower, period. He put himself behind the count and had to chase everything.
The advantage of video usage is minor and too much of it puts preconceived notions in the players heads when the game is all about adjusting.
btw, don’t forget what this whole “Schneider’s watching video” is all about.
#1 Promote Schneider’s defensive abilities
#2 Promote the trade hated by most Mets fans
#3 Show that Schneider’s showing initiative.
#4 PR garbage to sell to the fans, read the comments below, fans are eating it up, b/c they love the Mets and want to believe all that’s good. Look at all the, “I like Schneider,” “He’s a good guy, ” “He’s a good fit” comments below.
PR works my friend.
Of course, any time people talk about baseball stats, I remember Bull Durham:
“Know what the difference between hitting .250 and .300 is? It’s 25 hits. 25 hits in 500 at bats is 50 points, okay? There’s 6 months in a season, that’s about 25 weeks. That means if you get just one extra flare a week – just one – a gorp… you get a groundball, you get a groundball with eyes… you get a dying quail, just one more dying quail a week…you’re in Yankee Stadium.”
The flip side is, for a starting pitcher, facing 25 batters per game, 1 extra hit allowed per game means a difference of 40 points in BAA.
ExileInLA,
well said, +5
Some people are just enamored by the numbers and all these new gimmicky stats. People make conclusions based on numbers alone and never having seen the player actually play.
People, there’s a reason why they play the games.
Mark Twain once quipped, “There are lies, there are damned lies, and there are statistics.”
that is benjamin disreali youre quoting.
im glad exile in LA brought up that Bull Durham quote. its a perfect example of why people shouldnt base on thier opinions on something like batting average when there are much more advanced metrics that correct for such vagaries of chance.
i love it when people bring up total non sequiters as proof that statistics is not a valid method for evaluating talent in baseball.
people also make conclusions based on seeing a few innings of work from a guy, then extrapolating that performance as definitive. I think most of us do each at times (whether with “gimmicky new stats” or archaic next-to-useless stats, or thinking “damn, the way that guy threw today…he’s gonna be an ace!”). It goes both ways.
Hey Points Guy
How do you get to see those guys play? Of course while playing a 162 game season
VIDEO
you’re right jamie – i dont want to imply that sabremetrics are the only way to tell if a guy is going to be good. for predicting future success and evaluating current talent, you definitely need to strike a balance. the mechanics of a player, their approach to training, etc. all completely vital.
but for us lay people, i would content that its a lot easier to look up a VORP or a Win Share, since respected statisticians already did the heavy lifting, then to get an expert scouting report.
but i do enjoy the debate nontheless.
Ken, I agree with you, I was responding to pg–that people do the same thing the other way, and that way alone can be even more misleading.
word
Comment by DjDeF
2007-12-21 12:18:55
Hey Points Guy
How do you get to see those guys play? Of course while playing a 162 game season
VIDEO
Man, I’ve never gone off on anyone, but I will on you. Here’s the question of the day. Are you retarded? If you are, then I’ll stop.
If you’re not, here goes. Don’t enlarge the definition of a word to make your point you moron. Now, the electronic format of video is likened to the study of video? You’re a moron. Here’s +5 go buy yourself a clue you retard. Maybe go back to school, attend some of the lectures on tape since they’re so great.
Now go put some clothes on, since I just undressed your stupid self.
jamie,
true true. it does go both ways. but hey, opinions have to be formulated and it has to be based on something. as long as it’s not based on only a few outings or subjective viewpoints.
i’m just saying that there are some people who don’t have a clue, so they look up the stats and boom, he’s worth such and such. this one is better than that one.
TheAnswer, good answer.
he sounds like a good addition to the Mets, but the verdict is still out until he actually catches Mets pitchers.
Quality job Matt, I appreciated the “do the antics of other players bother you” question.
Well done, keep up the good work.
Get on ya kneez
Cerrone: So Brian, what is your take on this teams offense going into 2008? Assuming that Moises takes a 3 month Florida vacation starting in May and Carlos Delgado continues to use his 3 iron at Augusta while swinging at high and tight fastballs….there are going to be some holes in this lineup.
Granted, your an automatic out in the 8 hole…do you see alot of success coming?
Schneider: Well…I can’t promise anything with my bat but I certainly can call a good game, and thats really important. Especially when you have a mediocre and over the hill staff like ours!
Oh…I can smell the NL pennant now.
You should of asked him who has a worse pitching stafff mets or nats? I think i might take the NATS
Your probably right. Too bad the Mets have a much larger payroll, higher revenue, and are supposed to be building a WS contending club.
Not the Nats. Theres a difference.
ugh when during last year should we have relied on the catcher??? We have a SS who SHOULD be an MVP candidate, a CF who is a mvp candidate, a 3b mvp candidate, a decent hitting RF, a 1b who should mash, a 2B who can hit very well, and a LF who when healthy also mashes..
WHY DO YOU EVEN FEEL THE NEED TO BRING UP THE OFFENSE? He has a good on base percentage compared to lo duca and many other catchers and you do not need to rely on the catcher to hold your offense….. I could see this argument if we were a weak offensive team…were not!
Worry about pitching
wow
our pitching is garbage and so is brian
HAHA
thank you for saying that
meant to put this as a reply here:
were never going to have 8 GREAT batters…this isn’t a videogame
and fellowmelevi, who was that directed to?
I was agreeing with you mrose… very few teams have great offensive catchers.. it’s a rarity. I’d rather have a very good defensive catcher that can get on base… exactly what we want in an 8th hitter… which is what Brian Schiedner is.
One thing I’ve learned with Piazza is that you don’t want your best offensive player to be a catcher cause he’s going to miss games.
To a lesser degree, it’s kind of like expecting your pitcher to hit well. It’s icing on the cake.
when he said keeping his home down south, that means he’s keeping his home in NORFOLK??? he must already know he is destined for AAA
cause the mets still have a team in norfolk????
Welcome to 2007
dam!!! new orleans even better!
were never going to have 8 GREAT batters…this isn’t a videogame
You mean we can’t have 1-8 hitting over .400 with 84 HRs each?
ZING!!!
+2.5
this point this is so played out
-5
BOOOOO
-2,000,000.
Actually, it’s really amusing. It’s like that Mega Touch video game at like every bar in the U.S. If you ever played the trivia game, you need to get like 300,000 points in order to make the bonus round. This feat can only be accomplished by answering every question correctly and betting all of your points.
Puffbobby, look at your total above. Sorry, no bonus round for you. :-)
puffbobby = -2,000,002.5
i am the same age as wright and reyes which makes me think if i ever met them we’d become good friends. right, that’ll happen
Sure, it’ll be just like Entourage.
hahaha…so would he be the mix of drama and turtle?? +5
entourage is the stupidest show on television. ever.
watch the wire.
Wire’s good, but I like the Shield better because it’s more intense and faster-paced.
i’ve heard good things. i need to find someone with the dvds.
i love the snark developing on this site. haven’t posted in months but now i’m drawn to the comments section all the time. keep it up folks…
Agreed. Pitching and complaining is much more bearable when it’s laced with snark and wit. Glad to see there’s a new batch of posters making the comments read more like deadspin than like some kind of high-end intellectual debate.
Jerry, its our sense of humor as a group thats sustained us for 35 years.
J: 45
45, Even better!
Just want to say, I just read the Schneider post from yesterday because I missed it….and almost fell off my chair laughing!
Priceless stuff….
I was esp impressed at what the post filter didn’t pick up!!!!
Thank goodness FireMetsManagement or MrMet or whoever he is wasn’t around or it may have taken a horrible turn for the worse.
I told you it was good….
Fellas, I still gotta read this post but I just wanted to tell you that Brian Scnhieders wife is pretty hot in a cute way. Jordan Schneider welcome to the Mets.
“pretty hot in a cute way”
so like ,she has the innocent cuteness of a, say, anna benson?
Yeah, but she’s no Sonia LoDuca…
Anna Benson = rescued stripper
Schneider’s wife looks much more innocent. Maybe she won’t de-virginize the kids at next year’s Christmas Party.
anna benson is a stripper that hit the lottery, with that being said ive never been so jealous of children at a christmas party
yes anna benson is a golddigging ho. yet, for some reason id still like to engage in sexual congress with her.
i wonder if those giant funbags of her’s have anything to do with it…
i was being sarcastic with my anna benson comparison. she’s dirty sk_nk hot, not “cute” hot.
hahaha…so would he be the mix of drama and turtle?? +5
I have a good feeling about this guy. I think he’s going to help our pitchers this year.
You weren’t able to squeeze a question in re: Jordan’s cans?
same as above, except remove, “a question in re:”
hahahaha +500
brilliantly played points guy i dont know what this number is called but you get 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 points in my book.
I believe that to be one quintillion……
very nice. i enjoyed that as well. to exchange ’squeeze’ for ‘motorboat’.
emphasis on schneider’s defense = mets can’t wait to get rid of lo duca and his public complaining, steroid history, ny post tampon page 6 articles.
i think brian will have a nice year, but let’s not make him out to be a young benito santiago or pudge on the defense end. everyone will be dissapointed. he’s solid.
over/under on # of games before metsblog posters turn on schneider in favor of castro after one of castro’s hr blasts? may 5?
+4
preach on
Just because Paulie took steroids, spent too much time at the track, in Philly with his 19 year old, in DC with his 19 year old, and in NY with his 20 year old….
Poor guy. Gotta wonder how his shrunken balls were able to handle all that youth and exhuberance.
That’s total BS
20 year olds are too old for him.
Zen, when you say “everyone will be disappointed” I think that depends on one’s expectations. I “expect” Schneider to be noticeably better defensively than anyone the Mets have regularly put behind the plate in the last 20 years and I hardly think that bar is too high. Sasser? Hundley? Piazza? Lo Duca?
So he looked everyone in the eye huh? The complete opposite of LoDuca who always seemed to be looking at the floor when answering questions.
LoDuca looked people in the eye. Except it was usually an umpire and you could see 2″ of white around his iris.
Not to mention the smoke billowing from his ears.
Koo Koo Ka Choo
I think this guy is going to make us miss the bat of R. Ordonez
+0
too shay
Comparing him to a R Ordonez is fine, beacuse they were both 8 place hitters. He is going to give you what most 8 hole players give. Instead of looking at the positional comparisons, look at the line-up comparisons.
Ray Ray = upgrade. I think they will have comparable BA and OBP, but Ordonez was at least quick and didn’t clog up the base paths. Schneider looks like he is running in wet cement. He makes Posada look like lightning.
Maybe so on the speed, but he will get on base more than Rey did. And in the NL, that’s all you want your 8 hole hitter to do. Clear the pitcher. If your expecting the 8 hole to keep a rally going or drive in runs, then 1-6 arent doing their jobs, are they?
I gotta say, that’s a sad state of affairs if you’re job is to clear the pitching spot. This isn’t the 80s when a .230 and a slick glove was acceptable.
This isn’t the AL. Name me the mashers that hit in the 8 hole ahead of the pitcher in the NL…
I’m not arguing with you, but if you’re primary offensive goal is to clear the pitcher’s spot, ya know? just sad
Well, obviously you would like more production, but it is what it is. He’s a 8 hole hitter talent and results wise, but he gets on base to the tune of 330 (career). That’s what I expect from a 8 hole hitter. If we were talking about Piazza, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, because he is a 4 hole hitter. It just so happens that Schnieder is a catcher. When Piazza was the main-stay at catcher, we had a 8-hole hitter that was a SS. He too produced at that same low level. To truly compare a team, do it from the line-up stanpoint (1-8) offensively, and positionaly for defense.
I’m sure you’re used to feeling younger after being around the likes of Julio Franco, El Duque, Glavine, Alou and all the other geriatric geezers who have been working their way through the Mets system.
I am beginning to think Schneider is a pretty good fit for the team. I’d like to hear a little about Church and Mike Wise also. You really never get a feeling for guys when they are traded until they speak and are quoted.
Matt….set up interviews with the two of them also through the SNY contacts!
And make sure you ask us for suggested questions….
“Hey Mike, would say that it was a ‘wise’ move for the mets to sign you?”
“Mike, would you consider yourself a ‘wise’-ass?”
“Mike, what are your thoughts on puns?”
I see it has been several posts since it happened, but I wanted to chime in on the importance of being a defensive catcher/strategy. I had the chance of pitching college ball at a very good school. I had a strong, but like OP, I was wild. Having an intelligent catcher to call the game makes worlds of a difference. And yes, it is extremely underrated.
A defensive catcher will never see the front page of the paper, well, maybe if he throws out every runner in sight. The truth is, all pitchers get emotional and can lose their edge very easily. When this happens, all you want to do is throw stuff that you are comfortable with. However, this could be a problem, for several reasons actually. You grip the ball tighter and your pitch or pitches may not be as effective. You may even question your arm angles. Having watched the Mets, their starters have talent, but could use someone to level them out. Never forget how useful the ol’ “trip-to-the-mound.”
I’d also like to add, that the work ethic that he brings may also influence other players as well. I think he and Church were very good additions to the Mets. Please, if you have never pitched at any sort of significant level, don’t under-cut the importance of a good catcher.
Also, I am moving back to NY in May, I’ve been here for almost three years (DC). Being the true Met fan that I am, I tried to watch them every single time they played at RFK. Re Church, I’ve seen him play plenty of times before, he is solid. I also KNOW that his stats at Shea will be better. He is a solid gap hitter, and has good power. RFK is a monster of a baseball park, and getting a HR was not a normal feat. Dimensions change everything. For example, remember when Citifield began construction? The batters looked like they had more pop in their bats. People seemed to have thought that the cross-wind effect was gone now that it diverted the winds, thus giving fly balls more of a shot. This definitely isn’t Coors Field, but the winds at Shea were brutal at times.
That being said, Milledge has more upside. But, Church is young and you can’t cut the guy out from improvement either. Milledge may be a better fit on the Nats. He has an opportunity to eventually make it his team. Unfortunately, this would probably never happen on the Mets. The psyche of a player has drastic affects on his ability to play ball. He may perform better there, as Schneider and Church are capable of doing the same here. All this remains to be seen.
Like most of you, I REALLY want a true ACE. However, many of you may be pleasantly surprised at our additions. This doesn’t replace the need for a starter, but it makes things a little more bearable. If he makes our pitchers better, then it could make either Maine or OP evolve into an Ace.
Sorry for the long post, but I needed to get that off my chest.
Rick Ankiel, is that you?
HAHAHAHAHAHHA
+11 for every HGH-aided homerun last year for MetFanInDC, err I mean Ankiel.
well, being that i was a catcher at a good school in college, i completely agree with you “MetFanInDC” Sometimes pitchers lose their cool out there on the mound and for young guys like maine and perez it is really important to have a strong minded catcher who can keep you on track. My coach was also a catcher in college and he would always stress to us catchers, the importance and significance of pre-game prep and how best to calm each individual pitcher down on the mound.
Schneider’s value will come from behind the dish not batting- that is undeniable- but for so many people to say that he is terrible and the Mets should not have traded for him is just ridiculous. He is a huge upgrade from Lo Duca, being that Lo Duca didn’t do all that well anyway last season. From what I gather from Matt’s interview it seems that Brian really has a hard work ethic for game time prep (so does delgado for those who love the offense so much) and that might be what the Mets have been missing for a long time.
Also on just a final unrelated note I am in favor of an Ace but not for the price the twins are asking for. The rotation is in fine shape. If David Wright didn’t bomb it in April 2007 and played somewhat average, the Mets may have won two more games and make it to the playofffs. So the rotation in my opinion is in fine shape and it just seems like a Johan trade is alot of hype. –> anyone else’s thoughts?
Hear Hear!
Mackey Sasser is that you?
Mackey Sasser mastered the art of the pump fake throw back to the mound. I think it would have been funny if the 2nd baseman walked up and tried to defend the throw. To make it look like a game instead of a psychological issue.
Just two excellent assessments of the value of a catcher. Truly nice job guys. As a former college catcher myself I guess I’m partial but hey if the glove fits….
Schneider seems like a really nice guy who knows what he’s doing. I think he’s really here to improve the pitching staff and work with them better than what Duca did. He may not have a huge bat, but all the times when I have to watch the Phillies down here in Jersey, whenever they play the Nats, looks like Schneider always gets big hits against them. And that always helps.
Haha, you guys crack me up.
I’ll miss the roid-rages from Lo Duca, but he is gonna be terrible in DC.
Hey Shill-rone,
Why didn’t you ask any of my questions from the thread yesterday?
Some Nats fans call Brian……….. “Schneider-Man”…..I like it.
I like it too, that def has potential
Last year, our 8th place hitter was L Millz.. now we move our RF spot to 7th, have Schneider in 8th and then the pitcher spot. How anemic can you get for 1/3 of our lineup.. His bat in this lineup is a huge downgrade and clearly outweighs any postives from defense. Now we can work on clearing the pitcher and and trying to have Reyes steal 2 bases anytime he gets on to make up for our lack of firepower.. swell.
How is 184 at-bats considered full-time? And, in 300 more, Church hit the exact same in a tougher hitter’s park? How is that anemic? So the only “down-grade” would be Schnieder to LoDuca, and when I watched last year, offense wasn’t our issue down the strech. I am not sure what you are talking about with Reyes at the top. Unless I can’t count, the 8th place hitter NEVER gets up to bat with the lead-off man on base. Mathematically impossible.
Last year, our 8th place hitter was L Millz.. now we move our RF spot to 7th
But we also had Paul LoDuca and his anemic .311 OBP and 80 OPS+ batting 7th (and sometimes higher), and that’s being replaced by Church.
In reality, Schneider is replacing Lo Duca. In 445 ABs last year, Lo Duca had 54 RBI. In 408 ABs Schneider had . . . 54 RBI. Downgrade? Hardly.
Thank you. Well said. I swear that Mets fans are getting to be just like cross-towners. I got it! Let’s sign A-Rod, move him to short, trade Reyes and all available pitching for Santana, sign Posada, trade Minaya’s kids for Haren, give the O’s the deed to Citi field for Bedard, go with a 3-man rotation for the whole season, and then fire Willie when Lastings Milledge hits a double off any of them. Ridiculous, really.
they should have bought Arod if possible and traded Reyes to Minny for Santana. I whole heartedly agree. God Forbid they opened up their wallet and put a superstar team in the field for once.. by why bother? They raise the ticket prices 20% after the most disappointing season in history.. and we schmucks keep throwing money at them. whatever..
Btw, LoDuca had an OPS of less than 70.
I get it.. you’re happy with the team as constructed. I am just getting tired of throwing money away on this miserable product. If you think that Church/Schnieder are the pieces we needed to get back to the post season.. g0d bless ya.
The journey is the fun part, I think. If it was etched in stone like it is for the Yankees, I wouldn’t care as much, because the outcome is a forgone conclusion. I’m all for upgrading, but I want to watch this team until I get old, not just this year. Selling the farm to acquire one guy just doesn’t make sense. We are talking about Santana, that much I get, but he is the same pitcher who gave up the most HR in the AL last year. No one is infalliable.
Right.. but if you get the chance to add the best hitter and the best pitcher in the game, you do it. And, if we are trading Reyes for Santana head’s up, its a win for the Mets. I like winning in spite of the fact that I am a Mets fan. It’s not the moral high ground to be perennial also-rans. Especially when we are being egregiously taxed by management to come spend the last year at Shea stadium.
I see your point, but I also think there is something special about a team that is home-grown. Maybe its the more we deplete the system and the more we spend, the more we resemble the yanks. And also-rans is a bit extreme if we are talking about the curent era of Mets baseball (the Omar-Willie era). Save the collapse, this is a good time to be a fan. When it’s time to change the culture of the team, I agree, go get the best available and re-make the team (Martinez, 04). When we need just a little nudge to get there, I think be mindful of the years to come. Would you trade one or two postseasons (and then a 1/8 chance for a tite) for the next 5-6 years of a barren system? I would not.
I don’t think they would need to deplete the farm if they were willing to trade Reyes for Santana.. so you save the farm and spend cash.. like a big market team. Look at the Skanks now.. they have a power pitching trio that is home grown with the best hitter in baseball and they have been in the postseason for the past 10+ years.. It should not be looked down upon for a team to use it’s financial might to win.. I don’t think you need to sacrifice talent/youth as much when you can throw money around too.. But this front office is always looking for ways to cut corners without spending.. and in return, you get to the post season once in the past 7 years..
Retcon: You just fail to see that you’re complaining about the Mets’ offense being depleted while ignoring the fact that they have not, in fact, depleted their offense. Lo Duca had a terrible offensive season last year, and is generally not nearly as good a hitter as people want to make him out to be. Schneider is not a downgrade – it’s really about even – while he IS an upgrade defensively. Ryan Church is also not a downgrade – in 2008 – from Milledge.
Financail might is the method that Bossman operated for years. The yanks didnt unload their system to get where they are now. At some point, Cashman said “Halt!” to all the ludicrous FA signings, because he knew that going after the one big gun every year doesn’t build championships. It may keep you in the postseason, but after that…?? For every A-Rod, you get Jaret Wrights and Carl Povanos and Jason Giambis.
This team too, has been seen to spend when it can (Beltran, Martinez), but the market for over-the-top spending just isnt there anymore. Teams are more interested in young talent, and will horde it to try and remain competive into the next decade.
Right.. after 4 WS championships and a few ‘lean years” of only getting to the ALCS and ALDS. I’d trade that for a few kids and “fan favorite” any day of the week and twice on Sunday. It’s not noble to keep losing. “Well, we didn’t win, but at least we didn’t spend like the Yankees”.. who cares.. we pay the same prices as their fans and they have gotten a lot more celebrating for the same dollars. $8 beers and $35 upper deck seats are the same in the Bronx and in Queens.
…and for better or for worse, we used LoDuca as our #2 hitter for a large part of the year.. whereas we are slotting Church/Schnieder immediately into 7th/8th.. so whatever.. if that’s an improvement, so be it. I’d rather have LMillz, you like the new folks.. that’s fine. I would have been perfectly happy to have Lmillz and Estrada/Castro or Yorvit/Castro which is all beside the point. The point was that we had the opportunity to have the best pitcher and best hitter in our lineup and we balked at it. And that was a move that cost us MONEY and not PLAYERS (except for Reyes), and it would have been totally worth it when we were sipping champagne in october.
Need to close tags.
TBLz, you are dead on. You’ve got to really look past the immediate benefit of trading everyone for Santana or a top hitter.
How many championships have the Twins won with Santana?
How many has Arod won?
You need to to have balance and a farm system to replenish when you suffer injuries or down years etc..If you give them all up, you might get to the postseason and maybe you’ll win it all but then you are going to take a major hit the next 5 years or so. I’d rather build a system that can help us restock the big club and build a team that can be there every year.
I don’t want to be a one and done team.
we’ve been rebuilding and restocking for the past 20 years and we have 0 WS and 4 post season appearances (88, 99, 00, 06) IN TOTAL to show for it.. great strategy. What’s the definition of insanity?
I only took a glance at the comments, but I’ll take a defensive catcher anyday, with the exception of Mike Piazza and a few other. A catcher’s defense is very underrated by fans in this day and age. Defense, defense, defense. Let the top of the lineup worry about producing runs and let Schneider worry about the pitching staff and developing the young guys.
I’m excited to have the guy on our team. Great job, Matt!
Ken is just happy that we have a catcher that is not named Paul LoDuca lol…
well, i’ll be honest, i will miss having a guy in the club house who has a solid HGH hook up. thats important for any team.
Ken Dynamo = Sonia LoDuca ?
Yea,
What are the Mets going to do with all the extra Shea Stadium stationary sitting around? He may have used it all up by the time we got to Citi.
Sell it to the fans, of course. Milk it ’til it’s dry.
dont worry dynamo youll have 18 or so games to make fun of lo duca next year.
it’ll be a swell time for sure. and i’ll be able to keep tabs on my main man lastings and see him continue to get his grown man on.