Daily Archives: February 13, 2008
Marty Noble at MLB.com discusses the Mets role players and how the bench could play an important role in the upcoming season.
Noble writes…
“But on a team with oft-injured Moises Alou and now without Carlos Gomez available to fill in the blanks, there is no telling how the outfield innings will be covered. Easley, Pagan or, after he fully recovers from knee surgery, Valentin, could play significant innings in the Mets outfield by September.”
…oddly enough, noble mostly ignored many fan’s biggest concern…the lack of a true first base backup for Carlos Delgado…personally, i agree with Cerrone on the strength and versatility of the Mets’ backups and how they’ll likely fill in for delgado...
To read Cerrone’s take on Delgado’s backup, click here.
…yesterday, SNY’s Ted Berg and i, along with other reporters and photographers, took an extensive – and freezing cold – tour of Citi Field…did i mention it was snowing…and cold…wow…
…ted and i shot some video, which will hopefully be ready to post in the next day or so…
To view my photos from the tour, click here.
…wearing his Mets jacket and Citi Field hard-hat, Jeff Wilpon told us that his favorite seat in the house will likely be the front row of the right-field upper deck porch, which actually hangs over the field a bit like the old Tiger Stadium…if you’re lucky enough to sit in that first row, i can see how it’ll make it feel like you’re right on top of the field……it’s a pretty slick spot, and a great view, right in line with home plate…
…frankly, they’re right when they say the sight-lines for every seat will be pretty good…i can tell already that i will be spending most of my time hanging out, standing, walking around and watching the game from the promenades…it’s very wide open…very similar to other new parks, like in Atlanta, Baltimore and Philadelphia…it’ll be wide open, but intimate at the same time…
…by the way, left-handed pitchers, like, oh, i don’t know, Johan Santana, are going to love the 18-foot-high fence in left-center field, which is 379 feet from home plate…good luck pulling one 
over that sucker…in fact, i think wilpon mentioned how this caught santana’s eye during his personal tour of the stadium last week…and i don’t doubt it…
…as i noted yesterday, a Home-Run Apple will be featured below the scoreboard at Citi Field, and will rise out of a gigantic cement canister that has already been built, which you can see above, or by clicking here…however, as the team’s spokesman said, “It may or may not be the same apple that is at Shea Stadium today.”…
…wilpon also said, while the entire, overall project is roughly 60 percent complete, Citi Field’s structural steel frame is already 85 percent complete…the steel is a dark, dark color, inspired by the Hells Gate 
Bridge and other bridge work around New York City, and it looks a lot like it…it’s a nice feel…you can see it in this photo here, which displays a foot bridge out in right-center field…also, the first set of lights went up a week or so ago, which you can see here and here, which also uses that same steel work…
…there are a few seats in pairs that have already been bolted in…they’re a very, very dark gray, like the steel…click here for a great photo that appeared in today’s Journal News…ted took a picture of me sitting in the seat, but i accidentally deleted it…ugh…
…there will be 54 suites, 646 toilet fixtures and four restaurants, which will be announced in the next few 
months…
…the Rotunda is under way, and the wide, spiral, concrete steps that border it are already up…but that’s about it…
…all in all, despite the ridiculously cold and wet weather, it was pretty cool to see Citi Field in its infancy…it looks good, and is coming along well…i’m excited…and i can’t wait for its doors to officially open, because i think it’s going to be one hell of a time…
At his blog for the News Journal, citing the ‘player’s agent,’ Scott Lauber reports RHP Kris Benson is close to finalizing an agreement with the Phillies.
Benson, who missed all of last season due to shoulder surgery, is 68-73 with a 4.34 ERA in his seven year career.
…ha…i love it…this Mets-Phillies rivalry is growing and getting better by the day…can’t wait for anna to stew the pot even further…
…hat tip to erik for the link…
…UPDATE…
According to Todd Zolecki of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Phillies and Benson agreed to a minor-league contract.
Tagged Mike Nichols, Phillies |
Eric Pfahler at the TC Palm catches up with Oliver Perez, and discusses his expectations for this year.
Perez, as quoted by Pfahler:
“Right now, I’m just trying to learn about last year. That was a really good year for me. I have to take the routine I was making and I have to learn about the bad things I was doing so I don’t make too many mistakes this year.”
“The most important thing is to get healthy, get starts and get 200 innings.”
The closest Perez has come to pitching 200 innings was in 2004 when he threw 196 for the Pirates.
…to me, ollie has never given the most compelling interviews, but i do love how simplistic they are…he always seems focused on becoming a better pitcher and doing the best job he can on each start, what more can you ask…
Tagged Oliver Perez, Regis Courtemanche |In an article for The Star-Ledger, Jeremy Cothran speaks with relief pitcher Joe Smith about how his former pitching coach from Wright State, Greg Lovelady, has helped him this off-season.
Cothran writes:
“Smith spent the better part of the winter back home in frigid Ohio, where he worked out on the Wright State campus in Dayton. “
“[Lovelady] told me I was (ticking) him off,” said Smith, who finished 3-2 with a 3.45 ERA in 54 appearances last year. “It’s good because I think that’s what I needed.”
“Lovelady, who watches as much of Smith as he can on satellite television, detailed [Smith's] flaws. They discussed tapering Smith’s throwing regimens to spare fatigue in the late summer months.”
…this is the first i have heard from joe smith this off-season who was a phenom in the beginning of last year…to be honest, i haven’t thought about him too much either but i suppose that is because of how he declined so rapidly before he was sent back to the minors…however, if he can pitch at his best over a longer period of time this season, it would be a huge bonus to the middle relievers…
Tagged Regis Courtemanche | Newer posts →
