Daily Archives: October 3, 2008
According to John Heyman of SI.com, the Mets have agreed to terms with Jerry Manuel.
Manuel will sign a two-year contract with a club option for 2011.
…Update…8:20 am…
The Mets will hold a 1 pm conference call, according to WFAN, to announce Manuel as the 19th manager in team history.
“I am thrilled and appreciative for the opportunity that Ownership and Omar have given me to continue to manage the Mets,” Manuel is quoted as saying in team press release.
Carl MacGowan of Newsday takes a look at the dismantling of Shea Stadium, which began less than 24 hours after the Mets crushing defeat to the Marlins on Sunday.
Included in MacGowan’s detailed report, is an interesting note about the replica skyline that resides above the outfield scoreboard:
“Yesterday workers removed a facsimile of the city skyline from the top of the giant outfield scoreboard. The skyline will be moved to Citi Field, the Mets’ new ballpark being constructed in a Shea parking lot.”
…interesting…the skyline, like the homerun apple, was one of my favorite nuances about shea…i wonder if it will grace a similiar position inside citi field…
Over at Loge 13, Kingman provides part 2 of his update on Shea Stadium’s deconstruction.
Meanwhile, over at WNBC.com, the station has posted video from Chopper4 showing the progress city workers have made at Shea Stadium and various aerial views of Citi Field.
…as MetsBlog’s Regis Courtemanche said to me in an email earlier today, ‘it’s troubling watching this stuff’…couldn’t agree more, regis, couldn’t agree more…even more troubling, is seeing a pitcure like this...
Tagged Mike Nichols, Shea Stadium |
In a post to UmpBump, speaking as a fan, Paul Moro says he was embarrassed by how empty Shea Stadium had been during the season’s final few games.
However, from what I can gather out of ticket brokers I have worked with in the past, Mets fans never owned those tickets in the first place.
Instead, brokers were buying up blocks and blocks of tickets all season in an effort to lock down a position in Citi Field.
If they were able to sell the Shea seats, great – if not, it wouldn’t matter since the idea was to essentially make a down-payment and be in good standing for the next stadium.
In other words, Mets fans never really had the chance to fill those seats at the end of the season, yet it hasn’t stopped people from mocking us for what is a perceived lack of interest.
Tagged Shea Stadium |
Tonight at 8 pm, SNY will re-air Shea 
Goodbye: The Closing Ceremony, a one hour version of Shea Stadium’s closing ceremonies that took place this past Sunday.
By the way, to a recap of Sunday’s post-game ceremony from Shea Stadium, courtesy of SNY, click here.
Lastly, also tonight at 7 pm on SNY, Mets Weekly spends time on the bus with former players heading to Sunday’s events, including Darryl Strawberry and Cleon Jones, through their time in the terrace to the on-field celebration.
Tagged Shea Stadium, SNY |In the New York Post, Joel Sherman explains how Omar Minaya must look to improve the depth of his team’s roster, writing:
“Minaya too often has neglected the whole roster. So that when, for example, a pricey commodity such as Billy Wagner was hurt, the Mets were forced to bottom feed at a dire time…I have heard that issue was a significant theme at the initial offseason meetings among the top brass.”
Sherman continues on to wonder if the Mets should consider trading a player like Jose Reyes, for the good of the future and the overall roster, asking, “Would the Angels take Reyes for Joe Saunders (a high-level 
starter), Jose Arredondo (a long-term closer candidate) and Erick Aybar (a shortstop replacement)?”
…i don’t know about that, but, i agree that more attention must be paid to the entire 25–man roster…as SNY’s Ted Berg likes to say, it’s okay if you have one guy, like Endy Chavez, who is all-defensive, no-hit, but you can’t have four or five of them, like the Mets did this season at times…
According to Andrew Marchand, in a report for ESPN 1050, Bobby Valentine would be interested in managing the Mets again.
In the report, Marchand quotes Valentine as saying:
‘I am working for a team that needs me and wants me as their man. I love it here, but I am an American and love great challenges. I was a in a Met uniform in the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, 2000, and would love to be there in the next decade.’
As noted earlier, the New York Post and Newsday have both reported that the Mets have offered Jerry Manuel a two-year contract, ‘’but he has yet to sign it.’
The thing is, according to Marchand, ‘Manuel may want a three-year commitment.’
By the way, to listen live to ESPN 1050, and to check out the Marchand Report, which airs every day at 10:40 am, click here.
According to Bob Klapisch, in the Bergen 
Record, the Mets and Yankees are poised to get in to a bidding war over free-agent RHP CC Sabathia.
In the report, Klapisch writes, “Cashman and Minaya figure to empty the tank in their pursuit of (Sabathia),” who will likely seek a seven-year, $150 million contract.
In 18 starts for the Indians this season, Sabathia was 6–8 with a 3.83 ERA along with three complete games, but went 11–2 with seven complete games and a 1.65 ERA in 17 starts for the Brewers after being traded in early June.
Since becoming a full-time starting pitcher in his rookie season, in 2001, he has made at least 28 starts per season, while having a career 3.66 ERA, including a 2–to-1 strike out rate.
…i’m not saying i am for or against this, but, emotionally speaking, the idea of being able to pitch sabathia and Johan Santana in the same rotation is beyond exciting…
…that said, santana had 11 no decisions this season, and unless the team’s bullpen is addressed, i don’t see why this would be any different next season for sabathia…
According to the New York Post, the Mets have offered Jerry Manuel a two-year contract worth roughly $2 million, ‘but he has yet to sign it.’
In Newsday, David Lennon reports that the two-year offer is actually worth $1.5 million, ‘but he has yet to accept the deal.’
…yikes, because, the buzz in new york suggests that manuel is seeking at least $2 million per season, yet the Mets are only offering roughly half of that, plus i would have think he wants more than two years – since any other experienced manager, who the team would turn to, would want the same…and i can’t say that i blame him…
Also in Newsday, Johnette Howard explains why the Mets cannot afford to lose Manuel, while at Bugs & Cranks, Brad Bortone lists 10 reasons why Manuel will leave.
According to Lennon, “If negotiations do fall through, one of the names that could surface again is Bobby Valentine.”
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