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Matthew Cerrone, from MetsBlog: Lastly, it seems like there has been a big shift in the last year or so – going away from the big time free agent signing – and it has shifted to locking up young players, such as the Rays and Evan Longoria, or even what you did with Wright and Reyes. It seems to me, that that means there are going to be less and less free agents available on the open market in years to come. I would assume that you are going to have to have a more concerted effort in terms of developing young talent. However, the problem as I see it, and I feel for you on this, is that you are in a city where a lot of people have a ‘win–now mentality.’ So, the question that kept coming to me on e-mail was, ‘How do you strike that balance, between a win-now style, but also to build from within?’
Omar Minaya: That is a very good point, and an observant point on your part. We are in a market with a ‘win-now mentality.’ The reality is that there aren’t going to be as many free agents out there available… First off, teams economically are doing very well and they are locking up all of their young players long term. Teams are really 
going to have to be more creative, you’re really going to have to be more astute from an evaluation standpoint, from a scouting standpoint, to be able to bring in guys like the John Maine, the Oliver Perez. You are going to have to bring in guys who are having bad years and bring them in and hope that they perform well.
At the same time, from a budgetary standpoint, as much this is a ‘win-now town,’ you are going to have to give the Pelfrey’s, the Murphy’s, the Niese’s, you are going to have to give them a chance, because you just cannot rely totally on free agents. You are going to have to rely on guys that have had bad performances in the past and slide them in, or use young guys that you hope will perform in the Major Leagues. We’ve been fortunate with that in the last year with Pelfrey, Murphy, Evans, and Niese, who won a big game for us, even Argenis Reyes has done a good job for us… So we are going to have to find a way to blend them in, even though the market wants proven winners, because you’ve got to ‘win-now,’ that’s the bottom line.
Matthew Cerrone, from MetsBlog: Thank you so much, Omar, for taking time to listen to what readers of MetsBlog.com have to say. I really appreciate it.
Omar Minaya: Great, great, keep up the good work. I think it is great that there is so much fan participation in the blogs. For me, I think it’s all good.
To read a full transcript of this entire interview, click here.
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The life of a gm….its a double edge sword. Hes gotta put a competitive product on the field but at the same time have the forsight to see future needs the team may have in the future and have a adequite replacement ready from our farm system to step in. Its a tough job. I think we need to do better in our drafting of international talent and domestic. Matts absolutly right that the FA market will be getting thinner by the year as teams are locking up talent for the long term. I think we have a good core of players and like any good team we just need good complimentary pieces to go along.
Good post. I think Omar really is a better GM now than he was when he first started. I think he tried to win too quickly. Now I think there actually is more of a plan and we will see that this offseason. I still think there is a reason all these old guys contracts all ran out in the same year, the same year we move into a new stadium.
i remember the day you said that in one of your posts and no kidding a light bulb went off. Im certian that observation you made was acurate and by no means was a coincidence. Omar planned it that way for him to win with those guys and retool for 09 with a WS ring….didnt work out that way but im at the very least intrigued as to what omar has up his sleave this offseason.
I am not sure Omar even planned to win a WS this year. I think he was still as sembling pieces like Church and Santana. Castillo is where he really messed up in that plan. But I would have expected small decline in his numbers at most not a fall from a cliff.
When Omar came aboard, he had a 3 year plan to make the team competitive again. He ended up doing it in 2.
i was refering to 06 when we were the dominant team and 07 when we were the better team the majority of the year but lost steam at the end. I agree with castillo but like you and i have been saying he got injuried alot this year. If castillo not gotten injured as much and had consistant ab he may have gone on a tear..who knows. I know he was heating up a bit before he got injured that last time. Heilman would fit in that catagory for me as expecting a decline but no a drop off a cliff
And most likely 2 fast. I think he was surprised by how good Wright and Reyes were and how many games we won early. That led to stop gaps in our major holes costing us picks and due to the fact they were aged vets never really having an impact. We would have most likely been better off going with Miledge in LF instead of signing Alou in the 1st place. As much as I hated Milledge and liked Alou. That’s hindsight however.
Diry you know my feelings on Castillo. I still think he can return to career norms. Omar misjudged the market on him I guess. Who knows, we know Houston wanted him for 3/21.
I think with regards to Castillo’s contract, that Omar did not want to be left out in the cold either. The team had nothing in the 2b pipeline, and the closest thing to an attractive FA at the position was Kaz Matsui, and Omar wasn’t going down that road again. Once Eck decided against Queens, Castillo was really Omar’s only option.
That’s alright. Let’s continue booing Castillo for signing his name onto a 4 year contract offered to him.
Because I’m sure if any Mets fan who has booed Castillo this year was offered a 4 year multi million dollar contract from his boss, he would surely turn it down.
thank you ravi….apparently that type of logic is lost here….obviously we should have gone after kinsler…geez that omar….
“you are going to have to bring in guys who are having bad years and bring them in and hope they perform well” is a plan?
great job on this matt, very thoughtful questions and some great candid answers. keep up the good work
Trying to be objective on this team….We have some pieces but not the whole pie in terms of a true championship level team.
Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Maine, Santana, Pelfrey are the big pieces we have that should perform at the same or similar levels for the next 3 years.
What we choose to put around them is the key to our success obviously.
Murphy and Church are decent pieces but I would part with either of them to add to the core.
If Church and Murphy could be flipped into Holiday…then that trade would be worth it because Hollday would be added to the core.
If Church and Murphy plus a young guy like Niese could turn into another big time starter like Peavy…that would be worth it. Again he gets added to the core.
We certainly need a new bullpen for sure with at least 2 big time pieces at the end of the pen. We need to add one big starter to go along with Santana, Maine Pelfrey group. And we could use the idea of getting more right handed.
Lots of options are on the table FMart, Parnell, Church, Murphy, Niese, Delgado, Shoeneweis, Heilman, Castillo, Kunz all have value in trades (obviously different value to each player). Packaging some of those pieces to get other pieces we need makes sense. Not packaging all of them mind you but some. Most of these guys have value in the right deal for teams. Even Castillo for a Byrnes as an example or Heilman to a team looking for a potential 4th or 5th starter controllable for 3 more years before becoming a free agent.
Here’s my question. When does “win now” mode end?
I think this year might tip the scales in that regard. If the mets go down the same road again in ‘09 as the past two years I bet we see some big changes.
Obviously we wont trade beltran, reyes, wright, etc, but i see a much larger youth movement taking over. I bet Omar brings the younger guys up and drafts above slot to get the best talent available. Omar understands that locking up in house talent is the best way to do it and thats what i can expect to see.
Look at the championship yankee teams. They didnt have a ton of huge names, they had great in house youth and a good supporting cast of players. The yankees success came from the ability to afford to keep their home grown talent and use their vast (At the time) farm to either bring up supporting players, trade for them, or their $$ to sign them.
i expect the mets to start following suit as is evident by guys like murphy, evans, neise, and pelfry. Mets fans need to get some patience and realize that having a team that is competative but might not be the best for 2 or 3 years is good as it could lead to a team that is lights out for the next 5-7.
The mets have homegrown talent and money to afford to do this. just need to put the right pieces in the right places and make the right ancillary moves (drafting, promoting, etc)
My worry is that by seemingly putting it off and putting it off we’re just going to dig ourselves into a big hole and end up wasting a good portion of Reyes, Wright, Beltran and Santana, mostly the last two’s prime trying to dig back out.
I completely agree with you and I’ve actually been thinking the exact same thing. That’s why I think this year will be the tipping point. After ‘09 a lot of our older players/money comes off the books and can be replaced (hopefully!!) with in house, home grown cheap talent.
After 08 a lot of our older guys are off the books. Who comes off next year that is old?
Delgado (whose option is going to be picked up for ‘09) and Wagner are both gone after next year.
I believe marlon, easly (even though not expensive but are still signed thru ‘09)
I think there are more guys, but im not sure off the top of my head.
Easley is a FA. Marlon is only 1 million. Delgado can be let lose this season if we wanted. I still think this is the offseason that Omar planned to make a move not after 2009.
Well what do you think is going to happen? I agree a move will be made, but do you think Omar will look to free agency/trade market more? Look in house more? Or a blend of both?
I think it will be more of a blend but leaning a little more in house then from outside in an effort to keep as much of the farm intact as possible going forward.
I expect to see a mix of everything. I would think that LF will be another veteran stop gap for one more year so Fmart will then take his place.
I think that Krod will be signed like it or not.
I think 1 SP will be signed and Niese will be given the #5 slot like it or not.
I think that a few of Sanchez, Heilman, Feliciano, Show, will be traded.
Again, these are things I think will happen. Not necessarily what I want to happen.
What exactly does “win now” mean? It’s been 8 years since a World Series, 22 years since a world championship. I mean, OK it’s not as bad as the Cubs but come on. “You have to realize we’re playing in a ‘win-now” market just sounds like an excuse to me. How about “win someday?”
Never winning is precisely the result you should expect from a “win now” mentality.
agreed – lets end it now. trade delgado, no big pitching signings (i still like teix), cut the old bench, play the young kids and bring up the arms. lets see what we’ve got. if we don’t make the playoffs we get an even better draft in 2010
the reality is … the reality is… the reality is … the realiy is…
Omar is our Gm and you are a tool? I am just guessing here.
Seems like a pretty solid guess
Omar obviously thinks highly of what he saw from A. Reyes, as opposed to many who have commented on this blog about him.
Talk about ‘perception’…..
I was hoping Matt would have asked Omar if the plan is to try and resign Ollie or let him walk. Having 4 starters locked in obviously changes the whole approach to signings/trades the rest of this off season.
He would not have answered that question.
By saying he thinks highly of Argenis Reyes is his way of trying to imply he isn’t quite ready yet but could be, so please someone out there give me a quality arm in a trade for him.
Argenis was bad, but Castillo was probably even worse when you factor in defense. He may say he likes him – but Omar must realize that Reyes is nothing more then backup material at best..
Interesting how the writers of this site have ripped Minaya (and the Mets) behind his back for months about the slotting system, yet in a one on one interview in which the topic is building the farm system…the point that you’ve been so heavily making is mysteriously never brought up.
Well I think some of it has to do with respecting Omar, as well as getting the most out of these interviews. I doubt that Omar would have given a substantial answer to such a question, but rather say something along the lines of “we decide bonuses to draftees on a case by case basis”. In addition, you risk alienating Omar to a degree, and not having him available for future interviews. Sort of like biting the hand that feeds you. Matt’s professionalism has gotten him this far, and to carry himself as a regular fan would not only hurt his career, but it would also be a disservice to the loyal reader, who may not get the same level of insight in the future.
Right he would have said, “We signed the guys we wanted to and slot never really played a part in it.”
That’s fine if you want to defend that point. But if that’s the case then they shouldn’t go making posts about how foolish he is to stick with the system. Having respect for someone means that you’d tell them to their face the same thing you say behind their back.
is it really behind his back when matt posts it on the most popular mets blog? a blog that im sure omar reads as well as people in the front office.
obviously they arent taking advice from us, but to gauge the fan base, what better place to go and look?
yeah I’m sure Omar has a widget for this site on his myspace page lol. You know how sick he must get of people telling him how to do his job. There is no way he is going to come here and read 8 million posts belaboring the fact that Castillo was a bad signing and what not.
Not to mention it was not a bit ch session. I was an interview. He was not there to call him out. Fact is Omar would have answered the question just the way I said above. “We got the guys we wanted and slot never played a part in it.”
Ok to think that Omar is on here daily checking is silly. However, to think that this day and age he does not pay any attention is just as foolish.
I’m not sure about the “not having him available for future interviews” articles. Now that this blog is linked up with SNY, he probably has greater access than he ever did before.
Mysteriously.
Fact is, I had a question about the slotting system on my list. But, I also only had 10 minutes or so to conduct this entire interview. So, I made the decision, as time was running out, to instead focus on the bullpen, which was the most popular topic submitted to me, and to focus on this final question about balancing win-now with youth.
Thank you for understanding.
Ok, there’s the answer!
no problem. At least you had the time to ask him about Val Pascucci. I was losing sleep over wondering if he was better then Robinson Cancel.
Get to work omar….we need a very productive offseason from u!!
By the way, speaking of young talent…
Dan Murphy turned 3 double plays last night, and hasn’t made an error all season in the AFL–admittedly, it’s a small number of games.
Fellows–it’s time the doubters start taking the Murphy at 2nd idea seriously.
By the way, speaking of young talent…
Dan Murphy turned 3 double plays last night, and hasn’t made an error all season in the AFL–admittedly, it’s a small number of games.
Fellows–it’s time the doubters start taking the Murphy at 2nd idea seriously.
good…..i hope he keeps it up
Fire Omar. He’s no clue.
Look at all the built-in excuses he’s made for himself in these questions.
Just get some winners in here, get some pen, bench and SP depth.
Replace 2b, upgrade in OF.
Really simpleknowwhatI’m sayin
Just get it done and STFU with excuses.
The phils are going to the series and we have a “star” who can’t get a runner home from 3rd w/ zero out
Disgusting
why would omar do any of those things you call for when doing none of them got him a 4 year extension.
Agreed. The Rays will tell you what a sacrifice fly can do.
why should we feel bad for Omar for being in a win-now environemnent… he inherited Wright and Reyes from a previous administration and the Wilpon’s went and bought him Carlos Beltran … to me that seems like an advantage … but yet we’re supposed to pity him for being in big bad NYC.
Seriously.
He’s got all the resources anyone can want and he’s gagged as badly as the losers on the field.
No pity, just understanding. Look, he and Brian Cashman are handcuffed a lot more than most GMs because of the harsh environment their teams play in. It’s not vindication for him, it’s just something we all need to keep in mind.
In what sense did the environment have anything to do with the Mets’ on-field performance this season?
None. But in what way did Omar impact the actual play of the players on the field? Is it Omar’s fault that Willie was always going to Heilman when he wanted to blow an otherwise easy victory? Was it Omar’s fault that Manuel always went to the same old hands instead of utilizing the expanded roster and all the extra pitchers to try and find someone worth anything? No. He probably could have done a better job looking for relief help before the deadline, but we don’t know what the conversations were like between him and other GMs, so we don’t know how close he ever came or whether any other GM would have been willing to bite.
You know Matt, it probably would have been better to *not* do this interview. I liked Omar and respected him before I read this, now much less so. And you know it as well as we do — it’s not a matter of “win now.” It’s a matter of “be exciting, hit in the clutch, field a team we can actually like and be positive about.”
And you know what, he’s not even very articulate.
“I didn’t vote for him, but he’s my president and I hope he does a good job.”
I don’t remember where I heard that quote, but I think it applies here.
Look, we all want to point the finger at Omar and say he failed to put a winning team out there. That he’s somehow directly responsible for the collapses. I don’t have a whole lot of faith because I believe the team needs more complementary pieces, not big stars, and Omar’s method is usually to target old stars or scrap he hopes will turn it around.
That being said… we’re stuck with him for 4 more years, so get over yourselves. If you want to continue ranting and raving about how we need Omar to be fired, get lost. It’s not happening for the foreseeable future, so give it a rest. All we can do now is hope that Omar has given as much thought to the team’s predicament as we all have about how easily we can dump our garbage in exchange for other teams’ best of the best. No GM is going to tip his hand in an interview about what specifically he’s looking to get rid of or add. That’s stupid from the standpoint of future negotiations and for the possible allegation of tampering. There are all sorts of possibilities out there, and a lot of it hinges on what other teams are looking for and how they value their guys and ours.
Omar bashing does nothing right now other than to detract from otherwise interesting discussions about the potential deals we could see in the offseason.
Nope. Omar bashing keeps the spotlight right where it belongs, and it prevents people like you from giving him a pa ss
i dont think i see anyone give him a p.a.s.s but rather people understand you cant make playstation moves in real life
No, Furioso, because bashing Omar gets you nowhere. And it’s ignorant. THIS is why people hate New York. Just get over it. He’s our GM and while you may complain and complain the fact is he’s done more good than bad for this team. HE has brought in beltran, santana. I dont care that NY has all the money, that he’s spending his owner’s money – HE got these moves done and without those 2 superstars we maybe, MAYBE would have fought our way to 3rd place in the division in 08.
I’m not saying anything about Omar getting fired, or linking his success with the team’s performance. What I object to are excuses like the “win-now environment.” He doesn’t need to make excuses for the guys on the field. Marketing spin just insults my intelligence. Just do what needs to be done in the offseason and stop blaming New York and the media…
Omar is all about spin.
He’s got the Illpons bamboozled but good
y would murphy be playing 2nd for the entire offseason if they have no intention of putting him there this year…….for the future??? you can either play a postition or u cant, there really is not THAT much work to learn it….one offseason is plenty of time……hes also doing very well at second….no errors, a bunch of double plays……..if they are planning on playing him in the outfield next year then y wouldnt he be practicing there this offseason….i really am starting to think that for some reason they dont want to say “murphy at second next year”.im not sure y tho
I think its to give murph more options for play time. The more positions he knows how to play the more chances he has to play everyday. He can now play LF/2b…i just wonder when/how he will pick up 1b as omar alluded to earlier
isnt he originally a 1st baseman??? or was it 3rd…yea i think 3rd…..first base is extremely easy to learn espically if u have played third
I hope your right…i just want him to be able to do well at 1b and make a kotsay kind of catch like last night play…
really, phukthephills? One offseason is plenty of time to learn a new position? You seem like a very credible source. Did you learn this stuff on your Gameboy advance, or Ps3?
xbox 360
no switching from 3rd base to second base IMO should take one offseason to LEARN….not to be a gold glove at but to be a decent defensive 2nd baseman…..unless u are not made out for the position which means that 20 years of work would not make u good
Oh, ok. Your baseball experience is what….playing catch with the ol man? At least don’t talk about things which you know nothing about. Present yourself as professional and smarter than you really are.
what the f*&@ are u talking about…..that is my opinion…if u happen to give an opinion i wouldnt say u know nothing about the topic…if u dont like my opinion then u can say that but u dont have to say i kno nothing about daniel murphy moving from third to second base. this is not a job interview..it is a blog where ppl give their ideas so noone has to present theirselves as professionals….if u are not happy with what i say in my posts then stay the F@$k away from them u g-ay a@s piece of S#!t
no response huh?
What I was referring to was that you say something like “it should only take an offseason to learn a new position” which is a statement only someone with real knowledge of the game can accurately make (and someone with real knowledge of the game would NOT say something like that). Yeah, I get it – this is a blog. We all have our opinions, thanks. You seem incredibly bright.
And it’s not that I’m “unhappy” with your opinion, it’s that you are like most Mets fans in that you start spewing out these ridiculous ideas and opinions that are so baseless and uninformed it’s pointless to even put into writing.
What you seem good at is finding the right combination of dashes, @’s and #’s to include your cuss words in your posts. Congratulations. Next year, in the 11th grade, they’ll teach you that you shouldn’t say something retarded. You piece of scum.
what makes u think i have no knowledge of the game??? ive played baseball for 10 to 15 yrs..i just won a state championship with my high school and now i am playing college ball…i dont know anything about the game…..i play 2nd base as well…yes it is tough but not difficult to learn if u have already played 3rd…the fundimentals are almost the same…i do not appreciate it when i make a comment and then i am told that i kno nothing about the topic…so like i said before go f**k urself
no response again??
sorry boscov but i have to agree with phuck over here look at 2b en like kent easley eckstein that have ok range but are solid – not great feilders but solid – then look at murph and the magic tones and he should slot in nicely if we coul find a taker for jorge julio’s evil twin (slappy mcsingleton)
Perhaps I should have included the premise that Dan Murphy, from what I’ve read, was a below average 3rd baseman. He doesn’t even look close to comfortable in left field so his future is at 1B. I like his chances of learning that position as a below average 3B than 2B. Especially when NO ONE is gonna take Castillo and I think the Mets are better off playing him.
And I have a job, phills, so while you’re refreshing this page looking for my response I don’t have quite the same amount of time to do that. But keep checking I’ll get back at you scumbag
off topic….listening to Francessa and Evan Roberts…it’s very refreshing to hear someone actually stand his ground against the all knowing one…..roberts is without a doubt the most listenable one to on that station.
i agree to bad mike just dismisses him like he is a peasent
WHAT A PUFF PIECE!!
Cerrone, you are really a hack. You wear your shirts two sizes too tight and you look like a t urd on television. You come off as very amateurish and it is so pathetic!
Why don’t you ask Omar questions about the collapse instead of vague, ridiculous ones he would never answer anyway? Unbelievable how horrible this sight has become.
And stop k issing the Mets b utts. If they do something wrong, call them out on it.
where is he praising the mets…..
what more about the collapse do you need to know that you DONT already know….we know what happened and why….
why do you care what or how matt wears his clothes….
He’s a HACK.
What about the collapse? How about giving me answers to see it doesn’t happen for a THIRD consecutive year?
Cerrone is the biggest p ussy around when it comes to the Mets. Always an excuse.
First off, if you hate and have no respect for Matt Cerrone, then why are you posting here???
Second, what the f–k is there to say about the collapse??? Honestly? It happened, and nothing Omar spins up will make it go away…
Third, please learn how to use proper grammar you incessant toolbag…
some people just have no life aparently…
Are you Matt’s wife?
Pipe down with your defense of him.
See, only sunshine and daisies here!
Read my other post to see the question I would have asked you complete dolt. It’s not about the collapse and why it happened by how he makes sure he has a plan to fix it.
But you’re right, that would be a horrible question to ask the architect of a team which has gagged two straight Sept.
brillaint, jesus. blame Omar for the faults of this team (bullpen) but fail to give him credit for bringing in beltran and santana who are the only reason this team is competing. And it’s wise for you to a$sume that Omar could have made moves to avoid this collapse. I’m sure there’s plenty of inside front office executives walking around your high school halls. You’re pathetic.
boscov jesus is nothing more than a troll looking to stir the pot he’s either a phillies fan with low self esteem or it feyre mets manegement in disquise
And I’m sure I’ll get banned for this because I dared speak out against the Mets.
Here’s a question you could have used Matt. One that a 3rd grader would ask.
“Omar, what exactly are you going to do to prevent this team, YOUR TEAM, from choking for the third straight year? Afterall, you’ve gone a combined 12-22 over the final two combined weeks in each of the last two Sept. to turn near-certain playoff spots into nothing”
See, is that hard? No.
But instead, we’re treated to great questions about signing Castillo (which he wouldn’t and didn’t answer), Daniel Murphy, the bullpen (which he didn’t answer) and doing this job in NY.
Thanks so much Matt!!!!!!
Keep up the sh itty work!
lmao and you think we would have gotten an answer for that one….
Clearly Omar would have laid out his entire off-season plan if Cerrone had just asked the right question.
lol…clearly
I’ll lay you, Gina.
Actually despite the nonsense being posted, Matt spoonfed Omar all the answers. All Omar did was repeat what Matt asked him.
You’re right. It’s so taboo to ask how to fix what ails the team.
Instead, I’ll read about Luis Castillo and the ball-washing for the bench.
Holy c rap you guys are dense.
The majority of the interview was about how to fix the team going into next year. Matt had 10 minutes for that interview….hes going to waste it on telling us something we already know. We didnt get concrete answers from omar anyway…what makes you think your question would have gotten us one….
The reason he didn’t ask about how to prevent a collapse…. is because there is NO POSSIBLE WAY TO DETERMINE HOW TO PREVENT ANOTHER COLLAPSE a year before it happens….
Great point, jesus. So when whatever question you want to be asked is asked, Omar can give some pc response that’ll make you even more angry. You’re an idiot. No one is saying you can’t criticize the Mets. Half of the people on here would willingly boo their own players so don’t give me that nonsense. The point is I blame the players on the field, not Omar, for their losses. You think you’re in the know and blame Omar.
Motion to get jesus banned from Mets blog. Anyone want to 2nd that?
Mets fans get a bad name because there are plenty of people like you. scumbag
Jesus, i’m hoping that you’re at least making yourself laugh. But I doubt that.
How in god’s name could he possibly have answered that??
Oh that’s right, your an idiot, and therefore don’t think before you speak…
jesus, lol, you’re funny. some displaced anger or something. you’ve made at least 10 posts on this one subject. and this is cerrone’s site. He OWNS YOU.
MATT CERRONE OWNS JESUS
im going as jesus for a halloween party – the irony is that im an atheist lol
For a second there I thought you were going as one of the Alou brothers.
Oh this is Jeopardy!!… hmm..
I’ll go with “Your Favorite Hobby?”
ding ding ding we have a weiner !!
the citi field bricks are sold out! ive had to pay for a wedding and school for me and my wife this year so ive had to wait to buy on but now that ive got the money i went to the site and there GONE! im pretty depressed about this, anyone know any possible way to get one. i bleed blue and orange and love the mets so this is killing me! off the subject i know but this site is the only one with people that might understand my feelings. thanks.
Try Citi employees, I know they were receiving discounts on the bricks. I guess it’s possible they have sold out their allocated amount.
haven’t
They’re tearing down Citi Field already? Not surprising…
well now that citi is teetering on bankruptcy lol
i don’t think omar really answered any of those questions
I dont think Obama or McCain will really answer any of their questions tonight. No one in any position of publicity actually answers questions. That’s preposterous.
well omar is kinda like a politician right??? talking outta both sides of ones mouth is a art
If I read the interview correctly, Omar’s job is to go out and find players who used to be talented but have gone downhill in recent years, sign them, and hope that they return to the former steroid-ridden selves?
Ah yes. Here is the quote from Omar:
“You are going to have to bring in guys who are having bad years and bring them in and hope that they perform well.”
Now I know why we signed Omar to the contract extension. It all makes so much sense.
SLIDER I THINK YOU ARE TAKING OMAR OUTTA CONTEXT – HE MEANT WASHED UP OLD PLAYERS LOL – but in all seriousness at least he was candid and forthright he really wasn’t blowing smoke up our collective heinies – and i got what i never thought i’d ever hear from the f.o. – signing castillio was a mistake – my jaw literally dropped!!
Kazmir’s going to start game 5 for the Rays to clinch getting into the world series…
I think I’m going to be sick.
if you have rick petersen hair prismo i can hold it back while u spew if u have chris carlins type of hairstyle – sorry u are sh&t outta luck
LETS GO DODGERS !!!
guys check this out i just read it in mlbtraderumors.com The Dodgers lost Shane Victorino twice in the Rule 5 draft. damn if only we had homer & that magic toaster the flyin hawian would be in l.a and we’d be in the playoffs – D’OH
theres always hope in ny if your a baseball gm” My name is Omar minaya and i approve this message.”
does omar get swift boated or bannana boated :P i keed i keed
who would we hav to trade to get soria?? church and evans and parnell? would that do it?? he would be awesome for the mets.
phuk getting soria is a pipe dream – the royals owner said recently that he’s sick of not being competative so i think we can kiss our hopes of soria goodbye that and they signed him last offseason to a cheeap deal … darren oliver might be available i’d love to have him back as our spot starter/ long reliever
yea ur rite they wont make a deal after the contract they got him 4
now that i think about it it would cost a lot more….he was 42 for 45 in Save opp. 1.60 era giving up 5 homers in 67 innings…….and hes only 24…we would be getting a YOUNG talented closer that could be the closer of the mets for the next 5 to 10 years (even tho it would be the same with krod)
church, fmart, hielman?
Frankly, the only way you are getting someone that fits the criteria (Soria, Pappelbon, etc.) is to GROOM HIM YOURSELF!
So for all of the caniptions people had about being “creative” with the pen/closer, taking someone like Parnell (if not Kunz, who has closer experience) and, say, making him the closer is how other teams end up with the young guns you want to trade the farm for.
wheres jim duquette when you need him?
how about jj putz?
whats seattle looking for ? young players? evans,muniz and heilman?
I really like the idea of trying to get Putz….he was incredible in 2007 and hurt a lot of this year. After the Mariners’ experience with Beltre, Sexson, Silva, Washburn, Bedard, etc, I would think that maybe if we took salary off their hands (Ibanez wouldn’t be so bad in left if Murphy plays 2nd) we could try and give them a big package of young, inexpensive players they can control for years and try and develop. Their MO of getting one horrid overpriced clown after another clearly has not worked even remotely.
I think the guys you mention could be the start of a great deal with them for Putz and maybe Ibanez and another salary. We would have to include more, but this is a fine idea to explore.
They will never trade Ichiro though, as he loves the Asian presence in Seattle and they love him. They actually serve sushi called Ichi-rolls at Safeco!
or the 3 stooges for jj putz
hurricane Omar bears down on Puerto Rico!
Due to the nature of the storm, officials expect all farms to be destroyed in its wake.
wokka wokka!
Anyone watching the NLCS? Apparently after the Victorino grand slam in the NLDS someone put a picture of him circling the bases with his arm raised on his locker with ‘J. Reyes’ written underneath it..
yeah i heard that…they are seriously troubled this phillies team…you know for all of the so called “show boating” the mets do the phillies just can’t seem to keep they’re damn mouths shut…i mean seriously theyre the ones that are always saying this and that and opening theyre mouths…the mets just go about there business…god forbid someone gets excited when they hit a hr the sky is gonna fall down…all i have to say to the phillies is grow the f up.
the phillies live their lives to beat the Mets. I really don’t know what it is that makes them hate the Mets soooo much. is it money? talent? the city? the media? ads? hype?
i guarantee it was Jroll who did it…..and why?
Jimmy Rollins is so incredibly jealous of jose. Jimmy is a career .277 hitter. He is a good player, but not a special player. And he is THIRTY. He is in his prime. He had one good year.
Yet Reyes is on the cover of video games, and in espn commericals, and has his own songs, and plays in the best city in the US, and is a sex symbol in latin america.
Jealousy is obvious. It’s just a shame that our ineptitude is letting that bum go to the W.S.
Yeah right. Good point. Um, wait, aren’t the Phillies going to the World Series and the Mets are watching them at home?
Placido Polanco and aquilino lopez/ dontrelle willis for Carlos Delgado?
wow, seriously some of these young guys on the dodgers are just BEYOND pathetic. if murphy is playing well at 2B, then this is my new desired lineup:
reyes
murph
manny
beltran
wright
church
evans (1B)
catcher
i want delgado and castillo gone.
why delgado?
i dont think he is a winner……he dogged it for willie.
but he hit well in the 2006 playoffs. but I agree with need a new impact hitter like manny, we cant go with wright,delgado and beltran as our big hitters again. we need many,ordonez or holliday.
no on ordonez, but at this point the other two are cool.
y not?
how bout:
reyes
hudson
manny
beltran
wright
murph(1b)
fmart
catcher
trade church and delgado in seperate deals for bullpen help…maybe try and trade delgado to the angels for arredondo or shields and another prospect
make the prospect juan rivera instead and maybe slot him in instead of fmart
love it……actually this is the best version…..im ALL FOR bring Fmart in next year.
i think it’s obvious why the dodgers had the record they did……they are a .500 team that had NO BUSINESS being in the playoffs, Manny or not.
Neither do the Phillies. bit relievers who had career years.
they won like 92 games. they won like 11 of their last 12 games. not the same thing…..
if lou pinella had played the crew tough, to get his guys ready, they woulda been playing philly. that was not the real cubs in that series. it wasn’t the dodgers.
and thanks to Luis Castillo, the mets missed the playoffs. biggest cancer in mets history.
bikky wagner needs to shou;der some blame also lol
*billy
“Neither do the Phillies”
Incredibly stupid statement. They had the best bullpen ERA, tied for 2nd most runs scored, and they had the 2nd best run differential in the NL.
They deserved to make it.
andre ethier is on my all time hate list. what a terrrrrrible post season he has had……the dodgers are really a joke. now manny comes up with no one on next inning.
torre is NOTHING without the superstars they give him.
Frankly, the only way you are getting someone that fits the criteria (Soria, Pappelbon, etc.) is to GROOM HIM YOURSELF!
So for all of the caniptions people had about being “creative” with the pen/closer, taking someone like Parnell (if not Kunz, who has closer experience) and, say, making him the closer is how other teams end up with the young guns you want to trade the farm for.
SOme guys you just gotta get out of the system.
Oh, and Murphy is actually a 2B origianlly, He didn’t move off 2B to 3B until th eMets drafted him. So he is just adjusting to playing the position again, not learning it from scratch.
great post stick……..i definitely think they should trade for edwin jackson though…..the guy in short outings has the filthiest stuff i’ve seen.
i still say try tyler “bong man ” walker and darren (son of Al) Oliver along with fuentes maybe
kunz or parnell might be the guy – btw what about that reliever we have on the clones?? wasn’t he dominating the leauge? maybe put him on the fast track u know bingy in the spring
is kunz still scoreless in the afl?
wow, this game is pathetic for the Dodgers.
braindead plays and at bats cost them all series. that is on torre and the staff.
wow blake dewitt needs to kill himself tonight.
Yeah, bad plays especially. Talk about over anxious and pressing, it’s really obvious here. And blowing that last game the other night? I actually thought the Mets BP snuck in and put on Dodger blue uniforms…
I guess the rest of that NL West division really made the Dodgers look good, because I thought the Dodgers would make a better showing than this, especially with Manny.
Just goes to show you Manny does not = a WS spot.
correct…….a balanced lineup wins w.s. a balanced TEAM actually.
see phillies, rays, and red sox.
im afraid to ask for decades… i guess we should be looking out for filthy trolls tonite
I was thinking the same thing myself.
Guess there is no getting around these handful of trolls that have got nothing better to do. Typical of Phillies fans though, isn’t it????
yeah all they have is scrapple cheez whiz and the rocky statue i guess that getting the nlcs banner is an after thought now LETS GO RED SOX OR RAYS!!! make the phils choke on some sam adams or on BUBBA THE LOVE SPONGES FAT TUSH!!!
reyes
murph/beltran
manny
delgado
wright
murph/beltran
church
schnieder
johan
pelf
maine
garland
another FA
(i heard that lowe doesnt want to come to ny neither the yanks or mets…i dont want some one who doesnt want to be here)
closer can be from a trade or a FA but a defined closer is needed on this team (Putz, ryan, krod, fuentes etc.)
i really like putz and dont think he would cost as much as some others. he doesnt give up alot of homeruns and has a low era…last year he was injured for some of the year but the year before that when he was healthy he was great.
Mccain sounds like a complete idiot
I still don’t think there’s anyway we’re getting Manny. And truthfully, I don’t want to take him on with a 4 year contract.
LF and aging power hitters have not been much luck for us – Floyd, Alou.
Max I would offer him is 2 years.
And on that note, nice HR, Manny. Can you hit like 4 more tonight????
score?
Phillies 5, Dodgers 1
blake dewitt and andre ethier should hang themselves tonight.
i really hope blake dewitt and andre ethier quit baseball, become crack addicts, and keel over.
haha both of those comments are really fukked up but very funny
we are talking about series ending plays from these guys, game and game and game over again.
i completely agree with u
will brett meyers be their pimp daddy and beat them?
guys will trade wright for roy halladay?. francesa said the mets should do it.
will you*
francessa knows nothing about sports. he is a blowhard and an idiot. david wright hit like 400 in september last year.
fatso francessa is wrong ??!! damn im crushed :(
I think he is jealous cuz the mets have the developed two of the best players in the NL and the yanks have not.
I had to stop listening to him for the most part, especially since Dog left. Not that I cared for him either but Francesa by himself? First he such a homer for the Yankees and second, his comments/debates he throws out there to get the Met fans going are so obviously contrived it’s sickening….
yup i don’t listen to him at all.
it was nice seeing kim jones though
its very obvious francessa is incredibly bitter that the mets have developed two great talents. he wants the mets to trade these guys bc he doesnt want to sit here for the next 10 years and watch them compile great career numbers and possibly win a title.
basically no one on the dodgers is any good besides manny.
case and point……god forbid anyone else on that team come to play.
well hasn’t that been joe torre’s teams m.o since 01? this year was a fluke they made it into the 2nd round – but in all seriousness i think after what happened in the last game this team quit on joe
i honestly think francessa is the worst radio personality on the FAN.
the dodgers are truly nobodies and a borrowed player.
yeah he’s picking up where salzberg left off
that pitch to russel martin was such a ball it’s disgusting. everything goes the phils way.
it’s not as much that they quit on joe, it’s that ethier, kemp, loney, martin, dewitt, are all young. and they are good, but not special players. and when your team has two men on and no outs, you can’t afford to have blake dewitt trying to do the damage in the post season.
PHILLIES IN THE WORLD SERIES!!!
BOO-YAH!!! MUTTS FANS!!!
if you win the word series, come on here as much as you like. also, if you love philly, why are you in NYC?
He’s employed as a mail room boy in the Stock Exchange.
+1, rustyjr – lol.
Shane Victorino just made a tremendous catch in CF in the NLCS….
Whats the Mutts CF, the big free agent of 2004, doing this week?? Oh yeah…renewing his vows…
CHOKE MUCH MUTTS FANS???
why do you hate the Mets so much? and if you have NY, why do you live here? i would NEVER leave my home town to go live in Philly.
and no answer lol…….no one can ever admit that NYC is better than their hometown……yet they all move here.
The inferiority complex that people from Philly have is astounding. They don’t care so much about the Phillies winning as they do that the Mets lost.
I mean shouldn’t he be celebrating that his team is going to the WS? No, he’s hanging around Mets fans, trying to get attention.
:( Phillies fans are sad.
You are such a moron…go back to Filthadelphia, that trashy dump you couldn’t wait to escape from.
this guy moved to NYC b/c his city is not good enough. yet he thinks he is cool talking smack about how his team is beating a .500 ball club, as a means to diss NYC, the city he truly loves most. How bad do you wish u had the accent?
I think a lot of them were bent that the Mets beat them in the regular season series.
I now understand why Wall Street is in such a mess with sophomoric schleps like this guy playing a part in our economic system.
You are such a loser its beyond pathetic…lol
wow what a suprise that called strike on Kent was in fact a foot low. everything goes the phils way. it was CLEARLY a foot low on the fox trax.
2008 Mets OWN the 2008 Phils
that is true but that almost makes it worse bc i look at these teams and i think i dont get it the mets beat the phillies no problem all year and no one else could. i almost wish the phillies just dominated us so i can sit here and honestly say “they are a better team thats why theyre there and we’re here”. unfortunately thats not the case and thats why its so frustrating.
Very true. I’ll tell you, when I look back at the season, the first two series that pop in my head are the Padres out in SD and the series vs. the Diamondbacks at home. Both were killers.
i think of the blown saves, every game in atlanta, luis castillo’s telling losing record, and how johan dominated every pitcher in the NL, and yet will get shafted for the Cy Young.
ugh 3 horrible losses attributed to the BP there.
Do you really think of Castillo? He means so little to this team. I really don’t think he had an impact.
Now the blown saves on the other hand…
I’m sure though that for the Phillies troll that is annoying…they can’t say “we beat you all year and that’s why we’re here”. They know they didn’t.
i guess it goes both ways but right now im sure theyre not thinking that.
Just relish the fact that we are in the greatest city in the world – the center of the Universe – and are fans of a great team in the center of the Universe…
and they aren’t..
and never will be.
I salute the orange white and blue.
LOL….ok, you won the season series. Alot of good that did you.
You take the season series. We’ll take a trip to the World Series….
In 1969 the Houston ball club dominated the Mets during the season. Was Houston the better team? I think not. Forget about the Phillies’ trashy fans but give the team its due. They are going to the WS.
where is that dodgers troll now? lol….great team they got there.
Well I live outside of Philly because hey, sometimes you got to go where the job is. You should see the venom people have against NY. They get pretty upset when I tell them NY is better. There is never a comeback; Philly is a pretty gross city.
i feel sorry for you
lol sometimes i feel sorry for me too
lolol the dodgers have 6 hits. 3 from manny.
WORLD SERIES
question why has no one really talked about adam dunn for LF next year? no hes not manny ramirez or matt holliday but i mean hes better than what we had out there and it would leave the option open to trading delgado to move murphy over.
no
ok i respect your opinion of “no” but would you mind elaborating a little as to why not?
ok – sorry to be glib..my main problem with Dunn is that he’s a strikeout machine and is a horrible fielder with little range.
The thing he does bring is someone to fear in the lineup which they sorely need. I just don’t think its a good fit and from what I understand he lacks a leadership mentality in the clubhouse.
One thing the Fat Man says is true – this team needs a leader on the field – someone to kick some tail and lead by example.
Thats definitely a legit reason. However strikeouts to me is not that big of a turnoff if the guy still produces. dunn is always good for 40 bombs (which he can hit anywhere), 100 rbi and while his average wont be much higher than 260’s his OBP is always in the 400s. As far as leaders i dont see any out there to acquire ala carter or hernandez. One of these days I think david wright needs to grab the bull by the horns and realize this is my team and take control of that clubhouse.
I see your point with Dunn…..
He’s definitely an upgrade over what we had there last year!
Nobody here has mentioned Furcal. I would seriously consider signing him to play second if he;s interested.
I’d also like to know how good Murphy is at third. Is he as good or better than Wright? If so, why not move Murph to third and DW to first and allow him to develop there as team leader..
well i was one person saying last year that maybe wright should move to first, his arm is VERY inconsistent but he definitely has a gold glove and thus could still help the defense at the opposite corner.
agree – what’s the deal with Dunn at first? Is he really worse there than in the outfield?
Dunn is a Type A, remember that!
2007 NL EAST CHAMPIONS
2008 NL EAST CHAMPIONS
2008 NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
MUTTS FANS? >>>> Reading about Beltran renewing his vows…….
CHOKE MUCH MUTTS FANS??????
BOOOO-YAAAHHHH!!!!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
TAKE YOUR $120 MILLION PAYROLL MUTTS FANS
ENJOY PAYING $20 FOR PARKING AT CITIFIELD NEXT YEAR!!!
….yawn……
what did everyone here think of the debate tonight?
Congrats to Philly Fan on Wall St on his Phillies 4th World Series apparence in their 125 year history. If you win the World Series then you are allowed to talk smack for a full year while defending the title. If you lose, well then you will be just like our 2000 NL Champ Mets….2nd place = 1st loser
Phils have a pennant and we have a star who can’t get Muphy home with zero outs
Please go back on your meds like a good boy.
You do realize there’s 25 players on a team, not just one?
Oh I’m sorry, I forgot, idiots don’t use logic…..
I know you’re going to continue slamming Wright and Reyes while ignoring the fact that the bullpen was this team’s downfall. Hitters are not going to come through in every clutch situation, but this bullpen failed time and time again. If the Mets’ bullpen was even mediocre, not good, but mediocre, they’d have won the division easily.
Except THEY WERE UP BY 4 WITH 17 TO PLAY!!!!!!!!
THEY WERE UP BY 2 (WILDCARD) WITH 7 TO PLAY!
THEY WERE IN CONTENTION FOR A PLAYOFF SPOT UNTIL THE FINAL DAY!!!
The way you act, you’d think the pen made them finish 15 games below .500
NEWSFLASH: THE PEN DIDN’T GAG IT THE FINAL WEEK, OR THE FINAL 3 GAMES OR THE FINAL DAY.
STOP SCAPEGOATING THE PEN!
dude ypur posts on this website are getting really annoying to look at, go root for the Phils
anyone here rooting for the american league in the world series?
Is there anyone here NOT rooting for the AL in the World Series?
God, any 1 individual Phillie is worth the entire Mets team
GARBAGE
This sh*t makes me really angry.
F**K YOU METS
Go be a Phillies fan then, you f–king d0uchebag
Enjoy watching other teams play in Oct….again
Like the Phillies did for 13 years before ‘07?
CUE UP THE ROCKY THEME
PHILLY BABY!!!
GOIN TO THE SERIES….
I THINK OMAR JUST GAVE CASTILLO A LIFETIME CONTRACT….
Kill yourself before I get around to it
My god, you are man child…
I will give the Phillies credit where it is due.. They did a fantastic job putting that team together.. and though I don’t particularly love every player on that team.. most I’m happy for.
As for fans who show up on MetsBlog after the Phillies make it to their first World Series in over a decade.. who cares what they have to say, they’re not true fans. It would be like calling Met fans Red Sox fans in 2003 or 2004.
Every team makes bad deals. How’s that Adam Eaton signing working for you? Or trading for Freddy Garcia? Enjoy your NLCS win…Have fun losing to the Rays.
good luck with the Rays my friend – you’re going to need it.
phuck philly
LOL….like Omar Minaya is going to really be HONEST about answer questions fans have….
He still is part of the problem the team has been having for the past two years.
Overall, he has made some terrible choices/decisions but I guess the Wilpons look at Omar with rose colored glasses (that obviously need to be cleaned).
good point, brother.
Congratulations Phillies!! Best in the NL
I know the first thing i do (aside from celebrating with my friends, girlfriend, and parents) when the mets win is go to the phillies blog site and post there. you along with your friend phillyfanonwallst obviously did all that already and managed to do it quickly (in phillyfan case about an hour after they clinched.) I’m just glad that all your friends and girlfriends and wives understood that you had to leave the bar early to post here. But im sure your girlfriend is waiting for you in bed, so you should get to her.
The differance is if the Mets won the pennant I would congratulate them , rivalry aside because Im NL 4ever.
first get spell check second ditch your wig u tranny prostitute cuz when bret meyers picks u up for sex he’s gonna be vry mad when he realizes you are a chick with a stick
Ah yes Mr. Phuck – I can see from your name that you are indeed a gracious loser and a practitioner of fine sportsmanship.
Oh yes, and – Eat me.
I am a life long Mets fan and I have to say that the Phillies deserve to be in the WS… And I certainly cannot get mad at Phillies fans for coming to Mets Blog to rub it in. I cannot believe how many of my fellow Mets fans jumped over to Beer Leaguer after the Santana signing and bragged how we were gonna beat them this year. Now maybe everyone will learn to shut-up until we actually win something.
And if the Mets were in the WS, Beer Leaguer would be full of Mets fans today.
Anyway….GO RAYS!!! Geez…that sounds weird.
Message to the Phillies fans: news flash! You’re not going to the World Series, the Phillies are going to the World Series. We’re all just fans, no better, no worse than each other. You just happen to be rooting for a winning team this year — the skills of the players on our teams are in no way a reflection of the types of fans we are. You have nothing to do with your team’s sucess (or lack thereof) So — enjoy it while it lasts, because it won’t. :-)
What else is there to report?
are you dj short….
If matt didn’t go easy on omar, then they wouldn’t fly him to spring training or give him future access to do more cream-puff interviews.
and hard hitting questions are collapse/contract extension/slotting…..which of course theres nothing he can do about it anyway. Matt already addressed the slot thing earlier on in the thread. The collapse we all lived it and experianced it…why kill time on a stupid question when we all know the answer and we wont really get an answer. Does he make his own decision to extend his contract extension….
Matt had 10 minutes with the guy. He has to fit as many questions as possible in there. I have no problem with the selection. Castillo contract/Bullpen/Murphy future/Mentality of the team…those are hard hitting questions
ummm for a 5th starter thats not too bad..i dont think anyone is advocating to JUST sign garland….Everyone is saying sign CC or Lowe..(wait for it)..AND sign garland if possible…
Houston dimwit, what are some questions you would ask Omar???
Is paying $10 million a year for a 5th starter really a smart way to use our resources?? I don’t think so….
are you his agent…
just ban this moron so he is forced to make a new username and say dumb ish from there. and then ban him again. and then call him a moron
Hey, lay off jesus, isn’t he Moises’ uncle? :-)
No, he is clearly Jesus Quintana from The Big Lebowski, based on his profane overreactions, comments suggesting sexual dysfunction, and general disrespectful idiocy.
Say hi to Leum!