Daily Archives: February 6, 2009
Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times reports former Mets C Mike Difelice has agreed to manage the Kingsport Mets, the Mets rookie-league affiliate.
Difelice spent three of his 13 major league season with the Mets from 2005 to 2007.
Topkin also notes former Mets OF Cliff Floyd signed a one-year deal with the Padres.
Tagged Mike Nichols, Minors |
Here is video of the new Home Run Apple being installed in Citi Field, courtesy of SNY:
The following video, courtesy of SNY.tv, is of my recent phone conversation with Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors, during which we talk about Juan Cruz and his Type A status; Ken Griffey Jr., and whether he’s retire; and if any trades will be made before the start of the season:
In his latest Rumblings & Grumblings column for ESPN.com, Jayson Stark says the Mets and Yankees have not pursued free-agent 2B Orlando Hudson this off season, despite Hudson’s comments on the MLB Network last week.
Instead, Stark believes Hudson may be looking at signing a one-year contract with the Nationals or Dodgers.
…i believe, once the Mets realized Luis Castillo could not be traded, and then committed to giving him the opportunity to succeed in spring training, it all but sealed hudson’s fate…
Speaking of one-year deals…
…from what i can gather, having talked with people 
connected to the player, Bobby Abreu has been reaching out to the Mets, as he is willing to accept a one-year deal to stay in New York and switch back to the National League…
…however, i have not heard his name mentioned by people connected to the team, which is not surprising, considering he’s yet another left-handed hitter, he’s not strong enough on defense to handle right in Citi Field, and he may still looking for $10 million per season…
Tagged Orlando Hudson |
In his latest column for ESPN.com, Jayson Stark quotes a scout who says that OF Fernando Martinez was the most impressive young player he saw in the Dominican Republic this winter, adding:
“He looks to me like he can be a young Bobby Abreu… His discipline at the plate is good. He worked counts. He hung in against left-handers. He did a lot of good things. He may be 20 years old, but he doesn’t look like it, the way he handles himself. He really plays under control.”
Martinez, who had a game winning pinch hit home run for the Dominican earlier this week, is back in New York for precautionary scans on a sore left elbow, though he claims he feels better and does not need them, according to MLB.com.
…for what it’s worth, i’ve met F-Mart in person, and his hand absolutely swallowed mine when we shook hands… this is one big, solid kid, and it’s not about talent, just staying on the field… i wouldn’t be surprised to see him mid-season if he can stay healthy and produce…
Shea Stadium is getting super close to being erased from existence, as you can see thanks to Tom Kaminski’s 
photographs from Chopper 880 at WCBS880.com.
…i am hoping to be made aware of the day the stadium is coming down, as we get closer… from what i can gather, at their current pace, it will probably be some time towards the end of next week…
Tagged Shea Stadium |In an emotional and honest article for SNY.tv, Ted Berg says goodbye to Shea Stadium, where he spent ‘some 2,000 of the best hours of his life.’
Steve from Eddie Kranepool Society writes about meeting Eddie Kranepool at Gallagher’s Restaurant earlier this week.
Dave Singer at NY Sports Dog compares Alex Rodriguez, Chipper Jones and David Wright.
Amazin’ Avenue uses PECOTA to compare certain people on the Mets to players of the past, such as Wright, who compares to Ron Santo and Jeff Bagwell.
Mets Dreams explains why Oliver Perez was the right move.
Lastly, Marty Noble of MLB.com catches up with Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen, to talk about the team’s pitching staff.
The following 10–minute clip is of three flights from a remote control airplane with a camera attached that circled around Shea Stadium during random days over the last few months:
…that is really outstanding work, guys… fantastic footage…
Yesterday, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com said the Mets have been in contact 
with free-agent LHP Will Ohman, in an effort to sign the pitcher at a bargain.
However, today, at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, David O’Brien explains why he believes the Braves may be getting close to a deal with Ohman, who would not divulge details of negotiations to O’Brien in a text message.
According to public documents released yesterday in a Manhattan bankruptcy court, the Mets had 13 accounts, some with Shea Stadium addresses, with direct ties to Bernie Madoff’s $50 billion Ponzi scheme.
In Newsday, Wallace Matthews explains:
“Fred Wilpon gets 75 mentions alone. The name of his brother-in-law and partner in Sterling Equities, Saul Katz, is mentioned in 39 entries. There are 15 accounts for Citigroup and 13 accounts for The New York Mets, including one for The Mets Foundation… There are (six) accounts for Jeff Wilpon… Sterling Equities, the parent company that owns the Mets and the Brooklyn Cyclones has a full 2 1/2 pages worth of accounts, more than 100 in all… And yet the Mets continue to insist that it is no big deal.”
Richard Sandomir says in the New York Times, “No dollar figures were cited, so it is impossible to determine how much the team alone lost or what those accounts were earmarked for.”
However, he adds, “The team remains financially sound,” according to a statement from the team.
…we’ve all been thinking, but carton says it best below…
This morning on WFAN, host Craig Carton said:
“Now, we’re not gonna sit here and be naive, and think that the Mets would open up an account with Bernie Maddoff for $50,000… It’s my guess that you’re talking about tens of millions of dollars that the Mets had invested with Maddoff in these 13 separate accounts…
“It would make complete sense to me then that the Mets franchise, while clearly not cheap at all – they will have one of the top two or three payrolls in all of baseball this year, so you can’t say they don’t spend any money, so you can’t say they’re cheap and you can’t say they’re nickel and diming guys, they did go out and K-Rod, they went out and got Putz, they got the guys they coveted and spent what they had to spend, they brought Perez back, so I want to be fair – but, had the Mets not lost tens of millions or hundreds of millions of dollars you’ve got to believe they would have signed Manny Ramirez, and here’s why…
“The manager of the Mets has come out repeatedly and said, ‘I want Manny Ramirez.’ The GM has said nothing but great things about Manny Ramirez, but basically said, ‘He’s not in our plans.’ And ownership, guys I have a great deal of respect for and know personally, they have never said, ‘We have no interest in Manny.’ They’ve kind of been coy about it… If you’re the Mets, and you recognize the need a) for a right-handed bat and b) the best hitter in baseball, who fits two needs for you… How would the Mets not go after him…
“A year ago, when they were flush with cash and no Maddoff problems and they spent the world to get Johan Santana. So, you have to believe a team that was willing to get Santana, a team that spent money to get Beltran, that got Piazza, to write the big check for one or two guys, why wouldn’t they do it this year if not for their financial problems…
“I’m not saying they’re out on the corner pan-handling… but the reality is, you have 13 accounts with Maddoff… I’ve read accounts that overall the Wilpons and their investment folks lost anywhere from $300 million to $900 million… How much of that was Mets money, with 13 accounts with Maddoff. So, you wonder, why are the Mets so reluctant to get Manny Ramirez, or even make a two-year offer? I believe the reason is financially their coffers are not as full as they were a year ago. That’s my belief.”
To listen to WFAN live from your computer, click here.
Meanwhile, in Newsday, Anthony Rieber does a fantastic job of exposing the other 21 financial companies to receive bailout money who also have naming rights deals, just like Citigroup and the Mets.
Rieber points out the Yankees are slated to receive roughly $20 million from Bank of America, “as a potential signature sponsor in the new Yankee Stadium.”
Top executives from Citigroup and Bank of America, among others, have been called to testify before the House Financial Services Committee next Wednesday.
Tagged WFAN |
