Daily Archives: February 9, 2009
According to the Daily News, Johan Santana plans to withdraw from the World Baseball Classic, ‘at the request of Mets officials.’
…interesting… in December, both Omar Minaya and 
santana told reporters it would be a judgment call made in spring training, based on how he was feeling in camp… from what i was told, santana was supposed to start throwing in late January, according to his off-season schedule… so, i wonder if something, based on his workouts, prompted the Mets to pull the plug on the WBC now, as opposed to waiting two weeks while in camp…
…whatever the reason, i’m glad… i know it is important to these guys to represent their country in a baseball tournament, but i’m far more concerned with him representing the Mets…
“There are a lot of things here that the Mets want to protect,” Santana acknowledged during a conference call with reporters in January, “and if they don’t want me to play I will not play.”
Santana underwent surgery in October to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. In December, he told reporters he will be ready for spring training.
In a poll to MetsBlog.com during late December, 86 percent of people who voted said they would ask Santana to skip the WBC.
The following clip, from YouTube, is from two fans who sneaked in to Shea Stadium to film the demolition site up close:
…man, these two are crazy… i would have been paranoid the entire time that the building would crumble upon me… this is probably why it’s a restricted area… nevertheless, it’s pretty interesting video, even though i assume these people would have found themselves in a ton of trouble had they been caught…
Tagged Shea Stadium |
The AP, via ESPN.com, is reporting that former Met infielder Edgardo Alfonzo has signed a one-year contract with the Yomiuri Giants of the NPB, Japan’s Major Leagues.
Fonzie, now 35, signed a deal worth $350,000 for the team considered Yankees of Japan.
…while it’s not the majors, it beats playing in the tiny stadiums of the Atlantic League…Japan’s fans are rabid, and the Giants are even bigger there than the Yankees are here…
…Fonzie was my favorite player growing up, so it’s time to switch allegiances from Bobby V’s Chiba Lotte Marines to the Giants, as painful as that is…
In a weekend column for ESPN.com, Peter Gammons quoted a baseball official as saying the sports media does not understand how badly the current recession is 
effecting the baseball industry.
According to the official, more than half the teams in the league are going to spring training with ‘ a few economic certainties.’
Gammons added, “Which makes one laugh at those who criticize Fred and Jeff Wilpon for not shelling out another $100 million for Manny Ramirez.”
According to Gammons, the Mets have the highest payroll in the National League, noting, “They have arguably the league’s best pitcher in Johan Santana, three of its best players in David Wright, Jose Reyes and Beltran, and a reconstructed bullpen.”
Carmine sent in the following e-mail, asking:
“I wanted to see if you can give me some insight on Spring Training. I am heading down on February 16 and will be there for a week. I have been down there before, but after the games have started. I have never been there this early. If you can give me some insight on what to look for such as times, etc., it will be greatly appreciated.”
Actually, Carmine, I’m like you – last season was my first spring training, and I only went down for games.
This season, I will be in Port St. Lucie from Feb. 18 through the following Friday, which will include the team’s first official workout and their first game of the spring.
So, for more details, I asked SNY’s Kevin Burkhardt to give us both some insight, and he had the following to say in an e-mail:
“The first two weeks of spring training are baseball at its purist form. It’s kind of fun to see major leaguers, who have played all of their lives, go through drills that we all did in Little League. First of all, they get an early start – so bring your coffee and get out to the facility early. Workouts normally begin around 9:30 am, but the early birds like to get there before that to have a catch and maybe grab an autograph. You can watch it like you would at a PGA event. You can either pick a station and hang there, as each group will rotate through different drills, or you can follow a certain group around (as many did last year with Johan Santana and Pedro Martinez). It’s a fun, very relaxed time and the good news is that it’s not 30 degrees!”
By the way, Burkhardt and SNY will be broadcasting Mets Hot Stove from Duffy’s in St. Lucie this Thursday, Feb. 12., at 7 pm.
Mets pitchers and catchers report to St. Lucie this Saturday.
For those who are interested…
According to ESPN News, Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez admitted to Peter Gammons that he used performance enhancing drugs.
…if you’re looking for me to comment, don’t hold your breath… i made peace a long time ago with the idea that, wow, get this, athletes might cheat… i still believe reporters care far more about these stories than the actual fans do… this is a huge deal today, but in two weeks, each individual group of reporters and each group of fans will get bogged down when their individual team gets together in spring training, and then nobody is going to care… or, at least we’ll care about our own team more than this story… so, whether right or wrong, knowing we will all move on in a week or so, i just have a hard time getting all worked up about it today…
According to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com, “Rich Aurilia will return to the Giants on a minor-league contract.”
Rosenthal believes Aurilia chose staying in San Francisco over signing with the Cubs or Phillies.
…from what i understand, according to people who know the player, aurilia was open to returning to New York and playing for the Mets, however i don’t sense the Mets expressed much interest… plus, aurilia will get more playing in time with the Giants, i would think, even if they end up signing Joe Crede…
…to me, the team’s lack of interest in aurilia has a lot to do with their confidence in Marlon Anderson, who is more or less guaranteed a roster 
spot at this point, during which he’ll earn just $1 million… again… he’ll be a bat off the bench, play corner outfield and back-up first base on occasion… plus, he’s a popular guy in that clubhouse… for what it’s worth, i continue to be told anderson is in great shape, and how the team is confident he can return to the player he had been for the Mets in years past…
…well, i hope so… because, hitting .210 again, while on the roster for the entire season, is not going to cut it…
Anderson will be a free agent at the end of this season.
Adam, at Brooklyn Met Fan, is thankful Alex Rodriguez is not on the Mets, saying, “So thank you to Steve Phillips and Fred Wilpon for walking away from A-Roid all those years ago. I cursed both of you at the time but looking back it was a brilliant non-move.”
Mike Silva, in an article for Dugout Central, explains why he would not hire Scott Boras to represent him.
In a post to the Daily Stache, Michael Ganci writes about how Keith Hernandez faced adversity to be the player he became.
Francisco Rodriguez is anxious to win over Mets fans, according to David Lennon in a report for Newsday.
Lastly, Scott Soshnick explains in a report for Bloomberg, “Citi Field is the new steroids, a chew toy for PR-hungry lawmakers pandering to constituents fed up with what they perceive as bailouts for the rich.”
In case you forgot, the Marlins beat the Mets on the final day of the last two seasons.
On Saturday, during a townhall meeting with his team’s 
fans, Marlins team president David Samson said the Mets called MLB to ask that they not finish this season against the Marlins, according to the Palm Beach Post, “prompting loud cheers from several hundred fans.”
However, Adam Rubin of the Daily News quotes Katy Feeney, the MLB official responsible for scheduling, as saying such a call was never made.
…there seems to be some question as to whether samson was serious or joking, though i am not sure why it matters… from what i understand, the way the schedule is made is so complicated, teams have little control over who and when they play… i mean, they can make some requests for special situations, such as Opening Day for a new stadium, etc., but, other than that, it’s pretty much out of their hands…
…i don’t feel the Mets need to respond to this, or that we as fans need to argue it, though… at the end of the day, the Mets can avoid these sort of jokes by winning… it’s that simple… win, and it all goes away…
Over the weekend, the Mets announced Fernando Martinez will miss the next three weeks with a strained right elbow, after which he will begin a throwing program.
Mack, from Mack’s Mets, talked with two sources who told him not to worry about Martinez’s elbow, adding, “The Mets treat Fernando like Tiffany glassware,” noting what would normally be a three– to five-day rest turns in to a three-weeks.
Speaking of prospects…
Adam Rubin of the Daily News lists Baseball America’s Top 30 Mets Prospects, which is topped by Martinez, SS Wilmer Flores and LHP Jon Niese, as well as 14 other pitchers.
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