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SNY’s Ask the Booth inbox gets a wide variety of e-mails, from reasonable baseball questions for Ron Darling to unmentionable personal questions for Keith Hernandez.
Sorting through them is a chore, but one that pays off big time when you come across something like the following picture, sent in by Daniel Murphy’s former classmate Kara.
Why does it say ‘Insurance Person’ under the photo? Because that’s what he said he wanted to be when he grew up.
Here is a brief Q&A I conducted with Murphy, who gave MetsBlog permission to use the photograph:
Ted Berg: You wanted to be an insurance person?
Daniel Murphy: That’s all I could think of. You know, I was 11.
Ted Berg: Do you find it ironic at all, that — when every fifth grader in the world wants to be a baseball player when they grow up – you said, “Insurance Person?”
Daniel Murphy: I’m more of a realist.
Ted Berg: But here you are.
Daniel Murphy: Here I am.
Ted Berg: So what happened?
Howard Megdal: Was this your fallback?
Daniel Murphy: I think it was the next year I decided I wanted to be a baseball player.
Ted Berg: There’s a sense about you among Mets fans about your businesslike approach to the game – it’s almost a cliche at this point. So when I saw that picture I thought, man, this is perfect. This guy meant business in the fifth grade. Do you think there’s something about you that makes people think that way, and is it the same thing that made you say you wanted to be an insurance person?
Daniel Murphy: That was just the first thing I slopped out. They snuck it up on us for the yearbook, I think. My mom worked in business – she worked in insurance, so that’s where that came from. The business approach? I don’t know. Do you take your job seriously?
Ted Berg: Vaguely. Probably not like you do.
Daniel Murphy: I’d say you do, just more people watch me. I mean, I have fun. You know, Delgado makes that play [Wednesday] and everybody’s cheering him, I’m laughing out in left field because I know what it’s like. I’m working hard and I feel like I’m getting a lot more comfortable, and I take the game seriously because it’s my form of work, but I’m going to have fun. Fans aren’t able to hang out with me outside the stadium…
Ted Berg: No, no – it’s a very reverential thing.
Daniel Murphy: Well, it’s easy on this team. You fall in line.
Ted Berg: What about the safety patrol badge? How’d you get that?
Daniel Murphy: I’m smart, brother. Only about twenty kids in the grade get that.
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that is amazing. i love DMurph
Wow. This is just fantastic.
Long-term “insurance” at 1st Base.
DAN ” I EAT PITCHERS FOR BREAKFAST” MURPHY!!
Just looking at his numbers and he’s only struckout 7 times thus far. Thats pretty amazing for someone as inexperienced as him.
Anyone know what the cutoff is for Rookie of the Year? He had 131 ABs last year.
The cutoff is 130 at bats/plate appearances!!
It’s actually 130 ABs. If he’d walked once more and gotten on fewer hit or made one fewer out, he’d be eligible. And maybe then he’d have pulled a Scott Rolen and won the award (Rolen got HBP in his last plate appearance of his first year, which left him at 130 ABs, and then he went on to win the ROY the next season).
You are correct sir!
Gregg Jefferies came in 6th and 3rd in ROY voting (in his second and third year playing in the pros — only 6 ABs in his first year)
130. He missed by 1.
Yup. He fer sure ain’t no Manny Ramirez!
His mother would spank his arse so hard if he did what manny did.
It’s pretty silly to assume any players hasn’t or doesn’t juice at this point.
Go hide in a hole zen. The biggest cop out in baseball is “everyone does it.” Chumps who preach that are just dumb. Sure there are people still doing it, but you can’t for one second tell me that there aren’t players who are moral and don’t cheat. I for one think Murphy is clean. I also think Reyes and Wright are. Until you have some sort of evidence you shouldn’t make foolish blanket statements.
It says “any” not “all.”
50-70% juice. I have no clue who doesn’t. Either do you.
Alright, I’ll teach you some formal logic. If you say “It’s pretty silly to assume any players hasn’t or doesn’t juice at this point.” You are saying you cannot assume ANY has NOT used steroids, i.e. ‘none’ have not used steroids. The negation of any is none.
Wow! Gee, thanks for the education!
You have no clue that Murphy, Reyes, or Wright doesn’t juice. Zero.
And sabermetrician hits a homer.
Errr, I mean IS A HOMER.
Here I’ll make you happy. I don’t believe that John Smoltz or Chipper Jones ever juiced either. You can get an idea from how players treat juicers. If they try to push the union to make stronger steroids rules they probably didn’t use.
What a homer, explaining how logic and the English language work…
Right. That was the point of the discussion. Grammar in a blog’s comment section. There has never been a Mets player who juiced. Ever!
The point isn’t the grammar lesson. The point is your post says that “no one has not used PEDs/steroids”, or “everyone used PEDs/steroids.”
Sorry, you’re original post uses assume. So you aren’t saying everyone uses, just that you assume everyone uses.
i think murphy is probably clean too, but it doesn’t amaze me anymore when someone else is outed…zen’s absolutely right. for all you know, santana is juicing too.
I think the whole point is that it doesn’t really matter anymore. Anyone could have juiced and its likely that most people did. We shouldn’t condemn people for using the juice back in the day because that was the culture and its not their fault. Of course they are going to juice if MLB is not going to test for it.
I guess that as long as they aren’t doing it now then I have no right to complain about anyone using it before we finally started getting tough on roids. I imagine most guys aren’t doing it anymore…and the ones who get caught NOW…well they have a right to be condemned.
I agree with saber here. Saying everyone juices or is suspect is just a cop out and wrong. It’s an excuse that apologists often make when one of their own or a favorite player gets caught — ie, Yankee fans after the Mitchell report.
Indeed no one knows for sure bow many cheated and even the players and ex-players don’t agree on the extent. But I think it’s safe to assume that many did NOT cheat and specific players did not (like Reyes and Wright). There have also been quite a few vocal players who spoke out against PEDs when few others were not — among them Schilling, Zeile, Helling, Glavine (at times) and Wright. So far not one from among that group has ever been outed and it’s safe to assume they were clean.
Wright’s father is a narcotics chief in Norfolk VA. if he was ever caught or suspected, nothing baseball could do to punish him would measure up to what his father would do to him. With 3 younger brothers who idolize him, he has more to lose on a personal basis than professional.
Very good points VCarver and wlaadair. I think when a guy is busted he’s lost the right to say “It was an accident.” This is such a big issue that players (especially those with big reps) must be careful with everything that goes into their bodies. With that said however, I truly believe there are guys that are clean.
Great point and I agree. I think his family background is another reason he wouldn’t cheat.
There is no evidence that any individual player hasn’t juiced. They’re not even testing for HGH effectively at this point.
Of course, they are player who I think haven’t like Schilling, but it’s foolish to say Wright, Reyes, and Murphy haven’t. There is no way of knowing except the fact that you like them.
Andy Pettitte is a moral man. Religious man. Great guy. All the good stuff. Nobody would have expected him.
and I’m not saying I think they did. I have no clue.
You’re saying you have no clue, but throw out blanket “facts” above like “50-70% juice”. If no one know who’s using, then you don’t get to know any more than the rest of us…
Ken Caminiti and Jose Canseco broke the steroid story and that’s their numbers.
I have no clue who juices. To say a specific player doesn’t juice is ignorant.
Jose Canseco hasn’t played since 2001. In the past 8 years I imagine things have changed.
Players are always going to cheat, and you’re right to say there is no way to know who. However, the rules exists for a reason and you have to as.sume people are following them. If not, why bother having the rules and regs at all? Until you’re caught you get the presumption of innocence, but that doesn’t mean it’s surprising when people get caught cheating.
Canseco outed Manny a month ago on Twitter. He knows.
I’m going to have to call “sample size” here. He knew about one player, a player who played back through the 90s when there was no policy at all, so he know that 50-70% of the current players juice? Seems a little thin…
Canseco would have NO way of knowing the extent of PEDs usage when he played.
He can only guess.
Obviously, no one is saying categorically that a specific player never juiced. We would have no way of knowing.
What we are saying is that in all likelihood, many players never did juice and certain players like Reyes, Wright, Helling, Schilling etc etc NEVER did.
Zen, here is the problem with your points. You’re argument is setup so you’re right unless I can prove players didn’t do something which of course I cannot. You want to work under the idea that everyone is a juicer until they’re proven not to be. I work under the idea that no one is a juicer until they’re proven to be.
We don’t declare things true because they cannot be proven wrong. People are proven guilty, not innocent.
Murph hasn’t been proven to be a juicer, so he isn’t a juicer.
I think it safe to say that fewer players are juicing now then were ten years ago, baseball was implicitly condoning the practice. That is why the players you see named are of that generation, players who have had their careers already, and who have less to lose by doing now what they were not punished for doing when they first broke in.
Canseco / Caminiti’s 50-70% estimate no longer reflects the reality of the game today. The kids coming up now grew up with steroid use being a scandal, leading to long suspensions and disgrace.
I would bet that today, the game is mostly clean of steroids, with only a few slipping through the cracks. A very few.
As for the 30-70% of the past, it could be lower like 20% or4 25%. No one, not even Canseco or Caminiti know for sure.
zen, you can’t prove a negative.
How do you prove to someone that you aren’t a terrorist, child molester or serial killer? You can’t.
You’re working on the theory that everyone is guilty until proven innocent but that doesn’t work. So saying there is no evidence they didn’t cheat is nonsense.
And no, the reasons I say Wright and Reyes didn’t cheat go beyond just liking both players a lot. It has to do with either 1) how they’ve spoken out against PEDs or 2) when they came up to the majors meaning less opportunity to cheat and 3) physique (in the case of Reyes) and 4) lack of any other suspicious signs.
Even though Pettitte was a religious man, he hung around with pure slime. So I was not surprised at all when he got caught. I would never had said Pettitte is someone who wouldn’t cheat. NEVER.
I’m not saying that Wright, Reyes, or Murphy juice. Or any other player. I’m saying that I have no clue. No fan does.
It’s not possible to make an argument that a player doesn’t juice. There is no way of knowing including testing, which doesn’t effectively catch HGH users.
Wright was best buddies with Lo Duca. A cheater. So that argument against Pettitte means little.
I’m not saying that Wright, Reyes, or Murphy juice. Or any other player. I’m saying that I have no clue. No fan does.
It’s not possible to make an argument that a player doesn’t juice. There is no way of knowing including testing, which doesn’t effectively catch HGH users.
Wright was best buddies with Lo Duca. A cheater. So that argument against Pettitte means little.
——————–
Yes, we all know they can’t test for HGH but HGH also isn’t the powerful PED that steroids are so lets leave that out of the discussion.
We agree that no one can know for sure who did or didn’t use steroids. Just like I have no clue if you are a terrorist who makes bombs in your basement.
But I disagree that all are suspect. Some are much less suspicious than others. One certainly can make an argument that it’s likely a certain player never juiced. I would even place Jeter in that group.
And sorry, Lo Doca was never the slimebucket that Clemens was. And Pettitte also didn’t come from the type of family that Wright comes from. In fact, Pettitte’s own dad used HGH illegally. Wright’s dad is a cop.
HGH is every bit as powerful as other PED’s.
Cops kids aren’t any different from any other kids. I know plenty.
No, it’s not, zen.
There is NO evidence that HGH alone has anywhere near the PEDs impact of steroids.
That’s what all the experts say, and since strict steroids testing was enacted, HRs dropped significantly.
If you want a link to prove that, I’ll find one.
You said, “It’s not possible to make an argument that a player doesn’t juice.” Correct. You cannot prove a negative.
However, you aren’t satisfied someone is clean unless I prove they’re not using, which we agree I cannot do. You don’t see the logical problem here?
Wright spoke out about LoDuca being named in Mitchell Report, he made it clear that their friendship would in no way, shape, or form make him condone illegal actions.
Lo Duca made those mistakes when he was on the Dodgers before he and Wright became friends.
Doh, Carver see my post just above :)
zen, you sound almost as bad as Yankee fans did right after the Mitchell report was released.
Sounds like you idolized Manny and you’re upset that he was caught. But that’s no reason to then try to put all other players in his category. Manny cheated. He has to pay the price.
I don’t idolize baseball players. Certainly not Manny.
Another assumption based on no facts. Like saying Wright, Reyes, and Murphy don’t juice. Those are actually some of my favorite players. I’m just not naive.
How come a few days before Manny was caught you were posting all these tributes to him here? It certainly sounded like you idolized him. So, I do have some facts.
As for Wright and Reyes, I never said they didn’t juice. I said it was highly unlikely either ever did. I stand by that.
Manny is one of the great hitters of all-time. Putting up stats doesn’t mean I idolize him. I wanted him on the Mets.
It’s baseball. I don’t idolize these guys, lol.
So, it’s semantics. Fact is, you were singing his praises here on the forum just a few days ago. As if you were Boris. That’s more than just saying you think the mets could have used him.
Whatever you want to call it, you were “idolizing” him just a few days ago on this forum. Your motives are suspect!
Reyes and Wright are my favorite players. I’m just not naive. You actually said you think the game is clean now. Oh, G-d. You have to be kidding.
I also think Manny was one of your favorite players. That’s why you’re trying to lump all players, clean or not, in his category now. To make it seem like your beliefs were right. As I said, you sound just like the Yankee fans did after the Mitchel report was released.
And you need to read more carefully, zen. Your statement above infers that I said categorically that the sport was all clean now. That is not what I said.
What I said is that it is almost entirely clear of steroids now. And if you think otherwise, what proof do you have?
Thanks for clearing up my favorite players.
I hope the Mets sign Pujols* in a few years. I think he is one of the great hitters of this generation.
*Note: Pujols is not one of my favorite players.
I also think Pujols is one of the best hitters of this generation. But if it ever comes out that he cheated, I’d revise my opinion about him.
But I would still say that many didn’t cheat over the last two decades, and that players like jeter, Schilling, Helling, Zeile, Wright, Reyes etc etc likely never cheated in their careers.
Oh, and BTW, I idolize Piazza. But I would never argue that he was probably clean his whole career. Neither would I say he cheated. I just don’t know … but I feel it’s possible he might have.
So see, you are wrong about why I think Wright and Reyes have probably been clean their whole careers.
Yeah and Lo Duca use to speak out about how steriods where cheating our game and look at what happend to him.
I am not saying Wright or Reyes or any Met is doing anything. But at the same time it would not shock me at all.
Can you find one quote from Lo Duca where he spoke out against it and advocated punishment for the offenders? Where he was actively speaking out against PEDs instead of just responding?
I bet you can’t. He merely answered questions that were put to him.
Lo duca was far from a spokesperson against PEDs the way Schilling, Wright, Oswalt, and others have been.
Um yes I can. I saw him in serveral interviewes speaking out about how they where wrong and how they are cheating the fans and clean players.
Me too.
Again, find me one quote where he said it was wrong and advocated punishment for the offenders. Just one.
As I said, he was probably just answering a question as opposed to actively speaking out against usage. What else should he have said when asked about it — “no, it’s fine, I did it too!?”
So a player is not guilt if they insist steroids are wrong and they’ve never done it.
Rafael Palmeiro agrees.
cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=681410n
zen, shame on you for trying to put words into my mouth.
Or is your reading comprehension impaired?
I think it was clear in my posts what I was saying. Which is … if a player takes it upon himself to be strong advocate against the use of PEDs — virtually unprompted or forced — then he is very unlikely to have been a cheater himself. I stand by that statement.
LOL … Palmiero being called before congress is certainly not in a situation where he can speak freely or refuse to speak. I bet he never uttered a word against steroids before that day. What else was he to say on national TV when asked?
Relax. It’s Metsblog.
Doc Gooden use to do commercials against drugs too.
LOL, so because it’s metsblog, it’s ok to misstate someone else’s opinion?
As for Doc, he was asked to do any PSCs. And the stuff he did was an addiction. Steroids are not an addiction.
I really hope they hold on to this kid. Only one that i think gets how to be successful in citi and everywhere…he is pretty young and not even in his prime yet. Put the kid at 1b and we got something special for many years to come…
Agreed, and he is going nowhere unless the Jays call and say they want to trade Roy…..his discipline, his patience, scoring runs, rarely striking out, etc, definitely continue to point to his eventually evolving into a very good player…..
I agree put him at 1B and we have 3 quarters of our infield set for 10 years (no im not one of the loonies who wants to break up the core). Plus it times perfectly with this up coming offseason which should see plenty of available offensive minded LFers and possibly carl crawford who would be perfect for this team.
kinda reminds me of dykstra
Yeah, he does remind of Nails with that grind it out style, but without the craziness.
and without the speed.
He’s currently my favorite Met. I like watching him hit. His defense will be fine. I love watching the Mets, but I really like watching his AB’s. Kinda like when the Mets brought up Jeffries. Such a sweet swing, it will be fun to watch him grow.
How could you not love this kid?
Just wish he’d use 2 hands catching
fly-balls and knew what a “Cut-Off Man”
was.
Fong, he’ll get there defensively, he already improved tremendously from the start of the season! He’s no gold glover, but he’s getting to be a more servicable outfielder by the game! Gotta love jis bat!
Great stuff– I also love the LL clip of Murph (it says “DANIEL” on the back of his jersey) that they show, hitting a single and giving the camera a cheesy grin ;)
But now I’m intrigued about those “Ask the Booth” questions. Maybe one day you should publish the outtakes, like those collections of cartoons that didn’t make the New Yorker.
Daniel Murphy: Do you take your job seriously?
Ted Berg: Vaguely. Probably not like you do
Haha.
Ted Berg: Are you kidding? Of course I take my job seriously. Have you seen my picture? And look at this hair! You can’t have hair this horrible without trying.
Cmon dude that’s not cool. Berg makes me laugh.
He makes me laugh too, every time I look at his pic. ;)
lol…ain’t that the truth.
i can’t get over how he looks like he just stepped out of the 90’s.
Yeah, late 80’s/early 90’s. He looks like he could easily be in one of John Hughes’ movies.
Berg’s older picture, in which he was wearing a ridiculous fake ’stache was the best.
That one is still very much alive on my SNY.tv columns. The one here was also taken in jest — in the “Action News Team” vein — but I guess it doesn’t translate in tiny form.
LOL…Ted that’s why we like you. We can have a thread bashing on the pics and you jump in with a funny response.
I love watching Murphy’s AB’s. I always feel like he has teh pitcher on his heels all the time. If he does not get get a strike he can drive, he will just foul it off until the pitcher slips up. Its like i feel he is saying, “we will be here all day untill you give e what I want”, which is so novel because the pitcher usually dictates to the hitter.
sweet i was on safety patrol.
That was fantastic. Most of the content on this site is good, some of it is boring and/or pointless, but this was outstanding. Great job with this one, fellas.
Hmmmm…I wonder what Joba’s mom wanted to be when she grew up ???
That’s not cool.
It’s fair. If she’s going to deal drugs there’s going to be people making fun of her.
Nobody’s mugshot is flattering, but did you see hers? Wow. She clearly needs help. I’d be shocked if there isn’t a heartfelt story this offseason with Joba going home and taking care of mom. Heck, she may even get back together with Harlan.
LMAO
Mugshot or not, she looks exactly like Joba, but with long hair.
If Joba can turn around and throw at a player (Bay) after he hit a home run because he wanted to send a “message” then everything in Joba’s world should be fair play. I just put an innocent post . I’m not trying to take someone’s head off with a 95 mph fastball
She’s a kind-of saleswoman…
Great interview, but we need some power from 1B. At 6′3″ and 210 lbs, why doesn’t he hit more HRs?? maybe it will come with age, experience, or will those t-rex arms never have the pop?
technically, we need power from left field too, so i don’t think this really makes sense.
if murphy moves to 1b after this year, and they sign a 30+ hr hitter for the outfield, what difference does it make?
Elvis, granted Murphy isn’t likely to have the power Delgado has, but the H.R.s will come! Oh by the way Murphy and Delgado are tied with 3 homeruns a piece and Murphy says he doesnt evev feel locked in yet!
He has 3 home runs. Not awful.
He’s slugging .477, .410 is NL average. His IsoP is .153 and .153 is NL average. He’s average with regards to power overall, hence below average for 1B, but he’s young (24) so he should grow into some more power. If he can continue batting well, draw more walks (currently .101 per PA) and develop some power he should develop into a serviceable 1B.
How many players on the 4-time WS winning Yankees teams from 1996-2000 hit 30 or more homers? Bernie hit 30 one of the four seasons.
Besides, Beltran is a power-hitting centerfielder. Few teams have that. I prefer line-drive, gap hitters like Murphy and the old Wright.
I think there’s at least a chance that he’ll learn to pull the ball when the opportunity presents itself. He’s basically a left-center to right-center hitter now. Also, he has a level swing and doesn’t usually get a lot of backspin on theball.
I agree that he needs to put up better slugging numbers over time to really be a high-ceiling player.
There is another first baseman, with a similar build as Murph – 6′1, 220 LBS, and a similar “workman like” approach, who has great bat control, and knows how to work the K-zone. Since coming up in 2004, he always maintained an OBP over .360, while hitting for a good average as well. Up until last year, this same player was about a 15-20 HR guy. However, once he was in his prime, the power came, and he hit 29 bombs last year. His name?
Kevin Youkilis.
I love your post, but Youk is a lot more filled out than Murph at this point.
Youk is also 30.
The point of the post was what you see now isn’t necessarily what you get later, and it is possible for Murph to develop into a better power hitter.
1st is often thought of as a power position, but Keith was by no means a power hitter.
True, and I like Murph at 1B if we sign a power LF bat….but Murph will never give you the magician-like defense at first that Keith did.
HAHAAH! THIS IS AN ADORABLE STORY!
on the opposite end, when I was in 6th grade with Roy Oswalt, he used to make fun of me for being and Astros fan…after I would draw hearts on my school books with Craig Biggio written everywhere….he knew when we were 8 that he was going to play baseball…
I would love to see 3rd grade pics of all the mets! awwww
I must say, it’s pretty awesome to have Murph come up to Irishy music. The Mets need to come out with a soundtrack of all their walk-up music. Searched iTunes for “El Esta Aqui”, Beltran’s – nowhere to be found :-(. That has very gay ringtone written all over it.
I think he comes out to the Braveheart music his first at bat.
It’s “Shipping up to Boston” by the Drop Kick Murphys, a great song, though the Boston thing is a bit odd. A related question – what is up with the music when Sheff steps out? Is he going to hit the ball or pick up his woman? It’s all slow click loungy R&B.
Well he’s certainly not going to hit the ball, so the answer MUST be to pick up his woman!
I hit up NYS last night and laughed hysterically when hideki matsui came out to separate ways by journey. i’m not sure if the guy picks his own music, but i thought it was ridiculous and awesome.
and on a side note, it’s amazing how similar both parks are. to tell you the truth though, i think citifield actually has more character than NYS.
LOL, cute pic.
But does he have an edge? Does he have grit?
; )
VC, that innocent and carefree smile masks grit sharper than Ann Coulter’s tongue, and under that shirt is a heart bigger than Oliver Perez’s mental block…..
Anne Coulter’s tounge (ughhhh, shiver)
ugh..ann coulter…
LOL! OK, bad choice…..I agree it is a vile image, but truthfully, she is so gross I never even think of her that way……
Sharper than Jim Duquette at the trading deadline??
You’ve dulled the sharpness considerably with this revision.
Yes sir, I was going in another direction here, as I did realize in hindsight that my original image was indeed a disturbing one, and wholly inappropriate for a family website….
Wholesome corn fed red white and blue families from sea to shining sea thank you for your consideration.
There is no need to mention such a disgraceful person on Metsblog.
You are right and I apologize!
I actually get the impression that Murphy is not particularly warm and fuzzy — I think he has a low BS threshold.
was murphy considered a top prospect? I never heard of him before last year.
I really don’t think he was. I think he was one of those, wow, where did this come from kind of guys. Yet, it couldn’t be ignored, so he was given a better look. I could be mistaken, though.
He was in the “prospect” mix but wasn’t at the top of lists. I was surprised by how talented he was when he came up.
he was not a “top prospect” but his hitting skills were documented…and so was his poor defense
Do you have an article talking about that? I don’t recall hearing that he had poor defensive skills at third.
Just found this, somewhat telling that he wasn’t here:
ht tp ://w ww baseballamerica com/today/prospects/features/265152.html
And then they changed their tune and now foresee him as the 1B of the future, like many of us.
ht tp ://w ww baseballamerica com/today/prospects/rankings/organization-top-10-prospects/2009/267356.html
Daniel Murphy: I’m smart, brother. Only about twenty kids in the grade get that.
CLASSIC!
yea, that was pretty awesome.
Thinking about next year for a second, with Murph at 1st, do think if Evans can bulk up this year he can turn into a power hitting left fielder? He had 15 HRs each year in the minors, had too few at bats last year, but already has 3 this year and he’s just 23. Think he can bulk up (the clean way) and become a 30+ dinger outfielder? Or is he destined to be another Murphy-type patient small ball player. (Nothing wrong with the latter, of course. And if that’s what he’ll be, what about teaching his 2B?)
I don’t think Evans will ever be a starter in the bigs. I think he’ll be a 4th outfielder type at best. We still have FMart (although he’s probably 2011) and there will be some decent OFs on the market. Don’t forget that we’ll have some $$ once Wags and Delgado come off the books.
Along the lines of the conversation about Murphy’s ‘prospect status’ above, is/was Evans ever a hyped prospect? I have thought of both Evans and Murphy as minor leaguers who happened to be hitting well enough when the major league club was in desperate need for bats more than guys who the club intended to have come up and win jobs.
My (very limited) understanding of the Mets minor leagues is that the hitting prospects, apart from FMart, are all down at the lower levels, years away.
I really only hearing hype about Carp.
If fmart continues to hit the way he has…we will see him full time in 2010
I dont think evans will be a starter…bench player at best imo. There is a cheap way the mets can approach next year(long term view and alot of inhouse talent) or the usual way
We got schnider/castro/delgado/wagner/church/maine/pelf/cora/tatis/felciano/livan/reed/taka/green/stokes
all those guys coming off the books
remember we need to resign reyes after 2010
next year is going to be VERY interesting
Good point on Schneider, I hadn’t realize his contract was coming up.
Might not be the ideal moment to talk about “bulking up.”
I love this kid.
Breaking news guys, Dom DiMaggio dead at 92
Dominic DiMaggio, the bespectacled Boston Red Sox center fielder who was overshadowed by his older brother Joe’s Hall of Fame career, died early Friday at his Massachusetts home. He was 92.
Loosely related, I’m 43 and while I know darn well that Dom’s brother Joe was a superb baseball player, I’ve always thought of him primarily as the guy on TV who tried to get me to buy Mr. Coffee machines.
lol since its been pretty slow today
Next year the only two starters for sure coming back are Johan and Olie
Johan
Ollie
empty
empty
empty
-pen-
empty
empty
empty
empty
empty
krod
Fielders
1b-empty
2b-castillo
3b-Wright
ss-Reyes(contract year)
lf-empty
cf-beltran
rf-empty
-bench-
empty
empty
empty
empty
empty
talk about an opportunity for a complete makeover…..
Is it fair to say that a lot of the “empty” slots are arbitration eligible players? If so, I think it’s also fair to say that most of them will be back next year.
a few of them are yes…some may be back but omar if he wants to remodel the team can let alot of guys loose.
Reyes will be in his contract year, but the Mets have an option for 2011.
ah you are correct sir…missed that.
This is a great discussion idea. I don’t have a list of arbitration eligible players, but I’m assuming Pelfrey and Maine at the very least. Putz has an option (but he is expensive for a set-up man).
i dont either but my guess is
mike pelfry
john maine
brian schnider
ryan church
tim redding
pedro feliciano
jeremy reed
cory sullivan
sean green
brian stokes
I’m not 100% sure, but I believe everyone on your list above is arbitration eligible except Schneider, I believe he’ll be a straight free agent.
I remember specifically at the time of the Redding signing that he would be under Met control for 2 years even though he just signed a 1 year contract.
idk his contract does not say that…your right though brian is not AE
With Redding it’s a service time issue. He is only signed to a 1 year contract, but his ML service time is only “4.167″ so he, to the best of my knowledge, is not yet eligible for free agency (unless the Mets cut him, which is what the Nats did to enable us to sign him in the first place).
Of that list I would think we will still have Maine, Pelfrey, Church, Feliciano, Stokes. Not on the list, I expect Parnell to be here. So let’s see:
SP
Santana
Ollie
Niese (?)
—
—
RP
KRod
Putz (?)
Parnell
Feliciano
Stokes
—
PP
C —
1B Murphy
2B Castillo
3B Wright
SS Reyes
LF —
CF Beltran
RF Church
Bench
—
—
—
—
—
Here’s how a certain insistent vocal ‘realistic’ segment of Met fans would fill that:
SP
Santana
Ollie
Niese (?)
Halladay
Oswalt
RP
KRod
Putz (?)
Parnell
Feliciano
Stokes
Nathan
PP
C Mauer
1B Murphy
2B Castillo
3B Wright
SS Reyes
LF Ramirez, M.
CF Beltran
RF Church
Bench
Pujols
Sizemore
Utley
Molina, B.
Braun
“Daniel Murphy: That was just the first thing I slopped out. They snuck it up on us for the yearbook, I think. My mom worked in business – she worked in insurance, so that’s where that came from. The business approach? I don’t know. Do you take your job seriously?”
Ted, you got owned.
That picture of Murphy looks like it was taken in 1955.