Daily Archives: November 17, 2009
According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the Mets have hired Dave Jauss to be Jerry Manuel’s new bench coach.
Jauss also worked as a bench coach for the Red Sox, Dodgers and Orioles.
Rosenthal says the Mets chose Jauss over Eric Wedge and Bob Melvin.
Jauss traveled to New York in late October to meet the Mets.
In the late 80s, while he was Field Coordinator of the Expos, Jerry Manuel hired Jauss to manage in Montreal’s minor-league system, where he was eventually named the Eastern League Manager of the Year in 1994.
Jauss has also spent time working for the Dodgers, Red Sox and Orioles, ranging in positions from first-base coach to bench coach to minor-league field coordinator.
In early October, Manuel told WFAN the Mets will first look internally for a third-base coach, and will consider Razor Shines and Sandy Alomar Jr. among candidates for the bench coach position.
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Toronto reporter Jordan Bastian of MLB.com believes the Blue Jays will grant an exclusive window for a team negotiate a contract extension with RHP Roy Halladay, “if it means the return is significantly greater.”
…if you recall, in a similar situation two years ago, the Twins allowed the Mets a 72–hour window to work out a contract with 
Johan Santana, which came down to the absolute final minutes…
This past weekend, on WFAN, Jon Heyman of SI.com definitively said, ‘Yes,’ when asked if the Blue Jays will trade Halladay this winter.
According to Heyman, as of now, Halladay would like to sign a contract extension with the team he is traded to, as opposed to exploring free agency the following off season.
…like i said the other day, in reading the tea leaves here, just guessing based on what heyman has reported, if halladay wants an extension from the team he goes to, and the Red Sox are more focused on Adrian Gonzalez and San Diego, the Jays may have no choice but to trade halladay to New York… from what i can gather, the Yankees are willing to trade Phil Hughes to get halladay, and, frankly, i’m not sure how the Mets compete with that…
…at the very least, these two teams could use a chase for halladay as a way to lower the asking price of free-agent John Lackey…
The Double-A Binghamton Mets officially announced today that Tim Teufel will be their manager in 2010.
…from what i can gather, Jeff Wilpon is the driving force behind bringing back Wally Backman and promoting teufel… i think fans tend to forget that wilpon grew up rooting for the Mets, he was in his mid 20s when they won the World Series in 1986… so, it makes sense that he would view that era in the same way you and i do… i’m glad these guys are returning to the fold, for obvious reasons… the thing is, i have no idea what type of managers they are… but, i guess there is one way to find out… good luck, gentlemen…
By the way, Backman will be a guest of Mike Francesa on WFAN at 5:30 pm, which you can listen to live on WFAN.com.
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Indians have announced Sandy Alomar Jr. has left the Mets to be their first base coach in 2010.
…thanks to John McC for the link…
Alomar played 11 seasons with the Indians, and was voted in to the team’s Hall of Fame last summer.
…from what i can gather, the Indians contacted the Mets about speaking with alomar last month… he had been the Mets bullpen catcher and catching instructor the last two seasons, but his current status had been up in the air as the team has yet to finalize Jerry Manuel’s coaching staff…
…so, i have to think this means Razor Shines will be manuel’s first base coach, and one of Eric Wedge, Bob Melvin or Dave Jauss will become his bench coach… in other word, dude is surrounded by potential replacements, from Brooklyn to Bristol…
Mets Exec. Vice Pres. Dave Howard told reporters today that the 
team will make an announcement regarding changes to Citi Field and the team’s uniforms in December.
…from what i can gather, the team has discussed the idea of making changes to the outfield wall, though i am near certain they will not be moving them in… so, maybe the height, maybe the color, who knows… they have already started making changes to the bullpen area, putting both bullpens on the same level… also, i think there has been talk of painting the stairwells blue and orange, as well as adding a museum, which they’ve been hinting at in public for quite some time…
…as for the uniforms, towards the end of last season there was talk of them introducing a ‘retro jersey,’ i.e., egg-shell color, thin pinstripes, blue hats and stirrups, and no black… of course, they’ll also wear the modern, no-pinstripe, bright-whites with the drop shadow… i have no idea what is going on with the road uniforms… the jerseys will have names on the back, which is a shame… i prefer the opposite, since it should only be about the name on the front…
In a post to Mets Today, Joe Janish attempts to evaluate Carlos Beltran’s injury-plagued 2009 season.
I have grown to appreciate Beltran so much more over the last season. Like I have said before, I feel Beltran gets a bum wrap among Mets fans, many of whom see him as not being a leader; they say he is soft, apathetic and selfish… and, the truth is, he is the total opposite of all of that.
From what i can tell, he is quiet because he is focused and serious about winning… it’s like, he cannot be bothered with anything other than perfection. This is how he leads. He puts his arm around a young player who is struggling, and gives him advice. He directs his left and right fielders, helping them to be in better position. He works tirelessly in the batting cage, be it the one in Citi Field or the one in his home. He does the little things, effective things, that we do not see on TV, or notice between the white lines.
Last week, I talked to a few people connected to the team, asking questions about Beltran, and, it turns out, from what I can gather, he had a significant hand in encouraging Oliver Perez to go to Arizona, and enroll in the Athletes Performance Institute. Beltran is big on nutrition, endurance, physical fitness and focus, and playing the game smart, not just because it could mean more wins, but because that is what a professional athlete is supposed to do, he is supposed to be the best he can be, end of story, no excuses. I also heard from people who said Beltran talked with management last week, while he was in town, and, though he never requested specific players be acquired, he said he feels the team’s players, be it guys on the team now or guys coming to the team, they all must be more serious in how they approach the game, as a team, paying more attention to what they eat, how they prepare and train and how and why they do what they do.
Last week, on WFAN, Beltran said, “That first year (in New York) was difficult for me, but now I love it.” He said, it’s not that he didn’t like New York at first, he just wasn’t prepared, noting, “There was a learning process for me.”
Carlos Delgado was needed, I think, to help bring Beltran along. However, from what I understand, Delgado believes that if every player does his job, on his own, the team will be fine. I get the impression Delgado sees baseball as a sport full of individuals, all of whom come together to form a team. Beltran, on the other hand, seems to see baseball as a total team sport, one in which every one works together and does whatever is necessary to achieve a common goal, be it scoring one run, winning one game, or winning one ring. And so, it seems to me, today, Beltran is more than prepared to be the team’s elder-statesman, and so he should be allowed to do so, without Delgado’s influence.
From what I can see, Beltran, Johan Santana, David Wright and Jose Reyes work and play the hardest of anyone on the team, and they also happen to be the team’s biggest stars. The Mets need to make these four players, and hopefully Matt Holliday, their leaders, not just in name, but in demanding that every player do as they do, while working toward a common goal, which is to be the best, end of story, no excuses.
Backman will be a guest of Mike Francesa on WFAN today at 5:30 pm.
Original Post, 1:01 pm:
Yesterday, the Single-A Brooklyn Cyclones named Wally Backman their new manager for 2010.
Backman will be an in-studio guest tonight on SNY’s Daily News Live, which will air at 5 pm.
In a post to Brooklyn Met Fan, Adam wonders how long it will take before there is talk of Backman replacing Jerry Manuel as manager of the Mets.
…i don’t see the Mets making that sort of jump, should manuel end up on the hot seat… but, i’ll say this, with backman in Brooklyn, Bobby Valentine at ESPN, Tim Teufel likely to be Binghamton, Ken Oberkfell in Buffalo, and maybe Eric Wedge or Bob Melvin sitting next to him on the bench, it’s going to be very difficult for jerry to get comfortable this season… i mean, every place he looks, he could be staring at his possible replacement…
For more, check out Ben Shpigel’s report for the New York Times.
Last week, Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse said the Reds could look to trade 
2B Brandon Phillips or pitchers Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang, as they try to cut payroll for 2010.
Later in the week, Red Sox reporter Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe said, “The Reds are going to trade some players who will surprise you.”
However, yesterday, Reds GM Walt Jocketty told MLB.com that all of the above was just speculation by reporters.
“They see that our attendance is down and so that must mean our payroll will go down,” Jocketty is quoted as saying. “We were grouped in with clubs that are reducing payroll, but we’re not in that position and hopefully won’t be.”
Yesterday, the Reds re-signed catcher Ramon Hernandez to a one-year contract, according to Ken Rosenthal on FoxSports.com.
Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. told ESPN Radio in St. Louis that if a big-market team goes all-out to sign free-agent OF Matt Holliday, ‘the Cardinals won’t have a chance.’
Original Post, 9:48 am:
Yesterday, Buster Olney of ESPN.com said the Yankees are not interested in signing Holliday.
Today, the Los Angeles Times says the Angels are not interested in Holliday either, pointing out that team’s GM, Tony Reagins, recently said his top priority is to re-sign John Lackey and Chone Figgins.
In a post to Fan Graphs, Dave Cameron looks at four minor-league free agents he finds 
‘interesting,’ including Ruben Gotay.
Cameron believes Gotay has a good enough bat to play in the major leagues, concluding, “Heading into his age 27 season, his best days may still be ahead of him.”
The Mets put Gotay on waivers in 2008 during Spring Training. He was later picked up by the Braves, for whom he hit just .235 with seven extra base hits in 88 games.
To see 16 other minor-league free agents who could be leaving the Mets organization, such as infielder Wilson Valdez, pitchers Carlos Muniz and Adam Bostick and OF Jesus Feliciano, go to Mack’s Mets.
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