140 days and counting.....

So I promised you a blog about "mets free agents and what to do with them" and I am a woman of my word so here it is.

First a list of who the mets MUST bring back:

1. Alou - This guy was FANTASTIC down the stretch when nearly everyone else stunk like the New Jersey Turnpike on a summer day. He has a $7.5 mil option or a $1 mil buyout. I don't know if I'd give him the $7.5 but if that's what it takes get it done. Alou seems like a good guy to have around the youngsters and will fit nicely until one of said youngsters is ready to play everyday.

2. Marlon Anderson - 2 words "Captain Clutch" I don't care if the only way he'll come back is if he can sleep with Omar's wife and Freddie's daughter. Get it done.

3. Ramon Castro - Maybe its the star wars music...maybe its the super weird chinfuzz thingie....maybe its the Roger Mcdowell type clowning around. I don't know...what I do know is I want no scratch that I need Ramon Castro back in that dugout next year. (yes I am creeping myself out too)

I feel Lukewarm about these guys:

1. Shawn Green - Look I've got nothing against this guy. He's got good hair and a laid back personality. But - he did hit a ton down the stretch....And he is certainly a better defense guy than Millidge in rightfield.....But not for the $9.5 mil he would get....

2. Paul LoDuca - I wasn't really sure where to put Paulie Dukes....I like his fire - I don't like how it sometimes gets the better of him...I like that he is a leader in the clubhouse...I don't like how much he runs his mouth...But as far as other options at catcher out there.......??

3. Castillo - I really like him. I know he has bad knees, but maybe some kind of contract like they gave Valentine? With bonus' based on plate appearances?

4. Valentine - Give him an invite to ST. See what happens. I have heard he was a good influence on Reyes and I don't think we can have enough of those around.

these guys I never want to see again:

1. GLAVINE - I have said all I have to say about this guy in previous posts.

2. Sele - May have been used incorrectly but too bad for him. He's out.

I am planning a "wild trade ideas/wish list/trade or be traded" blog for next time.

words I taught spell check: chinfuzz thingie, Paulie Dukes

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring".

I think enough time has passed now (and by that I mean the phillies won as many games as the mets this post-season and the yankees aided by "the plague of 2007" have once again gone one and out in the postseason) for us to look ahead to the 2008 season. So I give you this:

Counting down to Spring Training 2008!
141 days 19h 28m 39s (as of 4:30 10/11)

Now the mets have a lot to do between now and then. Starting with, obviously, a total revamp of the bullpen. Here's my take on that:

1. Mota MUST go. Not only was he HORRIFYINGLY bad this year, but signing him to that disgusting backloaded so his bank account wouldn't suffer through the steroid suspension left a VERY bad taste in my mouth.

2. I am not sure what, if anything, we will get from Sanchez - If he can get his act together and look remotely like his 2006 self I am all for having him in the pen.

3. A lot of people are down on Aaron Heilman. Me not so much. I know sometimes he can make you crazy but really is the market for solid 8th inning guys flooded? I think not so I would rather "go with what ya know"

4. I don't know what the deal with Wags was for the last few weeks of the season but I am confident that 141 days 19 hours 28 minutes & 39 seconds off hanging with his bizzaro-llamas will do him to world of good.

5. There has to be someone (Pelfry, Humber, Smith - hell even 77 year old El Duque) that will have a breakout season to pick up some slack next year? Doesn't there??? DOESN'T THERE??

Now that that's out of the way let's move on to problem number 2

(drumroll please)
.......................................

The starting rotation:

1. Mainie and Perez (crappy last game aside) have proved themselves a solid part of the rotation next year. See above for my thoughts on El Duque. If Pelfry promises to spend less time chewing on his mouthpiece and more time on keeping his head in the game I think we have the making of something special there. Pedro clearly showed he's still got some gas in his tank. Beyond that.......I've got nothing.

2. I have heard some CRAZY trade ideas for the mets to land Santana. Most of them include trading away "the most exciting player in baseball." Look people I know he had a crappy finish to the season. I know he looked like he didn't give a shit. But - can any coherent (this is an important word) baseball fan justify trading him away for his performance the last month of the year? I would love to land Santana but NO WAY does Reyes go.

3. The crop of Free Agents is pretty horrifying - Led by Jamey Wright and Kip Wells and the ever retiring Roger "the Dodger" Clemens, I can't imagine giving ANY of these losers a BIG FAT multi-year deal that will have the fans blowing up the Mike and the Mad Dog show calling for Omar's head only to have one of them throw the mets first no-hitter followed by the worst 5 starts in major league history. I can almost TASTE this scenario. I think picking up a young guy like Jeremy Affeldt (who is a lefty - they give me goosebumps in a good way) and signing him to a decent shorter term contract would be ideal.

Tune in next time for my ranting on:

mets free agents and what to do with them

potential infield/outfield/bench guys

words I taught spellcheck: Affeldt, Duque and bizzaro-llamas

HEEHEE

Ok - I know its sour grapes but I can't help it. The playoffs are shaping up just as I want. If the phils go 3 and out with chase Utley doing his best A-Rod impression I will be the happiest girl on earth.

Now - I took my medicine and listened to those 2 idiots Mike and the Mad Dog the last few days. They talked about the "keys to game 1" (I am of course referring to the Yanks/Indians series cause do they ever talk about anything not related to the yanks?) they talked about everything from the bullpens to running up Sabithias pitch count to of course the A-Rod situation. But what they failed to mention was that Yankees fans favorite "ACE" has a ERA of oh I don't know about a million on the road. I mean HELLO??? I thought that was kind of important and said so to my Yankee fan co-workers. They all laughed at me and said "oh you're just jealous cause Wang's not on your team."

To all those Yankee fan "baseball experts" I say:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

Now I have seen some people on certain message boards KILLING the mets for getting rid of Kaz Matsui. WHAT??? Are these people serious?? Yes the guy had a GREAT game yesterday BUT that was the best thing he ever did for mets fans. So lets get a grip people. There are changes that the mets need to make but trading to get matsui back it NOT one of them.

I am delighted to announce that Tommy "I'm not devastated" Glavine will continue to not be devastated in another teams uniform. Go back to Atlanta Tommy boy where that kind of Apathy is accepted and even encouraged. Thanks for the memories. Blech!

Heading out now to catch some playoff baseball. I know its not the same without the metsies in it but its still playoff baseball.

words I taught spellcheck: Matsui, Kaz, Blech, hahahahahahahahhahahahahahaha

Spring Training starts in.....

Well it has taken me 2 days to be able to process the crap that was the end of the 2007 New York Mets season. And still the pain lingers. Seeing that kid on the front page of the post nearly broke my hear. I've been there kid and I feel your pain.

I think the worst part of this weekend was watching them play on Saturday. That was one of the best games of the season, but there were some things going on below the surface that said a lot about how this season ended. Let's break them down here:

Reyes not running out the ground ball. Ever since he was benched for this in Houston Reyes seems to have been a bit sulky. I didn't see the youthful exuberance from that really was his trademark. I don't know what his deal is but he better get that chip off his shoulder and fast. Now I have been hearing rumblings about packaging Reyes in a trade to land Santana and to this I say:

ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR F*&^ING MIND!!! This kid is a GREAT player. And a cheap one. Lets all take one giant step away from the ledge.

Milledge and his lack of hustle/showboating: this is a bad one all around. I get it hes a kid. this was not his first cup of coffee hes been here before and he should know better. I am all for team unity and celebrating BUT if its not the bottom of the ninth inning lets keep in the dugout.

Now I am all out of patience with Milledge. And it seems that he is a BAD influence on Reyes. I would not shed a tear if he was not around next season. While we are at it can we please send Rickey back wherever he came from? Rickey can go be Rickey somewhere else.

I tip my hat to John Maine. He pitched the game of his life just when he had to and he was FANTASTIC. BUT - if all that was wrong with him was that he was tipping his pitches why did it take Rick "the genius in a jacket" Peterson this dam long to figure it out and fix it?

Now I would like to take minute here and talk about 2 things I HATE right now (WARNING foul language ahead)

Tommy "I'm not devastated" Glavine

&

The Phildelphia "shitbag" Phillies

What the FUCK was Glavine thinking at that press conference? Ok I get it there are more important things in life. The point is that at that moment for thousands of Met fans there wasn't. So LIE Tommy LIE like a dog and tell the fans you are devastated. And my personal fave "there wasn't anything I'd do differently" REALLY? REALLY there wasn't ONE thing you'd do differently Tommy? REALLY? How bout not throw the ball away into left field? How bout NOT hitting the pitcher to force in a run? HOW BOUT GETTING OUT OF THE FIRST FUCKING INNING??!!! I mean if I were Tom thats what I would have done differently but hey thats just me.

I officially hate all things Philly - the phillies, the eagles, the liberty bell (that shit is broke anyway) cheesesteaks and pretty much anyone named Jimmy.

I am throwing my support behind the cubbies and the red sox for the rest of this postseason.

If I have to endure a Yankees Phillies world series there is no telling what I might do.........