2011 Mets: Believe or Not Believe? That Is The Question

The answer to that question has been answered by all of the baseball preview magazines with a very loud:

You must be out of your mind if you believe.

Spring Training has finally arrived kiddies and so have the preview rags. So what do these magazines have to say? If I were you, I would not be quick to want to the answer. Almost every magazine I have looked at, including Sporting News, has the Mets finishing in fourth place behind the Florida Marlins. Shocked? Not so much. What shocked me, to a certain degree was the USA Today baseball preview which had the Mets finishing in last place.

You all know I feel the Mets will finish in at least third place ahead of the Marlins who, by the way, have been a thorn in our side for a few years now. I would love it if the Mets could kill them.

I have been saying for a month now that new manager Terry Collins is going to work wonders with this team. He has made it known to the players fighting for their jobs where he stands and that is a good sign. The players know he will not stand for nonsense, super stardom matters very little as does big contracts. If you don’t produce, you get cut loose. Simple as that.

Roster spots are being speculated now and I have issues with the one by the Sporting News predictions. Right away, and rightfully so, left and center field positions are given to Jason Bay and Carlos Beltran. As for right field, there is no mention of Angel Pagan. They have Fernando Martinez as competing for the job but the team bringing in a right fielder. What is wrong with Pagan in right? What reason do they have to believe that a kid who has been ravaged by injuries will even make it to the bigs this year?

That was my big issue. It is as if Pagan is the one who will be coming off the bench. If this were to happen, which I can almost guarantee will not, it will be a slap in Pagan’s face because he has done more then enough to prove that he deserves a starting role with this team. If you want to have Martinez come off the bench to get his feet soaked in because Beltran is likely to leave at the end of the season, that is fine. You just do not tell a player who has shown he can play everyday that he is coming off the bench for a kid who has not proven anything.

The Mets do have questions with their pitching staff. Spots four and five are up in the air as is the bullpen. Faith remains in Mike Pelfrey, Jonathon Niese and R.A. Dickey. Losing Pedro Feliciano and Hisanori Takahashi will have an impact on this team. The pitching is the only worry I would have with the 2011 New York Mets. Pitching coach Dan Warthen certainly has his job cut out for him.

Bottom line:

The Mets will not make it to the playoffs this year. I strongly believe that. Will they make a push and do better than every body seems to think? I will say yes. When you think of the talent this team has plus the addition of Terry Collins as manager, there is no question in my mind this is a team that will produce and give the Atlanta Braves a run for second place. I feel they will end the season in third behind Atlanta, but making Atlanta very nervous.

This city will get excited again. Not for the team in the South Bronx, but the team that nobody wants to believe in. The Mets will do special things this year.

So should Mets fans believe? Yes! Until the September tells you otherwise, you believe. You go into this 2011 season with the battle cry that Tug McGraw made specifically for the New York Mets on your lips:

YA GOTTA BELIEVE!

Pagan In Trade Talks

Ken Rosenthal of Foxsports.com is reporting there are a number of teams that are eyeing Mets OF Angel Pagan, including the Kansas City Royals. You remember the Royals, right? They had Carlos Beltran before going to Houston.

From what Rosenthal is hearing, it does not look like he is going to be going anywhere as of right now.

Personally, I do not see him going anywhere anytime soon. Pagan played too crucial a role this past season when Carlos Beltran went down. He was one of those crucial pieces in the outfield.

Pagan had a .306 BA in the 88 games he played. He was a good centerfielder with a fielding percentage of .986.

Unless the Mets have another OF in mind to sign as a bench guy, you cannot trade Pagan. Who will take his place? Fernando Martinez? I’m pretty much ready to trade Martinez. Any takers?

Updates on Injuries

Omar Minaya did a press conference on WFAN over the phone to update everyone on the injuries the Mets have been suffering.

Fernando Martinez is out for 6-8 weeks after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. He is expected back in September. Shut him down for the rest of the year. This kid reminds me of Jose Reyes. Keeps getting injured.

John Maine and Jose Reyes are expected to come back at the end of July. This is a very good thing. I’m happy about this.

Maine has not been feeling any pain whatsoever. He is about 7-10 days about from rehabbing.

Reyes continues to run in Port St. Lucie. He’ll be the first to come off the dl.

Carlos Delgado will not come back until around mid-August. This is not too bad. I would like to have him before that. Let’s hope he can come back before that.

Here is where Mets fans can worry. Carlos Beltran is wearing a knee brace. The bone bruise he has is not getting smaller. It is not getting bigger either. It is still status quo.

So that is where the Mets are right now. I’m betting Beltran may not come back until September, if at all.

I know that is something noone wants to hear. This bone bruise is serious though. It can get worse before it gets better. So the Mets cannot rush his return.

At this point, the Mets really need to look at the medical staff. Something is definitely wrong there. I’m not liking everything that has happened with this team. I understand they can make mistakes, but this is messing around with the health of people. Forget that they are players. They are people.

It is pretty bad. Something needs to be done right away.

Is Minaya Really Working?

You have to wonder. We really do not hear much about anything happening. Where are the trades? Where are the rumors?

Is Omar Minaya really working the phones? Is he feeling the same sense of urgency we Mets fans do? I would like to think that he is. Silence says otherwise.

Here is what I am thinking.

The Mets are from New York. Everybody hates the New York teams…from the New York Yankees to the New York Giants. New York is not very popular, except by the haters. If I had a nickle for everytime a player said they hated New York, I would be richer than Donald Trump.

The entire Major League know how desperate the New York Mets are to get some help to prevent this team from completely bottoming out. For this reason, every team Minaya tries to work a deal with, is going to ask for the sun, the moon, and Orion’s belt.

I received a message saying Minaya was trying to work a deal with the Washington Nationals for Adam Dunn. The Nats wanted Fernando Martinez and Bobby Parnell. Result? NO DEAL!

Good call by Minaya. I would have chosen another phrase like “Bite me”.

So Minaya goes back to the phones to call GM’s around the nation to find the one or two or three or four guys who will save the Mets’ season and perhaps some jobs.

The Mets are now without their Gold Glove centerfielder on top of missing their very own Speedy Gonzalez in Jose Reyes. They have no Carlos Delgado so they have no big bat.

Minaya has no choice but to make a deal. The bullpen is getting tired. So the Mets have called up two pitchers.

Look! The bottom line is the players themselves need to step it up. There is only so much that Jerry Manuel and Minaya can do. The players need to take it to another level. The position players need to hit.

The players need to stop waiting for the next guy to take the bull by the horns and save the game. They need to get a set of cojones and actually hit the ball.

I’m sick of everybody sitting on their butts talking about “Woe is us. We are hurting. So many of our guys are down.”

ENOUGH! SHUT THE HELL UP AND DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR BATS ALREADY. YOU GET PAID ENOUGH!

I am sick of the excuses. There are no excuses. You either get it done or request to be traded. We would not mind. We can use the trade bait.

I believe Minaya is trying to do what he can to bring in a bat. He’s just trying to do it without losing Fernando Martinez and Bobby Parnell and Jonathan Niese.

You think you can do better? Go ahead! I’d like to see you try. I doubt you would do any better.

In Minaya we have to trust. So I’m going to tell you the same thing I would tell the players:

Shut up and suck it up! You stick with it until the bitter end. This team has gotten this far and they need their fans to rally around them and stick with them.

We have no choice but to believe. We have no choice but to watch this team. We have no choice but to stick with this team.

Either you are with them or you are not.

Yet before the fans can believe in them, the team needs to believe in themselves. The Mets need to rally around each other. They need to stop waiting for the next guy to do what they themselves can do.

They have to keep rolling with the punches until Minaya can bring in some help.

THAT is the bottom line!

Anybody But Beltran

Newsday‘s David Lennon wrote about Carlos Beltran and his ailing knee. Apparently, Beltran is in too much pain to play. While he is scheduled to receive an MRI, the Gold Glove centerfielder is expecting the worst.

After yesterday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, Beltran said:

“I’m a little bit worried, to be honest because of the way I felt today – it was painful.”

“The way it is right now, no way. I don’t feel like I could play a lot of games with the way I felt today.”

Those are not comforting words.

The New York Mets can ill-afford to lose Beltran to the DL. He has been among the top hitters for this team, along with David Wright. I am still trying to figure out how Wright is hitting at .344 and his at the top of National League hitters.

Should Beltran go down, it will be interesting who the Mets put in centerfield. They could put Jeremy Reed out there or call up Fernando Martinez again. Gary Sheffield and Ryan Church could never play center. The Mets will definitely miss Beltran’s glove and bat.

I think I am going to need another vacation. I’m not sure I could stand watching the Mets play without Beltran.

Disgraced By Mets Fans

During the sweep of the Washington Nationals, I have to say I was completely disgusted by Mets fans for the treatment of Fernando Martinez.

Who the heck do you think you are “booing” a 20 year old kid who just came up yesterday from the minors? What gives you the right to “boo” your future superstar?

If you thought that he was going to come up swinging a hot bat, you were only kidding yourselves. Martinez just got to the majors. There is a difference between playing in the minor and playing in the majors. Not sure if you are aware of that.

I would’ve loved to have seen the kid get his first hit these past two games. Unfortunately, it did not happen. That is no reason to “boo” him.

Did he make a mistake in tonight’s game? Yes he did. He should’ve ran out the ball. He didn’t. Big deal!

Like you don’t make mistakes? Are you all of a sudden a thing of perfection? Far from it I can assure you.

Mets fans only embarrassed themselves.  Congratulations! I hope you’re proud of yourselves. Personally, I was disgusted.

Martinez made a fantastic catch in right field. How quickly you forgot that.

I was ashamed to be a Mets fan tonight. You should have given Martinez support. The way you booed him, you were ready to ship him back to Triple-A.

The kid made a mistake. Get over it! If it was a veteran like Wright or Reyes who made that mistake, go ahead and “boo”. Not the new kid!

Martinez knew he made a mistake and apologized for it during the postgame report.

Deal with it. Get over it. Now support the kid.

Martinez Replaces Church Permanently

I was talking with Jessica on Facebook and she asked what the point of bringing Ryan Church and Brian Schneider to the Mets.

Personally, the Mets are clearly trying to get both out. I do not see either being with the organization by the time this year is over.

The only reason the trade with the Washington Nationals happened, in my opinion, is to just be rid of Lastings Milledge. It worked.

Now the Mets are pushing Church to the wayside. They placed Church on the DL despite him stating he is fine and is ready to play tonight.

I’m not sure what the Mets have against Church. I think it is disgusting how they are treating him. They wait out Jose Reyes’ injury, but are quick to pull Church? The tests came out negative.

It’s clear the Mets want no part of him. Now that Fernando Martinez is in the majors, it begs the question what will become of Church.

Well it all depends.

If Martinez plays well, I expect Church to be trade bait to bring in a bat or a pitcher. The Mets can never have enough pitchers.

Should Martinez bomb like Alex Escobar or Lastings Milledge, Church may be around passed the deadline.

Either way, I think it is safe to say that Church will not stay with the Mets for 2010.

The DL List Grows

So here we are. Another day, two more names added to the disabled list.

At the rate the Mets are going down, we are going to see the entire Triple-A team in the majors.

Ryan Church was telling the media today his test results came up negative and he was ready to play. The Mets turned around and said otherwise by placing him on the DL.

I really do not understand why Church is the most hated man on the Mets. I think it’s just a way to bring up Fernando Martinez. They’ve been wanting to bring the kid up.

Jose Reyes is the other latest member.

This was a no-brainer and I’ve been screaming for it to be done since he was initially hurt. Did the Mets think so? Oh no! Let’s wait it out! Morons!

This prompted the Mets to make cash trade with the Cleveland Indians for SS Wilson Valdez. Now this man cannot hit for beans. He does have a glove.

I’ll take a glove over a bat right now. The Mets need it. They have hitters on the team that can pick up the slack.

Now Carlos Beltran is not on the DL, but he is unavailable until Friday.

After today’s MRI, reports are he has an inflamed tibia (which is the front part of the lower leg) and a bruised bone. Jeremy Reed is slated to play centerfield in tonight’s game.

There you have it. No reason to panic. The Mets are still able to get the wins in.