The Mack Attack - 1-7-9

MLB – NY Mets:

From the LA Times: - The Dodgers aren't among the teams that are pursuing Pedro Martinez, Colletti said. Martinez's agent, Fernando Cuza, said today that his client has narrowed his choices to two National League teams and two American League teams.

AAA – Buffalo:

From the Puerto Rican Winter League: - Arecibo 4, Mayaguez 0 - Mets prospect Rene Rivera smacked a two-run homer and scored twice and Rich Townsend had a pair of hits and crossed the plate to lead the Lobos over the Indios. Irving Falu (Royals) was 3-for-4 for Mayaguez, which will visit Caguas on Wednesday for the final playoff berth

The Buffalo Bisons will hold their annual Hot Stove Luncheon on Friday, January 16 at the Adam’s Mark Hotel. The event will be held in the Grand Ballroom at 12:00 p.m. with doors open at 11:30 a.m. The afternoon’s program will include the unveiling of the Bisons’ New Home and Road Uniforms. Fans will be able to place orders for personalized jerseys at the event. The 2009 Official Game Cap, as well as other several items featuring the team’s new logo, will be available at the event. A guest speaker will be announced at a later time and a buffet lunch is also included. Tickets are only $20 and tables of eight can be reserved for $160. Fans can purchase tickets by calling the Bisons at (716) 846-2011. The Bisons are asking fans to RSVP for the event by Tuesday, January 13. For more information, fans are encouraged to visit the official website of the Bisons; Bisons.com.



A – Gnats:


Scout.com on P Scott Shaw (Mack’s Prospect #28): - "The Mets drafted right-hander Scott Shaw in the 13th round of the 2008 draft but feel they scored much higher value than his round would dictate. During his stint in Brooklyn, Shaw showed off a unique blend of tools and maturity that has the organization believing they have a fast riser in their possession, and he should confirm those beliefs with a big second season."



2010 Free Agents:


Left-handed relievers

Alan Embree (40) - $3MM club option with a $250K buyout - Scott Eyre (38) - John Grabow (31) - Wil Ledezma (29) - Ron Mahay (39) - Trever Miller (37) - Hideki Okajima (34) - Darren Oliver (39) - Glendon Rusch (35) - Scott Schoeneweis (36) - Matt Thornton (33) - $2.25MM club option with a $250K buyout - Jamie Walker (38)


Saber:


From Project Prospect: - After consideration from many sources and in an attempt to make Dominance Factor the best it can be, Project Prospect has slightly tweaked the statistic. Firstly, ground-ball percentage has been weighted to .72 (the percentage that a ground-ball turns into an out). In addition to this, the age-modifier will now be multiplied by 7 rather than 10, in an effort to more appropriately weight the advantages that age-related-to-level have on minor league starting pitching prospects. What these new modifications have done are slightly tweak the overall rankings giving a little more bonus to fly-ball heavy pitchers, and also shortened the range that a pitchers Dominance Factor falls into. Previously, a pitchers DF ranged from 30 to the upper 90's, but with Weighted Dominance Factor (WDF), the range is generally from 30 to the upper 70's. Overall, we feel this statistic is significantly improved, and a better way to determine just how dominant a starting pitching prospect was at each stop. Here are the 2008 top 25 Weighted Dominance Factors by level:

4th ranked in the AAA minors: P Jonathan Niese 65.8 DF



Alumni:


From Seattle PI: - When the Mariners hired general manager Jack Zduriencik, one thing was clear -- the club's farm system and collection of young talent was destined to improve, and quickly. "There's no doubt about it," a major league personnel executive said days after Zduriencik's hiring was announced in October. "If there is just one thing that will improve, the farm will get a lot better, that is a certainty." Zduriencik didn't wait long, collecting seven players in return for closer J.J. Putz, outfielder Jeremy Reed, right-handed reliever Sean Green and second base prospect Luis Valbuena. The haul included three prospects from the New York Mets, two of whom project as big leaguers. Mike Carp, 22, is a left-handed-hitting first baseman with solid on-base abilities, fringe-average power for his position and good contact skills. Carp spent 2008 with Binghamton in the Double-A Eastern League, hitting .299 with a .403 on-base percentage and 47 extra-base hits in 134 games. "Carp is a nice bat," said a scout from an NL East team. "He's not a lineup anchor, but he comes without a lot of risk and he knows how to hit." Carp's slightly above-average bat speed and plate discipline immediately make him the top first baseman in the Mariners organization, including those with big league contracts.


Fr. Yahoo Sports: - It appears the Washington Nationals will solve their center field dilemma with in-house players according to MLB.com. According to the report, Elijah Dukes and Lasting Milledge will compete for the starting job. There was speculation the Nationals might go after Andruw Jones are Mark Kotsay after their first choice, Milton Bradley, signed with the Chicago Cubs Monday.


Mike Silva on Lasto: - During spring training of last year I wrote a controversial article about former Mets OF Lastings Milledge. This point of view has brought me much criticism throughout my two years of freelance writing. Milledge, although short on results, dazzles Mets fans with his potential. It appears that 2009 may finally be the year that, if results don’t match potential, Milledge star will finally fade. Throughout the winter there have been small rumblings of the Nationals using Milledge as trade bait. The Nats even made a reported offer to Milton Bradley, with the intention of playing him in centerfield. With Bradley signing in Chicago, MLB Hot Stove Blog reports that centerfield will be an open competition between Elijiah Dukes and Milledge this spring. Don’t you find it surprising how quickly it seems his stock has dropped in Washington? Why would a 100 loss team be so willing to trade this so called “five tool talent”? If Milledge fails, where does this leave his future? Even the most ardent critic has to admit that Milledge showed improvement in the second half of 2008. He hit well over .300 after August 1st. This was done largely while the Nationals played meaningless baseball in their 102 loss season. I was told by a former member of the Mets organization that the concern with Milledge was that he lacked the necessary “baseball intelligence” to make adjustments in his career. If that is the case, than the sixty day sample of success will be fast and fleeting. Even with his success, Milledge still showed growing pains in late September. One of the last comical Shea Stadium moments was Lastings positioned up against the outfield fence during the late innings. Any further and he could have parked some of the fans cars. This was exactly the type of “one step forward, two steps back” performance that I believe frustrated Mets management. I am sure the emails and comments will flow accusing me as a Milledge hater. I have no ax to grind with the young man. I believe 2009 will prove exactly why I liked the deal when it happened. Ryan Church will be a key “in prime” cog for a contending team, and Lastings Milledge will show you his future in baseball: An inconsistent talent that can only start for a bad team. In the end talent only gets you so far because need to understand the game for sustained success. Milledge has not shown that ability to date, putting his career at a crossroads at the young age of 24.


From: Baseball Mud: - The Hall of Fame will announce its new inductees, if any, on Jan. 12. One of the best evaluations of the players on the ballot comes from superblogger Joe Posnanski, and I suggest you check out his HOF post. As for me, I'm going to take a few moments to talk about the top players on the ballot. Today we'll focus on the sure-thing lock for the Hall, Rickey Henderson. Henderson combined power, speed, strike zone judgment, and high-average hitting like no player in history, easily earning him the title of greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history. In his prime during the 1980s, he could steal 80 to 100 bases, smack 10 to 20 homers, score 100+ runs, and draw enough walks to give him an on-base percentage over .400. He’s one of the few lead-off hitters to win an MVP Award, and he holds career records for both runs and steals. He was a great player, a first-ballot Hall of Famer who probably deserves even more accolades than he gets. But he was almost equally famous for me-first escapades such as playing cards in the clubhouse while his Mets teammates lost in extra innings during the playoffs, or holding out in spring training for a bigger salary with the A's. So how do we factor in that extra stuff in our evaluation of him as a player? In the case of an unparalleled talent like Henderson, we don’t. Sure, he made good copy for sportswriters, and he created a few headaches for management. But his antics never seemed to distract his teams from winning. And win they did. He played in the post-season eight times and won two World Series. Even with the baggage, you’d be crazy not to want Henderson on your team. I'm very eager to hear his Hall of Fame induction speech.