Mets News:
A report out of the Dominican Republic on Wednesday says New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya has expressed interest in re-signing Pedro Martinez. The report by The Associated Press cites no source and seems to represent a complete change of heart by the Mets, who had indicated repeatedly re-siging Martinez was unlikely.
Mack: 1st priority remains Oliver Perez and no one will be signed to nothing until that is completed. Assuming that OP stays a Met, the question becomes where would Pedro fit it. I can’t see him accepting any role other than a rotational pitcher. His lack of success in the first inning he pitches just doesn’t make him a good candidate for a relief pitcher. There’s no job for someone that pitches well in the 2nd through 4th inning they pitch.
The Lovemyteam.com Fan Friendly Seal of Approval recognizes 5 Major League Baseball players for their generosity of spirit towards baseball fans everywhere and for their recognition of the fans' importance to the game. Please visit Lovemyteam.com to vote for your favorite Fan Friendly player.
Winners were Jeff Francoeur, Jason Giambi, Lyle Overbay and:
Vance Wilson
Vance earned the Fan Friendly Award back in 2006. This year, in praise of Vance, one fan wrote "Vance spent all of 2007 on the DL, and started there in 2008, but he has stayed SO involved as a true ambassador for the Tigers. He is often stationed at the wall and takes as much time as is necessary to make sure each kid has a positive, personal experience." Clearly, Vance understands that fans really just want that personal connection. In 2009, Royals fans will get to see why Vance is the 2009 Fan Friendly Award winner.
David Wright
This is the third year in a row that David has won the Fan Friendly Award. David also won the Joan Payson Award, given out by the NY chapter of the Baseball Writers for his service to the community. At that ceremony, he noted what an honor it was to be in a position to use his name to help others. The David Wright Foundation isn't the only way David touches the lives of fans. Mets fans see it in everything he does. Thanks David, and keep it up!
Buffalo Bisons Spring Training Schedule:
March 18 v New Orleans Port St. Lucie, FL
March 19 CAMP DAY Port St. Lucie, FL
March 20 v Memphis Port St. Lucie, FL
March 21 @ New Orleans Jupiter, FL
March 22 @ Memphis Jupiter, FL
March 23 CAMP DAY Port St. Lucie, FL
March 24 @ New Orleans Jupiter, FL
March 25 CAMP DAY Port St. Lucie, FL
March 26 @ Memphis Jupiter, FL
March 27 v New Orleans Port St. Lucie, FL
March 28 CAMP DAY Port St. Lucie, FL
March 29 v Memphis Port St. Lucie, FL
March 30 CAMP DAY Port St. Lucie, FL
March 31 @ New Orleans Jupiter, FL
April 1 @ Memphis Jupiter, FL
April 2 v Memphis Port St. Lucie, FL
New Mets:
OF Bobby Kielty
Positions: OF-353, RF-267, LF-189, DH-70, CF-49, 1B-8 - Born: August 5,1976 - Fontana, California - 6-1 : 215 Bats: Both Throws: Right - High School: Canyon Springs (Moreno Valley, California) - College: University of Mississippi, Riverside Community College - Drafted: Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Minnesota Twins in 1999 - Per Baseball America: 2001 - 8th ranked for Minnesota Twins
Major League Totals - 7 Seasons: G: 599 Abs: 1,792 .254/.348/.408/756
P Tony Armas Jr.
Positions: P-288 - Born: April 29,1978 Puerto Pirtu, Venezuela - 6-4 : 205 Bats: Right Throws: Right - Drafted: Signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Yankees in 1994
Prospect Rankings per Baseball America: 1997 - 10th ranked for New York Yankees… 1999 - 90th ranked MLB… 1999 - 5th ranked for Montreal Expos… 2000 - 27th ranked MLB… 2000 - 1st ranked for Montreal Expos… Son of Tony Armas, Nephew of Marcos Armas
2008: New Orleans AAA/Mets 5-7 2.54 1.20
NYM MLB 1-0 7.56 1.44
Major League Total (10 seasons): 53-65 4.65 1.43
P Matt DeSalvo
Positions: P-65, OF-1 - Born: September 11,1980 New Castle, Pennsylvania - 6-0 : 170 Bats: Right Throws: Right - High School: Union (Rimersburg, Pennsylvania) - College: Marietta College - Drafted: Signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Yankees in 2003
2008: RIC/AAA 2-11 4.87 1.66
Atlanta/MLB 0-0 31.50 6.50
Major League Total (2) 1-3 7.89 2.19
P Valerio de los Santos -
Major Leaguer 1998-2008 - Positions: P-366 - Born: October 6,1975 Las Matas, Dominican Republic - 6-2 180 Bats: Left Throws: Left - Drafted: Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1993 Prospect Rankings per BA: 1997 - 52nd ranked MLB… 1997 - 1st ranked for Milwaukee Brewers… 1998 - 89th ranked MLB… 1999 - 3rd ranked for Milwaukee Brewers
2008: Col/AAA 4-5 5.63 1.49
Col/MLB 0-1 5.63 2-13
MLB Total (9 seasons): 9-13 4.57 1.38
Prospect News:
2B Kyle Suire has been removed from the Mack’s Mets Prospect list, after testing positive for for metabolites of the performance-enhancing drug Stanozolol. The shit-for-brains is now suspended for 50 games.
Toby Hyde on SP Eric Beaulac (Mack’s Mets Prospect #6)
Beaulac had a nice debut split largely between Kingsport and Savannah, complemented by equally strong scouting reports. Scouts praised both his arm strength, seeing an average to better MLB fastball, and a power breaking ball. 2008: Beaulac set a new Le Moyne Dolphins single-season strikeout record (113) on his way to the 2008 Division I Independent Pitcher of the Year Award. The Mets started Beaulac out in Brooklyn where he made just two relief appearances in June, the second of which was a perfect, five strikeout performance over two innings. That earned him a demotion to Kingsport where he was excellent in three relief appearances before two starts in mid-July. And that prompted the Mets to promote Beaulac to Savannah where he made six strong starts from the end of July to August. One statistical red flag from his Savannah time was the increased walk rate. Projected 2009 Start: A-ball
Mack: Scouts that visited Savannah last year were raving about this kid at least a month before being transferred here... then things got even better. This is an excellent, young pitcher with lots of stiuff, including one the best curveballs I’ve seen since Matt Durkin (before his injury)… h’s ranked 6th on my prospect list due to ceiling alone…
Baseball America on SP Dillon Gee (Mack’s Mets Prospect # 9)
The Mets drafted Gee in the 21st round in 2007 out of Texas-Arlington, and the 6-foot-1 righthander enjoyed a nice 2008 season before opening more eyes in Puerto Rico. He went 4-0, 2.22 in 48 2/3 innings, finishing third in the circuit in ERA. He struck out 43 and issued 13 walks as he showed a 92-93 mph fastball and a slider with a short break. "I know Ian Kennedy is a bigger prospect, but I liked Gee more in Puerto Rico," an AL scout said. In 2008, Gee was 10-6, 2.92 with 114 strikeouts and 24 walks in 154 1/3 innings as he pitched for high Class A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton. He’s slated to return to Binghamton in 2009.
Mack: Haven’t talked to the Gee’s since Dillon was first assigned to winter ball… there doesn’t seem to be a test this kid doesn’t pass… excellent starting pitching will begin to stack up at the AA level, with a bunch more right behind the at Lucy. Expect Gee to open up at the B-Mets and be a starter for the entire year. After that…
Toby Hyde on OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis (unranked on Mack’s Met’s Prospect List)
Nieuwenhuis has a big league frame with length and some room to fill out. He has big league tools, notably the speed, range and instincts to play center and the arm to play right. He has big league taste, listing sushi as his favorite food. Nieuwenhuis has a clean swing mechanically, and gap power right now. 2008: Nieuwenhuis was one of the most productive and consistent Brooklyn Cyclones, hitting for a modest average, reaching base and knocking some doubles. Projected 2009 Start: St. Lucie CF
Mack: I’ve never seen Kirk play. Most of the kids that go to Brooklyn, go straight to Lucy and pass my eyes here in the Low Country. I have to catch up with them later on in their career. Some of the Clones do sometimes come here so I have a chance to ask about who they left behind. His stats were, err, okay, last year (what do you want from a team that doesn’t know what outfielder to draft?), but no one ever bragged on him…
Alumni:
Former MLB star Lenny Dykstra earned the nickname "Nails" for his tough and aggressive playing style. But four men have a new nickname for him: Deadbeat. According to a lawsuit filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court, Dykstra has yet to fork over the cash he promised to pay four pilots in exchange for flying his private plane. Dykstra had until January 12 to pay up, the lawsuit says, but thus far he hasn't. What's more, the four pilots claim Dykstra promised them a four-month gig, but didn't deliver on that either. They are suing for damages, lost wages, attorneys' fees and court costs. – TMZ
The Boston Red Sox signed OF Chip Ambres to a minor league contract.
The Hardball Times has written a wonderful article on which catchers are on the way to the HOF.
Of the catchers to play in major league baseball after 1920, Mike Piazza was clearly the best with the bat in his hands, as he ranks first by a healthy margin among all the backstops I studied in batting and slugging while rating second only to Mickey Cochrane in OBP among the long-prime group. Piazza’s defense is another story. Other aspects of his defense may have gotten a bad rap—Piazza handled balls in the dirt well enough and took his share of lumps blocking the plate—but when it came to gunning down baserunners, his record was just bad, the worst opposition stolen base percentage among the long-prime catchers. Opposing baserunners gave Piazza no respect and no quarter, as he was victimized by the most steal attempts relative to the league of any catcher in the study. Piazza ended up confounding expectations that he’d eventually move to another position—an experiment at first base went badly (Piazza’s the only first baseman I have ever seen who blocked throws in the dirt with his shins) and he broke down physically by the time he was tried as a DH. Piazza is probably the only catcher in the game’s history who could make the Hall on the strength of the same hitting numbers even if he’d been a first baseman or corner outfielder.
There has been some talk in Metsdom lately of the Hernandez curse. Surely it's. been mostly from bloggers looking for something to write about on an otherwise cold quiet morning. Clearly there is no Hernandez curse, but I am here to tell you about the Lee Mazzilli curse. Lee, as you all know, is the golden child of the late 70s and should have had a 15 year run in center field but no they had to give the job to that Mookie guy and trade Lee away for some 'prospects' that essentially wound up being Darling and Hojo. Lee moved on to Texas who turned their back on him after 58 games. How many World Series has Texas won since? He went to the Yankees who also shunned him - how many World Series did the Yankees win before they realized about the Mazzilli Curse and hired Lee's old Mets manager? Off to Pittsburgh. No championships for them since they released him in 1986. Meanwhile the Mets had put together a good club, but they couldn't get over the hump. So they brought Mazzilli back in 1986. Bingo, championship. When Lee returned, sure-fire future Hall of Famer Dwight Gooden was now wearing Lee's old #16. Doc offered it to Lee, but Lee being a gentleman wasn't going to take the hall of famer's number. That was Gooden's biggest mistake - and the curse of Lee Mazzilli led Doc to drugs and a ruined career.
http://www.metspolice.com/2009/01/lee-mazzilli-curse.html
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