10/22/09

Minors Stuff




New York Mets


The country's biggest metropolitan statistical area is New York, with some 19 million inhabitants. New York has nine teams (we included the New Jersey Devils and Nets). Despite that large number and the greater likelihood for making the postseason and winning championships, New York ranks only third on our list. The nine teams have made a combined 16 appearances in the playoffs in the last three years, but together they have only one championship to show for their efforts (the 2007 Giants). That could change, of course, with the Yankees knocking on the World Series door at the moment.


The recent drag on New York pro sports scene? The lowly Mets, who haven't made the playoffs since 2006 (when they lost the NLCS to the St. Louis Cardinals).

http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/21/best-sports-cities-lifestlye-sports-winning-teams.html



Buffalo Bisons:


Jim, whats the deal with Ike Davis, am I crazy or will he be ready for next year


Jim Callis - I think next year is pushing it a bit, but Davis got back on track after a weak pro debut. Maybe he'll be ready by midseason, but I think 2011 is more likely. You could make a case that he's New York's No. 1 prospect.

You mean there are actually 30 Mets worth talking about?

Jim Callis - They don't have a lot of prospects in the upper levels of their system, but their overall depth isn't bad. And we can find 30 guys to write up in any system!

I got into an argument the other day with a friend over Josh Thole. I said he didn't have enough power or defensive ability to be a long-term starter in the majors, my friend argued that his eye and contact would translate and make him an above average hitting catcher.... who do you agree with?

Jim Callis - I think you're probably closer to the truth.

Ike Davis and Jennry Mejia for Prince Fielder. Who says no first?

Jim Callis - Brewers. I'd want a comparable big league pitcher, not a pitching prospect.


http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/29011



St. Lucie Mets:

PP: Who are a couple sleeper hitters to look for in 2010?
Hyde: (Francesco) Pena is a better approach away from putting it all together. He needs to lay off the stuff out of the zone, and walk more than three times a month. With more discipline, his power would become more fearsome. I have a soft spot for second baseman Alonzo Harris, who popped 10 homers for Kingsport as part of a .273/.321/.447 campaign. He's a terrific athlete who turned down multiple big-time Division 1 football scholarships and he is a plus runner who is very raw defensively. When in doubt, bet on the tools. Like Pena, Harris is pretty hacktastic, fanning 59 times against 17 walks in 58 games. With a little more refinement on both sides, he could be THE breakout guy next year in the Mets system. I like third baseman Richard Lucas, who can go the other way with very rare authority for a player of his age. I've seen him sting balls literally from line to line. Outfielder Nick Santomauro has some pop, but some holes in his swing.

Wilson Ramos continues his power stroke, hitting his fourth homerun on Tuesday to give Aragua a 13-8 over Zulia. Ramos 2-run bop turned an 8-4 lead into a 10-4 lead. He also scored three runs. The other Chris Carter who played for the Red Sox last year and is now on the Mets roster was a homerun shy of the cycle, driving in two runs and scoring two. Brewers slugger Brendan Katin hit a 2-run homer for Zulia in a losing cause

Blogs:

Wait, let me get this straight ... the Mets made money off the Madoff scandal?And still never signed an extra bat???I mean, there was extra money? I don't buy it. If there was extra money, then why did I get an e-mail from the Mets offering a chance to win Dunkin' Donuts coffee for a year ... an e-mail which had absolutely no connection to the Mets whatsoever. Nice. If I wanted offers from Dunkin' Donuts, don't you think I would have subscribed to the Dunkin Donuts' e-mail list???You can tell me that it wasn't just the Mets that did this. I got the same e-mail from the Cubs ... yeah, the team that filed for bankruptcy!So all that money sat there doing nothing but collecting interest? F***ing Wilpons. Give it to someone who can actually use $47.8 million.Like Steve Phillips! Hey, that should cover alimony for a couple of months.

http://metstradamus.blogspot.com/2009/10/misplaced-funny-funds.html


Mike Cameron was the Mets center fielder from 2002-2004 and the right fielder for 2005 after the Beltran signing.

Cameron was a gold glover caliber fielder with a solid bat and decent speed, who was taken back by the acquisition of Carlos Beltran.

Some believe that the one time All-Star and lifetime .250 hitter requested a trade after the 2005 season, at 33 y/o he still had several years left in his legs in center.

http://metsfever.blogspot.com/2009/10/cammy-back-to-ny.html



But if sports figures are going to wear inappropriate outfits, here are a few more that I would like to see:Oliver Perez wearing a CC Sabathia jersey: "I just wanted to feel like I was living up to my contract."Razor Shines wearing Tim McClelland's umpire uniform: "I just wanted to feel like someone who has even less of an idea about what is going on at third base than I do."Dan Warthen wearing new Brewers pitching coach Rick Peterson's jacket: "I just wanted to feel like I once coached a pitching staff into the playoffs... But do I have to wear this jacket when it's 90 degrees?"Scott Boras wearing a ski mask: I just wanted to feel like I got the Mets to give Matt Holliday Teixeira money.Omar Minaya wearing no shirt at all: "I just wanted to feel like I was challenging minor leaguers to a fight."
Mets Alumni:

Tracy Strawberry says she and her husband have nothing to hide. So the published report on Monday that Darryl Strawberry owes the state of California and the IRS a combined $554,000 is nothing shocking to the couple. "There have been a lot of years of that wreckage," she said Tuesdayof her husband's long, recurring problems with addiction and debt, "and we've been compliant. This is no secret for us." Tracy Strawberry, Darryl's third wife whom he met in a Florida recovery facility, said that the state of California recently sent Darryl a request for documentation regarding the $259,480 the state is owed in back taxes. The state of California filed a lien against Strawberry on April 13 in Sacramento County Court. The state of California also filed a lien for $44,359 on Jan. 25, 2008. The IRS filed a $250,184 lien in Hillsborough (Fla.) County Court on Dec. 2, 2008. -- Newsday

Could Nationals go with Taillon or Ranaudo over Harper?

Jim Callis:Sure they could. I'll do a column on this at some point, but I don't think it's far-fetched to conceive of Bryce Harper falling out of the first round. It's going to be almost impossible to live up to the hype, and if he falls short and is looking for big money--is Strasburg's contract a starting point--he may scare off clubs, who know he can re-enter the 2011 and 2012 drafts and still have lots of leverage. It's also possible that after spending $15.1 million on Strasburg, the Nationals don't want to spend huge money on another No. 1 overall pick.
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/29011

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