In his first sit-down interview since copping a plea in his grand theft auto case, Lenny Dykstra — who earned his nickname as a hard-playing, hard-partying Met during the team’s wild days in the 1980s — says he learned his destructive addictions and major league ego cost him his fortune, his marriage and his freedom. “I really for the first time understand humility,” he said Thursday while smoking a cigarette on the patio of his private bungalow at The Hills rehab center. “It’s not everybody else’s fault. It’s not a coincidence that I’m here. It happened because I was using drugs and alcohol. It was a reality check.”Wearing a fleece sweatshirt and a court-ordered ankle monitor, Dykstra said his demons were wine, vodka, pain pills, party drugs and the rush he got blowing through his millions. www.nydn.com
For those who can remember that far back, Chris Young was the key “low-risk, high-reward” signing the thrifty Mets made last winter. Oodles of beat writers, bloggers, and fans couldn’t praise the move enough. After all, when healthy, Chris Young was an outstanding pitcher — a legitimate #2 starter on a championship club. Young would top a rotation that included the surprising R.A. Dickey, the improving Mike Pelfrey, and the poised-for-breakout-season Jonathon Niese. Further, that formidable foursome would be led by superstar Johan Santana, who was sure to be joining the team by June — or the All-Star Break, at the latest. http://www.metstoday.com/7223/2011-mets-evaluations/2011-evaluation-chris-young
11-25-11: - http://risingapple.com/2011/11/25/2011-season-in-review-josh-satin - Defensively, Josh Satin is kind of like Daniel Murphy-he can play a bunch of positions, but not that well. In the minors, he spent the most time at second base (250 games) while also seeing action at first (80 games) and third (68 games). In the Majors, Satin played eight games at first base and one at third. To quote Toby Hyde of MetsMinorLeagueBlog, “He started playing third, although he doesn’t have the arm for the position. He doesn’t really have the power for first, where he played in the big leagues.” Hyde goes on to say that he sees Satin “as the 25th guy,” especially if he can learn to play left field. Given that he doesn’t hit for power or play any position particularly well, the bench seems like the most logical fit. He could serve as a right-handed pinch hitter and stay in the game to play defense if necessary. While he might not make a huge impact on the team, Satin provides an internal candidate to fill a utility role and add some much needed depth to the club.
11-26-11: - http://seedlingstostars.com - Zack Wheeler - Wheeler made some nice strides this season, and his arsenal of pitches suggests that he could evolve into a well-above-average starting pitcher, but he’ll need to prove a) that he can hold up for a full season and b) that he can maintain his control for a whole season. His immediate improvement upon switching organizations is a positive sign, and he looks like a great acquisition for a Mets team that is still building toward the future. There’s obvious upside here, and if he can erase the two lingering concerns about him in 2012, Wheeler could become one of the top pitching prospects in the game.
11-26-11: - http://www.metstoday.com/7226/11-12-offseason/2011-evaluation-mike-nickeas - As much as I like Mike Nickeas, I was completely stunned that the Mets included him on the offseason 40-man roster; did they really think that another team would jump at the chance to pick a 29-year-old, .180-hitting, third-string catcher in the Rule 5 Draft? Seems to me to be a waste of a roster spot, since there are at least two dozen catchers exactly like him throughout AAA. That’s not to say I’m upset; in fact, I’m pleased to know that Nickeas is likely to be in Port St. Lucie come February, and presumably part of the organization’s catching depth in 2012. My guess is he’ll be exactly what he was in ’11: a defensive-minded, backup backstop who can be shuffled between AAA and the bigs as necessary. And within the next 3-5 years, we may see Nickeas move into a minor-league managing post — perhaps in preparation toward a more successful MLB career.
