Shuffle Fernando To Buffalo, F-Mart, Maine Focus... and A Great One-Liner

Shuffle Fernando to Buffalo:


Omar Minaya has spoken… Fernando Martinez will start the 2010 season in Bufflao.


Smart move. You’ve already got two guys (Gary Matherws Jr. and Angel Pagan) that won’t embarrass you until Carlos Beltran comes back.


I wouldn’t be surprised that this move isn’t tied into the fact that Beltran’s injury is not considered to prevent him from rehabbing in April. If Carlos is coming back come, say, May 1st, let the prospect play every day in Buffalo and show us all he can hit, and stay healthy, a combination he hasn’t put together yet.


Good move, Omar.

F-Mart:

I know, I know, the kid looked overmatched when the Mets called him up out of need last season, hitting .176 in 100 plate appearances. And then he needed arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee, the latest in a series of injuries that has hindered his progress since the Mets signed him at age 16. As such it's easy to dismiss him as just another Mets prospect that is never going to live up to the hype. Yet the reality is Martinez is still only 21 years old, and he is hitting rockets all over the ballpark this spring, most impressively with that 4-for-4 day against the Nationals last week that included two home runs. Combine that with the MVP honors Martinez earned in early February in the Caribbean Series, where he hit .348 with two home runs and four RBI in six games, and he might just be blossoming quickly. - link

Why Niese over Nieve:

They don't favor Niese over Nieve in a vacuum, but rather in this way: Nieve is more versatile than Niese. He can start, pitch in long relief and, the Mets suggest, pitch in the eighth inning. They aren't close to deciding who will serve as the setup man to Frankie Rodriguez, but until they do, they have to look at Nieve and a possibility for three roles. Beyond that, Niese is a starting pitcher. Period. And there this: Niese, 23, has room to improve. Nieve, 27 and out of options, is pretty much established as what he will be. - link

Maine Focus:

So physically Maine claims to be fine but mentally he’s all fucked up for the lack of a better term, if there were ever a poor choice of words, “I just wasn’t kind of into it and just wasn’t comfortable” that quote would be it. If I’m the manager or GM, I would have left a call to Mr. Maine to be at the complex at 7AM this morning to explain that quote.

Maine’ biggest problem he said he’s used to starting a game and getting ready to make the game his, that’s fine but this is an exhibition game, a practice game, the one time during the year where the numbers on the scoreboard mean nothing plus it wasn’t like Maine was coming into the game with the bases loaded and no outs, he was starting the fifth inning. With all that Maine was still not fit for duty: - link

Great One-liner:

Scientists are studying Sarah Palin's travel between Alaska and Florida carefully. They hope to learn more about the flight patterns of that elusive migratory species, the wild Alaskan dingbat. - read more...