By David Rubin
Welcome back, my friends
to the show that never ends.
We're so glad you could attend!
Come inside! Come inside!
Happy Sunday and happy early 4th of July- and, especially, a HUGE thank you to our Troops wherever you are for keeping us free!!!
I was recently asked by a young-ish Mets' fan what I thought about the teams' drafting of Outfielder Brandon Nimmo. As most readers know, I usually have clearly defined opinions about everything Mets-related, but for once in 43+ years of fandom, I didn't really know how to answer.
Now let me be frank- this has been THE most tumultuous year I've ever had as a Mets fan since my grand-father first sat me down in front of a television in 1968 to watch a young flame-thrower named Nolan Ryan ply his wild trade. Why, you might ask? Well, to quote Elizabeth Barrett Browning, "let me count the ways"...
1.) Prior to the seasons' start, the Mets, in their most infinite wisdom, fired a member of my family who worked for the team for a very long time. Let's just say that, not only did this person "bleed orange and blue" but was responsible for helping getting me started on the road to insanity as a fan of Flushing's Finest. It was a "cost-cutting" move that seemed less than sincere in the face of huge amounts being paid to the likes of Castillo, Perez and Bonilla for NOT playing and certainly stuck out like a sore thumb in its opposition to the Wilpon's supposed "loyalty" to the people who have stuck by them through thick and thin. This person was amazing at their job and was a victim of a poorly run front office staff (having nothing to do with the new regime led by Sandy Alderson). It's hard to be objective when a part of your heart has been cut out, and my desire to travel back to NYC to see a game was reduced to nothing in light of this. In fact, I've had trouble writing for either Mets Fever OR Mack's Mets through no fault of either, excellent website. It's been more a case of having known SO much about the team, inside and out, and not liking what's been happening to the point of paralysis by analysis. I'd never asked this person for "inside Mets' scoop" because, as much as I would've loved to, I respected their position too much to risk anything for a mere newsworthy nugget. Instead, I chose to work with other sources to acquire most of my news, trying very, very hard to sit on things that I thought would be detrimental to the team, especially in light of the fact that I am merely an unpaid blogger who writes out of love for the team. There are still things I choose not to discuss, things that happened over the past 5 years particularly; you know what they involve, if you've followed this team in recent years, so no need to rehash things here. Let's just leave it at this: I am a fan because I CHOOSE to be, and it's only this year that I've finally and truly realized one very important thing:
THE WILPONS DO NOT OWN THE METS - THE FANS DO!!!
2.) Wading through the mounds of horse-crap that the Wilpons have dumped on this team, I truly felt for the first time that the above-mentioned statement is true. Now, I'm not being naive- I don't expect to be asked to come up with $ to cover the teams' payroll- no less than I would expect to receive a dividend if the team ever made money. However, since I have spent oodles and oodles of my hard-earned $ on this team for 40+ years, and no longer wish to do so, at least this season, I choose to exercise "my" ownership by not adding anything to their bank accounts. I'm NOT the only person who feels this way; I've heard from numerous friends and family members who have chosen not to attend any games at CitiField this season, nor visit Modell's to purchase t-shirts or jerseys or similar items.
Furthermore, I've never really separated the players from the organization prior to this season; sadly, I've been reminded over and over again that the players on the field have nothing to do with the ownerships' foibles, and therefore find it hard to refrain from watching and rooting for the team even though their success would, in practicality, contribute to the bottom line of the Wilpons and company.
Finally, with the tumult still whirling around the heads of the Wilpons, Saul Katz, etc, and the already seen hypocrisy of some of the Mets leadership team (Dave Howard, in particular), this ownership group has now made it easier than ever before to separate the wheat from the chaff (yes, Jeff, if you are reading this, you are, indeed, part of the "chaff".)
So, bringing things back to this season's draft (and thank you for bearing with me whilst I engaged in my diatribe), what do I think about the selection of Brandon Nimmo?? Well, we've seen so many "next great things" come through this organization over the years - think of names like Alex Escobar, Kirk Presley, Lastings Milledge, Jason Tyner, Paul Wilson and Shawn Abner, just to name a few- that it's hard to get overly excited about ANY drafted player, let alone someone who never had the chance to play high school baseball as Wyoming doesn't have organized baseball at that level due to weather restrictions. (I still have autographed balls from Victor Diaz, Phil Humber and F-Mart sitting in a drawer in my office- constant reminders about speculating on such things.)
However, it impressed me that Sandy Alderson, Paul DePodesta and company chose to select the most talented "potential" with the first selection of their regime in Nimmo, rather than the player possessed of the quickest path to the majors, which exposed us to 2 important lessons about the new brain-trust in the front office: a.) they were NOT going to take the easy way out of the mess the upper levels of the minor league system is in by taking college players to stock these levels, and b.) they are willing to take some risks, in hopes of huge rewards later on. Let it be said- there's no fear of failure yet with this group, and that makes me very, very hopeful for the future of the team on the field.
One last thought on Nimmo - it's true that we live in an age of information overload, and the days of baseball draft picks not being announced for weeks after the draft took place still lingers in my mind like it was yesterday. That being said, it's refreshing to know that a player who wasn't able to play for a high school baseball team could still be "found" and desired by a number of top organizations in the game, from the Yankees to the Phils...and, for once, the METS were the team that landed this potential diamond in the rough. Let's hope that he's more Bryce Harper than Sidd Finch, and we'll ALL be happy!!! (For those who are not familiar with the "story" of Finch, check this out.)
Notes/Thoughts...
...I am NOT going to get overly excited yet about the "hamstring issue" with newly-elected 2011 NL All-Star Shortstop JOSE REYES (a title longer than any the Brits could hang on a newly-crowned "royal")...I choose to hope for the best, and both Mack and I have heard he's only shut down for a few days...
...Dodgers "owner" Frank McCourt almost- ALMOST - makes the Wilpons look normal in comparison - ALMOST!!...
...I must offer full disclosure- I HAVE received as PRESENTS the following Met-related items - one 2011 yearbook; one Nolan Ryan McFarland Figure in a Met uniform; an Ike Davis upside down-diving Cyclones Bobblehead; "162-0 - A Mets Perfect Season" and "New York Mets - 50 Amazin' Seasons" - but have yet to spend one single dollar on the team- although that WILL change when I take in my first game later this week vs. the Dodgers in the battle of worst owner in the game...
...to those who were knocking the hiring of Terry Collins prior to the season withOUT giving him even the benefit of the doubt- NOT looking so bad these days, huh???...
...Although the Triple A and Double A teams are struggling to fill out their rosters with higher level prospects, every time I see the major league roster, I can't help but smile when I see the following names; Ike Davis, Justin Turner, Ruben Tejeda, Daniel Murphy, Josh Thole, Angel Pagan, Lucas Duda, Dillon Gee, Jon Niese, Bobby Parnell & Mike Pelfrey - all recent grads of the upper levels of the team's minor leagues and all playing important roles in the bigs...
I was recently asked by a young-ish Mets' fan what I thought about the teams' drafting of Outfielder Brandon Nimmo. As most readers know, I usually have clearly defined opinions about everything Mets-related, but for once in 43+ years of fandom, I didn't really know how to answer.
Now let me be frank- this has been THE most tumultuous year I've ever had as a Mets fan since my grand-father first sat me down in front of a television in 1968 to watch a young flame-thrower named Nolan Ryan ply his wild trade. Why, you might ask? Well, to quote Elizabeth Barrett Browning, "let me count the ways"...
1.) Prior to the seasons' start, the Mets, in their most infinite wisdom, fired a member of my family who worked for the team for a very long time. Let's just say that, not only did this person "bleed orange and blue" but was responsible for helping getting me started on the road to insanity as a fan of Flushing's Finest. It was a "cost-cutting" move that seemed less than sincere in the face of huge amounts being paid to the likes of Castillo, Perez and Bonilla for NOT playing and certainly stuck out like a sore thumb in its opposition to the Wilpon's supposed "loyalty" to the people who have stuck by them through thick and thin. This person was amazing at their job and was a victim of a poorly run front office staff (having nothing to do with the new regime led by Sandy Alderson). It's hard to be objective when a part of your heart has been cut out, and my desire to travel back to NYC to see a game was reduced to nothing in light of this. In fact, I've had trouble writing for either Mets Fever OR Mack's Mets through no fault of either, excellent website. It's been more a case of having known SO much about the team, inside and out, and not liking what's been happening to the point of paralysis by analysis. I'd never asked this person for "inside Mets' scoop" because, as much as I would've loved to, I respected their position too much to risk anything for a mere newsworthy nugget. Instead, I chose to work with other sources to acquire most of my news, trying very, very hard to sit on things that I thought would be detrimental to the team, especially in light of the fact that I am merely an unpaid blogger who writes out of love for the team. There are still things I choose not to discuss, things that happened over the past 5 years particularly; you know what they involve, if you've followed this team in recent years, so no need to rehash things here. Let's just leave it at this: I am a fan because I CHOOSE to be, and it's only this year that I've finally and truly realized one very important thing:
THE WILPONS DO NOT OWN THE METS - THE FANS DO!!!
2.) Wading through the mounds of horse-crap that the Wilpons have dumped on this team, I truly felt for the first time that the above-mentioned statement is true. Now, I'm not being naive- I don't expect to be asked to come up with $ to cover the teams' payroll- no less than I would expect to receive a dividend if the team ever made money. However, since I have spent oodles and oodles of my hard-earned $ on this team for 40+ years, and no longer wish to do so, at least this season, I choose to exercise "my" ownership by not adding anything to their bank accounts. I'm NOT the only person who feels this way; I've heard from numerous friends and family members who have chosen not to attend any games at CitiField this season, nor visit Modell's to purchase t-shirts or jerseys or similar items.
Furthermore, I've never really separated the players from the organization prior to this season; sadly, I've been reminded over and over again that the players on the field have nothing to do with the ownerships' foibles, and therefore find it hard to refrain from watching and rooting for the team even though their success would, in practicality, contribute to the bottom line of the Wilpons and company.
Finally, with the tumult still whirling around the heads of the Wilpons, Saul Katz, etc, and the already seen hypocrisy of some of the Mets leadership team (Dave Howard, in particular), this ownership group has now made it easier than ever before to separate the wheat from the chaff (yes, Jeff, if you are reading this, you are, indeed, part of the "chaff".)
So, bringing things back to this season's draft (and thank you for bearing with me whilst I engaged in my diatribe), what do I think about the selection of Brandon Nimmo?? Well, we've seen so many "next great things" come through this organization over the years - think of names like Alex Escobar, Kirk Presley, Lastings Milledge, Jason Tyner, Paul Wilson and Shawn Abner, just to name a few- that it's hard to get overly excited about ANY drafted player, let alone someone who never had the chance to play high school baseball as Wyoming doesn't have organized baseball at that level due to weather restrictions. (I still have autographed balls from Victor Diaz, Phil Humber and F-Mart sitting in a drawer in my office- constant reminders about speculating on such things.)
However, it impressed me that Sandy Alderson, Paul DePodesta and company chose to select the most talented "potential" with the first selection of their regime in Nimmo, rather than the player possessed of the quickest path to the majors, which exposed us to 2 important lessons about the new brain-trust in the front office: a.) they were NOT going to take the easy way out of the mess the upper levels of the minor league system is in by taking college players to stock these levels, and b.) they are willing to take some risks, in hopes of huge rewards later on. Let it be said- there's no fear of failure yet with this group, and that makes me very, very hopeful for the future of the team on the field.
One last thought on Nimmo - it's true that we live in an age of information overload, and the days of baseball draft picks not being announced for weeks after the draft took place still lingers in my mind like it was yesterday. That being said, it's refreshing to know that a player who wasn't able to play for a high school baseball team could still be "found" and desired by a number of top organizations in the game, from the Yankees to the Phils...and, for once, the METS were the team that landed this potential diamond in the rough. Let's hope that he's more Bryce Harper than Sidd Finch, and we'll ALL be happy!!! (For those who are not familiar with the "story" of Finch, check this out.)
Notes/Thoughts...
...I am NOT going to get overly excited yet about the "hamstring issue" with newly-elected 2011 NL All-Star Shortstop JOSE REYES (a title longer than any the Brits could hang on a newly-crowned "royal")...I choose to hope for the best, and both Mack and I have heard he's only shut down for a few days...
...Dodgers "owner" Frank McCourt almost- ALMOST - makes the Wilpons look normal in comparison - ALMOST!!...
...I must offer full disclosure- I HAVE received as PRESENTS the following Met-related items - one 2011 yearbook; one Nolan Ryan McFarland Figure in a Met uniform; an Ike Davis upside down-diving Cyclones Bobblehead; "162-0 - A Mets Perfect Season" and "New York Mets - 50 Amazin' Seasons" - but have yet to spend one single dollar on the team- although that WILL change when I take in my first game later this week vs. the Dodgers in the battle of worst owner in the game...
...to those who were knocking the hiring of Terry Collins prior to the season withOUT giving him even the benefit of the doubt- NOT looking so bad these days, huh???...
...Although the Triple A and Double A teams are struggling to fill out their rosters with higher level prospects, every time I see the major league roster, I can't help but smile when I see the following names; Ike Davis, Justin Turner, Ruben Tejeda, Daniel Murphy, Josh Thole, Angel Pagan, Lucas Duda, Dillon Gee, Jon Niese, Bobby Parnell & Mike Pelfrey - all recent grads of the upper levels of the team's minor leagues and all playing important roles in the bigs...
...As good as Dillon Gee has been so far, I'm not on the All-Star bandwagon yet. There are a LOT of pitchers having amazing seasons- I'm more concerned with seeing him continue to find consistency throughout the season and focus on his long-term role in the team's rotation. First things first...
...The autographed photo of Johan Santana that hangs over my head reminds me daily of one thing- if ANYONE can come back from this injury, SANTANA is the one who will do so!!!...
...Hitting Coach Dave Hudgens deserves a TON of credit for keeping this power vacuum-line-up at the top of the league in runs scored and average. He's been largely unheralded outside of Flushing, with SI's Jon Heyman being the first national columnist to give him any credit whatsoever (for a link to Heyman's article, click here and scroll down to number 55...
...I'll be back again next Sunday and should have a post over at METS FEVER some time this week as well, focusing on the upcoming all-star game. In the meantime, let's pray that Dickey has what it takes today so we can grab at least ONE game from the Yankees...have a great week!!
Editor's Note: And thanks to Mack for inviting me back- it's good to be here!!!!
2 comments:
Welcome back, David. I hope to hear more from you, both on Sundays, any day, and on comments.
I believe that the Mets scout that saw Nimmo play day after day had to have developed conversation with the Nimmo family before drafting him. I just can't see the Mets going this far out on a limb unless they were relatively sure that the kid will sign.
I look for $2.2mil the day after Amercian Legion ball, maybe a game or two for GCL and, who knows, maybe Savannah next spring.
That sounds about right, Mack. He's asking 2.5, so 2.2 sounds like a good compromise on both sides. I am hoping he gets to play at least 1.5 months this season, so we can get a look at him in action and he can be better evaluated by the team.
And glad to be back and thanks...
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