Mets: David Wright, Cory Mazzoni, Mike Piazza, Howard Megdal, Bernie Madoff

Photo by Mack Ade

Best Hitter: David Wright, 3B  He missed significant time with injury for the first time in his career, when a stress fracture in his lower back forced him off of the field for two months. It was the first time he didn't make the All-Star game since 2005. Wright hit .254/.345/.427 with 14 HR, 61 RBI, and 13 SB in 102 games. Wright seemed like he could become the best all-around hitter in the game after 2008, when he was still only 25 and averaged 29 HR, 112 RBI, and 22 SB with a .311/.394/.534 line during his first four full seasons in the majors. The opening of Citi Field in 2009 however famously seemed to sap his numbers and he has hit .284/.364/.463 during his first three seasons in the park. As Robert said earlier however, they are moving the fences in. I don't know how much this will help Wright and other hitters, but it shouldn't hurt. http://www.faketeams.com/2012/2/6/2775041/fantasy-baseball-spotlight-new-york-mets

RHP Cory Mazzoni - The Mets' 2011 second round selection out of NC State signed just early enough to get his feet wet in pro ball, pitching in six games for the Cyclones as well as St. Lucie. In that short time he showed why many are excited about his future and why many -- like BP's Kevin Goldstein -- consider him a breakout candidate going forward. That's because the 22-yr old Mazzoni is the rare college pitcher that blends refinement, results and top shelf stuff yet was still on the board beyond the first round. First and foremost, Mazzoni's fastball reaches into the mid-90's -- touching 97 mph. Then pair the fact that he features pinpoint command and you're already talking about a very interesting talent. He also features a decent curve/splitter mix that is inconsistent but developing.  http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/2/6/2768128/2012-amazin-avenue-mets-top-50-prospect-15-11

There he was, down in the Veterans Stadium tunnel under left field last weekend, rubbing shoulders with Mike Marshall and Greg Brock, stroking batting-practice pitches from Manny Mota, bleeding the same shade of blue as Tommy Lasorda. Mike Piazza blinked, just to make sure he hadn’t died and gone to Dodger Heaven. Piazza, a junior at Phoenixville High, reacted to all this heady company he was keeping the way your average 16-year-old would. He was a bit in awe. But, really, there was no reason for him to be star struck, because he’s having a better year than Marshall and Brock. http://miscbaseball.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/mike-piazza-in-high-school-near-philadelphia/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Yesterday, Howard Megdal revealed over at the Journal News that he will not be credentialed by the Mets for the 2012 baseball season. According to Megdal, Sean Mayer, the sports editor at the Journal News, received a call from Jay Horwitz, the Director of Media Relations for the Mets, telling him that while the Journal News can continue to receive credentials, the Mets would not be credentialing him. When asked for a reason, Horwitz answered the Mets “don’t like Megdal’s reporting.” You all know by now that Megdal has been following the Mets financial situation closely. He wrote a book called “Wilpon’s Folly,” which details the fallout of the team’s investments with Bernie Madoff. He’s been at the forefront of this reporting, as not until a recent article by Adam Rubin of ESPN NY, have we seen detailed discussion on the issues by the mainstream media. Most of the reporting has been Mets and MLB sourced material; both of which have a vested interest in keeping the public in the dark and controlling the message. As a matter of fact, none of Rubin’s story discounted the facts in Megdal’s book. http://nybaseballdigest.com/2012/02/07/clubhouse-access-not-essential-to-entertaining-factual-reporting/

The New York Mets may never recover from the Ponzi scheme of Bernie Madoff. The Metropolitans owner Fred Wilpon got hooked and lost millions to the scheme. The New York Mets moved into their new stadium Citi Field in 2008-09 under a cloud of questions from New York City tax payers. The Mets are selling their star players to the highest bidders while at the same time asking fans to pay higher prices for tickets, parking, and food. The ownership of the new stadium is also in jeopardy and the fans suffered through another mediocre season. MLB turned its head and continued the 2011 season. The Mets continue to stink on the field with players like pitchers R.A. Dickey and Dillion Gee, outfielders Jason Bay and Lucas Duda, and infielders David Wright and Ike Davis.  The final straw, The Oakland A’s baseball organization sold their three All Stars within months after the 2011 season ended. Closer Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Sweeney went to the Boston Red Sox, Trevor Cahill went to the Arizona Diamondbacks and starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez to the Washington Nationals.  http://blackathlete.net/artman2/publish/Editorial_46/The_MLB_FRAUD.shtml