Today's column is a bit brief out of two personal necessities. As some of you are aware, back in 2022 I relocated from the USA to Malaysia where I've been living in a rental condominium since June of that year. I started looking for a new home and doing the ancillary paperwork to allow foreigners to buy property and earlier this month I made that happen.
Prior to moving in there were some things that needed doing, including a professional top to bottom cleaning, removal of some furniture to create space to build a game room, installation of appliances and then the actual transport of goods from here to there (just a distance a hair over a mile). I promised the team here I would try to write some columns in advance of news as I didn't know when I was losing Internet service here or gaining it there. The goal was to make today the actual move-in day, but sometimes life throws you an unexpected curveball.
For the past several days I hadn't been feeling very well and seemed to lack energy during a time when there was a lot of heavy lifting to be done. I thankfully had a younger body building friend come visit here from another state in Malaysia. He did an amazing amount of work as each hour of the Sunday/Monday moving I was getting worse and worse. Well, it turns out not to have been merely an out-of-shape 63 year old guy attempting to play moving man.
I'm also an insulin dependent diabetic and exercise naturally lowers your blood sugar levels. In 20-20 hindsight I should have either lowered my insulin dosage or increased my carbohydrate intake. I did neither and as a result I passed out from a critically low blood sugar reading.
Off in the ambulance I went and spent Tuesday night in the hospital after getting my glucose level to the right measure. I bullied my way out of the hospital late this morning as there is still work to do but a message went to my landlord informing him that the hoped for January 31st departure wouldn't be happening due to this situation.
He was very nice about it and a few lighter paced days will finish things up. I'm paid through the 14th, so there's nothing much he could say, though I know he's anxious to get his new tenant the keys.
Anyway, today's writing is understandably brief. I wanted to pose ten poll questions about the upcoming season and let you all have at it:
- What should be the team's number one priority between now and the start of Spring Training?
- What do we need to see most during the Spring Training period to indicate the team is indeed ready for 2025?
- What one improvement did the Mets make during the off-season that you feel will make the biggest impact?
- What player on the club will be the biggest positive surprise?
- Correspondingly, who do you feel will disappoint in his performance for the upcoming season?
- What are your initial thoughts on rookie skipper Carlos Mendoza?
- How will the reassignment of Eric Chavez back to hitting coach help what was a lackluster offense this past season?
- What role will injuries (and recoveries) play in the team's overall results?
- How much patience should be given to Brett Baty and Mark Vientos?
- Where should emerging home run hitter Francisco Alvarez slot into the batting order?
Spent a few moments and answer as few or as many hit home for you.
In the interim, wish me luck with the last 20+ cargo containers that need to be moved. And a Costco sized tube of Ben-Gay.
16 comments:
Feel better. And hope the move is completed smoothly and expeditiously. As far as what else are going to do it’s unclear because they didn’t sign Justin Turner. So it really seems they have confidence in Beatty and Vientos, which, hopefully they’re right about because those are a lot of it pets this year, Alvarez will be outstanding I think Miguel will be the biggest positive surprise to share with his newfound splitter. I will try to answer every question so I’ll leave it at that.
Best Wishes for your health and your move to new digs.
As far as the poll:
(1) What should be the team's number one priority between now and the start of Spring Training? Answer: Make a statement about their intentions for Baty and Vientos.
(2) What do we need to see most during the Spring Training period to indicate the team is indeed ready for 2025? (Should that be 2024?) Answer: A healthy rotation
(3) What one improvement did the Mets make during the off-season that you feel will make the biggest impact? Answer: Setting up the pitching lab????
(4) What player on the club will be the biggest positive surprise? Answer: Harrison Bader (and the bullpen in general)
(5) Correspondingly, who do you feel will disappoint in his performance for the upcoming season? Answer: I'm a Mets optimist. I don't predict bad stuff.
(6) What are your initial thoughts on rookie skipper Carlos Mendoza? Answer: I heard good stuff about him. I have to go with that.
(7) How will the reassignment of Eric Chavez back to hitting coach help what was a lackluster offense this past season? Answer: It probably can't hurt, but it doesn't seem like he was that far away last year - I don't get it if there is a whole philosophy change.
(8) What role will injuries (and recoveries) play in the team's overall results?
Answer: Everything, particularly in the rotation
(9) How much patience should be given to Brett Baty and Mark Vientos? Answer:(See #1 above). I believe it was Mack that made the statement that they should be given full time roles at third base and DH respectively for 3 months or until the All Star break. I agree 100% with that. Do not sit them after a bad game. I truly hope they have told each player what their role will be more than they have let the fan-base know. There has been too much press about looking for a DH or a 3B. Either play them there or trade them and move on. I say play them.
(10) Where should emerging home run hitter Francisco Alvarez lot into the batting order? Answer: Cleanup
Hey Reese. Glad you’re feeling better, and Mazel Tov on being able to buy the new place.
As to (some of) the poll questions…
1. Add one late inning BP piece.
2. I assume you meant ‘24, but if we’re pointing to ‘25 then I want to see some of the next wave of prospects get some big club time in ST and look like they belong.
3. Harrison Bader
4. I think Megill will take a giant step forward.
5.
6. ?
7. Chavez seemed to have a big impact on the Mets effectively hitting against the shift in ‘22 (see McNeil). It’ll be interesting to see if he’s as effective now that the shift is gone and the league is back to pulling the ball as hard as possible every AB.
8. Oy
9. I’m with Mack as well, the All-Star break at the very least.
10. I’ve always thought that Lindor should hit 5th, so I’d slot Alvarez 4th or 6th.
I guess if I'm asking others to provide their thoughts I would be amiss if I didn't pitch in with my own:
1. What should be the team's number one priority between now and the start of Spring Training? One more proven relief pitcher to join the tail end of Diaz, Ottavino and Raley.
2. What do we need to see most during the Spring Training period to indicate the team is indeed ready for 2024? See if the assortment of new arms acquired are better than their stat sheets indicate.
3. What one improvement did the Mets make during the off-season that you feel will make the biggest impact? Improving speed and defense on the field which in the past was overlooked.
4. What player on the club will be the biggest positive surprise? Luis Severino has shown when he is healthy he can be as good as anyone in the league. Will it happen? Who knows...but it would qualify as a positive surprise.
5. Correspondingly, who do you feel will disappoint in his performance for the upcoming season? I think there are a lot of candidates here, but I really think Bader will be a defensive replacement and pinch runner at best (and be overpaid for that).
6. What are your initial thoughts on rookie skipper Carlos Mendoza? They are trying to mold a long term solution without the arrogance and inflexibility of a seasoned skipper. Of course, it also helps that he works at a considerably lower rate of pay.
7. How will the reassignment of Eric Chavez back to hitting coach help what was a lackluster offense this past season? It certainly can't hurt.
8. What role will injuries (and recoveries) play in the team's overall results? On Starling Marte primarily could rest the team's return to contention. We saw how good he can be when he's not injured. The pitchers are all question marks as well but not to the extent of Marte.
9. How much patience should be given to Brett Baty and Mark Vientos?
Where should emerging home run hitter Francisco Alvarez slot into the batting order? 81 games seems like a reasonable long term trial to help make decisions for the present and the future.
10. Where should emerging home run hitter Francisco Alvarez slot into the batting order? I think he should start off 6th and move up to 5th if he shows capable in the 6th slot. He was on a pace last year for mind-blowing home run numbers not seen since Piazza.
Wow
Welcome to old age and low blood sugars. The important thing is you survived and now know your limits
A doctor told me once that when you read that someone dies from complications of diabetes one of them is found dead after crashing head on into a tree after passing out from a low
My passing out from a low resulted in me smashing my head into my dining room table as I fell, being in a coma, in ICU for 6 days, and resulting in permanent loss of some memory, total loss of hearing in my right ear, and some permanent brain functions
Congrats on the new home, Reese. Feel better. I, too, understand having your aging body betray you. Hope the rest of the move goes much easier with much less drama. Take care
Your survey:
1. Load the truck
2. Figure out who plays third
3. Bringing back Otto
4. Drew Smith
5. Bader
6. No change
7. A lightweight
8. Injuries always hurt
9. A lot
10. 5
1. Sign one more back end RP
2. Everyone stay healthy
3. Manaea? Not many Off Season improvements.
4. Gilbert
5. Severino
6. Not much yet
7. It will only help. He shouldn’t have been moved off that coaching assignment.
8. Huge. There are a lot of health issues with this team and signed a bunch of FA’s with injury history
9. If Mauricio was healthy I’d say Baty has a 2 month window. With no other everyday 3B replacement Baty should get at least half the year. Maybe give Vientos some more time there. He was working with Lindor this Off Season on his fielding. Vientos should get 130+ games mostly at DH, 3B, and a few at 1st backing up Pete.
10. 5th
Good luck in the new digs, Reese! Hope it becomes everything you dreamed of.
To your questions, here are my answers:
1) Sign Alonso to a long term extension.
2) Good innings and indication of health by the starting pitchers.
3) Joey Wendle will end up being a great addition.
4) Tylor Megill and his new splitter will have a sensational year.
5) Age catches up with Starling Marte despite the hope of a fresh start.
6) Mendoza is playing with a house of cards. His team is full of young players that will need to play alot to be evaluated. That will hurt the W/L record and Mendoza could be deemed ineffective even though he played the hand he was dealt.
7) I think Chavez will have a positive approach and the Mets will hit more to their potential.
8) Injuries will allow for call-ups and I am hopeful that one or two of them will be a very positive surprise.
9) Baty and Vientos can't be strung along. This season is "prove it" time. They should be given a long leash to show what they have.
10) Alvarez should be the 4 with Alonso at the 5 only because Alvarez is faster and can score on Pete's doubles.
Good point on Alvarez hitting 4th but Pete won't like that and it could hurt chance for a new contract
Old folks need to wear football helmets and michelin suits to avoid injuries. Just avoid the folks with the butterfly nets
I was thinking Alvarez at clean-up behind Pete hitting 3rd. Nimmo leads off and Lindor follows. McNeil will then hit fifth driving in Alvarez. Marte, Vientos, Baty and Bader make up the rest, probably in that order.
Like Snider/Hodges and Mantle/Maris
Be well Reese. Good luck in your new crib. Another quality backend bullpen arm would be nice.
Thanks for all your good wishes about the house and my health. I have half-loaded the vehicle downstairs with stuff to carry over to the house, am taking a beverage break and then it's on the road for the 5-minute journey there to unload. The last to go is refrigerator contents, a couple of computers and my wife's desk chair. Once that's all done, then the four-footed child will find out what it's like to bark in a new home.
Thanks Reese for all your excellent writing and hard work. Hope we both have many more years for you to write them and me to read em. Moving is horribly stressful but you are now on the home stretch. Hope the neighbors and neighborhood are better than you hoped and the house maintains like a fortress. Take a couple days and relax, bark with four legs and hug Mrs Reese. You've earned it
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