A Joey and Iggy Beartran Thanksgiving (2015)

This blog post will go on Snoopy.  Just let us know when Snoopy is behind us.  (Ed Leyro/Studious Metsimus)

Greetings and happy Thanksgiving, Mets fans!  I'm Joey Beartran and I'm spending the holiday with my sister, Iggy.  On this special day, we're not going to say anything bad about the Mets, the Wilpons or Cole Hamels.  Instead, we're going to celebrate Bartolo Colon's favorite holiday by sharing what we are most thankful for.

Why are we sharing this on a day when no one reads Mets blog posts because they're either watching football or eating Friday and Saturday's leftovers before they become leftovers?  Because what else are you going to do during the boring halftime shows or while your Aunt Tillie is giving her ten-minute thank you speech at the dinner table making everyone at the table wonder why she was invited in the first place?

So sit back, relax and enjoy what we're most thankful for this Thanksgiving.  We promise we'll be thankful for something other than the gif that keeps on gif-ing.

Gotta work out the arms and hands that hold his knife and fork.

Joey:  I'm thankful Iggy and I have been Mets fans since birth.  Because we're such die-hard fans, no one thinks it's unusual when we travel to so many cities to attend baseball games.

Iggy:  I'm thankful we also have a designated driver in the family.  We needed someone to drive us to Cincinnati, Baltimore and Pittsburgh to watch the Mets play on the road.  We couldn't drive because ... well ... see for yourself.

I'd actually be a great driver if I could see where I was going.

Joey:  I'm thankful the Mets haven't signed any free agents so early in the off-season.  The last two years, the Mets acquired Chris Young and Michael Cuddyer before Thanksgiving.  They both ended up being turkeys for the Mets.  And not the good kind.

Iggy:  Speaking of turkey, I'm thankful we got to try new foods while we were away on our road trips.  It helped us forget that Young was ever on our team and that Cuddyer ... oh wait ... he's still on our team, isn't he?  Well, at least we'll always have coneys and chili cheese fries.  Or at least you did.  I was busy taking this photo of you while you were enjoying the Cincinnati staple.

Why doesn't Coney Island have coneys?  And why isn't it an island?  Something to ponder as I chow down.

Joey:  I'll always be thankful for what Yoenis Cespedes did to get the Mets to the playoffs and what Daniel Murphy did to carry the Mets to the World Series.  Without them, my dreams of attending a Fall Classic game with Iggy would not have come true.

Iggy:  Aw, thank you, Joey.  And I'm thankful that Murphy showed he can hit left-handers in the playoffs, homering twice off Clayton Kershaw and once off Jon Lester.  Speaking of southpaws, did you know that Daniel Murphy has owned that smiling ass, Cole Hamels, over his major league career, batting .321 with four doubles and a homer off Hamels in 53 lifetime at-bats?  What?  I wasn't supposed to say anything bad about Hamels?  But I wasn't.  I was complimenting Daniel Murphy.

Will Cespedes and Murphy be back to pose for more photos like this?  (Photo courtesy of SI.com)

Joey:  Finally, I'm thankful that we're going into the 2016 campaign as defending National League champions.  With Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey leading the rotation and a full season of Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz's services, not to mention the return of Zack Wheeler, the Mets look like they will be in contention for another postseason berth next year and in the years to come.

Iggy:  I'm just thankful this blog post is over.  All this talk about baseball and Thanksgiving dinner made me hungry for peanuts, Cracker Jack, hot dogs, turkey, stuffing ... oh, and Joey would probably want something, too.

These are just our appetizers until we get the main course.

Well, I guess we've reached the end of our annual Thanksgiving Day post.  We're glad we were able to provide a distraction from your Aunt Tillie's Thanksgiving Thesis.  And we're even more glad that you (the reader) and us (Joey and Iggy) all have something in common.  We're all fans of the defending National League champion New York Mets.

It's been a wonderful year - one we will not soon forget.  You should all be thankful that you got to experience it with your fellow Mets fans.  Let's make 2016 even more special.

From our family to yours, we hope you have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.  And never stop believing in your team.

LET'S GO METS!!

Keep reaching for the stars and you'll always believe!

A Joey and Iggy Beartran Thanksgiving (2014)

Hello and happy Thanksgiving, Mets fans!  This is Joey Beartran, and I'm here with my sister, Iggy Beartran.  On this special holiday, we're not going to criticize anything the Wilpons have done over the years, or ponder why Chris Young (the batter) was a horrible acquisition last season or why Chris Young (the pitcher) won the Comeback Player of the Year award AFTER he left the Mets.

Iggy and I are thankful for many things that happened to us in 2014 and we'd like to share those things with you on this most American of holidays.  It's not a particularly long list, so you can read it during halftime of the Bears-Lions game or Cowboys-Eagles affair.  At the very least, you can take your time to read it after eating a plate full of stuffing and cranberry sauce.  And by taking your time, I mean enough time so we can come over and help ourselves to your leftovers.

Enjoy your holidays, everyone!

Joey:  I'm thankful for my sister, Iggy.  Without her in my life, going to Mets games - both at home and on the road - wouldn't be nearly as much fun.

Iggy:  You're so sweet, Joey.  I'm thankful for you as well.  I love to going to games with you at Citi Field, but I also enjoy visiting other ballparks with you, so we can sample the delicious ballpark food and drink together.

Chicken tenders and garlic fries.  Now THAT'S something we'd like to see at Citi Field.

Joey:  I'm thankful the Mets are making a sincere attempt to be relevant in 2015.  After six straight seasons of sub-.500 baseball, it's great to know that Michael Cuddyer and hopefully other proven winners are going to be wearing Mets uniforms next year.

Iggy:  I'm also thankful the Mets are trying to win games next year.  Maybe that will make lines at Shake Shack in Citi Field shorter because Mets fans would rather stay in their seats watching games instead of spending several innings waiting to order their tasty burgers.

Michael Cuddyer checks the line at Shake Shack.  If he does well, we might have shorter waits there.

Joey:  I'm very thankful that several Mets killers are no longer in the NL East.  Jason Heyward has moved from Atlanta to St. Louis, while Adam LaRoche has departed from the Nationals to the White Sox, who are not even on the Mets' schedule next year.

Iggy:  I'm more thankful that Cole Hamels in still on the Phillies.  That way the Mets can continue to beat that ugly ass on his ... uh ... ugly ass.

Even Cole Hamels himself thought that was funny.  Just look at those choppers.

Joey:  Finally, I'm thankful that Austin Mahone will not be performing at Citi Field in 2015.  Just having all those screeching young girls drowning me out when I was trying to start a "Let's go Mets" chant was very disenchanting.  They almost made me lose my appetite for those delicious bacon, cheddar and scallion fries from Box Frites.

Iggy:  I'm actually thankful for Austin Mahone fans.  Because anyone that can make Joey lose his appetite at any time just means more fries for me!

Bacon and cheddar and fries, oh my!

That's the end of our special Joey and Iggy Thanksgiving post.  Thanks bunches for taking the time to read what we were thankful for this year.  Feel free to share what you're thankful for in the comments section.  Or if commenting on blog posts aren't your bag, then take another bag and fill it up with your leftover turkey, stuffing and assorted pies.  That's our bag!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  And thanks so much for your continued support!

LET'S GO METS!!

YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!!

 

Gettin' Iggy With It: Up At The Crack of Ass To Talk About Trading One

"Hey, Cole Hamels!  What's that on your lip?"

Good afternoon, everyone!  This is Iggy Beartran, sister to Studious Metsimus roving reporter Joey Beartran and expert on all things Cole Hamels.  Normally, I like to sleep in on Saturdays, but upon hearing yesterday's news about the Phillies looking to trade their resident ass, I had to wake up early to discuss this news with our readers (assuming any of you are awake at this time).

On Friday, several reports had Hamels updating his no-trade clause, which currently includes 20 teams he cannot be dealt to without his consent (the Mets are on this list because he knows Citi Field is a "no ass zone").  Interim team president Pat Gillick acknowledged that he doesn't expect the Phillies to be competitive for at least three seasons.  Therefore, keeping a $24 million a year pitcher until the final years of his contract when he's in his mid-30s and not as tradeable - well, that would be (ahem) phoolish.  Almost as foolish as the team giving him a six-year, $144 million deal to begin with.  Not to mention Ryan Howard's albatross of a contract, which still has two years and $50 million left on it, plus a $10 million buyout for the 2017 season.

Let's look at what the Phillies' version of the "core four" has done over the past few years and see how tradeable those players are.

Jimmy Rollins

Jimmy Rollins is entering the final year of his four-year, $44 million contract.  His career numbers are excellent (479 doubles, 111 triples, 216 homers, 453 stolen bases, 1,325 runs scored), but his best seasons are behind him.  Way, way behind him.  Rollins has batted over .252 just once in the last six seasons and has a .318 on-base percentage and .397 slugging percentage over that same time period.  That means Ruben Tejada has a better chance of reaching base (Tejada has a .328 OBP in five seasons as a Met) and Daniel Murphy can outslug the former NL MVP (Murphy has a lifetime .419 slugging percentage in six seasons despite never hitting more than 13 homers over a full season).

Oh, and did I mention that Rollins has made the third-most outs in the National League since 2009?  I didn't?  Well, I am now.  In fact, let's compare him to some of those other "out-makers".

Player	Outs Made	From	To	Age	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Hunter Pence	2812	2009	2014	26-31	953	4056	3701	537	1042	183	143	537	.282	.338	.464	.803
Brandon Phillips	2703	2009	2014	28-33	877	3794	3468	482	960	180	100	470	.277	.326	.424	.750
Jimmy Rollins	2625	2009	2014	30-35	839	3724	3359	480	845	172	91	343	.252	.318	.397	.714
Justin Upton	2510	2009	2014	21-26	883	3745	3291	540	919	181	147	482	.279	.357	.482	.839

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/25/2014.

From 2009 to 2014, the top four out-makers in the National League include Hunter Pence, Brandon Phillips, Justin Upton and Rollins.  Rollins has put himself on this list despite playing the fewest games of the foursome and having the fewest plate appearances, at-bats, runs scored, hits, doubles, homers and runs batted in.  He also has the lowest batting average (by far), on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS.  And most importantly, Rollins is the oldest player in the out-making firm of Pence, Phillips, Upton and Rollins.

If any team wants a soon-to-be 36-year-old shortstop who can learn a thing or two about reaching base from Ruben Tejada and slugging from Daniel Murphy, and who's only consistent about one thing at his advanced age - making outs - then Rollins is the man that team should target.  The bottom line is that Rollins is practically untradeable, especially if his decline continues in 2015.

Ryan Howard

Ryan Howard was once known for being one of the most feared hitters in the league, averaging 44 HR and 133 RBI from 2006 to 2011.  But beginning in 2012 (the first season of his five-year, $125 million contract), Howard has been known for a few "s"-words - strikeouts, Subway sandwiches and suckitude.

Over the past three seasons, Howard has averaged 101 games played per year due to an assortment of injuries, but that hasn't stopped him from striking out at an alarming rate.  Howard has whiffed 128 times per season since 2012 despite missing 182 games.  He has also averaged 16 homers and 65 RBI per year since 2012, and hit just 23 homers in 2014 despite being healthy all season (153 games played).  Howard had a career-low .380 slugging percentage in 2014 and led the majors in strikeouts with 190.  That's what $25 million a year buys the Phillies these days.

But hey, at least that kind of green can buy Howard all the Subway sandwiches he can eat (or are those called hoagies in Philadelphia?).

(GIF courtesy of Bill Baer at Crashburn Alley)

Chase Utley

In 2014, Chase Utley played 150+ games for the first time since 2009, but his final numbers were nowhere near what he produced in the Phillies' last pennant-winning season.  In 2009, Utley produced a .282/.397/.508 slash line, hit 31 homers (his third 30-homer campaign) and set new career highs with 23 stolen bases and 88 walks.  Five years later, Utley's first injury-free season since 2009 saw him produce a .270/.339/.407 slash line, 11 home runs, 10 stolen bases and just 53 walks.

Looking at Utley's five-year peak from 2005 to 2009 and comparing that to his last five years shows that Utley is a shadow of his former self.

• 2005-09: 151 games, .301/.388/.535, 39 doubles, 29 HR, 101 RBI, 111 runs scored
• 2010-14: 117 games, .270/.355/.435, 23 doubles, 13 HR, 60 RBI, 65 runs scored

Because of Utley's injury-free season in 2014, his $10 million salary in 2015 jumps up to $15 million, as there was a clause in his contract that guaranteed the 50% increase if he did not spend time on the disabled list with a knee injury in 2014.  A similar campaign will cause a $15 million option to kick in for 2016.  The same option applies to the 2017 and 2018 seasons.  Utley will earn $15 million per year if he collects 500 or more plate appearances in his previous campaign.  For the record, Utley played in 115 games in 2010 and 131 games in 2013, but still reached 500 plate appearances in both seasons.  In other words, the Phillies might be rooting for a long stint on the disabled list for their second baseman just to get out of a contract that could pay Utley $60 million between now and his age 39 season in 2018.

How are the Phillies going to be able to trade a guy who hasn't had a great season since 2009 to a team that would have to pay him top dollar if he stays on the field?  Utley's staying, for better or for worse.  Probably for worse.

Cole Hamels

And that brings us back to Cole Hamels.  The smiling ass still has four years and $96 million left on a contract that will pay him until he's 34, which means he'll be younger at the end of the deal than Rollins, Howard and Utley are right now.

As much as Hamels sucks against the Mets (ha, ha!), he is very good against everyone else.  In 2014, Hamels produced a career-best 2.46 ERA, reaching 200 innings for the sixth time in seven seasons.  Over the last five years, Hamels has averaged a 3.00 ERA, 1.119 WHIP and 204 strikeouts per season.  He is one of six pitchers to have 1,000 or more strikeouts since 2010.  The others are Clayton Kershaw, Felix Hernandez, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and David Price.  You probably recognize those names as pitchers who have won the Cy Young Award.  In fact, there are only three pitchers in all of baseball who have produced an ERA of 3.00 or lower, a WHIP not exceeding 1.12 and 1,000 strikeouts over the last five seasons.  Those pitchers are Kershaw, Hernandez and Hamels.

In other words, Cole Hamels might be an ass, but he's a mighty fine ass.

And this is a mighty fine picture of Cole Hamels.

Cole Hamels is just 30 years old (he'll be 31 in December).  Unlike his older homegrown teammates, Hamels is still quite productive, meaning he's actually earning his exorbitant salary.  But all of his quality starts have done little to help the Phillies win.  Over the last two seasons, Hamels has allowed two runs or fewer in 39 starts.  The Phillies lost 18 of those games.

Here is a list of every pitcher since 1901 who did not reach double digits in victories during a year in which he made at least 30 starts and produced a sub-2.50 ERA.

Player	Year	ERA	GS	W	Age	Tm	Lg	L	W-L%	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Cole Hamels	2014	2.46	30	9	30	PHI	NL	9	.500	204.2	176	60	56	59	198	.235	.296	.345	.641

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/25/2014.

Not exactly a long list, is it?  In fact, since the advent of divisional play in 1969, only two pitchers have come close to matching what Hamels did, and both names might look familiar to fans of National League baseball in New York.

Player	Year	ERA	GS	W	Age	Tm	Lg	L	W-L%	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Cole Hamels	2014	2.46	30	9	30	PHI	NL	9	.500	204.2	176	60	56	59	198	.235	.296	.345	.641
Matt Harvey	2013	2.27	26	9	24	NYM	NL	5	.643	178.1	135	46	45	31	191	.209	.248	.282	.530
Craig Swan	1978	2.43	28	9	27	NYM	NL	6	.600	207.1	164	62	56	58	125	.219	.275	.321	.597

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/25/2014.

Both Craig Swan and Matt Harvey failed to reach ten victories in their outstanding seasons, but each pitcher had a sub-2.50 ERA.  However, unlike Hamels, who made 30 starts in 2014, Swan and Harvey started 28 and 26 games, respectively, leaving Hamels all by his lonesome in the 30-start, 2.50-or-under-ERA, single-digit-victory club.

Imagine what Hamels could do for a team that, you know, actually scores runs.  It would behoove the Phillies to trade Hamels now, while he's still in his prime and is still putting up All-Star numbers.

Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Cole Hamels are the Phillies' version of the "core four", as the quartet was originally drafted by Philadelphia and have spent a combined 47 seasons in the city of Brotherly Love.  But Rollins, Howard and Utley are all past their prime years and are playing like it.  Hamels is not.

"We're not amused that Iggy Beartran thinks we're past out prime." (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

For years, Cole Hamels has never endeared himself to Mets fans.  From calling the Mets chokers following the Phillies' 2008 championship season to costing R.A. Dickey a chance to toss the team's first no-hitter in 2010, Hamels has been the textbook definition of an ass.

During the 2009 World Series against the Yankees, Hamels admitted that he couldn't wait to go home while his teammates were trying to win a second championship.  If he wants to win more games, perhaps home for Hamels should be in a city that doesn't serve up steaks on a hoagie or poorly-timed quotes from its star pitcher.

Escaping from Philadelphia can help both the Phillies on a team level and Cole Hamels on a personal level.  Hopefully, if Hamels does get traded, it's to a team that has the Mets on its schedule.  That 8-14 career mark versus New York needs a few more 'L's on it.

The Magic 8-Ball Predicts The 2014 Mets Season

It's almost time to begin another 162-game journey with the Mets.  But will it be a journey that leads us to unexpected happiness or another season of "been there, done that"?

At Studious Metsimus, we always want to know in advance what the Mets are going to do prior to Opening Day.  We figure that if there's something to look forward to during the upcoming season, we should be prepared for it.  Similarly, if there's something we wish we didn't know, we should also share it with our readers.  Why should we keep all the yummy disappointment to ourselves?

Since the end of the 2013 campaign, the Mets have added two new outfielders in Chris Young and Curtis Granderson.  Young is signed to a one-year deal because the Mets want to be winners of this year's Marlon Byrd Award.  That's the honor given to the front office who gets lucky with a reclamation project for one year, then trades him away for prospects at the trade deadline, hoping he signs a multi-year deal the following season with a division rival (preferably the Phillies) who foolishly overpays for his services.  Granderson was brought aboard with a four-year contract because the Mets want to prove that not every power-hitting outfielder who comes to Citi Field on a four-year deal is going to turn into Jason Bay.

In addition to Young and Granderson, the Mets added 40-year-old Bartolo Colon to be the team's temporary replacement for the injured Matt Harvey, as well as the club's elder statesman and nutrition consultant.  This probably also explains why Harvey is adamant about returning before the end of the 2014 season.  Not because he wants to be the oldest guy in the clubhouse (which he won't be for many years), but because he doesn't want to trip over empty KFC buckets in the clubhouse.

Will the Mets' new additions cause the team's fans to party like it's 1986?  Or will they get over this off-season's acquisitions almost as quickly as Cole Hamels racks up losses against the Mets?

The answers to those questions and more are the reasons why we have awoken our Magic 8-Ball from its yearly hibernation.  So sit back, relax, make yourself some chicken nachos (not necessarily in that order - we realize it would be difficult to make yourself a snack after you've sat down and begun to relax), and prepare yourselves for the wise words that can only come from a quick shake of the Studious Metsimus Magic 8-Ball!  Take it away, M8B!

Oh, sorry about that.  I won't make that mistake again.  So let's jump right into it, Magic 8-Ball.  What are your thoughts on the team this year?  Do you think they'll be competitive in the NL East?

My bad.  How do you feel the Mets will fare in the division in 2014?

 You do realize there are only five teams in the NL East, right?

Let's move on.  The Mets signed Chris Young, Curtis Granderson and Bartolo Colon to free-agent contracts during the off-season.  Which of the three players do you think will have the greatest impact at Citi Field?

Wow, you seem quite sure of yourself.  Why do you think it's absolutely Chris Young?

I don't understand.  What does his proximity to Shake Shack have to do with his value on the team?

Okay.  I think we're beyond fat jokes here.  Everyone's doing them.  You're better than that.

I'll forget I ever asked that question.  Now, Magic 8-Ball, if you were manager Terry Collins, who would you want to have a bounceback season from the most?

Zack Wheeler?  Are you crazy?  Wheeler had a great rookie season, going 7-5 with a 3.42 ERA.  Why would you think Terry Collins would want him to bounce back?  What is he bouncing back from?

I see your point.  So let's shift back to the offense.  Ike Davis and Lucas Duda both spent extended periods of time at AAA-Las Vegas, yet still managed to strike out a combined 203 times at the major league level.  They drove in a total of 66 runs for the Mets, so for every RBI they produced, they struck out more than three times.  Now they're both vying for playing time at first base.  What's the easy solution for this conundrum?

If only the batting-helmeted one was still active and not about to turn 46 this coming August.

That's another outstanding point, Magic 8-Ball!  You're on a roll today!

Alas, Tejada is no Jose Reyes on the field.

You're quite the savvy sphere!  Let's try a lighter question now.  David Wright was just named the face of MLB.  If baseball named other players as the arm or leg of baseball, which players would those be?

Excuse me?  What are you talking about?  Did I say something wrong?

So because you're an armless, legless face, that means no one can ask you a question about those body parts?

You're a little too sensitive for a Magic 8-Ball, you know that?  So I'm not getting anything from you on this topic?

I guess that's better than nothing.  So one more question on an individual player before I ask you for your prediction for the Mets' record in 2014.  What do you think Matt Harvey will do to stay occupied during his year of rehab and recovery from Tommy John surgery?

What's that?

I didn't know he was trying to take your job.  Oh, wait.  You're talking about that tweet he put out predicting that Harvey Day would happen in 2014.  I honestly don't think you have to worry about him challenging you in the prognosticating profession.

>Snicker<  You really didn't just say you were "quite shaken" after reading Harvey's tweet, did you?  A Magic 8-Ball being shaken?  >Chuckle<

Okay, I'm sorry.  Final question.  What do you think will be the Mets' final record in 2014 and where will they finish in the NL East?

Aw, come on!  Can't you give the Mets an extra win so they can at least finish the year with a .500 record?

And on that note, I think it's time to pack away the Studious Metsimus Magic 8-Ball in a box, preferably a dark one with no air holes, and not let it out for another year at the very least.  Hmmm, I wonder what Matt Harvey is doing right now...

Enjoy the upcoming baseball season, Mets fans!  And as always, please help control the snarky sphere population.  Have your Magic 8-Ball spayed or neutered.

LET'S GO METS!!

Hey, kids!  The Magic 8-Ball has made predictions before.  To see what it said prior to each of the previous four seasons, please click on the links below:

2013 Magic 8-Ball Predictions

2012 Magic 8-Ball Predictions

2011 Magic 8-Ball Predictions

2010 Magic 8-Ball Predictions