Joey's Small Bites: An All-Star Feast For Man or Beast

Hello, everyone!  Welcome to the latest edition of Joey's Small Bites.  I'm Studious Metsimus roving reporter and culinary expert, Joey Beartran.  And for this segment I'm serving both roles, as I found myself roving in the Caesar's Club at Citi Field on Wednesday chowing down on all sorts of culinary delights that will be part of the All-Star Game menu.

From new takes on traditional ballpark food to items rarely (if ever) seen at any sporting event, the Mets and ARAMARK had it all on display for this hungry bear to sample.  (Don't worry.  I left some for the other members of the media who were invited to the event.)

After a brief introduction to the new food items, including a description of the newest item - the All-Star Meatball Hero - by ARAMARK executive chef, Robert Flowers, it was time to dig in.  And boy, did I ever dig in!

Robert Flowers (photo by my Studious Metsimus colleague, Ed Leyro)

For my appetizer, I had the Trio of Mac and Cheese, which was topped with pancetta, lobster and three cheeses.  That was followed by the Citi Field Loaded Tater Tots, which were made with cheddar cheese sauce, bacon bits and scallions.  And although technically it's a dessert, my final appetizer consisted of a delicious raspberry cheesecake doughnut with a white chocolate dipping sauce.  I probably should have gotten two of these because my sister, Iggy, had most of mine.

Iggy took advantage of the fact that I was enjoying my mac and cheese by eating my mini-doughnut.

The mac and cheese was very cheesy (which is a good thing if you're a bowl of mac and cheese) and the loaded tots were sublime.  When I asked Iggy how *MY* raspberry cheesecake doughnut was, all she said was "nom, nom, nom".  I took her comment as a "paws up" review.  During games, the mac and cheese can be found in the Citi Field suites, while the loaded tots can be purchased in the Promenade Club.  The delectable doughnut dessert is a product of the Acela Club.

After consuming my scrumptious appetizers, I moved on to two items that were perfectly sized for my bear paws.  The Mex Burger from Keith's Grill (which can be found on the field level in the left field corner near Section 132) and the Major League Grilled Cheese (it's in the Caesar's Club) were served in miniature versions that allowed me to have a few of each.

The tasty burger is a Brooklyn Burger patty served on a toasted sesame bun.  The burger is topped with cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese and comes with bacon, guacamole, chipotle aioli and jalapeños. The grilled cheese sandwich has a thick combination of Swiss, cheddar and gouda, topped with - you guessed it - more bacon!  Both sandwiches were incredibly mouth-watering and quite satisfying.

Despite all the food I put away, I still had a little room in my tummy for dessert.  And I'm glad I had that space available, as there were a number of delicious mini-cupcakes in five flavors to satisfy every bear's palate.

For Iggy, I chose the lavender blueberry cupcake, but I could easily have chosen from the selection of S'mores, red velvet, vanilla bean or chocolate cupcakes.  I, on the other paw, decided to have a slightly larger dessert.

After eating so much food (especially bacon) and dessert, I had to take a nap.  Fortunately, Mrs. Met was there to rock me to sleep.  Although I was in dreamland, my Studious Metsimus colleague took photos of some of the other food items (and apparently he took a photo of me in Mrs. Met's arms).

These items included fresh pea ravioli (made with ricotta, polenta and pancetta), Colorado frenched lamb chops (with an herb crust and mustardy goodness), chicken and waffles (or as they call it, "Batter Up" Fried Chicken with Warm Pizzelle and Maple Butter - I'm calling it chicken and waffles).  There was also a slice of pizza that was tentatively called the All-Star Slice (although my colleague was told that the name had not been finalized) that was topped with andouille sausage, crawfish, shrimp and a jalapeño pesto.

The piece de resistance was a meatball slider, which my colleague didn't photograph with the proper lighting (grrrr...).  The meatballs are made with a mixture of andouille sausage and ground beef and are topped with melted mozzarella cheese and a marinara sauce.  But the best part is that they don't serve the sliders in regular bread.  Rather, they serve them between a pair of garlic knots.  Yup.  You read it right.  Garlic knots.  Yum-a-licious.

Believe it or not, I have not included every new item in this review.  There were many more items to digest (quite literally) at this event.  I didn't get to sample the aforementioned new All-Star Meatball Hero created by chef Robert Flowers, but the news release given to us by the Mets promised that it is taken from Chef Flowers' 300-year-old family recipe and is made from several of Pat LaFrieda's best meats (ground beef, pork and veal).  The news release goes on to say that the meat is simmered in sweet red sauce for three hours and is then topped with buffalo mozzarella and fried basil.  The meatballs are served on a long sesame seed roll.

I'd like to thank the Mets, ARAMARK and Joe D of Mets Merized Online for making this culinary trip possible.  (Joe D was kind enough to pull the strings that got my colleague, Iggy and I into the event.)

It's going to take some time to get over my self-induced food coma, but believe me, it was well worth it.  And if you're fortunate enough to be attending the All-Star Game at Citi Field on July 16, you'll see (and taste) for yourself exactly what I mean.

Buy This Book! (Because We're In It!)

Hello, everyone!  This is Joey Beartran, your favorite Studious Metsimus roving reporter / culinary expert / book critic.  Welcome to a special edition of Bears On Books.  Today, instead of reviewing a book, we're just going to tell you to buy it without a formal review.

I know, I know.  As a respected book critic, it's unprofessional of me to just tell you to buy a book without actually offering a critique on said book, but trust me.  There's a good reason for my behavior.  You see, my Studious Metsimus colleague had one of his blog posts quoted and used as the basis for one of the chapters.

The book is called "So You Think You Know Baseball? : A Fan's Guide To The Official Rules" by Peter E. Meltzer (available for purchase on amazon.com or at your bookstore of choice).  In the book by the noted Phillies fan (but we won't hold that against him), Mr. Meltzer takes various scenarios and explains how umpires would handle them according to the official baseball rule book.  Mr. Meltzer does such a fine job of explaining difficult rules that even the two Adrians (that's umpires Adrian Johnson and Adrian Gonzalez) would have a tough time misinterpreting them.

But the chapter that I recommend highly is Chapter 18.  This is the chapter on base hits that explains when batters should get credit for them.  A piece written by my colleague, Ed Leyro, was considered to help answer a few questions about base hits.  If you haven't purchased the book, I took the liberty of taking some photos of the pages in question, which you can read below.  (I hope Mr. Meltzer doesn't sue me for that.  After all, he is an attorney when he's not writing books.)

 Click on the photos to enlarge in case your vision is as bad as Adrian Johnson's.

For the record, we know that Tom Seaver once pitched 8⅔ innings of no-hit ball against the Chicago Cubs on September 24, 1975.  But he was not one out away from a no-hitter, as the game was scoreless in the ninth.  Since the game was played at Wrigley Field, had Seaver completed nine hitless innings, the game would not have ended with the 27th out.  Seaver would have needed the Mets to take the lead in the top of the 10th and then he could have completed the no-hitter with a hitless tenth.  Therefore, my colleague's hypothetical situation in the left photo above was correct when he stated that Santana would have become the first Mets pitcher to come within one out of a no-hitter.

So what do you think, Mets fans?  Not bad, huh?  And in case you're asking "hey, it just says 'a New York Mets fan blogger' wrote that piece.  Where does it say that it was your colleague who wrote it?", allow me to show you another photo.  This is a photo of the "sources" section of Mr. Meltzer's book and should remove all doubt as to the identity of the so-called "New York Mets fan blogger".

Well, that does it for this special edition of Bears on Books.  My colleague would like to thank Peter E. Meltzer for finding his work worthy enough to be included in his book.  He'd also like to offer his thanks to Joe D. at Mets Merized Online for allowing him to write the original piece on his site.  Hopefully, the mention of MMO as a source in Mr. Meltzer's book will bring additional traffic to a truly wonderful site.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my reading.  There are 27 other chapters in the book that I need to read.  Happy reading and never stop believing.  Let's go Mets!

When The SUMMER Is Gone, MY FAMILY Will Remain

See the glowing Mets fan to the left? That's no David Wright fangirl. That's the Coop, writer extraordinaire. For the past three years, she has shared her thoughts on the Mets and everything associated with the team on My Summer Family, one of the most unique and respected Mets sites around.

However, it has come to our attention that the Coop has retired My Summer Family, as announced in her most recent work, "Roll Call 2010: A Very Special Post".

The Studious Metsimus staff could only think of one word that could describe our feelings accurately regarding this surprise retirement, and that word is...

Sigh...

My Summer Family was always one of the first places we would turn to for thought-provoking, insightful and entertaining pieces on the Mets. Where else could we be told to "just forfeit" to avoid suffering from "Post-Traumatic Mets Disorder"?

The Coop was never afraid to tell it like it is, even if it involved using language that only soon-to-be Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven would love.

There has been an overwhelming display of love and support for the Coop from the blogging community. From Joe D at Mets Merized Online to Greg Prince at Faith and Fear in Flushing, there has been no shortage of respectful goodbyes for the writer known to the Studious Metsimus staff as "The Better Half".

Wait. The Better Half? What, you didn't know? That's right. The Coop and I have taken the plunge and tied the knot in an Amazin' Met-rimony.

For those of you who don't understand my not-so-cryptic previous paragraph, I'll come right out and say it. WE'RE MARRIED, Y'ALL!!

Although our wedding day was on Cinco De Mayo (which celebrates the Mexican Army's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862), there was one particular Mexican-born pitcher who was not invited to the day's festivities. Sorry, Ollie.

So the My Summer Family era has come to an end. But don't worry. Although you won't see the My Summer Family blog anymore, the Coop will find a way to make her presence felt. Whether it be applying for the still-vacant Mets' GM position (COOP FOR GM!!) or trying to arrange the latest Citi Field Sit Out, her unique perspective will always be at the forefront of any discussion on the state of the Mets. If you build it, Coop will come.

Ted Williams retired after hitting a home run in his final turn at bat. So did Todd Zeile. There's now a threesome in that department (Señor Solly and Bert Blyleven would certainly approve of that statement), as My Summer Family is going out on top.

Retirement is never easy. Just ask Mike Schmidt. (see video below)

Congratulations to an excellent writer, a passionate Mets fan and the most incredible and loving wife in the world. I'll try my best to continue what you began at My Summer Family here at Studious Metsimus, but I know I'll never compare to you.

You have been my inspiration, my muse and my reason to continue writing about anything that pops into my head regarding the Mets. The sun has set on My Summer Family, but it will never set on us. I love you and wish you the best wherever that takes you. Just promise to take me along for the ride.

It's The End of Their World As They Know It (And We Feel Fine)

We interrupt your regularly scheduled day of blog reading to give you breaking news that's already been broken. Omar Minaya has been relieved of his GM duties and Jerry Manuel's option for the 2011 season was not picked up.

Of course, this wasn't even breaking news before it became official. It was a foregone conclusion that the man famous for inserting the words "that being said" into every other sentence and the man known as Dead Manuel Walking were not going to retain their positions after the completion of the 2010 season.

The team had underachieved since the end of the 2006 season. The players were performing below expectations and if there was camaraderie between the players, it wasn't as evident as it should be with winning teams.

It is the general manager's job to put the team together and the manager's job to get them to perform between the white lines.

Omar did his best to put Los Mets together. That being said, that also included offering contracts that were far too long to the ostracized Oliver "El Perez-idente" Perez and Luis "Squeam Queen" Castillo. Other players that were signed for more years than they should have been were Orlando "The Dookie" Hernandez, Pedro "I Left My Fastball In Beantown" Martinez and Carlos Beltran (sorry, we like Don Carlos, so we won't give him a demeaning nickname). He also traded for fan-favorite, but now increasingly fragile Johan Santana.

Jerry Manuel was forced to manage an oft-injured group of ragtag players, a job that most managers would have difficulty doing, although a fellow Manuel (Charlie) had no problem doing that when his star players were dropping faster than Citi Field's paid attendance figures.

Part of Charlie Manuel's success with being able to survive his club's injuries was that his GM, Ruben Amaro Jr., was able to provide him with the right players to fill in the holes left by the disabled players.

When Rip Van Winkle (Jamie Moyer) went down with an injury, Amaro swung a deal with the Astros for Roy Oswalt. All four infielders for the Phillies (Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco) were also hurt at some point of the season. Amaro made sure each player had better than adequate replacements in Ross Gload, Ben Francisco and Wilson Valdez. Those three players combined to hit .266 (170-for-640), which was higher than the team's collective batting average (.260). In those 640 at-bats, which are about the same amount an everyday player would collect over a full season, the trio collected 37 doubles, three triples, 16 HR and 85 RBI, while scoring 77 runs and going a perfect 16-for-16 in stolen bases. They also excelled defensively, combining to make a total of four errors in 569 total chances.

While the Phillies didn't miss a beat when one of their star players got hurt, what did Omar Minaya give us? Either not yet ready for prime time players (Ruben Tejada, Jesus Feliciano, Lucas Duda) or the curious case of Joaquin Arias, who, like Benjamin Button, seemed to age backwards as seen by the photos below.



A general manager is the head talent evaluator. His job is to put together the best team possible so that his manager can put the best possible lineup on the field. Unfortunately for Jerry Manuel, the best team possible was never THE BEST TEAM. There were 25 guys, or 23½ as suggested by The Better Half in her recent post for Mets Merized Online, but these guys were never a team. Ruben Amaro has put together a team of guys in Philadelphia, not guys who were part of a team, like Omar Minaya put together in New York.

The new general manager has to realize that teams win games. He has to give the manager not just the best individual players, but the guys who stand the best chance to become a cohesive unit that can all contribute to winning ballgames. Twenty-five individuals don't lead teams to championships, but one team of players can do that.

Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel had early success with the Mets because they had a team of guys. Over the past few years, that team dissolved into a group of guys whose only common trait was the shirts on their backs. The formula is simple: Have team, will win. If the new general manager can't get the new manager a team of guys to work with, then they stand a good chance of being shown the same door that Omar and Jerry were last seen walking through.

Takahashi Might Be Pitching Well, But...

Hisanori Takahashi stepped into the Mets rotation and has been spectacular in his two starts, shutting down two explosive offenses in the Yankees and Phillies. With six scoreless innings against the Yankees last Friday and six more against the Phillies on Wednesday, Takahashi lowered his ERA to 2.13, while upping his record to 4-1.

The Japanese southpaw has been a Lefty Luthor to the Supermen wearing the jerseys of last year's pennant winners. More importantly, he has made Jerry Manuel a believer in his ability to give the Mets quality starts, something that could not be said for the man he replaced in the rotation, Oliver Perez.

I have been quite impressed with Takahashi's recent performances and would like to think that his stretch of outstanding starts will continue past his last outing against the Phillies. However, before giving him the keys to the castle, let's remember that just last year, we were also singing the praises of a starter that was tearing it up in his first few starts. Just like Takahashi, this pitcher was moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation and was asked to shut down the powerful Yankee lineup. Then, he continued to face teams with potent offenses and pitched beyond expectations. Unfortunately, his streak of good fortune ended almost as quickly as started and now he's back in the Mets bullpen. Who am I talking about? Fernando Nieve.

After pitching two scoreless innings of relief against the Washington Nationals last year on June 6, Fernando Nieve was called upon to make an emergency start against the Yankees on June 13. The game was played less than 24 hours after Luis Castillo gift-wrapped a Yankee victory with his infamous dropped pop-up. With all the momentum shifting over to the Yankees, Nieve was given the ball and was asked to stop the bleeding He ended up pitching 6.2 innings, holding the Yankees to two runs on four hits. That was the only win picked up by the Mets against the Yankees all year.

Given another start against a high-quality team, this time the Tampa Bay Rays, Nieve followed up his victory against the Yankees with an even better performance against the Rays, giving up one run and three hits in a 5-3 Mets victory.

In his third start, he faced the National League Central division-leading St. Louis Cardinals and pitched six shutout innings, again allowing only three hits in an 11-0 blowout of the Cards. That gave Nieve three wins in three starts against upper-echelon teams. In those three games, his ERA was a microscopic 1.45 and he held opposing hitters to a .154 batting average.

For all intents and purposes, it appeared as if the Mets had found themselves a starting pitcher from out of nowhere that they could depend upon to pitch effectively and deep into ballgames. Even I was sold on Fernando Nieve, as I wrote a number of blogs for Mets Merized Online on The Three Fernandos (Nieve, Tatis and Martinez). Alas, Nieve could not continue his success past those three starts.

Over his next three starts, Nieve came crashing back down to Earth, losing to the Brewers, Phillies and Reds. In those games, Fernando's ERA was 5.40 and opposing batters hit an alarming .403 against him. Despite the fact that he was clearly not the same pitcher he was over his first three starts, Jerry Manuel gave him another start against the Atlanta Braves. That was the last time Nieve would pitch for the Mets in 2009, as he injured himself while running to first base in the second inning.

Do I expect Hisanori Takahashi to fade as quickly as Fernando Nieve did last year? I don't think he will. For one thing, Takahashi has an impeccable ability to throw strikes. In his starts against the Yankees and Phillies, Takahashi has pitched 12 innings and has only walked one batter. In those two games, he has thrown a total of 195 pitches, of which 138 were strikes. That's better than 70% of his pitches going for strikes.

In Nieve's first three starts last year, as great as they were, he still walked nine batters in 18.2 innings. Over those three starts, he threw 318 pitches, of which 188 were strikes. That's only 59% of his pitches going for strikes. Nieve was effective over those starts because he gave up few hits. Once he started giving up hits, combined with the walks, that led to his three-game losing streak.

Hisanori Takahashi has the potential to be an effective #3 starter in the Mets rotation. Since he's constantly throwing strikes, he stands less of a chance to suffer a meltdown such as the one Fernando Nieve went through last year after his third start. However, just because Takahashi has been shutting down potent offenses now doesn't guarantee long-term success. Be happy that he's giving us great pitching at a time when the Mets need it the most, but be wary because as wonderful as Takahashi has been, it can all come crashing down. Just ask Fernando Nieve.

WWJD: What Would Joey Do?

It's been quite some time since I was allowed to write a blog for Studious Metsimus. Why do you suppose that's the case? I have no idea! My colleague has been writing about Sgt. Bay of The Yukon, the Flying Molina Brothers and I've stayed quiet waiting for my turn to blog.

I even volunteered to become a roving reporter. I would've gone to the Dominican Republic to interview former Met Jose Offerman about his "swing and a miss" with the face of umpire Daniel Rayburn. My colleague said Studious Metsimus couldn't afford the extra passport.

I asked if I could go to the Yukon to interview Sgt. Bay on his home tundra. That was okay with my colleague but he failed to tell me that Sgt. Bay wasn't going to be home. Imagine my embarrassment when I showed up on his doorstep and found nothing. (see photo below)

It appears I'm being pushed aside to satisfy the ginormous ego of my Studious Metsimus colleague. Fine. If he wants to play, I'll play. I can't think of a better topic for this installment of "What Would Joey Do?" Today we'll be talking about grievances.

In 2007, the Mets were trying to sign free-agent catcher Yorvit Torrealba to a multi-year deal. The deal was set and Yorvit the Frog had pen in hand, ready to leave his John Hancock on the contract. Surprise, surprise! The Mets backed out of the agreement, traded for Brian Schneider and left Torrealba to sign with Colorado.

Soon after, Torrealba filed a grievance against the Mets because of their about-face on the potential three-year deal.

Last week, Carlos Beltran decided to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery, apparently without the permission of the team. The Mets have now taken the first step towards a potential grievance case against Beltran's agent, $­������­cott Bora$ and the union, claiming Beltran violated his contract.

So what does this have to do with me? It's simple, really. I'd like to announce that I am filing a grievance against my Studious Metsimus colleague. Because of his actions, I have not been able to blog on the Mets. This has prevented me from advancing my blogging career and picking up sponsors, particularly the ones that would give me free food for plugging their product.

Grievances are not cool. They might cost the Mets extra money if they end up signing Yorvit the Frog to be their catcher now that Funky Cold Molina has re-signed with the San Francisco Giants. They might also damage relationships, such as the one between Carlos Beltran and the team.

I'm willing to take that chance. I know I have my fans. Just look at my Facebook fan page. Also, look how many times I'm mentioned on My Summer Family (which in my opinion would be a much better blog to write for if I want to make a name for myself).

Even Mets Merized Online was kind enough to put my picture in this blog and this other blog.

Perhaps this grievance can be settled out of court and Studious Metsimus can continue to be a site where Mets fans and Mets bloggers can all get along. For now, I'm putting my bear foot down and standing up for what's right. I'd like to thank my fellow Mets fans who support my decision. For those who don't, I'd advise you to stay out of my way. I'm going where no Joey has gone before. Stay tuned...

Studious Metsimus Presents The Happy/Crappy Recap For 2009

It's the end of another year and Studious Metsimus would like to recap 2009 for you, followed by a thank you to some of our special readers and fellow bloggers who helped make Studious Metsimus what it is today.

It all began so well for the Mets in 2009. Then the Star-Spangled Banner was sung on Opening Day and everything fell apart. Injury after injury turned into loss after loss and the Mets could only manage a 70-92 record, good for fourth place in the NL East.

To make matters worse, Mets fans were subjected to the Doomsday World Series between the Yankees and the Phillies. Some major retooling had to be done after the World Series was completed and the Mets almost waited for 2009 to end before they made any noise in the free agent market, finally acquiring Jason Bay before the calendar changed to 2010.

The 2009 season saw the premiere of Citi Field with the Citi Kitty cursing the Mets on Opening Night. It also saw dropped popups, the Tony Bernazard Strongman Competition (probably seen on ESPN 2 sometime after 3 AM), the rise and fall of the Three Fernandos, David Wright's head-seeking missile and too many other moments that made this a forgettable season.

Fortunately, Studious Metsimus has something to be thankful for. To our readers such as Señor Solly, Satish, Jason, Efrain, Tracy and Anonymous (thank you to Anonymous for leaving the most comments), we'd like to thank you for your readership. You helped us surpass our goal of having two readers in 2009. Your comments were always appreciated and made us want to write more quality stories to hide the fact that the Mets really sucked this year.

To Kelly, thank you so much for designing the Studious Metsimus logo. It gave the site credibility that our excuse for writing would not have been able to get on its own. The writing got better once we said to ourselves, "Oh, crap! We look like a professional Mets blog. We'd better made the writing match the beautiful logo!"

To Denise, thank you for convincing us that we had some talent. Without your encouragement (and Kelly's as well), we wouldn't have started blogging on the Mets, first on Mets Merized Online, then expanding to Studious Metsimus.

To Joe D, thank you for giving us our first break. Without the opportunity you gave us, we never would have grown the cojones to start Studious Metsimus. We're waving our David Wright Pom Poms that we borrowed from Bayonne Mets Fan to show our appreciation for everything you've done for us.

To Jon and Lisa, thank you for teaching the two-member Studious Metsimus staff that sometimes squawking is the way to go to attract attention to our blog. Don't give up hope, Jon. We'll always have 1986. And Lisa, you may be the only Yankee fan who's cool in the eyes of Studious Metsimus. Even Joey thinks so!

Last, but certainly not least, we must give a shout out to Coop. For inspiring a number of blogs, for taking the Studious Metsimus staff on a tour of Citi Field, for being you...thank you. Hopefully, Joey will be able to persuade you to join the Studious Metsimus staff in 2010. You're a legend in the blogosphere and we'd love to have you!

From Joey and I, we'd like to wish you all the best for a happy and healthy 2010. Thank you for supporting Studious Metsimus and as always, LET'S GO METS !!

Omar Lives By The Rules of The Old Perfesser

First it was Chris Coste. Then it was Henry Blanco. Earlier today, Joe D at Mets Merized Online posted that the Mets might go after Rod Barajas if they can’t get Bengie Molina. SI.com’s Jon Heyman is now saying that the Mets are considering offering Molina a one-year deal worth $6 million, plus an option for a second year. Heyman states that teams in the larger markets aren’t in need of frontline catchers. Therefore, the Mets feel they can sign Molina since the smaller-market teams are probably not willing to spend as much for catchers when there are less expensive catching options available.

What I’d like to know is this. The Mets have been saying that their top priority at the Winter Meetings is to acquire pitching. If this is indeed the case, then why does it appear that they’re signing or attempting to sign every catcher this side of Hobie Landrith? Is Omar Minaya thinking of Casey Stengel’s famous words when they drafted the aforementioned Landrith with their first pick in the 1961 expansion draft?

When asked about the signing of Landrith when there were other players the Mets could have drafted to become the cornerstone of their fledgling franchise, Stengel said the following:

"You gotta have a catcher or you're gonna have a lot of passed balls."

I get that the Mets need a catcher for 2010. Brian Schneider has signed with the Phillies and Omir Santos is not a #1 catcher. But regardless of who the Mets sign to be their top catcher next season, he is not going to be the long-term solution there. It appears as if Josh Thole will be the full-time catcher for the Mets by 2011. The Mets should just settle on one catcher instead of spending all of their Monopoly money on houses for Mediterranean Avenue and Baltic Avenue. If they continue to sign every catcher available, they’re not going to have the resources to put hotels on Park Place and Boardwalk.

Make up your mind, Omar. Do you want to have the fewest passed balls in baseball or do you want to put together the best team so that the fans won’t continue to dress as green seats for games in September? While you were attempting to sign every backstop available, other teams are already signing potential players that would help them, even at catcher. (The Nationals signed Ivan Rodriguez to a two-year deal worth $6 million, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown on his Twitter page.)

I’m usually a patient person, but come on. I’m tired of other teams getting effective players the Mets could have had, while we get scrubs and past-their-prime players. If the Mets come back from the Winter Meetings with their fifth and sixth-string catchers and don’t come back with a top-notch pitcher or their starting leftfielder for 2010, this team might continue to resemble the teams Casey Stengel used to manage. The fans might have bought into it then, but they surely won’t buy into it now.

Yet Another 1986 World Series Game 6 Blog

As any Mets fan would know, today is the 23rd anniversary of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. For anyone who witnessed it on TV (or the millions of people who claimed to be there), it remains the single greatest moment in Mets history. You will probably see the video to the ball rolling through Buckner's legs, but Studious Metsimus is going to share some different things with you regarding Game 6.

Here are some videos that you may or may not have seen before. The first one is a TV promo for the 1986 World Series featuring one of my all-time fav'rit TV characters, ALF:

From Steiner Sports, here is Mookie Wilson (my hero) speaking candidly about Bill Buckner and the error that forever linked them together in baseball history, similar to the way Bobby Thomson and Ralph Branca were linked following Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round The World" in 1951 to give the New York Giants the NL pennant over Fred Wilpon's beloved Brooklyn Dodgers.

To close out the video portion of today's blog, I give you what the bottom of the tenth inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series would have looked like had it been played out on Nintendo's RBI Baseball game. I used to play that game in my friend's garage. He used to steal bases on me at will as I constantly threw the ball to the wrong base! But I digress. Enjoy the Nintendo version of this classic Mets moment:

Here are some additional links with more interesting takes on the miraculous Game 6:

Jason at Remembering Shea shares his memories of the game that forever cemented his status as a Mets fan.

Lou at Never Forget '69 posted the entire WHN radio transcript of the bottom of the tenth inning, as voiced by the late Bob Murphy and Gary Thorne.

Ed at Mets Merized Online (no relation to your Studious Metsimus moderator) wrote a recap of Game 6 featuring some interesting tidbits you may have forgotten about the game, such as Mookie Wilson being a hero BEFORE the tenth inning.

Twenty-three years. The memories are still fresh in our minds as if it were only twenty-three minutes ago that Mookie hit the little roller up along first.

Where were you when Bill Buckner let Mookie's ground ball go through his legs? Feel free to share your thoughts. Studious Metsimus would love to hear your memories of what many consider the greatest moment in Mets history.

Little roller up along first. Behind the bag! It gets through Buckner! Here comes Knight and the Mets win it!

Okay, I'll give you one more video before I go. This is for those people who don't have the DVD of the 1986 World Series or for those with poor memories. Enjoy!

How About Brandon Lyon Setting Up K-Rod?

Note: This blog will be posted early tomorrow morning (October 20) on the exponentially better site, Mets Merized Online. However, I decided I was going to bring it over to Studious Metsimus for the benefit of my faithful SMFs. Shhh...Be vewwy vewwy quiet. Don't tell anyone that I took the blog I wrote for them and decided to premiere it here first.

Earlier today, Joe D posted a blog (on Mets Merized Online) suggesting that picking up J.J. Putz’s option would be a waste of money. I happen to agree with his position. Putz’s option is way too much for a man who has been a shadow of himself due to various injuries. There are other less expensive options the Mets could consider if they would like someone other than Putz to pitch the eighth inning. For example, how about free agent reliever Brandon Lyon?

Brandon Lyon had a great season out of the bullpen for the Detroit Tigers in 2009. He finished the season with a 6-5 record and a 2.86 ERA. He also finished with a sparkling 1.11 WHIP. The thing I found most impressive about Lyon’s season was how he fared against righties and lefties. He held righties to a .205 average and held lefties to the same .205 average. Plus, despite the fact that he is a right-handed pitcher, he gave up only one home run to a left-handed batter in 112 at-bats.

Lyon’s effectiveness against lefties would help the Mets in two ways. First, he wouldn’t have to be taken out of the game whenever the opposing lineup alternated between lefties and righties. In 65 games for the Tigers, he pitched 78.2 innings, meaning he could go more than one inning when needed, which would save the bullpen from being overused. Second, he would give Perpetual Pedro a much needed break. In 2009, Pedro Feliciano set the all-time franchise record for appearances by a reliever. Since he was the only pitcher who was consistently effective against lefties (they hit .215 against Feliciano in 2009), Jerry Manuel was constantly going to him, eventually pitching him in 88 games after he was used 86 times in 2008. Brandon Lyon would allow Manuel to give Feliciano more breaks in 2010, allowing him to remain sharp for the entire season.

Also, Brandon Lyon is a much cheaper alternative to J.J. Putz. The Tigers paid Lyon $4.25 million to pitch for them in 2009. Although Lyon’s good season has him in line for a raise, it should still be less than the money the Mets would have to give Putz to keep his injury-prone self around. Lyon’s age (30) should also attract the Mets, as Putz will be 33 before Opening Day.

Lyon is projected to be a Type B free agent, but that should not factor into the decision, as Lyon’s positives far outweigh his negatives, which as of now, is just his Type B free agent status. Let’s not forget that one of the things Omar Minaya was being praised for last season when he traded for Putz. He made a big deal about Putz being able to close games should something happen to Francisco Rodriguez. Well, Brandon Lyon also has closer experience, saving 54 games over his career when pressed into the closer’s role.

There might be other options the Mets could consider for the eighth inning role, but if the Tigers choose not to re-sign Brandon Lyon for the 2010 season, the Mets should take a long look at him. He could be the set-up man they’ve been looking for.

Joey's Soapbox: I Still Miss Shea

It's going to be a little difficult getting up on my soapbox today. I'm feeling a lump in my throat as I write this. My home, my place of birth, Shea Stadium hosted its last game one year ago today on September 28, 2008. My colleague at Studious Metsimus posted a blog on MetsMerizedOnline ( <---click on it for the blog) sharing his thoughts on the game. Since we went together, I have my own memories to share with you.

I was born right behind home plate at Shea Stadium on June 20, 2004. It was Father's Day and the Mets were celebrating Mike Piazza breaking the home run record by catchers two nights earlier. The Mets won that interleague matchup with the Detroit Tigers behind the pitching of Steve Trachsel and home runs by Richard Hidalgo and fittingly, Mike Piazza. The final score was 6-1.

The score was secondary to me that day. It was my first Mets game. I've been to hundreds of games since then. But it was special to me because it was my home. It was Shea Stadium.

I went to many games at Shea. I've cheered during playoff games and miraculous comebacks. I've cried during late season collapses and when I dropped a cookie that one time. I've also wondered why Shea never served cake.

A boy should always have a catch or go to a game with his dad and I did just that when I went to Shea's final game with my biological father, Bear (see photo above right).

We left early to take some final pictures of Shea, hoping that the Mets would erase the bitter memories of the epic collapse of 2007 by beating the Marlins and hoping the Brewers would lose to give the Mets the wild card berth.

We even brought my grandma along. Her name is Güela (that's how I pronounce the word "abuela", which is the Spanish word for grandma. Abuela has too many syllables which would slow down my ability to sample ballpark cuisine.) She also came in the hopes the Mets would clinch a playoff spot. I think she really came for the Dunkin' Donuts coffee (see photo below).


Oliver Perez held the Marlins scoreless through the first five innings. However, the Mets had not scored either. Florida was able to put two runs on the board in the top of the sixth inning and visions of 2007 danced in my head.

However, before the 56,059 humans and handful of bears could collectively say "here we go again", Carlos Beltran hit a two-run homer into the picnic area that I never got a chance to sit in (no thanks to my Studious Metsimus colleague) and the game was tied 2-2. Because of Beltran Baby, I was beginning to think that there would be no repeat of 2007 and that this would not be my last game at my home. Unfortunately, I was mistaken.

Scott Bloweneweis (that's the clean version of the name I gave him) came into the game to face Mike Jacobs in the eighth inning. However, Wes Helms (a righty) came in to pinch-hit for Jacobs (a lefty) against Bloweneweis (a loser). Helms proceeded to hit a go-ahead home run to give the Marlins a 3-2 lead. Luis Ayala then came into the game and channeled his inner Aaron Heilman when he gave up a homer to the following batter, Dan Uggla.

The score was now 4-2 Marlins and the end was near. The Mets still made us get out of our seats a few times. First, Carlos Delgado hit a long drive to left-center with two men on and two men out in the bottom of the eighth inning. Instead of finding the picnic area seats (the same seats that my Studious Metsimus colleague never took me to. I'm not letting him forget it!), the ball found Josh Willingham's glove.

Then, in the bottom of the ninth, Damion Easley drew a two-out walk from Matt Lindstrom bringing up Ryan Church as either the tying run or Shea Stadium's final batter. With my prayers being directed at Church, Ryan hit a long fly ball to center field...

(Unwelcome interlude time: In the 2000 World Series, Mike Piazza (the man who was honored on my date of birth) came up to bat in Game 5 as the tying run in the bottom of the ninth inning. The season was on the line for the Mets. The score was also 4-2, there was also a man on first and Piazza hit a long fly ball to center field...)

...and my prayers weren't answered. Church's fly ball settled into the glove of Cameron Maybin and the season was over. No more games at Shea...not then, not the next day...never again.



The events that took place after that are still a blur to me. I've been told that there was an on-field celebration featuring the greatest players who had donned a Mets jersey. I was told there were fireworks after the game. I had no clue. My Shea, my home, was being taken from me and that was all that was on my mind...

Since then, I've grown to like Citi Field. There's still no cake there, but it's a nice place to eat and watch a ballgame. Unfortunately, the team on the field still hasn't given me any great memories. That's probably why memories of Shea are still vivid in my mind.

Have you ever heard of the saying "you can't go home again"? It's true that I will never go home to Shea Stadium again, but all I have to do is close my eyes, open my mind and I will be home. I love you, Shea Stadium. You will always be home to me...