Gettin' Iggy With It: Mets Kick Ass In Philly

Hi!  This is Iggy Beartran, your expert on all things Cole Hamels.  On Friday, the Mets traveled to Philadelphia to face the richest ass in the world.  Naturally, they were on like Donkey Kong, scoring six runs on ten hits off the smarmy southpaw.  But that's nothing new for the Mets, who can be seen beating up on Hamels almost as often as Mo Vaughn can be seen at the head of the line at an all-you-can-eat buffet.  (Almost.)

Cole Hamels, who was gunning for his 100th career victory on Friday, has lost 13 of 20 decisions to the Mets in his career.  His 13 losses are the second-most defeats by a Phillies pitcher against the Mets.  Meanwhile, sixteen Phillies pitchers have defeated the Mets more often than that smiling ass has.

But wait, there's more.

• Including Friday's game, Hamels has been touched for ten hits or more in eight of his 243 career starts, meaning that he allows double-digit hits approximately once every 30 starts.  But of those eight games with ten-plus hits allowed, four of them have come against the Mets.

• Since the beginning of the 2011 season, Hamels has allowed six or more runs in a game half a dozen times.  Three of those six games came against the Mets.

• David Wright is one of three players with 40 or more career at-bats versus Hamels to have a batting average over .340 against him.  (In 63 at-bats, Wright is hitting .349 against Hamels.)  The other two are Wright's former Mets teammates, Scott Hairston (.395) and Jose Reyes (.393).

• Cole Hamels has never allowed more than five homers to any one batter.  He has also never allowed any hitter to collect more than 15 RBI off him.  What has Wright done against him in those categories?  Five home runs, 15 RBI.

The Mets have not performed particularly well over the past five seasons.  But that's just because they haven't been able to face Cole Hamels 162 times a year.  Because of his comments about the Mets being choke artists following the 2008 campaign, Hamels has been viewed as a gigantic ass by Mets fans.  But the Mets have done nothing but knock him around for loss after loss since then.  In essence, they have been quite literally kicking ass every time they face him.

It's enough to make even his identical twin brother smile.

Joey's Soapbox: Hope Springs Eternal As Winter Ends

Hi, everyone!  I'm Joey Beartran.  Did you miss me?  If you can believe it, I haven't written anything for this site in over two months.  But like the groundhog, I just popped my head out of my hoodie and declared that winter's over and spring has arrived.  And how do I know that?  Because Mets baseball is back and on the air!

When we last saw the Mets, R.A. Dickey was picking up his 20th victory in the Mets' last home game and Scott Hairston was hitting his career-high 20th HR in the regular season finale.  At that point, I should have had 20/20 vision and clearly seen that neither of them would play in a Mets uniform again.  And I would have been right, as Dickey was traded to Toronto for the man with a large P on his back and Hairston signed a free agent contract to lose repeatedly in Chicago.

Since Dickey and Hairston played their last games in New York (as well as Jason Bay, Andres Torres, Ronny Cedeño and a bunch of relief pitchers), I've done many baseball-related activities to keep active with the sport I love.

Are you ready for some Mets baseball?  I sure am!

In November, I went out to Seattle with my sister Iggy.  We took an awful tour of Safeco Field and attended a Seattle Seahawks game.  It wasn't the tour of Safeco that was awful; it was the tour guide.  I actually think Safeco is a beautiful stadium and can't wait to see Jason Bay suck there as much as he did at Citi Field.  At least he'll have company in Seattle, as his teammate from 2010 (Oliver Perez) is already a rusty staple in the Mariners bullpen.

In December, I wrote a letter to Sandy Claus asking for a number of presents underneath my blue and orange tree.  I asked for an upgrade to the bullpen (supposedly accomplished), a set outfield by Opening Day (Sandy Claus must have ignored that one), the re-signing of Scott Hairston (denied), Johan Santana making more than 21 starts (perhaps that's why he's missing time now rather than in the regular season), a dependable fifth starter in the rotation (thank you for Shaun Marcum) and patience with the team's minor league talent (I'll be patient as I await Sandy's decision on that).

In January, I was invited to attend a Q & A session with the Mets front office at Citi Field.  At this event, I met a man who bore a striking resemblance to Sandy Claus, but it couldn't have been him.  If it had been, I'm sure he would have mentioned receiving my letter when I asked him to pose for a photo with me.

Where are my presents, Sandy Claus?  I've been looking everywhere for them!

The calendar has now flipped to February.  Pitchers, catchers, infielders and a plethora of wannabe outfielders have descended upon the newly-renamed Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie for six weeks of spring training.  After nearly two weeks of hitting and fielding drills, as well as sharpening up those "fundies", the Mets will finally play an actual game against another major league team, taking on the division rival Washington Nationals today at noon on SNY.

This winter has been a harsh one for Mets fans and people in the Northeast in general.  We've seen a massive snowstorm.  We've seen the defection of our best pitcher and our slugging outfielder to other teams via a trade and free agency.  We've seen Jason Bay and Bobby Bonilla become our highest paid outfielders despite Bay taking his hustle and ineptitude to the Pacific Northwest and Bonilla not giving up his day job of being a Bronx tour guide.  We've seen it all this winter, but none of it matters anymore.  And why is that?

Because today we're seeing the Mets take the field.

It's time for this ice to melt away.  The Mets are back and they're here to stay!

It doesn't matter how much you think the Mets aren't going to compete this year.  It's irrelevant if you think the only race the Mets will be involved in is the race to finish ahead of the Marlins in the NL East.  Today, everyone is on the same page.  Today, no one player is better than any other player.  Today, the Mets play ball again.  And our hope springs eternal as another long, hard winter comes to an end.

Are you ready for some Mets baseball?  I've been ready since last October.  Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks (and an order of chicken nachos).  I'm so glad the Mets are back!

Where Have You Gone, Lastings Milledge?

A few days ago, my fav'rit Gal For All Seasons continued her new weekly series on a topic near and dear to her - what she likes to call post-traumatic Mets disorder - by discussing her survival of Lastings Milledge.   For those of you who have tried to block out the Omar Minaya era or were never a card-carrying member of the Milledge People, allow me to refresh your memory on who Lastings Milledge was (technically, he still is Lastings Milledge, as far as I know).

Lastings Milledge was a flashy prospect for the Mets who had five-tool talent - a latter-day Darryl Strawberry, if you will.  Although he didn't possess Strawberry's prodigious power (the type of power that would make you wait until after his at-bat to get your Shea Stadium souvenir cup soda), he was supposed to be the future in the Mets outfield.  However, when Milledge first got called up to the Mets in 2006, he was more Throneberry than Strawberry.

Milledge batted .241 in 56 games for the division champs, with four homers, 22 RBIs and one stolen base.  As a 21-year-old enjoying his first call-up to the big leagues, Milledge looked overmatched at times, taking awkward hacks at the plate.  A .300 hitter in the minor leagues, Milledge barely cracked a .300 on-base percentage for the Mets in 2006, finishing the season at .310.

In 2007, Milledge made the team out of spring training, but was sent back down to the minors after playing in only three games in April.  He didn't make it back to the big show until July, but when he did, he finally showed some of the potential the Mets expected to see when they drafted him as the 12th overall pick in the 2003 amateur draft.  From July 21 to August 15, Milledge played in 20 games, batting .389 (28-for-72) with nine extra-base hits, 12 RBIs, 14 runs scored and two stolen bases.

Milledge only played in 59 games for the Mets in 2007 (three more than he played in 2006), but improved in most offensive categories.  He finished the season with a .272 batting average, .341 on-base percentage and .446 slugging percentage.  Milledge belted seven homers, drove in 29 runs and stole three bases in 184 at-bats.  Those numbers made it seem like Milledge was settling in for a long career in New York.  But unfortunately, he did have one thing in common with Darryl Strawberry.  He made the front office uncomfortable with his off-the-field habits.

Instead of settling in as the team's starting rightfielder in 2008, Milledge was dealt to the Washington Nationals for rightfielder Ryan Church and catcher Brian Schneider.  When Church wasn't getting concussed, he was a decent offensive player.  Schneider wasn't a bad catcher, but his offensive production was a far cry from what Paul LoDuca gave the Mets in 2006 and 2007.  Heck, Schneider wasn't even Ramon Castro when it came to his hitting prowess.

As Church and Schneider settled in with their new team, Milledge had a career year in Washington.  Milledge played in 138 games for the Nationals in 2008 and batted .268 with 24 doubles, 14 homers, 61 RBIs and 24 stolen bases. A slow start in 2009 earned Milledge a return trip to the minors and eventually got him traded to Pittsburgh.  Milledge performed decently in the Steel City, but nagging injuries never allowed him to settle into the everyday lineup.  In 1½ seasons as a Pirate, Milledge only collected 599 at-bats, but managed to hit .282 with 32 doubles, eight homers, 54 RBIs and 11 stolen bases.  When the Pirates failed to offer Milledge a contract following the 2010 season, he signed a free agent deal with the Chicago White Sox.  Milledge only played in two games with Chicago in 2011 and then couldn't get another job with a major league team.

After realizing that his talents were not wanted stateside, Milledge packed his bags, dusted off his passport, and took his game to Japan on a one-year deal with the Yakult Swallows.  Finally healthy, Milledge played in 125 games for the Swallows and batted .300 with 23 doubles, 21 homers, 65 RBIs, 73 runs scored and nine stolen bases.  He also showed much-improved discipline at the plate, striking out 79 times in 546 plate appearances and drawing a career-high 57 walks.  Milledge's .865 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) would have been second on the 2012 Mets, after David Wright's .883 OPS.  And that's where the point of this piece finally makes itself known.

Sandy Alderson has been in search of an outfielder since the season ended.  So far Alderson has signed Andrew Brown and Marlon Byrd to minor league contracts, and he's traded for outfielder Collin Cowgill. He's also doing his best to romance Michael Bourn into a discounted deal with the Mets.  But when Lastings Milledge's contract with the Swallows expired following the 2012 campaign, Alderson didn't even notice.  As a result, Milledge chose to stay in Japan, signing a three-year, $4.4 million contract with a fourth year mutual option.

So now the Mets are still trying to figure out which combination of outfielders they're going to use in 2013, while Milledge will be playing the prime years of his career (he won't be 28 until April) overseas.  The Mets didn't want to give Scott Hairston $4 million per year because he wanted a two-year deal.  But Yakult was able to keep Milledge away from the major leagues with $4.4 million over three years.

Lastings Milledge might have been a pain for the Mets front office five years ago, but now he's only a pain for opposing pitchers in Japan.  It's too bad Sandy Alderson didn't take notice when he had the chance.

Pros And Cons For Signing Michael Bourn

So far this off-season, three outfielders have said their final goodbyes to the Mets.  Jason Bay took his strikeouts and pop-ups to Seattle.  Andres Torres left in search of a ring in San Francisco.  And my wife's ass is now on new Cubs outfielder Scott Hairston's Wikipedia page.  It goes without saying that the Mets are in serious need of some outfield help.

With Justin Upton joining brother B.J. and second baseman Dan Uggla in Atlanta to form the Underachieving U's (quick, contact Ugueth Urbina's agent - Urbina's out of jail and needs a place to fail!), the Mets have now set their sights on former Braves outfielder Michael Bourn.  His acquisition would instantly give the Mets a proven major league outfielder.  It would also give the Mets a number of problems.

Here are three pros and three cons that have to be considered by Sandy Alderson in a potential signing of free agent outfielder Michael Bourn:

Goodbye Jason Bay, Andres Torres and Scott Hairston.  Hello, Michael Bourn?

Pros:

1)  Michael Bourn would instantly give the Mets a legitimate stolen base threat.  In 2011, both Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan surpassed the 30-steal mark.  Last year, David Wright led the team with only 15 thefts.  As a team, the Mets' 79 stolen bases in 2012 marked the first time they failed to steal 100 bases since the Art Howe era.  In addition, no Met has stolen 40 bases in a season since Reyes swiped 56 bags in 2008, the same year Michael Bourn began his current streak of five straight 40+ steal seasons.

2)  The Mets have only had two outfielders win a Gold Glove Award.  Tommie Agee was the first in 1970 and Carlos Beltran won three consecutive Gold Gloves from 2006 to 2008.  Bourn has a Gold Glove pedigree, taking home the hardware in 2009 and 2010 as a member of the Houston Astros.  It should be noted that Houston's Minute Maid Park has one of the most spacious and trickiest center fields in baseball, with Tal's Hill, a flagpole and various outfield wall angles to contend with.

3)  Lucas Duda is pegged to be a corner outfielder.  That's bumbling, stumbling, "I can't move furniture without injuring myself" Lucas Duda.  How bad is Duda in the outfield?  Let's just say George "The Stork" Theodore shakes his head whenever he sees Duda chasing a fly ball.  In other words, the Mets desperately need an outfielder that can cover all the ground that Lucas Duda won't.  That's where Michael Bourn will help the team the most.

Citi Field might see lots of this if the pros outweigh the cons.

Cons:

1)  For a leadoff hitter, Bourn doesn't have the most impressive on-base percentage.  He has compiled a .350 on-base percentage just once in six full seasons in the majors and has maintained a .339 career OBP.  He also averages nearly 2½ strikeouts for every walk he draws, a number that is far too high for a player who is expected to be a table setter at the top of the lineup.

2)  In 2011, Bourn batted .294 with 61 stolen bases and 140 strikeouts in 656 at-bats.  Last season, Bourn's average dropped to .274 and he only swiped 42 bases.  His strikeouts also increased to a career-high 155 while his at-bat total shrank to 624.  Although he stole 19 fewer bases in 2012, Bourn still led the majors by being caught stealing 13 times.

3)  Michael Bourn has been an All-Star and a Gold Glove winner because of his legs.  But all of his accolades and stolen base totals were achieved while Bourn was in his 20s.  Bourn is now running on 30-year-old legs.  As shown above, it has become easier to throw him out on the basepaths, and Bourn is also taking off fewer times after reaching base.  His natural decrease in speed will eventually affect him in center field as well, as fly balls he used to track down with ease can now potentially elude his glove.

A quick strike by Sandy Alderson might lead to quick strikeouts by Michael Bourn.

Every player has pros and cons.  Michael Bourn is no exception.  But with the Mets trying to build a contending team without sacrificing their future, every pro and every con has to be considered before making any player decision, including whether or not Bourn is worth the potential loss of a first-round draft pick.

Michael Bourn is clearly an above-average centerfielder.  But is he an eight-figure a year player, especially now that he's on the wrong side of age 30?  Bourn also saw decreases in his stolen base total, as well as a lower batting average and higher strikeout rate.  Is his play in 2012 the sign of a decline or was it just a blip on an otherwise successful career chart?

Clearly, the Mets cannot go into the 2013 season with an outfield of Lucas Duda, Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Mike Baxter.  But is Michael Bourn worth the money he'll be seeking to play at Citi Field?  Is he the short-term answer that will lead to long-term success?  It's certainly going to be an interesting couple of weeks for Sandy Alderson as he weighs all the pros and cons of a potential Michael Bourn signing.

R.I.P. "My Wife's Ass Is On Scott Hairston's Wikipedia Page"

On April 9, 2011, my wife – a veritable Gal For All Seasons – was invited to take the field prior to the game against the Washington Nationals as part of the Mets’ season ticket holder appreciation program.  I was unable to attend the game because I was coughing up a lung, kidney, gall bladder, and I think a gerbil came up as well.  Therefore, my Studious Metsimus co-blogger, Joey Beartran, accompanied my wife on the field.

Each season ticket holder invited to partake in the pre-game festivities was assigned a position on the field where he or she would be met by the starting player at that particular position.  My wife was hoping not to get second base because Chin-lung Hu was starting there on that night (come to think of it, I think I might have coughed him up as well).  Fortunately, she did not get Hu on second.  Instead, she was sent out to left field, which would have led to a tête-à-tête with Jason Bay had he not been on the disabled list to start the season.  The player starting in left field that night was Scott Hairston.  And so began the “wife’s ass” craze.

I'd be smiling, too, if I went out to my position and found THAT waiting for me.
(Photo by Sharon Chapman)

According to my wife’s report, Hairston gave Joey a high-one (Joey doesn’t have fingers, hence the high-one instead of a high-five) and was quite engaging in the short amount of time they shared together in left field.  Friend of Studious Metsimus, Sharon Chapman, took the above photo of the meeting and submitted it to Wikipedia, where it has been ever since.  The rest, as they say, is history.

For the remainder of the 2011 season and the entire 2012 campaign, any time Hairston made a positive contribution to the team –and there were plenty – my wife would tweet about it and:

• remind us all of the online reader-edited encyclopedia where her derriere could be found
• occasionally add the hashtag, #MyAssIsOnScottHairstonsWikipediaPage

After two seasons in New York, including an unexpected 20-homer season in 2012, Scott Hairston is now a former Met, taking his powerful bat and Wikipedia references with him to the North Side of Chicago.  The Mets’ refusal to give Hairston more than a one-year deal led to his decision to abandon Citi Field for confines that are rumored to be friendlier.  The Mets, already lacking outfield depth due to the departures of Andres Torres to San Francisco and Jason Bay to Siberia (a.k.a. Seattle), now have to cope with the loss of their most consistent bat in the outfield, one that finished third on the team in home runs.  But that’s nothing compared to the loss my wife and her Twitter followers are experiencing.

Scott Hairston is now a Cub. The real question is, will my ass still be on his Wikipedia page?
— The Coop (@Coopz22) January 24, 2013

For the time being, my wife’s ass is still on Scott Hairston’s Wikipedia page.  But now that Hairston’s ass will be bombing Wrigley Field (as in home run bombs, not what your 12-year-old mind is thinking), it’s only a matter of time before his photo is replaced by one of him in a Cubs uniform.  It’s now up to the Mets to find themselves an outfielder that will approach the numbers Hairston gave the team in 2012.  If they can’t replace his 20 homers in the outfield, it’ll be the front office that’ll look like a bunch of asses.

The More Teams Change, The More The Mets Stay The Same

I try to look at the MLB Trade Rumors site as often as I can to see what the Mets and their division rivals are up to.  More often than not, I find what their fellow NL East residents are doing long before I find any new information on the Mets.  Today was no exception.

Sandy Alderson has wanted to add a new arm in the bullpen (since most of the new arms he added last off-season pitched so miserably), a new starting pitcher to replace the Cy Young Award winner he traded away, and a major league outfielder to add to the Quadruple-A players the Mets already have.

So of course, I woke up this morning hoping to find something new on MLB Trade Rumors.  I found their "Week In Review" segment and perused the list of transactions and rumors for all major league teams.  This is an example of what I found.  (Thanks to Daniel Seco at mlbtraderumors.com for his thorough work.  For the complete "Week In Review" list, please click here.)

• The Rangers agreed to a five-year, $55MM extension with Matt Harrison. The contract contains an team option for a sixth year in 2018 that can become a vesting option if Harrison pitches certain innings plateaus.
• The Nationals agreed to sign free agent closer Rafael Soriano to a two-year, $28MM contract. Soriano posted a 2.26 ERA with 9.2 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 35.9% ground ball rate for the Yankees this past season.
• The Red Sox and Mike Napoli reached an agreement on a new contract. Napoli gets $5MM plus incentives for the one-year deal that could reach $13MM.
• The Mariners, Nationals and Athletics combined on a three-team trade that will send Michael Morse to the Mariners, John Jaso to the A's and a three-player package to the Nationals that includes minor league right-handers A.J. Cole, Blake Treinen and a player to be named from the Athletics. 
• The Diamondbacks agreed to sign J.J. Putz to a one-year extension that will keep him in Arizona through 2014.The LSW Baseball client will reportedly receive a $7MM salary in 2014.
• The Pirates agreed to sign right-hander Jeff Karstens to a one-year deal worth $2.5MM.
• The Rockies signed Miguel Batista to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Batista, 41, posted a 4.61 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 5.6 BB/9 in 52 2/3 innings for the Mets and Braves last season. 
• The White Sox agreed to sign Matt Lindstrom to a one-year contract with a club option. Lindstrom, 32, pitched to a 2.68 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 47 innings for the Orioles and Diamondbacks last season.
• The Indians signed Ryan Raburn to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Raburn averaged 15 home runs per season from 2009-11 and owns a career batting line of .256/.311/.430.
• The Phillies signed right-hander Juan Cruz to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training.
• The Marlins signed Austin Kearns to a minor league deal with an invitation to MLB Spring Training.

Austin Kearns, International Marlin of Mystery

I see where the defending NL East champion Nationals traded away outfielder Michael Morse to Seattle and signed closer Rafael Soriano to a two-year deal.  I also see that the Phillies signed reliever Juan Cruz and plan to invite him to Spring Training.  Heck, even the frugal Marlins signed outfielder Austin Kearns to a minor league deal.  I see many teams in the majors mentioned here.

I don't see the Mets.

Well, if you want to be technical about it, the Mets are mentioned, but only because the Rockies signed Miguel Batista off the Mets' scrap heap.

Almost every team in baseball is wheeling and dealing, signing and refining, moving and improving.  The Mets, on the other hand, are not doing anything worthy of a rhyme.  In fact, they're not doing anything at all.

Since trading R.A. Dickey to the Blue Jays on December 17, the Mets have done the following:

• Dec. 28, 2012: Signed LHP Aaron Laffey to a minor league contract.
• Jan. 3, 2013: Signed OF Andrew Brown to a minor league contract.
• Jan. 6, 2013: Signed INF Omar Quintanilla to a minor league contract.
• Jan. 18, 2013: Signed C Landon Powell to a minor league contract.
• Jan. 21, 2013: Signed LHP Pedro Feliciano to a minor league contract.

Never mind the fact the MLB Trade Rumors didn't mention anything about the Mets making a transaction last week (Landon Powell).  All the Mets have done over the last month is sign journeyman players, including a former Met who hasn't pitched since the last time he was a Met in 2010 (Pedro Feliciano).  Sure, they've re-signed some of their own players, like Tim Byrdak and David Wright, and avoided arbitration with Bobby Parnell and Ike Davis.  But that about sums up their activity.

The Mets say they're interested in starting pitcher Carl Pavano.  They would like to remain in the mix for outfielder Michael Bourn.  They gave a look-see at closer Brian Wilson.  But I wouldn't bet all the money in Papa Smirk's piggy bank that either of those players will be receiving their fan mail at Citi Field in 2013.

"Seriously, why do you call me Papa Smirk so much?"

Sandy Alderson is asking the fans to be patient.  Although he claims that he is not sacrificing 2013 for the future, he also hasn't been doing anything to make the upcoming season more than just a battle for fourth place with the Marlins.

Alderson has acquired some good young talent since he came on board prior to the 2011 season.  Through shrewd trades, he's been able to add a number of top prospects, like Zack Wheeler, Travis d'Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard, to name a few.  But the major league talent at Citi Field still leaves a lot to be desired.

Scott Hairston is a good outfielder and a fine hitter.  Against lefties, he's as good as they get.  It should be a no-brainer for Alderson to bring him back into the fold.  But he's waiting ... and waiting ... and waiting some more, just to get Hairston to bite on a one-year deal.  If Hairston really is seeking a two-year deal worth somewhere in the $8 million range, why wouldn't Alderson take that chance?

He already doled out two-year contracts to relievers D.J. Carrasco and Frank Francisco, but he can't do the same for an outfielder (a position the Mets desperately need to fill) who actually has produced during his time with the team?  As a famous entertainer once said, "what up with that?"





Say Hairston is signed by the Mets to a two-year deal worth $8 million ($4 million annually).  And say he doesn't produce as well as he did in 2012.  Given his history against left-handed pitching and the team control until 2014, as well as his relatively low annual salary, wouldn't he be a valuable trade commodity?  What team wouldn't want him at that price?  But if the Mets were to give him a one-year deal, he'd just be a rental for a potential playoff contender.

For the Mets, it should begin with Scott Hairston.  Then they should add pieces who are ready to contribute at the major league level.  Then, and only then, will I believe the Mets are doing something to make this season more than just a competition with the Marlins for fourth place.

Frank Cashen had a five-year plan for the Mets when he came aboard as the Mets general manager in 1980.  By year five, the team was competitive.  However, Cashen inherited a team that hadn't won 70 games since 1976 and needed a complete overhaul.  The current Mets, despite their shortcomings, have won at least 70 games in each of the last four seasons and have been in the playoff mix at the All-Star Break every year.  But they've fallen apart every season after the break and haven't truly shown any type of improvement in the last four years.

Year five for Sandy Alderson will be in 2015.  Will the Mets have what it takes to contend for an NL East title by then?  We know the teams around them aren't going to be steadfast with their major league rosters.  It's time for the Mets to change.  We already know what happens to them when they remain the same.

Deep Thoughts With Sandy Alderson

Earlier today, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson appeared on WFAN, talking to Mike Francesa on the state of the team.  He regurgitated stuff we already knew (Scott Hairston is Plan B in the outfield), some things we didn't want to know (Brian Wilson left his velocity in San Francisco), and apparently has a fever, and the only prescription is more Cowgill (as in Collin Cowgill).

He also revealed three little nuggets that I'd like to chew on for a moment, if I may.

Like a master chess player, Sandy Alderson is always contemplating his next move.

Zack Wheeler will more than likely start the season at AAA-Las Vegas.  However, if the Mets can't acquire a starting pitcher to join Johan Santana, Jonathon Niese, Dillon Gee and Matt Harvey in the rotation, and if the trio of Jeremy Hefner, Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia fail to impress in spring training, then it wouldn't be out of the question for the team to consider having Wheeler on the Opening Day roster.

Alderson also revealed a very interesting tidbit about catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud. Apparently, prior to trading R.A. Dickey to Toronto, Alderson tried to swing a deal with another unnamed team. The Mets' general manager was asking for two top prospects in return for the Cy Young Award winner, but was turned down. However, after Alderson acquired d'Arnaud from the Blue Jays, the same team that wouldn't send their two prospects to the Mets for Dickey, asked if the Mets would be interested in those same prospects for d'Arnaud, to which Alderson told them "d'Ar-NO!"

Finally, Alderson stated that Matt Harvey would not have an innings limit imposed upon him in 2013. Last year, Harvey was two outs short of pitching 170 innings between AAA-Buffalo and the Mets before he was shut down for the season. Alderson admitted that the reason why Harvey was shut down before season's end in 2012 was because he had advanced so rapidly, moving through the Mets' minor league system in less than two years. Harvey is expected to remain in the Mets' rotation throughout the entire 2013 campaign and as a result, will not need to have his innings scaled back. If he pitches well enough to throw 200 innings, then he will throw 200 innings.

Regarding Zack Wheeler, I would rather he pitch part of the season at the Triple-A level before being called up to New York. Harvey made 20 starts at AAA-Buffalo before making a successful transition to the big leagues.  Wheeler has already made six starts in Triple-A.  That's not a large enough sample for the Mets to say he's ready to face hitters at the major league level. However, since he does have some Triple-A experience, he should receive his first promotion to the majors before the All-Star Break, assuming he continues to progress at Las Vegas.

The Travis d'Arnaud news was impressive. Clearly, the unnamed team (aren't they all unnamed when news like this surfaces?) thought so highly of d'Arnaud that they'd rather have him than the reigning Cy Young Award winner. Alderson must have loved rejecting their offer after they turned their noses up at his.

The one topic that caught my attention more than anything else (other than Francesa's constant interruptions) was the news that Matt Harvey will not be on an innings limit, to which I say "it's about ding-dong time!"

There will be no summer vacation for Matt Harvey this year. Just lots and lots of innings.

Every highly-touted young pitcher coming up to the big leagues seems to have an innings limit these days. Stephen Strasburg was not allowed to pitch more than 160 innings in 2012 and it might have cost the Washington Nationals a chance to play in the NLCS. Granted, Strasburg was coming off Tommy John surgery, but that was in 2010. He made a total of 11 starts in 2011 (six rehab, five at the major league level) and was deemed healthy at the start of 2012. Much closer to home, the Yankees came up with "Joba Rules" for their can't-miss pitching prospect, Joba Chamberlain, during his first few years in the majors.  Chamberlain has rewarded his team with various injuries and a 4.43 ERA in 154 games since 2009.

When Dwight Gooden broke camp with the Mets in 1984, he was just a teenager. But he still managed to throw 218 innings during his Rookie of the Year campaign and followed that up with two seasons of 250+ innings pitched. Injuries didn't contribute to his downfall in 1987. Drugs did. Prior to his first stint in rehab, Gooden was 58-19 with a 2.28 ERA. More importantly, he didn't spend a single day on the disabled list from 1984 to 1986. Although he was still only 21 after he had completed his third major league season in 1986, he had already proven to the team and the rest of the league that he didn't need to have his innings curtailed.

Matt Harvey will be 24 by Opening Day. He has already tossed over 300 innings of professional baseball. He's not in diapers, so the team shouldn't treat him like he is. Harvey is ready to bust out in a major way in 2013, and the Mets are right not to put any restrictions on him.

Rome wasn't built in a day. The powerhouse Mets of the '80s weren't built in a year. The same can be said for the current incarnation of the Mets.

Sandy Alderson has a plan. That plan includes the continued development of Matt Harvey, Travis d'Arnaud and Zack Wheeler. (I haven't forgotten about Noah Syndergaard. Neither has Sandy.)  It takes time to put together a well-crafted machine. And Sandy Alderson is doing his best to put all the pieces together so that they can run smoothly and effectively for many years to come.

Joey's Letter To Sandy Claus (2012)

Dear Sandy Claus,

Do you remember me?  I'm Joey Beartran.  I sent you a letter last year asking for various things, such as Johan Santana pitching an entire season, Jason Bay regaining his power stroke, and R.A. Dickey getting some run support so he could get some more wins.  That was not my entire list, but you get the idea.

Well, Johan Santana didn't pitch the entire season, but he did toss the first no-hitter in team history.  Jason Bay didn't regain his power stroke, but he did give Mets fan strokes with every strikeout, pop-up, or double play he grounded into with runners in scoring position.  ("But he hustles!!")  R.A. Dickey figured he wouldn't wait for you to grant me my Christmas wish for more run support, so he just went out and won himself the first Cy Young Award ever given to a knuckleball pitcher.  Then you traded him.

So it looks like I got some of the things I asked for in last year's letter, just not exactly in the way I wanted them.  I guess this year I'll have to be more specific with you.  I mean, I can imagine what it's like for you, doing double duty as the Mets general manager by day and gift-giver to all good girls and boys by night.  I do double duty here myself as the Studious Metsimus roving reporter and culinary expert, so I know that sometimes a detail or two might be overlooked.  Just don't do it with this year's letter, okay?  I mean it this time.

Anyway, here goes.  Pay close attention this time, will ya?

Hope I don't forget anything on my list this year.

I would like a brand-spanking new bullpen in 2013.  No, I'm not talking about the actual bullpen in right-center field where relievers warm up their arms (told you I was going to be more specific).  I'm referring to new relief pitchers who will be summoned from said bullpen.  We should not have to be subjected to the likes of Manny Acosta, Miguel Batista and Ramon Ramirez.  Were they being used because Mel Rojas wasn't available?  We need dependable relievers who can put fires out instead of the ones we employed last year, who came running in from the bullpen with their glove in one hand and a full gasoline can in the other.

I would also like a set outfield by Opening Day.  In fact I would just like one outfielder by the time pitchers (sans Dickey) and catchers (sans Thole and Nickeas) report to spring training on Bobby Valentine's Day.  Casey Stengel once said that the Mets had to draft Hobie Landrith first in the expansion draft because without a catcher, there would be plenty of passed balls.  Well, without an outfield, there will be a ton of inside-the-park homers hit against the Mets.  At least with one outfielder, the Mets will be able to keep the opposition to mostly triples.

Speaking of outfielders, I'd like you to re-sign Scott Hairston.  If it's a multi-year deal he wants, then it's a multi-year deal he should get.  Hairston was one of the team's most dependable power sources last season, hitting 20 homers in limited action.  That's an amazing number considering that no Met reached the 20-homer plateau in two of Citi Field's first three seasons.  When Daniel Murphy (Doubles Machine) leads the team in homers one year and Carlos Beltran leads the Mets in bombs another year - despite playing the final two months for another team - that should be a clear sign that the team needs a little more power in their lineup.  Scott Hairston can be paid with the money you wouldn't give to R.A. Dickey, and you'd still have some spare change left over to get yourself a Shake Shack burger or two.  Just don't touch mine.  I'm kinda attached to it.

You can have your cookies and milk, Sandy Claus.  I'll stick to my Shake Shack burger and fries.

I'd like Johan Santana to remember that this could be his final season in a Mets uniform.  Therefore, I expect him to make more than 21 starts, especially if he wants to get paid in 2014.  Santana will only be 34 on Opening Day, so he should still have plenty left in his tank.  Then again, Fred Wilpon's high school sweetheart (Sandy Koufax) was out of baseball by age 30, so you never know.  Regardless, if Santana is going to be on the active roster for all 162 games, he should not be pushed past his limit (which should be well before his 134th pitch) in any start.  With no R.A. Dickey in the rotation, Santana will once again be counted on to be the team's ace.  Aces make more than 21 starts.  Make a note of that.

As of right now, the starting rotation consists of Santana, Jonathon Niese, Matt Harvey and Dillon Gee.  You don't need Dee Dee Ramone to let you know that adds up to 1-2-3-4 pitchers.  Since these are the 2013 Mets and not the 1971 Baltimore Orioles, I'm going to need a fifth starter in the rotation.  Mike Pelfrey is now a Minnesota Twin.  Unfortunately, he does not have a twin of his own that the Mets can slide into their rotation.  Speaking of former Mets, Scott Kazmir just signed with the Cleveland Indians, so he's unavailable.  And now the Mets are talking to the Dodgers about bringing back Chris Capuano.  At least they're not thinking of signing former Yankee Carl Pavano.  (Oh, wait.  Never mind.)  In 2009, the Mets needed a fifth starter and signed everyone they could.  Freddy Garcia Tim Redding and Livan Hernandez all competed for the job in spring training.  None of them fared very well.  All I'm asking for is a dependable fifth starter and not a game of musical chairs where the last one standing gets the job.  And if the last one standing is Carl Pavano, then he cheated and should be removed from consideration.

Finally, I'd like the Mets to continue to be patient with their minor league talent.  The team was right to keep Matt Harvey in the minor leagues for as long as they did.  When he was finally called up to the big leagues, he proved he was ready, striking out 70 batters in 59⅓ innings and posting a 2.73 ERA and 1.15 WHIP.  The team should do the same with Zack Wheeler and the recently acquired Noah Syndergaard.  Similarly, Travis d'Arnaud should not automatically be on the Opening Day roster just because he was the big prize in the R.A. Dickey sweepstakes.  That's what the Mets got John Buck for.  In 1979, the Mets suggested to their fanbase to "bring your kids to see our kids".  A third of a century later, it's time for that slogan to make a comeback.  But there's no rush.  The kids will be here ... eventually.  And so will I.

If only Sandy Claus checked Twitter more often, I wouldn't have to send him snail mail.

So, Sandy Claus, did you get all that?  Let's review.

I need a new bullpen.  I need Mel Rojas to be perpetually unavailable.  I would like three outfielders, but I'd especially like one of them to be Scott Hairston.  I'd like a Shake Shack burger if you're going to get one for yourself.  I'd like Johan Santana to stay healthy and pitch like an ace.  I'd also like to know what Fred Wilpon is getting Sandy Koufax for Valentine's Day.  I'd like a fifth starter, and if one of them has the DNA of one of the members of the 1971 Orioles, I wouldn't object.  I would like you to get a restraining order on Carl Pavano so he's not allowed to go anywhere near Citi Field.  And I'd like you to take it easy with your kids in the minors so that when this kid goes to Citi Field next season, they'll be ready to perform like the dependable major leaguers I expect them to be.

That's not too much, is it?  And I was very specific with my requests, unlike last year when you kinda sorta gave me what I asked for.  I'm not falling for your trickery again this year!

Thanks so much, Sandy Claus!  I was a good bear this year.  Don't you forget it!

Love and best wishes for the 2013 season,
Joey Beartran

P.S. In case you don't give me Scott Hairston as one of my outfielders, can you at least get him to come over to my house?  I really enjoyed playing with him the last time we got together on the field.

Photo by Sharon Chapman.  "O"-Face by Scott Hairston.

The Real Reason Why The Mets Should Bring Back Scott Hairston

Earlier this week, I wrote a humor piece on the real reason why the Yankees want Scott Hairston.  Today, I felt like shifting gears.  The Yankees may secretly want Scott Hairston because they still long for Joe Torre, or someone who looks like him, but the Mets should make no secret about why they should re-sign Scott Hairston.  All they have to do is read their team history books for the reason why.

This site has reported in the past that Scott Hairston set a team record by finishing the season with at least 20 homers and 20 doubles in only 377 at-bats.  Only Mike Piazza had reached the 20/20 mark in both figures in fewer than 400 at-bats prior to Hairston.  (Piazza accomplished the feat in 1998 when he compiled 394 at-bats after his trade to the Mets.)

Hairston's record came on the heels of a 2011 season in which he collected 16 extra-base hits (eight doubles, one triple, seven home runs) in 132 at-bats.  With 48 extra-base hits in 2012 (25 doubles, three triples, 20 homers), Hairston now has accumulated 64 extra-base hits in only 509 at-bats as a Met, meaning he's collected an extra-base hit in 12.57% of his at-bats.

That got me thinking.  How many other Mets players over the years have gotten an extra-base hit in at least 10% of their at-bats?  Not many.  And who has the highest percentage?  I think you can figure that out by the title of this post.

 

Player	Extra-Base Hits	At-Bats	Percentage
Scott Hairston	64	509	12.57%
Mike Cameron	98	801	12.23%
Darryl Strawberry	469	3903	12.02%
Carlos Beltran	374	3133	11.94%
Mike Piazza	415	3478	11.93%
Carlos Delgado	207	1754	11.80%
David Wright	545	4742	11.49%
Bobby Bonilla	201	1779	11.30%
Rico Brogna	89	814	10.93%
Jose Valentin	60	550	10.91%
Ike Davis	127	1171	10.85%
Cliff Floyd	178	1643	10.83%
Bernard Gilkey	146	1353	10.79%
Howard Johnson	424	3968	10.69%
John Olerud	177	1662	10.65%
Ramon Castro	74	701	10.56%
Robin Ventura	159	1513	10.51%
Ty Wigginton	104	1001	10.39%

Only 18 players in team history (min. 500 at-bats) have collected an extra-base hit in at least 10% of their at-bats.  Some of the team's all-time greats are there (Darryl Strawberry, Carlos Beltran, Mike Piazza, Howard Johnson), as is one of the team's least popular players (Bobby Bonilla).  In addition, there are fan-favorites who had short careers in New York (Rico Brogna, John Olerud, Ty Wigginton), as well as current players (David Wright, Ike Davis).

All of those players were exceptional when it came to getting extra-base hits in a Mets uniform.  And all of those players have a lower percentage than the team's all-time leader in extra-base hit percentage, Scott Hairston.

When some of the team's greatest hitters such as Jose Reyes (402 XBH in 4,453 AB), Edgardo Alfonzo (346 XBH in 3,897 AB), Cleon Jones (308 XBH in 4,223 AB) and Keith Hernandez (249 XBH in 3,164 AB) fail to make this type of list, you can imagine how exclusive it is.

The numbers don't lie.  No player in Mets history with at least 500 at-bats has given the team a better chance at collecting an extra-base hit than Scott Hairston.

And yet despite this, the Mets are reluctant to offer Hairston anything more than a one-year deal, even though Kevin Burkhardt believes that all it would take to bring Hairston back is a two-year, $9 million deal.  That's not a lot of money or commitment to a 32-year-old who's clearly one of the team's best right-handed power threats, along with the recently signed David Wright (who, in case the team has already forgotten, required $129 million more than Hairston would to stay in New York).

Sandy Alderson recently said at the Winter Meetings that the team is in need of more power at the plate.  He doesn't have to look very far to find it.  His power source has been wearing No. 12 for the Mets each of the past two seasons, stroking extra-base hits at a rate that no Met has ever reached before him.