A Charlie O'Brien Thanksgiving

In 1990, the Mets and Pirates were duking it out for supremacy in the National League East when New York acquired Charlie O'Brien from the Milwaukee Brewers to be the backup catcher to the incumbent Mackey Sasser.

Sasser was what we call a good-hit, no-throw catcher.  That meant he was a solid contact hitter (.307 batting average in 100 games in 1990) who had a little bit of a problem throwing the ball back to the pitcher.  Okay, it was a big problem, as opposing base runners would occasionally take advantage of Sasser's tap-tap-toss back to the pitcher by stealing a base.

Charlie O'Brien was an excellent defensive catcher who called a good game and had an outstanding arm behind the plate.  O'Brien would go on to throw out a whopping 30 would-be base stealers in 1990 and would erase a total of 95 men who attempted to steal during his four seasons in New York.

But O'Brien as a hitter?  That was another story.

This photo is almost as small as Charlie O'Brien's batting average.  Almost.

In four seasons with the Mets, spanning 659 plate appearances, the Bob Uecker look-alike was also a Bob Uecker hit-alike.  O'Brien had a .212 career batting average with the Mets to go with a .289 on-base percentage and .309 slugging percentage.  How bad was O'Brien as a hitter?  Over the same time period (1990-1993), his sometimes battery-mate, Dwight Gooden, hit .221 and slugged .336 in 318 plate appearances.  (At least O'Brien was a tad more patient than Doc, as Gooden "only" reached base at a .234 clip.)

Despite never being the team's top catcher (Rick Cerone caught most of the games in 1991 and Todd Hundley took over in 1992 and 1993), O'Brien remained a Met for those four seasons, even if his pitchers had a better chance to drive in a run than he did.

Fast forward two decades to the current Mets.  Josh Thole has been with the team for four seasons, although he didn't receive the bulk of the playing time until the second half of the 2010 season.  In 916 career at-bats with the Mets, Thole is a .261 hitter with a .331 on-base percentage.  He is not much of a power threat, as evidenced by his .333 slugging percentage, but then again, he was never counted on to be one.

Yet despite his decent batting average on on-base percentage, especially when compared to what O'Brien did 20 years earlier, the Mets are trying to replace Thole behind the plate.  To this I ask ... why?

Don't get Josh Thole angry.  You wouldn't want to see him angry.

Since becoming a Met in 2009, the team's ERA has been lower with Thole behind the plate than with any other catching option.  The following is Thole's "catcher's ERA" compared to the team's cumulative ERA for each season.

• 2009: Josh Thole (4.10 ERA), Team (4.45 ERA)
• 2010: Josh Thole (3.58 ERA), Team (3.70 ERA)
• 2011: Josh Thole (4.25 ERA), Team (4.19 ERA)
• 2012: Josh Thole (3.77 ERA), Team (4.09 ERA)

• Total: Josh Thole (3.92 ERA), Team (4.10 ERA)

Simply stated, Thole makes his pitchers better when he's catching them.  And lest we forget, it was Josh Thole calling pitches for Johan Santana on the night of his historic no-hitter.

But no.  That's not good enough.  Thole is a decent hitter and a fine handler of pitchers.  But in this era, if a catcher can't hit 20 homers, then it's time to look for his replacement, as the Mets are seeking to do this off-season.

Just imagine what would have happened to Charlie O'Brien if he was catching in this era instead of the 1990s.  Four years with the Mets?  He'd have been lucky to just get four months on the team.

Charlie O'Brien toiled for 15 seasons behind the plate in the major leagues (1985, 1987-2000), hitting a measly .221.  Josh Thole, even if he slumps badly, will always be a better hitter than O'Brien was.  But do you really think Thole will be in the majors for 15 seasons if he continues to be primarily a singles hitter?

A certain Mets catcher from two decades past should be thankful he caught when he did.  He'd have no chance to stick around in Flushing in this era.

Will Kuroda's Contract Affect How Much Dickey Gets?

Earlier today, the Yankees re-signed pitcher Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year deal with $15 million.   The right-handed starter, who will be 38 by Opening Day, had a 16-11 record with a 3.32 ERA for the Yankees in 2012.

Kuroda's season was outstanding, especially considering that he was pitching in the American League East for the first time last season.  But prior to 2012, Kuroda was a sub-.500 pitcher in four years with the Dodgers.  From 2008-2011, Kuroda was 41-46 with a 3.45 ERA.  Those aren't the usual numbers posted by a $15 million pitcher.

Now let's look at R.A. Dickey, who, like Kuroda, will also be making his 2013 debut at the age of 38.  In 2012, Dickey had the best year of his career, going 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA and a league-leading 230 strikeouts, five complete games and three shutouts.  He will be earning $5 million in 2013.

Both Kuroda and Dickey had career years last year, but let's compare what the two pitchers have done over the past three seasons.

• Kuroda: 96 starts, 40-40 record, 3.26 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 487 Ks, 3.29 K/BB
• Dickey: 91 starts, 39-28 record, 2.95 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 468 Ks, 3.12 K/BB

Dickey has one less win and 19 fewer strikeouts than Kuroda since 2010, but Kuroda has five more starts.  Given five extra starts, it's not unreasonable to suggest that Dickey would have more wins and strikeouts than Kuroda over the past three seasons, to go with the better ERA and WHIP.  However, Kuroda's teams over the past three years have finished a combined 29 games above .500 (257-228), while the Mets have combined to finish 26 games below .500 (230-256).

If Kuroda is earning $15 million in 2013, then what's Dickey worth, especially after his Cy Young campaign?  After watching their crosstown rivals pony up for their 38-year-old starter, the Mets are going to have to break the bank to keep theirs.

Although Dickey is definitely the type of person who would give the Mets a hometown discount, especially since he's (in his own words) loyal to the team that gave him a chance in 2010, why should he settle for only $10 million per season?  If the Mets are going to offer Dickey a two-year extension that would keep him in New York until 2015, they might have to start with a $30 million offer for the two seasons, thereby having $35 million tied up in their knuckleballer ($5 million of that amount is for his 2013 salary) over the next three years.

R.A. Dickey is a loyal human being, but he's not a stupid one.  After watching Hiroki Kuroda get $15 million with the Yankees, the Mets are going to have to offer Dickey something in that neighborhood to get him to stay in Flushing.  Otherwise, Dickey might be playing in another neighborhood sooner than fans would like.

Ghosts of Metsimus Past: American Idol Judges Choose Next Mets Manager

Welcome to Ghosts of Metsimus Past, where we have a Dickens of a time bringing back classic Studious Metsimus posts from the past.  In today's inaugural edition, we'll conjure up a post that was originally published on November 13, 2010.

It was around this time two years ago that the Mets hired Terry Collins to become the 20th manager in team history.  But prior to the hiring, there was much speculation as to who the new skipper would be.  Everyone from Bob Melvin to Clint Hurdle to Wally Backman was being considered for the job that eventually went to Collins.   Things got so hectic in the Mets front office that the American Idol judges were called upon to help select the new Mets manager.  Even a special guest celebrity judge crashed the party.  Let's take a look at the original transcript from two years ago to see how they did.




The Mets have interviewed a number of internal and external candidates in the hopes of finding a new manager to replace the departed Jerry Manuel. There have been many rumors and speculation about who that man will be. New Mets GM Sandy Alderson has stated that he would like the new manager in place within the next few weeks, but has given no word as to who he's leaning towards as his choice.

So who should be the next Mets manager? There are many candidates, but only one will be the next manager. Perhaps we should have the judges at American Idol handle the interviews, since they are "experts" at deciding who in America has talent. Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, the floor is all yours.



Randy: Who's our first candidate?

Steven: I believe it's Bob Melvin.

Randy: Mr. Melvin.

Bob Melvin: Hi, I'm Bob Melvin.  I've managed the Seattle Mariners and the Arizona Diamondbacks, winning 93 games in 2003, which was my first season in Seattle, and 90 games for Arizona in 2007.  In fact, when my Diamondbacks finished 90-72 in '07, that represented the best overall record in the National League.

J-Lo: I like that team, the Diamondbacks.  You know, I've got back too, and it's worth more than a diamond.

Randy: Sweet sassy molassy, girl!

Bob Melvin: I don't know what that means, but did I get the job?

Steven: We'll get back to you.  Right now, I want to talk about Jennifer's back.

Randy: That's a lot of back.  Speaking of back, our next candidate is Wally Backman.

Steven: Actually, I heard he's no longer a candidate.

J-Lo: Why not?  I remember liking him when I was a Fly Girl.

Randy: You're still fly, girl.

J-Lo: Ay, Papi!

Steven: We can continue this discussion later, but right now let's talk about Joe Torre.  He's had an incredible managerial career, winning four championships with the Bronx Bombers and then leading the Dodgers to consecutive NLCS appearances.

J-Lo: Did you say Bronx Bombers?  You know, I'm from the Bronx.  I'm from the block.

Steven: Which block is that?

J-Lo: You know, Papi.  The block.  The one right off the 6 train.

Randy: You can pull into my stop anytime.

Steven: Randy, we're discussing managers here.

J-Lo: Who's managing the Yankees now?  Isn't it that Joe Hibachi guy?

Steven: Joe Girardi.

Randy: I could go for some hibachi right now.

J-Lo: Whatever, Papi.  Yeah, that's who the Mets should get.  Joe Torre is kind of a viejo right now.

Randy: What's a viejo?

J-Lo: An old man.  What is he, like 50 now?

Steven: He's 70.  Actually, I'm 62.  Does that make me a viejo?

J-Lo: Whatever, Steven.   I know what you're trying to do.  You just want me to stop talking about Joe Torre because his teams always beat up on your Red Sox.

Steven: We took care of that in 2004.  I remember that year so well. In fact, I was just reminiscing about that season the other day with my fellow Red Sox fan, Ben Affleck.

J-Lo: Don't even go there, Steven.

Steven: Why?  Still bitter about Gigli?

J-Lo: Steven!

Steven: Or the fact that he found a better woman who actually cared about the Red Sox?

J-Lo: Steven!  Don't make me show you the Bronx!

Steven: Who are you?  J-Lo or Bobby Bo?

Randy: Ladies, ladies, ladies.   Please stop fighting!   We're trying to choose a manager here.

Steven: Dude, do I look like a lady?

Randy: Well, now that you mention it...

Clint Hurdle: Guys, I'm ready.  Can I come out now?

Steven: See, Clint Hurdle knows I'm a guy.

J-Lo: Did he call me a guy too?  He's fired!

Randy: Fired?  We haven't even hired him yet, dawg.

J-Lo: Dawg?  Oh, so you think I'm a b...

Clint Hurdle: Maybe I should come back some other time.

Steven: No, Clint.  Stay.   Tell us what you've got.

Clint Hurdle: Well, I managed the Colorado Rockies from 2002 to 2009 and led them to their first ever World Series appearance in 2007.

Steven: Where you were swept by my Red Sox.  Ga-ga-ga-ga-GOW!!

Clint Hurdle: Is that why you wanted me to stay?  To make fun of me for losing the World Series to Boston?  You know, I also know the Mets organization, having played for them in the '80s and managed in their minor league system.

J-Lo: That viejo Torre also played for and managed the Mets.

Clint Hurdle: What's your point?

J-Lo: Well, he ain't getting no Mets job, so why should you?

Clint Hurdle: Why is Joe Torre's past relevant to my candidacy?  What do you even know about baseball, Ms. Lopez?

Guest Judge: I've been saying it all along.  There shouldn't be any women allowed to judge who gets to be in the Mets dugout.

Everyone: Who are you?

Guest Judge: I'm tonight's Guest Judge.  Can I interest any of you in a Tootsie Pop?

Randy: Hold up.  Haven't I seen you on TV before?

Guest Judge: Yes.

Steven: You do those Just For Men commercials, right?  Not that I need Just For Men.

Randy: You don't need it because it's for men.

Steven: Dude, I'm not a lady.

Randy: Dawg, you look like one.

Steven: Well, I'm not.  Anyway, that is you in those commercials, isn't it?

Guest Judge: Yes.

J-Lo: Now I know who you are, Papi!  You're Walt "Clyde" Frazier!

Guest Judge (shaking his head): And you wonder why I think women shouldn't be allowed to judge.

Clint Hurdle: Wait, didn't I play with you on the Mets?

Guest Judge: There you go, Clintie.

Clint Hurdle: Clintie?

Guest Judge: Sorry, I forgot you go by Clint now.

Steven: We beat Clintie in '07!

Clint Hurdle: Shut up, Steven!

Randy: Oh, wait.   Now I know who you are.  You're...

Guest Judge: That's right.  I'm Keith Hernandez, legendary Mets first baseman.

J-Lo: Ha!   Legendary first baseman?  You couldn't get past first base with that chica from Seinfeld.

Keith: Miss Lo, that was a TV show and we were going by the script.

J-Lo: You can't fool me, Papi.  I wouldn't have kissed you either.

Clint Hurdle: You know what?  I don't even want this job anymore!  I'd rather manage in Pittsburgh!  Screw you guys!   I'm going home!

Steven: Thanks, Clintie.  And I say that for all of Red Sox Nation.

Clint Hurdle: Harumph!

Randy: So is there anyone left?

Steven: We have Terry Collins.

Randy: He's the guy Paul DePodesta endorses, right?

Steven: Right.

J-Lo: Endorsements?   Speaking of endorsements, have you tried my newest fragrance?  It's called...

Randy and Steven (in unison): No!

Keith: Doesn't anyone here care about hiring a manager?

J-Lo: Shut up, Walt "Clyde" Frazier!

Keith: I'm Keith Hernandez!

Randy and Steven (in unison): We know!

J-Lo: Just bring in Phil Collins already.

Keith: That's Terry Collins.

Steven: Su-su-sudio!

Randy: Sigh ... Mr. Collins, please.

Terry Collins: Thanks, Randy. I'm Terry Collins.  I've managed for six seasons in the major leagues, splitting my time between the Houston Astros and the Anaheim Angels.   In five of those six seasons, I finished with a winning record.  I'd like to bring that winning attitude back to New York.

Keith: Sir, have you ever won anything?

Terry Collins: My teams have competed for playoff spots almost every year.

Keith: But have you ever finished in first place?

Steven: My Red Sox finished in first place in 2007, when they beat out J-Lo's viejo to win the division title.

J-Lo: Joe Torre's not my old man.

Randy: I'd like to be your daddy.

Keith: Guys, guys!   You too, Steven.

Steven: Everyone's a comedian here.

Terry Collins: Um, did I mention that Paul DePodesta likes me?

Randy: I don't know, dawgs.  I guess we should hire Terry.  Every other candidate walked out on us.

Keith: That's because all of you are incompetent fools.

J-Lo: Who are you calling incontinent?

Keith: My point exactly.

Steven: Maybe we should just let the fans vote.

Randy: If Simon was still around, he'd probably throw every manager off the show.

Keith: He should do the same with the judges.

J-Lo: As long as I get my money, honey.

Randy: What's that?  Our time is up?   Sorry, fellas, but we've got to wrap things up.

J-Lo: But I haven't talked about my new fragrance.   It's called...

Keith: No fragrance is going to cover up the fact that these judges stink.

Randy: You got a problem with us, Dawg?

Keith: Did you choose a manager yet?

Randy: No.

Keith: Isn't that what you're paid to do?

J-Lo: Shut up, Walt "Clyde" Frazier!

Steven: Guys, I've got to get back on tour.  All this fighting is messing up my vocal cords.

Randy: Fine! Go!

Steven: Fine!

J-Lo: Fine!

Keith: Fine!

Randy: We're all leaving.   Let Sandy Alderson hire a new manager.   I've had it with this gig.

(Door slams shut as they all leave.  Moments later, the door opens up again to reveal an older gentleman with glasses and a salt and pepper goatee peering in cautiously.)

Jerry Manuel: Uh, hello?   Are you guys still hiring?

Happy 50th Birthday, Jamie Moyer!

At Studious Metsimus, we tend to make fun of Jamie Moyer.  We've written posts about him such as "Senior Citizens Appreciation Day" and "Rip Van Winkle Not Coming Back To The Phillies".  Our fav'rit AARP member has been attacked because of his age quite a bit on this site, but today we'd like to be serious for a change and wish him a happy birthday.

You see, Jamie Moyer was born on November 18, 1962, meaning that today he is celebrating his 50th birthday.

Most middle-aged men spend their time watching reruns of Matlock.  Jamie Moyer spends his time trying to hook up with a major league team.  That has to commended.  He also runs wild while raising the 12th Man flag for this blogger's fav'rit football team in the Pacific Northwest.  Pretty cool for a non-Matlock watcher.

So even though it would be easy to make fun of a man who was the elder statesman of a team Mets fans love to hate (the Phillies when they were actually good a few years ago), today is the day to celebrate him on his birthday.

From this Mets fan, I'd like to wish Jamie Moyer a happy 50th birthday.  I just hope he remembers to put his dentures in before he eats his cake.

Danger In The Outfield

Although the Mets bullpen was the worst in the majors this year, the top priority for Sandy Alderson this offseason (after resolving the David Wright/R.A. Dickey contract extension issues) should be to improve the outfield.  No Met outfielder has reached 70 RBI in a season since the team moved to Citi Field (Scott Hairston and Lucas Duda tied for the team lead in RBIs by outfielders with 57).  How sad is it that Angel Pagan's 69 RBI in 2010 represent the highest RBI total for a Met outfielder since Shea Stadium closed its doors for good?

Remember in 2000 when everyone said the Mets won the pennant despite having an offensively-challenged outfield?  Well, the trio of Benny Agbayani, Jay Payton and Derek Bell all hit at least 15 HR and drove in a minimum of 60 runs that year.  Believe it or not, that's the last time the Mets had three outfielders reach those numbers in the same season.

Bullpens are unpredictable from year to year.  As bad as the relievers were this year, they could be better than expected next year. But a revolving outfield of Scott Hairston, Lucas Duda, Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Mike Baxter (and perhaps Andres Torres if he's re-signed) just can't compete with the more powerful outfields in the league.  The Mets need a significant change in the outfield if they want to improve in 2013.

The Mets' competition in the division all have at least one, if not more, solid outfielders.  The Nationals have the best outfield in the NL East, with Michael Morse, Jayson Werth and Rookie of the Year Bryce Harper.  The Braves have 20/20 man Jason Heyward (betcha didn't know Heyward stole 21 bases to go with his 27 HR), while the Phillies have a tremendous outfield prospect in Darin Ruf, whose minor league numbers (.317, 38 HR, 104 RBI) carried over into the majors last September after he was called up (.333, 3 HR, 10 RBI in 12 games with the Phillies).  Even the depleted Marlins have a top slugger in Giancarlo Stanton.  The Mets have the guy whose Wikipedia page proudly features my wife's ass.  And that's only if the Mets can re-sign him.

It's been said that pitching wins championships.  That's true, as the Giants have won two of the last three World Series with a strong pitching corps.  But they had outfielders that came through more often than not.  In 2010, it was Cody Ross, Pat Burrell and Andres Torres (with Torres producing a career year for the Giants).  This past season, the names of the outfielders may have changed, but the productivity did not, as Angel Pagan, Gregor Blanco and Hunter Pence all contributed to the Giants' latest title.

The Mets did not have great outfielders when they advanced to the World Series in 2000.  But as a unit, they were more productive than any other outfield the team has put on the field ever since.  It's not a surprise that the Mets have failed to return to the World Series since the days of Agbayani, Payton and Bell.

Assuming the Mets don't trade R.A. Dickey before the beginning of the 2013 season, they'll have a formidable staff.  With Dickey leading the way, followed by the combination of a healthy Johan Santana, the ever-improving Jonathon Niese, the wünderkind Matt Harvey and the return of Dillon Gee (or even Mike Pelfrey if the Mets choose to go that route), starting pitching won't be a problem in 2013.

We know the Mets need to upgrade their bullpen.  But what the Mets truly need are dependable outfielders who are going to be out there 162 games a year.  The rest of the division already has them.  The Mets need to follow suit.  The 2000 pennant winners have been the team's most complete outfield for way too long.

R.A. Dickey Ties A Mark You May Not Have Known

R.A. Dickey and record-breaking seem to go hand-in-hand these days.  From becoming the first knuckleball pitcher to win the Cy Young Award to being the first Mets pitcher credited with at least 27% of his team's victories (as reported here on Studious Metsimus), Dickey's name has been used in the same sentence as the word "first" quite a bit.

But by winning the Cy Young Award this year, Dickey accomplished another "first", becoming the first player in nearly three decades to attain an obscure mark that you may not have known about.

The 2012 season marked Dickey's tenth year in the big leagues.  The 38-year-old began his career with the Texas Rangers in 2001.  Although Dickey spent the entire season in the minor leagues in 2002, he returned to the Rangers in 2003 and pitched for them through 2006.  Once again, Dickey spent an entire season with being promoted to the majors in 2007, before finally getting a call-up from the Seattle Mariners in 2008.  Dickey then spent the 2009 season with the Minnesota Twins before finally coming to New York to play for the Mets in 2010, where he has remained for the past three seasons.

In his first nine seasons (2001, 2003-06, 2008-11), Dickey never came close to winning the Cy Young Award, combining to go 41-50 with four teams.  Not only did he not sniff the award, he failed to receive a single vote from the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA).  But in 2012, his tenth go-round in the big leagues, Dickey not only received a vote for the first time, but he picked up a total of 209 votes to claim his first Cy Young Award.

How rare is it for a pitcher to win this award without ever garnering a single vote in previous seasons?  Let's look at the past ten winners of the Cy Young Award in each league to get an idea.  (The National League winner is listed first, followed the American League winner.)


2011:
Clayton Kershaw (4th season) - had never received a CYA vote before.
Justin Verlander (7th season) - received CYA votes in four previous seasons.

2010:
Roy Halladay (13th season) - received CYA votes in six previous seasons.
Felix Hernandez (6th season) - received CYA votes in 2009.

2009:
Tim Lincecum (3rd season) - received CYA votes in 2008.
Zack Greinke (6th season) - had never received a CYA vote before.

2008:
Tim Lincecum (2nd season) - had never received a CYA vote before.
Cliff Lee (7th season) - received CYA votes in 2005.

2007:
Jake Peavy (6th season) - had never received a CYA vote before.
CC Sabathia (7th season) - had never received a CYA vote before.

2006:
Brandon Webb (4th season) - had never received a CYA vote before.
Johan Santana (7th season) - received CYA votes in three previous seasons.

2005:
Chris Carpenter (8th season) - had never received a CYA vote before.
Bartolo Colon (9th season) - received CYA votes in two previous seasons.

2004:
Roger Clemens (21st season) - received CYA votes in ten previous seasons.
Johan Santana (5th season) - received CYA votes in 2003.

2003:
Eric Gagne (5th season) - received CYA votes in 2002.
Roy Halladay (6th season) - had never received a CYA vote before.

2002:
Randy Johnson (15th season) - received CYA votes in eight previous seasons.
Barry Zito (3rd season) - had never received a CYA vote before.


Over the past ten seasons prior to 2012, nine pitchers who won the Cy Young Award had never received a single vote for the award prior to winning it.  However, none of the nine award-winning pitchers had been in the big leagues for more than eight seasons prior to taking home the trophy.  Chris Carpenter was the "veteran" of the group, winning the Cy Young Award in his eighth season after never having earned a single vote for the award in any of his previous seven seasons.

Since 1967, when each league started giving out Cy Young Awards (only one award was handed out to the majors' top pitcher from 1956-1966), four men have surpassed Carpenter's mark.  In 1996, John Smoltz of the Atlanta Braves won the Cy Young Award in his ninth major league campaign, after failing to receive a vote in any of his previous eight seasons.  Smoltz became the second ninth-year player to earn his first Cy Young Award votes in the same year he won it, joining San Diego Padres' closer Mark Davis, who accomplished the feat in 1989.  But Smoltz and Davis aren't the record-holders in this category.  That honor is shared by John Denny and Steve Stone.

In 1983, John Denny had a wonderful season for the pennant-winning Phillies, going 19-6 with a 2.37 ERA.  For his efforts, Denny was the recipient of the National League Cy Young Award, earning the hardware in his tenth major league season.  It would also mark the first and last time Denny earned a Cy Young Award vote, as he was out of baseball after the 1986 season at the age of 33.  Similarly, Steve Stone saved his best season in the majors for his tenth, going 25-7 with a 3.23 ERA for the 1980 Baltimore Orioles.  Like Denny before him, Stone was out of baseball by age 33, never receiving another Cy Young Award vote after having never received one prior to his award-winning 1980 campaign.

Editor's note:  In 1967, Mike McCormick of the San Francisco Giants won the National League Cy Young Award in his 12th major league season, after never having received a Cy Young Award vote in any of his previous 11 seasons.  However, as stated before, prior to 1967 only one Cy Young Award was given out to the major league's top pitcher, thereby limiting McCormick's chances to receive a vote.  The same can be said for 1959 Cy Young Award winner Early Wynn, who was in his 19th season the year he won the award.

That brings us back to R.A. Dickey.  In winning the Cy Young Award in his tenth big league season after never having received a single vote in any of his previous nine campaigns, Dickey has tied the mark set by Steve Stone and John Denny in 1980 and 1983, respectively.

Stone and Denny proved to be one-season wonders in their Cy Young campaigns, with both pitchers ending their careers prematurely, but Dickey appears to be in the prime of his knuckleball-twirling career.   At age 38, Dickey has already outlasted Stone and Denny by five years, and as a knuckleballer, he may have at least five more years on his right arm, especially given the longevity of his knuckleball-tossing predecessors, Phil Niekro, Charlie Hough and Tim Wakefield.

R.A. Dickey accomplished many firsts in 2012.  But he also tied a mark you may not have known about.  It took him ten years to get the respect of just one BBWAA voter.  But that one vote turned into 209 votes and earned Dickey his first Cy Young Award.  That's a whole lot of well-earned respect for a first-timer like Dickey.

You Can't Spell "Dickey" Without a "C" and a "Y"

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2012 National League Cy Young Award winner, R.A. Dickey!

DICKEY DONE DID IT!!

For the first time since 1985, a New York Mets pitcher has won the National League Cy Young Award, as R.A. Dickey was just bestowed the highest honor at his position, earning 209 votes (27 first place votes) to beat out last year’s winner, Clayton Kershaw (96 votes, two first place votes) and Gio Gonzalez (93 votes, one first place vote).  Not since Dwight Gooden over a quarter century ago had a Mets pitcher taken home the coveted hardware.  Dickey is also the third Met in team history to receive the Cy Young Award, joining the aforementioned Gooden and “The Franchise” himself, Tom Seaver, who won the award in 1969, 1973 and 1975.

Dickey was at or near the top in mostly every major pitching category.  He led the league in innings pitched (233⅔), strikeouts (230), complete games (5), shutouts (3), quality starts (27) and New York Times best-sellers (1).  The knuckleball artist also finished near the league lead in wins (20, 2^nd in NL), ERA (2.73, 2^nd in NL) and WHIP (1.053, 3^rd in NL), while establishing a franchise mark by being credited with 27.0% of his team’s victories (Dickey won 20 games for the 74-88 Mets, surpassing Seaver’s 26.8% mark from 1975 when Tom Terrific won 22 games for a team that finished 82-80).

Prior to winning the Cy Young Award, Dickey was mostly known as the guy who gave yours truly permission to write the semi-regular Dickeypedia Word of the Week feature.  Now he’s known for so much more, and deservedly so.

The Studious Metsimus staff would like to congratulate R.A. Dickey on becoming the first knuckleball pitcher to win the National League Cy Young Award, an honor that had eluded a Mets pitcher for 27 years.  It couldn’t have gone to a better candidate or a better person. 

Gettin' Iggy With It: The Iggy Beartran Experience

Hi!  This is Iggy Beartran.  You may know me as the younger sister of Joey Beartran, who recently wrote a recap of our tours of Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field in Seattle.  (If you didn’t read it yet, shame on you!  You’re either way behind in your Studious Metsimus reading or you’re a relative of the Safeco Field tour guide that Joey trashed because of her inability to share accurate Seattle Mariner facts.)   In today’s edition of Gettin’ Iggy With It, I’d like to share my thoughts on the Seattle trip.  In particular, I’d like to discuss why I couldn’t help but think of the Mets and a certain other “fishy” division rival while I was touring the stadiums and the city in which they were located.

As far as the tours went, I actually didn’t have a problem with the Safeco Field tour.  I’m not into the history of the Seattle Mariners so I didn’t mind the mistakes made by our tour guide.  The Safeco Field tour reminded me of the Mets tour at Citi Field, where I spent an hour visiting things I didn’t care about (suites I can’t afford to sit in, the press box I’ll never write stories from because bloggers such as myself don’t get the love we deserve, etc.) and a minute or two on the field.  As with the tour at Citi Field, I was told that security wouldn’t be very pleased with me if I touched the grass because apparently, billionaire owners can’t spend a few bucks on replacing a blade of grass that might have been damaged by my eight-ounce furry body.  Then again, what would you expect from the Mariners and the Mets?  They need to spend their money on better things, like Oliver Perez.

The CenturyLink Field tour guide actually allowed us to stand on the turf, albeit just one corner of it, but at least she had a good reason not to let us frolic on the field.  The Washington Huskies were going to play a game on that same field just four hours after we placed our paws on it, so they couldn’t let us claim it for ourselves.  No worries.  We found other places to frolic!

The city itself was lots of fun!  We went to many places in Seattle, such as the Public Market (where guys throw expensive fish around like the Marlins toss around their high-priced players –  I mean, Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson to Toronto?  Great googly moogly!) and the iconic Space Needle, which looks quite a bit like the big syringe Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria must be using on himself before making these head-scratching trades.

The food in Seattle was even better than the food at Citi Field.  I never got to try the Ichi-roll (apparently, the Mariners don’t open their food courts during the off-season – bad business move in my opinion), but in downtown Seattle, I had the tastiest New England Clam Chowder ever made!!  Unfortunately, I ate it so fast that I don’t have photographic proof of this tasty meal so all I can give you is this photo from my breakfast trip to Denny’s.

So to recap this … uh … recap, I had great food in places other than Denny’s, the Marlins are selling off their players faster than you can say “the roof, the roof, the roof is on fire”, CenturyLink Field is pretty cool and bear-friendly, and Safeco Field wasn’t as bad as my brother described it, even if the team that plays there gladly employs Oliver Perez.  At least they’re not proud of the fact that they once had Rip Van Winkle himself on the team.  Oh wait, never mind.

That’s all for now, Mets fans.  I hope you enjoyed this edition of Gettin’ Iggy With It.  Till next time, keep your feet on the bases and keep an eye out for flying fish.  After all, you don’t want to get hit by a former Miami Marlin.

Joey's World Tour: Mr. Beartran Goes To Washington (State)

Hello, everyone!  This is your fav'rit roving reporter, culinary expert and sometimes tour guide, Joey Beartran.  So tell me, Mets fans.  Did you do anything interesting this weekend?  I spent mine taking a trip to the far reaches of the Pacific Northwest, visiting not one, but two stadiums in not one, but two sports.

That's right, faithful readers.  I went to Seattle, home of such musical legends like Queensrÿche, The Presidents of the United States of America and Sir Mix-A-Lot.  I'm sure there were other musical geniuses from Seattle, but those are the ones most commonly associated with the scene there.  They "experienced" the heights and depths of musical success.  They put their "hearts" into their music whenever they "jammed" in the Pacific Northwest.  Some of them left us too early, but I'm sure they've broken the "chains" of the "pearly" gates and are now planting the seeds to a new "sound garden" in their musical "nirvana".

But enough with the musical references.  You're here because you like sports, especially baseball, right?  So let's stop with the jibber-jabber and allow me to take you on a tour of Seattle's two stadiums located directly across the street from each other in SoDo (South of Downtown Seattle).

First up, Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners.

My colleagues and I took an early tour of the ballpark, and we were promised by the tour guide that it would take no more than an hour and twenty minutes.  Hogwash.  The tour took as long as it took Steve Trachsel to finish an inning after allowing a leadoff walk.  And it wasn't like she gave me interesting information.  In fact, not only did she keep repeating the same information over and over (how many times can a person mention the 1995 American League Division Series), but she got much of her facts mixed up.

For example, prior to the birth of the Seattle Mariners in 1977, Seattle had another major league team in 1969 known as the Pilots.  But that team lasted all of one season in the land of Sir Mix-A-Lot, moving to Milwaukee to become the Brewers in 1970.  Of course, our supposedly knowledgable tour guide told us they played in 1968 and 1969.  Strike one.

She also talked about the year Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. were teammates on the Mariners, making sure to say that the father-son duo hit back-to-back home runs in the same game in 1995.  Uh, no.  That happened in 1990, when 20-year-old Junior was avoiding a sophomore slump and 40-year-old Senior was finishing out his career.  Papa Griffey had already been out of baseball for four years by 1995.  Strike two.

Finally, with all her talk about the 1995 ALDS, which ended with Edgar Martinez driving in Joey Cora and Ken Griffey Jr. in the bottom of the 11th inning to eliminate the New York Yankees in the fifth and deciding game, she claimed that the Mariners' victory in that game earned them their first-ever playoff spot.  Wow.  Even a non-baseball fan knows that the ALDS is a playoff series.  The Mariners clinched the AL West division title in a one-game playoff versus the California Angels to advance to the division series against the Yankees.  Therefore, that moment she was so proud of did not actually clinch a playoff spot for Seattle.  They had already done that the week before in a game that capped a miraculous comeback by the Mariners for the division title.  Swing and a miss.  Yer out!

Attention, tour guide.  The play depicted above happened in the playoffs.  It did not send Seattle to the playoffs.

Besides getting her facts mixed up, our tour guide didn't really talk much about the players who came through the Mariners organization.  Whereas other tours I've taken discussed that franchise's iconic players and managers (Baltimore's tour talks about Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray and the entire Ripken family), hardly anything in the Safeco Field tour focused on Mariners history.

The team store still sells Jay Buhner jerseys and T-shirts.  But not once was Buhner's name mentioned on the tour.  And this is the guy who would be the franchise's all-time leader in hits, doubles, home runs and RBIs if not for players like Ken Griffey, Jr., Ichiro Suzuki and Edgar Martinez.  Heck, Buhner's career Mariner numbers of 307 HR and 951 RBIs would rank first all-time in Mets history, a team that has been around for 15 years longer than the Mariners.  But we don't want to mention Buhner's name in a Mariners tour.  Not when the tour guide would rather make fun of A-Rod every chance she got.

Oh, and since I just mentioned Edgar Martinez, I feel like I should bring up the fact that he was also never mentioned by the tour guide other than when she mentioned his hit to end the 1995 ALDS.  This is the same Edgar Martinez who still contributes to the Seattle community eight years after he retired from an 18-year playing career, with all of those years coming in Seattle.  For Tim Bogar's sake, there's a street called Edgar Martinez Drive located right outside Safeco Field!  But no.  Everything he's done for the city and the team got him nothing more than a side note in the Safeco Field tour.

Can you tell I didn't like this tour?  I didn't.  But that doesn't take away from the stadium itself.  It has one of only four hand-operated scoreboards being used in the major leagues.  It was also the site of Felix Hernandez's perfect game in 2012, which was one of a major league record three no-hitters thrown at Safeco Field this past season (two by Seattle, one against).  Let's not talk about the tour guide anymore.  Let's just show you some additional photos, okay?

(And yes, that is former Mets first baseman John Olerud in the final photo.  He played in Seattle after leaving the Mets following the 1999 season and led them to back-to-back appearances in the American League Championship Series in 2000 and 2001.  Apparently, he's also 6'5" tall.)

Across the street from Safeco Field is CenturyLink Field, home of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.  I don't pretend to like football, but my Studious Metsimus colleague is a big fan of that particular team, so we did a tour of that stadium as well.  Needless to say, it was superior to the Safeco Field tour.  Then again, anything would have been better than that tour...

I'll let the pictures do the talking for the CenturyLink Field tour.

Yes, Mr. Beartran did go to Washington (the state, in this case).  And yes, I did enjoy my time there.  But the next time I go to Safeco Field, I'll just go when the Mets are playing an interleague series there, when no tour guides can feed me false information and I might actually come away with a good taste in my mouth.

It's too bad they don't play baseball at CenturyLink Field.  That stadium was beautiful and the tour was exceptional.  Maybe I should watch a Seahawks game or two this season.  Hey, it beats talking about the daily David Wright/R.A. Dickey contracts that never seem to get signed.


Note:  A few years ago, I did a similar piece called "Mr. Beartran Goes To Washington", but that was referring to Washington, DC and not the state of Washington.  To reminisce with that piece, please click here.

Song Parody: 44 Ways To Say Goodbye

The next time Jason Bay stinks up the place, it will not be in a Mets uniform.

Jason Bay came to New York with plenty of potential and plenty of zeroes on his contract.  After three years of covering up his shortcomings with the phrase "but he hustles", the Mets finally decided to cut ties with the hapless hustler, deferring the rest of the money owed on his contract over the course of several years.

The Mets will now have millions of dollars available to sweeten potential deals for David Wright and R.A. Dickey, or perhaps they will use it on another outfielder.  (Shin-Soo Choo, anyone?)  After all, the Mets are now short by one at that position.

So as Jason Bay boards the train leaving from Citi Field, I decided to write a song parody of a popular song by the band Train.  The original song, called "50 Ways To Say Goodbye", has a mariachi band and David Hasselhoff in the video.  (The Hoff used to star in Baywatch; we watched Bay, who used to be a star.  How appropriate.)  I can't promise you mariachis or the Hoff, but I can give you my own version of the song, called "44 Ways To Say Goodbye", based on the number that Jason Bay will no longer wear for the Mets.  Enjoy!


I can't believe my eyes
Did Bay just compromise
To take a hike just like he should
'Twas never meant to be
Too many injuries
He's leaving now since he's no good

That's cool, 'cause all Mets fans have had enough of Jason Bay

Hit the wall back in L.A.
Got a concussion
Ended his season with little production
Help him!  Help him!  Flash light in his eyes!
Came to the park with his lumber
Nothing cured his slumber 
So imperfect, just like Philip Humber
Help him!  Help him!  Bay whiffs every time
He's under the Mendoza line

Fred's wallet feels the sting
Wilpon paid everything
He's kicking Bay out the front door (out the front door)
Thought he was Superman
Bay didn't stick to the plan 
Missing like Koufax on Yom Kippur

Not cool, but it's all true; I'm glad we're rid of Jason Bay

He was caught in a deep slide
Hey, but he was tryin'
Slumps stretched longer than Conan O'Brien
Helpless!  Helpless!  Now we say goodbye!
Bay got just what he deserved
He killed the ballclub
As worthless as a Citi Field ticket stub
Helpless!  Helpless!  Glad we realized
That Bay should go bye-bye

Don't wanna whiff a thousand times with you
Don't want another injury; we're through
Go on...we just don't want you

That's cool, 'cause all Mets fans have had enough of Jason Bay
That's cool, 'cause all Mets fans have had enough of Jason Bay...
 
Hit the wall back in L.A.
Got a concussion
Ended his season with little production
Help him!  Help him!  Flash light in his eyes!
Came to the park with his lumber
Nothing cured his slumber 
So imperfect, just like Philip Humber
Help him!  Help him!  Bay whiffs every time...

He was caught in a deep slide
Hey, but he was tryin'
Slumps stretched longer than Conan O'Brien
Helpless!  Helpless!  Now we say goodbye!
Bay got just what he deserved
He killed the ballclub
As worthless as a Citi Field ticket stub
Helpless!  Helpless!  Glad we realized
That Bay should go bye-bye...

Cy Young Award Finalists To Be Announced Tonight

Photo by Barton Silverman/New York Times

Just a quick reminder to let you know that the MLB Network will be announcing the three finalists for the Cy Young Award in each league tonight on a special broadcast at 6:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.  Candidates for the National League Cy Young Award include Gio Gonzalez, Matt Cain, Clayton Kershaw, Craig Kimbrel and the man who was better than all of them, R.A. Dickey.

The show will also reveal the three finalists for each league's Rookie of the Year Award and Manager of the Year Award, as well as five finalists for the American League and National League MVP Awards.  No Mets player or manager is expected to be a finalist in any of those categories, although former Mets manager Davey Johnson is a strong contender for the National League Manager of the Year Award.

So if you're all pooped out from the election coverage (and you know the six o'clock news will only be talking about that and perhaps the nor'easter headed up the Eastern seaboard), why not check out MLB Network at 6:00 PM to see if R.A. Dickey is among the three finalists for the NL Cy Young Award?

Let's just hope that when Dickey does win the coveted hardware (to be announced on Wednesday, November 14, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel), he doesn't have Lucas Duda accept the award for him.  I'm sure the Dickey family would like to receive the award in one piece.

How About Shin-Soo Choo In Orange And Blue?

According to Jon Heyman, the Cleveland Indians are not opposed to trading some of their best players such as Asdrubal Cabrera, Justin Masterson and Chris Perez.  But the one player the Mets should have on their radar is outfielder Shin-Soo Choo.

Now that the Mets have rid themselves of the always hustling but never producing Jason Bay, they're going into the 2013 season with no one in particular in left, your guess is as good as mine in center, and some combination of Lucas Duda, Mike Baxter, Scott Hairston (if he's re-signed) and the right field ball boy in right.  Needless to say, the Mets have a big mess in the outfield.  However, some of that mess could be cleaned up if Sandy Alderson can find the right combination of players to offer Indians general manager Chris Antonetti for Shin-Soo Choo.

The 30-year-old Choo will be a free agent following the 2013 season, but he's still worth the risk.  Just look at his numbers over the last three full seasons he's played (injuries limited Choo to 85 games in 2011):

• 2009: .300 batting average, .394 OBP, 38 doubles, 20 HR, 86 RBI, 87 runs, 21 SB
• 2010: .300 batting average, .401 OBP, 31 doubles, 22 HR, 90 RBI, 81 runs, 22 SB
• 2012: .283 batting average, .373 OBP, 43 doubles, 16 HR, 67 RBI, 88 runs, 21 SB

• Average: .294 batting average, .389 OBP, 37 doubles, 19 HR, 81 RBI, 85 runs, 21 SB

In addition to his high on-base percentage and 20 HR/20 SB potential, Choo's arm also has to respected in the outfield.  The rightfielder has tallied 41 outfield assists since 2009 despite missing 108 games (77 of them coming in 2011).

Although he is a solid player, Choo is not an All-Star, and would not require a top prospect to pry him away from the Indians.  A combination of mid-level prospects or a prospect and a major league-ready role player would probably suffice.  Heck, the Mets could even offer Lucas Duda in the deal, especially since Duda could play first base or be the Indians' DH.  Duda would be a vast improvement over Cleveland's first base/DH combo from 2012, Casey Kotchman (.228/.280/.333, 12 HR, 55 RBI) and Travis Hafner (.228/.346/.438, 12 HR, 34 RBI), plus Duda would be under club control through the 2016 season, whereas Kotchman and Hafner are both free agents.

Other teams would probably also be in the hunt for Choo's services, but Sandy Alderson has already gone on the record saying that he would like to improve the Mets with trades rather than free agent acquisitions.  And with Choo earning $4.9 million in 2012, he would not be an expensive option for the Mets, even with a slight raise in 2013. 

The Mets have not been very consistent in the outfield over the past few years.  But Shin-Soo Choo has been one of the most consistent outfielders over his last three full seasons in the majors.  With Choo, you know what you're going to get.  He's not going to be among the league leaders in any category, but he's going to give you solid production across the board.  When was the last time the Mets could say that about any of their outfielders?

Shin-Soo Choo should be in orange and blue in 2013.  The Mets need his kind of stability and consistency to rub off on the rest of the team.

Broken News: Lucas Duda Can't Afford Movers

Welcome to the latest edition of Broken News, where someone else breaks the news, then we break it some more.  In today's edition, we literally have broken news, or more accurately, we have news of a break.

Earlier today, Adam Rubin reported that Mets' outfielder Lucas Duda underwent surgery to repair a fractured right wrist, which he sustained while moving furniture in his California home.  The surgery should allow Duda to be ready for spring training, according to the team.

Lucas Duda made a shade under $500,000 this past season and is expected to get a raise in 2013.  (Duda got an $83,200 raise after the 2011 season.)  He can afford to hire someone to move his furniture around.  But no.  The man who flubbed many a fly ball in right field has now made an error at home, joining the likes of Hunter Pence (injured when he walked through a sliding glass door in his spring training apartment), Clint Barmes (broke his collarbone while carrying venison up a flight of stairs), Joel Zumaya (inflamed wrist on his throwing hand due to an addiction to Guitar Hero) and the granddaddy of all "stay-at-home" injuries, Glenallen Hill, who injured himself sleepwalking while trying to flee from nightmarish spiders (no word on whether Freddy Krueger had something to do with Hill's injury).

At least Duda won't miss any games with his injury, like Pence, Barmes, Zumaya and Hill did.  But his injury should:

a) teach him about the wonders of hiring movers, or at the very least, a neighbor who could use a few extra bucks, and

b) serve as a notice to his teammates (like the one pictured below high-fiving Duda) that injuries can happen at any time, even when doing the most mundane things.

Justin Turner, take heed.  You don't want to end up like 2009 NL Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan, who followed up his sensational rookie season by getting injured while giving a teammate a shaving cream pie to the face.   The Mets have enough weird injuries as it is.

For R.A. Dickey, There's No Place Like Tome

Prior to embarking on his historic 20-win campaign, R.A Dickey released his first book, "Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest For Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball".  His first tome was received well by critics and fans alike, and began a whirlwind season that included book signings, television appearances and movie premieres.  And that was before he turned in one of the finest seasons by a Mets pitcher in over 20 years.

This off-season, Dickey is going back to the books, but this time he's writing for younger readers.  The Mets' ace has signed a three-book deal with Dial Press, and the first book that will be published is a young adult-friendly version of his memoir.  That book will be released next fall.  Dickey's second book geared toward children is tentatively titled "Knuckleball Ned", and should be completed by spring 2014.  His third book has not been scheduled as of this writing.

Dickey states that the characters in the second book will be based on his own life experiences, and will also be influenced by the people who were a part of his journey.  Although the story is baseball-related, Dickey claims that the book can be appreciated by children who don't follow the game.  He goes on to say:

"Reading is something that can really teach a child how to relate to characters and people.  There will be dream busters along the way that will try to keep you from being who you are authentically called to be because it looks different.  The hope is that you are able to embrace what makes you different and unique and that it allows you to shine."

Whereas some writers listen to suggestions and critiques from their peers and members of the media, Dickey's greatest critics are his four kids.  Often, Dickey will show his daughter what he has written for one of his books.  If she tells him she doesn't understand what he's written, then he will change it so that other kids can have an easier time reading the finished product.

R.A. Dickey is hoping the Mets can sign him to a multi-year deal.  But another deal he recently signed might be just as satisfying to him.  His three-book deal will allow him to reach out to children, encouraging them to stimulate their minds by reading.

During the 2012 baseball season, Dickey took opposing hitters to school, educating them on how difficult it is to hit a well-thrown knuckleball.  Now that the season is over, Dickey is doing a different kind of education, but this one will benefit many more people for years to come.

For R.A. Dickey, there really is no place like "tome", and if he has his way, his tomes will be read by children long after he leaves the game that gave him so much inspiration for his writings.

The Only Race Worth Running

Earlier this week, Hurricane Sandy made its way up the Eastern seaboard, leaving a lasting impact on the New Jersey shore, New York City, Long Island and various other areas in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the country.  For some people, this impact has been a bothersome inconvenience.  But for others, the impact was life-changing and in some cases, life-ending.

Millions of people lost power.  Thousands lost their homes.  Dozens lost their lives.  Everyone in the Tri-State Area was affected in some way.  I am not an exception.

Since last year, I have been watching, admiring and taking part in my wife’s training to run the New York City Marathon this year.  She began training for it in late spring 2011, first doing 5K runs, then advancing to longer organized races, mostly in New York’s Central Park.  At times she traveled to other states to run, competing in the Fab Four 5K race in Roselle, NJ and her all-time favorite race (on opposite day) in Danbury, CT.

For her, it wasn’t about the time it took to finish.  It was about finishing every time.  And she did finish every race she ran, including three half-marathons, with her most recent 13.1-mile run coming last month in Long Island.

I was so proud of her when she finished her 20-mile run.  At that moment, I knew she was ready for the marathon this Sunday.  But after watching the destruction caused by Sandy earlier this week, I know that as much as she readied herself to run this race, the city is not ready to have it run.

Thousands of people trained for as long, if not longer than my wife did for the 2012 New York City Marathon.  But this is not the time to run a race, especially when firefighters, police officers and good Samaritans are running their own race to save lives, not to mention the people who are working around the clock to restore power to the millions who have been suffering without heat or food.

Eleven years ago, New York experienced another disaster that changed people’s lives forever.  When the twin towers of the World Trade Center fell, the whole city came together to help those in need.  The Mets were front and center in the healing process.

In the days and nights following the tragic events of September 11, then-Mets manager Bobby Valentine and several of his players were constantly at Shea Stadium.  They were using the ballpark and its parking lot in their efforts to provide food, water and supplies to the rescue teams at Ground Zero.  Had Major League Baseball decided to go on with its schedule of games instead of canceling games for a week, this relief effort would not have been possible, as the Mets would have been using Shea Stadium to play games three days after September 11.

Major League Baseball got it right in 2001.  Similarly, the organizers of the marathon and the city of New York got it right in 2012.

As much as canceling the marathon is an inconvenience, disappointment, and in some cases, heartbreak to those who have trained for months for the opportunity to run 26.2 miles through the streets of the greatest city in the world, it’s nothing compared to the inconvenience, disappointment and heartbreak suffered by those people who lost power, property and loved ones.

New York did the right thing by choosing not to hold this year’s race.  The race to get the city and the surrounding areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy back up to speed is far more important.



One final note.  To my wife, who gave so much of her time and dedicated herself to a vigorous training schedule, I know you were looking forward to competing and finishing this year's course.  But just because the marathon will not be held this year doesn't make you any less of a champion in my heart.  Your drive and determination inspire me every day and I'm a far better person because of who you are and what you do.  I will always be proud of you.  I love you.

Photo by Sharon Chapman