Today marks the first “official” day of Spring Training, 2015. This is the mandatory day for all pitchers and catchers invited to camp to at least check in. From all reports, everybody made it, except Bartolo Colon, possibly enjoying a late lunch in his native Dominican Republic. In any case, there are stories galore about [...]
Yesterday was one of those days you love hearing about if you’re a baseball fan. Yesterday was Truck Day. There were publicity shots galore of Mr. and Ms. Met loading up the semis for the annual trek to Port St. Lucie. The equipment cases were loaded, the engines revved and the big wheels started a-rollin’ [...]
Mets’ General Manager Sandy Alderson and his top lieutenants held the floor at a team-sponsored gathering of season ticket holders last night. I’m told that all 15 people in attendance had a great time. I kid…I kid… Sometimes, even Mets’ devotees can’t resist a good “LOLMets” opportunity. In any case, Alderson took questions from the [...]
We’re inching ever closer to the arrival of pitchers and catchers at the training camps in Florida and Arizona. By the way, did something else go on in Arizona this past weekend? Suffice to say Pete Carroll had his very own Carlos Beltran moment. I digress… In any case, now is the time when the [...]
In baseball circles, the word “Mets” is on a lot of peoples’ lips. In years past, this was a good thing in January. It meant signing Carlos Beltran, or Billy Wagner
By now, you’ve lapped up all the ink spilled in praise of the Washington Nationals and their forward-thinking signing of Max Scherzer. The Scherzer deal wasn’t an old fashioned, Steinbrennerian, throw-bags-of money-at-Scott-Boras kind of agreement – although, in effect, that is surely what happened. No, this one actually took a page from the Mets’ old [...]
For the third week of January, there’s an awful lot of baseball talk around here. First there was the QBC on Saturday. Then, last night, there was a gathering called Pitch Talks at B.B. King’s Blues Club in mid-town Manhattan. The Pitch Talkers included – but were not limited to -- FOX/MLB TV bowtie man [...]
It was cold. I mean it was really cold. When your intrepid columnist left the friendly confines of suburban Jersey for an ad hoc trip to Queens for the Second Annual Queens Baseball Conference – the QBC – it was twelve degrees. That’s 12, as in “one-two.” There were important football games looming in the [...]
If you listen to Mets’ hierarchy – by whom I mean GM Sandy Alderson, his lieutenants, Paul DePodesta and J.P. Ricciardi as well as Manager Terry Collins: Fred and Jeff Wilpon have been silent so far this winter, and wisely so -- the year has finally arrived. Since 2010, we fans have been subject to [...]
Another offseason is blowing by us quickly. The Super Bowl is less than a month away, Valentine’s Day is the following weekend, and then it’s time for pitchers and catchers. Yes, it’s going quickly and not a moment too soon. The Mets still haven’t gotten themselves a shortstop. Did I write this last year, too? [...]
The 2014 Winter Meetings have started and the Mets haven’t made their long-awaited splash. Sandy Alderson has, instead, gone through his annual litany of tempering enthusiasm, lowering expectations and pricking lofty thought balloons. Since the Mets’ contingent arrived in San Diego, we’ve heard: • The payroll – currently sitting at $100 million – is more [...]
On Metsblog.com earlier today, proprietor Matthew Cerrone compiled a few quotes to show that there is a louder-than-quiet confidence in the Mets’ clubhouse. “I think 2015 is going to be a good year for us,” says manager Terry Collins. “We should be able to make the playoffs next year,” crows pitcher Jacob deGrom. “I know [...]