Mets Jambalinka: Kevin Mitchell, Aaron Heilman and Bud Selig

We like to try different things here at Mets360. Now some of these work out great, like Card of the Week, Mets Minors and Mets Notes did for us last year. Some don’t work out so well and we stop doing them and move on to other things. So, starting this week we’re going to try a links column.

It’s always a tricky thing doing a links column, as you’re inviting your readers to leave your site. Plus, I am not as well-read as many others on things going on in the blogosphere and MSM. Sure, I like reading about the Mets, but without unlimited time in the day, I prefer to spend my time writing.

But one of the reasons that Mets360 enjoyed such tremendous growth last year was because of links we received from places like MetsBlog, Amazin’ Avenue, Mets Today and a host of other places. I just feel like we are a big enough site now that not only can we do a links column, we have an obligation to at least try one.

Ultimately, you will decide if we make this a weekly feature. If you have any thoughts on the matter, please leave a comment and let us know. And if you’ve read this far, please click on at least one of the links below.

By far the biggest news lately has been the announcement that the Mets have hired CRG Partners to do some work for them. It should be pointed out that this news was broken by blogger Eno Sarris who unquestionably had this story before anyone in the mainstream media. Here’s a follow-up, where Sarris and Daniel Lewis, who has written extensively on the team’s financial picture, talk about the issue.
http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/1/10/2695732/so-what-does-the-crg-hiring-mean-again#storyjump

At this point, the Mets fan base is nearly unanimous in wanting Fred Wilpon to sell the team. That is why the CRG story was so big, because it seemed to offer hope in that direction. Personally, I never saw the hiring of CRG as an indication that the Wilpons were investigating bankruptcy. Planning ahead for a graceful exit strategy was just so diametrically opposed to every single thing the Wilpons have said and done previously that it made no sense to interpret it that way. Here, Howard Megdal gives another reason to be skeptical about the imminent sale of the team as he discusses MLB Commissioner Bud Selig’s decision to stick around for two more years. So much for MLB pressuring the Mets to pay them back the $25 million…
http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/null/2012/01/4978757/wilpon-group-still-has-bud-selig-least

Everyone has written about the team cutting ties with Fernando Martinez. Minor League prospect maven John Sickels approaches it in a different way, as he reviews what he wrote about the much-hyped Mets prospect throughout the years.
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2012/1/11/2699820/the-journey-of-fernando-martinez-new-york-mets-waivers

In recent years, the Mets bench has improved dramatically from the Willie Randolph era, where it seemingly consisted of nothing but catchers and second basemen. Still, it’s light years away from 1986, when the bench featured nothing but past and future All-Stars. Here Centerfield Maz does a nice retrospective of Kevin Mitchell, complete with numerous photos, including one where he dons a cowboy hat.
http://www.centerfieldmaz.com/2012/01/1986-world-champion-mets-all-around.html

Generally as fans we tend to focus on the major league roster and a handful of prospects in the minors. Mack Ade gives the farm system a much more thorough look and here he examines how the Triple-A Buffalo roster looks currently. Also, is a nice little circle-of-life chain involving the Mets and Aaron Heilman.
http://macksmets.blogspot.com/2012/01/i-may-be-wrong-but-minor-league.html

For the first time in forever, the Mets will not feature Jose Reyes and David Wright as prominent pieces of their team. Ed Leyro takes this opportunity to examine the longest tenured Mets teammates throughout franchise history.
http://studiousmetsimus.blogspot.com/2012/01/mets-teammates-who-played-together.html

Just in case you still held out hope of the Wilpons leaving soon, Brian Costa interviews Fred Wilpon at the owners’ meetings and details how much he loves being an owner.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204409004577157230680671076.html?mod=WSJ_article_comments#articleTabs%3Darticle