Optimism vs. Pessimism

Is the cup half empty or is it half full? That simple question is supposed to provide some insight into one’s personality. How you describe the cup will tell if you are an optimist (half full) or pessimist (half empty). Well, we can forget the cup. Just ask your favorite Mets fan – or even [...]

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Not all SP trade targets are upgrades

Let’s pretend you are the GM of the New York Mets, your team is on the fringe of playoff contention, your job is on the line and you have decided to acquire a pitcher to help the team get to the post-season and save your hide. You have identified three pitchers who can be had [...]

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Mets need shot in the arm

Are the Mets a contender? As of Tuesday they are exactly .500 and only three-and-one-half games back in the National League East. I’ll say this, they are definitely not out of contention. The Mets have another month to see where they stand as we head towards the trading deadline. There is no reason for me [...]

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Dessens and better late than never

For Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya it is a case of better late than never. Slowly but surely the Mets are making moves that should have been obvious in either Spring Training or even the offseason. Gary Matthews opened the season getting regular at-bats. Now he is chained to the bench. Angel Pagan, despite excellent [...]

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Serenity for me, wisdom and courage for Minaya

“Serenity Now!” This was the mantra of Frank Costanza, a phrase he said to keep his blood pressure down. The problem, of course, was that Frank would scream the phrase at the top of his lungs. And that is pretty much my reaction with Jerry Manuel’s bullpen deployment. There may not be a baseball fan [...]

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Niese rewards Minaya's faith

This offseason everyone criticized Omar Minaya for not picking up at least one starting pitcher. I advocated for the club to sign John Lackey, and after he inked a deal with the Red Sox, I suggested the club pick up Jon Garland. Some people thought that the Mets needed to add two starting pitchers but [...]

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Phils pain is Mets pleasure

Raise your hand if you thought at the end of April that the Mets would be in first place. There is nothing wrong with taking a deep breath and enjoying the view from the top of the standings. It is especially sweet since no one saw it coming. Now, after an incredible 9-1 homestand, the [...]

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Promoting Davis now a mistake

It is only a matter of time before the Mets promote Ike Davis. I like Davis, I had him as the club’s fourth-best prospect coming into 2010, and think he should be the starting first baseman for the Mets in 2011. But this is another panic move, ranking right up there with moving Jenrry Mejia [...]

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Minaya fighting last war

Most of the fan base is up in arms over the acquisition of Gary Matthews Jr. But there is really not much to get upset about and it makes perfect sense, in an Omar Minaya type of way. They say that generals are always fighting the last war. For Mets general manager Omar Minaya, that [...]

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Perspective on the Mets bad contracts

Fans hate the Luis Castillo contract and fear that Bengie Molina will be the next disaster deal for the club. Here I look at some truly bad contracts around MLB to put the Castillo and Oliver Perez deals into perspective. There have been some ugly rumors surrounding the Mets this offseason and it is hard not to be upset about most of them.

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Why Minaya should not be criticized for bench

A popular thing to do online these days is to rake GM Omar Minaya over the coals for his roster construction this year. Here I examine how valid that claim is. It is not a fun year to be a Mets fan. It is the third week in July and the season is basically over. [...]

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Learning from your mistakes

New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya is flooding Port St. Lucie with arms, each of them unique. There are young arms, veteran arms, healthy arms and refurbished arms. They are slinging pitches from every angle, on a series of mounds, across the green terra firma at the Tradition Sports Complex. Minaya summed up his [...]

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