Mets Closer Arrested for Assault

And I thought the Mets blowing a lead in the 8th was too much.  Francisco Rodriguez, the Mets' closer since 2009, was arrested tonight after assaulting his father-in-law.  He is now in the custody of the NYPD.

The incident arose after Rodriguez was angry over the result of tonight's game.  The Mets had a 2-1 lead in the eight inning against the Colorado Rockies.  With two outs, and the bases empty, the Rockies got two men on.  As a result, Mets manager Jerry Manuel replaced pitcher Hisanori Takahashi with Manny Acosta, instead of Rodriguez.

Acosta, who spent much of his time in the minors this season, then proceeded to walk a man, then gave up a grand slam.  The Mets lost 6-2.

After the game, Rodriguez angrily told reporters that he did not want to speak to them.  Then, sometime after going into a backroom, Rodriguez had a dispute with his father-in-law.  Police arrived at the scene, the father-in-law was taken to the hospital, and Rodriguez was arrested.

The exact events are cloudy, but this is for sure: a police spokesman stated that Rodriguez is being charged with third-degree assault.

Nut job

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David Wright Helps a Grant-a-Wish Fan

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Let's Go Mets Go 1986

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What the Mets should and should not do for 2010

Now that this unmitigated disaster of a season is almost over, there are many things the Mets should do before the curtain opens on the 2010 season.

In no particular order, the Mets need: a second starter, another lefty in the bullpen, a catcher, a left fielder, and a first baseman.

Some of those needs may be filled in house, such as Josh Thole becoming one of the catchers replacing Brian Schneider who is a free agent and is clearly at the end of the line. The Mets may have to go outside of the organization to fill some of the other needs.

John Lackey is the biggest free agent starter available and he would fit in well behind Santana. The Rays traded Scott Kazmir late in the season to the Angels and may still be looking at shedding payroll with an eye toward trading Carl Crawford, who would be a great fit in left field for the Mets. A speedy left fielder who would team with Jose Reyes at the top of the lineup would be a boost.

That leaves first base.

One option should not be re-signing Carlos Delgado. Delgado had his moments in the sun but the sun has set on the 37-year-old injured first baseman. Instead of signing Mark Teixeira for this season, the Mets rushed and signed Delgado and paid dearly for it. He barely played before a hip injury forced him out for almost the entire season and there is no guarantee he would be better next season.

If the Mets cannot find another first baseman, they could platoon Daniel Murphy and either Nick Evans and Ike Davis, an up and coming rookie.

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Mets' Santana May be out Rest of Season, Part of 2010

This is officially a lost season for the Mets, and it's bordering on a curse.

From Bloomberg.com:

Aug. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Johan Santana will miss his scheduled start today and instead seek medical advice about his left elbow, adding to the New York Mets’ lengthy list of injured players.

The All-Star pitcher was scratched from the series opener at the Florida Marlins and will meet with team Medical Director David Altchek, Mets Manager Jerry Manuel said at a news conference following New York’s 6-2 home loss to Philadelphia yesterday. Nelson Figueroa will start in Santana’s place.

Santana has pitched with discomfort since the All-Star break and the pain has increased since then, Manuel said.

“I know now that it concerns him,” Manuel said at the televised news conference.

While the Major League Baseball team didn’t provide details about the extent of the 30-year-old pitcher’s injury, several of his teammates said it will lead to Santana having surgery, MLB.com reported.

Santana, who is 13-9 with a 3.13 earned run average, is in the second year of a six-year, $137.5 million contract with New York.

He played his first eight seasons for the Minnesota Twins before joining the Mets last season, and was named the Cy Young Award winner as the American League’s best pitcher in 2004 and 2006. For his career, the four-time All-Star is 122-60 with a 3.12 ERA.

Outfielder Jeff Francoeur, who the Mets acquired July 10, missed yesterday’s game after tearing a ligament in his thumb while making a catch the night before. He said yesterday that he’ll try to play through the injury and that he’ll undergo surgery at some point.

Other Mets starters who have had lengthy injuries this season include shortstop Jose Reyes, outfielders Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado, and third baseman David Wright, who is on the disabled list after suffering a concussion when he was hit by a pitch on Aug. 15.

Santana would become the fifth starting pitcher to miss action because of injury this season, joining John Maine, Oliver Perez, Jonathon Niese and Fernando Nieve.

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Mets GM Omar Minaya Must Be Fired

As a Mets fan, I've watched the team fight off injuries for the entire year. And for months, the Mets have desperately need a trade, a pick me up, something new, anything. Now the trading deadline of baseball has passed, and the GM of the "Amazin' Mets," Omar Minaya, has failed utterly to do anything. No, he has done absolutely nothing to help the team, except trade Left Fielder Ryan Church for Left Fielder Jeff Francoeur straight-up.

No positions filled, no injury back ups, no pitchers, no new outfielders for needed positions. For some teams, like the Yankees, a trade was not necessary this year. They're good enough to win their division, or the wild card. Meanwhile, across town Omar Minaya did not address the Mets' desperate need for a first baseman, outfielder, middle reliever, or starter. My God, man, what were you waiting for?

Such utter incompetency alone is case enough to fire a GM, but worse, Minaya has burned himself on Tony Bernazard going down in flames. Instead of investigating the situation before the Mets became a national disgrace, he waited until the story broke in the Daily News. Then Minaya waited to fire Bernazard for no apparent reason.

But the crowning achievement of Minaya's inability to handle the situation came when he accused News reporter Adam Rubin of intentionally chasing Bernazard out of the organization for his own career. This led to Jeff Wilpon, the son of Mets' owner Fred Wilpon, to quip that Omar is "This close to being out of baseball."

Well, Mr. Wilpon, have at it. He's failed the fans, he's failed the players, and he's failed you. Show him the door.

Oh, and don't forget the previous two years of the Mets collapsing at the end. Good bye, Omar, best wishes.


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Mets, Braves swap Church, Francoeur

I can only imagine how Mr. K feels about this. From MLB.com:

Two National League East foes swapped outfielders on Friday, as the Mets traded Ryan Church to the Braves for Jeff Francoeur.

Church, a 30-year-old lefty hitter, was batting .280 with two home runs and 22 RBIs in 67 games for the New York.

Francoeur, a 25-year-old righty bat, was hitting .250 with five homers and 35 RBIs in 82 games for Atlanta.

If you're a Met's fan, you must be giddy about having a 25-year-old who was, two years ago, on his way to being a super star. For the Braves, well, Church is an excellent fielder.


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NY Met David Wright to Give Kidney to Needy Child

New York Examiner
Dennis Hamm
June 30, 2009

NEW YORK, NEW YORK- The New York Mets may be looking at another injury; this one, however, is not baseball related. According to Jonathan Ellis, a representative for David Wright, the New York slugger could be headed to the DL because of a promise he made to a child.

Ellis explains that Wright had been visiting a children's hospital in New York, which Ellis refused to name, as part of the Baseball Outreach program. While there, Wright visited an eight year old child with kidney failure.

"Doctors told us that they had been having difficulties finding a donor," Ellis stated. "The kid told David that he was his biggest fan in the world, but that he couldn't leave his bed to see a real Met game because he was so sick."

The child, Justin LeVert, then asked Mr. Wright if he (LeVert) would ever be able see a Met game. According to Ellis, Wright stated that "he promised that he would see a game, even if he had to give his own kidney to make it happen."

"I thought that David was saying that to be kind. I didn't know he had given doctors blood to see whether he was a match," Ellis said. "Last night he [Wright] got a call from the hospital, and they told him that he would be able to give Justin a kidney if he chose to.

"I was stunned when he told me," Ellis concluded.

The New York Mets recently have had a rash of injuries, including their first baseman Carlos Delgado, center fielder Carlos Beltran, and their short stop Jose Reyes. Yesterday, the team dipped below .500 for the first time in two months. If Wright were to miss significant time on the field, it could prove costly for the team, which is currently only trailing the Phillies by 3 games in the National League East.


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Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day, everyone. Make sure you give your father a visit, and if you live with him, do him a favor and annoy him less.

For my father, I'm hoping to get the Mets to stop sucking, but I don't know exactly how to do that.


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Check Out the Awesome New Banner

Hey everyone, just pointing out that we have a banner here at Jumping in Pools. It's the first time I've made one, but I believe it is a successful first. In this banner, you will see President Bush, Glenn Beck, Borat, the Mets Logo, that up-and-coming star Bryan Pisano, my favorite professor Dr. Yuriy Malikov, and Joe... lots and lots of Joe.

Well, enjoy!

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A new year for the Mets

Spring is when a young man's fancy turns to....baseball.
Every team is a pennant contender in spring training, every pitcher a potential 20-game winner and every batter a .300 hitter.
Unfortunately, the cream rises to the top pretty quickly in the Major Leagues and pretenders fall to the bottom.
Will the 2009 version of the New York Mets, in their first season in CitiField, be pretenders or contenders?
It has been 23 years since the Mets have won a World Series, the longest drought in their history. They went 17 years between titles from 1969 to 1986.
It would be simplistic to say, "Well, the Mets improved the area that killed them last year, so, of course, they should win the pennant." Well, not so fast.
Yes, the Mets spent wisely and got K-Rod coming off a record-breaking save save at a reasonable price. And. yes, they got JJ Putz to pitch the eighth inning.
They also excised the main culprits of last year's collapse from the bullpen including Aaron Heilman, Duaner Sanchez, and Scott Schoeneweis as well as the reliable Joe Smith who went in the Putz trade.
Yes, the bullpen, which blew 28 saves last year, will be better in 2009 but how about the rest of the Mets.
The Mets did nothing to improve an offense which had the second most runs in the National League last year (tied with the Phillies). The bats, though failed at the most inopportune times such as the final weekend when they could manage only five runs in three games against the Marlins.
Questions abound both in the starting lineup and the starting rotation.
The core, Reyes, Wright, Beltran and Delgado are back.
Each almost played a full complement of 162 games last year. Can that happen again?
Are we going to see the "he ought to be released", tired bat Delgado from the first half of 2008 or the home run hitting Delgado of the second half?
Will Luis Castillo be revived and become a contributor or will he become the latest in a long line of imported second baseman to fail with the Mets, following in the footsteps of Carlos Baerga, Roberto Alomar and Kaz Matsui? He lost weight and seems to be playing better this spring but it still looks he would have to hit the ball twice for him to reach the outfield.
Can Tatis and Murphy replicate last year's success?
How about Ryan Church? Can he fully rebound from his concussions? He was the Mets MVP until he was hurt in a collision at second but only a shell the rest of the season.
In addition to failing to get an outfielder, and second baseman, the Mets also did not get a catcher to compete with Brian Schneider or the oft-injured Ramon Castro.
Time will tell if the Mets should have gotten Orlando Hudson, Raul Ibanez or Ivan Rodriguez to shore up their hitting and fielding.
The Mets' bench is similar, with similar weaknesses.
Jeremy Reed replaces Endy Chavez as the good fielding, lefty hitter and Alex Cora replaces Damion Easley in the infield but if Nick Evans goes to the minors, there is little right-handed hitting on the bench.
The biggest questions, though, are on the mound.
Santana is solid but the rest of the starters are question marks.
Will Pelfry slide back or continue to improve? Will Maine recover from his surgery? Which Oliver Perez will show up? He's looked awful this spring both in the WBC and with the Mets. Olli signed a big contract this winter. Will he become complacent now that he got his big payday with the Mets wishing they had signed Derek Lowe? Will the ageless Livan Hernandez be the answer as the fifth starter?
The front end of the bullpen (or is it the back end) has been greatly improved with K-Rod and Putz but remember, the Mets had a top-notch closer in Billy Wagner for most of last year.
The Mets also added Sean Green to their bullpen but at a cost of Joe Smith.
In addition to K-Rod, Putz and Green, the Mets will have only one lefty, Pedro Feliciano, a holdover, as well as Brian Stokes, Darren O'Day, a sidearmer, and rookie Bobby Parnell. That's two solid pitcher (though Putz had a poor 2008) and at least three questions marks in the middle.
While the Mets do not look appreciably improved for 2009, the Phils look worse with the suspension of JC Romero and the loss of Met-killer Pat Burrell, and no one else in the division looks ready top challenge, though the Barves could contend if Glavine and Lowe pitch well.
As a Mets fan since 1971, who has seen the highs, lows, ups, and downs at Shea, here's hoping that the Mets make the first year at CitiField more memorable than the last year at Shea Stadium.
Till next time, Lute

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The 2009 Mets, Race Progress or Hypocrisy

As the New York Mets get set to christen their new stadium, named CitiField (at least for now), they could resemble the National League of 1946, the year before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier; in a stadium being build to mimic the Brooklyn Dodgers' Ebbets Field, the Mets could enter the new season in two months with no African-American players on its 25-man roster.

In their last year at Shea Stadium, the Mets had at least two African-American players, Marlon Anderson and Damion Easley, along with a black manager, Willie Randolph. The Mets have failed to resign Easley and Anderson's spot on the 25-man roster is in jeopardy with the signing of infielder Alex Cora who has to be retained because he would be the only backup shortstop on the roster. Randolph, of course, was fired in the middle of the night in the middle of the season.

Despite the official retirement of Jackie Robinson's number 42 coming at Shea Stadium in 1947, the Mets have have a checkered race-friendly history.
One of the best hitters ever produced by the organization, outfielder Cleon Jones was caught with a woman in his van. The woman was not his wife and was also white. Cleon was forced to apologize in front of the media with his wife at his side in the spring of 1975. After a run-in with manager Yogi Berra later that summer, he was released and ended his career with the White Sox.

In the glorious year of 1986, left fielder George Foster said his benching was race-related saying that whenever the Mets could promote players like Lenny Dykstra, they did. Of course, one of the players who replaced Foster was Mookie Wilson, who was black.

Rachel Robinson, the widow of Jackie Robinson, has decried the decrease in number of African-Americans in the Majors.

There are many free agents left on the market and the Mets still have several needs to fill including a starting pitcher, left-handed reliever, left fielder, and second baseman.

Among those second baseman still available is Orlando Hudson, who has said he wants to play for the Mets. Only the trade of Luis Castillo seems to stand in the way of this "no brainer" signing.

Though a player's race should never be taken as a reason to sign or not to sign him, as Mets fans walk through the Jackie Robinson Rotunda to watch the first game of the new season, it would be appropriate that the Mets have at least one African-American player.

WTF-- Part 9035: Brooklyn Cyclones to Honor Obama

Even our beloved New York Mets are falling sway to the seductive baritone voice of Barack Obama. The Mets' farm team, the Brooklyn Cyclones are going to put on one hell of an even in June-- the Barack Obama sideshow.

Having seen the Cyclones play, this isn't the best piece of news. They're a good team with some heart. (PS-- I got some autographs out of the deal) But this goes too far:

When the team faces the Hudson Valley Renegades on June 23, Cyclones fans will be treated to a slew of Obama-themed gimmicks and giveaways. The team will play in special red, white and blue "Baracklyn" jerseys. The first 2,500 fans will each get an Obama bobblehead doll. And ticket prices will be reduced as part of a Cyclones economic stimulus package.

Let's go Oneonta Tigers.

Without Lowe, Mets May Have Lost NL East

Today, the Atlanta Braves signed star pitcher Derek Lowe for a 4-year, 60 million dollar contract. The Mets were desperately trying to get Lowe, and with him going to the Braves the Mets have their work cut out for them.

Now let's get this out of the way: I'm a Mets fan. However, since the Mets were unable to sign Lowe, unless they sign a good pitcher, the Mets are going to come in third in the NL East. From how I see it, the Mets are worse off then before the off-season. Sure they signed K-Rod and got Putz, but they lost Martinez and Perez. Sure they signed Redding, but let's not fool ourselves, he's barely a fifth starter. The Mets missed the boat with Lowe and they need a second baseman, left fielder, lefty reliever, and starting pitcher.

So what do the Mets need to do? First things first: sign Orlando Hudson! He's an excellent all around player who's younger (and probably faster) than Luis Castillo. Second: sign a starting pitcher. Preferably Randy Wolf, Oliver Perez, or Ben Sheets. Even better, sign two of them and put Redding in the bullpen. Third: get a left fielder. I don't know who, I don't know how, but get one. Forth: get a lefty reliever who can pitch more than a third of an inning or at least someone who can compliment Pedro Feliciano. Maybe Dennys Reyes, who had a 2.33 ERA last year, or Brian Shouse who had an ERA of 2.81 last year.

All the options I've given are free agents who the Mets can easily obtain though Free Agency. The only thing keeping them back is ambition and their pocket book. But then again, if the Mets sign no one else and end up in third place, they won't have ambition and they may lose their pocket book.

Phils May Have Taken the NL East Back

Despite the Mets acquiring K-Rod to become their new closer, the Phillies may have beaten the Mets to the punch, signing Raul Ibanez as a new outfielder. The Phillies already have the core to a winning team, and this signing goes to reinforce this. With Ibanez hitting behind Howard, the lineup becomes more formidable and balanced. With a hitter who can hit for average, power, or both, the Phillies are able to increase strategies and not worry as much about the lower part of their lineup.

Even as a Met fan, I have to say that the team still is damaged. They still need a second baseman and left field is up in the air. Even with Putz and K-Rod, the bullpen is still in danger. The Mets should look at other options, especially a left-handed reliever who can pitch more than a third of an inning.

If the Mets can't add to their bullpen and at least patch up one of their field positions, they're looking at the Phillies winning the NL East again.

Mets Should Sign Teixeira

With the Yankees picking up CC Sabathia, the free agent market just got a little thinner. So in this case, the Mets should try and get Mark Teixeira. The Amazin's were fortunate enough to sign K-Rod to make up for Billy Wagner, but Teixeira would give their lineup a formidable bat and would strike another blow against the Phillies.

Teixeira will turn 29 next year and will be a youthful alternative to Carlos Delgado. The Mets get an upgrade in batting average and fielding. Teixeira would make a very good number five hitter and has the tools to follow Carlos Beltran.

The Mets need to focus on their bullpen, too. K-Rod was a good start, but trading for Huston Street might be a good next step. Street is young and will add more depth to the bullpen. The Mets should look at trading for a middle reliever (Matt Capps) or two. The Mets have suffered two humiliating seasons in a row. Let's not make it a third.

If You Want Change, Run for Office

With all of the talk about the election and the expected and necessary griping, it seems like a lot of people have a lot of complaining to do, but are not able to apply it. Conservatives are upset because they feel that moderates are taking over the Republican party, and the opposite is true, too. Many Republicans' losses were accredited to backing the bailout.

So, all of this in mind, how do Republicans get back on track? Simple... we build ourselves up. In 1980 and 1994 for the Republicans and 2006 for the Dems, the party would get new faces and ran them for office.

This in mind, and knowing that people do a lot of griping, why not you run for office. Try something like a town or city councilman or even try for a county board member. I was able to win an election at the tender age of 20. I was able to run and fund my own campaign (although in my political history, I have taken such flagrant gifts such as one penny and a piece of strawberry-rhubarb pie). If you have something to say, don't just call talk radio, go out and tell the neighbors. Get a petition to run and do it. Become involved. Work your way up, and you may be a future Congressman.

Just do what I did: promise honesty and effort. It's more than some people in Washington can deliver.

John McCain Looks Into Future, Declares Victory

According to POLITICO, John McCain has guaranteed a victory against rival Barack Obama. I'm a McCain supporter, but I'm not so sure how intelligent guaranteeing a victory is, especially when you're down by a sizable number. McCain's not like Plaxico Burress guaranteeing a Giants' victory in Super Bowl XLII, who got his teammates pumped and ready for the big game. Unlike athletes playing hard for their team, I don't know how many people are going to go out and spread the vote for someone just because they guarantee victory.
Maybe McCain could have said, "My friends, I intend to win this race and I can with your help," and then maybe he could have pulled out a big styrofoam #1 hand. Or maybe he could of put on a Joe Namath shirt and across the chest it would read, "Joe believed, so should you." He even could have made a banner declaring "Miracle Mets, 1969," and changed it to "Miracle McCain, 2008." Something. Anything than just declaring victory.