Last Day Of Off-Season: Mets To DL Bay; Duda's Lucky Day

In just a little over 24 hours, the Mets will take the field against the Florida Marlins, to open the 2011 NY Mets season.

Many believe the Mets will win in the neighborhood of about 75 games, mainly because of the uncertainty of the status of Ace Johan Santana, as well as the health of Jason Bay, Jose Reyes, and Carlos Beltran.

Jason Bay injured a rib cage muscle on Tuesday, and the official announcement of his assignment to the DL says he will be available April 9th. The big question will be how long will Bay really be disabled.

Lucas Duda should be happy of Bay's injury, not that he wants the Mets leftfielder to be hurt, but because of his injury, Duda has made the Mets 25 man roster, and will most likely start games 2 and 3 in Florida.

With the announcement that Nick Evans cleared waivers, the Mets had actually held off announcing Evans' assignment to AAA Buffalo because they were originally unsure if Evans or Duda would be assigned to Buffalo. Evans lost out. Duda won.

This 2011 season should be an "interesting" one to say the least. As with any team, there are always questions entering a new season. As always with the Mets, there are always more questions facing them than other teams.

This year the Mets have to figure out how to handle getting by without Johan for a large portion of the season, much like they had to figure out how to get by without Pedro Martinez in 2007 and 2008. That makes the signings of Chris Young and Chris Capuano very important. The two veteran pitchers should offer stability and experience to a young pitching staff.

Will Josh Thole be able to handle the starting catcher's role? If Spring training is any indication, the young backstop should fare well. I am not yet sold on the young Mr. Thole being an any everyday catcher, but I must admit, he has shown much improvement over the last year.

Will Ronnie Paulino be OK? Now with health issues concerning his stomach and colon, we aren't as worried about him playing, but of his overall health. Paulino would be a second string catcher for the Mets, but Mike Nickeas will fill that role for the time being.

The new right fielder - Carlos Beltran. Will he be healthy for the entire year? Highly doubtful. But just as curious we are about his health, we are more curious about his ability to play a new position without much preparation.

Will 2011 be better than we expect? Who knows. What we do know is that the Mets will never leave us bored. There are always a million questions heading into any new Mets season.

Just a little over 24 hours...24 Hours From Suicide...A Day In The Life Of A Met Fan!

Nick Evans clears waivers:

Some die hard Nick Evans fans can breath a sigh of relief this afternoon.  Evans has cleared waivers. Many a Met fan like the utility guy who did pretty well this spring .  Mets waited until today to annouce since they were not sure of where he would wind up to start season. Now he is headed to Buffalo.

   Mets still have to annouce the findings on Jason Bay's trip to NY . Lucas Duda would take Bay's place on the roster.  Annoucement will be on thursday. Mets need to have a day of drama before season starts.

Pat Misch And Luis Hernandez have cleared waivers but could take the free agency route .Both of them have not decided on there intentions. 

Also Izzy could bolt if gets offer from another Major league club during his 2 weeks stay in extended spring. The Mets have right of first refusal.

Mets bright spots this spring

Yesterday was a typical day in Mets land. Beltran makes it back and Bay goes down. The Mets on Monday placed Nick Evans on the waiver wire and less then 24 hours later they wish they didn't. The Mets and Evans will know later today if he will be still with the Mets. If so he still probably will head down to Buffalo with Lucas Duda getting a roster spot if the Mets DL Bay. 

Drama finds this team but I thought with less then 60 hours to Mets opening day I would dwell on some positives out of Mets camp.

Chris Young and Capuano have pitched well. Alderson and the Mets took fliers on the 2 injured pitchers and so far they have been very good in camp. Young has done his best to hide the ball and Capuano who had about 20 starts last year for the Brewers has done his best to pitching inside to righties to keep them off balance. He even drove in 3 runs yesterday with a double. 

Josh Thole and his added power.Thole has cracked 3 homers and 4 doubles as part of his 21 hit spring so far. Thole really has hit the ball with authority and continues to make contact with only 6 strike outs in 55 at bats and has a on base percentage of .424.

Angel Pagan looks raring to go.  He kind of labored at the end of the long 2010 campaign but so far this spring he looks great. Yes its only spring but we will take it. Pagan will be batting 2nd behind Reyes and has 6 steals to lead the club this spring.

Team is scoring runs- The Mets are averaging almost 5.5 runs a game. Yes its only spring but its a good sign.

No more Ollie or Castillo-  Everyone wanted them gone. The Mets complied .

The Mets have 1 game left this spring . Today at noon against the Marlins. Yeah makes alot of sense I know to face the team they play Friday . Look for Chris Young to get his last spring start.

Mets Trade Former 1st Round Pick Eddie Kunz To Padres For Allan Dykstra

It is being reported that the Mets have traded their 2007 first round draft pick (42nd overall), Eddie Kunz, to San Diego for 1B and first round pick (2008 - 23rd overall) Allan Dykstra.

The Mets have room on the roster due to Manny Acosta being DFA'd earlier today, but it is doubtful Dykstra will be on the pro roster.

Dykstra, not related to former Mets CF Lenny Dykstra, is a 6'5" 1B with some power. The 23 year old played in A+ ball last year.

Kunz has been a bit of a disappointment after the Mets drafted him with their first round pick in 2007. He is career 12-19 in four years split between A and AAA minors. Last year he was demoted from AAA to AA, and went a disappointing 7-8.

Sources: Darren Smith, Baseball Reference

Mets playing with fire with there On the bubble bullpen boys.

I was scanning across the Internet to see if there was some news of Beltran hurting his knee as he walked on the bus to Viera and found this little snippet about the Mets and there grandiose ideas for the 2011 bullpen from Adam Rubin

Blaine Boyer acknowledges the idea of starting the season in the minors was raised to him. Similarly, Jason Isringhausen says there has been no formal request to open the season in Port St. Lucie in extended spring training. (The topic was raised, though, a source confirms.)

This is so the Mets can go to Miami with Manny Acosta receiving the last spot in the bullpen.  Are they for real?  Why Acosta over Boyer?  Why not ask Acosta to hang out in Buffalo?  Boyer has had a better spring and we already have seen what Acosta can do in the NL East. Boyer would be a sort of fresh face for 72 games we play against our division. Mets might think this is the best case but I don’t agree. 

The Mets of course want to have some backup in case there bullpen falters and by trying this maneuver there saying they don’t like anyone else to garner a bullpen spot if either Acosta or someone else doesn’t pan out. 

Mets need to talk Acosta into Buffalo and give Boyer a shot. Boyer can talk a walk by Thursday and I am sure he will land a deal somewhere.  I would love Izzy maybe to stay but I don’t see him wanting to hang out and wait for someone to fail. 

Whatever happens could happen after today’s game. Some reports are now saying that a decision has been made… stay tuned.

11:30 update Blaine Boyer claims final bullpen spot; Isringhausen deciding if he will accept extended spring assignment. Acosta designated for Assignment.

Beltran & Co on the road to Viera

The Mets have 1 game left on there road schedule in spring training. That includes a bus trip to Viera to play the Nationals 1 last time. Carlos Beltran along with all of the Met regulars are making this final trip.

Terry Collins is putting his opening day lineup on the field against the Nationals. So that means  Carlos Beltran gets the start in right field. The Mets only have 2 games left before they head to Florida for opening day. Not sure if the Mets will play Beltran Wednesday. If so he would  be pushed since he will be taking a bus ride and playing 2 games within about 24 hours.

The Mets last game in Pt St Lucie is Wednesday against the Marlins at 12 noon. The Mets will lose the ability to back date a DL stint once Beltran starts today. After the entire spring where Beltran played 1 game and a couple of minor league games, will be a big test for the Mets right fielder. He bats 4th today as the Mets will have lefty Chris Capuano getting the start.

Emaus bats 7th in front of Thole.

Reyes,Pagan,Wright,Beltran,Bay,Davis,Emaus,Thole,Capuano

3 Mets on the Waiver wire

The Mets made some moves late this afternoon even though no game was played. 1 pitcher and 2 others have hit the waiver wire.

The Mets placed Pat Misch on waivers along with Luis Hernandez and Nick Evans. I think I just heard my partner in crime shake is head with the last one! Evans did everything he could this spring but the Mets feel that with Lucas Duda and Daniel Murphy healthy they have coverage if Beltran cant play.  Murphy was too play right field today if the Mets weren't rained out. 

Luis still isn't all the way back from his broken foot. He was almost going to the Padres but they made a trade with the Nationals for Alberto Gonzalez.

Misch who has pitched well in mop up duty and spot startsof the years  is this years Nelson Figueroa. He might still stay with the Mets since he has a decent  minor league salary.

Source: Adam Rubin

As Opening Day Draws Near, Are Nick Evans' Days As A Met Coming To An End?

Nick Evans has only known the Mets. The 25 year old was drafted by the Mets in the fifth round of the 2004 draft, and made his Major League debut in the 2008 season.

That year Evans played mostly LF, a position he had only played 22 times before being called up to the Mets. He played his first game on May 24 in Colorado. The 22 year old went 3-4 with 3 doubles, 2 RBI, and a run scored in the Mets 9-3 win.

Evans played in 50 games his rookie season, mostly out of position by starting in 31 games, 28 of them in LF.

In 2009 Evans again started the season in the minors, splitting time between Binghamton (AA) and Buffalo (AAA). It wasn't until June 21st that he got back in the Mets lineup vs. Tampa Bay Rays. He only played in 30 games for the Mets in 2009, and his future seemed uncertain.

Then last year, Evans battled injuries and only played in 20 games for the Mets, being called up when the rosters expanded on September 1st.

Evans finished the season with a respectable .306 average, 1 HR, 5 RBI in 36 official AB's. Evans looked more relaxed than in 2009, and I was left to wonder will 2011 be the year Evans sticks with the Mets for the entire season?

This spring Evans has been terrific. He has batted .333 this spring while doing whatever has been asked of him; play 1B, OF, etc.

If Evans doesn't make the Mets, he will have to pass through waivers to be returned to the team. Many expect if Evans doesn't make the team, he should clear waivers. I don't believe so. He has right handed pop, and although not a great defensive player, he can play 1B, 3B, and either LF or RF. That is a nice option off the bench.

With Willie Harris being told he has made the squad, it looks like the only way Evans will make the Mets is if Carlos Beltran starts the season on the DL. But, when Beltran returns, Evans would probably be odd man out.

When asked of his situation, Evans said:

"I'm completely unsure of what's going on, and where I'm going to be a week from now. I'm really trying hard not to think about it. It sounds stupid, but I'm trying not to wonder about it - although I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't curious."

Terry Collins appears to be appreciative of Evans' hard work and attitude. In commenting on Evans relationship with Collins, the Mets hopeful said:

"It's nice to have someone in a position of power who has seen you play well, but you don't know if that will be enough. I just want to play. I came up with the Mets. I love the Mets, and I want to make the Mets. But I just want to play baseball in the major leagues."

It would be a nice story to see the Mets homegrown product not only make the team, but become successful playing for the team that drafted him as an 18 year old seven years ago.

Being a fan, there is no better feeling than seeing one of your own develop and do well. Evans is that kind of young man. Chances of him reaching his goal of being a Met are slim, but with Beltran's balky knees, Evans might get the opportunity to break camp with the Mets. If he does, then it will be up to him to make the Mets decision to release him more difficult.

This is one fan that would like to see Evans with the Mets. You?

Sources: Andy Martino NY Daily News, Baseball Reference

Mets bullpen: Who will claim the final spots.

If Carlos Beltran doesnt break down this week I think the bench is set. The Mets will probably have 5 on the bench and they will include,Murphy,Hu,Harris,Harriston Jr and Nickeas. What about the bullpen?

The Bullpen right now has, K Rod,Parnell,DJ Carrasco,Byrdak ,who was just added to the 40 man roster,Bucholz who has pitched well and signed a 600K major league deal. If there are 2 spots left and 4 guys who gets them?

• Beato the rule 5 pick who has pitched will probably land the second to last spot

That leaves 1 spot and three players.

• Manny Acosta-Who has pitched well and is out of options.
• Izzy- has pitched well except for his down time for a 2 days when his pitching arm was a little sore. Has said he will not go to the minors.
• Blaine Boyer- Also has pitched well and can opt out if he doesn't make team.

It is great that the pitchers have made it a hard choice but I have a feeling the Mets will go with Blaine Boyer. I think the Mets might be cautious if Izzy can go a full year without breaking down. There's a possibility Izzy would go to Extended Spring Training if his swollen elbow isn't fully healed . Also I see maybe Izzy latching on with the Cardinals due to the fact that they had to move one of there relievers into the starting rotation with Wainwright down.  Good problem to have but I think the Mets are limited in what they can do especially since Bucholz has a major league deal and hasn't done anything to say he doesn't warrant a spot in the pen.

The lefty Misch I think the Mets want as a back up in Buffalo just in case they need a spot start or long relief if Carassco goes down . He though can become a free agent so we will see.

Carlos Beltran will actually play the field!

Looks like Beltran is being pushed and its about time. Look for Mr Beltran to push past those silly simulated games and play 5 innings in a minor league game on Saturday.

The Mets will give him off on Sunday for good behaviors and then be pressed to play the last 3 games of spring with the big boys according to Met new Manager  Terry Collins .If all goes well he will be ready and fit for the DL by the end of next week!!!

Beltran has bee babied the last couple of weeks and now it will be like put up or shut up. Stay tuned.  Look for Lucas Duda and Nick Evans to be watching intently.

Sandy Alderson and his obsession with On base percentage

Thursday Sandy Alderson did a little question and answer session with a bunch of local bloggers and one of the questions that was asked had do with Jason Bay and his power.  Of course people are concerned about his ability to hit for power. So fat this spring he has 2 doubles and no homers. In in yesterdays pummeling of the Cardinals where the Mets hit 5 homers, Bay had a single.  Alderson's response to Bay and hoping to find his stroke his below.


 In terms of his power, its still a work in progress. In the off-season, he worked with an old hitting coach from Pittsburgh, and came into Spring with a new setup at the plate. He recently canned that and went back to his old approach. While there hasn’t been any power numbers, he’s hitting quite well, and his on base percentage is very high. From my standpoint, first priority is OBP, second priority is power. I’m certainly hopefully it will come back, and most of us expect he will adjust to Citi Field. When the power comes, it comes. I am pleased with his approach at the plate.

Not sure if Alderson realizes that the Mets are paying 66M to Jason Bay and its not to hit singles or get on base via a walk. He is the guy that is suppose to be driving the runs in after Reyes,Pagan or Wright gets on base.  Of course we knew going into this year that Alderson was the OBP king from his days with the A's but come on. Jason Bay needs to hit homers. Bay through out his career has a .374 OBP so I do not think his OBP is an issue. The fact that Alderson counts it has # 1 in regards to Jason Bay is disturbing if you ask me. 

Jose Reyes of course will be worried about OBP and has already talked about how he needs to be more patient. Alderson and the Mets are already in Reyes's head. We don't need these stats guys in  Bay's head. We need homers from the 66M man not singles and walks.  


Source Baseball reference

2011 Mets: Times They Are A Changing

The NY Mets have undergone (and are undergoing) some major changes since the dismal closing days of the 2010 season to forget.

GM Omar Minaya was fired and manager Jerry Manuel was not re-signed.

The Wilpon's, with the help of John Ricco, formulated a search for a GM, which yielded Sandy "Elvis" Alderson. In the first few weeks in office, Elvis revamped the Mets management team by hiring former GM's JP Ricciardi and Paul DePodesta.

Together they made a long search before deciding upon Terry Collins to be the field general.

Howard Johnson was replaced as hitting coach and decided to leave the organization.

Also during the off-season, Mets long time Clubhouse Manager, Charlie Samuels was dismissed among allegations that he gambled on baseball and fraudulently used Mets money to cover his bets.

The Mets also said good-bye to two albatrosses: Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez. Nuff said!

Whether the changes are good or not - only time will tell, but while we are talking about changes, there is one change that has not officially been made and is of dire need to be done.


The Mets need to waive the black jersey's, black hats, black and blue hats, and all
black from Mets logo's and Mets attire.



Sometimes to be re-born, one must go back to the beginning. That is what the Mets must do. Go back to their roots. They seem to be half way there with a team that is not expected to be competitive. Now lets do it with the uniforms.

Let the Mets bury the newer black, and permanently re-instate the old time white/gray/blue & orange classic Mets uni's.

Mets Police has been leading this coalition, and I am just throwing my hat in the ring. I have always been against the black uniforms, but now with Charlie Samuels gone, could more change be coming? Lets hope so...

Ollie Perez saga: Signs minor league deal with the Nationals.

The same guy who refused a minor league assignment last year with the Mets, weighed all his offers and signed with the pitcher bereft Washington Nationals .  The Nats who seem to collect players with physical issues, feel that for a little over 400K that scatterbrained Ollie was worth a shot.

According to Jon Heyman via his twitter account  the Nats feel they can get to Ollie.His minor league pitching coach spin williams, who had ollie in pittsburgh, thinks his mechanics are off and velocity should return .  The only problem with this is that Ollie issues are more mental then physical.

This is my fav comment about the Nats signing Ollie. @PeteAbe: Just for kicks, Boras should invent the name of a player and see how it takes to get the Nationals to sign him. 2 days tops

Can you tell me why Ollie accepts a minor league deal? Hello the team that payed you 36M you refuse? 

 Do I expect him to be pitching for the Nats 1 game against the Mets? Not really but if he did you know he would strike out the side. It would fit right into the drama this club seems to be built around .

Spin DeJour: Beltran, Elvis, JP, & Terry Discuss Beltran's Status

Carlos Beltran just came out of a meeting with GM Sandy Evlis Alderson, JP Ricciardi, and Terry Collins. We were wondering if an announcement would follow with Beltran being put on DL.

No such news. According to Dave Lennon:

"Beltran says he'll shoot for more minor-league ABs today but still no baserunning for him. Meeting was just an update. "

We here at 24 hours...aren't buying the spin-doctoring. Although no one is saying it, we believe Beltran won't be in a Mets uniform and playing RF until at least the second week of April. I personally believe it will be May before we see Carlos.

Once again, the covert/clandestine meetings of the Mets is beyond suspicion. Injuries are dealt with in the surreal; making statements of the injury they wish to be true, but know aren't.

Beltran played last year, had no surgery this year, worked on his conditioning during the off-season, and needed cortisone in his "good" knee, and has only had 3 official AB's in Spring Training - while not even blowing the dust off his fielders glove.

Mets can say what they want, but the writing is on the wall.

Then There Were Three

The Mets have optioned 2B Justin Turner to the minor leagues. That leaves Murphy, Hernandez, and Ricciardi favorite, Brad Emaus left for the starting 2B position.

Murphy will most likely be a fill in/bench player due to his poor fielding and good bat. Hernandez has looked decent in brief appearances, but the job will ultimately go to Emaus, even though the youngster hasn't earned it.

Carlos Beltran being placed on DL is a certainity

Lets state the obvious I know but hey its what now less then 9 days before the season starts and Beltran has someone running for him in a minor league game?  Beltran is not going to be ready for the season and for whatever reason the Mets wants to inject that he will be ready. 

Carlos received a cortisone shot a couple of days ago for his good knee and it has seem to work . He feels less pain and that bodes well for the Mets new right fielder. Condition wise ready for playing full games?  No chance.  There is some chatter,which you can read over at Newsday that maybe he will miss the first series down in Florida against the Marlins.  Not sure how 3-4 days is going to make a difference after he has played only 1 game in spring.

Spring started on Sunday and here in NY you wouldnt know it weather wise. We might get snow later today into tonight and the temps during the day are in the 40's and the nites 20 or 30's. Not the best weather for people that have knee issues if you ask me.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Mets keep Beltran down in Florida until later in the Month and place him in on 15 day DL to start the season.  This way he could maybe miss the first 2 weeks of the season and the weather might be a little bit better for him and his balky knees.

The Mets have a 3 game road trip in Hotlanta starting April 15th and then return home. Maybe Beltran will have played a bit and will be ready to go then. Opening day chatter seems ridiculous but hey we are talking about the Mets.

5 reasons to be happy that Ollie Perez is finally gone

Ok so its the day after and already we are seeing signs of good things are going the Mets way since they released Oliver Perez.  Here are my top 5

With Ollie gone we need someone else to pick on. To me that is easy since its alot more fun to find  a new goat that is a player that is an everyday player and that would be .....Luis Castillo....oh yeah he is gone to!!!  Ok how about Jason Bay.  Have to tell you hearing the immortal Ralph Kiner in the booth complaining that Bay needs to hit the ball in the air deep and stop hitting singles is priceless.  Keep it up Mr Kiner I couldn't agree more.

Someone in the bullpen now will have to be called the new Ollie. Who will the Mets bring into the game with the score tied and give up a walk and a homer or a grand slam?  Acosta if he makes the team? Carrasco? the New Ollie I am sure will be determined early in the season.

With the drama gone we concentrate on the play on the field. Hey Wright? Can you move a little and stop a grounder instead of trying to hot dog it by playing the ball off to the side and then watching it skip to the outfield. Also I wonder if Wright goes to sleep saying this. I need to stop chasing balls that are low in away..Low and away....

Now of course the easy stories will be gone to fill the back pages of the paper. This worries me. Did you see Andy Martino's article the other day about Castillo and race. If not check it out here. Not sure what Andy was thinking about lets hope he is 1 and done.

Another reason to be happy. Ollie is gone. Isn't that reason enough?

Jason Isringhausen : Elbow pain no biggie?

The Mets were very excited with the way the old guy wa spitching. So was Jason Isringhausen. Even Dependable Dan Warthen had mentioned that he thinks that if Izzy was able to keep it up he would have been the Mets set up man going into the 2012 season.

Well Izzy was on the shelf for a day due to some pain in his elbow. Not to worry though he said that its not from the Tommy John Surgery. Izzy called it  "a muscle thing, it's got nothing to do with anything repaired by surgery. I don't feel it's a setback. It's toward the end of camp, but there's enough time to do what I've got to do."

With throwing alot more breaking pitches the forearm deals with alot of torque and it has caused some muscle soreness. He took anti inflamtory pills and hopes to throw either today or most likely Wednesday.  Already this morning he was having a catch from the Shorstop position with Dan Warthen and was joking Reyes has nothing on me.


Resident Dr Carlos Beltran said he would be fine. After a couple of weeks of doing nothing but running 100 yard sprints and tracking pitches until he is blind Izzy should be fine as per Carlos.


Terry Collins said he hopes to have Beltran Dh in the lineup in the next day or 2. Do we laugh at this?


Source Ny Daily News

Mets Release Perez: A Diamond In The Rough Turned Cubic Zirconia

“I think they gave me an opportunity ... I didn't do anything great. They moved me to the bullpen trying to be a lefty specialist. And the last game, that was a real horrible job. ”
~ Oliver Perez ~

Oliver Perez, the enigmatic lefty, has been released by the Mets. Three days after the Mets parted ways with the much maligned 2B Luis Castillo, Perez was given his pink slip this morning.

Oliver Perez is an enigma, to say the least. When the Mets picked him up from the Pirates back in 2006 along with Roberto Hernandez, the Mets said good bye to the well liked RF, Xavier Nady.

No one knew what to expect from Perez, who was bouncing between the Pirates and their minor league affiliate in Indianapolis. OP was merely the "throw-in." Hernandez was the main man of the deal.

Perez, who was assigned to the Mets AAA Norfolk Tides when acquired, pitched in 4 games before being brought up to the Mets.

After his promotion, Perez pitched well in big spots. His most memorable start that season came in game 6 of the NLCS against St. Louis. Perez pitched 6 innings allowing 1 run, and was saved by Endy Chavez's legendary catch, before the Mets succumbed to the Cardinals, when Aaron Heilman gave up the game changing HR to Yadier Molina.

In 2007 Perez had possibly his best season, when he was 15-10 with a 3.56 ERA. It looked like former Mets GM Omar Minaya had once again found a diamond in the rough. Minaya signed Perez to a questionable 3 year $36M contract.

This is where the Mets diamond in the rough turned to cubic zirconia before our eyes:

From 2008 - 2010 Perez only won 13 games while losing 16. He came to camp in 2008 in poor shape, and had lost close to 6 MPH off his fastball. His delivery was inconsistent, and the results were poor.

In 2009 Perez had a knee injury which is what was blamed for his ineffectiveness. He only pitched in 14 games, and was a putrid 3-4 with a 6.82ERA.

Perez was off to a no better start in 2010 and the Mets asked him to accept an assignment to the minors to work on his mechanics and conditioning. Perez refused. This is what possibly started the very long walk down the road of release.

By the end of 2010, Perez was used sparingly out of the bullpen, and didn't fair very well. For the season he was 0-5 with a 6.80 ERA.

Unable to trade Ollie during the off-season, the new Mets management decided to give Perez a chance to prove himself. There was much concern over his anemic fastball, which was barely registering 85 MPH on the gun. Manager Terry Collins kept looking for the bright spot in the dark cloud of Oliver Perez, but there was none to be found. Perez was moved to the LOOGY role in the bullpen, and this past Saturday he allowed back-to-back HR's, one a three run blast, to make a Mets 7-0 lead turn into a more competitive game.

This morning, the inevitable came to pass. The Mets informed the quirky lefty that he has been released. Perez, from quotes we've read, handled the situation with more class than Castillo did on Friday.

Perez left the clubhouse shaking hands of his friends and former teammates, and said this about his feelings and his future:

"When they told me, I almost knew what they were going to tell me. It's one of those times you don't feel great, but I don't want to quit."

It's hard to imagine that Perez will latch on with another team at this point, but with any team wanting to acquire him, they will only be responsible for the Major League minimum, while the Mets are on the hook for the remainder of his $12M salary.

Looking back, if not for Duaner Sanchez's injury in a cab accident, the Mets would never have traded for Hernandez, with Perez as the throw in. If not for Perez, would the Mets have played as well in the play-offs? Would they have been as competitive in 2007 before the collapse?

We will never know. What we do know is that Perez, although frustrating through much of his Mets career, was also fun to watch in the days of 2006 and 2007. That is the Oliver Perez I will miss.

Sources: Adam Rubin, Ultimate Mets Database, Baseball Reference

Christmas in March? Ollie Perez might have only hours in a Met uniform

Can you guess what pitcher is not on the Mets sheet of probably pitchers this week?  Is it possible that today is the day where Oliver Perez comes to Pt St Lucie for the last time?  Mets fans might have alot of rejoicing to do later today.

The Mets have a meeting with Oliver Perez today which will include Collins and Sandy Alderson. If you go by Terry Collins quotes which are in the NY Post its a forgone conclusion.

 "I want to keep guys who get people out," Collins said after the Mets' 5-0 loss to the Marlins. "If you have left-handers who don't get outs, they can't help you. If you have right-handers who have good stuff, and they get outs, I don't care who is [batting] -- they get people out."

Of course this was discussing lefties in general not specific to Oliver but it sure doesnt help him.

This comes after Oliver Perez got rocked on saturday on the 2nd of back to back days where he gave up 2 homers .

In less then a week the Mets might be getting ready 2 of the albatrosses they have on there back for the last couple of years.

Castillo clears waivers and signs deal with Phillies

Former Mets LuisCastillo didnt waste much time after clearing waivers. They was some chatter that the Mets former second baseman was being looked at from the Marlins and the Phillies.

With the Phillies not sure of what to expect with Chase Utley the Phillies have signed Castillo to a minor league deal according to multiple sources .

The Phillies will be on the hook for 400,000 and the Mets the rest of his salary. The Wilpon's can go to bed tonight knowing they saved a little $$. 

Castillo of course now will pummel the Mets if he makes the Phillies out of spring training.

The Real Reason For Castillo's Release

Since the news first broke yesterday that the Mets released much beleaguered 2B Luis Castillo, many offered opinions.

Andy Martino, the Phillie Phanatic, suggests that there is racism with the fans about the treatment of Castillo. Impossible to prove with the love the fans have for Jose Reyes, Johan Santana, Mookie Wilson, Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, etc. Mets fans didn't like Castillo because he never appeared to be part of the team. That along with declining skills marked his fate.

Others have scribed that the Mets dropped Luis due to his salary and declining skills. Much more accurate, but still not the correct reason.

It has been discovered, by we here at 24 Hours..., that the reason Castillo was released was so that the real #1 for the Mets could be returned his rightful number. Mookie Wilson is now wearing the only number he should ever wear, the NY Mets #1.

Mookie is number one for a lot of reasons; his insatiable appetite to compete and hustle as a player, the way he was able to single-handedly turn a game around with his speed and superior base running ability, and probably the most popular Met with the fans.

Castillo isn't the worst player to wear #1 for the Mets. I will give that honor to Vince Coleman. I have never been a fan of Castillo, but I do realize at one point he was a good ball player.

Even with the muff against the Yankees, Castillo took the heat, and didn't hide. He stayed after answering every question thrown his way by reporters. That took guts. Delgado would never have done that.

Luis had to go. Was it due to poor play? Eroding skills? Bad clubhouse presence? No. It was with the re-hiring of Mookie Wilson that #1 had to be returned to it's rightful owner.

The Day After Terry Collins bad day

It is funny reading some of the news stories out there. Some writers actually think the Mets should have held on to Castillo since no one has really led the pack. Hysterical. From the same writers who have vilified the Mets for holding on to him. Castillo is a remnant of mistakes made in the Mets past. He was not going to fit in with Collins run through a wall mentality.

Castillo will now of course either sign with the Marlins or the Phils and hit a game winning home run against the Mets.  Cant wait for that and see what is written about it by the local scribes. 

Now the Mets still  have 4 2nd base guys in the running. I don't know why they didn't send Justin Turner down. Murphy and Emaus get the start today in 2 split squad games.

The Mets sent down Dillion Gee to Buffalo as one of the players that were cut on Terry Collins very bad day. Gee pitched well in mop up time last year when the Mets were going no where. The kid will be I am sure in the wings in case one of the Mets starters go down to injury. 

Mets starting lineup against the Nationals at home is  Reyes SS, Murphy 2B, Wright 3B, Bay LF, Hairston CF, Duda RF, Evans 1B, Thole C, Capuano LHP

Can you guess how many homers Jason Bay has this spring?

Mets Release Castillo

"I said I came here to play and you didn’t give me the chance. You didn’t use me.”
"I'm going to wait, go home and hope to catch on with another team."

~ Luis Castillo upon his release ~

The Mets have released Luis Castillo. Sandy Alderson will address the media shortly. We will look to have an update later.

**** Update ****

Sandy Alderson's quote “After a long evaluation during spring training, after consulting with [manager] Terry [Collins] and the coaching staff, I made a recommendation to ownership in the best interest of the organization and Louie that he be released,” general manager Sandy Alderson said. “Ownership approved.”

Sources: Adam Rubin and Jim Baumbach

Mets Camp: Black Friday Has Arrived

As expected, Sandy Alderson and JP Ricciardi made eight cuts today before the Mets took the field. Many, if not all of those demoted, were expected.

Those who were sent down are:

P - Dillon Gee
P - Taylor Tankersley
P - Ryota Igarashi
P - Boof Bonser
OF - Jason Pirdie
IF - Russ Adams
C - Dusty Ryan
C - Raul Chavez

As we scribed earlier, Luis Castillo is in the Mets lineup today, so if any move is made, it will be after the game. The fact that he is playing makes it doubtful to me that Luis is going anywhere. In fact, he might very well have played himself into the starting 2B role - more by default since Murphy, Emaus, and Turner have shown very little. Hernandez might have a punchers chance of becoming the starting 2B.

No matter what the Mets might say, I still have a difficult time believing the Mets will eat the $6M left on Castillo's contract, let alone the $12M on Perez's contract.

Thanks to Adam Rubin with his quick and frequent updates.

Mets cuts after today's game: Castillo in lineup

Well dont expecit Luis to walk in to the clubhouse and be handed his walking papers. He is in the starting lineup today against the Braves. 

The Mets could be making some cuts after the game to par down there roster. Sandy Alderson has said that it could be 8 to 9 players that are sent packing. Some to the minor league camp. Steve Popper has a good handle on who is left and gives us 6 names that seem to be an easy choice.  They are Justin Turner, relievers Taylor Tankersley and Blaine Boyer, infielder Russ Adams, outfielder Jason Pridie and catcher Dusty Ryan.

I agree with Justin Turner since he is not going to get the 2nd base job and has options and Russ Adams and Jason Pridie. I am not sure about Boyer since he has pitched well but ok. Tankersley, a lefty I can see going down. Tim Byrdak seems to be in the running to get the lefty pen job at this point. So if we go with this list we still will see 2 or 3 cuts.

Maybe Boof Bonser gets sent down since everyone is healthy he wont be a # 5 starter.Ryota Igarashi could be heading down. Nick Evans to me is safe as long as Beltran is not playing yet .  So who else? Last year the Mets waited until right before they headed north to make there final roster cuts so some will stay for now. 

I think Ollie is safe right now and Castillo? He really has not done bad at the plate and even though I want him gone I don't think the Mets will be saying goodbye to him today. Sorry Mets fans lets hope I am wrong. 

Lineup   Reyes, Pagan, Wright, Davis, Bay, Duda, Castillo, Nickeas, Carrasco

Mets next roster cuts on Friday? Ollie or Castillo gone?

Word is coming out that the Mets will makes some more roster cuts on Friday.  Ollie might be saved since the Mets want to see him go back to back . Castillo on the other hand... 

There is no reason he should stay if the Mets plan to cut him anyway. They need to make the 2nd base audition drop 1 or 2 possible entries. Either Emus or Castillo should be gone on Friday.  Castillo might have played his last game on Wednesday for the Mets...

Mets On St. Patrick's Day: Schmuck 'O' The Irish

Harsh Title, I know, but going through my email today, the Mets sent a Happy St. Patrick's Day e-mail with a link attached.

I, being a glutton for punishment, clicked on it. It was a neat video with players (Bay, Dickey, Davis, et al) wishing everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day. That was fine. Actually it was pretty funny hearing Daniel Murphy saying Erin Go Bragh! with his southern accent.

The offensive part of the video was at the end with yet another shameless plug for Mets single game tickets. Can't the Mets just wish everyone a Happy ________ (whatever) without a plug for for tickets due to sagging interest in visiting Federal Bailout Park? Why must there be strings attached? Just wish everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day and let that be the end of i t.

In following Mets recent tradition, I personally want to wish everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day...and be sure to tell all your friends about 24 Hours From Suicide...A Day In The Life Of A Met Fan.

Collins vs Alderson who has final word on roster

In this corner the new manager of the Mets Terry Collins. In the opposite corner the New GM of the Mets Sandy Alderson.  The prize..the winner of the 2nd base challenge.

Collins has said that he thinks he has final word especially when it comes to 2nd base. Alderson as quoted by the NY Post "At some point, who's on the team or not on the team is probably my decision, with strong input from Terry and the coaches and scouts who watch us on a daily basis,"

So Alderson will pick a 2nd basemen from input from Collins. So if Brad Emaus makes the team you know Riccardi has more input then Collins.

I think that it would be a great idea if Alderson and Collins can agree on who they should have on team.  Nothing like starting the year and already having disagreements on the roster.

Reports in the past say that the Mets have no problem jettisoning players like Castillo and Perez regardless of salary. I do not see Castillo besides Alderson mentioning the fact that he likes his pitch selection as a player the Mets really need . 

This could be the battle right down to opening day with Luis Castillo/Brad Emaus and Luis Hernandez as the main ingredient.

38-year-old Jason Isringhausen : The Mets set up man?

38-year-old Jason Isringhausen : The Mets set up man?

The Mets were going into spring with Bobby Parnell being the possible set up man for the 2011 season. Then comes Izzy. The 38 year old who just flew down to Florida and threw in front of former employer J P Riccardi received a long shot at making the team.

Now with the way Izzy has been throwing this spring for the Mets there is a possibility that he might very well be the set up man. He has been a huge surprise and yesterday Dan Warthen mentioned that if Izzy keeps the fastball over 90 mph with his very sharp breaking pitches not only will he make the team he could be the set up guy. Of course Parnell might take exception to that but Izzy is a great story. He has a little more in his pitching arsenal plus of course he does have a bunch of saves under his belt.

With all the drama otherwise with this team it’s nice to see someone excel. Especially one of the Generation K boys.

Check out the interview with Warthen on WFAN:

Beltran is dusting off the cob webs to take Batting practice.

Hey good news that guy who has the knee issue is going to try to do something more today. Beltran has been cleared to resume baseball activities. That means , oh my, throwing the ball, running and wow  batting practice!  Can you believe it  ?  I didnt realize that the Mets were paying him 19M and the guy can actually play!! 

Beltran has been on the sidelines for 9 days and like a good solidier Terry Collins still says that Beltran could be ready by opening day. He mentions that Beltran can be given 40-50 at bats in minor league game. Read the story over at the NY Post.  Collins says they dont want to push Beltran too hard so the guy doesnt have a set back. Does Collins realize that ff Beltran does more then walk he could have a set back!

If Carlos has any more set backs at this point you can kiss him goodbye starting in right field opening day. Some feel that he is lost already. I like Carlos and think when he is able to play he is fun to watch. Lets just wait and see what happens. No word yet on when he will play in a game. Maybe by spring 2012 for an American league team? 

Does Collins really want Luis Hernandez at 2nd?

The  NY Post is reporting that Luis Hernandez is the likely winner preferred by Terry Collins in the 2nd base race. Not sure how he might be going that route with the limited work that Luis has shown since he came back from him broken foot.

One thing is true no one seems set on Castillo as of yet. As the Mets open there 2nd half of the spring season tonight against the Nationals, there has to be some paring down of the players at 2nd. Maybe this week . Honestly I figured the Mets would make a cut or 2 on there off day. Collins I am sure is not a Castillo disciple just because of the drama and whining that he has already dealt with in the couple of weeks of spring.


Castillo wanted more playing time and he has played better since getting more opportunity but he hits a dunk here a pop fly single there. Will the Mets want to play him just since they owe him 6M and will likely dump the 12M Perez remains to be seen.


I like Hernandez for what has has shown so far but I think its too early to give him the crown. Doubt Collins is ready to fight the brass to have Hernandez on the team just yet.

Luis, Luis, Hey,Hey, He's Gotta Go Now!

As this spring trudges along at a glacial pace, no one on the Mets wants to be the starting second baseman:

Brad Emaus - whom many expected to be the Mets starting 2B, has only had one thing go right this spring...JP Ricciardi in his corner

Daniel Murphy - , although hitting well, has not proven anything at 2B, and the two errors he committed this weekend didn't help.

Justin Turner - are we kidding?

Ruben Tejada - is in AAA Buffalo warming up to be the starting Mets SS in August, if not in 2012.

Luis Hernandez - had the dust blown off to see if maybe he can win the position. Good hitter, so-so fielder

AND -

Luis Castillo - who might very well win the position by default. Castillo is showing the range of a slug in mud, but is hitting a robust .318 this spring.

Now it is being reported by Adam Rubin that Terry Collins does not want Castillo on the Mets roster, while his bosses, yes, the one's that make the decisions, might very well have him on the roster due to winning by default.

Also according to Rubin, "Baseball insiders" believe there is no chance Castillo is on the opening day roster.

I'd prefer to look at the song by the Kingsman, Louie, Louie - with a slight alteration - where they say:

Louie Louie, oh no
He gotta go Aye-yi-yi-yi,
I said Louie Louie, oh baby
He gotta go

Sources: MLB.com, Lyrics On Demand

Charlie Samuels: The Most Well Known Clubhouse Manager Who Can't Stay Out Of The Papers

Former NY Mets Clubhouse Manager Charlie Samuels just won't go away. Samuels, who was dismissed by the Mets back in November, is back in the news again.

The terminated Clubhouse Manager has been implicated in gambling on the sport that employed him, as well as stealing from the Mets to cover gambling debts. It is reported that the money he "borrowed" was paid back, but he was still taking money he was not loaned.

On Saturday the Daily News reported that this Samuels mess won't go away. It is reported that Samuels still has a storage area in Port St. Lucie, where the Mets conduct Spring Training.

Found in the storage area by police were such high priced items as autographed Mets jersey's from the 1986 Champion Mets. Quoting The News:

"...cops seized hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of autographed player jerseys and other memorabilia from the '86 team that Samuels had placed in a Port St. Lucie storage facility."

Among some of the memorabilia found was a complete set of signed Mets Jersey's from 1986, which will be used as evidence against Samuels.

Samuels is not expected to testify before the Grand Jury, and although Mets players have been interviewed, no player is expected to be subpoenaed.

Over the years many Mets players became friendly with Samuels. Many Mets stars befriended Samuels, but no Mets players are believed to be involved with his embezzlement or gambling scheme.

Just last week Mike Piazza and Francisco Rodriguez were questioned about Samuels. Neither player is targeted in the investigation.

The Wilpon's must feel that they are under a perpetual dark cloud, and one would be hard pressed to argue that assertion.

Maybe the one positive thing to come out of all this, with Samuels being terminated, is that the Mets may finally dish the ugly black uniforms and hats.

Source: NY Daily News