Mets' fans need to get past the Manny Ramirez pipe dream. (PHOTO BY ICON SMI)

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

The speculation begins. I know we are all sick and tired of all of the Mets’ Manny Ramirez rumors, but I have a feeling the rumors are going to be starting up once again, so let me be the first one to attack them. Manny Ramirez will not be wearing a Mets’ uniform, no matter how many of us salivate at the thought of him batting in the middle of our lineup.

Talk about the steroids thing all you want. He is a dynamic hitter. Plain and simple. I know it insults the integrity of the game, and I know Manny pretty much gave the Red Sox the middle finger, but his bat seems to make up for all of his shortcomings.
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How do you think Jason Bay would look in Left Field at Citi Field? (PHOTO BY ICON SMI)

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

When time finally runs out on 2009, there is going to be a plethora of people who believe that injuries are to blame for the failures of 2009. Don’t get me wrong. It definitely contributed, but there are some things that this team needs to do to get back on track. Now I am not talking about the obvious things like getting a healthy Reyes and Beltran back, but I have devised a five-step off season plan for the Mets to get back in the game.

1) Sign Dave Duncan to replace Dan Warthen

This would be an excellent acquisition. Known as the guru of pitching, Duncan is the guy who has been known to literally fix guys in 15 minutes. The Mets have quite a few candidates of patients for Dr. Duncan to examine. First and foremost is Oliver Perez, who has been unable to get out of his own way this season. The next guy would be Mike Pelfrey, who a lot of people think has taken a step back this season. I tend to agree. I don’t see him as a number two right now, but more of a number four. Younger guys would benefit from the acquisition of Duncan too. He could work with guys like Jonathon Niese and Bobby Parnell.
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Perez was far from stellar, but he earned his first win in a long time. (PHOTO COURTESY OF YAHOO VIA THE AP)

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

It has been a long battle for the Metropolitans, but today they have done something that they haven’t done seemingly since the first Bush was president…and that is win. Today, Oliver Perez led the way with one of the ugliest pitching performances in history.

We’ll take it.

The Mets finally woke up from their 22 inning scoreless drought by tying the game with a Luis Castillo infield hit in the third. They then exploded for three more, and they had a 4-1 lead. They would later add an insurance run to make it 5-2, which ended up being the difference maker.

Good job by the Mets to keep Manny relatively in check. The biggest out of the game came when Sean Green retired Orlando Hudson to end the eighth to prevent Manny to be the tying run. Surely enough, he homered off K-Rod in the ninth, but the Mets were still able to escape.

Daniel Murphy has been questioned a bit due to his inability to field, but he made the play of the year tonight. On a mark Loretta grounder down the line, the ball took a bounce off of the base, and Murphy ranged to his right, flipped the ball behind his back and was able to get it to Parnell just before Loretta’s foot came down on the bag.

Simply unbelievable.

Kudos also goes to Murphy for a pair of doubles on the evening. Give an assist to Manny Ramirez on one of them for his inability to judge a fly ball. It’s just Manny being Manny.

On the down side, something seems to be wrong with Alex Cora. He just can’t hit, and it is going to hurt the Mets in the long run. It would be a good idea to sit him down and call Arizona about Felipe Lopez. He is an underrated player who can really help this team.

Good win boys. Do the same tomorrow, but try not to give me a heart attack.

Manny Ramirez is back and better than ever. (PHOTO BY ICON SMI)

BY MATTHEW FALKENBURY
ASSISTANT EDITOR

Welcome to our first installment of “Interview with Blogger” where we aim to get a look at the teams coming up on Mets schedule, from the people who know them best, Their Fans.

In advance of tonight’s first game of three against the Los Angeles Dodgers, I did an Interview with Brendan Scolari of True Blue L.A.

Matthew Falkenbury: What do you think of the return of Manny Ramirez and could that lead to the Dodgers possibly trading Juan Pierre?

Brendan Scolari: I think nearly every Dodger fan is ecstatic to have Manny back in the lineup. His presence is a huge boost to the offense, the Dodgers were scoring more than a run less per game on average during Manny’s suspension (5.55 vs. 4.40). Even though the team was 29-21 without Manny, the offense was struggling and the dominance that was seen earlier in the season was gone.

Juan Pierre did a more than admirable job filling in but he obviously doesn’t have the talent to make up for Manny’s loss. Pierre won’t be traded though, of that I am nearly positive. He doesn’t have much value around the league because of his contract and Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti has said he wants to keep Pierre for depth and to push the other outfielders. While I think trading Pierre would be nice to free up salary, it doesn’t look like a possibility at this point.

MF: 2. What player this season has made the biggest difference for the Dodgers getting off to a good start in the first half?

BS: It is hard to give credit to just one player but I’m going to have to go with Matt Kemp. He has gone from being a nice player last year to being a legitimate NL MVP candidate in ‘09. That may seem absurd but Kemp has been absolutely fantastic. He’s raised his slash stats from .290/.340/.459 last year to .305/.369/.474 this year and stolen 19 out of 23 bases. His biggest improvement though has been in the field. Last year he was only an average centerfielder but this year he looks like a Gold Glover out in center field..

The numbers bear this out as well, his UZR/150 is 15.8 runs, the highest in the league for center fielders. Honorable mentions include Casey Blake, Randy Wolf, and Juan Pierre. All three veterans have stepped up big time so far this year.

MF: 3. What has Joe Torre done differently in his tenure as Manager that past Dodger mangers haven’t done?

BS: Torre helps to calm the clubhouse and keep everyone steady all season long. He is able to keep all of the players in check and has for the most part kept there from being any internal problems with the team.

That said, he does still make questionable lineup decisions (like having Matt Kemp bat eigth or having Andre Ethier and James Loney, two lefties, back to back) and some of the Dodger’s best relievers have been overused so far this season. The biggest factor in Torre’s success compared to that of recent managers is just that there is so much more talent on the team this year than there has been in the past.

MF: 4. What Mets player(s) do Dodgers fans worry about the most?

BS: Fortunately the Dodgers won’t have to face most of the Mets best players, with Beltran and Reyes injured and Santana not pitching in the series. But David Wright, despite his batting average driven success this season, could be in line for a big series with two flyball prone lefites in Randy Wolf and Clayton Kershaw starting.

Gary Sheffield could see the same benefits although most of the rest of the Mets hitters in their current lineup aren’t too scary. On the pitching side, Mike Pelfrey will be the toughest starter the Dodgers have to go against and of course you never want to have to depend on scoring against K-Rod in the 9th.

MF: 5. What is the key for the Dodgers in this series against the Mets?

BS: The key for the Dodgers has to be starting pitching. Let’s be honest, the Dodgers should score quite a few runs off the Mets unimpressive trio of starters this series. Pelfrey is solid but not special, Perez has struggled mightily and the Dodgers destroy lefties (to the tune of a .293/.374/.455 team line), and Livan Hernandez is still Livan Hernandez.

If Kershaw can harness his control, Hiroki Kuroda can build on the success of his last few starts, and Wolf can pitch the way he has been most of the season then the Dodgers should have a great chance to win each of their respective games and take a series on the road. The bullpen has been taxed a bit lately so the starters eating up some innings should make the relievers a more effective group too.

Manny Ramirez is back and he has something to prove. (PHOTO COURTESY OF YAHOO VIA THE AP)

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

Not going to lie. The title was just an attention getter, bur now that I have you here…

We are coming off of a weekend that truly hurt. The Mets went into the Phillies’ series with a boatload of hope. They were just a game back of the division leaders, and the Phillies were one of the worst home teams in the league.

The pitching matchups were good for us.

But remember, these are the Mets we are talking about.

Now, things are looking gloomier than ever. The Mets start a series against the best team in the National League tomorrow in the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Manny Ramirez will be back in the lineup and the Mets will be overmatched in almost every facet of the game.

But aren’t these the kind of games this weird club often wins?

I wouldn’t be suprised to see the Mets take this series. Remember a month or so ago when the Mets played in Fenway park? They were completely overmatched by the Red Sox and their talent, but some way, the Mets managed to pull out the victory.

I know we will be haunted by the image of Manny Ramirez coming up with the bases loaded, but we all know it is probably going to happen. With the way that the Mets walk people, the table could be set for Manny to really make a monster impact.

At least we have Oliver Perez coming back.

As far as I am concerned, this team would be very fortunate to be within five games of the division leaders by the all star break.

The Phillies may get themselves on a little bit of a roll, and if that happens, trouble will undoubtedly be waiting for the Mets.

Oh, the glory of being a Mets’ fan. It just doesn’t get any better. Oh wait…

Rick Ankiel could be a potential target if the Mets lose Carlos Beltran.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

The big news around the circuits today concerns Mets’ center fielder Carlos Beltran. According to a post in the New York Post, Beltran will see a doctor to see if he needs micro fracture surgery for his ailing knee. The surgery would conceivably put his career in jeopardy.

Can this get any better?

When I heard the news, I took a look ahead at the potential free agent center fielders, courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors. While I was on the site, which is done excellently by Tim Dierkes and his crew, I took a look at the other guys who will be free agents at the Mets’ positions of need.

Remember, there will be holes at catcher, first base, left field, center field (potentially) and right field (potentially). The reason I mentioned center field is quite obvious, and the reason I mentioned right field is pretty obvious in my estimation as well. Ryan Church has long been the highest ranked member of Jerry Manuel’s dog house, so it wouldn’t be surprised to see him get traded before all is said and done. Let’s act like he’s staying for all intensive purposes.

Lets start with catcher. Brian Schneider is scheduled to be a free agent, and as far as I am concerned, he can take a hike. He is an aging veteran with a declining glove and a non-existent bat. A one-year deal for Bengie Molina might make some sense. Remember, he is 35, but he is one of the best catchers in the game. He is one of the only guys in San Francisco with a capable bat, and his defense is very good as well.

As for first base, the Mets have had plans to make Daniel Murphy their first basemen of the future, but they would be hurting themselves if they didn’t even explore what the market had to offer. There are three guys who would be interesting candidates.

First is Nick Johnson, who has proven himself worthy in 2009. He has stayed healthy and shown that he can still hit. I would be hesitant to make such a commitment. Next is Adam Laroche, who is a fine defensive player, but his bat seems to be lacking. The last choice would be Chad Tracy, who is another interesting character. I think I would be most comfortable staying in house.

Left field is where my favorite target sits. Jason Bay is said to love it in Boston, but he will be a free agent at season’s end. I have always loved him as a player, as he is very well-rounded. He has often been ignored because he played in Pittsburgh, but that is certainly not the case anymore. He will probably command upwards of $15 million per year on the open market. Other options include Matt Holliday and potentially Manny Ramirez.

I know. Please don’t make that saga start up again.

As far as center field goes, there is really only one guy who I like, and that is Rick Ankiel. He has ressurected his career as an outfielder, and he should command nice money on the open market. Seeing as he’s the only good center fielder out there, he might rip off the club, a la Gary Matthews Jr. in Los Angeles. Forgive me if I refuse to give up on Carlos Beltran just yet. If he’s done, this will be a very tough pill to swallow.

The Mets will have plenty of decisions to make, but for some reason, I still think the verdict is out on this season. The Mets are within striking distance, and one solid streak could put them right over the top.

YA GOTTA BELIEVE!

A-Rod sure knows what it feels like to be caught with PED's.

BY MIKE BARRETT
STACHE WRITER

During the winter, many Met fans were enamored with then free agent Manny Ramirez. I will admit flat out that I was one of them. I believed that he was exactly what the Mets needed with his offensive strengths and attitude that would have taken much of the media attention off of David Wright, Carlos Delgado, and the rest of the Mets. I firmly believed that he was the missing piece to a championship in Queens.

Today it was announced that Manny Ramirez would be suspended 50 games for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. Without question, Ramirez is the biggest name to be suspended for PED’s since the league began to ban offenders in 2003. The Dodgers and there place atop the NL west will take a huge blow with Manny now gone and could suffer a season ending setback.

So did the Mets dodge a bullet by not bringing Manny in?

As hard as it is for me to say, they did. Imagine the media circus that would have enveloped the Mets. Here was the one player the Mets needed, the man who would easily bring them to a World Series, gone for 50 games. Easily a loss that would send the Mets to the bottom of the NL East.

Thankfully, the Mets aren’t in that situation. They were content going into this season with Daniel Murphy as their man. While Murphy has been as a good as promised with the bat, he is no Manny Ramirez. However, he is also not a man who will spend 50 games on the sidelines for using steroids. So that’s one difference any Met fan should be thankful for.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

The Mets went through a busy off-season in terms of potential people they were going to land, and they made some moves that nobody expected. We went through the whole Manny Ramirez fiasco, and there were some tough critics who had some harsh words to say about Omar Minaya. In this evaluation, I intend to set the record straight.

1) Mets Sign Francisco Rodriguez
The decision that Omar Minaya made to sign Francisco Rodriguez was a no brainer. K-Rod, coming off of a career year, was the best closer on the market; just a year after the Mets blew more than 20 save chances. Having K-Rod in the ninth inning essentially makes it an eight-inning game, which would’ve made one heck of a difference last season.

2) Mets Trade For J.J. Putz and Sean Green
This was a move that nobody saw coming. Putz has been one of the most underappreciated closers in baseball for the last few seasons, and he serves as some nice protection should anything happen to Francisco Rodriguez. Putz looks at it as if he is closing the eighth inning, which is a nice way to put it. I don’t expect him to be jealous of Rodriguez, and his positive attitude should reflect well on the youngsters in the clubhouse.

3) Mets do not make an offer to Manny Ramirez
As much as the idea of having one of the best hitters in the game in our lineup was intriguing, I truly believe Minaya made the right decision by not pursuing Manny. We watched what he did in Boston. He single-handedly ruined the continuity of that team, and the only reason that he really behaved in Los Angeles is because he was showcasing himself for his next contract. I think Manny is selfish, and his impact on a guy like Jose Reyes may have been catastrophic.

4) Mets Sign Tim Redding and Freddy Garcia
I disliked these signings from the very beginning. I am not at all surprised to see that both of these guys look like they are pitching batting practice in the spring. Redding has been shut down indefinitely, and the Mets are probably close to cutting Garcia to avoid the potential incentives he could earn if he ever made it up to the big club. This was a low-risk, high-reward potential signing by Minaya, but I think the Mets would have been better off by investing some confidence in the youngster Jon Niese, who will probably be the team’s number five starter come July.

5) Mets Trade Scott Schoenweis for Connor Robertson
Honestly, there weren’t many people who were disliked more in New York last season than Scott Schoenweis. He wasn’t terrible as a Met, but he was certainly prone to giving up the big hit in the crucial time. The Mets could have dealt him for a bag of baseballs. This was a move that was clearly an example of addition by subtraction, although the Mets do find themselves looking for a second lefty out of the bullpen.

6) Mets Do Not Attempt to Re-Sign Pedro Martinez
This is definitely the right decision. Pedro is seeking an insane amount of money after he was a complete snub during his first tenure with the Mets. He was injured more than he played, but his value with the Mets wasn’t in his performance. Big name free agents came to the Mets after Pedro led the way. Beltran and Delgado were examples, and eventually, Santana ended up in Queens as well. The Pedro Martinez era in New York is finished, and the Mets are better off moving on.

7) Mets Do Not Sign Orlando Hudson
This is one move in which I strongly disagreed with. I don’t like the rationale. First of all, Luis Castillo has something to prove. He showed up in shape and wants to prove everyone wrong. Where the heck was he last season? Did he take the year off? The Mets would’ve been better off with putting Ramon Castro at second base with the way Castillo swung the bat. Orlando Hudson is a proven leader and .300 hitter. He also has pop and is someone who is a great influence in the clubhouse. The deal that the Dodgers signed him to may have been the steal of the off-season.

8) Mets do not sign Ivan Rodriguez
I definitely wanted Pudge. There is no secret there. But, I think he was playing the Mets the whole time to use them as leverage against Houston and it worked. Rodriguez looked like a shell of his former self after the Yankees acquired him for Kyle Farnsworth last summer. Initially, I was upset that he signed for so cheap, but he wouldn’t have been any better than Castro. This was a good no-move by Minaya.

9) Mets Release Duaner Sanchez
I was a little upset by this move, because it was more about saving the money than it was about giving Duaner a fair chance. My prediction is as follows. Duaner Sanchez will be a very good setup man in San Diego. Doesn’t that happen with all of the guys that the Mets have given up on? Remember Heath Bell? Remember Matt Lindstrom? I would love to have Lindstrom and his fireball on our team, but instead, he is pitching for the division rival Marlins. This was a bad move by Minaya and company.

10) Mets Retain Jerry Manuel
This was key to let all the dominos fall into place. Manuel took over the reins last season and immediately, this team responded. Jose Reyes was one example of a guy who had to be taught a lesson, and Manuel did it in “gangsta” fashion. Carlos Delgado was also a different player for Manuel, and he even became a potential MVP candidate with the second half numbers that he put up. The key to a team’s success is being comfortable with their manager, and that is definitely something that this team has with Jerry Manuel. We will have to wait and see how the other moves pan out in 2009.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

Well, the inevitable has occurred. Despite all of the outcries from Mets fans to make a play for Manny Ramirez, the future Hall of Famer has agreed two a new two-year deal that will keep him in Los Angeles. The deal, which is worth the same $45 million that Manny rejected a few days ago, will reportedly give the slugger more money up front.

Manny exhibited good behavior after he joined the Dodgers at mid-season, but that may have been just to showcase his talents. Who knows what is going to happen once he decided he is unhappy once again?

All I know is that the Mets won’t have to deal with his bologna.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

When you look at the 2009 Mets, not much glares out at you in terms of being a better team than last season. The Mets had some problems to address, and they addressed them to an extent. In this article, I plan to take a look into the Mets’ grades by position.

C Brian Schneider and Ramon Castro- D

Schneider was brought to the Mets for his defense, and while he did make some stellar picks, his caught stealing percentage was very disappointing. Pitchers succeeded much more when Ramon Castro was behind the plate, therefore defeating the purpose of his acquisition. Castro’s problem is that he can’t seem to elude the injury bug. The Mets don’t think he will last for a full season, and they have been willing to accept an offer for Shrek. I think they would be wise to either keep him or bring about Ivan Rodriguez on a minor league deal and give him a shot.

1B Carlos Delgado- B

Delgado had an MVP-like second half last season. He was the Delgado of old, and I almost wanted to put a Blue Jays helmet on him to see if he would repeat his MVP season. For a guy that people were calling for the release of in May, he certainly earned a spot on the 2009 squad, although it will most likely be his last season wearing the orange and blue.

2B Luis Castillo- D+

Like many Mets fans, I have always been a big fan of Orlando Hudson, and the idea of him hitting behind Jose Reyes in the two hole is music to my ears, but Luis Castillo is preventing that from happening. The Mets gave the old yeller a four year contract, and they are paying for it. Hudson had made it known that he would like to come to the Mets, but it looks like he is going to be making his home out West instead. Castillo is certainly going to have the microscope focused on him this season.

3B David Wright- A

There is no arguing that Wright is already one of the best third basemen in baseball. I have some issue with the fact that he has won two straight gold glove awards, but he is a stellar player none the less. The scary thing is that he hasn’t yet hit his ceiling. If he focuses more on routine ground balls and levels out his swing, David has the potential to be a .330 35 homers 125 RBI guy every season. That is the kind of guy that he is capable of being.

SS Jose Reyes- A

A lot of people give Reyes problems because he is over exuberant with his chants and escapades in the dugout. All I can say to that is wait until you see what K-Rod is like. Reyes provides decent power with extra base ability to go along with above average defense. Combine that with his stellar speed, and you have one of the most exciting players in the game. There are very few players I would trade him for. The only two I can think of off the top of my head are Hanley Ramirez or Albert Pujols.

LF Daniel Murphy/Fernando Tatis- B-

Although I found myself aboard the Manny train for a while, his antics really may not be worth it. All the time, I believed that Manny was going to either end up with the Dodgers or the Giants. He was made for California. And Dodgers fans could certainly put up with him for the six innings that they stay for. Murphy showed some real promise at the plate last season, and Tatis will be a solid compliment against lefties. Don’t forget. Nick Evans will be waiting in the wings if Tatis struggles.

CF Carlos Beltran- A

When you think bad thoughts that go along with Beltran’s name, what comes into your mind? Yeah? Me too. It’s Adam Wainwright’s curveball that froze him in game seven of the 2006 NLCS. Beltran has been one of the most consistent Mets since his arrival. Although his average won’t blow you away, he hits for power and knows how to drive in runs in the middle of the order. He also may quietly be the best center fielder in the game, and he knows how to gun it with the best of them. My nickname for Mr. Milk Dud is Mr. Consistent. He is the opposite of a box of chocolates. You always know what you are going to get.

RF Ryan Church- C+

Who knows what we are going to get out of Ryan? I don’t even think he knows. You read all of these stories about how he’s motivated and about how he is going to prove Mike Francesca wrong, but how do we know that? He plays a solid defense and is an above average hitter, but one bump in the head and it could all go downhill from there. I have a scenario in my head that has Church being injured and Tatis and Valentin splitting Right Field every day. Does that sound better than Bobby Abreu? I don’t think so. I think this position is going to come back to haunt us.

SP Santana, Pelfrey, Maine, Perez, Garcia- B

The Mets addressed their issues with the rotation this off season, but they did so with some question marks. You see John Maine saying that he is pain free. But we need to wait a few weeks and see how he feels then. Will he be a guy that can throw 200 plus innings? I am just not so sure. Garcia is another one who needs to prove himself to me. If he is the Garcia of old, the Mets will have got themselves the steal of the offseason. Oliver Perez is streaky, but I trust him, and Pelfrey and Santana are the top two at the rotation. Big Pelf just needs to stay away from mouthpieces and Rick Peterson.

RP- K-Rod, Putz, Green, Sanchez, Stokes, Feliciano, Redding- A-

I think Omar exceeded expectations by nabbing both K-Rod and Putz, but he has let the Mets down by not getting that second lefty for the pen. What are the Mets going to do when they face the Phillies down the stretch? Are Howard, Jenkins, Utley, Ibanez, Rollins and Victorino going to face a right handed pitcher? I sure hope not. This bullpen is going to be a huge factor over whether or not this team is successful.

Overall- B

I think the Mets are a good team, but the Phillies are better. When push comes to shove, I think the Mets will contend for the wild card, but we may be looking at a third straight season of playoffless baseball for the New York Mets.