BY KEVIN KEARNS
STACHE WRITER

Peter Gammons reported on WFAN today, that he believes Bobby Valentine will be the next manager of the New York Mets.

There is absolutely nothing that would please me more than too see Bobby V putting back on the orange and blue.

Everything about Bobby V embodied what Mets fans pride themselves upon. Whether it was coming back with a fake mustache or managing the bullpen, Bobby V got the job done.

If it was not for Steve Phillip’s incompetent abilities (evidenced by offering Toronto, David Wright for Jose Cruz Jr.), who knows, Bobby V might still be here.

Anyways, I’m not prone to thinking simply bringing Bobby V back will turn everything around. However, I do think it would be the perfect start to building the right culture.

Along with Bobby V I would like to see a few coaches brought in that would emphasis a winning culture even more. What I’m really hoping to see next season along with Bobby V at the helm, includes Wally Backman, Dan Warthen, and Mike Piazza.

First, I’d like to see Backman as the bench coach. He would be able to instill fire into the clubhouse, without being handed the entire key to the house. If Bobby V falters, then maybe the reigns could be turned over to Backman. Regardless, I think Backman’s impact on the team’s mental approach to the game would grow ten-fold.

Secondly, keep Dan Warthen around. Our pitching staff was supposed to be the problem this year. Except it hasn’t been the problem at all. He definitely at least deserves one more go round.

And finally, my far-fetched fantasy, bring in Mike Piazza to replace HoJo. In my opinion, no Met ever had as much of an offensive impact as Piazza. He will always have a special place etched in every Mets’ fans heart, so why not try the same experiment the Cardinals are doing with Mark McGwire.

After all, Piazza can’t be any worse than HoJo, can he?

Nothing Like The Good Ol' Days

BY MATTHEW FALKENBURY
ASSISTANT EDITOR

Man its been a while since we have enjoyed a matchup between the Braves and Mets that had some juice to it. It’s been a while since the chop was so much fun to mock and we had to worry about the pitching staff of the always annoying Atlanta Braves. Although the players are new and/or older and the stadium across the parking lot is no more, it feels good to welcome back our old friends to the big boy table.

Of course its not as if the Mets have had to much enjoyment from the fall of the Atlanta Braves Dynasty in the NL East from 1995-2005. The Mets drew first blood in 2006 when they won the NL East, but the other thorn in our sides, the Philadelphia Phillies have taken over as not only NL East champs but as our main rivals as well.

The thing is that they arent as fun as those Braves teams were. Sure beating the fightin phils is alot of fun, but nothing was like taking down the Braves during the height of the Rivalry from 98-2001.

When I think of those days, I immediately think of Mike Piazza, Chipper Jones, Bobby Cox, Bobby Valentine. The chess match between Cox and Valentine were epic to watch and even more to discuss and write about. Piazza and Jones may have been the best players the NL had to offer at that time that werent juiced. Both leading their teams to World Series, Jones in 99 and Piazza in 2000, each losing to the one team we can agree to despise, the New York Yankees.

What was so fun about the Mets and Braves was the difference in “Name” talent. While the Mets had Piazza and Olerud and Alfonzo and Al Leiter. The Braves countered with Andres Galaragga, Chipper Jones, Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, Brian Jordan, Javy Lopez, Brett Boone, Andruw Jones and of course the always popular John A.H. Rocker.

It always felt like it was the Mets against the world when they would battle at Shea, when the games were in Atlanta then it felt like we were up against the universe. The losses hurt a little extra and the wins always were the best. There was the 10-run inning, the Grand Slam Single and of course 9/21/01.

In the end, The Mets have become the team of stars and the Braves are now the team who are returning to glory. The best rivalry in the National League for so many years is finally back. The chop will fun to mock again and the Braves are once again the team we are chasing to take over the lead in the NL East.

For this weekend, the rivalry is back and it should be just as fun as it was all those years ago.

Who will be the next Piazza? (PHOTO BY ICON/SMI)

The most notable in American history may be George Washington. He is a man who took control and was great at making adjustments. He used the situation to his advantage. He showed heart, attitude and experience to lead and conquer. The rest is history as they say.

Believe it or not, sports and history have much in common. A team needs a leader. They need someone who will stand up and guide. Someone who will be the experienced one when no one else knows what to do in a given situation. Every successful team has had this to some degree or another.

The current New York Mets are lacking this presence on the field. They are too busy listening to instruction and direction from managers, general mangers, owners, scouts and whatever else the case may be. The trouble is that the leadership presence that they need is not experiencing the situations with them, only observing and responding to them.

For this reason, it is not possible for a manager to be the true leader of a team. They will direct and pull the strings, but never truly guide in the moment. Therefore by definition, the New York Mets lack a player who meets these characteristics. Although they have a few candidates for the role, no one has truly stepped into it. This may perhaps be the major reason for the uninspiring and at times unspirited play that the team has displayed over the past few weeks.

The record of this current team as I am writing this is 18-16. This isn’t the best record in sport right now, but it certainly isn’t the worst. It is a slightly above average record for a slightly above average team. The question is why are they just a slightly above average team? What do they lack that the top tier teams all seem to have?

The answer is leadership. The team has actually been without this for the last several years, since the departure of their last true on field leader, Mike Piazza. There have been a few since him that have tried to fit the mold, but to no avail. Before we look at the current candidates, let’s take a brief look back at the past so called leaders. This is how we learn in history, sports and life, by looking back and learning from past errors.

Since Piazza, the Mets have had only a few who have attempted to guide this team. Paul LoDuca, Pedro Martinez, Brian Schneider and Carlos Delgado are the only ones who really come to mind. LoDuca had the fire, intensity and heart that you want in a leader, but not the self-control. He led by example only.

Pedro Martinez led by word but seldom action or example. He was brought in by the Mets brass for the specific purpose of leadership. He showed the heart and the mouth, but not the consistency required for the job.

After the departure of LoDuca, Brain Schneider was charged with the mission of leading this team. His leadership, however proved to be that of the quiet type. He led by example but not by words then was injured and became lost in irrelevancy.

The final one was Carlos Delgado. Delgado had the mouth, attitude and experience needed to fill this void. His health, however, became an issue. He was a good influence on the team, though he was not without his own controversies. But a good leader must be able to call out a teammate to encourage them to strive to do better. The problem with Delgado is just as he was taking on the role, his health prevented him from being effective in that role.

Moving forward to the present, the team still lacks that leader. There are a few who could fill that gap on the current roster. In part two of this article, we will take a deeper look at them. From the current roster, they are: Johan Santana, David Wright, Francisco Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran, Jason Bay, Jeff Francoeur, Rod Barajas, Ike Davis and Jose Reyes. We will examine the pros and cons of each of these candidates, in part two.

This Decade Has Seen Alot, Including The End of an Era at Shea Stadium

BY MATTHEW FALKENBURY
ASSISTANT EDITOR

The Decade of the 2000′s for the Mets has been filled with up’s and down’s, joy and sadness and one that took us on a roller coaster that began witha National League Championship, dipped through some lean years from 2002-2004, saw a rebirth and an NL East Title in 2005 and 2006, the collapses of 2007-2008, the ending of one era at Shea and a new one at Citi Field and finally an injury filled 2009 season that leaves us wondering whats next. Over the past 10 years, we have seen some great players come and go, and for some, leave a mark that will be remembered forever, good or bad. So in honor of a Decade in Mets history that was nothing short of a Ride of highs and lows, I give to you my All-Decade Team for the New York Mets.

Some Quick Rules, only stats in the years of this current decade were counted, the player must have spent at least one year with the franchise and the success of the franchise during his time with the team will also be in consideration. Off Fied and On Field impact will also be considered when making the decision as well.

Click the link and enjoy my Team of the Decade….

Lineup

C-Mike Piazza (00-05 772 Games, .286 BA, 157 HR, 455 RBI)

1B- Carlos Delgado (06-09 468 Games, .267 BA, 104 HR, 339 RBI)

2B-Edgardo Alfonzo (00-02 409 Games, .294 BA, 58 HR, 199 RBI)

SS-Jose Reyes (03-09 791 Games, .286, 63 HR, 325 RBI, 301 SB)

3B-David Wright (04-09 847 Games, .309 BA, 140 HR, 561 RBI)

LF-Cliff Floyd (03-06 468 Games, .268 BA, 81 HR, 273 RBI)

CF-Carlos Beltran (05-09 677 Games, .281 BA, 127 HR 466 RBI)

RF-Derek Bell (2000 144 Games, .266 BA, 18 HR, 69 RBI)

I think that the choices at Catcher, 1st Base, 2nd Base, Shortstop, 3rd Base and Center Field don’t really need to be explained any further. If you can find someone better this decade that played for the Mets for at least one season, then I will be stunned silent.

I think Left Field can be explained that it was a revolving door from the time Ricky Henderson left in Early 2000 until Cliff Floyd got here in 2003. Cliff was a leader in the clubhouse, a good influence on guys like David Wright and was someone who stood out when the crap that Mets were in 2003 and 2004 came out and played each andeveryday. The injury bug would always find Cliff, but the Mets have lacked a positive clubhouse presence in the three years since he left and the results of the past three seasons can certainly be partially attributed to him moving on.

Right Field was extremely difficult, it was an even bigger revolving door with players like Victor Diaz, Shawn Green, Xavier Nady, Timo Perez, Jeremy Burnitz, Ryan Church cluttering up the number 9 on your scorecard. I picked Derek Bell because he was the starting Right Fielder on a team that eventually went to a World Series, although he was hurt in the NLDS vs San Francisco he was solid and did more then any other Right Fielder this decade for the Mets.

Shawn Green made the playoffs in 06 but didn’t do much and was the starter in the collapse of 07 which hurt him since he wasn’t here long enough to justify ignoring that fact. Xavier Nady had a chance to get there, but spending only half a season with the Mets hurt him and Burnitz was an abject disaster. The fact is this, our best Right Fielder this decade came in the first year of the Decade and left after that one year with the Mets, how sad indeed.

Rotation

Johan Santana (08-09 29-16, 2.78 ERA, 59 Games, 59 Starts)
Al Leiter (00-04 65-49, 3.43 ERA, 153 Games, 153 Starts)
Tom Glavine (03-07 61-56, 3.97 ERA, 164 Games, 164 Starts)
Steve Trachsel (01-06 66-59, 4.09 ERA, 160 Games, 160 Starts)
Pedro Martinez (05-08 32-23, 3.88 ERA, 79 Games, 79 Starts)

Johan Santana and Al Leiter are the aces of the beginning of the Decade and the End of the Decade for the Mets and were/are the bulldogs for this franchise in the 2000s. The final three choices may not be so popular, let me state my case, and then you can decide.

Pedro was an ace for a team in 2005 that helped recapture the magic that had been missing since 2000 and although he was hurt, he brought an energy back to Shea not seen in a long time and helped to bring the Mets back to the spotlight when he signed in late 2004. He finished over .500 and was a solid presence in the clubhouse as well. He never blamed anyone but himself for not having more success, and was upstanding in his years in New York, and his hard work to come back each time was impressive.

Tom Glavine was someone who had to deal with alot of bad teams in his first two seasons in New York and was very solid in 3 starts in the playoffs in 2006. His horrid start at the end of 07 withstanding, I refuse to allow it to keep him off this list considering he was a 2 time all-star, won his 300th game with the Mets and was a solid player who never got hurt and was out there each and every time.

Finally, Steve Trachsel is a jerk, him giving up in the 2006 NLCS was a joke and he needed to go after that, but he won more games this decade then any other Met, threw multiple one hitters and was also a guy who never got hurt and more often then not gave his team a chance to win.

Bullpen

Left Handed Reliever- Pedro Feliciano (02-09 19-13, 3.31 ERA, 367 Games, 4 Saves, 75 Holds, .215 BA vs. L)

Right Handed Reliever- Aaron Heilman (03-08 22-33, 4.24 ERA, 305 Games, 25 Starts, 10 Saves, 69 Holds)

Closer- Billy Wagner (06-09, 5-5, 2.37 ERA, 183 Games, 101 Saves)

The Bullpen is a bone of contention when it comes to Mets fans and it has let us down more then it has helped us out. Its almost funny to think that this team does include Aaron Heilman because of his failures being in the most important of times, but his longevity, and his solidness out of the bullpen for 6 seasons helped him to make this team, it also didn’t hurt that he was solid in 2nd halves of seasons and even threw a one hitter as a starter. Pedro Feliciano has been without question the best left handed reliever this decade for the Mets and maybe the best since Jesse Orosco for the franchise and lets be honest, Billy Wagner was better then Armando and Looper and his ability to keep trying harder and harder to come back to pitch last season was amazing to say the least.

That is my team of the decade, whats yours, put it in the comments and let the debate begin!

His HR 8 Years ago Today was the Best Mets Moment this Decade

BY MATTHEW FALKENBURY
ASSISTANT EDITOR

“Lopez wants it away, and it’s hit deep to left center, Andruw Jones on the run, this one has a chance… home run!, Mike Piazza!, and the Mets lead 3 to 2!”- Howie Rose, September 21st, 2001

Do You remember where you were when you saw that game? Do You remember where you were when you heard that call?

Mike Ganci, the King of Blogs with “Stache” in them, has told me about what it was like to have been at that game that Night. If you were one of the 50,000 sitting in Shea Stadium you know what it was like, and you will never forget it. I wish I had been there, but I was lucky to hear Howie’s call and that was good enough for me.

I was at home in Westchester County sitting in my living room with my parents and was still wondering what the next day would bring. When Mike Piazza, my all time favorite Met, hit that home run, my folks and I all knew that it was more significant in a real world sense then any other homer in Mets history.

As the Atlanta Braves come into New York eight years later to the day, it helped me remember that it was today when that great moment happened and it also helped me remember one other point….

To this Mets fan, It was the best moment this Decade for the New York Mets.

It had been ten days since 9/11 changed our lives forever and the sports landscape in the United States had come to a screeching hault. The Mets would have the chance to play the first game in New York since the towers had come down and a team that in 2001 was a disappointment did anything but disappoint on a night where Mets fans and all New Yorkers needed something to cheer for.

Playing their rival, the Atlanta Braves, everything about the game had something added to it that was making sure everyone knew that magic was in the air. From the the pre-game, which included two rivals meeting in the middle to show that its just a game, to moment that Piazza went deep, the feel of pennant race baseball in the air was thick and New York was back off the canvas and was ready to fight again.

The Home Run was something special to everyone who lived in New York and even the Braves Fans could take the loss knowing what it did for the greater good for the fans of the Mets in a city hit the hardest by the events 10 days earlier.

The Mets have had some pretty awesome moments this decade, winning the NL Pennant in 2000, winning the NL East and NLDS in 2006 and the opening of a Brand New Ballpark. But Nothing can compare to what happened eight years ago.

Its without a doubt the best moment this decade for the Orange and Blue.

Mike Piazza may be the best hitting catcher that baseball has ever seen. (PHOTO BY ICON SMI)

BY ANDREW CAVAGNARO
STACHE WRITER

As the summer sun fades away and the cooler weather creeps a day closer, Mets’ fans are left to debate items not related to the on-field product.

This week I’ve read on other blogs the debate regarding the retiring of numbers at Citi Field. Specifically Mike Piazza, since the New York Post article this weekend stated that the Mets were not ready to retire his number 31.

Most agree that he should have his number immortalized at Citi Field, due to all the memories he gave us in the parking lot next door. However, a few fans stated that “he wasn’t a true Met” and that “a player needs to be a Met through their whole career” to have their number retired. Wow, if that’s the case Tom Seaver’s number should be pulled down due to his Red’s days.

Although Mike Piazza was born a Dodger, he grew into a New York Met. He was the symbol and hallmark of how you should play the game. I don’t recall seeing many $91 million players busting it to first on a nightly basis, especially a catcher.

In my opinion, a person is warranted this special honor if they have the numbers that justify it, guide the team into October, and most importantly capture the hearts of the fans. All of these criteria clearly allow for Piazza’s number 31 to adorn the high Citi Field outfield wall.

To use a quote from Mark Herrmann’s Newsday article the day Piazza retired, “the Mets without Piazza were like a pastrami sandwich without the pastrami.” I couldn’t agree more.

Johan Stood Up D-Wright Today and Showed Mets Fans What Kind of Guts He Has

BY ANDREW CAVAGNARO
STACHE WRITER

I’ve gained a whole lot of respect for Johan Santana today.

After David Wright was hit in the head by a Matt Cain fastball, I was eager to see if there would be retaliation of some sort. As has been the trend over the past decade or so, Mets’ pitchers typically avoid beaning an opposing batter after one of their own has been pegged.

Today, Santana threw behind Pablo Sandoval and hit Bengie Molina with a fastball. I bet Mike Piazza would be jealous of the support that Santana offered Wright. After being plunked by Roger Clemens in the head in 2000, no pitcher retaliated on his behalf.

The sight of David Wright laying motionless on the ground was just painful to watch. He stood no chance of avoiding Cain’s heater and immediately collapsed to the ground.

Over the years the Mets have lacked the fire and grit to retaliate I defense of a fallen teammate. However, maybe Santana let the baseball world know something all the fans have been waiting to hear for years: “You hit our guy, now I’m going to get yours.”

Wouldn't it be nice to see Tom Seaver throw to Mike Piazza? (PHOTO BY THE NY DAILY NEWS)

BY ANDREW CAVAGNARO
STACHE WRITER

Today I am going to avoid talking about the state of the current Mets or any topic relating to them. It has become redundant and mundane to discuss their descent into baseball oblivion.

A few days ago while talking about a few memorable experiences with some fellow Mets fans someone asked a particularly interesting question, “What ever happened to Old Timer’s Day?”

Although the Mets don’t have the long history in comparison to franchises like the Yankees and Dodgers(Wilpon favorites), the Mets do have a past that could be looked back on fondly. Old Timer’s Day ceased to exist for the Mets franchise somewhere in the early 1990′s and with it a connection to summers long gone.

Gary Carter, Tom Seaver, Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Mike Piazza, and so many other memorable stars have not had the opportunity to take the field one more time with a bat and glove in hand. Wouldn’t it be wonderful for Seaver’s knee to scrape the mound dirt one more time? What about Piazza tapping the plate with his bat as his awaits the next pitch?

All of these precious memories are only stored in the minds of those that witnessed them during warm evenings in a stadium that said goodbye not to long ago.

As I have discussed in other posts, a connection to the Mets past has been missing since the team carried their bats and baseballs over to a sparkling new ballpark. The banners of images such as Gary Garter lifting up Jesse Orosco after winning the 1986 championship, which were displayed on large banners inside Shea Stadium’s ramp area, and various other significant moments in their history have hidden away in some warehouse or an online auction.

Allowing the fans to see those that succeeded in the blue and orange may help in forgetting how poor things have become today in the world of Mets baseball, even if it only lasts an hour.

The organization can make a bold move in reestablishing a relationship with a battered fan base and bring back the faces of those that captivated us with their desire to win. Maybe the resiliency of some of those old timer’s will rub off onto the current team and give Mets fans reason to believe again.

I will concluded by asking another interesting question, what ever happened to Banner Day?

Carlos Beltran's personality doesn't dazzle the NY media. (PHOTO BY ICON SMI)

BY ANDREW CAVAGNARO
STACHE WRITER

Baseball is supposed to be fun. It’s a kids game that grownups play. However, if you have watched Mets games for the past three seasons it can easily be seen that the fun has vanished.

Today I was watching Mets Weekly on SNY as they featured a summary of the 2000 season. I can vividly recall how wonderful a summer it was and the eagerness I had as I drove to Shea Stadium for any game I could get tickets too.

As a sat on my couch and took in replays of an exciting summer I couldn’t help but feel as though the passion we had all felt is not quite like it was.

After a clip where Mike Piazza hit a two-run homer to cap an inning in which the Mets scored ten runs versus the rival Braves, you could see the fans at Shea jumping and relishing in the fact that their resilient team overcame a huge deficit.

This season at Citi Field the volume has been muted at best, and the excitement nonexistent. Could it be two September collapses? Sure. But I believe the fans just have trouble liking the personality of this team.

During SNY’s segment today, they played a clip where Robin Ventura dressed up as Mike Piazza during a rain delay and slid around in the wet tarp. Do you think we would see Carlos Beltran do a Jose Reyes impersonation?

Another piece showed Mike Hampton dressed up in a football helmet in the Shea dugout pretending to tackle his teammates. Finally, and I think my favorite part, Bobby Valentine was dancing in the dugout as his team was laughing at every two-step.

Just by watching these few clips it’s easy to see that this group was having fun playing a kids game. These antics from the 2000 team endeared them to fans and made watching our national pastime a more pleasurable experience.

The 2009 Mets just don’t display these qualities. Some may say that a good chunk of the team is on the disabled list. But I ask the question, did the 2007 and 2008 teams capture the hearts of their fans(remember the rosters for these teams were very similar)?

Even the 1998 Mets who choked down the stretch to blow a Wild Card lead were a likable and easy team for the Shea Faithful to root for.

The fun loving displays of emotion those teams from nearly a decade ago displayed made fans feel as though they were the tenth man. Today as I sit in Citi Field I feel as though my wallet is thinner and the yawns from those around me are growing louder.

John Olerud was an excellent player for the Mets for three seasons.

BY MICHAEL GANCI
EDITOR

When I think of consistent hitters, one of the first players that comes into my mind from a Mets persective is former first basemen John Olerud. Olerud, famous for wearing a helmet in the field for medical reasons, was one of the most patient hitters that we have seen in recent memory for this club. His on base percentage clearly reflects that he was a valuable number three hitter.

Olerud was with the Mets for three seasons from 1997-99. In 1998, Olerud had an MVP-caliber season, batting a resounding .354 with 22 homers and 93 RBI. The most eye-popping stat of them all for Olerud was hit .447 on base percentage that year. He was getting on base almost every time up, and that boded well for the big boy hitting behind him.

Believe it or not, Olerud’s .354 batting average was not the best one he has put up in the mahor leagues. In 1993 with Toronto, Olerud batted .363 with 24 homers and 107 RBI. He also had 200 hits, 54 of which were doubles. That is an MVP-caliber season if I have ever seen one.

Olerud led by example. His patience was truly something to admire. He didn’t strike out much, and he was a great defensive player. He was one of the more underrated players that played in that era.

The one drawback that came with Olerud was his speed, or lack thereof. He ran about as slow as Mo Vaughn, and it took him about a half hour to get from home to first. Well…not really. But, you get my point.

Overall, Olerud was an excellent player, and I was upset to see him go after 1999 to Seattle. He was valuable, and he was a big reason why Mike Piazza drove in so many runs.