http://www.sportsnipe.com New York Mets, Team News, Updates, and Stats from all sports sources, updated continually. http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048003/heyman-freeagent-market-ampamp-whos-who.html Jon Heyman of SI.com says people at the MLB Owners Meetings in Chicago are saying the Mets will not be big players for either Blue Jayd RHP Roy Halladay or RHP John Lackey. …well, that’s nice, but i am far more concerned with whether the Mets owners think they’ll be big players for holliday or lackey… In a recent report for SI.com, Heyman previews the free-agent market, offering predictions on where, and for how much, players will end up signing this winter, from Jason Bay to Chone Figgins to Miguel Tejada to Mike Gonzalez, and others. Heyman lists the Mets as possible suitors for free-agent OF Matt Holliday and Lackey, as well as Orlando Hudson and Joel Pineiro. According to Heyman, some baseball executives believe Holliday be end up signing a deal worth half of what Mark Teixeira signed last winter. …so, half of texiera would be, say, a four– or five-year deal, worth around $90 million or so… New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1047210/best-doubles-i-know-postseason.html When you think of the most memorable postseason moments in Mets history, doubles don't immediately come to mind. There have been no "grand-slam doubles" or walk-off doubles that would rank among the best-of-the best, and there have been a few postseasons bereft of any really important doubles.But we're here to recognize the underappreciated, and with that, as a companion to what we previously wrote, we present our notes on those that were most Metmorable.1969Go figure that the first really, really significant double in Mets postseason history was hit by a pitcher, and one who finished his career with an .095 batting average. But in another of the many signs that 1969 was just meant to be, Gary Gentry, who was 6-for-74 with 52 strikeouts in the regular season, helped his own cause with a two-run double in the second inning of the eventual 5-0 win over the Orioles in Game 3. It's an oft-forgotten hit, lost in the heroics from Mets centerfielder Tommie Agee that day.The hit that made the Mets World Series champs was also a double, this one by Ron Swoboda. It was a shot into the left field corner, which snapped a 3-3 eighth-inning tie against the Orioles in Game 5. This hit was overshadowed by Swoboda's other heroics in this series- the diving catch in the ninth inning of Game 4- though you could argue that this moment was just as significant. It's just not shown as often.1986A pair of doubles played an important role in the Mets Game 6 win over the Astros in the best NLCS there ever was. First up was Keith Hernandez's double, just beyond the reach of centerfielder Billy Hatcher in the ninth inning. That cut Houston's lead to 3-2 and ensured the departure of nemesis starter Bob Knepper.Long after, in the 16th, it was a much shallower double, a roof-nearing blooper to center by Darryl Strawberry that preceded Ray Knight's go-ahead hit, that put the Mets ahead to stay.1988With the Dodgers outfield deeply defending, in Tim McCarver's words, against the Gary Carter of five years ago, it was inevitable that his liner to center on an 0-2 curve from Jay Howell would be just missed by Dodgers outfielder John Shelby, allowing both the tying and winning runs to score in the ninth inning of the Mets 3-2 Game 1 victory in the NLCS. That double would be recalled a lot more fondly had the Mets won the series.In Game 3, it would be an eighth-inning double from Wally Backman that would tie things up in a wacky frame, which featured five Mets runs and an eventual 8-4 lead, and also witnessed the ejection of Dodgers reliever Jay Howell for having pine tar on his glove.2000Doubles were the scoring option of choice for the Mets in the final two games of the NLCS against the Cardinals. They'd hit four in a row to start the bottom of the first inning of Game 4, countering Jim Edmonds two-run home run in the top of the frame. After Benny Agbayani's double, the Mets, fifth of the inning, the hosts had a 4-2 edge and never looked back on the way to a 10-6 win.The double I'll probably most remember was the stadium-shaker by Todd Zeile in the bottom of the fourth inning of Game 5. That ball to right center, which just missed being a grand slam, made a 3-0 lead a 6-0 laugher and set off what turned into a Shea Stadium victory party for the remainder of the evening. The floors beneath us in our seats along the left field line literally bounced from the vibrations of all the people enjoying the moment.The Mets lone victory in the 2000 World Series came courtesy of a tiebreaking double by Benny Agbayani in the eighth inning of Game 3. It was another big hit in a season of clutchness for the man with a nice touch of Hawaiian punch. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1047140/adjusted-mets-position-player-war.html This is a post I prepared shortly after the season ended but never put up for whatever reason. The recent Hardball Times article by Jeremy Greenhouse "Criminals of WAR", which correctly posits that we shouldn't be slaves to Fangraphs WAR, provided a reminder that this information was sitting in my hard drive. Using Fangraphs WAR as a baseline, I incorporated baserunning and other non-UZR defensive metrics to calculate adjusted WAR for 2009 Mets position players. Here are the components: Batting: Identical to Fangraphs, park-adjusted wRAA.Fielding: For non-catchers I averaged UZR and John Dewan's Plus/Minus metric. For catchers I used devil_fingers's numbers from Driveline Mechanics.Replacement: Identical to Fangraphs, the adjustment for replacement based on playing time.Positional: Identical to Fangraphs, the adjustment based on position.Baserunning: Baseball Prospectus's baserunning stat, EqBRR, less runs from stolen bases (EqSBR) since stolen bases and caught stealings are already accounted for in the batting component. Rather than posting the whole thing here, I uploaded the data to a Google Doc. Here are the top 5 players whose adjusted WAR (AWAR) increased the most as compared to Fangraphs WAR (FGWAR). Rank Player AWAR FGWAR Diff 1 Daniel Murphy 1.2 0.6 0.6 2 Angel Pagan 3.4 2.8 0.6 3 Jeff Francoeur 0.9 0.4 0.5 4 Anderson Hernandez 0.1 -0.3 0.4 5 Ryan Church 0.8 0.4 0.4 Comments: David Wright was dreadful in the field this year but terrific on the basepaths.  Angel Pagan, Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis's values increased mainly due to high defensive ratings from Plus/Minus: +16, +10 and +9, respectively. I stopped to think about having Tatis on the team next year but it's probably for the best that he isn't. UZR and Plus/Minus have historically agreed on Jeff Francoeur's defense but this year they strongly differed. In the end, it seems like he and Ryan Church provided similar value to the Mets in 2009, with Francoeur having more playing time. Jeremy Reed, Carlos Delgado and Josh Thole lost the most value between revised WAR and Fangraphs WAR, but it wasn't much. My fellow nerds and I will now retire to the nerdery with our calculators. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1047139/mets-roundtable-discussion-part-five-secondtier-pitchers-on-freeagent-market-njcom.html Mets roundtable discussion, part five: Second-tier pitchers on the free-agent market - - NJ.com And the exciting conclusion of our five-day blogger roundtable at NJ.com. Today's question: If the Mets do not sign John Lackey, which other free-agent pitcher do you think would be the best fit for them? New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1047138/read-nyt-on-mets-draft-strategy.html In the New York Times, Ben Shpigel does a fantastic job digging in to why the Mets spend as they do on their draft picks. According to Shpigel, Omar Minaya said the team will spend more in the 2010 draft, when they have the No. 7 pick over all. …like i said last month, i have talked to [...] New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1047137/opinion-power-upgrade-in-left-field.html According to Adam Rubin, in a report for the Daily News, this off season, the Mets will look for a power upgrade in left field. First of all, this idea that the team MUST improve their power is important, but the goal should not be that simple.  I mean, Rob Deer hit for [...] New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1046217/bravo-new-unis.html BMF stands and applaudes the NY Mets for bringing back the old skool cream jersey with pinstripes. I think it's a brilliant move by the organization. First the Mets deliver a healthy dose of tradition to a restless fan base... Shortly thereafter we're all shelling out cash for new jerseys. Its a win-win-win. I love these vintage Met threads and I can't wait to sport one. I'd the think the next step is to roll out the retro road jerseys. Y'know those gray flannels - they were the coolest. I'm being a super dorky Met fan but I'm dying to know who was behind the retro jersey move. I wonder if it was simply a marketing decision or was it maybe a Wilpon brainchild??? Hmmmmmm..... ************ Backman on ESPN Radio YO!!! Our boy Wally Backman is back on the team and he'll be a  guest on (BMF All-Star) BlondiesJake's radio show. Check it out! Today from 705pm ET/405pm PT @ http://www.thereitisjake.com/ Wally ROCKS! I can't wait 'til he gets to Brooklyn and starts running the show! New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1046010/low-end-or-high-where-do-skill-sets-go-shopping.html     I am pressed for time this morning as I have to leave work early and next week is a very short work week for me (just two days!!!!!) so I have ton of work to finish.  But last night we had a great show on PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL that lasted 2 hours. The first part of the show we talked Mets and the moves to be made and more importantly who is going to make the moves. Listen to Joe McDonald us in on who will be making the important moves and who could be making the future moves for the Mets. Also Eric Simon of Amazin? Avenue joined us.   The big question of the night on the show was will the Mets go the way of JACKS 99 CENT  or Bergdorf -Goodman.     The second part of the show dealt with the recent Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto Prize Fight from last Saturday night as we were joined by Rich Mancuso of NY SPORTSDAY who was in Vegas to cover the fight. If you are a Boxing fan you will love listening to Rich give his Sweet Science insight. Just click on the link on the upper right hand side of this site to listen in.   Check out my Week 11 NFL BEST BETS on NY FOOTBALL BLOG. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1045996/im-reading-about-jersies-mailbag-media.html Adam, the Brooklyn Met Fan, likes the soon-to-be-released retro jersey from the Mets. Bill Price of the Daily News explains why the Mets HAVE to sign free-agent OF Matt Holliday. In a Q&A Mailbag for MLB.com, Marty Noble answers questions about finding power in the lineup, making Gary Carter a manager, and putting Daniel Muprhy at second [...] New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1045995/buzz-mets-cubs-trying-hard-for-threeway.html Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune believes the Mets, Cubs and Rangers have discussed a three-way trade that would send Luis Castillo to Chicago, Milton Bradley to Texas and Kevin Millwood to New York. Rogers quotes as saying ‘the deal has legs,’ and, “There’s a deal to be made there.” Millwood is set to earn $12 million [...] New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1045504/opinion-catcher-to-replace-brian-schneider.html According to Adam Rubin, in a report for the Daily News, the Mets off-season shopping list is as follows: Catcher to replace Brian Schneider. Power upgrade in left field. Second baseman if Luis Castillo can be traded. Rotation help. Eighth-inning reliever. Second lefthander in the bullpen to pair with Pedro Feliciano. Yes, I like the simple idea of getting 20 home runs [...] New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1045268/amazin-medley.html Welcome to Flashback Friday: I Saw The Decade End, a milestone-anniversary salute to the New York Mets of 1969, 1979, 1989 and 1999. Each week, we immerse ourselves in or at least touch upon something that transpired within the Metsian realm 40, 30, 20 or 10 years ago. Amazin' or not, for the final time, here it comes. This is literally the Flashback to end all 2009 Flashbacks, which is appropriate since its subject is the tribute to end all tributes to the Mets season to end the last millennium. Prepare to meet the Amazin' Medley, my musical homage to the 1999 Mets. What you are about to read is a transcription and explanation of all 156 segments of a montage I produced almost ten years ago. I sat on the floor in front of my stereo with cassettes, LPs, 45s and CDs laid out around me and I created a twenty-minute remembrance of what I'd just recently lived through. It exists as a tape, not the most Internet-friendly format here on the cusp of this century's second decade. Nevertheless, I take it out now and then, maybe twice a year, pop it into a cassette player (I still have several) and listen to it. It shoots me right back to that December day when I decided to follow through on my impulse and hit PLAY, RECORD and PAUSE a whole lot. It shoots me back a little further, to the 1999 postseason, then to the 1999 regular season and to seasons before that. It may be the purest expression I have of how my mind works where the Mets are concerned, particularly those Mets. I didn't write a word of anything on that tape. It's all songs and play-by-play. But it all makes sense to me as if it's coming from me. Over the years, I've dubbed a dozen, maybe fifteen copies for friends whom I thought would enjoy it. Some said they did. Some said they'd let me know. Some people are weirded out by stuff like this. I understand. But obviously I don't care. I love the Amazin' Medley. In revisiting it here, I love it all over again. I hope you like it. I hope you kind of get it. But mostly, I love the Amazin' Medley and the team that inspired it. Some of these audio choices require little explanation, but I'll at least drop in a token thought for each of them. Links are provided where possible to the music to give you an idea regarding anything with which you're not yet familiar. Some of these songs I like a great deal on their own. Some of them I don't care about stripped of their Met context. I did gather each of them up to make sure this project would be exactly what I wanted it to be in 1999. These days I just make playlists and the whole thing goes a lot quicker. Back then, doing a tape like this was the ultimate labor of love. But so was what the 1999 Mets did for me, so we're even. Without further adieu...meet the Medley. 1. Final notes of "Meet The Mets" (organ instrumental) FROM "Meet The Mets" by Jane Jarvis, 1996 recording, given away at Shea on Meet The Mets CD Day, 9/15/96 BECAUSE Not that I needed to fall in love with this song all over again, but I did. The fall of '96 was a very bittersweet time to be a Mets fan. You had the usual melancholy of a losing season winding down. You had the distracting uplift of the team records tied or set by Lance Johnson, Todd Hundley and Bernard Gilkey. And you had that whole other thing elsewhere in the city. Hearing "Meet The Mets" over and over again on CD was just what I needed. 2. "It was a very good year." FROM "It Was A Very Good Year" by Frank Sinatra BECAUSE 1999 was a very good year. 3. "Many years since I was here." FROM "New York Groove" by Ace Frehley BECAUSE First playoff appearance in more than a decade. I had this song in my mind as the soundtrack for the 1996 run to glory that never occurred. I could see Jason Isringhausen and Bill Pulsipher starring in a video that would be shown before every game on DiamondVision. I swear I could. 4."The summer here is over in a million different ways." FROM "It's Never Too Late To Be Alone" by Del Amitri BECAUSE The pervading sadness that the playoffs and all that preceded them were over in a million different ways. 5. "Give me one more summer." FROM "One More Summer" by the Rainmakers BECAUSE The pervading determination to relive those playoffs and all that preceded them. 6. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon. We're gonna get it started." FROM "C'mon C'mon (We're Gonna Get It Started)" by Sloan BECAUSE Rebooting and reliving 1999. When I discovered this song via the defunct MuchMusic channel in 1998, I wished the Mets would take the field to this. 7. "Are you ready?" FROM "Are You Ready For Love?" by Elton John and the Spinners BECAUSE The Mets '99 enigmatic marketing theme was Are You Ready? 8. "Baby, I'm ready to go." FROM "Ready To Go" by Republica BECAUSE After the painfully short Wild Card bit of '98, I sure as hell was ready to go in '99. Orel Hershiser warmed up to this jock jam staple as a Met though I doubt he specifically requested it. 9. "Keep the ball rollin', keep the ball rollin'." FROM "Keep The Ball Rollin'" by Jay & The Techniques BECAUSE Twofold meaning here: a desire to keep this positive vibe going and a reference to the most famous play in Mets history, one that involved a ground ball rolling 'til it rolled through a first baseman's legs. I secured this 45 during the summer of '99 for reasons unrelated to baseball. Every Memorial Day, WABC would air "Rewound," a salute to their awesome MusicRadio heritage. I'd come out of it with a yen for three or four songs I hadn't heard before or in ages. This one wasn't on CD ? and what was an MP3, exactly? 10. "Heaven let you light shine down." FROM "Shine" by Collective Soul BECAUSE The runup to 1999 begins with the theme songs I attached to the years directly preceding it. I had a song for the 1994 Mets, and this was it. Perfect confluence. The Mets were playing not bad, which was a big step up from previous seasons. And this was a big hit on the radio while they were improving. 11. "These are better days." FROM "Better Days" by Bruce Springsteen BECAUSE This was 1995's theme, second half, when the Mets finished on a 34-18 tear, leaving me bursting with optimism for '96. 12. "It's going to take some time this time." FROM "It's Going To Take Some Time" by the Carpenters. BECAUSE The cold slap of reality in 1996 showed me it wasn't going to be easy to follow up the perceived steps up from '94 and '95. 13. "Hope of deliverance from the darkness that surrounds us." FROM "Hope Of Deliverance" by Paul McCartney BECAUSE This described the mood that came over me as the 1997 season revealed itself as the delightful surprise of the decade. We were being delivered from the disappointments of the preceding six losing campaigns. Temporally, this song also reminds me of the early spring of 1993 when there was a horrible nor'easter that foreshadowed a horrible blizzard of baseball to come. 14. "Coming out of the dark." FROM "Coming Out Of The Dark" by Gloria Estefan BECAUSE Continuing the 1997 deliverance theme. 15. "I want something else to get me through this semi-charmed kind of life, baby." FROM "Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind BECAUSE As revelatory as 1997 was, I noticed that as the Mets rose, I became more and more wrapped up in all their ups and all their downs. I hadn't felt that way in a long time and, as exhilarating as it was, it was also wearing on me. 1997 really ignited a whole new level of passion for the Mets that I continue to maintain to this day. It's often a wonderful thing. Sometimes it's only a semi-wonderful thing. 16. "It's been one week since you looked at me." FROM "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies BECAUSE The one week in question is the final week of the 1998 season, the week when the Mets went 0-5 and lost the one-game Wild Card lead they held on the penultimate Sunday of the season. The song was a hit that fall. Seemed too close to be a coincidence. That last week of '98 weighed heavily on me vis-à-vis making it to the playoffs in '99. 17. "Everything falls apart." FROM "Everything Falls Apart" by Dog's Eye View BECAUSE Everything fell apart during the aforementioned week. 18. "Someday, you will ache like I ache." FROM "Doll Parts" by Hole BECAUSE Future collapses have perhaps obscured it, but boy did that one week hurt. 19. "Through all the gloom, through all the gloom, I can see the rays of ravishing light. And glory!" FROM "Is Anybody There?" by William Daniels as John Adams in the motion picture version of 1776 BECAUSE For some people, the Beach Boys represent a summer soundtrack. For me, it's this movie's soundtrack. It has been a staple for Stephanie and me every Fourth of July since 1991. John Adams saw victory over the horizon despite the odds stacked so dauntingly against him. And that's how I had to make myself feel after 1998 and again as 1999's regular season careened to its exciting conclusion. 20. "Turn this thing around. I will not go quietly." FROM "I Will Not Go Quietly" by Don Henley BECAUSE This first became a Mets song for me in 1997 as that season progressed, though the first time I heard it was the first time I was dragged (yes, dragged) to a strip club, in 1989. It was a beverage convention in Las Vegas and kind of a rite of passage. It was a cringey experience, but least I got this song out of it. 21. "Take this losing hand and make it win." FROM "Leaving Las Vegas" by Sheryl Crow BECAUSE Same principle as above (same city, too!). Heard it one morning on my Walkman in '97 and its match for what I was thinking floored me. I walked around thinking about the Mets a lot in 1997. 22. "It's not over 'til it's over." FROM "It's Not Over ('Til It's Over)" by Starship New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1045267/psych-matt-holliday-still-free-agent.html Matt Holliday is clearly the cream of the free agent crop, but there are a lot of other candidates for the Mets' supposed left field vacancy. Here they are, in the same format as the starting pitchers from yesterday. Player 2010 Age WAR 2009 WAR 2008 WAR 2007 5-3-1 WAR $ Matt Holliday* 30 5.7 6.2 7.9 6.1 27.5 Mike Cameron 37 4.3 4 2.2 4.0 17.9 Johnny Damon* 36 3 3.6 2.3 3.1 14.1 Jason Bay* 31 3.5 2.9 0.1 2.9 13.2 Marlon Byrd 32 2.4 3.5 2.5 2.8 12.5 Randy Winn 36 1.7 4.5 2.7 2.7 12.4 Hideki Matsui 36 2.4 0.8 2.4 1.9 8.4 Vladimir Guerrero 35 0.8 2.4 3.5 1.6 7.4 Rick Ankiel 31 0.1 2 1.4 0.9 4.0 Andruw Jones 33 0.8 -0.9 3.6 0.5 2.5 Mike Cameron is the bargain on this list, as he will surely sign for far less than he is worth. Of course, if the Mets did sign him and move him to a corner (again) he'd lose some (possibly considerable) value due to the negative relative positional adjustment from center to left or right. Johnny Damon and Jason Bay are fine players, but both are Type-A free agents and even though the Mets' first round pick is protected I don't think they want to give up a top-forty selection for the 36-year-old Damon. They might be inclined to do so for Bay, but he's likely make just a few million less than Holliday despite being the clearly inferior player, all-around. Marlon Byrd is an interesting option, as he won't cost nearly as much as anyone above him, but he too loses some value by switching to a corner. Fernando Tatis is also looking for work, so there's that. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1045266/hot-stove-tracker-mlbcom.html Hot Stove Tracker - MLB.com Sortable list of all free agents, including major and minor leagues. Type A/B status is indicated as well. Luis Ayala is still available. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1045265/read-mets-need-splash.html Stan McNeal of the Sporting News previews the MLB Hot Stove season, discussing, ‘Truths and half-truths of free agency and trade talk.’ According to McNeal, “The Mets need a splash.” …ugh… no… the Mets don’t NEED a splash… the Mets need to get their act together and win games… if they can do this by taking baby steps [...] New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1045058/mets-hire-manuel-pal.html The Mets gave Jerry Manuel a minor vote of confidence on the eve of free agency yesterday by hiring his longtime friend Dave Jauss as bench coach. Jauss, whose relationship with Manuel dates to their time in the Expos' system in the early 1990s, w... New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1043805/mets-sign-matt-holliday.html is the headline I would use if the Mets had in fact signed Matt Holliday. Welcome to free agency. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1043804/wilpon-firm-claims-loss-in-ponzi-case.html Lawyers for Sterling Equities, the investment firm controlled by Fred Wilpon, the principal owner of the Mets, said it lost money as a result of the Ponzi scheme orchestrated by Bernard L. Madoff, according to a filing Thursday in the United States Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan. The trustee recouping money on behalf of victims of the fraud has disqualified claims from investors who took out more money than they put into accounts with Madoff's firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities. Sterl... New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1042805/bengie-horror-picture-show.html More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP Browse more photos » Some are out watching the "New Moon" premiere and even fewer are at a midnight showing of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".  With the advent of free agency, we are here to amaze you with astonishing tales of Bengie Molina, courtesy of some of the best blogs around.  Let's do the time warp again: Bengie NO-Lina: BlueAndOrange Some Things About Bengie Molina: Tedquarters Running The Bases - Part 3: The Laggards: Fangraphs Mo'Lina Mo'Problems or: Why Bengie Molina To The Mets Is A Bad Idea: Amazin' Avenue Note: I could probably link to about 1000 McCovey Chronicles posts on the subject but I won't.  Just go there and ask about Bengie if you need some guidance. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1042062/buzz-braves-shopping-derek-lowe-to-brewers.html Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com believes the Braves and Brewers have discussed sending LHP Derek Lowe to Milwaukee for OF Cory Hart. However, according to Rosenthal, “The Brewers are not sure they would want Lowe even if the Braves included significant money in the deal.” The Braves signed Lowe last off season to a four-year, $60 million deal. He [...] New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1042061/rosenthal-braves-having-trouble-dealing-lowe.html Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports says that while the Braves are shopping Derek Lowe, they are having a difficult time finding a taker. It doesn’t surprise me that they are having trouble trading a 37 year old pitcher who makes $15 million per year… According to Rosenthal, the Angels had been interested in Lowe but the [...] New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1040549/news-cubs-trade-aaron-heilman-to-dbacks.html The D-Backs have acquired RHP Aaron Heilman from the Cubs, reports Jon Heyman of SI.com. According to FoxSports, the Cubs will get minor leaguers Scott Maine and Ryne White from Arizona. …yet again, another non-tender cadidate gets moved, instead of being released… the Cubs were probably going to have to pay heilman around $2 million next season, after [...] New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1040512/tonight-at-9pm-et-its-pro-baseball-central-mets-hot-stove-edition.html TONIGHT AT 9PM ET IT'S PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL: METS HOT STOVE EDITION I'll be on 'Pro Baseball Central' tonight at 9:30pm EST to chat about the Mets' long offseason. I'll mostly be talking about my spreadsheets, why I don't watch any games, and the myriad ways baseball could be improved by switching from human players to robots. You should be able to listen via the internets at Pro Baseball Central or at The Eddie Kranepool Society. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1040484/ohlmeyer-espn-must-reinforce-trust.html For ESPN, a little transparency could go a long way in reinforcing viewers' faith. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1040478/selig-some-baseball-teams-lost-money-in-2009.html Some teams lost money in 2009, baseball commissioner Bud Selig said Thursday after the final owners meeting of the year. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1040475/cubs-trade-heilman-to-diamondbacks.html Reliever Aaron Heilman has been acquired by the Arizona Diamondbacks from the Chicago Cubs for two minor league prospects. The 31-year-old former Mets right-hander was 4-4 with a 4.11 ERA in 70 appearances last season, striking out 65 and walking 34... New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1040440/buzz-dodgers-want-roy-halladay.html Bob Nightingale of USA Today believes the Dodgers are focused on trying to acquire RHP Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays, as they look to find an ace. According to Nightingale, “The Dodgers would have to give up Chad Billingsley and others.” Last weekend, on WFAN, SI.com’s Jon Heyman said Halladay wants to sign his next long-term contract with a team that trains in Florida and plays on the East Coast, noting, ‘The list I heard last summer, for him, did not include the two Los Angeles teams.’ …the buzz in baseball suggests halladay will seek essentially the same deal given to CC Sabathia and Johan Santana, i.e., seven years, around $160 million… from what i can gather, the Yankees are willing to part with top young talent, like Phil Hughes, to get halladay, but i have no idea if they’re open to signing him to such a contract extension… it sounds to me like the Red Sox would just as soon sign John Lackey, and use their top talent to acquire a young hitter, like an Adrian Gonzalez… i have no doubt the Mets will look in to getting halladay, but i have no clue whether they’ll capable of getting him, nor any idea how th team feels about giving out yet another monster contract, this time to a pitcher who will serve most of his time following his 35th birthday… In a poll on MetsBlog.com in early November, 72 percent of more than 4,000 voters said they would not commit six or more years on on a contract to Halladay. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1039622/heyman-on-wfan-about-holliday-bay-lackey-etc.html Jon Heyman of SI.com recently talked with WFAN’s Mike Francesa about the MLB off season, which you can listen to here. Heyman believes free-agent OF Matt Holliday wants to come to New York, and might prefer to sign with the Yankees.  However, the Yankees will first look to acquire a starting pitcher. The Mets prefer Holliday, he said, [...] New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1039022/study-in-unintentional-hilarity.html I swore I'd never make fun of another Marty Noble Mailbag Inbox. Patrick from Connecticut had other plans: What are your feelings about Sabermetrics? Do you pay attention to them, or are you still a believer in the traditional statistics? -- Patrick F., Stamford, Conn. You feel that? That feeling that comes when you know something epic, legendary is about to happen? John Schuerholz, who had remarkable success as a general manager for the Braves, said, "Statistics are like autopsies. They tell you why something happened." That's probably the least enlightening metaphor I've ever read. "Statistics are like history books. They tell you why something happened." "Statistics are like Dunkin' Donuts' receipts. They tell you why something happened." "Statistics are like DVD commentary. They tell you why something happened." "Statistics are like crazy people on the subway. They tell you why something happened." The real, implicit reason Marty mentioned Schuerholz, of course, is because the two most trite "anti-Moneyball" books glorify his tenure with the Braves. That makes sense to me, but that concept doesn't preclude the use of statistics to measure a player's or a team's future performance. Turns out "They tell you why something happened" doesn't preclude "They tell you why something will happen." Truly, not since Socrates, has such breakthroughs in logic been made.  I keep up with the new statistics, but I'm not fond of some of the more popular newer ones. Well that's defensible. I understand why he might be slow to take to stats like WAR, tRA, UZR, etc.; they can be confusing at first. OPS, for example. Nevermind. OPS was invented in 1984, the year the Macintosh computer debuted. It's been on the back of Topps baseball cards for five years.  I understand it measures a player's offensive production in two areas. And that has its place in the evaluating performance, I guess. But I'd prefer to know the two components of OPS rather than their total.  Then look at their OBP and SLG and not their OPS.  Luis Castillo's and Jeff Francoeur's totals for 2009 were equal, .732. Based on the figures alone, the players were equals. And of course they weren't. This example is surprisingly good for why wOBA, which does properly weight their components, is better than OPS, especially in the most extreme cases. Since getting on base is the most important thing a player does, Castillo had a higher wOBA at .337, compared to Francoeur's .317. Still, the correlation between OPS and runs is extremely high, and in most cases suffices in place of wOBA. Though, I wonder who Marty thought had the better season. (hint: Francoeur had more RBIs). Instead of researching a little, and discovering someone had already resolved his problem, Mr. Noble decided to do a little study of his own:   Wow the rigors of the BBWAA peer review are once again evident. I think this study really accomplished what it set out to prove: that On Base Plus Slugging, is indeed calculated by adding On Base and Slugging. In the left column you see on-base percentage. In the right is  "SP," an abbreviation I've never seen on a players' stat sheet before, and have previously thought to stand for starting pitcher or Sam Page. Here I think I've found a problem, as we all know the formula OBP + Sam Page= ♥. And what of WHIP, another popular statistical hybrid with a convenient acronym that sounds clever.  Ah yes, the cutting-edge sabremetric statistic of WHIP. Where could I find something so obscure?  Really WHIP is just a fantasy baseball stat. No sabermetricians, concerned with finding a players' true talent, use a stat so dependent on a team's fielding. But anyway: If I were a general manager, I'd rather know how many walks and how many hits a pitcher allows in nine innings than a total of baserunners allowed.  Brilliant! We'll call them BB/9 and H/9, we'll calculate them for every player, and then try and sell it as proprietary data to the Mets. And in the year 3021, someone, realizing the number of PA in innings vary, will start listing BB%.  And WHIP doesn't reflect hit batsman, so it's not precise. And in the case of Dave Bush (15 HBP in 114 1/3 innings), that would be nice to know. Inside the mind of Marty Noble: hmmm...so this statistic is walks and hits...there must be another way to get on base... ... ... ... ... Getting hit by the ball! ...now I'll just go to mlb.com, home of me, and cue up the league leaders...ok there's HBP (Hit Batsman by a Pitch in his direction)  in the far column...but these names are sorted by ERA...do I have to scroll through all these pages to find it.... ...(scrolling)... ... ... ... ...(accidentally clicks on HBP)...oh that's how you sort by them, wow...but this is in ascending order...hmm...I'll just click through to the last page... ... Bingo. Dave Bush. You and me, Dave, we're going straight to the top.  I'd rather know total bases allowed per nine innings and have walks and hit batsmen included, with singles, doubles, triples and home runs valued as they are in slugging percentage calculations. WHIP provides no sense of how many bases are allowed, just as opponents' batting average doesn't. I'd opt for opponents' slugging percentage instead of opponents' batting average. I can't wait until someone tells him that there is a statistic that measure's opponents' slugging percentage, and that's it's called opponents' slugging percentage, and that's it calculated by the sum of a pitcher's opponents' slugging percentages. Moreover, since we understand that a runner in scoring position is more likely to score than one at first base, why not develop a statistic that measures how often players singlehandedly put themselves in scoring position via an extra-base hit, a single and a stolen base, or a walk and a stolen base? It seems simple enough to do with computers. Ah yes, wOBA. It seems simple enough to do with a pencil, once you know that it's already been invented and how it is calculated. I imagine this is how Marty Noble thinks computers work: And while we're at it, why is it that a listing of average runs per game for teams exists nowhere? Runs win games. From what I've seen, a team scoring more runs than its opponent wins just about every game. And a team that does so regularly usually wins a lot of games. Lookee-here, the second google result for "Mets stats". Just a thought about a rather basic statistic that we don't generally deal with while we fuss about WHIPs. Adding "s" the end of random words inappropriately is the hallmark of old man resisting change because he does't understand something. Usually it's accompanied by a mispronunciation, or the breaking of a monosyllabic word into multiple syllables. For instance: "What's the fuss with these WHIPs?" "I don't get your new fangled in-ter-nets" "The metric system is the tool of the devil! My car gets 40 rods to the hogshead and that's the way I likes it." Moreover, the quality start still bothers me. Yea QS is really arbitrary.  The lowest standard for a quality start is three earned runs in six innings, and that yields a 4.50 ERA. Too high. Three earned runs in seven innings yields a 3.86. And that suggests quality. Two earnies in seven yields 2.57. That is quality in any league. But maybe not as arbitrary as that. This all reminds me of James' finest hour. Alright, never again. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1039021/mets-roundtable-discussion-part-four-should-daniel-murphy-start-at-first-base-in-2010-njcom.html Mets roundtable discussion, part four: Should Daniel Murphy start at first base in 2010? - - NJ.com Part four of the blogger Q&A from NJ.com. Nothing new from sizzlechest5. Here's today's question: Could you live with Daniel Murphy starting at first base if the Mets sign Matt Holliday or Jason Bay to play left field? If not, what should the Mets do at first base? New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1039020/read-castillo-situation.html In a post to the Bleacher Report, Wendy Adair doesn’t feel that trading Luis Castillo should be a high priority for the Mets this off-season. Wendy points out that Castillo had a great offensive season and was one of the few players to avoid the disabled list, and given that plus the Mets need for pitching [...] New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1039019/buzz-cardinals-optimistic-about-holliday.html Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports says that the Cardinals remain optimistic that they will be able to re-sign Matt Holliday. According to Rosenthal, Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III said: “Like any club, you have to set your budget and make sure you live within it…As it relates to Matt, we have an internal sense of what we [...] New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1039018/news-fernando-tatis-free-agent.html According to WFAN, Fernando Tatis has told the Mets he will become a free agent. …the question now becomes, will the Mets off him salary arbitration… if he accepts, and signs elsewhere, the Mets get draft-pick compensation… however, there is a good chance he accepts, meaning the team has no choice but to pay him for [...] New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1038750/holliday-vs-bay-d-difference.html Baseball Prospectus analyzes the defensive aptitude of Jason Bay and Matt Holliday. The outcome? Holliday is clearly more valuable, but a fit is easier to find for Bay. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1038749/baseball-today-1119.html ...Peter Pascarelli recap the awards season and answer e-mails about free agents, the Angels, Yankees and Mets New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1038748/deep-closer-market-but-takers.html ...may be unable to move him without paying part of his remaining salary. Billy Wagner gave the Mets two and a half good years out of four, and his replacement, Francisco Rodriguez, had a shaky... New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1038736/read-tigers-will-hold-fire-sale.html Lynn Henning of the Detroit News says that while the Tigers are intent on cutting payroll, they are not holding a fire sale this winter. Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski, who was a part of fire sales with the Marlins and Expos, told Henning: “I can assure you 100 percent that we do not have any kind of fire sale, or salary dump, or whatever you might call it, taking place…I can also tell you that I’ve been part of that in my career, so I know what that situation is like…In that situation, you go to your owner and say, ‘This is not a good trade, but I can move this salary. Would you still want me to do this?’ And he says, ‘Yes,’ and you just move the salaries … I’ve done that, but not here.” …i don’t think that he would tell people that he is having a fire sale, because that greatly limits the return on potential trades he would like to make… The Tigers have $31 million committed to 34 year old Carlos Guillen and soon to be 36 year old Magglio Ordonez in 2010, and if they choose to pick up Ordonez’s 2011 option, he would earn another $15 million. …Guillen was limited to just half a season in 2009 due to various leg injuries which i think makes his contract unmovable…Ordonez had a disappointing season for Detroit so i wouldn’t think that any team would be willing to take a risk at that dollar amount and commitment… Last week, Joel Sherman of the New York Post said that the Tigers could be looking to deal outfielder Curtis Granderson, who is due $5.5 million n 2010, and pitcher Edwin Jackson, who is a Scott Boras client and is arbitration eligible after earning $2.2 million in 2009. …both are very interesting and i think the Mets in particular should pay close attention to Jackson…he is still young and made major progress in 2009 and could be a nice addition to the middle of the rotation at a relatively low cost… …their problem is that they have so much money committed to aging superstars with diminishing skills, and i would assume that hinders their ability to sign their younger players to long term deals, leaving them no choice but to try and get value in return while they can for them as they wait for their older players to come off the books… New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1038735/im-reading-about-being-thankful-in-trouble-conversations-reese-havens-versions-players.html Matthew from the Daily Stache lists five things we should be thankful for as Mets fans. Meanwhile, Eli from Mets Underground wonders whether or not Jerry Manuel is in trouble considering the team has hired Dave Jauss as their bench coach, and reminds us that if Jauss succeeded Manuel, it wouldn’t be the first time that has happened. …no matter who they hire on their coaching staff, if the Mets are sluggish out of the gate next season, i think Jerry will be in trouble whether he deserves it or not… John from Metstradamus shares a conversation between Matt Holliday, Jeff Wilpon, and Omar Minaya. Ed from Mets Fever has found an inexpensive version of Mark DeRosa. Finally, Ted Berg, in a post to his blog TedQuarters, talks about the future of Mets prospect Reese Havens. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1038734/news-davey-johnson-rejoins-nationals.html Last night, the Washington Nationals announced that they have hired former Mets manager Davey Johnson as their Senior Advisor to the General Manager. In 2006, Johnson was the Senior Advisor to Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden, and according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com, he was responsible for the Nationals drafting catcher Jesus Flores. Johnson also managed number one draft pick Stephen Strasburg for Team USA in the 2008 Summer Olympics, during which he went 1-1 with a 1.67 ERA. For more on Johnson and the Nationals, check out MLB.com here. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1038733/buzz-jason-bay-rejects-red-sox-offer.html Jon Heyman of SI.com says that Jason Bay has rejected the Red Sox initial contract offer, and will head to the open market beginning tomorrow. …this isn’t unexpected, as Bay has made it very clear throughout the month that he wants to test free agency… According to Heyman, Boston’s offer was believed to be at around four years and $60 million. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1038317/note-free-agents-on-friday-cheap-ampamp-spending.html Tonight at midnight, free agents are able to negotiate and sign new contracts with any team. According to Marty Noble, of MLB.com, the Mets needs are, in order of importance, “power, at least one starting pitcher, a catcher and a set-up reliever.” …i still believe the plan is to sign a catcher and a mid-level pitcher, but not until the non-tendered free agents hit the market… in the meantime, they will explore the trade market, either in an effort to bring in impactful talent, or, at minimum, to just switch out parts of the roster… i like i said a few weeks ago, i don’t think they’ll go bananas, like the Yankees did last off season season, and i hope they don’t, because i actually think that’s unwise… but, i do believe they intend to make some moves… i think change is in the air, but to what extent, i have no idea… In Newsday, David Lennon reminds us that the Mets have vowed to spend on free agents this off season, ‘but how much,’ and on whom? …i keep hearing on radio, from some reporters and from lots of fans, the idea that the Mets WILL NOT spend money this off season, as if any of us can know that… maybe they won’t… maybe the will… the reality is, they have money to spend, they have holes and they know they have a restless fanbase, on the fence about re-ordering season-ticket plans… so, again, who knows… …the reality is, two years ago, when omar needed an ace, he got Johan Santana, then signed him to a $137.5 million extension… last year, he wanted a closer, and he committed $36 million to get Francisco Rodriguez, the best on the market… when he wanted to re-shape the franchise a few years ago, he recruited and signed Pedro Martinez, Billy Wagner and Carlos Beltran… when he needed a first baseman, he traded for Carlos Delgado… all of whom cost the team close to $500 million… so, this idea that the Mets are ‘cheap,’ or don’t spend, is crazy, especially when you consider no team won more games from 2006 to 2008 than they did… …the issue is, was it the best way to spend that money… could it have been spent better, more wisely, to maybe have won a ring and put the team in better position for the future… that, and not the amount, is the argument people should be having… For instance, on Twitter, ESPN.com’s Peter Gammons pointed out that, in the last seven years, the Marlins have 12 more wins, five more post-season wins and one more World Series ring than the Mets, and all for $600 million less. …in other words, it’s about quality, not quantity… …and, starting tonight, at midnight, we can start getting answers… New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1038250/sorry-secondhardest-part.html As the fires of the season from Hell cool to a low, smoldering pain, I?ve caught myself thinking about what the most agonizing part was, and I've figured it out. It was the anticipation of disaster. As the season wore wearily on, we were a beaten people by the middle innings. Then by the bottom of the first. Then by the Star-Spangled Banner. Then by late afternoon. It wasn?t a question of whether something disastrous would happen, but what form, exactly, the disastrous something would take. Bases-loaded walk? Flurry of GIDPs? Appalling error? Walkoff grand slam? Game-ending unassisted triple play? By the end you might be surprised by how we lost, but not by the fact that we had. Maybe this was just a function of being a horrible team (and maybe wins like this always fit the formula) but the win that was arguably the best of the year -- this 10-9 victory over the Phillies -- was doubly astonishing because the Mets somehow hadn?t hit a Phillie with the bases loaded or had someone erased on an ill-advised steal of third or done some other stupid thing that would eat at you come 3 a.m. (I?d call Santos taking Papelbon deep the other great win of the season, but that happened before we had to accept the year was a total loss.) So that part was the worst. The second-worst thing? It was the sorry part. By late summer when I?d run into other baseball fans on the street or at parties, the conversation would take its inevitable turn and I?d grit my teeth, waiting. Hey, sorry about the Mets. Tough year, hate to see that. How are you holding up? The sentiment was genuine, the impulse was laudable. It?s what decent fans say, knowing full well that their team has a plague year in its future. Heck, I?ve offered back pats to friends whose teams are channeling November around the All-Star Break. But man oh man, had I forgotten how much it sucks. It sucks more than grudging respect: I didn?t think it would happen, but that?s a pretty good team. You guys have a chance. It sucks a lot more than finger-wagging warnings against complacency: I dunno, you?ll probably to win the division, but are those the starters you want in a short series? It sucks a lot more than reflexive woofery: You guys are having a good year, but we?re going to totally smoke you in the playoffs. It sucks way more than the attempted jinx disguised as surrender: It?s your year! We have no chance! And yeah, it sucks more than outright, unvarnished hostility: Sorry man ? but I HATE THE METS! 2007 and 2008 were different -- there was pity, but not the endless drip-drip-drip of condolences. The ?07 and ?08 attaboys felt lousy too, but they didn?t eat at you day after day. You didn?t wind up bracing for them. Before the 2007 season, I wrote a Mets season preview for Deadspin that was equal parts loving look back of 2006 and paranoia about the fact that Omar Minaya hadn?t done much to improve that team. (I daresay that part looks prescient now.) To which one Deadspin commenter had this to say: ?I hope at least one of these season previews will be somewhere along the lines of ?My team is fucking great and we will rape our way to the World Series.? Enough of this wishy-washy bullshit!? I ignored that because, well, we?re the Mets. With the brief exception of the Bad Guys Won era, that?s not our style. (And even back then our CBA -- Converted Braggadocio Average -- was a lousy .200.) Ours is a legacy of miracles and humiliation, which doesn?t lend itself to strutting. But after half a season of pity, I find myself coming back to that long-ago comment. I don?t want enemy baseball fans to feel sorry for us. I want to hear some grudging respect, some attempted jinxes, some outright hatred. Some Paul Lo Duca discussion of ending the other guy?s season. Some Wally Backman talk of opponents being buried and having no worries unless there are another 20 fucking car wrecks. (Good timing!) We?re nowhere near rampaging our way to much of anything, but next time we look like we might be, I?m not going to worry about baseball gods I might offend. Because honestly, what the hell have they done for us recently? One of my favorite sages famously remarked that baseball has to be played with fear and arrogance. We?re missing half of the set, and I?m tired of it. Enough with the wishy-washy bullshit, indeed. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1038249/tonight-at-9pm-et-itamp8217s-pro-baseball-central-mets-hot-stove-edition.html Tonight at 9PM ET we are back with a Hot Stove Edition of PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL on Blogtalk Radio.   Joe McDonald and I will be joined by Rich Coutinho of ESPN1050, Rich Mancuso of NY SPORTSDAY and Eric Simon of Amazin? Avenue.   We will discuss what has transpired so far this off season for the NY Mets and look ahead on what moves the team needs to make to get back into contention in the NL.   You can join in as well by calling in at (646) 595-4462.   So join us live at 9PM ET on Blogtalk Radio or via podcast on our PRO BASEBALL CENTRAL site or right here at Kranepool Society for 90 minutes of  Mets Hot Stove talk. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1038247/jason-marquis-randy-wolf-wrong-place-time.html More photos » by AARON J. LATHAM - AP Browse more photos » Last season, Jason Marquis and Randy Wolf were good deals for their respective teams. The Rockies traded aging reliever Luis Vizcaino for Jason Marquis and got a 3.8 WAR ($17.1MM), all-star season out of the veteran. The Dodger signed Wolf for $5 Million plus incentives and he produced a 3.0 WAR ($13.6MM) performance. Now, coming off career-years, both players are linked to the Mets, Marquis because of his hometown connections and Wolf presumably because of his shiny ERA. That alone is a scary enough, but there's a more important circumstance here that makes it almost impossible to talk about how these two could help the Mets. First consider Wolf's batted ball line: LD%: 18.3 GB%: 39.6 FB%: 42.1 HR/FB%: 9.2 BABIP: .257  Now a Mets pitcher's: LD%: 16.8 GB%: 35.7 FB%: 47.5 HR/FB%: 8.6 BABIP: .296 The Mets pitcher is Johan Santana, and while he's obviously extremely better than Randy Wolf, it doesn't really matter for this exercise, because we're comparing their batted ball tendencies, and both are extreme flyball lefties. Notice how Wolf had nearly .40 points of BABIP in his favor, despite giving up more linedrives.  Similarly, Jason Marquis' line: LD%: 17.0 GB%: 55.6 FB%: 27.4 HR/FB%: 7.8 BABIP: .291 and Mike Pelfrey's: LD%: 18.7 GB%: 51.3 FB%: 27.4 HR/FB%: 9.5 BABIP: .321 Both are righties that pound the zone with two-seam fastballs. Notice how, like Wolf, Marquis had a big advantage in BABIP, and even HR/FB despite pitching in Coors Field. The common theme here is that Marquis and Wolf both benefited from a good amount of luck and defenses significantly better than the Mets'. Sadly, both pitcher may be an upgrade over most of the Mets current personnel, but that doesn't make either a good investment. Before they even think about pitching, the Mets need to have a plan to address their fielding, and then should look for some pitchers undervalued this year, not last. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1038246/minors-havens-heating-up-in-afl.html After getting off to a slow start in the Arizona Fall League, Mets prospect Reese Havens has begun to hit, raising his average from .182 to .324 since October 30. Yesterday, Havens helped the Surprise Rafters defeat the Peoria Saguaros 11-9 with a double and a triple in a 3 for 5 effort. Robert Emrich, in a [...] New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1038244/note-minnesotas-view-santana-trade.html Leslie Monteiro, in a post to her blog Twins Killings, feels that the trade that sent Johan Santana to the Mets in exchange for Carlos Gomez, Delois Guerra, Philip Humber, and Kevin Mulvey was a bust for the Twins. ...it’s hard to argue with that sentiment because they now have no players at the major league [...] New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1038243/buzz-marlon-byrd-to-seek-new-team.html T.R. Sullivan, in a post to his blog for MLB.com, says that it is unlikely that outfielder Marlon Byrd will return to the Rangers next season. According to Sullivan, Rangers GM Jon Daniels spoke with the agent for Byrd, and Daniels told Sullivan that the Rangers are not interested in bringing Byrd back based on what [...] New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1037426/manager-year-applesauce-manuel-does-win-report-on-havens-davey-johnson-in-dc.html Meet the Mets Toby Hyde provides us with a little update on Reese Havens down in Arizona. Ted Berg gives his two cents. BlueandOrange.net presents an exercise in what might have been. Why all this talk about Mark DeRosa when there's another guy out there who does the same things? Kevin Goldstein is still pretty high on Jenrry Mejia and Wilmer Flores. Now for the over the top commentaries of the day. First, Kevin Kernan urges Omar to go all Brian Cashman on this year's free agents. Second, Paul Raymond seems to think that Dave Jauss shows that the Mets don't want to win. Because a bench coach is really that important. Around the NL East The Phillies are apparently favorites to land Mark DeRosa. Good work by the Nationals, signing Davey Johnson to be a senior advisor with the organization. Johnson worked with top pick Stephen Strasburg on the US Olympic team. The Marlins are facing a little labor difficulty with their new stadium construction project. Around MLB The Managers of the Year are: Jim Tracy and Mike Scioscia. Tracy promptly received a three year extension from Colorado. After his enormous free agent contract and subsequent major bust status, Jason Schmidt will likely retire from baseball. More confessions from non-Greinke Cy Young voters. This time Mark Feinsand explains his King Felix vote. This one is definitely more reasonable than the Verlander vote, but still. New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1037425/note-free-agents-on-friday-cheap-amp-spending.html Tonight at midnight, free agents are able to negotiate and sign new contracts with any team. According to Marty Noble, of MLB.com, the Mets needs are, in order of importance, “power, at least one starting pitcher, a catcher and a set-up reliever.” …i still believe the plan is to sign a catcher and a mid-level pitcher, but [...] New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1037215/yanks-move-on-halladay.html Word is the Evil Empire has already approached the Jays about Halladay and they're willing to jettison their best prospects to get him. Of course that would likely mean a new 100+M contract as well, but that's no biggie for the yankees, a franchise who hands out 100M deals like candy. So if that's the case I think it's prudent for the Mets to step aside and let it happen. I'm all for bluffing the yankee price up but I just don't see Halladay landing in Queens. Yes, he's an inning eating Beast. Yes, he's probably the best pitcher in baseball. But it just doesn't feel right to commit that much money to someone who's logged that many innings. Maybe he is a guy who can dominate till he's 40 but that assumption is an even bigger risk now that guys are supposedly off the steroids. I'm sure we've got a long way to go before anything happens but Halladay just smells like he's gonna be a yankee to me. I'm just sayin' ... New York Mets - Sport Snipe - Team News - Stats - Updates