This Day In Mets Infamy With Rusty 11-29-09
Posted by rustyjr on 11:33am, Sunday November 29th 2009
Well Black Friday has come and gone, consumers got their three dollar toasters and two hundred dollar lap top computers from Best Buy. But were there customers breaking down the doors and trampling sales staff underfoot at the Mets store? Well according to an New York Times article written by Ken Belson ” the Yankees Clubhouse on 42nd Street was still basking in the glow of the team’s 27thWorld Series championship, was flooded with customers elbowing through racks of commemorative t- shirts, hats and jackets. Pedestrians stopped to snap photographs of the storefront. Two Blocks East , the Mets Clubhouse hosted a handful of passers-by who gazed at the rows of jerseys and sweatshirts , many 50% off. ( hat tip to Shannon Shark from www.themetspolice.com for the heads up.) Belson goes on to say that the store “seemed to be as quiet as Shea Stadium was after Carlos Beltran looked at Adam Wainwright’s called third strike to end the 2006 season.” I am sorry but this does not surprise me one bit. Of course the Yankees gear will be the hot seller of the two this season. What makes my blood boil is that the Mets are charging $ 266.99 for the new ” retro” jerseys ! I mean come on I know the only reason why they added this new uniform was to increase revenue - don’t believe the hype that this was because they wanted to pay homage to the ‘69 team - thats a load of horse hockey ! So while the Yanks are making money hand over fist in all areas of the Yankee merchandising machine , Old man Scrooge ( oops I meant Jeff and Fred WIlpon) will be saying that they had the second best offers when asked why they didn’t bring a Lackey , a Holliday, or even a Cameron into the Mets fold for the 2010 season. I know it is still ” early ” in the hot stove season and there has been very minor movement so far but let me ask you this. Other than the reports of the Mets negotiating a new contract with Elmer Dessens , what other trade rumors or free agents have the we been linked to in the last week or so?
” Fred Wilpon, Jeff Wilpon, Omar Minaya and Dave Howard hard at work?”
Okay now on with the INFAMY !!!!
Birthday wishes go out to one of the most potent bats in Mets history . Our current batting coach - Howard ” HoJo” Johnson (1960)
Also celebrating a birthday today in none other than the man who made the Mets viable again during the “05 season - Pedro “Petey” Martinez (1968) . I will always respect Pedro for being one of the best pitchers ever to grace this game , unfortunately he peaked in his first year of his four year contract wearing the orange and blue. AndI can’t fault him for signing with the Phillies, but we all knew that he would be shelled by the Yankees in the World Series.
Sadly on this date in 1962 Mets coach , Red Kress passed away
Also sadly on this date in ‘94 , utility infielder from the Metsteams of the mid ’60’s- Charley Smith passed away.
New York Mets purchased pitcher Al Luplow from the Cleveland Indians on November 29, 1965.
New York Mets traded second baseman, Ron Hunt and outfielder, Jim Hickman to the Los Angeles Dodgers for outfielders Tommy Davis and Derrell Griffithon November 29, 1966. Tommy Davis would spend one year in a Mets unifor before being traded to the Chicago White Sox for future Mets stars, Tommie Agee and Al Weiss.
New York Mets traded pitching prospect, Quilvio Verasto the Florida Marlins for outfielder Carl ” Ain’t no dinosaurs in the bible so they don’t exist” Everett on November 29, 1994. As we all know Everett was a head case of Milton Bradley proportions, punching his ticket out of Flushing when his girlfriend was accused by a Mets nanny of abusing his children.
San Francisco Giants signed Kenny Greer of the New York Mets as a free agent on November 29, 1994. Greer will forever be known as the player that we got in Frank Tannana to the Yankees deal.
New York Mets signed free agent Billy Wagner of the Philadelphia Phillies on November 29, 2005. Wags was dominant that year and helped power us to the NLCS during the ‘06 season. Unfortunately elbow and shoulder problems plagued him during August of the ‘07 season, and he broke down again during the pennant stretch of the ‘08 season, having season ending Tommy John surgery. He pitched in two games this past September just to be traded to the Boston Red Sox for two mid level prospects. Good Luck wherever you land Billy - we loved your spirit and your unabashed speaking of your mind !
And remember - There is only 127 more depressing days until the Mets open the 2010 season against the Florida Marlins at Citi Field.
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Well I retain optimism at this point. Other than the Yanks, who must outspend everyone else by at least 50% to have a chance to win, the Wilpons did spend more than anyone else last year.
And in the last 5 years we have brought in Pedro, Beltran, Wagner, Delgado, Santana, and KRod, in addition to Alou and Putz and others.
I definitely feel that in the next 3 weeks, we will see Halladay or Lackey added to the Mets, and if not them, then Holliday or Bay.
If not, this would be a dramatic change from what we see every offseason in the Omar era.
i am trying my best to retain optimism - but I have to admit hearing that halliday will terminate his no trade clause for the yanks phils angels and boston has be a bit steamed - like I said earlier I know it is still early in the season but you would figure that the Mets would at least give the early impression that they are going at least try to back up the statements and promises that Jeff Wilpons espoused on the Mike Fatcessa show
no one said that was an exclusive list. Plus, I thought the report was about the yanks, and the other teams were just speculation by a writer of some kind?
The mets have been mentioned though, haven’t they, with damned near every player (even many that most of us want nothing to do with!)
besides that, what teams have really done much? Andru signed, and maybe a small trade or 2?
mostly though you see the same few AL east teams named as players for every big name, nothing new there. But do you really think that the yanks and red sox are going to get every big name?
Kong,
Love to see you hit one out of the park, big guy. But you keep on missing the hanging curveball. The only reason that JW spent so much money last year was because of the Ollie debacle plus the need to fortify a neglected pen. It sounds like you support the haphazard spending? Other than Santana (and they almost blew that one)and K-Rod, name one other top acquisition that JW has made since Beltran.
BTW, when you compare revenues to money spent, the Mets fall somewhere in the middle of the pack in MLB. However, not to sound like a “glass is half empty” person, but 1.2 Million payments for 25 years begin in 2011 to Bobby Bonilla. At least we don’t have to pay him in 2010.
It is not about spending, but putting one’s money to good use. To compare, the Yankees saw opportunities last year and signed the top three FAs. It brought them a World Series. Something that I’m particularly envious about since our Mets have not won one in 23 years and counting!!!!! And we’re not going to win another until the patchwork stops and the development of a minor league system becomes a priority for the present ownership!!!
Nice to have you but your opinions are out there to say the least.
Good thing you didn’t try to evaluate his “facts.”
Hope all are doing well. Aside from being thankful that the season is over, I’m thankful for a healthy family (though I’ll be taking my daughter to see her doctor because of a fever she has). I’m also thankful for the Mets (Imagine being a Pirates or Nationals fan).
As for Doc, I’d go all in. If the Sox include Buchholz and the Yanks include Joba, then the Mets have to call with Big Pelf.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the Mets Rumors, they’re mostly nonsense. I’ll base my expectations on past transaction.
Omar signed Beltran and K-Rod and showed us he’s good at getting the expensive free agent (Holliday or Lackey).
Omar traded for Santana and showed us he’s good at trading for elite pitchers (Halladay).
Omar traded for Putz and showed us he’s good at trading for star players (Crawford).
On the other side of the story is the moves that Omar didn’t make, like finding a legit LFer or another Sper last year. So, as it’s been said here before, don’t be worried Omar won’t make a big move, worry Omar won’t make the extra moves to complete the team.
Completely agree. I don’t think anyone gives Omar and the Mets enough credit for playing the media either. Remember last year how they used the media to get Krod for a lesser price. Nah, Krod is too expensive and we are fine with Fuentes. Nah Lackey is too expensive and we are fine with Wolf. I do not have a clue what Omar and the Mets will do and I would be doubting anyone who says they do.
Completely agree as well.
we have Putz and K-Rod…why would we need to make anymore moves???
More garbage from MC. Evidently he is just a tape recorder that just repeats what other’s have said without doing any research.
“While signing big-time free agents and sacrificng top draft picks, then not spending over slot to make up for thier late-round selections… and, as a result, as teams began locking up their young players, like the Rays and Evan Longoria or the Brewers and Ryan Braun, the Mets ended up having little to show in their farm system and fewer and fewer impactful options to fill in with on the free agent market… it is this reason, more than any, that explains the situation the Mets are in today…”
Longoria was not drafted until 2006. Not many cases of guys drafted in 2006 making a name for themselves that early. Also, the Mets and EVERY team in the MLB missed Evan when he could have been drafted in 2003, 2004, and 2005 before the Rays finally took him in 2006 with the 3rd pick. In fact Longoria is the perfect example of how unpredictable the draft actually is.
Braun was drafted in the first round (fifth overall) in the 2005 draft and is currently 26 years old. Hmmm what other player do we have playing 3rd base that we drafted and locked up long term who is also 26? The Mets farm system is not in great shape but we can’t say it’s because we signed too many FA. We had 3 “1st rounders” (counting supplemental picks) in 2008, 2 in 2007, 1 in 2005 (Pelfrey), 1 in 2004, 1 in 2003 (Milledge), 1 in 2002 Kazmir, 2 in 2001 (Heilman and Wright).
So saying that the Mets problems are they signed FA is just plain false. In fact you could say that they had been decently productive with their #1 picks with Wright, Heilman, Kazmir, Milledge, Pelfrey at least all being major league players for someone. Our problems have been not using our advantage lower in the draft.
Compare that to the Yankees great farm who’s only 1st rounders of any significance are Hughes, Kennedy and Joba.
the problem is regardless of our current payroll, our team is such a mess right now that unless are willing to overspend the playoffs will be out of reach.
We have only 1 reliable SP and Joel Piniero is not the answer.
Trade for Doc. Sign Lackey. Get a power bat in LF. Find a catcher.
You know they are not going to add 60 million in payroll.
We will be very competitive with either Holliday and Wolf and whoever or with Halladay/Lackey and Cameron/Whoever.
unfortunately that is what is going to have to take unless someone unexpected makes a huge impact but we dont have MLB ready prospects so unless they spend the money on the right players its going to be another disappointing season.