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Merry Christmas to all at TRDMB, and please be safe this holiday season.  I know we all like to celebrate, but every Christmas and New Year’s what I enjoy most is being with friends and family, and I truly feel terrible when I see someone losing a friend or family member due to an accident of some sort around the holidays. 

With that said, ‘tis the season to tell everyone what you want for Christmas! (Thanks to Hallmark, the birth of a baby boy seen as the Son of God by people of faith has turned into a time of big dinners, drinking excessively, and great deals on Sony Kindles)  So, as I make my way over to midnight mass, here is Coach Mattone’s Christmas List for 2009.  (Note:  None of this is for 2009.  Mostly the 2010 Mets.  But I threw in some gifts I would like in case anyone gets a little generous and wants to send me something.  Or needs a last minute gift idea to give to a loved one.)

All I Want For Christmas Is……….

Nick Cannon knows what he's getting for Christmas....

…YOU!!!   YOU, OOOO, BABY!  Sorry, Mariah Carey on the brain.  Moving right along then…

…people (myself included) to stop the negativity towards the Mets off-season thus far.  Some teams cough-Royals-cough got 2 years of Jason Kendall at $6 million for Christmas.  We don’t want that now do we…

…Fernando Martinez to stay healthy this year and get a shot to make an impact on the big league squad…

…Ike Davis to continue to shoot lightning bolts from his baseball bat in the form of 400 foot home runs…

…Mike Pelfrey to start his climb up the mountain as the next young frontline starter in the National League…

…Oliver Perez to enjoy his Christmas with family in Mexico so much, he stays there forever…

…Seriously, though, I hope Perez comes in this spring with a newfound work ethic, in great shape, and ready to prove Ollie doubters like me wrong with a strong 2010…

…The Hangover, on Blu-Ray or DVD…

"Wait a second...usually when my hand is reaching like this I'm grabbing potato chips...WHERE ARE MY CHIPS!!"

…Bengie Molina to find a home that isn’t named Citi Field…stay away, fat man…

…Wally Backman to lead the Brooklyn Cyclones to an A-Ball Championship…

…then lead the Mets to the 2011 World Series Championship…

…then agree to do a Holiday Christmas special with Lenny Dykstra…I can see it now, “Wally and Lenny’s Wild Boys Christmas Spectacular…tell me you wouldn’t tune in…

…A Powermat Wireless Charger…

…Johan Santana to throw the first no-hitter in Met history…

…David Wright to hit 30 homers, knock in 120 runs, and be linked romantically to 10 Hollywood starlets…

Keep dancing, Jose. Keep dancing.

…Jose Reyes to hit 20 triples, steal 50 bases, and continue to have fun on the field, regardless of what the media or Jimmy Rollins says…

…Carlos Beltran to continue to put up great numbers and play Gold Glove defense…

…and cement his place in Met history with an MVP…

…True Blood or Mad Men DVD box sets…

…Jared, the Galleria of jewelry, to go out of business so I don’t have to see another “HE WENT TO JAREDDD!!!  Commercial…

Bring back Fat Jared!

…Jared, the Subway guy, to put all of his weight back on eating the NEW! Subway Chicken Parmigana Sandwich, the NEW! Subway Pastrami melt, and the NEW! Subway Snickerdoodle cookies…

…Gil Meche to be traded to the Mets and resurrect his career as a top flight #2 or #3 starter…

…Daniel Murphy to continue developing into a quality big league hitter…

…Frenchy to hit more and more balls on the screws, and re-discover his potential…

…K-Rod to dance, yell, point to the sky, and close out 40-45 games for the Mets…

…and Bobby Parnell to set-up 25 of those saves with 97mph fireballs…

…NFL Network to get picked up by Cablevision…

…What The Dog Saw, by Malcolm Gladwell…

Wonder if the Mets know what "The Situation" is...

…and finally, for my friends, family, the cast of the MTV hit show Jersey Shore, and all Met fans to enjoy their holiday season with the ones they love, as they embark on what should be a fun and exciting 2010 for all…

…oh, and a WORLD SERIES BANNER!…

This sure would make my Christmas morning "Lively".....

…and her…

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, enjoy your 7 Fishes for Christmas Dinner!!!! 

Who is the lucky recipient of the nickname "The Albatross"?

Today, it was announced that Jason Marquis will sign with the Washington Nationals. Marquis, a Staten Island native who said he would be a perfect fit for the back end of the Mets rotation, signed with the lowly Nationals. I know what you are thinking: “Do the Mets really NEED Jason Marquis?” The answer is yes, we need Jason Marquis. We needed John Lackey, need Matt Holliday or Jason Bay, need Orlando Hudson. And we needed Marquis.  Why, do you ask? Look at who started games for us last year. Livan Hernandez. Nelson Figueroa. Pat freaking Misch. And your telling me we don’t need Marquis to have 28 starts, 12-14 wins, and a 4.00 ERA? Another wasted opportunity for the Mets to better their club in terms of depth and overall quality, and most people will think it is because Omar Minaya blinds himself with the shiny apple every year (Johan in 2008 (which I’m not complaining at all about getting Johan, but what else did they do to improve the squad?), K-Rod last year, Bay this year), and fails to look at improving the Mets as a whole. Although this is true; the root of the Mets problems for this off-season specifically is the giant financial albatross hanging around the neck of the entire Met organization.  No, I’m not talking about Bernie Madoff. Here’s looking at you, Ollie.

You guessed it! Oliver "The Albatross" Perez!

Oliver Perez is the poster child of the Mets ineptitude. He is over-priced, over-rated, (fake) injured last year, wildly inconsistent, terrible with the media, hated by fans. He is the complete opposite of what makes a New York Met. Mets are tough, gritty, smart, and intelligent; they take no prisoners, and are lunch-pail blue collar ballplayers who have no regard for their opponents. They do whatever it takes to win, and they don’t care what anyone else thinks about how they get to their goals. A New York Met is the ultimate underdog, and always is out to disprove the doubts of their critics. Ollie is nothing of this. He makes $12 million dollars a year, and is worth none of it. He needs to be babied to produce any positive results. He pouts on the mound. Argues with umpires. Loses interest in performing. Places blame on others. Fakes injuries. (Seriously, if you think his knee was hurt, I got a bridge to sell you. It’s in Brooklyn.) He is everything a Met shouldn’t be, and the fact that he was given a 3 year, $36 million dollar deal based on one LOSS that he pitched well in (2006 NLCS Game 7, thanks again, Aaron Heilman) has turned into a huge burden on the franchise. The Mets need to rebuild, but cannot spend the money they want to since 12 mil is tied up with this worthless head case diva. His contract hangs around Omar’s neck as the ultimate restrictor when the opportunity arises to improve pitching depth, eat Castillo’s contract to get O-Hud, or even have the upfront money to not have to backload a Jason Bay offer and get him signed, if Omar insists on only buying one shiny apple, as opposed to getting a bushel of quality apples that aren’t wrapped in gold. Here’s to you Oliver “The Albatross” Perez. Your presence on this team means Jason Marquis won’t be coming home, other players who can help us next year won’t be coming to City either, and I get to watch you have a 7.50 ERA and fake an injury again next year. You know what? Screw it. I won’t be watching. You don’t deserve to have me show up at the ballpark to watch you pitch. Or even turn on the TV.   On the bright side, I will get out of the house more this summer, that’s always a good thing.  Oh, and I finally have a professional athlete who I can call “The Albatross”.  Looks like Rime of the Ancient Mariner was worth reading in 8th grade after all…..

can Minaya sell teams on Castillo’s future value?

Can the recent trade of now Oriole Kevin Millwood...

give the Mets an idea on how to sell Castillo?

If Kevin Millwood can go to the O’s for Chris Ray and $9 million in relief to Texas, (great move by the way by Jon Daniels to use the cash to get Rich Harden), what says the Mets cannot sell Castillo and, say, $5 million of his remaining $12 million over two years to a team who can fill a void at second base, then spin Castillo either this July or over the winter to a team who values infield defense and feels Castillo can help them make the postseason?  Ideally, the Mets would use the Royals interest in Angel Pagan and send them Pagan, Castillo, a young arm and a young bat for Gil Meche and Alberto Callaspo.  But what if Minaya can look at San Diego and say either you’re getting rid of Corriea anyway or you can’t afford Chris Young, and give them Castillo, pay half his contract, and throw in a young arm?  Or go to Detroit, and rid them of the one year and $12.5 of Jeremy Bonderman for Castillo?  Or even Kansas City, where if you take Farnsworth you might be able to get Meche for Castillo, Pagan, and an arm without giving up a young bat?  Sell Castillo as a position filler and a mentor to younger players in the infield who can be spun for some prospect depth or role players in July or before 2011.  The only difference from the Rangers and Millwood is since Castillo is a two year guy in regards to his contract, you take on more money in return than Texas did. 

So, if you were Omar Minaya, what team would you go to to sell Castillo as a valuable rental piece who can be spun to continue to help a team build for the future, a la Kevin Millwood?  Do you think it would be impossible to make this sell on Castillo?  Fire away with your thoughts. 

Recognize this, Met fans?  Well, you shouldn’t…

Why did the 2009 New York Mets miss the playoffs this year? It’s a question that everyone asks, everyone answers, but is much simpler than most people think. The Mets missed the playoffs because they did not have enough wins to qualify. They didn’t win enough. Lost too much. Simple, right? Yet every writer, fan, analyst, blogger, beer vendor (you get the point) would usually answer the following: “injuries”, “bad bullpen”, “lack of corner outfield power”, “Jose Reyes is too immature and we should trade him for Felix Hernandez” (which is followed by me turning off WFAN since the callers say things such as this). Fact is, they lost because they lost.

The 2009 New York Mets, as seen by their record, were not winners. They weren’t in 2008. Weren’t in 2007. So what happened in 2006 that made them winners? Yes I know, they didn’t win the World Series, but they still won SOMETHING. And that has to count. So, what made the Mets winners? And how do the 2010 Mets become more like the 2006, 2000, 1986, and other winning teams? Easy, go watch a Garden City High School Football Game. No? How about Monroe-Woodbury High School Football? Or better yet, just go watch tapes of Championship seasons and performances from every sport you can think off. Take a look what it takes to be one of these champions, a winner, and what the Mets must do to become winners once again.

Vince Lombardi, one of the greatest coaches of any sport in history, has many a quote about how winning is a habit, the will to win is everything in sport, and if winning doesn’t matter, why do sports games keep a score. Everyone has either heard a Lombardi quote or something based off it. Have the Mets? Have their management? The Mets and management always seem to talk about a winning attitude. Jerry “Gangsta” Manuel always loves to discuss attitude. Problem is, attitudes change. If winning is an attitude, than this can easily change. As pointed out by Marty Noble in his piece about the hiring of Wally Backman, younger Mets players angered older vets such as Tom Glavine, Billy Wagner, and Carlos Delgado by accepting losing. If winning is only an attitude, it is easy to accept losing. After a while, you EXPECT losing. If winning is a habit, an instinct, and your will to win is the most important aspect of everything you do in sport, you will never accept losing. You will always “Expect to Win”*.

So did the Mets expect to win in 2009? No. Look at what people were saying throughout the year. Talking about playing hard despite injuries, being competitive, fighting an uphill battle: THE METS WERE ACCEPTING LOSING!!! HOW CAN YOU ACCEPT LOSING WHEN THE SOLE PURPOSE OF YOUR OCCUPATION IS TO WIN!! WHY AM I WRITING IN ALL CAPS!! There we go. Anyway, unlike any semblance of Mets history, the writing was on the wall at Citi Field in 2009. The Mets didn’t give a s*it (poop, feces, excretion, Ollie Perez’s command are all synonyms.) if they won or not. They were just trying to overcome all of the problems they were having. Do that on your own damn time; DO YOUR JOB.

Comparatively, listen to the mission statement of the Yankees. “Are we good enough to get to the World Series and win?” How about this from Brian Cashman: “My job is to build the best team possible to complete our mission statement, which is ‘Are we good enough to get to the World Series and win?’.” The Cashman quote was after this year’s World Series, explaining what he did this off-season to help the Yankees win. The mission statement? From an article in 2000. Cash was asked if there was added pressure because the Yanks were playing the Mets in the Fall Classic. His response was, paraphrased, it doesn’t matter who we play. Our goal is to win. We meet every year in Tampa and focus on completing our mission statement. Wow. Sounds like someone who works for a 27 time World Champion. Omar Minaya, Wilpons, Manuel, what is the mission of the Mets? Be competitive? Screw that! Win!

Look, being a winner isn’t as easy as wanting to win really badly and having a focused vision towards winning. There are a lot of factors that make winners. The Patriots of the 2000’s were winners because they were meticulous in their execution, and they never backed down from anybody. (And the Tuck Rule. Yes, I’m a Raiders fan.) Peyton Manning and the Colts? They are winners because Peyton is the best at what he does, and he works his tail off to make sure that doesn’t change. Why are the current Phillies winners? Because they don’t take crap from anybody, they have talent, and they enjoy beating people. You see, winning in sports is achieved when a group of talented athletes who firmly and confidently believe they will win every single time they play together, regardless of their opponent or any extenuating circumstances. Yes, no team can go 162-0. But when winners and winning teams have injuries to some of their better players, the players around them play better, because they know they are going to win, and play as hard as they can to ensure they are correct in their beliefs. They don’t say they are going to defy the odds. The only teams that win while “defying the odds” are now the sole property of Disney Movies. And I don’t see the Wilpon family selling the team to Disney anytime soon.

Jeff Wilpon

COO, New York Mets

Mr Wilpon,

            My name is Michael Mattone.  I am a 24 year old lifelong Mets fan from Franklin Square, New York, who currently works in the financial district in Manhattan.  Today, I witnessed droves and droves of Yankee fans packing the streets in preparation of their World Series victory parade.  It is safe to say that today I have never been more disgusted to be a Mets fan in my life.  I can only imagine how disgusted others feel; however, older fans have at least witnessed a Mets World Series victory.  I was a one-year old in 1986, and have zero recollection of the Mets win.  Throughout my childhood, I sat in Shea Stadium watching Bonilla, Saberhagen, Hundley, and the rest of the Mets bask in futility.  As a teenager, I came alive as Piazza, Leiter, Bobby V, and the Mets climbed up the ladder and became a blue-collar winner, representing the heart of New York City and Mets nation.  Unfortunately, in 2000, the Mets fell short, but I was proud to be a fan, and knew the good years were ahead.  As the Mets began to dwindle back to mediocrity, I still held out hope that our new young core of Wright and Reyes, coupled with Beltran and other big time free agents, would make a run at a championship.  Then came 2006.  I was in college.  Day after day, I lined my dorm walls with newspaper covers of the Mets success.  This was the year.  This was the team, the time.  October, 2006, would be the best month of my life.  Finally, a championship I could enjoy and celebrate.  A parade I could attend.  A victory I would remember forever.  One Aaron Heilman meatball and one Adam Wainwright curve ball later, I slowly peeled the newspaper covers off the walls, and waited for 2007.  After 2007 and 2008, the two worst Septembers of my life, 2009 brought again a glimmer of hope.  We had all of our horses coming back on offense and our starting pitching, and we brought in two front-line closers to strengthen our bullpen.  After what I saw this year, with this team, and the success of other teams around us (Yankees, Phillies), I must say that what the Mets have in place is the WORST collection of management and talent since I was born.  The fact that the 2009 Mets had the same results as the Mets of the early 90’s is pitiful, considering the changes to payroll, the new stadium, and the supposed commitment to excellence that the New York Mets have sold to their fans for the past decade.  Myself, and every other Met fan in this city, and all over the country and world, DEMAND CHANGE.  There is no plan in place form baseball operations and general management.  The team is in disarray, the farm system is barren, and the coaching staff is a collection of bumbling fools and has-beens.  We have seven Major League caliber players on our 25 man roster, and two (Santana, Reyes) are coming off surgery in the off-season.  The other five are coming off injuries (Beltran, Francoeur), and terrible years by their standards (Wright, K-Rod, Pelfrey).  We continue to not go over-slot to get the best draft prospects, continue to give bloated contracts to under-performing players, and fail to develop ANY semblance of homegrown talent in the last four years, save for Big Pelf, who under Dan Warthen’s tutelage, is turning into the next first round failure.  Mr. Wilpon, I implore you, as a fan of your team, as a paying customer, to FIX THIS MESS.  Find the manpower and the funds necessary to bring the Mets back to where they belong.  Commit to excellence.  STOP MAKING EXCUSES!!!!!  We are raised as a society to take adversity head on when it slaps us in the face, yet this franchise continues to crumble every time they feel an ounce of pressure!!  BRING IN MEN who are true ballplayers; guys who will work harder than anyone else, and will themselves to win when losing is the easy way out.  Bring in LEADERS to coach this team, guys who have been there before, won championships, can right the wrongs of your team.  The product you have put out for the paying customers is completely inadequate.  Nobody wants to visit a new stadium that fails to embrace Met history, and at the same time fails to display a bright future for the Mets (especially for the prices you charge).  Consider this letter to be a warning from not only me, but ALL Met fans.  As much as Yankee fans can gather to celebrate, Met fans will gather tenfold to DEMAND CHANGE!  Thank you for your time, Mr. Wilpon, I hope this message shows you what your fans, your customers, are truly feeling right now, and I pray that you do everything in your power to make the next mass gathering of fans on Broadway a sea of blue and orange, with proud fans waving Met flags, honoring their heroes.  You don’t want to see a mass gathering of Met fans anywhere else.  Trust me.

Michael Mattone

Watching last night’s Monday Night Football game, the ESPN announcing team (which, by the way, is INFINITELY BETTER with Jon Gruden)

I wish Gruden could do play-by-play for my life.

continuously discussed the disarray surrounding the Washington Redskins franchise. Meddlesome owner who, because he spends inordinate amounts on his team, thinks they know everything there is to know about the sport and players. A Director of Personnel/GM who was hired to be the face of the franchise because of their rapport with the media, yet have not been able to build a winner and have burned their bridges with the media they were supposed to control. A roster full of overpriced players who are not only completely overrated talent-wise, but currently decimated with injuries to boot. Sound familiar?

The Mets alternate logo next year?

If you are a fan of the New York Mets, congratulations, this is your team! But ask any fan of football about who the worst teams are in the NFL, the Redskins always get a “…but” response. As in, the Redskins are among the worst teams in the NFL this year …but… This is a great thing if you are a Redskins fan in the long term. It is beyond bad now for Redskins fans, otherwise known as “Raiders East” for 2009, (Trust me, Skins fans, I know your pain. I am a Raiders fan.), …but there is visible light at the end of the tunnel. Fix up the offensive line, bring in proven leaders at the Head Coach and GM positions that stress team concepts, accountability, and discipline, and continue to develop young playmakers on both sides of the ball, and you got yourselves a potential playoff team. Granted, it could take a year or two, but look at the other possibilities around the NFL.

The Chiefs (yes, they beat the ‘Skins, I know, but I digress) are at least two years away in terms of having a first unit that comes close talent-wise to the rest of the league at O-Line, LB, DB, and Running Back, and that’s before you solve the problem of depth. The Bucs have no QB, a rookie Head Coach, players that don’t fit their system, and no hope in sight. Don’t get me started on the Rams (wouldn’t be a ranked team in D 1-A right now) or the Browns (blew it up, looking at building the foundation in the next two drafts). And my beloved Raiders will never compete until they realize that, like the Redskins, owners should not be directly involved with football operations because they cannot be objective. It worked for Al Davis whenever he had a dominant personality at Head Coach (Madden, Gruden) who he could build a contender with and bounce ideas off of. But to have a yes-man at this key position makes the owner’s influence completely negative and too powerful for the franchise to succeed. So, Redskins fans, fear not. Get a powerful head coach, some beef up front, improve your young talent, and wait a year or two, and you got yourselves a football team. This brings me back to the Mets.

Proud graduate of the Fred Wilpon School of Sport Franchise Ownership!!

Yes Met fans, you are the Redskins of baseball. Wilpon equals Snyder, Minaya equals Cerrato. Beltran, Delgado, Ollie, Reyes, Castillo, Maine, K-Rod? You got it: Clinton Portis, Charles Samuels, Jason Campbell, DeAngelo Hall, Albert Haynesworth. Life is tough, and Met fans are tired of season after season of disappointment,…but like the Redskins, there is VISIBLE LIGHT at the end of the tunnel. With the advantage of no salary cap, fixing the Mets could be even faster and easier than fixing the ‘Skins! Like Snyder’s Squad, the Amazins must continue to develop their young talent, push their influential figures to continue to promote team concepts,

A Hall-of-Fame Left Tackle, theoretically...

accountability, and discipline, and fix up the Starting Five (yes, I am comparing Starting Pitching to Offensive Line. I don’t care what you say, they are the most important parts to a team in Baseball and Football. Unless you have a Pujols/Peyton Manning, but again, I digress), and you got yourselves a pretty darn good baseball team.

Sound easier than it is to actually do? Of course it is. That’s why it is so frustrating to write. …BUT, if the Mets do follow this plan, and stop trying to patch up holes with overpriced, under-talented players in a feeble attempt to sell tickets, we could be throwing Orange and Blue Ticker Tape inside the Canyon of Heroes as opposed to the Ticker Tape of the Pinstripe variety. (You guessed, it, I’m going with the Yankees, in Six Games. If Kate Hudson can get Matthew McConaughey to pass as a decent actor in a chick flick, getting A-Rod to hit in the clutch is a cakewalk.) So Met fans, as you soak in the worst World Series imaginable, here’s a surefire way to cure your October Blues. Grab some Sam Adams Cherry Wheat and Nachos, turn on some Raiders, Chiefs, Browns, Bucs, or Rams football, sit back, relax, and enjoy. And remember, at least your not the Pirates, Nationals, Padres, Orioles, or Royals.

Maybe she can get Ollie Perez to throw a strike.....