The 2009 season for the Mets was a disaster. After careful review, it appears that the specific type of disaster was earthquake. Even after the disastrous season ended we’ve been hit with aftershocks. Aftershocks are known as smaller earthquakes that follow after the original quake, not to be confused with the alcohol beverage that was needed for us fans to get through the season. They can still be dangerous, but generally get smaller and farther apart as time goes on.

Carlos Beltran’s scoped knee surgery was the first aftershock of the 2009 disaster. While final damage totals are not yet in for this one, it’s expected he’ll miss up to a month of real time. The last report I heard suggested that he’d be cleared to resume baseball activities right around the time the Mets head north for Opening Day.

The Jose Reyes Thyroid aftershock hit last week, when blood work revealed that Reyes has an overactive thyroid. The results and treatment for this are still being determined, but many opinions suggest that it shouldn’t be a big deal and he can get back to playing soon. This smaller aftershock was still upsetting, but it seems like it won’t be one that did much damage.

Other smaller aftershocks have occurred throughout Spring Training for the Mets. Francisco Rodriguez came down with pink eye, but didn’t become a zombie. Fernando Tatis is batting some knee issues, and Nick Evans strained his forearm. Neither is considered serious and Frankie is back and pitching again.

The big thing to remember here is it’s not 2009 anymore. You can check the calendar if you don’t believe me. Every tweak or setback or injury is not indicative of disaster, and the bad luck that plagued the Mets in 2009 was just that; bad luck. The way Reyes did not adequately recover from his hamstring injuries has nothing to do with what his thyroid may or may not be doing right now, and the bone bruise that Beltran had does not relate to his recovery from having his knee scoped in the off season. Right now we’re still in limbo waiting on how Reyes will be treated by doctors and when he’ll get back down to Florida to continue Spring Training, but once he does everything will be alright. Soon it will be time for baseball to count, and we can start obsessing over wins and losses and pitching performances and home run totals instead of thyroid levels and pink eye symptoms.

Visit Optimistic Mets Fan for more of Ceetar’s posts.

You know some times I just don’t get it. On my way to work yesterday I put on the FAN expecting to hear about all the positive developments that occur ed during Mondays intrasquad game, but instead I heard that Howard Stern wannabe Craig Carton ripping Jerry Manuel for penciling Jose Reyes to start the season in the third hole in the batting order. The ting that really made my jaw drop was that Boomer was in total agreement and was just as pig headed when callers tried to defend the move. It is common knowledge that I am among those who would rather see Jose lead off because he has the ability to get him self in scoring position whether it be from a walk, single or extra base hit, but I do see Manuel’s point of view that he needs to bolster the line up so that the bottom third of the batting order will not be such a glaring weakness. That be said when they had former Mets pitching great and current SNY analyst Ron Darling on, Darling too thought it wasn’t the best use of Jose, but if that line up is utilized until Carlos Beltran comes back from his surgery , which from all reports should be the beginning of May at the earliest, then this shouldn’t have much of a impact on the season. Look Jerry is the manager - I’m not . If he is going to live by this line up , and the team falters - then he’s going to die by this line up and possibly be out of a job by mid-season.
I wasn’t able to see any of yesterday’s game and unfortunately because of the Fat Man it wasn’t aired on the radio, But from what I read , Ryota Irigashi looked impressive, notching the save as the Mets won their grape fruit season opener 4-2 against the mostly A- team of the Atlanta Braves. Ike Davis was impressive , getting two hits and scoring a run. But the big surprise possibly is in house loogy possibility Bobby Livingston who came in for an injured Elmer Dessens and pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Check out Ed Ryan at Mets Fever on Livingston’s bumpy professional career by going here http://metsfever.blogspot.com/2010/03/who-was-that-livingston-guy.html#links .

                       ” The usual voice of reason seen here with Craig ” Yankee fans like myself ” Carton”

And now ….ON WITH THE INFAMY !!!!!

Happy Birthday wishes go out to Armando Benitez clone and relief pitcher Jorge Julio (1979) . Jorge was traded along with John Maine to the Mets from the Baltimore Orioles for Kris & ( Anna - don’t forget Anna !) Benson. Jorge  stunk up the joint as Billy Wagner’s set up man  and was  shipped off to the Diamondbacks for the ageless wonder that was Orlando ” El Duque”  Hernandez.  Jorge is currently pitching  for the Milwaukee Brewers.

And don’t forget - There are only 33 ( Maine ) days until the Mets open the 2010 season against the Florida Marlins at Citi Field.

Interesting article by the New York Times that talks about how many Venezuelan players have a chance to go North with the team 5 to be exact. They are Johan Santana, Henry Blanco, Francisco Rodriguez, Kelvim Escobar, and Fernando Nieve.

It got me to thinking of how I am a Die-Hard Mets fan that just also happens to be Puerto Rican. I remember how back during the late 80’s early 90’s I used to argue with this one ignorant Uncle that questioned how I could be a Mets fan when they had no Puerto Rican players.

I was still new to baseball at that time and other than Roberto Clemente I really didn’t know any other Puerto Rican players but I knew that being a Mets fan had nothing to do with Nationality and everything to do with the Blue & Orange Uniforrm.

I still remember how excited he was when the Mets signed Bonilla in 92. I guess he got what he wanted but us true Die-Hard Mets fans know all we got was one of the biggest busts in Mets history.

Unless I’m mistaken the 1st Puerto Rican to play hailing from Yabucoa, Puerto Rico for the Mets was 2nd baseman Felix Millan back in 1973. The Mets got him along with George Stone in a trade with the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Danny Frisella and Gary Gentry on November 1, 1972. According to Ultimate Mets database in 1973 he did the following.

• Led Mets in runs with 82
• Led Mets in hits with 185
• Led Mets in B.A. with .290

Sadly though he had a bad W.S. he hit .188 with 1 rbi in 32 ab’s.

He played for the Mets till he retired at the end of the 77 season.

There’s been many great Puerto Rican players since then of course to play for the Mets the latest being Carlos Beltran. Yet even though it’s cool that Beltran comes from my birthplace in P.R. when I watch him take the field the last thing I see is Nationality but rather a great player wearing the Blue & Orange that is trying along with 24 other guys to bring a World Series home to it’s New York Mets Fans.

I don’t talk to my Uncle much anymore but on those rare occasions that we do I just respectfully listen when he tries to tell me how he follows the team and roots for them. Deep down unlike him I know I will always be a Mets fan whether they are called the New York Metropolitans or Los Mets or 紐約專營授權. As long as they are wearing the Orange & Blue I will be rooting them on when they do good or booing them when they mess up.

Lets Go Mets!!!

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I know what you are thinking and so here lies the honest answer -No my headline today is not meant to be a snarky, sarcastic commentary of how spring training in Port St Lucie has been going so far. From the accounts that I have been reading , this team thus far is showing signs of chemistry, along with a myriad of feel good stories. First off  Carlos Beltran reported to camp yesterday , went into a closed door meeting with Omar Minaya and when he emerged he was quoted as saying that he ” cares about his legacy as a Met “. This quote - and the fact that he is in spring training right now when he isn’t required to speaks volumes in my opinion. From what I have been reading, Japanese import Ryota Igarshi has been wowing the coaching staff with his  curveball and he might be on the fast track for the eighth inning set up man’s spot. David Wright is looking more like Tony Atlas than Gomer Pyle  with his new weight lifting routine, Rod Barajas has passed his physical and is expected to arrive at camp today and even Gary Matthews Jr. seems happy to be here - maybe I am wrong about him and he can be the cagey old veteran that helped tutor the rookies last year just like Gary Sheffield did before he threw his temper tantrum because the Mets wouldn’t give him a contract extension.  Hell even Mike Francesa couldn’t make my optimism waver !!!I can’t believe I am drinking the Kool Aid  - OMAR !?!? ARE YOU JIM JONES IN DISGUISE !!!!!

                                                                                    Mr. Met sez:

                                                                 ” Be optimistic - or no t-shirt for you !!!”

And with that said … HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!!

Happy Birthday wishes go out to the following.

The Mets first Rookie Of The Year Candidate , and their all time hit by pitch leader, Ron Hunt is 69 (1941) .

Pitcher  from the ‘67 - ‘68 teams, Don Shaw is 66 (1944) .

One of the Mets all time great second basemen - Ken Boswell is  64 (1946) . Unfortunately due to a dispute with the current Mets organization, Don didn’t attend last years 40th celebration of the ‘69 Mets World Series team.

One of the most hated Mets players ever ( and rightfully so !) -Bobby Bonillia is 47  (1963) . Bobby made it very hard to root for. Yes he put up great power numbers in his first stint with the Mets, but his lack of hustle and his run ins with the media soured his relationship among the Mets fans. This year starts the defered payment plan that the Mets set up  when they bought him out of his contact in ‘99. He will be by the Mets paid for the next 35 years.

Utility outfielder from the ‘08 team - Chris Aguillia is 30 today. (1979)

The usually old-fashioned and ultra-conservative Jerry Manuel has thrown out a somewhat radical and rather sensible idea.

Jose Reyes batting third, while at first glance possibly seeming unwise, is, after thorough examination, a potentially fantastic move.

Jose’s OBP, while not great, is also not bad. He is a wonderfully dynamic player who definitely does, as the cliche states, make things happen. He is lightning-fast, has extra-base power, scores loads of runs, and seems to always be leading the way when the team wins.

However, batting him third might lead the team to even more wins.

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Luis Castillo, despite the never-ending whining from some quarters, does have strengths as a baseball player. Those strengths are getting on base, seeing a great number of pitches, and running. Yes, running. He still can leg out infield hits and bunt singes, and he did in fact steal 37 out of 45 bases the last two years, 20/26 last year. Batting him first would, without any question, absolutely maximize his remaining skills. He gets on base better than anyone on the team other than Wright, he is nowhere near as slow as the Nabobs insist, and his tendency to take many pitches is precisely what one wants in a leadoff hitter, especially in the first inning of a game, when his teammates will want to see what a pitcher is throwing, in addition to maybe making that pitcher work to get past the very first batter of a game.

Jose Reyes has just about every skill a player can have. Sure, the old maxim stats that you want your best hitter batting third. Jose did, however, hit .300 in 2006 and .297 in 2008. This also coincided with his OBP increasing from his earlier years. In short, he has been improving in just about all ways. Jose is not a natural at taking pitches, and while some state that he should not be swinging for the fences, an argument can be made that trying to force Jose to be a patient hitter and to draw walks and see many pitches is what is really boxing him in. Maybe Jose should be swinging more quickly and more freely, as he would be perfectly welcome to do hitting third.

If Jose hit third, his extra-base power would almost certainly drive in 100+ with Slappy and hopefully a soon-to-be-healthy Beltran hitting ahead of him. Beltran has often appeared just right for the 2 hole, especially with the way his hitting seemed to evolve in 2009. David Wright hitting fourth behind Reyes would see a steady diet of sluggable fastballs with Jose on base, with or without Slappy or Beltran on ahead of him. This is three fast-to-extremely-fast men at the top of the order, and Wright would have more RBI chances than ever before, and again, with possibly more fastballs offered up than in the past with Jose batting right before him. Pitch around Wright, and Bay comes up 5th. This lineup should excite any rational Met fan.

With all of that on-base power preceding Frenchy, it will be harder to pitch around him and get him to swing at poor pitches.

This lineup would maximize everyone’s skills. It would also put one of the game’s most dynamic players in a batting slot other teams would not be prepared for, and possibly explosively change the Mets’ entire offensive dynamic, which leads to the element of all of this which might be the most genius of all.

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The 2007 and 2008 teams have been thought to have been missing something; even with the spectacular core, they fell short. Batting Jose third would dramatically change the team’s look, feel, and overall dynamic, and without changing any of the core players. This is why it must be done.

This is not to suggest Castillo as a permanent leadoff hitter, but using him in this role in 2010 would, again, maximize the remaining skills that this declining but talented veteran player still has. Pagan, should he be able to handle playing every day without getting hurt or losing games with his inexplicably horrid fundamental play, can hold the second spot until Beltran returns. There would be minimal chances to pitch around anyone in the top six, and, as they say, speed does not slump.

Jose Reyes hitting third is very possibly the best imaginable way to seriously change whatever this offense may have been lacking in recent years. It allows the best pure on-base man to lead off. It allows the multi-talented Beltran to hit in what is probably his best natural position. It places Jose in a spot where he can swing away, and where his hitting ability can be maximized, without continuing to try to make him into a .380-400 OBP player, which he likely will never be. He will still steal bases, but can somewhat conserve his problem legs, and get the most out of all of the doubles and triples he hits-a double or triple hitting 3rd the first time through the order not only puts one of the game’s fastest men in scoring position, but it also almost always clears the bases ahead of him. It allows our best hitter to hit in a spot where he can drive in countless runs, and it also gives the newcomer Bay a most attractive scenario in which to hit 5th, where he will not only have a great many RBI chances, but will also have the opportunity to possibly have a fantastic OBP and give the hopefully revived Francoeur his own chance to drive in 100 while seeing more good pitches.

This space has been relentlessly critical of Jerry Manuel. Maybe Jerry sees that this year could be the last chance he gets to manage a seriously talented, big-market team should he not preside over success.

If this pressure is leading him to consider batting Jose third, serious consideration should be given to re-evaluating Jerry’s leadership abilities as well as his capability to change.

This move should be welcomed, and could in fact be revolutionary for the Mets’ 2010 offense and for this group of players in particular.

Jose Reyes

According to Mike Puma, Jerry Manuel is planning on batting Reyes third in the lineup.

“Reyes, in my opinion, has evolved,” Manuel said. “I could really stretch our lineup out if [Reyes] is able to handle that spot.”

Manuel went on to say he envisions Pagan leading off, followed by Castillo or Murphy, then Reyes, Bay, Wright, and Francouer. Additionally, Manuel hopes “the experiment is successful, allowing him to perhaps keep Reyes in the third spot when Beltran returns.”

According to Brian Costa, “Manuel said if Reyes is doing well in the No. 3 spot when Beltran returns, he would keep Reyes there and bat Beltran second, fourth or fifth.”

Adam Rubin has Reyes’ reaction:

Asked if it’s different now compared with last spring training, when he seemed upset with the prospect, Reyes said: “I didn’t say I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t say that. It’s no different. Whatever spot he puts me in the lineup, I’m going to be able to do that. Whatever is best for the team, I’m going to do it. So let’s see what happens.

Updated 2:55 p.m.

Potential 2010 Lineups: