However, in the realm of fantasy baseball, you actually need to be smarter than a rocket scientist.  You need to have a sixth and seventh sense (or a 6 ½ sense medium).  You basically need to be the boy from The Shining and the boy from The Sixth Sense.  Only instead of being able to communicate with old black men, you’ll be able to communicate with your inner keeper.  And instead of being able to see dead people (what a creepy-ass kid), you’ll be able to see living people (like usual) only they’ll be on your team for years to come (until they die, in which case you can still see them). 

In a normal keeper league you’re probably allowed to keep 3 players.  This is extremely difficult considering you’ll probably be saying goodbye to a lot of top banana players.  Sometimes it works out, especially if the player is near the end of his career.  The tough decisions usually come when you have either too much hitting or too much pitching.  There are just those time when you have to sit down, open your Mac and say goodbye to…Ryan Howard?

Yes, he is one of the many players who will not be one of My Three Sons starting in 2011.  And here’s why.

1.)

Hypothetically, if I have Ryan Howard and Adrian Gonzalez at the end of the 2010 fantasy season, I’ll be keeping Gonzalez.  Not an easy choice, and some would even say it’s crazy given Howard’s track record, but he’ll be 31 at the start of the 2011 season, while Gonzalez will be 28.  Howard’s numbers have hit a wall and in some areas like OPS and batting average, have come to a grinding halt.  Gonzalez’s hits and doubles have decreased, but his walks, homeruns and slugging have gone up every year the past four years.  His strikeouts have dropped as well.  All this tells us is that he’s comfortable with the strike zone, while Howard has struck out a whopping 765 times in four years, or twice as many times as Joe DiMaggio did for his entire career. 

With Howard seeing more breaking balls by the season (more than anyone in 2009), he’s bound to have a funk, and not George Clinton style either.  And as the years pass I don’t expect Howard to get stronger.  In fact, he’ll get weaker, especially when you have to lug around 260 lbs, and when his body breaks down, so too will his ability to workout.  He may be “good” for another three seasons, but Adrian Gonzalez has a good chance at going to the friendlier confines of Fenway with a right field fence a whopping 302 feet away and a Green Monster begging to be knocked down by Gonzalez’s lasers. 

Age is a huge factor in a keeper league and sometimes you have to dump a great player one year for a soon-to-be great player for the next three. 

2.)

We want a pitcher, not…Brandon Webb?  Nope, we don’t want Brandon Webb.  However, if you’re stuck with a team that doesn’t have any pitching, then you should keep Brandon Webb.  Like, if your second and third pitchers are Tim Spooneybarger and Tomo Ohka then you simply don’t have a choice.  But if you have a player like, oh, I don’t know, Phil Hughes, then I’m keeping Phil Hughes.  Again, here’s why:

In keeper leagues I often look for upside.  In a three year keeper league I’d just keep Brandon Webb, but if I were only in a three year keeper league I’d also listen to Coldplay and wear “Vote for Pedro” shirts (remember that stupid friggin’ movie?).  No, I’m a man…a hairy man.  We do long-term, frozen in Han Solo carbonite, forever keeper leagues. 

Brandon Webb has become every owner’s worst nightmare:  an ace pitcher with a fat softball player’s injury prowess.  He started one game last year and looks like he’s headed to the DL to start the season this year.  While a shoulder injury isn’t a death sentence, it sure can feel like it when you’re a former Cy Young Award winner and runner up the past two seasons.  He’ll be 32 by the time 2011 rolls along and Phill Hughes will be 25 ½. 

Hughes’s body of work is clearly incomplete, but his “stuff,” meaning his pitches, is getting to ace level.  I actually believe that Hughes is one of the few Yankee prospects that will pan out to be great.  When you consider his 2009 campaign and look at his SO/9 and his WHIP, it’s not farfetched to envision a season similar out of the fifth starter position in 2010 and then the third or fourth slot in 2011.  The best thing going for Hughes is that he has ace stuff and only has to pitch at most in the third spot in the next 3-5 years when he’ll be 28 years old! 

As far as Brandon Webb is concerned, he might scrape together some 15 win seasons, but long-term I’m taking Hughes.  It also doesn’t hurt that Hughes will always benefit from run support.  Webb never had the run support he needed and with less-than-ace stuff heading into the second half of his career, I don’t foresee anymore 20 win seasons or strikeout totals past 150.  Remember, a pitcher coming off arm surgery who throws a nasty sinker is only as good as his other pitches allow him to setup that sinker. 

Take Hughes and get on with your life!

3.)

The all important third keeper.  Do I take another pitcher or another hitter?  In the a keeper league like I play in the question of whether or not you’ll have enough pitching or hitting isn’t necessarily correlated to how much you have on your team.  There’s still a draft to be had and sometimes people give you gifts, like the time I got Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain in back-to-back picks.  That rarely happens and in a hypothetical situation where it’s an even split of pitching and hitting, I’d keep a Wild Card. 

Let’s say you’ve finished 5^th in your league out of 12 teams.  Not bad, but not good either.  You’re keeping Adrian Gonzalez and Phil Hughes (because you’re smart) and now you need to decide on that all important third player.  You’re down to two choices:  Washington National’s future pitching star Steven Strasburg or 21 year old Met’s relief pitcher Jenrry Mejia. 

Let me give you a fictional stat line of 2010:

Strasburg:  6-4 3.95 ERA 100 IP 100 SO and 1 CG

Mejia: 2-1 3.30 ERA 55 IP 71 SO 3 SV and 7 Holds

“It looks pretty even,” said the cross-eyed man on the teeter totter.  And in some leagues this would be about a split if you counted holds and complete games. 

I’m taking Mejia, if for nothing else but besides his tremendous talent.  He’s raw and by 2011 he’ll still be sushi, while Strasburg will have been promoted to live bait.  What I like about Mejia is the team he plays for.  The Met’s don’t have any type of plans for the rest of their rotation or their bullpen, so Mejia will have free reign in the next three years to discover if he wants to be an ace or the next Mariano Rivera, which is what people have prematurely compared his stuff to.  It’s all hype, but someone must’ve seen something to make them say such a thing.  His versatility is a key ingredient, especially on a team that hopefully has learned its lesson on trading young prospects (where have you gone Mr. Kazmir?).

It’s funny, because I dislike Strasburg for the opposite reason I like Mejia:  his team stinks and will continue to stink.  His career, despite his upside, will be dictated by an anemic offense and an awful defense in an even worse park.  Not to mention a bullpen that couldn’t get out Timmy Lupus from The Bad News Bears.

Strasburg’s potential will not overcome Mejia’s talent over the next five years.  And perhaps in five years I’ll be wrong.  Maybe sooner!  But simply speaking from a Wild Card perspective, it couldn’t get any wilder than a completely unproven rookie, on a 4^th place team with pitches comparable to the greatest closer of our generation and any generation, could it?

Those are my three sons:  Gonzalez, Hughes and Mejia.  They might not always behave but in a few years they’ll be mowing my lawn and putting paneling in the den where I keep all my first place trophies and cheap, cheap whiskey. 

Stephen Okawa is the College Baseball Editor for Gotham Baseball and the Co-Executive Producer of Gotham Baseball LIVE. You can contact him here, or follow him on Twitter and add him on Facebook.

The Phillies nabbed Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays (as part of the three-way deal with the M’s and Blue Jays for last year’s ace Cliff Lee.  The replaced a dependable performer in Pedro Feliz with Detroit’s Placido Polanco and bid farewell to Chan Ho Park and Brett Myers and filled their spots in the bullpen with Jose Contreras and Danys Baez.  They were the favorites in the NL East before those moves were made, and remain that way.

But did they really improve?

On Philly.com, amidst comments by a lot of fans to the negative, one fan feels they have done just that:

… Having lived through a 23-game losing streak and Pancho Herrera being tried at second base, I tend to be more appreciative of what we have now. That having been said, I would like to offer the following thoughts on the current discourse:

1) Roy Halladay is the best pitcher on the planet and he is ours.
2) We have him for 4 years and he signed for less than market value.
3) Cliff Lee was not amenable to a similar deal.
4) If he is amenable, he can still prove it next December.
5) Halladay is far more accomplished pitcher than Lee.
6) The Phillies target was Halladay all along.
7) They made a good deal while keeping (outfield prospect Dominic) Brown and getting $6,000,000.
They rented Lee temporarily while waiting to get Halladay.
9) The Phils got back for Lee just about what they gave up for him.
10) They gave up 3 of their top 10 prospects and got back 3 of the same.
11) 2 draft choices next year is not comparable to 3 experienced prospects.
12) The 3 prospects are known quantities who could be in majors in 2 yrs.
13) They have matured and been scouted in pro ball for at least two years.
14) The prospects’ signing bonuses have already been paid.
15) Next year draftees will be 4-5 years from majors and cost big bonus money.

Finally, Anyone who thinks that the pitcher who won the most games for the Phils the last two years should just give up his salary for next year or that the team can pay somebody $8,000,000 to be a coach should have a caretaker check their meds real soon!

Who can argue with that?

There are two other things to consider; the health of Brad Lidge and Polanco replacing Feliz at third base.  On Lidge, the Phillies did manage to get to the World Series last year despite his season-long slump.  Baez was signed to not only set up for Lidge once he’s healthy after off-season surgery, but also to chip in as a closer if needed.  Important to note that Baez once pitched for manager Charlie Manuel when both were in Cleveland, and having that pre-existing relations can’t hurt.

As far as Manuel is concerned, adding Polanco is major addition:

Manuel Loves Placido

Either way, given how the rest of the division looks at the moment, it appears as if the Phillies will have plenty of opportunity to work out whatever kinks they have.

Atlanta Braves

Atlanta’s major moves after a decent 2009 campaign were made to improve their bullpen, signing Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito; They also acquired the solid Melky Cabrera, but dealt Vazquez to acquire him. The main piece of that deal, minor league pitcher Arodys Vizcaino, is a few years away.  The re-signed Tim Hudson, but couldn’t find any takers for Derek Lowe.

Still, manager Bobby Cox and pitching coach Roger McDowell (who, if he isn’t already being mentioned as such, should be the choice to replace Cox when the time comes), will have a very solid rotation at their disposal; Lowe, Hudson, Jair Jurrjens, Kenshin Kawakami and Tommy Hanson.

The offensive core is talented, catcher Brian McCann rebounded nicely after nagging vision problems early in 2009, while unspectacular but steady Nate McClouth will have full year to mesh with his teammates after hamstring problems plagued him after his trade from the Pirates in midseason.  Shortstop Yunel Escobar has improved in each of the last three seasons, and if he can improve his performance against left-handers and continue his progress defensively, he’s a major plus for the Braves.

video.php?v=1017253608782

Unfortunately for Atlanta, their most important player and difference maker may be at the end of his brilliant career.  Chipper Jones hit just .264 last season, failed to hit at least 20 home runs for the first time in 15 seasons and will be 38 on Opening Day.  Barring a significant resurgence from Chipper, it’s hard to imagine the Braves making a real postseason push.

Atlanta also has some special young players ready to make their MLB debuts sometime this season.  Jason Hewyard and Freddie Freeman could see time with the big boys come the summer, and the outfielder and first baseman, respectively, could be fixtures before all is said and done in 2010.

Florida Marlins

The Marlins boast incredible talent at the major league and minor league levels but their commitment and desire to excel in the present is always cause for pause about picking them to make the playoffs.

But one gets the sense that might not be the case in 2010, at least not right now.

“I don’t want to mislead any of our players,” team president David Samson said at a news conference to announce staff ace Josh Johnson’s four-year, $39 million contract. “We have very high expectations going into this season — it is not unreasonable for our fans to believe that we will make the playoffs.”

According to the The Palm Beach Post,  there other reasons for Fish Fans to be upbeat about the season:

Samson also said the team has no plans to trade second baseman Dan Uggla, who hit 31 home runs in 2009 when the Marlins finished with 87 wins, missing the playoffs by five games.

Uggla, who had been the subject of trade talks at the winter meetings, reached agreement on a $7.8 million contract (last Monday).

“I did not go to bed one night this past off-season thinking Dan Uggla was not going to be a Marlin,” Samson said. “We’re bringing back an 87-win team. We want this team back because we were so close.”

Johnson leads a talented young rotation, Hanley Ramirez is considered by many to be on of the best players in all of baseball, and despite a tough debut and subsequent demotion to Triple-A, Cameron Maybin is one of the most potentially exciting prospects in the game.

Put it this way; it’s not a reach to say that the oppressed, apathetic and nearly invisible Florida fan base is slightly more optimistic about the upcoming season than nearly 3 million folks that went to Citi Field in 2009.

Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals finally committed to running a franchise properly, even the woeful seasons of 2008-09 seem a distant memory to some.

“There’s a synergy here that’s attracting people,” GM Mike Rizzo told the Washington Post’s Chico Harlan. “If you’d told me coming off a 59-win season that we would have all this interest from people, it’s really remarkable. People in the industry get it. They see what we’re doing.”

Harlan, who is one of the industry’s best beat writers and a must-read for any baseball fan, believes that Jim Riggleman’s being asked to stay on as manager full-time will “go a long way to determining the success/failure of the Nats in the next few seasons.”

And while agreeing with this premise, there are those that seem to think a more dynamic approach was needed for this young club, specifically ESPN.com’s Keith Law who Tweeted “In what universe would Jim Riggleman be a better choice for Nats manager than Bobby Valentine?” on the day it became known that the Nats had made their choice.

Riggleman has managed the San Diego Padres (1992-94) and the Chicago Cubs (1995-99), as well as the Seattle Mariners in 2008 on an interim basis. He has a career record of 555-694 (.444), with his only playoff appearance coming with the Cubs in 1998.  Hard to get excited about, but sources indicate that Rizzo wanted Riggleman all along.  If true, that’s good news, because a strong GM-manager relationship is key to building a successful team.

On the field, Rizzo has made some significant changes, not the least of which was the addition of number one pick, Stephen Strasburg, who’s already being touted as a savior.  To his credit, Rizzo has made phenom just one of the off season’s storylines.

Harlan:

Washington needed a catcher and got him. Washington needed a veteran pitcher and got him. Washington needed a closer and got him. On Opening Day, don’t be surprised if Jason Marquis takes the mound and Pudge Rodriguez gets the start at catcher. And if the Nats have a late, close lead, don’t be surprised if Brian Bruney pitches the eighth and Matt Capps pitches the ninth. What does it all mean? Washington’s 25-man roster is already about 20-percent better than it was two months ago.

The New York Mets remain convinced that 2009 was an injury-filled aberration of a season, and to this point, have done little to alter that self-evaluation.

Signing Jason Bay to be their left-fielder will help, but otherwise this club is ill-suited for a playoff run.  As of this writing, they have yet to add to their rotation, and the notable newcomers to the bullpen; Ryota Igarashi and Kelvim Escobar, are of the low-risk, high-reward category.  Gary Matthews Jr. was acquired for outfield depth, Alex Cora was re-signed as a backup infielder and that’s pretty much it.

Learning that Carlos Beltran would miss the start of the 2010 season was bad enough; sparring with him publicly about his decision to have surgery was worse.

A farm system lacking in tradable depth, a growing perception that GM Omar Minaya is being marginalized by ownership and an overall outside perception of organizational chaos makes for little optimism for 2010.  Stranger things have happened, but a run at the Phillies looks like a long shot.

Yet the Mets do believe in comebacks:

The Magic Is Back?

There’s no news yet on what the Angels are getting in return (rumors are its reliever Brian Stokes), but its clear that the albatross known as Luis Castillo is not part of the deal.  That said, sources indicate that the deal is likely a precursor to the Mets finally acquiring a starting pitcher.

Back in December, BaseballDigest.com reported that the Mets and Reds had been discussing a deal for right-hander Bronson Arroyo, but that given the complicated nature of the deal, and a lot of “moving parts”, it take some time to be completed.

Acquiring a CF in Matthews, who played in two games for the Mets in the woeful 2002 season, is being labeled by SI.com’s Jon Heyman as “insurance” or “competition” for Angel Pagan, which could very likely be the case.  Why the Mets’ FO thinks that “Little Sarge” is a better option to serve as a backup than career backups Jeremy Reed and Cory Sullivan, both who showed flashes last season, is questionable.

Also giving me pause is that Pagan’s name has come up in several trade talks already this winter, and the Mets appear willing to move him in the right deal.

Metsblog has also intimated that speculation in baseball circles is “there may be a three-team deal” that could net the Mets a SP from the Reds, and the team would then turn around and sign Orlando Hudson.  But for that to happen the Mets would have to deal Castillo to either the Reds or the third team to create the opening at 2B.

Honestly, the next team that indicates it has interest in Castillo will be the first, so any rumor that involves the veteran second baseman has to be taken with a grain of salt.

I speculated a few weeks ago that part of the complications surrounding any potential Mets-Reds deal for Arroyo could involve 2B Brandon Phillips, whom Mets GM Omar Minaya dealt, along with Grady Sizemore and Cliff Lee, to the Indians  for Bartolo Colon on June 27, 2002.  But while it’s clear that the Reds would like to shed some salary, the club is not going to hand two of its best players to the Mets for Castillo and Pagan.

So, while sources indicate that a deal could happen soon, we’re going to wait and see what happens.  My info hasn’t changed much from several weeks ago; Mets and Reds are talking about Bronson Arroyo,.  But with the Mets adding a CF, it may have freed up at least one player who the Reds might have interest in.

One more thing, Mets may be “aggressively pursuing” Ben Sheets, but color me really flabbergasted if he doesn’t wind up with the Texas Rangers.

Rangers’ Ivan Rodriguez, Baseball Digest’s 1999 Player Of The Year
By John Kuenster, Editor, Baseball Digest

Dating back to 1969, Baseball Digest has annually selected its Player Of The Year. In that 30-year span, however, trhere has never been a more difficult decision than the one involved in picking the best all-around player for the 1999 season. Read more…

Baseball’s Biggest Surprises and Flops in ‘99
By George Vass, Baseball Digest

The impoverished A’s, who finished last in 1998, recorded their first winning season since 1992 with a 87-75 mark. They were bolstered by such pickups as designated hitter John Jaha, rookie pitcher Tim Hudson and starting pitcher Kevin Appier, acquired in mid-stream from Kansas City. Read more…

George Brett: A Big-Game Performer
By Joe Posnanski, The Kansas City Star

George Brett’s greatness is too large to condense, too gigantic to abbreviate. You can’t boil down all those hits and the batting titles and the moments and the chase for .400 and the [ain tar home run and the way he tormented the Yankees and the thousand times he broke up the double play and the million throws he made across the diamond. Read more…

This past Monday has had a big effect on the fan base as well, and has been labeled “Black Monday”, because this time, Mets didn’t make any trades. Instead they watched as their main rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies, made a blockbuster that allowed them to acquire Roy Halladay. Compounding things was Boston signing free agent starter John Lackey, who many believed was the Mets’ only realistic — and best — solution to fill the vacant No. 2 spot in their starting rotation. This time, the major emotion isn’t rage, it’s apathy.

And that’s bad mojo, folks. For a number of reasons.

Why? Oh, I’ll tell you why. Because this time, Omar Minaya is no longer the flush-with-cash architect of a breakout Broadway show called “The New Mets”. Instead, he’s become the powerless front man for a long-running sitcom that is as empty of quality content as “Veronica’s Closet” ever was. Worse, it may never be canceled.

Let’s be clear; Minaya is a swell guy who is liked by the majority of his contemporaries. Unlike his deposed deputy, Tony Bernazard, who was despised by 99.9% of humanity, many people feel a tremendous amount of sympathy for Minaya’s current situation.

There are still many others calling for his dismissal, as well a cataclysmic rebuilding of the entire organizational structure, including ownership.

Since the Bernie Madoff scandal broke in late 2008, there have been rumors swirling about the Mets’ finances and whether or not the Wilpon family really has the cash to maintain the National League’s highest payroll. In reality, we may never know just how much the Wilpons lost, or profited for that matter, from the now infamous Ponzi scheme.

What we do know is the Mets have failed — so far, anyway — to address any of the club’s major needs it will require to be considered a playoff caliber team. There is no longer a true No. 2 starter on the open market. Many feel the Mets missed an opportunity with Lackey, but let’s remember that Kevin Millwood, in a contract year, was acquired by the Baltimore Orioles – who play in a division with no hope of contending – for 28-year old Chris Ray, who went was 0-4 with a 7.27 ERA in 46 games last season.

While the Mets continue to negotiate – seemingly against themselves – with a 34-year old catcher, all they have to show for their efforts is long reliever Elmer Dessens and backup catcher Henry Blanco. The latter was a player, which according to reports, was courted by none other than Johan Santana. Mets fans must be wondering, “Hey, um, Johan? Could you maybe recruit, you know, like Joe Mauer maybe?”

One thing I will say about Bengie Molina, he is basically the same player he was at 24, when he broke into the majors with the Angels; decent BA, low OBP, not a lot of Ks, lots of DPs, and his 162-game average for his career (thanks to BaseballReference.com) for HRs and RBIs is 18/88. Dazzling? No, but while he may not be the signature off-season acquisition that many Mets fans desire, his presence on the 2010 (and even 2011) roster would likely upgrade the position while the Mets determine if Josh Thole is the long-term answer.

There’s also a chance that the Mets have the wherewithal to sign Jason Bay to a four or five-year contract to play LF. The merits of his inclusion have been debated in many places, as well as his defensive prowess (or lack thereof). Again, he would be an upgrade offensively to the mishmash of fourth outfielders, miscast first baseman-DH types and brittle 40-plus year olds that have manned the position since the end of the 2006 season. In addition to his questionable defense, the presence and potential blockage of young Fernando Martinez is also a factor in the misgivings some Mets fans have about Bay’s joining the club.

Many have cited the need for the Mets to add to their starting rotation, especially the aforementioned No. 2 starter role, a job Mike Pelfrey (10-12, 5.03 ERA), failed to take possession of in a very difficult 2009 campaign. Popular John Maine, who won 15 games (15-10, 3.91 ERA) two season ago, has seemingly fallen apart, both mentally and physically since pitching coach Rick Peterson was fired in June of 2008. His struggles pale in comparison to that of left-hander Oliver Perez, who was signed to a much-criticized three-year, $36 million contract prior to last season. Perez, who also won 15 games in 2007, made just 14 starts last season, compiling an ugly 6.92 ERA. Homegrown southpaw Jon Niese is also a major question mark, as he’s coming off a dramatic hamstring injury suffered in August.

These five players represent the potential starting rotation for 2010, a group that many feel needs to be vastly upgraded if the Mets are going to contend. Jason Marquis would be a good fit, given his durability, New York background and in-place friendship with right-fielder Jeff Francouer, but at what price? Durability and a Gotham connection are absent from the resume of Joel Piniero, as would be his St, Louis pitching guru Dave Duncan, so that’s an even riskier proposition. The trade market could prove to be a possibility with names like the Reds’ Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang being bandied around in trade rumors. However, the Mets’ farm system doesn’t seem to have the depth to supply the type of major league-ready talent that Cincinnati GM Walt Jocketty would demand in return.

The bullpen, which has been a comedy of errors since the latter half of the 2006 season, is in even worse shape, and given Minaya’s penchant for stocking his relief corps with scrap heap projects, not very promising for 2010. At The Winter Meetings, Mets manager Jerry Manuel talked about filling the eighth-inning setup role by committee depending on who is “hot”. For a skipper whose management of the Mets’ relief corps has been spotty at best, this doesn’t give Mets fans much solace either.

That’s a heckuva lot of question marks for a team with a $150 million payroll. And we didn’t even get into the probability of healthy and representative seasons by Jose Reyes, Luis Castillo, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Francouer and Daniel Murphy.

Before the 2010 season even begins, the pressure to “contend” is already present in all aspects of the Mets’ public persona. There’s also a growing feeling that Omar Minaya may not be the person to adequately change things around.

***

Is the mess of the 2009 season or the current state of affairs of the Mets all Minaya’s fault? Or is it the meddlesome Wilpon family ownership group (categorized by one former employee as “the well-meaning dopes”). Let’s remember the Wilpon group has played a major role in the management of the club since they bought a 50 percent share in 1987.

To the first question, much like his predecessors, Minaya has been a victim of naiveté Believing that ownership would allow his baseball department to operate in a vacuum is high comedy for those who know better.

But let’s face it; Minaya has also created his own reality.

He hired the inexperienced Tony Bernazard to be his right hand; which blew up in his face. While the volatile ex-union flunkie was officially fired because of several well-publicized profanity-laden outbursts, his work product was among the worst in baseball. Based on his interaction with executives from other teams, overt acts of cronyism in his hiring practices, high visibility in the team’s clubhouse and manager’s office and utter lack of any prior player development experience, many baseball insiders feel he left behind a mess for Minaya.

Minaya disputes this, of course, defending his friend’s oversight of the minor leagues to the last. At the sane time, he publicly doubts that Bernazard had anything to do with the fractured relationships in the clubhouse that cost former manager Willie Randolph his job.

Minaya also hired his old farm director Adam Wogan away from the Expos, and for all intents and purposes, has installed him in the Bernazard role as Czar of the minor leagues. By following the Wilpon mantra of replacing an administrator with his immediate subordinate (and eschewing the addition of a successful person outside the organization, who might have a fresh perspective), Minaya has maintained the status quo of a mediocre – at best – department that is vital to the team’s success.

Did injuries play a role in the disaster of 2009? Absolutely. Is it the reason why the Mets are in the state they are in? Hell, no. Minaya and his staff’s lack of pitching evaluation acumen, stubborn adherence to a system-wide accelerated development program (which Bernazard always took credit for, but was put into place by former Minor League Coordinator Tony “T.J.” Tijerina to identify certain players who could handle the fast track, not en masse) and questionable managing skills of Manuel all played a role.

The Wilpons are hardly blameless either.

Whether the GMs name was Cashen, McIllvaine, Phillips, Duquette or Minaya, CEO Fred and COO Jeff Wilpon have overseen – at different times – ALL aspects of the day-to-day operations of the club.

I have never understood – or believed – the family’s assertion that the baseball department “makes all of the decisions”. But even if these statements are true, ownership has made several far-reaching decisions outside of baseball operations that have repeatedly turned off one of the most loyal fan bases in the country.

From the construction of a ballpark that is aesthetically beautiful, but devoid of the adoration of the team that plays on its field, to the clumsy attempts by miscast “spokespeople” to address the fan base’s dissatisfaction with the ballpark, the Wilpons has failed to motivate many ticket sales this off-season. The perception is that the Mets have decided to ignore their most loyal fans in order to create a sterile, corporate venue – called by this writer “Neutral Field” — that mostly pays homage to an organization that abandoned these parts 50-plus years ago.

So many of these complaints are fixable, and yet there is always a spin cycle in place to deflect criticism, rather than admitting a mistake and fixing it.

Is it so difficult too give the fans blue hats, blue undershirts and blue

Tom Seaver, wearing the real home uniform

From published reports, we hear that Oldtimer’s Day is “too much work”, but perhaps if the club’s PR department worked as hard at promoting Oldtimer’s Day (accompanied by a FanFest of some kind), as it did the opening of the Alyssa Milano boutique, maybe they’d have a better turnout.

For a fanbase that is this cranky, couldn’t you work a littler harder on the peripheral things that might win you over some of those folks? It might not translate into immediate ticket sales, but maybe there are millions of fans that listen on the Radio (and probably represent the majority of the folks that call into WFAN and ESPN 1050), watch SNY and and post on Internet message boards and blogs, that play a huge role in the public perception of the team. Maybe putting together a truly representative focus group of these folks could help? Since the Wilpons are always so defensive and get their backs up when people complain, I am shocked that they haven’t put together a Town Meeting At Citi for fans to vent a little bit. You could even sell $2 dollar hot dogs and make some money on the deal.

Then there is, more importantly, the obstructed view controversy, which is astounding in its own right. The “it’s you, not us approach” could not be more ill-advised.

For example, I hired a family-owned contracting company to re-side my house a few years ago. Formerly run by the father, the son was now the point man. My wife – a stickler for detail — noticed that one section of the project looked uneven. Even with my eyesight issues, I could see the obvious. We pointed it out, and spent the next 20 minutes listening to how “that’s the way the house leans”. Thankfully, the father had been visiting his son that particular day, and noticed the animated discussion. Before even asking his question, he yelled at the crew as he ambled over, yelling, “Hey, stunod, that’s all crooked.”

Obvious mistake. Dopey and useless spin. Solution by accountability.

So where does all this leave Minaya and the Mets? Well, let’s see:

- Many question marks on the field
- Doubts about the long-term health of the franchise
- Apathetic fan base with a Bobby Bonilla-sized chip on their shoulders
- Dwindling season ticket sales.
- Lame duck GM and manager
- Instrusive and stubborn ownership
- Media that regularly enjoys the misery of the Mets (and the Wilpons)

It’s not a time for panic, it’s a time for reality and patience and observation. That goes for the Wilpons (we see what happens when they panic), Minaya (still amazed at the attack on Adam Rubin) and the fans (yeah, you guys that keep saying 2010 is over already).

Hey stunods, it’s crooked. Fix it. Don’t talk about it, don’t explain it, just do it. Enough with all the drama.

First, a Philadelphia website reported that the Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Tampa Bay Rays had finalized a deal that would have sent Rays’ OF Pat Burrell to the Cubs for OF Milton Bradley. Then the report had the Cubs turning around and dealing Burrell to the Mets for 2B Luis Castillo. 

After speaking to two sources close to the team and a Mets official, Baseball Digest was told that “the teams had talked, but no deal had been made.” Several other media outlets followed, many getting info that such talks had “zero truth” to them.

I discussed these and other rumors on today’s Baseball Digest LIVE

Later in the afternoon, a rumor being discussed in the lobby that the Mets and Detroit Tigers were on the verge of a deal that would have sent SP Edwin Jackson to the Mets for an unidentified player, wound up on Twitter. 

Within minutes the rumor was squashed by several news outlets.

Here are some of the more interesting topics from the first day at the Winter Meetings:

• Texas Rangers Assistant General Manager, Thad Levine, confirmed the team is looking to add a bat to the middle of the lineup.  The Rangers prefer a right-handed hitter.
• The San Diego Padres have said that they are looking to deal 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff who is eligible for salary arbitration.
• With C Henry Blanco signing with the Mets last week, the Padres are also looking for a catcher that can backup starter Nick Hundley.
• The Mets are scheduled to talk to SP John Lackey’s agent later in the night.  It’s been reported that Lackey wants between $85-$100 million  over five years.
• The Mets have also been linked to two left fielders, Josh Willingham of the Washington Nationals and Juan Rivera of the Los Angeles Angles.
• ANY discussion surrounding the Florida Marlins SP Josh Johnson or SS Hanley Ramirez are “ridiculous” according to a source close to the Marlins situation.

Notes from the MLB Managers Media sessions:

Atlanta Braves Bobby Cox

• The Braves are looking for another hitter, preferably a right hander.
• Although highly touted minor league 1B Freddy Freeman is “very talented” the Braves would like to fill the position with a veteran.
• The Braves have seven starting pitchers currently and will be looking to move one of those pitchers for hitter. Cox said the Braves have a mock board in the Braves “War Room” looking for the best deal.
• 2B Martin Prado will be the Braves opening day second baseman.
• Cox said that teams are “knocking on the door” for 2B Kelly Johnson.
• Braves No. 1 prospect, OF Jason Heyward, will be given every opportunity to win the left field job out of spring training. Cox said Heyward is the “entire package.”

Chicago Cubs manager Lou Pinella

• Lou Pinella said that the Cubs are looking for a bat that can drive in runs.  He’d prefer an outfielder that can play defense and hit not just hit.  Mike Cameron’s name came up several times as a possible fit.
• The Cubs will also be looking for a bullpen guy to help with their inexperience.
• CL Carlos Marmol was named the opening day closer for the Cubs. Pinella wanted to squash any rumors early and give Marmal confidence going into the season.
• Pinella will keep OF Alfonso Soriano in the sixth spot in the batting order.
• SP Carlos Zambrano has lost 15 pounds and is working out in Chicago this offseason.
• C Geovany Soto, has been working out in Puerto Rico and is looking to bounce back from a disappointing sophomore year.  Pinella also reported that Soto has lost 10-12 pounds.

Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona

• Terry Francona reported that both 3B Mike Lowell and SP Tim Wakefield looked good.
• OF JD Drew finally has full-range of motion in his left arm which he had surgery on last month to remove spurs.
• To kill all rumors of 2B Dustin Pedroia moving to SS, Francona officially announced that Marco Scutaro will be his opening day starting SS.
• SP Daisuke Matsuzaka’s offseason conditioning is a top priority for the Red Sox after he missed nearly three months in 2009 due to a right shoulder problem.
• Francona commented on how DH David Ortiz has dropped 10 pounds and is looking to have a better season than last year.  He attributed his slow start to the wrist injury, but did note that he ended up with 99 RBI.

Texas Rangers Manager Ron Washington

• The Rangers No. 1 prospect, 1B Justin Smoak, will be given every opportunity to win the 1B job out of spring training.
• With the loss of SS/2B Omar Viquel, the Rangers will be looking to replace him with another middle infielder where defense is the priority.
• As it stands right now Washington said this would be his starting lineup

1. CF Julio Borbon
2. 2B Ian Kinsler
3. 3B Michael Young
4. LF Josh Hamilton
5. RF Nelson Cruz
6. 1B Chris Davis
7. DH David Murphy – until the get right handed hitter they’re looking for
8. C
9. SS Elvis Andrus

• Ron Washington did not rule out the Rangers bringing back CF Marlon Byrd who will have until midnight tonight to decide whether or not he’ll accept arbitration.
• The Rangers will continue their pitching regimen, started last year, with the philosophy “pitch to contact and pounding the zone.”

I’ll be on Baseball Digest LIVE all week, you can listen here

There have been few things in Wally Backman’s life that have come to him easily. Now that he’s finally gotten a second chance to resume his managing career in affiliated baseball, he welcomes both the challenge and the opportunity to stay there.

“I couldn’t really ask for a better minor league job.” Backman told reporters at a press conference held at Keyspan Park on Tuesday, formally announcing his selection as the manager of the Single-A Brooklyn Cyclones, an affiliate of the New York Mets. “This organization is where I started, and my heart never left New York. A piece of you never leaves the first place you play.”

Since being fired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2004, a job he held for four days, the two-time Minor League Manager of the Year has been trying to repair his reputation and get a job in affiliated baseball.

I had interviewed Backman during the 2005 season, trying to ascertain why he hadn’t hooked up with another major league club. I met up with him again during the 2005 Winter Meetings in Dallas, where Backman was looking to earn a spot with another team. He received no offers.

He had hoped the Mets would call. He’d had a few conversations with team insiders about the then-vacancy at Double-A Binghamton before Jeff Wilpon handed over the discussions to the baseball operations people. According to Bob Klapisch in the Bergen Record (1/15/2006), Backman was told he “wasn’t a fit.”

At the time, while covering the Mets for Gotham Baseball Magazine, I was also told by a minor league official that Backman “wasn’t in Tony Bernazard’s little black book”, putting the blame on the now departed VP of Player Development.

“I gave that organization 13 years of my life,” Backman told me at the time. “I don’t understand it.”

Interesting, isn’t it, that the door has opened for Backman now that Bernazard is gone? In any event, Backman went about trying to get back into baseball. One of those efforts, an otherwise ill-fated stint (because of the buffoons that ran the league and the team, not because of Backman, who took his team to the championship) with the South Georgia Peanuts in the now-defunct South Coast League during the 2007 season, actually played a major factor in Backman’s return.

Award-winning filmmaker John Fitzgerald (The Emerald Diamond) spent that spring and summer with Backman and the Peanuts filming the reality series “Playing For Peanuts”.

Joe Janish, the former Managing Editor of BaseballDigest.com and the publisher of MetsToday.com — who has spent many a day lobbying for Backman’s return to the Mets – interviewed Fitzgerald when “Peanuts” debuted in the spring on 2008 on SNY.

“Once I found out Wally Backman was managing a team, I chose to follow his team because he had the most interesting story in all aspects (playing, coaching, personal). Other than that, I had NO idea what to expect.”

He was right, because not long after the show debuted, Fitzgerald, despite facing horrendous budget costs (which still exist), pulled the show after the Mets’ flagship network refused to promote it.

“SNY refused to promote the show even though it is being promoted in other cities as part of the same agreement. I tried to compromise on the level of promotion and I never got anywhere with it,” Fitzgerald said in a statement. “… I can’t give the show away for free in New York if SNY won’t promote it. It isn’t fair to the show, the show’s investors or the production crew – many of whom worked for deferred payment and are still waiting for the show to turn a profit.”

It still hasn’t, and in this writer’s opinion, SNY has yet to provide it’s viewership with an equally compelling alternative.

SNY’s lack of desire to promote the show was, according to several people we spoke with at the time, mainly due to pressure from ownership. The feeling was that any direct attention given to Backman would be a distraction to the big club. The daily broadcast presence of the enormously popular Backman, coupled by a growing dissatisfaction with then-manager Willie Randolph, would create too much “Backman Should Manage The Mets” hype from the media and fanbase. It strengthened the belief of many that Backman would never be allowed to work for the Mets in any capacity.

Perhaps the most ironic twist is that Fitzgerald, whose work on the “Peanuts” series helped spark the friendship with Backman that remains strong to this day, was actually the person who provided Backman with Jeff Wilpon’s cell number. The former second baseman then made the call that got the process of his getting back into baseball started.

I don’t shock very easily, but when I was told several weeks ago about that Backman was flying into New York to meet with Jeff Wilpon about possibly joining the Mets in some capacity, I was floored. I asked myself (and the person who gave me the information), “What’s changed from 2005 or 2008 or this past season? I still haven’t been able to figure it out, but it would seem that Jeff Wilpon’s willingness to bring in former Mets with a baseball pedigree and a winning attitude is a major factor these days.

Some might argue that it’s a flawed way of doing things, but when comparing the likes of Backman, Teufel, Howard Johnson and Mookie Wilson to Bernazard hiring his buddies (Luis Aguayo and Mako Olivares), it’s pretty safe to say the Mets, and their fans, might be better off. Time will tell.

In truth, Backman would probably have taken any job the Mets had offered him. Single-A Port St. Lucie, the hub of the team’s minor league operations, was the destination most figured would make the most sense. However, in the end, it was the Brooklyn job that was offered. A cynic would say that this was the Mets’ way of pumping up the ‘Clones attendance, but that’s dopey, as the team in Brooklyn regularly draws better crows than any club in the entire farm system.

In many ways, the Brooklyn job is tougher than any in the organization, save the Mets gig. Based on what other former Cyclones managers past and present have told me (and I’ve covered every one since the inaugural season of 2001), it’s the most demanding job in the system. In addition to the mounds of paperwork, constant directives from the minor league department and major league front office on who to play, where to play, who’s in the bullpen, who should start, etc. And then there’s the media.

Yes, even in little ol’ Brooklyn, the media demands are very heavy. From the weekly newspapers in Brooklyn, to the ever-growing internet media outlets, to the stringers from the tabloids, there are always media folks in the managers’ office following games. One former Cyclones manager once told me in confidence that if he “ever imagined there would be even half of you (bleeps) in this (bleeping) office, I would have took the Kingsport job instead.”

Backman seemed more than up to the task on Tuesday, as several of the Mets’ beat writers made the trek to Coney Island for the press conference. He also made several video segments for the Cyclones, answered some questions for some of the broadcast crews. He also stuck around long enough to do one-on-one interviews with MLB.com’s Marty Noble and myself. He spent the rest of his day going on WFAN with Mike Francesa as well as appearing on SNY’s Daily News LIVE. It was a long day, but Backman had a smile on this face that even Darryl Strawberry would warm up to.

So Backman is back in baseball and back with the Mets. He’s going to be expected to win, keep his nose clean and be media-friendly. Shouldn’t be too hard for a guy that’s been waiting five years to get back into the game – and a city — he loves.

This move will put Gomez in the lead off role for 2010 and signals the end of Mike Cameron’s reign in Milwaukee.  Alcides Escobar will now take over the everyday shortstop role in Miller Park for years to come and will likely hit in front of Ryan Braun in the lineup.

Gomez, 23, has 59 stolen bases in just over 1,000 career at-bats. He was the prize possession in a deal that sent Johan Santana to the New York Mets before the 2008 season, who has yet to hit for consistent contact.

The Crew has also declined David Weathers’ $3.7 million option for 2010, costing the team $400,000.  It appears they would rather spend their money in the free agency market which is stock full of some decent arms.

Tomorrow, I’ll go over the five moves that the Brewers must make this off-season.

Maybe the baseball gods put the hex on the Yankees after they celebrated on the Mets home field. Nine years have passed since Mike Piazza’s flyball looked oh so close to going out, only to fall gently into Bernie Williams’ glove.

Yet, now Shea Stadium is gone and the Yankees are going back to the World Series, playing of all teams, the Philadelphia Phillies. It’s a Met fans’ nightmare. Them against them. The same type of suffering the Yankee fan had back in 1986. Does a Met fan root for a Phillies dynasty or the completed purchase of No. 27?

This is what Sam Kinison meant when he spoke about the “Big Menu.”

Even though this seems like a tough choice, it’s actually pretty obvious, Met fans need to back a New York team here. Sure it’s easy to say, “I’m not watching.” But unless you really love CSI and NCIS, there’s really nothing else on TV. Football only happens on Sunday and unless you are a Ranger fan, all the other New York teams stink.

And forget HBO, because outside of the hour of Curb Your Enthusiasm, there’s really nothing on there either, unless you are a fan of Madagascar 2.

As a baseball fan, you will watch the series and as a Met fan, you need to pull for New York here. It’s the Greatest City in the World against the Greatest American City of the 18th Century. Philadelphians have a huge inferiority complex when it comes to New York. They don’t like this city and they especially don’t like our sports teams. Sure they hate the Mets, but they also hate the eight other teams in the area. It make you wonder what makes them happier, a championship for one of their teams or seeing New York suffer with their sports teams?

Now they have a chance to be twice as excited.

Sure the Yankee fans are hard to take, especially when they are winning. But remember this is the team that your wife or husband back; the team of your father or your brother and sister. The Bombers are your best friend’s team or your co-workers. Almost every Met fan has a friend or family member who roots for the Yankees. And if you tell them up front that you are pulling for their team, the abuse won’t be so bad if the Bombers happen to win.

Remember these are your neighbors, who also back your other teams. They are Giant and Jet fans. They follow the Rangers, Islanders, or Devils. They pull for the Knicks, who need all the help they can get. There’s common ground here. There’s none of that from Philly, which looks upon New York with disdain.

So Met fans, put up your noses and back the Bombers here for the next two weeks. Don’t just relish their victory, but also the defeat of a common enemy.

And remember after the Yankees win, you won’t have to see any of those “highlights” of Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter celebrating on Shea Stadium’s field.

No. 27 will be win for all New Yorkers.

See more of Joe McDonald at NY Sports Day.

”There are no quick fixes in this game and we must bring people from our minor leagues, we must scout them better, we must develop them better and we must have a pipeline to the major league club.  That’s important for this club and perhaps for any club. We’re going to work on that and stress that.” – Fred Wilpon, June 13, 2003

When Al Harazin was handed the keys to the New York Mets’ baseball operations following the 1991 season, it served as a template of organizational dysfunction that remains to this day.  From Harazin to current GM Omar Minaya, there has been one constant; ownership.  Their poor – and at times, incredulous – decision-making has been at the core of it all.

For the last few years of Frank Cashen’s tenure, then-team president Fred Wilpon – who had become a full partner following the club’s World Series triumph in 1986 – had exerted a growing influence on the team’s day-to-day operations.

From the decision to give the GM job to Al Harazin over Gerry Hunsicker to the hiring of Jeff Torborg (and a four-year contract, no less) without interviewing a other single candidate, the first seven years of the 1990’s were put in motion by one man; Fred Wilpon.  His co-owner, Nelson Doubleday, preferred the background and believed that a united front in all decision – publicly – would make the organization run smoother.

Unfortunately, both Doubleday’s shrinking influence and Wilpon’s insistence on building a winning “brand”, rather than a winning team, ultimately doomed the team’s chances of recapturing their mid-1980’s glory.

“Second-guessing by (Fred Wilpon) never made the papers,” A former Mets’ front office member said.  “It was constant … No matter what we tried to do, it went to a committee, and slowed up every single decision.”

The selection of Harazin to run the baseball operation should have been a clear indication that the team was taking its cues from ownership, rather than the baseball department.  A lawyer who had been primarily a contract negotiator after joining the Mets in 1980, his back page acquisitions all blew up in his face, as did the hiring of Torborg.

The team’s record over his two-year tenure was 93-137.

Yes, signing four All-Stars in Bobby Bonilla, Bret Saberhagen, Eddie Murray and Tony Fernandez, made a tremendous amount of sense – on paper.  Yes, Murray had 193 RBIs in a Mets uniform, including his last-ever 100 RBI season in 1993 (a year in which he hit 27 homers and batted .285).  But like his contemporary Carlos Delgado, the charming, charismatic man known to teammates and friends preferred to create a poisonous cloud of mistrust and disdain for the media in his clubhouse.  Rather than enjoy the All\-Star switch-hitter and Gold Glove-winner’s final Hall of Fame caliber season, instead the local media spent most of Murray’s tenure wondering what possessed the Mets to being this distasteful curmudgeon to the Big Apple in the first place.

The group, which included Willie Randolph, had starred in other uniforms and  had been part of winning, but thrown together under a manager ill-suited for the job, were an unmitigated disaster.

Though the driving force in nearly every acquisition, Wilpon did little to establish any accountability on his plate, instead pointing out it was his baseball people that had screwed up.

“When Al made all those moves, he was applauded as the great trader Al,” Wilpon told the New York Times. “Nobody questioned his abilities then. It hasn’t worked out. We’re all disappointed.”

His replacement, the longtime Mets assistant-turned San Diego GM and now “the baseball guy” who would turn the Mets around, would be Joe McIllvane.  A former trusted aide to Cashen, whom Wilpon had always admired, had just been forced to unmake the San Diego Padres, and was ready to  return to New York.

Sound familiar?  It should, because every GM the Mets have had since Frank Cashen has been the assistant of the guy that he either replaced, or a former assistant that had gone somewhere else, didn’t make the playoffs, and came back a conquering hero (for some reason).

One former employee called the Wilpons “well-meaning dopes” because they are decent people but “always start listening to someone else the minute the guy who was going to be a savior doesn’t make miracles instantly.”

For his part, McIlvaine might have had the best GM the Mets have ever had, especially when you consider the talented front office he had at his disposal.  Jack Zduriencik, now the Mariners’ GM , was with the Mets as farm director, and assistant GM.  Gerry Hunsicker, who left in 1995 to become the Astros GM (and recently helped rebuild the Tampa Bay Rays).  Too bad none of the three fit the “corporate suit” mold that the Wilpons had yearned for in their executives.

The passing over of Hunsicker so many times is perhaps the most inexcusable error made by the Wilpons during that period, but the dismissal of McIlvaine was equally poor.

“McIlvaine, on the other hand, is less regimented. Wilpon wanted McIlvaine to arrange regular conference calls to detail exactly what each branch of the organization was doing. Sometimes McIlvaine adhered to Wilpon’s request; sometimes he did not.” – Buster Onley, New York Times, July 17, 1997

Get that?  The guy who cleaned up Harazin’s (and Wilpon’s) mess of a farm system and major league roster was shown the door because he was too busy building a winning team.

Maybe he should have put the cover sheet on those TPS reports.

For most of the folks watching the New York Mets celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1969 Miracle Mets, it was a magical Saturday night at Citi Field. A ballpark that has been criticized by many of its faithful fans for not being “Mets-centric” enough, felt at last like home.

Longtime Mets radio voice Howie Rose was exuberant as he went through the pre-game introductions. The fans went wild for Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Cleon Jones, Buddy Harrelson and Yogi Berra. The sight of Nolan Ryan and Gary Gentry making long-awaited returns to New York City was a thrill, and the still-youthful grins of Duffy Dyer and Wayne Garrett made for a very special series of moments.

However, on a night that the Mets celebrated the heroes of an almost forgotten era, one former champion’s name was absent, and more glaring, not even mentioned during the pregame ceremonies. His name is Ken Boswell, and his omission from a ceremony that celebrated one of this town’s most memorable teams was appalling.

“He couldn’t make it,” said one Mets official.

Another Mets representative mentioned that Boswell, (a .279 hitter in the regular season, two homers and five RBIs in the NLCS against the Braves and hit .333 in the World Series), “didn’t show up.”

Efforts to contact Boswell directly failed, but a person close to the former infielder did mention recently that Boswell “was never invited,” and based on a recent misunderstanding with Mets’ management, “wouldn’t have gone anyway.”

But no mention?

“It was an oversight”, said another team insider, who was visibly upset at the mistake.

Seems strange that the living members of the team who did not attend; Art Shamsky, Jack DiLauro, J.C. Martin were all announced during the pre-game ceremony, accompanied by game footage and pictures.

An honest mistake? Perhaps. But this isn’t the first time, according to someone very close to Boswell, that the Mets have shown little understanding of the history of their franchise.

According to this individual, Ken had contacted the Mets during the 2005 season about attending a game in Houston (he lives in Austin, TX), and requested a few tickets. Apparently, a World Series ring didn’t dazzle the team official he spoke with, and it took a few calls to actually get the request approved. When Boswell showed up at the ballpark to get the tickets, he was hoping to get a chance to perhaps get into the clubhouse, meet some of the players, and shake some hands. Maybe meet the “other No. 12,” even.

No such luck. Here’s your tickets, and have a nice day. Know what? Hard to blame Boswell for not making the trip. But to ignore his contribution to the Amazin’ Mets? For this reporter, put a damper on what was otherwise a splendid evening at Citi Field.

Then, he cracked.

The entire season I’ve been waiting for this moment, the moment when Sheffield lapsed into his old self and put himself before the team.

Sheffield has a long history of attitude issues, hence the reason the slugger has played for nine different teams in his career.  Since the Mets signed him in early April, he has been relatively calm.  He, at age 40, seemed to finally have matured enough to realize the team comes before his needs.

He’s played exceptionally well, better than I ever could have imagined.  His 10 home runs lead the punchless Mets and his defense was far better than someone who had played only a handful of games over the last few seasons, with the majority of his time coming as a designated hitter.

In April, I wrote:

His ego and attitude may be a bit of a thorn in the side of the fairly good clubhouse chemistry, but I don’t see him being that much of a problem. He’ll be vocal, but maybe the team needs that sometimes.

And for months, we didn’t hear a peep.

The then flap of Sheffield being placed on the DL surfaced.

At the end of July, the Mets placed Sheffield on the DL after he claimed he was ready to take the field.  There was a bit of controversy, and rightly so, as Sheffield said, “I don’t feel it.  I don’t feel it when I run, I don’t feel it when I do anything.”

But that quieted down in a few days.

Eleven days ago, Sheffield and Manuel had a closed door meeting.  Sheffield had been held out of the lineup for a few days, and he and Jerry Manuel had a 40-minute discussion over the issue.

But that was nothing.

Yesterday, Sheffield was in the original lineup for the Mets.  Then, he was removed.  Manuel said Sheffield asked out, “to clear his thoughts.”

We later found out Sheffield was rebuked on his contract proposal.  After the game, reporter Brian Costa tweeted, “As he walked out a back door to the Mets’ clubhouse, Gary Sheffield said, "I’m done." Perhaps in more ways than one.”

I guess a few months of peace and quiet from Gary Sheffield was too much to ask.

George Burns, playing God in the 1977 classic movie Oh, God!, may have never been able to utter that famous line had it not been for Ron Swoboda’s famous and miraculous diving grab of Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson’s ninth-inning liner in Game 4 of that year’s World Series.

Many baseball fans are familiar with the play, if not the exact circumstances.  With the Mets clinging to a tenuous 1-0 lead in the game and a 2-1 Series advantage, and Orioles on first and third with none out, Robinson laced a pitch by fellow future inductee Tom Seaver into right center field that appeared to be headed into the gap, at minimum tying the game and putting runners on second and third with none out.  Instead, out of nowhere, Swoboda, known more for his bat than his glove, made “The Catch,” forever immortalized by World Series game films and historic photos.

The Mets went on to win the game in the 10th inning for the decisive 3-1 Series lead, and took the title the next day at Shea Stadium.

“After 40 years, I’m still thanking Brooksie for not hitting the ball right at me,” joked Swoboda as he arrived in New York Thursday.

With the Mets celebrating the 40th anniversary of the “Amazin’” 1969 squad with a reunion of most of its members this weekend, the New York Daily News, Swoboda and Robinson have teamed to make an autographed, framed print of the famous photo by legendary photographer Frank Hurley available to fans and collectors.

Next to their respective autographs, Swoboda inscribes “The Catch” and Robinson writes “Nice Catch.”

“People are always asking me about it.” addes Swoboda.  “I still have the glove. Did the play change my life? You bet it did.”

The limited-edition (only 1,000 signed copies will be available) photos are priced at $209.99 plus shipping, handling and taxes each. For more information, fans can call Cirillo World at (212) 972-5337, email NiceCatchRon@gmail.com or visit NYDailyNews.com/catch.  It’s part of a collectibles project entitled “The Catch of A Lifetime: Swoboda Saves the Day,” in which veteran New York public relations man John Cirillo is teaming with his boyhood hero.

“I remember racing down the stairs at St. Mark’s School in Brooklyn, and sprinting the three blocks home to watch the end of the game,” says Cirillo, the former Knicks and Madison Square Garden executive. “Like millions of Mets fans from that generation, the Catch has been indelibly etched in my mind’s eye for four decades.”

The joint effort of Swoboda and Robinson is reminiscent of other famously connected duos in baseball who years later worked together to market their shared places in history.  Notably, Ralph Branca with Bobby Thompson on “The Shot Heard Round the World” and Mike Torres with Bucky Dent on the latter’s 1978 A.L. East Division playoff home run come to mind.

Part of the proceeds of each sale of “The Catch” will benefit the New York Mets Foundation, which funds and promotes a variety of educational, social and athletic programs and other charitable causes.

Well, after weeks of rumors that have linked Bobby Valentine to the skipper’s job in 2010, or Gerry Hunsicker as the next GM, and Leo Mazzone as a possible pitching coach, why not just get it over with?

Hunsicker and Valentine worked together (in New York) before and had a understanding about how to deal with certain players.
Given some of the players that are currently on the Nats’ roster, that cooperation might come in handy. It’s almost too bad — especially if this happens — that Lasting Milledge isn’t around anymore. Hell, if Carl Everett played for Bobby V, Milledge sure as hell could.

The Mazzone thing has really caught my attention. The Lerners — through team president Stan Kasten — have denied any discussion with the former Braves and Orioles pitching coach, but the rebuttals sound empty.

Let’s see; 2009, Bowden-Acta-St. Claire. 2010, Hunsicker, Valentine and Mazzone?

How many Nats fans would sign up for that?

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Since 1942, Baseball Digest has been providing comprehensive coverage of America’s Pastime to baseball fans of all ages. Each week, we here at BaseballDigest.com will look back at a different issue of this great publication, and expect (as we did this week) to find tons and tons of interesting topics!

In the August 1969 issue:

Reggie Jackson – Baseball’s Next Super-Star?
Electronic Eye To Replace Umps?
The Game I’ll Never Forget: When Podres Shut Out The Yankees In ‘55 World Series

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One of the first things I learned in my journalism classes was to never make yourself part of the story.  Yesterday, Rubin had no control over it.  Minaya pulled his name out and tried to drag it through the mud.  Rubin had to respond with a press conference of his own to clear up the insanity.

Most people are taking sides on it, but I stand firmly in the middle.  Both parties were wrong.

Rubin, though interested in a job in baseball, should not continually (or even once) “lobby” for a position or even inquire with officials of the team he is covering.  Maybe another team, in another league.  Maybe.  Otherwise, this just seems like a huge conflict of interest if anyone does lend a hand his way while he may be covering the team.

Edit: Rubin said something to the effect of talking to people about a career in baseball. That might not be lobbying (hence the " ") but it is something to note.  Minaya could be fabricating this “continuing lobbied” story, or it could be true.  Even if Rubin once asked Jeff Wilpon or anyone else with the Mets about a job with the team, I think he crossed some line.

Minaya, though somewhat just in his suspicions, should not have slapped this on Rubin during the press conference that was being broadcast on TV.  If he took Rubin aside and spoke to him, that would have been fine.

Rubin should, and has, stood by his reporting.  His articles brought to light a very serious matter within the Mets and they conducted their own investigation because of it.  The team must have found something to back up Rubin’s story, otherwise Tony Bernanzard would still be employed.

Sure, it could have just come from fan pressure that they let Bernazard go, but I don’t see that being the reason.  They must have found a red flag (or a few) in order to go through with canning a dear friend of Minaya and Jeff Wilpon.

Rubin did some great reporting to break the story and defended himself against the acqusations that he was gunning for Bernazard’s job.  But Rubin did trip up in his press conference and appearance on TV afterwards.

He said, on many occasions, that he doesn’t know how he’s going to cover the Mets anymore after this.

That’s a big no-no to me.  As a journalist, you have to stay emotionally separate from your story or beat.  You cannot spill emotion into a news article.  That’s for a columnist or fluff article.  You must report the facts whether you like them or not, because what you think as a reporter doesn’t really matter.

If you do see a discrepancy or some fault, you can further investigate, but your personal feelings should never, ever creep into your articles.

If he believes that, as a reporter, he won’t be able to continue to find the true facts on the team, that may be one thing.  I don’t believe that was what he was alluding to, though.

So both Minaya and Rubin were at fault.  Minaya should not lose his job over this.  Either should Rubin (though as he said, he doesn’t know how he’s going to cover the team anymore).  Both probably said things they would take back in a second.

This story seems like it has some legs and will keep chugging along for a few days, at the least.  As a journalist, it is fascinating and horrifying to watch. 

It might be more exciting than the Mets season.

Though he had a large hand in running the “day-to-day operations’ of the baseball team while holding a minority share in the team, once Fred Wilpon became a full partner, “he dove right into every facet of the club”, said one former club employee.

“It wasn’t too bad at first, because Nelson (Doubleday, the Mets’ co-owner) expected it to happen, and maybe even wanted it to happen,” said a former Mets front office member who now works for another club. “But as time went on, and the team didn’t win another World Series, Nelson started to regret (the partnership).”

Frank Cashen, who had worked “without any real input” from ownership before the 1986 championship, now an image-conscious Fred Wilpon “very, very involved” with every player transaction. Despite protestations to the media over the years, and hundreds of references to the “baseball department”, Wilpon, according to many former Mets’ employees, has always made his wishes known to his GMs.

“Nelson really started to remove himself from the day-to-day operations of the club,” another former team official said. “He was always reluctant to tell the baseball what to do, and he thought Fred was out of line. But to keep the peace, he backed off.”

With little resistance from Doubleday, Fred Wilpon sent the message to Cashen that offseason; start weeding out the undesirables.

Did Cashen – the same guy who dealt for Keith Hernandez, knowing full well of the cocaine rumors surrounding him – really think dealing Kevin Mitchell for Kevin McRenyolds was a way to upgrade the team’s ability to win? Hard to believe, especially for a guy that used the term “fire in the belly” as a favorite way to describe a winning player.

Cashen liked McRenyolds’ talent, sure, as finding an upgrade in LF was a priority that offseason. Becoming frustrated with World Series MVP Ray Knight’s contract demands was another understandable situation, and with Howard Johnson waiting in the wings, one would argue it made tremendous sense to allow him to leave.

However dealing away Mitchell, did more harm to his own waistline than he ever did to any of his teammates’ good standing as citizens, would prove ill-fated. It was not the first time the Mets would clumsily deal with an African-American member of their organization (nor would it be the last), and all indications were that the ownership and front office were very intimidated by Mitchell’s street tough reputation.

“Mitchell scared the (bleep) out of Fred … he wanted ‘World’ off the team almost to the day after the season was over,” recalled a former team employee.

The 1987 season would be disastrous; Dwight Gooden’s drug suspension, Bobby Ojeda and Sid Fernandez would spend time on the DL, and a late- season surge would be halted when Terry Pendelton of the hated St. Louis Cardinals would crush Metland with a line drive homer off Roger McDowell.

It was also a season when the “front office” would begin its now-famous meddling. Furious with the Gooden scandal, Wilpon “blamed Frank Cashen, who in turn blamed Davey, and they were never the same again.”

The disdain for Davey, which exists today (and he returns the sentiment), started showing up in the press, albeit without Fred Wilpon’s name ever attached to it.

After winning a World Series, and piloting a injury-ridden pitching staff through a miserable 1987 first half to miss the postseason by just three games (but own the second-best record in the NL overall), Johnson was unhappy about how he was being treated by his general manager.

”I don’t mean to sound sensitive,” the manager said, ”but I’ve worked in this organization for seven years. It’s not as if I just got here. The only credit I’ve ever wanted is the knowledge and the satisfaction that I’ve done a good job. If I feel my employers don’t feel that way, I’ll leave.”

At the time, Johnson was easily (and still is) the manager with the best start to his career in club history. However, Fred Wilpon was intent on having his manager clean up his clubhouse, and also set an example for his players. He used Cashen to send that message to Johnson, and in the process began a schism in the front office-field personnel dynamic that has become a constant since.

“Davey liked to have a good time,” said one former player, who later coached in the minor leagues for the Mets. “He was always in control, but (they) didn’t care … they blamed Davey for Doc (Gooden), and for the partying.

“(Bleep), Davey couldn’t have stopped any of us, even if he wanted to.”

Yet, despite the off-the-field distractions, the team would bounce back in 1988, winning 100 games, draw record 3 million-plus fans to Shea Stadium and take their second NL East title in three years.

However, the Los Angeles Dodgers team that it had dominated during the regular season would take the NLCS in seven games.

The soul-crushing defeat would be the last gasp for this great core, and the bad feelings between Cashen and Johnson festered. Fred Wilpon was pressuring Cashen to change the culture of the team against Davey’s wishes, and it helped cause changes in the team’s chemistry. It also cost Johnson his job.

In six seasons as the most successful manager of his time, Davey Johnson gave the Mets the most precious of resources in the marketplace, the same thing that Gil Hodges gave them a generation earlier: credibility.

He had style, He had swagger. He had self-assurance to an extreme degree. He promised that the Mets would ”dominate” the National League, and they did. And while Hodges dominated the Mets in the 1960’s by moral force and by his reputation as one of the old Brooklyn Dodgers in the glory days, Johnson dominated the Mets in the 1980’s by personal force and by his reputation as one of the Baltimore Orioles in their glory days.

But while Hodges’s reign was ended in 1972 by a heart attack, Johnson’s reign was ended yesterday by the style and swagger that brought him to the Mets in 1984. And it was ended by the same man who hired him because of those qualities: Frank Cashen, the general manager, who was vice president of the Orioles when Johnson was strutting his stuff on the field for the Orioles.

Replacing Davey Johnson with Buddy Harrelson was a risky move that almost panned out. But handing the keys over to Al Harazin? Insanity.

“…(Fred) Wilpon wants to own 100% of the New York Mets. It would be the best thing. Wilpon is the one who has been running the day-to-day operations of the team for a long time. He wants to keep running it and then he wants to turn it over to his son, Jeff, someday, make sure the Mets are always a family business … Fred Wilpon and Nelson Doubleday were in as equal partners on a team that owned New York once … They are better off without each other. The Mets will just be better off.” – Mike Lupica, NY Daily News, June 22, 2001.

When the Payson family ownership group finally let go of the New York Mets in 1980, there were very few – if any – Mets fans that were sorry to see that era end. Since the passing of Mrs. Joan Whitney Payson in 1975, her advisor and team chairman M. Donald Grant had become the most hated man in New York Mets’ history.

While the stubborn, elitist and unqualified Grant should be hold mostly accountable for the trade that sent Tom Seaver to the Reds, and for the rotten shape the team was in by the end of 1978, it should be pointed out he was also the person for the deal that netted the Mets their most important manager, Gil Hodges. One could even argue that the latter balances out the former. Not this writer, but one might say that.

One good move, a series of unmitigated disasters. It’s a theme that Mets fans have become accustomed to over the years.

Grant, whose power had been stripped by the rest of the team’s board of directors following the 1978 season, had become the symbol of a franchise whose way of doing business was more than archaic, it was a laughingstock.

The new ownership group, Doubleday Publishing, was headed by Nelson Doubleday (the team’s new chairman) and minority partner Fred Wilpon (who was installed as team president). The first decision in beginning a new era was finding a successful baseball man to rebuild the franchise, and that man was Frank Cashen.

For the next six seasons, Cashen would have a free hand in creating a World Series-winning team. The front office dynamic, baseball first, everything else secondary (and handled by the team suits) was cited by many as the reason for the consistent progress made by the new regime.

There were certainly hiccups along the way; bringing back Seaver in triumphant fashion in 1983, then losing Seaver at the end of the season because of ignorance was one example(Unexpectedly winning 90 games that year turned that nightmare into a back story for most; maybe winning does cure all), but for the most part, Cashen’s front office was full of talented evaluators and administrators who knew their roles. They also worked well with others, and got themselves hired by other teams. For the most part, it was an operation allowed to function without ownership’s interference.

The late sportswriter Joe Durso, whose legendary work at the New York Times earned him entry into the writers’ wing of the Baseball Hall Of Fame, wrote in 1986 that the Mets were a model franchise:

In an era when some owners of baseball teams not only telephone the dugout but also summon the manager and feud with the players, the Mets are pursuing their destiny these days in a remarkably benign relationship with their owner. It is even more remarkable because Nelson Doubleday is the present and future chairman of the Mets: He is the man who bankrolled the team when it languished on the bottom six years ago, and the man who reflects its soaring success at the top today. Like most owners, he is the Boss. Unlike most, he keeps his distance. He rarely visits the locker room, never second-guesses the manager and never, never calls the dugout.

”WHEN the dugout telephone rings,” Ron Darling was saying the other day in Shea Stadium, ”you never imagine it’s Nelson Doubleday. It isn’t, and it never could be.” ”Not with that owner,” he added, with meaning. ”And not with that manager.” ”If I ever tried it,” Nelson Doubleday said, wincing at the thought, ”Davey Johnson would probably take me apart.”

A few months later, when Fred Wilpon became a full partner with Nelson Doubleday (the two purchased the Mets from the Doubleday company, which was being sold to a European firm), the days of “the baseball people’ doing business on their own became a thing of the past.

The modern-day version of the Gashouse Gang was out of control, and despite their unbelievable World Series win, there was no way that a team owned by Fred Wilpon was going to conduct itself in such a way.