Category: Spring Training

Mets Links: Jose Reyes Interviewed by Feds, More

New York Mets v Washington Nationals

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Spring training games start up Tuesday against the Braves in Port St. Lucie. That’s always a great sign that the season will get started soon, and the miserable winter weather will be long gone almost as soon. Although there are plenty of stories about the Mets coming out of Mets training camp, here are a few that really stand out this week:

  • NY Post – Jose Reyes was interviewed by federal agents regarding his relationship with Canadian doctor Anthony Galea. The doctor was charged with possession of performance enhancing drugs and his client list includes Tiger Woods and swimmer Dana Torres.
  • Star- Ledger – Kelvim Escobar still can’t pitch because of a sore shoulder that’s kept him from pitching for the last two seasons. Jerry Manuel says that Escobar probably won’t be ready for opening day either. Joel Sherman continues his assault on the Mets by writing that Escobar’s woes sums up the Mets whole operation.
  • NY Post – The Post reports that the covering for the “C” in the Citi Field sign fell during bad weather onto empty seats in the outfield smashing into pieces. If you’re in the outfield seats during a windy game, watch you back. The Post goes on to list the litany of structural problems that have plagued Citi Field in it’s first year of existence.
  • Daily News – Adam Rubin has a good, long interview with David Wright. There are many of the same story lines that you’ve already heard: his new-look physique, lack of power and high strikeout total last year, and his joking with Chipper Jones about how big the Citi Field outfield is.

Video: Mets’ Johan Santana Spring 2010 Bullpen

There’s a lot of good video coming from Port St. Lucie over the last few days. This one is from Brian Costa of the Star-Ledger featuring Johan Santana throwing a bullpen session to Rod Barajas.

Johan Santana
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Video: Ryota Igarashi at Mets Spring Training

Here’s some video from Newsday. Yes, Newsday! That’s the media outlet that many of you don’t get to see anymore because they redesigned their site and put it behind a pay wall. I still get the site because I’m a Cablevision subscriber. Thanks to the Dolan’s, you’ll get to see the video that I have access to from their Mets blog. By the way, Newsday’s $4 million site redesign and pay wall has been a huge success. They already have 35 paying subscribers. That nets the company about $700/month.

I won’t link to Newsday’s Mets blog because so many of you can’t see it without paying for it. But here’s some video that I hope you can see. If you can’t, please comment below and I’ll remove it.

Ryota Igarashi is getting some good early spring press. He knows a little English but has an interpreter with him. It sounds like his first friend on the team is K-Rod.

http://www.newsday.com/swf/newsday/newsdayVP.v.2.08.swf?videoId=14201

Mets’ Jason Bay Expects Pennant Race

Here’s some video from Fox Sports with Jason Bay talking about joining the Mets. He expects to compete for the pennant and says that last year’s failings have no impact on 2010.

It seems like all of the players are saying the right things so far this spring. Everyone believes the Mets have a chance to make the playoffs, as do I. How about you? Check out the video and comment below.

Jason Bay Is Optimistic

Mets 2010 Spring Training Lacks Competition

New York Mets at New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in New York

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There have been two big surprises about the Mets coming off their 70-win disaster of a season last year. First, the Mets and Omar Minaya didn’t do more to improve the team via trades and free agency. Second, there aren’t many position competitions on the field in spring training. We’re basically going to see the exact same team we saw last year, plus Jason Bay.

The first point we’ve argued about all winter. Some of us think the Mets should have done more in the offseason to shake up the team. Other fans have been on board with Minaya’s plan that there weren’t better players on the market than the Mets that are returning from injuries. Whether you’re on board with the plan or not, it’s finished and we’ll see how it plays out. If things don’t look like they’re working out by mid-season, it’s likely that Minaya and Manuel are finished with the Mets too.

The second point is an interesting one. You would think that a team coming off a horrible season would have plenty of competition for playing time. But the Mets appear to be pretty set at most positions and that’s probably a bad sign. It’s very likely that we’re going to see the exact same team that drove into a brick wall last year.

Continue reading “Mets 2010 Spring Training Lacks Competition”

Mets 2010 Pitchers and Catchers Reporting

Mets Spring Training - Johan Santana

Image by wallyg via Flickr

Many Mets fans believe that the Mets have some glaring flaws in the roster, maybe even fatal ones, and I agree with that notion. But there’s something exhilarating about that day when pitchers and catchers start working out at Tradition Field, and all over Florida and Arizona. There’s hope for the Mets having a great season and a championship run for the first time in 24 years. There’s also something, for me, about the impending change of seasons from the typically rotten Northeast U.S. winter to spring and summer soon to follow.

The Mets pitchers and catchers need to be in Port St. Lucie by Thursday February 18. Already, many players have been arriving and working out. The best early coverage that I’ve seen is Adam Rubin’s blog at the Daily News.

There are some major problems with the roster: Carlos Beltran is out until May, the Mets don’t have a legitimate first baseman or catcher, and they didn’t improve a questionable starting rotation. And to everyone’s chagrin, Luis Castillo is still a Met. Even with all of those perceived problems, there’s still something exciting about the players reporting to work outs. It’s one of my favorite days of the year.

The middle of February is about the time each year that I’ve about had it with the Connecticut winter. The weather is awful and it’s great to start thinking about warm weather and sunshine. There really is nothing better than the beginning of spring training. Those roster flaws that I mentioned haven’t gotten me down yet, although they likely will soon enough. For this week, it’s thrilling to be a baseball fan. That’s all I’m thinking about until I start to see the Mets full-time lineup shake out later in the spring.

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Mets 2010 Relievers – Ryota Igarashi and Kelvim Escobar

MLB: Angels v Rangers July 5, 2007

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One of the biggest changes we’ll see as Mets fans this year will be in the bullpen. Of course, Francisco Rodriguez is still at the back of the pen. But there are some big changes in front of him. Last season the Mets acquired J.J. Putz in a trade before the season and that sealed the setup role for 2009. It didn’t work out as planned with Putz only pitching in 29 games before having elbow surgery. But the plan for the season was clear. It isn’t so clear who will set up Rodriguez in 2010.

Ryota Igarashi may have the inside track if he can show the type of performance that he did while playing in Japan. The 30 year-old right hander is a flame thrower with a touch of wildness. You can read a great profile of Igarashi at NPB Tracker. We’ll get a much better idea of what he can do against Major League hitters during spring training. Sometimes the success that players have in Japan just doesn’t translate here in the U.S.

Continue reading “Mets 2010 Relievers – Ryota Igarashi and Kelvim Escobar”