Happy Holidays From The Mets

Looking for a little holiday cheer after one of the most depressing weeks in the history of the national pastime? Then how about a baseball version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” for your listening (and viewing) pleasure?

Just head over to Ryan Parker Songs for this delightful little ditty sure to bring a smile to everyone’s face. Everyone but the Clemens family of course.

Even Roger himself would have to admit however that this amusing song is a better holiday gift than what the Mets are offering this season.

Ticket prices on average will rise approximately 20 percent at Shea Stadium in 2008. Yes, after one of the worst collapses in baseball history, missing the playoffs and making unpopular offseason moves, the Mets have decided to raise ticket prices.

From a business standpoint, it makes perfect sense. This is the last year at Shea and many fans will flock to the ballpark to get their last memories at the stadium. They were going to see an artificial attendance bump, so you might as well cash in on it.

But from a baseball fan standpoint, this is a horrible message. Mets fans were literally crying in the stands after watching the Mets lose the division on the final day of the regular season. Instead of saying, “Our product was unacceptable in 2007 and we’re not going to charge you a penny more until we give you a better product,” the Mets have instead opted for telling fans, “Sorry, but if you pay a little more, we’ll try to do better next time.”

Oh and seven packs for the new season go on sale tomorrow — one week before Christmas when many fans are already cash-strapped from a failing economy… no matter what the president tries to sell you.

Happy Holidays indeed.

Mitchell Report = Disappointment

So we got our names and we got our report and at the end of the day (OK, the middle of the afternoon), all we really have is disappointment.

The Mitchell Report, generated by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, was released this afternoon and revealed what we largely already should have known — the steroid culture was (and is, if you count HGH and other performance-enhancing drugs) widespread in Major League Baseball.

For fans of players like Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Eric Gagne, Miguel Tejada and Chuck Knoblauch, it’s the disappointment that players they cheered for allegedly cheated the game. Yankee fans were particularly beaten up with Clemens, Pettitte, Knoblauch, Ron Villone, Denny Neagle, Mike Stanton, David Justice, Rondell White and Kevin Brown all implicated, along with the obvious Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield revelations. (Geez, did I miss any?) But the Mets were far from unscathed with Todd Hundley, Lenny Dykstra, Mark Carreon, Matt Franco, Paul Lo Duca, Todd Pratt (What’s with the catchers?), Mo Vaughn, Scott Schoeneweis and Stanton. Plenty of blame to go around. Plenty of disappointment too.

But the disappointment associated with the Mitchell Report isn’t isolated to just the fans. There’s also a great deal of disappointment in the burden of proof in this report. I’m on mini-vacation right now, so I’ve only had a few minutes to peruse the report, but there’s some stuff in there that just isn’t solid enough. There’s outright hearsay in there and that’s going to discredit the entire report — most of which is probably dead on accurate. That’s disappointing.

And then there’s the overall picture which is the report is simply not enough. For anything substantial to come of this, the public had to be outraged. There are some big names, but not enough. It had to be bad for it to get better. It’s wasn’t bad enough and that will mean many of Mitchell’s recommendations — valid arguments for bettering the game — likely will not be implemented. All the while, as Mitchell noted, HGH use continues without fear of discipline. And so the Steroid Era continues on…

And that’s the ultimate disappointment.

*****

Bud Selig just indicated in his press conference that he would deal with the idea of disciplining active players on a case-by-case basis. That goes directly against one of Mitchell’s recommendations that players not be punished for past discretions. Apparently he consulted Mark McGwire before making that recommendation. Let’s not talk about the past, right? More likely, Mitchell just understood that the level of proof was not up to snuff on all the names. As long as players aren’t getting suspended for hearsay, Selig is within his rights to dole out some punishment here.

*****

The obvious question on Mets fans’ minds is whether Omar Minaya and the Mets management were so dead-set against re-signing Lo Duca because they suspected he would be part of this report.

They’ll never own up to it, but you have to assume that was at least a consideration. Otherwise why would the Mets have gone to such great lengths to replace him. After all, they effectively brought in three catchers (Yorvit Torrealba, Johnny Estrada, Brian Schneider) over the course of a month, when they could have simply re-signed Lo Duca at any time.

I was critical of their decision from a baseball standpoint and stand by that assertion. However, I will concede that there may have been other factors that we weren’t privy to.

If The Price Is Right

Citi Field is still a year away but part of the Shea experience is already gone.

The always comprehensive Matthew Cerrone’s MetsBlog has posted a slide show of both the progress at the new ballpark and a stunning change at the old one. The spiral staircase and subway platform above right field at Shea is now gone. The days of getting off the 7 and sneaking that first peak of the Shea infield are gone. That’s kind of sad. SNY producers are also going to be lost without the go-to shot of the fashionably late strolling down that platform. But on the upside, the new entrance to the subway station can’t possibly be as much of a traffic nightmare as the downstairs portion of the old platform.

So the first part of the Shea experience is gone and it’s not even 2008. I guess Mets fans will be having these type of nostalgia moments for entirety of the season. Why not start a few months early?

*****

While construction of the new stadium continues in Flushing, construction of the new team has been a little slower going. But according to Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman, the Mets were closer than anyone realized to landing Johan Santana.

He writes that despite all reports to the contrary — including right here in the CitiBlog — Omar Minaya did in fact have enough chips to make the deal, but opted not to include both outfield prospects Carlos Gomez and Fernando Martinez in the offer. That broke the deal, according to Heyman.

You have to figure it was five-for-one, so let’s look at the worst-case scenario and say it was Gomez, Martinez, Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Kevin Mulvey. That’s a steep package that would have wiped away all the Mets’ outfield prospects (thanks to Lasto’s departure last month) and removed the best young arms from the organization. And of course Santana doesn’t just show up without another $100 million investment. You can understand why the Mets wouldn’t want to make this move.

But what exactly is the alternative? And is when Santana is winning 18 games for someone else next season, will it be worth it to have Gomez or Martinez? I’m not so sure.

*****

Hanging over Major League Baseball like sex tapes hang over Paris Hilton is the Mitchell Report — set to be released in the next day or so and embarass MLB, commish Bud Selig and approximately 60-80 players.

We’ll undoubtedly talk more about this once we know the details and contents of this report, but for this 20-month investigation to have its intended impact — to effectively bring the steroid era to end, both symbolically and practically — it must name big names that we haven’t already heard. If this is just a rehash of the Grimsleys, Giambis and Bonds, nothing will change.

But if the public is aghast, then there’s a fighting chance.

Winter Meetings — Day 3

I hope I’m not spoiling a three-year-old blockbuster, but remember that scene at the end of “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” where Emperor Palpatine finds Anakin Skywalker barely alive on a beach of lava? Sure, he had no legs, only one arm and was burnt to a crisp, but he was alive.

Well that’s what Omar Minaya found this morning when he revisited the Johan Santana sweepstakes. The Mets still have a heartbeat… however faint.

Jon Heyman reported today that because of Hank Steinbrenner’s deadline that no one believes in other than him and Boston’s cold feet, the Mets are talking to the Twins again, despite the Twins’ desire to have Jose Reyes included in the deal and the Mets’ desire to have Reyes not included in the deal. Does this bode well for the Mets’ chances? Of course not, but at least they’re at the table. It will likely take a massive five-for-one-type deals since as we’ve talked about ad nauseum the last few days, the Mets don’t have the level of prospects that the Twins would have gotten (and still probably will get) from the Red Sox or Yankees.

It’s not the best chance, but at least there is one.

It would be great if the Mets were able to get something done, because even Charlie Manuel can figure out that the Mets have had a disappointing offseason. Check out this quote that our beat writer John Delcos got from Manuel:

“I look at the Mets right now, if you want to know the truth, and say to myself, ‘When are they going to do something?’ “

When you find yourself agreeing with Charlie Manuel, you know things have gone horribly awry.

And it’s even worse when you find yourself disagreeing with the Mets skipper. Willie Randolph met with reporters today and it was typical even-keel Willie. He downplayed issues with his job security, as he did the idea that he would change much this season. David Lennon of Newsday wrote about this in his blog and offered a differing view — one I very much agree with. Here’s the essential part of it in Lennon’s words:

“I think it’s time for Randolph to really put his stamp on the team. He put his faith in the players last season and got burned by it. His only recourse now is to be out in front, show a little more fire, and start holding guys accountable. If that means doing it in a public forum, so be it.”

Baseball is a long, arduous season that stretches from late-February to early-November, if things go well. Playing 162 games, plus pre and postseason contests, over that stretch allows for players to fall into funks or just a general malaise. When it came time for the Mets to snap out of it last September they weren’t able to and paid the ultimate price. One way — not the only way, but certainly one way — to combat that is to change the message from time-to-time. When a player sees his laid-back manager suddenly rip into him (in public or private) it’s an eye-opener. To our knowledge, Willie never did that last season, despite the entire city calling for it.

His way didn’t work. Perhaps it’s time he tried ours.

Winter Meetings — Day 2 cont.

From the “Just When I Think I’ve Heard It All Department”…

A fine reader e-mailed the link to this story in the Daily News this morning which alleges that this blog’s favorite Mets pitcher John Maine spent his Thursday night at the opening of a New York nightclub following a woman to the restroom and asking if he could try on her “little black dress.”

Umm, OK…

A little more research revealed this similar story in the New York Post that adds that Maine allegedly offered money to the unsuspecting young woman for the clothing swap.

But then the story gets weird… (I know…)

The Page 6 correspondent alleges Maine then approached her with a similar request and a fool-proof line: “I’m John Maine. I pitch for the Mets! I’m a hot piece of a$s.”

Sometimes you can’t add anything… so I won’t.

Of course, Mets PR guru Jay Horwitz got on the case and says Maine is in Virginia, not New York, and the bizarre drag requests were the work of an imposter. The club confirmed only that Maine was invited, not that he attended, according to Page 6. Steve Popper of the Bergen Record got the same denial from the Mets. And to think, Mike Piazza only had to affirm his sexuality in his press conference.

So this strange chapter can probably come to a close as a case of mistaken identity and nothing more. But let’s face it, if Maine matures into a 20-game winner for the Mets, most fans wouldn’t care if he rode the 7 train wearing a pair of pumps and a neon green haltertop.

*****

Unfortunately, Horwitz has plenty of time to defuse potentially embarassing situations because the Mets certainly don’t have any trades to announce. Not true for the Detroit Tigers who landed Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis this afternoon. First the good: Willis will now have far less opportunities to homer at Shea Stadium this season. Now the bad: Omar Minaya has always liked Cabrera and once again, did not have the chips to make a deal.

Here’s what Minaya had to say about the situation to our beat writer John Delcos:

“Sometimes a player is available, but, he’s not available to you. There are teams that don’t like to trade in the division.”

Bet they would’ve traded in-division if the price was right.

This is the reality Mets fans must face this offseason. The cupboards are bare, like Goldilocks stayed for an extended visit at Shea Stadium.

Winter Meetings — Day 2

The more and more the baseball writers mock the ridiculous Opryland hotel with its numerous hallways, towers, lobbies, rivers, waterfalls and giant glass dome, the more I want to see it. It’s just sounds like a monstrosity of epic proportions — like a bastardized version of Walt Disney’s original view for EPCOT’s domed city of tomorrow. If I didn’t loathe Nashville so much I’d probably check it out.

But there is news from under the glass on Day 2 of the MLB winter meetings and believe it or not, it involves the Mets and a starting pitcher. The New York Post reported this morning that the Mets are in the second round of bidding for Japanese righty Hiroki Kuroda. The 32-year old is drawing a lot of interest, but the Mets seem to be at the forefront. But before you start filling out Omar Minaya’s Christmas card, keep this in mind. The Post figures Kuroda would slot behind Pedro Martinez, Oliver Perez, John Maine and possibly even Orlando Hernandez. Not exactly the frontline starter the Mets need.

But while the Mets roster continues to remain status quo, the team’s schedule has begun to take shape. Next March, the Mets will face the White Sox in the second annual Civil Rights Game. It will take place March 29 in Memphis, Tenn., and will benefit the Civil Rights Museum. Good cause and a good gesture on MLB’s part. But with the exhibition being played that close to the start of the season, Willie Randolph better keep the team away from Beale Street that night. That place is a hangover waiting to happen.

Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks are rumored to be getting one of the pitchers the Mets covet, Dan Haren, in a package highlighted by Conor Jackson. I’d be surprised, no make that shocked, if the A’s dealt Haren before the Johan Santana issue was resolved. They stand to make a lot more if they can get the Yanks or Red Sox seriously involved and no matter what posturing is going on out there, the Yanks and Sox are not settling on Haren until they know they’re out of the Santana sweepstakes.

Either way, it still remains to be seen if Omar can get creative enough to get involved.

Winter Meetings — Day 1

Here’s something Mets fans are starting to get accustomed to: Cramped seats that may or may not open? Well yes, but also: Disappointment.

Nothing much of substance went down on the first days of the winter meetings, but here’s the problem. No one seems to think the Mets are going to do anything of substance at the winter meetings.

Not David Lennon of Newsday.

Not our own John Delcos of the Journal News.

Not Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated. (And yes, of WFAN, lest we forget.)

Not Peter Gammons of ESPN.

Not even Steve Feitl of this very CitiBlog.

I’d love to say it’s not true, but for the Mets to make a significant move, it would have to be for a frontline starter. And unfortunately for the Mets, that market will be set by the eventual price for Johan Santana and trickle down from there for Dan Haren and Erik Bedard. The Mets didn’t have nearly enough for Santana. It’s unlikely that the price for Haren and Bedard would drop enough for the Mets to afford them.

Omar Minaya is that kid you see in Toys R Us with his five-dollar allowance surrounded by 10-dollar action figures. No matter what he sees, he doesn’t have enough.

Which brings us to this interesting piece from FOX Sports where Ken Rosenthal reports that Minaya is on somewhat of a hot seat. It’s to be expected after Minaya did not significantly upgrade the 2006 NL East championship squad and watched that 2007 version collapse under the bright lights of September. Usually it’s the bright lights of October, but no Mets fan needs to be reminded that the Mets didn’t get there.

So with his job possibly on the line and not enough chips to get in the pot, Minaya can’t do anything other than lower expectations. You’ve already heard it from Minaya as he’s said he thinks the team is better than it was at this time last season and that he doesn’t feel a great need to make a trade and life sure was easier when no one expected anything in Montreal. OK, maybe he won’t say that last thing. But the way this offseason is going, I’d be shocked if it hadn’t entered his mind.

So after one day, that’s what Mets fans are set up for: Disappointment. Of course, the flipside to that is if the Mets are able to pull off a significant trade the Mets fans can experience a very different emotion.

Pleasant surprise.

Rap Is Out, Church Is In

Before we talk about things crashing and burning, let’s first talk about Evel Knievel. (See what I did there…) Growing up in the late-70s and early-80s, I have very faint memories of the motorcycle daredevil, who died Friday at the age of 69. But I have vivid memories of his legend.

I remember my grandfather telling me all about how he used to jump buses, gorges, casino fountains with the greatest of ease. Then I would bring a toy motorcycle to the tub and pretend Evel was jumping over one of the Great Lakes or whatever I thought the tub water was at that age. Being a boy, of course I’d make sure that he’d miss and plummet into the water. But that was only in my imagination. As far as I was concerned, Evel Knievel never missed.

Of course, reality was much closer to my bathtime games than I realized at the time and Knievel often did miss — whether it was at Snake River Canyon or those fountains at Caesars. But he also was one of those rare human beings that did the impossible — or at least made people believe that he could. With a 24-hour news cycle, tell-all books and information at your fingetips on this World Wide Web, I often think the proverbial curtain in Oz has been pulled back on too much of our culture, whether it be sports or entertainment. We need more people that make you believe in them… people that may fail, but will get back up. We need more showmen. We need more Evel Knievel’s. We lost the last one we had Friday.

*****

Now onto something truly crashing and burning — your 2008 New York Mets. Who knew the collapse in September would be the highpoint of this offseason? Now that can all change with one trade for a front-line starter, but Mets fans have every right to be nervous as each move the Mets make seems to make less sense than the one before it.

I am of course referring to the Mets deal Friday that sent Lastings Milledge and all his rap video/flashy arrogant baggage to the nation’s capital for catcher Brian Schneider and outfielder Ryan Church. So the Mets were uncomfortable with the non-family-friendly image Milledge was projecting and they bring back a guy named “Church.” That’s gotta be a rib. Of course, it’s a rib on the Mets faithful but…

Let me be clear. I am not one of those guys who thinks you have to hold onto all your prospects nor am I one of those guys who thinks you can pawn off your prospects for whatever you want in return. I look at it like I look at collectables. As much of a packrat as I am (and I am), I’m never an advocate of holding onto some rare comic book or baseball card because it will be worth more in the future. It’s worth what someone is willing to give you for it. But if you’re not pleased with the item’s value, you can always keep it for yourself. That’s what the Mets lost sight of here.

I don’t care what feathers this guy ruffled in the front office or the clubhouse, he is a young, dynamic player with a very high ceiling. I’ll take Omar Minaya at face value when he says that Baltimore and Oakland weren’t interested in Lasto when it came to deals for Erik Bedard or Dan Haren. Then don’t trade him. You need pitching and therefore you need to spend your chips on pitching. Instead, the Mets made their second deal in as many weeks for a catcher, who still does not approach the caliber of the catcher they refuse to re-sign. And the outfielder they now claim will be their starting right fielder does not stand out as head and shoulders above what they could have gotten out of the player they just ran out of town. How does any of this make any sense?

And the worst part of all is this is a team that does not have the chips of its contemporaries in the Bronx and Beantown and thus is locked out of the Johan Santana sweepstakes, despite clearly being the team that needs Santana the most. And now that same team is casting away chips on needless trades. That’s frustrating for a Mets fan. Very frustrating.

*****

Since the trade is done, I suppose it’s important to at least look at what the Mets got from the Nationals. Schneider is a good defensive catcher that will stop opposing teams from running on the Mets as much as they have under the Piazza and Lo Duca eras. I actually thought he would have been a great replacement for Piazza two years ago as a “let’s go a different direction” signing since he was strong where Mike was not. But he can’t hit a lick. Still, he has a MLB-wide reputation as being good with pitchers, so that should only help the focus-light Oliver Perez and John Maine.

With the talent spread as thin as it is currently in Major League Baseball, a lot of teams end up sending a Ryan Church-type outfielder into their everyday lineups. He’s a .270 hitter with home runs in the teens in a bad hitters’ ballpark in Washington. He’s coming to another in Flushing (at least for this year) so don’t expect those numbers to change. He’s fine, but not discernably better than what a lot of guys might’ve given the Mets. Including Milledge.