Bleacher Report - Articles by Harris Decker

Turning The Page on The 2009 New York Mets, Here Comes 2010

Harris Decker — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:48:44 -0400

As the New York Mets continue through what is up to this point a lost season, it is important to look to next season and beyond. Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel will be back and with good reason. Jerry has done the best job he could have given his lineup and Omar has done a great job of not making a blockbuster trade, further depleting the farm system in what would be too little too late. As we move forward it is also important to remember what we have learned from the 2009 season and how that factors into next season.

In the next few paragraphs we will do a position by position breakdown of the potential 2010 New York Mets.

Catcher

2009 might have been one of the most revealing year for catchers in the Mets system. We learned this year that Brian Schneider can no longer be an effective starting catcher in any system. At this point he is probably better served as either a catching instructor or a future pitching coach. We also learned that Omir Santos definitely has some potential behind the plate. With that in mind it will be important for Omar to replace Schneider with another effective platoon catcher. My suggestions would be free agents to be Jose Molina (Yankees), Gregg Zaun (Orioles) or Mike Redmond (Twins). Any of those players paired with Omir will be a solid solution behind the plate.

The other possible solution is to let Omar be the everyday starting catcher backed up by the prospect Josh Thole. Thole has progressed well through the minor league system and is due to be up with the club in September. Depending on how he looks in the majors Thole might never be sent back down as we move into next year.

1st Base

This is another position where the Mets will have to make a serious decision for their future. With minor leaguers such as Ike Davis coming along quickly it might be in the teams best interest to stick with the ever developing Daniel Murphy at 1st. His incredibly improved defense and extra base hitting potential has made him my favorite to start at 1st next season. If he can somehow develop more power he could turn into a legitimate long term option at the position.

2nd Base

The enigma of Luis Castillo will continue into next season. With Castillo signed until 2011 making $6 Million per year he will be a tough contract to move and with him in place it will once again block a player such as Orlando Hudson from entering the picture. We can hope that Castillo comes back to camp with the same attitude and continues his wasted output in 2009.

3rd Base and Shortstop

These two positions can be grouped into the same category as they should be. The rumors of Jose Reyes being traded will fall by the waste-side and once again in 2010 the left side of the infield will be the speedy Reyes and the team captain David Wright.

Right Field

In one of the best trades of Omar Minaya's tenure Jeff Francoeur came into New York in exchange for Ryan Church. Both players needed a change of scenery but with Jeff being much younger and having a much higher upside this was truly a great trade. If all goes right Francoeur could be the starting right fielder for the next few years.

Center Field

For yet another season Mets fans will be blessed with seeing Carlos Beltran roaming center field. One of the best defensive and offensive center fielders in all of baseball Carlos is entering the 5th year of a 6 year contract that lasts until 2011.

Left Field

Left field will truly be where Omar Minaya makes his money this offseason. Right now in looking towards the future you hope that Fernando Martinez is healthy enough next season to play at the Major League level although he might still need some seasoning at AAA (he is not even 21 years old yet). Many of the big free agents are outfielders and if Omar can he will bring these guys in but many of them will end up re-signing with their current teams. Theo Epstein would be crazy to let Jason Bay go and Matt Holiday should return to St. Louis. The guy I would have a target on if I were Omar is Carl Crawford. Crawford's combination of speed, defensive and speed makes him a huge threat in the spacious Citi Field.

The other option in left is to run Angel Pagan out there every night. An outfield of Pagan, Beltran and Francoeur looks really good on paper but their collective ability to stay healthy is in question. Regardless Pagan has shown us that he can be an effective leadoff hitter and a solid defender.

Starting Pitchers

This is another interesting situation for the Mets in 2010. We all know that Johan really needs a solid, go to No.2 starter and what we saw from Oliver Perez and Mike Pelfrey this year does not help. Regardless Pelfrey, Maine and Perez should all be back to go alongside Johan. Jon Niese will be coming off the injury so it will be hard to rely on him heavily early on.

There are a few big name starters who will be free agents but the question will be if they are willing to part with their current teams and come to the Mets. Some of the larger names are John Lackey, Cliff Lee, Rich Harden, and Jason Marquis. I would love to see the Mets get a guy like Harden to be the righty to Johan's left hook. You have to look at how much money the team has to spend. From what you've heard it isn't as much as we would hope. Dumping Billy Wagner's contract on Boston would certainly help Omar in moving forward.

Bullpen

The Mets will have some cleaning up to do in the bullpen. Of course K-Rod will be back and Putz will most likely be back with a 2010 club option. Everyone else is up in the air. I would imagine they will resign Pedro Feliciano and hold onto Brian Stokes both of whom have performed admirably this year.

Players Who Will Not Return in 2010

Gary Sheffield: Omar don't even think about it, let him go
Carlos Delgado: We need to do something to shake the core so Delgado must move on
Fernando Tatis: With so many other free agent options for a utility infielder/outfielder Tatis just isn't worth his weight
Tim Redding: It was a nice experiment but Tim has shown us nothing to trust he'll ever be a solid starter
Bran Schneider: For reasons already discussed

The New York Mets Projected 2010 Starting Lineup

Angel Pagan, LF
Luis Castillo, 2B
David Wright, 3B
Carlos Beltran, CF
Jeff Francoeur, RF
Jose Reyes, SS
Daniel Murphy, 1B
Omir Santos, C

Why I Don't Care About Manny Ramirez and Steroids

Harris Decker — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:21:15 -0400

For weeks now I have enjoyed baseball, not caring about what takes place behind the scenes; I have just enjoyed watching a great game. Baseball will continue to be a great game long after Manny Ramirez, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens have moved on to other areas of interest and most fans are done caring.

As I have written before, this stems from a new group of superstars that are making the game fun to watch again. Manny just helps confirm that there were many people using steroids at the same time as A-Rod and Barry Bonds. For now, let's just put it behind us. For me, players like Evan Longoria, Ryan Braun, Joey Votto, Tim Lincecum, and many others help us move into the future.

The only thing I am worried about is the big picture of baseball during the so called "steroid era." Players such as Ken Griffey, Jr., Derek Jeter, Greg Maddux and Pedro Martinez have their reputations being trampled on because a few superstars chose to enhance themselves physically. Do we really believe that if Alex Rodriguez had not done PEDs that he would not be in the Hall of Fame? Of course he would be, he was a great player well before he started injecting.

The game of baseball is in a resurgence and nothing these older players can do will tarnish America's Pastime. I look at the Tampa Bay Rays as a great example of what baseball is moving into the future and New York Yankees as what is now the past. I am sorry that Derek Jeter and Ken Griffey, Jr. are roped in with these names but that's just the way it is.

Yankees Center Field Plans Going Down The Drain

Harris Decker — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:34:14 -0500

Earlier this morning, a report came in regarding the Rangers and Josh Hamilton.

The news could not be worse news for the New York Yankees. Apparently, later this Spring, Hamilton and the Rangers will begin talks on a contract extension. Josh is certain to receive an extremely large extension given his breakout 2008 season. Barring a major disaster in the early part of 2009, the contract will most likely be somewhere in the range of $7 million to $9 million per year.

This news comes on top of the new that the Pirates and Nate McLouth have reached a three year extension worth about $5 million per season.

It is clear that without these two contracts, the Yankees would of been on the prowl for their new center fielder after the 2009 season, when both will or would be free agents. Brian Cashman will tell you that this was never the plan, but we all know better. Either player would of been perfect for them, young, athletic, and pure money—on and off the field.

Sorry, New York Yankees. You might have to look into actually using your farm system in the coming years to fill the gap that will arise in center field over the next few seasons.

New York Mets Fans Revolt Against Shortened Games

Harris Decker — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 13:17:27 -0500

Over the past winter, Mets fans have rejoiced over the new upgrades to their bullpens, while the Phillies have stood by and done nothing (except downgrade their outfield). Now season ticket holders for CITI Field are unhappy over the loss of innings in their ticket packages.

In Philadelphia, fans will receive 81 home games, with at least nine innings per game. New York, will loose approximately 140 home innings to JJ Putz and Francisco Rodriguez, something that does not sit well with all fans.

Although the upgraded bullpen will most likely mean that the Mets run away with the National League East, the loss of innings in the season is sure to upset a small percent of Mets fans, expecting to see full nine-inning games.

The point is, if the Mets have a lead and the eighth innings hits, you have to assume it's all but over given the guns ready in the bullpen.

SI Reports That Alex Reodriguez Tested Positive for Steroids

Harris Decker — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 11:30:08 -0500

According to sources at Sports Illustrated, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for two different types of anabolic steroids as a member of the 2003 Texas Rangers. During that season he won with the AL MVP awards and won the American League home run title. Although he did not comment on the issue, Alex will have to face this issue eventually, and rest assure, if he does not perform well at the new Yankees Stadium, he will hear the steroids chants.

Meet The Mets, Greet The Mets Of 2009

Harris Decker — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:47:43 -0500

As Mets fans get ready to leave Shea Stadium and embark on a new adventure at Citi Field, questions are already circulating.

What will the opening day lineup will look like?

I have come to help calm those fears.

The big story this off-season has been pitching.

Omar Minaya locked up two of the top five closers in baseball and re-signed fan favorite Oliver Perez. All parties involved hope that this puts this club over the top in the N.L. East.

Turning focus to the starting lineup.

The Mets will open the season on April 6 in Cincinnati.

Although this will not be the opening of Citi Field, the club will be looking at a strong, unchanged lineup from 2008.

It would surprise me if Jerry Manuel submits a lineup that looks different from the 2008 season during the beginning of 2009.

It is going to be up to players to have bounce back years, continue to grow or show us something special.

Projected Lineup:

Jose Reyes, SS
Lewis Castillo, 2B
David Wright, 3B
Carlos Beltran, CF
Carlos Delgado, 1B
Ryan Church, RF
Daniel Murphy, LF
Brian Schneider, C

There are a number of things that could affect this projected lineup.

As of now it is clear that a platoon of Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis is likely, but if either player excels in Spring Training look for that player to dominate the position early on.

There are a lot of talks about the Mets moving Lewis Castillo.

Similar to Aaron Heilman, Castillo needs to get out of the New York and try his luck somewhere else.

The only way I see Castillo not in the lineup on opening day is if somehow Omar brings in Orlando Hudson.

You have to be optimistic as a Mets fan going into the season.

The Phillies won the division by less than two games in 2008, with the Mets bullpen blowing over 25 saves.

Given the vast improvement to the bullpen I can see no reason that the New York Mets shouldn't walk away with the division this year.

I will give another report outlining the starting rotation and bullpen in the coming days.

K-Rod Signs With The Mets

Harris Decker — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 07:34:42 -0500

This is the first article I have written in over four months but I felt the need to break my silence. The news I would like to share is some that Mets fans have been waiting for since the end of the 2008 season.

The Mets have reportedly come to terms with free agent closer Francisco Rodriguez. The deal is worth about $37 million. I will continue to follow this story but the important thing is Mets fans will finally have some assurance that as the ninth inning nears, the game might finally be over.

Mets and Yankees Come Out Winners at The Trade Deadline

Harris Decker — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:46:41 -0400

One team made many moves, while the other made zero moves. What does it all mean in the end?

It means that the Mets and Yankees both came out as huge winners at the trade deadline.

By now everyone knows the trades. The Yankees got Xavier Nady and Demaso Marte for practically nothing out of their farm system, and then traded Kyle Farnsworth for Ivan Rodriguez.

The Mets, on the other hand, sat back and watched as teams such as the Braves, Dodgers, Pirates, and Red Sox made huge moves.

It's easy to see why the Yankees came out as winners at the 2008 trading deadline. They filled all three holes that they wanted to plug coming into July. They added a lefty specialist in the bullpen, a solid catcher (after the loss of Posada), and a top quality corner outfielder (after the loss of Matsui).

These moves aside, the Yankees still would not of come out of this deadline so bad. One of the biggest thorns in their side has now been shipped way out of the division, and will not be terrorizing Yankee pitchers for a long time.

Manny Ramirez was traded to the Dodgers in a three team deal that included the Pirates loading up on prospects and the Red Sox acquiring Jason Bay.

In case you don't think that this trade is a big deal for the Yankees consider this: In the past three seasons (2005-2007), Manny has hit 17 home runs, driven in 46 and hit a scorching .407 against the Pinstripes.

There is no doubt that Jason Bay is a solid hitter who will fill in very nicely for the Red Sox, but when it comes to destroying Yankees pitching, no one new that art better than Manny Ramirez.

Moving onto the Mets.

Many people will be able to get on Omar Minaya for not making a big move to land one of the "big guys," such as Bay, Nady, or Griffey.

I, for one, am not upset by this in the least. Omar stuck to his guns, insisting that he would not trade even more of the future, after loosing much of it to the Twins for Johan Santana this past offeseason.

They will most likely wait to hear about Ryan Church, hoping that he is able to step back into the middle of that lineup and be effective. They will continue to rely on Fernando Tatis, Endy Chavez, and Marlon Anderson to fill the corner outfield spots until both Church, and hopefully Angel Pagan can return (both were hitting very well when they were injured).

Furthermore, they did nothing to help their bullpen, let's be frank, was there really anyone out there you wanted more than they guys the Mets already had?

After missing out on Marte, did you really want Huston Street, Brian Fuentes, or another sub-middle-class relief pitcher?

As a Mets fan, I am satisfied with the bullpen as is. It has been proven that many of the guys in this pen are second half pitchers.

Aaron Heilman (over the past three seasons, 2005-2007) has a 1.86 ERA after the all star break, compared to a 4.33 ERA, pre all star break. In fact, the most intriguing fact about Heilman is his home runs against numbers. He has surrendered 15 first half home runs over the past three years. During the second half of the season, he has only given up four!

The Mets bullpen will sort itself out, and again, I respect Omar Minaya for not making a stupid trade, costing them prospects, just to please the fans.

There, of course, are more factors that lead to the Mets success at the deadline. The first, and less obvious, is that the Phillies did nothing. They did not get a solid starter, and they added nothing to a bullpen that is cooling off quicker than a supermodel in Antarctica.

The more obvious improvement to the Mets predicament, isn't as much a help to them as it is to the entire division. Mark Texierra's trade gives both the Phillies and Mets a huge break when it comes to playing the braves.

Teixeira had hit .333 against the Mets in his roughly one season with the Braves. The Phillies will not catch as much of a break as Teixeira only hit .234 against them in the same time period.

When it's all said and done, regardless of the outcome of the 2008 season, I'm glad we didn't trade more of the farm (either team), and both New York teams came out winners.

Mets-Phillies: It All Begins Tonight

Harris Decker — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:54:54 -0400

This evening begins the biggest series in a very young baseball season. We still have a lot of baseball to be played, but this week's NL East series will go a long way to determining the outcome in the standings.

The Mets swing back to Shea coming off a two week period in which they won 10 games in a row, and then took the final game against the Reds, splitting that series. They have won 11 of 13 over the past few weeks.

The Phillies have been very up and down over the past few weeks. They have been on a roller coaster over the past month. During the first week of July they swept the Braves, and since then have won some and lost some.

As the two teams roll into Queens for the three-game series, one team will have their pitching rotation in order and set up to win. The other team comes in with a rotation that has not performed in the least, and is not set up to put their best pitcher on the mound.

Game 1 will feature one of the game's best against the new guy in town. The Phillies will bring Joe Blanton in to make his first start for the Phillies. What better time than now to step up and pitch well against a team that he has done very well against.

Johan Santana will be on the mound for the Mets. The new ace in town has pitched very well, but not up to expectations. He is still yet to pitch that great signature game. Again, just like Blanton, he still has something to prove, and what better stage than against the Phillies to do it.

Game 2 will feature another two pitchers looking to make an impact. They both need to prove something to their respective teams. John Maine will go up against Brett Meyers.

Maine has come off of a few bad starts, and needs to keep his pitch count down in order to succeed against the Phillies.

Brett Meyers will come back up from the minors and make his first start in a month. His last win came on May 30th against Florida. Meyers needs to pitch well or he might be sent to the bullpen or even down to the minors again.

Game 3 is a very interesting matchup of two lefties. One has been dominant in the past, and the other seems to be the most dominant lefty out there right now.

Jamie Moyer will be up against Oliver Perez, who is coming off four solid starts. He has given up less than two runs per start over the last four games, and has been ace-like against the Phillies.

Jamie Moyer has been Jamie Moyer. You almost always know what your going to get out of the 40+ soft throwing lefty. His ERA is lower than its been since 2005 and is on pace to win his 14 games that he always seems to get.

As far as the hitting goes in this series, the bats have been complete opposites. The Mets' bats have been red hot with Carlos Delgado leading the charge.

At the same time, the Phillies' bats that had been there the whole first half have been silenced. Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins have been particularly ineffective.

My Prediction

My predictions for this series are as follows:

Johan Santana defeats Joe Blanton

Delgado has a big game against Blanton
Johan Santana pitches seven solid innings
Johan gives up a solo home run to Burrell accounting for the only run by the Phillies

John Maine defeats Brett Meyers

Beltran finally explodes, hitting two home runs
Ryan Howard homers in the loss

Oliver Perez defeats Jamie Moyer

Oliver Perez pitches deep into the game
David Wright homers early
The Mets shutout the Phillies

New York Mets Doing Everything They Couldn't Do Early in The Season

Harris Decker — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:30:44 -0400

The New York Mets are proving once again that they are indeed out of the funk they had been in since the epic collapse of 2007.

Suddenly all of the things that had stumped them early in the year, they are thriving on.

Last night's game between the Mets and the Reds featured Johan Santana on the mound for the Mets and Johnny Cueto on the mound for the Reds.

Neither of these pitchers would end up factoring in the decision as this game was decided later on by the bats.

For the first time this season, on the heels of their nine game winning streak, when David Wright came up in the 9th inning with one out and one on, I felt like there was no way we could lose this game.

Boy was I correct. Wright hit a two run homer just out of the reach of Ken Griffey Jr. and then the Mets tacked on two additional runs.

Billy Wagner came in and recorded the save, sending the Mets to their 10th straight victory, something the club had not done since the early 90's, and giving them a share of 1st place in the NL East.

If you would of told me a month ago that the day after the All Star break the Mets would take over a share of 1st, I would of thought you were fit for a straight jacket.

So many articles have been written about the Mets turn around and last night's game was just another example of this teams brilliance, and why when its all said and done, no team in the NL can match up against the New York Mets.

Billy Joel Rocks Shea Stadium: An Epic Rock Show

Harris Decker — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:06:10 -0400

I understand that Bleacher Report is all about sports, but hey, I'm as big a music fan as I am a Mets fan so I thought I would share my experience from last night's historic concert.

As I walked into Shea Stadium, a stadium that I had been to about 100 times in my life, I had no idea what to expect. A concert at Shea Stadium would be the greatest spectacle to me.

It did not let me down. Billy Joel came onstage near the center field wall at 8:30 and opened his set by asking everyone to rise for the National Anthem. After this it was a string of his greatest songs, ranging from "My Life" to "River of Dreams."

In order to make the night even more memorable he invited special guests John Mayer, Tony Bennet, Don Henley, and John Mellencamp to sing select songs. Don Henley of the Eagles played the "Boys of Summer," especially fitting being in Shea.

Amongst some of the songs there were video tributes to the Mets depicting some of the most memorable moments in Shea's history. From Endy's catch to Piazza's home runs to Tom Seavers brilliance.

At one point Billy sat at his piano and said, "I want to thank the Beatles for letting us use their room. The best band that ever was, best band there ever will be!"

Of course the legend of Shea Stadium as a music venue was started by the Beatles when they played there on August 15, 1965 to about 55,000 people.

I think it was classy of Billy Joel to incorporate a fair amount of classic Beatles songs into his set list. These songs included "Hard Day's Night," and "She Loves You."

Before he closed the show he gave his rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" before going into "Piano Man."

Billy Joel played for an incredible three plus hours! For those of you that do not usually attend concerts, this is incredible. He did not take a break, and sang every single song.

Just to give you a comparison, I saw the Steve Miller Band earlier in the week. Don't get me wrong; they were also amazing, but they played for a mere hour and a half.

Yankees Stadium is historic, we all know this. What that stadium has seen in the baseball world cannot even be described. It saw Ruth, Maris, Joe D., Jeter, and Mantle.

Not taking anything away from Yankees Stadium, but although Shea has only seen two World Series, we have seen some of the greatest concerts of all time, now adding this one to it.

I am a man that enjoys his music and his sports, and I have been to over 50 concerts in my life; this will always be remembered as being on top of that list.

New York Mets: How to Avoid a Repeat Of 2007

Harris Decker — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:08:21 -0400

I believe that as we enter the second half of the season, the New York Mets have one person to look to in trying to make the playoffs.

As I have said before, I think that the Mets will run away with the NL East at some point during the second half of this season. No other team in the NL can stack up against the Mets, especially in a series.

The problem with the Mets will be in the playoffs. Even if there were problems during the regular season, the problems will center around one man: Billy Wagner.

We all saw what happend last night during the All-Star game. Billy Wagner came in and gave up the tying run in a game where up to that point, the National League had outplayed the American League.

Mets fans saw nothing new. Ninety-nine percent of Mets fans turned to there friends, family or spouses and said "Oh No, Billy Wagner is going to blow it." These comments were not without thought. In fact, a lot of thought had gone into these words during all of the other blown opportunities this first half.

When your job is to close games, and you can't perform, it is time to move on.

So now, I have pointed the finger at my guy. It's time for my solution, and I can think of a few.

First Solution

So whenever fans talk about trades, it usually sounds like this: "I would trade Scott Schoenweiss for Matt Holliday and Brian Fuentes."

Basically, fans can't come up with legitimit trades. I'm going to try to find a few trade solutions to fix the closer role.

I think that in order for the Mets to obtain Brian Fuentes from the Rockies, they will need to give up one top-tier prospect.

I don't think they would have to give up Fernando Martinez, but they would have to give up Jon Niese, Mike Carp, or even a guy like Eddie Kunz (who we'll tell you about later).

So solution one is trading any one of these prospects for Brian Fuentes.

Second Solution

My second solution revolves around the guy that I just mentioned: Eddie Kunz. He was the Mets first-round draft pick in 2007 and is a relief pitcher.

He is currently pitching at AA Binghampton and has pitched 41.2 innings while saving 25 games and striking out 35. He has walked a number of batters, but bringing him up to the majors to re-enforce that bullpen couldn't hurt.

Again, this does not help the closers role.

Third Solution

Is it possible that there is an internal solution to the Mets problem at the Major League level?

I think that if you want to look into the possibility, there is no reason that Duaner Sanchez couldn't be your closer. When he is healthy, his numbers have been dazzling.

You could move Billy into either the set-up role or even the specialist role. If you don't even want Billy as the set up guy, then you could move Aaron Heilman into that role once again.

People who are unsure of Heilman should stop worrying. He pitches 800 percent better in the second half of the season.

What will actually happen?

Of course, this is all just what Mets fans hope will happen.

Realistically, I do not believe anything will change and the Mets will continue to throw Billy Wagner out there. What scares me the most is having anything on the line, and then having Jerry Manuel bring in Billy.

A note for all of the Phillies Fans: As much as Mets fans are down on Billy Wagner today, I think that Phillies fans saw a glimpse of the problems they will face in the second half. I have argued with Phillies fans repeatedly about this.

The Phillies cannot make the playoffs with the current roatation and the current bullpen. That is why the division will be far in the distance, and the Mets will be holding the trophy.

All-Star Game 2008 Evokes New York City Riots

Harris Decker — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:48:55 -0400

We all know whats on the line during the 2008 All-Star Game. Home field advantage for the World Series will be decided by the best players from each position, in each league.

There is one storyline through this All-Star week that is more intriguing than any other.

Of course, the American League will be managed by the great Terry Francona of the Boston Red Sox. For those of you that have been living under a rock for the past 100 years, the Red Sox and Yankees have the best rivalry in all of sports.

Of course, luck would have it that two of the three closers named to the American League team are from these two teams.

I know that it is unlikely, but let's just play the what if game.

Now that the Yankees dynasty has ended, and the Red Sox have become the more dominant team in the American League, there could be a way for Francona to stick it to every single Yankees fan in the building, one more time in the House that Ruth Built.

As the ninth innings roles around, if the American League is winning the game, Terry Francona can choose to make the decision that would take the rivalry to the next level.

As he picks up the phone to the bullpen, what if instead of the greatest closer in history, Mariano Rivera, were passed on, to bring in the new dominant closer, who just happens to be a Red Sock.

Jon Papelbon.

If Mariano Rivera does not come in to pitch the ninth inning of the game tonight, you will most likely have mass riots that should spill over into Boston.

Terry Francona could think of this as his way of starting a new "curse," this time it would be cast on the Yankees, and titled the "Curse of the Papino."

Of course this is not what I think will happen. I believe if necessary, Mariano will be right there where he belongs, dead center in Yankee Stadium. But what if it did?

2008 All Star Game Preview and Predictions

Harris Decker — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:53:15 -0400

Everyone who watched the Home Run Derby will remember that night for a long time. We watched the future of baseball developing right before our eyes.

Josh Hamilton put on quite a show, with Justin Morneau winning it in the final round. Hamilton hit 32 Home runs over the first two rounds, and hit many of them for well over 475 feet.

Just before getting to my preview of the All Star game tonight, I want to point something out. All of those players, fans, and writers who said that the Home Run derby was not important, or entertaining, were proven wrong last night.

Anyone who watched the derby last night, were sucked in by the story of Josh Hamiton and the show he put on in the Bronx.

Now moving on to the All Star game, which will decide home field advantage in the World Series.

The pitching match-up tonight will feature two pitchers who are perfect examples of first half dominators.

Cliff Lee will pitch for the American League and Ben Sheets will take the mound for the National League. These two pitchers have had fantastic first half's, and are very deserving of getting the starting nod in the All Star game.

The lineups include a lot of names that casual fans may not know. From guys like Dioner Navarro, Ian Kinsler, and even Cliff Lee. There has been a clear shift from the veteran, to the younger, future of baseball.

I believe that with the powerhouse lineup that the National League boasts this year, the oldest league in baseball, will prevail.

2008 Midseason New York Mets Awards

Harris Decker — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:12:19 -0400

Finally we have just about reached the mid-way point of a very shaky first half of the season for the New York Mets. With the changes in positions, management, and attitude I thought (credit given to Evan Brunell for the idea) it would be fun to look at the first-half award winners for the New York Mets.

Most Valuable Player: David Wright

Average: .285
Home Runs: 17
RBI: 70
Walks: 56

David Wright, now in his fourth full season with the New York Mets, is showing that he is the real deal. Even after a "slow start," he has turned it on as of late to produce great numbers, helping to keep the Mets as close as they are in the East.

He is among the league leaders in RBI and leads the team in both walks and home runs. With many players on the team struggling during the first half of the season it seemed that Wright was always the guy to turn to for a pick-me-up.

Another, more intriguing quality of David Wright is his leadership and respect. Just listening to him being interviewed over the past few weeks, it seems that his attitude toward other players and toward himself is of the highest level.

Chris Russo (WFAN's Mad Dog) recently spoke to David Wright about the error that was made just before Johan Santana gave up the grand slam to Felix Hernandez.

David said something to the regards of: I would expect him to be mad at me, I have to make that play. This just shows a great level of respect for his teammates, and for the game.

Runner Up: Ryan Church (without the injury probably would of been MVP)

Cy Young Award: Johan Santana

Innings Pitched: 126.2
Strikeouts: 114
ERA: 2.84
Record: 8-7

Johan Santana came to the Mets in the offseason for a flock of young talented prospects. All that the Mets looked for in return was a definitive ace, something they have lacked since the days of Al Leiter.

The other hole to fill would be the 200+ innings lost when Tom Glavine went back to Atlanta.

Santana has proved that he is the ace and can fill both of these holes for the Mets. His record is not very strong, but he has been the victim of very low run support. His ERA, innings pitched, and strikeouts tell the real story.

Without Johan there would be a lot more pressure on pitchers such as Pedro Martinez and John Maine. With the pressure off, these other pitchers have performed very well during the first half.

Moral of the story, when you lead the team in innings pitched, strikeouts, and have the fewest walks on the team, you are the Cy Young winner.

Runner Up: Mike Pelfrey

Rookie of the Year: N/A

The Mets are one of the few teams in the league that have not started a rookie for an extended period of time this entire season. There are some young players but no one that would qualify as being in their "rookie season."

Least Valuable Player: Luis Castillo

Average: .261
RBI: 26
Walks: 40
Hits: 64

After signing a pretty large four-year contract with the Mets, Luis Castillo has not performed well this season. He was thought to be a mentor to Jose Reyes and a veteran leader on the team.

He has about 100 fewer at-bats than Carlos Delgado with 245.

His other numbers are also down all across the board. He is considered a "speed guy," yet this season only has three more stolen bases than David Wright. Also, his mere six doubles trails Church, Delgado, Beltran, Wright, Reyes, Pagan (1/3 of the at-bats), Chavez, and Easley.

This is a guy the Mets look to to set the table along with Reyes, and so far this season he has done very little good in New York.

Runner Up: Billy Wagner

Disappointment of the Year: Moises Alou

Average: .347
RBI: 9
At Bats: 49

This was a very close race. I believe that there are three equally disappointing stories for the Mets this year. This one has had the largest impact on the Mets.

We all know that Alou never plays an entire season, but this is now out of hand.

Coming into the season he was expected to play in left field, and the most disappointing part of his story is that for the very brief times he has been in the lineup, he has hit very well.

He still has a lot of talent with the bat, but clearly just cannot stay healthy. His only chance to continue his career will be next year in the American League.

Runners Up: Angel Pagan and Pedro Martinez

A brief thought on our runners up. Many of you may be wondering why Pagan was considered here. To me, a player having a great start to a season and then going down with injury is as disappointing as it gets.

That was Pagan—brought in to start in left and replace Alou, he went down with an injury just 91 at-bats into the season.

Pedro is the obvious other disappointment, expected to pitch the second game of the season, he left early in the game, and was out for well over a month.

Bench Players Award: Fernando Tatis

Average: .288
Home Runs: 3
RBI: 42

Any Mets fan reading this right now is shrugging their shoulders. They don't understand why Endy Chavez or Damion Easley are not in this coveted spot.

The fact of the matter is that these two have not been on the bench. They have been playing a lot of games, and making a huge impact in the absence of Church, Alou, and Pagan.

Tatis has come out of nowhere to help the Mets in more ways than one, or even 10 for that matter. He has come up with game-winning hits and big defensive plays, and is another great veteran voice in this young clubhouse.

This season he has played 3B, LF, RF, 1B, and 2B to help plug gaps left by injuries.

Runner Up: Marlon Anderson

Second-Half Revelation Needed Award: Carlos Beltran

There are three different players this award could have gone to. Two of their names are Carlos. I believe that although Beltran has not had the worst first half, he needs to turn up the heat in the second half.

As Wright, Reyes, and yes, even Delgado have begun to heat up coming into the All-Star break, it is now Beltran's turn to get the fire lit and start putting up superstar numbers.

The one critique I have of Beltran is to stop looking at third strikes. He has a nasty habit of this, and if he were to swing at some of these, he might produce more.

Runners Up: Pedro Martinez and Carlos Delgado

Surprise of the Year: Damion Easley

Average: .287
Runs: 18
RBI: 22
Hits: 50

So my surprise of the year has two parts. The title really should have looked like this: Surprise of the Year: Second Base.

Who would of thought that coming into the All-Star break Luis Castillo would be on the bench, while Damion Easley starts at second Base.

When he is in the lineup he produces, that's all there is to it. When Castillo's injuries began flaring up, Damion stepped in and did a fantastic job plugging the hole.

Although he will probably loose the job to Castillo when he is 100 percent, Damion has earned the playing time he's had, and deserves to play until his production falters.

Runner Up: Mike Pelfrey

A quick note on the runner up Mike Pelfrey. He has been the runner up in two categories now and deserves his spot. Pelfrey has pitched as good as any pitcher in baseball during the month of June and now into early July.

He has been a huge surprise to some fans, but not to people that follow young pitching.

Pitchers always need time to develop, and some take longer than others. You had to realize that eventually Pelfrey would put the pieces together and become a top of the rotation starter. His time has come.

Dysfunctional Member of the Team: Willie Randolph

OK, so maybe this was not called for, but hey, he seems to be the low man on the pole now. Jerry Manuel has stepped up and inspired a team of superstars, who have begun to play up their potential.

It seems that if someone didn't fit in, it was Willie. There's only so many times I can watch Torre 2.0 make the wrong move, and hear the boos from the crowd.

Runner Up: Aaron Heilman (he was not traded after all and has been the most lights out reliever over the past month. As long as he stays in New York he will always be somewhat dysfunctional).

Fan's Pet: Endy Chavez

Don't get me wrong, Chavez has played very well this season, and has helped the Mets as they begin to climb back into the race. But he is the undisputed Fan's Pet.

After making "the catch" over the wall in left field, he will always be adored by the New York Mets' faithful.

I've never seen a bench player get so much applause when he enters a game as Chavez does at Shea.

Runners Up: John Maine and David Wright

Steady Eddie Award: Ryan Church and Brian Schneider

Yes, we have a tie for the most steady player on the Mets. Both of these players have defined what it means to be a steady player. They go out there each day and play (when Church is not injured), and you know what your going to get.

Although Brian Schneider has a low average, he was brought in as a defensive catcher, and has been just that. He calls a great game, and knows just what to say to a struggling pitcher to work him through an inning.

This type of catcher is needed with the emotional pitchers (John Maine and Oliver Perez) and with the young pitching of Mike Pelfrey.

Ryan Church got off to an amazing start to the season and as I said earlier, if not for the injury he would have most likely been the MVP of the first half. He goes out there when he can, and plays a solid right field paired with solid middle-of-the-order hitting.

Those are my first half 2008 New York Mets awards. Please let me know what you agree with and disagree with.

Mets Win Again on The Backs Of Santana, The Bullpen and Castro

Harris Decker — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 04:21:11 -0400

The Mets continued to play good baseball in Queens last night. We all know, the Giants are not a good baseball team, but this is something the Mets don't do when they're slumping: beat up on bad teams.

It looks like they have finally figured out the recipe for success in that department.

Johan Santana toed the rubber for the Mets. He went five innings, giving up three hits while striking out five. He left the game after a 45 minute rain delay, in line for a win.

Before the rain came in, Ramon Castro broke up a scoreless game by hitting his third home run on the season, a three run shot into the bleachers in left.

The real story above all to me in this game was the bullpen. I'm not sure if they were auditioning Aaron Heilman for other teams, so that he could move to the trading block or they were just giving him more innings, but he was brilliant. He came in to relieve Santana after the delay, pitching a scoreless sixth and seventh, striking out two and not allowing a hit.

That line is not the best we've seen, but just watching Heilman, he looks like a different pitcher. Suddenly his fastball is jumping out of his hands at around 95 and his change up is being highlighted even more because of this added speed.

Duaner Sanchez and Joe Smith finished up the game, each pitching scoreless and hit-less innings, while the Mets lineup added two additional runs.

That is another enigma the Mets have had, adding onto their leads late in games. It seems that all cylinders are firing for Jerry Manuel and the New York Mets as John Maine, in search of a lengthy, quality outing, takes the hill for the Mets as they go for the sweep.

Don't Look Now, Are We Living in The Greatest Year in History?

Harris Decker — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:55:21 -0400

I don't want to get too far into this topic yet because the year is only half over, but 2008 is shaping up to be among the greatest years in the history of sports.

If you look at each major and minor sport, there are great stories everywhere, and we don't even have a college football or World Series champion yet.

So far this year, we have seen Fresno upset the No. 8 Georgia in the College World Series. This was one of the most covered College World Series in recent history because of this.

We have also seen the U.S. Open (golf) come down to a sudden death, following a next day 18 hole playoff. It has been said that Tiger's performance (against himself more than anything) is one of his greatest victories, but the effort of unknown Rocco Mediate was truly inspiring.

I am not someone that sits down and watches golf on a regular basis, but I was glued to my TV for all of Sunday and followed closely online Monday.

Furthermore, we had a huge, epic final in the NBA. The Celtics went from worst to first and faced the Lakers in the finals. The Celtics, of course, took the series in six games, marking the first time since 1987.

We also saw, simultaneously, one of the greatest Super Bowls ever played and the biggest upset in history. The 18-0 Patriots rolled into Super Bowl 42 as the heavy favorites over the New York Giants who sneaked into the playoffs as the fifth seed.

Of course, the rest will help this 2008 go down in history as the Giants upset the Patriots led by Eli Manning and Plaxico Burress, 17-14.

Finally, just this past week, we watched what many are already calling the greatest tennis match in history. Rafael Nadal faced off against Roger Federer.

Federer has dominated the Majors circuit for the better part of the current decade. It seemed that he would win yet another Wimbledon, until the persistent Nadal took the match in the fifth set.

This loss might have signaled to the rest of the world that there is a new kid on the block, finally defeating Federer outside of France.

Finally, we arrive at baseball. I think that this year is important regardless of who wins in the end. This season has proven to the world that the steroid era has ended, with players like McGwire, Clemens, and Bonds now all but out of the game completely.

The new hope has finally arrived on scene in the form of young, talented players. As the end nears for greats and future hall of famers such as Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Mike Mussina, Pedro Martinez, Jeff Kent, Randy Johnson, Juan Pierre, Curt Schilling, and Moises Alou, new players have finally arrived to fill the void these players will leave in the next few years.

Players such as Evan Longoria, Matt Holiday, David Wright, Tim Lincecum, Chase Utley, Hanley Ramirez, Carlos Gomez, and Dan Haren, are now ready and willing to take the reins and lead this sport into the post steroid era.

This is a monumental swing in baseball, a sport that has been dominated by these veterans for the past 10 years, and its not even playoff time yet.

We have seen probably the most epic year in the history of sports, with players that will go down in history. Everyone reading this article should appreciate the time we live in as such.

Sorry if I left any big stories out, please post them below.

Why the MLB All-Star Game Should Be Cancelled, Forever

Harris Decker — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:23:28 -0400

I am completely sick of a few things that surround the All-Star Game. I don't want to be viewed as someone who does not like to have fun, but this exhibition game has gotten out of control.

The first thing that is ridiculous is the fact that this game does in fact count, and the fans are still allowed to vote. I understand that giving the fans the vote makes them feel closer to the game. The problem is that when fan voting was established, the game was solely for the fun of the fans.

Now that the game has a purpose (deciding home field advantage in the World Series), the fans have no business voting.

I'm not sure how other people feel about this, but I am a Mets fan, and if the Mets were to make the playoffs, I would want the All-Star Game to be taken as seriously as possible.

I guess what I'm trying to say is simply, the fans are not intelligent enough to understand this. The prime example of this takes place in Boston, Mass.

Over the past five years the Sox have been legitimate contenders in the World Series. Each year they make the playoffs and every year for the near future will make a run at it. Why is it then that Red Sox fans are voting for Jason Varitek and David Ortiz in the All-Star Game?

I understand that you want your players in there, and I don't have a problem with guys like Dustin Pedroia or Papelbon participating. The problem is that Varitek is having one of the worst seasons in recent memory for the Red Sox.

The Red Sox fans need to shift their heads into gear, and realize that they are voting to decide the home field advantage in a World Series they might actually be in.

As much as it pains me to say this, I think that fan voting should be almost completely removed from the All-Star Game. The only say that the fans should have should be one or two final votes for a few "fan chosen" players.

I would like to see the managers, coaches, and front offices in baseball choose the rosters for future All-Star games.

Another problem with fans voting is that they very rarely respect players who are having great first halves, which is something that should be taken into consideration.

As a Mets fan, why not reward Ryan Church for having a career first half for the Devil Rays? They only have two All-Stars, neither of which were voted in by the fans (Kazmir and Navarro).

The front office and managers in baseball have a better read on which players really deserve to be on the team and which players are simply fan favorites.

I have two memos to deliver.

No. 1: To: The Commissioner of Major League Baseball and all Front Office Members. RE: The All-Star Game.
- Bud Selig, if you plan to make the All-Star Game count for something, you need to remove the popularity contest from the game. If you are going to create this situation in which the fans do in fact affect the game, and interact, why not have the fans in the stadium vote for which pitcher they want to close the game? If this sounds crazy, so do you. Make a decision, either go back to the old format, where the best record decides home field advantage, and the All-Star Game goes back to the "just for fun" format; or remove the fan voting (popularity contest).

No. 2: To: Major League Baseball Fans, specifically Boston fans. RE: The All-Star Game.
- Major League Baseball gives the fans the chance to vote in the All-Star Game to decide the starting lineup. This game also decides the home field advantage for the World Series. What fans of baseball need to understand is that their votes really make a difference in October. Let's stop voting for our favorite players and vote for the players that give the teams the best chance to win. I for one, being a National League fan, don't mind having Jason Varitek starting at catcher over Joe Mauer.

Moral of the story, Major League Baseball can't have it both ways. They either need to make the game just for fun, or take the fan element out of the game.

Whos Ready For Mets Vs. Phillies??

Harris Decker — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:41:40 -0400

So as we move into this coming weekend, the Mets will once again be locked up with one of their biggest rivals. Last weekend the Mets split the four game series with the Yankees and this weekend the Phillies and Mets will face off.

I have already written an article today showing how there is no way the Phillies can take the division because of their complete lack of pitching. Even with the mediocre pitching, I want to look at the match-ups this weekend.

Game 1/2

Yes you read that right. I want to discuss very quickly the last game of the Phillies previous series. The final game against the braves will feature Cole Hammels. I think that it would have been better to bump Cole one more day back, to face the Mets.

I feel that just like the Yankees last weekend, the Phillies are not throwing their best at the Mets, and as the Phillies are concerned, they still fear the Mets, no matter what the standings show.

Now onto the actually series match-ups.

Game One

The reason that my game one match-up will be short and sweet is because A. Johan Santana is on the mound for the Mets, and B. the Phillies are not throwing a real challenge on the board.

After sending Brett Meyers down to AAA, the Phillies will be sending either another AAA pitcher or bullpenner Chad Durbin to the mound.

Either of these choices should be completely over-matched against Johan. He is coming off of a very shaky start, and will have something to prove against the division rivals.

This also furthers my opinion that the Phillies should be throwing Cole Hammels, but if they want to hand over a victory, I won't complain.

Game Two

Game Two features an interesting match-up of old against new. The Phillies will send 63 year old Jamie Moyer to the mound. This season in two starts against the Mets he is 1-1 with two Strikeouts. Over those two starts he pitched 12 innings and gave up four runs.

Jamie Moyer will now be facing a Mets team whose bats are just beginning to heat up. With the floaters that Moyer throws, the Mets should have a field day.

John Maine will pitch for the Mets. He is coming off of his worst outing of the season but before that has been very good.

A very overlooked fact about John Maine is his record against the key division rival. In fact he is so good, that he has never lost to the Phillies!

Over seven career starts he is 4-0 with a 2.05 ERA. In 44 innings he has struck out 23. He should go out and pitch very well against the Phillies, as he always does.

This game should mark the 2nd win of the series for the Mets.

GameThree

Sunday will feature a match-up of two very up and down starters.

The Phillies will be pitching Kyle Kendrick. Kendrick has only one start this year against the Mets. It did not go very well for him. In 2.1 innings, seven runs were scored, only one was earned.

The only thing this tells you, is that if the Phillies can play good defense, they might have a chance.

Going against Kendrick is Oliver Perez. If the only games you ever watched of Oliver were against the Mets then you would assume he was the next Jim Palmer.

Fortunately for every other team, he rides a roller coaster when he is not in the Bronx. The problem for the Phillies is that Perez pitches almost as good against the Phillies as he is against the Yankees (at least this year).

This year in 11.1 innings Perez is yet to give up a run against the Phillies. He has struck out nine but also walked eight. That is the stat the Perez has to watch. In order to be successful he needs to keep the walks down.

My Predictions

Johan Defeats whoever the Phillies throw in Game One

John Maine and Oliver Perez continue their Phillies dominance and the Mets sweep the series, and pull very close in the division.

When It's All Said and Done, Why No NL East Team Can Matchup Against the Mets

Harris Decker — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:00:30 -0400

We all know the story. The Mets have gotten off to a terrible start, and most people have picked the Phillies to take the division for the second year in a row.

This is simply not possible. The only team that can beat the Mets right now is the Mets. They are making near rookie pitchers look like aces in the hole and are not living up to expectations.

With the change of management, along with some small lineup changes, the Mets will be able to turn their season around after the all star break.

If you look at the amount of people underachieving, it’s crazy, and to think all of this mediocre play and the Mets are still only three or four games back of the Phillies.

What the NL East will come down to is pitching. These two teams are both stacked with hitters. It’s very hard to argue that if all players involved were having good years, one lineup is better than the other.

If the argument is that all of the players are not having good years that just means that they are poised for the second half. How long can a lineup with this much talent remain idle?

No Phillies fan can convince me that Rollins, Utley, Howard, and Burrell is better than Reyes, Wright, Beltran, and Church (for now). Even if you gave the Phillies a slight edge it would still boil down to pitching.

The truth of the matter is that the Phillies don't really have any pitching. The only pitcher who throws good stuff up there every time is Cole Hammels. I am fair and will give credit where it is due, and this kid is a great pitcher.

After him is where the Phillies fall apart. If we were to do the pitching matchups in a five game series in which all five starters from both teams pitched, it would be a landslide victory towards Flushing.

Johan Santana vs. Cole Hammels
Pedro Martinez vs. Brett Meyers
John Maine vs. Jamie Moyer
Oliver Perez vs. Kyle Kendrick
Mike Pelfrey vs. Adam Eaton

These match-ups all swing towards the Mets. If Philly were to pitch Hammels on a different night, they could probably take one game.

Again, this is solely based on pitching, but the facts are the facts. You take teams with near identical performance from their hitters and put these pitchers out there, pitching and defense win games.

Just a note about the Florida Marlins. I am quite sick of hearing them compared to the Devil Rays in that they are now all of sudden these amazingly talented teams.

Fact is that Tampa Bay is an amazing team. Anyone who follows the sport at its minor league level could have seen this coming for a long time. The Marlins are simply hanging in there and playing competitively.

Nothing away from the Marlins, but anyone who thinks they have a real chance at winning anything more than a pat on the back is crazy.

The Perez Enigma: Oliver Is One of the Greatest New York Mets Pitchers, Except..

Harris Decker — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:21:06 -0400

What is it about Oliver Perez that makes him so interesting?

Is it the fact that in some games he can't get an out to save his life?

Is it the fact that in other games he looks Cy Young like?

I don't think anyone in New York has the answer to this question. Since he arrived in New York, we knew his rap sheet. He was wild at times but has great ability.

He has proved that as a member of the New York Mets. Last season, he recorded 15 wins and pitched very well in only his second full season.

Pitch selection, batting match-ups, and speed on the fastball have never been issues for Oliver. His problem has come within his own head. He tends to completely loose focus on the mound at times and that throws his mechanics way off.

I was very worried for Perez's life in New York after the firing of pitching coach Rick Peterson. Peterson seemed to always know what to say when he came out to the mound and talked to with him.

Luckily, it doesn’t seem to be affecting him in the early going with new pitching coach, Dan Warthen at the helm.

Against the Yankees this past weekend, Oliver looked stunning. After a few minor changes to his wind up and position on the rubber, he looked like the pitcher all Mets’ fans want him to be.

He has this crazy tendency to only show up mentally in games that are on a big stage, with big things resting on them. He has now pitched 14 shutout innings against the Yankees and has pitched well in the playoffs for the Mets (in limited starts).

He needs to learn to pitch like it’s a big game, every game.

I know that I am a hypocrite. It was just days ago that I wrote an article that basically called for him to be traded if possible. I am still not taking that back. I believe that he can be used to get some good prospects in return and will be hard to sign in free agency because he is a Boras client.

That being said, I would be perfectly fine keeping Oliver for the rest of the season and hoping that he wants to come back to New York.

He just needs focus, and with that, you could be looking at a hot No. 3 starter coming down the home stretch.

The Subway Series Recap, What We Learned From New York Mets Vs. New York Yankees

Harris Decker — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 03:58:14 -0400

After writing a preview of this past weekend Subway Series showdown, I thought it was only fair to recap the games and figure out what we learned.

Game 1 (Mets Lead Season Series 2-0)

This game was the first of a double header to be played in two different Burroughs in the course of eight hours. Coming into this game, we saw two promising pitchers on the mound.

Mike Pelfrey had been very hot, and Dan Geise was looked highly upon coming into the game. Pelfrey did not pitch up to his potential but nonetheless worked out of some intense situations, learning to limit the damage when he could.

The most important thing that we learned from this game was that the Mets can indeed score runs. Over the past month, this has been a hard commodity to come by. You would never know this was true if you became a Mets’ fan starting on Friday.

The Mets scored 15 runs, lead by Carlos Delgado, who drove in nine. The Yankees were able to scratch out six runs and came away down another game to the cross town rivals.

Game 2 (Mets Lead Season Series 3-0)

Game two featured a matchup of veteran pitchers. The Yankees sent the recently acquired Sidney Ponson, and the Mets sent their veteran stopper Pedro Martinez.

Coming into this game, I had questioned the Yankees ability to throw worthy pitchers on the mound, and this was another example of that.

To my surprise, Ponson was very Pedro like in the way he pitched. He worked very efficiently, got ahead, and was able to shut out the Mets (along with the bullpen), who left all of their bats in the Bronx.

The Yankees scored nine runs off of Pedro and company on route to the victory.

Noteworthy is the fact that the two teams scored exactly 15 runs each on the day.

Game 3 (Mets Lead Season Series 3-1)

Finally, I thought as I sat down to watch Fox's game of the week, a good solid pitching matchup.

To me, Andy Pettitte vs. Johan Santana was the best we were going to get out of this weekends series. The game did not disappoint.

The battle, of course, would be a pitcher who has faced the Mets many times in his career, against a pitcher that has faced the Yankees plenty of times, just never in the National League. In this case, experience topped pure talent, as Andy Pettitte rode a one run lead to the Yankees second victory over the Mets, 3-2)

Before I get into my game four recap, I would just like to point out that both of these teams clearly have had trouble at home, especially playing against each other.

Game 4 (Mets Lead Season Series 3-2)

So this was it. The Yankees could save themselves, or the Mets could take bragging rights for the rest of the 2008 season (at least in NY).

This game pitted the wild Oliver Perez against Darrel Rasner. Interesting to note was that the last time Rasner pitched against the Mets was last season. He was hit on a comebacker off the bat of Endy Chavez and that ended his season.

I questioned his nerves on the mound for a game like this.

The Mets jumped out to an early lead, and that was all she wrote. Oliver Perez stepped into the spotlight and threw an amazing game. He went 7.0 innings striking out eight.

Rasner did not pitch terribly, although only pitching 5.0 innings. Billy Wagner came in to shut the door, working through the heart of the order in doing so.

So here is what we have learned from this weekend’s series:

The Mets can hit when they have to
The Yankees should go out and find some pitching help
Mike Pelfrey is the real deal
Johan Santana will need run support to win games
Dan Geise was replaced by Kei Igawua (that is a hit below the belt to Dan)
Finally, the most important thing we learned is that Oliver Perez will go down as one of the greatest pitcher in the history of baseball, if every single start was against the Yankees.

Overall, it was a good series. There was some great action packed moments. Among my favorites was Perez striking out A-Rod with runners on base. The series was entertaining, and if not for the rain, would have been a perfect weekend.

Mets take the regular season series from the Yankees 4-2

The Subway Series Showdown: A Pitching Preview Of NY Vs. NY

Harris Decker — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 03:58:15 -0400

As every fan of either New York baseball team knows right now, the two teams are preparing for what is sure to be an interesting subway series. Just to recap, since these two teams last met about a month ago (Mets taking 2 of 2) a lot has changed for both teams.

For the Mets, there is a new manager, the hottest hitter on the team has been out of the lineup since just after that series, and a few young arms for the Mets have pitched brilliantly. For the Yankees the news is big, and bad. It can be summed up in one word, Wang. Chien Ming Wang was injured running the bases and will now be out until the playoffs.

So besides all of that, nothing has changed, and we should have a competitive series. The first game of this interesting four game set will be played in the afternoon of Friday, at Yankees Stadium in the Bronx. This is a make up game from the last series due to a rain out. For the first, game Jerry Manuel is throwing his hottest starter as of now.

He is one of the young pitchers who has been red hot, of course this is Mike Pelfrey. He has been pitching brilliantly over the past month and looks to continue this into Yankee Stadium. Opposing him in this match-up will be the relatively unknown Dan Geise. He will be taking the mound coming off a good start to the season.

He has only made four appearances this year, but in those four, has only given up one run. He should be a tough competitor for Pelfrey, but in this match-up, you have to lean towards Mike in the battle of future stars. The second game of the series will be played that night at Shea Stadium in Queens.

This match-up will pit two veterans against each other as Pedro Martinez will be on the mound for the Mets and recently acquired Sidney Ponson will be on the mound for the Yankees. Pedro has faced the Yankees quite a number of times in his career. He is 11-10 with a 3.03 ERA against the Yankees.

Of course, most of these numbers were put up when he was a member of the Red Sox. Sidney Ponson on the other hand has not faced the Mets very much in his career. He is 1-1 with a 2.86 ERA against the them. Again, I feel that this pitching match-up heavily favors the New York Mets.

This will be Ponson's first start in pinstripes this season as he has pitched for them in 2006 and was reacquired from Texas last week. Pedro on the other hand, knows these hitters, and knows what needs to be done. The Saturday match up is another showcase of two veteran starters. One is projected to be among the games best ever, and the other has a boatload of experience in big games, and against the Mets.

Johan Santana will pitch for the Mets against Andy Pettitte for the Yankees. This match-up to me is the closest. Johan is coming off of a bad start and Andy in his career is 7-4 with a 3.48 ERA. Vs the Amazin’s. So, in this match-up you have to choose experience against an opponent vs. pure talent.

As a person who follows baseball, you can't ever pick against Johan Santana. On most days, even his bad days, he is better than his opponent. The final game of the series should be the most interesting. On the mound will be two young starters who have been great at times, but who have also been terrible at times.

Darrell Rasner will go for the Yankees opposing Oliver Perez for the Mets. If I were going to give one game to the Yankees it would probably be this one because Oliver has the ability to go completely out of control. In Rasner’s, only ever appearance against the Mets, he gave up two earned runs in 0.0 innings of work. This was of course in relief.

He has become a new pitcher in the rotation but you can't overlook things like that. Oliver on the other hand has pitched very well against the cross town rival. He always tends to step up in big games, and against the Yankees, he is 4-1 with a 2.88 ERA with 23 strikeouts. Now you can't discredit the hitting in all of this.

By my predictions that Mets have strong shot (on the pitching end) of sweeping this years subway series. The problem, Mets fans, before you get your hopes up remember that you were shut out through 7.0 innings by R.A. Dickey.

If this game were completely based on pitching the advantage goes to the Mets, but given the way the Mets have swung the bats over the past month, I think my little brother would have a chance to throw seven shut out innings some nights.

Major League Baseball Prospects: You Will Know Their Names Soon

Harris Decker — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:44:53 -0400

After checking out Bleacherreport.com I found a general lack of articles about prospects. I follow minor league baseball mainly as a way to know who will be the next great stars, and in turn help me collect baseball cards and memorabilia more effectively.

I thought I would share some of this information and introduce you to some names you should know, and why you should know them down the stretch.

There's no better place to start than at No. 1. This is a name that has become very familiar over the first few games of his young career. Coming into this season Jay Bruce was rated the No. 1 overall prospect.

He of course is now part of the young core of players on the Cincinnati Reds, that includes Edinson Volquez and Homer Bailey. These three players should be the core of this team for years to come.

Homer Bailey, who was No. 10 coming into this season, got off to a very rough start in the Majors. In my opinion very few pitchers (see Joba Chamberlain for an enigma), take the league by storm and pitch well in their very first season. This young arm will be solid once fully developed.

With more time spent in the minors he could improve his pitch selection and really make an impact down the stretch, if the Reds could crawl out of last place.

The No. 2 player was Evan Longoria. The Rays played about 20 games this season before realizing that they wanted him at third. He is a gold glove caliber third baseman with impressive extra base hit numbers.

The Rays have been taking a lot of novice baseball viewers by storm (Hank Steinbrenner included), but anyone who follows the minor leagues knew this day would come. Let's not forget that besides the young talent that still exists in Tampa Bay, they also bred Josh Hamilton and Delmon Young.

On that note, the player who could portray my pitching enigma again is waiting in the shadows at AA. David Price, ranked No. 11 coming into the season has a chance to make it to the majors during September call-ups and make a huge impact if the Rays are in the playoff hunt.

For those of you unfamiliar with Price, he was the 2007 No.1 overall pick by Tampa and has begun his rapid climb toward Florida. He is a lights out fireballer with a number of high quality off speed pitches. To put this kid in perspective, he recently got promoted from A to AA after going 7-1 with a sub 2.00 ERA. Most analysts (including me) think that he could be a future ace of staff.

From David Price we will take a step back and look at some other pitchers in the top 10. No. 4 is Clayton Kershaw.

He came into this season with a nasty curve ball and a plus fastball. He has made some average to poor starts for the Dodgers, but again, with time, will flourish in the majors. No one with that type of curve could fail.

No. 5 and No. 6 are occupied by AL East rivals. Of course I am talking about Joba Chamberlain and Clay Buckholz. These are two pitchers that will most likely be staring each other down for years to come.

Joba has made his presence felt in New York, causing both relief and controversy. He has provided solid bullpen help to Mariano Rivera as well as making starts as we move into the second half of the season.

Clay Buckholz has not had quite the success that Joba has. He has only two wins in Boston with a plus 5.50 ERA. Buckholz was over taken by another hot prospect, Justin Masterson.

Masterson was not in the top 50 but in Boston has quickly jumped into the picture, helping fill the gap left by future Hall of Fame pitcher Curt Schilling. Masterson has gone 4-1 with a 3.00 ERA in six starts. At least one of these pitchers is panning out this season.

Jumping back a bit, No. 3 is Cameron Maybin. I will pair him with Andrew Miller who was traded alongside Maybin to Florida for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis. Ironically, no one in this trade is performing well as of now.

The two players that went north under achieved, and the Marlins new prospects are either not playing (Maybin) or not pitching well, (Miller). Maybin is currently in AA working some things out with his swing. I would bet, he will return to the Marlins if things improve in the minors, because they will need a bat off the bench if they are going to stay competitive in the division.

No. 7 is Colby Rasmus. He is on the St. Louis Cardinals and is currently in the minors. He is not doing so well, batting around .250 with 11 home runs in fewer than 300 at bats.

If the Cardinals stay competitive then I wouldn't imagine seeing Colby anywhere near the Mississippi this year. On the other hand, if the Cards fall out of the race completely, this will be an opportunity for guys such as Rasmus to step in and get some good experience.

The Pittsburgh Pirates actually make an appearance on this list because of a very gifted outfielder. No. 8 is Andrew McCutchen. Currently at AAA Andrew is batting .285 with eight home runs in fewer than at bats. If the Pirates continue to struggle it will not be long before this young hitter is getting familiar with the NL Central.

Rounding out the top 10 is Adam Miller. Miller is a pitcher in the Indians organization. There is not too much to report about him because he has only appeared in six games this year for the Indians AAA affiliate.

Over just 28.2 innings he has only allowed six runs (1.88 ERA) while getting one win. If Cleveland can get Carmona and Sabathia rolling then this kid will not see a major league inning until 2009, but if they fall out of the race, then you could see him much sooner.

Finally, I want to draw attention to a few players in the top 50.

No. 13 is Jacoby Ellesbury. I took issue with him being on this list because he played in the World Series last year and was guaranteed to play a majority of the games in center for the Red Sox. All of that has come true and he is proving that he is the real deal.

No. 17 is Fernando Martinez. This kid (barely 20 years old) is an explosive hitter. He can hit for power to all fields and is a solid defensive outfielder. He was slowed greatly by injury this year, but will most likely be in the majors by 2009 when Citi Field opens.

No. 26 is Ian Kennedy. Kennedy had a brief stint with the Yankees before getting hurt and sent down to work on more pitches. The Yankees are currently devastated in the pitching department.

With Wang and Hughes injured, and Kennedy not pitching in the majors yet, they are relying on second-rate starters to tread water. The way to look at this situation is that the starting rotation on opening day was: Wang, Pettite, Mussina, Hughes and Kennedy.

Three of five are not pitching with the Yankees. Kennedy and Hughes cannot come back quick enough.

Finally I will wrap this up with No. 49. Most people in New York don't even know who this player is. Here's a little background. His name is Austin Jackson and he is a 21-year-old outfielder for the Yankees.

The plan with Jackson is to have him in the New York outfield within the next two years. In 1,420 career minor league at bats he has a .282 average while hitting 84 doubles and driving in 157. He is currently in AA Trenton, and I would look for him to be here soon.

These are all players that you should know, and if you don't you better learn quickly.

Your 2009 New York Mets Starting Lineup

Harris Decker — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:34:44 -0400

I really hope that this does not send the 2008 New York Mets into a tailspin, but hey, it's only an article. I sure hope these professional baseball players can pull things together.

As this season continues to look blander and blander, I couldn't stop myself from taking a look at some of the big changes that will take place in the offseason this year. I believe that what happens the rest of this season will only affect one person on the team, but we'll get to that later.

We'll take a trip around the horn and see who will still be in Flushing when Citi Field opens.

Obviously, the left side of the infield will remain unchanged, with David Wright and Jose Reyes anchoring this team well into the opening of the new stadium.

Unfortunately, only half of the right side of the infield will turnover. Omar Minaya, in one of his not-so-good moves as GM, signed Luis Castillo to a four-year, $25 million contract.

Lucky for every New York Mets fan in the country, we will finally have a new first baseman. Carlos Delgado's contract will expire after this year when Omar Minaya does not exercise his 2009 club option. Also in the good fortunes for the Mets, they have a player at AA Binghamton that is ready and willing to take over at first base.

Mike Carp will most likely be called up during September call ups, and then play next year at first. He will bring a touch of youth and energy to a position that has been occupied by Delgado since 2005.

Obviously there is one other option at first. That option lurks in free agency, currently sitting on the roster of their biggest rival. I am talking about Mark Texiera. He is one of the best up-and-coming power hitters, and he would fit perfectly into the Mets' lineup. He could hit behind Beltran in the fifth hole.

The problem here is whether the Wilpons will allow Omar to spend the type of money that Mark will be fetching on the free-agency market. Given this, Omar will not spend the money and they will solve the problem internally.

So the infield is set up. The catching position will be filled once again by Brian Schneider, with Ramon Castro as a platoon. I am ok with Brian Schneider; he calls a good game and is a great defender.

Now, moving into the outfield at Citi Field. I would hope that Ryan Church will be re-signed to play right field. He has been a solid hitter and a surprisingly good defender. He will probably fetch a four-year contract for about $5 million a year. I would be very willing to take Church for the next four years.

In center field, we will continue to have the best National League, defensive center fielder. Carlos Beltran is a great baseball player, with one of the smoothest swings I've seen. His only flaw is that he takes too many strike threes. He is signed with the club through 2011.

Left field again will be the most interesting. I would assume that Omar will not re-sign Alou to another contract (although given Minaya's record with veterans, who knows). That will leave left field wide open.

The best solution (if he's ready) is to promote the young star, Fernando Martinez to play left field. He is a speedy runner, with plenty of power, who has a chance to bat second, behind Reyes, in the future. I would bat him very low in the lineup right now, if he is even able to make the team. He is only 20-years old right now.

There are a few other options. Although he is most likely going to miss the rest of the season, Angel Pagan is a solid outfielder who can hit for average. He is a great complement to Jose Reyes, batting either eighth or second. If he can come back and hit well, he could play left field.

The only other option without going into free agency is to move the most valuable fourth outfielder in baseball into a starting role in left. Endy Chavez has become one of the greatest utility players in all of baseball. His move into the starting roster could give them more speed in the lineup, and he adds another Gold-Glove outfielder to the Citi outfield.

Moving onto the pitchers. Of course the first pitch at Citi Field will be thrown by ace, Johan Santana. He is here to stay, and he will be on the mound there until at least 2013. John Maine should return to the New York Mets, and if Omar Minaya wants to instill some confidence, Maine will be locked up in the offseason to a long-term contract (his contract runs out after 2009).

Mike Pelfrey will finally pitch a full season this year, and next year should flourish at Citi Field. He has turned into a solid 6'7" pitcher with an amazing fastball. Unfortunately, Pedro Martinez will most likely retire, but if he does wish to play another season, then Omar will sign him at a low cost. If not, there are free agents out there to be had.

All of this being said, Oliver Perez is the wild card in the rotation. He is currently only signed through the end of this year, and then he will become a free agent. As I have written before, I think Perez is valuable trade-bait.

If this does not happen, then I think that he will sign with a different team. The reason Omar will not sign him is because he is a Scott Boras client. Even after a less-than-average year, he will most likely get a huge, long-term contract. I don't know if the Mets are ready to commit to him like that.

If he were to be let go, the Mets will need to fill that gap. I would look for Omar to go out and sign a pitcher. Omar will want to sign a younger pitcher, to keep with the "youth theme." Among the pitchers he could look into would be free agents: AJ Burnett, Jason Jennings, Julian Taveras, or Ben Sheets. Any of these would be a solid replacement for Perez.

On the other hand, if for some reason Perez wants to be reasonable, Omar will be quick to sign him, but not for the type of money that Boras usually asks for.

The bullpen is relatively simple. Billy Wagner is signed through 2009 (club option for 2010). Scott Schoeneweis is signed through 2009, so he will be back. The rest of the bullpen will be a matter of, who to re-sign and who to let go.

Duaner Sanchez, Aaron Heilman, Pedro Feliciano, and Matt Wise are all in the final year of their contracts. Omar will keep Pedro and Duaner. The other two will most likely be let go. Joe Smith will be there, and finally the Mets' 2007 first-round pick should be in the bullpen. Eddie Kunz will also be in the bullpen, and he should provide some more youth.

The Mets should be exciting as they make the move into Citi Field, and I am looking forward to it, as most Mets fans are.

Tampa Bay Rays: What Does the Future Hold?

Harris Decker — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:46:08 -0400

The Tampa Bay Rays are in a very interesting position. For the first time in their history they are competing in the very competitive American League East.

The Rays have had an influx of talent, most of it originating in the farm systems and the draft. In a perfect world the Rays would be a powerhouse team in the American League over the next decade.

The problem is that the world is not perfect, and herein lies the problem of not having a salary cap in baseball. Currently the Rays have a number of players whose contracts expire over the next few years.

Furthermore, these are players that, unless things change drastically, will fetch huge contracts. Some of these players include:

Carl Crawford: Signed through 2008 at $15 Million over four years
B.J. Upton: Signed through 2008 at $0.5 Million over one year

Among the really positive things going on in the Rays organization is that finally the club is willing to spend a little bit more money. They have been able to (very intelligently) lock up most of their really young talent to very long-term deals before they hit superstardom.

The Rays are currently locked into contracts for the following players:

Carlos Pena through 2010
Scott Kazmir through 2012 (club option for 2012)
James Shields through 2014
David Price through 2012
Evan Longoria through 2016

That gives them a really solid core for the next five years or so. The problem of course will come up again when they must attempt to lock up these players for even longer-term contracts.

In my opinion, taking these young players and combining them with veterans such as Cliff Floyd and Troy Percival is a recipe for greatness.

As we continue our move from old to youth in baseball, this team should lead the way, combining youth with amazing talent.

By the way...is anyone paying attention to David Price in the minors? He was just moved up to AA after blowing away batters in A.

The Willie Randolph Dilemma

Harris Decker — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:51:37 -0400

Everyone in New York is completely sick of hearing about Willie Randolph. The Mets are off to a good start under interim manager Jerry Manuel, and things are looking up for the New York Metropolitans.

Amongst all of this, Willie Randolph is still finding his way onto New York's sports radio and newspapers.

The controversy now: Will Willie participate in the 2008 All-Star Game?

The problem stretches back a few months to when Clint Hurdle decided to name Willie Randolph as one of the coaches to participate in the All-Star Game. At the time, things were not as bad as they are now for Willie and the Mets.

Now, of course, we face the problem of, "will Willie be there", or, "which jersey will he be wearing?"

Clint Hurdle, in a public statement, said something to the regards of, I want Willie there. He chose him while he was still a manager, and the Rockies manager is still expecting Willie to be there.

There is no word yet on what the commissioner thinks about this situation, but one party that loves to chime in on these issues has made a statement.

Hal Steinbrenner said a few days ago that, "anything's a possibility," when it came to Willie Randolph. He even entertained the idea of signing him to an "honorary" position, just so he would be able to coach.

There is no rule regarding this type of situation in the All-Star Game, and therefore the problem will be figured out in 2008.

Of course, Willie's participation, and wearing of a Yankees jersey (if it came to that) would be a huge slap in the face to the New York Mets, and another unnecessary distraction.

I do not believe that Major League Baseball and Bud Selig will allow this to happen without interfering. Willie Randolph needs to put his tail between his legs and graciously bow out of the All-Star Game. This will be the only way that no one gets shown up.

I just hope that the phone call above is being made to Clint Hurdle, wishing him luck in the All-Star Game, one that he will be watching from the stands.

For the New York Mets, the Season Starts Today

Harris Decker — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 03:56:22 -0400

For the Mets' fans, last night started off like many other nights this spring and early summer. You sat down to watch your favorite team play, and to your delight, they actually were able to score in this game.

As the night progressed, you saw the 3-0 lead you once had slip away at Oliver Perez's expense, and you thought to yourself, "Wow another come from ahead loss."

Boy would you have been wrong. As the three, Mets broadcasters, Ron Darling, Keith Hernandez, and Gary Cohen, said as the game ended last night, "this was the biggest game of the year."

In my heart, I felt what they were saying. This was the start of a new beginning for the New York Mets.

Let's take a look at all of the things that happened in this game to lead Jerry Manuel to his first win as the Mets' manager.

First, we'll start with Jerry himself. He shook up the lineup, rested Castillo and let Marlon Anderson play first base. Delgado deserved to sit after last night's "Carlos Delgado."

In case you haven't read my other articles, I think (as well as Boomer and Carton on WFAN), that when you go 0-4 with at least one strikeout and at least one error, then you have committed a "Carlos Delgado."

I like the fact that Manuel is not afraid of shaking up the lineup a little bit either. He moved Marlon into the No. 2 spot, and he chose to play Endy Chavez over Fernando Tatis in the outfield (the obvious choice).

Next, we go to the bullpen. There have been a number of performances by this 2008 New York Mets bullpen that have been quite under par. That being said, they are a good group of guys, and they needed a new man to manage them.

I liked the use of Joe Smith in the seventh inning. Willie Randolph tended to use his Joe Torre method of giving the veterans the big spots over the young arms.

This theory is finally out of New York for good. Willie tended to use Joe Smith to get one out, usually in the middle of an inning. Joe is just not that type of pitcher, and he showed it last night by working through the heart of the batting order.

Scott Schoeneweis, Duaner Sanchez, and Billy Wagner also recorded scoreless innings on the road to the victory (Sanchez got the win, Wagner the save).

So the bullpen got it done, but that hasn't been the biggest problem for the Mets this year. A larger problem has come with men on base, specifically in the later innings.

How bad has it actually been? David Wright, coming into yesterday's game, had only one hit the entire season in the ninth inning!

Stats like that will frighten any Mets fan. Luckily, on this night, Jose Reyes and David Wright were able to get it done, and the future cornerstones of the organization helped lead the Mets to Jerry Manuel's first victory.

The hero of the night was Damion Easiley, who hit a solo home run in the 10th inning, setting up the win and save opportunity for Billy Wagner.

I think that the Mets' entire season can be turned around by a win like last night. They overcame so many obstacles that troubled them in the past: from bullpen troubles, to a lack of late-game heroics, and they even scored in the ninth inning off of the best closer in Major League Baseball (K-Rod).

I send this to the new manager of the Mets: Let's keep the kids in the game and win some ballgames. We all know that the Mets have the most overall-talent in the league, and it's about time that we, as fans, are shown that.

New York Mets: The Unfair Firing of Pitching Coach Rick Peterson

Harris Decker — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:54:33 -0400

I will be brief, because I am completely sick of hearing that Willie Randolph was treated unfairly. The fact of the matter is that he didn't perform and he deserved what he got.

There is a sad underlying story for the Mets and their pitching staff. With Willie Randolph went Rick Peterson, the pitching coach of the last few years.

Unfortunately, Rick will be remembered for his overwhelming endorsement to trade Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano. This, along with Peterson's firing, are very sad points in Mets history.

Since Peterson made that endorsement, he has done wonders to a sometimes aging pitching staff. He helped Tom Glavine, Pedro Martinez and Billy Wagner revitalize their careers in New York, by learning new ways to approach batters.

He is also responsible for turning two "throw-ins" in trades, into top-notch No. 3 and 4 starters (possibly No. 2 and 3 starters). Of course, this is John Maine and Oliver Perez. Rick saw potential and taught both of these guys to control their emotions on the mound and learn how to win.

Furthermore, Rick brought a great sense of pitching to New York. Yes, he worked by pitch counts, which may have been his greatest downfall, but for any team out there looking for a coach to turn Old into New and Young into Competitor, Rick Peterson is looking for a job.

Why Do People See the American League as Being Dominant?

Harris Decker — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:32:35 -0400

I don't understand the stigma hanging over the National League's head. Yes, they have not won very many All-Star Games in recent history, but is that the sign of a weak league?

I always hear people say, "well he's the best in the National League, he wouldn't do anything in the American League."

That is the most stupid comment, but in their defense, a lot of people that think these are simply Yankees fans (I will get into the lowest level of sports fans in another article).

Seriously, what makes the American League a better or more competitive place to play baseball? If you want to say that the hitters are stronger and more home run driven in the American League, I would respect those comments, but with a very big HOWEVER...

Lets take some big sluggers and look at who they face pitching-wise in their current leagues, and then lets turn the tables on them.

We'll start with everyone's favorite, Alex Rodriguez. The best pitcher in the American League (currently) is Chien-Ming Wang and he will never face him. After that is a bunch of mid-level starters, the best of which belong to the Tampa Bay Rays (Shields and Kazmir). He faces no strong pitchers!

I'm not saying he's not a great hitter, but the stigma needs to go away. If you took most American-League batters and dropped them into a league that could actually pitch, they would not be as successful.

Look at Alex and Hamilton (RBI leader). If we took these two talented baseball players and dropped them into the National League West, they would be facing Jake Peavy, Dan Haren, Chris Young, Brandon Webb, Greg Maddux, and Tim Lincecum on a regular basis, instead of a bunch of nobodies.

If you took the top-10 pitchers in the American League, and put them up against these guys, you would see the World Series go to the National League every year (solely based on pitching).

Another interesting fact is that this year, the American League has a major fault. All of the great hitters have not been hitting. As I write this, we might be in the year where people realize this and the National League gains the respect they deserve. As of June 8, the current runs, doubles, triples, home runs, average, wins, strikeouts and ERA leaders are all in the National League.

The other frightening thing is that even in the categories that the American League leads in, the leaders are out of left field, players who are having career, or breakout years. These players include Josh Hamilton and Cliff Lee.

This rant is basically just to make sure the NL gets the respect they deserve. Hopefully this year we can get some home-field advantage!