New York Sports

Johan Santana Should Never Be Counted Out

I know Met fans are not expecting much from the team this season and I certainly respect and understand that opinion. But baseball is a funny sport. Nobody expected the Arizona Diamondbacks to rebound from a 90 loss season to win the NL West. Nobody expected the last 2 World Champions to be squads with under a $100 million payroll. No one expected the fact that anAL East team has not been in the World Series the last 2 years considering the fact everyone expected it. It is the reason we play the games and it is the reason sports is the great theater that it is.

When teams do the unexpected it generally comes in one of 2 ways. Young players coming together quicker than was anticipated or veteran players rebounding off sub-par or injury riddled years to make a difference. And that brings us to Johan Santana. In all my years of covering the Mets, I do not know if I ever met anyone like Santana. He is a confident pitcher who understands his responsibility and embraces it. And nobody wants to get back on the mound more than Johan. He has spent the winter moving towards the goal of being ready for Spring Training and my sense is that he will be ready. What can we expect from him? That is hard to say but consider this: Santana has always been the type of pitcher that wins as much with his mind as his arm. He possesses the best change-up in the league and that will go a long way towards getting him back on track.

But Santana also has a profound influence on the other pitchers in the rotation. Just ask Mike Pelfrey. "I missed having him around last year", says Pelfrey, "because he has so many great ideas about preparation and devising a game plan. I think what most people lose sight of is that not only is Johan a great pitcher but he studies the opposing hitters so well and talking to him about that on the days we are both not pitching and sitting on the bench for instance is so valuable."  The very presence of Santana would also allow pitchers like Jonathan Niese, RA Dickey, and Dillon Gee to slot into their proper spots in the rotation taking enormous pressure off them on the days they start.

More importantly, Johan has a swagger to his game and this team desperately needs that. Met fans feel so beat up right now (and rightfully so)  and having Santana on the hill for Opening Day would be a huge shot in the arm (no pun intended). I will never forget the night the Mets went into Boston a few years ago and Santana outdueled Dice-K. The thing I remember most about that night is Santana hit Kevin Youkilis with a pitch and the Red Sox third sacker stared him down. Johan looked at him and said, "What are you looking at. Take your bleepin base." And not a peep from the proud Red Sox. In a way, that is what the Mets missed from Santana. Sure, he is an ace and the ability to pitch like one is why the Mets signed him. But he also brings a focus and competitiveness that is contagious in a locker room.

As the Mets try to get Jonathan Niese to the next level, get Mike Pelfrey to return to his form of 2010, and most importantly, prepare for the arrival of guys like Harvey and Wheeler, Santana could be a very valuable connection for those young pitchers. He was here when the Mets mattered in 2008 and he can let the young pitchers know how great a town this is to play in when you are winning. He could also warn them about keeping focus when things are not going so well.

With a revamped bullpen, a healthy and productive Santana coupled with a competent season from Dickey and the continued development of Niese, could make the 2012 season better than you might think. Bringing in the fences will help guys like Wright and Bay and will allow big bats like Davis and Duda to use the "whole field". But all conversations about the Mets 2012 fortunes, begin and end with #57.

And it would be wise not to count him out because he has proven throughout his career, he is a fighter. And right now, this organization needs him to lead the way. Sure, it is a loaded division and the cards are stacked high against the Mets contending. Every great sports story always begin with a crisis and the Mets are definitely in crisis mode. It is up to the players how they respond to it. Getting Santana back healthy and productive would be a huge step in the right direction.

Tom Seaver: New York's Greatest Pitcher Of All-Time

On MLB Network's "Studio 42" with Bob Costas, Hall of Famer Tom Seaver will discuss a multitude of topics, including why current day pitchers can't seem to finish games.

The network was kind enough to send me a screener - the episode airs tonight - and it is an absolute must-watch. Listening to Seaver got me to thinking about his greatness.. Not only what he meant to Mets fans, but also to the sport of baseball.

To fully understand his importance consider this important fact: no player in baseball history -- not Ruth, Gehrig, Musial, Williams nor DiMaggio -- received a larger percentage of Hall of Fame votes upon his induction than Seaver. He was an icon in New Yorkand season after season was as dominating a pitcher as there was in the sport.

To Mets fans, Seaver was the first player we could say had star power. When he burst onto the scene in 1967, he gave the team hope for the future. As a 7-year-old boy, my first trip to a ballpark was to see Seaver in his rookie year. My dad didn't have much money and worked 60 hours a week as a laborer, but told me on my birthday he would take to see the Mets.

And as he put it, "I want you to see Tom Seaver pitch because years from now, you will understand his greatness."

So, I got a chance to see a ballgame in living color (at that point all we had in our living room was a black and white TV). I saw Seaver win a game and at the same time saw another player I idolized, Henry Aaron, as the Mets beat the Atlanta Braves. I'm sure there are tons of stories like this. Seaver won so many games at Shea. But the thing that always impressed me about The Franchise is he pitched with smarts, elegance and above all, a will to win that the Mets sorely needed. The arrival of Gil Hodges in 1968 put a fire in the manager's chair as well,  but make no mistake -- this was Seaver's team.

And then came 1969.

I don't know if this town has ever experienced a bigger 12 months in pro sports. The Jets won the Super Bowl, the Mets won the World Series and then the Knicks took home an NBA title. The three biggest stars in town were Seaver, Joe Namath and Walt Frazier  -- and all three were champions. I remember a game early in that '69 season when the Mets reached .500, which was a tremendous feat considering the fact that the team had lost every Opening Day in their history (and had only escaped the cellar twice in their eight year history). Seaver said, ".500 is not an accomplishment -- our goals are far higher than that."  Those words were indeed prophetic as the Mets spent the summer chasing the Chicago Cubs, but by mid-August fell to 9.5 games back of the crew from the Windy City.

From that point on, the Mets were unbeatable as Seaver and Jerry Koosman were nearly flawless down the stretch. Seaver went 25-7 capturing his first of three Cy Young Awards and won two postseason games for the Miracle Mets.  Four years later, Seaver pitched great down the stretch again as the Mets returned to the World Series before succumbing to the Oakland A's in 7 games.

In a way, that 1969 World Series was the end of an era in baseball. Soon, cookie cutter AstroTurf fields would be commonplace. There would be fewer day World Series games -- if any -- and free agency would forever change the finances of the game.

Seaver was in many ways the poster child for what baseball was -- and what it would become.

Those 1969 Mets were as pure a baseball story as there is: a 100 to 1 shot becoming the best in the world. But changes were coming and Seaver's Mets uniform would become a casualty of the changing times. A bitter feud with Chairman Of The Board M. Donald Grant made the unthinkable happen. Seaver was traded for four players from the Cincinnati Reds -- none of which would help the Mets.

The franchise would never be the same until Frank Cashen arrived with a plan to re-build it via a solid farm system and some crafty trades. Seaver would return to the Mets in 1983, but as a shell of his former self. He would go on to win 311 games and ironically, win No. 300 at Yankee Stadium was notched as a member of the Chicago White Sox. But when he went into Cooperstown on his first ballot, he went in as a New York Met--the only "true New York Met" in The Hall Of Fame.

I know when time passes in life, we hear older people talk about players and we laugh. I am here to tell here that Seaver will forever be the greatest player in Mets history. He is the one person that made this team relevant in NYC. Before he came, they were a laughingstock. By the time he left, he gave Mets fans two pennants and a World Championship that will forever live in the annals of New York sports history.

He also gave Mets fans another important gift: he elevated them to a more important place in the city than the hated Yankees, who from his arrival in 1967 through 1975, were an afterthought when compared to the Mets, much in the same way the 80's Mets did a decade later.

So, the next time you go to Citi Field, go to the Mets museum and see what Tom Terrific meant to the team. Take to your children to Cooperstown and tell them about the 25-7 season, the 1.76 ERA season, the near perfect game in 1969 and more importantly, tell them you don't have to be the tallest, biggest or strongest person to be successful. Seaver was none of those things. But he was the always the best prepared and smartest player on the field. He was always able to get the most out of his ability. He hated to lose and knew that greatness is only achieved if we win on the days we don't have our best stuff.

Growing up watching Seaver was a life lesson for me. Be professional. Be prepared. Be Flexible. Be a good teammate.

Rules to live by, and Seaver illustrated all of them, every day I saw him pitch -- and as a reporter, every time I listened to what he had to say.

Don't Blame Sandy For the Exodus of Jose Reyes

The news cut through the Mets fans chest like a knife through butter - Jose Reyes will be going to Miami to play for the Miami Marlins.  Yes, that same division rival that short circuited Met playoff appearances in 2007 and 2008

It is the worst thing possible for Met fans.  Let me be clear here, Jose Reyes is a dynamic game changing player that will be sorely missed and I do not blame him one bit for taking the best deal he could get for himself and his family.  And for the record, I totally underestimated the aggressiveness of the Miami Marlins and was clearly wrong in my interpretation of their game plan.

But don't blame Sandy Alderson here.  He was given a budget and was hoping the market would bring Reyes down from the "Carl Crawford" money of a year ago and to a certain extent, it did.  It just did not come down far enough and for that reason, it made little sense to add $18 Million to a payroll in 2012 that already has $61 Million committed to Wright, Santana, and Bay among others.

Would you rather have Reyes than Bay for instance?  Of course you would but Sandy inherited that contract and has to work within the framework of the situation.  This was the first tough decision Sandy had to make here in New York and he could not be swayed by emotionalism or fan reaction.

The Marlins payroll will clearly be well north of $100 Million and that makes the situation different for them than the Mets.  Sandy had to be the adult in the room and had to make the best decision long-term for the organization even if in the short-term, it makes things difficult.

I fully understand the way the Met fans feel today, they feel that they lost a part of their soul with Jose Reyes going south and to a certain extent, they are right.  But in the long run, this move will benefit the Mets because it places them in a good place to add big-time players a year or two down the road when their finances are better defined and their prospects are ready to burst onto the scene. And I know it is a hard thing to digest or understand when you live in a town filled with Yankee fans and have a ballpark that has now become Citizens Bank Park North when the Phillies play here.

Now, I totally also understand in this economic climate we are in, if you decide to stay away from Citi Field because of this non-move, because the entertainment dollar can be spent in other places especially in a sports metropolis like New York City.

But I will tell you this - I've seen the players in the Met system that are a year or two away and there is some real talent down there.  I also know Sandy's team is filled with highly competent baseball people like J.P Ricchardi whom I trust with the keys to the store.

Ike Davis, Lucas Duda, Daniel Murphy, and Ruben Tejada are young players that are hungry and will help this team.  I expect David Wright and Jason Bay to benefit from the new Citi Field dimensions and there is every chance to believe Johan Santana could return with a bang in 2012.  I am sure the Mets will look at different closer options now that the Reyes issue has been decided and who knows... they could add a starter.

The point here is when you are trying to build a solid foundation, there will be those painful moments none of us want to face, moments like yesterday but believe me.  This team has a plan in place and the right people are at the controls.  Sure, if the team's finances were better, this might never have been an issue.

But the fact remains they are an issue and as a general manager, you simply can not waste time worrying about the things you can't control.  I look back in Met history and know that in the early 80's, Frank Cashen had to make many decisions like this.  For example, trading a popular star like Lee Mazzilli or even deciding to not retain Tom Seaver after the 1983 season.

Frank knew he had a plan and help was soon on its way with players like Strawberry, Gooden, and Dykstra.  He also knew he would be in a better position to acquire players once those prospects were in place.  I do not know if the Matt Harveys and Zach Wheelers of the world will be great pitchers but I do know what baseball scouts say.

I will miss being around Jose Reyes every day.  I consider him a friend and he made things so easy media-wise being an honest accessible athlete.  I also understand what Sandy Alderson did or did not do yesterday.  Before you are ready to throw dirt at the 2012 Mets already, consider the 2010 Arizona Diamondbacks.  A 90 loss team that added no bats in 2011 merely got a closer in J.J. Putz as well as all-star performances from Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson to propel them into the 90 win stratosphere in a division nobody thought they'd be a factor in.

Is it impossible to believe that Santana and say, Jonathan Niese could do that?  And whichever closer Sandy chooses could do what Putz did?  I thought Met fans were taught to believe in things like that.

Is it likely?  No.  Is it possible? Absolutely and that is why we play the games

Despite Losing Reyes, The Met Bullpen Got Better

The Mets got better in the last 4 days.

Now don't get me wrong, I'd rather have Jose Reyes. But Sandy Alderson really improved the team with these moves. Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco have ability -- pitching late innings in the AL East really does test your skills.

The trade of Angel Pagan was necessary. There were rumblings in the Mets' clubhouse that Pagan's attitude changed dramatically in the second half of the year after the exodus of his mentor, Carlos Beltran. Andres Torres is not the athletic specimen that Pagan is, but he is a much better defensive center fielder and a great off-the-field guy. He has speed and could bat leadoff, although the Mets may have other ideas about that spot.

The crown jewel though could be Ramon Ramirez, who has a nasty slider and good heat. More importantly, the Mets have rebuilt their bullpen with three guys that could be penciled in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. Add in Tim Brydak as a lefty specialist and Manny Acosta, who impressed in August and September, and you might have something here. It also affords New York the luxury of having swing-and-miss guys in the pen -- and I think not having a solid bullpen cost the Mets at least 10 games last year.

Clearly there is still much work to do, but Alderson gets rave reviews from me on a night in which he both reshaped and strengthened the Mets' bullpen. We're not talking flashy moves. What is important to note here is the length of committment -- no more than two years -- and that fits in with the master plan, a long-range vision where the Mets will be able to pencil in some of their pitching prospects on the major league level.

Couple that with the big contracts of Jason Bay and Johan Santana being erased off the books in 24 months or so. At that point, the team will be able to add in some high-ticket items.

In the meantime, this team has a couple of stars who certainly have the pedigree to put up numbers. Players like Bay, David Wright and Santana have been All-Stars in their careers. And Alderson will continue to pepper in some low-risk options to try to complement those guys.

The bullpen looks solid. Not flashy but solid. The defense in center field has improved, which is important when you consider an inexperienced Lucas Duda will be patrolling right field. If I were Sandy, I'd look at someone like Rich Harden coming off a sub-par year as the type of plus-stuff guy that could flourish in New York. (That is just one idea and I am sure Sandy has better ideas than me.)

On Wednesday, we saw Jose Reyes at a press conference. In short order, once the season starts, that will be an emotional transformation for sure. But the Mets got better last night in an area that blew 21 games last season in the eighth inning or later. Alderson is clearly at the controls of this organization baseball-wise (even if the finances are in a state of disarray) and I think he is the right man for the job.

Jose Reyes Rumors: Fact Or Fiction?

Many of you who know me recognize how much I love movies and one of my favorite films is The Paper, which gives us a sneak peek inside a newspaper newsroom. One of the best scenes in the film is when Michael Keaton is trying to get his editor Robert Duvall to print a story with a flimsy source.

 

Duvall says, "Get a quote. You know...They speak...You write...We print." And it occurred to me that is what we need in this Reyes story -- a quote.

 

Too many people are guessing, theorizing, and pontificating as to what is going on. The agents for Reyes and most of the teams interested in him (including the Mets) have not leaked much information and that has people grasping for things. And to generate stories, people are taking leaps of faith. The biggest was of those was on Sunday when it was leaked by one member of the media that a Reyes deal with the Marlins was done except for some minor details. PLEASE STOP THE INSANITY!

For example, some people suggest that Hanley Ramirez has been asked to switch positions -- others contend he has not. Some says it is a slam dunk he will move anywhere -- even center field. The only thing I can tell you is Hanley Ramirez said as recently as Friday,"I am the shortstop right now."

 

Not exactly a ringing endorsement he'd move and it could be argued he may ask for more money down the road if he does indeed move. Here is what I know: Reyes has been offered a contract by the Marlins but I am not sure about the length of the contact or the money terms. He will continue to look at his options and both the Mets and Reyes have agreed to speak once the offers come in. In the interim, the two parties will keep in touch. I'd be very surprised if anything is decided before Thanksgiving because the timeline dictates otherwise.

 

I also have too much respect for Mets fans who read my blogs to mislead them with erroneous information. On this story, I'd rather be second and right than first and wrong. I have been saying for the past 12 months I think Reyes will stay here and although so much info is out there to the contrary, the truth is there is still so much game time left in the Reyes chase. And for Reyes there are many things to consider with money being high on that list but not the only thing to consider. His representatives have always put "whats best for their client" well in front of "setting the market price" and that is very important to consider here. I do know Jose felt hurt by the comments attributed to Fred Wilpon earlier this year and that too plays into the equation here.

 

If Reyes is telling the truth here that the Mets will get a final chance before he agrees to a contract, then the Mets must decide what they are prepared to do. For the record, I've known Reyes since his rookie year and he always been straight and honest with me so I have no reason not to believe him now. Still, there will be much to process on both sides. From a Mets perspective, would they go past a four-year deal and at what dollar level? Is $100 million the magic number for Reyes? Will Jose look at some players like Jayson Werth and Carl Crawford who got the big payday but had unhappy years as something to be ever mindful of? Does he feel the Mets financial situation will preclude them from improving the team down the road with high ticket free agents? Is the Marlin pursuit of free agents just a smokescreen to stimulate ticket sales? Would forcing Hanley to change positions create locker room issues as opposed being in a Mets locker room where everyone now gets along?

 

These are important things for both sides to consider and will take time. Of course in the world of Twitter and other social media sources, waiting is never tolerated. It is like the Wild West. Write anything you want, say anything you want, you can always change your position later. Because of that, you -- the Mets fan have to separate fact from fiction but I will promise you this. You will only get from me what I know -- not what I think will gain attention for me. I learned from early in my reporting life-being wrong about a story could hurt your career much more than breaking a story can help it.

 

And as Robert Duvall said in The Paper, "For crying out loud, get a quote and we will print the story."

Paterno Must Step Down

When the Penn State story broke this weekend, I was shocked to hear what had happened, but in the last 48 hours as the horrific details continue to filter out, I can only think of the children that were abused and how their lives were taken from them. Think about all the things we took for granted as kids with safety at the top of the list. And these children may never feel safe again - no matter what happens.

But the thing that really angers me is that there was not one adult that put the children's safety first. You know what they put first? The Program, football, wins, and the Nittany Lion legacy and that is why Joe Paterno should be asked to resign and if he refuses, the locks need to be changed on his office door. According to the Grand Jury documents, eight children were abused by Jerry Sandusky, but how many more are afraid to come forward because they were threatened? The testimony infers that children were taken on trips by the coach and if they did not comply with his request, they would be punished by being sent home.

The fact that in 2002 Sandusky severed ties with Paterno and Penn State and never got as much as a passing interest from another school should have been a red flag for everyone involved. It makes me think other schools heard the rumors and stayed as far away from him as possible. That is understandable for those schools, but for Penn State to look the other way and allow Sandusky to have access to the campus and bring young boys to practice as recently as 2007 is difficult to comprehend. Many people theorize Sandusky was revered in Happy Valley but my point here is a simple one -- Joe Paterno is the one person in this program that carried more clout than Sandusky and he could have pulled the plug here. Instead of doing that, he passed the buck by merely telling his superiors about it. Paterno could have demanded that more be done here and that is why he has blood on his hands as well.

And then there is the graduate assistant who witnessed a crime being committed in the shower of the locker room. All I can say is a reasonable person should have pulled that child to safety instead of waiting to tell his superiors. Every human being has a responsibility in this case to protect a defenseless child who is being molested by a predator. But even if he was unsure what to do, what happened when he told his superiors? They tried to sweep it under the rug and looked the other way. Disgraceful.

The DA said in her press conference this is not about a university or a football program and she was right. But in a sense, the Penn State football program is in question here as well. They had a responsibility to come forward and help. They had a responsibility to tell the authorities the truth--especially when being deposed by the Grand Jury. And for crying out loud, they had a responsibility to do all this so future children would not be molested.

The NCAA spends countless hours investigating whether a football player getting a tattoo for free constitutes a violation but in reality, the Penn State case is bigger than anything we've seen in recent years. Bigger than anything at USC, Miami, or Ohio State. And for that reason alone, both Joe Paterno and the University President should step down TODAY. All this happened on their watch, and in my opinion, they let it continue to happen. Firing them will NEVER get these children's' lives back but it may encourage other victims to come forward in this case or in other cases.

The future of our children is the most valuable commodity we have in society and it trumps everything else -- BCS standings, win and losses, national championships, or Joe Paterno's legacy. And the sad thing about this is all the things I just mentioned were placed at a higher value than the children. The actions of the people in charge at Happy Valley illustrate that point. And to say Joe Paterno did what the law said he should do is nonsense. Common decency tells us he should have done so much more.

Terrible story. Who should be punished and how?

Assessing The Market For Jose Reyes

I hear from Met fans a lot via texting and Twitter and they all ask me the same thing--will Jose Reyes be back? I have never wavered in my viewpoint from early in the year and my sense is he will be back. That being said, the process has barely begun and as with any business deal, a myriad of factors can either catalyze the process or slow it down. For example, does the Ryan Howard injury make it more or less likely the Phillies might take a run at Jose? From everything I am hearing, the Phillies desperately want to keep Ryan Madsen who is a free agent and have to deal with Jimmy Rollins as well. Those talks with Rollins and Madsen could have a big impact on any pursuit of Reyes especially if, for instance, Rollins might cost less than they thought or Madsen cost more than they expected.

Then there is the CC Factor--if he opts out of his Yankee contract, I would expect the Red Sox to enter the sweepstakes which could preclude them from getting serious with Reyes. My hunch is they will look for pitching first even if CC is not on the open market and the Crawford 7 year deal might make them reticent to tip their toes into the Reyes sweepstakes. As far as the San Francisco Giants are concerned, my sources tell me that they would rather re-sign Beltran than go for Reyes for a few reasons. First of all, they traded one of the top pitching prospects out there for Beltran and secondly on the heels of that trade, to then lose 2 draft picks to the Mets might make them skiddish. In addition, they have to think about re-upping Matt Cain at some point whom I believe is a more important piece for them considering their team is built around pitching.

So, I consider the Red Sox, Phils, and Giants as long shots but I do think the Mets will get competition from both the Nationals and Brewers and I expect both teams to be serious bidders. In the case of the Nationals, they have some good young pitching both in the rotation and in the bullpen and could use another bat at the top of the order. Reyes could enhance their OBP which was really poor last year. The only fly in the ointment here is the Jayson Werth contract was criticized heavily and he did not really perform up to expectations and so if they do commit to huge dollars, it might be for a big RBI bat like Prince Fielder. Which brings us to the Brewers.

Milwaukee had a great season getting to the sport's Final Four with improved pitching and 2 absolute superstars in Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun. Their payroll was around $93 million last year and I get the sense they might increase it to a little over $100 million this year. The big question is will they commit that money to Prince Fielder or more properly do they have enough to foot the bill? If not, they might enter the Reyes sweepstakes especially if Fielder goes to the Nats. Now, in Fielder's case there is always the chance a team like the Cubs might swoop in which case keeps Reyes in play for both the Nats and the Brewers. The problem for guys like Fielder and even Pujols to a certain extent, is first base is a position that most of the high spending teams like the Phils, Red Sox, and Yankees have great first basemen on the roster already committed to heavy dollars.

I do see this as a game between the Brewers, Mets, and Nationals with the Red Sox, Giants, and Phils as long shots. However,I do firmly believe that the Mets are the favorites at this early stage but I must warn you it is still very early and things in the off-season can move as fast as a Jose Reyes triple.

Why Doesn't Anyone Care About The World Series?

I walk around the streets of New York and nobody cares about the World Series.

It is sad to see, because if you love baseball, you have to love this series. I know the Mets had a rotten year and the Yankees made a quick exit in the first round but this Texas/St. Louis series has some juice. It is a shame New Yorkers don't see it.

You know we all say the New York baseball fan is smarter and more perceptive than any other fans in the country, but if the truth be told we're as provincial as any of those other fans. When our baseball teams are out, we shut down and I guess what that means is we are really not baseball fans. The NY football fan still had interest in the Super Bowl after the Jets were bumped by the Steelers and the NY NBA fans were certainly mesmerized by Heat/Mavericks last year, but if we don't see Yanks, Mets or Phils or Red Sox (only because we hate those last two teams) we shut down.

But this is an interesting series and one that will go the distance. It features a team that had to inch their way into the post-season party and one who is returning to the Fall Classic in a year most thought the Yanks, Red Sox, Rays, and even the Verlander-led Tigers were better bets than then they were. The Texas Rangers are an interesting case because Nolan Ryan had to endure losing Cliff Lee to the Phillies and instead of brooding about it, they went out and signed Adrian Beltre - making an awesome lineup deeper. When you consider that the core bats of Beltre, Cruz, Hamilton, Young, and Kinsler are tough enough, try pitching against a lineup that features a sixth bat in Mike Napoli that crushed 30 homers. Quite simply, it is the most potent lineup in baseball and has the Rangers on the brink of their first-ever World Championship. Texas could actually get by with less starting pitching because of their high-octane offense coupled with a very efficient bullpen that was heavily reinforced with the addition of Mike Adams at the trading deadline.

Standing in their way is the St. Louis Cardinals who also endured losing their ace when Adam Wainwright got hurt in spring training. Couple that with a bullpen that stumbled through most of the summer, the Cardinals were put to bed by the experts in early August, but a slumping Braves team left the door open a crack which the Redbirds kicked in during the season's final week. And oh by the way, they had to beat Cliff Lee in Game 2 and then Roy Halladay in a Game 5 do or die matchup in Philly and then proceeded to take 2-of-3 in Milwaukee where the Brewers were nearly unbeatable this year. And like the Rangers, the Cardinals made some under the radar moves at the deadline obtaining both Rafael Furcal (who saved Game 5 with a defensive gem) and Octavio Dotel who got some real big outs for Tony LaRussa in the ALCS.

A series like this is good for baseball -- it is nice to see different teams in the mix who really had to fight to get here. So why the indifference by fans? What they tell me is it has no juice -- there is no yapping by the players, no wild predictions, these teams respect each other too much.

Is that the world we live in?

The game is not enough anymore -- the back story complete with nasty tweeting is what sells. For me, the game has always been enough and this series is a great matchup of 2 teams that have struggled to get here and that is what sports is all about -- the games that have everything on the line. Not how many twitter followers you have.

Jose Reyes #1 Mets Off-Season Priority

By Rich Coutinho
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For an organization that has now gone five seasons without a playoff appearance and possesses one of the sport's biggest payrolls, there are many challenges for the New York Mets. But the issue that Sandy Alderson must tackle first is re-signing Jose Reyes. Sure, this team has other problems like a leaky bullpen but the Reyes decision will impact greatly the path Sandy Alderson will take this off-season. And not signing Reyes could have far-reaching implications for this franchise both long-term and short-term.

I think readers of this blog know how I feel about this situation and it is not necessarily how most beat writers feel about it. Jose Reyes is as much the face of this organization as David Wright and both players are part of the solution-not part of the problem. Reyes had a great season, and aside from the two stints on the DL, his year was just about perfect. He is a game changer with the way he approaches every at-bat and the way he runs the bases. But often times we forget how good a defensive shortstop he is--in my view the best in the sport because his speed allows him to get to balls other players don't and his arm allows him to make throws others can't.

Jose and I have talked a little about next year even though he was clear he did not want to tackle the subject until after the season. But he made it crystal clear he wants to be back here next year because he loves playing here and his family loves living here. Sandy Alderson had admitted to me that he acknowledges what an important player Jose Reyes is both on the field and off the field. "The fans love him and that has to enter the equation", says Alderson. The pressure on the Mets will be enormous to sign Reyes because I could picture the criticism they would receive if they let a player go who became the first play in the team's 50 year history to win a batting title and who is still very much in the prime of his baseball career.

But ultimately I think both parties want it and this is an organization, despite the shots the media takes at it, that generally retains a player if they really want him. Mike Piazza, Al Leiter, and John Franco are examples of that fact and much like Piazza, the departure of Reyes won't happen in my opinion. If you remember the Piazza case, it is very similar to the case of Reyes in that both were having great seasons in their walk years. Both also did not want to talk contract until the season was over. Both also said they would give the Mets every opportunity in their exclusive negotiating period. Piazza told the Mets what he wanted and after a few phone calls back and forth, a deal got done BEFORE the free agency period.

What I would give Reyes is six years at $17 million per for a total of $102 million with a vesting option in year seven if he plays in an average of 150 games for the duration of the six year deal. He would deserve that seventh year if he reaches that benchmark. Is that a lot of money? You bet it is, but the simple truth is Jose Reyes deserves it because he is the best leadoff hitter in the sport and plays an important defensive position better than anyone has in the history of the franchise. Better than Buddy. Better than Ordonez. Better than anyone.

Signing him would be Step 1 towards getting back the trust from your fan base. It is an important first step for Sandy Alderson.

Let's Clear Some Stuff Up About Jose Reyes

By Rich Coutinho
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I have sat and listened to the so-called experts pontificate about the merits of Jose Reyes and whether the Mets could or should sign him. All I keep hearing is about the last game of the season and how Jose Reyes should have done this or done that. The bottom line is he led the league in both batting and triples and those facts are undeniable. In a season in which many injured Mets took many weeks to return to the lineup (some took all season) Reyes pushed his body to return and played 100% every waking moment. I'd venture to guess if the Braves or Red Sox had him, we would not be talking about their collapses and Terry Francona would still be wearing a Bosox hat. That is how valuable I think Jose is to a team.

 

Of course, Jose can not do it alone and much will depend on how Sandy Alderson reconstructs his bullpen and what the Mets get from Johan Santana in 2012. But this nonsense about Reyes in the season finale is just that -- nonsense. Aside from the people who paid their way into Citi Field, no one has a right to complain and, the last time I checked, members of the media do not pay their way into ballparks. The bottom line here is most of the media threw dirt on Jose Reyes last year saying he'd never show he could be a great player.

 

Hanley Ramirez and Troy Tulowitzki had their breakout seasons. What about Jose? Well, now that he had a breakout seasons, the media has to explain away why they buried Jose Reyes and so they hang onto "this season finale nonsense". Bottom line is Jose Reyes had enough at-bats to qualify and fully understood how important winning a batting title was both to him and the Mets organization. Important to him because it enhances his "free agent" value and important to the Mets because nobody in the franchise's 50 year history had ever done it.

Football-wise, this would be like Adrian Petersen passing Frank Gore for the rushing title by a yard and then sitting out a meaningless quarter because he did not want to fall back into second if he was pinned with a 5 yard loss. It takes nothing away from Petersen and the same can be said for Reyes. This uproar has little to do with what occurred in the season's last game but more to do with the media always having the last word. You see the media kept telling us all year that Jose Reyes could not have that breakout season but he did. They told us he could not possibly command heavy dollars on the open market but he will.

 

Will that big contract be with the Mets? My guess is both sides want this and for that reason it will get done. I do not think it will be done quickly because chances are Reyes will get other bids for his services which he will entertain. But believe you me -- whomever signs Reyes will be lucky to have one of the true game changers on their roster. Now, a big dollar commitment should be scrutinized carefully and much must be considered. But at no point, will any team waste any time asking themselves if Reyes leaving the season finale after one at-bat impacts their decision. That is unless they are considering changing career paths to become a member of the media.

 

Is Reyes judged too harshly? Leave a comment below.