Should Fernando Martinez come up now?

Earlier today I contributed to the discussion over at hotstove.com about whether or not Pagan should start in Centerfield for the Mets - or if F-Mart should get the nod. Here was the question and my response:

With Carlos Beltran on the shelf until at least early May, would you like to see the Mets use top prospect Fernando Martinez in center to start the season, instead of Angel Pagan?

Onan Coca, South of Shea
I think the question of what to do with F-Mart is something that all Mets fans have at least discussed, if not debated, with other fans. I personally think that if everything shakes out this year (especially with health) the Mets have a reasonable chance at competing for the playoffs. Given that, I think it’s best that all of the Mets young guns who are on the cusp of making the team stay in the minors for another full season. F-Mart, Ike Davis, Josh Thole, Jenrry Mejia, plus a few other prospects who are close to making the leap — all need seasoning in one area or another and I would prefer they get a full season’s complement of at-bats and innings pitched, and the only way to do that is to stay in the minors for the 2010 season. If for some reason the Mets brass thought that this would basically be a “lost” season and that they would probably not be able to compete then my opinion would be different, but I don’t think we are there yet. All of that said, I do expect that these young guys will all be with the Mets when the rosters expand and the Minor League seasons come to an end (and Mejia might be in the big’s much sooner).

My argument is basically this; unless F-Mart (or any other prospect the team thinks may be ready for an every day job in the majors) will get significant and consistent playing time then he should be left in the minors. The "yo-yo method" of developing players does not work, and in fact only serves to retard the growth of the player. Let him get his hacks in the AAA and when there is room and he is ready... call him up.
The guys at Fonzie Forever got my back on this.

Too optimistic?

I had a great opportunity to get some free publicity for my blog and my writing in general on Friday afternoon. The guys over at one of my favorite baseball websites (hotstove.com) asked to interview me about my thoughts on the current state of my favorite team the New York Mets. I had a great time with them, and though I was nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs - I had a great time talking about one of my favorite subjects... baseball.
Well I thought it went pretty good and I got some good feedback from some readers who listened and some friends who caught the show, so I was feeling pretty good about myself. Then I saw this from the description of our video chat at their website:

"Onan takes a very optimistic view of the Mets’ chances this season, despite the injuries to Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran, as well as the team’s suspect 2-5 spots in the rotation."

Now to be fair I am an optimist despite these things... but when I first read it I felt a little defensive. It sounds like I might be living in some fairy tale land a-wishin' and a-hopin' for some crazy fantasy outcome. I read over it a couple more times, and even watched the interview again and decided that I won't hold it against them. They are great guys and like I said, I am a huge fan of their site - hotstove.com But I am going to defend my "optimism" in spite of the points that they mentioned. First, here's the video of our chat.


Alright lets break down the reasons that the guys give for pessimism.
1. Jose Reyes' hyperthyroidism
2. Carlos Beltran's knee injury
3. The pitching staff (2-5 in the rotation)

All of these are great reasons to be pessimistic, but allow me to be little miss sunshine to the cloudy day that is the injuries to Reyes and Beltran. These two injuries taken together should not be reasons for pessimism but instead be reasons to celebrate if you are a Mets fan. Sure, if the injuries hadn't occurred things would be even better but imagine that in Beltran's case he decided to try and rehab through the start of the season and at some point in July everyone realized that he should have had the surgery. We (Mets fans collectively) would be screwed. Instead of losing Beltran midway through the season with a lingering knee injury, he will only miss a couple of weeks and (fingers crossed) actually be stronger upon returning from his knee injury rehab.
I would make a similar argument for Reyes - yes, it would be nice if no injury/sickness existed but finding out before the season starts and knowing it can be fixed before the season really gets going is a huge blessing. No one would want to lose Reyes midway through the year for a 2-8 week period - better that happen now, while most of that time is Spring Training.
Now the pitching staff... this is a harder area to look positively on. Pelfrey, Maine, and Perez have been a collective train wreck over the last two seasons. Yes, at different point each one has had their positive moments, but in general... train wreck. How can I find any reason to be optimistic here, you ask? Well, as I look at the rest of the National League I find that our pitching staff when healthy is actually as good or better than the majority of the league. I think our staff can go toe to toe with just about any staff in the league (with some notable exceptions IE; the Phils, Braves, Cards, and Giants). If (and it is a BIG IF) Maine can stay healthy, Pelfrey can stay out of his own way, and Oliver stops acting bi-polar... the Mets staff might just be alright. I actually think the #5 spot in our rotation will be a position of strength, no matter who wins the job out of camp. Takahashi, Niese, Figueroa, and Nieve all have different aspects of the game that they are good at and all could offer the Mets some great moments. I am pulling for Niese here, because he is a young guy with some nice upside and if he can make it - it could go a long way to settling our staff.
Am I a too optimistic? You be the judge, but like I said at the end of the interview... "I am an optimist, and this is Spring Training." If I can't be an optimist now, with Opening Day right around the corner...when can I be?

Hotstove.com Interview

I was a guest on Hotstove.com live chat today for about half an hour we talked about anything and everything Mets...
Here's the video.



Surf over and check out the great work the guys are doing at hotstove.

How will Ollie do?

Yesterday I had the opportunity to contribute to the conversation over at Hotstove.com about how confident I was that Oliver Perez would "bounce back" in 2010. Here is the question, and my response.

Oliver Perez looked very shaky in his first spring start on Sunday (5 runs on 7 hits in 3 innings). How confident are you that Perez will be able to return to the form this season that netted him his current 3-year, $36 million deal?

Onan Coca, South of Shea
Honestly, the form that got Oliver Perez his 3-year, $36 million deal was not really that good. Perez got his deal because of his upside and the fact that there were not any other great (cheaper) options on the Free Agent list in the 2008-2009 offseason. Last year he was probably the worst starting pitcher in baseball, and oddly enough, this is why I have a bit of optimism about Ollie in 2010. Look, he can’t really be any worse, can he? He and Dan Warthen have worked on his technique and mechanics, they have ironed out some past issues and hopefully that leads to him being better in 2010. I am not worried about his first spring training start because he only walked one batter and that is a HUGE improvement. If Ollie can limit the walks I think he can still be an above average pitcher…here’s hoping.

I don't think anyone expects Oliver Perez to ever be anything more than a league average pitcher. Sure, once upon a time he showed the "stuff" to maybe be great... but that was a long time ago, and a lot has changed since then. All of that being said, Oliver does have the chance to help the Mets win... all he has to do is be a little better than league average.

If you would like to see the responses of some of the other bloggers who took part in the discussion, look here.

My favorite Mets - the 1980's

This is the second in a short series of articles on my 25 favorite Mets players as a one team roster. You can find the first part of the series here. A cursory look at my favorite Mets "team" makes something very clear - I have a special affinity for Mets players of the mid to late 1980's. Like any other Mets fan in their late 20's to early 30's the reason for this should be fairly clear... 1986. The Mets World Series win in 1986 was one of the foundational experiences of my baseball fandom. I was a young boy sitting in my parent's living room (way past my bed time) praying for a miracle, and when Mookie Wilson hit that ball my heart literally jumped into my throat. I knew it was an out, a slow roller towards first base - what else could the outcome be?
Then that glorious moment of awakening when I realized what baseball could do to a person, as the ball rolled lethargically between Bill Buckner's bowed legs, and I exploded in exultation! It was a moment that the most devious torture could not erase from my memory - it was a sudden, earth-shattering moment. Since that day I have been a passionate fan of all things baseball, especially my beloved Mets. I have experienced highs (1986 and 2006), and I have been dealt dramatic crushing blows into the depths of fanhood (the 90's and 2006). All because of that team of hard partying, good time having, "bad boys of baseball" ... the 1986 Mets.

Gary "the kid" Carter, Keith "the Captain" Hernandez, Howard Johnson, Mookie Wilson, Darryl Strawberry, Lenny "Nails" Dykstra, Dwight "Doc" Gooden, Roger McDowell, and so many more. I would have added even more names from the '86 squad but I needed to save room for a few other players! Why these eight guys over other members of the team? Gary Carter's effervescence was contagious, I couldn't help but have fun watching him play. Keith Hernandez was the model of what a good ballplayer should be studious, and careful - no one (ever) played defense at 1st base as well as he. Howard Johnson was my favorite player growing up, it was because of him that the only place I ever wanted to be on the diamond was 3rd base. Mookie Wilson was all out - and really - is there any other way to play the game? I can remember hearing the "Strawwwwwwwberry..." chants when I would watch the games on TV, and even on occasion when my parents would take me to the games at nearby Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. I'm not sure I have ever personally seen a better swing for launching baseballs into the atmosphere. Why is it that every time the camera panned to Lenny Dykstra sitting in the dugout, he was picking his nose? The way he prowled the outfield, as if every ball hit out there was a personal affront to him, was invigorating - just a blast to watch. Is there any doubt that if Doc Gooden had remained clean and sober that he would be a sure-fire Hall of Famer today? He had everything, and the best part about him as a ballplayer, was that when you watched him pitch you could tell he was just plain better than his opponents. Last of the bunch there is Roger McDowell - today he is the pitching coach for the much reviled Atlanta Braves, but in 1986 he was the court jester. McDowell was proof you could be good at what you do, and have a lot of fun doing it. It was fun to watch him and his teammates enjoy playing the game I was falling in love with.

Above all, the guys playing on that 1986 team are my favorites because they were my introduction to a whole new world of emotion. A connection with something that wasn't my family, or friends - a way to connect with complete strangers and share this passion for a kid's game. In 1994 the strike killed that youthful joy a lot of us had with baseball, we learned that for some people the game was all about dollar signs. My dad was one of those folks who never came back to the game, even today baseball is as interesting to him as paint drying. I think that if it wasn't for the 1986 Mets team the strike might have killed my fandom too... and for that I have nothing but love in my baseball heart for the 1986 World Series Champion New York Mets, and these eight guys in particular.

Power Surge in 2010?

I got the chance to contribute to an article over at HotStove.com yesterday about the chances of a Met power surge in 2010. Here is the question with my response:

Recently, Mets outfielder Jeff Francoeur said he expects the team’s power would return in 2010. He predicted he would smack 27 homers this season, while David Wright would hit 35. Are you as optimistic as Francoeur is about a power surge in Queens?

Onan Coca, South of Shea
I’m a Mets fan, so of course I am a natural pessimist. In this case, however, I don’t think Francouer’s optimism is that far off. In fact, I have been noticing a general trend towards the uber-optimistic in Mets camp thus far, and it has really heartened me as a Mets fan. Jason Bay considers this team a contender and feels that there aren’t many teams who match up with the talent level of the Mets (a point with which I agree with completely), David Wright is planning for the playoffs, and Johan knows he is the best pitcher in the NL East.

I like Frenchy’s attitude, but while I expect Wright to bounce-back power wise, I think it will more likely be in the 28-32 HR range. I also don’t think Jeff will hit 27 bombs, but I think 20-25 is realistic. There will be a power surge in general in Queens this year, Bay will add 35 HR, Murphy should go for at least 15, and a rejuvenated Reyes could hit 12-15 himself. Upon returning, a healthy Carlos Beltran will likely return to his powerful form as well, and I don’t think 30 HR will be out of reach. All of this adds up to a much more developed power-hitting Mets team in 2010.

Yes, Francouer is probably being overly optimistic. No, Frenchy and Wright probably won't combine for 62 Homeruns. But who cares...? It's nice to hear the optimism from the big Right Fielder. The Mets are due for a fairly impressive power surge over last years numbers (maybe not to Francouerian levels but it could come close). From 1 - 8 in their lineup there will be guys with at least 15 HR potential in every slot except for wherever Luis Castillo bats. Which means we should see an BIG uptick in longballs at Citi Field in 2010.

To read the rest of the article, along with some other bloggers opinions go here.

My favorite Mets

Over the next couple of weeks or so I plan to write up a full report on my All-Time favorite Mets team. Pulling from players across generations I plan to build a 25 man squad that, well, makes me happy. You'll notice the list is light on pre-1985 Mets, well that's mostly because I haven't been a fan of the team for much longer than that. And even learning the history of the team cannot give me the proper appreciation of those guys that I would need to make them my "favorite" players. The list is not the 25 best Mets team, or a historically greatest 25 Mets team but my favorite players.
Without further ado, here is the list:
C: Gary Carter
1B: Keith Hernandez
2B: Edgardo Alfonzo
SS: Jose Reyes
3B: Howard Johnson
LF: Mookie Wilson
CF: Carlos Beltran
RF: Darryl Strawberry
Bench: C - Mike Piazza, OF - Lenny Dykstra, OF - Cliff Floyd, IF - David Wright, IF - John Olerud

SP: Tom Seaver, Dwight "Doc" Gooden, David Cone, Al Leiter, Johan Santana
LR: Brett Saberhagen, Frank Viola
RP: Nolan Ryan, Roger McDowell, Jesse Orosco, John Franco, Armando Benitez

More on each individual player (or groups of players) as the month before the season starts progresses.