Tag Archives: Boston

Feb 01

Looking At The Super Bowl

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I don’t have a dog in this Super Bowl fight, and seemingly that’s the way it is for most of the country.

Unless you’re from Boston or Seattle, there’s little about either team that draws you to them. There’s little endearing about these teams; there’s nothing that gives you the warm and fuzzies.

Oh, there might be a player or two who is interesting, but its not as if either of these teams are Green Bay, Denver or Dallas.

Neither team qualifies as an underdog, so that angle is gone.

There’s no denying the talent of the Seahawks and Patriots, but what’s the human interest hook that compels one to pull for either team?

As talented as the Seahawks are, there’s edginess, an in-your-face persona with many of their players. There’s Marshawn Lynch’s crotch grabbing and interview defying. And, there’s the decibel challenging noise emanating from Richard Sherman and Doug Baldwin that makes you wonder, where did class go with today’s athletes?

As for New England, there are the cheating accusations, past and present, and the smugness of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. The Patriots make you think whatever happened to character?

So, for me the storyline of this Super Bowl is the battle of Seattle’s “class’’ against New England’s “character.’’

Like I said, I don’t have a dog in this Super Bowl. Since they both can’t lose, I think I will pull for the team that doesn’t cheat.

Jan 06

Why Didn’t The Mets Lobby For Piazza?

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As a Hall of Fame voter, I received emails from several teams over the years lobbying for my vote for one of their players. Seattle wrote me about Edgar Martinez and Boston did likewise for Jim Rice.

There were others.

However, I never received a note from the New York Mets regarding Mike Piazza and I don’t know why.

Surely, it reflects positively on the organization if one of their own gets to Cooperstown. Piazza is one of the more popular players in franchise history, so where’s the love?

I can’t believe the organization doesn’t care, because they’ve gone out of their way to include him in team events in the past.

The only thing I can immediately think of is they are afraid of being embarrassed if he gets in and the PED accusations are later proven true. Or, perhaps they don’t want to be connected to a player with any chance of being linked to steroids.

I voted for Piazza and I didn’t need any lobbying from the Mets. The voting figures to be close, but early reports have Piazza falling short. The announcement will come this afternoon.

Could any stumping by the Mets closed the gap? Hopefully not, but maybe the Mets will get another chance next year.

Oct 27

Mets’ 2015 Spring Training Schedule

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The World Series isn’t even over and the Mets announced today their 2015 Spring Training schedule.

March

4: At Atlanta, 1:05 p.m.

5: At Washington, 5:05 p.m.

6: Detroit, 1:10 p.m.

7: Split Squad: Atlanta, 1:10 p.m., and at Miami, 1:05 p.m.

8. Boston, 1:10 p.m.

9. Miami, 1:10 p.m.

10. At Atlanta, 1:05 p.m.

11. At Miami, 1:05 p.m.

12. Washington, 1:10 p.m.

13. Atlanta, 1:10 p.m.

14. Washington, 1:10 p.m.

15. At Tampa Bay, 1:05 p.m.

16. At Boston, 1:05 p.m.

17. Miami, 1:10 p.m.

18: OFF DAY

19. Split Squad: Houston at 1:10 p.m., and at St. Louis, 1:05 p.m.

20. St. Louis, 1:10 p.m.

21. At Detroit, at 1:05 p.m.

22. Yankees, 1:10 p.m.

23. At Miami, 1:05 p.m.

24. Houston, 1:10 p.m.

25. At Yankees, 1:05 p.m.

26. At Washington, 5:05 p.m.

27. At St. Louis, 1:05 p.m.

28. Washington, 1:10 p.m.

29. At St. Louis, 1:05 p.m.

30. Miami, 1:10 p.m.

31. At Washington, 1:05 p.m.

APRIL

St. Louis, 1:10 p.m.

At St. Louis, 12:05 p.m.

At Rangers in Texas, 8:05 p.m.

At Rangers in Texas, 2:05 p.m.

For ticket information, go to www.stluciemets.com or call 772-871-2115

 

Oct 27

Mets Should Be Wary Of Cespedes

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Just because Yoenis Cespedes is available doesn’t mean the New York Mets should trade for him. The Red Sox want to deal the temperamental outfielder, who recently dumped his agent to sign with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation agency. Naturally, speculation links him to the Mets.

Roc Nation is getting a Scott Boras-like reputation in it wants to get top dollar, which means the Mets will lover pay. The Mets are tied into long contracts with David Wright and Curtis Granderson, but will soon have to deal with extensions for Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler and Lucas Duda.

Reportedly, Cespedes has an open contempt for the city of Boston and disregards the Red Sox’s coaching staff. He was a headache in Boston and there’s no guarantee he won’t be the same in New York, no matter how much they move in the fences.

The Red Sox gave up Jon Lester for Cespedes, and will want young, quality pitching in return. As of now, I wouldn’t trade anybody for him on a one-year rental because he hits the market after the 2015 season.

Cespedes is entering the final year of a four-year, $36-million contract, and even is he has glowing reports on his character, I wouldn’t make the deal unless he was locked up to a multi-year extension, similar to what the Mets did with Johan Santana.

There’s no disputing the Mets need outfield help, but just because Cespedes won a home-run derby at Citi Field doesn’t mean they should dip deep into their system considering his baggage.

With Cespedes, it is “buyer beware,’’ and they should be reluctant to add somebody who could poison their clubhouse.

NOTE: Sorry for not posting Sunday, but my site was down.

Oct 22

Would Boston’s Free-Agent Building Approach Benefit Mets?

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Yesterday, I suggested what the New York Mets could learn from the St. Louis Cardinals in building their team. Today, let’s examine how the Red Sox were built and what the Mets can take from their approach.

The Cardinals’ philosophy of first building from within followed by judicious trades and free-agent signings has always been the traditional and preferred method.

Throwing millions and millions into the free-agent market is costly and risky. The Mets don’t have the resources of the Yankees or Dodgers to throw good money after bad.

ELLSBURY: Will he be too costly for Mets?

ELLSBURY: Will he be too costly for Mets?

There’s pressure to win in both markets, but there’s a greater intensity in Boston – and New York – while there’s a degree of patience in the Midwest. That explains in part why St. Louis has 17 homegrown players on its roster, while the Red Sox have ten.

There was a venomous culture in Boston last season as the Red Sox, burdened by several cumbersome contracts – similar to what the Mets faced when Sandy Alderson took over – and a few cancerous personalities in the clubhouse.

“Say, could you pass some fried chicken this way?’’

The Red Sox cleared nearly $200 million in salaries when they unloaded Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford to the Dodgers midway through last year’s disastrous 69-93 summer under Bobby Valentine. They did so because even in a lost season the Red Sox were thinking about this summer. That’s something the Mets never fully explored when they had Jose Reyes and others to dangle.

The Red Sox were far quicker and more decisive than the Mets have been in ridding themselves of too costly and ineffective players, such as Oliver Perez, Ike Davis, Francisco Rodriguez and Luis Castillo to name a few of close to numerous bad deals since 2006, the last time the Mets saw October.

Rather than sink their savings into different long-term, costly signings, the Red Sox signed a handful of productive, yet cost-effective, players in: Shane Victorino (three years, $39 million); catcher David Ross (two years, $6.2 million); first baseman Mike Napoli (one year, $5 million); shortstop Stephen Drew (one year, $9.5 million); outfielder Jonny Gomes (two years, $10 million); and dynamite closer Koji Uehara (one year, $4.25 million plus option).

None bowl you over; collectively, they helped the Red Sox win 97 games.

Boston also extended by two years and $26 million the contract of its own free agent, designated hitter David Ortiz. They also avoided arbitration by offering Jacoby Ellsbury a one-year, $9-million deal. Some signings, such as pitcher Ryan Dempster’s two-year, $26.5 million deal, didn’t pan out. He’s now in middle relief and would be a starter for the Mets.

The Red Sox also hit it with trades, including pitcher Jake Peavy, catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and and former Mets first-base prospect, Mike Carp.

Boston’s success in the free-agent and trade markets was overwhelmingly successful. Although Alderson said he could have the leeway to offer a $100-million contract to one player, he would be better off in taking Boston’s approach and attempt to patch several of the Mets’ many holes.

Alderson knows the success the Red Sox enjoyed is rare and shouldn’t be expected, especially since the Mets won’t offer similar deals. However, the idea of pursuing players with playoff success – Napoli and Victorino – is a sound way to augment their present composition of youth and few proven major leaguers.

The Mets are unsettled at first base, but are kidding themselves if they think they could get Napoli by offering a slight raise. Napoli was to get a three-year, $39-million deal, but that fell through when a degenerative hip condition was discovered. He’ll likely get his three years this winter.

As for Victorino, the Mets had their chance to sign him, but now it is too late. They must consider between Ellsbury, Shin-Soo Choo and Nelson Cruz, what they might each cost, and their various baggage.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Red Sox attempt to retain Ellsbury, but there are already reports the Tigers are interested in either him or Choo, the latter who is reportedly seeking four years.

The Red Sox took a shotgun approach last winter, and still wound up with a $155-million payroll while hitting most of their targets. It worked because their scouts did their homework; they got lucky; and they already had a core to build around. The Red Sox were also forced to be aggressive last winter because of their restless and demanding fan base. Every year it is the same motivation for them and the Yankees.

The Mets’ fan base is already looking at 2015 when Matt Harvey returns. Few are expecting a contender next summer without him. The Mets also don’t have as good a core as Boston had and won’t come anywhere close to what the Red Sox spent, but could go as high as $100 million, maybe a little more.

Everybody in the division save the Miami Marlins will spend more. If the Mets are to emulate the Red Sox, they’ll have to dig deeper and that’s not something they’ll be inclined to do.