Some Positives Seen In Loss Against Braves

It was a tough battle in Florida against rivals the Atlanta Braves. Derek Lowe held the Mets down for three score-less innings. He then kicked dirt in their face by scoring in the third inning. Pitchers Scott Proctor and Cory Gearrin were also able to keep the Mets from scoring. 38 year old Chipper Jones hit a two run homer off of Dillon Gee to help give the Braves the win.


Now you may be asking, "What can be positive about that?"


Well, second baseman Josh Turner, who is battling to earn a spot as the Mets official second baseman, ended the Mets hitless streak by hitting a single off of Anthony Varvaro in the sixth inning. He also hit an RBI double in the seventh. After being hitless in his first nine at-bats, this was a good performance for Turner. This may even improve his chances of beating out Brad Emaus and Daniel Murphy for the second baseman spot.


Despite giving up two runs and four hits to the Braves, Mike Pelfrey is optimistic about how he's doing during spring training. "I felt good," Pelfrey said. "The ball came out better. I made some good pitches. My sinker was better today." For the remainder of time in the Grapefruit League season, he plans to tighten up his pitches. Compared to this time last year, Pelfrey does look better. With enough hard work, he should be ready for opening day on April 1st.


So in spite of some losses, The Mets players are working hard to prove they have what it takes. They have the heart. they just need to tune up the talent.

Financial Woes May Be Doom For Mets

Being a Mets fan isn't easy. The team takes us on a constant roller-coaster ride every season. Now that we're coming upon the beginning of spring training, we fans have something new to worry about. 

The owners of the Amazin' New York Mets, Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz, are involved in a lawsuit due to their involvement with the infamous Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme. It is reported that the pair made $300 million off of the scheme and might have to pay up to $1 billion dollars to those who got swindled.

To raise some money Fred Wilpon has decided to sell 25% of the franchise. Which is a lot easier said than done. You can't just put an ad in craigslist and give a part of the Mets to the first interested buyer. Who ever buys into the organization must be approved by the MLB and must appeal to fans. Also Fred Wilpon has stated that he does not want to give up any control of the team. With all these factors involved, many believe that the chance of Wilpon and Katz accomplishing their goal is going to be difficult if not impossible. 

So what does this mean for the New York Mets? Well, if some big name celebrity doesn't come around with some cash, Wilpon and Katz are going to have to come up with another strategy. This also puts them at risk at losing the whole franchise. All of this is similar to what happened with the Texas Rangers in 2009. Tom Hicks, the previous owner, also tried to find investors when he was low on cash, with the same stipulations. Over the year, Hicks was forced to sell the team to Pittsburgh lawyer Chuck Greenberg and Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz may be in the same boat. As fans we may not be as lucky as getting someone who cares about the Mets as much as Nolan Ryan does about the Rangers.

So now I'm worried how the Mets will do in 2011 and who is going to run the team in 2012. Oh the life of a New York Mets fan.

Tribute to Tom Terrific

Today I wanted to talk about one of the greats in Mets history, Tom Seaver. The New York Mets has had many legendary players don the uniform, but Tom stands above them all. As of today Tom Seaver is the only player inducted into the baseball hall of fame who's plaque wears a Mets hat. Also his number, 41, is the only number retired by the New York Mets.

The man is just outstanding. Tom Seaver joined the weak Mets organization in 1967. Despite the team being one of the worst in the National League, Seaver won 16 games, had a 2.76 ERA, 170 strikeouts and won Rookie of the Year. In 1969, Tom was essential to the Mets' greatness. That year he won a record 25 games and his first Cy Young award. During the playoffs and World Series, he pitched close to perfect games. At season's end Sport's Illustrated awarded him "Sportsman of the Year."

A great quote about Tom Seaver is from Reggie Jackson, "Blind men come to the park just to hear him pitch." Since the World Series, Tom Seaver continued to shock and amaze. He tied for the record of a 19 strikeout game with Steve Carlton. For several years Seaver led the National League in strikeouts for five consecutive years from 1970 to 1976. He also won two more Cy Young awards in 1973 and 1975.

In 1985 Tom won his 300th victory while playing for the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees.

In 1987 Tom Seaver retired with the New York Mets stating "I have used up all the competitive pitches in my arm." In 1988 The New York Mets retired his number, 41. In 1992 Tom was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the highest percentage of votes ever.

Tom all I can really say is that you were surely terrific.

METS STEP IT UP TO POSTPONE PHILLIES CELEBRATION PARTY

When the players of the Philadelphia Phillies woke up Sunday morning, they expected to be the division leaders before the day was through. The New York Mets had different plans in mind. Though the season may be pretty much over for the Mets, they were determined not to let the Phillies have any more fun at their expense.

After a season full of injuries and disappointments, the Amazin' Mets are determined to finish with a bang. They provided a flurry of attacks with a two run double from Nick Evans, an RBI single from Jose Reyes, and a solo home run by Mr. David Wright. Center fielder Carlos Beltran was the the star of the game with two home runs, a single in the fifth and a two-run homer in the ninth.

Beltran is batting .364 with five home runs in his last 17 games. These astounding stats leave one to wonder what the season would have been like if he had not missed the first half of the season due to knee surgery.

"I wanted to finish the season as strong as I can and go to the off-season feeling good about how I finished, and working hard to come back healthy and ready to go next year," said Beltran after the Sunday's game.

Even though the Mets are beginning to look ahead towards the 2011 season, they were able to leave Citizens Bank Park with their heads held high. They may not have prevented their rivals from reaching the playoffs, but they were able to give the Phillies and their fans the figurative finger on the way out.