Electrolytes, Jon. Electrolytes.

By Taryn “the Coop” Cooper

I guess most Mets fans aren’t hockey fans.  I’m pretty nonplussed by the Mets losses lately, though to be honest, I may be singing a different tune if the Rangers didn’t beat the Capitals Saturday night.  But I digress.

I know that losing two-of-three against the Marlins is never fun.  Especially in the event that two of the games were winnable, AND the Mets were actually winning late in both the games.  These are the types of losses you unfortunately just need to shake off and move to the next series.

Yet, I’m not angry about the bullpen.  I’m not pissed off that Ike Davis made a lackadaisical move that caused a run to score in Friday’s game.  I’m not even cheesed off that the normally very clutch Daniel Murphy seemed to ground out or do something non productive with the bases loaded.

I do have some misdirected anger at my favorite Mets, Jonathon Niese.  See, it was obvious that he was lumbering through the game, and yet he still managed to keep the team in it by not allowing the Marlins to score on his watch.  It was just the bullpen that did that.  On one hand, there was no sense in keeping him in there if he wasn’t feeling after 99 pitches…on the other hand, the bullpen should have done its job and we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.

But if I may interject with the following thought…

Jonathon Niese is a professional athlete, a pitcher who is scheduled to be out there every five games.  Some pitchers are effective, and Niese is of that variety.  Yet, one of my biggest concerns is that Niese cannot stay healthy.  The good news is, his health is not necessarily pitching related.  The bad news is, it’s almost ALWAYS conditioning.

I’m sorry, but if you’re a professional athlete, isn’t it your JOB to stay in shape?  I get that some athletes are more fragile than others (see: Alou, Moises), but Niese could be a tad healthier if he incorporates better health habits.

What I mean are: electrolytes.

I mean, who the hell is paying the Mets training staff?  Isn’t it their job to make sure their athletes are getting the proper hydration and nutrition?  These guys have access to more health information than ever,and still this stuff happens.

Not to say that Niese hasn’t been healthy.  It seems down the stretch his legs get blown out or just overall exhaustion.  We could blame his youth and just say that his body hasn’t caught up to his level of play yet, and I could buy it.

But you know what happened? When I was watching (or following on Twitter) the game yesterday, we all agreed on one thing:  Jon looked tired.  Jon looked sluggish.  Miami is not known for its temperate climate (though the Marlins do have a retractable dome now).  It could take some getting used to. Then we hear later that not only does Ike Davis and Tim Teufel have the flu, the Mets clubhouse is now a breeding ground of viral activity, and Niese himself was suffering from the dreaded “Flu-like symptoms.”

I get that we’re human and we all are prone to it. But haven’t these guys heard of a FLU SHOT? I get one every year.  But you know what, shit happens and I’m willing to chalk it to “whatevs.”  A few years ago, remember Carlos Beltran and John Maine were patients zero and one in a flu-ridden clubhouse…2009, I think.

Okay.  But I still have some misdirected aggression to Niese.  Why?  Because this shit has happened before.  Look, when you have the flu, you have symptoms, tell your coach (which I think he did, but he wants to play, he wants to play) or HYDRATE.  It’s simple.  You need to replenish your lost fluids.

When I was in Texas last year following the team, I happened to catch a Niese start.  It was HOT in Texas, I mean the heat was something I never experienced in my life.  I told people when you go, think about how much water you think you’ll need and double it.  My husband even had a situation where he nearly passed out from the heat.

Wasn’t the first time Jon Niese slogged through an effective start, I saw it myself in Texas last June. Look at the sweat on his jersey!

Niese was taken out of the game, though he was effective and he was doing okay, because of heat exhaustion.  I wrote it off thinking, maybe there’s just NO WAY you can possibly prepare yourself for the death heat of deep in the heart of Texas.  I keep myself hydrated, and I’m no athlete…and I had a hard time doing it.

Miami?  Where you regularly visit?  Electrolytes, Jon.  It’s very easy.  Take better care of your hydration needs, and perhaps you won’t overextend yourself at the end of the year.

Filed under: Taryn "Coop" Cooper, Jonathon Niese, Mets 2012, Miami Marlins

You Gotta Have Heart

By Taryn “The Coop” Cooper

Championships and victories are more savored in sports, and in life, especially after suffering setbacks or obstacles that make the triumph more satisfactory than if it ever came easy.

That’s the story of the lives of rooting for the Mets.

But if you look at someone like Frank Edwin “Tug” McGraw in the history of the Mets, he truly believed in the underdog, and never thought his team was in a position to lose, no matter how far out of it they seemed to be.

Tug coined the motto “Ya Gotta Believe!” in the middle of a team meeting during their miraculous 1973 stretch run, to fall short of winning the World Series that year.  Yet, he truly believed that his team had no chance of losing.

When people tell me that the Mets “celebrate” their winning teams a little too much, all I say is, look at 1973.  We celebrate that team every day, whether we’re conscious of it or not, by invoking the principle of “YGB.”

We lost Tug several years to brain cancer.  Another Mets hero, Gary Carter, was lost earlier this year to the same affliction.  When I started to talk about my childhood heroes were taken away by such a vicious disease, I started to find out that many others were affected.  Not just the person with the affliction…the families and friends too.

The Coop and Nicky the Running Bear at a Tug McGraw race last year!

Last year, I started running long distance races in hopes that I could finish a marathon some day.  Not “run super fast” or “finish in first place.”  Just “FINISH.”  But one thing was for certain…when I did do the NYC Marathon…I’d be running for charity.

And that charity is the Tug McGraw Foundation, whose goal is to assist those who are brain cancer survivors or those who suffer from neurological disorders have a better quality of life.

Well, that “some day” that I wanted to complete a marathon…is this November.  I’ve officially thrown my hat into the ring to run the NYC Marathon this November, and I’m fundraising for Team McGraw!

Here at Kiners Korner and the Kult of the Mets Personalities, we celebrate the past, present and future of the team by having guests on who were fan favorites or highlighting how the past has impacted the present and future.  Gary Carter was a guest of ours three months before he was diagnosed with brain cancer, and one year prior to his death from the affliction. Cancer sucks, and we can each do our part in helping elevate a cause to stamp it out FOR GOOD!!

Actions in the past help dictate the future.  Your actions to support fundraising for this event will help others live better lives in the future.

Won’t you consider making a donation today?

Please spread the word, and once again, here is the link to contribute again.  No donation is too small, or too large for that matter!

But I will be doing something special for Tug and Kid when I finish the race, and you should all be a part of that something special when I finish.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming!

Filed under: Taryn "Coop" Cooper, 1973 Mets, Charity, Coop, Fundraising, NYC Marathon, Tug McGraw, tug mcgraw foundation, ya gotta believe

One Year Forward, Two Years Back

By Taryn “The Coop” Cooper

Expect the unexpected with this team this year.  I have no idea if the momentum they’ve been carrying will hold them over the entire year, but I will say this…it’s fun to watch while it unfolds.

It’s only May, which is why I tend be a little more on the realistic side on waiting in out.  But it’s fun to watch the young guys duke it out, rather than watch overpaid veterans who don’t care loaf around while the rest of the team suffers (and the fans become lax).

But this is the Mets 50th anniversary.  Coincidentally, I attended a 50th anniversary conference at Hofstra University a few weeks back.  Between actually going to Mets games and the hockey playoffs, I’ve barely had time to condense my thoughts.  The conference was a mix of celebrating the past, present and future of the team.  But mostly, the past part was curious.

There was a panel celebrating some of the 1969 Mets (and you better believe Coop worked every single one of them to get on the podcast), and most of the panels that focused on the past emphasized the great 1980s run they had, and with little emphasis on the late 1990s (but the stuff on the 1999 and 2000 was also spot-on, and made me analyze how things could be much different had Timo Perez just bloody RAN).  Heck, I could have provided a position paper on the 2006 Mets, but I didn’t think to submit it…

My point was, after the 1980s…the Mets operated in such a predictable fashion, and we’re still seeing ramifications of this operation to this day.  It took the conference and a presentation to really wrap my head around why the Mets would have smatterings of success, only to have so many periods of downtime, that they would be more associated with the down years than most good years.

So why were the 1990s and anything after 2000 and prior to 2006 so uninteresting for the narrative and education of Mets fans that it was almost completely ignored. Granted, a lot of the history from that time period is uninteresting.  But the reasons why are multilevel.

Right now, the Mets are focusing on building from within, and looking to either move or live with the contracts of Jason Bay, David Wright and Johan Santana.  Last night, we saw the likes of Jonathon Niese keeping the Mets in the game and close, with Jordany Valdespin getting his first hit as a very clutch home run to break a tie in the 9th, and against the Phillies’ new closer, Jonathan Papelbon.

Ha.

Schadenfraude aside, I feel what I took away from these panels is that the Mets have a tough time overcoming their mistakes, or rather play the “wait-it-out” game with their mistakes.  Dating back to Bobby Bonilla (and believe me when I tell you…his contract terms are not as bad as they once were) in the ’90s to most recently Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo, the Mets made it a habit to break out the checkbook for subpar talent, or talent that made its mark elsewhere and in years prior, only when they didn’t perform, they typically let them hold back the team.  Or rather, give them an excuse to.

Conversely, a team like the Yankees basically ate a lot of AJ Burnett’s contract when he didn’t perform and made Kei Igawa the highest paid minor league pitcher, like, ever.  And their mistakes tend to be swept under the rug.  Throw away the success, they never let it be an excuse, the failure of a big league player.

When I hear fans complain about Terry Collins when he doesn’t have a lot to work with, when I hear people bash Sandy Alderson for not spending money (when realistically, he doesn’t have much wiggle room to work with), it’s clear that the past isn’t taken into consideration.  We’re not talking just Omar Minaya.  It’s Al Harazin, Joe McIlvaine (though to be honest, he traded Bobby Bonilla the first time, and should be applauded for at least getting a warm body back for him), Steve Phillips, Jim Duquette and lastly the ownership that refused until it was much too late that they made mistakes along the way.

So now what?

Instead of taking that infamous one step forward, and two steps back, the Mets are now forced to use their resources from within.  So maybe they’ll finish .500 this year, or they’ll finish over…they may even finish just below.  But this is progress from last year, and could stand to beg our patience while waiting for this to develop into something special, profitable and successful once again.

Filed under: Taryn "Coop" Cooper, David Wright, Hofstra University, jason bay, Johan Santana, Jonathan Papelbon, Jonathon Niese, Jordany Valdespin, Mets 2012, Mets 50th Anniversary, Mets History, Philadelphia Phillies

¡Ganamos y eso es lo mas importante!

By Taryn “The Coop” Cooper

¡Aye carumba!  What a weekend.

But seriously, folks, it’s the month of April coming to a conclusion, and it’s bizarro baseball world, for real.

The Baltimore Orioles are currently on top of the AL East (What?), Albert Pujols has yet to hit a home run, and the Mets have kept things interesting.

I mean, all you have to do is look at the fact that Johan Santana has not won a game yet (officially) for the team, though to be quite blunt, he’s certainly put them in a great position to win each time he goes out on the mound.

But yesterday was the most hilarious situation I’ve ever witnessed.  I mean, let’s be fair here.  All you need to do is laugh sometimes, I guess to keep from crying.  Right?

Terry Collins takes Santana out of the game, and he’s lifted only after 90 pitches.  Seriously, he had a four-run lead, that should have been enough.  But who didn’t see that writing on the wall when Todd Helton gets up with bases juiced and subsequently does what everyone else is dreading he’ll do…and that’s hit a grand slam.

What’s worse?  The fact they couldn’t give Santana his well-deserved win…or that the Mets eventually did go ahead…just to allow the Rockies to tie it up again in extras???

Look, I could analyze why Santana should have gotten the win, why the Mets could have easily held onto the lead (it’s not like a grand slam has been hit never before by a Rockie in late innings to wipe out an entirely good effort by the starter), or why the sky is blue.  But I won’t.  Because May is tomorrow.  Weird things are going on in baseball.  And Johan Santana not getting a win in the month is the least of those worries.

Know why?  Because even he doesn’t care.  In fact, some people on Twitter were lamenting that the effort was ruined, but someone later said that all he cares about is the win for the team.  His win is almost secondary.

And he wrote that on his own Facebook page.  “¡Ganamos y eso es lo mas importante!”  Winning the game was more important, he wrote.

But isn’t that also bizarro baseball?  I mean, when Mora hit the grand slam, it led to Frankie Rodriguez punching his father in law, which led to management overhaul, which led to him being traded, which led to revamping the bullpen, which led to the bullpen meltdown yesterday, which led to…

A Mets win.

But isn’t that weird?

Filed under: Taryn "Coop" Cooper, Colorado Rockies, francisco rodriguez, Johan Santana, Melvin Mora, Mets 2012

I’m Crushed

By Taryn “the Coop” Cooper

Most of you know me as the girl who likes Pelfrey.  Except for just getting annoyed, like the rest of us, last season with him, for the most part I’ve managed to stay in his corner, through the good starts and the bad.

For his quick start this year, he seemed to not catch a break.  He didn’t get a well-deserved win, and ironically didn’t complain of being winded or sore on Saturday during that dog show.

Yet, I find it so telling that would possibly be his last start as a New York Met.  A start where he showed up, then got screwed by mismanagement and by his teammates.  By his manager and by the bullpen.

The one thing I do sort of regret seeing as a fan, ironically, is that Pelfrey wasn’t traded when his stock was at its highest.  We all knew it was a risk to bring him back with how up and down he was, and mostly in response to how he performed against the NL East.  Yeah, kind of a big problem when you’re a pitcher for an NL East team.

Now, I’m just crushed.

Mike Pelfrey is everything about the Mets.  He was a rushed prospect and was given way more responsibility than he should have been given at first.  He had a positive season, which looked to be a fluke when he responded with a crappy season.  Repeat twice.  I was just remarking the other day that out of all the players on the Mets since 2009, he’s the only one who hasn’t been hurt for long stretches of time.

Now he is.

As I said, it’s only fitting that Mike Pelfrey would have potentially ended his Mets career in this fashion.  Pelfrey is the cautionary tale of homegrown players now.

Don’t rush them, or you’ll get less.

Don’t overhype them, only to be disappointed by them.

Lastly, don’t support them and fall in love with them, because you’ll get your heart broken.

Oh wait.  That’s just me.  Carry on.

Filed under: Taryn "Coop" Cooper, Mets 2012, Mets injuries, Mike Pelfrey

Welcome to the Sh$%?!Show

By Taryn “The Coop” Cooper

For many people, this is the game we’ve been waiting since November for…

Jose Reyes’ return to CitiField for the first time in the 2012 season.

And I say…

**YAWN**

I’m looking forward to his video montage but I have to say that there are a few things that bothered me about his departure.  I feel like I’m flogging a dead horse, and I promised myself I wouldn’t write about it.  But I’m being forced to go to tonight’s game, and I would just as well sell the tickets.  And why?

I have better and more important things on my mind.  As an example, I’m a Ranger fan, and Game Seven in the first round is still “Game Seven,” and I have a lot on my mind.  Next, the things that bothered me about his departure is the exact way he ended his time with the Mets.  Now, I defended him getting one at-bat and then winning the batting title.  But he never acknowledged the fans.  Someone at the time told me that we can give him his applause on Opening Day.  I figured it was just as well.

He couldn’t possibly go anywhere else.  Till he did.

Now, I’m kind of thinking of this as a let-down.  No matter what happens Jose Reyes is no longer a Met.  I don’t know why we’re treating this like a World Series appearance.

Usually these games are just a giant build up to be a giant let down.  I’ll go to the game, but I’ll be reporting live for the podcast later as well from CitiField.  I’m looking forward to that.  The game itself, I’d much rather stay home.

Filed under: Taryn "Coop" Cooper, Jose Reyes, Mets 2012, Miami Marlins

Outstupiding One Another

By Taryn “The Coop” Cooper

It’s days like yesterday that make it worth sticking up for Mike Pelfrey.

Listen to any of our podcasts, and you’ll know that I’m the resident Pelfrey homer.  That doesn’t mean I don’t get annoyed by his limitations; in fact, it makes me a little more critical of his limitations and made me wonder why, after his season in 2010, why Sandy Alderson didn’t trade him when he had the chance.  I also wondered why he didn’t trade Angel Pagan, but it looks like he heard my rants by trading him in the offseason.

But it’s funny how karma works.  The guy that my friend Blondies Jake coined as being “Dumb as a box of Pagans” was seen as the smarter one, due to the mismanagement by his managers, current and former, Friday and Saturday…that led to wins that really shouldn’t have happened for either.  If that makes sense.

Then again, these last two days…didn’t make much sense.

First, it was like history repeating itself.  Remember in 2006, the Mets played the Yankees in their annual Subway Series at Shea Stadium.  The Friday night game looked to be a laugher, and a drinker, with Randy Johnson starting against Jeremi Gonzalez, the cards were stacked against the Mets for sure.  Until David Wright hit a walk-off and drove in Paul LoDuca in the bottom of the ninth…I remember leaping up and driving my cat into the other room after startling him.

But the next day was the kicker.  Billy Wagner comes in and blows a four-run lead.  In the ninth.  To the Yankees.  During the Subway Series.

I remember some dude telling, the Mets had no business winning Friday, and the Yankees had no business winning Saturday.  I guess it was karma taking care of the stupid.

I couldn’t help but think of that Saturday. I was at the game Friday night, which drained me with the idiot and disrespectful San Francisco Giants fans infiltrating MY stadium, and MY section, and then the Mets coming back and looking as though they could win it.  Bruce Bochy, in an effort to outsmart Terry Collins, made pitching changes with every pitch, practically, then won the game on a stupid move.

Same thing Saturday.  Collins, not brand loyal to his so-called “closer,” saw trouble on the horizon and felt the need to take Frank Francisco out, only to see the Luis Castillo redux but starring two new players: Ruben Tejada and Kirk Nieuwenhuis.  These games give me flashbacks and make me wonder if Post-Traumatic Mets Disorder should be classified by the psych community.

Moving right along, it was Collins who outstupided Bochy.  In one stupid move after another, the stupid moves end up winning the games.  Which leads me to Buster Posey being this delicate fragile little flower of a player.  I say BITE ME.  Part of the game is to get barreled over.  No one wants to be the nice guy.  In fact, if someone had barreled over the catcher in Friday night’s game, perhaps we’d have a two-game winning streak to talk about.

That’s neither here nor there.  Want to know the outstupided move of them all?

Collins not letting Pelfrey finish what he started.

Yeah, I said it.

Pelfrey has been known as an innings eater but whether he gives those innings as quality is up to debate, which is why I think people get annoyed with him.  That he can make you pull your hair out.  On a day where Phillip Humber pitches a perfect game for the Chicago White Sox in his first complete game and first shutout…yes, you read that right…we need a feel good story for homegrown Pelfrey…you know, the guy we kept instead of sending off to Minnesota for Johan Santana.

Pelfrey has been doing what’s expected of him and more, and Collins rewards him by giving him yet another no-decision.  You know the term “no brainer?”  Collins is just a brainer.  He didn’t think, just acted, and it could have cost them the game.  But it did cost Pelfrey of a well-earned win.

Yet, to think that Collins might not have made all those dumb-ass moves if he didn’t see Bochy try to outstupid him Friday night.

Stupid is as stupid does, I suppose.

Filed under: Taryn "Coop" Cooper, Frank Francisco, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Luis Castillo, Mets 2012, Mike Pelfrey, Ruben Tejada, Sandy Alderson, Scott Hairston, Terry Collins, tim byrdak, Ty Wigginton

Praying for Jason Bay

By Taryn “the Coop” Cooper

“Keep the Commandments and say a prayer for Gil Hodges.” – Father Herbert Redmond of St. Francis Roman Catholic Church, Brooklyn, NY.

I always liked that story about the community rallying behind adopted Brooklyn boy and Dodger hero Gil Hodges when he fell into a major slump.  To this day, his wife Joan always appreciated the good thoughts, prayers and vibes that they received.  We’ll never know if the prayers and thoughts truly helped, but the thought was there and was immensely appreciated as he broke out of it.

Which brings me to today.  We’ll never see a community rally behind a player.  I think it’s because the parity of the game has changed dramatically.  Back in Hodges’ day, baseball wasn’t the only thing they did.  It basically put a roof over their heads, but far from guaranteed financial security for generations to come.  Plus, Gil Hodges was the strong silent type, and in post-war America, guys like him were revered.

Now, we want motivated, emotional and screaming types.  We want less like Gil Hodges, who just take slumps like most down points in our lives and wait them out, and more like Ozzie Guillen, who constantly put their feet in their mouths (of course, I doubt we all want guys like Guillen…maybe Bobby Valentine is a better example who tries to light a fire under his players’ asses).

Jason Bay is a curious case for Mets fans though.  With good reason, most would like to see him benched or at the very least, platooned.  To say that Bay hasn’t lived up to his standards as a Met is an understatement.  When you look at the back of his baseball card, it simply looks like his time with the Mets is a blip on the radar, the inconsistency and the fallacy to his career.

Most point to his defensive play as his saving grace, that if he were bumbling in the outfield, he’d be booed out of Flushing.  Well, I won’t say the boo birds haven’t been in full force…but let me tell you.  I’ve been a Mets fan a long time, and I don’t think fans want to boo this guy.

I think we want a Gil Hodges-type of season to come out of him.  Hey, it could be far worse I suppose.

In the last few games, he’s come up big, in the series against the Phillies, and even last night robbing a home run and hitting one himself against the Braves.

We’ve always rooted for underdogs, but in Jason Bay’s case he never was that in his career.  He was just a good solid player who’s had a string of bad luck in his time with the Mets.  Looking at the landscape though, the Mets ARE Jason Bay: the guys that tries to do right but has that Job-ian existence, or even Sisyphus where he keeps pushing the rock, only to have it roll back down…only to push it back up again.

I’m not saying I wasn’t about to give up on Bay, but like Sisyphus, he never stopped trying so I have to give him that.

I’m not comparing Bay’s play to Gil Hodges, who was a Mets and Dodgers hero for more than one item, but perhaps rallying behind his play instead of waiting for the other shoe to drop (did I mention his pinky was also bent last night???) is the way to go.

Filed under: Taryn "Coop" Cooper, gil hodges, jason bay, Mets 2012

La Face

By Taryn “The Coop” Cooper

I, for one, am sick of the whole “This is David Wright’s team” talk.  I get the conversation but it just doesn’t work with the Mets.  People are quick to point to the milquetoast infielder like that other dude in the boring Bronx who won a couple championships with a few solid (sometimes lucky) teams.

But Davey is kind of an oddity.  He was seen as a savior for the franchise at a time when they were a few years removed from a World Series trip, but still treated as a “win-now” team.  One of the few productive things that Steve Phillips ever did as Mets general manger (besides trade for and sign Mike Piazza) was use his comp pick for Mike Hampton to get David Wright.

But the Mets have failed David Wright in so many ways.  Wright succeeds when he’s got a good supporting cast.  While he’s had protection in the lineup from the likes of Carloses Delgado or Beltran, it also backfired in that he didn’t have positive reinforcements around him on the team.  Davey is often panned for being so plain vanilla but the reality is, he didn’t have good leadership when he would see someone as imposing as Delgado take credit when the team was good, then run and hide when he had a bad game (just ask Billy Wagner about that one).

Then pairing up David Wright and Jose Reyes may have been a blessing or a curse.  Our own Matty Faz wrote about the Faux Dynasty a few months back.  I, for one, was ready to part ways with Davey a while ago.  Nothing against him, personally.  I just thought he wasn’t much of a leader, and that he would do better in a smaller market.  I thought Reyes would have been a better leader or someone to build around.

Till Reyes was no longer a Met.

Now we’re at a point where it’s put-up-or-shut-up.  For Davey, that is.  He’s got one year on his contract, but the terms are so onerous that if the Mets were to trade him that the team getting him in return would be getting a half-year rental, since the option for 2013 would be null-and-void.

Yet, a few weeks ago, Sandy Alderson made a remark that the Mets may be in a position to make some significant financial investments to raise payroll.  Which suggests to me that outside of the Jonathon Niese extension, that he’s looking to invest in another name.  Another face.

And that face is David Wright.

I’ve always hated that.  Thought it put an undue amount of pressure on him, and that he couldn’t perform that way.  Yet, without the pressure of “will he or won’t he (sign, that is)” drama with Jose Reyes, and the pressure of “win now,” he seems to be more himself in these last four games.  The Davey of old.

And I saw something on Sunday.

David Wright consoling teammate Jon Niese after he gives up first hit of game to Atlanta Braves in sixth inning, 4/8/2012

He wants his teammates to do well. It always seemed insincere to me in the past, but this time seemed incredibly genuine.

To my earlier chagrin, David Wright is the face of the New York Mets now.  However, it seems like for once he’s ready to embrace this role.

Filed under: Taryn "Coop" Cooper, David Wright, Future Mets, Ike Davis, Jon Niese, Mets 2012, Sandy Alderson

Scooter Searching For His Groove

By Taryn “The Coop” Cooper

You know what I was really encouraged by with Jon Niese’s first start of the season this Sunday?

Not what you’re thinking. Not that he had no-hit the Braves for 6+ innings.  Not that he even had a shutout.

Know what it was?

That he didn’t start out strong.

Think about it.  He looked very shaky at first.  He walked a lot of Braves batters.  Though he didn’t give up a hit (and being in the crowd, I was thinking about the last time I was in a situation like this, in 2007 when John Maine started against the Marlins) in six innings, he took about an inning or two before he calmed down.

And he did.

He got himself out of jams.  He was cerebral and knew what he was throwing.  After being jumpy, he came around and finished strong.  He was around 100 pitches when Terry Collins took him out, and he may have had the yips too around then.  But this was after NO HITTING the Braves for six innings.  It’s also the first game of the season for him.

So call me the card-carrying member of the Jonathon Joseph Niese Fan Club (New York chapter).  He proved to me that he gets it.

People have asked me what I think about the Niese contract extension.  Or as I like to call it, “restructuring.”  And I tell them the truth: I love it.

It may reflect the new NEW Mets business plan, as Carlos Beltran once waxed poetic on in 2005.

But it also shows that they’re willing to make an investment in a homegrown player, and one of a pitching variety.

Look at his outliers.  He’s a young lefty pitcher.  He’s homegrown.  The Mets have never made a goodwill treatment historically to their home grown players.  By restructuring his contract, they are able to avoid arbitration, so he’s guaranteed money but it’s not a wildly inappropriate value.  (See: Pelfrey, Michael).

It shows that the Mets ownership have turned a corner, financially.  They’re not completely out of the woods, but since a large part of their financial woes had to do with the uncertainty of the Bernie Madoff settlement has been settled, they can make a deal like this to show they are willing and can invest in the future.

It doesn’t hamstring them to the point where he’s not tradeable, if it comes to that.  It’s more money, but not too much money.   It’s more years, not many more.  And lastly, the market for young lefty pitchers is competitive.  By avoiding arbitration, they’re able to lock him in at a realistic and human value.

Unlike many Mets moves, this is not putting the cart before the horse but showing confidence in a young guy who can be an integral part of the team’s future, short and long term.

Prior to seeing Bruce Springsteen play at the Garden on Friday last week, two of the people I went to the show with asked me why now?  Why extend Niese now?  He still gets hurt each year.  I said that his injuries have never been pitching injuries, but conditioning injuries.

In R.A. Dickey’s book, Wherever I Wind Up, he tells some of the young arms to try to never go on the DL if they can help it.  I think that’s good and bad advice.  Good to the extent that these guys can toughen up.  Bad that maybe a skipped start would be beneficial to young guys like Niese if the grind is getting a bit much.  I will say this…when I saw him warming up in the ‘pen before the game, he looked good.  He was in a great shape and looks to take his conditioning seriously.

Couple that with that he was able to calm himself down early on in the game, and staying strong for the rest…like Scooter in “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out,” Jon Niese is searching for his groove.

And maybe, he just getting it back on.

Filed under: Taryn "Coop" Cooper, Atlanta Braves, Dan Warthen, Jonathon Niese, Mets 2012

Torres Is A True Met Now

By Taryn “The Coop” Cooper

Well, that didn’t take long, did it?

The Mets went almost a full game before getting their first “casualty” of the season in Andres Torres.  While I had alluded that he might be an injury risk in an earlier post, the “bridge player” as we like to refer to him isn’t providing much of one.  In other words, Kirk Nieuwenhuis will be making his Mets debut tomorrow.

Better early than never is the saying right?  Oh wait.  As per usual, the Plan B is never really much of a plan.

Ah well.

The implication is pretty severe though.

One: Do we have a true leadoff hitter?  According to ESPN, Ruben Tejada is filling that role for the time being.  Seriously?

Two: Is Kirk Nieuwenhuis ready for prime time?  The short answer is “No.”  The long answer is “Make sure you condition him better than F-Mart.”

Three: Is losing Andres Torres really going to hurt the team? No, not really.  As I’ve said, he is a role player, a guy who more than likely won’t be on the team after this year.  But at the end of the day, it’s the first damn game of the season.  He’s hurt ALREADY?  Oy Vey.

But hey, maybe getting it out of the way earlier and more efficiently is a change for the better.  Andres Torres is hurt, so maybe it’s a good sign that a simple role player is hurt first game of the season.

Perhaps a sign of better times to come?

Okay.  I’m stretching.  I advise Torres to do that with his calf.

Filed under: Taryn "Coop" Cooper, Andres Torres, Mets 2012

Coop’s Crystal Ball: 2012 Edition

By Taryn “The Coop” Cooper

Welcome to the annual edition of Coop’s Crystal Ball, the post before every season that I throw some shit to the wall, and see if it sticks.

There’s not much in the prediction department but I can at least throw the stuff that I’ve talked about ad nauseum on our podcasts each week in the offseason, then some.

• Two words: Ike Davis.  Two more words: Monster Year.
• Jon Niese is going to have a breakout season.  Mark my words.
• The defense on this team is not going to be great.  But as I’ve always said: Defense, Schmefense.  However, I can say with certainty that Daniel Murphy won’t be decapitated.
• Somehow, I feel like David Wright will be extended midseason.  Jason Bay, however, will be gone by All-Star Break, along with Mike Pelfrey.
• Lucas Duda and Ike Davis are going to be on the leaderboards for home runs in the NL, mark my words.
• Despite all the positivity we see regarding Johan Santana, I feel like he’ll be on the DL at some point this season and will only make 20 starts.
• I won’t say they will make the second wild card…but I do think they will keep things interesting.  81-80, with a rain out never made up (though I stole that from my husband from his predictions in 2011).
• R.A. Dickey will continue to prove that he is, indeed, the motherfucking man.
• I’ll be preoccupied until June, watching Stanley Cup playoffs. (Oh wait, wrong sport)

There you have it, folks: Read it, and weep!

Let’s Go Mets, and see you all at the Shea Bridge at 12;15 tomorrow!

Filed under: Taryn "Coop" Cooper, Coop's Crystal Ball, Mets 2012, Opening Day, predictions

Vote of Confidence…Still Can’t Find a Shirt Though

By Taryn “The Coop” Cooper

I have made no bones that I am a Jonathon Niese fan.  When I got my package for my season tickets for 2012, I had the opportunity to get a personalized 2012 Mets jersey.  What did I get?

NIESE 49

The reason was twofold.  One of which he’s one of my faves on the team and I wanted a current player.

The other is that YOU STILL CANNOT FIND JONATHON NIESE SHIRTS IN THE METS CLUBHOUSE STORES.

Now, I’m not some Johnny Come Lately that wants to bitch about every perceived slight from the Mets.  I am a Mets fan, always have been, always will be.  I’m also well aware that I can custom order shirts for any player I want.  Yet, we’re talking about a fan favorite, a guy who has been on the team since before CitiField existed.  I should be able to walk into a Mets clubhouse store or any souvenir shop at CitiField and get a Niese shirt.

It’s a travesty that I can find Justin Turner shirts.  Nothing against the guy, as I think he’s pretty cool.  I can find Josh Thole, I can find Bobby Parnell…PARNELL!! Who sucks!!

Not to mention that whole selling Brooklyn Dodgers KOUFAX jerseys in the stores over a current fan favorite Met…

Yesterday, word came out that the Mets and Niese were in talks to extend his contract with some club options to the 2017 and 2018 seasons.  I think it’s great that they are giving a vote of confidence to young Niese.  While he has had some injury issues, they were never “pitching” injuries.  He’s still young, he’s a lefty, he’s home grown.  He’s shown that he has the ability to rise above problems in game while he’s pitching.  While the extension is just basically a way to give him more money over a certain amount of years, since he was under team control for four years anyway, this might be a party line to give a vote of confidence to the OWNERS of the Mets, to let everyone know that maybe their finances are getting a little bit under control for the near-term.  I mean, at the end of the day, this isn’t a bank-breaking deal.

But it is a way to show some goodwill with a good pitcher who is still young and home grown.  Irony too?  Given the Mets’ treatment of home grown players and the way pitchers seem to be ships passing in the night in this organization, Niese has the opportunity to be included in the context of Seaver, Gooden and Koosman provided he wins an average amount of games in the tenure of his contract.

Of course, it goes without saying that the Mets do see him as part of the long-term solutions of this team, and not indicative of the problems (but of course, I went and said it anyway).

I’m happy, I’m thrilled about this prospect.  I think he has a good chance of being one of the top pitchers in Mets history in that time period.

But hey guys, marketing department, fan relations, etc: talk to Aramark, talk to whomever.

Get some Jonathon Niese shirts available in the Mets stores now.  After all, he’s part of the top three pitchers in the rotation…

And everyone in the rotation?  I can get their shirts in the stores.  Even the pitchers who suck.

Filed under: Taryn "Coop" Cooper, Jon Niese, Mets 2012, Sandy Alderson

Touch-And-Go

By Taryn “The Coop” Cooper

I’m going to make a not-so-bold assessment and say that Andres Torres does not figure into the long-term plans of the Mets.  Being that he’s currently on the books for 2012, and arbitration eligible for 2013, unless he has a monster-tastic year, will probably be elsewhere then.  Just call it a hunch. But it makes a lot of sense.

I was probably one of a few Mets fans who actually was thrilled to see Angel Pagan go via trade in the offseason.  I didn’t think Andres Torres was necessarily an upgrade at centerfield or necessarily as a leadoff batter in the lineup.

What I believe though is that he’s a placeholder.  A placeholder for the team as the kids get more mature in the minors.

By “kids,” I mean Kirk Nieuwenhuis or Matt den Dekker.

Yet as we are well versed, the best laid plans of Mets and men Gang aft agley (or “often go awry,” in lay terms).  Torres is currently touch and go, questionable for Opening Day, and is currently feeling “awkward” in the minors and each day there is a different analysis.  Earlier this week, the Mets announced that Torres is anticipated to be ready by Opening Day.  Then out of the other side of their ass, it seems a certainty that Torres won’t be joining the team for the Opening Day festivities.

On one hand, at least they seem to be taking this news in stride.  Look, even the best case scenario of possibilities for the Mets, Torres (nor Scott Hairston, who is also having some troubles of his own) are the make-or-break guys for the team.  They were just touch-and-go characters.  Sure, Torres must have been considered to be an every day player because there’s not a good reason why the Mets should be rushing den Dekker or Nieuwenhuis.

Haven’t the Mets learned their lessons for rushing prospects?

Now, here we are, less than a week away from Opening Day, and Torres is up in the air.  His status is touch-and-go but the sooner the Mets can figure their stuff out, the sooner we can know whether den Dekker is figuring into the picture.  The Daily News reported the other day that den Dekker is a realistic option for Terry Collins to use in centerfield, that’s for a few things falling into place for the prospect.  While he’s never been above AA yet, his main competition in Nieuwenhuis is also nursing an oblique injury.  Oh, the Mets and those oblique injuries.  At least this time they are happening in Spring Training, not in July.  But still, it’s been frustrating to say the least.

Here’s the roundup.  Torres was to be used as a placeholder this year, to give more time to develop Kirk Nieuwenhuis in the minors.  Yet, they are both hurt, leaving the prize behind Door #3, Matt den Dekker, to be on the team.  A bit of a precarious situation.

Like most things Mets these days, it’s all touch-and-go.  I suppose that’s the attitude that will be taken though on Opening Day going into 2012.  The payroll?  David Wright’s long-term status?  Ike Davis’ valley fever? Like, who is our starting centerfielder?

Eh, it’s touch-and-go.

Filed under: Taryn "Coop" Cooper, Andres Torres, Angel Pagan, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Matt den Dekker, Mets 2012, Terry Collins

Into the Woods

By Taryn “The Coop” Cooper

Well, the axe fell.

In some ways bad for Mets fans, in other ways good, in many others great and probably one of the best case scenarios for the Wilpon/Katz ownership consortium.

Bad for the fans who wanted to see the owners go.  In ways good because we can concentrate on just the baseball for now and not have this looming scenario over our head.

Of course, to the victor go the spoils.  Fred Wilpon, Jeff Wilpon and Saul Katz can breathe easier, at least for the time being, that they could not only settle for a fraction of what they thought they would have to, they even have a deferring payment plan to work out.  This is no doubt fantastic news for them, as it takes the pressure off the consortium about that pending suit as well as the other debt they have mounting.

(And as of 9 pm EST on Monday night, they’ve paid their MLB loan, came to terms with the 12 shareholders and paid the bridge loan to Bank of America.)

I guess that it was a pretty good day for the consortium, come to think of it.

That doesn’t mean they’re out of the woods yet.  In fact, out of everything we’ve seen these past few years with the Mets, they seem to be just merely getting to Base Camp 1. We could see some status quo for the short-to-medium term, but long term will tell whether they’ll be completely solvent.  (Don’t kid yourselves – they’re not going to be any time soon — just check out the numbers on Mike Silva’s NY Baseball Digest.)

I try not to write about finances here.  I worked in corporate finance for several years and still enjoy reading about it (I know that makes me a geek, leave me alone), but I don’t particularly care about writing it.  I try to keep the Mets’ finances and legal stuff to the experts who have pored over all the public documents, but I saw that this deal today as a short term fix, like most of their deals.  In fact, most of my analysis has been eerily predictive.  I saw that they could be selling minority stakes back in 2008, and that the timing of economic collapse, real estate holdings taking a hit and ultimately interests tanking was a domino effect leading to the Wilpons getting sued.

So they respond with paying off their most current debts, that would have hurt them.  In a way this is very good for them, as they won’t have any liens put against the team or stadium or whatever they took the notes against.  What is going on now in finance are restructurings — for corporations, they’ll have an opportunity, I believe, to restructure their debt in a way that’s favorable for them to pay.

What does this mean?  Well, we’re stuck with the Wilpons for now.

Look.  I don’t hate Fred (Uncle Saul is a moron and Jeff makes my skin crawl).  But the reality is, they are financiers, who have many different facets of their company and we wouldn’t give a damn about them if they didn’t own the baseball team we all love.  What gets me is just how disingenuous they are.  Normally, a team’s fan base doesn’t really care about the owner, unless they are incompetent (or in the Texas Rangers’ case, a former major leaguer, Baseball Hall of Famer and legend, or blow hardesque like the Steinbrenner family).  If they just sign the checks and shut the hell up, no one would say a word.  But as Metstradamus once said, garbage rolls from uphill, and at the hill of everything wrong with the Mets is the ownership.

Fred Wilpon asks us to stick with them.  Well, we don’t really have a choice, do we?  They’ll never sell, and right now that’s the only way we’ll ever have different ownership.  The fans deserve something better, rather than the status quo.  And as owners, if they can’t put MONEY into the organization, untie their GM’s hands and limit his job more and more each day, they should sell.

Because when we look at this team now, it’s got Wilpon written all over it.  By that I mean, every time we see this lineup, every day that we see Ruben Tejada out there, we’ll always wonder why Jose Reyes really isn’t there, if it was truly a baseball decision or financial save-Fred’s-ass decision.  (Despite whether you think the Reyes deal was a bad one, the fact a big market can’t keep this guy is beyond me.)  We’ll wonder if David Wright will be a lifer.  We’ll wonder if Jason Bay’s and Johan Santana’s heart clogging contract will have to be ridden out because of poor decisions made in the past and paying for it in the future by not having wiggle room.  And I’ll always be pissed off that Chris Capuano wasn’t given $12 million for two years because they decided to stick with Mike Pelfrey when they should have cut his ass off the team (yeah, I said it).

Today’s news is just a blip on the radar, a night in Base Camp 1, as I said above.  For now, a lot has changed, but in some ways, nothing has changed.

And that’s the real tragedy, in my opinion.

Filed under: Taryn "Coop" Cooper, New York Mets, Fred Wilpon, mike silva, Mets 2012, Sterling Equities, Jeff Wilpon, Saul Katz, Howard Megdal, Bernie Madoff

The Wisdom of Nolan Ryan

By Taryn “the Coop” Cooper

Back in 2009, I attended an Angels game in Anaheim, and they were facing the Texas Rangers.  Little did I know this would become the basis of a pretty heated rivalry in upcoming years (especially with the Rangers taking over the AL West basically with their bats and young pitching).  I spoke to a gentleman in the stands who happened to be a Rangers fan, and he told me he was really excited about the team.  That CEO and President Nolan Ryan’s philosophy of youth, pitching and defense were really making a difference in the franchise.

After speaking to him on our podcast last Tuesday night, it’s evident that Mr. Ryan practices what he preaches.

Famously, the Mets gave up on him when he was still young, and he went on to have one of the most storied pitching careers in baseball.  While Ryan won’t dwell on the past too much, it’s evident that while talking about his time with the Mets, that he wonders what might have been.

Ryan is not a big believer in pitch counts, but rather having the pitchers listen to themselves and see what their limitations are.  When that fan in the stands at Anaheim told me that Ryan’s philosophy was having starting pitchers go deeper into games, it was refreshing and yet unusual to hear at the same time.  I’m a big fan of strong starting pitching itself.  We’ve been brainwashed to think that strong bullpens are important, and while they do hold a certain role, they wouldn’t be as important if strong starting pitching was part of the philosophy.

When I asked him a question about his time with the Houston Astros, namely playing against the only team he won a championship with 17 years before, and how his teammate felt that the Astros should have been in the World Series, not the Mets, he said, “The Mets were the strongest team in baseball that second half.”  While he may have been disappointed about being cast away, he still had enough respect to realize how good they were the year his team faced them in the NLCS.

Finally, Ryan is a consummate professional.  When asked about his relationship with former Met and now Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura, famously involved with a fight between the two of them years ago, he said that they’re professionals, and that they’ll go on professionally.  I still think he wants to give him a noogie sandwich, but who cares?  If he says it won’t be an issue, so be it.

Having Nolan Ryan on our show and speaking to him was one of the highlights of my life as a baseball fan.  So excited about how being a baseball fan has changed my life for the better, and it’s clear that Nolan Ryan has changed many lives simply by being a baseball player.

If you haven’t yet listened to our podcast…why haven’t you??

Filed under: Kiner's Korner Podcast, Taryn "Coop" Cooper

Take the “Express” to the Kiners Korner Podcast

by Taryn “The Coop” Cooper

 Join us Tuesday night at 8:30 pm EST for a very SPECIAL guest…former 1969 Met, Baseball Hall of Famer and current Texas Rangers president, Nolan Ryan!

We are very excited to have him as a guest on our show.

Please be sure to tune in at 8:30 at Ivie League Productions on BlogTalkRadio.

It’s sure to be a show to remember!

Filed under: Kiner's Korner Podcast, Taryn "Coop" Cooper, Mets 1969, World Champion Mets 1969

Under The Radar

I don’t know about you, but I am really excited to see Ike Davis play this year.

For many reasons.  I feel like he’s going to have something to prove, since his season was cut short in a freak bump with David Wright last year.

We’re also in an interesting time here in the National League.  Since the premier first basemen have left the proverbial building (Albert Pujols to Anaheim, Prince Fielder to Detroit), Davis has an incredible chance to have a breakout season.

And also, to become a premier first baseman in the NL himself.  In fact, he’s projected to be a fantasy sleeper in 2012…so take a tip from your Auntie Coop.  Draft him.

Ryan Howard is coming back from an Achilles heel injury, that he suffered on the very last pitch of the NLDS last year.  He’s taking BP right now, and he’s projected to be back in May.  The home run/strike out artist though is a big threat on any fantasy roster.

After the Reds’ Joey Votto, there’s plenty of fine candidates for a 1B fantasy guy.  Michael Morse on the Washington Nationals, he could easily be a sleeper fantasy pick too.

Yet Ike has the potential to have a breakout year.  I feel like his return is easily flying under the radar for many folks, including Mets fans.  It’s easy to forget about how well he was doing prior to his bumping-into-David-Wright accident, and even in the previous year.

Let me just remind you of that…

In 2010, he played 147 games.  In 601 plate appearances, and 523 at-bats, he hit 19 home runs, 71 RBIs, and boasted a .264/.351/.440 line.  In 2011, after 36 games, 149 PAs, 129 ABs, he hit 7 HRs and 25 RBIs, with a .302/.383/.543 line.  (Source: Baseball Reference)

I know, he only played 36 games in 2011.  After 36 games in 2010,  however, in 144 PAs and 120 ABs, he had 4 HRs, 12 RBIs, and was .275/.389/.450.

Also, keep in mind that whole moving in the wall business at CitiField this year.  The joke of it is that Jason Bay and David Wright should get their swing back, but prior to that, Ike Davis was pretty much the only one who routinely hit monster shots out of the park.  Home run derby might have to change its name to IKE Derby.

So fantasy baseball GMs, I’m calling it right now.  Though I feel like if I’m calling it out, it’s gotta be easy.  Ike Davis is gonna be huge this year.  Mark it down. File it away.

And draft him.

Filed under: Taryn "Coop" Cooper, All-Star, First Base, Ike Davis, Mets 2012, Ryan Howard

Tejada, We Need To Talk About Your Flair

By Taryn “The Coop” Cooper

When there’s drama, it must be spring training.

Greetings from Port St. Lucie.  Well, not really since I’m not there.  But I am there in spirit.  Especially when I read the articles coming out of there.

Okay.  Here’s a big problem I have with that whole “pitchers and catchers” thing.  It’s changed quite a bit from when I was a kid.  Though it’s always been optional for anyone other than pitchers and catchers, it’s almost required now.  But it’s not.  Sort of.  But it’s expected too.  Sort of.

Possibly a player who will be under the microscope the most this spring (and going into 2012) is Ruben Tejada.  The guy has some big shoes to fill, especially at the position of shortstop.  We have an idea of what he can do as a player and defensively.

Terry Collins has decided that the minimum amount of flair pieces should be 37, that the pretty boys have so far, and not the 15 that’s supposed to be on the rule sheet.

Only problem here is that Tejada, while he should have made every effort to attend camp as an early bird, didn’t technically have to.  After all, Collins mentioned it after Tejada didn’t show up.   He also can’t make him report early.

Last year was a bit different, what with Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez.  I admit that I was waiting for Castillo and Perez to slip up and do something I could perceive as not being for the team’s benefit.  Possibly other fans were too.  However, given their precarious situations with their terrible contracts and awful performance, it would have been a nice gesture for them to show up early.  Especially since they were told they needed to compete for their roles.  Yet they had bad attitudes.

Let’s cut Tejada some slack though.  He’s a young dude who is making probably close to league minimum and has to come in from Panama as well.  I’m sure there are other players who are coming in from great lengths, but I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for some reason.

No one asked Tejada to take the place of one of the most popular players in Mets history.  No one made the early report mandatory.  Is it really going to kill the team if Tejada, who is supposed to report Saturday, misses a few days?  I can tell you, they are pretty much conditioning and doing exercises.  He plays a grueling 162-game sport.  Trust me, he’s in shape.  (Well, he should be…he’s never had a problem with that before).

I guess my point is that there needs to be some kind of conflict in PSL each year, and Tejada is an easy mark.  I’m sure Collins will give his pep talk as to why he should show up early, but the reality is, he’ll be there this weekend, and we’ll forget this has all happened once they start playing some games.

Okay? Okay.  This is just a problem with flair.  Nothing to see here, please carry on with your day.

Filed under: Taryn "Coop" Cooper, drama, Mets 2012, port st. lucie, Ruben Tejada, spring training

The Return of the Kult!

The Kult of Mets Personalities returns TONIGHT with a vengeance after a short hiatus, rejoining the Ivie League Production network.  Our show airs live at 8:30 pm EST, and we have a jam-packed show featuring former Mets pitcher Kris Benson.

We’ll also have a tribute to Gary Carter, whom we interviewed last year around this time.  See you then.

Filed under: Kiner's Korner Podcast, Taryn "Coop" Cooper, gary carter, kris benson, Kult of Mets Personalities Podcast, Mets 2012