Never Forget 69

Question Marks

Lou Di Falco — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:51:52 -0500

I could not believe the discussion I heard on WFAN the other day. Mike Francesa was ranting on about how the Mets were an 84 win team because there were just too many question marks.

I don't necessarily disagree that there are question marks. I don't even necessarily disagree with the fact the Mets could win only 84 games. However, I really think they will win more. But how can we really know? There is so much to be played out. What I find so disturbing about such rants is how Mike can feel so sure of himself when it comes to questions relating to the Mets, yet similar questions regarding the Yankees are non existent.

First of all, what team does not have question marks in spring training? What club is the pencil-it-in World Champion for 2009? Is it the Mets, Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Dodgers, Angels, or Rays? I don't know. Do you?

You gage a teams chances on the talent they have on the field. Talent wise, I think the Mets fair much better than an 84 win team. That doesn't mean they will win more than 84 games, it means they should. Mike took the glass is half empty approach with the Mets' starting pitching, left field, and second base.

Francesa pointed out John Maine is coming off of surgery. True but his shoulder spur was repaired and so far, he feels great and is showing no ill effects. He is already throwing harder than he did last September. Santana had his knee scoped but is on track and feels fine. Francesa had no argument for Santana but inferred you can't expect Mike Pelfrey to have a great season just because he appeared to turn the corner last year. Why not? Scouts have said all along the pitcher we saw last season was the one drafted in the first round out of Wichita State. How come Joba Chamberlain's body of work is not met with the same level of skepticism and incredulity? Is it because he's a Yankee?

Mike questioned the left field situation with a platoon of Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis (this was before Jerry Manuel indicated Murphy could be the every day left fielder). There isn't a player in Mets camp that works harder at hitting than Daniel Murphy. He has already shown a natural ability to swing the bat at a maturity beyond his years. Plus all winter Murphy worked long hours in Florida shagging fly balls to prepare himself for left field. Give the kid a chance. At some point the stars of today were the rookies of yesterday. Not every star player in baseball was a sure fire can't miss prospect.

Another easy target is Luis Castillo. Hey, if I could snap my fingers and switch Castillo with Orlando Hudson I would do it. But what about the fact that prior to last season, Castillo was an all star second baseman? Do we discount that Luis went to Minaya after the season and begged not to be traded, that he realized he was out of shape and vowed to work hard over the winter. He lost 17 pounds and his knees appear to be pain free. He hates losing and seems determined to make amens. Does he not even get a chance?

In one breath, Francesa says you can't look at last year's performances and expect them to be automatic again this season. But yet, that's what he does when he points out all the negatives. You can't have it both ways. That's why I say you must base a prediction on talent and injuries. Right now, the Mets have talent with no injuries other than Tim Redding who has been slowed from surgery last November on his toe.

In regards to Mike's take on the Yanks, apparently 161 million dollars for CC Sabathia doesn't raise a question mark. After all, CC is the most fit of any pitcher I have ever seen. Don't you think so too? Add in another 65 million for A.J. Burnett, the poster boy for the disabled list. Can you say Carl Pavano? Well, he's not that bad but Burnett has certainly had his share of injuries.

Now CC is a great pitcher and so is Burnett. But if you are going to assume the Mets have questions surrounding their pitching staff, how can you not apply the same logic to the Yankees who also have a pitcher coming off injuries in Chien-Ming Wang.

This time of year every team has questions. But based on talent alone, the Mets have to be considered one of the clubs with an excellent chance of reaching the post season. Notice I did not say win the World Series. That's because I am a firm believer in the goal being to make the playoffs. I do not subscribe to the theory that winning the World Series is all that matters. To me, that's an exercise in futility. With eight teams making the tournament, as I like to think of the post season, anything can happen. The Mets were the better team in '06 but lost to the Cardinals, a team just above .500. The Yankees were an out away in '04 then collapsed and lost four in a row to the Red Sox. Unfortunately the World Series has become a battle between who survives the first two rounds of the playoffs, not necessarily the two best teams.

I don't see the Mets through rose colored glasses. Nor do I see them as gloomy as Mike Francesa and Joe Benigno might. What impresses me so far this spring about the Mets is not their talent, which they have plenty of. I see a confidence that I have not seen in a while. It's confidence without the cockiness from the last couple of seasons. In the long run, the Phillies winning the World Series last season might turn out to be the best medicine for the Mets.

Kay's Out of Line

Lou Di Falco — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 10:08:54 -0500

Michael Kay, the Yankees Yes man, I mean Yes broadcaster, was railing into the Mets yesterday on his afternoon sports talk show heard on 1050 ESPN here in New York.

Closing out in poor fashion

Lou Di Falco — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 10:48:42 -0400

This slump the Mets are in, it’s not something new. At least it’s not since the clinching that took place on September 18th at Shea Stadium. It has been going on for longer than that.

Backbone

Lou Di Falco — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 15:42:22 -0400

Listening to the Fan on the Internet while at work... I have come to a conclusion when it comes to the Yankee beat guy vs. the Mets beat guy.

Good call Caller…

Lou Di Falco — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 13:58:20 -0400

While in my car at lunch today, I heard a call into Joe Benigno that I totally agreed with.

What a beating...

Lou Di Falco — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 10:11:27 -0400

Certainly it was not what we were hoping for. Even if the Mets had to lose, we all were hoping that it would be a well pitched game by Pedro.

Mad Dog Sad Dog

Lou Di Falco — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 14:00:49 -0400

"Mike, the Mets pitching stinks" so said Chris Russo today at the top of the Mike and the Mad Dog show today.

Mike Speaks...

Lou Di Falco — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 16:02:01 -0400

Once again, Mike Francesa has spoken. In today’s Mike and the Mad Dog show, while discussing the articles in the major New York papers that stated that the Mets may be reclaiming New York...

Get Over It

Lou Di Falco — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 15:41:55 -0400

I heard the recorded conversation between Mike Francesa and Joe Benigno from the WFAN website. Of course it was about the song “Enter Sandman” by Mettallica, the latest sin the New York Mets have committed. How dare Billy Wagner run to the mound to the same music as the great Mariano Rivera. Remember it's a Yankees town, not a Mets town at least according to Mike Francesa. It doesn't matter that Billy Wagner used the song longer than Mariano or that Mariano himself said he doesn't care that Wagner uses the same song. Mike Francesa said it matters. Francesa has spoken and has declared it “lame” that the Mets would do something so insulting and incentive to the great Yankee royalty. Don Imus joined the conversation, another radio rocket scientist, and agreeing with Francesa, he pointed out that Wagner played in "hick towns" where his theme was "Enter Sandman". I'm sure Don's listeners in Philadelphia and Houston appreciate his opinion regarding their cities. What's Imus's agenda anyway? He's a front running fan that I doubt could even name the Yankee starting line-up.

The one thing that this whole incident helps me see clearly is why I hate the Yankees. I have thought about this for a long time. I can't say I hate the ballplayers on the Yankees. I think Jeter is great, how can you not root for Bernie or Posada? I still wish the Mets had gotten A-Rod when they had the chance and Torre has been a wonderful manager. So what is it that I hate? It's really not the Yankees, it never has been, it's their fans. Mike Francesa is the epitome of the typical Yankee fan, arrogant, pompous, and entitled. Is he so threatened by the Mets that he must make this sophomoric argument about a stupid Mettallica song? It's pathetic. I think it's time that Mike and his loony cohort get back to talking about sports and stop being so picky about something so unimportant. But if it really makes Mike Francesa this angry then I hope the Mets just keep playing “Enter Sandman” every time Wagner enter a game. It’s just one more thing that can make a Yankee fan upset and that suits me just fine.