Star Prospect Matt Harvey to Start on Thursday

The Mets have announced that top pitching prospect Matt Harvey will be on the mound in Arizona on Thursday to begin the club’s three-game set against the D-backs. After losing Johan Santana to the 15-day disabled list, that left the Mets looking to fill a second spot in their starting rotation, having also lost Dillon Gee to injury.

40-year-old long reliever Miguel Batista started this past Saturday fairing rather awfully; he needed 81 pitches to get through 3 innings. The straw that broke the camel’s back, that start earned Batista a trip back down to the minor leagues, potentially his last.

Harvey’s call-up has been long awaited by Mets fans eager to see the highly-regarded youngster in action. Matt was drafted out of the University of North Carolina in the first round of the 2010 draft by the Mets, and has since been called one of the best pitching prospects in the game. Baseball America deemed him the #34 prospect in all of baseball this past midseason.

Harvey will take the hill on Thursday sporting his 98mph fastball and wicked breaking stuff. He will undoubtedly be under the watchful eye of many fans anxiously awaiting his future with the Mets.  

One-Game Summary of the Mets' Needs this Season

There have been a couple burning questions surrounding the New York Mets these past few weeks:

• 1.     Can the Mets stay in the playoff hunt/will they be “buyers” or “sellers” nearing the July 31^st trade deadline?
• 2.     If they do stay in the hunt and are “buyers” then what is the most important roster need for them to fill? 

Last night’s (July 17^th) game in Washington D.C. made one answer painstakingly clear, and left the other one painstakingly unclear.   

To begin with the first question, last night’s back-and-forth (and then back-and-forth some more) loss offered no discernable evidence suggesting the Mets can or cannot stay in the playoff hunt. Though they were not blown away by the opposition, the Mets still lacked answers for certain parts of Washington's game, ie their starting pitching and late-inning-rallies. 

The Mets’ hitting was nonexistent up until the ninth inning; the club managed just 6 scattered hits before their late rally. However once they did get going, the lineup and bench both showed some impressive resilience. Starter Jon Neise pitched beautifully, lasting 7 innings while allowing 1 run on 3 hits and striking out 8. Sadly, that will not be the story many remember after watching the bullpen blow 3 separate saves in heart-wrenching fashion. 

Obviously one bad night by the bullpen wouldn't be a huge problem. But one look at tonight's game will offer a similar glimpse at a reoccurring issue for the team; the relief pitching has consistently thrown away quality outings by the starting pitching. 

Of late, the 1st through 6th inning New York Mets and the 7th through 9th inning New York Mets have looked like two completely different teams. The 1st is consistently pitching well but not hitting, and the latter is rallying hits together while the pitching blows leads. The bottom line is that the Mets need bullpen help very badly and GM Sandy Alderson needs to get it. Reports from a week or two ago indicated that he was unhappy with the high prices necessary to obtain a relief pitcher and thus was looking into acquiring a catcher. However, Alderson, being one of the few (if not the only) MLB general managers with a Twitter account, had to deal with a massive rush of fans tweeting him about the need for bullpen help. Now, more recent reports have stated that he is back looking for a reliever. 

Dickey's Incredible Story

At 37 years old, R.A. Dickey's pitching career is blossoming like no other. While to some that is a story in itself, Dickey's true story goes way back.

At 8 years old R.A. was sexually molested over a period of months by his 13 year old babysitter. During that same summer, while playing baseball against a shed, he was then molested by a teenage boy.

Dickey's emotional response to these traumas was immersion in sport; he began tirelessly playing one sport after another: mainly football and baseball. This is an example of a psychological defense mechanism called sublimation--the channeling of emotions into a hobby or work area. R.A. was a star quarterback and pitcher in High School. Dickey's baseball talent continued in full; he was named an All -American at the University of Tennessee and pitched for Team USA at the 1996 Olympics.

R.A. was the drafted in the first round by the Texas Rangers with the 18th overall pick of the 1996 MLB Draft. Then, the dream-life came to halt: during a routine physical some concern was raised over his throwing elbow. An MRI showed no ulnar collateral ligament, the ligament stressed immensely while throwing and the same one operated on routinely through Tommy John surgery. The country's most renowned orthopedists were stumped; either Dickey was born without the ligament, or it had disintegrated over time. The Rangers then rescinded their 800-plus thousand dollar offer and instead offered him a $75,000 contract. Dickey then spent most of the next 10 years in the minor leagues, and eventually he lost most the velocity on his fastball. His only choice, as dictated to him by then Rangers pitching coach Orel Hershiser was to commit to the knuckleball--a pitch he hardly ever threw.

Dickey's career then seemed to resurface in 2006 when he was named to the Rangers starting rotation. R.A.'s debut didn't exactly go as planned; he threw 3 1/3 innings and gave up 6 home runs.

Dickey was sent back to the minors and it was at this point that his wife Anne discovered he had been having an affair. Anne kicked him out, and Dickey decided to turn to psychotherapy. Anne soon took him back.

Then, on a family trip, Dickey decided he would swim across the Missouri River, something he had been wanting to do for years. "I was looking for some way to feel like I was worth something" said R.A in an interview with ESPN.

While Dickey only got halfway and was barely able to avoid drowning, it was that moment that he decided he needed a change; he was going to live his life true and he was going to be the person he knew he could be. He decided to reveal to his therapist the secret that had been eating him up for 26 years. "There was a lot of anger that day...And after that moment there was something more child-like, more playful, more naive and sincere about him."

Dickey continued to develop his knuckleball in the minors. He decided to fully embrace the pitch and make it his own. "I would be myself with it. I would throw it hard, I would change speeds with it. And knowing that I had something to offer, and my own personality with a pitch, things started to turn."

In 2010 Dickey joined the New York Mets and had 11 wins and a 2.84 ERA, becoming one of the most effective pitchers in the National League. At 35 years old, Dickey signed a two year contract with the Mets worth $7.5 million.

He continued his emotional journey first by climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise funds to combat sex-trafficking, and then my releasing his brutally honest memoir "Wherever I Wind Up".

Dickey's stellar performance has only increased this season. He's become the first pitcher in the major leagues to 10 wins, and he's also broken a long-standing Mets record with 32.2 consecutive scoreless innings pitched. He's now been called everything from possible All Star Game starter to CY Young candidate, neither of those titles at all unjustified. All this, and the season isn't half-over.

"It's been a journey that's been up, and down, and sideways, but at the end of the day I have the hope that it's really gonna end up in the right place. Just like with a knuckleball."

What Makes Baseball So Captivating?

My first "opening day" baseball game was quite special. This past thursday I attended my first Spring opener Watching Johan Santana pitch five scoreless innings and lead the "new" Mets to a 1-0 win over the Atlanta Braves was even better than expected. Despite the chilly weather, the game brought thoughts of Spring and even Summer.

There's something about baseball's opening day that creates a special excitement in a true fan's heart--even more than Spring Training. Having attended both this year, I can attest to the the fact that there's something particularly special about that first ballgame. The sight of the ballpark, the sight of the field, the starting lineups, the smells of hot dogs and beer, and the cheers and boos (for Mets fans, add the "Taking Care of Business" song) are all things that bring back fond memories and good feelings for baseball fans. But, the burning question still remaining is--"Why?"

I believe Joe Posnanski put it best while searching for the meaning of baseball in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum archives: "To say that the items in this room are priceless is to undersell the point—no amount of money can replace Roberto Clemente's hat when he got his 3,000th hit, or the plaque that commemorated the longest home run ever hit at Minnesota's old Metropolitan Stadium (Harmon Killebrew blasted one 520 feet off Lew Burdette on June 3, 1967) or the last piece of wood chopped by Cy Young. The items in this room are worth exactly as much or as little as the person who sees them imagines" (Sports Illustrated, July 25, 2011). 


Posnanski put it best by not answering the question--because it has no answer. Baseball's unique, mysterious quality that has had fans engrained in all its tiny details for hundreds of years. Some say baseball has lost it's edge in today's modern world, but a true baseball fan would angrily respond with the same argument. Both the game's rich history and hankering for statistics are unmatched by any sport that has or ever will come to exist. Heck, the world of baseball number-crunchers is already beautifully melding with the Information Age; those who say baseball is a tired sport are sadly misguided.


It is on that note that I excitedly welcome a new Major League Baseball season, and the history that is baseball's future. 

Mets, Niese Agree to Five-Year Extension

The Mets have agreed with pitcher Jon Niese on a five-year, $25.5 milllion contract extension that would keep him in New York through the 2016 season. The deal also includes an option for 2017 and 2018 which would push the overall value to $46 million.

The deal is great for both sides, but more importantly--a steal for the Mets. Jon Niese has been slightly inconsistent in terms of his pitching success the past few years. He worked through a few injuries and even more rough patches, but anyone will tell you that his talent is still there. This contract keeps the lefty around for the next five years at a cost of only around $5 million per year to the club. In my opinion, this signing is excellent for the team, as it keeps this potential-filled, young lefty around at a relatively low price for a pitcher of his quality.

This coming season will be a very good and important gauge of where Jon will end up in the future, so keep a close eye on both his health and success.

Mets Ownership Settles Madoff Suit, Pays Off Portion of Debt

Mets Ownership and trustee of the “Madoff recovery “suit Irving Picard finally reached an agreement this past Monday. The settlement entails the owners paying $162M (much less then predicted), most of which they expect to receive via “Madoff loser funds”, set up to assist those who lost money in the $64 billion Ponzi scheme.

Then yesterday, in response, the Owners finalized the sales of 12 minority shares of the team totaling $240 million. They then used that money to pay off loans obtained through Major League Baseball and Bank of America—a total payback of around $65 million.

These are huge steps toward the Wilpon and Katz families retaining ownership of the Team for years to come. Though not what myself or many other fans want to hear, this news is encouraging in terms of a successful season this year. Hopefully—as they are expected to—Ownership will pump that of the newfound cash directly into the team’s payroll and therefore quality of play.

Mets' Ownership Situation

As part of their ploy to hold control of the team, it appears that the team’s current ownership is close to finalizing the sales of 10 minority shares of the club. The sales of $20 million dollars each will give the ownership some quick cash to pay off loans, while keeping them majority owners.

SNY (the New York sports TV network devoted to and originally created for the Mets) will reportedly purchase four shares, a move to be financed by Comcast and Time Warner Cable—which own a combined 30% of the TV network. Should the deal be completed, SNY will own 16% of the team. In terms of a reason for the move, as sports media investor Chris Bevilacqua put it: “Their interests are aligned with the team’s doing well”.

According to many, the sales will be finalized before the end of February, and just in time for Spring Training. 

Davis and Santana Injury Updates

Ike Davis

As many may have forgotten at this point, Ike collided with David Wright when both players went for the same infield pop-up on May 10^th of last year in Colorado. Doctors originally told Davis that his ankle would be healed by the time he was eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list. In those two weeks the presumed sprained ankle had been in a boot, however it turned out to have cartilage damage. Inevitably, Ike’s conditioned worsened--enough to currently leave speculation as to whether he’ll make it through spring training.

Ike has said that he feels great and is completely ready to go, but some aren’t satisfied. Adam Rubin of ESPN deemed Ike’s treatment one more medical gaffe in a long string dating back at least the Mets days of Billy Wagner and Brian Schneider.

Johan Santana

By far the largest player on the Mets’ payroll (due for $24 million this year), the ace missed all of last season recovering from left shoulder surgery. Johan is already in Port St. Lucie, the spring training home of the Mets, and has been throwing successfully. Pitchers and catchers aren’t due to report for spring training until February 13^th, but Santana has been testing his shoulder strength and working it back to full pitching form.

He's been long tossing and is preparing to being pitching very soon; Terry Collins (Mets manager) will soon join him and assess his progress. Johan insists he’s ready, but similar to Davis, many question his ability to have a fully healthy spring.

For both players only time will tell of their readiness. Of the two Davis is definitely in better condition, but both clearly have their obstacles to overcome this spring. 

Mets’ Growing Debt a Worry for MLB

It’s no secret that the New York Mets are in financial trouble. The club’s profits have long been short of what Fred Wilpon or Saul Katz (the owners) would like them to be. The real worrying for the survival of the team began after the public found out that they had been investing with the fraudulent (to say the least) Bernie Madoff and that they lost nearly $500 million as a result. 

The main tool utilized in the owners’ rebuilding efforts has been the loan. The following is a list of the loans they must pay off and their respective due dates:

$430 million from a group of lenders..........................................................2014

$25 million from MLB................................overdue/payment recently extended

$40 million from Bank of America.........................................taken out recently

$450 million for SNY.................................................................................2015

On top of all this, the team’s bond payments on Citi Field rose from $19 million to 43.7 last year. As Richard Sandomir of the New York Times wrote: “That is a lot of borrowing for a team that lost $70 million last season and had faltering attendance.”

Fred Wilpon (left) and Jeff Wilpon (right)

The ownership’s recent response has been searching for minority owners. The Wilpons found a potential fit in David Einhorn, a young hedge fund manager. The two sides reached a deal granting Einhorn a one-third stake in return for a $200 million loan (yes, another one). This deal fell through, however, when Einhorn supposedly backed out last minute. Howard Megdal, author of the e-book Wilpon’s Folly, says that in reality, Fred Wilpon contacted MLB commissioner Bud Selig for help escaping the deal. This wouldn’t be surprising as the transaction offered a possible path to Einhorn’s becoming the Mets majority owner, something the Wilpons have made clear they don’t want.

Even more recently, the Wilpons have honed in on 7-10 potential investors of $20 million each. According to the New York Times, the desperate offer includes perks such as access to club mascot Mr. Met, a Mets business card with the “owner” title, and the privilege of attending a so-called “Owners’ workout” day at Citi Field.

I’m no financier, but I don’t see how the current owners can hang onto the team much longer. Mets fans are losing hope and most (including myself) would be happy to see a change in ownership.  The current ownership must accept the fact that they’ve lost financial control over the club. There is no plausible way for them to escape this debt still the majority owners of the club. Once they realize this and sell the team, the club can regain its balance and build up to years of successful baseball.