Davidoff Correctly Forsees Doom

By combining a large payroll, aging players and a shallow farm system with their difficult start to the 2008 season, the Mets have created a high-stakes scenario for themselves.

Great stuff, including this question:

Who forms the nucleus of this Mets team for 2009 and beyond?

Not ending the Willie Watch seems to have started the Omar Watch. The fanbase is very very unhappy. A new stadium alone won’t do it – any new stadium buzz will be overshadowed by the House That Yes Built.

The Quotable Minaya

Omar Minaya on hamstrings:
“We’re definitely going to be more conservative with him, with hamstrings, you just never know. We’ve got to be careful.”

On head injuries:
“We’ve been cautious, and we will continue to be cautious”

On how time consuming it can be to test a player with head injuries:
“My understanding is that it’s a long test,” he said. “If I’m not mistaken, it’s about a half-hour or more.”

On the manager:
“I think the team responds to Willie. I do.”

On the team:
“I think we have championship talent. There’s a difference between championship talent and a championship team”

On joking around about the team owned cable network and some other things:
“I’m a believer of being in a good mood and staying positive,” Minaya said. “Be yourself and be positive. I’m pretty sure he was joking. For me, joking about things, that’s baseball.”

>Mets Endangering Church?

> A little busy this morning but had to “police” this. Been wondering why they keep resetting this guy’s DL clock with pinch hit appearances (see Rollins, Phillies).

Now I’m no neurologist (no way, really?) but wow putting someone’s health in jeopardy. DL the guy. Forbid him from playing. Ever see one the documentaries with old football players who had too many concussions? How is Brett Lindros doing for the Islanders?

As for the organization – is it really possible to have an organization without outfielders? Apparently so. I guess Omar thought alou would play 162.

Mets, do the right thing for once.

Links below:

Church sees neurologist, takes night offNewsday, NY – Ryan Church visited a Manhattan neurologist for an MRI yesterday, his bosses were left to explain why they let him bat four times in the past week after …

Doctors See Danger in Letting Church Play New York Times

>Gary Carter Backpedals (Too Late)

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Gary said, “I’m not campaigning for anything. I was simply asked a question. The media creates this. It came out on ESPN that Willie’s (Randolph) job was in jeopardy and that there were names mentioned and the names were Jerry Manuel, who is presently the bench coach, and Jim Fregosi’s name.

WHAT??? Not a single hunan being on Planet Earth mentioned Jim Fregosi.

“I didn’t say,’Oh, gosh, yeah I’m campaigning, and I want that job!’ Knowing the way that the Mets are anyway and the regime that is in place with Omar Minaya, I don’t even think there is going to be a chance if anything happens with Willie. I think the next guy in line is Jerry Manuel.”

About that he’s right. And we shall boo. And this officially makes him an Expo not a Met. Can we retro-actively remove the co-captain nonsense?

>The New York Mets: Greatest Games of Shea Stadium DVD Set

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Got my hands on this one. Very very cool, buy it.

So great to own that Game 4 of 1969 World Series that SNY shows. Seaver is young and thin and I defy anyone to tell me that the uniform he is wearing does not look a million times better than the black.

A nice bonus feature is the 9th inning of the September 17, 1986 clincher. A young Dwight Gooden is on the mound with that killer curve ball and on his way to way to what surely will be a Hall of Fame career.