How about the Garden rockin last night for a game between Duke and Pitt. The Pirates are really behind the STeelers, and Pitt hoops in Western PA now. If they ever had a winning record I don’t think anyone would notice.

THE ANSWER IS OMAR!!!!!!!!!

Omar could have cut Green after a horrible Spring but no Omar kept him.

Omar could have left Gotay alone at second but brouyght in Castillo (I liked this move but the point is Omar brought in another old guy to keep a young guy off the Field)

Omar could have left Pelfrey on the team but sent him down.

Omar could have not brought up Lawrence, and forced Willie to pitch Humber vs the Phils in Spet but Omar brought up Lawrence.

Omar could have cut Mota but didn’t, could have cut Sele but didn’t etc etc etc….

I on;y hope the Mets don’t sign Lohse or Livan to even a one day contract.

One side note. The reason the Dodgers farm system is very good is because they have the same guy running it for over 10 years. Even when they fired the GM’s they kept the farm director. Every time the Mets hire a new GM they start all over. This sets you back in baseball just as it does in any business.

The fact is the farm system stinks, and it has proved out this winter. Apparently, all the scouts in baseball have filed reports with their respective teams that say the Met prospects are no good. Why in the world do you think the Mets have been brushed aside on every big pitcher they have tried to acquire ?

Say it like it is, it is okay. The farm system is a disaster, and everyone in baseball knows it. Believe me, if Omar thought Pelfrey and Humber were the answer he would not be looking so closely for other pitchers. He would simply go with them. Believe me, Omar cannot criticize these guys publicly because he has to worry about their market value, and their egos should they stay on the team. However, Omar’s actions show us he has no faith in these guys.

Willie is a smart man. He knows what’s up. He plays people who understand how to play and who he feels can produce for him. He is reluctant to play young guys for a reason. It directly affects his job security.

The owners and the GM want to win now. If you want to play the kids you trade the whole team except Jose and David. You get a bunch of nice prospects and become Tampa Bay for a number of years. Lots of promise and no wins.

This team justed traded Lastings for no one in particular. Is that the mark of a team that wants to wait for a player to learn to play in the majors? Lastings might be a pretty good player at one point. Right now he does not see the ball in the field so gets a late jump and botches a lot of plays in the field because he is not a defensive fielder. Late in the season he was not hitting the junk. So for off and on field issues this team traded him. I do not agree with that but they did. I understand it. You upgrade yourself defensively and get an adequate player to field one of the corners.

Last year Willie gave the #5 spot to a rookie and paid for it. This blog did not want to see Mike on the field again this year. But that is exactly what you have to do if you want your young players to grow.

Dave

I will not argue about the Milledge deal because it make no sense to waste any more space.

On the draft and paying over slot. This really started to happen with the 2007 draft. Not before. Also you are not allowed to trade 2007 picks untill one year after their signing date. This means they could not be used for Haren or Santana. The only time prior to this that the Mets listened to the Commissioners office was with Pedro Beato.
He signed with the Orioles and nobody is calling him a # 1 starter. Please remember the Mets had no # 1 picks for the in 2006 & 2007. Also no # 2 or # 3 pick in 2005. Big name free agents will hurt you in the draft.

Also the Mets are not well liked for the large signing bonuses they give latin players. F-Mart’s bonus was huge
and the Mets took a lot of heat for this.

On Eckstein no one ever said that the Mets offered him 4 years. The rumor was that he wanted 4 yrs / 36 mil.

The Twins have a problem that they have to show that the prospects they get back for Santana have shown something at the ML level. Pelfrey & Gomez have not.

Angelos will never make another high profile trade with the Mets after Maine. He does not want to be embarrassed again.
You can hear WFAN very well at night in Baltimore, this drives Angelos crazy.

Milledge was given away because Omar and Willie dont like him. Traded for 20 cents on the dollar.

Omar offered David Eckstein a 4 year deal. David Eckstein. Luckily the moron didn’t take it.

Omar had 2 OF prospects who he would potentially trade (Martinez being untouchable). He traded the guy who looked like he had promise in Milledge, and kept the guy who looks like he’s an Olympic sprinter but has never played baseball in Gomez.

He signed a guy who gets on base less than 30 percent of the time, is 30 something and clearly had knee problems last year (anyone watch Castillo run the bases, he looked like Jake Taylor from Major League) to a 4 year deal. I’m sure Luis will be studly for us at 2nd in 2 more years.

If that rumor for Blanton is true, thats horrendous.

If Omar gives anything more than a 1-2 year deal to one of these awful free agent SPs that is awful.

I dont understand how anyone can have faith in this approaching season. Its the same team with the same problems. Just substitute a guy who cant hit at C (Schenieder), a guy who cant hit lefties in RF (Church) and another bunch of losers in the bullpen. Why anyone could think this team could win a division is beyond me.

I’ll venture.

Several wks ago it was written that Mets are only one of three teams that follow slotting system (read: salary bands) for draft picks.

Hence, if a draft pick is expected to want more than the band that the commisioners office suggests, than the Mets have not/will not draft that player.

Omar came out and said that might not follow this practice in the future.

TOO LATE for Santana, Haren, etc…

If the Mets flop early in 2008 I hope the Wilpons will have the guts to let Omar fire Willie and try a manager who has a clue in how to have some faith in the kids.

sorry, Scott but your crystal ball on Vargas has a crack in it.

There was a note in the paper that the Mets MiLB system finished last, record wise, of all MLB teams.

Record is not the only way to measure MiLB but having the worst combined records in all of BB is not a good sign.

My holiday wish is that many of you should show more faith in Humber & Pelfrey.

My crystal ball also says that Jason Vargas will shock us all and be a productive pitcher for the 2008 Mets.

Also, the trading deadline is a waste of time. We basically have almost no trades anymore, and even if a decent pitcher is availabe the Mets will get outbid just as they have this offseason. This team is in big trouble with this terrible farm system. They better have a couple of good drafts the next couple of years, and sign some good players that are not subject to the draft.

Prior’s decision could come within the next day or two. The Rangers, Astros, Cardinals and METS have also talked to the right-hander.