Mets Walk-Offs And Minutiae

So we've established that Omar Minaya has a thing for middle-infield types who once hit 3 home runs in a game and that he's essentially decided to work backwards here, trading for a 25th man and signing a 24th. I don't really have any strong feelings of positivity or negativity regarding the signing of Jacinto Easley (I've seen "Damion" and "Damian," so I figured I'd refer to him by his real first name rather than run the risk of spelling error). He's basically an older, more versatile, equally average version of Chris Woodward, a player I liked but whose usefulness wore off after two seasons. The question is whether the flaws in Easley's game (that he's a TERRIBLE pinch-hitter stands out the most among them) can be outweighed by this: Easley is a player who has accomplished just about everything. He made it to the majors as a 30th-round pick, weighing just 155 pounds when his career began, and that's tough to do. He hit for the c

Newest Met Ben Johnson has had an issue during his brief time in the major leagues that has blocked his future path to success. It looks like he gets a little nervous in big spots. How else to explain that he has 8 hits in 57 at bats with runners in scoring position? That's a .140 batting average (.114 in 35 AB in 2006), and let's also make sure to note the 21 strikeouts in those spots. That's somewhat troubling. Let's hope he doesn't resort to the tactics of the other Ben Johnson during his Mets tenure, because that's already gotten one fellow affiliated with the team in trouble this offseason. Let's hope that Ben uses the offseason to refocus and channels his efforts to improving in a proper manner. There's an indication that he can refocus and it comes from one particular minor league appearance this past spring. Thanks to the magic of archived game stories in The Oregonian, we can share the details. Johnson was sent back to Triple-A Portland (Ore.)

So I pondered, as I drove home from work on Tuesday night, as to what was the Metsian equivalent to what the Rangers did to the Devils in rallying from two goals down against Martin Brodeur in the third period to win, 3-2. That's the kind of thing that never happens. In fact, we heard that it is the kind of thing that had never before happened in the history of the Rangers-Devils rivalry. I often refer to Mariano Rivera as "Satan," but Brodeur is probably a better fit for that name, since he plays for a team with a more appropriate moniker. His value is the equivalent, if not of greater value of what Rivera means to the Yankees. But I felt like picking a game in which Rivera blew a lead against the Mets was taking the easy way out, since most Met followers recollect the Matt Franco two-run walk-off pinch-hit of July 10, 1999, and besides, the Mets were only a run down entering the inning, as opposed to the deficit the Rangers faced in their final frame. Then it hit me. Th

As I previously mentioned, one of my goals this offseason is to produce a series of essays spotlighting the Mets best wins in the history of their rivalry against every NL opponent. The "pilot episode" of these pieces ran on October 9, just before the start of the NLCS between the Mets and the Cardinals and can be found at this link http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/10/best-games-i-know-mets-vs-cardinals.html I shall update that to include this year's postseason games in due time, but have decided to proceed first in alphabetical order by team name (not nickname) and that means that we commence with a look at the brief history of victories against the Arizona Diamondbacks. I will try to write these on a regular basis, which means that hopefully you'll see one per week during the winter. I have made a list of those wins which I felt rated as the best. As previously stated, the criteria for picking was simple: If I felt it belonged on the list, it made it. I will do

I'm more upset at the departure of Manny Acta to become Nationals manager than I am about the new Mets ballpark taking on the name Citifield. I don't have a major objection to Citifield and I the reason for this is that when you say it aloud, it sounds natural ("City Field" conjures up the image of Central Park).The sponsor is not as immediately obvious (at least to me) as Ameriquest Field, AT&T Park, or PETCO Park and I would have been perturbed had they named the ballpark CitiGroup Field, Park, or Stadium. This name is much more respectful for all involved. Hoping for a ballpark to be named after a player or person integral to its development is wishful thinking in this era. For the Mets to secure $20 million a year for a name that doesn't hinder or damage their reputation is perfectly reasonable to this blogger. The loss of Manny Acta is more significant than I think people will acknowledge. In my opinion, Acta was a VERY good third base coach. He was the s