Friday, June 1, 2012

Thank You, Johan Santana



Mark it down. June 1, 2012. The Mets finally threw their first no-hitter in franchise history.

I don't even know what to say right now, so here's Howie Rose's call, courtesy of Deadspin.

Congratulations, Johan Santana!

To Boo, Or Not To Boo? The Beltran "Debate"

I haven't quite figured out yet if there is a serious debate among fans as to whether or not they will boo Carlos Beltran tonight, or if a lot of it is media driven.

Either way, it's dumb.

The former Mets outfielder returns to Citi Field as the Cardinals take on the Mets in a four game series starting tonight.

If I asked ten random fans why they would consider booing Beltran, I would venture a guess that probably eight out of those ten would base their reasoning on something involving a strikeout in 2006.

Yes, Beltran stood there and watched strike three which ended the Mets hopes of reaching the World Series. It's been six years. Let's move on.

This goes for the media as well. It doesn't need to be mentioned in every article you write about him. We all saw it. We all remember it. We don't need to be reminded.

Stop judging a player based on ONE moment in his career.


If you're one of the fans who notes his major contract and injuries, well that describes most  of the Mets players. Highly over-paid and often times injured. Why pick on one guy in particular for it?

Beltran talked about the moment with WFAN, saying:
“If they want to remember that moment, that’s fine with me,” Beltran said. “For me, that was my best year in baseball. I don’t look at that moment as defining my career or defining my season.”
Neither should fans. Beltran went on to say:
“There were times I felt like, ‘What do I have to do in order to be one of their favorites?’...Fans choose who they want to cheer for. I’m a quiet player. You’re never going to see me out there showing a lot of emotion. I am who I am. When you try to be someone else then you’re being fake to yourself, and I don’t like to do that. I don’t know how it’s going to be (tonight). They’ll decide if they want to cheer or boo.”
Leader is defined as the following: a person who rules, guides, or inspires others.

Beltran took a lot of grief from the fans and the media about not being a leader. No where in the definition does it say that a leader must be vocal or in-your-face.

When Beltran steps to the plate for the first time tonight, take a moment to remember the good times, and cheer for the guy.

He may have ended the Mets run at the World Series in 2006 with that one strike out, but if it weren't for him, the Mets may not have been there in the first place.

He was an important part of the Mets. Cheer him on before that first at bat, then move on. 

Sunday, May 27, 2012

For Baxter, College Is Just As Important As Baseball

A little over a week ago, Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, wrote an article about the rarity of college graduates playing Major League Baseball.

Through a survey conducted by Fox Sports, of the 917 players who have appeared in a game in the 2012 season, only 39 of them had a four-year degree.

That number is up from back in 2009 when the Wall Street Journal reported that only 26 players and managers had obtained their four-year degree.

This got me thinking. How many Mets players would be included on this list of college graduates.

The answer. Not many.

When I asked the Mets media relations staff, I was given one name. Mike Baxter.

During my recent trip to Pittsburgh, I had the chance to talk with Baxter about his decision to complete his degree.

You started at Columbia and then transferred to Vanderbilt. Was that for baseball reasons or academic reasons?

It was just baseball. When I was at Columbia I loved it there. I thought it was a really great school, but an opportunity kind of presented itself where Vanderbilt was transitioning and I decided it would probably be a better fit for me, both academically and athletically.