Dickey Says Goodbye

In a guest post in the New York Daily News, R.A. Dickey said farewell to the fan base and city that he has been a part of for the past three years.

Here are a few excerpts...

On the trade to Toronto and his connection to the Mets fans:

I am not going to lie to you, though. The trade was hard for me at first. This is where my heart was, where I wanted to be, where I lived out a story of redemption and felt that every one of you shared it with me in some form or fashion. I loved pitching for you. I loved your passion, the way you embraced me from the start, and the way you seemed to appreciate the effort I was putting forth. Every time I’d walk off the mound after an outing, I’d look in your faces, the people behind the dugout, and felt as if all your energy and support was pouring right into me — even when I was lousy. It gives me chill bumps thinking about it even now. 

On joining the Blue Jays:

As I move beyond the sadness over leaving here, I know I have a tremendous amount to look forward to. The Blue Jays may need name tags on the first day of spring training, but once we get acquainted, well, this team could be something. I appreciate the welcome I’ve already gotten from them, and what they’re trying to build. We’ll see how it all unfolds.

Who would have thought back in December of 2009 that this is how it would end.

His signing was laughed at by just about everyone, myself included. But then something changed.

Dickey turned out to be good. Not good, that's an understatement. He was great. Not just on the field, but off.

He was the first player in a long time that I actually liked. He was (and still is) a good human being.

Because of that, he will get a loud cheer from me the next time I see him play, whenever or wherever that may be.

Best of luck in Toronto, R.A. You may not be a Met anymore, but we're all still rooting for you.

Trade Official: Dickey, Thole, & Nickeas Are Off To Toronto

Official press release from the Mets:

FLUSHING, N.Y., December 17, 2012 – The New York Mets today announced that they acquired catchers Travis d’Arnaud and John Buck, righthanded pitcher Noah Syndergaard and outfielder Wuilmer Becerra from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for righthanded pitcher R.A. Dickey and catchers Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas.

TRAVIS D’ARNAUD (pronounced “DAR-no”)

The 23-year-old d’Arnaud was ranked by MLB.com as the 11^th-best prospect in all of baseball and the best catching prospect this past September. The righthanded hitter batted .333 (93-279) with 45 runs scored, 21 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs and 52 RBI with a .380 on-base percentage in 67 games with Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate, Las Vegas (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League, last season. The Long Beach, Calif. native missed the final two months of the season after suffering a tear to the posterior cruciate ligament of his left knee which did not require surgery.

He was named the Eastern League’s Most Valuable Player in 2011 after hitting .311 (132-424) with 72 runs scored, 33 doubles, 21 home runs and 78 RBI with a .371 on-base percentage with New Hampshire (AA). D’Arnaud also led the EL with a .542 slugging percentage and was named the league’s best defensive catcher by EL managers.

A former first-round compensation selection by Philadelphia in 2007, d’Arnaud was acquired by the Blue Jays in the trade that sent Roy Halladay to the Phillies in December, 2009. The 6-2, 195-pounder has hit .286 (523-1,828) with 133 doubles, 66 home runs, 289 RBI with a .343 on-base percentage and a .474 slugging percentage in six minor league seasons. D’Arnaud has been named to four minor league All-Star teams during that span and twice played in MLB’s Futures Game. His older brother Chase is an infielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

JOHN BUCK

Buck, 32, has 48 home runs over the last three years (2010-2012), the third-most in the majors as a catcher behind Brian McCann (63) and Matt Wieters (53). The 6-2, 230-pounder also has 160 RBI while playing behind the plate, ranking sixth in the majors during that span. Buck was an All-Star in 2010 when he hit 20 home runs and drove in 66 runs for the Blue Jays.

The Kemmerer, Wyo. native batted .192 (66-343) with 15 doubles, 12 home runs and 41 RBI in 106 games for the Miami Marlins last year. Buck has hit .235 (737-3,131) with 159 doubles, 118 home runs and 423 RBI during his nine-year career with the Royals, Blue Jays and Marlins.

NOAH SYNDERGAARD (pronounced “Sin-Der-Guard”)

Syndergaard, 20, went 8-5 with a 2.60 ERA (30 earned runs/103.2 innings) and finished third in the Midwest League with 122 strikeouts in 27 games, 19 starts, for Lansing (A) in 2012. The 6-5, 200-pounder issued 31 walks and allowed three home runs while holding opponents to a .212 batting average.

The Mansfield, Tex. native ended 2012 as the third-best prospect in the Blue Jays organization according to MLB.com. Syndergaard was Toronto’s first round selection (38^th overall) in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.

Syndergaard is 13-8 with a 2.35 ERA (46 earned runs/176.0 innings) and 196 strikeouts in 45 games, 35 starts in three minor league seasons.

WUILMER BECERRA (pronounced “Wilmer Ba-Ser-ah”)

Becerra, 18, hit .250 (8-32) with four doubles and four RBI in 11 games with the rookie-level Gulf Coast Blue Jays last year. The 6-4, 190-pounder is the son of former St. Louis Cardinals scout and Venezuelan star Wilmer Becerra.

A Mets Player Is Leaving, Let The Character Assassination Begin

It's looking more and more likely that R.A. Dickey will be traded to Toronto. Quick! Start trash talking him. It's the New York way.

Just as there are five stages of grief, there are apparently different stages when covering a baseball trade. First stage: speculation. Second stage: character assassination.

Currently, we appear to be in this second stage. Exhibit A: Ken Davidoff's piece in the New York Post this morning.

Davidoff wrote that Dickey is essentially a publicity hound who chose the wrong time (Kids Holiday Party) to discuss what everyone who follows the Mets is talking about...his contract negotiations.

Then there's this gem from Davidoff's story:

"He clearly has enjoyed his rise from the ashes into a Flushing folk hero, and while he deserves praise and riches, there’s also the matter of him having to coexist peacefully in a workplace. His gift for self-promotion and his love of attention don’t endear himself to most teammates. Instead, his durability and outstanding results led him to be appreciated but far from beloved."

I've seen some people asking where these stories about Dickey were during the season.

Let's say what Davidoff is writing is true. His teammates were not his biggest fans. He's only out for himself. Are the Mets really going to convey these facts to the fans, the same people who love the guy and are willing to spend their money to go to Citi Field just to watch him pitch?

The answer is no. He was their money maker. You don't bite the hand that feeds you.

You apparently wait until you have the opportunity to ship him out to do such a thing.

The fact remains that many of us are not insiders. Some seem to think they are, but they aren't. Reporters, such as Davidoff, are in the clubhouse day in and day out. Who knows. Maybe Dickey isn't the kind of guy the media portrayed to us.

Does it really matter?

Dickey provided Mets fans with something we haven't had in a long time. Something, or someone, to root for. Every fifth day he commanded our attention when he took the mound.

He provided a distraction to those of us who needed to be distracted from whatever was going on in our lives. It was entertainment.

And now that that entertainment is leaving, some feel the need to change our perception of the man. It's just sad.

I've figured for a while now that Dickey would not be a Met in 2013. I've come to terms with it.

What I didn't figure was that the media who told me how great a guy Dickey was would be the same media who would be trashing him as he's walking out the door.

R.A. Dickey Wins National League Cy Young

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2012 National League Cy Young award winner!

By now you've heard the story. First one cut in 2010 to a 20-game winner, All-Star, and Cy Young winner in 2012, with the climbing of Mt. Kilimanjaro thrown in there for good measure (Actually, it was for a good cause).

I'm not going to over-analyze this. He was the best and rewarded for it (That's over-simplifying it, but I don't care). Let's all just take a moment to enjoy the fact that something good happened to a Mets player.

Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden, both of whom won the Cy Young award while playing for the Mets (Seaver won it three times, while Gooden won it in 1985), released statements congratulating Dickey on his award.

Tom Seaver:
"My hats off to Mr. Dickey. I watched one of his outings when I was in town and I was amazed by his control. I was always looking for new ammunition to bring to the mound so I attempted the knuckleball. It's a very difficult pitch to throw and needless to say, I never mastered it. I congratulate him on his tenacity not only to succeed against all odds but to excel and achieve this very high honor. I look forward to congratulating him personally." 

Dwight Gooden:
"I saw R.A. pitch at least 10 times this year. I'm really amazed how he was able to remake his career. I never even thought about throwing a knuckleball. To win the Cy Young Award at his age is more incredible than when I was at age 20."

Congratulations, R.A. Well deserved.

R.A. Dickey Deserves Cy Young

R.A. Dickey deserves the Cy Young award, and no, I'm not just saying that because I'm a Mets fan.

Dickey notched is 20th win of the season on Thursday afternoon before a packed Citi Field.

By now, we all know the story. Dickey was the first to be cut during spring training back in 2009. Now, he is without a doubt the ace of the Mets pitching staff and appears to be on his way to winning the Cy Young award.

According to ESPN's MLB Cy Young predictor for 2012, Dickey leads the pack.

Now, obviously this is just a prediction, and is not something that is set in stone.

As important as it was for Dickey to win his 20th game, it was more for the fans than it was to help boost his Cy Young chances (Although it certainly didn't hurt).

Wins are not the major deciding factor in choosing the award recipient these days. That became clear when Felix Hernandez won the award in 2010 with a 13-12 record.

Since wins appear to be taking a back seat to some other statistics, here are some more Dickey stats for you:

Wins: 2nd

ERA: 2nd (2.69)

Innings Pitched: 1st (227.7)

Strikeouts: 1st (222)

Complete Games: 1st (5)

Shutouts: 1st (3)

There have been the same old boring arguments floating around that Dickey may be undeserving. After all, he's a 37-year-old who throws an unconventional pitch...the knuckleball.

It leaves batters standing in the batters box with confused looks on their faces. When done correctly, it can be such an unpredictable pitch that some claim it's unfair.

Well, life's not fair. Deal with it. 

The knuckleball is a legitimate pitch. So to the league-leading 903 batters Dickey has faced this season who complain, I say this: Don't be bitter because you can't handle the pitch. As long as it floats over the plate, you have a chance, just like with any other pitch coming your way. 

Dickey rightfully earned every win he has (and he probably deserves more wins), as well as every other stat he owns this season.

He would be the first knuckleball pitcher to win the award. 

I've heard some say that knuckleballers are a dying breed. I disagree. With the year Dickey has had, I would bet that it would be a little difficult to try and find a baseball player or even a fan who hasn't tried to throw the pitch at least once. 

I tried to. It didn't go so well, but I still tried.  

If anything, Dickey has introduced a whole new generation of ballplayers to the pitch. 

The Cy Young award would top off what is arguably Dickey's best year in professional baseball.

Using R.A. Dickey On Short Rest Is A Bad Idea

This will come back and bite the Mets.

According to Metsblog, Terry Collins told reporters before Wednesday's game that the Mets intend on using R.A. Dickey on short rest, although he doesn't know when that will be.

Nothing is set in stone, but it sounds like it will happen at some point before the season ends.

To me, this sounds like, "We're starting to panic and we're going to use one of the only things that has been consistently good as many times as we can before the season ends."

First of all, Dickey is no spring chicken. While his arm doesn't deal with the normal wear and tear of a traditional pitcher, he's still 37-years-old. It will eventually catch up with him.

Second, how will this effect the rest of the rotation? I can see how providing Johan Santana and Chris Young with an extra day of rest could be beneficial, seeing as how they are both coming off surgery. But what about everyone else?

I know that Jon Niese has been better when he gets an extra day of rest, but too bad. This is the big leagues. You pitch every 5 days. Deal with it.

Finally, despite having a remarkable first half, Dickey is starting to come back down to earth. He's been good lately, but not quite as dominant.

Whatever the Mets' reasoning behind this, to me, it just seems like an act of desperation.  

ICYMI: The Week In Review

It's almost Harvey-Time. With Dillon Gee undergoing what could be season ending surgery, all eyes will be on Matt Harvey Monday night as he auditions for a spot in the rotation. A number of Mets executives will be on hand for his start Monday, which can be seen on SNY.

According to Terry Collins, with Gee out for the foreseeable future, his choice of replacement has been narrowed down to Harvey and Miguel Batista. 

The Mets called up left-handed reliever Josh Edgin from Buffalo. Don't let his line fool you. Despite posting a 7.71 ERA in 2.1 innings of work, he has been impressive, striking out six batters, five of which were lefties.

R.A. Dickey may find himself working a little more as the season goes on. Terry Collins has suggested that after August 1, if the Mets are still in the race, Dickey could begin pitching on short rest.

Speaking of Dickey, the knuckleballer made his first-ever All-Star appearance this week. He allowed a leadoff single to the Angels' Mike Trout, but went on to pitch a scoreless sixth inning.

Of course, this year's All-Star Game was not without its controversy. National League manager Tony LaRussa chose to start San Francisco's Matt Cain over Dickey because starting catcher, Buster Posey, couldn't catch a knuckleball.

David Wright made his sixth All-Star Game appearance. He went 0-2.

Terry Collins, who was selected by Tony LasRussa to join the National League coaching staff for this year's game, coached first base and made a pitching change late in the game.

The Mets and Yankees will play fewer games against each other starting next season. Instead of the usual six games, the two will play just three or four games.

Chris Schwinden is back with the Mets. After the Mets dumped him earlier in the season, he has since played with the Blue Jays, Indians, and Yankees. He is now back with Buffalo as a non-40 man roster player.

On the injury front...

Dillon Gee underwent surgery on Friday to replace part of a damaged artery in his right shoulder. Gee was hospitalized earlier in the week with a blood clot. Doctors used a catheter to break up the clot. He could begin throwing in about eight weeks, but all signs indicate that Gee is done for the season.

Frank Francisco was shut down this week after he continued to feel discomfort in his oblique.

Jason Bay has moved his rehab assignment to Triple-A Buffalo. He went 1-4 with a walk and two strikeouts for Buffalo. He did not play in the outfield. He could return to the Mets on Tuesday.

Mike Baxter is scheduled to begin his rehab assignment in St. Lucie today.

Lucas Duda will sit out of today's game with a strained left hamstring. It had been bothering him for over a week, but the All-Star break did not help him any.

Dickey's Signature Pitch Is Apparently Too Much To Handle

The San Francisco Giants fans stuffed the All-Star ballot. They have three starters in the National League lineup with Melky Cabrera in center field, Buster Posey behind the plate, and Pedro Sandoval at third base.

For good measure, National League manager Tony LaRussa decided to have Giants pitcher Matt Cain start the game.

Now I don't want to take anything away from Matt Cain. He has had an excellent year to date, going 9-3 with a 2.62 ERA and a perfect game to boot.

But come on. How do you now start R.A. Dickey? The guy has been the best pitcher in baseball in the first half with a 12-1 record and a 2.40 ERA. Not to mention he threw back-to-back one-hitters.

So you may be asking yourself, "Why isn't Dickey starting?" The answer: Buster Posey can't catch a knuckleball.

An "All-Star" catcher can't figure out, or be bothered to figure out, how to catch Dickey's signature pitch.

I don't know what's gone on behind the scenes. Maybe Posey wanted to catch Dickey. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he didn't have an issue with it. But in the end, LaRussa made the final decision.

(Side note: Don't pitchers in the ASG normally throw just 1-2 innings anyway?)

According to The New York Times, LaRussa stated that he also wanted to, "Honor Cain's 'career of excellence, and it's getting better and better.'" 

Forgive me, but I thought the 2012 All-Star Game was about honoring those who have shown excellence in, ya know, 2012. 

Dickey has taken the nation by storm. He has become a feel-good story. Always the underdog, he has fought to get where he is today and it's finally his time to shine.

None of that matters apparently.

Hope everyone enjoys watching the American League vs. The San Francisco Giants tomorrow night.

ICYMI: The Week In Review

After getting swept by the Yankees last weekend in the Bronx, the Mets moved on to St. Petersburg where they swept the Rays in a three-game series.

Chris Young recorded his first win with the Mets since his return. His last win as a Met? April 5, 2011.

Terry Collins and pitching coach Dan Warthen mixed things up in the bullpen earlier in the week. With the exception of Frank Francisco as closer and Tim Byrdak as the lefty specialist, all other bullpen roles have been done away with. Essentially, if you want to be the eighth inning setup man, you're going to have to earn it.  

R.A. Dickey threw a one-hitter on Wednesday night. The Mets appealed to have that one-hitter changed to a no-hitter, arguing that David Wright should have been charged with an error after attempting to field a hit by B.J. Upton. They lost the appeal.

National League All-Star manager Tony LaRussa selected Terry Collins to join his staff for this year's All-Star game.

Ike Davis is starting to heat up at the plate. He has a seven game hitting streak and his average is now up to .192.

The Mets have signed 15 of this year's draft picks. For the complete list, visit ESPN.

On the injury front...

Jayson Bay was placed on the 7-Day disabled list with a concussion after crashing into the left field wall Friday night.

Justin Turner was activated from the disabled list following Bay's injury.

Ronny Cedeno, who has been on the disabled list since May 27 with a calf strain, is expected to return some time this week. In Triple-A Buffalo Saturday, Cedeno played all nine innings at shortstop and went 0-3.

The Mets are hopeful that Ruben Tejada will begin a rehab assignment on Monday. According to Terry Collins, Tejada ran in a straight line on Friday.

I'm Sorry For Ever Doubting You, R.A.

Raise your hand if you were excited about the Mets signing R.A. Dickey back in December of 2009? If you raised your hand, you're a liar.

I was scrolling through my Facebook page the other day, and ran across this post.

Silly me. If only I knew then what I know now.

R.A. Dickey is amazing.

Dickey has gone from being the butt of jokes among Mets fans to becoming one of the most dominant pitchers in all of baseball in 2012 and a large percent of the fanbases' favorite player.

Dickey showed off his brilliance again Wednesday night against the Rays, throwing a one-hitter, and striking out a career high 12 batters.

He also now holds the franchise record for scoreless innings at 32 2/3.

As the lone knuckleballer in baseball, I would have to think, if R.A. keeps this up, there will be kids out there determined to pick up a baseball and try and throw knuckleballs.

He's inspiring.

I even tried to throw a knuckleball last weekend during a game of catch (I failed miserably though).

Consider this my apology to R.A. I'm sorry for doubting you in the beginning, and thanks for proving me wrong.

Interview With Tim Byrdak

Tim Byrdak 

Here is part of our conversation with reliever Tim Byrdak from the Blogger Event.


Talk about this team from last year to this year. Is there a different atmosphere?

Terry's done a great job, last year, even this year. I think the biggest thing about this year, with this team, is Johan Santana. He sets our rotation up where everyone kind of falls into place. You can use R.A. as your number two and Niese, it sets everybody up in a rotation so nicely. Without him last year, we had a couple of injuries, trying to keep guys in the rotation and fill spots. It's a little tough, but the atmosphere he brings around the clubhouse keeps things loose and we go from there.

Losing Pelfrey and having Jason Bay out to the 15-Day disabled list, does somebody say just pick up the slack and go from there?  

There's nothing you can do during the course of the year. Guys are going to go down. It's a shame that it happened so quickly, and again, two or three guys sitting out at the same time, but again it's going to give the young kids an opportunity to come up here and compete, and show them what they can do. I think you've seen in in Nieuwenhuis. The role that he's played out there and stuff like that. It's make or break. Can you play up here or not? He's showing right now that he deserves to stay.

Mets Morning News: Carter Remembered, Francisco Likes A Challenge, AndMets Skeptical Of Braun

Hundreds of friends, family, and former teammates gathered at Chris Fellowship Church in Palm Beach Gardens, Fl. Friday night to remember Gary Carter. Read more about the service in The Times.

Mike Puma of the New York Post sat down with new Mats closer Frank Francisco. Francisco said he is up for a challenge.

"I got excited, because it’s a young team with a lot of potential," Francisco said yesterday. "Everybody has their eyes on the Mets to see what’s going to happen, and I like that. I like challenges — that’s me. I like people watching me."

According to Andy Martino of the Daily News, there was plenty of skepticism in the Mets clubhouse after Ryan Braun won his appeal.

"Ryan Braun is out there saying this shows he is innocent," one Met said. "Does that mean O.J. Simpson is innocent, too?"

"Oh, wow," a Mets player said on Friday, after hearing of Braun's chain-of-custody explanation. "That was his defense? Now every positive test is going to be challenged. That could be a mess."

Added a third player: "What a joke."

Another Met said: "Seems like he's guilty."

A few Mets did go on the record about the case. David Wright, R.A. Dickey, and Jason Bay all spoke with Newsday about Braun's victory.

 "I wasn't rooting one way or the other," Wright said. "I've gotten a chance to be around Ryan a little bit -- whether it was the World Baseball Classic or the All-Star Game -- and I think he's a great guy. I've had a blast playing with him and against him. Whether you agree or disagree with the decision, I guess the process worked."

"If you're guilty, I'm hoping that you're found guilty," Wright said. "If someone knowingly tries to cheat the system or cheat the game, I hope that they're caught and I hope that they're punished. In this case, I see what everybody else sees, but that's why you have the appeals process."

"I was surprised because it set a precedent," Dickey said. "I totally expected for them to find that it was legitimate. The fact that, through a technicality, they found that it wasn't, that is a surprise.

"I think that people still have doubt, like, 'Oh, here's another way to get away with it,' that type of mentality. But we've also seen a high number of people caught by it. The fact that Ryan Braun, the NL MVP, is not beyond the arm of what's going on, that's encouraging, too."

Mets Morning News: Wheeler Tweets His Life Away, Dickey Is MLB's LoneKnuckleballer

Terry Collins will hold his first official press conference of Spring Training at 10 a.m. It will be aired live on SNY.

Top prospect Zack Wheeler is quite the tweeter. As Andy McCullough of The Star-Ledger writes, the 21-year-old right-hander is not afraid to tweet about his life, not matter how boring it may be.

His public persona creates a contrast with fellow hard-throwing prospect Matt Harvey. "People have asked me that before," Harvey said. "'Why aren’t you on Twitter?'" He shrugged. "I don’t really like people knowing what I’m doing all the time."

Wheeler harbors none of those inhibitions. Each day he provides updates on his life. On Mondays, he likes to visit Moe’s Southwest Grill for their $5 burritos. He shoots pictures of his offseason bullpen sessions and provides running commentary during the Grammys. He watches "Eastbound and Down" and "Swamp People."

R.A. Dickey expressed how lonely he is now that fellow knuckleballer Tim Wakefield has retired.

"I’m sad because I want [Wakefield] around — it’s fun to watch somebody who does what you do," Dickey said. "In the past he has lent me some things I needed to see, but now, I’ve got to go to the film and watch him pitch instead of seeing him get to throw a bullpen.

"I don’t know if there’s anyone outside of [Haeger] even tinkering with it. It’s fairly lonely. I feel a little bit of loneliness. My hope is someone is going to see the real value in it and want to keep doing it. There’s a lot of adversity that comes with it."

R.A. Dickey Reaches The Summit Of Mt. Kilimanjaro

R.A. Dickey and his crew reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Kevin Slowey, Dave Racaniello, and R.A. Dickey reached the highest point of Mt. Kilimanjaro. 

It wasn't easy, as chronicled in his blog for the New York Times, but he achieved his goal.

"The view was unforgettably magnificent, as incredible as anything I have ever seen. But as I took time to contemplate, I realized that the reason the view was so rich was the overall experience of the trek. We had walked approximately 40 miles and climbed 13,000 feet since the beginning of the journey, overcoming all kinds of adversities. All the while, we were building relationships with everyone from the porters to one another, sharing in our triumphs and helping one another in times of need."

Dickey began this journey to raise awareness for the Bombay Teen Challenge. The organization, "Rescues and cares for sex slaves in the brothels of Mumbai, cares for the children of sex slaves, juveniles roaming the streets, addicts and runaways."

Well done, R.A.

SHOCKING (Not Really): Mets Don't Want Dickey Climbing Kilimanjaro

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Mets have asked R.A. Dickey to not go ahead with his climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

The Mets also informed Dickey's agents that if the knuckleballer is injured during his climb, they reserve the right to void the final year of his contract.

None of this should come as a surprise. Any other ball club would do the same.

The 37-year-old is climbing the tallest free-standing mountain on the planet to raise money and awareness for Bombay Teen Challenge, an organization that seeks to end sex trafficking in India.

Dickey, along with Mets bullpen catcher Dave Racaniello and Colorado Rockies pitcher Kevin Slowey, will leave on January 4 to begin the trek up the mountain.

Dickey and Co. will be hiking up a mountain which, according to the Wall Street Journal article, is considered to be relatively safe (as safe as a mountain can be to climb, I guess).

Best of luck to all of them.

Happy Thanksgiving, Mets Fans

On this Thanksgiving morning, I'd like to take a minute and reflect on five things I am thankful for.

I am thankful for the fact that...

5. Jose Reyes is still a Met...for now.

4. I'm not a Dodgers fan. The Mets have found themselves in a financial mess this season, but it wasn't close to the disaster that occurred out in Los Angeles.

3. Johan Santana is coming back this year...hopefully.

2. The Mets are lucky enough to have a guy like R.A. Dickey on the team. Let's just hope that plantar fascia stays intact during his trip up Mt. Kilimanjaro.

1. Baseball is unpredictable. The 2012 season could be just as awful as the past few seasons, but who knows. We could be surprised. Ya gotta believe!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Mets Hope For Another Quick Win Against Cubs In Series Finale

May 26, 2011

2:20 PM ET

Wrigley Field, Chicago

TV: SNY

RADIO: WFAN 660

NEW YORK METS

Starting Pitcher: R.A. Dickey (2-5, 4.71 ERA)

Dickey had his best outing of the year on Friday against the Yankees, going six inning and striking out six. He doesn't have a good history against the Cubs, posting a 0-1 record and a 10.50 ERA.

CHICAGO CUBS

Starting Pitcher: Carlos Zambrano (4-2, 4.88 ERA)

Zambrano went 5.2 innings in his last start against Boston. He gave up three runs on seven hits. Against the Mets, he has is 5-3 with a 3.52 ERA.