Santana Shines as Mets Win Opener

(by Brett Kahn with notes from Dan Canfield Berman)

No one doubted the fact that Johan Santana would fit nicely in a Mets uniform. It was the other 24 players that fans worried about this Spring. However a 6-2 victory over the division rival Florida Marlins opened the book on what most are saying could be a phenomenal year.

Santana took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, but Josh Willingham wasn't going to allow the first Mets no-hitter to come on his turf as he hit a two-run homer to put the Marlins on the board.

David Wright led the offensive charge for the Mets going 2-4 with 3 RBI's, including a bases clearing double in the fourth inning. New faces Angel Pagan and Ryan Church each added a hit and an RBI to help cement a 6-2 victory and Santana's first win as a Met.

Tomorrow, Pedro Martinez will make his season debut against the Marlins' Rick VandenHurk. Game time is set for 7:10 EST.

Roster Moves

(by Brett Kahn)

Opening day is upon us and Willy Randolph waited until the last possible moment to decide on a distinct roster. Here are the roster moves that finalized the club's opening day roster.

Mike Pelfrey- Named team's fifth starter in rotation
Joe Smith- Made opening day roster
Brian Stokes- Designated for assignment
Brady Clark- Made opening day roster
Raul Casanova- Named back-up catcher until Ramon Castro is healthy
Orlando Hernandez- 15-day DL
Fernando Tatis- Assigned to Minor League camp
Ricardo Rincon- Assigned to Minor League camp
Nelson Figueroa- Assigned to Minor League camp
Angel Pagan- Will start on opening day against Marlins

Pitcher Ponage

(by Brett Kahn)

I tried this earlier but this time I think it will work. For those of you new to this feature, before every series, I am going to take the opponent's game one pitcher and talk about which Mets player dominates them the most. So, without further adieu, the Met that dominates Florida's Mark Hendrickson the most is...

Moises Alou.

Although Hendrickson has faired very well against the Mets, Alou has gotten the better of him. In eight at-bats, Alou has three hits (.375) and one RBI. Alou is currently on the disabled list but should be back sometime in April. We'll have to see how he fares the next time he faces Hendrickson.

Sunday Schmooz

(by Brett Kahn)

The name of the piece is "Shea Stadium Classic" by Thomas Kolendra. The following description comes directly from Ebay...

"It measures 15 1/2" height by 36" width published in 1993. It's getting close to midnight, October 27, 1986, Game 7 of the World Series, and Jesse Orosco is on his knees exulting after striking out Marty Barrett for the final out of the game. Shea Stadium is rocking. After losing the first two games of the Series to the Red Sox, the Mets have stormed back to capture the second World Championship in their history and first since 1969. Gary Carter (C), Keith Hernandez (1B), Wally Backman (2B), Rafael Santana (SS), Ray Knight (3B), Mookie Wilson (LF), Lenny Dykstra (CF) and Darryl Strawberry (RF) are ready to join the celebration."

Kolendra is a wonderful artist and his works have been featured in the Hall of Fame. For more information on this piece, as well as others, visit...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350038223113&indexURL=0&photoDisplayType=2#ebayphotohosting

Roster Moves

(by Brett Kahn)

The Mets announced three more roster moves today and are getting close to their final 25-man roster for opening day on Monday.

Anderson Hernandez- New Orleans (AAA)

Steven Register- Returned to Colorado Rockies for half of the $50,000 Rule 5 drafting fee.

Ruben Gotay- Claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Braves.

ESPN's Steve Phillips Weighs In

First, Phillips picked the Mets to win the NL East and face the Diamondbacks in the NLDS.

Then, Phillips picked the NLCS...

Phillips then gave his take on the World Series.

Church Voices Approval to amazin' Amazins

(By Brett Kahn with interview by Billy Huffman)

Before spring training game against the Atlanta Braves yesterday, OF Ryan Church talked to amazin' Amazins correspondent Billy Huffman about various topics...

(On joining the Mets) "It's an exciting time. This team is built to win now...There is no longer any talk of last year. The only focus is to start this year fresh. We have the ability to reach our goals."

(On friend and teammate Brian Schnieder) "Brian was a very important person in my professional development. He was a mentor to me when I joined the major leagues and will be a very important part of the Mets."

(On playing only right field) "When I came here, they told me that that was going to be the position that I would play. So far, that has been the case. Obviously I think this team has taken great steps to be a contender. We have quality in all positions and have improved our starting pitching...I'm happy to be here."

Church has definitely begun to fit in with the club, especially defensively making a number of nice catches during the spring. Although he missed a week due to a concussion earlier in the spring, Church feels that he is ready to add to an already stellar lineup.

Mambo No. 5

(By Brett Kahn)

The Mets rotation now seems to be four strong. However, the big question on everyone's mind is: who is number five?

The front runner at this point seems to be Mike Pelfrey. The Mets still want to see if this kid can reach his full potential. Although, nothing has been determined yet, Pelfrey does have the most experience when it comes to pitching in the club's rotation. The problem is, he was 3-8 last season a 5.57 ERA and this spring hasn't been any better for the struggling flame-thrower. In five starts, Pelfrey is 0-1 with a Jose Lima-like 8.31 ERA, in 17.1 innings.

Next on this list is probably Jorge Sosa. Now that El Duque is almost surely not going to start the season in the rotation, Sosa has jumped up on the probability list. Sosa, unlike Pelfrey, has been great this spring. In six appearances, he has posted an ERA of 0.75 in 12 innings of work. If he does become the fifth starter, he might only fufill that role until the Mets feel that Pelfrey is ready.

Last on this list is someone that isn't even on the team yet? Although Claudio Vargas just cleared waivers yesterday, GM Omar Minaya definitely has his eye on him. The problem with Vargas is his career 4.95 ERA in five big-league seasons. We'll have to wait and see if Minaya pulls the trigger on this one.

Since the club is very confident that Johan Santana will pitch every fifth day, they might not be making this decision for a little while or, until an injury forces them to do so.

Maine is No. 4 Starter?

(By Brett Kahn)

Maine has had a dominant spring with a 1.78 ERA, but he will have to wait until the second series against the Braves to show his stuff to the world.

Oliver Perez has been placed in front of Maine in the rotation, but not because he is necessarily better. Perez is now slated to face the Philadelphia Phillies twice in the first 21 games of the season. He will get the opportunity to try and shut down lefties Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.

Maine said that he doesn't mind being the fourth starter, mentioning that he gets to go out and pitch every five days regardless. Against the Orioles on Monday, he again showed why he will be a fixture in the club's rotation. He pitched six shutout innings against the team that traded him back in 2006.

As for future plans, Maine would like to pitch 200 innings this season, which he came within nine last season. Oh yeah. Did I mention he wants to make the playoffs this season? No one would've guessed that, right? (NY DAILY NEWS)

Sanchez Likely to Be Left Out on Opening Day but Johan will Definitely Be There

(By Brett Kahn)

Will he or won't he make the roster? That was the question. However, it seems like we finally have our answer.

The Mets have pretty much come to the conclusion that Duaner Sanchez will get an extended spring training and then join the team sometime in either April or May.

Sanchez pitched one inning yesterday against the St. Louis Cardinals AAA affiliate, but he wasn't sure if he was going to try and pitch this week in back-to-back games, which is something the Mets are requiring for him to be on the opening day roster.

GM Omar Minaya doesn't want to push Sanchez to make an earlier return. (NY POST)

In other news, Willy Randolph has officially named Johan Santana as the Mets opening day starter against the Marlins next Monday. (NY POST)

Roster Moves

(By Brett Kahn)

Here are today's roster moves...

Jose Valentin- extended spring training roster
Moises Alou- DL
Jason Vargas- DL
Ambiorix Burgos- DL

Sorry for the confusion with regards to earlier reports of Jose Valentin. He is still on the team but will be rehabbing then starting the season in the minors.

Sunday Schmooz

(By Brett Kahn)

The following was all taken directly from the Dicks Sports website...

Tom Terrific. The Miracle Mets. It's Wednesday night, July 9, 1969, at Shea Stadium in Flushing, Queens. The Mets are on their way to a World Championship. Tom Seaver, 24, is headed for a 25-7 record and the National League Cy Young award. A perfect season, and on this night almost a perfect game for the future Hall of Fame righthander. The scoreboard tells the story: one out in the ninth, the Mets leading the Cubs 4-0 and No. 42, Jim Qualls at-bat for Chicago. To this point, Seaver has been perfect -- 25 straight outs, 11 strikeouts, no walks, no baserunners. With 59,083 fans cheering wildly for every out and gripped by every pitch, Qualls, a 22-year old rookie, will end the dream with a solid single to left-center, between LF Cleon Jones and CF Tommie Agee. Agony. For a moment. And then unending ovation as Seaver gets the final 2 outs. It is the second-place Mets' seventh straight victory; the first-place Cubs' fifth straight loss. The Amazin's are within 3 games. The rest, as they say, is glorious history. Note: The second baseman is Wayne Garrett.

Features

• Artist's name: Bill Purdom
• Dimensions: 21 5/8 in x 29 5/8 in
• Release date: 1997
• Edition size: 600
• Hand numbered and signed by the artist
• From an original painting
• This lithograph is shipped in a heavy-duty cardboard tube for protection

For more information regarding this piece, visit their website at...

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/sm-good-sports-art-new-york-mets-seavers-one-hitter-lithograph--pi-973306.html#1

Perez Struggles, Beltran Finds Groove

(by Brett Kahn)

Having three legitimate starters at this point is nice for a team that needs to rely on starting pitching. However, not having a legitimate fourth or fifth starter might be need for concern.

When Oliver Perez releases the ball too high, he usually serves up some grapefruits. Today was no exception as he gave up four home runs in five innings, including two to all-star catcher Victor Martinez.

Perez's ERA for the spring is now a whopping 5.79. However, today's game wasn't all bad for the club.

Carlos Beltran finally hit his first home run of the spring after having off-season surgery on his knees. This is a nice sign for the team as Beltran seems to be the only sure starter in the outfield come opening day.

In other pitching news, Orlando Hernandez will make his much anticipated spring training debut this Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals. If El Duque doesn't prove to be the fifth starter, Mike Pelfrey is the next option. Pelfrey has been anything but stellar, posting a 5.54 ERA over four grapefruit league starts.

Wright has the Stuff vs. Nats

(by Jeffrey Shea Frandsen)

David Wright had three hits, including his first home run of the spring to help the Mets beat the Washington Nationals 8-2 at Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Pedro Martinez looked comfortable as cruised through five innings, allowing two runs and striking out four.

Other Game Notes:

• Carlos Beltran finally got his stroke going as he went 2-3 with a single and a double.
  
• Ricardo Rincon struck out 2 and allowed no runs in one inning of relief.
  

Oliver Perez gets the start tomorrow afternoon against the Indians in Winter Haven. Joe Smith and Nelson Figueroa are also slated to pitch.

Santana Having "Double" the Fun

(by Jeffrey Shea Frandsen)

As both Bart Hubbuch of the NY Post and David Lennon of Newsday explain, Johan Santana is excited about playing on both sides of the ballfield this season.

During the Mets 7-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles yesterday at Tradition Field, Santana lead the Mets with 6 scoreless innings, allowing five hits, one walk, and striking out seven to notch his first victory of the spring.

But that's not the line that reporters were raving about after the game.

At the plate, Santana went 1-1 with a walk, a double, and a run scored. The offense came in the second inning when he ripped a Jon Leicester pitch into the right centerfield gap. Jose Reyes drove him in with a single.

When he went out to pitch the following inning, he needed a chance to catch his breath.

"That's the toughest thing for a pitcher," said Santana, a career .286 hitter. "I've got to be careful. For me, it's going to be a learning process, but I was able to recover pretty quick."

Also buzzing in Port St. Lucie:

• Orlando Hernandez threw mostly Reagan era pitches on Tuesday during his bullpen session as he prepares for his first start of the spring on Sunday. (Newsday)
  
• Duaner Sanchez "knows" he'll be ready for opening day. (NY Times)
  
• Damion Easley says it will be hard to replace Moises Alou. (Daily News)
  
• David Wright is working on doing the "unspectacular" at third this season. (Daily News)
  
• Brian Schneider says his hamstring is feeling fine. (NY Post)
  

Fantasy Mets

Last night, I had my fantasy baseball draft on yahoo.com. Besides the fact that most of the people in the draft had no clue what they were doing, a good amount of Mets were taken. So, here is when they were taken and why...

Johan Santana- 1 (1st Rd.) As much as I would like to jump on the Santana bandwagon, it doesn't mean that he should've been taken first overall because he shouldn't have. Yes he might win 20 games, win a cy young, and lead the league in strikeouts, but you don't take a pitcher with the first pick. You just don't. 2nd round, maybe.

Jose Reyes- 6 (1st Rd.) Although Reyes struggled offensively down the stretch last year, he is still one of the best lead-off hitters in the game. Not to mention the fact he is capable of stealing 100 bases, driving in 90 runs and hitting 20 home runs. This was a steal in the draft because he could've gone as high as third.

David Wright- 9 (1st Rd.) Wright not only hits for average, but he has averaged 28 HR's and 108 RBI's in his last three seasons. He also stole a career-high 34 bases last season. He finished fourth in the MVP race and probably hasn't reached his full potential yet. This was also a nice steal because he could've gone as high as fifth.

Carlos Beltran- 22 (2nd Rd.) Beltran has definitely come into his own after three seasons in the big apple. He posted 30 HR's and 110 RBI's for the second straight season. He also stole 23 bases, the most for him since 2004. Again, since people weren't all that informed during this draft, Beltran could've moved up five spots.

Billy Wagner- 91 (7th Rd.) Wags was the fourth closer to be chosen in this draft. Although his back woes have slowed him as of late, he is still capable of 40 saves with a very respectable ERA. I think he was taken a little too soon and believe that there are 5-6 better than he is.

John Maine- 144 (12th Rd.) Maine was stellar in the first part of last season going 4-0 with a 1.35 ERA. However, he struggled badly down the stretch, but was still able to win 15 games while striking out 180 batters. So far in spring training, Maine has been spectacular and I think he could win 18 games this season.

Carlos Delgado- 154 (13th Rd.) Delgado is starting to get old, which is probably one of the best reasons that the Mets have not extended his contract past this season. Delgado missed 30 HR's and 100 RBI's for the first time since 1997. He also hit .258, his worst since 1995. Don't expect the world from Delgado this season although he is still capable of putting up the numbers that he missed last season.

Pedro Martinez- 158 (14 Rd.) Pedro isn't the Pedro of old. This is no secret. His fastball doesn't reach 90 anymore but his breaking pitches have become fairly nasty. Because of injury, he most likely won't pitch 200 innings or have a stellar ERA. He still might be an asset due to his very good K/BB ratio.

Orlando Hernandez- 159 (15th Rd.) There is no doubt when healthy that El Duque can be one of the better pitchers in the game. However, that is not currently the case. His first spring training start is coming this Sunday and who knows what that will bring. There are just too many question marks with El Duque at this point.

Oliver Perez- 188 (16th Rd.) Perez had his finest season since 1999 last year. He won 15 games with a 3.56 ERA, while striking out 174 batters. His problem is consistency. If he releases the ball at the right point, he can be dominant. If he doesn't, he can be disastrous.

Top 10 Pitching Performances

More from Matthew Silverman's "Mets Essential". This time, we are exploring the top 10 Mets pitching performances of all-time. So, without further adieu, here it is...

10. Sid Fernandez (October 27, 1986)-- This is the only relief appearance on the list. This 2 1/3 innings of relief came in the seventh game of the '86 series after starter Ron Darling was knocked out in the fourth inning. Fernandez was brilliant as the Mets won the title. We shouldv'e seen it coming as Sid went 16-6 that year, with a 3.52 ERA, which was arguably his best season.

9. Dave Mlicki (June 16, 1997)-- This "amazin" shutout performance came in the first ever meeting between the two clubs from New York. He only had two wins up to that point and finished the season at 8-12, with a 4.00 ERA.

8. Pedro Martinez (April 10, 2005)-- after the club started 0-5 under rookie manager Willie Randolph, Pedro assured that the Mets would win atleast one game, as he threw a complete game 2-hitter to outduel John Smoltz's 15K performance. Pedro would throw three more complete games that season as he went 15-8, with a 2.82 ERA.

7. David Cone (October 6, 1991)-- Although the Mets were a mess, Cone struck out 19 Phillies, allowed three hits, and walked one in the season finale.

6. Jerry Koosman (October 16, 1969)-- Kooz clinched the club's first world series championship as he tossed a complete game. He had taken a no-hitter into the seventh inning in game one of the series. Kooz was dominant in '69 posting a 17-9 record, with a 2.29 ERA, the lowest of his career.

5. Dwight Gooden (September 7, 1984)-- Doc gave up only one hit, while striking out 11 to set the rookie strikeout record. He would go on to strikeout 16 in his next two starts. Fitting that he would go on to win rookie of the year.

4. Al Leiter (October 4, 1999)-- After the club tied Cincinnati for the wild-card, Leiter got the nod for the one-game playoff and would only allow two hits to lead the Mets to their first postseason appearance in 11 years.

3. Bobby Jones (October, 4, 1999)-- Jones pitched a one-hitter to clinch the division series against the Giants. It was his final victory in a Mets uniform.

2. Tom Seaver (April 22, 1970)-- Just four days after Nolan Ryan set the club strikeout record with 15, Seaver whiffed 19 Padres, including the last 10 in a row.

1. Tom Seaver (July 9, 1969)-- In front of 60,000 at Shea, Seaver took a perfect game one out into the ninth. It's good that the best Mets pitching performance of all-time was thrown by the best Mets hurler of all-time.

Mets Not Sure Where El Duque Stands

During the off-season, the organization wasn't sure whether or not Orlando Hernandez would fit better in the starting rotation or in the bullpen. Now more than ever, like a young girl who can't decide which boy to take to the dance, El Duque is sending mixed signals to the Mets coaching staff.

Having only made two simulated starts, showing anything but dominance, one might ask if Hernandez is really ready for a real spring training start.

The coaching staff has tried to make sense of this whole situation by telling the media that El Duque is still trying to find his rythym and not trying to strike anyone out.

Omar Minaya also made comments about the lack of definitiveness in El Duque's stuff. He mentioned that there was progress but there are still other things that people need to see.

In 2004, when he was battling back from elbow surgery with the Yankees, the organization wasn't all that impressed with his progress but decided to sign him to a four-year deal. Four years later, he has only won 48 games and a world series ring.

Conflicting information? Yes, but after this weekend's start against the Cardinals, we should be able to get a better insight into El Duque's status as a Met.

Roster Moves

Obviously, this will be getting bigger as the team gets closer to opening day. As of today, here are the roster moves.

Adam Bostick- New Orleans (AAA)
Robert Parnell- re-assignment
Eddie Kunz- re-assignment
Juan Padilla- re-assignment
Andy Cavazos- re-assigment
Brant Rustich- re-assignment
Ivan Maldonado- re-assignment
Jonathan Niese- re-assignment
Ryan Cullen- re-assignment
Salomon Manriquez- re-assigment
Mike Nickeas- re-assignment
Anderson Machado- re-assignment
Ben Johnson- re-assignment
Michel Abreu- re-assignment
Willy Colazo- New Orleans (AAA)
Carlos Muniz- New Orleans (AAA)
Jason Vargas- cut
Jose Valentin- cut

It's Looking Good

No one really knew how Pedro Martinez would come back from an injury plagued season. Yesterday, some of those uncertainties were undoubtably put to rest.

Pedro Martinez looked very good in his first spring training outing yesterday against the Tigers. He pitched four scoreless innings giving up only four hits and strikin out four. His breaking pitches seemed to catch everyone off-guard as most of the Tigers' batters were caught gazing at Martinez's 68 mph sweeping curve that made the crowd come together in a collective "oooh".

Martinez seemed very pleased with his efforts as he flipped the game ball to a young girl sitting in the front row.

Notables for the Mets yesterday with Carlos Delgado and Louis Castillo. Both drove in a run in the 7-4 win.

Pedro Pedro Pedro

For a team and it's fans that seems to feel confident about their pitching staff for the season, there is a lot of buzz surrounding Pedro Martinez's first spring training start today against the Detroit Tigers.

With Santana, Maine, Perez, and Pelfrey already putting their cards on the table for all fans to see, it's tme for Pedro to do the same.

This will be his first Grapefruit league start since 2006 and it couldn't be coming at a better time for a Mets team that is starting to recuperate from a lot of spring training injuries.

Pedro insists that he feels great and is healthier than he's been the last two years, considering he hasn't had a full season since then.

Martinez came back from shoulder surgery in September and he looked very controlled. His fastball wasn't up to par, but his other pitches compensated.

In five starts last season, Pedro went 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA, with 32 strikeouts. He is slated to be the number two starter in this year's rotation.

Sunday Schmooz

Now, back to business...

This week's installment focuses on a Mike Piazza painting done back in 2004. It is a blend of Piazza's status as "king" of NY, as well as the spirit of Queens.

Edgar J. Brown has always been a New York sports fan and a lot of his work is inspired by that. His work has appeared in every major national media outlet that one can think of. He has done works for Lawrence Taylor, Mark Bavaro, Ottis Anderson, Phillipi Sparks, Tiki Barber & Michael Strahan, just to name a few.

This particular painting was inspired by Piazza's 352 home run as a catcher, passing Carlton Fisk for the most all-time.

It is a 24 x 36 acrylic and the original is available for sale. For more information on Brown's inspired work, visit his website at...

http://www.edgarbrown.com/index.php

Dancing Shoes

First of all, I want to say welcome back! It has been an amazing week for me as my TEMPLE OWLS are going to the dance after winning an improbable A-10 championship. Congratulations to Fran Dunphy and the rest of the staff and team. From a team at 14-12 with no shot, to a team at 21-12 as champions, it is truly a feeling that I will never forget as long as I live. Let's gooooo Owls!

State of the Union

Ladies and Gentlemen. I will be taking a vacation starting tomorrow and will not be back until Saturday. I might have limited or no computer access when I am there. If that is the case, I most likely will not be posting until Saturday. Luckily, I am taking this vacation now and not during the season. During the season, my attention will be focused on making this blog the best and most informative it can be.

I thank you to those that have followed this project so far and I hope it continues to succeed. Thanks again and let's go Mets!

Player Profile- Brady Clark

Another old face in a new place, if you count Angel Pagan. Brady Clark was signed to a minor league deal by the Mets on February 15. Last season with the Dodgers and Padres, Clark hit .262 (28-107) with 11 RBI's, in 68 games.

Born on April 18, 1973 in Portland, Oregon, Clark stayed in the state until he graduated from Sunset High School. He then attended the University of San Diego.

In 1996, he was signed by the Cincinnatti Reds as an amateur free agent. With the AAA Louisville RiverBats in 2000, he appeared in 132 games, batting .304, with 16 HR's and 79 RBI's. This solid minor league stint allowed him to finally be called up by the Reds during the 2000 season.

Clark's best major league season came in 2005 with the Milwaukee Brewers. He appeared in 145 games, batting .306, with 13 HR's, 53 RBI's, and 10 SB's.

Spring Training Update (Notes)

(by Dan Canfield Berman)

Mets 1 Red Sox 1

Pitching was yet again the story for the Mets as Johan Santana pitched four scoreless innings striking out four, as the Mets settled for a 1-1 tie against Boston.

Pitcher Matt Wise relieved Santana in the fifth and went two innings allowing no earned runs.

The offense was stingy with only five hits but, Angel Pagan, who started in center field, had a hit that added to his sizzling spring. He is now batting .421. Pagan also flashed his leather and made a great catch to stop a double in the sixth inning.

Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado made their first starts of the spring as Beltran was the DH and Delgado started at first. Both went hitless.

Dan might be attending warm-ups tomorrow morning so check back for updates...

I Conformed

In order to get the readership that I hope this blog gets, I added a facebook group for it today. It is under the name "The Amazin Amazins".

So if you are on facebook, please join and continue to spread the word. Thanks and Let's go Mets!

The Maine Event

Mets fans can breathe easy for the moment when it comes to the starting rotation. John Maine looked brilliant this afternoon as the Mets rolled to another Grapefruit League victory.

After Oliver Perez and Mike Pelfrey looked less than stellar in their starts, John Maine proved why the Mets will rely on him to carry the pitching load along with Johan Santana this season.

Maine threw four scoreless, hitless innings in today's 3-0 win over the Houston Astros as his fastball stayed consistently around 94 mph.

Speaking of Santana, he will make his third start tomorrow against the Red Sox. Look for him to throw four innnings.

Sunday Schmooz

This week's installment of "Sunday Schmooz" focuses on an original acrylic Dwight Gooden painting.

This is a 16 x 20 one of a kind hand painted acrylic portrait of former Mets great Dwight Gooden painted by world renown artist Leon Wolf.

Wolf's paintings have graced the walls of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. His works have also been featured on the cover of the famed Beckett magazine as well as many galleries in New York. Many athletes an celebrities have purchased Wolf's work, making him well-known throughout the U.S. and Japan.

This particular piece is currently being sold on EBAY for $300.

For more information, visit Leon Wolf's website at...

http://www.leonwolf.com

Spring Training Update (Notes)

(by Dan Canfield Berman)

I got a chance to witness warm-ups this morning before the Marlins game. Carlos Beltran and Louis Castillo both were doing some light stretching and running, but nothing too heavy.

Florida 12 Mets 4

The focal point seemed to revolve around how many position players would play in today's game. The fans got answers as Jose Reyes, David Wright, Ryan Church, and Brian Schneider got significant playing time. Duaner Sanchez also made a relief appearance in the 7th inning after not pitching for a week.

Wright looked better defensively after taking some really bad hops. He also added a single early in the game. Reyes went 0-4 at the plate as he was relieved late in the game by Jesus Feliciano.

Ryan Church made his first appearance after the concussion he suffered last week. He went 2-2, with two singles. Fellow former Nationals catcher Brian Schneider homered in the second inning to give the Mets their first run of the game.

Duaner Sanchez continues to battle back after an injury plagued 2007 season. In his one inning of relief today, he struck out and walked a batter, while only facing four batters.

The next spring training update will come Monday. Until then...

Spring Training Updates

Luckily, I was able to contact a good friend and fellow Mets fan Dan Canfield Berman, who happens to be down in Port St. Lucie, Florida right now watching spring training. Over the next day or two, I will provide updates from reports that he sends me. Hopefully, he will have some pictures that I can post, but those will come later on.

Check back later for updates.

Don't Underestimate the JV Team

Let's face it. The Mets injury list is only getting bigger, causing some unknowns to step up and show what they can add to the team. With only two position players (David Wright and Jose Reyes) available, we will continue to see what the guys with the high numbers and no names can do. Here are some of those players to watch this spring.

16 Angel Pagan- Although Pagan is pretty much a lock to make the team, I felt it necessary to point out his dominant spring training so far. Pagan is hitting .438, with 6 RBI's in nine games this spring. He also plays a nice center field which might come in handy if Carlos Beltran isn't 100% by opening day.

Fernando Martinez- Martinez is probably the Mets number one prospect heading into the season, and is very fortunate to still be with the club after almost being traded to the Twins in the Santana deal. Martinez most likely won't make the opening day roster, but don't count him out just yet with all of these injuries. Martinez spent most of his time last season in AA Binghamton. There, he hit .271, with 4 HR's and 21 RBI's in 60 games. Martinez is batting .292 in eight games this spring.

Olmedo Saenz- Saenz is another one of those guys that probably won't make the team come opening day, but he's still a guy that might see some major league action this year. Saenz came over in free agency from the Dodgers. If/when he does get called up, expect him to hit some long balls. Saenz is 11th all-time with 12 pinch-hit HR's, in his nine-year career.

Brady Clark- Clark and Saenz are sort of in the same position. Both have major league experience, but both will probably spend most of the year in AAA. Clark, however can hit for average. In his eight-year career, he is a .278 hitter. Watch him to possibly get called up if the Mets OF doesn't hold up.

Alou to Miss 4-6 Weeks

You can pretty much guarantee that a player that has only played a combined 185 games the past two seasons is going to get injured at some point. That's no exception for Mets LF Moises Alou.

Alou will undergo a hernia operation today and will likely miss up the first 30 games of the season.

Minaya, as well as the rest of the staff, was well aware of Alou's injury-prone track record and had already prepared for when they could loose him to the DL. That came came sooner than later, which is probably good for a team that struggled down the stretch last season.

Alou adds to a lavish Mets injury list that includes: Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Louis Castillo, Brian Schneider and the recently injured Ryan Church.

Alou was hoping to get 500 AB's this season but that number will most likely decrease for every day that Alou is hurt.

Although he saw limited action last year due to injury, the 40-year-old Alou batted a more than respectable .341, with 13 HR's and 49 RBI's, in 87 games.

The team will most likely platoon Endy Chavez and Damion Easley in LF, as the season starts.

New, But Familiar Coach

After the 1990 season, no one in their right mind thought that one of the most controversial players ever to wear orange and blue would be sober, for one thing, and back with the team that he seemed to never really want to play for. Well, he is, and the Mets are happy to have him back, now, as a full-time employee.

Darryl Strawberry was hired yesterday as a Spring Training instructor, spokesman for the team's outreach program, and as a minor league observer.

It seemed like GM Omar Minaya wanted to hire the once great Met back in 2004, but Minaya pointed out that Strawberry needed to take care of some personal issues before that were to happen.

As a Met player from 1983-1990, Strawberry was just short of immortal. He won the NL Rookie of the Year award in '83 and finished second in the MVP race in '88. He also made four all-star teams with the club. He was traded to the Dodgers in 1990 and was never the same player. Drug, tax, and other personal problems caused Strawberry's career to decline. All of which ultimately led to his retirement in 1999, as a member of the Yankees.

Stopping Shea Smoking

In preparation for the opening of Citi Field in 2009, the Mets announced today that there will be no more smoking inside Shea Stadium this summer.

There will be a single smoking area outside the stadium, however, fans will not be allowed to smoke on any of the concourses or ramps.

Sorry fans, hopefully this year's team won't drive you to that point.

Top 10 Worst Mets Trades

I am a firm believer of the yin and the yang. That is why I must present the worst Mets Trades off all-time. I am doing this not to annoy or discourage, but to inform and entertain.

Again, this list comes from Matthew Silverman's book "Mets Essential". So, here it is...

10. Melvin Mora--- Acquired by the Baltimore Orioles on July 28, 2000. Mora replaced injured SS at the time Rey Ordonez. The Mets didn't think they could win a championship with the defensively shaky Mora and he went on to have successful career with the Orioles, especially in 2004. That year he hit .340 with 27 HR's and 104 RBI's, good for 18th in the MVP race.

9. Jeff Kent--- Acquired by The Cleveland Indians on July 29, 1996. Kent and Jose Vizcaino went to Cleveland for Alvaro Espinoza, who appeared in 48 games as a Met, and Carlos Baerga who never measured up to expectations. Kent only spent one full season in Cleveland and was traded in '97 to San Francisco for Matt Williams. That year, Kent finished eigth in the MVP race batting .250, with 29 HR's and 121 RBI's.

8. Jeff Reardon--- Acquired by the Montreal Expos on May 21, 1981. After leaving the Mets, Reardon went on to be an extremely effective reliever in both Montreal and Minnesota. In Minnesota, he led the AL in saves in '85, while finishing seventh in the AL Cy Young race. Currently, Reardon ranks sixth on the all-time saves list with 367.

7. Jason Isringhausen--- Acquired by the Oakland A's on July 31, 1999. Isringhausen was dealt for a sub-par combination of Greg McMichael, who the Mets had already dealt for twice, and Bill Taylor. Taylor had an 8.10 ERA with the club, while Isringhausen posted 33 saves with the A's in 2000. He also led the NL in saves with 47, as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

6. Scott Kazmir-- Acquired by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on July 30, 2004. Look for this one to constanly rise as Victor Zambrano continues to falter and Kazmir, at the age of 24, only gets better.

5. Lenny Dystra--- Acquired by the Philadelphia Phillies on June 18, 1989. How do you let a guy go that helped define your best run in team history? Well, Frank Cashen did and it was probably the worst deal he ever made. Dystra went on to lead the Phils to the World Series in '93. He also finished second in the MVP race that year batting .305, with 19 HR's, 66 RBI's and 37 SB's.

4. Rusty Staub--- Acquired by the Detroit Tigers on December 12, 1975. The Mets got pitcher Mickey Lolich out of this deal. He pitched one year for the club. Staub, on the other hand, was dominant in Detroit, finishing fifth in the MVP race in 1978 batting .273 with 24 HR's and 121 RBI's.

3. Tom Seaver--- Acquired by the Cinicinatti Reds on June 15, 1977. The best Mets' pitcher of all-time was traded for a bunch of nobodys. He ended up finshing second in the NL Cy Young race in '81 and fourth in '79. Oh, the humanity.

2. Amos Otis--- Acquired by the Kansas City Royals on December 3, 1969. The Mets never really gave this kid a chance. So, what happened? He only was a four time all-star for the Royals and led the team to the '76 World Series. No big deal.

1. Nolan Ryan--- Who else??? Acquired by California Angels on December 10, 1971. The Mets were desperate for a third basemen which led to the trade of their best pitching prospect. Ryan will go down as one of the best pitchers of all-time with 324 career wins, (14th all-time) 5714 strikeouts, (1st all-time) and a 3.19 ERA. I think this one will live in Mets infamy.

Sunday Schmooz

This week's featured painting is "Met Legends" by Alan Zuniga.

Zuniga, born in Cuba, fled to the U.S. when he was just six years old to evade Castro's reign of communism. He took his passion for art and sports and turned into a very successful business venture.

Now, residing in Hoover, Alabama with his wife Shannon and their two children, Zuniga continues to sell his very detailed sports paintings virtually everywhere in the country.

This particular piece is currently on-sale for $120. It is a 25 x 18 3/8 inches limited edition lithograph that focuses on former Mets' greats Tom Seaver, Darryl Strawberry, and "Doc" Gooden.

For more information of Zuniga's work, visit his website at...

http://alanzuniga.com/home.html

Church's Bell Gets Rung

Just hours after the report that Delgado might miss time due to a hip injury, ESPN reported that OF Ryan Church will miss a few days due to a concussion.

Church collided with fellow OF Marlon Anderson during the Mets 1-0 win over the Dodgers Saturday.

Met fans still cringe when thinking about the collision between Carlos Beltran and Mike Cameron in 2005, when they banged heads while pursuing a ball in the outfield.

Church adds to a Mets injury list that already includes Beltran, Damion Easley, Endy Chavez, Louis Castillo, and Ben Johnson; all of whom have yet to appear in a Grapefruit League game.

The Mets acquired Church this past off-season after releasing OF Shawn Green. Church had a productive season with the Washington Nationals in 2007, batting .272 with 15 HR's and 70 RBI's.

Delgado Might Miss Time

According to ESPN.com today, Carlos Delgado experienced some discomfort in his right hip and returned to New York for an MRI today.

According to Mets GM Omar Minaya, this injury is unrelated to the one that caused Delgado to miss time last season.

For the time being, if Delgado can't go, Damion Easley, Marlon Anderson, Olmedo Saenz, or Jose Valentin could see time at 1st.

As far as prospects are concerned, Michel Abreu seems to be the only contender for the possibly vacant position. Abreu missed all of 2007 because of a visa issue and in 2006, he appeared in 111 games with the AA Binghamton Mets, hitting .332 with 17 HR's and 70 RBI's.