Mets Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter, who is currently managing the independent Orange County(CA) Flyers, made some controversial comments on the Mike and Murray show on Sirius Satellite Radio today.

Carter was asked about the Mets struggles this year and if he had any interest in managing the Mets to which he responded...

Boy, I'll tell you what. I would love that, guys. When I saw that on ESPN today ... I got on the phone and I called (Mets VP of media relations) Jay Horwitz and I asked Jay, 'Should I try to call Mr. Wilpon?' If there is this going on I just want them to know of my availability. I'm only a phone call away, because my contract allows me to leave the ballclub. I could be in New York tomorrow, if necessary, because if there's anything at the major league level I can leave this job.

Is this guy kidding me?

First of all, all he had to say to give a proper response to this ridiculous question was something to the effect of "Look, Willie is still the Manager of the Mets, he's done a great job the last few seasons, and his guys have just hit a little stumbling block, losing some tough games... blah blah blah..." Instead he took the opportunity to make a complete asshole of himself by talking about how much he would love to take over.

Second, is Carter trying to lose his job managing this independent team as well? his public response to the proposition of him managing the Mets was that he immediately called up the Mets to let them know he was available and could "leave this job"? seriously, does this guy have any brains at all? Don't count on Carter managing the Mets anytime soon.

NOTE: By the way on one of our three rotating banners (the 1986 banner), you can actually see a picture of Gary Carter, although he's kinda faded out.
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One of the greatest players in Mets history officially announced his retirement today. Mike Piazza, the face of the franchise from 1998 to 2005 and the player who led the Mets to the World Series in 2000 has called it a career.

Piazza is a sure-fire first ballot hall of famer, the only question that lingers is will he go into the Hall of Fame as a Met or as a Dodger.

As a biased Mets fan there really is no question in my mind that he should go in as a met. Piazza himself has said that he would prefer to go in as a Met, and although the Hall no longer allows the players to decide what cap they wear, I find it almost ridiculous that anyone would even suggest he wear a dodgers hat.

First and foremost, he played longer in New York, that alone is usually the deciding factor for the hall. Piazza played 7 full seasons in New York from 1999-2005, and played most of 1998 with the Mets as well. He only played 5 full seasons in Los Angeles.

Second, his statistics show clearly that he had a better career in New York than Los Angeles.

Team	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	BA
Los Angeles	726	2707	443	896	177	563	.331
New York	972	3478	532	1028	220	655	.296

Third, He led the Mets to the NLCS in 1999 and to the World Series in 2000. He didn't play all that well in the two first round playoff sweeps the dodgers experienced in 1995 and 1996.

Fourth, Piazza was the unquestionably the leader of the Mets for 8 Seasons.

Fifth, he is probably the second best player in Mets history, whereas he's more like the 10th best player in Dodger's history.

Sixth, the Mets got robbed with the other great hitting catcher in their franchise's history when the hall decided to give Gary Carter an Expos hat because he had played more seasons in Montreal.

While all of these are good reasons for Piazza to go into the hall as a Met, the reason is far deeper than statistics or time played, or playoff achievements. Mike Piazza should go into the Hall of Fame as a Met because most people when they think of Mike Piazza, they think of him with the Mets, and when they think of the Mets of the late 90s early 2000s they think of Mike Piazza.

If Mike Piazza ends up going into the Hall of Fame wearing a Dodgers cap, it will be an atrocity for Mets fans, whereas if he goes in as a Met, it wont be that big of a deal for Dodger fans because they should expect that.
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Now that I have finally started to come down from my high over the Giants being the greatest team in the land, I can firmly give my opinions about the Johan Santana trade, and where it stands in New York Mets history. Keep in mind this is a history full of miserable trades, stupid free agent singings, and in my lifetime, many disappointments. In other words, the Mets made this trade, so they better win the World Series.

First off, not only did we trade for Santana, we got him for legit highway robbery. Philip Humber and Kevin Mulvey will never be anymore than mid rotation guys, and only time can tell with Deolis Guerra. OF Carlos Gomez, though fast and vastly talented, was dispensable based on the fact that Fernando Martinez is still waiting in the wings. The fact that we didn’t have to give up the super talented Martinez is still beyond me. For weeks it seems like that was the deal on the table that the Twins wouldn’t take, and then all of a sudden we get the trade done and Martinez is still a Met. Way to go Omar for pulling that one out your you-know-where.

The other main issue, and the most important issue, is that the trade puts us to the top of the class in not only the National League East, but the whole National League. For a team and fan base still bitter about the 2006 NLCS disappointment, and the 2007 late season stink bomb, this is the best news we have heard out the Mets front office since the Reagan Administration. Living down here in the South Jersey wilderness I’m pretty sure I heard an extremely loud GULP coming from somewhere towards the direction of the city of Philadelphia. Yeah the Phillies have the best infield in baseball, but their infield won’t do them any good when the mighty Santana continues to sit them down in order, one-by-one. You heard it here first; game over in the National League, as the Mets have no excuse to not win that elusive pennant this season.

Many Mets fans and Mets historians believe that this might turn out to be the biggest trade in New York Mets history. Now I think we might be getting a head of ourselves here, as there definitely needs to be a championship won before lofty claims like that can be made. The Gary Carter and Keith Hernandez trades in the mid 1980’s that set the veteran cornerstones for the 1986 squad still remain the biggest and most lopsided trades in team history. We got a future Hall of Famer in Carter, and a man who is still one of the faces of this organization in Hernandez. The short and long term effects of this deal can still be felt today, and they are by far the biggest trades in Mets history.

The series of deals leading up to the 2000 National League Pennant can be considered here also. Mike Piazza, Mike Hampton, Derek Bell, and Mike Bordick were all solid players that were acquired via trade. All of them had a significant hand in that 2000 pennant run. Mike Piazza was the face of the team for almost ten seasons, and will surely be the next Met to have his number hang from left field. Mike Hampton was the NLCS MVP. The 2000 Mets were a great overachieving squad, which will never be forgotten because of those players.

Basically Santana and the 2008 New York Mets still have a ton to prove, and the only way they can prove it to me is on the field.

Speaking of overachieving…I think there are congratulations in order to our football brothers in arms, the New York Football Giants. Unless you have been living in Omar Minaya’s cell phone for the past week, you most surely know that my beloved New York Giants defeated the previously undefeated New England Patriots (18-1) 17-14 in what may go down as the greatest Super Bowl ever played. This also put a blemish on the hated city of Boston, and their miracle run of sport success this decade. Here’s to the New York Giants, for bringing the top of the sports mountain back to New York. And thank you for capping the best week in New York sports history.

That’s all I got. Later. JD

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Following Tom Glavine's 300th win, a few reporters felt it was necessary to mention they believed he would have rather won it in a Braves uniform. We all know Tom Glavine bleeds Braves blood. He has served the Mets well during his tenure in New York and allowed us to take part in a bit of his historic achievement, yet his heart is in Atlanta.

With that, the question was raised who would you call a true Met. Derek Jeter is a true Yankee. Tony Gwynn was a true Padre. John Smoltz is probably the true Brave of our day. So who is a true Met to you? Beyond that, what constitutes that title? Is it someone who began their career with the Mets? Someone who spent a majority of their career with the Mets? Someone who led the Mets to a World Championship?

Tom Seaver, Gary Carter, and Mike Piazza are good candidates for true Mets. Could David Wright and Jose Reyes become the true Mets of today, or are they already? What makes someone a true Met to you? Throw some names out there and why you think they are a true Met. Read More...

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Honoring The Past…Do The Mets Do It Enough

I know I have brought this up in the Facebook group before, but I would like to address it here. There are times when I think the Mets definitely short change the players that represent their history. Now the Mets have had some great teams in their day, from 1969, to 1973, to 1986, to 1988, to 2000, to 2006, but at times I do not believe that the upper management rewards some of the great individual players for their accomplishments. Only one New York Met position player has had their number retired by the team (#41 Tom Seaver). This is unacceptable and an insult to some of the great Mets that have played for the Shea faithful. So here, I will start up the debate of what Mets deserve to have their numbers retired.

#7 – Ed Kranepool: Kranepool was the original Mr. Met, along with Seaver. Kranepool was a lifelong Met, from the team’s inception in 1962, to his retirement in 1979. Kranepool was there for the 120 losses in 1962, the Miracle Mets of 1969, the Amazin’ Mets of 1973, and for the Midnight Massacre of 1977. He was the steady face that Mets fans could rely on to see at first base at the start of every season for 18 seasons. Kranepool is far and away the most realistic definition of a lifelong Met, and he deserves to be remembered immortally by all Mets fans.

#8 – Gary Carter: Carter was one of the great leaders of the Mets in the 1980’s. He was one of the catalysts of the great 1986 team, and for all intensive purposes is the one of only two Mets inducted into the Hall Of Fame as a Met (though on his plaque he wears an Expos cap, we all know he should have went in as a Met). Carter, along with Carlton Fisk, and Lance Parrish was the premier catcher of his day, and is one of the premier offensive catchers of all time. His arrival, along with that of Keith Hernandez signaled an end to the days of misery in Queens. His two out, two strike single in Game Six of the 1986 World Series started the furious rally that won the game and eventually the series for the Mets. Carter will always be a favorite of Mets fans, and his #8 deserves to be eternally etched in hallows of New York Mets history.

#16 – Doc Gooden: Well there is no doubt that Gooden was the ace of those great Mets staffs in the 1980’s. He was the most dominant pitcher in the National League from 1984-86, if not all of baseball. Of course what kills Gooden’s chances of having his number retired was his numerous off the field drug problems. The sad thing about Gooden is that his drug problems also most likely cost him a chance at being enshrined in Cooperstown. If Gooden had stayed out of trouble, his #16 most likely would be hanging up in left field.

#17 – Keith Hernandez: Hernandez along with Carter is the biggest sham. Hernandez is THE greatest defensive first basemen in the history of the game. He won six Gold Glove Awards as a member of the Mets (along with five more as a St. Louis Cardinal), along with one Silver Slugger Award (he won one another one of these in St. Louis also). Hernandez was also the captain of the great Mets teams in the 1980’s, and along with Carter got the team turned around in the right direction. Hernandez is also a beloved commentator for the Mets today. While he had his off the field issues as well, they were nowhere near as serious as Gooden’s or Darryl Strawberry’s. Hernandez deserves the honor of his number being retired just as much as Carter does.

#18 – Darryl Strawberry: Strawberry was a monster in the 1980’s. After being recruited out of South Central Los Angeles, Strawberry hit the scene in 1983, winning the National League Rookie Of The Year Award. Strawberry had power that no Mets player had been able to duplicate in previous years. Straw was the first true power hitter that the Mets ever had on their team. To this day he still holds team records in home runs, and runs batted in. Like Gooden though, Straw was a product of his times, and he too fell into drug problems, that eventually ruined what would have been a Hall Of Fame career. Unlike Gooden though, Strawberry has done a much better job at fighting off his demons later in his career, and he has started to work with the Mets once again during Spring Training. His previous reputation though will forever tarnish any chances of his jersey being retired.

#31 – Mike Piazza: Piazza is still playing, so if his number retirement does come, it is a ways off. But, how could you deny what Piazza meant to this team in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Piazza’s arrival on the scene in 1998 effectively signaled the end of the dark years in the 1990’s. While in a Mets uniform, Piazza basically solidified his acclaim as the best offensive catcher to ever play the game. And of course, who could forget his memorable game winning home run against the Braves in the 2001 season right after the September 11 attacks. That moment is still, in this guy’s opinion, one of the greatest moments in the history of sports. After his release after the 2005 season, Piazza signed on to catch for the San Diego Padres. Upon his first return to Shea Stadium he got numerous standing ovations, solidifying the fact that he had been the team’s most popular player since Seaver. Piazza’s number should be retired immediately after his retirement, and anything less would be a damn shame.

#36 – Jerry Koosman: Koosman is the forgotten soldier of the Mets late 1960’s early 1970’s teams. Koosman still remains one of four Mets pitchers to win 20 games in a season (though he did lose 20 games the next season). The simple fact that hurts Koosman though is that his numbers just aren’t good enough, and the fact that he wasn’t a lifelong Met (unlike Kranepool) really hurts him.

#45 – Tug McGraw: McGraw was the inspirational leader of the 1969 and especially the 1973 Mets. His famous catchphrase “Ya Gotta Believe” still lives in Mets lure today. He was the first premier closer for the Mets, and one of the first “closers” to ever play the game. The fact that hurts McGraw though is that Phillies fans also fondly remember him, and it is well known that McGraw enjoyed his tenure in Philadelphia more than he enjoyed his tenure in New York. This fact is what alone keeps him off the wall for me.

#45 – John Franco: And finally, the man himself, one John Franco. Like Kranepool, Franco was a New York City boy that embraced the fact that he got to play at home. Franco, upon is retirement was and still is the Mets all time leader in saves, and upon his retirement he was second on the all time saves list (he has since dropped to fourth on the list). Franco also wore #31 before the arrival of Mike Piazza, but graciously gave his number to Piazza. It would be great to see the two of these guys (guys who embodied the heart and soul of what a New York Met is) get inducted in the same ceremony in the near future. Of course the fact that Pedro Martinez is wearing #45 right now might be delaying the retirement process.

Well there you have it, a brief history on the Mets, in their swagger days. These are players that I think the present day Mets could look up to for some inspiration. The 2007 Mets seem to be so uninspired at times, and seeing the swagger and never say die attitude of these players (especially the guys from the 1980’s) could really help them get on the right track. Swagger can be used as intimidation, it can used to boost your confidence in yourself as a player, and it can be used to build much needed character. By honoring some of these old Mets, it could give today’s Mets a clue about what it takes to win, and to win aggressively, with no holds barred. That’s a trait I think these Mets miss at times, and it’s a trait that these guys all had.

And remember Mets fans: Don’t Stop Believin’

JD

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