Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us here at Global NYM.

Stick with us as we have big things in store for 2008. Read More...

According to Ken Rosenthal at FoxSports.com, the Mets are interested in acquiring Pirates LHP Damaso Marte, ‘but not at the current price.’

In his last 140 relief appearances for the Pirates, spanning two seasons, Marte, 32, has a 3.13 ERA while left-handed batters hit .154 against him.

I guess it couldn't hurt, but it's not worth their asking price of Fernando Martinez. Read More...

Over the past 3 days, we have heard about every name out there who is coming to the Mets. One of our facebook members decided to come up with a list. So without further ado, Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2008 Speculation New York Mets!!!!!

Catcher- Ivan Rodriguez backed up by Ramon Hernandez or Jorge Posada, Johnny Estrada and Brian Schneider, with Ramon Castro and Paul LoDuca platooning
1b- Adam Dunn or David Wright
2b- Luis Castillo, Hudson, David Eckstein, Jose Reyes
SS- ARod, Miguel Tejada, Crosby
3b- ARod, Miguel Cabrera
OF- Ryan Church, Adam Dunn, Ken Griffey Jr., Carlos Beltran, Moises Alou, Lastings Milledge, Kevin Hein, Carlos Gomez, Shawn Green, Almezeca

SP- Johan Santana, Rich Harden, Dan Haren, Blanton, Erik Bedard, Scott Kazmir, Oliver Perez, John Maine, Livan, Carlos Silva, Roberto Colon, Freddy Garcia, Pedro Martinez, El Duque, Mike Pelfrey, Phillip Humber, Dontrelle Willis, Jose Contreras, Jon Lieber, A.J. Burnett



RP- Mariano Riveria, Ervin Santana, Duaner Sanchez, Billy Wagner, Kerry Wood, Mota, El Duque, Aaron Heilman, Collazo, Octovio Dotel, Brian Stokes, Joe Smith

WE ARE STACKED FOR 2008 BABY


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John Maine is set to play Santa Claus at the team's annual Christmas Party Tuesday.

Anybody else miss Anna Benson as much as me? Read More...

Sweeny Murti of WFAN just reported that the Tigers have contacted the Mets about Dontrelle Willis, with the idea of spinning him off in a move to dump Willis's $13 Million Dollar Salary.

According to the report, there wasn’t an official offer presented to Omar, but the idea was brought up that the Mets would acquire Willis and Ivan Rodriguez. The Mets would then give up some prospects and would also have to eat the contracts owed to both players. One last hurdle the Mets would have to overcome would be Willis's no-trade clause that would almost certainly require the Mets to give him an extra year.

This might be our only chance at getting someone of Willis's caliber. He has already proven he can do well here (both hitting and pitching) and would be an ideal fit. It also doesn't hurt that Pudge is one of Omar's favorites and Omar has been trying to get him here for years. Who cares about their contracts, just do it already! Read More...

According to ESPN's Jayson Stark, free agent hurler Jon Lieber is garnering interest from the Royals, Astros, Reds, Mets, and Rangers. Lieber is expected to be ready for Spring Training after a foot injury.

Might be worth the risk, however I don't think he fits the type of player that Omar is looking for. Read More...

According to ESPN's Jayson Stark, the Mets have inquired on Toronto's A.J. Burnett. Burnett's opt-out effectively puts him on a one-year deal, but worse.

Burnett is definitely the frontline type of guy the Mets have been looking for, despite the injury concerns. Those concerns plus the contract situation should definitely leave Burnett in the Mets' price range, however Stark says it's a long shot at best. Read More...

The Nationals are looking at free agent Paul Lo Duca, who won't be back with the Mets after hitting .272 with nine homers in 119 games for New York. The Nationals like former Rule 5 draft pick Jesus Flores at catcher, but they're looking for some insurance in the event he can't handle the job full-time. Lo Duca still wants to play regularly, so Washington is probably a long shot for him unless all his other options fall through. Read More...

Mets outfielder Carlos Gomez turns 22 years old today. Read More...

The Mets announced today that the Mets will take part in the second annual Major League Baseball Civil Rights Game.

The Mets will play the White Sox in AutoZone Park, home of the Cardinals' Triple-A Memphis Redbirds affiliate, as the focal point of two days commemorating the Civil Rights Movement. The game, staged for the first time last April, pays tribute to one of this country's most significant eras of social change, Major League Baseball's involvement in the historic struggle and the legendary African-American players who broke barriers and made important contributions to American society.


"Anytime I can do anything to honor Jackie Robinson and recognize what he did and pay tribute to Martin Luther King, it's a special honor," Willie Randolph said. "I have a sense of history and what Jackie and Dr. King did. It can't be overstated. We all should be aware of what he had to deal with and overcome."

Randolph, the first African-American manager in New York baseball, recalls vividly when he escorted Rachel Robinson during 1997 ceremonies at Yankee Stadium that recognized the 50th anniversary of her husband's first game with the Dodgers. He beams when he speaks of the moment. He and Rachel Robinson attended the annual dinner staged by the New York Chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America last January. He made a point of being photographed with her.

"The numbers are going down. ... You'd hate to see the game lose that presence. But that's the direction it looks like we're heading. That's why a game like this is so important. It's good to celebrate and recognize the people who did so much. But we have to help the game maintain a presence in the cities."

Anderson is familiar with the speculated reasons for the decline of the game in cities -- equipment, facilities, the increased appeal of other games.

"Baseball is a hard game to learn," he said. "It's a humbling game. The best players are going to have bad days. And it takes a lot of time to develop. You don't learn this game playing every other weekend.

"Damion and I talked about it. You're usually introduced to the game by your dad. And, I don't like to have to point this out, but the number of dads in the communities we're talking about isn't high. And that's a problem. You'd love to see the communities playing baseball again.

"The game we're playing in can help that."

Mets general manager Omar Minaya attended the BBWAA dinner in January, and he made a point of introducing his son, Teddy, to Rachel Robinson.

"I wanted Teddy to know a great lady," he said recently. "And to know what she and her husband stands for."

In a statement released Monday when the Mets' involvement in the game was announced, Minaya said: "On behalf of the entire New York Mets organization, I would like to say how honored we are to be participating in the second annual Civil Rights Game. Since the days of Jackie Robinson, baseball has been at the forefront of social change in this country, and this game is just another example that our sport understands the significance of paying the proper respect to such an important part of American history."

The release also included the words of Commissioner Bud Selig: "It's impact was so significant that we decided to make it an annual event. It was a proud moment for all of baseball, and I am excited that two great franchises have committed to carry on this significant tradition. Major League Baseball and its players have contributed immensely to this movement and will continue to play an important role in our society's social history."
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According to Rotoworld the Mets have declined to offer salary arbitration to C Paul Lo Duca, C Sandy Alomar Jr., 1B Jeff Conine, C Mike DiFelice, INF Damion Easley, OF Shawn Green, RHP Aaron Sele and 2B Jose Valentin.

No big surprises here. Easley's deal still isn't official, but he has agreed to terms with the Mets. I really don't see any of the others coming back unless it's for minor league deals, then I could see both DiFelice or Sele accepting those roles. Read More...

The New York Mets today released their regular schedule for 2008, their final year at Shea Stadium, which has been their home since 1964. The Mets' final Opening Day at Shea will be Tuesday, April 8 when they host the National League East Division Champion Philadelphia Phillies at 1:10 p.m. The Mets will conclude their 45th regular season at Shea Sunday, September 28 at 1:10 p.m. against the Florida Marlins.

Joe Torre makes his return to New York when the Los Angeles Dodgers come to town for a four-game series, May 29-June 1. The N.L. West Champion Arizona Diamondbacks are in New York June 10-12; the N.L. Champion Colorado Rockies visit July 11-13.

In Interleague play, the Mets face the Texas Rangers June 13-15 and the Seattle Mariners June 23-25. The Mets will host the second set of the home-and-home Subway Series the weekend of June 27-29.

The Mets will play the final week of Major League Baseball's regular season at Shea when the N.L. Central Champion Chicago Cubs come to New York for a four-game series September 22-25 before the Marlins close out the regular season with a weekend series September 26- 28.

Regular starting times will be 7:10 p.m. for night games and 1:10 p.m. for day games, with the exceptions of Thursday, July 24 vs. the Phillies at 12:10 p.m. and Thursday, August 7 against the San Diego Padres at 12:10 p.m. Game selections under MLB's national telecast agreements with FOX and ESPN leave most Saturday and Sunday games with starting times that will be announced at a later date. The 2008 schedule is subject to change.

The Mets open the 2008 season on the road against the Marlins Tuesday, April 1 at 4:05 p.m. It marks the second time in franchise history that the Mets have started a season in Florida. The Mets are 12-10 when beginning the season on the road and 29-17 all-time on Opening Day. The Mets and Marlins have night games on April 2-3. The season-opening road trip concludes with a weekend series in Atlanta.

The Mets will play their final three regular season games at Yankee Stadium May 16-18. A month later, New York travels to the west coast to face the defending American League West Champion Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim June 16-18.

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Mets.com announced today that the Mets have released their 2008 Spring Training Schedule.

The Mets begin their exhibition season on Feb. 26, against the University of Michigan, the alma mater of owner Fred Wilpon. Their first home game against a big league team is on Leap Year Day, Feb. 29, against the Cardinals. Their first big league exhibition game is on Feb. 27 against the Tigers in Lakeland.

The World Series champion Red Sox visit Port St. Lucie on March 10 and the Mets play the Sox the following day in Ft. Myers. The Mets face the Cardinals and Orioles five times each, the Marlins four times, the Dodgers, Nationals, Indians and Braves three times each and the Astros and Red Sox twice each. They have split squad games scheduled for March 8 and 16.

Tickets for Spring Training games go on sale at Tradition Field on Saturday, Jan. 19 at 10 a.m. Tickets and information can be obtained by calling 772-871-2115 or online at Mets.com or Traditionfield.com.


Feb. 26 University of Michigan Port St. Lucie 12 p.m.
Feb. 27 Detroit Tigers Lakeland 1:05 p.m.
Feb. 28 St. Louis Cardinals Jupiter 1:05 p.m.
Feb. 29 St. Louis Cardinals Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 1 Los Angeles Dodgers Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 2 Los Angeles Dodgers Vero Beach 1:05 p.m.
March 3 Atlanta Braves Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 4 Florida Marlins Jupiter 1:05 p.m.
March 5 Los Angeles Dodgers Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 6 Washington Nationals Viera 1:05 p.m.
March 7 Cleveland Indians Winter Haven 1:05 p.m.
March 8 (SS) Florida Marlins Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
(SS) Baltimore Orioles Fort Lauderdale 1:05 p.m.
March 9 Houston Astros Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 10 Boston Red Sox Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 11 Boston Red Sox Ft. Myers 1:05 p.m.
March 12 Baltimore Orioles Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 13 St. Louis Cardinals Jupiter 1:05 p.m.
March 14 Florida Marlins Jupiter 1:05 p.m.
March 15 St. Louis Cardinals Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 16 (SS) Detroit Tigers Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
(SS) Houston Astros Kissimmee 1:05 p.m.
March 17 Washington Nationals Viera 1:05 p.m.
March 18 Off day
March 19 Cleveland Indians Port St. Lucie 7:10 p.m.
March 20 Baltimore Orioles Port St. Lucie 7:10 p.m.
March 21 Washington Nationals Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 22 Cleveland Indians Winter Haven 1:05 p.m.
March 23 St. Louis Cardinals Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 24 Baltimore Orioles Fort Lauderdale 1:05 p.m.
March 25 Atlanta Braves Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 26 Florida Marlins Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 27 Atlanta Braves Orlando 1:05 p.m.
March 28 Baltimore Orioles Fort Lauderdale 1:05 p.m.

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The New York Mets announced today that they have acquired right-handed relief pitcher Brian Stokes from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for cash considerations. Stokes will be added to New York's 40-man roster, which now stands at 36.

Stokes, 28, went 2-7 with a 7.07 ERA in 59 games for Tampa Bay last year. In 62.1 innings, the 6-1, 210-pounder allowed 90 hits, 49 runs, earned, with 25 walks and 35 strikeouts. Brian's 59 appearances were fourth among American League rookies.

He is currently 3-3 with three saves and a 4.30 ERA in 12 games, three starts for Mexicali in the Mexican Winter League. In 23.0 innings, he's permitted 27 hits, 14 runs, 11 earned, with 11 walks and 16 strikeouts.

Sounds like another Rick Peterson Project to me. Read More...

The New York Mets announced today that they have acquired catcher Johnny Estrada from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for righthanded pitcher Guillermo Mota.

"Johnny adds depth to our catching situation," said Mets General Manager Omar Minaya. "He's a former All-Star who switch-hits and has hit over .300 three times in his career."

Estrada, 31, hit .278 (123-for-442) with 40 runs scored, 25 doubles, 10 home runs and 54 RBI in 120 games with the Brewers last year.

Mets fans rejoice, because not only have we gotten rid of Mota, we also solved our catching problem as well...Oh yeah and did I mention we got rid of Mota?
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According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, citing ‘major-league sources,’ the Mets and 2B Luis Castillo are close to agreeing to a four-year, $25 million contract.

The Astros, Nationals, and Cubs all had expressed interest in Castillo, whom the Mets acquired from the Twins at the non-waiver deadline for two minor leaguers.

Four years might be considered a risky move with Carlos Baerga, Roberto Alomar, and Edgardo Alfonzo as our previous 2nd basemen, but this was our only way to retain him. Castillo has proven he can play and succeed here. (unlike Eckstein who wanted more money and had a shaky 2006 season) So let's hope the recently 'repaired' knees hold up! Read More...

Forty-four reasons the New York Mets suffered perhaps the greatest collapse in baseball history, blowing a seven-game lead in their final 17 games:

1. The Curse of Bobby Bonilla.

2. The Curse of Kevin Mitchell's Ex-Girlfriend's Cat.

3. Marketing slogan "Your Season Has Come" was pretty much a gift-wrapped jinx waiting to happen.

4. Shouldn't have brought back Vince Coleman to light the fuse for the special division-winning fireworks show.

5. Jose Reyes in April: .356/.442/.596, "Best player in baseball"; Jose Reyes in September: .214/.290/.348, "Hey, that's how Rey Ordonez used to hit."

6. Stuck with a meager $101 million payroll instead of $199 million payroll like the Yankees.

7. They lacked the enthusiasm necessary to win, unlike this guy.

8. When the most solid part of your team is the bench (Endy Chavez, Ramon Castro, Ruben Gotay, Marlon Anderson), it might be a sign that some other parts -- like, oh, the starting rotation, the bullpen, the defense, the clutch hitting -- need some work.

9. Everyone knows Tom Glavine hits the wall at 200 innings ... why did Willie Randolph try to squeeze even one-third of an inning more out of him?


10. Why, oh why, bring back Timo Perez as a pinch runner?

11. Staff ERA by month: April, 2.96; May, 3.73; June, 4.20; July, 4.50; August, 4.93; September, 5.14.

12. Shouldn't have benched Hope Solo.

13. Players turned against each other after team-wide fantasy football draft in early September.

14. Lastings Milledge is no Willie Mays.

15. Maybe management should have realized Carlos Delgado can't hit lefties anymore (.267/.318/.386).

16. Let's see: Ramon Castro hits 11 homers in 144 at-bats while Paul Lo Duca hits nine homers in 445 at-bats. Oh, and did we mention Lo Duca grounded into 18 double plays? See, here's the thing: Lo Duca may be perceived as a leader in the clubhouse, but Castro is the better player.

17. Mr. Met got distracted by his midseason election to the Hall of Fame.

18. Well, that 6-12 record against the Phillies sure didn't help.

19. David Wright's lady wore a T-shirt to Shea Stadium that only said "fudge."

20. Too wrapped up in Brett Favre's historic chase to concentrate on the task at hand.

21. Scoffed at the idea of signing Roger Clemens because he'd be toast by September.

22. Rickey Henderson says Rickey should have played instead of coached.

23. Glavine suffered a concussion after being sacked by Osi Umenyiora.

24. Team distracted that Mr. Met was being investigated by Mitchell committee for the suspicious size of his head.

25. Designated Julio Franco for assignment on July 13, raising team's average age.

26. Team chemistry broke down after Moises Alou introduced a secret handshake.

27. Don't have that awesome 1-2 set-up crew of Jose Mesa and Antonio Alfonseca like the Phillies do.

28. Bill Belichick was stealing the Mets' signals.

29. Not enough Facebook friends.

30. Probably shouldn't have honored the '93 Mets back in that touching on-field ceremony.

31. Well, there was that 7-3 lead they blew to the Nationals on Sept. 18.

32. And that 7-4 lead they blew to the Marlins in the bottom of the ninth on Sept. 20.

33. And that three-game set against the Nationals during Sept. 24-26 in which the Mets allowed 32 runs against the NL's lowest-scoring team.

34. Pat Burrell hit 19 homers with 60 RBIs in the second half.

35. Jimmy Rollins played baseball while Jose Reyes sulked.

36. The Phillies overcame an injury to MVP candidate Chase Utley ... while the Mets resorted to using Guillermo Mota over and over and ...

37. In some convoluted way, the departure of Anna Benson must be to blame.

38. Maybe that start given to Chan Ho Park on April 30 wasn't such a good idea.

39. Anderson Hernandez just isn't a "True Met."

40. Mets just wanted to ensure they'd get the cover of the New York Post.

41. No inspiring speech from Pedro about plunking Richie Ashburn in the rear end.

42. Players wanted to clear their schedules to watch exciting postseason baseball.

43. Umm, the bullpen?

44. Because they're not the Yankees.

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This about sums it up for most of you. Read More...

Dear Mets Fan:

All of us at the Mets are bitterly disappointed in failing to achieve our collective goal of building upon last year's success. We did not meet our organization's expectations -- or yours. Everyone at Shea feels the same range of emotions as you --our loyal fans -- and we know we have let you down. We wanted to thank you for your record-breaking support of our team this year.

Equally important, Ownership will continue its commitment in providing the resources necessary to field a championship team. Omar will be meeting with Ownership shortly to present his plan on addressing our shortcomings so that we can achieve our goal of winning championships in 2008 and beyond.

You deserve better results.

Many thanks again for your record-breaking support.

Mets

Apologizing via Email? REAL CLASSY GUYS. Now go out and actually back up your words and make changes. Read More...

Heartbroken, anger, and disbelief, are just a few of the many emotions being shown by the 15,000+ members in the facebook group after the Mets historic meltdown.

Who can really blame them? This wasn’t the ending we all planned on. Two weeks ago we held a very comfortable 7 game lead with 17 to play. We were sitting in the driver’s seat looking at the SNY pocket schedule, seeing 13 of our last 17 games against the lowly Nationals and Marlins. In a year full of injuries and so called disappointments this is when we were finally going to get it done. Guess what? It didn’t happen, but life moves on.

Though we didn’t win the World Series, there are many individual moments that us as fans can look back on and be very proud of. Watching things like the continuing development of young players Lastings Milledge and Mike Pelfrey, exciting plays like the Endy Chavez drag bunt or the Carlos Beltran catch in Houston, the scoreless inning streaks of Pedro Feliciano and rookie Joe Smith, Tom Glavine’s 300th career win, John Maine’s two near no hitters, Shawn Green chasing Hank Greenberg for the all-time Jewish home run record, the return of Pedro Martinez, etc… these are the things that when I look back on the 2007 Mets I’m going to remember.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m just as upset as the rest of you. But in a year in which 99% of us are going to call it a letdown, there are those little things that we should all take with us, that we can all look back on, and that we can all remember to put an instant smile on our faces. And if that doesn’t work? 2008 is just around the corner. Read More...