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Stop Counting To Pitchers And Catchers

photo by CeetarStop counting down until the day pitchers and catchers report because it’s a tease.

 

These days most pitchers and catchers are in camp days earlier, and the position players are showing up earlier and earlier too.  Thanks to the Mets acquiring a popular training program and moving it to Port St. Lucie, many players have been down there sporadically all winter, working out and getting ready for the season.

 

What we’re really counting down to when we talk about pitchers and catchers is to the day many of the media and beat writers start covering the team from Spring Training. The day is less about the start of baseball season and more about the start of forced columns about how guys are in the best shape of their lives. It’s basically beat writers taking attendance of all the players walking through the door.
What we’re really looking for is the first game against another opponent. The first game is Wednesday March 4th, and it’s the first game on the radio as well. We’ll get Josh Lewin’s voice, and perhaps Howie Rose’s as well if he can pop over to Florida between Islanders games in Dallas and Nashville, and the sounds of baseball in our ears. That’s when things start getting real, when two teams face off each other and half-heartedly try to get each other out while preparing for the regular season. The first television/SNY broadcast will probably be Friday March 6th against the Tigers.

It’s 20 days until the first Mets Spring Training game.

 

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QBC Is The Fanfest You Wanted

photo by CeetarOn January 10th is the second annual Queens Baseball Convention at McFaddens Citi Field. If you talk to anyone that was there last year, you know that it was generally considered a blast, and this year will be even better. It’s basically the Mets fanfest you’ve always wished the Mets would hold, just held by fans–specifically Shannon and Mediagoon of Metspolice, Darren of The7Line and associated friends.


QBC Commercial Latest from Media Goon aka Keith Blacknick on Vimeo.

That includes me. I had a blast last time helping out and chatting with everyone about the Met and Baseball on a cold winter day. There were players, autographs, interesting panels and Mr. Met, and this year will be even better. I’ll be on hand wearing a jersey with ‘Ceetar’ on the back, so I’ll be easy to spot. (Last year I wore a Pagan jersey)

 

There’s plenty going on, as you can see from the website. My favorites are Josh Lewin being on hand to host the awards session.  Mookie Wilson and Wally Backman will be there doing a panel and autographs. Ed Charles will accept the Gil Hodges Unforgettable Fire Award. 

 

The calendar will just have turned and the holidays are in the rear view mirror. We’ll all be missing baseball and here’s a great way to get your fix with fellow fans. There’s even a t-shirt option with your ticket! Why not come out to the park and have a good time?

 

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The Mets Final Roster Is Never Complete On December 12th

IMG_5416photo by CeetarIt’s understandable to be frustrated with the Mets results over the last few years, but your frustration does not necessitate the Mets approaching the winter meetings, or the offseason in general, in any different way. They’re still going to do what they need to do, and aren’t going to let four random days in December force them into a move they’re not ready to make. In the digital age the advantage of having so many baseball people in one place at the same time is mostly negated by cellphones and the internet. Everyone’s available at any time, and there is even more pressure on GMs. I wonder if they even sleep. Did Brian Sabean finally cave and call Sandy Alderson at 3am, “Fine, you can have Wheeler.”?

 

There are no bonus points for getting things done this week. It’s great for the writers because there are a lot of people to talk to in one place, and there are things going on, but just because writers have more to say doesn’t mean there is any added obligation to make something happen for them.

 

It’s a long season, and the Mets have already started adding and moving pieces. Yes, there is work to do, and yes they’ve fielded an incomplete team in years past, but not completing the roster in December doesn’t lose them any games. Get back to me in April.

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IBWAA MVP Winners Are Kershaw And Trout: My Votes

CUTCH[1]The NL MVP race was a tough one, not just because of the debate about how much Clayton Kershaw deserves to be included as a pitcher. Andrew McCutchen, with the highest wRC+ and the most WAR and the only player with an OBP above .400 seemed like the best choice. I hated putting Freeman on this list. In a year with great pitching, I felt like it had to go to a hitter that succeeding against those odds.

  1. Andrew McCutchen
  2. GianCarlo Stanton
  3. Clayton Kershaw
  4. Buster Posey
  5. Yasiel Puig
  6. Anthony Rizzo
  7. Josh Harrison
  8. Johnathan Lucroy
  9. Johnny Cueto
  10. Freddie Freeman

In the AL I felt it was a little easier. Mike Trout is crazy good.

  1. Mike Trout
  2. Jose Bautista
  3. Victor Martinez
  4. Jose Abreu
  5. Corey Kluber
  6. Michael Brantley
  7. Adrian Beltre
  8. Felix Hernandez
  9. Miguel Cabrera
  10. Robinson Cano
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Kershaw, Hernandez Win IBWAA Cy Young: My Votes

Los Angeles – The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announced the winners in its Cy Young category Wednesday, with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw winning the group’s National League award, and Felix Hernandez, of the Seattle Mariners, being selected in the American League.

 

Clayton Kershaw was a no-brainer, and his unanimous selection means everyone else agreed. After the playoffs I do feel a little silly having left Madison Bumgarner off the ballot entirely, but there was a lot of good pitching.

 

Hernandez’s selection was more contested. I voted for Corey Kluber, who did receive more first-place votes but less total points. It was really a toss-up either way, as both guys were definitely deserving. I ultimately erred on the side of Kluber’s higher WAR and strikeout total.

NL

  1. Clayton Kershaw
  2. Johnny Cueto
  3. Adam Wainwright
  4. Zack Greinke
  5. Cole Hamels

AL

  1. Corey Kluber
  2. Felix Hernandez
  3. Chris Sale
  4. Jon Lester
  5. David Price
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Jacob deGrom Wins IBWAA Rookie Of The Year Award

Kathy Willens/AP The little-known Jacob deGrom turns plenty of heads in his Major League debut.The IBWAA, of which I am a member, is the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and released the results of their Rookie of the Year balloting today. I can’t speak to how it mirrors the official award, but I’m happy with the result.

 

Los Angeles – The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announced the winners in the Rookie of the Year category Monday, with the Chicago White Sox’ Jose Abreu winning the group’s American League award, and Jacob deGrom, of the New York Mets, being selected in the National League.

Jacob deGrom received 105 first place votes and beat out Billy Hamilton by 130 points.

My ballot:

  1. Jacob deGrom
  2. Billy Hamilton
  3. Travis d’Arnaud

and AL:

  1. Jose Abreu
  2. Kevin Kiermaier
  3. Collin McHugh

Jacob deGrom was a no-brainer for me, and though it may be tinged with a little home-town favoritism, it can’t be understated how good Travis d’Arnaud was after his demotion, and at a critical position.

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So Long Baseball

photo by Ceetar

 

Baseball is over. We are all sad. It’s been nearly a month since the Mets played though, and that regular routine of baseball has been weened from our schedule already. It feels like ages since they’ve played.

 

Are the Mets next? Will the Mets at least be in the conversation to be next? Time will tell. The season of half-baked rumors begins now.

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Keep On Celebrating: Mejia Edition

photo by CeetarI realize this is one of those debates that everyone is firmly entrenched on either side, but here it is cropping up again. Jenrry Mejia’s post-save celebrations have often been somewhat demonstrative and his most recent save over the Nationals tipped the scale enough to bring up the tired old ‘hey, that’s now how things are done!’ argument.

 

I can’t quite figure out why anyone cares. There are no style points in baseball and some players have always worn their hearts on their sleeves. There is no code of conduct and there’s no reason to try to force players to play by your set of standards. As Mejia said himself, if you don’t want to see him save a game…well, beat him.

 

It’s even more ridiculous for this to have spun a media cycle where crotchety beat writers, who hate when anything interesting happens after the 6th inning, whipped the story into enough of a frenzy that Terry Collins actually had to address it with Mejia.

 

There are the entertainers, we are the entertainees. Why get up in arms when they do just that? You don’t tell the magician to tone down his flourishes, don’t tell Brad Pitt how he should portray his character. Let’s stop trying to bland-down the game of baseball.

 

Let’s stop worrying about how much emotion the players show, and worry more about getting Mejia more opportunities to be celebrating a victory.

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Citi Field’s New Cider Stand

photo by CeetarThe second half of the season is often time for change at ballparks, and Citi Field is no different.  There is now a new cider stand located on the field level in the right field corner.  Cider is a popular drink, and a growing one in popularity too. I wrote about some of the best ones over at BeerGraphs last year.

 

Obviously, some of these are macro brews masquerading as well-crafted ciders. The two taps, Johnny Appleseed and Stella Artois Cidre, are not good beer/ciders and are both brewed by large breweries. So is Smith and Forge.

 

Original Sin is a New York brewery, though technically it’s contract brewed in Florida, and I’ve enjoyed their cider from time to time. Angry Orchard ciders, both the apple ginger and crisp apple, are pretty good, and they’re brewed/owned by Sam Adams.

 

The most interesting one there though is McKenzie’s Original. McKenzie’s Hard Cider was founded in 2011 in Buffalo so they’re the most authentic New York cider on the list. I’ve never had the original, but I tasted both their Seasonal Reserve (which has the best BAR rating of any cider on BeerGraphs) and their black cherry, both which were delicious. The Seasonal Reserve tastes like apple pie. Delicious apple pie.

photo by Ceetar

You can also find 16oz cans of McKenzie’s Original at the Empire State Beer stands and also Ommegang’s Cooperstown Ale, an American Blonde, that’s new as well.

 

You’ll notice the Shock Top HoneyCrisp Apple Wheat beer logo on the Cider Stand, but I didn’t actually see that one anywhere so I won’t comment on it.