Statue of Limitations

Earlier this week, the Baltimore Orioles announced that in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the opening of their ballpark at Camden Yards, six bronze statues will be unveiled honoring each of the team's Hall of Famers, all of whom have had their numbers retired by the team.

The Orioles are not the first team to honor their greatest players and managers with statues.  In fact, many teams have bestowed that honor to its greatest representatives.  This past August, the Chicago Cubs dedicated a statue to the late Ron Santo, who was recently selected by the Veterans Committee for Hall of Fame enshrinement.  Santo's statue joined the sculptures of other Cub greats outside Wrigley Field such as Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and broadcaster Harry Caray.

Other teams with statues of their greatest players include the Pittsburgh Pirates (Honus Wagner, Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente), San Francisco Giants (Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda) and Atlanta Braves (Warren Spahn, Hank Aaron, Phil Niekro).  Those franchises have been in existence far longer than the Mets, but there are other clubs who haven't been in the league as long as the Amazins that have statues of their best players.

For example, the San Diego Padres have a Tony Gwynn statue outside Petco Park while the Milwaukee Brewers have a Robin Yount sculpture welcoming fans to Miller Park.  Both Gwynn and Yount are members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  The Houston Astros, on the other hand, have statues of Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell outside Minute Maid Park.  As of this writing, neither player has been inducted to Cooperstown.  (Bagwell received 41% of the vote last year and Biggio is not yet eligible.)

All four players mentioned in the previous paragraph played their entire major league career with the teams that immortalized them in bronze.  But some teams have chosen to honor some of its best players with statues despite the fact that these players played less than half of their careers with these teams.  One particular name comes to mind immediately.  Nolan Ryan played five of his 27 seasons with the Texas Rangers, but who's statue stands beyond the center field fence?  Of course, it's the Ryan Express. 

In addition to statues of its best players, some teams have other baseball-related busts.  The Colorado Rockies have a statue outside Coors Field dedicated to "The Player".  In Arizona, a statue of a player with his fans stands outside Chase Field.

So why am I making all this hubbub about statues?  Perhaps it's because the Mets don't have one outside Citi Field.  Of anyone.  Even though there's a certain "Franchise" player who received the greatest percentage of Hall of Fame votes in history.

 Strike a pose, Tom.  Perhaps someday this one will be bronzed for all eternity.

As of now, the Mets are one of only five teams without a sculpture of any kind to honor its best players and personnel.  (The others are the Rays, A's, Marlins and Dodgers.)  Why don't the Mets have anything other than the third base VIP entrance dedicated to Tom Seaver?  When fans enter Citi Field, they should be greeted by Tom Terrific in bronze form.  Not only is he the greatest pitcher in franchise history, but he is also the sole Mets player in the Hall of Fame and the only player whose number has been retired by the team (Casey Stengel and Gil Hodges both had their numbers retired for what they accomplished as managers).

The lack of a statue to honor the man known as "The Franchise" when some teams have statues dedicated to non-Hall of Famers and other teams have sculptures for players despite having a shorter history than the Mets is an absolute shame.

The Mets should have a Tom Seaver statue at Citi Field.  In addition, they should also have a statue of Jesse Orosco's iconic pose after striking out Marty Barrett to end the 1986 World Series.  It's time for the Mets to be proud of their history, not hide from it.

We want "The Franchise" at Citi Field.  Not just for an occasional ceremonial first pitch, but forever.  A life-sized bronze statue of Tom Seaver would ensure that.  It took until Citi Field's second season for the Wilpons to make the ballpark look like it belonged to the Mets.  Hopefully, it won't take them much longer to realize that Tom Seaver should be immortalized with a statue at the park they built.  After all, it's their "Franchise", is it not?

Misleading Stats On David Wright Change Everything

Since 2004, David Wright has been a fan favorite.  His name can be found all over the Mets' all-time offensive leaderboard and he has accomplished this all before his 29th birthday.  Because of this, some Mets fans would find it impossible to see the team without David Wright and would consider it sacrilege to trade him.

However, I've been doing some research on the Mets' career leaderboard and made some comparisons to another team's leaderboard.  Fans who bring up the fact that David Wright holds or is close to holding many of the club's all-time offensive records might change their minds on their favorite player once they read this.

The Mets came into existence in 1962, joining the National League with the Houston Colt .45s (who became the Astros in 1965).  Therefore, it would be fair to assume that both teams would have similar cumulative offensive statistics since they have both completed 50 seasons of play.  It would also be fair to assume that since David Wright has cemented his name at or near the top of the Mets' all-time leaderboard in many offensive categories, he'd rank just as highly in those categories had he been a member of the Astros.  Unfortunately for Wright, that is not the case.

Currently, David Wright ranks in the Mets' top ten in the following cumulative offensive categories:

• Games played: 1,106 (8th)
• At-bats: 4,161 (5th)
• Plate appearances: 4,782 (4th)
• Runs scored: 699 (2nd)
• Hits: 1,248 (3rd)
• Total bases: 2,112 (1st)
• Doubles: 281 (1st)
• Home runs: 183 (4th)
• RBI: 725 (2nd)
• Bases on balls: 535 (4th)
• Stolen bases: 151 (6th)
• Runs created: 825 (1st)
• Extra-base hits: 481 (1st)
• Times on base: 1,816 (2nd)
• Sacrifice Flies: 53 (2nd)

 Wright's bat has taken him far up the Mets' all-time leaderboard, but how great does that make him?

David Wright is currently the all-time Mets leader in total bases, doubles, runs created and extra-base hits and ranks in the top five in nine other categories.  Barring injury (and the potential departure of Jose Reyes via free agency), he could break the career club records for hits, RBIs, walks, times on base and sacrifice flies in 2012.

In addition to the above categories, if Wright plays 130 games in 2012, he will move into the No. 3 spot in games played for the Mets, surpassing Darryl Strawberry, Mookie Wilson, Howard Johnson, Cleon Jones and Jerry Grote.  He can also realistically enter the top three in at-bats, plate appearances and home runs during the upcoming season.

Without question, David Wright is one of the best offensive players in Mets history.  His high ranking in many of the club's career offensive categories clearly establishes that.  However, it would be a whole different story if Wright had achieved his numbers as a member of that other expansion team from 1962.  Let's look at where Wright's numbers would rank him on the all-time Houston Astros' offensive leaderboards in the same categories listed above.

• Games played: 1,106 (14th)
• At-bats: 4,161 (11th)
• Plate appearances: 4,782 (10th)
• Runs scored: 699 (7th)
• Hits: 1,248 (9th)
• Total bases: 2,112 (8th)
• Doubles: 281 (6th)
• Home runs: 183 (5th)
• RBI: 725 (7th)
• Bases on balls: 535 (8th)
• Stolen bases: 151 (12th)
• Runs created: 825 (7th)
• Extra-base hits: 481 (7th)
• Times on base: 1,816 (9th)
• Sacrifice Flies: 53 (T-5th)

 David Wright's bat wouldn't get him very far up the Houston Astros' all-time leaderboard.

If David Wright had been in Houston since 2004 and compiled the same offensive numbers he has for the Mets as an Astro, he wouldn't be considered an all-time great for that franchise.  Wright ranks in the Mets' top five in 13 different categories and is the team's all-time leader in four of them.  As an Astro, he wouldn't rank higher than fifth place in any of Houston's all-time cumulative offensive categories.  He wouldn't even rank in the top ten in three of them.

The fans who don't think Wright should be traded usually make their point by saying he's been one of the Mets' best players of all-time and he's not even 30 yet.  Yes, it's true that Wright has been one of the Mets' best offensive players of all-time.  It's also true that he's accomplished all of his accolades before age 30.

But the reason why Wright has been one of the all-time greatest Mets is because the Mets haven't had many great offensive players for him to be compared to, and when the Mets have had a game-changing offensive player, they've either traded him away (Rusty Staub), let him walk as a free agent (Darryl Strawberry and perhaps Jose Reyes) or acquired him after he established himself with another franchise (Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter, Mike Piazza).

Simply stated, the Mets haven't had a homegrown offensive player stay with them long enough to become a bonafide all-time great of the game.  The Astros had Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, two of the game's best players during their time in Houston and both potential Hall of Famers.  The Mets' sole Hall of Famer has been Tom Seaver, a pitcher.  Sure, the Mets have had future Hall of Famers play for them in the past, but most of those players had already locked up their ticket to Cooperstown before they became Mets (Yogi Berra, Warren Spahn, Willie Mays, Duke Snider, Richie Ashburn, Gary Carter, Eddie Murray, Rickey Henderson, Roberto Alomar).  Only Seaver and Nolan Ryan came up through the Mets' farm system, but both of them were pitchers.

It's sad to say it, but as of right now, there has never been an everyday player inducted into the Hall of Fame who was developed in the New York Mets' farm system and came into the major leagues as a member of the Mets.

David Wright will someday have his plaque displayed in the Mets' Hall of Fame and Museum to recognize him as an all-time great Met, but unfortunately, he is not an all-time great of the game.   When fans realize this instead of trying to make him bigger than what he really is, perhaps they'd realize that he'd have more value to the Mets as trade bait than he would have as a player for the team.

Joey's Soapbox: Top Ten Reasons Why The Texas Rangers Will Win The World Series

Greetings, everyone!  Can you believe the baseball season is coming to an end?  In two short months, it'll be winter and I'll be counting down the days till pitchers and catchers report while wondering how to unfreeze my behind from the frozen ground.  (I should probably wear pants under my Mets hoodie.)

Oh, who am I, you ask?  I'm glad you asked!  This is Joey Beartran, your fav'rit inanimate prognosticator.

In case you missed it, over the past month I've given you my Division Series predictions and my League Championship Series predictions.  I fared quite well with my first round picks, correctly picking the winner in three of the four series.  However, I didn't do as well with my LCS picks, losing both series.  Some of you might #BlameBeltran but I choose to place the blame on my excitement because both the Phillies and Yankees were eliminated within 24 hours of each other in their respective Division Series matchups.

So that brings us to the grand finale, the be all and end all, the salsa on the chicken nachos.  It's World Series time!  This year's Fall Classic will feature the two-time American League champion Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals, who have won more pennants and World Series titles than any team who doesn't play in the House That Juice Built.

Instead of doing my usual prediction, I'd like to do something different in this piece.  I'm going to tell you who's going to win first (the Texas Rangers in 6) and then I'll give you my top ten reasons why they'll win.  Ready?  Let's go!

Top 10 Reasons Why The Texas Rangers Will Win The World Series

10.  The Rangers are the fifth team in the past 20 seasons to reach the World Series in consecutive seasons.  Each of the last four teams who have appeared in back-to-back World Series has won at least one title.  The '08-'09 Phillies (boo) won back-to-back pennants, winning it all in 2008.  The '98-'01 Yankees (double boo) appeared in four consecutive World Series, winning three of them (triple boo) from 1998 to 2000, before losing to Arizona in 2001 (ha ha).  The '95-'96 Braves also won two straight pennants, being crowned in 1995, and the '92-'93 Blue Jays had a mini-dynasty, but because Canada uses the metric system, it was actually a much longer dynasty than you originally believed it to be.

9.  The actor who played Rangers manager Ron Washington was really funny in Moneyball.  Cardinals skipper Tony La Russa has never been funny a day in his life.  Funny = Championship.  Just look what humor did to the Cleveland Indians in the first Major League film.

8.  Tony La Russa overused his bullpen (ya think?) in the National League Championship Series.  He plans to outdo himself in the World Series by using a different pitcher every time Nelson Cruz comes to bat.  After the first four homers, he'll make a pitching change after EVERY PITCH to Cruz.

7.  The Texas Rangers have never played a game in St. Louis.  Ever.  Their only interleague matchup against the Cardinals was in 2004, when St. Louis took two out of three from Texas at the previous Busch Stadium.  Who was the losing pitcher for the Rangers in the rubber match?  None other than R.A. Dickey!  The Rangers will adopt a "Do it for Dickey!" rallying cry in the World Series and exact their revenge on the Cardinals.

6.  The Cardinals need a rally squirrel to help them win ballgames.  The number one pastime in Texas after Cowboys football, college football and high school football is hunting.  That squirrel doesn't stand a chance.

5a)  This was our view in Texas:

5b)  This was our view in St. Louis:

5c)  The view in Texas was far better than the view in St. Louis.

4.  Chris Carpenter is 2-6 with a 7.26 ERA and 1.87 WHIP in 12 career games (11 starts) against the Texas Rangers.  It's his highest ERA and WHIP against any team (min. 50 IP).   He is also the only Cardinals pitcher to ever lose a game to the Rangers, losing to them in the middle game of their only interleague series in 2004.  (Do it for Dickey!)  In case you hadn't heard, Chris Carpenter is starting Game 1 of the World Series against the Rangers.

3.  The 21st century has been full of cities and/or greater metropolitan areas holding multiple championship parades for their victorious teams.  It happened in 2002, when the Lakers won in June and the Angels won in October.  The Boston area repeated the feat in 2004, with the Patriots winning the Super Bowl in February and the Red Sox reversing the curse in October.  It happened a third time in 2009, when the Steelers took home the Vince Lombardi trophy in February and the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in June.  The Dallas Mavericks won the NBA championship this past June.  The Rangers play just a few miles away in Arlington.  That's the definition of a greater metropolitan area, my friends.

2.  The American League and National League have alternated winning the World Series every year since 2005, with the White Sox (2005), Red Sox (2007) and Yankees (2009 - boo) taking home the trophy in the odd-numbered years and the Cardinals (2006), Phillies (2008 - hiss) and Giants (2010) taking that final champagne bath in the even-numbered years.  2011 means that it's time for the American League to pop the cork.

And the number one reason why the Texas Rangers will win the World Series is...


Two words:  Nolan Ryan.  It's been 42 years since he won his first World Series ring.  It's time for him to win a second after coming within three wins of doing it last year.  Tony La Russa has won six pennants (three in Oakland and three in St. Louis) and two World Series championships (one with each team).  He's got his rings.  Now Nolan gets his.  Period.


Enjoy the World Series!

...and do it for Dickey!

Nolan Ryan: Once A Champion, Always A Champion

On October 16, 1969, the New York Mets won their first World Series championship. The majority of the players on the team were experiencing their first ever title, including a 22-year-old Texan named Nolan Ryan.

Ryan was a flamethrowing right-hander, who could strike a batter out as easily as he could strike a batter, period. Opposing hitters feared him because they never knew where the ball was going to end up after it left Ryan's hand. Despite his control problems on the mound, Ryan was very important to the Mets during their run to the World Series title. Although he only made two appearances in the postseason, both were in crucial spots.

With the Mets one win away from winning the first-ever National League Championship Series, Ryan came on in relief of starter Gary Gentry. Although Gentry had a tremendous rookie season, winning 13 games for the Miracle Mets, he did not fare as well in his initial postseason start. Pitching on his 23rd birthday, Gentry allowed a two-run homer to Henry Aaron in the first inning, had a reasonably effective second inning (walking one batter), before giving up a leadoff single to Tony Gonzalez in the third, followed by a double to Aaron.

That was the end of Gentry's postseason debut, as Nolan Ryan was called upon by manager Gil Hodges to get out of the inning before any more damage was done. Ryan was brilliant in relief of Gentry, stranding both inherited runners in the third inning. He went on to pitch the remaining seven innings, allowing only two runs (a two-run HR by Orlando Cepeda in the fifth inning that temporarily gave the Braves the lead) on three hits. Ryan walked two and struck out seven, and was on the mound when Tony Gonzalez grounded out to third baseman Wayne Garrett to give the Mets their first National League pennant.

Just like he did in the NLCS, Ryan only made one appearance in the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. Again, it was in a crucial part of the series (Game 3 with the series tied at one game apiece) and in relief of Gary Gentry. This time, however, Ryan was called upon to protect a lead, as Gentry was mowing down the powerful Orioles' lineup. Through six innings, the rookie right-hander had allowed no runs on three hits, while walking two and striking out four. The Mets were carrying a 4-0 lead into the seventh inning at Shea Stadium and were feeling good about their chances to take a 2-1 lead in the series. But after retiring the first two batters in the seventh, Gentry developed a case of wildness. He walked Mark Belanger, pinch-hitter Dave May and Don Buford in succession to load the bases and bring up the dangerous Paul Blair as the potential tying run.

Blair had just completed a breakout season for the Orioles, notching career highs in doubles (32), home runs (26), runs scored (102), RBI (76) and stolen bases (20), while making his first All-Star team and winning the Gold Glove Award in center field. Now he came up to bat with the bases loaded, but he wasn't going to face the suddenly-wild Gary Gentry. Out came Gentry, in came Ryan.

In what was perhaps the turning point of the 1969 World Series, Ryan retired Blair on a lineout to right-center to end the threat and the inning. Ryan would go on to finish the game, although not without getting into a little trouble of his own in the ninth, when he loaded the bases on two walks and a single before striking out (you guessed it) Paul Blair to end the game and give the Mets a one-game advantage in the World Series.

Unfortunately, the Mets' need for an injury-plagued shortstop to play third base exceeded their need for a future Hall of Fame pitcher. The Mets traded Ryan to the California Angels for Jim Fregosi following the 1971 season, where Ryan's legendary career began in earnest. Ryan won 295 games and struck out 5,221 batters AFTER leaving the Mets in stints with the Angels, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers. Although his uniform number has been retired by the three teams he pitched for after he was traded for Fregosi, the only World Series ring on Ryan's finger has a big "New York Mets" on it.

 If everything's bigger in Texas, why does Nolan Ryan's ring say "New York"?

Fast forward to four decades later. The Mets are nowhere near World Series contention and the Texas Rangers are going back to the Fall Classic for the second consecutive season. The Rangers have always had strong hitters, but their recent focus on developing pitchers has finally pushed them over the top in the American League. Who's responsible for taking the Rangers in this pitching-first direction? None other than team president and principal owner Nolan Ryan.

Ryan became the president of the Texas Rangers in 2008 and bought a share of the franchise in 2010, becoming the principal owner earlier this year when his ownership partner, Chuck Greenberg, sold his stake of the team. When Ryan became part of the Rangers' front office in 2008, the Rangers were a sub-.500 team. Their 79-83 mark in 2008 was their eighth losing record in nine seasons. Since then, the Rangers' win total has gone up every season. Texas won 87 games in 2009, followed by a 90-win season in 2010 and a franchise-record 96 wins in 2011.

As the wins have piled up, opponents' run totals have gone down. After allowing 967 runs in 2008, Rangers' pitchers allowed 740 runs in 2009. They got even better in their pennant winning years, allowing 687 runs in 2010 and 677 runs in 2011. The 677 runs allowed this year was the fewest allowed by a Ranger team since 1983. All of this happened with Nolan Ryan in charge.

Nolan Ryan was a winner in New York. He was part of a team that put its focus on young pitching and it carried them to an unexpected championship. Ryan pitched in the majors until 1993, but was never part of another championship team. Now, as president and principal owner of the Texas Rangers, Ryan has a chance to win his second World Series title, 42 years after he won his first.

It's been quite some time since Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Gary Gentry and Nolan Ryan anchored a young pitching staff as they forged their way to a World Championship. The names have now changed to C.J. Wilson, Derek Holland, Matt Harrison and Alexi Ogando, but the message remains the same. Pitching wins championships. It gave a title to the San Francisco Giants last year (over Ryan's Rangers) and it helped Texas win their second consecutive American League pennant this year.The Rangers may or may not give him his second World Series ring this year, but it's clear that Nolan Ryan has established the Texas Rangers as a force in the American League.

Forty-two years ago today, Nolan Ryan celebrated his first title. Now he is four wins away from celebrating his second. Through two generations and two teams, Ryan has proven that he is a true champion. Not bad for a kid from a small Texas town.

Zack Wheeler: Is He Nolan Ryan Or Oliver Perez?

The trade of Carlos Beltran to the Giants became official earlier today, as the longtime Mets' outfielder agreed to join the NL West leaders. In return, the Mets received top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler, who was the sixth overall pick in the 2009 Amateur Draft.

Wheeler was ranked No. 55 among all prospects prior to the 2011 season, but moved up to No. 35 in the recently released mid-season rankings. Clearly, Wheeler is expected to someday produce at the major league level or else Sandy Alderson wouldn't have asked for him when he traded away his All-Star rightfielder.

Right now, Wheeler has a slight problem controlling his pitches. Okay, slight might be an understatement when you consider his career minor league numbers.

Since playing in his first professional game in 2010, Wheeler has pitched in 37 games (29 starts). In 146.2 innings, he's walked 85 batters, averaging 5.2 walks per nine innings. But that doesn't tell the whole story. Wheeler has also thrown 19 wild pitches and hit 11 batters.

Let's put these numbers in perspective. There are six pitchers in the National League who have already surpassed 146.2 innings this season. Therefore, it's fair to say that Wheeler has pitched the equivalent of what some National League pitchers have pitched this year.

Currently, J.A. Happ is leading the National League in walks, handing out 60 free passes this season. That's 25 fewer than Wheeler.

Those 19 wild pitches thrown by Wheeler? That's almost twice as many as the National League leader, Hiroki Kuroda, who's uncorked 11 wild ones. No one else in the NL has more than nine.

Wheeler's 11 hit batsmen would also be pacing the National League, as that total surpasses NL leader Randy Wolf by one.

Of course, Wheeler still has plenty of time to work on his control, as he is only 21 years old and will be pitching for the St. Lucie Mets. Still, one can't help but wonder if Wheeler is going to someday challenge for the Triple Crown of Pitching (leading the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts, as Dwight Gooden did for the Mets in 1985) or the Triple Crown of Wildness (leading the league in walks, wild pitches and hit batsmen).

Nolan Ryan was also wild in the minors, walking 200 batters in his first 291 minor league innings. Then again, so was Oliver Perez, (you thought you'd never see his name in a Studious Metsimus post again, didn't you?) who issued 150 walks in his first 322 professional innings.

Of course, Nolan Ryan learned how to harness his talent and translated it into a Hall of Fame career. Oliver Perez has used his talent to teach his minor league teammates which fast food restaurants are the best in and around Harrisburg, PA, which is where he has toiled as a member of the Washington Nationals Triple-A squad.

Hopefully, the Mets won't promote Wheeler through their minor league system until he has shown improvement with his control. Yes, he's managed to strike out his share of batters (168 Ks in 146.2 innings), but so did Ollie (554 Ks in 517.1 career minor league innings).

It is imperative that the Mets take their time with Zach Wheeler. In a few years, Wheeler might be part of a young pitching staff that includes fellow prospect Matt Harvey, along with 10-game winner Jonathon Niese and nine-game winner Dillon Gee. That staff could rival the 1986 staff, or it could be the second coming of Generation K.

Zack Wheeler is expected to be a big part of the Mets' future. For that to happen, he'll have to put his wild past behind him and focus on improving his control in the present. Nolan Ryan was able to do it. Oliver Perez was not. It's up to Zack Wheeler to figure out if he wants to take a limo to Cooperstown or a bus to Harrisburg.

Texas Two-Step (Part II): Joey Does Dallas

Howdy y'all! This is your fav'rit Studious Metsimus blogger/culinary expert Joey Beartran, reporting for duty. In today's episode, I will recap my just-completed trip to Texas to see the Mets play the Rangers, where our boys in blue and orange took two out of three from the defending American League champions.

As a respected blogger, I expected the Rangers to roll out the red carpet for me upon my arrival in Arlington. I got nothing. No red carpet. Not even a wet towel to combat the oppressive triple digit temperatures. I wasn't even allowed in the press room because they didn't believe me when I said I accidentally lost my media credentials somewhere between our trip to In-N-Out Burger and Sonic. (I must have confused it for a napkin.) The closest I got to the press room was the Media Only sign outside the ballpark.



So I had to sit in the ballpark with the fans. No big deal. I could handle not being in an air-conditioned press box. Plus, it would give me the opportunity to walk around the stadium and try out the ballpark fare at their concession stands.

My first stop was at the bacon dog stand. You read that right. It's a stand that sells hot dogs wrapped in bacon. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with what I expected to be a Texas delicacy. I mean, I like bacon and I like hot dogs. Then again, I like chicken nachos and I like cannolis, but I wouldn't eat them together. That's what the bacon dogs were like. Two fine meats in and of themselves, but one big disappointment when combined on a bun.

Such a promising concept, but I wish it had been bacon AND a hot dog instead on bacon ON a hot dog.

By the time I had donated the rest of my bacon dog to the pigeon that had that "I'm going to poop on you if you don't share your meal with me" look in its eyes, the Mets had already taken a 3-0 lead on the Rangers. Considering the Mets had only scored one run in the opener of the series, putting up a three-spot in the first inning gave me hope that this game would be different.

I was all set to watch Jon Niese take the mound in the bottom of the first inning to protect the lead his teammates had provided for him when something unexpected happened. Something grabbed my attention and wouldn't let it go, no matter how intent I was on watching the game.

It was the nacho stand.

Can you get burritos at Citi Field? I think not!

This was Tex-Mex heaven! In addition to quesadillas and fajita salads, you could also build your own burrito. The vendors handed out a piece of paper, which the patron would fill out detailing exactly what ingredients were to be added to their burrito, salad, nachos, etc.

Of course, I had to try their chicken taco salad in a crispy tortilla bowl. This was not the bacon dog. This was bliss in a bowl. My sister, Iggy, who also made the trip to Texas, shared the salad (and souvenir soda) with me. After eating it, we wished we had ordered one for each of us. It was that good!

What was in our chicken taco salad? The better question might be, what WASN'T in it? Yum!

After consuming the salad, we made our way back to our seats, at which time we noticed that the Mets now had a 6-0 lead. Jonathon Niese, who was unaccustomed to the excessive temperatures, was cruising, while his mound opponent, Alexi Ogando, (7-2, 2.66 ERA and a leading candidate for American League Rookie of the Year) wilted in the Texas heat.

The Mets failed to score in the fourth and fifth frames, so I thought it would be a good time to check out other aspects of the ballpark. We checked out the Mets' bullpen (see first photo below), the seats behind home plate (see middle photo below) and then...well...you know...



After our break with the garlic fries, we walked over to the center field area, where we noticed a giant statue of a man tipping his cap. Upon further inspection, we noticed that it was a statue dedicated to the only Texas Ranger player to have his number retired by the team, Nolan Ryan. (Former manager Johnny Oates is the only other former Ranger to have his number retired, despite the fact that Bobby Valentine is the all-time winningest manager in Ranger history. Yes, the same Bobby Valentine that managed the Mets to the World Series in 2000.)

Of course, as a Mets fan who was born at Shea Stadium, (okay, so technically I was purchased by my colleague in the Mets Team Store behind home plate at Shea in 2004, but for argument's sake, let's just say I was "born" there, ya dig?) I noticed the similarities between the Rangers and the Mets with regards to retired numbers. Both teams have retired only one player's number (Seaver's No. 41 for New York and Ryan's No. 34 for Texas), both teams have retired the number of the manager who led them to their first division title (Hodges' No. 14 for the Mets and Oates' No. 26 for the Rangers) and both have failed to bestow the same honor to Bobby Valentine.

While I was pondering those similarities, I noticed that Iggy had climbed onto Nolan Ryan's glove, so before any Rangers fans could cry sacrilege, I followed her in an effort to get her to come down. Of course, a roving photographer caught us on his glove and snapped the photo below.

Even in the middle of Texas, the paparazzi never rests.

Needless to say, we needed a place to hide before a lynch mob treated us like Frankenstein's monster for sitting on their beloved Nolan Ryan's statue. We tried to get into the Mets' bullpen, but were turned aside. We tried going back to the Tex-Mex stand, but there were too many people standing in line who might recognize us.

It got to the point where we thought everyone was after us. Every Rangers fan on their cell phone appeared to be calling the police in our minds. If I'm not mistaken, I think I overheard one of the fans talking about calling Chuck Norris so he could arrest us, before a fellow fan reminded him that Norris wasn't a real lawman. He only played one on TV.

Chuck Norris Fact: His badge will be retired alongside Nolan Ryan and Johnny Oates' number.

Running out of places to hide, we tried one last time to get into the press box. We circled the area on the second level behind home plate when we were spotted. Fortunately, it wasn't El Rangerdoro (a Lucha Libre wrestler who didn't take kindly to Mets fans on his turf) doing the spotting. A hand reached out from up above and we heard a familiar voice who offered to bring us into the Mets' radio booth, where we'd be safe from television-obsessed fans and masked wrestlers. Who was this kind soul who shielded us in our time of need?

It was none other than longtime Mets' radio play-by-play man, Howie Rose.

Thank you, Howie! You saved us from angry Rangers fans and finally got us into the broadcast booth!

Right after the save by Howie Rose, everything turned for the better. The Mets scored eight more times (finishing the game with a season-high 14 runs) and we were able to escape with a victory and our lives.

We did not attend the final game of the series the following afternoon, an 8-5 victory by the Mets. Our Studious Metsimus colleague will say it was because we had to take a flight home, but if you saw the reactions of El Rangerdoro and the other members of the Church of Nolan Ryan after we sat on their savior's statue, you'd want to get out of Dodge as soon as possible, too.

Our stay in the Dallas area was memorable for many reasons. It was memorable for the variety of food we sampled. (Bacon dogs - bleccchhh, garlic fries - acceptable, chicken taco salad - nom nom nom!) It was memorable for all the crooked numbers the Mets put up on the scoreboard in taking the series from the Rangers. And it was memorable because we went to Texas and became outlaws for a day, even though that wasn't part of the original plan.

I am glad we're back home, though. After all, I don't think Iggy and I were going to fool native Texans much longer with the disguises we put on in order to blend in with the crowd. Well, maybe we could have fooled that Chuck Norris fan...

Texas Two-Step (Part I): Coop & Ed's Tex-cellent Adventure

Last year, the cast and crew of Studious Metsimus embarked on a world tour. No, we didn't tour with Weezer (although that would be super-sweet). Instead, we toured the country following the Mets to different ballparks. We attended games at Camden Yards (Baltimore), Nationals Park (Washington), AT&T Park (San Francisco) and PNC Park (Pittsburgh), cheering for the Mets every step of the way. (We also ventured to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, but that city doesn't need to be linked out to here.)

This year, we decided to pack our bags and take a trip to Texas. Who's "we"? Why, it's yours truly, along with correspondent Taryn (Coop) Cooper, culinary expert/investigative reporter Joey Beartran and his sister, Iggy. (Joey and Iggy's report will be featured in a separate piece.)

We followed the Mets to Texas, where we were told everything is bigger. Apparently, that statement was spot on, as our smiles and Mets' pride were never bigger than they were in Arlington.

Photo by Sharon Chapman, who joined us in Texas with her family. Thanks, Sharon!

Scheduling (and this thing called a "day job") prevented us from attending the finale of the three-game series between the Mets and the Rangers, but we were able to go to the first two games. We can skip over the first game, which was another off-day for Mike Pelfrey and the bullpen. Then again, the final result (an 8-1 loss by the Mets) was nothing new for Big Pelf, as his road woes are no longer a secret.

So let's move on to the middle game of the series. After the first loss, the Mets had sunk to two games under .500 for the millionth time this season. But Jonathon Niese was on the mound for the Mets against the Rangers. Unlike Pelfrey, Niese has had more success on the road (10-7) than at home (8-11) and it showed. Then again, even Victor Zambrano could have won the game with the fireworks supplied by the Mets' bats.

Who needs the long ball? Chicks dig singles as well.

The Mets pounded out 17 hits, with nary a home run in sight, en route to a 14-5 thrashing of the Rangers. The 14 runs represented a season-high for the Mets, who desperately needed a game in which the bullpen was either not used or used in a less stressful environment.

Unfortunately, with Jonathon Niese succumbing to the heat, it was up to Bobby Parnell and DJ Carrasco to finish the game. Jason Isringhausen was not called upon because he was too busy playing with his big red ball and Manny Acosta was on bathroom security duty (see photos below).



While we are the game in our Mets gear, we were actually heckled by four Rangers fans. That's right, not everyone in Texas is polite. The first three fans apparently got together before the game because all they could come up with was "BOOOOO" as we walked by.

The fourth fan was a little more original with his insult, as he showed his extensive knowledge of pronouns with his "BOO YOU" epithet. Then again, perhaps he wasn't being derisive to us at all and was just stating the college he was attending. (BOO U, anyone?)

We did have to give credit to one Rangers fan who actually was quite creative in expressing his love for his team, dressing as a masked Lucha Libre fighter called "El Rangerdoro". He posed for some photos with us, where he showed off his signature "chokehold while wearing batting gloves" move and his ability to point at the camera. (For those of you who still thinking wrestling is real, I regret to inform you that the pointing was indeed choreographed.)



Although we couldn't attend the final game of the series, we did go out to the ballpark that morning to take some exterior shots of the ballpark and its surroundings. We didn't run into any players entering the stadium, but we did run into long-time Mets' PR dude, Jay Horwitz. (I assure you he's in one of the photos below.)





To recap our trip to Texas...

It was hot. No, seriously. Just look at that wet stain on my Mets T-shirt in the collage of photos above. That didn't come from the guy who attended BOO U.

Jon Niese did wonderfully in his start, despite sweating through his uniform (perhaps nervous that El Rangerdoro was waiting for him outside the visitors' clubhouse).

Manny Acosta might have a new job in sanitation soon if he continues to give up runs at an alarming rate.

Arlington has a really great ballpark. No joke needed there. It's just a really sweet park.

From the tributes to Nolan Ryan (including the large statue in center field of the Ryan Express doffing his cap) to the frequent fireworks (not all of them came from the Mets' bats), our ballpark experience was one to remember. It was indeed (dare I say it) a Tex-cellent adventure!

Ollie's Fair In Love And War

Oliver Perez might have been pitching to save face and his job this afternoon when he took the mound against the St. Louis Cardinals. After tossing two scoreless innings in which he allowed two hits and did not walk a batter, Ollie appears to be safe for now. Of course, he faced mostly minor league hitters dressed in Cardinals jerseys, but who are we to quibble?

Actually, we've quibbled quite a bit over the past two seasons about Oliver Perez. We've asked for his unconditional release, we've asked him to follow in the footsteps of Kevin Saucier and retire while he's still in his 20s, and we've outed him for having a child as a bodyguard. Still, there was a time when Oliver Perez wasn't so despised.

We won't go so far as to say that Ollie was beloved at Shea Stadium, but from the 2006 NLCS through the Shea Goodbye ceremony in 2008 (El Perez-idente started that final game at Shea and pitched far better than Tom Glavine did in the previous season's finale), Perez wasn't all that bad. He certainly wasn't the vilified pariah he has become since the Mets loaded up their moving van and traveled across the parking lot to Citi Field. Of course, Ollie wasn't making anywhere near $12 million between 2006 and 2008, so perhaps that has something to do with the fans' vitriol towards him.

If you're too young or choose to forget that Oliver Perez was actually a serviceable pitcher at one time, perhaps this will remind you:

Even Oliver Perez seems shocked that he was actually a good pitcher once. Once.

• In 2007 and 2008, Ollie went 25-17 for the Mets. In the team's 49-year history, only 38 pitchers have won at least 25 games over their entire Mets career. Ollie was able to reach that total in only two seasons.

• Out of all the pitchers in franchise history who have been on the mound for at least 500 innings, only 20 of them finished with a career winning percentage of .500 or better. One of them is Oliver Perez, whose 29-29 win-loss record as a Met ties him with Jesse Orosco (47-47) for 20th place. Ollie's career winning percentage in New York is higher than Gary Gentry (.494), Tug McGraw (.461) and Nolan Ryan (.433) and only slightly lower than franchise legends Jerry Koosman (.505) and Jon Matlack (.503).

• Oliver Perez might have walked a batter or twelve over his Mets career, but hitters still have a tough time against him when they put the ball in play. In 4½ seasons as a Met, Ollie has allowed 8.38 hits per nine innings. That puts him 17th on the Mets' all-time list for fewest H/9IP, ahead of notable pitchers such as Bret Saberhagen, Rick Reed, Frank Viola and the non-devastated Tom Glavine.

• In less than five seasons, Ollie is 20th on the Mets' all-time list with 494 strikeouts. That puts him ahead of Nolan Ryan (493), Pedro Martinez (464) and Bob Ojeda (459). Ollie is also third in strikeouts per nine innings (8.55), behind only David Cone (8.72) and Nolan Ryan (8.70). It's true. Ollie ranks higher than Tom Seaver or Dwight Gooden, the two pitchers who are generally considered to be the best in franchise history.

To even things out, Oliver Perez is 17th on the franchise's all-time list for home runs allowed. He also ranks 17th in most walks allowed and 10th in hit batsmen, all of which are negative categories. However, from the list above, it's clear that Ollie has done quite well for himself in a number of positive pitching categories.

So what does this say about the Mets? For a team that has prided itself on having great pitchers over the years, does this mean that the well has run dry? How can a team that featured rotations of Seaver, Koosman and Matlack in the '70s and Gooden, Darling, Ojeda and Fernandez in the '80s have Oliver Perez finding his way into the club's all-time leaderboard?

Perhaps the Mets have had lack of pitching talent over the past 20 years. Perhaps the good pitchers never stay in New York for very long. Or perhaps Oliver Perez was actually not as bad as the guy everyone wants to run out of town for just breathing near Citi Field. One thing's for sure. Oliver Perez is still a Met. He might be here all year. If he is, that all-time Mets leaderboard might have another Ollie or two the next time we check it.

Courting Mark Cuban

By now you've heard the story of the Wilpon Family Circus ad nauseum. If not, it goes a little something like this. The Wilpons are being sued! They need money! They're looking for a business partner to buy up to 25% of the Mets!

But while numerous investors have stepped up expressing interest in buying a share of the franchise, including one that would include Martin Luther King III, there is one billionaire whose name has not surfaced as a potential minority owner. This person has experience with ownership of a professional sports franchise and has also attempted to buy two other major league baseball teams in the recent past.

Tell me, my friends. How would you feel about Mark Cuban throwing his money around Citi Field?

In today's Daily News, Tim Smith reveals that all the Mets have to do to get Cuban's attention is to make the first phone call. The always accessible entrepreneur was in New York last night to watch the team he currently owns, the Dallas Mavericks, play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Cuban had this to say about the Mets' search for a business partner:

"If someone sees me as a potential owner, I'll take their call and discuss a deal."

Cuban has already expressed his desire to own a major league baseball franchise. In 2008, he tried to purchase the Chicago Cubs from Sam Zell, but was unsuccessful in his attempt. Last year, after the Texas Rangers declared bankruptcy, Cuban was one of a number of investors who put in a bid for the financially troubled team. In August, he was narrowly beaten out by a group led by Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, who bought the eventual American League champions for over half a billion dollars.

So what are the pros and cons of Cuban potentially owning a share of the Mets?

For one thing, Cuban certainly wouldn't have allowed players such as Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo to remain on the team for as long as they have. Although the Wilpons have never publicly stated that they're unwilling to eat their contracts, it is not unreasonable to believe that their current financial problems have a lot to do with it. If the Mets decided to release Perez and Castillo, they'd still be responsible for their salaries (approximately $18 million in 2011 between the two players). They'd also have to pay the players who would fill their vacated roster spots, increasing the team's payroll in the process. By keeping Perez and Castillo on the team, they'd in essence be saving money, although it would come at the expense of fielding the best possible team.

Mark Cuban would not only rid the team of Perez and Castillo, he'd personally drive them to the airport and would make sure the door hit them on the way out. He would not let a few bucks or perhaps $18 million get in the way of fielding a contending team day in and day out. The Dallas Mavericks have been in the playoffs each of the last ten years, reaching the NBA Finals in 2006. They've put together a talented team despite there being a salary cap in basketball. Imagine what Cuban could do in baseball, where the commissioner's office doesn't restrict him from spending whatever he needs to acquire the best possible players.

Now there is the question of how hands-on you'd want Cuban to be. At times he has become the main story, rather than the man who sits quietly in the background, letting his players' performance do the talking. Cuban has been fined more than any other owner in NBA history. If he were to become a part of the Mets organization, would this behavior continue? The players have already had to deal with numerous off-the-field controversies. (Frankie Knuckles, Madoff's Millions, etc.) Would they have to answer for their new co-owner as well?

Will Mark Cuban unleash his telekinetic powers on the Wilpons in an effort to purchase a share of the Mets?

The Dallas Mavericks have never won a championship since Mark Cuban bought the team in January of 2000. However, they have registered ten consecutive 50-win seasons (the all-time NBA record is 12) and have won three division titles, reached the Western Conference Finals twice and made one trip to the NBA Finals. That's a lot more than the Mets can claim since Fred Wilpon bought Nelson Doubleday's share of the Mets in 2002. Since then, the Mets have only made one playoff appearance (2006) and have finished with a losing record five times.

In a perfect world, Cuban would become an owner of the Mets, allowing the Wilpons to deal with their problems, while coming up with the capital needed for Sandy Alderson to bring in the talent necessary to compete in the National League. Of course, we live in a less-than-perfect world, one where a certain player remains on the team to pick up that ever-elusive fourth victory in the third year of a $36 million contract.

Eventually the Wilpons will find a buyer that will dole out approximately $200 million for a share of the Mets. Should Mark Cuban be that buyer? Judging by how he brought the Dallas Mavericks back from Moribund Central (ten consecutive losing seasons in the '90s) to the rarefied air of the NBA's elite, perhaps a maverick owner is just what the Mets need.

Joey's Soapbox: My Very Biased Division Series Picks

The 2010 season has mercifully come to an end for the Mets. For the fourth consecutive season, the boys in orange and blue (and sometimes black and sometimes those cream colored uniforms that I wanted but spent my money on chicken nachos instead) failed to make the playoffs.

That's now 42 out of 49 seasons with no postseason baseball to look forward to. So what's a bear to do when there's still baseball, but no Mets?

In honor of the Mets finishing with their second consecutive losing record, I'm proud to share my very biased predictions on who will LOSE each playoff series in the Division Series round. Why pick the winners when I'd much rather pick the losers? And away we go...

American League Division Series

New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins

The Yankees have faced the Twins three times in the postseason (2003, 2004, 2009), winning all three times. However, the Twins did not have home-field advantage against the Yankees in either of those series. They will this year, which is to their advantage as their 53-28 record in their home ballpark was the best in the American League.

The Yankees will employ a three-man rotation against the Twins, led by C(onstantly) C(hewing) Sabathia. The hefty lefty lost seven games this season, but five of those losses came on the road. The pivotal Game 1 is at Target Field.

Although the Yankees hit .297 against Minnesota this year, their on-base percentage was only .329. Compare that to the Twins, who only hit .262 against Yankee pitching, but managed a .339 on-base percentage.

One more thing. The Yankees are the wild card team this year. The previous three times they made the playoffs as a second place team (1995, 1997, 2007), they were ousted in the first round. Therefore, the Yankees will lose this series in five games.


Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays

This one is quite simple. The Tampa Bay Rays are the beasts of the East. The Texas Rangers are the only franchise in baseball that has never won a playoff series.

From their inaugural season in 1961 as the expansion Washington Senators (a team that had a certain Mr. Gilbert Raymond Hodges as their manager from 1963 to 1967) to their current incarnation as Nolan Ryan's team, the Rangers have only appeared in the postseason three times, losing in 1996, 1998 and 1999 to the New York Yankees. In fact, the franchise has won a total of one playoff game in its fifty seasons.

The Rangers will finally get their second postseason victory, but will eventually lose the series to the Rays in four games.


National League Division Series

Cincinnati Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Let the photo below give you my prediction for me.


The Phillies will lose the series to the Reds in five games, causing all their fans to vomit on each other in disgust.


Atlanta Braves vs. San Francisco Giants

When the Braves made the postseason every season from 1991-2005 (a streak snapped by the Mets in 2006), they made it as the division champion every year. 2010 marks the first time the Braves have entered the playoffs as a wild card winner.

The Giants were actually behind the Mets in the wild card standings at the All-Star Break. Then they took three out of four from New York in the series that changed the seasons for both teams. San Francisco hasn't stopped winning since, taking their first NL West title since Art Howe was the manager of the Mets.

Bobby Cox will end his career getting ejected from the game in which the Braves are eliminated from the postseason. Atlanta will be swept by San Francisco.


So it looks like we'll have a Twins-Rays ALCS and a Reds-Giants NLCS. The small market teams with the sub-$100 million payrolls will be popping champagne corks come this time next week. Let's just hope they have room in their budgets for that bubbly.

Please join me next week when we see that my opinions were not only very biased, but they were also correct. I'll have my League Championship Series predictions ready for you at that time, and oh yes...they will be biased.

Frankie Rodriguez Punches Out For 2010

Hope the Mets took out a good insurance policy on their RP (relief pugilist), Francisco Rodriguez. With the news that's just coming over the wire, it appears that K-Rod has punched the clock for the final time in 2010.

According to numerous sources, including Ken Belson of the New York Times, Frankie Rodriguez has a torn ligament in his right thumb (his pitching hand). The injury occurred last Wednesday during his observance of "Take Out Your Father-In-Law At Work Day".

The injury will knock him out for the rest of the season if K-Rod chooses to have surgery, as has been recommended by the team's medical staff.

There is an interesting side note to this bit of news. K-Rod has an option for $17.5 million for the 2012 season that will vest if he finishes 100 games between the 2010 and 2011 seasons. If Rodriguez does not pitch anymore this season, he will have ended his campaign with 46 games finished. That will leave him 54 games short of the number needed to trigger the vesting option for 2012.

Since this incident will probably stain him for the rest of his career, it behooves Frankie to get the surgery done so he can make the required appearances to collect his hefty payday. However, will the Mets want him around long enough for the option to kick in?

Perhaps the Mets will release him. Then again, if they haven't released Oliver Perez, who has sucked more than Jenna Jameson has, what chance do they have of releasing Frankie? A better option would be to attempt to trade him. Despite his off-the-field problems and his obvious anger management problem, K-Rod can still pitch effectively and is still young (28 years old). Is there any team that would be willing to take him, his salary and his fists of fury?

I have a suggestion that would work out for everybody involved. Why not trade him to the Texas Rangers? Since Nolan Ryan is part of the ownership team, perhaps he could teach him how to pitch more effectively. Ryan has already suggested that the team should scrap pitch counts for their pitchers and Mets fans know that Frankie has occasionally let his pitch count soar as high as his blood pressure.

The Mets can get some quality players in return and at the very worst, Ryan can teach Rodriguez the proper way to fight. After all, who better to teach how to punch someone without getting hurt in the process?


The 2010 season is spiraling out of control for the Mets, but at least they have a chance do something about it on the field. The same cannot be said for Francisco Rodriguez. He doesn't even have a fighter's chance to salvage his season and his reputation.