Listen Up, Bud! Expansion Can Fix It All!

Earlier today, Bud Selig announced the sale of the Houston Astros to Jim Crane.  As part as the deal, the Astros will move from the National League Central to the American League West, creating six five-team divisions and leaving the Mets as the sole 1962 expansion team left in the National League.

In addition, there will be an extra wild card team per league no later than 2013 and perhaps as early as next season.  This would increase the playoff field from eight to ten teams, with the wild card teams facing each other in an elimination game or best-of-three series, although Selig prefers the one game format.

Although the Astros' move to the American League finally ends the disparity between the two leagues, with each league now possessing an equal number of teams, it also creates the need for interleague play throughout the season.

Can you imagine if the hotly contested American League East was decided by the Pittsburgh Pirates?  What if the National League wild card winner was determined by a late season game featuring the Kansas City Royals?  It could happen, as at least one pair of teams would have to conclude their season by playing an interleague game.

One of the reasons why there are no interleague matchups after the All-Star Break is to preserve the integrity of each league's playoff races.  Teams competing for postseason berths should have as many head-to-head matchups as possible as the games dwindle to a precious few.  Having to stick in an interleague matchup in September would be a detriment to the excitement generated by late season playoff pushes.

I have a potential solution to this problem.  Can you say "expansion", boys and girls?

Without expansion, we might all be Yankee fans.  Hooray, expansion!

The first wave of expansion occurred in 1961, when the Washington Senators and Los Angeles Angels joined the American League.  Since then, the longest gap between expansion periods has been 16 years, as Major League Baseball didn't add any teams between 1977 (Toronto and Seattle) and 1993 (Colorado and Florida).

No new teams have begun play since 1998, when Arizona and Tampa Bay became the 29th and 30th franchises in the majors.  With no expansion on the immediate horizon, it appears likely that the aforementioned 16-year gap between expansion periods will be surpassed.

Major League Baseball is ready for more expansion.  North Carolina is represented in all of the major professional sports except baseball.  The NFL (Carolina Panthers), NBA (Charlotte Bobcats) and NHL (Carolina Hurricanes) have all set up shop in the Tar Heel state.  Why not baseball?  As of now, there is no major league franchise between Washington and Atlanta.  Expanding into Charlotte or Raleigh would give fans in the Carolinas their own team to root for, instead of having to settle for a team hundreds of miles to the north (Nationals) or south (Braves).

Another area that could potentially be a suitor for a major league franchise is Vancouver.  As things currently stand, Seattle is the city that is furthest from its closest geographical rival.  Every time the Mariners leave the Emerald City for a road trip, they have to travel quite a distance.  Their "shortest" trip would take them to Oakland, a mere 680.7 miles away, according to sportmapworld.com.  Adding a major league franchise in Vancouver would give the Mariners a much more natural geographical rival located only 140 miles away.  Also, a team in Vancouver would give Canada its second team, filling the void that was created when the Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals.

In addition to the Carolinas and Vancouver, other cities/metropolitan areas that could potentially become destinations for an expansion franchise include Portland (Oregon), Las Vegas, Indianapolis and Memphis.

So if baseball expands to 32 teams, what would this do to the league and divisional structure and how would this affect the postseason?

Baseball could adopt a structure similar to the one currently used by the NFL, creating eight four-team divisions.   The American League and National League would have 16 teams in four divisions, with one expansion team joining the AL and the other becoming the newest member of the NL.

Unlike the NFL, where 12 teams crash the postseason party, only 10 teams would make the playoffs in baseball.  Each of the eight division winners would qualify for October baseball, plus two wild card teams (one in each league).  The division winner with the poorest record would play the wild card team in the opening round (no more than best-of-three) and the other division winners would receive an opening round bye.  The winner of the opening round would then play the team with the league's best record in the next round, with the other division winners squaring off against each other.

By having only one wild card team per league, it would allow for fewer second place teams to potentially win a championship.  Since the advent of the wild card in 1995, only five non-division winners have gone on to win the World Series (1997 Marlins, 2002 Angels, 2003 Marlins, 2004 Red Sox, 2011 Cardinals).  A team good enough to play in the World Series should also be good enough to outperform its division rivals over a 162-game season.  By not having multiple wild card teams per league, a division winner has a better chance to reach the Fall Classic.  The World Series should always feature the best teams in the sport, not second fiddles who just happened to get hot at the right time.

Also, by having the division winner with the poorest record play an extra playoff series against the wild card winner, it creates less complacency for teams after they've clinched the division title.  Many times (see 2011 Phillies, 2011 Yankees) a team has wrapped up their division weeks before the end of the regular season.  As a result, they coast to the finish line, abandoning the style of play that helped them win their division in the first place.  If the spectre of a potential extra playoff series were to loom on a division winner, they'd play hard until season's end, giving fans competitive baseball from Game No. 1 to Game No. 162.

Starting in 2013, the American League and National League will have the same number of teams for the first time since 1997.  However, with each league having an odd number of teams (15), the need for interleague play on a daily basis will become a reality.  As a result, a division title or wild card berth in one league might be determined by what the contending team does against the other league.

In addition to the realignment of the two leagues, Bud Selig wants to create excitement and have meaningful baseball games at the end of the regular season by adding a second wild card team to each league no later than 2013.

There is one way to generate such excitement in late September and it's not with interleague baseball to determine division titles.  Major League Baseball should expand to 32 teams in the near future and create two leagues with four divisions of four teams apiece.  By putting the focus on winning a division title instead of settling for the wild card and making division leaders play hard for all 162 games by adding the possibility of having to play an extra playoff series, Selig would give fans the best product possible.  Now that's baseball like it oughta be!

If Not New York, Where Should Jose Reyes Play?

The Tour de Reyes is underway, with Jose making his first stop earlier today in Miami to tour the Marlins' new ballpark. According to Joe Frisaro (Marlins' beat reporter for mlb.com), the free agent shortstop had lunch with Marlins' team officials at Joe's Stone Crab in Miami Beach, but did not sign a contract with the newly renamed Miami Marlins.

John Harper of the Daily News believes the Marlins are only going to offer Reyes a three-year deal with an average annual value exceeding $20 million.  Although the Marlins are willing to increase their payroll this year, the length of the deal is probably not enough for them to have a realistic shot to sign Reyes.

Other teams said to have an interest in Reyes include Milwaukee, Detroit and...oh yeah...any team who wants to improve their chances of winning and put extra fans in the seats!

If you were Jose Reyes, what would you do?  Could you imagine yourself being Ryan Braun's teammate, just months after you sat yourself down after one at-bat in the regular season finale in order to improve your chances of winning the batting title?  What about playing for strict disciplinarian Jim Leyland, who tells it like it is, even if it's not something you want to hear?

Never mind those two teams.  Could Reyes really see himself wearing this hideous jersey (see photo below, right) for the next few seasons?  He'd have to get his eyes checked if he did that.

So let's say Jose Reyes doesn't re-sign with the Mets.  Where would the best place be for him if he wants to continue to be an elite player?

With a career batting average of .292, Jose Reyes has always been an above-average hitter.  Obviously, as a member of the Mets, most of his games have come against National League teams.  However, have you seen his numbers in interleague play?

In 447 career at-bats against American League teams, Reyes has hit .304.  He has also been exceptional at making contact, striking out only 44 times in those 447 at-bats.  However, some of those 447 at-bats came in New York.  What has Reyes done when he's played in an American League park?  How about a .331 career mark in AL stadiums.  Did that get your attention?

Over his nine-year career, Jose Reyes has hit over .400 in five different stadiums.  Four of those ballparks are in the American League (Angels Stadium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Comerica Park, Rogers Centre).  The other stadium in which Reyes holds a career batting above .400 is Olympic Stadium, a ballpark Reyes will never play in again regardless of which team he chooses to sign with.

If Reyes wants to go where the money and long-term security is, then the American League is the place for him.  He has thrived in interleague play, especially when the Mets were wearing the road grays (or alternate black jerseys, which are still better looking than those new Marlins unis).

However, there's one other ballpark we haven't looked at.  What about Citi Field?  A quick check of the numbers reveals that Reyes has had his fair share of success there as well.

This looks like a good fit to me.  Isn't that right, Jose?

Jose Reyes has played approximately one full season's worth of games at Citi Field (153 games).  In 626 at-bats in the Mets' home ballpark, Reyes has batted .319, picking up exactly 200 hits.  Reyes has excelled in the extra-base hit department at Citi Field, lashing 29 doubles, 20 triples and 13 home runs.  Just as he has done against the American League, Reyes' contact rate has also been exceptional at Citi Field.  The shortstop has struck out a mere 55 times in 626 at-bats.

One more thing about Reyes at Citi Field.  As any Mets fan knows, Reyes' game is in his legs, and at Citi Field, no one is better at stealing bases.  In 153 games there, Reyes has stolen 44 bases while being caught only four times.  His 92% success rate at Citi Field is his highest in any ballpark.  Reyes has been successful in 79% of his stolen base attempts at venues other than Citi Field.

If Jose Reyes chooses to leave the Mets, it would benefit him to move to the American League.  But why would he want to do that?  He could play 81 games a year at Citi Field, where he has performed well both at the plate and on the basepaths.  Besides, blue and orange will always look better on him than tangerine.

David Wright Hasn't Been The Same Since Matt Cain

Ever since Shea Stadium closed its doors for the final time in 2008, David Wright has not been the same player.  At least that's what I hear from many Mets fans.  Although I do think the move from Shea Stadium to Citi Field has hurt Wright's power stroke, I don't think the ballpark is to blame for his overall decline at the plate from All-Star hitter to strikeout-prone former slugger.

As a matter of fact, I believe I can pinpoint the exact moment David Wright went from a hitter that was always among the league leaders in batting average to the current player that's become so divisive among Mets fans.  It all began on August 15, 2009, when Wright wore a blue and orange target for Matt Cain's head-seeking missile.

This is where the poop started hitting the fan for David Wright.

The 2009 season was difficult for fans and players alike.  The Mets were coming off four consecutive winning seasons, although they had fallen one win short of the playoffs in each of the previous two campaigns.  Still, one couldn't hope but think that the 2009 season would be different, especially with the Mets moving into a new ballpark.  Then the season began and the DL Hotel opened for business.

Within a short period of time, Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran all went on the disabled list.  Reyes didn't play again in 2009.  Delgado didn't play again...ever.  Beltran came back late in the season, but was a shell of his former self.  While Reyes, Delgado and Beltran were on the sidelines, David Wright was forced to become the main offensive threat in the lineup.

Wright was not hitting home runs in 2009 the way he had in the past, but then again, no Met was.  However, Wright was getting on base.  A lot.  And it didn't stop when his teammates started dropping like flies.

 

Ouch.                    Ouch.                    Ouch.

Carlos Delgado played his last game as a Met on May 10, 2009.  At the time, his hip injury was not deemed to be serious, and he was listed as day-to-day.  Jose Reyes played his final game of the season ten days later after he aggravated a calf injury.  Carlos Beltran was forced out of the lineup with a knee injury after playing on June 21, 2009.  He spent the next two and a half months on the disabled list.

David Wright was hitting fifth in the lineup prior to Delgado's injury.  The first baseman's trip to the disabled list forced Wright to move into the cleanup spot for a number of games (sharing the spot with Gary Sheffield), where he thrived.

Before May 10, Wright was hitting .304 and had an on-base percentage of .391, both excellent numbers and on par with his career averages (.309/.389 through the 2008 season).  But with one less offensive weapon in the lineup (two if you count Reyes, who was disabled shortly after Delgado), Wright reached base at a frenetic pace.  In the 36 games between the injuries to Delgado and Beltran, Wright batted .387 and reached base at a robust .472 clip.  In the 49 games following Beltran's last game, Wright's batting average slipped to .287, but his .384 on-base percentage was still quite respectable.

That brings us to August 15, 2009.  In the fourth inning of a nationally televised game, David Wright was felled by a 93 MPH fastball delivered by the Giants' Matt Cain.  As a result, Wright suffered a concussion and was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his career.  When he returned to the lineup on September 1, Wright was a completely different player.

I spy with my little eye ... nothing ... probably because I have a concussion.

From September 1 to season's end, Wright played in 29 games, batting .239 with a .289 on-base percentage.  More importantly, he struck out a whopping 35 times while drawing only nine walks.  Prior to his concussion, Wright had played in 115 games, striking out 105 times and taking 65 bases on balls.

Let's look at Wright's strikeout totals from year to year prior to his close encounter with Matt Cain's heater, beginning with his first full season in 2005 and including his 2009 season totals up to August 15.  In addition, let's also consider his batting average and on-base percentage:

• 2005: 160 games played, .306/.388, 113 strikeouts
• 2006: 154 games played, .311/.381, 113 strikeouts
• 2007: 160 games played, .325/.416, 115 strikeouts
• 2008: 160 games played, .302/.390, 118 strikeouts
• 2009: 115 games played, .324/.414, 105 strikeouts

Even though his power was dampened by Citi Field in 2009, Wright's other numbers were very consistent and in line with his career averages.  He also averaged fewer than one strikeout per game in every season prior to August 15, 2009.

Now let's look at what Wright has done since returning from the disabled list on September 1, 2009.  The numbers aren't pretty:

• 2009: 29 games played, .239/.289, 35 strikeouts
• 2010: 157 games played, .283/.354, 161 strikeouts
• 2011: 102 games played, .254/.345, 97 strikeouts

Before his concussion, Wright played in a total of 818 games (he appeared in 69 games for the Mets in 2004) and had a .311/.392 cumulative split in batting average and on-base percentage.  He also struck out a total of 604 times over those 818 games.  Post-concussion, Wright's numbers have taken a hit across the board.  The third baseman has batted .268 since September 1, 2009, while reaching base at a .344 clip.  He has also averaged over a strikeout per game, fanning a total of 293 times in 288 games.

Looks like Matt Cain's head-seeking missile has caused David Wright to fear approaching baseballs.  (Notice how he's running away in fear of the baseball to the right of his right foot.)

The Mets are moving in the fences at Citi Field in the hopes that players like Jason Bay and David Wright can hit for more power.  But the power isn't the only thing that's been missing from David Wright's game.

Since August 15, 2009, everything has changed for David Wright at the plate.  Even without the homers (although he did recover to hit 29 HR in 2010), Wright has been getting fewer hits, while striking out more and drawing fewer walks, giving the team no indication that he's figured out how to become the player he once was.

Regardless of what many people might believe, the dimensions at Citi Field haven't had as much of an impact on David Wright's game as has been publicized.  His batting average and on-base percentage was very consistent with his career averages over the first four months of the 2009 season, even without Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado in the lineup and with Wright playing half of his games at cavernous Citi Field. 

Citi Field isn't the problem.  It's what happened at Citi Field on the afternoon of August 15, 2009.

Concussions are no joke. A person with a traumatic brain injury (i.e. a concussion) can suffer long-term effects to his health.  This can include difficulty in concentration and aslower reaction to stimuli.  Usually, once a pitch leaves the pitcher'shand, a hitter only has about four-tenths of a second to judge whattype of pitch he's seeing, where that pitch is going and whether or nothe's going to swing at it.  That's not much time to make an educated decision and it's certainly not much time for a person who's suffered from a concussion.

Although David Wright might be loath to admit it, his career has taken a downward turn since he was introduced to Matt Cain's fastball in 2009.  It's amazing what a concussion can do to a promising player's career.

Hey, Veterans Committee! Vote Hodges Into The Hall!

On Thursday, the 16-member Veterans Committee announced the names of the ten players up for consideration in the next Hall of Fame class.  Among the many worthy candidates was one particular name that should stand out to Mets fans - Gil Hodges.

Gil Hodges was a New York baseball legend.  He made his major league debut as a Brooklyn Dodger in 1943, then returned to the Dodgers for good in 1947.  Prior to 1947, the Dodgers had won one pennant in 26 years (1941) and had finished with a sub-.500 record in half of those 26 seasons.  With Gil Hodges and National League rookie sensation Jackie Robinson on board for the '47 season, the Dodgers began a streak of excellence that lasted for two decades.

Hodges was a member of seven pennant-winning Dodger teams, winning the 1955 World Series in Brooklyn and the 1959 Fall Classic in Los Angeles.  In his 15 seasons with the team, the Dodgers finished at least 10 games over .500 in all but one season (1958, their first season in Los Angeles).  Gil's exceptional ability in all aspects of the game was instrumental to the Dodgers' extended success.

As a hitter, only teammate Duke Snider had more home runs and RBIs than Hodges in the 1950s.  Snider and Hodges were the only two players in the major leagues to hit 300 HR and drive in 1,000 runs during the decade, with Hodges amassing 310 HR and 1,001 RBI from 1950-1959, including seven consecutive seasons with 100 or more RBIs (1949-1955).

As a fielder, Hodges won the Gold Glove Award at first base in each of the first three seasons of the award's existence.  Had Gold Gloves been handed out prior to 1957, Hodges would certainly have won more.

After 15 seasons as a Dodger, Hodges became an original Met in 1962, hitting the first home run in franchise history before being traded to Washington in 1963 to become manager of the Senators, who were in their third year of existence.  (The original Washington Senators became the Minnesota Twins in 1961, with an expansion franchise replacing them in Washington.)  Hodges led the Senators to their first 70-win season in 1965 and managed them to a sixth place finish two years later, which was quite an accomplishment for a team that had never finished higher than eighth in the ten-team American League.

Hodges was traded to the Mets following the 1967 season, becoming their manager in 1968.  Just like he did in Washington, Hodges led the Mets to their first 70-win season in '68, before surpassing all expectations in 1969 by leading the team to its first World Series championship.  It was Hodges' third championship of his career, after winning two as a player.

Although the 1969 championship was Hodges' only title as a manager, he was still able to keep the Mets in contention for the division title in 1970 and 1971, the second and third winning seasons in franchise history.  Sadly, Hodges passed away just days before the start of the 1972 season, ending a four decade love affair with the game of baseball.

Prior to his death in 1972, Gil Hodges had been on the Hall of Fame ballot for four seasons, never getting more than 50% of the vote.  However, after his sudden passing, Hodges began to receive posthumous support from the voters.  After receiving 161 votes (40.7% of the 396 ballots cast) in 1972, Hodges was named on 57.4% of the ballots (380 ballots, 218 votes) in 1973.  Hodges continued to gain support from the writers in later years, cracking the 60% mark on three occasions (1976, 1981, 1983), but never reaching the magic 75% mark needed for enshrinement.

In his final 13 seasons of eligibility, Hodges received at least 50% of the votes 11 times.  His teammate on the Dodgers, Duke Snider, received no more than 35.6% of the vote in each of his first six seasons of eligibility.  However, he was able to gain more support from the voters in the late '70s before he was finally enshrined in his 11th year of eligibility (1980) with 86.5% of the votes.

Gil Hodges has been unfairly kept out of the Hall of Fame for almost half a century.  How is it that his teammate and contemporary, Duke Snider, was able to garner more support from the voters over the years while Hodges didn't?

Once again, 75% of the votes will be needed for enshrinement.  That means 12 of the 16 veterans will need to write Gil Hodges on their ballot to make things right.

Gil Hodges was one of the best players of his era, both offensively and defensively.  After his playing career was over, he led two expansion teams out of the cellar and won a championship with one of them.  If that's not enough to make it into the Hall of Fame, I don't know what is.  On December 4, the Veterans Committee will cast their votes.  It's time for them to fix things once and for all by voting Gil Hodges into the Hall of Fame.  

Will Joan Hodges be celebrating her late husband's Hall of Fame induction soon?  We sure hope so!

Song Parody: "Sign" (Dedicated To Jose Reyes)

We all know what the top news story will be around Citi Field over the next few months.  All you have to do is read any of the Mets-centric blogs out there and you'll be inundated with posts about the need for the Mets to re-sign Jose Reyes.

At Studious Metsimus, we'd also like to chime in on the Jose Reyes situation.  But how could we go about doing that without sounding like every other fan with a blog?  The answer is simple, really.  We'll do it in the form of a song parody!

In the past, we've parodied Oliver Perez ("Ollie B. Gone") and Luis Castillo ("Forget Lou") after they were released from the team, so why not go the opposite route and write a parody asking the Mets to keep a player instead of bidding them a not-so-fond adieu?

So it came down to trying to find a song that would be relevant to the topic at hand.  We considered songs from various eras and genres (don't ask about the Hall & Oates parody - we're saving that one for another day) and almost chose "The Sign" by Swedish music icons Ace of Base. (What, did you think I was going to say Roxette?)

However, every time we started humming the song in our heads, we kept sticking in a "bork, bork, bork" in the chorus, which messed up the dynamic of the song.  As anyone not named Waldorf and Statler could tell you, anytime you hum a Swedish song, eventually your thoughts will turn to a certain Scandinavian culinary artist.

 Will the Mets re-sign Jose Reyes or will they "bork" things up again?

So which song did we pick to skewer now that Hall & Oates and Ace of Base were no longer in the picture?  Like Bobby Bonilla's cranial CAT scan, the choice was a no-brainer.

In 1971, the song "Signs" became a top ten hit for the Five Man Electrical Band.  It reappeared in the top ten in 1990 when Tesla covered the song.  Now it's back for a third time, in the hopes that Jose Reyes re-"signs" with the Mets.

Put on your best blue and orange karaoke clothes and get ready to jam with your fellow Mets fans.  It's time for "Sign"!


And Wilpon said,
"Long-dreaded free-agent people need not apply."
So he tucked his dreads under his do-rag
And he went in to ask him why.
Fred said, "you look like a fine shortstop
and I'd want to re-sign you.
You're a champ with a bat, but I imagine that
your days as a Met are through."

Oh!  Sign!  Sign!  Wish Jose would sign.
Put his John Hancock on the dotted line.
Do this, don't delay.
Can't you please just sign?!

And Wilpon said,
"Anybody caught hot doggin'
Will be cut on sight."
So he scaled the dugout fence and he yelled at Fred's box,
"Hey, that s**t just ain't right!
You brought in the fences for balls to fly out
And I said that I wanted in.
If Koufax was here, he'd say it to your face
Fred, go build me a winner!"

Sign!  Sign!  Wish Jose would sign.
Put his John Hancock on the dotted line.
Do this, don't delay.
Can't you please just sign?!

Now hey Mr. Wilpon, can't you read?
You must re-sign Jose and his lightning speed. 
You're on watch so you must heed
Jose is supposed to be-e-e-e....here!

But Wilpon said,
"You've got to have a four-year contract to get inside"
Ughhh!

And Wilpon said,
"Jose, you're always welcome.
Come in.  Let's discuss your pay.
Friend, you've got to understand I've no money at all
'Cause I gave it all to Jason Bay."
Jose gave Fred a blank sheet of paper
And he told him he wouldn't sign
He said "Thank you, Fred, but don't patronize me
I'll move on and do just fine."

No!  Sign!  Sign!  Now Jose won't sign.
Won't put his John Hancock on the dotted line.
Screw you, Fred and Jeff.
Could not make him sign.

Sign!  Sign!  Now Jose won't sign.
Won't put his John Hancock on the dotted line.
Screw you, Fred and Jeff.
Last place shall be thine...

Broken News: Joe Nathan Could Be The Mets' Closer

Welcome to the latest edition of Broken News, where we take Mets news that has already been broken by someone else, then we break it some more.  In today's edition, we'll be discussing the news that Twins' closer Joe Nathan might have interest in playing for the Mets.

Joe Nathan has been the closer for the Twins since being traded from San Francisco to Minnesota on November 14, 2003.  Nathan's 24-10 won-loss record while pitching in middle relief for the Giants was very good, but his 4.12 ERA and 1.38 WHIP left a little to be desired.  Once he became a Twin, his career took off.  In just eight seasons in Minnesota, Nathan has become the franchise's all-time saves leader.  His 260 saves are six more than former Met Rick Aguilera achieved in 11 seasons as a Twin.

Nathan did not pitch in 2010 because of Tommy John surgery and was erratic upon his return in 2011.  He was replaced as the Twins' closer by Matt Capps in April and was placed on the disabled list in late May when he strained his right flexor muscle.  However, after a particularly brutal stretch by Capps in July (10.80 ERA and a .406 batting average against him in his first eight July appearances), Nathan returned to the closer's role and did well.

From June 28 to September 25, Nathan's ERA was 2.63.  Opposing hitters struggled mightily against Nathan, batting .170 over the three-month stretch and reaching base at a .224 clip.  Nathan also regained his control, fashioning an excellent strikeout to walk ratio (26 K, 5 BB).  More importantly, he proved he could be a successful closer in the major leagues, recording 11 saves for the Twins after he returned to his familiar role.

For his efforts, the Twins decided not to pick up his $12.5 million option for 2012, choosing to buy him out for $2 million instead.  Nathan would prefer to be a closer in 2012 and not go the Francisco Rodriguez route, going from closer on one team to set-up man on another.

In light of this broken news, the question must be asked.  Would it make sense for the Mets to give Nathan a shot as their closer in 2012?

Sandy Alderson has already shown that is not shy to sign low-risk, high-reward pitchers who have been injured in recent seasons.  His reclamation projects in 2011 included Chris Young and Chris Capuano.  Young was brilliant in four starts before succumbing to a season-ending injury.  Capuano, however, stayed healthy all year, pitching 186 innings in 33 games (31 starts) for New York.

The left-handed starter also led the team in strikeouts (168), while walking only 53 batters.  Out of the five starters, only Jonathon Niese walked fewer batters (44).  However, Niese ended his season on the disabled list and made five fewer starts than Capuano.

Although Joe Nathan was born in Houston, he grew up in New York rooting for the Mets during his youth.  Since Nathan is still trying to prove to his suitors that he is not an injury risk, especially since he will be 37 by Opening Day, he will more than likely not sign for big dollars or a multi-year deal.  Rather, he will probably sign a one-year deal for a few million dollars and hope he can re-establish himself as an elite closer so he can get one final big payday in 2013.

Right now, the Mets don't really have a good internal candidate for the closer role.  Bobby Parnell tried last season and fell flat on his face.  Jenrry Mejia is being groomed to be a starter despite his electric "stuff".  Sandy Alderson has let it be known that the Mets may opt to look outside the organization for their closer in 2012.  If Joe Nathan wants to come here and is willing to accept a one-year, reasonably priced deal, then Alderson may have his man.

 Joe Nathan is pointing at you, Sandy Alderson.  Make this deal happen!

I like Joe Nathan.  I'm not afraid of his age or his recent injury history.  He came back for the Twins last summer and pitched well for a team that was out of the pennant race very early in the season.  As of right now, the Mets don't appear to be contenders for a playoff spot in 2012.  That would lift considerable pressure off Nathan's shoulders should he choose to sign with the Mets.  However, if the Mets somehow break their streak of fourth-place finishes and contend for a playoff spot next summer, Nathan has a proven track record of pitching well for contending teams, as his Twins were perennial contenders during the '00s.

If the Mets are going to compete regularly for the playoffs, they'll need to get younger.  They're already on their way to doing that.  However, every team needs veterans to guide their younger talent and help them succeed at the major league level.  Joe Nathan could serve as a mentor to the younger pitchers while serving as the team's closer in 2012.  It's a double duty the Mets should take a chance on.

World Series Recap: I Blame C.J. Wilson

The Texas Rangers were one strike away from winning the World Series in the ninth inning of Game 6.  They blew that lead.  They were one strike away from winning the World Series in the tenth inning as well.  That lead also went poof.  In Game 7, they were 25 outs away from winning the World Series before blowing that lead.

You can say the Rangers lost because David Freese happened.  You can say they lost because the Cardinals had just watched the 1986 World Series DVD as an educational video.  You can say many things about why the Rangers lost.  I'm blaming C.J. Wilson.

 You can't hide from us, C.J.  We know it was your fault the Rangers lost the World Series.

Nelson Cruz had hit his record-tying eighth home run in the 2011 postseason, a shot off designated intentional walker Lance Lynn.  That blast gave the Rangers a 6-4 lead in the seventh inning of Game 6.  Cruz later misplayed David Freese's line drive to turn a World Series-clinching out into a World Series-tying two-run triple.  Blame Nelson Cruz all you want.  I'm blaming C.J. Wilson.

The Texas Rangers pitching staff allowed 41 walks over the seven games, breaking the old World Series record of 40 set by the 1997 Florida Marlins.  Alexi Ogando, who was a strong Rookie of the Year candidate until the Mets beat him up in late June, allowed seven of those 41 walks in only 2 2/3 innings.  Despite his erratic arm, Rangers manager Ron Washington brought him into six of the seven games, where he also gave up seven hits in addition to his seven walks.  It would appear as if Alexi Ogando or Ron Washington would be culpable for this.  I'm blaming C.J. Wilson.

The bullpen of Mike Adams, Neftali Feliz, Mike Gonzalez, Scott Feldman, Alexi Ogando, Darren Oliver and Mark Lowe combined to pitch 19 2/3 innings in the World Series.  After an impressive regular season, ALDS and ALCS, the relievers faltered in the World Series, combining to post an 8.24 ERA and 2.34 WHIP.   The lowest ERA of the Sad Seven belonged to Adams, who led the bullpen with a 4.50 ERA in two appearances.  Blame the bullpen coach or any member of the Sad Seven.  I'm blaming C.J. Wilson.

Ron Washington should have continued to pitch batting practice instead of letting his relievers do so during the actual games.

In Game 3, Albert Pujols went 5-for-6 with three home runs and six runs batted in.  In the other six games, he went 1-for-19 with no RBIs.  However, that one hit came in one of his many "this could be his last at-bat for the Cardinals" plate appearances in Game 6.  Pujols' one-out double into the gap in left-center set the stage for Freese's ninth-inning heroics.  Because of Pujols' reputation as the best hitter in the league and that ninth inning double, the Rangers decided to issue one of the aforementioned 41 walks to Pujols in the tenth inning when they were one out away from becoming World Series champions.  Oops.  Lance Berkman followed El Hombre's intentional walk with an RBI single, sending the game into the 11th inning.  Blame pitching coach Mike Maddux or Albert Pujols' aura.  I'm blaming C.J. Wilson.

C.J. Wilson started two games of the World Series.  After an excellent regular season in which he went 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA, Wilson actually had a lower ERA in the World Series.  His 2.92 ERA in two starts and one relief appearance helped keep the Rangers in the series.  It was Wilson's effort in Game 5 (one run allowed in 5 1/3 innings) that set the stage for Mike Napoli's go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning, a hit that propelled the Rangers to a 3-2 series lead.

It looks as if C.J. Wilson did everything he could to help the Rangers win the World Series.  So why am I blaming him for the World Series loss?  Because the seeds for this loss were planted in Arizona in mid-July.

 The Fall Classic was lost during the Midsummer Classic, thanks to C.J. Wilson.

During the Midsummer Classic, the American League led 1-0 when manager Ron Washington (maybe I should blame him too) brought in C.J. Wilson to pitch the fourth inning.  Wilson allowed a leadoff single to then-Met Carlos Beltran, followed by a line drive single to Matt Kemp.  He then allowed a titanic three-run homer to Prince Fielder (see photo above), which gave the National League a 3-1 lead.  The American League would not score again in the NL's 5-1 All-Star Game victory.

Prince Fielder's bomb off C.J. Wilson essentially gave the National League home-field advantage in the World Series.  Hence, that is why the wild card-winning Cardinals were able to play Games 6 and 7 at Busch Stadium instead of having those games played in Arlington, home of the division-winning Rangers.  Had Game 6 been played in Texas, the Cardinals would not have gotten a last chance to tie the game in the ninth and tenth innings and could not have possibly won the game in walk-off fashion.  It might have been the Rangers celebrating a World Series championship instead of the Cardinals celebrating an improbable comeback victory in Game 6.

So blame Ron Washington, Mike Maddux, Nelson Cruz or the entire Texas Rangers bullpen.  They might share in the blame for the Rangers' seven-game World Series loss to the Cardinals, but I'm blaming C.J. Wilson.  Had he been able to keep one ball in the park in July, the Rangers might have been having a ball in their park in October as first-time World Series champions.

Don't drop the ball, C.J.  Oh, wait.  Never mind.  You already did in the All-Star Game.