Omar Lives By The Rules of The Old Perfesser

First it was Chris Coste. Then it was Henry Blanco. Earlier today, Joe D at Mets Merized Online posted that the Mets might go after Rod Barajas if they can’t get Bengie Molina. SI.com’s Jon Heyman is now saying that the Mets are considering offering Molina a one-year deal worth $6 million, plus an option for a second year. Heyman states that teams in the larger markets aren’t in need of frontline catchers. Therefore, the Mets feel they can sign Molina since the smaller-market teams are probably not willing to spend as much for catchers when there are less expensive catching options available.

What I’d like to know is this. The Mets have been saying that their top priority at the Winter Meetings is to acquire pitching. If this is indeed the case, then why does it appear that they’re signing or attempting to sign every catcher this side of Hobie Landrith? Is Omar Minaya thinking of Casey Stengel’s famous words when they drafted the aforementioned Landrith with their first pick in the 1961 expansion draft?

When asked about the signing of Landrith when there were other players the Mets could have drafted to become the cornerstone of their fledgling franchise, Stengel said the following:

"You gotta have a catcher or you're gonna have a lot of passed balls."

I get that the Mets need a catcher for 2010. Brian Schneider has signed with the Phillies and Omir Santos is not a #1 catcher. But regardless of who the Mets sign to be their top catcher next season, he is not going to be the long-term solution there. It appears as if Josh Thole will be the full-time catcher for the Mets by 2011. The Mets should just settle on one catcher instead of spending all of their Monopoly money on houses for Mediterranean Avenue and Baltic Avenue. If they continue to sign every catcher available, they’re not going to have the resources to put hotels on Park Place and Boardwalk.

Make up your mind, Omar. Do you want to have the fewest passed balls in baseball or do you want to put together the best team so that the fans won’t continue to dress as green seats for games in September? While you were attempting to sign every backstop available, other teams are already signing potential players that would help them, even at catcher. (The Nationals signed Ivan Rodriguez to a two-year deal worth $6 million, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown on his Twitter page.)

I’m usually a patient person, but come on. I’m tired of other teams getting effective players the Mets could have had, while we get scrubs and past-their-prime players. If the Mets come back from the Winter Meetings with their fifth and sixth-string catchers and don’t come back with a top-notch pitcher or their starting leftfielder for 2010, this team might continue to resemble the teams Casey Stengel used to manage. The fans might have bought into it then, but they surely won’t buy into it now.

Ferecito Says "¡Ay Dios Mio!" To Bill Madden's Article

So yesterday I was looking for something to blog about and I came across an interesting article by Bill Madden in the Daily News. If you're too lazy to click on the link or if you're boycotting Studious Metsimus for not having many new blogs recently, I'll quote Madden's short paragraph on the Mets.

"They won't spend the money for Holliday, Bay or Lackey and apparently, they're only interested in signing low-budget Latin players, having shown little or no interest in Byrd, Figgins, DeRosa, Wolf or even Staten Island's Jason Marquis, while waiting for their markets to come to them. At the same time, the Phillies and Braves wasted no time in addressing their needs. Sad."

For those of you who didn't boycott our silly little site and clicked on the link to Madden's article, you might notice a certain word missing from the article that appeared in the quote above. The word is question is "Latin". Today, the word doesn't appear in the blog. When it was originally published yesterday, it was there.

It looks like Mr. Madden got a little bit of a backlash from what he wrote. Yes, the Mets re-signed Alex Cora and then signed their catcher of the day, Henry Blanco. Both players are Latinos. However, they also signed Chris Coste. Last time I checked, he wasn't a Latin player.

Even Fred Armisen's Saturday Night Live character, Ferecito, would be offended by Madden's original statement. His trademark "Ay, Dios Mio" ("Oh, my God" to those who failed first-grade Spanish) would be quite appropriate to describe his feelings for Madden's comment.

I guess Madden is now using Ferecito's other catch phrase when he recanted his original statement. ("I'm just keeeeding!")

Shame on Madden for even considering putting that in print. If the Mets were to go after only Jason Bay, Matt Holliday, Jason Marquis, or Studious Metsimus' man-crush John Lackey, would Madden have channeled his inner George Jefferson by saying that the Mets are only interested in signing honkies? (I apologize for using the word honkies. I'm just trying to make a point and I miss watching great shows like "The Jeffersons".)

To those of you who have boycotted Studious Metsimus for the lack of blogs, boycott Bill Madden instead. We're an equal opportunity offender, not like Bill Madden. Shame on you, Mr. Madden. As Ferecito would say, "Ay Dios Mio" indeed!

Vote For Gary Cohen! Let's Get Him Into The Hall Of Fame!

Hey, SMFs! Let's get our fav'rit Mets broadcaster into the National Baseball Hall of Fame! If you have a Facebook account (and you know you do), you can vote for Gary Cohen to receive the 2010 Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting.

Fine print: Technically speaking, recipients of the award aren't considered Hall of Famers, as they are not inducted into the Hall of Fame. But they do give speeches during the weekend of the Hall of Fame Induction and their names are included on a plaque in the Hall of Fame's library.

It's so simple to vote, even a Phillies fan can do it. Here are the instructions:

1) Log into your Facebook account and go to http://www.facebook.com/baseballhall.

B) At the top of the page, just under the status message, you will see a line that says "wall, info, events, boxes, photos, poll". Click on "poll", where you will be taken to the page that lists all potential award recipients.

III) Scroll down to Gary Cohen's name and let your finger do the clicking.

There you go, SMFs. It's as easy as that. The best thing about it is that kids DON'T have to ask for their parents' permission to vote, unless if you're grounded and you're not allowed to log on to Facebook. Don't exacerbate things with your parents. If you have been grounded, please leave me a comment here and I will vote for you. After all, multiple votes for the same broadcaster are allowed (and encouraged)!

Thanks for voting! Tell all your friends! Let's get Gary Cohen to Cooperstown without having to buy a ticket for him! He's given us many nights to remember over the radio and now on SNY. Let's give him a weekend to remember in Cooperstown!

Legendary Broadcaster Vin Scully Returns For 61st Season

Bronx-born Vin Scully will be back in the broadcast booth for the Los Angeles Dodgers for a record 61st season in 2010. No other broadcaster has spent so many consecutive years working for the same team in baseball history.

In 1950, Scully began his broadcasting career working in the Brooklyn Dodgers' radio and television booth alongside Red Barber and Connie Desmond. When the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles following the 1957 season, Scully left his roots behind but brought along his Hall-of-Fame voice with him.

In addition to baseball, Scully also called NFL games for CBS from 1972 to 1982. He left football after the 1982 season to work as a baseball broadcaster for NBC. Longtime Mets fans might remember one particular call from Scully during the 1986 World Series.

"Little roller up along first. Behind the bag! It gets through Buckner! Here comes Knight and the Mets win it!"

Vin Scully and Shea Stadium. Can't help but feel nostalgic for 1986.

That wasn't the first time Scully had mentioned Bill Buckner's name in a memorable call. Back in 1974, Hank Aaron hit his record-breaking 715th home run against Dodger pitcher Al Downing. A young Bill Buckner was the leftfielder in that game for the Dodgers so he got a perfect view of the home run while he was chasing it towards the left field fence.

Naturally, since the feat came against the Dodgers, Scully was in the ballpark calling the game. Here was his call when Aaron made history.

"It's a long drive to deep left. Buckner to the fence. It is gone!"

After a short pause (similar to his pause after Ray Knight scored the winning run on October 25, 1986), Scully offered this to baseball fans.

"What a marvelous moment for baseball. What a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia. What a marvelous moment for the country and the world. A black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol. And it is a great moment for all of us, and particularly Hank Aaron."

Vin Scully has never been about himself. He has always been about the game. For sixty seasons, he has taken out his canvas in the broadcast booth and painted a beautiful picture for baseball fans to watch and listen to.

In 2010, Hall-of-Famer Vin Scully will be entering his 61st season as a Dodger broadcaster. If you ever watch a Mets game against the Dodgers and can get the audio of Vin Scully, do yourself a favor and listen to it. I'm sure Gary Cohen or Howie Rose won't mind if you do. After all, they owe everything to a legend like Mr. Scully.

Joey's Soapbox: Mets Museum Is Coming, But Where's Cake Shack?

The Mets issued a press release yesterday stating that the Year of The Dodger is over. Next year, Citi Field will feature more Mets-centric imagery and colors. However, upon reading the press release, I noticed one thing was missing from the new additions. Astute Studious Metsimus readers should find it easy to surmise what it is.

First off, I applaud the Mets for making changes to Citi Field both inside and out. Among the new features you will find next season will be:

The VIP entrances near first base, third base and left field will be renamed after Gil Hodges, Tom Seaver and Casey Stengel, respectively.

The bridge in right field will be renamed Shea Bridge in honor of William A. Shea. I am pleased that it will not be renamed the Adam Dunn Bridge after the Washington National who claimed it as his own when he took one small poke for Dunn, one giant blast for everyone else. (In laybear's terms, he became the first player to reach the bridge with a home run.)

The stairwells will be painted in the traditional Mets colors (blue and orange, NOT black) instead of the drab gray that mirrored the feelings of the fans as they exited the stadium after each loss.

Outside Citi Field, full color banners will be visible on the Mets Plaza outside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda and the flowers planted outside the Plaza will be blue and orange.

The main addition to Citi Field in 2010 will be the Mets Hall of Fame and Museum, which will be adjacent to the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. A new Mets Hall of Fame committee, including long-time radio and TV broadcasters Gary Cohen and Howie Rose, will be formed to evaluate Mets Hall of Fame members. No player has been inducted since the late Tommie Agee in 2002.

These new additions will make Citi Field appear more like a Mets stadium and not Dodger Stadium East. That's all fine and dandy, but they seem to have forgotten one thing that this bear blogger just had to get up on his soapbox for.

WHERE IN THE NAME OF JULIO FRANCO IS CAKE SHACK?

Little Jeffy Wilpon and Omar Minaya had no problem getting cake into the tummy of Julio Franco. Why can't the fans have our cake and eat it, too?

We appreciate all you did in 2009 to make Citi Field an eater's paradise. The chicken nachos and cannolis were a welcome addition to an otherwise bland food selection at Shea Stadium. The eclectic selections would make any caterer blue and orange with envy.

If the team is going to cater to all its fans, then one more thing needs to be added. Since the team is renaming many things at Citi Field in time for the 2010 season, I'd like to offer my suggestion.

Ever since I found out about the Shake Shack that debuted at Citi Field this season, I've wanted the team to open up a Cake Shack, which would specialize in my fav'rit food. However, since I want to be known for my blogging ability and not for my penchant for wolfing down cake, I'd like to propose my idea for a new food stand, Citi Confectioneries.

Citi Confectioneries would specialize in candies, cookies and pastries. The cannolis can get special treatment there. They can also sell rainbow cookies, similar to the ones in the picture below. However, instead of the colors in the photo, they can be blue and orange surrounded by chocolatey goodness.

Holy cannolis, Batman! How hard would it be to add a Cake Shack and a Citi Confectioneries? If you can't do anything to improve the team this offseason, at least keep my sweet tooth happy. Then the fans who came to Citi Field dressed as empty seats in September can feast on something new while opposing teams feast on the Mets.

I don't expect any of this to happen at Citi Field next season, but perhaps if our readers could start a petition, it could become a reality eventually. I'd make my voice heard, but it would be rude to talk with my mouth full.

Free Agent Season Has Begun; Shop Early, Shop Often

Attention, GM shoppers! The Free Agent Warehouse is officially open for business. Throughout our store, you will find everything to help fix your team. From starting pitchers to power hitters. From bullpen help to role players. Everything is here to satisfy your needs. Please be aware that there are no rain checks in case we are sold out of the players you’re looking for. Also, we do not accept coupons. Yes, we’re talking to you, Daddy Less-bucks and Little Orphan Jeffy, so stop asking us if we have any “buy one, get one free” deals. It doesn’t work that way at the Free Agent Warehouse.

We hope you brought your checkbooks. We will have many registers open to help speed up your free agent shopping and numerous player agents will be on hand to assist you. If you have any questions, please direct them to our manager, Mr. Bora$. Now let’s take you on a tour of our store.

First, we have our electronics department. Here is where you will find all the gamers, such as John Lackey. His tenacity, determination and consistency will help your team fill a very important spot in the starting rotation. If you do not find John Lackey on the shelves, perhaps we can interest you in a different pitcher. We always have Joel Piñeiro and Jason Marquis in stock. They’re not the hot item of the week, but they can provide a cheaper alternative to John Lackey. For those inquiring about when Roy Halladay will be in stock, we were told that he will not be available at the Free Agent Warehouse for another year. If you are here for Halladay and only Halladay, please report to the corner pawn shop, where trading is encouraged.

You will also find batteries in our electronics department. A good battery consists of a pitcher who can throw any pitch and spot it exactly where his catcher wants. We just received a new shipment of Bengie Molina for any team who needs a replacement battery. Brian Schneider is somewhere on the battery wall, but he’s in need of some recharging.

From here, we take you to our lighting department. Without proper lighting, your home stadium will suffer from a lack of power. We have multiple items that may be to your liking. We have received many requests for Matt Holliday and Jason Bay. As you all know, without our customers we have nothing. Therefore, we are proud to announce that both Holliday and Bay are available. Power is not cheap, so we hope you came prepared to spend if you choose to brighten your stadium with those bulbs. If you have dark corners in your home stadium, we have Adam LaRoche, Russell Branyan and Hank Blalock, all of which can provide temporary power help. Of course, we still have our older models like Carlos Delgado, but we cannot guarantee that he will be bright for an entire season.

Over here, we have our hardware section. These players have the tools to bring a team together. They might not light up the scoreboard, but they provide the glue that solidifies the team. Orlando Hudson and Chone Figgins are our most requested items. Another item that may intrigue you is Mark DeRosa. He is one of our most versatile tools, providing assistance in your infield and outfield.

Our toddler section is under renovation, so you will not find any players there at the moment. We hope to reopen it by next year at the earliest, or perhaps in two seasons. By then, we’ll have Manny Ramirez and Milton Bradley as the toddler section’s main attractions.

Although you have all winter to buy the free agents we have in stock, please remember that all purchases are final. Also, we are not responsible for damaged goods. We are not forcing you to buy anything in our store. You’re making that decision on your own. If you make a poor purchase, it’s on your hands. However, if you find free agent gold, your fans will be dancing in the streets.

That’ll end the tour of the Free Agent Warehouse. We hope you found something of interest for your team. For those of you who need to use the rest room before leaving, please be careful when you flush so that your wallets don’t accidentally fall in. Yes, Mr. Minaya. I’m talking to you. We don’t want you to come up with a convenient excuse if someone else comes in and scoops up one of the players on your shopping list.

Don’t forget to come again soon. We’ll be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the winter to serve all of your shopping needs. We’re the Free Agent Warehouse, where no one has to go home empty-handed.

Note: The photo of the $100 bills at the top of this blog has a hidden meaning behind it. Besides the obvious reminder to Omar Minaya to use some of those bills this off-season, the #100 is special because this is the 100th Studious Metsimus blog. On behalf of Joey, I would like to thank all of our loyal readers for making the first 100 blogs a blast. Time to get started on the next 100!

Hi Diddle Dee Dee! A Questionnaire For Me!

With thanks to Shannon Shark at Mets Police, (and a shout-out to the one and only Coop for bringing this to the attention of Studious Metsimus), here are five questions that all Mets fans should take the time to answer. If Mets fan extraordinaire Julia Stiles answers this questionnaire, please be sure to include your e-mail address at the bottom of your comment so we can...ahem...discuss your answers privately.

First you will see Joey's answers, followed by his colleague's answers. Enjoy!


Question #1: When did I start following the Mets?

Answer: June 20, 2004. That was the day I was born. I was born at the Mets Team Store at Shea Stadium. I was named after Jose Reyes, but immediately changed my name to Joey because I didn't know Spanish at the time and I wanted to be able to pronounce my own name.

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Question #2: Favorite Mets memory?

Answer: May 17, 2007. The Mets were down 5-1 in the ninth inning against the Cubs and rallied for five runs to win 6-5. I was in Section 2 of the Upper Deck and I lost my voice. My colleague almost fell into the row in the front of him twice while he was jumping up and down in front of his seat. I would have paid to see that. Another Mets moment I will never forget was sitting in field level seats for Game 1 of the 2006 NLCS.

My fav'rit Mets moment would have been September 18, 2006 (the night the Mets clinched the NL East Division title), but someone forgot me at home that night.

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Question #3: Worst Mets memory?

Answer: The day the picture below was taken. I was so embarrassed that day. Poofball hats and me; not a good combination.


Another horrible memory occurred when I dropped my cannoli at Citi Field. My colleague didn't go for my "five second rule". It was still in one piece. Why couldn't I pick it up? I don't even remember if the Mets won or lost that game. It was all about the cannoli for me.

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Question #4: One off-field change I could make?

Answer: Two words - CAKE SHACK!

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Question #5: First thing I would change if I owned the team?

Answer: Three words - MORE CAKE SHACK! (I'd also make sure that Omar Minaya would make himself available before each home game to sit in the Dunk Tank in the Fan Fest Area.)

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Those are my answers and I'm sticking to them. Now here are the answers by my colleague. Let's see how wrong his answers will be.


Question #1: When did I start following the Mets?

Answer: It was during the 1981 season. I remember watching Mookie Wilson run the bases and fell in love with him (not that there's anything wrong with that) and the team. Then the strike happened. To this day, I wonder if major league baseball would have gone on strike had I not put a hex on Craig Swan that season.

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Question #2: Favorite Mets memory?

Answer: For games I attended, we have October 3, 1999. That was the game Brad Clontz threw a wild pitch past Mike Piazza that allowed Melvin Mora to score the winning run and send the Mets "to some semblance of post-season play" (quote provided by Howie Rose). I also have fond memories of attending the division clincher in 2006 (sorry for leaving you home, Joey) and three post-season games that year, all of which were Mets victories.

Of course, Game 6 of the 1986 World Series is not only my fav'rit Mets moment of all-time, it's also the single greatest moment of my life. I remember every moment as if it took place yesterday. I can still see my mother toss aside her lucky ceramic elephant after her "pollo", Keith Hernandez, flied out to Dave Henderson for the second out of the tenth inning. I picked up the elephant and we all know what transpired on the field after that. I threw the elephant up in the air after Ray Knight scored the winning run and it didn't break when it hit the ceiling at full speed. You just knew the Mets were going to win the World Series after that comeback.

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Question #3: Worst Mets memory?

Answer: September 28, 2008. It was the day I said goodbye to Shea Stadium. It did not end with a celebration, but with a loss. Even the ceremonies after the game seemed funereal to me.

Another bad Mets memory actually happened on a day when the Mets won on a walk-off home run by Rico Brogna. The day was May 11, 1996. The Mets had a four-run lead on the Cubs and Pete Harnisch was pitching well. Then Cubs' catcher Scott Servais started jawing at Harnisch when Pete came up to bat in the bottom of the fifth inning. Harnisch turned around, got in Servais' face and haymakers ensued. I was sitting behind the Cubs dugout and the fight spilled over near where I was sitting. Of course, since I knew I would be a Mets blogger 13 years later, I figured I should get closer to the action to take a picture of the fisticuffs. Then my left cheek was introduced to Mark Grace's fist...

I never did get any pictures that day, but I did get a swollen cheek. The Cubs eventually rallied to tie the game in the ninth inning, but with one out, Rico Brogna hit a long fly ball down the right field line that just went over the outstretched glove of Sammy Sosa at the wall for a game-winning home run. The Mets won the game 7-6, but I took home some of Mark Grace's DNA on my cheek.

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Question #4: One off-field change I could make?

Answer: Do not allow the Phillies team bus to enter the Citi Field parking lot for any reason. With a couple of forfeits, the Mets might have some meaningful games in September next season.

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Question #5: First thing I would change if I owned the team?

Answer: First, I'd bring back Mike Piazza and have Zakk Wylde provide the music while the opposing team is batting. If Zakk Wylde is unavailable, just have Piazza play guitar for Skid Row. However, make sure Sebastian Bach is the lead singer. Otherwise, kidnap Zakk Wylde and blame it on Shane Victorino. Say he's still bitter for making the last out of the World Series.



The main thing I would want the team to change is the direction they're going in. Instead of focusing on Brooklyn Dodger references, the direction each bullpen faces and hiring members of the '86 Mets for any possible job within the organization, how about putting together a team that can beat the Phillies?

Start with pitching and go from there. If the team on the field next year performs better than the one that embarrassed us this year, then I don't mind paying an extra few bucks for my promenade seats. I'd rather have more expensive tickets and a competitive team than a minor discount and craparoni on the field. I would also make it mandatory for the vendor who shouts "SODA" to go out on a date with me.

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That's it for this questionnaire, o beloved SMFs! Thanks for reading our answers and please leave comments with your own answers as well. Remember, there are no wrong answers, unless if you're a fan of the Yankees or the Phillies. Have fun!

Beltran And Francoeur To Receive Awards

The Mets might not have been inspirational on the field in 2009, but off the field, they remain inspirational to many of their fans. According to Marty Noble, two-thirds of the Mets' outfield will be honored with well-deserved awards in January at a dinner held by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Carlos Beltran will receive the Joan Payson Award for his community service. His philanthropical efforts, which include his contributions to the Harlem RBI Foundation and his own Carlos Beltran Foundation will be rewarded with this prestigious award, which was named after the Mets' first owner.


Jeff Francoeur will be presented with the Ben Epstein-Dan Castellano Good Guy Award at the Dinner. The award, which is named after two former sportswriters for the Yankees and Mets, respectively, is given to the player who's...well...a good guy. Or in this case, it goes to the best good guy of all the good guys who are qualified to be the best at being good. Is that good enough?

Members of the Yankees will also be presented with three awards at the Dinner, but that's not important right now. They've gotten enough attention recently. We wouldn't want all that attention to go to their overpaid heads, would we?

Congratulations to Carlos Beltran and Jeff Francoeur for their great play on and off the field. Enjoy your awards. They are well-deserved. Hopefully next year, you can both share one, perhaps in the shape of a World Series trophy!

Mets Must Sign The #2 Pitcher They Sorely Lack(ey)

If it's Saturday, it must be time for the weekly John Lackey blog on Studious Metsimus. In today's installment, we bring you hope that our favorite free agent pitcher might be pursued heavily by Omar Minaya. At least that's what David Lennon's article in today's Newsday seems to say when he reported that the Mets will be seriously bidding for Lackey's services when the righty hits the free agent market next Friday.

Omar met with Lackey's agent, Steve Hilliard, earlier this week and left the conversation with a favorable first impression. Although Lackey might command a contract worth up to $100 million, especially because he is one of the top free agent pitchers available, he might be had for less than that figure.

If you recall, last year Omar Minaya went into the offseason with the bullpen on his mind. Billy Wagner was not going to be available to the Mets and a replacement was the top priority for the team. He targeted free agent closer Francisco Rodriguez and went after him hard.

The original reports had Rodriguez looking for a five-year, $75 million contract. The Mets were able to sign him for only three years and $37 million. Therefore, they should not be scared off by the initial $100 million amount being tossed around for acquiring Lackey.

If Omar can go into the Winter Meetings with the same determination he did last year to get what he wanted, he might be able to sign Lackey for much less than $100 million. The offer might start at four years, but if a fifth year is needed to get Lackey to sign on the dotted line, perhaps K-Rod's desires of a five-year, $75 million contact might become the magic number for signing Lackey.

What will it take to get John Lackey to smile for the New York Mets in 2010? Whatever the dollar amount is and however many years it takes, Omar must make sure his top priority at the Winter Meetings is signing John Lackey. Once he gets his man, then he can focus on the offensive side of the picture.

Johan Santana and John Lackey would provide the best 1-2 punch in the division. On days the offense hits the snooze button, having one of those two pitchers on the mound would make it easier for the Mets to have a chance to win. After all, can you really depend on Oliver Perez to win a 1-0 game?

If the Mets sign John Lackey, then pitchers such as Mike Pelfrey and John Maine can become the #3 and #4 pitchers they were always meant to be. There was no way the Mets were going to compete with either of these guys being their #2 starter. #2 guys are so high up on the pitching chain that they can't afford to be anything but consistent, a quality that Pelfrey and Maine did not possess in 2009.

The Winter Meetings begin in less than a month. It's time to put an extra log in the fire and hope it heats up discussions between Omar Minaya and Steve Hilliard. Getting that #2 starter will go a long way towards making the Mets a #1 team.

Does Fonzie Want To Be A Met? Correct-A-Mundo!

Aaaaayyyyy! Apparently, Fonzie wants to end his career as a Met. No, not Henry Winkler. I'm talking about former Met infielder Edgardo Alfonzo. According to Kevin Kernan in today's New York Post, Alfonzo yearns to play for the Mets again in whatever role they feel is right for him. He turned 36 last week and still feels that he has something left in his tank.

Alfonzo played the majority of his career with the Mets from 1995-2002 and is plastered all over the Mets all-time career batting leaders. He ranks in the top ten in batting average (.292, 6th all-time), home runs (120, 9th all-time), RBI (538, 6th all-time), runs scored (614, 3rd all-time), doubles (212, 3rd all-time) and Henry Winkler-related sports page headlines (1st all-time).

Spring training is still three months away and Alfonzo would like the Mets to invite him to Port St. Lucie. In Kernan's article, Alfonzo is quoted as saying:

“I’m prepared for anything. Baseball is the one thing in my life that I know how to do. I don’t expect to play every day, but I feel I can help anytime. I can say many things with my mouth, but I have to prove it.”

For the SMFs who believe that the Mets would be jumping the shark if they signed Fonzie, please remember that he does not expect to play every day. If he made the team, it would be as a role player. He could fill in at any of the infield positions and would offer leadership and guidance to the younger players.

Plus, he WANTS to be here. He could try to make any major league roster, but the Mets are the team he wants to play for. If he made the team, it would cost the Mets far less money than if they went out and got another veteran infielder. He might also accept a hometown discount, being that he wants to play in the city he called home for eight years.

The Mets only had to pay Gary Sheffield the major-league minimum salary in 2009. He responded by leading the team in home runs until Daniel Murphy passed him at the end of the season when Sheffield was injured. I'm not expecting Fonzie to do anything like Sheffield did last year, but neither is he. That's not why he wants to come to the Mets.

The Mets lacked leadership in 2009. Fonzie would provide a veteran presence in addition to being a serviceable bat off the bench who can play all four infield positions. Also, how can you say no to a man who has this to say about the Mets?

“My dream is to retire with the Mets colors. That’s my dream. That’s what I’m praying for. Maybe it will happen, maybe not, but dreams sometimes come true, you know. I have a lot of hope for my future. I want to show people I can play in winter ball. I love the Mets and I love the Mets fans. I would like that dream to come true.”

Fonzie is loyal to the team that gave him a chance back in the 90s. He was one of the core players that brought the Mets back to respectability and contention in the late 90s. Although he would not be one of the core players now, he can still provide leadership and be an influential figure in the clubhouse. Those intangibles don't show up in the boxscore, but winning teams are full of players who provide these qualities.

If the Mets want to give Fonzie a chance, then I wish him all the best. I have my #13 Mets jersey ready to go if he makes his return at Citi Field. After Mookie Wilson, Fonzie is my favorite Mets player of all-time. You wouldn't hear me complaining if the Mets gave him a second chance.