The Top 5: New Years Resolutions for Bud Selig

2011 is just around the corner, so there’s no better time to make a resolution. Only, who wants to make resolutions for themselves? We don’t want to get into the habit of improving upon our own personalities, so we’re taking aim at one of our favorite people to criticize. That’s why this week’s list is:

Top 5: New Years Resolutions for Bud Selig

Brennan Lowery

1. Resolve the lameness of the All-Star Game by introducing kegs into the bullpens, a grab-bag of hand grenades mixed with real baseballs for the umps to throw out to the pitchers, and wire the infielders like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
2. Enact new regulations in the majors that prevent the games from being videotaped, broadcast, or involved in any form of modem technology so he can continue to pretend that video technology has never, and will never, be invented.
3. Purchase what you haven’t yet of 1980′s police show wardrobes to make sure you look sharp for any and all public appearances.
4. Break into Cooperstown and Sharpie an asterisk on everything that is tainted in the public eye. Frame Barry Bonds by leaving trace amounts of his DNA throughout the hall.
5. Continue to donate 80% of annual salary to research targeted on erasing memories dating from 1992-2006.

Dan Sweatt

1. Learn The Rules Of Baseball – It’s time, Bud.
2. Move Baseball Out Of Florida – If a team with the best record in baseball can’t sell half of their tickets on a night they’re trying to clinch the division with a Cy Young contender on the mound, get out and don’t look back.
3. Find A Second Job – If Bud’s to a point where he needs to put ads on the bases, I think it might also be time to finish that Dunkin’ Donuts application.
4. Pass That Kidney Stone – Every time the camera finds his prune-like mug during a big game, I can see the struggle written across his face.
5. Regulate Walk-Up Music – Every team gets one song, to be used sparingly throughout the year. If I have to hear Pitbull or Nickelback one more time at a baseball stadium, I’m banishing myself from the game.

Evan Hill

1. Stop allowing four-year-old Granddaughter to cut my hair, I have a real job.
2. Expand playoffs to 30 teams. Every team played hard, they deserve a shot at a Championship.
3. Continue to acknowledge, yet do nothing about MLB Blackout restrictions. Sure, people pay MLB.TV or MLB Extra Innings in order to see every game, and yet the majority of Saturday games are restricted, but it’s no problem of mine. I can watch every game in my Baseball lair!
4. Get more Brewers memorabilia for aforementioned Baseball lair.
5. Form more committees. That way when people ask “Bud, what are you going to do about ______?” I can point at the committee. Also, remember to instruct committees on the art of hiding when pointed to.

Jonathan Gardner

1. Will stop calling Roger Goodell to tell him that instant replay ruins the integrity of football.
2. Will not TP Mark Cuban’s house again.
3. Will finally change phone number so Armando Galarraga stops drunk dialing at 2 in the morning.
4. Will form the Special Committee For Resolution Issues to come up with New Year’s Resolutions, and will immediately make Tony La Russa the chairman.
5. Will find a new violin to play while ignoring complaints about quality of umpiring.

Do you have any suggestions for Bud Selig? General ways to improve the game, or just simple ways to keep him from looking like a curmudgeon? Throw your top five in the comment section, we’d love to hear what you’ve come up with.

We’ll be back next week with a whole new top five.

The Crime-Fighting Philly Quartet

Crime-Fighting Quartet Continues to Baffle Police, Ingratiate itself with people of Philadelphia.

Citizens of the greater Philadelphia area report a decrease in crime that coincides with the signing of Cliff Lee.

December 15, 2010 was, as it’s quickly becoming clear, a landmark day for the city of Philadelphia in more ways than one. Not only did the Phillies manage to lure coveted free-agent pitcher Cliff Lee to the city that had previously spurned him, but that day marked the beginning of an epic decline in the city’s overall crime rate.

“It’s inexplicable,” says Philadelphia police commissioner Charles Ramsey. “I knew I would always remember Wednesday, December 15 as one of the greatest days in Philadelphia’s long and storied history for the signing of Cliff Lee, but if you had told me it would also signal the beginning of the end for crime in the city I would have called you crazy and arrested you.”

Commissioner Ramsey’s confusion has only been compounded by the rise of a masked and Phillies-uniformed quartet of crime-fighters that has coincided with the overall decline. The quartet has gained notoriety for their unique style of crime-fighting, highlighted by their sleeping-gas laden rosin bags, spiked baseballs, and imprisonment of the criminals in batting cage-like structures upon capture.

“We have no clues as to the identity of this crime-fighting quarter, but I am grateful for the job they have done so far in shoring up the safety of our city,” said Ramsey. “And, I mean, they have done a lot
to keep our All-Star pitching rotation safe and secure too, thank God.”

Ramsey is referring to the unusually unlucky timing of the star rotation of Lee, Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay, and Roy Oswalt, who have been sighted in the general vicinity of almost every crime scene that the quartet has secured.

“Gosh, I don’t know, how do you even begin to thank them,” said likely number-4 Roy Oswalt, one of four pitchers standing by as police took into custody a pair of would-be muggers. “They are doing so much for the city and managing to, I mean, I assume, maintain an identity as a tax-paying, productive citizen of the city during the day. Imagine trying to do what they are doing after a [Charlie] Manuel day of endurance training —- yikes.”

“He’s right,” chimed in Halladay. “Manuel really works us some days, and then we — they — have to come out here and deal with the scum of Philadelphia.”

All four quickly ended the interview, apparently late to a masquerade party as they adorned identical masks and ran in the direction of screams and sirens from another distraught part of the city.

The general citizenry of Philadelphia, however, are split on this new group of vigilantes, known as the Philly Quartet, that operate outside the realm of the law, even though they seem to have the safety of the
general public at the top of their list.

“I am fine with it, really,” says deli owner Pat Scheffield. “The other day they saved me as I was closing up my shop, probably would have lost all the money from the day without them. And I got that photo of
the new Big 4 autographed right after. Who knew those guys hang out in this neighborhood?”

“Crime-fighters, schmime fighters, all this city cares about is winning another championship,” says avid Philadelphia sports fan and comic book store owner Chuck Segwell. “I am pretty sure our new rotation
are those bozos fighting crime in the streets, and all I have to say is that if they hurt themselves doing this and aren’t ready for Opening Day, I am going to be pissed off.”

When asked to comment on the possibility that his new blockbuster rotation was moon-lighting as crime fighters in the streets of Philadelphia, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel responded simply that “those four knuckleheads better be on-time tomorrow for practice.”

“And someone needs to call the Philly Quartet, the Philadelphia Police, or somebody, so I can figure out what bastard is stealing all of my rosin bags and practice balls. Oh yea, and the god-damned batting
cages.”

This Week in Baseball: 12/27/10

Wow! What a week it’s been! I mean, the Marlins signed Ricky Nolasco to a 3 year extension. This changes the face of this great game for the next decade! What madness could happen next?

In all seriousness, in the baseball world, this week crawled by. That’ll happen in the winter, when the best baseball moments come during fantasy drafts on MLB: The Show. Pitchers and catchers report in a couple short months; that’s a good thing. We’ll start learning about what young talents are ready to make the leap into the majors, and we’ll see what kind of nagging injuries some familiar faces bring with them from extensive off-season workouts (golfing at Pebble Beach). Until then, we wonder. We wonder why some teams made the moves they did in a frantic free agent festival this winter, and we’ll wonder why some teams chose to microwave some Pop Secret and watch the show. As a fan of a team who didn’t make any major new acquisitions or blockbuster trades, I can say that, despite other teams making huge pushes, it was nice to have a somewhat calm winter. Although, as I’m laying down at night in my Ninja Turtle pajamas (don’t hide that jealousy), I get a bit antsy, and wish for the chance to have my own fantasy draft, for real. But, that is a wish that will never come true.

Santa’s a turd.

On to the news.

Winner Of The Week: Jon Daniels, GM of the Texas Rangers

When they lost out on Cliff Lee, Jon Daniels vowed to put his head down, and move forward. No one actually believed he’d be able to. I mean, they just lost the biggest free agent of the past 3 years; a dominant pitcher who practically locks up a spot in the pennant race each year (unless you have a line-up like the Mariners). Daniels was able to dismiss the naysayers, and did all he could do to sure up his pitching staff. Had doubts about their bullpen next season? They go out and get Arthur Rhodes. Yes, he’s 41. But, it doesn’t matter how old you are when you have the type of year that he did last year. He’s an All-Star, for crying out loud, and throws just as well against righties as he does lefties. He was, arguably, one of the top 3 set-up men in the game last year. He helps give a young closer some cushion. Doubts about their starters? Daniels goes out and gets Brandon Webb (pictured above). His recent injury troubles seem to be fading away, as all reports are that he’s back to a similar state that made him the NL’s most dominant pitcher from ’06-’08. Sure, it’s not a dream scenario. But Daniels handled a crisis the best way that he could. Smart man.

Loser Of The Week: Andrew Gallo

51 to life is a blessing. If it were me holding that gavel, you’d never see the light of day again.

Let’s Turn Two

Why are some people so adamantly resistant to instant replay? I understand that baseball is sacred, and that it’s become America’s national pastime being just what it is now. But you know what used to not be a pastime of ours? Women voting. Airplanes. All-you-can-eat buffets. Klondike Bars. My world is much better with those things in them. What I’m saying is, the world changes. Steroid testing wasn’t always around in baseball; should we get rid of that, too? Abner Doubleday (or whoever invented the damn game; it’s so tough to keep track anymore) didn’t write rules for instant replay because the technology didn’t exist at the time. Plain and simple. Even 50 years after the game became a national phenomena, we would have been listening to radio broadcaster for instant replay, in which case every home team would have won every call. It’s never been around before, because it’s never been POSSIBLE for it to be around. I’m not saying we review every single play. But use the NFL as a model here. Give the coaches a challenge flag, write some guidelines on what’s able to be challenged (clearly, we can’t be challenging balls and strikes), and be done with it. Are we really concerned about adding 2 or 3 extra minutes of review time to games that already run 4+ hours at times? And who says we’ll have to review plays every game? If umpires do their jobs, we’ll be fine. I understand that maintaining the purity of the game is important, but that’s the same logic for why we test our players. You can’t tell me your heart didn’t leap out of your throat when Armando Galarraga lost his perfect game to an obviously blown call. A great performance like that, lost to a simple mistake? That is truly what ruins the purity of this game. So please, let’s take the time to sit down, look at what are forefather’s have written down, and update it to fit the present time.

Balls and Strikes

-Adrian Gonzalez has informed the Red Sox that he won’t be seeking an “Albert Pujols” like contract from them. I doubt he would have gotten it anyway. I mean, he’s not Albert Pujols.

-Brian Cashman has stated he doesn’t see a clear role for Johnny Damon, if the team were to bring him in this season. This is unlike their first tenure, when he filled the much needed “Piss Off The Red Sox” role.

-According to a recent report, Watergate Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox kept tabs on late Yankee owner George Steinbrenner. So the question is: whatever happened to the famed missing 13 minutes of the Billy Martin tapes?

-Jamie Moyer is eying a return to baseball in 2012, which is absolutely amazing, considering there’s no way he’ll live that long.

-For all those Pirate fans who are down in the dumps, don’t you fret. Garrett Atkins is on his way to save the club!

Bottom of the Ninth

In this coming week, look for things to continue to crawl. Likely, you’ll see some minor signings here and there. The Royals may make a move to trade closer Joakim Soria, which could add some much needed interest to baseball during it’s slow period. A young talent like that coming available could really evolve into a fun development. If the Royals are able to score some prospects for Soria, it would only add to a stunning array of young talent. I really love what the Royals are doing.

Until next time, let the thought of Barry Bonds’ infinite sadness put a smile on your face. So long folks.

C.J. Wilson Video Diary

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m always curious about how a baseball player spends his off days, as well as time before games. For that reason, this video diary from Rangers Starting Pitcher C.J. Wilson is great. Wilson and teammates Darren O’Day and Doug Mathis hang around in San Francisco and show they’re just regular guys looking to have some fun in their down time. It’s worth a watch:

For a great read, check out SI’s Jimmy Traina’s interview with Wilson, further proof that some athletes can be level-headed, good people.

The Top 5: Gifts for MLB Players

It’s Wednesday, and that means another top 5 list at The Dugout Doctors. We are well aware of the fact that the average MLB Player makes over $3.5 million a year and has everything they could ever need. But can you blame us for being in the spirit it of the holidays? Here’s this week’s list:

Top 5: Gifts for MLB Players

Dan Sweatt

1. Vladamir Guerrero – After clearly getting lucky by hitting balls below your ankles and above your scalp for years, imagine how much better you’ll be with these eyeglasses.
2. Jose Batista – Here’s a drug test, Sosa Jr.
3. Raul Mondesi – For Christmas, I’d like to give you some whereabouts, because about 4 years ago I just assumed you vanished off the face of the earth.
4. Tim McCarver – Enjoy this muzzle, because God knows I will.
5. Pete Rose – Long overdue, and sure, it’s a homer gift, but you deserve this Hall Of Fame Induction.

Evan Hill

1. Joe Blanton – Though he’s a pretty good pitcher, pitching along side Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt has got to hurt a guy’s confidence. So we got him a “You’re #1″ Foam Hand.
2. Justin Morneau – After missing much of the season’s second half due to a concussion, did anyone bother to recommend Advil?
3. Dayton Moore – A Braves Hat. Though he may be the Royals GM, his 40-man roster consists of eight former Braves. We know where his heart is.
4. David Eckstein – A booster seat so he can sit with his friends.
5. Pete Rose Jr. – He was recently hired as a minor league manager in the White Sox system. We got him a scooter named Pete Rose, so he can continue to get a free ride on his Dad’s name.

Brennan Lowery

1. Brian Wilson – Hedge clippers because, seriously, gross. Just gross, Brian Wilson.
2. Zack Greinke – Good Will Hunting, so he can watch the scene where Robin Williams tells Matt Damon “it’s not your fault” over and over and over again. Zack: it’s not your fault the Royals never had something resembling baseball players around you during your time there. It’s not your fault….it’s not your fault……………it’s not your fault.
3. Jayson Werth – A stocking stuffed with fool’s gold, because the Washington Nationals just got punked too.
4. Albert Pujols – Honda Accord, recently rated the most reliable car of the decade!
5. Brian Cashman – The Ultimate Salesman: How to be the “Good Salesman” by R.D. Raak. How can you manage to bring nobody, no one, NOTHING, to NEW YORK? Have you heard that Jay-Z song? Been to New York? Speak English? Get it together, chief.

So those are our lists. Want to give us yours? Put together your own top five and post it in the comment section below. We’ll see you next week with another Top 5.

Season in Review: Milwaukee Brewers

Pre-Season Prediction: 4th in NL Central

Regular Season Outcome: 3rd in NL Central

Summary

It’s probably not fair to call the 2010 season a disappointment for the Brewers and their fans. In March, a quick glance at their pitching staff told you all you needed to know. So, the season was not a disappointment, simply because there was never much optimism heading in. Yovani Gallardo was the only pitcher the starting staff could boast as an ace, and even he had somewhat of a down year with an ERA at 3.84 and WHIP of 1.37. After Gallardo, the Brewers had Randy Wolf, who is by no means a bad pitcher, but not the guy you want your club slotting in as the #2 starter. After him was a serious drop-off. You getting the picture? The Brewers aren’t going to beat you with pitching.

If they beat you, they beat you with their hitting. More specifically: Power. The Brew Crew scored 750 runs while slugging to the tune of .424 (6th in MLB). Prince Fielder is a beast (32 HRs and a beautiful OBP of .401), Ryan Braun is one of the most exciting young players in baseball, Corey Hart had a career year, and Casey McGehee proved he deserves to be a regular starter. Yessir, this team can hit. But then, we knew that.

High Point

You could certainly make a case for Trevor Hoffman’s 600th save, or Corey Hart’s big year. But as far as the Brewers’ future is concerned, I’d think the most exciting take away from 2010 has to be the bounce-back year from Second-baseman Rickie Weeks. The Brewers have put a lot of stock in the former first-round-pick, and while he’s put up some great numbers in the past, nobody was sure what to expect after a wrist injury ended his 2009 season after just 147 ABs. Things certainly worked out for the 28-year-old in 2010, as he reached career highs in HRs (29), RBIs (83), and more importantly OBP (.366) and SLG (.464). Weeks should fit in nicely as the Brewers lead-off or #2 hitter for years to come.

Low Point

The Brewers had been talking up the brilliant defense of shortstop Alcides Escobar for a couple years now, and they decided 2010 was the year to give him the full-time job. They figured his bat had developed enough to go along with the defense. Boy oh boy were they wrong. Escobar, in 506 ABs, put up a miserable OPS of .614 with no power. The team’s patience thinned, and Escobar quickly dropped from “SS-of-the-future” to “trade piece.” They included the youngster in the deal for Zack Greinke, and just like that his future with the Brewers was over.

Ongoing Prognosis

They may not be the favorites to win the NL Central in 2011, but they have to be high on your list. What changed this off-season? Simple. They added two top of the rotation talents in former Blue Jay Shaun Marcum and, more importantly, former Cy Young Zack Greinke. Their starting staff went from miserable to one of the best in the NL:

1. Zack Greinke
2. Yovani Gallardo
3. Shaun Marcum
4. Randy Wolf
5. Chris Narveson

As I said before, Wolf is no #2 starter, but just about any team would love to have him as their 4th guy. Greinke and Marcum completely reshape this team into a competitor. While they’ll now be starting the awful Yuniesky Betancourt at SS, he’s no downgrade from the production they received from Escobar last season. The offense should be just as good in 2011, and this team will be a major player in the Central race.

A concern for Brewers fans should be what follows the 2011 season. Prince Fielder is a free agent, and will likely walk. On top of that, the club has completely depleted their farm system, making it one of the worst in baseball. Keeping those two factors in mind, the Brewers need to win in 2011, because the long-term future has a number of question marks.

Video: Awful Mets Commercial

The Mets play in New York City, where every day brilliant actors, directors, writers and producers roam the streets, out of work. And yet, the following video is the product of the team’s attempt to sell tickets. Yes, it looks like a commercial for the AAA Toledo Mud-Hens, but inexplicably, this truly is an ad for The New York Mets.

Sit back, and try not to laugh:

Wow.
Starring: GM Sandy Alderson
Directed by: Keith Hernandez
Written by: Mo Vaughn
Enjoyed by: ——

Ozzie Claus is NOT an Actor

Ever wonder if Ozzie Guillen could make it as an actor? Or better yet, ever wonder what joy might be found in an Ozzie Guillen outtake reel? WONDER NO MORE! Here are a series of flubbed lines from the recently filmed White Sox holiday promotion.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you: Ozzie Claus

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=cc8ff0be-804e-4a7e-8171-1de63b6ab589" target="_new" title="">Give the gift of Guillen</a>

It’s safe to say, if baseball had not stood in the way of his acting career, nobody would know the name Antonio Banderas.

This Week in Baseball: 12/20/2010

We make a lot of jokes here at Dugout Doctors. Sometimes awesome, like the kind Louis CK writes, and sometimes not so good, like when Dane Cook does. I want to take a quick break from that.

Everything I’ve ever learned, I’ve learned from The Sandlot. PF Fliers make you faster, St. Bernard’s can leap over 12 foot fences, and there’s nothing you can’t accomplish with a little creativity and an Erector set. Most importantly, though, I learned this: heroes get remembered, but legends never die. Bob Feller (pictured above) is a legend. He managed to compile one of the most dominant careers of all time, despite giving him 3 years of his prime to fight in WWII. Feller routinely compiled seasons of 20+ wins, and in his prime, was collecting them like I collect rejections at bars. Playing the conservative game, by heading overseas, Feller lost, at least, 60 career wins. Those wins would have taken him up near the 330 range. With the exception of Pat Tillman, what athlete of the last 20 years do you know of that would be willing to make the same sacrifice? It’s unheard of. The baseball world, and this country, may have lost a hero this week. With a little luck, the legend of Bob Feller will never die.

On to the news.

Winner of the Week: Cliff Lee

In a word, wow.

There’s no other possible option for the winner of the week. Not only did the guy score huge with a contract worth $120 million, but he becomes a part of a rotation that makes the mid-90’s Atlanta Braves look like the Canadian LLWS team. He goes back to where he’s comfortable, a team that took him in and made him a part of something special for an amazing run to the World Series. Plus, he flashes a Degeneration-X style crotch chop to the Yankees, by becoming the third high-profile free agent to shock them overnight. And, honestly, who can be THAT upset when someone puts one over on the Yanks? Personally, it really makes me happy to see someone go to a team for reasons other than money. Yes, he got more money in his deal than Elin Nordegren, but he was going to get that kind of cash from whoever he signed with. He went to a team because he liked their structure, their city’s people, and their team culture. Tough to argue with that.

Loser of the Week: The New York Yankees

In a word, hysterical.

I can’t help but think back to the summer of AJ Burnett and Mark Teixeira, where the Yankees threw all the money they could at the two biggest free agents that year, and they had them signed in the same week. This has been a rough few weeks for the Bombers, as they’ve lost every high profile talent they’ve set their sights on. But wait, what’s this? The Yankees made a deal? They’ve acquired a new player? Oh man, did they pull the trigger on a Zack Greinke trade? Nope, even better. Welcome to the Bronx, Russell Martin! That’ll show the rest of the league that the Yankees can still draw superstars. Now, they must move forward with a questionable pitching situation, and unused money in the reserves. And we all know how much the Yankees hate having unspent money. With Greinke on his way to the NL, the Yanks can only hope to find another way to improve a team that can’t seem to get over the hump come autumn. All in all, a disappointing week for everyone’s favorite to hate.

Let’s Turn Two

I get it. The Phillies look ridiculous on paper. All those arms, southpaws and righties, cause all sorts of trouble for any lineup in the league. But let’s hold off on handing them the NL crown just yet. In my book, the Giants have got to be your favorites still. In case we all forgot, they’ve got a pretty good rotation themselves, which a much better bullpen. How can you deny the awesomeness that is the beard of Brian Wilson? The Phillies have also been plagued with injuries in the last couple years, seeing Rollins, Howard, and Utley all miss significant time. Those dudes are not getting any younger. Plus, the Phillies might be the most lefty heavy lineup in baseball, which could prove detrimental in a series where you face lefties Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner, not to mention the awesomeness of Ted Lincecum. The biggest knock on the Giants last year was inexperience. Well, they went out and won the whole thing. What are they going to do with another year of experience under their belts?

Balls and Strikes

-So Greinke goes to the Brewers, in exchange for, essentially, the entire Milwaukee farm system? I think it’s pretty safe to say the Royals get the win in this deal. We’ve been waiting for the Royals to finally take the step towards being a contender, and I think this may have done the trick.

-Kerry Wood returned to the Cubs this week. Awesome, if this was 1998. Otherwise, it’s a lot like when New Kids On The Block got back together: cool for about 13 seconds, then I remembered he fizzled out before I hit my teens.

-The Red Sox added Bobby Jenks this week, making him the most frightening set-up man in baseball. Is Theo Epstein the Oprah of this off season, or what? YOU get multimillion dollar deal, and YOU get a multimillion dollar deal! Multimillion dollar deals for everyone!

-Looks like the Twins got out of that Metrodome at the right time. Whoever made the decision to send three guys up to the roof of that thing to do the shoveling is a genius, by the way.

-If the Yanks make a play for Beltre, it’s purely out of spite, and simply to sign at least one decent free agent this offseason. Where would they play him? Last time I checked, they’ve got a pretty good third baseman, and they’re set at DH with Posada expected to make the move there. They’ve really painted themselves into a beautiful, hilarious corner.

Bottom Of The Ninth

In this coming week, keep an eye out for the Yankees to get antsy, with seemingly every AL team making improvements but them. Billionaires tend to make stupid decisions when pushed into the corner. Here’s to hoping Cashman slowly declines towards Al Davis status this offseason.

Until next time, let the thought of a routine fly ball colliding with Jose Canseco’s 4 inch thick skull and bouncing over the fence put a smile on your face. So long folks.

Season in Review: New York Mets

Pre-Season Prediction: 3rd in NL East

Regular Season Outcome: 4th in NL East

Summary

Considering the sometimes comic disasters the New York Mets have experienced in the last few years, it could have been far worse than the 79-83 record they put up. They lost Starting Pitcher Johan Santana in August. Same goes for Closer Francisco Rodriguez (read more below). New Left Fielder Jason Bay only played 95 games. Star Shortstop Jose Reyes struggled with various ailments all season, and simply didn’t look like himself in the 133 games he played. And worst of all, Carlos Beltran, arguably their best hitter, didn’t take the field until July. On paper they looked somewhat competitive, but given all of those incidents, it’s a wonder they even managed to finish every game. That’s why I’m chalking up a 79-83 record as a small victory.

High Point

For me, it was the surprise season from Rookie First Baseman Ike Davis. When the Mets called him up, he had a lot of hype…from Mets fans. Nobody else, myself included, expected much from the 23-year-old. And while a .264/.351/.440 slash line isn’t exceptional, it must have been encouraging to see that kind of production from the rookie. Ike logged 523 at-bats while playing 1B, and in that time managed 19 HRs and 71 RBIs. Though he struck out 138 times, his plate-discipline was still fantastic, walking 72 times–the most for any rookie not named Jason Heyward. I’d say the Mets have their First Baseman of the future.

Low Point

A lot went wrong for the Mets. Just when you thought the bad luck had ended, something else smacked you in the face. That something was Closer Francisco Rodriguez, and you of course were his father-in-law. On August 11th, angry about who knows what, Rodriguez attacked his father-in-law following a game. He was arrested, charged with third degree assault, and missed the rest of the season. Certainly not what you want from your $12 Million Reliever.

Ongoing Prognosis

I actually like what the Mets have done this off season. They’ve accepted that, in all likelihood, they will not win in 2011. So, they brought in a new management team (GM Sandy Alderson and Manager Terry Collins) and then sat on their hands. What’s the use in going after a big name free agent like Jayson Werth when they don’t have the other pieces to compete? Just sit back and wait. Carlos Beltran’s $18.5 Million comes of the books after the season. Same with the $12 Million owed to (gulp) Oliver Perez. Ditto to the $6 Million they’re paying Luis Castillo. Point is, they’ve given out some stupid contracts, and those are almost gone. This season they should focus on advancing the progress of young stars like Davis and Mike Pelfrey, while hoping for a resurgence from veterans like Jose Reyes and Jason Bay. Come the 2013 season, the Mets will have money to spend, and hopefully by then they’ll have learned to spend it wisely.

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