The No-Name New York Mets Youth Movement: Sandy Alderson's 2013 Pet Project???

Well another winter is upon us. Another off-season of questions for the Franchise that has become NY's laughing stock: (no not the Jets) yes it's none other than the New York Metropolitans entering their 51st season. 

While I personally as a Met fan try to remain optimistic it remains hard to be cheerful when your 2013 outfield around could consist of  newly acquired Collin Cowgill/ or Mike Baxter, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, and Lucas Duda. Don't get me wrong I like our infield of D-Wright, Tejeda is a nice little hitter, Murphy at second base has vastly improved his defense (if you've seen any games last year you would know that), and at first Ike is a vacuum and though he may not hit over .265 most years in his future i can see him being a legitimate 30 home run 90 + RBI guy.    

The issue remains here. Youth and inexperience. David Wright is the elder statesman of the position players on the ball club and he'll turn 30 tomorrow. Can a team filled with unproven young players with one perennial All-Star (Wright, that is) contend?

Here's Why they can:

1999 Mets Best "Infield Ever": 

Olerud, Alfonzo, Ordonez, Ventura, and lets not forget to include in the infield Catcher: Mike Piazza.

Their Outfield that year:

a mixed bag; mainly including names like Agbayani, McRae, Cedeno, and an aging Rickey Henderson. 

Final Record in 1999:

 97-66, 2nd place in the NL East, NL Wild Card winners.
the next year, 2000, they would claim the Wild Card again and appear in their 1st world series in 14 years. 

Overall, i'm not saying the 2013 Mets infield is the "Best Infield Ever 2.0" but I do think they have one of the better all-around infield's offensively in the NL East:

2012 STATS:

Wright   .306, 21HR 93 RBI
Tejeda   .289 26 doubles
Murphy .291 40 doubles
Davis      32 HR 90 RBI 

Here's why they can't:

Collin Cowgill? Lucas Duda? Nieuwenhuis? Baxter?
A bullpen full of unprovens
A veteran Catcher, newly acquired John Buck has some pop but hits for a very low average and is a below-average defender
Prospect Catcher D'Arnaud??? Will he be as good as advertised? How about his Knee issues last season??

Bottom Line: 

WE ARE IN NEW YORK. We want instant winners and have no patience. And as The San Francisco Giants have proved time and time again as 2 time champs in 3 years. You can have a great infield, outfield, or hit a ton of home runs (like the Yankees) but its always about PITCHING PITCHING PITCHING!

- WOODY

MMA Superfight? Not Happening!

            Were you hoping to see Anderson Silva fight Georges St. Pierre or Jon “Bones” Jones?  Hate to disappoint you but neither fight will happen.  If you’re like me, you are probably in denial and saying it will happen.  But, the fact of the matter is there is too much depth in their respective decisions to hold put their titles on hold.  Don’t believe me? Just keep on reading.

            Starting with the Welterweight Division where Georges St. Pierre reigns.  As you might’ve already heard, Nick Diaz is getting the next title shot.  That means at least another 8 months to a year will go by before GSP is available to fight Silva.  But the next problem with that is a fighter named Johnny Hendricks.  He was said to be the number one contender to the welterweight title before Dana White in a business first decision named Nick Diaz as the next contender.  Hendricks could possibly lose that spot after Diaz in the mean time but with a five fight win streak and his dominating performance over Kampmann in his last fight that doesn’t look likely.  And if you are saying so what that’s only two fights I hate to break it to you but there is also a revitalized Jon Fitch, the soon to be back Carlos Condit, and up and comer Rory Macdonald.

            Moving onto the Middleweight Division and its champion, Anderson Silva.  Anderson Silva is on a break as of right now, so that puts the division on a little bit of a hold pattern but when he returns there will be a plethora of challengers.  First up is “The Count” Michael Bisping assuming he beats Vitor Belfort in his next fight which I believe he will.  I am not a fan of Bisping at all but you can’t disregard what he has done in the Octagon.  He has won five out of his last six fights with that loss being very controversial to Chael Sonnen.  He has solid stand up and a good ground game but I imagine that he will want to stand up with Silva and beat him that way.  After Bisping we have the undefeated Chris Weidman.  By time Silva is ready to face Weidman he will be 100% healthy and in top form.  Weidman has been very impressive winning his first five fights in the octagon.  After him there a few more challengers waiting in the shadows such as Belcher, Boetsch, and Rockhold who is the Strikeforce Middleweight Champion.

            In the Light Heavyweight Division Jon Jones has his hands full, but not with an abundance of challengers but with very tough fights coming his way.  Obviously, he needs to get past Chael Sonnen first which shouldn’t be a problem at all.  So the real challenge will be after Sonnen in the form of Alexander Gustafsson.  I am predicting right now that Gustafsson will be the one to take the belt away from Jones.  This is the most intriguing fight to me right now in that division.  Both men fight with a big reach advantage against their opponents and when they face each other they will be even.  But what I think gives the edge to Gustafsson is his all around game.  Jones is an excellent striker and wrestler where as Gustafsson is a good striker who has been improving with a really good ground game.  After Gustafsson is Glover Teixeira.  He has been dominant in his two UFC fights and is on a seventeen win fight streak overall and of those seventeen victories, NONE of them have gone to a decision. 

            Unfortunately, it does not look good for us fans at seeing a superfight with Anderson Silva and either Jones or St. Pierre.  But the good news is either way we are going to be seeing some really good fights for the belts.  So start saving your money now and get ready for a new champion or two.

"All Day" All the Way

   ALL DAY ALL THE WAY

                The NFL season is nearing an end which means the talk for MVP starts up. The early favorites seem to be the consistent measure of perfection, Tom Brady, and the rejuvenated superstar, Peyton Manning. Manning has 30 touchdown passes, 10 interceptions, and 3,812 passing yards though 13 games, while Brady has 25 touchdowns, only 4 interceptions, and 3,537 through 12 games. Both well deserving I might add but in my eyes the MVP should be Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Petersen. He is the lead candidate for the Comeback Player of the Year Award but I don't think that's good enough. He is the leagues leading rusher with 1,446 yards with 4 games left to play.

               A big factor in the Brady/Manning talk is not only their stats but they're on contending teams. While Minnesota has had nobody to rely on besides Adrian Petersen after the injury to All-Purpose stud Percy Harvin back in week 9. For those who make the valid argument about having the better record, i like to make the argument about better supporting cast which of the three Petersen falls short by a mile. Petersen is having an outstanding season posting 1,446 rushing yards, 8 touchdowns, 17 rushes of 20 yards or more, and 5 rushes of 40 yards or more. He has also posted career highs with 6.2 yards per carry and 120.5 yards per game. Posting these types of numbers is a milestone in itself but regarding the circumstances that Petersen dealt with it has been seen as a blessing. Petersen tore both his ACL and MCL last year on Christmas Eve. Most doctors did not think he would be available to suit up on opening day. But to no avail Petersen suited up and scored a touchdown in Minnesota's 26-23 win over Jacksonville.
 
            With 4 games remaining on their schedule Petersen has potential to break the 2000 yard mark which has only been done 6 times in the history of the NFL and hasn't been seen since 2009 when Titan's RB Chris Johnson did it. However, in the year when Chris Johnson broke the 2K yard mark he lost the MVP to Peyton Manning. In the next 4 games he will face 3 defenses which rank in the Top 15 in the NFL including the Packers who he just ran for over 200 yards against. If Petersen can manage to break 2000 yards I think he should be a shoo in to win the MVP award.  With the league transitioning from the era of ground and pound to the new era of pass heavy the chances we will see a rusher eclipse the 2000 yard mark will be more scarce then it has been in the past. In my opinion that is too big of an accomplishment to not be awarded with the MVP award.

      -ACE

Election 2012

                                  ELECTION 2012 BASEBALL STYLE

Well it’s that time of the year again.  Where the baseball writers take out their pens and cast their ballots for the Hall of Fame.  And just like every year, there are questions about who will get in, who should get in, and will Pete Rose ever be inducted?  Well, today’s blog is all about that.  Let’s start with the people that will get in.  Up first, Mike Piazza, arguably the greatest hitting catcher of all time.  With a career batting average over .300 and 427 home runs is a pretty safe bet to make the Hall.  Secondly, Craig Biggio and no, not because he was hit by 285 pitches.  For me, over 3000 hits, and 291 home runs from mainly a second baseman gets you into the Hall.          

            Now for the players that should get inducted.  Lee Smith, 478 career saves.  Smith should have been inducted a long time ago (this is his 11^th year on the ballot) when he was the career saves leader and now sits third on the list behind Hoffman and Rivera.  Next up with 254 career wins and over 3800 innings pitched, Jack Morris who was close last year with 66.7% of the votes.  And lastly, my homer pick, Roger Clemens.  Yea, yea, I hear all the steroid talk and what not. But you know what? He wasn’t convicted with the fine Judicial System we have set up in America.  But to make this argument more compelling, going strictly by his earned run averages, which is really what makes people think he was on steroids, he was for the most part pretty consistent.  He had two phenomenal years in Houston with another great year.  But also, let’s think about the fact that he was transitioning from the AL East to the NL Central.  Also, if we are going to bring age into this, Bob Gibson was 32 when he had a 1.12 era, and 36 when he had a 2.46 era. So stop whining, Vote for Rocket.

            Now for my personal favorite topic, Pete Rose.  Is it really fair that we have people linked to steroids and actually did take steroids on the ballot and not Pete Rose?  If anything, Rose should be allowed on the ballot to let the decision go to the baseball writer’s.  I for one, think that the all time hits leader should be in the hall of fame.  So he bet on baseball while managing the team, it doesn’t take away from him getting 4256 hits in his career.  I personally think it would be worse to vote Barry Bonds into the Hall of Fame rather than Rose.  He did post a winning percentage better than .500 as a manager and has very little involvement in baseball since being banned. I think that has been punishment enough for someone that loves the game.

            In conclusion, Piazza, Biggio, Smith, Morris, Clemens, and Rose should all be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

-Stretch

Feeling Blue? Don't Worry Big Blue's Been Here Before...

Eli Manning frustrated. We've all seen the sad side of #10 but that doesn't mean there isn't a happy ending in store. Let me put it to you this way: The New York Football Giants are now 6-4 in their 2012-13 campaign. Two Sundays ago the G-Men were a cozy 6-2 sitting firmly atop the toughest division in football: the NFC East. Now after two tough losses where Eli didn't throw a touchdown in either effort, nor did he surpass 225 passing yards (or 200 for that matter in the two starts before yesterday, Week 8 and 9) things may seem to be looking bleak for the 2-Time Superbowl MVP. Right?

 What if  I said that the New York Football Giants were 6-2 all nice and cozy in 2007? How about last year 2011? Both years I think... yes... they went on to win the Superbowl. So what do you have to say now? Well I say in 2007 the G-Men after being 6-2 went on to go 0-4 at Home the rest of the way including a finale of the season where they lost to the Patriots. Ring a bell? Maybe last year is more recent for you. How about going from 6-2 to losing four straight to 6-6? How'd that end? I recall two Cowboy beatdowns, a clash with Gang Green where Cruz goes 99 yds to the House, and another Patriot whooping for a Lombardi Trophy and a happier looking Eli than in the picture above. 

Don't feel blue just yet Giants fans because its how you finish just ask Mr. 4th Quarter Eli Manning. 

I'm not calling a repeat but don't be surprised to see some Salsa dancing and fist pumping past Week 17.

                                      - Woody

Tebow Time in N.Y?

     If you haven't heard there's trouble in paradise. The tandem of quarterbacks that was so heavily talked about in the off season has been anything but productive. The Jets offense has been very stagnant as they failed to score an offensive touchdown for the second time this season.  The Jets offense is ranked 30th in total offense this season due to their lack of running game. Shonn Greene has only had one game this season where he cracked the 100 yard barrier but still the Jets are ranked 16th in the league. The offense has been struggling to say the least but to pinpoint it on one specific person is wrong. Trust me there is enough blame to go around. The line has allowed 22 sacks through 10 weeks but when Sanchez has had the time and finds an open receiver and gets it to them without sailing the ball(a big problem Sanchez has had all season) the ball is dropped by the young inexperienced wide receivers. 

        The job of on Offensive Coordinator is to call plays that fits the offensive scheme and within the talent realm of the team. Somebody should tell that to Tony Sparano because knowing the abilities on your roster is essential. Being a coach that coached against this QB twice a year when the Dolphins and Jets squared off, he should know that Sanchez isn't a QB who can throw the ball 50 times a game and expect a win. Sparano needs to hit the drawing board and find ways to open up holes for his running backs so they can take a little pressure off of Sanchez. 

       Tebow mania is striking Jet fans as it has them chanting for Tebow after consecutive three and outs or the huge blunders by Sanchez such as throwing 4 picks in the red zone this season. But sorry to tell you folks Tebow isn't the answer, there is no question what he did last year couldn't even be explained by the most brilliant minds in football but he doesn't give this team the best chance at winning. 

      I think the Jets should leave Mark Sanchez at quarterback because their chances of making the playoffs is very very slim but not impossible. With one more loss the Jets will be taking the advice of Mike Shanahan and looking at their talent to see who will make their club next year. Unfortunately Jet fans Sanchez is mediocre at best right now but he's the best you got. Sorry guys gonna take a little bit more then Tebowing to see your team in the playoffs this year.


        -Ace

R.A. = NL CY?

Does Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey deserve the top pitching prize in the NL? I'm going to tell you why he does, and why the Mets need to hold on to the 20 game winner...

R.A. Dickey after his 20th victory.

R.A. Dickey: 20-game winner and perennial 2012 Cy Young frontrunner? Who saw this coming? No one. 

I remember walking down the aisles to the Mets dugout to try and get a ball signed during batting practice in 2011 at Citi Field. No one wanted to be bothered. Finally R.A. came along and after pleading with him and kissing some butt saying his story was good for baseball he finally gave in. I tossed him the ball and he signed it. Fortunately he did not throw me a knuckleball back. 

R.A. has become kind of a mystical creature here in NY for us Met Fans. This guy simply comes out of nowhere to win 20 games with the most unpredictable pitch in baseball history. It's almost impossible to fathom how it could be done. The 38 year old wonder. Does he deserve a contract extension? I say Yes. Does he deserve the Cy? I say Yes. Here's why. 

230 Strikeouts. Tops in the NL. 5 Complete Games and 3 Shutouts. Each tops in the NL. Back-to-Back 1 hitters. Impressive. 20 wins. 2nd in the NL. And all for a sub .500 2012 New York Mets team. Need I say more? 

Why should the Mets resign him? Simple. What's to lose? 38 years old is young for a knuckleballer who can pitch until he's at least in his mid-40's. And what do the Mets have left? David Wright, who's Mets future is up in the air? Ike Davis? "What Outfield?" according to Sandy Alderson yesterday. This isn't like contemplating re-signing Oliver Perez. No one wanted him! At least now Dickey is coveted as trade bait if the Mets were to explore that option. 

But why explore trading Dickey? He's the first Mets 20 game-winner since Frank Viola in 1990! Give the man his due! But then again the last Met to even achieve 19 wins was traded immediately after the season's end (after a 3-hit shutout in his last start nonetheless!)... Have we all forgotten 1991, and former Met, future Yankee and 1998 perfect game pitcher David Cone???    

 

                                                                                                           -     Woody

Welcome To Apples & Oranges: NY Sports from Two Opposite Sports Fans

From Yankees/Mets to Jets/Giants to Knicks/Nets to Rangers/Isles...  

Get in the know!

Hi I'm Woody and me and my pals Ace & Stretch will be bringing you no nonsense news and opinions on the day's hottest NY Sports and general Sports Topics from around the country. We are truly Apples and Oranges when it comes to our alliances, but you'll learn that soon enough! Each week along with news and opinions we will dedicate one post to spirited debate where Ace and I take a strong, and often opposite viewpoint on an issue in the NY Sports world... More info is to follow. Stay Tuned!!!

                                                         - Woody