Your 2011 Mets - Part 7 - Big foot steps to follow

While the Mets have been a revolving door at Third Base, they have been well represented by all-stars and hall-of-famers behind the plate. The first player the Mets ever drafted was Hobie Landrith, a catcher. So no pressure Josh Thole.

Thole held his own against major league pitching during his first real taste of the majors in 2010. Hitting .286 so far in his major league career. He isn't going to be a power hitter or middle of the lineup batter like some of his famous predesecours. But he is a solid spray hitter with a little bit of pop. Most importantly Thole calls a good game and has a descent arm. The Mets would be smart to find a more reliable backup for Thole than Ronny Paulino.  He needs an experiecned backup (a Todd Pratt type) who isn't going to push him to be teh starter, but will be a good sounding board for him, and help him get to the next level.

Is he going to be a Buster Posey or Joe Mauer? Its way to early to tell. But young man who was born the day after the Mets last won the World series, is going to be a solid preformer for the team for years to come.


Josh Thole (pronounced toll-EE)

Your 2011 Mets - Part 4 - I had no catchy line to describe ... Carlos Beltran

With Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo gone, the Mets fans will have Carlos Beltran to kick around. Unless he gets off to a hot start and is traded. Regardless, the Carlos Beltran era for the New York Mets will come to an end in 2011, as there is no way he will be resigned. 

I think part of the fans problem with Beltran is he doesn't look like he is hustling. He isn't diving all  over the place, "running through walls", getting really dirty. He is a much more nuanced ball player than that. He is more like a fine wine rather than a six pack of PBR.  I always thought he doesn't run to the ball like a wild man, because he knows where its going and he's gotten there already.  

During his career Carlos has proven himself as a five tool player. Probably the only one the Mets have ever had during the prime years of his career.

a five-tool player is one who excels at hitting for average, hitting for power, base-running skills and speed, throwing ability, and fielding abilities.

Yes this year will be sort of an experiment with Carlos in right field. I think the transition will be easy on him, being such a gifted outfielder.  He has such great instincts out there he is going to be such a huge help to Angel Pagan in center. I hope that his last year in Flushing will be a good one and that we can once and for all forget about the called strike three in the 2006 NLCS.

In addition to being such a fine overall player, he is such a valuable cog in the line up. As power hitting switch hitter he protects the righty David Wight before him and the lefty  Ike Davis behind him. He helps extend the line up out. 

     

Projected lineup with Carlos

1. Reyes (s)
2. Pagan (s)
3. Wright (r)
4. Beltran (s)
5. Davis (l)
6. Bay(r)
7. Murphy (l)
8. Thole (l)

Projected line up without Carlos

1. Reyes
2. Pagan
3. Wright
4. Davis
5. Bay 
6. Murphy
7. Thole
8. Duda (Seriously Lucas Duda would be replacing Carlos Beltran! F-Mart sprained an ankle just thinking about replacing Beltran)

I think without Beltran in the line up there is something lacking and you quickly get

unproven players in the line up. With him you have unproven hitters 7,8 and 9, without him your lineup drops off after the five hole. 

So Mets fans boo him while he is still here. But ask your self why. What did Carlos Beltran ever do to you?

Carlos is tied with Todd Hundley as the Mets single season home run leader with 41.

Piazza's Debut ... now on SNY

I'm watching Mike Piazza's Mets debut on SNY right now and all I wonder is what if Todd Hundley didn't hurt his elbow? Would the Mets have made that bold trade to bring Piazza to New York.  I wonder what the fate of the franchise would have been had Hundley stayed healthy? Think how bold it was replacing arguably your best and most popular player mid-season.

Hundley was traded after the season and brought much maligned, though effective, closer Armando Benitez and Roger Cedeno (the first time when he was good).

Isn't it weird that Olerud was the clean up hitter in the lineup before Piazza got there. Mike batted third that day, and grounded out to future Met Jose Valentin at short.