Mets Well-Stocked at Second Base

Posted on by metbaseball

The Mets have made the competition for second base more interesting. As of today, six candidates will be challenging to man the position: Luis Castillo, Daniel Murphy, Ruben Tejada, Justin Turner, Brad Emaus, and Russ Adams.

Luis Castillo is a player with an inflated salary, a leftover from an era when Omar Minaya did for the Mets what Isiah Thomas did for the Knicks, overspending on players who underperformed. Fortunately, the Mets don’t have an Eddie Curry on their roster. Hopefully, Alderson will find another team willing to part with prospects to obtain Castillo’s services.

Daniel Murphy is a player whom the Mets misplayed when they tried to convert him into an outfielder. The team’s latest hope is that he can succeed at second base.

Ruben Tejada is a player who was pushed too soon into a starting position. He’d benefit by starting this season in Triple-A. Let’s see if the Mets have the wisdom to make that move.

Justin Turner should have been a September call-up. Why he wasn’t is mystifying. Last season in Buffalo he hit .333 with a .906 OPS. He deserves a shot at second base.

Brad Emaus is a 2010 Rule 5 selection. Why didn’t the Blue Jays protect him? Last season in Triple-A he hit .298 with an .890 OPS. Another player who should be given a fair chance to make the Mets starting lineup.

Russ Adams also played for Buffalo last season, hitting .264. As he’s 31, I’d rather see the Mets start the season with someone younger.

 

Carl Dennis, poet

Posted on by metbaseball

If you’re unfamiliar with Carl Dennis’ poetry, a good introduction is his New and Selected Poems 1974-2004. The strength of his poetry is its accessibility. His lines don’t create mazes readers must waste their mental energy wending their way through in their hunt for meaning. Instead, his language opens door for readers into rooms in which Dennis has turned on the lights.

As an example, his poem, “Listeners,” is about traveling words. In particular, it’s about words of his that began their journey on a telephone life, overheard by a telephone operator “lonely among the night wires,” “night wires” a metaphor that deepens rather than obscures meaning. Further on, Dennis comments that such operators “all do it … breaking the rules.” (This is an activity born before the Internet when party lines still reigned.)

To Dennis, words, once said, can travel on unexpected paths, reaching ears for which they were never intended. Even whispers said to oneself — even thoughts — can enter what Dennis refers to as the “far world” where they can assume new forms, such as stone, losing not only their identify but also their ability to engage others.

While Dennis’ “stones” might not engage his poetic characters who encounter them, his words have the power to pull readers into a poetic world he makes “near.”

Giants’ draft may not improve team

Posted on by metbaseball

The more I learn about the players the Giants drafted in the 2010 draft, the more I question GM Jerry Reese’s drafting ability. I think it’s over-rated. In a post-draft interview, he didn’t even know that Philip Dillard played outside linebacker last season.

Reese’s most questionable pick was Jason Pierre-Paul. Last season for South Florida he had only 6.5 sacks while starting only seven of the team’s 13 games.

If I were the Giant’s GM, after the Seahawks drafted Earl Thomas I would have traded down several picks to try to get another second-rounder. The Patriots have showed how smart it can be to do that.

Their third pick, Chad Jones, is also a questionable one. According to Russ Lande in the Sporting News, “He takes consistently poor angles and is a very poor tackler. He has poor instincts and plays so far back he struggles to even get involved in the play.” That’s not someone I would want to play safety on my team.

If I were to grade the Giants draft, I’d give them a C-. I think Reese took too much of a risk drafting Pierre-Paul #15 and then Chad Jones in the third round.

Football Giants need major changes

Posted on by metbaseball

It will take a miracle for Giants GM Jerry Reese to put a contending team on the field in 2010. The team has too many needs. It needs to upgrade its safeties and linebackers, and add a defensive tackle. Plus, its offensive line is aging. (In previous drafts, the Giants could have drafted both Joe Thomas and Nick Mangold, but didn’t.) And its main running back, Brandon Jacobs, is too injury-prone. (They should have re-signed Derrick Ward.)

Why Reese didn’t upgrade both the safety and linebacker positions this past season befuddles me. For example, in the last draft he selected only two players who made a difference: Nicks and Beatty. Simtim and Beckum weren’t difference-makers. Barden didn’t play until the last game. Brown didn’t play at all because of an injury. Bomer, though not injured, didn’t play. And their final two draft choices, Wright and Woodson, didn’t even make the team.

Finally, of their three major free agent signings, Boley, Canty, and Bernard, Boley and Canty missed too many games because of injury and Bernard underperformed.

It’s unlikely that Reese will be able to acquire through the draft and free agency enough quality players to fill the Giants deficiencies, so unless a miracle happens and he does, don’t expect the Giants to be a playoff contender next season.