Today, the Mets announced John Franco as the latest inductee into their Hall of Fame. I discussed how Tom Seaver might have been “Born to be a Dodger” earlier this week, but if someone was ever born to be a member of the Mets, it’s Franco.

Born and raised in the Marlboro Projects in Brooklyn, Franco starred at Lafayette High School and St. John’s before he was selected by the Dodgers in the 5th round of the 1981 draft. Listed at 5’10”, it’s unlikely that Franco could get a scout to look at him today, much less be selected in the draft.

The Reds acquired him in 1983, and he became a fixture in their bullpen in 1984. The call to New York finally came in December of 1989 as the Mets swapped closers with Cincinnati, dealing Randy Myers for Franco. Who would have thought his tenure in a Mets uniform would last 14 seasons.

There are quite a few memories I have of Franco. The earliest one came on May 6th, 1988 when Darryl Strawberry hit a game winning home run off him at Shea. This was even more significant as Franco was particularly nasty on Straw throughout his career. In a display of the type of player he was, Franco was brought in to face Strawberry as the tying run when the Mets visited Cincinnati later that season and promptly struck him out.

His first season in New York had its ups and downs. After a hot start he stumbled, like the team, in September. Franco lived with it throughout the offseason as the hero homecoming was spoiled by a second place finish. Who would have known it would be years before he would pitch in meaningful games again.

There was also the April night in 1996 when he collected his 300th save in the fog against Montreal. Visibility was so poor that I still don’t know how Lance Johnson ran down the final out in centerfield.

Franco was known throughout his career for his “Houdini act” in the ninth inning. Always pitching to contact, he rarely had a 1-2-3 inning. Late in the ’98 season the Mets were a game behind the Cubs for the Wild Card. They had lost to a last place Marlins team the night before when Franco blew a save. He was called on the next night, a game in which I was in attendance, to close the door on a one run game they had to win. There was a walk, a single turned out by Rey Ordonez, another walk, and a hit batter. With the bases loaded and two out he would get Mike Redmond, who crushed lefties, to chase his signature change on 3 and 2 to end the game. The Mets would finish behind Chicago, but that was the biggest out of the season that night. Considering it had been 8 years since the Mets played meaningful September games, it meant a great deal to the 52,000+ at Shea.

Franco finished second all those years in Cincinnati. He fell short in 1990 and 1998 with the Mets. It was fitting he finally made the postseason in 1999, but his work in 2000 was huge. He pitched a scoreless 8th inning at Yankee Stadium in Game 1 of the World Series. Armando Benitez would blow a lead, and the Series, in the ninth. It made you wonder if the roles were reversed would the Mets have won that game and changed the course of the Series.

John Franco is not the best pitcher in team history. He probably isn’t the best reliever or closer. He certainly isn’t a Hall of Famer, but there is no doubt he belongs in the Mets Hall of Fame. You have to look past the numbers to appreciate what John Franco meant to the Mets franchise. You can’t measure what he symbolizes in FIP, WAR, or ERA+.

No one embodies New York and what it’s about than Franco. He wasn’t the tallest and didn’t throw the hardest. He was flawed, but he fought his opponent every night. If you put Franco’s guts in Armando Benitez’s body you might have a pitcher better than Mariano Rivera. He survived during a time when many of his managers, teammates, and front office brethren were run out of town. The fact he was born and raised here is the cherry on top of the story.

There is no denying that Franco caused the fans many stressful nights. He also broke quite a few hearts along the way. We see so many players do less with more in sports. Why not celebrate someone who maximized his talent and left it on the field – win or lose.

It was inevitable that Carlos Beltran would be asked about his New York experience one last time during the B.A.T charity dinner on Monday. “I’m not thinking about the fans, I’m thinking about myself,” Beltran said to reporters. He added that “we can’t bring 2006 back to 2012. It has been six years. If they want to continue to think about that moment, then that’s their problem. Like I said, I have turned the page. I have really moved on.”

These quotes are sure to stir angry emotion from Mets fans; a group that is so abused from the experience of rooting for their favorite team that it doesn’t take much to get them agitated. The reality is that Beltran, although honest and mostly accurate in his response, could have handled the question more delicately. On the flip side, the Mets have become one of the tougher places to play. This has nothing to do with the current financial state of the Wilpons; the heartbreaking failure of the last 25+ years has taken its toll and created a paranoid, negative, and angry group of Mets fans. They use to hope for the best and expect the worst, but now appear more content to want the worst and feel good about being in a perpetual state of misery. The experience by Beltran in New York will serve as a cautionary tale for other star players in the future who may be considering making the Mets their home.

The worst thing that happened to this franchise and fan base is 2006. That season was a mirage, as the team was nowhere as good as the final record indicated. They had a great core of offensive players in Delgado, Beltran, Wright, and Reyes. It was, however, supported with a weak bench, aging role players, and a still very thin farm system. The starting rotation lacked depth and was aging at the top, and for as good as the bullpen was, it’s hard to predict what you will get out of middle relievers from year to year. That was not a sustainable product, but the success of ’06 deluded the fans, management, and ownership into believing they were at the precipice of something great. Even the fortune of landing Johan Santana for C-prospects blew up in their face because of mismanagement of his health and the albatross of an expensive long-term deal.

The fans fell in love with that ’06 team. When it ended badly it was the equivalent of giving the girl an engagement ring and finding out she isn’t who you thought she was. They responded with apathy in 2007, and had their hearts broken again in 2008. Citi Field is going on 3 years old and there isn’t the slightest bit of energy in the ballpark.

The negativity and demands of Mets fans is nothing new. Since the “Worst Team Money Can Buy,” free agents are looked at through dubious lenses. The fear is the Mets have signed the next Bobby Bonilla or Eddie Murray, or traded future stars for the next superstar that has reached his expiration date. When you sign with the Mets, that legacy of pain and failure is part of the package. You take that on and have to battle that along with the trials and tribulations of 162 games.

Carlos Beltran didn’t know what he was getting in to when he signed a 7-year, $117 million dollar deal in January of 2005. He probably saw Mike Piazza, entering the last year of his 7-year deal, as a great example of what life could be in New York. Truth be told, Piazza was fortunate as he was nearly run out of town his first 8 weeks with the team. He started the year in Los Angeles, and then spent a week in Florida before coming to the Mets in a rare early season blockbuster deal. He was thrust into a lineup that had exactly 2 competent hitters in John Olerud and Edgardo Alfonzo. When he didn’t carry the Mets offense, the fans booed him after every out. Piazza looked unhappy and appeared ticketed to free agent riches elsewhere.

Something funny happened on the way to free agency. Piazza had a huge September and, despite the team blowing the Wild Card the last week of the season, was viewed by the fans as more a solution than a problem. His first two full years in 1999 and 2000 were filled with the playoffs and a pennant. In 2001, he cemented his legacy by hitting the most dramatic home run in franchise history post-9/11. If the Mets missed the playoffs with their poor September in 1999, would Piazza and his .248 batting average that month be the blame? You could bet it would have come up, and who knows how he’s treated going forward.

Beltran had all that going against him and some self-inflicted red flags. He came to the Mets because they were the highest bidder, but only after offering himself to the Yankees for $18 million dollars less. This was on the heels of the Scott Kazmir fiasco, and the embarrassment of another 90 loss season. Omar Minaya was taking over a team that lacked energy and was an undesirable place to play (sounds familiar?), and he wanted Beltran to be the core of what he called “The New Mets” or “Los Mets.” This was a huge focus at the press conference and probably put unfair expectations on Beltran.

Looking back, he would have been better off as another star in the Yankees galaxy. There he could hide behind the drama of A-Rod, the stoicism of Jeter, and blended in with the rest of the stars. In Houston, he would have been loved for the production we saw in New York. The Astros went to the World Series in 2005 without him; no doubt he wouldn’t have hurt that situation. Perhaps there would have been another playoff appearance as Beltran could have lessened the blow of losing Jeff Bagwell and the decline of Craig Biggio.

With the Mets he struggled his first season. He was booed the first week of 2006 and almost snubbed the fans on a curtain call until Julio Franco talked him out of it. His career in New York could have ended before it started if not for Franco. Everyone talks about the Game 7 strikeout, but no one remembers how the Mets don’t get there without Beltran producing perhaps the best offensive season in team history. They forget the Mets lost that series two or three different times due to bad bullpen management and lack of execution.

Despite producing All Star numbers every year going forward but one (2010- when he was hurt), Beltran could never shake that Game 7 strikeout. Never mind that Adam Wainwright flung one of the nastiest curveballs you will ever see; all the fans knew is that Beltran destroyed their dream season. The script had him cracking a Grand Slam Home Run to send the team to the World Series, but he didn’t swing the bat and cooperate with the story. Sometimes a foundation of “amazin” and “believe” deludes people into thinking players are something more than human. Facts state that Beltran couldn’t hit that pitch, but a fan base with a foundation of fantasy doesn’t want to hear that.

Neither side is right in this situation. Mets fans are making Citi Field one of the worst places for a star player to call home. A little bit of homework should have given Beltran enough information to see that New York was a good place to play, but his personality was more suited to being part of the Yankees than the Mets. Honestly, Houston was probably the perfect scenario. Despite all that, he lived up to his contract and performed. He will go down as one of the top 5 offensive players in team history. How many homegrown or acquired players have produced at the same level as Beltran?

It will take a special person to embrace this environment. They need a perfect storm ala Piazza to write a happy narrative. Maybe if it ends in a World Series championship it will pave the way for a new generation of Mets fans. Ones that are happy, supportive, and looked critically at what they have. It’s ok to be demanding, but a constant environment of pessimism and negativity doesn’t usually lend itself to success.

They say when you yell all the time it loses its effect as it becomes just loud talking. The same can be said for booing.

I think Beltran will see a difference this season in St. Louis. He probably will wonder how things would have been for him if he signed with a team with a more positive environment back in 2005.

Our good friend on Twitter @ElieIsElite relayed a comment made my Mike Lupica today on ESPN 1050:

“There’s nothing bigger in this area than Giants football; not the Yankees, not the Mets, not the Jets, nothing! nothing! nothing!”

I am not sure I agree with this statement. Right now, the Giants clearly have overtaken the Yankees for the talk of the town. Check in with me in about four weeks when, win or lose, the buzz from the Super Bowl will have worn off.

For as big as football is in the country, I never have seen it discussed 24/7/365 in New York like baseball. Nothing gets more intense than when both the Mets and Yankees are in contention. Look at the buzz in the city in 1999 and 2000, and from 2006-2008 when both teams were considered “contenders” at the same time. There was a tremendous amount of buzz here for the 2000 World Series. I don’t remember anyone not being excited about it.

The only teams that have “overtaken” the Yankees the last 30 years is the Knicks and the Mets. There was nothing bigger than the Pat Riley Knicks in the early 90s; right before the Yankees first World Series in 1996. The Mets in the 80s were also a bigger story than the Yanks. It bothered George Steinbrenner so much he obnoxiously penned a column for the NY Post during the ’86 World Series. You could put the Rangers in that category for a brief moment during their championship run in the spring of 1994. Of course, my perspective starts in the mid-80s, so perhaps some of you more tenured New York sports fans can add to the conversation. How does the Islanders dynasty in the early 80s stack up?

Baseball in this town always seems to take on a life of its own. Remember, as many as 8 million people have paid to watch a baseball game in this city. That’s a lot of fans, and I am not sure either football team can expand to that reach. Perhaps it has nothing more to do with the fact that football is once a week and only 16 games. The baseball daily grind might give it an unfair advantage in this conversation.

Lupica is saying this because December and January are football months so whatever local team – Jets or Giants – is in the hunt, they will be the story.

I will say that both the Giants and Rangers seem to have the most loyal fans of all the pro teams in this city. If one team could overtake baseball I think it would be the Knicks, for the simple reason they are the only game in town when it comes to the NBA (sorry Nets fans you don’t count), and they unite the city in a way that not even the Mets and Yankees can. Let’s face it; most fans don’t root for the opposing New York team.

Let’s see what you think. Do you agree with Lupica? Are the Giants bigger than the Yankees? What if they win the Super Bowl? Have they become the darlings of the city?

I will say this has been a special run for the Giants, and it’s been a ton of fun to watch.

Over at Sports Media Watchdog, I broke down the news regarding Kim Jones departure from the YES Network. It appears that Newsday’s Neil Best and Bob Raissman of the Daily News have a difference of opinion about how “expendable” Jones was to the network.

I have long admiRed Jones‘ work from the sidelines. In a time where networks focus on fashion and style over information when hiring sideline reporters, Jones injected a good balanced of personality and content into her work. There was no one better than Jones at reporting and analyzing the Penn State scandal on WFAN.

I found this interesting tweet from Raissman about the front office feeding Jones critical questions to ask Joe Torre.

Back in 2006, Raissman reported that “YES suits, working in concert with Yankee front-office operatives, planted questions with Jones intended to put Torre on the hot seat.”

Do I believe the Yankees front office would do something like this? Yes, no pun intended, I do. I wish Raissman would discuss this in more detail in a future column.

Regardless, I don’t think it takes anything away from Jones. Even if she got an assist early in her career, she consistently tried to grow in her role and bring value to a position that often has none during the course of the game.

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Read more about Kim Jones leaving YES, who will take over her spot, and where she will end up go t0 Sports Media Watchdog. 

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Jones was also a recipient of one of my 2012 “Stock Up” awards earlier this month.

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On a lighter note, who can forget this?

Jorge Posada officially announced his retirement at Yankee Stadium. “Hopefully you won’t miss me that much,” Posada said with his good friend Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and CC Sabathia looking on. Brian Cashman, Joe Girardi, and even Diana Munson had glowing things to say when tying a ribbon on Posada’s career. The fact remains that Posada won’t be missed by many of the players currently in the clubhouse; especially his manager. Also, for as good a Yankees career Posada compiled, he is nowhere near the class of Thurman Munson or the other great catchers in team history.

You could argue that Posada has the offensive numbers to be in conversations for the Hall of Fame, however his defense and game calling were always far from elite. His fiery temper, always a good counter to Jeter’s stoicism, became more of disruption later in his career as his skills diminished.

The biggest winner with Posada on the way out is Girardi. No longer must he worry about the next controversy when he drops him down in the lineup. The infamous spat in May when Girardi batted Posada ninth was brewing for over five years, as he battled with him while serving as Joe Torre‘s bench coach in 2005. Apparently, Posada didn’t care for Girardi’s game plan for the pitchers. ”Jorge would deviate from those plans all the time during games, which drove Joe nuts,” a source told Mark Feinsand of the Daily News. “Joe would call him out on it all the time, which drove Jorge mental.” Many believe Girardi was waiting for any opportunity to pull him out from behind the plate. The decline in production and subsequent acquisition of Russell Martin eventually gave him the ammunition to do just that.

Posada was a valued member of the “Core Four,” but I am not sure he was as loved by his current teammates. Within two weeks of wearing pinstripes, Martin was receiving praise from the coaches and pitchers for his work behind the plate. Brian Cashman compared Martin’s impact to that of Thurman Munson (more on Munson later). For someone that was supposed to be the “heart and soul” of the Yankees it was interesting how quickly everyone embraced his replacement. It’s no surprise a very average Yankees starting rotation overachieved in 2011 with a defensive-oriented receiver. You have to wonder if that would have been the case with Posada.

We all know about his inability to frame pitchers and call a game, but feuds with the staff were part of the problem as well. Posada was a proud, yet stubborn man who sometimes let his ego get in the way. In addition to public arguments with Joba Chamberlain and A.J. Burnett, he feuded with pitchers such as Randy Johnson and Orlando Hernandez. Joel Sherman had pitchers complain to him about “Posada’s game-calling intellect or the lack of soft hands and finesse that enables a catcher to frame pitches well and steal strikes.” The Yankees even started light-hitting Jose Molina in a World Series game over Posada. It seems like Posada was the antithesis of what you want behind the plate defensively. He expected pitchers to adjust to him, versus him working to improve his staff; something I believe is in the job description of any big-league catcher.

Of course, as Sherman pointed out, “they hated him all the way up to the three-run homer he hit,” but that doesn’t take away the fact he had a bad reputation around the league. This reputation wasn’t helpful when the Yankees went out to recruit free agent pitching talent the last five year. You also have to wonder if the Yankees had a better catcher late in Joe Torre’s tenure if they could have received better production from the staff.

I am not suggesting Posada’s final days ruin a very good 17-year career. I also don’t think anyone should have focused on the negative on a day to celebrate his career. I do think the platitudes have to be put in perspective. Peter Botte of the Daily News, probably prompted by the presence of Munson’s widow, asked his Twitter followers if Munson or Posada were the better player.

Posada doesn’t come close to being the leader and complete player that Munson was. Bill Virdon, who managed the Yankees in 1974 and 1975, said if “he had 25 guys like Munson he wouldn’t even have to manage the team.” In his autobiography “White Rat, “Whitey Herzog said “he hasn’t seen many catchers do the job offensively and defensively as he (Munson) could.”

Perhaps the most definitive take on Munson comes from Frank Russo, who co-authored Thurman’s bio for SABR. Over at his site, the deadballera.com., Russo said Munson was ”an outstanding fielder, with the quickest release in baseball in throwing out base stealers, and was fearless behind the plate.” Russo also points out how the infamous “Death Valley” at old Yankee Stadium hurt him offensively. When told of the Munson-Posada comparison, NYBD contributor Joseph Delgrippo said that “Posada was a cog in the wheel, while Munson was the wheel.”

When Munson died, so did an era of Yankees baseball. The absence of Posada from behind the plate is nothing but a positive for the Yankees pitchers, especially the young kids that will be incorporated into the rotation the next few years. As for the clubhouse, his fiery presence lost its steam years ago. This is a group that needs less core players and more of its own identity. I sometimes wonder if the other catcher from the late-nineties dynasty who manages the team is the right personality for the locker room, much less the guy who took his job.

Celebrate Jorge Posada’s career today, but don’t cry. This Yankees team is better off without him.

Since the deal that sent Jesus Montero to Seattle for Michael Pineda, we have been discussing which free agent DH makes sense for the Yankees. Names like Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Vladimir Guerrero, Raul Ibanez, and before he signed with Tampa, Carlos Pena all were debated. There is an internal option such as Jorge Vazquez that is unlikely, but can’t be discounted. Based on his comments to reporters yesterday, it appears that Brian Cashman’s desire is to trade for a bat; possibly using Phil Hughes or A.J. Burnett as the bait.

Talent will determine which player is more likely to be dealt. Burnett holds little equity around the league and will be a salary dump or bad contract for bad contract scenario. Hughes still has upside, and could possibly fetch a decent hitter in return. Also in play is the Yankees goal of getting under $189 million dollars of payroll in the next two years

Starting with Burnett, two names that have been speculated on are Adam Dunn and Jason Bay.

Dunn has 3 years and $44 million remaining on his contract. He’s coming off a historically bad year where he hit .159 with 11 HRS. Yes, that’s not a typo, Dunn hit a measly .159. I would call him Dave Kingman, but he lacked the power that Kong displayed in his prime. Kingman also was able to reach the Mendoza Line.

Has Dunn’s game expired? I don’t think so. The Yankees would be taking on $11 million in contract, but a productive Dunn would fit in well in that lineup. I always have felt Dunn is a good #5 hitter on a good team. He can be pitched to by lefties, but can wreck games with his power. He averaged 40 home runs a year before signing with Chicago. I wouldn’t be surprised if he would hit 50 playing half his games at Yankee Stadium.

Would this benefit Chicago? The team that seems to be in a rebuilding mode, but doesn’t want to admit it, would be doing this to just save money. On the field, it depends on how much value Kenny Williams has for a veteran that can give close to 200 innings. Perhaps that is a factor as they lost Edwin Jackson and Mark Buehrle over the last year.

Jason Bay is a more unlikely option. This idea is born from Mets fans looking to rid themselves of another Omar Minaya mistake. Where Dunn had an odd one year drop-off, Bay has been injured and ineffective since signing a 4-year deal after the 2009 season. The salaries of Bay and Burnett almost match perfectly ($16 million to $16.5 million). Bay has a looming $17 million option that triggers based on a reasonable amount of plate appearances. In other words, if Bay starts he will have an additional year on the books.

One thing to consider with Bay is he could be a good option to balance the left-handedness of the lineup. Even in 2011, a down year, Bay hit .300 against LHP with an OPS over .900. It’s not common to see these two teams match up for a deal, but if the Yankees are desperate enough to land a bat and rid themselves of Burnett, this could be a viable option.

On the flip side, the Mets would be saving money, which is paramount to the Wilpons, and improving their rotation. Burnett will still be inconsistent and frustrating in the National League, but if he is going to regain his form I think it has a better chance of it happening in the league without the DH. Getting away from the expectations of the Bronx won’t hurt either.

One other option mentioned by Steve S. at the Yankee Analysts is Travis Hafner. The Indians may be able to contend in the AL Central this year, and could use some pitching help. Hafner is owed $13 million for the next two years; both sides would only have to figure out the $7 million dollar difference.

Hafner is no longer an everyday player; he’s averaged 91 games a season since 2008. He also struggled against LHP (.680 OPS), but that could mean you keep someone like Vazquez on the roster to split time. Hafner also would open the DH spot more often for A-Rod, Teixeira, and other veterans. Just like with Dunn, Hafner’s left-handed power bat would do well at Yankee Stadium.

Where does Hughes come into play? I wouldn’t trade him for any of the aforementioned hitters, although I am sure Kenny Williams, Sandy Alderson, and Chris Antonetti wouldn’t mind.

The big question is whether the Yankees are willing to take on payroll. Most acquisitions will require the Yanks to add an additional year and salary to the payroll.

Personally, I would push to acquire Dunn. Realistically, I think if the Yankees really want to rid themselves of Burnett the Mets might be their best option. I predict making a deal will be difficult and Cashman will wind up having to bring in a free agent on a low base incentive deal.

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Of course, there is another option and that is releasing Burnett outright as discussed by Joseph Delgrippo on Saturday.

I had an opportunity to chat with Steven Travers last night, author of a new book called “The Last Icon: Tom Seaver and His Times,” on my radio program. Never before has someone delved into the career of the man known as “The Franchise.” You all know about his accomplishments on the field, but Travers and I discussed Seaver the man, where he stands amongst the all-time greats, and the unlikely events that led him to New York. One thing that stood out was how close he was to becoming a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers throughout his career.

“He was born to be a Dodger,” Travers said. “Born and raised in California, went to USC, had season tickets to Dodger games because his uncle has season tickets in Los Angeles, and he would use them every fourth and fifth day to see Koufax and Drysdale.”

As luck would have it, Seaver was drafted by the Dodgers in the 10th round of the 1965 draft. Seaver wanted $50,000 to sign; the Dodgers offered $2,000 along with advice from a scout by the name of Tommy Lasorda. “Good luck with your dental career,” Lasorda said. This was in reference to the fact that Seaver was a pre-dental student at USC.

Seaver would sign a contract with Atlanta the following year, only to see it voided by the commissioner’s office because his college team played some exhibition games. He couldn’t return to school since he was now considered a “pro.” The league responded by setting up a lottery with interested teams. The Dodgers tried to get involved once again, but ultimately failed to follow through, which led to the Mets winning Seaver’s rights in the lottery over Cleveland and Philadelphia.

The third time the Dodgers lost out on Seaver was in 1977. We all know the story as to why the Mets put Seaver on the block. Before they traded him to Cincinnati, the Dodgers offered the Mets Don Sutton for Seaver. The Mets passed and decided on a quantity package that included Pat Zachry, Steve Henderson, Dan Norman, and Doug Flynn.

Sutton was 32-years old, the same age as Seaver, and was entering the late prime of his career. He still had plenty left as from 1977-80 he went 54-39 with a 3.21 ERA. In comparison, Seaver went 63-34 with a 3.00 ERA. The Mets never could have received comparable value for Seaver; Baseball-Reference ranks only two pitchers (Roger Clemens and Walter Johnson) with more value in the history of the game; but Sutton was as fair a deal as they could have made.

Imagine the course of both teams history if Seaver wound up signing with Los Angeles. He could have taken over as the ace of the franchise for Koufax, who retired the year before Seaver’s debut. He might also have won far more than the 311 games which he finished.

During the 70s, he often had terrible offenses supporting him. Travers believes Seaver could have won 30 games during his 1971 season; a year that many believe was his best ever. Seaver finished 20-10 with a 1.76 ERA and set, the then, strikeout record for a RHP with 289. Ironically, Ferguson Jenkins won the Cy Young Award due to his 24 wins, despite posting an ERA a run higher.  ”Seaver could have won 30,” Travers said. “He had 36 starts and I believe 31 to 35 of them are absolute possible victories. If he gives up 3 runs, forget about it, much less two. He has to win 1-0, 2-1 to win games. He could have been 31-3 in 1971, that’s how good he was.”

Also imagine the impact Seaver would have on the 1977 and 1978 Dodger teams that went to the World Series against the Yankees. Sutton lost 2 games in ’78 Series, posting an ERA over 7.00. I give the Dodgers great odds of winning at least one of those years with Seaver as their ace. In another bit of irony, Tommy Lasorda was their manager.

The Mets are 50 years old this coming season. They haven’t been blessed with the best luck, but in the case of Tom Seaver it was probably the luckiest thing that has ever happened to the franchise. It might be the worst $50,000 dollars the Dodgers elected to save.

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You can download the entire radio show from last night by clicking here. Jon Springer, author of “Mets By the Numbers,” joins me later on as we discuss whether the Mets should retire Gary Carter‘s number, and whether Mike Piazza should go into the Hall of Fame wearing a Mets cap.

I should create a category called “Jose Canseco,” since his stories never cease to create headlines.

Once in a while, Canseco takes to Twitter and makes emotional pleas about his baseball career. Last night was one of those scenarios.

“Just saw the movie money ball .it was awesome congrats billy I especially loved the part about you and your daughter.ps I would have played for you back then for free.I was one of those misfits who needed a second chance.”

Canseco did the same thing last year when Sandy Alderson took over the Mets. Amazingly enough, an NYBD poll saw 84% of Mets fans support Alderson bringing Canseco to spring training.

Of course, it never happened, but Canseco did spend the season as a player-manager for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American Baseball League.

Canseco’s team finished dead last in the South Division with a 35-53 record, 17 games behind the San Angelo Colts. On the playing field, the 47-year old former “Bash Brother” played 60 games and hit .260 with 8 HRs and 46 RBI in 199 ABs. I know its independent ball, but a .371 OBP and .791 OPS aren’t bad numbers for a 46-year old.

You can check out video highlights from his season here.

He also has, by the way, claimed he is steroid-free.

Canseco’s night got surreal when he compared his plight to that of noted sabermetrician, Bill James.

Maybe baseball “hated Bill James” back when Canseco was winning the MVP, but I am fairly certain he isn’t looked at in the same way as Canseco.

We do a Mets-centric show tonight, as Steven Travers, author of a new book called “The Last Icon: Tom Seaver and His Times.” 

We will discuss Seaver’s career, learn about him personally, and see how he rates versus the greatest pitchers of all-time.

Later in the show I will discuss why the Mets should retire Gary Carter‘s number with Jon Springer of Mets By the Numbers.

Also hear me discuss Mike Piazza‘s comments on MSG about wearing a Mets hat in the Hall of Fame.

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It’s Championship Sunday in the NFL, so why not write an article that has a football connection.

Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus was asked earlier this week what NFL player was the best baseball player. Goldstein said he “knows multiple scouts that believe John Elway would have been a superstar.”

Elway was drafted in the 2nd round by the Yankees in 1981. While still at Stanford, he played outfield for their NY-Penn League affiliate in Oneonta in 1982.

Elway had a very nice inaugural season in rookie ball, as he hit .318 with 4 HRs, 25 RBI, and 13 stolen bases in 42 games. When he was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in ’83, and subsequently forced them to deal him to Denver, Elway’s baseball career was essentially over.

This past summer, Alfred Santasiere III wrote a piece about Elway for Yankees Magazine. When he asked Elway about whether he thinks about what his life would have been like had he chosen baseball over football, he said ““I think about that all of the time. Even though my football career turned out the way it did, to be dead honest with you, if there is one thing I would have liked to have done, it would have been to be a Yankee. I look at the legacy that Mr. Steinbrenner has left there, which is one in which they do everything they can to win baseball games and championships, and I am in awe. I really don’t think about what it would have been like to play baseball. I think about what it would have been like to have played for the Yankees.”

The Flagrant Fan points out that ”John Elway was already an accomplished baseball player with excellent plate discipline. He only struck out 16.5 percent of the time and walked at a rate of 15.1 percent. He was an excellent base runner and stole thirteen bases in just sixteen attempts. Plus, he seemed to be a terrific right fielder. He made 69 putouts in 71 attempts (89.9 percent) and the arm that made him a quarterback was on display in the outfield where he made eight assists in just those 41 games. He didn’t make a single error.”

Think about it; the drive versus Cleveland never happens, back-to-back Super Bowl’s don’t exist, and the Yankees might have had another homegrown All Star to team with Don Mattingly in the eighties.

During last night’s Knicks-Nuggets game at the Garden, Mike Piazza appeared at halftime with Jill Martin on the MSG Network.

You can watch the segment below, but some of the highlights were Piazza saying he and Johnny Bench are tied as “the best hitting catchers of all-time,” how he would like to go into the Hall of Fame with a Mets cap, and that Armando Benitez was the most “impressive pitcher” he caught. He also mentioned Greg Maddux as “most impressive” when he caught him in the All Star Game.

You can watch Piazza’s entire appearance here. He gives you some insight into his iPod and whether we will ever see him as a blonde again.

What’s up with the winking at the camera, Mike?

Update 1/22 @ 12:30 AM: Looks like this could be a moot point since the Rockies completed a deal with Boston for Marco Scutaro. The Sox received RHP Clayton Mortensen in the deal.

Maybe it’s possible Colorado could still be interested in Turner as a backup. I think that role may fit his talents better.

Original Post

Troy Renck of the Denver Posts reports the Rockies are interested in Justin Turner.

Last season, Mark Ellis and Jonathan Herrera played second base for the Rockies, so undoubtedly they are looking for Turner to take over the position full time. Two names that have been connected with the Mets this offseason are utility man Eric Young Jr. and RHP Jason Hammel.

Young Jr., son of former big leaguer Eric Young, is 26-years old and yet to produce offensively at the big league level. He has a career BA of .297 in the minors, but has hit only .246 in parts of 3 seasons in Colorado. He is versatile, and can play all three outfield positions and second base. His biggest asset is his speed, as he’s stolen as many as 87 bases in the minors, and 27 last year in just 77 big league games.

With Hammel, the Mets would be receiving a back-end of the rotation innings guys. Perhaps he could be the 6th starter swingman that D.J. Carrasco failed at so miserably. He was at his most value in 2008, when he started 5 games for Tampa, while coming out of the bullpen in 35 others. As a full time starter, he can probably win 10 games, while compiling about 170 innings or so with an ERA in the 4.50 range. He would be more depth than anything.

Turner could be looked at as excess since the Mets have Daniel Murphy as a possible second base solution, and prospects Jordany Valdespin and Reese Havens as depth. They also signed veteran middle infielder Ronny Cedeno this offseason.

What would be the Mets greater need? I think Young has potential to be a valuable substitute off the bench. His speed speaks for itself, and has a reputation for walking and getting on base. Hammel, although he would help the depth at pitching, could probably be replicated with an inexpensive free agent signing.

Since Brian Cashman traded Jesus Montero for RHP Michael Pineda, and then signed RHP Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year deal for $10 million, the Yankees are flush with starting pitchers. It appears that in all the frenzied moments of last Friday, the Yankees lost track of how many major league ready starting pitchers they really had in their organization. For purposes of this article, they have eight who have pitched in the major leagues plus three others on the precipice, who I believe are ready for the major leagues.

The starting rotation appears to be some combination of CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova, Hiroki Kuroda and Michael Pineda, with Freddy Garcia, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett battling for the final spot. Dellin Betances also has a few major league innings under his belt, but should pitch most of the 2012 season at Triple-A Rochester.

The old, but relatively new, adage is you can’t have enough pitching, especially quality starting pitching. With injuries invariably occurring within most starting rotations, smart organizations will have an additional veteran or several ready youngsters to fill in starts where needed.

See also: 2011 Boston Red Sox.

But even after these two starting rotation moves, if I told you the Yankees can get another veteran starting pitcher for their rotation, who, during various seasons, led his league in games started, strikeouts, lowest hits per nine innings and fewest home runs per nine innings, would you be interested?

And the guy is only looking for a two-year deal for a little over $15 million per, just enough time for Manny Banuelos to get a little more seasoning in Triple-A before he takes a spot in the rotation. And this veteran wouldn’t cost the Yankees a draft pick or any prospects.

Wouldn’t this be a good pickup? Don’t you want him? He would really round out that new rotation, wouldn’t he?

But the Yankees currently have three veteran arms vying for that fifth spot. Garcia threw very well last season (ERA+ of 122) in the difficult-to-navigate lineups of the AL East. Hughes threw the ball much better late last season, showing glimpses of his 2010 performance. However, many people believe Burnett, because he is being paid $16.5 million this season (and next), is a lock to get that final spot.

Most Yankee fans dislike Burnett, and I had previously written that the Yankees shouldn’t even have signed him.

If you had the opportunity, would you sign Burnett again if he were a free agent? Of course not. Not even for two years at a total of $33 million, that same amount the Yankees still owe him? Nope.

Yet, that veteran pitcher I previously mentioned for a two-year deal is A.J. Burnett. He did lead his league at one time in all of those categories.

Since he is getting paid very well, some people feel AJ should get that fifth spot, and somehow will make him a better pitcher.

The current theory is that since Burnett is getting all that loot, there is no reason to “waste” that money by shipping him to the bullpen to throw maybe twice every week. I disagree. A thought is that his win total likely would look better if facing the other teams’ fifth starter most of the time.

My win total would be better facing a fifth starter more often, too.

But there are several reasons why Burnett should NOT be considered for the Yankee rotation and, in fact, should not even be on their roster come opening day.

First, Burnett is not a good pitcher. Not even close. Many people say “he has great stuff.” A.J. does NOT have great stuff. Great stuff does not get you a 34-35 record in three seasons as a Yankee, especially with this offense, and ERAs over 5.00 each of the last two seasons. Great stuff doesn’t allow you to allow the most walks (2009), most hit batters (2010), most wild pitches (2009 & 2011) in the league while also allowing 81 home runs during these three seasons.

Second, A.J. has mostly been a malcontent. When things didn’t go his way in Florida late in 2005, he lashed out against the team and was suspended for the balance of the season. During his Yankee tenure, Burnett appeared with a black eye, which no one in the organization talked about. Do you really think that if his role with the Yankees was reduced, he would abide by Joe Girardi’s decisions regarding his reduced playing time?

And forget about Burnett to the bullpen. The Yankees already have Mariano, Robertson and Soriano, with Joba coming back mid-year. They don’t need Burnett stirring up garbage down there.

Third, A.J. will not improve his performance. He is what he is, a mediocre pitcher who USED to have the best fastball in baseball. He also has a good curve ball, which he cannot control and rarely throws consistent strikes with the pitch. He has no command over either pitch, and that costs him dearly. Like 81 HRs dear over the last three seasons. As I said last off season, new pitching coach Larry Rothschild would not be able to “fix” Burnett.

Even though Burnett did stop lots of his movement during his delivery, it still did not help his command. How many times have you seen the Yankee catcher set up outside and A.J.’s pitch is delivered up and in or, even worse, down the middle, and it gets whacked pretty hard?

Too many times to count.

Fourth, A.J. is getting worse. He was terrible the second half of last season, getting bombed in most of his starts. His slash line allowed was .316/.387/.554/.942 OPS with a 6.85 ERA and 1.746 WHIP. All that with a K/9 rate of 9.3. So much for a pitchers ability to get strikeouts.

In Burnett’s 13 year career, he has had eight full seasons with minimum of 25 starts. His two worst seasons of those eight? Yep, his last two seasons, all in Yankee pinstripes. And his 2009 season wasn’t all that great, either.

What makes you think AJ will suddenly turn it around? His glowing personality? The way he glares at Kim Jones after a biting question after another bad start?

If A.J. was in the starting rotation, the Yankees would get a .500 or worse pitcher who loses concentration on the mound, and cracks under pressure.

Fifth, the Yankees are paying Phil Hughes $3.2 million this season. The Yankees are not paying Hughes that much money to pitch in the bullpen…at least not during the first half of the season. Hughes has been the Yankee golden child since being drafted in 2004, and the Yankees want to see how he looks as a starter this season before deciding whether he will become another bullpen arm, especially after his improved performance late last season. I just wish Hughes would stop throwing that cutter, as I feel it’s a velocity reducer.

Sixth, Freddy Garcia is a better pitcher, with better stuff than Burnett, and is currently signed for 2011. In 2010, Garcia had a better season than Burnett and appears to be a better teammate. Garcia took Nova under his wing last year and was a guiding force in Nova’s development. Don’t think for a second that Garcia will not be as equally valuable to the recently acquired Pineda. Unless Garcia gives them permission (a possibility now), the Yankee cannot trade Garcia until at least June. I hope they keep him around.

Let’s say Burnett repeats what he averaged over the last three seasons. That would be a sub .500 record, ERA of 4.79, BB/9 rate of 4.0, HR/9 rate of 1.2 with a WHIP of 1.447. Those are the numbers of a kid prospect usually puts up his rookie season. Hell, Zach Britton of the Baltimore Orioles had a better season than Burnett last year. Would you rather have a kid prospect putting up those numbers or A.J. Burnett? I even feel that as a fifth starter, A.J.’s attitude would worsen and his actual numbers would not even be that good.

So why not have David Phelps or Adam Warren, two pitchers who I feel are major league ready get those necessary starts? I have confidence both guys could at least replicate, or likely better, Burnett’s numbers from the last two seasons. In his most recent chat (1/19/12), ESPN’s Keith Law said he feels both Phelps and Warren are “major league ready, back end starters.”

I agree, and the Yankee would be better off with one of them in the rotation rather than AJ Burnett.

With a plethora of major league ready pitchers plus two (if not three or four) major league ready prospect starters in the minors, there is no room for Burnett on the staff, either in the rotation or the bullpen.

That means he should not even be on the roster.

But no one wants to trade for Burnett. The Yankees found that out when they shopped him over the last couple months. But those trade proposals had the Yankees paying about half of Burnett’s salary for the next two seasons. No team in its right mind would trade for Burnett and pay $16 million to him.

Well, maybe Kenny Williams of the Chicago White Sox would, as he did for Alex Rios and Jake Peavy. Maybe Williams would trade Gordon Beckham for Burnett.

Seriously, though, the prior trade proposals did not match what the trend is for other veteran, high-price pitchers. That is for the current team to pay MOST of the salary, like the Chicago Cubs did with Carlos Zambrano to the Miami Marlins, and Atlanta Braves did with trading Derek Lowe to the Cleveland Indians. The Yankees should be willing to pay $30 million of the current $33 million Burnett is currently owed. That would then interest a few teams.

That is money wasted, but what good is it having Burnett pitch due to his salary, if he continues to pitch very badly? That is like a stock trader throwing good money after bad money when the bad stock goes down in value. Burnett’s salary is already a sunk cost. No reason to hurt the Yankees in 2012 by pitching Burnett, especially with good team like the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers and maybe the Toronto Blue Jays fighting the Yankees for the precious few playoff spots.

If the Yankees pay most of Burnett’s salary, certain teams like the San Francisco Giants, Oakland A’s, and Detroit Tigers might be tempted; all teams who pitch in big parks, which Burnett might benefit. But a team like the Kansas City Royals with all their kids, they might need a veteran to allow the kids like Mike Montgomery and to develop a little more.

As told to the Kansas City Star’s Bob Dutton, Royals general manager Dayton Moore said “We’re not done. We’re still looking to add another pitcher.”

No matter what team would want Burnett, it is imperative for the Yankees to rid themselves of a guy who really isn’t any good. If no trades can be made, I would vote for an outright release. There are much better opportunities for the Yankees rotation and bullpen now and in the future.

Reports indicate the Mets have some interest in free agent starter Jeff Francis.

When you take a quick glance at Francis’ 6-16, 4.82 ERA with Kansas City last season, and you wonder how he could help the Mets. First, and most obvious, the Mets lack big league caliber pitching depth. They were fortunate to get through a majority of last season with only 6 starters, but like most big league team’s they were required to go 9 deep in order to make it through 162 games. Dillon Gee replaced Chris Young; Miguel Batista and Chris Schwinden were called on in September, while D.J. Carrasco took the second game of an early season doubleheader against Atlanta.

Francis was on the Mets radar last offseason, but signed with the Royals for $2 million plus incentives. Looking past the poor record and ERA, there is reason to believe he deserved better, and may be a good fit for a National League club.

His FIP (4.10) and xFIP (4.29) outperformed his ERA by more than a half a run. If you add in a move from the AL to the NL, I could see a return to his best seasons in Colorado where he performed at a similar level. Francis pitches to contact and needs groundballs to be successful. He turned in the best performance of his career in that regard with 47% of his contact “squashing bugs” in 2011. Most importantly, he gave the Royals innings with 183. Do you see much of a difference between Mike Pelfrey and Francis? The real question is regarding Francis’ health, as he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his pitching shoulder during his Rockies tenure.

Right now, the Mets rotation consists of Pelfrey, Gee, Dickey, Niese, and Santana; their depth is Miguel Batista and Chris Schwinden, plus any non-roster invitees they bring on board. Quite simply, it’s not enough.

Francis would be a good addition to the rotation. I could see him win 12-14 games and pitch close to 200 innings. He is a better bet to stay healthy and produce than Johan Santana.

The big question is what will he cost? Chris Capuano received a guaranteed $5 million dollars from the Dodgers. I would think Francis wants to be close to that neighborhood. Can the Mets afford it? Do they have the desire? Unfortunately, I don’t have answers to those questions.

ESPN New York has been providing the public updates about the health of former Mets catcher and Hall of Famer, Gary Carter, from the family’s website. A common quote in these ESPN stories is “ESPNNewYork.com has been granted access.”

Learn why this might not be the case over at Sports Media Watchdog. 

More importantly, you can donate in Gary’s name by going here.