Three free agent closers have been connected to the Mets thus far: Brad Lidge, Joe Nathan, and Jonathan Broxton. Which would make the most sense to finish ballgames in 2012? First, the years/dollars an individual would require is what will drive any negotiations. All are pitchers that fall into the low risk/high reward due to recent injuries impacting […]

So is Brett Gardner a cheaper version of Carl Crawford as Brian Cashman claims? They both play good defense; they got are going to steal 50+ bases; and they both are going to get on base about 34-35% of the time. If there is ever an example of how batting average is a bad judge of […]

The Mets have twelve players that are either free agents or arbitration eligible this offseason. Let’s take a look at each and see if it makes sense to have them back in 2012: Jose Reyes (free agent) - no brainer, sort of. Losing Reyes will change the dynamic of the Mets in a way they won’t be […]

Are we about to see the next great Boston collapse? It’s been a long time since the Red Sox and choke have been synonymous, but the Sox lead over Tampa Bay is just five games in the loss column after their loss to Tampa last night. They have six more games with Tampa the next […]

We can debate the merits of Curtis Granderson or Robinson Cano when it comes to the American League MVP award, but no Yankees player will win it. Why? It has nothing to do with Jose Bautista‘s stats or the fact that three Red Sox are having MVP-caliber years. Its institutional bias against the Yankees by the baseball writers. Take this […]

Check out this blurb from a piece by Andy McCullough in the Star Ledger about Bobby Parnell: Few Mets have experienced patches of bad luck like him this season. He possesses the second-highest batting average on balls in play (.343), which measures how often a hit is recorded when the hitter makes contact. The average for a […]

Now that Francisco Rodriguez is in Milwaukee the Mets are in need of a closer. Bobby Parnell and his 100 mph fastball appear to be the most obvious choice, but I wouldn’t be so quick to bestow the ninth inning on the inconsistent righty. Parnell has been tremendous since returning from the disabled list in late May (1.56 ERA). […]

Back on September 9th, 2009 Derek Jeter needed 3 hits to tie Lou Gehrig for most in Yankees history. The starter that night was Tampa’s Jeff Niemann. Jeter would get the necessary hits off him Niemann that night. Tonight’s Tampa starter? Jeff Neimann. Maybe you should head out and buy a ticket. *** NYBD contributor […]

Josh Norris of the Trentonian wonders if Derek Jeter will be the first unanimous Hall of Fame selection in the history of the game. To date, Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan garnered the highest percentage of the vote at 98.8%. As Norris points out, both Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson will test to the voters before […]

The guys at Nomaas call the Yankees three game sweep of the Brewers a “sausage fest.” *** By the way… using the Pythagorean Won/Loss formula, which uses runs scored vs. runs allowed to calculate a team’s record, the Yankees are the best in baseball at 50-28. Going into yesterday’s game they were averaging 6.11 runs and 9.61 […]

There were reports this weekend of much weaker than expected Mets season ticket sales. I don’t think that should be a surprise after how last season ended, the lack of a big free agent catch, and the negativity surrounding the Madoff scandal. However, winning will change things very quickly. Remember, before Mike Piazza‘s arrival in […]

I might be dating myself, but as a kid there used to be this series of books called “Choose Your Own Adventure.” For those in the audience unaware, you basically were given choices throughout the book. Depending on what you chose, the story would end a different way. Obviously, some endings were better than others. […]

The Mets have some interesting righty arms lined up for the 2010 bullpen. Taylor Buchholz, Blaine Boyer, Pedro Beato, and Manny Acosta all have interesting upside. The one that could be poised for a breakout year is Bobby Parnell, who would have to be the favorite to land the eighth inning job for Terry Collins […]

There was a New York connection to Roy Halladay‘s no hitter tonight. Yes, the obvious is how Halladay became the second pitcher to throw a postseason no hitter since Don Larsen did it for the Yankees in 1956. The other connection was the pursuit of Halladay last summer by both New York teams. Seeing how […]

The more I hear about Francisco Rodriguez‘s court case, the more I believe there is a good chance he serves jail time. Remember, many didn’t believe Plaxico Burress would ultimately land behind bars, but when you have a high profile athlete, a DA with something to prove and media exposure, conventional wisdom is thrown out […]