SportsNation Blog Archives
New York Mets
Opening Day -- well, Opening Night, really, and we technically already had one of those in Japan, but who's counting? -- is finally here, as the Cardinals will take on the Marlins tonight in the first stateside regular-season MLB game. It's bound to be an exciting season with so many players having changed teams, but has the power structure been altered significantly?
Vote: Pick each division and pennant, and the winner of the World Series
Rank: Baseball's best teams? | Top players in the game?
World Series repeat?
The Cardinals prevailed over the Rangers in the 2011 World Series, but St. Louis lost its biggest gun this past offseason ...
Best player?
... which is a pretty big loss, considering he might be one of the best players of all time.
Odd one out?
The Red Sox missed the playoffs last season after an epic September collapse. Will they be on the outside looking in once again?
AL's best?
Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols were probably the two biggest additions to teams in the American League, meaning the balance of power could shift.
NL's best?
Likewise, the addition of Jose Reyes to the Marlins could give the team a huge upgrade -- offensively with new third baseman Hanley Ramirez, and defensively at shortstop.
A change of scenery?
The latest rumors seem to indicate the Washington Nationals are the leaders in the clubhouse for Prince Fielder's services. Will playing in the nation's capital outweigh whatever the Chicago Cubs possibly offer?
Movin' on up?
The rise of the Tampa Bay Rays has made an already talented AL East even more impressive. But would Prince Fielder's arrival in Washington, coupled with Jose Reyes in Miami, make for an equally dangerous division?
Bigger potential?
The Marlins have been active signing Jose Reyes, Heath Bell, Carlos Zambrano and Mark Buehrle, creating a buzz in Miami, but would the Nationals with Prince Fielder be a bigger postseason threat?
Diminishing returns?
Prince Fielder's 275 pound frame may have some potential buyers worried about how he will hold up over the course of his contract, but the 27-year-old has only missed 13 games in his six full seasons in MLB and just one over the past three seasons.
We can understand if you don't want to take the time to grade your tech-support help on the other end of the telephone, but when we're talking about the dollars and emotion you've invested in sports, we think it's worth the effort. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.
Take part in the 2011 MLB survey
2010 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 3)
2. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 6)
3. Colorado Rockies (Overall: No. 13)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 14)
5. Atlanta Braves (Overall: No. 15)
Take part in the 2011 NFL survey
2010 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. New Orleans Saints (Overall: No. 1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 4)
3. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 9)
4. Arizona Cardinals (Overall: No. 19)
5. Baltimore Ravens (Overall: No. 20)
Take part in the 2011 NBA survey
2010 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 2)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 7)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 10)
4. Dallas Mavericks (Overall: No. 24)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (Overall: No. 25)
Take part in the 2011 NHL survey
2010 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 5)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 8)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 11)
4. San Jose Sharks (Overall: No. 12)
5. Chicago Blackhawks (Overall: No. 16)
It's just like the census, only this one is fun and doesn't come in the mail. And nobody from FOX News or MSNBC will yell at you about it. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.
Take part in the 2010 MLB survey
2009 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 1)
2. Milwaukee Brewers (Overall: No. 7)
3. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 16)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 23)
5. Philadelphia Phillies (Overall: No. 24)
Take part in the 2010 NFL survey
2009 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (Overall: No. 3)
2. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 13)
3. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 14)
4. Tennessee Titans (Overall: No. 15)
5. New England Patriots (Overall: No. 19)
Take part in the 2010 NBA survey
2009 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 5)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 9)
3. New Orleans Hornets (Overall: No. 12)
4. Houston Rockets (Overall: No. 17)
5. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 18)
Take part in the 2010 NHL survey
2009 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Carolina Hurricanes (Overall: No. 2)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 4)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 6)
4. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 8)
5. St. Louis Blues (Overall: No. 10)
Hope springs eternal for the New York Mets, as Jose Reyes has been cleared for baseball activities. That's a fancy way of saying that he's healthy. For now.
Having Reyes -- not to mention Carlos Beltran -- healthy is a big deal for New York. Despite early predictions of contending last season, Reyes' 36-game season, plus Beltran's half-season and David Wright's sudden loss of anything resembling power led the Mets to a disastrous fourth-place finish in the NL East. Coming at the tail end of a recent history of collapses and disappointments, 2009 was just another psychological blow to a relatively long-suffering Mets fan base. Maybe Reyes' return will change early predictions regarding the NL East race; the current favorite doesn't have the word "Mets" anywhere in its name.
“The Mets are handicapped with a right side of the infield that is basically non productive offensively!!! A lack of a #2 starter, a setup man in the BP and remaining healthy!!! Other than that.....!!! Hey, at least I'm honest!!!
” -- openminded43
“Which Met has the best chance to win the comeback player of the year? Oliver? Reyes? Can Beltran do it? Or does Maine put it all together and stays healthy? My guess is Reyes, as he smacks 25 triples all over Citi Field.
” -- sludgeballa
“Mets lineup going to rise and fall with Jose. We need him back good and healthy!
” -- heyjacleu
Fresh off trying to replace Manny Ramirez at Fenway Park, Jason Bay has reportedly agreed to move to the Mets to try and lift the sagging fortunes of a franchise playing in a new stadium that turned David Wright into a facsimile of Placido Polanco. At some point, Bay is going to start miss the joys of anonymity in Pittsburgh. Then again, anonymity doesn't pay the bills -- assuming you have $66 million in bills.
The Mets opened last season No. 10 in SportsNation's Power Rankings. By the end of the injury-marred mess of a season, they sat at No. 26. But last week, even before Bay signed, voters bumped the team back up to No. 18. Hope springs eternal when you have Big Apple money to spend.
Only 30 percent of voters think Bay is worth his new contract, but is he the best addition thus far among position players?
JD (NY)
(Dec. 17) Keith, love the chats! Would the Mets be better off avoiding both Bay and Holliday, and saving the cash to spend next winter when better free agents will be available? Odd are they won't be competing this season, with or without Bay/Holliday.
Keith Law
I'm afraid that's probably suicide for Omar. Full transcript
“So, the Mets outbid themselves to get a guy who will put up David Wright-like power numbers of last year. The difference is Wright can play the field and hit over .300. At Citi Field, Bay is not worth $66M.
” -- ipotnyc
Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd are deadly beyond the "SportsNation" TV 3-point line.
Argue the hot topics of the day and vote on the biggest stories from the world of sports. The show airs on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. and midnight ET.
Note: Broadcast voting results as of this afternoon (ET).
Should Florida still be motivated by Georgia's '07 end-zone celebration?
Coaches have long memories when it comes to motivation. Winning a title should have changed the subject, but you never know in the SEC.
Which team should Mets fans root for in the World Series?
It's the cross-town rivals versus the division rivals. Maybe baseball fans in Queens will just switch to the NBA for the next two weeks.
How should Packers fans welcome back Brett Favre?
There's no doubt fans in Green Bay have torn loyalties about the QB who led their team to its most recent Super Bowl. Should they applaud? Boo? Turn their backs?
What is "SportsNation" TV, and how do you make your voice heard? Read about the new ESPN show that features fan opinions with calls, tweets, polls, rankers and more.
The NFL fans are streaming through the turnstiles, but SportsNation continues to show great reach as demonstrated by Graceyballr21.
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It's been a rough week for Pirates GM Neal Huntington and Mets GM Omar Minaya (that's him, right). Huntington is taking a beating, here included, for continuing to destroy the value of his collectors set of genuine Pittsburgh Pirates by taking them out of the wrapping and trading them off individually. Minaya didn't need any questionable trades to draw criticism, just questionable judgment in calling out a New York writer in a press conference.
So in the interest of fairness, we turn to Keith Law for some good words on the two of them. All right, saying he's surprised Minaya hasn't been fired and questioning the Pirates' ability to judge talent isn't exactly glowing, but there's some positive in there.
Greg (NJ)
Did you interact with Omar Minaya much when you worked in MLB. If so, is he better "off camera"?
Keith Law
Interacted with him more in this job, just once while I was with Toronto. Great guy, very charismatic. He showed bad judgment on Monday - very bad - but I also think it was a case of letting his frustration get the better of him. I am surprised he hasn't been fired, but I am not sure I would have just fired him on the spot either.
Dan (Washington, DC)
Keith, what's your overall opinion of the job Neil Huntingdon has done in trying to rebuild the Pirates. Your assessment of individual deals seems like you feel he's doing a poor job, but is the sum greater than the individual parts?
Keith Law
I haven't seen a big win in any of the deals, but it's the right overall strategy. The core he inherited wasn't winning anything, and the farm system was in sad shape. I just don't agree with many of their evaluations of individual players, like the Alvarez over Posey/Smoak decision. Full transcript.
Is it better to have hoped and lost or never to have hoped at all?
As you wake up in these hot, humid days of late July, is it more depressing to remember you're a Nationals fan mired in the middle of a season that never was (and never will be if they don't get Stephen Strasburg signed) or a Mets fan watching a season that was supposed to be fall apart like an Omar Minaya press conference?
As recently as a month ago, voters still viewed the Mets as serious playoff material, but as injuries continued knocking star player after star player out of the lineup, the season unraveled. Things hit rock bottom in Monday's press conference about the dismissal of Tony Bernazard when Minaya managed the nearly impossible feat of making a member of the New York media into a sympathetic figure.
As for the Nationals, well, consider that it took them until June 19 to win 20 games -- and even that required a three-game winning streak in which the team scored a grand total of seven runs. So you celebrated Opening Day, saw the Capitals through the playoffs and watched the first two rounds of the U.S. Open before your team won 20 games. That's a lot of miserable baseball to suffer through.
All we know for sure is the best place to be is stuck in the middle of the I-95 corridor, where Phillies fans must be reveling in the misfortune to the south and north.
- Rankings: Are there really five general managers worse than Omar Minaya?
- Nats still more popular than Sacramento Kings, New York Islanders.
- SportsNation growing less confident Strasburg will ever play for Nats | June 10 .
- Groups: Nasty Nats live here | Wright, Reyes, Santana and the keys to the Citi
“BTW, as a Phillies fan I am really enjoying this, but also a little sad. I liked the little rivalry the two teams had going, and feel that it only works when both teams are on the same level. Ah screw it, I'll take more titles and the Mets fans can keep the circus.
” -- RealSportsFansLiveHere
“As a Mets fan, I am just inclined to bury my head in the sand in utter and absolute shame. I am truly embarrassed to be fan of the New York Mets.
” -- BirishB
“Hindsight is always 20/20, but Minaya started looking bad to me with how he handled Willie's firing. When I heard about how Bernazard undermined Willie and then stabbed him and Petersen in the back, I blamed Minaya too, because that was his guy. Willie has always been nothing but pure class and didn't deserve to be treated like that. I don't wish for anyone to lose their job, but I'm not going to cry when Omar loses his. Also, what was it that Bernazard did to justify his lofty status within the organization? The Mets have turned into a soap opera, unfortunately.
” -- JPMDeportes
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