IS THERE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL?

After collapsing two years in a row the Mets thought they had the manager they wanted in Jerry Manuel. Omar Minaya in his conference call said that Jerry Manuel will be the manager for the Mets in 2009 and that they are "in talks" with his agent. However, as many people are reporting talks have hit a stall as the 2 yr near 2 mil (a mil per yr) with an option for a third yr is not enough for this "gangsta". With the Mets already owing Willie Randolph 2.5 mil in 2009 it doesnt seem like Jerry will get any more money.

So, what is the Mets next move. Do they have any other options? Well according to an email sent to ESPN's Andrew Marchand from Bobby Valentine, it says, "I am working for a team that needs me and wants me as their man," Valentine replied. "I love it here, but I am an American and love great challenges. I was in a Met uniform in the '70s, '80s, '90s, 2000, and would love to be there in the next decade."

As for Valentine, he could be too expensive for the Mets. He reportedly is making $4 million annually managing in Japan, a salary that makes him the second highest-paid manager in professional baseball, behind the Dodgers' Joe Torre.

A poll done today on Metsblog.com asked fans who they would rather have as their manager. Over 3,600 votes came in and the answer...Bobby V with 57% (2,067 votes) and Jerry Manuel with 41% (1,475 votes) with 3% saying neither...

So, the ball is in Fred Wilpon's and Omar's court. We all know what Bobby V did with the Mets team from 96'-02'. They vastly overachieved, making it to the World Series in 2000, in a yr when they only had one guy with over 100 rbis (Piazza), one guy with over 100 runs (Alfonzo), noone with double-digits in stolen bases and lets not forget Armando Benitez..Do you believe he can do the same with a team that has 3 guys over 110 rbis, 4 guys over 95 runs and few speedsters...I do!

It would do me a great pleasure to tell one radio host...Mike Francesca..to shut his mouth about how the Mets should trade their "core" and how Ryan Church hates NY acc. to his "source"..when 3 articles said that he loved it in NY..someone is looking for ratings after losing his co-star/STAR!..it's amazing to me how even the biggest Yankee fans are now sounding like Mets fans did in the 90's...

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself and this is all just a news page article...but if Omar can get this done imagine the scene at Citifield next yr..wow...This just might be the change the Mets need. Now, let's see if Omar can deliver and earn that new contract he just signed while the ink is still wet..

10/03/08 4:42PM - ACCORDING TO KEN ROSENTHAL AT FOXSPORTS & JON HEYMAN AT SI - THE METS AND JERRY MANUEL HAVE AGREED TO A 2 YEAR CONTRACT WITH A CLUB OPTION FOR A THIRD YEAR...

THE METS COLLAPSE...AGAIN

After last years collapse of 7 up with 17 to go the Mets manage to almost top it with a collapse of 3 1/2 up with 17 to go..

After going through both of them the only thing I can say is that i would never wish this on anyone else(except maybe the Phillies)...

This was a waste of a year in my books and coupled with last year is wasting all of the talent that both 07 and 08 brought us..

You can rip them all you want but i don't think i need Elias to tell me that it's the first time a team that have 4 guys with at least 160 hits and 32 doubles and 3 guys with at least 25 hr 110 rbi to fail to make the postseason..its unbelievable to me..and just magnifies the bullpen woes that this team had..even back in the 90's i don't think that they could have predicted how vital a bullpen is to a team..maybe it was one fifth of a team now it is prob greater than a third of a team..

This team had the hitting even had the starting pitching and comparing this team to any of the past Mets teams arguably you could say this was one of the best right next to the 86' team(bullpens werent a big thing then)..


As much as my father kept telling me before hand that they would blow it..and even when they went down 4-2 he said "they'll get the tie run on base or to the plate and hit it to the wall just to tease you and get your hopes up"...him being a Mets fan from their creation..and then afterwards saying i told you so..I still know that i will be back at the new ballpark Citifield on Opening Day sitting and looking forward to a new year..as Tug Mcgraw said "Ya Gotta Believe"...call me a sucker or maybe just a Mets fan..

Ranking the past few years in disappointment i would have to go in succession of year..i.e. #1 2006 #2 2007 and #3 2008...

Looking to the future there is hope..hope that once Shea is demolished and the new Citifield is opened..October baseball will be restored in Flushing..

It's going to be a difficult offseason in Queens, and with some tough questions:
Do you rip apart this team..trade a Carlos Beltran or Jose Reyes?
Is David Wright the face of the franchise/leader of the club?
How can you sure up the Bullpen?
Who will play 2nd base and Left field next year?
Etc...

I don't know how Omar got a 4 year extension based on the past 4 years i guess it was put togther by the same guy who offered Castillo 4 years..and we'll see if Omar can earn his money this offseason...

There are many questions that need to be answered..my answer to all of this..is not to create more questions by solving one of them..Meaning don't trade a Carlos Beltran just to change the team if it means wondering who will play centerfield and who's gonna give us 25+ homers and 100+ rbi..

Anyways this is my immediate reaction to all of this...
Maybe in a few days when my emotions clear a bit..and Shea is put to rest..we can all get over this collapse..


I just hope that the final collapse the Mets and their fans have to witness is the collapse of Shea Stadium.