New York Mets vs Philadelphia Phillies: Rapid Fire Series Preview Interview

Frank Gray
MM Editor

As the Mets continue their first tour of the NL Est this season, they visit the Philadelphia Phillies. To get us better prepared for the series, Mets Menu turns to Alec Snyder. Mr Snyder is a Featured Columnist for the Phillies at Bleacher Report. He knows his team inside and out. For this intense rivalry, he is the perfect source to ask our rapid fire questions to. Here's the result.

MM - What is the biggest news story for your team entering this series?

AS - I think the biggest news story at this point for the Phillies remains Roy Halladay’s potential velocity and command concerns. Despite topping out at a surprisingly high 92 mph last start and striking out nine batters in just 3.1 innings (becoming the first pitcher to do so since 1900), he walked three batters and of the 95 pitches he threw before being taken out, only 55 were for strikes.

In addition, he threw many more offspeed pitches and was reluctant to throw many cutters and sinkers. Unlike last year, when he actually started out with a very dominant April following a disastrous spring training, Doc seems to be starting out slow. Is this a sign of a season full of problems for Halladay, or can this just be attributed to still gaining a feel for pitching this season? Knowing Halladay’s work ethic, the former unfortunately seems more likely, but considering it’s still early in the season, anything is possible.

MM - Who is the one pitcher due to break out this series?

AS - If not Halladay, who’s due to break out whenever he can, then Kyle Kendrick, who starts on Thursday against Jeremy Hefner. Kendrick had an encouraging second half of the 2012 MLB season and the hope has been that his string of success would carry over into 2013. With a big dropoff in ability after the Phillies’ big three (or big two if Halladay fails to maintain a high level of production), Kendrick will need to step up and be able to shut down lineups on a consistent basis throughout the season.

While he wasn’t able to do that the entire game on Friday in the Phillies’ home opener against Kansas City, he was flat-out dominant for 4.1 innings before everything went downhill. If Kendrick can take his potential and see his next start as an opportunity to maintain that potential for a longer tenure throughout the game, good things could happen. I wouldn’t put it past him, either—despite a 5-7 record against the Mets all-time, Kendrick has a career 3.56 ERA against them to his credit.


MM - Who should the Mets be afraid to face and why?

AS - The Mets should be shaking in their boots to face Cliff Lee, hands-down. Lee tossed a gem against an Atlanta Braves lineup last Wednesday night that didn’t look major league worthy against him. Averaging a strikeout an inning and issuing no walks in eight two-hit shutout innings, Lee saw nothing faze him.

While expectations have always been high for Lee as he’s a proven ace in the majors, he’s a dark horse to be the Phillies’ best pitcher in 2013. With a career 4-1 record with a 2.09 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 56 strikeouts in 56 innings (9.0 K/9), Lee should be even better against the Mets than he was against Atlanta, if that’s humanly possible.


MM - Who on the Mets are your fans most interested in seeing and why?

AS - Maybe I’m alone in this, but I think I speak for most educated Phillies fans when I say that Matt Harvey intrigues me more than anyone else on the Mets. I’m not trying to say this in a demeaning way, but with the Mets lineup, you pretty much know what you’re getting with everyone. Harvey faced off against Phillies minor league pitcher Tyler Cloyd in late August last season when both were making their MLB debuts, and while both looked solid, Harvey looked better.

Considering he has more potential as a pitcher than Cloyd, it came as no surprise, but he’s got a bright future ahead of him. After an incredible performance against San Diego, I’m curious to see if Harvey can build on his momentum on the road against a Phillies lineup that carries more of an offensive threat, at least on paper. He’s going to be fun to watch in the years to come. Mets fans should be excited about him.


MM - What are your predictions for this series and why?

AS - I don’t think Halladay’s going to be nearly as bad against the Mets as he was against Atlanta since he’s at home and has a better track record against New York. However, I’m expecting a solid performance from Matt Harvey that could shut the offense down and I’ll give the Mets a 4-3 victory.

Cliff Lee should topple the Mets’ lineup, so even if the Phillies don’t score many runs against Dillon Gee, they should be able to defeat the Mets. I’ll predict the final score of that game to be 3-1 Phillies.

Game 3 of the series is more of a toss up, as both Kendrick and Hefner can be either lights-out or can blow a game in the blink of an eye. I’m predicting an above average performance by Hefner, but I think the Phillies will provide more run support for Kendrick than the Mets will for Hefner.

I think it could come down to the bullpens, and since the Mets still have a below-average bullpen, I’ll give the edge to the Phillies, assuming Charlie Manuel plays his cards right (which can’t necessarily be assumed at all). I think the Phillies win their first series of the year with a 4-2 victory over the Mets in Game 3.


***For more of Alec Snyder's work please click here****

My take on Fandom and Twitter

Wendy Adair
Contributor

And now for something completely different...

Instead of making this about the Mets players performance, I am devoting this post to fans interacting with celebrities and professional athletes, something I am very much in favor of and truly enjoy the experience.

My list of people that I follow on Twitter is downright ridiculous but you know what, I have a blast interracting with people that I have never spoken to face to face.  Pauley Perrette and Michael Weatherly of NCIS, Peter Gallagher and Christopher Gorham of Covert Affairs are all very engaging,  I have had several tweet conversations with all of them.

Justin Turner and Matt Harvey of the Mets are two of my favorite people to interract with, and now they even have Dillon Gee on Twitter with the fans.

They love posting pictures and encouraging fans for Q & A sessions during their down times, waiting for a plane, or even a long bus ride.

Even things such as asking advice for stadium music or twitter pictures is something that these guys ask from their fans and followers, they truly enjoy putting pictures on instagram and sharing it with their followers.

Some players are too private and would not go on Twitter, and that is fine, that is their feeling on the topic.  Other celebs may not interract because lets face it, people can be cruel and abusive if they are so inclined, and that ruins the dynamic of this person putting themself out there for the public.

Josh Thole, now in the Toronto Blue Jays system, was on Twitter but many fans were beyond cruel to him, criticizing and personal bashing, which is uncalled for, it is a shame that people can be such keyboard cowards.

I say that because they use Twitter and other social media outlets to say nasty things to people that they would  never have the nerve to say to their face, so they hide behind the keyboard and try to stir up trouble.  This is very counterproductive, although all users can block and restrict people who are abusive, it really ruins the dynamic of cyber relationships.

Well have a great day everyone, Lets Go Mets and fry some fish!!

New York Mets vs Miami Marlins: Rapid Fire Series Preview Interview

Frank Gray
MM Editor

The New York Mets prepare to face off with the Miami Marlins in their second series of the new season. Mets Menu would like to introduce a new preview segment to the blogging world. It's not your typical series preview.

Each series we will try to preview the match up by interviewing a blogger from the opposing team. This helps to give a good perspective from their fans and see how the Mets and their players are viewed outside of our loyal fanbase.

On a personal note, before I begin, I realize that the Mets have already taken two out of three vs the Padres. We, here at Mets Menu, will try to get bloggers from the opposition to respond. In the case of that series, we were unable to get a commitment from a Padres blogger.

This may be a reoccurring theme this season, so please just enjoy the ones that can be posted. For this series, we have reached out to Ted Hill of "Marlins Diehards". Mr Hill was kind enough to reply and the following is the result.



MM - What is the biggest news story for your team entering this series? 

TH - The biggest takeaway from the Marlins first couple games is how inept the offense has been. They've gone eighteen scoreless innings with just seven hits. I think most fans would have thought the pitching (especially starters) would be the biggest deficiency in the team this year but it's looking like scoring runs will prove to be a massive hurdle. Granted it's a ridiculously small sample size, the bats may very well wake up in New York, but if they don't, the fan unrest will grow considerably (from an already astronomical level).

MM - Who is the one pitcher due to break out this series? 

TH - Maybe not breakout per se, but Marlins fans are very excited to see Jose Fernandez's big league debut in the series finale on Sunday. He along with Christian Yelich are the club's biggest prospects. Jose really should not be anywhere near the majors yet (hasn't pitched above A-ball), but due to a wrath of injuries late in the Spring, the club has given him a big opportunity. He has a very live fastball and mixes in a few other decent pitches so he has the stuff to succeed. The question will be if he knows how to pitch, and navigate a true MLB lineup.

MM - Who should the Mets be afraid to face and why? 

TH - Giancarlo Stanton. Sure he's had a rough start thus far (1-7 with 3 K, also didn't do much for USA at the WBC) but he's the only thing resembling a star on this Marlins roster. At any point he can catch fire and launch balls deep into the seats or plant them in the gaps. The Mets would be wise to pitch him carefully, especially depending on the situation and if there is an open base. Other than that, attack this ragtag squad.

MM - Who on the Mets are your fans most interested in seeing and why? 

TH - Probably John Buck, just for anger purposes. He was god awful in Miami in his two years (especially last season's .192 clip at the plate) and when he found his way to New York this year, everyone down here was thrilled. I know he's had a nice start at the plate but I'd caution all of you guys to think he can maintain this. His numbers may rebound some but his offensive production will still be limited and he doesn't offer much defensively. Marlins fans will take great pleasure seeing him K this series. Other than that, I know a lot of people in Miami LOVE David Wright, only because he's good looking, so they'll be looking forward to seeing his beautiful face on their HDTVs.

MM - What are your predictions for this series and why? 

TH - Mets sweep. Hard for me to believe the Marlins will win any game judging on what we've seen thus far. I know they will, but can't predict it. Perhaps they grab one game if Ricky Nolasco can repeat his Opening Day quality start, or if Jose Fernandez dazzles.


****For more from Miami Diehards, please click here. For more Mets Menu, please follow us on facebook by clicking here. Thank you.****

2013 Mets Team Awards Predictions

Shale Briskin
MM Assistant Editor

The 2013 Mets may not have any favorites to win any major National League awards. But that doesn't mean we can't see what the awards would look like amongst all the Mets. Here is what the list of recipients would most likely consist of.

Team MVP: David Wright

Ike Davis may put the best home run and RBI numbers on the team, but once again, David Wright will be Mets' MVP for a reason.

Throughout his career, Wright has set the example for National League third basemen. He has been an All-Star from 2006-2010 and 2012. Since his career began in 2004, Wright has ranked third among all active third basemen in home runs, third in RBI, second in runs, first in hits, and fourth in OPS.

Wright is now the Mets' official captain and clearly the heart and soul of the entire franchise. If the Mets will be winning in the near future, Wright will be leading the way with his leadership, clutch hitting and consistency.

Team Cy Young: Matt Harvey

At just 24 years old, Matt Harvey will be counted on to be a dependable anchor and potential ace this season for the Mets. A huge season from Harvey would give the Mets and their fans a lot of hope that the future could be bright with Harvey and future co-ace Zack Wheeler leading the way on the pitching side.

Jon Niese is the Mets' most durable and proven pitcher right now, but Harvey's potential should put him over the top during the season.  15-16 wins and an ERA below 3.50 are more than reasonable expectations for Harvey this year in his first full major league season.

If any Mets pitcher will be drawing a significant number of tickets this year, it will be Harvey, at least until Wheeler is still in the minor leagues.

Biggest Surprise: Collin Cowgill

As the Opening Day leadoff hitter and center fielder, Cowgill made the most of his Mets debut with a grand slam. The last Met to hit a grand slam on Opening Day was former catcher Todd Hundley in 1995.

Cowgill has the ability to get on base and could really turn out to be a steal for the Mets if he overachieves. He has center field all to himself for now, so it will be interesting to see how well he does for at least the first month of the season.

Biggest Disappointment: Johan Santana

Now that Santana is officially out for the entire 2013 season, he is clearly the big $25 million disappointment because he will most likely never throw another pitch as a Met ever again. It's very unfortunate that Santana's time with the Mets will be mostly remembered for his stints on the disabled list, but when healthy, Santana was one of the best in the game and got the Mets their long awaited first no-hitter.

Offensive Breakout Candidate: Ruben Tejada

 Ruben Tejada had a solid 2012 season with a .289 average, 26 doubles and a .333 OBP. Tejada though should be expected to perform a lot better this year. If he can hit over .300, get on base more often, draw more walks and maybe even steal a few bases, the Mets will certainly take that from him.

Pitching Breakout Candidate: Bobby Parnell

Bobby Parnell has been more or less the Mets' "closer in waiting" for the past few seasons. Now, with Frank Francisco's elbow injury, Parnell could become the full time closer for the entire season this year if he pitches well in the role.

Parnell already has the velocity of a typical closer. If he can improve his secondary pitches and maintain good control, he could become one of the National League's better closers this year.

Comeback Player of the Year: Dillon Gee

Dillon Gee was having a solid season in 2012 until a blood clot was found in an artery near his right shoulder. Gee was hospitalized and eventually shut down for the rest of the season.

A healthy Gee would be a big boost for the Mets' rotation. While he is not a hard-throwing strikeout pitcher, he will get outs and has displayed great control. If he stays healthy, Gee would definitely be the Mets' comeback player of the year.

For more, please visit this link: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1584039-predicting-all-new-york-mets-team-awards-for-2013

2013  -  Not Making Any Predictions

Clare Lafferty
MMO Staff


So, this time of year, everyone wants a prediction on the Mets season. How many games will they win? Will Ike Davis hit more homers? Can our new captain lead the team to a better record? Who will be the pitcher to watch now that R.A Dickey is gone and Johan Santana is done?

I am not a big fan of predictions probably because they never come true. Why waste your time guessing how the team will do?  It's hard enough to hear all the so-called "experts" around baseball tell you that the Mets will be horrible this year. They don't even mention that the Mets are even in the NL East - that really gets me mad!

So, instead of predictions, let's look at what we hope for. I hope for our young pitchers to gain the experience necessary to make them credible pitchers in the near future, like in 2014. I am looking forward to watching Matt Harvey, Dillon Gee and eventually ZachWheeler pitch, knowing that we can say we saw them when they first started. They all have great potential so let's see what they can do.

I hope for our outfield situation to work itself out. Everyone is in love with Collin Cowgill after his Opening Day slam and I  think he played well this spring. Let's see what he can do. I know that Lucas Duda and Marlon Byrd are starting for now and we'll have to see what happens, especially in Duda's case. We all know he's not the greatest of fielders and hopefully his bat can make up for the defensive hole that he causes.

I hope that Ruben Tejada and Daniel Murphy keep improving and working on their defensive craft. We all know Murph can hit and we will have to see if Tejada can improve on last year's totals. Tejada played shortstop well last year - yes, we still miss Jose - but Tejada did an acceptable job.

I hope that Ike and David will continue to be the cornerstones of this franchise. We all know what David means to this team and the fans and Ike is turning into a fine defensive first baseman. Now let's hope that he doesn't suffer through a miserable first half like last year.

And how about the bullpen? Can Bobby Parnell turn into the closer we need? He has the stuff to do it; does he have the mentality?  Scott Rice is a great story and I loved what Josh Edgin did last year. Could LaTroy Hawkins be a surprise coming out of the bullpen?

Yes, there are many questions that need to be answered but I refuse to believe that we can't improve on our 74 win season in 2012. I just don't think we are that bad. If we do the hard work this year, 2014 and 2015 can be very special seasons for the Mets. I have seen many bad seasons over my 45 years of following the Mets but this year can be the start of a promising run.

Mets fans are a hearty bunch - we are loyal and in it for the long haul. I will be watching every game and looking to see a brighter future for our ballclub. My one prediction for 2013 - the Mets will be competitive and fun to watch. I'll say we finish at 80-82.

Have hope, fellow Mets fans and look at 2013 as  the year when all the future pieces start to fall into place. Watch out in 2014!

Let's Go Mets!!

This Week in Mets History 1-12: Tom Terrific, Rusty, a Darling Trade and Strawberry's Moonshot

Frank Gray
MM Editor

This week, we celebrate baseball's opening week with a bang. We remember two mega trades that didn't seem big at the time, a new team debuts in Shea, and Darryl raises the roof. All this and more, this week in Mets history.


April 1, 1982 - In an attempt to build on youth and part ways with the players of the past few pathetic seasons, the Mets trade fan favorite Lee Mazzilli in an unpopular move. They deal Maz to the Texas Rangers in exchange for two rookie starting pitchers: Ron Darling and Walt Terrell.

Darling won 99 games with the Mets to go with a World Series, an All-Star appearance and a Gold Glove. He remains with the team in the booth calling games for SNY. While Terrell didn't have a bad Mets tenure (19 wins and a Mets career 3.53 ERA), he did have a major impact on the team's future. They would trade him to Detroit two years later for Howard Johnson.


April 3, 1966 - After a dispute with NCAA and Major League Baseball, Tom Seaver is drafted by the Mets through a special process. He was ineligible to play his senior year at USC because he had signed a professional contract.

When Seaver's father threatens a lawsuit, MLB voided his contract with Atlanta who had signed him and allowed other teams to match their offer. The Mets had their name drawn out of a hat and won the rights to draft him. Seaver then became the Hall of Fame icon we all know and love, but it was very close to never happening with the Mets.


April 3, 2009 - After the Detroit Tigers cut ties with Gary Sheffield and his massive $14 million contract, the Mets swooped in and signed him in the hopes that he would boost their outfield offense. The son of former Mets great Dwight Gooden, would hit ten homers, drive in 43 RBI and hold a .276 AVG in his one year with the Mets.


April 4, 1988 - In an opening day explosion, Kevin McReynolds and Darryl Strawberry both hit two home runs each in a memorable 10-6 win over the Expos in Montreal. The most memorable part of the game though was Strawberry's second home run. It traveled an estimated distance of 525 ft and hit a light rim in the ceiling at Olympic Stadium. It is the longest home run in the history of that venue.


April 5, 1972 - The Mets look to get stronger for the future. They do so by trading Ken Singleton, Tim Foli and Mike Jorgensen to the Montreal Expos for All Star Rusty Staub. Staub would become a fan favorite and a major part of the "Gotta Believe" Mets of 1973. The man nicknamed "Le Grand Orange" would play nine years for the Mets in two separate stints.

He would hit .276 AVG and drive in 399 RBI in Queens. Today he is the author of two Mets-themed books. He is also the founder of the NY Police and Fire Widows and Children Benefits Fund in which has raised over $112 million in donations since 9/11.

This Week in Mets History 1-11: Dr K, Conehead, Sidd Finch and Bobby V

Former Mets manager in his infamous photo after being ejected in a game, he returns to the dugout "in disguise". Photo courtesy of USA Today.

Frank Gray
MM Editor

The season is literally days away. Now is an exciting time of the year for Mets fans and baseball fans alike. This is also the time of year when major moves and decisions are usually made or announced. This week we take a look back on a few of those.

We make one more visit to the Doctor, remember a college baseball game that had major significance and we reminisce with the coneheads. All this and more, this week in Mets history.


March 26, 1979 - Two years before (in June of 1977) the New York Mets trade slugger Dave Kingman to the San Diego Padres. In that deal, they acquire Paul Siebert and a player named Bobby Valentine. On this day, the Mets released Valentine after appearing in 11 games and sporting a .222 AVG.

 He would finish his playing career the following year and get into coaching. Mets fan all remember him for guiding the team to their fourth World Series in 2000. As a Mets manager, he was fairly successful with a .534 winning percentage in 1,003 games managed in nearly seven seasons in Queens.

His outlandish comments and even crazier on the field antics won him a place in the hearts of many a fan. Today, he is rumored to be joining the staff of SNY for Mets pregames.


March 27, 1987 - After winning the World Series the year before, the Mets were looking to add to their stellar rotation. They did so by trading solid back-up catcher Ed Hearn, reliever Rick A. Anderson and prospect Mauro Gozzo for David Cone.

The former Kansas City Royals ace would pitch for six seasons in his initial stint with the Mets and go 80-48 in that span. He would rejoin the team years later for his final season in 2003. Today, he can be heard in the booth at Yankees games. (insert boos here)


March 28, 1985 - In what may be construed as the greatest April Fools joke of all time, Sport Illustrated writer George Plimpton writes an article about a Mets prospect named Sidd Finch. According to Plimpton, Finch is a phenom capable of throwing a 168 mph fastball.

He uses quotes by Mets staffing and doctored images to provide "evidence" to back up his statement. The story became so big that Plimpton ended up turning it into a novel.


March 29, 2009 - The New York Mets have a new home. After more than forty years of being associated with Shea Stadium, the team moves into Citi Field and prepares to host the San Diego Padres. On this date, the organization holds the first baseball game at their new ballpark.

The only problem is that it's not the Mets. St John's hosts Georgetown in a collegiate showdown. To further merge the event with Mets history, the team has former St John's graduate and 15 year Mets veteran John Franco throw out the first pitch.


March 30, 2001 - It is a bittersweet day today as former Mets hero and goat Dwight "Dr K" (the original Doc) Gooden announced his retirement. He does so after hurling a no-hitter and winning a World Series with the cross town rival Yankees (insert boos here).

In retrospect, Mets fans will forever remember him as the anchor of the 1986 championship team, a Cy Young winner in 1985 and Rookie of the Year in 1984. He finished his Mets career behind only Tom Seaver in wins (157) and strikeouts (1,875). Today, he can still be seen at various Mets events.