 | Wednesday, December 26th, 2007 | "Will the New York Mets make a run at a World Series this year?"
submitted by Rocco from Queens, NY | | Well Rocco, the Mets seem to be in a very specific rut these last few years. They play just well enough by the trading deadline to not warrant any panic moves, and then collapse from there. I'd say the last 5 or 6 years have been that way, and some may say further than that. They give you that late July impression that they have enough to win it all; their pitching looks like it will hold, injuries are minimal, and stars are playing like they should. Their GMs (Minaya lately) usually don't feel the need to add depth to the rotation or starting lineup and usually swing just a few platoon moves. Then comes September and the team starts to fall apart. Last year for example, Jose Reyes had a terrible(for him)final six weeks, Delgado was hurt, the pitching collapsed, and the clutch hitting disappeared. The Mets have hit rockbottom with this terrible season ending and I think will make some moves this year to finally make a strong push to the Series. Minaya has seen that having "just enough" isn't the same as having "a lot", and that they can't afford to pass on big names that will no doubt help the offense AND pitching. If you ask me, I predict at least TWO more big moves for the Mets: a #1 or #2 starting pitcher and a big bat. With these two additions Rocco, I see the Mets getting to at least the NLCS, and hopefully soon to your big World Series you are waiting for. | Copyright ©2007 thebaseballcolumnist.com. All Rights Reserved |
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| Wednesday, December 19th, 2007 | "Should MLB punish all the players in the Mitchell report, even if the use was before 2004?"
submitted by June from St. Louis | Many of the players on the list are borderline stars and any added advantage gained has helped them retain their jobs and be compensated for it. Whether they meant to or not, they have affected many lives. When you think about how many jobs they took, veterans they retired, and rookies they forced out, it makes you not feel so bad for them. Using before 2004 shouldn't mean a thing. All included players should get one last public humbling with at least a suspension and fine, which will act as a official public admittance. Now for my Wishlist: - Immediate investigations of the HGH and Steroid providers, trying to cut off the suppliers at the source.
- Install and monitor tracking information on all created drugs.
- Test players more often, and this time without warning.
- First offense fine increased to 1 Full Season, a % of their salary, and a 10 year penalty added to the wait time for inclusion on a Hall of Fame ballot. (It's a start...their union is strong though)
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