MEET THE 2007 METS

The roster is set. Lastings Milledge and Ambiorix Burgos will be heading to St. Louis for the season opener, Chan Ho Park and Jon Adkins will not. Here's a breakdown of the 2007 Mets (please note the size of the picture has nothing to do with favoritism):

THE LINEUP

SS - JOSE REYES - Becoming one of the best leadoff men in the game. My pick for National League MVP this year. Also might win a gold glove one of these days. The Mets are lucky to have him.







3B - DAVID WRIGHT - Again, Mets are lucky to have him. I place him here, because Willie Randolph has been putting Wright in the two spot, and moving Paul LoDuca down in the order, and if I could choose, I'd want Wright in the two spot. A little pop (of which LoDuca has very little) as well as a few more at-bats per game for Wright. So maybe Willie will read this and take what I want into consideration.



CF - CARLOS BELTRAN - Hopefully Beltran will pick up where he left off last year, and have another MVP-type season. Also, I remember in Little League, when I made the last out of my team's season (although, I grounded out to short and didn't strike out LOOKING), I remembered that all the way through the next season and came back with a monster year. Just saying, Carlos.


1B - CARLOS DELGADO - Solid production is all I'm asking for. A higher batting average than last year would be nice, too.






LF - MOISES ALOU - I've said it before, I'll say it again. This has been the quietest spring ever by a big-name acquisition. What does that mean? I don't know. A quietly productive season would be great, but too much quiet this season would be bad news.




RF - SHAWN GREEN - The jury's out. He was a good clubhouse influence, so far as I could tell, during the Mets' stretch run last year. He's not going to be clubbing 40 homers at Shea, but if he's around .280, 20 HR, I think I'd be happy with that.





C - PAUL LODUCA - Not sure if LoDuca and Green may swap positions in the lineup, but LoDuca will see a slight decrease in playing time this year, so perhaps Ramon Castro will be in this spot more often. Critics say LoDuca will not be able to match his hot hitting of a year ago...I think he'll hit for a good average, especially if Randolph holds to his promise to rest LoDuca more.



2B - JOSE VALENTIN - I'd be surprised, if the Mets are having another very good season, if Valentin is a major part of it. I'd also be surprised if he's the starting second baseman by year's end. If anyone had a career season last year that won't be repeated, it's Valentin.


THE BENCH

The problem with Valentin is that there's no suitable replacement on the Mets' bench right now. (The bench above, from left to right: Ramon Castro, Endy Chavez, Damion Easley, Julio Franco, Lastings Milledge, and David Newhan.) I'd love for Damion Easley to be that sparkplug off the bench that the Mets have had in recent years in Marlon Anderson or Jose Valentin, but I don't think Easley will be taking away anyone's job. Ramon Castro is a good backup for LoDuca - about what you'd want for a backup catcher. Chavez will get plenty of playing time this year, subbing for Alou, who will get plenty of rest, and Green. Milledge is here for the time being, he'll probably be sent down when the Mets need their fifth starter. Franco is more of a coach than a player at this point, and it's getting to the point where the Mets are wasting a bench spot on him. And I really like David Newhan. He can play the outfield or first base. I picked him up in a fantasy league when he had a really hot streak going with the Orioles a couple of years ago - he's capable of doing good things. Too bad he's only played a very limited amount of time in his career at second base.

THE ROTATION

TOM GLAVINE - 10 wins from 300 in his career. He'll get there, but hopefully this isn't one of those situations where the team starts pressing trying to achieve a milestone. Glavine seems to have been reborn with the Mets' success. I expect a good year.




ORLANDO HERNANDEZ - El Duque has already complained about some neck stiffness. His ability to stay healthy will be one of the main factors for the Mets all year - if for no other reason than it's better to have El Duque in the rotation than Chan Ho Park. Park was sent down because there was no room for him in the bullpen or the rotation - if the Mets need to call him up (a la last year, using 13 starters), it will most likely be due to an injur y to this man.
JOHN MAINE - Last year couldn't have done anything but help his confidence. He's got a pad now, as the number three guy, and shouldn't have to worry about being dropped from the rotation due to a bad start. That all adds up to a comfortable season, and hopefully a successful one.

OLIVER PEREZ - I really think Perez is going to shock people this year. This year is the first time Perez will be with a successful team - I bet he rises to the challenge. I can't wait for him to prove me right.



MIKE PELFREY - I'm so glad the Mets went with Pelfrey over a veteran retread. The exposure to the Majors that Pelfrey will receive can only do him good this year, and down the road for the Mets. And, I think he'll have a good season, to boot.



PEDRO MARTINEZ* (MAN-IN-WAITING) - Pedro* should be back by August, if all goes according to plan, and hopefully be very effective by September. That means the Mets get better right when they're turning the corner towards the post-season (hopefully).




THE BULLPEN

(From left to right: Aaron Sele, Ambiorix Burgos, Joe Smith, Pedro Feliciano, Scott Schoeneweis [whose name I have been spelling wrong until now], Aaron Heilman, and Billy Wagner.) Aaron Sele won the long-relief job held by Darren Oliver last year. Oliver did a great job, especially in the clutch situations in the post-season. Sele has some big shoes to fill. I liked the acquisition of Ambiorix Burgos, even though it came at the expense of Brian Bannister. I equated him to the Mets' new Guillermo Mota, who had been suspended for steroid use. Then the Mets re-signed Mota, and I wondered why they acquired Burgos. But Burgos throws hard, and showed enough promise this spring to make the team right out of spring training, so hopefully some work with Rick Peterson will make him an asset. Joe Smith has a tricky sidearm delivery, so he'll bring a different look out of the 'pen. Pedro Feliciano has been effective, despite saying some things that have gotten him into my doghouse. Scott Schoeneweis is another lefty out of the bullpen, and I like that acquisition as well. Aaron Heilman isn't happy doing what he's doing, but he sure is effective. He'll probably take last season's NLCS loss more personally for giving up the game-deciding homer in Game 7 than Carlos Beltran for taking the last strike. I expect him to come out and have a great year. Billy Wagner is again the closer. I wonder how much longer he'll be dominant...hopefully he'll have at least this year.

FANTASY NEWS: No "Survivor" yet, but mlb.com has "Beat the Streak" up, so I encourage you to sign up. I already have Jose Reyes for Sunday night. I didn't see the option to create our own league...but if it presents itself, I will be doing it and letting you know about it.

I'll be back Sunday night with the first posting of the season!

ONE-TRACK MIND

Honest to goodness, when it gets this close to baseball season I have a one track mind. I'm able to shift my focus to schoolwork during the school day...but almost every other second it's "MetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMets." Really, it is. I even talk to The Baby about the Mets, like she gives a hoot. But that's the reason I created this here blog - so I can spare the ones I love with these types of verbal assaults. So here's what's on my mind right now:

-Jose Reyes, aka THE GREATEST BALLPLAYER WHO EVER LIVED - I keep forgetting to mention this, but I need to change my NL MVP vote from last week in my season predictions. I have to go with Reyes. The guy is getting all sorts of national recognition now, and people know how valuable he is to the Mets. If he stays healthy and has another year like he did last year, and the Mets need him more this year than last year, because it will be a tighter race...Jose Reyes will be the NL MVP. (I had said Ryan Howard, which isn't a bad thought, but Reyes might get it this year.)

-Duaner Sanchez - Sanchez's comeback from last season's shoulder injury, suffered in an off-hours taxicab accident in Miami, took a big hit. Sanchez might not be back now until August, after feeling/hearing a pop in his shoulder while pitching the other day. I would not expect Sanchez to be effective this year. Also, I get the feeling this might be very, very serious, and possible career-ending...or at least, ending Sanchez's career with the Mets. He's in Willie Randolph's doghouse, after reporting overweight, and this injury just keeps getting worse, it seems.

- Ben Johnson and Jon Adkins - The other day I mentioned that both of the former Padres, who the Mets got in exchange for Royce Ring and Heath Bell, could open the season in the minors. Well, Adkins has no options, so he might be dealt before the season opens. Johnson might get the chance to start the season on the Mets roster because of an injury to......

-Lastings Milledge - he hurt his hand the other day, and it's still causing him pain, so he might not be with the Mets come Sunday night. Too bad, because he worked hard this spring and deserved to break camp with the team. But Ben Johnson might keep his roster spot warm (which was only keeping Mike Pelfrey's roster spot warm until the Mets needed their fifth starter).

-Scott Schoenweis - The last thing that I spend some time thinking about during the day is the Mets' newest reliever. I always liked watching Schoenweis pitch with the Angels...although his numbers haven't been the greatest...I look forward to seeing him contribute with the Mets.

WHEN WE LAST LEFT THE METS......

This picture pretty much sums up the last time we saw the Mets. It captures the disappointment of the moment - Carlos Beltran having just looked at strike three with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the ninth of Game 7 of the NLCS. (I don't care how tough of a curveball Adam Wainwright throws...I maintain that with the salary Beltran is making, you take the bat off of your shoulder. I could have watched that curve fall in for strike three, and I'm not making 17 million a year.)

So that leads us to "When We Last Left The Mets...", a new game that will help part of another day pass as we head towards Opening Day:

(I won't repeat it, so each of the following statements begins with...)

WHEN WE LAST LEFT THE METS.....

...(and perhaps this is the most telling indication of how long it's been)....I had a newborn daughter. The Baby will be 6 months old on Opening Day. She can't wait for Sunday night.

....Pedro Martinez* was injured. Pedro* is still recovering from said injury.

...Aaron Heilman wanted to start but was coming out of the bullpen. Not much new there.

....The Mets rotation was Tom Glavine, Orlando Hernandez, John Maine, and Oliver Perez. That was in the post-season. The rotation is exactly the same now, but with Mike Pelfrey the number five guy.

...The Mets had a sidearming righty coming out of the bullpen. They still do, though it's someone else - Joe Smith for Chad Bradford.

....The Mets had a washed-up former lefty starter doing wonderful work in long relief. The Mets now have a washed-up former righty starter taking over that role - hopefully Aaron Sele can do as well as Darren Oliver did. (Although Sele has Scott Erickson written all over him.)

...The Mets had an aging slugger in left field prone to injury, hitting from the left side of the plate. The Mets now have an aging slugger in left field prone to injury and hitting from the right side of the plate.

...The Mets had two young superstars on the left side of the infield. No change there. (Though David Wright needs to pace himself better to be fresher come October, and Jose Reyes can't try too hard in the post-season - he got into his old habits in October, and popped the ball up like he used to. He didn't perform like he did in the 2006 regular season.)

...The Mets didn't have a reliable second baseman. They still don't.

A lot has changed (mostly faces), but a lot remains the same this year. Perhaps most importantly remaining the same are the expectations - the fans expect great things. I don't think it's a bad thing that the Mets are opening up in St. Louis this year, where the Cardinals will be raising the banner in front of the team they defeated en route to that unlikely championship. Hopefully it will stick in the Mets' craw until they are raising their own banner in April of 2008.

OTHER THINGS:

-The pitcher I hinted at the other day (see post below) that I think is going to have a great season is Randy Wolf. He's with Los Angeles, great pitcher's park, and he has had the arm surgery which will make him more mechanically sound. The Dodgers are going to be very good - maybe the best in the league.

-Still no fantasy games up on mlb.com. I'll keep you posted so that you can join the leagues that I create.

-I haven't talked about it much (haven't written much), but the Mets have not had a good spring training. I know that doesn't mean much...but it'd be nice if they entered the season feeling good about themselves.

-Looks like the first Mets game I will be attending this year will be Friday, April 20th against Atlanta. That's the Friday of April break, the weekend before we go back to school.

-Also, The Wife has planned our summer trip. She thinks we can get away with driving to Ohio with The Baby, so we're hitting Cincinnati (against Milwaukee...on Frank Robinson Bobblehead Night - I can't tell you how excited I am about that), and Cleveland, who will be playing The Wife's BoSox.

-Just saw this on the internet...Interestingly, involving former Mets all around. The Marlins traded Yusmeiro Petit (former hot prospect in the Mets organization, involved in the Carlos Delgado trade) to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Jorge Julio and cash. Seems like a high price for the Marlins....but Petit's numbers weren't so great last year, maybe they're giving up on him.

ROUNDUP

A week and a day away from the beginning of the season! I have to get a post in here or there before the game recaps take over all of my time.

I was switching around as I watched the Rangers beat the Bruins in a shootout, and discovered I had the Mets game today on SNY. Not sure how DirecTV works this, but they black out most preseason baseball games, and I only catch them once in a while. I've seen parts of about three Mets spring training games this year. But I caught a little of the split squad loss to the Orioles, and there were a couple of things worth noting:

-Chan Ho Park pitched three perfect innings, then was lifted for Joe Smith (more on him in a minute). Park was apparently really mad about being taken out of the game. The plan is to use him again on Monday, and see if he can handle being used more than once every fifth day, and compete with Aaron Sele in a long relief role. (The role vacated by Darren Oliver's departure to Anaheim.) Sele has apparently had a good spring.

-Smith is a sidearming righty. He's the Chad Bradford replacement (he signed with Baltimore), and has wowed the Mets this spring, and will likely be in the bullpen to start the season. Interestingly, with a much more mature Lastings Milledge showing up at camp (haven't written about that at all - but it seems like he did some growing up this off-season), and Smith taking up a bullpen role, it seems both Padres the Mets got this off-season in exchange for Royce Ring and Heath Bell will be starting the season in the minors. There doesn't look like there will be room for Ben Johnson or Jon Adkins. Milledge is expected to start the season on the bench, but in the majors, as the Mets won't need a fifth starter until mid-April, so Milledge will stay with the team until then.

-Speaking of that fifth starter, it's looking more and more like Mike Pelfrey, which is just outstanding. Pelfrey is going to be very, very good, and I think he's better off at this point being with the major league team than off in the minors. Besides the fact that I think he's a better option than some of the flotsam the Mets have been collecting to fill that role. As for the other exciting young Mets pitcher, Philip Humber will be starting the season in the minors...and most likely spending the entire year there. He'll be a factor next year, but I wouldn't expect him to get more than a cup of coffee in the bigs this year.

-Is it just me, or is Moises Alou having just about the quietest spring training in the history of sports? I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I still say he has to prove to me that he's worth the Mets' acquisition.

-Carlos Delgado is in no danger of missing any regular season time due to the birth of his child. His wife went into labor this weekend, and Delgado went to Puerto Rico to be with her, so he'll be ready on April 1st.

-Pedro Martinez* is still on track in his recovery, taking his throwing program to the next level.

FANTASY ROUNDUP: Here's a rundown of what I'm doing fantasy sports-wise this year, since you're bound to hear about these things throughout the baseball season:

1. East Coast Bias - This is the only fantasy baseball league I thought I'd ever do for the rest of my life (more on that later), with Justin from NYC, The Southern Bureau, and Dave in Brighton. It's fun and it's different. We can only pick players from the AL and NL East (making scouting easier), and we have different categories than the average league. I came in 3rd place last year, after leading most of the first half, then falling out of second place on the last day of the season as I threw all my hopes onto 7 different starting pitchers (none of them good) on the final day of the aforementioned season. I am determined to win our trophy this year.

2. The Orange Couch - Named for The Southern Bureau's blog, this league was created primarly for The Southern Bureau's dad, so that he had a league to play in, after their long-time league disbanded. So it's a good bunch of guys (featuring the same 4 from East Coast Bias, along with 6 others, including Dave in Brighton's dad, too), and it's a full player universe. So even though I thought I'd never be doing another fantasy league like this, here I am. I want to do respectably well in this league. And one of the biggest banes of fantasy baseball - player trades - has been a good experience for me so far. On a whim, I offered Ramon Hernandez for Mike Piazza, who you all know I like this year. The other player countered with Hernandez and Octavio Dotel for Piazza, which I thought was too much, so I thought no deal would happen, until finally I threw out there Hernandez and Jonathan Broxton for Piazza, and I landed him. So I'm happy about that. Coming soon: I feel good about a certain pitcher in the majors this year, who I forgot to mention in the season preview. He's still a free agent in this league, and I will pick him up on Sunday to fill Broxton's roster spot. Stay tuned to find out who I'm talking about.

3. I will be doing my New Baseball Pool again this year. It was a huge success last year, and has grown this year.

4. Beat the Streak - I love it. Can't wait for it to start up - it's always one of the last things mlb.com gets going. I will create a league, and I hope you all join up to compete against me. Someday I'll get to 57 games....this year, I hope to get past 17.

5. mlb.com also has a fun game called Survivor. You pick teams until you lose. It's fun, it's free. I won't start a league, but I'll be playing, I'll let you know if I win anything.

SUNDAY COMICS: One of my small enjoyments in life is that I read the comics in the newspaper everyday. I read most of them, there are a couple I skip. One that I skip is called 'Zippy The Pinhead'...or sometimes, just 'Zippy'. But this caught my eye in the Sunday comics a week or two ago. I don't read this comic because I never get it....it's not funny, it doesn't even make sense. This one doesn't either, but I had to point it out. Poor Mr. Met...how did he get involved in something like this?!

THE 2007 PICKS

I figure if I don't do this now, I'm in danger of never doing it. In my limited spring training write-ups, I've been somewhat critical of the Mets. It's not that I don't think they'll be good...it's just that I don't think they'll be as good all season as they were last year. But I think this team has the chance to hit its stride at the most important time - September and October - which is the opposite of what happened last year. So, without further ado:

THE NL EAST

A lot of people are down on the Mets. I agree with a lot of what they are saying, but it's not the end of the world. The Mets just aren't going to be as good as they were last year...but they'll still be good. The problems are:

1) The rest of the NL East is better (except for Washington, who I hear might set the record for losses in a season)

2) The Mets' pitching is weaker.

BUT!!

The Mets can still outhit 90% of the National League, and they will still win the division.

The Phillies, I think, will run away with the wild card this year. I think the NL East will be a 2-horse race (I don't buy the Braves for a full year, and the Marlins will take a step back), and the Mets will pull away from the Phillies in September with a healthy Pedro* leading the way...but the Phillies will still be better than the rest of the National League.

NL CENTRAL

Surprise here is the Cincinnati Reds...mostly by process of elimination. Carlos Zambrano guaranteeing a world championship pretty much guarantees the opposite. The Astros will probably finish second, but they're not going to be very good. St. Louis shouldn't have been the division champ last year, let alone the other things they did afterwards (*sigh*), and they'll be third place this year. Then the Cubs. Then the Brewers, then Pirates. So the Reds sustain for the full year what they started and couldn't maintain last year.

NL WEST

The only other good team in the National League (outside of the Mets and Phillies) will be the Los Angeles Dodgers, who I feel are much improved this year. They'll win this division easily, outpacing the Padres (under new management), Rockies (improved, but not great), Diamondbacks, and Giants.

NLCS: I think Mets over Phillies, but I can see the Dodgers getting past Philly too. Mets to the World Series.

AL EAST

The Red Sox did a lot of tweaking, and improving. The Yankees got rid of some problems, but still have the usual baggage (A-Rod). I say Sox win the division, and Yankees get the wild card, and next year the Jays and Orioles make their move (with the Devil Rays maybe a couple of years away?).

AL CENTRAL

Here's where I think a lot will happen in 2007. The Detroit Tigers had too many career years by some aging guys (Kenny Rogers) and young guys last year. I don't think they'll repeat that. I think Gary Sheffield might be on an island, and the Tigers won't recapture the glory they experienced last year, as age catches up to some, and the league catches up to the young guys. The Indians, I think, will be better, like 2 seasons ago, but not great. The White Sox will be good, maybe third place behind the Indians, and ahead of the Tigers. But I think the Twins win the division - I think they're the best team. Now, the big news: I think the Royals will be a lot better. I think they'll be over .500, and be the most improved team in baseball. I can't particularly tell you why, but I think they had a smart offseason, and improved themselves in the right areas.

AL WEST

The A's win this division. They lost Barry Zito, but they'll have a (hopefully) healthy Rich Harden back for an entire season, so they're right back to where they were last year. And I think Mike Piazza will be what Frank Thomas was last year for them. The Texas Rangers are a chic pick to win the West (especially since Buck Showalter is now gone...and we know his history), but I don't think they'll pass the A's.

ALCS: The Sox and Yanks make early exits, and the Twins have the pitching to outlast the A's.

WORLD SERIES: Mets in 6. Why not? It's a new season. Hope springs eternal.

AWARDS

NL MVP: Ryan Howard. He's going to carry the Phillies all year, especially in that park.

AL MVP: I want to say someone different here, but I think I have to go with David Ortiz. If the Red Sox win the division, like I think they will, he will be the main reason why.

NL CY YOUNG: Despite Cole Hamels' claim that he'll win 20, this award will go to Carlos Zambrano, who will then take the money and run in free agency.

AL CY YOUNG: Hmm...Rich Harden.

NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: I don't know any NL rookies. If Mike Pelfrey qualifies, I'll say him...but I fear he doesn't qualify.

AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Let's go with Daisuke Matsuzaka. Why not.

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Let's say he stays healthy and playing in his hometown....Cliff Floyd puts up some nice numbers in Chicago.

So there are the picks. I'll still be distracted this weekend by the NCAA tournament (I'm having a great bracket this year so far...one of my best ever in 14 years of keeping track), and then school has been busy...and I'm busy setting up the "New Baseball Pool II"....but I'll be ready to go for the regular season. So please keep checking back.

PURE HILARITY

A couple of funny items, the first an e-mail, of course from none other than Justin in NYC, and then a joke of my own making:

"IM A COUPLE DAYS BEHIND.. I JUST READ ABOUT HOW YOU READ BASEBALL PREVIEWS.. AND IT ONCE AGAIN REINFORCED HOW YOU ARE INSANE.. JUST LIKE ME.
WHILE I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC SYSTEM FOR READING PREVIEW ISSUES (EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT I FORCE MYSELF TO READ EVERY WORD AND NOT SKIP AHEAD TO MY FAVORITE TEAM, NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE LISTED IN THE TABLE OF CONTENTS).. I DO HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC PROCEDURE FOR READING SPORTS ILLUSTRATED...

1) LOOK AT THE THREE PICTURES AT THE FRONT
2) I ALWAYS SKIP THE EDITORS NOTE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
3) I READ EVERY LETTER, AND COMMENT OUT LOUD ON WHETHER I AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE LETTER WRITER'S OPINION
4) I READ THE SCORECARD SECTION (WHICH AS OF TWO WEEKS AGO HAS BEEN MELDED WITH THE SI PLAYERS SECTION, WHICH IS GOOD CAUSE THAT'S A COOL SECTION THAT I ALSO LIKE AND USUALLY READ 5) NEXT)
6) THUMB THROUGH THE MAGAZINE AND DECIDE WHICH ARTICLES I WILL EVENTUALLY READ AND IN WHAT ORDER (AGAIN.. THIS IS DONE OUT LOUD)
7) I READ THE INSIDE SPORTS SECTIONS (INSIDE BASEBALL, HOCKEY, THE NBA ARE MUSTS..AS IS THE ONCE A YEAR COLLEGE HOCKET ONE... NFL AND COLLEGE BASKETBALL ARE READ 75% OF THE TIME... TENNIS AND OLYMPIC SPORTS ARE ONLY READ IF IM TRAPPED IN THE BATHROOM AND I'VE READ EVERY OTHER WORD IN THE MAGAZINE. INSIDE MOTOR SPORTS IS NEVER READ UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES
8) FINALLY I GO BACK AND READ THE ARTICLES IN THE PREVIOUSLY DETERMINED ORDER."

I feel like Justin just got through yelling at us. I've just come to the decision I prefer all lowercase to all caps. The funniest thing from Justin's e-mail has to be the fact that some of this is done out loud. The saddest thing...when I did get Sports Illustrated, I read it the very same way, but then I stopped reading the articles due to time constraints, and cancelled my subscription.

AND THEN THIS: The other night during the Rangers-Islanders game, Chris Simon swung his stick viciously and nailed Ryan Hollweg. Simon was suspended indefinitely by the NHL.

The NHL is trying to make players think of the consequences before they behave carelessly with their sticks. The NFL is now thinking about adopting a similar protocol for Tom Brady.

MAJOR CHANGES IN THE MINOR LEAGUES

The tough life of a minor league baseball player is getting a little tougher this year...for certain teams, anyway. Some minor league veterans are going through the same procedures they would have to go through if they had been traded - but they're still property of the same major league club they were part of last year. Confused? So are minor league veterans of the Yankees, Phillies, Orioles, Mets, and Nationals. They will have to go through a major transition, reporting to different teams this year in different cities, without ever having been part of a transaction.

The merry-go-round started with the New York Yankees, who switched their Triple-A affiliate last year from the Columbus Clippers to Scranton Wilkes-Barre (formerly the Red Barons). The Red Barons' contract with the Philadelphia Phillies was up as well, and the Phillies had come to terms with the Ottawa Lynx. That team had been vacated by the Baltimore Orioles, who took over the Norfolk Tides, made available when the Mets made the New Orleans Zephyrs their Triple-A affiliate. The Nationals, who had been with New Orleans, took the team made available when the Yankees started the mess, moving their operation to Columbus.

So the teammates haven't changed, but the uniforms, stadiums, and cities have. Minor leaguers are used to change - they jump from Single-A to Double-A to Triple-A sometimes in a matter of months, and some go from Triple-A to the majors so often they are compared to yo-yo's. But it must be a weird sensation for many to have to relocate without having been part of any personnel changes.

Then there's the business end. "You don't realize how much stuff you have with the Mets logo on it until you have to switch to the Orioles," says Ian Locke, director of media relations for the Norfolk Tides, the new Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Locke mentions letterheads, envelopes, websites, group info brochures, and schedules as among the items that now need updating. It also changes the off-the-field personnel. "I have to get acclimated with the new people in Baltimore, as opposed to who to call in New York. I'm not sure who to call in spring training - I used to know who to talk to. The little things are different, but it's been a positive switch overall."

The Orioles and Nationals are taking advantage of their new affiliation, and taking their relatively new geographic rivalry on the road. Both Norfolk and Columbus will host an exhbition game at the end of spring training featuring the major league clubs in the minor league stadiums. There are other benefits for Baltimore - all of its minor league clubs are now within driving distance of the major league city - a benefit that Philadelphia now loses, moving from in-state Scranton (125 miles away) to out-of-country Ottawa (447 miles away).

For the Mets, they lose a long-time affiliate, but get to establish a new relationship with a city still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. They've already started the goodwill, donating money to the city and its playgrounds. And Mr. Met seems happy about his new friend as well:

For the Mets, their affiliate did not just switch cities - they are now in another league. The Zephyrs are in the Pacific Coast League, where they play in the same division as teams in Texas, Oklahoma, Albuquerque....and a schedule which will take them further west. The Tides are in the International League, playing teams like Buffalo, Pawtucket, and Richmond. Whether all that extra travel will have an affect on the players who are called up remains to be seen...but one thing seems sure - a minor league affiliation switch rarely affects just one baseball team.

NOTE ON THE ARTICLE: I started to write the above over February break (oh, how long ago that seems, when I had such great intentions, and wrote a blog entry every day), and actually made some phone calls to try to put together a really good article for some magazine. A few non-returned calls later and back to school, and I lost all momentum. But I didn't want to waste the idea, and the one interview I did, so there it is. I got the idea when I bought my baseball preview, and there was no mention of all the affiliate changes, which I thought was one of the bigger deals of the off-season. It's an article I would have wanted to read.

NEW FEATURE: I think I'm going to add a "Player of the Game" feature this year. Just a thought that popped into my head tonight.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: With the NCAA tournament coming up this week, I'm glad I got a chance to post tonight - because I can't make any promises that I'll be updating during the basketball games. I will get my season picks up before the season starts - that's about the only promise I can make. Mets-Cardinals is just 23 days away to open the season!