The Mets and the Success Cycle

When you run a baseball team, the first thing that you should do (and I doubt the Mets have done this in a while) is to take a look at where you are on the success cycle. I haven't been able to find much reference online to this concept as it relates to baseball, but it's an enormously important concept in business. In business, however, it is referred to as the life cycle.

In business, products and even companies as a whole participate in some general permutation of this cycle. A business or product will debut, will grow, and will hit their initial peak. From that point, they can adapt and make changes which will bring them to a new, higher plateau, or they can be allowed to decline until they no longer exist. Where you are on that cycle determines what kinds of decisions you will make - whether to invest in R&D, whether to make capital improvements, etc.

In baseball, however, all 30 teams exist and will continue to exist regardless of their success or failure. One look at the Pirates or Royals will assure you that no matter how bad you are and for how long, you won't go out of business (contraction talk aside). What does remain true, however, is the fact that teams are better or worse equipped to "make a run" at the playoffs or to "rebuild" depending on factors as plentiful as the ages of their star players, the condition of their facilities, changes in ownership, changes in the economy of their surrounding area, and the relative strength or weakness of their farm system.

As far as the success cycle and baseball goes, it appears the most prominent article on it was written years ago by Jonah Keri over at Baseball Prospectus. Although he never explicitly defines the success cycle, he takes an in-depth look at the 2002 Pittsburgh Pirates and discusses the importance of determining your place on it:

The cycle is a baseball continuum on which every team resides. To measure a team's place in the cycle, assess its talent in the majors and minors. Can the players in the organization, mixed with a few trade acquisitions and free agents the team could reasonably sign, yield a competitive team? More precisely, can the team expect to compete while its current core of major-league players remain productive and under contract?

Wally Backman Continues to Prove Mets Management Correct

Over the last thousand posts here at Fonzie, you could probably count on one hand the number of entries devoted to discussing managerial issues. Why? It's not that I don't think managers are important -- but rather, we as outsiders really have no way of knowing which human being will do the best job managing our baseball club. We can dislike moves in isolation, or we can have broader complaints (bullpen management is a good example) but in general, we just do not have much information on which to base our opinions.

With managerial *candidates*, we know even less. In most cases, we haven't actually seen them manage. Most of what we know will come from published media, a few games a couple of years ago when they were a generic opposing manager, and perhaps some quotes from former players. And for candidates like Wally Backman who have never managed in the major leagues? We - and when I say we, I mean fans - know basically nothing.

What Would YOU Pay Jeter to Join the Mets?

Over on Amazin Avenue, the epicenter of rational thought in the Mets blogosphere, they had a poll this morning [1]asking readers the following:

Would you sign Derek Jeter to play for the Mets? To my surprise, the responses were overwhelmingly negative. By a margin of 76% to 23%, respondents voted no.[2]


I would most certainly sign Jeter if he was willing to play second base rather than shortstop. The real question, as far as I'm concerned, is "how much would you be willing to pay him?" I imagine that most of the people that voted "no" in the above poll did so because they took ancillary factors into account, such as price.

As far as I can tell, the question breaks down into two parts. One, what is Jeter's on-field value likely to be? And two, what is his off-the-field value to the Mets?

Toby Hyde is Keepin' It Real

I've always enjoyed reading Toby Hyde. Despite being affiliated with the SNY Network of blogs, Toby, the writer over at Mets Minor League Blog, seems to have pretty free reign on his content and does a good job with it.

Yesterday, Toby did a good job calling out Fangraphs on a couple of silly comparisons they made between Mets prospects and current or former major leaguers.

I think Marc Hulet, the author over at fangraphs, does a very good job usually. This is not his best work. The list itself seems pretty poor and disordered, but it's really the comments on the players that make you shake your head.

I don't have the time nor the experience with the Mets minors to take Hulet to task, but Toby does, so if you are interested in Mets prospects, I'd encourage you to click through and take a look at what he has to say. And while you're at it, read the original article as well. Hulet is off the mark a few times, but overall, fangraphs is a great resource and it'll serve as a useful primer on some of our more promising minor leaguers.

Happy Birthday-arino Keith!

It's somebody's birthday today! It's my favorite mustachioed Metsies announcer's big day! In honor of Keith Hernandez's birthday let's take a look back at some of his best Keith-isms in 2010:

"LOL" means "Lots of Laughs!"

If Los Marlins are male, is LAS VEGAS feminine?

I want to grow a "3 Musketeers D'artagnan style mustache."

What happens with the tattoos when you get a big scrape on your arm. When the skin grows back do you lose the tattoo?

I know a bar when I see one!

Yanks Lost! Phils Lost! Why Am I Not happier?

So yesterday was like a wet dream for us Metsies fans. Not only did the Rangers actually hold onto their lead and slaughter the Yanks but The Freak and the Giants beat the Phils too! I mean I should be really happy about this. Logic would dictate this. And you know what I'm thrilled the Yanks and the Phils got their asses handed to them and evil didn't triumph on two occasions yesterday but still I just feel kind of sad. As much as I get my jollies out of seeing Texas and the Giants win I just wish I was watching my beloved NY Metropolitans in the NLCS. I thought I had accepted the fact that the Metsies 2010 season was just an utter nightmare that I had moved on from BUT the playoffs keep reminding me that is not the case. I just keep thinking Dickey could have been starting against Lincecum or Halladay last night if things could have been different. But really it's wrong to think like this because it gets me nowhere. I need to just take pleasure in what I can and really that's seeing the Giants and the Rangers dominating their series at this point. So yep I can do this!

Every Single Time I Channel Surf In October, My Surfing Leads To The Mets!

So folks it's October and well as much as I'm trying to move on and forget about the Mets for a while, television is making this quite an impossible feat. Of course if I go to ESPN or SNY I'm gonna hear all about the Mets hiring and firing moves and that's totally fine but when I watch "Gossip Girl" and the woes of the Mets are mentioned this is just too much. Seriously I watch crap like that to forget about the Metsies! My worlds should not be colliding! Yeah I totally stole that "worlds colliding" business from "Seinfeld."

UPDATES On Your Favorite Former And Current Metsies!

Blah blah blah the Brewers swept the double header yesterday, blah blah it's over and done with and I'm not recapping that horribleness. We can just pretend it didn't happen. I like to pretend! So now instead I'd like to share a few updates with you folks about some current Metsies and well some former NY Metropolitans! Giddy up!

First let's start with Carlos Beltran. So the reports on Beltran's right knee are not so terrible sounding. There is mild inflammation in that right knee of his but no further damage to it was detected! He is done for the season now (which sucks). So yes folks we'll get to maybe see Chris Carter make some more terrible plays for the remaining 4 games of the season. Ugh I enjoy "The Animal" but really he is one of the worst Metsies outfielders ever.

Next up let's talk about Perpetual Pedro baby. After yesterday's double header he has now made 91 appearances. Granted I'm probably not the only person who could have done without him giving up 2 runs in that 91st appearance. Sheesh.

Thirdly, David Wright now has 28 homers and 100 rib eye steaks. This is the 5th time out of six seasons that Davey has had at least 100 rib eye steaks!

Now to the former Metsies. Jeff Francouer is killing it in Texas. Oh yes I'm the Frenchy fan who checks the Texas Rangers box-scores daily. Yes I do this. So last night he contributed to another Rangers victorino. They beat the Mariners 6-5. Jeff went 2 for 5. His BA as a Ranger is now .354. It was up to .389 at one point, whoa right!? I would love nothing more for the Yankees to face the Rangers in the playoffs and for Frenchy to kick some Bronx Bombers ass on a nightly basis. I'll take a few assists and a game winning homer off of Mariano!

And lastly today's Metsies Page 6 NY Post item is not about Keith but Darryl Strawberry. And no no he wasn't making out with anyone. Here we go!
"Darryl Strawberry whipped out his wallet to save a lady in distress on his way to CBS to tape 'The Tim McCarver Show' the other day. The Mets and Yankees legend and owner of Strawberry's Sports Grill spotted a young woman crying to a taxi driver over her fare. The damsel had left her wallet at home, so Strawberry pulled out his and shelled ot the $15 fare plus another $10 to appease the angry driver. 'Don't sweat it' our spy overheard him telling the passenger.

Ok well those are the updates...for now!

Tonight Dillon Gee is on the mound. I enjoy Mr. Gee or as a friend of mine calls him "Dillon G-Unit!" Let's go Mets! At this point they have to win the 4 remaining games to just be EVEN STEVEN, ugh. Maybe that can happen!?

Oops He, He, He And He Did It Again...

So there are 4 "Oops he did it again" moments by our beloved Metsies and well one Metsies announcer we all know I'm very fond of that I have not reported on. This is just wrong. So now I'll report them because oh they are good. Here we go!

1. David Wright going into yesterday's game had struck out 156 times. No Metsie had ever struck out more times than that. Dave Kingman and Tommy Agee had struck out 156 times as well. Them and now Wright were the current Metsies strike out leaders. But David doesn't like to be tied. He wanted to own the record! Yesterday during his 4th at bat of the night, after hitting a homer in his previous at bat Wright struck out. This bottom of the 8th striking out business has now earned him sole top honors. 157 K's! He now holds the club record for striking out in a season. And I mean he can so make this record even harder to beat for himself and all other future Metsies. I'm gonna make a prediction. Wright will have struck out 162 times by the end of this season. Anyone else care to make a prediction?

2. It was too good to be true. Ugh. After the 5th inning Beltran left the game with what he said was "discomfort" in his right knee. Today he's undergoing an MRI at the Hospital For Special Surgery.

3. Pedro Feliciano made his 89th appearance last night. That's a new record for Perpetual Pedro!

4. Keith Hernandez made today's NY Post's Page Six. This is the section that is all gossipy and quite nauseating. Here's what was said about him,

"Keith Hernandez is playing the field again. The former Mets baseman and current broadcaster filed for divorce from Kai Thompson last spring after five years of marriage. He was at Bottega Del Vino on East 59th the other night with a 'gorgeous Italian girl with long, dark hair,' said a witness. 'They were totally making out. He was all over her.' Hernandez was wed once before. On the day his divorce became final, legend has it he hit two home runs, a triple and a double, and said, 'I should get a divorce every day. I'd be broke, but I'd be in the Hall Of Fame.'"
Oh Keith and his Casanova ways...

Ok those are all the "Oops he did it again" moments...for now.

Today on the mound, Niese will be pitching game 1 and then it's Dickey for game numero dos. Let's get this winning streak to 5 by tonight!

And seriously is anyone else throwing up a little bit in their mouth from looking at either the front and back pages of both the Daily News and the NY Post? Damn those Yankees.

Mets Win 3rd straight Thanks To Ruben Te-HOT-A!

Game 1: Mets 4 Brewers 3
Big Pelf vs Wolf

So this is going to be a very incomplete recap. I apologize for this folks but I'll work with the parts of the game I saw. That show "Glee" is to blame. That's my scapegoat. I missed most of the action due to that show. I know I know blasphemy, what kind of a fan am I right, sheesh. Enough of my excuses let's get to some Keith-isms and the game!

Keith Hernandez was having a fun time tonight mocking Prince Fielder. Two of my favorite comments he made were:
Would you take a chance on him with all that extra poundage?
He is very limited in his lateral movement.

Keith also saw his favorite Sag Harbor-ian bartender in the stands and then he proceeded to gush about him to Ron and Gary. This was a mistake. He knew he had said too much. As a result he remarked, "I don't want everyone to think I'm a lush." Oh what else are we supposed to think, he knew Howie's work schedule to a tee. He even said they watched MNF together at the bar. It was so cute trying to hear Keith get out of the I am a boozer hole he got himself into. Regardless of what Keith does when he's not in the booth I'm still a fan. I will never judge.

And now to game!

In the top of the 6th the Brew Crew was already up 1-0 over the Mets and well that sunglasses at night wearing Corey Hart led off with a solo homer. The Brewers were now up 2-0. Is there ever a game against the Brewers where Hart doesn't kill the Mets!? He's a very hart-less fella, hardy har har.

But no need to fret about a 2-0 Brewers lead folks because oh yeah David Wright was kind of amazing. Ok he was amazing. It was a commercial break from "Glee" and I put on SNY and Dave was up. It was the bottom of the 6th, Duda was on 1st and there were 2 outs. And David homered! A glorious homer! The game was now tied, 2-2. And Mr. Wright now has 27 homers and 98 rib eye steaks!

Fast forward to the bottom of the 9th. Sorry like I said I missed most of this game. The Mets were down 3-2 and there were men on 1st and 3rd with 1 out for Ruben Tejada. Did I expect Tejada to do anything at all? Nope. Was I proven wrong? Hell yeah! Ruben doubled. Both runners scored and the Mets won! That was the Metsies 7th walk off win of the season.

Well tomorrow is a double header header header! Wouldn't it be awesome if Hart didn't hit a homer and if the Mets won both games?! Hey it's possible. Stranger things have happened.

Have a great night folks!