DerosbyBrothers.com

I just saw this commercial on MLB network and thought I would post it.  It symbolizes all that is good with the game.  Keith and I chat relentlessly about whose team is better and each spring, I have reasons why the Mets are.  It is crazy that fans of any team find Spring Training to be a rebirth and positive thoughts on all teams….well except the Pirates.  Enjoy.

I know I have been absent from this site for quite some time, between work, moving into a new home, and finishing a master’s degree I have been more than pre-occupied.

Well, on my travels today I had to tolerate the poor pitiful Red Sox talk that has overwhelmed me for quite some time.

Fact: The Sox have had more than their share of injuries and are still having a very successful year with many players that wouldn’t ever sniff the big club in most years. The frustrating part about this is that despite their success, I am listening to the excuses that many fans say they don’t make. It’s one after another and get this…they’re still in the race for the postseason. So what’s to complain about.

Fact: There are other teams that have more than their share of injuries and are still in the playoff hunt. The Dodgers have had quite a few players injured (in fact one individual starting tonight had to send letters to teams letting them know that he was available if any were interested).

The reason I have written this is because the sports casters were discussing how NO team has had many injuries. Then I counted the Phillies DL list. They have placed 15 very key players on the DL for significant amounts of time. Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley (3 MVP caliber players) have all missed very long stretches of time. In fact there are only 2 starting fielders who have not spent time on the DL along with many back up players. All the while, the Phillies are in hunt as well. We can get into the argument of AL versus NL at some other point. We can also look at the fact that the Sox are chasing two very good teams.

What I want is for Sox fans to just enjoy the run they’re on. They could still make the playoffs and this is something enjoyable to watch (although I know it is difficult cheering for this many reserve players night in and night out). This is not your typical red sox season as of late but it’s not a wash. So please just stop complaining, stop throwing in the towel, stop asking for sympathy. It could always be worse…think of the fans in KC, Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

That question can be answered quite simply….

the PR department.

There are no better teams at it than the Red Sox and Yanks.  Jesus Montero is considered one of the best prospects in baseball and compared to Miguel Cabrera.  Those are tough shoes to fill and he will most likely never reach that.

The Red Sox have a top pitching prospect named Casey Kelley…yet he really hasn’t pitched much as he came up as a SS. However, the Sox have built him up so they could include him in a deal and get an Adrian Gonzalez.

Until teams can build their prospects and use their public relations department to increase the images of their minor league talent, the Yankees will always get the Cliff Lee’s of the world because their talent seems so much better .

This morning, while drinking a cup of coffee and watching Dora with Sofie, I roamed the internet for sports.  Coming to CNN, I read about the Hall of Fame snubs this year and future players coming up for election.  I will have a post soon enough about that particular topic.  However there was an article I read that seemed to sum up the press’ opinion of the Mets, compared to the Red Sox or Yanks (or any other team, for that matter)

A few days after Christmas, the Mets signed Jason Bay to a four year deal with a fifth year option.  The total contract will equal roughly 80 million if he gets the vesting option on the fifth year.  Is that a lot of money?  Sure.  A week later, Matt Holliday signed for 7 years and roughly 120 million.  The Cardinals will also be paying him well into the 2020s, giving him a smaller yearly income, much like the Mets are STILL doing with Bobby Bonilla.

On CNNSI.com, Jeff Pearlman writes a whole article on why Jason Bay will be a bust for the Mets.  Will he be?  Maybe.  But there is also an article on the site about how the Holliday deal was better than the Bay deal.  Two years and twice the money for an good player.  Their logic seems to be built more on the failure of the Mets organization than that of the players themselves.  When the Sox go out and sign players like John Lackey, Adrian Beltre, and Marco Scutaro, the press say they are buiding with pitching and defense.  They don’t mention the pressing need in Boston is power, which none of those players provide.  Beltre has been more of a bust than Bay, yet the Boston press look at his 10 million dollar contract as “worth a shot”.  When they spent 12 million on players like Brad Penny, John Smoltz, and T. Saito, sports networks called this a smart move because one of them would work out.  Even after they failed, especially Smoltz and Penny, people blew it off as a team taht has money to try those manuvers.  When the Yanks spend money, and they do, people get mad at the money thrown around, not the players themselves.

Do the Mets make mistakes, yes they do.  Do they have more pressing needs than Bay?  Some would say their pitching is suspect (which they are correct), but they also needed a powerhitter and a left fielder.  Will he be worth the money by the time the fifth year option comes around?  Probably not.  But he could very well succeed in New York, surrounded by players such as Beltran, Wright, Reyes, Franceur.  The Mets won’t make the playoffs without a SP or two, but Bay’s numbers and potential in New York should not be based on things he can’t control.