Minority Report: Episode I

Sometimes, when your team is not winning, you NEED to look at the minors for something positive. Sometimes, you can't find anything even there. My weekly Minority Reports will alternate between good news... and bad news. I'm starting with good news because... Met fans NEED good news.

Pitching:

AAA, Jenry Mejia (SP) - 2011... two starts down and Mejia is well on his way BACK to the majors. If I had to guess how Mejia will eventually fit into the rotation in the majors, it would be that Capuano would shift into a relief role and Mejia would take the #5 starter job. How soon might this happen? I keep hearing that Alderson is going to be more conservative than Alderson, but I'd say that mid-late May is in the realm of maybe. Depends on Mejia continuing to be awesome in all ways and Capuano/Byrdak continuing to struggle in their roles.

AAA, Dillon Gee (SP) - I am not Gee's biggest fan. The right handed Mark Cohoon isn't what I look for in a minor leaguer. Then again... neither is the left-handed Dillon Gee, but I like Cohoon and don't like Gee anyway. Gee isn't going to blow anyone away and his major league success is baffling. The big thing with Dillon is that he can eat innings. Gee will go out and keep the team (more or less) in the game. THAT is totally worth something. He's simply not going to suddenly be worth more than a #6 pitcher. He's not going to suddenly become an Ace and teams are not going to suddenly be clamoring to trade for him. Take him for what he is.

AAA, Jose De La Torre (RP) - At 25 years of age (now, he'll be 26 in October) he's reaching the make it or break it point in his minor league career. Jose first jumped out at me after his 2009 season in AA/AAA. 2010 he spent in AAA and had an equally nice line: 70.1 IP, 2.69 ERA, 80 K's and 34 BB's. What could be wrong with that? Not a whole lot. In 2011 he's made 4 appearences between 1 and 2 innings. He's keeping the ball on the ground AND maintaining his 9.00 K/9 that he's been good for since 2009. He'll be up with the Mets in 2011 at some point. Someone want to turn him into a lefty for me?

AAA, Michael O'Connor (RP) - He's 30 now and he'll be 31 in August, so... it's not like Mike is going to be a big star. That's okay though. He IS a lefty and he's been effective. I'm not just talking about his (thus far) perfect 2011. I'm talking about his eye-opening 2010. His numbers won't knock your socks off, but if Byrdak continues to struggle, O'Connor is the next in line to try to run with the LOOGY role.

AA, Josh Stinson (SP) - He's only 23 and he's had pretty decent success throughout his minor-league career. Let me couch that by saying he's never REALLY been outstanding, but he's never been awful. He's a big (6'4" 210lbs) righty who has pretty good control. The best news is that he's been generally healthy through his minor-league career. He's been as high as AAA and he could go back there soon. Stinson has a good shot at a call-up in 2011 but it might be as a reliever.

AA, Robert Carson (SP) - 2008 was Carson's "Break-Out" year. It was in pitcher friendly Savanah, so don't get too excited. At 22, he's still not old to be at AA and at this stage in development. He's another guy who looks like he might be in the middle ground between relief and starting, but the potential for a back-end rotation guy is there. Carson's first start was fine, but he'll need to keep it up for me to not forget him quickly.

AA, Mark Cohoon (SP) - Cohoon dazzled in Savanah last year. So much so, that the Mets had him skip the FSL and move straight to Binghamton. The experiment looked like a bad idea, but Mark turned things around in his final starts of 2010 and re-assured a lot of his supporters. Who does Cohoon remind me of? Besides Dillon Gee as a lefty? I suppose in a perfect world he could turn into Rick Reed. Mark Cohoon gets things done by forcing hitters to put the ball in play. That is a scary thought should Murphy be playing second and Duda roaming the outfield, but it's not like pitchers haven't had good careers with similar stuff. AND... he's a lefty, so... there's that too.

AA, Bradley Holt (SP) - Wait a second, I thought this guy was washed up and washed out. He was a total failure in 2010, right? Well... yeah... but that doesn't mean so much in my mind as long as he rights the ship in 2011. Let me start by saying he's had 1 start in AA in 2011 and he's never looked better at that level. His K's are down and BB's are up but, Holt could definitely re-establish a future with the Mets if he continues to pitch this well.

AA, Chris Schwinden (RP) - Who? Really... WHO? I have never heard of Chris before I did the research for 2011. He's... well, he's yet another starter/reliever that most farms are chock full of. I was going to ignore him and his 3 innings of work for 2011 but they were good innings so he made the list. Perhaps the only blog he's been on thus far. Hey Chris, keep getting 2 K's an inning and I'll keep putting you on my minor league reports. Deal?

A+, Jeurys Familia (SP) - Familia had a good 2008 and followed it with a good 2009 so last spring, people watched him. They REALLY liked what they saw. Frankly, he throws really REALLY hard. Most scouts like that sort of thing. 2011 has started off SWIMMINGLY for Jeurys, who will likely be moving onto AA in the next month or so. He's getting more K's, he's walking less players and... well... 13 innings and 2 hits isn't going to make anyone think he's not something special. Unlike Harvey, I think he's not in the running for a rotation spot until 2013 or later.

A+, Matthew Harvey (SP) - Matt was drafted LAST year and already Met fans are calling for him to come up to the majors. I wish I was kidding, but with the Mets needing a starter in the near future and Gee not available to come up people were saying, "Why not Harvey? Nobody has a scouting report on the guy." I listed Matt a few days ago and went Google diving for a photo, if you MUST see his face, check the archives. Harvey's 2011 has had 2 starts. In his first game, he only lasted 5 innings but struck out 9 and didn't give up a run. In his second start he lasted 6 but only K'd 8. This lowered his K/9 to 13.9 while his ERA hovered around a RESPECTABLE 0.00. He's pegged to move up to AA when Binghamton thaws.

A, Gregory Peavey (SP) - Another draft pick from last season, I like to think that Greg is related to Jake. Maybe they are... but nothing came up on my first sweep. Greg is in Savanah and has had 1 sparkling successful start and 1 not so successful one. I'll throw him up here and hope he gets back to those 5 inning, 8 K shutouts.

A, Yohan Almonte (SP) - Almonte became known last season as he pitched wonderfully in Brooklyn. Personally, I liked Cuan better but, let's not get into it. Yohan is going to have a K/BB somewhere around 4.00 and a K/9 somewhere around 6.00. That means he's not a blow-em away pitcher, but he's always had a good ERA and he just seems like he's got a shot. This year he's starting in Savanah and he'll need to continue to have a 3.00 or better ERA to keep my interest but... I think he can do it.

A, Ronny Morla (RP) - Morla looks a lot older than he is. That photo makes him look 30 when he was born in 1988. Now... being from Latin America, he might wind up being 30, but let's give him the benefit of the doubt. The reason I want to do that is that he's got a K/9 over 9 and a steady history in the minors since 2006. None of his numbers SCREAM at me, but having 7 K's in 5 innings of relief seems to fit his overall profile.

A, Chase Huchingson (RP) - He's tall and skinny and a lefty. He also has gotten more K's than innings pitched and he's only 22 (as of yesterday). I don't know him from Adam but I can tell you he went undrafted and got a small taste of the APP league in 2010.

Batting:

AAA, Ruben Tejada (SS/2B) - Tejada REALLY wants me to start having some faith in him. I'm not there yet, but I'm on the way. Firstly, he's batting over .300 (.346, but who's counting) which he'll need to do because he's got only 1 extra base hit. That being said, after 7 games he's stolen two bags and is well on his way to a 20-30 SB season. Will I take a middle infielder who can get on base and run? Sure I will. If Ruben keeps this up, he might make Terry think about giving him the reigns at 2B soon.

AAA, Fernando Martinez (RF) - Let's get this out of the way first. Fernando is injured... AGAIN! I don't think it's serious as much as it is one of those lingering ailments he always seems to find. Also... after 4 games he's only had 1 good one. Going 4-5 with a double is pretty DARN good, but I'm not going to get too excited or start demanding that he come up to the majors. Fernando needs to stay healthy once he's recovered or I think his time with the Mets will be drawing to a close.

AAA, Zach Lutz (3B) - Somebody smacked me when I said that Lutz had a bad glove. That is not true, he's got a fine glove and a good arm. he's also slugging .565 (as of yesterday) and looking like the offensive leader of the AAA team. That's pretty good considering that: Nick Evans, Lucas Duda, Fernando Martinez, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Justin Turner and others with higher acclaim are surrounding him. Zach will not be manning 3B for the Mets anytime soon, but I think that he's played and hit well enough to attract notice from teams who might be looking for a new 3B option.

AA, Kai Gronauer (C) - Zur Germans are coming! Hide the BEER! Kai Gronauer is probably in line to be the back-up/platoon-mate for Thole after 2011. Though Paulino could certainly change our tune. What I like best is that unlike F-Mart, he's getting hits consistently and not all at once. He's hit in 4 of 6 games he's started and that shows me that he's got potential to be useful in a major-league lineup. He's not Mauer, V-Mart or Posey, but he looks like he'll be useful.

A+, Pedro Zapata (CF) - You will hear people called prototypical center fielders. What this means is good defense, good speed and HOPEFULLY good contact. Pedro is all those things and looks like he might be developing a fairly good floor to his overall value. You will often hear things like Wilmer Flores has an extremely high ceiling but with no SURE position, his floor is still low. Zapata's floor looks like it would be a major league 4th OF. That isn't too bad.

A+, Francisco Pena (C) - Pena is big and his big-ness leads people to believe he has power. I might believe it too if he'd shown it yet. I'll be satisfied if he can continue to hit for average and stay healthy for the full year. With Kai Gronauer above him, I don't think he'll be rushed along... at least... he shouldn't be. He is also young, so he's not exactly due in the majors for a while. Maybe 2014? Keep him somewhat on your radar as he was once highly praised by scouts.

A+, Jefry Marte (3B) - This is Marte's best start... EVER. Maybe he's turned the corner? Probably just getting lucky though. I'm not sure he has the chops to cut it anywhere in the majors but he's VERY young so he could sure develop some of those tools in the minors. His 2010 was pretty solid, so if he has even a slightly better 2011 he'll be moving up to AA before he turns 20.

A, Sam Honeck (1B) - He's not a big-time prospect but hitting .476 with 3 BB's and 2 doubles is worth listing in my book. He played in Savanah last year and hit a robus .091... so yeah... good job and we hope to see you again on the good list.



A, Cory Vaughn (OF) - Aww... Greg Vaughn's son is totally adorable. Compared to Greg, that is. Cory displayed plenty of power in Brooklyn but lately he's mainly proving he can play EVERYWHERE. He's played LF, CF and RF for the Sand Gnats and he's played okay. He's also hitting near .300. My favorite stat is that he's walked 4 times and K'd 4 times... this from a power hitter? Well... he's more of an all-around hitter. Cory is blocked by a crowded bunch of talented OFs throughout the Met's system but I can't imagine he won't find his way moving onto Florida in 2011.

A, Javier Rodriguez (OF) - He's only hitting .261, but... he's got a double a triple and 2 HR's. So he's slugging .652 and that is pretty great. Javier was a top pick from one of our meager free agent heavy years. He had a nice year in 2010 and looks to be having an even better 2011. He's definitely a corner OF from what I hear but if he's going to keep getting extra-base shots, I won't complain.

Most numbers compiled as of 4/14/11

I'm One Sick Puppy

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Know who said that? Albert Einstein. Think he was talking about the Mets and their fans? Probably not, he died in 1955. The definition makes a lot of sense for the Mets, because what could be more batty than expecting new things out of the same players? Ever hear: You can't teach an old dog new tricks? How about: You can't teach players who have played for 20+ years and reached the professional level to have sound fundamentals?

So, what? Am I saying that all Met fans are insane? You decide.

Mike Pelfrey will round into a front of the rotation pitcher

Mike Pelfrey is not an Ace. No, he's not. Mike Pelfrey is a major league middle of the rotation guy. I think that most people in baseball and even the Mets would agree. It's simply that the Mets had no "Ace" and anointed Pelfrey the best man left.

The issue with this is that Pelfrey is nearing his pay day. That is fine, but I worry about the label that the Mets have placed on their valuing of Pelfrey. He's not an Ace on 80% of teams... but on the Mets... Insanity: Mike Pelfrey deserves Ollie Perez money.

Bobby Parnell is the closer of the future

BP was responsible for an awful disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Well... actually... massive corporate corruption was responsible. Anyway, Bobby Parnell did not rupture and spill gallons of tar into the ocean, but he also didn't clamp down the role as setup man that he was expected to.

Take a look at this list: Duaner Sanchez, Heath Bell, Aaron Heilman and ... oh yeah... Jason Isringhausen. All of these guys convinced my insane Met Id (Read Freud Kids) that they were top relievers and capable of maybe someday closing. Sanchez had an accident, Bell was traded, Heilman imploded and Isringhausen was traded years before I really cared.

What does this tell us? The Mets cannot grow their own closers. They are perfectly capable of raising relievers and trading them before their greatest success, but they can't raise their own. Insanity: Bobby Parnell is more than a hard thrower.

Daniel Murphy's bat demands MLB playing time

Murph played half a glorious season as a surprising call-up who could play okay left field and get clutch hits. I loved Murph and got high on all the fumes of his hustle and go gettem attitude.

Murphy then displayed that he... could NOT play the outfield. Okay... that's alright, he could manage 1st base... except he doesn't have a ton of power and Met fans ranted and raved about how meek he made our lineup. Insanity: Murphy is more than an MLB bench player.

Jonathan Niese is an Ace in the making

My name is Phlavio Phega, and I thought that Niese was an Ace in the making...

Hi, Phlavio!

Anywho... Jonathan Niese is NOT a bad pitcher. I'd go as far as to say he could be a GOOD pitcher. What I regret saying is that he was a TOP pitcher. Sorry. My bad. Insanity: Projecting vast improvements in a starters second season.

See... I thought ALL of those things at one point or another. I don't think all of them now, though. Well...

• I do think that Bobby Parnell could still be a good setup guy...
• and Murphy's bat should be pretty sweet at second...
• and Niese showed signs last night (when Tulowitzki wasn't up)...
• Maybe...

Face it, I'm sick. I'm a Met fan, it's part of the package deal.

You Might Want To Check That Out

When your "Check Engine" light pops up, what do you do? Are you like my sister and I? Do you ignore it until something actually seems wrong? Do you take it to a garage and have the work on it? Do you break out the jacks and take a look on your own? It's usually a good idea to check these things out. Before my father blows his own gasket, NO, my car is fine. I thought it would be a good thing to take a quick check on the Mets. Sure the car has only been on the road for two weeks but lets see how she's holding up.

Checking Your Oil

"Hey Dad, why do we check the oil?"

"Well son... do you remember how the engine in your first car cracked in half and burned out?"

"Yeah."

"That's why."

"Oh..."

For this analogy, what is the oil if the Met team is the car? Well a team's engine is powered by pistons and most cars have 4, 6 or 8. Most baseball teams have 5, and we call them starters. The goal is to keep these starters healthy so they can make 30+ starts a year and pitch 6-7 innings a game. You keep the starters healthy by giving them breaks and protecting them with relievers.

As you've heard the Mets have LOTS of relievers right now. Francisco Rodriguez, Bobby Parnell, Taylor Buchholz, Jason Isringhausen, Pedro Beato, Tim Byrdak, D.J. Carasco and Ryota Iggarashi make up an 8 man bull-pen. The issue is that our starters, well.. Pelfrey and Niese... have been burning up too quickly and this has left the bullpen taxed.

The day off helps but I expect another oil swap in the next three days.

Testing The Shocks

Actually, the Mets have been pretty good in this department. Beltran is healthy, Reyes is healthy, Pagan is healthy and I haven't heard Luis Castillo complain about an injury for almost a blessed month (might have to do with him not playing on any one's team). The Mets have more than a few guys who you worry about their legs and their overall leg health. For now... all is quiet and quiet is good.

Replacing Break Pads

The key to defensive driving is your breaking. The Met breaks need work. They have lost at least two or three games because of sloppy defense and mental lapses. The odd thing is that I can't blame any of it on Daniel Murphy. That means that the Mets are getting gaffes from some of the surer hands in the field. (Well... one was Duda, but you get the point.) Terry Collins is supposed to be "Old School" and I hope that means he can get the Mets to be a little better about the basic defensive fundamentals.

Secret Weapon

Do we have a secret weapon in our arsenal. Can we push the "Go Go" button and flash from last to first on the supernatural chemical power of illegal engine enhancements? Ask Manny Ramirez.

Actually the Mets DO have some not-so-secret weapons they could try:

Jason Bay - Not the secret weapon I'd necessarily bank a season of success on, but he's better than Willie Harris or Scott Hairston. Jason Bay should provide and offensive boost to the lineup when he returns later this month. The key will be, seeing how much power and production he ACTUALLY provides. 2010 numbers will NOT cut it with me, the Mets or the Major Leagues.

Johan Santana - Santana will not be back until June (at the earliest) and that means that he's not a quick fix by any stretch. HOWEVER... if the Mets are still close in June/July then they have a pretty good "Go Go" button to press. The key will be that Santana is too valuable to hurt if 2011 is only a dream. They may want to save their Ace for 2012 and I can't blame them if they'd want to.

Jenrry Mejia - Mejia has only pitched 1 game this season but 6 innings without giving up a run is a pretty good sign. Only 3 hits, 2 walks and 6 K's are also pretty good signs. Mejia is going to come up for the Mets in 2011. The question is, WHEN? The Mets will NOT bring him up for a spot start. Not with Dillon Gee around and pitching pretty well. The Mets will wait until he's ready to hold down a job for keeps. I love the idea of bringing up Mejia when Santana returns. It takes the pressure off both of them and that would be nice.

Matt Harney - The people at MmlB are not going to be happy with me. They only read the blog when I beg them, so I'll just avoid doing that today. Matt Harvey is so far from the majors he doesn't have a head-shot with a team cap. Yet after two FLAWLESS starts in the minors (racking up 17 K's in A+) he looks like he's a pretty good "Fast Track" Candidate. He's 22, pitched in college, has great stuff and is blowing away the talented bats in advanced A. Even the conservative Minor League evaluator would project Harvey to move up to AA in 2011. Might this mean that he could see the Majors in 2011? YES, it might. This isn't Sandy Alderson's M.O. but you have to imagine that if Harvey has this level of success in Binghamton, the Mets will have to think about how close his major league future might be.

Do Mets Fans NEED Reasons To Drink?

Alcoholism is generally a bad thing so please drink responsibly or not at all. Drinking and being a Met fan will sometimes lead to friends and family worrying about your worsening depression and inevitable suicide. Sure... you've learned by being a fan that the Mets are prone to give back every lead they are given, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. It doesn't mean that you seek refuge in the forgetting power of alcohol, a substance designed to poison your brain cells... to death.

Yet, show me a baseball game without a drunken fan (I happen to be including little league in this) and I'll show you a game that isn't REALLY a baseball game. In fact... you are pobably watching cricket or polo.

Reasons to Drink: David Wright - Sure... Wright is a bastion of good hitting that keeps the Mets in the least bit relevant, but that doesn't mean he isn't frustrating. Break out the tequila and pour a round.

• Drinking for every K would be bad for your liver. Instead drink any time that David has an AB without a K, Hit, BB or RBI.
• Pour yourself a fruity cocktail when Mr. Wright extends his tongue to "balance" or whatever reason he has for sticking it out.
• Drink a shot if you hear someone praise Wright's defense. He's about to commit an error.

Reasons to Drink: Carlos Beltran - People know that Carlos is not high on my list of Mets. He is supposed to be a good player and he's been okay this year so maybe I should cut him a break. I'm not going to, but maybe I should.

• Drink a shot whenever the camera focuses on Beltran's media-crazed knee.
• Drink a shot when people talk about Beltran's expiring contract and trade value.
• Pour yourself a tall glass of something awful if someone speaks whistfully about Carlos' cursed Mets career.

Reasons to Drink: Jose Reyes - I love Jose and want him to stay but I also get frustrated by the guy. (Note... he's not a kid, unless I am.)

• Time for a drink when Jose hits a homer. Celebrate it because he usually follows up displays of power by popping up for two weeks.
• Drink a shot when the camera pans to Jose smiling like a happy Buddhist in the dugout.
• Start that beer-bong going when Jose starts one of his epic 19 part handshakes. Start a second if you finish that one before Jose finishes his handshake.
  

Reasons to Drink: The Broadcast Booth - Click on the image above to link to a wonderful blog post on a Gary, Keith and Ron drinking game that inspired me to write this.

In Case You Missed It

Reasons Not To Drink:

• Liver Disease
• Car Accidents
• Drunk Dialing
• "Friends" Markers and Your Face
• Remembering the Little Things (Like your name)
• Coordination
• Calories
• Fights With Inanimate Objects
• And For Mets Fans... False Hope
  

It's Far Too Early For

Is it that time already? Time to get ready for 2012? Pack it in? Give up? Push off? Surrender? Is this World War II and did the Phillies realize the Mets only bothered to put up a wall around 2 thirds of their vulnerable border? NO! This is baseball and the first 9 games of the 162 mean about as much as Joe Maddon signaling to eject the umpires from the game. In a sport like... I don't know... football, where there are only 16 games... THEN maybe the first 9 are something worth judging the season on. Except that even in football you could play over 1 quarter of the season and it could mean nothing.

In 2009 the Giants were 5 & 0 after over a quarter of their regular season games had been played. Anyone remember how that year played out? Anyone remember how they finished? People... come back to me when they are all but mathematically out and then tell me the season is over. Of course... then I'll just tell you that the team needs to hire Jacques Lemaire.

Met fans are trained to be nervous and doubtful. Heck... every time we show the least amount of hope for a big year something goes horrendously wrong.

Look:

• The pitching has been bad (Not all of it, but you get the point)
• The hitting has been inconsistent (Not a surprise BTW)
• David Wright is K-ing like his bonus is based on it
• The Phillies are winning and leading the pack
• But...

It's only April... and the Phillies still have an awful bullpen.

Up This Week:

Met Drinking Games - Fun For The Whole Family

Check Engine Light - Let's Run Some Diagnostics

I've Got A Fever - The Cure Better Be More Cow-Bell

Minority Report - How dem minors doin?

Duck Season! Wabbit Season!

The season has officially started... so I... am going to take a break for a week. Sorry, it's bad timing, but it can't be avoided. In the meantime I'll try to give you plenty to think about... and avoid making any April Fools jokes.

Let us start with the Mets... Why? Well because this is a Met blog, that's why.

First, A Story:

I have a small number of friends who are as into baseball as me... strike that, I have ONE friend who is as obsessed with baseball as me... strike that, nearly as obsessed. Ross is a Yankee fan and I am a Met fan. Ross is one of the only types of Yankee fans I can stand. Sure he has that smugness that drives Met fans to murder but he's at least a fan through and through. When the Yankees are bad and miss the playoffs... he's still a fan. He cares about the Yankees from Opening Day... To Opening Day the next year. This story could be about Ross... but it's not.

This story is about Dave. In high school, Dave was a Met fan. That means that he and I could debate Ross on the various reasons that Robin Ventura was better than Scott Brosius. Since college etc... Dave moved to Boston and did what any Yankee hating fan would do... he got local and threw his support behind the Red Sox. This I forgive... heck, I root for the sox when the Mets are not involved in the equation. Anything is better than hearing about Mariano and Jeter.

I get a message from Dave that he's heading back to the mother land. (In this case that swampy state that I call home) He asks me if he should become a Yankee or Met fan now that he's coming home. THAT IS RIGHT! He asks... should I admit to never actually being a Met fan and become a scum sucking, martini drinking, fair weather, yuppy Yankee fan? Well... he had to have guessed how this would hit me. He might have also guessed that I'd blog about it... but I'm sure he regrets asking it now. At least... I hope he does.

What Color Do You Bleed:

Do you bleed blue and orange? I don't. If I did, I'd probably have mere seconds to live. It just couldn't be healthy. But... am I a Met fan through thick and thin? Absolutely. Ready for it, it's the Fan Test.

Fan Test:

1. Name your teams starting lineup. (If you failed to get through all 8 or 9... please go back to waiting for the NFL lock-out to end.)
2. Name the starting rotation. (Again... this is so basic that ANY fan should be able to do it.)
3. Name the closer. (Can't do it? Well we'll say that you are an EXTREMELY Casual Fan. Thanks for playing!)
4. Name the Manager. (Real fans will know this because they spend hours yelling at the guy for not pinch running Davis with the game tied in the 8th.)
5. Name the highest paid player on the team. (This is where we leave the realm of casual fan and enter the realm of ACTUAL fan. Actual fans know this guy because he's the first guy they blame when things go wrong.)
6. Name the General Manager. (Sometimes this is easier than naming the manager, but the GM is less important to a casual fan.)
7. Name the Owner. (This is easier or harder depending on which team you root for, if you get it wrong but know that you hate them... you're still allowed to go on.)
8. Name the backup catcher. (Every team has one. He's usually paid pennies and spends most of his time warming guys up in the bullpen.)
9. Name the team's top prospect. (We're getting into TRUE Fan territory here.)
10. Name the team's AAA, AA, and A+ facilities. (You've gotten through 10 questions. You are a True Fan. Congrats!)
11. Name the pitchers in the starting rotation of each of your teams divisional rivals. (Wait... this is getting hard.)
12. Name your teams pitching and hitting coaches. (This is getting hard. Can I just name the mascot?)
13. Name the first and third base coaches. (Really? Those guys?)
14. Name 5 of your teams top 10 prospects. (This is actually pretty advanced stuff but stick with it.)
15. Name the starting roster from your teams last championship. (You get a pass if you were not yet alive. It's not easy for me... I was 2 years old in 86. If you've come this far... You are a SUPER Fan.)
16. Name 3 top prospects from your divisional rivals. (Do people actually know that stuff?)
17. Name your teams last 3 top draft picks. (Why are they important?)
18. Name who on your team enjoys positive splits vs. left handed pitchers. (Oooo... statistics.)
19. Name the rest of those top 10 prospects. (Gee... I know that we have someone from Puerto Rico who can pitch... or something.)
20. Quote from memory the lengths of your teams 10 largest contracts and the dates they expire. (Can you do it? Are you an UBER FAN?)

UBER FAN, Super Fan, True Fan, Actual Fan, Casual Fan, Extremely Casual Fan or Non-Fan... enjoy the season. It's gonna be a long one. This is baseball... it's ALWAYS a long one.

Warning... Food Porn

One thing no fan of baseball will deny about the Met's stadium is the great variety and taste of food choices available. Now... we won't get into a competition between Citi Field and say... Camden Yards but... we will get into an internal competition between the contenders AT Citi Field.

Fifth Place: Tacos

Now... call me biased because I'm not a fan of tacos in general, but I want something slightly easier to eat when in the confines of a stadium. Plus, when you factor in: Sour Cream, Guacamole, Salsa and other sauces you are eating a soupy mess and ruining your favorite jersey.

Fourth Place: Knishes

If the Wilpons really wanted to appeal to the Jewish community they'd offer Kosher Chinese food. Wait... maybe that's already in the works. Anywho... I have a friend who is a big fan of this starchy snack so I'll talk about it. It beats the taco in terms of stadium fare as it's got great portability. It loses handily in taste as... well... it hasn't got any. Sure you can dip it in mustard or ketchup but for my money give me fries. When is Citi Field gonna open a place that serves chopped liver and gefilte fish?

Third Place: Pulled Pork

Finally... something I actually like eating. My issue with the version at Citi Field is not the mess factor but the taste. I like my pulled pork saucy and there's... not so much. It is good, but hardly worthy of a second glance. If you want good pulled pork, go to Virgil's in time square.

Second Place: Italian Heroes

Not subs, not grinders and certainly never hoagies. This is as American as... well... half the stuff we claim to be American. Riddle me this though, if you were to be watching the game at home... what would you like to be eating. My guess is that more than one person will raise their hand for an Italian Hero.

First Place: Shack Attack

When cows are chopped up to bits and turned into ground chuck. They dream of being turned into a shack burger. You say, "So what? My stadium serves burgers." No, my friend, your stadium serves meat sandwiches that look like burgers. A shack burger IS what your BASIC burger is meant to be. Sure... we all have our tastes. Bleu Cheese, Barbecue with Fried Onions or my favorite Peking Duck Burger, (Burger Deluxe on Rte 23 North) but if we are being purists... we all know that a burger is meat + cheese + bun + lettuce and tomato and the pure carnal joy of chewing.

If you get the chance, check out the not stadium locations of Shake Shack. YES... you will need to wait in line. YES... the line does wrap half way around Madison Square Park. Just do it. Okay? Pick me up a "Great White Way" while your at it.