Enjoying Some Salmon

I enjoy salmon, too, Mr. Granderson. I am guessing it tastes even better when discussing a multi-million dollar deal...

(Yeah, yeah...yesterday I said things might slow up here on Converted, but I couldn't help myself.)

It sounds like talks to wrap up Curtis Granderson for Mets fans as an early Christmas (or last night of Chanukah) present are heating up. This weekend, Grandy and Sandy had a nice meal together, a "Q&A session" of sorts, with that pink fish EVERYBODY SHOULD LOVE (sorry...I really like Salmon and always have a quizzical look on my face when someone says they don't...sorry. I shouldn't judge. Oh, and it has nothing to do with the initial syllable resembling my name...)

Rumors are swirling, so something might have come to fruition since I started writing this. I'm gonna just finish the post and see what happens, and tell you to tune into the Rising Apple Report at the end of the day, when we will not only be discussing any new information regarding the Granderson reports and other Hot Stove news, but will be talking to Phil, a die-hard Mets fan and the owner of the Two Boots Pizza franchise. And of course, we will discuss this week's number 49 as it pertains to the Mets players who have worn it.

Enjoy your Wednesday, everybody.

Here's the Random Nothing of the Day.

GRANDY. MAN. CAN?

LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for the latest on a Brooklyn Baseball TV Series I am developing, Like the Bedford & Sullivan Facebook page, follow on Twitter here, and listen to the research process here.

Just in Time for Potential Moves...

....Is when I have to keep it a bit quiet on the Metsian Front. I have one week left of school for the semester, and other than tomorrow's Rising Apple Report, I need to zone out to finals and such. 

Five players were not tendered a contract for the upcoming season, two of which were notable surprises in Jeremy Hefner and Justin Turner. The former is out for the year with Tommy John and Justin Turner is an inexpensive versatile bench-rallyer. Both could be back, though, on smaller deals, especially Justin Turner, who seems to get a bad rap from some fans, though he can play basically all over the infield, hit admirably in the clutch and off the bench, and is always the first to cheer from the dugout and enthusiastically greet a player on their way back in.

Then of course, Ken Rosenthal reported that Sandy Alderson met with Curtis Granderson, which isn't surprising at all. The Winter Meetings are coming, and he has a lot to prepare for. I was initially against the potential signing of Curtis Granderson, but the more I think about it and hear other people's thoughts, he does make a lot of sense. Though I certainly feel his power numbers are inflated by that joke of a stadium called Yankee, he still has a lot of power to be desired, not to mention he is a plus defender. Plus, we know he can play in New York.

Anyway, I'm sure I'll chime in here and there, but there is the possibility the Converted updates trickle in rather slowly.

So, let's hope for there to be a lot for us to discuss next week when school wraps up for me.

For now, enjoy this Random Nothing of the Day.

SIGN. GOOD. PLAYERS.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for the latest on a Brooklyn Baseball TV Series I am developing, Like the Bedford & Sullivan Facebook page, follow on Twitter here, and listen to the research process here.

Impatiently Waiting...

Apparently, in modern terms, I am what you would consider... ADHD. I was put on Ritalin when I was 4 years old, but in my adult life, I have wanted to avoid being on any prescription drug, unless it's for allergies. Maybe that stubbornness is a fault of mine, but I have not taken a Ritalin pill or any of those types of ADHD medicine in 6 years. I feel there are much more natural remedies I can use to focus myself on what I need to do. My dad once said that when I first took the pill, it was the first time he ever saw me, a kid going back and forth 100 miles an hour, stop and take a big, deep breath. Maybe that's really all I needed: a big, deep breath. So, when I find myself going too fast and/or losing focus, I try to take a big, deep breath, and seems to work every time. (Also, driving and cycling through New York City helps hone your focusing skills as well, because of how you are forced to focus on your entire panorama.)

Earlier in my screenwriting experiences, I would finish a first draft and show it to everyone saying, "HERE!!! IT'S DONE!!! LET'S MAKE IT!!!" I have since curbed my enthusiasm, much more understanding of the writing (and rewriting) process. Things take time, and now that I am gaining an education it the art form, I have a much better understanding of what it takes to get these projects to come to fruition. It's daunting to say the least, but I feel I have the talent, will and determination to see it through.

So, it's remarkable that when it comes to the Mets, I have been rather patient, always preaching the optimist's perspective, loving every minute of every ballgame, even in these losing years. I arrived to baseball for many reasons, one which was that it was a very detail-oriented viewing experience that I could focus on for 2 or more hours. So, maybe my patience stems from that since it can be so easy for me to lose focus. I've also been accused of complaining too much, and being loud while doing it, so as I grow older, I have attempted to shed this trait from my characteristics. Complaining is such an easy thing to do in this world, and really, the majority of human beings do complain a great amount, some complaints valid, others not so much.

I understand the fanbase's complaints, though. Really, it won't go away until the team has a winning season, makes the playoffs, wins the World Series, and all that jazz. Even then, though, after the parade, there will be a management move that flashes across their screen, and someone will say, "Yep, of course they're satisfied with one and done. Same old Mets..." Something along those lines, right?

Ted Berg of USA Today's For the Win said something on the Rising Apple Report last week, basically summing up the current Mets Hot Stove environment:

"I hate being the impatient Mets fan. And I always say I wish I could just bury my head in the sand for the entire offseason and wake up on April 5 or whenever Opening Day is and say, 'Ok. Who's on the team?' because, you know, we have no control over these things and ultimately the 2014 Mets will be the 2014 Mets and it doesn't matter how and when they get there. But right now...man, I am...so eager for fresh blood on the team, and I hate that it's come to that, but that's just because of the way the team has played the last few years."

Word.

Impatiently waiting for a track to explode on...

Anyway, I can't focus on this crap anymore. Here's a Random Nothing.

HOT. STOVE. COOLDOWN.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for the latest on a Brooklyn Baseball TV Series I am developing, Like the Bedford & Sullivan Facebook page, follow on Twitter here, and listen to the research process here.

Metsian Greetings from an iPhone

Yeah, I could schedule these if I had time to write them and then do so as such, but last night and today...not so much.

So, I figured since I have this Blogger app, I might as well use it to maintain this Mets blog of the Converted type. I am working in place of the on-site manager at the Fairmont, a building at the corner of E. 75nd Street and 2nd Avenue. Am I neglecting my job right now by blogging from my iPhone? No. I'm putting it down when tenants call to put in work-orders or when I have to pass that work order onto the handyman, and other duties of that nature.

Just got word regarding the OF Chris Young signing. Besides the motivation to have every Chris Young ever to play in the Majors wear a Mets uniform, I'm fairly certain they didn't sign the low-average power hitter to start. Clearly, though, until they sign somebody who is not viewed as a reclamation project, every deal like this, or any minor league deals (which every team makes, you guys. They have to field teams down below as well), will be greeted with snide remarks and cynicism. Really, until the Mets have at least a winning season, nobody will trust anything anybody in the Mets front office and ownership says or does. It's a precarious situation the Wilpons have put themselves into as they try to hold on to the team through the Madoff scandal, losing seasons, the low attendance that brings and the debt soon due from Citi Field loans.

Man, I wish this app wasn't so limited so I could embed the Random Nothing of the Day for you. I've voiced my displeaure with the Blogger app before, but really, I shouldn't complain like some of the guys in those Seinfeld clips I post. It's just not as funny they are when complaining.

If you feel so inclined, head over to Youtube and plug in "Kramer cancels his mail." That's my Random Nothing pick for the day.

Have a great Friday and weekend everyone.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Vaughn Gone?

A few years back, in the same draft where Omar Minaya took Matt Harvey, the Mets picked up a kid I got excited about at the time. Whether it was the fact he was coached under San Diego State's Tony Gwynn, or the fact his dad was a rather successful power hitter in the Major Leagues for quite some time, I looked forward to the day Cory Vaughn vaulted himself to the top of the Majors as a New York Met.

He had a solid first season in Brooklyn, where he was coached by Wally Backman in 2010. I very much paid attention to that season, going to a few games and watching the kid hit .307 with 14 HR, 56 RBI, a .396 OBP and a .556 SLG in 313 PAs in the pitcher-friendly league. Yeah, he struck out 63 times as well, but that came with the power-hitting territory, right?

Well, he has not faired well since then, hitting mostly in the .240s, his power run-producing abilities not as prolific and having some injury issues along the way. He split time in 2013 between St. Lucie A+ and Binhamton AA, hitting .267 with 10 HR and 50 RBI in 295 PA. Not terrible but not that exciting for a kid drafted out of college 3 years ago.

Yesterday, the Mets protected Stephen Matz, Erik Goeddel, Jeff Walters and Jacob DeGrom from being drafted in the Rule 5. They did not protect Cory Vaughn.

Now, the rule in the Rule 5 is that the player drafted has to spend the entirety of 2014 on the Major League roster by the team who drafted him, otherwise they have to offer the draftee back to his original ball club. The likelihood that Cory Vaughn will somehow get it together if he gets drafted at the upcoming winter meetings is unlikely, but I can totally see a team taking a flyer and trying the kid out, seeing how he does in Spring Training at least before offering him back us if they cut him.

With the Mets lack of depth of impact-position players who are close, especially the outfield, I wanted Cory Vaughn to finally get it together and propel himself to the top of the pack.

Well, that didn't happen. And the Mets felt that he either wasn't appealing enough to other teams to leave on the 40-man or they just didn't care.

We will soon see what happens.

Here's the Random Nothing of the Day.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for the latest on a Brooklyn Baseball TV Series I am developing, Like the Bedford & Sullivan Facebook page, follow on Twitter here, and listen to the research process here.

Cano, Dontcha know?

When I woke up this morning, I readied myself to write a post titled, "Shoulders Shrug, but So Long, LaTroy," in response to the middle reliever Hawkins signing with the Colorado Rockies for $2.25 million to be their closer, something he wasn't going to be with the Mets next year.

Well, apparently, in the middle of the night, a couple hours after I had fallen asleep, a story broke via the NY Post that Robinson Cano's reps (which include Jay-Z) met with Jeff Wilpon, Sandy Alderson and John Ricco for dinner last night, at the behest of the reps.

Let the dreaming begin, eh?

After so much focus on Sandy Alderson stating that it is unlikely he would want to have two players with 9-figure salary (one which includes David Wright) the likelihood he would change his stance remains slim. HOWEVER, let's think about this for a second....Cano could be the player to conceivably change that stance. When asked about the whole $100 million player, the question was in reference to much more flawed players like Sin Shoo Choo. So, maybe, just maybe, this could happen....

Whoa. I'm buying into the modern-day Hot Stove hype machine. This has to be just fanning the Yankee flames, right? Jeff, Sandy and John took the meeting...they didn't HAVE to take the meeting....they too want the conversation to change, and from a public relations standpoint, this is good stuff for both sides....AHHHHH in the same paragraph where I gave myself crap for buying into the machine, I got back into BUYING INTO THE MACHINE!!!!

You know what we need? We need Nothing.

ROBBIE. CANO...

LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for the latest on a Brooklyn Baseball TV Series I am developing, Like the Bedford & Sullivan Facebook page, follow on Twitter here, and listen to the research process here.

Grievance Schmievance

Late last night, there was some bit of Metsian news when it was reported that Ruben Tejada may file a grievance against the team for gypping him one day of service time which would have extended his free agency by a year (2016 vs. 2017). 

For more on this matter, please head over to Rising Apple, which covers all you need to know about this story if you haven't yet brushed up on it this Monday Morning.

I have a lot to try to fit in today, so I'm not writing too many words regarding the matter. I don't necessarily take any side as that sarcastic headline would make you believe, I just have to not spend too much time on the Mets today (which, let's be honest, I'll probably end up doing when we find out later in the day that Bobby Bonilla and Dave Kingman are having a demon baby together...wait, what?)

Anyway, here's the Random Nothing of the Day.

(Oh, YEAH! One more thing: Official Baseball Historian John Thorn will be on the Bedford & Sullivan Podcast at 6:30PM ET to discuss the roots of baseball in Brooklyn. So, yeah, there's that as well. Tune in then!)

LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for the latest on a Brooklyn Baseball TV Series I am developing, Like the Bedford & Sullivan Facebook page, follow on Twitter here, and listen to the research process here.

Regarding Jhonny Peralta, I Yield the Floor To Rising Apple

By now, it is well-known amongst the Mets fan base circle...at least the ones who monitor the Hot Stove at obsessive levels...that the Mets met with shortstop free agent Jhonny Peralta at the GM meetings, which is a rare thing to do at the annual November event. Generally speaking, these meetings are exclusively executives, and it helps lay the groundwork for potential deals that could take place either before or during the Winter Meetings in December. When you're coming off a 50-game suspension, however, it makes sense to be as active as early as you can.

Mike Lecolant of Brooklyn Trolley Blogger and a fellow Rising Apple writer says everything perfectly about why that number would be outlandish for the Mets to pay, and also quotes a well-informed Rising Apple reader. I suggest you click on this link and read Mr. Lecolant's opinion of the entire matter.

Over here, however, we have a Random Nothing of the Day. And this one ain't too long so you can press play, then in less than a minute get on with your day.

Enjoy your Friday everyone.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for the latest on a Brooklyn Baseball TV Series I am developing, Like the Bedford & Sullivan Facebook page, follow on Twitter here, and listen to the research process here.

So, uh, What'd I Miss About the Mets Yesterday?

Well, firstly, Marlon Byrd is off the board....and to the stinkin' Phillies, his original team.

Thing is.....it's for $8 million a year!!!!

Yeah, I was a big fan of the Byrd being the word last year. He was the man. I just certainly think the Phillies overpaid for him. As does Ted.

Why?  Did?  We do that?
Why is marlon Byrd the first free agent off the board

Well, also, the Mets are apparently showing some interest in underachieving OF Chris Young. But here's what I hate about the new-age Hot Stove: We'll get all these rumors and tweets and "interested in" and "COULD BE interested in" that have some fans flipping out at every single freakin' hypothetical....and then out of nowhere, without any inclination at all, the Phillies sign Marlon Byrd to a 2-year, $16 million contract.

I miss the days where there was an actual stove involved.

Clearly, though, offense is the key this Hot Stove Season for the Mets, and that's EXACTLY what everyone in the front office keeps saying when asked.

Sidenote...NOW you decide to talk your head off, James Dolan?

Alright, let's get to the Random Nothing of the Day.

BLAH. BLAH. BLAH. BLAH.

LETS. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for the latest on a Brooklyn Baseball TV Series I am developing, Like the Bedford & Sullivan Facebook page, follow on Twitter here, and listen to the research process here.

Happy Metserans Day

Firstly, Happy Veterans Day to all.

I could never put myself in a mindset to do what any soldier does. It's just not me (and if I ever lived in a time with a draft, I'd get rejected because I have one flat foot.)

It's remarkable and admirable to me anybody could put themselves in that mindset. So, I do more than applaud. I give them a standing ovation. And to quickly get into politics (which I hate doing) more needs to be done to help these people out when they get home. You know what? That's not even getting into politics. That's just the right thing to do.

As to the above pun of Metserans Day? I'm surprised no one else has done that pun. (Though they probably have, and I'm just not searching hard enough.) In the concept that is developing as I type, I figured I'd honor some Mets who performed their admirable Metsian service duties.

Listen, I'm not saying being a Met is as grueling and difficult as being a soldier, you know, how Tom Cruise said acting is as grueling as being on the ground in Afghanistan. I have a background in acting, and while it CAN be difficult and sometimes have you performing physical stunts you wouldn't normally do in your own real life...is it as difficult as zoning out and doing what you need to do while actual bullets whiz by your head, keeping your composure and not freaking out, flipping out or panicking?

Shut up, Tom Cruise. Just stop talking. You're embarrassing human kind.

Anyway, here's some random Metserans.

(sidenote: What was Pedro doing before that picture was taken? He looks...tired.)

And all of those guys.

Here's the Random Nothing of the Day.

MARCH. ON. FORWARD.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for the latest on a Brooklyn Baseball TV Series I am developing, Like the Bedford & Sullivan Facebook page, follow on Twitter here, and listen to the research process here.

The Mets Have Interest in Everybody and Nobody

This week has been fun and not fun at all, hasn't it?

Yes, apparently I'm getting off to contradictory ways this morning, but I kinda started the trend yesterday when I first wrote this post and then wrote this other post.

The first week of the 2014 Hot Stove, the Stove that we have been waiting for since (pick a number and add months or years to it), has begun with contradictory reports.

One the one hand, Mets are interested in Shin Soo Choo.

On the other hand, they're planning on signing multiple free agents and are "less likely" to sign either Choo or Jacoby Ellsbury (something my friend Rick Elliott will be very happy about...well, if that means he resigns with the Red Sox.)

And so begins the Merry Go Round of reports, the substance of which we will have no real idea of until they, um, ACTUALLY sign somebody.

I love and hate the Hot Stove season. I love and hate it oh so much.

Here's the Random Nothing of the Day.

LONG. NOVEMBER.
LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for the latest on a Brooklyn Baseball TV Series I am developing, Like the Bedford & Sullivan Facebook page, follow on Twitter here, and listen to the research process here.

Making You Click on the Metsian Link

Generally speaking, but especially in the offseason, it's all about getting you to click on as many things as possible here on this thing called the World Wide Web.

Certain headlines clearly generate more interest among the fan base, looking for distractions from the actual work they have to do during the 9-5 day. "Mets may consider...", "Mets could consider...", "Sources say..." are plenty of the headlines that will make you quickly click on what you clearly would rather be doing.

Well....this isn't one of them. 

I made you look. 

I have no information or report or source or any of that type of stuff. I am not surmising anything, I am not opining anything, I am literally filling the space with absolutely nothing hoping you will reading the nothing that this something is.

And with that, instead of a Random Song of the Day...how bout the Random "Nothing" of the Day?

It kinda has to do with the Mets, right?

NOTHING. NOTHING.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. And for the latest on a Brooklyn Baseball TV Series I am developing, Like the Bedford & Sullivan Facebook page, follow on Twitter here, and listen to the research process here.