Kuzul

Today is “Jose Reyes Day” at Citi Field because it’s the first time Jose Reyes will be playing at Citi Field as a member of the Miami Marlins, whom he signed a six-year, $100 million contract with in the offseason. So far, Reyes has gotten off to a cold start, but assuming he stays healthy, he will likely get back to being the best leadoff hitter in the game and baseball’s best shortstop whose name is not Troy Tulowitzki.

Twitter has become one of the, if not the biggest website for up-to-the-second media updates, and it’s no surprise that fans, current and former teammates, and of course, media personalities have put in their insights on Twitter about “Jose Reyes Day”.

Here are just 10 of the “Jose Reyes Day” Twitter posts of the day.

1. “Jose Reyes Day when he’s on the Marlins isn’t as awkward as celebrating Shea Stadium six minutes after worst collapse in baseball history.”

Jose Reyes Day when he's on the Marlins isn't as awkward as celebrating Shea Stadium six minutes after worst collapse in baseball history.

— TV Bill™ (@5States) April 24, 2012

This was tweeted by Bill (5states). As much as most Mets fans would simply hate to read this statement, it is simply the truth. Yes, seeing Jose Reyes in a Marlins uniform will take some time to adjust to for at least the next six years.

However, the Mets’ September 2008 collapse during the last days of Shea Stadium was even more awkward. When the Mets lost their final game of that year, they followed it up by having all the great former Mets walk onto the field and give one last curtain call to the fans. It was very bittersweet for anyone who watched it and something the Mets were hoping to not go through.  

2. “I was going to attend Jose Reyes day, but I got injured, will miss a bunch of games, and won’t ever reach my potential.”

I was going to attend Jose Reyes day, but I got injured, will miss a bunch of games, and won't ever reach my potential. #nowayjose

— Jason Boland (@thejasonboland) April 24, 2012

This was tweeted by Jason Boland (thejasonboland). It perfectly sums up the negative portion of Reyes’ time with the Mets. He of course had some injuries to deal with in 2003, 2004 and 2009. Some fans felt that Reyes never reached his full potential until 2011 because injuries had simply gotten in the way of some of his seasons. Reyes’ injury history could also be a reason why the Mets chose to not bring him back.

3. “It’s so fitting that the day Jose Reyes returns to Citi Field the #Mets send two more players to the DL.”

https://twitter.com/Eddiexty/statuses/194923695804919809

This was tweeted by Eddie Martinez (eddiexty). This, of course, is another Jose Reyes-related tweet that has to do with his injury history. It may sound funny to some, but at the same time, other fans may get annoyed that had Reyes not gotten hurt as much as he did, his time with the Mets could have been even better.

4. “Today is the day that Jose Reyes returns to Queens. It is also the ONE Met game I will be going to this season.”

https://twitter.com/nickmougis/statuses/194788143407443968

This was tweeted by Nick Mougis (nickmougis). Some may find this funny because the Mets are not expected to contend for the postseason this year, which may get some people to think that this season will be a waste. Most Mets fans would probably not feel the exact same way, but it is completely understandable to feel like this, granted that the Mets have not been in the postseason since 2006 and have not had a winning record since 2008.

5. “I really couldn’t care less about Jose Reyes’ return tomorrow. I stopped caring the day he signed with Miami.”

https://twitter.com/KellyL1332/statuses/194542780092129280

This was tweeted by Kelly Lake (kellyl1332). This is a very rational statement that many Mets fans could agree with. While Mets fans will certainly miss Jose Reyes’ contributions to the team for the nine years he spent in New York, fans certainly need to move on and not try to hold onto the past for too much longer. Ruben Tejada has gotten off to a pretty good start this year, so maybe he can create some magic of his own.

All in all, Reyes has moved on, the Mets have moved on and all Mets fans need to move on as well.

6. “For Jose Reyes day tomorrow, the Mets are giving away lineup cards so you can remove yourself after your 1st at bat.”

https://twitter.com/Joetweetslife/statuses/194558384702369793

This was tweeted by Joe Friel (joetweetslife). This was in reference to the final game of the 2011 season in which Jose Reyes removed himself from the game after an infield single in the first inning. Many fans and critics called this move to be cowardly and unsportsmanlike. Although Reyes did end up winning the 2011 NL batting title, he had to take a lot of heat for removing himself from the final game.

7. “Its Jose Reyes day as mgmt has decided to honor a player who never won anything for us and left to go to our division rival.”

@redturn2 its Jose Reyes day as mgmt has decided to honor a player who never won anything for us and left to go to our division rival.

— John P Targia (@Johnp5167) April 24, 2012

This was tweeted by John P Targia (Johnp5167). While Jose Reyes has been by far the best shortstop in Mets history, it is true that he never won a championship during his time in New York, and yes, he did sign with a division rival this past offseason. As a result, there are reasons to honor Reyes, but also reasons to not honor Reyes in a particular manner.

8. “Who really cares about Jose Reyes day.”

Who really cares about Jose Reyes day.

— Danny B (@DanfromAstoria) April 24, 2012

This was tweeted by Danny B (DanfromAstoria). Jose Reyes was the best shortstop so far in Mets history, and his impact on the Mets from 2003-2011 was very significant. However, it should never become a distraction because the current team still has games to play, and everyone should be focusing on that alone.

9. “I know its jose reyes day at citi but do u think the Mets can slip in a quick highlite pkg & happy 40th birthday msg for Chipper.”

https://twitter.com/DragonGateLenny/statuses/194823434868502528

This was tweeted by Lenny Thomas (DragonGateLenny). This tweet may have been posted as a result of the much-publicized talk of Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones getting a farewell tribute from the Mets, being that he is in his final professional season. Basically, these tributes are a distraction, and people need to focus on the on-field play.

10. “Jose Reyes day at Citi or Revis Holding out? Who you got.”

@KFCBarstool Makes you want to vomit more. Jose Reyes day at Citi or Revis Holding out? Who you got.

— Jim (@jimbo1677) April 24, 2012

This was tweeted by Jim Lynch (jimlynch1677). Both “Jose Reyes Day” and New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis potentially holding out once again are distractions for their respective teams. These distractions are so silly that they are laughable to many fans. The question pretty much asks which of the two is more important and should receive more attention. The simple answer is that neither should be considered important because they are irrelevant to what happens on the field.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The 2012 MLB season is now approximately two weeks old and has not started off the way most people would have predicted. No one would have predicted that the Los Angeles Dodgers would start out 9-1, or that the New York Mets would start off 7-3. Speaking of the Mets, no one would have projected that their shortstop, Ruben Tejada, would lead the National League in doubles right now.

As far as individual performance goes, some of baseball’s best superstars like Matt Kemp of the Dodgers and Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers have both gotten off to great starts, but that is expected of them at this point. On the other side, there are players who have gotten off to very slow starts, which could make fantasy baseball owners rather worried. Here are six underachieving players that will perform a lot better in a reasonable amount of time.

1. Ike Davis (1B; New York Mets)

Ike Davis, the Mets’ power-hitting first baseman has gotten off to a very slow start. In fact, it took him 19 at-bats just to get his first hit of the season, which occurred Wednesday April 11th against the Nationals. Since then, Davis has hit two home runs and collected five RBI. Hopefully, he can turn around his slow start and have the great season that the Mets are expecting of him.

Look for Davis to continue hitting for the rest of the month and have it carry over through May and June. By early July, he should have well over 20 home runs and at least 65 RBI. If Davis produces such numbers by then, the only thing stopping him from starting at first base for the National League in the All-Star Game would be if Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds has an even better first half. Regardless, Davis will be a perennial All-Star first baseman for years to come.

2. Neil Walker (2B; Pittsburgh Pirates)

The Pittsburgh Pirates this year are determined to have a winning record since the days when Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla and Andy Van Slyke led the team in the early 1990s. In order to do that, they will need to get great seasons from their young players and second baseman Neil Walker is one of them. The switch-hitter has gotten off to a terrible start with just a .188 average through his first 10 games. Hopefully, Walker can get his hitting together and be the big run producer that the Pirates will need in order to score a good number of runs per game.

Walker is one of the most promising second basemen in the National League, which is an area of baseball that has been through a big transition ever since Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies began to decline. While Brandon Phillips of the Reds and Dan Uggla of the Atlanta Braves are widely considered the best second basemen in the National League, Walker could make some noise as a potential All-Star for years to come. Hopefully he breaks out of his slump and gets back to driving in runs as teammates Andrew McCutchen and Jose Tabata make the Pirates one of the better offense in the league.

3. Kevin Youkilis (3B; Boston Red Sox)

Veteran third baseman Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox is off to a slow start so far this season. This led Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine to question whether Youkilis still had the same passion for baseball compared to past seasons in his career. Youkilis of course denied all the rumors and even some of his teammates came to his defense.

Youkilis is notorious for being one of the most patient hitters in all of baseball. His overall career track record has been solid for years, so it will only be a matter of time before he breaks out and goes on a hot streak. If anything, fantasy owners can be assured that the “Greek God of Walks” will keep living up to his name.

4. Albert Pujols (1B; Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)

Arguably baseball’s best hitter of the aughts, Albert Pujols signed a 10-year $254 million contract in the offseason. He was expected to immediately contribute the same numbers that made him a legend in St. Louis. So far though, Pujols has not been hitting particularly well and only has a .268 average and four RBI to show for.

Despite this slow start for Pujols, fantasy owners should not be worried because no other active player has hit as well as him for the past 11 years. He will find his swing shortly and get back to being the same player he was for the St. Louis Cardinals.

5. Mark Teixeira (1B; New York Yankees)

For years, Mark Teixeira has been one of the most productive power hitters in all of baseball. However, he has also been very well known for his consistent slow starts to each of his seasons. 2012 has not been any different. Teixeira is currently batting .250 with just three RBI.

By May, if not later this month, Teixeira will break out of his annual April slump and get back to being the same hitter that has averaged 37 home runs and 114 RBI within the last three seasons. Hopefully his average will improve this year, but fantasy owners can at least count on over 30 home runs and 100 RBI from Teixeira once again.

6. Tim Lincecum (SP; San Francisco Giants)

One pitcher that has gotten off to an unusual slow start to his season is San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum.

The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner has gone 0-2 with a 10.54 ERA in his first three starts, which included a poor outing yesterday against the Philadelphia Phillies. In just 13.2 combined innings, he has given up 16 earned runs and 22 hits.  

Fantasy owners should not get too worried just yet on Lincecum. He has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since his breakout season in 2008 and at just 27 years old, it would be fair to speculate that his best seasons are still to come. Regardless, Lincecum will turn in another very strong season and finish in at least the top 10 in NL Cy Young Award voting once again.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The countdown of the 50 greatest players in New York Mets history concludes with Part Five, in which the top ten greatest players will be named.

When determining who really were the best Mets ever, my criteria included the players’ overall numbers as a Met, the impact they had on the franchise, how much of a fan favorite they were, the personalities they had and the overall success of the teams they played on.

To recap this five-part series, here are links to the first four installments:

No. 50-41: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1040520-new-york-mets-the-top-50-greatest-players-of-all-time-part-1-50-41

No. 40-31: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1060825-new-york-mets-the-top-50-greatest-players-of-all-time-part-2-40-31

No. 30-21: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1111196-new-york-mets-the-top-50-greatest-players-of-all-time-part-3-no-30-21

No. 20-11: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1119820-new-york-mets-the-top-50-greatest-players-of-all-time-part-4-no20-11

Ranking all these great players was not an easy task by any means. However, a reasonable list has been determined, and this is the final segment of a five-part series. Here are the ten greatest players in Mets history.

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For the past few seasons, the AL East has arguably been the best division in all of baseball. Since 2008, the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays have all been strong contenders for the division crown and three of the best teams in the sport.

Until this season, only two of them at most would be able to make it to the postseason. However, now that there will be a one-game playoff to determine each wild-card winner, all three of these teams could get into the playoffs.

Furthermore, the Blue Jays have improved a lot this offseason, and there is a good chance that they could really be in the mix for a postseason spot of their own. With this being said, this division race will be very tough and competitive for all four teams. It will take a lot for each of them to come out on top.

Despite the competitive division, the Yankees are the clear-cut favorites. Their starting rotation is certainly in better shape now than it was in 2011, but the lineup is aging, and at some point, closer Mariano Rivera will deteriorate in what will probably be his final season in the major leagues.

While the Yankees do have an improved pitching staff, it’s still not the same as that of the Rays, who have arguably the best all-around young pitching rotation in baseball. The Rays’ lineup is also young, but has several proven players who can lead the way.

The only big question for the Rays is their bullpen. But if the starters give six, seven or even eight innings a game and they get a decent amount of run support, there won’t be much for the bullpen to do. As a result, the Rays should have just as much of a chance to win the AL East as the Yankees.

As for the Orioles, their lineup will be relatively solid, but there are way too many questions in their pitching staff to even think that there is a chance they do not finish in a distant fifth place.

Here are five reasons why the Rays will surprise many people and win the AL East this year.

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The countdown of the 50 greatest players in New York Mets history continues with this Part Three portion in which the 21st to 30th greatest players will be named.

When determining who really were the best Mets ever, the criteria for this should include the players’ overall numbers as a Met, the impact they had on the franchise, how much of a fan favorite they each were, the personalities they had and the overall success of the teams they played on.

Ranking all these great players was not an easy task by any means. However, a reasonable list has been determined, and this is the third segment of a five-part series. Here are the 21st to 30th greatest players of all-time in Mets history.

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The 2012 New York Mets still have a lot of question marks going into the upcoming season. While Jason Bay’s hitting, David Wright’s trade possibility and the health of Johan Santana are going to be three big topics of discussion throughout the entire season, no other Met is as big of an X-factor to the team’s potential success than Mike Pelfrey.

Pelfrey was the Mets’ Opening Day starter in 2011 but did not live up to his expectations at all. After going 15-9 with a 3.66 ERA during his career season in 2010, Pelfrey struggled the following year with a 7-13 record and a 4.74 ERA. His other numbers between 2010 and 2011 were not too different, though, with the only exception being the fact that he gave up nine more home runs in 2011.

The 2011 Mets’ offense not giving Pelfrey enough run support that year could have affected his record in a significant way, but it was clear that Pelfrey was lacking command more often last year than in 2010.

He has always been a sinkerballer, but in 2011, he began to incorporate more secondary pitches in an attempt to fool opposing hitters more, due to the fact that he is not a high-strikeout pitcher. In fact, Pelfrey at one point was throwing seven different pitches, which is probably too many pitches for a relatively young pitcher like him to be able to master thoroughly. Some pitchers may have been able to do this, but Pelfrey likely is not one of them.

As a result, Pelfrey should go back to his bread-and-butter pitches, which are his sinker and curveball, just so he can feel more confident. Pelfrey as a pitcher is all about his confidence. He may not be the most visibly emotional player on the field and has rarely lost his temper completely, but it has become pretty clear that if he gets in a bad situation and starts giving up a lot of runs and/or allowing many baserunners, he will almost always struggle to get out of trouble.

Also, when Pelfrey’s command is not there on a given day, he has often let his frustrations get to his head and cause him to try to do too much to battle out of a situation. The reason why this hasn’t worked is because he is not that kind of power pitcher that can use pitches with high velocity to get through difficult innings. He also is not exactly a control pitcher, so the fact that he doesn’t have the greatest weapons in the world to trust at any given moment could explain why Pelfrey has lacked confidence at times and has let the difficult innings get to his head.

Hopefully, Pelfrey’s biggest goal in 2012 will not be to try and win over 15 games or improve his single-season stats to another level. Instead, what he really needs to find is his own unique identity as a pitcher.

Again, Pelfrey has looked lost at times on the mound and is likely confused as to what kind of pitcher he is. He might even be trying to be both a power and a control pitcher all into one, but this simply will not work for him.

Pelfrey needs to just be who he is as a pitcher and not try to be a Greg Maddux or Randy Johnson at every moment. He is Mike Pelfrey and he needs to discover who he really is as a pitcher. Just because one pitcher is successful in a certain way doesn’t mean that any pitcher can achieve similar amounts of success just by following what that one pitcher did. Each pitcher is unique and is gifted in different ways.

If Pelfrey could discover all this within himself, it could make a world of a difference for years to come. He needs to trust his own pitches that he has used for years instead of trying to learn so many new pitches on the go. If he just pitches like himself, the sky is the limit for his potential.

All in all, if Pelfrey really dedicates this season to figuring out his pitching identity, he might be able to get past his mental strength issues over the next few years. This is not an instant process and will take multiple seasons to accomplish.

With the Mets not being under any pressure to succeed whatsoever, this is the perfect time for Pelfrey to look in the mirror and discover who he is as a major league pitcher for a team in the world’s largest city. If he succeeds in doing so and pitches well this year, significant progress will be made, but he will have to pitch well in 2013 as well to see if he truly discovered his pitching identity.

Pitching well in opposite seasons will not be good enough in order to become a solid and reliable starting pitcher. So far, Pelfrey has had success in even-numbered seasons and has struggled in odd-numbered seasons. History thus states that Pelfrey will pitch well in 2012, but again, in order to see if Pelfrey has improved as a pitcher, the next two seasons both need to be successful before one could consider someone like Pelfrey to be an elite pitcher.

With the track record he has had, Pelfrey should have a solid season in 2012, but if that does not end up being the case, the Mets may need to trade or release him to benefit the team going forward. The Mets currently have three great pitching prospects developing in the minor leagues and these next two seasons could make or break Pelfrey’s chances of staying with the Mets in the future.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the 2012 season coming in April, the Mets will be celebrating their 50th anniversary and will be wearing older uniforms in honor of the team’s storied history. As shown in the above picture, the black backdrop will be removed and the blue caps will be worn almost exclusively.

Over the Mets’ 50-year history, the uniforms have definitely changed from one era to another, as have many other fashion trends across the country. As the Mets celebrate their 50th anniversary, they are using these retro uniforms to honor the 50 years the franchise has endured.

With this being said, here is a uniform history for the New York Mets.

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In part eight of the greatest Mets in team history, we move onto outfielders.

The Mets have certainly had their fair share of talented outfielders. Whether it be power, speed or defense, many Mets outfielders have excelled in at least one or two aspects of the game.

Jason Bay, Angel Pagan and Lucas Duda are the current starting outfielders for the Mets. All three have been disappointing this year, but hopefully, they will improve soon.

With this being said, here are the top ten outfielders in Mets history.

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In part three of this 13-part series of the greatest Mets of all time, we move on to position players, beginning with catchers.

Over their history, the Mets’ most stable non-pitching position has arguably been their catchers. These catchers may have worn the tools of ignorance, but there was nothing ignorant about how they played. The Mets have had all kinds of catchers, from premier home run-hitting machines to speedsters and defensive wizards. In fact, some of the catchers the Mets have had became arguably some of the best offensive catchers in history.They have all called good games and helped the Mets become a team that almost always has had an arsenal of pitchers.

Due to the fact that the Mets have not had ten actual legitimate everyday catchers through the first 49 seasons, the rest of the spots could only be filled by backups. Nonetheless, backup catchers have played important roles in Mets history as well. The Mets have certainly been blessed for having solid backup catchers in addition to a premier starting catcher. 

Josh Thole this year will become a regular catcher for his first full season. He has a good bat, a great contact swing and can get on base at a good rate. He lacks power, but also has good defense and a good arm. However, because he has not played a thoroughly full season with the Mets, he does not qualify at this point as a Top 10 Mets catcher. In time though, barring any injuries, he should get up there later in his career.

As for right now, here they are: The Top 10 Catchers in Mets history.

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Although they have always been overshadowed by the Bronx Bombers, the Mets have possessed their fair share of baseball’s greatest, especially in recent time. The Mets offense struggled during most of the 1960s until it all of a sudden became clutch in 1969 when they won their first World Series. The offense was better, but still inconsistent during the 1970s. When the Mets won, they were hitting, but during the latter years in which they were a losing team, the hitting was not the same. In the 1980s, the Mets were consistently hitting well, probably their best offensive decade. The 1990s offense was weak, but kept getting stronger each year, but after the 2000 season, the offense was no longer a force until 2006-2008 when the Mets started contending for the playoffs again. As a result, all ten of the Mets’ greatest hitters are from the 1980s-present, and this is what it looks like.

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