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Tonight, nobody cares that Josh Hamilton hasn’t played more than 135 games but once in his career. Nobody cares that his past alcohol and drug abuse may shorten the career of one of the most talented players of his generation.

Tonight, May 8, 2012, Josh Hamilton is just the 16th player in major league history to hit four home runs in a single game—and just the fifth since 1986.

Fun fact about the accomplishment: Three of the last four occurrences have been in the month of May, but before that, it hadn’t been done in May since Bobby Lowe became the first player ever to hit four jacks in a game on May 30, 1894. 

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Yes and no. 

No offense to Vernon Wells (or anyone from the 90’s championship teams), but Carlos Delgado is the best position player in Toronto Blue Jays’ history by a long shot. And maybe the best player as well.

Delgado’s 2000 season is drop-dead off the charts, and may be the best non-steroids-enhanced campaign ever by a batter (or at least among players not named in the Mitchell Report, I don’t want to be called naive or anything). That summer he hit .344/470/.664, while launching 41 homers and walking 19 times more than he struck out. He played all 162 games, and would do so again in 2001.

There’s no question that his skills have dropped off the table significantly since then, but he can still put up a .500 SLG and I believe would be a great bench player who occasionally could fill in at first base against lefties for Adam Lind. But it’s about more just his still-present tools. 2011 is likely his last season, and the Blue Jays should induct the Hall of Fame-hopeful into their Level of Excellence. He’s more deserved than most of the players currently on it, despite never winning a World Series or even playing in the post-season for Toronto.

Delgado wouldn’t really cost anything to start with either, it’s very likely that Minor League contracts will be all he’ll be choosing from in the first place. Alex Anthopolous has said that he still has some work to do regarding the Blue Jays bench, a Carlos Delgado signing would be a great place to start.

To continue reading this article, including why the author doesn’t believe the Blue Jays should trade for Michael Young, visit http://bttn.blogspot.com/2011/02/should-toronto-blue-jays-go-after.html. BTTN is a new Toronto sports site that contains tons of opinion and insight on the Toronto Blue Jays.

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As baseball fans know the Omar Minaya era has came to an end in New York after six years.  Though the Mets had one of the highest payrolls when Minaya was in office the team never really established themselves other than in 2006. 

As a Mets fan, I must say Omar did bring us some good times but he definitely brought us some bad times.  Minaya brought in the likes of Johan Santana and Carlos Beltran but on the other end he also brought in the likes of Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez. 

So let’s all take a look at the Minaya era in New York—the good, the bad and the ugly.

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First, with all due respect and with full acknowledgement that a personal attack in order to prove a point is an ad hominem action and pointless, I still contend Omar Minaya, the general manager of the Mets, can be clownish. First let’s take al ong look at Willie Larry Randolph http://bit.ly/a0r6Hg Copyright © 2000-2010 Sports Reference LLC. All rights reserved.

On second thought let’s just give you the facts :

• Spent 11 seasons on the coaching staff of the Yankees as third-base coach (1994-2003) and bench coach (2004)…was a part of 10 playoff teams, including four World Series championships (1996, ’98, ’99 and 2000)

Managing Career
• Managed the New York Mets from 2005-08, compiling a record of 302-253 (.544)
• Won the National League East division title in 2006 and led the Mets to the NLCS
• Ranks second among Mets managers to Davey Johnson (.588) in all-time winning percentage

http://bit.ly/diMWMW © 2001-2010 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved

Omar fired Willie June 16 or 17 of 2008 when some of his great acquisitions failed to produce and he needed a scapegoat to protect his job. He fired pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto at the same time but these two are not germane to my story.

Omar was hired in 2004 for the 2005 season and subsequently hired Willie as his on-the-field general. The team did not make the playoffs that year but did improve from 71 wins in 2004 to 83 wins in 2005. Omar also brought in Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran that year in 2005.

In the 2006 year Willie, Omar and the Mets won 97 games and the National League East. Minaya also acquired closer Billy Wagnar and first basemen Carlos Delgado.

He unfortunately also traded away some prospects after losing the NLCS in 2006. These prospects included starting pitchers Heath Bell, Royce Ring and relievers Henry Owens and Matt Lindstrom. Later we traded Brian Bannister. 

The shame of it all, these players might have been helpful in 2007 when the Mets choked in the stretch. They finished with a record of 88-74. Oh yes, he also acquired Johan Santana in January of 2008. To reiterate, Willie was gone in mid-June 2008. Okay all theses changes led to us missing the playoffs in 2008 with a record of 89-73. We then missed the playoffs in 2009 with a record of 70-92.

Now with the homework done we can move on to the point. I realize that after going to the NLCS and with the intense scrutiny in New York, it is always necessary to show the fans that something is happening to make things better. This might just be me “spitballin,” but missing the playoffs and the team taking a precipitous swoon after a manager firing is not the way to do it. I failed to mention the Mets had been playing flat but had won on the day Omar fired Willie and the team continued to play flat to worst than that after the firing.

It seems that Willie’s tough hands on the reigns were the only thing holding this team together. I sincerely believe the Mets had turned the corner when they fired Willie and the firing led to a less than stellar performance from the team. In any case, Willie’s gone and the team is floundering. HMMM…I wonder what would have happened if the team’s owner Fred Wipon had fired Omar and kept Willie? Well to that question we will never know. So let’s look to the future. Has Omar’s clownishly quick trigger doomed the Mets to mediocrity? I say yes.   

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Forget the countless injuries to Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes.

Or the fact that Bobby Bonilla, who last played with the team in 2000, is reportedly on the payroll.

Those are just minor problems compared to what the New York Mets truly face.

On the field, things appear grim.

Despite Major League Baseball’s fifth-highest payroll, the Mets look to be missing out on the playoffs for the fourth straight season.

For two consecutive years (2007-2008), the Florida Marlins eliminated New York from fall ball down the stretch. 

Florida, with one of the lowest payrolls on a yearly basis, finished second in the NL East last year despite $110 million less to spend. 

In 2007, the Mets suffered one of the worst all-time collapses, leading the National League East by seven games with 17 days left, only to lose out to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Over-the-mill veterans like Carlos Delgado and Pedro Martinez signed with the team, but got it no closer to October. 

Beltran, a franchise-caliber player to many teams, surprised the organization by getting knee surgery in mid-January.

That sure spells trust.

Off the field, the Mets haven’t been model citizens.

General Manager Omar Minaya was questioned around the league in 2008 for his handling of the firing of manager Willie Randolph, pitching coach Rick Peterson, and first-base coach Tom Nieto.

Minaya waited for the trio to arrive back at a Los Angeles hotel following a 9-6 victory over the Angels. 

Vice President of Player Development Tony Bernazard stuck around for too long despite news that he challenged Double-A players to fight him.

He also supposedly got into quarrels with closer Francisco Rodriguez and others. Ruffling feathers, not developing missing farm talent, became his forte.

And now the players find themselves in trouble.

Just this week, ace Johan Santana had a civil lawsuit filed against him in Lee County, Fla. involving a charge of rape. The woman also says that she became pregnant as a result of the attack, but had a miscarriage.

Meanwhile, closer Francisco Rodriguez was arraigned in a courthouse in Queens County, N.Y. because of third-degree assault against his father-in-law.

On Wednesday night, Rodriguez reportedly struck inside the family lounge at Citi Field.

At this rate, it’s an easy call for fans to root even harder for New York’s other team, which is in first place and gets called the Evil Empire.

Heck, maybe all this time Lady Gaga knew something everyone else didn’t: 

The New York Mets need immediate help as they continue down the wrong path.

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In my opinion, the Boston Red Sox suffered the death blow to their season when they learned on Friday that first baseman Kevin Youkilis would be out for the season. It’s going to be really hard to lose someone of Youkilis’ caliber and still try to make up five or six games on the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays in the competitive American League East.

Regardless of whether or not I think they are done, the Red Sox don’t believe they are done. They are still trying to improve their team to earn a playoff spot. On Saturday, the Red Sox signed first baseman Carlos Delgado to a minor-league contract to see if he can help out at first. The deal includes a stipulation that if Delgado isn’t on the major league roster by Sept. 1, then he can opt out of his contract and become a free agent.

Delgado, 38, last played in the major leagues in May of 2009 as a member of the New York Mets. He was hitting an impressive .298 with four home runs in 26 games before going down with a hip injury.

That .298 was more than a year and a half ago, and I really have my doubts as to how much Delgado can help the Red Sox both offensively and, most importantly, defensively. That is the thing people don’t realize about the loss of Youkilis. Losing him for his defensive abilities might hurt the Red Sox more than losing him for his offensive prowess.

Delgado was a poor defensive first baseman before his hip injury. I could only imagine his limited range now at first. Delgado should be relegated to designated htiter duties, but he won’t be taking the place of David Ortiz anytime soon.

Dustin Pedroia’s injury means Bill Hall and Jed Lowrie getting the majority of the starts at second base (both have limited range). If the Red Sox have Delgado at first, a lot of balls would be getting through the right side of that infield that normally wouldn’t if Pedroia or Youkilis were around. I don’t think a Hall-and-Delgado right side of the infield is what general manager Theo Epstein had in mind when he building the Red Sox around defense in the off-season.

Maybe Delgado has something left in the tank, but I doubt it. I would be very surprised if Delgado was able to contribute to the Red Sox in 2010.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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Carlos Delgado joined the Boston Red Sox this morning when he agreed to a minor league contract with Boston’s front office, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

The contractual details include a $20,000 salary per month at the minor league level and a pro-rated $3 million yearly salary when Delgado reaches the bigs.

Should the Red Sox make the playoffs, postseason performance incentives have been included that could add to those numbers. Conversely, if Boston fails to bring Delgado up to The Show by Sept. 1, he can opt out and again hit the open market.

Entering the week, the Red Sox presumably had only cursory interest in the 38-year-old slugger, but with Kevin Youkilis’ season finished and Boston merely five games back in the American League East, signing Delgado became a pressing matter.

Once he is ready for Major League action, the left-handed Delgado will likely platoon at first with the right-handed Mike Lowell. If everything works out and manager Terry Francona shuffles the deck properly, Delgado and Lowell will successfully compensate for the loss of Youkilis.

Although he experienced an injury-shortened 2009 and has yet to play in 2010, Delgado did hit .271 with 38 home runs in 2008, his last full season with the Mets.

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The Boston Red Sox’ interest in free-agent first baseman Carlos Delgado seems to have intensified after the 38-year-old worked out for Boston today, and Delgado could sign as early as tonight, according to The Boston Herald’s Scott Lauber.

While several teams have demonstrated interest in the former New York Met, the Red Sox could have the most pressing need due to a season-ending injury to Kevin Youkilis. Even as Mike Lowell fills in at first base against the New York Yankees this evening in the Bronx, General Manager Theo Epstein may be considering platooning him with Delgado.

Surely Boston’s general manager would prefer to make such a decision after this weekend’s critical series with the Yankees, but surging interest in Delgado could force him into signing the multiple Silver Slugger before he’s certain of the Red Sox’ playoff potential.

Should the Sox sweep the Yankees this weekend, they would be right back in the playoff hunt, but anything less could signal an all-but-finished 2010 campaign.

Limited to just 112 plate appearances for the 2009 Mets, Delgado still managed a 914 OPS in that injury-shortened season. During his last full season in 2008, Delgado hit .271 with 38 homers.

If Delgado brings that kind of production to the stretch run, he could come close to replacing Youkilis and keeping the Sox in the playoff picture.

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Despite the Mets being known more for failure than triumph as of late, the 21st century has provided an abundance of thrilling finishes in the Mets’ favor.

Let’s take a look back at some of the more memorable walk-off victories.

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The second half of the Major League Baseball season began Thursday night, and many in Puerto Rico are with a lot of good expectations.

Just as a start, everybody is happy that Carlos Beltran returned with the New York Mets, and Joel Piñeiro won his seventh straight decision as the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Seattle Mariners.

However, not every baseball fan is cheery and festive these days.

Carlos Delgado announced Thursday that he will not be able to participate with the Puerto Rican national baseball team in the upcoming Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayaguez because of a recommendation from his doctor.

Delgado, who had shown interest in playing for the national team at Mayagüez 2010, is still recovering from surgery on his right hip.

Delgado, the all-time leader among Puerto Rican players in the majors with 473 home runs and 1,512 runs batted in, was on the national team’s provisional roster for several weeks but said his final decision would depend on his physical condition.

It is true that the two-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger Award winner had not played in a Major League game since May 10, 2009, but he lost a golden opportunity.

The games would have been his showcase to show that he is still functional and still could play at a competitive level.

Absolutely, the 37-year-old first baseman would have to be careful; nevertheless Team Puerto Rico would have benefited from his presence.

Let not forget Delgado, even though elbow tendinitis limited him to just one plate appearance in the inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic.

Delgado not only spun doubts on his possible return to the majors, but also put a sour spin on what could have been a boon for Puerto Rican national pride.

Team Puerto Rico is the favorite team to win the gold medal in his own backyard in this  regional games.

Team Puerto Rico last won gold was in the El Salvador Games in 2002, which was its last medal in the Central American and Caribbean gams, only their second gold in the history of these games. The first one was way back in 1959 in Venezuela.

Furthermore, last time the games were celebrated in the U.S. Commonwealth Island, Ponce 93’, Team Puerto Rico was shorthanded with a bronze medal.

Manager Eduardo Perez, former Major Leaguer and son of Hall of Famer Tony Perez, found a replacement for Delgado in the lineup with power hitter Joyset Feliciano, one of the top hitters in island Double-A baseball (a semi-pro league with good local talent).

True, any player in given time is replaceable. However, Delgado is considered one of Puerto Rico’s top sports heroes and should have shown his country passion as in past World Baseball Classic, and show he was ready to play ball again.

It was his moment to demonstrate to any team that no matter how he had been more than a year away he could be back to the Major Leagues.

It could possibly have shown as it has been a rumor for a long time regarding his return to his beloved New York Mets.

Fellow Puerto Rican Carlos Beltran is back.

Is the other Carlos ready?

Time will tell.

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