Jim Duquette Remains an Idiot

Jim Duquette reported the Mets were "canceling Fall League for financial reasons"...utter crap.

Fall League costs the Mets a few bucks in the grand scheme of things....like $300K for the entire Fall League.

When I read this over the weekend I was dubious, and now Adam Rubin confirmed it.

The Mets denied Sunday a claim by former GM Jim Duquette that they are dropping their fall instructional league for minor leaguers in Port St. Lucie for financial reasons.

Rather, the Mets said, the minor leaguers will work out at the club's new Dominican Academy in Boca Chica, D.R., because there's not enough competition in Florida, especially with the Cards purportedly no longer fielding an instructional league team in nearby Jupiter.

"In a reevaluation of the Mets minor league operations, the club made the decision to move our fall instructional league to our new Dominican Academy in Boca Chica from Port St. Lucie, Fla.," the Mets said in a statement. "We believe that by housing our minor league players in the Dominican, we will have more opportunities to have competition against opposing teams that have training facilities nearby. Over the past few years in Port St. Lucie, the competition has predominately been among our own players as a result of other teams leaving the area. This year's approach will bring approximately 75 prospects to train and compete at our academy and against players affiliated with other major league clubs."

Anyone that's been paying attention has seen the writing on the wall for Florida--both Spring Training and Fall League.

The simple fact of the matter is that teams have been pulling out of there in droves, and the competition is just not there.

It would not surprise me to see the Mets move to Arizona for Spring Training in the next 2 to 3 years.

I lived in Phoenix a few years back, and the baseball complexes there are clean, new, the weather is great (no rainouts), and the fields are all very close to each other--no 6 hour bus trips--everything is within an hour.

The best part of Duquette's quote was the following:

"Now the rumors within the scouting circles are that they can't afford it - which it roughly costs about 300 grand to staff and to invite and fly down all the players, to having meals throughout for about, it's like a four- to five-week program," Duquette said. "... And they're not gonna have it. They have canceled it for this fall. And to me, being a development guy, that's big news."

So you're a "development guy", huh Jim? Well duess what Mr Development, we remember Kazmir you idiot--just crawl in a hole and go away.

Mets to Offer Free Surgery with Season Ticket Plan

The Mets have a new plan to bring their fans even closer to the action, but it comes with a price.

Just announced is the new "Dr Andrews Premium Plan."

Under the arrangement premium season ticket holders get their choice of arthroscopic surgery (knee, hip or shoulder), or an elbow cleanout.

"We feel this is the next logical step in the evolution of the Mets fan experience," said Fred Wilpon. "How better to get the feel of being a real New York Met than with some surgery by noted physician James Andrews?"

Sample packages include:

• Jose Reyes "Knee Deep in the Hoopla"
• John Maine Shoulder "Cool Cleanout"
• Carlos Delgado "Too Hip to be Square"
• Omar Minaya "Colon Cleanse" (* Diamond Prestige Level Only)
  

Wilpon went on to add, "Of course re-hab is extra and does not include your plane tickets to Port St Lucie."

Off the Field: Spring Training Food Choices

As anyone who has been to Port St Lucie knows, there are limited food choices available--mostly fast food and a few local restaurants.

Our spring training spies have seen a few Mets players over at McDonalds, and we think we know why.

Mickey D's has just unleashed a new food campaign to compete with Burger King's Angry Whopper.

Let us present...

The new McSad Deluxe!

ARod Tests Positive for Spheroids

As in balls, and pretty big ones at that.

I am not suggesting he was brave or courageous when he took PEDs and cheated at the game we love.

Nor am I condoning his behavior because, as many have reported, "everyone was doing that."

But I do give him credit for going immediately onto the national stage and admitting what he'd done.

That took guts.

So let today mark the final time that this Mets blog will talk about ARod and steroids.

Pitchers and Catchers are reporting, the early arrivals are already at Port St Lucie, and we have bigger things to discuss: like the 857,342 discussions of Castillo vs Church for the #2 hole.

Let's allow the Yankees and Red Sox bloggers and the national media to run this story into the ground all year long while we talk about the Mets.

We can test positive for spheroids as well.