The Art Neuro Weblog

Over In The Mets Camp
As a long, long long standing and never-sitting-down Yankee fan it behooves me to say this, but this year, the Mets have actually got something interesting going on. How's that? you ask. Well Here's the quick list:

1) Omar Minaya is their new GM, Willie Randolph is their new manager. I can remember Willie Randolph as a rookie, so I can appreciate the length he has come. After years of donning the pinstripes as player, co-captain and coach, he moves across town to help out the Mets. He's never managed a ballclub before, flunked lots of interviews with other clubs and yet, here he is at the helm drawing praise.

2) The Youth Movement they've got going with David Wright and Jose Reyes. It's true that the Yankees have got Robinson Cano and Tiger Wang proving their worth this season as Rookies, but neither of them priject to to have the ceilings of Wright and Reyes.

3) Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran. Omar Minaya went to town and went straight to its latno quarter so to speak to secure the services of Messers Martinez and Beltran. Pedro is Pedro and has been providing quality starts, alleviating the 'burden of acehood' from Tom Glavine who has also been finding some form. While Beltran is not the most amazing bat to come to Queens his prowess with the leather adds a great deal of credbility to the defense. It's all good.

4) Mike Piazza's last hurrah. Yep, this is his last year. The best hitting catcher ever is struggling through what might be his last year as a player. Oh yes, options aboutnd in that he could possibly still play as a Designated hitter in the AL, but to all intents and purposes he's looking mighty cooked as the Mets' catcher. So this is the end of an era for the Mets.

And that's what they're about this year.
David Wright in praticular has arrived amid a haze of media hype and hoopla, but he is proving to be a most valuable asset in the lineup. He is the future of the Mets franchise and the first time they have ever developed a thirdbaseman of such a calibre. Think, what Derek Jeter has done for the Yankees. It's outright exciting... for them. I can only vicariously enjoy his play by trading for him in my fantasy league, but what the heck, he's been special. The point is, Wright and Reyes make me want to follow the Mets. Right now, the Yankees just make me groan.

Groaning Your Way To The Middle
The Yankees sit at 28-29 after losing to the lowly Milwaukee Brewers; this is after being swept by the lowly Royals and losing the series to the Twins. It's awful. Randy Johnson, he of the saviour hype last of-season, is now at 5-5 (not that it's al his fault, it's just that it's indicative). At this point it is fair to say that the Yankees 2005 have turned into the streakiest of teams. The best things for me this season have been the emergence of Robinson Cano and Tiger Wang. Most observers have been saying the Yankee farm system has been bereft of anything good, but here they are, providing at least league average play at minimum cost. It's enough to make one think that too many people have been writing down the Yankee system in order to squeeze as much out of them at the trading table. I'm probably dead wrong but it's been enough to make me wonder.

However, the streaks are driving fans (and Big George) bananas. You can bet that if this continues much longer the Yankees are going to have to think about next year as early as the trade deadline. As in, don't trade away your future guys.

The 2005 Amateur Draft Is Going On As We Write
The Yankees thus go to the draft amid the need to find something special.
So here's what they drafted.

1st Round (17th overall): SS Carl Henry (high School player)
2nd Round: RP J Brent Cox A College Closer.
3rd Round (109th overall): CF Brett Gardner (College player)
4th Round 139th overall: RP Lance Pendleton (College player)
5th Round: SP Zack Kroenke (Lefty College player)
6th Round: RP Doug Fister (Righty, College player)
7th Round (229th overall): SP Garret Patterson (Lefty College Player)
8th Round: Austin Jackson (High School Player)

Some observations on these selections.
Carl Henry is the first time they've picked a High School shortstop as their first pick since, well, Derek Jeter in 1991. 17th is the highest pick over the last 13 years, dating back to 1993 (Matt Drews 13th). The 17th pick is courtesy of Jon Lieber who left for the Phillies after the Yankees declined to extend his contract. That doesn't mean he's the next Derek Jeter at all; in fact nobody is saying that. It just says that the Yankees decided to take a punt on a Highschool short stop. In some ways this is better than drafting yet another college pitcher hoping they turn into a trading chip soon.

Cox, they think is another Huston Street. Apparently he's the same build, from the same college program with stats that were comparable to Street's. So maybe he's another huston Street; chances are good he's not and the world still can't tell what the Oakland A's have in Street (apart from being their closer of now and the future - but we'll forgo judgement there for now).

Gardner is allegedly a speedy Centerfielder who hits for average and steals bases. Apparently he has 38 stolen bases this past college season. He has a good arm and good defense so you can see the Yankee brass belatedly thinking, "we need somebody to replace Bernie in CF quick". He'd still be 2-3 years away. As is their already in-house candidate Melky Cabrera. It only underlines how not signing Beltran was a horrible move.

Pendleton, Kroenke and Fister seem to be an attempt to fill minor league pitching roster spots quickly more than anything else. They may get lucky with Kroenke as Steven Goldman obvserved lefthand hurlers are given every chance to fail. They might find another 'crafty lefty' in the making, but chances are they haven't.

Fister, listed at 6'8" and 200 pounds seems like a "Maybe-He'll-Turn-Into-Another-Big-Unit?"- punt. The guy allegedly has no command. The Seattle Mariners had a player in the similar mold by the name of Ryan Anderson for a few years. He even sported the nickname, 'The Little Unit'; but of course he was released earlier this year. Fister is sort of the anti-Moneyball choice rich teams typically make.

Patterson seems like another roster filler. Cashman has been saying they need arms. Austin Jackson comes with an interesting note. Apparently the Yankee brass have been wanting this player since he was a little-leaguer. Talk about optimistic projections; but now they have him in the 8th round because other teams were wary of his dual basketball-baseball career aspirations. The talk is that he is a very high-ceiling player. I guess the Yankees are hoping their marquee name may make a difference in negotiating a contract. I'm sure it will echo the one with Aaron Boone.

While judging drafts takes years my knee jerk response is 'maybe it's not too bad if Cox works out as a closer and Henry and/or Jackson work out enough to be 'trade bait'.

- Art Neuro