This Could Be the Week Where a LOT MORE Makes SENSE!!!!

An Open Letter to Omar Minaya:

Dear Omar:

I hate to think that any one week could be more "critical" then another when the season is only 1/3 old, but what a week this one is scheduled to be. Taking it from the top:

1.) We play 3 games in San Francisco versus the Giants. No one knows which Giants team will show up- I am guessing the one that has one of the best rotations in the league, and an anemic offense that has received a bit of clutch-hitting lately. We need to ensure that we're not blowing scoring opportunities early, as we won't have the type of opportunities against their rotation that we did against the Marlins or Dodgers. Score early, score often, or we'll be in trouble!

2.) Pedro makes his return tomorrow (Tuesday). Forget needing Pedro to justify the entire $53 million dollar investment in one game- let him go 5 innings, hopefully keep it close, like 2-1 or similar, and we'll be very, very happy. If Pedro's velocity tops out at 91, that will be more than fine. Pitchers like Maddux and Glavine have done well without top speeds for a very long time now; what Pedro has that they don't is the range of pitches and speeds that he has, with multiple release points. Believe me, with a fastball at 91mph, he can be downright nasty- if he gets even healthier as the season moves along, and that fastball notches up another mile or two, look out- can you say "re-sign the man" to a 2 year extension? I would hope that if Pedro does, indeed stay with us, and remains healthy, that he'll give the team some kind of financial consideration (as in "incentives" versus guaranteed money) so that the monkey of the big contract will finally be off his back in everyone else's eyes. It's not folly to think that fifty-three million dollars is what it takes to buy credibility in this game- not in a game with over 6 billion dollars of revenue and no sign of slowing down even with gas prices being what they are right now. Call me a dreamer- that's fine...I still believe that somehow Pedro will come back and play an important role on this team, this season...

3.) Moises Alou makes his return to the team, as of now, this coming Thursday, in time for our 4-game series with the Padres. I'm not looking for too much, too soon, from Alou, as in his brittle state he needs to get some "sea legs" under him before we can count on him for any length of time...and Pagan should be back soon, in addition to Tatis, so at least we'll have better options to spell Alou (and, of course, Chavez). I'll be at the Saturday game, and possibly Sunday as well, (see you there???) and the same advice goes for this series as it did for the Giants- score early or else! This is the very worst park to hit in, and our pitchers, particularly Johan, should love working here. Our hitters- not so much! Therefore, we can see some 2-1, 3-2 games, and again we MUST take advantage of each and every scoring opportunity that we receive for these 4 games. It's a long trip for the orange and blue, with no days off and arriving here in Callie via overnight travel as a result of the ESPN gametime change of last night. Another opportunity for the game to make money, at the cost of the team's convenience, which means that, according to my calculations...

4.) It's perfectly okay, in fact, it's encouraged strongly by all Mets' fans, that the organization forgets 100% about slotting and utilizes its vast monetary resources to grab any and every pick it can to nail the best possible talent, and damn the torpedoes and let MLB's "slotting" system bite someone else in their rear end!!! NOT that I have a strong opinion about this, but the name Pedro Beato will come back to haunt us if he ever makes it through the Orioles system. We have 5 of the top 100 picks in a draft that supposedly is heavy in relievers and corner offensive positions. We need a first baseman, but starting pitchers, outfielders and catchers are probably a much greater priority. Mr. Pena is still about 3-4 years away, and hopefully Schneider can remain a great receiver while Pena matures. That doesn't mean we should either stress the catcher position, or not stress it- it means that your (Omar's) philosophy of taking the best athlete from the 18th, 22nd and 33rd positions, as well as our 2 remaining picks (2nd and third rounders), is the right one and one that has brought us some very interesting picks in later rounds. Think of the names Kunz, Rustich, Smith, Mulvey and Niese and if we land another 4-5 like that, things start looking up quickly- or at least quicker than they've been looking lately...and, if indeed, as Bob Klapisch says, the Mets believe that "they are about to flood their system with prospects groomed through their new academy in the Dominican Republic" then all of the areas where you (Omar) has been asailed of late, save for that of his manager, will be viewed under a different light, and sooner rather than later. So please- make like Jerry Reese and grab some diamonds -in-the-rough, who will develop in 2-3 years!!!!! Besides, we might not get too many more top picks if we look to sign a Mark Teixeira or C.C. after this season!

5.) At the end of this week, we could be 3-4 games over .500, with an excellent draft under our belts (on paper, anyway) and a different feeling to the team with the rejuvination of two of our leaders, in Pedro and Moises; or, on the other hand, we could fall back below .500 versus two teams we should, by every right, dominate, have a draft where we let players repped by the likes of Boras go to other more adventurous teams not willing to deft the unwritten slotting process of MLB, and our turtle-like players will revert from the hares they look like and age again in front of our eyes...Again, I hate to think that too much is riding on any one week...and yet, this week, I just can't help it...

Omar, this is as important a week as you've had since you've taken over- I have faith that, somehow, you'll pull a rabbit out of your hat once again- please, PLEASE prove me right!!!!

Yours in All Things Mets,

David Rubin

Shea Nation