Admit You're Wrong Jeff Passan: Part I

Before I start...Here's a little 3X for you from the Mets first series:

1.) Three Game Series, 3 Wins
2.) Game Three of that Series the Cards line was:
O Runs 2 Hits 1 Error
Add 'Em Up & you get three, can't you see that it's the magic number
3.) Through the first three games Jose Reyes has 3 RBI's

Obviously, I can go on as 3 shall permeate the Mets season but...

Back to Passan:

Seriously, I like the guy...he has grown on me over the last couple of years. He's a Big East guy from the 'Cuse. I kind of like that (Go Hall!), wrote for the Kansas City Star (working his way up), and generally loves baseball. But from time to time I have to throw the bullshit flag when I truly disagree with the man.

For one, last year, he wrote about Barry Bonds so much that I thought he hated baseball. And so I started to dislike him because I love baseball and I'll fight anyone who only focuses solely on the negative aspects of the game. "I'm Paddy Tanninger The Caddie Manager. Yeah, it rhymes....BIG WHOOP.Wanna fight about it?"

I argued the steroids issue with him and others because I just don't see it as that big a deal. I didn't see it as the main reason for the explosion of offense in the late 90's to early 00's. I pointed out that most of the guys that have been caught doing steroids weren't all that good (pitchers or hitters), that Bonds was great before his swollen head, that baseball is constantly in flux, that the mounds being lowered had more of an effect, that there are too many teams which has led to less pitching strength and that the size of the stadiums have shrunk. Eventually, I gave up on him, the issue & the others as a lost cause. But that was last year.

This year I am dedicated to turning him around. As a proud man I am pretty sure that Mr.Passan won't admit he's wrong but I am still dedicated to trying to save his immortal soul.

A soul that is in real jeopardy because Passan has done the unthinkable. He has sided with Jimmy Rollins and picked the Phillies to win the NL East. The Phillies, the team to beat for f's sake!!! A team that finished 12 games behind the Mets last year and it wasn't even really that close. A team that added Freddi Garcia (okay addition), Jamie Moyer (not so good to bad) & Adam Eaton (worst signing of any team this offseason)...and this is why they are the team to beat?

So until I can get Jeff to eat some crow on his prediction I will be including you all on my distribution list by publishing my emails to him (a lot) and his responses to me (probably none if any).

Without further ado, here is our 2007 season correspondence thus far:

Email #1 (Me)

----- Original Message ----From: "" <>To: itsopeningday@yahoo.comSent: Monday, April 2, 2007 3:45:48 PMSubject: ?

Jeff, Still think the Phils are the team to beat in the NL, Jeff ? Too bad for you & Jimmy Rollins that a baseball game doesn't end in the sixth inning...but they are lucky enough that the season is 162 games long. They'll need every single one of those games to win as many as they did last year. Perhaps the Philthies can do better than the 12 games back they finished last year before you start crowning them as champs? Maybe you can close for them because no one in their pen could close a meaningful game last year either...apparently there was a trend there that you must have missed.

Go ahead Jeff, tell me they are better than the Mets.

PS - you might remember me from 2006 & emails such as: Can you write about anything besides Barry Bonds?

Email #2 (Jeff)

From: Jeff Passan [itsopeningday@yahoo.com]Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 4:54 PMTo: Subject: Re: ?--

I tended to ignore those e-mails :)

And, yep, still like the Phillies ... though you are right about their bullpen.

—JP


Email (#3…yeah 3X!)

Dearest Jeff,

You might remember me from such famous emails as “Stop Writing about Barry Bonds” & “You’re Crazy if You Think The Phils Are The Team To Beat”

This email pertains to the latter…

Just let me know when you are ready to admit you were wrong...Last night Philly lost another game in their bullpen while the Mets won another game with an all around effort.

Don't wait until the Mets play the Philthies April 9th @ Shea Stadium...admit you were wrong now.

Here's how the two teams lineups match up against each other...in my estimation. And probably in pretty much everyone's mind except for you and Jimmy Rollins.

At Ca The Phillies have Rod Barajas
At CA The Mets have Paul LoDuca

Edge Mets...I mean, "did you even look at the Phillies roster when you made these predictions Jeff???" Besides the fact that LoDuca scores runs, gets on base and allows JoseX3 to do what he does, Paulie manages a team and a staff better than any catcher out there today. Rod Barajas for crying out loud!!!

At 1B The Phillies have Ryan Howard
At 1B The Mets have Carlos Delgado

Edge Mets...Although Ryan Howard has had two very good years as a hitter, Delgado has had way more and he didn't play in a Little League Ballpark for any of them like Howard does now. Plus Howard can't field and he probably shouldn't be allowed to carry a glove. It's an insult to gloves everywhere (and MVP's too). I have 400 reasons, a glove, and Delgado's experience to reference why he is better...This isn't the AL Jeff.

At 2B The Phillies have Chase Utley
At 2B The Mets have Jose Valentin

Edge Phils...however as I go on you should see that this is the only position the Phils have on the Mets. And it's not like Jose V. is a joke. Utley is a tremendous player on both sides of the ball. Unfortunately for the Phillies, he is the only all around great player they have...

At SS the Phillies have Jimmy Rollins
At SS The Mets have Jose Reyes

Edge Mets Mets Mets...Jose does it all while Rollins talks a good game. Is Rollins good? Yeah, he is all right. He hit 20 dingers last year which would be great if he played anywhere but Philly. In fact, I'd say last year was his career year. But I can think of ten other short stops in MLB who I would take over Rollins. I can't think of one that I would take over Jose. It's that simple.

At 3B The Phillies have Wes Helms
At 3B The Mets have David Wright

Edge Mets...I won't even argue this position. It's just a joke and I'm getting more and more concerned that you didn't even look at the Phillies depth chart on your own website at Yahoo! Sports before you proclaimed the Phillies the team to beat.

In LF the Phillies have Pat Burrell
In LF the Mets have Moises Alou

Edge Even...but only because Burrell kills the Mets. Against the rest of the league I'll take Alou every single day. And if you look at their career stats, which you probably should have, Alou makes Burrell look like a mediocre player. Alou may get hurt too often, he may not be the best fielder (and Burrell is?) but even in a year where he plays less games he puts up better overall numbers than Burrell...and strikes out a lot less.

In CF the Phillies have Aaron Rowand
In CF the Mets have Carlos Beltran

Edge Phillies...yeah right!!!

Edge Mets Jeff!!! We have Carlos Beltran baby....who besides Jose Reyes (also on the Mets) might be the best all around player in the game. He can run, he plays great if not flawless defense, he hits the long ball, can bunt, and can do anything Rowand can do but ten times better. I love guys who play hard Jeff but seriously whom would you take, Beltran or Rowand. Rowand plays hard because of his lack of ability. Beltran plays hard and he has ability. Be honest Jeff, you didn't even look at the depth charts did you?

In Right Field The Phillies have Shane Victorino
In Right Field The Mets have Sean Green

Edge Even...but only because I thought Victorino was what Kramer was feeding his horse in that famous episode of Seinfeld...Seriously though, Shane Victorino is a good little player with a lot of speed. In fact he reminds me a lot of Endy Chavez. Ever heard of him? He's on the Mets and he doesn't even start. That should tell you something. Green is capable of being a very good 7 or 8 hitter for the Mets. Sean would probably bat somewhere around 5 or 6 for the Phils which should also tell you something.

Bench for the Phillies - J.Werth, A.Nunez, G.Dobbs & C.Ruiz
Bench for the Mets - E.Chavez, L.Milledge, D.Newhan, R.Castro, J.Franco

Edge Mets...J.Werth, A.Nunez, G.Dobbs & C.Ruiz? Who the heck are these guys!!?? I know you need to back up your position players but the Phils are pretty thin and that's being kind.

So now we get to your point of contention. The starting rotations for each team...

The Phillies have Brett Myers, Cole Hammels, Adam Eaton, Jamie Moyer & Freddi Garcia, & sometimes Jon Lieber (who for some reason is the worlds best bargaining chip but the last time I looked he wasn't Roger Clemens)

The Mets have Tom Glavine, Orlando Hernandez, John Maine, Mike Pelfrey & Oliver Perez (with Pedro Martinez coming back after taking a Clemens-like first half vacation...rested and ready to go)

I'll even give this one to you...

Edge Phillies...but just barely if at all. I think Jamie Moyer is old and not good old like Glavine & Hernandez, Adam Eaton was the worst signing of the summer, and Freddi Garcia who was supposedly such a rock has already ended up on the DL. I got to give you Myers and Hammels because they are two really talented young pitchers. They will be very good although they are still unproven. At the same time John Maine has done nothing but win since getting a chance with the Mets. He looked good in spring training and he looked magnificent in his first start of the season (a 1 hitter over 7 innings). Pelfrey might be just as good and Humber is waiting in the wings. The only wild card on the Mets is Perez. However Perez has in his career had a better year than either Myers or Hammels or Moyer or Eaton for that matter. His stuff is electric and he could be just as good as those two young Phillies with a good chance that he might be better.

Now to my point of contention...the Bullpens

I am just going to say Edge Mets because even you know the Phillies bullpen is terrible as evidenced by their first two games of the season. Even if the Phillies could trade Lieber for a good reliever, who is going to give up a closer? Do you really have any faith in Flash Gordon at this point? No one is giving away a top tier bullpen guy and especially not in the first two months of the season. Remember last year Jeff? The Mets only needed the first two months of the season to put the NL East away...

I will give you an opportunity for a mea culpa over the next month. I'll forgive your naivete because I like reading your columns (no more Barry Bonds!).

Please Jeff, go back and look at both teams. Realize your error; admit your mistake and let's all move on!

As Always,

Lets Go Mets!

3X!

http://mets3x.blogspot.com