Author Archives: Joe Janish

About Joe Janish

Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.

2009 Analysis: Wilson Valdez

Posted on November 9, 2009 by Joe Janish

When the backup (Ramon Martinez) to the backup (Alex Cora) went down, the Mets found themselves hunting the scrap yards for a fill-in at shortstop who had Major League skills. They found Wilson Valdez and, all things considered, could’ve done … Continue reading →

Posted in 2009 Mets Evaluations | Tagged , | 2 Comments

8 Reasons Sammy Sosa is Fading

Posted on November 9, 2009 by Joe Janish

For a brief time early in his career, Sammy Sosa was a “Palehose” — meaning, a member of the White Sox. Now, he’s a “pale face” — meaning, literally, his face has paled. The picture here is a recent one … Continue reading →

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To All You Yankee Rooters

Posted on November 9, 2009 by Joe Janish

Not long ago, I gave you five reasons to root for the Phillies in the World Series. Which team to pull for was a difficult decision for any Mets fan. But now that the World Serious is over, and the … Continue reading →

Posted in 09-10 Offseason, Around the Blogs | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

2009 Analysis: Fernando Tatis

Posted on November 6, 2009 by Joe Janish

It was a wonderful story in 2008 when Fernando Tatis came back from the baseball dead, found his way back to the big leagues, was a key cog for the Mets in the second half of the season, and earned … Continue reading →

Posted in 2009 Mets Evaluations | Tagged | 5 Comments

Where They Are Now: Yusmeiro Petit

Posted on November 5, 2009 by Joe Janish

Remember Yusmeiro Petit? About 4-5 years ago, he was ranked as highly as #2 among the Mets prospects by Baseball America, who were impressed by his ability to throw 4 pitches over the plate. As a 21-year-old, Petit whipped through … Continue reading →

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Mets Sign Chip Hale for Third Base

Posted on November 5, 2009 by Joe Janish

While it’s true that third baseman David Wright had a dropoff in power production in 2009, he’s not being replaced. However, Razor Shines, the third base coach in 2009, is being replaced — by Chip Hale. According to Adam Rubin, … Continue reading →

Posted in 09-10 Offseason, Latest Mets News | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

2009 Analysis: Jose Reyes

Posted on November 3, 2009 by Joe Janish

Obviously, Jose gets an “incomplete” for the 2009 season. Reyes played in 36 games and was “day to day” for nearly a month before finally being placed on the 15-day disabled list — and was never seen again. In the … Continue reading →

Posted in 2009 Mets Evaluations | Tagged | 2 Comments

2009 Analysis: Argenis Reyes

Posted on November 3, 2009 by Joe Janish

In 2008, Argenis Reyes was lauded as someone who was seemingly “in the middle of everything” — at least, according to the SNY broadcast crew. It was de rigeur to root for Argenis — the undersized career-minor leaguer getting his … Continue reading →

Posted in 2009 Mets Evaluations | Tagged | 2 Comments