While we bask in the glow of R.A. Dickey‘s Cy Young Award win — and get in your celebration quickly, because who knows how much longer he’ll be a Met — I’d like to discuss the Manager of the Year Awards, which kind of flew under the radar while we waited for the “more important” awards.

R.A. Dickey became the first knuckleballer in major league history to win the Cy Young award.  Here’s what he had to say about it on the MLB Network.

Now, about that contract…

Bobby Parnell and Dillon Gee

Mets right-handers Dillon Gee and Bobby Parnell participated in the food drive at Citi Field today.  The Mets held the event in conjuction with City Harvest to help Queens residents affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Parnell and Gee even had time to answer some questions about R.A. Dickey and the progress of Dillon’s arm.

“I haven’t even thought about it,” Gee said. “I finished the year throwing a couple of times. I’ve been working out for like three weeks now and I haven’t even thought about it.”

As for R.A. Dickey‘s candidacy for the Cy Young, Gee said: “There’s really not much else you can say about his season. It speaks for itself. It was unbelievable. It would definitely be cool to say I was teammates with a Cy Young Award winner and got to see him day in and day out, how he won it. It definitely would be good for everybody and just an uplifting thing and obviously great for him.”

In case you missed it, the Miami Marlins are in the midst of trading half their team to Toronto. Or did I just wake up out of a dream?

Help your fellow man!

The Mets will be holding a food drive at Citi Field.  If the kindness of your heart isn’t enough motivation to give, you might even walk away with Mets tickets or discounts on merchandise.

Here are the details:

WHAT:           The New York Mets host a food drive in partnership with City Harvest 

WHO:              Hundreds of Mets fans

City Harvest staff and volunteers

Mr. Met 

WHERE:         Hodges VIP entrance, Citi Field

WHEN:           Wednesday, November 14

                        9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Mr. Met photo op at 12:00 p.m.

NOTE:            Fans donating 10 items or more of nonperishable nutritious food will receive a voucher redeemable for one pair of tickets to a select

Mets game in April 2013.  Donors will also receive 15% off select merchandise at the Mets Team Store at Citi Field.  Season Ticket Holders who donate food can show their ID card to get 20% off select items.  The discount will only be honored Wednesday,
November 14.

Among the items most needed are: canned fruit and vegetables, plastic jars of peanut butter, packages of hot or cold cereal, and packages of macaroni and cheese.  Items that will not be accepted are: unlabeled, expired, or dented cans; any open packaging; products that need to be refrigerated; or homemade products.

Fans dropping off food may park in Lot G on 126th Street between the Right Field Gate and Roosevelt Avenue.

Would you consider 2012 to be a “breakout season” for Jonathon Niese?

A large part of the Oakland Athletics unexpected success in 2012 can be attributed to Billy Beane‘s ability to find undervalued assets, particularly in the outfield. The rebirth of ‘Moneyball’, if you will. According to FanGraphs WAR, Josh Reddick, Brandon Moss, and Jonny Gomes were worth a combined 9.3 wins last season for Oakland.

Given the Mets payroll constraints, Sandy Alderson is probably going to have to implement his own brand of Moneyball this offseason. Here are a few potentially overlooked outfielders that could be available this winter.

In today’s edition of “Would you …?” we discuss the fantasy of trading R.A. Dickey to the Boston Red Sox.

As you know, the Mets could use a catcher — preferably one that can catch, throw, and hit a bit. Ideally, such a backstop would also be on the young side.

Enter Ryan Lavarnway.

If you haven’t heard of Lavarnway, here are the basic details: 6’4, 225 lbs., 25 years old, righthanded hitter who hit 32 homeruns with a .390 OBP and 1.002 OPS in the minors in 2011. That wasn’t necessarily a surprise — he led all D-1 hitters in batting and slugging as a college sophomore and set the Ivy League record for career homeruns. Lavarnway is a graduate of Yale, so he might be relatively intelligent. All scouting reports on him boast about his hard work ethic and discipline. Sounds good, right? Would you be willing to trade R.A. Dickey for someone who appears to be the next Johnny Bench — if the Red Sox would be willing to part with him? Not so fast.