Former Met utilityman Super Joe McEwing has hung ’em up, retiring as a player and joining the Charlotte Knights minor league team as a coach.

The Knights are affiliated with the Chicago White Sox and play in the International League (AAA)

McEwing joins pitching coach Rich Dotson as the newest members of manager Marc Bombard’s staff, who returns for his second season as Charlotte’s skipper. Bombard went 63-80 in his first campaign with the Knights, and leads all active minor league baseball managers in career wins with 1,618.

Sort of sad to see Super Joe retire, as I always rooted for him and enjoyed watching him play — partially because I played against him when he was at the County College of Morris (yes, he was a pesky SOB back then too), and mostly because he squeezed every ounce of ability out of himself. Yes, overall his numbers weren’t fantastic while a Met — other than his initial year in 2001 — but his hustle, all-out play, and willingness to do anything for the team made him a fan favorite.

McEwing only played in 90 MLB games after leaving the Mets after the 2004 season, and spent all of last year in AAA with Pawtucket (Red Sox org.). For the PawSox he batted .268 with 8 HRs and 22 doubles in 477 ABs, playing 2B, SS, 3B, and the outfield. Maybe he should have used HGH or some other PED, and he could still be playing.

Best of luck to “Super Joe” !

While we sit idly by in watching the Johan Santana sweepstakes / soap opera, it would be nice if the Mets could acquire someone who 1.) is readily available; 2.) will come relatively cheap; and 3.) can actually help the 2008 cause.

Yeah, I’m still not sold on the acquisitions of Stephen Register, Brian Stokes, and Angel Pagan. The Schroeder / Church deal was okay, though sending away Lastings Milledge makes little sense now that the idea of losing both Carlos Gomez and F-Mart is a possibility.

Anyway, back to the subject. Here are three players the Mets should make a move on, sooner rather than later:

1. Jon Lieber
With or without Johan Santana, Lieber is welcome as veteran depth. At this moment, Lieber makes great sense as someone to fight for the #5 spot. If by chance the Mets acquire Santana, chances are good they’ll also see the exit of Phil Humber, Kevin Mulvey, and/or Mike Pelfrey. All three of those youngsters are not only potential fifth starters, but also are the insurance behind El Duque and the rest of the starting staff. Losing two of those means the Mets will still need to sign someone cheap as insurance.

2. Octavio Dotel
What’s the holdup? Yes I am in favor of picking up various so-so, cheap arms for a shuttle system. But Dotel is the one guy I’ll make room for on the 25-man roster, specifically because he has the ability to step in and be a lights-out setup man. If that means Jorge Sosa gets the heave-ho, or Matt Wise has to fight for a job in spring training, so be it. I’m not convinced that Duaner Sanchez will come back 100%, nor that there is sufficient depth to partner with Aaron Heilman in the late innings. Sign him. Now.

3. Jason Botts or Nelson Cruz

These unknowns were brought up a few weeks back, but I’ll introduce them again. Both are fighting for the fourth outfielder spot for the Rangers, but unfortunately neither has much of a chance to win it with the plethora of flycatchers brought to Texas this winter. Each of them is a 27-year-old, righthanded-hitting outfielder with impressive power and nothing left to prove at the AAA level. Cruz has been tearing up the Dominican Winter League, and Botts doing similarly in Mexico — he’s hitting .326 with 15 doubles, 9 homers, and 54 RBI in 242 at-bats. His minor league OPS routinely nears 1.000 and his OBP ranges from .375-.400. Cruz has similar numbers below MLB level, though he doesn’t get on base as much. The knock on Botts is he resembles Adam Dunn in the outfield — but he also plays first base. For those paying attention, Carlos Delgado is in the last year of his contract, so having a big bopper waiting in the wings isn’t such a bad idea. Because the Rangers’ outfield is already filled with Josh Hamilton, Marlon Byrd, Milton Bradley, Frank Catalanotto, and David Murphy, either of these sluggers can be had for a song. Acquiring Botts or Cruz for a AA pitcher is completely possible, and exactly the type of low-risk, high-reward, under-the-radar deal that Omar Minaya supposedly loves.

As we’re all aware, there isn’t much room on the Mets’ projected 25-man roster (though anything can happen in the event of an injury, trade, etc.). But these are three inexpensive, low-risk acquisitions that could significantly fortify the club. I’d be happy to see at least one of them become reality, if not all three. If nothing else, it would be a lot more interesting to hear one of these deals done, rather than read about Hank Steinbrenner’s latest stance on whether the Yankers are pursuing Johan Santana.

We’re only halfway through the month, but there’s already been a rash of signings and acquisitions around MLB. The vast majority of transactions has been minor league contracts and spring training invites, with the pitchers and catchers date rapidly approaching.

While there have been dozens more moves than the following, I’m pointing out these in particular for no reason other than I find them mildly interesting in relation to the Mets (or my personal whim).

Angels
Signed outfielder Chad Hermansen to a minor league contract.

Hermansen was once a highly touted prospect who fell short of expectations. The righthanded hitting slugger was property of the New Orleans Zephyrs for the second half of the AAA season in 2007. I suppose the Mets saw enough of him to realize what the Pirates, Cubs, Dodgers, and Blue Jays already had — he ain’t all that. Too bad, the Mets could use a RH-hitting outfielder.

Astros
Signed RHP Mike DeJean, Victor Diaz, and J.R. House to minor league deals.

Was it only four years ago we thought DeJean was a steal of a setup man? Not saying the Mets should have jumped on him, but would it have been so bad to have him available in AAA? Probably not. Diaz clearly wore out his welcome … again, too bad, because the Mets suddenly could use a RH-hitting outfielder — and he just turned only 26. House has been mentioned here several times through the winter as an ideal backup catcher and corner infield fill-in, with enough thump from the right side to intrigue as a pinch-hitting option. Best of all, he didn’t need a ML contract. Too bad we missed on this one — I like his versatility and potential with the bat.

Athletics
Signed Emil Brown to a one-year deal. Traded Mark Kotsay to Braves.
Brown is another RH-hitting outfielder who might have fit in nicely. Not on a big-league deal, though. Kotsay is covered below.

Blue Jays
Signed Lance Carter and Shawn Camp to minor league deals.

Two former Rays when they still had the Devil in them. Not fantastic pitchers, but that’s why they’re signed to cheap minor league deals. I wouldn’t have minded either of these guys riding the Heath Bell shuttle.

Braves
Acquired Mark Kotsay for Joey Devine.
The Braves give up on the electric, but not divine, arm of Joey Devine for a desperately needed starting centerfielder. If history is any indicator (see: J.D. Drew, Vinny Castilla, Johnny Estrada, et al), Kotsay will have a massive comeback season in Atlanta, vie for the triple crown, and be the foremost free agent on the market next winter. Hopefully, the Braves’ luck has run out and he’ll spend an injury plagued season hobbling between the lineup and the DL.

Brewers
Signed Mike Cameron.

Noteworthy in that Cameron lost so much value so quickly and that Bill “Butcher Boy” Hall moves back to the infield. With Geoff Jenkins leaving the club, the Brewers had to find someone to make up for all those lost swings and misses.

Cardinals
Acquired Troy Glaus for Scott Rolen. Signed Matt Clement to a one-year, ML deal with a club option for 2009. Signed 1B Josh Phelps to a minor league contract.

Glad that crybaby Rolen has a new manager and organization to irritate, since he seemed to enjoy playing against the Mets and I won’t miss his pouty face. Glaus, if healthy, and on undetectable PEDs, could be a boon for the Cardinals. Clement was another gamble, but smart risk considering the cost of starting pitching these days and the Cards’ history of rehabbing injured arms. Phelps, like J.R. House, would have been a nice ST invite for the Mets, as he can catch, play 1B, and knock the ball over the fence.

Cubs
Signed RHP Chad Fox to a minor league contract.

There was a ten-minute period in his career when people thought he was good. He might have been nice AAA depth, but I won’t lose sleep over the Cubs getting him.

Giants
Signed RHP Victor Santos and 1B Brett Harper.

Santos is intriguing to me only because I caught him and coached him prior to his going pro. With the Mets in need of minor league arms, I was hoping they’d give him a contract (the Mets uniform is one of only two or three left that Santos has yet to wear) … maybe next year. Harper was previously Mets property and was supposed to be the heir apparent to Carlos Delgado. However, his stunted development and the emergence of Mike Carp made him expendable.

Mariners
Signed Miguel Cairo to a ML deal.

Thank goodness the Mets didn’t sign him. We know how the organization likes to keep a full supply of second basemen.

Marlins
Signed Jorge Cantu to a minor league deal.

It was hoping against hope to think Cantu would consider playing in AAA for the Mets when he could fight for a ML job in Florida. I’d have liked to see him make a comeback and take over 1B in 2009.

Padres
Signed Robert Fick and Jeff DaVanon to minor league deals.

Fick would have been a perfect fit had he been a RH hitter. DaVanon is another RH-hitting outfielder, though not my top choice. Either would have been nice depth in AAA.

Pirates
Signed RHP T.J. Beam to a minor league contract.

Again, no lost sleep here … just another arm ideal for AAA depth.

Rangers
Signed Eddie Guardado to a ML deal. DFA’d 1B Chris Shelton.

Guardado would have been nice on a minor league deal … and contrary to others’ opinions, I don’t see a problem with another lefty in the ‘pen, particularly someone like Steady Eddie who isn’t eaten alive by RH batters. Shelton is interesting because this is the second time he’s been DFA’d this winter. He’s a RH hitter who can also play the outfield and catch in a pinch. If you’ve read this far you know where I’m going — he might be worth a look as AAA depth.

Rays
Signed Mike DiFelice to a minor league contract.
Crash Davis moves on. But don’t be surprised to see him resurface in a Zephyrs uniform to catch Kevin Mulvey by mid-May.

Reds
Signed Andy Phillips to a minor league contract.
Another RH-hitting utilityman with some pop. He played well in the New York spotlight, can play all over the infield and outfield, and is accustomed to being a bench player. On a free-agent deal, he’d have been a good pickup. Only problem is that he’s an ex-Yankee, and some fans have an issue with that.

Rockies
Signed Marcus Giles to a minor league contract.

Notable only because he was such a Mets killer in the Braves uniform. Hasn’t done much since the advent of PED testing. Huh.

Twins
Signed Zach Day to a minor league contract.

Was a time that Zach Day was a young, highly coveted starting pitcher with a bright future. Injuries decimated his career, and the sinkerballer is merely trying to survive at this point. I thought he had a connection to Omar Minaya, and might have been considered AAA filler. No big loss.

Yankees
Signed Jason Lane, Scott Strickland, and Billy Traber to minor league contracts.

If you’ve been a MetsToday reader for at least a year, you know how I feel about Scott Strickland — the idea that he earn a spot on the Yankee roster makes me nauseous. Traber is a former Mets farmhand that was a key piece of the Roberto Alomar deal — but never panned out for the Indians nor anyone else (interesting history, for those worried about losing Mulvey, Pelfrey, Humber, etc., in a trade). Jason Lane is another one of those RH-hitting outfielders who’d be happy with a backup job, and he once hit 26 homers in a year. However, see Marcus Giles, above.

Mets
I’ll review the Mets transactions this month as soon as they sign someone slightly more interesting than Andy Cavazos or Salomon Manriquez.

It’s not the NL MVP, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s much more impactful.

While Jimmy Rollins ran away with the honors for best player in the National League, David Wright will have to settle for being honored with one of five “Thurmans” to be handed out at the 28th annual Thurman Munson Awards on February 5th at the Marriott Martquis in Times Square. Wright, Melky Cabrera, Craig Biggio, NY Knick Jamal Crawford and Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi all will be recognized for their excellence in competition and philanthropic work within the community.

The dinner remembers the late, great Yankee catcher Thurman Munson who died tragically in a 1979 plane crash. Thurman’s widow Diana Munson has been involved in the dinner since its inception 28 years ago, and has raised over $8 million for the Association for the Help of Retarded Children (AHRC), a not-for-profit organization with many programs that enable people with developmental disabilities to lead richer, more productive lives. AHRC New York City is one of the largest organizations of its kind, serving 11,000 children and adults who have mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injuries and other developmental disabilities.

So, from the perspective that this honor means Wright is helping others, and that the award dinner will raise money for people in need, it means more than the MVP — at least in my book. Congrats to David and the other honorees.

On a personal note, Thurman Munson was my favorite baseball player growing up (yes, I did watch the Yankees back then, mainly because the Mets were on TV only once every two weeks), and he was the reason I put on the catcher’s gear as a little leaguer. Some 30 years later, I’m still squatting behind the plate for semi-pro teams, and continue to think about “Thurm” as the model for what a catcher — and ballplayer — should be. For those who missed out on seeing him play, Munson was a throwback — the type of guy who gave everything he had on the field for nine full innings. He was a fiery, inspirational leader who hustled all over the place, often playing in pain, and always going all-out on every single play. He also handled the bat well, a rarity who could put the ball over the fence and also go the other way on a hit-and-run — but was best known for his performance “in the clutch”. His career postseason average was .357, including the 1976 World Series when he hit .529 in a losing cause. Behind the dish, he was equally talented, an outstanding handler of pitchers and premier field general. Though his arm wasn’t as strong as contemporary Johnny Bench’s, it was above average and enhanced by the quickest release of all-time. Legend has it that he was clocked with a “pop time” of 1.6 seconds — during a game. If you don’t know anything about “pop time”, that’s the time it takes for the ball to get from the catcher’s glove to second base when attempting to throw out a runner — and trust me, 1.6 is pretty damn fast (MLB average is 2.0-2.2, and the best times Pudge Rodriguez ever recorded were around 1.8). He was an absolute treat to watch; it is a shame he died young and wasn’t able to touch more people with his work on and off the field.

How beloved and respected was Thurman Munson? Consider this: he was the first captain of the New York Yankees since Lou Gehrig. After he died — and to this day — the space where his locker was in the Yankee clubhouse remains empty as a tribute (the original can be seen in Cooperstown at the HOF). His number 15 was retired by the Yankees, and there is a Munson plaque in Monument Park beyond the Yankee Stadium outfield fence.

Yes, Munson was a Yankee, but I think Mets fans — and all fans — can appreciate who he was. It’s nice to see his legacy continue, and I find it fitting that David Wright will be honored in Munson’s name. In fact, I think if Thurm were around to watch baseball today, Wright would be one of his favorites.

Kingston DataTraveler II Plus – Migo Edition – USB flash drive – 8 GB – Hi-Speed USB

Quick: can you name the ten former Mets in Baseball’s Hall of Fame?

Don’t be upset if you can’t … the only HOF member who played the bulk of his career in orange and blue is Tom Seaver. The rest include Richie Ashburn, Yogi Berra, Gary Carter, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Nolan Ryan, Duke Snider, Warren Spahn, and Casey Stengel. (It still baffles me, BTW, that Murray’s in while Jim Rice and Andre Dawson continue to wait — but that’s for another day.)

With the recent induction of Goose Gossage — who I feel is incredibly deserving (but why did it take so long???) — my wife asked, “who on the current Mets roster might someday be in the Hall of Fame?”

A good question, don’t you think? So following are my profiles of those who are closest to consideration — and I intentionally did not include Jose Reyes, David Wright, nor any other player with less than five years of service. Rather, I focused on the players who have compiled fairly lengthy and impressive careers and who are closest to retirement and HOF eligibility.

Pedro Martinez

There is no question that Pedro was either the best, or one of the best three, pitchers in all MLB from 1997 to 2003. He was the elite, the most dominant, and most feared starter in all of baseball — Randy Johnson included. Unfortunately, his fragility has kept him from being a “compliler” — someone who compiles positive stats over a long period of time (Bert Blyleven and Hoyt Wilhelm are examples of compilers). Still, I think if he retired today, he’d be almost guaranteed to be inducted. His career 209-93 record (a .692 winning percentage) is fantastic, and third-best all time — right behind Spud Chandler and ahead of Whitey Ford and Lefty Grove. In additon, by the time Pedro is eligible, the 200-win mark for pitchers in his era will be akin to the current 300-win standard. If his new shoulder can give him 3-5 more effective seasons, my bet is that he’s a first-ballot inductee.

Billy Wagner

Before you think I’m crazy, remember that Wags has been one of the most dominant closers in the NL since 1999. Because we have been watching him on a daily basis, his flaws and blown games are more magnified — in reality there are very few one-inning closers in history with his ability to shut the door on opposing teams. In fact, I believe he has the fewest blown saves of any active reliever with at least 300 saves (55 total blown, for an 87% success rate). He has a career 2.40 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 720 career games — that’s pretty damn good. He’ll likely have to add at least 50-75 more saves to his 358 career total to be brought into the conversation, and that’s not out of the question. Consider this: Trevor Hoffmann is more or less considered a shoo-in, and he has 524 saves with 63 blown, for an 89% success rate, with a 2.73 ERA and 1.05 WHIP.

Mariano Rivera, by the way, has 453 saves, 59 blown saves (88%), 2.35 ERA and 1.05 WHIP over 787 games in his career — and pitching for the Yankees had many more save opportunities than any closer. Wagner is not that far away from Rivera’s effectiveness — and Rivera is considered almost hands-down to be the greatest modern closer of all-time.

Carlos Delgado

Delgado could turn out to be a Jim Rice — a guy who is a borderline Hall of Famer. Part of the problem was that he spent most of his career in the obscurity also known as Toronto, and, like Rice, did not have the opportunity to shine in a World Series (yet). The fact that he put up very impressive numbers in what will be known as the “steroid era” could be to his benefit — providing that he continues to be found to be squeaky clean. As of now, his career totals are comparable to some HOFers, but not quite big enough for the era. His 431 career homers, 1374 RBI, and .280 average are nothing to sneeze at, and put him on track toward Reggie Jackson and Willie McCovey territory. For sure, if he played in the 1970s and 1980s, Delgado would be a no-brainer. But in the time of gross expansion, watered-down pitching, and generous PED use, his numbers are only “good” and not “great”. Still, there was the period from 1998 to 2003 when he was considered one of the most feared hitters in all of MLB — which is why I like to compare him to Rice, who was similarly dominant. Two things depend on Delgado’s consideration for the Hall: first, his ability to put up decent numbers through his late 30s (and compile career stats), and second, the view of the voters, who may weigh his supposedly “clean” achievements against scoundrels such as Rafael Palmeiro and Barry Bonds.

Moises Alou

No, Alou will not be inducted into the Hall of Fame — unless he pulls a Julio Franco and plays till he’s 50. However, it should be mentioned that if not for the myriad injuries that robbed him of so many games over his 16 big league seasons, he likely would be in the conversation. My guess is that he’d be approaching 3000 hits and 400 homers if not for the time lost — numbers that virtually guarantee a place in Cooperstown. Too bad, because when he’s healthy he’s proven to be one of the most dangerous hitters in the game — as well as one of the best all-around players.

Carlos Beltran

This one is too early to tell. He certainly has the tools to be a Hall of Famer, but he’ll need to put up a few more seasons like 2006 to garner attention. Going against him is the fact he’s already 30 years old, and likely past his physical prime. However, he has already accumulated over 1400 hits, 875 RBI, and 250 SBs — not to mention outstanding defense in centerfield. Going against him is his age, his lack of consistency year to year, zero World Series appearances, and no MVP awards. Unless he comes up with some mammoth years, he may fall into that “just short” category of Bobby Bonds, Gil Hodges, and Dale Murphy.

Sidenote: Mets Hall of Fame

The Mets’ Hall of Fame consists of only 21 members, with the last inductee being Tommie Agee way back in 2002. I’m not sure why no one has been honored since, as there are at least a few candidates that are worthy. Lee Mazzilli, for example, could be considered, as could Jon Matlack and John Franco. In fact, I’d be in favor of inducting Darryl Strawberry, in the hopes it might help wake up Dwight Gooden and perhaps motivate him to turn his life around. Of course, it’s probably silly to think that a gesture toward Straw would invoke anything from Doc, but who knows — Darryl’s been something of an inspiration since cleaning himself up.