Can’t wait to see his Instagram later.

You’ll all be happy to know that Mets 2B Jordany Valdespin is fine after he got hit by a Justin Verlander pitch in the…well, I’ll let Jordany tell you.  After he was removed from the game, he told reporters that “Everything is good, working good, normally, everything is great.”

Thanks for that self-evaluation, JV.

This, of course prompted a stream of Twitter tweets using every pun in the book, including a suggestion that the term “base on balls” be redefined.

Oh, by the way, the Mets beat the Tigers 11-0.

Valdespin continues to make an impact with his bat as well, now hitting .370 with 3 home runs and 6 RBIs this spring.  If he’s truly improved his pitch recognition and can cut down on the strikeouts, he could be a valuable player for the Mets.

Meanwhile, David Wright led Team USA to two victories over the weekend, advancing the team to the next round of the World Baseball Classic. His grand slam put the Mets Americans up for good on Saturday against Mike Piazza‘s Team Italy, and his three-walk performance on Sunday helped the Americans past the pesky Canadians. Some fans have taken to calling him Captain America. That has a nice ring to it.

RHP Zack Wheeler was among the first cuts in camp this year. Wheeler tossed a couple of impressive innings in his only spring appearance. His next appearance was cut short by a tweak in his oblique, but he’s ready to work again.  I would have enjoyed seeing him pitch one more time this spring – just because he’s fun to watch – but I assume we’ll be seeing plenty of him in the near future.

That’s all for now. Have a great week and don’t forget to wear your cup.

When you think of Mike Piazza, “Long Shot” is probably the furthest thing from your mind.  After all, he was the best hitting catcher in the history of baseball, he had Tommy Lasorda to help him into pro ball, he was a superstar in Los Angeles and New York, and he dated supermodels and married a Playboy Playmate.  Long Shot?  Sounds more like a sure thing.

The Mets couldn’t elbow their way in on Michael Bourn.

Michael Bourn is an Indian, the Mets still have their 11th overall pick, and Mets fans are reacting.  Many are unhappy that Alderson didn’t sacrifice the pick to make a move that would have signaled New York’s return to the baseball business.  Besides, the only decent player to come out of the 11th overall spot of the Rule 4 draft has been Greg Luzinski (.840 career OPS), so sayeth Deadspin.

But wait a minute – according to this list, players like Andrew McCutchen, Shane Mack, Walt Weiss, and Max Scherzer were once drafted 11th overall.  Last time I checked, these were pretty good ballplayers.  So it’s not like the Mets are automatically going to draft the next Kaz Matsui, right?  Doesn’t picking 11th mean you’re picking the 11th best available amateur ballplayer int he country?

My point is, there’s no guarantee that that slot will be a total black hole, just as there’s no guarantee that it will produce a superstar.

In any event, Bourn clearly would have been an upgrade, but he still wouldn’t have made the Mets better than the Nats and Braves.  Sour grapes?  Maybe.  But the fact remains.

OK, this was supposed to be a link roundup, so here’s more reaction from Twitter.

Now that Bourn is off the market, does that mean the Drew Stubbs watch is on?

In other news, Frank Francisco has been shut down due to elbow inflamation.  How will we ever replace that 5.53 ERA??

Johan Santana spoke to the media this morning in Port St. Lucie and gave his thoughts on R.A. Dickey and whether he has any regrets about the 134-pitch no-hitter.

Finally, Mike Piazza apparently didn’t talk to the media after his book signing, which left the poor little buggers feeling snubbed.

Piazza might have to wait for a posthumous induction.

I’m sure Joe or another author on Mets Today will have an opinion on this, but here’s my $0.02.

So, the baby baseball writers got their bottles.  The paragons of perfection and arbiters of all that is moral kept everyone out of the Hall of Fame this year.  Yes, there will be no HOFers in 2013.

Before we begin, I wish you a happy and healthy New Year, and perhaps a few pleasant surprises from our favorite baseball team from Queens.  One of my resolutions is to write more, so we’ll see how that works out…

So, what should the Mets resolve to do this year?

Meanwhile, today is a day for reflection on a year that is now (dare I say) in the books.  A lot happened in Metsville in 2012, not all of it positive, naturally, but they certainly gave us a lot to talk about.  R.A. Dickey certainly gave us a lot to remember before heading north of the border, including the classy way he connected to Mets fans.

The Mets addressed one organizational need in the Dickey trade, getting back the top catching prospect in baseball, Travis d’Arnaud, but they still have a gap in the outfield.  Could they fulfill it with another trade?  Or maybe someone within the organization can step up.

Ken Davidoff of the NY Post left Mike Piazza off his Hall of Fame ballot, but not for the reasons you might think.

The Mets continue to shop in the freezer section, as Scott Boras put it, this offseason.  Pitchers and catchers report on February 11th, so they might want to head to the checkout aisle soon.

Here’s a symbol from some better times (1998-2000, at least).  It’s the bobblehead version of Mike Piazza that the Mets will be giving away this Saturday, when they play the Astros at 1:10 PM.

Seeing the Cardinals back in the World Series has reopened old wounds for some Mets fans.  The optimism of 2006 came crashing down in Game 7 of the NLCS.  The subsequent collapses of 2007 and 2008 washed away what remained of the hope created that season.  Meanwhile, the anticipation of the offseason is building.

Blog time:

• Faith and Fear in Flushing remembers the pain, and says it’s time to let it go.
• Patrick Flood looks at how Jason Bay would have fared at Shea Stadium last year.  Bonus analysis: Yankees home runs if they played at Petco Park.
• Daily Stache wonders if Mike Piazza should go into the Hall of Fame as a Met or a Dodger.
• Metsmerized asks if you’re really ready to see Jose Reyes in another team’s uniform – like maybe a Phillies uniform?
• Mets Fever says the walls could come crashing down after the World Series.
• Ropolitans has a still from the latest Stand up to Cancer ad, showing Ron Darling standing up for “My catcher.”

Have a good weekend, and keep checking out Mets Today.