When people would fuss about some over-the-hill-journeyman type veteran player signed to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training, many of us would joke who cares sign them like candy. Basically you were paying a percentage of league minimum to see what they have and then could add them to Buffalo for depth. The new collective bargaining agreement maybe effecting how...

I'm not sure if its good to relive this stuff, or depressing... Nonetheless, here's a good look at some Mets wins in walk off fashion from 2006, featuring our good friends: David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Endy Chavez, Jose Valentin and many more!!

John Gibbons, who spent parts of five seasons as the Blue Jays' manager, has been hired by the Padres to manage their Double-A affiliate in San Antonio. Former players Jose Valentin and Damion Easley are also on San Diego's Minor League staffs.

Former big league infielder Jose Valentin is obsessed with the game, he loves working with kids and badly wants to improve the state of baseball in Puerto Rico, where he works as an instructor at the academy in his native country.

Former big league infielder Jose Valentin is obsessed with the game, he loves working with kids and badly wants to improve the state of baseball in Puerto Rico, where he works as an instructor at the academy in his native country.

You all may know me as the Japanese baseball guy, but my interest in the sport developed as a kid growing up in the Chicago suburbs as a die-hard White Sox fan. Because of my Chicago roots, my favorite part of the FanGraphs gathering in Arizona during spring training was our chat with White Sox assistant general manager Rick Hahn, who mentioned something that I’ve known for...

The battle for second base rages on, but the real battle for the second base competition has been based in assumptions with unproven characters (Turner, Murphy, Emaus) and a character that every Mets fan wishes won’t prove himself (Luis Castillo). Though its only spring training, I am putting my backing into camp Murphy. Here are four reasons why I think he will make the team...

The Mets haven’t developed a second baseman since Edgardo Alfonzo. In the eight seasons since his last appearance with the team, fans have watched Luis Castillo, Jose Valentin, Anderson Hernandez, Kaz Matsui and Roberto Alomar’s doppelganger try and man the position with very little success, but finally there’s some hope for the future of that position. Sandy Alderson...

In 2007 and again in 2008, the Mets missed clinching a playoff berth by just one game. No matter which team it is or even which sport, missing the playoffs by one game in back to back years is not a comfortable place to be. As the Mets enter into a new era with a brand new philosophy based on tried and true principles, lets hope that it never happens again. That said, I wonder sometimes...

Omar Minaya started the season with a roster that included Gary Matthews Jr., Mike Jacobs, Frank Catalanotto, Fernando Tatis and Alex Cora. No wonder he ended the season out of a job.Much has been written about Minaya's big-ticket acquisitions, but the small ones are just as important. You can't win a pennant with a few stars and a bunch of scrubs. Yet that's what Minaya...

Baseball is romantically described as a kids game. The diamond is at the center of childhood in its purest form. Baseball cards, a game of catch or pepper, watching the game with dad, making the trip to the big ballpark. Yes, the love of baseball is developed at a young age in many ways. But playing the game is where the magic is. The feeling of smoking a line drive off the sweet...

Luis Castillo squaresOriginally uploaded by Michael G. BaronIt's amazing Mets fans have iconized every fill-in 2B since Jose Valentin blew out his knee. Whether it was Ruben Gotay, Argenis Reyes, Wilson Valdez or Ruben Tejada.Now of them all Tejada is the only legitimate prospect and if you had a power house offense then his glove is major league ready but like any middle infield...

How does a player rack up 509 home runs, post a career OPS+ of 140 (better than Reggie Jackson, Chuck Klein and Al Kaline), make nine All-Star teams...and get traded five times? Ask Gary Sheffield. His career has been a fantastic one, and if he is denied the Hall of Fame, it will likely be due to the perceived taint around his numbers. But Sheffield has also been part of the hot...

In 1973, Minnesota Twins’ pitcher Jim Perry became the first player to use the ‘10 and 5 rule’ when he approved his trade to the Tigers for minor league pitcher Dan Fife and cash. Also in 1973, two days before his 29th birthday, former 30-game winner Denny McLain was released by the Atlanta Braves. In a career which spanned ten years, McLain compiled a 131-92...

Hawn vs. Gallicchio named Co-Main Event for WCF 9-Full Card Announced World Championship Fighting today announced that former Olympian and undefeated MMA fighter Rick Hawn is scheduled to fight New Jersey native Tom Gallicchio in the Co-Main event of WCF 9, which takes place Friday, February 26 2010 from the Shriner's Auditorium in Wilmington, MA. Hawn is a four time national...

Where is he? Here is my fake conversation with him! Me: Hey Jose Jose: What's up So that ends my talk after he said he had to go some where after this mini conversation. But what where is hey? You Mets fans must be thinking about that just like me...Read the full article on Bleacher Report...

As the decade gasps out a few final breaths, presented here are five lessons learned these past 10 years.Some thoughts on the aughts, if you will, in no particular order...1. You can't buy a winnerAt least if you're not the Yankees, who can buy anything.But if Mets fans learned one thing this decade it's that dollars don't equal titles.I don't have the figures...

The New York Mets defeated the St Louis Cardinals by a score of 5-4 yesterday. Jon Niese got the start going 2 innings giving up 2 runs, 2 hits, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. Duaner Sanchez pitched a scoreless inning but gave up 2 walks. On the offensive side Luis Castillo had a hit and a walk, Jose Valentin trying to hang onto his career went 3-4 continuing his hot hitting, Daniel...

If the last four seasons of Mets baseball have proven anything, it's that winning takes 25 guys, a number that jumps to 35-40 over the course of a regular season. To me, the single biggest difference between the 2006 team and the '07-'09 varieties was depth. Remember all the injuries to the pitching staff in 2006? Remember all the games Chad Bradford held for us in relief...

Canada bounced back from a disappointing World Baseball Classic to clinch the Bronze Medal in the 38th World Cup of Baseball.  This was Team Canada’s first medal in the bi-annual tournament’s history. (View Team Canada’s roster here) To do it, Canada had to beat a talented Puerto Rico team that includes former major leaguers Jose Valentin [...]

This may all be Jose Valentin's fault.As I sit here and watch the Mets strut their, er ... stuff on national television, I feel as if it's probably time for one of those "what went wrong, how can it get better" posts. You know the one, it's generally designed to map out the road back to greatness. Except every time I do that I get slammed.Okay, so I only really...

Jose Valentin, Julio Franco, Marlon Anderson, and Moises Alou were all great pick-ups their first year, but they all stayed a year too long.I know the Wilpon's don't like to waste money but most of the guys I'm talking about, made less then 2MM a year and when Minnesota can cut former Met Luis Ayala ( 1.3 MM), there's no way the Mets should hymn and haw about these...

How has this happened ?I want to focus on the positive, I really do.......I want to talk about how Ollie absolutely imploded, but that the Mets found a way to comeback and fight til the very end. The offense actually, came back on the Philles and scored middle inning runs with two outs to take a lead in the sixth. That they may have found a solid long man, who can handle pressure...

Sounds like the 'Stache wants to pad his bank account!Jose Valentin, 37, will rehab at Port St. Lucie for two to three weeks before undergoing another MRI. But with next year's $4.3 million deal guaranteed only if he reaches 400 plate appearances, he'll delay surgery until the offseason, if at all, s...

In other moves today the Mets have cut Jose Valentin, Tony Armas jr. and Junior Spivey. Valentin still believes he can play in the majors and while being a player/coach in Buffalo seemed like a good opportunity to begin camp, after the spring he's had he'll look elsewhere before he starts his coaching career. It appears they felt they had better options then Armas and Spivey who...