Master Index of Archived Threads


Boomer calls out Ken Rosenthal

metsguyinmichigan Feb 12 2010 05:23 PM

I didn't hear this, but it was posted on Facebook... Great job by WFAN’s Boomer Esiason who called out Ken Rosenthal on his morning show today for Rosenthal’s latest columnin which he continues to perpetuate the allegation that the Mets are broke. Boomer asks Rosenthal about his claim that “people in the industry” confirmed that the Mets are short on cash pointing to the team’s desire to hold down payroll for the 2010 season. “The Yankees are doing the same thing, does this mean they are short on cash too?” Rosenthal concludes, “You’re right, the Mets are not the only team doing this and they will still have a top five payroll in 2010?. Boomer really starts to tear apart Rosenthal’scolumn when he asks, “Why do you use termssuch as”some in the industry” which I consider to be a throw-away line and it’s only purpose is to alarm readers into saying OMG the Mets are having some major financial problems. You use words like that and it drives Mets fans crazy, but seriously is using a phrase like “some in the industry” evidence that it’s from a valuable or legitimate source?” (nice job by Boomer) Rosenthal completely skirts the question and says, “What the phrase says, with regard to the catching situation, what I’ve been hearing from some in the industry, and that’s how we report in baseball and other sports, that hey, the Mets are not in a position to spend anymore money. Look at Jon Garland and Joel Pineiro and how they signed for less than what some expected and yet the Mets did not get involved. Obviously they don’t want to raise payroll anymore, that’s why I wrote what I did.” Carton chimes in and says that “the Mets have made it well known that aside from Lackey who had no interest in coming to NY, none of the other pitchers out there were any better than the pitchers the Mets already have”. (Solid point) Boomer says, “I still don’t get you… You are aware that the Mets have the highest paid starter, highest paid left fielder, highest paid closer,highest paid centerfielder…” Rosenthal counters, “I go back to my original point, the Mets are going to have a top five payroll, and I guess they’re not really totally broke. But to have the rotation that they have and not to make one addition, that to me is a shocking development.” (shocking development?) Boomer, “Isn’t this the same rotation that exactly one year ago was predicted to go all the way and win the World Series?” Rosenthal, “The single most baffling news of the 2010 off season was that Joel Pineiro wanted to come to the Mets, it doesn’t happen, heand ends up going to the Angels for a deal that was lower than expected.” Carton, “But didn’t the Mets make him an offer?” Rosenthal, “Yeah… they made him an offer… but my original point was about their decision making.” (umm, whatever dude) Rosenthal goes into his Mets “paint by numbers” approach to the off season and is then cut off as Boomer completely hammers him and says, “I don’t have a problem if you believe that Wilpon is too hands on and Omar isn’t a real general manager, that’s your opinion, but my problem with you is when you say “industry sources say the Mets are short on cash”. It could be someone with an ax to grind against the Mets for all I know, or maybe it’s even the Yankees saying it.I just think it’s a cheap shot Kenny.” (Go Boomer!) Rosenthal goes into hyper-defense mode, “You’re assuming my sources have an ax to grind, you have no idea who my sources are. I’m not buying this cheap shot stuff! Their payroll is going to be down this year” Boomer, “So is the Yankees!” It’s hammer time… This is great listening if you happen to be a Mets fan who is sick and tired of how the media has portrayed the Mets all offseason.Awesome job by Boomer…

Ashie62 Feb 12 2010 05:26 PM Re: Boomer calls out Ken Rosenthal

Boomer J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS

metirish Feb 12 2010 05:58 PM Re: Boomer calls out Ken Rosenthal

Ken Rosenthal is the littlest bollox going and it's good to see him get grilled.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 12 2010 06:26 PM Re: Boomer calls out Ken Rosenthal Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Feb 12 2010 08:26 PM

I heard the interview as it happened this morning and it wasn't all that contentious. Rosenthal was trying to be careful that Boomer understood the context of the remark in question, which he said was about Rod Barajas and not necessarily about everything and everyone. Boomer's point was that unnamed sources could have axes to grind. Rosenthal defended his sources by saying he trusted the people who confided in him and that his rep depended on them getting it right, but Boomer stayed with his point even after this, that's where it got a little heated. Where they let Rosenthal off the hook, in my opinion, was his using the Mets' lukewarm pursuit of Piniero and Garland as evidence of organizational dysfunction and a lack of willingnes to part with the $$. They both sorta agreed with him on that. The Mets/Omar really have a chance to make a lot of people eat a lot of words this year.

Edgy DC Feb 12 2010 06:40 PM Re: Boomer calls out Ken Rosenthal

I know Garland had a modestly good ERA and threw 200 innings and all last year, but I speak with some not insignifigant degree of seriousness when I say I'd rather see Steve Trachsel in camp for the Mets this year.

metirish Feb 12 2010 07:22 PM Re: Boomer calls out Ken Rosenthal

See this is the problem this off season for the Mets , every FA no matter how good or marginal that didn't end up in Flushing is seen as a snub to a club on the way down or proof that the club is broke.....I am sick and fucking tired of it. Mets fans haven't help in this regard of course.

Gwreck Feb 12 2010 07:55 PM Re: Boomer calls out Ken Rosenthal

Broke or not, it still is somewhat strange that we didn't bother to pick up one additional starter, if only for depth purposes. I can understand not going to $10 million for Sheets but Rosenthal does have a good point that it's strange that NO additional starting pitcher was acquired.

Edgy DC Feb 12 2010 09:18 PM Re: Boomer calls out Ken Rosenthal

But why in particular? We 've struck out time and again on low-end roster-clogging back-of-the-rotation veteran starting pitchers. Tim Reeding, Brian Lawrence, Scott Erickson and such leave you waiting for the train while maneuverableguys like Figueroa, Stokes, and Nieve will carry your bags and punch your ticket or get the hell out of the way. Here's one thing I learned about Casey Stengel --- he never had a stabile rotation. Yeah, he stuck with Whitey Ford, and mostly Vic Raschi, but after that it was whoever had the hot hand. The way Bill James told it, while other managers (and moreso in recent years) see value in loyalty, naming their rotation and sticking with them through lean times, because dammit, this is my rotation and I'm going to need these fellers when crunch time comes. Casey thought loyalty was sending his team out there every day with the available pitcher least likely to undermine their effort. I'm embracing ambiguity. Fuck it. I am.

Ashie62 Feb 13 2010 03:11 PM Re: Boomer calls out Ken Rosenthal

Casey's way of doing things may look very familiar at Citifield this year. I still don't understand why the Mets stuck with Santana, Pelfrey, Maine, Ollie & pitcher "X" isn't that asking for trouble?

Edgy DC Feb 13 2010 05:12 PM Re: Boomer calls out Ken Rosenthal

They didn't stick with them. Most of them were hurt most of last year. All of them were hurt at least part of last year. They had 11 different pitchers make five or more starts.

RealityChuck Feb 17 2010 07:47 AM Re: Boomer calls out Ken Rosenthal

Ultimately, other than Lackey, there was no starting pitcher out there that was appreciably better than those the Mets have, especially since they wanted considerably more money (well, maybe not more than Perez, but we'd still be paying Ollie's salary in any case. So you can waste money on a so-so pitcher via free agency, or you can stick with what you have -- whose problems weren't lack of talent, but rather were injuries. Too much analysis this season is based upon the Mets getting a "magic pitcher" who just didn't exist. And believing that one or more of one of the weakest sets of free agents in a long time was that magic pitcher.