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Often when a team wins a championship some players just seem to do the unexpected or maybe just play over their head. Sometimes we pick up pieces at the trade deadline or claim a player off waivers. The 1969 and the 1986 Mets were very much like that. Those players that seemed to add a spark, get the big hit, or played like a champion for just that one year. In this episode I talk about those players from yesteryear and discuss who will be the players this year that could to go above and beyond and do the unexpected. With our lineup and with some surprise performances I believe that this team can win a championship. https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/message --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

At 65 I can't help but think back to what I call the good old days; the days of single admission doubleheaders and general admission seating at times for as low as $1.25. The food was cheap, the players were friendly, and at times when you were at Shea you felt like you could almost touch your heroes. The players were part of your family. The sign man and banner day are no more. But, we all still love this team and rejoice when they win and can get sick when they lose. Here are a few things for you older Mets fans to think about and remember.Everybody has a story, and as a Mets we got a lot of them.  If you would like to share your thoughts and memories click on the link below. https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/message --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

Carlos Beltran may have been the best centerfielder in Mets history. He routinely played between 140 and 160 games per season. He was a five tool player. He gets remembered for getting called out on strikes in the last game of the 2006 championship series against the Cardinals. Well now he has something else to be remembered for. He was mentioned in the Manfred report regarding the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal. But more and more information keeps coming out that he was the brains behind the operation and really almost bullied some players when they told him it wasn't a good idea. He could have been The Mets manager, but now his reputation is tarnished. Sadly, we all know he didn't have to do it.  Bleacher Report Beltran's Lifetime Statistics https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/message --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

It's almost incomprehensible that a team would sell controlling interest of their baseball team and expect to have decision making power and control going forward. How long do you wait for the owner of a house to move out after you purchased it from them? I think it's 60 days. Commissioner Manfred needs to get involved and take over this team or force a sale. Quite frankly I am sick of Fred and Jeff and think they need to be put out to pasture. They not only have trouble drafting, signing, trading, and hiring, now they don't even know how to sell a team.   https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/message --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

Kids today spend more time watching baseball and playing video games then they do playing the game. Oh, many kids are in leagues and play organized sport but how much time do kids spend outside playing without adult supervision. Baseball is one of the games that teaches kids how to get along, have productive conflict, become resilient, and most of all how to solve problems. It also helps kids manage bullying behavior and how to stand up for themselves. The main objective that all kids should have is to have fun. Often times too much adult supervision can interfere with and at times prevent the joy of just plain old playing. Be sure to check out my podcast Anti Bullying 101 for more information on this important topic. https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/message Anti Bullying 101 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

In my last podcast I stated that The Mets don't draft, trade, sign, or hire well. A short 40 second sound bite was posted on facebook which seemed to draw the ire of some Mets fans. In this episode I explain what happens when a team continues to make mistakes in the above mentioned areas. If all you want is to make the playoffs your in good shape. But, if you want to win a championship you have to build your team wisely. Listen in. I left a link for anyone to message me, and I would love to have some guests on the show to talk baseball.  https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/message --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

Well, Beltran is gone. So who is next up? Brodie Van Wagenen is the one responsible for whoever the next Met manager is going to be. He claims the sign stealing scandal never cam up in the Beltran interview, Why not? This scandal has been brewing for years. Beltran's name came up in the Manfred report, but Manfred claimed no players will be disciplined. Well Beltran was a player. Brodie didn't fire Beltran Manfred did. This team is now in a position of trying to find a manager with three weeks to go before spring training because Brodie didn't ask some important questions. And right now  the pickings are quite slim. Every team wants an advantage but when you leave the type of cyber footprint that Houston did you went to far and guess what; you got nailed. Are we now entering into the cyber era in baseball?   Commissioner's Report On The Sign Stealing Scandal --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

Brodie Vanwagenen doesn't like to deal in ifs. In other words if everyone performs up to snuff The Mets should have a great season and make the playoffs. Well we have a lot of ifs. The bullpen for one, the outfield, and who will back up Wilson Ramos. The other real wild card is will Yoenis Cespedes be ready for opening day. I want this team to make the playoffs, but the Braves and Nationals have only gotten better. One of them will get exponentially better if they sign Josh Donaldson. I hope that we are not headed for a third place finish in a really tough National League East.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

It seems like Mets fans are always kept in the dark when it comes down to the dealings of  ownership. We heard about Steve Cohen and his negotiations with the Wilpons to gain a controlling interest in the club last week. We don't know much more now. There are alot of things we as fans don't know about but we should. Every time we buy a ticket we are investing in this team. The Wilpons have had a way for years of keeping their biggest investors in the dark. From Madoff to Reyes to Wright, now Cespedes and Lowrie the fans never have the full story, or the truth. The fans just never know.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

Between Cano, Cespedes, Familia, and Lowrie the Mets have $70 million dollars on the books. These players have either broken down or are not performing up to their potential. Add David Wright's $20 million + salary on to that and you have $90 million of wasted money.These players eat up payroll and make it almost impossible to sign any legitimate free agents. Add to that a depleted farm system and you have a recipe for fielding a very similar team this coming year as we did last. Once again the Mets just seem to strive for mediocrity.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

Historically The Mets have either traded blue chip prospects or other players who were in or approaching their prime: Tom Seaver, Amos Otis, and Nolan Ryan to name a few. They also have gotten into the bad habit of playing people out of position messing with their heads and losing games defensively. In this episode of The New York Mets 101 I discuss five things that the Mets shouldn't do during the off season and the reasons why. I also talk about Jacob deGromm and Pete Alonso who have just been awarded the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year respectively. My thoughts if Brodie blows this off season again he is going to be on the outside looking in.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

When I was playing the game of baseball I didn’t think about what I was learning in the process, I was just there to have fun. But, in reality every step I took during the game brought me to another life lesson that I could learn from. Baseball is just one of those sports that just seemed to scream at me when I was playing, saying; “remember this one you’ll need it later.” There are so many things to learn but, baseball had its way with me and through osmosis I moved through life with the memories and the lessons that I learned from what seemed like a well healed teacher. Here are just a few. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

There are alot of things that the Mets don't do well both on and off the field. These six things are on the shoulders of The Wilpons, and if they don't start making improvements in the areas mentioned it will be a long time before we see another championship.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

Houston didn't win the series, the Yankees lost because of poor defense and a burned out bullpen. The Astros know how to play baseball and will win the World Series in 5 against The Nationals. Who will be the next Mets manager? There have been 3 managers of merit in the 58 years of their existence; Gil Hodges, Davey Johnson, and Bobby Valentine. Watch as this franchise ones again cheaps out and hires another rookie manager who will be a yes man.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

The playoffs are the playoffs. Cards are in trouble down 2-0 to the Nationals.. Yankees and Houston what I expected. Beltran only wants to manage The Mets. Do The Mets want him? And then there was The Seaver Documentary. If you missed it well you missed a alot. My sadness comes when I realized that there were so many career milestones this man achieved with other teams. The Mets just seem to have a way of screwing things up even with a Hall of Fame pitcher like Tom Seaver. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

Who will be the next manager of the Mets? One thing is for sure if the new guy has a track record and is a managerial star Brodie won't hire him. Brodie wants control and he always wants to be sure that the spotlight is on him. My fear is that once again we will have all the horses but still lose the race. Wake Up Brodie! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

The worst thing that could happen did when Fred Wilpon bought out Nelson Doubleday to become the primary share holder as owner of the Mets. He should have been forced to sell the team by Bud Selig because the money used was acquired through Bernie Madoff's ponzi scheme. As long as the Wilpon's are the owners we may never see another championship. Don't be surprised if Calloway hangs on because he is still owed money. The Wilpon's don't care about the team and constantly walk down the path of mediocrity.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

Casey Stengel was the first manager of The Mets and the first to refer to them as "Amazin." George Weis the first GM of The Mets talked him in to taking the job. When he started in 1962 he had a winning percentage as a manager of almost .750. When he retired in 1966 it was down to .507. The Mets couldn't of asked for a better guy, he took things in stride and understood who and what he had to work with. A true icon.  The Miami Series We split the series. We won two games. More importantly the games Miami won, they didn't really win them we lost them. Changes are coming and things will happen fast after The Braves series.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

Hunt broke into the major leagues in 1963 as the Mets’ regular second baseman, batting .272 with 10 home runs, which would be his career high, and 42 runs batted in, which he would tie in 1964. That year, he also finished runner-up to Pete Rose for the National League Rookie of the Yea honors. In 1964 he batted .303 and became the Mets’ first-ever starting All-Star representative, the game being played in Hunt's home ballpark, the newly opened Shea Stadium. He was also an All-Star representative in 1966. Hunt was a spark that the Mets needed. Never afraid to get him uniform dirty he reminds me of our second baseman today and that's Jeff McNeil.  The Cincinnati Series Well we took 2 of 3 from the Reds. Shoddy defense and a lack of hitting cost us in game 2 in which Wheeler pitched a good game. A 4 and 2 road trip is just not enough to get it done when you need to gain ground on the red hot Brewers.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support

It isn't often that one man could have such an impact on a team, but Tommie Agee did. Not one but two great World Series Catches. He was a difference maker in 1969. He left us far too early at the age of 58.  The Colorado Series Well we won 2 out of 3. But, MLB has to due something about these cross country trips after a Sunday night game. Matz flew ahead to rest up. I am still trying to figure this guy out and wonder if he'll be a piece of the 2020 puzzle.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/james-burns52/support