Twisted in the wind

Well, there goes Mr. Torrealba. As I wrote yesterday, he was all set to sign with the Mets, all he had to do was pass a physical. Then word gets out today that negotiations have ceased and they will not resume. Apparently Torrealba agreed to a 3 year deal, but changed his mind and backed out at the last minute. My guess is he was not happy about splitting time with Ramon Castro.

I can hear Paul LoDuca laughing right now. After two years, the Mets did not even offer him a contract, they went straight for Posada and Torrealba. Not even a one year deal! Now the Mets have no choice but to go back to LoDuca and offer him a contract. And if I was LoDuca, after being treated that way, I would tell Omar Minaya (in no certain terms) to go take a hike.

So if the Mets are not going to trade for a catcher (which I don't want them to, considering they should be using their prospects to acquire pitching), either re-sign LoDuca or get Michael Barrett in here. Please for the love, do not get Jason Kendall.

And David Eckstein would be a good player to get at second base. The Mets are wining and dining him this week. But for 36 million over 4 years? I don't know. I would not go past 3 years and 21 million for him. But we know how you acquire free agents in baseball. You overpay them.

And a few things on the Knicks. First of all, Stephon Marbury is the poorest excuse for a teammate I have ever seen. Walking out on his team because the coach tells him he won't be starting that night's game. And he came back for the next game, against the Clippers. Before the game, the Knicks took a poll on whether they wanted Marbury to play. They voted no, they didn't want him to play. Coach/GM/President Isiah Thomas played him off then bench anyway, for 34 of 48 minutes in the Knicks' 84-81 loss. And I was thrilled to get Eddy Curry from the Bulls. The guy doesn't rebound or play defense. He should bully other centers. He can do it against bad players. But against Dwight Howard or Shaq, he turns into Spud Webb, 5 feet tall. I wish Ron Artest was on this team to give them some toughness. The Knicks need a dog, like what Larry Johnson, Latrell Sprewell, or Charles Oakley, or Anthony Mason used to give them. Toughness and some New York freakin' attitude.

I'm not one to call for wholesale changes. But we have suffered enough. No playoff games won since 2001. One playoff appearance in eight years. No championship since 1973. Draft choice bust after draft choice bust for years, although the last three years have been better. Isiah needs to go. Steve Mills needs to get out of the front office. Marbury especially needs to go. And Jim Dolan cannot sell MSG fast enough.