Well, we can't have the Cohen/Cone team. So he's out.

Did Leiter officially retire? I have trouble believing that he can't hang on, if he wants to. At least as a LOOGY.

Hernandez was 100% terrible last time I heard him on TV.

Is Grant Roberts available? I like the cut of his jib.

That really sucks. Now I won't get to hear him anymore.

Yes!

MLB.tv better pick up SNY for all the Mets' games.

Did Leiter officially retire? I have trouble believing that he can't hang on, if he wants to. At least as a LOOGY.
No, but he's made strong statements that it's unlikely he'll return.

This makes me very happy. No more muting of the games on TV... well, when I'm home anyway.

This is good news. I just hope they do their best to get a good replacement on the radio. We'll probably get something like Howie Rose and John Franco.

Oh, this is so happy making.

Great. Seeing as I'm a Cablevision hostage, I won't hear Gary ANYWHERE!

Grrrrrrrrrr!

Gary is the best -- but hard to imagine they won't muzzle him.

Hernandez was 100% terrible last time I heard him on TV.

You kidding? Maybe he was just having a bad day, because I think Hernandez is great.

I think most people agree that Hernandez is very enjoyable.

Listening to Hernandez is a lot like reading his book (and no, I don't mean If At First... )

This is great news. Cohen is my favorite baseball announcer.

And I personally don't like Hernandez on TV. I think he complains and whines a little too much. But, to each his own I guess.

A team of Cohen and Leiter would be excellent.

So, this is the Mets thread? Here's something to think/worry about...

According to the New York Daily News, Mets GM Omar Minaya is laying the foundation for a potential trade with the Devil Rays for Danys Baez and Aubrey Huff.

Apparently, the Mets would try to complete the deal if they failed to land Billy Wagner and the Manny Ramirez talks didn't go anywhere. It's likely that some combination of Yusmeiro Petit, Aaron Heilman and Jae Seo would be involved. Baez would likely close for the Mets if acquired. Nov. 9 - 3:48 am et

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/13119489.htm

"Tabs"?

re #14, I like Huff, but if that's the deal I think I'd rather get Manny. Acquiring Baez to close is a 100% bad idea. Just give the job to Heilman if that's your thinking.

manny doesn't wanna play for hte mets, remember?

and heilman will close for willy when kazmir starts for the mets.

Where's Ralph Kiner? I hope the Mets bring him back; its hard to believe they won't. I expect him to be the first 100 year old broadcaster.

I like Hernandez as an announcer, but I'm not sure he wants the job as a full-time gig. Cone is intelligent, but I haven't heard him announce much.

Despite wanting Kiner back, I will be happy if they have fewer announcers overall; there were about 10 rotating last year.

YES!

Move Howie to TV too. Cohen and Rose should stay together.

This is a good move, though they could have replaced Healy with a parrot and it would have been a good move.

Where's Ralph Kiner? I hope the Mets bring him back; its hard to believe they won't.

Even if they don't there is a good chance he just wanders in anyway.

And I personally don't like Hernandez on TV. I think he complains and whines a little too much. But, to each his own I guess.

I don't mind Hernandez's criticism. It's better than Healy's fanboyism, and Hernandez is smart and will back up his criticism. For example, last year he criticized the Met batting coaches about Reyes because Reyes kept dropping his shoulder when he swung, causing him to get under the ball and pop it up.

Like rdfc said, I think Hernandez doesn't want to do this full-time. That being said, he could be convinced to do it a few times a week at home and the occiasonal road trip (he went out to Oakland and SF last year, to see family I bet).

Despite wanting Kiner back, I will be happy if they have fewer announcers overall; there were about 10 rotating last year.

It's unusual. It's also frustrating because Healy is the only laugh out loud bad broadcaster of all of them. Some are good, some are sentimental, but you could do worse.

I'm kind of torn about this. I'm happy for Gary because he's great, a far, far better choice than O'Brien. Plus, I've never heard a single person (except Charles Dolan?) say a nice thing about Fran Healy's work. I'm really going to miss Gary on the radio, though. Who replaces him (or more accurately, moves into the #2 spot as Howie moves up) is a really big decision that I hope the Mets don't screw up. I can't think of anybody who's done Mets games in recent years who really would be a good choice. Ted Robinson wasn't terrible, I guess. Eddie Coleman is a really nice guy but he's never going to criticize anybody, so I wouldn't go with him. Hopefully they can find a young up-and-comer like they did when they hired Cohen back in 1988. Please, keep John Franco far away from this team in any capacity!

I must be in the minority on this, but I've enjoyed Healy's ability to tell stories and his respect for baseball history. He was also a lot of fun to listen to in the late seventies and early eighties, when he teamed with Phil Rizzuto on Yankee radio broadcasts. They argued about EVERYTHING.

As for Cohen, he's terrific, one of the best play-by-players around. He's also honest, willing to criticize home town players when they do something stupid or make mental mistakes. Radio's loss will be TV's gain.

Also, one of the reasons Cohen was able to get the TV job--and this is not meant as a putdown--was his willingness to work all of the Mets' broadcasts, which NY Sports Net has made a priority in hiring announcers. So when Cohen has a conflict with Seton Hall basketball, he will announce the Mets game.

In a similar vein, Ted Robinson was not brought back because he wouldn't give up his duties on U.S Open tennis in August and September. That was a sticking point for the new Mets network.

As for the new Mets radio team, I'd like to see Howie Rose move up to No. 1, with Al Leiter becoming the color guy. The Democrats on this site don't care for Leiter, but he is one of the better ex-players turned broadcasters I've ever heard. He can break down pitchers as well as anybody.

Is Seaver officially gone, or is he still a possibility?

I remember the first time I ever heard Fran Healy - he was doing a Yankee game on the radio with Phil Rizutto. This was 1978. I didn't think he'd have much of a career as an announcer. I'll never understand what Sportschannel saw in him.

He certainly has gotten to announce with big baseball names - Rizutto, Bill White, Mel Allen, Ralph Kiner, Tim McCarver, Tom Seaver, Keith Hernandez

I doubt Al Leiter will have any interest in doing radio. You don't see big-name players doing radio except if it's Spanish radio. Ron Santo is the only one I can think of off the top of my head who does radio.

Some Billy Wagner news:

Wagner, who will hit the open free-agent market on Friday, won't sign for anything less than three years guaranteed.

"No way," the lefthander said in a telephone interview yesterday. "Not when the Mets and a few other teams will guarantee three."

"I can't imagine why [the Phillies] wouldn't have already gone to three years," Wagner said. "I can understand not wanting to do a full no-trade clause, but I can't understand why they're not going three years. I'm surprised."

"I think it's only right that I hear what other teams have to say - especially a great situation like the Mets. And I'm still hoping the Braves and Washington will call."

Link

In a similar vein, Ted Robinson was not brought back because he wouldn't give up his duties on U.S Open tennis in August and September. That was a sticking point for the new Mets network.

I guess that all-but decides who will be pairing with Ken Korach and taking Bill King's place, since Ted lives in Palo Alto and almost came back to do A's tv a couple years ago before deciding to stay with the Mets.

How bout this for a scenario:

Mike Piazza retires and does the color with Gary Cohen?

I know there's almost no chance of it happening, but I really liked Piazza as a color guy during the playoffs. Leiter's great, too.

"No way," the lefthander said in a telephone interview yesterday. "Not when the Mets and a few other teams will guarantee three."

Way to get us a tampering charge there Billy.

From USA Today:

Free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal has no genuine interest in playing second base for the Mets and will either stay in Atlanta or go to the Cubs.

No sources, so it is probably not worth much.

I doubt Al Leiter will have any interest in doing radio. You don't see big-name players doing radio except if it's Spanish radio. Ron Santo is the only one I can think of off the top of my head who does radio.

I think that Rico Petrocelli did radio for the Red Sox for a year or two, but I don't have a Red Sox media guide (hopefully I'll pick one up at a SABR meeting later this month.) But, I'm not sure if he qualifies as a big name outside of New England.

And yes Repoz, ...Nyuck nyuck nyuck...

I wouldn't be against Leiter because he's right-wing, but I'd be afraid that he would be sour toward Willie and Omar, like Jimmy Piersall was to ChiSox management. I admire and enjoy Vin Scully, and he's a major GOP guy. I have no problem with an announcer's politics as long as he doesn't subject us to them, like Al Michaels does. I've always thought David Cone was a natural for the booth, and i hope they hire him.

I remember Healy with the Scooter too Bruce. He probably got more "you Huckleberry"'s per hour than any of Rizzuto's partners (except when "White" would bring up Enos Slaugher or Eddie Stanky) and you kinda thought Fran just liked to get Scooter riled.

I asked this before, now that we're on the subject of NY baseball broadcasts, does anyone remember when Rizzuto was bored during a Yankee-Chicago blowout and pulled out a Henny Youngman jokebook? He was cracking Seaver up, and all the while the director was telling him to stop, he was refusing and Tom Terrific was goading him on. I never laughed so much at a live broadcast.