Moises, I Loooove You! (But I Don’t Want You Back In 2008)

By Taryn "The Coop" Cooper
Posted Tuesday, October 23, 2007

On Wednesday, September 12, I attended a Mets / Braves game with fellow Mets bloggerati Zoe and Billy Fabs. When Marlon Anderson clocked a home run in this game, Mr. Fabs in his drunken happiness turned around (for a video camera) with his “admiration proclamation” for Anderson.

“MARLON…I looooooooooooooooooooooooove yoooooouuuuuu!”

Needless to say, this admission has gotten lots of mileage from the three of us.

I told you that to tell you this. Most of you know of my admiration for Moises Alou, as chronicled here and here. I even started to say in our circles whenever Moises had a good night down the stretch (which was basically every night), “Moises, I looooooooooooove yoooouuu!”

Now for someone being paid $7.5 million for one season, and an option for 2008, and being out a third of the year, I’d be willing to throw him under the bus. I liked the Moises Alou signing. I’ve gone on record and said that many times.

I liked it, however, in the offseason of 2006.

Bringing Alou back for 2007 would shoot the Mets in the proverbial foot -- or in the quadriceps, where Moises typically injures himself.

And before those of you chime in with,well, that’s all well and good Coop, but who will play left field next year (especially if my prediction of Carlos Gomez being packaged in a trade somewhere comes true)?

Umm, hello! This is left field, not David Wright at third base or Jose Reyes at shortstop. Moises Alou is replaceable. And before I hear more people chime in with, well then, who will replace his bat? Well, I’d like to remind you all that Moises Alou’s performance down the stretch would have been just part of the story had another player on the team of the overpaid defensively-challenged first baseman species could hit his weight this year. There is also no guarantee Alou will continue his tear without going down for long stretches at a time.

Just prior to signing with the Mets, Alou considered retirement. His father, Felipe, told him he had at least one more year left. Well, unless he meant he’d be out half of 2007 and half of 2008, then yes, I guess Daddy Alou was right.

There is one constant on this team that I think most of us can agree on as fans and aficionados of the sport. The Mets need to get younger. I’m sure the average age went down to like 36.5 from like 41.2 when Julio Franco left the team (that’s a joke). If this team is truly serious about infusing a youth movement and sprinkling in some veterans or players who have been around a few years, well, they can lean on Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran and yes, Carlos Delgado, who I believe will turn things around next year. Well, he has to, since I have a pair of shoes riding on him.

I love you, Moises. I do. But if you’re going to fulfill your dad’s prophecy by giving it the old college try for one more year, please do it someplace else!

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