For people that are down on Ryan Church.

[Big Denny]

I was sort of curious as to why people feel this way. I recall that a lot of you advocated signing Aaron Rowand and it seems to me that Church can be every bIt as good as Rowand. Checking their career numbers they are somewhat similar. Based on 162 games their average seasons are:

Rowand AVG .286 HR 18 RBI 66 2B 32 BB 31 OBP .343 SLG.462 OPS .805

Church AVG. 271 HR 16 RBI 71 2B 35 BB 49 OBP.348 SLG.462 OPS .810

Church leads the guys in almost every gategory except average and HR and hit in a much tougher ball park. Both are very good defensive outfielders and Church is one year younger and will make much less $$$ this year.

To me, the kid seems like he has a lot of upside and all we gave up for him was a 21 year old malcontent. While I agree with those who say we should have traded Lastings when we his value was higher, I don't see what's so bad about Church at this point.

I'm predicting a nice season from the kid.

[FrankStylV7]

Church can't hit lefties with a piano leg.

[Sports Doctor]

Yeah all we gave is a 21 year old 'malcontent' who is in the ML putting up #'s at 23 when Church was in diapers in A ball

[dak11]

I have to say, I find using the 162 game average as a useless tool when evaluating players.

[Shastada]

Rowand is CF and Church is a corner OF... a corner OF needs more power. Thats all there is to it.

[Deepleft34]

Rowand is CF and Church is a corner OF... a corner OF needs more power. Thats all there is to it.

Not when you CF leads the team in HR's

[Fonzy13]

Rowand is CF and Church is a corner OF... a corner OF needs more power. Thats all there is to it.

They do? So you can't win without it? Interesting.

And you must have veteran leadership.

And you must have power at the corner outfield positions.

And you must have power pitching at the backend of the bullpen.

And you must be strong defensively up the middle.

And you must have a stopper.

And you must have a strong bench, with power coming off it.

And these self evident truths have never been proven wrong, nor will they.

If you do not have one of the above, you will lose.

[Shastada]

Not when you CF leads the team in HR's

Having a good CF'r is an excuse to field a sub par RF'r ?

[Paulie Cee]

I don't know why all of you are stressing about Ryan Church. Minaya is going to Nady his ass to Kansas City at the trade deadline for three middle relievers named Julio.

[Deepleft34]

Having a good CF'r is an excuse to field a sub par RF'r ?

... a corner OF needs more power. Thats all there is to it.

No, but the RF is not sub par. You logic of NEEDING to have an OFFENSIVE corner OF is flawed. Just look at the Mets circa 1998-2001. They had power in positions (C, 2nd Base) that typically did not. They also have power at 1st and 3rd, which allowed them to have entire OF that lacked any significant power. Payton, Agbayani, Shinjo, etc. did not scare anyone. These Mets have significant power at 1st, 3rd, and CF. Good power from LF also. They do not need it everywhere.

[Big Denny]

I don't know why all of you are stressing about Ryan Church. Minaya is going to Nady his ass to Kansas City at the trade deadline for three middle relievers named Julio.

Julio Church in Spanish woould actually be Julio Iglesias.

[Big Denny]

Rowand is CF and Church is a corner OF... a corner OF needs more power. Thats all there is to it.

Yeah and they had Shane Victorino in right.

Beltran and Church > than Rowand and Victorino.

[Gregory Gewirtz]

I was never very interested in Rowand, but the argument could be made that he's just heading into his prime, and that his solid 2007 season represents the start of a few years of serious production, not just a fluke or contract year's production.

Church can hit righties well, he's good afield, and he should be a useful player, but as others have said, I think Milledge is already about the hitter Church is right now, but Milledge is 6.5 years younger, is much faster, and has a good deal more potential, besides being much cheaper and under control for more years.

What's amazing to me is all these people who are high on Church, of which I figure a good deal of them don't give a fig about Shawn Green, but when you look at their 2007 seasons, their OPS against righties in about 350 or so ABs each was 1 point different. Church is younger and is a better fielder, and Green was overpaid in proportion to his production, but I think Mets fans rightly saw Green as completely expendable and pedestrian, but for whatever reason, see something a lot shinier in Church, when really both are complimentary, generic corner outfielders who are best platooned and hitting seventh.

But that all said, it's not Church's fault who the Mets gave up for him, and I hope Church does well in a Mets uniform. At the end of the day, I want the Mets to win and I want all the individual Mets to play well.

[Sports Doctor]

No, but the RF is not sub par. You logic of NEEDING to have an OFFENSIVE corner OF is flawed. Just look at the Mets circa 1998-2001. They had power in positions (C, 2nd Base) that typically did not. They also have power at 1st and 3rd, which allowed them to have entire OF that lacked any significant power. Payton, Agbayani, Shinjo, etc. did not scare anyone. These Mets have significant power at 1st, 3rd, and CF. Good power from LF also. They do not need it everywhere.

Yeah and those 1998-2001 Mets won how many titles?

[Deepleft34]

Yeah and those 1998-2001 Mets won how many titles?

They were a good , well balanced team is the point. Just because you have the pieces does not mean you are automatically granted a World Series. Stupid arguement. So there would be no need for pitching or defense either.