According to an Associated Press article, Moises Alou says he would never have caught that ball that Steve Bartman “interfered” with.

I guess being down and out with his hernia injury has allowed him to rack his memory for strange happenings over his lifetime.

From the AP:

“Everywhere I play, even now, people still yell, ‘Bartman! Bartman!’ I feel really bad for the kid,” Alou told Associated Press columnist Jim Litke.

“You know what the funny thing is?” he added a moment later. “I wouldn’t have caught it, anyway.”

I totally forgot that Castillo hit that ball. I wonder if there was any tension between Alou and Castillo when they first were teammates.

Anyway, I think it’s about time Cubs fans give up on the Bartman bashing. 100 years, Wrigley faithful, it wasn’t one guys fault.

In it’s much anticipated first appearance this season, The Moises Alou Injury postings have begun.

According to Bart Hubbuch of the NY Post, Alou was supposed to hit against Johan Santana this morning, but was spotted “with a large bandage and ice pack on his right wrist.” Alou eventually did take swings later in the day.

Well that didn’t take long at all. This will be #1 of an estimated 29,843 Alou injury posts this season. Stay tuned.

In a much anticipated live batting practice session, Johan Santana finally faced batters as a member of the New York Mets.

David Lennon in Newsday relays what went on down in snow-less Port St. Lucie:

Everyone gathered at Field 6 to see Johan Santana, but the star of the session was 25-year-old catcher, Solomon Manriquez, who took Santana deep into the trees beyond the centerfield fence.

Could you imagine being a minor-leaguer facing Santana, and jacking one over the wall? Sure, it’s his first session in spring training, but Manriquez has to be on cloud nine right now.

Update: Jeremy Cothran posts a recap of the pitches on his NJ.com blog:

David Wright — took four straight pitches and then hit a weak tapper to third.
Olmedo Saenz — foul ball, pop up, pop up, changeup low, fastball high.
Ryan Church — fastball strike, fastball strike, changeup low, single to right, changeup outside.
Damion Easley — crushed a ball foul, fastball low, pop out, fastball high, single to left.
Salomon Manriquez — foul ball, foul ball, home run left-center, foul.

Overkill much?

The Associated Press reports that the Cubs have traded OF Angel Pagan to the Mets for RHP Ryan Meyers and OF Corey Coles. Pagan is coming back to the Mets from the Cubs, where he was traded back in 2006 for cash considerations.

Pagan, age 26, batted .264 with 4 home runs and 21 RBI in 71 games last year.

Meyers spent time at Savannah and St. Lucie last year, going 1-4 with a 2.79 ERA. He logged 13 saves.

Coles batted .286 at three different minor league levels, tagging one home run and driving in 31 RBI.

Pagan hits .289/.341/.395/.736 against right handed pitching and .236/.269/.486/.755 against left handed pitching.

Metstradamus, per usual, has an interesting take on the trade and on Pagan’s unique name.

Welcome back. I can see him working out as an Endy Chavez type player, coming in for late inning defense in place of old man Moises Alou. That is, if he makes the team. As we saw last year, a team can never have enough outfielders.

Today is the official day to celebrate Festivus!

Festivus is, of course, the holiday popularized by the TV show Seinfeld.

In honor of this magical day, I will go through the three stages of Festivus, with a Mets theme!

First up, the Airing of Grievances…

Lastings Milledge: Good riddance.

Willie Randolph: I like you, really, I do. But please…learn how to manage a pitching staff and bullpen. You wore down the staff until they couldn’t hold up anymore. I blame you for the second half collapse more than anyone.

Omar Minaya: So far, so…mediocre. I have little to no faith in Mike Pelfrey and Philip Humber backing up our rotation, so we need a starter from somewhere. Even if it’s a workhorse like Livan Hernandez or if we have to trade for Joe Blanton, just get on your Blackberry and get something done.

Tom Glavine: See Milledge.

Jose Reyes: If you do what you did last year again, I won’t be very happy with you.

Guillermo Mota: See Milledge AND Glavine.

Scott Schoeneweis: If you are out there against a right handed batter, just run off the field.
Numbers against lefties: 93 AB, 0 runs, 19 hits, .204 AVG, .306 OBP.
Numbers against righties: 136 AB, 36 runs, 43 hits, .316 AVG, .382 OBP.
Run into the dugout and hide.

Oliver Perez: If you screw with your arm angle one more time, I’m going to come down onto the field and rub your face in the base path chalk.

Rickey Henderson: See Milledge, Glavine, and Mota…hopefully.

Now up, the Festivus Miracles…

Moises Alou: You’re a miracle with your 30 game hitting streak. If only you could’ve gotten it to match your age. Keep on truckin’ old man.

John Maine: Pitching your heart out, and coming oh so close to the elusive first Mets no hitter. Four outs away, until that little dribbler along third base ends it. Almost saved our season, but still a Festivus miracle.

And finally…the Feats of Strength!

David Wright: For being such a stand up guy, leader, and great baseball player. Trying everything in your power to carry the collapsing team on your back during the second half of the year. Soon, you will be wearing a “C” on your chest…soon.

Shea Stadium: For not collapsing yet.

Happy Festivus everyone!

For more Mets news and opinion, visit TheRopolitans.com!

Check out this article in the New York Times on Jose Reyes.

From Ben Shpigel…

On this particular day, Reyes’s weight room, in the rear of his parents’ house, doubled as a gathering spot. Waves of friends and family came through, shaking hands with everyone. Arismendy Toribio, a childhood friend, has known Reyes since they were 6, and he said at that age, Reyes was not even the fastest boy in town.

“No chance,” Reyes, his brows furrowed, said in Spanish. “Who were they?”

“They were older,” Toribio said, laughing. “They’re not faster than you now,” he added as Reyes laughed, too.

What a competitor.

The more i read about this kid, the more and more i like him. The Mets should not, and most likely will not, trade him for anything. He is one of the most respected and talented players in the game, and he is only 24.

And he hasn’t even hit his prime..

Matt Cerrone is reporting on MetsBlog that the Minnesota Twins reached out to a few teams last night seeking another deal for Johan Santana.

From Cerrone…

During a recent spot for ESPN News, ESPN.com’s Keith Law said that the Twins have once again reached out to the Mets, Dodgers and Angels regarding Santana.

I really want this Santana sweepstakes to be over already.

If we can’t get Santana for Mike Pelfrey, Ryan Church, Carlos Gomez, and Aaron Heilman, but the Red Sox can lead the way with Jon Lester, Coco Crisp, Justin Masterson and Jed Lowrie. I’m very confused.

Matt Cerrone over at MetsBlog brings us this note from ESPN 1050…

Orioles COO Andy MacPhail says he expects to meet with Mets GM Omar Minaya about LHP Erik Bedard while in Nashville, reports Andrew Marchand of ESPN 1050 in New York.

I really want Bedard, but with Lastings Milledge now gone, i don’t think we should be trading away guys like Carlos Gomez and Fernando Martinez. I think at least one of them, if not both would be in this trade, since Gomez/Pelfrey/Heilman wasn’t enough to net him the first time around.

Is it too soon to think about trading away Ryan Church and possibly pursuing Xavier Nady?