The Rising Apple Report, Ep. 8: A Gal for All Seasons Talks Mets

I was pleased to once again be hosting on The Rising Apple Report last night, with a special guest for the second week in a row. Taryn Cooper, also known as “The Coop” from A Gal for All Seasons, joined Rising Apple staffers Rich Sparago, Michael Lecolant, and myself on the show. In addition to having a nice conversation with Coop, the three of us had the opportunity to debate and share our opinions on the latest hot-button topics regarding the Mets.

First, we each reacted to Johan Santana‘s request to represent Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic officially being denied by Sandy Alderson and the Mets. It’s understandable as to why the southpaw wanted to at least try and represent his country in this tournament, but we were all in agreement that the Amazins had every right to make the move they did. In all reality, Santana probably knew there was no way he would have gotten cleared to play next month, but it was certainly worth a try, which I think we can all respect. Either way, New York has at least $25 million invested in that left arm and shoulder of Santana, and there’s no way he should be using some of those bullets while not donning the Orange and Blue.

We then welcomed Coop onto the show, as Rich took the reins and she told us exactly how she came about being a Mets fan, and where her roots in blogging began. She also talked about some of the special guests she’s been able to chat with on her own podcast, some of which include the likes of Nolan Ryan and Gary Carter.

After hearing where the Coop originated from, we got to talking about the 2013 Mets, and unlike most baseball analysts, she gave us an optimistic way of looking at it, as the division is deep, but the Amazins still have a chance to be competitive. No one feels that they’ll challenge the Nationals for the division title, but if everything falls into place and her favorites such as Jonathon Niese and Ike Davis perform like they’re supposed to, then we could be in for a fun summer.

Before we were forced to get off the air, Mike and Rich both talked about the potential impact Daniel Murphy‘s intercostal injury could have on him, while telling us whether or not David Wright should put a “C” on his jersey if officially named captain. I’d tell you more, but then that means you won’t listen, so make sure to give the show a listen while you try and get through the afternoon on this Friday Eve.