All along BMF has been predicting Manny will end up a Dodger but the recent rumors of the Giants prepping an offer makes me realize San Francisco makes perfect sense too.

Either way he’s not coming to the Mets so if you’re still holding out hope I’m here to say you need to let that fantasy go.

Manny and La-La-Land are a natural combo in more ways than one but here are 3 reasons SF is a great fit as well:

• They can pay him Manny money. I don’t care about that Zito contract anymore the Giants need to prove to their fan base, and young pitchers, that they want to win. Adding Manny accomplishes that in spades.

• Manny would thrive off the drama of single handedly re-igniting a Dodger/Giant rivalry that’s gone semi-dormant with the doormat Giants.

• SF has proven itself to be city tolerant of d-bag athletes - i.e. Bonds, Kent, and the recently acquired Big Unit. Not to say Manny is as bad as those creeps but the guy did assault a GM’s assistant and tanked on his own team to get traded.

Of course the main con to this arrangement is the Giant offense would consist of Manny and… well that’s pretty much it. So it’s understandable Manny is supposedly cool to the idea of Frisco but if they offer more than LA they’ll likely get him b/c I don’t remember the last time a Boras client left money on the table.

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Speaking of Boras the latest is he’ll sit down with the Mets for a face to face about Lowe and Ollie Perez.

Hmmm, do I smell a hint of fear and worry coming from Boras’ direction?

Me thinks I do and I’m LOVIN’ IT!!!!

If CitiGroup has succeeded in nothing else as Met sponsor they’re officially dominating the World of Crappy Logos.

First we got the CitiField (Dominos Pizza tribute) Logo and now they unleash their second consecutive graphic debacle in the form of the “Inaugural Season” patch.

After seeing it BMF is forced to ask aloud, “Exactly who are the geniuses in CitiGroup’s marketing dept that smashed the glass ceiling of awfulness with this masterpiece in mediocrity?”

Are they kidding me?

Actually to call it “mediocre” is being nice - it’s a catastrophic failure of a logo.

Seriously, if I were teaching a class on logo making and someone made this I’d give ‘em an “F”.

How can you design a logo for a new stadium and not include the stadium name, team name, sponsor name or any visual cue as to what the patch is for?

Inaugural Season of WHAT? WHERE? And with WHO???

I mean can we at least get an Ebbets/CitiField arch across the top of the patch?

What a freakin’ joke.

What really burns me up is the fact that the Mets would stand for this.

I think I remember hearing the team didn’t have control over the stadium logo when they issued the Domino’s Pizza redux but that doesn’t really make any sense. I have a hard time believing the Mets had ZERO creative input on a logo that will adorn their stadium for 20 years and the patch that’s going on their uniform.

The funniest thing is MLB is actually putting these patches on sale for 15 bucks apiece!

What a farce.

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If you thought yesterday’s Shea wrecking ball picture on BMF was disturbing check out WCBS880’s pix

According to Scott Boras the Mets need to come up with “16M/yr if they want to Get in the Game” for Derek Lowe.

To which BMF responds… uh, exactly what game are you referring to Mr. Super Agent???

Perhaps you’re thinking about the ol’ big market game where teams recklessly out bid each other to over pay non-elite players??? Well outside of Brian Cashman’s office that game isn’t in session this year.

It’s a real shame for Boras and his millionaire clients but no matter how hard he bluffs this time I just don’t think anyone’s buyin’ into it.

Ya gotta respect the guy for doing his job but if his leverage consists of the Phils, Braves, and a “mystery” (ahem, make believe) team BMF is calling BS on Boras.

I simply don’t buy that the Phils are in the market for an expensive starter and until I see an offer from the Braves or Brewers I won’t believe there’s anyone willing to go above 12M for Lowe.

Omar looked pretty comfortable when I caught him on MLB Network’s Hot Stove Show (I’m already a big fan) and I had to chuckle when he mentioned Randy Wolf’s name on air but not Ollie Perez. The GM is in full negotiating mode when he won’t give Boras the added buzz of merely uttering Perez’ name.

I like the way Minaya is handling his off-season thus far and I approve of the direction he’s going at the moment cuz the longer we wait the more leverage we gain re: Lowe.

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Did anyone else catch SNL Last nite?

BMF saw a few minutes of their “SNL Sunday Nite Sports Recap” which was basically a showcase of the program’s all-time funniest sports related segments.

I almost turned the channel when lo and behold they ran an old Bill Murray interview with Garret Morris’ Chico Escuela character – y’know the “Beisball has been beddy, beddy good to me” guy.

The set up was a 41-year old Escuela attempting a comeback with the Mets and they even shot with the team during spring training circa 1978 (?)… Hard to place it exactly but I spotted the likes of Steve Henderson, Eddie Kranepool and Pat Zachary so I’m guessing ’78…

Unfortunately during Escuela’s short retirement he wrote a “tell-all” book titled, “Bad Stuff ’Bout the Mets” which levied accusations such as, “Tom Seaver always take 2 parking spots” and “Kranepool borrow my soap and not return it”.

BMF never knew this existed but I thought it was freakin’ brilliant. It’s not the comedy so much as it’s just an awesome time capsule of the awful late 70‘s Mets.

I’d love to link to it but I can’t find anything so if anyone can dig anything up please let me know…

Word is Derek Lowe (read Scott Boras) isn’t satisfied with the Met offer of 3 yrs/36M.

I don’t blame the super agent for trying to squeeze as much money as possible out of a bunch of rich owners but BMF remains unconvinced anyone will better Omar’s initial offer.

I wouldn’t be shocked if the price went up but I also wouldn’t bat an eye if 3/36 is the best Lowe gets during the current recession.

I’m still waiting to hear who our real competition is for the free agent pitcher.

Therefore it doesn’t look like there’s any bidding war shaping up to prevent the Mets from landing Perez’s replacement.

Seems to me it’s just a matter of time…

Although we’re all rooting for better things for our Mets in ‘09 BMF has to say in the grand scheme of things being a Mets fan 2008 really wasn’t all that bad.

Sure we collapsed down the stretch (again!) but we had a helluva compettitive season. And as all non-New Jack Met fans know being in the mix in the final days of Sept is a much better deal than finding yourself 18 games out in July as has been the case all too often with this franchise.

I mean we had Reyes, Wright, Santana, Beltran, Murphy, and Pelfrey to root for last year and they’re all coming back with the promise of better days ahead.

I know the Phils are World Champs and the yankees just spend a half a billion dollars but BMF thinks when the dust settles the NY Mets will have a very competitive team…

at least that’s one of my New Years wishes…

Derek Lowe is officially in Minaya’s crosshairs with a 3 yr/36M offer from the Met GM.

I’d like to think Lowe would quickly assess the market and landscape of potential new teams and accept the offer but something tells me it just won’t be that simple with Boras in the mix.

Although we’ve all been speculating about it for some time what’s also become real is the Met targeting of Lowe over Oliver Perez.

BMF will be fascinated to see what the level of interest is in Ollie. Yeah he’s a lefty but he’s maddeningly inconsistent and this off-season no one is getting paid they way they hoped to… well, unless they signed with/suckered the yankees that is.

Anyway I’m sure Boras will try and up the ante on the Met offer but I’m not sure he can this time around because I’m yet to hear who we’d really be bidding against.

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Happy New Year everyone and thank you from BMF for a GREAT year on the site!!!