Your Mets of Yore in 2023

[G-Fafif]

This year's Rico Brogna “where they are now and what they're up to” thread regarding living former Mets no longer directly involved in professional baseball leads off by choking up on the bat and checking in with Felix Millan. Bill Ladson of mlb.com throws out the first pitch.

Millan's closest friend on the Mets was first baseman John Milner, who would often tell Millan where to go eat. “He taught me a lot in New York because I didn't know too much about the place,” Millan recalled. “He would tell me what to do, just sharing things with me.”

https://www.mlb.com/news/felix-millan-best-hitter-on-the-1973-metshttps://www.mlb.com/news/felix-millan-best-hitter-on-the-1973-mets

[batmagadanleadoff]

Years ago (about 15), I went to eat somewhere in Queens and on the restaurant's wall of past famous and semi-famous diners, was a framed photograph of Felix Millan. I took a photo of the photo. I'll see if I can find it. The place was an Italian seafood joint, if I remember.



OE - Now that I think of it, Milner got to the Mets only one season before Millan (excluding Milner's '71 cup of coffee). Millan got to the majors five years before Milner did. Strange "big brother" dynamics there.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, I was thinking a Puerto Rican who'd been up since 1966 would have a better feel for the city than an Atlantan who had come up at the butt end of 1971. Maybe Milner gravitated toward Millan because he'd watched him play with the Braves.



At any rate, it's nice to read a counterpoint to Marty Noble's observation of Milner as a surly jerk.

[whippoorwill]

Very nice

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Cleon Jones would have told Milner where to eat.

[metirish]

Looks legit

[Edgy MD]

A big leaguer using an aluminum bat, even 20 years after his retirement, just feels wrong.

[roger_that]

Didn't know they were buddies.

[Frayed Knot]

Squirrel and the Garbageman, wasn't that the mock-Springsteen song the Traveling Wilburys did a bunch of years back?



Squirrel and the Garbageman were hard up for cash

They stayed up all night selling cocaine and hash...

[Edgy MD]

Buddies?



Listen — buddies don't take buddies to see the Knicks, knowha'imean?

[TransMonk]

[G-Fafif]

The good word from the Strawberry ministry…

Former Mets and Yankees slugger Darryl Strawberry has been a traveling minister for more than a decade, and he's found a new venue to preach the gospel -- the penitentiary. Strawberry, 60, made it known recently that he wants to pay it forward when visiting troubled individuals in the prison system. As recently as November, he visited two New Jersey penitentiaries, and he came to the conclusion that all the inmates needed was love. “That was something that was lacking in their lives growing up -- being loved,” Strawberry said via telephone. “Love conquers everything -- to be able to know that you are loved regardless of what has happened in your circumstances.”

https://www.mlb.com/mets/news/darryl-strawberry-taking-ministry-to-penitentiarieshttps://www.mlb.com/mets/news/darryl-strawberry-taking-ministry-to-penitentiaries

[G-Fafif]

Assault within battery: former Met pitcher Marcus Stroman attacks retired Met catcher Anthony Recker.

[Edgy MD]

Not for the first time in Twitter history, but nobody really looking particularly great there.

[G-Fafif]

Where Rico Brogna is now and what he is up to!



https://www.primepublishers.com/towntimesnews/sports/local_sports/former-whs-star-mlb-veteran-takes-over-warriors-baseball-rico-brogna-back-to-where-he/article_a3a6ea6c-a24a-11ed-b30b-5fc9bacbc0a4.htmlhttps://www.primepublishers.com/towntimesnews/sports/local_sports/former-whs-star-mlb-veteran-takes-over-warriors-baseball-rico-brogna-back-to-where-he/article_a3a6ea6c-a24a-11ed-b30b-5fc9bacbc0a4.html

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Assault within battery: former Met pitcher Marcus Stroman attacks retired Met catcher Anthony Recker. https://twitter.com/str0/status/1621140772396609536 https://twitter.com/str0/status/1621141716102426625 https://twitter.com/str0/status/1621168947549569025

geez. Stro is way out of line

[G-Fafif]

Why yes, I'd love to read some Doug Sisk recollections, including his brushes with Richard Nixon.



Part 1:

https://ballnine.com/2023/02/23/doug-sisk/https://ballnine.com/2023/02/23/doug-sisk/



Part 2:

https://ballnine.com/2023/03/02/doug-sisk-ii/https://ballnine.com/2023/03/02/doug-sisk-ii/

[Edgy MD]

Fun Fact: I clicked the first of those links and the page loaded a little slowly, initially just reading:



UG SISK

[G-Fafif]

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

https://twitter.com/SFGiants/status/1633943289895477248

San Francisco is where guys go to renew themselves. They will torment us this year behind JDD, Flores + Confotrto

[Edgy MD]

By the way, that Doug Sisk piece was good readin'.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: https://twitter.com/SFGiants/status/1633943289895477248 San Francisco is where guys go to renew themselves. They will torment us this year behind JDD, Flores + Confotrto

How many times do the Mets and Giants play each other this year in the new moronic schedule? Once? Twice? I give up.

[kcmets]

Seven times! Four in SF, and three at home. Both are weekend series.

[Edgy MD]

The Giants will also be sucking ex-Met mojo out of the season through the person of Thomas Szapucki.



That, plus they'll be getting mind-boggling reverse-image identical twin action from Tyler and Taylor Rogers.

[G-Fafif]

Dennis Cook, teaching baseball to those Northwestern Wildcats.



https://nusports.com/news/2023/3/7/baseball-dennis-cook-joins-northwestern-baseball-staff.aspxhttps://nusports.com/news/2023/3/7/baseball-dennis-cook-joins-northwestern-baseball-staff.aspx

[metirish]

Jed Lowrie retires

[G-Fafif]

Ten marvelous minutes of Mets content, courtesy of Clint Hurdle, about 30 minutes in on this recent episode of Rob Neyer's SABRcast. Good stuff on becoming a third baseman, becoming a catcher, Davey Johnson's impact on him and how when offered his first minor league managerial post, he played hardball to stay close to home. Lots of other good talk as well.

[Edgy MD]

Anthony Recker must've really gotten to Marcus Stroman good, because Ol' Number 0 has a zero ERA through 12 innings, with a 2-0 record, striking out 14, and holding the opposition to a .128 batting average.



Either that or (my wild guess) his intensity, athleticism, and cardio fitness makes him an ideal guy for the Pitching-on-the-Clock Era.



Probably neither, but he's sure pitching well.

[metirish]

Stroman is manifesting

[stevejrogers]

As of today, Mets in various other MLB teams' HOFs 2023 classes



Shawon Dunston Cubs

Danny Graves Reds

Orel Hershisher Dodgers (Legends of Dodger Baseball Ring of Honor)

Bob Friend Pirates

Jose Oquendo Cardinals

Jose Bautista Blue Jays (Level of Excellence)



Honorable mention, a huge target for internet forum members and sports radio hosts and callers for the Mets to acquire as a free agent or via a trade, Manny Ramirez will enter the Guardians HOF.