All-Purpose 2006 Where Have You Gone... Former Mets Thread

[Guest Edgy DC]

Good for Mike.

Alex Ochoa, big in Japan.

I've read some bad journalism today.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Bordick to have number retired

Winterport native and former major league shortstop Mike Bordick will become the fourth member of the University of Maine's baseball program to have his number retired as part of a Maine Baseball Weekend to be held Sept. 15-16.

He will join former Black Bear coaches John Winkin and the late Jack Butterfield along with All-American pitcher Billy Swift by having his No. 3 retired.

Players on the 1976, '81 and '86 Black Bear College World Series teams will be honored as it will be the 30th, 25th and 20th anniversaries of those accomplishments.

A golf tournament at the Bangor Municipal Golf Course will kick off the weekend beginning at 10 a.m. Friday.

The tournament will be followed by a barbecue at 5 p.m. and there also will be a cocktail reception at the Muddy Rudder in Brewer beginning at 7.

Bordick will have his number officially retired at 11:45 a.m. Saturday at the university's Mahaney Diamond and that will be followed by a game between the Maine alumni and the current team.

There will be a cookout after the game.

For Bordick, having his number retired caps a terrific year in which he was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame and received his degree from the university at age 40.

Bordick retired after a 1,720-game major league career in 2003. He played for Oakland, Baltimore, the New York Mets and Toronto.

He retired with the second-best fielding percentage among shortstops with at least 1,000 games (.982). He still owns the single-season record among shortstops for highest fielding percentage (.998), fewest errors (1), consecutive errorless games (110) and consecutive errorless chances (543).

Maine baseball coach Steve Trimper said Bordick had an "outstanding career" and by returning to school to earn his degree he showed "what kind of overachiever he is."

Maine director of athletics Blake James called Bordick an "excellent representative of our program. He has done a great job representing us as a student-athlete and well beyond his time at Maine."

Trimper said he likes the fact his current players will receive the opportunity to learn about "what people have done in the past. It will give them an education about the history of the program."

He also stressed the importance of having the alums "stay involved" with the program in various ways such as "attending games or helping sponsor some of these events.

"From day one, what has blown me away is the outstanding support the program receives from alums, the friends group, the community and the state. It's unlike any other place. That's what makes it special," said Trimper.

[MFS62]

Alex Escobar was called up this week by the Nats. He pinch hit a triple and scored a run.

Later

[metirish]

I didn't even think Escobar was still playing, Seo to pitch tonight against the yankees.

EDIT:...just tuned to the yankee game and Seo is wearing # 98.

[Guest Iubitul]

Bill Pulsipher Signs With Ducks, Throw 7 scoreless innings that night

]http://www.liducks.com/images/soEditor/Pulsipher%20action-%20web.jpg(Central Islip, N.Y., July 6, 2006) � After signing with the Ducks on Thursday afternoon, there was only one thing more that Bill Pulsipher wanted � the ball. Manager Don McCormack handed the burly lefty the ball and was delighted with what he saw as the former Cardinal tossed seven scoreless frames, allowing just three singles. With the 4-0 victory, Long Island regained sole possession of first place in the Atlantic League North Division standings by a half game. The Ducks have four games remaining in the season�s first half, while the second place Bluefish have just three. The hometown crowd cheered the West Babylon resident as he fanned four in his first start for the Ducks since Game One of the Atlantic League North Division Playoffs a year ago (9/27/05). On the evening the lefty went seven innings, allowing three hits and two walks and did not allow a single runner to go further than second base. Long Island�s offense gave the southpaw a nice lead to work with, scoring twice in the opening frame before adding a run in each of the second and seventh frames. The defense behind Pulsipher was just as impressive, turning three double plays. Offensively, Long Island was led by Bucky Jacobsen, Erick Almonte and Brad King who each drove in a run. King drilled his fifth home run of the season, which was the game�s lone extra-base hit.

[seawolf17]

="metirish"]I didn't even think Escobar was still playing, Seo to pitch tonight against the yankees. EDIT:...just tuned to the yankee game and Seo is wearing # 98.

Interesting for the proprietors of drbtn.net, methinks.

[MFS62]

Carlos Baerga - doing color commentary for games broadcast on ESPN Deportes. (Spanish language version of ESPN)

Later

[seawolf17]

MFS62 wrote: Carlos Baerga - doing color commentary for games broadcast on ESPN Deportes. (Spanish language version of ESPN) Later

If that doesn't bring Cooby back, nothing will.

[stevejrogers]

Hey an Ex-Met is your AL Starting pitcher

Kenny Rogers to start for the AL

[Guest GYC]

The Astros have acquired outfielder Aubrey Huff and cash from the Devil Rays in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Mitch Talbot and minor league infielder Ben Zobrist. In addition, the Astros have optioned outfielder Jason Lane to Triple-A Round Rock and designated minor-league infielder Joe McEwing for assignment. Ty Wigginton will likely take over full-time at third in Tampa Bay, barring another trade.

[Elster88]

Are those prospects studs? Or has Huff's value dropped?

[seawolf17]

A little of both:

]Talbot, 22, was 6-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 18 appearances, including 17 starts, for Class AA Corpus Christi of the Texas League. He ranks third in the league with 96 strikeouts in 90 1/3 innings. Zobrist, 25, was hitting .327 with three home runs and 30 RBI in 82 games for Corpus Christi. He leads the Texas League with six triples and ranks second in batting average.

[MFS62]

]Joe McEwing has cleared waivers and accepted his assignment to Triple-A Round Rock. McEwing was removed from Houston's 40-man roster on Wednesday. Jul. 15 - 2:12 pm et

This was the assignment they designated him for.

Later

[stevejrogers]

This fellow is getting inducteed into the Reds Hall of Fame in Cincy today


No sign of him in Reds.com's preview, hopefully I can get a link later tonight.

Going in with Lee May and Tom Browning

[Guest Iubitul]

="SteveJRogers"]This fellow is getting inducteed into the Reds Hall of Fame in Cincy today No sign of him in Reds.com's preview, hopefully I can get a link later tonight. Going in with Lee May and Tom Browning

this picture just conjures up all sorts of bad memories.. Freaking Young... Freaking Grant....

[stevejrogers]

[Frayed Knot]

He threw out the first pitch (about 40 ft worth) to Bench in today's game.

[stevejrogers]

Frayed Knot wrote: He threw out the first pitch (about 40 ft worth) to Bench in today's game.

Arguably the greatest non one year battery (Spahn-Berra 1965 Mets for example) in baseball history

Heh, OE: I may now have to edit out "non-one year" because thanks to UMD, turns out the only game the two played in together, Yogi didn't catch! He was a pinch hitter!

Maybe Grove-Cochrane as well

[stevejrogers]

Here is a Cincy Enquirer article on May 20th on Seaver and his Cincy Days

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060520/SPT04/605200333/1071

]Seaver enjoyed stint with Reds Wanted to go into Hall with Pete Rose BY JOHN ERARDI | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Long before Tom Seaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1992, he was thinking how cool it was going to be up on the dais with Pete Rose, his teammate on the 1977 Reds. "My last year (in baseball) was 1986, and Pete's last year was 1986, so that meant we were going to be going in together," Seaver said Friday. "Of course that thought crossed my mind. It would have been impossible for it to have not crossed my mind." That thought no longer crossed Seaver's mind when Rose was banished from baseball in 1989 for his involvement in gambling. Seventeen years later, Rose remains on the outside looking in when it comes to baseball and the Hall of Fame. Seaver, meanwhile, still has the highest percentage of votes (98.84 percent) in the 70-year history of the Hall of Fame. "The only reason that nobody before received a bigger percentage of votes is only because there were some older writers who weren't going to vote for anybody on the first ballot, no matter who the player was," Seaver said. "I mean, Joe DiMaggio didn't make it on the first ballot. How much more do you need to know?" Seaver's comments came on a day-long series of brief interviews to promote MasterCard's "Pay Pass," which allows "contact-less" payment. Seaver agrees with the experts that Rose might have been the first unanimous electee in Hall history had he not gotten into trouble. "It's difficult to imagine what might have been (had Rose not been banished)," Seaver said. "I'm like everybody else. I wish it (Rose's betting on baseball) had never happened." Seaver was arguably the best pitcher in baseball when he was traded by the Mets to the Reds. "That was a tremendous group (of starting eight) players that I joined in 1977," Seaver recalled. "What nobody realized at the time is that it was a team in transition." Despite the fact that Seaver was 14-3 with the Reds in 1977 (he was acquired June 15 and three days later pitched a three-hit shutout in Montreal), the team - which was coming off consecutive world championships in 1975 and '76 - finished 10 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Seaver said he had great chemistry with catcher Johnny Bench. "I remember one time he came out to the mound when I was getting hit early - single, double, single ... and all he said was, 'Are you even trying?' and then just turned around and walked away. I went out behind the mound with my back to home plate and just busted out laughing. John knew that all I needed to do was exhale. We won the game 4-2 and I got the win." In only five seasons with the Reds, Seaver was 75-46 (.620 winning percentage, seventh-best in club history), was an All-Star in 1978 and 1981 and, on June 16, 1978 at Riverfront Stadium, pitched his only major-league no-hitter. "I'll never forget - even though it was 25 years ago - that we had the best record in baseball (66-42, .611, in the strike-shortened season) in 1981, but they (Major League Baseball) aced us out of the playoffs by splitting the season into two halves," Seaver said. "They wanted the big-market teams to make it to the World Series (which is what happened, as the Dodgers beat the Yankees, 4 games to 2) and the hell with the 1981 Cincinnati Reds. "Do I still sound upset?" asked Seaver, laughing. Seaver, 61, who has his first batch of grapes from Napa Valley, Calif., "in the oak" that will be sold as wine next year, will be inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame this summer, with Tom Browning and Lee May. They were voted in by fans last year. "It's an honor," Seaver said.

[stevejrogers]

Wrong thread...

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

]Seaver, 61

Somehow, I find that hard to believe.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

November 17, 1944.

Yup� - the math is correct.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I always thought that Fernandomania jaked him out of the 1981 Cy Young Award. Looking back now, though, I guess Fernando pulls into the lead with his 26 more innings pitched.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Mike Adams got traded from Cleveland to San Diego.

Wasn't he a Met in uniform but not in appearance?

[stevejrogers]

Edgy DC wrote: Mike Adams got traded from Cleveland to San Diego. Wasn't he a Met in uniform but not in appearance?

I don't think they ever called him up.

[MFS62]

Octavio Dotel pitched in a rehab minor league game last night. 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K, 0 BB.

Later

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Dotel had a setback last night. Too bad for Dotel, great for the Jays, Chisox, Tigers, Red Sox, Met fans, etc etc etc.

Gibby Gets Tough

[Guest Edgy DC]

Pretty messed up that yesterday he was calling Gibbons unprofessional and today it's reported that he was undermining the guy.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

From the Daily News:

]Going to bat for housing By LORE CROGHAN DAILY NEWS BUSINESS WRITER Friday, July 21st, 2006 Mo Vaughn, who struck out as a New York Met, is hoping to be a bigger hit now for the city. The hulking first baseman, who retired from baseball because of a wrecked knee, is fixing up run-down low-income housing as his second career. A hero for the Red Sox in Boston, the southpaw slugger decided to start his post baseball life here, to make amends for his Big Apple struggles. "I owed it to people to rectify things," Vaughn told the Daily News. Just two years after launching his company Omni New York with mergers and acquisitions lawyer Eugene Schneur, Vaughn's on his sixth renovation project - a pair of apartment buildings at 1971 and 1975 Grand Ave. in Morris Heights in the Bronx. Omni closed a week ago on the $8.1 million purchase of the 83-unit complex - where tenants haven't had hot water in six months because of a busted boiler. Monday, Omni parked an 18-wheeler with a temporary boiler outside the buildings - to give residents hot water while the busted boiler gets repaired. Yesterday, cardboard cartons filled with kitchen cabinets sat on the sidewalk awaiting installation. Many apartment kitchens don't have cabinets, refrigerators or stoves. Other repairs will include new roofing, new windows, new floors, a new security system with lots of video cameras and a paint job. The tenants - who receive Section 8 assistance - will not pay higher rents after the rehab's done. "We're here to do the right thing so people can live like they're supposed to," Vaughn said yesterday to reporters who were invited to tour the property. When Vaughn set out on his second career, some people wondered whether he was serious. Mayor Bloomberg and city housing officials asked, "Do you really want to do something, or do you just want to plant trees?" Schneur recalled. Vaughn - who had done lots of charity work in Boston - was dead serious. But it did take time to adjust to the business world's 9-to-5 routine after his 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. ballpark schedule, he said. To shorten their learning curve, he and Schneur found a joint-venture teammate, Robert Bennett, who has 15 years of experience in affordable-housing development. Vaughn discovered his famous name made it easier to get bankers to take his phone calls. The trio has bought and renovated two apartment complexes in Mott Haven, the Bronx - and is completing rehabs in East New York, Brooklyn and Nassau County, as well as constructing a new building in upstate Seneca County. As a ballplayer, Vaughn was all about home runs. But as an affordable-housing developer, he's comfortable with hitting singles - meaning smaller projects like the Morris Heights buildings. "Collectively, it all adds up," he explained. Nationwide expansion comes next. He has signed contracts for properties in inner-city Miami, Gillette, Wy., and Lafayette, La. He vows to keep working until he's built his business into something big, "bigger than IBM," as he sometimes jokes to Schneur. "We're gonna tackle it until we get tired," Vaughn said. "And we've got a lot of energy."

[MFS62]

SteveJRogers wrote: ="Edgy DC"]Mike Adams got traded from Cleveland to San Diego. Wasn't he a Met in uniform but not in appearance? I don't think they ever called him up.

Huh? I thought I saw his name in a Norfolk box score within the past week. Maybe it was the completion of a suspended game?

Later