How Ironic (split from the Benson Bunch thread)

[Guest Edgy DC]

How ironic that Boone quit the Mets because he couldn't muster the enthusiasm of the younger guys anymore, not at his age, but his eventual replacement turned out not to be the guy 13 1/2 years younger than him (Hernandez), or 6 1/2 years younger than him (Matsui), but the guy (Valentin) who was six months younger than him.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

="Edgy DC"]How ironic that Boone quit the Mets because he couldn't muster the enthusiasm of the younger guys anymore, not at his age, but his eventual replacement turned out not to be the guy 13 1/2 years younger than him (Hernandez), or 6 1/2 years younger than him (Matsui), but the guy (Valentin) who was six months younger than him.

And poised for a run at "comeback player of the year."

A sign of how blessed this team has been this year are Valentin and Chavez -- neither of whom were especially high on my list of Colliers way back in March -- have both provided real value this year.

Endy Chavez has a little Mookie in him.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I usually cringe when players bunt, but not Endy. He knows how to use the bunt to get on base, perhaps better than any Met I can recall. (Dykstra was pretty good at it too, but I don't think he bunted as often as Endy seems to.)

[Guest Edgy DC]

Backman.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

True, Wally was a bunter. Memory can be fuzzy, but Endy seems to bunt more frequently than Wally or Lenny did.

[Guest Edgy DC]

In fact, my top ten Met hit-bunters:

Backman
Taveras
Endy
Dykstra
Lance Johnson
Randle
Moo
Beltran
Reyes
Butler

[Guest Edgy DC]

Plus, big ol' sluggards who'd occasionally blow my mind with a bunt: Kingman, Ron Hodges, Clint Hurdle.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I remember Carter bunting for a hit once or twice when the third baseman was playing deep.

[MFS62]

Sacrificing is one thing. Bunting for base hits is another.
I don't think Hodges could beat one out unless post-play medical intervention was required for one of the fielders.

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

But he did! As did LoDuca in the Brandon Webb game, thanks largely to Webb.

And while this gets further away from the topic, did anybody notice how much Webb undid himself with crappy fielding that game? If we face him in the post-season, our bunters should test him.

[Centerfield]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: I remember Carter bunting for a hit once or twice when the third baseman was playing deep.

Oh, I remember that. I think one time Mookie scored from second on one of his bunts. And Carter pretended to call his shot right before bunting. It was great.

[Elster88]

Edgy DC wrote: In fact, my top ten Met hit-bunters: Backman Taveras Endy Dykstra Lance Johnson Randle Moo Beltran Reyes Butler

Maybe you did this in no particular order, or maybe you lowered him because he only played a half of a season here, but Butler was by far the best bunt-for-a-hit-guy.

[MFS62]

That's what I was thinkin' when I made my comment about Hodges.

LAter

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

While we're at this, can anyone explain the revival of 34-year-old washed-up NRI Darren Oliver?

Are we to throw up our hands and declare Omar a genius?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Elster88 wrote: Maybe you did this in no particular order, or maybe you lowered him because he only played a half of a season here, but Butler was by far the best bunt-for-a-hit-guy.

I'll disagree with you here, but if you want to take his half season and go through the retrosheet boxscores, and I take a season of Backman's, I bet I could find more bunt hits/PA.

="MFS62"]That's what I was thinkin' when I made my comment about Hodges.

What is what you were thinking?

="Johnny Dickshot"]While we're at this, can anyone explain the revival of 34-year-old washed-up NRI Darren Oliver? Are we to throw up our hands and declare Omar a genius?

I'm tempted, believe me. Maybe we should make this the WAtFO thread.

[Guest Edgy DC]

As I was typin', Valentin was dubblin'.

WAtFO?!

[Guest Edgy DC]

And Mr. Two-Years-Bad gets an RBI pinch-hit double.

I say, WAtFO?!

[Willets Point]

WAtFO????

[MFS62]

]While we're at this, can anyone explain the revival of 34-year-old washed-up NRI Darren Oliver?

The only think I can figure is that he is one of those "he'll fool 'em once around the batting order" kinds of pitchers.
I wonder if that's an explanation of his failure (high ERA) as a starting pitcher?

Later

[Elster88]

Edgy DC wrote: ="Elster88"]Maybe you did this in no particular order, or maybe you lowered him because he only played a half of a season here, but Butler was by far the best bunt-for-a-hit-guy. I'll disagree with you here, but if you want to take his half season and go through the retrosheet boxscores, and I take a season of Backman's, I bet I could find more bunt hits/PA.

"That's too much work. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?"