Get Well Soon

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Wow - I really hope this is true. That would be the best news we could have hoped for.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Gwreck wrote: No kidding. With Ramon, at least a possibility existed that you might get some hits, occasionally. There's gotta be somebody else besides DiFelice out there for backup catcher...

Eli Marrero?

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

="ScarletKnight41"]Wow - I really hope this is true. That would be the best news we could have hoped for.

I agree! I'm looking forward to hearing this report from a source other than the New York Post.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Just kidding about Piazza. There's no reason to aggressively pursue another backup catcher until they have a time estimate on Castro's injury.

DiFelice, for what it's worth, has done the job defensively.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

And in the postseason, you may not need a backup catcher at all. Gary Carter caught every inning in 1986. Mackey Sasser had three at bats as a catcher in the 1988 NLCS.

On the other hand, Todd Pratt was pretty useful in 1999 when Piazza had that brief thumb injury. But he only had three postseason at bats in 2000, and didn't play at all in the NLCS. (His one start was a World Series game where Piazza DH'ed.)

Hopefully, Ramon will be ready by October 1. As with Floyd, Glavine, and Pedro, we won't need him until then.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Backup Catchers for Noncontending Teams That Are Probably Better Than Mike DiFelice

Gregg Zaun, Blue Jays: The Jays are falling apart, and Zaun is a backup to Molina: 257/357/430 787 13 2B, 8 HR in 230 AB. Makes a million dollars.

Gerald Laird, Rangers: 329/357/544 901
16 2B, 6 HR in 158 AB

Laird is probably better than Tex's No.1, Rod Barajas, so maybe they swap out him instead. Barajas is 257/296/412, 11 HR, 303 AB. That's not good but might be backup catcher good.

Chris Snyder, Arizona: 288/373/439 812
8 2B, 4 HR in 132 AB
He's a young guy, and the Dbaggs still have a shot. Would be nice also to get Johnny Estrada, maybe if we had Kevin Millwood to trade for him.

Pickins are pretty slim elsewhere unless I'm overlooking some. It's just one Henry Blanco after another.

[MFS62]

Wow, talk about mixed emotions.
Barajas is the only catcher on my one and only fantasy team. He hit over 20HR last year and is a decent defensive catcher. IIRC, he is a free agent at the end of the year, so Texas is giving most of the playing time to Laird. He would be a great pickup for the Mets.But his playing time would decrease even more if he came to the Mets. A quandry for me. But since I'm not even close to the top in my fantasy league, I'll gladly take the hit if Rod came to the Mets.

As for Zaun, I've watched him over the years against the Yanks, and can recall him getting only one hit in games played in New York. The book says he's a switch hitter, and catchers who can hit from the left side are pretty rare. But to me, he's a switch-misser. Pass

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

If a conflict between the interests of your fantasy team and those of your real team produces a "quandry" then it's time to get out of the fantasy business.

[MFS62]

="Yancy Street Gang"]If a conflict between the interests of your fantasy team and those of your real team produces a "quandry" then it's time to get out of the fantasy business.

No quandry. I resolved it in my next sentence:

]I'll gladly take the hit if Rod came to the Mets.

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

Paul Bako has been on eight teams already, so he knows how to pack a bag. He's caught eight of 22 would-be basestealers, and getting out of Kansas City's got to be enough motivation for anybody.

[metirish]

] As the Phillies make their push for the NL wild card, they reportedly will have to do it without starting center fielder Aaron Rowand. Sources told The Philadelphia Daily News that Rowand suffered a broken ankle in a scary outfield collision with teammate Chase Utley on Monday night and will miss at least five weeks.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Wow - I saw that play last night, and I didn't think that it was that serious.

Rowan has had some tough breaks this year, literally.

[Centerfield]

I don't like how no one else has confirmed this story. I remember a source once told the Post that Olerud had decided to re-sign with the Mets.

[metirish]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2557309

[Centerfield]

ESPN is now confirming the story.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2557206

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Well now that's really good news
I'm happy to say
That's good good news today!

Oh have you heard any good news today today?
I want to hear what you have to say
Wait till I get to the count of three
And tell me all the good news you have for me!

One! Two! Three!

(A no-prize to whoever identifies the source of that song.)

[MFS62]

While he was warming up for last night's rehab game with Brooklyn, Ramon Castro injured his knee. He was taken to the hospital and was seen using crutches. (NY Daily News early edition)

Later

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

]NY Daily News early edition)

Get Well Soon, page 6.

[MFS62]

I looked for it and missed it on p6.

Later

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

From Mets.com:

]Manager Willie Randolph said that catcher Ramon Castro underwent surgery to repair his torn meniscus in his left knee on Wednesday. Castro injured the knee on Monday before a Minor League game in Brooklyn as a part of a rehab assignment for his sore left rib cage.

He had SURGERY on Wednesday? Can he possibly play again this year?

[Guest Edgy DC]

My guess is no. But I'm not Jaerock Lee.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

A meniscus can go as soon as 4 weeks, but I'd guess more when you're a 220-lb. guy who squats for a living.

Hello? Gregg Zaun?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Anybody who wants to see Clff Floyd, he's scheduled to play in Brooklyn tonight.

Willie has intimated that, when Floyd comes back, at least part of his job will remain with Endy Chavez.