The Continuing Careers of Ex-Mets

[Guest Edgy DC]

I agree that it's pejorative. I agree that it's poorly written.

[MFS62]

(Found the right thread)

Lenny DiNardo is 1-1 2.40 ERA for Oakland this year.

And while we're at it, check out Victor Diaz:
http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=429806

Later

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Few here doubted that Victor Diaz could hit. The problem with Diaz was that he was a defensive liability at every position the Mets (and Dodgers previously) tried him at.

He's off to a nice start in Texas, but he does only had 39 at bats, so it's a rather small sample size. It will be interesting to see what he looks like by the All-Star break.

[Guest Edgy DC]

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2007/05/23/M9pYH8un.jpgLeading the minors in homeruns: Craig Brazell of your Omaha Royals.

[Benjamin Grimm]

What an awful cap.

Seven letters is way too many to be on the front of a baseball cap.

I think the limit should be three. (I would have said two but I'm willing to put in a grandfather clause for the White Sox.)

[Guest Edgy DC]

Yeah, I had to include the photo. It's half the story. How hard must he be swinging to get promoted and get out of that hat?

One other grandfather:

[Guest Edgy DC]

Kelly Stinnett, who did nothing in AAA this season and had gone home and retired, got called back out to join the defending world champ Cardinals.

Sandy Alomar, whose solo homer was the difference in the Zephyrs' 2-1 victory today, must wonder what he has to do to make it back, cruising along at .326 / .344 / .465 // .810.

[DocTee]

I like the color of that Omaha hat, though.

[MFS62]

Utility man Chris Basak was brought up by the Yankees today and catcher Raul Cassanova was brought up by Tampa Bay.
Both were once Mets minor leaguers.

Later

[MFS62]

Last night, ex-Met farmhand Lenny DiNardo threw 6 shutout (2H, 6BB, 0K)
innings against the Red Sox for Oakland, winning the game over DiceK.

It was a good night for "soft tossing lefties" to pitch effectively.

Later

[metirish]

Heath Bell helping to hoist Hoffman aloft after Trevor's 500th career save.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I'd take this guy's numbers...

]Matsui getting in a groove 06/07/2007 4:21 PM ET By Owen Perkins / Special to MLB.com DENVER -- One word suffices to characterize the Rockies explosive offense with Kazuo Matsui in the lineup. "Unbelievable!" Matsui said. He was referring to a second-deck homer he hit to give the Rockies the lead against Houston on Wednesday night and spark a four-run rally to secure the victory. It was his first home run of the season, but the Rockies don't have him in the two-spot because of his untapped upper-deck power. "He's a big part of what we're trying to get accomplished here, offensively and defensively," manager Clint Hurdle said of his second baseman. "When he gets on the bases, the speed dynamic's special. And then he goes ahead and barrels a ball up, hits it in the second deck. He's been slashing up there. He's been putting balls in play, hard, gapping some balls. He's doing a lot of good things. He's got some skills that we're getting to see. He's playing with more comfort, more confidence." Confidence is not hard to come by with a .330 average (29-for-88) and 10 steals in his first 23 games of the season. Together with Willy Taveras, he has re-energized the top of the order, giving the heart of the lineup every opportunity to drive in runs. Lately, Matsui has taken the production into his own hands, plating two runs Wednesday night and lacing a big three-run triple in the eighth inning of Sunday's series clincher with the Reds, tying the game and scoring the winning run in the 10th. "He stored it up," Hurdle joked of Matsui's 418-foot blast. "The guys were beating on his bat. They wanted to X-ray it." Matsui is no stranger to the long ball, having amassed 150 round-trippers in Japan, including back-to-back seasons of 36 and 33 homers in the last two seasons before he came to the Majors. But he hasn't hit more than seven in his three seasons since then, including his last two injury-plagued seasons with the Mets and Rockies, when he totaled six homers in just 157 games combined. Clearly comfortable in the Colorado clubhouse, Matsui is experiencing his best season to date, with all aspects of his game thriving. Taking over the full-time job at second after Jamey Carroll's cream-of-the-crop quality performance in 2006, when he led all National League second baseman with a .995 fielding percentage, Matsui hasn't missed a step, handling 102 chances without an error this season. "He's a good second baseman," Hurdle said. "Is he Gold Glove caliber? Not many are. He's a good second baseman. He has tremendous range to his left. He's got a strong enough arm. He's good on slow rollers. His first-step quickness is very good. A lot of those balls up the middle, you see him rounding them off, getting in front of them. I like him defensively." The Rockies are 10-5 since Matsui returned from a trip to the disabled list with lower back spasms, giving his teammates in the dugout -- and his fans in the second deck -- an abundance of reasons to enjoy everything he has to offer.

[metirish]

Great for Kaz,hope he can stay away from the DL.

[Farmer Ted]

We should trade for him. Our 2B slot is a bit shaky.

[Elster88]

Just want to give another hearty thank you to all Met fans reading this who booed this shit out of him.

It really helps when one of our player is playing 162 road games a season. Thanks a lot, assholes.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Cliff Floyd has been placed on bereavement leave while rushing home to see his ailing father.

The Cubs 27-32 record flies in the face of a runs scored allowed ration of 278:247, so watch out for them.

[Guest iramets]

Elster88 wrote: Just want to give another hearty thank you to all Met fans reading this who booed this shit out of him. It really helps when one of our player is playing 162 road games a season. Thanks a lot, assholes.

You're welcome, Elster.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Finally found Jose Lima, going 9-3, 4.04 Sapreros de Saltillo in the Mexican League.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Jose%2520Lima&pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=117769

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Brian Bannister, Ass-Kicker..

Below written before last night's 7 IP scorless win.

]Bannister feeling confident Pitcher has won his last two starts and has given up one run over 15 innings. By DAVID BOYCE The Kansas City Star Royals right-hander Brian Bannister probably doesn’t care whom he faces right now; he just wants to be on the mound. Bannister will start tonight and has every reason to feel confident. He’s won his last two starts and has given up only one run over 15 innings. “I want to build upon my past two starts,” Bannister said. “I’m just getting more comfortable at the major-league level. I know I’ve done it at the minor-league level.” The more Bannister pitches, the more other teams learn about what he likes to throw in different situations. Bannister recognizes this. “Every time I go out, I try to change something about my game,” Bannister said. “I try to have a different approach each time out. Obviously, everybody knows what every pitcher throws out there. You just don’t want to get in a pattern. I’ve made small adjustments in my pitching pattern every single start.”

[Guest sharpie]

Heath Bell: I coulda been a closer (and not a contender)

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070613/news_1s13padnotes.html

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

That article was interesting for mentioning that the Pods are looking to sign Clark anmd that Omar had offered up Bell AND Perez for Scott Linebrink late last year but was rejected.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Right now is a bad time to take a snapshot of Omar's offseason.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I think it might come to pass that the Great Omar Era actually came to an end with the Duaner Sanchez cab accident last July.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, the Nady-for-Hernandez/Perez deal is still flying, isn't it?

[Guest sharpie]

The Sosa and Easley signings are still looking pretty good.

[seawolf17]

And WHAM, just like that, Chan Ho Park is an Astro.

Good choice of guys to put on cards this year, Topps.

[stevejrogers]

="seawolf17"]And WHAM, just like that, Chan Ho Park is an Astro. Good choice of guys to put on cards this year, Topps.

I would venture that he might be one of the very few one game Mets to get a card as a Met that is not part of the "All Time Roster" set put out by The Wiz in 1991.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The Dodgers announced today that they've fired batting coach Eddie Murray.

Their offense hasn't had a great year, but I wonder if there isn't more to it. The Dodgers just swept the Mets, dealing well with their formerly league-leading starting rotation, and especially with the Mets' bullpen. The Blues led the league in batting average and on-base percentage last year --- despite playing in a traditionally pitching-tipped park. It was Murray's first year and you might think that it would buy a Hall of Famer a longer grace period than the little more than a third of a seaosn that he got.

[metirish]

WOW,tough deal for Murray,what must Rick Down be thinking.

[Farmer Ted]

Wheeler Goes Zambrano on Sampson...

HOUSTON (AP) -- Houston reliever Dan Wheeler blew a save, then shoved starter Chris Sampson in the dugout on Wednesday night, an ugly twist to the Astros' frustrating season.

Wheeler left after giving up three runs in the eighth inning Wednesday night, and the Oakland Athletics got a rare home run from Jason Kendall in the sixth and rallied for a 7-3 victory.

Sampson, who pitched seven strong innings, tried to console Wheeler when he came back to the dugout. Wheeler turned and shoved Sampson with both hands, then yelled at Sampson to go to the other end of the dugout.

The shoving was reminiscent of the scuffle between the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano and Michael Barrett two weeks ago, though this one was over in an instant. Wheeler (0-4) was contrite after the game and told Sampson he wanted to talk to him after the media finished asking Sampson questions.

"There's nothing going on," Wheeler said. "I love Chris. It was just frustration on my part. I'm a professional, I should be better than that. I take full responsibility."