Continuing Careers of Ex-Mets, 2010

[MFS62]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Yvonne De Carlo

Ben, you're showing your age.
LOL!
She may not have pitched in the majors, but she sure had some nice curves.

Later

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Speaking of Red Cs... Yadier F-ing Molina.

[Guest Edgy DC]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Ex-flamethrowing prospect/erstwhile D'Back/nominal Mariner Yusmeiro PetitDFA'ed to make room for Bedard. He's out of options, so he'll be riding waivers a bit longer before heading Tacoma-ward. Hmm. Perhaps this should be in the "Hot Stove" thread?

Also on the DFA line is Gaby Hernandez. With a little effort, the Mets can corral in all the booty they sent to Florida in 2005-2006.

[Farmer Ted]

Not sure what possessed me to do this, but went to the Pirates website to glance at the depth chart. Milledge is listed as a starter, Church listed as backup at all outfield positions. How about that for career advancement? Backup to Lastings Milledge.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Vaya con Aaron, Tommy Boy. I'm not devastated.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Wow, MLB tagged him like a deer:

[Guest Edgy DC]

I read this interesting blog post pointing out the simliarities of Glavine and Frank Thomas. I read this quote and did a stop.

"I still could play right now, but with this body and I'm 41," said Thomas. "I can walk away and say I was just as good at the end as I was at the beginning, probably better because I was much smarter."

I origianally thought that was Glavine, who, while deluded, would have had a point, because he really took his lumps at the start of his career. But it turns out to be Frank Thomas, who would be delusional and delusional only. He was astoundingly awesome at the start, and scarcely wanted at the end.

But check out Tom Glavine at the starts and end of his career

Year	IP	ERA
1987	50.1	5.54
1988	195.1	4.56
1989	186.0	3.68
Year	IP	ERA
2006	198.0	3.82
2007	200.1	4.45
2008	63.1	5.54

Now, yeah, two very different eras, and a 5.54 ERA is much less useful in 1987 tan in 2008, but it'd be hard to find anybody else who came and went in such similar fashinon. Two perfect ends to the bell curve.

[metirish]

Endy Chavez to the Rangers , $1 million for 2010 if he makes the team ,2011 club option for $1.25 million.

[Fman99]

metirish wrote: Endy Chavez to the Rangers , $1 million for 2010 if he makes the team ,2011 club option for $1.25 million.

Good luck to him. How can you not root for the guy?

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Fman99 wrote: metirish wrote: Endy Chavez to the Rangers , $1 million for 2010 if he makes the team ,2011 club option for $1.25 million. Good luck to him. How can you not root for the guy?

If he had signed with the Yankees.

In all seriousness, I wish Endy well. I always liked the guy, even before "The Catch".

[Guest Edgy DC]

Billy Wagner is one self-centered closer.

• I want to get 40 saves.
  
• If I do that, I can pass Franco.
  
• If I do that, I can be the savingest lefty ever.
  
• If I do that, I can get in the Hall of Fame.
  
• Oh, and if I do that, it should help the team, also.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Chan Ho Park extending his tour of Mets tormentors, signs to play for the Yankees.

[metirish]

Wow , Brain Cashman is a genius.

[Frayed Knot]

Hey, Park's not going to be the star he briefly was 10 years ago but has been a useful part for the last two seasons and probably should have been considered for here.
But I think too many Met fans convinced themselves that he was the devil himself based on the grand total of 4 innings he pitched for them 3 seasons back to the point where mgmt is too spooked to even consider it.

[Met Hunter]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Chan Ho Park extending his tour of Mets tormentors, signs to play for the Yankees.

I love it when the Mets make signings like this and they're the laughing stock of the MFY world.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

How do you say "no" to this? I mean, really?

The agent representing former Mets second baseman Edgardo Alfonzo is trying to convince general manager Omar Minaya to sign his client. Peter Greenberg said on Friday his 37-year-old client is willing to report to the Minor League camp and receive no invitation to the big league camp. "He'd just like to show he can still play," Greenberg said. "And he'd like the chance to retire as a Met if it doesn't work out." Alfonzo, who ranks with Darryl Strawberry, David Wright, Jose Reyes, Hubie Brooks, Kevin Mitchell, Mookie Wilson, Todd Hundley and Jeromy Burnitz as the best position players the Mets have developed, left the club as a free agent after the 2002 season and played five more seasons. He also played for the Long Island Ducks before playing in Japan. he has undergone surgery to clean out his knee. If the Mets decline his services as they have for two years, Alfonzo will sign with the Newark Bears.

I'd just like to point out that they employed past-their-expiration-dates-- and older-- Damion Easley and Marlon Anderson for guaranteed major-league deals during the same timespan.

[Frayed Knot]

Except that neither Easley nor Anderson were six years past their expiration dates at the time.

Seriously, I liked Fonzie as much as anyone but the line about wanting "to show he can still play" is priceless. He's had about 9 chances with several teams over the recent half-decade and has shown the answer to be 'No' each time.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Frayed Knot wrote: Except that neither Easley nor Anderson were six years past their expiration dates at the time. Seriously, I liked Fonzie as much as anyone but the line about wanting "to show he can still play" is priceless. He's had about 9 chances with several teams over the recent half-decade and has shown the answer to be 'No' each time.

Call me a sentimental ass, but I think this is key...

"And he'd like the chance to retire as a Met if it doesn't work out."

Fonzie's legacy could use some burnishing. This is a nice, easy way to bring a little goodwill into camp, and do just that... along with setting the scene for a not-too-far-off-- or not posthumous, anyway-- Met HOF induction. (No Met HOF should have Gary Carter in it, yet remain Fonzieless.)

[Frayed Knot]

Whether Fonz goes into the NYM HoF should have nothing to do with whether or not he retires as a Met. Plus does showing up to camp and getting cut without ever making the team even mean that you were a Met when you hung 'em up?

I know that whole 'retire as' thing is big in the NFL, but it's stupid there too and there's no reason to copy it.

[Gwreck]

Catching up with Chris Woodward. Nice article but incorrectly attributes his double in the 2006 NLDS as him playing for Atlanta (???).

[Guest Edgy DC]

Robinson Cancel? Joselo Diaz? Congratualtions, you men are Ducks.

[Fman99]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Shinjo, SHORN. http://www.tedquarters.net/2010/02/04/alert-breaking-news-shinjo-shaves-head/

It looks bigger that way.

Oh wait, what?

[Guest Edgy DC]

And Kristen Benson gets a minor-league dealio from Arizona.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Scutaro recalls his first day as a Met.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Heath Bell has excellent taste in Nerf toys, believes in UFOs and the curve, doesn't believe in the DH or political parties, and likes... biting.

Also, he says some nice things:

DB: Is it a coincidence that the Mets have gone to pot ever since you left? (Ed. note-- hilarious, asshole.) Bell: Ooh. Part of me says yes, but a part of me says no. I didn't have the best shot over there but they did give me a shot and I'm always going to have a small part of me that's a Met. I'm always going to follow them a little bit. Was I happy the first year when they fell? Kind of, but after that I was kind of upset. I want to beat them every time we play, but I also want them to get to the playoffs if I'm not playing them. I guess I'm a little softie for that.

Miss you, too, Ron Lardenhire.

OE: Forgot to link to the article.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Kaz Fatsui
Mike Chubbage
Manny Whalexander
Glendon Walrusch

[Guest Edgy DC]

Mickey Wesson

[Guest Edgy DC]

Great. It turns out to be poor Mickey's birthday.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Jeff McNugget?

Initially forgot to link to the article, which is long, but weird and worth it.

[Frayed Knot]

If you're an ex-NYM with a hard last name to spell, well then today is your day to make news:

** Doug Meintkiewicz leaves Dodger camp after being told he's lost the LH-PH job to Garret Anderson and is not going to make the roster.
Dodgers offer to keep him around as a coach of some sort but he says he wants to play more and will go home to "consider his options"

** Scott Schoeneweis signs a minor league deal with the BoSox