IGT 24 August Mets v. Fish

[Guest Edgy DC]

How great is Angel Pagan?[/quote:2x88y70t]
PotG from me.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Wow! After Davis scored, he slapped the ump on the butt.

How about in celebration of this win, we give Luis his old job back? Please?[/quote:30f4mhr5]

He's actually a nice weapon off the bench, too.[/quote:30f4mhr5]
When he's in the lineup, he's needed a lot less of the bench.

[Ceetar]

How great is Angel Pagan?[/quote:1v55lhyp]


If the Mets didn't close down all the shops in the 8th inning, I would've promptly walked into one and bought a jersey.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Know what's cool? When the team you're rooting against ties the game with two out in the ninth, only to lose in 16th.

Because that's what the Phils did. And thanks to Luis Castillo, the Mets gain a game on the entire division, and pass Florida in the Wild Card standings.

Teams to root for tomorrow:
[list:vosgesux][*:vosgesux]Milwaukee (beat them Dodgers!)[/*:m:vosgesux]
[*:vosgesux]Pittsburgh (beat them Cards!)[/*:m:vosgesux]
[*:vosgesux]Cincinnati (beat them Giants!)[/*:m:vosgesux]
[*:vosgesux]Houston (beat them Phils!)[/*:m:vosgesux]
[*:vosgesux]Mets (beat the world!)[/*:m:vosgesux][/list:u:vosgesux]

One game (Atlanta-Colorado) features two teams the Mets would like to catch.

[batmagadanleadoff]

One game (Atlanta-Colorado) features two teams the Mets would like to catch.[/quote:3kbio026]


Who would you prefer to win that one?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

The smart play is to root for Atlanta there. I'm not sure my heart's in the smart play, though.

Know what's cool? When the team you're rooting against ties the game with two out in the ninth, only to lose in 16th.

Because that's what the Phils did.

Edited August 24, 2010 by Guest

[G-Fafif]

Wow! After Davis scored, he slapped the ump on the butt.[/quote:3c96mw6p]

All three hits in the inning were slapped, so why not Chad Fairchild's ass?

[Fman99]

wow. castillo looking so cool after he did it. like he's done it a million times before...or like he didn't care at all...[/quote:f2i7eebb]

I noticed this too -- my thought was that he was pouting because he isn't playing every day, even pouting more so because he finally got a timely hit. I don't know, I'm pre-programmed to assume the worst with Castillo I guess.

[bmfc1]

Yes, he was pouting. Jerk:

"I'm in a hard situation here," Castillo said.

...

Asked before the game how things were going, Castillo replied, "Not good, man. I don't play so much. I like to play. It's hard sometimes when you've played every day for 14 years and things change so quick. I hope I can play more and try to do better.

"But that's not my decision. They make that decision and I have to respect the decision. But I don't say that I agree with it."

After this season, Castillo still has one more year remaining on the four-year, $25 million deal he signed before the 2008 season. Some critics point to his contract as one of the failures of the Met front office, but, as Castillo points out, he played well last year, batting .302 with a .387 on-base percentage. He's hitting only .238 this year with a .336 on-base percentage.

"Sometimes you have a bad year, but last year, I didn't have a bad year," Castillo said. "But this year, I only have like 200 at-bats (actually 210). I think I can play more. I've prepared this year, physically, better and I thought I'd have a good year."


http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2010/08/24/2010-08-24_luis_castillo_hits_gamewinning_walkoff_rbi_single_in_new_york_mets_win_over_marl.html

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I totally see where Castillo is coming from; I'd be frustrated too.

He is definitely a guy with limited value and should be vulnerable to being replaced, especially when the rest of the hitters aren't getting the job done, but I'm not sure I understand the move to Tejada who obviously isn't ready, while they seem almost comically reluctant to make the same leap with Carter/FRancoeur. And Francoeur doesn't have a contract to return next year!

All that said, I wouldn't mind Castillo as a backup to a second baseman who could hit some -- again, limited defensive value but a guy who switch hits, can bunt and reach base at a good clip is not the worst thing to have on a bench. And so maybe this move is a weird end-around to his role backing up Reese "High-Flyin' Bird" Havens next year, though I doubt the Mets are that forward-thinking.

[metirish]

Regardless of how much money he makes coupled with his "it's hard to be here " comment I can see why he's frustrated, it's not like he got benched for Honus Wagner.

[Frayed Knot]

The smart play is to root for Atlanta there. I'm not sure my heart's in the smart play, though.

Know what's cool? When the team you're rooting against ties the game with two out in the ninth, only to lose in 16th.

Because that's what the Phils did.

[Frayed Knot]

btw, ESPN caught something (in between monitoring OchoCinco's tweets of course) that I don't think anyone on last night's broadcast did.

When Hanley ran across the mound following an out (Gary & Ron talked about it briefly) he also kicked at the NYM logo that's scratched into the dirt so as to partially erase it. It was during his next AB that Dickey came up and in on him (well, sort of - headhunting with a knuckleball is like bringing a spoon to a knife fight). It didn't occur to me at the time that it was anything more than coincidental but now I'm not so sure.

[Ceetar]

btw, ESPN caught something (in between monitoring OchoCinco's tweets of course) that I don't think anyone on last night's broadcast did.

When Hanley ran across the mound following an out (Gary & Ron talked about it briefly) he also kicked at the NYM logo that's scratched into the dirt so as to partially erase it. It was during his next AB that Dickey came up and in on him (well, sort of - headhunting with a knuckleball is like bringing a spoon to a knife fight). It didn't occur to me at the time that it was anything more than coincidental but now I'm not so sure.[/quote:1m6xkumw]

That's interesting.
Hanley's such a punk. My take is that he wants to be a Met, and is jealous of NY. (Like how in the 9th he hustled for a double like Pagan did the inning before? Think he does that if Pagan doesn't? I was there so didn't see the replay, but Frenchy definitely almost threw him out)

[Frayed Knot]

Hanley definitely has a thing for the Mets (love/hate or just hate, I'm not sure) but he's also been a punk going back to his minor league days so it's not all NYC-driven.
Plus, alternately between hustle and not isn't exactly a new thing for him either.

He was just safe at that play at 2nd - although for a moment there I was thinking it was the 3rd time in the game he deserved to be thrown out on the bases.

[Ceetar]

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Is that MilanoWear?

While I can understand Castillo's frustrations, it's just plain weird to me that someone who claims to love the game so much wouldn't take a little bit of momentary joy in winning the game.

[Ceetar]

Is that MilanoWear?

While I can understand Castillo's frustrations, it's just plain weird to me that someone who claims to love the game so much wouldn't take a little bit of momentary joy in winning the game.

[Guest Edgy DC]

One game (Atlanta-Colorado) features two teams the Mets would like to catch.[/quote:3cico65r]


Who would you prefer to win that one?[/quote:3cico65r]
I'm just glad there's only one conflict of interest.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Yes, he was pouting. Jerk:

"I'm in a hard situation here," Castillo said.

...

Asked before the game how things were going, Castillo replied, "Not good, man. I don't play so much. I like to play. It's hard sometimes when you've played every day for 14 years and things change so quick. I hope I can play more and try to do better.

"But that's not my decision. They make that decision and I have to respect the decision. But I don't say that I agree with it."

After this season, Castillo still has one more year remaining on the four-year, $25 million deal he signed before the 2008 season. Some critics point to his contract as one of the failures of the Met front office, but, as Castillo points out, he played well last year, batting .302 with a .387 on-base percentage. He's hitting only .238 this year with a .336 on-base percentage.

"Sometimes you have a bad year, but last year, I didn't have a bad year," Castillo said. "But this year, I only have like 200 at-bats (actually 210). I think I can play more. I've prepared this year, physically, better and I thought I'd have a good year."[/quote:17pt8n60]
I don't see anything jerky there. He was asked; he answered; and he was ready to play despite his frustration. He accepts the authority of those responsible for his fate, but he can't be expected to celeebrate that fate.

The Mets are hurting themselves with Tejada and we all deserve better. He's like 20 years old, so it's not like it's crucial for him to get a load of MLB experience right now.

I think we've seen that when Jerry makes up his mind about a player in the negative, it's a depressing place for that player to be.

[bmfc1]

"I don't see anything jerky there. He was asked; he answered; and he was ready to play despite his frustration. He accepts the authority of those responsible for his fate, but he can't be expected to celebrate that fate."

Castillo has $25M reasons to shut his yap. He's under performed and is one of the reasons why the GM may be fired. If he was hitting .300, maybe he could bitch but he's not. He is fat, lazy, takes 2-0 and 3-1 pitches no matter what the situation is and who is batting behind him, and if management wants to play Tejada, who is a far superior defender, then that's their decision whether or not he concurs. Further, even if he's not "celebrating his fate", at a time when the team won a game in thrilling fashion, he should have been selfless and thought of the team and the fans that were celebrating the win instead of himself but he is apparently incapable of such behavior.

[metsmarathon]

in my wallet right now, i have 37 reasons to shut my yap. my pockets contain another sixty-two one-hundredths of a reason.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

A mere 7 and 36/100 yapshutters in mine pocket.

Which is why I can't stop posting (and why I'll be burning torches on mm's lawn when the revolution comes).

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I have 31 shut-yer-faces.

edit -- 36!

[batmagadanleadoff]

For the first time this season, R.A. Dickey has enough innings pitched to qualify for league ERA champ:

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'm making nothing and I think Castillo should play more. I don't see what his salary has to do with it.

What would any of us say if asked about how we feel about being benched in favor of a player that's clearly performed more poorly? I'd say I'm disappointed.

[metsmarathon]

aren't we always complaining about hte athlete who gets his money and then packs it in and stops caring or trying or bothering, since he's 'getting paid'? the athlete who'd seemingly be quite content to merely ride the bench between trips to the bank to check on his ever-increasing balance? ollie perez, for instance.

here we have luis castillo. who could be perfectly content to just sit there on the bench and collect his paycheck and do nothing to earn it. motherfucker wants to play. the nerve.

[bmfc1]

You guys are condoning a player on your team bitching while the season goes down the tubes. Yes, he wants to play more but say it in private. What ever happened to putting the team first?

[metirish]

You guys are condoning a player on your team bitching while the season goes down the tubes. Yes, he wants to play more but say it in private. What ever happened to putting the team first?[/quote:3rk6d1kj]


Luis is having his closed door meeting with Jerry at a later date.

No reason for him to say it in private when his manager says it in public.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I just think it was odd that the guy doesn't have a momentary smile-- or, hell, a barbaric yawp, or the Castillo version of same-- for having made 20,000 fans* roar and his teammates jump up and down like brain-damaged monkeyboys.

*Cockeyed optimist, I am.