Rico Brogna and the Long Sunset: Mets in Retirement, 2012

[Benjamin Grimm]

Edgy DC wrote:

WOW!

[Edgy MD]

Tom Seaver Day in Fresno.

[metirish]

That's a really great picture of Tyson , Doc and Straw....note the Miami Vice pants Tyson is wearing, the guy over his shoulder looks familiar, who is that?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Ray Knight.

[Edgy MD]

Ray Knight, former boxer himself, smart enough to stay behind Tyson.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Tyson wasn't yet the champion when that picture was snapped. (Neither were the Mets).


Here's two more pics; one with Frank Cashen looking on, another with a Met I can't identify.

[Edgy MD]

That first number looks like an "8" and I'm thinking that other guy isn't a Met per se, but a bullpen catcher or a batboy. Looks like a catcher's mitt, too.

[HahnSolo]

I go with Mike the batboy, pride of St. Raymond's in the Bronx.

He's just to Knight's left in this photo, right in front of Kid. Wore 86.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Dave Gallagher talks sabermetrics and inventions.

[G-Fafif]

Craig Anderson (W) and Craig Anderson (W) appeared in box scores fifty years ago tomorrow (or the morning after tomorrow). George Vecsey catches up with one of the players he covered.

On May 12, 1962, Craig Anderson won both ends of a doubleheader in relief for the expansion team called the Mets. He had every reason to think maybe he and the Mets were going to be all right. Instead, Anderson never won another game in the major leagues, losing 19 straight decisions over three seasons. By doing so, Anderson became a legendary Met from the early years, along with Marv Throneberry and Choo-Choo Coleman and of course Casey Stengel. Fifty years is a perfect time for gauging this franchise, built on hope and dreams and irrationality and humor -- the veritable human condition, one could say. Those first weird days flavor everything fans feel about these current Amazing Mets, who are somehow over .500 under their pepper-pot manager Terry Collins. Norman Craig Anderson, epic Met, born in Washington, D.C., now 73, follows the Mets from Dunnellon, Fla., where he is an occasional substitute teacher, to keep his head young. He does not mind recalling the hopes that rose when he actually won both ends of a doubleheader. Anderson, a solid 6-2, 205-pound righty, was a college boy from Lehigh who had quite a decent debut with the Cardinals in 1961, as teams prepared to give players to the new teams in Houston and New York. In spring training of 1962, Stengel told the world the Mets could be contenders. Anderson looked around at Rich Ashburn and Gil Hodges and Roger Craig and figured, well, why not? As every Met fan knows, the Mets promptly lost [9] straight games at the start of 1962, but then actually came back to win a game here and there.. �Nowadays they never schedule a doubleheader, but they had a doubleheader scheduled for Saturday,� Anderson recalled.

Read the whole thing, Mets fans. It's wonderful.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Thanks, that was great.

It's kind of too that Stengel was such a lousy manager by the time he got here.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

I like this line "built on hope and dreams and irrationality and humor -- the veritable human condition, one could say." That's what I like about the Mets, they are the human team and as a fan it makes their rare successes all the more joyful and their many failures all to relatable.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: It's kind of too that Stengel was such a lousy manager by the time he got here.

As Warren Spahn said "I'm probably the only guy who played for Casey before and after he was a genius."

[Edgy MD]

Then Hodges singled and the instant folk hero, Hot Rod Kanehl, ran for him, and with two outs Hobie Landrith pinch-hit for Ed Bouchee. (Don�t you just love all these 1962 names?)

In that sequence there, it sounds like a Lousiana State game. A lot of old Southern Frenchie sounding names. Vinegar Bend Mizell would fit in that category too.

[Edgy MD]

Ekeythia Dunston, acquitted of attempted moider.

(Convicted of felony assault.)

[Edgy MD]

Tony Fernandez built this city.

[soupcan]

Oh...That's where he is.

MAY 29, 2012, 2:06 PM In Japan, Milledge Continues to Underwhelm By KEN BELSON A souvenir from the Swallows. TOKYO � Meiji Jingu Stadium, the home of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, is a long way from New York, Washington and the other cities where Lastings Milledge has played during his spotty career. But after a mediocre six-year stint with four major league teams, it is where he now hangs his hat. On Sunday, Milledge roamed center field on a sultry spring night as the Swallows played the Rakuten Golden Eagles. No offense to the Swallows, but Milledge�s presence was a reminder of how he has failed to match the hype that accompanied his brief and rocky career with the Mets, who drafted him in the first round in 2003. Milledge is not the first former major leaguer who has tried to revive his fortunes by playing in Japan. After a rocky start in the United States, Colby Lewis spent two years pitching for the Hiroshima Carp. The Texas Rangers took note, and he has been a mainstay of their rotation ever since. Milledge, though, received far more attention on his way to the major leagues. Perhaps because he was drafted by the Mets, who play in New York, where prospects sometimes receive outsized attention, Milledge was considered a can�t-miss outfielder. It didn�t work out that way. In one of his first games in 2006, he homered and, on his way out to the field, traded high fives with the fans, earning him a stern warning from his teammates. His behavior suspect, he was traded to the Nationals after the 2007 campaign. In six major league seasons, Milledge hit 33 home runs and batted .269. He hasn�t been doing much better in Japan. He apparently isn�t enamored with Japanese noodles and rice, and he was fined 100,000 yen (about $1,250) for arguing with an umpire. Through Tuesday, he was batting .240 with 6 home runs and 17 runs batted in, hardly the power surge the Swallows had hoped for. On Sunday night, he went 0-3 in a 4-1 loss. His highlights included an inning-ending double play, a fly ball to the warning track and getting hit by a pitch. The team seems to be treating him with kid gloves. Milledge key chains (see photo) are sold at the stadium concession stands, but not jerseys or T-shirts. Clearly, he has a ways to go.

[Fman99]

He sucks, globally. Godspeed, Blastings Thrilledge.

[Edgy MD]

That's a pretty hammy article by Beson. Obviously, Milledge's line isn't as hopeless as all that 47 games into the season. I don't know what Ken-Ben is in Japan to cover, but how about talking to Milledge, his manager, or somebody. He doesn't like noodles? Says who? There's a paucity of Milledge merchandise? Big whoop.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Don't think for a minute that there's no connection between the lack of merchandise and his distaste for noodles.

[metirish]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Don't think for a minute that there's no connection between the lack of merchandise and his distaste for noodles.

I'm feeling a rap song coming on here

[soupcan]

Edgy DC wrote: He doesn't like noodles? Says who?

My bad - this link was embedded in the article.


AND my apologies for putting this in the 'retired' thread as opposed to the 'continuing careers' thread. If you want to move it, please feel free.

[Edgy MD]

Good stuff there, getting contuances of Chris Carter and Bob Keppel as well.

[metirish]

I bet Carter is all for changing at the team hotel and running to the stadium.

[stevejrogers]

Ex-Met and entire Braves alumni organization gets punked by someone posing as an ex-Met!

http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-braves/impostor-crashes-braves-alumni-1456183.html

[metirish]

SteveJRogers wrote: Ex-Met and entire Braves alumni organization gets punked by someone posing as an ex-Met! http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-braves/impostor-crashes-braves-alumni-1456183.html

What a bizarre story.

[Lefty Specialist]

Boy, that requires a set of brass balls.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Jeff Kent to be a contestant on the next season of 'Survivor' Internet says.

(also, Blair from 'The Facts of Life') rawr

[metirish]

Odds on Jeff Kent not talking to any of the other contestants by the end of the second episode?

[Edgy MD]

He'll talk to Blair.

They all talk to Blair.