The Second Career of Jos� Reyes (Merged)

[Edgy MD]

Depends on whether you count Jeter cover stories as baseball-related or whether you regard them the same way as swimsuit covers --- as a dimly related sideline for the more breathless among their readers.

[smg58]

So the SI cover jinxes the Marlins, and the Braves are sending out the same team that epic failed last year -- assuming they can stay healthy. Two down, two to go.

[Edgy MD]

I'm telling you. It's all about Halladay. This division is anybody's, if not for him.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: Depends on whether you count Jeter cover stories as baseball-related or whether you regard them the same way as swimsuit covers --- as a dimly related sideline for the more breathless among their readers.

hey now, It's an insult to swimsuit loving fans everywhere to compare them to the Jeter lovers!

Especially since the swimsuit fans don't get giftbaskets.

[Edgy MD]

I moved the SI cover talk here.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: I moved the SI cover talk here.

wouldn't want to muck up the talk about re-signing the guy.

[Edgy MD]

"There's not one guy in this clubhouse that's whining that he's gone."

That's Jason Bay talking. And he's clearly --- clearly --- speaking to the team's confidence that they can go on and not implying any disrespect or contempt, it's enough to get his head stuck in a noose by the John Harper contingent.

[Ceetar]

Jose called the press box to check on Jay Horowitz' ankle.

[G-Fafif]

Bay mention if anybody's whining that he's still there?

[G-Fafif]

Dickey of course says all the right things without being trite. And Bay's his sly Canadian self, via Rubin.

Jose Reyes� reunion with the Mets did not last long. Reyes grounded back to R.A. Dickey on the second pitch of the bottom of the first inning and exited after a rain delay halted play in the middle of the third inning without another trip to the plate. Afterward, Reyes suggested, Thursday's Mets-Marlins game did not feel overly meaningful. The significance will be far greater when he visits Citi Field for his first series at Citi Field in a Marlins uniform, April 24-26. "This is nothing," said Reyes, whose hair is now cut tightly and dyed brown. "It's going to be a little crazy when I go back to New York. This is spring training. This is just another game." Reyes batted righty against Dickey, as some switch-hitters choose to do against a knuckleballer. "Once he gets in the box, he's another baseball player, just like anybody else really," Dickey said. Still, Dickey added: "He meant so much to so many people in the clubhouse. You know, he's a great guy and a good friend. So it's not just like somebody you're an acquaintance with going on to another team. This guy obviously has been a Met his whole career and made a difference to a lot of people in the clubhouse. So it's a little different." The former teammates who made the trip to Jupiter greeted the shortstop warmly. Reyes defected for a six-year, $106 million contract. Reyes has continued to text with David Wright and also keeps in touch with Ike Davis and Justin Turner, the shortstop said. "When I was running there to warm up for the game, every guy went there to say hello to me," Reyes said. The "Jo-se, Jo-se" chants have not made their way to the Marlins' spring-training complex, but when the team played a pair of exhibition games against college teams in its new stadium in Miami, the familiar chant started to percolate. Of course, leaving New York didn't completely eradicate tabloid topics. Marlins president David Samson, in remarks he later disputed, was quoted during a speech to South Florida businessmen saying that Reyes told him during the recruiting process that all he wanted was $1 more than any other bidder in order to choose Miami. Reyes insisted Thursday he never uttered that remark. "I have no idea where that's coming from," Reyes said. "I don't know. I didn't even know that. My agent is who told me. I don't know why he said that. I have no idea. No, no, at any point I don't think I said that to him. I don't know where that comes from." As for the Marlins being the free spenders this past offseason and the Mets in austerity, Reyes said: "This team, they signed a couple of pieces on the field. They want to win. Before I signed here, I saw what they're trying to do. That's why I came here to Miami, because of the opportunity to win. I've been like nine years in the big leagues and I didn't win anything yet. We went to the playoffs once in New York. I want to win a World Series. I think on this team I have a better opportunity." As Reyes spoke postgame, he wore a sleeveless T-shirt with "305" across the chest, which Hanley Ramirez had given to his Marlins teammates to wear in the weight room. Ramirez has moved to third base to accommodate Reyes' signing. "It's been good," Reyes said about their relationship. "A lot of people, before we come to spring training, say a lot of stuff that me and Hanley wouldn't get along together. I don't know where people get that from, because me and Hanley have a very good relationship. Now we're on the same team; it's even better. Almost every day I go to his house, he comes to my house, to play PlayStation and stuff like that. We've been spending a lot of time together. We're very happy to be on the same team." Since they both cannot be the Marlins in the video game, Reyes plays the Boston Red Sox, while Ramirez plays the Philadelphia Phillies. Reyes, by the way, plans to keep his Manhasset, Long Island, home and live there at least through next offseason. He will reside in downtown Miami, not far from the Marlins' new stadium, during the season. Jason Bay said the only unusual thing about Thursday's reunion was Reyes' closely cropped hair. "He looked kind of funny with no hair and a small head," Bay said. Said Reyes about his hair, which he cut at the Marlins' request and auctioned for charity: "The first couple of days I missed it, but now I get used to it." As for the Mets, Dickey said there are players who have filled the energy void left by Reyes' departure so far. "You may not replace his exuberance with one person," Dickey said. "There have been a couple of people that are high-energy guys. Daniel Murphy is in there full time now. He definitely helps pick up the slack. I'm not disappointed with the guys that we have presently from an energy standpoint. "Obviously you can't replace a Jose Reyes. He's tough. He's tough to replace. He's an All-Star. But we've got guys that do bring a lot of energy to the club. And I haven't really noticed a huge vacancy. Now, as time goes by, you'll have to measure that. But, right now, we're clicking on all cylinders."

[Edgy MD]

"You may not replace his exuberance with one person," Dickey said. "There have been a couple of people that are high-energy guys. Daniel Murphy is in there full time now. He definitely helps pick up the slack. I'm not disappointed with the guys that we have presently from an energy standpoint.

Dickey: "You�re still trying to replace Reyes."

Bay: "We have to replace him."

Dickey: "No we don�t. What we can try to do, though, is recreate him in the aggregate."

[Ceetar]

"You may not replace his exuberance with one person," Dickey said. "There have been a couple of people that are high-energy guys. Daniel Murphy is in there full time now. He definitely helps pick up the slack. I'm not disappointed with the guys that we have presently from an energy standpoint. Dickey: "You�re still trying to replace Reyes." Bay: "We have to replace him." Dickey: "No we don�t. What we can try to do, though, is recreate him in the aggregate."

please don't sign Jeremy Giambi.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

Edgy DC wrote: "There's not one guy in this clubhouse that's whining that he's gone." That's Jason Bay talking. And he's clearly --- clearly --- speaking to the team's confidence that they can go on and not implying any disrespect or contempt, it's enough to get his head stuck in a noose by the John Harper contingent.

Yes, Jason, but they'll be dancing on the tables when you go.

[TransMonk]

Hi Jose,

It's been a while. I just want you to know that I appreciate all of the good things that you did in your Mets career. Every triple was a joy to watch and every stolen base made me happy that you are the exciting player that you are. I am thankful to have been able to watch and cheer for you and the teams that you played for. I will never forget what you brought to the top of the lineup and the shortstop position for all of the years that you were here.

That being said, I will not miss you. The Mets will win again without you. Maybe not this year, but eventually. You are with the enemy now. If I ever find it hard to root against you, I will simply recall my last memory of you as a Met: your bunt-off batting title to end a losing season. I wish you no ill will physically, but I hope that you have your worst year ever.

It all begins tonight. Here's to a last-place finish for the [crossout:27frvgz0]Florida[/crossout:27frvgz0] Miami Marlins and a free agent bust in their shortstop.

Sincerely,
TM

[Vic Sage]

yup.

What a fool I was, what dominated fool,
to think that you were the earth and the sky,
What a fool I was, What an elevated fool,
What a mutton-headed dolt was I!
No, my reverberated friend,
you are not the beginning and the end.

There'll be spring every year without you.
England still will be here without you.
There'll be fruit on the tree.
And a shore by the sea.
There'll be crumpets and tea without you.

Art and music will thrive without you.
Somehow Keats will survive without you.
And there still will be rain on that plain down in Spain,
even that will remain without you.
I can do without you.

You, dear friend, who taught so well,
You can go to Hartford, Hereford and Hampshire.

They can still rule with land without you.
Windsor Castle will stand without you.
And without much ado we can all muddle through without you.

Without pulling it the tide comes in,
without your twirling it the Earth can spin,
Without your pulling it, the tide comes in
Without your twirling it, the earth can spin
Without your pushing them, the clouds roll by,
If they can do without you, ducky, so can I

I shall not feel alone without you
I can stand on my own without you
So go back in your shell
I can do bloody well
Without you!


-Alan Jay Lerner

[ashie62]

Anybody rooting for Jose to pull a hammy other than me?

[bmfc1]

First hit: Beltran
First run: Beltran
First assist: Reyes.

[Ceetar]

Ashie62 wrote: Anybody rooting for Jose to pull a hammy other than me?

not me. I can't help but root for him. :-(

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Lohse still working on the 1st perfect game...

[Benjamin Grimm]

TransMonk wrote: I wish you no ill will physically, but I hope that you have your worst year ever.

Yeah, I can see that. I'm over him. He's dead to me!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: TransMonk wrote: I wish you no ill will physically, but I hope that you have your worst year ever. Yeah, I can see that. I'm over him. He's dead to me!

Just got the first hit for a home player in Marlins Stadium history, leading off the 7th. Lohse had faced the minimum until then (HBP, erased on DP).

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

multihit game.

Leads off 9th w/ single. Fish losing 4-1 with Motte on mound to close.

[Frayed Knot]

Ladies and gentlemen, your last place Miami Marlins!

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: Ladies and gentlemen, your last place Miami Marlins!

They may not see 4th place again.

Okay, that's not true, the Braves will be 0-3 soon.

[Edgy MD]

Falling behind in his batting average title defense.

NL Batting Leaders
T1 Freese, StL: .600
T1 Furcal, StL: .600
T3 Molina, StL: .500
T3 Reyes, MIA: .500
5 Beltran, StL: .400
T6 Berkman, StL: .333
T6 Buck, MIA: .333
T6 Descalso, StL: .333
T6 Morrison, MIA: .333
10 Jay, STL: .250

Man, the Cards are looking good.

[metsmarathon]

i'm so confused. that was just a ONE-game series against the cards? wtf?! tonight the fish play the reds in cincinnati? did anyone else know about this? the metsies don't have any 1-gamers this year, do they? (i just checked and couldn't find anything) do either the fish or the cards?

[Frayed Knot]

metsmarathon wrote: i'm so confused. that was just a ONE-game series against the cards? wtf?! tonight the fish play the reds in cincinnati? did anyone else know about this? the metsies don't have any 1-gamers this year, do they? (i just checked and couldn't find anything) do either the fish or the cards?

The idea is that recent tradition has had the Champs kick off the following season a day before the rest of the crew.
Now usually that was at home and it was the Sunday Night ESPN game but seeing as how they shifted the whole sked starting last year (to start and end during mid-week instead of weekends) that kind of went out the window. So what they did was to figure since everyone is down in Florida anyway might as well combine the Cards getting the opening day to themselves (except, y'know, for that whole Japan series stuff) with a celebration of Miami's new crib.
IOW, no, there are NOT one-game series planned for everyone, this was just a special case.

Cards actually continue on the road and get their home celebration/ring ceremony thing a week from Friday.

[Fman99]

It's actually a rule in the collective bargaining agreement, IIRC. The only time you can schedule a one game series is to do it as the first game of the year.

[Guest Kong76]

I looked back five pages, couldn't find one of these.
A little disturbing to me that the Mets are advertising about Reyes'
return like it's such a good thing. If I were them, I'd zip and hope he
doesn't come in here and light the place up for three games.

[metirish]

Yeah, I think the TV spots are weird. To me it's not like the Mets running spots to remind us Piazza is coming back, come and see him.