Wish You Were Here: Continuing Careers of Ex Mets - 2013

[MFS62]

Mike Carp put on waivers by M's.

Later

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Chris Young adds much-needed height to the Nationals' front court.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I won't go so far as to write that I wish he were here, but get a load of this:

excerpt

PEORIA, Ariz. -- A relaxed Jason Bay ripped a two-run home run in his first at-bat with the Mariners on Saturday and said he feels he's rediscovered the swing that eluded him the past few years with the Mets. Bay, 34, is attempting to crack the Mariners' roster after signing a one-year, $1 million deal this offseason. Bay was released by the Mets with $22 million still owed on his previous contract after hitting .165 with eight home runs and 20 RBIs in 70 games in 2012. The left fielder homered and walked twice in three plate appearances in Saturday's 8-6 victory over the Padres, taking Tyson Ross deep on a fastball on the second pitch he saw this spring. Asked if he'd shortened his swing, Bay said he's just finally regained the feeling he had at the plate earlier in his career before his struggles began. "I don't think I've shortened it. I've kind of re-found it," Bay said....

rest of article at http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130223&content_id=41928616&vkey=news_sea&c_id=sea

[Guest attgig]

the video...
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25607257&source=MLB&gid=2002_06_26_atlmlb_nynmlb_1


I guess he left it at home, and forgot to bring it with him when he came to NY...

[Guest d'Kong76]

It would be pretty funny if Bay got good again.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Not so much "ha ha" funny as "this is why I drink" funny.

[soupcan]

From my dad who is Craig's frequent golfing partner:

A pretty remarkable event occurred on the golf course at the Borrego Springs Resort and Spa on March 1st, 2013.

A long time resident of our community was playing the complicated and unnerving game of golf with his friends. This man is known by many of us not only here but throughout our nation. He has been the recipient of five World Series rings, yes five, all from different teams he has had occasion to represent either as manager, coach or player. A singularly impressive achievement. He started his career in baseball as a Brooklyn Dodger.

This past Friday he received a brand new Taylor Made 4 iron he ordered from John Dickman,the Golf Pro at the resort. At the par 3 177 yard 12th hole he was about to use his 5 wood but was cajoled into using his brand new never used Taylor Made 4 iron. He addressed the ball and with his 83 years of experience stroked the ball and sent it on its way. His three playing friends watched as the ball descended on the green and bounced high as it headed toward the flag. From 177 yards they could see the ball as ut stopped seemingly near the flag. Too bad, almost a hole in one, a great achievement for any golfer. Oh well next time maybe.

Upon approaching the green the players noticed the ball was visible right next to the flag. When they got even closer they saw that it was leaning on the flag and when the golfer removed the flag according to the rules of golf, all heard that lovely rattle as it fell into the hole. A fabulous hole in one. The golfer is Roger Craig, the 4iron is Taylor Made and it was used only once. It is now in the process of being mounted as Roger now awaits the delivery of a new Taylor Made 4 iron.

[Theoldmole]

Cool.

[Edgy MD]

How does a ball lean on a flag and not descend into the hole? Are these like really thick flags?

Congratulations, Roger Craig. Davy Johnson heard about the shot and said he wants to see the ball.

[Guest cooby]

Rey visits his home.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/19/cuba-travel-baseball-star_n_2906902.html#slide=2236755

[Guest themetfairy]

Very cool - I bet he thought that he'd never have that opportunity!

[Guest cooby]

Just so he comes back

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Diamondbacks release Rod Barajas.

[G-Fafif]

Film profiling R.A. Dickey's pitch the subject of a Faith and Fear contest. Win the DVD of Knuckleball by answering a few questions.

[G-Fafif]

Swan Swan H wrote: Diamondbacks release Rod Barajas.

Rod may no longer be a Diamondback, but he's sure as shootin' an American citizen, Arizona authorities be damned.

This spring, the union sent an advisory to players, in English and Spanish, about SB 1070. Lino Diaz, who until last year was Cleveland's cultural development coordinator, says the Indians once brought in Phoenix police officers to explain the law. "We felt like it had more weight that way," Diaz says. "The players were overwhelmed with the things that could get them in trouble, which are obviously a little different than the things in their countries." Players who once pummeled SB 1070 sound resigned. "There's really not much we can do about it," Gallardo says after throwing four innings against the Diamondbacks. "The law is the law." "It's the government," says Torrealba. "You follow the rules, I guess." "Tell those ballplayers, don't worry, I always have an open door," says Sheriff Joe. Late one afternoon, I find Barajas sitting in the Diamondbacks clubhouse in Scottsdale. Barajas is a big, burly catcher who looks like he could smite a base stealer with his eyes. "You said you couldn't imagine your grandparents being asked for their papers," he tells me. "Well, I wouldn't want to see my parents in that situation, either." To a police officer, Barajas could arouse the same "reasonable suspicion" as Elian Herrera. Barajas's parents are Mexican immigrants; his skin is olive-colored. But he was born in Ontario, California. He's as American as Mike Trout. I ask Barajas if he is ever worried about being asked for his papers. "I don't know if I should carry my birth certificate or passport. I never thought about it," he says. "I'm sure it could happen." Then Barajas's eyes narrow. "I think of myself as an American citizen. There's no reason whatsoever for me to have to carry that around."

[Farmer Ted]

Sheriff Joe: "We don't stop people because they look like they're from somewhere else. I'm an equal-opportunity guy. My guys arrest everybody."

I had to read that five times.

[MFS62]

Fron CBS New York:

SportsNet New York, better known as SNY, announced on Thursday that it has hired Valentine as an analyst for the Mets� pre- and postgame shows before and after game telecasts. He will make his debut on Monday � Opening Day � at 11:30 a.m., appearing on �Mets First Pitch.� Valentine will be teamed with former Met and lead analyst Bob Ojeda and host Chris Carlin. �We are extremely pleased to add Bobby Valentine as the newest member of our Mets broadcast team,� Curt Gowdy, Jr., the senior vice president and executive producer of SNY, said in a statement. �As a former Mets Manager, Bobby brings an insightful and contemporary perspective to our studio coverage. In addition, his in-depth knowledge, candor and passion for the game of baseball will be a perfect complement to our award-winning Mets coverage.� Valentine will appear roughly 12-15 times throughout the 2013 season, SNY announced in a press release. �I�m excited to join SNY�s Mets coverage, which is regarded as one of the best in all of baseball,� Valentine said in a statement. �After spending the better part of four decades with the team, I am looking forward to working with Bobby, Keith (Hernandez), Ronnie (Darling) and the rest of the Mets� on-air team starting with Opening Day.�

Later

[Vic Sage]

good for Bobby.

[metirish]

Really looking forward to Bobby on SNY, I think he and Ojeda if they work together could be great.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

12-15 times in a season isn't that much.

[Edgy MD]

Well, the guy usually has like six jobs at any given time.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Our old friend John Maine added to the 40-man roster for the Marlins.

[Edgy MD]

Rob Johnson made it to the last day of camp before getting sent down with the Cards.

[Farmer Ted]

Former Mets trainer Fred Hina was first to respond to that gruesome injury to Louisville's Kevin Ware.

http://www.wlky.com/UofL-trainer-Fred-Hina-talks-about-injury/-/9366718/19541602/-/voftwgz/-/index.html

[Edgy MD]

Nice one. Go, Fred.

[Frayed Knot]

Chris Young, after opting out of his contract with the Nationals when they chose to send him to the minors, has re-signed with the Nationals at which point they'll immediately assign him to the minors.
No takers out there I guess.


Josh Stinson (remember him? I had to look him up to make sure) hooks on with Baltimore.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Aaron Laffey wil start tonight against the MFYs because Josh Johnson is day-to-day with something nagging, and the Toronto Blue Jays are far more desperate than any of us ever realized.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Yeah, they suck, the jays. Saw some of their games vs. MFY this week. They can't field for shit and the pitching is only OK.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Fair enough, but this is like checking in with your brother who's been out of work and a little depressed about it for a few months ... and finding out he's now smuggling drugs up his patoot while filming airplane-bathroom snuff porn. I mean, damn, brother-- I didn't realize things had gone Laffey bad. Can I help?

[Guest Swan Swan H]

R.A. got a severe Dickeying at the hands of the Mariners yesterday, allowing seven earned in six innings and getting booed off the mound by a bunch of poutine-eating socialists who couldn't get Leafs tickets. He's now 2-5 with a 5.36 ERA for the season, and is complaining of neck and back issues. The Jays are 10-21 after a winter spent throwing around a lot of money, and R.A. has called his team 'dysfunctional,' which must be going over real well in the front office. Reyes is, of course, out for quite a while, and the starting lineup yesterday featured one hitter with an average over .247 and no one slugging over .500. The Mets, for the sake of contrast, have three starters slugging over .500. Yikes!

Lots of ex-Mets in this one. Kelly Shoppach and Henry Blanco were the catchers, Endy Chavez played LF for Seattle, and Oliver Perez pitched a scoreless ninth for the Mariners, dropping his ERA to a mere 0.73.