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

[G-Fafif]

Dave Wallace, the only pitching to coach Met pitchers into two consecutive postseasons hopes to coach Orioles pitchers into their second playoffs in three years in the same post he held here long ago.

[G-Fafif]

Vance Wilson will manage Royals' Double-A affiliate in Northwest Arkansas, per the only beat reporter who would be on top of such a fact.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Guaranteed major-league contract for Francisco Pena, because Dayton Moore knows from prospect value.

[Edgy MD]

That's an interesting move. Can't turn that down if you're Pena's agent.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Well, yeah. If you're Pena's agent, you've got to jump on that, assuming you can stop laughing long enough to do so.

[G-Fafif]

Jose Valentin, whom I once huzzahed for future Met manager, is the Padres' new 1B coach.

[metirish]

LaHawkins signs with the Rockies.

[G-Fafif]

Jason Vargas, who started the eventual Mets Classic of May 17, 2007 (he's the one who put the Mets in the hole that required a thrilling five in the ninth) just got paid big-time by the Royals: 4 years, $32 Extra Large.

1988 second-half situational lefty Bob McClure, who went unused in the ensuing NLCS, is now the Phillies' pitching coach, reuniting with Roger McDowell in the sense that they were teammates 25 years ago and hold the same job in the same division today.

[G-Fafif]

From 1975 through 2003, the Mets had either John Stearns or Howard Johnson. The 2014 Mariners will have them both, Dude coaching third, HoJo instructing the hitters.

And Chris Woodward to tutor the infielders.

[G-Fafif]

In recent news, Joe Smith is an Angel.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

G-Fafif wrote: From 1975 through 2003, the Mets had either John Stearns or Howard Johnson. The 2014 Mariners will have them both, Dude coaching third, HoJo instructing the hitters. And Chris Woodward to tutor the infielders.

Wow. Both Hojo and Stoins are total meatheads. Who's Seattle manager's anywhoo?

[Edgy MD]

Former Met minor leaguer Llllllloyd McClllllendon.

[G-Fafif]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: G-Fafif wrote: From 1975 through 2003, the Mets had either John Stearns or Howard Johnson. The 2014 Mariners will have them both, Dude coaching third, HoJo instructing the hitters. And Chris Woodward to tutor the infielders. Wow. Both Hojo and Stoins are total meatheads. Who's Seattle manager's anywhoo?

What maketh Stearns meathead material? Reliable sources indicate a most solid citizen. (HoJo, OTOH, loves him some Tea Party and such.)

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Stearns? just his overall jockiness. MONSTER IN THE CAGE and all that.

I was thinking Hojo as a meathead not because of his (unsurprising) politics but because his old-school philosophy was such a opposite to Rick Peterson's cerebral, process-oriented schtick when they were staffmates.

[G-Fafif]

Other memory of Stearns in 2000 postseason, besides The Monster (a beautiful coinage, I thought), was not of his doing. In the bitchiness that ensued from Piazza-Clemens II, Michael Kay, who was doing a postgame shows on MSG with Howie Rose, insisted in his meatheaded way that the Mets needed to fight once the bat fragment was thrown. And since Piazza was too valuable to get himself ejected, "John Stearns should've taken a swing at Clemens."

Which is always good advice for anybody.

[Edgy MD]

Also Metting up that staff is nu pitching coach Rick Waits and continuing bullpen catcher Jason Phillips.

[Frayed Knot]

We should acknowledge one-time NYM Tony Clark getting named as permanent replacement for recently deceased MLBPA union president Michael Weiner. First ex-player to hold this position since Bob Feller in the early days of attempted unionization.

[Lefty Specialist]

Clark's a smart, articulate guy. It'll be interesting to see how he handles the truckload of stuff he's going to have to deal with.

[G-Fafif]

Brian Schneider to manage Class-A Jupiter in 2014. Seeing how big a planet it is, you'd think Jupiter would be at least Triple-A.

[G-Fafif]

Cleveland signs Shaun Marcum to minor league deal. Shaun Marcum to find unflattering things to say about Cleveland in a matter of months.

[G-Fafif]

Less continuing than paused: Rox designate Collin McHugh for assignment. Perhaps they should assign him to post to the team blog. Dude writes better than he's pitched to date.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I don't think Buzzy had even enough time to knit him a purple potholder.

[G-Fafif]

The Astros, for whom Fernando Martinez and Phil Humber were granted last chances, claimed Collin McHugh...which sounds a bit like claiming insanity.

[G-Fafif]

Elvin Ramirez is apparently a Pirate.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Elvin Ramirez is another guy who'd I'd completely forgotten even existed until I was straightening up old bloggy stuff the other night.

Why didn't he resurface again in '13? I mean, other than all the walks.

[G-Fafif]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Elvin Ramirez is another guy who'd I'd completely forgotten even existed until I was straightening up old bloggy stuff the other night. Why didn't he resurface again in '13? I mean, other than all the walks.

Because he was an Angel by then.

[Edgy MD]

Had we posted more memories, you might have remembered!

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I think he melded with Gonzalez German and became one guy in my mind.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Elvin was the answer to a quiz I once posted.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=19529&hilit=elvin

[G-Fafif]

Memories of trying to remember Elvin Ramirez.