Mets on the Air in 2015

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Edgy MD wrote: We have a "Wifey Watch" thread. And there's Alisa actually wearing a jersey that says "WIFEY." That's funny!

Also, she shot off her mouth and cursed the Mets after they outrighted Nelson to the minors for the 5th time.

[Edgy MD]

I guess we shouldn't expect Bobby O. to go unquietly.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Ceetar wrote: d'Kong76 wrote: The fan split over like/dislike of Bobby O is certainly not anything new, but I can't imagine what would make you say Figgy would bring something to the table. Based on what? well based on him being not Bobby O at this point is good enough for me. I can't say I've heard him do any serious analysis, but the interviews he gave while he was here seemed like he'd be at least decent. At any rate, I don't see him followed Ojeda's talk radio philosophy of "pick a topic and yell about it for the entire show' angle.

This. Ojeda's famed research amounted to "I'm going to harp on this thing I read about regardless of its pertinence or truth."

Figueroa's come off in interviews as bright, reflective, and superarticulate; plus, he squeezed the toothpaste tube bone-dry, in terms of maximizing his talent, so I'd imagine he knows quite a bit about the armcraft.

Uncle Cliffy is supposedly also in the running. If his MLB Network gigs are any indication, he'd be clubby and personable... with an anaphylactic allergic reaction to anything with the whiff of statistical analysis.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Was Figgy the guy who had a large family and friends contingent
at games that got a lot of air time?
I'd like to see Clifford, statistical anaphylaxisiosisness or not.

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, Figueroa is a native NYer (Abraham Lincoln HS - Brooklyn) so I'm sure that angle appeals to SNY brass. He also came via Brandeis Univ so, baseball scholarship and all, you wouldn't figure him to be a total dummy.

Cliffy's been doing some work for the Marlins, at least on a part-time basis, for a couple of years now. At first was kind of dorky/jocky and cliche-heavy but seems to be getting better with time and has snagged some time on MLBN as a result.
I believe he lives in So-Fla so you wonder how much he'd be committed to NYC on a full-time basis, but I guess if the money's right ...

[Guest themetfairy]

d'Kong76 wrote: Was Figgy the guy who had a large family and friends contingent at games that got a lot of air time? I'd like to see Clifford, statistical anaphylaxisiosisness or not.

IIRC, Billy Wagner let the Figueroa family use his private box so they could watch Figgy's Mets debut.

I think that Cliff Floyd was in the running for Josh Lewin's job before the fan base made it clear that we tune in to listen to Josh and Howie no matter how the team is doing.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Josh is ok, I don't know if I'd climb any hill to
bang a drum for him though.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

d'Kong76 wrote: Josh is ok, I don't know if I'd climb any hill to bang a drum for him though.

Damn. Faint praise.

For my money, he's been dorky-funny, insightful, and a solid-plus-plus play-by-play guy when he's giving Howie a blow. But he's worth said money alone for how he's rejuvenated Howie, who sounds like a Howie-and-a-half over the last two years.

I really like Cliffy still. I worry that that would change a lot if I saw him talking about what "they should be doing" more often.

[Guest d'Kong76]

No disrespect to Josh, guess I was more reacting to "fan base made it
clear that we tune in to listen to Josh and Howie no matter how the team
is doing" which doesn't apply to my listening habits. I'd listen to the Mets
if Elmer Fudd was doing the broadcast.

[metirish]

I liked Ojeda , honest guy, still #Mets twitter exploding over this is to be expected......Ojeda not coming back is "proof" that the Wilpon's are the worst and Alerderson too.


Some talk of Cliff Floyd and Marlon Anderson

[Guest themetfairy]

d'Kong76 wrote: No disrespect to Josh, guess I was more reacting to "fan base made it clear that we tune in to listen to Josh and Howie no matter how the team is doing" which doesn't apply to my listening habits. I'd listen to the Mets if Elmer Fudd was doing the broadcast.

Some respected portions of the fan base were quite vocal on the subject.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I didn't say they weren't, I said it doesn't apply to me.

[Frayed Knot]

d'Kong76 wrote: ... I'd listen to the Mets if Elmer Fudd was doing the broadcast.

As would I, if for no other reason than to hear him describe Anthony Wecker thwowing out a wunner.

[Edgy MD]

Nelly in the Archives

• Nelson Figueroa (March 2008)
  
• Figueroa (April 2008)
  
• Waivers (April 2009)
  
• Wifey Watch 2OO9 (January 2009, but Alisa Blows up in April)
  
• Figueroa named IL Pitcher of Week (June 2009)
  
• Figgy DFA'ed ... again (May 2009)
  
• Much Love for Nelson Figueroa (January 2010)
  
• Mets Fifth Starter (February 2010, and who voted for Escobar?!)

Highlight of the whole bit is when LWFS dubs Alisa "Ms. Managed Expectations."

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

G-Fafif wrote: Figueroa will be on track to get the job, then be cut just before Opening Day.

Gold, Jerry. lolollloolol

[Benjamin Grimm]

I can't even remember who "Escobar" was!

[Edgy MD]

Kelvim Escobar: veteran starter/sometimes reliever. He picked Omar's pocket, signing for $1�2 million before the 2009 season and then blowing out his shoulder before ever throwing a pitch for the team in the minors or majors. Ka-ching.

[G-Fafif]

I seem to recall Figueroa being kind of a proto-Dickey in that he came off as unusually pensive and articulate, except he didn't have an unhittable pitch and, honestly, I can't recall a single pensive or articulate thing he said while he was here, which doesn't differentiate him much from the Pat Misches and Tim Reddings with whom he shared rotation time.

Oh, except for the game when the Nationals were lighting up either him or another Met (probably him) and he groused about their "softball girl" cheerleading in the dugout, which struck me as STFU if you can't get them out.

Caught him once or twice on MLBN and thought, "he looks familiar...oh yeah, Nelson Figueroa..."

OE: Here's the aforementioned controfuffle from 2008, as reported by Adam Rubin.

[Frayed Knot]

Bobby O defends ownership and seems to cryptically dis Sandy even though he doesn't specifically name him.

It's not quite clear (to me anyway) what it is in particular he's getting at here: need "winning attitude" in the clubhouse and all that.
Also Martino's opening: "News of Bob Ojeda�s departure from SNY last Thursday left Mets fans stunned and disappointed � a natural reaction, given Ojeda�s passion, preparation and candor as a studio analyst over the past six years." is certainly not a universal sentiment (even on this board) yet gets passed off as if it is.

[Edgy MD]

Seems to give Omar more of a punch than Sandy.

The notion that Sandy shouldn't be making predictions is well taken, though.

[Fman99]

Six sub .500 years for the Metsies and six years of Bobby O in the SNY booth. Coincidence? Or is he just bad luck?

I'm just saying, you know, I don't want him buying my scratch off games (or riding in my motorboat).

[Edgy MD]

="The Queens Chronicle"]Figueroa will have big shoes to fill because Ojeda was popular with fans and the media because of his refreshing candor. He could never be accused of being a shill for the home team. Having gotten to know Nelson over the years, I am certain that he will be insightful and will never insult anyone�s intelligence. SNY executives are undoubtedly hoping that his matinee idol looks will draw more women to Mets telecasts.

[Vic Sage]

I won't miss Bobby O's typical jock-tough guy douchebaggery and agenda-driven analysis.
Oh, Nelly!

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Edgy MD wrote: ="The Queens Chronicle"]Figueroa will have big shoes to fill because Ojeda was popular with fans and the media because of his refreshing candor. He could never be accused of being a shill for the home team. Having gotten to know Nelson over the years, I am certain that he will be insightful and will never insult anyone�s intelligence. SNY executives are undoubtedly hoping that his matinee idol looks will draw more women to Mets telecasts.

??[/bigpurple]

[Guest themetfairy]

Matinee idol looks?

He's no Herman Munster, but he's hardly a Backstreet Boy.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Some people think ferrets are cute, I don't see it.

[Edgy MD]

If the author knows Nellie, maybe he was waxing with comic exaggeration about the Man from Planet Unibrow.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Edgy MD wrote: If the author knows Nellie, maybe he was waxing with comic exaggeration about the Man from Planet Unibrow.

Unless the author is reasonably certain that everyone knows Nellie, then it's a pretty doofy comic exaggeration, innit?

[Edgy MD]

Well, it IS The Queens Chronicle. We can't expect Rockland Journal-quality work here.

[G-Fafif]

An appreciation of the Met prophet of the airwaves here.