Benjamin Grimm

One reason not to like Boras: He represents Mike Pelfrey. If Pelfrey continues to develop into the pitcher we'd like him to be, we have little to no hope that he'll sign a contract like Wright and Reyes did. He'll do the arbitration thing each year that he can, and then he'll test the market. It makes it just a teeny bit harder to get attached to a home-grown player.

I notice the article says the Mets don't want to guarantee more than three years. My prediction: They'll sign him to a deal that guarantees $39 million over three years, with a clause that gets him a fourth year (at another $13 million) based on some innings pitched criteria. An article in the Daily News this morning said that the Mets were the lone remaining suitor. I don't know if that's true or not, but if it is Boras will, of course, try to get them to bid against the mysterious phantom team.

One of my favorite Brady Bunch lines (not that there are many) is when Carol has to ask her husband: "We don't know Joe Namath, do we Mike?"

Andruw Jones? Coming off a miserable season and due to get $15 million next year? Only if the Dodgers pay about 80% of his salary AND take on Luis Castillo. Then maybe you have the makings of a deal.

You'd best be careful what you say about Jack Bauer's daughter.

For some reason I can't get these games. Even though I subscribe to SNY on DirecTV, the Mets Classics are always blacked out, unless they're airing during a Mets rain delay or rainout. Someday I may be motivated enough to ask them why they do this.

Me too.

Of the three guys most rumored to be signed for the Met rotation in the coming weeks, which one would you prefer?

="seawolf17"]="John Cougar Lunchbucket"] I just wanted to make sure she was at the top of page 3 of the thread also.

="Buster Olney":1q35kutm]There are other market forces in play now. The Mets would like a starting pitcher, but just as they ascertained before delving into the bidding for a closer, they realize that they might be the only team ready to give out a sizable multiyear contract for a starting pitcher -- especially in the aftermath of the Yankees' signing of Mark Teixeira, which is likely to compel the Bombers to fill the last spot in their rotation with a youngster. The Mets have surveyed the rest of the market, and they see that the Cardinals are not ready to hand out a massive deal for a starter, nor are the Milwaukee Brewers or the Dodgers. The Braves have money to spend but have reportedly determined that they are not interested in signing Derek Lowe. So the Mets can sit back and pluck the best of the starting pitchers, at their price, just as they did with K-Rod; in this case, their choices are likely (1) Oliver Perez, (2) Lowe or (3) Randy Wolf. Heck, the Mets might find themselves in a position to take advantage of a two-for-one sale. That is how far the prices have been depressed. The Mets will be patient, writes Mike Puma. [/quote:1q35kutm] Nymr83 Dec 28 2008 12:35 AM sounds good to me, lets see what happens Rockin' Doc Dec 28 2008 07:13 AM Damn, I knew this day would come. This thread has finally turned the page and now the mysterious honeydew smuggler has gotten away. It's a sad day I tell you. Benjamin Grimm Dec 28 2008 07:19 AM ="seawolf17"]="John Cougar Lunchbucket"] I just wanted to make sure she was at the top of page 3 of the thread also. Centerfield Dec 28 2008 09:47 PM Ken Rosenthal reporting that the Red Sox are close to signing Brad Penny. You'd have to think this bodes well for us on the Lowe front. metirish Dec 30 2008 09:01 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket"] Her husband just got charged with assault and affray after spending the last 24 hours in jail following a beating of a DJ in a pub after Liverpool FC beat Newcastle Sunday. Gerrard along with five others got arrested in the early hours Monday morning after allegedly beating the DJ up , apparently the DJ wouldn't let Gerrard spin his favorite tunes. His favorite singer is Phil fucking Collins , hard to blame the DJ on that. Vince Coleman Firecracker Dec 30 2008 09:39 AM Phil Collins' solo efforts seem to be more commercial and therefore more satisfying in a narrower way, especially No Jacket Required and songs like "In the Air Tonight" and "Against All Odds" (though that song was overshadowed by the masterful movie from which it came) and "Take Me Home" and "Sussudio" (great, great song; a personal favorite) and his remake of "You Can't Hurry Love," which I'm not alone in thinking is better than the Supremes' original. But I also think that Phil Collins works better within the confines of the group than as a solo artist- and I stress the word artist. In fact it applies to all three of the guys, because Genesis is still the best, most exciting band to come out of England in the 1980s. Frayed Knot Dec 30 2008 09:43 AM Beating up a DJ is like the guy who shot someone in a movie theatre the other day for yapping too much: either may be justifiable depending on the specifics. John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 30 2008 09:47 AM ="Vince Coleman Firecracker"]Phil Collins' solo efforts seem to be more commercial and therefore more satisfying in a narrower way, especially No Jacket Required and songs like "In the Air Tonight" and "Against All Odds" (though that song was overshadowed by the masterful movie from which it came) and "Take Me Home" and "Sussudio" (great, great song; a personal favorite) and his remake of "You Can't Hurry Love," which I'm not alone in thinking is better than the Supremes' original. But I also think that Phil Collins works better within the confines of the group than as a solo artist- and I stress the word artist. In fact it applies to all three of the guys, because Genesis is still the best, most exciting band to come out of England in the 1980s. Wait, what? Edgy DC Dec 30 2008 10:02 AM I heard the guy beat up the DJ after he played Jay-Z's new joint, "The Riddler Got Some Titties." VC Firecracker, meanwhile, just made the Oddest Stories of the Year list. Vince Coleman Firecracker Dec 30 2008 10:07 AM Sorry, I just always think of Patrick Bateman when I hear that someone likes Phil Collins. Or Huey Lewis. metirish Dec 30 2008 10:16 AM ="Vince Coleman Firecracker"]Phil Collins' solo efforts seem to be more commercial and therefore more satisfying in a narrower way, especially No Jacket Required and songs like "In the Air Tonight" and "Against All Odds" (though that song was overshadowed by the masterful movie from which it came) and "Take Me Home" and "Sussudio" (great, great song; a personal favorite) and his remake of "You Can't Hurry Love," which I'm not alone in thinking is better than the Supremes' original. But I also think that Phil Collins works better within the confines of the group than as a solo artist- and I stress the word artist. In fact it applies to all three of the guys, because Genesis is still the best, most exciting band to come out of England in the 1980s. In the article I read which I can't be bothered to look for it mentioned that his favorite album ever is Phil Collins "Hits" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hits_(Phil_Collins_album) Centerfield Dec 30 2008 07:30 PM Three year, $36 million offer to Lowe says Tom Singer at Mets.com. It cites a Times report but I couldn't find the article. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081230&content_id=3730397&vkey=hotstove2008&fext=.jsp John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 30 2008 07:38 PM ]Mets Offer Lowe a Deal: 3 Years and $36 Million By JACK CURRY Published: December 30, 2008 After methodically studying the starting pitchers left on the free-agent market, the Mets have determined that Derek Lowe would be the best addition to their club. The Mets have shown that by offering Lowe a three-year contract for about $36 million, according to people who have been briefed on the discussions. As the Mets try to add a reliable starter, they have marked Lowe as their priority over Oliver P�rez, who has pitched for them since 2006. Lowe, a durable pitcher with a superb sinker, was 14-11 with a 3.24 earned run average for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. Scott Boras, the agent who represents Lowe and P�rez, would not comment specifically about the Mets� offer to Lowe. But he said, �Obviously, we�ve taken offers from a number of teams.� Boras also said he was still talking to teams and was in the process of establishing Lowe�s value. Lowe is believed to be seeking a five-year, $90 million deal. The Mets do not want to offer Lowe more than three guaranteed years, so if he holds firm in his pursuit of five years, he may not be close to signing. Lowe, who turns 36 in June, has averaged more than 200 innings and 15 wins the last seven seasons. When the Mets pursued the free agent Francisco Rodr�guez, they benefited from being one of the only teams willing to spend for a closer. Before the season ended, there was speculation that Rodr�guez would receive a $75 million deal. The Mets signed Rodr�guez for about half that, giving him a three-year, $37 million deal. The Mets are hoping the same happens with Lowe, and that he eventually falls to them for less than the $18 million a year he is seeking. Boras would not say how many teams had made offers to Lowe, but he said there were more teams involved in talks with Lowe than a week ago. Boras will probably remind teams that Ryan Dempster, a converted closer who had a stellar year as a starter with 17 victories, received a four-year, $52 million deal from the Chicago Cubs last month. The Mets have emerged as the favorites to sign Lowe, but the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies have also expressed interest. It is unclear if either team would outbid the Mets or offer more than three years. Lowe pitched for the Red Sox from 1997 to 2004 and has spoken about his desire to return to Boston. If the Mets are unable to sign Lowe, they will pursue P�rez, who was 10-7 with a 4.22 E.R.A. They may also go after Randy Wolf, who, like P�rez, is left-handed. Wolf was 12-12 with a 4.30 E.R.A. for the San Diego Padres and the Houston Astros. But by making their first offer to Lowe, the Mets have told him and Boras that Lowe is the pitcher they would prefer. Before that can happen, the Mets and Boras need to agree on Lowe�s value. Frayed Knot Dec 30 2008 07:46 PM Beats the hell out of both the asking price (5x$18) and the widely rumored price (4x$15). Maybe we wind up getting trumped here, but I'd have trouble going more than 3 years. Guess that's what they mean by 'Going Lowe' on a bid. Rockin' Doc Dec 30 2008 08:30 PM The Mets should give Lowe and Borass a few days to respond, then if they don't get a response that looks favorable they should offer Oliver Perez an offer in the neighborhood of 4 years for $36 mil. and tell Boras that the first accept will get the one rotation slot available. I would love to see a few of Boras' high profile clients get stuck because of his blustering and posturing. I believe Manny Ramirez just may be the one to lose big because of Boras overplaying his hand in these difficult financial times. Nymr83 Dec 30 2008 09:16 PM ="Rockin' Doc":sf7zf4o4]The Mets should give Lowe and Borass a few days to respond, then if they don't get a response that looks favorable they should offer Oliver Perez an offer in the neighborhood of 4 years for $36 mil. and tell Boras that the first accept will get the one rotation slot available. I would love to see a few of Boras' high profile clients get stuck because of his blustering and posturing. I believe Manny Ramirez just may be the one to lose big because of Boras overplaying his hand in these difficult financial times.[/quote:sf7zf4o4] i would love to play Boras' clients against each other by making reasonable offers to both pitchers and say its first come first served. this puts Boras in a position where he can't do right by both clients. MFS62 Dec 31 2008 06:42 AM Now we're going to find out if Omar has friends in Lowe places. Later Edgy DC Dec 31 2008 07:15 AM ="Nymr83":jqmfi9t3]i would love to play Boras' clients against each other by making reasonable offers to both pitchers and say its first come first served. this puts Boras in a position where he can't do right by both clients.[/quote:jqmfi9t3] Well, he can advise them both to hold out for more. I'm not saying it'll work, but he's got a corner of the market by holding the best two remaining pitchers. Benjamin Grimm Dec 31 2008 07:19 AM I notice the article says the Mets don't want to guarantee more than three years. My prediction: They'll sign him to a deal that guarantees $39 million over three years, with a clause that gets him a fourth year (at another $13 million) based on some innings pitched criteria. An article in the Daily News this morning said that the Mets were the lone remaining suitor. I don't know if that's true or not, but if it is Boras will, of course, try to get them to bid against the mysterious phantom team. metirish Dec 31 2008 07:23 AM Thankfully Minaya is't Cashman who at this point with no other suitors would sweeten the pot by at least $60 million. soupcan Dec 31 2008 07:50 AM I'd love to see Boras get his comeuppance as well but it just doesn't happen. We all thought the A-Rod opt-out would backfire and that certainly did not. Boras turned that around from a disaster to friggin' no-holds barrred success. Boras is a smart guy - he knows exactly what he is doing and always gets the most for his clients. As a fan I hate him, but if I were an athlete he'd be my guy. Edgy DC Dec 31 2008 08:03 AM I'm perfectly happy seeing Boras clients walk off with all the money they can get --- as long as my team drives a harder bargain than everybody else's. He got the Yankees to bid against themselves to pay Alex Rodriguez more, even though everybody hates the guy? I applaud him. Frayed Knot Dec 31 2008 08:09 AM ="soupcan":388olj2s]I'd love to see Boras get his comeuppance as well but it just doesn't happen.[/quote:388olj2s] It does occasionally. A couple years back he was telling anyone who would listen that he had a multiple 5-year offers for Kenvin Millwood at something like $15 per. Millwood eventually settled for a one-year arbitration settlement for around $10 or so. And there have been others as well - usually with smaller/mid-range clients. It's the big boys who generate most of the publicity and those are the ones he hits on - but, of course, it's a lot easier when you've got the goods. What remains to be seen here is whether this year is going to be a downward trend after several years of rapidly rising salaries like happened a few years ago following the 1999-2001 spending boom. So far the only player for whom there was a serious bidding war was Teixeira. Sabathia certainly got a chunk of change but it's not clear whether than was necessary, and guys like F Rodriguez got a whole lot less than what was suspected even 2-3 months ago. Centerfield Dec 31 2008 08:24 AM ="soupcan":1gdt0nu9]As a fan I hate him, but if I were an athlete he'd be my guy.[/quote:1gdt0nu9] Why do you hate him as a fan? As an owner or GM, he might be the scum of the earth, but do fans really have a rooting interest in negotiations between player and team? metsmarathon Dec 31 2008 08:41 AM i only hate him when players i want the mets to get have him as their agent, and that drags out the process of signing said player, and typically means that, if we do get said player, its at a higher cost and because we offered the most money (as opposed to the fictional world i wish to live in where free agents choose the mets not for the most money but because they're the awesomest destination, and do so cheaply and before christmas). soupcan Dec 31 2008 08:45 AM ="Centerfield"]="soupcan"]As a fan I hate him, but if I were an athlete he'd be my guy. Why do you hate him as a fan? As an owner or GM, he might be the scum of the earth, but do fans really have a rooting interest in negotiations between player and team? I suppose its not him I hate but rather the escalating salaries that continue to move the players and the game farther away from the fan. As a fan though - the higher the salary, the higher the operating costs of the team, the higher the cost of watching or going to a game. Edgy DC Dec 31 2008 08:50 AM ="soupcan":f7bp71p6]As a fan though - the higher the salary, the higher the operating costs of the team, the higher the cost of watching or going to a game.[/quote:f7bp71p6] I don't believe that for a minute. Prices are driven by demand, not by salary expenses. Don't let the owners convince you otherwise Centerfield Dec 31 2008 09:08 AM ="soupcan"]="Centerfield"]="soupcan"]As a fan I hate him, but if I were an athlete he'd be my guy. Why do you hate him as a fan? As an owner or GM, he might be the scum of the earth, but do fans really have a rooting interest in negotiations between player and team? I suppose its not him I hate but rather the escalating salaries that continue to move the players and the game farther away from the fan. As a fan though - the higher the salary, the higher the operating costs of the team, the higher the cost of watching or going to a game. So you're saying you don't hate the playa, you hate the game. Benjamin Grimm Dec 31 2008 09:14 AM One reason not to like Boras: He represents Mike Pelfrey. If Pelfrey continues to develop into the pitcher we'd like him to be, we have little to no hope that he'll sign a contract like Wright and Reyes did. He'll do the arbitration thing each year that he can, and then he'll test the market. It makes it just a teeny bit harder to get attached to a home-grown player. attgig Dec 31 2008 10:29 AM ="Edgy DC":6u8g9kac]="soupcan":6u8g9kac]As a fan though - the higher the salary, the higher the operating costs of the team, the higher the cost of watching or going to a game.[/quote:6u8g9kac] I don't believe that for a minute. Prices are driven by demand, not by salary expenses. Don't let the owners convince you otherwise[/quote:6u8g9kac] not only demand, but supply. all these new ballparks have less seats. friggin owners. BUT, I would love to see how ticket prices changed from before Free Agency to the early nineties (when contracts started going into the millions). soupcan Dec 31 2008 10:58 AM ="Edgy DC":2ijnmyx6]="soupcan":2ijnmyx6]As a fan though - the higher the salary, the higher the operating costs of the team, the higher the cost of watching or going to a game.[/quote:2ijnmyx6] I don't believe that for a minute. Prices are driven by demand, not by salary expenses. Don't let the owners convince you otherwise[/quote:2ijnmyx6] I don't mean to say that salaries are the only thing but they are a significant contributing factor. ="Centerfield":2ijnmyx6]So you're saying you don't hate the playa, you hate the game.[/quote:2ijnmyx6] Word. Edgy DC Dec 31 2008 11:14 AM ="soupcan":osy3ctu2]I don't mean to say that salaries are the only thing but they are a significant contributing factor.[/quote:osy3ctu2] I don't think they mean a thing. All the restraints of a salary cap haven't made basketball and football tickets any more affordable. soupcan Dec 31 2008 11:29 AM ="Edgy DC":r44vyrx7]="soupcan":r44vyrx7]I don't mean to say that salaries are the only thing but they are a significant contributing factor.[/quote:r44vyrx7] I don't think they mean a thing. All the restraints of a salary cap haven't made basketball and football tickets any more affordable.[/quote:r44vyrx7] It's not like their salary caps have kept those other sports salaries low either though. Frayed Knot Dec 31 2008 12:07 PM Not low, but lower than they'd be under a true open market -- and yet the NFL with its hard cap and often elusive FA system has still managed to be the sport to virtually invent and exploit things like seat licensing and mandatory pre-season buys.

="Fman99":3ekei0l8]I'd eat the corn out of her poop.[/quote:3ekei0l8] If ever a comment fit the description of "too much information" it's that one! John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 26 2008 08:39 PM ="Fman99"]I approve of Michelle Yu. I'd eat the corn out of her poop. What a romantic thing to say! I'll be sure to include a poop-eating scene in my next Asian chick-lit novel. G-Fafif Dec 26 2008 09:46 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":2pgyl5t7]Yallof never did it for me. I blame his sunny demeanor in part for fostering that sense of entitlement and satisfaction with the status quo that has plagued the Mets over the last two years. Really, SNY, like all state owned news orgs, is a terribly evil organization overall and must be stopped.[/quote:2pgyl5t7] Yallof had that smirking, ESPN wannabe thing down pat. So did Kenny Choi. I really hate SNY's studio shows. They seem to come out of some mindless Comcast handbook. I have a hard time imagining blowhard Carlin changing that. Mazzilli was a genuine person, which is rare on TV. One night he was offering some anecdote from his rookie days under Joe Frazier. Yallof began to smirk and chuckle as if somebody bringing up a name that wasn't from the preapproved names list was supposed to be a punch line. Mazz shot him a glare and said, "Joe Frazier was a good man." That impressed me. There's no payoff in defending Joe Frazier in 2008, but Mazzilli had a point to make and he was going to make it. I don't know what Ojeda will bring to the desk, but I'll miss Lee. Yallof at the winter meetings, before any real news happened, was all "It's crazy! There are people here, so many people!" WTF did you expect when you got to the hotel? He had his moments, but not a lot of them. Cotter was worse. Cotter always looked like he had rushed in from a frat party. When Yallof was off doing some straight reporting on the Mitchell hearings in D.C. and Cotter was anchoring, Cotter said to him, via satellite, "I'd love to say you're able to knock off now and get a cold, frosty one in Georgetown, but there's a press conference coming up and we're gonna need you to cover it..." Yallof had this expression like, "Huh?" Fman99 Dec 26 2008 11:39 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket"]="Fman99"]I approve of Michelle Yu. I'd eat the corn out of her poop. What a romantic thing to say! I'll be sure to include a poop-eating scene in my next Asian chick-lit novel. Well if you do it right, it's more of a poop themed corn eating scene. But you're on the right path. John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 27 2008 08:27 AM ="G-Fafif":3358tiie] Mazzilli was a genuine person, which is rare on TV. One night he was offering some anecdote from his rookie days under Joe Frazier. Yallof began to smirk and chuckle as if somebody bringing up a name that wasn't from the preapproved names list was supposed to be a punch line. Mazz shot him a glare and said, "Joe Frazier was a good man." That impressed me. There's no payoff in defending Joe Frazier in 2008, but Mazzilli had a point to make and he was going to make it. I don't know what Ojeda will bring to the desk, but I'll miss Lee. [/quote:3358tiie] That's well-said. The vibe I got from Mazzilli wasn't that he was creepy necessarily, but that he could barely tolerate the tenor of much of the discussion he was asked to take part in, and that Yallof totally missed that. I imagine after the shows Yallof would ask Lee out for pizza and Maz would tell him to fuck off, and Yallof would think, "Boy, that guy's sure rude!" And I never thought I'd say this but enough with the fucking 86 Mets already. We have 2 in the booth, one on the coaching lines, do we need even more in the studio? At least Maz had some of that old-school perspective. I want Wayne Garrett or Johnny Stephenson or Joe Orsulak, dammit. G-Fafif Dec 27 2008 11:06 AM Familiarity breeds apathy if not contempt when it comes to old players you once held dear. I missed Mookie at the final day to-do, yet he was hanging around for years as first base coach and he was, in that capacity, just a turn-of-the-millennium Sheriff Robinson to me. Seaver morphed from legend of legends to grating announcer over time; Rusty, too. HoJo...next teamwide slump, he's not the 30/30 guy. He's the lousy hitting instructor. You want these guys on good diplomatic terms with headquarters, you want them to show up for events, but mostly, I think, you want them to remain special. Then again, they gotta eat, too. Also, who wants to see Great Ex-Met Fill In The Blank wearing an enemy uniform? I didn't like it with Mazzilli, don't care for it with McDowell. Ah, fandom's complex and consuming tapestry... metirish Dec 27 2008 11:27 AM I remember before SNY thinking that the Mets went out of their way not to have the 1986 guys around , can't say that now. I often got the feeling from Maz that he really didn't want to be there , at least not in the studio with Yaloff anyway , he seemed more comfortable with Darling and Hernandez. EDIT : I should say my first thought above is hardly original. Kong76 Dec 27 2008 02:52 PM Fm99: I approve of Michelle Yu. I'd eat the corn out of her poop <<< I can see it now, someone is referring to this joint elsewhere as the cornpooforum. Fman99 Dec 27 2008 07:10 PM ="KC"]Fm99: I approve of Michelle Yu. I'd eat the corn out of her poop <<< I can see it now, someone is referring to this joint elsewhere as the cornpooforum. God I hope so. metirish Jan 04 2009 09:33 AM From Neil Best ] 3. SNY will add closed captioning for the hearing-impaired (and for sports bar patrons) in time for the Mets' opener, lest it read about its failure to do so here every single day. 4. SNY also will show the 1969 World Series in honor of that event's 40th anniversary - including Game 1, thus beating YES to the honor of being the first team-owned cable channel in New York to present a classic game that resulted in a loss G-Fafif Jan 04 2009 09:56 AM Mind you, those are part of Best's semi-fanciful predictions as opposed to any hard information. It's been his cute little gripe that neither SNY nor whatchamacallit ever show "Classics" that involve the team they broadcast losing a game, and when SNY reaired Games 2-5 of the '69 WS in 2007, he wanted to know what the harm would be in showing Game One, that long after the fact, Mets fans could withstand the pain of watching the Orioles beat the Mets, knowing it all turns out OK in the end. During the extended NBA lockout ten years ago, Fox Sports New York killed time reairing Mets games from the 1998 season, and one of them was a loss, from when McGwire hit his 50th homer at Shea. But that wasn't a team-owned network, so Best's point is valid. metirish Jan 04 2009 10:04 AM Yes my bad , they are predictions rather than facts. Gwreck Feb 17 2009 09:59 AM Good news: Jocelyn Pierce (who was absolutely terrible) is out as Mets Weekly host. In is Julie Alexandria, who was formerly the co-host of Beer Money. NY Post article: http://www.nypost.com/seven/02152009/sports/moresports/the_rumble_155278.htm metirish Feb 17 2009 10:29 AM From the few times I have seen Julie Alexandria I like her , seems to have a sweet and fun personality. Edgy DC Feb 17 2009 10:35 AM I like how she interviews a shirt. John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 17 2009 10:49 AM I like corn. HahnSolo Feb 18 2009 07:18 AM ="Gwreck":2a88ajq4]Good news: Jocelyn Pierce (who was absolutely terrible) is out as Mets Weekly host. In is Julie Alexandria, who was formerly the co-host of Beer Money. NY Post article: http://www.nypost.com/seven/02152009/sports/moresports/the_rumble_155278.htm[/quote:2a88ajq4] I would much prefer to look at Jocelyn Pierce. Was she bad as a host? Couldn't say. Was too busy looking at her. Julia's OK I guess, no Jocelyn though. Fman99 Feb 18 2009 07:30 AM ="metirish"]From the few times I have seen Julie Alexandria I like her , seems to have a sweet and fun personality. Do I even need to say it? OK, I think I do. Hey Julie, come over here. And bring the bat. Frayed Knot Feb 18 2009 07:33 AM ="Edgy DC":3msy2jjg]I like how she interviews a shirt.[/quote:3msy2jjg] Maybe she's trying to get the shirt to 'open up' ... like her own for instance. Centerfield Feb 18 2009 07:56 AM ="Frayed Knot":rsssa79a]="Edgy DC":rsssa79a]I like how she interviews a shirt.[/quote:rsssa79a] Maybe she's trying to get the shirt to 'open up' ... like her own for instance.[/quote:rsssa79a] Bam! Julie Alexandria = much hotter than Matt Yaloff. Benjamin Grimm Feb 18 2009 08:08 AM But not as hot as Jocelyn Pierce. I only watched Mets Weekly twice. The first time convinced me that, as lovely as Jocelyn Pierce was, there wasn't enough substance in the show for me to invest (or waste) a half hour of my time. Too much fluff. Half the show was Jocelyn following Scott Schoeneweis around the golf course. (The second time I watched was to catch Johnny Lunchbucket's appearance.) Edgy DC Feb 18 2009 08:13 AM I hadn't heard the Joe Frazier story. Love it. Some of the first things I learned to say as a Met fan was "Joe Frazier Sucks" and "Fire Joe Frazier." I heard them and repeated them and had little idea why I was saying them. metirish Feb 18 2009 09:08 AM I wonder if the bad publicity generated by her husband has anything to do with Jocelyn losing her hosting gig , is she still employed by SNY ? Benjamin Grimm Feb 18 2009 09:10 AM ="metirish":1vsplurx]I wonder if the bad publicity generated by her husband has anything to do with Jocelyn losing her hosting gig , is she still employed by SNY ?[/quote:1vsplurx] Who's her husband? Please tell me it's not Bernie Madoff! metirish Feb 18 2009 09:12 AM Nah it's Antonio Pierce , the numb nut Giants player involved with Plaxico Burress. metirish Mar 30 2009 09:17 AM Klapisch: Ojeda talks a good game ] Bobby Ojeda has spent the past five years in a blissful, self-imposed exile at his Rumson shore house, beyond the reach of the �86 ghosts. The former Mets� left-hander never was much for reminiscing. Like some Met fans � particularly the younger ones � he�s been willing to let the �80s turn to vapor. Does that sound like the profile of an SNY analyst? Incredibly, the Mets-owned network thinks Ojeda is its man, despite the fact he has no television experience. He�ll be in the studio for 130 games this season, replacing Lee Mazzilli as the pregame and postgame intellectual engine. There�s a delicious irony to anyone who knew Ojeda in the Mets� wilder days: He was anything but a spotlight hog, even though he was the best pitcher in 1986, winning 18 games. Now, Ojeda says with a laugh, �I�m the one who�s going to be doing all the talking.� Ojeda has been given free rein by SNY to cut and slash as he sees fit. Ojeda could follow in the footsteps of Keith Hernandez, his onetime teammate who can be openly critical of the Mets and has few friends in the clubhouse (although he has a near-cult following among viewers). Or Ojeda can play it safe like many of the analysts at the rival YES Network, including David Cone and Al Leiter. The networks closely scrutinize each other, comparing nightly ratings, quality of production and the editorial tone of their announcers. One YES announcer said last summer he was �stunned� at how far Hernandez has been allowed to stray from the company line. �If I talked like that about the Yankees, I�d probably get fired,� the broadcaster said with a laugh. Ojeda understands there�s a fine line between honesty and corporate common sense. He also knows his decision to work for SNY has removed him from the brotherhood of big-leaguers. He visited Port St. Lucie, Fla., last week with co-host Chris Carlin (who replaces Matt Yallof) and immediately sensed the gap, even with Howard Johnson, a friend for 20 years who now serves as the Mets� hitting instructor. Ojeda�s only purpose was to chat with HoJo, not interview him, not even to use the information for background. Yet Ojeda knew the reservoir of trust was drying up. �There was this twinge from Howard, like he was talking to the media,� Ojeda said. �I was like, �HoJo, this is me you�re talking to.� I felt like kicking his butt. I�m getting these answers and I�m like, �Come on, are you kidding me?� I guess it�s the nature of the thing I signed on to.� So why would Ojeda begin this journey? Or more to the point, why would SNY take a gamble on an electronic rookie? SNY head Curt Gowdy Jr. says Ojeda impressed the network during auditions with his candor and ability to shape short, concise answers. Once he realized Ojeda actually had a presence in front of the camera, Gowdy was willing to overlook his new analyst�s lack of experience. �It�s a calculated risk, but there are a lot of calculated risks we�ve taken,� Gowdy said. �Look at bringing Ron Darling here from the Nationals. Look at bringing Kevin Burkhardt from WFAN. We think Bob is only going to get better and better.� Gowdy glossed over the dismissals of Mazzilli and Yallof, saying SNY was looking for a �different� personality and perspective. After the Mets� back-to-back collapses in 2007 and 2008, the Wilpon family undoubtedly wanted its network to have a makeover in time for Citi Field�s christening. Jeff Wilpon approached Ojeda during the off-season and floated the idea of coming back to the organization as an analyst. Ojeda had spent three years as the pitching coach for the Brooklyn Cyclones, bailing out in 2003, when Rick Peterson was hired as the Mets� pitching coach. Ojeda went home to Rumson, spending the next five years watching his five daughters grow up, distancing himself from his former life. Ojeda rebuffed every attempt to relive the miracle �86 season, including card shows and interview requests. In truth, he was sick of the Mets who were making careers out of reliving their careers. �You have to move on. I mean, it turns everyone off when you hear [a broadcaster] say, �When I played.� I don�t have any intention of doing that,� Ojeda said. �The players today, it�s their turn; they�re the ones wearing the uniform. I�d rather stay current.� The same forward-directed policy will apply to the other asterisk on Ojeda�s r�sum� � the horrific 1993 boating accident in Florida that took the lives of Indian teammates Tim Crews and Steve Olin, the first deaths of active major leaguers since Thurman Munson was killed in 1979. Ojeda, who suffered severe head lacerations, later said the only reason he also wasn�t killed was because he was slouched over the moment the boat struck a dock. It was driven by Crews, whom investigators said was legally drunk at the time. Ojeda will not speak about the tragedy in interviews or on the air. �It�s like [the] �86 [season]. We all have things on our permanent record,� Ojeda said. �I mean, that�s life; you just keep going. You look for new challenges. For me, this [sNY job] is an opportunity to get back into baseball and talk about something I love. I can�t wait.� Centerfield Mar 30 2009 09:34 AM I can't believe they're putting Chris Carlin on more shows. It's like they're trying to out-dumb themselves. Yalloff might have been stupid, but at least he wasn't a blowhard. I've seen about five minutes of Loudmouths to know that I don't want to see another minute of either of them. Plus he talks like he has marbles in his mouth. Edgy DC Mar 30 2009 09:52 AM Isn't the fact that they have a show called "Loud Mouths" a bigger problem than which particular loud mouths it features? LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 30 2009 11:42 AM ] One YES announcer said last summer he was �stunned� at how far Hernandez has been allowed to stray from the company line. �If I talked like that about the Yankees, I�d probably get fired,� the broadcaster said with a laugh. True story: During her on-air orgasm in response to Roger Clemens' in-game announcement of his return to baseball, Suzyn Waldman was fulfilling a contractual obligation to her former YES employers; in return, she received a $30,000 balloon payment-- $25,000 of which was paid in the form of Hard Rock Cafe gift certificates and tee shirts-- and a 3 ounce vial of Roger Clemens' testicular sweat (valued at 12.07, since subpoenaed by DOJ). Centerfield Mar 30 2009 12:29 PM ="Edgy DC":8fiqu3nj]Isn't the fact that they have a show called "Loud Mouths" a bigger problem than which particular loud mouths it features?[/quote:8fiqu3nj] I understand that the network honchos are asking his mouth to be loud, it doesn't mean I have to like him more. For my pre and post game, give me the guy that passed up that gig. I like SNY because of its Mets/Big East-centered coverage. But outside of the actual games and SportsNight, I think I would rather watch the Lifetime channel than the rest of SNY's programming. In addition to Loudmouths, they have about sixteen other "reporters screaming at each other" type shows. Where it seems the objective is to be more annoying than the guy you're arguing with. I have never heard Joe Beningo on the FAN, but from the clips I see of his "highlights", I think I've seen all I need to see. Edgy DC Mar 30 2009 12:32 PM Yeah, I'm not asking you to like him more, only to give the lion's share of your hate to the process that empowers him to suck. Benjamin Grimm Mar 30 2009 12:37 PM I don't mind that SNY has some dumb shoutfests on its schedule, but I think it would be a good idea for them to have some smart shows as well. (Maybe they do, but if so they don't advertise them during Mets games.) I'm thinking of a Bob Costas/Bryant Gumbel kind of show where you have a reporter covering some topic of interest to the New York sports scene with insight and depth. But instead it's a lot of Loudmouths and Wheelhouse and Beer Money. metirish Mar 30 2009 12:41 PM Fran Healy productions has a range of shows to suit your needs. G-Fafif Mar 30 2009 01:00 PM ="metirish":1szfbxoo]Fran Healy productions has a range of shows to suit your needs.[/quote:1szfbxoo] I had my first ever dream about Fran Healy the other night. Dreamt I was at a table in some mostly deserted banquet room at a trade show in Philadelphia and Healy was taking a break from doing an interview or something and came to sit down. (TMF may have been at the table as well.) My gosh, I thought, I took a shot at him in my book and now I'm sitting here and he's coming over. He walked behind me, gave me this jockish rubbing of the shoulders and said something knowing and slightly needling as if to indicate it's all right, I've been through this before. He wasn't being particularly friendly, but he wasn't altogether menacing. Fman99 Mar 31 2009 11:56 AM Caught a couple of minutes of Beer Money the other night as I was flipping around the dial. Blech. If ol DJ Chunky Carlin came up to me I think I'd just feed him pennies until he went away. Now, that Julie girl, well, heh heh, I'd find something else to feed her. metirish Apr 06 2009 12:14 PM Caught most of the pre-game stuff , it's going to take sme getting used to watching Carlin. Of course I could just skip the damn thing. TransMonk Apr 06 2009 12:15 PM The new in-game graphics are a bit cookie cutter for my taste. I had no problem with the old ones. metirish Apr 06 2009 12:17 PM I find the huge NY swooshing through the screen annoying. A bit FOX like I think. HahnSolo Apr 06 2009 01:06 PM Carlin does remind me a bit too much of the leader of the Fordham Baldies. Elster88 Apr 18 2009 02:16 PM Finally I can be comfortable watching the post-game. The only thing worse than Carlin's voice is actually looking at him. The first time the gf saw him on Beer Money she was afraid of him. I've got no problem with equal treatment for slobs but does this guy have to be on TV? I also have no problem with TV personalities being hired based on how they look and sound. Edgy DC Apr 18 2009 02:50 PM I like to think I'd look prettier if people on TV and on film and in magzines were generally uglier. GYC Apr 18 2009 05:57 PM Chris Carlin is the biggest asshole I ever met. He covers Rutgers games for a local New Brunswick/Piscataway station and has absolutely no respect for anyone else in the business. He's loud, he's obnoxious, and he's an asshole. He'll stand up and leave in the middle of press conferences, even if people are in the middle of talking. He acts like he's important and has priority because he's Chris Carlin. And on gameday, him and fat daughter waddle around Rutgers Stadium. I hate seeing him on SNY. He's a prick. Edgy DC Apr 18 2009 08:22 PM Who else reads GYC's posts and hears the words coming out of Keith Hernandez's mouth? Live on the air. Fman99 Apr 18 2009 08:57 PM ="Edgy DC":2jfw89we]Who else reads GYC's posts and hears the words coming out of Keith Hernandez's mouth? Live on the air.[/quote:2jfw89we] I do, which is even better given Mex's wardrobe (in the profile pic) as the hair color pitchman. I'd buy Grecian 5 from that salty motherfucker in a minute! Swan Swan H May 25 2009 11:36 AM SNY is running the Mr. Koo game as the Mets Classic. Again. As I write this Buck and McCarver are giving Willie a tongue-bath. Anyway, this is at least the fourth time I've seen this game on SNY this year. According to UMDB the Mets have played 7,523 regular season games. Apparently SNY has the rights to show eight of them. batmagadanleadoff May 25 2009 12:17 PM ="Swan Swan H":qgg5ebow]SNY is running the Mr. Koo game as the Mets Classic. Again. As I write this Buck and McCarver are giving Willie a tongue-bath. Anyway, this is at least the fourth time I've seen this game on SNY this year. According to UMDB the Mets have played 7,523 regular season games. Apparently SNY has the rights to show eight of them.[/quote:qgg5ebow] I noticed the same thing. http://cranepoolforum.net/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=10886&sid=2e36b27e63769008dbc4af85452e39c6 Swan Swan H May 25 2009 12:31 PM Oops. I didn't realize there was a separate thread for the Classix. TransMonk Jun 03 2009 03:53 PM Per Metsblog, via Twitter, SI.com�s Jon Heyman announced that Matt Yalloff, formerly of SNY, has joined the MLB Network. G-Fafif Jun 03 2009 03:54 PM ="TransMonk":jrcwlac0]Per Metsblog, via Twitter, SI.com�s Jon Heyman announced that Matt Yalloff, formerly of SNY, has joined the MLB Network.[/quote:jrcwlac0] I'm exhausted just learning that. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 03 2009 05:09 PM So we've got Carlin for good, then. And there are no trades in broadcasting? John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 03 2009 06:19 PM ="TransMonk":2gmwiqqi]Per Metsblog, via Twitter, SI.com�s Jon Heyman announced that Matt Yalloff, formerly of SNY, has joined the MLB Network.[/quote:2gmwiqqi] as soda-getter. G-Fafif Jun 04 2009 12:34 PM Kevin Burkhardt just admonished the Pirates for placing a section of wall from Forbes Field, over which Mazeroski's home run flew, in a less than ideal spot at PNC Park. While there's nothing wrong with professing exacting standards (it is weird that it's between two bathrooms), anyone whose job description includes shilling for the history-challenged environs of Citi Field should pick his battles more carefully, as in, perhaps, "what a shape they don't have a Taqueria here in Pittsburgh." Elster88 Jun 24 2009 08:27 PM Carlin auditioning for ESPN doing the highlights. I really can't stand him. Swan Swan H Jun 24 2009 08:42 PM ="Elster88":2eui7q36]Carlin auditioning for ESPN doing the highlights. I really can't stand him.[/quote:2eui7q36] I hoped he'd be different, but you nailed it. Gary Apple may be vanilla, but he hits his marks and doesn't drive me nuts. Among the SNY stable of talkers I wouldn't mind seeing him in that seat. metirish Jun 24 2009 08:45 PM ="Swan Swan H":1bvh8rgw]="Elster88":1bvh8rgw]Carlin auditioning for ESPN doing the highlights. I really can't stand him.[/quote:1bvh8rgw] I hoped he'd be different, but you nailed it. Gary Apple may be vanilla, but he hits his marks and doesn't drive me nuts. Among the SNY stable of talkers I wouldn't mind seeing him in that seat.[/quote:1bvh8rgw] I've thought the same thing about Apple for a while. Elster88 Aug 09 2009 05:52 PM A clean-shaven Johnny Franco doing the post-game. Frayed Knot Aug 09 2009 06:41 PM I'm guessing Franco's had that mustache since, oh I dunno, maybe age 12. OlerudOwned Aug 09 2009 08:04 PM ="Frayed Knot"]I'm guessing Franco's had that mustache since, oh I dunno, maybe age 12. Funny that he'd be clean for a team with a historically mustachioed mascot. Then again, this was during the Schott reign. dgwphotography Aug 10 2009 07:46 AM ="Frayed Knot":30o1llmf]I'm guessing Franco's had that mustache since, oh I dunno, maybe age 12.[/quote:30o1llmf] Sounds like me - I've had at least a mustache for 29 years... Frayed Knot Aug 10 2009 07:59 AM But can't you just picture Johnny F trying to cultivate at least the beginnings of one in Jr High? The Reds - despite the mascot - were long a conservative club with 'no facial hair' restrictions going back even before the Schott era. I suspect he wasn't clean-shaven there out of choice. Edgy DC Aug 10 2009 08:10 AM And, in fairness to the Reds, all of baseball was pretty much facial-hair-free for about 50 years leading up to the Swinging A's era. Can anybody name the first mustachioed Met? John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 10 2009 08:24 AM Ken Boswell Benjamin Grimm Aug 10 2009 08:25 AM Felix Millan? Frayed Knot Aug 10 2009 08:33 AM ="Edgy DC":8wq591f4]And, in fairness to the Reds, all of baseball was pretty much facial-hair-free for about 50 years leading up to the Swinging A's era. [/quote:8wq591f4] Reds just kept that policy going much longer than other clubs. It was some mgr/exec from the Cincy org that switched over to StL at one point during Keith's time there who made him shave off his 'stache. Edgy DC Aug 10 2009 08:44 AM And to be honest, I kind of liked the policy. Yeah, it seems starkly retrograde, but I like anything that makes teams culturally different from one another, even if it's something I wouldn't like on my team. Maybe especially if it's something I wouldn't like on my team. dgwphotography Aug 10 2009 01:29 PM I remember seeing both Kranepool and Harrelson sporting mustaches... Farmer Ted Aug 11 2009 09:25 AM Bobby O last night said that Pelfry's form on a bunch of pitches looked lazy and he wasn't waiting for Santos to finish giving signs before he started his windup. In Pelfry's defense, the guy was just with his wife who gave birth. So, he's up for how long during that process? Then the Mets shove him onto a plan, across the freaking country, and pitch with his head obviously in a fog. Farmer Ted Aug 16 2009 01:08 PM Switched over to NESN in between innings to catch a Red Sox score. Frank Viola doing color and sounds pretty good. Any openings at SNY? Frayed Knot Aug 16 2009 01:20 PM ="Farmer Ted":jupihupn]Switched over to NESN in between innings to catch a Red Sox score. Frank Viola doing color and sounds pretty good. Any openings at SNY?[/quote:jupihupn] I've heard him before. He might rival Johnny Franco for the most identifiable Noo Yawk accent working in the media. G-Fafif Aug 16 2009 03:54 PM ="dgwphotography":2hba0iah]I remember seeing both Kranepool and Harrelson sporting mustaches...[/quote:2hba0iah] Been listening to the radio broadcast of Tom Seaver's final start before he was traded. One of things I learned, from Bob Murphy, was Dave Kingman just shaved his mustache because he realized (according to Murph) that he couldn't grow a good one.

Just in case this is true, here's a tidbit from Wikipedia for the Wifey Watch: ]On August 3, 2005, FSN West in Los Angeles announced that "Dodger Dugout" anchor Carolyn Hughes had been suspended pending an investigation into a potential relationship between her and Lowe. Shortly thereafter, the pitcher filed for divorce from his wife of seven years, Trinka Lowe, with whom he fathered two children. Hughes' husband had also filed for divorce and, as of early 2006, Lowe and Hughes were living together. Lowe and Hughes were married on December 13, 2008 at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan.

I have to confess that I don't know much about Lowe, but I'm so done with Oliver Perez.

I'm not sure what this proves. Some of those first basemen might have been 35 years old and may have been a good choice for that particular season. It doesn't mean their team was planning on keeping them for eight years. If anything, we should see which of those guys was 29 (or younger) in 2002 and then see how viable they still are eight years later. (And anyway, if we're talking eight years shouldn't we be looking at 2001?)

Is that what their farts smell like?

Was Yaloff that bad? I don't watch the pre- and post-game shows all that much, but he seemed inoffensive. I don't know that we'll be able to say the same about Carlin. Yaloff may not have brought much to the table, but at least he's not a loudmouth.

How is it possible that Bunt the First Two, who's been here for three and a half years, only has 9 posts? (And a very nice avatar, by the way.)

If they could get him on a one-year contract, even for $25 million, they ought to do that. But at his age, it's really not to Manny's advantage to sign a one-year deal. Next year his negotiating position is bound to be not as good. Should the Mets sign him for a two-year deal? Maybe. Three years? That might be pushing it. I still don't think it will happen, but it is looking like more of a possibility than it had been.

Today's buzz has the Mets becoming serious about negotiating with Lowe. While I do like the idea of getting a pitcher who'll be the Number 2 guy (as opposed to a Number 4 guy) I'm concerned that Lowe will be too old and expensive. Especially if he ends up with a five-year deal. I think I'd rather seem them put that money towards Randy Wolf and Orlando Hudson.

Is Molina gone? I missed that.

I think us Yankee haters are going to pay dearly for the enjoyment we got out of the Yankees missing the playoffs in 2008. Of course, if they miss out again in 2009, it will be all the sweeter.

It's just insane how they're acquiring players this winter. I really hope that THIS will become the Worst Team Money Could Buy.

And I hope he likes the smell of cinnamon. And that he knows not to accept any pool party invitations.

I bet everyone else in the Yankee bullpen finds themselves strangely craving Cin-A-Bon whenever they sit next to Rivera.

Eight years, $180 million. (Merged from Tex a yank, 12/23/2008)