Benjamin Grimm

That wouldn't surprise me either. Nor would Glavine to Baltimore.

At the moment, they do seem to have that nice mix of youth and experience that's served Atlanta so well for so many years. Hopefully they can keep this balance, and not give in to the temptation to trade youth for experience. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Glavine came back next year. And if he has a good 2006, and gets only a one-year deal for 2007, I don't think I'll object too much.

If I went frequently might very well feel the same way. But I only go a few times a decade, so I'd just as soon see Shea remain.

I was thinking about this, and I think the new stadium will make me, in the long run, less likely to go and attend a game. I know I'm in a small minority here, but I don't live close to Queens, and it's a bit of an effort to get there. And when I do go, it's as much for the nostalgia of being at Shea, a place that meant so much to me growing up, as it is to see the actual game being played. In 2009 I'm sure I'll be motivated to see the new ballpark, but by 2011 or 2012 I suspect I'll be much less interested in going.

The spelling you meant was "teat"

I understand Beltran's sense of pride made him not want to take a curtain call, but he should have just tipped his cap anyway. The message would be, "I understand it's not personal. You'll boo me when I fail and applaud when I succeed. You kept your end of the bargain, so I'll keep my end. Here's a wave from the dugout steps." Had he done that, there would be far less discussion of booing today, here and everywhere else in Metland.

Remember how all of the so-called experts were saying that there would be no pressure on Beltran this year? I knew that was jive. If anything there's more pressure, because two bad years in a row means that he's doomed in New York. Have a huge April, Carlos. You'll be able to put all this behind you.

Bret Sabermetric wrote: Or maybe some loyal fans are saying "Hey, it's getting kind of old to keep cheering shitty-to-mediocre baseball year after year and finishing out of the money. Get your shit together already. If you keep spending money on players who can';t play, if you keep trading away those players who maybe can and hanging to those who definitely can't, and tripping all over yourself to pay them top dollar for underperforming, and charging us good money to see these fraudulent results, I'm going to find some more satisfying ways to spend my time and money. If you think the sound of my voice booing is bad, I think you'll find the complete absence of my voice around here even more annoying." It's been known to happen. Why would anybody who feels that way pay $50 to get into the ballpark?

mlbaseballtalk wrote: -To that point, Shea IS the template that led to other monolithic football/baseball stadiums, or as they were all considered blights, accross America during the 70's, most have FINALLY seen their demise (Riverfront, Three Rivers, Busch II, Vet in Philly, Fulton County in Atlanta, ect) And that's one of my arguments for keeping it. If Shea were to continue in use for another forty years, it would be every bit as quaint and charming as Wrigley Field. I'm sure Wrigley went through a period when it was considered horribly old fashioned, with obstructed view seats, no modern amenities, etc. It's that mode of thinking that caused Crosley Field, Forbes Field, Shibe Park, Ebbets Field, and many other parks to be torn down. Wrigley and Fenway survived that period, and they're now beloved. The same would happen to Shea. All types of architecture go through an unloved, tear-it-down period in which many examples are torn down. There were actually people who wanted to tear down the Brooklyn Bridge and Independence Hall in the past because the structures were old and ugly.

Bret has a point. You never win by complaining about the booing.

If the only thing making it a dump is dirt and escalators, it can be fixed with cleanser and a call to a repairman. Dirt, stopped escalators and leaky pipes isn't an excuse to knock the place down.

Frayed Knot wrote: Yeah, and virtually every single stadium built since they've put in that rule has ignored and/or gotten a waiver to bypass minimum. Whether it's a typo (I hope) or not, it's a silly rule if they're not going to enforce it. It's like having a law saying you can't do something ... unless you ask nicely. This reminds me of all those environmental laws that the Bush administration says should be "voluntary."

Whatever they name the new park, I hope the fans collectively insist on calling it "Shea." Philadelphia had a similar shorthand for "The Vet" and that hasn't been replaced at all. Calling Citizens Bank Park "The Bank" thankfully hasn't caught on. The local station I listen to, WHYY-FM (the public station) doesn't seem to ever call the park by its name. They say, "The Phillies will be at home at the ballpark to play the Cardinals." Maybe it's because as a public radio station they don't want to give plugs to a company that's not a sponsor, but whatever the reason I applaud the decision to not mention the name.

I also agree with JB. I have a suspicion that forty years from now the next generation will want to knock down this new place and build something reminiscent of Shea. There's a replica of Independence Hall at Knott's Berry Farm in California. It's completely out of place there. Same would be true of an Ebbetts Field in the big Queens parking lot. I'd like to see the blue and orange "tiles" (those giant rippled metal sheets) on the facade on the new park. Let's give nods to Mets history. I don't decorate my home to look like the places where my great grandparents lived.

Potential ballpark naming partners: http://www.sheahomes.com/ http://www.shea-online.org/

cooby wrote: I just can't find it in my heart to consider this a happy occasion I'm with you cooby.

Bret Sabermetric wrote: Wow, excellent. Instead of correcting my typo above, I;'ll simply note that this is a stat that apparently I WILL live to see. Of course you could do "games not played" by subtracting "games played" from 162 (most years) and figuring out that w/l pct. True, but I'd leave that to the visitor to do mentally. In Piazza's case, for example, it could be confusing. In 1998, do his games not started include the games the Mets played before the trade? Since some might assume yes and others no, I'd rather just go with the more clear numbers.

Interesting idea for the UMDB. I can easily add a stat for record in games started by position player. (Games they didn't start would be more tricky, since I don't track when they're on the roster.) I'll put that on the to-do list.

The Jon Matlack link. But now it's okay again.

Eek. Something happened to Scarlett's hyperlink.

Rusty still looks like he can step in and play right field, doesn't he?

Well, we're only one game into the new season, and I liked his choices of pitchers in that game. (He removed Glavine when I would have, and gave Heilman the two innings I requested in the IGT.) But that's no evidence that he's smarter; it's only one game. But hopefully he'll grow into the position, and sooner rather than later. I'm not sure, but doesn't he have a new bench coach this season? I seem to think that Alomar and Manuel switched jobs. If so, that may help. I wouldn't say I'm optimistic that Willie will become a better manager, but it's a possibility, and as I said, I'm hopeful that it will happen.

And if you've ever been undicked you know how painful that can be.

I've Never Been to Me

Mama Said There'd Be Days Like These