Benjamin Grimm

My copy of Pedro, Carlos, and Omar arrived yesterday, and I plan to start reading it next week. It looks great: a section with color photos, an index, and the photo of Pedro on the cover has him in the blue cap and a pinstriped jersey. (Mad props for that!) Adam, thanks for joining us. I still read the print edition of the Daily News every day, even though I moved away from New York over 17 years ago. It's great having you here. Here are my questions: How conscious are you of the back page? When you submit a story, do you consider whether or not it's back-page material? Do you get a special thrill when it does show up there, or feel disappointment when a worthy story doesn't? Do you know in advance where it's going to be placed, or do you find out when you get your copy of the paper? When you're in spring training, or on the road, do you get a print edition sent to you? How hard was it to get your book published? Was this your first attempt, or had you pitched other ideas in the past that didn't get picked up? If the Daily News offered you the Yankees beat tomorrow, would you jump at it, consider it, or turn it down outright? (We won't be offended, whatever your answer!) This was in Jon Heyman's column in Newsday this morning, regarding Lastings Milledge: ]One other high-ranking Mets person said flatly, "He's our leftfielder in 2007." I've read such things before. You may know or suspect who it was who said that, but I won't ask you to reveal who it was. But that's not the first time I've read such statements about Milledge. What do you think, though? Is he solidly in their plans for 2007, an "untouchable," or do you think he's merely untouchable until Barry Zito or Manny Ramirez or somebody else becomes available in July? Again, thanks for visiting with us. Please feel free to drop in on us during the season when your schedule permits. There's always some kind of Mets conversation going on, and we'd enjoy having you jump in whenever you'd like.

="MFS62"]="MFS62"] It was almost as blatant an example of claptrap as the original Kiernan article. Oh no! Its happening. I'm getting old. I checked back in to read the additional responses. And then I saw that I had used the word "claptrap". Does anyone use that word anymore? I'm depressed, and need some kind words of reassurance. Mole. You remember that word... don't you? Help. Please. Later At least you didn't say "whippersnapper."

I toyed with the idea of building a song about that attitude during the recent Song Parody Challenge.

No graphic for Big Mac? http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~fk4a-myst/aus/1993/au9301-1.JPG

Also, I notice that the name of this photo is "lima_before" Clearly, though, that's an after shot of Mrs. Lima. Those things can't be real. I'd prefer real and not bodacious to artificially bodacious any time.

Lima had a 6.99 ERA last year with Kansas City, and he got 32 starts! I can't help but think that instead of continuing to trot Lima out there, the Royals could have given three or four starts each to some of their AAA or even AA pitchers.

The favoriteMetshttp://www.mlb.com/images/logos/38x45/nym_38x45.gif They have a few areas of concern, but the Mets also have enough impressive pieces to think they might celebrate the 20-year anniversary of their 1986 World Series win with another playoff berth this season. The upgrade Wagner represents at closer and the added production the arrival of first baseman Carlos Delgado and catcher Paul Lo Duca, means the bottom line should more than offset the losses of Jae Seo, Roberto Hernandez and Kris Benson particularly if Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, et al, stay healthy. Projected regular-season finish: NL East champions Biggest Spring Training challenge: Finding setup men, especially a lefty, to bridge the gap from the starters to Wagner is the most pressing issue facing the Mets. Sanchez and Julio have decent arms and some experience, and if Aaron Heilman doesn't crack the rotation, he would join those two as the likely bridge candidates -- though all are right-handers. Best position battles: The starting job in right field, with Xavier Nady and Victor Diaz the main candidates with Endy Chavez also in the mix, should be close. Wild Card: If Pedro and Glavine go down or the pitching overall drops off considerably from last year's level of production, New York's vulnerability could be exposed.

I was at that game. It was an 18-inning affair against the Pirates at Shea Stadium in April of 1985. (I think it was the only game Roger McDowell ever started. If not the only one, it was one of a very few.) Rusty made his running catch while in right field. It was a short fly ball tailing off into foul territory. If my mental memory is correct, Rusty charged in and grabbed it at his shins as he was crossing the foul line.

And Vince Coleman. And Bobby Bonilla. And Bret Saberhagen. That was supposed to be a team worth celebrating. At least it was immortalized in a book.

Are they going to talk about gay porn?

I don't think the determining factor will be Matsui's health, but whether or not Omar finds a taker for him.

11) Kaz Matsui: starting second baseman, highly paid reserve, or ex-Met? For question number 4, above, concerning the 8th-inning guy, I'm thinking that the main candidates right now are Sanchez, Julio, and Bradford. My guess (at this point, anyway) is that it won't be Julio, and that Sanchez is more likely than Bradford. Is there anyone I'm overlooking?

If anyone's interested, this is on TV tonight. New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com A 'Grizzly' film that you can't forget DAVID BIANCULLI Friday, February 3rd, 2006 http://www.nydailynews.com/images/editors/STAR.GIFhttp://www.nydailynews.com/images/editors/STAR.GIFhttp://www.nydailynews.com/images/editors/STAR.GIFhttp://www.nydailynews.com/images/editors/halfstar.gif GRIZZLY MAN. Tonight at 8, Discovery Channel. For 13 consecutive summers, Long Island native Timothy Treadwell went to Alaska to live among grizzly bears - filming them the last five of those years and capturing more than 100 hours of footage. But Treadwell's 2003 voyage to the Arctic wilderness was a one-way trip: He and his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, who had accompanied him on his last two trips, were killed by bears. Werner Herzog, the film director whose best films, like "Fitzcarraldo," are about solitary men with singular obsessions, finds in Treadwell's story a real-life subject that's perfect for him. "Grizzly Man," premiering tonight at 8 on The Discovery Channel, is a documentary that's amazing to watch, and impossible to shake. Herzog interviews Treadwell's parents and friends, and a few others, but the weight of "Grizzly Man" comes from the film shot by Treadwell himself. Some scenes show the bears cavorting and fighting in the wild; others show Treadwell boldly, sometimes foolishly, getting within arm's reach of the bears and sharing their camera space, and still others show Treadmill addressing the camera directly, like a wild-eyed Travis Bickle from "Taxi Driver," but talking to the lens instead of a mirror. Treadwell's parents talk of his onetime dream of being an actor, and of a time when he supposedly tried for the part played by Woody Harrelson in "Cheers." Yet the only credit in Treadwell's resume is a 2001 appearance on "Late Show With David Letterman," where the host elicits laughter and applause from the studio audience by asking, "Is it going to happen that one day we read a news article about you being eaten by one of these bears?" In retrospect, that's prescient, not funny. And watching Treadwell on tape, and listening to his wide-ranging mood swings and tender appreciation for the foxes and bears in his midst, gives "Grizzly Man" a range, a weight and a reality that are singularly hypnotizing. Amazingly, the attack that killed Treadwell and Huguenard was recorded on camera, though so suddenly that the lens cap was on, and only the audio was captured. Even more amazingly, Herzog avoids the more sensational route and refuses to play that audio during the film, other than its first few quiet seconds (with Treadwell whispering, "Get away; go away"). Instead, he films himself listening to the tape on headphones - and advising its owner, who has not heard it herself, to destroy it. At 10:30, The Discovery Channel complements the film with a half-hour special, "Diary of the Grizzly Man," that addresses the film's content and authenticity. The film itself, though, is the main attraction. As a study of both man and beast, it's unforgettable.

I found judging fly balls to be nearly impossible. I could catch a ball that was hit to my left or right, or in front of me, easily enough. But if it was enough over my head that I had to do more than just drift backwards, I had no chance. I had to let it land and then chase it. I still marvel at how players can turn their back to a fly ball and run then run it down. It sounds so simple, just run to where it's going to land. I could just as easily have run to Neptune.

Bad. Poor. Bad. I'm referring to my Little League days, when I was 8, 9, and 10. Later as a teenager playing softball I worked my way up to average in all of those categories. You didn't mention running, but I'm one of those guys who Tim McCarver would say has "no speed."

Hey, we both have 1969 Mets sitting on our heads!

How about a date with Lisa Loeb, or whatever her name is?

I know that nobody's terribly interested in this, including myself. Here's the latest update, to reflect the departure of Jae Seo. Old Mole and Vic Sage were most confident that Seo would be gone, and now reap the benefits by moving up in the standings. Rotblatt, Namor, and Marathon were sure Seo wouldn't go, and drop accordingly.86 Dreamer 69rpackrat69Frayed Knot 68seawolf1766Johnny Dickshot 66TheOldMole65Vic Sage 64Yancy Street Gang 61Rotblatt60metirish60Edgy DC 60SwitchHitter56ScarletKnight4156DocTee53Iubitul52metsmarathon51Nymr8350CameronFloydGlavineLooperMatsuiMientkiewiczMilledgePiazzaSeoTrachselPointsmetirish010104810424860Frayed Knot 499749884668Edgy DC 3934510876560Yancy Street Gang 2876410674761Johnny Dickshot 510572101056666Vic Sage 577239997664rpackrat588749108376986 Dreamer 9101051101083369Rotblatt101010001001001060Nymr83110100077501050SwitchHitter01010268642856ScarletKnight41576425983756metsmarathon38372101000851Iubitul5937261012752DocTee694229843653seawolf171077331031031066TheOldMole497345979865Average4.538.827.004.123.068.657.476.063.477.18

True. The second worst thing you can do is run off and play with a toy.

I liked to think of it as "nap" time. You'll be operating on short sleep; you'll probably want to nap when you can. And if you don't nap during those few precious hours, you might want to spend some quality time with that baby's mother. She may be quite stressed out. The worst thing you can do is run off by yourself and play with a toy.

seawolf17 wrote: I can't wait until we have this baby so I can stay home all day and play.) I don't think it quite works that way.

I don't think Mr. Met should be donating blood. The recipient might end up with a large baseball-shaped head. (It's been known to happen.)

Huh?

Zvon wrote: Certain players have to be there. If Omars as good a GM as I boast, he'll get em all.(even if thats not his job,lol) If Omar's in charge of planning the reunion, the only Met invited will be Rafael Santana.

On UMDB, Roberto Petagine gets the occasional hit from this page: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/9505/leones.html?200628 I couldn't get into it today; it seems to have reached its daily transfer limit. It looks like Roberto's page has grown too popular for Geocities.