Benjamin Grimm

I think we have to start getting used to dramatic turnovers.

I voted dislike, too. Was Hamulack considered a prospect, though? I tended to think of him as a hanger-on who was lucky to be left handed.

Thanks! He will be, by the way, the first Duaner to play for the Mets. So we'll be getting our first Chad, our first Duaner, but perhaps not our first Danys. Still to be determined: Our fourth Manny? Or, hopefully, our fourth Barry.

Next pronounciation question: How do you say Duaner? I want to pronounce it Dwaner, which would rhyme with gainer.

I get points for question 3, but not for 4.

Does his name rhyme with "poll" or "doll"? (Just in case I have to parody him next year!)

And 2006 has officially begun.

It's on the Dodgers web site: http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20060104&content_id=1291228&vkey=pr_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la Dodgers acquire Seo and Humalack from Mets for Sanchez and Schmoll LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti today announced that the club has acquired pitchers Jae Seo and Tim Hamulack from the New York Mets in exchange for pitchers Duaner Sanchez and Steve Schmoll. "With the addition of Seo and Hamulack, we have added some depth to our pitching staff," said Colletti. "Seo's had success as a starter and is another option for us in the rotation. He knows how to pitch and has a great work ethic. Hamulack has developed to the point of being a strong candidate for a left-handed role in our bullpen." Seo, 28, went 8-2 with a 2.59 ERA in 14 starts with the Mets in 2005 and the right-hander posted a 5-0 record in eight starts at Shea Stadium. With a combined 15-6 overall record with the Mets and Triple-A Norfolk, Seo registered 170 strikeouts and 46 walks in 212 innings. The South Korea native was named the Mets' Pitcher of the Month in August with a 4-0 record and 1.75 ERA in five starts. His 1.30 ERA through seven starts in 2005 was the third lowest by a Mets pitcher through his first seven starts of a season (Frank Viola, 0.87 ERA to begin 1990; Nolan Ryan had a 1.05 ERA in 1971). At Triple-A Norfolk of the International League, Seo went 7-4 with a 4.29 ERA in 19 starts. Seo broke into the Major Leagues with New York in 2002 and has compiled a lifetime 22-24 record and 3.85 ERA in 71 games (66 starts). Hamulack, 29, made his Major League debut in 2005 after making 382 Minor League appearances in 10 seasons. The left-hander went 2-2 with a 1.26 ERA and six saves in 21 games at Double-A Binghamton and 3-1 with a 1.02 ERA and six saves in 28 games at Triple-A Norfolk. In 64 innings overall, Hamulack registered 61 strikeouts, 15 walks and surrendered only one home run. The Mets purchased the New York native's contract on September 1 and he made his debut the following day against Florida, retiring the only batter he faced (Carlos Delgado). In six appearances with New York, Hamulack allowed six runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings and had no decisions. Sanchez, 26, was 4-7 with a 3.73 ERA in 79 games for the Dodgers in 2005. He ranked tied for second in the National League in appearances and topped his previous career high of 67 games pitched in 2004. He assumed the closer's role in August and converted all eight of his save opportunities through the remainder of the season. Schmoll, 25, originally was a non-drafted free agent who signed with Los Angeles in 2003 and made the 2005 Opening Day roster after an impressive Spring Training. He went 2-2 with a 5.01 ERA with three saves in 48 appearances. Schmoll also spent time at Triple-A Las Vegas and compiled a 0-3 record and 4.78 ERA with five saves in 22 games.

Seo for Schmoe?

That's because you're not one of the administrator's pets.

I have to wonder what might cause a nationwide shortage of bowling balls.

From today's Daily News: Witches' brew-hahas BY JOSE MARTINEZ DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Wednesday, January 4th, 2006 A New York-based group that polls witches for predictions has whipped up a strange brew of what may happen - but probably won't - in 2006. The annual list compiled by the New York Center for the Strange declares that Donald Trump will start peddling "ego-boosting" accessories; that Donald Rumsfeld will KO a younger man in a barroom brawl and that the Yankees will reach the World Series and lose - to the Mets. "We certainly want it to be taken seriously," said Lewis Scott, an associate director at the center, "or our work would be for naught." More than 350 practicing witches submitted their sometimes wacky forecasts for the annual survey. The predictions making the final list, Scott said, had to be submitted by at least two witches. So at least a pair of true believers out there somewhere envision the following actually occurring this year: Katie Couric teaming with Ted Koppel on the CBS anchor desk. A series of UFO sightings and landings in the Midwest. Comic Rodney Dangerfield finally getting some respect - in the form of a postage stamp. Nationwide shortages of king-size beds, bowling balls and Vidalia onions. "Maybe some of the witches are from Georgia, where they grow Vidalia onions," Scott said. "Maybe some of them are bowlers." The annual predictions list owns a 28% accuracy rate, Scott said, with dead-on calls that forecast the success of eBay and "The Sopranos." That also leaves a lot of room for picks that turned out to be stinkers, such as the prediction that the Rolling Stones would quit in 1997 and that nude tap-dancing and rectangular bagels would turn into national crazes. If the Mets do win the World Series this year, I think we should all celebrate by eating rectangular bagels.

I count 14 quality starts for Zambrano in 2005.

1) Who winds up in the rotation? Martinez, Glavine, Benson, Trachsel, Zambrano 2) Who (among the remainders of the seven) winds up in the bullpen? Heilman. 3) Who winds up being traded? Seo. 4) Who, if anybody will be acquired and added to the pen? Danys Baez.

Perhaps no other player in the history of the game has had the kind of instant and indelible impact on a team that Mike Piazza had with the Mets. Wow.

1 Wright 2 Martinez 3 Floyd 4 Reyes 5 Glavine 6 Beltran 7 Piazza 8 Benson 9 Cameron 10 Seo 11 Diaz 12 Heilman 13 Zambrano 14 R.Hernandez 15 Matsui 16 Castro 17 Anderson 18 Jacobs 19 Looper 20 Mientkiewicz 21 Ishii 22 Cairo 23 Woodward 24 Padilla 25 Bell 26 Trachsel 27 Koo 28 Aybar 29 Graves 30 DeJean

I wonder if his refusal to comment tells us anything?

I'm going to go with yet another option, a possibility that was floated on the Snopes page: It was a rumor that Gooden had heard, and he (or Klapsich) told the story as if he was there.

Anyone wanna try New York? Florida? Pennsylvania? Puerto Rico? Dominican Republic?

Here's a Texas team. Filling in the pitching staff wasn't hard, but the outfield was tough. I had to go Willie Randolph style, and go with extra infielders in lieu of outfielders. How would the Texans fare against the Alabamans? TEXAS METS SP: Nolan Ryan (Refugio) SP: Pat Zachry (Richmond) SP: Al Jackson (Waco) SP: Anthony Young (Houston) SP: Pete Schourek (Austin) RP: Calvin Schiraldi (Houston) RP: Dennis Cook (Lamarque) RP: Mike Stanton (Houston) RP: Scott Strickland (Houston) RP: Pat Mahomes (Bryan) RP: Brian Bohanon (Denton) RP: Dale Murray (Cuero) C: Jerry Grote (San Antonio) C: Phil Lombardi (Abilene) 1B: Danny Heep (San Antonio) 2B: Ken Boswell (Austin) 3B: Charlie Neal (Longview) SS: Garry Templeton (Lockney) IF: Roy McMillan (Bonham) IF: Mike Phillips (Beaumont) IF: Bob Heise (San Antonio) OF: Steve Henderson (Houston) OF: Joel Youngblood (Houston) OF: Jason Tyner (Beaumont) OF: Cliff Cook (Dallas)

That Alabama pitching staff will kill you. I'd guess, without looking, that the best geographic team will come from California. Off the top of my head, you'll have Seaver, Carter, Hernandez, and Strawberry.

I got an e-mail today from the documentary people, with an attached PDF file. They mention the people they've intereviewed, including a "little carrot-topped wiz kid" who I'm pretty sure is one of our younger members.Anybody else get this? It wasn't sent to me personally, but to a distribution list that I'm apparently on.

Haven't heard anything either way. I'll check in with him and we'll see what he says.

I can't believe I remembered Art Howe but forgot Gil Hodges. I feel like such a newbie. Dallas Green would manage the G's.

And Art Howe. Or are you trying to forget him?