Benjamin Grimm

Not to mention Hernandez and Strawberry.

And I think people feel the Mets are heading in the right direction in general, and that makes a difference. We were thinking that in 1982, too. At least going into the season, anyway.George Foster was a big reason for that.And the Mets were a game under .500 as late as July 2.The optimism was delusional at that point, though, but I think it was there. I remember in 1983 I began to feel a different kind of optimism, one that acutally felt grounded in reality.

From Bret's list, I think the more likely choices are C, E, and G.

Special effects good, plot and story awful. (And there are far too many movies that can be described that way.) That business of Jeff Goldblum uploading a computer virus to the alien spaceship was one of the dumbest plot elements I've ever seen.

It's surprising how relatively late in the season the Mets were at .500 in years that ended poorly. Like 1992 and 2002 for example.Clearly, the 42-42 the Mets have now is no guarantee that we're not looking at a 90-loss season.

Is that John Candy wearing a bra and eating a strawberry?

Foster's indifferent defense was probably also a factor.

Strange how one guy got so much more heat about similar stats than the other guy did.NameGABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSOHBPSBCSAvg.Slg.George Foster, 198278289367810093732671000.2700.398Carlos Beltran, 200574286327519194024531420.2620.430

May totals:http://cybermessageboard.ehost.com/getalife/viewtopic.php?t=185

FINAL TOTALS FOR JUNE 2005For the second time this season, CLIFF FLOYD is the Schaefer Mets Player of the Month.For the third consecutive month, PEDRO MARTINEZ is the Schaefer Mets Pitcher of the Month.David Wright, who had been leading the race for much of June, ends up in a fairly close third place. NameTotal1Floyd27.052Martinez26.153Wright24.744Reyes20.085Zambrano18.206Beltran15.167Benson14.618Piazza14.189Glavine12.3410Mientkiewicz10.4811Cameron9.9712Anderson9.9413Castro7.3714Ishii5.6615Hernandez4.65Daubach4.6517Woodward4.5618Looper4.5319Heilman4.1520Matsui3.8021Ring3.5522Bell3.4223Graves2.9624Offerman2.0425Koo1.7926Diaz1.5427DeJean1.0028Cairo0.9229Aybar0.50Season totals through June 30 (78 games): NameTotal1Floyd80.192Martinez64.633Wright62.314Reyes56.115Beltran49.756Piazza48.717Cameron37.488Glavine35.799Mientkiewicz35.2010Zambrano33.0111Diaz26.2812Benson26.0613Heilman24.1714Matsui23.0715Ishii20.0116Anderson16.7417Looper14.9218Hernandez14.2419Bell12.5320Koo10.8221Seo10.3022Castro9.8223Cairo9.6324Woodward9.3125Aybar8.5326DeJean7.3227Ring5.1028Daubach4.6529Graves2.9630Heredia2.6131Valent2.1732Offerman2.0433Matthews1.51

Totals for June 29 (7 votes):NameTotal PointsAverage(PointsAwarded)Floyd 20.50 2.93Koo 12.50 1.79Offerman 12.00 1.71Cameron 8.00 1.14Graves 7.50 1.07Bell 7.50 1.07Piazza 1.00 0.14Heilman 1.00 0.14Totals for June 30 (10 votes):NameTotal PointsAverage(PointsAwarded)Martinez 35.50 3.55Woodward 19.50 1.95Reyes 17.50 1.75Looper 9.75 0.98Floyd 7.75 0.78Hernandez 6.50 0.65Cameron 2.00 0.20Anderson 0.50 0.05Bell 0.25 0.03Wright 0.25 0.03Beltran 0.25 0.03Ring 0.25 0.03

I think Red Sox-Mets (or the other way around) is an easy transition.Here's how I see a few teams being related, starting with the Mets:The Brooklyn Dodgers would be the parents.The New York Giants would be an uncle.The Boston Red Sox would be a first cousin. (But not a child of the New York Giants.)The Chicago Cubs would be a first cousin of the Boston Red Sox, but not of the Mets. (They'd be related on the other side of the Red Sox family.)Obviously, because of chronology, nobody could go from being a Mets fan to being a fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers or New York Giants. But many have gone in the other direction.I could also see someone going from Brooklyn Dodgers to Red Sox. (Doris Kearns Goodwin is a famous example.)Mets to Red Sox would be an easy transition.Red Sox to Mets should be easy as well. Although some Sox fans might have a hangup about New York that could make it more difficult.A Red Sox fan moving from Boston to Chicago should be able to slide right into the whole Cubs thing.

Totals for June 26 (10 votes):NameTotal PointsAverage(PointsAwarded)Benson 47.00 4.70Anderson 19.50 1.95Reyes 13.75 1.38Castro 10.25 1.03Wright 4.25 0.43Cameron 2.00 0.20Ring 1.75 0.18Floyd 1.00 0.10Hernandez 0.50 0.05Totals for June 28 (10 votes):NameTotal PointsAverage(PointsAwarded)Zambrano 24.50 2.45Piazza 23.00 2.30Beltran 18.00 1.80Cameron 10.75 1.08Reyes 6.25 0.63Wright 4.50 0.45Ring 3.75 0.38Offerman 3.25 0.33Bell 2.75 0.28Anderson 1.50 0.15Daubach 1.25 0.13Floyd 0.25 0.03Graves 0.25 0.03Totals for June through June 28 (24 games): NameTotal1Wright24.712Floyd23.343Martinez22.604Reyes18.335Zambrano18.206Beltran15.137Benson14.618Piazza14.049Glavine12.3410Mientkiewicz10.4811Anderson9.8912Cameron8.6313Castro7.3714Ishii5.6615Daubach4.6516Heilman4.0117Hernandez4.0018Matsui3.8019Looper3.5520Ring3.5221Woodward2.6122Bell2.3223Graves1.8924Diaz1.5425DeJean1.0026Cairo0.9227Aybar0.5028Offerman0.33Season totals through June 28: NameTotal1Floyd76.482Wright62.283Martinez61.084Reyes54.365Beltran49.726Piazza48.577Cameron36.148Glavine35.799Mientkiewicz35.2010Zambrano33.0111Diaz26.2812Benson26.0613Heilman24.0314Matsui23.0715Ishii20.0116Anderson16.6917Looper13.9418Hernandez13.5919Bell11.4320Seo10.3021Castro9.8222Cairo9.6323Koo9.0324Aybar8.5325Woodward7.3626DeJean7.3227Ring5.0728Daubach4.6529Heredia2.6130Valent2.1731Graves1.8932Matthews1.5133Offerman0.33

I'm one of the four (so far) who voted for the middle option.

I also think that "perceived as the enemy" is a little overwrought.

I've been to three games at Fenway, on consecutive days in the summer of 1986. I even saw Tom Seaver pitch for the Red Sox. He's the only pitcher I'm aware of who I saw pitch for four different teams in three different parks: (As a Met and Red at Shea, as a White Sock in the Bronx, and as a Red Sock at Fenway.)Anyway, on Friday night I sat in right field, and the seats were awful. Saturday and Sunday were day games and I sat in the center field bleachers, and that was a lot of fun.http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B08010BOS1986.htmhttp://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B08020BOS1986.htmhttp://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B08030BOS1986.htm

Monthly totals through June 25 (22 games):Floyd is making a move for this second title in three months.Can David Wright hang in there? NameTotal1Wright23.832Floyd23.213Martinez22.604Reyes16.325Zambrano15.756Beltran13.337Glavine12.348Piazza11.749Mientkiewicz10.4810Benson9.9111Anderson7.7912Cameron7.3513Castro6.3414Ishii5.6615Daubach4.5216Heilman4.0117Hernandez3.9518Matsui3.8019Looper3.5520Ring2.9621Woodward2.6122Bell2.0423Graves1.8624Diaz1.5425DeJean1.0026Cairo0.9227Aybar0.50Season totals through June 25:Floyd retains his big lead.Wright and Pedro neck-and-neck for second place. NameTotal1Floyd76.352Wright61.403Martinez61.084Reyes52.355Beltran47.926Piazza46.277Glavine35.798Mientkiewicz35.209Cameron34.8610Zambrano30.5611Diaz26.2812Heilman24.0313Matsui23.0714Benson21.3615Ishii20.0116Anderson14.5917Looper13.9418Hernandez13.5419Bell11.1520Seo10.3021Cairo9.6322Koo9.0323Castro8.7924Aybar8.5325Woodward7.3626DeJean7.3227Daubach4.5228Ring4.5129Heredia2.6130Valent2.1731Graves1.8632Matthews1.51

Totals for June 23 (9 votes):NameTotal PointsAverage(PointsAwarded)Ishii 21.00 2.33Reyes 17.50 1.94Mientkiewicz 15.50 1.72Hernandez 13.50 1.50Looper 10.00 1.11Wright 3.90 0.43Cameron 3.70 0.41Floyd 2.70 0.30Anderson 1.00 0.11Beltran 1.00 0.11Piazza 0.20 0.02Totals for June 24 (12 votes):NameTotal PointsAverage(PointsAwarded)Martinez 52.00 4.33Mientkiewicz 15.50 1.29Anderson 13.50 1.13Beltran 11.75 0.98Floyd 11.75 0.98Reyes 9.25 0.77Cameron 2.75 0.23Castro 1.50 0.13Wright 1.00 0.08Piazza 1.00 0.08Totals for June 25 (12 votes):NameTotal PointsAverage(PointsAwarded)Floyd 47.50 3.96Glavine 29.50 2.46Wright 22.00 1.83Reyes 7.50 0.63Beltran 3.50 0.29Castro 3.25 0.27Woodward 2.50 0.21Piazza 2.25 0.19Cameron 1.00 0.08Heilman 1.00 0.08

Whatever happened to that "Big Train" guy?

Monthly totals through June 22 (19 games): NameTotal1Wright21.492Martinez18.273Floyd17.974Zambrano15.755Reyes12.986Beltran11.957Piazza11.458Benson9.919Glavine9.8810Mientkiewicz7.4711Cameron6.6312Anderson6.5513Castro5.9414Daubach4.5215Heilman3.9316Matsui3.8017Ishii3.3318Ring2.9619Hernandez2.4520Looper2.4421Woodward2.4022Bell2.0423Graves1.8624Diaz1.5425DeJean1.0026Cairo0.9227Aybar0.50Season totals through June 22 (70 games):Will Cliff ever be caught? NameTotal1Floyd71.112Wright59.063Martinez56.754Reyes49.015Beltran46.546Piazza45.987Cameron34.148Glavine33.339Mientkiewicz32.1910Zambrano30.5611Diaz26.2812Heilman23.9513Matsui23.0714Benson21.3615Ishii17.6816Anderson13.3517Looper12.8318Hernandez12.0419Bell11.1520Seo10.3021Cairo9.6322Koo9.0323Aybar8.5324Castro8.3925DeJean7.3226Woodward7.1527Daubach4.5228Ring4.5129Heredia2.6130Valent2.1731Graves1.8632Matthews1.51(Note: some players were missing from the previous listing of year-to-date totals. That's been corrected.)

Totals for June 18 (9 votes):NameTotal PointsAverage(PointsAwarded)Martinez 31.00 3.44Wright 18.00 2.00Daubach 15.00 1.67Ring 8.50 0.94Bell 8.00 0.89Floyd 2.90 0.32Woodward 2.40 0.27Mientkiewicz 1.40 0.16Reyes 1.40 0.16Diaz 1.40 0.16Totals for June 19 (7 votes):NameTotal PointsAverage(PointsAwarded)Piazza 20.00 2.86Reyes 11.50 1.64Heilman 11.00 1.57Floyd 10.50 1.50Wright 10.50 1.50Hernandez 3.50 0.50Beltran 2.00 0.29Totals for June 21 (8 votes)NameTotal PointsAverage(PointsAwarded)Reyes 19.00 2.38Beltran 16.50 2.06Mientkiewicz 13.00 1.63Benson 7.00 0.88Daubach 5.50 0.69Floyd 5.00 0.63Looper 4.50 0.56Ring 4.00 0.50Hernandez 3.50 0.44Wright 2.00 0.25Totals for June 22 (9 votes)NameTotal PointsAverage(PointsAwarded)Zambrano 31.50 3.50Floyd 23.50 2.61Piazza 22.00 2.44Wright 8.00 0.89Daubach 3.00 0.33Mientkiewicz 1.00 0.11Woodward 1.00 0.11

I'm picturing a Keith Olberman/Tucker Carlson kind of format, where there's a rotating group of four or five of us doing 60-second discussions on a series of topics. The list of topics would be stacked on the side of the screen, and as they pop to the top the group would have a free-wheeling irreverent discussion. For example, we'd talk about Beltran's mole for about 60 seconds, then discuss whether the Mets should have traded Piazza after the 2001 season, then why Bruce Boisclair is fondly remembered, then a look at Mets whose last names can be scrambled to form palindromes.

Totals for June, through June 17: NameTotal1Wright16.852Martinez14.833Floyd12.914Zambrano12.255Glavine9.886Beltran9.607Benson9.038Reyes8.809Cameron6.6310Anderson6.5511Piazza6.1512Castro5.9413Mientkiewicz5.5714Matsui3.8015Ishii3.3316Heilman2.3617Woodward2.0218Looper1.8819Graves1.8620Daubach1.8321Ring1.5222Hernandez1.5123Diaz1.3824Bell1.1525DeJean1.0026Cairo0.9227Aybar0.50Season totals, through June 17: NameTotal1Floyd66.052Wright54.423Martinez53.314Reyes44.835Piazza40.686Glavine33.337Mientkiewicz30.298Zambrano27.069Matsui23.0710Heilman22.3811Ishii17.6812Looper12.2713Hernandez11.1014Seo10.3015Koo9.0316Woodward6.7717Ring3.0718Heredia2.6119Valent2.1720Graves1.8621Matthews1.51

Totals for June 15 (7 votes):NameTotal PointsAverage(PointsAwarded)Zambrano 35.00 5.00Mientkiewicz 15.00 2.14Wright 12.00 1.71Reyes 7.00 1.00Ring 1.00 0.14Totals for June 16 (9 votes):NameTotal PointsAverage(PointsAwarded)Beltran 24.50 2.72Castro 22.50 2.50Benson 22.00 2.44Piazza 7.25 0.81Wright 4.00 0.44Looper 3.75 0.42Daubach 3.50 0.39Matsui 1.50 0.17Diaz 0.50 0.06Bell 0.50 0.06Totals for June 17 (9 votes):NameTotal PointsAverage(PointsAwarded)Wright 46.00 5.11Heilman 14.00 1.56Daubach 13.00 1.44DeJean 7.00 0.78Woodward 5.50 0.61Ishii 4.00 0.44Reyes 0.50 0.06