Benjamin Grimm

Centerfield wrote: If all we are going to get is a fringe prospect, I'd rather keep Davis and see what he's got for one more year. Place Duda in AAA and see how Ike does. If he sucks, cut him and call up Duda. If he's good, keep him and hope Duda raises his trade value while in AAA. I think that makes sense. (I'd include Satin among the fallback options too.) The only thing is, I'd give Ike a lot less rope than he's received in the last two seasons.

I voted "other". Do I really have to explain why I'd find someone other than Kranepool or Swoboda to be sexy?

That part about allowing HTML in posts is outdated; our version of the phpBB software no longer allows it.

Tammy?

1. Bambi 2. I can't think of anything at all.

How do we know he was born in the afternoon?

Right-handed pitcher turns 29 in April. 2.73 ERA, 22 walks, 56 strikeouts, 59.1 innings in 36 relief appearances in 2013 for AAA Indianapolis.

Boras isn't getting the interest in Drew that he wanted. There are indications that he may drift the Mets' way, although it sounds like at this point it's still considered unlikely. I recall that a few years ago Boras had one of his players sign a one-year contract, figuring that it would be better to try again a year later and hopefully find a more favorable market. I wonder if this will happen with Drew? From the Mets perspective, they may not want to lose that draft pick for a one-year shortstop, so maybe the middle ground is a two-year contract. It will be interesting to see if this scenario grows more likely in the next couple of weeks.

Something compels me to guess John Milner.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I welcome Mr Met to the uni. It would be great if they gave pitchers the Mr. Met pitching one and the hitter the running Mr. Met though. I like that idea. Or hitters can use the batting version of Mr. Met.

Zvon wrote: If that is in place of our regular ol' Mets logo patch I PROTEST VEHEMENTLY! Well, you may want to start stocking up on paint and posterboard, because I think that's exactly what it means.

Maybe they'll be more intimidated by a guy with a freakishly large head.

Mr. Met will be appearing on the sleeves of the Mets alternate blue uniforms in 2014. http://news.sportslogos.net/2013/12/20/mr-met-added-to-new-york-mets-2014-uniforms/ (That really should be "alternative uniform", by the way.)

This is from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, arguing that the Pirates should consider Ike Davis: Bob Smizik: What price prospects? By Bob Smizik / Special to the Post-Gazette The suggestion posted yesterday that the Pirates should trade for a first baseman was not met with much enthusiasm. Many, if not most, readers did not want to part with a prospect for the first basemen mentioned: Ike Davis, Mitch Moreland or Justin Smoak. What is it about prospects that so fascinates baseball fans? How many of them have to fail before people come to grips with the fact they are not all sure things? In the course of the discussion, someone wanted to know what was the big deal about Davis? How about this: He hit 32 home runs in 2012. Or this: After a horrendous start in 2013, he had a .954 OPS in the second half of the season. Or that he�s younger than Jordy Mercer, younger than Pedro Alvarez and he has three more years of team control. How is that not better than Andrew Lambo, who seemed to be preferred over Davis? Some insisted on hoarding the Pirates treasure chest of stud pitching prospects. Which leads to this question: If there are so many, why not consider trading one of them for a guy who hit 32 home runs just one season ago? The fact some wanted nothing to do with Smoak only served to show the absurdity of this love affair with prospects. In 2009, Smoak was the No. 23 prospect in MLB, according to Baseball America. In 2010, he was No. 13. Which means some people don�t want to give up a good prospect, even if it�s for a player who once was a better prospect. Even if that better prospect, Smoak, had an .838 OPS vs. right-handed pitching last season, which would be his primary role with the Pirates in 2014. I have no idea how Davis, the No. 62 prospect in 2010, Smoak or Moreland would do with the Pirates. Any or all could fail miserably. Or not. I do know this: The Pirates are a contender and if they wish to capitalize on that status, it would behoove them to upgrade at first base. I�m not suggesting the Pirates give whomever the Mets, Rangers or Mariners would want for Davis, Moreland or Smoak. Of course, certain prospect would not be available. According to MLB.com, the Pirates have six top-100 prospects: Right-handed pitcher Jameson Taillon, 10; outfielder Gregory Polanco, 13; shortstop Alen Hanson, 40; outfielder Austin Meadows, 69; right-handed pitcher Luis Heredia 76; right-handed pitcher Tyler Glasnow, 97. Those players are off the board. Almost no one else is. Let�s keep in mind in discussing the Pirates' first base situation that there is no one on the horizon. The team�s so-called first baseman of the future was Alex Dickerson. He was traded to San Diego in November for outfielder Jaff Decker and right-handed reliever Miles Mikolas. So it�s not like trading for a first baseman would be blocking anyone. In fact, with no prospects close to being ready to help the Pirates at first base, it would seem trading for one would be a priority -- not an afterthought. One last point about trading for prospects. Dickerson was the Pirates No. 13 prospect, according to MLB.com, and he was traded for two minor leaguers the Padres did not have much use for. If the Pirates can trade No. 13 for a couple of borderline prospects, why not trade No. 9, right-handed pitcher Nick Kingham, for an MLB ready first baseman? Just yesterday, Keith Law of ESPN.com, one of the leading authorities on prospects, was asked in a chat about the possibility of trading Kingham, the Pirates fourth-ranked pitching prospect, for Davis: His answer: ''Not Kingham, of course.�� The Pirates have a mountain of right-handed pitching prospects -- also including Stolmy Pimentel, Brandon Cumpton and Clay Holmes -- and nary a first base prospect close to helping the team. To Law and to all of those afflicted with PSS (Prospect Separation Syndrome): Why not Kingham for Davis?

Definitely. Are we really knocking a guy for turning down an offer from the Yankees? Everyone should do that!

Exactly. What kind of an overhaul would overlook the team's greatest weaknesses?

I've watched lots and lots of movies, but somehow I keep missing Peter O'Toole. I have seen Lawrence of Arabia, (and I saw him in The Tudors) but that's about it.

I remember that game as if it was just thirty years ago! Had field level box seats, front row, right on the rail, first base side. Tom Seaver walked right past us on the way from the bullpen to the mound. Amazing that I was able to get (and afford) such seats. That certainly wouldn't be the case today, especially for a college student making little more than minimum wage, as I was then.

dinosaur jesus wrote: If that's the Mets centerfielder in the first shot, and he's righthanded as he appears to be, that means it's Don Bosch in the April 23 game. Cleon played center in the July 2 game. That's the visiting team centerfielder (chasing Swoboda's drive), and yes, he's right-handed.

Yesterday I watched the 1967 edition of SNY's Mets Yearbook and grabbed these screen shots: For anyone who wants to track down the game these photos are from, all I can say is that Ron Swoboda was batting against a left-handed pitcher wearing a red cap and red sleeves, and the ball landed beyond the center fielder's reach, but didn't go over the wall.

It's official. Mets press release wrote: The New York Mets today announced the club has signed righthanded pitcher Bartolo Colon to a two-year contract. Colon, 40, is a three-time All-Star, including last season and the 2005 American League Cy Young winner. He has won double-digit games 10 times during his 16-year major league career with the Cleveland Indians, Montreal Expos, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics. The 5-11, 265-pounder made 30 starts in 2013 and finished second in the AL in wins (18), ERA (2.65) and walks per nine innings (1.37). He was tied for the major league lead with three shutouts and was tied for third in the AL with three complete games. He worked 6.0 or more innings in 24 of his 30 starts, going 18-1 in those games. He surrendered two or fewer runs 20 times while issuing one or no walks 23 times. Colon finished sixth in the AL Cy Young voting.

Edgy MD wrote: I'm not on board with the idea that the team can't compete without Harvey. Me neither.

The one-answer-per-person protocol has flown out the window here, hasn't it?