Benjamin Grimm

He won it because Chris Christie said nice things about him.

Ken Rosenthal wrote: The Mets, trying to lock up their franchise player, have offered third baseman David Wright a contract extension, according to major league sources. Wright�s agents, Sam and Seth Levinson, responded by sending the team a counter-offer, sources said. Representatives from both sides declined comment, and the details of the proposals are not known. Wright, however, is believed to be seeking an extension that would approach, and perhaps surpass, left-hander Johan Santana�s club-record six-year, $137.5 million deal.

Fox Sports wrote: For the Marlins, the salary purge was shocking (based on their Opening Day payroll of roughly $100 million this year) but also predictable, when considering their organizational history of fire sales. After the trade, the club has roughly $16 million on the books for 2013, not including arbitration-eligible players. Only $16 million on the books! Holy crap.

I was surprised to see it written in 2012. Portland, Oregon is full of rabid soccer fans? I had no idea.

Jon Heyman wrote: Jason Bay may have gotten a better deal for himself by leaving the Mets than he did when he initially signed with them. Not only will Bay be paid the entire $21 million he is owed by the Mets, as has been reported, but the $15 million that is being deferred under the terms of the severance agreement is to be paid by the end of 2015, meaning the deferred monies will be paid only over an additional two years, CBSSports.com has learned. Neither side would comment on the deferred payments, but sources familiar with the deal say the short deferral -- the deferred monies are to be paid in five installments -- means the present-day value of the contract is worth only about $850,000 less than the full $21 million. Had the team simply cut him, they would have had to pay him all the money by the end of 2013. The Mets and the outfielder made the surprise agreement to part ways with a year to go on his $66-million, four-year deal. Originally, the Mets had said Bay would be coming to spring training. Mets people will only say publicly that it's a positive arrangement for both sides. The new deal does give the Mets some immediate financial relief. However, the deal seems especially sweet for Bay, who may make up the $850,000 or so he loses in the deferred payments in decreased tax payments away from New York, depending where he winds up signing. But the even bigger financial plus for Bay is that the Mets agreed to waive the usual offset provision, whereby the team would have been reimbursed the amount Bay signed for elsewhere. So if Bay can make a deal for more than $850,000 elsewhere, he's automatically going to come out ahead of the game.

Eighteen hours until we get the news on Dickey. I'll be driving home from work, listening to NPR. There's very little chance that they'll mention it. If I think of it, I may switch to WFAN, but only briefly. (There's only so much WFAN I can stand.)

I like that idea. Here's the short version of the list from the article: 1. Northern New Jersey 2. Sacramento, CA 3. Portland, OR 4. Charlotte, NC 5. Las Vegas, NV 6. San Antonio, TX 7. Monterrey, Mexico 8. Montreal, Canada 9. San Juan, Puerto Rico 10. Norfolk, VA There are other areas that host NFL teams that are not on the list. (I know, NFL and MLB are different in many ways, but it's at least a starting point.) I can think offhand of Indianapolis, Tennessee, Buffalo, and Jacksonville. Of those, I think Tennessee might be most promising. Philadelphia could probably support a second team, perhaps in the Valley Forge area of the suburbs. How great would it be if the Athletics moved back to their roots?

That's what happens when you marry a woman with fantastic hair.

themetfairy wrote: Every time I see the title of this thread, all I can think is "Arf!" Like

I think Dillon Gee, if not for that demoralizing injury, would have been very tradeable. He still may be, except that it probably won't be until after he proves he's healthy, which he won't have a chance to do until next spring.

Mets' GM: Trying to keep R.A. Dickey By Wallace Matthews ESPNNewYork.com INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said Thursday he expects R.A. Dickey to become the Mets' first Cy Young Award winner in more than a quarter-century. He also said it was conceivable that Dickey could be an ex-Met soon afterward. "It would be a little unusual to trade a Cy Young winner," Alderson said, "but I can remember a time (as CEO of the San Diego Padres) when we traded for the leading hitter in the National League at the time, so it happens." However, Alderson emphasized that the organization's focus was to try to sign Dickey and David Wright, its two marquee players, to long-term deals. Both had their options for 2013 picked up last month. Alderson said he met with Wright at his home in Virginia "a couple of weeks ago" and had intended to visit Dickey in Nashville, Tenn., "but it turned out not to be necessary." Of Dickey, the 37-year-old knuckleballer who went 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA in 2012, Alderson said, "We'd love to retain him. We're trying to." He also said that "conversations are ongoing" with Wright, the team's best all-around player who hit .306 with 21 home runs and 93 RBIs this past season. And Alderson was quick to point out that unlike last year's non-negotiation with Jose Reyes, who wound up signing with the Miami Marlins without ever receiving an offer from the Mets, "there's much more engagement, let's put it that way," with Wright and his representatives. When the Mets picked up both options -- Wright's called for $16 million, Dickey's for $5 million -- Alderson had said he wanted a quick resolution to both situations. That has not happened. "Maybe it was a little bit unrealistic on my part to think that we get something done," he said. "But I think it was important for me to emphasize that we were going to get going early, in order to avoid any speculation about a Jose Reyes-type approach to this. So in that sense it was probably a good idea to emphasize speed but unrealistic to expect that this was all going to be concluded quickly." Along with Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers and Gio Gonzalez of the Washington Nationals, Dickey is a finalist for the NL Cy Young, the winner of which will be announced Wednesday. Dickey could become the Mets' first Cy Young winner since Dwight Gooden in 1985. "From my standpoint, I already assume he's going to win," Alderson said. However, that would not stop the GM from considering trading him, or one of the Mets' other starting pitchers -- one of the team's few areas of strength -- to shore up other areas, notably the outfield. Or, as Alderson cracked, "What outfield?" At the moment, the Mets are counting on Lucas Duda, recovering from surgery on a fractured wrist suffered while moving furniture, as their left fielder for next year, and are considering Kirk Nieuwenhuis, a rookie last year, as their center fielder. They are also trying to come to terms with free agent Scott Hairston, who hit 20 home runs for them last season, although Alderson acknowledged, "We would love to have him back, but I suspect there will be interest in him elsewhere, so we'll just have to see." Alderson said unloading Jason Bay and the remainder of his four-year, $66 million contract has given the Mets "some flexibility" in their budget this offseason, but it sounded as if trading a starting pitcher was a more likely way for the club to add a major league-ready outfielder for 2013. "I would hate to give up, for different reasons, an R.A. Dickey or a Jonathon Niese or a Dillon Gee, but it is our strength and it's something we would have to entertain," he said. "I don't want you to leave here thinking we're going to trade a starting pitcher and that's an absolute. But it's logical for us to consider that."

I've always had the impression that Mary Todd Lincoln was an "old" 47. In Abe Lincoln in Illinois she was played by a young (44), but decidedly unhot, Ruth Gordon.

Maybe they'll have a few flashback scenes with clips of Raymond Massey as Lincoln.

He seemed like a nice guy. I'd like to see him get another chance.

I can't see this as anything other than good news. I imagine that one way or another, this will give the Mets some additional payroll flexibility. As some have said above, I doubt that this will cost Bay even a nickel, but maybe he agreed to take $100,000 per year for the next 190 years. Or even a million a year for the next 19 years. (I know, interest would have to factor into this too.) I guess I'm hoping this is like the Bobby Bonilla thing, only a lot less stupid. I'm very curious to learn the details. EDIT: metirish's post snuck in just ahead of mine.

That's the thing about these social web sites. Years later you can be embarrassed by photos of you eating lettuce.

http://www.leaptoad.com/mets/oldestliving.php]Oldest Living Mets Players Don Zimmer moves up into the Top Ten. Willie Mays now in 11th place.

NY Mets ace R.A. Dickey's trade value is high, but that doesn't mean club will deal him It is far from certain that the Mets will trade their Cy Young candidate, R.A. Dickey By Andy Martino / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Monday, November 5, 2012, 12:16 AM A dozen or more teams would line up to bid for R.A. Dickey, major league executives say, but there is little consensus among rivals about the ace�s trade value. "I would say 10, 12 teams, maybe more, would be in on him, if the Mets decided to move him," said one American League executive. "It makes sense that they would think about selling high on him," said a National League talent evaluator. "There would obviously be a lot of interest." To be clear: It is far from certain that the Mets will trade their Cy Young candidate. General manager Sandy Alderson has said publicly that Dickey, along with David Wright, is one of the club�s two "core players," worthy of a contract extension. The GM values Dickey�s leadership and production. Alderson is described by associates as genuine in his desire to retain Dickey, but also open to other viewpoints -- and debate about Dickey�s future continues at Citi Field, where there is far more talk about dangling the popular ace than Jon Niese, another pitcher who rivals say would draw significant interest. Before and after exercising Dickey�s $5 million option for 2013 last week, it was natural for club brass to discuss how to maximize his value: Is he worth more to the Mets as a pitcher, or as a trade chip? The team is in desperate need of outfielders and catchers, have an abundance of young pitching, and believe they should deal from depth. While rival executes were united in their view that Dickey would draw significant interest, few were confident in predicting his price. "I�m sure they think they can get a lot," said a National League executive. "But how much is a lot? My question is, would you be able to sign him?" "There is a limit to what I would give up for him on a one-year deal," said an executive with an A.L. team that is rich in outfielders and seeking pitching. "If he�ll agree to an extension, that would be different." One scout raised a smaller concern: The challenge of catching a knuckleball. "What if you don�t have someone on your team who can catch him?" the scout said. "They might have to include (Josh) Thole in a deal." Among scouts and executives, there was greater agreement about Dickey�s ability to remain productive for several seasons. After going 20-6, with a 2.73 earned run average, in 2012, the 38-year-old convinced most outside observers that his performance was not a fluke, but consistent with a three-year pattern of late-career improvement. "I lean towards him being legit," said an A.L. executive. "He probably had a career year (in 2012), but at the very least he will give you quality innings." The situation is complex, and the Mets are weighing many questions, while also engaging Dickey�s agent, Bo McKinnis, in preliminary extension talks. If Dickey wins the Cy Young Award on Nov. 14, will an already-restless fan base accept news shortly thereafter that he has been traded, even if a deal is logical? Do the Mets need Dickey in order to avoid losing 90-plus games next year, when the roster will once again be constructed on a strict budget? Alderson and his cabinet are considering these factors, learning the pitcher�s asking price through discussions with McKinnis, and deciding if the organization is better served by paying Dickey or trading him. "They might have to include (Josh) Thole in a deal." I don't think that will be a major stumbling block.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Geez, I saw it in the Chicago Tribune. Gene Siskel is rolling around in his grave.

2012 is the first year in which teams named "The Giants" won both the World Series and the Super Bowl.

Didn't Seaver name his dog Ferguson Jenkins because he beat him out for the Cy Young in 1971?

Andy Martino wrote: Now that the Mets have exercised David Wright�s 2013 club option, the team and its signature player plan to intensify negotiations, discussing years and dollars as soon as this week, according to a person briefed on the process. Mets officials are determined to conduct talks in private, and avoid leaks that could complicate efforts to retain their third baseman. But a well-placed source outside the front office expects discussions to accelerate immediately. As the Daily News reported late last week, negotiations were slow through most of October, with no talk of years or dollars. On Tuesday, the Mets made the procedural move of picking up next year�s options on Wright ($16 million) and Dickey ($5 million), which they had to do this week. If either player agrees to a multi-year contract extension, the new deal will supercede the option. With that out of the way, talks are expected to proceed at a faster pace. As of Wednesday, neither player was close to signing, and there remained a genuine possibility that Dickey could be traded instead. All along, general manager Sandy Alderson has wanted a quick resolution to both situations, so he can proceed with planning for this offseason, and future years. With the team committed to pursuing an extension, Wright, who turns 30 in December, will soon decide if he wants to remain a Met for many years, perhaps his entire career.

Edgy DC wrote: How has Nolan Ryan thus far resisted political office? He's perfect. He's famous, famously married, ambitious, Texan, and people are dying to give him money. Do they test you for PEDs when you run for office?

Today is Ralph Kiner's 90th birthday! Also celebrating birthdays today: Pumpsie Green, 79; Gil Flores, 60; Tom Nieto, 52; Jon Niese and Pedro Beato, 26; Ruben Tejada, 23. Today is also, of course, the 26th anniversary of the Mets last World Series win. I was 23 at the time. Now, I'm closer to my 75th birthday than I am to the Mets last World Championship.

I'd hate to see Dickey go, but it seems like a wise plan.