Benjamin Grimm

I kinda like the idea of Turner displacing Hu. (I gather that Hu has the better glove, and Turner the better bat, but which differential is greater?) Hu's advantage in the competition is the Mets' palpable fear of pissing off that Asian reporter.

I'd like to see him make the team, but I suspect he's Buffalo-bound. If he fails to win the 2B job, he can stick with the Mets as Murphy's backup if Castillo is released and Emaus goes back to Toronto, but I don't see it playing out that way. Put me down for 500 plate appearances in Buffalo, 80 with the Mets, mostly in September. Or, if the Mets manage to be buyers around July 31, he could very well be dealt.

He should use an extreme closeup photo of that face as the cover of his book.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: I don't understand why so much venom directed at Castillo. I estimate that 80 per cent of it is due to that dropped pop fly at Yankee Stadium in 2009.

Of course it is. If I drive in city traffic, it's entirely possible that I'll have a fender bender, but it would be overly pessimistic for me to think that it will. What you're doing is the same thing, except from the optimistic side.

Ceetar wrote: I can make my case, and I will. I could argue that not thinking the Mets offense could easily be near the tops this year is being willfully delusional. Oh, they could. But you appear to be taking the position that they will.

Of course not. But I don't see any advantage to being willfully delusional.

Ceetar wrote: I expect him to be a low-level contributor to the best offense in the league in 2011. So, you think he'll be traded?

I think this might have been the first movie I ever saw with my wife. (It wasn't our first date; we had been together for a while before we went to the movies.) I seem to remember it being enjoyable and cute. Haven't seen it in 18 years now.

480 plate appearances. .275, 7 homers. Finish 12th on the team in Schaefer points.

I have a copy of Terry Leach's book. (Came in the mail, unrequested.) If I never get around to reading it, it will be because of the title.

I think Collins' initial address will be about bowling, playing cards, and "energy." I've already mentioned that I think Terry is bird-like. As I get to know him better, I hope to narrow it down to a particular species of bird. Right now, I'm thinking it's going to be "sparrow."

Not a problem for me! But thanks!

I think I'd hate to play for Terry Collins. He has this bird-like energy, and I'm getting the feeling that he expects that from his players too. That would wear on my pretty quickly.

Holy crap. I just realized that in three months I'll be as old as Gil Hodges was when he died. Damn.

G-Fafif wrote: On a broader scale, 88 is quite impressive. It is. Not many Mets people have lived longer: http://leaptoad.com/mets/necrology.php?sortby=A

I have a hard time believing that Ruben Tejada will replace Jose Reyes as the Mets everyday shortstop. He seems more like a Teddy Martinez type, someone who can stick around for a while as a reserve player. For 2011, I predict he'll get 500 or more at bats at Buffalo, perhaps interrupted once or twice by DL-related promotions to the Mets. If Jose gets dealt at the July 31 deadline, Tejada will get promoted and we'll see enough of him in August and September to prove that he's not the long term answer. And there will be buzz about signing Jimmy Rollins after the season, which will hopefully not happen.

I've sometimes wondered what would have happened if Gil Hodges had survived Joan Payson, and had to manage the Mets during the reign of Don Grant. I'm pretty sure he would have been gone by 1977 and managing elsewhere.

I see he wears 88, the year of his birth.

New York Times wrote: February 17, 2011 Joe Frazier, Who Managed Mets in Turbulent Time, Is Dead at 88 By KEN BELSON Joe Frazier, the manager of the Mets in the turbulent period between the tenures of Yogi Berra and Joe Torre, died Tuesday in Broken Arrow, Okla. He was 88 and a longtime Broken Arrow resident. His death was confirmed by the Christian-Gavlik Funeral Home in Broken Arrow. Frazier, who spent almost a half-century in organized baseball, primarily as a right fielder, was chosen to manage the Mets for the 1976 season after successfully leading the Tidewater Tides, the team�s Class AAA affiliate. The Mets were in decline after World Series appearances in 1969 and 1973. Berra, their popular manager, had been dismissed during the 1975 season. In Frazier�s only full year as manager, the Mets won 86 games and finished third in the East Division of the National League. With a rotation that included Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman and Jon Matlack, the team had excellent pitchers but few good hitters. Frazier�s ship listed in 1977. The Mets� owners were unwilling to bid for newly minted free agents, prompting Seaver, Matlack and the slugging outfielder-first baseman Dave Kingman to criticize management. Frazier was fired at the end of May after the Mets won only 15 of their first 45 games. A few weeks later, Seaver and Kingman were traded. Matlack was traded after the season. The Mets finished in last place in 1977 and in the next two years. Attendance fell sharply just as the Yankees turned into a powerhouse. Frazier was succeeded as manager by Torre and never managed in the majors again. Joseph Filmore Frazier was born Oct. 6, 1922, in Liberty, N.C. He played 17 years in the minor and major leagues, including parts of four seasons with the Indians, the Cardinals, the Reds and the Orioles. He batted .241 with 10 home runs as a major leaguer.He is survived by his wife, Jean; two sons, Joe Jr. and Marty; a daughter, Cindy Means; a sister, Marie Jordan; and six grandchildren.

Maybe he was trying to buy the team.

Cabrera should have said, "You can't do this to me! I'm fucking Snooki!"

The Phillies had had their eye on Maine. (Guess they figured they would be short on starting pitchers this year.)

Wait... what?? Why is David Cone sharing a card with Jackie Gleason??? This is probably why I stopped liking baseball cards. They just got too contrived.

Edgy DC wrote: [*]Vulnerable to being hunted by Sarah Palin.[/list] This is the hint that's confusing. It's not Bob Moose, and I don't recall anyone named "Wolf" either. And really, I think anyone who doesn't wear an Uncle Sam hat with tea bags dangling from the brim might qualify.