G-Fafif

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: I didn't know Delcos but I observed it as kind of sad he'd been let go by a paper then was blogging it with the mom's-basementers. Not sad for him so much as sad for everything. For a couple of years, the Mets had us MB types in for a hot stove sounding board dinner. Delcos sat among us once. He was perfectly polite about the whole thing, and conducted himself as if we were all BBWAA members, but I kept thinking this man did not belong at the children's table with the rest of us.

August 20th's win over the Indians proved the high point of the Mets' playoff chase. Couldn't resist the entire triad from the next morning. BRING OUT THE MOPS and HISTORY LESSEN are splendid headlines. The early Post in which Vaccaro apologizes to Amed is classic tabloid stuff in an age when I doubt the city is hanging on a columnist's likes and dislikes. If nostalgia ever develops for those Players Choice unis, this society will officially be too far gone to be saved.

Gabe Kapler, who washed out with the Phillies, is the new manager of the Giants.

Fredi Gonzalez reportedly a bench coach candidate. “He didn't go to Michigan,” according to a highly placed Mets source, “but what a splendid first name!”

In breathlessly awaited awards news, Pete Alonso has been named Faith and Fear in Flushing's Richie Ashburn Most Valuable Met for 2019. http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2019/11/12/infinitely-polar-bear/http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2019/11/12/infinitely-polar-bear/ Was it a unanimous vote? It always is.

Martino says Mets are high on someone best described as “this guy”. https://twitter.com/martinonyc/status/1194016903448055810?s=21https://twitter.com/martinonyc/status/1194016903448055810?s=21

We got all the way to mid-August before Amed Rosario appeared front and center on a back page? Wasn't he the designated savior not that long ago? Better late than never. Wanted to embrace one of those POLAR pages from KC, but obscuring the Bear's face is a major turnoff. LET'S DO THIS is crazy tabloid homerism. I love it.

In breathlessly awaited awards news, Pete Alonso has been named Faith and Fear in Flushing's Richie Ashburn Most Valuable Met for 2019. http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2019/11/12/infinitely-polar-bear/http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2019/11/12/infinitely-polar-bear/

Broad sheet entry petitions for inclusion. https://twitter.com/joey_paints/status/1194226074357506048?s=21https://twitter.com/joey_paints/status/1194226074357506048?s=21

https://youtu.be/gRjwmq6IC1Uhttps://youtu.be/gRjwmq6IC1U Hard to get unanimity from a group that large.

Unanimous would have been sweeter, but Pete gets the same size award either way.

Andrew Baggarly, Giants beat writer for the Athletic, went for Soroka first, Pete second. Poor misguided soul.

I seem to be the only proponent of the Post version of HOLY SHIRT!, which I chose over the News's because it's nice to see Conforto's face (and I like the shirt rip joined already in progress). “LU GOTTA BELIEVE!” ranks with the various references to “SYN” in the “stop trying to make ‘fetch' happen” realm. AMAZIN' is attractive as all get out, but I'd have saved that he'd for a playoff berth clincher or higher. Interesting that little is allowed to speak for itself without shouting. I don't think the otherwise perfect STREAKERS! really needs the exclamation. It works better with PINCH US!, but also unnecessary. Or UNNECESSARY!

John Delcos, veteran baseball writer. Covered the Mets for the Journal News in the late Shea years and pioneered press box-fan interactivity pre-Twitter, responding to questions during games in the comments section of his blog. Struck a very respectful tone, which isn't always easy or common. Covered other teams over the years and later worked with Mets Merized Online. A very nice man in my experience.

It's worth noting that Grimm supplements these choices with early edition News back pages, the ones that are usually obscured by the definitive finals that follow online. Though deadlines don't allow them to tell the full story of the previous evening (SHAKE AND JAKE a prime example), they let us follow a fuller story of the unfolding season, and their inclusion is appreciated.

Jeremy Hefner emerges as leading candidate to take over as pitching coach (Phil Regan's status was always interim). Terry Collins won't be sliding back into the dugout, but he'll take Carlos's calls as special assistant. Jerry Narron revealed as bench coach possibility because a picture Brodie tweeted of Carlos signing his contract included a notebook with Narron's bona fides visible to the curious.

In my beverage magazine editing days, I was pretty proud of STROH AND BEHOLD as a cover line.

3 JOG NIGHT both celebrates and throw shade at Cano. Perfect tabloid form. STAYING POWER is incredibly clever for what it concisely communicates about Wheeler and the Mets' contender status. GONNA FLY NOW is so goofy as to be irresistible. I don't understand the crossing out of MAGNIFICENT and replacing it with AMAZIN'. Like only one adjective can ever be applied to anything the Mets do? LIKE A SURGIN' just went on the IL having strained itself. A comma is missing from the deck above STRO' AND BEHOLD (“It's the Mets, not the MFYs, who make deal...”). WIL' puns are the province of Wilmer Flores. Sorry, Wilson Ramos.

Sandy Alderson comes out against stupidity in one of the stupider states going. https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2019/11/07/amid-trump-nyt-controversy-everyone-has-a-thought-for-citrus-county/https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2019/11/07/amid-trump-nyt-controversy-everyone-has-a-thought-for-citrus-county/

Perez is an ESPN colleague, which I can't help but think influences their views that he deserved the shot. I get the feeling that if Beltran had been hired by any number of other organizations, it would be hailed as forward-thinking on many levels. The Mets and their version of a process don't get the benefit of the doubt.

METS CITI FIELD HR LEADERS (Regular Season)/2009-2019 Duda 71 CONFORTO 56 Wright 49 Granderson 38 Flores 37 Cabrera 30 I. Davis 30 CESPEDES 28 ALONSO 27 Murphy 27 Reyes 25 D'ARNAUD 22 FRAZIER 20 Bruce 17 J. DAVIS 16 Pagan 15 NIMMO 14 Walker 14 Beltran 14 ROSARIO 13 Hairston 13 SMITH 11 Nieuwenhuis 11 LAGARES 10 McNEIL 10 Bay 10 Plawecki 9 Francoeur 9 R. RIVERA 8 RAMOS 8 Recker 7 Byrd 7 Valdespin 7 CANO 6 Bautista 6 T. Rivera 6 K. Johnson 6 C. Young 6 Buck 6 Tatis 6 Turner 5 Barajas 5 Sheffield 5 HECHAVARRIA 4 Mesoraco 4 Cuddyer 4 Brown 4 NIDO 3 Reynolds 3 Uribe 3 TEJADA 3 Satin 3 Cedeño 3 Thole 3 Pridie 3 Schneider 3 Delgado 3 DeGROM 2 MATZ 2 SYNDERGAARD 2 GOMEZ 2 De Aza 2 Loney 2 Campbell 2 Herrera 2 Baxter 2 Cowgill 2 Nickeas 2 Rottino 2 Evans 2 Blanco 2 Santos 2 Sullivan 2 PANIK 1 GUILLORME 1 R. DAVIS 1 WHEELER 1 LUGO 1 ALTHERR 1 Jackson 1 Taijeron 1 Harvey 1 Ceciliani 1 E. Young 1 Mayberry 1 Teagarden 1 Abreu 1 Quintanilla 1 Hefner 1 Torres 1 Paulino 1 Pascucci 1 Santana 1 Carter 1 Lu. Hernandez 1 Jacobs 1 Castillo 1 Church 1 Castro 1

That ARCTIC BLAST font is the polar opposite of arctic, which is to say fire. I want to frame that cover and hang it over my bed, never mind that I'm not 12. The Post threw everything at its BAD CHAIR DAY treatment. Points for going all in. ‘THEY CAME & GOT US' is classic tab, complete with the skyline logo. Boldly and forthrightly covers a necessary karmic turning point. Wanted to love those Minnesota moonshot back pages, but Pete's face is obscured, which kind of dampens the vibe.

Pete Alonso was a finalist for the NL Silver Slugger at 1B, but the award was mistakenly given to Freddie Freeman.

Nice bit wherein Pete gets down with the people who caught his 53rd. https://twitter.com/mets/status/1192465173593890817?s=21https://twitter.com/mets/status/1192465173593890817?s=21