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Edgy MD wrote: Mickey Mantle and Lee Mazzilli have had one teammate in common. Name him. Bobby Murcer.

Bartolo Colon (teammate, not dealer).

Sherman says Mets have set a ~$135 million payroll for 2018 -- because contending isn't really something they imagine happening. The opening payroll number will be roughly $20 million less in 2018, a concession that the rotation might never be the powerhouse they hoped it'd be. That realization, in conjunction with other factors, has lowered the Mets' internal assessment of their playoff chances from this time last year. And, thus, lowered how much the Wilpons and Saul Katz are willing to invest in the roster. They have not surrendered to a rebuild, banking in particular that Mickey Callaway, Dave Eiland an upgraded devotion to preparing and monitoring their pitchers will allow the Mets to rebound toward 85-plus wins. But there also will not be a significant offseason splurge. Sandy Alderson has roughly $10 million remaining to spend on free agents or trades and can expand that to a larger amount if he can, say, deal someone such as Juan Lagares or AJ Ramos. The way the Mets have operated under Wilpon ownership is that the GM receives a general payroll number -- this year it will be in the mid-$130 millions, from what I have decduced in conversations with people inside and outside the organization. But the Wilpons then tell their GM to come to them with any deal he likes regardless of cost and sell the merits, and that leaves open the possibility of increasing payroll. But, again, that sales job is easier to make in years when the leadership believes it has a strong contender.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: My two guys are both right-handed power hitters who were Willie's teammates in San Francisco. Young men with a future George Foster and Dave Kingman.

Ron Hodges

He homered and he won a game with a walkoff single. Pretty good keepsakes. Couldn't catch a cold, but come winter that's not a bad thing.

Giants get Evan Longoria from Rays for Christian Arroyo, Denard Span, Stephen Woods and Matt Krook.

Nationals sign their former lefty to a minor league deal. Truly they can have him. Mets picked him up when they were fresh out of usable starters. His presence did not change those circumstances. The signature moment of his 2017 tenure, for me, was when a twentysomething who admitted he didn't know much about baseball (but was part of a group outing adjacent to my seat at Citi Field) earnestly asked whether if the Mets were bringing in Tommy Milone and his 7+ ERA it meant the Mets didn't care about winning the game. "I mean an ERA over seven is pretty bad, right?"

Righty reliever signs minor league deal with Texas. Was part of bullpen brigade that extinguished Nationals on Labor Day 2015 when Niese was knocked out and Torres got hurt. One crucial clean inning in what was as big a game as the Mets had all that magical year to that moment. Otherwise, four partial seasons of low-level hum, as in "hmmm...there's one more guy in the pen...oh right, Goeddel." Dealt with vertigo last year. Hope he's feeling better and that his pitching reflects it. Didn't seem like a bad guy, just not an intensely memorable Met.

Trying to pressure the Wilpons into selling may be less effective than trying to persuade some benevolent billionaire to buy. Rich getting richer real soon. Surely one of them has always wanted to be a sportsman. Let that person/group make the Wilpons an offer they can't refuse. I like the idea of adroitly steering the owner of the Mets out front in quest of accessibility and accountability...but these owners...I've yet to hear them in public where I felt better about the operation after they've expressed themselves. Jeff went on the FAN after the first year at Citi Field (70-92) and took calls with Omar and Francesa. Somebody expressed concern about David's numbers dropping dramatically in the new ballpark, alluding to the outfield dimensions. Jeff made a joke to the effect of, "Whaddaya mean, is he eating too many Shackburgers?" "Aargh," I thought.

Darren Meenan, not endeavoring to be the Voice of the Fan: https://the7line.com/blogs/the-7-line/im-not-the-voice-of-mets-fans-root-how-you-want-to Nor would anybody in his Wright mind. Rooting for the same team does not (as we continually and colorfully remind one another here) confer agreement on its details.

Carig regularly joined Howie and Josh on the air as part of a Newsday deal during the season. He was on SNY just last week, not speaking in diplomatic tones. It's all pretty incestuous out there. I don't think criticism kills any established actor's participation in the dance. Other than learning (or having it confirmed) that the front office doesn't know what its budget is, I didn't get a lot out of Carig's article besides the satisfaction of a good public primal scream. It's mid-December. The Mets haven't missed out on every last opportunity to improve themselves short- or long-term. They just dropped $14 million on two years of a reliever (two days after Alderson doused expectations). Kinsler wasn't a universally targeted upgrade. If they completely miss on second base, if they don't find themselves a right field/first base type, if they're slapping Montero's picture on the cover of the pocket schedule, then I can see sharpening the pitchforks. I do get the feeling the industry is evolving faster than the Mets as constituted know how to keep pace. Perhaps the lack of transparency Carig decries is a symptom of that. There was a time when owners staying in the background was both normal and, juxtaposed versus certain loudmouth types, appreciated. Actions spoke plenty. They still will. Of course if you don't talk and you don't act, people can't be blamed for antsiness.

Frank Lary has died at 87, passing away today, December 14. He is remembered mostly as a Tiger, where he earned the wonderful nickname "the Yankee-Killer," but he was a Met...twice. Lary was purchased from Detroit in May of '64, sent to Milwaukee for Dennis Ribant in August, bought back the following spring, and traded for Jimmie Schaffer in July of '65. There have been 43 Recidivist Mets. Frank was the first.

Valadius wrote: Oh for fuck's sake. Are they waiting for Gary to get on Medicare? They do this in cycles. This year was about national voices. Last year was modern local voices (which Gary was nominated for). They also do "classic" voices in other years. He'll get his eventually.

He's never heard of me, either.

Bob Costas wins the Ford C. Frick award. Sheldon Ocker, from Akron, gets the Spink.

dgwphotography wrote: I don't trust them, and wouldn't believe them if they told me the sky was blue. Let's see what the Payroll is on Opening Day "There needs to be less of a focus on the color of the sky," Alderson said. "There is a variety of clouds and atmospheric conditions and we'll be taking all of them into account."

Tweets Heyman While rangers have a bit of interest in matt harvey word is they don’t like a straight deal for profar since harvey is a free agent after year and profar is under control. While concept has merit, seems like there are issues for both sides. Seems unlikely.

Times obit here, which reports date of passing as December 6, 2017.

Never really thought of Jack Morris as HOF caliber (Seaver, Gibson, Carlton level) during his career, with the caveat that I rarely gave much thought to Jack Morris while he was pitching every one of his innings in the American League. Several years ago, MLB Network did its series of Greatest Games of the previous fifty years, with the Twins-Braves 1-0 duel placing second. The guests were Morris and John Smoltz. I came away from listening to him thinking if he gets in, he'll give a helluva speech. For that alone I was cool with him going in (in the sense that his status wasn't going to bother me one way or the other). I was reminded this morning of an unpleasant incident from his playing days: When Detroit Free Press sports writer Jennifer Frey tried to get a comment from Tigers pitcher Jack Morris in the Tigers' clubhouse earlier this summer, he said, "I don't talk to people when I'm naked, especially women, unless they're on top of me or I'm on top of them." It was an odd thing to say, since Morris was wearing long underwear at the time. There are countless rabbit holes one can go down that will leave you discouraged about humanity in general and Hall of Famers specifically, and one would like to believe that this boorishness not to mention unprofessionalism from 27 years ago would be something an older, perhaps more evolved person might regret or at least wouldn't do again. But now when I see Morris take the podium, no matter how eloquent or emotional he is, I'm gonna think, "man, what an unnecessary dick he was to the late Jennifer Frey."

In a tough call, I leaned to GLORY JAYS probably because I was at that game and had a great deal of fun (before we knew the season was shot) and because I resent the implication that the Cardinals handed the Jose game to the Mets (though I agree it is very attractive).

batmagadanleadoff wrote: I always feel a special sadness whenever a Polo Grounds era Met passes away. I don't know why this is, especially since I was too young, or not even alive yet to have ever witnessed or experienced this era of Mets history in real time. But it is. Exactly half of the 66 Mets who constituted the club in 1962 and 1963 are no longer with us. Or, more optimistically, exactly half of the 66 Mets who constituted the club in 1962 and 1963, are still with us.

Mets eventually obtained the guys who gave up Maris's 60th (Fisher), Maris's 61st (Stallard), McGwire's 62nd (Trachsel) and Bonds's 71st (Park). They also had the facilitators of Bonds's 73rd (Springer) and career 756th (Bacsik) before their brushes with history.

The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association reports the passing of Tracy Stallard, who won 16 of the 104 games captured by the Mets in 1963 and 1964. He also gave up a home run in a meaningless late-season game for the Red Sox in 1961. RIP.

Bump as needed.