G-Fafif

Another op'nin', another show... Granderson RF Walker 2B Céspedes LF Conforto CF Flores 3B Smith 1B R. Rivera C Rosario SS Lugo RHP

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Schaefer Top Ten, through yesterday's game: 1 Jay Bruce 72.71 2 Michael Conforto 72.25 3 Jacob deGrom 70.49 Wow, what a three-way! (That's what she said.)

Eric Campbell pinch-hit for Jay Bruce in a critical game last September and it was the right move. Nevertheless, his bat persisted and he was no less than the 2017 Mets' third-most valuable player, which doesn't sound like much, but I have no idea who the fourth-most valuable Met of 2017 is. When he went deep twice against the Phillies on April 19 at Citi Field, it was an absolute happening. That was the night Jay Bruce became president.

Reached for comment on today's game, the late Wes Westrum affirmed what the living had already inferred. Wow, that really sucked.

The 35th third baseman to follow David Wright is in there today. 164. Neil Walker 08/09/2017 163. Asdrubal Cabrera 07/22/2017 162. T.J. Rivera 08/10/2016 161. Jose Reyes 07/06/2016 160. Ty Kelly 05/24/2016 159. Matt Reynolds 05/17/2016 158. Kelly Johnson 10/03/2015 157. Juan Uribe 07/25/2015 156. Danny Muno 05/25/2015 155. Ruben Tejada 05/14/2015 154. Anthony Recker 04/14/2015 153. Eric Campbell 06/05/2014 152. Omar Quintanilla 09/15/2013 151. Wilmer Flores 08/06/2013 150. Zach Lutz 06/27/2013 149. Vinny Rottino 05/28/2012 148. Ronny Cedeño 04/10/2012 147. Josh Satin 09/28/2011 146. Nick Evans 07/17/2011 145. Daniel Murphy 05/31/2011 144. Willie Harris 05/12/2011 143. Luis Hernandez 08/31/2010 142. Mike Hessman 07/29/2010 141. Justin Turner 07/19/2010 140. Wilson Valdez 08/25/2009 139. Andy Green 08/19/2009 138. Fernando Tatis 06/17/2008 137. David Newhan 09/29/2007 136. Ruben Gotay 09/07/2007 135. Damion Easley 04/19/2007 134. Julio Franco 09/10/2006 133. Eli Marrero 07/02/2006 132. Jose Valentin 05/26/2006 131. Miguel Cairo 04/21/2005 130. Chris Woodward 04/13/2005

We messed with Texas Tuesday night. Let's make a mess of their getaway day Wednesday afternoon. The revived (1-7 5.78 ERA, but he could be worse) Rafael Montero takes on Martin Perez, who moves up in the Rangers' rotation with the scratching of Andrew Cashner.

Wranglin' some Rangers... Conforto CF Cabrera 3B Bruce RF Cespedes LF Walker 1B Reyes 2B d'Arnaud C Flexen P First start at 1B ever for Mr. Walker.

The rainout from early July will be day-nighted on Sunday, August 27, the latter an ESPN special. Alert the network stooge!

Howie has semi-playfully used "network stooge" for years in this situation. I'm sure it's nothing personal, and I'm just as sure he'd maintain that stance to the network stooge's face.

The Rangers ride back onto our schedule and into Flushing for the first time since 2014. We split with them in June. We spit on them (figuratively) in August. No-Name Double-A pitcher (go ahead, Flexen, use that as inspiration) takes on Andrew Cashner, 7:10 PM. They're not the Dodgers, so let's not futz around.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Howie and Gary are both sure to get in some day. Howie and Gary were, at last check, a significant portion of the committee, so they'd have to step out of the room...not that the committee seems to exactly exist anymore. The rest of the gang was comprised of Jay Horwitz, Marty Noble, Al Jackson (who had a stroke last year), Dave Howard (who left the organization in 2013) and Tina Mannix (senior marketing director who, based on a look through recent media guides, hasn't been with the organization since maybe 2011).

In the winter between the 2003 and the 2004 seasons, the Mets dispatched three of their uniformed personnel to their then flagship Clubhouse Store on E. 54th Street: Timo Perez, Vance Wilson and Don Baylor. Mrs. Fafif worked directly across the street, so on her lunch hour she visited the store to surprise me with their autographs. The line was not long. Her report: Timo didn't make much eye contact; Vance seemed interested in her job as a senior center director; and the coach with whom she was no more than vaguely familiar could not have been more friendly, more engaging or more kind, initiating a genuine conversation with another human being, presumably because that's the kind of human being he was. Somewhere around here I have those autographs (all three were on "Catch the Energy" promotional cards; the Mets didn't spring for 8 X 10s) and in an album there's a picture of Don Baylor smiling for my wife as he signed. I honestly don't remember anything else about his two-year tenure as Art Howe's bench coach. But I'll always remember that.

If you're in or near Northwest Connecticut, Piazza and its author will be in your neck of the woods this Friday. Even if you're not, I guess.

Tom Fox Not good. Bad sign. Shut up and just play. Give us a note when you retire after a stellar career. This is a little much. Geez, you don't want to get on the bad side of Tom Fox.

MFS62 wrote: I also wonder, was the spelling of his name in the thread title a clever acknowledgement of his position in the batting order? If so, kudos. It is an acknowledgment that, after being nowhere near Rosario, we are, at last, amid Rosario. Anywhere he bats tonight is fine as long as it's in the top of one of the first three innings at Coors Field.

The 2017 Mets still matter.

Re tonight's seven-hole hitter: Damn!

Tonight? Oh, nothing. Just the dawning of a new era. Matz (who hasn't ceased sucking of late) vs. Hoffman (who isn't the guy who nearly threw a no-hitter; thought he was for a minute). Amed Rosario makes his major league debut at shortstop, per Sandy Alderson.

Mets New Star Pitcher To Undergo Tommy John Surgery, Macarena to Blame! — Headline from Quad Cities Times on office bulletin board in recreated Exit 57 sketch with Matthew McConaughey, Late Show with Stephen Colbert, July 31, 2017

Mooch should be available to attend the next homestand after all.

Just thought of a specific game that speaks for the Reed record: July 1, 2017, the Double Rainbow Game won by Asdrubal Cabrera's seventh-inning two-run homer on the day his bobblehead celebrated his three-run homer from the year before. Addison came on in the eighth, after the nearly hourlong rain delay that left behind the pair of rainbows, got out of the eighth (two were out, one was on) and then pitched around a double in the ninth to hold the 7-6 lead. Not perfect, but no cause for alarm and he could handle (gasp!) working more than an inning. Too bad the saves weren't in service to greater things, but he did a nice job when asked to close, a nicer job when asked to set up. I found myself in the company of a Red Sox fan yesterday and told him that unless Reed's arm falls off from Collins's repeated use of it, their bullpen got a good bolstering.

N.J. native Al Leiter.

The hat pushed back on the head after an effective outing. Didn't suck, which is kind of what I thought he'd do. Surprisingly unspecific game memories.

You hear that teams retool, yet you never hear that teams tool.

Intellectually, I understand Sean Gilmartin pitched for the 2017 Mets, and I remember Sean Gilmartin pitching for the 2017 Mets...but it doesn't seem like Sean Gilmartin pitched for the 2017 Mets.