G-Fafif

Remember when Matt Harvey vs. Stephen Strasburg represented ace overload? We already had the ultimate showdown of 2016 on Tuesday in Syndergaard vs. Scherzer, but once upon a time, in April of 2013, Harvey Day was eclipsing Strasmas as the occasion of choice in the NL East and we all knew who was better. Anyway, those old guys go at it tonight and, in a limited context, we'll hopefully party like it's fourteen years after 1999.

Pretty sure Trump copied Alderson. Or don't you remember Sandy's mid-July statement to the press last year? We're gonna have the best bench. The bench is going to be so full there won't be anyplace to sit. You'll be tired of how much depth we're gonna have, folks. Next thing you knew, he gets Johnson and Uribe and, true to his word, as you can tell this year, the Mets got sick of how much depth they had.

A hobby horse rides again. With Matt Reynolds's major league debut coming where Terry Collins probably least expected it (at least in terms of plausible possibilities), the Mets have now ushered 30 third basemen into their not-so-exclusive Hot Corner Club since David Wright became No. 129 and the veritable/symbolic revolving-doorstop on July 21, 2004. Reynolds is 3B No. 159 overall. 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

Though we wish for a replica of the 05/17 result, this IGT should be dated 05/18.

Oh yeah, Ollie's an ex-Met.

Former Nats on the Mets include: left-handed specialist Jerry Blevins and shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who came mid-season 2014 and gave them as little as they deserved. Former Expos include Bartolo Colón, the last active Montreal Major League ballplayer. Beyond the roster, pitching coach Dan Warthen Expo'd back from 1975 to 1977. Bullpen coach Ricky Bones coached for the organization back when they were transitioning from Expodom to Nattitude. Bullpen catcher Eric Langill was originally drafted by the Expos and played in their system. Then-catcher Jeff Wilpon was taken in the fourth round of the 1983 January draft by the Expos, but never played for them. Most are forgiven.

Fredi Gonzalez was a terrible manager for the Marlins and they got rid of him pronto. He was a terrible manager for the Braves and they clung to him for more than five seasons. Gotta give this round to the Marlins.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: That's good. If you didn't forgive him he'd probably jump off a curb or something. Even if I'd scanned the roster for ex-Nats (which would have been nice), I'd have probably skipped over Blevins. Every year there's one reliever I never remember is on the team. This year it's most of them, but particularly Blevins.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: G-Fafif wrote: Do we have any former Nats? If we do, we'll forgive them. Jerry Blevins. Forgiven.

"What's next?" President Josiah Bartlet was heard to ask in idealized Washington, D.C., as he presided in The West Wing from 1999 to 2006. Well, Washington is next for the Mets these next three days. Tonight it's 20-K sensation Max Scherzer versus 2-HR slugger Noah Syndergaard, except Syndergaard can pitch and Scherzer once suggested the DH is awesome. Gotta like Thor here. Tomorrow it's Gio Gonzalez, who has a low ERA and was very good in 2012 versus probably Bartolo Colon, pending decisions on Steven Matz. Bartolo Colon is due to be awesome again. Thursday, Stephen Strasburg, who just got paid, versus probably Matt Harvey, who would like to. See the money, Matt. Sounds like a sweep in the making, huh? In an idealized world like the Bartlet White House, it definitely would be. Will it be in reality? That is why they play the games. Your former Mets of note on the Nats are Matt den Dekker and...can't remember if there's anybody else. Oh right, Daniel Murphy, currently challenging Ted Williams in the immortality stakes. Gonna go with Teddy Ballgame, but thank you for your service, Murph. Do we have any former Nats? If we do, we'll forgive them. Jonathan Papelbon is still a National. Fuck him, of course. Other old faces, include young Bryce Harper and former Phillie (thus, fuck him, too) Jayson Werth. Ryan Zimmerman continues his career as well. Wilson Ramos is hitting as well against everybody (.350) as he usually does the Mets (.982). Dusty Baker is doing a better job than Matt Williams did, as would be the late wrestler Dusty Rhodes and former Secretary of State James Baker. Adam Rubin writes great series previews, including this one. Laura Albanese does a deep Nats dive in Newsday here. No doubt she will need a shower. Well, I've vamped as long as I can. Let's Go Mets!

Terry said Lucas is a stiff. Correction: Terry said Lucas has a stiff back.

Worth the wait.

Julius La Rosa, an all-time MLBS, passed away May 12 at 86. The singer and radio personality was a recurring presence at Shea from the '70s into the '90s, called on to deliver the national anthem on special occasions (which for a long time was the only time you'd hear a singer rather than Jane Jarvis or a recording). I remember him primarily as a host on WNEW-AM, but he gained fame for making the best of a bad situation. With his chunky-cheeked, boyish grin and dark, curly hair swept back from a widow’s peak, he crooned pop favorites for 35 million people from 1951 to 1953 on CBS’s “Arthur Godfrey Time,” a weekday morning television and radio show, and for “Arthur Godfrey and His Friends,” a Wednesday night variety program. The news media explored his life. Fans swooned. His mailbag brought 7,000 letters a day (more than Mr. Godfrey’s), and his salary grew to $900 a week. But it all came at a price. Mr. Godfrey — a folksy, sentimental ukulele strummer to his audiences but an imperious, tyrannical boss behind the sets — ordered all his entertainers to take dancing lessons. Mr. La Rosa refused. He also insisted that his performers not work for outside interests and not be represented by personal agents. Feeling exploited, Mr. La Rosa did both. He signed with Cadence Records, a label owned by Mr. Godfrey’s musical director, Archie Bleyer, and made several recordings, including his first hit, “Anywhere I Wander.” He also hired an agent to renegotiate his CBS contract and manage his outside interests. On Oct. 19, 1953 — 23 months after Mr. La Rosa’s debut — Mr. Godfrey retaliated in a morning segment heard only on the radio. Mr. La Rosa had just finished singing “Manhattan” when Mr. Godfrey delivered the sentence in his solemn foghorn voice. “That was Julie’s swan song,” he said. He later fired Mr. Bleyer, too, and told reporters that Mr. La Rosa had been banished because he lacked “humility.” The dismissal stunned Mr. La Rosa and the Godfrey audiences, whose reaction was largely negative. Most media critics also chastised Mr. Godfrey, whose avuncular image began to crumble. Far from being a death knell for Mr. La Rosa’s career, however, it opened new doors. Ed Sullivan signed him, at triple his old salary, for a dozen appearances on his national television variety show, “Toast of the Town.” Soon, Mr. La Rosa recorded “Eh, Cumpari,” the biggest hit of his career, and “Domani.” He went on a national tour, appearing with Perry Como, Patti Page, Nat King Cole and Sarah Vaughan. By 1955, “The Julius La Rosa Show” was on summer television three times a week. He also appeared in scores of other television shows, including those of Dinah Shore, Steve Allen, Peggy Lee, Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, Polly Bergen, Mr. Como and Pat Boone. In 1957 he made a film, “Let’s Rock.”

The fact that this is here is testament to some fine admin work. Thanks!

Zvon wrote: There was a great MLB logo spoof I saw that had Colons swing instead of the MLB guy. It was awesome but I can't find it now. Twitter only goes back 1 hour? Booooo! This one?

batmagadanleadoff wrote: [fimg=555]http://cdn.barstoolsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/08/royalHR1.jpg?b2c70f[/fimg] http://www.barstoolsports.com/newyork/bartolo-colon-5716-shirts-now-on-sale/ Available only in 4X, I should hope.

My edition of the News Sunday put Bartolo on the back page without a final game story. It was big enough to bump the Kentucky Derby in the Racing Final. Newsday also had a Bart HR story without a final. Kind of reminded me of the Post, in its afternoon paper pre-Murdoch days, printing partial in-progress line scores.

First-place Mets. Last-place MFYs. Bartolo Blast the talk of the town. Orange and blue increasingly adorning the local populace everywhere you look. I like the prevailing Metgeist. [youtube:2b4e5myg]I4qh_9vH1Ww[/youtube:2b4e5myg]

May 16, 7 PM, Rockville Centre, L.I., Turn of the Corkscrew Books & Wine. Come for one, stay for the other.

The power to go deep, the power to evoke deeply. Bartolo has it all.

Michael Cuddyer is being a characteristially team-first guy in the Chesapeake, Va. PONY League. Four fields with a backdrop of evergreens hosted kids, coaches and adults from the different divisions of PONY Baseball. The unpredictable weather caused attendees to dress in a mixture of winter coats, blankets and short sleeves. But the weather couldn’t put a damper on the ceremony’s most anticipated speaker of the day, new assistant coach Michael Cuddyer, 37, who recently retired after 15 seasons as a Major League Baseball player. A 1997 Great Bridge High School graduate, Cuddyer played with Great Bridge Baseball, which evolved into the SCAA. Now his son, a Southeastern Elementary School student, Casey Cuddyer, 7, plays coach-pitch ball (Pinto division) with SCAA, and Casey has his dad and his granddad as assistant coaches of his White Sox team. In Cuddyer’s speech, he said it was probably his 30th opening day ceremony. He recalled special memories of youth baseball, and cautioned the young athletes that “workouts and practices are very important.” But he wanted everyone to “come out, have fun and love the game.” He wished everyone good luck and said, “Love what you do, like I’ve been fortunate enough to do.” Cuddyer’s dad, Henry Cuddyer, 68, played Little League in Norfolk as a kid, but said he was mostly self-taught. He got involved again in the game as an adult when he coached then 6-year-old Michael’s Little League team. Buddy Carlyle is now an Atlanta Braves coaching assistant. Carlyle will be in uniform for all pregame work-outs and will assist in scouting preparations. His main job however will be to manage the Braves' instant replay protocol from an off-field location during all games.

A favorite of Robbie's, from the collection of Roger Cedeno.

Lucas Duda is the first Met to have slugged 60 home runs at Citi Field. Rene Rivera and Asdrubal Cabrera are the 69th and 70th Mets to have hit at least one home run at Citi Field. Yoenis Cespedes has tied Jeff Francoeur for 14th place. One assumes a yearbook photographer gathered them posing with their bats to commemorate their convergence during the series just concluded.