G-Fafif

More pix and a bit of a followup from MetsPolice. http://metspolice.com/2015/03/22/i-talked-to-the-mets-bullpen-car-owner-and-hes-awesome/

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: LAAAAA-RRY? I so totally thought so; he exceeded the stay of the player it actually is (as far as I can tell). Thing is Mr. Jones had only eight games in 1993 -- none in the Mile High Club, despite the Braves and Rox sharing a division -- and he missed all of 1994 with an injury that, gosh, fortunately didn't prematurely end his career before he could prematurely end multiple Met seasons. Anyway, not Chipper Jones.

Sheffield was retired while this player was still going. Moyer was still going while this player was retired, but never played at Mile High (in the A.L. during its two pre-Interleague seasons of action).

BTW, "active" may no longer apply to Jamey Wright if he has many more days like today. One veteran, Jamey Wright, who the Rangers are hoping can fill an integral bullpen piece, failed to retire any of the seven Brewers he faced at Surprise Stadium on Saturday. He allowed six runs on five hits and two walks. Then again, Texas must know it's not his first rodeo.

There doesn't seem to be an active baseball player who competed at Mile High Stadium. The last was...well, I'm only like 99% certain, so if you have a guess that beats what I have, h/t to you. But provisionally speaking, the last man to breathe in that mile high air and live to tell about it while lacing 'em up for one more game somewhere in the next century was who?

And that's over. I have to confess that though I've watched Major League Baseball every season in which Jamey Wright has played it, starting with 1996 when he appeared at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium as a Rockie rookie, I've known only one thing about him: that he's the brother of onetime phenom Jaret Wright. Which he isn't. I just kind of assumed he was. So I'm down to knowing this tidbit. Seriously, zero impression on me, which isn't his fault, but I'm looking at his 19 going on perhaps 20 years of service with 10 teams and it is spectacularly not spectacular. One postseason pitched in (2013 for the Rays), nothing like an All-Star campaign, his only league-leadership cameos are when he lands among most walks, wild pitches and hit batsmen (tied for N.L. shutout championship in 2001: 1), no "hidden value" anywhere. Good on ya, Jamey Wright. Keep gettin' that major league meal money.

Inspired by Batmags's Quickie Quizzes, I did a little checking and have determined that ONE player remains active as of Spring 2015 who can say "I played at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, where the New York Mets invented the National League Championship Series, where John Stearns delivered a message to Chief Noc-a-homa, where Rick Camp did unspeakable things to Tom Gorman at unspeakable hours and, oh yeah, Henry Aaron told Babe Ruth to get lost." Who is this fellow who lives to tell the tale of when men were men, Interleague games were theoretical, Chipper Jones was merely young and vaguely unlikable and Turner Field referred to the owner's backyard? (You could've given me a hundred guesses and I would've needed another hundred.)

I look forward to slapping my head when the answer is revealed, but for now I'm knuckling under.

2002, just before the ship went down. The referenced previous start, Colon vs. Estes at the Big O, was that rarest of Mets losses that I found gripping enough to not mind the final result. You've made me briefly nostalgic for a season I couldn't stand. Nice job!

Thinking we must be running low on active MLBers who played at... The Big O The Murph The Vet Riverfront Three Rivers Milwaukee County Astrodome Candlestick ...if we haven't already run out of them in the older cases. Fulton County and Mile High must be off the board by now. Even old Busch survivors must be growing sparse. David Wright (or Jose Reyes) may wind up being the final player to have played a National League game on artificial turf.

Johnny Podres was a Padre and a Bklyn Dodger. The Expo had to have been a visiting player, a teammate of Ralph Kiner's, for that matter: Elroy (or Roy) Face.

So Ryan was right for Forbes and neither Niekro ("knuckle down") nor Staub is for Colt? Pete Rose in Houston?

Rusty Staub. [crossout:2tcs1oq6]Tony Perez[/crossout:2tcs1oq6]. Davey Concepcion. OE: I thought "Perez...no Concepcion" but typed otherwise. Kind of remember the Reds being the last opponent there.

I've been told (not about this specifically) that the Mets will and have bid for particular items, including some that have been displayed in their HOF. Maybe not something as physically big, but then again, how many things like this come rolling along. I want to give both sides a little benefit of the doubt. Yes, the Mets were pillagers and pirates of their own history in 2008 and negligent about spotlighting their heritage in 2009, but they've stepped up their game since (they couldn't step it down). I don't know Cart Guy's circumstances, but if I had something to sell that might net me five figures, I'd consider all offers. If I was the Sultan of Frances Lewis Blvd., I might be reflexively giving of my largesse, but I'm not and I don't know that Cart Guy is. It is a beautiful object. It was such a lift to see Tug getting a lift in it all those years removed from when he and his peers would use it for business trips. It's one of those things, like the original Apple, that you just know would make people light up with recognition and wonder in its (almost) native habitat.

We don't necessarily know whether his intention was sell to the Mets, give to the Mets, temporarily loan to the Mets or permanently loan to the Mets. Personally, I'd love to see it in the Bullpen Plaza, where there is currently nothing (plus it probably has a homing device that wouldn't stop sounding its alarm until it got back where it spiritually belongs). Folks would take pix with it and the TV cameras would pick it up every time a reliever got loose and merriment would abound and Bobby Grich's small heart would grow three sizes that day. Or something like that.

That, too, is a reasonable question. If anybody else wants to throw a few more in the pot, I'll forward them. (Maybe he'd be willing to come here for himself and do his own direct answering.)

Might be worthy of a followup. I didn't lead the inquiry (I was just invited to send in some Q's), but I'll see about contacting him.

Good news! John Harper has evidence Michael Cuddyer is like Jete who must not be named. Genuflect & read (retching optional). http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/harper-new-met-cuddyer-earns-comparisons-jeter-article-1.2156265?utm_content=buffer6774c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=NYDNSports+Twitter

Q&A with the cart guy (I'm one of the Q'ers), who reveals Wilpon & Co. haven't returned his inquiries vis-vis "you guys want it back?" Very cool details on how the cart rolled from Doubleday to this guy & what it's been doing since. http://metspolice.com/2015/03/19/how-the-mets-bullpen-cart-went-private-and-why-i-dont-expect-the-mets-to-get-it-back/

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: G-Fafif wrote: Some info is about to come to light that will make this thread explode. Oh should have guessed. Seller's name rhymes with Jed + Freff Nilpon. They'd only sell off something fans hold dear that they already have in their possession -- like the hopes and dreams of a half-decade or possibly more. But they wouldn't lift a finger to buy something fans hold dear... Besides a lefty reliever, I mean.

Vic Black's rehab pushed back, but he's fine (notify his next of kin). http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/mets-shut-vic-black-rehab-days-article-1.2155712?utm_content=buffer26b2e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=NYDNSports+Twitter

I'd be aqua green with envy.

Some info is about to come to light that will make this thread explode.

Pride knocked off Stengel in an upset and plays Georgia Southern Saturday.