G-Fafif

Frank Cashen cracks the Top Ten in an upcoming book, Pursuit of Pennants, that aims to rank the best general managers ever. The Bowtie is No. 10. Sandy Alderson, for reasons mostly unrelated to his Mets tenure to date, is slated at No. 12.

I can sooner accept the assessment (shallow as it may be) from the likes of a baseball writer who covered Mays in his prime -- who was also a fan who watched Mays when he was a revelation -- than I can the tossed-off line of a generations-removed golf writer who's just repeating a cliche whose accuracy he's likely never given a second thought to. Bonus points for Vecsey explaining, in part, the attraction of Mays instead of just scoffing at him for being older than he had been previously.

George Vecsey touches on Willie's Met detour in a column devoted primarily to Martin Brodeur and more broadly local icons who didn't get to spend their entire career in a New York (or New Jersey) uniform. Willie Mays came back from San Francisco in 1972, to the city where he had begun in 1951. He returned as a beloved relative, not only of the city but also of Joan Whitney Payson, the owner of the Mets, whose family had once owned a small piece of the Giants. In her jolly, entitled way, she meant no harm, even if her nostalgia led to the unfortunate game in the 1973 World Series when Mays stumbled in the outfield and on the basepaths, his great reflexes clearly shot. He retired after that Series, but everybody understood the sentimentality behind his homecoming.

Maybe not obscure in this room, but good anywhere, the fly-by-night successes of Grover Powell and Dick Rusteck are given their due in this survey Unlikeliest Pitching Performances by baseball historian J.G. Preston.

Leapt more often for line drives 20 feet over his head than any SS I ever saw. Maybe being a mile above sea level will properly calibrate him.

SI tribute to Ernie Banks included a photo where he deigned to pose with Cinnamon Boy. My honest reaction was "did Jeter ever apologize for annoying Mr. Cub?"

I seem to recall Figueroa being kind of a proto-Dickey in that he came off as unusually pensive and articulate, except he didn't have an unhittable pitch and, honestly, I can't recall a single pensive or articulate thing he said while he was here, which doesn't differentiate him much from the Pat Misches and Tim Reddings with whom he shared rotation time. Oh, except for the game when the Nationals were lighting up either him or another Met (probably him) and he groused about their "softball girl" cheerleading in the dugout, which struck me as STFU if you can't get them out. Caught him once or twice on MLBN and thought, "he looks familiar...oh yeah, Nelson Figueroa..." OE: Here's the aforementioned controfuffle from 2008, as reported by Adam Rubin.

Willie robbed another great center fielder, Willie Davis, on June 9 of his final year, correcting an initial misjudgment on a deep fly ball to the track, holding on to the ball after taking a tumble. Then he got up and homered to give the Mets the lead in a game they'd eventually win. Let's see Kyle Porter do anything that impressive at any stage of his career.

Bobby Ojeda wondering whether his fate will find its way into this thread or the Rico Brogna one. It's more confusing than trying to figure out Jerry Manuel's lineup decisions, says the former studio analyst.

Figueroa will be on track to get the job, then be cut just before Opening Day. Loved Bobby O in that role. Sorry to lose him. Then again, seeing as how he came on board in 2009, perhaps he's been the problem these last six years.

Some thoughts on players who go from being known for what they're doing to being known for who they're traded for, here.

Mike Jorgensen want to HS at very nearby Francis Lewis, though was born in Passaic. Jorgy and Charlie perhaps talked over games at the Seville Diner on Northern Blvd.

Charlie Williams, native of Flushing, phenom at Great Neck South and a winner of 5 games on Gil Hodges's final staff, passed away Tuesday, January 27, at the age of 67. The righty swingman pitched only that one season, 1971, for the Mets before finding himself traded, with cash, to San Francisco for an outfielder named Willie Mays. Charlie, who underwent heart surgery prior to the new year, had been suffering from Parkinson's and other ailments. One of his buddies down in Florida, where he lived in retirement, said he wore his place in baseball history as a badge of honor. R.I.P. Charlie. http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20150128/SPORTS/150129440?p=1&tc=pg

Willie Mays of the 1972 and 1973 New York Mets was recently in town. Here, as Casey Kasem might have said, is my special report.

George Lazenby. Steve Patterson. Bill Monbouquette. Each succeeded and preceded men much more closely identified with a particular role, whether it was James Bond, UCLA center or Met pitching coach.

d'Kong76 wrote: "Woman holding can of beer, circa 1950s." People get paid to write these captions?? Not after that one they don't.

Mrs. Fafif found herself on the opposite side of the tracks from the Globetrotters during one of their promotional tours through Queens a couple of months ago. I mean literally the opposite side of the tracks on the 7 line around Sunnyside. She was waiting for a train eastbound and they were surprising and entertaining random commuters westbound. She got their attention and they gladly hammed it up. Not pictured there but here: Jenrry and Jeurys, hydrating in character. [fimg=200:2ddqjnfz]http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/water-for-relievers.jpg[/fimg:2ddqjnfz]

Jackie Robinson knew where to tune in once he was no longer playing...for a year, anyway.

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: Biz Markie had better aim than Fiddy? He says it's just a throw.

Per WPIX-TV's history of itself. The station's association with Major League Baseball started only 21 days after the station first went on the air. On July 6, 1948 WPIX aired a game between rivals the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers. And WPIX camera crews began their dominate telecasts of top Madison Square Garden events. By the end of the stations second year, WPIX led all stations with remote telecast of baseball, Rangers� hockey, football, Knicks basketball, boxing, wrestling, and stock car races. The New York Giants started in 1949 and the Yankees in 1951 on WPIX. The station teamed with the Yankees from 1951 through 1998. And when, after nine seasons on WPIX, the NY Giants went to the West Coast in 1957, the station quickly signed a record-breaking contract with the Yankees to televise over 140 ball games at home and on the road. The contract for over 400 programming hours was at the time the largest single time sale in the history of the medium. For 47 years, the station was the broadcast home of the New York Yankees. And since 1999, it has been the Mets that have made WPIX a baseball destination.

From RotoWorld's survey of bullpens. The Mets have a bit of a kerfuffle to sort through. Parnell should be ready sometime around the beginning of the season after missing 2014 for Tommy John surgery. Until he returns, the ninth inning belongs to Mejia. The former prospect pitched well enough as the Mets closer. Parnell is a free agent after 2015, while Mejia remains under contract for another four seasons. If he's able, the Mets may want to use Parnell as the closer to keep Mejia's arbitration price under control. Closers earn a lot more coin via arbitration. It hadn't occurred to me to view the closer situation through such a prism. Groping around the bargain bin for a second lefty, sure, but specifically giving opportunities to the pitcher who's less likely to hit you in arbitration? Maybe it's just author Brad Johnson's take. Or maybe this is how the Mets are thinking as they perhaps juggle their two semi-proven closers, each of them having put together about two-thirds of a solid season in the role, respectively. Would like to think Terry or whoever replaces him by June (theoretically) will use the pitcher who closes games best, not whoever will be most efficient to pay in 2016. With the Mets, I've reached the point of believing decisions can be made this way.

Tempered optimism for the talented Marlins from Jonah Keri. Turning those playoff ambitions into reality won�t be easy, of course. The Nationals made a loaded roster even stronger when they broke the bank for Max Scherzer; the Padres and Cubs should be much improved; the Dodgers, Cardinals, and Pirates could be serious threats once again; and the reigning champs are always a factor. But if the Marlins really have turned a corner and are now prepared to operate like something approaching a normal baseball team, there�s reason to believe in their talent, the potential for more upgrades if they�re in the race come July, and even a sustained run of success behind their possibly-signed-for-life superstar. Not mentioned among those with playoff ambitions, a loaded roster, much improvement or serious threats...well, you know. But we did sign Michael Cuddyer, so watch out everybody.

Giants and MFYs shared Channel 11 in the 1950s. I mention that to show it can be done, but it occurs to me that one of them left town eventually. Goodbye MFYs. Good luck wherever.

Became a big fan of Dana & Buddy. Hard to think of one without the other.

Max reportedly getting $180 million for seven years in D.C., or $26 million more than the Tigers offered to keep him off the market. That's quite the hefty rotation, pending Nat trades. On the plus side, Matt Williams is still the one making pitching changes.