G-Fafif

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Vic "King of All" Black So I wasn't the only who thinking that every time his name is mentioned during a broadcast.

Kiner: great. Weather: cold. Lagares: yay. DeBlasio: sleeveless. Bullpen: oy.

Box. Lagares 2.0 Brown 1.5 Gee 1.5 Wright 1.5 Valverde 1.0 E. Young 1.0

New child = complication.

Yup, Murphy wifey giving birth.

Picking up wisps of smoke that Murphy may not be ready to go.

It could be like that year they got Mientkiewicz and there was a delay in presenting the lineups because the spelling took a few extra minutes.

No chains on Terry's tires.

Some true insights mixed in with spurts of undisciplined writing and apparently disinterested editing. Leaving the style points aside (I don't care what they had for lunch in St. Lucie), I came away thinking the Mets' offense is being treated as these guys' science experiment and I sure hope it wins a prize at the fair. Having a consistent Met method sounds as if it will work better for teaching in the minors than it does converting established major leaguers, particularly the ones who are comfortable and productive. (The ones who are comfortable and unproductive should be introduced to another organization.) I also wondered what they'd do with a classic "bad ball" hitter like Guerrero, but then I thought I was searching for the extremes and should give the whole thing a chance to do its stuff on "average" players. Ike looked particularly horrible striking out in Montreal. I mean really tied-in-knots horrible. Makes me think that's this latest wave of advice overcoming him. Has anybody who's been here since the Aldersonians came in really improved as a hitter? Wright is still Wright, Murphy is still Murphy and nobody else has stepped up in any detectable way. But maybe they're only committing to this approach now. They may have a great idea, but they're probably gonna need a few better vessels to make it work. The "we are watching you" stuff is chillingly Orwellian. Would have been curious to read independent industry analysis of what they're trying to do, even if it was a couple of unidentified scouts saying "yes, that's exactly what they need to do" or "phooey on a one-size-fits-all approach".

Royals release Jon Rauch, who hooks up with Pedro Beato and suggests they start their own bullpen.

[fimg=400:bbxidwot]http://timgombis.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/12390.jpg[/fimg:bbxidwot]

I'll get Reds in the face. And the Rangers if that's cool.

Frayed Knot wrote: [fimg=600]http://sarasotadog.com/files/2013/01/colliepuppies.jpg[/fimg] Pictured, left to right, Mets first base candidates Ike Davis, Lucas Duda.

Byrdak still a Met at heart, which isn't the worst thing to be. He sounds like with practice he could be a decent analyst. That's what Spring Training (even the last of it) is for. Of the five auditions I heard, C.J. Nitkowski and Scott Graham impressed me most. Wonder if Graham was lurking in Clear Channel's thoughts as they dragged their feet in announcing the return of their dynamic duo of Rose and Lewin. Nitkowski came off as not just a player but a person. Even John Franco flashed the potential to be a tolerable homer, though the rough edges would take some sanding. Byrdak once did shtick with GKR in the middle of a ST broadcast, pretending to announce, so he was comfortable. I'm not the least bit in love with Steve Phillips' approach but he was smooth (or so the ladies say). I could deal with any of these guys who isn't Phillips on those dozen or so dates when Howie or Josh isn't around and not cry HAGIN!

WOR adding "The Sports Zone," hosted by Pete McCarthy before and after Mets games -- preceding and following Seth Everett, apparently, to create a Mets or at least sports cushion around their baseball property. It will air 6-9 on non-game nights. McCarthy was with mlb.com.

Kind of a lower-profile version of the Rusty trade. Great short-term payoff, conceivable long-term regrets vis-a-vis Bibby.

Tony Fernandez

Gee batting 9th or 8th?

seawolf17 wrote: Clint Hurdle is the guy I always think of first in this type of question. 1985: with Mets, Cardinals win 1986: with Cardinals, Mets win 1987: with Mets, Cardinals win But only one of those teams won a World Series, suck on it Cardinal fans of a very long time ago!

[youtube:2fhei5y3]63-ToDgwVUQ[/youtube:2fhei5y3] Mets shoutout in this one, too. Sold his cards for stock in a startup and became owner of the team.

That Dykstra song is not only sensational, it's like the musical version of this book I'm reading right now, one in which the reader's stomach (mine, anyway) churns as the author works for Lenny and Lenny makes him regret it a little more each page. And "Dale Murphy for the Hall of Fame" is now in my head.

Grimm 6.0 For keeping this thing on track into a tenth year.

Howard Johnson. Think other direction. HoJo came over from a team after it won a world championship and thus (unlike, say, the Duke) didn't miss out on the fun. Best of all worlds: a ring and then a Met uniform...and then a ring in a Mets uniform! (I throw my two cents in here because I keep looping "Howard Johnson...no, he wouldn't qualify...but Howard Johnson...no, he wouldn't qualify...")

Graeme Lloyd (free agent who finished 2002 w/Marlins -- or are we only doing trades/sales?)