G-Fafif

Zvon wrote: lol,thats classic. But I shoot each day Every Met who I see On that same patch of grass Where I found Thirty-Three Best^ Pignatano's movin' Pignatano's groovin' Another spring of this And Kranepool keeps on kvetchin' Glad you liked that.

As the years went by, this guy... came to remind me of this guy... That's Franklin Sherman, dotty and usually inebriated tycoon father of the title character in the intermittently amusing animated mid-'90s sitcom (or cartoon, I suppose) The Critic. I wasn't sorry when he was bought out. I'm sorry at who bought him out.

The Orioles HOF, adjacent to OP@CY, is part of a larger Baltimore sports museum and blows minds.

leohcvmf8kM If you see a made-up card In the midst of this thread That has a lefty veteran Holdin' a pose Sadecki's Spot Yeah, yeah! I'm headin' 'cross Courtney Campbell's Causeway Lookin' for the Ray Sadecki Spot I got me a list It's as big as Sky King And I'm headin' on down To Sadecki's Spot I'm shootin' for Topps Minor league invitees So hurry up and find me Ray Sadecki Sadecki's Spot Is a little old place where The Mets can all get pictured Sadecki's Spot, baby! Niss says, "Stay away from That rag-armed Brent Strom who Throws like a bum" But I shoot each day Every Met who I see On that same patch of grass Where I found Thirty-Three Pitchers by the entrance Pitchers near that fence Pitchers fakin' wind-ups Pitchers who look tense Sadecki's Spot Is perennial space To craft some awesome cardboard Sadecki's Spot, baby Sadecki's Spot That's where it's hot Sadecki's Spot Angle I've got Primpin' and a-preenin' Grinnin' and a-muggin' John Glass will go cardless 'Cause he's showin' next to nothin' The whole Spot shimmies Yeah, the whole Spot shimmies The whole Spot shimmies When Rube Walker's walkin' Around and around And around and around Rube Walker's movin' Rube Walker's groovin' Kooz linin' up For mandatory stretchin' Pignatano's movin' Pignatano's groovin' Another spring of this And Kranepool keeps on kvetchin' Hand me my Nikon I just found Matlack He's long-tossin' with Rich Folkers They're somewhere out in back Sadecki's Spot! Sadecki's Spot! Bang, bang, bang On the door, Yogi Knock a little louder, Berra! Bang, bang, bang On the door, Yogi I can't hear you! Bang, bang... It ain't over! Bang, bang... 'Til it's over! Phil Roof? Rusty Sadecki's Spot! Sadecki's Spot! Meet me at Sadecki's Spot

Great story in today's Times about the Mets Clipboard Giveaway of 1977. A Drab and Cherished Relic of Shea By MICHAEL MALONE My Mets clipboard is quite possibly the least cool piece of sports memorabilia in history, and perhaps the ugliest. Picked up in a Shea Stadium promotional giveaway during the otherwise lamentable 1977 season, the clipboard remains with me to this day, pressed into service, like the Mets left-hander Pedro Feliciano in 2010, just about every day. This rust-brown portfolio with a gold Mets logo, gold clip and nary a dash of blue or orange has, over the decades, smoothed out mushed junior high homework, held my r�sum� during job interviews and housed book chapters that awaited editing. Several days a week, it holds the important material I plan to read on the train ride home while my work papers float around in my backpack. I often wonder how this modest folder has survived my many moves while seemingly more worthy possessions like furniture and books were tossed like so many big-salary Marlins. My clipboard is not a cute bobblehead. I can�t wear it, it�s not autographed, and it�s clearly not game-used. So what keeps me clipped to it? I had a chance to trace the origin of our relationship recently when I caught an episode of �Mets Yearbook,� the cheesy filler show that SNY broadcasts during rain delays. This one focused on 1977. Ralph Kiner and Lindsey Nelson shared the narration. The real estate beyond Shea�s left-field fence � as long as I could remember, it was the picnic area bleachers � looked like farmland. Ed Kranepool, wearing a �Starsky & Hutch� leather coat, strolled the field at his alma mater, James Monroe High in the Bronx, taking note of its poor condition as boys wearing shorts over sweat pants played catch. �If you can catch balls on these fields,� Kranepool said in his Noo Yawk accent, �you can catch them at Shea Stadium.� In 1977, the Mets went 64-98, finishing 37 games off the pace, and traded Tom Seaver. How I loved that team: Lee Mazzilli�s cheeky basket catches, Lenny Randle�s blockbuster speed, Pat Zachry�s stunning beard, so thick you could lose a comebacker in there. Barely a million fans came out to Shea, the Mets� lowest attendance since their awful inaugural season. So bereft of highlights were the program�s producers that Kiner resorted to a rundown of the promotional days. Back to School Day, Kiner said, featured a �handsome and useful gift.� The camera zoomed in on a boy about 8, scribbling in his Mets clipboard. I wondered for a moment if the boy, shot from over his shoulder, was actually me. He had straight brown hair, was painfully skinny and wore tube socks up to his calves. Then I noticed a gold chain around his neck � not my style. But I was at Shea that September day. Was it the time Steve Garvey hit a foul ball directly to my mother, who contemplated what to do with her beer, only to drop it, and the ball, at the last second? Regardless, we left Shea with a lasting souvenir. On �Mets Yearbook,� Kiner segued from the clipboard to a featured player: �Speaking of handsome and useful, the Mets can attach that label to catcher John Stearns.� But I was still thinking about the clipboard. Other Mets souvenirs gradually disappeared from view, like yearbooks in the basement and cracked batting helmets in a far corner of the garage. My first Mets hat, the brim bent and button missing, exited in more dramatic fashion. The button rivet caught on the bearlike coat of a woman who brushed past me in a shop. I was speechless as my beloved cap marched away. Nothing survived but my handsome and useful Mets clipboard. A sign of its times, it bears no sponsor�s logo, unlike the Pepsi T-shirt I snagged from the Pepsi T-shirt launcher near Citi Field�s Pepsi Porch two years ago. My clipboard is 36, older than every player on the Mets roster but relievers LaTroy Hawkins, Scott Atchison, Tim Byrdak and Feliciano. Yet not much has changed. The Mets posted their lowest attendance in a decade last year, and they are firmly below .500 this year. Kiner is still around; I recently saw him in the SNY booth, regaling Gary Cohen and Ron Darling with tales of hitting against Warren Spahn. I�m still rooting for my Mets, and carrying the clipboard in my backpack each day. Its plastic cover is torn at the binding, revealing cardboard. But the clip�s metal teeth remain sharp, and I hope it lasts another 36 years. You can find a Mets cheese board on eBay (�Unused, unopened, undamaged,� $34.95). But not a Mets clipboard, which elicits memories of birthday ballgames with my father, sitting in an endearingly charmless colossus and rooting for mediocre players like Bruce Boisclair and Joel Youngblood. Memories are a bit like Mets clipboards or Mets caps missing the button on top. Hold tight to them, or you might lose them forever. Michael Malone is the author of the novel �No Never No More,� published in April.

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 Cede�o 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 129. David Wright 07/21/2004

D'Arnaud 3.5 Gee 3.0 Murphy 1.5 Germen 1.0 Black 0.5 Hawkins 0.5

Rays, Tribe and Royals (plus Bosox) are true American heroes for Saturday. TEX -- TBR -- CLE 1.5 MFY 3.0 KCR 3.5 BAL 3.5

Matsuzaka 3.0 Murphy 2.0 Duda 1.5 Hawkins 1.0 Young 0.5 Flores 0.5 Tejada 0.5 Feliciano 0.5 Black 0.5

Updated Citi Field Mets Career HR Leaders Mets on Active Roster Indicated in bold 1. Wright 40 2. Davis 29 3. Duda 22 4. Murphy 16 5. Pagan 15 6. Beltran 14 7. Hairston 13 7. Reyes 13 9. Bay 10 10. Francouer 9 11. Byrd 7 11. Nieuwenhuis 7 11. Valdespin 7 14. Buck 6 14. Tatis 6 Congratulations to Murph for taking sole possession of fourth place on the Citi Field HR list. David, meanwhile, works feverishly to grab a bat and extend his lead over the last two series of 2013. Until he's activated, he's just not as bold as Murph or, dare we say, Duda.

John Olerud calmly walks at the head of the Seattle Mariners' unit that joins the 2013 non-championship parade. Oly's M's became essential to the festivities when they were eliminated from championship consideration on September 14.

Jerry Morales swings by to lead the San Diego Padres into the 2013 non-championship parade. The Pads founds the odds officially overwhelming when they were mathematically eliminated from championship consideration on September 14.

Del Unser comes off the bench to lead the Philadelphia Phillies into the 2013 non-championship parade. Del's Phils took a contention powder upon their September 14 elimination from championship consideration.

Frayed Knot wrote: G-Fafif wrote: Rangers looking a little anxious to dip down into the scrum that was previously beneath them. Technically it still is, but when they finish getting blown out by A's tonight (most likely), they'll be only 1.5 better than Rays, 3 better than Tribe, 3.5 ahead of MFYs, 4 over O's. . Just barely as it turned out. Rangers, down 9-2, scored 6 in the 8th but had tying run Alex Rios thrown out at tying to go 1st to 3rd on a single to end that inning*, and then failed to score in the 9th as well so the final was 9-8 Oakland. * Close call but it looked to be wrong. Was definitely the type of call we'll see reviewed and probably overturned next season. Visions of David Freese, vis-a-vis assuming the fate of Rangers games, danced in my head as soon as I typed "blown out" danced through my head, which is why I amended it with "most likely". Thought this might become bulletin board material for Ron Washington...if he's lurking late in games versus Oakland, that is.

Box Torres 2.0 den Dekker 1.0 Baxter 0.5 Germen 0.5

Washington pulls to within 4 1/2 of Cincy. Nats dead yet? [youtube:2ktgdis7]0Qth8xNZvVM[/youtube:2ktgdis7]

Rangers looking a little anxious to dip down into the scrum that was previously beneath them. Technically it still is, but when they finish getting blown out by A's tonight (most likely), they'll be only 1.5 better than Rays, 3 better than Tribe, 3.5 ahead of MFYs, 4 over O's. Royals in peril altogether, 3.5 behind Rays. Better to be in Texas's position than KC's, but heavy are the heads that wear the cards.

Rick Aguilera happily jogs in from the bullpen to lead the Minnesota Twins into 2013's non-championship parade. Aggie's Twinkies were eliminated from championship consideration on September 13.

Duda 3.5 Niese 3.0 Brown 1.0 Atchison 1.0 Hawkins 1.0 Feliciano 0.5

Updated Citi Field Mets Career HR Leaders Mets on Active Roster Indicated in bold 1. Wright 40 2. Davis 29 3. Duda 21 4. Murphy 15 4. Pagan 15 6. Beltran 14 7. Hairston 13 7. Reyes 13 9. Bay 10 10. Francouer 9 11. Byrd 7 11. Nieuwenhuis 7 11. Valdespin 7 14. Buck 6 14. Tatis 6 Note: With his third Citi Field home run, Andrew Brown moved into a six-way tie for 16th place with Ronny Cede�o, Josh Thole, Jason Pridie, Carlos Delgado and Brian Schneider.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I'm rooting for WABC. They could broadcast the games between Dan Ingram and Johnny Donovan. Howard Cosell would be tough to bring back for the pre- and postgame shows, but Ralph Branca's technically still available to co-host.

The bobbleheads have gotten better and more plentiful in the last two years. Love that they ditched the face of the moment (like Jason Bay) in favor of all-timers. They could do more with it, but they could always do more.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: You didn't ask me but I got lotsa ideas. Here's one: I'd put up an installation with one Topps baseball card for every single Met ever. The cards would be organized alphabetically by the last name of each Met, and would be reorganized every time there would be additions to the exhibit. For the Randy Bobbs and Billy Cowans and Dave Schnecks and Bob Friends etc., who never got a Mets card, I'd pay Topps to go into their photo archives so that they could create cards for this installation. Every Met would be on that wall. I love the idea, but would do the wall chronologically (but would have a corresponding list by name that would get updated with every new addition). Chronological's OK. But aesthetically, I'd like it more when the card styles and player eras are all mixed up. I'd like to see a Stengel Met right next to a Valentine Met, for example. That's the specific reason I went alphabetical. Also, I'd change some cards each year. Because, assuming this exhibit was real, when you first add a player to the existing exhibit, it would logically be his debut card. But a future card of his might be more appealing. Jason my blog partner has long advocated a wall in which every Met's name is engraved, like the Vietnam Memorial but only less depressing, he claims. I like that, but I think I like this one better, especially the creation of Topps cards for the non-Toppsers. Shoot, they create sad looking cards on the video screen for the guys who don't have them, so yes, do it up right. Dave Schneck. How did Dave Schneck never get a card?

So I've been appointed Vice President of Tradition & Fan Experience by the team's new owner, the recently enriched and relocated Mets Guy In Michigan. My first act is to elicit suggestions from concerned, knowledgeable Metsopatamians in this thread, as opposed to the "all the things the former owners did wrong" thread. I'm listening...

They have this nifty little program where if someone is attending their first game at Citi Field, you give the Fan Assistance booth near the Shea Bridge your name and they prepare you a certificate welcoming you. Probably more for kids but Mrs. Fafif and I did this for one of her coworkers the other night on a group outing and it was much appreciate. (I also did this on behalf of a friend from out of town after the fact -- we were supposed to go to his first game together but circumstances intervened -- and though it took multiple episodes of straightening out, he eventually got it in the mail, along with some leftover giveaways, which was their way of saying sorry for the initial screwup. He was very happy with it, too.) They instituted a free ticket for your birthday thing. Show up at a day of game ticket window, show your ID and you're in, and not in the last row either (depending on availability, one supposes). They carved out a bunch of low-demand dates for people whose birthdays don't fall on Mets home dates (Opening Day and the once-popular Subway Series not included). Two good examples of positives that the Mets themselves suck at publicizing. I'm never not impressed by how much community goodwill type stuff they do. Post-Sandy they were all over the place (just ask Bobby Valentine about it in twelve years) but practically every week they're visiting kids, seniors, food banks, literacy programs, VA hospitals and so on. Almost every night is a night when the pregame is devoted to those dealing with some medical condition. The Tuesday's Children sponsorship has been unstinting. Festooning Shea Bridge's walkway in team colors and adding the commemorative logo was a nice, unforeseen touch this year.