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These fellows plan to participate as well. Constanza CF Prado LF Heyward RF Jones 3B Freeman 1B Uggla 2B McCann C Simmons SS Minor P

That only goes to show you that you can never trust the auction house . . . There is no way that they reached out and spoke to Kranepool about that so quickly. There's a photo of the umpire retrieving the ball and handing it to Clemente, so Eddie backing up the play is conclusively false, and that's not second base he's standing on. Regardless, it really is Ed and Roberto, and it really was signed by Ed. Beyond that, who the hell knows. (I think the mystery surrounding the picture now makes it even more interesting than if it were the spontaneous event itself!) --Diamond Dad, July 6, 2012 Apologies if this was already addressed somewhere along the way, but if it wasn't... Was listening to Ed Randall's Talkin' Baseball on the FAN today. His consecutive guests were the author of a book about Roberto Clemente's 3,000th hit (or the author's relationship to it -- he wound up with Roberto's bat), Kevin Guilfoile, and the Mets' second greatest-hit amasser, Ed Kranepool. And between these interviews I learned what happened 40 years ago, on Friday night, September 29, 1972 -- the night Tom Seaver won his 20th game -- when Roberto Clemente stepped up in the first inning one shy of his milestone. This from UPI: Clemente toyed with reaching the coveted 3,000 hit mark but failed when a disputed call in the first inning went against the Pirates. The close ruling came when Clemente hit a slow bouncer over Seaver's outstretched glove but second baseman Ken Boswell bobbled the ball and it was called an error. Boswell said, "I thought it was an error and had a better than average chance of getting him out." Clemente disagreed however. "There was no way he could get me, even if he came up with the ball cleanly." Roberto even preferred the error ruling. "I was lucky I didn't get it because I want no questions about number 3,000." Well, we had questions about that photo, but we seem to have an answer. From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: For a second or two in the first inning, the crowd wasn't sure if Clemente had gotten No. 3,000. With Vic Davalillo on first base and one out, Clemente bounced just over Seaver's glove. Second baseman Ken Boswell charged, seemed to have a good chance to [get] Clemente at first base, but fumbled the ball. Official Scorer Luke Quay of the McKeesport Daily News announced in the press box "Error Second Baseman...Error Boswell." But the people working the electric scoreboard one deck above the press box couldn't hear Quay's call over the microphone. Nothing was posted on the scoreboard and the fans began to cheer, as the ball was flipped to Met first baseman Ed Kranepool who flipped it to Clemente, who held it for a moment. The scoreboard finally lit up error. There were some boos because the fans wanted desperately to see Clemente reach 3,000 on this rain-threatening night. The boos didn't last long probably because most of the fans realized that Quay's decision was fair. In the meantime, as Guilfoile confirmed with Randall (though Kranepool didn't remember), a photograph of Kranepool handing the ball to Clemente was snapped commemorating the play that was No. 3,000 until it wasn't. So there ya go.

Nine guys who aren't interested in furthering Chipper's legacy: Ruben Tejada - SS Andres Torres - CF David Wright - 3B Scott Hairston - RF Lucas Duda - 1B Jason Bay - LF Ronny Cedeno - 2B Mike Nickeas - C Chris Young - RHP

Young vs. Minor. Turner Field security will be checking IDs.

Duda 4.0 Niese 3.5 Parnell 1.0 Acosta 0.5 Hampson 0.5 Murphy 0.5

Swan Swan H wrote: Josh Lewin is giving an assist to Dickey for kerfuffling their timing with the flutterball. Not a stretch of a case to make, I would guess. They seemed to adjust pretty well when Rauch was out there. Jon Rauch: It's like having a special late-innings hitting coach!

I've been crediting the 1999 Mets with an assist for Braves being swept in subsequent WS for going on 13 years now.

Substituting for Edgy because he hasn't started the Chipper Jones Night thread, presumably out of sadness for the loss of a great opponent (uh-huh). Sorry, but I was on the road. Wife DC: What did you say you needed a smart phone for? Edgy: I need to start In-Game Threads from the road. Wifey: Ummm... Out on the road today I posted IGT from a Cadillac A little voice inside my head said "Baxter's batting seventh?"

It has happened! 16th Red no-hitter, not counting Jim Maloney in 1965, who no-hit the Mets for ten innings but got beat on a Johnny Lewis homer in the eleventh. (Maloney had one later.) Pirates must hate their lives right now. First a knuckleballer strikes them out 13 times and now this.

Homer Bailey one out from no-hitting Bucs.

EAT IT HUDSON!!!

Say Heyward! (Dammit.) Watching Braves' young slugger go very deep a few weeks ago in the company of fellow Mets fans (after fighting to get a restaurant TV changed to the Mets game), a friend of a friend at the table was all "I hate that guy." Why, he was asked. "Because he's so good." Not a great reason to hate an opposing player -- except when he's just killed you, I suppose.

My first thought when it came to old sluggers was "Giants," given Horace Stoneham's love for his aging window-breakers. Knew '58 was Cepeda's first year and Mays had his last good season in '71 -- and remembered Speier was hot stuff. Then it was a matter of confirming dates and birthdays. Good question.

1971: Willie Mays & Chris Speier

1958: Hank Sauer & Orlando Cepeda

Substituting for Edgy because he hasn't started the Chipper Jones Night thread, presumably out of sadness for the loss of a great opponent (uh-huh). Ruben Tejada � SS Daniel Murphy � 2B David Wright � 3B Ike Davis � 1B Scott Hairston � CF Lucas Duda � LF Mike Baxter � RF Josh Thole � C Jonathon Niese � LHP

It only seems like yesterday ended the season. Six more games to go. Need Edgy to roll out an IGT -- got a starting lineup that's just dying to make itself known.

Gil Velazquez of the Marlins on CitiVision last weekend reminded me of Clive Bixby. Perhaps another nom de plume for Phil Dunphy for another Valentine's Day.

MUST BE 20 OR OVER TO BE ADMITTED 25 Seaver (25-7) 1969 24 Gooden (24-4) 1985 22 Seaver (22-9) 1975 21 Seaver (21-12) 1972 Koosman (21-10) 1976 20 Seaver (20-10) 1971 Cone (20-3) 1988 Viola (20-12) 1990 DICKEY (20-6) 2012 R.A., yes, but fuckin' A as well. Fuckin' A!

Dickey 4.5 Wright 2.5 Davis 1.0 Tejada 0.5 Murphy 0.5 Torres 0.5 Parnell 0.5

METS ALL-TIME HIT LEADER Through Games of 9/27/2012 1. DAVID WRIGHT 1,422 Force of habit. Probably will be through season's end.

As the Also Quite Happy selection from Game 123 of the Happiest Recap series noted, Ed was played off the field by Jane Jarvis but not back on. The game he left too soon was Ms. Jarvis's last official appearance.

Ruben Tejada �SS Daniel Murphy � 2B David Wright � 3B Ike Davis � 1B Scott Hairston � LF Mike Baxter � RF Josh Thole � C Andres Torres � CF R.A. Dickey � RHP Terry said yesterday they were gonna put their best lineup out there today, but it still seems a little Met-heavy.

Randomly turned on the TV, saw Greenberg on Today and then Samson appear via satellite with the offer (smarmy bastard if a fantastic gesture). Fitting it's the Marlins (if it can't be the Cubs). Fitting, too, it's against the Mets in the Sidd Finch sense. If R.A. is pitching, then it's perfect: guy who needed one more chance before he could find himself vs. guy who got one more chance and who knows what will happen to him? The Marlins signed enough free agents last winter. What's one more now? Hope he lines out of course.

Wright 3.0 Hefner 2.5 Tejada 2.5 Familia 0.5 Hairston 0.5 Murphy 0.5 Torres 0.5