G-Fafif

Redbirds have thin skin...except for those who were taken under the wing of a Met. ARLINGTON, Texas -- Albert Pujols acknowledges he made an error when he failed to cut off a throw in Game 2 of the World Series but says his errors did not extend to his failure to talk to reporters about the play in the clubhouse afterward. "What do you want, me to wait for 40 minutes for you guys? I mean I was in the (kitchen) getting something to eat," Pujols said after batting practice Friday afternoon. "What about the night before when I spoke for an hour and a half? That's not fair. I think with you guys, I have to walk on eggshells. I don't think that's fair. I was there and usually (Cardinals media relations director Brian Bartow) comes around and says, 'Hey, they need you over there.' Nobody approached me for 40 minutes. You know what? After 40 minutes I was on my way home." Reporters are not allowed into the team kitchen or back rooms of a major league clubhouse; only in the communal area where players have their lockers. Veteran players -- especially those who have played in the postseason where there are many reporters -- know they are expected to make themselves available in the clubhouse, particularly when that player had a key role in the game's outcome. Pujols, however, was not in the clubhouse when media was admitted after the game nor did he appear at any time afterward. His street clothes also were gone, an indication he would be unavailable because he had likely gone home. "I guess the way you guys are ripping me off, I guess I need to stay tomorrow in the clubhouse until you guys decide to talk to me," Pujols said when asked whether he has a responsibility to talk to reporters. "My responsibility is to my God and my family, I don't have any responsibility to anybody else. And I try to do the best I can to represent the game of baseball. I do that. Sometimes you make a mistake. Do I feel I made a mistake last night? I don't think so. What can I do? I was waiting and nobody approached me. There is nothing I can do." Reporters wanted to speak with Pujols after the game to get his take on the crucial ninth inning play when he failed to cut off centerfielder John Jay's throw toward the plate. That error allowed Elvis Andrus advance to second base and eventually score. "As soon as I saw that big turn (around third) by Ian Kinsler I knew I had a chance to get him if I cut that ball and throw to third," Pujols said Friday. "He did take that big turn and I took my eyes off the ball and obviously I missed it. There is nothing I can do but move on and get ready to play tomorrow." After reviewing the missed cutoff several times after the game, the official scorer charged Pujols with an error. "It has to be an error, it hit my glove," Pujols said, adding that he makes that play 99 times out a 100, but the ball cut away from him like a cut fastball. "If you want to blame me for that because we lost the game, then go ahead and blame me, I don't care. It is what it is. You have to stand up for it." Pujols was not the only player who was not available Thursday night. Catcher Yadier Molina, outfielder Matt Holliday and outfielder Lance Berkman also were not in the clubhouse. "That won't happen again. I'll make sure -- if I have to stand in there -- that one of us is available for comment, win or lose," said Berkman, who almost always makes himself accessible to the media. "Again, it was unintentional and I'm sorry that was the way it worked out. I think there's a problem with the system. If you want to criticize us for last night, we deserved that, that's warranted. If you want to paint with a broad brush, I don't think that's accurate." In comparison, St. Louis reliever Jason Motte, who blew the save, was available when the media was allowed in the clubhouse and withstood wave after wave of reporters questions for more than 30 minutes. He said a player has a responsibility to do so, a lesson he said Jason Isringhausen taught him. "He told me that if you can talk to everyone on a day you strike the side out then you have to come out and face the music on one of those other days," Motte said. "It's part of the business. It's not fun talking about it but that's the way it and that's the way you have to handle it. You have to man up and that's the way it is." Rangers veteran Michael Young said talking to the media is part of the job and helps take the heat off other players. "I do think there is a responsibility," Young said. "You guys have a job to do. These are big games and it's just a matter of being respectful. You guys have jobs to do, too. You're not here for your health. If I can help I will."

For the Mets history lover, these... 158: 2000 -- Mets low-key their second consecutive clinching 159: 2008 -- Shea Stadium sees one final walkoff Also... 158: 1999 -- Mets break ill-timed losing streak with exquisitely timed explosion 159: 1971 -- Tom Seaver, peaking (with a one-hitter, no less)

On the night Izzy made his second Met debut, Iggy entered with the bases loaded, got a 1-2 forceout, preserved the Mets' 4-2 lead...and then gave up the game-tying single to Carlos Gonzalez. Seemed to sum up the entirety of the Ryota Igarashi Experience. Did some fancy striking out late in the '11 season, but by then, Rocket Boy was clearly on the launching pad.

SNL once did an ESPYs sketch in which three teams were nominated for best professional football team. The winner was the team that won the Super Bowl. Or in this case the catcher who played the clear majority of games.

The winner of the 1976 Iowa Democratic caucus was uncommitted. Wouldn't be a bad choice here. 1. Thole 2. Paulino 3. Nickeas

Sweet-ass DPs all around, actually.

Andrus-Kinsler: Beautiful. So much for the conventional wisdom that hitting would overpower this Series (as ever, subject to change).

metirish wrote: metirish wrote: 2001 , awful , no surprise , Payton, Shinjo and? Cedano? Cedeno not yet back in '01. That was the year of Matt Lawton. Benny was still here, Timo played himself out of a starting role and Darryl Hamilton, Mark Johnson, Alex Escobar and Joe McEwing were among those who got their reps. How did we lose at all I wonder now while we were sporting such fine men in the outfield? Mets 82-80 that year. About 45 of those wins came from teams that realized they were overmatched and forfeited.

metirish wrote: 2001 , awful , no surprise , Payton, Shinjo and? Cedano? Cedeno not yet back in '01. That was the year of Matt Lawton. Benny was still here, Timo played himself out of a starting role and Darryl Hamilton, Mark Johnson, Alex Escobar and Joe McEwing were among those who got their reps.

1. Beltran 2. Pagan 3. Bay 4. Duda 5. Harris

Chilly, loud and sprinkled with Redbird fairy dust thus far.

Reyes Murphy Wright Tejada Turner

A singular sensation for this edition... 157: 1969 -- The Mets' Magic Number is 1 and Also Quite Happily... 157: 1985 -- 10:44 Central Daylight Time Enjoy!

Gotta be the first time in decades that the five most-used starters all pitched in relief at least once. EDIT: A cursory search indicates it is, in fact, the first time in 29 years -- since 1982 -- that the top five starters in terms of starts all took at least one turn in relief.

Awesome stuff, Irish. I've viewed parts of it before and it (unlike buildings that ceased to exist nearly 50 years ago) never gets old.

1. Rodriguez 2. Isringhausen 3. Acosta 4. Byrdak 5. Beato

Gwreck wrote: G-Fafif wrote: Four Cardinal World Series in my rooting lifetime before this one and I've never rooted for the Redbirds. Could have in '82, but was infatuated with those Brewers and was generally pissed off at everybody in the N.L. East for being better than we were. Could not have and didn't in '85 and '87; no explanation necessary. Had that vague "if they win, at least it means we lost to the eventual champs" thing going in '06, but that doesn't mean I rooted for them. I could barely stand to look that Series and did very little watching. It's easy to forget 2004 as the Cardinals basically also forgot to show up for that series against the Red Sox. This will be the Cardinals' third WS in the past 10 years (more than any other team). Thanks for catching that mysterious oversight. I didn't particularly dislike those '04 Cardinals (I rooted for them hard against the Astros) but the Red Sox story was too good to pass up.

[crossout:1muksct4]Four[/crossout:1muksct4] Five Cardinal World Series in my rooting lifetime before this one and I've never rooted for the Redbirds. Could have in '82, but was infatuated with those Brewers and was generally pissed off at everybody in the N.L. East for being better than we were. Could not have and didn't in '85 and '87; no explanation necessary. Had that vague "if they win, at least it means we lost to the eventual champs" thing going in '06, but that doesn't mean I rooted for them. I could barely stand to look that Series and did very little watching. And as Gwreck points out, they were in the World Series in 2004, but Curse-breaking made me pretty much ignore them (though I kind of thought they'd win). All this is to say I'd really like to throw my support to the Cardinals to honor what they've done in the past seven or so weeks, which has been fantastic for baseball, and also to get behind the good old National League. But they're the fucking Cardinals, and there's no getting around that. Plus the Rangers haven't done anything to turn me off. So on paper, I'm with Texas. But in my heart, I'm honestly not so sure...until I remember La Russa and Molina. So I guess I'm with Texas there, too.

Glad I'm a National League fan where everything isn't about swinging for the fences.

From deep down in my stomach, with every inch of me, I pure, straight hate the Cardinals. But goddammit, do I respect them!

1. Dickey 2. Capuano 3. Gee 4. Niese 5. Pelfrey

1. Turner 2. Gee 3. Duda 4. Beato 5. Pridie

F the Brewers. They're like the 06 Mets, losing to an inferior StL team on merit. Exact same pattern on games, too: Win the first, lose the second and third, win the fourth, lose the fifth, now bring the series home needing to win both. Except for disdainful memories from 26 and 24 years ago (which forever turned me off to masses of red-clad humanity) and the sincere desire to watch Yadier Molina self-immolate every time the camera picks him up ("c'mon Sager, just bonk him with that microphone"), I could be into this Cardinal team. Yes, La Russa is managing this series to death, but thus far it's working to his advantage. And the Cardinals are picking the Brewers' pockets clean at every turn. They are so unlikely (given the yearlong absence of Wainwright and how far they had to go to catch and pass Atlanta) that I'm finding their ride hard to resist. Also, I did so much rooting against where the MFYs and Phillies were concerned that I don't know how much sheer animosity I have left in the tank. Milwaukee has done little to inspire allegiance in this round. Ever since Greinke issued inflammatory quotes about Carpenter, I've had a sense of doom about them. That could change under the retractable roof of Miller Park, of course, but now I'm keen to see just how far this five innings, hand it to the bullpen tactic can carry St. Louis. It's a little like watching the 2008 Mets down the stretch except with relievers who don't uniformly suck.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Mets have a Porn Room at the new stadium, only Fred designed it after the one at Ebbets Field. Nick Evans was wondering what those pictures of Mamie Van Doren were all about.

I alluded to this in the Guess Who Died thread, but I've just learned that my old gym teacher, who recently passed away, was a minor league ballplayer for a very brief time, playing with two future Mets before there were Mets. Details, such as they are, here.