G-Fafif

In the realm of continuity, Bill Pulsipher is a rare Two Comma Met, service time expressed as such: 1995, 1998, 2000 But he didn't leave the organization during the first comma.

Didn't quite grasp it in December, thanks for the referral.

Last offseason, I believe, Benjamin Grimm was kind enough to share two lists indicating players who were "Born" a Met and "Died" a Met -- their first and last MLB appearances, respectively, came as Mets. A few updates to offer here regarding the last few seasons, particularly those veteran Mets who haven't played lately and aren't still in the Mets system. I think BG's list automatically swept up anybody who hadn't played in 2007 as "died"; have endeavored to confirm that status. 2009 BIRTHS Ken Takahashi Fernando Martinez Josh Thole Tobi Stoner 2007 DEATHS (Confirmed or Presumed; haven't played in MLB since 2007) Ambiorix Burgos Ricky Ledee Jose Valentin Dave Williams Willie Collazo (Non-Roster Invitee in Blue Jays camp -- and a lefty) Shawn Green Sandy Alomar, Jr. Jeff Conine Orlando Hernandez 2008 DEATHS (Confirmed or Presumed; haven't played in MLB since 2008) Brady Clark Gustavo Molina (nonroster invitee in Red Sox camp; never can tell with catchers) Matt Wise Abraham Nunez (signed with NJ Jackals) Raul Casanova (played for two Mexican League Teams in 2009) Moises Alou Trot Nixon Tony Armas, Jr. (released by Braves in July 2009) Chris Aguila (released by Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, Japan, in 2009) Brandon Knight (pitched for Samsung Lions, Korea, in 2009) Ricardo Rincon (pitched in Mexican League in 2009) Damion Easley [Eddie Kunz and Carlos Muniz did not pitch in MLB in 2009 but are both still in Mets' system.] 2009 DEATHS (Presumed) Marlon Anderson (played for Newark Bears after release in 2009) Ken Takahashi (reportedly returned to Japan) 2009 CRITICAL LIST (Unsigned) Carlos Delgado Ramon Martinez Gary Sheffield You know, we sure went through a lot of guys who were at the end of the line in 2008, and still won 89 games. Can't tell if that's more a cause for indictment of those responsible for personnel procurement for weighing us down with so much flotsam and Metsam or a credit to the manager(s) and non-fringe players who got us so close.

The end result of the recent compilation of the Mets who played One Full Year as Mets here. Upon further review, the list has been whittled to 41; turns out Pete Smith snuck onto the Disabled List in the summer of '94. Also, the most recent One-Year Wonder, Jeremy Reed, has an unenviable distinction: 126 games played, 24 starts. I can't find any Met in any season who played in that many games and started so rarely. Matt Franco in 1999 and Mike Jorgensen came close -- 122 games/17 starts and 120/15 starts games respectively -- but those guys had defined roles. Franco was a PH Deluxe and Jorgy was a defensive replacement for Dave Kingman, someone who needed all the defensive replacing he could get. Reed's role was never that clear, and it's not like there was a surfeit of healthy, qualified outfielders blocking his way into the lineup. Weird how Jerry Manuel disregarded him...and others.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Nice piece on Mejia right here by the Star-Ledger's Brian Costa, who seems an interesting kid. Mejia started shining shoes when he was 11. He didn't necessarily enjoy the work, but he took pride in earning money when other kids he knew were picking pockets.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Jeannie blinked. Samantha twitched. And Willie Davis could go get 'em.

Willie Davis, great Dodger defender from the '60s and '70s (who nonetheless made three errors in one 1966 World Series inning) at 69. First thing I thought of when learning of the center fielder's passing, however, was an ep of Bewitched in which Samantha was overcome by a spell that made her incredibly hungry. She had [crossout]blinked[/crossout] twitched herself to Shea Stadium for a hot dog and was on a pay phone with an exasperated Darrin/Derwood when she excitedly reported, "Willie Davis just hit a grand slam!"

Are one-day contracts for the entire 24 hours, or for only as long as camp is open on the given day?

Great article; thanks for the link. Nevertheless, kind of disappointing to learn Mets catchers don't interact the way one imagines.

Mejia was so lights out that it's now officially a night game.

Cliff Lee pitched for the Mariners at Citi Field?

Pick a section of interest, you won't be disappointed.

Download yourself a free PDF copy of the Amazin' Avenue Annual comprehensive 2010 preview here. Includes a FAFIF contribution that looks back at the four seasons in Mets history when 90-loss teams recovered to post winning records...and a lot, a lot, a lot more that isn't about 1975. The whole thing is very well done and highly recommended. AA will also make this baby available in book form, at cost, in a few days.

Y'all helped me put the above list together. Now it is a major motion picture! Or a FAFIF post anyway. Thanks again for the assist.

Ball Reportedly Bounces Way It Does; Cookie Expected to Crumble Similarly

Combine Kiko threads at will...

You Know What You Get With Kiko That's what Ron Darling just said of newly signed bullpen hand Kiko Calero.

Two-time defending champ G-Fafif has two nominations, which, I'm sure, will rapier sharp and ready to lead him to a third straight trophy. Suddenly I feel I'm up seven with seventeen to play. Say, when does the monetary compensation implicitly associated with the award arrive? It was my understanding BOC stood for Bucket of Cash.

The book seemed to touch Hamill in a place he (Hamill) thought was no longer there, and I thought Posnanski was too hard on him for that. There are still loads of people around who never viewed baseball the same way after 1957 (I happened to speak to one in the past 24 hours). I can't be down on him or them for that "it was never the same" feeling. I'm sure it wasn't the same for them. How could have it been? Posnanski's not wrong that there have always been imperfections surrounding the game and that the game has always managed to transcend them, but I thought it was gratuitous to go after this review as he did.

The scary part is the organizational edict that everybody had to hit to right. Geez. I attended close to half of all home games last year and I do not recall Wright being booed on any kind of regular basis, which is something Jenkins suggests was the norm. There was less booing in general than at Shea, perhaps from numbness to the terrible season, perhaps because Citi Field keeps fans otherwise distracted, perhaps because David is still the people's choice. He may have had his halo tarnished, but there was no vocal WrightLash at the ballpark. I heard more boos for him on the final day at Shea in the ninth (when he popped up to lead off the ninth) than I did at point in 2009. The whole team has rallied behind the bullpen catcher? I hope to hear that in seven months when there are myriad articles dissecting what it was that galvanized these N.L. East champion Mets. "It all began with Dave Racianello's bike trip...and continues here in October." Jenkins presumably didn't write the subhed, but I could've done without that "New York's Other Franchise" bit.

I found Posnanski a little off the mark here. Hamill's review of Hirsch's book was, like the book (and its subject) beautiful -- and his framing of Baseball Then vs. Baseball Now (or at least post-1957) is understandable in the context of who he is and where he's coming from. Posnanski says Hamill -- a Met-Lovin' Big Shot -- knows better regarding innocence; Posnanski should know better when it comes to the prism through which Hamill views or chooses to view those not altogether halcyon days. Goodness knows the book itself, through 130 or so pages anyway, is quite clear-eyed about the realities of the kind of racism that surrounded baseball and Mays. The "red juice" allegation would not have shown up in Ball Four as that particular revelation came from Milner's shared Met time with Mays, which postdated the publication of Bouton's book.