G-Fafif

Depth, breadth, wit and a slam at Chico Harlan. Who could ask for anything more?

Chico Harlan is rooting for Putz to not make it back in time for Friday's game yet not be replaced on the roster. One fewer player to potentially bore him with baseball talk.

Jose signed through '10, club option for '11. It's doomsaying beyond what even I can wrangle from the depths of my gloomy Met soul to have him out for the next 272 games.

Exploring the Wayne Hagin 'FAN blog unearthed this gem on a night with no game and bad news. He addressed the Cardinal fan half of it during the last trip to St. Loo. Lovely thoughts on his partner from last September 28. (Howie also has a FAN blog in which he writes almost as he spoke when he had his talk show. His story about not getting fruit at the Steel City Diner is very cute.) ]I am asked by the multitudes about broadcasting in New York City as opposed to other cities where I worked and resided. The answer is, broadcasting in New York brings you face to face, mind to mind, and heart to heart with the fan. In this case, the New York Mets fans. People designate the St. Louis Cardinals fans as "baseball's greatest fans" and Keith Hernandez and I have spoken often about the Cardinals fortune of having a collegiate type of following. Mistakes are made on the field but the fans will support you as if you were a member of the family. They revel in their midwest hospitality and that transcends to the baseball diamond at Busch Stadium. It's their legacy and there was no better example of that then when the Cardinals played the Red Sox in the 2004 World Series. Game four was played in old Busch Stadium and Derek Lowe shut down Albert Pujols and company to win the game, the World Series, and beat the demons of not winning it all over the past 86 years. What did the St. Louis crowd do? They not only clapped their hands in tribute but ushers and stadium officials actually let Red Sox fans ,who didn't have seats and had stood outside the stadium, come in and join in the history of the moment. That was St. Louis and as you know, that wouldn't have happened at Shea nor will it happen at Citi Field. It doesn't make one city "better" than the other. They are different cities altogether and that's what makes my experience special to me. I love the heart and soul of the Mets fan. I work with a man, Howie Rose, who exemplifies the Mets fan. Howie is a true pro and it's fabulous to sit next to him broadcasting a game. I hear his anguish in the words he utters and I feel the triumph when a big moment is reached in the game. I know this, Howie would love to "put it in the books" about a hundred times this season following a Mets win and so would the fans. I saw and felt the compassion for the closing of Shea Stadium and the memories shared there by fans. When we signed off the air after a disheartening loss (another one) to the Marlins that knocked the Mets out of the postseason, we were down to our final segment which is where we sign off and say good bye. I looked to my left and there stood Howie Rose. It is my job to finish off our post game show every day but something didn't feel right. As I looked at Howie during the commercial break, the thought occured to me, this man needs to say good bye to this stadium, not me. Howie had come to see the Mets in his youth and now drew a paycheck watching them in his prime. I will never forget how he captured the moment with his words and hid his tears until he signed off. To me, that was the definition of what a Mets fan is all about. You love your Mets but expect them to win. If they don't, there is no silence in the crowd. The Mets fan wears his or her emotions on their lungs and we hear it every day at the ball park. Would you want it any other way?

He could've barfed on Zach Duke for effect.

Not by the three-game sweep at the hands of the Buccos he's not, according to Bart Hubbuch in the Pest: ]Beltran rips slumping Mets PITTSBURGH -- A visibly angry Carlos Beltran let loose on the Mets today after an 11-6 loss to the lowly Pirates here completed a three-game Pittsburgh sweep. Beltran, who was 2-for-4 with a homer today in his return after missing 3 1/2 games due to a stomach ailment, said he was "embarrassed" by the 28-24 Mets' performance in the rain-shortened series. Asked if the sweep was cause for alarm, Beltran said: "This series was tough for us. After we lose the first game, which I thought we were going to win, it really changed the tempo of how we were playing the game. Basically, the opposing team gained confidence and they came back and basically outran us. "We have to find a way to play better, there's no doubt. Overall. I'm not pointing fingers at anybody. Offense, defense, pitching -- we have to find a way to play better. The reality of this is, coming here to Pittsburgh and being swept -- personally, I feel embarrassed. "I don't think it's fun. We have to find a way to play better and to focus better and focus more on what we need to accomplish." Beltran was just getting started, it turned out. "We have to play better," he said. "There's no doubt we have to play better. We have to take this personal, because this can't happen. It can't happen for us to come here and lose three games just like that. It can't happen." Beltran got in a dig at the Pirates, too. "I know they're a big-league ballclub, but we're better than them," he said. "We're better than them. We know we're better than them, but we have to do something about it." Adding to Beltran's embarrassment was that the Pirates had just traded away their best player -- All-Star center fielder Nate McLouth -- the day before. "McLouth wasn't there and they still come out and score how many runs? Eleven? Eleven runs," he said. "So we have to play better."

Word from informed sources[/url:3dnpy1qf] is Jose is out with a "small tear of the right hamstring tendon," just what you want for your shortstop and leadoff hitter. Requires rest, forecasts doom. We won't be seeing Jose Reyes in action anytime soon.

First pitch delayed to 5:10. Game to be shown on MLBN.

metsguyinmichigan wrote: ="G-Fafif"]="bmfc1"]Car dealerships are closing all over the country but Ford has enough money to advertise a special edition MFY Mustang on Mets radio. I heard that earlier and was quite turned off forever to the Ford Motor Company. But it's a perfect metaphor for the MYFs -- a juiced up car whose design heyday was long ago. Sadly, the Mets right now are more like the 1985 Dodge Omni I had in college. Ran real well when all of its parts were functioning. Sadly, it spent a lot of time in the shop getting fixed. Get MFYs out of my dreams...and out of my car.

Lost in the non-excitement, besides David getting on base a lot, is the play he made to save Putz embarrassment on the grounder J.J. mishandled. Great instincts, great follow-through in a horrid game.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: ="Frayed Knot"]Don't look now, but Green has given up 1 run over his last 8 outings (6.1 IP) on 5 hits, 2 BBs & 7 Ks. Anything barbs I toss in Green's direction are at least 50 percent attempted-reverse-jinx... if we're doing anything this year, we'll need some productive innings from the firm of Takahashi,Green and Stokes. Putz, on the other hand, has kinda lost me with the "no adrenaline" BS. I have noticed a quiet turn of fortunes by Green and do take heart in the rumor that baseball players who get worse occasionally get better. But I'm with LWFS on being dismayed by the adrenaline quote, especially since a) eighth innings count like ninth innings, basically; and the Mets have gone along with that ludicrous "Thunderstruck" stuff when Putz enters a game. Not so much the song but the light and sound effects. Mrs. Fafif witnessed it firsthand and marveled that "it's the pitcher who changes the weather." Yes. J.J. Putz appears and it rains base hits everywhere.

bmfc1 wrote: Car dealerships are closing all over the country but Ford has enough money to advertise a special edition MFY Mustang on Mets radio. I heard that earlier and was quite turned off forever to the Ford Motor Company.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: ANALOGY TIME! Green:Human White Flag::Putz:________? Vichy Government of relievers.

="metirish":2oy3itk5]="John Cougar Lunchbucket":2oy3itk5]I predict PNC will soon be known as Gorkys Park.[/quote:2oy3itk5] Love it....his at bat music should be the whistling from "Winds of Change"[/quote:2oy3itk5] But will he rock Pittsburgh like a hurricane? Frayed Knot Jun 04 2009 01:22 PM ]I'm with FK on the odds of this working out for Pittsburgh. But hell, if you're going nowhere, might as well pan for gold, right? That's essentially what they've been doing for the last year or so; going for decent up-side, though hardly guaranteed prospects - Jose Tabata as the main bait for Nady - Andy LaRoche for Bay - and now Gorkys Hernandez for McLouth plus some spare pitching parts thrown in on the side. If they all live up to their potential things could work out real nice for them. If not ... One thing they will have if/when Gorkys comes up is a nice relay team in their outfield: McCutchon, Morgan & Hernandez They might have a HR total for the season that's in single digits but they'll probably save a bunch of runs.

Keith referred a moment ago to Carlos Beltran's happy area. Clearly, PNC Park (a.k.a. The Punk) is not the Mets'.

="metsguyinmichigan"]Ya know, if the pen can shut these punks down, we have a shot at getting this one back. Motion to refer to PNC Park as The Punk...

Kevin Burkhardt just admonished the Pirates for placing a section of wall from Forbes Field, over which Mazeroski's home run flew, in a less than ideal spot at PNC Park. While there's nothing wrong with professing exacting standards (it is weird that it's between two bathrooms), anyone whose job description includes shilling for the history-challenged environs of Citi Field should pick his battles more carefully, as in, perhaps, "what a shape they don't have a Taqueria here in Pittsburgh."

="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr"] My analrapist would have a field day with that. Come on!

How's your ol' tomato?

="Frayed Knot":2lxsz438]What that team really needs is hitting outfielders.[/quote:2lxsz438] And they got one, according to Adam Rubin[/url:2lxsz438], in the person of Nate McLouth. MFS62 Jun 03 2009 06:00 PM ="G-Fafif":3byrmusv]="Frayed Knot":3byrmusv]What that team really needs is hitting outfielders.[/quote:3byrmusv] And they got one, according to Adam Rubin[/url:3byrmusv], in the person of Nate McLouth.[/quote:3byrmusv] Insert Joe Shultz epithet here. Later LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 03 2009 06:09 PM Balls. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 03 2009 06:17 PM Geez. I shutter to think about the Braves with McLouth. PS -- Got tixx Tuesday and going with some Philly fans. Heh. Kong76 Jun 03 2009 06:20 PM MFS: Insert Joe Shultz epithet here <<< I don't get it, google no help. MFS62 Jun 03 2009 06:23 PM ="Kong76"]MFS: Insert Joe Shultz epithet here <<< I don't get it, google no help. In Ball Four, Bouton's manager in Seattle was Joe Schultz. Joe's favorite epithet, quoted many times in the book, was "shitfuck". Later Kong76 Jun 03 2009 06:34 PM Lol, go google "Joe S(c)hultz epithet." I need rest. G-Fafif Jun 03 2009 06:37 PM How's your ol' tomato? John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 03 2009 06:38 PM Lets' throw some El Strikos out there. MFS62 Jun 03 2009 06:49 PM "Guys, this has been a long road trip. There are a lot of wives and girl friends waiting for you. Try to look horny." Later Willets Point Jun 03 2009 07:17 PM Re: Pitching News ="bmfc1":1i826oj4]Second, the Braves released Glavine. In one of the stranger comments I've read of late, Cerrone writes: "� i shutter to say this, but, the Mets need a starting pitcher, and he always had a strong relationship with Omar Minaya and Jeff Wilpon�"[/quote:1i826oj4] ::twitch:: ::twitch:: Fman99 Jun 03 2009 07:37 PM Re: Pitching News ="Willets Point":aq2lajma]="bmfc1":aq2lajma]Second, the Braves released Glavine. In one of the stranger comments I've read of late, Cerrone writes: "� i shutter to say this, but, the Mets need a starting pitcher, and he always had a strong relationship with Omar Minaya and Jeff Wilpon�"[/quote:aq2lajma] ::twitch:: ::twitch::[/quote:aq2lajma] Let's see if Armando Benitez wants to join him on the pitching staff. There's a reason these guys are ex-Mets. Frayed Knot Jun 03 2009 07:42 PM ="G-Fafif":pjxua9lt]="Frayed Knot":pjxua9lt]What that team really needs is hitting outfielders.[/quote:pjxua9lt] And they got one, according to Adam Rubin[/url:pjxua9lt], in the person of Nate McLouth.[/quote:pjxua9lt] Holy Shite ... I didn't mean THAT quickly!! It kind of helps us out for tomorrow but that's a major pickup for los Bravos. I can't believe Pitt dealt him. He just turned 27 and, unlike last year with Nady & Bay, is still a couple years away from FA-gency. I hope they got themselves a good return. If nothing else it'll piss off Francesa who declared McLouth to be "the perfect Yanqui" on numerous occasions last year. IOW, he's a young, under control All-Star who plays the one place the MFYs don't have a star so I suppose he figured it was inevitable that he be picking up his mail in the Bronx before long. Frayed Knot Jun 03 2009 08:20 PM ESPN: Atlanta gave up outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, one of their top prospects, along with pitchers Charlie Morton and Jeff Locke. Maybe those guys are good, but they have better prospects in both the OF & pitching. [to replace Glavine], the Braves called up highly touted prospect Tommy Hanson, who has dominated at Triple-A Gwinnett and will make his first major league appearance Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers. The minor league blogosphere has been saying that Hanson has been overdue for weeks now. Another plus: McLouth is under contract through at least 2011, having signed a three-year, $15.75 contract in spring training. The deal includes a team option for a fourth year at $10.65 million, with a $1.25 million buyout. So if Pittsburgh can't afford him who can they afford? By trading McLouth, Pittsburgh cleared a spot for one of its best prospects, 2005 first-round pick Andrew McCutchen. The 22-year-old outfielder was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis, where he was hitting .303 with four homers, 20 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. So why not him AND McLouth? "When we signed Nate to a long-term contract, we did so with the intent on having him remain part of our core of homegrown talent. said GM Huntington -- But the quality and quantity of talent we are receiving in this trade moves us closer to our goal of building that sustainable championship-caliber club." I hope they're right. If so it'll be the first time in a long while. metsguyinmichigan Jun 03 2009 08:35 PM If we signed Glavine, I'd be devastated, not disappointed. Edgy DC Jun 03 2009 09:40 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 04 2009 05:33 AM I think we're buying into Cerrone's foolery by even reacting to his speculation. As for McLouth, I don't think it was a lack of money so much as the right trade at the right time. Somewhere on your block is a dork getting his ass kicked in fantasy baseball but certain that his day will come because he has Gorkys Hernandez down on his virtual farm. Morton can step into a rotation now (the Braves had him filling a spot) and has done well at AAA. I can't telll you anything to get excited about Locke, but he was a second rounder. Obviously I want this trade to break for the Buccos, but I think it has a good chance of doing that. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 04 2009 04:55 AM ="Frayed Knot":37edpb1t]="G-Fafif":37edpb1t]="Frayed Knot":37edpb1t]What that team really needs is hitting outfielders.[/quote:37edpb1t] And they got one, according to Adam Rubin[/url:37edpb1t], in the person of Nate McLouth.[/quote:37edpb1t] Holy Shite ... I didn't mean THAT quickly!! It kind of helps us out for tomorrow but that's a major pickup for los Bravos. I can't believe Pitt dealt him. He just turned 27 and, unlike last year with Nady & Bay, is still a couple years away from FA-gency. I hope they got themselves a good return. If nothing else it'll piss off Francesa who declared McLouth to be "the perfect Yanqui" on numerous occasions last year. IOW, he's a young, under control All-Star who plays the one place the MFYs don't have a star so I suppose he figured it was inevitable that he be picking up his mail in the Bronx before long.[/quote:37edpb1t] That's the thing with McLouth -- he's a bit overrated. He's good, but not really great. Rotblatt Jun 04 2009 06:49 AM Re: Pitching News ="Willets Point":1znihsau]="bmfc1":1znihsau]Second, the Braves released Glavine. In one of the stranger comments I've read of late, Cerrone writes: "� i shutter to say this, but, the Mets need a starting pitcher, and he always had a strong relationship with Omar Minaya and Jeff Wilpon�"[/quote:1znihsau] ::twitch:: ::twitch::[/quote:1znihsau] Indeed. If we're going to bring on aged superstars, I'd rather sign Petey. Benjamin Grimm Jun 04 2009 06:58 AM Yes, but I think the Mets should sign Glavine just to aggravate everyone. HahnSolo Jun 04 2009 07:30 AM Has anyone seen, or commented on this, from Adam Rubin: ]After struggles in 8th inning continue, Mets drop J.J. Putz 7th inning BY Adam Rubin DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Thursday, June 4th 2009, 4:00 AM PITTSBURGH - Jerry Manuel met with J.J. Putz Wednesday and informed the ex-Mariners closer that he was being moved from an eighth-inning to seventh-inning role until he can rediscover his form. Putz was the primary culprit in a five-run eighth inning Monday night that resulted in the Mets' second loss in 22 games in which they led with sixouts to go. He will be replaced by rookie Bobby Parnell as the primary set-up man. Manuel described the move as temporary. "I watched some film today, and we think we've found a pretty big, glaring mechanical flaw that's kind of slowly progressed, maybe even through last year," Putz said. "I think we're going in the right direction." As for a lesser role, Putz added: "When you get into those pressure-packed situations, you really don't have a chance to work on anything. All you're really trying to do is figure a way to get somebody out. Maybe, by taking a step back, you're allowed to kind of pitch with a clear head and really think about what you're doing as opposed to just trying to think about getting a guy out." I like it in concept. I just dislike how they continue to try to define undefinable roles like "7th inning guy" or "8th inning guy". Benjamin Grimm Jun 04 2009 07:39 AM I agree. I approve of the demotion but not of the distinction. Hopefully more Mets starters will be completing the 7th inning. Frayed Knot Jun 04 2009 07:43 AM ]That's the thing with McLouth -- he's a bit overrated. He's good, but not really great. But legitimately good especially when you factor in 27 y/o and under team control for a while. Yeah, he's not really a superstar and ideally shouldn't be playing CF (despite his gold glove last year) - but compared to what Atlanta's been trotting out in CF this season: .198/.298/.271 with 2 HRs & 8 RBIs!! it's a huge upgrade (ditto when compared to Melky/Gardener). I mean, jeez, Atlanta pitchers have knocked in 6 in barely half the ABs. Braves, meanwhile, have re-demoted Jordan Schaefer and his 2 Ks/game bat. ]As for McLouth, I don't think it was a lack of money so much as the right trade at the right time ... I want this trade to break for the Buccos, but I think it has a good chance of doing that. I dunno. I'd opt for fair chance at best. Morton's already 25 and crashed in his not-so-brief trial last season. Doesn't mean he's destined to failure but I don't think he's a real high-upside guy. Hernandez is supposedly your classic speedy/slappy CF-type w/lots of speed and a real good glove but almost no power. Sounds like a guy who'll live or die on his OBP. He also sounds like a lesser version of their own prospect Andrew McCutcheon who the trade supposedly cleared room for. Locke is in Low-A ball. ]I think the Mets should sign Glavine just to aggravate everyone. That's the front office's main goal right? John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 04 2009 07:55 AM I predict PNC will soon be known as Gorkys Park. MFS62 Jun 04 2009 08:11 AM When I heard "Morton" I immediately thought it was this guy: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mortoca01.shtml And wondered how the Braves were still able to trade him. Later LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 04 2009 08:39 AM ="Frayed Knot"]]That's the thing with McLouth -- he's a bit overrated. He's good, but not really great. But legitimately good especially when you factor in 27 y/o and under team control for a while. Yeah, he's not really a superstar and ideally shouldn't be playing CF (despite his gold glove last year) - but compared to what Atlanta's been trotting out in CF this season: .198/.298/.271 with 2 HRs & 8 RBIs!! it's a huge upgrade (ditto when compared to Melky/Gardener). I mean, jeez, Atlanta pitchers have knocked in 6 in barely half the ABs. Braves, meanwhile, have re-demoted Jordan Schaefer and his 2 Ks/game bat. He's got significant power (ISOs of .210-.220 the last two years) that's just starting to develop. He's got decent plate awareness and patience (a rising walk rate that's just a shade above 11 percent). He plays a credible-- if not "Gold Glove"-quality-- outfield. And he runs a bit, with good baserunning instincts (20 steals each of the past two years, with a lifetime 93 percent rate). In essence, he'll be a poor man's-- maybe "homeless man's" would be more accurate-- Beltran for them. I'm with FK on the odds of this working out for Pittsburgh. But hell, if you're going nowhere, might as well pan for gold, right? Edgy DC Jun 04 2009 08:41 AM Well, in cases like Aramis Ramirez, sometimes the Pirates haven't known that the pan itself was golden, but I'm still hopeful. metirish Jun 04 2009 08:50 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":3c1ay6lb]I predict PNC will soon be known as Gorkys Park.[/quote:3c1ay6lb] Love it....his at bat music should be the whistling from "Winds of Change" G-Fafif Jun 04 2009 12:48 PM ="metirish":2oy3itk5]="John Cougar Lunchbucket":2oy3itk5]I predict PNC will soon be known as Gorkys Park.[/quote:2oy3itk5] Love it....his at bat music should be the whistling from "Winds of Change"[/quote:2oy3itk5] But will he rock Pittsburgh like a hurricane? Frayed Knot Jun 04 2009 01:22 PM ]I'm with FK on the odds of this working out for Pittsburgh. But hell, if you're going nowhere, might as well pan for gold, right? That's essentially what they've been doing for the last year or so; going for decent up-side, though hardly guaranteed prospects - Jose Tabata as the main bait for Nady - Andy LaRoche for Bay - and now Gorkys Hernandez for McLouth plus some spare pitching parts thrown in on the side. If they all live up to their potential things could work out real nice for them. If not ... One thing they will have if/when Gorkys comes up is a nice relay team in their outfield: McCutchon, Morgan & Hernandez They might have a HR total for the season that's in single digits but they'll probably save a bunch of runs.

="TransMonk":jrcwlac0]Per Metsblog, via Twitter, SI.com�s Jon Heyman announced that Matt Yalloff, formerly of SNY, has joined the MLB Network.[/quote:jrcwlac0] I'm exhausted just learning that. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 03 2009 05:09 PM So we've got Carlin for good, then. And there are no trades in broadcasting? John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 03 2009 06:19 PM ="TransMonk":2gmwiqqi]Per Metsblog, via Twitter, SI.com�s Jon Heyman announced that Matt Yalloff, formerly of SNY, has joined the MLB Network.[/quote:2gmwiqqi] as soda-getter. G-Fafif Jun 04 2009 12:34 PM Kevin Burkhardt just admonished the Pirates for placing a section of wall from Forbes Field, over which Mazeroski's home run flew, in a less than ideal spot at PNC Park. While there's nothing wrong with professing exacting standards (it is weird that it's between two bathrooms), anyone whose job description includes shilling for the history-challenged environs of Citi Field should pick his battles more carefully, as in, perhaps, "what a shape they don't have a Taqueria here in Pittsburgh." Elster88 Jun 24 2009 08:27 PM Carlin auditioning for ESPN doing the highlights. I really can't stand him. Swan Swan H Jun 24 2009 08:42 PM ="Elster88":2eui7q36]Carlin auditioning for ESPN doing the highlights. I really can't stand him.[/quote:2eui7q36] I hoped he'd be different, but you nailed it. Gary Apple may be vanilla, but he hits his marks and doesn't drive me nuts. Among the SNY stable of talkers I wouldn't mind seeing him in that seat. metirish Jun 24 2009 08:45 PM ="Swan Swan H":1bvh8rgw]="Elster88":1bvh8rgw]Carlin auditioning for ESPN doing the highlights. I really can't stand him.[/quote:1bvh8rgw] I hoped he'd be different, but you nailed it. Gary Apple may be vanilla, but he hits his marks and doesn't drive me nuts. Among the SNY stable of talkers I wouldn't mind seeing him in that seat.[/quote:1bvh8rgw] I've thought the same thing about Apple for a while. Elster88 Aug 09 2009 05:52 PM A clean-shaven Johnny Franco doing the post-game. Frayed Knot Aug 09 2009 06:41 PM I'm guessing Franco's had that mustache since, oh I dunno, maybe age 12. OlerudOwned Aug 09 2009 08:04 PM ="Frayed Knot"]I'm guessing Franco's had that mustache since, oh I dunno, maybe age 12. Funny that he'd be clean for a team with a historically mustachioed mascot. Then again, this was during the Schott reign. dgwphotography Aug 10 2009 07:46 AM ="Frayed Knot":30o1llmf]I'm guessing Franco's had that mustache since, oh I dunno, maybe age 12.[/quote:30o1llmf] Sounds like me - I've had at least a mustache for 29 years... Frayed Knot Aug 10 2009 07:59 AM But can't you just picture Johnny F trying to cultivate at least the beginnings of one in Jr High? The Reds - despite the mascot - were long a conservative club with 'no facial hair' restrictions going back even before the Schott era. I suspect he wasn't clean-shaven there out of choice. Edgy DC Aug 10 2009 08:10 AM And, in fairness to the Reds, all of baseball was pretty much facial-hair-free for about 50 years leading up to the Swinging A's era. Can anybody name the first mustachioed Met? John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 10 2009 08:24 AM Ken Boswell Benjamin Grimm Aug 10 2009 08:25 AM Felix Millan? Frayed Knot Aug 10 2009 08:33 AM ="Edgy DC":8wq591f4]And, in fairness to the Reds, all of baseball was pretty much facial-hair-free for about 50 years leading up to the Swinging A's era. [/quote:8wq591f4] Reds just kept that policy going much longer than other clubs. It was some mgr/exec from the Cincy org that switched over to StL at one point during Keith's time there who made him shave off his 'stache. Edgy DC Aug 10 2009 08:44 AM And to be honest, I kind of liked the policy. Yeah, it seems starkly retrograde, but I like anything that makes teams culturally different from one another, even if it's something I wouldn't like on my team. Maybe especially if it's something I wouldn't like on my team. dgwphotography Aug 10 2009 01:29 PM I remember seeing both Kranepool and Harrelson sporting mustaches... Farmer Ted Aug 11 2009 09:25 AM Bobby O last night said that Pelfry's form on a bunch of pitches looked lazy and he wasn't waiting for Santos to finish giving signs before he started his windup. In Pelfry's defense, the guy was just with his wife who gave birth. So, he's up for how long during that process? Then the Mets shove him onto a plan, across the freaking country, and pitch with his head obviously in a fog. Farmer Ted Aug 16 2009 01:08 PM Switched over to NESN in between innings to catch a Red Sox score. Frank Viola doing color and sounds pretty good. Any openings at SNY? Frayed Knot Aug 16 2009 01:20 PM ="Farmer Ted":jupihupn]Switched over to NESN in between innings to catch a Red Sox score. Frank Viola doing color and sounds pretty good. Any openings at SNY?[/quote:jupihupn] I've heard him before. He might rival Johnny Franco for the most identifiable Noo Yawk accent working in the media. G-Fafif Aug 16 2009 03:54 PM ="dgwphotography":2hba0iah]I remember seeing both Kranepool and Harrelson sporting mustaches...[/quote:2hba0iah] Been listening to the radio broadcast of Tom Seaver's final start before he was traded. One of things I learned, from Bob Murphy, was Dave Kingman just shaved his mustache because he realized (according to Murph) that he couldn't grow a good one.

I'll never hear "Tatis taps it to first" quite as innocently again.

If it's 2004 again, I hope Jerry doesn't make him test his hammy on the Olympic Stadium turf.

And it was such a promising thread, too.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: The gentleman in me Sentence fragment jumped out at me like it wandered over from an Fman punchline.