G-Fafif

Bill Brasky got off a train in Baltimore wearing a dark red suit and stretched out for a nap. When he woke up, they built a ballpark in front of him and called it Oriole Park at Camden Yards. They were going to call it Brasky Park, but it wasn't big enough.

]"I don't watch any baseball anymore," he said. "I stopped watching because of Johnny Damon and, what's his name? Alvarez? � Ramirez? � Yeah, [Manny] Ramirez. He had that long hair thing going down the back of his neck. And Damon had that beard. I wrote a number of polite letters to [commissioner Bud] Selig. I don't believe in being abusive, that won't get you nothing. He wrote me some innocuous letter back. It didn't say anything." Old man yells at cloud.

Vince Coleman Firecracker wrote: Bill Brasky once hit the Tommie Agee sign with Tommie Agee! And he did it from the Polo Grounds! Bill Brasky played such a deep centerfield at the Polo Grounds that he stood in Fenway Park. Robbed Vic Wertz of five homers that way.

When they needed to change the Keyspan sign to National Grid, Bill Brasky pulled down the old one and Scotch Taped up the new one. Replaced a couple of light bulbs as long he was stooping down around there.

Wayne Hagin gave Reyes' blast a nice "adios!" Same as that I gave the cable in my office which mysteriously turned into snow in the first inning.

We're taking him for his knowledge of the MFY playbook and will abandon him Monday after using him for all he was worth...goodness we are evil when our hand is forced.

How's THAT for your ol' tomato?

Centerfield wrote: We're going to kick the shit out of them tonight. Then we're going to sweep the MFY's. With a nod to the previous Seattle team, let's stomp the shitfuck out of 'em and pound that ol' Budweiser afterwards.

Recent history, but history nonetheless. One night (or day) to remember from each AL opponent who came to Shea by means other than a subway. � The Marlon Anderson Game: 6/11/05 --The pinch-inside job to tie it off the Angels' K-Rod, the Floyd bomb that won it; probably the best non-MFY battle versus any AL opponent who visited the premises � All's Not Wells: 6/9/99 --Blue Jays caught and passed in the ninth after eight suffocating Boomer innings, MFY refugees leave disappointed; 14 innings, two stretches; and, of course, the mustache and glasses caper courtesy of Bobby V � Perfectly Rick: 6/8/98 --Recently celebrated Reeder attempt at perfection versus Devil Rays, foiled by HOFer Boggs � In Our Corner: 6/23/07 --It would take a perfectly placed hit to score Ramon Castro from second to win pitchers' duel versus A's; David placed it perfectly in right � Glendon Soxed it to Them: 7/14/01 --Trot Nixon's first-inning bunt single is all that separates Rusch and Armando from immortality � Mikes Are Plenty Powerful: 6/18/04 --Piazza honored before game for breaking catcher's HR record, Cameron honors us all with walkoff homer (sticks it to Detroit in the tenth the next night, too) � One Trachsel is Better Than Twins, 6/20/02 --Stevie flirts with no-hitter; he did that a lot, actually � Mo Faster Than You'd Suspect, 6/21/02 --Vaughn infield single beats Royals...no, really � Father's Day Non-Massacre, 6/15/08 --Mets split with Rangers, Omar tells Willie he can split for California flight; a little voice should have told him different � Johnny Came Marching Home, 6/6/03 --Seattle's Olerud gets big hand by those are conscious of his presence, but Benitez gains the love at the end for striking him out with the tying run on base (only Met win vs SEA to date) � Hey Suitable Last Name!, 6/8/00 --Kurt Abbott's Met career has a highlight as 10th inning dinger buries Birds in lightly attended makeup game � And He Stood Arrow Straight, 6/16/04 --The Mets took two of three from the Tribe. I don't remember a thing about the wins, but the 9-1 loss at the hands of young C.C. Sabathia stands out for what a poor first base Mike Piazza played. This was right before they were giving him his night for the HR record and when he was just getting used to playing his new position, if he got used to it at all. "They're unveiling the Mike Piazza statue," one wag said, "and they're sticking it at first base." (All right, the wag was me, but it's all I got for Cleveland visiting Shea.)

Winning one for novelty's sake would be welcome, too.

Tim McGraw for bullpen coach.

Marty Noble, more extensively on Plummer: ]Longtime executive Plummer dies 06/24/2008 9:22 PM ET By Marty Noble / MLB.com NEW YORK -- The family members called in when word seeped out. Dwight Gooden, Tim Teufel, Joe McEwing, Mookie Wilson and Rico Brogna, among others, were moved to call the Mets' offices on Tuesday, moved to express their respect and fondness for Jim Plummer and moved to express their sadness of his passing. Plummer, a favorite of generations of Mets, died on Tuesday morning, days after he had undergone double-organ transplant surgery. He was 57 years old. His passing was announced before the Mets played the Mariners on Tuesday night, and a moment of silence was observed in his honor. The passing of a man who had been affiliated with the club since 1965 and in its employ since '76 unsettled the organization, because Plummer essentially was beloved by all he touched, as suggested by the words Joe Torre once used to introduce him. Borrowing a line from an old Sara Lee marketing campaign, Torre said, "Everybody doesn't like somebody, but nobody doesn't like Plum." Plummer began his tenure with the Mets as a batboy for the club's Class A Marion affiliate in Virginia when Nolan Ryan was in his first season as a professional. He became the team's general manager at age 18 and moved to New York and Shea Stadium in 1976. Plummer had served in a number of roles for the club. He was director of corporate sales at the time of his death. And Plummer touched people no matter his role. When Bob Mandt, formerly the director of operations at Shea Stadium, heard of Plummer's passing, he urged Katy Fenney in Major League Baseball's office in Manhattan to get the word out to the umpires. "The umpires loved Plum," Mandt said. "Especially Bruce Froemming." Mandt called former general manager Joe McDonald, who hired Plummer in 1976. "Joe Mac is 80," Mandt said. "He broke down." "Plum was a friend who helped me get adjusted to New York," Gooden said from his home in Tampa, Fla. "He was there for me whenever I needed something, and as soon as I heard of his passing, I knew I had to be in New York for the funeral." "Jim faced a number of health-related issues over the years, doing so with incredible perseverance, determination and the most positive outlook," Mets COO Jeff Wilpon said. "Jim's smile, warmth, kind words and caring for literally generations of colleagues touched everyone who worked with Plum during his five-decade association with the Mets. His courage and concerns for others will continue to serve as an inspiration for all of us." Wilson, who was particularly close to Plummer, said, "People don't realize that Plum was a pioneer in his own right. He was the first and youngest minority general manager for a Minor League team. He set the trails for so many people." And Darryl Strawberry, who presented Plummer the "Ya Gotta Believe" award at the Mets' "Welcome Home" Dinner in April said, "He was one of a kind. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for any of us. I just can't believe he's gone at such a young age." "He always had a smile on his face," David Wright said. "Some days at work were tougher than others for Plum, but he never let that show. He loved the Mets. We'll miss him." Plummer, who also served as a part-time recruiter for the baseball department, played a role in Billy Wagner's signing with the Mets after the 2005 season. "We come from the same area," Wagner said. "He made New York seem easier for me. I figured if one guy from my area can handle it, I could, too. I liked Plum. He made you feel comfortable. My dad and uncles went to school with him. They knew a lot of the same people." Plummer is survived by his wife, Tee, and his son, Jonathan. Funeral arrangements were not yet made.

Posthumous celebrity dispensation hereby granted. Besides, I always confused his "White Harlem" upbringing and its proximity to the Polo Grounds with his being a Giants fan. As he makes quite clear, he loved the Dodgers. Can't have everything.

AG/DC wrote: I guess the bum died a Yankee fan, didn't he? He did?

Rick Aguilera, this reminds me, just went into the Twins Hall of Fame. His serious relieving career began in '89 as a Met. I dreamed that summer of a Myers-Aggie closing tandem that would blow away the previous work of Orosco-McDowell. In a way, it worked just that way, just not together or as Mets. Oh well.

Quick, before it's pulled from YouTube, George Carlin visits Ralph... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcwjVnndYr4

We're in the McGraw realm later in the season. Kudos to the Mets for having Mark tonight (45...but of course). In Oughta Be-ery, we use this evening and number 44 to applaud two fans associated with the franchise's greatest triumph. Two fans associated for life with the 1986 World Series at Shea Stadium: � Bo Fields, she who twirled her arms incessantly from her seat behind home plate, rattling Red Sox hurlers (maybe) and spawning imitators from coast-to-coast (definitely). � Michael Sergio, he who unexpectedly dropped into Game Six. The Mets couldn't officially approve of his actions then � and we're certainly not sanctioning them or anything like them now � but we have to admit the thought of this man and his parachute brings a smile to our faces more than two decades later.

Ollie's saving his best for the MFYs Sunday.

We need some Over right this very minute.

Jimmy Plummer, Mets front office exec, at 56. Team's announcers had been sending best wishes to him throughout the season and an inning or so ago Gary mentioned he had passed. Said he was a big part of promotions like Banner Day and Bat Day. Described in wire service obit as Nolan Ryan's first batboy: ]Jim Plummer, who had been with the New York Mets' organization since he was Nolan Ryan's minor league bat boy in 1965, died Tuesday at New York University Medical Center. He was 56. Plummer had a liver and kidney transplant last weekend and died of a heart attack, Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said. Plummer started with the Mets in Marion, Va., and moved up to the major league team in 1976. At the time of his death, he was director of corporate sales. "Plum was a friend who helped me get adjusted to New York," former Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden said in a statement released by the team. "He was there for me whenever I needed something." Plummer was given a "Ya Gotta Believe" award by the team last April, and it was presented to him by former Mets outfielder Darryl Strawberry. "There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for any of us," Strawberry said in a statement. Plummer is survived by his wife, Tee, and a son, Jonathan. Funeral arrangements were incomplete.

metsguyinmichigan wrote: he might not get much run in ultra blue state New York I prefer to think of us as ultra blue and orange.

="OlerudOwned"] Mos definitely.

Tonight, Oughta Be salutes the mass transit conveyance so closely associated with Shea, the 7 train. Representing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is chairman H. Dale Hemmerdinger, whose name is clearly the most fun of any bureaucrat. And accompanying Mr. Hemmerdinger to take down number 45 will be four Mets who, like the 7 motormen through the years, were particularly successful in driving people home from their base in Queens: � George Foster (90 RBI in 1983) � Willie Monta�ez (96 RBI in 1978) � Eddie Murray (100 RBI in 1993) � and in the head car of this train, Bernard Gilkey... ...someone who can tell you that if you get off at the Willets Point-Shea Stadium stop, you can check out not only the baseball at Shea but also the site of the 1964 World's Fair. He drove in a then-team record 117 runs in 1996 and two years later when some new uniforms were introduced, he became one of the Mets' original men in black.

Alicea, I must admit, is one of those names I thought of after the Countdown Like It Oughta Be was locked in and kicked myself just a little for missing. I doff my cap to Real World on that one. CLIOB is at 46 tonight and the theme is Mets who grew up in the Metropolitan area and fulfilled what we will assume was their dream of playing close to home. Representing Connecticut: Rico Brogna (good fit). Representing New Jersey: Joe Orsulak. Representing Westchester: Ken Singleton. Representing Long Island: John Pacella. Representing Brooklyn: Pete Falcone. Representing Queens: Mike Jorgensen. And leading the pack, Flushing's very own: Ed Glynn. ...someone who got to know Shea Stadium like no other player growing up. He didn't only pitch here, he sold hot dogs here. Nobody could be more local than the Flushing Flash himself. Representing not only the neighborhood, but everyone who ever vended a frankfurter on behalf of Harry M. Stevens or Aramark at Shea... In the Alicea vein, if this evening had been conceived a little later, we probably would have subbed Nelson Figueroa for Pete Falcone as Met-lovin' Brooklynite du jour (other Brooklyn-born Mets will have other roles later in the Countdown). Also, upon reflection, would have liked to have squeezed Tommy Davis in except when he grew up, there were no Mets to look up to. On the other hand, Rico Brogna was a good fit.

Most interesting nuggets, I thought, in no particular order: 1) Perez's discomfort with English only reinforced by the Latin players 2) The postgame spread's consistently Latin accent 3) Wright's ability to put himself in others' shoes 4) Delgado sure likes football 5) Castro remaining beloved for being Castro 6) Reyes' very hopeful quote at the end 7) Rubin willing to factor in the media's non-bilingualism as an element in the portrayal of the team 8) Roberto Alomar's long-lost charge that the Mets didn't care about Latin players (which struck me as another excuse for Robbie to suck since as the star and the veteran, he wasn't exactly Pedro Martinez in Montana as a raw rookie; also, his teammates that year included Alfonzo, Ordonez, Cedeno and Astacio so it wasn't, to put it in the Rodney Dangerfield vernacular, like he was all alone here) 9) Rubin calling out dopey talk show hosts for not knowing what they're talking about 10) Slight slap at Gary Smith as a mythologizer