G-Fafif

MFS62 wrote: They just announced on the SNY hot stove program that they are going to do a tribute to the sign man at the end of the show. Caught it. A very nice grace note on their part.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I also should say that although it's admirable and nice that people are able to find out stuff on fan sites better and in cases like this, before some alleged mainstream outlets, fafif himself would tell you he's not "breaking" anything, just passing it along. My "breaking" the story consisted of finding a link to the Times obituary on MetsBlog. It helps to cook with ready-made ingredients sometimes. By late Saturday night, AP, ESPN.com and Channel 4 had all seen fit to note the passing of Mr. Ehrhardt. On Sunday, the story had gotten play in the News and Newsday. Those are five outfits right there (six, with the Times) whose scope of coverage is far wider than Mets baseball, which is SNY's trademark. It's in light of those outlets viewing the passing of the Mets' Sign Man as noteworthy that I find it disappointing -- in terms of diligence and mission -- that SNY's own news show, which the network positions as a New York sportscast of record, skipped it Saturday and Sunday. (If Mets Hot Stove, which airs Monday evening at 6:30, mentions it, then my disappointment is lessened.)

SNY's SportsNite did a full slate of baseball stories Saturday and unless I missed it at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of the broadcast, did not mention the Sign Man at all. WTF? It's a Saturday in February. No disrespect to basketball or hockey (or yet another recap of the Super Bowl played six days earlier), but you couldn't find 30 seconds for Karl Ehrhardt? You're SportsNet NEW YORK, and this was a true New York sports icon. Throw in "Mets Weekly" having done a profile on the man in 2006 and you've got it on file. This was big enough for Bruce Beck to cover on Channel 4, for goodness sake. The Mets' network dropped the ball (or the sign) on this one.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: There are no words. GMTA... http://faithandfear.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2008/2/9/3513705.html

Karl Ehrhardt, 1924-2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/09/sports/09ehrhardt.html

My goodness. Knock 57 out of that list and we are reminded what a long, cold lonely winter it was. Was.

="Benjamin Grimm"]="A Boy Named Seo"] I believe I've got my UMDB mug shot! Seems natural enough with Omar, but out on the ledge of the press level, he has this "I signed with WHO?" look on his face.

Santana's English tic is apparently "good time". He said some variation on "I'm just going to have a good time" several times in the Q&A and again with Kevin Burkhardt, though by then I think he was looking forward to having a great time. As one who muddled through six years of junior high and high school Spanish, I'm always amazed that these guys converse like it's no big deal in their second language.

A Boy Named Seo wrote: Johan = clich� machine. Johan speaking in bromides > Glavine being articulate.

Pedro. MUCH respeck, yo. Check back in October if there's another first game that requires a starter, however.

I guess it would be gauche for the Mets to start planning theirs. First Giant SB champs denied a parade by "but they're in Jersey" Koch; NYG roamed around the Meadowlands parking lot in the bitter cold though AmEx offered to pay for a Canyon of Heroes event. Second one talked about but short-circuited out of respect for the troops in Desert Storm; got a City Council reception instead. Haven't heard/read anything about contingency plans this time, maybe in deference to the point spread. Bloomberg, one assumes, could foot the bill out of coins that have slipped behind his sofa cushions. There has not been a Lower Broadway parade for anybody since, if you'll excuse the expression, 2000. Certainly nothing so festive in that neighborhood (in the eyes of some) post-9/11. So many steps to take before there can be a really good one come late October, but one can dream. (PS: Grimm's Santana traded card is my wallpaper. Not just on my computer either. The whole house!)

Wednesday is Grip & Grin Day.

I believe it's a conference call, with the big waving of the 57 next week when the NY media returns from the Super Bowl.

Frayed Knot wrote: Feb 1, 2008 will go down as one of the grea days in NYM history. Happy 37th birthday Joe Vitko.

A card as AWESOME as the news itself. Take that, Jim Fregosi.

Hope somebody else out there is as religious about "1776" as I am and can relate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoAuEkkYGxc It's a megadeal, I say They will cheer every clause Every number I wish I felt that way That we won't still have Phil Humber But then again The Mets are Mets And wrought with implication If they blow This trade of trades They'll need another nation An agent, a GM and an ace With lightning for an arm It's a simple fact To think that now we act As midwives to a pact We're waiting for the scratch, scratch, scratch To be paid Johan Santana Waiting for this trade to hatch On this soggy Friday afternoon a Fortnight before spring training God knows the contract is high enough To choke a giraffe But will it draft Johan? We're waiting for the swap, swap, swap To soon be deemed official Waiting until five o'clock For the Wilpons to start doling out that Citi Field naming money God knows the pile is high enough To solve the debt But will it yield a Met? Johan's gonna make big bucks So he oughta make 'em at Shea Brother, it would suck, suck, suck If twenty million stood between us And penciling in Santana I'm gonna click on Metsblog again And hope that Omar has grabbed a pen To make sure Johan Belongs to us!

AG/DC wrote: Met Fairy would give an answer like that. Best endorsement of the young lady's answer that I can think of.

Mets in the Hall of Fame Game, 1-2-2 lifetime, according to HOF site: Casey's Crew Falls to the Senators, 6-4, July 27, 1964 Casey Stengel brought his New York Mets to Cooperstown for the first time in team history, but the appearance would be Stengel's last. In hoping for a farewell victory for their manager, the Mets instead would fall to the Washington Senators, 6-4. Gil Hodges skippered the Senators, his second season as a manager and first after stepping off the playing field. Washington totaled 14 hits in the game, building a 5-1 lead after four. Joe Cunningham had three hits for the Senators, scoring twice. Chuck Cottier also collected an RBI double. The Mets rallied for two scores in the ninth inning on Larry Elliot's two-run home run before Don Loun recorded the final out. Don Rudolph earned the victory and Pete Craig worked three innings in relief. Brewers Power Socks Mets, 9-3, August 9, 1976 Hank Aaron and Willie Mays were no doubt Hall of Famers in 1976, when Willie's New York Mets traveled to Cooperstown to play Hank's Milwaukee Brewers. For the already-retired Mays, the Game gave the outfielder an opportunity to test his skills one final time. While neither player impacted the outcome, the Brewers, led by four home runs, beat the Mets, 9-3. Mays, who coached for the Mets from 1974-79, entertained early in the game at second base, dancing off the bag, much to the delight of the capacity crowd at Doubleday Field. The Brewers, though, would be the top entertainment, with Sixto Lezcano blasting two home runs and driving in five runs. Lezcano's first blast, a three-run shot in the first inning, gave Milwaukee a 3-2 lead. In the third, his two-run shot extended the margin to 5-2. Mike Hegan's three-run blast in the sixth and Bernie Carbo's solo shot in the seventh concluding the Brewers parade. Larry Sorenson pitched seven innings for the Brewers, allowing all three runs, to earn the win. Robin Yount made his lone Hall of Fame Game appearance. Rain Knots Tigers and Mets at 4-4, Aug. 7, 1978 Milt May made the most of the six frames the Detroit Tigers and New York Mets would play in the 1978 Game, belting two solo home runs and driving in three runs for Detroit before rain ended the game in a 4-4 tie in the top of the seventh inning. Lenny Randle's three-run blast gave New York a 4-3 lead entering the bottom of the fifth inning, before May's second clout evened the score. May would hit a first-inning home run, and later doubled in Tigers rookie Alan Trammell in the third-inning to give the club a 2-1 lead. Tom Grieve homered for New York to even the score at 1-1 in the second. Rain Ends New York's Comeback, 4-4, August 2, 1982 Appearing for the second time in three years, the Tony LaRussa-led Chicago White Sox were determined to collect a Hall of Fame Game win. With the "Clown Prince of Baseball" Max Patkin in attendance, a victory for the Pale Hose appeared in hand. Rusty Staub, the New York Mets, and a heavy rain storm changed the landscape quickly, however. Trailing 4-2, the Mets added a run in the seventh to close to 4-3. As the rains began to fall in the eighth inning for the third time during the game, Staub launched a solo home run in the bottom of the frame to even the score at 4-4. The game would be called at the end of the inning. Hubie Brooks also homered for the Mets, with George Foster, Bob Bailor and Dave Kingman all reaching base for New York. Marc Hill homered for the White Sox. One Hit Wonders: White Sox Blanked By Mets, 3-0, August 3, 1992 The New York Mets made their fifth Hall of Fame Game appearance a winning one, after losing two and tying two in four previous visits, beating the Chicago White Sox by a 3-0 margin. Three Mets pitchers combined on the only one-hitter in Hall of Fame Game history. The second best-pitched game came in 1960 when the Cubs two-hit the Indians. Gene Lamont of Chicago and Jeff Torborg of New York were both appearing for the first time as managers at Doubleday Field. Fresno, California's Bobby Jones, the Mets' first round pick in the 1991 draft, was brought in to Cooperstown to pitch, and he proved to be spectacular. He was perfect through six frames and pitched seven innings overall, allowing a hit in his final inning of work - a bad-hop single to center to minor leaguer Byron Matthews. The game was scoreless through seven innings, as Jason Bere (five hitless innings) and Scott Ruffcorn worked magic for the Pale Hose. In the last half of the eighth inning, Chico Walker led off with a home run to left field to provide the only run Mets pitchers would need. Jeff McKnight and Mackey Sasser both singled in the inning and scored on a two-run double by Daryl Boston. Tony Freitas pitched the eighth inning and was credited with the win, with Mark Dewey pitching a hitless ninth for the save. Charlie O'Brien caught the entire game for the Mets. Robin Ventura won the home run derby before the start of the game by blasting four dingers for the Cooperstown fans. Future Hall of Famer Eddie Murray made his second appearance in Cooperstown, as he played in the contest.

Mets played in HOF Game in both '76 and '78. White Sox were the opponent in '78. Don't remember who it was two years earlier but I do remember that coach Willie Mays suited up and played. Mets were also a contestant in 1992 and, to honor their Fresno-raised Hall of Famer, called up Fresno-raised prospect Bobby Jones to start. Agree with the Bucket that it was weird seeing these sorts of games on the sked and discovering there was no media coverage. The Mets were still playing an annual game at West Point, even, into the '70s.

Wally Matthews: Giving Up Guerra a White Flag for Blue Mets

Reality Chuck is my hero for the rest of Sunday and probably well into Monday. His sharpest of analyses brought me back to the winter meetings about 15, 16 years ago. I can't remember the deal that was about to go down, but it was taking a little longer than expected. Some free agent was expected to sign somewhere and negotiations hit a snag and baseball reporters everywhere were getting impatient. This signing had to happen for other signings to happen, apparently, and it was ruining the media's mojo that they had to wait. "WHY DOESN'T THIS HAPPEN ALREADY?" I can remember Suzyn Waldman impatiently growling on WFAN (and she was by no means the only one). And I thought, this is December. The season doesn't start until April. Tons of money will be changing hands. Families will be affected. People have to decide where they are going to wind up living and working for several years based on this free agent's decision. So what if the guy takes an extra 48 hours? (The dude signed, FYI; life went on.) To bring it back to the present, the Twins have a lot at stake. The Mets have a lot at stake. Santana has a lot at stake. Other teams have a lot at stake. Other players have something at stake. Careers are at stake. They should all hurry up and Get It Done just so Steve Popper will have something to write about? Did anybody who covers baseball day-to-day for a living ever actually root for a baseball team before going pro? Because they tend to write a lot along the lines of "the Mets must do something, anything to placate their fans." Anybody who's been a fan doesn't want something, anything done. They want the right thing done. On November 30 the Mets did something, anything and traded Lastings Milledge for Brian Schneider and Ryan Church. I don't know too many Mets fans who were thrilled just because it got their team's name in the papers. I'm babbling a little far afield because Reality Chuck got me going. But never mind me. Kudos on a brilliant point, RC.

DocTee wrote: Who can dig up the dirt I need on my political opponent? Call a grave digger: Richie Hebner. But who ya gonna call when your bassist develops a blister and your garage band has that make or break gig down at the American Legion hall?

John Franco's from around here. He knows all the back streets. But what Met knows how to cobble a winning strategy for Super Tuesday?

themetfairy wrote: You need a DJ for your daughter's Sweet 16 party. Whom do you call to spin the discs (metaphorically speaking)? The DJ with the flyest name in the hood: Vinegar Bend Mizell. Meanwhile, my driveway's being held hostage by a snow drift. Which Met has that plow on his pickup again?

AG/DC wrote: You thought you had an invite, but the host of the party treating you like shit has made it clear that you're not welcome. You want to cut a noxious fart --- a real A-bomb --- before you leave, but you don't have it in you. Is there a Met or two who can leave that silent killer behind on your behalf? Dude! Who invited Hundley? And is there a Met who can do anything with this old PC? It's frozen and I can't get at my files.