Gwreck

It's not just the new park. Beltran had a pronounced home/road split in homers when he played in Shea, too: 46 Home and 71 Road from 05-08.

ESPN had eighteen of their hall of fame voters reveal their ballots (link here: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof11/news/story?id=5984898). Check out the ballot of News Editor Barry Stanton, who voted for five (5) players: Edgar Martinez Tino Martinez Don Mattingly Jack Morris BJ Surhoff

In fairness: Verducci was actually reasonably good in his commentary. A little too much Costas. Overall, better than I was expecting. Still wish they would broadcast the game in its entirety (say, from 12:00 AM to 4:00 AM or something).

Not that I found. My complaint is not one of a broken promise but rather of unfulfilled potential.

Yes, that's right. Left a word or two out in that sentence. --- Apparently game #20 premieres on the MLB Network on Monday. For whatever reason, I see they are showing this program for 1 hour, and it will be "hosted" by Verducci and Costas. Actual email sent to the folks at MLB Network re: this decision When reviewing the broadcast information for the first game in the "Top 20 Games of the Last 50 Years" program, I note that the broadcast of game #20 on Monday is only allotted one hour, and that the broadcast will be "hosted" by Tom Verducci and Bob Costas. This decision is baffling. Given that this feature was specifically limited to the past fifty years, in large part because of the availability of video, it defies logic that the MLB network is not broadcasting these games in their entirety. It could not be that broadcast hours are being saved for more important games; these are the top twenty of the past fifty years. It's not as if the MLB Network has access to *better* games to broadcast. Nor are there any current games to broadcast; it's January, and Spring Training doesn't start for another 6 weeks. This decision calls into question the very reason for the existence of the MLB network. If the games themselves aren't going to be broadcast, why bother having a network devoted to the sport? As great as the "MLB Tonight" and "Hot Stove Live" programs are, there is only so much talking that can be done about the game without actually *showing* one or two...or twenty of the games, particularly if there's a conveniently available list of what the twenty best ones are.

Ashie62 wrote: Now had hard would that be? Impossible, as the agreement with the player's union prohibits scheduled doubleheaders.

In.

Strange but true: MLB Network was doing a "Top 15 Games of the Decade" countdown tonight. Yet of the 13 games nominated for the "50 best of the last 50 years," only 9 of them made their show tonight.

The reduction in signs/banners at Mets games is largely a factor of the new ballpark, particularly because there are fewer places to hang them and security is vigilant about refusing to let people hang them up.

Only 18 on the 1980s. Much better (23 of 24) for the 1990s: http://www.sporcle.com/games/hrleaders_1990s.php

28 on the MVPs. Only missed San Diego and Cleveland. Good quiz.

1970s WAR: Palmer 52.5 Seaver 65.4 That's not even close.

A memorable set of Mets weekly interviews where Mike Pelfrey revealed that there was a rumor going around the clubhouse that Blanco had once killed a man (or at least looked like he could). Apparently Blanco was finally confronted with this information and when asked if he had ever killed someone he responded "not yet, Pelfrey, not yet."

Matsui is a full-time DH now but that's still a bit crowded.

Phillies are not a small-market club and never have been. Plus they are on a long sellout streak at that minor league sized bandbox of a ballpark.

Too bad, I was hoping Philadelphia would get him.

I see your point, but will note that none (except the aforementioned Pujols or Cano -- or perhaps a healthy Sizemore) of those players are of the same caliber as Crawford or Lee.

Except my point is that I see an even thinner market in 2012 than there is in 2011.

Fair enough, but if the free agent class is so much more valuable this year than next, doesn't it merit at least some basic consideration to spending a little extra $$ now (unless Fred + Jeff really are tapped out) versus not having anything worth spending the $$ on next year? I couldn't think of a better possible replacement for Carlos Beltran than Carl Crawford. Yes, we'd be paying both of them in 2011 but if we don't sign Crawford now, there's no chance he becomes available for the 2012 season. I realize this is not a traditional operating strategy, has no room for Angel Pagan and requires a huge additional influx of cash into the operating budget. But I would at least consider it.

Voters were: Johnny Bench Eddie Murray Jim Palmer Tony Perez Frank Robinson Ryne Sandberg Ozzie Smith Whitey Herzog Jerry Reinsdorf Andy MacPhail Bill Giles David Glass Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun Tim Kurkjian of ESPN Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated Ros Newhan, formerly of the LA Times

Reynolds and Adam Dunn are, I believe, the persons responsible for at least 4 of the 5 longest homers hit at Citi Field. Not sad to see him leave the NL either.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Potential Free Agents for 2012 Call me crazy but I'm not seeing a lot of "impact" players on this list who are going to be available (I don't see Cano or Pujols coming our way).

If I'm a Padres fan, this is a tough one to swallow. I guess the Red Sox's top pitching prospect is a nice get but it's not exactly Clay Buchholz.

I'm not sad to have him out of the division. Plus, seeing as how the Mets are apparently precluded from ever playing the White Sox on the interleague schedule, my guess is that the Mets never again face Dunn for the length of his contract (barring trade/release).

Collazo on the left, Urdaneta on the right.