Gwreck

Start the game #2 thread before you do!

I'm not finding a definition for that URF. Is that negative number good or bad?

Fun times at Shea. Hat tip to G-Fafif for a good time at the chance meeting over pregame dinner. Murphy flashing the leather was fun. Got an extra ovation from the crowd who I think were genuinely surprised to see Murphy make such a good play. Was also nice to see that Pelfrey apparently has now learned how to cover first base. Baserunning errors drove me a little mad but what was really the worst was Pelfrey's ridiculous dawdling he was doing before each big pitch. Wanted Wright to go over and yell at him again to cut it out and just pitch. (He should watch a Mark Buehrle start).

They're also accepted as face-value true, which I found odd.

Yeah, he's gotta be fired. He either went off script on his own (totally moronic) or this was a planned attack by the Mets PR department (chances of this being the case currently estimated at .0000001%).

Jon Heyman indicated (on TV) that Omar was unhappy that he had to fire Bernazard and that the decision was not entirely his (ie. suggesting that the Wilpons went above his "full autonomy").

Some more from Rubin, from last week: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2009/07/got-questions.html ]Jon Heyman mentioned on WFAN that all the sources for these Bernezard stories were coming from one paper i.e. the Daily News. How credible are your sources and do you have an axe to grind? Also you mentioned that Bernezard has been angling for Minaya's job "for a long time." I've never heard that before, just that he's a disruptive bully. If Omar were fired would the Wilpons really look to hire Tony B.? - Anup Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. This is the question I've been waiting for. On the proposition that all of the stories about Bernazard are coming from one paper, let me answer that two-fold: Newsday, Ken Davidoff in particular, wrote a scatching column not too long ago, if I recall, about him. The Post has written some pretty scathing things too. I would submit, without trying to sound arrogant, that most of the breaking news about the Mets in general comes from one paper. On whether there's any vendetta, that's silly. There are two ways to do your job as a reporter. You can attach yourself to certain sources (whether that person be an agent or a front-office official) and write whatever they want, whether it's true or not, and they'll leak real news when it actually happens. Or you can just seek the truth, try to gain everyone's respect, and hopefully that serves you well in terms of people trusting you with info. I choose the latter. People don't mind warranted criticism as long as they feel like they're being treated fairly. Actually, there is a vendetta against Bernazard. He's widely hated in baseball, and by a lot of Mets minor leaguers, major leaguers, coaches and other staff. And when people see he's vulnerable, they're going to pounce and leak information. That's what's happening now. Lesson for everyone in life: Don't treat people poorly on the way up. If Omar did get pushed out, at one point I certainly could see Bernazard taking over. Now that's just not presentable to the public, is it? My intention was not to stir it up with these remarks. But, trust me, I'd match my ethics up with anyone. And if anyone in the media wants to take a more pointed shot, well, just remember about glass houses.

="metirish":3w25xb5s]Rubin in player development ? , this part isn't true , is it? It's a joke surely.[/quote:3w25xb5s] What do you mean? A joke... That Rubin wanted a job in player development? Or that he wanted a job with the Mets? Or that he is capable of performing such a job? G-Fafif Jul 27 2009 02:49 PM If Rubin wanted a job on the Mets, I think we would have seen a lot more company line in his coverage these past several years. I've seen nothing that ever gave me the impression he was holding back or trying to curry favor. It never occurred to me you'd try to impress your potential future employers by continually noting how badly they run things -- that they'd be so grateful for pointing out their foibles that they'd hire you as the replacement. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 27 2009 02:50 PM ="Ceetar"]="G-Fafif"]What office is Omar Minaya running for? He sounded like a politician 10 points down in the polls blaming the media for doing his job. Yes Omar, it's the media's fault. A reporter is out to get you. Keep telling yourself that. ]He didn't say that though. It's questionable about whether the behavior of Tony was even the territory of a Mets beat reporter. Questionable? Are you the editor of the Daily News? ]Just like people bring up "how many people know the name of their vp of player development?" The reason we know? Adam Rubin. Are you suggesting we'd have been better off not knowing this? ]He's admitting on the air now that he's interested in a job in baseball, but never asked specifically to be hired. Name drops Jeff Wilpon. Omar certainly spinned it, and it worked. (btw, Jon Heyman is an idiot) Omar, and the Mets, aren't planning on just sitting back and taking every smear the media throws their way, and I like it. It's worse than having a jerk employee. metsguyinmichigan Jul 27 2009 02:52 PM ="G-Fafif":1o1ji5oc]="metsguyinmichigan":1o1ji5oc] Rubin just said he doesn't know how he's gonna cover the team anymore. I can't quite blame him for his initial reaction, however. How is anybody supposed to think he's in a professional situation when Minaya is acting like a total amateur?[/quote:1o1ji5oc][/quote:1o1ji5oc] Sure he can. I had it recently happen to me. The school district I cover and its and the union have been fighting over a contract for the last three years, and someone friendly to the district taped a private union strategy session. Someone in the session asked a question about me and covering the dispute, and the union said some things indicating they liked the coverage. The district issued a press release and held a press conference beating up the union for some of the things it said, and also taking a shot at me. (Which some of my television competitors took great glee in repeating.) We had another reporter cover the first press conference -- they held two that day -- and I attended the second, since we had already written about the issue. Rather than engage them, I had to sit there and listen, and when one of the television types came over looking for a quote I turned them away. I say this realizing that the New York market is obviously much different than mine, and there's a difference between a columnist and a reporter. But Rubin should have known better. Gwreck Jul 27 2009 02:53 PM Some more from Rubin, from last week: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2009/07/got-questions.html ]Jon Heyman mentioned on WFAN that all the sources for these Bernezard stories were coming from one paper i.e. the Daily News. How credible are your sources and do you have an axe to grind? Also you mentioned that Bernezard has been angling for Minaya's job "for a long time." I've never heard that before, just that he's a disruptive bully. If Omar were fired would the Wilpons really look to hire Tony B.? - Anup Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. This is the question I've been waiting for. On the proposition that all of the stories about Bernazard are coming from one paper, let me answer that two-fold: Newsday, Ken Davidoff in particular, wrote a scatching column not too long ago, if I recall, about him. The Post has written some pretty scathing things too. I would submit, without trying to sound arrogant, that most of the breaking news about the Mets in general comes from one paper. On whether there's any vendetta, that's silly. There are two ways to do your job as a reporter. You can attach yourself to certain sources (whether that person be an agent or a front-office official) and write whatever they want, whether it's true or not, and they'll leak real news when it actually happens. Or you can just seek the truth, try to gain everyone's respect, and hopefully that serves you well in terms of people trusting you with info. I choose the latter. People don't mind warranted criticism as long as they feel like they're being treated fairly. Actually, there is a vendetta against Bernazard. He's widely hated in baseball, and by a lot of Mets minor leaguers, major leaguers, coaches and other staff. And when people see he's vulnerable, they're going to pounce and leak information. That's what's happening now. Lesson for everyone in life: Don't treat people poorly on the way up. If Omar did get pushed out, at one point I certainly could see Bernazard taking over. Now that's just not presentable to the public, is it? My intention was not to stir it up with these remarks. But, trust me, I'd match my ethics up with anyone. And if anyone in the media wants to take a more pointed shot, well, just remember about glass houses. Frayed Knot Jul 27 2009 02:54 PM If true, Rubin wouldn't be the first person to go from the media covering a team to working for the team*. The question(s) that need to be cleared up are how did Rubin go about this (if he even did) and what set Omar off about it to where he thinks he has something to gain by going after him. * Off the top of my head: Michael Kay - Yanx (NY Post beat writer, to radio man, to all-around YES man) In the early days of the Islanders, Newsday's Pat Calabria was the beat reporter. He later went to work for the club as pr/communications director or some such title Larry Rocca works (or has) w/Bobby V in Japan after covering the team for Newsday John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 27 2009 02:58 PM Yes but to suggest that Rubin stirred this whole thing up so as to exact revenge on the Mets for not having given him a job is beyond absurd. metsguyinmichigan Jul 27 2009 02:58 PM BTW, I'm not defending Omar for what he did. It was weak and unprofessional. But people we cover do all kinds of crazy stuff. You're supposed to cover the circus, not become a part of it. Gwreck Jul 27 2009 02:59 PM Jon Heyman indicated (on TV) that Omar was unhappy that he had to fire Bernazard and that the decision was not entirely his (ie. suggesting that the Wilpons went above his "full autonomy"). Frayed Knot Jul 27 2009 03:06 PM ]Mr. Met should give all future press conferences. Certainly fewer stupid things would be said. Frayed Knot Jul 27 2009 03:18 PM Joined this conversation late so I turned on FAN trying to catch up ... unfortunately it's Benigno & Roberts on intelligent talk is nowhere to be found. G-Fafif Jul 27 2009 03:20 PM Just saw the exchange as it happened on SNY. Rubin conducted himself professionally. Omar came off as accusatory, paranoid and clueless. G-Fafif Jul 27 2009 03:26 PM Synergy alert: Mets accuse News reporter of underhanded behavior, televised on SNY, owned partly by Mets. SNY follows with show called Daily News Live and has reporter on as guest to dispute Mets' account. House of mirrors. Valadius Jul 27 2009 03:43 PM Knowing the Washington Nationals, he'll be brought in as General Manager any second now... Fman99 Jul 27 2009 03:55 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":2q4ypyqe]Hey, I must rate! Omar sent me an e-mail! [/quote:2q4ypyqe] That's nothing. Tony Bernazard sent me pictures of Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. Kong76 Jul 27 2009 03:55 PM I can't see Omar surviving this. The next press conference will be 3:00 on Monday, August 3rd announcing his dismissal. Nymr83 Jul 27 2009 04:38 PM ="Kong76":2vyypmlu]I can't see Omar surviving this. The next press conference will be 3:00 on Monday, August 3rd announcing his dismissal.[/quote:2vyypmlu] I say he lasts until Thursday, August 13th... might as well fill the off-day with something to generate news. Kong76 Jul 27 2009 04:46 PM I didn't realize he has a full three more years after this under contract. Maybe they'll just fire Jerry on Monday at 3:00 if the Mets play poorly this weekend. This franchise is beyond bizzaro sometimes. metirish Jul 27 2009 05:00 PM Per SNY Jeff Wilpon and Minaya will speak to the press in the next few minutes metirish Jul 27 2009 05:41 PM Omar hummed and hawed about bringing up the Rubin issue in the wrong place , Gary Cohen said Minaya stands by what he said though. They also said Jeff Wilpon remarked that it is very common for press guys to ask his advice on how to get a job in baseball...with an organization that is. soupcan Jul 27 2009 07:14 PM ="metirish":1jyuugqc]Omar hummed and hawed...[/quote:1jyuugqc] That's being nice irish. Again, Omar sounded like an illiterate boob. He cannot speak! A Boy Named Seo Jul 27 2009 07:30 PM ="metirish":2ws987f9]You gotta hold a press conference for that?, issue a press release and get it over with.[/quote:2ws987f9] Bingo bango. You should lobby Jeff for a job. Talk shit about peeps to get it, if you have to. Edgy DC Jul 27 2009 07:44 PM Bobby Valenitne has a GM/manager hybrid job coming up. Fman99 Jul 27 2009 07:48 PM ="Edgy DC":3oad47yi]Bobby Valenitne has a GM/manager hybrid job coming up.[/quote:3oad47yi] He's got my vote. Konnichiwa Bobby! Methead Jul 27 2009 07:48 PM If Jeff Wilpon really gets a call per week from people looking for career advice, then he certainly won't mind if I call. metirish Jul 27 2009 07:49 PM ="soupcan":hfbbduwr]="metirish":hfbbduwr]Omar hummed and hawed...[/quote:hfbbduwr] That's being nice irish. Again, Omar sounded like an illiterate boob. He cannot speak![/quote:hfbbduwr] Minaya under stress sounds even worse than he usually does. PiggiesTomatoes Jul 27 2009 07:57 PM Thanks for the thread. I missed the clusterfuck and didn't realize Tony B. had been fired until seeing a crawl a couple innings ago. Very Knick-like. This crap has to end. Nymr83 Jul 27 2009 08:10 PM theres a method to minaya's madness... i'd normally turn this thing off after the final out, but now i want to see what jerry has to say when they ask him about the pre-game idiocy. Edgy DC Jul 27 2009 08:31 PM Omar needs a pile of wins to preserve himself, so look for the internet to fill with "All this winning is terrible" posts. Nymr83 Jul 27 2009 08:53 PM a pile of wins could stop the story from blowing up even further. Though you'd have to think the Daily News will be gunning for Omar until fired at this point, and the others will follow suit in a typical "i better write about what the other guy writes about" media orgy. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 27 2009 09:29 PM ="Methead"]If Jeff Wilpon really gets a call per week from people looking for career advice, then he certainly won't mind if I call. "Mr. Wilpon, I've been hemming and hawing between obstetrics and oncology..." "Kid, no matter what you choose, just make sure you stick with it, regardless of the results, or what your own instincts tell you, or what trusted friends tell you... you've got to stick with it until it's way past too late to change. Then, if you need to, you make a change. But not until it's WAAAAAAAAY too late. Got it?" LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 27 2009 09:31 PM ="Nymr83":gq5x8wjs]a pile of wins could stop the story from blowing up even further. Though you'd have to think the Daily News will be gunning for Omar until fired at this point, and the others will follow suit in a typical "i better write about what the other guy writes about" media orgy.[/quote:gq5x8wjs] Um... you think his staying on is at all tenable? Really? Nymr83 Jul 27 2009 10:15 PM i think its very hard to fire someone that you owe three more years of salary to and that the Wilpons could always fire him in September (steal a backpage when they're dying) if things dont blow over. themetfairy Jul 28 2009 06:31 AM Lisa Olson rules, as always[/url:3hh96qwk]. duan Jul 28 2009 06:38 AM Omar Minaya was way past a line throwing that out there unless he had something he was actually willing to stand over. Ashie62 Jul 28 2009 07:57 AM I guess Omar can't say Bernazard had a moment all to common to active alcoholics Rubin & Omar should have to spend the rest of their lives on an island for the remainder of there lives starting tomorrow.. Edgy DC Jul 28 2009 07:58 AM This is where I'm curious. Does this hurt the organization's standing with the team? Does it affect their play? Mets players stunned by strange day at Citi Tuesday, July 28, 2009 By KATIE STRANG caitlin.strang@newsday.com What began as a routine news conference to announce the dismissal of Mets executive Tony Bernazard took a bizarre turn Mondaywhen general manager Omar Minaya accused Daily News sportswriter Adam Rubin -- whose reporting played a role in Bernazard's firing -- of improper conduct. In the Mets' clubhouse, the players were just as stunned as viewers watching at home. "Absolutely," Mets catcher Brian Schneider said when asked if it were one of the most outlandish news conferences the players had ever seen. "Just like Adam didn't expect it, neither did we. It was just kind of quiet, because we were all listening." Carlos Delgado did not see the live broadcast but heard enough about it. "I'm surprised, but anything can happen here," Delgado said. "I wish I would've saw it. I don't want to say it's funny, because it's obviously not funny, it's a very sensitive situation, but maybe there was something out of line and needed to be addressed." Most players -- who were in disbelief in a clubhouse that became circus-like after the news conference -- believe the situation is something that needs to be worked out between Minaya and Rubin, but a couple of players circled the wagons to defend their boss. "If Rubin did what he did, if he asked for a job like Omar said he did, I think he should step out and say, 'Yeah, I did,' '' Carlos Beltran said. "I know Omar and he's an honest guy. I believe he's saying the truth." Gary Sheffield said he did not know what to make of the finger-pointing episode. "I don't know who's telling the truth. I don't know the reporter very well, but I believe Omar is a pretty credible guy," said Sheffield, who said at least a couple of players were laughing while watching the showdown unfold. David Wright said he heard the "rumblings" but had not yet heard the whole story. Said Wright, "You never know what to expect." Ashie62 Jul 28 2009 08:03 AM Little or no effect on team play..at least not with Wright, it seems like he could of cared less or was simply embarrassed possibly. Winning cures all. 4 in a row tonight Centerfield Jul 28 2009 08:47 AM The cynic in me wonders if the press conference was held (rather than a simple press release) specifically so Omar could (whether instructed or not) attack Rubin. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 28 2009 11:43 AM ="Centerfield"]The cynic in me wonders if the press conference was held (rather than a simple press release) specifically so Omar could (whether instructed or not) attack Rubin. Big WINNAH! Anything from row 1 or 2 for the WINNAH! metirish Jul 29 2009 09:29 AM Just for prosperities sake here is the Wilpon Q&A ] Today's Q & A with Jeff Wilpon Tuesday July 28, 2009 9:52 PM By David Lennon Opening apologies: �After what went on yesterday, I thought it was important on behalf of ownership to come out and talk to everybody. I know a lot of you have called and I apologize for not returning the calls and stuff, but you know we�re very sorry about what happened yesterday. It was the wrong forum, the wrong time, a wrong situation for Omar to express himself in that way.� �I have a call into Adam [Rubin] right now to apologize on behalf of myself, the organization, ownership and I know I�m going to ask him if he�ll accept a call from omar. Omar would very much like to call him and apologize for the venue that he took to embarrass him and talk to him in that manner and I�m hoping that Adam will accept that phone call, and I hope he accepts my phone call and the apology from the organization.� Is Minaya sorry? �Omar is extremely remorseful. Omar is upset about this. This has taken a toll on him in a very big way. I think he�s feeling the effects of what he did. He was angry. He was upset. A little bit about Tony, a little bit about some of the things that have been portrayed about the organization, trying to protect it.� �I think he really understands he made a very large mistake here and he�s apologized to ownership, he�s apologized to a bunch of the staff, he understands he put us in a bad spot here.� Did Rubin act inappropriately? �In terms of what Adam did with me, he did nothing wrong. Like I said last night, there are people that come to me all the time and want to know about the sports business, want to know about the real estate business, and what I try to do is be helpful to them in terms of putting them in touch with other people or having a conversation with them about what they might want to do with their career.� I did put Adam in touch with Curt Gowdy Jr. on the network side. I did put him in touch with [assistant GM] John Ricco on the baseball side, I didn�t think twice about it because it does happen a lot.� What is Minaya apologizing for? �Omar will have to address his comments. I know he�s told me he�s remorseful about what he said, and what was done, and I can only apologize from the organization standpoint. Omar made a mistake and he admitted to me that he made a mistake, and he�s apologetic for his mistake.� Minaya�s state of mind? �Omar�s around. As I said, he�s not in a great state right now, this has taken a great toll on him, and I think if you guys can give him a day or so, he�ll be back to Omar. And if we can all give him a chance, I think he�ll come back and make this organization proud.� Are you supporting him as GM? �Yeah. Omar�s our general manager. Omar�s going to be our general manager.� �He hasn�t been reprimanded. I think his remorse in what he�s shown is his sorrow for this and what he knows he did, the collateral damage it caused me, the collateral damage it caused my father, my uncle, the organization as a whole, he feels bad for. And I think that�s more punishment than anybody can ever put on him.� What damage did Monday�s fiasco do? �It hurt the organization. Omar admitted he hurt the organization, and he feels bad about that, and we�ll overcome it. It didn�t go to our values. He didn�t do the right thing. And all I can do is apologize for that and Omar will do that at the right time as well. We have to move on from there and rebuild ourselves. What was Fred Wilpon�s reaction? �Same as mine. He sort of couldn�t believe it was happening when it was happening. I don�t think a lot of us could believe it was happening when it was happening. He was just very angry and got out of his usual mode of dealing with the media and press conferences and stuff, and I think that is what you saw.� Did you know Minaya was going to attack Rubin? �Absolutely not. I didn�t have any knowledge, he didn�t talk to us about it. Omar had been upset with some of the things in the paper, I knew that. But going into this press conference yesterday was to talk about Tony, talk about the situation with Tony and why he was letting Tony go. It had nothing to do with Adam at the time he went into that conference.� Is Minaya still in hot water? �No. I think he knows what he did and I think he knows what the values we want to have here in our organization and he�s willing to deal with the consequences of it.� Did Minaya understand the impact of his accusations? �I think he does regret that. I think he has to answer that. I�m talking about what he said. The question was to me, and what I thought. Did I think Adam stepped over the line? I don�t believe that in terms of my dealings with Adam. Are you going to take a more visible role going forward? �The problem is it was Omar�s direct report that he was talking about, so for me to go in and do a press conference for Omar, for his direct report, that�s never happened before and I don�t think it should happen. Omar knows how to deal with the press and press conferences -- that�s his job. So I don�t think I would do it any differently.� Was Bernazard fired for performance or behavior? �I think our minor leagues � and I think Omar can talk to this better than I can � but he believes are minor leagues are in good shape. He spent a couple of days in Florida and was very happy with some of the A-ball kids. This thing with Tony hurt him, Omar, and it hurt me. I was very close with Tony and I learned a lot from him.� What�s the Mets� overall direction right now? �We need to do better. We need to do better. Ownership is not happy with the direction right now and obviously we have to play better on the field. We need to get the guys back. Once that happens, we�ll see how well this team can do. But it is disappointing, and I can understand the fans� disappointment as well.� Does Minaya�s future depend on the next two monts? Or is he the GM for 2010? Right now, the idea is that Omar is our general manager -- period. Do you need to become more visible? �Omar is the face of the organization when it comes to the overall direction. Jerry [Manuel] is our face of the organization when it comes to the day-to-day baseball. I�m here, believe me. I�ve got my finger on the pulse. You might not see me, but I�m here.� Has Minaya been compromised by his behavior? �I think he can get through it. I think right now it compromised him a little bit, yeah.� How is Minaya doing? �He�s really hurt by this guys. I don�t know how to explain it any better. He was visibly shaken yesterday. He was visibly shaken again today. I spent a good amount of time with him today. He�s still doing his job. He needs a day.� Edgy DC Jul 29 2009 10:09 AM ]Omar knows how to deal with the press and press conferences. That's kind of bogus. ]I�ve got my finger on the pulse. And that's kind of empty. Otherwise, good job by Jeff. Kong76 Jul 29 2009 10:33 AM I saw that whole Q & A with Jeffie and came away from it thinking he really ain't the dope that everyone on the internet makes him out to be. Not saying I particularly like him either, and I don't know all that much about him, but jeez alou for years and years he's just been hammered like a piece of crap. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 29 2009 10:38 AM I think Jeff handled this the right way. He had to establish that Omar wasn't speaking for the organization, but that the organization realized it needed to apologize on his behalf, and that doing that kinda stuff puts people's jobs in jeopardy. dgwphotography Jul 29 2009 10:55 AM I have to say, I think Jeffrey handled everything very well yesterday, but what Lunchbucket said about him is still echoing in my head... metsguyinmichigan Jul 29 2009 11:58 AM If Jeff wearing a wig, or is there really a barber that charges for a haircut that bad? Edgy DC Jul 29 2009 12:00 PM It's something I've long wanted to ask in a chat with one of the beat guys. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 29 2009 12:11 PM ="dgwphotography":3vlw8t9c]I have to say, I think Jeffrey handled everything very well yesterday, but what Lunchbucket said about him is still echoing in my head...[/quote:3vlw8t9c] What was that? metirish Jul 29 2009 12:17 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":2garmnt0]="dgwphotography":2garmnt0]I have to say, I think Jeffrey handled everything very well yesterday, but what Lunchbucket said about him is still echoing in my head...[/quote:2garmnt0] What was that?[/quote:2garmnt0] No idea what you said that is stuck in Dgw's head but the quote I remember from JCL about Jeff is " Jeff is the guy that gives millionaires a bad name " , this after Jeff sniffed something about diversifying his portfolio in the wake of the Madoff scandal. dgwphotography Jul 29 2009 02:52 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":20sad8fv]="dgwphotography":20sad8fv]I have to say, I think Jeffrey handled everything very well yesterday, but what Lunchbucket said about him is still echoing in my head...[/quote:20sad8fv] What was that?[/quote:20sad8fv] Your Marty Noble quote. Frayed Knot Jul 29 2009 02:58 PM Eddie C's speculation on what set Omar on the road to anti-Runin-ism: When the press conference got delayed (as it always seems to be) SNY had some time to kill and spent part of it with Burkhardt interviewing Rubin. This was shown on the TVs in both the offices and clubhouse and apparently some thought they heard some gloating in his answers at having "gotten" Tony. Ergo that ticks Omar off and leads to the impromptu verbal caning. dgwphotography Jul 29 2009 03:00 PM I didn't see that. If he was indeed gloating, that would take him down a few pegs in my eyes. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 29 2009 03:05 PM Didn't see it, either. But, well, let's just say you can't add false modesty to his list of sins (following is from his rebuttal in yesterday's Snooze): ]I want to get something straight. Everything I wrote about Tony Bernazard - bombshell stories that appeared in the pages of the Daily News over the last week - is accurate. My reporting was solid, met the journalistic standards of sourcing and beyond and was untainted by any personal agenda on my part. The Mets fired Bernazard Monday, after conducting an investigation that presumably reflected the damning information contained in my stories. Frayed Knot Jul 29 2009 03:11 PM And Eddie admits to not having seen it either, but rather got that idea via some of those who had both seen it and liked Tony meaning that the perception of Rubin's attitude was filtered through those eyes & ears. G-Fafif Jul 29 2009 03:12 PM ="Frayed Knot"]Eddie C's speculation on what set Omar on the road to anti-Runin-ism: When the press conference got delayed (as it always seems to be) SNY had some time to kill and spent part of it with Burkhardt interviewing Rubin. This was shown on the TVs in both the offices and clubhouse and apparently some thought they heard some gloating in his answers at having "gotten" Tony. Ergo that ticks Omar off and leads to the impromptu verbal caning. Somehow I'm reminded of Oscar Madison hiring a jokewriter to come up with zingers to spring on Howard Cosell...and Felix tearing them up, rescuing them from the wastebasket and delivering them out of order. ]I wish some relative of yours would die and leave you some wax fruit! I'd like to see Evel Knievel jump over your Bermuda shorts! You know your Lautrec is too loose? bmfc1 Jul 29 2009 03:55 PM ="Frayed Knot":ugqsyia0]Eddie C's speculation on what set Omar on the road to anti-Runin-ism: When the press conference got delayed (as it always seems to be) SNY had some time to kill and spent part of it with Burkhardt interviewing Rubin. This was shown on the TVs in both the offices and clubhouse and apparently some thought they heard some gloating in his answers at having "gotten" Tony. Ergo that ticks Omar off and leads to the impromptu verbal caning.[/quote:ugqsyia0] Had to have been whispered to Eddie C. from within the organization in a lame attempt to cover Omar's tracks. Edgy DC Jul 29 2009 05:08 PM I'm going to guess no. bmfc1 Jul 29 2009 05:39 PM Coleman isn't an investigative reporter. He didn't come up with that on his own. Frayed Knot Jul 29 2009 05:46 PM ="bmfc1":331y6747]Coleman isn't an investigative reporter. He didn't come up with that on his own.[/quote:331y6747] Eddie may not be a turn over every rock kind of reporter but he is in the locker room talking to people on a regular basis and at least implied (both in writing and in the radio chat I heard) that it was his speculation based on what some said that that was what set Omar off. Plus if mgmt is the one feeding him that angle I don't see how they think that makes them look any better. bmfc1 Jul 29 2009 05:48 PM Fair enough FK--you heard it, I didn't. I was just suggesting that it's possible that someone in the Mets front office was still trying to cover Omar's tracks. After the other day, anything is possible. Kong76 Jul 29 2009 06:21 PM This whole saga just needs to go away already. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 29 2009 07:17 PM ="G-Fafif":ti9im9j6][ Somehow I'm reminded of Oscar Madison hiring a jokewriter to come up with zingers to spring on Howard Cosell...and Felix tearing them up, rescuing them from the wastebasket and delivering them out of order. [/quote:ti9im9j6] Omar should have called Rubin an inane drone. Rockin' Doc Jul 29 2009 07:37 PM Omar should have called Rubin an assclown. Fman99 Jul 29 2009 07:48 PM Punch -> neck Kick -> **** metirish Jul 30 2009 12:14 PM referring to himself in the third person Minaya apologized today NY Mets general manager Omar Minaya apologizes for causing 'distraction' by criticizing reporter by Brian Costa/The Star-Ledger Thursday July 30, 2009, 11:26 AM ] NEW YORK -- Mets general manager Omar Minaya apologized again Thursday for his conduct during Monday's press conference to announce the firing of Tony Bernazard, during which he got into a heated exchange with a reporter. Minaya said he met with New York Daily News reporter Adam Rubin to apologize in person Wednesday. "You guys know me," Minaya said. "That's just not the way Omar Minaya is, that's not what I stand for, but the bottom line is I made a mistake. The bottom line is that you make a mistake, and I admit to making a mistake in bringing up the things that I did." Sitting in the Mets' dugout before Thursday's doubleheader against the Rockies at Citi Field, Minaya said the fallout from Monday has been a distraction as Friday's non-waiver trade deadline approaches. But he said it hasn't kept him from being active in trade talks. "I've been talking to teams, guys," Minaya said. "I turned down a couple of trades yesterday. I mean, I talked to some teams and believe it or not we had some pretty big names that were presented. That being said, if you talk to general managers around the league, I've been calling around. We have some ideas."

="Ceetar"]He didn't say that though. It's questionable about whether the behavior of Tony was even the territory of a Mets beat reporter. It absolutely is, if it's in the capacity of his job. Tony didn't caught smoking a joint while on vacation; this stuff happened while he was on the clock. ]Omar, and the Mets, aren't planning on just sitting back and taking every smear the media throws their way, and I like it. Yay for slander!

="metirish":2c26k8w2]I wold hope that he was fried for job performance and not because of or for public relations.[/quote:2c26k8w2] Like it or not, the two are very much intertwined. metirish Jul 27 2009 12:55 PM Of well , busted...... metsguyinmichigan Jul 27 2009 01:00 PM Omar -- keep...shirt...on.... Ceetar Jul 27 2009 01:41 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":296a8uw5]Omar -- keep...shirt...on....[/quote:296a8uw5] Omar walks up to the podium, rips his shirt off Hulk Hogan style, and shouts "Yeah, I canned Tony! And I'll can any of you too! Who wants a piece of me?!" G-Fafif Jul 27 2009 01:48 PM Ed Coleman revealing many in the organization are very happy, that he mistreated people, rep in baseball "not very good," "ruled by intimidation," wouldn't even look at you when you said hello. But he's a great bowler. metirish Jul 27 2009 01:50 PM Can someone do a pbp of the conference, is Jeff there...... Ceetar Jul 27 2009 01:54 PM He made his recommendation to ownership, after reviewing the Human Resources investigation, that Tony should be let go. He doesn't want to go into details, but the stuff that we already know, wasn't exactly how it happened (sounded like mostly how it happened though) He _was_ surprised by some of the stuff in the report. Not great for the organization, but we'll move on. metirish Jul 27 2009 01:55 PM Thanks ceetar , did Omar say"knowwhatimean" at all? bmfc1 Jul 27 2009 01:56 PM Omar, why was this such a "difficult" decision? Not from the press conference: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2009/07/27/2009-07-27_former_met_skipper_bobby_valentine_bids_japan_sayonara.html Ceetar Jul 27 2009 01:57 PM He still respects Tony, and he was part of getting this team to the success, injuries aside, that it's had the last couple of years. He doesn't regret any of the power or access that Tony was given, he thinks they worked well together, and it wasn't about power or access. He was not aware of any issues before the HR report (which supposedly was started before the newspaper articles came out) Tony wasn't the easiest person to get along with, but it can't all be making friends. (dodged the question about whether he was doing a good job) Probably the position will be filled within the organization. Says he was satisfied with the job Tony was doing. bmfc1 Jul 27 2009 01:57 PM "It was multiple [incidents]. When I looked at these multiple things, I felt I needed to make this decision." Ceetar Jul 27 2009 01:58 PM ="metirish":3hkpdoxm]Thanks ceetar , did Omar say"knowwhatimean" at all?[/quote:3hkpdoxm] Didn't catch any. No idea if Jeff is there. haven't shown him. soupcan Jul 27 2009 01:59 PM "I am trying my hardest to not sound like a completely illiterate moron but it is very hard to do." Honestly, it is just painful to listen to Omar speak. Shouldn't a person have to have basic communication skills to be able to get a job like his? I realize that English is his second language but give me a break "There were, you know, interpersonal issues that uh, you know, that, uh, that, uh, that, uh, we as an, uh organization, uh, you know, uh, uh don't, um, uh, agree with, youknowwhatI'msayin'?" Embarrassing. Ceetar Jul 27 2009 01:59 PM Juicy... Adam Rubin has been lobbying Omar and Tony for a player development position. metirish Jul 27 2009 02:01 PM ="Ceetar":2l767mtf]Juicy... Adam Rubin has been lobbying Omar and Tony for a player development position.[/quote:2l767mtf] come again, what does that mean? bmfc1 Jul 27 2009 02:02 PM "Adam Rubin started the reports on this" which "expedited the investigation." Thus trying to erase the perception that the press knew before he did. bmfc1 Jul 27 2009 02:02 PM Wow. Making it seem like Rubin wanted a job with the Mets. Ceetar Jul 27 2009 02:03 PM ="metirish":ha3qki21]="Ceetar":ha3qki21]Juicy... Adam Rubin has been lobbying Omar and Tony for a player development position.[/quote:ha3qki21] come again, what does that mean?[/quote:ha3qki21] Rubin wanted a job with the Mets. Omar was thinking that he should take his report with a grain of salt, because maybe Rubin harbors ill feeling towards Tony given that he's been a rejected for a job. Omar says he didn't think Rubin was trying to take Tony down, but it sounded like he was concerned about a conflict of interest. bmfc1 Jul 27 2009 02:03 PM Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Jul 27 2009 02:06 PM NYPost_Mets Minaya just accused my Daily News counterpart of having an agenda because the Mets wouldn't hire him for a personnel job with the team. Wow. NYPost_Mets Minaya just made a very serious ethical accusation against the Daily News' Adam Rubin. #Mets NYPost_Mets I'm floored by the Omar Minaya/Adam Rubin angle. Not sure I've ever heard of anything like that in my time in the business. #Mets metsguyinmichigan Jul 27 2009 02:04 PM A guy covering the team is openly asking for a job within the team? If that's true, he should be reassigned by the time you finish reading this sentence. Ceetar Jul 27 2009 02:06 PM I don't see how it couldn't be true. Denies the allegations that Jeff and Tony had a relationship. This is degrading into a pissing match between Omar and Adam. seawolf17 Jul 27 2009 02:08 PM Come on, Omar. Rip your shirt off and threaten to fight him. metirish Jul 27 2009 02:08 PM Holy crap , I wondered in the Tony B thread last week if Rubin had an axe to grind with Bernazard...... bmfc1 Jul 27 2009 02:08 PM ="seawolf17":2bupzsqu]Come on, Omar. Rip your shirt off and threaten to fight him.[/quote:2bupzsqu] Maybe Rubin will. metirish Jul 27 2009 02:09 PM This is reading like a bad daytime soap..... bmfc1 Jul 27 2009 02:09 PM Instead of the lead being "Mets Fire Exec", the lead is "Mets Accuse Reporter of Ethical Violation" John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 27 2009 02:10 PM WTF wow. Jeff should walk over, fire Omar and continue the press conference. bmfc1 Jul 27 2009 02:10 PM Rubin and Omar going back and forth now. metirish Jul 27 2009 02:10 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":2l84nzwo]WTF wow. Jeff should walk over, fire Omar and continue the press conference.[/quote:2l84nzwo] LOL....nearly spit out my fanta.... Edgy DC Jul 27 2009 02:10 PM Has a replacement been named? Methead Jul 27 2009 02:10 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":3oo6bsk7]WTF wow. Jeff should walk over, fire Omar and continue the press conference.[/quote:3oo6bsk7] Seriously. It's become even more of a clusterfuck. Hilarious. Ceetar Jul 27 2009 02:10 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":3qp4zecj]WTF wow. Jeff should walk over, fire Omar and continue the press conference.[/quote:3qp4zecj] Why? Omar did nothing wrong. In fact, he's fighting back. I like it. Reporters have been pissing all over the Mets for years, and Omar's simply letting them know that he's not just going to take it. bmfc1 Jul 27 2009 02:11 PM They are filling the positions of "yeller at bus drivers", "degrader of teenagers", and "shirt ripper" from within. Swan Swan H Jul 27 2009 02:12 PM Apparently the Rubin thing is true, as Rubin had the mic and didn't come out and call Omar a liar; instead, he went with the 'are you saying I tried to get a job by bringing others down?' tactic. metirish Jul 27 2009 02:12 PM I hope that SNY will air this all later. G-Fafif Jul 27 2009 02:12 PM Who will announce the firing of Jeff Wilpon? bmfc1 Jul 27 2009 02:14 PM ="G-Fafif":170fgwxi]Who will announce the firing of Jeff Wilpon?[/quote:170fgwxi] Fred! John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 27 2009 02:15 PM ="Ceetar":2gl5zgpu]="John Cougar Lunchbucket":2gl5zgpu]WTF wow. Jeff should walk over, fire Omar and continue the press conference.[/quote:2gl5zgpu] Why? Omar did nothing wrong. In fact, he's fighting back. I like it. Reporters have been pissing all over the Mets for years, and Omar's simply letting them know that he's not just going to take it.[/quote:2gl5zgpu] By pissing on him back? Not a good idea. Ceetar Jul 27 2009 02:17 PM ="bmfc1":ay4dc6ba]="G-Fafif":ay4dc6ba]Who will announce the firing of Jeff Wilpon?[/quote:ay4dc6ba] Fred![/quote:ay4dc6ba] Mr. Met should give all future press conferences. bmfc1 Jul 27 2009 02:17 PM He made it seem like Rubin had a vendetta which was irrelevant to the subject of the presser unless the information was false. Omar didn't say it was false. It's important, as MGIM said, but had nothing to do with firing Tony B. bmfc1 Jul 27 2009 02:18 PM [u:nurqe9ru]A Message from Mets General Manager Omar Minaya[/u:nurqe9ru] I wanted for you to hear directly from me today regarding an update on the investigation of Tony Bernazard, our Vice President of Player Development. Prior to a series of articles published in the media, our Baseball Operations and Human Resources departments had begun looking into several matters involving Tony. Once those reports became public, we accelerated our investigation. We wanted it to be thorough and complete it as quickly as possible while still being fair to Tony. That process concluded over the weekend. Yesterday, I met with Tony in person to have a frank conversation about what we had learned following interviews with numerous people. I also wanted for Tony to have the opportunity to give his side of the story. After meeting with Tony, and giving a lot of thought to the facts, I came to a decision on Tony's status which I shared with Ownership last night. My recommendation was that we needed to part ways with Tony, as his behavior in his interaction with others was inconsistent with our organization's values. Ownership agreed with my assessment and accepted my recommendation. I spoke with Tony this morning and informed him of my decision to terminate his employment with the Mets. Personnel decisions are never easy. And one can't make them without giving it a lot of thought. It's even harder when you know someone as I do Tony. Tony and I go back a long time. He is a dedicated baseball man who loves the game, someone I like and respect, and someone who has contributed to the Mets. In the end, however, I just told him I couldn't leave him in his position after all that had transpired. As General Manager of the Mets, I am fully accountable for our Baseball Operations department -- on and off the field -- and stand by this decision. Thank you for your ongoing support of the Mets. metsguyinmichigan Jul 27 2009 02:19 PM Hey, I must rate! Omar sent me an e-mail! I wanted for you to hear directly from me today regarding an update on the investigation of Tony Bernazard, our Vice President of Player Development. Prior to a series of articles published in the media, our Baseball Operations and Human Resources departments had begun looking into several matters involving Tony. Once those reports became public, we accelerated our investigation. We wanted it to be thorough and complete it as quickly as possible while still being fair to Tony. That process concluded over the weekend. Yesterday, I met with Tony in person to have a frank conversation about what we had learned following interviews with numerous people. I also wanted for Tony to have the opportunity to give his side of the story. After meeting with Tony, and giving a lot of thought to the facts, I came to a decision on Tony's status which I shared with Ownership last night. My recommendation was that we needed to part ways with Tony, as his behavior in his interaction with others was inconsistent with our organization's values. Ownership agreed with my assessment and accepted my recommendation. I spoke with Tony this morning and informed him of my decision to terminate his employment with the Mets. Personnel decisions are never easy. And one can't make them without giving it a lot of thought. It's even harder when you know someone as I do Tony. Tony and I go back a long time. He is a dedicated baseball man who loves the game, someone I like and respect, and someone who has contributed to the Mets. In the end, however, I just told him I couldn't leave him in his position after all that had transpired. As General Manager of the Mets, I am fully accountable for our Baseball Operations department -- on and off the field -- and stand by this decision. Thank you for your ongoing support of the Mets. bmfc1 Jul 27 2009 02:20 PM NYPost_Mets There is no shortage of bad blood between Minaya and Rubin, so maybe this is Omar just trying to get some payback. No class. #Mets metirish Jul 27 2009 02:22 PM Was this as farcical as I am thinking it was from reading here? soupcan Jul 27 2009 02:28 PM I had to run out in the middle of the thing and missed all the juicy bits. Good thing I got an email from Omar too. Interesting though that he writes much, much better than he speaks. Ceetar Jul 27 2009 02:28 PM I'm polishing my resume to send to the Daily News right now. metsguyinmichigan Jul 27 2009 02:36 PM From Metsblog... "Rubin, in the audience, then told Minaya, to his face, that he is �despicable� for alleging that he set out to �tear Tony down� to take his job." If this is true, Rubin should be reassigned. You can't engage in this kind of behavior with people you are supposed to be covering objectively. Even if Omar accused him of injecting steroids into Clemens' butt and designing the Citi sleeve patch, as a professional you're supposed to sit there and take it, and deal with it later. To become a part of the story, as Rubin now is, and openly engage Omar crosses the line. G-Fafif Jul 27 2009 02:36 PM What office is Omar Minaya running for? He sounded like a politician 10 points down in the polls blaming the media for doing his job. Yes Omar, it's the media's fault. A reporter is out to get you. Keep telling yourself that. Ceetar Jul 27 2009 02:39 PM ="G-Fafif":26qhjg30]What office is Omar Minaya running for? He sounded like a politician 10 points down in the polls blaming the media for doing his job. Yes Omar, it's the media's fault. A reporter is out to get you. Keep telling yourself that.[/quote:26qhjg30] He didn't say that though. It's questionable about whether the behavior of Tony was even the territory of a Mets beat reporter. Just like people bring up "how many people know the name of their vp of player development?" The reason we know? Adam Rubin. He's admitting on the air now that he's interested in a job in baseball, but never asked specifically to be hired. Name drops Jeff Wilpon. Omar certainly spinned it, and it worked. (btw, Jon Heyman is an idiot) Omar, and the Mets, aren't planning on just sitting back and taking every smear the media throws their way, and I like it. G-Fafif Jul 27 2009 02:40 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":4cccgn14]From Metsblog... "Rubin, in the audience, then told Minaya, to his face, that he is �despicable� for alleging that he set out to �tear Tony down� to take his job." If this is true, Rubin should be reassigned. You can't engage in this kind of behavior with people you are supposed to be covering objectively. Even if Omar accused him of injecting steroids into Clemens' butt and designing the Citi sleeve patch, as a professional you're supposed to sit there and take it, and deal with it later. To become a part of the story, as Rubin now is, and openly engage Omar crosses the line.[/quote:4cccgn14] Rubin just said he doesn't know how he's gonna cover the team anymore. I can't quite blame him for his initial reaction, however. How is anybody supposed to think he's in a professional situation when Minaya is acting like a total amateur? G-Fafif Jul 27 2009 02:43 PM ="Ceetar":3uh2cnao]="G-Fafif":3uh2cnao]What office is Omar Minaya running for? He sounded like a politician 10 points down in the polls blaming the media for doing his job. Yes Omar, it's the media's fault. A reporter is out to get you. Keep telling yourself that.[/quote:3uh2cnao] He didn't say that though. It's questionable about whether the behavior of Tony was even the territory of a Mets beat reporter. Just like people bring up "how many people know the name of their vp of player development?" The reason we know? Adam Rubin. He's admitting on the air now that he's interested in a job in baseball, but never asked specifically to be hired. Name drops Jeff Wilpon. Omar certainly spinned it, and it worked. (btw, Jon Heyman is an idiot) Omar, and the Mets, aren't planning on just sitting back and taking every smear the media throws their way, and I like it.[/quote:3uh2cnao] This isn't a schoolyard. It was amazingly unprofessional of Omar. You got a problem with Rubin, you take it up with him, you take it up with his editor, you whisper in the ear of another reporter from another paper if you have to. You do not do it this way. Even if Rubin was truly doing what Minaya claimed, you don't do that. BTW, Rubin said he once asked Jeff Wilpon "how do you get a job in baseball?" and that's the extent of it. metirish Jul 27 2009 02:44 PM Rubin in player development ? , this part isn't true , is it? It's a joke surely. Gwreck Jul 27 2009 02:45 PM ="Ceetar"]He didn't say that though. It's questionable about whether the behavior of Tony was even the territory of a Mets beat reporter. It absolutely is, if it's in the capacity of his job. Tony didn't caught smoking a joint while on vacation; this stuff happened while he was on the clock. ]Omar, and the Mets, aren't planning on just sitting back and taking every smear the media throws their way, and I like it. Yay for slander! Swan Swan H Jul 27 2009 02:46 PM Rubin got caught in a conflict of interest, then tried to throw it back at Omar. He went on later and said, paraphrasing here, that he never directly asked for a job, just asked a bunch of people how he would go about getting a job in baseball. So immediately we're taking Rubin at his word and calling Omar the liar? Edgy DC Jul 27 2009 02:46 PM Rubin just put out a new edition of his book titled Pedro, Carlos, and Omar, and My Big Hairy Cock Gwreck Jul 27 2009 02:47 PM ="metirish":3w25xb5s]Rubin in player development ? , this part isn't true , is it? It's a joke surely.[/quote:3w25xb5s] What do you mean? A joke... That Rubin wanted a job in player development? Or that he wanted a job with the Mets? Or that he is capable of performing such a job? G-Fafif Jul 27 2009 02:49 PM If Rubin wanted a job on the Mets, I think we would have seen a lot more company line in his coverage these past several years. I've seen nothing that ever gave me the impression he was holding back or trying to curry favor. It never occurred to me you'd try to impress your potential future employers by continually noting how badly they run things -- that they'd be so grateful for pointing out their foibles that they'd hire you as the replacement. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 27 2009 02:50 PM ="Ceetar"]="G-Fafif"]What office is Omar Minaya running for? He sounded like a politician 10 points down in the polls blaming the media for doing his job. Yes Omar, it's the media's fault. A reporter is out to get you. Keep telling yourself that. ]He didn't say that though. It's questionable about whether the behavior of Tony was even the territory of a Mets beat reporter. Questionable? Are you the editor of the Daily News? ]Just like people bring up "how many people know the name of their vp of player development?" The reason we know? Adam Rubin. Are you suggesting we'd have been better off not knowing this? ]He's admitting on the air now that he's interested in a job in baseball, but never asked specifically to be hired. Name drops Jeff Wilpon. Omar certainly spinned it, and it worked. (btw, Jon Heyman is an idiot) Omar, and the Mets, aren't planning on just sitting back and taking every smear the media throws their way, and I like it. It's worse than having a jerk employee. metsguyinmichigan Jul 27 2009 02:52 PM ="G-Fafif":1o1ji5oc]="metsguyinmichigan":1o1ji5oc] Rubin just said he doesn't know how he's gonna cover the team anymore. I can't quite blame him for his initial reaction, however. How is anybody supposed to think he's in a professional situation when Minaya is acting like a total amateur?[/quote:1o1ji5oc][/quote:1o1ji5oc] Sure he can. I had it recently happen to me. The school district I cover and its and the union have been fighting over a contract for the last three years, and someone friendly to the district taped a private union strategy session. Someone in the session asked a question about me and covering the dispute, and the union said some things indicating they liked the coverage. The district issued a press release and held a press conference beating up the union for some of the things it said, and also taking a shot at me. (Which some of my television competitors took great glee in repeating.) We had another reporter cover the first press conference -- they held two that day -- and I attended the second, since we had already written about the issue. Rather than engage them, I had to sit there and listen, and when one of the television types came over looking for a quote I turned them away. I say this realizing that the New York market is obviously much different than mine, and there's a difference between a columnist and a reporter. But Rubin should have known better. Gwreck Jul 27 2009 02:53 PM Some more from Rubin, from last week: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2009/07/got-questions.html ]Jon Heyman mentioned on WFAN that all the sources for these Bernezard stories were coming from one paper i.e. the Daily News. How credible are your sources and do you have an axe to grind? Also you mentioned that Bernezard has been angling for Minaya's job "for a long time." I've never heard that before, just that he's a disruptive bully. If Omar were fired would the Wilpons really look to hire Tony B.? - Anup Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. This is the question I've been waiting for. On the proposition that all of the stories about Bernazard are coming from one paper, let me answer that two-fold: Newsday, Ken Davidoff in particular, wrote a scatching column not too long ago, if I recall, about him. The Post has written some pretty scathing things too. I would submit, without trying to sound arrogant, that most of the breaking news about the Mets in general comes from one paper. On whether there's any vendetta, that's silly. There are two ways to do your job as a reporter. You can attach yourself to certain sources (whether that person be an agent or a front-office official) and write whatever they want, whether it's true or not, and they'll leak real news when it actually happens. Or you can just seek the truth, try to gain everyone's respect, and hopefully that serves you well in terms of people trusting you with info. I choose the latter. People don't mind warranted criticism as long as they feel like they're being treated fairly. Actually, there is a vendetta against Bernazard. He's widely hated in baseball, and by a lot of Mets minor leaguers, major leaguers, coaches and other staff. And when people see he's vulnerable, they're going to pounce and leak information. That's what's happening now. Lesson for everyone in life: Don't treat people poorly on the way up. If Omar did get pushed out, at one point I certainly could see Bernazard taking over. Now that's just not presentable to the public, is it? My intention was not to stir it up with these remarks. But, trust me, I'd match my ethics up with anyone. And if anyone in the media wants to take a more pointed shot, well, just remember about glass houses. Frayed Knot Jul 27 2009 02:54 PM If true, Rubin wouldn't be the first person to go from the media covering a team to working for the team*. The question(s) that need to be cleared up are how did Rubin go about this (if he even did) and what set Omar off about it to where he thinks he has something to gain by going after him. * Off the top of my head: Michael Kay - Yanx (NY Post beat writer, to radio man, to all-around YES man) In the early days of the Islanders, Newsday's Pat Calabria was the beat reporter. He later went to work for the club as pr/communications director or some such title Larry Rocca works (or has) w/Bobby V in Japan after covering the team for Newsday John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 27 2009 02:58 PM Yes but to suggest that Rubin stirred this whole thing up so as to exact revenge on the Mets for not having given him a job is beyond absurd. metsguyinmichigan Jul 27 2009 02:58 PM BTW, I'm not defending Omar for what he did. It was weak and unprofessional. But people we cover do all kinds of crazy stuff. You're supposed to cover the circus, not become a part of it. Gwreck Jul 27 2009 02:59 PM Jon Heyman indicated (on TV) that Omar was unhappy that he had to fire Bernazard and that the decision was not entirely his (ie. suggesting that the Wilpons went above his "full autonomy"). Frayed Knot Jul 27 2009 03:06 PM ]Mr. Met should give all future press conferences. Certainly fewer stupid things would be said. Frayed Knot Jul 27 2009 03:18 PM Joined this conversation late so I turned on FAN trying to catch up ... unfortunately it's Benigno & Roberts on intelligent talk is nowhere to be found. G-Fafif Jul 27 2009 03:20 PM Just saw the exchange as it happened on SNY. Rubin conducted himself professionally. Omar came off as accusatory, paranoid and clueless. G-Fafif Jul 27 2009 03:26 PM Synergy alert: Mets accuse News reporter of underhanded behavior, televised on SNY, owned partly by Mets. SNY follows with show called Daily News Live and has reporter on as guest to dispute Mets' account. House of mirrors. Valadius Jul 27 2009 03:43 PM Knowing the Washington Nationals, he'll be brought in as General Manager any second now... Fman99 Jul 27 2009 03:55 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":2q4ypyqe]Hey, I must rate! Omar sent me an e-mail! [/quote:2q4ypyqe] That's nothing. Tony Bernazard sent me pictures of Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. Kong76 Jul 27 2009 03:55 PM I can't see Omar surviving this. The next press conference will be 3:00 on Monday, August 3rd announcing his dismissal. Nymr83 Jul 27 2009 04:38 PM ="Kong76":2vyypmlu]I can't see Omar surviving this. The next press conference will be 3:00 on Monday, August 3rd announcing his dismissal.[/quote:2vyypmlu] I say he lasts until Thursday, August 13th... might as well fill the off-day with something to generate news. Kong76 Jul 27 2009 04:46 PM I didn't realize he has a full three more years after this under contract. Maybe they'll just fire Jerry on Monday at 3:00 if the Mets play poorly this weekend. This franchise is beyond bizzaro sometimes. metirish Jul 27 2009 05:00 PM Per SNY Jeff Wilpon and Minaya will speak to the press in the next few minutes metirish Jul 27 2009 05:41 PM Omar hummed and hawed about bringing up the Rubin issue in the wrong place , Gary Cohen said Minaya stands by what he said though. They also said Jeff Wilpon remarked that it is very common for press guys to ask his advice on how to get a job in baseball...with an organization that is. soupcan Jul 27 2009 07:14 PM ="metirish":1jyuugqc]Omar hummed and hawed...[/quote:1jyuugqc] That's being nice irish. Again, Omar sounded like an illiterate boob. He cannot speak! A Boy Named Seo Jul 27 2009 07:30 PM ="metirish":2ws987f9]You gotta hold a press conference for that?, issue a press release and get it over with.[/quote:2ws987f9] Bingo bango. You should lobby Jeff for a job. Talk shit about peeps to get it, if you have to. Edgy DC Jul 27 2009 07:44 PM Bobby Valenitne has a GM/manager hybrid job coming up. Fman99 Jul 27 2009 07:48 PM ="Edgy DC":3oad47yi]Bobby Valenitne has a GM/manager hybrid job coming up.[/quote:3oad47yi] He's got my vote. Konnichiwa Bobby! Methead Jul 27 2009 07:48 PM If Jeff Wilpon really gets a call per week from people looking for career advice, then he certainly won't mind if I call. metirish Jul 27 2009 07:49 PM ="soupcan":hfbbduwr]="metirish":hfbbduwr]Omar hummed and hawed...[/quote:hfbbduwr] That's being nice irish. Again, Omar sounded like an illiterate boob. He cannot speak![/quote:hfbbduwr] Minaya under stress sounds even worse than he usually does. PiggiesTomatoes Jul 27 2009 07:57 PM Thanks for the thread. I missed the clusterfuck and didn't realize Tony B. had been fired until seeing a crawl a couple innings ago. Very Knick-like. This crap has to end. Nymr83 Jul 27 2009 08:10 PM theres a method to minaya's madness... i'd normally turn this thing off after the final out, but now i want to see what jerry has to say when they ask him about the pre-game idiocy. Edgy DC Jul 27 2009 08:31 PM Omar needs a pile of wins to preserve himself, so look for the internet to fill with "All this winning is terrible" posts. Nymr83 Jul 27 2009 08:53 PM a pile of wins could stop the story from blowing up even further. Though you'd have to think the Daily News will be gunning for Omar until fired at this point, and the others will follow suit in a typical "i better write about what the other guy writes about" media orgy. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 27 2009 09:29 PM ="Methead"]If Jeff Wilpon really gets a call per week from people looking for career advice, then he certainly won't mind if I call. "Mr. Wilpon, I've been hemming and hawing between obstetrics and oncology..." "Kid, no matter what you choose, just make sure you stick with it, regardless of the results, or what your own instincts tell you, or what trusted friends tell you... you've got to stick with it until it's way past too late to change. Then, if you need to, you make a change. But not until it's WAAAAAAAAY too late. Got it?" LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 27 2009 09:31 PM ="Nymr83":gq5x8wjs]a pile of wins could stop the story from blowing up even further. Though you'd have to think the Daily News will be gunning for Omar until fired at this point, and the others will follow suit in a typical "i better write about what the other guy writes about" media orgy.[/quote:gq5x8wjs] Um... you think his staying on is at all tenable? Really? Nymr83 Jul 27 2009 10:15 PM i think its very hard to fire someone that you owe three more years of salary to and that the Wilpons could always fire him in September (steal a backpage when they're dying) if things dont blow over. themetfairy Jul 28 2009 06:31 AM Lisa Olson rules, as always[/url:3hh96qwk]. duan Jul 28 2009 06:38 AM Omar Minaya was way past a line throwing that out there unless he had something he was actually willing to stand over. Ashie62 Jul 28 2009 07:57 AM I guess Omar can't say Bernazard had a moment all to common to active alcoholics Rubin & Omar should have to spend the rest of their lives on an island for the remainder of there lives starting tomorrow.. Edgy DC Jul 28 2009 07:58 AM This is where I'm curious. Does this hurt the organization's standing with the team? Does it affect their play? Mets players stunned by strange day at Citi Tuesday, July 28, 2009 By KATIE STRANG caitlin.strang@newsday.com What began as a routine news conference to announce the dismissal of Mets executive Tony Bernazard took a bizarre turn Mondaywhen general manager Omar Minaya accused Daily News sportswriter Adam Rubin -- whose reporting played a role in Bernazard's firing -- of improper conduct. In the Mets' clubhouse, the players were just as stunned as viewers watching at home. "Absolutely," Mets catcher Brian Schneider said when asked if it were one of the most outlandish news conferences the players had ever seen. "Just like Adam didn't expect it, neither did we. It was just kind of quiet, because we were all listening." Carlos Delgado did not see the live broadcast but heard enough about it. "I'm surprised, but anything can happen here," Delgado said. "I wish I would've saw it. I don't want to say it's funny, because it's obviously not funny, it's a very sensitive situation, but maybe there was something out of line and needed to be addressed." Most players -- who were in disbelief in a clubhouse that became circus-like after the news conference -- believe the situation is something that needs to be worked out between Minaya and Rubin, but a couple of players circled the wagons to defend their boss. "If Rubin did what he did, if he asked for a job like Omar said he did, I think he should step out and say, 'Yeah, I did,' '' Carlos Beltran said. "I know Omar and he's an honest guy. I believe he's saying the truth." Gary Sheffield said he did not know what to make of the finger-pointing episode. "I don't know who's telling the truth. I don't know the reporter very well, but I believe Omar is a pretty credible guy," said Sheffield, who said at least a couple of players were laughing while watching the showdown unfold. David Wright said he heard the "rumblings" but had not yet heard the whole story. Said Wright, "You never know what to expect." Ashie62 Jul 28 2009 08:03 AM Little or no effect on team play..at least not with Wright, it seems like he could of cared less or was simply embarrassed possibly. Winning cures all. 4 in a row tonight Centerfield Jul 28 2009 08:47 AM The cynic in me wonders if the press conference was held (rather than a simple press release) specifically so Omar could (whether instructed or not) attack Rubin. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 28 2009 11:43 AM ="Centerfield"]The cynic in me wonders if the press conference was held (rather than a simple press release) specifically so Omar could (whether instructed or not) attack Rubin. Big WINNAH! Anything from row 1 or 2 for the WINNAH! metirish Jul 29 2009 09:29 AM Just for prosperities sake here is the Wilpon Q&A ] Today's Q & A with Jeff Wilpon Tuesday July 28, 2009 9:52 PM By David Lennon Opening apologies: �After what went on yesterday, I thought it was important on behalf of ownership to come out and talk to everybody. I know a lot of you have called and I apologize for not returning the calls and stuff, but you know we�re very sorry about what happened yesterday. It was the wrong forum, the wrong time, a wrong situation for Omar to express himself in that way.� �I have a call into Adam [Rubin] right now to apologize on behalf of myself, the organization, ownership and I know I�m going to ask him if he�ll accept a call from omar. Omar would very much like to call him and apologize for the venue that he took to embarrass him and talk to him in that manner and I�m hoping that Adam will accept that phone call, and I hope he accepts my phone call and the apology from the organization.� Is Minaya sorry? �Omar is extremely remorseful. Omar is upset about this. This has taken a toll on him in a very big way. I think he�s feeling the effects of what he did. He was angry. He was upset. A little bit about Tony, a little bit about some of the things that have been portrayed about the organization, trying to protect it.� �I think he really understands he made a very large mistake here and he�s apologized to ownership, he�s apologized to a bunch of the staff, he understands he put us in a bad spot here.� Did Rubin act inappropriately? �In terms of what Adam did with me, he did nothing wrong. Like I said last night, there are people that come to me all the time and want to know about the sports business, want to know about the real estate business, and what I try to do is be helpful to them in terms of putting them in touch with other people or having a conversation with them about what they might want to do with their career.� I did put Adam in touch with Curt Gowdy Jr. on the network side. I did put him in touch with [assistant GM] John Ricco on the baseball side, I didn�t think twice about it because it does happen a lot.� What is Minaya apologizing for? �Omar will have to address his comments. I know he�s told me he�s remorseful about what he said, and what was done, and I can only apologize from the organization standpoint. Omar made a mistake and he admitted to me that he made a mistake, and he�s apologetic for his mistake.� Minaya�s state of mind? �Omar�s around. As I said, he�s not in a great state right now, this has taken a great toll on him, and I think if you guys can give him a day or so, he�ll be back to Omar. And if we can all give him a chance, I think he�ll come back and make this organization proud.� Are you supporting him as GM? �Yeah. Omar�s our general manager. Omar�s going to be our general manager.� �He hasn�t been reprimanded. I think his remorse in what he�s shown is his sorrow for this and what he knows he did, the collateral damage it caused me, the collateral damage it caused my father, my uncle, the organization as a whole, he feels bad for. And I think that�s more punishment than anybody can ever put on him.� What damage did Monday�s fiasco do? �It hurt the organization. Omar admitted he hurt the organization, and he feels bad about that, and we�ll overcome it. It didn�t go to our values. He didn�t do the right thing. And all I can do is apologize for that and Omar will do that at the right time as well. We have to move on from there and rebuild ourselves. What was Fred Wilpon�s reaction? �Same as mine. He sort of couldn�t believe it was happening when it was happening. I don�t think a lot of us could believe it was happening when it was happening. He was just very angry and got out of his usual mode of dealing with the media and press conferences and stuff, and I think that is what you saw.� Did you know Minaya was going to attack Rubin? �Absolutely not. I didn�t have any knowledge, he didn�t talk to us about it. Omar had been upset with some of the things in the paper, I knew that. But going into this press conference yesterday was to talk about Tony, talk about the situation with Tony and why he was letting Tony go. It had nothing to do with Adam at the time he went into that conference.� Is Minaya still in hot water? �No. I think he knows what he did and I think he knows what the values we want to have here in our organization and he�s willing to deal with the consequences of it.� Did Minaya understand the impact of his accusations? �I think he does regret that. I think he has to answer that. I�m talking about what he said. The question was to me, and what I thought. Did I think Adam stepped over the line? I don�t believe that in terms of my dealings with Adam. Are you going to take a more visible role going forward? �The problem is it was Omar�s direct report that he was talking about, so for me to go in and do a press conference for Omar, for his direct report, that�s never happened before and I don�t think it should happen. Omar knows how to deal with the press and press conferences -- that�s his job. So I don�t think I would do it any differently.� Was Bernazard fired for performance or behavior? �I think our minor leagues � and I think Omar can talk to this better than I can � but he believes are minor leagues are in good shape. He spent a couple of days in Florida and was very happy with some of the A-ball kids. This thing with Tony hurt him, Omar, and it hurt me. I was very close with Tony and I learned a lot from him.� What�s the Mets� overall direction right now? �We need to do better. We need to do better. Ownership is not happy with the direction right now and obviously we have to play better on the field. We need to get the guys back. Once that happens, we�ll see how well this team can do. But it is disappointing, and I can understand the fans� disappointment as well.� Does Minaya�s future depend on the next two monts? Or is he the GM for 2010? Right now, the idea is that Omar is our general manager -- period. Do you need to become more visible? �Omar is the face of the organization when it comes to the overall direction. Jerry [Manuel] is our face of the organization when it comes to the day-to-day baseball. I�m here, believe me. I�ve got my finger on the pulse. You might not see me, but I�m here.� Has Minaya been compromised by his behavior? �I think he can get through it. I think right now it compromised him a little bit, yeah.� How is Minaya doing? �He�s really hurt by this guys. I don�t know how to explain it any better. He was visibly shaken yesterday. He was visibly shaken again today. I spent a good amount of time with him today. He�s still doing his job. He needs a day.� Edgy DC Jul 29 2009 10:09 AM ]Omar knows how to deal with the press and press conferences. That's kind of bogus. ]I�ve got my finger on the pulse. And that's kind of empty. Otherwise, good job by Jeff. Kong76 Jul 29 2009 10:33 AM I saw that whole Q & A with Jeffie and came away from it thinking he really ain't the dope that everyone on the internet makes him out to be. Not saying I particularly like him either, and I don't know all that much about him, but jeez alou for years and years he's just been hammered like a piece of crap. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 29 2009 10:38 AM I think Jeff handled this the right way. He had to establish that Omar wasn't speaking for the organization, but that the organization realized it needed to apologize on his behalf, and that doing that kinda stuff puts people's jobs in jeopardy. dgwphotography Jul 29 2009 10:55 AM I have to say, I think Jeffrey handled everything very well yesterday, but what Lunchbucket said about him is still echoing in my head... metsguyinmichigan Jul 29 2009 11:58 AM If Jeff wearing a wig, or is there really a barber that charges for a haircut that bad? Edgy DC Jul 29 2009 12:00 PM It's something I've long wanted to ask in a chat with one of the beat guys. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 29 2009 12:11 PM ="dgwphotography":3vlw8t9c]I have to say, I think Jeffrey handled everything very well yesterday, but what Lunchbucket said about him is still echoing in my head...[/quote:3vlw8t9c] What was that? metirish Jul 29 2009 12:17 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":2garmnt0]="dgwphotography":2garmnt0]I have to say, I think Jeffrey handled everything very well yesterday, but what Lunchbucket said about him is still echoing in my head...[/quote:2garmnt0] What was that?[/quote:2garmnt0] No idea what you said that is stuck in Dgw's head but the quote I remember from JCL about Jeff is " Jeff is the guy that gives millionaires a bad name " , this after Jeff sniffed something about diversifying his portfolio in the wake of the Madoff scandal. dgwphotography Jul 29 2009 02:52 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":20sad8fv]="dgwphotography":20sad8fv]I have to say, I think Jeffrey handled everything very well yesterday, but what Lunchbucket said about him is still echoing in my head...[/quote:20sad8fv] What was that?[/quote:20sad8fv] Your Marty Noble quote. Frayed Knot Jul 29 2009 02:58 PM Eddie C's speculation on what set Omar on the road to anti-Runin-ism: When the press conference got delayed (as it always seems to be) SNY had some time to kill and spent part of it with Burkhardt interviewing Rubin. This was shown on the TVs in both the offices and clubhouse and apparently some thought they heard some gloating in his answers at having "gotten" Tony. Ergo that ticks Omar off and leads to the impromptu verbal caning. dgwphotography Jul 29 2009 03:00 PM I didn't see that. If he was indeed gloating, that would take him down a few pegs in my eyes. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 29 2009 03:05 PM Didn't see it, either. But, well, let's just say you can't add false modesty to his list of sins (following is from his rebuttal in yesterday's Snooze): ]I want to get something straight. Everything I wrote about Tony Bernazard - bombshell stories that appeared in the pages of the Daily News over the last week - is accurate. My reporting was solid, met the journalistic standards of sourcing and beyond and was untainted by any personal agenda on my part. The Mets fired Bernazard Monday, after conducting an investigation that presumably reflected the damning information contained in my stories. Frayed Knot Jul 29 2009 03:11 PM And Eddie admits to not having seen it either, but rather got that idea via some of those who had both seen it and liked Tony meaning that the perception of Rubin's attitude was filtered through those eyes & ears. G-Fafif Jul 29 2009 03:12 PM ="Frayed Knot"]Eddie C's speculation on what set Omar on the road to anti-Runin-ism: When the press conference got delayed (as it always seems to be) SNY had some time to kill and spent part of it with Burkhardt interviewing Rubin. This was shown on the TVs in both the offices and clubhouse and apparently some thought they heard some gloating in his answers at having "gotten" Tony. Ergo that ticks Omar off and leads to the impromptu verbal caning. Somehow I'm reminded of Oscar Madison hiring a jokewriter to come up with zingers to spring on Howard Cosell...and Felix tearing them up, rescuing them from the wastebasket and delivering them out of order. ]I wish some relative of yours would die and leave you some wax fruit! I'd like to see Evel Knievel jump over your Bermuda shorts! You know your Lautrec is too loose? bmfc1 Jul 29 2009 03:55 PM ="Frayed Knot":ugqsyia0]Eddie C's speculation on what set Omar on the road to anti-Runin-ism: When the press conference got delayed (as it always seems to be) SNY had some time to kill and spent part of it with Burkhardt interviewing Rubin. This was shown on the TVs in both the offices and clubhouse and apparently some thought they heard some gloating in his answers at having "gotten" Tony. Ergo that ticks Omar off and leads to the impromptu verbal caning.[/quote:ugqsyia0] Had to have been whispered to Eddie C. from within the organization in a lame attempt to cover Omar's tracks. Edgy DC Jul 29 2009 05:08 PM I'm going to guess no. bmfc1 Jul 29 2009 05:39 PM Coleman isn't an investigative reporter. He didn't come up with that on his own. Frayed Knot Jul 29 2009 05:46 PM ="bmfc1":331y6747]Coleman isn't an investigative reporter. He didn't come up with that on his own.[/quote:331y6747] Eddie may not be a turn over every rock kind of reporter but he is in the locker room talking to people on a regular basis and at least implied (both in writing and in the radio chat I heard) that it was his speculation based on what some said that that was what set Omar off. Plus if mgmt is the one feeding him that angle I don't see how they think that makes them look any better. bmfc1 Jul 29 2009 05:48 PM Fair enough FK--you heard it, I didn't. I was just suggesting that it's possible that someone in the Mets front office was still trying to cover Omar's tracks. After the other day, anything is possible. Kong76 Jul 29 2009 06:21 PM This whole saga just needs to go away already. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 29 2009 07:17 PM ="G-Fafif":ti9im9j6][ Somehow I'm reminded of Oscar Madison hiring a jokewriter to come up with zingers to spring on Howard Cosell...and Felix tearing them up, rescuing them from the wastebasket and delivering them out of order. [/quote:ti9im9j6] Omar should have called Rubin an inane drone. Rockin' Doc Jul 29 2009 07:37 PM Omar should have called Rubin an assclown. Fman99 Jul 29 2009 07:48 PM Punch -> neck Kick -> **** metirish Jul 30 2009 12:14 PM referring to himself in the third person Minaya apologized today NY Mets general manager Omar Minaya apologizes for causing 'distraction' by criticizing reporter by Brian Costa/The Star-Ledger Thursday July 30, 2009, 11:26 AM ] NEW YORK -- Mets general manager Omar Minaya apologized again Thursday for his conduct during Monday's press conference to announce the firing of Tony Bernazard, during which he got into a heated exchange with a reporter. Minaya said he met with New York Daily News reporter Adam Rubin to apologize in person Wednesday. "You guys know me," Minaya said. "That's just not the way Omar Minaya is, that's not what I stand for, but the bottom line is I made a mistake. The bottom line is that you make a mistake, and I admit to making a mistake in bringing up the things that I did." Sitting in the Mets' dugout before Thursday's doubleheader against the Rockies at Citi Field, Minaya said the fallout from Monday has been a distraction as Friday's non-waiver trade deadline approaches. But he said it hasn't kept him from being active in trade talks. "I've been talking to teams, guys," Minaya said. "I turned down a couple of trades yesterday. I mean, I talked to some teams and believe it or not we had some pretty big names that were presented. That being said, if you talk to general managers around the league, I've been calling around. We have some ideas."

I know our offense sucks, but still. He was throwing home from like 25 feet past the infield.

Nice of the Astros to return the favor and put their best player on the DL when playing us. We got swept in Houston last year, including Wagner's last Met appearance to date, which was really the beginning of the bullpen debacle.

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":1wrfg6dm]Yup. Cora being an injured hero was about only the eighth or ninth worst thing that happened to the Mets.[/quote:1wrfg6dm] Fixed it for you. I agree that Cora's killing the offense (maybe slightly more than Murphy or Santos/Schneider) but Cora's poor performance also reflects on Jerry and Omar, I think. It's not like his hitting .240 is an aberration. OlerudOwned Jul 23 2009 12:56 AM Jack Wilson wouldn't have helped much. He's not that good. Ashie62 Jul 23 2009 01:54 AM ="OlerudOwned":37869gxh]Jack Wilson wouldn't have helped much. He's not that good.[/quote:37869gxh] You are correct...Unfortunately the Mets are under a do not resuscitate order Nymr83 Jul 23 2009 05:18 AM ="OlerudOwned":1wbzyqkh]Jack Wilson wouldn't have helped much. He's not that good.[/quote:1wbzyqkh] He'd have been an upgrade over Cora a month ago assuming he could have been had for "nothing" if we paid his salary. But he's not really good. Theres no point in getting him now. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 23 2009 05:27 AM ="OlerudOwned"]Jack Wilson wouldn't have helped much. He's not that good. Look, if Cora went and got the surgery he needed Omar would have to have done something and Wilson being a good fielder and presumably available would have been a reasonable solution. In the meantime we'd have enjoyed the benefits of a 700 OPS guy vs. a 500 OPS guy; and a good fielder vs. a shitty fielder. It's all vomit under the bridge by now, but just saying. metirish Jul 23 2009 08:22 AM Chris Duncan is a meat head , or is that his brother?, either way I am surprised that the Sox got him for Lugo , or got anything at all. Edgy DC Jul 23 2009 08:30 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jul 23 2009 08:40 AM I agree that allowing Cora to cowboy up (and batting him leadoff) has been terribly wishful thinking. I think we all need to realize that the real Cora is not as bad as this. But I think the Mets braintrust needed to realize that wishing that Cora could somehow summon his best game through the injury was too much risk for too little reward. Maybe the strong May for the team triggered a lot of wishful thinking. Nymr83 Jul 23 2009 08:34 AM ]I think we all need to realize that the real Cora is not as bad as this The Cora we've seen from 2005-2008 is almost as bad as this, unless you expect him somehow to become the decent player he was for LA in 03-04 Edgy DC Jul 23 2009 08:43 AM He's a better offensive player and particularly a better defensive player than this. And better used sparingly --- which he had been before he got hurt --- even at his best. Always good to be patronized by you, thanks. Nymr83 Jul 23 2009 08:57 AM that wasnt being patronizing. ]He's a better offensive player and particularly a better defensive player than this from 2005 to 2008 he hit .244/.309/.339 (68 OPS+) this year its .242/.322/.295 (66+) you want to show me that he was particularly better defensively, go ahead, but contrary to your assertion he's the same hitter now that he's been the last 4 years. Edgy DC Jul 23 2009 09:19 AM ]unless you expect him somehow to become the decent player he was for LA in 03-04 Yeah, talking to me like I'm a twit is pretty uneccessarily insulting. I'm referring to way he's performed since he got off the DL (an activation that apparently shouldn't have happened). The numbers you quote are not part of my "assertion" but including the early part of the season when he played well. His numbers that I am "asserting" about are .212 // .274 //. 244 // .518. And the numbers that you are quoting about how he's been recently are weighed down by a season three years ago, while he's been better over the last two. To make a point of that season as speaking to who he is now, while making a crack about how I "somehow expect him somehow to become the decent player he was for LA in 03-04" is doubly insulting. Nymr83 Jul 23 2009 10:19 AM bottom line: he hasn't been even decent since 2004. the injury didn't cause him to suck. props to him for gutting it out anyway (but thumbs down to the mets for letting him.) its too late now anyway. unless the mets have a better option internally it is no longer worth obtaining one for just this year. ]I'm referring to way he's performed since he got off the DL that wasnt made clear, but he wasnt going to be an acceptable long-term replacement for Reyes to begin with, the only defense Omar has there is that he didn't know how long Reyes would be out ]And the numbers that you are quoting about how he's been recently are weighed down by a season three years ago, while he's been better over the last two. To make a point of that season as speaking to who he is now and you get to decide that the last 2 years are the relevant time period rather than the last 4? he's been BAD since leaving LA, that was why i picked four years, that was when he left LA. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 23 2009 10:28 AM ="metirish"]Chris Duncan is a meat head , or is that his brother?, either way I am surprised that the Sox got him for Lugo , or got anything at all. There's a bit of lunk to the galoot. And the Cards need middle-infield depth a bit more than they need yet another backup-for-Pujols/sorta-sluggy* backup-corner OF-type. *In 2006-07, that is. He's slugging .389 this year, and David Wright has as many home runs. Edgy DC Jul 23 2009 10:32 AM This is too ridiculous ]bottom line: he hasn't been even decent since 2004. No, it's not, because you decided to make hay over ]the real Cora is not as bad as this ] the injury didn't cause him to suck. It appears to have made him play worse. ]that wasnt made clear It was clear enough. ]but he wasnt going to be an acceptable long-term replacement for Reyes to begin with, the only defense Omar has there is that he didn't know how long Reyes would be out I think it's clear that I'm with you there. Maybe not. ]and you get to decide that the last 2 years are the relevant time period I didn't "decide" anything. You're the one who has been framing. My only timeframe was the period he has been hurt. Do I really have to spell everything out here? He's better as an uninjured backup shortstop than an injured fulltime one. I think that's a clear position and one I'm willing to defend. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 23 2009 11:22 AM RRRRRRROW! smg58 Jul 23 2009 11:32 AM Wilson's a mediocre hitter but consistently one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball. That alone would have made him an upgrade. But there's really no point now. Cora was signed to be a backup, and if he were playing only as much as the Mets originally expected him to play nobody would be complaining that harshly. Plus, he might have been given more time off to heal properly if the Mets weren't utterly desperate, and his numbers might actually look better. Edgy DC Jul 23 2009 11:33 AM I'm really not quite that hot, but thank you. Frayed Knot Jul 23 2009 11:43 AM ="metirish"]Chris Duncan is a meat head , or is that his brother? All Duncans are meat-heads. Including Sandy I'm told. ]I'm really not quite that hot, but thank you. Even when you do your hair like that? seawolf17 Jul 23 2009 12:14 PM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr"]There's a bit of lunk to the galoot. I like how the watermark makes it look like it's "proof" that he's a galoot. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 23 2009 01:05 PM ="seawolf17"]="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr"]There's a bit of lunk to the galoot. I like how the watermark makes it look like it's "proof" that he's a galoot. The look on his face-- half "O" face, half confused St. Bernard-- helps. I hope he finds International League trophies just as fuckable-- by all reports, he's headed for RI. Ashie62 Jul 23 2009 08:50 PM ="Frayed Knot":p8keo0dg]="metirish":p8keo0dg]Chris Duncan is a meat head , or is that his brother?[/quote:p8keo0dg][/quote:p8keo0dg] All Duncans are meat-heads. Including Sandy I'm told. Would that be MFY AAA meathead Shelly Duncan or the pixie actress of stage and screen possibly? Nymr83 Jul 24 2009 10:54 AM ]The Athletics and Cardinals have completed a trade that sends outfielder Matt Holliday to St. Louis in exchange for third baseman Brett Wallace, outfielder Shane Peterson and right-handed pitcher Clayton Mortensen, sources confirmed to ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney. Frayed Knot Jul 24 2009 11:05 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jul 24 2009 11:10 AM ="Nymr83"]The Athletics and Cardinals have completed a trade that sends outfielder Matt Holliday to St. Louis in exchange for third baseman Brett Wallace, outfielder Shane Peterson and right-handed pitcher Clayton Mortensen, sources confirmed to ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney. Wallace is the interesting name here. Considered to be among the best college bats to come along in many years, he was passed over by a number of teams (StL got him with the #13 pick) out of concern for where he'd play. In short, he's HUGE!, and huge as in wide not as in tall (BB-Ref lists him at 6' 1" - 245). In 'Moneyball' terms (since he's headed to Oakland) "he wears a big pair of underwear". The thought is that he'll be a DH sooner rather than later which isn't a great thing to be saying about a guy not yet 23 y/o. For now, they say his hands are at least decent and he's not as immobile as he looks. But, above all, he can rake. Already at AAA barely a year after signing, he blew through three different levels in between and will probably be in Oakland before the year is out. But, man, Oakland sounds like they're putting together slow-pitch softball teams again. Between Giambi, Jack Cust, Daric Barton (also snagged in a trade w/StL - for Mulder) and now Wallace they've got at least 4 'stocky' (I'm being nice here) 1B/DH types not seen since the days when the brothers Giambi were teamed with Matt Stairs & John Jaha. Edgy DC Jul 24 2009 11:09 AM I saw some on him. I liked his waddle. Like a lefthanded Bob Horner. Frayed Knot Jul 24 2009 01:28 PM Or maybe the lefty who ate Bob Horner. A quick peak at a Cardinal board showed an overall (though not universal) negative reaction - more based on thinking they gave up too much for a 2-month rental whose XBHs have trended from 84, 92, 65, 60 (proj) over the last 4 years than it was in thinking that either of the top 2 prospects were sure-fire studs. This Shane Peterson who went in the deal was their 2nd round pick from '08, the one right after they selected Wallace. There's also a story (Heyman) that LaRussa pushed for this in part because he didn't like and wasn't consulted on the Chris Duncan/Julio Lugo swap (and I don't guess his pitching coach was too high on it either). And, of course, the deal is made just in time so the Yanx don't have to see Holliday as Oakland is in NYC starting tonight. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 24 2009 01:48 PM ="Frayed Knot"]Or maybe the lefty who ate Bob Horner. A quick peak at a Cardinal board showed an overall (though not universal) negative reaction - more based on thinking they gave up too much for a 2-month rental whose XBHs have trended from 84, 92, 65, 60 (proj) over the last 4 years than it was in thinking that either of the top 2 prospects were sure-fire studs. This Shane Peterson who went in the deal was their 2nd round pick from '08, the one right after they selected Wallace. There's also a story (Heyman) that LaRussa pushed for this in part because he didn't like and wasn't consulted on the Chris Duncan/Julio Lugo swap (and I don't guess his pitching coach was too high on it either). And, of course, the deal is made just in time so the Yanx don't have to see Holliday as Oakland is in NYC starting tonight. Just goes to show you how much of a buyer's market this is; the sheer number of potential in-it-to-win-it teams the last two years has resuscitated the good-old-fashioned deadline deal, however briefly, even in the face of cost constraints and the rising value of FA-compensatory draft picks. (Although it kinda seemed from Day One that Beane had an eye toward Holliday's departure-- like they acquired him almost exclusively like a short-sell, either for the draft picks or the trade value-- didn't it?) LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 27 2009 01:24 AM Consider the source, but still-- Re-heeeeeally? ]The Rangers remain in the market for a bat, with the Indians' Ryan Garko and Mets' Gary Sheffield among their targets, even though Sheffield currently is on the disabled list. http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9854856/BoSox-involved-in-Halladay-talks-and-more- seawolf17 Jul 27 2009 08:07 AM I wish he hadn't gotten hurt, because I think Sheffield -- and possibly Livan -- are the Mets two best trading chips right now. I read somewhere recently that Sheffield would revolt if he got dealt, though, so as always with him, it'd be buyer beware. Frayed Knot Jul 27 2009 08:42 AM Sheffield always threatens to revolt - but the thing is, this time he could easily make it stick. He was all but ready to retire anyway after being released by Detroit; he had $14mil coming to him and nothing monetarily to gain from playing unless he's really lying and is secretly dying to play next year too only for a fraction of this year's salary. But the Mets (he claims) were a good fit for him and so he took the gig when offered. But now if dealt somewhere he doesn't like (I don't think he has any No-Trade protection) he can simply walk-away rather than pull up stakes and move across the country for 9 weeks and not lost a thing except a possible shot at another ring.

Every ML umpire gets 4 (?) weeks of in-season vacation, during which time an AAA umpire is called up to replace them, and essentially try out for when a permanent MLB position opens up. For the game in question, Jerry Crawford and Ed Hickox were on vacation, so Mike Mulchlinski and Scott Barry were promoted from AAA to work the series. You see a lot of the top AAA umpires also working in Spring Training games, which is also part of the "tryout" process.

Mike Muchlinski. Vacation replacement umpire.

="soupcan":31694kki]="metirish":31694kki]F Martinez Niese Parnell Tejada [/quote:31694kki] That doesn't seem like a bad deal to me.[/quote:31694kki] Me either, but there's also the money. I figure he gets an extension that wipes out the last year and gives him another 5 at 18 million per. Nymr83 Jul 21 2009 03:50 AM ]Heyman reporting that the Jays tabled an offer to the Mets that would get the Mets Halladay F Martinez Niese Parnell Tejada i would have done it. not for this year but because Halladay is under contract still for next year. Frayed Knot Jul 21 2009 06:57 AM I think it's certainly a fair deal (even as its accuracy is questioned) and one that I could pull the trigger on and not have to swallow too hard. But I'm not too sure that the Mets are in a position where packaging and unloading prospects for post-30 players is the way to go right now. metsmarathon Jul 21 2009 07:03 AM i'd be willing to give up three, but not necessarily four of those players. specifically, were the trade offer genuine, and according to keith law's tweet as linked above, i would prefer to keep one of parnell or niese. and while i think the rotation could be a beast when topped with doc and johan, in no particular order, i'm also torn up by the notion that the way certain teams seem to be in the thick of it each year is through the development of their own minor leaguers. in fact, i feel like every contending team save perhaps the yankees, is doing so on the backs of their own homegrown talent. and i'd like ot be like one of those teams. eventually. of course, if we were to get doc halladay, i think it would nicely prevent us from making a big huge mistake in trying to get matt holliday either this season immediately thereafter. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 21 2009 07:08 AM I wouldn't have complained too loudly. You worry a little about getting hurt maybe in the coming years of the Halladay extension, whatever they may be, but aces don't grow on trees. metsmarathon Jul 21 2009 07:14 AM no. i'm certain i would be thrilled in the short term. but i'd be a bit worried about those later years... metirish Jul 21 2009 07:18 AM Nor would I have complained much , if at all. F Martinez I think will be a good major league player , Parnell is a reliever and I would never hesitate to throw one of those in a deal. The Jays might start him , whatever. Niese could work out and the other kid I have never seen. Frayed Knot Jul 21 2009 07:19 AM Of course part of this depends on what the theoretical extension would look like -- which in turn assumes that Halladay will demand one in return for his agreeing to the trade. I think everyone assumes that he'll do just that (it's not like his leverage is likely to go up from where it is now) but I don't know that he's outright stated it's a prerequisite. Edgy DC Jul 21 2009 07:40 AM We want a batter, not a wooden ladder. Centerfield Jul 21 2009 08:08 AM I would do that deal. I would not drive Pedro Feliciano to Colorado to make it happen, but I would do that deal. MFS62 Jul 21 2009 09:22 AM ="Edgy DC":hwzslqzr]We want a batter, not a wooden ladder.[/quote:hwzslqzr] Exactly. The team needs a hitter. But when you get right down to it, it may be a moot point. Its not up to Omar or the pimp (my Canadian friends' name for JP because he dresses so slickly). Halliday has complete veto rights over any trade, and it is doubtful he'd want to come to the Mets. (according to Steve Sommers last night on WFAN) Later Frayed Knot Jul 21 2009 09:31 AM ]Halliday has complete veto rights over any trade, and it is doubtful he'd want to come to the Mets. (according to Steve Sommers last night on WFAN) Oh well that settles it then. metirish Jul 21 2009 09:37 AM Steve Somers is like the Walter Cronkite of sports talk.....in age terms anyway Centerfield Jul 21 2009 09:48 AM I obviously don't disagree that this team needs a batter, but that doesn't mean this team doesn't need more pitching. Particularly, ace-level starting pitching. If the lineup were producing, we'd be lamenting having to start Nieve/Livan/Redding etc. The Mets are currently 19th in team ERA, despite playing in a great pitchers' park. I really dislike the notion of passing on good, productive players because "we need ____". This was my problem with not pursuing Texiera last off-season. We never made a run at him because of reasons like "we need to focus on the bullpen" and "we have a first-baseman". My philosophy is to get top-notch talent when it's available. Now that Delgado is likely done after this season, there are few good options out there at first for next year. Thinking that "the offense is fine" is what led to the lack of lineup depth. Which made us particularly vulnerable in the event some top guys went down. So if a 32 year old legitimate #1 is available, make a run at him. If he doesn't ask for the moon and stars in terms of an extension, ship out those four guys and let the Phils face Santana and Halladay back to back. Vic Sage Jul 21 2009 09:54 AM The TiTTS say: "Boo!" Edgy DC Jul 21 2009 10:09 AM Was pursuing Texiera really explicitly rejected because the team needs to focus on the bullpen? Obviously, talent is talent. I just think Halladay is old talent, and if the Mets don't find some way to generate offense, Halladay's effectiveness may well have expired by the time it could have made a difference. Personally, based on Martinez being injured, I think this report looks faulty. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 21 2009 10:55 AM ="Edgy DC"] Personally, based on Martinez being injured, I think this report looks faulty. It looks outright false. Leaving aside my own gut feeling of implausibility, hell, consider the source-- I know Keith Law's misled me a good deal less than Heyman has. ]Was pursuing Texiera really explicitly rejected because the team needs to focus on the bullpen? Pretty strong implicit tie at least, methinks. The publicly identified primary need area took precedence, and Omar had this year's solutions (presumably) at 1st and 2nd and OF already in hand for the season, if not beyond, so Teixeira and Hudson and Abreu/Dunn were extraneous and not worth a serious bid (even if they were markedly superior to our extant solutions there... and, in at least one case, more or less begging to come to New York). But yeah, that's bygones. Playing the what-if game, though... assuming the trade were to happen, we're looking at this team locked in as a poor man's 2001 D-Backs-- with Santana and Halladay's paychecks, and Reyes due to make open-market rates after 2011, there's no money to sign anything but replacement-level or steeply discounted (due to injury history, or "correctable" mechanical flaws) talent for C, 1B, and corner OF over the next several years. The offense would end up being even more top-heavy than we're used to-- Wright, Reyes and what's left of Beltran, surrounded by Castillo, Murphy, Evans, Ike Davis (maybe?), and a REALLY ugly bench-- wouldn't it? smg58 Jul 21 2009 11:29 AM The Blue Jays GM said last week that he was listening to offers, not making them. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 21 2009 11:37 AM Making a play for Teixera was probably a little more of a high-wire act than Omar had the stomach for. He'd have had to outbid the MFYs, O's and Bosox then find a trade partner for Delgado without any leverage. And if it didn't work out, deal with hurt feelings. I'm not saying it couldn't be done but that it would have been risky and expensive and they get a pass from me for not trying it. Besides, Teixiera's a douche. Knowing what we know now, I suppose the real dumb thing was not deciding on Murphy at 1B sooner and trading Delgado for what they could get. That would have provided more opportunities to upgrade the pen or rotation or gather in a prospect. Not that so vast a dropoff in production there has helped, just that we'd have gotten something in exchange for it. smg58 Jul 21 2009 11:42 AM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr":lq51jb1x]Playing the what-if game, though... assuming the trade were to happen, we're looking at this team locked in as a poor man's 2001 D-Backs-- with Santana and Halladay's paychecks, and Reyes due to make open-market rates after 2011, there's no money to sign anything but replacement-level or steeply discounted (due to injury history, or "correctable" mechanical flaws) talent for C, 1B, and corner OF over the next several years. The offense would end up being even more top-heavy than we're used to-- Wright, Reyes and what's left of Beltran, surrounded by Castillo, Murphy, Evans, Ike Davis (maybe?), and a REALLY ugly bench-- wouldn't it?[/quote:lq51jb1x] The contracts for Beltran, Castillo and Perez run out after 2011 as well, so it's not like there's already zero payroll flexibility that far ahead. In the meantime, we're freeing up the money spent on Delgado, Wagner, and Schneider, plus Putz in all likelihood. It will also take more than one home run to justify tendering a contract to Francoeur. That's a quarter of the team's current payroll right there. I've got no problem with building a more balanced team, but I don't think a deal for Halladay necessarily rules that out. Edgy DC Jul 21 2009 12:14 PM This has surely morphed. If the Mets weren't going after the top two targets in the starting pitcher market, certainly Teixera wasn't in the cards under any circumstances, Omar or no Omar. Nymr83 Jul 21 2009 03:16 PM ]Was pursuing Texiera really explicitly rejected because the team needs to focus on the bullpen? they had to make a decision on Delgado' option before they could talk to Texiera, if Delgado had become a free agent they could have gotten outbid on Texiera anyway amd then had to give Delgado more years (which would have sucked imo), so i think they made the right move there. Centerfield Jul 21 2009 04:16 PM I didn't mean to re-hash the Delgado/Texiera arguments again. I realize the degree of difficulty was high on that one. I just wish we had a GM that was willing to explore it and not be constrained by "We are set at first"-type thinking. Similarly, I don't want the Mets to not pull the trigger on a Halladay deal (if one is, in fact, available to them) because of the mindset that "we need bats". We do need bats. But if we can get an ace, we should look to get that ace, then get bats with the money freed up when Wagner, Putz, Delgado, Schneider and Franceour come off the books. Edgy DC Jul 21 2009 04:44 PM Understood. To be fair, though, the extension that Halladay would require would eat up a fair chunk of that money.

FK, are you the one on the left or the right? --- (kidding)

Pansy ass.

There was nothing clean about that play. He had to reach across his body, after he already had touched the base, to trip up David. Diaz gets plunked next inning. Time for the Mets to stop being a bunch of sissies.

="Benjamin Grimm":4umwzr82]They might as well cancel the All-Star game and give the AL team permanent home field advantage in the World Series.[/quote:4umwzr82] Yawn. Frayed Knot Jul 16 2009 10:39 AM The odd thing about this stretch of AL ASG "dominance" is that all the recent games have been by one run (4 straight including 1 xtra inn and 5 of 7) even though this is the era where the AL has dominated IL play. But if you go back to the beginning of their run they were winning ASG big during the time where the NL was getting the better of the IL series. Nymr83 Jul 16 2009 02:31 PM ]Will the Mets put one and one together and bring out Tom Terrific, who will be 68 that summer, in a big way? Or will it become another platform for the Mets and MLB to celebrate the legacy of Jackie Robinson? i think we both know the answer to that where Wilpon is involved.

I'm not convinced that article paints them in all that favorable a light.

="Frayed Knot":2i7vdtlm]Parks older than Citi but yet to host an ASG: - Chase Field Phoenix (1998) - though sched for 2011 - GAB Cincinnati (2003) - PETCO SD (2004) - CBP Philly (2004) - Nationals Park Wash (2008)[/quote:2i7vdtlm] Cincy had it in '88, SD in '92 and Philly in '96 (?) so they're all at the back of the line anyway. One would think that the Nationals would be the obvious choice for 2015 but I guess the Marlins' new stadium might be chosen instead. One problem is that with fewer AL teams, there are also fewer left with new parks that haven't had the game yet. There's Anaheim in 2010 and KC in 2012 (both parks were heavily renovated) and then presumably Minnesota in 2014. In '06 and '07 the ASG was held in NL parks; they could presumably do another repeat sometime soon to get more of the newer NL parks in on the action. Benjamin Grimm Jul 16 2009 06:46 AM They might as well cancel the All-Star game and give the AL team permanent home field advantage in the World Series. metsguyinmichigan Jul 16 2009 07:27 AM I think MLB -- hell, probably FOX, too -- has a very heavy hand in the goings-on at the All-Star Game as opposed to letting the host team do that planning and screw it up. Gwreck Jul 16 2009 10:08 AM ="Benjamin Grimm":4umwzr82]They might as well cancel the All-Star game and give the AL team permanent home field advantage in the World Series.[/quote:4umwzr82] Yawn. Frayed Knot Jul 16 2009 10:39 AM The odd thing about this stretch of AL ASG "dominance" is that all the recent games have been by one run (4 straight including 1 xtra inn and 5 of 7) even though this is the era where the AL has dominated IL play. But if you go back to the beginning of their run they were winning ASG big during the time where the NL was getting the better of the IL series. Nymr83 Jul 16 2009 02:31 PM ]Will the Mets put one and one together and bring out Tom Terrific, who will be 68 that summer, in a big way? Or will it become another platform for the Mets and MLB to celebrate the legacy of Jackie Robinson? i think we both know the answer to that where Wilpon is involved.

I'd have given it to Granderson, I guess. --- I think maybe minds will change once the homefield advantage comes into play. When's the last time a World Series went more than 5 games? 2003?

How many more years of this shit before somebody wakes up and says Ramirez, Utley, Wright, Pujols, Braun -- aren't they the best players at their position in the league? So maybe I don't take them out for substitutes as soon as possible?

We should have had Braun, Ibanez and Wright up here. Instead we get Upton, Hawpe and Tejada. Good managing, Charlie.