stevejrogers

13 years

="Benjamin Grimm":ewa8voj2]Nice job! But when I think of Yankee KTE's, I think of this classic thread: http://archives.cranepoolforum.net/5000/f1_t5095.shtml[/quote:ewa8voj2] I'm not living that meltdown down anytime soon huh? Fman99 Jun 12 2009 11:39 AM ="SteveJRogers":3qexcjxj]="Benjamin Grimm":3qexcjxj]Nice job! But when I think of Yankee KTE's, I think of this classic thread: http://archives.cranepoolforum.net/5000/f1_t5095.shtml[/quote:3qexcjxj] I'm not living that meltdown down anytime soon huh?[/quote:3qexcjxj] Classic hilarity. Wow, Steve's been getting shit on (even deservedly, sometimes) for years now! Fman99 Jun 12 2009 11:40 AM Re: KTE - The Evil Empire (June 12-14) ="Frayed Knot":3ooqjlt8]Where: The new $1.5 billion HR palace in the Bronx that they built next door to the old one they haven�t gotten around to taking down yet and on top of the parkland they may or may not get around to replacing depending on how they feel and fuck you Mr. Assemblyman but it�s none of your damn businiess when or if we replace it or how we arrived at the value of the land you handed us. [/quote:3ooqjlt8] Fantastic. Farmer Ted Jun 12 2009 11:50 AM Nice KTE. What was wrong with these warmup jerseys? http://www.newsday.com/media/photo/2008-05/38897507.jpg Hawkeye57 Jun 12 2009 01:12 PM Good KTE. Hoping for a good old-fashioned MFY stomping this weekend. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 12 2009 01:17 PM Popes don't take shit from nobody themetfairy Jun 12 2009 01:33 PM Thanks for the knowledge FK!

BTW, all you need to know about my Dad's business partner in terms of his "I like both NY Teams" douche-ness, his thoughts on the Yogi Berra muesuem was that it was "better than Cooperstown."

="Benjamin Grimm":105lqzb8]No, not at all. But that headline is making everyone ANGRY![/quote:105lqzb8] [The Post Headline Hack...errr writer]My work here, is done![/The Post Headline Hack...errr writer] Desperate for any attention, they'll resort to screaming the headline that a hated Met villain (though, many, many years now removed from when THAT meant anything in the grand scheme of things) hates the place where the Mets play. MFS62 Jun 09 2009 08:24 PM How can we put this delicately? Oh. I know. Who cares what you think, Chipper? Later

Benjamin Grimm wrote: It was way back in Avengers number 4, and at that point World War II was less than 20 years in the past. Captain America was frozen in a block of ice that was, unknowingly, dislodged by the Sub-Mariner. If I remember correctly, he threw the ice to the surface in one of his rages against the surface man. The block of ice happened to drift past the Avengers as they were on a boat somewhere. Should also be noted that this, and Bucky's death at the same time, was a major retcon on Stan Lee's part in order to bring the old character into the new Silver Age of Marvel. The Golden Age Cap & Bucky never really had an "ending" as the book was canceled without any kind of farewell, then Cap returned as I guess a narrator of sorts of a horror book for a few issues, and was quickly moved to the comic character dustbin. Until Avengers # 4.

Hey people who try to get attention by waving too much, at cameras and acting like a tool because they know they are on a camera that obviously isn't meant to be on them (and that includes people outside window fronted studios like SNY), is a pet peeve of mine. Plus I wanted to work in all of the Met retired numbers and postseason appearances in a number!

Wrong thread.

That attention whore tool behind home plate in Met gear, -3,714,414,269,738,688,990,006

Someone had better tell that nimrod in the front row that his team is down by 7 runs, and he looks more pathetic talking on his cell, waving his arms like a moron because the team he is rooting for is getting 1 hit and down by 7. WOW, you scored behind the plate seats, and you are a Met fan, good job, but you are still an attention seeking piece of crud with your silly antics. And its saying something when I'M calling someone out for being an attention seeking piece of crud!

="Ashie62"]Beyond that. Over his career what has Reyes really done? The numbers often look very good on paper. However, does he hit in September, he doesn't pull his team up they way captain Intangibles can and his probable lack of a real education just makes him another exploited Hispanic player. My opinion. And how many rings does Jeter have WITHOUT Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, Scott Broisus, an every day playing Bernie Williams, the "Troika" (Nelson, Stanton, Rivera), Pettitte, Cone, an in his prime Orlando Hernandez, etc?

="Ashie62":24jtft7r]I thought the really bad things didn't happen to the Mets until September. I believe we have seen Reyes and Delgado's last game as a Met Anybody for pizza?[/quote:24jtft7r] 1) Whom do you suppose the Mets would GET for Jose Reyes, and more importantly 2) Who do you suppose would play short & leadoff for this team in 2010? G-Fafif Jun 04 2009 08:45 PM Jose signed through '10, club option for '11. It's doomsaying beyond what even I can wrangle from the depths of my gloomy Met soul to have him out for the next 272 games. Ashie62 Jun 04 2009 09:10 PM Hold on Jose Reyes plus partially torn hammy + Mets medical staff translates to out for the year to me Carlos Delgado I would be surprised if he can come back from this injury and if so 2010 will not be a Met. This looks like a 79-83 team. I truly believe Reyes would be put on the block with his moveable salary. Who would play shortstop in 2010? That would be the decision of the 2009-2010 general manager Reyes & Delgado out for the year and a Reyes trade after another non-playoff season is not as farfetched as you all see to believe Beyond that. Over his career what has Reyes really done? The numbers often look very good on paper. However, does he hit in September, he doesn't pull his team up they way captain Intangibles can and his probable lack of a real education just makes him another exploited Hispanic player. My opinion. Ashie62 Jun 04 2009 09:12 PM ="SteveJRogers":hkz7o5og]="Ashie62":hkz7o5og]I thought the really bad things didn't happen to the Mets until September. I believe we have seen Reyes and Delgado's last game as a Met Anybody for pizza?[/quote:hkz7o5og] 1) Whom do you suppose the Mets would GET for Jose Reyes, and more importantly 2) Who do you suppose would play short & leadoff for this team in 2010?[/quote:hkz7o5og] Get for Reyes? Don't know..maybe the GM will rebuild the team..Obviously the current corp has proven they dont have the heart Edgy DC Jun 04 2009 09:47 PM ="Ashie62":1mzvjcmt]I thought the really bad things didn't happen to the Mets until September. I believe we have seen Reyes and Delgado's last game as a Met[/quote:1mzvjcmt] I'll bet you $1,000. metirish Jun 05 2009 04:28 AM ="Ashie62":1svcfwyq]Hold on Jose Reyes plus partially torn hammy + Mets medical staff translates to out for the year to me [/quote:1svcfwyq] made me laugh SteveJRogers Jun 05 2009 06:03 AM ="Ashie62"]Beyond that. Over his career what has Reyes really done? The numbers often look very good on paper. However, does he hit in September, he doesn't pull his team up they way captain Intangibles can and his probable lack of a real education just makes him another exploited Hispanic player. My opinion. And how many rings does Jeter have WITHOUT Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, Scott Broisus, an every day playing Bernie Williams, the "Troika" (Nelson, Stanton, Rivera), Pettitte, Cone, an in his prime Orlando Hernandez, etc? Ashie62 Jun 05 2009 06:26 AM ="SteveJRogers"]="Ashie62"]Beyond that. Over his career what has Reyes really done? The numbers often look very good on paper. However, does he hit in September, he doesn't pull his team up they way captain Intangibles can and his probable lack of a real education just makes him another exploited Hispanic player. My opinion. And how many rings does Jeter have WITHOUT Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, Scott Broisus, an every day playing Bernie Williams, the "Troika" (Nelson, Stanton, Rivera), Pettitte, Cone, an in his prime Orlando Hernandez, etc? Steve, the Mets core to me is Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado. The entire team and this core has not gotten any closer than the end of 2006. Should 2009 end badly I believe there will be significant changes from top to bottom and I sincerely do not think Reyes will be back in 2010 Benjamin Grimm Jun 05 2009 06:29 AM When I first opened this thread, I expected to see that photo of Jose and David in gay togs that was taken in the Shea runway a couple of years ago, along with a picture of Jose with Sam Champion, or T.R. Knight, or Matthew Broderick... metirish Jun 05 2009 07:15 AM Just for you Ben Grim Fman99 Jun 05 2009 07:18 AM ="Ashie62":x4p76he8]I thought the really bad things didn't happen to the Mets until September. I believe we have seen Reyes and Delgado's last game as a Met Anybody for pizza?[/quote:x4p76he8] Reyes' last game as a Met? See, this is why you have to sign a form to purchase cold medicine, because of crazy meth talk like this. Edgy DC Jun 05 2009 07:59 AM I could really use the $1000. soupcan Jun 05 2009 08:04 AM I'll bet you $1,000.00 that the Mets don't make the playoffs. Benjamin Grimm Jun 05 2009 08:13 AM I would never bet against the Mets. How will you feel on the last Sunday of the season, when, inevitably, the Mets are one game out with one game to play? Would you root for the Mets? Or the thousand dollars? soupcan Jun 05 2009 08:19 AM I wouldn't bet against them either really. I was just illustrating my disappointment in all of these injuries. At this point, I am resigned to what I believe is the fact that without Delgado and Reyes for a significant part of the season, our boys are cooked. If I did make that bet, I'd be happy to have to fork over the thou at the end of the year. Edgy DC Jun 05 2009 08:21 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 05 2009 07:18 PM Yeha, I'm just looking to bet folks on the crap they actually declare. Ashie got four Mets' names right in his last post. That's something. Benjamin Grimm Jun 05 2009 08:27 AM ="soupcan":1jwuwz5r]At this point, I am resigned to what I believe is the fact that without Delgado and Reyes for a significant part of the season, our boys are cooked.[/quote:1jwuwz5r] I can't say I'm optimistic either. But look at how they went 19-9 in May: on starting pitching. Four starters with ERA's in the 2's. That may be the formula for a winning team at Citi Field. If that pitching holds up (Pelfrey's outing yesterday notwithstanding) then maybe they can hang in there with guys like Cora and Tatis and Murphy manning shortstop and first base. Who knows? It's a reason to keep watching, anyway. Centerfield Jun 05 2009 09:22 AM This thread is very silly. ="Ashie62":og8jl3it]I believe we have seen Reyes and Delgado's last game as a Met[/quote:og8jl3it] Very silly. Leading to this: ="Frayed Knot":og8jl3it]I believe the most ridiculous statement of the month contest already has a winner.[/quote:og8jl3it] But then Ashie comes back with this: ="Ashie62":og8jl3it]Beyond that. Over his career what has Reyes really done? The numbers often look very good on paper. However, does he hit in September, he doesn't pull his team up they way captain Intangibles can and his probable lack of a real education just makes him another exploited Hispanic player. [/quote:og8jl3it] Suggesting that FK may have spoken too soon. In the midst of all this, Stevie Jeets chimes in with: ="SteveJRogers":og8jl3it]FK and SJR similarity score rises![/quote:og8jl3it] Which, if true, would bring such score to a grand total of 1. Ashie62 Jun 05 2009 09:45 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 05 2009 09:47 AM ="Fman99":1w2vaqxy]="Ashie62":1w2vaqxy]I thought the really bad things didn't happen to the Mets until September. I believe we have seen Reyes and Delgado's last game as a Met Anybody for pizza?[/quote:1w2vaqxy] Reyes' last game as a Met? See, this is why you have to sign a form to purchase cold medicine, because of crazy meth talk like this.[/quote:1w2vaqxy] There is no need to be cruel..Save the Cough meds and meth for your kid.. Ashie62 Jun 05 2009 09:46 AM ="Edgy DC":tm2pu9lv]I could really use the $1000.[/quote:tm2pu9lv] Stop being a Rube..Yes, I could also...I do hope Reyes plays again this season and is dispatched off season. Have your fun LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 05 2009 11:05 AM ="Ashie62":p5pb575u] Beyond that. Over his career what has Reyes really done? The numbers often look very good on paper. However, does he hit in September, he doesn't pull his team up they way captain Intangibles can and his probable lack of a real education just makes him another exploited Hispanic player.[/quote:p5pb575u] Why does he always have to bat first ALL the time-- that's just selfish! And he's always running SO fast! Where's he going so quickly? Really, is he trying to show up somebody? And what's with all the hand-jiving? And that syncopated reggaeton madness-- OH, don't get me started, don't EVEN get me started. Success doesn't come from hand-slapping and shaking your bottom like Lola Falana, Senor Funny Business! He should go get his engineering degree, just like Jeter did before playing! Vic Sage Jun 05 2009 11:18 AM I agree with Ashie62. I think we should import a shortstop from Calcutta. They have a much better educational system in India. In the meantime, lets trade Reyes like the easily exploited commodity he is! Because, despite having one of the leading run scorers in baseball under contract for 2 more seasons at reasonable price, the Mets clearly need to dump him after an injury plagued season. You go, Ashie62! Edgy DC Jun 05 2009 01:43 PM Stop being a rube? You've called me worse, cleon. Please stop posting things you won't stand by. Centerfield Jun 05 2009 02:39 PM Whatever happened to Wilmer Flores? I think that was his name. He was a promising shortstop prospect for the Mets if I recall correctly? metirish Jun 05 2009 02:42 PM ="Centerfield":hg8vy9dq]Whatever happened to Wilmer Flores? I think that was his name. He was a promising shortstop prospect for the Mets if I recall correctly?[/quote:hg8vy9dq] Only 17 years old http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/sports/baseball/15flores.html Nymr83 Jun 05 2009 03:45 PM ]I think we should import a shortstop from Calcutta theres like a billion people there, the Mets should innovate and be the first to tap that market. give them a free year of SNY with those indian guys in the commercials. G-Fafif Jun 05 2009 04:04 PM ="Nymr83"]]I think we should import a shortstop from Calcutta theres like a billion people there, the Mets should innovate and be the first to tap that market. give them a free year of SNY with those indian guys in the commercials. We'd be the second, according to Slate. ]The Mound Is Flat India's first two professional baseball players make a passage to Pennsylvania. By Bruce Reed Posted Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008, at 12:45 PM ET As Christopher Hitchens eloquently suggested in the wake of last week's tragic terrorist attacks, India may well be America's most important ally. If so, last week also brought news of our most improbable form of foreign aid: the Pittsburgh Pirates. In a move that underscored both the common bonds and the cultural distance between India and the United States, the lowly Pirates signed two young pitchers who will become the first Indians ever to play professional sports in America. Before last Monday's signing, few in India had ever heard of the Pittsburgh Pirates, which is just as well. This year the Bucs tied the all-time record with their 16th-consecutive losing season, and next year they're on track to become the biggest losers in the history of professional sport. The Pittsburgh franchise is the General Motors of baseball, still reeling from disastrous mismanagement in the 1990s and early years of this decade. If TARP covered the major leagues, the Pirates would be first in the bailout queue. But in India, baseball is such a novelty that the Pirates might as well be the New York Yankees. The Hindustan Times reported, "Two Indian teenagers created history in the US sports Monday when they were signed up by prestigious baseball team Pittsburgh Pirates, five times World Series Champions." Never mind that the Bucs' last world championship was 30 years ago. With one grand, unlikely gesture, a team from western Pennsylvania has introduced America's national pastime to the second-most-populous nation on earth. In many ways, the whole episode is like the Pirates themselves�endearingly ridiculous. Pittsburgh discovered the two Indian pitchers, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel, thanks to an Indian reality show called The Million-Dollar Arm, the brainchild of Miami sports agent J.B. Bernstein. The show's premise�that any nation with 500 million men must have a Nolan Ryan somewhere�sounds like Tom Friedman trying to peddle a sequel, The Mound Is Flat. Bernstein promised a cool million to any Indian who could throw a baseball accurately at 85 mph. Of the 20,000 Indians who competed, Singh and Patel came closest, doing well enough to earn some cash and a chance to try out here in the United States. Neither man stands much chance of pitching in the big leagues, even for the Pirates, who gave up more runs by far than any other team in the National League this past season. In fact, neither Singh nor Patel had ever pitched in an actual baseball game. Both athletes trained as javelin hurlers. When they arrived in the United States this spring, they had to be taught to wear a baseball glove and not try to catch the ball with their bare hand. "What did the shortstop do wrong?" Patel asked their coach. "He's the only one without a base." Matt Yglesias once argued that baseball's popularity around the world is a sorry vestige of American manifest destiny�and India is already hopelessly addicted to cricket, which Yglesias dismisses as "the rotting corpse of British imperialism." Throw in a crass reality-show talent search by an American agent, and you have all the makings of a cross-cultural disaster. Yet judging from the glowingly proud reaction to their signing in India, as well as their own giddy blog entries about their experience so far in America, it's hard not to be happy for Singh and Patel�and to believe that this might be the best thing the Pittsburgh Pirates have done for baseball in a very long time. Both young men come from villages in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Singh is the son of a truck driver; his mother told the Hindustan Times, "He was often dubbed a loafer because he played sport. Now every villager prays for a loafer like him." The newspaper reports that Patel was raised by an aunt and uncle because his mother and mentally challenged father couldn't afford to. Patel's new contract means his uncle won't have to close his handlooms. Since they arrived in the United States six months ago, the two men have kept an online diary of their experience. It's endearingly ridiculous, too. First through an interpreter, and later in their own spare, broken English, Singh and Patel take turns gushing about what it's like to learn a silly game like baseball in a silly place like Southern California. If the greatest sportswriter of all, Ring Lardner, could return to write a 21st-century version of his classic You Know Me, Al, he would find inspiration in these two's adventures. More than baseball�a fantasy that is new to Singh and Patel�their blog is about the power, magic, and challenge of trying to make it in America. "People often hope to conquer this great, so-called 'American Dream' back home in India," Patel told their interpreter in May. "But here we are, the lucky ones blessed with this dream." Singh reflects, "You may think I'm building castles in the air, but there's no hope without a dream, is there?" Both players want to usher in a "baseball revolution" by launching baseball academies in India, and their villages are already swept up in baseball fever. Patel is still learning the rules but goes to bed "dreaming of returning home as the first baseball hero of my country." Their poignant, comic initiation to Southern California culture seems destined to generate screenplays in Hollywood and Bollywood alike�a cross between Field of Dreams and Slumdog Millionaire. Indeed, this week Patel wrote, "We have been spending free time meeting with many movies and TV peoples. It is unreal to believe someday our friends could see film about me and Rinku." He posted a photo of himself with a producer who knows the Rock. Singh and Patel gleefully recount one mishap after another. The first time Patel goes up to bat, he tries the underhand uppercut used in cricket. "No surprises, it doesn't work," he admits. Their coach teaches them to swing the bat like an ax instead. After a day of fielding practice, Patel confesses that he's "nervous about the speeding ball hitting me." They do yoga, get their first salon haircuts, visit Barry Bonds, and marvel at his mirror that turns into a TV. A "disastrous outing at the Laundromat" convinces them to write, "We are quite incompetent at laundry." Their biggest laughs come at our expense. Watching so many commercials for Viagra, restless leg syndrome, and smoothie makers leads Singh to conclude that in America, "There's a pill and a machine for everything." When he visits the emergency room after cutting his fingers with a kitchen knife, Singh can't believe it costs $300 for Band-Aids and a tetanus shot that would have cost 20 rupees back home. Seeing the stack of hospital paperwork they had to fill out, he says, "We laughed our guts out." After signing with the Pirates, Singh and Patel found Pittsburgh on Google and declared it a very good city. Bucs General Manager Neal Huntington doesn't expect India to be the next Dominican Republic or the signing to produce a billion new Pirate fans overnight. For now, Indian sports fans are consumed with the more pressing question of if any English cricketers will use the Mumbai attacks as an excuse to wimp out of this month's Test Series in India. But the Pirates' surprise move seems to have charmed the team's dwindling fan base in Pittsburgh. In an online Post-Gazette poll, fans overwhelmingly viewed the signing as "innovative" or "desperate"; only 18 percent considered it "insane"�a record low for the Pirate front office. One Bucs blogger, Honest Wagner, called it a "brilliant move" and proclaimed "Rinkumania." At Bucs Dugout, another wrote, "I love these guys." A fan at Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke? declared, "After reading their blog I've moved from bemusement to unadulterated adoration." Last week's attacks in Mumbai made Singh and Patel reflect on the contrast between the unreality of their current quest and the harsh realities back home. "Thanks to God that our families are very far from where the killings are, but still as Indian men we feel very bad," they wrote. "If not for contest we would be in India, and maybe in Army right now fighting terrorist in Mumbai." Their javelin coach in Lucknow, India, says the two athletes miss Indian food and their friends from school. But he insists that it's worth braving the culture gap, enduring the media scrutiny, and learning English by watching SportsCenter. "To achieve something," he says, "you have to make some sacrifices." For their sake, let's hope it's possible to learn baseball by watching the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bruce Reed, who was President Clinton's domestic policy adviser, is president of the Democratic Leadership Council and editor-in-chief of Blueprint magazine..

="Frayed Knot":64rk1hfr]I believe the most ridiculous statement of the month contest already has a winner.[/quote:64rk1hfr] FK and SJR similarity score rises! SteveJRogers Jun 04 2009 08:41 PM ="Ashie62":24jtft7r]I thought the really bad things didn't happen to the Mets until September. I believe we have seen Reyes and Delgado's last game as a Met Anybody for pizza?[/quote:24jtft7r] 1) Whom do you suppose the Mets would GET for Jose Reyes, and more importantly 2) Who do you suppose would play short & leadoff for this team in 2010? G-Fafif Jun 04 2009 08:45 PM Jose signed through '10, club option for '11. It's doomsaying beyond what even I can wrangle from the depths of my gloomy Met soul to have him out for the next 272 games. Ashie62 Jun 04 2009 09:10 PM Hold on Jose Reyes plus partially torn hammy + Mets medical staff translates to out for the year to me Carlos Delgado I would be surprised if he can come back from this injury and if so 2010 will not be a Met. This looks like a 79-83 team. I truly believe Reyes would be put on the block with his moveable salary. Who would play shortstop in 2010? That would be the decision of the 2009-2010 general manager Reyes & Delgado out for the year and a Reyes trade after another non-playoff season is not as farfetched as you all see to believe Beyond that. Over his career what has Reyes really done? The numbers often look very good on paper. However, does he hit in September, he doesn't pull his team up they way captain Intangibles can and his probable lack of a real education just makes him another exploited Hispanic player. My opinion. Ashie62 Jun 04 2009 09:12 PM ="SteveJRogers":hkz7o5og]="Ashie62":hkz7o5og]I thought the really bad things didn't happen to the Mets until September. I believe we have seen Reyes and Delgado's last game as a Met Anybody for pizza?[/quote:hkz7o5og] 1) Whom do you suppose the Mets would GET for Jose Reyes, and more importantly 2) Who do you suppose would play short & leadoff for this team in 2010?[/quote:hkz7o5og] Get for Reyes? Don't know..maybe the GM will rebuild the team..Obviously the current corp has proven they dont have the heart Edgy DC Jun 04 2009 09:47 PM ="Ashie62":1mzvjcmt]I thought the really bad things didn't happen to the Mets until September. I believe we have seen Reyes and Delgado's last game as a Met[/quote:1mzvjcmt] I'll bet you $1,000. metirish Jun 05 2009 04:28 AM ="Ashie62":1svcfwyq]Hold on Jose Reyes plus partially torn hammy + Mets medical staff translates to out for the year to me [/quote:1svcfwyq] made me laugh SteveJRogers Jun 05 2009 06:03 AM ="Ashie62"]Beyond that. Over his career what has Reyes really done? The numbers often look very good on paper. However, does he hit in September, he doesn't pull his team up they way captain Intangibles can and his probable lack of a real education just makes him another exploited Hispanic player. My opinion. And how many rings does Jeter have WITHOUT Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, Scott Broisus, an every day playing Bernie Williams, the "Troika" (Nelson, Stanton, Rivera), Pettitte, Cone, an in his prime Orlando Hernandez, etc? Ashie62 Jun 05 2009 06:26 AM ="SteveJRogers"]="Ashie62"]Beyond that. Over his career what has Reyes really done? The numbers often look very good on paper. However, does he hit in September, he doesn't pull his team up they way captain Intangibles can and his probable lack of a real education just makes him another exploited Hispanic player. My opinion. And how many rings does Jeter have WITHOUT Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, Scott Broisus, an every day playing Bernie Williams, the "Troika" (Nelson, Stanton, Rivera), Pettitte, Cone, an in his prime Orlando Hernandez, etc? Steve, the Mets core to me is Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado. The entire team and this core has not gotten any closer than the end of 2006. Should 2009 end badly I believe there will be significant changes from top to bottom and I sincerely do not think Reyes will be back in 2010 Benjamin Grimm Jun 05 2009 06:29 AM When I first opened this thread, I expected to see that photo of Jose and David in gay togs that was taken in the Shea runway a couple of years ago, along with a picture of Jose with Sam Champion, or T.R. Knight, or Matthew Broderick... metirish Jun 05 2009 07:15 AM Just for you Ben Grim Fman99 Jun 05 2009 07:18 AM ="Ashie62":x4p76he8]I thought the really bad things didn't happen to the Mets until September. I believe we have seen Reyes and Delgado's last game as a Met Anybody for pizza?[/quote:x4p76he8] Reyes' last game as a Met? See, this is why you have to sign a form to purchase cold medicine, because of crazy meth talk like this. Edgy DC Jun 05 2009 07:59 AM I could really use the $1000. soupcan Jun 05 2009 08:04 AM I'll bet you $1,000.00 that the Mets don't make the playoffs. Benjamin Grimm Jun 05 2009 08:13 AM I would never bet against the Mets. How will you feel on the last Sunday of the season, when, inevitably, the Mets are one game out with one game to play? Would you root for the Mets? Or the thousand dollars? soupcan Jun 05 2009 08:19 AM I wouldn't bet against them either really. I was just illustrating my disappointment in all of these injuries. At this point, I am resigned to what I believe is the fact that without Delgado and Reyes for a significant part of the season, our boys are cooked. If I did make that bet, I'd be happy to have to fork over the thou at the end of the year. Edgy DC Jun 05 2009 08:21 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 05 2009 07:18 PM Yeha, I'm just looking to bet folks on the crap they actually declare. Ashie got four Mets' names right in his last post. That's something. Benjamin Grimm Jun 05 2009 08:27 AM ="soupcan":1jwuwz5r]At this point, I am resigned to what I believe is the fact that without Delgado and Reyes for a significant part of the season, our boys are cooked.[/quote:1jwuwz5r] I can't say I'm optimistic either. But look at how they went 19-9 in May: on starting pitching. Four starters with ERA's in the 2's. That may be the formula for a winning team at Citi Field. If that pitching holds up (Pelfrey's outing yesterday notwithstanding) then maybe they can hang in there with guys like Cora and Tatis and Murphy manning shortstop and first base. Who knows? It's a reason to keep watching, anyway. Centerfield Jun 05 2009 09:22 AM This thread is very silly. ="Ashie62":og8jl3it]I believe we have seen Reyes and Delgado's last game as a Met[/quote:og8jl3it] Very silly. Leading to this: ="Frayed Knot":og8jl3it]I believe the most ridiculous statement of the month contest already has a winner.[/quote:og8jl3it] But then Ashie comes back with this: ="Ashie62":og8jl3it]Beyond that. Over his career what has Reyes really done? The numbers often look very good on paper. However, does he hit in September, he doesn't pull his team up they way captain Intangibles can and his probable lack of a real education just makes him another exploited Hispanic player. [/quote:og8jl3it] Suggesting that FK may have spoken too soon. In the midst of all this, Stevie Jeets chimes in with: ="SteveJRogers":og8jl3it]FK and SJR similarity score rises![/quote:og8jl3it] Which, if true, would bring such score to a grand total of 1. Ashie62 Jun 05 2009 09:45 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 05 2009 09:47 AM ="Fman99":1w2vaqxy]="Ashie62":1w2vaqxy]I thought the really bad things didn't happen to the Mets until September. I believe we have seen Reyes and Delgado's last game as a Met Anybody for pizza?[/quote:1w2vaqxy] Reyes' last game as a Met? See, this is why you have to sign a form to purchase cold medicine, because of crazy meth talk like this.[/quote:1w2vaqxy] There is no need to be cruel..Save the Cough meds and meth for your kid.. Ashie62 Jun 05 2009 09:46 AM ="Edgy DC":tm2pu9lv]I could really use the $1000.[/quote:tm2pu9lv] Stop being a Rube..Yes, I could also...I do hope Reyes plays again this season and is dispatched off season. Have your fun LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 05 2009 11:05 AM ="Ashie62":p5pb575u] Beyond that. Over his career what has Reyes really done? The numbers often look very good on paper. However, does he hit in September, he doesn't pull his team up they way captain Intangibles can and his probable lack of a real education just makes him another exploited Hispanic player.[/quote:p5pb575u] Why does he always have to bat first ALL the time-- that's just selfish! And he's always running SO fast! Where's he going so quickly? Really, is he trying to show up somebody? And what's with all the hand-jiving? And that syncopated reggaeton madness-- OH, don't get me started, don't EVEN get me started. Success doesn't come from hand-slapping and shaking your bottom like Lola Falana, Senor Funny Business! He should go get his engineering degree, just like Jeter did before playing! Vic Sage Jun 05 2009 11:18 AM I agree with Ashie62. I think we should import a shortstop from Calcutta. They have a much better educational system in India. In the meantime, lets trade Reyes like the easily exploited commodity he is! Because, despite having one of the leading run scorers in baseball under contract for 2 more seasons at reasonable price, the Mets clearly need to dump him after an injury plagued season. You go, Ashie62! Edgy DC Jun 05 2009 01:43 PM Stop being a rube? You've called me worse, cleon. Please stop posting things you won't stand by. Centerfield Jun 05 2009 02:39 PM Whatever happened to Wilmer Flores? I think that was his name. He was a promising shortstop prospect for the Mets if I recall correctly? metirish Jun 05 2009 02:42 PM ="Centerfield":hg8vy9dq]Whatever happened to Wilmer Flores? I think that was his name. He was a promising shortstop prospect for the Mets if I recall correctly?[/quote:hg8vy9dq] Only 17 years old http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/sports/baseball/15flores.html Nymr83 Jun 05 2009 03:45 PM ]I think we should import a shortstop from Calcutta theres like a billion people there, the Mets should innovate and be the first to tap that market. give them a free year of SNY with those indian guys in the commercials. G-Fafif Jun 05 2009 04:04 PM ="Nymr83"]]I think we should import a shortstop from Calcutta theres like a billion people there, the Mets should innovate and be the first to tap that market. give them a free year of SNY with those indian guys in the commercials. We'd be the second, according to Slate. ]The Mound Is Flat India's first two professional baseball players make a passage to Pennsylvania. By Bruce Reed Posted Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008, at 12:45 PM ET As Christopher Hitchens eloquently suggested in the wake of last week's tragic terrorist attacks, India may well be America's most important ally. If so, last week also brought news of our most improbable form of foreign aid: the Pittsburgh Pirates. In a move that underscored both the common bonds and the cultural distance between India and the United States, the lowly Pirates signed two young pitchers who will become the first Indians ever to play professional sports in America. Before last Monday's signing, few in India had ever heard of the Pittsburgh Pirates, which is just as well. This year the Bucs tied the all-time record with their 16th-consecutive losing season, and next year they're on track to become the biggest losers in the history of professional sport. The Pittsburgh franchise is the General Motors of baseball, still reeling from disastrous mismanagement in the 1990s and early years of this decade. If TARP covered the major leagues, the Pirates would be first in the bailout queue. But in India, baseball is such a novelty that the Pirates might as well be the New York Yankees. The Hindustan Times reported, "Two Indian teenagers created history in the US sports Monday when they were signed up by prestigious baseball team Pittsburgh Pirates, five times World Series Champions." Never mind that the Bucs' last world championship was 30 years ago. With one grand, unlikely gesture, a team from western Pennsylvania has introduced America's national pastime to the second-most-populous nation on earth. In many ways, the whole episode is like the Pirates themselves�endearingly ridiculous. Pittsburgh discovered the two Indian pitchers, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel, thanks to an Indian reality show called The Million-Dollar Arm, the brainchild of Miami sports agent J.B. Bernstein. The show's premise�that any nation with 500 million men must have a Nolan Ryan somewhere�sounds like Tom Friedman trying to peddle a sequel, The Mound Is Flat. Bernstein promised a cool million to any Indian who could throw a baseball accurately at 85 mph. Of the 20,000 Indians who competed, Singh and Patel came closest, doing well enough to earn some cash and a chance to try out here in the United States. Neither man stands much chance of pitching in the big leagues, even for the Pirates, who gave up more runs by far than any other team in the National League this past season. In fact, neither Singh nor Patel had ever pitched in an actual baseball game. Both athletes trained as javelin hurlers. When they arrived in the United States this spring, they had to be taught to wear a baseball glove and not try to catch the ball with their bare hand. "What did the shortstop do wrong?" Patel asked their coach. "He's the only one without a base." Matt Yglesias once argued that baseball's popularity around the world is a sorry vestige of American manifest destiny�and India is already hopelessly addicted to cricket, which Yglesias dismisses as "the rotting corpse of British imperialism." Throw in a crass reality-show talent search by an American agent, and you have all the makings of a cross-cultural disaster. Yet judging from the glowingly proud reaction to their signing in India, as well as their own giddy blog entries about their experience so far in America, it's hard not to be happy for Singh and Patel�and to believe that this might be the best thing the Pittsburgh Pirates have done for baseball in a very long time. Both young men come from villages in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Singh is the son of a truck driver; his mother told the Hindustan Times, "He was often dubbed a loafer because he played sport. Now every villager prays for a loafer like him." The newspaper reports that Patel was raised by an aunt and uncle because his mother and mentally challenged father couldn't afford to. Patel's new contract means his uncle won't have to close his handlooms. Since they arrived in the United States six months ago, the two men have kept an online diary of their experience. It's endearingly ridiculous, too. First through an interpreter, and later in their own spare, broken English, Singh and Patel take turns gushing about what it's like to learn a silly game like baseball in a silly place like Southern California. If the greatest sportswriter of all, Ring Lardner, could return to write a 21st-century version of his classic You Know Me, Al, he would find inspiration in these two's adventures. More than baseball�a fantasy that is new to Singh and Patel�their blog is about the power, magic, and challenge of trying to make it in America. "People often hope to conquer this great, so-called 'American Dream' back home in India," Patel told their interpreter in May. "But here we are, the lucky ones blessed with this dream." Singh reflects, "You may think I'm building castles in the air, but there's no hope without a dream, is there?" Both players want to usher in a "baseball revolution" by launching baseball academies in India, and their villages are already swept up in baseball fever. Patel is still learning the rules but goes to bed "dreaming of returning home as the first baseball hero of my country." Their poignant, comic initiation to Southern California culture seems destined to generate screenplays in Hollywood and Bollywood alike�a cross between Field of Dreams and Slumdog Millionaire. Indeed, this week Patel wrote, "We have been spending free time meeting with many movies and TV peoples. It is unreal to believe someday our friends could see film about me and Rinku." He posted a photo of himself with a producer who knows the Rock. Singh and Patel gleefully recount one mishap after another. The first time Patel goes up to bat, he tries the underhand uppercut used in cricket. "No surprises, it doesn't work," he admits. Their coach teaches them to swing the bat like an ax instead. After a day of fielding practice, Patel confesses that he's "nervous about the speeding ball hitting me." They do yoga, get their first salon haircuts, visit Barry Bonds, and marvel at his mirror that turns into a TV. A "disastrous outing at the Laundromat" convinces them to write, "We are quite incompetent at laundry." Their biggest laughs come at our expense. Watching so many commercials for Viagra, restless leg syndrome, and smoothie makers leads Singh to conclude that in America, "There's a pill and a machine for everything." When he visits the emergency room after cutting his fingers with a kitchen knife, Singh can't believe it costs $300 for Band-Aids and a tetanus shot that would have cost 20 rupees back home. Seeing the stack of hospital paperwork they had to fill out, he says, "We laughed our guts out." After signing with the Pirates, Singh and Patel found Pittsburgh on Google and declared it a very good city. Bucs General Manager Neal Huntington doesn't expect India to be the next Dominican Republic or the signing to produce a billion new Pirate fans overnight. For now, Indian sports fans are consumed with the more pressing question of if any English cricketers will use the Mumbai attacks as an excuse to wimp out of this month's Test Series in India. But the Pirates' surprise move seems to have charmed the team's dwindling fan base in Pittsburgh. In an online Post-Gazette poll, fans overwhelmingly viewed the signing as "innovative" or "desperate"; only 18 percent considered it "insane"�a record low for the Pirate front office. One Bucs blogger, Honest Wagner, called it a "brilliant move" and proclaimed "Rinkumania." At Bucs Dugout, another wrote, "I love these guys." A fan at Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke? declared, "After reading their blog I've moved from bemusement to unadulterated adoration." Last week's attacks in Mumbai made Singh and Patel reflect on the contrast between the unreality of their current quest and the harsh realities back home. "Thanks to God that our families are very far from where the killings are, but still as Indian men we feel very bad," they wrote. "If not for contest we would be in India, and maybe in Army right now fighting terrorist in Mumbai." Their javelin coach in Lucknow, India, says the two athletes miss Indian food and their friends from school. But he insists that it's worth braving the culture gap, enduring the media scrutiny, and learning English by watching SportsCenter. "To achieve something," he says, "you have to make some sacrifices." For their sake, let's hope it's possible to learn baseball by watching the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bruce Reed, who was President Clinton's domestic policy adviser, is president of the Democratic Leadership Council and editor-in-chief of Blueprint magazine..

="metirish":cv0ajple]Owens is with the Bills?...[/quote:cv0ajple] Yup Signed this offseason. holychicken Jun 04 2009 02:20 PM ="Nymr83":2vgasgn8]i dont think all these social networking sites should be held responsible to determine the true identities of their users, if the fake-larussa really damaged his reputation then thats who should get sued.[/quote:2vgasgn8] This. Gwreck Jun 04 2009 02:36 PM I think he'll have a tough time succeeding but I think there's some merit to the claim. I think it probably would have sufficed to have his lawyers serve an immediate cease-and-desist letter upon Twitter to have the fake page removed. (Granted, if that didn't work I think his case would be very strong). themetfairy Jun 04 2009 03:36 PM Twitter does have a policy against impersonation[/url:3bywtb23], which should cover them (provided, as Gwreck said, they were responsive to LaRussa's demand that the faux account be removed). Zvon Jun 04 2009 03:54 PM If his image was used along with the use of the name, I can see him being justified in wanting to take action. Looks like he's taking aim at the wrong culprit though, as mentioned above. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 04 2009 04:08 PM ="Nymr83"]i dont think all these social networking sites should be held responsible to determine the true identities of their users, if the fake-larussa really damaged his reputation then thats who should get sued. They're named as anonymous codefendants until they can be positively identified ("DOES 1-25" in the complaint). Not sure that'll happen, though, as the account is no longer active, and the page has been deleted, just before the complaint was served. (Plus, a posted sign on the page-- when it did exist-- pretty clearly marked the page as "Parody," even if the URL/account name didn't.) Rotblatt Jun 04 2009 04:57 PM ]i dont think all these social networking sites should be held responsible to determine the true identities of their users, if the fake-larussa really damaged his reputation then thats who should get sued. Exactly. But I don't blame LaRussa for being annoyed by it. MFS62 Jun 04 2009 05:34 PM I don't think there is any organization in the world than can further damage LaRussa's reputation. Later RealityChuck Jun 04 2009 06:04 PM The "Parody" label pretty much trumps LaRussa's feelings, assuming it was clearly displayed. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 07 2009 10:01 PM An update, of sorts... and a re-update? http://deadspin.com/5281505/alls-well-that-ends-well-with-tonylarussa-update Depending on who you believe, there's been a settlement, with LaSenseofhumor's animal-rescue foundation benefiting... or there's been nothing of the sort. So there.

Listen to Cohen do a non Met homer call, he will still say "Its outta here." Maybe less enthusiam, and if it is a 4th inning homer to increase an already huge lead in the middle of July, Cohen will also not put the same emphasis on the call as if it was a walk off, World Series clinching one. John Sterling on the other hand, does act as if the Yankees just clinched their 27th title with every MFY homer. And "Put it in the books" is not much different than "Stay tuned for the happy recap" no? And again Rose will not have the same gusto with an win in July as compared with a dramatic October game. Thats the difference between having signature calls and schtick catch phrases.

="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr"]="Frayed Knot"]Mostly what I take out of that story is further confirmation that Billy Martin was an ass (and a chicken-shit one at that) and that his beloved status as a Yanqui icon is a yet another stain on their sordid history. Over the years, I've started to think of Billy Martin-- smart bordering on devious, hypercompetitive, paranoid, alternately hateful and pathetic-- as sort of a living Dorian Gray portrait of Mantle, the archetypal MFY Legend. The hagiography and the underlying dirtiness are pretty inextricably linked, no? The thing about Martin, like Pete Rose, he gets plently of support amongst fanbases soley because of his scrappy "do anything to win" persona. When outside of the game, that type of personality is looked down upon in a "come on, how old are you?" kind of way. After Martin's death, the Yankees produced a video about his life which included interviews with various MFYL Douchebags, presumably in bars around MFYS. Anyway, one of these douches, with bandages covering his eye, mentions that he loved Martin because he got into lots of fights, and used the fact that he, the douche, was a bar room brawler himself. Somehow that demographic in fandom, no matter what the actual size, always seems to be the most vocal. Especially when you consider Martin described himself as "I may not have been the greatest Yankee, but I sure am the proudest." In many ways, that speaks volumes more about Martin's ego than his dedication to the "pinstripes."

="metsguyinmichigan"]I have a jersey just like that! I got it as a present when the Sox first switched to that design. My Mom went to Gerry Cosby's in Westbury -- is it still there? -- and took it to be customized. She's always friendly to clerks, and was horrified at how she was treated there. She explained that she was putting 41 on the jersey because I was a huge Seaver fan and put 41 on everything. The guy started saying "Seaver never wore this jersey, Seaver never wore this jersey!" And she explained that I collect jerseys and put 41 on jerseys when there is no name on the back, as the Sox at the time had and might still do on the home jerseys. He was getting pretty insistent, and Mom wouldn't budge and couldn't understand why the guy was giving her a hard time. Exasperated, the guy took the jersey and crumpled it in ball. The folks in Cosby's -- never seemed to err on the side of niceness. Here it is! A nice Lance Broadway jersey, 16 years before he wore it. Elitist douche! Sounds like someone out of High Fidelity or a Kevin Smith film. Granted I DO have a problem wearing NOB jerseys that aren't era specific, but I would never advocate being a douche about it if I was the one hearing the request from a customer. Geez BTW, that Cosby's is no longer there. Hmmm, could the horrid customer service be a reason?

Benjamin Grimm wrote: The Avengers could discover him in that floating block of ice. The Captain America movie should be a World War II movie. I very much approve. I was about to say. Either he is found at the post credit tag, or at the start of the Avengers film

="Met Hunter":79gsqzpe]="Benjamin Grimm":79gsqzpe]I'm curious to know how many wins it takes to get into the top 500.[/quote:79gsqzpe] 106[/quote:79gsqzpe] Wow, its a good thing I track the 200 wins club for a card collection of mine. That would be the top 110 at last count. John Cougar Lunchbucket May 26 2009 02:24 PM So who then is the 3rd Met with 106+ wins? Ollie has 50-something and has to lead the rest, yes? Am I overlooking someone? OlerudOwned May 26 2009 02:28 PM Jake Peavy? Edgy DC May 26 2009 02:30 PM Ken Takahashi? TransMonk May 26 2009 02:34 PM Freddie Garcia prolly has over 100 wins...but he never started for the Mets big club. Centerfield May 26 2009 02:44 PM Randy Johnson Tim Wakefield Jamie Moyer Randy Wolf Javier Vazquez Jeff Suppan Are correct. One more out there. Pitched for the Mets in 2009: Johan, Livan and Freddy Garcia. (Spring Training was 2009) Gwreck May 26 2009 02:49 PM Chan Ho Park? Centerfield May 26 2009 03:01 PM Bingo. Benjamin Grimm May 26 2009 03:40 PM What about Derek Lowe and his 126 (through 2008) wins? Centerfield May 26 2009 04:44 PM I meant eight starters. (I told you it was unreliable)

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":1gwq7fqn]Nice of Rogers to take some time off that place to visit his enemies here.[/quote:1gwq7fqn] Could be worse, over at PhilaPhans.com they've been bashing Tom McCarthy for drawing Mike Piazza references to Ryan Howard tape measure blasts. Over at Dodger BlueBalls they actually consider Vin Scully a bit overatted because he is such a sacred cow out there. soupcan May 20 2009 10:19 AM ="SteveJRogers"]Over at Dodger BlueBalls they actually consider Vin Scully a bit overatted because he is such a scared cow out there. Hmmm, that doesn't look like Vin. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 20 2009 10:48 AM ="soupcan"]="SteveJRogers"]Over at Dodger BlueBalls they actually consider Vin Scully a bit overatted because he is such a scared cow out there. Hmmm, that doesn't look like Vin. It's play by play-- I think he meant that Vin sounded like a scared cow. And speaking of scary... http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090518&content_id=4799820&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb A Boy Named Seo May 20 2009 10:59 AM ="Frayed Knot"]My only reservations about Keith concern what he'd be like with a bad team in front of him. I'm afraid he'd get bored rather easily and would slip into full Phil Rizzutto mode except that his occasional bouts of 'I'd rather be in Sag Harbor' disinterest wouldn't be as cute. Other than that for the high-school jock sandwiched between two Ivy Leaguers he plays the role well enough without overdoing the stereotype. Keith gets bored now with a pretty good team. His bafoonery is what makes him my favorite, though. I think Gary is a supremely knowledgeable Met guy, clearly a fan but not annoyingly so. Ron is very knowledgable, but (sometimes) a bland cliche-machine. Keith brings life to the booth, though because he's so not polished and he doesn't pander to the Mets or the network. He knows the game, has fun most of the time, but will tell you when he'd rather be at home watching Cavuto or whatever. Sometimes we'd all rather be somewhere else. I can't argue it's not unprofessional, but it's refreshing to me anyway and I think he's damn funny. G-Fafif May 20 2009 01:04 PM Keith Olbermann story about Vin Scully that makes even Michael Kay seem likable. Gary referenced it one of the last two nights. ]The advent of the Mets' annual visit to Dodger Stadium always reminds me of one of the greatest baseball stories nobody tells. Let's correct that. A decade ago, when I was still working full-time in sports and in Los Angeles, it was the Yankees coming to town for an exhibition game, and, with them, my friend Michael Kay, at that time still a member of their radio team. Michael is usually pretty direct, but on the field before the game, he was hemming and hawing something awful until I finally blurted "out with it!" He explained he was just too nervous to introduce himself to the legendary Vin Scully, even though both were not only major league broadcasters, but also alums of Fordham University in New York. Mike was still repeating his apology when I explained I knew exactly how he felt. When I had first worked in Los Angeles as a local sportscaster in the '80s, it had taken me two years to screw up the courage to introduce myself to this nonpareil of my business. As I reassured Michael, Vin was easily the nicest famous person in the sport, maybe in the country. And he always had a story that in some way related to you. Little did I know. As Michael began to hyperventilate, I made the introductions. Vin asked about Fordham, about Mike's youth, about his newspaper career, about the Yankees. And then came the story: "Michael, did you know; Keith, I don't even think I told you this -- I nearly became the Voice of the Yankees?" Absolute silence for two or three beats, and then, from Kay and Olbermann, a joint "whaaaat?" "When the Yankees let Mel Allen go in 1964, I got a phone call from the man who they had brought in to run their broadcasting operation, Craig Smith," Vin began. "He had been in charge of the World Series broadcasts forever, so I'd known him about ten years by then. And he asked me if I'd like to come home to New York and become the lead announcer. He offered a very handsome salary, and a long contract. "Well, I was amazed, as you can imagine. I'd found a wonderful home here in Los Angeles, but remember, this was only seven years after the Dodgers left Brooklyn. I was still a New Yorker through and through. Plus, here was a chance to work again with Red Barber. And recall, too, that this was just before the Yankee dynasty collapsed. As much as Mr. O'Malley had done here and in Brooklyn, the Yankees were still the marquee name in sports. If it had been 1958 or 1959, when I still missed New York so, I would've said yes before he hung up the phone." "So, I thought long and hard about that one. But I had a young family, and I think we had all just truly adjusted to living here - takes just about seven years, I think - and in the end I turned it down." Michael and I each sputtered various observations about how changed the baseball world might have been. Vin Scully doing the Yankee games? Would the franchise still have ebbed with such a benign but effective salesman at the microphone? Would the Dodgers' roots, still growing in 1964-1965, have gone in as deeply as they did? Would CBS's failed experiment in corporate ownership have succeeded, and George Steinbrenner never have bought the Yankees? What would have happened to the man to whom the Yankees gave the job Scully turned down? Would Joe Garagiola have ever wound up on The Game Of The Week, or The Today Show? Vin laughed. "Oh, to tell the truth, I don't think it'd made that much difference. It's not very important." He excused himself to go back to preparing for his broadcast, and, as usual, made it seem like I had done him a great favor by introducing Michael to him. After Vin had left, Michael and I sat there on the Dodger bench for a few moments in silence. Then he said "If he had been the Yankee announcer when I was growing up, I never would have dreamed of applying for a job as his gopher, let alone as his partner." I told him that once again I knew how he felt - it was very tough knowing that my sportscasts often preceded Vin's play-by-play on cable. It seemed somehow a sacrilege to pretend to deserve to be on the same channel. Still, think of it: 45 years of "Hi again everybody, it's time for Yankee Baseball!" Or maybe Steinbrenner would've quarreled with Vin and eased him out. Or, likeliest of all the alternate-galaxy theories: working in New York, where in the '60s all the network and advertising executives were still located, Vin Scully would've gone on to the Game Of The Week, or something even higher up on the tv food chain, a lot earlier than he actually did. Who knows - maybe he'd still be doing it - and doing it on NBC. Frayed Knot May 20 2009 01:41 PM ]Keith brings life to the booth, ... Yeah, I'm just afraid he wouldn't if stuck with a team going nowhere. There's a difference to going off the tracks every once in a while during a dull game or long pitching-change filled innings, it's another if it's all game every game. But that's just my speculation and am getting ahead of myself here. Hope we don't find out anytime soon. G-Fafif May 20 2009 04:01 PM State of the booths as heard from here: Keith Hernandez is a wild card/loose cannon. Some nights a gem, some nights a goof. Not the baseball genius I thought he'd be. An original, to be sure. I'd miss him if he left. Ron is a real jock, which is not a bad thing. He really likes being part of a team in there. Sounds happy when he doesn't have to be "Ron Darling, Yalie" and can be Ronnie, one of the guys. A good fit with each of his partners. More comfortable in contemporary climes than Keith. Someday Wayne Hagin will be doing the Royals or the Twins or the Astros and bring up the way David Wright charges a ball and his listeners will scratch their heads at why he's always referring to some random New York Met. Conversely, those among us who aren't obsessed with such matters will say, in five years, "oh yeah, Wayne Hagin, I forgot about him." He's an insightful observer of baseball matters, a pretty good announcer of baseball games. I don't know that he'll ever be a Mets broadcaster except in name. It's not that we have high standards; we have specific standards. I like him a good deal, but I can't quite get used to him. Howie Rose is a conversationalist, which is a lost craft in broadcasting today. He came into the business when civility and boundaries were implicit and sports was something people loved, not an all-pervasive industry. He's a bit of an anachronism in that sense, and a welcome one, even as curmudgeonliness slips into his delivery more and more. I don't think of him as a great play-by-play guy probably because I think of him as a great talk show host. He's wonderful between the pitches, sounds like he's putting on when he becomes an announcer (though not as badly as Michael Kay does). He and Hagin will never, ever mesh. That's neither's fault. Howie should keep his seat as long as he wants. Mets fans deserve a Mets voice on the radio. Gary Cohen is a conductor. He is a maestro. He grows as a broadcaster every year. He was the best thing since Vin Scully on radio and he's lifted his game to a high level on TV. He conducts. He moves the game along. He moves Keith and Ron along without stopping traffic. He still calls the action brilliantly. He questions what needs to be questioned, he emphasizes what needs to be emphasized and he sees what's coming. I'm in awe that he's the Mets' voice of record (and am ever thankful that SNY's original offer to Dave O'Brien to serve in that role was rejected). Whereas Howie seems like a Mets fan who grew up to broadcast Mets games, Gary seems like a broadcaster who was a Mets fan when he was a kid. Gary Cohen and Bob Murphy were a great team. Gary Cohen and Howie Rose were a great team. Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling are a great team. I don't think the common denominator is a coincidence. bmfc1 May 22 2009 06:37 AM G-Fafif said what I would have said, so I will just recommend your watching this video (NSFW!!!):

="seawolf17":1lpp27t8]="soupcan":1lpp27t8]The whole Yankee broadcast team - Sterling, Waldman, Kay, O'Neill, etc. are just one of the many reasons I'm glad I'm not a Yankee fan.[/quote:1lpp27t8] The problem is, MFY fans must eat this crap up, or it wouldn't sell. I don't know what I'd do if Gary Cohen was that unlistenable. Would I even notice? I don't know.[/quote:1lpp27t8] Actually two popular threads on NYYFans.com are "Petiton To Remove Michael Kay From YES" and "Petition To Remove John Sterling From CBS Radio" so I'd gather it is mixed in terms of Yankee fandom with their annoucing teams. John Cougar Lunchbucket May 20 2009 09:58 AM Nice of Rogers to take some time off that place to visit his enemies here. SteveJRogers May 20 2009 10:12 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 20 2009 10:34 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":1gwq7fqn]Nice of Rogers to take some time off that place to visit his enemies here.[/quote:1gwq7fqn] Could be worse, over at PhilaPhans.com they've been bashing Tom McCarthy for drawing Mike Piazza references to Ryan Howard tape measure blasts. Over at Dodger BlueBalls they actually consider Vin Scully a bit overatted because he is such a sacred cow out there. soupcan May 20 2009 10:19 AM ="SteveJRogers"]Over at Dodger BlueBalls they actually consider Vin Scully a bit overatted because he is such a scared cow out there. Hmmm, that doesn't look like Vin. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 20 2009 10:48 AM ="soupcan"]="SteveJRogers"]Over at Dodger BlueBalls they actually consider Vin Scully a bit overatted because he is such a scared cow out there. Hmmm, that doesn't look like Vin. It's play by play-- I think he meant that Vin sounded like a scared cow. And speaking of scary... http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090518&content_id=4799820&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb A Boy Named Seo May 20 2009 10:59 AM ="Frayed Knot"]My only reservations about Keith concern what he'd be like with a bad team in front of him. I'm afraid he'd get bored rather easily and would slip into full Phil Rizzutto mode except that his occasional bouts of 'I'd rather be in Sag Harbor' disinterest wouldn't be as cute. Other than that for the high-school jock sandwiched between two Ivy Leaguers he plays the role well enough without overdoing the stereotype. Keith gets bored now with a pretty good team. His bafoonery is what makes him my favorite, though. I think Gary is a supremely knowledgeable Met guy, clearly a fan but not annoyingly so. Ron is very knowledgable, but (sometimes) a bland cliche-machine. Keith brings life to the booth, though because he's so not polished and he doesn't pander to the Mets or the network. He knows the game, has fun most of the time, but will tell you when he'd rather be at home watching Cavuto or whatever. Sometimes we'd all rather be somewhere else. I can't argue it's not unprofessional, but it's refreshing to me anyway and I think he's damn funny. G-Fafif May 20 2009 01:04 PM Keith Olbermann story about Vin Scully that makes even Michael Kay seem likable. Gary referenced it one of the last two nights. ]The advent of the Mets' annual visit to Dodger Stadium always reminds me of one of the greatest baseball stories nobody tells. Let's correct that. A decade ago, when I was still working full-time in sports and in Los Angeles, it was the Yankees coming to town for an exhibition game, and, with them, my friend Michael Kay, at that time still a member of their radio team. Michael is usually pretty direct, but on the field before the game, he was hemming and hawing something awful until I finally blurted "out with it!" He explained he was just too nervous to introduce himself to the legendary Vin Scully, even though both were not only major league broadcasters, but also alums of Fordham University in New York. Mike was still repeating his apology when I explained I knew exactly how he felt. When I had first worked in Los Angeles as a local sportscaster in the '80s, it had taken me two years to screw up the courage to introduce myself to this nonpareil of my business. As I reassured Michael, Vin was easily the nicest famous person in the sport, maybe in the country. And he always had a story that in some way related to you. Little did I know. As Michael began to hyperventilate, I made the introductions. Vin asked about Fordham, about Mike's youth, about his newspaper career, about the Yankees. And then came the story: "Michael, did you know; Keith, I don't even think I told you this -- I nearly became the Voice of the Yankees?" Absolute silence for two or three beats, and then, from Kay and Olbermann, a joint "whaaaat?" "When the Yankees let Mel Allen go in 1964, I got a phone call from the man who they had brought in to run their broadcasting operation, Craig Smith," Vin began. "He had been in charge of the World Series broadcasts forever, so I'd known him about ten years by then. And he asked me if I'd like to come home to New York and become the lead announcer. He offered a very handsome salary, and a long contract. "Well, I was amazed, as you can imagine. I'd found a wonderful home here in Los Angeles, but remember, this was only seven years after the Dodgers left Brooklyn. I was still a New Yorker through and through. Plus, here was a chance to work again with Red Barber. And recall, too, that this was just before the Yankee dynasty collapsed. As much as Mr. O'Malley had done here and in Brooklyn, the Yankees were still the marquee name in sports. If it had been 1958 or 1959, when I still missed New York so, I would've said yes before he hung up the phone." "So, I thought long and hard about that one. But I had a young family, and I think we had all just truly adjusted to living here - takes just about seven years, I think - and in the end I turned it down." Michael and I each sputtered various observations about how changed the baseball world might have been. Vin Scully doing the Yankee games? Would the franchise still have ebbed with such a benign but effective salesman at the microphone? Would the Dodgers' roots, still growing in 1964-1965, have gone in as deeply as they did? Would CBS's failed experiment in corporate ownership have succeeded, and George Steinbrenner never have bought the Yankees? What would have happened to the man to whom the Yankees gave the job Scully turned down? Would Joe Garagiola have ever wound up on The Game Of The Week, or The Today Show? Vin laughed. "Oh, to tell the truth, I don't think it'd made that much difference. It's not very important." He excused himself to go back to preparing for his broadcast, and, as usual, made it seem like I had done him a great favor by introducing Michael to him. After Vin had left, Michael and I sat there on the Dodger bench for a few moments in silence. Then he said "If he had been the Yankee announcer when I was growing up, I never would have dreamed of applying for a job as his gopher, let alone as his partner." I told him that once again I knew how he felt - it was very tough knowing that my sportscasts often preceded Vin's play-by-play on cable. It seemed somehow a sacrilege to pretend to deserve to be on the same channel. Still, think of it: 45 years of "Hi again everybody, it's time for Yankee Baseball!" Or maybe Steinbrenner would've quarreled with Vin and eased him out. Or, likeliest of all the alternate-galaxy theories: working in New York, where in the '60s all the network and advertising executives were still located, Vin Scully would've gone on to the Game Of The Week, or something even higher up on the tv food chain, a lot earlier than he actually did. Who knows - maybe he'd still be doing it - and doing it on NBC. Frayed Knot May 20 2009 01:41 PM ]Keith brings life to the booth, ... Yeah, I'm just afraid he wouldn't if stuck with a team going nowhere. There's a difference to going off the tracks every once in a while during a dull game or long pitching-change filled innings, it's another if it's all game every game. But that's just my speculation and am getting ahead of myself here. Hope we don't find out anytime soon. G-Fafif May 20 2009 04:01 PM State of the booths as heard from here: Keith Hernandez is a wild card/loose cannon. Some nights a gem, some nights a goof. Not the baseball genius I thought he'd be. An original, to be sure. I'd miss him if he left. Ron is a real jock, which is not a bad thing. He really likes being part of a team in there. Sounds happy when he doesn't have to be "Ron Darling, Yalie" and can be Ronnie, one of the guys. A good fit with each of his partners. More comfortable in contemporary climes than Keith. Someday Wayne Hagin will be doing the Royals or the Twins or the Astros and bring up the way David Wright charges a ball and his listeners will scratch their heads at why he's always referring to some random New York Met. Conversely, those among us who aren't obsessed with such matters will say, in five years, "oh yeah, Wayne Hagin, I forgot about him." He's an insightful observer of baseball matters, a pretty good announcer of baseball games. I don't know that he'll ever be a Mets broadcaster except in name. It's not that we have high standards; we have specific standards. I like him a good deal, but I can't quite get used to him. Howie Rose is a conversationalist, which is a lost craft in broadcasting today. He came into the business when civility and boundaries were implicit and sports was something people loved, not an all-pervasive industry. He's a bit of an anachronism in that sense, and a welcome one, even as curmudgeonliness slips into his delivery more and more. I don't think of him as a great play-by-play guy probably because I think of him as a great talk show host. He's wonderful between the pitches, sounds like he's putting on when he becomes an announcer (though not as badly as Michael Kay does). He and Hagin will never, ever mesh. That's neither's fault. Howie should keep his seat as long as he wants. Mets fans deserve a Mets voice on the radio. Gary Cohen is a conductor. He is a maestro. He grows as a broadcaster every year. He was the best thing since Vin Scully on radio and he's lifted his game to a high level on TV. He conducts. He moves the game along. He moves Keith and Ron along without stopping traffic. He still calls the action brilliantly. He questions what needs to be questioned, he emphasizes what needs to be emphasized and he sees what's coming. I'm in awe that he's the Mets' voice of record (and am ever thankful that SNY's original offer to Dave O'Brien to serve in that role was rejected). Whereas Howie seems like a Mets fan who grew up to broadcast Mets games, Gary seems like a broadcaster who was a Mets fan when he was a kid. Gary Cohen and Bob Murphy were a great team. Gary Cohen and Howie Rose were a great team. Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling are a great team. I don't think the common denominator is a coincidence. bmfc1 May 22 2009 06:37 AM G-Fafif said what I would have said, so I will just recommend your watching this video (NSFW!!!):

Uh-oh. I guess my punishment is to watch the entire second season of TNG?

soupcan wrote: I saw it yesterday and liked it (3.5 stars), but I'm really a casual fan. Although I am familiar with the Shatner, Nimoy series I prefer TNG over than the original. Why was Kirk eating an apple during that scene significant? The Kobayashi Maru is a key plot element in The Wrath of Kahn. The start of the movie has Saavick, Kristie Alley, taking the test, and failing. We learn during the film that Kirk is the only person to ever beat the test, with a unique final solution. When Kirk, Saavick and McCoy beam on board the station where Carol Marcus and David Marcus have a Genesis prototype garden, filled with fresh on the vine fruit, Saavick finally has the conversation with Kirk about how Kirk ultimately beat the test. As Kirk is biting into an apple he explains that he did in fact cheat because he "hates to lose."

Braves Infante 2B Escobar SS Jones 3B Anderson LF Diaz RF Prado 1B Ross C Schafer CF Reyes P Mets Reyes SS Castillo 2B Beltran CF Sheffield LF Wright 3B Tatis 1B Castro C Church RF Niese P