stevejrogers

Apparantly Lyle Spencer (didn't he use to be a hack with the Daily News? Or was it the Post?) is allready picking the Mets in 2007[url]http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061028&content_id=1726610&vkey=ps2006news&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb[/url]]Who's next in '07? Maybe the MetsMets would be eighth different Series champion in eight yearsBy Lyle Spencer / MLB.comSeven new, different World Series champions in a dizzying, dazzling row.That's what the bold, new century has brought us, starting with the dynastic New York Yankees, finishing off their trifecta in 2000, and running right on through these remarkable St. Louis Cardinals, stirring memories of Dizzy, Daffy and the Gashouse Gang.Before we proceed, let us not overlook the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, the 2002 Anaheim Angels, the 2003 Florida Marlins, the 2004 Boston Red Sox and the 2005 Chicago White Sox -- all wonderful in their moment, all golden under the light of the silvery October moon.So -- cue the Keith Moon drumroll please -- Who's Next?Ladies and gentlemen, here they are, your 2007 World Series champions ...The New York Mets.Led by 2007 National League MVP Jose Reyes, Comeback Player of the Year Pedro Martinez and Manager of the Year Willie Randolph, they take that final stride and wash away the bitter disappointment of '06.Let's make that eight new champs in a dizzying, dazzling, Amazin' roll.And why the heck not?If you believe in truth, justice and the American way, baseball style, you have to acknowledge the Mets' many assets -- and their appealing prospects of conquering the World Series.Those are Minnesota's Twins, with all that dashing young talent and superlative pitching, we see across the field soberly observing the Mets' final October celebration after Game 7 at Shea Stadium, New York having claimed home-field advantage courtesy of Trevor Hoffman's save for the National League in the 2007 All-Star Game at San Francisco.Yes, the Mets. It's simply their time.This is a team that had everything but a closing act in '06, waking up those 20-year-old echoes of the '86 marauders with a fantastic season that had everyone remembering young Doc and Darryl, The Kid and Mex, Davey and Nails.Sure, it ended with the great Carlos Beltran, of all people, taking a third strike from the latest Chosen One, Adam Wainwright, leaving Shea Stadium numb and dumbfounded. But right up until their untimely demise, the Amazin's truly were amazin', start to finish.Consider: Beltran, Reyes, Carlos Delgado and David Wright gave leather-lunged New Yawk fans as many legitimate MVP candidates to cheer as the rest of the league combined. They'll all be back, smarter, stronger, even tougher. That taste, getting so close, will drive them through the long, hot summer. Consider: The Mets hit 200 home runs, stole 146 bases, had the league's best bullpen and came within a timely hit or two of winning the pennant with John Maine and Oliver Perez -- no Pedro, no El Duque -- pitching Games 6 and 7 of a great National League Championship Series against Chris Carpenter and Jeff Suppan.And, finally consider: Randolph is an emerging players' manager in the image of Joe Torre, a leader who will help aggressive GM Omar Minaya draw free-agent pieces necessary to improve on 97 regular-season wins and six more in the postseason for 103. That's a number matched only by the Cards' Motor City victims, nine more than the champions manufactured.There will be shrieks and howls of protests from precincts across the land when this decidedly unpopular and singular vote for the Mets is posted, but that's to be expected -- and embraced.Bring it on! We live for engagement.We hear you in The Bronx, jeering our audacity in putting the Mets ahead of the imperial Yanks. Sure, the Bombers will be a force; they're always a force. But the force of nature in '07 will be found in that neighboring borough of Queens.We hear you in New England, reminding us that the Sox will be back, curse-free, driven by Big Papi to show that 2004 was for real.We hear you in the South, where Atlanta still stands proud and brave -- OK, maybe not as proud and brave as before -- and Florida has a habit of rising unexpectedly from the ashes.Oh, sure, we hear you in Ryan Howard country out in Philly, where you're getting pumped to boo Santa, and north of the border in Toronto, where you're civil but firmly remindful of glories past.We hear you in Minnesota, Detroit, Cleveland and on the South Side of Chicago, ranting about how the AL Central still gets no respect. On the contrary, that division of divisions gets immense respect -- just not another World Series crown just yet. (The Tigers will be back, real soon, and the Twins are also here to stay).We hear you in St. Louis -- go ahead, let us have it. We know it's unwise to discount any team with David Eckstein, a modern-day Scooter, at shortstop in all his fiery glory. Hey, no offense, Redbird lovers, but recent history is compelling in its argument against repeats and in the sustaining power of the brand of magic that produces a championship without thunder from Albert Pujols.And, finally, we hear you out West, where Oakland, both Los Angeleses -- including the one in Anaheim -- and San Diego are potentially loaded. The pitching-rich Padres would be especially hard to ignore if they hired Dusty Baker, so perfect for the job, to replace Bruce Bochy. But that, alas, doesn't appear likely.So, yes, by all means, shout it from the rooftops. Your team, even those we foolishly neglected here, has a legitimate shot to be lucky No. 8 in to shine in the new century.Just make a few home improvements, add a shot of Wainwright-like magic, mix in some Eckstein heart and soul, and -- voila -- you're right there.In the meantime, go ahead and vent. We still like the Mets to take it the distance in '07.Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

I wanted a thing when I do my KTEs, and I figure doing some sort of historical thing would be that thing and if that means I'm repeating knowledge that is common knowledge than so be it huh?

Yancy Street Gang wrote: We know enough about the history of the Yankees. We really didn't need your little essay. Then what the fuck is the use of me trying to be an amature baseball historian. Gee wiz I said I was going to fucking do this so I'm fucking doing this. Twins, A's and Tigers coming later this fucking month

soupcan wrote: Oops I'm sorry - I thought this was a Mets board. My bad. Did I not have KT FUCKING E in the title thread?

Means you may get a case of Milwaukees Best, Pabst Blue Ribbon or Natural Light around Thanksgiving

BTW, where is Keith Olbermann ripping the publisher and Buster Onley for having Rivera in pinstripes on that cover. No wonder he botched that pop up back to him Thats in reference to his nit on Ken Burns' baseball which showed an image of Buckner in YS when discussing Game 6 1986 WS

metsmarathon wrote: how do you possibly leave out the arod slap? True, but going through the motions here I just wanted game winning moments, not really going for every single moment.

Gee wiz, I did promise to do a KTE for every one of the other 7 freaking teams, since there is nothing to know about their current state, why not do the postseason histories that I was planning on doing.

Elster88 wrote: ="smg58"]But playoff series aren't decided on paper. Agreed....but I think everyone already knew this. My opinion still stands unchallenged. I'm willing and eager to hear opposing arguments regarding other past champions. Let's have them. Does coming 27 outs away count as worse? SC=1973

Granted these wound up not needing to be done, since I did the leg work and did one for the Padres, I ought to finish the project outright First up, you know them, you hate them, the New York Mother F*****g Yankees: Apperances, 46 1st all time Consecutive, 12 1995-2006 1st all time(unless you count 91-93 on the Braves 95-05 run, then its second all time Two runs of 5 (49-53, 60-64), Two runs of 4 (36-39, 55-58) and three runs of 3 (21-23, 41-43, 76-78) Divisions, 2006 is their 15th crown, 2nd to the Braves and naturally all of them have been won in the same division a claim the Braves can't say about their 16 AL Championships, 39 times clearly runs laps around the A's 14, and not even close are the Dodgers (18) Cardinals (17) and Giants (16) In 2004 they nudged past the Braves for most LCS played with 12 and their 9 victories leads all time as well. By virtue of the 1981 and 2006 ALDS the Yanks pulled ahead of the Braves 13-11 in apperances in Divisional Series, and sadly they still have the most wins with 8 Needless to say 26 World Championships most ever, Cardinals finally get their 10th and are in second place. We start in 1921. John McGraw gets one over on his tenants and it looked like "Small Ball" won over the slugger as the Giants beat the Yankees 5-3, and then in 1922 the Giants swept the Yankees in 4 straight (there was one tie) and the Yanks were kicked out of the Polo Grounds! Starting anew in MFY Stadium in 1923, The Yankees returned the favor by beating the Giants, 4 games to 2. After finishing 2nd in 1924, the Yankees had a nosedive in 1925, finishing 7th with 69 wins. From 1926 through 1964, only in 1945 would they fail to finish higher then third and only in 1959 with 79 wins did they fail to win 80 games (in fact, other than 1981, it would be untill 1990 when they would win less than 70 in a season). The era known for Murderers Row would be ingrained in baseball lore in 1926-1928. Ruth, Gehrig, Dugan, Lazzeri, Coombs, Hoyt, Pennock and the rest of the team most historians cite as "The Greatest Of All Time" were at their peak during these years. A 7 game classic loss to the Cardinals though started things off in 1926. Grover Alexander's strikeout of Tony Lazzeri in the 7th inning (misconcepted as the game ender, thanks in part to 40's movie "The Winning Team") all but clinched the series for the Cardinals, but the series ended with Babe Ruth trying to steal second! Well at least the Babe was going for the element of surprise! The next two years were sweeps. The Pirates fell in 1927, generally the singular year citied as the best of all time, and the Yankees exacted revenge on the Cardinals in 1928. Combined with the 1932 sweep of the Cubs the Yankees reeled off 12 straight wins. The 1998-2000 Yankees are next on that particular list with 10, snapped in Game 3 at Shea Stadium! The 1928 series would be the last for manager Miller Huggins who died suddenly of blood posioning in September of 1929. In 1932 he became the first person commemorated in Yankee Stadium's Monument Park From 1929-1931, Connie Mack's Philadelphia A's enjoyed their final moments in baseball postseason glory. The Yankees were runners up in 29, but fell to third in 30, and there was a change at the helm, enter Joe McCarthy 1932, did the Babe call his shot? Scores of documents have been written, from articles to sections of books, describing the events of Ruth's "Called Shot" including many artist renderings on canvas and statues and toys. Needless to say, Ruth's final World Series blast, which was followed by a Gehrig hr, was the final touch on the Roaring Twenties Yankee dynasty After being runners up from 33-35, the 1936 Yankees, now firmly led by "The Great Joe DiMaggio", whom along with McCarthy would cultivate the myth of "Yankee Tradition" and the way they supposedly do things on River and 161st! So thats who you can blame Captain Intangiables on! The 1936-1939 Yankees are probably an underated bunch. Well, as underated as any 4-peat champion Yankee squad can be! The Yankees of this run won as effortlessly and efficiently as you can get. They dispatched the Giants in 36 and 37, 1936 took 6 games, but 1937 took only 5. They ran through the Cubs in 4 games in 1938, Lou Gehrig's final World Series, and destroyed the Reds in 4 in 1939. The Yankees fell to 3rd in 1940, but would return to the series in 1941, defeating the Dodgers in 5. A portent of things to come with those two franchises. The Yankees would win the AL pennants again in 1942 and 1943, losing to the Cardinals in 5, and then returning the favor in 5 games in 1943. Then WWII took a toll on the roster, and the Yankees would not be back in the Fall Classic untill 1947, where they once again beat the Dodgers, this time in 7. McCarthy was gone by 1945, but it would take untill 1949 for the Yankees to find a true successor. And he came from the PCL by way of Brooklyn and Boston (Braves), Casey Stengel came in, much in the way Joe Torre would some 5 decades later. Much riddicule for the move that would soon give way to acceptance. Granted veterans like DiMaggio and Rizzuto hated him for his constant lineup shuffle, and some say Whitey Ford would have won 300 games if not for Stengel's constant need to keep him out of the rotation and only throw him against the opponent's best pitcher, but Stengel still got the job done. 1949, after successfully navigating a classic pennant race, boosterd by a classic series out of DiMaggio in the final weekend against the Red Sox, the Yankees defeated the Dodgers in 5 in the World Series. 1950 would see a sweep of the Whiz Kid Phillies, 1951 would see a 6 game win over the Giants (couple of guys named Mays and Mantle made their debuts that season) and in 1952 and 1953 they beat the Dodgers. It took 7 games in 52 and 6 in 53. While lacking the 30's efficiency, this is still one of the greatest strings in North American professional sport. That, and perhaps the birth of baseball's first TV mega super-star in Mickey Mantile is probably what makes this era more beloved through the years. The Stengel era would start its desent in 1954, course they still won 103 games (only time Stengel won 100 actually) but while they would make it to the World Series every year except for 1959, the final years were uneven, in fact they played a seventh ballgame in each of those 5 series. Losing to the Dodgers in 55, beating them in 56, losing to the Braves in 57 and then beating them in 58, and finally losing to the Pirates in 1960, and the Yankees decided that the game had passed Stengel by. Or maybe it was because he didn't use Ford for Game 7, who knows. Either way, Stengel out, Ralph Houk in, and the 60's were getting underway. 1961 is the other singular Yankee team that lazy historians tend to look to as the greatest ever. Naturally due to "61 in 61" but Whitey Ford would have his best year ever, Yankees won 109 ballgames and hit a ton of HRs that stood as the all-time single season record for a team untill the Juiced Player/Ball era of the 1980's and 1990's. They crushed the Reds in 5 games, and the next year beat the Giants in 7. They would get completely trashed in 4 games by the Koufax led Dodgers, and in 1964 the Cardinals, led by Bob Gibson would beat the Yankees in 7 games. A chapter in Yankee history slammed shut. The rest of the 60's were a quagmire for the Yankees, but things started to turn in 1968 (see the Horace Clarke years weren't as bad as 70's Yankee bandwagoneers want you to think) They finished 2nd in 1970, but fell to 4th from 71-73. It was here that the Boss, George M. Steinbrenner, the Third assumed controll The Yankees returned to the postseason in 1976, winning the first of three straight AL East pennants. A classic ALCS against the Royals, capped off with Chris Chambliss' Game Winner. They would proceed to get swept by the Big Red Machine in the World Series. But the accquistion of Reggie Jackson that winter would bolster a fine lineup, led by Thurman Munson, Lou Piniella, Mickey Rivers and Graig Nettles. Anchored by Mike Torrez, Catfish Hunter and Ed Figueroa, the Yankees repeated and played the Royals again in the ALCS, in another 5 game classic. They would beat the Dodgers in 6 games, the final game made famous thanks to 3 homers on 3 pitches by Mr. October 1978 would be a rough one, a bad start and injuries had the Yankees in turmoil all summer. Billy Martin quit after yet another incident involving his hatred of both Reggie Jackson and George Steinbrenner. But the pitching of Ron Guidry and Rich Gossage kept the Yankees afloat, to the point where they made their move against the Red Sox late in the summer. They wound up in a tie at the end of the regular season, forcing "The Bucky Dent Game" They won that game, to seal up their 3rd straight AL East. They beat the Royals in 4 this time, and beat the Dodgers in the World Series in 6 games. 1979 would see the Yankees bounce to 4th, but they returned with a vengance in 1980, winning 103 games and promptly got swept by the Royals in the ALCS. The strike year resulted in the Yankees being on top at the time of the strike, only to be topped by the Brewers during the 2nd half. It would take 5 games for the Yanks to dispatch the Brew Crew. In the ALCS, they met Old Friend, Billy Martin with the Billy Ball A's. It was all Yankees as they won in 3 games. The Dodgers were waiting though, and they won in 5 games. Another way MFY fans try to pass on a "long suffering" label is the Yankee squads of the 1980's. While they were truely horrid for a good 4 year stretch in the early 1990's, the 1980's were actually a pretty decent run. Just a lack of dependable pitching did them in during the early Mattingly years. By 1994 the Yankees were back to their traditional ways, although this was a year wiped out by the players strike, the Yankees did hold the best record in the game at the time of the strike. 1995 would represent Don Mattingly's only postseason apperance, and he did put on a show. The Yankees made it in as the Wild Card, and lost a classic 5 game series to the Mariners. Buck Showalter is shown the door, Joe Torre enters and it's in 1996. The Yankees win the AL East proper for the first time since 1980, and proceed to decimate the Rangers in 4 games in the ALDS. The ALCS against the Orioles becomes forever known as the Jefferey Maier series, but the Yanks prevail in 5 and go on to win the World Series in 6 against the Atlanta Braves. 1997 the Yanks win the Wild Card and lose a tough 5 game series to the Indians. The Yankees returned to the top of the AL East for the first of 9 straight years in 1998, with a 114 win barrage. The Rangers were swept in the ALDS, the Indians put up a fight but lost in 6 and the Padres were no match and were swept. 1999 would feature a 1930's-esque efficiency. Rangers swept, Red Sox only won 1 ALCS game (Pedro Martinez vs Roger Clemens in Fenway, I honestly thought THAT was the one that would Reverse The Curse, but that would have to wait another 5 years), and the Braves were swept in the World Series. Since the Divisional round was added, that 1999 run of 11-1 has not been equaled, or obvioulsy topped. 2000 would see the first of two classic ALDSs against the Oakland A's. Both would go 5. In fact the Yankees' opponents in both the 2000 and 2001 ALCSs were the Mariners! 2000 would go 6 and 2001 would go 5. The Mariners of 2001 actually won 116 games in the regular season, a taste of revenge they must say. The 2000 World Series is escaping me right now, so nothing of, ehem, consequence happened. I mean what, not like a team celebrating in a road stadium where the fans of the road team out numbered the home tea...oh uh #@_)$(#)_($)_@#($@#)_$( EHEM! Moving right along, after the 26th championship banner was raised, it looked like the 2001 Yankees were going to "Win One For New York" in the month after 9/11. Despite heroics in the Yankee Stadium games, it wasn't meant to be, as the Diamondbacks won in a dramatic Game 7, that can be considered Yankees would come back to lose in 4 to the Angels in 2002, then in 2003 they beat the Twins in 4 in the ALDS, then win the ALCS in a classic 7 game series against the Red Sox, featuring another ALCS winning walk off, this one by Aaron Boone They would lose to the Marlins though in a 6 game World Series. 2004 looked like it would go the same way. A 4 game defeat of the Twins, but this time the Red Sox prevailed. Becoming the first team ever to come back from a 0-3 deficit the Sox defeated the Yankees in a 7 game classic enroute to their first championship since 1918. The Yankees have not been to the ALCS since, losing to the Angels again in 2005, this time in 5 games, and of course going down in 4 to the Tigers this October. Whew! The less involved Twins, Athletics and finally the AL Champion Tigers to follow, sometime in November! Sleep is needed...

Johnny Dickshot wrote: I soitenly believe Willie was a Met fan. Willie was No. 30 for many years as a MFY, but when he came to the Mets in '92 that number belonged to Mel Stottlemyer, and when he came in 05, Cliff Floyd was wearing it. Both times he took No. 12, and remarked on its appropriateness thusly: ]"I'm gonna wear No. 12. Why? You remember Ken Boswell? Second baseman on the '69 team? He was my favorite player growing up. No. 12. It's a nice number." Ken Boswell. Not much love for this guy but he came up pretty big in both postseasons he played for the Mets. BTW the former probably was more of a sign of how much Willie changed through the years as a person. Usually players get the coaches uniform, no questions asked (Mookie Wilson and everyone who has worn 1 during his tenure) Well as the story goes, Mel had been released by the Yankees prior to the 1975 season. No plans for a retirement were of course made (and nor should they have been, even by today's standards Mel doesn't hold up (see Guidry, Ron), but the Yankees put 30 out of circulation in 1975. Willie comes aboard in 1976 and having wore 30 as a Pirate the year before, asks for 30 without thinking. The Yanks clubhouse guys put on the spin about Mel and 30 is "out of circulation" Randolph insists out of the basis that the Yanks weren't planning on retiring Mel's 30, and thats how Willie Randolph came to wear 30 as a Yankee player and coach all those years. Actually, as bold as it was, I kind of agree with that original line of thinking. It's one thing to hold a number for a legend, but for a nice player with a nice career? Bit much, especially one that was a reminder of a time the MFY and their fans probably would rather be moving on from!

cooby wrote: Maybe he took her to an away game True, but the story has been told that they went to Shea for a Met game on their first date

Zvon wrote: ="Elster88"]You guys saw Willie Mays play? You're old. lol (@Dempsy) Yes, i saw Willie play,and if that makes me old then Im one happy old coot. I even walked/jumped along side him on his way from the Diamond Club entrance to his pink car. He always parked it right out there. Tags read SAYHEY. Apropos of nothing but I watched the HBO special on the Cubs and there was a part on Jack Brickhouse and his Hey HEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYY! homer call. Probably would have been a John Sterling template if Mays played for the Cubs (or if Brickhouse broadcasted for the Giants) "HEY HEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYY! ITS A HOMER FOR SAY HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYY WILLIE MAYYYYYYYYYSSSSSSSS!"

cooby wrote: My first date with my husband was August 25, 1978 Neat, I was a year and a half then! =

KC wrote: We could start a large thread if we wanted to on what regulars here tend to do. But we generally like each other, so let's not. Fair enough, I was just curious if there was something to it rather than just one person's opinion. I.e. Randolph's growing up a Met fan only being first discussed when he was being bandied about as the Met skipper in the winter of 2004. Granted a person's fandom is none of anyone's business but I can see how someone would take it as being a bit odd that despite nearly 30 years of being associated with New York City baseball (including a year as a Met player) that it'd be the first time peeps would have heard about it. Eh, everyones entitled...

cooby wrote: Maybe he took her to an away game Or just got the date of the game wrong, who remembers the EXACT day of something like that years later. Maybe the season and general month, and maybe something triggers why you remeber the exact day (well it HAD to be a Monday because we always did such and such on Mondays)

Teams under 90 wins that won the World Series in a non-shortened season: 1945 Tigers 88-65 slight caveat for WWII 1959 Dodgers 88-68 and they needed Games 155 and 156 to do so! 1987 Twins 85-77 2000 Yankees 87-74 2006 Cardinals 83-78 Also making it to the World Series: 1926 Cardinals 89-65 1938 Cubs 89-63 1944 Browns 89-65 slight caveat for WWII 1973 Mets 82-79 1997 Indians 86-75

metirish wrote: ] but on this board its usually with quotes around it suggesting that it really is alledged that he grew up a Met fan I don't remember anyone saying that Willie growing up a Mets fan was just BS... Edgy tends to say "supposedly" often when refering to Randolph being a Met fan growing up. Probably something to do with the date of the Randolphs' first date being screwy where a date was given but the Mets were actually on the road or something like that.

Nymr83 wrote: Lidle was no Clemente, heck he wasn't even Daryl Kyle... his autograph will never have near the value that it does this month again imo. Yup. I didn't mean to compare him to a future HOFer I was just going with the first name to pop in my head. Kyle is a more apt comparision, but even then you're right, the Lidle situation pales in comparision, but sadly is more apt for jerk-wads like this particular huckter to be shamless in his exploitaion. Probably because of his brief MFY-ness

Seems like I hear alot about Willie Randolph being a Met fan growing up and taking his future wife to a Met game on their first date, but on this board its usually with quotes around it suggesting that it really is alledged that he grew up a Met fan Is there something I'm not being told? Do people have photos of Randolph in Yankee gear as a youngster?

="metirish"]Not EBAY but I read this in the Post today..... ] And the studio salesman several times emphasized that that the autograph that made this ball special was not Derek Jeter's nor Mariano Rivera's, but Cory Lidle's. In bad taste? Special place in Hell for that salesman. You really gotta wonder if a huckster like that has ANY scruples, or just an editing valuve that would say "Gee, maybe I shouldn't emphasize the fact that a player who JUST died signed this ball." Big difference between say a Lidle Yankee ball and say a 1998 Randy Johnson Houston Astros team signed ball so don't even think of coming from that particular angle! There is a time where maybe, MAYBE you can use a "one of the last team balls Player X was a part of before his untimely death" come-on (i.e. a 1972 Pirate ball featuring Clemente) but not in the same month that the guy dies!

BTW, I feel bad for Izzy. Was there with the Cards since 2002 and is DLed with the possiblity of a career ender for the championship ride. http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/pics/jason_isringhausen_autograph.jpg

Yeah, I crigne everytime I hear "Rogers Centre" for the Bluejays' home. Not that I don't mind the plugs, but ITS SKY FREAKING DOME! And allways will be!

Has anyone confirmed that David Eckstein is a Jewish ballplayer or is it like Mike Jacobs/David Cone where the name/spelling sounds jewish but the person isn't? Just looked at a list and he isn't on it, and I thought I heard that he was.

Maybe not-so-interesting tidbit, since 2003 the team in the series with the longer "drought" has won