Johnny Lunchbucket

I used to think there was a good novel plot in a baseball owner -- let's call him Fred-- who signs a Japanese ballplayer to a 7 figure contract so as to get a break on the cost of a scoreboard from a club owner in the electronics field. Only, the player is horribly out of sorts in the USA, anxious to discover US nightlife, and unbeknownst to the club, owes a hefty debt to the Yakuza back in his home country. It's up to the player's put-upon interpreter--a kid fresh out of college whose duties also include office busy work and tending to a ladyfriend who'd prefer to spend nights watching romantic sitcoms--to solve these multiple crisises. He engages the assistance of a small-city beat reporter, who baffles his experienced rivals with one clubhouse exclusive after another while slowly crafting an cover story for the athlete's real estate investments which may or may not pay off and keep the gangsters from throwing out the first pitch--in a deadly war. Can our hero keep his lovelife alive, the owner in the dark and the team in the first division? Read on!

It's about time for upgrades. Things like stores need to be redone about every 7 years. The thing about the current scoreboards and the weird angles is they do double duty as billboards from the rear that don't do much for the outside aesthetics of the building. We can be certain this giant thing will accomplish that somehow too

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: Also, am I right that the Mets org once had Steve Rogers, the Expo? Incorrect. You may be thinking of Steve Renko, who was traded early in his Met-hood to Montreal (for Donn Clendenon). That is correct.

The Mets always announce shit on Fridays

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: Good guess, Rogers But incorrect. Much more important to the Mets than Al Pedrique. Much. More guesses? He's got a capricious brain, though. Also, am I right that the Mets org once had Steve Rogers, the Expo?

This was a travesty of a result. Obviously Russian fraud

Good guess, Rogers

I read a bunch of contemporary accounts of the Blair Affair. Back then the proto-Rule 5 procedures could be punishing for shitty teams. Blair was like 17 or 18, instructional league, and they had him fake an injury so as to keep others off the scent. You were required to promote these 1st year guys to the 40 or risk losing up to 4 players each year. Bad for org builders and the players, who missed developing while being benched everyday. Your Musgraves and Powells were subject to the same, resulting in all the pro ball they'd ever play

I think if you are born off-season you're allowed to use the 1st game following in this game.

The Mets had Jason Bay as a minor leaguer, pre-stardom, and of course more famously in post stardom. He was acquired in a spring-training trade as a prospect from the Expos for Lou Collier, who I can recall lobbying hard to make the Mets as a reserve, then traded to the Padres for the the immortal Jason Middlebrook , a reliever whom Phillips had a thing for. Collier had come over in the stupid Jeromy Burnitz trade, speaking of Met prospects who blossomed in other organizations and were reacquired once they began to suck.

Yeah I can't spell French words. I believe Rusteck came down with elbow trouble shortly after this appearance. Those problems were less solvable then. He pitched for another 11 years in the minors and Mexican leagues tho. DOMINATED in the Dixie League in 1971, winning 17 games for the pennant-winning Charlotte Hornets but the Twins wouldn't bother to call.

Razorback. For some reason I recall he was a 2nd round draft pick. He looks a lot like a ballplayer but never really played like one

I thought it was a good movie. Good performances, a little heavy on the melodrama. but not nearly as good a movie as the book was a book. "He's got an ugly girlfriend"

I would guess I had the most notable Met birth game, with a couple of [CROSSOUT]very [/CROSSOUT]rare things: --Dick Rusteck[CROSSOUT] pitched a 1-hitter.[/CROSSOUT] (it was a 4-hitter). It was his only MLB victory. --Ed Broussaud hit 2 home runs Mets beat the Reds, 5-0

Exciting contest this year in the sense that's there's no single 800-lb gorilla out there. It's anyone's game!

I'm on board with Buck. He's not going to cost us games with many dumbass strategy calls. Been there, done that. On the Twitter, Mark Simon told a story of being on the baseball tonight set with Buck and him noticing that 2 digital clocks were 2 seconds apart from one another

Edgy MD wrote: Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: I gotta say, Newsday has the best fastball on the staff. It may need work on its secondary pitches, like exploiting scandals, cashing in on LOLMets moments, and making use of Mr Met with a variety of facial expressions and such. What do you consider to be Newsday's heater? I mean it's their typical pitch. They pretty much fire their covers down the middle and dare the offense to hit it, but they have a weak secondary repetroire. No screwballs like the Snooze and Post often spring on us.

I gotta say, Newsday has the best fastball on the staff. It may need work on its secondary pitches, like exploiting scandals, cashing in on LOLMets moments, and making use of Mr Met with a variety of facial expressions and such.

I don't think either of these 2 are destined to be hung in Sweden but I went with the bear just because they broke all the rules with a lengthy headline on a basic non-story

Biked by Citifield today. No sign that a Tom Seaver statue is in progress.

The twitters say it could happen.

Eight time manager of the year. Looks like Whitey Herzog from a distance. I would have no ready complaints if he's the guy

plus he won damn world series already

McNeil was a pretty good No. 6-- dirty uniform, versatile, organization product, left-handed hitter. All of the key criteria for No. 6 met right there. 19 is a reserve corner outfielder's number for sure. I like pitchers in 21-- sorta like Clemens but not. Was a good match for Rich Hill. 10 is just kinda eh