MFS62

="GYC"]Rick Ankiel ran head-first into the outfield wall. If he goes on the DL, he will be my eighth player on the DL this year and the seventh still on it in my money fantasy league: B.J. Upton (returned), Justin Duchscherer, Chien-Ming Wang (now dropped), Ricky Romero (now dropped), Brian McCann, Edwin Encarnacion and Stephen Drew. Jason Bartlett and Dan Uggla have also been hurt lately but both returned to their lineups yesterday. Maybe Ankiel would have missed the wall if there had been a picture of home plate on it. Later

="themetfairy":s611qs5v]="MFS62":s611qs5v]I wonder if sending a Little League Majors player back to the Minors screws them up for life. Just wonderin'. Have any of you had to deal with that as managers or players? Later[/quote:s611qs5v] I have never heard of such a thing being done.[/quote:s611qs5v] I'm not surprised. I remember it was being done to kids in New York City in the late 50's/ early 60's. Have no idea if its still being done, or where. Later seawolf17 May 03 2009 06:12 PM ="Edgy DC":37gy4rpl]Rockville Centre's own: http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=riccob001ric[/quote:37gy4rpl] Well, not exactly. RC-born, maybe, but Commack-raised. That's him, though. Frayed Knot May 03 2009 06:28 PM I remember having a "tryout" in my first year in L.L.; a maybe 5 minute set of drills given to me by some older kids to determine which of the lower leagues best fit my entry level "skill". Not sure how accurate that kind of thing is but it did keep me out of the lowest rungs where much of my age-group got sent. After that you just kind of progressed up to the higher rungs as you aged just like school promotions (I can't imagine there were ever any demotions). And there was never any "draft" either. Basically if you were in the 'Orange' group in one league then you were an 'Orange' in a higher league the following year, and the players on a Red team graduated to a higher red, so what level you were in automatically determined which team. Nor were there any fights over team names since they didn't name them after MLB squads (I assume they have to pay a fee for the use of those?). In our L.L., they'd name each team in one entire level birds (Falcons, Ravens, Owls, etc.) while the next was all animals, and another was all Indian tribes, and I forget what the others were. Both the non-draft and the neutral names probably saved a lot of hand-wringing for both kids & adults. Of course LL didn't start as young back then. IIRC it was limited to 9, 10, 11, & 12 year olds (or 8 - 11 if your birthday was later in the year) but I'm sure there were no levels for 5 to 7 y/o. By 13 you moved up to 'Babe Ruth' level and the bigger field. DocTee May 03 2009 06:48 PM My little league teams were all cats: Jaguars, Panthers, Lions, Tigers, Bobcats...the Lions were the powerhouse. When we moved to majors, the four teams were Mets, Braves, Pirates and Giants... the uniforms were gray, with a colored logo-less hat and stirrups to differentiate the teams--Pirates were yellow, Mets blue, Giants orange and my braves, purple. Then to Babe Ruth (Green Machine). We played in Central Park and beneath the Queensboro Bridge on some clay tennis courts that left my sneakers and clothes perpetually ruddy. themetfairy May 03 2009 06:57 PM There's definitely a fee to use the MLB names. And we also pay a fee to use minor league names (two years ago MK was a B-Met). Our township has eight majors teams, and the draft is a big deal. Every coach automatically gets his own kid, but how that kid is ranked is often a point of contention; some guys don't want their kids to play for certain coaches; and all sorts of other squabbles take place each year. Frayed Knot May 03 2009 08:45 PM Lots of youth sports would be better with less parental involvement. soupcan May 03 2009 09:12 PM ="themetfairy":zpq9b6ee]Our township has eight majors teams, and the draft is a big deal. Every coach automatically gets his own kid, but how that kid is ranked is often a point of contention; some guys don't want their kids to play for certain coaches; and all sorts of other squabbles take place each year.[/quote:zpq9b6ee] Sounds the same as my town. We have 10 Majors teams, broken up into a 'National' and 'American' league. There are 6 teams named after MLB teams (Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs Astros, Mets. Pirates) and 4 teams with names that I have no idea where they came from (Maruders, Jaguars, Commandos, Raiders). If a 'Majors' team is short a player for a particular game they can call a kid up from the 'Minors' (one level and one age group below) or even from 'AAA' (two levels and two age groups below). However whatever kid is called up must also be playing on a team in the same 'League' (National or American) as the team that calls him up. My son's team ran into a problem last year and thats when I found out about that rule which I think is kind of stupid. Met Hunter May 03 2009 09:25 PM ="Edgy DC":zyeceuae]I'm not entirely certain, but I'm pretty sure that I coached Billy Koch one year.[/quote:zyeceuae] I bought my living room furniture from Billy's dad a few years back. I think it was Levitz in Carle Place. Very large man. Edgy DC May 03 2009 09:34 PM Mar(a)uders: The kids' dads are football fans and think the more violent the name, the better. Jaguars: The kids' dads drive expensive cars. Raiders: The kids' dads are mobbed up. Commandos: The kids' dads don't wear underwear. soupcan May 04 2009 07:50 AM The Marauders always makes me think of Bugs Bunny. Follow this line of reasoning: -'Marauders' makes me think of a'The Manassa Mauler' which was Jack Dempsey's nickname. -To me though, 'Manassa Mauler' sounds more like a wrestler than a boxer. -When I imagine a wrestler who would look like a mauler from a place called Manassa, I get an image in my head of 'The Crusher' from an old Bugs Bunny cartoon... So whenever I see the Marauders playing a LL game I always say under my breath 'Theeeeeee Crush-ah!' DocTee May 04 2009 08:40 AM Did Valadius just hack into Soup's account? Vic Sage May 04 2009 08:46 AM my 8-year old son plays on the Wolves. He seems to be having fun, despite a dearth of talent, inherited from his old man. My 11-year old girl hasn't been able to play so far this season, due to a broken thumb, but she's almost ready, and chomping at the bit. She has slightly more talent, but more importantly, a passion for the game. My son's passions are known only to him. He started playing soccer this season, and seems to have more aptitude for that. We'll see. And "parental involvement" is a double-edged sword. Its important to be there and supportive, but "intrusive and overbearing" is always just a hair's breath away. Mr. Zero May 04 2009 09:08 AM Some of this year's sponsors: Cupcake Corral Creative Organizing Kids Docs Extreme Personal Training Moods in Hair Advanced Dental Yankees Royal Cadillac Hummers HahnSolo May 04 2009 09:25 AM Does Tee ball count? The littlest Solo embarks on his first year of tee ball. I am one of the coaches for the 5-year old Mets. Sadly, despite being the Mets, we got black shirts, socks, and caps. We've had about a dozen "how old is that kid?" questions for my little guy. He is about a full head taller than some of the kids and is one of the few who can hit it to the outfield. Fman99 May 04 2009 09:28 AM ="HahnSolo":nlw7nh48]Does Tee ball count? The littlest Solo embarks on his first year of tee ball. I am one of the coaches for the 5-year old Mets. Sadly, despite being the Mets, we got black shirts, socks, and caps. We've had about a dozen "how old is that kid?" questions for my little guy. He is about a full head taller than some of the kids and is one of the few who can hit it to the outfield.[/quote:nlw7nh48] Fboy had the choice of playing as a four year old this year. I thought he'd have done fine, he kills the ball (from both sides of the plate) in the backyard. But come sign-up day he told me he didn't want to play in a league, just in the yard with me and Fwife instead. Now two of his classmates in day care are playing and I think maybe he is a bit regretful. Oh well, he will have another chance next year. I suspect that another year to gain in maturity will help him anyway. He gets REAL angry when he doesn't win. themetfairy May 04 2009 10:22 AM T-Ball certainly counts. It all starts with T-Ball soupcan May 04 2009 10:29 AM ="themetfairy":2wljm4ma]T-Ball certainly counts. It all starts with T-Ball [/quote:2wljm4ma] Agreed - T-Ball counts. We've been there, we know! metfairy - is MK going to continue with Babe Ruth next year? themetfairy May 04 2009 11:33 AM soup - we're not sure. There's a lot on Activity Island right now, including Boy Scouts and his trombone studies (he has definite plans to be a part of the marching band in high school). He's a good ballplayer, but not the most talented. His biggest asset is that he knows the game so well, but he's often frustrated by the gap between his ability and what he wants to do. If he wants to go into Babe Ruth, we'll let him. But we're not pushing it. If he doesn't play, I see him umpiring - that would keep him involved in the game, and also give him a way to earn some money once he turns 14. What about your Pirate? Is he continuing on? John Cougar Lunchbucket May 04 2009 11:54 AM Baseball or trombone, gotta practice if ya wanna to be among the greats. Just ask me, I turned out to be neither. soupcan May 04 2009 11:58 AM He wants to keep playing. He's not a big kid though, and next year they would go to major league size fields. I think that might be an issue for him unless he has a growth spurt this summer. He already umpires and he really enjoys it. I'm surprised at how decisive he is as an ump. Its like I'm watching a completely different kid. He takes no crap from anybody and is loud, clear and quick when making calls. The money don't hurt either. $30 for calling balls and strikes and $20 for the base ump. Pretty good scratch for a 12 year-old. themetfairy May 04 2009 01:04 PM Our township makes you wait until 14 to ump. But I think the kid would be great at it. He does practice the trombone, and takes private lessons. He also made a regional band this past winter. Benjamin Grimm May 04 2009 01:40 PM I'm managing a softball team of seven- and eight-year-old girls. Last year, in t-ball, I was an assistant coach, but the manager was a shlub who didn't know what he was doing, so I made all the decisions. We've played two games so far, and unofficially won them both. (We're not supposed to keep score, but I've been doing so secretly.) The girls seem to be having fun, the parents have been nice, and I'm having a good time too. My daughter wants to be the first female major leaguer, but her teammate Amanda has extraordinary (for her age, anyway) talent and outstanding (again, for her age) instincts. If any of my group of girls is going to crack the gender line, it will be Amanda. John Cougar Lunchbucket May 04 2009 01:48 PM Ultimate7-And-8-Year-OldGirlsSoftballDatabase.com seawolf17 May 04 2009 02:12 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":554gygwb]Ultimate7-And-8-Year-OldGirlsSoftballDatabase.com[/quote:554gygwb] I just sponsored Amanda's page. HahnSolo May 04 2009 02:24 PM CapriSun Player(s) of the Game. themetfairy Jun 06 2009 07:24 PM Tonight was the final game of my son's Little League career. Before the night there was a slim possibility that the team could still advance to the next round of the playoffs. That would have required them to win tonight by a margin of four runs or more, and then to get some help from the other teams playing tomorrow night's game. But all contingencies are moot. The Liberty Tax Services Mets won tonight by a score of 3-1. MK caught all six innings and had an RBI in the game. So it's over. But at least they went out on a good note. Let's Go Mets!

Well, according to Manuel, Cora and Sheffield have an "edge".* Later *= from yesterday's early edition Daily News Story. Don't know if the link is still around.

I wonder if sending a Little League Majors player back to the Minors screws them up for life. Just wonderin'. Have any of you had to deal with that as managers or players? Later

="Benjamin Grimm":3mzmcfb5]I've been to the Dallas area several times, and it appears that their rival there is the Redskins. I see all kinds of anti-Dallas Cowboys bumper stickers and stuff in the Philly area, but nothing at all about the Eagles in Texas.[/quote:3mzmcfb5] Agree. I was on a business trip to Dallas a number of years back with an associate who was an avid Redskins fan. We went to a bar to watch a Redskins/ Cowboys Monday night game. The 'Skins were beating up on the 'Pokes that night, real bad - IIRC around 40-something to nil. As the game progressed, he was cheering louder and louder, the patrons were getting madder and madder and I was moving farther and farther away from him. I think the fact that he was a 6'3" 240 lb ex-Notre Dame football player was what may have saved his reckless hide. BTW - it appears that you only need two things to open a bar in Dallas - a liquor license and a full sized poster of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. Back to the main point, the Eagles were never mentioned other than on game day during my many trips to Dallas. We now return you to the Philly talk. Later LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 03 2009 01:24 PM ="Benjamin Grimm":rc5gkky6]="Fman99":rc5gkky6]I detest the Phillies and their fans. It took going to a Mets-Phils tilt at Shea in '07 just to see how obnoxious they were.[/quote:rc5gkky6] I was at a Mets-Phillies game in 2007 too. I'm not going to go back. It was such an ugly atmosphere I don't want to go there with my kids. (Carlos Gomez, I remember, injured himself and the fans were whooping and hollering with joy.)[/quote:rc5gkky6] There's a difference between actual Phils fans-- a loyal, pretty well-informed group-- and college kids/dropouts who need somewhere to drink between Flyer season and Eagle season (steadily increasing in number since 2004 or so, roughly coincident with the rise of Utley and Hamels and Howard). I went to yesterday's game via public transport sporting the usual complement of regalia (away Santana jersey, trad blue-and-orange hat), and ended up having a nice little chat with two Phils-cap-wearing strangers comparing the relative bench strengths of the '69 Mets and the '08 Phils. Thanks to a train delay, I got inside the game in the bottom of the first. I asked a group of twentysomethings in red if they knew how the Phils' runs scored, and got called a "New Jork (think bad imitation of a Hispanic accent) queer" by a leering dude in a "World Phucking Champions" tee for my trouble. There are some in every fanbase... the ugly ones are just as bad when they're wearing blue and orange camo. Fman99 May 03 2009 02:22 PM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr":25pp1ahd]="Benjamin Grimm":25pp1ahd]="Fman99":25pp1ahd]I detest the Phillies and their fans. It took going to a Mets-Phils tilt at Shea in '07 just to see how obnoxious they were.[/quote:25pp1ahd] I was at a Mets-Phillies game in 2007 too. I'm not going to go back. It was such an ugly atmosphere I don't want to go there with my kids. (Carlos Gomez, I remember, injured himself and the fans were whooping and hollering with joy.)[/quote:25pp1ahd] There's a difference between actual Phils fans-- a loyal, pretty well-informed group-- and college kids/dropouts who need somewhere to drink between Flyer season and Eagle season (steadily increasing in number since 2004 or so, roughly coincident with the rise of Utley and Hamels and Howard). I went to yesterday's game via public transport sporting the usual complement of regalia (away Santana jersey, trad blue-and-orange hat), and ended up having a nice little chat with two Phils-cap-wearing strangers comparing the relative bench strengths of the '69 Mets and the '08 Phils. Thanks to a train delay, I got inside the game in the bottom of the first. I asked a group of twentysomethings in red if they knew how the Phils' runs scored, and got called a "New Jork (think bad imitation of a Hispanic accent) queer" by a leering dude in a "World Phucking Champions" tee for my trouble. There are some in every fanbase... the ugly ones are just as bad when they're wearing blue and orange camo.[/quote:25pp1ahd] I will admit, there were more thugs in Met gear that day in '07 than I've ever been around in any other Mets game. In addition to the brutes in red. People are animals. metsguyinmichigan May 03 2009 03:18 PM ="Fman99":1ib6d02i]People are animals.[/quote:1ib6d02i] But, if you pretend to be one of them by wearing the home cap when they're playing the Diamondbacks, they let you pose with their heroes and buy pulled pork. Or so I've heard. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 03 2009 04:08 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":ers845mm]="Fman99":ers845mm]People are animals.[/quote:ers845mm] But, if you pretend to be one of them by wearing the home cap when they're playing the Diamondbacks, they let you pose with their heroes and buy pulled pork. Or so I've heard. [/quote:ers845mm] I actually sought out Luzinski twice-- once pre-game, once in-game-- to see if he'd take a picture with a guy in a Johan jersey. Swing-and-miss both times. Perhaps he had a derby party at the Murray house to attend. metsguyinmichigan May 03 2009 05:45 PM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr"]="metsguyinmichigan"]="Fman99"]People are animals. But, if you pretend to be one of them by wearing the home cap when they're playing the Diamondbacks, they let you pose with their heroes and buy pulled pork. Or so I've heard. I actually sought out Luzinski twice-- once pre-game, once in-game-- to see if he'd take a picture with a guy in a Johan jersey. Swing-and-miss both times. Perhaps he had a derby party at the Murray house to attend. Totally. And here's proof: I tried taking a photo of the race off the telvision, and I'm like, "Bull! Down in front!" And the thing is, he wasn't even a good houseguest. I'm like, "Greg, not for nothing, but I took a lot of heat from by friends this week for hanging with you. And all you bring to the party is a bag of chips that you got at the gas station on the way here? Not cool, Bull. We were hoping for some pulled pork." And he was like, "Whatever. Where are the julips?" And he made fun of my daughter's hat. My wife said I can't invite him next year. Frayed Knot May 03 2009 06:06 PM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr":19k9poyd]="Benjamin Grimm":19k9poyd]="Fman99":19k9poyd]I detest the Phillies and their fans. It took going to a Mets-Phils tilt at Shea in '07 just to see how obnoxious they were.[/quote:19k9poyd] I was at a Mets-Phillies game in 2007 too. I'm not going to go back. It was such an ugly atmosphere I don't want to go there with my kids. (Carlos Gomez, I remember, injured himself and the fans were whooping and hollering with joy.)[/quote:19k9poyd] There's a difference between actual Phils fans-- a loyal, pretty well-informed group-- and college kids/dropouts who need somewhere to drink between Flyer season and Eagle season (steadily increasing in number since 2004 or so, roughly coincident with the rise of Utley and Hamels and Howard). I went to yesterday's game via public transport sporting the usual complement of regalia (away Santana jersey, trad blue-and-orange hat), and ended up having a nice little chat with two Phils-cap-wearing strangers comparing the relative bench strengths of the '69 Mets and the '08 Phils. Thanks to a train delay, I got inside the game in the bottom of the first. I asked a group of twentysomethings in red if they knew how the Phils' runs scored, and got called a "New Jork (think bad imitation of a Hispanic accent) queer" by a leering dude in a "World Phucking Champions" tee for my trouble. There are some in every fanbase... the ugly ones are just as bad when they're wearing blue and orange camo.[/quote:19k9poyd] I think the sports media in Philly tends to drive a lot of that kind of stuff. Even the worst of WFAN sounds like 'Masterpiece Theatre' compared to most of WIP. Encouraging callers whose sole point is to say 'Cowboys Suck' seems to be considered standard programming on some shows. I've always thought of Philly as more a football & hockey town as compared to baseball & hoops so maybe the macho attitude of those two sports help give the city its rep. The anti-Met thing I think it more just an extension of an overall anti-NYC bias that exists in a lot of places - just even moreso when your city is only 100 miles down the road. Perhaps the attitudes in Philly - like Boston in many ways - were formed way back by people who never got over NYC supplanting their towns as the dominant city on the eastern seaboard all those years ago. Kong76 May 03 2009 06:09 PM This was really funny ... seawolf17 May 03 2009 06:10 PM I've always loved Greg Luzinski -- my coach in baseball camp one year called me "Bull" because my power, speed, and remarkable ability to strike out reminded him of Luzinski.

From various player-written or ghosted books and interviews over the yeats, being called "professional" by another can mean any or all of: Works hard Hustles Doesn't complain or call out his manager Doesn't make mental mistakes - at bat, in the field or on the basepaths In the field, wants the ball to be hit at him Wouldn't say "Shit" if he had a mouthful (direct quote - Bouton or Brosnan books) Later

Johan has thrown a lot of pitches. Who comes out for the seventh? I'd like to see how Parnell can do as the seventh inning guy. EDIT: I posted that before I saw 99's post. Later

Fan interference? Rats! Later

That sound you just heard was a collective exhale. Later

HahnSolo wrote: Considering how he had been struggling, I advocated a day off for Wright during this series. I guess the injuries to Delgado and Castillo meant Jerry didn't want to take another regular out, but man, he is lost, offensively and defensively. Well, Murphy did come up as a third baseman. Maybe playing him at third, Tatis at first and Sheffield in left might be a lineup to be tried. (and you hope your pitcher can strike out a lot of batters) Later

="Frayed Knot":3pbzhvkb]Any relation to Randy Newman?[/quote:3pbzhvkb] Oops. Good catch. Yeah, the guy who sang "I Love L.A." Sorta' killed the joke, didn't it? (Blushing) Later Rotblatt Apr 30 2009 07:26 AM Thanks for the well-wishes, everyone! I'm having a blast writing it--at least, when I don't feel like I'm beating my head against a brick wall. MFS62, a PM is on its way! Themetfairy, I might like to pick your brain anyway--there are some second-generation fans in book as well, and some questions are already coming to mind. If you're up for it, let know! TheOldMole Apr 30 2009 07:52 AM I lived and died with the Dodgers, and would be glad to help. TheOldMole May 01 2009 08:22 AM Why are the Brooklyn Dodgers in the non-baseball forum? Doing a search for something to give Rotblatt, I ran across this. http://beemp3.com/index.php?q=duck+dodgers+opening&st=all Do a ctrl-F for Tad. TheOldMole May 01 2009 08:23 AM Unfortunately, you can't actually get it. Edgy DC May 01 2009 08:33 AM Bumped over. G-Fafif May 01 2009 12:41 PM I don't know if you're going to be able to get old Brooklyn Dodgers fans to talk about what it was like to root for the Brooklyn Dodgers. They're a pretty reticent lot by nature. I know of one who works on Roosevelt Avenue in Flushing, however, and he has constructed a very nice memorial to his childhood team. Seriously, though, I'd suggest getting in touch with occasional 'Pooler Dana Brand who is descended from that side of the Met family and wrote about it a bit in Mets Fan. I'd also suggest contacting NYC/baseball historian Peter Laskowich who has some first-hand experience in this realm (and knows a ton besides). Best of luck. Sounds like a great idea. HahnSolo May 01 2009 12:49 PM My dad was an enormous Dodger fan (tough thing as a kid growing up in the Bronx). Subways to the game as a kid, sneaking in, the whole bit. He's probably a little old to talk with you directly, but I could forward on a few questions to him if you'd like. Rotblatt May 02 2009 08:24 AM ]Why are the Brooklyn Dodgers in the non-baseball forum? Doing a search for something to give Rotblatt, I ran across this. http://beemp3.com/index.php?q=duck+dodgers+opening&st=all Do a ctrl-F for Tad. Hah! And as a bonus, at the bottom of the page you linked to is the Brooklyn Dodgers Jump, with vocals from Branca, Furillo and Palica. Brooklyn, Brooklyn, hear us while we say, Brooklyn, Brooklyn, just for you we play. You're the very greatest borough in the USA Brooklyn, Brooklyn, you ain't got no squares. Brooklyn, Brooklyn, you got no longhairs. Yeah, it might be a little dated. is pretty old skool too. I also found this on YouTube, but I did a double take when they got to O'Malley, and at Koufax, realized it must be an LA Dodgers song. G-Fafif, thanks for the help! I'll reach out to both of them. Hahn, I'll PM you just a couple questions if you're sure you don't mind. Ashie62 May 03 2009 08:22 AM Sorry..New York Giants fan here.. hated Dodgers & MFY's Kong76 May 03 2009 10:45 AM I didn't open this thread until a couple of hours ago, with all the J.R. Rotunda stuff and Mets fans all riled up I figured it was more on that. Good luck with the book, Rot ... there are so many people who do interesting and productive things here, it makes me feel lazy sometimes. My Mom was a Dodger fan (even though growing up in Manhattan) and she used to tell me from time to time about her father sending her down to the corner to get a container or two of tap beer from the bar (boy, how times have changed) and they would listen to the games on the radio. She didn't talk about her father much (he died young) but thinking back many years later (she passed away in the early 90's) that memory lit her up for a few a few minutes when passing it along. I wish I was more tuned into base- ball history back then and engaged her in more conversation. In the 80's her interest in baseball was rekindled and she watched about 150 Mets' games per season. It brought us closer together again, I was a bit of a wild man in the 80's and it gave us a common interest. I've always felt some kind of connection to the Brooklyn Dodgers and I think it's one reason I'm not at all appalled by the new stadium. I'm cer- tain my Mom would approve and I wish I could take her to see it.

"Face of the franchise"? That may have been a tad premature. Later

And he's hooked up in a 0-0 game with Mulvey today. Game's in the sixth. Willie Mo Pena at DH. Later

TransMonk wrote: Bunt single: the speciality of any #3 hitter. Mantle did it many times. And I remember Gene Mauch having the first four (or was it five?) batters bunt against a dominating pitcher who gave his team problems. It may have been against Jim Bunning when he was with the Pitates. IIRC they all got on base. A nice way to rattle a young pitcher. Later

I'm beginning to not like Jorge Cantu. Later

Send me a PM. I rooted for them. The idea of LA falling into the sea brightened my day. Barry Newman was wrong. Later

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":28rxygf6]By the way the Snooze notes that Redding pitched 4 scoreless innings at an xtended spring training start Saturday and is scheduled to go 75 pitches for St. Lucie on Thursday.[/quote:28rxygf6] Seems like every team in the Mets minor league system is averaging about two runs per game. So, a major leaguer pitching four scoreless innings against guys who didn't make those teams isn't exactly a ringing endorsement. But, its something that shows he may be getting closer to being healthy. Later

Is he related to basketball writer Peter Vecsey? If so , how? I've had runnng correspondence with Peter for several years. He is a very thoughtful, caring person, with an excellent perspective about the history of the game he covers, with no apparent slant toward a particular team. Just wondering. Later

The gap between Santana and the rest of the starters is greater than the gap between Xena and Gabrielle on the hottie scale. Later

IIRC, Pelfrey got off to a slow start last year. Wasn't he something like 1-5 and then got hot? Perez got off to a slow start last year, too. Maine was around 2-1 at this time. I'd like to see one more time around the rotation beofre they do anything drastic. 1/10 of a season gone. Be patient. (I can't believe that I was the one who just said that) Later

He may be in extended spring training like my boy Jordan. Later

Jordan is still in extended ST, recovering from an injury. If Josh Thole gets promoted to AAA, maybe my kid will start in AA when ready. Later

Beltran 2 Church 2 Cora 1 Wright 1.5 Stokes .5 Tatis .5 Later

Deja - WHO? In the early print edition of today's Daily News, it said: NY Mets: Placed pitcher Kris Benson on the 15 day disabled list... I couldn't find a link on their website this evening. Anyone else notice it? Later