MFS62

Just remembered a line from a Don Adams standup routine. I'll paraphrase: The coach speaking: "Reyes, you're a good shortstop. And Wright, you're a good third baseman. And a good shortstop and a good third baseman go hand-in-hand. But don't do it in public, fellas." Later

Oops.From the recent Baseball America Not So Hot Sheet:]Anderson Hernandez, ss/2b, Mets (Triple-A Norfolk) Hernandez was Wally Pipped in New York by Jose Valentin and it has only gotten worse in Norfolk. No Met did more to improve their prospect status in 2005, but he is hitting .246 for Norfolk on the season and is 6-for-34 in July with 10 strikeouts and zero walks. Oh well.Later

The only thing that would make the story perfect would be for them to have a joint press conference announcing they both have just signed long term contracts with the Mets. Later

Renteria batting ahead of Wright? And the manager said they really want to win? C'mon now. Later

86-Dreamer wrote: i don't like that LoDuca was the pitcher. It was a cool piece of camraderie, but his arm is not that great to begin with, and I bet he made more throws last night than he ever has in one day during the season. Unless you've seen him against teams that know his arm strength and like to run. You don't need someone who throws 90 MPH in these things; just someone who can throw the ball in the strike zone with no movement and consistent velocity so the hitter can get into a timing groove. David thought Paul could be that guy. I didn't have a problem with Paul, especially considering the results. Later

="Elster88"]Zvon wrote: I've never seen one of those "Hit it here and win" signs hit before. There was a clothier in Brooklyn (named Abe Stark?) who had a sign that was at ground level and across the bottom of the right field scoreboard in Ebbets Field. The "Hit Sign, Win Suit" was famous if only because no ballplayer ever hit it with a batted ball. It was so close to the ground that any ball headed for it was easily caught. Later G-Fafif Jul 11 2006 09:13 AM Elster88 wrote: He was also the only player to refuse a Gatorade after his first round. David has a deal with Glaceau (vitaminwater, smartwater, et al). Gatorade has on-field exclusivity for events like this via MLB. No wonder he went thirsty. Did notice a guy sitting behind him in the gaggle wearing a Glaceau t-shirt. For a season or two in the early or mid-90s, one of the rotating signs on the upper right of the Shea scoreboard was for Pergament: Hit this sign, we'll paint your house. Nobody ever hit it. (It was before Mo Vaughn.) Gwreck Jul 11 2006 09:17 AM G-Fafif wrote: For a season or two in the early or mid-90s, one of the rotating signs on the upper right of the Shea scoreboard was for Pergament: Hit this sign, we'll paint your house. Nobody ever hit it. (It was before Mo Vaughn.) Now that you mention it, I don't think any Met between Darryl and Mo Vaughn ever hit the upper part of the scoreboard. Edgy DC Jul 11 2006 09:22 AM I seem to remember Roger Cedeño, of all people, putting a dimple or two into it. Elster88 Jul 11 2006 09:23 AM David's 16 home runs in a round is the third most ever in a single round. The top 4 single-round scores were all set between 2004 and 2006. Elster88 Jul 11 2006 09:26 AM Fun and posterity: PITTSBURGH -- In the world of the Mets and their fans, it's still all good and all Wright. David Wright, dismissed as a Home Run Derby lightweight whose inclusion in the field of eight was a nod to the Mets' dominant showing and their huge fan base, continued Flushing's magical season with a charmed evening. An eye-popping first round carried Wright into the finals of Monday night's CENTURY 21 Home Run Derby, where he was finally cut down to size by Ryan Howard of the Phillies, 5-4, in an all-NL East showdown. "It's all right. It's a little disappointing, but Ryan Howard can have the Home Run Derby if the Mets can have the National League East," Wright, sweat still glistening on his forehead, said a few minutes after the night's final swing. Spotting his adversary four inches and 55 pounds, Wright rebounded from a weary second round but couldn't hold off Howard, who seemed to be just hitting his stride and clinched the Derby with half of his 10 outs remaining. That culminated a comeback affair for Howard, who had finished the opening round with half of the homers hit by Wright, who was spent by that early display. "I was unconscious in the beginning," Wright said. "Then we had the break, and I cooled off. I was brought back down to earth. I wish I would've had all my 30 outs in that first round. I might still be hitting." Wright electrified what had been a sluggish first round. With teammate Paul Lo Duca pitching to him, the Mets' cover-boy third baseman jacked 16 balls into faraway PNC Park seats. That was the third-best opening round in the 21-year history of the Home Run Derby, ranking behind only the two monster exhibitions in last year's edition -- Bobby Abreu's 24 and David Ortiz's 17. The opening show also set up Wright nicely for the second round, considering the new rule of carrying over first-round totals. With Ortiz's 10 the runner-up total, Wright took a sizable edge into a second round that also included Miguel Cabrera (nine) and Howard (eight). Admittedly worn down by his 26-cut first round, Wright muscled only two more balls out of the park in the second round. But Ortiz, considered the Derby favorite, similarly declined to three, while Cabrera passed him with six, before Howard eliminated both of them with a second round of 10 to match Wright's cumulative total of 18. Wright's basic approach clearly worked, at least until he came out of the chute so strong that he emptied his tank. "In regular batting practice, we usually take six to eight swings a turn," Wright said. "I was pretty tired with all the swings in that round." Wright lost the Derby, but there was no doubt in his mind he had won over the doubters. He was sent off by the razzing of his teammates, including Cliff Floyd, who had essentially predicted he would go deep only twice and go home. "Cliff owes me," Wright said with a broad smile. "I'm very happy. I can go back to my teammates and hold my head high. "The guys had been giving me a hard time ... 'You'll be lucky to hit one,' stuff like that. I can definitely walk back in there with a little swagger. "It was a lot of fun, definitely a blast," he added, no pun intended. "It's all right. It's a little disappointing, but Ryan Howard can have the Home Run Derby if the Mets can have the National League East." -- David Wright, on his second-place finish on Monday night Wright's plan had been simple, and he carried it out to perfection. "I'll swing hard, try to keep the same swing I've been using," Wright had said before the competition began. "I'll try to elevate the ball a bit, try to get a good backspin on it." Taking an acerbic approach to their eccentric teaming, Lo Duca had told him, "Just hit a couple. Don't get embarrassed." The Mets catcher had also predicted good-naturedly that if his teammate flopped, "I'm sure he'll blame me. He blames me for everything." Neither happened, to say the least. Lo Duca kept throwing pitches into Wright's wheelhouse, as they made beautiful noise together. This wasn't the first time Lo Duca pitched gopher balls. But it was the first time he did it in front of 38,000 in the seats -- or in front of even seats. "I pitch batting practice to my junior college when I go back home," Lo Duca said. "This is just something I wanted to do." Lo Duca's simple plan was to "throw straight fastballs, over the top. He told me to pitch him down and in, and that's what I'll try to do." As has most everything else the Mets have tried to do this season, the plan worked to perfection. After Wright's first four swings produced three outs, the tandem found a groove. Twice, Wright struck five straight homers, most of his drives digging an aerial tunnel to left-center -- including his longest shot of 476 feet. Afterwards, Wright wasn't sure who was more worn out, swinger or thrower. "I guarantee you I'm gonna go in there," he said, nodding toward the clubhouse, "and Lo Duca's gonna have ice on his shoulder. And he's going to complain. Tom Glavine is already concerned about Paul's rotator cuff." Ahh, the sweet sound of winners chirping. Edgy DC Jul 11 2006 09:44 AM ]"I'll swing hard, try to keep the same swing I've been using," Wright had said before the competition began. "I'll try to elevate the ball a bit, try to get a good backspin on it." I'll try not to pick something out of here to worry about. Fun to hear Ralph Kiner giving a blueprint for home run derby success last week. Rockin' Doc Jul 11 2006 09:56 AM "It's all right. It's a little disappointing, but Ryan Howard can have the Home Run Derby if the Mets can have the National League East." -- David Wright, on his second-place finish on Monday night I like his thinking. I hope his plan carries through to fruition. metirish Jul 11 2006 10:11 AM From reading this article it seems like Ozzie Guillen wants to win bad while Garner wants the boys to have fun. http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMDYmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY5NTk5NDQmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2 Nymr83 Jul 11 2006 10:21 AM metirish wrote: From reading this article it seems like Ozzie Guillen wants to win bad while Garner wants the boys to have fun. http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMDYmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY5NTk5NDQmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2 because Guillen cares about homefield while Garner's team is going nowhere. this whole homefield thing is stupid and gets stupider every time. use the best record or go back toalternating years. 86-Dreamer Jul 11 2006 10:28 AM i don't like that LoDuca was the pitcher. It was a cool piece of camraderie, but his arm is not that great to begin with, and I bet he made more throws last night than he ever has in one day during the season. Frayed Knot Jul 11 2006 10:36 AM Selig claims that MLB needs more notice (for hotel/media reservations, etc.) than just the last minute timing that 'best-record' would provide them. Personally, I never had a problem with alternating years. The one thing that almost never gets mentioned in the whole debate over WS home field advantage is ... that it rarely matters! Over the last 50 years: - 23 WS have gone to 7 games (home field doesn't matter until you get to game 7) - and of those 23, the team w/the home field in game 7 won ... 10 of them Edgy DC Jul 11 2006 10:47 AM Yeah, but maybe it matters anyway, after controlling for which the better team is. There is a statisticlally-measured home-team advantage in baseball, but I'd imagine that it's only a few percentage points and lower than that of other major team sports, perhaps because baseball action isn't as feuled by adrenaline. Frayed Knot Jul 11 2006 10:54 AM Home teams in baseball win around 53-54% of the time. Translate that into a small sample (only one game and only once every few years) and it becomes a statistical toss-up. metirish Jul 11 2006 10:59 AM The AL team is just so much better looking than the NL, Vladimir Guerrero hits fifth for the AL while Edgar Renteria hits fifth for the NL,hopefully they can get to Rogers tonight. Elster88 Jul 11 2006 11:58 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jul 11 2006 01:48 PM ]Selig claims that MLB needs more notice (for hotel/media reservations, etc.) than just the last minute timing that 'best-record' would provide them. Amazing that they can get everything set up for the league playoffs, and that other sports can handle it. Edit Edgy DC Jul 11 2006 12:56 PM Yup, yup, athletic cup. Frayed Knot Jul 11 2006 01:27 PM Bud's answer is that the WS is just that much bigger than the LCSs and also the NBA & NHL championships as far as the size of the contingent that follows in its wake. He's even said that waiting until mid-season to decide which cities could possibly host games 1, 2, 6 & 7 as opposed to 3, 4 & 5 is "cutting it close". The Super Bowl is obviously bigger but doesn't have the same home field problems since the site & date are picked out years in advance -- although remember when the SB needed to be delayed for a week after 9/11 they had to strike some sort of deal with the group (UAW?) who had all the New Orleans hotel rooms booked for that week. Elster88 Jul 11 2006 01:48 PM Bud is full of shit. ]He's even said that waiting until mid-season to decide which cities could possibly host games 1, 2, 6 & 7 as opposed to 3, 4 & 5 is "cutting it close". Last I checked, they still don't know which cities will be featured in the WS until the LCSs are over. MFS62 Jul 11 2006 03:18 PM 86-Dreamer wrote: i don't like that LoDuca was the pitcher. It was a cool piece of camraderie, but his arm is not that great to begin with, and I bet he made more throws last night than he ever has in one day during the season. Unless you've seen him against teams that know his arm strength and like to run. You don't need someone who throws 90 MPH in these things; just someone who can throw the ball in the strike zone with no movement and consistent velocity so the hitter can get into a timing groove. David thought Paul could be that guy. I didn't have a problem with Paul, especially considering the results. Later metirish Jul 11 2006 03:20 PM Plus he throws the ball back to the pitcher all the time during games, throwing BP will hardly cause any problems. Nymr83 Jul 11 2006 03:32 PM ]The AL team is just so much better looking than the NL, Vladimir Guerrero hits fifth for the AL while Edgar Renteria hits fifth for the NL,hopefully they can get to Rogers tonight. bad lineup construction helps too. Utley 2b Beltran cf Wright 3b Pujols 1b Bay lf Soriano rf Renteria ss loduca c looks alot better Frayed Knot Jul 11 2006 04:34 PM ]Bud is full of shit. Maybe, but I don't have the ammo to argue against him and I've yet to hear anyone in the media do so either. It also seems odd that he'd make up that reason for not going with best in-season record just to avoid it as a factor. ]Last I checked, they still don't know which cities will be featured in the WS until the LCSs are over No, but they can start eliminating (starting tomorrow) specific dates for certain cities. They'll know after tonight that they'll need to reserve hotel space in Boston, for instance, for these dates but not those, while doing the opposite in St Louis, San Diego, etc. 86-Dreamer Jul 11 2006 04:37 PM metirish wrote: Plus he throws the ball back to the pitcher all the time during games, throwing BP will hardly cause any problems. you are right. I am looking too hard for things to worry about. ScarletKnight41 Jul 12 2006 07:39 AM ScarletKnight41 Jul 12 2006 07:40 AM I love how Big Papi toweled him off - Edgy DC Jul 12 2006 08:34 AM ]It also seems odd that he'd make up that reason for not going with best in-season record just to avoid it as a factor. Well, since he insituted the new stakes to the All-Star Game, he has an interest in defending its institutionalization. Elster88 Jul 12 2006 08:43 AM Frayed Knot wrote: ]Last I checked, they still don't know which cities will be featured in the WS until the LCSs are over No, but they can start eliminating (starting tomorrow) specific dates for certain cities. They'll know after tonight that they'll need to reserve hotel space in Boston, for instance, for these dates but not those, while doing the opposite in St Louis, San Diego, etc. So he reserves them for a few extra days. No big deal. Elster88 Jul 12 2006 03:40 PM Elster88 wrote: ="Frayed Knot"]]Last I checked, they still don't know which cities will be featured in the WS until the LCSs are over No, but they can start eliminating (starting tomorrow) specific dates for certain cities. They'll know after tonight that they'll need to reserve hotel space in Boston, for instance, for these dates but not those, while doing the opposite in St Louis, San Diego, etc. So he reserves them for a few extra days. No big deal. Another hole. He can't start reserving hotel space right now anyway because he won't know exactly which dates the games will be on until the LCSs are over anyway. At least I think. Next year I think they have a specific date set aside for Game 1 of the WS. Not sure. Either way, Bud's a jerk about this. Yancy Street Gang Jul 12 2006 03:53 PM I can tell you right now which date the World Series will start on. The last day of the regular season is October 1. That means the division series will run through October 8. The League Championship series will start on October 10 and finish by October 19. The World Series will then open on Saturday, October 21. Game 7, if necessary, will be played on October 29. Playoff series ending early don't advance the dates of the subsequent series. The only thing that would change these dates is several days of rainouts. Elster88 Jul 12 2006 03:57 PM Bud's a jerk anyway.

Good job. Later

Elster88 wrote: 6 White Sox made the AL team. I would guess the fact that the ChiSox manager named the subs might have had something to do with it. The Mets didn't have that advantage. Good for them. I remember many years ago when one NL All Star team had seven Reds as starters. They were nice enough to name Stan Musial as the other starter. After that, they changed it so the players and managers voted. Then, in the spirit of fan friendliness they changed it back to fans voting. Just in time for computerized voting. SC= 77 Later

Gwreck wrote: 39, didn't realize I knew as much about the prehistory and deadball era. . Careful. What you call prehistory was, to some of us, current events. sigh. Later

Elster88 wrote: There's an 11-year-old in Gooberville, Iowa, who has a combination of Babe Ruth's bat, Willie Mays' glove, Jose Reyes' speed, and Barry Bonds' ability to absorb steroids. The New York Giants already had him. His name was Clint Hartung. When he was signed they didn't know if would become the best hitter or best pitcher in baseball. He was neither. (Obviously, since his name has been long forgotten by most baseball fans) Later

36, I got the Scully question correct, too. EDIT: and I'm proud to say I missed the Jeter MVP and number of Yankee championships questions. Later

Carlos Baerga - doing color commentary for games broadcast on ESPN Deportes. (Spanish language version of ESPN) Later

Lessee, I have adopted Pelfrey and Henry Owens. (Enrique Cruz doesn't count because it was a case of mistaken identity - he isn't the Enrique Cruz I thought he was. Back to the foundling home for you, kid) So my only other adoptee is Carlos Gomez. He is on a hot streak and is starting to show that having him skip a level - directly to AA may be working. C'mon, Carlos, make poppa proud. Make it to the majors and complete the trifecta. Later

Thanks, all. It was as much fun to research those quotes, read them once again and "hear" Casey saying them as it was to provide a KTE for your reading pleasure. Later

During the season so far, Henry Owens was mostly used for an inning at at time, and almost never (if ever) pitched two days in a row. This weekend, not only did Willie use him in consecutive games, but let him pitch two full innings yesterday. That's strange because with the ASB coming up, the bullpen would be able to get some rest after Sunday's game. Looks to me like they are auditioning him for a specific role - Heilman's? Will that free up Heilman to be used as a starter? As trade bait? Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter. (I started a separate thread because someone might want to put this in the predictions thread) Later

Valentin 5 Floyd 2 Pelfrey 1.5 Owens .5 Feliciano .25 Heilmann .25 LoDuca .5 Later

Maine 2 Bradford 1.5 Sanchez 1 Beltran .5 Later

Oliver - 3 Owens - 2 Nady - 2 Later

In the post game interview, Willie announced that Jose Lima has been DFAd. I can't believe that doofus on the post game show was making excuses for Lima. And Pelfrey will take Lima's roster spot. Later

metirish wrote: Mets lose but I bet MFS62 is a proud man after seeing his Henry get in the game...... Yessir! Not just a happy man; a happy adoptive poppa. Anybody else WHAT?: Later

Edgy DC wrote: ]I still feel cheated. This would have been a perfect game to give the fans a glimpse of Henry Owens. ?? Game isn't over at my end. After the Mets scored three, I thought Willie might think the score was too close to bring in a rookie. I wasn't watching on tv. I didn't know he was warming up. Later

metirish wrote: Oliver is giving his team a chance, he's just great tonight. I still feel cheated. This would have been a perfect game to give the fans a glimpse of Henry Owens. Later

Alex Escobar was called up this week by the Nats. He pinch hit a triple and scored a run. Later

Thank you for reminding me. I have been neglecting this poor child. Infact, I had forgotten that I had adopted him. I hope family services doesn't take him away from me. Later

The Marlins The Marlins have had an interesting decade since 1997. They have won the World Series twice ('97, '03), both times as the wild card. They have also finished last in their division twice, fourth in their division twice and third in their divsion three times. From the very high to the very low. It has been a roller coaster. So I decided to analyze them in the words of a famous manager who experienced both those highs and lows during his managerial career - Casey Stengel. Me: "Mr. Stengel, thank you for allowing me to channel you today." Casey: You're welcome, but I couldn't have done it without my players." Me: Would you mind sharing some of your thoughts about the Florida Marlins?" Casey: "Sure. Its nice to be talking with someone about baseball again. Most people my age are dead at the present time and you could look it up. I still watch baseball from up here and I've seen them play. About that place they play their home games , it holds the heat very well. But if you want me to talk about some of their players, they're constantly changing. Finding good players is tough, but they're putting together the Youth of America and a few other countries, too. Getting them to play together as a team is another story. The secret of successful managing is to keep the five guys who hate you away from the four guys who haven't made up their minds." There are so many new faces that I'd guess the players haven't been there long enough to figure out which they are." Me: "What about their hitting/" Casey: "I was such a dangerous hitter I even got intentional walks in batting practice. And I guess you could say that about that Cabrera feller. He plays third base and the outfield. And that kid Jacobs they got from the Metsies reminds me of a young Johnny Mize. He hits baseballs over buildings. I broke in with four hits and the writers promptly declared thay had seen the new Ty Cobb. It took me only a few days to correct that impression. You'd have to saythat about that reserve first baseman Wes Helms and that outfielder Joe Borchard. Their teams thought a lot of them when they first came up, but they couldn't keep it up, which is why they're playing here now. See that feller over there? He's 20 years old. In 10 years he's got a chance to be a star. Now that feller over there, he's 20 years old, too. In 10 years, he's got a chance to be 30. That's what I'm saying about their keystone combo of Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla and their outfielders Cody Ross and Jeremy Hermida. Its still a little too early to tell, but it looks like they have a future." Me: "Uggla certainly looks like the steal of the last RuleV Draft. They got him from Milwaukee, and he can really hit. Anybody else?" Casey: "Jerry Lumpe looked like the best hitter in the world until you put him in the lineup. And right now that's what you'd have to say about Abercrombie, their centerfielder". Me: "Thanks, Casey. Would you like to rest for a drink?" Casey: No thanks. I do my drinking at the hotel bar after the game, with the reporters. I learned that if you don't get it by midnight, chances are you ain't gonna' get it, and if you do, it ain't worth it." Me: "Then, how would you rate their other players?" Casey: "You have to have a catcher because if you don't you're likely to have a lot of passed balls. And that guy Oliva looks like he can stop most of those passed balls, and hit a little, too. I don't know muchabout the other one - Treanor." Me: "The catcher's name is Olivo." Casey: Oh, you mean like that guy who pitched for the Pirates in the 60's? He was as old as I was. The trick is growing up without growing old." Me: "What about pitching?" Casey: "I might have been able to make it as a pitcher except for one thing - I had a rather awkward motion and every time I brought my left arm forward, I hit myself in the ear." Oh, you mean their pitching. Left handers have more enthusiasm for life. They sleep on the wrong side of the bed and their head gets more stagnant on that side. And that lefty Willis sure shows enthusiasm for life, doesn't he? And he can pitch a little, can't he? I've seen two of their pitchers a lot. As for starter Brian Moehler, I don't know if he throws a spit ball, but he sure spits on the ball. And maybe you can say that for that reliever Borowski. With their stuff, how else could they have stayed around so long? I don't know very much about the others, because they haven't been around too long." Me: "They just brought up ex-Met Yusmeiro Petit. He started last night and was the winner even though he gave up five runs in six innings. We probably won't see him pitch in this series. Anything else?" Casey: I'd always heard it couldn't be done, but sometimes it don't always work. And that's what I'd say about baseball in Miami. When their team isn't winning, the fans don't come out to see them. But baseball is very big at the present time. This makes me think baseball will live longer than Casey Stengel or anybody else, even in Miami. Then again, I've learned to never make predictions, especially about the future." Me: "Thank you." Pitching Matchups: Friday 7/7 - 7:05PM --Jose Lima [RHP] (0-3 8.79ERA) vs. Dantrelle Willis [LHP] (5-7 3.96ERA) Saturday 7/8 --Game 1 ----John Maine (0-2 5.40 ERA) [RHP] vs. Ricky Nolasco [RHP] (6-5 3.97ERA) --Game 2 ----Mike Pelfrey (ML DEBUT) [RHP] vs. Josh Johnson [RHP] (7-4 2.34ERA) Sunday 7/9 --Tom Glavine (11-2 3.43ERA) [LHP] vs. Scott Olsen [LHP] (6-4 4.17ERA) Later