MFS62

Edgy, that was Sickels' 2004 evaluation of Maine: . Here's his 2005 update on his opinion 6) John Maine, RHP 6-11, 4.56 in 23 starts for Triple-A Ottawa, though his component ratios were up to previous standards. Hit hard in 10 games in the majors, with a poor 24/24 K/BB in 40 innings. I still think he will be a useful pitcher but I don't like him as much as I used to. http://www.minorleagueball.com/story/2005/11/20/151524/77 Later

I hit "dislike". I would have preferred it if they got rid of Zambrano and kept Benson. Later

An Accountant once told me the definition of an Auditor. It is someone who sits on the side of a hill, watching the battle. Then, once the battle is over, goes down the hill and bayonets the survivors. Well, our two favorite combatants are at it again in the "redux" thread. And the blast area is moving to engage other combatants now. What do we do with that thread? Later

This is a tough crowd. Never thought I'd see a negative reaction to a blood drive. Of course, I never considered the image of Met management draining the blood from their fans before I posted that, either. LOL! Later

Caught the end of an announcement on radio that the Mets are holding a blood drive at Shea this week. If you give blood, you get two tickets to a 2006 game. But I didn't get the phone number you have to call for more info. Later

Is that a definite maybe? Later

Why should only you late night guys be able to enjoy some creative obscenity? Let us early morning folks enjoy it too. EDIT: Its 6:29AM, not 7:29 like the header shows. Later

The last two trades of starters for relievers are like a self fulfilling prophecy. With the back end of the rotation now Zambrano, Traschell and Heilmann, Willie might need all the bullpen help he can get. Later

Old report, but promising. Monday, May 10, 2004 By John Sickels Special to ESPN.com John Maine Baltimore Orioles Position: RHP Height: 6-4 Weight: 190 Born: 5/8/81 Bats: Right Throws: Right Background John Maine attended college at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. As a sophomore in 2001, he led Conference USA with 12 wins, 144 strikeouts, and posted a 3.82 ERA, earning conference Pitcher of the Year honors. However, his junior season in 2002 was less successful, and he dropped to the sixth round in the draft that June. This turned into a bargain pick for the Orioles. Maine pitched brilliantly in his '02 pro debut, then zipped through A-ball in 2003, leading the minor leagues in strikeouts and posting a stellar 185/38 K/BB ratio. He began 2004 in Double-A, but earned his way to Triple-A after just five starts. Maine is one of the better right-handed pitching prospects in the game, and should arrive in Baltimore later this summer. Scouting report Maine is a good athlete, tall and somewhat lanky and thin, with broad shoulders. He has a "loose" arm and doesn't look overly vulnerable to injury. His biggest problem in college was erratic mechanics, which would hurt his command on occasion. But this has been much less of a problem in pro ball, and his command has been very sharp. His fastball runs in the 90-93 mph range, with excellent sinking and running action. He has made major improvements with his curveball and changeup, giving him a solid three-pitch arsenal. Maine can throw any of his pitches for strikes, and has overcome a previous habit of relying too much on his fastball. He is intelligent, emotionally mature, and has sound pitching instincts, understanding the necessity of changing speeds and keeping hitters off-balance. Although he doesn't throw quite as hard as some of the elite prospects in the game, he's proven he can dominate professional hitters. Performance There is little to complain about in Maine's statistical profile. His K/IP, K/BB, and H/IP ratios have been uniformly excellent at every level, particularly the K/IP. He doesn't give up very many home runs, another positive predictive marker for the future. Although he has just six starts at Double-A and above, his numbers show little deterioration at the higher levels, obviously a good sign. We need to see how he does with the additional Triple-A starts coming his way, but there is nothing in his record to indicate serious adjustment problems ahead. Health record Maine has had no serious injury problems. His occasionally erratic mechanics in college made some scouts worry about his long-term health, but he has been more consistent and efficient in pro ball. If you've been reading these reports long enough, you know that doesn't guarantee he'll stay healthy. But it does reduce the risk. What to expect Statistically, Maine offers just about everything. Scouting-wise, while he doesn't blow the ball past people with pure velocity, his stuff is more than respectable, and his command has been excellent. He's getting his shot now in Triple-A, and if he continues to pitch well, a promotion to Baltimore is likely later this season. Maine projects as a solid mid-rotation starter, and is a good example of the bargains that can be found in the middle rounds of most draft classes.

This gets weirder: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/ When you net it out, the Mets would be getting an expensive one year rental of a declining-skills, expensive, starter and a reliever with an ERA over 5 for Heilmann, Benson AND Diaz. This weakens the team at starter, bullpen(depending on where you slot Heilmann), and outfield. That prospect had better be the second coming of Rogers Hornsby or this is insane. Later

Edgy DC wrote: I checked just now with the National Anna Benson Crisis Alert Center. They told me they're on code yellow and reviewing the chatter regularly, ready to go to orange immediately if necessary. They're not sure if she's woken up yet. Mind if I check in on her to see if she's still sleeping? Later

I voted for 1. The last choice should not be an option - only one person should occupy a slot. But if the Mets have two pitchers deserving of the "goofy" mantle, this could be a fun year. Later

It interesting that after bringing in Tike, Nady and Chavez, Angel Pagan remains on the 40 man roster, while Edgy is scratching his head trying to figure out who has been cut. Don't teams have to announce those things any more? Later

BLAH Bad Lefty, Average Heater Later

or just a hacked website....? Derek Jeter - SS - Yankees he's gay Jan. 18 - 11:30 pm et *************************************************************** It is no longer on the site. Hmmmm Rotoworld didn't describe the nature in the transaction involved. Any other player "analyses" you think should be on Rotoworld? (Or should this be part of our long gone "Headlines" thread? You remember, the one that was rightly called a train wreck. Later

Al Jackson Later

HappyRecap wrote: What seems to happen is that a guy gets let in which inferior stats (ex: Bill Mazeroski) and then that opens the door to fun debate and conjecture. The hope is that the HOF takes into consideration (like you mentioned with the *) that players played in certain generations and perhaps those stats were skewed. (Climbing up on my soapbox) Although there are more than a few players I think don't belong in the Hall, and others I think should be in there (and I've mentioned them before), when someone is the best of all time at what he did, then he belongs in the Hall. Even HOF second baseman Rogers Hornsby, who threw around compliments about modern ballplayers like I can throw around manhole covers, said that Bill Mazeroski was the greatest fielding second baseman ever to play the game. I had a chance to speak to a sarcastic nay-sayer sports talk show host (Pete Franklin, he was on in both New York and Cleveland). He said that when they produced the Spalding Guides in the early 1900's that were a series of books about how to play the game, that Bill Mazeroski could have been used for the book about second base. This is the Hall of Fame. It was established to honor not only individual players, but the history of the game. The Hall is not only about offensive numbers. Those are two long time observers of the game, with their experience tracing back from the 1920's to the modern era. You mention that a player's generation must be taken into consideration. According to them, Maz' "generation" spanned 85 years. And if they say Maz was the best of that generation, that's good enough for me. He certainly was the best I've seen in over 50 years of watching baseball. If Ozzie is in, Maz deserves his place there, too. Now, will somebody please help this old guy down off this soapbox? Later

http://www.metsgeek.com/articles/2006/01/16/handicapping-johnny/ What do you think of the writer's analysis? Later

TheOldMole wrote: Basically, Ray brought the same intensity to football (for Brown) that he was later to bring to acting, and he gave his all to this particular kick. But he got a little out in front of it, and and it went sailing over his head, Pele-bicycle-kick style, and landed about 30 yards behind him. LOL! Thanks. Later

TheOldMole wrote: An irrelevant piece of trivia which just popped into my head. My friend Ray Barry ( Dead Man Walking, Year of the Dragon, Born on the Fourth of July, Training Day) holds the Ivy League record for longest punt in the wrong direction. Sounds like there's a story there. Care to provide it? And, check my response in the comic book thread. Later

metirish wrote: ESPN has an article online regarding milestones that should be reached this season..noting that Pedro needs 3 wins for 200 it also notes with another shutout Pedro would pass Babe Ruth on that all time list with 18. The Babe Ruth pitching record I want to see Pedro break was the one that Ruth held at one time for consecutive World Series shutout innings. I think Whitey Ford broke that record and I'm not sure who holds it now. Later

Edgy DC wrote: Does he get to wear " I R I K I " on the back of his uniform. Didn't Rickey Henderson want to wear that? Later

]Marco Scutaro (currently unaffiliated, but expected to be designated as Italian, after MLB DNA testing) Edgy, your posts are like Forrest Gump's box of chocolate. You never know what you're going to get. Well done. EDIT: What are the odds that Pedro knocks A-Rod right on his can for playing for "the other side"? What are the odds that Pedro knocks A-Rod down just for being A-Rod? Later

Are those Bruce Wilpon's footprints we see leaving the scene of this accident? Later

TheOldMole wrote: Isn't he too old to be a coach? Would you have said that to Rogers Hornsby in 1962, uh, I see your point. Later