Centerfield

Yelich just bunted and walked to first. Infuriating to watch these good teams do what the Mets refused to do all year long.

I'd like to see one of them make it to the big screen. Hopefully without accents and all sorts of mystical kung fu stuff.

I don't think it's unreasonable for a GM to consult with his bosses before major moves, such as committing $300 million to a someone or trading a franchise player. So 100 per cent autonomy is probably too much to ask, but I agree that the Mets should hire someone whose philosophy matches what they're looking for, and give him (or her) the latitude to execute that philosophy. What I was trying to get at above is, the Mets have no idea what philosophy they are looking for. They only want to appear as though they are backing whatever the "right" one is. This is the Wilpons in a nutshell. They are incompetent and don't know it. Joel Sherman. Plagiarizing JCL. The most important questions the Mets should be asking in their interview process for a new general manager are to themselves. Are they sure they know what they are offering? Are they sure they know what they want? https://nypost.com/2018/10/15/empty-vows-alderson-back-stab-inside-mets-gm-search-mess/

41Forever wrote: Ran into then-Commissioner Selig at a game and had a pleasant conversation with him. I know it's not the case, but sometimes I feel like 41F has had a pleasant conversation with everyone I can't stand. I'm sure Selig is a nice guy if you ignore the fact that, as an owner, he colluded against the players, and then when caught and called on it by Fay Vincent, headed the group that led to his ouster, acted as commissioner while still the owner of the Brewers raising an obvious conflict of interest, was directly responsible (along with Fehr) for the only cancellation of the World Series since 1904, reinstated George Steinbrenner from his lifetime ban, ignored the steroids epidemic and allowed it to ruin baseball's storied records, then when called on it, feigned ignorance of any epidemic, then came down hard on all he alleged responsible besides himself, threatened to contract the Twins, conveniently looked the other way and actively helped his friends Loria and Wilpon, while forcing McCourt (not part of his golfing crew) to sell his interest in the team. Donald Trump remains the only "celebrity" I would confront about his actions if ever I came face to face with him. Selig falls in that category of "If he were in the same room as me, I'd go out of my way to avoid him so I wouldn't have to shake his hand."

Edgy MD wrote: I have no idea, for the most part, what Jeff Wilpon has done. And if neither yes nor no is an acceptable answer, it doesn't matter. His best bet is shutting up. I think the truth is always an acceptable answer. And being accountable for your actions is usually a pretty good move.

I don't think it's unreasonable for a GM to consult with his bosses before major moves, such as committing $300 million to a someone or trading a franchise player. So 100 per cent autonomy is probably too much to ask, but I agree that the Mets should hire someone whose philosophy matches what they're looking for, and give him (or her) the latitude to execute that philosophy. Of course. That's completely reasonable. I'm thinking of exchanges like: I think you should sign Jay Bruce. Ok boss, but our analytics department suggest that Jay is on the downturn of his career, and his peripherals suggest that... I think you should sign Jay Bruce. Let's get him.

I'm still waiting for an Asian American super hero. I think we had Samurai on SuperFriends as a kid. Can't think of anyone else.

I don't agree with the idea that Jeff is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. He could, at any time, take responsibility for what he's done and change his ways. "I'm sure you've all heard rumors about our involvement, some might call it "meddling", during the past regime. Look, we are looking for a wholesale change in philosophy. Our new GM will have full authority. Our only job will be to give him the resources that a big market GM should have, and that's what we'll do. Provide the bankroll. How he or she chooses to spend that, or not spend that, will be up to that person." Then, you know, follow through and do it.

In addition to Chernoff, it looks like Dodgers VP Josh Byrnes also took a pass. I didn't even know we were in on him. The 37-year-old Chernoff, who grew up in New Jersey — his father, Mark, is in charge of WFAN’s programming — joins former Red Sox GM Ben Cherington and Twins GM Thad Levine among potential candidates who have told the Mets they are not interested. And The Post’s Joel Sherman reported Sunday that Dodgers vice president of baseball operations Josh Byrnes also won’t interview with the Mets. Among the issues, according to sources, is the perception that team COO Jeff Wilpon will run the baseball operations department, with the new hire as the real No. 2 in the organization. https://nypost.com/2018/10/14/another-established-baseball-executive-turns-mets-down/ Who knows how this will play out, but the article ends by suggesting that Melvin and LaRocque, the old guys, seem to have the inside track.

smg58 wrote: The terrible optics notwithstanding, it's at least possible that his teammates saw Reyes making efforts to better himself, to an extent that the average fan would never have access to. That's possible. But that still doesn't make him a better person than the guy who didn't abuse his spouse in the first place. I think this is more than an "optics" issue. It's about respect. It's disrespectful to other victims of domestic abuse to actually honor this guy. Forgive him? Sure. Give him a second chance. But to honor him. Big, big mistake. The players who voted have to be better than this.

TransMonk wrote: That’s Front Row Amy. She’s had those seats at Miller Park for years. This is terrific. Big boobs + Front Row seats = celebrity What a country.

Frayed Knot wrote: Lew Alcindor is, right now, kicking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's ass. [fimg=220]https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/-/media/Images/SBJ-Photos/2014/02/10/Champions-Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar.ashx?la=en&hash=4421B7AF5F88A946093AF2749B7FD297936E899F[/fimg] [fimg=440]https://s22928.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar-640x454.jpg[/fimg] I like just got this.

Kimbrel is my favorite guy this postseason. Was bad enough to give the MFY fans a glimmer of hope, then got his shit together just in time.

Just checked Mookie Betts’ bio. Disappointed to learn his real name is not William Hayward Betts.

What happened to Fenway? It’s like a library out there.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: A more appropriate title for this thread might be "Who's NOT gonna be the General Manager?" At this point, I think I'm rooting for Ng or Bloom. Me too. If I could pick, I’d go Bloom first. He seems to be dedicated to an analytic approach. Not sure if Ng is analytics driven as well, but I think that this would be a tough job for her. As the first woman GM and the first Asian American GM, I would want her to have some success. Unfortunately I feel like the Mets GM position is a setup for failure.

Even if you sign an NDA you can right the record on any lies circulated by the other party.

I wonder how Sandy Alderson reacted to that press conference. After being handcuffed all those years then blamed for the shortcomings. I wish Sandy were a bit more reactionary and petty. Would love for him to write a tell all book.

Aguilar kinda looks like an uglier fatter Cespedes.

Yeah, fuck Hader. I can’t imagine anyone looking more like a dickhead than him.

Gwreck wrote: CF made a lot of good points but there’s still Curtis Granderson to think about. I mean, he’s got to be one of the best people to have ever played for the Mets, right? That counts an awful lot here. Yeah. That’s the tough one. Plus Yelich is a real nice story too. I should note that all of these rooting interests are theoretical. Sometimes I start watching and I’m shocked that I end up pulling for a different team than I thought going in. Take ‘99 for example. I hated the Braves more than anything else in the world. When the NLCS ended I said to myself I hope the Yankees sweep those fuckers. Then the games started and was shocked when I found myself rooting for Atlanta. Made me feel sick. I stopped watching after Game 1.

41Forever wrote: But clearly your mind is made up and I have no interest in arguing with you. See, here’s the thing. I just wrote an entire post about how my mind is not made up about anything. How I try to be receptive to information and adjust my opinions on people based upon their actions. Your takeaway was the exact opposite of what I wrote. You just shrug that off and dismiss it like there’s no changing the mind of that whacko. It’s easier to write me off as some biased lunatic than to consider that I might be on to something. In a post where you deny shirking accountability, you shirk accountability. Understand this. I’ve been posting on this board (or some form of it) for 20 years. I’ve disagreed with people, thought some were crazy, thought some were dumb, but I have never seen anyone with so little regard for the truth. I’ve never seen anyone who’s immediate reaction to something wrong is to spin it. To pivot. To cover it up or to find a way to make it seem not so bad. And be honest with yourself. You like doing that. You think you’re great at spinning. Knowing how to change the discussion. To pivot. I don’t know why you even try to deny it. But if it makes you feel better to write me off as a nut job, go ahead. Back to baseball.

41Forever wrote: I get it. You hate the Wilpons and think they can do no right. You don't like me because of who I used to work for and I don't share the same visceral hatred for the baseball team's owners. Can we talk baseball without it turning into personal attacks? This is where you are mistaken. Obviously I don't like the Wilpons, but they absolutely can do right. They just don't do right. The veterans on this board will attest to this. 20 years ago, there was a contingent of posters who blamed the Wilpons for all the troubles of the organization. They painted a picture of the benevolent Nelson Doubleday being handcuffed by the greedy and miserly Fred Wilpon. These posters didn't have anything to back up their claims, and I felt that it was more than a little based on anti-semitism. I fought such characterizations, and asked for backup. Since then, tons of information has come out. Doubleday may have had his faults, but he did support spending to create a winning ballclub. Fred Wilpon, on the other hand, thinks the Yankee way is "unsustainable". He shuns analytics. He and his son meddle, and scapegoat, and outright lie. In response to this information, I changed my position, and now agree that the Wilpons are a major problem. If tomorrow they woke up, changed their tune, and started running the organization the right way, I'd support them. I try to accept information as it presents itself, then base my opinion on people based upon their actions. Not preconceived notions or allegiances. Similarly, I don't have an issue with you because of who you worked for. I have an issue with you because I've seen you justify atrocious acts for the sake of party. I've seen you lie, and spin, and pivot rather than accepting information, and saying "you know what, this is just not right". I've seen you shirk accountability. We obviously sit on different ends of the political spectrum, but I judge you for your actions, not your party affiliation.

41Forever wrote: Centerfield wrote: I really do think that lying comes so second nature to you that you don't realize that you're doing it. I imagine few people in your real life call you out on it. You twist my words, run down these rabbit holes and insult me. Not going to waste more time on this. 41F, I'm going to level with you here. And I mean this not to be insulting, though I know it it's going to come across this way. I'm sorry about that. But please know that, all of our differences aside, I am not saying this with any ill will. It seems to me that you reach conclusions that you want to reach, and hold to those conclusions even when evidence suggests otherwise. I think when information presents itself, rather than objectively assess what you are seeing, you discount things that contradict your pre-held beliefs, and give more weight to things that support it. Even if the support is illogical, or suspect. We all do this to a certain extent. It's natural, nobody wants to be wrong. But I think you do this more than the average person. And I think you do this so naturally, that you honestly believe you are in the right. Now, you do this well. And I think this makes you valuable to a company, or certainly in the field of politics. But I think there is a value in honoring and acknowledging the truth. Even if, or especially if, it means admitting you were wrong. I'm wrong all the time. I try to admit it when I am. Bill Clinton? Way wrong, for years. I don't like to admit it. But I'd rather admit it, then to try to spin it and make myself sound worse. I assure you I don't twist your words. This is why I make it a point to quote your language rather than paraphrase. Do you really expect us to believe that what the Yankees did is irrelevant to you? Come on. You just told us you hate the Yankees. You were there celebrating with us in the thread when they lost. I didn't bring you down a rabbit hole. You trapped yourself in your own lie. This happens when you're not honest with us, and honest with yourself. I get that it's your job to spin. In some ways, my job is to see through the spin. But people in general are pretty sophisticated. I think you'd be surprised to see how few people buy those pivots. But more importantly, you shouldn't want to pivot. You should want to know the truth. Accept the truth. Then live your life accordingly. I get that you've picked up on the fact that my issue with you goes beyond baseball. I accept that. I say that the left and right should be more civil to each other but I'm guilty of not practicing what I preach. I apologize for that. But I ask that in return, maybe you do some self reflection.

41Forever wrote: I can still dislike the Yankees and their fake-ring-waving, smelly-cigar-chomping fans and have the team's frequent trips to the playoffs be irrelevant to me. How the team fares doesn't affect me. I dislike it whether it wins or loses. Sure. So you hate the Yankees, but don't care whether they win or lose? Gotcha. That makes total sense. Well the rest of us were all watching, and we were all nervous when Kimbrel loaded the bases, then celebrated afterwards. I do feel like I should let you know that someone who does care hacked your account Tuesday night and followed the game in real time. 41Forever wrote: Kimbrel needs to realize that Calvin Schiraldi is not a role model. 41Forever wrote: Nice! That hacker sounds like a real Yankee-hater. We should invite him to the 'Pool. 41Forever wrote: I never said the Mets make the playoffs regularly. I said they've made it twice in the last four years, which I consider recent history. That's a truthful statement. I acknowledged that your statement was truthful. That's not the issue. The issue is that it's misleading. And more specifically, intentionally misleading. I really do think that lying comes so second nature to you that you don't realize that you're doing it. I imagine few people in your real life call you out on it.