Centerfield

I'd love to see him signed as well. Especially since it won't cost draft picks. In the end, as Vic states, it's probably too rich for current management. I get the feeling we are seeing the end of Ike Davis, and probably go into spring training with a platoon of Satin/Duda. Not sure how I feel about this. As bad as Davis has been, I think he will be better next year, and I fear we have probably seen the best few weeks of Josh Satin's career. If I had to guess, I'd say Davis will be non-tendered, sign in some hitter-friendly park and hit 35 bombs with an OPS of .950+. Of course, other Mets I swore would come back to bite us in the ass include Victor Diaz, Jae Seo, and Mike Jacobs.

Technically Pedro Tres no?

Turk. Fake to third, throw to first being the key play.

Jesse Orosco was not on the 1988 Dodgers. That never happened.

What a fantastic win. Wheeler pitching well, getting production from Lagares and Flores. I know it's just one game, but I left went to bed yesterday thinking these guys could be great for us for a long time. Plus Ike is hitting. Today, I feel like I can beat up Jeff Manship.

It takes a brave man to pitch with a torn labia.

Dan Warthen Dr. Nefario

I don't know. Feeling good after the sweep, but I got a bad feeling about Hef pitching in that launching pad. Prove me wrong!

Zvon wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Because he was found to be slower than the last day of school. That slow? Oy. That logjam at first is becoming a joke. What we want is Ike the way we thought he would be. And shit, we'd take last years Ike at this point. We have to figure out that first base situation. Flores there? If he really rakes hes gonna have to go somewhere. There's our weakest link. While looking at baseball cards I happened to notice some pics of Young playing second. So thats also been creeping in to my peripheral visions. He jumps a lot.

As an editor, you must see stuff like this all the time no? "For all intensive purposes..." "He is a real pre-Madonna." My favorite one was a young associate years back who wrote that our adversary had been guilty of a "premature evacuation". I suggested that he find different wording.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: The rest of CF's post is all crazy-like. Probably. But this is the time to go crazy no? Remember, I suggested reactivating Gooden to pitch in that doubleheader in Washington.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: If Duda or Davis does anything to establish some trade value between now and the end of the season, then they should be traded. Davis has spent too much time sucking for me to ever have confidence enough in him to give him the regular job. They have to find someone else. And I'm not at all impressed with Duda. He's not awful, but he's not good enough to be a regular player on a contending team. I have no problem with trading either or both, but the only way you build up their trade value is to play them and hope they perform. Duda ain't raisin' no stock at AAA.

Frayed Knot wrote: There's no way Eric Young is a SS How do we know that? I would have bet the house that Murphy would never have the grace to handle second base either.

Edgy MD wrote: Don't worry. He was riding the same wagon for Jordany at shortstop eight weeks ago. More importantly, did our house counsel just use "For all intensive purposes..."? No. I said "intensive porpoises".

For all intensive porpoises, the 2013 season is over. Effectively, we are in Spring Training 2014. So, with that in mind... 1. Play EY2 at shortstop and see how he does. He played second base. He's incredibly athletic. Maybe he'll surprise you. 2. Recall Duda. Play him every day in LF (now vacated by EY2). 3. Play Ike Davis every day. He's had 2 bad half seasons, one good half season. See how he does this last half season (or what's left of it). If he thrives, it's a tough decision. If he sucks, I think you have your answer. 4. Byrd should have been traded at the deadline. Now it makes no sense to play him anymore. Every at-bat Byrd takes over the younger guys is a wasted opportunity. He's your bat off the bench. 5. Play Flores at second, move Murphy to 3rd base. We know Murph can handle both positions. No need to worry about screwing him up anymore. We've seen what Murphy can do he's no longer a mystery. But if Flores can handle second base, the pressure to perform offensively is diminished. Flores should play every day, even after Wright returns. 6. Apologize to all pitchers for playing Young at SS, Flores at 2B and Duda in LF. (And if you are reading my post carefully, for playing no one in RF) Encourage them to develop a nasty strikeout pitch. Tell them it will be good for them in the long run. 7. Promote D'Arnaud. Let's see what he's got. 8. Continue to play Lagares every day. 9. Win World Series in 14 months.

No disrespect intended for FAFIF, but that is the best baseball writing of the season.

I think it's awesome that someone does something in 2013 and everyone thinks of a guy who played 30 years ago. Mookie is great.

I think we are going to just have to agree to disagree. I hear what you are saying. And you're right, there are shades of gray to consider here and it's not just a black and white issue. But I think that there are a range of reactions that Jeter could have had. Starting with magnanimous and fading into selfishness, he could have: 1. Said: "I am happy to welcome a gold glover like A-Rod. We just traded our second baseman. I'll be working on learning that position this winter." 2. Said: "I am happy to welcome A-Rod. Who plays what position is not my decision to make, but I'll play anywhere where it helps the team." (and mean it). 3. "I am happy to welcome A-Rod. Who plays what position is not my decision to make, but I'll play anywhere where it helps the team." (but not really mean it). 4. Say nothing publicly, but behind the scenes insist on playing shortstop (which is what Jeter did). 5. Publicly insist on playing shortstop. 6. Publicly insist on playing shortstop and criticize A-Rod in the press. Mike Cameron did choice 1 when the Mets were courting Beltran. David Wright said #2, as did Jose Reyes for Kaz Matsui (interestingly, Kaz Matsui would take the same position a year later when everyone realized it was a mistake). Todd Hundley was probably #3 when he was fumbling around in LF. Baseball writers would have you believe that St. Jeter would always takes the highest of high roads. He did not, he took a choice somewhere in the middle of selfish and magnanimous. I would argue that it was closer to selfish, but opinions may vary. Either way, he did not put the good of his team above all else. Again, I'm not saying he should, or that he wasn't justified in taking this position, it's just the deification of Jeter is nauseating. In truth, no one can ever be that perfect. Jeter is a terrific ballplayer, and by all accounts, a fantastic guy. No need to exaggerate him into being something he isn't.

All I'm saying is, Derek Jeter refused to move positions despite the fact that the guy coming in was the reigning Gold Glover at shortstop. Alex Rodriguez offered to move positions, despite the fact that he was the reigning Gold Glover at shortstop. Jeter acted selfishly, Rodriguez acted magnanimously. This incident is swept under the rug because it does not fit the media's premeditated portrayal of the two involved.

Vic Sage wrote: Centerfield wrote: Rodriguez was the reigning Gold Glove winner and ahead by the conventional defensive stats. There was no question slotting him in at short would have benefited the team. Jeter was selfish. Now, it may be human to not want to move positions for a douchebag, narcissistic cheater. I get that. But Jeter is just a guy. It's not fucking Saint Derek. I absolutely agree; and anything that offers criticism of saint derek i'm all for... But. He is a proud and arrogant athlete (which is redundant). And an all-star SS with his career to that point would naturally feel like the team is best served with him continuing in the position which helped the team win 4 championships. But it was not for him to decide who played SS for the Yanks. It was the manager's call. Saint Joe could've looked at the situation, seen that they were a better team with ARod at SS and asked (then demanded) Derek to move over (either to 3b or 2b). But it wasn't Derek's job to suggest it, volunteer to move, or even be happy about it. It was the Yanks' job to require it. So i have a hard time bashing Derek for THIS one. And i think writers, when they do want to criticize Derek (which is practically never) go to this one point. But its a bullshit point. If anything, it's a critique of Torre at the time, which writers are equally loathe to do. Agreed that this is Torre's call. But I also think that Torre knew that his shortstop, despite what is written about him, would have been irate that he had been removed from the position he felt entitled to play until he retired. This could have been career suicide, and Torre, despite what is written about him, knew how to protect himself even at the cost of winning. Jeter has no obligation to suggest or volunteer to move. He is, as you said, a proud and arrogant athlete. So he doesn't deserve to be bashed for it. But neither should he be deified while examples of his very human, and selfish, behavior get swept under the rug. Had Jeter offered to move over for Rodriguez, this would have been cited as just another example of him putting the team first. Instead, he didn't say a word, and A-Rod offered to move. Jeter escapes criticism, ARod is not credited for this. If Jeter really were the Saint that Verducci, Vesey, and countless other writers pretend he is, he would have volunteered to move. When A-Rod struggled in his first season at third, St. Jeter would have insisted that the move be made. And when the Yankee fans got on ARod about his throwing problems, instead of saying "ARod's a grown man, he has to work it out", he would have stood by his teammate and said "Don't boo the Gold Glover who volunteered to move for the good of the team." But he didn't. Because he's a regular guy who didn't want to move positions or support a teammate who happens to be a prick. And that was more important than winning.

I think you have this backwards. It was Beltran who remained in CF, and Cameron who volunteered to move.

Rodriguez was the reigning Gold Glove winner and ahead by the conventional defensive stats. There was no question slotting him in at short would have benefited the team. Jeter was selfish. Now, it may be human to not want to move positions for a douchebag, narcissistic cheater. I get that. But Jeter is just a guy. It's not fucking Saint Derek.

I don't know the ins and outs of the mechanics of these suspensions, but I have a hard time understanding the point of the set suspensions (50, 100, etc) if baseball is going to just do what it wants anyway. I hope A-Rod wins.

Awesome. This must be the NY third-baseman about to make his debut that all the press has been buzzing about.

I wish I were. I imagine it pays well. My press releases have a different vibe: Suspend this you fucking fuckheads. Fuck Fuck Fuck. Fuck your Commissioner. Fuck your baseball. Bitches! You're all fucking bitches. Fucking fuckhead bitches. AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH. Fucking Collins.