batmagadanleadoff

I don't like that tweet by his agent: "Down to 2". There's something show-offy or off-putting or attention-getting about that.

. . . this must be the year the Mets move to Mercury. https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/mercury-mets-inside-storyhttps://www.mlb.com/news/featured/mercury-mets-inside-story (link includes video).

Colorado is out from under. Financially speaking, yes, but from a competitive standpoint they are probably done until the 2030s. And for the $50M they are paying the Cardinals, I hope the Cardinals' owner at least treats the Rockies' owner to playoff tickets. Marc Carig on the Arenado deal: Dysfunction comes in many forms, though even through the thin air of Colorado, its odor is unmistakable. And now that the Wilpon Mets are in the history books, baseball might have a new standard-bearer for the most inept franchise. https://theathletic.com/2362713/2021/02/02/carig-rockies-oblivious-organizational-failure/https://theathletic.com/2362713/2021/02/02/carig-rockies-oblivious-organizational-failure/

I don't think it should matter to the Angels whether or not Callaway is married. Nobody's business if he doesn't wanna be faithful to his wife. Sexual harrasment is another thing. But if all this was was Callaway having a consensual extramarital affair, it shouldn't rise to the level of a national scandal.

Trevor Bauer hated Mickey Callaway when they were both in Cleveland. That relationship is said to be unfixable. So with Callaway now likely to get the boot from the Angels, I wonder if the Angels become the favorite to sign Bauer? They might've already been the favorites even before this scandal broke.

=TransMonk post_id=55112 time=1611930966 user_id=71] =batmagadanleadoff post_id=55110 time=1611930285 user_id=68] I took another look at Matz's numbers from his 2015 debut season because I remembered him as being terrific his rookie year and that terrific-ness is what maintained my patience with him for just about his entire Mets tenure up until sometime last season. And I noticed that he only started six games in 2015, pitching about 35 innings. In fact, I think he was injured even in his rookie year, missing like three or four starts. So all this confidence in Matz over such a small sample size. Maybe he was never that good and simply capitalized on his opponents' initial lack of familiarity with Matz. Who knows?

I took another look at Matz's numbers from his 2015 debut season because I remembered him as being terrific his rookie year and that terrific-ness is what maintained my patience with him for just about his entire Mets tenure up until sometime last season. And I noticed that he only started six games in 2015, pitching about 35 innings. In fact, I think he was injured even in his rookie year, missing like three or four starts. So all this confidence in Matz over such a small sample size. Maybe he was never that good and simply capitalized on his opponents' initial lack of familiarity with Matz. Who knows?

There's another story brewing here. But first some background. So retail investors (that's regular investors like Main Street mom & pops and not the big boy institutions, only here it's a lot of 20somethings retail investors) on this relatively new investing app catering to young adults - RobinHood - organize to invest in GameStop to drive up the price of the company. Their goal is to stick it to institutional short investors who are betting that the price of GameStop will decline. The plan takes shape on a stock related chat forum on Reddit where these 20somethings organized. This is all perfectly legal. The 20someting's aren't trading on inside information and aren't in the business of providing stock tips, etc. They're just regular folks, young and probably not very sophisticated. And then the ploy works -- they buy enough GameStop stock so that it soars, creating a positive feedback news buzz loop where even more investors then pile on to get in on the action and the stock soars some more. And some of these institutional short investors are starting to lose their shirts. And these shirts cost about a billion dollars. So in comes Steve Cohen and he loans one of these shorts about a billion bucks to whether this storm. And Mets fans get pissed because this billionaire a dozen times over and then some more, plops about a billion dollars into this stock play but meanwhile, appears to be haggling over two million here and three million there (pennies relative to his wealth and this latest stock play) to avoid baseball's luxury tax while whiffing on Springer and Realmuto, the top prizes in this year's FA class. Whatever. It's Cohen's money and he can do what he wants with it. Did Mets fans think that Cohen would fold his hedge fund business after he purchased the Mets? Because that's what hedge funds do: they invest hundreds of millions of dollars in financial instruments. That's how Cohen made the money to buy the Mets in the first place. But here's where it gets interesting. And despicable as far as the little guy is concerned. RobinHood, where a lot of this GameStop action is playing out, puts a hold on the buying of GameStop stock. This move is guaranteed to put the kibosh on GameStop buying and sure to drive down the stock -- exactly what the big institutional shorts want. This is unprecedented and now the rumors are flying that maybe the big boys "did something" (wink, wink) secretly to influence RobinHood's decision to halt the buying of GameStop stock. Notably, RobinHood did not put a halt to the selling of GameStop stock or the closing out of positions in the stock. More to follow, for sure.

Top of the pops! 1991 Johnson - 117; Jefferies - 62 (179) Kinda close, but no cigar: 1999 Olerud - 96; Ordonez - 60 (Ordonez!) (156) 1990 McReynolds - 82; Magadan - 72 (154)

Frayed Knot wrote: C&C (Cash & Colavito) (172) knocked in more runs than (M&M) Mantle & Maris (169) that year (1961) and when Al Kaline [324/393/525] is your third best offensive player, you've got yourself a pretty good team. 269 for the M&M boys -- 141 (Maris) and 128. 272 for C&C.

I dread the part about clearing salary more than anything else. I mean, WTF, Mr-30th-wealthiest-guy-in-the-whole-wide-world?

It's gotta be Kessinger instead of Beckert, which it is. Also, because Felix Millan (far right) is the second baseman. Conspicuously absent - Willie Mays. But the fans didn't vote for the ASG starters in 1969.

[FIMG=555]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48781589858_2c888886d0_c.jpg[/FIMG]

Edgy MD wrote: I just thought it was worthy of note that there's virtually no chance that the hat will ever appear on a HoF plaque. No, but here's a close second: On my only visit to Cooperstown, there was a very prominent exhibit of all of the 1969 MLB baseball uniforms on display. They really were 1969 uniforms, as all of the jerseys had the 1969 commemorative patch (except for the Pirates top, as the Pirates were the only team not to wear that patch, which was optional, not mandatory). But anyways, there were caps on display, too. So the Pilots cap did appear in the HOF!

Edgy MD wrote: Only five non-pitchers since 1900 have played 1,000 games batting right-handed and throwing left-handed: Rickey Henderson, Ryan Ludwick, Cody Ross, Cleon Jones, and Hal Chase. If you lower the standard to 500 games, the club still only grows to six, Mark Carreon being the additional member. While that's an interesting bunch of guys, if the group is going to be name after anybody, it's certainly got to be Rickey: The Henderson Horde or The Henderson Herd, though it's hard to call a group a herd when they are small enough to commute to work in a single car. Wow! Some small group, even at the 500 game level. And half of them were Mets.

I'd like to see those six guys squeezed into a VW. Umpossible.

Well, that obviously has pretty much everything to do with the fact that the Pilots existed for just one season, thus severely lessening the odds that they'd have a HOF'er. (Coupled with the fact that 1st year expansion teams tended to be god-awful in those days). Focus on the duration of existence instead of on the existence of the team itself. I mean, there aren't any HOF'ers from the 1969 Padres, Royals or Expos, either. (Best careers, though -- Rusty Staub, Roy Face, Joe Niekro, Lou Piniella (1969 Pilots and 1969 Royals).

I finally joined the Lunchbucket Down on Matz! team last season. But god, was Matz good in 2015. More like an all-star. So good, that I stuck with him for all those years after. But by last season, he was just horrible and I figured to myself that all those injuries he'd been accumulating ever since his rookie year must have taken a toll, and he was physically no longer the same pitcher he was when he debuted. Typewriter 2015 Total Mets Set - Code Name: Neon (Rookies) [FIMG=444]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50883389072_ce8ac7c26d_o.jpg[/FIMG] Typewriter 2015 Total Mets Set - Code Name: Neon [FIMG=333]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50883389047_84cf9f7ff2_o.jpg[/FIMG] Typewriter 2015 Ltd. Mets Set - Code Name: New Judge Tobacco [FIMG=222]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50883389087_868063751d_o.jpg[/FIMG] Typewriter Thrills (2015) [FIMG=333]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50883284526_01698d7ea4_o.jpg[/FIMG] Typewriter 2015 World Series (Subset) - Code Name: Dewey Defeats Truman [FIMG=333]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50883284546_64e0a7e1ff_o.png[/FIMG] Typewriter 2015 World Series (Subset) - Code Name: Dewey Defeats Truman (Alternate Variation) [FIMG=333]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50883284571_f135356a7b_o.png[/FIMG] Typewriter 2016 Total Mets Set - Code Name: Sludge [FIMG=333]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50882577363_b3e2f0e6a8_o.png[/FIMG] Typewriter 2016 Ltd. Mets Set - Code Name: Basque [FIMG=333]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50883420507_c9fd869b82_o.png[/FIMG] Typewriter 2017 Total Mets Set - Code: Ack [FIMG=333]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50883296586_752dfa9c57_o.png[/FIMG] Typewriter 2017 Total Mets Set - Code: Hoosier [FIMG=333]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50883401012_d8fdafa584_o.png[/FIMG] Typewriter 2017 Ltd. Mets Set - Code Name: Potato Knish [FIMG=511]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50883296601_6474380685_o.png[/FIMG] Typewriter 2017 Ltd. Mets Set - Code Name: Potato Knish (Alternate Variation #1) [FIMG=511]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50883296626_fe64dc349d_o.png[/FIMG] Typewriter 2017 Ltd. Mets Set - Code Name: Potato Knish (Alternate Variation #2) [FIMG=511]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50882577408_729f3df807_o.png[/FIMG] Typewriter 2018 Total Mets Set - Code Name: Puppet, Pauper, Pirate, Poet Pawn and King RESERVED FOR FUTURE USE Typewriter 2019 Total Mets Set - Code Name: Holy Curt Gowdy! (You Look Familiar! Subset (Space)) [FIMG=511]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50883315811_e396608cf8_o.png[/FIMG] Typewriter 2020 Total Mets Set - Code Name: Real [FIMG=333]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50883315866_cecc5c49f0_o.png[/FIMG] Typewriter 2020 Ltd. Mets Set - Code Name: You Live, We Give [FIMG=333]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50883315891_d5913e75d3_o.png[/FIMG] Typewriter 2020 Ltd. Mets Set - Code Name: Exquisite Scumbag [FIMG=555]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50882597023_505f3d2137_o.png[/FIMG]

2019 Typewriter total Mets set: code name: Holy Curt Gowdy! [FIMG=555]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48956209347_aaba1d9e9b_c.jpg[/FIMG] 2020 Typewriter total Mets set: code name: Real [FIMG=558]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50380630261_99f2ca1b5e_h.jpg[/FIMG] 2020 Typewriter Ltd. Mets set: code name: You Live; We Give [FIMG=558]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50880139181_b3fb3e713b_o.png[/FIMG]

[FIMG=333]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50375281631_db47f40e4d_h.jpg[/FIMG]

This is getting so subjective. And the winner is .... . . . . . the MLB'er topping "the list" . . . . #1 - Minnie Minoso

=ashie62 post_id=54699 time=1611569078 user_id=90] Isn't is as simple as the Mets got McCann to be their primary catcher and move on?

How Much Money Does the Average MLB Player Make? by Scott Jenkins on April 6, 2020 Excerpt: The highest average salary for any position is, somewhat surprisingly, designated hitter. Designated hitters in the American League average $13.4 million, with the median actually higher at $14.3 million. Designated hitters are typically veteran players with proven track records of success, which commands a higher salary than other positions. https://www.sportscasting.com/how-much-money-does-the-average-mlb-player-make/https://www.sportscasting.com/how-much-money-does-the-average-mlb-player-make/ ______________ Relievers aren't being overpaid… but designated hitters are: An investigation Why are designated hitters still being overpaid? https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2017/1/11/14214912/relievers-overpaid-designated-hitters-salaries-mlb-free-agentshttps://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2017/1/11/14214912/relievers-overpaid-designated-hitters-salaries-mlb-free-agents __________________________ Designated Hitter is the Highest Paid MLB Position by Craig Edwards March 18, 2016 Excerpt: A combination of the free agent system, aging, and the decline that puts the spectrum to use mean first basemen and designated hitters make the most money while shortstops tend to make the least when taking all starters into account. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/designated-hitter-is-the-highest-paid-mlb-position/https://blogs.fangraphs.com/designated-hitter-is-the-highest-paid-mlb-position/ ______________ MLB: The case against the universal DH by Bill Felber 3 months ago Excerpt: Several reasons, really. First, it's expensive. In 2019 – the last season players were paid their full salaries — the average player signed by an American League team to be its primary DH got $13.65 million. That was three times the average $4.35 million salary for all positions that season. Six of the 15 primary DHs were paid in excess of $20 million, topped by Detroit's Miguel Cabrera at $30 million. Seven were the highest paid players on their team. Only three – Toronto's Rowdy Tellez, Houston's Yordan Alvarez, and the Angels' Shohei Ohtani – failed to hit the MLB salary average. They were also the only three DHs to rank outside their team's top five in salary. The second reason, a companion to the first, is that, even as a highly paid group, a DH made only a relatively modest contribution to team success. The average 1.78 WAR of a primary DH ranked only seventh in that category among players on their own teams who had a minimum of 100 plate appearances. https://calltothepen.com/2020/10/27/mlb-the-case-against-the-universal-dh/https://calltothepen.com/2020/10/27/mlb-the-case-against-the-universal-dh/ ______________ Also, I'm getting different 2019 team salary numbers than what your chart reflects. https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/payroll/2019/https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/payroll/2019/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/236206/payroll-of-major-league-baseball-teams/https://www.statista.com/statistics/236206/payroll-of-major-league-baseball-teams/

[FIMG=333]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50876349506_fc531f9a52_o.png[/FIMG] [FIMG=333]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50875643513_ba0d1e19da_o.png[/FIMG]

Anyone who is HOF eligible right now can make his list. That means no active players. He's got plenty of Negro Leaguers on his list and 19th century players, too. He's also got ineligible (banned) players on his list -- Shoeless Joe and Pete Rose. One category I'm not sure of is whether players who are still appearing on the initial HOF ballot without having fallen off that ballot are eligible for his list, but I assume no because he's named 97 players already and no one from that category has made his 100 yet. No Josh Gibson yet, no? Gibson was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1972. https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/gibson-joshhttps://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/gibson-josh Yeah, I'm a moron. Well then, me too. Because I wasn't sure if players still appearing on the HOF ballot for the first phase of induction are eliigible for Posnanski's list. But they are. Because Bonds and Clemens are in his top 100. As are Rolen and Schilling. And several others. And speaking of the HOF, if not Po's list, fivethirtyeight.com is predicting that no players will be inducted into the HOF this year. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/dont-expect-to-see-any-players-elected-to-the-baseball-hall-of-fame-this-year/https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/dont-expect-to-see-any-players-elected-to-the-baseball-hall-of-fame-this-year/