batmagadanleadoff

A Boy Named Seo wrote: A Boy Named Seo wrote: Article says her old man didn't even know she was after the job. And the people who hired her had no idea who she was, either. And Alyssa had no idea her father works for the Mets organization. In fact, Alyssa doesn't even know who her father is. I don't care. If she's good at the job and the content is interesting and funny and hopefully different, then great. Her instagram is, uh, fun to look at. Same here. I could care less eitber way. Really. Just challenging Howie a little, because his statement is bs, I think, and besides the point, even if true.

A Boy Named Seo wrote: Article says her old man didn't even know she was after the job. And the people who hired her had no idea who she was, either. And Alyssa had no idea her father works for the Mets organization. In fact, Alyssa doesn't even know who her father is.

I wonder how the hell she was able to get that job?

Matt Harvey traveled from SD to LA to party the night before he gave up a leadoff HR in mop up duty. According to Ian Mohr of Page Six, Harvey was at the Avra Beverly Hills opening Thursday night, and while one source said he was sober, another said he was "out at the Avra opening stumbling around." The second person added the pitcher "had to sit down at one point. He must have been so desperate to party, he came up from San Diego." http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2773556-report-matt-harvey-partied-in-la-the-night-before-mets-game-in-san-diego

Lefty Specialist wrote: Sad to think he's done. But it sure looks like he is. He's not even an afterthought any more. That ceremonial appearance, if it's in an official game, would cost the Wilpons millions in insurance money, wouldn't it? And if he makes a pinch-hit appearance and strikes out (which is very likely), wouldn't that be kind of a downer? If both the Mets and Wright agree that Wright's career is over and all that's possibly left is a token farewell appearance, I suppose it could be negotiated with the insurer to allow for the farewell without having the Mets forfeit coverage.

I predict that 30 years from now, Strawberry will still be the Mets all-time leader in HR's.

Kinda cruel to bump this, no? But apropos to Nomar's post in the "Where Mets Rank" thread.

I look at the team's stats and I don't have a fucking clue as to how the Mets had the NL's best record for most of the season. It looks now like they're finally regressing to the pumpkins that most analysts predicted they'd be.

I don't want any team to break that record. It's an integral part of the Mets legacy and it would diminish the legend of Marv Throneberry were some other team to eclipse ths Mets loss mark.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Before the trade, Seaver was a Met for 10 full seasons and about half of another. And he was a top flight elite pitcher in every one of those seasons but '74. And even in his sciatic plagued '74 season with the mere mortal 11-11 WL record, he led the league in K/BB ratio. Even his split '77 Mets half season was among baseball's best. His combined '77 season was the NL's second best, only behind Candelaria's, but better than the undeserving Cy Young award winning Steve Carlton's, who led the league in wins while pitching for a playoff team, abbout 85% of the recipe for a Cy Young award back then. I revisited Seaver's '74 season after writing this post above. Mets fan of that era recognize that season as sticking out like a sore thumb -- or hip -- during Seaver's prime years, especially given his pedestrian 11-11 WL record. Seaver himself was famously disappointed after that year's campaign, plagued by hip and back pain throughout. Seaver's 1974 was sandwiched by Cy Young award winning seasons in the years just before and after. When I think of Mets pitching and 1974, the first thing that comes to mind is Matlack's brilliant Cy Young caliber season -- he led the NL in pitcher WAR comfortably . Matlack's '74 was one of the best pitching seasons turned in by a Met starter ever. When people talk about the brilliant Met pitching of that era and how they needed to throw shutouts to get a win, Matlack, in 1974, might be the poster boy for that rule. In fact, he led the league in shutouts that year with nine -- yet still finished with a 13-15 losing record. -- nine out of his 13 wins were shutouts! But back to Seaver, his '74 season was all-star caliber by just about every single measure, except W-L record. He was 4th in pitcher WAR; 8th in WHIP; 7th in H/9 inn. Seaver led the league in K/9 inn. and K/BB ratio. He struck out over 200 batters, was third in shutouts and finished among the top 10 in several esoteric BBRef rate stats that, no doubt, didn't exist in '74. Seaver, in '74 was more than all star caliber. He deserved to be on the fringes of Cy Young consideration, but wouldn't have picked up any Cy votes no matter how sophisticated the voters were because they only voted for the top three and Seaver, though undoubtedly a top flight pitcher in '74, wasn't one of the top three. Koosman also finished in the top 10 in pitcher WAR in the NL in '74, the third Mets pitcher to do so. Had the Mets held onto ERA champ and top 10 finisher in pitcher WAR Buzz Capra, and had Capra pitched as well for the Mets as he did for the Braves that season, the Mets would have had one of the most dominant starting staffs in post WWII baseball history. What was it about those '74 Mets that Seaver and Matlack could pitch so brilliantly yet finish with such mediocre WL records? Did they have eight Rey Ordonez's in their lineup?

That Yadier Molina is some fucking typewriter. -Tom Hanks

I'm never too sure about this: What's more impressive- once in a lifetime or once in a generation? What's longer - a lifetime or a generation?

Before the trade, Seaver was a Met for 10 full seasons and about half of another. And he was a top flight elite pitcher in every one of those seasons but '74. And even in his sciatic plagued '74 season with the mere mortal 11-11 WL record, he led the league in K/BB ratio. Even his split '77 Mets half season was among baseball's best. His combined '77 season was the NL's second best, only behind Candelaria's, but better than the undeserving Cy Young award winning Steve Carlton's, who led the league in wins while pitching for a playoff team, abbout 85% of the recipe for a Cy Young award back then.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I would say that 2,500 hits and 350 homers is not even close to Tom Seaver territory. Yeah. This is it. I would think that the batting equivalent would be something like 600 HR' s and a couple of MVPs. At least. Not to mention the psychic value of being the key player on a team transforming itself from baseball's most spectacular losers to WS champs. There are Hall of Famers, ferchrissakes, who don't deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence with Seaver. He was a once in a generation talent.

Are you saying that as of around 2015, Wright was on pace to surpass Seaver as greatest Met? Because I don't think Wright was ever anywhere near Seaver's legend. Ever.

Yeah. A coupl'a things: Harvey's control was once impeccable. He could nick the edge of a dime with 100 MPH stuff. So of course he's used to spotting pitches. Whether he still can is another story. Also, obviously a pitcher can excel, perhaps even dominate in the majors with a 92, 93 MPH fastball, which is what Harvey's got right now. But he's gonna need outstanding secondary stuff to do that because otherwise, batters will just sit on his low 90s stuff which, on its own, ain't gonna overpower anyone. Right now, Harvey's really struggling with his changeup. It's not fooling anybody. Either he's tipping it or it isn't working against an offset fastball in the low 90s. There's a fix, of course, but it's a lot easier said than done. Most every pro pitcher can throw 92, 93. Most of those pitchers don't ever get out of the minors.

Harvey's as likely to get injured as one of the starters, especially with his injury history.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Wow. The Willard Mullin 1969 World Series program cover is so justifiably famous, I never realized that I was unfamiliar with the program cover from the 1969 NLCS. This is the one that the Mets used. It's an odd choice. Funny how the Braves went futuristic while the Mets went retro. It's the same cover the Mets used for that year's regular season program. The old-timey element was a nod to 1869, as MLB was celebrating its centennial anniversary.

Qualcomm.

Anyway, this is a pitcher that it was widely assumed when he was the talk of the town and on top of the world that he would never stay a Met as soon as he hit free agency and to rub it in, would probably sign with the Yankees.

During his peak, Harvey's command was super. And he was throwing 99, I00 MPH to boot.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: I don't see it. If Harvey no longer has it as a starter, he won't have it as a reliever. This isn't a stamina issue where he's running out of gas after a few innings. It's a stuff issue. The only thing is that it might take the league a few appearances to truly scout him and study his film. Because he wasn't fooling anybody the second or third time around the lineups he's been facing and if anything, they've been getting to him earlier and earlier. When is he going to pitch as it is in relief? With the game on the line? Or when the Mets are down by eight? Also, I wouldn't be surprised if the Mets first inclination was to send Harvey to the minors, but that Harvey didn't cooperate, and this is all being kept secret. PS -- my crazy smartphone automatically inserted the word Oswald after I typed in "Harvey". Matt Harvey Oswald.

I don't see it. If Harvey no longer has it as a starter, he won't have it as a reliever. This isn't a stamina issue where he's running out of gas after a few innings. It's a stuff issue. The only thing is that it might take the league a few appearances to truly scout him and study his film. Because he wasn't fooling anybody the second or third time around the lineups he's been facing and if anything, they've been getting to him earlier and earlier. When is he going to pitch as it is in relief? With the game on the line? Or when the Mets are down by eight?

Roger Angell takes the piss on this dreadful shitshow of a Mets loss to the Nats last week. Manchester and Southhampton references, for all you British soccerball fans. https://www.newyorker.com/news/sporting-scene/night-moves

Anyone going to the MLB food fest this weekend?