batmagadanleadoff

A few years ago, I discovered this absurdly terrific baseball song from Mr. Kaye on the FAFIF web site. [youtube:pk4raz9j]u7qYcyUjDPU&feature=kp[/youtube:pk4raz9j]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Seaver wouldnt've made a damn difference had he played for the de Roulets. Except that Seaver woulda made the Mets just good enough that they wouldnt've drafted first in '80. The first round of that draft is among the worst first rounds ever. So if the Mets don't get Strawberry, they probably whiff. Therefore, Keith doesn't re-sign after '83, assuming the Mets even bother to pursue him in the first place -- 'cause without Straw, no one's thinking they're a year away from contending. And without Straw and Keith, they ain't going after Carter, and there ain't no Davey Johnson era, at least not as we know it.

Wolves of '68: Another close call on Davis. If he's wearing road gray, the lack of piping puts him in a Dodgers jersey. If he's in home white, and you believe the jersey is pinstripe-less, then he's also wearing a Dodgers jersey. You gotta believe Davis is in pinstripes for him to be a Wolf of '68. Lamabe removed. Those horizontal shoulder stripes puts Jack in a White Sox uniform, Jack's other '67 team. [fimg=433]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-if71TlTwzyY/UN9NkDvd0wI/AAAAAAAAAJA/A7z41k022gc/s1600/1967Lamabe3x5.jpeg[/fimg]

Spicier than Angell: -- Charles Pierce on Zimmer: http://grantland.com/the-triangle/don-zimmer-a-life-in-baseball-for-better-and-worse/ excerpt: The passing of Don Zimmer is being celebrated by many old, grizzled baseball guys � and by many young, grizzled baseball guys pretending to be old � as yet another reason to wallow in the weaponized nostalgia that attends so much of the way we talk about baseball. We are reminded (relentlessly) that Zimmer, who died yesterday at 83, �never drew a paycheck outside of baseball,� as though this says something about Zimmer�s character, rather than simply that Zimmer was very fortunate his entire life to stay pretty much in the same job, even in an era in which people are expected to have three or four different careers just to survive. However, in my own experience with Zimmer, which was limited, the fact that he lived his entire life within the baseball bubble was not something that served him well as a human being or, for that matter, as a baseball manager. Because he spent his entire career in the universe of baseball, Zimmer was convinced, as were many of his contemporaries, and far too many players of the present day, that excelling in baseball made you an expert on almost everything else. (My introduction to that came one day on the Red Sox bus when, during an argument over the decision in the Hagler-Leonard fight, longtime coach and eventual Boston manager Joe Morgan played what he firmly believed was his trump card. �Have you asked the guys on this ballclub?� he said. So I should change my mind about the decision in a prize fight based on what Rich Gedman�s opinion was? Baseball is weird that way.) People tell stories about Zimmer�s making great sport of people he caught reading books on the airplane or on the bus. This, too, is a classic Old Baseball Guy trope. Anti-intellectualism is a point of pride, and it always has been. (This attitude is also why Tony La Russa�s law degree is treated within the world of baseball as though La Russa personally split the atom.) In all my experiences with athletes, baseball players are the only ones who have constructed an entire intellectual infrastructure around the notion that, because they have excelled at their sport, prima facie, they are smarter than anyone else about just about everything else. It is a generational kind of hilariously unearned arrogance.

I don't know if the Mets should trade Wright now, but if they were truly rebuilding, they woulda traded him before they re-signed him in December of 2012. Not that it woulda been so easy. Wright's a star, and one of the most popular Mets ever. The FO woulda needed ice in their veins to pull that off, especially on the heels of Reyes having left for Miami and Dickey's future departure a foregone conclusion. Personally, I think that the Mets extended Wright more than anything else, for the goodwill and for legacy issues ---- fans were whining that the Mets never had a star hitting career Met, and ownership caved on that one - and to avoid a fan revolt that might've resembled the revolt over the '77 Seaver trade. I never believed that the Mets were one or two years from contending when the Mets extended Wright -- I thought they'd be four or five years away, even with Wright. He turns 32 this year, he's a 10 year vet, and if he's not already declining, he will soon enough. The Mets already had Wright's best years, and Wright hasn't been that Wright since the Mets left Shea -- six years ago. Seaver wouldnt've made a damn difference had he played for the de Roulets.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: So which carded Giant (above) never played for or managed the Mets? Or announced games for the Mets? This guy. Just busting your chops a little. Bowman was a Metless Topps, as opposed to a Toppless Met.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: So which carded Giant (above) never played for or managed the Mets? Or announced games for the Mets? This guy.

Zvon wrote: This rook? Nah. That card's there for Foster. You know what I mean.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: So which carded Giant (above) never played for or managed the Mets? Or announced games for the Mets?

Don't know why Rubin omitted Lo Duca's comments on Wright. Unless the comments were made separately.* Former catcher Paul Lo Duca says Mets should deal David Wright Lo Duca, who appeared on SNY�s 'LoudMouths' show on Friday, says the Mets need to get younger. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS STAFF Published: Friday, June 6, 2014, 11:46 PM Updated: Saturday, June 7, 2014, 9:51 AM Forget about moving the fences in at Citi Field, ex-Met Paul Lo Duca thinks the team should move David Wright. Lo Duca, who appeared on SNY�s �LoudMouths� show on Friday, suggested that the Mets should deal their third baseman to try to get younger. �The Mets need to go back to square one, go back to their roots, go to younger players,� Lo Duca said. �If that means to trade David, that means to trade David.� The former catcher said that since the Mets have young phenoms in Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler, they should use them as the centerpieces of the franchise instead of the older Wright. �Listen, he�s one of my better friends, I love the guy. But they built a ballpark that�s not for him and that�s your franchise player,� Lo Duca said of Wright. �I thought that maybe they should have moved on with him a little bit and then went the pitching route.� Wright, 31, who went 0-for-3 Friday nght, is hitting .281 with four home runs and 32 RBI. �When (Harvey) gets healthy, they have the makings of a tremendous pitching staff and a tremendous bullpen, but I think they need to start back from the ground up, instead of just concentrating on going 81-81 every year,� said the former All-Star backstop, who earlier in the day on WFAN called ex-Mets general manager Omar Minaya �an idiot.� He also turned his wrath on current Met catchers Travis d�Arnaud and Anthony Recker, both of whom have struggled at the plate. �I could hit better left-handed than the schmucks they�ve got in there now,� said Lo Duca, a career .286 hitter with 80 homers and 481 RBI over his 11-year career. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/paul-lo-duca-calls-mets-gm-omar-minaya-idiot-article-1.1820567 *Maybe the comments were made separately. The articles cite WFAN and Loudmouths.

Does this thread have anything to do with Lo Duca's radio comments on David Wright from a few days ago? 'Cause I got opinions on them comments that I'm sure would be unpopular over here. Former catcher Lo Duca slams Mets June, 6, 2014 Jun 6 6:44 PM ET By Adam Rubin | ESPNNewYork.com SAN FRANCISCO -- Former New York Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca, a devout Mets fan, ripped into past and present members of the club during an appearance Friday on WFAN. Regarding current catchers Travis d'Arnaud and Anthony Recker, Lo Duca said: �I could hit better left-handed than the schmucks they�ve got there now." Regarding former GM Omar Minaya, Lo Duca said: �The issue that the Mets have is that after 2006 and 2007, when we all were there ... they stuck their hopes in a guy that, let�s be honest, had no clue what was going on. None. The guy was an idiot. And he ended up making the franchise go backwards. Where the Mets have always made the mistake is they�ve always settled for mediocrity. "Now, listen, Bartolo Colon? Great sign. He had an unbelievable year. But, for me, what does he serve for you as a Mets fan? So you can go 78-85? Why not bring up a kid from Double-A and give a kid some experience and try to find lightning in a bottle? They've never done that. "They've also seemed like, you know what, let's throw out an 80-80 team. And, as a Mets fan, I'm done with it. Besides '06 and '07, give me some other years besides 2000. It seems like that's always been the premise. And then they go build this ballpark that's mammoth, and your franchise player is a hitting star who has four home runs." Expanding on Minaya, Lo Duca said: "How did that guy have his job for that long? Let�s be honest." Reminded Minaya brought him in, Lo Duca laughed and added: "The guy didn�t even know what my age was. And I never got a phone call. So I�m never gonna support that guy. Because when the collapse happened, I wasn�t part of that collapse. It was the other guys who collapsed." Lo Duca did absolve ownership and current manager Terry Collins. "Well, I don't know that they have a ton of responsibility -- $87 million is still a solid payroll, and you can win ballgames," Lo Duca said about the Wilpons. "And they've got a good manager. I think Terry is a very good manager." http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/88504/former-catcher-lo-duca-slams-mets

Does this thread have anything to do with Lo Duca's radio comments on David Wright from a few days ago? 'Cause I got opinions on them comments that I'm sure would be unpopular over here.

G-Fafif wrote: New low-water mark for season at 7 under .500 (28-35). First time since 8/11/2013 (54-61). With two calendar months to spare.

So which carded Giant (above) never played for or managed the Mets?

[fimg=247]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8253/8925110294_ec0e5ed025_o.jpg[/fimg][fimg=266]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7358/8925172694_b0e347dc05_o.jpg[/fimg][fimg=260]http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2817/8924454991_e3926eee58_o.jpg[/fimg]

A review of the Mets' drafts under Sandy Alderson By Chris McShane @chrismcshane on Jun 5 2014, 10:00am Since Sandy Alderson took over as the Mets� general manager, 3,984 players have been picked in Major League Baseball�s Rule 4 draft. With relatively early first-round picks in each of those drafts, the Mets went with high school position players: outfielder Brandon Nimmo, shortstop Gavin Cecchini, and first baseman Dominic Smith. They�ve had two supplemental first round picks over those years, and with them, they took Kevin Plawecki out of college and Michael Fulmer out of high school. Mets vice president of player development and scouting Paul DePodesta, who came on board with Alderson, has worked with two scouting directors: Chad MacDonald, who held the position in 2011 but left for the Padres after the season, and Tommy Tanous, who has held it since MacDonald left. In its first three drafts, the front office has picked a high ratio of high school players. Of the 134 players the Mets drafted over the past three years, 57 came from college, 16 from junior college, and 64 from high school. That�s 47.8 from high school. For context, just 33.1 percent of the players taken in the last three drafts as a whole have been picked from that level. A very small percentage of players have been drafted without an affiliation with a school, though the Mets have not picked any of them. [fimg=522]http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4568273/mets-drafts-2011-2013-level.png[/fimg] Alderson's front office has also drafted slightly more pitchers than the league as a whole. Of the Mets' 134 picks, 75 have been pitchers and the other 59 position players. [fimg=522]http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4568265/mets-drafts-2011-2013-position.png[/fimg] None of the Mets� picks since 2011 have reached the big leagues yet, but given the high percentage of high school players they�ve taken, that�s not much of a surprise. In total, just 46 players�1.2 percent�drafted by all teams over the last three years have made a major league appearance. Of those players, fourteen have accumulated at least 1.0 bWAR. The standout from those drafts is a familiar name: Jose Fernandez, the Marlins� ace who just underwent Tommy John surgery but racked up 7.7 bWAR before doing so. But the draft is almost always an exercise in patience, even for the players who rise to the big leagues quickly. Of the players from the last three drafts to make it to the show so far, the vast majority were drafted in 2011. A smaller but still significant group were taken in 2012, but just two players from the 2013 draft have made it so far: Cleveland�s Kyle Crockett and Detroit�s Corey Knebel, both of whom have played just three games in the majors thus far. As for the Mets' top picks in recent drafts, let�s check in with Jeffrey Paternostro! Brandon Nimmo Nimmo was considered to be a high risk, high upside pick when he was selected in 13th overall in 2011. Although the tools profile has never quite lived up to his pre-draft billing, in his first full professional season he showed far more in-game polish than you would expect from a prep outfielder who didn't play high school baseball. A hand injury in 2013 depressed Nimmo's numbers, but he is healthy and mashing in St. Lucie this year. He features an extremely advanced approach and good pitch recognition skills and strike zone control. He has yet to really show a standout tool, but he projects out at solid-average or above across the board, and his eye at the plate makes the total package play up. The outstanding question with Nimmo is if he will develop much in the way of power, but he is a strong kid with some natural loft in his swing. He will also have to show he can handle more advanced pitching, but he could see the majors as soon as the middle of 2015 and projects as an above-average everyday center fielder. Gavin Cecchini Cecchini was a controversial pick in 2012. Seen as a low ceiling, 'safe' pick without a standout tool or much in the way of projection, Cecchini did little to quell the skeptics in his first two professional seasons. He also lost time to injuries in both Kingsport and Brooklyn, and when he did play, I really had to squint to see a major league shortstop. He has looked much better this year in Savannah. He is much stronger and can really drive the ball into the gaps off loud contact. He's not a premium athlete, but he should be able to stick at shortstop as he moves up the ladder. There's still a decent amount of risk here; Cecchini can't afford to lose much speed as he ages, but so far he is holding up his end of the bargain at the plate and in the field. He will probably play most, if not all, of 2014 in Savannah but could start to set his own timetable in 2015. Dominic Smith Smith was the only Mets prep bat under Alderson to get a Savannah assignment in his first full professional season. This is not particularly aggressive relative to other team's first round prep picks, but Smith was a particularly young high school pick and has just recently turned 19. Somewhat predictably, Smith has had his struggles against more advanced pitching. He often gets caught out on his front foot and makes weak contact. May has been much better for him than April, but he will likely spend all of the year in Savannah. Smith projects as an average/OBP-driven first baseman, but without a ton of power projection, at least in my eyes, he is going to have to hit a lot. Michael Fulmer Fulmer was given a more aggressive assignment track than Nimmo despite being picked after him in the supplemental first round in 2011. Assigned to Savannah in 2012, Fulmer showed a plus fastball that would touch 96 and the makings of a solid slider. He tore his meniscus at the end of spring training in 2013 and struggled to stay on the field, eventually being shut down with a shoulder issue, throwing only 46 innings in total. He returned healthy in 2014 but has had an up-and-down year. He's gone back to using his curveball, which projected as a plus pitch when he was drafted out of high school. Given his injury issues, dodgy fastball command, and current lack of a changeup, Fulmer may end up in the bullpen in the long term. If he is able to stay healthy and refine his offspeed arsenal, he still has a shot to be mid-rotation starter. Kevin Plawecki Plawecki has definitely played to the scouting report since he was taken in the supplemental first round in 2012. He projected as a good hitter with strong strike zone control but carried some defensive concerns behind the plate. He has hit at every level, using his natural strength and solid bat-to-ball skills to beat up minor league pitching. The walk rate has begun to erode in the upper levels, as Plawecki is very aggressive in the zone, but he makes a lot of contact and has started to hit for more power in 2014. The defense is still a question mark. Plawecki's arm is below-average. Part of it is he is stiff and mechanical getting out of his crouch, and part of it is just a lack of raw arm strength. His throws tend to lack zip and tail up and toward the runner. He has improved his receiving skills, but he struggles on balls in the dirt to either side. Plawecki's bat is ahead of his glove at this point, but that bat is good enough that you might be able to live with the defensive profile. Plawecki should get to Triple-A after the all-star break and might even earn a cup of coffee after rosters expand. http://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/6/5/5780922/mets-draft-nimmo-smith-cecchini-depodesta-alderson-tanous

Billy Martin behind 40th anniversary MVP Jeff Burroughs's left shoulder.

Here's a shot from the first photo session that captured the Mets new uniforms. [fimg=411:1b0f8lbc]http://www.baseballcardstars.com/zimfiles/zimphotos/zimmer_tommy.jpg[/fimg:1b0f8lbc]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: An original Met -- and one of the first players in a Mets uniform [crossout]on a Topps card -- and he was on a Reds card![/crossout] ... was the first player ever to put on a Mets uniform, according to Zim himself. It's probably true, too.

Ceetar wrote: They should map out where all of the Mets deep fly balls are going to land next year against all of the deep flies by the opponents, and zig-zag the outfield walls appropriately. Jeffymandering.

And why would the Mets have gotten better offers for Ike, (assuming that's even true ... assuming the Mets were shopping Duda as actively as they were shopping Ike)?

When I think of Mets/Cubs/ Wrigley/three HR's, I remember Tuffy. [fimg=444:f4c6q628]http://www.reviewjournal.com/sites/default/files/field/media/web1_dwight_gooden_web_1.jpg[/fimg:f4c6q628] [fimg=444:f4c6q628]http://l.yimg.com/os/en/blogs/sptusmlbexperts/tuffyrhodes716.jpg[/fimg:f4c6q628] [fimg=444:f4c6q628]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_chbnMGy0IXI/SdTcdollchI/AAAAAAAACf8/QNKdiPvZolU/s400/karl-tuffy-rhodes.jpg[/fimg:f4c6q628]

Edgy MD wrote: That's pretty awesome. Howard might write: Mets would have scored 14 runs and won all five games had ownership not run out of money and traded Ike Davis to save cash. HowardMightWrite would be a good thread title/hashtag/website/internet sensation. There's no doubt in my mind that the Mets chose Duda over Ike because Duda's free agency eligibility is farther away by a year. And if the Mets are worrying about what kind of free agent hit they might get whacked with in 2107 over Ike, two and a half years from now, the Mets are broker than you could imagine.

Two thumbs up for The Train. Kuyme-U9-es

[fimg=544:2hxncxjs]http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/Kkue1ns4XvU/hqdefault.jpg[/fimg:2hxncxjs]