batmagadanleadoff

I remember that. In fact, the outfield wall was never quite the same. Even after the fence was repaired, you could notice slight irregularities at the top of the fence that didn't exist before the bombing.

Zvon wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: SNY now showing some B&W film footage from the Spring of '62 featuring Ralph and Casey being interviewed at the Sadecki Spot at Butterball Field, (pre-cage area in background). I saw that. I don't get SNY but David Rothenberg was nice to share the footage on fb.. Image? Link?

Then a few years ago, they had Ralph visit the Fox booth. Joe Buck took a back seat. McCarver switched to play-by-play, and Ralph provided the color. Suddenly Tim was respectful, humble and not at all douchy for those few innings. Just like magic Tim was likeable again. Remember that brief reunion well; wrote about it at the time here. Kenny Albert was the announcer who pulled back and let Ralph and Tim be Ralph and Tim. Perhaps never was the phrase "the magic is back" more apropos. Greg, wow thanks for linking that. That was spot on. I think that's why that day resonates with us. That was the last time (and first time in years) we had the pleasure of listening to real Ralph. Thanks for capturing that moment for us. Man it must be nice to be a good writer. I remember that FAFIF piece because of the bit about Greg in a Delgado Mets jersey. I remember trying to visualize the lunch(?) date and to guess which Mets style jersey Greg was wearing (I guessed the pinstripe-less home whites). P.S. To all you fathers out there: "Happy Birthday".

Edgy MD wrote: Ralph used to say only one Mets player ever asked him directly for batting tips. Maybe that was Ken Singleton. That would probably be Rocky Ron Swoboda, who sought Ralph's advice on September 15, 1969, and then proceeded to hit two two-run homers later that night to singlehandedly beat the Cardinals despite Steve Carlton's 19 K's.

SNY now showing some B&W film footage from the Spring of '62 featuring Ralph and Casey being interviewed at the Sadecki Spot at Butterball Field, (pre-cage area in background).

My first hunch was Barry Bonds. But as I began to type his name into the post, I realized that the answer would likely be someone from the '90s and '00s who played in both leagues. So if not Thome, then how about Sosa?

Eggcellent! [fimg=555]http://www.angelfire.com/film/rdsquires/images/Batman01.jpg[/fimg]

[fimg=444:2d3iwsni]http://siliconbeach-media.s3.amazonaws.com/legacy/blog/uploads/2012/11/Mr-Burns-Excellent.jpg[/fimg:2d3iwsni]

Is there a cap on the Mets payroll? Rubin sez "no". Fred sez "no comment". And the author below sides with Rubin. [fimg=162]http://cdn0.sbnation.com/uploads/blog/sbnu_logo/35/large_amazinavenue.com.full.56752.png[/fimg] Mets 'no comment' on bank-imposed regulations on payroll By Kris Vigneron @ChuckScrabbles on Feb 3 2014, 6:48p Last week, the Mets were able to work out a deal to refinance a $250 million loan against the team. The loan would have come due in the next few months, threatening the Wilpons' ownership of the team, but the refinancing frees the cash-strapped organization from that unpleasantness. Another interesting side-effect of the refinancing is that, according to Adam Rubin, the team is no longer restricted by cumbersome bank-imposed caps on player spending. When Rubin asked the team about that payroll cap, they had no comment. The Mets' payroll for the 2014 season is around $87 million. That is down significantly from a high of $149 million in 2009, according to Cot's Contracts. According to Rubin, it's not exactly clear if the Mets' reduced payroll over the past few years was due to bank-imposed payroll caps or simply cash flow issues. Either (or both) could have been a reason for decreased spending. It's also possible that the team's fiscal restraint had nothing to do with the team's alleged financial woes. The Mets' ownership has had a rough go of it in recent years due to their involvement in Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. Reports indicate that Fred Wilpon lost anywhere from $300 to $700 million because of Madoff. For now, the team will not have to worry about a bank-imposed payroll cap, and the repayment obligations of the loan have been deferred to seven years in the future. While that would be an issue around 2020, for the time being the team can focus on the team's current spending, rather than paying down their debts. http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2014/2/3/5375522/mets-payroll-wilpon

It's over! Supermodel Anne V and New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey 'mutually agree to end eight-month romance' By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 23:24 EST, 2 February 2014 | UPDATED: 23:27 EST, 2 February 2014 The romance between Russian supermodel Anne V and New York Mets baseball player Matt Harvey has come to an end. The 27-year-old blonde beauty, whose full name is Anne Vyalitsyna, and 24-year-old Matt mutually decided to call it quits. The Sports Illustrated swimsuit model and the star pitcher had been dating for eight months. Amicable split: Matt Harvey and supermodel Anne V, shown together in December in New York City, have ended their relationship Amicable split: Matt Harvey and supermodel Anne V, shown together in December in New York City, have ended their relationship 'The split was amicable, and they remain good friends,' a source close to them told US Weekly in an article published on Sunday. Ann and Matt met at a New York Rangers ice hockey game last May and debuted their relationship at another Rangers game later that month. The model and athlete publicly paraded their affection over the summer in the Big Apple and rang in the New Year together visiting Thailand and Vietnam, but their relationship recently hit the skids. Suddenly single: Ann V, shown in November in New York City, had been dating New York Mets pitcher Matt since May 'Their relationship has been on the rocks for a few weeks and they officially decided to end it recently,' the source told Us. Anne in a recent interview with Ocean Drive magazine said having a high-profile romance isn't all it's cracked up to be. The Victoria's Secret star previously dated Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine. Football fan: Ann V shared a photo on Sunday of herself and a young child at a Super Bowl party 'Honestly, it sucks, but it is what it is. People don�t really realize that at the end of the day we all want to be loved. We all want to have normal families and relationships and kids. 'No one wants to get divorced and have someone create stupid dramas and articles about your relationship,' she added. Anne appeared to be moving on and having fun. The model posted a photo via Twitter on Sunday showing her holding a bright-eyed child. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2550710/Russian-supermodel-Anne-V-New-York-Mets-star-pitcher-Matt-Harvey-mutually-agree-end-eight-month-romance.html

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: "I'm really not sure we can find a place on the bench for that guy who can play three positions in semi-decent fashion, get on base at a .360-.380 clip, hit for moderate power from the right side, and is dollar-store cheap." -Very few GMs for contending teams, ever Been there. Done that.

[fimg=333]http://a1.nyt.com/assets/foundation/20140127-105609/images/logos/nyt-logo-185x26.svg[/fimg] A Met Who Can Reach Base Is Trying to Stretch By TIM ROHANJAN. 25, 2014 After last season, the Mets did not define Josh Satin�s role. Not that he was surprised. A sixth-round draft pick in 2008, he hit for average but not for power in the minor leagues and never really seemed to be in the Mets� plans. But cameo appearances in the major leagues in 2011 and in 2012 turned into something more in 2013, when he hit .279 in 190 at-bats for the Mets, turned some heads and finished with a .376 on-base percentage. That was the 14th-best figure among National League batters with at least 200 plate appearances and higher than the numbers for Ryan Braun, Buster Posey and Bryce Harper. On the Mets, only David Wright (.390) had a higher figure among players who took part in more than just a couple of games. Josh Satin (13) after his game-winning two-run single against San Francisco on Sept. 18. So now what? The 29-year-old Satin, an infielder by trade, went home after the season, looked at the team�s roster for 2014 and saw Wright at third base, Daniel Murphy at second and two others � Ike Davis and Lucas Duda � jockeying for playing time at first, the spot where he often worked his way into the lineup last season. His survival instincts sharpened, he sensed he couldn�t simply report to spring training in February in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and assume the Mets would guarantee him another couple of hundred at-bats from the right side in 2014. Instead, as the off-season began, Satin went to work, refining his body and working on his swing, which he retooled before last season. And he practiced playing the outfield, shagging fly balls and perfecting his footwork, his positioning and throwing arm, all to expand his repertory as a utility man and pinch-hitter that the Mets would not want to be without. For outfield advice, he turned to Marlon Byrd, his teammate on the Mets for a chunk of the 2013 season and a solid defender. In a recent telephone interview, Satin said he found that the hardest ball to catch in the outfield was the one hit over the head. At first, he said, he �was just running like a maniac trying to catch it.� Now, he said, he is applying techniques, although the next step will be to play the outfield in spring training and keep improving. Yet getting on base remains his calling card. He never hit more than 14 home runs in a season in the minor leagues or stole more than three bases. But he could hit singles and doubles for sure, and draw walks. His minor league career average is .303, his on-base percentage .398. To some extent, he is a classic �Moneyball� player, who puts up valuable numbers at every level of baseball but is discounted because he lacks certain tools or does something � in Satin�s case, using a wavy, unorthodox swing he has since streamlined � that suggests he just won�t make it in the major leagues. But if a player can consistently get on base in the majors the way Satin did last season, there should be a role for him, particularly if he can play two, or three, or four positions competently. Satin said several moments last season made him believe he could indeed succeed in the big leagues. The first came on June 20, a little more than a week after he was called up from Class AAA Las Vegas. In a game against Atlanta, he was summoned to pinch-hit in the top of the seventh inning, with the score tied, 3-3, a runner on second base and the Braves� talented left-hander Mike Minor on the mound. Satin was developing a routine that would help him be ready to pinch-hit. He would study film of the other team�s starting pitcher and all of its left-handed relievers, watching for tendencies and what they like to throw in certain situations. �When I�m looking for a pitch,� Satin said, �I�m not just guessing.� Or, as he put it, �Swing at the right pitch.� Against Minor, he fell behind 1-2, then hit a fastball to right field for a double that scored what proved to be winning run. For Satin, it was his first really significant hit in the major leagues, and, he said, he began to relax. Less than two weeks later, in a game in which he was in the starting lineup at first base, he came to bat in the bottom of the ninth with the Mets trailing, 3-2, against the Arizona Diamondbacks with one out, the tying run on second and the right-hander J. J. Putz on the mound. Satin knocked a 1-1 slider into left field to tie the game. Then, in the bottom of the 13th, with the Mets trailing, 4-3, he started a rally with a one-out double, then came around to score as the Mets went on to win, 5-4. Two months later, on Sept. 18, he hit a game-ending single off the San Francisco Giants� closer, Sergio Romo, to cap a four-run rally in a 5-4 victory. �I proved, a little bit, that I can play in the major leagues,� he said with a hint of satisfaction in his voice. Last September, Dave Hudgens, the Mets� hitting coach, said Satin was someone who was smart and knew how to make adjustments during an at-bat. �He knows how they�re trying to work him,� Hudgens said. Then came October, and Satin got to work on 2014. In November, he married and took a two-week honeymoon in Thailand. Elephant rides, zip lines, boat rides to various islands. Then it was back to work again in his quest to be ready to play half the positions on the field or to pinch-hit at a moment�s notice. And, of course, to keep getting on base. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/26/sports/baseball/mets-satin-practices-being-indispensable.html?action=click&contentCollection=Baseball&region=Footer&module=MoreInSection&pgtype=article

I knew the answer because that question was a quiz on a Citi Field era Mets baseball game.

[fimg=577]https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSz8LfW6gKY41lnF5gBc9yEeRe_2f75xHh0vF-C8m4i_Cq354fCQw[/fimg]

Peppy Miller. Va va va voom.

[fimg=173]http://cdn0.sbnation.com/uploads/blog/sbnu_logo/35/large_amazinavenue.com.full.56752.png[/fimg] Fred Wilpon: "An end to payroll caps we never had" By Matthew Callan @scratchbomb on Jan 31 2014, 10:40am With the refinancing of the Mets' $250 million loan, owner Fred Wilpon could announce "an end to the payroll restrictions we totally never had." FLUSHING-New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon called a press conference on Friday to announce that the refinancing of the team's $250 million loan "will finally bring an end to payroll restrictions that we've never had." The original terms of the loan, which was due to be paid back in full within the next few months, would have placed the team under considerable financial burden. The provisions of the loan refinancing allow Wilpon to pay back the $250 million over the next seven years. According to Wilpon, "This means that the Mets can operate free of the money issues and payroll ceilings that never existed." "For years, I've insisted that the New York Mets would not be burdened by spending limits," Wilpon told reporters. "I said this way back in 2008, when the Bernie Madoff fraud that did not adversely affect us in any way first came to light. I said it again in 2009, and again in 2010, and again in 2011, and again in 2012, and again in 2013. Thanks to this refinancing, I will have been telling the truth all along." Wilpon compared the loan refinancing to the sale of minority stakes in the club back in 2011. "The selling of those shares helped to get us off of the shaky ground we were in no way standing on," Wilpon said. "Just like that sale, this refinancing ensures we've moved on from the dismal outlook we were not in any way facing." "Rest assured," Wilpon concluded, "we can now look forward to putting a great ballclub on the field without the payroll caps we've never had that will finally be put in the rearview mirror in 2021 or so." http://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/1/31/5364702/fred-wilpon-an-end-to-payroll-caps-we-never-had

RealityChuck wrote: 3. Chris Cannizaro [sic] Hi. I'm Chris Cannizzaro. You may remember me from such films as I Was a Second String Catcher for the 1964 New York Mets and also My Last Name is Spelled with Two Z's. [fimg=555]http://paulsrandomstuff.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/chris-cannizzaro.jpg?w=427&h=600[/fimg]

Vic Sage wrote: i was GOING to say "totonno's" but my fingers slipped. Actually, i've always preferred the more egalitarian L&B, where you could order a slice (Sicilian, natch) , to the more condescending "we don't need a sign, we don't need to be open very often, and we don't need to sell by the slice, and we don't need to have tables, so go fuck yourself" attitude of Totonno's. It's great pizza, granted, much better than L&B sure, but who needs their "soup nazi" bullshit? Plus they don't have spumoni. There's a real nasty c**t over at Totonno's running things. She was never ever nasty to me or my group but I've seen that stone cold gaze with attitude many times in my day. You know what I think is the best thing over at L&B? The parking lot.

Refinancing for Wilpons, probably more of same for Mets By Howard Megdal 5:15 a.m. The New York Post reported late Thursday night that the owners of the New York Mets are nearing a deal to re-finance their $250 million loan against the team, which had been set to come due in June. The news has enormous ramifications for ownership's ability to hold onto the team, and perhaps the ability to spend, though the Post's assertion that "the Mets� owners appear to be on the verge of finally putting the team�s financial problems behind them" is, unfortunately, awfully premature. Let's start with what we know. Fred Wilpon, Saul Katz and his partners faced a $250 million loan due in June, with no real way to pay it. A seven-year re-finance would push back the date of the loan until 2021, and the Post reports the partners will not have to pay down any portion of the debt as part of the deal, which would shift the loan to Bank of America. That's precisely the thing that keeps them from having to sell the club in 2014, for instance, to pay the debt. Also worth noting from the Post piece is the idea that "There are no payroll limits written into the re-worked loan." As I've reported, their current team loan allowed for no such new spending. There are some gaps still to work out here, though. Yes, re-financing this loan means the owners don't need to come up with $250 million by June. However, there's the not small matter of the loan the ownership group has taken out against its majority stake in S.N.Y. That was originally $450 million, and swelled beyond $600 million last winter, when the owners borrowed against the increased value of the sports network, to pay things like debt financing, and even day-to-day expenses. That loan remains due in 2015. Moreover, it hasn't been the loans coming due that have cost the Mets' owners tens of millions of dollars each year, but the financing of those loans. A re-fi, at the same interest rate, will keep those obligations in place moving forward. And unlike the loan taking last winter, which provided $160 million in capital, or the sale of minority shares in the team back in March 2012, which provided $240 million in capital, all this manuever does is keep Wilpon and his partners from having to pay any money out. So really, the only way this redounds to the benefit of Mets fans, as opposed to just Fred Wilpon and his partners, is if they have a ton of money sitting around, money they've been dying to spend on the team, but couldn't because of those darn loan covenants. If they had that money, though, there's a pretty good chance the trustee would have known about it back in 2012, when he determined the Mets owners were out of money. And while things like the new national television deal in Major League Baseball means the Mets have a bit more money coming in, that may not do much more than offset any further losses from further drops in attendance. According to a December 2013 Standard and Poor's report on the team's bond issue (and subsequent debt obligation), revenue is expected to drop another two percent this year. And Standard and Poor's has been unduly optimistic before, having expected attendance to stay flat in 2013, instead of seeing it decline another 4.7 percent in 2013. For the record, Standard and Poor's rates the team's financial situation a BB, or translated: "Less vulnerable in the near-term but faces major ongoing uncertainties to adverse business, financial and economic conditions. Still, this gives ownership another year to get things turned around on the field, with the hope that a winning team on a shoestring budget can start to produce revenue. There's also that Willets Point project, which should provide revenue, or at least something else to borrow against, at some point. And fortunately for them, nothing has increased in value quite like sports networks, so as long as that bubble doesn't bust before they go to their lender asking for more time on the 2015 loan, they might just hold onto the Mets after 2015, too. All they have to do is keep on making their loan payments. If it was that pesky stiuplation in their last loan, the money can start flowing toward making the Mets better on the field, at last. But if it was the absence of money, from all that debt financing, it's hard to see how this news will change much of anything. http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/sports/2014/01/8539630/refinancing-wilpons-probably-more-same-mets

Zvon wrote: Even if the team wins they're in a no win scenario. They already won. Years ago. They bought the New York National League MLB franchise, probably with money they didn't even have. They own all the land surrounding their ballpark. They have an ownership interest in SNY. They're probably worth hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars. No win?

Why Steve Phillips says being Mets GM is toughest job in sports Steve Phillips can feel Mets general manager Sandy Alderson�s pain, dealing with mounting criticism as the Yankees spend another offseason loading up with the best players on the open market. �I personally thought the Mets GM job was the toughest executive position in sports,� Phillips, the former Mets executive, said on Radio Row after finishing his morning show on SiriusXM Radio at the Sheraton in Midtown. �The expectations are the same and comparisons are obvious that you�re in the same town [with the Yankees], but it�s a different structure, a different business plan and different history and tradition for the organizations. So I do think it does make it somewhat difficult.� The Mets have spent some money this offseason, bringing in outfielders Chris Young and Curtis Granderson and starting pitcher Bartolo Colon for a combined $87.25 million, though there are plenty of holes that remain, from shortstop to the bullpen. �They�re in the rebuilding process and still trying to kind of work their way back into being competitive,� said Phillips, who also works for TSN in Canada as a baseball insider. �I know Sandy is doing all he can right now and they�re looking to start expanding the budget and add players as they go. This is another step in that process.� Phillips defended Mets owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon, who have been under fire for their inability or unwillingness to spend money to improve the ballclub, which is coming off its fifth straight losing season. �I think they get so unfairly maligned,� he said. �I mean, Fred and Jeff want to win. They run it as a business and obviously from a business perspective they took a hit with everything that took place with the Madoff situation. But there�s a passion to win there, there�s a drive to win there. I experienced it firsthand for 13 years in the front office for the organization and I do expect they will own the team for a long time and bring a championship to New York.� Phillips� tenure with the Mets featured ups and downs. The team reached the World Series on his watch in 2000, but also struggled in ensuing seasons, flopping in 2002 and 2003 after he spent big money to bring in free-agent busts Roberto Alomar, Jeromy Burnitz and Mo Vaughn. He was fired in June 2003. �[There are] volumes of things I would�ve done differently, but when you�re in it, you base it off all the information you have,� he said. �I learned a lot from it. I think that, among other things, we made so many moves to dramatically change the team that people appreciated. But we didn�t have an exit strategy if it didn�t work out. �It took some time to turn it around.� http://nypost.com/2014/01/29/ex-gm-phillips-running-mets-toughest-job-in-sports/

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: I agree completely, but for your somehow writing "L & B" when you obviously meant "Totonno's." Took the words right outta my mouf. I enjoyed Vic's post, right up until his befuddled Spumoni Gardens pizza plug.

Whatever. Mets catchers, 1964. bbref UMDB (There's a one game discrepancy between the two sources in connection with Gonder's 1964 games caught totals).

Edgy MD wrote: I see... "fimg=3423." That's... quite an integer. I like enlarging pictures beyond the optimal pixel rate/picture quality. It gives the picture a stained glass effect.

Edgy MD wrote: Try the "fimg=" button instead of the "img" button and put a number 800 or less after the "=." I did use the fimg feature. Chris needs some attention. That fimg feature can be used to embiggen as well as enshrinken the picture.