batmagadanleadoff

TransMonk wrote: Per Metsblog, Terry said Jose asked before the game to be taken out if he got a hit, and so Collins met that request, because �he deserves that respect. However, Collins says he felt terrible about the move, knowing fans paid good money to see him play. �I respect the game enough to know people came here to see Jose Reyes,� Collins explained. According to Collins, he felt he earned the respect of his players this summer, and to not repay that respect by ignoring Jose�s request could jeopardize �what was built. What would Derek Jeter have done?

Jesus F. Christ. We're gonna be stuck with Jeff Wilpon for the rest of our fucking lives and you guys go on and on with this minor league Jersey thing?

US District Court Judge Rakoff might release his decision on the fate of Picard's claims against Sterling for damages over and above fictitious profits, as early as today.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Anyone here wanna be my guest? Tuesday night, 9/27. Mets v Reds. Delta Sky360 Club. Tickets are on me. Besides, I'll need a body to assist me in getting through the rotunda. I shut my eyes closed whenever I hafta walk through that stupid, stupid thing. Shoot me a PM. We can make fun of the hideous Citi Field scoreboards, which are even uglier live and in person. And they're so close together, too. What's the deal with that? OE: Just to make it easier on whoever accepts this offer, I'll open my eyes when I navigate the stupid rotunda. But only to look at the escalator. Time's expired. This contest giveaway is over. Thanks for playing.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Uncut and uninterrupted. It's the best channel on television. Ditto, here.

Ceetar wrote: Ceetar wrote: A lovely bunt by Tejada with Reyes on second gets him to third with one out. How nice. walk Wright and our friend Jason Bay grounds into a double play. Hamels escapes unscatched in his 2-out first. If this bunt is the reason they don't score.. Even Jerry Manuel didn't bunt in the first inning of game with a runner on second and nobody out. Wee Willie SmallBalls did it frequently; even in Denver. Fucking Asinine.

we should get to the game earlier than is typical so as not to miss the mets v reds 1973 old-timer's reunion game and the steel-cage death match rematch between good-guy bud harrelson and pete rose the villain who will forfeit on account of he's banned from baseball says rose but we all know he's chicken and when rose doesn't show up ron hodges will hunt rose down and force him to swallow pedro borbon's baseball cap Bump Anyone here wanna be my guest? Tuesday night, 9/27. Mets v Reds. Delta Sky360 Club. Tickets are on me. Besides, I'll need a body to assist me in getting through the rotunda. I shut my eyes closed whenever I hafta walk through that stupid, stupid thing. Shoot me a PM. We can make fun of the hideous Citi Field scoreboards, which are even uglier live and in person. And they're so close together, too. What's the deal with that? OE: Just to make it easier on whoever accepts this offer, I'll open my eyes when I navigate the stupid rotunda. But only to look at the escalator. ________________ It's gonna be some humdinger at Shea this Tuesday. The Council will be there!! That's right. The Council!!! For years, the mantra of the Mets and their fans has been �Ya Gotta Believe.� This season, die-hard Mets fan, actress and songwriter Lori Martini wrote the song �Believe� in order to capture this spirit. The track has been ever present at Citi Field in 2011, serving as Justin Turner�s walkup music as well as being performed in an pregame concert by Nick Javas and Kassy K. On Tuesday, September 27th, Believe will get a new twist when the three-piece rock band The Council performs the track prior to the game vs. the Cincinnati Reds. Consisting of brothers Doug, Pat and Andy Reeves (Doug and Pat are twins, Andy is a year younger), The Council began in Syracuse, New York, home to the siblings. After some initial struggles (or as Doug notes, �commitment, arguing, perseverance, arguing, sacrifice, a little more arguing and here we are), the band has toured with such acts as The All American Rejects, The Kooks and The Toadies. One thing that the brothers have taken with them on the road no matter where they travel is their Mets fandom. The Council was kind enough to engage in a Q&A with Rising Apple regarding the band, their music, and of course, the Mets. Rising Apple: How did you get together with Lori Martini? What attracts you to her song �Believe� and her other music? The Council: We met Lori at a show of ours in March at Sullivan Hall. We talked after the show and had alot of things in common, one being our love for the New York Mets. We�ve stayed in touch ever since. Lori�s song �Believe� attracted us because it�s a universal theme. Everyone can relate to believing in something, whether themselves, another person, a team, etc. In this case especially, Mets fans have really defined the word �believe� embracing it through good and bad times alike. Lori�s other music has the same qualities. The songs are genuine and you sense that when you hear them. RA: What projects are you currently working on? C: We currently are finishing up a re-make of Nirvana�s song �Lithium� for an anniversary album being put out by music industry people in Toronto, Canada. The album marks 20 years since the release of �Nevermind� and spans five continents. We are the only American band on the album, which we are truly humbled by. It�s due out in late September. We also have been demoing new songs in preparation for recording later this fall. RA: How does Syracuse influence your music? C: It�s not necessarily Syracuse as a city that influences our music, it�s more our situation in life and the experiences we�ve gone through in Syracuse. We grew up working on our family farm. As fulfilling as it was to help our family out, we had a different passion. The work ethic we learned on the farm has been valuable to us while trying to achieve all of our musical goals. In a lot of our songs there is a sense of urgency that comes from wanting to make the transition from farmers to full time musicians. RA: How did you guys become Mets fans? C: We have been Mets fans since we were kids. Our grandparents bought Doug and I Mets jerseys and hats for I think our fourth birthday. As custom on our birthday, Andy received the same gift. We wore them every day and of course began watching Mets games. Every time we were at our grandparents� house we�d talk Mets and the rest is history. RA: Who are your favorite Mets of all time? Currently on the team? C: Favorite Mets. Hmmmm� We could say the 86� Mets team for obvious reasons. They are all legends. But definitely, Gary Carter (God bless Gary Carter�s health), Keith Hernandez, Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Howard Johnson, Lenny Dykstra, Mookie Wilson, Rey Ordonez, Nolan Ryan, Carlos Delgado. Currently, well of course all of them, but we do like the hustle and grittiness of David Wright, Jose Reyes, Johan Santana, Ike Davis and Justin Turner. Q: Who are your musical influences? C: Musically we are influenced by U2, The Who, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Foo Fighters and anything else that sparks our creativity. RA: What do you want to accomplish with your music? C: We hope our music inspires people and maybe gives them an escape from whatever reality they need escaping from. But, at the end of the day we just want people to enjoy our music. As for our band, we are striving to become the biggest band in the world. We would also love to be able to play a full set at a sold out Citi Field. RA: Do you prefer Citi or Shea? C: We love the nostalgia of Shea. Obviously, Citi Field is just amazin (spelling is a nod to Mets fans). You know the Mets home is the Mets home. It�s more the team and fans than it is the stadium. RA: What connection do you see between the Mets and your music? Music in general? C: We actually grew up playing baseball. We have always had a passion for it and the Mets. Now that we are in a band, playing Citi Field makes it that much more rewarding. It�s the best of both worlds for us. As the Mets mantra is, �You Gotta Believe,� similarly we as a band have always embraced that anything can happen as long as you believe. http://risingapple.com/2011/09/23/sibling-band-the-council-set-to-play-citi-field-on-september-27th/ Jayne Meadows, Mike Schmidt and Louis XIII were all born on 9/27, though not in that order.

Mark Fhyrie makes his Mets debut Hundley is poised to make short-lived history Who's at short? It's gone. No Win for you! Joel Youngblood's two hits in one day against two different teams were struck against future hall of fame pitchers Fergie Jenkins and Steve Carlton

149: 1968 -- Jim McAndrew seeks consistent support McAndrew's first two Wins were, as you note, complete game shutout victories over opposing future Hall of Fame starting pitchers Steve Carlton and Ferguson Jenkins. Carlton and Jenkins are the answers to another Met trivia question. What's the question?

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Wifey has a commitment that evening and she'd get mad if I left the kittens in charge of watching the boy. Why?

Bump Anyone here wanna be my guest? Tuesday night, 9/27. Mets v Reds. Delta Sky360 Club. Tickets are on me. Besides, I'll need a body to assist me in getting through the rotunda. I shut my eyes closed whenever I hafta walk through that stupid, stupid thing. Shoot me a PM. We can make fun of the hideous Citi Field scoreboards, which are even uglier live and in person. And they're so close together, too. What's the deal with that? OE: Just to make it easier on whoever accepts this offer, I'll open my eyes when I navigate the stupid rotunda. But only to look at the escalator. ________________ It's gonna be some humdinger at Shea this Tuesday. The Council will be there!! That's right. The Council!!! For years, the mantra of the Mets and their fans has been �Ya Gotta Believe.� This season, die-hard Mets fan, actress and songwriter Lori Martini wrote the song �Believe� in order to capture this spirit. The track has been ever present at Citi Field in 2011, serving as Justin Turner�s walkup music as well as being performed in an pregame concert by Nick Javas and Kassy K. On Tuesday, September 27th, Believe will get a new twist when the three-piece rock band The Council performs the track prior to the game vs. the Cincinnati Reds. Consisting of brothers Doug, Pat and Andy Reeves (Doug and Pat are twins, Andy is a year younger), The Council began in Syracuse, New York, home to the siblings. After some initial struggles (or as Doug notes, �commitment, arguing, perseverance, arguing, sacrifice, a little more arguing and here we are), the band has toured with such acts as The All American Rejects, The Kooks and The Toadies. One thing that the brothers have taken with them on the road no matter where they travel is their Mets fandom. The Council was kind enough to engage in a Q&A with Rising Apple regarding the band, their music, and of course, the Mets. Rising Apple: How did you get together with Lori Martini? What attracts you to her song �Believe� and her other music? The Council: We met Lori at a show of ours in March at Sullivan Hall. We talked after the show and had alot of things in common, one being our love for the New York Mets. We�ve stayed in touch ever since. Lori�s song �Believe� attracted us because it�s a universal theme. Everyone can relate to believing in something, whether themselves, another person, a team, etc. In this case especially, Mets fans have really defined the word �believe� embracing it through good and bad times alike. Lori�s other music has the same qualities. The songs are genuine and you sense that when you hear them. RA: What projects are you currently working on? C: We currently are finishing up a re-make of Nirvana�s song �Lithium� for an anniversary album being put out by music industry people in Toronto, Canada. The album marks 20 years since the release of �Nevermind� and spans five continents. We are the only American band on the album, which we are truly humbled by. It�s due out in late September. We also have been demoing new songs in preparation for recording later this fall. RA: How does Syracuse influence your music? C: It�s not necessarily Syracuse as a city that influences our music, it�s more our situation in life and the experiences we�ve gone through in Syracuse. We grew up working on our family farm. As fulfilling as it was to help our family out, we had a different passion. The work ethic we learned on the farm has been valuable to us while trying to achieve all of our musical goals. In a lot of our songs there is a sense of urgency that comes from wanting to make the transition from farmers to full time musicians. RA: How did you guys become Mets fans? C: We have been Mets fans since we were kids. Our grandparents bought Doug and I Mets jerseys and hats for I think our fourth birthday. As custom on our birthday, Andy received the same gift. We wore them every day and of course began watching Mets games. Every time we were at our grandparents� house we�d talk Mets and the rest is history. RA: Who are your favorite Mets of all time? Currently on the team? C: Favorite Mets. Hmmmm� We could say the 86� Mets team for obvious reasons. They are all legends. But definitely, Gary Carter (God bless Gary Carter�s health), Keith Hernandez, Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Howard Johnson, Lenny Dykstra, Mookie Wilson, Rey Ordonez, Nolan Ryan, Carlos Delgado. Currently, well of course all of them, but we do like the hustle and grittiness of David Wright, Jose Reyes, Johan Santana, Ike Davis and Justin Turner. Q: Who are your musical influences? C: Musically we are influenced by U2, The Who, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Foo Fighters and anything else that sparks our creativity. RA: What do you want to accomplish with your music? C: We hope our music inspires people and maybe gives them an escape from whatever reality they need escaping from. But, at the end of the day we just want people to enjoy our music. As for our band, we are striving to become the biggest band in the world. We would also love to be able to play a full set at a sold out Citi Field. RA: Do you prefer Citi or Shea? C: We love the nostalgia of Shea. Obviously, Citi Field is just amazin (spelling is a nod to Mets fans). You know the Mets home is the Mets home. It�s more the team and fans than it is the stadium. RA: What connection do you see between the Mets and your music? Music in general? C: We actually grew up playing baseball. We have always had a passion for it and the Mets. Now that we are in a band, playing Citi Field makes it that much more rewarding. It�s the best of both worlds for us. As the Mets mantra is, �You Gotta Believe,� similarly we as a band have always embraced that anything can happen as long as you believe. http://risingapple.com/2011/09/23/sibling-band-the-council-set-to-play-citi-field-on-september-27th/ Jayne Meadows, Mike Schmidt and Louis XIII were all born on 9/27, though not in that order.

Mets have the 23rd worst ERA in M.L.B. this year � in a pitcher�s ballpark!!! http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/stuffing-the-mets-suggestion-box/

Stuffing the Mets� Suggestion Box By JIM LUTTRELL The New York Mets After Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson made it clear there would be changes to Citi Field this off-season, readers had plenty of ideas when the Bats blog asked for suggested alterations to the ballpark that could put the Mets back on the winning path. Somewhat surprisingly, a good number of readers did not want to make any changes to three-year-old Citi Field. �Don�t change the park to suit the team � change the team to suit the park!� wrote JTA from Brookline, Mass. �The Mets have a crop of talented young arms on their way up. Leave the dimensions alone and rebuild the rest of the team around pitching, speed and defense.� While some readers wanted the changes to start with ownership, the current players drew the ire of just as many fans. �Mets have the 23rd worst ERA in M.L.B. this year � in a pitcher�s ballpark!!!� wrote MH from New Jersey. �If they shrink the field, I can�t wait to see what their E.R.A. will be next year. (Hunch: They probably will topple a M.L.B. record!) Most M.L.B. organizations design a team to fit a stadium, not vice-versa.� Chrispy from Brooklyn said: �Can I draw some better players onto this new field? Or maybe a tee that our existing subpar players can hit the ball off of? Citi Field is the only thing that�s NOT wrong with this organization.� Of course, those who were inspired to try their hand at a new-look ballpark varied in the seriousness of their approaches. Randy Medina put his brain to work for his Web site readtheapple.com and shared with Bats readers the rendering below. On the left, Medina prescribes an eight-foot wall be erected in front of the Great Wall of Flushing, creating a small new section. �The seats in this section are bar stool seats modeled after Fenway�s first row of monster seats,� he wrote. �The seating ends just before the hangar door so that it can still function. This also leaves outfielders a nice amount of space in the left-center-field gap where they can take an unobstructed shot at bringing back a homer.� On the right, Medina designed a fence for the Mo�s Zone that creates a picnic pavilion for Mo Zone guests �with either picnic tables or some kind of bleacher seating.� GD definitely thought outside the box for his design, below. Let�s let him tell it: �This design, seemingly controversial, will allow the Mets to greatly increase the number of home runs since they are the most exciting aspect of the game. Fifteen-foot-tall walls 200 feet from home plate will radically change Citi Field�s perception as a pitcher�s park. Ground balls and bunts will likely become nonfactors since the infield can now play in on the grass rather than all the way out by the bags. Additionally, pitchers can greatly lower their B.A.B.I.P.s while perhaps sacrificing their HR/9. It all evens out, however, because of dingers! The grass seating will also greatly increase capacity at no increase in cost.� Alexander Putelo looked for compromise: �My objective was not to remove all of the quirkiness that is Citi Field plus keeping it fair for both pitchers and hitters,� he wrote. �In left field, down the line the dimensions do not change, but as you move from the power alley toward center field, I have moved the fence 10 feet closer and lowered it to 10� 10?. This will be a clear fence so that behind this new area, S.R.O. or picnic-type tickets can be sold. �Moving along the wall toward right field, I have not changed the dimensions until you get to the Mo Zone. At this point, after jutting out a couple feet, I straighten out the fence to be even with the wall down the right-field line. This new fence will also be clear to allow the Mo Zone patrons to move out onto the old playing surface.� A reader who called himself Trogdor wanted to give to the Mets owner Fred Wilpon what some fans think he wanted all along [below]. Jeff H. wanted to bring a little Euro flair to Citi Field while solving on-field and off-field problems (below). He wrote, �A significant percentage of the left-field seats presently feature an obstructed view of left field. Simply lowering the height of the fence will only exacerbate the problem, so it affects all of the left field seats. �I have extended the left-field stands further onto the field by two rows. This will move the distance of the wall by 6 to 8 feet and lower the height of the fence by at least 2 feet. This solves two problems at once: It renders a pitcher�s park more neutral and it will also cause a greater portion of the playing field to be visible from the seats. �While we have the tools out, I have also changed the color of the fence, as well of the seats, to Mets blue. I have spelled out �Mets� across the seats in a design prevalent in European soccer stadiums but rare in baseball. Millions of people fly over Citi Field every year. Why not advertise something other than Citicorp?� Of course, a number of readers all agreed on the �if it�s not broke, don�t fix it� model. It seems that�s a little late, though: http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/stuffing-the-mets-suggestion-box/

There's a rumor beginning to circulate that the Mets and Picard are likely to settle the clawback lawsuit. Sigh.

Talk about a receding arc. Pelf might've been the most coveted pitcher coming out of his class. He dropped down to the Mets' slot because, as a Scott Boras client, he scared away every team picking ahead of the Mets that might've otherwise had an interest. The scouts drooled about Pelf's ceiling, all based on his BMOC 97+ MPH fastball coupled with a devastating heavy sinker. He never threw 97+ in a Mets uniform. Or 97 without the +. And now, his sinker stopped sinking.

Anyone here wanna be my guest? Tuesday night, 9/27. Mets v Reds. Delta Sky360 Club. Tickets are on me. Besides, I'll need a body to assist me in getting through the rotunda. I shut my eyes closed whenever I hafta walk through that stupid, stupid thing. Shoot me a PM. We can make fun of the hideous Citi Field scoreboards, which are even uglier live and in person. And they're so close together, too. What's the deal with that? OE: Just to make it easier on whoever accepts this offer, I'll open my eyes when I navigate the stupid rotunda. But only to look at the escalator.

Edgy DC wrote: David Wright is so busy trying to be the type of guy he thinks he's supposed to be, he doesn't know if he's coming or going. I blame it on Citi Field's' dimensions. And the stupid Dodgers' rotunda. Not necessarily in that order.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: I'm guessing it's the one that goes for the accidental-manslaughter punchline. Yeah, me too. He was the best pitcher on the best Mets team ever. So worthless he ain't, in my book. But jeez, have you been following Bobby O. on the Citi Field dimensions? All season long, he's been practically girly-manning, with Rob Dibble-like insights, anyone who dared to even think about moving in the fences. According to Bobby O, dimensions don't matter. It's all the same, whether centerfield is 390 or 800 feet away. Bobby O is now squarely in Phil Mushnick territory with his phony about-face.

HahnSolo wrote: Ashie62 wrote: Ceetar wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: What a hypocrite this Bobby Ojeda is. As of 40 seconds ago and on the heels of the latest Alderson clip on the CF walls, he's now suddenly all for bringing in the CF walls. The team needs HR's to win and Mets are disheartened from the get go at Spring Training when their bombs three hop the Florida OF walls that are as far as away as Citi's, sez Ojeda. You shoulda heard what he was saying up until 40 seconds ago. OF dimensions don't matter, he' say, while rewinding an Ike Davis 440 foot bomb for his Exhibit A. Ojeda's worthless. Steve Olin would agree. Wow. Which post(s) get(s) your "Wow"?

What a hypocrite this Bobby Ojeda is. As of 40 seconds ago and on the heels of the latest Alderson clip on the CF walls, he's now suddenly all for bringing in the CF walls. The team needs HR's to win and Mets are disheartened from the get go at Spring Training when their bombs three hop the Florida OF walls that are, by design, as far as away as Citi's, sez Ojeda. You shoulda heard what he was saying up until 40 seconds ago. OF dimensions don't matter, he' say, while rewinding an Ike Davis 440 foot bomb for his Exhibit A.

Edgy DC wrote: Cavernous baseball stadiums are dumb. They undermine the home team's talent -- kinda like what it would be like if I played miniature golf against Tiger Woods. On a regulation golf course, of course, I'd never ever beat Tiger. But on the mini course, with the Dutch windmills and the loop the loop ramps, I'd win frequently. It would no longer mean a thing that Tiger could hit the ball a zillion feet with a seven-iron. And the Mets, when healthy, are a damn good hitting team. I think it could be the exact opposite of that. The closer the wall, or the hole, the more neutralized talent is. At the extremes, probably, I'd say. That's why wealthy teams shouldn't build parks that are uniformly extreme. I think that the closest park to Citi Field, dimension-wise, though not an exact match, was the Astrodome, and the Astros were mainly mediocre there. It's hard to win consistently in a cavernous park. Dodger Stadium by contrast, though a pitcher's park, isn't extremely cavernous. Its' foul territory was spacious. Edgy DC wrote: I think dreaming of a new ballpark is like dreaming of a new home and a new life in an faraway city. You get there, you wake up, and you find out that you're still you. Good luck, Jason Bay. This, I disagree with, for reasons already stated. You may be you, but you are a product of your home stadium. (See, Castilla, Vinny; Bichette, Dante, etc.)

More quotes: When asked how the changes might affect shortstop Jose Reyes, a prolific triples hitter whom the Mets hope to re-sign, Alderson quipped, "He might have to slide into third a little more often." Left unsaid was the impact reduced dimensions could have on David Wright, the hitter who has appeared most negatively affected by the Mets' move to Citi Field. The third baseman has hit only 22 home runs at home since the start of the 2009 season. He hit 21 homers at Shea Stadium in 2008 alone. One of the challenges for the Mets will be to modify the outfield walls without making them an eyesore. It is unlikely they would demolish and rebuild any part of the stands, so the trick would be to alter the field dimensions in a way that is aesthetically pleasing. Alderson said one option in left field would be to build a new, shorter fence in front of the 16-foot wall, similar to what the Detroit Tigers did when they brought in the left-field wall at Comerica Park in 2003. "You don't want to make the ballpark jury-rigged," Alderson said. "Citi Field is a terrific-looking ballpark, and you want to make sure that architecturally it's not compromised. But at the same time, it's a functional ballpark. I think there are ways, if we do decide to make those changes, there are ways that those changes could blend with the existing structure." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903703604576584273139183568.html

ST. LOUIS � After reviewing three seasons worth of data, the Mets finally seem to have arrived at the conclusion Citi Field is just too damn big. Speaking after his team�s 11-6 loss to the Cardinals last night, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said a final decision will be reached next month, but all signs point to a more hitter�s friendly Citi Field, with shortened dimensions for 2012. Alderson said any changes would be "not subtle." The goal, he said, would be to make the ballpark fairer between pitchers and hitters while also placating fans who have called for more offense at Citi Field. "To some extent it�s a question of entertainment," Alderson said. "The hardcore baseball fan I think enjoys the 2-1, the 3-2 [score]. We�re appealing to a little broader segment, and I think offense is appealing. Offense sells." The changes would be music to the ears of David Wright and Jason Bay, both of whom have struggled to hit home runs in the cavernous ballpark. Among the certain changes would be a reduction of the 16-foot wall in left field that has turned many potential home runs into doubles over the ballpark�s first three seasons. But Alderson said the dimensions in left, center and right field might be shortened to help hitters. According to Mets� research, the average in major league baseball of home runs to balls put in play is about 2.5 percent. At Citi Field that number is 1.9 percent. At Yankee Stadium it�s 3.6 percent. "Those are the kinds of things we look at and consider whether we ought to alter the dimensions somewhat to make it a little more balanced, a little more average in terms of major league baseball," Alderson said. "I think there is some sense that the park is a little more overwhelming to a team that spends half its time there as opposed to a team that comes in for three games and doesn�t really have to alter an approach or think about it too much, and leaves. Those are the kinds of things we�re taking a look at." According to Alderson�s data, just eight home runs have been hit by left-handed hitters to the opposite field at Citi over three years. The major league average is in the 28-29 range. "We have three years worth of data and it�s an appropriate time to take a look at things and see if some alterations would be appropriate. They have certainly been done in other ballparks," Alderson said. As Padres president, Alderson oversaw alterations to PETCO Park that helped hitters. He mentioned Comerica Park in Detroit as another example of a modern ballpark that made changes after it opened to boost offense. "Citi Field is a terrific looking ballpark and we want to make sure that architecturally it�s not compromised," Alderson said. "But at the same time it�s a functional ballpark and I think there are ways, if we decide to make the changes that those changes could blend with the existing structure." Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/shrinking_citi_mets_ready_to_move_DCiQ3nY97wjh5tyh2MmbWI#ixzz1YaSydaHY Cavernous baseball stadiums are dumb. They undermine the home team's talent -- kinda like what it would be like if I played miniature golf against Tiger Woods. On a regulation golf course, of course, I'd never ever beat Tiger. But on the mini course, with the Dutch windmills and the loop the loop ramps, I'd win frequently. It would no longer mean a thing that Tiger could hit the ball a zillion feet with a seven-iron. And the Mets, when healthy, are a damn good hitting team.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Can we please stop talking about bringing in walls as if: a) that's Jason Bay's problem that it would somehow only benefit our team Agreed with FK above. I don't agree with youse guys. I understand your position(s): that if the Citi Field outfield walls are too far and high for the Mets, then they're too far and high for the visitors, too, and that over time, the would be HR's that CF converts into something less -- outs, or some other non-HR hit -- evens out for both sides. I think that there's more at stake here, and that a Met who plays at CF all season, particularly a HR-hitting Met, is likelier to mess up his swing, timing and rhythm than a visiting player who plays, at most, 10 or so CF games a season, but maybe as little as three games. There's more to this than simply comparing the hit tracker data for the Mets and their visiting opponents. The other point I'd make, (and I might have already made it on this forum before. I'm not sure but if I did, apologies for being monotonous, here) is that wealthy teams should build dimensions that are close to neutral, rather than extreme. The Mets, in the long term, will be wealthy again, notwithstanding their current mess. In due time, the Wilpons either get back on their feet again, or sell to an entity that won't be indebted to Picard for hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars. Wealthy teams can use their financial leverage to buy power hitters. HR's are baseball's best offensive weapon and the most efficient way to score. OF fences that are too far undermine a team's ability to hit HR's, while fences close in squander the team's power advantage by facilitating the opponent's ability to counter with HR's of their own. This stuff about building an offense around speed and line drives is a bullshit pipe dream, and I can't believe that internally, Alderson really believes this crap. To the extent that he says otherwise publicly, I believe that Alderson's just covering up for the baseball morons that own this team. It's hard to win consistently without power and HR's. Not impossible. But harder. ______________________________ Sandy Alderson is quoted: "Alderson also appeared to acknowledge the psychological impact of playing 82 home games in a cavernous stadium. 'There is some sense that the park is a little more overwhelming to a team that spends half its time there, as opposed to a team that comes in for three games, doesn�t really have to alter an approach or think about it too much, and leaves,' he said". http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2011/09/alderson-addresses-citi-dimensions