batmagadanleadoff

For the The Yankees to recover, they need to play like the Mets.

I believe that had K-Rod not pitched in the game immediately following the incident, the arbitrator would have relieved the Mets from paying the remainder of K-Rod's 2010 salary. No brainer slam dunk. K-Rod still might've forfeited the rest of his 2010 salary had the two sides gone to arbitration, but K-rod pitching the day after the fight gave the Union an opening to present medical evidence demonstrating that K-Rod could not have sustained a season ending injury from the brawl.

If nobody cares whether or not Tim Marchman cares about the Mets, did the tree really fall? Or something like that. Minaya and Manuel Over the past few days I've had several false starts on what I'd intended to be a lengthy post on the Mets that would be more worth your time than, say, this, but I just don't care enough for it to be worth the effort I'd put into writing it when I could be reading a Henry Kissinger biography and baking. I'll say this: I was born in Queens to a National League family. I still have my ticker tape from the '86 parade and my first Keith Hernandez card, I courted my wife by taking her to Shea Stadium and my son is the only kid in Hyde Park who wears David Wright and Jose Reyes shirts. The Smithers Institute, Vince Coleman, Bobby Bonilla, sexy general managers, Jason Isringhausen's tuberculosis, Jason Isringhausen playing for a beer league, Todd Zeile, the Juan Samuel trade, Mo Vaughn, Mark Corey's seizure, David Cone's 1988 stint as a sportswriter, Gregg Jefferies' stint as a WFAN writer, the neon men on the side of Shea, Carlos Baerga, John Franco's mustache, Edgardo Alfonzo's back problems, the David Cone trade, late model Armando Benitez, the Scott Kazmir trade, the 7 train, signing Tom Glavine, the collapses and the volume of the Shea sound system all failed to make me stop caring about the team. Last year�all of it, from the Adam Rubin incident to the handling of Ryan Church and David Wright�managed to finally beat it out of me. So while I don't really think that Manuel and Minaya were the problem, and while I'd even say that a team whose most valuable property is Ike Davis probably should have kept the incumbents around so as to take the blame for what will doubtless be a lousy 2011, I'm indifferent to their fate and apathetic about my apathy.

I don't know how, from this light comment: "You people know a lot of things about the Yankees", you arrive at this: Frayed Knot wrote: It's ... not like you need to be a Yankee fan or part of some geek fan club to know who these folks are.

Well I'll tell you a true story: Show me a picture of John Sterling or Suzyn Waldman, and I probably wouldn't be able to identify either of them. I may know who A-Rod is, but I'm not listening to Yankee radio broadcasts. (I hope this post doesn't jinx the ALCS because I'm rooting for the Yankees (wink wink).)

You people know a lot of stuff about the Yankees.

I hope that the next GM will take the small out of the Mets' ball. This Wee Willie Keeler style of baseball has been so entrenched here ever since Wilpon bought out Doubleday, that sometimes I wonder if it isn't Fred or Jeff or the both of them that are insisting on this unfortunate tactic.

A settlement doesn't necessarily have to resemble what the arbitrator would have decided. So for example, if both sides concede that K-Rod would, at a minimum, forfeit the remainder of his 2010 salary, post-fight, the Mets might be willing to pay K-Rod's entire salary in exchange for an increase in the number of games K-Rod must finish for the 2012 guarantee to vest. There are an infinite number of ways to settle this matter. Having just said that, I suspect that K-Rod's 2012 salary won't vest. Parnell, or some other reliever that, perhaps, isn't even on our radar yet, will step up and demonstrate that he's capable of pitching the ninth inning (wink, wink). Or the next Mets manager might think that the team's most effective reliever ought to putting out fires whenever they occur, whatever inning they occur.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: I might root for the Yankees because every team I root for fails and every team I root against succeeds. I knew I should've voted for the MFYs. Better late than never.

G-Fafif wrote: Y'know what (else) sucks about this? If the Mets had done what the MFYs just did, it would go down as one of the greatest victories the franchise had ever known. They'd be carving space for another plaque on the Citi Field Fanwalk to commemorate it. But in MFY lore, this will just be tossed on the pile with the rest of them, probably exceeded by Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest. How I hat them. Why, if the Mets were to pull this game out, like the MFYs just did, that game might even get more airplay than the Matt Franco pinch hit single game (which we'll always have).

I might root for the Yankees because every team I root for fails and every team I root against succeeds.

In order to be named the The Sexiest Woman Alive, you must date Derek Jeter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Here are your final tallies for 2010: Mets and opponent HR's at Citi Field: 110 HR's/81 games = 1.25/game Mets and opponent HR's in Met road games: 153 HR's/81 games = 1.89/game

From that era, the three Shea-kingest games I attended were the Benny game, the Todd Pratt game, and the grand slam single game. I'd say that Pratt's HR shook up Shea more than Benny or Ventura. But I'm not certain.

Edgy DC wrote: I neither said nor implied that a platoon partner had to be a better fielder. . I know. Relax.

Reading the "Benny game" piece (I was there) made me wonder: When did Shea shake the most? Which game? And how could we even form an opinion without being at every big game?

Edgy DC wrote: Mabye, but that guy better be good, because Pagan's also their best defensive outfielder every day. "That guy" doesn't have to be a better fielder than Pagan to justify his PT. He simply has to be a better overall player than Pagan against LHP's. I don't know where to find Pagan's WAR splits, but it's obvious that Pagan's overall WAR rate (War/some measure of playing time) is being dragged down by his inability to hit lefties. Anyways, as a matter of taste, I'm dead set against outfielders who can field but can't hit -- and that's essentially what Pagan is against lefties.

I'm disappointed when I read that Pagan is regarded as perhaps, the best Met, or one of the best Mets, and a shoo-in for everyday outfielder. I see him as a platoon player whose PA's against left handed pitchers ougt to be kept to a minimum. He's ineffective as a RHB v. LHP, and thus, somewhat limited. He kinda sucks, actually as a RHB. Pagan shouldn't get most of those starts, and shouldn't be batting at the top of the lineup when he does start against LHP's. Here are his 2010 splits: Batting lefty v RHP: .300/.351/.436 Batting righty v LHP: .261/.298/.394 Pagan's 2010 splits are remarkably consistent with his career splits: CAREER: Batting lefty v RHP: .300/.351/.444 Batting righty v LHP: .251/.294/.414 As good as he is, his rate stats would be even better if he were platooned. A smart organization would be searching for a Tim Teufel to share PT with Pagan's Wally Backman.

The PotG MVP is clearly Mr. Grimm. Thanks for doing this, from the spreadsheets to the cards. 6.0 to you. Thanks! And thanks to all the voters, regular and irregular! No matter the state of your bowels, all voters are appreciated! I agree. I would like to suggest a Topps Rookie trophy on Ike's card; the older version with the batter instead of the cup trophy. That's a good idea, but I'm afraid the 1976 card would have to have the cup: If it was a 1972 card, however... I see that the tall Topps big trophy with the batter on top is going to cause all sorts of historical havoc: that trophy includes the year when the rookie award was issued. So even if you give Ike a new card, consistent with the years when Topps used the big batter trophy, like say a 1972 card for example, the year "2010" should be "engraved" on Ike's trophy -- and 2010 would be inconsistent with whatever baseball card template you would use for Ike's new card. So don't bother. You might blow up the world or something, like when some time traveler goes back in time to a date before he was born and kills his grandfather. Just play it safe and put a cup trophy on Ike's '76.

The PotG MVP is clearly Mr. Grimm. Thanks for doing this, from the spreadsheets to the cards. 6.0 to you. Thanks! And thanks to all the voters, regular and irregular! No matter the state of your bowels, all voters are appreciated! I agree. I would like to suggest a Topps Rookie trophy on Ike's card; the older version with the batter instead of the cup trophy. That's a good idea, but I'm afraid the 1976 card would have to have the cup: If it was a 1972 card, however... I was aware of that when I recommended the Topps trophy. But I was hoping you wouldn't be so historically accurate when considering my suggestion.

bmfc1 wrote: Beautiful presentation, BG. I agree. I would like to suggest a Topps Rookie trophy on Ike's card; the older version with the batter instead of the cup trophy.

Pagan's total WAR for 2010 is 4.7. David Wright's offensive WAR is 4.7 -- but Wright's defensive WAR is -0.8, bringing his total WAR to 3.9.

Expos

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: One of the hidden benefits of a "meaningless" stretch run is that we get to see a little shine on a few previously-unlit shoulders. I'm glad. I usually prefer your cards with action shots, Grimmy-- a la that '78 Dickey-- but the Ike is pristine. I dunno. The card's not centered and the top corners are dinged and rounded. It's not minty. AHHH... yer mother's got bubble-gum stains and fuzzy borders! My mom's not minty, either.