batmagadanleadoff

I was channel surfing after the end of the last half inning. On the YES network, Ellis Valentine is batting. They're showing the 1977 AS Game. (Rollins bluffs, doesn't go) Utley still up.

Madonna's face is now line-less. 2008 2007

You could make a reasonable argument for Johan Santana as an All-Star, given the selections. Santana has the lowest ERA among all pitchers not selected to the ASGame and is one of the leagues's top pitchers this year, if not one of its elites. Santana's won-loss record, which is not suggestive of the quality of his season, undoubtedly did him in.

With first and second and one out in the bottom of the eighth, Manuel's bringing in Feliciano to pitch to Ryan Howard. I'd bring in Wagner here. The game's on the line right now. Wagner's the Mets best reliever and he is, conveniently, a lefty to boot. It's too bad that MLB has long ago, become slave to the save.

Didn't Rickey Henderson kill the Kennedys?

="bmfc1"]="Zvon"]Thats interesting. Does Canada celebrate an independence day and if so when is it? Canada Day is on 7/1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Day There's no blue on those Blue Jay caps, probably because there's no blue on the Canadian flag. Even though there's blue on a blue jay. And blue is the main Blue Jay uni color. The Blue Jays wear special uniforms on Canada Day featuring red as the primary and dominant color.

Gallo's Humor from last Wednesday's Daily News:

and blue socks!

="AG/DC"] Dave Pallone: Pusshed by Pete Rose during a Met game in 1988, earning the Hit King a 30-game suspension. Gay and out. Resigned under a cloud. A better title for Pallone's book, Behind the Mask, would've been Outed at the Plate. ____________ Ed Sudol. Umpired three marathon extra inning games involving the Mets, two as the home plate umpire: May, 1964 - Giants over the Mets in 23 innings. Casey's crew turns a triple play. April, 1968 Astros 1, Mets 0 in 24 innings. Longest shutout in Major League History. Boswell, Agee and Swoboda each take an 0 for 10 collar. "We hope you are enjoying tonight's third game as much as you enjoyed the first two." - Astrodome scoreboard message in the 20th inning. September, 1974 - Cards 4, Mets 3 in 25 innings. Dave Schneck extends himself over the outfield wall in the 12th inning to rob Redbird Rookie Keith Hernandez of a game-winning HR. Sudol was also the left field ump at Shea Stadium during the Rose-Bud Mets-Reds playoff game in 1973. Sudol ducked about as many bottles as Pete did.

="batmagadanleadoff"]Shag Crawford -- on the cover of the Mets 1971 yearbook. That's actually Stan Landes on the cover of the '71 Yearbook - not Shag Crawford. But Stan Landes was also a Major League Umpire. In fact, Stan Landes appeared on the cover of the Mets 1971 yearbook, poised to decide whether Dodger Manny Mota was safe or out on a play at the plate. _________________________ In Game Four of the '69 WS, Shag Crawford ejected Earl Weaver and also called JC Martin safe on a controversial play even though the Met pinch hitter ran outside of the runner's lane on the way to first base. Shag right there in the Marichal - Roseboro affair.

seawolf17 wrote: Dutch Rennert, home plate umpire at the first MLB game I ever attended. Loudest umpire. Ever.

Dave Pallone. Pushed by Pete Rose during a Met game in 1988. Rose was subsequently suspended for 30 games. Pallone resigned from Baseball over allegations that he was involved with a teenage sex ring. Later wrote Behind the Mask, about his experiences as a homosexual Major League umpire.

HahnSolo wrote: Big John McSherry Fact: Passed away on opening day in Cincinnati Note: Always called "Big John". It was never just John. John McSherry. Big John McSherry. Collapsed while umpiring Home Plate of the 1996 Opening Day Game in Cincinatti, and died within the hour. Ironically. McSherry, who was believed to weigh close to 400 pounds, was scheduled to undergo a thorough medical and physical examination the next day. In response to McSherry's death, Marge Schott provided this, possibly semi-strange quote: "Snow this morning and now this. I don't believe it. I feel cheated. This isn't supposed to happen to us, not in Cincinnati. This is our history, our tradition, our team. Nobody feels worse than me." It was also believed that the flowers Marge Schott sent to McSherry's funeral service were actually flowers given to her on the day of the game by WLWT, the Reds' television affiliate in Cincinnati. According to the story, Schott hastily wrote a sympathy note and attached it to the flowers McSherry's death led to greater awareness by MLB, of the physical condition of its' umpires, and was the direct cause of Eric Gregg's subsequent leave of absence; Gregg dieted and returned to baseball signifcantly lighter. The Mets honored the memory of McSherry by wearing a commemorative "J.M. N.L. Umpire" patch on their right sleeves throughout the entire 1996 season.

Shag Crawford -- Not on the cover of the Mets 1971 yearbook.

E.R.A.? -- Kid Cy!

Benjamin Grimm wrote: (Did Steve Rogers sneeze on you or something?) Oh. Is that what did it to me? Cause I've had the flu all week.

It depends on your definition of American League City. The Mets played the Brewers in Milwaukee, but only after the Brewers had realigned to the National League. (The Mets also played the Braves in Milwaukee).

AG/DC wrote: Willie Randolph's legacy may be that by being a gentleman.... I believe that as the spectre of Randolph distances itself from the Mets with time, a number of Mets will come out of the woodworks to bash Randolph, perhaps demonstrating that he was not as liked as the media would suggest. And it won't only be usual suspects like Billy Wagner dissing the former manager. I have nothing but my own personal hunches on which to base this opinion but Randolph had many of the characteristics of a disliked person: he was a stubborn man in charge of things, and not entirely competent.

="Gwreck"]="batmagadanleadoff"]Managerial stints end bad. All the time and for everyone. Tom Kelly of the Twins? No. Not Tom Kelly. Not when you leave on your own terms while on top, more or less. I should've wrote that all firings end up bad. And even then there are exceptions to every "all", and you'll probably go and find it. Still, this dismissal is all overblown and some sour grapes by Randolph. Like Irish said a few days ago, I wish Willie would just go away already.

themetfairy wrote: Cool - it's hard keeping up with these guys in most competitions, so it's an unexpected thrill to have pulled this one out. Thanks Mags - this was a lot of fun Hey. I got more of these. I could make these up in my sleep. Just let me know and I'll do another contest.

="themetfairy"]A Pile Buster = Paul Siebert Too late. But you win anyway. You backed in as GWreck wrecked it, first for MetIrish, then for Mendoza Line, then for HahnSolo, and then for everybody else. GWreck was the anagram wrecker. Here are the FINAL standings: 14 MetFairy 13 JCLunchbucket 13 AG/DC 12 HahnSolo 9 Mendoza Line 8 GWreck 7 MetIrish 4 Met Hunter 3 Frayed Knot 1 CenterField You guys were great.

="themetfairy"]Sol! Argentina - Staiger/Nolan Hardball is Back as The MetFairy seizes the opportunity created by JCL's vacation and AG/DC's gentlemanly truce. All's Fairy in Love and War and Anagrams. Can The MetFairy deliver the winning blow? Will A/G return, now that Lunchbucket has been passed? Tune in. Here are the updated standings: The Contenders: The 1973 Yogis- Logjam at the Top 14 MetFairy 13 JCLunchbucket 13 AG/DC Hanging By a Thread. This Thread. 12 HahnSolo Eliminated: The Spoiler Division 9 Mendoza Line 7 MetIrish 6 GWreck 4 Met Hunter 3 Frayed Knot 1 CenterField Remaining # of points:2 Met Fairy can clinch the contest with one more point. _________________ Still in play: A Pile Buster Rice Major Done

Pelfrey 4.25 Beltran 2.25 Wright 1 Reyes 1 Sanchez .75 Wagner .75

][willie_randolph_had_no_chance_with_mets_-2.html-Bill Madden still keeping Willie's flame burning by saying the Wilpons wanted Randolph out before even managing a game! Fanning the Firing Fires I'm so sick of this. Does the media think that Randolph is forever entitled to be the Mets manager? Managerial stints end bad. All the time and for everyone. There are no exceptions. Whether you're Davey Johnson or Dallas Green. That's the nature of baseball. Once the Mets shed their lovable loser image, the pressure was on every single Met manager to win. Only Gil Hodges managed to escape an ugly ending. (Managed! - Get it?) And he'd give his life to have his stint end the way Randolph's did. Of course this presents a conundrum insofar as Gil lost the life he had to make that trade. And if he did have the life to trade, he wouldn'ta had it after the trade. He'd be a lifeless soul, disembodied from his team.

="AG/DC"]Lunchbucket is on vacation, so I'll tie him and withdraw. Coke Sprinter = Rick Peterson We have an old-fashioned gentleman sportsman among us. I'll honor the mood by holding the dastardly murderous tie-breaking bonus round, if necessary, when everybody eligible is here. Here are the updated standings: The Contenders: The 1973 Yogis- Logjam at the Top 13 JCLunchbucket 13 AG/DC 12 HahnSolo 12 MetFairy Hanging By a Thread. This Thread. 9 Mendoza Line Eliminated: The Spoiler Division 7 MetIrish 6 GWreck 4 Met Hunter 3 Frayed Knot 1 CenterField Remaining # of points:4 Any of the four contenders can clinch first place outright, with 3 more points. Mendoza Line must run the board and then prevail in a tie-breaker against AG/DC and JCLunchbucket to win the contest. _________________ Still in play: A Pile Buster Rice Major Done Two Pointer The following anagram is comprised of the last names only - combined - of two Mets players: SOL! ARGENTINA