batmagadanleadoff

5/2/1995 The Mets game in Montreal produced a comedy of errors. This was the first home game of the season for Montreal and their sixth overall. There were substitute umpires working major league games to start this season since the regular arbiters were locked out by the owners. When Luis Aquino and Cliff Floyd entered the game in the top of the sixth, the home plate umpire, Don January, incorrectly decided that Aquino was batting fifth and Floyd ninth. When Floyd came to bat in the #5 slot, Mets� manager Dallas Green told January that the Expos were batting out of order. Expos manager Felipe Alou claimed he had Floyd fifth and Aquino ninth and that January made the mistake. Alou was ejected. January then allowed Floyd to bat and ground out, despite knowing that he was not the proper batter. Then January called Aquino out for not batting in order and sent the runner back (that, at least, was the right call.) After calling Aquino out, the next batter should be the one in the sixth spot, Sean Berry. However, January decided that Aquino should bat now. He singled to left and then Berry ended the inning with a ground out. Thus, Aquino had two at bats in one time through the batting order. Despite this confusion the Expos won, 9-6. http://www.retrosheet.org/outturn.htm

http://www.retrosheet.org/outturn.htm Batting out of turn.

Under present circumstances, I doubt that Randolph would rest both Wright and Reyes in the same game even if he could do so conveniently.

bmfc1 wrote: Do the Mets have the personnel to give both Wright and Reyes a day off in the same game? On further review, you have a good point, personnel-wise.

bmfc1 wrote: Do the Mets have the personnel to give ... Reyes a day off ....? I don't see why not. Here are Jose's stats over the Mets last 81 games - half a season: At Bats 333 Hits 77 2B 17 3B 6 HR 6 BB 37 AVG. .231 OBP. .308 SLG. 372 SB/ATT. 34/43 Total Plate Appearances - 378 (Trailing only Ichiro (383 TPA) over this period)

Here's an edited exchange from yesterday's Game #2 IGT: Rockin' Doc wrote: A question for those watching the game, was Endy's bunt a straight sacrifice or was he trying for a hit? ="batmagadanleadoff"]Endy was trying to drag bunt his way onto first base. But who knows whether he was ordered to sac bunt Reyes over to third and decided to execute Randolph's command by drag bunting, or if Endy was drag bunting on his own, without any influence from the dugout?

Willie says Mets players respect him by J.P. Pelzman The Record (Hackensack N.J.) May 10, 2008 excerpt: NEW YORK � When Willie Randolph sees his cousin Barry's number come up on his cellphone, he really doesn't want to answer it. It's not that the two relatives aren't close. It's just that Randolph knows exactly what's coming. "He loves me and he's a big Mets fan and a big sports fan," Randolph said of his cousin, "and he's kind of addicted to it. He can't help himself." So Barry listens to talk radio and reads newspapers and the Internet and hears all the criticism being directed at Randolph, the manager whose Mets entered yesterday at 17-15, two games behind surprising first-place Florida in the jumbled NL East. The Mets' game against Cincinnati yesterday was postponed, and the teams will play a day-night doubleheader today at Shea Stadium with game times at 1:10 and 7:30. "I tell him all the time," Randolph said, laughing, "Barry, I don't want to hear that. Why are you calling me with that?" Even if he decided to let his cousin's calls go straight to voice mail, Randolph admitted he can't totally insulate himself from his critics. They have said that he isn't tough enough on a veteran team that sometimes seems to be sleepwalking. _______________________ Randolph realizes culture of sports has changed BY JIM BAUMBACH | jim.baumbach@newsday.com May 10, 2008 excerpt: When Willie Randolph's cell phone buzzes and he sees his cousin Barry's phone number on the caller ID, he knows it means only one thing. Someone somewhere is criticizing the Mets manager. "I tell him all the time, 'Barry, I don't want to hear that. Leave me alone. Why do you call me with that stuff?'" he said. "But he loves me, he's a big Mets fan, a big sports fan and he can't help himself." Randolph chuckled as he told the story, explaining that no matter how much he wants to shield himself from the constant criticism of managing in New York, he knows it's impossible. "I grew up in this town," Randolph said. "I know what it's like." But when Randolph was asked if it's any different from when he was a player, he said, "It's worse, really." The Internet has led to a never-ending 24/7 news cycle filled with nonstop analyzing. It's a situation that puts an increased spotlight on Randolph, especially when his team is not playing well. Randolph doesn't pretend to like it - "Sometimes you wonder how did it get to this point?" - but, he insisted before the Mets-Reds game was rained out, he realizes this is now the culture of sports.

Rockin' Doc wrote: A question for those watching the game, was Endy's bunt a straight sacrifice or was he trying for a hit? Endy was trying to drag bunt his way onto first base. But who knows whether he was ordered to sac bunt Reyes over to third and decided to execute Randolph's command by drag bunting, rather than drag bunting on his own? The real screwup in that inning was Alomar's decision to send Wright home on Beltran's double - Wright was out at home by more than one whole footstep. You couldn't see this from all the replays but on the initial live action feed, Griffey had alredy released his throw to the infield and when the camera then cut to Wright, he hadn't even reached third base yet but was clearly not slowing up to stop at third base either.

Blame Mets' mediocrity on Willie Amazin's are a .500 team since last June, and the manager must find a way to rouse his underachievers Friday, May 09, 2008 By DAN GRAZIANO STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE Excerpt: Since June 1 of last year, the Mets' record is 71-71. Yes, really. Right on the .500 mark. As mediocre as it gets. When May of 2007 ended the Mets had a 34-18 record -- the best in the National League -- and a 4 1/2-game lead in the NL East. They led the Phillies, who would eventually win the division, by 8 1/2 games. Since that time, they've been a .500 team. "When you're 71-71, that says it all," Billy Wagner said Wednesday in Los Angeles. "We have not played to our potential." That's one possibility. The other is that the Mets aren't as good as they and we think they are. But Wagner's assessment is likely the more correct one. *** A person familiar with the Mets' thinking, who requested anonymity because he was relaying details of private conversations, said Mets management is planning a reevaluation at the end of this month. The offseason acquisitions of Johan Santana, Ryan Church and Brian Schneider improved the roster, and if the team hasn't found a way to assert itself in the division by June, the Wilpons will look seriously at whether a change is necessary in the manager's office. THE RIGHT MAN? Now, this same person said that, unless the Mets fall completely out of the race, Randolph is likely to last through this season. GM Omar Minaya likely will stick up for him, and there's no clear-cut candidate, inside the organization or out, waiting to take Randolph's place midseason. But the Mets' underwhelming on-field performance of the past 11 calendar months has ownership wondering if Randolph is the right man to manage their team, and it's a question they have good reason to ask.

The Mets have played the least number of games in the Majors (32 games). No team has played exactly 33 games. Three teams have played 34 games (Twins, ChiSox and Braves). Every other team has played at least 35 games. Boston has played the most games (38) - essentially an entire week's worth of games more than the Mets have played. With Saturday's doubleheader, the Mets begin to catch up to every other team in games played -- every other team except the Reds, who are also scheduled to play a doubleheader this Saturday - against the Mets, coincidentally. So the Reds will also gain ground on every other team in the games played department. But the Reds won't gain any ground on the Mets, who also play a doubleheader this Saturday, coincidentally, against the Reds.

AG/DC wrote: It's as dumb as dirt given the broader context, but on the face of things, Schnedider is hitting like a potential number-two batter right now. Schneider's hitting precisely like a #2 hitter this season. If I were shown this season's Mets players stats without the names, I'd want the guy owning Schneider's numbers to bat second. Of course, there's no precedent for Schneider hitting the way he's hitting so far. So we're talking about a 31 year old catcher, almost in his 10th season hitting like a #2 hitter for the first time ever for a little more than half of a five week old season.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I don't get it. Oh, I get the attitude, but I don't know what a "massive spod" is, nor do I know who Akon is. (But I gather that his/her birthday is on April 30.) I actually googled "spod" before I posted the article. Didn't come up with nothin'. British humor. Whatever.

Here's something you Marvelheads might enjoy. Or not. ______________________________ Iron Man 2: The Painfully Inevitable Sequel, Coming Soon So by now everyone on the face of the planet, even those who are blind or can�t afford to eat, have seen Iron Man. With an opening weekend box office tally of $100 million, the list of records that Iron Man has broken is either stupendous or utterly, utterly dull depending on if you�re a massive spod or not. And if you are, then the news that Iron Man 2 is coming out in April 2010 will probably make your balls catch on fire. What? You�d already guessed that based on the fact that the plot of Iron Man deliberately set up a sequel and that the entire Iron Man cast has signed on for a sequel and that Iron Man�s a comic book movie and only really hopeless comic book movies about Ben Affleck being all blind and shit don�t get turned into sequels? Oh, suit yourselves. So let�s look at the figures - Iron Man has had the most successful movie opening of the year and the second biggest non-sequel movie opening of all time. Worldwide, Iron Man has made almost $200 million in five days. Compare that to the $4 million that was the worldwide lifetime takings of Robert Downey Jr�s last film Charlie Bartlett and you can see just how huge it is. And that means one thing - Iron Man 2 is a complete inevitability. People would go and see Iron Man 2 if it got terrible reviews. People would go and see Iron Man 2 if it was about a farty pig. People would go and see Iron Man 2 if it starred Jim Carrey. People would go and see Iron Man 2 if it looked like this. Which is why someone at Marvel has managed to find the time in their newly-loaded schedule of shoving fistfuls of caviar up their bottom, punching homeless men in exchange for $50 and ordering the poshest Thai bride in the catalogue to confirm Iron Man 2, even giving it a date. The Associated Press reports: This weekend was just the beginning of Hollywood�s Iron age. Marvel Studios announced Monday it will release �Iron Man 2″ on April 30, 2010, following the success of the first in the comic-book franchise, which pulled in $104.2 million domestically since opening last Thursday and $201 million worldwide. Four other films based on Marvel superheroes also were announced: �Thor,� due out June 4, 2010; �The First Avenger: Captain America,� May 6, 2011; �The Avengers,� July 2011; and �Ant-Man.� April 30? What are you thinking, Marvel? Don�t you know that�s Akon�s birthday? As if people are really going to go and see the sequel to one of the most popular movies ever on the night that they traditionally stand around crying in their darkened bedsits humming Smack That and wishing they were married to Akon regardless of their gender. Why didn�t you think it through, Marvel? Anyway, look at all of those other movies that Marvel has planned. Exciting, huh - especially The Avengers. Who�d be able to resist the charms of a film that not only stars Iron Man, but the bound-to-be-disappointing Incredible Hulk, an off-puttingly patriotic Smurf and a long-haired tit with a hammer? Yay! But for now let�s just focus on the gigantic success that is Iron Man and look forward to Iron Man 2. Because it�s only after one vastly successful sequel that the fans will get what they want - a confusing, overlong third movie that features various needless scenes of Robert Downey Jr cooking omelettes, dancing the twist and getting infected by an alien that gives him weird emo haircuts.

AG/DC wrote: But Castillo is reaching at .353. That's not hopeless. Everybody's got an interest in getting him back to being the tablesetter he was. This is the part I would agree with. But I'm opining that Castillo's in decline mode. I'm callin' it.

metirish wrote: Watching the happy replay last night and when Castillo was taking his first at bat Gary talked about how Castillo is just more comfortable and happier hitting second , when hitting eight he doesn't have the same patience , I'm paraphrasing. I remember that. You hear stuff like that often and I always though it was a bunch of horseshit. Gary also mentioned that Castillo sees different pitches batting eighth and that his approach would change depending on where he was batting. More horseshit. Because what? He'd hit more homeruns batting second? What? Castillo has a resepectable command of the strike zone and if he's getting more balls batting eighth, I would presume that he's smart enough to take those pitches and work out the walk. With two outs, the walk clears the pitcher. It's the same game. Swing at the strikes and lay off the balls.

="AG/DC"] Now, I'm really pleased that Randolph seems to be working hard to save Castillo's season --- rather than bury him as some fans want to do --- while at the same time not undrmining a regular lineup while continuing to bat him second. I don't have a problem with Randolph trying to improve Castillo's season either. It's what he should be doing as a Manager. But batting Castillo second is undermining the Mets. This has shades of 2005 all over again with Matsui and Cairo getting most of the #2 slot at-bats.

AG/DC wrote: How do you lead the league in pinch-running? According to the author, Randolph ranked near the bottom in pinch-running substitutions, or late-inning defensive replacements, etc. Stuff like that.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I think Marchman's really bending over backwards here to craft pinch-running tendencies into an argument to fire a manager. It's about whether he can get through to his guys and get along with management, and unless he's completely out to lunch, not much more. Yeah. Losing the clubhouse is what'll usually get a manager fired. Losing the clubhouse or losing the games. Strategy ranks somewhere below those two.

Randolph's Style Doesn't Fit the Mets Excerpt: "Think about the lineups Randolph has had since 2005. They've been built around great young players who take the field more or less every day, such as Jose Reyes, David Wright, and Carlos Beltran, and older, injury-prone players who can't field and often have platoon issues, such as Carlos Delgado, Moises Alou, Mike Piazza, and Luis Castillo. These teams have also featured useful, often athletic reserves such as Lastings Milledge, Endy Chavez, Ramon Castro, and Ruben Gotay. Given this, the Mets should logically rank near the top of the league in pinch hitting, pinch running, and defensive substitutions, as the manager shuffles caddies onto the field and into the lineup to take advantage of his speed and depth, especially in critical game situations, and keep the more brittle regulars fresh. Instead, they're right at the bottom in these areas. Randolph is sometimes painted as a man out of his depth, which I've always found absurd and patronizing. What is clear, though, and what the numbers back up, is that he really does have a classic American League style. This makes sense; he played nearly his whole career in the junior circuit, and spent nearly a decade on the bench with Joe Torre. The Mets, though, aren't the Joe Torre Yankees � full of iron men and first-rate role players. They're a team with a lot of older players who need to be kept fresh and swapped out tactically, and a lot of players with narrow talents who need to be used just right to be effective. It's one thing for a manager's style not to fit the needs of his team; it's another for it to run directly counter to them. There are other reasons the Mets should seriously consider getting rid of Randolph, from the curious lack of development of some very talented younger players to the team's real lapses of concentration to his dubious abilities as a judge of talent. But the most important is that to expect Randolph to bring this specific team to their full potential is to expect him to become something other than what he's showed he is. It's not fair to the team, it's not fair to the fans, and, in the end, it might not even be fair to him."

Statistically, Church has pretty much caught up to Wright as the Mets best everyday player this season. So far.

AG/DC wrote: Came a few feet from winning the game in extra innings with a 480 footer or so. It went foul. The heroes that day were Danny Heep and Hubie Brooks, the two guys knocked out of the lineup by that day's callups, Darryl Strawberry and... name that other guy. I was at that game. Strawberry's near-miss is the only in-game detail that I can recall. That and his strikeouts. I sat on the third base side of the field that night and so from my vantage, there was never any doubt that his blast towards the right field foul pole was foul. It was never a fair ball that suddenly hooked foul; it was a foul ball all the way. But only by a few feet. I couldn't have told you who won that game today, without having refreshed my memory. Soto was considered to be one of the NL's best pitchers in 1983.

SteveJRogers wrote: To give her some benefit of the doubt, this was in 1996 we are talking about. Rodriguez was [yada yada yada yada.] I'd rather go with my stupid little joke than give ol Cynthia the benefit of the doubt. What do you say?

Mrs. A-Rod wrote: Cynthia said she was unaware of his celebrity status at first. �I know he played baseball, because everybody in the gym said, `Do you know who that is? And he plays baseball� or whatever,� she said. �I didn�t grow up in a sports-oriented family. So, I wasn�t aware that you could have an entire livelihood off of a sport. So when they would say, `Oh, he plays baseball,� I always think, `Oh, I wonder what else he does��like `that�s a nice hobby�but what does he really do?" That's what every baseball wife always says in every interview they give. "I didn't know that he was a famous baseball player. I might've heard that he was making tens of millions of dollars but who pays attention to that? I didn't really notice the two different Ferraris he was always following me around in. I didn't even know what a car was, to tell you the truth."

HahnSolo wrote: Now back to Straw anniversary discussion. For instance, why did Mike Howard get one, and only one, start in right that year? I think that the Mets wanted to convert Howard to a catcher, and therefore sent him down to AAA where he could catch regularly. He never (ahem) caught on as a catcher, though.