A Boy Named Seo

Todd Helton. 35-inch bat. 35-inch neck.

Great thread title.

Aye-aye.

I'm gonna see em next Wednesday here in Long Beach. Gonna wear some Mets shit & see if I can bro down w/ Ira.

Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan touches on Mets, Wilpons, and perspective. Mets-related crap in italics. http://www.spin.com/articles/yo-la-tengo-fade-ira-kaplan-interview?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=011013 Singer-guitarist looks back on what he's learned in a lifetime of indie rock Fade, the forthcoming 13th album from Hoboken, New Jersey dream-fuzz trio Yo La Tengo, is somewhat curiously titled. Despite the album's mellow vibe, its 10 John McEntire-produced tracks illuminate a range of emotion that suggests singer-guitarist Ira Kaplan, his wife, drummer-vocalist Georgia Hubley, and bassist James McNew are still burning brightly. But perhaps the titular irony is intentional. YLT are, after all, known as much for their canny sense of humor as they are their sneakily consistent discography of swooning feedback-rock. Enjoying a much-deserved post-holiday break at a friend's home in Montauk, Long Island, Kaplan, 56, spoke on the phone about Yo La Tengo's nearly 30-year history and how his undying New York Mets fandom serves as both inspiration and cautionary tale. You never know if you're gonna feel inspired enough to make another record. There was actually a time quite a while ago when I remember our booking agent saying, "Ya know, you can now do this as long as you want. Whatever audience fluctuations will happen, you can count on there being enough people to make it possible for you to do this. It's up to you at this point." But on the other hand, I would say every time we finish making a record, there is that question, like, "Wow, I wonder if we'll ever make another one?" You always feel so depleted. Not in a bad way, but we're all sports fans, so we rely on the sports clich� as much as any athlete. You just leave it all out on the floor and wonder: Will anything come back? You're gonna feel horrible at times. Just try and ride that part out without too much collateral damage. I think one of the things we have learned � which has made it a lot easier � is that we really know there's gonna be low moments, and they don't necessarily mean what they feel like in that low moment. We literally got home from recording [1997's critically acclaimed] I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One and called up [producer] Roger Moutenot and said, "We listened to the rough mixes on the way home, and it's a complete disaster. We're just gonna have to start from scratch and throw this in the garbage." And he very calmly just said, "Well, if that's what we have to do, that's what we have to do, but why don't you listen to it again tomorrow and maybe it will sound a little different?" And, of course, that's exactly what happened. What we learned was, stop listening to your rough mixes when you're in the van leaving Nashville. Change happens whether you want it to or not. We've never done much other than try to do something that sounds good to us, and that's really kind of it. Things that have changed have changed naturally, not because we felt any pressure to be different. It's something we've spoken about before � that if we made a record that sounded exactly like the one before it, that in itself would be so different it would qualify as change. So it's not something we've worked very hard at trying to make happen. It's pretty easy to forget anyone's actually going to listen to our record while we're making it. We have no perspective. We've got our eyes one half-inch from this. When people started reacting to And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out, focusing on the words so much, I was completely taken by surprise. On that one, I knew the words were different than previous records had been, and there definitely were times when the ones I wrote, I'd show them to Georgia and James and with their support and encouragement, we kept moving forward and taking that as encouragement to go deeper. But I really thought that was the end of it. I didn't think anybody else was gonna be listening. That's one of the pleasures of immersing yourself in [the recording process]: You're really just dealing with how best to make the songs work and not really thinking about other aspects, like how to play it live. I also don't think any of us think that much about our old records. I know [Fade] is open and emotional. Whether it's more so than previous records, I just don't know. You just listen and count on yourself to know it when you hear it. We were writing [Fade] as a band, and some songs happened very quickly. We can be just jamming and a full-fledged song without lyrics can emerge. And then other songs won't come out that quickly, and it's the same way in the studio. Some things are getting tinkered with pretty elaborately while we're mixing, and other things are kind of moving in a pretty straight line. It's the Mets fan in me that recognized success and failure in a variety of ways. The aspect of being a Mets fan that I think is helpful to me is contrasting it with the stereotypical Yankee fan who thinks that to not win the World Series is to equate that with failure. I feel, at this point, like [Mets owners] the Wilpons are my friends in ways I never realized. I'm now thinking these guys are looking out for my best interests and saying, "You've spent a lot of time worrying about New York sports teams, and maybe it's time to stop caring and move on to other things. And as deplorably as ownership has behaved over the years, we're gonna be even worse and keep being even worse until you stop caring and really get the message that there's no earthly reason to invest any of your emotion in these teams." And I appreciate them looking out for me that way. I can understand why we're not for everybody. I'm sure there are people who would look at us and say, "Why would I want wisdom from this group? Why would I ever want to be doing this for 25 years and never become any more popular than we've become?" I do understand why some people would look at us and think, "Wow, that's amazing," 'cause I think so. But I think some people would want to know, "How can I make sure that my band never becomes like this?"

metsguyinmichigan wrote: ...and where the league doesn't even have a team in the nation's second largest city -- in part because owners are allowed to up and move in the middle of the night! Speaking for LA, we don't much give a shit.

Edgy MD wrote: [*]If he joins the team for any matchups against the Giants, expect him to get drilled.[/list] That was the cleanest, most accidental, "I'm-diving-and-not-trying-to-bowl-you-over" bowling over I can remember seeing.

Instead of running, he should maybe think about riding a Rascal scooter converted to a bullpen cart. Hip's gotta be frail from carrying around that huge noggin all these years. Can put a little flag on the back, and a shopping cart for his Metamucil (pun intended) and Ensure drinks.

They forgot his socks under those sandals.

Ryan Ludwick re-signs for the Reds, 2 years, $15M. That should help define prices a bit for the Cody Rosses and Scott Hairstons of the world. Ross at 2/14 or thereabouts could be OK for this year and a good complimentary player for 2k14 Mets juggernaut.

Vic Sage wrote: I can't believe I've never done a Tarantino filmography. Me neither. I searched the CPF for this like a week ago. Had to settle for IMDB.

No, Dee Gordon is what would happen if Twisted Sister was playing the state fairgrounds on one end of town, and Sonic Youth was playing a relevant dive bar on the other side of town, and both bands ended up eating at the same Denny's after, and Kim Gordon and Dee Snider mades eyes from across the room and they ended up meeting in the bathroom a making a lil baby in a brief moment of passion. Except the baby's black.

Dee Gordon is exactly the guy I want leading off and playing shortstop if it's 1983.

All I know is Olivo sucks less than Barajas but more than Shoppach. Edgy, how much does Arencibia suck? Ken Rosenthal sez Jays will let us have him for Jon Niese. I'd take a catcher from them for Jon Niese, but that catcher's not JP Arencibia.

Why zero interest in bringing Shoppach back? #anotherwarmbody

Frayed Knot wrote: Well, looks like the Phils got their CFer Revere (Ben, no known relation to Paul) was the guy assumed to be replacing the recently traded Denard (Spic and) Span but it looks like Minnesota decided this week that they don't want young, speedy outfielders anymore. Pitcher Trevor May also going to the Twins in the deal. May, a 4th round pick in 2008, was considered a pretty good prospect coming off his 2011 season in the Fla St Lg but stumbled this past year at AA Twins got Vance Worley, too. Decent haul for a (young) outfielder with one offensive tool.

Jonathan Mayo says Tigers delivered a note to the Mets just before the Mets pick.

Mets picked 10th, Tigers 20th. Tiggs were probably afraid he'd be gone at 20 so Dave Dombrowski offered the Mets the $46 dollars he had on him, Sandy countered with "Miguel Cabrera", Dombrowski then lowered his offer to $40, and Sandy took it.

Blanton went from being completely mediocre to being really, really crappy, but still gets paid. Most similar: Fresno Jones (973) Most similar at the same age: Bobby J Jones again (983) I talke Fresno and his pretty curveball and full, boring goatee over Blanton and his chin fuzz 10 times outta 10.

The white on the hat is kinda distracting to me, but at least it matches the shirt (which I like a lot). A on the jersey. C+ on the hat. Edit: What Swan man said.

smg58 wrote: The latest report is that Dickey would sign for 2 years and $26M. If that is indeed the price, there is no sensible reason to say no. Martino sez the Mets are balking at that seemingly reasonable (to me) figure, so they gotta be shopping him pretty hard, looking for young studs to lead their 2k14 championship run. Unless there's a no-trade, would that extension help/hurt a team pursuing RA? Are there rules in MLB preventing a team from trading a guy who just signed an extension? They do that shit all the time in the NBA. If I'm the Royals and I'm shopping Myers for an 'available' stud SP, my choices in this order are James Shields then Dickey. I wouldn't come near Jon Lester.

Don't know about Texas but Wil Myers seems the dude everyone wants from KC. Don't know if he can be had, but he'd seem to fit our needs pretty well. KC also said to be 'interested' in James Shields and Jon Lester so they're lookin'.

Tiger assassinated his own character, no one else. And the media stopped 'harassing' him because he's no longer fucking a bus-load of women behind his wife's back and giving tearful, toothy 'it's not my fault, i'm a sex-addict' pressers. The media wants blood that bleeds, bro. That shit dried up. And do you want to hear from Jeter's girls? Do you think other people do? Maybe they do. Shit, I don't care. At all.

Ceetar wrote: Ceetar wrote: Edgy MD wrote: I have to say, Derek would have a hard time taking a less flattering photo. I mean, I can do it, because I'm routinely a disaster on camera. I dunno, sneaking out the back door of a club with a drunk girl on his arm? I'm not sure why there aren't pictures of this actually. I guess papparazzi don't stalk sports celebrities the same way as hollywood ones. Oh yeah they do. Jeter's greatest accomplishment of his career may just be that he's managed to keep himself out of the tabloids for the most part despite all the Hollywood tail he's been linked with over the years. I dunno, couldn't Jeter's gift-basket exploits been blown up to Tiger level proportions? or is it only the infidelity? It certainly seemed like the media enjoyed getting statements from those women, and it seems like the type of woman to go after a star like that is also one that would give a statement to the post to get talked about. No way Tiger. C'mon, dude. The swag-basket is super fucking lame & makes Jetes look like an out-of-touch, self-important prick, but he's not screwing around on his wife and the mother of his kiddos. Say what you will about the 'Limo-ride-of-shame' parting gifts, but he's just a single dude bedding, what sounds like, a parade of women. No foul there. #unlikelydefenderofjeter #aboynamedjetes

Was just looking at that list. Here's a c&p: Soto jumps out & I'd be kicking the tires on Rich Hill. John Lannan seems like a guy who'd end up on the Mets, though (hometown boy, can 'eat innings', boring). Manny Acosta Mets Robert Andino Mariners Scott Atchison Red Sox Jacob Brigham Rangers Anthony Carter White Sox Jaye Chapman Cubs Jesus Flores Nationals Ben Francisco Rays Tom Gorzelanny Nationals Jack Hannahan Indians Rich Hill Red Sox Dan Johnson White Sox Jair Jurrjens Braves Jeff Karstens Pirates John Lannan Nationals Jermaine Mitchell Athletics Peter Moylan Braves Wil Nieves Diamondbacks Juan Oramas Padres Manny Parra Brewers Mike Pelfrey Mets Rafael Perez Indians Stuart Pomeranz Orioles Zach Putnam Cubs Omar Quintanilla Orioles Mark Reynolds Orioles Derrick Robinson Royals Nate Schierholtz Phillies Daniel Schlereth Tigers Chris Seddon Indians Brandon Snyder Rangers Geovany Soto Rangers Ian Stewart Cubs Ryan Sweeney Red Sox Andres Torres Mets Bobby Wilson Blue Jays Brian Wilson Giants