TransMonk

Matt Dillon anyone?

I'd take him, but I don't think it will happen. I'd love to see Milwaukee get in the mix for him. I think he would push them over the edge this year and next. But, he'll probably either stay in Toronto or go to Philly.

Haven't seen this...probably won't until it comes out on DVD. But I was in Manitowish Waters over the weekend and drove by the Little Bohemia Lodge. The tiny towns up there are really hyping up the Dillinger connection for tourism.

I think we're going to need more than 45, but went with 40 as realistic. Not saying they can't rip it up in the 2nd half with a slightly more favorabe schedule and the All Stars healing. I think we're being set up for a late August/early September surge where they go on a 15 out of 19 tear to get within a couple games of the division...and then falter over the last two weeks. Hopefully, it's fun to watch. It would be far more enjoyabe to watch them exceed expectations in the second half than it was to watch them fall short of expectations in the first half.

I'm not planning on watching it. If it lasts 4 hours, I might pop into the bar across the street to watch the ending.

Reyes Delgado Beltran Wagner Maine Putz

Beltran Delgado Maine Putz Reyes Wagner All Star Day Contest: Can you predict the order of their return?

I'm not expecting him to do much in the regular season...but if he can stay healthy enough to make starts in the playoffs, he could be quite the asset.

Overall, I ended up being more disappointed than overjoyed with Pedro the player during his Mets tenure. However, I think his presence did wonders for the club overall. Philly isn't getting the man, the myth, the legend. They are getting our disappointment over the past 3 years. I can live with that.

="bmfc1":2z0i2i5k]With the All-Star Game in St. Louis, we can expect to hear that "St. Louis is the best baseball town in America" about a zillion times. [/quote:2z0i2i5k] Joe Buck's St. Louis history may make it 2 zillion. Benjamin Grimm Jul 12 2009 05:57 PM Probably because they're one of the few remaining cities to prefer baseball to football. Willets Point Jul 12 2009 06:03 PM The hyperbole is annoying but I think there's an element of truth to the popularity of baseball in St. Louis and the support the fans of the Cardinals offer their team in good years and bad. Frayed Knot Jul 12 2009 06:07 PM The rep comes from is that StL is one of the few cities outside NYC & Boston where baseball is the clear #1 to football combined with the native mid-western boosterism of the home folks that makes the fan base less angry than their east coast counterparts. Hence they like to see themselves as being the best of both worlds: more passionate and serious than the west coast while just as knowledgeable yet more supportive than the east. Although you do need to keep in mind that it's pretty much a self-label which has been picked up by various media members. StL fans love calling themselves "the best fans in baseball" - although saying so doesn't necessarily make it true. I've also read some very harsh things on Cardinal boards so I know they're not nice all the time. One guy yelled at Isringhausen to "Die on Christmas" following a blown save and LaRussa (and former GM Jocketty) would have been removed long ago if some fans had their way despite being competitive nearly every year. Fman99 Jul 12 2009 08:14 PM ="Frayed Knot":1mzukg10]The rep comes from is that StL is one of the few cities outside NYC & Boston where baseball is the clear #1 to football combined with the native mid-western boosterism of the home folks that makes the fan base less angry than their east coast counterparts. Hence they like to see themselves as being the best of both worlds: more passionate and serious than the west coast while just as knowledgeable yet more supportive than the east. Although you do need to keep in mind that it's pretty much a self-label which has been picked up by various media members. StL fans love calling themselves "the best fans in baseball" - although saying so doesn't necessarily make it true. I've also read some very harsh things on Cardinal boards so I know they're not nice all the time. One guy yelled at Isringhausen to "Die on Christmas" following a blown save and LaRussa (and former GM Jocketty) would have been removed long ago if some fans had their way despite being competitive nearly every year.[/quote:1mzukg10] What a load of shit. They wear red shirts, good for them. You're telling me that there is a bigger sport in New York than baseball? Our two NFL teams play in New Jersey, the Knicks have sucked for 10 years and hockey? Well, most people don't care about hockey. Uh, boo to St. Louis. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 12 2009 08:26 PM I've found it a load of shit. Their fans (and Bob Costas) practically blow themselves telling us what terrific fans they are but are proud to have referred to the Mets and New York as "pond scum" which is something we wouldn't have ever done to them. Meantime I went out to St. Louis to soak up that great fandom one night and couldn't find one person in the stands who was knowledgeable enough about what was happening on the field, or in baseball in general, to engage a visiting fan in conversation. They just sat there in their red hats blowing eachother. Gwreck Jul 12 2009 08:39 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":a6tx33lr]Meantime I went out to St. Louis to soak up that great fandom one night and couldn't find one person in the stands who was knowledgeable enough about what was happening on the field, or in baseball in general, to engage a visiting fan in conversation.[/quote:a6tx33lr] That was my experience was well when I was out there last August. Frayed Knot Jul 12 2009 08:54 PM ]You're telling me that there is a bigger sport in New York than baseball? Our two NFL teams play in New Jersey, the Knicks have sucked for 10 years and hockey? Well, most people don't care about hockey. I didn't say I thought it was bigger there then here, only that they see themselves that way and more supportive of their guys to boot. NY, Boston & StL are the three cities where baseball is the clear #1 sport. Out of those StL fans like to think of themselves as nicer than fans in either east coast city, ergo self-proclaim themselves to be better. Vince Coleman Firecracker Jul 12 2009 09:12 PM It's a easily-repeatable, meaningless platitude made popular by the hive mind of the mouth-breathing members of the sports media. What the hell does "best" mean in this context? The thing is, Major League Baseball, despite being called the National Pastime, is largely a regional sport. It's immensely popular in New York and Boston and it has a significant following in a few other spots in the country, St. Louis being one of them. It stands out only because of the contrast with its surroundings. Saying Cardinals fans are the "best" is like saying Austin is the "hippest" city. metsguyinmichigan Jul 12 2009 09:28 PM I have to tell you, it's a damn good baseball town. When I went to college at Mizzou, I was pretty impressed by how many people were into the Cardinals. I'm not saying they can recite stats and the rule book, but people who you would not expect to be into sports seemed to know the players. If I asked people here in Grand Rapids to start naming people in the Tigers' current starting lineup, I bet three of five would tell me Alan Trammell and one in five would say Al Kaline. I don't know if you can say a team has the "best" fans, but you can clearly say that it's not that big a city and the team has always been supported, even in the rare years that they stink. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 12 2009 09:49 PM ="Frayed Knot":2lxptp3e]Although you do need to keep in mind that it's pretty much a self-label which has been picked up by various media members. StL fans love calling themselves "the best fans in baseball" - although saying so doesn't necessarily make it true.[/quote:2lxptp3e] Never had much use for folk what self-appellated. Folk what give 'emselves superlatives? Well, them ah got even less use fer. /Spits, chews on an ear of wheat G-Fafif Jul 12 2009 09:59 PM My just-passing-through experience in 1992 (old Busch) and 2006 (new Busch) was remarkably similar to JCL's and 'wreck's. Big disappointment as I was expecting the sort of atmosphere MGIM describes. I'm sure there's something to it, but it doesn't translate immediately. They sure do wear red and they sure do show up. Now that MFYS II is shuttered, it's probably the closest we'll ever get to mindless, lockstep, peer-pressure, conformist Japanese-style rooting in this country. (MFYS III is overbearing but the inhabitants don't seem as fascistly organized as they used to.) I remember much was made in 2004 when Larry Walker came over, got a standing O, struck out and got another standing O. It didn't seem all that remarkable on TV. Mets fans give their big acquisitions plenty of support for the first 24 hours, too. Wayne Hagin offered an interesting take here regarding Cardinal fan reaction to the Red Sox winning on their field for the first time in 86 years and how Mets fans would never be as accommodating. ]I am asked by the multitudes about broadcasting in New York City as opposed to other cities where I worked and resided. The answer is, broadcasting in New York brings you face to face, mind to mind, and heart to heart with the fan. In this case, the New York Mets fans. People designate the St. Louis Cardinals fans as "baseball's greatest fans" and Keith Hernandez and I have spoken often about the Cardinals fortune of having a collegiate type of following. Mistakes are made on the field but the fans will support you as if you were a member of the family. They revel in their midwest hospitality and that transcends to the baseball diamond at Busch Stadium. It's their legacy and there was no better example of that then when the Cardinals played the Red Sox in the 2004 World Series. Game four was played in old Busch Stadium and Derek Lowe shut down Albert Pujols and company to win the game, the World Series, and beat the demons of not winning it all over the past 86 years. What did the St. Louis crowd do? They not only clapped their hands in tribute but ushers and stadium officials actually let Red Sox fans, who didn't have seats and had stood outside the stadium, come in and join in the history of the moment. That was St. Louis and as you know, that wouldn't have happened at Shea nor will it happen at Citi Field. It doesn't make one city "better" than the other. They are different cities altogether and that's what makes my experience special to me. I love the heart and soul of the Mets fan. I work with a man, Howie Rose, who exemplifies the Mets fan. Howie is a true pro and it's fabulous to sit next to him broadcasting a game. (I should point out I fucking hate the fucking Cardinals, so my opinions may be biased, but I tried to put all that on hold when I visited because I generally like to enjoy myself in other parks and thus think the best of their folks.) MFS62 Jul 13 2009 05:57 AM I think some of the St. Louis reputation comes from when they were the Westernmost outpost of Major League Baseball. Fans could hear their broadcasts on KMOX and would travel hundreds of miles to attend a game there. Later

This comes up every year...but I'd still like to see interleague done away with altogether.

I had high hopes for this year...but I'm not nearly as pissed off at this team as I have been for the past 2 seasons. I had to sit next to a 15 year old Brewers fan while at Miller Park while the Mets were in Milwaukee. He was going on and on about how bad the Mets were getting beat. I asked him where he thought his team would be without Prince Fielder, JJ Hardy, Mike Cameron, and any 2 of their pitchers not named Gallardo. The injuries we have had would make even the best team look less than average. I'm still pretty confident that if the Mets were even close to 100% healthy they would be running away with this division. I can't even feel that bad about it. Like the title says, shit happens. I can't lay any blame. Just have to hope for the best but realize that this is probably not going to be the year.

With all of the offensive woes, the pitching staff has a 5.18 ERA over the past 28 days. Most teams are going to be hard pressed to score on average 6 runs per game at full strength. Hojo has Wright and then a glorified AAA lineup. Given all of the injuries, it's hard to justify anyone getting whacked. But I would tell Warthen to shove off before Hojo.

39-43. This is the first time the Mets have been 4 games under .500 since 9/17/05.

Didn't you say that about Milwaukee?

Agreed. Castillo's drop, however boneheaded, was during as meaningless a regular season game as there is. Glavine tanked it with the season on the line.

This just got forwarded to all my Brewer-fan friends. HIlarious.

One thing I realized in Milwaukee...I like Church. I love him now.

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":2895mh9n]Have a good time. My guesses: Carter Bench Berra Fisk Piazza Simmons I. Rodriguez[/quote:2895mh9n] Never mind about Wednesday. Lunchbucket got 'em all on the first try. themetfairy Jun 29 2009 07:03 AM Great knowledge TM - thanks seawolf17 Jun 29 2009 07:10 AM Realistically, this is a vastly more important series than the last one was. You hate to get swept at home, but this brings a potential WC competitor back to the pack. Go get 'em, fellas. Fman99 Jun 29 2009 07:54 AM ="seawolf17":1oft1bcf]Realistically, this is a vastly more important series than the last one was. You hate to get swept at home, but this brings a potential WC competitor back to the pack. Go get 'em, fellas.[/quote:1oft1bcf] I told myself that too. Technically the interleague games against the AL teams are the least important ones on the Mets' schedule. (I'm licking my wounds, yes.) John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 29 2009 08:25 AM ="TransMonk":163yp4ol]="John Cougar Lunchbucket":163yp4ol]Have a good time. My guesses: Carter Bench Berra Fisk Piazza Simmons I. Rodriguez[/quote:163yp4ol] Never mind about Wednesday. Lunchbucket got 'em all on the first try.[/quote:163yp4ol] Awesome. While I am hot I am also predicting a sweep for the Mets. A big-ass huge sweep. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 29 2009 09:46 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket"] Awesome. While I am hot I am also predicting a sweep for the Mets. A big-ass huge sweep. Exceedingly appropriate, considering the locale. (No offense, TM... and thanks for the filling, informative grub.)

New York Mets (37-37, 2.5 GB and in 2nd place in NL East) at Milwaukee Brewers (40-35, Tied for 1st in NL Central) I have been wrong about several things during the 2009 MLB season. I didn't think outfield defense was a big concern. I didn't think the Mets could hang around for the division with Delgado, Reyes, Beltran, Maine, Perez and Putz out. I also didn't think very highly of the Milwaukee Brewers chances of competing in the NL Central in 2009. On April 17th, I said the following I posted the following in the Citi KTE: Milwaukee should be considering this a rebuilding year after a disappointing off-season where they lost more than they gained. Too many things need to go right for them to expect to contend at the end of the season. I went on with: However, they are a young team with a lot of talented players. If Gallardo can pitch like an ace and their offense can hit enough home runs for the other 4 starters, they could find themselves within a few games at the deadline where they could land a frontline starter like they did last year. Well, Gallardo has pitched like an ace and the Brewers are 3rd in the NL in HRs. They find themselves in a virtual tie with St. Louis for the NL Central lead and are getting great seasons out of their young offensive talent. The good news for the Mets is that they historically play Milwaukee well. The Mets are 51-28 (.646) all time vs. the Brewers including a 3 game sweep at Miller Park last season. Pitching Matchups: Monday, June 29, 7:05 PM ET, ESPN broadcast for the out-of-towners (and Steve Phillips has the night off) Fernando Nieve, RHP (3-0, 1.31) vs. Braden Looper, RHP (5-4, 5.16) Ahh, our old best friend comes back as a starter. The Mets missed him the first time around, but draw his number this time. His only other start against the Mets was during the first series of the 2007 season at St. Louis. The Mets won 10-0. Looper hasn't won a game in over a month and has given up 10 earned runs in 9.2 innings over his last two starts. Tuesday, June 30, 8:05 PM ET Johan Santana, LHP (9-5, 3.08) vs. Mike Burns, RHP (0-1, 3.72) Burns made his first career start last Thursday and I'm sure he's thrilled to face Santana in his second start. Burns' line from Thursday was 5.2 IP, 6H, 4ER, 3BB, 3K. He faced the Mets as a reliever in 2006 with the Reds and pitched 2 scoreless innings. Wednesday, July 1, 2:05 PM ET Mike Pelfrey, RHP (5-3, 4.67) vs. Yovani Gallardo, RHP (8-4, 2.86) Gallardo is the real deal and has been pitching well lately without much run support. He's only given up 9 earned runs in his last 7 starts. He faced the Mets at Citi on April 18th and lost a 1-0 pitchers dual with Johan. The Brewers offense is potent but streaky. They lost to a Giant pitcher yesterday who was making his first ML start and pitched 6 scoreless innings. Milwaukee is vulnerable to swinging and missing as they nearly have as many Ks as hits as a team this season. But they have many players that can crush the ball over the fence. Probable Lineup (AVG/OBP/SLG, HR, RBI, SB): 2B Craig Counsell .303/.371/.438, 2, 14, 1 Cousell is an ageless wonder who has been filling in for Rickie Weeks, who is out for the season with a torn wrist tendon. Weeks was providing some pretty decent power numbers before he got hurt, but Counsell is getting on base as a legitimate lead-off threat. Plus, he's from Sconnie, I'm from Sconnie...what's not to like. 3B Casey McGehee .336/.397/.542, 4, 17, 0 McGehee took over at 3B after Bill Hall's average stayed below the Mendoza line. Casey has taken the opportunity and flourished in 103 ABs. McGehee can also play 2B and outfield. Mat Gamel is another young guy on the team who can play third, but he has stuggled so far this season. LF Ryan Braun .324/.415/.575, 16, 53, 6 He's good. Should be the only Brewer other than Robin Yount to start consecutive All-Star games. He's batting .351 with 7 HRs and 21 RBI in his last 24 games. 1B Prince Fielder .301/.421/.598, 19, 73, 0 He's good, too. He's got more home runs this season than the total of the whole lineup that the Mets can throw out there right now. He's the only Brewer to start every game this season is on pace to shatter Milwaukee's team record for walks in a season (held by Burnitz during 2000). But he's still fat...and his middle name is still Semien. RF Corey Hart .246/.317/.422, 9, 33, 5 Hart isn't having the All-Star first half he had last season, but he has some pop and a little speed. He's in a 1 for 24 slump right now but plays above average defense. He has no errors in his last 64 games. CF Mike Cameron .243/.353/.453, 12, 33, 4 Cameron started out red hot this season, but has cooled with only 1 HR in the last month during which he hit .149. Mike is still the Mike we all know. He plays great defense, is fast, strikes out a lot and has the power to get the ball out of the ballpark. SS J.J. Hardy .220/.294/.340, 7, 31, 0 Like many other Brewers, Hardy's numbers don't strike much fear, but also like the other Brewers, he's got pop in his bat and is a threat to hit the ball out at any time. Hardy is hitting .286 with 2 HRs and 6 RBI in his last 11 games. C Jason Kendall .223/.314/.265, 0, 20, 1 The only Brewer with no power, but he calls a good game. TRIVIA TIME! Kendall is one of only 8 ML players with 2000 career hits and 1000 games at catcher. Who are the other 7? I'm off to Milwaukee for the next couple days so I'll post the answers Wednesday night. The bottom line on the Brewer offense is that the top of the lineup can get on base and the rest of the order has the power to knock them in. They are streaky with scoring runs and typically play for the big inning. Our AAA+ lineup has enough to manufacture some runs of their own, but it's probably best not to go into the ninth or extras tied as they have the lineup to walk-off at any time with a long ball. Bullpen: Mitch Stetter-L 36 G, 25.0 IP, 0.96 WHIP, 2.52 ERA Todd Coffey-R 35 G, 37.1 IP, 1.26 WHIP, 2.65 ERA C. Villanueva-R 33 G, 35.0 IP, 1.14 WHIP, 4.37 ERA Seth McClung-R 28 G, 41.2 IP, 1.42 WHIP, 3.24 ERA Mark DiFelice-R 28 G, 28.1 IP, 0.81 WHIP, 1.59 ERA T. Hoffman-R 23 G, 22.2 IP, 0.97 WHIP, 1.99 ERA, 17 Svs Chris Smith-R 7 G, 13.1 IP, 1.13 WHIP, 1.35 ERA C. Narveson-L 4 G, 5.2 IP, 2.12 WHIP, 12.71 ERA The bullpen has been performing remarkably well for Milwaukee. Hoffman came off the DL and gave them a bonafide closer. The Brewer bullpen ranks 5th in the NL in ERA, just .03 worse than the fourth place Mets, at 3.56. They hold opposing batters to a .226 average which is best in baseball. Best to score early in Milwaukee these days. Bench (AVG/OBP/SLG, HR, RBI, SB): C Mike Rivera .261/.314/.348, 0, 2, 1 3B Mat Gamel .239/.343/.386, 2, 12, 1 IF Bill Hall .199/.260/.335, 5, 16, 1 OF Frank Catalanotto .185/.241/.259, 0, 2, 0 OF Jody Gerut .103/.188/.103, 0, 1, 0 (37 games with SD) Ex-Brewer Mets: Gary Sheffield Ex-Brewer Mets: Mike Cameron Braden Looper Willie Randolph (coach and winner) All in all, the Mets need to shake of the sweep by the Yankees and get to the Brewers' starters early. Milwaukee is a good team and have a lot of talent, but they can be beaten. I predict 2 out of 3 in Milwaukee then on to Pittsburgh.

I have MLB.TV and if I want Saturday afternoon Mets, it's all radio (which is free with the subscription)...unless it happens to be the national FOX game and I don't get a regional game. Typically where I am, I'll get Cubs, Brewers, White Sox, Twins or Cardinals. I did get one Mets game earlier this season (San Fran maybe?), but it's pretty rare.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/eonline/20090622/en_top_eo/130406 Columbia Drops the Ball on Brad Pitt's Moneyball Los Angeles (E! Online) � They can't all be home runs for Brad Pitt. His latest project, the Steven Soderbergh-directed Moneyball, has been put into "limited turnaround" by Columbia Pictures honcho Amy Pascal after receiving a much different final draft of a script she once fought for. Production on the film was set to start Monday in Phoenix, Ariz., and with only 96 hours to go, Soderbergh's change in vision unsettled Pascal and the brakes were immediately applied to the project. The "limited turnaround" gives Soderbergh the opportunity to try and settle with another studio, the aim being bigwigs such as Paramount and Warner Bros. The filmmaker has until Monday to tie down the deal, having spent the weekend with both his and Pitt's CAA agents attempting to hit one out of the park�so to speak. With a new deal not yet in place, Columbia will take tomorrow to re-examine where to go from here with Moneyball. There are several options, including delaying the film until Pascal believes she and Soderbergh are on the same page, replacing the director or, the worst-case scenario, pulling the plug on the project altogether. This is not the first issue Moneyball has run into. While the baseball-themed flick has been approved by Major League Baseball itself, it follows a format that is less than mainstream and rarely a huge success in theaters. Soderbergh has hired Pitt to play the lead character, Billy Beane, but is also utilizing live interviews with actual athletes, including Daryl Strawberry and Lenny Dykstra, and interspersing the vignettes throughout the movie. Reports claim that Soderbergh is confident in his project, but with upwards of $50 million invested in Moneyball, Columbia is understandably weary about moving forward with a project they no longer fully stand behind�especially at the sight of an entirely reworked script mere hours before the project was slated to begin.

It's like an ode to the Art Howe days.