metirish

Excellent, I can't wait to read it, perhaps this book could jump start the failed book club thing that was talked about.

] SEATTLE -- The Seattle Mariners have reached an agreement on a four-year contract with Los Angeles Angels free-agent left-handed pitcher Jarrod Washburn. After spending his first seven years with the Los Angeles Angels, Washburn became a free agent on Dec. 7 after the Angels declined arbitration for the 31-year-old left-hander. General manager Bill Stoneman had previously said the team was not going to try and re-sign Washburn. Washburn's agent, Scott Boras, had been pursuing a five-year deal for Washburn. Last year, Washburn went 8-8 and made 29 starts. He had a brief stint on the disabled list with inflammation in his pitching elbow. It was just the sixth time in his career he was on the disabled list. His best season came in 2002, when he helped the Angels to their only World Series title. Washburn was 18-6 with a 3.15 ERA in the regular season. He has a career record of 75-57 and a 3.93 ERA, but has won more than 11 games only once.

It's been a very cool week here at CPF, Edgy I bought the book from whatever site you posted last week, I was hoping to get it before I went home but I won't, you've been reading it, thoughts so far on it?

Sugery article in the NY Times today about Lo Duca... ] The Lunch-Pail Guy Behind the Plate By BEN SHPIGEL Published: December 19, 2005 When the Los Angeles Dodgers traded Paul Lo Duca to the Florida Marlins in July 2004, aftershocks rumbled through Chavez Ravine. So moved by the departure of someone he calls "one of the best people in baseball I've ever met," Manager Jim Tracy wanted to offer a small tribute. Without hesitation, Tracy gave his longtime No. 12 to Steve Finley, who was acquired the day after the Lo Duca trade, and snapped up Lo Duca's old No. 16. John Marshall Mantel for The New York Times Paul Lo Duca's father, Paul Sr., who owns the Brooklyn Cafe in Sedona, Ariz., coached the former Met Lee Mazzilli in Little League and played sandlot ball against Joe Torre. "It was a no-brainer," Tracy, who now manages the Pittsburgh Pirates, said last week in a telephone interview. "Paul Lo Duca is a survivor, he embodies everything you like to see in a winner. I'd still be wearing No. 16 now, but Salomon Torres has it, and I wouldn't take it away from him. But you can bet that if it was available I'd be wearing it." Although the Mets' off-season overhaul has yielded stars like Billy Wagner, an intimidating closer, and Carlos Delgado, a feared power hitter, their acquisition two weeks ago of Lo Duca, a three-time All-Star catcher, could prove just as important in their quest to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2000. The 33-year-old Lo Duca is a more dynamic clubhouse presence than his predecessor, Mike Piazza, and he handles pitchers like a snake charmer, coaxing their best. Lo Duca rarely strikes out, excelling as a situational hitter, and he does not let his ego get in the way of good sense. "He came into my office one day in early 2004 and told me he'd be happy to bat lower in the lineup if it was better for the team," Tracy said. "I mean, who wouldn't want a player like that?" New York loves its larger-than-life figures, but there is still a place for the underdog, the guy who spent nine years in the minor leagues and was thought to be too small (5 feet 9 inches on a good day), too stocky (195 pounds) and too slow to reach the major leagues. If Lo Duca seems a perfect fit on a team with a manager, Willie Randolph, who went to high school in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, and a general manager, Omar Minaya, who grew up in the Corona section of Queens, there may be cosmic forces at work. Lo Duca was born in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, not far from Lafayette High School, which the Mets' principal owner, Fred Wilpon, attended. Lo Duca's father, Paul Sr., played sandlot baseball against Yankees Manager Joe Torre and coached the former Met Lee Mazzilli in the Gil Hodges Little League. Lo Duca, who wears No. 16 in Mazzilli's honor, jumped up and down on his bed when the Mets won the World Series in 1986. "When Paulie found out he was being traded to the Mets, it was the happiest I'd seen him in a long time," Paul Sr. said. Lo Duca, who is married and has a 1-year-old daughter, moved to Phoenix when he was 2. He still has relatives in Bensonhurst, Rockville Centre, N.Y., and Short Hills, N.J., and he appreciates the folks who run the corner deli and bus the tables and clean the floors because, well, he used to be one of them. "The fans in New York are going to love him immediately, because he's not all about Wall Street or Madison Avenue," said Eddie Bane, the Los Angeles Angels' scouting director, who signed Lo Duca when he was working for the Dodgers. "Paul is someone they can identify with. He's about as genuine and humble as you can get." Growing up in the Southwest did not purge Lo Duca's ties to his birthplace. His parents grew up a half-block from each other in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn and were childhood sweethearts. They instilled within their three sons persistence and determination - and a love for baseball. His mother, Luci, was fiercely protective; even when Lo Duca was living at home while attending junior college, she would call the police if he had not returned by his 11:30 p.m. curfew. A Brooklyn Dodgers fan, Paul Sr. stayed home from school for three days in 1951 to mourn Bobby Thomson's pennant-clinching home run for the New York Giants. In 1974, he moved to Arizona, four months before his family followed, working three jobs, and eventually achieving success with a succession of sports bars in Phoenix. Today he owns the Brooklyn Cafe in Sedona, Ariz. During the early part of his childhood, Lo Duca worked at his father's bar, the N.F.L. Sports Bar, with his older brothers, Frank and Anthony, washing dishes and cleaning glasses. "When you're 8 years old and hanging out in a bar and seeing guys getting drunk, you tend to grow up a little faster than the average kid," Lo Duca said. The bar doubled as a comedy club, and he often served as an M. C., climbing atop a milk crate to introduce acts like David Spade. While Paul Sr. was working 18-hour days, Luci would make sure Lo Duca arrived at his Little League games on time. To improve her son's hand-eye coordination, Luci spent countless afternoons in their front yard pitching pinto beans so he could swat them with a broom handle. After that, she figured, hitting a baseball would not seem so difficult. Lo Duca's keen batting eye helped him emerge as one of Arizona's top high school players. But focused on his size, universities stayed away, so he walked on at a junior college in California. He returned home after a season to play at Glendale Community College, where he was selected as an all-American, but he received only marginal interest from Division I programs. Arizona State, in nearby Tempe, offered to pay for his books. He was responsible for the rest. "We couldn't really afford it, but I knew my chances of playing pro ball were gone if I didn't go," Lo Duca said. "We found a way to do it." He starred in the competitive Pac-10 Conference, batting .446 and setting an Arizona State record with 129 hits. Scouts came out in droves - to watch his teammates - and in the 1993 draft, Lo Duca, the Sporting News player of the year, was taken in the 25th round by the Dodgers. Discuss the Postseason "I wish I could tell you we knew Paul was going to turn out like this, but we had no idea," Bane said. "We were just a hair smarter than everyone else was dumb." Bane figured Lo Duca would be easy to sign. But when Lo Duca, with his father, met Bane at a Denny's and saw the Dodgers' initial offer - $5,000 and a spot on their low Class A team in Great Falls, Mont. - he blanched. Paul Sr. told Luci and she, fuming, said she would handle the talks. The Dodgers soon increased their offer to $28,000 and allowed him to begin in Vero Beach, Fla., against better competition. He batted above .300 in his first two minor league seasons, and the next year, Mike Scioscia, then the Dodgers' catching coordinator, told him to return to Class A to improve his catching techniques. Lo Duca reluctantly went, and he soon learned that Luci was dying of ovarian cancer. It seemed impossible. A devoted fan, she had watched some games from the left-field line because she could not deal with the fans calling her son Dunkin' Donuts and Doughboy. After once hearing such taunts at an Arizona State-Arizona game, she punched out an opposing fan. Lo Duca was prepared to tell the Dodgers that he would not play in the Arizona Fall League, but shortly before Luci died in October 1996, she told him to play the day after her funeral. "That's how she was," said Lo Duca, who marks her initials on his cleats and batting gloves, and before every game he toes her initials and a cross in the dirt. "Until the very end, she cared about everyone but herself." The Dodgers' regime, however, still viewed Lo Duca at the depths of the team's catching hierarchy. He continued improving, however, and made his major league debut in 1998. Still, he never felt he was going to get an opportunity. He even considered quitting a few times, including in 2000, when, after he thought he had played his way onto the opening-day roster, Dodgers General Manager Kevin Malone told him that he was returning to Class AAA Albuquerque as a backup. "I went berserk, tore up the locker room and everything," Lo Duca said. "It took my dad and brother to come to Albuquerque to convince me that I was being stupid. And they were right." When Tracy replaced Davey Johnson after the 2000 season, one of his first acts was to name Lo Duca his starting catcher. "I was taking a big chance," Tracy said, "but my instincts told me that I wasn't going to be wrong." Lo Duca thrived, hitting .320 with 25 homers, and his presence was soon felt behind the plate. In 2002, the Dodgers had the fifth-best earned run average. In 2003, when they scored the fewest runs in the major leagues (574) but still finished 85-77, they had a 3.16 E.R.A., the best in the majors by nearly half a run. Then last season, Lo Duca's only full season in Florida, Dontrelle Willis recovered from a subpar 2004 and Todd Jones rebounded to post 40 saves. It was no coincidence, Tracy said. "I know the Mets have a good pitching staff already, but I'd think Paul being there is going to make them that much better," Tracy said. "That's the effect he has on people." Any doubts? Just ask Tracy which uniform number he prefers. ] Rockin' Doc Dec 20 2005 09:45 AM Metirish, thanks for the article. LoDuca sounds like a great teammate. How can you not pull for a guy like that?

Busy day for the Mets...sorry if this has been reported here, I've been busy.. ] December 19, 2005, 10:17 PM EST Kazuhisa Ishii was released Monday by the Mets, who signed three other pitchers to minor league contracts. The Mets agreed to terms with left-handers Darren Oliver and Pedro Feliciano, and right-hander Jose Parra. All three were invited to spring training. After starting pitcher Steve Trachsel went down with a back injury in March, Ishii was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers for catcher Jason Phillips. The left-hander went 3-9 with a 5.14 ERA in 19 games, including 16 starts, during his only season in New York. Ishii is 39-34 with a 4.44 ERA in four major league seasons. The 35-year-old Oliver pitched in the minors last season. He is 87-79 with a 5.07 ERA in 12 big league seasons. He split the 2004 season between the Florida Marlins and Houston Astros. Feliciano and Parra pitched in Japan this year. Both relievers were with the Mets in 2004.

Val are you Joe Lieberman's son?,you've hinted that your Dad knows more than a few heavy hitters, it makes perfect sence....

I could fix this problem in less than ten minutes, Mr. Peterson stop wearing the black jacket all the time,or order a new blue one.

Mr. Zabriskie I truely believe your side of this story, I am a bit disapointed with Mushnick as I look forward to his columns, I would have thought he would have contacted you but as you say he has not, this is the kind of stuff that he some times vents about, so I'm surprised, still I'm sure you know that you are among friends here and again thanks for your time.

You can't vote for yourself...jeez... on Edit:..had to laugh at the memory section on UMDB...here is the first post.. ] He was a pretty decent player but I think he may have cared more about chasing skirt than ground balls. All things considered I can't say I blame him. brilliant.

Well then I will vote for young Reyes, with those looks surely he'll avoid arbitration.

This is so gay, anything you want to share with us Bret?

I've no idea but I'm sure some here will be able to help.

] Ron Villone joined the exodus from the Marlins when Florida traded the reliever to the Yankees on Friday for minor league pitcher Ben Julianel. The 35-year-old left-hander was a combined 2-3 with a 2.45 ERA in 79 games last season for the Seattle Mariners and the Marlins, who acquired him at the July 31 trade deadline. Villone, a native of Edgewater, N.J., is joining his 10th major league team following stints with Seattle, San Diego, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Colorado. Houston, Pittsburgh and Florida. He is owed $2 million next season in the second year of a $4.2 million, two-year contract. http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-spyanks1217,0,4776383.story?coll=ny-sports-headlines

Steve Phillips accesses the needs of teams, here is Stevo on the Mets... ] New York Mets Need: Second baseman The Mets have had an exciting offseason. They have remade their team and energized the fan base. There are still a couple of holes remaining, the most glaring at second base. GM Omar Minaya says he is willing to go into the season with Kaz Matsui as his starting second baseman. The problem is that every time Matsui's name is announced at Shea Stadium a chorus of boos rains down upon the field. He has shown that he can't handle the boos, and to make matters worse, even though the boos are directed at Matsui, they affect the whole team. There is too much negativity in the stadium every time he is in the starting lineup. Matsui is more talented than he has shown, but he will never overcome the boobirds. His offense and his defense have suffered because of it. The Mets need a gritty, hard-nosed guy who can hit and, more importantly, play defense. The Mets' pitching staff is primarily a contact staff; the pitchers need playmakers behind them. The infielders need to turn double plays when they get the chance. The Mets also need range from their second baseman because Carlos Delgado is limited in that department at first base. The answer is Mark Grudzielanek. He has range, arm strength and grit. He will get dirty and take a hit to turn a double play. He is also a slasher on offense. Just ask anyone on the Cardinals' pitching staff how critical he was to their success. He turned the most DPs among second basemen in the majors last year. Grudzielanek would be a perfect fit for the Mets.

]George said I couldn't go He can say what he want's but this is how his decision will be seen, Rodriguez may have turned a non-issue into a controversey, no one would have cared who he had chosen but now with this stupidity people will be wondering what the hell is up with this guy.

LOL...straight from his PR machine...oh and the IOC is not happy with Cuba getting banned by the Goverment.. Cuban ban hurts U.S. Olympic bids

It might be a good PR move for the MFY's but I think it would be a bad move for Nomar, he should go to a team where he will play every day assuming he's healthy and not be a back-up player in the Bronx with the constant reminders of what he once was, a great SS.

A day late and now it has no buzz..nice try Lubitul.

Congrats to David, he got one-third of the over 400,000 votes.

]Gimme a Met whose neighborhood coffee house is being threatened by the opening of a Starbucks directly across the street. Neives Mardie Cornejo is fighting the opening of Starbucks accros the street, he has enlisted the help of old friend Rusty Stuab. Gimme a Mets that opened up a fish & tackle shop in the mountains of Wyoming?

Butch Benton is hated at his job down at the printing press, his co-workers just found out after much research that his real name is Alfred Lee Benton and that he played the cello in the school orchestra.. gimme a Met that was protesting outside San Quentin to try and stop the exacution of Tookie Smith.

I think anytime you can avoid arbitration it's good, I would think most GM's would rather sign a deal than go to arbitration, especially with cornerstone players like Reyes and Wright.

Very impressive numbers, I'm glad his on the Mets, how does he do against the pitchers in our division?