metirish

Rubin doing some good work down there Hard-throwing Carr represents Mets in AFL After an 11�-month recovery from Tommy John surgery, Mets farmhand Nick Carr returned to game action with a scoreless inning in the Gulf Coast League on June 22. The 23-year-old right-hander went on to make 24 relief appearances between three Class A levels, going a combined 2-2 with a 4.70 ERA while striking out 36 and walking 23 in 30 2/3 innings. Now, the hard-throwing Carr is part of the Mets� Arizona Fall League contingent. Through six relief appearances for Mesa, he is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA and has allowed 10 hits with five strikeouts and five walks in 10 innings. �I�m glad to be down here and be facing some of the best players that are in the minor leagues right here,� Carr said. �So it�s a good challenge. And with me having my surgery and things like that, I didn�t get to pitch in Double-A this year. So it�s a good experience for me to see what those hitters are like down here as well.� Carr was part of a 2005 draft for the Mets that proved to be bountiful. Despite not having second- and third-round picks that year as the result of signing Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran as free agents, five draft selections from that year have nonetheless appeared in the majors: Mike Pelfrey (first round), Drew Butera (fifth), Jon Niese (seventh), Bobby Parnell (ninth) and Josh Thole (13th). Butera was sent to Minnesota in the July 2007 trade for Luis Castillo and is Joe Mauer�s backup at catcher with the Twins. Carr was a 41st-round pick out of high school in Idaho, in a since-abolished process known as draft-and-follow. He played a season at the College of Southern Idaho and then signed with the Mets, who had retained his rights. Carr had moved to the state during high school after growing up in California. �I definitely wanted to sign. I definitely wanted to play,� Carr said. �So it wasn�t really too much of a question. There was a money amount I did want. They ended up giving me what I wanted, so I signed and decided to play.� The Mets used Carr nearly exclusively as a starter during his first three professional seasons. That included during a rough 2008 season in which Carr had an 0-10 record and 7.18 ERA at Class A St. Lucie before picking up an Aug. 16 win at Brevard County during which he limited the Manatees to one run in 5 1/3 innings in what became a 2-1, seven-inning victory. Carr since has moved to relief. �I don�t really want to talk too much about 2008,� Carr said. �� 2008 was a bad year for me as a player. It was a learning experience for me. Wins and losses wasn�t really what I was too much concerned about as opposed to just getting better and getting on the right track. �I like it a lot better,� he added about relief. �I think it suits me more as a player being out of the bullpen. I�m more come in for one or two innings toward the end of the game. That�s kind of the role I want to be in.� Carr estimates his fastball has been sitting at 95-96 mph and touching 98 mph during the Arizona Fall League. At the start of the AFL season, farm director Adam Wogan offered this analysis of Carr: �Nick throws hard. He was a starter at the beginning of his career and it was a good place for him to get the innings. He threw both a curveball and a slider. He�s more throwing a slider now and can show really good fastball velocity -- anywhere up to 98 mph, even 99 mph. I think he�s touched triple-digits in the past for whatever accuracy you give that on some of these guns. He definitely throws the ball hard, and is working on commanding the fastball and the slider a little better.� Said Carr: �I had pretty good control coming back from my surgery, and things are going well now. I�m anxious to keep going and finish up at the Fall League strong and look forward to next year and see what it brings.� http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets

Gotta love Willie..... "because you never know, this might be the last time something like this happens to some of these kids Chris Rose has them all retiring Willie , as noted above Rose was terrible, not sure what a good interview would be under the circumstances but the same question to every player and exec got old quickly....." did you........"pause" ever think this would happen".....wash and repeat.

Frayed Knot wrote: Geez, Bochy is a big bastard - and not just his head. I expected him to dwarf Lincecum but there was a brief shot of him next to Nolan too. I was thinking the same thing when he was with the GM and owners getting the trophy.....he's freaking hulking......btw.....when did McGowan sell the Giants or where is he?....

Renteria crying with emotion while getting the MVP award.......Huff " can't believe this, ten years in the game and for nine of them in fourth or fifth place"....

Did I just see Mota in uniform hugging Wilson. Congrats to the Giants, nothing not to like here for me except no more baseball.

No fine from Selig but a stern warning, Greenberg calls Levine to say sorry, regrets calling fan violent....at least that's what is being said. I am going with the idea that when Levine tok the call Greenberg called him a scumbag and hung up.

If he signed with the Mets he coukd be opening day starter. Prediction Marlins

Ha , demoralized?....fucking excited is what I am Harvey.

Yep , just read the whole thing......wow advocated Tak and Feliciano going down the turnpike

Damn this guy likes to stir the pot 12:45 [Comment From Joe] Now it's a white and black issue Marcus? 12:45 Marcus: Always was. 12:45 [Comment From Joe] Has nothing to do with him being white. he plays hard every play unlike Howard and rollins. Why does it have to be about race? 12:45 Marcus: Right. The black guys are lazy. The two MVPs are lazy. Where's your hood?

Seeing what you are talking about in the Chat [Comment From PhilliesPhan] It is funny that over the years Rollins and Howard get crucified in this city but Big Baby Utley gets nothing...... 12:42 Marcus: Yes. It is interesting. Except Utley is white. And he likes to curse in public. Imagine if Jimmy had done that?

Some of those links are a chore to follow, meaning you got to read the live chat to find the relevant parts....here is something that jumped out at me Still, is it relevant or newsworthy? It was Utley�s quiet demeanor and play-through-everything mindset that endeared him to fans and the writers in the first place. It seems awfully convenient that, following a disappointing showing in the post-season (and a disappointing regular season), that these qualities are now detriments. Why, when the Phillies won it all in 2008, did the writers never complain about Utley not talking? When Utley hit five home runs in last year�s World Series against the New York Yankees, how come no one questioned his accountability then? Even during his injury-riddled 2010 regular season, no one spoke ill of Utley.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: TransMonk wrote: Surprisingly not bad. One of the better lowbrow comedies I've seen in a while. Best Cusack film since...? High Fidelity? Grosse Pointe Blank? 2012????? SC all the way to 11

bmfc1 wrote: I wish that the writer elaborated on how Boy showed his "illogical" Mets love. Nevertheless, it was an awesome read. Thanks. I have been wondering about that too.....if Boy was a Dodgers or Giants fan then it would be logical for him to become a Mets fan .Probably the writer is a yankee fan though.

He'd be a fool to not check what's out there for him right? , of course that would mean leaving the Mets but he's not young and this is his shot at a pay day.

I'm more worried about his lack of managerial experience than his family matters, but yeah, he's taken the hits and the responsibility for his actions. I would think Alderson would go on his record as a baseball man.

So true , and really , win or lose Sabean isn't bringing back these guys, except of course he probably will and if not he'll replace them with players as old and as has been.

Doesn't sound like Gibby wants it @BobKlapJohn Gibbons on Mets' managerial vacancy: "They need someone more high-profile than me."

One of the joys of this WS is watching a team like the Giants with a bunch of older players and retreads playing. Ditto on Buck and McCarver.

Excellent

Backman excites the media more than the fans I think, they probably see him as a disaster waiting to happen. Rubin has some good stuff here http://proxy.espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/11571/alderson-talking-points

The one person possibly more smug than Francesa, Alderson's patience will be tested for sure. I forgot how funny it can be when Francesa gives his football picks to His flock.

Francesa could not be more smug if he tried, you just know he'll be all over Alderson's making the Mets an iconic franchise statement.

G-Fafif wrote: Talked about a manager who kicks dirt. Any manager who promises to kick dirt on Francesa would be OK by me. Be a hell of a lot of dirt and kicking to cover the big bollox

G-Fafif wrote: Sandy on with Francesa. I have to say he sounds rather tired (then again, I feel the same). OTOH, he doesn't sound like he's spouting talking points. Consistent with previous answers, but not scripted. Of course Francesa will figure it all out for him and get back to him. Oh , that's wFan?, I thought he was on the Vatican radio with the Pope. Entertainment value, being able to excite the fanbase will be factors in choosing a manager.