metirish

Per Metsblog Yesterday, on WFAN, Mike Francesa said, �The Mets need to make a splash, for the sake of making a splash, to let people know they�re relevant again.� As big a splash as Mike would make if he jumped in to a pool?

The Bourne Trilogy

Delgado, who hasn't played since May 10, So in reality by the time he gets into playing shape it could be late February/ March....a long time for a guy to be out.....

Seriously, how predictable is Herper? The print edition has this headline for his article Cash takes cuts, Omar goes down swinging Online Edition Brian Cashman lands Javier Vazquez for New York Yankees as New York Mets still silent Javier Vazquez has never quite lived up to the hype, going back to the first time the Yankees traded for him, six years ago. In that 2004 season there was some feeling in the Bronx that Vazquez lacked toughness, but this time around he is not expected to be an ace, and fits perfectly toward the back of the rotation. So the Yankees made another smart trade here, again taking advantage of a team looking to deal a player for financial reasons. They plucked Vazquez from the Braves much the way they did Curtis Granderson from the Tigers, without giving up vital pieces of their present or future. Melky Cabrera got his share of pie-in-the-face hits last season, to be sure, but as a left fielder with moderate power he's much less valuable than he was roaming center. And while Johnny Damon still seems like the best fit for left field, GM Brian Cashman can sign cost-efficient Mark DeRosa if he wants and take bows for a nice offseason, now that he has deepened his rotation and created flexibility for either Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes to pitch out of the bullpen. All of which begs the question: Isn't this the type of creative dealing the Mets should be doing? Or is it simply that they are in denial about their need to upgrade their pitching to have any real chance at contending next season? Vazquez and Edwin Jackson are each better than any free-agent pitcher still available, and if the Mets may not have been able to offer anyone such as Max Scherzer, the power arm the Tigers acquired from the Diamondbacks for Jackson, they surely had enough to pry Vazquez away from the Braves. Maybe the Braves wouldn't have wanted to trade Vazquez in their division, but it's not like he's John Smoltz, with a history there. More than likely they just wanted the best deal in return for dumping $11 million off their payroll. In any case, this was a Yankee trade that focused still more attention on the inactivity of the Mets, and, at the very least, created more uncertainty as to whether they'll ever sign Jason Bay. Cashman, after all, said Tuesday that he has no intention of paying big bucks for a left fielder, but Mets fans - and for that matter, a lot of people in baseball - will believe that only when Bay and Matt Holliday are signed elsewhere. Then there was the talk Tuesday that the Braves may have unloaded Vazquez to free up money to make a run at Bay. They do seem to need a big bat to be serious contenders again, and probably wouldn't have a hard time finding a taker for Cabrera should they want to trade him now as part of their plan to pursue Bay. In other words, this was another day of torture for Mets fans, another reason to fear the worst from this offseason. Maybe Bay and his agent are just trying to squeeze that fifth year out of this contract, but the longer they go without taking the Mets' offer, the more reason there is to believe they're looking for another place to play. In the meantime, while there are still plenty of second-tier pitchers on the market, it's puzzling that the Mets don't seem to have any sense of urgency about acquiring pitching. More than once this offseason GM Omar Minaya has talked as if last year never happened for Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez and John Maine, and they can be counted on as a reliable No. 2-3-4 behind Johan Santana. It could happen. But it's a huge leap of faith after last season. And so while Vazquez still has to prove he's more than a pitcher whose win-loss record rarely seems to be as good as his other numbers, right now he'd qualify as the Mets' second-best starter. Instead the Yankees say thank you to the Braves and tuck him nicely into the No. 4 spot, perhaps even No. 5. It's that kind of offseason. The rich get richer. The Mets get nothing. jharper@nydailynews.com

I'm seeing a lot of those movies on various best of Lists{/i] I don't recall Minority Report being this well liked when it came out. I saw most of those movies, Zodiac didn't do much for me...A.I. did nothing..

john Harper's column tomorrow goes like this. Here's all you need to know about the Mets mindset right now, not to mention the Mets fans, who by the way are livid. On the day the beloved Yankees bring back Vazquez, a road tested Vaquez it should be noted all the Mets could do was sign RA Dickey. Forgive yourself if you have never heard of him, only the desperate Omar Minaya would sign a guy who doesn't even have the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. I wonder what Jason Bay thinks of this move....oh the indignity of it all. A scout I spoke to says Dickey doesn't evan have a fastball.

Stop being a dick Omar

Frayed Knot wrote: Michael Clayton That too....IIRC we ahd a good thread on that movie....

Benjamin Grimm wrote: metirish wrote: Got to say I couldn't sit through The Incredibles Really? That's how I felt about Wall-E. It seemed like three hours of watching a little troll shoving garbage around. It was a magnum opus for fecks sake..... Million Dollar Baby This is England.......... I could easily add these two... Looking at Monks list I see The Departed , Gladiator....of shit, I'm sure I have that listed as my fave movie on my FB profile...

That same reasoning was being touted on MLB's Hot Stove show last night...I think toungue in cheek but you never know. And really was Marquis begging to play for the Mets as is now being reported?

John Harper says they've done nothing, the club is falling apart and that no one wants to play for them. Not ideal working conditions I think you'll agree.

OK, here is my Top Ten There Will Be Blood Wall-E City of God Downfall Gangs of New York The Magdelene Sisters In America Before Sunset 28 Days Lost In Translation

Pan�s Labyrinth Lost in Translation Are we to stick to a rigid ten?...this could get ugly

Got to say I couldn't sit through The Incredibles I fully expect to add "Hunger" to the list....if it ever comes out on DVD...

Not in any order There Will Be Blood Wall-E City of God Downfall Gangs of New York The Magdelene Sisters In America Bloody Sunday 28 Days Shaun of the Dead Dark Knight The Wind That Shakes the Barley Almost Famous subject to change I suppose

Rosenthal with what seems to be a prevailing sentiment..... Don�t get me wrong -- the Mets are in serious discussions with Bay, and remain the leading contender to sign him. But Bay almost certainly would take less to sign with a less dysfunctional outfit. The longer these negotiations drag on, the greater the chances that other teams will jump into the bidding.

What you complaining about?.....that's a combined OPS of .2201.....WOW

John Harper will find this trade as proof of something or other about the Mets and Minaya.

Are the MFY's now lookign for an outfielder?

Francoeur takes his father on "trip of a lifetime" Jeff Francoeur is an open, accommodating guy. He's lived in Atlanta's public eye since the 11th grade. It's not like he has a lot of secrets. But he managed to keep a whopper for more than a year, even from his father David, the master at reading his son's intentions. The former Brave and Parkview High School standout, Francoeur surprised his father and six other pals and relatives with an all-expenses paid trip to Scotland to play some of the finest golf courses in the world. They went in late October, which means he had all baseball season to anticipate the trip. It gave Francoeur a constant at a time when so much around him was changing, with his trade to the New York Mets. "All these guys have been so supportive," Francoeur said of the group that includes his brother, brother-in-law, uncle, cousin and two family friends. Growing up, baseball may have been Francoeur's first love, but golf was his passion. He, his brother and his father watched tournaments on TV together. The British Open was special because it started in the morning and they could watch all day. Annual golf trips provided a way for Francoeur to stay connected to the men in his family, away from everything else. As his baseball life became more hectic, he cherished the trips even more. It didn't hurt that he also had more means and connections to pull them off. Flying home over the 2008 All-Star break, Francoeur met a man who had played famous courses in Scotland through an international travel company. That planted the seed. They could play the Old Course at St. Andrews, Muirfield and Carnoustie -- or "Carnasty" as they learned the locals call it. For a back story, Francoeur fed the guys a tale that they were going back to Bandon Dunes, an Oregon course with a Scottish links feel, where Francour had surprised them with a trip in 2006. Then they'd go to Chambers Bay in Washington and on up to play in Canada. That way they'd pack warm clothes and a passport. The only people Francoeur told the real destination were the wives, his mom and some employees at a local PGA Superstore. Francoeur was there almost every day leading up to the trip. Francoeur's wife Catie helped put together backpacks for everybody. Mizuno, his baseball glove supplier, sent eight rain suits. Francoeur bought golf balls with each guy's favorite college logo, so there would be "no cheating," he said. Even the Mets gave Francoeur the OK to put off surgery on his thumb (torn ligament) this winter until after the trip. All the while, his father never found out. David Francoeur had spoiled the Bandon Dunes surprise in 2006 when he saw the down payment on Jeff's credit card statement. This time he bumped into Catie's uncle and thought he reacted strangely when David told him they heading out west to golf. But Francoeur quelled his father's suspicions by having his banker call to tell him their credit cards were good to go for Canada. David Francoeur even bought a pair of knickers to wear as a joke, not knowing how fitting they'd actually be. The night before they left, the gang gathered for a cookout at Jeff and Catie's house. Francoeur put on a video Catie had made to break the news before the airport ticket agent could give it away. To Kenny Chesney's "I Go Back," a slideshow began with shots of Bandon Dunes and Chambers Bay. Then it showed a golfer walking in the snow, with the words "Canadian winter golf, eh?" Then it said, "So ..." followed by, "I decided to change our trip." The screen then went black. That's when Francoeur stood up to tell them they were actually going to Scotland. The video started again to the sound of bagpipes. As they watched shots of the Swilcan Bridge at St. Andrews, the lighthouse at Turnberry and Stewart Cink kissing the Claret Jug, the surprise started sinking in and two in the group started to cry. David Francoeur sat stunned. "I was at a loss for words," he said. "When I heard Scotland, I said �Oh my gosh, what a treat.' But then when he started to say the courses we were playing, that's when it really hit me." About 36 hours later, running on adrenaline and an energy drink that Francoeur had packed, they teed off at the seventh oldest golf course in the world � Balcomie Links in Fife. The wind was whipping at 45 mph. The North Sea beckoned just off the fairway to the right. Francoeur asked his caddie where he should hit. "You have to the North Sea to the right and Scotland to the left," the caddie said. "So I'd aim bloody left." On cue, Francoeur sent his first ball into the North Sea. But that's what mulligans are for � jet lag and the North Sea. They played six courses in six days, traveling in a 20-passenger van fitted with card tables and coolers. It was driven by a likeable Scottish smart aleck named Andy, who told Francoeur he didn't know a thing about baseball. "He said �All I care about is football,' " Francoeur said. "I'm like �Hey dude, it's soccer. We have football.' " They didn't talk baseball, which was fine by Francoeur. The first three games of the World Series came and went without their notice. Nobody other than a few caddies who moonlighted in Florida knew Francoeur's story, about his rise with the Braves, the Sports Illustrated cover, his minor league demotion and his trade to the Mets. They just wanted to see his approach shot at No. 18 on the Old Course. Some 60 tourists watched Francoeur and his father come in that second day at St. Andrews. Francoeur sliced his tee shot out of bounds to the right. His caddie told him not to feel bad; Ernie Els had hit it there two weeks earlier. His father laughed. Then he hooked his tee shot out of bounds to the left. Both were feeling too good that day to be bothered. Walking up the first fairway hours earlier, David Francoeur, decked out in his knickers, had put his arm around his son. "He said �When I'm on my death bed, I want you to remember this day because this is one of the greatest days of my life,' " Francoeur said. "My dad is not a very emotional guy. He's pretty tough. To hear that from him was really cool." They played two three-day tournaments, each named after one of Francoeur's grandfathers who both passed away in 2006: the Conrad Cup for his father's father and Mel's Match for his mother's father. Francoeur's dad and uncle bought him flags from each of the six courses. He's framing them to go on his wall. "For me it was a trip of a lifetime," Francoeur said. "The best part for me was seeing their faces the night we made the surprise." Not that he'll ever be able to top it, but Francoeur has another trip in mind for next year: Italy. This time, it's Catie's turn.

DocTee wrote: MFY send Melky Cabrera to ATL for Javy Vazquez, as per ESPN. Touted MFY prospect Arodys Vizcaino goes in the deal.......good trade for the MFY , hell of a rotation

I can't imagine why fans seeth over Shinjo.....he was an absolute joy to watch....

Great read , interesting all the firsts with Japanese players the Mets have had. Love this A year later, the Mets brought in Yoshii, a serviceable right-handed starter who won 18 games in two years for Valentine. Ever loyal to his manager, Yoshii once expressed regret to reporters in Cincinnati in 1998 for a poor performance. His temporary interpreter revealed that Valentine told Yoshii that the game was important because he would be facing the former Met Pete Harnisch, who had feuded with Valentine the year before.

Didn't get used a whole lot that I remember........not much in big situations, of course there probably weren't many of those anyway.....nice ERA...

Benjamin Grimm wrote: metirish wrote: A two-year, $15 million deal from what I can gather.... Is it possible to assume that Piniero's value falls somewhere between Wolf's and Marquis'? I'd think so but I bet his agent wouldn't....IIRC there was patter about 4 year deals worth $44 million not that along ago.