metirish

="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr":cqcvmdie]="Edgy DC":cqcvmdie]I think I just heard a nice ovation for Billy Wagner getting up in the pen. Do people at Citi know when somebody is up in the pen?[/quote:cqcvmdie] They flashed it on the big board. People around me seemed a little excited that he was throwing and applauded pretty wildly. I joined in, since I'll give it up for a 37-year-old who works his wee, bearded ass off to come back from TJ surgery, and because I didn't want to feel left out. (Then again, there was a wave going around, too. So figure about 1/4 of the cheers were of the "Hey-- it's other humans standing and sitting in series!" variety.) Muggy night. Got into a friendly argument with a chatty stranger on the Danny Heep Bridge about the future of first base-- it really does amaze me how much support Murph still gets among Met fans. (I mean, I'm rooting for the guy too, but... he's OPSing sub-.700 at this point; I'm not sure he's a corner-IF starter for most AAA teams.)[/quote:cqcvmdie] I thought it was a nice moment.... Gwreck Aug 21 2009 07:49 AM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr":de47vpmo]it really does amaze me how much support Murph still gets among Met fans. (I mean, I'm rooting for the guy too, but... he's OPSing sub-.700 at this point; I'm not sure he's a corner-IF starter for most AAA teams.)[/quote:de47vpmo] We were discussing that last night. Is it because he's a clean-cut white guy? Because he's Irish? Because he's a homegrown player? A little each from categories A, B and C? Because it's certainly not that he's particularly good. Edgy DC Aug 21 2009 07:56 AM But he was some'at last year, so there may be a little bit of D (residual fuzzies from rookie success) in there also. That first pitch popup was so not the solid countworking Murphy I hope I see when he steps out of the dugout, and too rarely is he that guy these days, and maybe never will be. Benjamin Grimm Aug 21 2009 07:58 AM Maybe it's because Murphy looked really good late last season, and we still want him to be the guy that it looked like he might be. And part of it is we're probably paying less attention this season, when he's not doing so great, than we did last year, when the games mattered more and he was looking good. I don't want to give up on him yet, but I also don't think the Mets should pencil him in as the answer at any one position next year. And especially not at a high-offense position like first base. Keep him around. Make him a Joe McEwing. And if he proves that he can be more than that, then reevaluate. Gwreck Aug 21 2009 08:20 AM This is where I point out that I think resigning Delgado is our best option for next year if we plan to compete. John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 21 2009 08:29 AM I like Ike. John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 21 2009 08:33 AM ="Edgy DC"] That first pitch popup was so not the solid countworking Murphy I hope I see when he steps out of the dugout, and too rarely is he that guy these days, and maybe never will be. Well, he's mad about it, at least: Edgy DC Aug 21 2009 08:45 AM Other available freegies, with thier 2010 age in parentheses: Russell Branyan (34): .254 / .351 / .515 // .866 (107 g, 33 at first) Jason Giambi (39): .193 / .332 / .364 // .697 (83 g, 38 at first) Ross Gload (34): .263 / .344 / .394 // .738 (93 g, about half on defense, 26 at first) Aubrey Huff (33): .252 / .320 / .400 // .720 (112 g, 93 on defense) Nick Johnson (31, parts of him much older): .296 / .419 / .408 // .827 (111 g, 108 on defense) Adam LaRoche (30): .267 / .354 / .484 // .838 (103 g, all on defense) Robb Quinlan (33): 256 / .287 / .367 // .654 (40 103 gg, 11 at first) Matt Stairs (42!): .213 / .357 / .388 // .745 (16 g, none at first since 2007) Mike Sweeney (36): .228 / .287 / .361 // .648 (49 g, 5 at first) Jim Thome (39): .250 / .380 / .503 // .883 (97 g, none on defense) Chad Tracy (30): .235 / .292 / .380 // .673 (73 g)So, the only ones looking as viable as Delgado are Branyan, Johnson, and LaRoche, with only LaRoche looking particularly more viable. John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 21 2009 08:46 AM Edgy DC Aug 21 2009 08:54 AM Met that up a little bit, market it, and it can pay for Lunchpail's sophomore year at Barnard. TransMonk Aug 21 2009 09:20 AM In Murphy's defense, he is still very inexperienced at the professional level. David Wright had more minor league plate appearances before he was called up to the majors than Murphy has had minor and major league combined. Wright's minor league career: 1675 PA, 1419 AB, 409 H, 111 2B, 48 HR, 242 RBI, 302 K, .288/.387/.474/.861 Murphy's minor+major league career: 1634 PA, 1450 AB, 411 H, 91 2B, 35 HR, 214 RBI, 195 K, .283/.347/.431/.778 Now, I don't believe that Murphy will ever be Wright, but he is still very young and can still progress to better than we've seen this season. I'm not ready to pencil him in at any position either, but I'm not ready to call him Joe McEwing or Matt Franco just yet. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 21 2009 09:28 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket"] Given his hyyyyyyuge split differensh, I wouldn't mind seeing a cheap, lefty-mashing running mate next campaign. Ike/Stick in '10! Benjamin Grimm Aug 21 2009 09:29 AM I wouldn't call him Joe McEwing either. (It would get confusing, since that's not his name.) But I think that's the best way to use him, for 2010, at least, until he proves that he deserves a regular position. Find eight other guys to man the starting positions, and keep Murphy around as a super-sub, one who will play often enough to get 250 to 300 at bats. Give him the chance to prove that he can do more, without counting on him to do more. If he's anointed the Mets starting 1B this winter, it will be a pretty discouraging sign. Benjamin Grimm Aug 21 2009 09:32 AM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr"]I wouldn't mind seeing a cheap, lefty-mashing running mate next campaign. Would Trot Nixon be an appropriate running mate for someone named Ike? Or should we dust off Otis Nixon? Benjamin Grimm Aug 21 2009 09:36 AM And that reminds me... When I was in college, I had a friend who was flirting with this girl, and it seemed to be going pretty well, when for no explicable reason, he told her, "I have a five-year-old son named Otis." (He didn't.) She visibly lost interest in him. So he frantically told her that it was just a joke, that he didn't really have a son named Otis. But it was too late. She either figured that he was suddenly denying his little boy's existence, or he was some kind of a nut who makes up fictional kids named Otis to impress girls. (I guess the second part was actually true.) Note to you single guys out there: The fictional-son-named-Otis line... not a good idea.

="G-Fafif":14amsstj]Somehow this makes me like Sheffield more. Who on earth would want to be contractually bound even longer to this team? Brian Schneider now 8 for his last 66.[/quote:14amsstj] Schneider should ask for an extension with those numbers John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 20 2009 05:56 PM ="bmfc1"]After Sheff was scratched, Jerry's presser was delayed so reporters speculated via tweet that Sheff was being traded--but The Post guy then wrote that Sheff can't be traded, only released. Then Jerry said that Sheff asked for a day off. Does that mean that Sheff had been claimed on waivers but pulled back? That would be certifiable wouldn't it? Frayed Knot Aug 20 2009 06:01 PM Not really. It costs nothing to keep Sheffield so if the claiming team didn't want to work out a deal where we'd actually get something for him there's no reason not to pull him back. Edgy DC Aug 20 2009 06:05 PM I thought, if he gets claimed and the waiver is withdrawn, it means he can be traded, but not to any team ahead of the claiming team in the standings. bmfc1 Aug 20 2009 06:06 PM SI_JonHeymantoo late to trade sheff, by the way. was already blocked on waivers. #mets Frayed Knot Aug 20 2009 06:10 PM ]I thought, if he gets claimed and the waiver is withdrawn, it means he can be traded, but not to any team ahead of the claiming team in the standings. No, either he is; - awarded to the first team in the pecking order claiming him (Rios to ChiSox) - a deal is worked out with the team claiming him - he clears all teams and can be dealt to anyone - or he's pulled back in which case he not be traded at all within this same waiver period. Nymr83 Aug 20 2009 06:28 PM Burkhart talking about Sheff. Apparently the career malcontent is back to his usual bitching-ways, i guess its suprising that it took this long. Kong76 Aug 20 2009 06:31 PM Someone with good split abilities should probably make a 'Sheffie wanted to leave and could of but couldn't' thread. He can't be on a team without it becoming about him at some point no matter how much his teammates and the fans embrace him. seawolf17 Aug 20 2009 06:34 PM They may not be able to waive him, but they can certainly cut him if they don't feel like he's part of the picture for 2010. He's costing them virtually nothing. Kong76 Aug 20 2009 06:43 PM Gmta, Ben G lol. Frayed Knot Aug 20 2009 06:56 PM ="seawolf17":28lwwmgr]They may not be able to waive him, but they can certainly cut him if they don't feel like he's part of the picture for 2010. He's costing them virtually nothing.[/quote:28lwwmgr] Sure, but it's costing them virtually nothing to keep him too and cutting him would just shove one more minor league bat into the lineup. So unless he's going to pout to the point of becoming a major distraction (and what exactly is he going to be distracting us from?) keep him and tell him if he wants to play here next year we'll talk about it over the winter. And if he doesn't like that give him the choice of playing for the next 6 weeks with the intent of impressing either the Mets or someone who could use him in 2010 or polishing the bench with his ass for the same length of time. Nymr83 Aug 20 2009 07:06 PM ]give him the choice of playing for the next 6 weeks with the intent of impressing either the Mets or someone who could use him in 2010 or polishing the bench with his ass for the same length of time. exactly. Edgy DC Aug 20 2009 07:12 PM I guess I could stand to see more of Evans. Why not? Ashie62 Aug 20 2009 07:41 PM If Sheffield was claimed and pulled, and not traded, I'd probably be pissed also Ashie62 Aug 20 2009 07:45 PM Well...we got a nice round of guessing 1960's TV voiceovers from the booth A Seaver sighting A Wagner sighting An audible lets go MFY chant and a Citified Travelouge for a few innings No casualties in this 1 of 81 at home Ashie62 Aug 20 2009 07:47 PM ="metirish":awuus1x2]Everyone wants a fucking extension .....[/quote:awuus1x2] Thats why "Enhanze" sells so well bmfc1 Aug 20 2009 07:51 PM Jon Heyman tweets that the Giants claimed Sheff but the Mets "pulled him back." Wouldn't any minor leaguer be better than the nothing they're going to get when his contract expires at the end of the season? Kong76 Aug 20 2009 07:56 PM bmfc: Jon Heyman tweets (sorry Kong) <<< I thought it was Joel Sherman? bmfc1 Aug 20 2009 07:57 PM ="Kong76"]bmfc: Jon Heyman tweets (sorry Kong) <<< I thought it was Joel Sherman? Accuracy is my motto! Sherman was re-tweeting Heyman: nyp_joelshermanstill don't understand y Mets didn't take Grade-C prospect back RT @SI_JonHeyman giants were team that claimed sheff b4 mets pulled back. Kong76 Aug 20 2009 08:05 PM Just wanna say the original, "sorry Kong" made me lol. I feel like a dinosaur sometimes. Frayed Knot Aug 20 2009 08:26 PM If all you're getting is some low-level minor leaguer with little promise I'd pull him back too. Those guys are findable under every rock. If you let him go you're looking at making this year's team even worse than it already is with little hope that you're doing anything for the future. Gwreck Aug 20 2009 09:05 PM The way I understand it, when a team claims the player, you either have to work out a deal within a set time period (48? 72? hours), or if you can't they get the player for the waiver fee ($20,000, I think), or you have to pull him back. Waiver claims can be risky because if the player is claimed, the team who waived him can refuse to work out a trade and just stick his contract on the claiming team (ie. Rios). But here the Giants have most of the leverage, given that Sheffield's contract costs nothing. dgwphotography Aug 21 2009 05:58 AM It was reported last night that it was the Marlins who claimed him, and that Sheffield would have been happy to go back, but the Mets couldn't agree on a deal. http://njmg.typepad.com/metsblog/2009/08/the-sheffield-saga.html Now Tim smith chimes in on the Mets holding Sheffield "hostage" - WTF? http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2009/08/21/2009-08-21_gary_sheffields_.html Frayed Knot Aug 21 2009 06:36 AM ]Now Tim smith chimes in on the Mets holding Sheffield "hostage" - WTF? Idiotic Smith: Since the Mets blocked him from moving to another team, Sheffield logically deduced that he was a part of the team's future plans. Logically? To make sure, he went in and asked the Mets Thursday to extend his contract. They refused, a clear indication that he's not part of the picture for 2010. And the hostage crisis began. Right, refusing to extend a contract in mid-season to a 40 y/o still is akin to being held hostage. I could parse this thing some more but it's not worth it. Suffice to say he uses the word "hostage" about six more times. Kong76 Aug 21 2009 06:43 AM Jeffie tweeted the ransom note about 5am for those who don't follow. Frayed Knot Aug 21 2009 07:04 AM Joel Sherman, on the other hand, seems to get it. "The Mets rejected his bizarre request for a contract extension. So Sheffield, according to sources, initially became verbally abusive, then demanded he be released or traded to the Marlins, then threatened to return home to Florida, and finally just pulled himself from the starting lineup. He struck out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning and then ignored reporters' interview attempts after the game." Not quite the innocent "victim" Smith portrays him to be. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 21 2009 09:20 AM If the Mets had only signed LaWanda Page at the break, we'd all be sitting in butter. Anyway, I know Smith had to file and all, but he should probably check out his colleague's blog: ]Let me weigh in with the obvious on Gary Sheffield: If you sign up to play for a team, and that team decides to keep you for the entire season, how exactly can you have any legitimate gripe? metirish Aug 21 2009 09:48 AM Is it a sign of the bad times with the downturn in the economy(how I hate that term) that the likes of Smith is covering baseball . From what I know of him he is a boxing guy. duan Aug 21 2009 10:05 AM if sheffield wants to have an extension at a modest raise to what the mets are paying him this year, I'd be all on for that. I wouldn't just double what we're paying him I'd treble it. And if he isn't happy with his 1.2 million well then maybe i'd go as high as 1.6. But I AIN'T paying him 10 million next year to be Moises Alou renewed contract part 2. Benjamin Grimm Aug 21 2009 10:09 AM And I'd bring him back with a role matching the expectations that were had for him in 2009; a pinch-hitter, fourth/fifth outfielder. Not as a starting regular left fielder. Nymr83 Aug 21 2009 10:53 AM ]Is it a sign of the bad times with the downturn in the economy(how I hate that term) that the likes of Smith is covering baseball . From what I know of him he is a boxing guy. Tim Smith is already figuring out how to look like a NYC baseball writer though, he already knows to blame the Mets for everything even when its somebody else (Sheffield) being the douchebag. All he needs to do now is add a paragraph about how "this would never happen with the Yankees" Frayed Knot Aug 21 2009 12:54 PM Very little is worse than non-baseball writers (talking heads, "opinion makers", etc.) opining about baseball. They either seem to hate the sport and rail against whatever attention it gets (and takes away from football) or simply don't know it very well but feel obligated to sound off anyway. I recently stumbled across some televised round-table chat-fest not long after Randy Johnson's 300th win. When the topic turned to whether there'd ever be another one of the heads started squawking about how it would never happen because there's too much money in the game now and so today's players all retire early because they're too rich to care. That opinion is obviously so stupid and so wrong that it's not even worth debating, but boy whoever this guy was he was very loud and very sure about what he was saying. Valadius Aug 21 2009 03:34 PM If he wants to go, let him freaking go. It's not like this team is actually going anywhere this year anyway. metsmarathon Aug 21 2009 08:28 PM if we offer him arbitration, the lower limit on that is based on the contract he's signed with the mets, right, and not what he's still making from teh tiggers? Frayed Knot Aug 21 2009 09:03 PM ="metsmarathon":23bdu89e]if we offer him arbitration, the lower limit on that is based on the contract he's signed with the mets, right, and not what he's still making from teh tiggers?[/quote:23bdu89e] No, he'd have to be offered 80% of his current per/year amount, not just the NYM portion of it. There's no reason to offer Sheffield arbitration. If you want to keep him next year you simply need to negotiate a deal. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 21 2009 09:47 PM ="Frayed Knot"]="metsmarathon"]if we offer him arbitration, the lower limit on that is based on the contract he's signed with the mets, right, and not what he's still making from teh tiggers? No, he'd have to be offered 80% of his current per/year amount, not just the NYM portion of it. There's no reason to offer Sheffield arbitration. If you want to keep him next year you simply need to negotiate a deal. He wouldn't have to be offered 80% of his current per annum, since he's a free agent. The salary floor only applies to those under team control. It's another reason the arb offer for Country Time makes sense. Frayed Knot Aug 21 2009 09:52 PM But offering him arb (and him accepting it) would prevent him from ever getting to the FA stage and that's what you want to avoid here! Once he declares for FA he's not under your control anymore so arb doesn't enter into it. I have no problem negotiating a separate deal w/Sheff if he's willing to be reasonable but it can't be at anywhere near what he was making in the final year of the Detroit contract. PiggiesTomatoes Aug 21 2009 10:03 PM Wouldn't touch him with a pole. Like Tatis last year, I appreciate his contribution during this mess of a season but I wouldn't bring him back. metsmarathon Aug 22 2009 06:48 AM ="Frayed Knot":2g03z1lv]="metsmarathon":2g03z1lv]if we offer him arbitration, the lower limit on that is based on the contract he's signed with the mets, right, and not what he's still making from teh tiggers?[/quote:2g03z1lv] No, he'd have to be offered 80% of his current per/year amount, not just the NYM portion of it. There's no reason to offer Sheffield arbitration. If you want to keep him next year you simply need to negotiate a deal.[/quote:2g03z1lv] well, if that's the case, then surely i wouldn't think of offering him arbitration. if the 80% rule was based off his current contract (what he signed with NYM after being released from DET), then i would consider offering him arbitration. i guess then there's the risk of what he could actually make if it ever reached arbitration, but i would figure he'd surely refuse it. really im just trying to make sense of why the mets would want to keep him around this season. if they don't bring him back next year or offer him arbitration, tehn they lose him for nothing. which is the same thing as if they lose him through waivers. so maybe they're planning on keeping him around for the Class B draft pick compensation LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 22 2009 03:35 PM Considering that he's in the group with the gaudiest stat pool (1B/OF/DH), I'm pretty sure that Sheff won't anywhere near Type B (20-40 percentile) on the Elias ratings. I think it's as simple as (A) their not loving the claimant's prospect offer/the claimant not really making a serious offer and ( their wanting to remain "respectable" for the remainder of the season. (Yeah, I don't really get it, either.) EDIT: Just checked the MLBTR-linked Elias projections[/url:114fboc1] (painstakingly calculated/assembled by a guy from Detroit Tigers Thoughts after he reverse-engineered last year's rankings), and they've got Sheffield as a borderline type-B among NL 1B/OF. My surprise... and my bad. Ashie62 Aug 22 2009 06:41 PM I don't see Sheff has any future with the Mets beyond this year. Wouldn't it be easiest to trade him or let him go?? might lose a draft pick, but Sheff did well..cut the old man a break, and loose Edgy DC Aug 22 2009 07:51 PM Do we know that the claiming team (reportedly the Giants) made any offer at all? If not, they may well have claimed him just to block another team from getting him. Ashie62 Aug 22 2009 08:25 PM ="Edgy DC":30mcayco]Do we know that the claiming team (reportedly the Giants) made any offer at all? If not, they may well have claimed him just to block another team from getting him.[/quote:30mcayco] Could very well be the case. It seems kind of petty to hold him up smg58 Aug 22 2009 10:29 PM Why didn't we just trade Sheffield at the deadline? If the commish OKed the Peavy deal, he'd have approved a deal involving somebody who was coming off the DL on August 1.

Everyone wants a fucking extension .....

="Benjamin Grimm":2a1daqmj]Filip Bondy wants a no-hitter tonight. From Johan, that is.[/quote:2a1daqmj] That may have been the worst article ever....OK that's a bit much but it was pure claptrap form him LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 20 2009 03:20 PM Re: IGT--Braves @ Mets, 08/20/09 ="bmfc1":16kn35cc] Welcome back Billy Wagner. Goodbye Livan.[/quote:16kn35cc] Your money and donuts are on the dresser. Good luck. Valadius Aug 20 2009 03:49 PM This Daniel Murphy as cleanup hitter thing is getting very old. Where the hell is the forward slash? These Italian keyboards are VERY strange. Benjamin Grimm Aug 20 2009 04:52 PM ="Valadius":24zfrgcb]Where the hell is the forward slash? These Italian keyboards are VERY strange.[/quote:24zfrgcb] I had trouble checking my e-mail from Germany. I couldn't find out out to type the @. I ended up doing a web search on "at sign", finding the symbol in the results, and then copying and pasting. Nymr83 Aug 20 2009 05:05 PM i had that issue trying to make the section symbol [�], found an online character map to copy from. Edgy DC Aug 20 2009 06:06 PM Two out RBI for Cory Sullivan. How about a hand for our new number-five hitter, ladies and gents? Edgy DC Aug 20 2009 06:56 PM Not a lot of non-Sheff content left in this thread. Mets down 3-1 going into the seventh. Frayed Knot Aug 20 2009 06:58 PM Well, Santana can't get out a lefty and the Mets can't get a hit w/RiSP. Other than that things are going just fuckin' swell. Edgy DC Aug 20 2009 07:07 PM I think I just heard a nice ovation for Billy Wagner getting up in the pen. Do people at Citi know when somebody is up in the pen? Edgy DC Aug 20 2009 07:10 PM "Enter No-Man's-LandMan" John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 20 2009 07:11 PM ="Edgy DC":1l2qqos1]I think I just heard a nice ovation for Billy Wagner getting up in the pen.[/quote:1l2qqos1] That was actually booing you heard, and it was from me, and I'm in Brooklyn. Edgy DC Aug 20 2009 07:13 PM K I'll take what I can get. bmfc1 Aug 20 2009 07:16 PM Wow. Was that Billy Wagner's final inning as a Met? John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 20 2009 07:17 PM Yeah, thanks for all your help, Wags. Now, beat it. Kong76 Aug 20 2009 07:24 PM Not that scouts rely on scoreboard clocks, but 96? Nah, the home team wouldn't bump that up 5 mph to move someone to get some value would they? Kong76 Aug 20 2009 07:29 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 20 2009 07:30 PM Why do people go to Mets' games to chant, "let's go Yankees?" Edgy DC Aug 20 2009 07:30 PM Great, pinch-hit for Schneider, but with who? Livan's gone. PiggiesTomatoes Aug 20 2009 07:35 PM Wow, Livan had an 8.71 ERA in his last eight starts. Fuck, that's horrible. Edgy DC Aug 20 2009 07:39 PM Tying run on second, go-ahead on third, with two outs. Anderson Hernadez up with Andy Green on deck. It's 2-0. Do you give him a green light or a red 'un? Let him hit? So he can possibly get a hit? Well, come on! He's Anderson Hernandez! Of course not! Make him take? Why? So he can possibly walk, and then leave it up to Andy Green? Of course not! These are the sad choices that confront Jerry Manuel --- who chose to let the guy swing --- regularly. Kong76 Aug 20 2009 07:39 PM No starting lineup for the Braves in this IGT ... forum is turning into tweet face i'll pm ya and not postumville. (as I predicted) Nymr83 Aug 20 2009 07:44 PM ="Edgy DC":3060a0oo]Do people at Citi know when somebody is up in the pen?[/quote:3060a0oo] They put it up on the scoreboard at some point, but you need to be paying attention. Edgy DC Aug 20 2009 07:46 PM I promise you that slowness is related to the hopelessness. I'm still posting like a fiend. bmfc1 Aug 20 2009 07:47 PM Mets reporters haven't been posting the opposition lineups. They were earlier in the year. PiggiesTomatoes Aug 20 2009 07:47 PM Frankie in mid-season form with two walks already. Thanks DP. bmfc1 Aug 20 2009 07:49 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 20 2009 07:52 PM moved, as directed Edgy DC Aug 20 2009 07:51 PM Yeah, that's another thread now. Maybe the Giants wouldn't give up any minor leaguer. Maybe they just wanted to keep somebody else away from Sheffield. Edgy DC Aug 20 2009 07:52 PM Hey, Luis, steal second! Then third and home! John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 20 2009 07:52 PM Winning run at the plate. Cmon Muffy. Send me to Project Runway on a high... John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 20 2009 07:54 PM Oh well, we lose another series by playing worse than the other team. I'm dectecting a pattern. OK, Tim Gunn, let's start a new thread, if you know what I mean... PiggiesTomatoes Aug 20 2009 07:55 PM Great at-bat young Daniel. FUCK! Nymr83 Aug 20 2009 07:56 PM Another night, another loss. I hate this team. Kong76 Aug 20 2009 07:58 PM ny83: I hate this team <<< Didn't we do this last night or the night before? See ya tomorrow. Gwreck Aug 20 2009 09:10 PM Braves lineup was Infante 2B Anderson LF Jones 3B McCann C Escobar SS Diaz RF LaRoche 1B Church CF Kawakami P --- Wagner got a nice ovation. They played Sandman and everything. Lots of cheering for his 2 Ks. I always liked Wagner. Pretty much everything else about this game was crappy. Forget just releasing Livan...how about we release Schneider, too? Surely there's an AAA catcher somewhere we could use instead. Or even Cancel. First time I've seen Johan take a loss since Ben Sheets outdueld him in Johan's Shea debut last year. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 20 2009 09:29 PM ="Edgy DC":2slkp9v1]I think I just heard a nice ovation for Billy Wagner getting up in the pen. Do people at Citi know when somebody is up in the pen?[/quote:2slkp9v1] They flashed it on the big board. People around me seemed a little excited that he was throwing and applauded pretty wildly. I joined in, since I'll give it up for a 37-year-old who works his wee, bearded ass off to come back from TJ surgery, and because I didn't want to feel left out. (Then again, there was a wave going around, too. So figure about 1/4 of the cheers were of the "Hey-- it's other humans standing and sitting in series!" variety.) Muggy night. Got into a friendly argument with a chatty stranger on the Danny Heep Bridge about the future of first base-- it really does amaze me how much support Murph still gets among Met fans. (I mean, I'm rooting for the guy too, but... he's OPSing sub-.700 at this point; I'm not sure he's a corner-IF starter for most AAA teams.) OlerudOwned Aug 20 2009 11:14 PM Seeing Wagner pitch so well bummed me out even more about all the injuries. A healthy team with Rodriguez-Putz-Wagner-Feliciano in the late innings would have been something to see. Stupid baseball. Nymr83 Aug 21 2009 12:20 AM in fairness there would have been no Rodriguez (or no Putz) at all if Wagner was healthy all along. ]Then again, there was a wave going around, too i usually either get people to stand up too soon (to help fuck up the wave) or yell "fuck the wave!" as it goes by and i remain seated. i really hate the wave during a game. metirish Aug 21 2009 05:55 AM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr":cqcvmdie]="Edgy DC":cqcvmdie]I think I just heard a nice ovation for Billy Wagner getting up in the pen. Do people at Citi know when somebody is up in the pen?[/quote:cqcvmdie] They flashed it on the big board. People around me seemed a little excited that he was throwing and applauded pretty wildly. I joined in, since I'll give it up for a 37-year-old who works his wee, bearded ass off to come back from TJ surgery, and because I didn't want to feel left out. (Then again, there was a wave going around, too. So figure about 1/4 of the cheers were of the "Hey-- it's other humans standing and sitting in series!" variety.) Muggy night. Got into a friendly argument with a chatty stranger on the Danny Heep Bridge about the future of first base-- it really does amaze me how much support Murph still gets among Met fans. (I mean, I'm rooting for the guy too, but... he's OPSing sub-.700 at this point; I'm not sure he's a corner-IF starter for most AAA teams.)[/quote:cqcvmdie] I thought it was a nice moment.... Gwreck Aug 21 2009 07:49 AM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr":de47vpmo]it really does amaze me how much support Murph still gets among Met fans. (I mean, I'm rooting for the guy too, but... he's OPSing sub-.700 at this point; I'm not sure he's a corner-IF starter for most AAA teams.)[/quote:de47vpmo] We were discussing that last night. Is it because he's a clean-cut white guy? Because he's Irish? Because he's a homegrown player? A little each from categories A, B and C? Because it's certainly not that he's particularly good. Edgy DC Aug 21 2009 07:56 AM But he was some'at last year, so there may be a little bit of D (residual fuzzies from rookie success) in there also. That first pitch popup was so not the solid countworking Murphy I hope I see when he steps out of the dugout, and too rarely is he that guy these days, and maybe never will be. Benjamin Grimm Aug 21 2009 07:58 AM Maybe it's because Murphy looked really good late last season, and we still want him to be the guy that it looked like he might be. And part of it is we're probably paying less attention this season, when he's not doing so great, than we did last year, when the games mattered more and he was looking good. I don't want to give up on him yet, but I also don't think the Mets should pencil him in as the answer at any one position next year. And especially not at a high-offense position like first base. Keep him around. Make him a Joe McEwing. And if he proves that he can be more than that, then reevaluate. Gwreck Aug 21 2009 08:20 AM This is where I point out that I think resigning Delgado is our best option for next year if we plan to compete. John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 21 2009 08:29 AM I like Ike. John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 21 2009 08:33 AM ="Edgy DC"] That first pitch popup was so not the solid countworking Murphy I hope I see when he steps out of the dugout, and too rarely is he that guy these days, and maybe never will be. Well, he's mad about it, at least: Edgy DC Aug 21 2009 08:45 AM Other available freegies, with thier 2010 age in parentheses: Russell Branyan (34): .254 / .351 / .515 // .866 (107 g, 33 at first) Jason Giambi (39): .193 / .332 / .364 // .697 (83 g, 38 at first) Ross Gload (34): .263 / .344 / .394 // .738 (93 g, about half on defense, 26 at first) Aubrey Huff (33): .252 / .320 / .400 // .720 (112 g, 93 on defense) Nick Johnson (31, parts of him much older): .296 / .419 / .408 // .827 (111 g, 108 on defense) Adam LaRoche (30): .267 / .354 / .484 // .838 (103 g, all on defense) Robb Quinlan (33): 256 / .287 / .367 // .654 (40 103 gg, 11 at first) Matt Stairs (42!): .213 / .357 / .388 // .745 (16 g, none at first since 2007) Mike Sweeney (36): .228 / .287 / .361 // .648 (49 g, 5 at first) Jim Thome (39): .250 / .380 / .503 // .883 (97 g, none on defense) Chad Tracy (30): .235 / .292 / .380 // .673 (73 g)So, the only ones looking as viable as Delgado are Branyan, Johnson, and LaRoche, with only LaRoche looking particularly more viable. John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 21 2009 08:46 AM Edgy DC Aug 21 2009 08:54 AM Met that up a little bit, market it, and it can pay for Lunchpail's sophomore year at Barnard. TransMonk Aug 21 2009 09:20 AM In Murphy's defense, he is still very inexperienced at the professional level. David Wright had more minor league plate appearances before he was called up to the majors than Murphy has had minor and major league combined. Wright's minor league career: 1675 PA, 1419 AB, 409 H, 111 2B, 48 HR, 242 RBI, 302 K, .288/.387/.474/.861 Murphy's minor+major league career: 1634 PA, 1450 AB, 411 H, 91 2B, 35 HR, 214 RBI, 195 K, .283/.347/.431/.778 Now, I don't believe that Murphy will ever be Wright, but he is still very young and can still progress to better than we've seen this season. I'm not ready to pencil him in at any position either, but I'm not ready to call him Joe McEwing or Matt Franco just yet. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 21 2009 09:28 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket"] Given his hyyyyyyuge split differensh, I wouldn't mind seeing a cheap, lefty-mashing running mate next campaign. Ike/Stick in '10! Benjamin Grimm Aug 21 2009 09:29 AM I wouldn't call him Joe McEwing either. (It would get confusing, since that's not his name.) But I think that's the best way to use him, for 2010, at least, until he proves that he deserves a regular position. Find eight other guys to man the starting positions, and keep Murphy around as a super-sub, one who will play often enough to get 250 to 300 at bats. Give him the chance to prove that he can do more, without counting on him to do more. If he's anointed the Mets starting 1B this winter, it will be a pretty discouraging sign. Benjamin Grimm Aug 21 2009 09:32 AM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr"]I wouldn't mind seeing a cheap, lefty-mashing running mate next campaign. Would Trot Nixon be an appropriate running mate for someone named Ike? Or should we dust off Otis Nixon? Benjamin Grimm Aug 21 2009 09:36 AM And that reminds me... When I was in college, I had a friend who was flirting with this girl, and it seemed to be going pretty well, when for no explicable reason, he told her, "I have a five-year-old son named Otis." (He didn't.) She visibly lost interest in him. So he frantically told her that it was just a joke, that he didn't really have a son named Otis. But it was too late. She either figured that he was suddenly denying his little boy's existence, or he was some kind of a nut who makes up fictional kids named Otis to impress girls. (I guess the second part was actually true.) Note to you single guys out there: The fictional-son-named-Otis line... not a good idea.

Q - Fman , what is Mike Vaccaro? A -

I do wonder why Fitzpatrick saw fit to bring up Boochee's trouble after all these years.

Oh my arse it bleeds for Vick.....people like Fitzpatrick will help rehab Vicks image. Vick paid for his crimes but I dislike him a whole lot.

Redding would have helped more if he had gotten injured......joking aside disaster is the word for him

="bmfc1":1l0a24ra]It's a shame that over 200 Phillies fans are bussing in for the game which means 200 people won't care about the ceremony. OTOH, about 200 of the shirts should end up on ebay (if Phillies fans can figure out how to use ebay). http://www.philliesnation.com/archives/2009/08/road-trip-to-citifield-this-saturday/[/quote:1l0a24ra] this could have been a great weekend of ball , who wasn't expecting this series to be a tussle for NL East supremacy . I'm sure the philly fans will at least respect the 69 Mets. Ashie62 Aug 20 2009 08:42 AM ="metirish":3odchlqx]="bmfc1":3odchlqx]It's a shame that over 200 Phillies fans are bussing in for the game which means 200 people won't care about the ceremony. OTOH, about 200 of the shirts should end up on ebay (if Phillies fans can figure out how to use ebay). http://www.philliesnation.com/archives/2009/08/road-trip-to-citifield-this-saturday/[/quote:3odchlqx] this could have been a great weekend of ball , who wasn't expecting this series to be a tussle for NL East supremacy . I'm sure the philly fans will at least respect the 69 Mets.[/quote:3odchlqx] Uh..I signed up for Philliesnation only so as to to email Chase Utley a don't get well message. I was emailed about the trip. They have good seats and plan to raise hell Edgy DC Aug 20 2009 09:19 AM This is as good a time as any to plug this baby. It's due in October, and it might have a better chance out there in fall if the 2009 team actually were good enough to be playing then and making folks feel nostalgic for 1969. It might well have been better released at the beginning of the season and it might have been if certain perfectionist authors had gotten their chapters in on time. Jerks. Vic Sage Aug 20 2009 01:38 PM i don't think i'm comfortable knowing that when i take my daughter to the game on saturday, they're going to give us shirts with a "69" on it. I see years of therapy... though i could probably be charged with child abuse for turning her into a mets fan to begin with. Edgy DC Aug 20 2009 01:58 PM Buy her the book. She can read it on the way to counselling sessions. metirish Aug 22 2009 04:52 PM Howie's eyes are creeping me out, he looks different. Did he have work done? Fman99 Aug 22 2009 04:55 PM Woo boy, Joy Murphy. I'm going to refrain from saying mean things about Mets of yore and their kin. Fman99 Aug 22 2009 04:57 PM Donn Clendenon's wife still looks good. RIP Donn, Tug, etc No show on big shot country music douche Tim, other less famous sons do make the trip. bmfc1 Aug 22 2009 05:01 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 22 2009 05:04 PM Tim McGraw seems like a good guy. He has a charitable foundation in his father's name. Maybe he's on tour. (He's not on tour. Maybe Faith Hill is keeping him busy.) bmfc1 Aug 22 2009 05:01 PM Where is Shamsky? He lives in NY. Fman99 Aug 22 2009 05:02 PM DId anyone ever give Joe Pignatano the nickname "Joe Pig"? Fman99 Aug 22 2009 05:02 PM Yogi in a Mets jersey, the Steinbrenners are all somewhere pooing themselves. Fman99 Aug 22 2009 05:07 PM So far these guys look pretty healthy, not too obese or beat up. metirish Aug 22 2009 05:16 PM ="Fman99":rgwzafes]So far these guys look pretty healthy, not too obese or beat up.[/quote:rgwzafes] I'm watching and thinking wow all these guys look great. A wonderful ceremony and several goose bump moments Kong76 Aug 22 2009 05:16 PM Wow, Nolan Ryan showed up! metirish Aug 22 2009 05:20 PM ="Kong76":1i5etl25]Wow, Nolan Ryan showed up![/quote:1i5etl25] a great moment Ashie62 Aug 22 2009 05:21 PM Wow!! I feel OLD OK Seaver goes 2 Koos 2 Ryan 2 McAndrew & Gentry 1 bmfc1 Aug 22 2009 05:23 PM Great ceremony. It would be nice if the '09 Mets could capture that magic for one night and win this game. Ashie62 Aug 22 2009 05:25 PM In response the 2009 Mets will lose 38 of their last 49 bmfc1 Aug 22 2009 05:42 PM From [u:1cq3dsfh]Esquire[/u:1cq3dsfh], on Tim McGraw's origins: The founding legend of Tim McGraw is one of the great contemporary American stories: He is born in Delhi, Louisiana, on May 1, 1967, and spends his childhood as Timmy Smith, believing Horace Smith to be his biological father. When he's eleven, he finds his birth certificate in a closet. It says his name is Samuel Timothy McGraw. He confronts his mom, Betty, who has recently divorced Horace. She fesses up. Tim's real daddy is Tug McGraw, the famous big-league pitcher--formerly a Met, now a Phillie--who's as famous for his party-guy persona as he is for his screwball. (Tug once told a reporter, "Ninety percent of the money I've earned in baseball I've invested in women, cars, parties, and booze. The other 10 percent I wasted.") Betty contacts Tug and arranges a meeting in Houston, the closest city with a National League team. Tug is friendly to Tim but refuses to acknowledge that he's the boy's father. Tim goes home and changes his name to Tim McGraw anyway. About a year later, another meeting is arranged, also in Houston. But this time, Tug goes out of his way to be an asshole. He lets Tim come down to the dugout but blows off Betty's invitation to see them later. Tim goes home and changes his name back to Tim Smith. More than five years pass, during which Tim sends letters and leaves messages. Tug answers none of the letters; he returns none of the calls. Tim's a teenager now, and he's pissed. In his senior year of high school, he decides he wants to go to college and that, goddammit, his rich father ought to help pay for it. So for the first time ever, Betty asks Tug for money. Tug agrees, on the condition that they sign a contract stipulating that a) neither Tim nor Betty can ever contact him again, and Tim can't ever use the name McGraw. Tim counters, saying he'll accept those terms only if Tug grants him one last meeting. When Tug shows up in Houston with his lawyer, he takes one look at this six-foot-tall, seventeen-year-old kid and realizes, at long last, that Tim is his son. Tug can't do it. He tears up the contract. And the healing begins. Read more: http://www.esquire.com/ESQ0206TIMMCGRAW_100_1?click=main_sr#ixzz0OxTrloOm Ashie62 Aug 22 2009 05:46 PM ="bmfc1":287r8cjk]Tim McGraw seems like a good guy. He has a charitable foundation in his father's name. Maybe he's on tour. (He's not on tour. Maybe Faith Hill is keeping him busy.)[/quote:287r8cjk] Tim & Tim were not on speaking terms for many years bmfc1 Aug 22 2009 05:56 PM Despite the way Tug treated Tim, when Tug was diagnosed w/brain cancer, Tim was there for him. He paid for his treatment and flew his family in when the end was near. Tug moved onto Tim's property so he didn't have to die in a hospital. I'm not a big fan of Tim's music, but I have great admiration for Tim, and his wife Faith Hill, for the way they treated Tug. seawolf17 Aug 22 2009 06:19 PM ="Fman99":1j9gs7gb]DId anyone ever give Joe Pignatano the nickname "Joe Pig"?[/quote:1j9gs7gb] I believe he was known as "J-Pig" in the parlance of the day. ="Fman99":1j9gs7gb]Yogi in a Mets jersey, the Steinbrenners are all somewhere pooing themselves.[/quote:1j9gs7gb] Probably why they Yankees gave up two touchdowns today. I'm pissed I missed this whole thing -- forgot to set the DVR. Ashie62 Aug 22 2009 06:28 PM I fucked up my recorder also..shit..well, SNY will show it often About Tug...Beloved Met for sure, but at a Met game at Jarry park in the dark ages he was nas-tee... The good part was pitchers warmed on the 1B lines and Seaver was starting (Sciatica year 1975 or 6) and a got a pitching coaches view of the warm-up. Kong76 Aug 22 2009 07:18 PM The game is/was worth recording too, the interviews are more interesting than the action on the field -- and Ralph in the middle of it. metirish Aug 22 2009 07:21 PM ="Kong76":36ol95xc]The game is/was worth recording too, the interviews are more interesting than the action on the field.[/quote:36ol95xc] Gentry was brilliant.... Cohen - " Gary is was great to talk to you and for you to be part of this great night" Gentry - " Ah guys it's great to meet you guys and shoot the shhhh , talk things up" hilatious Kong76 Aug 22 2009 07:36 PM That was Grote, but yeah I caught the shoot the shhh and laughed. metirish Aug 22 2009 07:43 PM Grote of course , nice chat with Garrett from KB Kong76 Aug 22 2009 07:46 PM Kevin interviews people well ... I hope he doesn't end up in another team's booth down the road any time soon. Our booth is kind of full. metirish Aug 22 2009 07:50 PM Kevin knows his Mets and it shows . Ron Taylor was a tough interview, he seemed a little lit up though. Ashie62 Aug 22 2009 08:23 PM ="metirish":12yrn8lo]Kevin knows his Mets and it shows . Ron Taylor was a tough interview, he seemed a little lit up though.[/quote:12yrn8lo] I think they all have been lit up ala Casey Stengal..just don't fall off Ron's seat A Boy Named Seo Aug 22 2009 10:53 PM If gfafif was in black jersey and blue cap, I think I might've spied him during the ceremony. G-Fafif Aug 23 2009 03:56 AM ="A Boy Named Seo"]If gfafif was in black jersey and blue cap, I think I might've spied him during the ceremony. That wasn't me, but I did wear a Mets tie Saturday. Great, great, great piece on Saturday night by my favorite (FAFIF company excluded) daily blogger here. metirish Aug 23 2009 08:58 AM ="G-Fafif"]="A Boy Named Seo"]If gfafif was in black jersey and blue cap, I think I might've spied him during the ceremony. That wasn't me, but I did wear a Mets tie Saturday. Great, great, great piece on Saturday night by my favorite (FAFIF company excluded) daily blogger here. Excellent read , on SNY Gary as soon as they cut to him mentioned that Boswell had been omitted . Not good obviously. Edgy DC Aug 23 2009 11:28 AM No shortage of cheap shots in the top half, though --- big contracts to injured players, Oliver Perez, Jeff Wilpon. Easy. Mark Healey Aug 24 2009 09:11 AM I went to the game for the specific reason of interviewing the 1969 guys. Spent a great 30-35 minutes with the group in a formal PC a few hours before the game...got the chance to chat with one or two afterwards, and was fully prepared to go home after watching the ceremonies. I wnr down to the field to watch the ceremonies, and never heard Ken Boswell's name. Went back up to the press box, asked around, confirmed he wasn't mentioned and went to work. "oversight", my ass. I wrote this story Saturday night: http://baseballdigest.com/featured/2009/history-lesson-needed-again/ Edgy DC Aug 24 2009 09:20 AM Mark's got a mysterious source close to Boswell. seawolf17 Aug 24 2009 09:43 AM I thought that story was a Ron Hunt story, not Boswell. But I might be getting my old second basemen confused. Mark Healey Aug 24 2009 09:58 AM ="Edgy DC":11y10te3]Mark's got a mysterious source close to Boswell.[/quote:11y10te3] Nah, just someone who preferred to remain anonymous Ashie62 Aug 24 2009 09:58 AM ="Edgy DC":enz20si3]Mark's got a mysterious source close to Boswell.[/quote:enz20si3] Wouldn't a Mets employed fact-checker be responsible for not omitting Boswell whether he planned to appear or not? Mark Healey Aug 24 2009 10:00 AM ="seawolf17":2l6csejw]I thought that story was a Ron Hunt story, not Boswell. But I might be getting my old second basemen confused.[/quote:2l6csejw] Hunt wanted Shea seats: http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/ex-met-hunt-gets-seats-courtesy-of-bayville-s-peluso-1.1235413 Mark Healey Aug 24 2009 10:01 AM ="Ashie62":yk1774wh]="Edgy DC":yk1774wh]Mark's got a mysterious source close to Boswell.[/quote:yk1774wh] Wouldn't a Mets employed fact-checker be responsible for not omitting Boswell whether he planned to appear or not?[/quote:yk1774wh] Maybe the Mets need a resident historian? Ya think? seawolf17 Aug 24 2009 10:23 AM ="Mark Healey":356tv05p]="seawolf17":356tv05p]I thought that story was a Ron Hunt story, not Boswell. But I might be getting my old second basemen confused.[/quote:356tv05p] Hunt wanted Shea seats: http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/ex-met-hunt-gets-seats-courtesy-of-bayville-s-peluso-1.1235413[/quote:356tv05p] Knew I hadn't completely lost my mind. Maybe they just hate old second basemen; someone get Roberto Alomar to call and ask for tickets. ="Mark Healey":356tv05p]Maybe the Mets need a resident historian? Ya think?[/quote:356tv05p] That made me laugh.

@ Doc and Nymr.... I laughed so hard reading this this morning , great work.

Nothing like walking gin the door and seeing 8-0 on the board...roll on Bravo....

I hope Razor isn't the person directing traffic to his site.

Saw this today First baseman Ike Davis is hitting .326 with 10 homers and 29 RBI in his last 37 games

From Rubin ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERS Average: Richard Lucas, Kingsport, .353; Josh Thole, Binghamton, .332; Julio Concepcion, Gulf Coast Mets, .307; Jeff Flagg, Kingsport, .304; Jordany Valdespin, Gulf Coast Mets, .303; Ronald Harris, Kingsport, .301; Jesus Feliciano, Buffalo, .301; Ike Davis, Binghamton, .296; Luis Rivera, Brooklyn, .291; Ruben Tejada, Binghamton, .290. Homers: Ike Davis, Binghamton, 17; Sean Ratliff Savannah, 15; Carlos Guzman, St. Lucie, 14; Kirk Nieuwenhuis, St. Lucie, 13. RBI: Sean Ratliff, Savannah, 66; Ike Davis, Binghamton, 63; Carlos Guzman, St. Lucie, 58; Kirk Nieuwenhuis, St. Lucie, 57; Zach Lutz, St. Lucie, 56. Steals: Greg Veloz, St. Lucie, 18; Emmauel Garcia, Binghamton, 18; Kirk Nieuwenhuis, St. Lucie, 16; Ruben Tejada, Binghamton, 16. ERA: James Fuller, Brooklyn, 2.09; Nelson Figueroa, Buffalo, 2.25; Brandon Moore, Brooklyn, 2.39; Jeffrey Kaplan, St. Lucie, 2.45; Mark Cohoon, Brooklyn, 2.59; Robert Carson, Savannah, 2.75; Eric Beaulac, Savannah, 2.76; Lachlan Hodge, Gulf Coast Mets, 2.89; Jeurys Familia, Savannah, 2.90; Collin McHugh, Brooklyn, 3.30. Saves: Rhiner Cruz, Savannah, 20; Michael Powers, Brooklyn, 13; Roy Merritt, Binghamton, 12; Elmer Dessens, Buffalo, 11; Connor Robertson, Binghamton, 10. Strikeouts: Eric Niesen, Binghamton, 115; Eric Beaulac, Savannah, 112; Scott Shaw, St. Lucie, 109; Brad Holt, Binghamton, 99; Jeurys Familia, Savannah, 97.

Frayed Knot wrote: Seeing as how the minor league season is virtually over, my guess is 'none'. I suspect he'll see some instructional league time and maybe ride the bench somewhere (GCL?) while they get him ready for next year. rubin agrees Matz will report to the Gulf Coast League, likely on Friday, but he�s unlikely to pitch with that team since there�s only a couple of weeks left in that season. Play continues in Port St. Lucie after that with the instructional league. This is interesting , from the same article Steve Matz realized he could have a professional baseball career only in the past year, when a growth spurt turned his 5-foot-7, 140-pound frame as a freshman into its current 6-4 and approaching 200 pounds. �My body just started getting bigger and everything,� said Matz, a lefthander from Ward Melville High School, who grew up a Mets fan in Stony Brook, L.I. �That�s when I had my growth spurt. My velocity jumped a little bit.� that's crazy

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":3spdqtat]Are they letting Kooz out of prison for this one?[/quote:3spdqtat] LOL MC Howie Rose " and now the starting pitcher number thirty....si....Jerry what's your prison number?" bmfc1 Aug 19 2009 08:22 AM It's a shame that over 200 Phillies fans are bussing in for the game which means 200 people won't care about the ceremony. OTOH, about 200 of the shirts should end up on ebay (if Phillies fans can figure out how to use ebay). http://www.philliesnation.com/archives/2009/08/road-trip-to-citifield-this-saturday/ metirish Aug 20 2009 07:39 AM ="bmfc1":1l0a24ra]It's a shame that over 200 Phillies fans are bussing in for the game which means 200 people won't care about the ceremony. OTOH, about 200 of the shirts should end up on ebay (if Phillies fans can figure out how to use ebay). http://www.philliesnation.com/archives/2009/08/road-trip-to-citifield-this-saturday/[/quote:1l0a24ra] this could have been a great weekend of ball , who wasn't expecting this series to be a tussle for NL East supremacy . I'm sure the philly fans will at least respect the 69 Mets. Ashie62 Aug 20 2009 08:42 AM ="metirish":3odchlqx]="bmfc1":3odchlqx]It's a shame that over 200 Phillies fans are bussing in for the game which means 200 people won't care about the ceremony. OTOH, about 200 of the shirts should end up on ebay (if Phillies fans can figure out how to use ebay). http://www.philliesnation.com/archives/2009/08/road-trip-to-citifield-this-saturday/[/quote:3odchlqx] this could have been a great weekend of ball , who wasn't expecting this series to be a tussle for NL East supremacy . I'm sure the philly fans will at least respect the 69 Mets.[/quote:3odchlqx] Uh..I signed up for Philliesnation only so as to to email Chase Utley a don't get well message. I was emailed about the trip. They have good seats and plan to raise hell Edgy DC Aug 20 2009 09:19 AM This is as good a time as any to plug this baby. It's due in October, and it might have a better chance out there in fall if the 2009 team actually were good enough to be playing then and making folks feel nostalgic for 1969. It might well have been better released at the beginning of the season and it might have been if certain perfectionist authors had gotten their chapters in on time. Jerks. Vic Sage Aug 20 2009 01:38 PM i don't think i'm comfortable knowing that when i take my daughter to the game on saturday, they're going to give us shirts with a "69" on it. I see years of therapy... though i could probably be charged with child abuse for turning her into a mets fan to begin with. Edgy DC Aug 20 2009 01:58 PM Buy her the book. She can read it on the way to counselling sessions. metirish Aug 22 2009 04:52 PM Howie's eyes are creeping me out, he looks different. Did he have work done? Fman99 Aug 22 2009 04:55 PM Woo boy, Joy Murphy. I'm going to refrain from saying mean things about Mets of yore and their kin. Fman99 Aug 22 2009 04:57 PM Donn Clendenon's wife still looks good. RIP Donn, Tug, etc No show on big shot country music douche Tim, other less famous sons do make the trip. bmfc1 Aug 22 2009 05:01 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 22 2009 05:04 PM Tim McGraw seems like a good guy. He has a charitable foundation in his father's name. Maybe he's on tour. (He's not on tour. Maybe Faith Hill is keeping him busy.) bmfc1 Aug 22 2009 05:01 PM Where is Shamsky? He lives in NY. Fman99 Aug 22 2009 05:02 PM DId anyone ever give Joe Pignatano the nickname "Joe Pig"? Fman99 Aug 22 2009 05:02 PM Yogi in a Mets jersey, the Steinbrenners are all somewhere pooing themselves. Fman99 Aug 22 2009 05:07 PM So far these guys look pretty healthy, not too obese or beat up. metirish Aug 22 2009 05:16 PM ="Fman99":rgwzafes]So far these guys look pretty healthy, not too obese or beat up.[/quote:rgwzafes] I'm watching and thinking wow all these guys look great. A wonderful ceremony and several goose bump moments Kong76 Aug 22 2009 05:16 PM Wow, Nolan Ryan showed up! metirish Aug 22 2009 05:20 PM ="Kong76":1i5etl25]Wow, Nolan Ryan showed up![/quote:1i5etl25] a great moment Ashie62 Aug 22 2009 05:21 PM Wow!! I feel OLD OK Seaver goes 2 Koos 2 Ryan 2 McAndrew & Gentry 1 bmfc1 Aug 22 2009 05:23 PM Great ceremony. It would be nice if the '09 Mets could capture that magic for one night and win this game. Ashie62 Aug 22 2009 05:25 PM In response the 2009 Mets will lose 38 of their last 49 bmfc1 Aug 22 2009 05:42 PM From [u:1cq3dsfh]Esquire[/u:1cq3dsfh], on Tim McGraw's origins: The founding legend of Tim McGraw is one of the great contemporary American stories: He is born in Delhi, Louisiana, on May 1, 1967, and spends his childhood as Timmy Smith, believing Horace Smith to be his biological father. When he's eleven, he finds his birth certificate in a closet. It says his name is Samuel Timothy McGraw. He confronts his mom, Betty, who has recently divorced Horace. She fesses up. Tim's real daddy is Tug McGraw, the famous big-league pitcher--formerly a Met, now a Phillie--who's as famous for his party-guy persona as he is for his screwball. (Tug once told a reporter, "Ninety percent of the money I've earned in baseball I've invested in women, cars, parties, and booze. The other 10 percent I wasted.") Betty contacts Tug and arranges a meeting in Houston, the closest city with a National League team. Tug is friendly to Tim but refuses to acknowledge that he's the boy's father. Tim goes home and changes his name to Tim McGraw anyway. About a year later, another meeting is arranged, also in Houston. But this time, Tug goes out of his way to be an asshole. He lets Tim come down to the dugout but blows off Betty's invitation to see them later. Tim goes home and changes his name back to Tim Smith. More than five years pass, during which Tim sends letters and leaves messages. Tug answers none of the letters; he returns none of the calls. Tim's a teenager now, and he's pissed. In his senior year of high school, he decides he wants to go to college and that, goddammit, his rich father ought to help pay for it. So for the first time ever, Betty asks Tug for money. Tug agrees, on the condition that they sign a contract stipulating that a) neither Tim nor Betty can ever contact him again, and Tim can't ever use the name McGraw. Tim counters, saying he'll accept those terms only if Tug grants him one last meeting. When Tug shows up in Houston with his lawyer, he takes one look at this six-foot-tall, seventeen-year-old kid and realizes, at long last, that Tim is his son. Tug can't do it. He tears up the contract. And the healing begins. Read more: http://www.esquire.com/ESQ0206TIMMCGRAW_100_1?click=main_sr#ixzz0OxTrloOm Ashie62 Aug 22 2009 05:46 PM ="bmfc1":287r8cjk]Tim McGraw seems like a good guy. He has a charitable foundation in his father's name. Maybe he's on tour. (He's not on tour. Maybe Faith Hill is keeping him busy.)[/quote:287r8cjk] Tim & Tim were not on speaking terms for many years bmfc1 Aug 22 2009 05:56 PM Despite the way Tug treated Tim, when Tug was diagnosed w/brain cancer, Tim was there for him. He paid for his treatment and flew his family in when the end was near. Tug moved onto Tim's property so he didn't have to die in a hospital. I'm not a big fan of Tim's music, but I have great admiration for Tim, and his wife Faith Hill, for the way they treated Tug. seawolf17 Aug 22 2009 06:19 PM ="Fman99":1j9gs7gb]DId anyone ever give Joe Pignatano the nickname "Joe Pig"?[/quote:1j9gs7gb] I believe he was known as "J-Pig" in the parlance of the day. ="Fman99":1j9gs7gb]Yogi in a Mets jersey, the Steinbrenners are all somewhere pooing themselves.[/quote:1j9gs7gb] Probably why they Yankees gave up two touchdowns today. I'm pissed I missed this whole thing -- forgot to set the DVR. Ashie62 Aug 22 2009 06:28 PM I fucked up my recorder also..shit..well, SNY will show it often About Tug...Beloved Met for sure, but at a Met game at Jarry park in the dark ages he was nas-tee... The good part was pitchers warmed on the 1B lines and Seaver was starting (Sciatica year 1975 or 6) and a got a pitching coaches view of the warm-up. Kong76 Aug 22 2009 07:18 PM The game is/was worth recording too, the interviews are more interesting than the action on the field -- and Ralph in the middle of it. metirish Aug 22 2009 07:21 PM ="Kong76":36ol95xc]The game is/was worth recording too, the interviews are more interesting than the action on the field.[/quote:36ol95xc] Gentry was brilliant.... Cohen - " Gary is was great to talk to you and for you to be part of this great night" Gentry - " Ah guys it's great to meet you guys and shoot the shhhh , talk things up" hilatious Kong76 Aug 22 2009 07:36 PM That was Grote, but yeah I caught the shoot the shhh and laughed. metirish Aug 22 2009 07:43 PM Grote of course , nice chat with Garrett from KB Kong76 Aug 22 2009 07:46 PM Kevin interviews people well ... I hope he doesn't end up in another team's booth down the road any time soon. Our booth is kind of full. metirish Aug 22 2009 07:50 PM Kevin knows his Mets and it shows . Ron Taylor was a tough interview, he seemed a little lit up though. Ashie62 Aug 22 2009 08:23 PM ="metirish":12yrn8lo]Kevin knows his Mets and it shows . Ron Taylor was a tough interview, he seemed a little lit up though.[/quote:12yrn8lo] I think they all have been lit up ala Casey Stengal..just don't fall off Ron's seat A Boy Named Seo Aug 22 2009 10:53 PM If gfafif was in black jersey and blue cap, I think I might've spied him during the ceremony. G-Fafif Aug 23 2009 03:56 AM ="A Boy Named Seo"]If gfafif was in black jersey and blue cap, I think I might've spied him during the ceremony. That wasn't me, but I did wear a Mets tie Saturday. Great, great, great piece on Saturday night by my favorite (FAFIF company excluded) daily blogger here. metirish Aug 23 2009 08:58 AM ="G-Fafif"]="A Boy Named Seo"]If gfafif was in black jersey and blue cap, I think I might've spied him during the ceremony. That wasn't me, but I did wear a Mets tie Saturday. Great, great, great piece on Saturday night by my favorite (FAFIF company excluded) daily blogger here. Excellent read , on SNY Gary as soon as they cut to him mentioned that Boswell had been omitted . Not good obviously. Edgy DC Aug 23 2009 11:28 AM No shortage of cheap shots in the top half, though --- big contracts to injured players, Oliver Perez, Jeff Wilpon. Easy. Mark Healey Aug 24 2009 09:11 AM I went to the game for the specific reason of interviewing the 1969 guys. Spent a great 30-35 minutes with the group in a formal PC a few hours before the game...got the chance to chat with one or two afterwards, and was fully prepared to go home after watching the ceremonies. I wnr down to the field to watch the ceremonies, and never heard Ken Boswell's name. Went back up to the press box, asked around, confirmed he wasn't mentioned and went to work. "oversight", my ass. I wrote this story Saturday night: http://baseballdigest.com/featured/2009/history-lesson-needed-again/ Edgy DC Aug 24 2009 09:20 AM Mark's got a mysterious source close to Boswell. seawolf17 Aug 24 2009 09:43 AM I thought that story was a Ron Hunt story, not Boswell. But I might be getting my old second basemen confused. Mark Healey Aug 24 2009 09:58 AM ="Edgy DC":11y10te3]Mark's got a mysterious source close to Boswell.[/quote:11y10te3] Nah, just someone who preferred to remain anonymous Ashie62 Aug 24 2009 09:58 AM ="Edgy DC":enz20si3]Mark's got a mysterious source close to Boswell.[/quote:enz20si3] Wouldn't a Mets employed fact-checker be responsible for not omitting Boswell whether he planned to appear or not? Mark Healey Aug 24 2009 10:00 AM ="seawolf17":2l6csejw]I thought that story was a Ron Hunt story, not Boswell. But I might be getting my old second basemen confused.[/quote:2l6csejw] Hunt wanted Shea seats: http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/ex-met-hunt-gets-seats-courtesy-of-bayville-s-peluso-1.1235413 Mark Healey Aug 24 2009 10:01 AM ="Ashie62":yk1774wh]="Edgy DC":yk1774wh]Mark's got a mysterious source close to Boswell.[/quote:yk1774wh] Wouldn't a Mets employed fact-checker be responsible for not omitting Boswell whether he planned to appear or not?[/quote:yk1774wh] Maybe the Mets need a resident historian? Ya think? seawolf17 Aug 24 2009 10:23 AM ="Mark Healey":356tv05p]="seawolf17":356tv05p]I thought that story was a Ron Hunt story, not Boswell. But I might be getting my old second basemen confused.[/quote:356tv05p] Hunt wanted Shea seats: http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/ex-met-hunt-gets-seats-courtesy-of-bayville-s-peluso-1.1235413[/quote:356tv05p] Knew I hadn't completely lost my mind. Maybe they just hate old second basemen; someone get Roberto Alomar to call and ask for tickets. ="Mark Healey":356tv05p]Maybe the Mets need a resident historian? Ya think?[/quote:356tv05p] That made me laugh.

Mets are cheap says this guy.. Mets Are Thrifty When It Comes to Draft ] By DAVID WALDSTEIN Published: August 18, 2009 The Mets have the second-highest payroll in Major League Baseball, so the team clearly has a commitment to spend money on its players. But by some calculations, the Mets are cheapest team in baseball when it comes to the draft. According to calculations by Baseball America, the Mets spent the least of all 30 teams in the top 10 rounds of the draft in June. The Mets signed seven of their nine picks in the first 10 rounds for a total of $1,864,300. The Yankees signed eight of their nine picks for a total of $4,760,000. Jim Callis, Baseball America�s executive editor and an expert on the draft, says the Mets have been less than bold in the draft ever since they signed Mike Pelfrey for $5.3 million with a $3.5 million signing bonus in 2005. �To say they are not aggressive in the draft isn�t adequate,� Callis said. �They are nothing close to aggressive.� The Mets did not have a first-round pick this year, which lowered the amount they would spend. But they also did not sign their fifth- or sixth-round picks, which lowers their overall total, but also suggests they were not willing to spend as freely on those picks. The Mets are also said to be one of the teams that follow baseball�s recommendations to overdraft, or to take a player earlier than he was expected to be selected, then pay him less than the player who was originally expected to be taken at that spot. But Mets General Manager Omar Minaya said the team�s strategy was simply to take the best player available. �We still draft the best talent,� he said. �We believe in drafting for the best talent.� The Mets signed their second-round pick, Steven Matz, the 72nd selection, for $895,000, almost $400,000 more than baseball recommended for that slot. But since Pelfrey, the Mets have continued to lag behind other teams in their draft spending. Callis said the Mets, along with the Houston Astros and the Chicago White Sox, tend to fall most in line with baseball�s slotting recommendations. Jack Curry contributed reporting.

Didn't want to clog the other thread with this First 25,000 fans get this Then in the Daily Snewz today Legacy of 1969 Mets: Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman and Nolan Ryan forever friends and champs ] Game 1 of the 1969 World Series was winding down and a disappointed Tom Seaver stood in the dugout runway at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium next to Donn Clendenon. The two were alone, Seaver lost in his thoughts. But Clendenon washed away the pitcher's disappointment with a few words. "We're going to beat these guys," Seaver says Clendenon told him. "We got our feet wet and we played poorly and we lost. But they didn't run us off the field. And Koosman's out there tomorrow. "He wasn't just yakking. He really believed it. And we had had every right to say that they were the big, bad Orioles." Seaver cherishes those quiet moments, when he and his teammates on the 1969 Mets felt that they could win, a sense mostly absent from the expansion team's inept-yet-cuddly history before that "Miracle" World Series title. This weekend, Seaver and many of his Amazin' teammates will relive moments such as that one in a 40th anniversary celebration that includes a reunion at Citi Field on Saturday. Nolan Ryan, who hasn't been back to a Mets event since his playing career ended in 1993, is slated to be there, as well as Jerry Koosman and Ed Kranepool, and coaches Eddie Yost and Yogi Berra. Seaver chuckled during a recent interview when he said, "We'll relive the lies, the half-truths and the reality. By now, we never gave up a home run as a pitcher or struck out as a hitter." There will be a lot of laughs. Some tears, too. Gil Hodges, the mastermind manager, has been dead since 1972. Tommie Agee is gone; so is Don Cardwell, Clendenon, pitching coach Rube Walker, Tug McGraw and others. "Oh, man," Seaver says, "that's the sad part. "Most importantly, at the back of everybody's mind will be Gil," Seaver adds. "He won't be there, but he'll be there, you know?" In 1968, the Mets had finished in ninth place in the 10-team National League, but their 73-89 record was by far the best in franchise history. In spring training of 1969, catcher Jerry Grote was perhaps the first to say the Mets "could win," Seaver says. "Jerry said it because he knew the pitching - Seaver, Koosman, Ryan, (Gary) Gentry. We had a whole stack of very good arms and he knew what that meant and that's exactly what happened." It didn't take long for the players to believe, either, even against the juggernaut Orioles. Ryan, who was 22 at the time, counts among his favorite 1969 memories when the Mets "started making our move on the Cubs and just being involved in that momentum that was going and the realization that we, in our minds, were going to win. "Looking back on it," Ryan adds, "It was my one shot at a World Series team. When it happened, probably a lot of us, if not all of us, thought that we'd be in that position again. It was our inexperience to not realize how hard and unique it is to get to that position. Now, there's such an appreciation." Ryan was wild and full of promise as a Met, but he was traded to the Angels for Jim Fregosi before the 1972 season, so he played much of his Hall of Fame career elsewhere. He says he thinks that Mets fans probably see his place in club history as yet another star the team let get away. He says he hasn't been back because his playing career lasted so long and, now, he has responsibilities as president of the Texas Rangers. He, Seaver and Koosman still keep in touch. Koosman says he sends e-mails to their wives when he wants to contact them. Koosman and Ryan recently visited Seaver at Seaver's California vineyard for a Sports Illustrated story and "picked up like it was old times. We were very good friends when we were young." For Koosman, the moment that sticks is watching Cleon Jones catch the final out. "Knowing it's over and we win," he says. "Then there are the feelings of what it was like before those games started. In the whole works, you're in ecstasy. "It is no doubt the highlight of my baseball life. Winning the World Series changes your life. There's a closeness that comes from it, you're kind of like brothers to your teammates. You have a much different relationship with them when you have that in common." The Mets had a much different relationship with the world, too. The lovable losers were gone for good. "People had lived so long on the floundering Mets," Seaver says. "But we didn't buy that. It wasn't fun to lose. Nineteen sixty-nine gave the franchise, let's say, an adult reputation. "It graduated. It's one of the pillars the Mets are founded on. What we did was set a cornerstone for the franchise." Very much looking forward this night.

="John Cougar Lunchbucket"]How about that inning? Most unexpected and damn it was fun......

Matz looks like he's 12......jeez

In soccer ball you can take a player on loan for the season , if MLB allowed that the options open up of course. Typically such players are young and loaned out for seasoning .

yes , I have seen enough of Livan

It's where Pudge always wanted be , never wanted to leave in the first place. I'm sure of it.

="Edgy DC"]Could you guys get a private thread or something? Thanks! not every man can pull off red pants , I commend you on that ......