metirish

this is an ESPN2 game with an 8:05 kickoff ,be astounded as Joe Morgan tells you things that didn't even happen.

="Yancy Street Gang"]In Ireland, does brilliant mean strangely disturbing?one might have to be strangely disturbed to come up with such a formula .

]I have been known as someone who quite frequently comes up with nicknames. Sometimes they may appear obvious. Others might leave some people scratching their heads. Well there is a method to my madness, and I intend to demonstrate that here. For example, let's take one nickname from last year, "Popsicle", which I bestowed upon Gerald Williams. Step 1: I started with the established nickname of "Ice". I don't know where it originally came from, but thanks go out to whoever came up with that. Step 2: I decide that this nickname is unsatisfactory. So I decide to branch off from "Ice" by incorporating something about Gerald Williams. In this case, I chose his age. He's pretty old for a ballplayer. So that gave me the idea for "Pops". Step 3: I incorporate "Pops" with "Ice". This leads to his new nickname of "Popsicle". Let's recap: Step 1: Ice Step 2: Ice + (Something about his age) Step 3: Icicle + Pops = Popsicle brilliant....

Who is Nightcrawler again?

Is A-Rod a total fool or what,he practically invites the fans to boo him out of town. ] A-Rod: Love me ... or else Says pressure's on fans to make him want to stay Alex Rodriguez opened up to Mike and the Mad Dog yesterday. TAMPA - Alex Rodriguez has a message for his hometown fans: It's up to you, New York. During an interview on WFAN yesterday, A-Rod opened the door for his departure from the Bronx at the end of the season, saying that the upcoming year was a crucial one when it came to his future in pinstripes. "It's a do or die situation," Rodriguez said. "Either New York is going to kick me out of New York this year, say 'I've had enough of this guy, get him the hell out of here,' and we have an option. Or New York is going to say, 'Hey, we won a world championship, you had a big year, you were a part of it and we want you back.'" A-Rod stressed his desire to finish his career as a Yankee, but his words did nothing to erase the possibility that he will exercise his option to become a free agent at the end of the year. "One hundred percent, that's exactly what I want to do," he said when asked if he could envision himself playing the remainder of his career here. "But I also want to make sure that with the fans and management, I'm wanted here." Rodriguez tried to back-pedal from his remarks after he exited last night's game, saying his comments came as a result of rapid-fire questioning by Mike Francesa and Chris Russo, even though it was A-Rod himself who first mentioned the option during the interview. "You heard some of those questions; that was an absolute dogfight for 15 minutes," Rodriguez said. "I was just basically doing the best I can. There were some pretty crazy questions. Fifteen minutes felt like an hour, being under the gun there. "I have options and we all know that, but I want to be in New York," he added. "That's it." The general consensus among his teammates is that Rodriguez will opt out of his contract, leaving the pressures of New York behind for another destination such as Anaheim or Chicago. Rodriguez tried to minimize that talk early in the spring, but yesterday's comments reopened the subject. A-Rod believes the fans have not been fair to him "all the time," but he mentioned that during his MVP campaign, the Yankee Stadium crowd showered him with affection, giving him 15 or 20 curtain calls. "In 2005, riding the wave of the fans was an unbelievable experience," he said. "Sometimes, you come out a little tired, but the fans get behind you, chanting 'MVP!' and before you know it, you have two home runs and five RBIs." That was a stark contrast to last season, according to A-Rod, when he tried to do too much to appease the booing crowds. "When you try to fight that wave of the fans being negative, expecting you to do things and you're playing pretty lousy on top of it," Rodriguez said, "then you try to do a little more than you have to." Rodriguez pointed out that five or six teams tried to deal for him this winter, but after thinking about it "for a half a second," he and his wife decided to stick it out in New York. "I'm going to be successful in New York with this team," he said. GM Brian Cashman isn't overly concerned about the option becoming a season-long distraction for Rodriguez, since A-Rod has the power to control that. "There's nothing I can do about it; it's his opt-out. Whatever it is, it is," Cashman said. "It's all on him. It's his decision. If he wants to make it a distraction, he controls it." Rodriguez declined to address his relationship with Derek Jeter or any lingering feelings over an article in Sports Illustrated last September in which Joe Torre detailed a meeting he had with A-Rod behind closed doors. The third baseman did acknowledge that 2006 was a miserable year for him, one which he feels will benefit him in the long run. Calling himself "clueless, lost, confused at times," A-Rod said last season was the first in which he simply didn't enjoy playing the game. "To a degree, it was the best thing that's happened in my life," he said. "The last thing I'm going to do is to run away from New York, say New York is too tough. I have an option at the end of the year, and we'll see what happens after that. "If I go out and have four years in New York, win two MVPs and one World Series, I think that's a pretty good job," he added, possibly alluding to his potential departure should he achieve those lofty goals. Of course, that assumes another MVP season for A-Rod and a World Series title for the Yankees - hardly a certainty for a player who has struggled the past two Octobers, going a combined 2-for-29 in the Yankees' two first-round flops. Rodriguez longs for a championship ring to add to his Hall of Fame resume, but it seems that winning the World Series won't be the determining factor in his decision on the option next fall. "This isn't tennis or golf; I can't judge myself that, if we win the World Series, I was successful," Rodriguez said. "I think that's ridiculous. "It's such a team game, but as an individual, you have to help your team win by fielding well, running the bases well, hitting well, hitting in the clutch - things I haven't done consistently here. I hope we win the World Series and I hope I'm a part of it, but I can't judge myself strictly on winning a World Series." This story isn't about to go away any time soon, though Rodriguez is hoping to put it on the backburner until the end of the season. "I think the next time we can talk about this is sometime in real late October," he said. "The bottom line is that I said I wanted to be in New York 100% of the time. That's what I want to focus on." Related Articles

What were PECOTA'S projections for Reyes last season?,why would they think he's going to do worse this season,makes little sense.

Johnny Dickshot wrote: It'll be tough for Reyes to add to his SB and HR pace simultaneously. I in fact predict if one goes up the other dips. Ok,if that is the case which would you like to see go up?,I really don't get why Jose hitting a lot of home runs seems to be a bad thing for some people(not saying you JD),just in general,some people in the media and on the board seem to think that it's not his game,but Reyes is not exactly like most SS out there.

I went with 26 to 30,why can't Jose hit that many home runs and steal 70+ bases?

You had me at waived....

Green hit a homer today,it's been a good week for him.

If Jose Reyes ever makes the team he had better give up his # 77 to this kid.

I have nothing to back this up with but Wright seems to get to two strikes a lot and quickly,so would that put the brakes on Reyes stealing,or would he just have to steal early in the count?.....maybe I only think that about Wright because I hear it a lot during games.

Ben Shpigel from the NYT thinks it's down to Park and Pelfrey for the fifth starters spot,with Pelfrey his favorite.( Shpigel is a good beat writer IMO) ] Needing One Starter, Mets Measure Park Against Prospect By BEN SHPIGEL Published: March 13, 2007 VIERA, Fla., March 12 � Chan Ho Park thought he threw one bad pitch in Monday�s game against the Washington Nationals. So did his catcher, Paul Lo Duca. The problem was, they were talking about different pitches, and that difference of opinion summed up Park�s performance in the Mets� 9-6 loss. No one came away from the outing especially impressed � or distressed. But in the continuing competition for a spot in the rotation, Park did nothing to prove that he should receive any more consideration than the other candidates. In the first two innings, he pitched as if he deserved a spot. Over the next inning and a third, he did not. His unflattering pitching line: three and a third innings, five hits, four runs, two walks, six strikeouts, a wild pitch and a hit batter. �He was struggling with his command, but it�s only his second time out,� Manager Willie Randolph said. �I don�t take a whole lot away from that. I think he threw the ball O.K. But it was like the first time out; he was a little erratic in the zone.� With John Maine and Oliver P�rez practically assured of making the rotation, the competition for the final spot figures to intensify this week. Randolph refused to handicap the field, saying, �I�m not ready to start plucking guys out.� But the race has begun to sort itself out. Of the seven contenders, only Mike Pelfrey has consistently impressed team officials this spring. His slider is improving, and he throws a heavy sinking fastball that gives hitters little choice but to pound it into the ground. Against Baltimore on Thursday, Pelfrey faced 13 batters and induced 12 ground balls. In five innings, he has not allowed an earned run. He is scheduled to pitch four innings Wednesday against Detroit. The Mets signed pitchers like Aaron Sele and Park to provide insurance in case prospects like Pelfrey and Philip Humber were not ready. Humber could help the team later this season, but he has not pitched well this spring, allowing eight runs in three innings. The Mets would love to have Pelfrey continue to pitch well and claim the final spot. Park may be the biggest obstacle. Earlier in his career, when he had success with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Park threw his fastballl in the mid-90s, complementing it with a slider that he prefers to call a �hard curveball.� His velocity has decreased since then, forcing him to rely more on his off-speed pitches and a sinker that he picked up toward the end of his time in Texas in 2004. �He can throw four pitches for strikes,� said Lo Duca, who first caught Park when they played for the Dodgers. �But when he has to, he can run it up there.� Park allowed one hit through the first two innings, striking out three � all on breaking balls. Leading off the third, Nook Logan ripped a triple that skipped past first baseman Carlos Delgado and right fielder Lastings Milledge. Park struck out the next two hitters, but on a 2-2 pitch to Chris Snelling, his inside fastball tailed in and clipped Snelling on the ankle. That was Park�s bad pitch. Ryan Zimmerman followed by belting a hanging slider � Lo Duca called that Park�s bad pitch � for a ground-rule double. Another run scored on a wild pitch. After striking out Robert Fick to end the inning, Park allowed a walk, a single, a sacrifice and a two-run single in the fourth before being replaced by Alay Soler. Park threw 76 pitches on a warm afternoon, and he said he started tiring toward the end. �My legs, not my arm,� he said. Soler did not help himself either, allowing two runs and raising his earned run average to 8.22. He, Humber and Sele stand the least chance of making the team. Sele, signed to a minor league deal, has been hit hard and is a candidate to pitch for Class AAA New Orleans. Among the rest, Jason Vargas has pitched well, but not as well as Pelfrey. And Jorge Sosa could prove more of an asset in the bullpen, especially considering the uncertain status of Duaner S�nchez, who is coming off shoulder surgery. That leaves Park and Pelfrey. In the first eight days of the season, the Mets have three days off that are spaced so that Randolph has the option of not using a fifth starter until the 12th game, April 15. If Pelfrey makes the roster and does not start until then, Randolph could make the smart first step in limiting Pelfrey�s innings and keeping him fresh for later in the season. The Mets have less than three weeks to choose their rotation. That should be enough time for them to decide whether Park is one pitch from a great outing, or if he has thrown one bad pitch too many. INSIDE PITCH Willie Randolph said he did not like that the Mets were 2-8-1 in their past 11 games, but he said he had not started worrying about it � yet. �I�ve been to a lot of spring trainings, and many times the record doesn�t mean a thing,� he said.

If the Mets got Burgos for Bannister then surely they could have gotten something for Soler.

Yes that game against Arizona he was brilliant going up against Webb,the game he pitched against the yankees sticks in my head too...a couple of innings in a bad outing.

Rick Sutcliffe .......... I have no clue as to which bat is safer,it would seem to me that getting beaned by a ball in the head would be dangerous coming from either bat.

I'm reading a fiction book by Robert B Parker where Clem Labine gets mentioned in passing,the book is about a private eye named Spencer brought in by the Red Sox owner to investigate weather the Sox star pitcher is throwing games....not a bad read either..

] Soler waived as strange trip ends Tuesday, March 13th 2007, 4:00 AM VIERA, Fla. - Alay Soler's difficult journey to Flushing has reached a dead end. The Mets released the Cuban defector last night, the Daily News has learned. Soler, pitching in relief of Chan Ho Park yesterday, allowed two runs on three hits, including a Ryan Zimmerman homer, in 1-2/3 innings against the Nationals to lift his spring ERA to 8.22. The Mets originally signed Soler, 27, to a $2.8 million contract in August 2004 after he fled Cuba. But Soler had visa difficulties. He also had major trouble with an agent, who was eventually suspended by the Players Association for withholding documents while trying to get an exorbitant cut of the deal. Soler couldn't even enter the U.S. for the '05 season. He pitched 45 innings for the Mets last year. His highlights came in June, when he picked up his first major-league win by limiting the Dodgers to one run in seven innings. He then tossed a two-hit shutout five days later in Arizona. He went 2-3 with a 6.00 ERA. Soler would have been due $826,000 at the major-league level and $620,000 at Triple-A. Adam Rubin

That's the thing,I don't think Omar would just send him to AAA, maybe I'm wrong.

Having Franco when you are running away with the division is fine but what happens if the Mets are in a tight race and Franco isn't doing his job and looks lost at the plate,would Omar cut him?,I like Franco and think he's probably a good fella to have on the bench so I hope he hits this year.

If it's a battle between Johnson and Newhan then I am rooting for Ben,nothing against Newhan but Johnson would seem the better player and younger too.

LoDuca was tough to strike out,if that means anything for a #2 hitter..113 for Wright in 592 AB'S - 38 in 512 for LoDuca.

Easy to look back six years later Joel,and there is no way of knowing what Reyes would have done if traded to the Indians.

SNY will show the documentry "The Emerald Diamond" at 5PM on St.Patricks day. http://www.irishbaseballmovie.com/

WOW...Wright drops the hammer on Duaner....fucking hell.