Frayed Knot

Tons of grounders and slow-choppers today for the Matt-ster. Lighter than normal on the K's but that's OK by me.

Zvon wrote: Your cute kid, and well dressed, but don't quit [crossout]your day job[/crossout] school. That school he's in was the same one I went to.

An overview of Flores's baseball life to date -- http://www.minorleagueball.com/2013/8/7/4595628/prospect-of-the-day-wilmer-flores-inf-new-york-mets

Edgy MD wrote: Carlos Gonzalez to DL. Was quite a relief seeing him NOT get off the bench in the 9th inning last night.

There's some low-watt AM outlet that I stumble upon broadcasts Manhattan College basketball games. It was a station I hadn't been familiar with growing up, but I get a good signal in Rockaway, because I'm at the beach and all. I realize that the morning after a game that the host is none other than the Amazin' Bill Mazer, venerable redheaded sports reporter for Channel Five. So I make that my regular morning station. He talks a little sports, he talks a little current events, touches on showbiz, and talks a lot about Jewish affairs. Definitely works from the center left, but a sort of retiring left --- folks who were radical decades earlier but are now polite older company (Gloria Steinem) always had a genial host in Bill Mazer. That would be WEVD - which definitely worked left of center seeing as how EVD stood for ...? (answer below*) 'The Mookie Precedent' - wasn't that the hot Robert Ludlum book that summer? * Perennial Presidential hopeful for the Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs

Wheeler - 1.0 Rice - 0.4 Torres - 0.3 Hawkins - 0.4 Young - 1.0 Buck - 1.0 Quintanilla - 0.5

Hefner - 1.5 Atchison - 1.0 Rice - 0.5 Germen - 0.5 Felicinao - 0.5 Murphy - 1.5 Satin - 1.5 Brown - 0.5 Lagares - 0.5

Gee - 3.7 Rice - 0.2 Hawkins - 0.2 Feliciano 0.3 Torres - 1.0 Wright - 2.0 Young - 2.0 Davis - 0.6

The Phils brought in Papelbon with a four-run lead last night vs Chicago and he almost blew it. 3 runs via two singles, one double, a walk, a wild pitch, and an E-7 brought the Cubs to within one when he got the final out on a fly out with runners on 1st & 3rd. Wonder if his teammates signed up for that - or if he's just going to go with the 'non-save situation/no-adrenaline' excuse? Too bad either way, Mets could have taken over 3rd place if the Cubs pulled it out.

Boston pitcher Steven Wright (cue deadpan delivery) joins RA Dickey as an active Major League knuckleballer as Wright made his first ML start (4th ML appearance) last night in Houston and ... well, it looked like a rookie knuckleballer's night. Ryan Lavaraway was the designated [crossout:3kuwqwic]chump[/crossout:3kuwqwic] er, catcher. [u:3kuwqwic]First inning[/u:3kuwqwic]: - Walk (runner on 1st) Stolen Base (2nd) Passed Ball (3rd) - Hit by Pitch (1st & 3rd) Passed Ball (2nd & 3rd) Run-scoring Passed Ball (3rd) - Strikeout (3rd) Run-scoring Passed Ball (Empty) - Single (1st) - Walk (1st & 2nd) Wild Pitch (2nd & 3rd) - RBI Groundout (3rd) - Fly Out Inning Over: 7 batters, 3 runs, 1 hit, 2 walks, 1 strikeout, 3 passed balls, 1 wild pitch, 1 HBP, 1 stolen base ... and that was the end of the night for Mr. (not so) Wright By the 2nd inning Boston was down 5-0 and later 7-3, but, Boston being Boston and Houston being Houston these days, your final score (just under four hours later) was Red Sox 15 - Astros 10

You don't see diving catches in foul territory by infielders all that often.

Zvon wrote: Fman99 wrote: Assuming that those three guys continue to play at this level, if we had an opening day OF of Young in LF, Lagares in CF and Byrd in RF I would be fine with that. Look for a SS or a 1B on the free agent market. Early in the season the only player I thought for sure we should go for is that Choo Choo guy (Reds?). He no longer tops my list. What SS's are available? Jeter

He still plays too damn deep but that catch makes up for it - in that case anyway.

Even the games we play that are moving along quickly get the brakes slammed on them by unforeseen circumstances.

Par-Nell to the Dee-Ell is the corresponding move.

What I'm most interesting in seeing (aside from him getting 3 XBHs of course) is how slow/not slow he is. There have been numerous notes via the internet prospect world over the last few years talking about his TOTAL lack of foot-speed; like tagging him with 25-30 rating (on the scouts 20-80 scale) which is basically like saying he's an honorary Molina brother - something that seemed way out of proportion for a thin-ish (listed at 6' 3"/190) teen/near-teen (turns 22 today).

metirish wrote: As seen on Twitter, Jeter to the DL to make room for guess who? Remember how all the mediots in the Spring pronounced it as FACT that Jeter was going to be ready for opening day simply on the basis that he wanted it so much and could therefore will it to happen? Well since that time the number of games he's played (5) is only slightly ahead of the number of DL assignments (3) and it's not like it's been the same injury each time: first was ankle, then quad, now calf.

What has kept the Yanx afloat so far this season has been their pitching but it's been the ones NOT named Pettitte and Sabathia. Kuroda & Ivan Nova plus the bullpen have been saving their bacon during their bottom of the barrel offense.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: MFYs led by hero pitcher Andy PEDitte, getting slaughtered by the White Sox. That would be your ten-losses-in-a-row coming into tonight White Sox. Pettitte getting yanked w/bases-loaded, two outs in the 3rd already down 6-0 Bloop single for Rodriguez leading off the Yanqui 2nd. Stranded at 3rd.

SteveJRogers wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: I don't think Piazza ever gets to the hall... That's a bet I'd take. He will, after it comes out that someone who the BWAA votes in going forward was a PED user despite no "whispers" and innuendos that are keeping him, Bagwell and others out. Piazza will go in before any of that nonsense needs to happen.

smg58 wrote: We should probably makes this a "Memories of Jordanny Valdespin" thread, as I really don't see how he plays for the Mets again. I think there was already a decent chance that Valdespin was never going to play another game for the Mets. Well, after a September call-up maybe. I don't think Piazza ever gets to the hall... That's a bet I'd take.

Wonder if we'll ever get specifics on what exactly 'obstruct' means or just stuck with the "MLB knows best" stuff. That's the thing, the fact that Rodriguez insists on fighting this thing makes it all the more likely that details will spill out. but this really does seem a better way to damn both ARod & the Yanks than a lifetime ban would, and may prove the same result in the end anyway. Oh HELLZ YEAH this is much better!! This was the best of all possible outcomes as far as I'm concerned: Yanx are forced (because his re-hab time is up) to take a damaged, rusty ballplayer back on their roster during the appeal WHO THEY DESPERATELY NEED!! Meanwhile the appeal makes it all the more likely that the details get out; the time lag makes it all the more likely that player/team animosity builds up; and he'll still have three more years on the deal once this is all over and he's in his forties and has no more hips left to operate on.

metirish wrote: Rodriguez Suspended Through 2014 Season in Doping Inquiry - NYT But that's all pending appeal and there's no way of knowing how long that'll take so, in the meantime, he should be at 3B for the Yanx tonight in Chicago. The Bronx Zoo is back ladies and gentlemen.

Nymr83 wrote: Nymr83 wrote: The initial ten year Texas contract ended up being probably one of the best long-term deals ever signed by a franchise!, it would have been even more valuable had the Yankees not moved him to 3rd while he was still a near gold-glove caliber defender at SS in favor of playing an inferior defender at SS. its the extension that screwed the Yankees. Yabbut, the extension was prompted by him moving to exercise an exit clause in the original contract, was it not? and the right decision there might have just been to say "take care, Asshole" knowing you got your money's worth on the years he already played. And the irony of all ironies was that the Yanx (specifically the Steinbrenner boys, not Cashman) wanted so desperately to re-up ARod following his very public and very crass opt-out (right in the middle of the World Series if you recall) because, once Bonds's rep was in the toilet, not only was Alex going to be the 'Clean' guy to break the HR record but at last that most holy record would be returned to pinstripes where it rightfully belonged.

Official announcements at 3 PM All but ARod have reportedly accepted the 50-game penalty and will begin serving it immediately. (Cruz was making noises about fighting it but apparently will not). The only real details left to be unveiled it seems are the ones on Sir Alex of Rodrigia