Frayed Knot

Muthafucka!! Not only was that the only shot Swisher had a shot at catching but Thole hit it to the only guy who was playing that deep. He hits that to CF and Grandy-Man is still chasing it.

Little tougher out there when you're in a RF where you have to cover more than 20 sq ft, huh Nick?

As I was saying, pretty much a toss-up from here on in.

Gwreck wrote: Wait, why did we take Parnell out of the game? See my speculation above. Other than that, I have no answer.

That wasn't a terrible chance by Dabid. If you're down there that's a felony, but he was inches away from stealing a run there.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Prime whiffery. You stick with Parnell as long as he's throwing like this, no? But does Terry? I'd shirley stick with him, but Batista is warming as we type. I wonder if Terry is skittish about relievers having to endure long waits between innings? Makes more sense than other explanations.

Zvon wrote: For some reason I have total faith. (I'm gonna have to make a graphic that captures that) I'm glad you are, because I'm looking at this game at a toss-up right about now. oe: although that K of Granderson just helped my mood a bit.

We're almost certainly going to need a couple outs from Byrdak before this is all over. At some point these monkeys are going to get a couple on and then bring Ibanez and/or Chavez off the bench to swing for the fences (like they do any other kind of swinging on this team).

The only reason Jeter didn't have a hit there is that he wasn't also playing SS.

That Derek Jeter, always coming through when you need it. If you're the defensive team that is.

You're letting them breath Jonathon, don't do that!

Swan Swan H wrote: The only thing better than a three-run homer is a three-run homer off of Swisher's glove. Five more two-out runs, and then a single past the statue formerly known as Derek Jeter. We missed you around here man. But give Swisher a little bit of a break, he's not used to going after those. That one was 17 rows deep where he usually plays.

RUN THEIR FUCKIN' ASSES OUT OF THE PARK!!! DON'T. STOP. HERE

Luis Mateo an older DSL vet, gets the start and is dominant, going 5 2/3, giving up two hits and one run, striking out nine and walking one. Some notes from BA on Mateo: -- Luis Mateo, rhp, Mets: In the international scouting community, Mateo is far from an unknown. The Giants signed him for $625,000 four years ago, but voided his contract when they found bone chips in his elbow. Then in November 2008, the Padres signed him for $300,000, but that deal fell apart due to MLB's investigation into his background, which eventually revealed that Mateo had falsely shaved two years off his age. After serving a suspension, Mateo finally signed with the Mets last year for $150,000, then went out and dominated the Dominican Summer League. In his U.S. debut on Tuesday for short-season Brooklyn, Mateo struck out nine with one walk, two hits and one run allowed in 5 2/ 3 innings. The 22-year-old Mateo had anything but a typical development path, but his size (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) and stuff are promising, with a 91-94 mph fastball that touches a few ticks higher, along with a power slider and an occasional changeup.

Kaat's always been good. His "problem", I always thought, is that the networks thought him too low-key and schtick-free for this era where announcers routinely try to 'put their personal stamp' on a game. So he toiled instead for years mostly at local stations and even when he'd get the occasional ESPN gig it often seemed to be on some backup game or small market. Plus I liked him because he was the only one working at YES who had the guts to tell the Steinbrenner clan to stick it when they'd issue marching orders such as the one not to show or talk about Don Zimmer when they were pissed whatever crime against the state he supposedly committed. That he also tended to harp about things like excess piped-in stadium noise and slow pace of play certainly couldn't have gone over well in pinstripelandia. Now, several years into what was supposed to be his retirement, he does the occasional game for MLBN.

With the Skanks KTE out of the way well in advance, we'll highlight the series coming up next week as several of them will be first-timers for 2012 PHIGroup ProjectWASHbmfc1/Edgy DCMIAGWreckATLFrayed KnotCINEdgyDCPITTEdgy DC=#FF0000]CHIC=#FF0000]attgigStLMFS'62HOUMGiMMILWTransMonk=#0000FF]LAD=#0000FF]G-FaFiFSFGFrayed KnotSDPABN-SeoCOLLWFSARZLWFSNYYFMan99BALJCLTORJCLTBRLWFS =#BF0000]At Bat =#0000FF]On Deck =#008000]In the Hole

[u:6v3iui0x]Eight[/u:6v3iui0x] game suspension. Peralta will continue to pitch as he appeals the ruling.

[u:1n9r86gr]SIX[/u:1n9r86gr] Games of the Week is an absurdity.

The now annual contest of the minors best prospects held during AS week will be divided into U.S.-born and World teams Wilmer Flores (World) & Zack Wheeler (US) from the Mets org will represent. U.S. Roster (with thumbnail descriptions) World Roster

MFS62 wrote: Just heard Goose Gossage being interviewed by Michael Kay (yeah, I know). They were talking about RA Dickey and the knuckleball. Goose said when he was a rookie, he would warm up Jack Fisher. I don't remember Jack being considered a "knuckleball pitcher". MAybe it was an occasional pitch or just something he worked on. Anyone have any memories of him throwing it as a Met? No, but, as mentioned, probably half the pitchers in the majors (and more than a few of the position players) have a knuckleball that they screw around with on the sidelines throwing one to each other or to unsuspecting teammates. Gil Hodges was said to own a real good one, and it was Jose Canseco's faith in his that got him to talk his manager into letting him pitch in relief one day. The result was that he blew his arm out and spent a lengthy stay on the DL (back when going without his presence was still a bad thing). The problem isn't in being able to throw one, it's locating it and being consistent enough to make a living with one, and that's why the staffs of the 30 teams features about one or so legit k-ballers per decade.

ARod's HR yesterday was one of those 317 ft YSIII specials on a day with both a helping wind and nearly 100 degrees. The call from the Atlanta announcers started out as; "popped to right ... " Teixeira's problem isn't his tendon really but that Heyward smoked a liner off his heel on Tuesday (Tex missed the "ole" stab). He PH'd a double yesterday and stayed in the game for the 9th on defense but wasn't moving around great.

Edgy DC wrote: Well, it's not a given, but nobody comes off the DL only to get walking papers. Valdespin has options. Ronny does not. So he gets a chance to float. This is why I think 'Speen goes. Sending him down now doesn't mean it's forever and some additional move needs to be made when Tejada returns anyway. I tend to like Q right now. Valdy may have more upside but Q is more polished and ready NOW!!! Almost hard right now to even remember what Cedeno was like. His term was so brief and comparatively so long ago. What we really need is a RH hitter to alternate with, if not flat-out replace, Muffy (5th worst IsoP in all MLB right now)

Couple of things I've noticed recently: ** This one ties in nicely with the discussion in another thread over older players earning (or not) their money towards the end of their contracts. ARod's Isolated Slugging Avg over the last five seasons 2007 - 331 2008 - 271 2009 - 246 2010 - 236 2011 - 185 2012 - 157 That's not a brief statistical oddity or even a mere downward trend folks, that's a sustained plummet! IsoP, for those not aware, is Slg Avg minus BA -- otherwise known as a hitters slugging pct if you take all his singles out. It more accurately shows a player's power as singles, even bunt singles, show up as increased power in standard Slg Pct, but only extra base hits increase one's IsoP For some perspective, Josh Hamilton is right now at an MLB-best of 343 while Adam Dunn, Ryan Braun, David Ortiz and Mark Trumbo are the only other ones currently north of 300. League average sits at exactly 150 So basically the guy who turns 37 in a few weeks is currently sporting a mediocre BA (.265) and slightly above-average slugging augmented by a still-good walk rate. He's also slowed down tremendously (single digit steals per/year) and is DH-ing more than 1/4 of the time. But, hey, he's only on the hook for the rest of this season plus five more at $129 million minimum (cuz who knows how and when those "bonuses" kick in). As far as his future record breaking feats? Sure he's at 640 HRs - but it was nearly two full years ago when he reached 600 (July 2010) ** Those who dared to suggest in public that Captain Clutch was showing his age during his bad second half in 2010 and similar front half of 2011 were told to shut up by all the worshippers when he got hot again in the back half of 2011 and the familiar strains of 'he can do it when he needs to' were dusted off and trumpeted. HIs great start this season seemed to suggest once again that he was ageless. Yeah, not so fast there suck-up breath: April -- .389/.433/.579 XBH = 10 May -- .293/.339/.353 XBH = 5 June -- .247/.318/.351 XBH = 4 Also tied for 2nd in GiDP Also turns 38 on Tuesday

Gee - 4.5 Parnell - 0.3 Francisco - 0.1 Hairston - 2.0 Wright - 2.0 Nickeas - 0.9 Torres - 0.2

Nymr83 wrote: Where's Dunston? Never manned the SS position as a Met. Strictly OF plus one game at 3B