Frayed Knot

seawolf17 wrote: Something tells me that Johnny "knows a guy" who's going to get a plaque for him in there anyway. Yeah, but those guys are currently napping in a truck on an un-plowed street in Queens. In fact, I think it was a protest over the impending non-election which caused the snow removal slowdown last week.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Is Jason Pridie really 35 years old?? No, just turned 27 -- that DOB should read 10/9/83

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Didn't LaRoche sign with Washington already? Yes, and so far he's the only 'Type B' to net a higher supplemental pick than PF (DBacks get pick #41 for losing him). What we don't know yet is which, if any, of the remaining Type Bs out-rank Pedro according the rankings that Elias does over the last two seasons specifically for this purpose, and therefore will earn his ex-team a higher pick.

Our 'Pedro Pick' in next year's draft currently sits at slot #42. With three 'Type A' FAs yet to sign (Carl Pavano, Grant Balfour & Raphael Soriano) that will drop one slot each if/when those players change teams. There are also four more 'Type B' players (Felipe Lopez, Aaron Heilman, Trevor Hoffman, Chad Qualls) who might rate higher than perpetual Pedro and therefore bump that pick down one more notch when they sign. As it stands now, only Adam LaRoche rated higher among Type B's than our now-departed lefty slinger.

I don't believe the DL exists - 60 day or otherwise - at this time of year Could you imagine all the phantom injuries that would pop up during roster-stashing time if it did? The Rule 5 draft pool would be reduced to just the clubhouse boys. "Uh, yeah, Farnsworth here has a sprained Guerdon joint which necessitates him going on the 60-Day DL. No surgery is needed so we've ordered a rest and exercise routine and we expect him to be ready to go .... oh, about April 1st or so".

No movies, aside from documentaries, present historical stories in complete factual detail (and I doubt the accuracy of most docs I see too).

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Piazza's personal preferences notwithstanding, I think a reasonable case could be made for both the Mets and Dodgers. So do I, which is why I suspect his personal preference will - and probably should - tilt the balance in what is an otherwise even "race". I should probably add here (and not for the first time) that I think this whole HoF 'hat' deal is a totally over-blown issue and aren't going to care a lot one way or the other. If Piazza's plaque has an 'LA' on it it's not like that negates the parts of his career spent here or elsewhere.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I have a greater objection to people who fill out all ten slots just because they can. (I don't know that anyone does that, but I suspect that some do.) I've heard some claim to do that in the past - although no one specifically comes to mind. Newsday's Steve Jacobsen used to return a full or mostly full ballot each year.

FWIW, the HoF claims it's always been their call as to what insignia goes on the plaque although there were years where they were obviously lax in enforcing that. At the same time they do say they take a players preference into consideration if there's any questions while still retaining final say. In Piazza's case, he has more games & ABs as a Met than in any other uniform which, when combined with his stated choice to represent the NYM, pretty much seals the deal IMO.

Beltre to Texas apparently official via a news conference this afternoon - six years for the man who turns 32 opening week.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: How did McGwire and Bagwell do? Larkin ~ 62% Jack Morris ~ 54 Lee Smith ~ 45 Bagwell ~ 42 Raines ~ 37 Edgar Martinez ~ 33 Trammel ~ 24 Larry Walker ~ 20 McGwire ~ 20

Alomar & Blyleven

So did the entire Facebook crowd here all miss this flick, or just not care enough to put up a thread?

I'd like to note their induction in a giant locker room ... [with] the ball from his 300th game, the face mask from the time Stearns broke his jaw --- with the plaque mounted on the outside frame, and the jersey just hanging there, with the spikes and gloves on the seat, as if he might step up to the locker and suit up at any time. Or syringes and needles in the lockers of the steroid users. Torn Pete Rose betting slips on his stool. Gaylord Perry's half-spent tube of grease. A half-eaten hot dog next to Babe's glove. And if Joe Pepitone ever gets in you just gotta have his hair-dryer on the top shelf next to one of his wigs.

I've heard various variations on this idea over the years and have never liked any of them.

Edgy DC wrote: I wonder if they're planning to move him to third? As in, after Chipper departs? ... didn't think of that. Depends on who they've got coming up I suppose. Meanwhile the Rangers are supposedly hot on Adrian Beltre's trail - ESPN Deportes says so although no one else seems to confirm - meaning another bumping for Michael Young, this time with nowhere else to go but DH. He's already bounced from 2B to SS and back before winding up at 3rd all due to the acquisitions/promotions of the likes of Alfonso Soriano, Ian Kinsler, and Elvis Andrus. Just turned 34, it seems premature to relegate him to the DH graveyard but he's apparently going to be a good soldier about it.

Adam LaRoche to man 1B for the Nats - two years + a year 3 option. Also big deals signed by Carlos Gonzalez in Colorado - a 7 year deal which will buy out multiple arb years plus the first few of his FA seasons, $80mil and Dan Uggla recently acquired by Atlanta - locking hisself up for the next 5 years instead of being a FA this coming off-season, $62mil

Just looking over the numbers for Edgar Martinez - he played only partial seasons at the age of 24, 25, & 26 - totaling less than 250 ABs in those years and just 2 HRs with a modest .336 OBA - played his first full season at age 27 and made a huge jump to a .397 OBA w/40 XBHs - after that his OBA was at least .400 (at times as high as .479 !!) in every season until age 41 with the exception of two injury-shortened years (where he fell to a paltry .366 & .387). Over a 5-year span from 1995 to 1999 his OBA was .455 Got a late start and was only a limited player - but was a great hitter and had a helluva peak.

I don't think I've done this update in a while: Of the 605 players who received scores in this project - 288 are 1-year Mets (or at least only made a top-30 list in one season) Those 288 range from Mike Hampton in slot #123 to Gus Bell in #605 2 Year Mets: 131 -- From Eddie Murray (89th) to David West (569) 3 Year Mets: 63 -- From John Olerud in 41st place (Santana - currently 50th overall - is next) to Dave Schneck (419) 4 Year Mets: 44 -- From Carlos Delgado (48) to Ron Grdenhire (276) 5 Year Mets: 27 -- From Armando Benitez (27) to Todd Pratt (205) 6 Year Mets: 16 -- From Carlos Beltran in 20th place (nudges out David Cone - 23rd) to Mike Jorgensen (234) 7 Year Mets: 10 -- From David Wright 7th (replaces Keith) to Ken Boswell (100) 8 Year Mets: 10 -- From Darryl Strawberry (4th) to Wally Backman (59) 9 Year Mets: 4 -- From Cleon Jones (9th) to Rusty Staub (22) 10 Year Mets: 4 -- From Sid Fernandez (10th) to Craig Swan (45) 11 Year Mets: 2 -- From Dwight Gooden in 2nd to Jerry Koosman in 3rd 12 Year Mets: 5 -- From Tom Seaver (1) to Ron Hodges (144) 13 Year Mets: 1 -- John Franco (6th) 17 Year Mets: 1 -- Ed Kranepool (12th)

Gwreck wrote: ESPN had eighteen of their hall of fame voters reveal their ballots (link here: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof11/news/story?id=5984898). Check out the ballot of News Editor Barry Stanton, who voted for five (5) players: Edgar Martinez Tino Martinez Don Mattingly Jack Morris BJ Surhoff That's why the size of the BBWA membership is similar to that of Congress - so that no one idiot acting alone can do too much damage. Only two of that guy's names (E. Martinez & Morris) are even arguable IMO. I have no idea who Barry Stanton is or what he does at ESPN (besides most likely jerk off to college basketball) but I hope someone in their baseball department beats him up. Maybe Tim Kurkjian can get a step-stool and punch him in the nose.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Didn't we once calculate how long it would take Tom Seaver to drop out of the top 500? I think the answer was something like 60,000 years. A discussion after the 2007 season results were final led me to declare Wright to then be 'a minimum of six good years away' from potentially catching and passing Seaver. Now, three seasons later - thanks in part to two of the last three years being sub-80 win seasons - it's clear he'll need more than just three years and will have to step on the gas to get there in four more. As things stand now he's a virtual lock to pass Franco & Piazza next season and into the top 5. The big gaps ahead of him are between the 4th & 5th slots, and then between #1 & #2.

There's been a Moises Alou guess on the board for a while also.

Moises (but not Jesus) Alou

Verducci also works for the network so, as one of only a handful of one-time sports journalists NOT currently on the payroll of ESPN, they might as well put him to use while they're paying him.

13th actually, but still. btw, this thread should eventually be moved to the Ranking Forum.