Frayed Knot

John Sickels uses the hindsight mirror to look back at RA Dickey's run through the minors and on up to this year. An unusual path to say the least.

There is no correlation between Beltran's personality and the Mets losing streak. I mean, come on, are you kidding? Were Takahashi and Pelfrey spooked by the new centerfielder, causing them to leave their fastballs over the plate? Did K-Rod say, "i'd save this game, if only that Beltran weren't out there." Geez... Castillo is a hard-working guy who plays hurt and is generally respected in the clubhouse. Beltran is a great player, and the team in better off with him. Good for him on those questions anyway. Most, if not all, of the FAN hosts would have simply accepted the caller/writer's words as truth without even questioning them - and that's all assuming that the host didn't initiate the line of thinking in the first place making you wonder which is the ventriloquist and which is the dummy in the whole arrangement.

The part of the question about the four three-timers should be sent in to SNY for use in the nightly quiz. I bet that one gives even Gary a run for his money (we know Keith will be clueless).

Castillo - 1.0 Reyes - 1.0 Valdes - 1.0 Dessens - 0.5 Wright - 1.0 Pagan - 0.5

Santana - 4.5 Davis - 2.5 Wright - 1.0 Pagan - 0.8 Bay - 1.0 Turner - 0.2

Nieve - 0.6 Rodriguez - 0.4 Davis - 3.0 Beltran - 1.0 Wright - 0.5 Thole - 0.5

Thanks for coming and please arrive home safely.

Hey, Reyes caught one!

C'mon Carlos, one fucking hit here and we got ourselves a ballgame!! FUCK!!!

The fact that we're managing to hit a bunch of at'em balls isn't helping matters here.

Knock Castillo all you want - but that's exactly the type of AB they HAVEN'T been getting as they score 1 or 2 runs per game ... not to mention the part about how he makes fewer outs than any of the other middle IFers.

... and taking 45 seconds between each pitch isn't helping things much either.

It's like there's no difference in a Pelfrey AB between when he gets a 2-0 or 0-2 count - the guys getting on either way and it'll take him 10 pitches to do so. I think he's caused [u:b45y9got]ONE[/u:b45y9got] swing-and-miss so far (Reynolds) ... OK and now he gets a K as I'm typing this.

First Reyes & Beltran pairing since 5/20/09

First true 'bottom-feeder' team we've faced this year Tonight's lineup: Young cf -- OK, not great Johnson 2b -- former Brave scum, found some power source early this year Upton rf -- still only 22 Montero c -- 2 HR guy hitting cleanup ... BWA-HAA LaRoche 1b -- another former Brave, exceedingly mediocre Reynolds 3b -- slugs a lot, Ks even more. Apparently has been hurt Drew ss -- not yet as annoying as older bro Parra lf -- Who? Kennedy p -- former Yanqui scum, main bait in the three-way (NTTAWWT) that sent Granderson to da Bronx

Howard Johnson: 3B & CF

I'd rather survive without Thole for six weeks *GASP* than risk getting caught short behind the plate because we lost one of the others simply to clear a spot or in exchange for some other never-will-be prospect.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: From September 3, 1979: EXPOS 10TH: Dawson popped to first; Staub doubled to left; SCOTT RAN FOR STAUB; Valentine reached on a fielder's choice [scott scored (error by Flynn; assists by Allen and Hebner) (unearned)]; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Mets 5, Expos 6. Is it possible that the grounder deflected off pitcher Neil Allen, then deflected off third baseman Richie Hebner, and was then fielded by second baseman Doug Flynn who made the game-ending error? Or maybe this was a bunt play; Allen fielded the ball, threw to Hebner at third to get the lead runner, but was too late. Hebner then threw to Flynn (who was covering first because of the bunt) who dropped the throw, allowing Scott to score. I find it hard to believe, though, that Ellis Valentine, in 1979, would be bunting with one out and the winning run on second base. Doesn't need to be a bunt. Maybe it's just a come-backer and a muffed run-down play. Allen throws to 3rd because, while Dawson is holding, PR-er Scott tries to advance. Hebner then throws to 2B where Flynn makes the error which allows the run to score.

HTTM got surprisingly decent-to-good reviews upon its release - considering, y'know, how lowbrow, predictable, and stupid it looked to be. The more recent and similar looking Kevin James movie mentioned (also starring every other available supposedly funny actor) ... ummmm, not so much.

- I don't believe Barajas or Blanco CAN be sent down so it's pointless to even treat that as an option. - Trading one (or the other) of the B & B boys "for peanuts" just so as to be rid of him doesn't make much sense for a team supposedly in a pennant race. Both are useful ML catchers and suddenly getting caught short down the stretch due to an injury would be real stupid. - Yes, Thole is hitting over .500 ... on a ridiculously small sample size. Do remember the .267 minor league hitter prior to that in your calculations.

What's that now, about five different foul flies to deep-1st/short RF?

The idea about how we can take Tejada's (lack of) offense on account of how much he improves our defense is leaking like a BP oil well.