Frayed Knot

Takahashi - 3.7 Mejia - 0.3 Igarashi - 0.3 Nieve - 0.3 Reyes - 1.8 Pagan - 1.4 Barajas - 1.4 Davis - 0.8

Pelfrey - 4.8 Reyes - 2.0 Bay - 1.1 Pagan - 1.1 Feliciano - 0.4 Rodriguez - 0.6

First of all, who knew there was such a thing as 'Fanhouse TV'? Secondly, I think his explanation there makes him even more bat-shit crazy than I previously thought. As Edgy said; "The issue is this "ace," with this salary, for this "unproven commodity." By not speaking more to the specific case, he's either being dishonest or intellectually lazy." He partly explains it by saying that Strasburg might get hurt as if that's a possibility while Oswalt doing so isn't in the equation.

I remember seeing all those shutouts last year when I was going through the stretch drive of the '69 season on a day-by-day basis. The streak of four was part of a week where they allowed four runs over seven games: 1 run v Pitt (CG - Cardwell) 1 run vs StL (CG - Seaver 2 runs over 11 innings vs StL (7 IP McAndrew; 4 IP McGraw) -- that's right, FOUR 0 runs vs StL (CG Gentry) 0 runs vs Phil (CG Koosman) 0 runs vs Phil (CG - Seaver) 0 runs vs Phil (5 IP Gentry; 3 IP Ryan; 1 IP Taylor)

C. Manual has burned about 4 guys in the last half-inning.

Just a bump-up reminder for series not yet played Series Start DateOpponentKnowledge Provider5/28/2010Mets at BrewersTransMonk5/31/2010Mets at PadresGwreck6/4/2010Marlins at MetsAshie626/8/2010Padres at MetsFman996/11/2010Mets at OriolesJ.C. Lunchbucket6/15/2010Mets at IndiansChad Ochoseis6/18/2010Mets at YankeesMetirish6/22/2010Tigers at Metsmetsguyinmichigan6/25/2010Twins at MetsThe Old Mole6/28/2010Mets at MarlinsAshie627/1/2010Mets at Nationalsbmfc17/5/2010Reds at MetsLeiterWagnerBoutrosGhali7/9/2010Braves at MetsFman997/15/2010Mets at GiantsGwreck7/19/2010Mets at D-backsPiggiesTomatoes7/22/2010Mets at DodgersA Boy Named Seo7/27/2010Cardinals at MetsSeawolf177/30/2010D-backs at MetsLeiterWagnerRomperStomper8/2/2010Mets at BravesG-Fafif8/6/2010Mets at PhilliesGYC8/10/2010Rockies at Metssharpie8/13/2010Phillies at Metssmg588/16/2010Mets at AstrosLeiterWagnerHalleLujah8/20/2010Mets at PiratesFman998/24/2010Marlins at MetsAshie628/27/2010Astros at MetsLeiterWagnerOverUnder8/30/2010Mets at BravesG-Fafif9/3/2010Mets at CubsFrayed Knot9/6/2010Mets at Nationalsbmfc19/10/2010Phillies at Metssmg589/13/2010Pirates at MetsOlerudOwned9/17/2010Braves at MetsOlerudOwned9/21/2010Mets at MarlinsAshie629/24/2010Mets at PhilliesLeiterWagnerRumourMonger9/27/2010Brewers at MetsTransMonk10/1/2010Nationals at MetsEdgy DC

We're gonna break out the hats and hooters when Jose brings 'em home

I wonder if (or how much) Philly talk-radio and other assorted discussions think that the switch from Feliz to Polano at 3B is hurting them just from a defensive position alone. There's been a couple subtle plays not made - and now this huge one - that could have really made a difference in this series. Well, y'know, if the Phils were like hitting at all.

Just call him Angel of the evening

I stumbled across that and watched for maybe five minutes. Schapp was a good journalist although an incredible suck-up to athletes that he liked (Namath among them) and a totally unrepentant name-dropper until the day he died so I'm sure those sports/entertainment get-togethers were right up his alley even if no one else's. Joe believed if Clemente and Aaron had played in New York, they would have been the greatest baseball players ever This isn't true because Aaron was nowhere near as clutch as Mantle. I know that because Mike Francesa told me so.

But the division - as a whole - is also beating up on the ALC & ALW The NL has the slight lead in the IL games so far this season but they've also gotten their butts kicked by the ALers for five years running now. Maybe it turns around this year but there's some 200 IL games to go before we know that.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: I don't know about overdrafting, but you could make a solid argument that Davis, Havens, Holt and Kunz-- good, not great college prospects all (well, maybe not Kunz)-- were "safe," slotting-friendly picks. "Safe, slotting-friendly picks" to me implies that there were other obvious picks still left on the board at the time of those choices which I don't believe was the case. Usually, unless some Boras-attached college kid or some big stud HSer with a scholarship in his hand are falling through the 1st round on account of announcing to the world that it'll take a HUGE number to get them to sign, most of what you're going to get at #s 18, 22, 33 & 42 are either the "good, not great, college prospects" or else HS guys a cut lower than those taken in top-10 territory who might have higher ceilings than their older counterparts but are also more hit or miss. And, again, it's not like the Mets haven't done that too with their top selections: Kazmir, Milledge, Wright My larger point being that while I'm not here to defend every NYM draft pick (hell, if each draft was re-done a mere 6-9 months later the results would be wildly different for almost any team) and where I DO believe that where they've been far too quick to adhere to Master Bud's 'slotting system' is in the later round where some still-raw teenager can be lured out of a trip to university with some extra bucks that might pay off down the road somewhere, that transferring that reluctance to pay to the first round isn't an accurate charge.

Kazmir definitely fell to the Mets over perceived bonus demands that turned out to never materialize (Kaz, unlike Milledge, had a full scholarship in hand). But the label that's being hung on the Mets is quite the opposite. Many predict potential NYM picks as if they're in the habit of "over-drafting" or choosing someone not worthy of the slot they've got while leaving known better players on the board for fear of getting into a protracted and expensive negotiation.

AL East = +21 (games over .500 as a division) NL East = +12 NL West = +12 AL West = -7 AL Central = -16 NL Central = -22

I assume rinsing with holy water is one of those steps. The problem with mock drafts - aside from the fact that they're mock drafts - is that the ones making them fancy themselves as being able to get into the heads of each team and therefore pick not just the next best player but the one who "fits" that team's philosophy & attitude. With the Mets that tends to mean they point to the guy they think will come cheap - as if the standard criticism of them not taking chances and spending in later rounds applies to round 1 as well. I maintain that the Mets show no particular pattern when it comes to top choices. They've plucked college pitchers (Humber, Pelfrey); college bats (Davis, Reese), HS pitchers (Kazmir) and HS bats (Milledge, Wright) and none fall into the category of a "reaching over-draft" in order to save on bonus demands.

I think the best sign is that he's hitting into harder outs lately too. The type of outs he was making for much of the first six weeks of the season (lots o' pop-outs) were at least as disturbing as the number of outs he was making.

From Adam Rubin's blog: Outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis drew praise from a scout who recently watched Binghamton. The scout said Nieuwenhuis, a former running back in high school who was recruited to play college football, has the speed to play center field and the arm to play right field. While the lefty-hitting Nieuwenhuis remains susceptible to curveballs from right-handed pitchers, he�s otherwise closed up a major hole on inside pitches.

Hisanori Takahashi is the first pitcher in NY Mets history to pitch at lest 6 innings of shutout ball in each of his first two ML starts. They list 17 others who have accomplished the same feat although those records appear to be incomplete. No word whether doing so consecutively against the two defending league champions is a first. The only negative is that it hardly has been a sign of forthcoming greatness when it has occurred. It's been done twice each in the last two seasons, for instance, and I either didn't or barely recognized the names and couldn't have named the teams these four most recent guys: In 2009 it was Ryan Sadowski (SF) & Vin Mazzarro (Oak). In 2008, Scott Lewis (Cle) & James Parr (Atl)

Didn't like Taka being pulled when he was. Unless he went to the bench saying he was spent I would have sent him out again. Of course one can make the argument that the Mets added to the buffer by using a PH and sticking up a 3-spot that inning but I think he was being pulled regardless. Sometimes Jerry is like the fat guy who looks at his watch to decide whether or not he's hungry. And the guys in the booth were talking about how there was some sort of plan in place to get Nieve X amount of pitches tonight in anticipation of a possible Saturday start, but the 9th tonight was an Ollie spot if there ever was one. Other than those minor mishaps it was another near-perfect night. Wasn't a ton of hitting but all the little things went right. And ain't it amazing what happens when the K/BB ratios are in your favor instead of wildly against.

Centerfield wrote: I can't believe Christian Guzman has been in baseball that long and I still haven't noticed he exists. He was the guy (along with Eric Milton) the Yanx dealt away to get Chuckles Knoblauch back in 1997

Dickey - 3.2 Valdes - 1.8 Francoeur - 1.6 Reyes - 1.4 Bay - 1.0 Barajas - 1.0

Yeah, the KC stadium (pre-modeled version anyway) was a great place for triples (and ItPHRs). It had artificial turf and rounded corners which caused visiting OFers to mis-play balls there all the time. Hey look, the inclusion of Beltran knocks Jeter off the list!!

They probably meant college catcher, or maybe "pure" catcher seeing as how the debate as to whether Harper will remain one is still up in the air. Many see him as a RF. I included the list down as far as Gradal because he's a guy that's getting a lot of pub lately, is higher on other lists, and I think could be a NYM pick if one of 'the big three' don't drop.