Frayed Knot

="Kong76":121v2d6d]Frayed Knot, wily vet.[/quote:121v2d6d] The other one we used to do was watch when a batter didn't run following a pop up with only runner on 1st. Then we'd intentionally let the ball drop and get the DP while the batter was walking back to the bench assuming he was going to be out on the catch. Man did that piss people off! They'd be so embarrassed they'd try to claim it was illegal but a smart ump wasn't buying it. Nymr83 Aug 18 2009 07:42 PM no the best is when someone doesnt run out a grounder because htey think they're out... then you ROLL the ball to 1st base for the force. Fman99 Aug 18 2009 07:43 PM Highly enjoyable ballgame tonight. This is why I keep tuning in, day after day. PiggiesTomatoes Aug 18 2009 07:50 PM Six quick outs, guys. No rain delay, please. Edgy DC Aug 18 2009 07:52 PM Boone Logan: born to be a Brave. themetfairy Aug 18 2009 08:04 PM The game ends and the skies open! LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 18 2009 08:06 PM Now get inside, you beautiful, star-crossed bitches! G-Fafif Aug 18 2009 08:48 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket"]Sometimes I wanna get you down Sometimes I wanna get you Lowe Gwreck Aug 18 2009 09:25 PM Glad to see we finally gave Derek F. Lowe the pounding he so richly deserved. Best inning since the Floyd/Beltran grand slams in Chicago a few summers ago? Church didn't get much of a hand or anything, although that partly may have been due to Diaz having just hit a 3 run bomb. Fun moment on the 7 train when a tourist couple from the British isles asks "why were they booing that one guy, Jones, so much?

That's using your head Jeff!

I did it in a softball game (and, yes, it worked). I've seen IFR pops not caught in MLB (dropped or windblown) but I don't think ever intentionally and never saw a runner fooled by it.

Yeah, we were somewhat lucky even to be in a position to win that game. I also remember a questionable double-switch by Bucky Showalter that came back to bite him when it cost the Snakes a Matt Williams AB at a crucial time later on.

Face it, Finley comes down with that ball at least 8 times out of 10. Just not THAT day.

Bench Murphy!!

2nd base ump is missing a good game. OK, it's a sucky game but he's still missing it.

I still don't want Lowe

Pratt was just getting a jump on the Mets practicing their non-running for the following post-season.

Out goes Cora, in comes Wilson Valdez. Oh boy!

McLouth on the DL as of yesterday - hence Church in CF.

I think this is a conclusion in search of evidence.

="Ashie62":1vw05w83]It took the crowd at Shea a few seconds to realize Finley didn't catch it.[/quote:1vw05w83] Not me. I was high up in one of the last sections in RF. I don't want to say were were high but we looked down on birds flying and down on the top of the RF foulpole. The infield was practically a rumor from up there but it gave those in that section a perfect top-down and on-line view of the RCF fence, an angle that was lined up so well that visually it was as if there was no wall at all. So when Finley jumped and missed, our section could see the ball bouncing around in that waste area beneath the scoreboard with workers scurrying after it. We knew before the rest of the stadium that it was a HR. We knew before Gary Cohen did that it was a HR (he paused for several seconds before calling it). We knew before Pratt did that it was a HR (I had time to celebrate w/JCL and still turn back and see TP still stationary between 1st & 2nd) Hell, we knew before Finley did. Farmer Ted Aug 18 2009 04:21 PM Was in the mezz halfway down the rightfield line. I thought Finley had it. It was the peeps in the LF upper deck that started going crazy when I knew. G-Fafif Aug 18 2009 05:25 PM I'm occasionally haunted by the notion that Finley could have gotten a glove on it, deflected it, picked it up and, because he stopped to watch, thrown Pratt out at second. What a moment. Frayed Knot Aug 18 2009 05:41 PM Pratt was just getting a jump on the Mets practicing their non-running for the following post-season. Ashie62 Aug 18 2009 06:39 PM I was in the loge behind home and the way Finley came down I half expected him to pull the ball out of his glove Not bloody likely! Frayed Knot Aug 18 2009 06:47 PM Face it, Finley comes down with that ball at least 8 times out of 10. Just not THAT day. John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 18 2009 06:51 PM I was more shocked that Finley didn't catch it than Pratt hit it... and Pratt hitting it was pretty shocking too. I can recall being out of breath, trying to shout... "it went off his glove! It went off his glove!!" but like no noise coming out. Of course the real whizz-bang of that afternoon was Mora, in for Rickey, throwing out Bell at home in the 8th. Frayed Knot Aug 18 2009 07:04 PM Yeah, we were somewhat lucky even to be in a position to win that game. I also remember a questionable double-switch by Bucky Showalter that came back to bite him when it cost the Snakes a Matt Williams AB at a crucial time later on.

No Magnifico, no Buchanan, no Schmidt - although those are the only ones of the top 30 who did not sign according to this list[/url:3s3m5yfo] which is supposedly up to date.

John Sickels takes a review look at his pre-season NYM prospect list. This isn't a new list just merely an update of how those he thought were their top 20 are doing since then. http://www.minorleagueball.com/2009/8/14/985978/new-york-mets-top-20-pre-season 1) Wilmer Flores, SS-3B, Grade B+: .273/.313/.351 in the Sally League. Not much power, very few walks. But at least his strikeout rate is reasonable, and he's very young at 18. 2) Fernando Martinez, OF, Grade B+: Hit .290/.337/.540 in Triple-A, .176/.242/.275 in the majors before knee injury. It looks like his power is coming around, and he's still just 20. Main need is to stay healthy. 3) Jon Niese, LHP, Grade B: 3.82 ERA with 82/26 K/BB in 94 innings in Triple-A, holding his own in the majors. I think he is well-positioned for success in 2010. 4) Brad Holt, RHP, Grade B: 5.98 ERA with 41/20 K/BB in 53 innings in Double-A, 53 hits allowed. Need for better secondary pitches to go with the fastball is evident. 5) Reese Havens, SS, Grade B: Hitting .232/.350/.397 in the Florida State League. Showing pop with 10 homers, good plate discipline, batting average low but there is some luck involved there. Still intriguing if he can stay healthy. 6) Jefry Marte, 3B, Grade C+: Hitting .235/.279/.348 in the Sally League. Very young at 18, but strike zone judgment is quite poor. 7) Jenry Mejia, RHP, Grade C+: Excellent in the Florida State League, OK in Double-A, combined numbers 2.50 ERA, 68/25 K/BB in 72 innings, 2.15 GO/AO, just 19 years old. Emerging as a top pitching prospect. Out of action with a finger injury. 8) Bobby Parnell, RHP, Grade C+: 3.94 ERA with 39/25 K/BB in 48 innings, 55 hits for the Mets. A competent reliever, being considered for starting role in 2010. 9) Eddie Kunz, RHP, Grade C+: 4.50 ERA with 28/28K/BB in 48 innings in Triple-A, 40 hits. 3.11 GO/AO ratio is intriguing, but needs better command. 10) Nick Evans, 1B, Grade C+: Hitting .218/.293/.405 between Double-A and Triple-A, hit .250/.298/.409 in 15 major league games. Window of opportunity is closing. 11) Ike Davis, 1B, Grade C+: Hitting .292/.377/.503 between Florida State League and Eastern League with big power spike erasing questions raised last year. Stock way up. 12) Dillon Gee, RHP, Grade C+: 4.10 ERA with 42/16 K/BB in 48 innings in Triple-A before hurting his shoulder. 13) Scott Moviel, RHP, Grade C+: 5.35 ERA with 24/14 K/BB in 37 innings in the Florida State League, 41 hits. Mediocre performance, perhaps hampered by recovery from knee injury. 14) Scott Shaw, RHP, Grade C+: 3.59 ERA with 102/50 K/BB in 120 innings in the Florida State League. Pretty good numbers, will transition to Double-A next year. 15) Eric Beaulac, RHP, Grade C+: 2.61 ERA with 106/34 K/BB in 93 innings in the Sally League. Strong K/IP and K/BB ratios, all numbers are solid, need to see at higher levels. 16) Ruben Tejada, SS, Grade C+: Hitting .294/.358/.382 with 14 steals in Double-A. Makes contact, can swipe a base, not a lot of power but just 19 years old. Looks like an interesting prospect to me with rising stock. 17) Greg Veloz, 2B, Grade C+: Hit .232/.297/.303 in the Florida State League, 18 steals but production weak otherwise. Just traded to the Nationals. 18) Michael Antonini, LHP, Grade C: 5.34 ERA with 67/25 K/BB in 84 innings, 98 hits in Double-A. Still throwing strikes, but has had problems adjusting to this level, as with many finesse guys. 19) Dylan Owen, RHP, Grade C: 5.36 ERA with 61/45 K/BB in 101 innings, 122 hits in Double-A. Just not dominant enough, like Antonini his finesse game hasn't translated well to this level. 20) Kyle Allen, RHP, Grade C: 3.99 ERA with 82/40 K/BB in 97 innings in the Sally League, 90 hits allowed. 2.17 GO/AO. Looks like an interesting sleeper prospect with good forward potential if he can sharpen command. "Overall the Mets system isn't bad at all, though I still think they push some of the Latin kids too quickly."

John Sickels recently said after being asked that he "doesn't like" the idea of Parnell as a starter. I assume it's due to a perceived lack of repertoire issue although he didn't expound on it.

Makes sense seeing as how sAltAlAmAcchiA just got hurt and they've just taken over the AL WC lead.

Yeah Harrington was a mess of a story. On the other end of the spectrum, I recently heard Tim Kurkjian tell the story about Chipper's father explaining to him that he could make a lot more money if he wanted to hold out and threaten and maybe get a different team involved (as other #1 candidate that year Todd Van Poppel eventually did do). But Chipper wanted to go #1 and he wanted to start as quickly as possible. So with Dad an his agent, the negotiations took about an hour (signed June [u:3jmn5ovu]4th[/u:3jmn5ovu]) and he was on the fast-track to being in the majors at age 21 and a full-timer by 23 - and it only took that long due to a knee injury in between. Now you wonder about Aaron Crow, already 14 months past being drafted 9th overall, 2 months after being picked 12th, and maybe 9 months or more from either getting signed or going back into the pool again. Even if he gets the extra cash he's apparently looking for is it really worth it in the long run? Just from developmental time alone I can't see how it is.

Part of it is leverage. HS kids have it by waving a college scholarship in front of the team's eyes and saying 'meet my price or I'll walk'. College players are more of a sure thing in terms of "knowing" what they'll be but also have fewer options. A late 1st round college pick (usually a junior) either can take what he's offered or risk playing his Sr year and maybe winding up in a worse spot and another year behind his peers. There are mid & later round picks who got between $1 & $2 million. It's a bigger risk/reward thing for the team but some are willing to do that for the right player if they project he'll be an even tougher sign 3 years down the road (after college) when he's bigger, stronger & (hopefully) smarter.

Cubs probably thought they were set in the pen with Gregg, Marmol, Heilman & Samardzjia - but none is having a good year and Samardzjia just got sent down after he got bombed in a spot start. Ahh, the fickle nature of bullpens.

Seeing as how the minor league season is virtually over, my guess is 'none'. I suspect he'll see some instructional league time and maybe ride the bench somewhere (GCL?) while they get him ready for next year.

Might be a good time to talk to the Cubs as designated closer Kevin Gregg had another rough outing last night: 1-0 lead in the 9th: GO - BB - FO - Game-tying 2B - IW - 3R-HR = Padres doing the home plate bounce-dance Gregg this year: 4-5; 4.47 ERA; 6 Blown Saves vs 23 saves; 1.3 WHiP; [u:1r7jqgzw]12[/u:1r7jqgzw] HRs

The Strasburg deal reportedly got finalized at 11:58:43 And they said it would take until the last minute. In the end only three 1st-rounders failed to sign: - #14 pick Tim Purke, a HS LHP picked by Texas. He'll take his scholarship and head to college (TCU) instead - #30 LaVon Washington - 2B Tampa. A HS kid who's going to go to a Junior College and try the draft again next year - and #12 Aaron Crow, the RHP who didn't sign last year either. But because he no longer has college eligibility left the Aug deadline doesn't apply to him and so he and KC can keep talking until a week before next year's draft. And, no, this is NOT a Boras client.

9th round pick Glenn also signed - haven't heard one way or the other on 5th & 6th round picks Magnifico & Buchanan. If they do not sign then those become lost picks. The compensatory pick in next year's draft for failing to sign a player is only for the first 3 rounds.

For around $15mil acc to SI.com/MLBN's Jon Heyman No word yet on Mets #72 Matz Baseball America's website is jammed