Frayed Knot

The odd thing about this stretch of AL ASG "dominance" is that all the recent games have been by one run (4 straight including 1 xtra inn and 5 of 7) even though this is the era where the AL has dominated IL play. But if you go back to the beginning of their run they were winning ASG big during the time where the NL was getting the better of the IL series.

I think the main thrust of the article is that local baseball announcers - because they do so many games - need to become an acquired taste for the regular followers, and that these three have done just that. Network announcers, especially for football games since virtually all of those are aimed towards a national audience, operate under a whole different set of "rules" as to what kind of talk/behavior is acceptable in the booth.

2nd Half Assignments DateOpponentKTE AuthorJul 16-19@ ATLOlerudOwnedJul 20-22@ WASbmfc1Jul 24-26@ HOUKong76Jul 27-30COLsmg58Jul 31-Aug 3ARZLeiterWagnerFasterStrongrAug 4-5STLduanAug 6-9@ SDFrayed KnotAug 10-12@ ARZLeiterWagnerFasterStrongrAug 14-17SF DocTeeAug 18-20ATLOlerudOwnedAug 21-24PHIGYCAug 25-27@ FLAseawolf17Aug 28-30@ CHCSwan Swan HSep 1-3@ COLsmg58Sep 4-6CHCFman99Sep 8-10FLAseawolf17Sep 11-13@ PHISteveJRogersSep 15-17@ ATLOlerudOwnedSep 18-20WASEdgy DCSep 21-23ATLOlerudOwnedSep 25-27@ FLAseawolf17Sep 28-30@ WASbmfc1Oct 2-4HOUKong76

[Random columnist] suggests that Bobby V could be tapped to fill [random team]'s job now that they're [rumored to be] looking for a manager. Get used to hearing/reading some version of that from now right through the winter.

That's either Roy McMillan or Harry Truman

Biggest difference between the Halladay and Santana situations is that Johan was more than 3 years younger when he got to the Mets as compared to what RH is now (just turned 29 vs 32 + change). Halladay comes with a contract for the remainder of this year plus next. Who knows if and what he'd want beyond that - and he has a full no-trade clause to help make it happen - but whatever it is would start at age 34.

The park is, but word on the street is they need to fix up the area around the park before anyone wants to bring a party there. Amazing huh? A new ballpark is built with public money and the promised business boom didn't automatically appear around it! Whoda thunk it?!?

Parks older than Citi but yet to host an ASG: - Chase Field Phoenix (1998) - though sched for 2011 - GAB Cincinnati (2003) - PETCO SD (2004) - CBP Philly (2004) - Nationals Park Wash (2008) It would be nice to get one in Queens prior to them awarding a 3rd one in the Bronx since Shea's 1964 game. Of course that was partly based on the fact that the Mets never really wanted one while still at Shea but the size of the gap between hostings still should shove them at least towards the head of the line.

="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr"]To those who actually do pay attention, though, the fact that we've got a bit of a Dannon system-- fruit on the bottom-- is a valid sticking point, and a big reason the system as a whole doesn't grade out higher. True, the best ones (aside from Martinez) in terms of high ceiling are generally further away. That's also a reason why some* hear the phrase; 'no one ready to step in now' and translate that into "barren" since for teams wanting a haul of ML-ready players in exchange for their Halladays or Hollidays there's not a match in the Met system. * Francesa, just to name one, has been dismissing Fartinez for about two years now based on the reasoning that; 'if he was any good he'd be here already'

="Mex17"]Since the Halladay trade talk has started, I havebeen hearing a lot about the Mets barren farm system and how there is no help on the horizon nor anything to trade from the system. The pre-season assessment on the Met system, by those who pay attention to this sort of thing, was around average or a bit below (17th overall by BA for instance). A far cry from "barren" despite what you may hear from the barons of talk radio whose level of expertise generally includes having a vague idea of where one or two of the Mets farm teams are located. ]Technically that is Omar's fault, but the reason why am mentioning it in this old thread is because I have to wonder how exactly Omar is being held accountable for it. He'll be accountable for it just like he's accountable for everything else in the player development system. It'll be part of his final grade if you will. But at the same time it's not like having a strong farm system should be an end unto itself. The goal is to have a good ML team, the farm system is merely one way to help that along. But there are also various ways to do that. So if that system is weaker at any particular moment because it's been tapped to provide players for the 2009 big league squad (Murphy, Niese, Parnell); or because others were sent away in order to fetch players from other orgs (Putz, Santana, Delgado, and virtually everyone else not named Reyes & Wright); or while still others were brought up to cover for injuries (Martinez, Evans) then the farm system is, in effect, doing its job. What would be really stupid would be having a strong farm system while the ML team rots on the vine, an idea that reminds me a bit of the time Frank Burns was adverse to giving out the 4077's supply of excess insulin to an aid station because then "we'd have nothing to inventory".

I don't think FOX has an Obama obsession so much as it does a celebrity obsession (just like any other prime-time network show would) and who's a better celeb to glom onto than the President? He came across well and seemed to know his stuff - although admitted to rarely playing the game as a kid (he did spend half his childhood in Indonesia after all). Buck tried to get him to stay for an extra half-inning but 'his people' had other plans. Oh and I wouldn't look forward to seeing MLBN play the interview anytime in the near future seeing as how they don't own the rights to it.

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Punk Werth's sleeves are way too long. Remember when Derek Bell tried that and the league got on his case? The league got on Bell's case because he was wearing about a size 78-husky shirt and was in danger of being hit by pitches on the outside corner.

Fman99 wrote: ="Frayed Knot"]They give these TV producers too many toys to play with. Those hand-held cameras were at a ridiculous (like knee-high) angle for the AL All-Stars which was great if the purpose was to see up their nostrils. And then we never really saw Obama's pitch because they insisted on shooting it with the hand-held from the 3rd base side of the mound. They got their close-up but lost the throw in the process. I think it reached Pujols but I'll have to take someone's word for it. We commented on this too. For all of the crystal clear quality of Fox sports in HD their production values suck like a John Waters movie. We also never got to see Musial except in an extremely long-shot. Now maybe that was intentional since the man (or The Man) is 88 and hasn't been in good health in recent years -- but from what we saw on TV it could have been some actor in a red sportcoat pretending to be Musial and no one would have known the difference.

Fman99 wrote: Taco Bell + whores + white guys doing hip-hop + breakdancing + bling on Pepsis = huge win. Commercial was a decent idea that went on too long.

="Edgy DC"]="OlerudOwned"]You crossed the fucking line, McCarver. Nobody disses Benny. (I'm assuming he meant Hawaiian all-stars, which just makes him a boob incapable of forming complete thoughts verbally.) Before I guess wrong, can somebody tell me what T-Mac said here? Said to the (Hawaiin-born) Prez that Victorino was the 1st position player from Hawaii although there had been 3 pitchers. Not sure if he said Hawaiin-born All-Star or merely implied it. Answer = Darling, Charlie Hough, & Sid Fernandez

="Edgy DC":2g1j5bvq]Gotta be a better publication than the CPF for this, no?[/quote:2g1j5bvq] Maybe he unnecessarily insulted the shit out of everybody on every other forum too while trying to claim victim status to the point where no other outlet will take it. Kong76 Jul 14 2009 08:42 PM FK: Maybe he unnecessarily insulted the shit out of everybody on every other forum too while trying to claim victim status to the point where no other outlet will take it <<< Succinct as usual, FK. I don't know if it was written for us, if it was published somewhere else, or part of some other project. G-Fafif Jul 14 2009 11:09 PM ="Edgy DC"]He recounts above getting Berra to hit into a DP in the 1964 Mayor's Trophy Game. Is this a different Yogi DP? I do believe that's the one in question. My mistake. From the book: ]Ten years later, Berra saw Wakefield at a Mets Old Timers Day. "Hey, Dick," Yogi said. Dic Wakefield had played with the Yankees in the '40s and Berra always called Wakefield "Dick." "I'd quit correcting him by that time," said Wakefield. "I said, "Yeah, Yogi?" "You got me out in the Mayor's Trophy Game," Berra said. Fman99 Jul 15 2009 07:57 AM ="Frayed Knot":2unjnheu]="Edgy DC":2unjnheu]Gotta be a better publication than the CPF for this, no?[/quote:2unjnheu] Maybe he unnecessarily insulted the shit out of everybody on every other forum too while trying to claim victim status to the point where no other outlet will take it.[/quote:2unjnheu] I'm sure Jack Clark thinks he's an ass. Which makes him A-OK in my book. Great read, thanks for supplying it.

They give these TV producers too many toys to play with. Those hand-held cameras were at a ridiculous (like knee-high) angle for the AL All-Stars which was great if the purpose was to see up their nostrils. And then we never really saw Obama's pitch because they insisted on shooting it with the hand-held from the 3rd base side of the mound. They got their close-up but lost the throw in the process. I think it reached Pujols but I'll have to take someone's word for it.

metsguyinmichigan wrote: This probably doesn't belong here, and I hope they don't do it every year. But to get all five presidents on board is pretty impressive. Getting some of the dead ones would be even more impressive.

I always catch at least part of it -- but it's been a long time since I hung on every pitch.

A friend of mine once got a laugh out of Gooden by yelling out to the field (during warmups) if he thought Charlie O'Brien's haircut made him look like Harpo Marx

BP tends to have a thinking man's audience so one would expect the comments there to be a bit more intelligent than the ones Goldstein references came though on his Twitter account, comments I didn't read but really don't need to to know that they're most likely the electronic equivalent of semi-literate screeds etched on bricks thrown through a window.

="TransMonk":g1yy79fe]All Star Day Contest: Can you predict the order of their return?[/quote:g1yy79fe] Reyes Maine Beltran Delgado Wagner Putz Centerfield Jul 14 2009 07:54 AM Delgado Reyes Maine Wagner Beltran Putz TransMonk Jul 14 2009 07:58 AM Reyes Delgado Beltran Wagner Maine Putz Edgy DC Jul 14 2009 07:59 AM ="Frayed Knot":2j73api9]="TransMonk":2j73api9]All Star Day Contest: Can you predict the order of their return?[/quote:2j73api9] Reyes Maine Beltran Delgado Wagner Putz[/quote:2j73api9] I'm not sharing my prize with you. I'm just not. Benjamin Grimm Jul 14 2009 08:03 AM Reyes Maine Beltran Delgado Wagner Putz Edgy DC Jul 14 2009 08:04 AM You neither. Centerfield Jul 14 2009 08:08 AM I'm surprised to see so many of you putting Beltran so high. Of all of them, I've heard the least about any progress made by the Mole host. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 14 2009 08:12 AM 1. Delgado 2. Maine 3. Beltran 4. Reyes 5. Wagner 6. Piutz Benjamin Grimm Jul 14 2009 08:17 AM I think I tended to put the guys who had surgery on the bottom of my list, and those who were recovering with rest towards the top. Not that that's the best way to do it, of course. Wagner's surgery was almost a year ago, and Reyes has shown that resting could take a verrrrry long time. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 14 2009 08:26 AM ="TransMonk":166bv7qx]All Star Day Contest: Can you predict the order of their return?[/quote:166bv7qx] Reyes Delgado Maine Beltran Wagner Putz Gwreck Jul 14 2009 09:10 AM Reyes Delgado Beltran Wagner Putz Maine John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 14 2009 09:13 AM I put Reyes down the list because I need to temper my expectations. He's only in front of Wagner and Putz because I hate them. Rockin' Doc Jul 14 2009 11:22 AM Reyes Maine Delgado Beltran Wagner Putz I suspect we have seen the last of J.J. Putz in a Mets uniform. smg58 Jul 14 2009 11:29 AM After rolling some dice: Maine Beltran Wagner Reyes Delgado Putz PiggiesTomatoes Jul 14 2009 01:45 PM Reyes Maine Beltran Delgado Putz Wagner Frayed Knot Aug 12 2009 03:05 PM Well, no one had Wagner on top of their list although that's looking like that'll be the answer. Talking about him pitching tonight and again on Friday before being activated for Sunday.

From Dave Lennon's (Newsday) on-line chat yesterday: Reyes -- later this month Delgado -- around Aug. 1 Beltran -- could be the toughest to predict of all of them, maybe around Aug. 1, too. He didn't mention Maine

="metirish":2cq4yf7v]Does Catch of the day have ribs?[/quote:2cq4yf7v] I think most fish have ribs, yes. dgwphotography Jul 14 2009 07:57 AM We made the shake shack our first stop after getting off the subway on Sunday... We got a table and walked right up and placed an order with no line at all.... metirish Jul 14 2009 08:02 AM ="Frayed Knot":3n1il63q]="metirish":3n1il63q]Does Catch of the day have ribs?[/quote:3n1il63q] I think most fish have ribs, yes.[/quote:3n1il63q] tis true.......I got our smart assed.... metirish Jul 14 2009 08:02 AM ="dgwphotography":2ccowj6z]We made the shake shack our first stop after getting off the subway on Sunday... We got a table and walked right up and placed an order with no line at all....[/quote:2ccowj6z] not told here is the dgwp was carrying a gun. DocTee Jul 14 2009 08:06 AM Mebbe the Mets should bring this guy aboard: [url:r0m1vf1g]http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/14/SPE718LA3T.DTL[/url:r0m1vf1g] dgwphotography Jul 14 2009 08:06 AM ="metirish":37oc76h5]="dgwphotography":37oc76h5]We made the shake shack our first stop after getting off the subway on Sunday... We got a table and walked right up and placed an order with no line at all....[/quote:37oc76h5] not told here is the dgwp was carrying a gun.[/quote:37oc76h5] LOL - I just a pretty big lens... Not my fault if they mistook it for a weapon... The view from the 7... bmfc1 Jul 14 2009 09:38 AM http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/ny-spparks1412966058jul13,0,6093781.story Some changes will be made to CF. What gets me that management had to "hear" from the fans before realizing that we want Mets history to be incorporated into a Mets ballpark. A smarter management would have built a team HOF right away instead of as an afterthought. A smarter management would have kept a panel or two from the Shea OF fence in place (if it didn't impede traffic) as both an historical marker and a meeting place. metsguyinmichigan Jul 14 2009 10:28 AM ="dgwphotography":72k07gfl]="metirish":72k07gfl]="dgwphotography":72k07gfl]We made the shake shack our first stop after getting off the subway on Sunday... We got a table and walked right up and placed an order with no line at all....[/quote:72k07gfl] not told here is the dgwp was carrying a gun.[/quote:72k07gfl] LOL - I just a pretty big lens... Not my fault if they mistook it for a weapon... The view from the 7... [/quote:72k07gfl] Beautiful photo! It really is a nice-looking ballpark. Benjamin Grimm Jul 14 2009 10:59 AM ="metsguyinmichigan":123rtddu] Beautiful photo! [/quote:123rtddu] I agree! ="metsguyinmichigan":123rtddu] It really is a nice-looking ballpark.[/quote:123rtddu] I agree with that, too. I only wish it was closer to Manhattan. metirish Jul 14 2009 11:01 AM Why closer to Manhattan when you live closer to Philly? the image is very beautiful , great capture. Benjamin Grimm Jul 14 2009 11:04 AM I wasn't thinking of my own convenience. I just think the stadium would be better located closer to Manhattan so they'd be able to get more of the after-work crowd. Vic Sage Jul 14 2009 11:56 AM its easy to get there after work. It's a 35 minute ride on the 7 train, or less on the LIRR. The problem is driving during rush hour, but that would be the problem even if you drove to the east side from the west side. G-Fafif Jul 14 2009 12:20 PM Great picture, no surprise, considering the lensman. Park and setting still need to be surrounded by a city block for full effect. Otherwise it still smacks of Arlington Comes to Flushing rather than homage to St. Ebbets. Farmer Ted Jul 15 2009 03:28 PM Took in the game on Sunday. First time to Citi. Had recent trips to PNC and Safeco so I was anxious to do a some comparison shopping. Overall a definite A. I got there early so I was literally the first person to the Shake Shack. Yum. Only an hour before game time and the place was mobbed. So here are my drawbacks: 1. Food court. Serious congestion here before and during the game. Put a destination location at the stadium and everyone flocks to it. I say tear down some of the junk yards across the street, install a foot bridge, and put some more fun stuff over there to ease the food mess. 2. Concourse width not enough. Then again, maybe the concourse is wide enough but you lose 10 feet of space with the cashier ropes that jut out from the food counters. Who thought of this traffic nightmare? 3. Home Run apple. I'll give a pass to the apple not coming up for Tatis' home run. I was turned away trying to get to the OLD apple since there was a private reception on that level. Fuckers. I was impressed with the staff at the game. Tons of staff in an array of colored shirts. Lady behind me got up in between innings and the schmuck behind her spilled beer on her seat. Dude was sloshed and subsequently tossed by security for being "that guy". No fewer than five staff showed up including one supervisor to wash down and scrub around her seat. NEVER saw that at Shea or any other stadium. I had the usher nazi in my section. No ticket, get out. Ninth inning and want to sneak down for a closer look? Tough shit. The place looked great. Still a bit sad about the vacant parking lot next to it. Surprised to see the brackets holding up piping in the stadium were rusting. Yeah, rusting. Speaking of Rust. No homage to Rusty Staub? Boog Powell and Greg Luzinski have their food pits. Until the area around the stadium is cleaned up, Safeco and PNC still get a slight edge for convenience and accessibility. I was happy that the place turned out to be a top flight facility. Ashie62 Jul 15 2009 08:25 PM ="metirish":fl693ser]Why closer to Manhattan when you live closer to Philly? the image is very beautiful , great capture.[/quote:fl693ser] Wish it was closer to Newark...sorry..train goes there dgwphotography Jul 16 2009 11:45 AM ="G-Fafif":19bf1wye]Great picture, no surprise, considering the lensman.[/quote:19bf1wye] This takes me back to the writing in those 1970's yearbooks.... ="G-Fafif":19bf1wye]Park and setting still need to be surrounded by a city block for full effect. Otherwise it still smacks of Arlington Comes to Flushing rather than homage to St. Ebbets.[/quote:19bf1wye] This is an excellent point - I oddly felt more in place when standing line for the the Mr. Met dash by the chop shops... G-Fafif Jul 16 2009 12:50 PM I think CF looks best when viewed from 126th St, though that's not really the ballpark. The admin building looks like a civic institution there, like a school or post office from the 1930s. Fits into a neighborhood even if the neighborhood isn't there. I like the back end of it, supporting the Willie Mays Bridge and the Pepsi Porch, as viewed from the Promenade as well. A bit of an OP@CY warehouse feel. Just a bit.

Nice little mini-discussion by BP's Kevin Goldstein[/url:1ldg65bh] on the Berroa pickup - one which says as much about the mindset of angry fans as about the move itself. Some of the reader comments below are insightful as well.