Frayed Knot

Q: So what's better than a four-game NYM winning streak? A: A four-game NYM winning streak that's followed by flipping the channel in time to see Rivera serve up back-to-back jacks to the Rays in the 9th of a (formerly) tied game

]How is it any different? They're both cheating and hoping to get away with it. The only difference is that A-Rod got called out and Hawaii Five-Fuck didn't. You're a bit broad with your use of the word 'cheating' here. There's a big difference between one runner using his hands to smack someone hard enough to make them drop the ball and another making it look like: 'ooh look Mr. umpire, I just plum runned into this guy standing right in my way' in order to steal a call. The latter is not only done all the time but is taught that way. The former is explicitly against the rules and was so rarely seen that ARod doing it not only invited the near universal ridicule he got but deserved it as well. And once more (with feeling); It WAS a BAD call - but the bad here was on Welke for making it, not Victorino for trying.

And Castillo [u:0ba0977424]two hands it[/u:0ba0977424] for the out.

Cairo dribbles like an Egyptian.

I'm very Feliz that he popped up that first one.

]It's dirty pool, he goes out of his way to bump Reyes and put a shoulder into him when Reyes is moving out of the basepath. And the ump totally missed it. Again, blame the ump. Making or even faking contact is exactly what runners are taught to do in that situation. ]That's like defending A-Rod's ball slap in the ALCS back when. Not the same - either in intent or in degree.

Serves me right for going into the kitchen during the pitching change ... but it's still a bad idea.

Playing for one run with Ramon Castro as the runner is a really bad idea.

Fman99 wrote: Victorino's a real scumbag. Victorino's not the problem there. A runner caught like that should do everything he can to try to get a call. And it's not like he threw the elbow maliciously, he just needed to make contract. It's the stupid ump's fault for falling for it.

Same 1B ump who missed the call on a should-be GiDP before.

Seems to me that we've gotten dicked on a couple of baseline obstruction/interference calls in the last year or two.

Willets Point wrote: Seven runs isn't padding a lead? I meant since the pitching change. We've be running in place against Happ & Condrey while the Phils have chipped away with one or two.

So Ronnie D. mentioned tonight that if Keith were truly to run for office (as was suggested during his stadium tour tonight) he might have a problem with it since they're on opposite sides of the political debate. So is the lefty the "lefty" or is the lefty a "righty"? As always, vote early and vote often

Would like to see at least one more strong inning out of Pelfrey. We're certainly not doing so hot in the padding the lead department.

="Ashie62"]The Wilpons seem to be timid decision makers and maybe delegate too much to Omar. The Wilpons want to win, I just believe Omar is the wrong guy Owners get into more trouble when they don't delegate authority, or when they do but then override decisions made by the guy(s) who are supposedly in the job because for their judgement for that position. If you think Omar is the wrong guy then advocate for getting rid of him rather than having him neutered but remain as a figure-head.

Quinn jumped from the NYDN to ESPN at least a year or so ago. Seems to have been hired specifically to work on their drug reporting (for baseball of course, there are no drug problems in the NFL) Not sure if Fainaru-Wada is still with his SF paper and just doing extra work for ESPN or if he's switched to them full time too.

="RealityChuck":37q5s7en]IIRC, a suspension with cause means no pay. I doubt even Boras could change that.[/quote:37q5s7en] Right, I'm reasonably sure that it would be one of those things written into the standard player's agreement -- IOW, a blanket agreement between the owners and union that is automatically transferred to each contract. seawolf17 May 07 2009 10:39 AM Holy moly. metirish May 07 2009 10:46 AM SNY ran one of their in-game pools the other night asking which NL Division leader had the best chance of winning their division. 1 - Phillies 2 Cardinals 3 - Dodgers much laughing was had in the booth , Dodgers at the time were five games up , now 6.5 games up. That division just got more interesting. TransMonk May 07 2009 10:52 AM ="metirish":5pdfa33e]SNY ran one of their in-game pools the other night asking which NL Division leader had the best chance of winning their division. 1 - Phillies 2 Cardinals 3 - Dodgers much laughing was had in the booth , Dodgers at the time were five games up , now 6.5 games up. That division just got more interesting.[/quote:5pdfa33e] I still think it's the Dodgers. Manny would be back before the All-Star break (just in time to face the Mets at Citi) and I don't see any of those other teams stepping up in the West. Certainly not a sure thing, though. metirish May 07 2009 10:57 AM They ran a poll and not a pool of course. smg58 May 07 2009 11:06 AM Either Manny's lying, or he and his doctor are the dumbest people on the planet. Centerfield May 07 2009 11:07 AM Yup. The Dodgers too. How do you spend that amount of money and not monitor all mediations he is taking? After JC Romero, no club has any excuse. Centerfield May 07 2009 11:14 AM On re-read, looks like Edgy already said what I said. I just want to make it clear to Mr. McCourt (and Mr. Wilpon and every other owner) that I am willing to follow around Manny (or some other superstar) and make sure everything he takes isn't on the list. Call within the next twenty minutes (because you know I can't do this all day) and I'll do it for a just a few million a year. OlerudOwned May 07 2009 11:15 AM Hahahaha. This tickles my somewhat irrational dislike of the Dodgers. Fman99 May 07 2009 11:22 AM ="Edgy DC":1hvft43p]Ah, the ol' "down in Miami" defense. Seriously, how can you sympathize with any club that doesn't have their own medical personnel screening every phamaceutical --- if not every last can of who hash --- that goes into a player's body?[/quote:1hvft43p] This is my first thought. I think if Manny is within a block of a pharmacy (or a guy selling something on a square of tin foil) then he should be tackled by his employer and rassled into submission. Edgy DC May 07 2009 11:25 AM If everybody's this dumbidddy dumb, and we're so Maxwell smart, maybe we should start a consulting firm. Centerfield May 07 2009 11:26 AM Plans for the Manny Ramirez Rotunda at Citifield: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 07 2009 11:58 AM Now he'll have more time for marinatin'! holychicken May 07 2009 12:12 PM ="metirish":3h9mu37f]It's just Manny being Manny .......[/quote:3h9mu37f] No no. . . It's just Manny being Barry. Nymr83 May 07 2009 12:47 PM WOman-ram? ] two sources told ESPN's T.J. Quinn and Mark Fainaru-Wada that the drug used by Ramirez is HCG -- human chorionic gonadotropin. HCG is a women's fertility drug typically used by steroid users to restart their body's natural testosterone production as they come off a steroid cycle. It is similar to Clomid, the drug Bonds, Giambi and others used as clients of BALCO. OlerudOwned May 07 2009 12:48 PM Going to have to get creative to justify taking women's fertility drugs for reasons to related to steroid cycles. Farmer Ted May 07 2009 12:53 PM Manny has Bitch Tits. Swan Swan H May 07 2009 01:09 PM OlerudOwned wrote: ]Going to have to get creative to justify taking women's fertility drugs He wanted to test the feasibility of 'Manny breeding Manny.' He wanted to look good in a strapless gown. His dreads were getting split ends. He was considering signing with the Nationals, and heard they were a bunch of 'softball girls.' holychicken May 07 2009 01:24 PM ="Edgy DC":6autrplu]Ah, the ol' "down in Miami" defense. Seriously, how can you sympathize with any club that doesn't have their own medical personnel screening every phamaceutical --- if not every last can of who hash --- that goes into a player's body?[/quote:6autrplu] I doubt they can legally do so. The whole doctor-patient privacy law stops the teams from being able to force the players to do so, I would imagine. Valadius May 07 2009 01:47 PM Manny suspended because he couldn't get it up. Hilarious. metirish May 07 2009 01:53 PM T.J. Quinn and Mark Fainaru-Wada are now working for espn? Nymr83 May 07 2009 02:08 PM ="metirish":1kzkqzd1]T.J. Quinn and Mark Fainaru-Wada are now working for espn?[/quote:1kzkqzd1] i think espn will give a job to any ex-player in any sport at any time. metirish May 07 2009 02:13 PM But these two probably were at the forefront of investigating PED abuse in MLB over the last number of years. Quinn used to be Mets beat writer for the Snooze. Fainaru-Wada co-wrote " Game Of Shadows" . soupcan May 07 2009 02:18 PM ="Valadius":3ex0r9pw]Manny suspended because he couldn't get it up. Hilarious.[/quote:3ex0r9pw] Valadius - where the hell have you been? We're still waiting for your song parody entry! Frayed Knot May 07 2009 02:23 PM Quinn jumped from the NYDN to ESPN at least a year or so ago. Seems to have been hired specifically to work on their drug reporting (for baseball of course, there are no drug problems in the NFL) Not sure if Fainaru-Wada is still with his SF paper and just doing extra work for ESPN or if he's switched to them full time too. metirish May 07 2009 02:25 PM Player reaction Manny caught[/url:huygi4c3] Kong76 May 07 2009 03:45 PM Good thing the Mets didn't cave in and get him. My birthday's coming up in August if anyone wants to send me a grill like the one pictured with him on the other page. Ashie62 May 07 2009 04:55 PM Good Lord...sad part..the game is harmed and more surely to come my Prediction 1. Pujols 2. Jeter 3 Nolan Ryan 4 Carlos Delgado 5 Vladimir Guerrero How come Brady Andersons 50 HR year never comes up? Anybody here think Hojo turned into a slugger through something other than a corked bat. His career did end early. themetfairy May 07 2009 05:11 PM ="Kong76":eme8bbh8]Good thing the Mets didn't cave in and get him. My birthday's coming up in August if anyone wants to send me a grill like the one pictured with him on the other page.[/quote:eme8bbh8] You'd take that over a Keg-a-Cue? MFS62 May 07 2009 09:33 PM Hmmm Let's see: Giambi Clemens A-Rod now Manny What do they all have in common? Torre If you'd like to see him implicated, raise your hand. Later metsguyinmichigan May 07 2009 09:59 PM ="MFS62":3s3rbjyk]Hmmm Let's see: Giambi Clemens A-Rod now Manny What do they all have in common? Torre If you'd like to see him implicated, raise your hand. Later[/quote:3s3rbjyk] Only if you take Tony LaRussa right behind him. SteveJRogers May 07 2009 10:03 PM ="MFS62":2jbrur59]Hmmm Let's see: Giambi Clemens A-Rod now Manny What do they all have in common? Torre If you'd like to see him implicated, raise your hand. Later[/quote:2jbrur59] Yeah, they all were clean BEFORE joining Torre managed teams. I get you want to get him for "looking the other way" but when you think about it, do you really expect anything different from a hands off guy like Torre? Edgy DC May 07 2009 10:16 PM ="MFS62":26yfbcxw]Hmmm Let's see: Giambi Clemens A-Rod now Manny What do they all have in common? Torre[/quote:26yfbcxw] Well, yeah, he was naming Yankees of recent vintage and Torre was the manager for 13 years. They all have a lot in common. Yankee Stadium, Steinbrenner, Billy Crystal, Madonna. The point is the double standard Kay displayed. smg58 May 08 2009 05:00 AM ="Ashie62":3157mime]Good Lord...sad part..the game is harmed and more surely to come my Prediction 1. Pujols 2. Jeter 3 Nolan Ryan 4 Carlos Delgado 5 Vladimir Guerrero How come Brady Andersons 50 HR year never comes up? Anybody here think Hojo turned into a slugger through something other than a corked bat. His career did end early.[/quote:3157mime] Because Brady Anderson's career was otherwise so forgettable that he's been, well, forgotten. If he was a HOF candidate, people would be talking about him for sure. At this point, everybody's a suspect. I see no point in singling anyone out before clear evidence comes up against them. Edgy DC May 08 2009 05:30 AM Anderson used to come up all the time. But now (1) he's retired, (2) he's eclipsed by people from whom we actually have failed tests from. And (3) what's the point? cooby May 09 2009 08:00 AM I like Manny, I'm sorry about this. I'm keeping him on my fantasy team, too. Nymr83 May 14 2009 12:01 PM ]"When you take steroids you have a direct outcome of the game, that's the integrity of the game. And when you can change records when you do something illegal, it's just not right. ... Baseball records are sacred. If you do something illegal to surpass those records, it's just not good." --Pete Rose, Guardian of Integrity in Baseball metirish May 14 2009 12:04 PM Didn't Rose then go on to say that Alex Rodriguez should still go to the HOF. I didn't read the article but saw that blurb.... Nymr83 May 14 2009 12:05 PM ="metirish":3sqflmah]Didn't Rose then go on to say that Alex Rodriguez should still go to the HOF. I didn't read the article but saw that blurb....[/quote:3sqflmah] Yeah. I wonder what other cheaters he thinks belong in the hall... Benjamin Grimm May 14 2009 12:08 PM I got to about the fourth paragraph and then thought, "Why does anyone care what Pete Rose has to say about all this?" And then I stopped reading. metirish May 14 2009 12:11 PM ="Benjamin Grimm":37sj3ba0]I got to about the fourth paragraph and then thought, "Why does anyone care what Pete Rose has to say about all this?" And then I stopped reading.[/quote:37sj3ba0] Exactly why I didn't read it. Nothing he says really interests me. Fman99 May 14 2009 12:57 PM ="Benjamin Grimm":2eyfx6w2]I got to about the fourth paragraph and then thought, "Why does anyone care what Pete Rose has to say about all this?" And then I stopped reading.[/quote:2eyfx6w2] Pete Rose is a retard. That's why other retards always have Pete Rose's haircut.

Rule says you need to be in the box and can be called out if not. Now if the ump doesn't say anything (or catcher doesn't ask) prior to the pitch I'm sure he's not going to flag him after he hits on into the gap. But I know Aaron lost one HR when called out for stepping out of the box as he swung and I'm sure there have been others.

Hey Keith (and we know you're reading) your CPF choice discussion topics for tonight are: 1) playing the line vs not in late-inning, close-game situations or 2) did Pres Lincoln choose to start an unnecessary war rather than opting for negotiations as a reaction to southern secession due to pressure from northern industrialists and their powerful representatives in Congress?

Ownership envy has a tendency to fall under the same grass-is-greener syndrome that player envy does. I remember an earlier version of this forum that was near-unanimous in [u:32fvwg2a]knowing[/u:32fvwg2a] that Cablevision would and should be the white-knight that would ride in and be a the cure-all owner the Mets needed. Ooops! And, yeah I know, Cuban does have a track record in ownership (one where he seems to center the spotlight on himself rather than the team) where Cablevision (at the time) didn't so the question doesn't totally jump in blind. But, correct me if I'm wrong, don't the Mavericks have a near decade-long streak now of being a good - though never great - team that's constantly on the verge of winning but always falls short? And, if so, how is that an improvement? And speaking of desperation deadline deals, how'd that Jason Kidd swap work out? I think, in general, the Wilpons mean well and are certainly committed to putting the best product on the field. That doesn't mean they always go about it the right way or make the best decisions but I don't think it's for a lack of trying (code word: "being cheap"). My complaints about them are more procedural than anything else: opting for the PR-friendly move which in the long run only nets worse publicity than had you not tried in the first place; or acting as if NYM history began the day their group took sole ownership. Would Cuban be good for baseball? --- Sure, whatever, why not. I certainly see no good reason for keeping him out and, if the rumors are true that there are enough votes inside MLB that could shut the door on him simply because his "style" rubs some insiders the wrong way, then shame on them. Now, would he be an instant (not to mention long-term) improvement if control of the Mets were suddenly shifted over to him? --- Coin flip

Santana - 5.5 Feliciano - 1.9 Rodriguez - 1.4 Delgado - 0.4 Tatis - 0.4 Murphy - 0.4

I don't actually think he's reading here either - but hearing him take up seperate CPF discussions on two consecutive nights is pretty funny.

Huge inning from Pedro. Had the benefit of a couple of LHBs but he still faced the meat of their order and had to work around a dinky double. I rarely give more than 1.0 Schaefer point for a single inning of relief but, if this score holds up, I just may do so in this case. Hey, it's not like anyone on the offense deserves any!

Keith's reading the 'Pool' again - this time he's talking about changing stances within the batters box. Coincidence? ... I don't think so!!

="Benjamin Grimm":3orw5t70]And my brother-in-law insists that it's harder to hit a golf ball than a baseball.[/quote:3orw5t70] He is aware that the golf ball is stationary while the baseball is decidedly not, right? Benjamin Grimm May 06 2009 12:08 PM I pointed that out. He says that he hits the ball better in a batting cage than he does on a golf course. I didn't care to prolong the argument. Frayed Knot May 06 2009 05:49 PM Keith's reading the 'Pool' again - this time he's talking about changing stances within the batters box. Coincidence? ... I don't think so!! Kong76 May 06 2009 07:12 PM Keith doesn't strike me as one to be huddled over a laptop reading baseball message boards while working and certainly not while outside the booth. He could be reading over someone's shoulder, but that's purely conjecture on my part. Frayed Knot May 06 2009 07:38 PM I don't actually think he's reading here either - but hearing him take up seperate CPF discussions on two consecutive nights is pretty funny. Frayed Knot May 07 2009 07:46 AM Hey Keith (and we know you're reading) your CPF choice discussion topics for tonight are: 1) playing the line vs not in late-inning, close-game situations or 2) did Pres Lincoln choose to start an unnecessary war rather than opting for negotiations as a reaction to southern secession due to pressure from northern industrialists and their powerful representatives in Congress? soupcan May 07 2009 08:03 AM You just reminded me... I was paying attention to where guys were standing in the box last night and snapped this shot of Utley.. At what point does an umpire say 'Dude, get back in the box..!" His back foot is clearly out of the box - what's up with that? Is he automatically out if he hits a fair ball? What's the rule? Frayed Knot May 07 2009 08:08 AM Rule says you need to be in the box and can be called out if not. Now if the ump doesn't say anything (or catcher doesn't ask) prior to the pitch I'm sure he's not going to flag him after he hits on into the gap. But I know Aaron lost one HR when called out for stepping out of the box as he swung and I'm sure there have been others.