Frayed Knot

="Ashie62"]After the Bank is nationalized this weekend the Mets will have a month to clear the books. Clear them of what? ]I predict the Wilpons will have to sell the team by the end o the year. I'll take that bet ]Every ballplayer that plays in this government owned stadium should play for a dollar a game. As long as every person who works in a government owned office building also works for a dollar a day.

="metirish":10tgzn23]Wow ,that's a change from reports that he will still play in the WBC.[/quote:10tgzn23] Well neither the Yanx or the Dom Rep team - or Alex hisself for that matter - are confirming it so I wouldn't go taking the above as gospel quite yet. Mainly I just wanted to start a new thread so I could use that subject heading. bmfc1 Mar 05 2009 10:38 AM Alex Rodriguez's cousin will perform the surgery. Nymr83 Mar 05 2009 12:15 PM Re: Cyst-Boom-Bah ="Frayed Knot":3isa2huz] 2) Now Yanx fans get to test out their theory about how much better they'll be with some scrub at 3B rather than his un-clutch self.[/quote:3isa2huz] his replacement (who is it?) will hit .260/.295/.330 but will have a game-winning sac-fly and be pronounced the king of clutch by yankee fans. John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 05 2009 01:45 PM It'd be Cody Ransom at this point but I'm sure a trade for Argenis Reyes could be arranged if Cashman calls. Heh. Oh, and Jobba the Fat faced five batters vs. Team Canada today -- walked 4 of them and gave up a hit to the other and mixed in a wild pitch. Word is his velocity sucks. Farmer Ted Mar 05 2009 01:52 PM How convenient, cysts can be treated with antibiotics and steroids. For the doctors on the forum, is there a relationship between hip cysts and steroid use? soupcan Mar 05 2009 02:01 PM There was a caller on WFAN who said he was a former bodybuilder and steroid user. Said that cysts were common in steroid users at the injection site. He said that the hip was a common injection site. Again - that came from a caller so take it for what its worth. John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 05 2009 02:39 PM MFYs say no surgery, the plan is to just rest and play through it a la Mike Lowell and Chase Utley to name two other roided up bastards. Gwreck Mar 05 2009 02:46 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":9tr4h4v3]Chase Utley to name two other roided up bastards.[/quote:9tr4h4v3] That reminds me, is he going to be out at the beginning of the year? Can't say I'd be upset if he wound up missing a few months. Benjamin Grimm Mar 05 2009 02:47 PM More proof that the Yankees doctors are a bunch of quacks, and that they secretly enjoy when players are injured. metirish Mar 05 2009 04:56 PM Rodriguez has a torn labrum in his hip but they won't do surgery , not a Doctor but it seems to me they are putting off the inevitable. MFS62 Mar 05 2009 05:12 PM If true, the Yanks will need a third baseman. How much time do you think it will be until Michael Kay suggests a trade of Robinson Cano for David Wright? Later LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 05 2009 07:21 PM ="MFS62":1zjhnmp7]If true, the Yanks will need a third baseman. How much time do you think it will be until Michael Kay suggests a trade of Robinson Cano for David Wright? Later[/quote:1zjhnmp7] There is no way that I would agree to this... unless they include Melky. Fman99 Mar 05 2009 07:35 PM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr":2xkt8d1d]="MFS62":2xkt8d1d]If true, the Yanks will need a third baseman. How much time do you think it will be until Michael Kay suggests a trade of Robinson Cano for David Wright? Later[/quote:2xkt8d1d] There is no way that I would agree to this... unless they include Melky.[/quote:2xkt8d1d] Throw in some bats and a dead minor leaguer and you've got something! (Too soon?) Edgy DC Mar 05 2009 07:38 PM ="Benjamin Grimm":1tjm8164]More proof that the Yankees doctors are a bunch of quacks, and that they secretly enjoy when players are injured.[/quote:1tjm8164] Posto bono. Frayed Knot Mar 06 2009 06:23 AM ="metirish":39cnszoa]Rodriguez has a torn labrum in his hip but they won't do surgery , not a Doctor but it seems to me they are putting off the inevitable.[/quote:39cnszoa] Yeah the cyst has supposedly been drained, but the labrum is a bit more problematic. IIRC, the labrum is the soft tissue that cushions the interior of the ball-and-socket joint that forms the hip joint (also the shoulder) so the problem is that it's very invasive just to get to it. bmfc1 Mar 09 2009 06:57 AM If Jeter was as great as MFY fans and the media says he is, then he should play BOTH SS and 3B until Rodriguez gets back. metirish Mar 09 2009 07:02 AM Cashman said Rodriguez was "excited" about the surgery , he's probably excited about the prospect of getting a "Bob the builder" band aid to show his friends. Centerfield Mar 09 2009 07:34 AM How come his prognosis changed from being out 4 months, to now 6-9 weeks? John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 09 2009 07:39 AM Because all they are doing now is a scope -- poke a few small holes in there and shave some loose cartlilege out which should free-up his mobility some. Then after the season he goes in for the complicated stuff.

ESPN is reporting (citing Alex's brother) that ARod will need surgery on the cyst in his hip and require 10 weeks of rehab. 1) So now he's not playing for several teams in the WBC 2) Now Yanx fans get to test out their theory about how much better they'll be with some scrub at 3B rather than his un-clutch self.

="Lundy":1vf8pk5q]They should have Seaver and Piazza walk in from centerfield ...[/quote:1vf8pk5q] Backwards! (talk about your blasts from the past -- another long-time, no post) G-Fafif Mar 05 2009 08:37 AM ="Lundy":3r2bl7rv]They should have Seaver and Piazza walk in from centerfield, in a reverse of what happened the last day at Shea.[/quote:3r2bl7rv] Actually, they should have them materialize from the third base stands to give the impression that they just kept walking from center field at Shea straight into Citi Field. Yes, Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza are so awesome that they can walk through brick. metirish Mar 06 2009 12:09 PM I have an idea, the winner of the CPF song parody throws out the first pitch. Centerfield Mar 06 2009 12:17 PM Tom Seaver should throw out the first pitch. Piazza should catch it. Angel Hernandez should be invited to call it a strike, and then Rickey should turn around from the batter's box and explain to Angel why it wasn't. Benjamin Grimm Mar 06 2009 01:40 PM Some of the 1964 pitchers have been unofficially lobbying for the honor. I'd give it to them, since they seem to want it enough to ask. Centerfield Mar 06 2009 02:36 PM "First pitch? Wow, gee...um...I hadn't thought about that at all. Well really that would be great if they were to ask, I mean, I could get there in ten minutes from here in Islip...and Jesse could catch it kind of like a reverse of 1986 and I could throw my glove up in the air, but yeah, I would love to do it if they asked. A lot. I would love it a lot. I think I would even pay money." Kong76 Mar 07 2009 01:49 PM Lundy: They should have Seaver and Piazza walk in from centerfield, in a reverse of what happened the last day at Shea <<< Best idea so far. attgig Mar 09 2009 09:19 AM it'll be a wilpon before it's anyone from citi. maybe it'll be Kucinich to get him to shut up about citifield being named citifield metirish Mar 15 2009 08:17 PM Not opening day but John Franco will have the honor of throwing out the first pitch before the St. John's and Georgetown game on the 29th. seawolf17 Mar 15 2009 08:39 PM ="metirish":a4o5epd1]Not opening day but John Franco will have the honor of throwing out the first pitch before the St. John's and Georgetown game on the 29th.[/quote:a4o5epd1] You think they're telling him it's really Opening Day just to make him go away? Gwreck Mar 15 2009 09:17 PM Apparently he's on better terms with the organization these days -- he just got done doing a stint as a guest instructor in Port St. Lucie. metirish Mar 30 2009 06:36 AM Seaver to Piazza the Daily News says. metirish Mar 31 2009 08:06 PM Carter thinks Mets snubbed him twice ] Gary Carter indicated in an interview with WFAN Tuesday that he was disappointed not to have been chosen to catch either the ceremonial last pitch at Shea Stadium or the first pitch at Citi Field. In both cases, Mike Piazza was selected to catch Tom Seaver's pitch. Asked by Boomer Esiason whether he was surprised he was bypassed for the Citi ceremony, Carter said: "Yeah, a little bit. I was a little surprised at the closing of Shea last year. I don't understand it.'' The Ducks manager wondered whether the organization's view of him soured when he rejected their Double-A managing job two years ago. "When I turned it down, it's almost like they turned their backs to me,'' he said, adding that catching the final pitch at Shea or first at Citi "would have been very special.'' Carter, who unlike Piazza won a championship with the Mets, was invited to participate in the closing ceremonies at Shea. It didn't help Carter's image when he appeared to lobby for the Mets' manager job in a radio interview last year before Willie Randolph had been fired. Carter accused the media of "throwing him under the bus'' and said he and Randolph had discussed the incident. "He knows there were no malicious intentions of trying to take his job,'' Carter said. -- NEIL BEST metsguyinmichigan Mar 31 2009 08:48 PM I can kind of see where Gary's coming from. No disrespect to Mikey. But Carter's already in the Hall with an acne-free back, has a championship ring. With he and Seaver, you'd have both championships represented. He's become a goofball, but he's our goofball. I think they should retire his number, too, but that's just me. Had the Hall of Fame not tried to preserve the Expos in some way by making sure there was at least one player on a plaque, and Carter was in as a Met, No. 8 would probably have been on the wall already. Edgy DC Mar 31 2009 09:01 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Mar 31 2009 10:01 PM There's 20 people ahead of him on the list of potential retired numbers. ]"Yeah, a little bit. I was a little surprised at the closing of Shea last year. I don't understand it.'' Piazza was better than you. He did more than you. It's easy. ]"When I turned it down, it's almost like they turned their backs to me,'' he said You turned down a job --- a promotion ---- and they moved on. Happens all the time. You've since been welcome back in ceremonial opportunities, but offering you a job has to be taken in the context of your previously expressed expectations. ]adding that catching the final pitch at Shea or first at Citi "would have been very special.'' It was special. And they gave it to someone else. It's no reflection on you. Only one guy could have the honor. ]Carter, who unlike Piazza won a championship with the Mets, was invited to participate in the closing ceremonies at Shea. Danny Heep "won a championship" too. It's still a team sport. ]It didn't help Carter's image when he appeared to lobby for the Mets' manager job in a radio interview last year before Willie Randolph had been fired. It certainly reinforced the image established by similar statements in the past. ]Carter accused the media of "throwing him under the bus'' and said he and Randolph had discussed the incident. "He knows there were no malicious intentions of trying to take his job,'' Carter said. Ugh. Enough with that metaphor. Where was he misquoted? Were his words splashed across the front page? Minaya was the one thrown "under the bus" by the media. After Carter threw Randolph under the bus. I can't think of too many New York athletes with a better ratio of good publicity(actual produtivity) - (clearly self-interested quotes) I just don't know why a publicist hasn't made this clear for him yet. batmagadanleadoff Mar 31 2009 09:16 PM ="Edgy DC":2i6srwvp]There's 20 people ahead of him on the list of potential retired numbers.[/quote:2i6srwvp] I'm kind a strict-ler for retiring uniform numbers. Carter was a Met for five seasons and he outright sucked for two and a half of those. I've had enough of him already. He's a Hall of Famer and he deserves to be there. In an Expo hat. No one has an entitlement on a major league managerial gig - especially someone who's never managed in the majors. There's only 30 of those to go around and probably about a thousand guys who think they deserve to be one. Carter should do the math. I like your Danny Heep quote ... because I agree with it. If Piazza doesn't have a World Series ring, it's probably because his teammates, collectively, weren't as good as Carter's. And maybe because one particular asshole didn't feel like running the bases the way they're supposed to be run. But that's another story, based on a whole lot of unfair assumptions --- but also about teammates. Edgy DC Mar 31 2009 10:01 PM The media is the best friend Gary Carter ever had. His next best friend is the bus. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 01 2009 08:41 AM ]I like your Danny Heep quote ... because I agree with it. If Piazza doesn't have a World Series ring, it's probably because his teammates, collectively, weren't as good as Carter's. And maybe because one particular asshole didn't feel like running the bases the way they're supposed to be run. But that's another story, based on a whole lot of unfair assumptions --- but also about teammates. Seconded heartily. Something occurs to me: If Pearlman's book and the clubhouse anecdotes are at all accurate... in a clubhouse full of arrogant tough guys who consumed enough cocaine to literally support the nation of Colombia, how in the course of 162 games and three weeks of playoffs did Gary f-ing Carter avoid getting hit in the face once or twice? seawolf17 Apr 01 2009 08:51 AM Gary, cut it out. Seriously. Just stop. Nobody likes a whiner. Edgy DC Apr 01 2009 08:54 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":15oqruaq]="Edgy DC":15oqruaq]There's 20 people ahead of him on the list of potential retired numbers.[/quote:15oqruaq] I'm kind a strict-ler for retiring uniform numbers. Carter was a Met for five seasons and he outright sucked for two and a half of those.[/quote:15oqruaq] Yeah, I sort of meant that ironically, as in "There's 20 guys ahead of him and the line isn't getting shorter and nobody's staffing the window, and I'm OK with that." batmagadanleadoff Apr 01 2009 08:56 AM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr"]]I like your Danny Heep quote ... because I agree with it. If Piazza doesn't have a World Series ring, it's probably because his teammates, collectively, weren't as good as Carter's. And maybe because one particular asshole didn't feel like running the bases the way they're supposed to be run. But that's another story, based on a whole lot of unfair assumptions --- but also about teammates. Seconded heartily. Something occurs to me: If Pearlman's book and the clubhouse anecdotes are at all accurate... in a clubhouse full of arrogant tough guys who consumed enough cocaine to literally support the nation of Colombia, how in the course of 162 games and three weeks of playoffs did Gary f-ing Carter avoid getting hit in the face once or twice? I have no problem going off on Carter. Why does this guy --undeservedly-- get so much disproportionate credit for the Mets success under Johnson? Why is his old uniform number in hibernation? World Series rings? There's about 50 Mets in team history with one of those. I can easily name 10 ring-owners who had Met careers that blow Carter's away. Cleon Jones has a ring. So does Tug. Doc and Darryl. Keith. Ron Darling and Sid Fernandez had better Met careers than Gary. Why is Gary supposedly near the top of the list of Mets under consideration to have their numbers retired? If his days as an Expo never existed ... if Carter was instead, a promising 1985 rookie who petered out two years later due to a career-damaging injury, would anyone ever be campaigning for Gary's number to be retired? Of course not. So is this all about Carter's Expo days getting mixed in with his Met accomplishments? Are the Mets supposed to be the torch-bearers for Gary's Expo legacy? Are we supposed to retire uniform numbers (officially or unofficially) based on the player's accomplishments with Mets opponents? I never understood the Carter hype. batmagadanleadoff Apr 01 2009 08:58 AM ="Edgy DC":182rnt2d]="batmagadanleadoff":182rnt2d]="Edgy DC":182rnt2d]There's 20 people ahead of him on the list of potential retired numbers.[/quote:182rnt2d] I'm kind a strict-ler for retiring uniform numbers. Carter was a Met for five seasons and he outright sucked for two and a half of those.[/quote:182rnt2d] Yeah, I sort of meant that ironically, as in "There's 20 guys ahead of him and the line isn't getting shorter and nobody's staffing the window, and I'm OK with that."[/quote:182rnt2d] I understood. I wouldn't campaign for the Mets to retire Kranepool's 7 or Tug's 45 or Cleon's 21, but they also have Mets WS rings, and Met careers that were better than Carter's.

Two teams from each group advance out of the pool play (the other two are eliminated) and then start a wipe-the-slate-clean new round of double elimination. So, yeah, teams don't take their losses with them. The only carry-over from round 1 is that your winner or runner-up status determines who you play first in round 2 (Winner of 'A' plays Runner-Up from 'B' while Winner from 'B' plays 'A' Runner-up, etc.) The second double-elimination cuts things down to four teams who then go into a regular single-elimination semi-final then final format.

="metirish":1t09bdlu]... I'm betting though it will be some suit from Citi.[/quote:1t09bdlu] That'll be a real crowd-pleaser seawolf17 Mar 05 2009 07:42 AM ="metirish":1rivug6s]Ralph would be fine , Seaver too...I'm betting though it will be some suit from Citi.[/quote:1rivug6s] You're probably right, sadly. soupcan Mar 05 2009 07:47 AM ="metirish"]...I'm betting though it will be some suit from Citi. MFS62 Mar 05 2009 07:50 AM Who threw out the first pitch at Shea? If that person is still alive, it would make for a nice touch. (and, if they're still alive, it would also probably make for a lousy throw). Later themetfairy Mar 05 2009 07:56 AM We all know it's going to be a Lincoln Mercury dealer. G-Fafif Mar 05 2009 08:09 AM ="MFS62":1j64xqvw]Who threw out the first pitch at Shea? If that person is still alive, it would make for a nice touch. (and, if they're still alive, it would also probably make for a lousy throw).[/quote:1j64xqvw] Bill Shea. I hear he has relatives. And that the National League baseball he brought back to New York is still here. soupcan Mar 05 2009 08:14 AM I vote Seaver. Lundy Mar 05 2009 08:25 AM They should have Seaver and Piazza walk in from centerfield, in a reverse of what happened the last day at Shea. G-Fafif Mar 05 2009 08:25 AM Jeff Wilpon has already nominated someone for the second game, says today's Times. That and other weird Met-like quotes bolded; and good news about Seaver, Hodges and Stengel being honored by having suites named for them. Baseball, as ever, the game of the people. (The Times, meanwhile, gives off the impression it was offended it ever had to cover games in the former facility.) ]Mets� New Home Is the �Anti-Shea� By KEN BELSON and RICHARD SANDOMIR For those fans who hated Shea Stadium, fear not: Citi Field is nothing like its predecessor, the last bits of which lie in ruins a few hundreds yards away. The Mets� new park, which will open its doors for a Georgetown-St. John�s baseball game March 29, is far more intimate than Shea and corrects some of Shea�s worst faults. Citi Field will hold about 42,000 fans, 15,000 fewer than Shea. The park is enclosed and many seats wrap around the outfield, so it feels much cozier than Shea�s open-ended bowl, which favored watching football. During an extensive tour of Citi Field on Tuesday, Jeff Wilpon, the team�s chief operating officer, spoke in the Acela Club, a restaurant in left field that will have 550 seats, table service, a bar and wine cabinets for frequent patrons. �There�s all this light and air, and then you�re looking back at the field,� Wilpon said. �We want to make people feel they�re in a living room.� The seats throughout the stadium are angled toward the center of the infield, reducing the need for fans, particularly on the field level, to crane their necks toward home plate. Sitting in their seats, few fans will see the chop shops in Willets Point, the cars roaring past on the Van Wyck Expressway, the subway yards to the south or the U-Haul sign. They will still get a crystal-clear view of the planes on their final approach to La Guardia Airport. Some things never change. Citi Field has many nooks and crannies that are nothing like Shea�s tired symmetry. The grandstand that hangs over right field, for instance, was inspired by the old Tiger Stadium, which Wilpon visited with his grandparents as a child. Fans in center field will get a bull�s-eye view of the bullpens, with Aaron Heilman only in the visitors� half, which is on a slightly raised level, with some protection from fan saliva. The 16-foot wall that rings much of the outfield means an Endy Ch�vez-like catch is unlikely, though. Going for food or a bathroom break will be a lot easier. The concourses are far wider, bathrooms are more numerous and beer drinkers will not have to wander far for a microbrew. Gabila�s knishes will return thanks to convection ovens. (The old knishes were fried, which helps explain the heartburn they generated.) The chance of a plumbing malfunction has also been reduced: the Mets have installed waterless urinals, an eco-friendly touch. The walk from the subway station to Citi Field�s front entrance will take about as long as it took to reach Gate E at Shea, but an acre of planters, trees and other landscaping will usher fans to the new park�s brick exterior and ornate rotunda named for Jackie Robinson. Bricks embedded in the capacious plaza include inscriptions from fans who paid $195 to $345 for the privilege. Several applications were rejected because the language was deemed insulting of New York�s other baseball team. Citi Field�s exterior is a splendid architectural response to the dullness of Shea, while the inner bowl is muted. Shea�s candy-colored plastic seats are gone (along with generations of chipped paint on the handrails) in favor of dark green seats everywhere. �Dark green is the color of a classic ballpark,� said Dave Howard, the team�s executive vice president for business operations, as he stood ankle deep in snow. �And we thought the other team in town would use blue.� Citi Field, with 28 different seating categories, also feels more fragmented than Shea, which had sections of box and reserved seats that stretched from one foul pole to the other. The collection of far smaller blocks of luxury suites, party rooms, restaurants and exclusive box seats spells exclusivity or exclusion, depending on your point of view. Everything has a new name, as well. There�s the Ebbets Club, the Delta Sky360 Club and the Caesars Club. Seaver, Hodges and Stengel have their names on three of the five party suites. The name game is not done, either. �In this economy, you don�t turn down sponsors,� Wilpon said. �Anyone who�s willing to pay. ...� The suites, apparently, will not be just for baseball. Howard said that the club had already booked bar mitzvahs in the Caesars Club. A 150-seat auditorium could host corporate events. While all the major construction is finished, many little touches remain. The kitchens are filled with refrigerators and even French fry baskets, but much of the equipment is unplugged, out of position and covered with layers of dust. The much-improved sound system and scoreboards were getting a workout. A version of Johnny Nash�s �I Can See Clearly Now� played loud and clear. The LED scoreboards that line the facades were ready for June. One read: �David Wright .320 AVG 15 HR 66 RBI.� Wilpon said the team had not decided who would throw out the first pitch on opening day April 13. But he said it would be great if President Obama did it on Jackie Robinson Day two nights later. With the sun setting, dozens of employees were waiting in the parking lot next to the park before their orientation sessions. Gary Brown, who worked at a concession stand for two years at Shea, said he and his friend Faruk Stokes were looking forward to their new workplace. �Any type of progress is a good thing,� said Brown, who lives in Corona, Queens. �It�s a beautiful facility. I just hope the team is more successful here.� Frayed Knot Mar 05 2009 08:34 AM ="Lundy":1vf8pk5q]They should have Seaver and Piazza walk in from centerfield ...[/quote:1vf8pk5q] Backwards! (talk about your blasts from the past -- another long-time, no post) G-Fafif Mar 05 2009 08:37 AM ="Lundy":3r2bl7rv]They should have Seaver and Piazza walk in from centerfield, in a reverse of what happened the last day at Shea.[/quote:3r2bl7rv] Actually, they should have them materialize from the third base stands to give the impression that they just kept walking from center field at Shea straight into Citi Field. Yes, Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza are so awesome that they can walk through brick. metirish Mar 06 2009 12:09 PM I have an idea, the winner of the CPF song parody throws out the first pitch. Centerfield Mar 06 2009 12:17 PM Tom Seaver should throw out the first pitch. Piazza should catch it. Angel Hernandez should be invited to call it a strike, and then Rickey should turn around from the batter's box and explain to Angel why it wasn't. Benjamin Grimm Mar 06 2009 01:40 PM Some of the 1964 pitchers have been unofficially lobbying for the honor. I'd give it to them, since they seem to want it enough to ask. Centerfield Mar 06 2009 02:36 PM "First pitch? Wow, gee...um...I hadn't thought about that at all. Well really that would be great if they were to ask, I mean, I could get there in ten minutes from here in Islip...and Jesse could catch it kind of like a reverse of 1986 and I could throw my glove up in the air, but yeah, I would love to do it if they asked. A lot. I would love it a lot. I think I would even pay money." Kong76 Mar 07 2009 01:49 PM Lundy: They should have Seaver and Piazza walk in from centerfield, in a reverse of what happened the last day at Shea <<< Best idea so far. attgig Mar 09 2009 09:19 AM it'll be a wilpon before it's anyone from citi. maybe it'll be Kucinich to get him to shut up about citifield being named citifield metirish Mar 15 2009 08:17 PM Not opening day but John Franco will have the honor of throwing out the first pitch before the St. John's and Georgetown game on the 29th. seawolf17 Mar 15 2009 08:39 PM ="metirish":a4o5epd1]Not opening day but John Franco will have the honor of throwing out the first pitch before the St. John's and Georgetown game on the 29th.[/quote:a4o5epd1] You think they're telling him it's really Opening Day just to make him go away? Gwreck Mar 15 2009 09:17 PM Apparently he's on better terms with the organization these days -- he just got done doing a stint as a guest instructor in Port St. Lucie. metirish Mar 30 2009 06:36 AM Seaver to Piazza the Daily News says. metirish Mar 31 2009 08:06 PM Carter thinks Mets snubbed him twice ] Gary Carter indicated in an interview with WFAN Tuesday that he was disappointed not to have been chosen to catch either the ceremonial last pitch at Shea Stadium or the first pitch at Citi Field. In both cases, Mike Piazza was selected to catch Tom Seaver's pitch. Asked by Boomer Esiason whether he was surprised he was bypassed for the Citi ceremony, Carter said: "Yeah, a little bit. I was a little surprised at the closing of Shea last year. I don't understand it.'' The Ducks manager wondered whether the organization's view of him soured when he rejected their Double-A managing job two years ago. "When I turned it down, it's almost like they turned their backs to me,'' he said, adding that catching the final pitch at Shea or first at Citi "would have been very special.'' Carter, who unlike Piazza won a championship with the Mets, was invited to participate in the closing ceremonies at Shea. It didn't help Carter's image when he appeared to lobby for the Mets' manager job in a radio interview last year before Willie Randolph had been fired. Carter accused the media of "throwing him under the bus'' and said he and Randolph had discussed the incident. "He knows there were no malicious intentions of trying to take his job,'' Carter said. -- NEIL BEST metsguyinmichigan Mar 31 2009 08:48 PM I can kind of see where Gary's coming from. No disrespect to Mikey. But Carter's already in the Hall with an acne-free back, has a championship ring. With he and Seaver, you'd have both championships represented. He's become a goofball, but he's our goofball. I think they should retire his number, too, but that's just me. Had the Hall of Fame not tried to preserve the Expos in some way by making sure there was at least one player on a plaque, and Carter was in as a Met, No. 8 would probably have been on the wall already. Edgy DC Mar 31 2009 09:01 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Mar 31 2009 10:01 PM There's 20 people ahead of him on the list of potential retired numbers. ]"Yeah, a little bit. I was a little surprised at the closing of Shea last year. I don't understand it.'' Piazza was better than you. He did more than you. It's easy. ]"When I turned it down, it's almost like they turned their backs to me,'' he said You turned down a job --- a promotion ---- and they moved on. Happens all the time. You've since been welcome back in ceremonial opportunities, but offering you a job has to be taken in the context of your previously expressed expectations. ]adding that catching the final pitch at Shea or first at Citi "would have been very special.'' It was special. And they gave it to someone else. It's no reflection on you. Only one guy could have the honor. ]Carter, who unlike Piazza won a championship with the Mets, was invited to participate in the closing ceremonies at Shea. Danny Heep "won a championship" too. It's still a team sport. ]It didn't help Carter's image when he appeared to lobby for the Mets' manager job in a radio interview last year before Willie Randolph had been fired. It certainly reinforced the image established by similar statements in the past. ]Carter accused the media of "throwing him under the bus'' and said he and Randolph had discussed the incident. "He knows there were no malicious intentions of trying to take his job,'' Carter said. Ugh. Enough with that metaphor. Where was he misquoted? Were his words splashed across the front page? Minaya was the one thrown "under the bus" by the media. After Carter threw Randolph under the bus. I can't think of too many New York athletes with a better ratio of good publicity(actual produtivity) - (clearly self-interested quotes) I just don't know why a publicist hasn't made this clear for him yet. batmagadanleadoff Mar 31 2009 09:16 PM ="Edgy DC":2i6srwvp]There's 20 people ahead of him on the list of potential retired numbers.[/quote:2i6srwvp] I'm kind a strict-ler for retiring uniform numbers. Carter was a Met for five seasons and he outright sucked for two and a half of those. I've had enough of him already. He's a Hall of Famer and he deserves to be there. In an Expo hat. No one has an entitlement on a major league managerial gig - especially someone who's never managed in the majors. There's only 30 of those to go around and probably about a thousand guys who think they deserve to be one. Carter should do the math. I like your Danny Heep quote ... because I agree with it. If Piazza doesn't have a World Series ring, it's probably because his teammates, collectively, weren't as good as Carter's. And maybe because one particular asshole didn't feel like running the bases the way they're supposed to be run. But that's another story, based on a whole lot of unfair assumptions --- but also about teammates. Edgy DC Mar 31 2009 10:01 PM The media is the best friend Gary Carter ever had. His next best friend is the bus. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 01 2009 08:41 AM ]I like your Danny Heep quote ... because I agree with it. If Piazza doesn't have a World Series ring, it's probably because his teammates, collectively, weren't as good as Carter's. And maybe because one particular asshole didn't feel like running the bases the way they're supposed to be run. But that's another story, based on a whole lot of unfair assumptions --- but also about teammates. Seconded heartily. Something occurs to me: If Pearlman's book and the clubhouse anecdotes are at all accurate... in a clubhouse full of arrogant tough guys who consumed enough cocaine to literally support the nation of Colombia, how in the course of 162 games and three weeks of playoffs did Gary f-ing Carter avoid getting hit in the face once or twice? seawolf17 Apr 01 2009 08:51 AM Gary, cut it out. Seriously. Just stop. Nobody likes a whiner. Edgy DC Apr 01 2009 08:54 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":15oqruaq]="Edgy DC":15oqruaq]There's 20 people ahead of him on the list of potential retired numbers.[/quote:15oqruaq] I'm kind a strict-ler for retiring uniform numbers. Carter was a Met for five seasons and he outright sucked for two and a half of those.[/quote:15oqruaq] Yeah, I sort of meant that ironically, as in "There's 20 guys ahead of him and the line isn't getting shorter and nobody's staffing the window, and I'm OK with that." batmagadanleadoff Apr 01 2009 08:56 AM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr"]]I like your Danny Heep quote ... because I agree with it. If Piazza doesn't have a World Series ring, it's probably because his teammates, collectively, weren't as good as Carter's. And maybe because one particular asshole didn't feel like running the bases the way they're supposed to be run. But that's another story, based on a whole lot of unfair assumptions --- but also about teammates. Seconded heartily. Something occurs to me: If Pearlman's book and the clubhouse anecdotes are at all accurate... in a clubhouse full of arrogant tough guys who consumed enough cocaine to literally support the nation of Colombia, how in the course of 162 games and three weeks of playoffs did Gary f-ing Carter avoid getting hit in the face once or twice? I have no problem going off on Carter. Why does this guy --undeservedly-- get so much disproportionate credit for the Mets success under Johnson? Why is his old uniform number in hibernation? World Series rings? There's about 50 Mets in team history with one of those. I can easily name 10 ring-owners who had Met careers that blow Carter's away. Cleon Jones has a ring. So does Tug. Doc and Darryl. Keith. Ron Darling and Sid Fernandez had better Met careers than Gary. Why is Gary supposedly near the top of the list of Mets under consideration to have their numbers retired? If his days as an Expo never existed ... if Carter was instead, a promising 1985 rookie who petered out two years later due to a career-damaging injury, would anyone ever be campaigning for Gary's number to be retired? Of course not. So is this all about Carter's Expo days getting mixed in with his Met accomplishments? Are the Mets supposed to be the torch-bearers for Gary's Expo legacy? Are we supposed to retire uniform numbers (officially or unofficially) based on the player's accomplishments with Mets opponents? I never understood the Carter hype. batmagadanleadoff Apr 01 2009 08:58 AM ="Edgy DC":182rnt2d]="batmagadanleadoff":182rnt2d]="Edgy DC":182rnt2d]There's 20 people ahead of him on the list of potential retired numbers.[/quote:182rnt2d] I'm kind a strict-ler for retiring uniform numbers. Carter was a Met for five seasons and he outright sucked for two and a half of those.[/quote:182rnt2d] Yeah, I sort of meant that ironically, as in "There's 20 guys ahead of him and the line isn't getting shorter and nobody's staffing the window, and I'm OK with that."[/quote:182rnt2d] I understood. I wouldn't campaign for the Mets to retire Kranepool's 7 or Tug's 45 or Cleon's 21, but they also have Mets WS rings, and Met careers that were better than Carter's.

Tournament this year is a double double-elimination format. Two teams from each will be promoted out of pool play and then those eight will play a new double elimination round. The far east group gets started first, and defending champ Japan kicked things off last night (this morning) in Tokyo with a 4-0 shutout of China. Korea will then play Taipei before the winners play winners and losers play losers until two teams are out. The remaining groups go at it starting this weekend: * Mexico, Australia, Cuba & South Africa convene in Mexico City * USA, Canada, Italy & Venezuela in Toronto Semi final and final rounds are in San Diego, Miami, and Los Angeles * Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Netherlands & Panama in San Juan, PR

="86-Dreamer":2pgmvfzo]Is Aregenis Reyes still Met property / in camp? figure he would have some chance given how often Jerry pencilled him into the lineup last year. I think Ramon Martinez and Pagan will get the last two spots, and I hope Kielty can be stored in Buffalo.[/quote:2pgmvfzo] Cora's signing pretty much guarantees that he'll get the light-hitting IFer glove-spot on the squad and shut out the likes of R. Martinez or A. Reyes. We won't see either one of them unless someone gets hurt (like when Castillo fell apart late last year). I'm hoping one of the OFers has a good enough ST with all the regulars out WBC-ing to force himself into a job and oust Marlon. Nymr83 Mar 05 2009 09:48 PM I'm betting on Kielty to beat out Anderson or Reed for the last roster spot. Edgy DC Mar 11 2009 10:04 AM Anybody who bet on Pagan, pay up. I'm with Kielty. metsguyinmichigan Mar 11 2009 10:48 AM Valentin looked great when I was there, and made some tough plays at third. I know he's supposed to be a player-coach at Buffalo, but I wouldn't be stunned to see him up at some point. We know they like him. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 11 2009 11:00 AM ="metsguyinmichigan":3g9kmp2f]Valentin looked great when I was there, and made some tough plays at third. I know he's supposed to be a player-coach at Buffalo, but I wouldn't be stunned to see him up at some point. We know they like him.[/quote:3g9kmp2f] He's almost definitely a roster-expansion candidate along with the younguns (as long as he keeps the back unbalky, the joints greased, and the 'stache nice and waxy until then). Edgy DC Mar 11 2009 11:02 AM 100 Seavers on Kielty. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 11 2009 11:08 AM Okay, 13 slots for hitters... although... Manuel has come out in favor of a six-man pen publicly. Of course, he's said a lot of things publicly, but let's assume we can trust him on this, for argument's sake. If that's the case, we've got three spots with which to play. Anderson's spring seems to have bought him at least a few months of goodwill (in the Met system of management loyalty, it seems you have to play your way OUT of the roster)... and an almost-guaranteed slot. I'll write him in hard pencil for one slot, as a 1B/2B/OF emergency option. The other two? While OFs have the edge, certain OFs have more of one. Therefore, I put HEAVY action-- 500+ Seavers-- on Reed, as he's the only CF backup with Pagan shelved. I keep the fifty or so El Sids I plopped on Kielty as the other guy (since Tatis at this point is an IF/OF swing option). Edgy DC Mar 28 2009 10:27 AM This two-man race also seems to have expanded to a three-man show under the premise that the Mets won't add a fifth starter until they need one. Early favorites Marlon Anderson and Jeremy Reed are your leaders as we approach the wire. But if the Mets follow through on the four-starter plan, Paddy may be forced to pay up on Nick Evans also. Congrats to Bobby Kielty and Ramon Martinez, who still staying in the mix. If your betting ticket has their names, don't crumble it up yet.

="Benjamin Grimm"]Which is basically the offer that Manny rejected and that the Dodgers pulled off the table! All the back-and-forth has apparently been over different versions of the same 2@$45 deal. - One had the 2nd year at a club option - another put the option in Manny's court but deferred some of the cash - and the Manny/Boras camp has supposedly been making couter-offers although no one seems to know what they are. Then, of course, there are all those offers from the mystery teams to consider.

]An ex pitcher whose name escapes me Joe McGrane - came up with the Cards in the late '80s/early '90s and I guy I thought was going to be real good, sort of a bigger, better Al Leiter-type. But his career never really panned out so he quickly turned his quotable personality and good looks into a broadcasting jobs almost immediately after he quit playing.

Greer was fine until he petered out early due to injuries just as his big contract kicked in. Kruk's power was actually a bit better than I remembered. A bunch of doubles and twice topped 20 HRs to wind up with a career .145 IsoP number. About .150 is about average these days but pre-'94 strike levels were probably less. Not great for a 1st/LF but a bit more than the singles/doubles hitter I thought. I suspect Murphy could grow into a somewhat better "slugger" than that.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Or maybe they're puffing him up for his July 31 trade value. Well, it's not like other clubs are going to be fooled or goaded in trading for a guy based on press releases and gaudy quotes. And, either way, they'd be better off shutting up about him before fans either get disappointed that: a) he doesn't win 8 Cy Youngs during his career or doesn't bring back Matt Holliday PLUS several throw-ins I actually thought the Mets had done a decent job at not over-promising on prospects since getting burned by their Gen-K experiences. Bernazard, however, seems to like to talk.

Yeah, the better-than-Pelfrey comments are a bit over the top. There's generally a reason why one guy goes #9 overall while the other goes 33rd after being passed over twice by the team that does pick him. Plus to say he's ahead of Pelfrey doesn't mean much seeing as how Pelfrey didn't sign until that first season had passed. That doesn't mean he can't or won't pass him at some point, but it's comments like those which lead fans to think they're being over-promised with some prospects.

Any comps based off of 130 ML ABs is pretty meaningless (yeah they probably take minor league stats into account too, but still). Having said that, John Kruk's on that list and he might not be a bad comp. LH batter; strictly a corner guy; career of .300 BA/.400 OBA; hit to the opposite field a lot (a [u:1vqhnzp9]helluva[/u:1vqhnzp9] lot in Kruk's case); only occasional power. Murphy might be a bit more flexible defensively and could develop more power -- but one could do a lot worse than a 10 yr career and a 3x All-Star with occasional back-of-the-pack MVP votes.

Doesn't matter anyway since the whole baseball world will have its eyes focused on Tampa today because as you must have heard: Derek Jeter is playing against the Yanquis!!!! Yes, this afternoon as the USA squad plays an exibition game in George M. Steinbrenner Field, the OPPOSING SS will be none other than Mr. March-thru-November himself. This is unprecedented folks. Not once in human history has such irony, such conflict, such je ne sais quois occurred. Why it's like Santa living at the south pole; like Arafat showing up a BINGO night at Temple Shalom; it's Paris Hilton at a MENSA meeting;it's cats and dogs living together; it's ... OK, I'll stop now.

Do you really think I stick up for the Wilpons irrationally or have you gotten to the point where you're simply labeling anyone who doesn't trash them incessantly as a suck-up because you think that puts you in with the in crowd? Either way, if you want to find examples where you think I did so we can debate the specific topic(s) individually, but don't make blanket statements about my opinions that you can't back up -- like the one that started this discussion for instance.

="SteveJRogers"]Wilpon. So if I don't trash the medical staff I must be some kind of Wilpon suck-up? I think you want to re-think that one. "Okay, fine I'll give you that point." You mean the point about the medical staff not wanting injuries to linger and hurt the club? -- Very big of you. " But at the end of the day, this staff is still very cloak and dagger on just about every single medical issue." 'Cloak and Dagger'? You mean if a player gets hurt during a game it's some kind of conspiracy of silence unless they have the complete diagnosis and exact return date by the morning papers? Medicine doesn't work that way Steve-O and things like waiting for swelling to go down of seeing if a problem will heal on its own are often proper procedures not examples of malpractice. "Is player A okay to play? -- He's day-to-day. Okay, but he's been out for a week, shouldn't someone look at him? Nah, he is day-to-day, we are going with his word." As Vince Scully says, 'Aren't we all?' (day-to-day) Again, see the point above about medical science not running on the same schedule as beat reporters or stupid fans who are too pissed off to think straight and therefore spout off on topics they know nothing about because they think it makes them sound superior. The only thing worse is listening to those idiots and the repeating what they say as if gospel. "And it especially looks worse right now when Dan Warthen apparently was under the impression that Santana WAS gearing up for the WBC, when it was decided about a month ago that Santana was NOT going to be pitching in the WBC." Something which has nothing to do with the medical staff.

="SteveJRogers"]So, how much does Fredo pay you? OK, I give up. Who the hell is Fredo? ]No, it is not the Mets training and medical staff's fault that injuries happen, it is the staff's fault for the misdiagnosises, the lack of desire to give proper care and treatment just to get the players back on the field and the general sense that they really are a bunch of quacks. If you're going to label "quacks" whenever an exact diagnosis and return date isn't nailed down within 24 hours of an injury then you're never going to be happy with any medical staff and instead are going to sound like one of those idiot fans who wonders why only his closer blows games. And I'm not even going to ask you where you came up with "lack of desire to give proper care and treatment".

Reading some crawl this morning (forget where) Boras is claiming that the Dodgers have not responded to team-Manny's last three proposals. Not sure if those were actual proposals or just something that exists in Scott's head.

So it's the medical staff fault that those players got hurt? If so I think we should fire the entire medical team and hire the staff from one of the teams without injuries. Remind me who those are again?

="SteveJRogers":1nac43oz]I wouldn't be so sure. Given the Mets medical staff history ... [/quote:1nac43oz] And what history is that? SteveJRogers Mar 02 2009 09:08 AM Mo Vaughn, Ryan Church, Billy Wagner, John Maine, etc. This crack staff would give someone a day-to-day diagnosis for a brain tumor! Frayed Knot Mar 02 2009 09:10 AM So it's the medical staff fault that those players got hurt? If so I think we should fire the entire medical team and hire the staff from one of the teams without injuries. Remind me who those are again? Benjamin Grimm Mar 02 2009 09:11 AM Ryan Church's concussion seems to be the one thing that's been truly botched in recent years. But saying someone is day-to-day doesn't mean the medical staff is a bunch of boobs; it could mean that they're not too hasty to make a panicky diagnosis. I'd want to pause and make sure too before consigning somebody to surgery or the 60-day DL. SteveJRogers Mar 02 2009 09:27 AM ="Frayed Knot":o41s9oyl]So it's the medical staff fault that those players got hurt? If so I think we should fire the entire medical team and hire the staff from one of the teams without injuries. Remind me who those are again?[/quote:o41s9oyl] So, how much does Fredo pay you? No, it is not the Mets training and medical staff's fault that injuries happen, it is the staff's fault for the misdiagnosises, the lack of desire to give proper care and treatment just to get the players back on the field and the general sense that they really are a bunch of quacks. SteveJRogers Mar 02 2009 09:30 AM ="Benjamin Grimm":7pulkn2q]Ryan Church's concussion seems to be the one thing that's been truly botched in recent years. But saying someone is day-to-day doesn't mean the medical staff is a bunch of boobs; it could mean that they're not too hasty to make a panicky diagnosis. I'd want to pause and make sure too before consigning somebody to surgery or the 60-day DL.[/quote:7pulkn2q] Considering this team goes from an 85-90 win team to a 75-80 win team without Santana, yeah I would understand a panicky diagnosis and getting him into an MRI. Again, better be safe than have him blow out his arm in April and losing him for more than just 2009. Edgy DC Mar 02 2009 09:35 AM And naturally, if he hurts himself, it'll be directly connected to his not getting an MRI this weekend. TransMonk Mar 02 2009 09:45 AM They call medicine a "practice" for a reason. I was walking to work a month ago and got a severe headache, tightness in my throat, dizziness and loss of balance. I got rushed to the hospital and they said my symptoms indicated I had a small stroke. But after a spinal tap, CT scan and multiple MRIs they could not find anything showing any blockage...in other words, no stroke. I've now visited different doctors (pulminologist, neurologist, physical therapist, opthomologist) 2-3 times per week for the past month and they're still not sure what's wrong. The initial diagnosis was an inner-ear virus, then I was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis, which is a problem, but seemingly unrealated. After a month, I'm still only at about 80% with my balance and I have abnormal sensation ability on the left half of my body. I really have no idea if it will start to get better tomorrow or if I'll be this way the rest of my life. I'm well enough to perform daily activities, but I'm not running or exercising at all. I have another MRI scheduled for Wednesday (but I don't have to travel to New York). I feel like I'm guessing Church did last year. I could not even play catch with a buddy right now, but I'm not giving up hope that I couldn't at this time next week. I'd call my self day-to-day, and would not want to be put on the 60 day DL. I don't know if these or any doctors could be called quacks, it's just that the body is a very complex thing that differs greatly from person to person. Edgy DC Mar 02 2009 09:47 AM Perspective. Get well, Monk. Benjamin Grimm Mar 02 2009 09:48 AM Geez, Monk, I hope you feel better soon. Your account reads like an episode of House. TransMonk Mar 02 2009 09:56 AM Thanks guys. I've never watched House, but I've had many, many people say that. I was hoping to at least get a rare disease named after me. Kong76 Mar 02 2009 10:36 AM Speedy health, Tmonk. John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 02 2009 10:38 AM Yeah, hope you're feeling better soon. Gotta be tough to be troubled by unexplainable stuff. Rockin' Doc Mar 02 2009 10:40 AM I hope you get feeling better soon. themetfairy Mar 02 2009 10:47 AM Feel better TMonk! Benjamin Grimm Mar 02 2009 10:52 AM Kind of selfish, though, how TransMonk has hijacked Johan Santana's thread. Have some respect for the guy with the $137 million contract! Gwreck Mar 02 2009 10:53 AM Best wishes for speedy recovery. TransMonk Mar 02 2009 11:02 AM ="Benjamin Grimm":10s8n325]Kind of selfish, though, how TransMonk has hijacked Johan Santana's thread. Have some respect for the guy with the $137 million contract![/quote:10s8n325] HA! The jist was really the first and last sentences of the post. And that I recently have a little more respect for Church and his health problems last year...and for any injured athlete for that matter. My job doesn't depend on me being fully-functional physically. I can't imagine being in my condition and being a pro-athlete with money, passion and fan opinion on the line. MFS62 Mar 02 2009 11:05 AM Hope they find out what it is and cure it soon, Monk. And we hope its something they've seen before, not something new that they have to name after you. Later Centerfield Mar 02 2009 11:10 AM Whatever. Pop a couple of Advil and walk it off. Like you ever use your lower left-side anyway. I'm kidding. Perhaps in bad taste. Feel better soon. It is incredibly frustrating when all the doctors in the world seem unable to pinpoint a problem. Here's to hoping they figure it out (and cure it) soon. metirish Mar 02 2009 11:20 AM Rub some dirt on it for fecks sake Monk..... Seriously it made for somber reading..I thought at first you were taking the piss then I was hoping you were...get well .. themetfairy Mar 02 2009 11:23 AM D-Dad had a bad case of vertigo about five years ago. Not as debilitating or long-lasting as TMonk's, but frustrating as hell. These things can be weird - sometimes they just run their course without explanation. Hopefully this will be out of your system soon. Frayed Knot Mar 02 2009 02:04 PM ="SteveJRogers"]So, how much does Fredo pay you? OK, I give up. Who the hell is Fredo? ]No, it is not the Mets training and medical staff's fault that injuries happen, it is the staff's fault for the misdiagnosises, the lack of desire to give proper care and treatment just to get the players back on the field and the general sense that they really are a bunch of quacks. If you're going to label "quacks" whenever an exact diagnosis and return date isn't nailed down within 24 hours of an injury then you're never going to be happy with any medical staff and instead are going to sound like one of those idiot fans who wonders why only his closer blows games. And I'm not even going to ask you where you came up with "lack of desire to give proper care and treatment". LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 02 2009 02:12 PM ="Frayed Knot":dd6jvwzq]="SteveJRogers":dd6jvwzq]So, how much does Fredo pay you?[/quote:dd6jvwzq] OK, I give up. Who the hell is Fredo?[/quote:dd6jvwzq] Fred? Jeff? (As in, the incompetent son?) Special Medical Adviser to the New York Mets, Zombie John Cazale? Edgy DC Mar 02 2009 02:14 PM ="SteveJRogers":3ed1rmeg]="Frayed Knot":3ed1rmeg]So it's the medical staff fault that those players got hurt? If so I think we should fire the entire medical team and hire the staff from one of the teams without injuries. Remind me who those are again?[/quote:3ed1rmeg] So, how much does Fredo pay you? No, it is not the Mets training and medical staff's fault that injuries happen, it is the staff's fault for the misdiagnosises, the lack of desire to give proper care and treatment just to get the players back on the field and the general sense that they really are a bunch of quacks.[/quote:3ed1rmeg] And all these guys were misdiagnoses (or "misdiagnosises")? You know that the medical staff has been turned over since Mo Vaughn's day, right? Twice, I think. Steve, are you gunning for Davidoff's job or something. Kong76 Mar 02 2009 02:16 PM SJR: No, it is not the Mets training and medical staff's fault that injuries happen, it is the staff's fault for the misdiagnosises, the lack of desire to give proper care and treatment just to get the players back on the field and the general sense that they really are a bunch of quacks <<< You've out done yourself. Again. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 02 2009 02:59 PM Relatively new here. Is it silly to ask what SJR's "deal" is, generally speaking? Edgy DC Mar 02 2009 03:02 PM No. It may be silly to expect to understand the answer, however. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 02 2009 03:07 PM ="Edgy DC"]No. It may be silly to expect to understand the answer, however. All those times there was one set of footprints... SJR was carrying me? TransMonk Mar 02 2009 03:08 PM ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr"] All those times there was one set of footprints... SJR was carrying me? Bullet of cool! SteveJRogers Mar 02 2009 03:56 PM ="Frayed Knot"] OK, I give up. Who the hell is Fredo? Wilpon. ] If you're going to label "quacks" whenever an exact diagnosis and return date isn't nailed down within 24 hours of an injury then you're never going to be happy with any medical staff and instead are going to sound like one of those idiot fans who wonders why only his closer blows games. And I'm not even going to ask you where you came up with "lack of desire to give proper care and treatment". Okay, fine I'll give you that point. But at the end of the day, this staff is still very cloak and dagger on just about every single medical issue. Is player A okay to play? He's day-to-day. Okay, but he's been out for a week, shouldn't someone look at him? Nah, he is day-to-day, we are going with his word. And it especially looks worse right now when Dan Warthen apparently was under the impression that Santana WAS gearing up for the WBC, when it was decided about a month ago that Santana was NOT going to be pitching in the WBC. metirish Mar 02 2009 04:11 PM Really though are the Mets any different that any other organization in regards to medical reports? I would say NHL teams are the most notorious of the "day to day" injury reports. SteveJRogers Mar 02 2009 04:30 PM ="metirish":dalf2wz3]Really though are the Mets any different that any other organization in regards to medical reports? I would say NHL teams are the most notorious of the "day to day" injury reports.[/quote:dalf2wz3] NFL is worse though. Because they have to list the injury list every week. Great example, every week for a couple of years the Pats listed Tom Brady on the injury list, probably at the least severe level, with an arm situation. This was done as to not "tip" off the opposition or some nonsense. I hear you though, it is just that the Mets, and other teams do seem to treat the fans and the media like idiots with the way they handle injury situations. Maybe I'm being too harsh on the medical staff here, fine, then maybe it is the PR staff, maybe it's Omar, I don't know then, but there is something rather infuriating with the way the Mets handle injury situations. Kong76 Mar 02 2009 04:36 PM SJR: But at the end of the day, this staff is still very cloak and dagger on just about every single medical issue <<< Keep diggin Stevers, name one team in Major League Baseball that does better when it comes to reporting actual news on what's going on with high profile franchise players. Name one team that does it 20% better and provide insight into how you ac- tually know what you're talking about. Name one team that does it 10% better if you can't do that. Cloak and dagger??? Sheesh. Frayed Knot Mar 02 2009 04:47 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Mar 02 2009 05:32 PM ="SteveJRogers"]Wilpon. So if I don't trash the medical staff I must be some kind of Wilpon suck-up? I think you want to re-think that one. "Okay, fine I'll give you that point." You mean the point about the medical staff not wanting injuries to linger and hurt the club? -- Very big of you. " But at the end of the day, this staff is still very cloak and dagger on just about every single medical issue." 'Cloak and Dagger'? You mean if a player gets hurt during a game it's some kind of conspiracy of silence unless they have the complete diagnosis and exact return date by the morning papers? Medicine doesn't work that way Steve-O and things like waiting for swelling to go down of seeing if a problem will heal on its own are often proper procedures not examples of malpractice. "Is player A okay to play? -- He's day-to-day. Okay, but he's been out for a week, shouldn't someone look at him? Nah, he is day-to-day, we are going with his word." As Vince Scully says, 'Aren't we all?' (day-to-day) Again, see the point above about medical science not running on the same schedule as beat reporters or stupid fans who are too pissed off to think straight and therefore spout off on topics they know nothing about because they think it makes them sound superior. The only thing worse is listening to those idiots and the repeating what they say as if gospel. "And it especially looks worse right now when Dan Warthen apparently was under the impression that Santana WAS gearing up for the WBC, when it was decided about a month ago that Santana was NOT going to be pitching in the WBC." Something which has nothing to do with the medical staff. Rockin' Doc Mar 02 2009 05:16 PM LWFS - "Relatively new here. Is it silly to ask what SJR's "deal" is, generally speaking? I have a theory that Steve may be a distant relative of King Nebuchednezzar. Of course, I could be wrong. SteveJRogers Mar 02 2009 05:25 PM ="Frayed Knot"]="SteveJRogers"]Wilpon.] So if I don't trash the medical staff I must be some kind of Wilpon suck-up? I think you want to re-think that one. No, you seem to stick up for the Met organization and players quite often, to the point where yeah, you do sound like a Kool Aid drinking Met fan. metirish Mar 02 2009 05:31 PM Steve you are really scraping the bottom of the barrel with that jibe at FK. A thread about one of the games best pictures has turned into a SJR thread , happens far too often. Frayed Knot Mar 02 2009 05:38 PM Do you really think I stick up for the Wilpons irrationally or have you gotten to the point where you're simply labeling anyone who doesn't trash them incessantly as a suck-up because you think that puts you in with the in crowd? Either way, if you want to find examples where you think I did so we can debate the specific topic(s) individually, but don't make blanket statements about my opinions that you can't back up -- like the one that started this discussion for instance. Edgy DC Mar 02 2009 06:09 PM Does Wilpon even serve Kool-Aid anymore? Because I'm really thirsty and I think I'm entitled to some. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 02 2009 06:55 PM If said Kool-Aid is cherry- and/or mango-flavored, and it will knock me unconscious for the last two weeks of October, I will drink this Kool-Aid. Benjamin Grimm Mar 02 2009 06:56 PM ="metirish":1tgpntg3]happens far too often.[/quote:1tgpntg3] Yep. It's tiresome. Clueless Koolaid Guzzler Mar 02 2009 07:15 PM ="SteveJRogers":1qlt4bm3] No, you seem to stick up for the Met organization and players quite often, to the point where yeah, you do sound like a Kool Aid drinking Met fan.[/quote:1qlt4bm3] hey! you say that like it's a bad thing. metirish Mar 03 2009 07:28 PM ] Mets' Santana won't be ready for Opening Day BY DAVID LENNON | david.lennon@newsday.com 4:50 PM EST, March 3, 2009 The Mets finally came to terms Tuesday with the reality that Johan Santana is not going to be their Opening Day starter for April 6 in Cincinnati. Santana will have another bullpen session tomorrow morning, but the delay caused by the tightness in his left elbow is going to push him back to the fifth turn of that first week, which is Saturday, April 11, in Florida. Pitching coach Dan Warthen explained that Santana is not likely to get into a Grapefruit League game until March 18. That pretty much wipes out any chance of him being ready for Opening Day. Benjamin Grimm Mar 03 2009 08:28 PM April 11 is no tragedy. John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 03 2009 08:37 PM May 1 is no tragedy neither. Edgy DC Mar 03 2009 08:50 PM Tomorrow's scapegoating articles can just write themselves. That's a little tragic. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 03 2009 10:57 PM How is this at 20/20 update status on the 'FAN? (He asks rhetorically... since it is.) 86-Dreamer Mar 04 2009 01:11 PM Johan had a strong bullpen today and now says he is still shooting for Opening Day: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2009/news/story?id=3950758 MFS62 Mar 04 2009 01:21 PM ="86-Dreamer":2c4tjkyk]Johan had a strong bullpen today and now says he is still shooting for Opening Day: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2009/news/story?id=3950758[/quote:2c4tjkyk] I don't like it when my emotions are toyed with. Later Frayed Knot Mar 10 2009 06:43 AM Well they're about to be toyed with again because Johan says he's feeling good and aiming for Opening Day (a phrase that should always be capitalized, btw). He used all his pitches in yesterday's throwing session and is scheduled for a Thursday start. So the thousands of trees and E-trees that were killed in order to make room for the multitude of columns and blogs detailing the dire consequences and medical malpractice in connection with Santana's left wing turned out to have given their lives in vain all over a soreness which required that miracle of modern medicine ... a 3-day break. themetfairy Mar 10 2009 06:45 AM Either that, or that liniment really works! metirish Mar 17 2009 12:18 PM Great news. ] Mets' Santana throws four innings without incident BY DAVID LENNON | david.lennon@newsday.com 1:41 PM EDT, March 17, 2009 PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - More than any one pitch, the best indication of Johan Santana's mindset as he prepares for Opening Day came during the second inning of Tuesday's minor-league game on Field 7. Santana was so sure he had Scott Grimes struck out on a changeup in the dirt that he stormed off the back of the mound to argue with the umpire behind him. That's right. Scott Grimes, who was playing for the Worcester Tornadoes last season. Santana buried a changeup, and Grimes -- not used to that kind of pitch in the Can-Am League -- clearly did not check his swing. Which is why Santana was annoyed. "Oh yeah, this is a game," Santana said. "You have to do whatever it takes to even win that game and get ready. Because that's the thing, when Opening Day comes, there's not going to be any practice. You've got to be ready. "So that's what we're trying to do now, focus on throwing all of the pitches, on controlling the strike zone and throwing changeups and sliders. I think we're pretty good. We're on the right track." The irritated Santana finished off Grimes with a fastball that he missed for strike three -- no discussion there -- and completed his four-inning stint without incident. Overall, Santana allowed six hits and two earned runs, with five strikeouts and no walks. He threw 56 pitches, 40 for strikes, and his fastball stayed in the 87-89 mph range. With three more starts to go, Santana figures to build up more arm strength and the velocity should increase as well over the next three weeks. "We're still working," Santana said. "I don't work by percentages or anything, but I think we still have some room to improve and to get better and that's what we're focused on right now."

Last radio reports I heard now say there will be no MRI at all - not just on account of the weather but also because there was no pain in Sunday's throwing session.

="MFS62"]="Frayed Knot"]Yes, you "heard it" at the top of this thread. Didn't read it here, but I guess I should have. RMPL ]as we know there are no MRI facilities in FLA. The idea is to get the NYM doctors to look at them.

Sturdivant if you want to ... (is that thread still around?) Great Stengel post. I had never seen that one before. Now all we have to do is make sure the Seaver post is fixed.

I was actually responding to MFS when you happened to sneak in before I finished typing.