Frayed Knot

Well now you can get un-livid (or maybe more livid) seeing as how Odalis is a free man again. Seems he refused to show up in Nationals camp, apparently unhappy about the fact that he was merely a minor-league invite after signing a minor-league contract. Dude always did strike me as a bit of a wing-ding.

]Tatis was a late scratch after waking up with a sore palm Well if he hadn't a been .... Nah, too easy.

Dude's getting some ink from the New York Freakin' Times Thole (pronounced TOE-lee) is the most advanced catcher in the system. Francisco Pe�a, the son of Tony Pe�a, has the pedigree, but at 19 is not as advanced as Thole. �We�re going to spend a lot of time and effort on developing a catcher, and this is the guy who�s ahead of everyone,� said Tony Bernazard, the team�s vice president for development.

Lying swine! The guide says Mets-Cards but the game is ChiSox-Yanx. No one gives a shit about that Seaver guy - at least not while he's wearing his pajamas.

at Shea on MLBN today (Saturday) at 11AM

A good example of the adage about how it's easier to recover from the guy you fail to sign than it is to recover from the guy you sign at the wrong price. In this case the difference is made even more stark by throwing in a bad 1st year on top of a dramatic price fall in the market place overall.

I don't think it's any one reason exclusively why they sidestepped Hudson -- I think it's the extra money, on top of the draft pick it would cost, on top of the fact that they'd either have to still pay Castillo and/or have two 2Bmen who both wanted to start.

Mills going the Sidney Crosby route. High digits became fashionable for NHL mega-stars since Gretzky took 99 (or maybe since Phil Espo's 77) but Sid the Kid went for 87 on account of being born on 8/7/87. That made a lot of folks feel old when he first showed up a couple years back.

Usually to see great camera work like that you have to find such titles as; 'My nephew's bar mitzvah', or; 'Uncle Harry's Drunk Again' On the other hand the camera was probably the size of a small suitcase.

="Number 6"]OK. Given that age is obviously a huge factor in an analysis of any player, and in setting expectations in player development, stuff like this is a huge deal. I've always felt that a team should have legal recourse to recover any money invested in prospects who falsify their ages, but I don't remember ever reading about this being done. Has it happened, and I've missed it? Not long after the success of El Duque, the Yanx decided that inking Cuban emigrees was a cost-efficient talent pipeline and signed a bunch of them. When one turned out to be not nearly the player they thought they were getting they suddenly "discovered" he was older than he claimed and took legal action as a way to get out of the multi-year deal they had given him. Kind of a slimy maneuver really after publicly ignoring the gap in Duque's real and supposed ages -- "We're shocked, SHOCKED to discover that there's age fudging going on around here"! -- but, of course, he started winning games for them almost immediately. IIRC they settled for something in between the full amount and whatever they had already paid they guy prior to getting buyer's remorse. Would be a bit tougher to recoup a one-time bonus check already issued (if that's what it is in this case) and, as I'm sure most lawyers would tell you, it's not very worthwhile to sue a poor person.

It's not quite apparent why the Braves are mad at the Mariners. In l'affaire de Furball they were mad at him and/or agent(s) but not the Dodgers. This sounds like it should be two independent contractors trying for one contract and I'm not sure what the Ms could have done that the Braves consider underhanded.

It's sailing over my head. Neither the 'blueprints' nor the Willie references are making sense.

Took me a second too. Sabathia is the huge one. Joba in the white warm up, and I think that's Teixeira over his left shoulder.

Last piece down (video available via Newsday's main sports page) It's all over but the sweeping.

Met starters in 2008 threw a somewhat larger pct of all innings pitched than the overall NL average: 66% to 64% The problem (at least the main one) wasn't that they left too much for the pen to do it's that the pen messed it up so thoroughly once the game was in their hands.

="Edgy DC":3msy2jjg]I like how she interviews a shirt.[/quote:3msy2jjg] Maybe she's trying to get the shirt to 'open up' ... like her own for instance. Centerfield Feb 18 2009 07:56 AM ="Frayed Knot":rsssa79a]="Edgy DC":rsssa79a]I like how she interviews a shirt.[/quote:rsssa79a] Maybe she's trying to get the shirt to 'open up' ... like her own for instance.[/quote:rsssa79a] Bam! Julie Alexandria = much hotter than Matt Yaloff. Benjamin Grimm Feb 18 2009 08:08 AM But not as hot as Jocelyn Pierce. I only watched Mets Weekly twice. The first time convinced me that, as lovely as Jocelyn Pierce was, there wasn't enough substance in the show for me to invest (or waste) a half hour of my time. Too much fluff. Half the show was Jocelyn following Scott Schoeneweis around the golf course. (The second time I watched was to catch Johnny Lunchbucket's appearance.) Edgy DC Feb 18 2009 08:13 AM I hadn't heard the Joe Frazier story. Love it. Some of the first things I learned to say as a Met fan was "Joe Frazier Sucks" and "Fire Joe Frazier." I heard them and repeated them and had little idea why I was saying them. metirish Feb 18 2009 09:08 AM I wonder if the bad publicity generated by her husband has anything to do with Jocelyn losing her hosting gig , is she still employed by SNY ? Benjamin Grimm Feb 18 2009 09:10 AM ="metirish":1vsplurx]I wonder if the bad publicity generated by her husband has anything to do with Jocelyn losing her hosting gig , is she still employed by SNY ?[/quote:1vsplurx] Who's her husband? Please tell me it's not Bernie Madoff! metirish Feb 18 2009 09:12 AM Nah it's Antonio Pierce , the numb nut Giants player involved with Plaxico Burress. metirish Mar 30 2009 09:17 AM Klapisch: Ojeda talks a good game ] Bobby Ojeda has spent the past five years in a blissful, self-imposed exile at his Rumson shore house, beyond the reach of the �86 ghosts. The former Mets� left-hander never was much for reminiscing. Like some Met fans � particularly the younger ones � he�s been willing to let the �80s turn to vapor. Does that sound like the profile of an SNY analyst? Incredibly, the Mets-owned network thinks Ojeda is its man, despite the fact he has no television experience. He�ll be in the studio for 130 games this season, replacing Lee Mazzilli as the pregame and postgame intellectual engine. There�s a delicious irony to anyone who knew Ojeda in the Mets� wilder days: He was anything but a spotlight hog, even though he was the best pitcher in 1986, winning 18 games. Now, Ojeda says with a laugh, �I�m the one who�s going to be doing all the talking.� Ojeda has been given free rein by SNY to cut and slash as he sees fit. Ojeda could follow in the footsteps of Keith Hernandez, his onetime teammate who can be openly critical of the Mets and has few friends in the clubhouse (although he has a near-cult following among viewers). Or Ojeda can play it safe like many of the analysts at the rival YES Network, including David Cone and Al Leiter. The networks closely scrutinize each other, comparing nightly ratings, quality of production and the editorial tone of their announcers. One YES announcer said last summer he was �stunned� at how far Hernandez has been allowed to stray from the company line. �If I talked like that about the Yankees, I�d probably get fired,� the broadcaster said with a laugh. Ojeda understands there�s a fine line between honesty and corporate common sense. He also knows his decision to work for SNY has removed him from the brotherhood of big-leaguers. He visited Port St. Lucie, Fla., last week with co-host Chris Carlin (who replaces Matt Yallof) and immediately sensed the gap, even with Howard Johnson, a friend for 20 years who now serves as the Mets� hitting instructor. Ojeda�s only purpose was to chat with HoJo, not interview him, not even to use the information for background. Yet Ojeda knew the reservoir of trust was drying up. �There was this twinge from Howard, like he was talking to the media,� Ojeda said. �I was like, �HoJo, this is me you�re talking to.� I felt like kicking his butt. I�m getting these answers and I�m like, �Come on, are you kidding me?� I guess it�s the nature of the thing I signed on to.� So why would Ojeda begin this journey? Or more to the point, why would SNY take a gamble on an electronic rookie? SNY head Curt Gowdy Jr. says Ojeda impressed the network during auditions with his candor and ability to shape short, concise answers. Once he realized Ojeda actually had a presence in front of the camera, Gowdy was willing to overlook his new analyst�s lack of experience. �It�s a calculated risk, but there are a lot of calculated risks we�ve taken,� Gowdy said. �Look at bringing Ron Darling here from the Nationals. Look at bringing Kevin Burkhardt from WFAN. We think Bob is only going to get better and better.� Gowdy glossed over the dismissals of Mazzilli and Yallof, saying SNY was looking for a �different� personality and perspective. After the Mets� back-to-back collapses in 2007 and 2008, the Wilpon family undoubtedly wanted its network to have a makeover in time for Citi Field�s christening. Jeff Wilpon approached Ojeda during the off-season and floated the idea of coming back to the organization as an analyst. Ojeda had spent three years as the pitching coach for the Brooklyn Cyclones, bailing out in 2003, when Rick Peterson was hired as the Mets� pitching coach. Ojeda went home to Rumson, spending the next five years watching his five daughters grow up, distancing himself from his former life. Ojeda rebuffed every attempt to relive the miracle �86 season, including card shows and interview requests. In truth, he was sick of the Mets who were making careers out of reliving their careers. �You have to move on. I mean, it turns everyone off when you hear [a broadcaster] say, �When I played.� I don�t have any intention of doing that,� Ojeda said. �The players today, it�s their turn; they�re the ones wearing the uniform. I�d rather stay current.� The same forward-directed policy will apply to the other asterisk on Ojeda�s r�sum� � the horrific 1993 boating accident in Florida that took the lives of Indian teammates Tim Crews and Steve Olin, the first deaths of active major leaguers since Thurman Munson was killed in 1979. Ojeda, who suffered severe head lacerations, later said the only reason he also wasn�t killed was because he was slouched over the moment the boat struck a dock. It was driven by Crews, whom investigators said was legally drunk at the time. Ojeda will not speak about the tragedy in interviews or on the air. �It�s like [the] �86 [season]. We all have things on our permanent record,� Ojeda said. �I mean, that�s life; you just keep going. You look for new challenges. For me, this [sNY job] is an opportunity to get back into baseball and talk about something I love. I can�t wait.� Centerfield Mar 30 2009 09:34 AM I can't believe they're putting Chris Carlin on more shows. It's like they're trying to out-dumb themselves. Yalloff might have been stupid, but at least he wasn't a blowhard. I've seen about five minutes of Loudmouths to know that I don't want to see another minute of either of them. Plus he talks like he has marbles in his mouth. Edgy DC Mar 30 2009 09:52 AM Isn't the fact that they have a show called "Loud Mouths" a bigger problem than which particular loud mouths it features? LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 30 2009 11:42 AM ] One YES announcer said last summer he was �stunned� at how far Hernandez has been allowed to stray from the company line. �If I talked like that about the Yankees, I�d probably get fired,� the broadcaster said with a laugh. True story: During her on-air orgasm in response to Roger Clemens' in-game announcement of his return to baseball, Suzyn Waldman was fulfilling a contractual obligation to her former YES employers; in return, she received a $30,000 balloon payment-- $25,000 of which was paid in the form of Hard Rock Cafe gift certificates and tee shirts-- and a 3 ounce vial of Roger Clemens' testicular sweat (valued at 12.07, since subpoenaed by DOJ). Centerfield Mar 30 2009 12:29 PM ="Edgy DC":8fiqu3nj]Isn't the fact that they have a show called "Loud Mouths" a bigger problem than which particular loud mouths it features?[/quote:8fiqu3nj] I understand that the network honchos are asking his mouth to be loud, it doesn't mean I have to like him more. For my pre and post game, give me the guy that passed up that gig. I like SNY because of its Mets/Big East-centered coverage. But outside of the actual games and SportsNight, I think I would rather watch the Lifetime channel than the rest of SNY's programming. In addition to Loudmouths, they have about sixteen other "reporters screaming at each other" type shows. Where it seems the objective is to be more annoying than the guy you're arguing with. I have never heard Joe Beningo on the FAN, but from the clips I see of his "highlights", I think I've seen all I need to see. Edgy DC Mar 30 2009 12:32 PM Yeah, I'm not asking you to like him more, only to give the lion's share of your hate to the process that empowers him to suck. Benjamin Grimm Mar 30 2009 12:37 PM I don't mind that SNY has some dumb shoutfests on its schedule, but I think it would be a good idea for them to have some smart shows as well. (Maybe they do, but if so they don't advertise them during Mets games.) I'm thinking of a Bob Costas/Bryant Gumbel kind of show where you have a reporter covering some topic of interest to the New York sports scene with insight and depth. But instead it's a lot of Loudmouths and Wheelhouse and Beer Money. metirish Mar 30 2009 12:41 PM Fran Healy productions has a range of shows to suit your needs. G-Fafif Mar 30 2009 01:00 PM ="metirish":1szfbxoo]Fran Healy productions has a range of shows to suit your needs.[/quote:1szfbxoo] I had my first ever dream about Fran Healy the other night. Dreamt I was at a table in some mostly deserted banquet room at a trade show in Philadelphia and Healy was taking a break from doing an interview or something and came to sit down. (TMF may have been at the table as well.) My gosh, I thought, I took a shot at him in my book and now I'm sitting here and he's coming over. He walked behind me, gave me this jockish rubbing of the shoulders and said something knowing and slightly needling as if to indicate it's all right, I've been through this before. He wasn't being particularly friendly, but he wasn't altogether menacing. Fman99 Mar 31 2009 11:56 AM Caught a couple of minutes of Beer Money the other night as I was flipping around the dial. Blech. If ol DJ Chunky Carlin came up to me I think I'd just feed him pennies until he went away. Now, that Julie girl, well, heh heh, I'd find something else to feed her. metirish Apr 06 2009 12:14 PM Caught most of the pre-game stuff , it's going to take sme getting used to watching Carlin. Of course I could just skip the damn thing. TransMonk Apr 06 2009 12:15 PM The new in-game graphics are a bit cookie cutter for my taste. I had no problem with the old ones. metirish Apr 06 2009 12:17 PM I find the huge NY swooshing through the screen annoying. A bit FOX like I think. HahnSolo Apr 06 2009 01:06 PM Carlin does remind me a bit too much of the leader of the Fordham Baldies. Elster88 Apr 18 2009 02:16 PM Finally I can be comfortable watching the post-game. The only thing worse than Carlin's voice is actually looking at him. The first time the gf saw him on Beer Money she was afraid of him. I've got no problem with equal treatment for slobs but does this guy have to be on TV? I also have no problem with TV personalities being hired based on how they look and sound. Edgy DC Apr 18 2009 02:50 PM I like to think I'd look prettier if people on TV and on film and in magzines were generally uglier. GYC Apr 18 2009 05:57 PM Chris Carlin is the biggest asshole I ever met. He covers Rutgers games for a local New Brunswick/Piscataway station and has absolutely no respect for anyone else in the business. He's loud, he's obnoxious, and he's an asshole. He'll stand up and leave in the middle of press conferences, even if people are in the middle of talking. He acts like he's important and has priority because he's Chris Carlin. And on gameday, him and fat daughter waddle around Rutgers Stadium. I hate seeing him on SNY. He's a prick. Edgy DC Apr 18 2009 08:22 PM Who else reads GYC's posts and hears the words coming out of Keith Hernandez's mouth? Live on the air. Fman99 Apr 18 2009 08:57 PM ="Edgy DC":2jfw89we]Who else reads GYC's posts and hears the words coming out of Keith Hernandez's mouth? Live on the air.[/quote:2jfw89we] I do, which is even better given Mex's wardrobe (in the profile pic) as the hair color pitchman. I'd buy Grecian 5 from that salty motherfucker in a minute! Swan Swan H May 25 2009 11:36 AM SNY is running the Mr. Koo game as the Mets Classic. Again. As I write this Buck and McCarver are giving Willie a tongue-bath. Anyway, this is at least the fourth time I've seen this game on SNY this year. According to UMDB the Mets have played 7,523 regular season games. Apparently SNY has the rights to show eight of them. batmagadanleadoff May 25 2009 12:17 PM ="Swan Swan H":qgg5ebow]SNY is running the Mr. Koo game as the Mets Classic. Again. As I write this Buck and McCarver are giving Willie a tongue-bath. Anyway, this is at least the fourth time I've seen this game on SNY this year. According to UMDB the Mets have played 7,523 regular season games. Apparently SNY has the rights to show eight of them.[/quote:qgg5ebow] I noticed the same thing. http://cranepoolforum.net/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=10886&sid=2e36b27e63769008dbc4af85452e39c6 Swan Swan H May 25 2009 12:31 PM Oops. I didn't realize there was a separate thread for the Classix. TransMonk Jun 03 2009 03:53 PM Per Metsblog, via Twitter, SI.com�s Jon Heyman announced that Matt Yalloff, formerly of SNY, has joined the MLB Network. G-Fafif Jun 03 2009 03:54 PM ="TransMonk":jrcwlac0]Per Metsblog, via Twitter, SI.com�s Jon Heyman announced that Matt Yalloff, formerly of SNY, has joined the MLB Network.[/quote:jrcwlac0] I'm exhausted just learning that. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 03 2009 05:09 PM So we've got Carlin for good, then. And there are no trades in broadcasting? John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 03 2009 06:19 PM ="TransMonk":2gmwiqqi]Per Metsblog, via Twitter, SI.com�s Jon Heyman announced that Matt Yalloff, formerly of SNY, has joined the MLB Network.[/quote:2gmwiqqi] as soda-getter. G-Fafif Jun 04 2009 12:34 PM Kevin Burkhardt just admonished the Pirates for placing a section of wall from Forbes Field, over which Mazeroski's home run flew, in a less than ideal spot at PNC Park. While there's nothing wrong with professing exacting standards (it is weird that it's between two bathrooms), anyone whose job description includes shilling for the history-challenged environs of Citi Field should pick his battles more carefully, as in, perhaps, "what a shape they don't have a Taqueria here in Pittsburgh." Elster88 Jun 24 2009 08:27 PM Carlin auditioning for ESPN doing the highlights. I really can't stand him. Swan Swan H Jun 24 2009 08:42 PM ="Elster88":2eui7q36]Carlin auditioning for ESPN doing the highlights. I really can't stand him.[/quote:2eui7q36] I hoped he'd be different, but you nailed it. Gary Apple may be vanilla, but he hits his marks and doesn't drive me nuts. Among the SNY stable of talkers I wouldn't mind seeing him in that seat. metirish Jun 24 2009 08:45 PM ="Swan Swan H":1bvh8rgw]="Elster88":1bvh8rgw]Carlin auditioning for ESPN doing the highlights. I really can't stand him.[/quote:1bvh8rgw] I hoped he'd be different, but you nailed it. Gary Apple may be vanilla, but he hits his marks and doesn't drive me nuts. Among the SNY stable of talkers I wouldn't mind seeing him in that seat.[/quote:1bvh8rgw] I've thought the same thing about Apple for a while. Elster88 Aug 09 2009 05:52 PM A clean-shaven Johnny Franco doing the post-game. Frayed Knot Aug 09 2009 06:41 PM I'm guessing Franco's had that mustache since, oh I dunno, maybe age 12. OlerudOwned Aug 09 2009 08:04 PM ="Frayed Knot"]I'm guessing Franco's had that mustache since, oh I dunno, maybe age 12. Funny that he'd be clean for a team with a historically mustachioed mascot. Then again, this was during the Schott reign. dgwphotography Aug 10 2009 07:46 AM ="Frayed Knot":30o1llmf]I'm guessing Franco's had that mustache since, oh I dunno, maybe age 12.[/quote:30o1llmf] Sounds like me - I've had at least a mustache for 29 years... Frayed Knot Aug 10 2009 07:59 AM But can't you just picture Johnny F trying to cultivate at least the beginnings of one in Jr High? The Reds - despite the mascot - were long a conservative club with 'no facial hair' restrictions going back even before the Schott era. I suspect he wasn't clean-shaven there out of choice. Edgy DC Aug 10 2009 08:10 AM And, in fairness to the Reds, all of baseball was pretty much facial-hair-free for about 50 years leading up to the Swinging A's era. Can anybody name the first mustachioed Met? John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 10 2009 08:24 AM Ken Boswell Benjamin Grimm Aug 10 2009 08:25 AM Felix Millan? Frayed Knot Aug 10 2009 08:33 AM ="Edgy DC":8wq591f4]And, in fairness to the Reds, all of baseball was pretty much facial-hair-free for about 50 years leading up to the Swinging A's era. [/quote:8wq591f4] Reds just kept that policy going much longer than other clubs. It was some mgr/exec from the Cincy org that switched over to StL at one point during Keith's time there who made him shave off his 'stache. Edgy DC Aug 10 2009 08:44 AM And to be honest, I kind of liked the policy. Yeah, it seems starkly retrograde, but I like anything that makes teams culturally different from one another, even if it's something I wouldn't like on my team. Maybe especially if it's something I wouldn't like on my team. dgwphotography Aug 10 2009 01:29 PM I remember seeing both Kranepool and Harrelson sporting mustaches... Farmer Ted Aug 11 2009 09:25 AM Bobby O last night said that Pelfry's form on a bunch of pitches looked lazy and he wasn't waiting for Santos to finish giving signs before he started his windup. In Pelfry's defense, the guy was just with his wife who gave birth. So, he's up for how long during that process? Then the Mets shove him onto a plan, across the freaking country, and pitch with his head obviously in a fog. Farmer Ted Aug 16 2009 01:08 PM Switched over to NESN in between innings to catch a Red Sox score. Frank Viola doing color and sounds pretty good. Any openings at SNY? Frayed Knot Aug 16 2009 01:20 PM ="Farmer Ted":jupihupn]Switched over to NESN in between innings to catch a Red Sox score. Frank Viola doing color and sounds pretty good. Any openings at SNY?[/quote:jupihupn] I've heard him before. He might rival Johnny Franco for the most identifiable Noo Yawk accent working in the media. G-Fafif Aug 16 2009 03:54 PM ="dgwphotography":2hba0iah]I remember seeing both Kranepool and Harrelson sporting mustaches...[/quote:2hba0iah] Been listening to the radio broadcast of Tom Seaver's final start before he was traded. One of things I learned, from Bob Murphy, was Dave Kingman just shaved his mustache because he realized (according to Murph) that he couldn't grow a good one.

="Edgy DC":1kos7lsf]I actually tihnk a human being must be sacrificed every time Madonna copulates.[/quote:1kos7lsf] That would explain all the death and destruction in the world. Re: Damon -- His name came up in a round-table type sports discussion I was listening to and the panel was deftly using euphemisms like "an uncomplicated man" when describing him in order to keep from flat-out saying that he's basically box-of-rocks stupid. Edgy DC Feb 18 2009 07:19 AM Yes, Johnny, murder, manslaughter --- these things are worse than cheating at baseball. Thank you for your incisive analysis. For a counterpoint, here's Ambiorix Burgos.

="batmagadanleadoff":1i832gc7]I'd bet there's a lot of apocryphalness to this whole Berra discussion ... but the numbers are the numbers. Williams was the better hitter of the two. And there's no reasonable way to spin it otherwise.[/quote:1i832gc7] And I don't think anyone's trying to do that. batmagadanleadoff Feb 18 2009 09:26 AM ="Frayed Knot":3h1soavs]="batmagadanleadoff":3h1soavs]I'd bet there's a lot of apocryphalness to this whole Berra discussion ... but the numbers are the numbers. Williams was the better hitter of the two. And there's no reasonable way to spin it otherwise.[/quote:3h1soavs] And I don't think anyone's trying to do that.[/quote:3h1soavs] And that's a good thing!

"Well, Yogi made it work for him." That he did. Over 8,000 trips to the plate and just 400 Ks. Word on him was that you just couldn't get one by him no matter where you put it - particularly once there were two strikes on him. If nothing else he'd just foul them off all day until he got a good one. "He was a terrific hitter, and I'm sure some of the current guys could learn from him." Of course there was the story from 'Ball Four' where Yogi was stumbling over his words while trying to teach some young hitters a few things before just getting frustrated and saying; "oh just watch how I do it". "But I seriously doubt that his fishing trips did more damage than Williams's patience." On the whole, no. But in those occasional spots where the hurler was trying not to give something too good Williams would walk, Berra might reach out and hit a double.

And as they get ready to do the big ARod press conference it's official ... the team has set Alex up with his own tent.

="metirish":v5vhhmyg]For a starting gig? Isn't he washed up?[/quote:v5vhhmyg] Atlanta is pretty much hurting for outfielders so my answers are: Yes & Yes Years ago the words 'Griffey to Atlanta' would have struck fear into the hearts of Mets fans (it was supposedly close to happening at one point). Now, not so much. seawolf17 Feb 17 2009 11:44 AM Although it does underscore the fact that the Mets could use a second reliable left-handed reliever this year, as it's a very lefty-heavy division. Edgy DC Feb 17 2009 12:10 PM Griffey has his family in Atlanta. Would've been nice to see him go back to Seattle, but I won't deny him a more substantive if less symbolic homecoming. OlerudOwned Feb 17 2009 12:28 PM As long as they don't put his brain into Jeff Francoeur's body, I'm not too worried. MFS62 Feb 17 2009 04:30 PM At this late date there were two teams looking for lefty hitting outfielders. I guess this means that Garrett Anderson will sign with Seattle. Later Elster88 Feb 17 2009 05:14 PM ="OlerudOwned":2jr1g48g]As long as they don't put his brain into Jeff Francoeur's body, I'm not too worried.[/quote:2jr1g48g] His brain? If they put Griffey's 1995 body in Jeff Franceour's body there's a problem. Griffey's brain shouldn't be a concern. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 17 2009 10:55 PM His chief competition for a starting slot? Gregor Blanco, Josh Anderson and Matt Diaz. Um... he'll play some. (Hopefully, some center.) metsguyinmichigan Feb 18 2009 08:26 PM Braves? Who wants to play for the Braves? Junior's going back to Seattle! G-Fafif Feb 18 2009 09:52 PM The Braves lost this battle Ken's back in Seattle Their outfield needs help They better not yelp Or sit or sulk -- just skedaddle Benjamin Grimm Feb 19 2009 02:10 PM Willie Mays is getting a bunch of UMDB hits today. For a minute I feared he had died, but it turns out that it's probably because of "breaking news" that Willie advised Ken Griffey to return to Seattle. Edgy DC Feb 19 2009 02:28 PM Worth noting in that it flies in the face of every writer who writes about an old athlete that they should hang 'em up because there was nothing sadder than seeing Willie Mays return to New York in the seventies. Willie apparently thought it was nice and still does. Centerfield Feb 19 2009 02:43 PM First they lost AJ Burnett when it looked like they were closing in, then Rafael Furcal. Smoltz bolts to the Red Sox, and now this. Apparently, John Schuerholz is flipping out again and is really pissed at the Mariners. ="John Schuerholz":2f3pxa1e]Having been in this business for 40-some years, I�ve never seen anybody treated like that. The Atlanta Braves will no longer do business with that team � ever. I told the Mariners that we can�t trust them to be honest and forthright. I told him that in all my years, I�ve never seen any team act in such a despicable manner. It was disgusting and unprofessional. We�re a proud organization and we won�t allow ourselves to be treated that way. I advised Bud Selig that whatever games are scheduled with them, just scratch us off the list. Take the name of the Atlanta Braves off their schedule and mark it a forfeit. We will play games against the other 28 clubs.�[/quote:2f3pxa1e] Edgy DC Feb 19 2009 03:23 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Feb 19 2009 05:06 PM Sounds a lot like his tirade after the Furcal debacle. Needless to say, if he actually did follow through on his threat to forfeit games, it would be... hawesome. Then again, it don't mean nothin' 'til you sign it on that dotted line. I don't know why people don't listen to Richard Marx when he's TALKING RIGHT TO THEM? John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 19 2009 03:40 PM Not to dismiss the Braves sour grapes, but the M's also made Heilman go sell tickets for them and traded him to Chicago the same week. Edgy DC Feb 19 2009 03:48 PM An interview with J.J. Putz last week opened up a can of worms about bad clubhouse issues. It read to me like a boilerplate "this is a great bunch o' guys" article, and he stayed away from specifics, just saying that the Ms attitudes had all detiorated and they "weren't playing baseball the right way." Seattle press ran with it and went to senior M players and their new manager looking to get them to shoot back at J.J., but they pretty much acknowledged that, yeah, J.J. should shut up, but it had become a really negative environment. Most interesting is that when reporters asked if Ichiro was a prime factor in the negative atmosphere, nobody would finger him, but nobody would clear him either. I guess 213 hits only buys you so much love when you lose 100 games. G-Fafif Feb 19 2009 04:28 PM Jerry Crasnick on ESPN: ]Both Hall of Famers were speaking from personal experience. While Mays will be forever known as a Giant, he played 135 forgettable games with the Mets in his early 40s. Except they'll never be forgotten by any Mets fan lucky enough to have seen Willie Mays in orange and blue. And I defy anyone to say May 14, 1972, Willie's New York homecoming homer against the Giants, was forgettable. Frayed Knot Feb 19 2009 05:34 PM It's not quite apparent why the Braves are mad at the Mariners. In l'affaire de Furball they were mad at him and/or agent(s) but not the Dodgers. This sounds like it should be two independent contractors trying for one contract and I'm not sure what the Ms could have done that the Braves consider underhanded. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 19 2009 05:39 PM About Shoo's threat to forfeit: he didn't. It's a joke-- a pastiche of the Furcal rant. Edgy DC Feb 19 2009 05:57 PM Shit. Sometimes I just so want something to be true. Centerfield Feb 19 2009 07:25 PM Sorry. Lame attempt at a joke. I just thought Schueholz's Furcal tantrum was ridiculous and wanted to have fun. I like when Braves get bitchy. Edgy DC Feb 19 2009 07:46 PM Apologize not. You yanked me. Good for youse. Edgy DC Feb 19 2009 09:49 PM The Braves just announced a "preliminary agreement" with Tom Glavine. I say we sweep in and outbid them, just to mess with their minds. Edgy DC Feb 22 2009 01:24 PM Yahoo News: Don't Be Willie Officially an ancient Mariner, Ken Griffey Jr. must be careful not to hang around too long, as Willie Mays did.Oh, shut up. Vic Sage Feb 23 2009 10:18 AM yes, he should retire when journalists tell him to. Me? they would have to rip the bat out of my hands and beat me to death with it.

="metirish":3jyb2su9]There was a time I would listen to Somers every night , I lived alone and my computer and TV were not in the same room so I listen to games on the FAN , I liked Steve a lot , found him quite funny and not a bad bone in his body, his monologues at times were hysterical and not just in a funny way.[/quote:3jyb2su9] Definitely not a bad bone in his body and the monologues can be quite clever ... but then the schtick wears thin very quickly as you start to realize that it's all style over substance and that he doesn't really have a lot of knowledge on the topics he's supposed to be addressing. It's like when Keith says he always listens to Steve's monologues during his drive home ... and then turns him off. seawolf17 Feb 17 2009 11:46 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":2onlcmk7]Hafta say, seeing his face on TV totally ruined Somers for me. I pictured a bald round guy with round glasses and a mustache.[/quote:2onlcmk7] So true. He was quoted on one of the drive-time evening news TV shows a few months back, and my wife was horrified. I really enjoy Steve; I'm disappointed during the off-season when there are Rangers/Nets games on in the evenings. Zvon Feb 17 2009 12:24 PM I don't like moving Reyes out of the lead off slot but lets see how it goes. Edgy DC Mar 28 2009 09:36 AM ="David Lennon":1ck4bepb]My colleague Jim Baumbach caught up with Luis Castillo in this morning's Newsday and it looks like he may be convincing Jerry Manuel to use him in the No. 2 spot -- at least against lefthanders. That's where Castillo batted Friday night with John Lannan, the pride of Long Beach, on the mound for the Nationals.[/quote:1ck4bepb] Makes all the sense in the world. Whether it's Murphy or Tatis against lefthanders (that's still unclear, isn't it?), they're not the same weapon at number two that they are against righthanders.

The funny thing about the original ARod signing is that while most suspect the infamous Steve Phillips pronouncement of "24 and 1" was code for "we don't want to pay the money", not only did it turn out to be pretty damn accurate but the contract the Mets turned away from turned out to be too rich for the team who signed it; was only accepted in trade upon a huge discount; and then only extended at similar rates due to the anticipation of smashing career records which now is put in jeopardy because of his whole "24 and 1" attitude. Irony can be so ironic at times.

="dinosaur jesus"]Williams was only a great hitter, but Yogi was a great clutch hitter? Oh, come on now. Yeah, I know. But Noble's point there is that Williams wasn't going to make an out on a pitcher's pitch since he was more than willing to take the walk (sometimes to a fault say his critics). Berra, on the other hand, could and often did do something with those off-the-plate fishing trips to the point where the hurler wished he took the walk since the result was Yogi slicing it in a corner somewhere. So that in a situation where a pitcher was trying not to get beat by each guy, Yogi could be said to be the more dangerous hitter. Maybe that's not everyone's definition of "clutch" (a word that's becoming the third-rail of baseball talk) but I think that's what he meant by it.