Frayed Knot

soupcan wrote: Check StevieJeets 'Official Countdown' thread. Gotta distinguish it from any unofficial countdown threads. * OMG, I'm Johnny Franco!!

OK, top of the lineup vs the 87 year old Rudy Seanez. This game ends NOW!!!

]Just make it work Well, we do have the teamwork to make the dream work. Game Time: Same set-up as last night. No Rollins again for Philly. Also Coste in for Ruiz behind the dish. Victorino singles to lead off but is doubled off on an infield fly/hit-and-run then Utley skies to deep LF

Two seasons ago we used 10 different starters before the end of May. Last season the Yanx used 10 before April was done with. So it's not like needing to go to plan C, D & E are all that rare.

So let me get this straight (no pun intended) - Bravo replaces 'Queen Eye' with another show and actually gets MORE gay? Maybe they should just change the name os the station from 'Bravo' to 'Fabulous'

="Benjamin Grimm"]I still don't know what they're going to build in the area around Citi Field after Shea is gone, but hopefully you'll be able to see some outside urban architecture from within the ballpark. Real, pre-existing buildings would be better, but there just aren't any. (I love what they did with that old building in San Diego's stadium.) I don't see how you'll see much of anything from inside except maybe from higher levels. First of all it'll be completely enclosed without Shea's open-gapped OF. And while those OF seats, scoreboard, advertising and such won't be as high as the back end of CitiField is now to Shea, I still doubt the field-level folks will be able to see out. Upper deckers might get a view out, but the new joint is to face more towards the north than the current ENE which means essentially towards Flushing Bay, or, more accurately, the highway ramps between the stadium and Flushing Bay. Which might make for a good view for some but it's probably not going to involve any architecture other than what can be done with a paving truck. Most buildings, including whatever replaces the 'iron triangle' area, are to the west and away from the seats. As far as the wind issue goes, it's all speculatiion at this point. The numbers say that Shea has traditionally been very tough on RH power while slightly helping HRs towards RF. The theory being that the winds - particularly in early season and other bad weather days - come in from the N & NE directly into the open end and knock HRs down. Except that the scoreboard tends to block those coming in from RCF while those coming in unblocked from LCF swirl around the bowl before going out towrds RF. So theoretically, CitiField is now there to block virtually eveything and make it a better HR park in '08 than we're used to seeing. Whether that's actually going to happen or not or whether two games prove that it's not the case is still all just conjecture.

]Do black Mets jerseys sell well because the particular style is popular? Or do successful sales figure merely reflect the fact that fans will buy whatever jersey the team happens to wear, in part because the Mets have one of the larger fan bases and because the team is located in New York City? I've heard a number of fans say they bought the black because ... it was the only one available. IOW, it's as much a case of push-marketing as consumer choice. I tend to not get as worked up over this issue compared to many fans who'll go ballistic merely at the mention of the words; 'Orange Dot' But if the black disappeared tomorrow I wouldn't miss it. At worst I'd like to see it cut down to a once in a while option and a road-only thing.

On the subject of small samples skewing early results, not only are the Orioles still tops in the AL East (by 2-1/2 Games!!) but three other divisons are also being led by teams picked by many to be cellar dwellers: Marlins, Cardinals & Royals - KC is 5-0 against Tigers & Yanx (one more vs NYY tonight) after they probably would have settled for 2-3 if offered the choice pre-season Only the two west divisions are currently headed by logical choices: Arizona & Anaheim

Must .. resist .. temptation.. to give Scheffer points to Eric Bruntlett

Pelfrey - 3.0 Sosa - 1.5 Pagan - 1.5 Delgado - 1.0 Church - 1.0 Easley - 1.0 Schneider - 0.5 Muniz - 0.5

The problem wasn't just the 100 pitches (plus the shitty weather, plus the long layoff) but it was that he used ~50 pitches over the first 3 innings (slightly high) but then 50 more just for the last two. So considering that, plus the big lead and a few pen guys who could stand to get a good inning or two under their belts, pulling Pelf then wasn't a bad move.

It also shouldn't take two championships before it's deemed OK to let the guy off the hook. Now it's possible that the invite had been extended before this year but just taken up now, I don't know.

Yes, but he'd be coming here to provide Figeroa and/or Pelfrey (and/or injury) insurance and it's not like either of those guys have great ML track records to date. "I'm surprised at you throwing away women like that Rick, some day they may be scarce" -- Capt. Renault Sub in the words 'starting pitchers' for 'women' and you get the idea. Toss away insurance policies like that and you do so at your peril.

Pelfrey's getting grounders ... just not any luck.

NYPost: The Mets are on the verge of signing free-agent right-hander Claudio Vargas to a minor-league contract, and a deal could be done as early as tomorrow Vargas' agent, Bean Stringfellow, -- {Love that name!} -- told The Post today that the Mets have offered Vargas a Triple-A deal and were one of four teams in the hunt ... [but that] the Mets are the favorite. Vargas, who turns 30 in June, went 11-6 with a 5.09 ERA in 29 games (23 starts) with Milwaukee. With El Duque's foot back in a boot for another two weeks (at least?) this makes sense as does the minor league contract so there's no committment to use him ahead of Pelfrey or anyone else currently in the system.

The general, though not universal, sentiment around here tends towards anti-black. Pagan in the #2 hole with Castillo on the bench (knee)

Back to the IGT, Phils lead off with Victorino & Bruntlett with Rollins getting the day off (ankle) Pelfrey goes 1-2-3 in the first and didn't even plunk Utley

The Romans did the same with the Coliseum. Nero peeled off number XXVI

Their pen is practically un-scored upon.

="Benjamin Grimm"]Hockey playoffs have started already? Don't they run until June? And that's just the first round. ]That was a brilliant read, never saw that before, at the sausage cart is hilarious For those not around at the time (and that was nearly NINE years and about four boards ago now) 'Big Al' was an occasional poster whose backstory (or at least the one he was using) was that of a once-promising LHP who washed out in the minors at some point due to both arm problems and a rebellious streak which eventually led to his life as a heavy-drinking, divorced Met fan with a bit of a mean streak. He didn't post often but threw up some great shit worthy of pulp-fiction novels when he did. That one was definitely a high-light.

Now will the Cubbies invite 'Bartman' back to throw out a first ball? The fans & media have even more reason to be ashamed of themselves over that one.

Perez - 3.0 Delgado - 1.5 Beltran - 0.3 Smith - 0.4 Muniz - 0.3

batmagadanleadoff wrote: What the hell is all that lingo? Somebody get me a CPF dictionary. Reading the FAQs might help a bit (link up top next to the image and intro). Or maybe it won't, but there's some good jokes in there so you might as well read it anyway.

Tiggers = 0-7 after loss in Boston

Adam Rubin on WFAN: - talked about Feliciano (nothing new beyond what's in his blog above) - Sanchez: Due to pitch tonight in St Lucie and then probably bumped to N.O. for some back to back action later this week and (if all goes well) to the Mets by next week - El Duque: Back in NYC for an MRI on sumthinerother. Doesn't sound like he'll be back anytime soon.