Frayed Knot

Will someone please throw a bucket of cold water on Willets. A decent - though somewhat short & generic - appearence. An early joke in the beginning (when announcing that night's guests) was pretty good as Dave produced a Wright baseball card which had it's 'fun fact' on the back saying: 'In his spare time David likes to bet on Baseball' The kid seemed a shade nervous (talking very fast) but was otherwise fine. Zinged Dave with a; 'I've heard all your bad Met jokes and we all know you're a Yankee fan' -- to which Dave replied; 'only when they're winning'. Other than that he likes Cal Ripken, the Mets, Willie, his family, hot dogs, apple pie, ... yyybbb. As with the SI article from a few weeks back and similar national exposures there's nothing that us Met nerds are going to learn or find surprising here.

I'm not usually one who feels the need to attend every "event" game - but I decided on the afternoon of that game that I had to be there that night. So I called a connection and got a last minute ticket and rushed to the stadium in time for the game but too late to meet a large bunch of the (old) forum who were gathering prior to game time - although I did manage to catch up with Dickshot, Sponge/Farmer Ted, KC, and even meet Ambler (oldies know who I'm talking about) for the first and only time as he had flown in from California for the game. What I remember from that night: - Being in field level seats and the only thing I could hear during the pre-game 'moment of silence' were the flag-ropes on the top of the stadium flapping in the wind four decks above me. I had never heard 40K people that quiet before ... the silence was deafening. - Thinking that - in Shea Stadium of all places - the stocky middle-aged guy walking up the aisle towards me must get kidded that he looks like Ron Swoboda a lot. As he came closer and eventually turned into my row and plopped down in the seat next to me I realized ... it WAS Ron Swoboda!! - I've never been a big Liza fan but she was at her brassy/sassy best and the rousing 'New York, New York' was just what was needed at that point after all the solemn activities earlier. Yeah we were mourning - but we're still here! - Thinking that the result of the game was secondary to everything else and in a way it was enough that we were just playing ... except that after all the problems during that season we had managed to work our way back into the fringes of a pennant race and godammit we needed this fucking game!! So by the later innings the fact that we were playing again suddenly wasn't enough anymore! - That there was a whole lot of emotion riding on the big guy's (nod to Fran) HR. I'm sure most will tell you that they knew it was gone as soon as he hit it but I wasn't - and with Andruw out there I don't even consider it a hit until I see it bounce at least twice.

And when you think about it, there's no game Friday night either!! We're in Wrigley to start things off and so Friday's game is during the day.

That FOX will continue to be the main network for Game of the Week and the WS isn't a big deal IMO. Y'all might hate Buck/McCarver and the nonsense the Foxies put on but it's not like a different network is going to be a whole lot better or use it to plug their upcoming shows any less. Would baseball on NBC - getting a full dose of the Ebersol/Olympic treatment - be any better? It's not like they're going to suddenly broadcast GotW with the same reverence that they did 50 years ago. Or do we really want them on ABC w/it's continued ESPN-ization of their sports dept? I can already hear Brent Mussberger anchoring things: "You're looking live at Shea Stadium in New York City ... " Which network carries the main ball for the foreseeable future is pretty much irrelevant to me. The more interesting parts here are: - that ALL of the 'Division' round games are moving to cable TV via Turner's networks, and that possibly the LCS series that's NOT being telecast by FOX will also move to cable. This is similar to what the NBA did in their last contract; ie. take the most money and have the games be a bigger priority for the smaller outlet that's broadcasting them but at the same time those games are being restricted to a lesser distribution. - that there'll be a Sunday afternnon GotW in addition to Saturday's - and, I guess, in addition to the ESPN Sunday Night game (I think ESPN's reg season sked is on a seperate contract). What I hope is that Turner is NOT getting an exclusivity deal for Sunday afternoons. As it is no team can air a game on local TV opposite the FOX national time slot - which is why so many games have gone to Sat night starts (or late aft). Sunday games should remain during the day.

Newsday: A new seven-year deal between Major League Baseball and two of its television partners, Fox and Turner, will mean more televised games on different networks, as well as a change in the World Series schedule. Basics: - Fox continues to have exclusive rights to the World Series and All-Star Game. - Also broadcast the ALCS in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013 and the NLCS in 2008, 2010 and 2012. - Fox will also air 26 Saturday games of the week, eight more than the current contract. - Turner, through TBS, will air all Division Series games from 2007 through 2013, becoming the first cable network to exclusively broadcast MLB playoff games. - TBS also to air 26 regular-season Sunday afternoon games from 2008-13. - Beginning in 2007, the World Series will begin on the first Tuesday following the completion of the LCS. So it's Tues/Wed, then Fri/Sat/Sun, then games 6 & 7 on Tues/Wed I assume. - What remains unsigned for now is the LCS in the years that are NOT broadcast on Fox in alternating years beginning in 2007. ESPN, NBC and Turner are believed to be interested in broadcasting those LCS.

Pretty shocking win for Soler -- but I guess it mostly speaks for the un-star-worthy June that the rest of the staff turned in. Our system my skew against pitching to begin with but the fact that the top 4 vote-getters plus 6 of the top 9 were hitters this month probably is right on track here.

I was going to mention a few weeks back that you can just smell that an SI cover on this team was just around the corner. Captain Red Ass?

beaten to pucnh Nothing to see here.

]There's a reality about World Series games and All Star games, in that a larger percentage of the runs are going to be scored by home runs Really?

]Bud is full of shit. Maybe, but I don't have the ammo to argue against him and I've yet to hear anyone in the media do so either. It also seems odd that he'd make up that reason for not going with best in-season record just to avoid it as a factor. ]Last I checked, they still don't know which cities will be featured in the WS until the LCSs are over No, but they can start eliminating (starting tomorrow) specific dates for certain cities. They'll know after tonight that they'll need to reserve hotel space in Boston, for instance, for these dates but not those, while doing the opposite in St Louis, San Diego, etc.

Bud's answer is that the WS is just that much bigger than the LCSs and also the NBA & NHL championships as far as the size of the contingent that follows in its wake. He's even said that waiting until mid-season to decide which cities could possibly host games 1, 2, 6 & 7 as opposed to 3, 4 & 5 is "cutting it close". The Super Bowl is obviously bigger but doesn't have the same home field problems since the site & date are picked out years in advance -- although remember when the SB needed to be delayed for a week after 9/11 they had to strike some sort of deal with the group (UAW?) who had all the New Orleans hotel rooms booked for that week.

Home teams in baseball win around 53-54% of the time. Translate that into a small sample (only one game and only once every few years) and it becomes a statistical toss-up.

Selig claims that MLB needs more notice (for hotel/media reservations, etc.) than just the last minute timing that 'best-record' would provide them. Personally, I never had a problem with alternating years. The one thing that almost never gets mentioned in the whole debate over WS home field advantage is ... that it rarely matters! Over the last 50 years: - 23 WS have gone to 7 games (home field doesn't matter until you get to game 7) - and of those 23, the team w/the home field in game 7 won ... 10 of them

A couple of mentions this week for Binghamton OFer Carlos Gomez: Baseball America takes note of his recent hot streak; Since returning from an injury in mid-June, Gomez is hitting .321 and is 14-for-32 in July in what is the best offensive run of his career. Plate discipline is still a problem though as he has 58-13 strikeout-walk ratio in 245 at-bats. ... while Baseball Prospectus reminds us that, despite that, he was rushed to AA and is far from a sure thing; Gomez is an example of a 20-year-old in Double-A who didn't necessarily deserve the assignment. The Mets inexplicably skipped Gomez to the Eastern League to begin the season despite the fact that he hit an unimpressive .275/.331/.376 at Low Class A Hagerstown in 2005. While his raw athleticism is arguably the best in the Mets system, he's still just that--extremely raw, and was clearly not ready for the double-jump, hitting just .211 in the season's first two months. Gomez's bat has come alive of late, as he's gone 16-for-35 (.457) in his last 10 games, but even that has only raised his season numbers to .249/.322/.373. Throw in the fact that he's drawn a grand total of one walk in his last 22 games, and it hardly seems sustainable. The tools are there, but they are still locked up in the cabinet for now.

The reserves are chosen by a combination of player votes and manager/league picks.

Off-days are the mother of insipid stories.

I knew the Scully question ... although i'm not sure why. I did guess on some of the others, got a 43

If we collapse during the second half and lose this thing it'll almost certainly be due to our own fault given how poorly the rest of the division has played so far. But if there is going to be one (or more) team(s) that catches fire and gives us a run for the money who do you think it could be? Rank 'em in order from most scary down to least Current standings: TEAMWINSLOSSESGBRecord v NYMGms Rmng v NYMMETS5336---------PHILS404712.03 - 610BRAVES404913.04 - 59MARLINS384813.53 - 610NATL's385215.52 - 610 I'll go with: Braves Marlins Phils Nats I still believe Atlanta has a run in them and they've looked better over the last week. And, as was pointed out various times this past weekend, the Fish have the NL's best record over the last 6 weeks or so. Phils still have talent but they may start selling off soon - I think Abreu's a goner.

"We could say that he is a combination of Tony Pena's defense and Mike Piazza's bat," said Leo Mercedes, who runs the young player's career. " Mr. Mercedes then went on to add that "we COULD say that but then we realized what a fucking ridiculous thing to say about a 16 y/o kid. But what the hey, if it gets internet & talk radio Met fans all hopped up and penciling him into their fantasy 2008 lineups then it'll all be worth it". But seriously, he was considered a prime target in this year's foreign FA market - although the reported $750K, while a big number for a teenager, is far below what some have been paid so there's apparently some limit to where teams see his potential.

Survived a somewhat sloppy game going into the break - what'd we give them - 4 infield hits? Not that they were all errors but better plays turn at least some of those into outs; and Valentin's non-play resulted directly in 2 runs. Not an easy play but I was screaming 'Look to Home' several seconds before he finally did. - the baserunning plays were mentioned. No reason for LoDuca NOT to be about 2 steps behind Valentin there. If it's caught then he's out and there's no danger of anyone passing another on the bases, and if it's dropped (it was) he strolls into 2nd. Then his pinch-runner brain-locks too - you freeze (or even break back) on liners not immediately head to the next base. Wright's HR bailed both their asses out. - also the fumble by Nady (who otherwise had a good day) and a real bad relay from Valentin on the same play - turns out we needed every run too as Wags coughed up a 9th inning HR (tough weekend for closers) In all, we got a bit lucky ... but I'll take it.

Still not hitting him much (that 2B was just a well-placed bouncer) but his pitch-count is going to make this a 5-and-out deal for the rook's debut no matter what the run cushion is. They're not getting around much on his fastballs (lotsa fouls the other way) but too many walks (not surprising) and deep counts will prevent him from taking this much beyond 5 IPs

<------ I just became Claudell Washington ... I feel my shoulders broadening as I type Valentin's having a nice week this afternoon. Not bad for a guy many Met fans wanted strung up and shot by the 2nd week of the season.

It was essentially the "safety" squeeze; runners NOT running and getting the bunt down got the a run. Not a bad play when you're behind early like that against an unfamiliar pitcher in tough sunlight time; just chip away at the lead.

Well it's not like they smacking the rook around despite the 2 runs thru 2 innings: 3 hits so far but only 1 has left in infield, plus a BB, an HBP, and an error.

Wright's K-ing a lot lately.