Frayed Knot

Where: Shea Stadium Who: NYMets (24-16) vs MFY (23-16) When: * Friday May 19th: 7:00 (Ch 11 & Ch 9) Randy Johnson (5.13 ERA, 1.31 WHiP, .427 SlgA) vs Jeremi Gonzalez Randy's old, cranky and, most importantly, not pitching very well these days. Oh, and Leona Helmsley called and she wants her personality back. * Saturday May 20th: 1:20 (FOX Network) Mike Mussina (2.56, 1.01, .329) vs Pedro Martinez Mussina's having a very good season to date but still waiting for that elusive charm school scholarship to come through * Sunday May 21st: 8:00 ESPN Shawn Chacon (5.21, 1.68, .417) vs Tom Glavine Chacon is starting to turn back into a pumpkin following last year's 'out-of-nowhere' stretch and is also hurt. Likely to be replaced by Aaron Small (another pumpkin waiting to happen) Thy Enemy: All starters will be accompanied by their 'Annoyance Factor' -- and to be timely we'll borrow from the Government's: RED =orange]ORANGE =yellow]YELLOW =darkblue]BLUE =green]GREEN terror warning system: CF - Johnny Damon: - .282/.360/.423 (BA/OBA/Slg) has been slumping lately, also hobbling and occasionally DH-ing =orange]AF = ORANGE -- Rule 1: If you go making 'I'll never play for the Yankees' pronouncements, then you best expect to get abused for it right after you sign with them and immediately commence declarations about how this is where you've always wanted to be. SS - Derek Jeter: .353/.446/.547 AF = RED (but you already knew that din't you?) - - The 'Which way's the camera?' fist pumps were bad enough and the whole media/groupie worshipping has always been annoying even if only occasionally his fault. But now we're forced to see him on commercials every 12 minutes or so as he hawks more products than anyone this side of John Madden. 3B - Alex Rodriguez: - .280/.388/.510 not nearly as good as his 2005 AL-MVP year (and constantly reminded of it) =orange]AF = ORANGE - - Mostly annoying for the fact that he tries so hard not to be annoying. He's one of the most hated people in baseball - mainly for being rich, talented and good-looking - plus even moreso in the cities where he currently is or recently had played. That said he definitely gets more than his share of abuse. 1B/DH - Jason Giambi: .271/.480/.654 (cooled off in May after a ridiculously hot 'AL-PotM' April AF = RED- - How exactly is he getting a media pass for this whole BALCO mess - Cuz he "did the right thing and fessed up"? ... Pul-eeeeze! And don't forget to cover up that now-taboo tatoo Jason. Biker rebel my ass! 2B Robinson Cano: .312/.345/.406 Nice line-drive hitter prone to baserunning & fielding mistakes =darkblue]AF = BLUE - - Nothing really annoying about him except that he plays like a dork sometimes, plus there's a rule where no MFY can score lower than Blue RF? - Bernie Williams: .239/.279/.327 Now forced back into OF play due to others' injuries. =darkblue]AF = BLUE - - His four gold gloves are at least three more than he deserved but those were a while ago anyway and now he's gotta cover a bigger RF than in the Bronx. Let's run on his ass! C - Jorge Posada:- .310/.420/.513 having a good season now so his options years will kick in and keep him in the Bronx thru 2008 =yellow]AF = YELLOW -- Nothing specific but something about him always annoyed me. Probably the radar-dish ears. The Subs: Melky Cabrera: Switch-hitting 21 y/o was called up last year and bombed in a brief trial. A starter for right now, mostly playing LF (poorly) and getting a few hits (mostly singles) Bubba Crosby: LH Ofer w/good speed and glove although can't hit much and left Thursday's game limping. Kevin Reese: Also a brief call-up last year - strictly the last guy off the bench Andy Phillips: Getting some 1B time as Giambi DHs while they're short on Ofers. Just what you want, a weak-hitting corner IFer Miguel Cairo: Need I say more? The Pen: Matt Smith/ Scott Erickson (yes, him!): The garbage time guys. If/when we see them it'll already be good news. Ron Villone: Middle inning lefty Aaron Small: Long man/Chacon substitute Scott Proctor: Having a decent year, has emerged as the 7th inning guy Mike Meyers: LOOGY Kyle Farnsworth: Replaced Tom Gordan as set-up guy ... only not as good. Mariano Rivera: (2.81, 1.31, .302) You've met him before. Actually getting hit a bit so far but rarely for any power. Injuries: H. Matsui - broken wrist, out until at least August Gary Sheffield - inflamed asshole, expected back next week even though condition unlikely to improve (bruised wrist actually) Tanyon Sturtze - Rotator Cuff Carl Pavano - Everything. Was supposedly close to ready then walked off his rehab start

Really in all three of Lima's starts he's probably deserved somewhat better than the result -- Today: horrible call at 1st (out by a half-stride) plus his own error and about the dinkiest bloop on the planet ... all of which would count for something only if the results were within throwing distance of good. Instead, he would have needed all the luck he didn't get just to get to semi-mediocre and that's not going to cut it. As it stands now it doesn't look like they'll need a 5th starter until NEXT Saturday: Jeremi, Pedro, Glavine, OFF, Trax, Jeremi, Pedro, Glavine, ??, Trax

Trachsel - 4.0 Sanchez - 1.0 Reyes - 0.5 Wright - 0.3

They were clearly pitching around Carlos B. (setting up the force/DP ... wanted to face a lefty, etc) but he plunked Carlos D. on a 1-2 pitch pushing to go-ahead to 2nd. IThat one wasn't intentional, nor do I think that he/they were looking to get to Wright.

Just lump them with all the people who thought 'The China Syndrome' and Stone's 'JFK' were documentaries.

Didn't see the book, have no interest in reading the movie. (or something like that)

Glavine - 3.4 Reyes - 2.1 LoDuca - 1.3 Wright - 0.8 Floyd - 0.4 Nady - 0.6 Sanchez - 0.5 Heilman - 0.5 Julio - 0.4

]Cohen however said that since the visiting team took a lead in the top of an inning that was not completed after the 5th that if the game had to be called it would not be an official game but rather a 'suspended' game. I was confused but after thinking about it, it makes sense. The home team would have to have the same amount of opportunities to score I guess. So since the Mets went ahead in the top of the 7th, the Cards would have to be given a chance to bat in their half of that inning. Right. When a team takes a lead in an otherwise-official game during the middle of an inning but rain prevents the inning from being complete, the result has to revert back to the last whole inning - as if the 7th (in this case) had never happened. Had that actually happened (game not being resumed) I think we would have set some kind of record for the two worst-timed rain-shortened games in a one-week span.

Now all we need is three quick outs ... then another cloud bust!

"The opposing pitcher was tossed with no warning (as far as I know)." No, the pitcher (Russ Springer) had been warned. He threw behind him once (hence the warning) and then inside about 4 more times (including one that hit his bat) before plunking him and promptly getting tossed; Garner too. "Ill have to see this again on Sportcenter or Baseball 2night" I think they'll show it since ESPN has now become BarryTV: 'All Barry, all the time'

The Rangers can't beat the Yanx no matter how hard they try (or don't). Texas used about 7 different pitchers tonight and I don't think I had heard of any of them until Otsuka came in for the 9th ... and promptly blew it.

Or teams sometimes sign players in anticipation of recovery and wind up paying for a partial season of inactivity with hopes of getting real performance at a somewhat reduced rate later on. The Yanx did that with Jon Leiber: paying for a recovery which did not happen on their watch and then getting a decent year out of it (before losing him by mis-judging his value after that). They're now doing the same with Dotel - signed for this year and next (IIRC) - with results yet to be seen.

Well, I think the implication is to cut him loose after the year runs out since he's not signed beyond this season. They could get out of the $2.4mil minimum next year by cutting him loose and then re-inking him to a lesser, conditional kind of contract since he'll only be available for a partial year if any ... but even that seems to be barely worth it.

"That they turned to Erickson while once again ignoring Colter Bean (0.77 ERA, 30 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings) highlights an organizational blind spot, both in development and in choosing guys for major-league roles" But ... they're so smart!

]Pelfrey is ready...NOW The stats on Mr. 'Ready NOW' following his 4th AA start: 4 GS; 21.2 IPs 0-1; 4.15 ERA 30 H; 9 BBs; 2 HBP; 24 Ks 1.80 WHiP

Not so much to follow for the upcoming draft this year as compared to the last few when we owned picks #9 (Pelfrey - '05), #3 (Humber - '04), #12 (Milledge - '03), #15 (Kazmir - '02), and #18 (Heilman - '01). The Wagner signing slips our #17 pick to the Phils and we don't get a choice until somewhere in the mid-60s. But - according to a recent Q&A in BA - we may yet have some 1st round talent coming our way anyway: The Mets probably are going to have to spend first-round money to keep a draft-and-follow, Pedro Beato, out of the draft. He was their 17th-rounder last year out of Brooklyn and has really come on strong for coach Dave Pano at St. Petersburg JC. He's been in the mid-90s, and one scout told our Alan Matthews that Beato would go in the first half of the first round. 'Draft-and-Follows' are guys you draft (usually in a later round) who are either in, or are headed for, Junior College programs. You then follow their progress as you retain their rights until a week prior to the next year's draft. In this case, this 17th round pitcher has apparently stepped up his game since last June to the point where he'll go in the top 15 picks overall this June after being approx #500 last year. So what he can do now is ask the Mets to cough up 1st-round type money or he'll re-enter the draft and (he hopes) get it from whoever picks him. Either way, the dude probably made himself an extra million or so bucks with a good year in JuCo.

Martinez - 2.5 Valentin - 3.0 Wright - 1.0 Matsui - 0.5 Felciano - 0.3

Gonzalez - 2.2 Beltran - 1.8 LoDuca - 1.8 Valentin - 1.8 Wagner - 1.0 Bradford - 0.8 Nady - 0.3 Reyes - 0.3

I've used excerpts from that one in posts after some tough Saturday night losses.

Nope, that one was started after midnight.

Yellow Flag! 5-post penalty for starting the I-G-T too soon

]Bartolome Fortunato on 60 day DL and getting the TJ surgery. Whoa, where'd that come from?

Bannister is pitching in a simulated game today. The idea - assuming he doesn't get his simulated ass kicked or re-aggravate his simulated hamstring - is to have him ready for one of the Yanqui games next week, presumably the Saturday game: Pedro - Bannister - Glavine. I suppose whoever looks better out of this Lima/Gonzalez duo gets the Thursday start at StL. btw, Bell down in favor of Gonzalez -- no word on what 40-man move they'll make in order to promote Jeremi.

="cleonjones11"]Many people thought David Wright was ready NOW.. specifically Howard Johnson. That seems to have worked out.... Howard Johnson thinking David Wright was ready is a lot different than YOU thinking Mike Pelfrey is ready; especially when you consider that Wright had 3 years in the minors and HoJo saw him daily - as opposed to Pelfrey's 40 innings! in the minors and you've not only never seen him but probably wouldn't recognize him if you two were the only ones stuck on an elevator.

Chris Berman's "style" on signature calls: Step 1) - Steal someone else's signature call: * Cosell's 'He - Could - Go - All - The - Way' * Red Barber's 'Back, Back, Back ....' * Keith Jackson's 'FUMMMMMBBBBLLLLE!' Step 2) - Exaggerate it Step 3) - Scream it at top volume Step 4) Call it your own