Edgy MD

That Mets uni is a touched up Rangers top, innit?

Two button pullover top baseball trivia -- The only other MLB team to wear two-button pullover tops in the same style worn by the Joe Torre managed era Mets were the Texas Rangers in the 1970s. The only players to have worn the two-button pullover tops for both the Rangers and the Mets were Lenny Randle and Tom Grieve. https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/mVcAAOSwyqleDZ8j/s-l400.jpg> [fimg=300]https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/lsoAAOSwMz5fyGID/s-l500.jpg[/fimg] No?

I wouldn't even have intuitively occurred to me to link the Mets piping and the Expos piping as relatives from the same design feature trend, although of course they are. The moment it appeared on the Expos kit, it was like it was always there, like it had always been there and I jut hadn't noticed. The Expos tended to have a way of producing an elegant whole from a lot of goofy parts. Sort of like that wounded soldier on M*A*S*H* who pays the 4077 back by going to their mess hall and making delicious food out of the same awful ingredients that Igor couldn't do anything with.

I just realized that the Italian word for "player" is "giocatore." That, or a related word, has to be our source for "jock," right?

Dead on. I mean, every bit. And the alternative blue tops looked like softball unis. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_736,h_485,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Frisingapple.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1171486994-850x560.jpeg> I think they tended to wear them in spring day games, so they had a way of being a real intrusive opening day presence.

I'm guessing that playing in Mexico in the winter season, and having a legit visa to come to the US in the spring, somebody made a mule of him. That won't necessarily explain why he was driving erratically, of course.

It would just be something to score a couple for the guy every fifth day and see just what he could do without the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Cubs minor leaguer Jesús Camargo-Corrales charged with possession of https://sports.yahoo.com/cubs-prospect-charged-with-possession-of-21-pounds-of-methamphetamine-184732786.html?.tsrc=daily_mail&uh_test=2_0421 pounds of methamphetamine https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Fb4y4IZhAV5qZyPTl5mVJw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTcyMDtjZj13ZWJw/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2021-03/23cc3ba0-89c2-11eb-bbcf-242c1fcc25ac> Way to use your trademarked, team-issued duffel as your smuggling bag, https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=camarg000jesman. Those two green bags on top of the pile? That's the 1.2 pounds of suspected oxycodone he was hauling along (to somehow supplement the meth?). We never had a thread for the Johnny Damon arrest video, but I get the idea it's going to be a bad year for ballplayers behaving badly. It kind of feels dirty to share stories like this and it feels dirty not to.

Mets put up consecutive deuces in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, currently cruising with a 6-0 lead. Lindor an Conforty both have gone deep. deGrom was sloppy by his standards, giving up three hits and two walks in his 4 2/3 innings of scoreless ball, striking out five and lowering his spring ERA to 0.67.

Ten years ago today, the Mets released Oliver Perez Amazingly, he's been a more-or-less effective major league pitcher ever since.

We're getting a pretty good preview of opening day this afternoon, with the Nats hosting the Mets, both teams using most of their regulars, both teams sending their top starters to the bump, and both pitchers batting. [TABLE][TR][TH][/TH][TH][FIMG=250]https://cdn.freebiesupply.com/images/large/2x/new-york-mets-logo-transparent.png[/FIMG][/TH][TH][/TH][TH][/TH][TH][FIMG=250]https://cdn.freebiesupply.com/images/large/2x/washington-nationals-logo-transparent.png[/FIMG][/TH][TH][/TH][/TR][TR][TH]#[/TH][TH]Player[/TH][TH]Pos[/TH][TH]#[/TH][TH]Player[/TH][TH]Pos[/TH][/TR][TR][TR][TD]=#FF8000]1[/TD][TD]=#0000FF]Nimmo[/TD][TD]=#FF8000]cf[/TD][TD]=#B22222]1[/TD][TD]=#0000BF]Robles[/TD][TD]=#B22222]cf[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]=#FF8000]2[/TD][TD]=#0000FF]Lindor[/TD][TD]=#FF8000]ss[/TD][TD]=#B22222]2[/TD][TD]=#0000BF]Soto[/TD][TD]=#B22222]rf[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]=#FF8000]3[/TD][TD]=#0000FF]Smith[/TD][TD]=#FF8000]lf[/TD][TD]=#B22222]3[/TD][TD]=#0000BF]Turner[/TD][TD]=#B22222]ss[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]=#FF8000]4[/TD][TD]=#0000FF]Conforto[/TD][TD]=#FF8000]rf[/TD][TD]=#B22222]4[/TD][TD]=#0000BF]Bell[/TD][TD]=#B22222]1b[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]=#FF8000]5[/TD][TD]=#0000FF]Alonso[/TD][TD]=#FF8000]1b[/TD][TD]=#B22222]5[/TD][TD]=#0000BF]Schwarber[/TD][TD]=#B22222]lf[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]=#FF8000]6[/TD][TD]=#0000FF]McNeil[/TD][TD]=#FF8000]2b[/TD][TD]=#B22222]6[/TD][TD]=#0000BF]Garcia[/TD][TD]=#B22222]2b[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]=#FF8000]7[/TD][TD]=#0000FF]Davis[/TD][TD]=#FF8000]3b[/TD][TD]=#B22222]7[/TD][TD]=#0000BF]Gomes[/TD][TD]=#B22222]c[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]=#FF8000]8[/TD][TD]=#0000FF]Nido[/TD][TD]=#FF8000]c[/TD][TD]=#B22222]8[/TD][TD]=#0000BF]Mercer[/TD][TD]=#B22222]3b[/TD][/TR][TR][TD]=#FF8000]9[/TD][TD]=#0000FF]deGrom[/TD][TD]=#FF8000]sp[/TD][TD]=#B22222]9[/TD][TD]=#0000BF]Scherzer[/TD][TD]=#B22222]sp[/TD][/TR][/TABLE]

Mike has always been just a little bit off in his branding.

Who's that Rule V pickup from the Astros who hit .444 for the Mets in Spring Training. Oh, wait ... that's me! Yes that's me and I'm Drew Ferguson. I have no big league plate appearances at 28, but with all the glove-firsty guys the Mets have added, I'm the contact hitter with a good eye. And while I'm not a defensive diva, I'm a good athlete who has played center more often than not. And I'm a righty bat in a sea of lefties. I think that means I'm on speed-dial for a promotion. Face it. The Astros have been sick with outfield talent the last half decade, which is why the Mets were able to get J.D. Davis when they did. Well, I say I'm also a talent that has slipped through the cracks too. Did you know this is my second time getting pinched in the Rule V? It's true! Back in 2020, the Giants took me, but they had to return me because they couldn't fit me on their opening day roster. But the Mets were able to grab me in the minor league portion of the draft. That means the Mets are smart. When Googling me, please keep in mind that I'm not the Drew Ferguson who represents Georgia's Third Congressional District in the House of Representatives. He's another guy. While I'm a comically boring interview, I'm working hard on my cliches. Seriously, I just want to do what I can to help the team. [YOUTUBE]4NldSAYpxqg[/YOUTUBE]

Depending on health. I would imagine the team isn't in any rush to eat $11.67 million.

Check out this sequence from last week and marvel. [YOUTUBE]IQm5igDu2S8[/YOUTUBE]

While the Mets spent much of their offseason trying to upgrade their outfield speed and defense, they maybe ought to have noticed a certain streakin' Puerto Rican that they already have under contract. I'm Johneshwy Fargas and I've twice stolen 50 bases in the minors. That includes stealing 59 in only 109 games back in the Sally League. I hit a triple to left center in yesterday's game that didn't even reach the warning track and there wasn't even a play on me. My first-to-third speed is that outrageous. Mookiesque! I'm kinda wiry, but I have some whip in my bat, and I put a little muscle on my frame since last spring (when, you may remember, I hit for the cycle, thank you very much), and clearly I'm still lightning fast. Like Juan Lagares before me, I'm an outfielder who is a converted shortstop, so I bring some aggressiveness to my defensive game. I was a defensive standout as recently as 2019, and while that may not last season, it's the last season anybody allowed me to play. Yeah, I could walk a little more, extra-base it a little more, and even steal at a more economic rate. There's a bit of a reason my blazing speed hasn't delivered me to the bigs. But I was the MVP in the Puerto Rican Winter League this offseason, which gives the Mets two Caribbean winter league MVPs in camp this spring, and the PRWL is pretty close to being the best. I think if I can advance one more skill in my game, I can pitch my tent in a big league locker room. Did I mention I'm still in camp? Yeah, I know, big league camp ain't the show. And spring training 2021 ain't the 2021 regular season. That's why I need you. What's gonna happen? [YOUTUBE]kGEGYpQYFf8[/YOUTUBE]

In the morning of the same day, the Mets announced their commitment to combating hate crimes. And then in the afternoon, they announce the hiring of a guy who substantially helped bring about the hatemonger in chief.

For all the embarrassing and unprofessional and downright toxic coddling of closers' egos, I may be one of the better object lessons in support of it. I'm Jeurys Familia, and I was a supporting player in the Mets' bullpen and I pitched to suit. Folks liked my stuff, but I wasn't blowing minds any more than, say, Carlos Torres or Vic Fuckin' Black. Buddy Carlyle and Dana Eveland were getting it done back then too. But then Jenrry Mejia got stupid and I stepped into the closer's role, and holy shit, was I the man. For two years there, my slider had enough bite to make lefties corkscrew upon themeselves, my four-seamer had tail, and my splitter was a like a fastball with a changeup drop. I was poison. I was totally the man. But the Mets lacked other men, and so they traded me to another team in the midst of a pennant race, and since then, I'm just another reliever. I sometimes get it done, sometimes don't, and if I'm not hitting my spots, I'm not succeeding, because my shit is isn't as baffling anymore. I've been fluctuating in weight classes, I make sad faces, and I wonder what my future is. But somewhere in there, I'm still that guy. If you would perhaps coddle me again, you may find out. For now, I need to find out. My past is but prologue. What does my future hold? [YOUTUBE]-ezsOpQAceo[/YOUTUBE]

Fortunately, the organization can do more than one thing at a time. Negotiations are organic and they can frequently set their own schedules. I mean, I don't really think Governor Christie was a higher priority than either of these two.

There've been a lot of Jareds coming through the organization of late, and frankly, it's a tough time these days for the name Jared. Increasing in popularity not too long ago, it's now increasing in notoriety. I have my vowels switched around, so I'm turning that paradigm on it's ear. I'm Jerad Eickhoff, and you may remember me from such films as The 2016 Phils! and, well, The 2015–2019 Phils!, I guess. But 2016 was my best year, and I haven't contributed much since 2017. But I'm a big, teutonic righthander, and though my name has never appeared on the back of a uniform without that weird comic-strippy font the Phillies use, I think I've still got something left to show, you know, if Syndergaard stays hurt, and Carrasco stays hurt, and Lugo stays hurt, and David Peterson and and Mike Montgomery get hurt. THAT COULD TOTALLY HAPPEN! And then you'll be looking my way, right? I hail from Evansville, Indiana. I aim to be the second-best ballplayer ever from my beloved hometown. The best, of course, will always be catcher Drew Butera. I signed with two different teams last seasons and appeared with neither. But that's, like, only about one third my fault. The rest I blame on a virus and on a terrible president. I actually was promoted to the Padres for a bit, but never got inserted into a game, so I also blame Padres Manager Jayce Tingler. And really, have you ever met a guy name "Jayce Tingler" that you can trust? The first name "Jayce" is bad enough, but, well, tingle this, you know? My German, however, bad as it is, says my name translates to "Hope Corner," and that's the corner I intend to turn. I'm not always a big strikeout guy, but I'm known to be a hoss for a team that needs it. And if all those mofos go down, I think you're gonna need it. So ... me? You? 2021? No Jayce Tingler around to tell us what to do? How do you think this is gonna go? If it helps, I've already got something of a track record at Citi Field. Ask my wife Morgan about it some time. [YOUTUBE]9kCr9UAfO28[/YOUTUBE]

There you go. duan knows best, folks.

OHHHHHHH!!!!

If you're looking to the past, George Herbert Walker IV would have been a more credible choice. Despite being a Bush cousin and being another finance hotshot, he's demonstrably smart, his finance firm performs well, and in contrast with the Mets president, has managed to keep a squeaky clean reputation, despite being owned by Lehman Brothers during their disaster, and subsequently led the employees in a buyout. You get Mets history plus connections in both politics and finance, without nearly as much ick as Cohen or Governor Christie bring to the table. And he's a Republican financier who has never given to President Trump, or Governor Christie for that matter. Or stay in Connecticut and hire Bobby Valentine.

Brandon not getting a call for Drury duty would likely mean a delightful outbreak of health in the Mets infield this year. Either that or a substantial total of Tovar, or perhaps a piñata full of Peraza. But hey, Danny Garcia never got a callup either.

Out-of-office politicians used to get these gigs a lot. It helped teams work the civic process when they needed easements and road closures and shit. It also would give them a little more respectability. Not so much a boost in the respectability column here.