Edgy MD

The Mets tried out Nevisian cricketeer Kieran Powell last winter, who might have been an asset in a trip to a cricket country. He not only didn't get signed by a baseball team, but he hasn't continued his cricket career either. It's like MLB was a big bluff to get his contract improved in cricket, and nobody bit.

DIVISION! DISTRACTION! TEBOW!

Check out Cabrera hobbling right back out there, day in and day out.

Ceetar wrote: kinda wish Bruce was more pissed/dickish about it. maybe that'd get his swing back to at least the average+ it was. If anything, he's been too fast. He was on Teheran nicely but pulling everything 25 feet foul. I'm confident that Jay Bruce on his game is the team's best choice, but after these two losses, I'm not sure they have time to get him on his game. In fact, I suspect they don't. And I recommend Conforto getting something like two out of three starts against righthanders.

They must've moved something like 100 Gs in merchandise already.

Teheran sure looked gassed in that last at-bat.

That shoulder injury that keeps Gsellman from batting could be the difference maker if they have to choose between the two for a potential post-season rotation.

What he's given them while hurt has been remarkable, but with that grimace on his face, he looks about 70. I suspect he isn't finishing this game.

I didn't get that e-mail. Three exclamation points? That's not very tasteful.

Slowney was our best hitter yesterday, anyhow.

I can't wait to see Rio. She knows she's something special and she looks like she's the best.

Evidence suggests they pick guys who out-perform other guys. Gsellman, T.J. Rivera --- these guys hardly represent bonus babies.

Organizational Co-Player of the Year: Brandon Nimmo, of 352 / .423 / .541 // .964 in 444 PA at AAA, with 11 HR, 61 RBI, and 7 SB. Organizational Co-Player of the Year: Amed Rosario, ss .309 / .359 / .442 // .800 in 290 PA at A+, with 3 HR, 40 RBI, and 13 SB. .341 / .392 / .481 // .874 in 237 PA at AA with 2 HR, 31 RBI and 6 SB .324 / .374 / .459 // .833 in 527 PA combined with 5 HR, 71 RBI, and 19 SB Organizational Pitcher of the Year: P.J. Conlon 8-1 with a 1.84 ERA in 78.1 innings at A, with 10 walks and 61 SO 4-1 with a 1.41 ERA in 63.2 innings at A+, with 14 walks and 51 SO 12-2 with a 1.65 ERA in 142.0 innings combined, with 24 walks and 112 SO AAA (Las Vegas) Player of the Year: T.J. Rivera, if .353 / .393 / .516 // .909 in 442 PA at AAA with 11 HR, 85 RBI and 3 SB AA (Binghamton) Co-Player of the Year: Dominic Smith, 1b .302 / .367 / .457 // .824 in 542 PA at AA with 14 HR, 91 RBI and 2 SB AA (Binghamton) Co-Player of the Year: Phillip Evans, if .143 / .273 / .143 // .416 in 33 PA at A+, with 0 HR, 2 RBI, and 0 SB .335 / .374 / .485 // .859 in 386 PA at AA, with 8 HR, 39 RBI, and 1 SB .321 / .366 / .460 // .826 in 419 PA combined, with 8 HR, 41 RBI, and 1 SB A+ (St. Lucie) Player of the Year: Tomas Nido, c .320 / .357 / .459 // .816 in 370 PA at A+ with 7 HR, 46 RBI, and 0 SB A (Columbia) Player of the Year: David Thompson, 2b/3b: .294 / .344 / .474 // .817 in 256 PA at A, with 5 HR, 58 RBI, and 3 SB. .265 / .321 / .412 // .733 in 225 PA at A+, with 6 HR, 37 RBI, and 3 SB .280 / .333 / .444 // .778 in 481 PA combined, with 11 HR, 95 RBI, and 6 SB SS A+ (Brooklyn) Player of the Year: Desmond Lindsay, cf .364 / .563 / .455 // 1.017 in 16 PA at Rookie Ball, with 0 HR, 0 RBI, and 0 SB .297 / .418 / .450 // .868 in 134 PA in SS A+, with 4 HR, 17 RBI, and 3 SB .303 / .433 / .451 // .884 in 150 PA overall, with 4 HR, 17 RBI, and 3 SB SS A (Kingsport) Player of the Year: Thomas Szapucki, sp 2-1, with a 0.62 ERA in 29.0 IP (5 G, all starts) at SS A, with 9 BB and 47 SO 2-2, with a 2.35 ERA in 23.0 IP (4 G, all starts) at SS A+ with 11 BB and 39 SO 4-3, with a 1.38 ERA in 52.0 IP (9 G, all starts) combined, with 20 SO and 86 SO Rookie (GCL Mets) Player of the Year: Carlos Sanchez, c/if .317 / .382 / .444 // .826 in 157 PA in Rookie Ball, with 2 HR, 16 RBI, and 2 SB DSL Co-Player of the Year: Raul Beracierta, cf/lf .327 / .397 / .403 // .799 in 238 PA in the DSL, with 1 HR, 23 RBI, and 8 SB DSL Co-Player of the Year: Andres Gimenez, ss/2b .350 / .469 / .523 // .992 in 275 PA in the DSL with 3 HR, 38 RBI, and 13 SB

My standard complaint about swinging at the first pitch when you're down by a bunch in the ninth.

A double and an RBI: STOP the insanity.

Shut up, Matt Kemp. That gets by him, it's a quintruple.

Tying run on deck.

That's two, good people.

I imagine it won't, but it don't matter if the offense doesn't show.

The thing about Duda is that, unlike Conforto or Bruce, he's been out of circulation, and he's got to head out there not knowing how his back will respond. But we all seemingly agree that any of these goals should come at the expense of Loney, who should be/have been relegated to pinch-hitter/defense replacement by now. Any eventual return of Flores should also be pushing against Loney, and is more likely since Flores is already established by and for Terry as a first base option.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: So it sounds like he's kind of like a football Kardashian, famous for being famous? Sort of, but again, he has the added distinction of being a sustained flashpoint in the culture wars. When and if Tebow succeeds, I say good. But there are any number on both sides who see his success as linked to the advancement Christian and Republican and Conservative hegemony. Donald Trump's numbskull staff announced him as a speaker at the Republican National Convention, and he publicly responded with "No, I'm not, and I haven't even been asked." He can't lose and he can't win.

The flip side is that Conforto gets his first start in what seemed like 12 days (checking ... it was 15!) and he gets run right back out there the next day. Wouldn't it be something if that BFG wakes up?

It's part of the broader culture war. He was a successful college quarterback, and a Heisman winner. But occasionally, somebody comes along that can succeed wildly in the college game, but isn't cut out for the pro game. So he didn't get much of a shot, and amid that shotlessness came insinuations that he was being railroaded for his Christian values. He didn't make this claim, but it was the sort of bullshit culture war non-controversy controversy everybody's got to have an opinion about. As if he's the first Christian athlete. And then --- AND THEN --- by the blessing of fate, attrition led to him getting a shot ... and he SUCCEEDED ... modestly. He led his team deep into the playoffs, and this, to some mindsets, PROVED he was getting shafted. The other side of it was that his modest success was based on his undeniable athleticism, his leadership (as nebulous a quality as THAT is, it is widely acknowledged even by his detractors). And then, nothing. His team came up short of Super Bowl glory, and he's been in the hinterlands trying to find a job ever since. And around the beginning of this purgatory (which happens, of course, to any number of players), ESPN gave orders to their on-air staff to mention his name every 17 seconds forever. Controversy! It's the non-story story that keeps giving. Only the Brad Pitt/Jennifer Anniston breakup has been milked longer.

Brian Jordan

A rainout tonight, a wife goes into labor, somebody wakes up with pink eye, and it all goes to shit. And so I conclude with the main takeaways. The whole bit relies, of course, on speculation. Informed speculation, but speculation nonetheless.