Edgy MD

So the issue that really matters is how this outfield is likely to do going forward. I think the issue that really matters is finding a firstbaseman who hits like Jon Olerud. Or Rico Brogna. Or Dave Magadan. Sold or not on Lagares, he has centerfield a lot more nailed down than anybody has first. The defense isn't merely better than Duda, it's been pretty exceptional with him out there, despite Byrd's belly and Young's propensity to play no-doubles defense 24-7. Whatever you think of our outfield, the positions most hurting the team day after day seem to me to be first, shortstop, and catcher. Current standings by position represent the season and not where the team is now (thus, a still-low rating in center), but they're meaningful pictures I think, even if they represent offense only. Third Base: First out of 15 Teams in OPS. Second Base: Seventh out of 15 Teams in OPS. Left Field: Seventh out of 15 Teams in OPS. Right Field: 8th out of 15 Teams in OPS. Catcher: 10th out of 15 Teams in OPS. Center Field: 12th out of 15 Teams in OPS. First Base: 13th out of 15 Teams in OPS. Shortstop: 15th out of 15 Teams in OPS. Funny to see the deadlastness of shortstop. Unlike first and center and even catcher, we haven't had a period of outright crisis there in 2013, just steady bland badness.

Timeframe means everything.

I just adopted David Cone. HIGH FIVES FOR ME!

Well, it's 0% in the majors.

Balanced and flexible would be nice. We need Johnny Bench on the bench.

New month means new magic, as the 2013 Escalade Tour hits South Florida. [*:3lkxyf6m]Young, lf[/*:m:3lkxyf6m] [*:3lkxyf6m]Turner, 2b[/*:m:3lkxyf6m] [*:3lkxyf6m]Wright, 3b[/*:m:3lkxyf6m] [*:3lkxyf6m]Byrd, rf[/*:m:3lkxyf6m] [*:3lkxyf6m]Davis, 1b[/*:m:3lkxyf6m] [*:3lkxyf6m]Buck*, c[/*:m:3lkxyf6m] [*:3lkxyf6m]Lagares, cf[/*:m:3lkxyf6m] [*:3lkxyf6m]Quintanilla, ss[/*:m:3lkxyf6m] [*:3lkxyf6m]Harvey, sp[/*:m:3lkxyf6m][/list:o:3lkxyf6m] *So says the Burkhardt posting, but MFS62 says he's out on paternity leave.

Hopefully, an objective third party can make that call.

Looking forward to the seven-man rotation. Any word on Wright's ham?

I think we can romanticize the Vee era a bit. His outfield included some spare parts, but so does this 'un. Old Ricky Henderson and Young Roger Cedeno and Finally Healthy Jay Payton were real players. Darryl Hamilton, when not hobbled, had skillz any team would want.

How can you forget that his stellar efforts as a relief pitcher? Noted. That's one more reason Gonzalez Germen is probably a luxury.

MFS62 wrote: Puello has been reported (Daily News) to be one of the players to be suspended. If he is suspended for 50 games, can the Mets add him to the 25 man roster and THEN suspend him? That way, he would serve out the 50 major league games (about the rest of the major league schedule) this year and start spring training on time next year. If they can't, then he would sit out the roughly 30 games of the minor league schedule this year, and would be banned next year until he serves out the remaining games of his suspension. This would also prohibit his attending spring training, further retarding his development. Later Sounds like a reckless plan to me, plus it further motivates players to juice up when they're in the minors, ride out any suspensions they may incur if they're accidentally caught (even though Cesar somehow beat the testing regimen), and then restart their careers from the elevated professional position the roids gave them. The Mets already paid a big price (a two year contract, plus possibly the 2007 division and any potential subsequent crowns) believing Guillermo Mota to be, after his suspension, some the player he was before. The Mets would do well to let Puello serve his time honorably, and treat him next season like the same borderline prospect he was before this season. With respect to his career trajectory, this season should be treated like it never happened. That said, he's already on the 40, so September may already count against his suspension.

Frayed Knot wrote: If nothing else, this whole topic has given ESPN a reason to actually talk about baseball. As long as they don't have to sully themselves discussing the season, the games, or the players, they're OK with it. Baseball: America's answer to cycling.

Gimme some bench. I want players. Players on the bench. Hitting players, not pitching players. I'll take Rick Ankiel. I'll take Jose Offerman. I'll take Craig Paquette and I'll take Jason Hardke and Shawn Gilbbert. Desi Relaford? Hellzapoppin YEAH, Desi Relaford. Look, they all good men, and defensible if not obvious plusses as individuals, but if this isn't the worst bench in team history, it's surely the least versatile, and that's saying something. Andrew Brown: functional in left, somebody you'd rather not use in right, a non-option for center. Josh Satin: a poor secondbaseman they have to hide at first, where he hasn't exactly excelled. Justin Turner: a barely passable secondbaseman who's a default utility infielder, but is rather poor everyplace else. Anthony Recker: a passable catcher who doesn't play elsewhere to our knowledge, and appears to have been deliberately kept away from Matt Harvey. With that sort of non-flexibility, you'd expect every last one of those guys to be a threat with the bat, some of them dangerous against lefties and rightes. Very much so. But you'd be very much mistaken. Seems utterly fixable. Tejada's hitting, Valdespin is hitting, and Mike Baxter is hitting. Nieuwenhuis got the homer that started the Met resurgence and they haven't been the same since he got farmed out. A 13-man pitching staff just makes the bullpen a more crowded place to sit. Gimme some bench. Wilmer Flores? Hitting. Zach Lutz, Allan Dykstra? Hitting.

I'm against that sort of caution. Running is part of life.

Ought to be running a pitcher now. Ravishing Recker is in anyhow. Just don't use Atchison.

Great to get a hit by Buck. Other downside of the short bench --- hard to pinch run. Use Wheeler?

"Now the Mets still have Justin Turner and Anthony Recker available on the bench." Well, at least they're going up against a lefthanded closer.

Looking ahead to the ninth, it'd be sure nice to have a hitter available to batt fro Quintanilla. And a fielder available to replace him.

Lefty brought in to face Ike. Satin, right?

A Suzi Quattro reference can't be bad. I'm having reception problems and relying on my cellie.

How long until Bale is happy to take Hallmark Channel fare?

Bud Norris to Orioles, for something or other.

So, I guess this didn't happen.

Yesterday was also Duaner Sanchez day. Always nervewracking to be in Florida for Duaner Day.

Probably not, but I imagine there are trades that have gone down somewhere that haven't been announced yet. On the other hand, Boid and Moiphy in the lineup tonight.