Edgy MD

If they have faith in their assessment that he's little more than a bench player at this point, then playing him beyond that level: (1) puts him in a position to (in their judgment) hurt the team, demoralize his teammates and the fan base; and (2) markets to potential suitors his shortcomings. I could further add that : (3) it could rob him of any confidence that with a couple of adjustments, he could be so much more, but he has to work on that, and demonstrate that he's made some adjustments before gaining their confidence for further playing time; and (4) cut into playing time that some other would-be comer could be getting. It's all speculative, and number (4) is not how it would play out up front. Initially, he'd be taking playing time away from Ankiel. In saying all that crap, that's not how I lean. I think if he's on the roster, he'd do well to get some PT --- and I mean at short and second also, even though I know he's been a disaster as an infielder. But I think there's a value in not giving a player a job, but challenging him to take it --- saying, "That's Ankiel and his best days are behind him and he's not getting better; prove to me you're the better choice." And I think there's a value in supporting young players not just in playing them through their fuckups, but also in supporting the likes of Harvey and Wheeler by putting the best lineup you can muster that day behind them. Again, I want him playing more, but I think the case for spot-starting him until his play forces the issue is there. It's not the first time around the track for any of the Mets' braintrust. They may be wrong, but I'm sure they've considered these issues and are aware of the case for starting him. Nymr advocating up top for den Dekker. Let's get real.

Anybody see Ramon Ortiz's exit yesterday? He felt his elbow go --- and at 40, likely the last vestige of his now marginal career --- dropped to his knees and started crying in despair. Walked off the field sobbing. I kind of thought with the Jays having already snuck him through waivers once or twice this year, that he may end up being a 2013 Met, at least ephemerally. We've been at waiver war with the Jays for two years, it seems. Is Ortiz the last member of the Benson Bunchers? He has to be, right?

Some people try and address a specific organizational weakness. Do I have fuckers who can catch? Are we short on outfuckers? My philosophy --- and you can see this in San Diego, Oakland... what have you --- take the best fucker available. Who knows, three-four years down the road, where the fuck you'll need that fucker? FUCK!

Zvon wrote: If they don't want to mess with Ankiel and Byrd I wouldn't be against Valde getting his grooming at a lesser level. I would imagine messing with Ankiel and Byrd isn't a concern. Zvon wrote: But if we are 15-20 games out at the break why not. He might just be a bench player but let US find out. Not some other team. Or, if he is just a bench player, there's a double value to not making a public display of him failing to be more. Zvon wrote: Maybe the Mets have decided they know exactly what they have in Jordany. Maybe you have too. I can't say that I have yet. I certainly can't say I know.

The bridge doesn't have a window, man, it's a "view screen" --- a monitor. The hand phasers always bothered me. In the future, we'll have hand weapons that aren't particuarly more effective than a Saturday night special, but they'll make cool sound and light. Shouldn't those things be able to do auto targeting, and take out broad fields of targets?

I'm guessing he won't be lasting much longer as the Mets' sideline reporter.

The interview was a heckuva public service though. Hopefully turning a mirror of self-awareness on no small amount of trolls and their enablers, including maybe Lukas himself. Strange how he couldn't see how the harm was more real to Kristen. Sorry, Fman. You didn't deserve that. But it's a good reminder that all would-be satirists (you, me... them) need to watch some lines.

And to think, all the time, Fman was also Joe.

Courtesy of UniWatch.

Miguel Cabrera is worth looking at. The guy is hitting homeruns by dropping to one knee on pitches out of the strike zone. With a drinking problem! He may not be the fine-tuned combination of hitting ability and plate discipline that Pujols, Bonds, and Frank Thomas were in their primes, but as a pure masher who can crush any pitch in your arsenal --- the likes of Manny Ramirez, Adrian Beltre, that sort --- he's a heckuva thing to watch. I think we briefly saw its like with Moises Alou during the 18 seconds he was healthy. There was no good mechanics/bad mechanics in his swing. There was no covering this part of the plate versus that part. There was, "You throw it, I can turn on it."

I think it is what it is. An extra day of rest.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: From Christine Quinn's upcoming book via NYT: When her future wife made clear during one of their early dates that she could only be with a Yankees fan, Christine C. Quinn did not hesitate: �I dumped the Mets in a hot second.� She wasn't getting my vote in the first place. But geez. Yeah, that was more of a YLDB post.

Last I heard he was disabled by a bout of ciguatera --- a form of food poisoning.

Well, we corrected the burning shortstop issue that series.

Met fans remaining in the stands looking a little sad.

Ed Lucas, meanwhile, please report to the principal.

I don't think the idea is to "give" him to anyone. And the Mets have certainly had a better look at him than anybody else. They've had a front-row seat and a backstage pass for five-plus years.

Three hard outs last inning though.

Terry just left a flailing Scott Rice in to face Miguel Ozuna with the game on the line, clearly figuring he wanted him to face the lefties that were following, and he had no confidence in Rob Carson (or, possibly, considered Carson to be unavailable). Terry clearly wishes he had another lefty he half-trusted.

Bad Rice today.

Conceded the go-ahead run there.

That pitch had less action than Elvis Costello.

Gotta use a righty to go after Ozuna, man.

And getting an RBI hitting against a lefty.

Breaking pitch in the dirt. Davis no chase.