Edgy MD

Gary Carter had to show double the standard level of human enthusiasm just to redeem #8 for the Expos.

G-Fafif wrote: Baltimore, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Seattle and, of course, Washington and New York (N) all lost franchises and received replacements. Only Montreal awaits proper reparation. (Well, them and Brooklyn, sort of.) Interesting point. Imagine there's still a dozen or so who demand a replacement for the Boston Braves. And maybe one or two who want the Athletics back in Philadelphia. Inconsistent of me, but I strangely doubt anybody gives a crap about the St. Louis Browns. What a half-hearted swing by Kevin Collins here.

No, actually he's not. Please don't be sarcastic. I just don't see the profit in having Justin Turner or his like at every position. I think that makes sense. You work with who you got until you get somebody in place who eclipses him. OE: I don't understand the issue with aggravation. Is he aggravating because he chases girls and disrespects the flag, or his he just not hitting well enough? I imagine it's the latter. But then, which players are hitting .146 that are "worth it"?

I like that he gets so caught up in his five-tools analogy that he ends up calling himself a tool. OE: The Mets would be a great match for a AAA team in Montreal. They'd be back in the East and it would make them that much more Dodgerly. batmagadan would explode, of course. And that wouldn't be good.

Disagree.

I say using the Expos angle is an honorable move.

If I was a president with gas, I would totally blame the ghosts of my predecessors. "Oh, there you go again, Rutherford!"

Lucas Duda, you look like a more camera shy version of Brad, Tim Allen's mulleted son from the once-ubiquitous Disney show Home Improvement. Somebody noticed this out there and got a picture of the kid in a here-they-are-now photo.

What kind of name is ScarJo?

Curt Schilling: "Harvey > Strasburg." I know, I know, but the cadet's logic is sound, Captain.

No, but...

Millan does seem like a universally comfortable guy. One man more awkward in photos than Jeff, and that's Duda.

I seem to also recall a lot of (a LOT of) arguments that it was prudent to overpay Jeter over the course of his contract, and add any years he thought he had coming to him, because he wasn't the type to take the money if he couldn't answer the bell. He'd retire rather than shamelessly accept pay from the team for sub-Jeteriffic outcomes.

Churchmouse is a little old for AA, but more or less getting it done, with a 3.68 ERA in his first 7 1/3 innings. More useful is the nine-strikeout number, against three walks.

Well, it wasn't a year last year, but two months. Funny thing is when he hit his stride after three, the rest of the team fell apart. I'm going to try not to draw overbroad conclusions over baseball played under such un-basebally conditions. It's really bad just for what it is. But obviously it's worth it to get an answer that helps get him right. What's really noticeable is the bullpen problems. I think this year is a lot like 2005, where they broke camp with a buncha vets in the pen --- Manny Aybar, Mike DeJean, and Felix Heredia, and such --- and it was up to a bunch of talented but fringey younger pitchers to take those jobs away on merit. I think that's the onus on Familia and Carson and Germen and Mejia and maybe McHugh. That's possibly a key to this season and maybe next. What's up with Mejia, anytutz? Shouldn't he be back on the field in a week or two?

Tying run on triple deck.

Yeah, Helton didn't hit that too hard. Mercy.

And that's the cockpunt right there. Carlos Gonzalez: hard to retire.

Bases bloated for the rox with two out in the seventh. Big fulcrum of the game, here.

It's gonna be awesome. (Unless Ike continues to be awful.)

Dynasty ain't all that's crumbling. Reports pouring out that Jeter's still got a crack in that ankle and won't be back until after the All Star Break.

Sure. The Blue Jays wanted catchers with experience handling the knuckler. The Mets had two. The Mets wanted a vet who could hold the position until d'Atartagnan was ready, and maybe mentor and/or back him up once he arrived. (Indeed, they needed one, with Thole jettisoned.) Salary is certainly a factor (it always is), but clearly there were talent assessments involved too.

Zackly!

It struck me that Tuesday's doubleheader must've been like old-timey baseball --- with volatile defense and the pitcher highly disadvantaged relative to the batter.

why can't the Mets ever draft one of these guys? it reminds me of when the Knicks purposely skipped over St. Johns' Ron Artest to take Fredric Weis. well maybe not, but you know, lets get a local school feeding our minor league system. There'd be alot of support if a kid like that made it to the show in Queens. Or he can make a big splash and then get buried and dumped like Mark Jackson. Johnnies have played for the Knicks over the years: Jackson, Mel Davis, Reggie Carter, Lavor Postell. In earlier days: Dick and Al McGuire, John Warren, Max Zaslofsky. It's another stupid side-effect of the draft and the salary cap. Teams shouldn't have to make coldblooded decisions between a hometown hero and other guys who rate a tad higher on their draft board. If they think the match is right, they should be able to take a both-and strategy. If the 1985 Knicks are in love with Mullin and how marketable he is in the New York region, they should be able to pursue both him and Ewing, if the money is too dear, they dial things down and go for Mullin and Karl Malone or Mullin and Xavier McDaniel, or say all Redman and go for Mullin and Bill Wennington. That should be a viable option. It would be great.