Edgy MD

I once heard Keef say that left field was his favorite position. I was shocked!

Steinbrenner openly fumed when the Yankees opened against the Sox, feeling that he got ripped out of an extra payday by combining two sellout draws into one.

I was thinking Willie Randolph, but nope. He's played 2152 games at second. And one at third. Gah.

Pretty much a dead ringer for Papi, with great taste in numbers.

A native New Yorker, Ed has long entertained a fascination with the Seneca people, willing to bend an ear on the subject with any willing or occasionally not-so-willing listener. Even during his career, his interviews were peppered with curious non-sequiters like, "You think John Montefusco was tough today? Let me take you up to Schuyler County and introduce you to a people who will make you re-think the meaning of the word tough." Given the freer time of his post-baseball career, and the healthy returns of his wise investments, Ed's "retirement" has allowed him to indulge his passion more zealously, and he's published scholarly papers and presented at learned symposia of esteemed anthropologists. Fiercely devoted to the truth about a people he calls The Bane of the Huron, Ed would even lock horns with actual native Seneca researchers, making his interest something of a mixed blessing to surviving tribesmen and women. The nation nonetheless saw the virtue in having a (modestly) high-profile ex-ballplayer telling its story, and Ed became in 1998 the first man claiming no Seneca blood to be honored with admission into the Order of Red Jacket. Tom Grieve has had a long and industrious career with the Rangers as a player, executive, and broadcaster, with that affiliation only briefly interrupted by a relatively brief association with the 1978 Mets. But I know next to nothing about his non-baseball life. Why is that?

A native New Yorker, Ed has long entertained a fascination with the Seneca people, willing to bend an ear on the subject with any willing or occasionally not-so-willing listener. Even during his career, his interviews were peppered with curious non-sequiters like, "You think John Montefusco was tough today? Let me take you up to Schuyler County and introduce you to a people who will make you re-think the meaning of the word tough." Given the freer time of his post-baseball career, and the healthy returns of his wise investments, Ed's post-baseball career has allowed him to indulge his passion more zealously, and he's published scholarly papers and presented at learned symposia of esteemed anthropologists. Fiercely devoted to the truth of a people he called The Bane of the Huron, Ed would even lock horns with actual Seneca researchers, making his interest something of a mixed blessing to surviving tribesmen and women. The nation nonetheless saw the virtue in having a modestly high profile ex-ballplayers telling their story, and Ed became in 1998 the first man claiming no Seneca blood to be honored with admission into the Order of Red Jacket. Tom Grieve has had a long and industrious career with the Rangers as a player, executive, and broadcaster, with that affiliation only briefly interrupted by a relatively brief association with the 1978 Mets. But I know next to nothing about his non-baseball life. Why is that?

I think if the money is tight the best guy you can grab may be a guy garnered with bonus money on an amateur signing or a Cuban dude. It's a rare year where a team says, "We'd have made it if only we had an established veteran backup instead of a rookie or a veteran fringe guy we had confidence in. Trust your scouts and analysts, not the other folks in the marketplace.

Was watching that interview when my Dad walked into the room. >>> "So, the Mets hired a new PR guy, huh?" >>> "I guess so. What's a PR guy?"

You didn't have much love for Ronny during the season though. Remember, they brought back Omar Quintanilla, who was pretty much as good as Cede�o in the modest amount of PT he got. I hate to see them waste money on veteran reserves who are more expensive, less fungible, and relatively lacking in the potential upside of their alleged AAAA brethren and sistren. I've cited going with Baxter over the likes of Willie Harris last year, but there's also the like of going with Eric Valent in 2004. I don't know if going with Andrew Brown over Scott Hairston is the right move, but if it's wrong, ffft!, no biggie. The team moves him and tries somebody else. Hairston takes a commitment, and if he fails, becomes a minor millstone. On a team in transition, I don't like to invest in reserve spots, but rather to use them developmentally for veteran minor leaguers and young, coming, minor leaguers with options to fight over.

Mets � Willets Point wrote: Edgy MD wrote: Mota isn't the only guy who plunked him. But he was the only one Piazza went into a violent rage and chased around the field and then looked for him in the clubhouse, which seemed like an overeaction at the time especially for a spring training game (and especially since he didn't have that reaction when a fellow white Republican threw a bat at him in the most important game of his life) . Lends credence to the idea that Mike Piazza thought hispanic players were out to get him and/or he is prejudice against hispanic people. Oh, sure, I'm just saying a few other guys with Spanish surnames (Julian Taverez) that he may interpret as a pattern, given a dose or two of stupid paranoia. Mota got him bad twice. That wasn't paranoia. That was a conspiracy of one.

Mota isn't the only guy who plunked him.

Piazza went on to add that Asian students are always using their cellphones at the UCLA library and are all like, "Zing-ling dai!" when he's trying to study, or whatever.

What's coming out is, of course, excerpts taken out of context, but so far, it's hard not to be disappointed. I mean, a Latin-mafia conspiracy? �...some kind of weird Hispanic conspiracy against me, almost like a secret brotherhood, a Latin mafia-type of thing.� Also... "I certainly don�t dispute that Latin players are entitled to the same dreams and opportunities that I had, but I�m sorry: when they arrive on U.S. soil, the onus isn�t on the American players to learn Spanish. It�s on the Latin players to learn English.� Opening with "I'm sorry, but..." is young adult code that generally prefaces saying something selfish, weak, and immature that you really aren't sorry about at all. Puffing yourself up as a rebel in front of a safe audience. A lot of Spanish-speaking fans supported him, and he's chosen to align himself with John Rocker.

The Nets will escape that association. They just gotta.

Obviously we have a ways to go before building a broad confidence in defensive WAR, but it's interesting to see GroTAY within a good season of being the team's all-time top defender. Some guys I mighta guessed before Cannizzaro: Doug Flynn: 1.8 David Wright: 0.3 Mookie Wilson: 0.1 Lenny Dykstra: 2.6 Wayne Garrett: 3.3 Joel Youngblood: 0.8 Lee Mazzilli: -7.1 (!!!) and of course Keith Hernandez: 0.4

The backup plan may be a trade.

I interviewed an older guy last night down here in Birmingham. He was very gracious and accommodating but I didn't get a lot of material I can use. Kinda talked for hours about the wrong stuff. He's seeing me out and already dark after along day, after 9 PM, and he asks what I'm doing tomorrow. >>> "Well, I have somebody else to talk with down in Tuskeegee." >>> "Tuskeegee? Do you know anything about the southern part of the state?" >>> "Well, frankly, besides the Civil Rights history, a lot of what I know about Alabama is outfielders." >>> "Outfielders?" >>> "Yeah, you know. Like, I think George Foster came from Tuscaloosa." >>> "I'm... not familiar with George... Foster." >>> (shepishly) "And, and... Tommie Agee and Cleon Jones from Mobile! And OF COURSE Willie Mays." >>> "I... I used to date Willie Mays' sister." >>> "(!!!...) Sir... can I come back in and talk to you for a few more hours? Perhaps I can touch your hand again."

Yo tambien. Worth remembering, but yeah, worth getting to the bottom of before taking it authoritatively.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Defensive WARlords, per B-B Ref, contains some overlap, but looks very different: 1. Bud Harrelson 13.6 2. Jerry Grote 11.2 One of the reasons Donn Clendenon was glad to be traded to the Mets was because of what he perceived as the Mets' dominant defensive strength up the middle, particularly the outstanding defense provided by Grote, Harrelson and Agee. In fact, Clendenon had already decided, before coming to the Mets, that Grote was the best defensive catcher in all of baseball. Better even than Bench. Ask Lou Brock. He'd agree with Donn. About Grote. He's not the only one. �If Jerry Grote played for the Reds, I'd be playing third base.� --- Johnny Bench (supposedly)

Another bullpen slot gets filled, leaving one or two left up for grabs. We sure do collect a lot of former Torontonians these days. And they have a more than their share of ex-Mets. Relief PitchersRemoved From Projected Roster Signed Away From Toronto =#0000FF]27 =#FF8000]Jeurys Familia DoB: 10/10/1989 =#FF8000]28 =#0000FF]Brandon Lyon DoB: 8/10/1979 Your Projected Opening Day 2013 Mets (Orange Indicates Players Have Options) Starting Pitchers =#0000FF]35 =#FF8000]Dillon Gee DoB: 4/28/1986 =#0000FF]33 =#FF8000]Matt Harvey DoB: 3/27/1989 =#FF8000]18 =#0000FF]Shaun Marcum DoB: 12/14/1981 =#0000FF]49 Jonathon Niese DoB: 10/27/1986 =#0000FF]57 Johan Santana DoB: 3/13/1979Relief Pitchers =#FF8000]40 =#0000FF]Greg Burke DoB: 9/21/1982 =#0000FF]73 =#FF8000]Robert Carson DoB: 1/23/1989 =#0000FF]66 =#FF8000]Josh Edgin DoB: 12/17/1986 =#0000FF]48 Frank Francisco DoB: 9/11/1979 =#FF8000]28 =#0000FF]Brandon Lyon DoB: 8/10/1979Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders =#0000FF]39 Bobby Parnell DoB: 9/8/1984 =#0000FF]62 Elvin Ramirez DoB: 10/10/1987 =#FF8000]34 =#0000FF]John Buck DoB: 7/7/1980 =#FF8000]20 =#0000FF]Anthony Recker DoB: 2/13/1983 =#0000FF]29 =#FF8000]Ike Davis DoB: 3/22/1987Infielders =#FF8000]18 =#0000FF]Brandon Hicks DoB: 9/14/1985 =#0000FF]28 Daniel Murphy DoB: 4/1/1985 =#0000FF]11 Ruben Tejada DoB: 10/27/1989 =#0000FF]2 Justin Turner DoB: 11/23/1984 =#0000FF]5 David Wright DoB: 12/20/1982Outfielders =#0000FF]23 =#FF8000]Mike Baxter DoB: 12/7/1984 =#FF8000]12 =#FF8000]Collin Cowgil DoB: 5/22/1986 =#0000FF]21 =#FF8000]Lucas Duda DoB: 2/3/1986 =#0000FF]9 =#FF8000]Kirk Nieuwenhuis DoB: 8/7/1987 =#0000FF]1 =#FF8000]Jordany Valdespin DoB: 12/23/1987 Also on 40-Man Roster Starting Pitchers =#FF8000]76 =#FF8000]Gonzalez Germen DoB: 9/23/1987 =#FF8000]20 =#FF8000]Darin Gorski DoB: 10/6/1987 =#0000FF]53 =#FF8000]Jeremy Hefner DoB: 3/11/1981 =#0000FF]36 =#FF8000]Collin McHugh DoB: 6/19/1987 =#0000FF]32 =#FF8000]Jenrry Mejia DoB: 10/11/1989Starting PitchersRelief Pitchers Catchers Infielders =#FF8000]72 =#FF8000]Hansel Robles DoB: 8/13/1990 =#FF8000]45 =#FF8000]Zack Wheeler DoB: 5/30/1990 =#0000FF]27 =#FF8000]Jeurys Familia DoB: 10/10/1989 =#FF8000]16 =#FF8000]Travis d'Arnaud DoB: 2/10/1989 =#0000FF]71 =#FF8000]Wilmer Flores DoB: 8/6/1991InfieldersOutfielders =#0000FF]74 =#FF8000]Reese Havens DoB: 10/20/1986 =#0000FF]65 =#FF8000]Zach Lutz DoB: 6/3/1986 =#FF8000]79 =#FF8000]Wilfredo Tovar DoB: 8/11/1991 =#0000FF]76 =#FF8000]Juan Lagares DoB: 3/17/1989 =#0000FF]67 =#FF8000]Cesar Puello DoB: 4/1/1991 Also in Camp Starting PitchersRelief Pitchers =#FF8000]32 =#0000FF]Aaron Laffey DoB: 4/15/1985 =#FF8000]44 =#FF8000]Cory Mazzoni DoB: 10/19/1989 =#FF8000]61 =#FF8000]Rafael Montero DoB: 10/17/1990 =#FF8000]58 =#0000FF]Scott Atchison DoB: 3/29/1976 =#0000FF]40 Tim Byrdak DoB: 10/37/1978Relief Pitchers Catchers =#FF8000]25 =#0000FF]Pedro Feliciano DoB: 8/25/1976 =#FF8000]34 =#0000FF]LaTroy Hawkins DoB: 12/21/1972 =#FF8000]67 =#FF8000]Scott Rice DoB: 9/21/1981 =#FF8000]59 =#0000FF]Carlos Torres DoB: 10/22/1982 =#FF8000]63 =#FF8000]Juan Centeno DoB: 11/16/1989CatchersInfielders =#FF8000]38 =#0000FF]Landon Powell DoB: 3/19/1982 =#FF8000]10 =#0000FF]Brian Bixler DoB: 10/22/1982 =#FF8000]6 =#0000FF]Omar Quintanilla DoB: 10/24/1981 =#FF8000]3 =#FF8000]Josh Rodriguez DoB: 12/18/1984 =#FF8000]3 =#FF8000]Josh Satin DoB: 12/23/1984Outfielders =#FF8000]13 =#FF8000]Andrew Brown DoB: 9/10/1984 =#FF8000]26 =#0000FF]Marlon Byrd DoB: 8/30/1977 =#FF8000]22 =#FF8000]Matt den Dekker DoB: 8/10/1987 =#FF8000]55 =#FF8000]Jamie Hoffman DoB:8/20/1984 =#FF8000]15 =#0000FF]Corey Patterson DoB:4/13/1979Outfielders =#FF8000]94 =#0000FF]Mike Wilson DoB:6/29/1983 Free Agents Starting PitchersRelief Pitchers =#0000FF]55 Chris Young DoB: 5/25/1979 =#0000FF]45 =#FF8000]Justin Hampson DoB: 1/23/1989 Coaching Staff ManagerBench CoachBatting CoachPitching CoachThird Base CoachFirst Base Coach =#0000FF]10 Terry Collins DoB: 5/27/1949 =#0000FF]7 Bob Geren DoB: 9/22/1959 =#0000FF]51 Dave Hudgens DoB: 12/5/1956 =#0000FF]59 Dan Warthan DoB: 12/1/1952 =#0000FF]18 Tim Teufel DoB: 7/7/1958 =#0000FF]26 Tom Goodwin DoB: 8/27/1968 Bullpen Coach Bullpen CatcherBatting Practice Pitcher Head Trainer Assistant Trainer Mascot =#0000FF]52 Ricky Bones DoB: 4/7/1969 =#0000FF]79 Dave Racaniello DoB: 10/15/1981 =#0000FF]78 Eric Langill DoB: 4/9/1979 =#BF8080].=#0000FF] Ray Ramirez =#BF8080]. =#BF8080].=#0000FF] Brian Chicklo =#BF8080]. =#BF8080].=#0000FF] Mr. Met =#BF8080].

That lottery ticket angle. That's the sort of puzzling factor that can make a man scratch a hole right into his head. LOTTERY TICKETS!!

I can't imagine I'd put up with the endless signing if I was a ballplayer.

Sorry, I was on assignment today. John Stearns it is. Pretty amazing, when you recall his career trajectory --- peaking at 26 and being injured for part or all of his last five years.

Suddenly feeling horny, but not horny enough. Career Mets WAR 1. David Wright: 39.1 WAR, 5453 PA 2. Darryl Strawberry: 34.4, 4549 3. Carlos Beltran: 30.2, 3640 4. Edgardo Alfonzo: 28.0, 4449 5. Jose Reyes: 27.0, 4840 6. Keith Hernandez: 25.0, 3684 7. Mike Piazza: 22.8, 3941 8. Howard Johnson, 20.3, 4591 9. Mookie Wilson: 19.0, 4308 10. xxx 11. Bud Harrelson:17.1 12. Jon Olerud: 16.5 13. Cleon Jones, 16.4 * * 15. McReynolds: 14.3 16. Grote: 14.1 T17. Agee: 13.1 ** 20. Mazzill: 11.4 ** T23. Gary Carter: 10.3 ** 30. Hundley: 8.1 ** 39. Rusty Staub: 5.8 ** ?? Mike Cameron: 3.0 ?? Ed Kranepool: 2.2 ?? Rickey Henderson: 1.0 ?? Rey Ordo�ez: -0.4

I'm not sure how to interpret that. Still killing it in the 11-20 range. Career Mets WAR 1. David Wright: 39.1 WAR, 5453 PA 2. Darryl Strawberry: 34.4, 4549 3. Carlos Beltran: 30.2, 3640 4. Edgardo Alfonzo: 28.0, 4449 5. Jose Reyes: 27.0, 4840 6. Keith Hernandez: 25.0, 3684 7. Mike Piazza: 22.8, 3941 8. Howard Johnson, 20.3, 4591 9. Mookie Wilson: 19.0, 4308 10. xxx 11. Bud Harrelson:17.1 12. Jon Olerud: 16.5 13. Cleon Jones, 16.4 * * 15. McReynolds: 14.3 16. Grote: 14.1 T17. Agee: 13.1 ** T23. Gary Carter: 10.3 ** 30. Hundley: 8.1 ** 39. Rusty Staub: 5.8 ** ?? Mike Cameron: 3.0 ?? Ed Kranepool: 2.2 ?? Rickey Henderson: 1.0 ?? Rey Ordo�ez: -0.4