Edgy MD

The Second Spitter wrote: The fact the Wilpon's used the club as a vehicle for their passive investments speaks volumes as to where their priorities reside. Can you explain this at greater length. I don't follow "vehicle for their passive investments.... ."

It's a Gordon Leavitt festival going on.

The only other bike-messenger-as-protagonist film I know of, 1986's Quicksilver, also featured a hero on fixed-gear bike. Except that was set in San Francisco, and I feel my back muscles shredding at just the idea of riding around San Fran on a fixed-gear bike.

Jack DiLauro was (perhaps the first such guy in history) actually intimidated about coming to the Mets because they had too much talent, having pitched against the then-new crop of Mets pitchers in the minors. He was nonetheless championed and mentored by Whitey Herzog and still today has the third-best ERA in team history among pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched. Score one for the White Rat. How about Francisco Estrada?

First-ballot inductees into the Hall of Armand: Bruce Armand Boisclair (Mets, 1974, 1976-1979) Armand Joseph ("Ben") Cardoni (Braves, 1943-1945) Joseph Albert Armand ("Skippy") Roberge (Braves, 1941-1942, 1946) Edmund Armand ("Ed") Wingo (Athletics, 1920)

Skip is a rare baseball player with a degree from MIT. Manny Aybar?

Vic Sage wrote: Not true. What's not true? Vic Sage wrote: The BBWAA has no authority to change the rules; only the HOF Board can amend voting criteria and rules. And just because someone is a member of the BBWAA doesn't necessarily he/she has the authority to have published their personal opinions. They are supposed to be journalists, after all. It certainly doesn't mean that the nature their job is, by definition, distinct from rendering historical judgment on a player's legacy. Vic Sage wrote: And even if they can, why should they be limited to only one way to express their views? As a voter, they cast a ballot, and as a journalist, they can explain that ballot. They certainly shouldn't. Rubin casting his ballot and publishing it without explanation was seriously weak.

Tell me a distinguishing fact about Mickey Weston, and then name another player you might wish to read a distinguishing fact about.

I certainly didn't say his performance level was sustainable. But the record certainly demonstrated he was capable.

I would imagine most baseball writers who've had 10 or more years in the BBWAA have at some point been given responsibility beyond reporting and gotten a column in which to opine beyond the facts, on matters moral, cultural, and aesthetic. (And if you believe John Keats, those all dovetail.) Their history as reporters should have taught them to build these opinions on a credible foundation of substantiated facts, so I'm going to disagree a bit with Vic here. I don't think they're failing because their real skill set is in researching and reporting substantiated facts, but because it ain't, or if it ever was, those skills have long since dried up, as their careers have done a lot better for them as purveyors of opinions powered by hubris and volume, rather than sober research and cross-checking.

A revival. Tell me something about... Mickey Weston.

Chass switches beats: Murray Chass, Weather Reporter: "It's April, so I can only assume it's raining." Murray Chass, Film Reporter: "Moneyball features Brad Pitt wearing a tennis visor. I have to conclude that it's some sort of... tennis movie." Murray Chass, Crime Reporter: "He was a black man in Mamaroneck. You do the math."

Well, Valdespin certainly showed himself capable as a pinch-hitter.

I have no problem with writers moralizing. It's a moral burden they bear, at least in part. I have a very big problem with them using inconsistent and petulant logic. What color were the pimples on Tim Raines' back? On Alan Trammel's? On Craig Biggio's? Ceetar wrote: Anyone suspecting of doing so, never mind admitting to doing so, should be stripped of their voting rights for 10 years. We've got zillions of writers out there that would love a vote. Isn't equating suspicion with guilt, and assigning arbitrary punishments, the problem?

It's like the Bordick boomerang, only backwards.

Another reasonable alternative is that they recognize the gravity of their votes, the cache it gives them and their outlets, and do a little research over the course of the year. Talk to somebody, compare them side by side. Look at the decades of precedents among who has gotten in previously. Use the internet. I won't tell. Am I to believe more people were going to baseball games than ever before from 1995-2005, but no reporters were paying a lick of attention? It's easy enough to read the criteria and use a sound consistent logic in applying them.

Starting to become increasingly clear how that has become the norm, and these ballots have become a burden to them.

I'm starting to guess that the whole "Piazza copped to it off the record" bit is either true or is believed to be true among enough writers, and they've spread the word around to each other: "Mikes dirty --- pass it on... but you can't write about it."

And how does he un-necessarily publish it and not spill a drop of ink to explaining his thinking? Is this the year everybody decided to go crazy and not tell us?

I want the Mets to win a championship and I don't necessarily link that to the Wilpon family losing control. And I'm a living person and everything.

Market position, baby. They were first and by the time others got into the game, they had the audience and the money. Now, with Mickey Mouse money behind them, they couldn't falter if they tried.

It's like that in a lot of media culture. Programming tends to ape the leader, because you as long as your programming is parallel you can entertain and sell the notion that you too might someday be the leader.

Blaine Boyer, an early season 2011 Met, last seen getting assaulted in Wasihngton DC, looks to return as a Royal.

The worst part about the Quintanilla --- we lost him when we activated Jason Bay. Interestingly, nobody seems to have sniffed at Kelly Shoppach. InfieldersSigned To Minor League Contract And Invited To Spring Training New Number Guessed =#FF8000]6 =#0000FF]Omar Quintanilla DoB: 10/24/1981 =#FF8000]3 =#FF8000]Josh Rodriguez DoB: 12/18/1984 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 =#0000FF]36 =#FF8000]Collin McHugh DoB: 6/19/1987 =#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 =#0000FF]32 =#FF8000]Jenrry Mejia DoB: 10/11/1989Relief 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 =#0000FF]27 =#FF8000]Jeurys Familia DoB: 10/10/1989 =#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 =#FF8000]72 =#FF8000]Hansel Robles DoB: 8/13/1990Starting Pitchers Catcher Infielders =#FF8000]45 =#FF8000]Zack Wheeler DoB: 5/30/1990 =#FF8000]16 =#FF8000]Travis d'Arnaud DoB: 2/10/1989 =#0000FF]71 =#FF8000]Wilmer Flores DoB: 8/6/1991 =#0000FF]74 =#FF8000]Reese Havens DoB: 10/20/1986 =#0000FF]65 =#FF8000]Zach Lutz DoB: 6/3/1986InfieldersOutfielders =#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 Infielders =#FF8000]32 =#0000FF]Aaron Laffey DoB: 4/15/1985 =#0000FF]40 Tim Byrdak DoB: 10/37/1978 =#FF8000]67 =#FF8000]Scott Rice DoB: 9/21/1981 =#FF8000]59 =#0000FF]Carlos Torres DoB: 10/22/1982 =#FF8000]10 =#0000FF]Brian Bixler DoB: 10/22/1982[InfieldersOutfielders =#FF8000]6 =#0000FF]Omar Quintanilla DoB: 10/24/1981 =#FF8000]3 =#FF8000]Josh Rodriguez DoB: 12/18/1984 =#FF8000]13 =#FF8000]Andrew Brown DoB: 9/10/1984 =#FF8000]55 =#FF8000]Jamie Hoffman DoB:8/20/1984 Free Agents Starting PitchersRelief PitchersCatchers =#0000FF]55 Chris Young DoB: 5/25/1979 =#0000FF]45 =#FF8000]Justin Hampson DoB: 1/23/1989 =#0000FF]52 Ram�n Ram�rez DoB:8/31/1981 =#0000FF]60 John Rauch DoB:9/27/1978 =#0000FF]6 Kelly Shoppach DoB: 4/29/1984InfieldersOutfielders =#0000FF]13 Ronny Cede�o DoB: 2/2/1983 =#0000FF]12 Scott Hairston DoB: 5/25/1980 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]25 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].