Edgy MD

I don't think it's working with Buck so much as (1) working with Fox and under instructions to talk to people like they're not sure which way to run after hitting the ball, (2) an inflated sense of self, and somewhat defensive too, going back to his run-in with Deion Sanders, (3) perhaps related to (2), only kinda sorta keeping up with the changes in the game. The problem with being the smartest guy in the class, which he was back in 1985, is you you take it for granted and stop doing your homework, leaving you wholly unprepared for when the dynamics of the classroom change. Congratulations to Tim. When he first joined the Mets, he stayed at a hotel where my dad was the security director. When he moved out, he left behind some property --- the reading he used to brush up on the job: broadcasting history books, US history books, baseball history books, vocabulary books. I get the notion that he's since not always been as aggressive with keeping up. But I also get the notion that he does more homework in a month than a Mark Grace does in a career. But that Jeter thing. Man, some days it's almost like FOX owns stock in the guy. But I guess they kinda do.

Nymr83 wrote: Edgy DC wrote: Well, he came up initially in May and June. Great, so my memory is just going! Let's not let silly things like facts get in the way of finding more reasons to villify Wilpon! You're certainly not the first with that mantra.

I assumio this is a major league dealio. Any relation to Bob Rauch?

You know, for 24 hours, Pagan was (according to Terry) our designated leadoff hitter. Now we're down to [list:ltnog4rb][*:ltnog4rb]Tejada (despite his youth and any reluctance the team may have in putting him even more in Reyes' shadow); or[/*:m:ltnog4rb] [*:ltnog4rb]Murphy (despite his general relative lack of speed, post-op gimpiness, and lack of demonstrated baserunning acumen); or[/*:m:ltnog4rb] [*:ltnog4rb]Torres (despite his questionable on-base skills).[/*:m:ltnog4rb][/list:u:ltnog4rb] Nieuewnhius may come fast.

Quite a signature. He was continuously effective (if not excellent) starting the year as a bench player and entering the lineup after somebody got hurt --- producing like a full-timer until he himself got hurt. In 2010, he entered the lineup for Gary Matthews and didn't get hurt at all, and when he excelled, close watchers didn't consider it a breakthrough at all, arguing that this is the guy he had always been, when health and opportunity hadn't conspired against him. It was tempting to think that 2011 was a result of entering a season for the first time with the burden of expectations. That's speculative armchair psychology, but I couldn't altogether get it out of my head. Maybe it was the colitis.

Until 2011, one of the greatest ballhawks the Mets have ever known. Check that inside-the-parker vs. Washington also. [youtube:3a14mo59]8BsFyA0WlHM[/youtube:3a14mo59] (Apparently, his greatest hits include spring training homers and scoring on wild pitches. but...)

Oh, sorry. I certainly don't joke about colitis. Only about my ignorance.

Ashie62 wrote: Hasn't Pagan had chronic ulcerative colitis for years. Maybe, just maybe..he wasn't feeling well last year? Who is the Mets CF now? I think it's Torres until further notice. I can't speak to knowingly of the colitis. Though I've often heard tell of its warm smell.

Likeable. Definitely an engaging story with characters you don't see often. Issues are out there, though. The main character spends the first half of the movie screaming at everybody without provocation. You start wincing whenever she comes on screen. And when a troubled black American family is portrayed in a German film as transformed by a German woman stumbling into their lives and restoring their sense of wonder, well, if I'm black (and I'm not), I might have my guard way up. Aside from those quibbles, and some overly studied artistic shots, I liked it. It had Jack Palance playing a freak, and that's always good stuff.

Sure seemed to find his instincts in 2010. It's a mystery, I tells ya.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr saw him in spring training and declared that he had shown up with the "Platonic ideal of 'beard'." I think we're bound to learn that there was more to the 2011 dropoff than was apparent, even if it's largely exaggerated or wishful thinking.

Among Francisco Rodriguez, Francisco Cordero, and Frank Francisco, the closer market was starting to get over-Franciscan. Very confusing. Dark-skinned, Dominican, fiery, jowly, broadchested, and round in the belly, I predict he won't get out of his first appearance without a comparison to Armando Benitez from Gary Cohen.

Nymr83 wrote: Wow. This could be the first time I've seen the name of a guy who played for the Mets since I've become a fan (mid nineties) and not recognized it at all. So that's my new memory of Dale Thayer... I remember the day that Wilpon fucked up the organization enough that I just didn't care enough to watch most of August/September and I'll remember Thayer as the symbol of that. FUCK YOU, WILPON! (Those 3 words never get old) Well, he came up initially in May and June.

Centerfield wrote: So we lose Beltran, Rodriguez and Reyes and now have Jon Rauch. I love this new philosophy where we get rid of good players and replace them with guys who suck. centerfield needs a piece of pie or a teddy bear or something.

Market, shmarket.

In a pinch, he can also throw lefty.

Yes and no. Nepotism was largely assumed, in both cases, but in both cases the club denied that the player initiated the fraternal acquisition. In Mike Maddux's case, he was traded at the end of spring training. Around the time of the Glavine case, the Mets also acquired Mike Piazza's brother Tom from the Dodgers, but made no bones about acknowledging that Mike asked them to. Never made it above rookie ball, but I think he might have spent a week or so in the big league spring training camp. I may be thinking of the unrelated Tony Piazza, though.

Great work. Amazin' to see Bay knocking on the door of the top 100 while we're still waiting for him to perform.

Well, it's all moot. But maybe something can be learned by observing. Or observed by watching. Or something.

Change is set in motion at a family run mohave desert truck stop when a mysterious Bavarian woman stumbles out of the heat and asks for a room.

Only the second Dale in Mets History, and the first since 19-freakin'-79. Had a decent 10 innings, which you think would leave Hank Hill few opportunities to say "Dammit, Day-el." Pretty hard, though, to give up four runs in 10 1/3 innings and manage to go 0-3. Dammit, Day-el! Even better, the Mets went 0-11 in games he pitched. That is one support-lacking mop-up pitcher. Dammit again, Day-el! Also, wore two differmint numbers: Dammit to all heck, Day-el!

When it rains, it tumults. Signed Away To Minor League Contract By San DiegoRelief Pitchers =#FF8000]36 Dale Thayer DoB: 12/17/1980 Didn't even know he had filed.

Starting pitcher... do you look a for a major league contract guy for Gee to back up, or a coupla decent major league veteran-minor league contract guys to back up Gee (et al.)?

Broadly noted but largely ignored here was the Mets hiring of Sandy Aldersonson Bryn Alderson as a pro scout. Turns out that Bryn's no only child, and Tim Alderson is among the gaggle of prospects available in the Rule 5 draft this year. Be interesting to see if the Mets bite. You don't want your chair in the orchestra going to Yo Yo Ma's cousin, but Alex Avila and Chris Duncan have made anecdotal cases for the benefits of nepotism in recent years. Matt Galante, Jr.? Not so much.

Yeah, but nobody (that I read) reported any such offer at all at all until Alderson said so. So I narrow it down to him either (1) lying outright (in which case Greenberg can call him on it), (2) speaking of a verbal offer that preceeded and set up the Marlins' winning blow, or (3) as you suggest, speaking of a pointless late offer, matching the Marlins' guarantees with contingencies, perhaps in a desperate attempt to save some degree of face. All are possible, I guess. Two seemed to make most sense. Face can really only be served by production on the field. From Sandy's point of view, that means getting more production from his dollar than the Marlins do, and he should know that.