Edgy MD

Vic Sage wrote: You get kicked out of TITTS or something? The principle behind TiTTS was that the Mets were a rich big-market franchise that could outspend its opponents and so didn't have to rely on building through the minors, as other more franchises with less resources did. You let other major league teams become your farm teams. Of course, you still had to make good decisions and spend wisely, and with Minaya, we didn't. Ironically, now that we finally have a GM i trust, we're clearly not being operated like a rich big-market club anymore, so TiTTS is not the philosophy to adopt right now. Now, instead, its time to maximize value and turn as many guys 30+ into younger assets with higher upside. You crack me up.

Vic Sage wrote: Yes, Ike Davis seems like a legit 2-way player, with significant minor league production (and bloodlines, for whatever that's worth) to back up his major league production so far. But I'm not confident in Duda being an everyday OFer, nor Tejada providing much with the bat, long term. Nor am i salivating over Murphy's future, either. No, I don't think that's the core of a championship team. No, I don't think that's the core of a championship team. Well, there's Wright, too. Wright's still got more future ahead of him than a gaggle of players. A parliament of players. A murder of them. If he's got to go, it'll be an issue of his affordability, or an overwhelming offer. We'll see. But starting from the must-be-dealt position undercuts a team's perspective and contaminates everything.

The last time the Mets lost a bidding war to the Marlins, they got the guy the next year anyhuck --- Try as I might, it's little comfort.

Transparent plastic locker room curtains brought to you by Bud Light. Bud Light --- for those exciting times when you're soaked with booze, want to keep your stuff dry, but still need to see it.

Vic Sage wrote: Edgy DC wrote: Rebuild to what? They're already among the youngest teams in the league. yeah, but not the cheapest, with Bay, Santana and Wright still on board. and there's a difference between being up and coming, and just young. Well, call me ceetar, but I don't think they're merely young. Ike Davis ain't Gary Rajsich. Lucas Duda ain't Mike Vail. I'll even go so far as to say Ruben Tejada ain't Tim Bogar. I'm willing to go forward. You get kicked out of TITTS or something?

I've visited the Hall of His Family's Feelings. In Seattle. Amazing place. Not cheap, though.

Rebuild to what? They're already among the youngest teams in the league.

I'm one with the grossly biased cranks, but you are the lone detached seer? Please don't put that on me.

Perhaps relatedly, in my mind, he was a better player during the day. The splits kinda back that up, but they're probably pretty typical. Day: .303 / .358 / .450 // .808 Night: .287 / .333 / .437 // .770

I think his joy and his pouting were two sides of the same coin. He's a sensitive dude.

Go Mets. This means Wright, too.

Too many memories to keep track of, obviously. The last two, unfortunately, are him pulling himself out his final game in the first inning for personal glory, and him taking his pants off for money.

Ruben Tejada's OBP in 2011: .360. Jos� Reyes' OBP at 21: .271. We could be in worse shape.

Kaat's kind of astonishing, no? I figured this was a three-man race among Hodges, Oliva, and Santo, with Minoso expected to be a respectable fourth. I'm disappointed in Hodges counted out, but I can accept an argument that places him behind Santo and Oliva. But Kaat?

BOOOOOOO! In its way, more disappointing to mye than Reyes. Maybe I'm crazy.

Every time I think about Laynce Nix, I want to stick around and want to get my kicks.

Oh, yeah, he's ours, and I want him here. And I made it clear that I certainly respect his on-field value at the position --- even in the early-years production valley, he was as good as we've ever had. But if there's a greater emotional bond than there is with Wright, there wasn't one throughout the gross llion's share of their mutual tenure. Rather one appeared during the first half of this season due to Jose's (1) great first half, (2) finally being healthy, and (3) proximity to gone-ness. And that's fickle fandom at work there. A year earlier, it was all four-letter words.

I think it helps perspective to recall that the guy Megdal recently described as "enormously popular" has at times been a controversial and divisive figure. That doesn't change what he has been (far and away, the most effective shortstop in team history). But when the years and money pile on, the other shoe has a way of becoming a greater issue. Think of the tiresome presence the likes of Al Leiter and John Franco became. Think of how, before we locked him up, Luis Castillo was described as the best deadline pickup in team history. Think of the current backlash against David Wright. All of that really speaks of the fickleness and pettiness of the fan base (and sports fans in general), more than anything. I wanted him re-signed. But I'm going to resist the impulse to lionize him or demonize the Mets. I'm most interested in how they move on. When the Mets of yore lost Darryl Strawberry, they turned around and signed Vince Coleman. Bad, bad move.

Not hard for me to see how they lost money. They were over-leveraged with a poorly performing team in a lousy economy with a frustrated fan base. That the contracts were signed in a good economy only exacerbates that. The Marlins are now in the position the Mets were in three years ago --- flush from an influx of civic largess and spending money like a drunken sailor. Hopefully, it turns out the same or worse for them.

Tied for 88th all time in Mets victories. T88. Kevin Appier 11 T88. Jerry Dipoto 11 T88. Chris Capuano 11 T88. Wally Whitehurst 11 T88. Tom Gorman 11 T88. Mike Torrez 11 I get the idea that each of those guys had at least one masterful game in his legacy. Plus he's 74th all-time in strikeouts. 72. Kevin Appier 172 73. Pedro Astacio 172 74. Chris Capuano 168 75. Doug Sisk 163 76. Dave Weathers 161 But 102nd in ERA (min. 150 IP) 100. Mike Torrez 4.47 101. Frank Tanana 4.48 102. Chris Capuano 4.55 103. Orel Hershiser 4.58 104. Jason Isringhausen 4.59 Mike Torrez and Kevin Appier. Those aren't names you like to see come up. But unlike them, he was never meant (or paid) to pitch at the top of the rotation.

Listing the years would help there.

Well, maybe, but it doesn't take a journalist to tell us the Mets are cash-poor. Alderson confirmed Thursday what has long been obvious to anyone paying close attention to the Mets, which is that the new austerity isn't a function of any new "Moneyball"-type philosophy of quality-through-thrift. The payroll is being reduced because the owners said it had to be. As he says, anyone paying close attention knows this. (I'd take out the "close.) Beyond that, it's about hammering and driving home an agenda.

Medgal has long since fallen into his agenda.

Joe F. Sambito, 11 seasons, hammered down a 3.03 ERA, All Star appearance, drank from the MVP cup in 1979, fifth in Cy Young voting in 1980, appeared in four different post-season series, but, you guessed it, no ballot appearances.

New additons to Mets' scouting staff: Tom Clark (new pro scout), was a long-time scout with the Blue Jays. As an amateur scout, watched Ricky Romero, David Cooper, JP Arencibia, Shawn Camp, Brandon Morrow, and Kyle Drabek. Bryn Alderson (new pro scout), comes from Oakland where he last worked with his father, who coincidentally now runs the Mets. Ever a student of the Oakland way of introducing more and more science to scouting, Bryn is pictured here with an astrologer using him to pimp out her site. Suriously. Mike Silvestri (new area scout, covering South Florida, Puerto Rico) was most recently a crosschecker with the Angels. No photos, but word is that he holds a mean radar gun. Jim Bryant (new area scout, covering North Florida, Georgia), is also late of the Angels, where he was based out of Chattanooga. I'm guessing more prosects have come out of North Florida and Georgia than out of Chattanooga, with respect to Choo-Choo Coleman. Kevin Roberson (new area scout, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada) is an ex-Met not to be confused with minor leauge infield coordinator Kevin Morgan, also an exy. I can't find what prior experience in scouting he has, but he was a .200-hitter with whoop-ass power, so he knows a thing or two. Or perhaps just a thing. Jarrett England (new area scout, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee), is a devlishily handsome native New Yorker who, after his career peaked in college, started his own entrepreneurial venture. Ash Lawson (new special assignment scout, and that's Ash, never Maple) has been a regional crosschecker with San Diego and an assitant coach and recruiter with the University of Tennessee. Apparently won the organizations "Scout of the Year" award in just his second year. {url=http://www.utsports.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/013111aaa.html]Get to know Ash. (He apparently "loves" baserunning. Can talk about it all day.) http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/tenn/sports/m-basebl/auto_action/5613286.jpeg[/igm]