Edgy MD

"I just want to say I'm humbled and honored to win the batting title," Reyes said in a statement. "It means so much to my family and my country, the Dominican Republic. I have been through a lot over the past few years so this really means a lot to me. It's also very special to be the first Mets player to win a batting title. There have been so many great players throughout our history. I want to thank Terry Collins, my coaches and all my teammates and of course all the Mets fans who have always supported me and been behind me 100 percent." "I said, 'If I go 1-for-1, take me out of the game,'" Reyes said. "And I did that. If I went 0-for-1, maybe I'm still in the game until I get a hit. ... I wanted to stay in the game, but (Mets fans) have to understand, too, what's going on. They have to feel happy about it if I win the batting title. I do that for the team, for the fans too, because they've been supporting me all the way through. I've (had) throughout my career a lot of ups and downs here with a lot of injuries. One thing I do all the time is give 100 percent on the field."

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I want to sleep with that card.

Could you list what meaningful things were left for the Mets to accomplish this year that Reyes could have realistically helped achieve at the time he was pulled? Playing something close to a full game for a group of 30,000 fans who showed up for a weekday game to delight in him, celebrate him, love him, photograph him, and express their appreciation for him one more time before he possibly disappears. It's a game. As long as he is playing within the rules set forth by the league, the idea that it can be dishonorable to use those rules to your maximize your chances of winning befuddles me. You play to win. First you say winning doesn't matter --- 76 versus 77 wins is irrelevant --- and then you say you play to win. If you don't see any higher code of honor you'd like the players on your team to display than staying within the baseball rulebook to serve their own wants, then I'm not going to try and evangelize you. I see it different.

It was Mattingly chasing him in the batting average race. OF COURSE, people made a big deal.

Nobody is talking about Albert Belle's corked bats, either. It's not exactly a current issue. Neither is anybody suggesting that Jose Reyes is the first battling average titlist to sit out.

That's according to the Bill James Career Assessments tool. I question it's applicability, but it seems useful. It seems like one injury marred year can do tremendous damage to career projections, but I guess they can do tremendous damage to careers. Alex Rodriguez is currently at 97%. Chipper Jones is at zero. Seems kind of shortsighted to me. (Intuitively, I'd place it at 90% and 20%.) Moreover, if Luis Castillo is 36 and getting only 120 hits per year, you know he's not long for the game, or at least for anybody's starting lineup. But if Jim Thome is getting 120 hits per year, he'll still be able to hang around, because his power keeps him in the game. But that's not a factor.

holychicken wrote: Seriously, does a 75 win season or a 76 win season really make a difference? Is anyone (who didn't have money riding on it) really going to look back on this season and say "thank GOD we had 76 wins instead of 75!"? Has anybody made this argument? holychicken wrote: Jose Reyes played to win the only thing that had remotely any type of meaning for the Mets this season. He did what gave him the best shot of winning the battle title, giving Mets fans and the organization something they have never had before. I am glad he did the smart thing and put winning above some "honor" and a tradition that doesn't exist. I disagree with you on what has meaning. I also disagree that putting winning a batting average title above honor is good. You put "honor" in quotes, so we apparently disagree on what is honorable. I'd be happy to discuss that as well.

Willets Point wrote: Willets Point wrote: TheOldMole wrote: Does Terry feel terrible about every other regular he's given the day off to during September so he can look at the callups? Why has this non-issue become an issue? Seriously, people just need something to be angry about. This isn't true. How about giving me some credit? How about you chill out? So, that's a no? Did I post something terribly off-balance?

Willets Point wrote: TheOldMole wrote: Does Terry feel terrible about every other regular he's given the day off to during September so he can look at the callups? Why has this non-issue become an issue? Seriously, people just need something to be angry about. This isn't true. How about giving me some credit?

Current likelihood of 3000 hits: Jose Reyes: 0% David Wright: 11%

When you offend Ryan Braun, you offend Greg Zaun, as well as Mo Vaughn, Wallace Shawn, and P.M. Dawn.

Interweb buzz has Bruce Chen's name being bounced around as a possible one-game acquisition for the Red Sox to pitch in a potential game 163. Bruce F. Chen!

If you don't like it, don't do it, but going ahead and doing it and then throwing Reyes under the bus? What happened to the playing the game right? I'm virtually sure Reyes will deny this, and it will impact negotiations.

Just the first Met, and that's where the issue gains a new complexion for me.

I stop rooting for my team the moment honor gets up and walks out the door. And I haven't --- ahem! --- fellated anybody. Why? What have you heard?

Thinking the same thing. Wouldn't mind Kemp going 7-7, as well.

Do they count the decimal places beyond the third, or do they call that a tie at .337?

I think you should start your own club.

Yeah, it's hard to make more out of this than business as usual.

Six votes and a 3.83 average. Not bad.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Yabbut they have to exercise their right or they won't deserve to have it. Oh, yeah, I'm certainly not going to give the Mets shit for not martyring themselves by not using rights that any other team would.

metirish wrote: Edgy DC wrote: Today's news also had the Mets turning down a $250,000 payment by the Yankees to relocate the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees to Newark for a single season. Chump change, but it could be read to suggest both the 'Pons and the Bud Selig are confident they're going to come out on the other side of this. I don't get the machinations on this , why would the MFY's be paying the Mets , what's going on there? As part of their agreement with each other, Major League clubs have the right to block other Major League clubs from moving into their neighborhood. This extends to affiliated minor league clubs. I don't like this agreement at all.

I'm sure I'm far from correct, but it seems like the worst year for closers ever. (Or the best year from come-from-behind ninth-inning victories, depending on your perspective.)

Yeah, c'mon Steve. Get a grip.

Can the Mets trade Dickey to the Pirates for a day?