Edgy MD

I hope not. Umpire is squeezing both starters this evening.

Keith retroactively taking some blame for Howard Johnson's throwing errors.

He'll also make you squeal.

Vogelbach is this close to setting a Mets record between the shortest time from joining the team to getting his own bobblehead.

No commentary, for I must needs tend to the dogs. Transactions, 7/27/2022 [td90]Direction[/td90][td90]COMING[/td90][td90]Transaction[/td90][td90]Transferred from Binghamton to Syracuse on Rehab Assignment[/td90][th]Position Group[/th][th]=#FF8000]Relief Pitcher[/th][td90][/td90][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/w_213,q_100/v1/people/543507/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td90][td90]Name[/td90][td90]Trevor May [fimg=50]https://thecranepool.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/US-flag.png[/fimg][/td90][td90]DoB[/td90][td90]9/23/89[/td90][td90]B/T[/td90][td90]R/R[/td90][td90]High Level[/td90][td90]MLB (2022)[/td90] Transactions, 7/28/2022 [td90]Direction[/td90][td90]=#FF0000]GOING[/td90][td90]=#FF0000]GOING[/td90][td90]=#FF0000]GOING[/td90][td90]=#FF0000]GOING[/td90][td90]COMING[/td90][td90]Transaction[/td90][td90]Traded to Cincinnati[/td90][td90]Designated for Assignment[/td90][td90]Placed on 15-Day Injured List Reetroactive to 7/25 with Right Lat Strain[/td90][td90]Traded to Cincinnati[/td90][td90]Sent to Binghamton on Rehab Assignment[/td90][th]Position Group[/th][th]=#FF0000]Starting Pitcher[/th][th]=#FF8000]Relief Pitcher[/th][th]=#FF8000]Relief Pitcher[/th][th]=#BF80FF] Infielder[/th][th]=#00BF00] Catcher[/th][td90][/td90][td90][fimg=90]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2021/08/acuna-jose-2021.png[/fimg][/td90][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/c_fill,g_auto/w_180/v1/people/571439/headshot/milb/current[/fimg][/td90][td90][fimg=90]https://thecranepool.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Smith-Drew-2019.jpg[/fimg][/td90][td90][fimg=90]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/rodriguez-hector-2021.jpg[/fimg][/td90][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/w_213,q_100/v1/people/543510/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td90][td90]Name[/td90][td90]José Acuna [fimg=50]https://thecranepool.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/venezuelan-flag-small.jpg[/fimg][/td90][td90]R.J Alvarez [fimg=50]https://thecranepool.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/US-flag.png[/fimg][/td90][td90]Drew Smith [fimg=50]https://thecranepool.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/US-flag.png[/fimg][/td90][td90]Hector Rodriguez [fimg=50]https://thecranepool.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Dominican_Republic.jpg[/fimg][/td90][td90]James McCann [fimg=50]https://thecranepool.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/US-flag.png[/fimg][/td90][td90]DoB[/td90][td90]10/20/02[/td90][td90]6/8/91[/td90][td90]9/24/93[/td90][td90]3/5/02[/td90][td90]6/13/90[/td90][td90]B/T[/td90][td90]R/R[/td90][td90]R/R[/td90][td90]R/R[/td90][td90]L/R[/td90][td90]R/R[/td90][td90]High Level[/td90][td90]RK Level (2022)[/td90][td90]MLB (2015)[/td90][td90]MLB (2022)[/td90][td90]RK Level (2022)[/td90][td90]MLB (2022)[/td90][td90]Direction[/td90][td90]COMING[/td90][td90]COMING[/td90][td90]Transaction[/td90][td90]Acquired from Cincinnati[/td90][td90]Acquired from Cincinnati[/td90][th]Position Group[/th][th]=#FF8000]Relief Pitcher[/th][th]=#FFC2C2] Outfielder[/th][td90][/td90][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_213,q_auto:best/v1/people/670426/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td90][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_213,q_auto:best/v1/people/571980/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td90][td90]Name[/td90][td90]Phillip Diehl [fimg=50]https://thecranepool.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/US-flag.png[/fimg][/td90][td90]Tyler Naquin [fimg=50]https://thecranepool.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/US-flag.png[/fimg][/td90][td90]DoB[/td90][td90]7/16/94[/td90][td90]4/24/91[/td90][td90]B/T[/td90][td90]L/L[/td90][td90]L/R[/td90][td90]High Level[/td90][td90]MLB (2022)[/td90][td90]MLB (2022)[/td90] Transactions, 7/29/2022 [td90]Direction[/td90][td90]=#FF0000]GOING[/td90][td90]Transaction[/td90][td90]Demoted to Syracuse[/td90][th]Position Group[/th][th]=#FF8000]Relief Pitcher[/th][td90][/td90][td90][fimg=90]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-photos/image/upload/d_people:generic:headshot:67:current.png/w_213,q_auto:best/v1/people/670426/headshot/67/current[/fimg][/td90][td90]Name[/td90][td90]Phillip Diehl [fimg=50]https://thecranepool.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/US-flag.png[/fimg][/td90][td90]DoB[/td90][td90]7/16/94[/td90][td90]B/T[/td90][td90]L/L[/td90][td90]High Level[/td90][td90]MLB (2022)[/td90]

I don't know if Naquin will have you shakin', but Diehl will make you smile.

That's 11 starting pitchers winning PotG in a row.

Look at this heartbreaker. [media=youtube]6ttgiEC6yAE[/media]

Naquin probably obviates any momentum on this deal.

I miss the baseball-themed street gangs, the giant ape attacks, and the abnormally high superhero:civilian ratio. Plus, if you kept your eyes open on a Saturday afternoon, there was always a good chance you'd spot some serious ghostbusting going on, or perhaps a trio of singing sailors.

Lots of buzz in two cities about Metly interest in Oriole Trey Mancini. Mancini just hit an inside-the-park homer (read: fly ball lost in the lights) for the eventual game-winning run in the eighth inning of a series-winning game for Baltimore. It's the O's last home game before the trade deadline, and a lot of folks are treating it like his valedictory. If the Mets don't get him, there's a good chance somebody does. Mancini is a righthanded DH/1B/corner outfield type, so acquiring him would kind of be the same kind of nutpunch for J.D. Davis that the Daniel Vogebach dealio has been for Dom Smith. He's having a better year than J.D., but the two are otherwise comparable except that (1) J.D. still plays third and has a terrific arm, and (2) Mancini has been a full-timer most of his career. His nickname is, obviously, "Boom-Boom" but waddaya gonna do? It's usually shortened to "Boomer," which has it's own goofy connotation. His homers tend to come in bunches, he's a colon cancer survivor. Baltimore chicks dig him, but the one who tied him down was MASN sideline reporter Sara Perlman. The rumors have him going for lefthander Thomas Szapucki, who has struck out 84 batters in 62 innings this year. Injury has taken a lot of development time from him and he's been clobbered in two MLB appearances, but he's still a guy, despite disappearing from the team prospect lists that usually listed him in the top 10 a few years back. [FIMG=650]https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2022/07/28/0685bd22-d224-4de5-a26d-441f0ddb0fcf/thumbnail/1200x675/7ea7a39f339dea613a56f3cec1644191/untitled-design-2022-07-28t145059-814.png[/FIMG]

Can you explain the "net games back" column? Thx Net Games BackTM is one of two proprietarial columns in the Crane Pool Standings layout. It pretty much adds up how many games you are behind not only the leader, but also behind everybody between you and the leader. It hopefully better represents how much of a hill a team has in front of them. If you are in second place, six games behind, that's rough, but depending on how many games you have left, it's doable. You just have to win while the leader loses, and if you're playing the leader, you can take care of both of those things. You're behind, but you can still largely control your fate, or at least a meaningful chunk of it. But if you're six games behind in fourth place, that's rougher, because you have to win while three other teams lose. There's only so much you can do to control that. So the second-place team six games back is also six Net Games BackTM, but the fourth place team six games back may be 12 or so Net Games BackTM. The fun thing about the statistic is that it can be very volatile. You can only gain or lose one game back per day (assuming you don't have a double header), but Net Games BackTM isn't so stingy. Take Cincinnati. They are next to last and a whopping 58 1/2 Net Games BackTM, since they trail so many teams. But since they trail so many teams, on a day they win, there's probably seven or so teams ahead of them that they gain on and cut seven games of that figure. And they can lose the same number of Net Games BackTM the next day. The closer you get to the front, though, the fewer teams are ahead of you, and the harder it is to put a dent in that number.

I love it all. We had buck here in Baltimore nine years and his press scrums were a big part of the show, and sometimes the best part. The organization pretty much apologized when they had to let him go, and while most everybody was philosophical about it, virtually nobody was happy to lose him. [media=youtube]5z3BvQbKGk0[/media]

[FIMG=500]https://i.insider.com/59df793c6d80adb51a8b5ac5?width=1136&format=jpeg[/FIMG] I don't want to spoil the Marte, so I'll go! I would hate my disappointment to show!

Paste data into a spreadsheet, code table around it, trial and error, well timed naps, and references to logo pngs at kcmets.com. I guess the most important datum there is the Mets' likelihood of winning the division going up 5.8 percentage points last night. #MartePartay

Cubs were idle yesterday, so they maintain by default their status as the hottest team in the league, by the Mets are right behind them, and idle tonight, so we'll see where that goes. Mets climbed nearly six points in division championship likelihood last night. Giants look like they're doing everything they can to fumble their season away, but their fate is still very much to be decided and very much in their own hands. National League East [th][/th][th] Team[/th][th] W[/th][th] L[/th][th]Win PCT[/th][th]GB[/th][th]NGB[/th][th][/th][th]Py. W[/th][th]Py. L[/th][th]Py. W%[/th][th]Py. Dif[/th][th][/th][th]STR[/th][th] L10[/th][th]Heat Fac.[/th][th][/th][th]Div W[/th][th]Div L[/th][th]Div W%[/th][th][/th][th]Lg W[/th][th]Lg L[/th][th]Lg W%[/th][th][/th][th]WC Odd[/th][th]1-D Δ[/th][th][/th][th]Div Odd[/th][th]1-D Δ[/th][th][/th][th]PS Odd[/th][th]1-D Δ[/th][th][/th][th]Bye Odd[/th][th]1-D Δ[/th][th][/th][th]Chmp Odd[/th][th]1-D Δ[/th]1[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/NYM.png[/fimg]NYM6137.622——[th][/th]5939.603+2[th][/th]W37–3🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥[th][/th]2812.700[th][/th]5429.651[th][/th]29.9%=#FF0000]-6.1%[th][/th]69.9%+5.8%[th][/th]99.9%+0.1%[th][/th]67.6%+5.5%[th][/th]14.7%+0.4%2[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/ATL.png[/fimg]ATL5941.5903.03.0[th][/th]5842.582+1[th][/th]=#FF0000]L16–4 [th][/th]2316.590[th][/th]5337.589[th][/th]69.3%+6.0%[th][/th]29.6%=#FF0000]-6.1%[th][/th]98.9%=#FF0000]-0.3%[th][/th]27.5%=#FF0000]-6.6%[th][/th]12.4%=#FF0000]-0.4%3[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/PHI.png[/fimg]PHI5147.52010.017.0[th][/th]5444.556=#FF0000]-3[th][/th]W1=#FF0000]5–5🔥[th][/th]2020.500[th][/th]4439.530[th][/th]48.9%+7.4%[th][/th]0.5%+0.3%[th][/th]49.4%+5.8%[th][/th]0.4%+0.2%[th][/th]1.9%+0.2%4[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/MIA.png[/fimg]MIA4652.46915.032.0[th][/th]4652.472=#FF0000]-0[th][/th]=#FF0000]L1=#FF0000]3–7🧊🧊🧊[th][/th]2419.558[th][/th]4144.482[th][/th]2.6%=#FF0000]-0.2%[th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]2.6%=#FF0000]-0.6%[th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.1%=#000000]0.0% 5[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/WAS.png[/fimg]WAS3466.34028.084.0[th][/th]3367.333+1[th][/th]=#FF0000]L1=#FF0000]4–6🧊🧊[th][/th]836.182[th][/th]2958.333[th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% National League Wild Card [th][/th][th] Team[/th][th] W[/th][th] L[/th][th]Win PCT[/th][th]GB[/th][th]NGB[/th][th][/th][th]Py. W[/th][th]Py. L[/th][th]Py. W%[/th][th]Py. Dif[/th][th][/th][th]STR[/th][th] L10[/th][th]Heat Fac.[/th][th][/th][th]Lg W[/th][th]Lg L[/th][th]Lg W%[/th][th][/th][th]WC Odd[/th][th]1-D Δ[/th][th][/th][th]PS Odd[/th][th]1-D Δ[/th][th][/th][th]Bye Odd[/th][th]1-D Δ[/th][th][/th][th]Chmp Odd[/th][th]1-D Δ[/th]DIV[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/LAD.png[/fimg]LAD6532.670+11.5+11.5[th][/th]6928.709=#FF0000]-4[th][/th]W18–2🔥🔥🔥🔥[th][/th]5428.659[th][/th]1.8%=#FF0000]-0.2%[th][/th]100.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]96.6%+0.5%[th][/th]15.4%=#FF0000]-0.2%DIV[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/NYM.png[/fimg]NYM6137.622+3.0+3.0[th][/th]5939.603+2[th][/th]W37–3🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥[th][/th]5429.651[th][/th]29.9%=#FF0000]-6.1%[th][/th]99.9%+0.1%[th][/th]62.1%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]14.3%=#000000]0.0% DIV[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/MIL.png[/fimg]MIL5544.556+3.0+3.0[th][/th]5445.542+1[th][/th]W26–4🔥🔥🔥[th][/th]4641.529[th][/th]10.6%+1.8%[th][/th]90.2%+1.5%[th][/th]6.0%+1.8%[th][/th]5.4%+0.2%[th][/th][th][/th][th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th] [/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th]1[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/ATL.png[/fimg]ATL5941.590——[th][/th]5842.582+1[th][/th]=#FF0000]L16–4 [th][/th]5337.589[th][/th]69.3%+6.0%[th][/th]98.9%=#FF0000]-0.3%[th][/th]34.1%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]12.8%=#000000]0.0% 2[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/SD.png[/fimg]SDP5545.550——[th][/th]5347.530+2[th][/th]=#FF0000]L1=#000000]5–5🧊[th][/th]5340.570[th][/th]83.3%=#FF0000]-2.3%[th][/th]85.1%=#FF0000]-2.9%[th][/th]1.6%=#FF0000]-0.7%[th][/th]4.9%+0.2%3[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/STL.png[/fimg]STL5247.525——[th][/th]5643.569=#FF0000]-4[th][/th]W1=#FF0000]5–5🔥[th][/th]4537.549[th][/th]30.7%+5.3%[th][/th]51.0%+3.8%[th][/th]0.2%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]1.3%+0.2%[th][/th][th][/th][th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th] [/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th][th][/th]4[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/PHI.png[/fimg]PHI5147.5200.50.5[th][/th]5444.556=#FF0000]-3[th][/th]W1=#000000]5–5🔥[th][/th]4439.530[th][/th]48.9%+7.4%[th][/th]49.4%+5.8%[th][/th]0.2%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]1.7%=#000000]0.0% 5[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/SF.png[/fimg]SFG4850.4903.56.5[th][/th]5246.529=#FF0000]-4[th][/th]=#FF0000]L7=#000000]3–7🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊[th][/th]4144.482[th][/th]22.5%=#FF0000]-11.8%[th][/th]22.5%=#FF0000]-7.4%[th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.9%=#FF0000]-0.3%6[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/MIA.png[/fimg]MIA4652.4695.512.5[th][/th]4652.472=#FF0000]-0[th][/th]=#FF0000]L1=#000000]3–7🧊🧊🧊[th][/th]4144.482[th][/th]2.6%=#FF0000]-0.2%[th][/th]2.6%=#FF0000]-0.3%[th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.1%=#000000]0.0% 7[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/ARI.png[/fimg]ARI4553.4596.516.5[th][/th]4850.492=#FF0000]-3[th][/th]W36–4🔥🔥🔥🔥[th][/th]3949.443[th][/th]0.2%+0.1%[th][/th]0.2%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% 8[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/COL.png[/fimg]COL4554.4557.019.0[th][/th]4356.432+2[th][/th]W1=#000000]5–5🔥[th][/th]3845.458[th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% 9[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/CHC.png[/fimg]CHC4057.41211.043.0[th][/th]4255.428=#FF0000]-2[th][/th]W66–4🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥[th][/th]3645.444[th][/th]0.1%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.2%+0.1%[th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% 10[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/PIT.png[/fimg]PIT4058.40811.546.5[th][/th]3365.335+7[th][/th]=#FF0000]L3=#FF0000]2–8🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊🧊[th][/th]3851.427[th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% 11[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/CIN.png[/fimg]CIN3859.39213.058.5[th][/th]3958.402=#FF0000]-1[th][/th]W1=#FF0000]5–5🔥[th][/th]2953.354[th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% 12[fimg=25]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/WAS.png[/fimg]WAS3466.34018.5108.0[th][/th]3367.333+1[th][/th]=#FF0000]L1=#FF0000]4–6🧊🧊[th][/th]2958.333[th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0% [th][/th]0.0%=#000000]0.0%

I'm paid up through the All Star break.

I was getting a feeling, most acutely after the two homers in the first inning of Game One, that the Mets may have a record that says they're a top team, but they lacked the big ugly aura that the Yankees had of just being stupid bullies. The Dodgers had it, to my thinking, and the Astros too, and there was something about the Yankees that said that they could just swat you away, and if you stole a game here and there, good for you, but it's just because they couldn't get motivated enough to bother. But watching on, I could see how subtle dysfunctions were baked into the pudding. Guys were playing out of position. Guys who were ridiculously hot were really being unreasonably counted on to continue as such. If a ball stayed in the park that would have gotten out of Yankee Stadium, the problem was with the park, not the team. They seemed kind of like the Lucas Duda-in-the-outfield-era Mets. A much better version of that team certainly — but a flawed and mis-shapen team nonetheless.

We're gonna have a TV Marte tonight! All right! We're gonna have a TV Marte, all right! Tonight! We've got nothing better to do! Than watch TV and have a couple of brews!

That's what I'm talkin' about.

We need more MAR-TES in the USA! We need more MAR-TES in the USA!

Who's to blame when Marte ... gets out of hand?! Who's to blame when Marte ... is poorly planned?!

The thread where you take a song, a poem, or some other turn of phrase, substitute "Marte" for "Party," and make it so much better. My girl likes to MARTE ALL THE TIME! MARTE ALL THE TIME! MARTE ALL THE TIME!

[bIGPURPLE]BASEBALL!!![/bIGPURPLE]

Escobar should also be heads up for anything in the dirt.