Edgy MD

That seems odd, but I think it's in the right spirit. Other sports contain brawls with a simple but effective rule — anyone who leaves the bench to join in a melee has committed a violation and automatically incurs whatever punishment. It may be an ejection, a fine, or a suspension, depending on the rules, but there's no judgment call for the umps. You're getting dinged. This way, clearing the bench for a brawl is such a consequential act that nobody is going to go out there for an inconsequential reason such as "Everybody else was out there and I had to watch my guys' backs." This happened to the Knicks some years ago when a bunch of players left the bench during an on-court fight (in Miami?) and automatically incurred a two-game suspension — during the playoffs. Their actions doomed their chances, but no other team (as far as I know) has made the same mistake. This way, the peacemakers have space to separate the two to four initial combatants without side-scrums breaking out as dozens of players in three waves rush to the same point and collide with each other and step on each other's feet and legs. This works, but it's problematic in baseball, as the nature of the game pits two sides with unequal numbers of players on the field. The defense has nine guys, but the batter is out there with only whatever runner might be on base and one or two crusty coaches. But the same rule can work if the offensive players who are currently in the lineup to go out there but the other players have to stay put. They may be a beat slower than the defense's infielders in getting to the point of action, but they'll be faster than the outfielders, and some of them will have helmets on. And the offense is always second on the field anyhow. So what do you say? Nine on nine beats 30 on 30, right? Mets AA pitcher Marcel Renteria hit a guy the other day. (I think I already shared this link.) I don't know if it was intentional or not, but in the ensuing scrum, he ended up under a lot of guys, and he came out of it with (I think) his rotator cuff torn and his season is over and probably his career. [media=youtube]YJIjox0bgM4[/media]

I missed what Tai-weezy did. No suspension for Stubsy?

"PHA"? Did the A's move back already? Phun with three-letter abbreviations.

NAME: James McCann AGE: 32 POSITION: Catcher (Is familiar with first base) NUMBER: 33 NICKNAME: "McCannon" fWAR IN 2021: 0.5 ZIPS PROJECTION FOR 2022: 1.1 fWAR ALREADY IN 2022: 0.3 "You're giving this guy a three year deal," people said to Sandy Alomar or whoever was running the Mets that week, "based on little more than career year within a partial season within abbreviated season. The sample size just isn't there!" Those people weren't proven right. But let's just say that the preponderance of evidence coming out of 2021 was on their side. But that's the thing about long-term (or medium-term) contracts. They go on. If they don't start paying out right away, you've got to find a way to squeeze something from them. So this year, the Mets are dialing my starts back from 75-80% to more like 60%, throwing a generous 40% to Tomás. I'd like to say it's paying off. It kind of is. I mean, I got off to another stinko start, and so did Nido, but we both seem to have found our strokes on this recent road trip, so we didn't fall into black holes like it we kinda did for long periods in 2021. The divided workload has made our defense more consistent, and kept our skills sharper. At least, that's the way my agent is telling the story. And yeah, we may just be keeping a seat warm for Francisco Álvarez. But you know what? We're all keeping a seat warm, buddy. Yeah, put that between your cheek and gum and chew it. I'm keeping a big league seat warm. What are you warming? So yeah, for now, I'm splitting more time, and I'm batting ninth, and if I'm not helping the team much, I'm not hurting them as much as I was a year ago, and if the right balance is found under the right moon, maybe I'll find a little bit more of that career year that got me this contract. Stranger things have happened. Is that what's gonna happen? You tell me. Use numbers. [FIMG=320]https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2021/09/23084320/GettyImages-1340395172-1024x683.jpg[/FIMG] [FIMG=380]https://sportsspectrum.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/JamesMcCannPic2.jpg[/FIMG] [FIMG=320]https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/Nationals-Mets-Baseball-e1630194748453.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024[/FIMG] [FIMG=380]https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Frisingapple-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fimagn-images-2F2017-2F07-2F16309774-850x560-43e5aae1ecb36d6a330c8f1e61bb8a77.jpg[/FIMG]

Fun Fact: It was the Bruce Berenyi acquisition that precipitated the Mets' release of Mike Torrez. I would guess that Torrez is the only Met pitcher to get unconditionally released in the same season in which he started the opener. Cut loose before the All-Star Break, no less.

Ten years ago, Drew Magary took a letter from a guy who wanted to know who Drew thought would be the winner in an All-Pro NFL matchup of Black players against White players. Magary acknowledged what a minefield the issue was to dive into, and then dove into it anyhow. A reader then attempted to put rosters together, and another reader played the game out on Madden 2012 (as best as he could within the confines of the game, anyhow). https://deadspin.com/we-simulated-the-nfl-white-vs-black-race-bowl-on-madde-5873045Recap here! What made me remember it, apart from the two teams suiting up as the Raiders and Cowboys (I, myself, would choose the Packers or Patriots as the avatar of American Whiteness) but that the all-White team had no cornerbacks, and was forced to play some sadsack safeties out of position, and the all-Black team had no kickers, so they forced Chad Ochocinco into duty as the placekicker and decided to just go for every fourth down rather than force a guy to humiliate himself punting.

Willets Point wrote: Apparently there's a TD Bank, CVS, and Staples at 3rd and 43 in Manhattan. Not sure of the relevance to the game. I think there are also a couple of daytime lunch-to-go eateries. Third and 43 are where Ace Frehley "exits to the night" in "Back in the New York Groove." It's a goofy-but-iconic lyric because the Midtown East location was no more exciting or associated with New York nightlife when Ace Frehley first sang it than it is today. But, as the Mets tend to play "Back in the New York Groove" if and when they win the first game of a homestand, it's goofy lyric that I long to hear.

That's true. I got it right in the narrative, but wrong in the title.

A fear of going for fourth-down conversions seems like the opposite of macho, but yeah, I can see how making an annoyingly conservative choice can take on an air of intellectual machismo. And coming from a physical world of football might suggest that the intellectual realm is where coaches might feel most insecure. I tend to think coaches are like the rest of us, and they do shit in their job that they might even suspect is stupid just for the sake of job security. It's not crazy to think that the coach who fails doing what everybody else is doing lasts longer than the coach who fails doing everything completely different. Davy Johnson in his early years with the Mets was a revelation. He made the whole industry look stupid. Davey Johnson at each successive stop seemed more like everybody else. Davey Johnson managing Team America made me want to scream. The way he ran his team was an offense to me and everything I believed was true from having watched Davey Johnson decades earlier. Glad he lost that 'stache though.

You know, I've been tempted to charge the mound when Franklin Graham is doing the pitching. Also worth noting that Darryl calls the St. Louis area home, and has been there for a while now.

The Mets get a day for any of their numerous hit batsmen to rest their bruises, and get penicillin injections for anyone exposed to Stubby Clapp, before taking the field at home against the incoming Phillies. Tylor Megill defends against incoming assault from Aaron NewOrleansLouisiana. Phils are tied for third while fattening up against the Rockies. Bryce Harper has been DHing to rest a strained elbow. He's been playing catch, so keep an eye out for updates on him. With Mickey Moniak still out since the end of Spring Training, the Phils are leading with Schwarber, Matt Vierling, and Nick Castellanos left to right, and Vierling has yet to hit much at all, despite a strong showing in an abbreviated stint as a rook in 2021. Odubel Herrera, recently activated after a rehab stint, is trying to punch his way back into the lineup.

NAME: Tylor Megill AGE: 26 POSITION: Starting Pitcher NUMBER: 38 NICKNAME: "Big Drip" fWAR IN 2021: 0.6 ZIPS PROJECTION FOR 2022: 1.1 fWAR ALREADY IN 2022: 0.6 It's passing strange. I was the OPENING DAY starting pitcher. I currently lead the league in wins with three. But there hasn't been one of these stupid threads about me? I am NOT OK with that. I'm Tylor Megill, and I'm an inch taller than Noah Syndergaard, and I'm a big part of why nobody is talking about that cosplaying weirdo. I may have come to camp as the #6 starter, but I got hammered into that rotation, and nobody is in a hurry to pry me out of it. Why is that? Well, my velocity is up, touching 99 and shit. And my control has moved into the deGromian range, walking dudes at half the rate I did last season. If it feels like a gift, that's what you can consider it. My gift to you. They sure aren't paying me the big bucks. But many gifts have a shelf life, and you'd be forgiven if you're not sure how long I'm going to keep performing at this level. But dang, I'm going to keep performing, and the level I finish at is gonna be where it's gonna be. Whatever doubts you may have about that, only the wisest truly know. So what do the wisest say? [FIMG=352]https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_736,h_485,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcalltothepen.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fimagn-images%2F2018%2F08%2F16868215-850x560.jpeg[/FIMG] [FIMG=348]https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2022/04/11083744/GettyImages-1239822645-1024x683.jpg[/FIMG] [FIMG=380]https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/RglL7ndcPt.zwGcz45VXXA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTY0MDtoPTM2MA--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/Y7uz0BIq3Bwkn3fjorxI8Q--~B/aD01NzY7dz0xMDI0O2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u/https://media.zenfs.com/en/sny_articles_235/7c9676140c7c17144842e1c9cdaf4d17[/FIMG] [FIMG=320]https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/Tylor-Megill.jpg?quality=75&strip=all[/FIMG]

Edgy MD wrote: Well; fuck the Cardinals, their fans (who actually know what pond scum means because NYC never did) and particularly flag-waving Fredbird. Let's talk about Stubby Clapp. Sure, you start! FUCK Stubby Clapp. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FRYO44sXMAAPEa6?format=jpg&name=small>

=kcmets post_id=90642 time=1651092588 user_id=53] Well; fuck the Cardinals, their fans (who actually know what pond scum means because NYC never did) and particularly flag-waving Fredbird.

Don't swing at the first piece of shit down by five in the ninth, Starling.

Don't swing at the first strike down by five in the ninth, Brandon.

Don't swing at the first strike down by five in the ninth, Dom.

What's with Stubby Clapp doing a takedown?

It's like gang initiation time for Yoan Lopez.

Edgy MD wrote: I'm guessing the training room makes the decision for them in the next five days. Or, possibly, today.

Pinch-running McNeil takes his bat out of the inning.

You hit a guy with ball four and he gets two bases. You want to protect batters? Start dialing up the penalties for hitting them.

There'tis! I was starting to worry that 2022 Lindor left Phoenix but 2021 Lindor had showed up with the team in St. Louis.

This series gets Nido off the interstate also.

"I packed you a gift, Cardinals!" "Thank you! Let me open ... OH! Two baserunning outs!! How did you KNOW!!