metsmarathon

="metsmarathon":2k3jrt6p]sheffield's equivalent average last year of 0.256 puts him in the company of luis castillo 0.257 and brian schneider 0.254 i'm really hoping the mets aren't foolish enough to actually sign him. and that if they do, that they do not then compound the error by placing him higher in the depth chart than either murphy or church.[/quote:2k3jrt6p] ok, i'm suffering a case of conflicting reports. on baseball prospectus' pecota cards, they have his 2008 EqA as 0.256. on their DT cards, they have it at 0.267. castillo's pecota card and DT card both show 0.261, and schneider's pecota and DT cards both say 0.256. and now i can't get back to the page that showed me the 0.257 for castillo. so i guess, take my numbers as approximate....? regardless, even at 0.267, that's no great shakes. Frayed Knot Apr 03 2009 01:14 PM Sheff's a Met (acc to WFAN) Can't remember the last time I [u:25ntqmw0]Pre[/u:25ntqmw0]-disliked a Met player. duan Apr 03 2009 01:17 PM jesus wept. 400,000 is all he'll be paid and we've a starting outfield including 2 guys who're lefties and NEITHER of whom are locks to hit 20 home runs and a lefty firstbaseman too? I know you might feel he's a grumpy fucker, but if he can he the can of fire in his belly that Manny had for the dodgers last year then he's got plenty of potential to be a contributor and if he ISN'T we cut him and bring up Bobby Kielty!!!!!! John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 03 2009 01:17 PM If Anderson gets whacked here I can see it. OlerudOwned Apr 03 2009 01:20 PM My concern is less that they have him, and more that they'll keep him even if he sucks. Well, that and defense. metirish Apr 03 2009 01:25 PM Yeah his glove isn't great but neither is Murphy's or Church's defense that great. Sheff is a real gansta for Jerry Edgy DC Apr 03 2009 01:27 PM I'll disagree on Church. Compared to most rightfielders, I'm saying he's good. metirish Apr 03 2009 01:28 PM Yes he is good , better than we were led to believe I think.... G-Fafif Apr 03 2009 01:29 PM Ladies and gentlemen, your 1997 World Champion Florida Marlins! LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 03 2009 01:30 PM Heyman has it, too. He's at his best when motivated (raking in a couple of previous contract years)... and if desperation doesn't motivate, what does? metirish Apr 03 2009 01:31 PM Sheffield always wanted to be a Mets player.......I'm sure of it... MFS62 Apr 03 2009 01:32 PM ="Edgy DC"] The Mets were widely considered the likeliest destination, as they almost always are when an expensive asshole needs a home (see Manny). A brief, but accurate, description. Later attgig Apr 03 2009 01:40 PM first milestone home run hit in citibank: Gary Sheffield - 500. he doesn't play at all while on the road, and only plays at home until 500 gets hit. he gets cut soon after batting .212 through the month of april. that's my prediction for what happens to gary. attgig Apr 03 2009 01:43 PM they still haven't made it official that marlon's the one getting cut, have they? RealityChuck Apr 03 2009 01:47 PM It's chump change to sign him. Doesn't work out? He gets released. It's a smart deal. It may not work out, but for the minimum, it's a cheap gamble for a significant upside. duan Apr 03 2009 01:55 PM ="OlerudOwned":3mofw6v8]My concern is less that they have him, and more that they'll keep him even if he sucks. Well, that and defense.[/quote:3mofw6v8] but right now, he'd be competing with Nick Evans and Marlon Anderson for a roster spot - it isn't hard to see him being quite a lot better then either of them. Benjamin Grimm Apr 03 2009 01:57 PM Keeping a guy even though he sucks is more likely when you're on the hook for a big contract. Since the Mets will be paying Sheffield the minimum salary, that shouldn't be a problem. metirish Apr 03 2009 01:58 PM Ken Davidoff ] It will be interesting to see how Sheff would function in this Mets clubhouse. When he was with the Yankees, Sheffield knew that he couldn't cross Derek Jeter. Will Sheffield respect anyone in this clubhouse the same way? Probably not. But again - if he hits, his personality isn't much of an issue. If he doesn't hit, he's out. mind boggling OlerudOwned Apr 03 2009 02:00 PM ="metirish"]Ken Davidoff ] It will be interesting to see how Sheff would function in this Mets clubhouse. When he was with the Yankees, Sheffield knew that he couldn't cross Derek Jeter. Will Sheffield respect anyone in this clubhouse the same way? Probably not. But again - if he hits, his personality isn't much of an issue. If he doesn't hit, he's out. mind boggling It has to all be a joke, right? Like, a game of one-upsmanship to see who drop the most ridiculous Jeter deification into a piece of professional journalism? Please? Benjamin Grimm Apr 03 2009 02:05 PM I resolve to send a box of candy and a basket of fresh fruit to any sportswriter who leaves Jeter unchecked on his Hall-of-Fame ballot. metirish Apr 03 2009 02:05 PM Would even Sheffield cross these two ?...I think not Benjamin Grimm Apr 03 2009 02:06 PM That photo is even more gay than the one of Alex Rodriguez snogging his reflection in the mirror. metirish Apr 03 2009 02:11 PM ="Benjamin Grimm"]That photo is even more gay than the one of Alex Rodriguez snogging his reflection in the mirror. OK , this one is more fierce LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 03 2009 02:34 PM ="Benjamin Grimm":7llf1e9x]That photo is even more gay than the one of Alex Rodriguez snogging his reflection in the mirror.[/quote:7llf1e9x] More gay, si. More disturbing? Not in the least. And if Sheff doesn't play... is it because Jerry's racist? Nymr83 Apr 03 2009 02:42 PM i think this will end up being a distraction. my prediction: he won't hit enough to deserve to take significant ABs away from church or murphy in the outfield, he'll play a little more than he deserves too because of who he is, he'll still whine and cry about playign time, he'll be gone by July 1st. Edgy DC Apr 03 2009 02:46 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Apr 03 2009 06:26 PM ="Tom Singer / MLB.com"]The possibility of playing his home games within miles of Yankee Stadium might also appeal to Sheffield. What? "Well, the Giants were offering me a second year at $4 million guaranteed, but Mets were giving me a chance to be moderately near Yankee Stadium. I couldn't pass that up." Benjamin Grimm Apr 03 2009 02:48 PM I swear, sportswriting has reached a level of insanity I never would have imagined. Here's a fun fact about Gary Sheffield: He was the Comeback Player of the Year... in 1992! Seventeen years ago! Edgy DC Apr 03 2009 03:03 PM ="Nymr83":282zbt07]i think this will end up being a distraction. my prediction: he won't hit enough to deserve to take significant ABs away from church or murphy in the outfield, he'll play a little more than he deserves too because of who he is, he'll still whine and cry about playign time, he'll be gone by July 1st.[/quote:282zbt07] You know, a lot of Rogers and Hammerstein musicals are about a group of disparate people learning to live together --- farmers and ranchers, US servicemembers and South Seas islanders, townees and carnies --- and to thrive once they get past differences and find their united purpose. But you know --- before they could unify and prosper, they would have to take out the bad seed, face up to ol' Jud and give him his. Somebody not with the program had to be whacked. Maybe Shef will end up being the new George Foster. Frayed Knot Apr 03 2009 03:09 PM He still could be enough of a RH threat w/good OBP to put a scare into opposing pitchers & managers - which is kind of what we need in a way. The problems are: - questionable (at best) defensive skills to the point where he may be marginally useable anywhere but in the batter's box -- something that's particularly true in an OF he's never seen with what looks like might be a tricky wall in spots - he reportedly only wanted to sign with a team that was going to give him significant ABs. Did they promise him that? -- If so that's something that can only come at the expense of either Murphy or Church - he's not only an ass, but he's one who will trash mgmt, teammates, the press, MLB as a whole, and probably Barack Obama if he's not getting what he wants -- and he often finds something to get pissed at (see points 1 & 2). Hopefully he got read the riot act before a deal was signed. Not that they couldn't drop him anyway but at least this way he knows that going in. metsguyinmichigan Apr 03 2009 03:10 PM So our first 500 homer celebration will be like our first 300 win celebration. A guy we don't like, but we'll take it! OlerudOwned Apr 03 2009 03:41 PM ="Edgy DC"]="By Tom Singer / MLB.com"]The possibility of playing his home games within miles of Yankee Stadium might also appeal to Sheffield. What? "Well, the Giants were offering me a second year at $4 million guaranteed, but Mets were giving me a chance to be moderately near Yankee Stadium. I couldn't pass that up." I can only conclude that Sheffield is homeless, and looks forward to taking shelter in the now-abandoned facilities of the old Yankee Stadium. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 03 2009 03:44 PM ]he's not only an ass, but he's one who will trash mgmt, teammates, the press, MLB as a whole, and probably Barack Obama if he's not getting what he wants -- and he often finds something to get pissed at (see points 1 & 2). Hopefully he got read the riot act before a deal was signed. Not that they couldn't drop him anyway but at least this way he knows that going in. He always seems to say this stuff on the way out the door. Maybe he's not so much a bad guy... as a bad breaker-upper? "Hey, Evans-- you have a big head! Big head!" Kong76 Apr 03 2009 03:55 PM FK: Can't remember the last time I Pre-disliked a Met player <<< I have to say this made me laugh out loud when I was lurking at work. Nymr83 Apr 03 2009 04:55 PM ="Kong76"]FK: Can't remember the last time I Pre-disliked a Met player <<< I have to say this made me laugh out loud when I was lurking at work. Tom Glavine Kong76 Apr 03 2009 05:00 PM Yeah, but two completely different types of dislike. Farmer Ted Apr 03 2009 05:13 PM Fun fact...Sheff and Derek Bell were little league teammates. I hope most similarities end there. batmagadanleadoff Apr 03 2009 05:24 PM ="duan":3d2r4ikm]="OlerudOwned":3d2r4ikm]My concern is less that they have him, and more that they'll keep him even if he sucks. Well, that and defense.[/quote:3d2r4ikm] but right now, he'd be competing with Nick Evans and Marlon Anderson for a roster spot - it isn't hard to see him being quite a lot better then either of them.[/quote:3d2r4ikm] Yes. But will Sheffield go along with getting the amount of playing time -- and no more -- that would have otherwise gone to either Evans or Anderson? It seems that Sheffield would not have agreed to play for the Mets under those conditions. seawolf17 Apr 03 2009 06:47 PM ="Edgy DC"]="Tom Singer / MLB.com"]The possibility of playing his home games within miles of Yankee Stadium might also appeal to Sheffield. What? "Well, the Giants were offering me a second year at $4 million guaranteed, but Mets were giving me a chance to be moderately near Yankee Stadium. I couldn't pass that up." WAIT. Did an actual paid sportswriter actually write that? Holy fuck. I am so sick of this Yankee-loving bullshit. You have got to be kidding me. Hey, Red Sox and Rays, put that on your fucking bulletin boards, in case you need any more reason to knock those fuckers back into third place where they belong. seawolf17 Apr 03 2009 06:49 PM Oh, and you know what? I'm down with Sheffield. Bring it on, Gary! Welcome to the Mets! Make us proud! Kong76 Apr 03 2009 07:00 PM I'll feel better after a coupla three run ding dongs. Frayed Knot Apr 04 2009 05:55 AM ="Kong76":daiwlvuq]Yeah, but two completely different types of dislike.[/quote:daiwlvuq] Egg-Zactly! Actually, I never really disliked Glavine anyway but even so, there's 'pre-dislike' simply because a guy's an accomplished opponent and there's dislike because he comes across as a fuckin' asshole. Chipper, for instance, would be type A and I'd have no problem rooting for him in orange & blue. With Sheff on the other hand - while I'm not going to root for him to fail (an increasingly popular activity for some Met fans it seems) - it's going to be tough to get the warm and fuzzies going.

sheffield's equivalent average last year of 0.256 puts him in the company of luis castillo 0.257 and brian schneider 0.254 i'm really hoping the mets aren't foolish enough to actually sign him. and that if they do, that they do not then compound the error by placing him higher in the depth chart than either murphy or church.

seeing as how i can now copy and paste directly into excel, i'm ecstatic about the layout. tho, if the changes had taken place before i had posited my guess as to trivia question #2, i never would've gotten it. the postseason and all star pitching stats are only available through a click off the player pages, and are therefore on degree more difficult to get at now. i personally wouldn't mind a single massive page of information at my fingertips.

spahn started in '49 also. that's why i said multiple, and not two.

started multiple all star games

i'm kinda grumpy that friday's exhibition against the sox is going to be rain-soaked. i don't like booing the mets, but i'll gladly boo the weather.

do they still have dedicated weathermen on these news shows?

played under the reign of different official METS logos...?

...and i just got me some tickets to the first mets game at citi... this coming friday night! we'll be sitting along the outfield wall, hopefully not too far under the pepsi porch. can't wait! when i checked there seemed to be a fair amount of tickets still available for it. the saturday game, otoh, was a different story. it appeared to be sold out!

the jerk running my draft seemed to think drafting catchers early was a wise move...

]BASEBALL; Andro Hangs in a Quiet Limbo By BILL PENNINGTON and JACK CURRY Published: Sunday, July 11, 1999 ...Baseball has not banned or discouraged the use of androstenedione, a product that, while sold legally over the counter and over the Internet in the United States, is banned by the National Football League, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the International Olympic Committee as a performance-enhancing and potentially harmful drug. Baseball's top officials have stuck to their position that they will neither condone nor discourage use of the supplement until the sport's scientific study of its effects is completed. ...Curiosity and confusion about andro, as well as its use, exists throughout major league clubhouses a year after McGwire set off both outbursts of outrage from his detractors and spirited defenses from his supporters. Mike Piazza of the Mets said he tried andro several years ago, but found it ''overrated'' and gave it up. Tony Gwynn of the Padres said andro is talked about regularly, and used by some. ''We have discussions about this all the time,'' Gwynn said. ''What if it's the last year of your contract and you feel you're not playing well? With the kind of money out there, could creatine or andro or steroids make a difference in your play? And if you only take them one year to prolong your career, would it really be dangerous to your health?''... and a later article... ]BASEBALL; Steroid Use Becomes a Topic of Discussion in Clubhouses By RAFAEL HERMOSO and TYLER KEPNER Published: Thursday, May 30, 2002 ...Piazza has said he briefly used androstenedione early in his career, stopping when he did not see a drastic change in his muscle mass. He said he had never used steroids because ''I hit the ball as far in high school as I do now.'' ...Piazza said the use of another drug, amphetamines, has been ''going on for decades'' in the majors. well, later in that same article, jason giambi and mo vaughn both come out agasint steroid use in basesall, so.. um.. yeah... piazza had already admitted, and was known, to have used andro, which is considered a steroid by many in the know, but was not considered as such by baseball at the time, and was legal. at the time of piazza's admission (as early as 1999, but perhaps earlier) there was no crying about whether or not his future candidacy for hte hall of fame should be in jeopardy. nor mac's either, necessarily. so i'm not really sure what my point is. i guess its that we shouldn't be shocked that piazza could've taken ped's, as he admitted as such. he just didnt admit to having broken the law to do so, nor did he admit to continuing to take them for an extended period in his career. so i guess if he's lying about that... then... uh.. i guess... to hell with him? what level of PED use should be enough to taint a player's career? if we take a zero tolerance policy, then any new revelations shouldn't really affect piazza, as his own admissions should exempt him. or does it only matter if the PED's were illegal at the time? or if the player lied about it? and of course, if those PED's are amphetamines, then we just don't give a rat's ass.

i always thought that piazza had admitted to using steroids way back when, either in college or the minors, and had claimed not to have liked them, and therefore didn't continue to use. or did i hallucinate that memory? at the time i heard it, i don't think it raised too many eyebrows, and certainly brought about no hand-wringing. but i could be mistaken, surely.

]Despite blowing the NL East for the second straight season, the 2009 Mets come out of camp full of optimism and confident that whatever ailed them in 2008 has been cured. well, i mean, shouldn't they? sure you may quibble with how confident they should be over the effectiveness of the exorcism, but damned if any team shouldn't be optimistic coming out of camp.

they're just shoving the citi-branding all up in our faces with every opportunity, those bastards! i mean, look at that repeated arc in the outfield grass, and tell me you don't see the affront of yet another little red rainbow. how fitting that this arc is painted in glorious shades of green, echoing the fields of taxpayer cash funneled into citibank and, therefore, citifield, from the ground, up. it sickens me. really, it doesn't. i just wanted to be the first to mention the similitude between the arcing turf and the citi logo, whether its intentional or just a logical extension of the border between infield and out.

americans love to americanize their sports. and by that, i mean that we love to turn every sport into football. american football. who needs quickness and finesse when you can have power and strength? we prefer our sports to be blunt instruments presided over by blunter athletes.

oh, i do too. but as far as using it to compare the WBC participants expected outcomes versus their actual outcomes leaves me wanting a control group.

="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr":2z0lbidl]="metsmarathon":2z0lbidl]i'm surprised nobody (to my knowledge) has looked at how the participants in the last WBC fared in-season vs their prior and subsequent years. i mean, there's all this hullabaloo about how the WBC simply sheds the players in it, and how its gotta be just awful for them, and how much it surely will ruin their season and the hopes of their paying fans. yet there's been no objective attempt that i've seen to prove or disprove it.[/quote:2z0lbidl] A little more follow-up on the question, courtesy of the Times' Dan Rosencheck/PECOTA. (In brief: over an admittedly tiny sample size-- we'll have better numbers after this year, naturally-- pitchers seem to deteriorate a bit, while hitters seem to show a marginal increase in giddy-up.) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/sports/baseball/22score.html?_r=2&sq="Nate%20Silver"%20AND%20"World%20Baseball%20Classic"&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=1&adxnnlx=1237825385-LcX8RqYR39YBg+bH8EnSYw[/quote:2z0lbidl] i read that too. the one thing that it skipped over was how did pecota do for those players in other year, or how did pecota do for other players in the wbc year? does pecota tend to undervalue hitters and overvalue pitchers? probably not, on the whole, but the article left it unsaid. metirish Mar 23 2009 02:19 PM One day when the WBC is a big deal and MLB Network is the exclusive carrier the owners will love it. Edgy DC Mar 23 2009 02:22 PM All that about Johnson is true. Plus add to this ="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr":o8pqbeb3]He was let go in Baltimore because Angelos disliked him personally, not because he was ineffective-- despite early exits, his Orioles made the playoffs in both years he managed them, and he took the AL Manager of the Year award the day he was fired.[/quote:o8pqbeb3] the fact that his Orioles were screwed over as the eventual World Series champs and their Beacon benefited from cheating. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 23 2009 02:44 PM The really oversimplified answer is that PECOTA relies on fitting a given player's past stats to the performance of comparables (fetched using the Bill James concept of similarity scores); it then bases the future perf forecast on the historical performance of these comparables (like a "prediction of best fit"). [it's the current statistical crux of Baseball Prospectus' annual season previews-- damn good, oughta-be-required reading.] It tends to be a bit conservative-- wins aren't nearly as evenly distributed as its models predict-- but generally VERY good at predicting both individual and team-- via guessing at depth chart/playing time for the coming year-- performance (for instance, forecasting the Rays' rise last year, minus a handful of wins). Not only that, but the margin of error-- which was best last year among major projection systems like Marcel, CHONE and Vlad (and Vegas betting odds)-- has decreased steadily in every year between its inception in 2003 and today. In short, I heart PECOTA. metsmarathon Mar 23 2009 03:04 PM oh, i do too. but as far as using it to compare the WBC participants expected outcomes versus their actual outcomes leaves me wanting a control group.

="G-Fafif"]]"There is a time in life to put the best interests of the game ahead of your provincial, self-interests." I get the good of the country, good of the team, good of the game, et al, but I'm a baseball fan because I have provincial self-interest in baseball. Anything left over after that stems from the provincial self-interest. Bud's overseen some positive developments in his job. But he gets on my nerves. but that statement is not spoken to you, the fan. it is spoken to the owners, who bud feels should look at the bigger picture - widening the scope and draw of major league baseball - which is intended to increase business and revenues for the league, and all teams. the health of the league as a whole should be in the interest of each owner. incur a slight risk this year in exchange for a greater reward in subsequent years.

="MFS62":3qf4gua7]Folks, all of your barbs were more on the mark than Jeter's horrible throw in the ninth inning last night. What made the moment even better was the two headed monster of Miller/Morgan explanining how Jeter set his feet before he threw. Later[/quote:3qf4gua7] well, you see, it totally wasn't jeters fault that he threw the ball away. the japanese guy was just so fast that he forced jeter to air mail the throw. no reasonable competent shortstop could've made that play against such a mercurial opponent! it was darned near unfair that the scorer found himself obligated to award the error to the faultless wonder. metirish Mar 23 2009 09:04 AM Kiernan's article is even worse than Filip Bondy's today , al though both are of a similar vein. Like David Wright and Derek Jeter, we should think World of WBC ] LOS ANGELES - It wasn't supposed to matter. The World Baseball Classic was just this silly tournament getting in the way of spring training, disrespecting all those precious hamstring stretches that traditionally define America's staid, verdant baseball spring. But David Wright put on the uniform again Sunday, ignored the throbbing toe and tried to avoid running into Davey Johnson. With Evan Longoria now on the U.S. roster, the manager had another option at third base for this semifinal game if Wright wanted out of the lineup with his cracked big toenail. "If the foot starts swelling up, let me know," Johnson told Wright when he caught up to him. "Skip, I'm fine," Wright answered. Nothing against Longoria, but Wright wanted to play in the worst way. He had his reasons, starting with the love of a fresh challenge. And there was that other thing - the feeling some athletes get when they finally have the chance to play for country, not just for money. "I'm ready to go," Wright said before the U.S. fell to Japan, 9-4, before 43,630 at Dodger Stadium. "It's an honor to wear this uniform." Then he went out and it seemed early on as if every ball and every big at-bat were hunting for Wright. He doubled to right in the third, scoring Jimmy Rollins. He made a brilliant, bare-handed pickup and throw on a bunt by Munenori Kawasaki leading off the bottom of that same inning. He followed that with a two-base throwing error on a sharp grounder by Ichiro Suzuki, a mistake that somehow did no harm. Wright had his evening out there, filled with busy drama, while the Americans were eliminated in self-destructive fashion. The U.S. committed three errors, including Derek Jeter's bad throw in the eighth that led to three unearned runs. But really, the Americans simply never had the pitching to win the WBC. Not even close. A dose of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett or Joba Chamberlain might have helped greatly. Instead, starter Roy Oswalt was knocked around by a series of line drives in Japan's five-run fourth inning, when Johnson unaccountably kept the poor fellow out there about three batters too long. The Americans, playing these past weeks with one hand tied behind their backs, finished the 2009 WBC with a mediocre record of 4-4, falling short of the final for a second straight time. Japan moves on Monday night to face historical archrival Korea for the title. Both those Asian teams arrived in better shape, having practiced since December. They also played a small-ball, running style that Johnson oddly dismissed as ineffective Sunday before the game. "It's like facing Anaheim," Jeter said after the loss. "They don't strike out." Wright can certainly look himself in the mirror today - not in the A-Rod way - before he heads back to rejoin the Mets in Florida. He leaves after a game-winning, tournament-saving hit against Puerto Rico. And with a slight toe injury that he doesn't care to discuss as much as the great time he had playing catch with Jeter before the games. That was quite the sight again Sunday, New York's two favorite players tossing a baseball and glaring impatiently at the Japanese, who were not vacating the field quite quickly enough after batting practice. "We can't go on until they're done," grumped Jeter, another guy who can never get enough baseball. Wright couldn't wait, either. He recently made a friend in Miami, Felix Perez, a veteran who grew up in North Bergen, from the 82nd Airborne Division, injured in Iraq in 2004. Their conversations provided more inspiration to play on. "Once you've seen what a couple of guys have been through that, and how much the flag means to him, obviously that inspires us," Wright said. In the end, inspiration was not enough. His team losing by four runs in the fifth, Wright came to the plate against Daisuke Matsuzaka with two runners on base and one out, a chance to get back in the game. He looked at a third strike that appeared too outside and low on the replay. Wright wasn't happy. He left for the bench complaining to Paul Emmel, the American umpire. Some things never change, whether you're playing for Fred Wilpon or Uncle Sam. A tough call can ruin an inning. It can't wreck an entire international experience, however. Wright goes back to the majors today, takes back his position at third. From his hot corner of the world, he can see a little farther. Centerfield Mar 23 2009 09:24 AM I seem to be the only one I know that's a little pissed that we didn't have a deeper pitching staff. I mean, when Oswalt gets knocked around, we don't have anyone better than Josh Grabow? Where's CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett? Or Brad Lidge? Or Cole Hamels coming in to face a lefty. metsguyinmichigan Mar 23 2009 09:29 AM If the US was taking this seriously, it wouldn't have Jeter out there. They'd have an outfielder who could field, move Dunn to DH and send lame-assed Jeter back home. metirish Mar 23 2009 09:31 AM Bondy is pissed too. Morgan talked about it last night, in fact I was taken aback a bit by his biting criticism of the USA pitching staff and who was not there. Edgy DC Mar 23 2009 09:32 AM Johnson's taking a lot of heat for not going for matchups more aggessively. In the rout that Puerto Rico laid on the US, he pretty much admitted he hung Peavy out to dry because Peavy had to get his work in. And if he's getting pressure (or outright orders) to manage that way, or to play Jeter against his own sense, you've got ask, "Why are players and fans expected to get behind this 100% when the folks fielding the team aren't?" Fman99 Mar 23 2009 09:33 AM ="Centerfield":2pc49ojt]I seem to be the only one I know that's a little pissed that we didn't have a deeper pitching staff. I mean, when Oswalt gets knocked around, we don't have anyone better than Josh Grabow? Where's CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett? Or Brad Lidge? Or Cole Hamels coming in to face a lefty.[/quote:2pc49ojt] Tim Lincecum, don't forget. Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, etc. It's part of my beef with this thing... if you're going to send the best hitters we have at least have the pitchers to match. The other teams did, we did not. Not that Roy Oswalt is a slouch, mind you. But some of these arms in the pen for team USA make me wonder. Plus, throw Jeter in the fucking can. He's old and he can't hit or field much anymore. Let him be the first base coach. Centerfield Mar 23 2009 09:37 AM That's right. Lincecum. He's the one that got me started on my tirade last night. When we had to go to Grabow in the middle innings and then they played the Lincecum video game commercial. Edgy DC Mar 23 2009 09:43 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Mar 23 2009 10:40 AM ="Fman99":1vmjnthj]="Centerfield":1vmjnthj]I seem to be the only one I know that's a little pissed that we didn't have a deeper pitching staff. I mean, when Oswalt gets knocked around, we don't have anyone better than Josh Grabow? Where's CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett? Or Brad Lidge? Or Cole Hamels coming in to face a lefty.[/quote:1vmjnthj] Tim Lincecum, don't forget. Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, etc. It's part of my beef with this thing... if you're going to send the best hitters we have at least have the pitchers to match. The other teams did, we did not.[/quote:1vmjnthj] I'm disagreeing there. Japan and Korea and Cuba may have, for all I know, but it's pretty easy to take the no-shows for Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic and assemble a better staff than the one they showed up with. G-Fafif Mar 23 2009 10:02 AM David Wright has played Major League Baseball in New York for 4-1/2 seasons. He's been to the playoffs. He's made three All-Star teams, twice as a starter. He's been on the cover of whichever video game it was, been on magazine covers, done commercials...why on earth would any professional baseball reporter think he needs Derek F. Jeter to mentor him at this stage of his career regarding baseball or how to handle attention? Even looking at it objectively, what kind of BS is that? Benjamin Grimm Mar 23 2009 11:17 AM I agree. It's just nuts. Edgy DC Mar 23 2009 11:21 AM He's the pitchman for Jae Rock Lee, and he don't need anybody to show him how that's done. Benjamin Grimm Mar 23 2009 12:03 PM ="Edgy DC":1kgsf6wz]He's the pitchman for Jae Rock Lee, and he don't need anybody to show him how that's done.[/quote:1kgsf6wz] A featured classic: http://archives.cranepoolforum.net/4000/f1_t4071.shtml Edgy DC Mar 23 2009 12:22 PM Wright passed the two-year mark without jumping on Oprah's couch. At least, you know, not on camera. Edgy DC Mar 26 2009 10:18 PM Allen Barra trying to cope with reality. Trying and failing. http://www.observer.com/2009/time-honesty-about-great-derek-jeter#comment_form dinosaur jesus Mar 26 2009 11:25 PM "Let�s go ahead and say it: no major league team has ever won a pennant with a 35-year-old shortstop." Feel free to say it, but that won't make it true. Major league teams that have won a pennant with a 35-year-old shortstop: Giants, 1905 (Bill Dahlen, 35) White Sox, 1906 (George Davis, 35) Pirates, 1909 (Honus Wagner, 35) Cardinals, 1928 (Rabbit Maranville, 36) Tigers, 1945 (Skeeter Webb, 35) Yankees, 1952 (Phil Rizzuto, 35) Yankees, 1953 (Phil Rizzuto, 36) Dodgers, 1955 (Pee Wee Reese, 36) Dodgers, 1956 (Pee Wee Reese, 37) Braves, 1999 (Walt Weiss, 35, splitting time with Ozzie Guillen, 35) Edgy DC Mar 26 2009 11:50 PM I came up with Rizzuto, Rizzuto, Wagner, and Weiss. Good job. Please send. The problem isn't so much being 35, as that 35 will force you to confront what should have been addressed years ago. You've been oversold. Thing is that he's been an excellent pleyer. G-Fafif Mar 27 2009 05:29 AM Boy, how I'd love to not see Walt Weiss on that list. ]Unfortunately, sportswriters outside New York Jeter may need a bit more. Most baseball analysts I know agree that Jeter should or could have won MVP awards in 1998, 1999, and 2006. That he didn�t probably reflects the rest of the country�s resentment that New York players receive so much national attention (or at any rate, are said to). Yes, it was all anti-New York bias, not the possibility that Juan Gonzalez, Ivan Rodriguez and Joe Mauer helped push less loaded teams over the top and got credit for their accomplishments therein. How come "baseball analysts" are absolutely brilliant and "sportswriters" are a bunch of dumb clucks? Jeter doesn't get enough appreciation from sportswriters? On what planet? Edgy DC Mar 27 2009 06:48 AM Yeah, it's mainstream bias. I've got friends from Pittsburgh and Milwaukee who believed all that intangible shit. And then I schoolded 'em. If the US won the World Baseball Classic, Jeter would have been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

i'm surprised nobody (to my knowledge) has looked at how the participants in the last WBC fared in-season vs their prior and subsequent years. i mean, there's all this hullabaloo about how the WBC simply sheds the players in it, and how its gotta be just awful for them, and how much it surely will ruin their season and the hopes of their paying fans. yet there's been no objective attempt that i've seen to prove or disprove it.

i dunno.. amanda bynes never really did anything for me... she's just too damned twig-like.

how's the cost compare to the regular price? i got a pair of left field landing (or whatever they're called) for the first saturday game off the mets site early this morning...

is brady's post-collegiate success due to him getting stronger? i mean, if he were a running back, or a linebacker, i'd consider it a bit. but in college could he not throw the long ball, and now, as a roided up pro, he can, and that's the key to his success? i doubt it. what makes brady good is that he executes consistently, and under pressure, and does not often make mistakes. also he gets lucky at times, what with fumbles being called incomplete forward passes, and the like. who knows, maybe he's taking ritalin... but i'd hardly think that his rise to success is due to steroids. ditto kurt warner. sometimes its just about honing your craft, falling into a good system, and having he right opportunities presented to you.

="Edgy DC":38sn79pe]Tickets are not yet on sale for the two previously announced exhibition games against the Red Sox, to be held on April 2 and 3.[/quote:38sn79pe] i'm really hoping i'm online for the brief instant that those tickets go on sale. i'd love to go for one of those games. i prolly don't have a good chance of getting there for opening day, but preseason tune-up baseball would be sweet. metirish Feb 23 2009 05:30 PM Today in the mail I got a ticket promotion/ schedule flyer , I think i had better try and make this college game because I doubt I'll be going during the season. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 23 2009 06:42 PM At ALL, Irish? Surely single-gamers aren't THAT cost-prohibitive? metirish Feb 23 2009 07:04 PM yeah I would hope to go to a few , how easy or hard will they be to get though? LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 23 2009 07:12 PM Face value will range from 15 or so (for the Promenade left-field stands, methinks) to... well... prohibitive. Already picked up a couple of decent early-season games (two April Tuesdays and Mother's Day) for $38-50 a pair on teh Internets (Ebay). The tickets are all Promenade Infield (sections 509 and 512), top section, between home plate and first base. If the local economy stays relatively in the shitter, it's entirely possible there will be a few decent seats for walk-ups every game. (I just like to have a few games guaranteed to plan around.) You've also got a few more hours to register on Mets.com for the Opening Day lotto. metirish Feb 23 2009 07:15 PM Thanks man , I guess there is a feeling with the new stadium that there will not be tickets to be had but there are always tickets.