Fman99

="Centerfield":drblruy8]I'm thinking now that FMan is here, we can no longer be considered elitist.[/quote:drblruy8] Should I be honored or offended? Or indifferent? I shall ponder that while I apply a balm to my sacne. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 06 2009 05:41 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Mar 06 2009 11:16 PM ="A Boy Named Seo"]Agreed that everyone's a suspect (Batch included), but that was a lame piece of writing. This part was especially douchey and unprofessional: ]When steroids became a daily subject in newspaper articles I wanted to write about Piazza�s acne-covered back. I was prepared to describe it in disgusting living color. But two or three times my editors at The New York Times would not allow it. Piazza, they said, had never been accused of using steroids so I couldn�t write about it. But wait, I said, if I write about it, I will in effect be accusing Piazza of using steroids and then someone will have accused him of using steroids. No can do, I was told. I always took the veto to stem from the Times ultra conservative ways, but I also wondered if it maybe was the baseball editor, a big Mets� fan, protecting the Mets. Get off your old Andy Rooney ass and go and do some investigative journalism if you want to turn something up. Jocks do stupid shit like writing checks for drugs, so maybe the minimal effort by Chass could pull up a nugget. Even better, he deigns Sherms' writing as generally beneath his notice, since it's in the Post. This implicit-- and unfounded-- accusation of journalistic ethics at his former employer comes a few paragraphs later. I wonder if Chass considers only his own thoughts and ideas worth reading these days. (It would help explain his feelings about modern stats: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/sports/baseball/27chass.html?_r=1&oref=login ) Edgy DC Mar 06 2009 06:16 PM I don't want to hear any more on this topic. Here's seven paragraphs on it. cooby Mar 07 2009 12:07 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":1liogtnf]Bozacne, ouch[/quote:1liogtnf] I'm cracking up here, sacne, cracne, but what is bozacne? LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 07 2009 08:36 PM ="cooby":38efsb9w]="John Cougar Lunchbucket":38efsb9w]Bozacne, ouch[/quote:38efsb9w] I'm cracking up here, sacne, cracne, but what is bozacne?[/quote:38efsb9w] As in, acne on the 'bozack.' (A corruption of 'ballsack.') /Urban dictionary'd John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 07 2009 08:38 PM See I thought bozack was just a euphamism for "junk" LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 07 2009 08:45 PM Let that knowledge be MY gift for the Lunchpail. Methead Mar 08 2009 09:26 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket"]See I thought bozack was just a euphamism for "junk" Same here. cooby Mar 08 2009 09:53 AM Now that would have been a funny topic for "The More You Know" metsguyinmichigan Mar 08 2009 01:32 PM Murray Chass is a major Yankee Hack. Part of me wonders if this is at least partially motivated as a response to the ARod mess, another Yankee with roid issues. Piazza obviously is one of the biggest stars from the team on the other side of the town, which aside from a former employee and Guillermo Mota, has not had many roid links (discovered, at least) So Piazza hasn't tested positive for anything, didn't appear in the Mitchell Report, wasn't mentioned in any Canseco book and look like an idiot appearing before Congress. He was certainly muscular, but didn't get huge like Bonds, McGwire and Sosa. So Chass, years later, uses a case of bacne to link Piazza-- the Mets' biggest star and next Hall of Famer -- to steroids. The timing and the source are just to suspicious. The New York media had time to ask Mike whether he was gay, but never asked him whether he was taking 'roids? If anyone should be criticized here, it should be Chass. Edgy DC Mar 08 2009 02:34 PM In the interest of not reading a Steve J. Rogers rant about how everybody is a hypocrite but him because he only roots for the underwear stains, I don't think the Mets look too good in the world of illegal PEDs, nor would look any better if and when the chapter is closed. Violations Leading to Suspensions: 2005: Felix Heredia 2006: Yusaku Iriki Guillermo Mota (out of only three suspensions that season) 2007: Lino Urdaneta Ex-Mets Who've Drawn Suspensions: Matt Lawton Mike Cameron Former Mets implicated in the Mitchell Report: Lenny Dykstra David Segui Josias Manzanillo Todd Hundley Mark Carreon Matt Franco Mo Vaughn Chris Donnells Todd Pratt Mike Stanton Paul Lo Duca Fernando Vina Mets and Former Mets Implicated in Criminal Investigations Subsequent to the Publication of the Mitchell Report: Paul Byrd Gary Matthews, Jr. Scott Schoeneweis Obviously, the timeline is different for everybody, but my count says that the Mets have sent 21 past-, present-, or future-drug cheats out there to play for them, to say nothing of harboring a longtime big-time supplier, and I dont think we can see our team above anybody in terms of culpability. Steve Phillips weak public declarations that he had his suspicions about certain players but somehow felt powerless to confront the issue certainly don't help. Edgy DC Mar 08 2009 02:43 PM More from the Mets in the Minors: Tim Haines Waner Mateo Kyle Suire (just reported five weeks ago) Dan Serafini Former Mets: Henry Owens smg58 Mar 08 2009 03:33 PM The Mets are as blame-ridden as every other team. The difference with the Yankees is that the Yankees have had several very high-profile current players (along with a certain former player who would have been a HOF lock otherwise) linked to steroids and HGH, while the Mets have not, and they have been subjected to more media scrutiny as a result. I don't think metsguy's assessment of Chass' motivations is necessarily off. I'm also bugged by Sherman dwelling on Piazza's draft position. He's implying that not only wouldn't Piazza have had a HOF career without steroids, he wouldn't have had ANY career. metsguyinmichigan Mar 08 2009 04:54 PM Thanks! My point: Why Piazza, and why now? Kong76 Mar 08 2009 05:06 PM Because he wasn't a Yankee. I don't doubt that Piazza indulged a little, but I also don't think he went over board with it. The whole acne on the back slant is hilarious to me ... turned off reporters but not Playboy models? Hmmm. SteveJRogers Mar 09 2009 04:47 PM ="smg58":mx3otrw5] I'm also bugged by Sherman dwelling on Piazza's draft position. He's implying that not only wouldn't Piazza have had a HOF career without steroids, he wouldn't have had ANY career.[/quote:mx3otrw5] Good point. No doubt Sherman would dismiss accusations of Don Mattingly who is at best a player you can have an argument about being in the Hall. Does Sherman question someone like Tom Brady who was the 199th pick in the NFL draft of anything other than having a "deal with the Devil?" Gwreck Mar 09 2009 08:19 PM ="SteveJRogers":1rqf1ta4]Does Sherman question someone like Tom Brady who was the 199th pick in the NFL draft of anything other than having a "deal with the Devil?"[/quote:1rqf1ta4] Apples and chimpanzees. Brady didn't come from Slippery Rock; he started for the University of Michigan and was surrounded by excellent players while with New England. SteveJRogers Mar 09 2009 08:23 PM ="Gwreck":3lqsoyct]="SteveJRogers":3lqsoyct]Does Sherman question someone like Tom Brady who was the 199th pick in the NFL draft of anything other than having a "deal with the Devil?"[/quote:3lqsoyct] Apples and chimpanzees. Brady didn't come from Slippery Rock; he started for the University of Michigan and was surrounded by excellent players while with New England.[/quote:3lqsoyct] Wasn't he Drew Henson's backup? metsguyinmichigan Mar 09 2009 11:37 PM Brady was the starter during the 1999 season, at least in the games I went to. But certainly no one thought he'd become the star that he is. In fact, after the season, my son and I spoke to him for a while as he was signing free autographs at a Grand Rapids car show. Seemed like a decent enough guy. attgig Mar 10 2009 11:29 AM it seemed like piazza starting dating in 04, to getting himself married in jan 05. maybe the steroids caused the gay gene to flare up too. and once he stopped the roids, he went straight.... metsmarathon Mar 10 2009 11:56 AM 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 Mar 10 2009 12:05 PM It's also a stretch comparing the 199th football player taken to the 1,390th baseball player. Football, using twice as many players at the NFL level, the 199th football pick would be more comparable to a mid-to-late third round pick in baseball. Certainly not the 62nd round. metirish Mar 11 2009 09:12 AM Piazza responds to acne claim in article about his duties as hitting coach. Some good stuff in here , I never knew about him possibly becoming a deacon in the Catholic Church. ] Piazza makes impact as Italy's hitting coach Mark Herrmann March 11, 2009 TORONTO There is no telling where Mike Piazza will go next. Even he does not know. As New York knows and Italy is the latest to attest, wherever it is, the place will be better for it. The greatest-hitting catcher that these eyes ever have seen is in the "What's next?" phase of his life. At 40 he is going to be a father for the second time, an author for the first time. He might go into broadcasting, he might go into the pulpit. He's going to go to Cooperstown. What else is in the cards is not set. Just bet on it being good. Figure on him being as helpful for someone as he was for the Mets and, this week, for Italy's national baseball team. As their hitting coach, he helped the country achieve its biggest win ever in baseball, beating Canada, 6-2, on Canada's own artificial turf Monday in the World Baseball Classic. No matter how seriously you take this spring training tournament, you can't deny what a moment that was for the native Italian players who wanted to feel more like pros and the American pros who wanted to feel more Italian. There was the sheer joy of seeing Chris Cooper of Pittsburgh, who pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings, make a name for himself. He recalled that when his grandfather came to Ellis Island from Italy in 1911, there was a snafu in spelling his surname, Cocchiariaro. Someone saw a nameplate of an official there and put that on the immigrant, just like in the movies. Of course, nobody involved with the team is a bigger name than Piazza. It turns out his role was much more than ceremonial. That comes from Chris Denorfia, an outfielder from Connecticut, who seized on good pregame advice in the cage from Piazza and went 4-for-4 with three doubles. "I'd watch out, guys, because he is a heck of a hitting coach," said Denorfia, who was on the Athletics' disabled list with Piazza two seasons ago. "Just having him in there as a future Hall of Famer in your ear ... . you can't help but absorb just his presence and his knowledge. "I'm sure you remember watching him play and seeing his power the other way. Just his presence at the plate, you knew you couldn't get some pitches by him. He's really helping me in that aspect, just feeling strong on every pitch." Piazza knows that hitting coaches don't win games. "I just sat there [Monday]," he said. But he has been around this team enough to know how much that win meant. "It's a tremendous lift for not only the kids here now but, hopefully, for the future of the game in Italy," he said "They know that if they play games and get practice and work against top-notch competition, they're going to get better. It's a win-win all the way around. They worked so hard, and to see their work pay off is satisfying." If anybody knows that tune, it's him. His work paid off in an amazing career and a good life that leaves him with options. He will help the Italian baseball federation, but doesn't want to be away from his wife, daughter and soon-to-be born baby in Florida. Television appeals to him, but he knows he will have to put in the time to meet his own standard and he would rather be with his family. He is working on a book that is scheduled to come out next spring training. "Stories about those crazy years with the Mets," he said. Piazza is proud of videos he did to promote his faith, www.championsoffaith.com, and he is serious about possibly becoming a deacon in the Catholic Church. What he might do for a new career is up in the air. For now, he still is identified with the last career, when he was one of the finest players of his era. He knows the era, knows his name comes up when people talk steroids. "How do you answer that?" he said, alluding to one of the so-called telltale signs. "I had acne since I was 12." How about a presumption of innocence? All I know is he was on the receiving end of a rage-filled, bat-throwing episode. I never saw Josh Gibson, I saw Yogi Berra at the very end. Piazza is the best offensive catcher this peanut stand ever watched. He gets my vote for the Hall of Fame. The Hall will be enriched by having him. Centerfield Mar 11 2009 09:19 AM Piazza's been juicing since he was 12? Edgy DC Mar 11 2009 09:31 AM I like how Hermann is so set in his position going into the article that he uses the "these eyes ever have seen" cliche. Thanks, Ned Beatty. dinosaur jesus Mar 11 2009 11:37 AM I never saw the boils on Mickey Cochrane's butt cheeks, or the blackheads on Ernie Lombardi's nose. But I saw John Stearns go 3 for 3 and steal two bases with a zit on the inside of his thigh that would have crippled an ordinary man. I saw a whitehead on Jerry Grote's forehead that got so inflamed when he squeezed it, Tug McGraw asked him if he was a Hindu, and couldn't stop laughing even when Jerry punched him out. And I saw Ron Hodges catch a doubleheader with a case of shingles you could cover a house with. But these old eyes have never seen anything like the opposite field power and back acne that Mike Piazza brought to the table every night. The drugstore in Cooperstown had better stock up on Clearasil, because Mike is moving in to stay. John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 11 2009 11:40 AM holy shit i'm dying John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 11 2009 11:41 AM ="dinosaur jesus":3a30oq09]I never saw the boils on Mickey Cochrane's butt cheeks, or the blackheads on Ernie Lombardi's nose. But I saw John Stearns go 3 for 3 and steal two bases with a zit on the inside of his thigh that would have crippled an ordinary man. I saw a whitehead on Jerry Grote's forehead that got so inflamed when he squeezed it, Tug McGraw asked him if he was a Hindu, and couldn't stop laughing even when Jerry punched him out. And I saw Ron Hodges catch a doubleheader with a case of shingles you could cover a house with. But these old eyes have never seen anything like the opposite field power and back acne that Mike Piazza brought to the table every night. The drugstore in Cooperstown had better stock up on Clearasil, because Mike is moving in to stay.[/quote:3a30oq09] dying, i tellya metirish Mar 11 2009 11:44 AM Hilarious , your going to the next round for sure. Kong76 Mar 11 2009 07:03 PM dj: I never saw the boils on Mickey Cochrane's butt cheeks, or the blackheads on Ernie Lombardi's nose. But I saw John Stearns go 3 for 3 and steal two bases with a zit on the inside of his thigh that would have crippled an ordinary man. I saw a whitehead on Jerry Grote's forehead that got so inflamed when he squeezed it, Tug McGraw asked him if he was a Hindu, and couldn't stop laughing even when Jerry punched him out. And I saw Ron Hodges catch a doubleheader with a case of shingles you could cover a house with. But these old eyes have never seen anything like the opposite field power and back acne that Mike Piazza brought to the table every night. The drugstore in Cooperstown had better stock up on Clearasil, because Mike is moving in to stay <<< Lol ... post more, read less. bmfc1 Mar 22 2009 12:38 PM http://www.murraychass.com/ Chass goes after Mike Piazza again today. Murray: If you think he took steroids, then say so. Maybe he did. Show me proof other than zits. If you do, I might believe you. If you don't, then shut the [frig] up because you come across as a bitter, old man. seawolf17 Mar 22 2009 12:49 PM ="Murray Chass":2mgd3dj2]I don�t think it�s fair to quote unnamed people about someone�s steroids or other drug use,[/quote:2mgd3dj2] but I think it's fair just to make up wild, unproven allegations based on one sighting of a medical condition that I know nothing about. I'm an elderly white man, therefore I'm imherently qualified to make medical diagnoses. MFS62 Mar 22 2009 12:57 PM ="seawolf17"] I'm an elderly white man, therefore I'm imherently qualified to make medical diagnoses. But, did you stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night? Later Edgy DC Mar 22 2009 01:10 PM Well, Chass has something more than bacne there. He has a source, by way of Pearlman. Now, I haven't read the book, but if we really wants to track down this white whale, he might do well to talk to Jefferson himself and find out where he was coming from, or go to Pearlman and ask him to help get access to those un-named sources.

The only thing worse than bacne is sacne.

="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr":2xkt8d1d]="MFS62":2xkt8d1d]If true, the Yanks will need a third baseman. How much time do you think it will be until Michael Kay suggests a trade of Robinson Cano for David Wright? Later[/quote:2xkt8d1d] There is no way that I would agree to this... unless they include Melky.[/quote:2xkt8d1d] Throw in some bats and a dead minor leaguer and you've got something! (Too soon?) Edgy DC Mar 05 2009 07:38 PM ="Benjamin Grimm":1tjm8164]More proof that the Yankees doctors are a bunch of quacks, and that they secretly enjoy when players are injured.[/quote:1tjm8164] Posto bono. Frayed Knot Mar 06 2009 06:23 AM ="metirish":39cnszoa]Rodriguez has a torn labrum in his hip but they won't do surgery , not a Doctor but it seems to me they are putting off the inevitable.[/quote:39cnszoa] Yeah the cyst has supposedly been drained, but the labrum is a bit more problematic. IIRC, the labrum is the soft tissue that cushions the interior of the ball-and-socket joint that forms the hip joint (also the shoulder) so the problem is that it's very invasive just to get to it. bmfc1 Mar 09 2009 06:57 AM If Jeter was as great as MFY fans and the media says he is, then he should play BOTH SS and 3B until Rodriguez gets back. metirish Mar 09 2009 07:02 AM Cashman said Rodriguez was "excited" about the surgery , he's probably excited about the prospect of getting a "Bob the builder" band aid to show his friends. Centerfield Mar 09 2009 07:34 AM How come his prognosis changed from being out 4 months, to now 6-9 weeks? John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 09 2009 07:39 AM Because all they are doing now is a scope -- poke a few small holes in there and shave some loose cartlilege out which should free-up his mobility some. Then after the season he goes in for the complicated stuff.

We are up to 10, which is better. We had 16 last year, here is the manager list: Team Name Manager Email Waiver Priority Moves Trades DebbieClemensFanClub islesfan74 --hidden-- 1 1 0 Droopy Ruples Jesse 8 22 2 GYC Rob 10 39 2 Gulden's Spicy Brown Jeff Hysen 15 36 0 Metlennium stevejrogersjr 7 1 2 Moistest Alou Peep Thing 5 8 0 NJ Nappy Headed Hoes mattyfitz2000 3 0 0 Nymr83 S M 9 18 1 The Hub City 9 Vic Sage --hidden-- 11 175 3 The Sheen lukemanhorn --hidden-- 4 0 0 Tipperary Mets conor c 14 45 1 Vagtastic Voyage Two-Bagger 13 22 0 Westside NewDealers mr1katz 2 2 0 marathon mets twenny6point2 12 27 0 smg58 Scott 16 94 3 willpie Will P --hidden-- 6 35 2 = League Commissioner

Nymr83 wrote: just saw this poll. 5/5 easy. "

Just noticed that my cable provider has added the HD feed of MLB Network. Very happy about that.

He should just come in with a 1980's Saints fan-style paper bag on his head and not speak at all. He could draw a happy face on it and be done.

quality start By the book, anytime a starting pitcher goes 6 innings or more and gives up 3 earned runs or less.

The amazing Casey post is the bizz-natch. I am sorry that that wasn't here when I was a newb and can hope to see it at post #3737.

="themetfairy"]Get the man some liniment, STAT! Pour me a shot of that. What do you chase linament with anyway?

I have nervous.

Jerk the ball Hitting the ball hard, often over the fence for a dinger/tater.

="DocTee"]]Fisting a Ball. Tell the truth: that's not the definition you originally wrote. I am trying to find all the best double entendre baseball terms. In fact...

="MFS62":1lqlefyi]But I betcha' no matter where you sit you'll be able to see the entire field., unlike at that other new place. Later[/quote:1lqlefyi] That is the hope. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 28 2009 07:19 PM ="MFS62":1wijvdqh]But I betcha' no matter where you sit you'll be able to see the entire field., unlike at that other new place. Later[/quote:1wijvdqh] I will take that bet (although I'll be sighing as I count my winnings): http://sectionsix.metsblog.com/blog/_archives/2009/2/19/4098371.html Gwreck Mar 04 2009 03:07 PM Games in April and May only go on sale on Sunday, March 15. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 04 2009 07:27 PM Got a couple on E-Bay for sub-Stubhub prices (41 for 2 Prom Infield Reserved against the Marlins on 4/29). Gwreck Mar 04 2009 07:33 PM For what it's worth, I have an extra pair for Tuesday, June 9 vs. the Phillies that I can't use. Promenade Reserved Infield, Section 514, Row 14. Face is 30/each; CPF discount price of $55 for anyone who wants 'em. themetfairy Mar 04 2009 07:42 PM ="Gwreck":1384nz7h]Games in April and May only go on sale on Sunday, March 15.[/quote:1384nz7h] The Ides of March.... metirish Mar 23 2009 12:32 PM Just got a voice mail form a Mets ticket office person , basically telling me that we have great tickets left for MFY , Philly and Braves games for as little as $19 , this is my number , call me. batmagadanleadoff Apr 22 2009 12:14 AM Is This Seat Taken? In Front Rows of New Ballparks, Not Yet Odd patterns have been forming inside New York�s two shiny new baseball stadiums, ones not seen in years. Clumps of empty blue and green seats are painfully obvious because many of them are in the best sections or right behind home plate, while fans are concentrated in the more remote parts of Yankee Stadium and Citi Field. After spending $2.3 billion on new stadiums packed with suites, restaurants and the latest technology, the Mets and the Yankees expected fans to embrace their new homes and pay top dollar for the privilege. Almost every team that has built a new stadium in the recent past has seen an immediate surge in attendance. Instead, the Mets and the Yankees face a public relations nightmare and possibly millions of dollars in lost revenue after failing to sell about 5,000 tickets � including some of the priciest seats � to each of their first few games after last week�s openers. The empty seats are a fresh sign that the teams might have miscalculated how much fans and corporations were willing to spend, particularly during a deep recession. Whatever the reason, the teams are scrambling to comb over their $295- to $2,625-a-seat bald spots. �I�m sure they�re thinking, �It�s just April,� � Jon Greenberg, executive editor of the Team Marketing Report, said of the lack of sellouts. �But it�s lost revenue they anticipated getting. This is the worst possible time to debut a stadium.� The teams are loath to cut prices for fear of alienating existing ticket-holders. Letting fans from other sections move to the premium seats behind home plate and above the dugouts could backfire in the same way. The price of an average premium ticket is $510 for the Yankees and $150 for the Mets. The prices of nonpremium tickets rose 76 percent this year at Yankee Stadium, which goes a long way toward offsetting losses from unsold premium seats. �But it doesn�t look good,� said Maury Brown, president of the Business of Sports Network, a research Web site. �It�s the Yankees, not the Nationals. On television, it stands out like a big sore thumb.� Hal Steinbrenner, the Yankees� general managing partner, said recently that �small amounts of our tickets might be overpriced.� Still, the teams are trying to drum up sales. The Yankees have hired Douglas Elliman Worldwide Consulting, which promotes and markets real estate projects for developers, to sell premium seats to high-end residential customers. The team has also extensively advertised the availability of the high-priced seats, and invited potential buyers to visit the Stadium at a Select-a-Seat weekend last month. Unable to sell season-ticket plans for about 100 of their best seats, the Mets have been auctioning them off one game at a time. At least one fan took the bait, paying $7,500 for two seats behind home plate on opening night. The Mets have suffered the indignity of watching a court-appointed trustee sell the two season tickets bought by Bernard L. Madoff, the financier who admitted to running a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme that counted the team�s principal owner, Fred Wilpon, as one of its victims. An auction for the seats concluded on eBay Tuesday night, with the winning bid coming in at $38,100, considerably below their face value. Neither team seemed worried that some of the premium seats � any seat that comes with an amenity, like waiter service or access to a dining club � were unfilled. Some of them could have owners who simply did not show up, which hurts food, parking and merchandise sales. Other seats may be part of partial season ticket plans that did not include games played last week. �If someone�s not there at the moment, that doesn�t mean it�s unsold,� said Dave Howard, the vice president for operations for the Mets. So far, he said, fans are spending about 60 percent more on food, beverages and merchandise than they did at Shea Stadium. �There�s a lot of circulation in the ballpark.� Many fans with tickets are trying to recoup what they can by selling some of them online well below face value. More than 10,000 tickets (about 20 percent of the ballpark) for the Yankees� game against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday were available, a handful for as little as $5, according to FanSnap.com, which scans the Web sites of five dozen ticket resellers. �More season-ticket holders than ever before are selling into the market,� said Michael Janes, FanSnap�s chief executive. �Some people need to generate cash to pay the rent.� The teams� sluggish starts on the field � including the Yankees� 22-4 loss Saturday to the Cleveland Indians � have not helped generate extra buzz. Attendance across the major leagues has dipped this season, and plenty of premium seats are empty in other ballparks. Many basketball and hockey teams have also had attendance declines. But the slow start in New York is striking considering how much the teams here spent to build and promote their parks. Like airlines that break even on economy tickets and rely on first-class travelers to turn a profit, the teams need to sell their most exclusive seats to help repay the hundreds of millions of dollars of tax-free bonds they issued to finance their new parks. The unfilled seats in New York are even more glaring compared with how robust sales have been for previous stadium openings. The Baltimore Orioles sold out 67 of their 80 home dates in 1992, when Camden Yards opened. The Cleveland Indians sold out 36 games in the strike-shortened season in 1994, and were filled to capacity 455 consecutive games from 1995 to 2001. After moving to their new park in 2001, the Houston Astros drew 3.1 million fans, 300,000 more than they ever attracted at the far larger Astrodome. The Pittsburgh Pirates, a perennial second-division team, sold 2.4 million tickets in 2001 when PNC Park opened, 700,000 more than they ever sold at Three Rivers Stadium. Mets officials say they are encouraged that they have already sold the equivalent of 25,000 full season tickets, 7 percent more than in 2008. Most of the team�s 15-game plans are sold out, and single-game ticket sales for April and May are 87 percent higher than in the same period last year. Randy Levine, the Yankees� president, said last week that attendance at the second home game was proportionately ahead of last year�s pace. Levine also said that 80 to 85 percent of the Stadium�s 4,000 premium seats had been sold for the full season. For next season, the Yankees plan to raise premium ticket prices 4 percent. Richard Sandomir contributed reporting. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/sports/baseball/22tickets.html?ref=baseball Nymr83 Apr 22 2009 06:18 AM ]The price of an average premium ticket is $510 for the Yankees and $150 for the Mets wow. i knew the yankees would be more expensive but by that much? Frayed Knot Apr 22 2009 07:39 AM A caller to Francesa's show the other day was talking about how not only are the (MFY) tickets expensive (he had good but not ridiculous tickets) but that many seats came only via a contract which locks you into those seats for two or more years with built-in price increases along the way. His point being that if the Yanx get the idea that they can sell some of the un-sold seats at reduced prices not only would they be screwing those who already bought at full price but even giving inducements via a discount for next season also screws those who bought early and are therefore already committed to to higher, not lower, prices. Fman99 Apr 22 2009 08:39 AM ="Frayed Knot":3u3rh1zk]A caller to Francesa's show the other day was talking about how not only are the (MFY) tickets expensive (he had good but not ridiculous tickets) but that many seats came only via a contract which locks you into those seats for two or more years with built-in price increases along the way. His point being that if the Yanx get the idea that they can sell some of the un-sold seats at reduced prices not only would they be screwing those who already bought at full price but even giving inducements via a discount for next season also screws those who bought early and are therefore already committed to to higher, not lower, prices.[/quote:3u3rh1zk] The important thing is that the MFY fans get screwed. batmagadanleadoff Apr 23 2009 06:29 PM Selig: Yankees, Mets to discuss prices Associated Press NEW YORK -- Baseball commissioner Bud Selig says the New York Yankees and Mets will be discussing whether to adjust their ticket prices after seeing premium seats remain empty at their new ballparks. Speaking Thursday to the Associated Press Sports Editors, Selig said it was an issue for the teams to decide, not Major League Baseball, and that he wouldn't make any recommendation. The Yankees are charging $500-$2,625 for Legends Suite tickets in 25 sections at the new Yankee Stadium in the first nine rows around the infield, an area that contains 1,895 seats. The Mets are charging an average of $175-$495 for 1,567 seats in the Delta Club, which includes 20 rows between the dugouts. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4093702 Nymr83 Apr 24 2009 06:14 AM the article makes it sound like they're going to discuss it with each other Frayed Knot Apr 24 2009 11:19 AM So if I have this straight, MLB - which has for years encouraged higher ticket prices by way of new (and often paid for by taxpapyers) stadiums with luxury boxes and "premium" seating - is going to discuss with two of its marquee franchises what can be done about the problems created by higher prices at new stadiums that were built specifically for the purpose of including larger amounts of luxury boxes and premium seating? batmagadanleadoff Apr 24 2009 08:36 PM From the AP article on tonight's Met game: ]Unlike the Yankees, the Mets' premium seats behind home plate were filled, although they have far fewer and at much lower prices. Just 34 of the 92 Delta Club Platinum seats in the first two rows were occupied in the first inning but about 80-85 percent filled by the third. The top price was $295 for the first "value" game of the season, down from $695 for the opener and $595 for the remaining games on the first homestand, which were classified "gold." At the Yankees, a majority of the 1,895 premium seats that cost $500-$2,625 were empty for the final five games of their opening six-game homestand.

="Gwreck":3qz4owfz]No word on when the single-game tickets go on-sale but my guess is either March 8 or March 22 (more likely). http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/nym/ticketing/seating_pricing.jsp[/quote:3qz4owfz] You can buy single game tickets on Stub Hub -- people who own packages and selling individual games off of them -- but there are no deals to be found. The cheapest upper deck seats for a Saturday game start at $35 or so each and that doesn't include the fees, etc. I will wait until the Mets put those single game tix on sale before I decide. Right now I think we'll be going to see the Marlins on May 30 -- the Saturday 1 PM games work the best for traveling from out of town. MFS62 Feb 28 2009 09:55 AM But I betcha' no matter where you sit you'll be able to see the entire field., unlike at that other new place. Later Fman99 Feb 28 2009 05:54 PM ="MFS62":1lqlefyi]But I betcha' no matter where you sit you'll be able to see the entire field., unlike at that other new place. Later[/quote:1lqlefyi] That is the hope. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 28 2009 07:19 PM ="MFS62":1wijvdqh]But I betcha' no matter where you sit you'll be able to see the entire field., unlike at that other new place. Later[/quote:1wijvdqh] I will take that bet (although I'll be sighing as I count my winnings): http://sectionsix.metsblog.com/blog/_archives/2009/2/19/4098371.html Gwreck Mar 04 2009 03:07 PM Games in April and May only go on sale on Sunday, March 15. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 04 2009 07:27 PM Got a couple on E-Bay for sub-Stubhub prices (41 for 2 Prom Infield Reserved against the Marlins on 4/29). Gwreck Mar 04 2009 07:33 PM For what it's worth, I have an extra pair for Tuesday, June 9 vs. the Phillies that I can't use. Promenade Reserved Infield, Section 514, Row 14. Face is 30/each; CPF discount price of $55 for anyone who wants 'em. themetfairy Mar 04 2009 07:42 PM ="Gwreck":1384nz7h]Games in April and May only go on sale on Sunday, March 15.[/quote:1384nz7h] The Ides of March.... metirish Mar 23 2009 12:32 PM Just got a voice mail form a Mets ticket office person , basically telling me that we have great tickets left for MFY , Philly and Braves games for as little as $19 , this is my number , call me. batmagadanleadoff Apr 22 2009 12:14 AM Is This Seat Taken? In Front Rows of New Ballparks, Not Yet Odd patterns have been forming inside New York�s two shiny new baseball stadiums, ones not seen in years. Clumps of empty blue and green seats are painfully obvious because many of them are in the best sections or right behind home plate, while fans are concentrated in the more remote parts of Yankee Stadium and Citi Field. After spending $2.3 billion on new stadiums packed with suites, restaurants and the latest technology, the Mets and the Yankees expected fans to embrace their new homes and pay top dollar for the privilege. Almost every team that has built a new stadium in the recent past has seen an immediate surge in attendance. Instead, the Mets and the Yankees face a public relations nightmare and possibly millions of dollars in lost revenue after failing to sell about 5,000 tickets � including some of the priciest seats � to each of their first few games after last week�s openers. The empty seats are a fresh sign that the teams might have miscalculated how much fans and corporations were willing to spend, particularly during a deep recession. Whatever the reason, the teams are scrambling to comb over their $295- to $2,625-a-seat bald spots. �I�m sure they�re thinking, �It�s just April,� � Jon Greenberg, executive editor of the Team Marketing Report, said of the lack of sellouts. �But it�s lost revenue they anticipated getting. This is the worst possible time to debut a stadium.� The teams are loath to cut prices for fear of alienating existing ticket-holders. Letting fans from other sections move to the premium seats behind home plate and above the dugouts could backfire in the same way. The price of an average premium ticket is $510 for the Yankees and $150 for the Mets. The prices of nonpremium tickets rose 76 percent this year at Yankee Stadium, which goes a long way toward offsetting losses from unsold premium seats. �But it doesn�t look good,� said Maury Brown, president of the Business of Sports Network, a research Web site. �It�s the Yankees, not the Nationals. On television, it stands out like a big sore thumb.� Hal Steinbrenner, the Yankees� general managing partner, said recently that �small amounts of our tickets might be overpriced.� Still, the teams are trying to drum up sales. The Yankees have hired Douglas Elliman Worldwide Consulting, which promotes and markets real estate projects for developers, to sell premium seats to high-end residential customers. The team has also extensively advertised the availability of the high-priced seats, and invited potential buyers to visit the Stadium at a Select-a-Seat weekend last month. Unable to sell season-ticket plans for about 100 of their best seats, the Mets have been auctioning them off one game at a time. At least one fan took the bait, paying $7,500 for two seats behind home plate on opening night. The Mets have suffered the indignity of watching a court-appointed trustee sell the two season tickets bought by Bernard L. Madoff, the financier who admitted to running a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme that counted the team�s principal owner, Fred Wilpon, as one of its victims. An auction for the seats concluded on eBay Tuesday night, with the winning bid coming in at $38,100, considerably below their face value. Neither team seemed worried that some of the premium seats � any seat that comes with an amenity, like waiter service or access to a dining club � were unfilled. Some of them could have owners who simply did not show up, which hurts food, parking and merchandise sales. Other seats may be part of partial season ticket plans that did not include games played last week. �If someone�s not there at the moment, that doesn�t mean it�s unsold,� said Dave Howard, the vice president for operations for the Mets. So far, he said, fans are spending about 60 percent more on food, beverages and merchandise than they did at Shea Stadium. �There�s a lot of circulation in the ballpark.� Many fans with tickets are trying to recoup what they can by selling some of them online well below face value. More than 10,000 tickets (about 20 percent of the ballpark) for the Yankees� game against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday were available, a handful for as little as $5, according to FanSnap.com, which scans the Web sites of five dozen ticket resellers. �More season-ticket holders than ever before are selling into the market,� said Michael Janes, FanSnap�s chief executive. �Some people need to generate cash to pay the rent.� The teams� sluggish starts on the field � including the Yankees� 22-4 loss Saturday to the Cleveland Indians � have not helped generate extra buzz. Attendance across the major leagues has dipped this season, and plenty of premium seats are empty in other ballparks. Many basketball and hockey teams have also had attendance declines. But the slow start in New York is striking considering how much the teams here spent to build and promote their parks. Like airlines that break even on economy tickets and rely on first-class travelers to turn a profit, the teams need to sell their most exclusive seats to help repay the hundreds of millions of dollars of tax-free bonds they issued to finance their new parks. The unfilled seats in New York are even more glaring compared with how robust sales have been for previous stadium openings. The Baltimore Orioles sold out 67 of their 80 home dates in 1992, when Camden Yards opened. The Cleveland Indians sold out 36 games in the strike-shortened season in 1994, and were filled to capacity 455 consecutive games from 1995 to 2001. After moving to their new park in 2001, the Houston Astros drew 3.1 million fans, 300,000 more than they ever attracted at the far larger Astrodome. The Pittsburgh Pirates, a perennial second-division team, sold 2.4 million tickets in 2001 when PNC Park opened, 700,000 more than they ever sold at Three Rivers Stadium. Mets officials say they are encouraged that they have already sold the equivalent of 25,000 full season tickets, 7 percent more than in 2008. Most of the team�s 15-game plans are sold out, and single-game ticket sales for April and May are 87 percent higher than in the same period last year. Randy Levine, the Yankees� president, said last week that attendance at the second home game was proportionately ahead of last year�s pace. Levine also said that 80 to 85 percent of the Stadium�s 4,000 premium seats had been sold for the full season. For next season, the Yankees plan to raise premium ticket prices 4 percent. Richard Sandomir contributed reporting. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/sports/baseball/22tickets.html?ref=baseball Nymr83 Apr 22 2009 06:18 AM ]The price of an average premium ticket is $510 for the Yankees and $150 for the Mets wow. i knew the yankees would be more expensive but by that much? Frayed Knot Apr 22 2009 07:39 AM A caller to Francesa's show the other day was talking about how not only are the (MFY) tickets expensive (he had good but not ridiculous tickets) but that many seats came only via a contract which locks you into those seats for two or more years with built-in price increases along the way. His point being that if the Yanx get the idea that they can sell some of the un-sold seats at reduced prices not only would they be screwing those who already bought at full price but even giving inducements via a discount for next season also screws those who bought early and are therefore already committed to to higher, not lower, prices. Fman99 Apr 22 2009 08:39 AM ="Frayed Knot":3u3rh1zk]A caller to Francesa's show the other day was talking about how not only are the (MFY) tickets expensive (he had good but not ridiculous tickets) but that many seats came only via a contract which locks you into those seats for two or more years with built-in price increases along the way. His point being that if the Yanx get the idea that they can sell some of the un-sold seats at reduced prices not only would they be screwing those who already bought at full price but even giving inducements via a discount for next season also screws those who bought early and are therefore already committed to to higher, not lower, prices.[/quote:3u3rh1zk] The important thing is that the MFY fans get screwed. batmagadanleadoff Apr 23 2009 06:29 PM Selig: Yankees, Mets to discuss prices Associated Press NEW YORK -- Baseball commissioner Bud Selig says the New York Yankees and Mets will be discussing whether to adjust their ticket prices after seeing premium seats remain empty at their new ballparks. Speaking Thursday to the Associated Press Sports Editors, Selig said it was an issue for the teams to decide, not Major League Baseball, and that he wouldn't make any recommendation. The Yankees are charging $500-$2,625 for Legends Suite tickets in 25 sections at the new Yankee Stadium in the first nine rows around the infield, an area that contains 1,895 seats. The Mets are charging an average of $175-$495 for 1,567 seats in the Delta Club, which includes 20 rows between the dugouts. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4093702 Nymr83 Apr 24 2009 06:14 AM the article makes it sound like they're going to discuss it with each other Frayed Knot Apr 24 2009 11:19 AM So if I have this straight, MLB - which has for years encouraged higher ticket prices by way of new (and often paid for by taxpapyers) stadiums with luxury boxes and "premium" seating - is going to discuss with two of its marquee franchises what can be done about the problems created by higher prices at new stadiums that were built specifically for the purpose of including larger amounts of luxury boxes and premium seating? batmagadanleadoff Apr 24 2009 08:36 PM From the AP article on tonight's Met game: ]Unlike the Yankees, the Mets' premium seats behind home plate were filled, although they have far fewer and at much lower prices. Just 34 of the 92 Delta Club Platinum seats in the first two rows were occupied in the first inning but about 80-85 percent filled by the third. The top price was $295 for the first "value" game of the season, down from $695 for the opener and $595 for the remaining games on the first homestand, which were classified "gold." At the Yankees, a majority of the 1,895 premium seats that cost $500-$2,625 were empty for the final five games of their opening six-game homestand.

="LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr":101fav9d]Something about the image of him going down to friggin' Mets camp and chatting with players only via phone from a confined booth, fiddling his Diet Coke-filled gunt, seems very fitting.[/quote:101fav9d] I like it, it's worthy of a cartoon. Alas I have no artistic talents, aside from spinning a tapestry of profanity and juvenile laughs. Now is the "gunt" refer to his gut or his ****? Or is it that fat roll above the nethers that some heftier folks have? I've also heard that referred to as the FUPA (Fat Upper Pubic Area), pronounced "foo-pah", and the AIF (Ass-in-front) which rhymes with "chafe." (ironically) Nymr83 Feb 28 2009 05:21 PM ="Iubitul":lk7phxbo]I'm hardly a prude, but that's one word that should be censored. I consider it to be the ugliest word in the English language....[/quote:lk7phxbo] Nigger? Benjamin Grimm Feb 28 2009 08:32 PM Yes? dgwphotography Mar 02 2009 11:28 AM ok - two words. The fact that that word is even in your vocabulary and not in mine says something...

Bump again. Still just seven so far. Really, short of 12 and it's just goofy.

Someone should punch him in the you know where and kick him in the you know what.

Phillies are Eaton that contract! Haw haw, try the pepper steak folks.

I wonder if Ollie would've been doing the same thing had the Mets not upped from 3/30 to 3/36.

Omar was on XM's baseball station this morning. When asked about Reyes hitting third he chuckled and then indicated that he feels Manuel is mostly just trying some things out here in February. He also revealed that in all of his conversations with Scott Boras this winter regarding Derek Lowe and Ollie that Manny's name did not come up even once in conversation. I found that interesting.

Fisting a ball -- hitting a ball off of the narrow part of the bat, near the hands/fists, usually over the infielders' heads for a single.

="metirish":xdb14yzy]I was hoping to avoid the score but that never works...[/quote:xdb14yzy] Aside from seeing the 2-0 score posted earlier in this thread I was able to avoid the final score, even doing 30 minutes at the gym in front of a TV with ESPN's ticker running. So I got to enjoy a Mets win, some homers, some opposite field hitting, sharp pitching, and all. Would've been nice if SNY hadn't left the HD cameras in Flushing. I noticed that the MFY preseason game was in HD. Cheap Mets. Gwreck Feb 26 2009 08:18 PM ="batmagadanleadoff":pywe6nca]batmags proclaims that the Mets are the team to beat![/quote:pywe6nca] Yeah, but Jerry bunted the leadoff man over in the 1st inning! soupcan Feb 27 2009 07:09 AM ="soupcan":1a14zofu]Did I hear that Big Pelf pulled a hammy today...?[/quote:1a14zofu] I guess not - nothing in the papers this morning.