seawolf17

="Randy Bush"]"It was a case of poor location � It was a case of poor location; all of his pitches wound up locating themselves in the bleachers.

I think it's advance ordering and advance showing up, so you can buy more concessions once you're there.

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":2hbc5k05]Since when are you getting Rogers' mail?[/quote:2hbc5k05] BAM! metirish Jan 28 2009 09:21 AM Aspen , Park City and Yankee fuckin stadium.....you travel in rarefied circles . soupcan Jan 28 2009 09:36 AM ="Gwreck":3m91jdgc]How'd you get on their mailing list?[/quote:3m91jdgc] No idea. It was sent to me personally care of my office so they got the address from something related to work. I'm guessing a mailing list from a catalog...? ="metirish":3m91jdgc]Aspen , Park City and Yankee fuckin stadium.....you travel in rarefied circles.[/quote:3m91jdgc] Where'd you get Aspen & Park City from..? metirish Jan 28 2009 10:05 AM It was a rather lame attempt at humour from the picture you posted of yourself that I remarked upon. Frayed Knot Jan 28 2009 10:37 AM Actions to take if you're on the Yanqui's mailing list: 1) Kill yourself 2) Do it again in case it didn't work the first time metsguyinmichigan Jan 28 2009 10:53 AM Didn't they "Own Third Place" last year? And could that over-priced dump be any uglier? Makes the Iron Triangle look like Beverly Hills. And look at the photo. Why do they have the name of the dump twice within seven feet of each other? Lame-o. G-Fafif Jan 28 2009 11:06 AM We will all sign sworn affidavits if you choose to sue the United States Postal Service.

="Centerfield":15o6noox]1984 was when I first noticed the Mets. I was just a kid, didn't know a heck of a lot, I just knew I was experiencing a new set of emotions. Things never got serious in 1984, but there was definitely interest, and the flirting was undeniable. In 1985, the flirting turned into full out dating. We were seeing each other more often. I would think about them when I wasn't with them. Unfortunately, I was too young to really appreciate how great that summer was, but I was in love for the first time. In 1986, our relationship was riding sky high. I never realized things could be so good. And I don't have to tell you what happened that October. 1987: Things just weren't the same. It was still good, but we were having trouble for the first time and we didn't really know how to handle it. In 1988, everything seemed to be getting back to normal. Lots of transgressions were forgiven, and it looked like we had passed the troubled times. Then in October, they ripped out my heart. I found love letters from some guy named Mike in LA. The next spring they traded away Lenny Dykstra, and to be honest, things were really never the same after that. There was bitterness on both sides, and we both decided to let things cool off for a while. We kept in touch during the early 90's, but by 93, we hardly saw each other at all. In '94, I heard they ran into some trouble but I was too busy seeing other hobbies to really care. I didn't see the Mets again until after college. In 1997, I heard (though I didn't watch) that they beat the Yankees in the first ever matchup between those teams, and I realized I still wished them well. In 1998, I started seeing the Mets out more and more. I heard they got Mike Piazza. They had this guy Olerud that you couldn't help but root for. Before long, I started remembering what I liked about them in the first place. Alot of the old wounds were gone. The Mets were different now. I was different now. We had both gone our own way but circled back to where we started. In 1999, it was love rediscovered. It was as great as '85 and '86. Except we were older and better able to handle adversity. '99 ended in the worst way you could imagine, but our relationship was strong. We knew were in this together for good. We've been together since then. Through thick and thin. Through Art Howe and Roberto Alomar. I had one little transgression with the 2004 Red Sox, but the Mets understood and took me back. Our's is not a perfect relationship, but it works.[/quote:15o6noox] CF=Seawolf G-Fafif Jan 28 2009 11:01 AM Mel Rojas? Edgy DC Jan 28 2009 11:10 AM Gotta be. batmagadanleadoff Jan 28 2009 11:11 AM ="G-Fafif"]Mel Rojas? Yes. Bullpen's Failures Underscore Need for Rojas By BUSTER OLNEY Published: August 11, 1997 Until he shuts a team down, until he holds a lead, Mel Rojas will be treated as the Mets' version of Hideki Irabu. Months of talk about the Mets' need for a late-inning reliever preceded Rojas's arrival to fill that crucial role. And, like Irabu, Rojas needed only one poor outing before earning long and loud jeers from the home crowd. Mets Manager Bobby Valentine said he is sure Rojas, who was the losing pitcher Saturday night in his first game for the Mets, will rebound to pitch well. Yesterday, in a sloppy 11-8 loss to the Houston Astros, the Mets learned again why they needed Rojas in the first place. The Mets, slipping three games behind the Florida Marlins in the race for the National League wild card berth, committed three errors and received seven generally awful innings from their bullpen, which allowed six runs, nine hits and six walks. Juan Acevedo allowed a homer in two innings -- before being optioned to Class AAA Norfolk -- and Cory Lidle gave up five runs in three innings. Rojas merely watched from the bullpen on the other side of the right-field fence at Shea Stadium and, in his mind, reviewed his performance Saturday night, when he gave up five runs in the ninth inning in an 8-3 defeat. Unlike the Yankees' Irabu, Rojas, who was obtained Friday in a six-player trade with the Chicago Cubs, was still in the big leagues. When he strolled into the Mets' clubhouse and began pulling on his uniform before yesterday's game, Valentine walked over and shook his hand. ''You're back,'' Valentine said, jokingly, as if the fans' unfriendly greeting Saturday night might have driven Rojas away. Given his first chance to see Rojas firsthand Saturday night, the bullpen coach Randy Niemann was impressed: big upper body, long arms, good fastball, great split-fingered fastball. Rojas retired the Astros in order in the eighth inning. But Bob Apodaca, the pitching coach, had the same concerns about Rojas as he did about Pete Harnisch last week: that he might get a little too excited and try too hard. Harnisch handled his emotions in pitching six solid innings; Rojas did not, Apodaca thought. ''The trouble wasn't mechanical,'' Apodaca said. ''He was up for the game. He's with a new team, trying to do too much. It's not that uncommon, and it's something that you have to guard against. He was trying to impress, and that's human nature.'' Rojas said he felt comfortable in his first inning. ''And then I lost my concentration,'' he admitted. Apodaca chatted with Rojas about this briefly yesterday, though he felt his advice was almost unnecessary. ''He's aware of it,'' Apodaca said. ''He's a veteran.'' Important to the Mets' hopes for the playoffs, Rojas is bearing a great deal of pressure. Like Irabu. The bullpen was pivotal again yesterday in a game the Mets never led. The Astros pounded Mets starter Rick Reed -- who had been wearing an electrical stimulation apparatus on his right biceps and forearm in recent days and seems to be going through a dead-arm period -- for five runs in the first inning before Reed was taken out for a pinch-hitter in the second. Fighting back against the Houston right-hander Darryl Kile and his vicious curveball, the Mets scored three runs in the second inning and reduced the lead to 5-4 in the third inning on John Olerud's first homer since July 16. Acevedo and Lidle surrendered six runs over the next four innings; Houston's lead was 11-4. Olerud hit his second homer as part of a four-run rally in the seventh. The Mets had a couple of more chances, but all in all, it was the sort of game which, after the first inning, they never really gave themselves a chance to win. ''A real sloppy game, there's no doubt about it,'' Valentine said. INSIDE PITCH Before yesterday's game, CARL EVERETT visited his children SHAWNA, 5, and CARL, 4, who are in the custody of the city child welfare agency because of allegations of child abuse against Everett. A fact-finding hearing in Family Court is scheduled for today. . . . After the game, BOBBY VALENTINE and the Houston hitting coach, TOM McCRAW, engaged in a brief and heated argument over a comment one allegedly made about the other. ''It's dead,'' McCraw said, declining to elaborate. McCraw used to be the hitting coach for the Mets, until Valentine became manager. . . . BERNARD GILKEY's last hit came on July 30. He has no hits in his last 22 at-bats and his average has shriveled to .210. Ashie62 Jan 28 2009 11:17 AM Yup Rojas 4.58 Mill I was 14 and the 1973 Mets were big for me...Transistor radio every night in September checking out of towns Watched one playoff game against the Red in my orthodontists chair 83-84 Were fun in that I could see the light at the end of tunnel and the gathering of real talent..It was exciting! John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 28 2009 11:17 AM ]After the game, BOBBY VALENTINE and the Houston hitting coach, TOM McCRAW, engaged in a brief and heated argument over a comment one allegedly made about the other. ''It's dead,'' McCraw said, declining to elaborate. McCraw used to be the hitting coach for the Mets, until Valentine became manager Love this stuff. Bobby fought with everyone back in 97 G-Fafif Jan 28 2009 11:20 AM I was at that game, a birthday present to a friend who was born on August 10, fittingly enough. The Mets gave away, besides eleven runs, the strangest of premiums: a Miller Lite can belt, adults only. It fit three cans of beer (beer not included) inside it and you could strap it around your waist, lest you forget where you put 75% of your four-pack. They actually ran out of them and provided rainchecks. My friend was late in showing up, so I picked his up for him on the final day of the season. I think it was the following year the Mets instituted "first 25,000" and such, as ordering up extra Miller Lite can belts must have struck somebody in promotions as something less than the best use of resources. Edgy DC Jan 28 2009 11:29 AM I never understood the limited resources angle, unless it's to encourage advance ordering. Aren't the giveaways 100% underwritten by the sponsor, and doesn't the sponsor want 100% of the fans adorned in their crap? Or is it all about Ralph Kiner saying their name during the broadcast? batmagadanleadoff Jan 28 2009 11:32 AM ="Edgy DC":342gxm8d]I never understood the limited resources angle ....?[/quote:342gxm8d] I'm still trying to figure out this beer-belt thing. G-Fafif Jan 28 2009 11:33 AM They used to, I gather, order enough to satisfy what they believed the crowd would be. Then along would come a game where the sale outpaced the forecast and it was raincheck time. The "first 25,000" bit took care of that. I'd have to delve into yearbooks and pocket schedule archives to figure out when these things began to become routinely sponsored. In ye olde days, Batting Helmet Day was just Batting Helmet Day, not Investors Consolidated Batting Helmet Day. I remember reading an article about sponsored giveaways in the WSJ a long time ago that said even something that seemed kinda ritzy (like a transistor radio that the MFYs gave out) was pretty cheap and the sponsor picked up the cost. seawolf17 Jan 28 2009 11:34 AM I think it's advance ordering and advance showing up, so you can buy more concessions once you're there. G-Fafif Jan 28 2009 11:36 AM ="batmagadanleadoff":3h29wbsh]I'm still trying to figure out this beer-belt thing.[/quote:3h29wbsh] It may have been more of a flexible tube than a belt. It was white and canvassy, Lite logo on one side, Mets script on the other. And it had a zipper. I've yet to figure its real world utility. When offered a beer, is it like, "No thanks, brought my own!"? Edgy DC Jan 28 2009 11:40 AM I'm guessing 83-88 as when spornsorship of giveaway days took over. Around that time that every Sunday became a giveaway day. I got a Mets sports bag around 83 that was really a cheap Glad logoed thingie. Tee shirt day around 1985 was a fugly v-neck with "Mets" in script on the left breast and "All-Channel Satellite" in print on the right. Since satellite dishes were prohibitively expensive then, I imagine if the promotion netted three or four sales, they covered their nut. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 28 2009 11:44 AM Gotta love the SI Vault: July 18, 1977 ] Beer Is Out, Halters In Larry Keith Take me out to the ball game, Take me out to the crowd. Give me some jackets and baseball caps, Free photo albums and sweatbands and bats. Yes, it's step right up for the freebies. If they run out it's a shame. For it's one, two, three giveaways At the new ball game. There was a time when the only pleasures baseball offered were its modest own. Dodgers vs. Reds, Yankees vs. Red Sox. It was all in the game itself. In recent years, though, baseball has decided that the marketplace demands more than hits, runs and errors. Management feels compelled to give you something else. It wants you to leave the stadium with a smile on your face, a song in your heart and a souvenir sweatband on your wrist. Baseball promotions are a means of winning at the gate even if the home team is losing on the field. At times they have all the taste and sophistication of a TV game show. But whether what is offered is a free gift or a cheap thrill, promotions are good business. The payoff comes in increased revenues from attendance, concessions and parking, plus thousands of people walking around town showing off the team logo. "Financially speaking, we just about have to have giveaway days if we're going to make it," says Baltimore Promotions Director Don Shaver. Bill Veeck's Chicago White Sox had 25 promotion or giveaway dates last season. Business Manager Rudie Schaffer says, "The thing you're trying to accomplish is to bring a fresh person into the ball park. Once you get him there, you give him a good show." Most teams enjoy the benefits of giveaway days without having to pay the full cost of the items they are handing out. Because 25,000 bats and jackets at 75? and $1.50 each add up, the expense is often shared by local cosponsors. Businesses also participate by buying up blocks of tickets for their employees. Boeing Aircraft set a major league group-sales record this year by purchasing 65,432 tickets for Seattle's two-game Boeing Weekend. The key to a successful promotion is to turn a profit even while giving something away. Philadelphia was outsmarted a few years ago when cagey Little Leaguers entered Veterans Stadium for the kids' cut-rate 50?, collected a jacket, went outside, returned with another four-bit ticket, collected another jacket, went outside.... "They were starting their own sporting goods store," says the Phillies' executive vice-president. Bill Giles. "Our policy now is that kids have to pay a normal $2.25 for a ticket on special promotion days." But at that price, a ball club better deliver. A team caught short of advertised items usually hands out IOUs. In many ball parks, you have to be 14 or under to get, say, a free jacket. In Kansas City members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes make the age decisions. No team is foolish enough to give sticky chewing gum to the masses, and most take special precautions when handing out bats to kids and beer to adults. Three years ago, a sudsed-up crowd in Cleveland stormed onto the field during a game with Texas, forcing a forfeit, only the eighth in major league history. But it is the Rangers, not the Indians, who have plugged up the keg. Texas discontinued its beer promotions at the request of the Arlington city fathers, who objected to fights in the stands and automobile accidents around the park after the game. The Dodgers do not give away bats because they noticed that constant pounding on the cement stands was creating a potential "structural problem." Montreal discontinued Bat Day after incidents in 1969 and 1974. The first involved empty-handed (and headed) customers who tried to overturn the depleted supply truck. Five years later bat swingers took aim at the windshields of parked cars. Local custom and interest dictate the nature of some promotions. Toronto and Montreal hand out ski caps. Cincinnati schedules a Farmers' Night (farmer/Pitcher Woodie Fryman is favored to win this year's cow-milking contest) and Texas has a combination Farm and Ranch Night. The egg-throwing contest is a messy highlight of both events. Houston attracts thousands for its Louisiana Weekend, which includes a gumbo-cooking contest. On Texas Weekend the featured events are beer-can crushing and cow-chip throwing. Philadelphia and Atlanta lead the majors in all-round originality and sophomoric high jinks. The Phillies set the mood on Opening Day when someone arrives by kite, parachute or cannon to throw out the first ball. Fans cannot wait for Halter Top Night on Aug. 19 when halters will be given away. "If they can fill 'em. they can have 'em." reports SI Correspondent Charlie Frush. Each halter will sport the slogan of the cosponsor Tastykake: ALL THE GOOD THINGS WRAPPED UP IN ONE. Slightly more sophisticated is Music Night, when anyone bringing a musical instrument can join in the playing of Take Me Out to the Ball Game and will receive a certificate authenticating his or her performance in the "world's largest orchestra." Atlanta schedules a promotion of some sort for every game. On Wedlock and Headlock Day 15 couples will be married at home plate before the game, and five professional wrestling matches will take place afterward. The Braves have already held their version of Ladies Night, in which every woman received a cigar (You've come a long way, baby, since the first Ladies Day in 1876). The big winner in the team's $25,000 cash scramble picked up $4,000 in 90 seconds of scurrying after bills scattered all over the field. Which proved once again that in baseball, promotion really does pay. Frayed Knot Jan 28 2009 01:53 PM I remember when Imus used to say that 'Hand-gun Night' was coming up a Yankee Stadium. All those over 15 got a freebie but only if accompanied by their parole officer. Funny how give-away promotions have increased during a time when stadiums are closer to their capacity than ever in many cases, theoretically making the need for a come-on less necessary. Benjamin Grimm Jan 28 2009 01:55 PM It's probably less about filling empty seats than it is about promoting the sponsor. Frayed Knot Jan 28 2009 02:13 PM Egg-zactly In the old days it was about selling tickets so they figured that having them too often would spoil the novelty and fans would no longer plan their ticket buying around them. Now they don't need them to fill seats so it's all about making money via the underwriting. They'd probably have them 81 times a year if they could find enough gizmos and sponsors. Ashie62 Jan 28 2009 02:46 PM I've still got my blond Ron Swoboda model Bat Day Bat from a late sixties promo where they ask everyone to wave their bats at the same time. Quite a sight! batmagadanleadoff Jan 28 2009 03:27 PM ="G-Fafif":s111v9tq]="batmagadanleadoff":s111v9tq]I'm still trying to figure out this beer-belt thing.[/quote:s111v9tq] It may have been more of a flexible tube than a belt....[/quote:s111v9tq] I was about to question the whole wholesomeness of that promotion, especially given Baseball's traditional connection with children of all ages. But then I remembered the huge Budweiser ads that have been swallowing up Shea's scoreboard for the past 20 years or so. Maybe the Mets'll give one of those away for borscht in 2009.

The guy's a meathead. I can't imagine there being anything with any validity in his book.

="Kong76":2mpdu8tr]How did Harry Parker land at #130 on our all time 500 Mets list?[/quote:2mpdu8tr] I was actually wondering the same thing. I'm using that list for my Mets autograph collection, and he's one of the few Top 200 guys I still need... and I don't think I've ever even heard of him. SteveJRogers Jan 27 2009 07:56 PM ="Kong76":3kheizku] How did Harry Parker land at #130 on our all time 500 Mets list?[/quote:3kheizku] Because the Mets have had a lot more crappy players and Parker lasted long enough to be considered a "decent piece of crap" or something? SteveJRogers Jan 27 2009 07:57 PM Speaking of which, Butch Huskey in the Top 100? But hey, I guess that is what you get when you create a system that rewards the here and now over the whole picture of a Metly career. Kong76 Jan 27 2009 08:07 PM A lot of work went into the rankings, and it's not perfect ... I threw out Harry because looking at who I need to get pics of and when I see him at 130 I scratched my head. I don't really understand the what you mean by rewarding the here and now over the whole picture or whatever. But whatever. SteveJRogers Jan 27 2009 08:22 PM ="Kong76":3gb03sli]A lot of work went into the rankings, and it's not perfect ... I threw out Harry because looking at who I need to get pics of and when I see him at 130 I scratched my head. I don't really understand the what you mean by rewarding the here and now over the whole picture or whatever. But whatever.[/quote:3gb03sli] I know Kase. What I was going was that the position for a given year hold for that player, they can not move down on their own merit, they can only go up on their merit. To use, eh, Doc Gooden as an example. He built enough of a lead off of his first few seasons that despite his fall off starting roughly in 1987 that he would never falter from his lofty place in Met-dom. Oh sure he eventually put up numbers that make his place on our rankings warranted, but if a Met historian was going through the totality of Met history, Doc could concievably rank third, fourth or even fifth among all time Met hurlers (eh, only Koosman off hand do I see even being considered to be placed higher but you never know with some Sabermetricians or anyone really). Frayed Knot Jan 27 2009 09:09 PM ="SteveJRogers"]I guess that is what you get when you create a system that rewards the here and now over the whole picture of a Metly career. Actually the system specifically takes into account the "whole picture of a Metly career" so I don't know WTF you're talking about. And, no, I don't want an explanation because I don't think you do either so a follow up will probably just make us both more confused. Rockin' Doc Jan 27 2009 09:24 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 28 2009 11:19 AM Sometimes when I read Steve's posts, I think he's typing in tongues. Edgy DC Jan 28 2009 07:03 AM ="SteveJRogers":3k37b4p7]Oh sure he eventually put up numbers that make his place on our rankings warranted, but if a Met historian was going through the totality of Met history, Doc could concievably rank third, fourth or even fifth among all time Met hurlers (eh, only Koosman off hand do I see even being considered to be placed higher but you never know with some Sabermetricians or anyone really).[/quote:3k37b4p7] That's true. You never know with anyone. ? Benjamin Grimm Jan 28 2009 02:04 PM What's funny to me is that when the banner has a photo of someone who played for the Mets 30 to 35 years ago, I recognize him every time. But when it's someone from the last ten to fifteen years, I often don't know for sure who it is. cooby Jan 28 2009 06:25 PM god, I'm glad somebody else said that first. Edgy DC Jan 28 2009 06:29 PM ="cooby":nushvdsi]god, I'm glad somebody else said that first.[/quote:nushvdsi] I'm glad somebody else said that second. Of course, you and I don't have a database of these mugs. SteveJRogers Jan 28 2009 07:19 PM ="Edgy DC":3lhjvaqr]="SteveJRogers":3lhjvaqr]Oh sure he eventually put up numbers that make his place on our rankings warranted, but if a Met historian was going through the totality of Met history, Doc could concievably rank third, fourth or even fifth among all time Met hurlers (eh, only Koosman off hand do I see even being considered to be placed higher but you never know with some Sabermetricians or anyone really).[/quote:3lhjvaqr] That's true. You never know with anyone. ?[/quote:3lhjvaqr] I should really cut out the incoherent part of my ramblings huh? You never know what someone is going to do when justifying reasons for putting Dwight Gooden lower than 2nd on a list of all-time Metly hurlers. Maybe Matlack's and Darling's postseason successes could make someone chose them over Gooden. I wouldn't, but I can see that case being made. Kong76 Jan 28 2009 07:43 PM SJI: I should really cut out the incoherent part of my ramblings huh? <<< I utter this to myself often, but I ramble on. Don't change, Steve ... the only person you can be is you. SteveJRogers Jan 31 2009 06:32 PM Kase, why am I looking at Sidd Fynch? It is not April 1st yet. Well, just asking in case there is a reason beyond "random generator." Kong76 Jan 31 2009 07:08 PM Super Bowl Sunday silliness. metsguyinmichigan Feb 01 2009 08:40 PM Brilliant! metirish Feb 02 2009 06:47 AM One of the best stories ever told.....love it. Frayed Knot Feb 02 2009 07:37 AM We could definitely use Finch in our rotation this year but he's recently hired Boras as his agent and now there are rumors of a secret monastery in the bidding for his services. Kong76 Feb 02 2009 03:49 PM Going over my lists, I think I messed up a few things ... First, I think I did Eddie Murray twice. This is Dick Selma, right? Frisella and Heilman remain from the top 100 as undone. I did Charlie Neal twice too? I better not quit my day job. Edgy DC Feb 03 2009 07:20 AM Neal's intensity is worth a double dose, though. He looks part Comanche. batmagadanleadoff Feb 03 2009 05:23 PM Neal's batting helmet is flocked. Kong76 Feb 03 2009 06:10 PM It is kind of an odd picture. It's cropped from a photo in Tales from the 1962 New York Mets, by Janet Paskin, and the photo credit is Getty Images. Edgy DC Feb 04 2009 07:01 AM Getty was born in the nineties. Funny to see them distributing pictures of the early Mets, but I guess they've been buying up old libraries. They're a great business model for the nu economy, by the way. themetfairy Feb 27 2009 06:38 PM themetfairy Mar 02 2009 04:22 PM David Weathers? Kong76 Mar 03 2009 12:35 PM Formality of doing all top 200 ... I got rid of him quick :-) Benjamin Grimm Mar 03 2009 12:38 PM Didn't we once calculate that it will take something like 60,000 years for Tom Seaver to fall out of the top 500? I wonder how long it would take for David Weathers to fall out of the top 200? themetfairy Mar 03 2009 06:44 PM ="Kong76":2bnhmr7e]Formality of doing all top 200 ... I got rid of him quick :-)[/quote:2bnhmr7e] It wasn't a complaint. Weathers was actually nice to the kids before a game in Kansas City (shortly before he was traded). I was just trying to identify the photo. Kong76 Mar 04 2009 04:45 AM I didn't think you were complaining. seawolf17 Mar 25 2009 03:09 PM Is that my homeboy, Pistol Pete Harnisch? Kong76 Mar 25 2009 03:43 PM Yup �, from a 1995 program ... soupcan Mar 27 2009 07:36 AM Crazy Pete! SteveJRogers Mar 28 2009 09:34 AM Nicely done! Benjamin Grimm Apr 03 2009 02:06 PM Ray Knight looks like he's squeezing out a fart. metirish Apr 03 2009 02:29 PM Looks a bit like Kevin Appier when I first took notice , Appier featured that stance quite a bit too IIRC. TransMonk Apr 07 2009 03:49 PM Never bitched before, but the banner reads: Everybody in the pool! Joining us for off-season hot stove discussion is easy. Shoot us an email introducing yourself and letting us know what user name you'd like to use. An admin will activate your user name asap, and send you sign-on instructions. Thanks for visiting! Time to update for 2009! Kong76 Apr 07 2009 04:00 PM Thanks for the nudge, I was dosing again. TransMonk Apr 08 2009 09:26 AM As always, the admins do a great job with this site. MFS62 Apr 08 2009 10:07 AM ="TransMonk":34eve5h6]As always, the admins do a great job with this site.[/quote:34eve5h6] Except when they ignore my fervent plea for help. Later Kong76 Apr 08 2009 05:17 PM Trying to make my numbers add up. This was Jeff Reardon, right? ... Kong76 Apr 08 2009 05:28 PM 142 doesn't show up with my chicken scratch list either. Dick Selma? I'm just being lazy, I'll figure it out if no one chimes in. SteveJRogers Apr 12 2009 07:00 PM Whats with the Announcer Troika? Not that I'm complaining of course. Edgy DC Apr 12 2009 07:26 PM Seems self-explanatory. Met Hunter Apr 12 2009 11:34 PM ="Kong76"]Trying to make my numbers add up. This was Jeff Reardon, right? ... This one looks like Neil Allen. Met Hunter Apr 12 2009 11:34 PM ="Kong76"]142 doesn't show up with my chicken scratch list either. Dick Selma? I'm just being lazy, I'll figure it out if no one chimes in. This is Larry Bearnarth. Kong76 Apr 15 2009 06:33 PM Thanks, MH ... I've been busy and haven't been able to look at this much. SteveJRogers Apr 20 2009 06:26 PM So the player's name is going to be linked in the banner going forward, or is this just a random "hey it's Cliff, why not" sort of thing? Kong76 Apr 20 2009 07:19 PM Started with D.J. Dozier over the weekend, no one noticed. Top 200 Mets thing died with ~ 15 left ... the CPF contract with the Ramones has expired too ... everyone hates the new stadium ... David Wright can only hit when no one is on base ... if it weren't for Johan I'd just pull the plug. Random Mets from here on in until further notice. Rockin' Doc Apr 20 2009 07:39 PM Bang! Pow! Cliff Floyd is one of my all-time favorite Mets. Nice to see him making an appearance around the 'pool once again. Edgy DC Apr 20 2009 08:19 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Apr 20 2009 10:35 PM The Crane Pool Forum has appreciated their relationship over the years with the Ramones, but after recent meetings with Marky, Tommy, and CJ, all agreed that it was best for both parties to go in seperate directions. We wish the Ramones well and hope for opportunities to work together in the future. In the meantime, the Crane Pool Forum is very excited about the new era of linking our introduction statement to our banner, to help people understand who exactly we're looking at. In an age of names which honor corporate relationships trumping names that are meaningful to the fan's and the city's relationship with the team, we feel confident in making a countercultural choice, and hope the fans will be excited to see us zag as other fora continue to zig. Frayed Knot Apr 20 2009 09:14 PM ]Started with D.J. Dozier over the weekend, no one noticed. I did. Elster88 Apr 20 2009 11:43 PM I noticed. I like it. Met Hunter Apr 21 2009 10:00 AM I like to try guessing. I recognized DJ before I saw the name. Now I will just guess without looking to the right. Edgy DC Apr 21 2009 11:34 AM That looks like the photo that produced the BANG! POW! image, but that one had him in the orange jersey. G-Fafif Apr 21 2009 12:04 PM Love the Player ID program. Great touch. The Ramones can go their own way. Or is that Fleetwood Mac? Fman99 Apr 21 2009 12:16 PM ="Elster88":wx56um7b]I noticed. I like it.[/quote:wx56um7b] Ditto. I didn't notice it with Dozier but I did today with Floyd. Even better for us younger sorts, who don't instantly recognize the 1960s-1970s era Mets just by head shots. SteveJRogers Apr 22 2009 06:09 PM Give it up for David Wright's agent! Met Hunter Apr 22 2009 06:59 PM Man, I can still remember when Keith was that thin. Elster88 Apr 28 2009 10:04 PM Looks like the banner has "click here" instead of the player's name. Is that intentional? Kong76 Apr 29 2009 04:24 PM I never know if Elster is serious. But, if you click on "click here" it will bring you to the UMDB page of the player pictured. I figured when I was putting the name some people were disappointed because they liked to guess so click here fixes that. Farmer Ted May 04 2009 03:04 PM I like it. I like it a lot. metsmarathon May 04 2009 03:22 PM ]Intelligent, lively, and provocative discussion of the Mets, Ed Kranepool, and, when we're gettin' on a roll, this guy! Kong76 May 04 2009 04:43 PM Thanks, that flows better. batmagadanleadoff May 05 2009 04:22 PM Thurman Munson? Rockin' Doc May 05 2009 06:05 PM Damn, I never knew Gorman Thomas played for the Mets. G-Fafif May 09 2009 07:05 AM Bill Denehy's all right, but I really love that view beyond the 358 sign. metirish May 11 2009 01:16 PM I liked Rick White.....was it Kiner or Healy that would always mess his name up? I remember Rick being big for us in 2000 , always seemed to be in trouble though. Fman99 May 11 2009 02:17 PM ="metirish":1aprm4tv]I liked Rick White.....was it Kiner or Healy that would always mess his name up? I remember Rick being big for us in 2000 , always seemed to be in trouble though.[/quote:1aprm4tv] I attended the game[/url:1aprm4tv] that he debuted as a Met in, in 2000, that was also Mike (A-)Bordick's debut game in which he homered. Rick picked up the win in relief of Rick Reed that day. seawolf17 May 11 2009 06:47 PM ="metirish":2d0fy8i4]I liked Rick White.....was it Kiner or Healy that would always mess his name up? I remember Rick being big for us in 2000 , always seemed to be in trouble though.[/quote:2d0fy8i4] You mean "Rick Wheat"? G-Fafif May 11 2009 09:23 PM It was Fran: "Shea will be ricking for Rock White!" I have yet to miss Fran Healy. cooby May 12 2009 06:56 PM I will miss Fran Healy until my bones are dust in the wind.... Who is that now? Rockin' Doc May 12 2009 07:11 PM Robotic Danny Heep! cooby May 12 2009 07:12 PM Izzit? I remember him... Edgy DC May 13 2009 07:34 AM Looking at Heep here, I realize I have a mostly irrational hatred of shaving down the knob at the end of the bat and wrapping one's lower hands around the shaven knob. (grumpy old man)Your hands belong above the knob.(/grumpy) (I'm also not particular to when guys have dimples hollowed out at the end of their bats. (I think Wally Backman was the first guy I noticed with such a bat, but it probably pre-dates him by at least a decade..) Benjamin Grimm May 13 2009 08:12 AM "wrapping one's hands around the shaven knob" That definitely calls for a response from Fman. metsmarathon May 13 2009 08:23 AM i would've expected the knob never to need shaving... MFS62 May 15 2009 07:51 AM I'm seeing the dreaded red x in the box instead of a picture on this morning's banner. EDIT: Never mind, the picture just found its way in there. Later metirish May 19 2009 05:31 PM Castillo looks a bit like Ortiz , yes/no? Edgy DC May 21 2009 04:20 PM Mike Cubbage and his magic leviation glasses. Swan Swan H May 21 2009 05:09 PM See the ball, hit the ball. Met Hunter May 22 2009 06:11 AM Last summer my daughter had a soccer tourney in Va Beach. The last day there, a bunch of us happened upon a Tides game in Norfolk. I noticed Cubbage sitting behind us in a Rays hat and a clipboard. He's a scout. He was so noticeable to me. Between innings we said hello and he was nice as can be. cooby Jun 04 2009 08:16 PM Is that "Sweetness" Luis Lopez? Kong76 Jun 04 2009 08:26 PM Click on the the 'this guy' link and find out each and every time the picture changes! cooby Jun 04 2009 08:28 PM Cool! I thought it still was about the Ramones Kong76 Jun 04 2009 08:34 PM She continues the friend or foe game. Benjamin Grimm Jun 05 2009 06:48 AM ="Kong76":29zavirn]Click on the the 'this guy' link and find out each and every time the picture changes![/quote:29zavirn] I love the addition of the "this guy" link. It's very helpful, since I recognize very few of the players that appeared in 1990 or after. Frayed Knot Jun 05 2009 08:13 PM It's Luis Lopez, but is it 'Super Luis Lopez Ultra'? cooby Jun 06 2009 10:30 AM ="Kong76":15bfr057]She continues the friend or foe game.[/quote:15bfr057] Now Kasey, don't take that the wrong way. It's kind of like the front door to your house. You don't notice all the squished bugs and spider webs and hand prints and stuff on it until after somebody has stopped by and suddenly you realize that you don't even really look at your front door anymore. I know you won't know what I'm talking about. Edgy DC Jun 06 2009 02:23 PM ="Frayed Knot":1q2hkxgb]It's Luis Lopez, but is it 'Super Luis Lopez Ultra'?[/quote:1q2hkxgb] I prefer Luis "Left Eye" Lopez. metirish Jun 06 2009 02:49 PM ="Benjamin Grimm":33ihq0he]="Kong76":33ihq0he]Click on the the 'this guy' link and find out each and every time the picture changes![/quote:33ihq0he] I love the addition of the "this guy" link. It's very helpful, since I recognize very few of the players that appeared in 1990 or after.[/quote:33ihq0he] Me too , never noticed it before. Kong76 Jun 06 2009 03:35 PM coo: I know you won't know what I'm talking about <<< I don't even know what I'm talking about some days. Hopefully if there are more people who didn't realize that was a link, they will read this thread and utilize it. cooby Jun 07 2009 11:12 AM What i kinda meant was you can look at your own front door over and over again and not really see it cooby Jun 14 2009 09:23 AM at last! Kong76 Jun 27 2009 07:02 AM I guess the joke's on me! I posted an invitation on the "this guy" up top (to see if anyone really clicks there) and see if I got any bites. I get one PM from the coobster that his name is Julio and eats iguannas which is where I my brain was going with it but I didn't remember he spent time in the clink for murder?? ---------- Wikipedia: Julio Machado, born Julio Segundo Machado Rond�n (December 1, 1965 in Zulia State, Venezuela) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher who played for the New York Mets (1989-90) and Milwaukee Brewers (1990-91). Machado started his career with the Mets. In the 1990 season, he went to the Brewers in a four-player deal, along with pitcher Kevin Brown, in exchange for catcher Charlie O'Brien and a minor league player. Machado had a decent fastball, good control and willingness to challenge hitters. He also pitched a better-than-average curveball and a slider. Machado was certainly good enough to pitch for a few more years. However, he is a footnote in the ledger of baseball history. Spending the 1991 off-season in his homeland, Machado was arrested for murder being accused of shooting a woman following an auto accident. He was convicted and, following appeals, he was sentenced to 12 years in 1996. In a three-year career, Machado posted a 7-5 record with 151 strikeouts and a 3.12 ERA in 147 innings. Machado went on to play in the Venezuelan winter league and currently coaches in that league. Machado was nicknamed "Iguanaman" for his fondness of eating the meat of iguanas. ---------- Next time our paths cross, coobs ... I owe you a beer! Edgy DC Jun 27 2009 01:08 PM I conflate Julio Machado and Jose Bautista. Benjamin Grimm Jun 27 2009 01:10 PM My newest conflation is Elmer Dessens and Casey Fossum. seawolf17 Jun 27 2009 05:39 PM I loved Julio Machado. Unquestionably in the bullpen of my All-Time Mets 25-Man Roster. Frayed Knot Jul 15 2009 05:32 PM That's either Roy McMillan or Harry Truman

Two, actually: 8/26/2006, Pedro Martinez (NYM), 4 K, 1 BB against the Reds 8/29/2009, Jake Peavy (NYM), 8 K, 7 BB against the Astros I signed Peavy as a FA after the 2007 season; he pitched eleven and a half seasons, winning a Cy Young in 2009 (20-6, 2.70, 235 Ks in 220 IP) before falling apart in 2019. The Yankees claimed him off waivers, but he was awful that season (2-8, 6.39 in 18 starts). I signed him that offseason to a minor league deal, but the magic was gone, and I released him in June after he started the season 2-8, 8.94 in AAA.

But seriously... were the Mets better than nudity? No. Better than the Stooges, certainly, but not nudity.

The blonde woman holding the baby is cute.

Stan Jefferson and Terry Blocker. Blocker was the one who crashed into Mookie Wilson, right? Jefferson was the one who was dealt for Kevin McReynolds?

Looking at ESPN's top 25 prospects today -- #8 is Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner, accompanied by an unfortunate photo: I don't know if it's just that the guy is hideously ugly, but here's the only photo Topps has used on his baseball cards to date: Bad. Worse is that even that's a Photoshop job -- here's the original photo: At least Donruss decided to use a different photo... but that's Photoshopped from a photo taken a half-second after the one Topps used! Poor guy.

Never liked him.

="Edgy DC":1fm2wzit]Here we go, apple and hat as viewed from a restaurant in leftfield, apparently affordable to only a half dozen fans. Even sadder is the empty left field seats in what appears to be the bottom of the ninth with the Mets up, I think 10-6.[/quote:1fm2wzit] Maybe that's a post-game shot. If they've played the top of the ninth -- as evidenced by the 0 on the scoreboard -- then maybe the place has already cleared out. Nice to see they're playing some sort of old Shea highlight video on the jumbotron, though. Maybe there's nobody in the restaurant because they all had purple tickets and the line was too long, so they're just waiting outside to get in. Rockin' Doc Jan 21 2009 04:33 PM Soupcan - "I notice that there is no signage on the apple - be it 'Mets' or advertising - that we can see from that story. I'm just wondering if their will be some kind of advertising or corporate sponsorship put on the thing. Would be a shame but I wouldn't put it past them." As long as they don't slap that tacky Inaugural Season Patch emblem on it, I'll be reasonably happy. At least the apple looks a lot better than the old one which looked like an old paper mache project for a high school art class. As others have stated, it would be nice if the apple had a bottom. Maybe it's like the stem and leaf that were shown, but haven't been attached yet. Centerfield Jan 21 2009 07:17 PM ="Edgy DC":6cybcy37]Well, it's not like they haven't shown us illustrations of the future home from every conceiveable angle. Here we go, apple and hat as viewed from a restaurant in leftfield, apparently affordable to only a half dozen fans. Even sadder is the empy left field seats in what appears to be the bottom of the ninth with the Mets up, I think 10-6. OE: The man with his back appears to be a waiter, and appears to be the only non-caucasian getting into Chez Shea. Nice post-racial consciousness, guys. Like the blue plates though.[/quote:6cybcy37] And it's Opening Day too. You'd think some fans would stick around until the end. Of course, this place appears to be named Mets Ballpark... John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 21 2009 07:25 PM Everything's for sale. That restaurant is actually gonna be called "The Acela Grill" -- the great taste of being 4 hours late. I also understand the outfield is now "the Pepsi Porch" and what useta be the Strerling Club is not the Delta 360 Club. Gwreck Jan 21 2009 07:37 PM I believe that access to that restaurant is only for tickets that cost in excess of $100 per game. Edgy DC Jan 22 2009 07:37 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":2axtxchq]Everything's for sale. That restaurant is actually gonna be called "The Acela Grill" -- the great taste of being 4 hours late. I also understand the outfield is now "the Pepsi Porch" and what useta be the Strerling Club is not the Delta 360 Club.[/quote:2axtxchq] You're sneaking in to my house at night and murdering me. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 22 2009 07:56 AM Also, and I read this on the Internet so don;t quote me, but what plans called The Excelsior Level is now to be called "The Caesar's Level." I think the Delta 360 Club is the one limited to $100 ticket holders. soupcan Jan 22 2009 09:18 AM More... ]Mets' new, bigger Home Run Apple for Citi Field in the works By ANTHONY McCARRON DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Giant Met Home Run Apple is ready to blossom at new park. Giant Met Home Run Apple is ready to blossom at new park. Workers in Minnesota are putting the finishing touches on the Mets' new Home Run Apple, a bigger, shinier and more advanced version of the Shea curio that inspired strong feelings among fans who either adored or hated its hokiness. The new apple will be installed at Citi Field in early February, according to Mark Silvera, who designed it along with fellow engineer Andrew Agosto. Look for the Mets to have a ceremony when the apple is unveiled, although the team declined comment Wednesday. "I guess somebody has made a giant pop-up apple before, but when we were going through the process, we wanted to have it be bigger, better and more reliable," said Silvera, an engineer at Uni-Systems, the Minneapolis engineering firm hired to build it. "It'll be exciting to see it installed and then see how fans respond to it." The fresh apple, made of fiberglass with a foam core, is 16 feet tall and 18 feet in diameter, meaning it would tower over the 9-foot-tall original. The new one weighs 4,800 pounds, but adding the hydraulics and guideframes underneath means the total weight lifted will be around 8,500 pounds. The old apple weighed 582 pounds. When a Met hits a homer, the apple will rise 15 feet. It's slated to make the trip in just three seconds, but the Mets may be able to tweak the timing once it is installed. The original apple first appeared at Shea to the right of the 410-foot sign in center field during the 1980 season as a marketing ploy to inject some excitement into a dreadful team that finished 67-95, in fifth place in the NL East. That team didn't hit many homers, either - Lee Mazzilli led the way with 16, while the Mets finished with just 61 and were mocked by a Daily News graphic that measured their homer output against Roger Maris' 1961 total. The Mets and Maris finished tied. But the apple morphed into a symbol of the franchise, its lumpy, red fiberboard frames plucking fans' heartstrings, and Met officials long wanted to have the apple represented in some way in the new park. While the apple has been famous and/or notorious in New York, depending on your point of view, Minnesotan Mark Hagelberger didn't know apple lore. Hagelberger's company, Fiberglass Fabricators, Inc., was hired to build the new apple's shell and he Googled the Met apple to learn. "Wow," he said Wednesday, "this is a big deal." To some fans, so is the final resting place of the original apple. Good news, Hagelberger says - it's likely to go on display somewhere at Citi Field. "That's the plan I heard," Hagelberger said. metirish Jan 22 2009 09:31 AM ] When a Met hits a homer, the apple will rise 15 feet. It's slated to make the trip in just three seconds I dunno but that just sounds like trouble to me , with it's expected weight and all. I'd hate to see Beltran and whoever is in RF get crushed by the apple. Gwreck Jan 22 2009 09:36 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":9cwh7oib]I think the Delta 360 Club is the one limited to $100 ticket holders.[/quote:9cwh7oib] Not exactly. The "Delta 360 Club" (formerly the Sterling Club) is limited to Sterling-Level seat holders. Those are the seats on the lowest level, right behind the plate. Those tickets run $175/game on the low end. The Left Field Restaurant is limited to these seating categories: Sterling Club Platinum and Gold; Ebbets Club Gold; Excelsior Club Platinum and Gold; Metropolitan Box and Field Box. Of course, all of those levels are over $100 per seat. --- And yes, if you take a look here: http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/nym/ticketing/season_plans.jsp, you'll see that the Mets have renamed the "Excelsior Level" the "Caesar's Level." Edgy DC Jan 22 2009 09:43 AM Suckers. G-Fafif Jan 22 2009 09:45 AM ]The original apple first appeared at Shea to the right of the 410-foot sign in center field during the 1980 season as a marketing ploy to inject some excitement into a dreadful team that finished 67-95, in fifth place in the NL East. That team didn't hit many homers, either - Lee Mazzilli led the way with 16, while the Mets finished with just 61 and were mocked by a Daily News graphic that measured their homer output against Roger Maris' 1961 total. The Mets and Maris finished tied. Except the Apple was planted in 1981, the year after the admittedly power-starved Mets had some success with the marketing theme "The Magic Is Back," thus the top hat and the words Mets Magic. And while I wouldn't argue the historical verdict of "dreadful" against a fifth-place, 67-95 team, those Mets were winning back fans with an impressive midseason surge (a 47-39 run that put them in contention for a time) as that Maris vs. Mets graphic was running. Home runs aren't everything. Neither is accuracy at the Snooze, apparently. Benjamin Grimm Jan 22 2009 09:47 AM ="metirish"]I dunno but that just sounds like trouble to me , with it's expected weight and all. I'd hate to see Beltran and whoever is in RF get crushed by the apple. The apple won't be rising while the Mets are in the field. It's the opposing outfielders who have to fear the apple! Edgy DC Jan 22 2009 09:49 AM Can UMDB do a quick home/road split since 1981 and tell us which Mets have lit the apple the most? metirish Jan 22 2009 09:54 AM ="Benjamin Grimm"]="metirish"]I dunno but that just sounds like trouble to me , with it's expected weight and all. I'd hate to see Beltran and whoever is in RF get crushed by the apple. The apple won't be rising while the Mets are in the field. It's the opposing outfielders who have to fear the apple! LOL....of course.... Frayed Knot Jan 22 2009 09:57 AM Fortunately for me I've always been able to make it through a 3-hour baseball game without starving to death so I can still attend a game without paying for high-priced meals in up-scale restaurants that are restricted to only those with upper-priced seats. G-Fafif Jan 22 2009 09:58 AM ="Gwreck":bglynpwb]you'll see that the Mets have renamed the "Excelsior Level" the "Caesar's Level."[/quote:bglynpwb] Will the games be renamed Bread And Circuses? Speaking of renaming, I haven't been able to find any trace of "Coogan's Landing" on the official seating chart or anywhere in the various propaganda save for the original unupdated fact sheet. I guess that one sop to NY Giants history has been quietly yet effectively disappeared. G-Fafif Jan 22 2009 09:59 AM ]I'd hate to see Beltran and whoever is in RF get crushed by the apple. ]The apple won't be rising while the Mets are in the field. It's the opposing outfielders who have to fear the apple! Beltran, Don't Fear The Apple... Gwreck Jan 22 2009 10:01 AM ="Edgy DC":2op1dcbm]Can UMDB do a quick home/road split since 1981 and tell us which Mets have lit the apple the most?[/quote:2op1dcbm] I don't think you need UMDB to tell you it's 1. Darryl 2. Mike But after that... Benjamin Grimm Jan 22 2009 10:01 AM ="Edgy DC":2raunp2q]Can UMDB do a quick home/road split since 1981 and tell us which Mets have lit the apple the most?[/quote:2raunp2q] Piece of cake! Most Shea Stadium (regular season) Mets home runs since 1981: Darryl Strawberry 127 Mike Piazza 99 Howard Johnson 90 David Wright 70 Kevin McReynolds 65 Todd Hundley 57 George Foster 53 Edgardo Alfonzo 53 Carlos Delgado 51 Carlos Beltran 47 Cliff Floyd 44 Bobby Bonilla 40 Gary Carter 40 John Olerud 39 Dave Kingman 38 Keith Hernandez 38 Robin Ventura 36 Jeff Kent 34 Jos� Reyes 30 Mookie Wilson 28 G-Fafif Jan 22 2009 10:06 AM Has anyone ever noticed whether the Apple rose on Met Inside-the-Park HRs? Or was the Apple operator too overcome with shock to get the fruit up in the air? FYI, the following ITPHRs were hit at Shea in the Apple Era: Wally Backman, 7/31/82 Mark Bradley, 8/31/83 Darryl Strawberry, 5/3/89 Marlon Anderson, 6/11/05 Jose Reyes, 9/7/06 Centerfield Jan 22 2009 10:08 AM Never would I have guessed George Foster would be on that list. Edgy DC Jan 22 2009 10:09 AM Jeff Kent, apple polisher. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 22 2009 10:23 AM I was at the Mark Bradley ITPHR game. I don't remember if the apple went up because I was too busy razzing Dodgers RF Mike Marshall for making the poor decision to dive that led to it.

Love it!

[sarcasm]Omar only signed Sullivan because he's Latino.[/sarcasm]

Thought I read somewhere that David would wear 4, in deference to Davey.

That Dugout is hilarious. I need to catch up on their stuff.

Blech.

="Benjamin Grimm":26lhjjuj]Yuck.[/quote:26lhjjuj] No, I'm okay with that: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=270719119 bmfc1 Jan 13 2009 09:36 AM Heyman seems to be the first to report any news about Boras's clients. Peter Gammons, on January 07, said: "A lot of general managers and those of us in the business kid about a couple of sites referred to as ScottBoras.com, and Scott will float things out there and throw it out there and people will report it...." http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2009/01/gammonss_take.html I wonder if he was referring to Heyman. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 13 2009 09:37 AM For an xtra year and an xtra 24 million they can have him. Now let's get Ollie. metirish Jan 13 2009 09:40 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":3qgkl57i]For an xtra year and an xtra 24 million they can have him. Now let's get Ollie.[/quote:3qgkl57i] Exactly , the four years is bad but they also seemed to have blown the door open with the $60 million , who did they think they were competing with? attgig Jan 13 2009 09:49 AM ="metirish":27ncuko8]="John Cougar Lunchbucket":27ncuko8]For an xtra year and an xtra 24 million they can have him. Now let's get Ollie.[/quote:27ncuko8] Exactly , the four years is bad but they also seemed to have blown the door open with the $60 million , who did they think they were competing with?[/quote:27ncuko8] a mystery team. who else? Fman99 Jan 13 2009 09:52 AM Good. Way too much money/years for a guy who is 36 and has his head screwed on sideways. I like Sheets or Ollie at this point as a #4 guy. Benjamin Grimm Jan 13 2009 09:58 AM I really wanted them to get someone better than Oliver Perez. I wanted a number 2 guy. Oh well. I would have been more optimistic heading into the season with Lowe than Perez. At least Redding should be an upgrade over Pedro. metsguyinmichigan Jan 13 2009 10:02 AM I'm very OK with this. That deal is going to look horrible before too long. Ollie can be lights out. He'll probably toss our first no-hitter. A seven-walk, two hit-batsman no-hitter, granted. smg58 Jan 13 2009 11:08 AM ="smg58":3cvsi3pd]A month or so ago I thought Derek Lowe would present the best value of the free agent pitchers. But I hear more rumors about teams being interested in him than in anybody else. I no longer think he'll come that cheap. He's more consistent and durable than any other pitcher on the market besides CC, but at his age I wouldn't want to be the team that offers him a fourth year at $15M+ per.[/quote:3cvsi3pd] I said that on Nov. 5, and I'm sticking to it. A Boy Named Seo Jan 13 2009 11:13 AM Good job, Mets. I don't doubt Lowe woulda been fine this year, maybe better than Ollie, and maybe good next year, too. But they weren't gonna go four expensive years on a 36-year old guy period, and they stuck to that. MFS62 Jan 13 2009 11:42 AM From age 37-40, Curt Schilling went sometning like 51-24, with ERA+ from 80 (one year) to 150 (best during that span). Not saying Lowe can come close to that, but it can happen. Of course there are probably many examples of rapid declines, too. But Lowe reminds me of Schilling - a bulldog. I wanted him on the Mets. Later Frayed Knot Jan 13 2009 01:21 PM ="batmagadanleadoff":r9o9y1ku]I'll say this for Heyman in fairness -- like him or not (and I'm not sure where I stand) last season, he was by far, the most accurate reporter at predicting future Mets moves ... especially during the will-they-fire-Willie and when-will-they-fire-Willie phase of the 2008 season.[/quote:r9o9y1ku] Heyman has long been a first-rate baseball reporter as far as digging out the facts and getting them right more often than not and often getting them first. And he didn't always get the credit for his scoops due to the tendency of the national press to cite the big-city dailies while overlooking Heyman's suburban-based Newsday. It may have been those frequent slights that prompted him to leave the newspaper biz for the brighter lights of SI, WFAN, SNY, and now MLBTV. Heyman's columnist persona while he was still at Newsday tended to irk a few around here from time to time but that was usually separate from his regular reporter chores. Nymr83 Jan 13 2009 01:30 PM too much and too long for Lowe, i'm glad it wasn't us.

I can't wait for Tim Redding Bobblehead Day! It'll look just like me.

Lowe's a Brave: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/01/13/braves_lowe.html

Who was the other dumbass who voted for Jay Bell? I know ESPN's Pedro Gomez was one of them.

Rice is probably my favorite non-Met ever. Thrilled for him.

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":wqe3qe7s]The Mets have also indicated the fences can go up or down if needed, I think I read somewhere.[/quote:wqe3qe7s] I say they put them up when we're in the field, and down when we're at the plate. Benjamin Grimm Jan 12 2009 11:24 AM Bill Veeck tried something like that in the minor leagues. He had a chain link fence installed on a track on top of the regular fence. When the home team was batting, the fence would be rolled off to the side, and when the visitors were up it would be rolled back into place. Needless to say, he didn't get away with that for long. Nymr83 Jan 12 2009 12:45 PM ="Benjamin Grimm":ips0smpy]Bill Veeck tried something like that in the minor leagues. He had a chain link fence installed on a track on top of the regular fence. When the home team was batting, the fence would be rolled off to the side, and when the visitors were up it would be rolled back into place. Needless to say, he didn't get away with that for long.[/quote:ips0smpy] yeah, but that leads to a better idea that you might get away with... having a higher "portable" fence in games started by your flyball pitchers than you do in games started by your groundballers. Gwreck Jan 12 2009 06:12 PM ="Nymr83":1gekmyvr]yeah, but that leads to a better idea that you might get away with... having a higher "portable" fence in games started by your flyball pitchers than you do in games started by your groundballers.[/quote:1gekmyvr] I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think that's actually prohibited. Edgy DC Jan 12 2009 08:02 PM Yes it is. Teams need league permission before changing ballpark dimiensions, and I'm certain they'd be intolerant of a team changing them daily on the basis of who is pitching.. Nymr83 Jan 12 2009 08:47 PM is the height of a wall included in dimensions though? or are "dimensions" just the distance from homeplate to the wall? Edgy DC Jan 12 2009 09:00 PM I guess it's a valid question, but I consider the z axis to be a dimension. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 12 2009 09:39 PM I am sure that changing fence heights would require prior league approval. Frayed Knot Jan 13 2009 06:16 AM Yeah, something like that would almost certainly be done between seasons and only after notifying MLB and probably after waiting for permission. All Jeffy said was the OF was designed with the possibility of fine-tuning the wall height in mind (and maybe even small changes in distances in some spots) so that if minor adjustments were needed it wouldn't mean tearing out certain seats and blocking the views of others if the place started to look too hitter-friendly (or, presumably, too pitcher-friendly). MFS62 Jan 13 2009 06:46 AM Discussion about whether or not CitiField will be a launching pad is premature because the wind currents when Shea is down are not known yet. Later Nymr83 Jan 13 2009 07:18 AM but isn't shea basically behind homeplate which is closed off anyway? i'd only expect shea to significantly effect the winds there if shea was facing an open part of stadium. i have no proof of this, but i got the feeling every game i went to this year that citifield was having a huge effect on the winds inside shea Centerfield Jan 13 2009 07:54 AM Back to the original topic. Heyman has the Braves going 4 years, close to $60 million for Lowe. Vince Coleman Firecracker Jan 13 2009 08:05 AM ="Centerfield":3os7gt8v]Back to the original topic. Heyman has the Braves going 4 years, close to $60 million for Lowe.[/quote:3os7gt8v] Gak! Where's Ben Sheets? metirish Jan 13 2009 08:07 AM In that same Heyman article he says the Mets are proposing a three year $30 million deal for Ollie , I don't see that getting it done. seawolf17 Jan 13 2009 09:24 AM Lowe's a Brave: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/01/13/braves_lowe.html Edgy DC Jan 13 2009 09:25 AM Welcome back, Ollie! Benjamin Grimm Jan 13 2009 09:27 AM Yuck. seawolf17 Jan 13 2009 09:29 AM ="Benjamin Grimm":26lhjjuj]Yuck.[/quote:26lhjjuj] No, I'm okay with that: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=270719119 bmfc1 Jan 13 2009 09:36 AM Heyman seems to be the first to report any news about Boras's clients. Peter Gammons, on January 07, said: "A lot of general managers and those of us in the business kid about a couple of sites referred to as ScottBoras.com, and Scott will float things out there and throw it out there and people will report it...." http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2009/01/gammonss_take.html I wonder if he was referring to Heyman. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 13 2009 09:37 AM For an xtra year and an xtra 24 million they can have him. Now let's get Ollie. metirish Jan 13 2009 09:40 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":3qgkl57i]For an xtra year and an xtra 24 million they can have him. Now let's get Ollie.[/quote:3qgkl57i] Exactly , the four years is bad but they also seemed to have blown the door open with the $60 million , who did they think they were competing with? attgig Jan 13 2009 09:49 AM ="metirish":27ncuko8]="John Cougar Lunchbucket":27ncuko8]For an xtra year and an xtra 24 million they can have him. Now let's get Ollie.[/quote:27ncuko8] Exactly , the four years is bad but they also seemed to have blown the door open with the $60 million , who did they think they were competing with?[/quote:27ncuko8] a mystery team. who else? Fman99 Jan 13 2009 09:52 AM Good. Way too much money/years for a guy who is 36 and has his head screwed on sideways. I like Sheets or Ollie at this point as a #4 guy. Benjamin Grimm Jan 13 2009 09:58 AM I really wanted them to get someone better than Oliver Perez. I wanted a number 2 guy. Oh well. I would have been more optimistic heading into the season with Lowe than Perez. At least Redding should be an upgrade over Pedro. metsguyinmichigan Jan 13 2009 10:02 AM I'm very OK with this. That deal is going to look horrible before too long. Ollie can be lights out. He'll probably toss our first no-hitter. A seven-walk, two hit-batsman no-hitter, granted. smg58 Jan 13 2009 11:08 AM ="smg58":3cvsi3pd]A month or so ago I thought Derek Lowe would present the best value of the free agent pitchers. But I hear more rumors about teams being interested in him than in anybody else. I no longer think he'll come that cheap. He's more consistent and durable than any other pitcher on the market besides CC, but at his age I wouldn't want to be the team that offers him a fourth year at $15M+ per.[/quote:3cvsi3pd] I said that on Nov. 5, and I'm sticking to it. A Boy Named Seo Jan 13 2009 11:13 AM Good job, Mets. I don't doubt Lowe woulda been fine this year, maybe better than Ollie, and maybe good next year, too. But they weren't gonna go four expensive years on a 36-year old guy period, and they stuck to that. MFS62 Jan 13 2009 11:42 AM From age 37-40, Curt Schilling went sometning like 51-24, with ERA+ from 80 (one year) to 150 (best during that span). Not saying Lowe can come close to that, but it can happen. Of course there are probably many examples of rapid declines, too. But Lowe reminds me of Schilling - a bulldog. I wanted him on the Mets. Later Frayed Knot Jan 13 2009 01:21 PM ="batmagadanleadoff":r9o9y1ku]I'll say this for Heyman in fairness -- like him or not (and I'm not sure where I stand) last season, he was by far, the most accurate reporter at predicting future Mets moves ... especially during the will-they-fire-Willie and when-will-they-fire-Willie phase of the 2008 season.[/quote:r9o9y1ku] Heyman has long been a first-rate baseball reporter as far as digging out the facts and getting them right more often than not and often getting them first. And he didn't always get the credit for his scoops due to the tendency of the national press to cite the big-city dailies while overlooking Heyman's suburban-based Newsday. It may have been those frequent slights that prompted him to leave the newspaper biz for the brighter lights of SI, WFAN, SNY, and now MLBTV. Heyman's columnist persona while he was still at Newsday tended to irk a few around here from time to time but that was usually separate from his regular reporter chores. Nymr83 Jan 13 2009 01:30 PM too much and too long for Lowe, i'm glad it wasn't us.