Vic Sage

=kcmets post_id=23070 time=1569549153 user_id=53] The new regime will fix Diaz.

That's because frazier is our future and MUST have ABs!

i didn't read your review above, because i just got it from Netflix. My wife was anxious to see it, so we will and then i'll read your analysis.

i thought the filmmaking was kinetic and stylish, and the performances powerful. I bought it.

FK has talked me out of Beltran. So its just Wright (and Kooz) for now, with an eye towards DeGrom (at some point, maybe).

=kcmets post_id=22892 time=1569434827 user_id=53] And for Vic: she loved McReynolds too, called him her second favorite Kevin.

lock up the CY tonight, Jake.

Acquiring a good defensive CFer that can hit will require either sitting one of (or platooning two of) Nimmo, Conforto, Davis, and/or Cespedes, but i'd do any or all of that if such a unicorn could be found. *Obviously, we should try and move Cespedes, but nobody is taking him, so (despite his salary), he needs to come back slowly (if he comes back at all), maybe in a LF platoon; *I'd prefer to hold onto Nimmo, as he fulfills a very important and valuable role as an everyday leadoff guy; *Conforto's production level has been growing each year, and he's entering his age-27 season, which is generally begins a player's peak/prime period, so i think trading him would be a mistake unless we are getting such a unicorn. But if we're keeping him, he might be more useful in a platoon, since his splits are not good and not improving; *Davis has no position and has more trade value now after a breakthrough season, so i would think he'd be the one to go. * which would mean an OF of Cespedes/Conforto, [unicorn}, Nimmo. As for the infield: McNeil, Rosario, Cano, Alonzo, Ramos. If Cano can bounce back, that's a good-hitting IF with average defense, and Lowrie, D.Smith and Davis (as of now) on the bench, which is strong, too. It would be nice to add a LH catcher with a good glove to replace Nido, but if we can get a 2-way catcher and trade Ramos, that would be great. But such a player is a unicorn, too. And yes, Gerrit Cole would be great to pair with deGrom to give us the 1-2 punch we were hoping to get (but too often didn't) with Syndegaard and/or Wheeler. Of course we need to get more and better bullpen arms, but they are so erratic from year to year (and game to game), that it's hard to do that in a reliable way (e.g., see Diaz). They are going to have to try and rehabilitate Diaz before giving up on him completely, and they have big money tied up with familia, so they're both likely going to still be there, with Lugo and Wilson. And Gsellman will be back, too, but who knows what he will give us. So we need a great CFer, a Great SPer and a great RPer (and maybe a better defensive catcher who can hit, too) to be competitive next year... just like most every other team in BB.

=batmagadanleadoff post_id=22865 time=1569425935 user_id=68] You can't know if it's a slippery slope just yet. You'll only know years from now, based on what other numbers are eventually retired and what the rationale would be for those other numbers.

Kooz, Beltran and Wright, in chronological order, and i would be prepared to eventually include deGrom. Straw and Doc are worthy too, but they embarrassed themselves and the organization. Their numbers deserve no honor. After them, there is a significant drop-off (in longevity and/or relative productivity). I would not include borderline cases, like Keith, Fonzie, and Reyes (his longevity/production might be worthy of including, but i wouldn't include in any event, under Straw/Doc criteria). Franco, Orosco, Darling, Hundley, and McGraw aren't even borderline cases. I'd also consider Kranepool as a special case (as a lifetime met who played for 2 decades from the team's inception), like Casey and Gil. Retiring Mays would be like retiring 42; it has nothing to do with the franchise, just its pre-history. But he's a player of such magnitude that i wouldn't mind claiming him, too, as a special situation based on finishing his career here.

Edgy MD wrote: Vic Sage wrote: Nobody else yet. Maybe DeGrom one day, if he keeps pitching like this for the rest of his current contract. deGrom could pitch like Mike Pelfrey the rest of his contract. He'd still be a Mets legend by the end of it. fair enough. As regards the "slippery slope" argument, i don't buy it. A cursory look at the numbers show obvious groupings and tiers, considering Metly attributes (production, longevity, character) *The top position player is Wright, and then a drop down to Straw and Beltran, who are still above the line. * Then you get a group of Piazza, Fonzie, Reyes and Keith, who i would say are below the line, except Piazza is a HOFer with enough Metly attributes to consider above the line. * with regard to pitching, there is Seaver and everybody else. But the next tier is Gooden and Kooz, with deGrom closing fast. If you are adding to Seaver and Piazza, and excluding the delinquents (which i would), its Kooz, Beltran, Wright and (soon) deGrom. So i don't see the slope as particularly slippery., even including Kooz.

Other names? Wright and Beltran, definitely. They are the best players at their respective positions that the organization has ever had. But, as much as i liked Keith, he was a Cardinal more than he was a Met. Carter, even more so (as an Expo). Straw and Doc? They both embarrassed themselves and the organization. They didn't honor their numbers, so neither should the team. Nobody else yet. Maybe DeGrom one day, if he keeps pitching like this for the rest of his current contract.

I've always been somewhat elitist about the numbers on the wall. It also gives us a favorable point of comparison with the yankees, IMO, who would retire a ball boy's number and call it yankee tradition. But Kooz? The first Mets game i attended was a game that Kooz pitched (and won). As a fellow lefty, i felt immediate kinship. As i grew older, I knew Seaver was the superior pitcher, but it was Kooz who dominated in the 69 series, not Tom (in 73, too). And it was Kooz, as Tom's wingman, who i always preferred, with his modest, self-effacing manor and impish good humor standing in stark contrast to the brash, arrogant, jock-fratboy persona of Tom terrific. I was more upset when they traded Jerry away than the Seaver trade, though i understood the relative difference in the impact on the team's fortunes. But i was happy for Jerry when he won 20 for the Twins that first season after the trade. And i was happy to see him go out strong, giving the Phillies a solid season when he was in his 40s. So hell, yes, put that 36 on the freakin' wall. He was more of a Met than a roided up merc like Piazza, or a 2-season wonder like Carter. Welcome home, Jerry. It' been a long time. Put your feet up. stay awhile.

however you slice it, the Polar Bear is having a rookie year for the ages and one of the greatest Met seasons ever.

do you trust BVW to make that deal?

under no circumstances should they pick up Lagares' option. Spending $9.5m on a backup outfielder with a lifetime OPS under .660 would be crazy. And they're going to play McNeil at 3b, as long as they're still stuck with Cano. So the IF will be McNeil/Rosario/Cano/Alonzo/Ramos and the OF will be Davis-D.Smith / Nimmo / Conforto, with Lowrie, Familia and Cespedes also eating up over $50m in payroll. If they can get an all-star bat in the OF, then okay, you put Davis on the bench, trade D.Smith and put Cespedes out to pasture. But whatever money they're going to spend, it will mostly be needed to be on pitching, but they are likely NOT going to re-sign Wheeler, and they're probably going to trade Syndegaard, leaving them with only DeGrom, Matz and Stroman in the rotation, and Lugo, Wilson, Familia, Diaz and Gsellman in the pen (along with our AAA riffraff).

he needs to play every day; Frazier and Cano should platoon

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: I'm a Lorenzen fan, he's probably one of the Reds best hitters -- and a big win for the SHaMs. I wonder how good JDD could be on the mound for the Mets. certainly no worse than Diaz, Familia and Co. I'd be curious to see him face a few hitters.

we traded many prospects to go for it this year, so now they've got to go for it. September is our playoffs; all hands on deck. With regard to pitching: * starters go at least 7 (regardless of pitch count) unless they completely lose it; * Wheeler becomes a swingman with spot starts, but mostly in the pen (his stuff is best suited for the pen from among him, Mats and Stroman, and he's leaving anyway, so i'm not concerned with blowing his arm out); * Lugo/C1, Wilson/C2; Wilson/S1, Wheeler/S2; Avilan/LOOGY, Brach/ROOGY; with Familia, Diaz, Sewald, Lockett, Zamora as mop up/low leverage guys, and Bashlor taken out and shot. as for the lineup, Frazier and Cano platoon (with McNeil going between 3b and 2b); maybe spot Lagares for Conforto against tough LHPs, unless Stroman is pitching (Conforto has been useless against LHP and Nimmo needs to play everyday at this point).

it was like watching a train wreck in slow motion; you can't stop it and you can't look away.

who says i can't? besides reality?

Jeffy, sit down and play with your blocks! If Cano shows he can still hit, hitting 3rd is a possibility. But at this point in his career, nothing should be guaranteed.

when Cano and Lowrie come up: vs RHP: Nimmo*, cf McNeil*, 3b Alonso, 1b Conforto*, rf Davis, lf Ramos, c Cano*, 2b Rosario, ss pitcher vs LHP: Lowrie#, 2b Davis, lf Alonso, 1b Ramos, c McNeil*, rf Frazier, 3b Conforto*, cf Rosario, ss pitcher bench Nimmo*/Lowrie# Cano*/Frazier Lagares Rivera

i'm not sure i understand what BVW has to be clever about: * Nimmo can replace Rajai (who can be DFAed) both on active and 40-man rosters; * Nido can replace Rivera or go to AAA (they're both on 40-man); and * Lowrie can replace Panik (who can be DFAed) or Guillorme (sending Guillorme to AAA and moving Gsellman to 60-day DL to open up spot on 40-man for Lowrie) is there some complication i'm missing?

Is that a Frazetta?