Ceetar

Nymr83 wrote: My non-existent child throws harder, what's to flinch at? the ball coming roughly towards him? just instinct to flinch you'd think.

pretty good job by that camera man not to flinch right?

Fman99 wrote: I am listening to Howie/Josh on XM thanks to WPIX and FIOS. It's not as good as watching it but not enough to make me switch back to the despicable Time Warner, just to get those WPIX games back. more of them this year it seems. That's pretty lame. Meanwhile MY Fios apparently successfully gives me WGN (could've sworn it used to be blacked out..maybe that was on Optimum) so I watched some Cubs v Giants last night.

Edgy MD wrote: He will, I'm sure. Once the team starts getting some hits to drop in. He can help keep the other guys' hits from dropping in.

Thor is fine. #Mets apparently announce Noah Syndergaard's MRI is clean. The "But I think they're lying bastards" undertones of the apparently thrown in there unnecessarily is the an example of the difference between being a reporter and a negative troll.

Edgy MD wrote: That's a lot o' lefties, 2-thru-6. Looks like Chris Young has fallen into a platoonio situation with Abreu. Tejada Flores too somewhat. I'd rather den Dekker get some looks.

no way is the between innings stuff enforced. Pitchers take their time getting back out there, and then they have to throw 8 pitches, and they're rarely in a hurry to do so. Nevermind if a pitcher is on base..

Edgy MD wrote: Some bloggers seeing Jeffy fingerprints on this that I can't spot. If your only tool is a hammer, every problem is a nail.

I just realized there was a second page to Verducci's article. That's a different rant. It IS the first year of replay, so let's see what refinements they make. Review is already available at the umpires discretion after the 6th, why not make it that way the whole game? That would eliminate the whole "come out and chat while my bench coach looks at a replay" bit and would revert the game back to how it was last year. Managers can come out and yell about whatever plays they want to yell about. If the umpires feel like they missed a call or are unsure, they can do a replay. Someone hits a button when a manager comes out, and the review guys have a head start on getting the result if needed. Throw managers out that argue too much. If you don't have an answer after 90 seconds of review, call stands. I like the 'batter can't leave the box' bit. Let the pitcher throw if he's ready. If the pitcher can get strikes by pitching quickly, he will. If the batter realizes he's going to give up strikes by not being prepared, he'll stay in/near the box.

Frayed Knot wrote: "The pace of hockey is awesome of course. The one time out definitely helps with that. -- One TEAM timeout although multiple TV timeouts. You could tell the difference while watching Olympic hockey how much less chopped-up watching can be and once was. well yeah. But not quite that many TV timeouts. Although the 15 minute intermission is obviously quite a break. But coming from the other sports into the NHL it's certainly quite a different. "Woah, I've been watching non-stop action for 8 minutes?" Different animals of course. I agree about the newcomer stuff, but I'm not sure it's that dire either. I think the pace might be breeding more casual fans at the expense of diehards. Fans that'll watch 3-4 games a week maybe but will turn it off if it's slow or something better comes along. And if the team gets good and close to the playoffs? sure, they'll tune in. Maybe that's good enough? Lots of multi-tasking going on in the world, and it's easy enough to pay passing attention to baseball (or really anything) and then jump if it gets interesting.

Some minor changes would help at times too. A pitcher that warms up to start an inning must pitch to at least one batter. You can't throw to first 5, 10+ times in a row just to allow the guy in the bullpen time to warm up. A coach and the catcher cannot visit the mound during the same AB, or at least the same pitch. What I don't understand is why pitchers still dally. It always seems like the evidence points to quick pace being to good results.

My main point is don't buy crappy beer anyway. 'splurge' on the $9 craft stuff. Bronx Pale Ale maybe.

yeah, there's some validity in there. It boils down to a decision by MLB. either decide to enforce it or don't. I think there's some chicken/egg stuff here too. Pitchers start taking longer so batters have more time sitting and waiting. clearly holding a bat up is tiring, and you want your arms fresh. So step out. Now the pitcher's ready to go but the batter's stepped out, so the pitcher steps off again. (did he see my sign? is there a guy on second stealing them?) The batting gloves stuff is almost a mindless task to keep your mind blank. Espinosa: "I want to make sure I am focused and not rushed." Well sure, mindless routine helps keep you focused and keeps you from over-thinking "fastball outside? did he throw a curve last pitch? two curves in a row?" etc.. But the core of the issue Verducci is getting at is that MLB just doesn't care about the pacing. Neither does the NFL. I don't watch enough NBA to know but it does seem like the last 2 minutes of the game take 45 minutes. at least that's the exciting part of the game.. The pace of hockey is awesome of course. The one time out definitely helps with that.

The answer is clearly no more of this "working counts stuff." Three pitches, three swings. Like the home run derby. If you don't put it in play it's a strike.

I really despised Unbreakable. I loved the concept I just felt like it didn't go anywhere and nothing really happened in the movie. The most lasting impression I have of the movie is the character calling up his boss and asking "When was the last time I took a sick day?" and getting a raise out of it.

And people forget how hard it is in general. Keith's frequently saying things like "That was a fastball with a lot of plate. That should be over the fence." or "I like it! First-ball fastball hitting!" Notice he never says this when the guy floats the first pitch fastball to LF for an out.

Vic Sage wrote: So, its not just parochial pride to say we have just about the worst value in concession prices in all of MLB (tied with Boston). Even the MFYs offer a slightly better value. Well, worst value in terms of hot dogs and the cheap beer anyway. We lose in this regard because I think the hot dog prices are the highest at Citi Field for whatever reason. (And I'm not a big fan of Nathan's either) I could probably find you 10 different beer size/price combinations at Citi Field though, and many parts are the same. Some stadiums call it a large but pour the same amount of beer in the bigger cup.

Edgy MD wrote: You get the idea that Luis Nutera is of two minds this morning. On one hand, he's laid low enough to dodge the axe when Hudgens wasn't so lucky. On the other hand, he may have laid so low that nobody thought to consider him for the promotion. I was wondering about that. I wonder if he's got a very niche role or specific purpose that's not a general "be the hitting coach" thing?

Edgy MD wrote: Check the players' lot tomorrow. If that Italian-looking road-ripper isn't there, you know it was his. Bah, I won't be there again this homestand. Someone else do it.

Vic Sage wrote: So I'm hoping the Mets start hitting, if only to shut the booth up about this. It will never end. At least, not while Duda's here imo. He's become the main target. He can't take a pitch anywhere near the plate without Keith groaning at this point. (This is a guy who both Keith and Ralph absolutely raved about when he first got promoted. They LOVED his swing) And who knows, maybe Duda was TOO patient last year but he was an above average hitter last year and after slumping he's dropped down to an average hitter so far this year. i.e. Not The Problem. Personally I do think they'll start hitting better to at least make this a non-focus. Even just one more actual hitter would go a long way, whether that's Chris Young getting it together, Bobby Abreu taking the proper roll back the clock drugs, someone else, Cesar Puello, den Dekker, Nieuwenhuis or Flores taking SS and actually hitting, or d'Arnaud returning and actually hitting..

Edgy MD wrote: Oh, I think there's a lot to be said about the culture of negativity surrounding the team. I think people are being nutty, and if it gives his players a breather to take a shot at the boobirds on the way out the door, drawing some of the wrath on himself and briefly away from the players... well, there are certainly less noble exits. I mean, we've all got to imagine morale sucks, right? It's gotten to the point where I barely enjoy watching a Mets game with other fans now. Baseball is great. These guys, while maybe not the cream of the crop, are still talented professional athletes competing in a wonderful sport. I should be able to watch a game, particularly at the park, without endless shouts of "Duda's A Dud!" and "Fire the Wilpons!" and "Zack Pelfrey!" and other assorted idiocies. It feels like 90% of the people watching any given Mets game have the persona of a druggie who's dealer just raised the price on their favorite narcotic. You can sense it in the clubhouse too. Mostly with Mike Puma who I guess it stepping over the line more. I get the sense the Mets don't feel like they're being taken seriously. (And sure, the retort is 'win games' but it's not like they're giving subpar efforts. They're trying..) As for Hudgens.. I kinda liked him. In his interviews he always sounded intelligent and like he knew what he was doing. But maybe thought and execution are different. But what do I know from here? Nuttin'. good luck to the new guy.

CNNMoney contacted the 30 Major League Baseball teams and ballparks and requested 2013 prices for the smallest adult-sized hot dog and cheapest available beer. This sorta completely misses the point. Who's going to the ballpark specifically for the cheapest beer and smallest hot dog? What exactly is this chart supposed to mean?

Edgy MD wrote: About time we get a big hit. I can't remember the last time I saw a Met who seemed so in charge of every at-bat as Abreu is. Moises Alou? Unfortunately, he's less playable than Alou. He knows what he's doing up there but I'm not sure he's capable of really doing it enough. I'm thinking Kirk can provide as much offense while being both more helpful as a pinch runner or defensive replacement while maintaining that slim "almost prospect" chance of actually being good.

Remember when the loud guys at Citi Field used to yell encouraging things at players rather than berate Wheeler endlessly?

Nymr83 wrote: metsguyinmichigan wrote: It's not the Mets' fault that the Marlins offered Reyes a stupid contract. Is there a serious person anywhere who thinks the Mets should have topped that contract? Is that contract already considered a bad deal considering that Reyes has been hurt often and batting a robust .228? There's a difference between not being able to afford someone, and being unwilling to sign a ridiculous contract that will hurt the team not just near the end of the deal, but near the middle as well. I know you and I felt that way, but I think there was a contingent who felt the contract would work out, we had a thread wwith a poll even! I felt like they could've managed a similar contract, one more balanced (i.e. not backloaded) and that there was probably some added 'homegrown' value that the Mets could've gotten from it that the Marlins didn't, but I certainly don't blame Alderson for not just throwing more money at him, even if he could've. I just wish he'd figured out a way to get an extension done the year before when he picked up the option.