Ceetar

There was this "Almost traded Rivera for David Wells" one. post surgery and 'struggling' as a starter. I imagine you can find similar stories for most guys too though. According to Derek Jeter�s interview with Michael Kay on CenterStage, as a minor leaguer he was almost traded to the Florida Marlins for Bryan Harvey. Rivera was almost going to a different team. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner didn't think Jeter was ready to be the team's shortstop in 1996, so he backed a deal that would have sent Rivera to the Seattle Mariners for journeyman Felix Fermin. Gene Michael, the Yankees' vice president of scouting at the time, and Brian Cashman, the assistant general manager and now the GM, argued to let Jeter start the season at shortstop. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/yankees/2009-10-06-yankees-quartet_N.htm so yeah, a George thing. Not quite doubt, though no one seems like they expected him to be 'ready' in '96. Certainly he would've went into the season with a lot of pressure to perform or risk being replaced, particularly if the Yankees headed into the deadline needing to add offense or something.

Edgy DC wrote: Not that I'm not interested in open speculation that Jeter is a 'roiding tool (as opposed to merely a tool), but can you cite anything that suggests the Yankees or any other source had lost faith in young Derek? so no one else remembers this story/report/trade rumor then? That's what I'm asking. I remember reading it, but I don't know where. I guess I can spend the next twenty minutes googling. I vaguely remember it being by one of the Yankees beat-puppies in a "look what they almost missed out on" post about a rumored trade.

Frayed Knot wrote: He was a top prospect, but weren't they questioning his ability to actually play, particularly defense at SS (well, they might've been right on that)? I thought there was a rumored trade for Nomar or something in like the '94 offseason? Or was that just a Steinbrenner "OMG this guy kicked the ball around a bit and doesn't look like he has bomber power!"? Jeter made a ton of errors in his first pro season but just about every young SS does that. He was the 6th pick in the nation in his draft (and would have been the 1st if not for a last-minute change of heart by the Astros) and the Yanx never wavered on him after he unexpectedly fell to them. That's not what I'm questioning. Just that there was an encroaching doubt he would seriously make it at the major league level and the existence of rumors that the Yankees were looking at other options. (This is all stuff I remember reading a couple of years ago, not so much back then in which I wasn't paying attention at all) The existence of said rumors, for both guys (and really anyone) would have to be a pretty powerful motivator to take something extra, particularly in a culture that practically frowned on you for _not_ taking something. Even now the stigma is more on getting caught and causing a scene than it is the cheating the game bit, at least from the players. Testosterone (well, if that's all he was taking..) probably does less for you than Toradol.

He was a top prospect, but weren't they questioning his ability to actually play, particularly defense at SS (well, they might've been right on that)? I thought there was a rumored trade for Nomar or something in like the '94 offseason? Or was that just a Steinbrenner "OMG this guy kicked the ball around a bit and doesn't look like he has bomber power!"?

Frayed Knot wrote: You mean that guy the Yanx were trying to give away in several trades* before calling him up as a last resort** even as Gene Michael admitted they didn't expect much from him? You mean that guy? Doesn't that describe Jeter too? I mean, Clemens and Pettittes and Melkys come and go, but apparently not the drug problems.

Frayed Knot wrote: I hear Ceetar is blaming it all on Warthen. I mean, you can't have bad throws to the plate without runners on, and you don't get runners on without bad pitching, and Warthen's responsible for the pitchers..

Edgy DC wrote: bmfc1 wrote: How much did TC talk about "fundamentals" and "playing the game the right way" in Spring Training? Doesn't every manager, though? well pitcher hitting and sacrificing is better.. seems a lot like patching one hole to see three others burst out though...and further makes you miss Carlos Beltran. just guessing cold without stats, I went 2.1-3. It does happen, occasionally, so 1 in 50 or 100 seems too low. 1 in 33-45 though? perhaps right on the money. This probably isn't that much off league average though. It seems like almost never does a throw come in smoothly.

bmfc1 wrote: Ceetar wrote: Of Mets with at least 100 AB, Cedeno is 4th in OPS. .798. He's actually having a really good year. But 6th? He'll take a walk and Bay will hit into a DP. Don't you want some pop there? You could put him 2d but that means Turner at 6 so it's not an improvement. well, do you want Bay in front of him? second's probably better since Turner doesn't do so well against lefties. put Turner 7th.

Of Mets with at least 100 AB, Cedeno is 4th in OPS. .798. He's actually having a really good year.

Frayed Knot wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: I predict a riot of a postgame interview. Hell, we could all WRITE Terry's answers for him in advance. - "got to get him back on the horse" - "didn't want to ruin his Cahnfidence" - "I always have faith in my guys" - "I knew he wouldn't stay down for long" bleh, they'll probably all ask about Santana.

G-Fafif wrote: BAX TO THE FUTURE! and Santana is suddenly good again.

Frayed Knot wrote: Ceetar wrote: I'm going to Minnesota in November. Phoenix in August wasn't available? at least that has baseball. tagging along with the wife for a work conference. This is what's led me to seeing Coors field in November, Busch 2-3, and Petco. (at least they've been baseball cities and I can take a tour..)

G-Fafif wrote: It's reasonable strategy: bring in your best option -- or the one you're paying the most. yeah, but they could've pitched Bay and put FF in LF.

I can't watch. It's almost like i have cablevision.

Frayed Knot wrote: metsguyinmichigan wrote: Coolness! Cleveland's not that far, and a nice stadium, too! Plus I hear it rocks! I'm going to Minnesota in November. I don't think that's the month the Mets are going though. boo.

metsguyinmichigan wrote: You guys think Frank Frank is coming in? he's warming. so yeah.

I wonder if Terry is somewhat shellshocked by the no-hitter and thinking he ruined Santana.

come on, if you're only giving Niese 1 batter why have him bat?

Fowler is the chairman and CEO of privately-held Liquid Investments Inc., the parent company of operating entities in California and Colorado. The investment group distributes Miller, Coors, Heineken and other beer brands and has annual sales exceeding $220 million Good luck getting good craft beer at Petco.

Gwreck wrote: Adam Rubin reports that the Mets are expected to go to Cleveland and Minnesota next year, along with the White Sox playing the Mets in Flushing for the first time ever. ah. I assumed they were going to do the AL East. schedule's going to be interesting next year.

smg58 wrote: Beato had one bad outing. Granted, it was a terrible outing in a meaningful situation, but it's not sufficient grounds to part ways. He still has some upside. Shoppach would be a decent pickup for about $750k in the offseason, and would be regardless of where he finishes this year. But the Mets will probably have to offer more than that to keep him from testing the market. And if he hits the open market, what was the point of this? Some speculate that there is more to it than we know, and deeper than the "Damn you Thole you should've blocked my wild pitch" I'm wondering if it was more about an excuse to get rid of Beato than anything else. Although you cannot underestimate the 'catch the knuckler' thing. And it's not like you can have R.A. Dickey at the physical for the contract in the offseason. "Okay Kelly turn and cough. good. Now squat down in a catching position. Excellent. Now catch this fluttering 80 mph baseball! Go!"

bmfc1 wrote: ARGH! Two questions: on the single that preceded the Harper bomb, it looked like Wright and Tejada expected the other to get it so neither made an effort. Is that how it looked on TV? Why did Shorty let Shoppach bat in the 9th rather than Thole or Baxter? I know that Shoppach hit one out earlier but his splits show that he is Nickeas-like against righties. It was the 9th inning so there was some urgency involved. I thought it was time to use Baxter. Looked hard it and like they didn't really have time to react to me, but I don't think you could see both fielders in the tv shot. Collins goes to the platoon advantage seemingly to a fault, (and bungles Turner's reverse-split seemingly every time) except when you expect him to. I guess it was a not to Kelly's power, but ultimately the game ended on what seemed like Tejada trying to hit one out (again)

Frayed Knot wrote: The outcome of that top 9th inning was almost irrelevant. In games on the road, the Mets would have needed to score at least four to even have a shot at winning. they still had Parnell and Rauch actually, might have been okay.

4 home runs for the Mets tonight, not bad.

G-Fafif wrote: ANYWAY...Saturday night/Sunday afternoon with Howie and Josh unless the corporate pissing match is instantly solved. Truly not a bad alternative. and Jim, since Josh does Sunday football right? seawolf17 wrote: I loved that they used old english in the early games.