Elster88

For actual discussion on Paul LoDuca, spun off from the first thread. (EDIT: Un-fucking-believable. 6 out of 33 actual posts on Lo Duca. 'Course, I'm as guilty as anyone in that respect.) Dickshot: I like Paul LoDuca. He shouldnta dropped the ball but did everything else right. Deception is perfectly acceptable in baseball, and the real screwup on that play was sending Sorryanus in the first place (not to mention Royce Clayton failing to remove the bat from the basepath). LoDuca: He's one of us. Sharpie: I've always been in Lo Duca's corner. Born in Brooklyn with a Brooklyn kind of name (even though he moved to Arizona when he was like, 2), what's not to like? He's not Mike Piazza, but I liked him better than the alternatives in Hernandez and Molina. Metirish: No doubt that Lo Duca will become a fan fave, in the papers this morning he's getting described as "gritty and hard nosed",a " do all it takes to win" kinda player, and he's honest...on the Soriano play he said this.. ]"I'll be honest, I think Soriano's a real good player but with a chance to be second-and-third and no outs, you've got to know that's not a good play," Edgy Paciorek couldn't say enough about how foolish the head-first slide was there. He comes in with his spikes and the ball winds up in Bloomberg's lap. Frayed Knot LoDuca to have a weekly spot on Joe Badabingo's show; Tuesdays at noon starting today. Metirish Back to Lo Duca.....he's sponsored by a Rock Band at Baseball reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/l/loducpa01.shtml how cool is that?

="Bret Sabermetric"]="Elster88"]Like I said, I don't want to get into it again. My question remains: Why bring it up again? Your feelings are well known. I certainly wasn;t going to make it into a Piazza thread, Yes you did. ="Bret Sabermetric"]which wasn't even the main point of my post about Lo Duca. Yes it was. ]you;ve said your piece about 1000 times already and you haven';t introduced a shred of evidence to back it up, so it gets tiresome. As opposed to your hard evidence: "read between the lines when Mets pitchers discuss Lo Duca's skills as a catcher this season, and if you're willing to see, you'll see what they thought of Piazza's defense". This is what you call evidence? A second point: What I say is tiresome???? Are you insane? ____________________________ Seriously what was the point of your first post? You said this >>"You beginnning to appreciate the advantages of having a catcher who plays gritty, competitive defense without a care for contact? Sometimes having that quality might win a game or two for you." So were you really wondering if JD was just now learning how to appreciate "gritty, competitive defense"? No, you were taking a shot at Piazza. To argue otherwise is to be full of shit. Are you full of shit? If you aren't, then congratulations on fooling 95% of the people here into thinking you are.

Willets Point wrote: Translation: Anna's PR person called her and said she's another set of fake boobs if she's no longer "Baseball's Hottest Housewife" and would see her income drop appropriately. Or she reread her marriage contract and discovered the pre-nuptial agreement.

Bret Sabermetric wrote: ="Elster88"][Piazza was an above average defender at everything related to catching except throwing out base stealers. All you'll have to do, as I said, is read between the lines when Mets pitchers discuss Lo Duca's skills as a catcher this season, and if you're willing to see, you'll see what they thought of Piazza's defense. From what I've seen, your ability at "reading between the lines" leaves a lot to be desired.

Like I said, I don't want to get into it again. My question remains: Why bring it up again? Your feelings are well known.

Bret Sabermetric wrote: Elster, I'm wrong? Maybe so. But no one has convinced me that Piazza was anything other than a weak defensive catcher far more generally than in the one quantifiable area, his throwing arm, which sucked so badly even his fans had to concede that point. He also sucked defensively protecting the dish, calling pitches, and was only so-so on bunts and pop flies. If you want to argue otherwise, do so. If all you want is to stick out your tongue and say "Mikey never sucked a single egg"---well, your tongue could get stuck like that, and then where would you be? My "tongue sticking out" defense of Piazza's catching ability is very similar to your "tongue sticking out" attack on Piazza's catching ability. It has been well-documented here and in other places that Piazza was an above average defender at everything related to catching except throwing out base stealers. I don't want to have that same discussion for the 1,000th time. The only reason I responded was because it's very annoying that praise of our new catcher is immediately used as a reason to drop a (very) thinly-veiled insult against our old catcher. Lots of topics have provided you with the same excuse. Why do it again?

Gimme Dat Nut

This is not garnering the interest that I had hoped for.

I doubt Rivera even knows the lyrics. I think the only ones who care are Yankee fans. And if their enjoyment of watching Rivera come into a game is detracted because Wagner plays the same song, then they need to grow up and get the fuck over it. 'Nuf said.

Bret Sabermetric wrote: No. and no Wild Card. Braves first (93) , Phils 2nd (90), Mets 3rd. Why? The Mets are going to have rotation problems, and keep trading away offensive talent for non-solution veteran starters. I see a trainwreck in September. Put some predictions down in the predictions thread. Just as no one will mock metirish for putting a high number for Reyes' OBP, no one will mock your low numbers.

Bret Sabermetric wrote: ="KC PROTECTOR OF THE WEAK AND DEFENSELESS POSTERS"](and Piazza was fine defensive catcher sans his throwing arm for the Mets imo) He never would have made that play, probably would not have tried. He would have given it the arm's-length swipe tag that he made famous. Just saying he was a good defensive catcher doesn't make him one, though you can try. He sucked eggs as a defensive catcher, as a team leader, as a baserunner and in many, many, many other ways. As you used to delight in reminding me, I used to assure you that the Mets never had a chance to win their division again with Piazza on the team. How'd that work out? If the Mets had Piazza catching yesterday, their record is now 0-1. Spin that. Spin that? Simple. You're wrong.

If you can't sleep, do something productive, like filling out your Met predictions.

5 IP, 0 R, Game 6, 1986 NLCS Hotfoots. (hotfeet?)

As a regular listener and sometime-defender of M&MD, I was absolutely 100% embarrassed by their show today.

Let's say all predictions in by 7:10 Wednesday. Where is everyone? Edgy, let's hear from you. metirish, finish up your post. etc.

1) Give the Met who will have the most of each category, names but no numbers Batting categories Games - David Wright Hits - Carlos Delgado Doubles - David Wright Triples - Jose Reyes Home runs - Carlos Delgado RBI - Carlos Delgado Stolen Bases - Jose Reyes Caught stealing - Jose Reyes Runs scored - David Wright Batting average (high) - Carlos Delgado On base percentage (high) - David Wright Strikeouts (high) - Carlos Delgado Walks - David Wright Pitching categories Wins - Pedro Martinez Losses - Victor Zambrano Strikeouts - Pedro Martinez Walks - Victor Zambrano ERA (low) - Billy Wagner ERA (high) - Jorge Julio ERA (low by a starter) - Pedro Martinez ERA (high by a starter) - Brian Bannister Saves - Billy Wagner BAA (low) - Billy Wagner BAA (high) - Jorge Julio Games started - Tom Glavine Games pitched - Aaron Heilman 2) Give the number for the player and category specified Cliff Floyd - games - 140 Cliff Floyd - batting average - .285 David Wright - runs scored - 95 David Wright - RBI - 99 Carlos Beltran - home runs - 22 Carlos Beltran - stolen bases - 35 Jose Reyes - errors - 17 Jose Reyes - on base percentage - .320 Carlos Delgado - batting average - .315 Carlos Delgado - RBI - 105 Kaz Matsui - games - 135 Kaz Matsui - runs scored - 65 Anderson Hernandez - games - 45 Anderson Hernandez - batting average - .210 Anderson Hernandez - fielding percentage - .985 Paul Lo Duca - on base percentage - .345 Xavier Nady - RBI - 60 Victor Diaz - games - 70 Pedro Martinez - strikeouts - 200 Tom Glavine - wins - 17 Steve Trachsel - losses - 10 Steve Trachsel - walks - 85 Victor Zambrano - ERA - 4.10 Victor Zambrano - strikeouts - 150 Brian Bannister - games started - 15 Aaron Heilman - games started - 3 Billy Wagner - saves - 42 Billy Wagner - ERA - 1.10 Jorge Julio - ERA - 5.87 3)Team Categories Total runs scored - 850 Total runs against - 789 Team ERA - 4.15 Team batting average - .268 Record - 90 - 72 NL East Finish (1st, 2nd, etc.) - 2nd Games behind NL East Winner - 3 Playoffs (Division winner, Wildcard winner, no playoffs) - Wildcard winner Playoff finish - (Win WS, Lose WS, Lose NLCS, Lose NLDS, no playoffs) - Lose NLCS 4)Tie-breakers 1st tie breaker - Total number of rainouts - 2 2nd tie breaker - Time of longest game of the year - 5:31

I think you meant to say: LET'S GET IT ON

BUMP

The stupidity is in that we went from seven starters to Bannister starting Game 2. Other than that, I'm pleased.

I've been watching my new copy of the '86 Series and reading The Bad Guys Won for the tenth time. Now I'm posting here. I can't sleep either.

Thundershowers forecasted. Shit.

Joe Morgan is an idiot. Nothing new.

*cough* Opening Day is tomorrow. Get those predictions in. If you only did half of the questions, get the rest done.

Oh god, please, not with the "Jake Monster" again.

Gawd-dammitt. Look, I'm happy that Bannister had a good spring. And I'm looking forward to seeing what he has. But here were my exact thoughts after we picked up Delgado. "We now have a great lineup, and seven starting pitchers. As long as Omar doesn't fuck this up, we are going to have a great season." Now Brian Bannister is our starter for Game 2. Fucking Omar.