soupcan

This article is in the Times today. I have no recollection at all of these pieces decorating the Kiner's Korner studio. I remember a sort of a 3-Dish frieze made up of 'METS' in different type styles in a sort of beige color. Anyone remember these drawings...? Also - if you go to the article at the Times site here, you can listen to Kiner interviewing Stengel on the very first Kiner's Korner February 10, 2008 Cheering Section Mets Lore Lands in New Jersey Basement By VINCENT M. MALLOZZI Charlie Sobel received a rather unusual bar mitzvah gift in 1971. �I was living in Brooklyn at the time, and I get this box in the mail from my Uncle Robert and I�m all excited,� he recalled. �I open it up and I see all these baseball drawings and I�m like, �What�s this junk?� I mean, here I was, this 13-year-old kid, just looking at what seemed like a really cheap gift. I just threw it in a box and forgot about it.� Twelve years later, Sobel married and was moving to New Jersey. His father reminded him about the box, which had been collecting dust in the basement. Inside were the 14 drawings that his Uncle Robert, a sports memorabilia collector in the 1960s and 1970s, had bought at an auction. �I had forgotten all about it,� said Sobel, a 48-year-old Mets fan. �But this time around I was a little older, and I appreciated the gift a lot more.� Most of the cartoonlike drawings feature caricatures accompanied by the kind of punchy lines that might be written on fans� signs at the ballpark: �How About a Bat Transplant,� �Don�t Put This One on Instant Replay,� �A Mets Summer Night�s Dream,� �Did You See That, I Can�t Look� and �Whaddya Mean Out?� Sobel, who retired as the owner of a garment manufacturing company in Manhattan, eventually framed and hung the drawings in his basement, where he often sits with friends, watches sports and talks about baseball, his favorite sport. His friend Todd Kupfer was visiting one day when he realized that he had seen the artwork before, in another room where people used to talk baseball. As it turned out, the drawings had once decorated the set of �Kiner�s Korner,� a long-running postgame interview show. Ralph Kiner, a Mets broadcaster and Hall of Fame player, was its host. �I couldn�t believe it,� said Kupfer, 48, whose favorite drawing is one that says, �Get Him on Kiner�s Korner.� �I told Charlie that what he owned was a rare and incredible piece of Mets history,� Kupfer added. �Everything else in this basement � autographed baseballs and basketballs and jerseys and hockey pucks � everyone else has. But no one has this.� Sobel, whose basement is filled with autographed photos of players like Willie Mays, Tom Seaver, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, as well as baseballs signed by the 1969 and 1986 Mets World Series champions, considers the unsigned original �Kiner�s Korner� art the crown jewel of his collection. �When I give people a tour of this basement, I always save the drawings for last,� said Sobel, who lives with his wife, Linda, and their three daughters in Colts Neck, N.J. �I look at this artwork as the most unique part of my collection. Everyone who has seen it has been impressed.� So is one person who has not seen it. �I can�t believe someone still has that stuff,� Kiner, 85, said recently by telephone from his home in Palm Beach, Fla. �I thought it was all gone. As a collector�s item, I would have to rank it up there with just about anything else that has been a part of the 43-year history of the Mets at Shea Stadium.� He added that the artwork has �extra-special meaning now that Shea is in its last year of existence.� Kiner said that his show began at the Polo Grounds in 1962, the Mets� first season. �We didn�t start calling it �Kiner�s Korner� until the Mets moved to Shea in 1964,� he said. �It�s kind of sad because I don�t think there are more than a dozen of the shows from those early days that were saved on film.� Kiner said that Seaver was his favorite guest. On Sobel�s version of �Kiner�s Korner,� it is Kupfer. �When Charlie is talking baseball with me in this room, he kind of reminds me of Kramer interviewing people on the old Merv Griffin set,� said Kupfer, referring to an episode of �Seinfeld� in which Cosmo Kramer finds furniture from Griffin�s talk show in the trash and reassembles it in his apartment. Kiner said he was flattered that after all these years, some Mets fans would still be imitating him. �I always run into people who are in their 50s who say they grew up with �Kiner�s Korner,� � he said. �But this is the first time I�m hearing about someone who actually owns a piece of it.� E-mail: cheers@nytimes.com

themetfairy wrote: ...but in my opinion it's better than any of the Best Picture nominees. Wow, really?

Frayed Knot wrote: Unaffiliated docs would probably make it worse. (Heath? ... Elvis?) Hell, I could probably find one to declare that I'm in need of menopause meds. Go all the way back to 'Ball Four' where the players were getting their stash from outside docs while keeping the who and how info from the in-house MDs and training staff because they knew that those guys would squeal to mgmt. 'Tis true. I have a brother-in-law who is an anasthesiologist. I asked him for some Ambien. He lectured me on the addictive qualities of it and every sleep med out there and absolutely would not give me a prescription for it. Instead he suggested that I try an herbal tea that he recommended. A week later I'm talking to a dermatologist friend and I mentioned the tea and how I came to know about it. The dermatologist then says to me "well if you still want it, I'll write you a prescription for the Ambien..."

AG/DC wrote: That's really depressing to think that his strategy of gladhanding members of Congress is working. Somebody vote Towns out of office NOW!!!! I agree and felt exactly as you did after reading this. I'm surprised that the article didn't emphasize that angle more.

="themetfairy"]Thanks guys. Man - I can't see why someone would risk long-term health for that. Doing it for a competitive edge in baseball is at least understandable, considering the money at stake. But for a photo shoot? It makes Botox seem reasonable by comparison. And toxic is part of its name! This article from today's New York Times makes it seem that she may have a financial interest in being and looking fit as well. February 9, 2008 Clemens Campaigns as His Wife Is Named By DUFF WILSON and MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT WASHINGTON � Roger Clemens met privately with seven more members of Congress on Friday, completing a two-day sweep of nearly half of the members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform who will hear his sworn testimony Wednesday. One of the congressmen, Edolphus Towns, a Democrat who represents Brooklyn, gave the most complete account yet of what Clemens has been saying in the closed-door meetings. Towns said he came away believing that it was Clemens�s accuser, Brian McNamee, who might ultimately be charged with perjury. The good tidings did not stop there. Denise Mixon, Towns�s deputy chief of staff, happily had her picture taken with one of the most decorated pitchers in baseball history, with Clemens placing his arm over her shoulder and flashing a big smile. It was one of a number of souvenir moments involving Clemens in the last two days, although a Clemens spokesman said he did not know if any of the 19 members of Congress with whom Clemens had met had actually asked for an autograph. But for Clemens and his lawyers, there was still plenty of turbulence in the Capitol. Information emerged that McNamee, Clemens�s former trainer, had stated in a sworn deposition Thursday that he not only injected Clemens with steroids and human-growth hormone but had also injected Clemens�s wife, Debbie, with H.G.H., at Clemens�s request. In the deposition, which was made behind closed doors with lawyers for the committee, McNamee said he injected Debbie Clemens with H.G.H. in late 2002 or early 2003, a person with knowledge of the matter, insisting on anonymity, told reporters. McNamee had previously told federal investigators the same thing, the person said. Clemens�s camp reacted angrily to the public disclosure without specifically denying it. �This shows what kind of person we�re dealing with,� Clemens�s lawyer Rusty Hardin said. McNamee�s own lawyers said the disclosure was unauthorized and did not come from them. �I said I didn�t want to discuss matters that were part of yesterday�s testimony, so I really can�t confirm that,� the lawyer Richard Emery said. �I won�t deny it, but I won�t confirm it.� The significance, if any, was unclear. A broad immunity applies to people testifying about their spouses, and the allegation, if true, would not prove that Roger Clemens was injected with performance-enhancing drugs by McNamee, although it would suggest that Roger Clemens was familiar enough with H.G.H. to have a family member use it. McNamee�s other lawyer, Earl Ward, said in a telephone interview Friday evening: �We are not interested in Debbie Clemens or anything associated with her. We are interested in Roger Clemens and his use.� Emery and Ward said they wanted to turn attention back to what they described as important corroborating evidence for McNamee � used syringes, vials and bloody pads they said were used when McNamee injected Clemens on various occasions in 2001. The materials were given to federal investigators Jan 10, and lawyers for McNamee released photographs to congressional staff members Thursday. As all this was gradually occurring, Towns, the Brooklyn congressman, was speaking in positive terms about Clemens, saying his half-hour personal visit made him a believer in Clemens�s character. But Towns said he did not feel that way about McNamee; he said he found his story of holding onto used syringes and swabs for seven years to be �weird.� �Doesn�t that seem a little strange?� Towns said. �This is a really weird one. This one is interesting, man. I have been in this business for a long time.� Towns said Clemens explained why he had not responded to invitations to meet with George J. Mitchell before his report on baseball and performance-enhancing drugs in December. Clemens, Towns said, did not take the Mitchell invitation seriously because he thought it was only about allegations linking him to a drug affidavit involving pitcher Jason Grimsley in a 2006 article in The Los Angeles Times, which later proved to be inaccurate. Clemens did not know, Towns said, that McNamee had already talked to Mitchell and told him that he had injected Clemens on 16 occasions with steroids and H.G.H. �He really thought it wasn�t a serious kind of issue,� Towns said of Clemens, �and he was focused on the story about him in The Los Angeles Times, not recognizing it was a new allegation.� Towns said when he asked Clemens and his lawyers about McNamee, they attacked McNamee�s credibility. They said he had lost his job with the New York Police Department because of �a questionable situation with a criminal person�; lied in a 2001 date rape case; and was �money hungry,� Towns said. The police department has not said that McNamee was fired, and he was not charged in the 2001 case. Towns was hardly the only member of the committee to speak about Clemens in friendly terms the last two days, which would seem to affirm the decision of his lawyers to have him meet with as many committee members as possible. McNamee�s lawyers said Clemens was inappropriately lobbying members of Congress. But Hardin, Clemens�s lawyer, described the two days of meetings as �fun� and �social.� �It is a heck of an Americana experience,� Hardin said in a phone interview Friday evening. �When you get to go through and see all the representatives and how diverse and passionate they are, you feel better about the whole process.� �The Congress people were very responsive,� he added. Meanwhile, the allegation about Debbie Clemens is likely to reverberate in the days to come. Clemens�s lawyers are expected to hold a news conference Monday to address the issue, which might have caught them off guard Friday. But even if Debbie Clemens has information relevant to McNamee�s allegations against her husband, she would not have to speak to either Congress or the courts because of a broad spousal immunity, Deborah L. Rhode, a professor of law at Stanford University and a former counsel to the House Judiciary Committee, said in a phone interview Friday. In his deposition Thursday, McNamee said Roger Clemens asked him to inject Debbie Clemens with H.G.H. some time before the couple appeared in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue in February 2003, the person familiar with the matter said. H.G.H. is used by some people for body-building purposes; others believe it slows the aging process. It is not approved by the government for either use. Debbie Clemens did not respond to a request for comment left with a receptionist in her Houston office. The Clemenses were married 23 years ago and have four sons, one of them a minor leaguer with the Houston Astros. Debbie Clemens is a designer and a fixture at golf charity events. She has her own Web site, debbieclemens.com, which says its intent is to �help women achieve their goals of balance in family, fitness, fashion and fun.� On the Web site, Debbie Clemens emphasizes an exercise routine to be used six days a week. Now she finds herself as the newest member of an intense public struggle between her husband and McNamee, with potential perjury charges looming as the confrontation plays itself out. The 19 members who met with Clemens and the 22 who didn�t are scheduled to be part of a full committee hearing at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. The hearing is titled �The Mitchell Report: The Illegal Use of Steroids in Major League Baseball, Day 2.� The first day, last month, featured Mitchell and baseball officials. This one features Clemens versus McNamee, with each in attendance.

themetfairy wrote: How does HGH help a person prepare for a photo shoot? I think it also helps with muscle definition.

From the photo shoot in question... Well, at least the drugs worked.

Frayed Knot wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Hey she had to prep for that SI swimsuit issue. I was kidding when I wrote this earlier but apparently that was exactly the timing of the whole thing. (as per Bill Madden on WFAN) I had assumed you somehow got the news before it broke. Well done.

I liked the feather plume and the tennis balls (yet another thing that would no longer be tolerated).

I stand corrected. Do I get any points for naked in a van with a woman?

If memory serves he was caught naked in a van with an underage girl. 'Zat right?

Centerfield wrote: Mice are rodents and can be killed in traps, but hamsters and guinea pigs are pets. It all seems too arbitrary to me. Can you imagine if you had 30 or so hamsters and/or guinea pigs living in your walls and leaving little (or not so little) shits all over your basement and kitchen cupboards? Yeesh.

As printed in the New York Post WILD PITCH:Pedro Martinez and Juan Marichal throw their roosters into the ring... ...and seem to genuinely enjoy the blood sport. PLUCKED:Pedro's fighting rooster appears to have been killed.

Funny. ]You have a great way of saying anything. Where did you learn that? I don't know. It's a mild form of Tourette's. I remember about a year and a half ago, I went to a Mets game. I was talking to Willie Randolph. The lineup is being made. I look at the lineup. I see Moises Alou and Shawn Green. I say, "What is this, the '89 All-Star game?'

="themetfairy"] I am not great at visualizing these things. Do you have a visual example of a jersey with and without the drop shadow?

You see - I got no problem with the dot. I'll sign your orange dot petition if you sign my drop shadow one.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I think it's obvious we're going to see some changes to the uni next year. What are you thinking? No more black?! Please, please. please. please!

A Boy Named Seo wrote: I'm still not crazy about the drop-shadow. But I'm not going to bitch. Those are beautiful. I'll bitch about the drop-shadow. Fucking hate it.

Not that we didn't already know this, but, jeez, Omar just cannot talk.

I prefer the 29 year-old, in-his-prime, currently-best-pitcher-in baseball to the still-recovering-from shoulder-surgery, 36 and a half year-old. That being said, I wouldn't have an issue with Pedro getting the start.

G-Fafif wrote: First Giant SB champs denied a parade by "but they're in Jersey" Koch; I agreed with Koch on that one though. They don't play here. What was the exact quote? "Let'em have a parade in Moonachie!"? Classic Koch. G-Fafif wrote: Bloomberg, one assumes, could foot the bill out of coins that have slipped behind his sofa cushions. It's funny 'cause its true.

My point was less about the historical outcome of past Met trades and more about Val's hesitance to pull the trigger because of his affinity for the Mets minor leaguers involved. Amos Otis, Ken Singleton - I remember not-so-great deals too, but my point is that you have better odds that a trade will go your way when you get a Santana for four totally raw and unproven guys then if you don't pull that trigger. You have to play those odds. Have to.

="Valadius"]What's done is done. I'm pleased that we have a pitcher of Santana's caliber. I'm just a risk-averse person when it comes to trades. It's always hard for me to pull the trigger on anything I'm not 100% certain on. I was a little like Val as a younger fan. Always was excited to see the minor league guys come up and hoped to watch them blossom into major league stars. Always thought they were better than they were because I wanted them to be. Always got too attached to the guys that were on my team simply because they were on my team. If I was Mets GM in the '80s, in 1986 Lee Mazzilli would have been playing centerfield for something like his 10th consecutive year. Ron Hodges would've been behind the plate and the Cardinals would have been the National League champs. Trust me Val - this was a great move. (David West, Alex Ochoa, Alex Escobar, Gregg Jefferies, Shaun Abner....)

="seawolf17"]Dave Justice won the ROY award?!? With then future-wife Halle Berry by his side.