soupcan

]why anyone would actually be happy that our country's team lost? What? Just because we're Americans we HAVE to root for the US team? Isn't a big part of being American having the right to think, feel or root for anything you want? Screw the ugly Americans, Cuba's my team. Hasta la victoria siemp�!

I think its possible that Lance is/was a juicer but you'd really have to have some compelling evidence for me to seriously question him. So far everything I've seen or heard is really circumstantial and presented by people either with a grudge or with something to gain by tearing him down. Barry on the other end is a walking, talking 'Exhibit A'.

I predict that the Mets will be leading 7-0.

Yuliesky Gourriel (21 YO), 2B This guy's sipposed to be really, really good. Article in the NYTimes yesterday said he could be an impact player in the majors right now. HIs dad is a Cuban baseball legend and his brother is also a very good player.

Edgy DC wrote: Looks like I already did it, because there it is. Use & # 2 4 1 ; but take out the spaces between the six characters, and the magic internet will return to you an n-tilde. Bueno! Muchas gracias Señor! (looks like I'm cursing at you as I write it.)

Edgy DC wrote: Se�or Smoke was the late lamented Aurelio Lopez. I don't recall Berenguer having a nickname, but he was the first Met who could throw 100 since Nolan Ryan (and Ryan is presumably). Yeah, I'm stupid. I knew that. How do you type a tilde?

Berenguer had a nickname, no? 'Senor Smoke'?

From everything I've been reading it seems that Cuba is more than just a sleeper. The team has been practicing together for three months.

soupcan, Jr. got this one when we were down south... If nothing else it will get my caucasian, Westport, Connecticut kid free passage through Central Park during the Puerto Rican Day Parade. (I kid, I'm a kidder...)

Rotblatt wrote: When was Kent ever applauded? Exactly.

I don't really pay much attention when Sheffield opens his mouth.

Thanks for the updates!

That's fine but why friggin' Milwaukee? Ya got: San Diego - Balmy, pleasent and sunny 75 degrees all the time! Phoenix - Hot and dry Miami - South Beach and Cuban sandwiches Houston - Mosquitos as big as helicopters I'm told Los Angeles - The City of Angels and Hollywood starlets, not to mention palm trees in the outfield. Denver - Rocky Mountain Oysters, Coors drafts and purple mountain majesty. Chicago - Wrigley and steakhouses.

Yancy Street Gang wrote: No doubt, but Ted and Barry are separated by about four decades As were Kirby and Yogi. It's obviously not black and white (couldn't resist). It's an interesting debate.

Edgy DC wrote: Not for nothing, but it seems that traits like an "ever-present smile and infectious exuberance" (from Kirby Puckett's Hall of Fame plaque) are the sort that are treated as much more noteable for a black player --- Kirby Puckett, Mookie Wilson, Ernie Banks, maybe Roy Campanella. Roger McDowell's goofiness and giddiness made him notable, but he wasn't widely called "a great ambassador for the game" (although all those appearances at the MTV Softball Classic suggest he maybe was). Gary Carter's affability got him widely labelled a "phony." I only mention it because (a) the white folks who largely run baseball and largely support baseball perhaps more need black players who are sweet and fun and happy rather than surly and threatening and ( maybe it's a tough row to hoe --- to project joy and enthusasm on days when maybe you're not feeling it, and run the risk of being labelled a Tom in private conversation among your fellow black players. Perhaps because it is the minority that faces so much adversity that he/she is given a tacit approval to be surly that when we become familiar with a person of color who seems to be able to shed the weight of that burden and just 'be happy' no matter what the circumstance, that person stands out. So on the flip side of Roger McDowell and Gary Carter you have guys like Eddie Murray or Albert Belle who, while 'surly' were never compared in terms of personality to a guy like Ty Cobb. Why? Because it is more 'acceptable' for the black player to be surly? And just to further muddy the argument, Bill 'Spaceman' Lee, Yogi Berra and Turk Wendall are three white guys who are labled as goofy, affable, happy-go-lucky. ="Yancy Street Gang"]The question posed was, more or less, who would you be more afraid of encountering in a dark alley, Kevin Mitchell or Lastings Milledge? Mitchell's earned his scary rep, but the comparison to Milledge can only be racism. Maybe the Mets can hire Mookie as a smiling coach to teach Lastings to be non-threatening. I agree this is ludicrous as Mitchell was a gang member but let's not forget that our friend Lastings did have some sexual assualt charges levied against him. Girlfriend or no, his actions were illiegal enough for teams to take pause before drafting a 'can't-miss' prospect.

Got one more for you.... "Omar, about that starting pitching - don't you think you've spread yourself a bit thin?"

We're going with Endy Chavez because soupy, Jr. 'wants' it to at least be an MLer. For the recrd though, the guy that did sign was hispanic and had very pretty eyes.

Oh one more thing - On the flight home last night I was sitting next to a guy in a Doug Flynn jersey who was also at Spring Training. My son showed him the autographs he had gotten and there was one we had trouble figuring out. The player that signed was wearing catching shinguards and had '22' on his back but there was no name. '22' in the program indicated Endy Chavez but he's not a catcher. We also had seen Xavier Nady wearing 22 with 'Nady' sticthed across the back of his jersey. In the program Nady is listed as #10. The guy with the Flynn jersey tells me to check 'Mets By The Numbers' when I get home. 'It's an awesome site' he says. 'Yeah, I know that site' I say 'I, uh sort of know the guy that runs it'. ' You do?' Who is he? What's his name? 'His name? Uh, um, it's um, well, uh..... Johnny Dickshot......' How about Mr. D. Can you figure out who the hell signed my son's hat?

="ScarletKnight41"]Thanks for sharing your travel tales soup - great pix. Who was interviewing your son? That was for the new Mets channel - SportsNet New York. They were interveiwing kids about how to get autographs, etc. He thought it was just great. ="KC"]Nice pictures - I gotta have one of of those C ork tee shirts Yup. Me too. ="cooby"]Soupcan, were there more people there yesterday than Saturday? Oh yeah, a capacity crowd I think. Very funny though. Being a New Yorker and attending games up here you get used to the 'merengue night atmosphere' that often accompanies games at Shea. The locals from Port St. Lucie however, were not and it was very funny to see their reactions. The Latinos were boisterous and loud and dancing in the aisles. Mariatchi bands would arise spontaneously throughout the stadium. It was fun. Again though the locals did not know what to make of it. A lady sitting next to me was so freaked out she left in the 6th to 'beat he traffic'. They were amazed at the amount of alcohol consumption noticable because the beer vendors were only servicing those sections where the 'Boricuans' were (hey, beer vendors aren't stupid - they go where the denmand is).

Not so bad down here lazily watching exhibition games in 85 degree weather. We're at the Holiday Inn in Port St. Lucie where supposedly the Single A St. Lucie Mets are also holed up. I say supposedly because all we've actually seen are a bunch of tall, fit latin men wearing flashy jewelry. Could be the St. Lucie Mets or it could be the Dominican Chippendales travelling squad. Went to the game today and it was fun. My son got exactly two autographs - Jose Valentin and Royce Ring (who couldn't be nicer - lucky for him). No Pedro sightings, but we did see the Puerto Rican WBC team doing some stretching. Bernie Williams is quite a bit bigger than I ever thought. Took a few pics, here ya go. soupcan, Jr. welcomes you... As do the two Puerto Rican National Team's Carloses, Beltran (who it appears has had that nasty 'thing' removed from the side of his head finally) and... ...Delgado. Clean shaven right down to his chocolaty smooth chrome dome "soupcan, Jr.! soupy! Can we get a quote?! A comment? Anything? How's your toe?" The Woodman looking to be in fine shape Cliffy apparently believes Met fans are not alone in their thinking that the starting pitching may be a bit thin. Xavier Nady asking Floyd if he thinks he'll have a better chance at the opening day roster if he works on his slider too. Best t-shirt I saw today. On a serious note - why are these foul/fair poles so short?? Where stadium security found me after babysitting a crying 'lost' soupcan, Jr. for an hour. "Pizza Guy. Who ordered the pepperoni?" My first look at Lastings Milledge. I'm liking the socks. Lastings again (this kid needs a nickname bad), it was just a groundout but exciting anyway.Ooh sorry, bad job on the resize. soupy, Jr. cooling off in the Holiday Inn pool after a long hot day

I have no knowledge of any of this one way or the other but I have heard that LoDuca's tough on pitchers. The way Piazza is described doesn't surprise me though. He always had a laid-back attitude. Not so far-fetched to think that he let the pitchers call the shots. (back later tonight with pictures and a spring training report from today's events...)

Well if that guy accusing them of sucking hairy moose cock had a year like Wright's at that age at that point in his career he would have a point. Case by case by resume-peddling friend.

Elster88 wrote: Money always talks in the end when free agent time comes around. But who knows. The Mets could've thrown a little (but more than 20 grand) love David's way. It's not like they can't afford it. Maybe he'd me more willing to negotiate a long term deal before free agency if they treat him right now. A guy like David is the guy you want to stick around a while. That's all I'm saying.

Hmmmm, unfortunately I don't have any openings for Caustic Fucktard English Professors right now. I'll keep you in mind should anything come up.

I'm a big believer in doing what's right in business even though it may not garner you the most money. If down the road an raise that the Mets were not compelled to give to Wright and Reyes does not produce any good will then shame on the players but at least Fred and Omar and whoever can always say that they were always more than fair when it came to compensation. That's how I handle my business and yes, I've definitely gotten burned in the past but I also have a core of very loyal employees. Its just money and yet a (relatively) little bit of can go a very long way.