Cowtipper

McReynolds is correct! A new question has been added, with hints for the rest: New questions: 1. From the back of an old baseball card: "This player swung his bat with more authority in '94. That meant more strikeouts, but it also translated into a huge leap in run production. He hit a career-high 16 home runs in 291 at-bats and raised his slugging average 86 points to .443." Who am I? Hint: A catcher who once hit 41 home runs for the Mets. Was twice an All-Star in NY. Traded by the New York Mets with Arnie Gooch (minors) to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Roger Cedeño and Charles Johnson. Hint: His father, Randy, played in the major leagues. 2. From the back of an old baseball card: "This player gave the Mets a dandy fielding shortstop who batted over .300 the first month of the '94 season after being traded to them by the Cubs for Anthony Young and Otis Smith. He has outstanding range to his right and a strong arm." Who am I? Hint: Played for NY from 1994 to partway through 1996. Traded by the Chicago Cubs to the New York Mets for Ottis Smith (minors) and Anthony Young. Traded by the New York Mets with Jeff Kent to the Cleveland Indians for Carlos Baerga and Álvaro Espinoza. Spent 18 years in the big leagues, playing from 1989 to 2006. Hint: Played for the Yankees in the 2000 World Series. 3. https://i.imgur.com/NdZAJFL.png> Who am I? Hint: Nicknamed Buffalo, played for the Mets in 2019 and 2020. Hit .288 with 14 home runs in 2019. Spent most of his career with the Nationals. Hint: Last played in the MLB in 2021. 4. https://i.imgur.com/0TYE64W.png> Who am I? Hint: Had a 3.94 ERA in 49 games in his only season with NY, 1989. Reliever spent 13 years in the majors, playing from 1977 to 1990. Gave up important home run in 1989. Hint: Spent the plurality of his career with Angels. 5. https://i.imgur.com/LqEBbCQ.png> Who am I? Hint: Pitched for the Mets from 2015 to 2020, making 30 starts twice and winning as many as 11 games. Had a 3.68 ERA in 3 2015 postseason starts. Later traded to the Blue Jays for Yennsy Díaz, Sean Reid-Foley and Josh Winckowski. Running tally of correct guessers: Johnny Lunchbucket: 118 Edgy MD: 87 stevejrogers: 72 batmagadanleadoff: 34 DocTee: 10 metsmarathon: 9 The Hot Corner: 7 Benjamin Grimm: 6 MFS62: 4 Marshmallowmilkshake: 1 Methead: 1

Wilmer Flores, who played for the Mets from 2013 to 2018, is hitting .206/.277/.318 with 4 home runs and 26 RBI in 71 games for the Giants. He is currently on the 60-day IL. Drew Gagnon, who pitched for the Mets in 2018 and 2019, is 7-5 with a 3.44 ERA in 15 starts for the Wei Chuan Dragons in Taiwan. Ben Gamel, who played for the Mets in 2024, is hitting .455/.538/.545 in 11 at-bats for the Astros.

Newly acquired Eddie Rosario has been released after hitting .103 in 7 games at Triple-A. Mets release Yancarlos Rivas.​

New questions: 1. From the back of an old baseball card: "This player swung his bat with more authority in '94. That meant more strikeouts, but it also translated into a huge leap in run production. He hit a career-high 16 home runs in 291 at-bats and raised his slugging average 86 points to .443." Who am I? 2. From the back of an old baseball card: "This player gave the Mets a dandy fielding shortstop who batted over .300 the first month of the '94 season after being traded to them by the Cubs for Anthony Young and Otis Smith. He has outstanding range to his right and a strong arm." Who am I? 3. From the back of an old baseball card: "The Mets and Royals exchanged leftfielders in 1994, with this player trading places with Vince Coleman in a deal that helped both teams. An outstanding fielder with a strong arm, this player returned to the Mets after two years away." Who am I? 4. https://i.imgur.com/NdZAJFL.png> Who am I? 5. https://i.imgur.com/0TYE64W.png> Who am I? Running tally of correct guessers: Johnny Lunchbucket: 118 Edgy MD: 87 stevejrogers: 72 batmagadanleadoff: 34 DocTee: 10 metsmarathon: 9 Benjamin Grimm: 6 The Hot Corner: 6 MFS62: 4 Marshmallowmilkshake: 1 Methead: 1

Jones and Segui are correct! Answering the unanswered: https://i.imgur.com/PudWDVM.png> Who am I? Pete Smith From the back of an old baseball card: "This pitcher became a regular starter for the Mets in '94 after being traded by the Braves for Dave Gallagher. A big righthander who was 7-0 in '92, he has fine control and relies chiefly on a tremendous curveball and a hard-breaking slider." Who am I? Pete Smith (again) From the back of an old baseball card: "A superb combination of speed and power, this player is one of the Mets' bright young hopes for the future. He has outstanding bat speed as a classic pull hitter and great makeup. 'He gets dirty, gets after it,' said an observer, 'He doesn't leave anything on the field. And he doesn't take himself too seriously.'" Who am I? This is vague, but the player in question is from the era of the majority of the recent answers. He also might have been a recent answer to one of the baseball card image questions. Jeromy Burnitz Running tally of correct guessers: Johnny Lunchbucket: 118 Edgy MD: 87 stevejrogers: 72 batmagadanleadoff: 34 DocTee: 10 metsmarathon: 9 Benjamin Grimm: 6 The Hot Corner: 6 MFS62: 4 Marshmallowmilkshake: 1 Methead: 1

Watching this game now. Gary showed astonishment that there were only four pitchers with 150+ wins. It's a low point, but assuming Verlander, Scherzer and Kershaw come back (likely they will), the club will like expand a bit in 2025, with Lance Lynn and Charlie Morton—assuming both come back—both likely reaching the mark, and Chris Sale will get there, too, or at least pretty darn close. Then it might be a while for the next pitcher to get there, but there's a BUNCH of guys (8-13, potentially more) who are trending toward getting there at about the same time...but that's a couple years down the line.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Did Winker just say, "I love this shit"? LOL, yeah. I had to replay it myself to make sure.

If I calculated it correctly, the Mets' Magic Number for finishing 1st in the division is a meager 45, and it is just 29 for second in the division, which is also the number to achieve a Wild Card spot. Also, good job, new guy. You now have a Mets legacy.

Hot damn.

=MFS62 post_id=167172 time=1724265404 user_id=60] =Cowtipper post_id=167165 time=1724264900 user_id=166] Perfect Game Watch!!!111

Perfect Game Watch!!!111

Lindor now has a 25-25 season.

Mets sent RHP Dedniel Núñez on a rehab assignment to Syracuse Mets. Kyle Crick sent on a rehab assignment to St. Lucie Mets. Crick has been a non-factor all year and had yet to play at all this season.

Quintana's ERA since the start of August is 8.27. However, since the start of July, it's a more respectable 4.56 and since June 15, it's still a decent 3.86. The past four starts have been rough, but the two starts before that he allowed just one run each. In July, his ERA was 2.05. I'm not throwing the towel in on him, yet. Still, a very sucky game. I had hope at one point there. Also, Ottavino's ERA since June 8? 3.18 in 25 appearances. So, he's been better. Still don't want him back ever again, but he's been better.

This is playoff magic we're seeing these past few days .

I had no issue with him being here. He was neither good nor bad, he just was. The Mysterious Mr. Gamel had his contract selected on June 25 and was DFA'd on August 18, meaning he spent nearly two months with the club, but he appeared in just 18 games and had 23 at-bats with them. His OBP was .400 in his short stay, and he managed 9 runs on just 5 hits (in part because he had 7 walks), so he wasn't too ineffective while he was around. I won't miss him, but it was good to see his successful stint at Triple-A earned him a spot on the big league roster for a while.

Frayed Knot wrote: As Gary mentioned several times last night re: Peterson, the WHIP (1.36) and the ERA (3.00) don't exactly match up so you wonder if he's being a wee bit fortunate. But the longer it continues the more you start to think that maybe he has a knack for it. Garrett was very much the same way, then he fell apart. Peterson might a house of cards, too. I don't know, I have more faith in him now than I had in Garrett then, when he was doing well.

Lefty Specialist wrote: Quintana was quietly not superb at all last time out. Threw almost as many balls as strikes, 4 ER, 4 walks and 7 hits in 4 innings. Quintana has quietly been superb since mid-June. In 11 starts since June 15, he's 5-3 with a 3.16 ERA and .200 OBA.

Quintana has quietly been superb since mid-June. In 11 starts since June 15, he's 5-3 with a 3.16 ERA and .200 OBA. If he, Severino and Manaea continue to pitch as well as they have, one wonders what they'll do for next year. They'll have a big backlog should they bring the aforementioned three back. Senga Quintana Severino Manaea Peterson Scott Maybe Megill (ick) Maybe Blackburn Maybe Butto Vasil Tidwell Hamel Maybe Lucchesi (?) Etc. etc. That is A LOT of depth. I hope they find a way to bring Manaea back, but he has a player option for $13.5 million for 2025 and I can't imagine he'll take that after the way he's pitched this year. He'll likely turn his 2024 performance into a multi-year deal worth a lot more than $13.5 million with somebody. Just like the offense, which on paper is excellent but took forever to click, the starting pitching took a long time to click this year. But, as evidenced by the list above, it is much better on paper than its performance earlier this year would suggest, and we're starting to see just how good it is post All-Star break.

Johneshwy Fargas, who played for the Mets in 2021, is hitting .282/.330/.421 with 5 home runs, 25 RBI and 15 stolen bases for the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League. Matt Festa, who played for the Mets earlier in 2024, was signed, released and re-signed by the Rangers after departing New York. He is currently with the big club, posting a 1-0 record and a 1.50 ERA in 4 relief appearances. He is 1-0 with a 1.04 ERA and 13.5 K/9 with their Triple-A club, Round Rock (6 G). Chris Flexen, who pitched for the Mets from 2017 to 2019, is 2-12 with a 5.46 ERA and a 1.516 WHIP in 26 games (24 starts) for the White Sox. I failed to note above that Brandon Drury has hit .263/.440/.263 in 6 games for the Angels Triple-A club in Salt Lake City. Other odds and ends: Check out this transaction log for John Curtiss: January 25, 2024: Signed as a Free Agent with the Colorado Rockies. May 30, 2024: Granted Free Agency. May 31, 2024: Signed as a Free Agent with the Colorado Rockies. July 1, 2024: Released by the Colorado Rockies. July 3, 2024: Signed as a Free Agent with the Colorado Rockies. He's also been DFA'd twice. Saraperos de Saltillo released C Juan Centeno on July 24. Phil Bickford was signed by the Yankees in April, released July 3, then re-signed on July 4.

Matt Harvey is correct! A new question has been added, with hints for the rest. 1. https://i.imgur.com/PudWDVM.png> Who am I? Hint: Spent just 1994 with New York, going 4-10 with a 5.55 ERA in 21 starts. Went 47-71 in a big league career that spanned from 1987 to 1998. Hint: A Phillies first round pick in 1984, he was traded by the Philadelphia Phillies with Ozzie Virgil to the Atlanta Braves for Steve Bedrosian and Milt Thompson in 1985 and traded by the Atlanta Braves to the New York Mets in 1993. 2. From the back of an old baseball card: "When the Mets traded Kevin Baez and Tom Wegmann to the Orioles for this player, they obtained a first-rate first baseman and considerably tightened up on their infield defense. A contact hitter, he has power to the gaps." Who am I? Hint: His father, Diego, was a relief pitcher in the 1960s and 1970s. He played from 1990 to 1994, mostly for the Orioles. Involved in a handful of trades throughout his career: 1994: Traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the New York Mets for Tom Wegmann (minors) and Kevin Baez. 1995: Traded by the New York Mets to the Montreal Expos for Reid Cornelius. 1999: Traded by the Seattle Mariners to the Toronto Blue Jays for Tom Davey and Steve Sinclair. 2000: Traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Toronto Blue Jays with cash to the Texas Rangers. The Texas Rangers sent Lee Stevens to the Montreal Expos. The Montreal Expos sent Brad Fullmer to the Toronto Blue Jays. 2000: Traded by the Texas Rangers to the Cleveland Indians for Ricky Ledée. 3. From the back of an old baseball card: "This pitcher became a regular starter for the Mets in '94 after being traded by the Braves for Dave Gallagher. A big righthander who was 7-0 in '92, he has fine control and relies chiefly on a tremendous curveball and a hard-breaking slider." Who am I? Hint: The owner of a very common first and last name, he has the same name as a short-lived Red Sox pitcher of the 1960s. 4. From the back of an old baseball card: "A superb combination of speed and power, this player is one of the Mets' bright young hopes for the future. He has outstanding bat speed as a classic pull hitter and great makeup. 'He gets dirty, gets after it,' said an observer, 'He doesn't leave anything on the field. And he doesn't take himself too seriously.'" Who am I? This is vague, but the player in question is from the era of the majority of the recent answers. He also might have been a recent answer to one of the baseball card image questions. Hint: A Mets first round pick in 1990, he was traded by the New York Mets with Joe Roa to the Cleveland Indians for a player to be named later, Paul Byrd, Jerry Dipoto and Dave Mlicki. The Cleveland Indians sent Jesus Azuaje (minors) (December 6, 1994) to the New York Mets to complete the trade. 5. From the back of an old baseball card: "A career .281 hitter, this player caught fire in 1969, helping to inspire a miraculous run by New York that culminated with an improbable championship. The All-Star batted .340 during the regular season, the fourth-highest average in franchise history and third-best mark in the league, and then connected at an impressive .429 clip in a three-game playoff sweep of Atlanta. His bat came back down to earth in the World Series, but he did glove the final fly ball in the Game 5 clincher in Baltimore." Who am I? Running tally of correct guessers: Johnny Lunchbucket: 118 Edgy MD: 87 stevejrogers: 72 batmagadanleadoff: 34 DocTee: 9 metsmarathon: 9 Benjamin Grimm: 6 The Hot Corner: 5 MFS62: 4 Marshmallowmilkshake: 1 Methead: 1

Catching up on some games. This was a well-played affair, despite the Mets losing. Garrett continues to underwhelm; he started off the year 5-0 and now he's 7-5. Since he was last 5-0 (May 19), his ERA is 8.10 and his WHIP is 1.950 in 22 appearances. He always has this overwhelmed, derp look on his face. Blackburn's been a solid hurler so far.

Peterson is also making a believer out of me. Even when he was solid in 2022, he was wishy-washy. But he has been excellent this year. Maybe he really is turning the corner and living up to his first round pedigree. He could be a meaningful piece in the rotation next year.

Inevitably, some writer is going to say he broke the rules of baseball etiquette by swinging on 3-0. Dominguez lollipopped it in there to try and get a strike and Alvarez took advantage, which, inevitably, someone will wave their finger at.

Alvarez's reaction to his home run was that of a guy who's playing for something. Wow, I'm starting to believe!