Cowtipper

Weak ballot. First time in years I didn't have to do any strategery and could go for a straight 10. I'm a big Hall guy, but not sold yet on Buehrle, Braun, Utley or Pedroia. Edwin Encarnacion was one a dark horse guy I was watching, because he had a fair shot at 500 homers, but he collapsed and that was that. I went with Abreu Beltran Hunter Jones Pettitte Ramirez A-Rod F-Rod Rollins Vizquel

Mets sign pitcher. Nick Burdi. They've brought back Robert Stock, who pitched with them in the pitching carousel year of 2021. They signed minor league outfielder Jose Ramos.

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Jared Young has solid dark horse diamond in the rough potential, a la Scott Hairston.

His last name is funny when you take away the "i".

Tom Timmermann died. https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2025/11/17/tom-timmermann-death-tigers/87318727007/ Who was Tom Timmermann? Thomas Henry Timmermann (1940–2025) was an American right-handed pitcher who spent 15 years in professional baseball, including six seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers (1969–1973) and Cleveland Indians (1973–1974). Born in Breese, Illinois, and raised on a prairie farm, he played college baseball at Southern Illinois University before signing with Detroit in 1960. He spent nearly a decade in the minor leagues, highlighted by a remarkable 1968 winter-league performance in Puerto Rico in which he tied a professional record by inducing 27 infield outs in a complete-game shutout. Timmermann debuted for the Tigers in 1969 and quickly became one of the American League’s top relievers. In 1970, he set a Detroit franchise record with 61 appearances, finished third in the league with 27 saves, and was voted Tiger of the Year, credited with transforming a previously struggling bullpen. He remained an important contributor for Detroit through 1972, shifting between relief and starting roles. Traded to Cleveland in 1973, Timmermann pitched as both a starter and reliever before concluding his MLB career in early 1974. Overall, he finished with a 35–35 record, 3.78 ERA, 35 saves, and 315 strikeouts across 228 major-league games. After retiring, he worked in industrial sales. Later in life, it became widely known that he was the biological father of MLB pitcher Phil Leftwich, whose son Luke Leftwich also became a professional pitcher. Timmermann died in Michigan on November 14, 2025, at age 85. Also, who was Bart Shirley? Barton Arvin “Bart” Shirley (1940–2025) was an American infielder whose professional baseball career spanned Major League Baseball, Nippon Professional Baseball, and extensive time in the minor leagues. Born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, and a standout at the University of Texas, Shirley debuted in MLB with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1964. Over parts of four major-league seasons (1964, 1966–1968) with the Dodgers and New York Mets, he appeared in 75 games, batting .203 with 11 RBIs. Although his MLB tenure was brief, Shirley built a substantial minor-league legacy, playing a record 997 games for the Spokane Indians, the most in franchise history. After being selected by the Mets in the 1966 Rule V Draft but returning to the Dodgers mid-season, he saw his longest major-league action in 1968, though he struggled at the plate. Seeking new opportunities, Shirley spent 1971–1972 in Japan with the Chunichi Dragons, where he hit 15 home runs and drove in 79 runs across two seasons. Following his playing days, he managed in the Dodgers’ minor-league system from 1973 to 1975 and later worked as a coach in Japan. Shirley died in his hometown of Corpus Christi on November 19, 2025, at age 85 after a long illness. And who was Randy Jones? Randy Jones (1950–2025) was an American left-handed pitcher who became the San Diego Padres’ first true homegrown star and one of the most distinctive pitchers of the 1970s. Known as “Junkman,” Jones built his success not on velocity but on a uniquely heavy sinker, extraordinary control, and an uncanny ability to force hitters into weak ground balls. Drafted by the Padres in 1972, he rose quickly and broke out in 1975, going 20–12 with a National League–leading 2.24 ERA. The following year he delivered one of the most unusual and dominant pitching seasons in modern baseball, finishing 22–14 with a 2.74 ERA, 40 starts, 25 complete games, and 315.1 innings. During that run he set an NL record by throwing 68 straight innings without issuing a walk and became the Padres’ first Cy Young Award winner. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a possible 30-game winner and starred in consecutive All-Star Games, recording the save in 1975 and starting—and winning—in 1976. His success made him a major attraction in San Diego, with his starts drawing some of the team’s biggest crowds. Jones’s career turned abruptly later in 1976 when he suffered a nerve injury in his pitching arm. Although he continued to pitch competitively through 1980 and later with the New York Mets in 1981–82, he never fully returned to his peak form. He retired with a 100–123 record and a 3.42 ERA, making him the only starting pitcher to win the Cy Young Award while ultimately finishing with a career losing record. Despite modest strikeout totals, he achieved lasting respect for his mastery of movement and location; Pete Rose, for example, hit only .183 against him. His achievements earned him induction into several halls of fame, including the Padres Hall of Fame and Chapman University’s Hall of Fame, and the Padres retired his No. 35 in recognition of his impact on the young franchise. Off the field, Jones married his high school sweetheart, Marie, and together they raised two daughters. After retiring from baseball, he became well known locally for his restaurants, his car wash business, and his enthusiastic service as a Padres ambassador. He remained a beloved figure in the community, organizing charity events such as the Randy Jones Run/Walk. In 2016 he survived a battle with throat cancer linked to years of chewing tobacco, and he remained active and visible in charitable work afterward. Randy Jones died on November 18, 2025, at the age of 75.

Longtime Met Travis Jankowski has retired from baseball and is now the Rangers first base coach.

Erik Swanson retired. David Fletcher has retired. The quietly very excellent Kyle Hendricks has retired. Travis Jankowski has retired. Max Stassi has retired. Fraser Ellard retired.

Anderson Severino, who made 6 relief appearances with the White Sox in 2022, that is. He did very well in Mexico last year. I've always thought teams should scour Mexico and indy ball a tad more. The Mets do fairly well with indy ball, but managing a 2.60 ERA in Mexico is an astounding feat considering the thin air and the league ERA is near 6.

This is Shirley a loss the Mets family will have a hard time recovering from. Honestly always thought he was a pitcher.

Good crew. Means I'm getting old since guys I watched in my teens are being elected now.

I think he'll be fine. Struggled last year, but in the preceding three years before then, he averaged 26 homers and 85 RBI per year ... for a second baseman ... while playing top notch defense.

A former first rounder, but no one ever really pinned "wunderkind" or "future savior" on him, so he was never really ever elevated to a point where he could let us down. I remember he was perpetually hurt during his first six years (five excluding his cup of coffee in 2016), averaging just 76 games per year from 2016 to 2021 and playing over 100 games just once. Was a pretty meh player those years, with no real definable offensive skills outside of drawing walks, as his power was just "okay," his average was just "okay," his speed was just "okay." But he was a consistent face on those teams nevertheless. Then 2022 happened and somehow the second he decides to lay off focusing on walking all the time, his health improves enough that he becomes a 150+ game stalwart four years in a row (a very surprising and quiet accomplishment as I didn't realize he managed that until I looked him up), he developed a real solid power stroke and toward then end—and this was also somewhat unheralded—he became a very solid RBI guy, with two 90+ RBI years in a row. I also remember he'd sometimes randomly throw a clunker of a season in there, only to rebound the next year. He was a quiet performer, a quiet compiler, the sort of guy that if he stays healthy until 40 we might look back and say "he really made it to 2,000 hits?" He never seemed to fiery, his hustle down the line on even mundane walks was memorable, he was a consistent smiler, he was one of the few big leaguers from Wyoming* and I think the only Met. I'm sure there's stuff I'm forgetting to remember here at 7:27 AM, but it'll come to me. He'll be a fond memory overall. I love the faces that stick around a while and quietly perform and he was one of them. Longtime vets provide continuity and if McNeil goes, too, even though I've griped about McNeil, some of that continuity is shattered. *Wyoming boasts quality not quantity, as other notable names include Mike Lansing, Tom Browning, Mike Devereaux, John Buck and Dick Ellsworth.

Has bad RBF. Crazy how many pictures there are of him smiling.

I would say Mark is Vientoast if the Mets are already pulling off trades like the Nimmo one. Alvarez is young enough to still give time to, Baty way leapfrogged Vientos, Mauricio gives me potential supersub vibes and Acuna is also young enough to keep trying. Now this is my off-season optimism kicking in and when reality hits during the regular season I'll be much more pessimistic.

Of all the Mets to get traded, I never thought it'd be Nimmo because of how much time is left on his contract. Good deal though. Semien has been on my dark horse hall of fame watchlist for a while and Nimmo is very good, but not a potential Hall of Famer or even worth watching. The Mets are selling high i would say.

I agree.

I wouldn't stress too much, guys, the Mets brought Jackson Cluff back. They also signed a fella named Jodarlin Perez. Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm so confuzzled. Now the transaction logs are saying Cluff was never released to begin with. What in the world. This is going to be his first time in their system. Maybe I misread it, I've been known to go off the Cluff in the past, but I don't think so.

I hope the role Taylor plays is as backup water boy at Binghamton. I'd like to see Kranick back. The Quadruple-A experiments often work pretty well "for a while," then they fall apart. Danny Young, for example. Kranick was still in the working out pretty well phase, so I think there's still more juice to be squeezed. Not sure if I want Castillo back. He was really, really lucky, but he was also solid if you ignore the WHIP and BB/9.

You guys are terrible at getting "tongue in cheek." Is that a boomer thing LMAO

I'm a victim here. Reported to the SPLC.

So clearly I'm on Gwreck's ignore list because I've guessed the last two multiple times now. Brandon Nimmo Edgardo Alfonzo This is bigotry and discrimination.

Probably Wyoming's own Brandon Nimmo. Also to reiterate my previous guess Edgardo Alfonzo.

Marco Scutaro was one of those "ones that got away" that is rarely talked about.

It's mostly David Stearns being David Stearns.