Cowtipper

The 1-5 Astros are currently throwing a no-hitter!

Starling Marte and Max Scherzer are now off the list. That leaves us with: Frankie Montas Jesse Winker Justin Turner Wilmer Flores Tommy Pham Jose Iglesias Justin Wilson Joey Lucchesi Max Kranick Jorge Lopez Marcus Stroman And here are some minor league free agents: Omar Narvaez Erasmo Ramirez Adonis Medina Stephen Nogosek Tyler Naquin

Clay Holmes starts for New York. Jason Alexander, who we already saw once this spring, starts for Houston. Mark Vientos is hitting .077. Juan Soto is hitting .167. Bo Bichette is hitting .222. Cristian Pache is hitting .700. Carson Benge is hitting .400. MJ Melendez is hitting .364. Ah, spring training.

Grae Kessinger: Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that Kessinger will get imaging done after suffering a left knee injury in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals, SNY Mets reports. Mendoza noted that the injury "didn't look too good," but the club will wait for MRI results before determining a plan for Kessinger. Kessinger seemed to have a chance to make the Opening Day roster in the event that Francisco Lindor (hand) isn't ready, but Kessinger is now facing a possible extended absence. Injury Knee. Day-to-day. Francisco Lindor: Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that Lindor had his stitches removed from his left hand Tuesday and could begin some "impact" activities within 2-to-3 days, Max Goodman of NJ.com reports. Mendoza added that Lindor has experienced no complications since undergoing surgery two weeks ago to repair a stress reaction in his left hamate bone, and the star shortstop appears poised to begin a hitting progression in the coming days. Though it could take a bit of time for Lindor to regain his power coming off the procedure, he should be in good shape to avoid a stint on the injured list to begin the season so long as he's not dealing with any discomfort as he increases his baseball activities. Injury Hand. Est. Return 3/26/2026. AJ Minter: Minter (lat) expects to throw a live batting practice session next week, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. It would be his first time facing hitters since last May's left lat surgery. Minter is aiming to pitch in at least one Grapefruit League game before the end of camp, and the Mets hope to get the southpaw back in their bullpen by early May. Injury Lat. Est. Return 5/1/2026.

Guillermo Moscoso retired.

Chris Krug died. https://www.thebiglead.com/former-cubs-catcher-key-player-in-sandy-koufax-perfect-game-dies-at-86/ Who was Chris Krug? Chris Krug (Everett Ben Krug) was an American Major League Baseball catcher who played parts of three seasons in the 1960s. Born on December 25, 1939, in Los Angeles, California, he was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1958 and developed in their minor league system before reaching the majors. Krug made his MLB debut on May 30, 1965, with the Chicago Cubs, who had selected him in the 1964 minor league draft. He played with the Cubs in 1965 and 1966, serving primarily as a backup catcher, and later appeared with the expansion San Diego Padres in 1969. Over his big-league career, he posted a .192 batting average with five home runs and 25 runs batted in. Though his time in the majors was brief, Krug remained active in professional baseball. He worked as a coach for the Padres in 1969 and later managed in the minor leagues, including stints with the Little Falls Mets in the late 1970s. Krug died on January 16, 2026, in Wildomar, California, at the age of 86. He is remembered as a journeyman catcher who carved out a place in the major leagues during a competitive era for the position. Gregorio Luque died. https://lmb.com.mx/noticias/gregorio-luque-historico-receptor-y-estratega-del-beisbol-mexicano Who was Gregorio Luque? Gregorio Luque (Gregorio Flores Luque), nicknamed El Zorro Plateado, was a distinguished Mexican professional baseball catcher and manager whose career spanned nearly four decades. Born on May 9, 1942, in Nogales, Sonora, he became one of the most respected figures in Mexican baseball history and was inducted into the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999. Luque debuted in the Mexican League in 1963 with the Tigres de México and later played for the Saraperos de Saltillo, where he spent the bulk of his career. A steady defensive catcher and reliable hitter, he appeared in 1,569 Mexican League games, collecting 1,299 hits, 526 RBIs, and posting a .264 batting average. He also enjoyed a lengthy winter league career with the Cañeros de Los Mochis in the Mexican Pacific League, playing 933 games over 15 seasons. Beginning in 1976, Luque transitioned into a player-manager role with Saltillo and led the club to the 1980 Mexican League championship. He continued managing full-time through 1994, guiding multiple clubs including the Sultanes de Monterrey, Alijadores de Tampico, Tuneros de San Luis, Acereros de Monclova, Rieleros de Aguascalientes, Pericos de Puebla, and Algodoneros de Unión Laguna. Over 19 managerial seasons, he amassed 1,153 wins, ranking fourth all-time in Mexican League history. His uniform number 12 was retired by the Saraperos in honor of his contributions. Luque died in his hometown of Nogales on February 26, 2026, at the age of 83. Remembered for his leadership, longevity, and impact both on the field and in the dugout, he remains one of the enduring figures of Mexican professional baseball. Also, who was Wayne Granger? Wayne Granger was an American Major League Baseball relief pitcher best known for anchoring the bullpen of the Cincinnati Reds during the early years of the “Big Red Machine.” Born on March 15, 1944, in Springfield, Massachusetts, he starred in the Cape Cod Baseball League and attended Springfield College before signing with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1965. He debuted in the majors in 1968, posting a 2.25 ERA as a rookie and earning a save in his first appearance. Traded to Cincinnati after the 1968 season, Granger became one of the National League’s most durable relievers. In 1969 he set a league record with 90 appearances while recording 27 saves, and in 1970 he led the NL with 35 saves, earning back-to-back Sporting News NL Reliever of the Year honors. He helped the Reds win the 1970 pennant and threw the final pitch at Crosley Field before the team moved to Riverfront Stadium, though he struggled in the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. Over nine MLB seasons (1968–1976), Granger also pitched for the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, and Montreal Expos. A sinkerball specialist, he finished with a 35–35 record, a 3.14 ERA, and 108 saves, ranking among the most heavily used relievers of his era. Granger was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1982, recognizing the impact of his three standout seasons in Cincinnati. He died on February 25, 2026, in Oviedo, Florida, at age 81, remembered as one of the pioneering bullpen aces of the 1970s.

It was a 3-2 rout by New York, Mets pitchers combined for nine innings, a complete game. Well done.

Cool dude. Had a certain swagger about him. Loved chewing his gum. Was an All-Star his first year I think. Never healthy for a full year, but I was never disappointed in what we got out of him. He never lost his speed. A nice sparkplug, when he wasn't hurt. I remember when he was *the* big signing (or one of them) once and within a couple years he became a bit of an afterthought.

Jake Irvin vs. Tobias Myers. Discuss.

That's like looking at someone's resume and assuming you can judge them based on that. But you never know a co-worker until you actually work with them. Nomsayin? I have suggested alternatives. Has anyone already here volunteered to assume the mantle of running this place? And if burnout is the issue, maybe just temporarily transfer ownership to a trusted member until the passion comes back? Sometimes all it takes is a vacation. But now if we go through this again, we'll just be talking in circles at this point.

14-3. Wow. Benge's hitting .400 now, Ewing is at .500. The spring is young, but I'm currently hoping they find a home for Pache on the Opening Day roster as he was 3-for-3 and is at .700 now. Melendez is at .364. If a lot of these fringe guys and prospects keep hitting, there will be some TOUGH decisions to make at Opening Day nears. Peralta tossed a perfect three innings, too. I grow more bullish on this team by the day. (I think I said the same thing last year during the spring).

I honestly could never understand the name of this forum. I thought folks were just being quirky with an alternate spelling. I still think this website can be saved organically, but I think the underlying issue is that the passion for running this forum is what been lost most of all, not membership or participation. As a psychologist might say, the thing is never actually the thing (aka there's always an underlying cause below that), so attrition and fading participation are the outwardly spoken totems representing the core issue. But man, it sure would be great if we could avoid selling out to some guy who just showed up one day. It's a trust issue. Who the heck even is this Brock? Ya know? We quarrel here but we know each other and get along for the most part, lumps and all, because rapports have been developed. But then there's ol' Brock......

We get to see big acquisition Freddy Peralta, as he's facing off against the less-well-known Quinn Mathews. Discuss.

ST studs so far: Christian Pache - 4-for-7, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1.571 OPS Marcus Semien - 3-for-8, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1.250 OPS Luis Torrens - 3-for-7, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1.429 OPS Nolan McLean - 1-0, 4 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.500 WHIP Robert Stock - 3 IP, 6 K, 0.00 ERA

Bruce Froemming died. https://cbs58.com/news/legendary-mlb-umpire-and-mequon-native-bruce-froemming-dies-at-86 Who was Bruce Froemming? Bruce Froemming (1939–2026) was a legendary Major League Baseball umpire and later an MLB umpiring supervisor. He began his professional umpiring career in 1958 at age 18, progressing through the minor leagues before joining the National League staff in 1971. He became a crew chief in 1988 and worked across both major leagues from 2000 until his retirement in 2007. Froemming officiated 5,163 regular-season games, placing him among the all-time leaders in career games umpired, and officiated 111 postseason games, including 22 World Series, 52 League Championship Series, and 37 Division Series contests. He set MLB records for umpiring 11 no-hitters, 10 League Championship Series, and a total of 111 postseason games (since tied by Jerry Crawford). He was known for his loud, enthusiastic strike calls, as well as his commanding presence and occasional humor on the field. Throughout his career, Froemming participated in numerous memorable games, including several no-hitters and playoff controversies. He faced some controversy, most notably a 10-game suspension in 2003 for an anti-Semitic slur. After retiring, Froemming served as a Major League Baseball umpiring supervisor and instructor, leaving a lasting impact on the profession. He passed away in 2026 at age 86.

Honestly impressed by McLean here. Brandon Sproat who? And the well is far from dry. That Jack Wenninger fella ain't too shabby either.

And Marcus Semien wallops another one! 4-0! Nolan McLean: 2 IP, 3 K, 1 H. Looking good so far.

Three run homer by Tyrone Taylor! Mets up 3-0.

I swear I CTRL-F and/or do a search before posting. Did you get that they signed some fella named Trey Rutledge and some other fella named Danis Correa?

So it was IGT all along. Crazy how one can gaslight oneself. Anyway, discuss. Nolan McLean vs. Tatsuya Imai, by the way.

The Mets signed Gabriel Rodriguez, who is 26 years old and has a career 6.96 ERA in four (affiliated) minor league seasons. But he must have impressed based on his performance in the Puerto Rican Winter League (1.50 ERA, 39 K in 24 IP).

You know, for the the first two I did, I had IGT, but I second guessed THAT because it didn't look right. Welp, my bad.

In the game. As in we're into the game. Honestly I couldn't remember what we usually call them so I thought that was close enough.

13 walks! Didn't even see that.

Cardinals will be starting Richard Fitts; the Mets starter is as yet unknown. Will Mike Tauchman wallop another dinger? Will AJ Ewing get his first hit? Can Austin Barnes maintain a .667 average for the entire spring? Watch this game on WPIX. Discuss.