Cowtipper

Eduardo Escobar, who played for the Mets in 2022 and 2023, hasn't played during the 2025 regular season, but he did play for the Tigres de Aragua in the 2024-25 Venezuelan Winter League, batting .255/.333/.373 with 5 home runs and 20 RBI in 42 games.

That's actually awesome. Finally we get to see another one of their fairly well-regarded prospects. So far: Tidwell ✅ Hamel ✅ Sproat ❌ McLean ❌

Paul Blackburn: Blackburn (shoulder) struck out three and allowed two earned runs on six hits and two walks over 5.1 innings Saturday in his rehab start with Triple-A Syracuse. Blackburn has now compiled a 2.21 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 22:6 K:BB in 20.1 innings over four rehab starts between stops with Syracuse and the rookie-level Florida Complex League. He's been on the shelf since July 3 due to a right shoulder impingement but has been fully stretched out for over a week now, as he built up to 87 pitches in his previous rehab start before tossing 93 on Saturday. His delayed activation from the 15-day injured list seems to be a result of the Mets buying some time to decide whether he'll be part of the rotation or bullpen upon his return, and Blackburn's odds of returning as a starter may have increased after Sunday's 12-4 loss to the Giants. Frankie Montas was battered for seven earned runs in four innings in the loss and now holds a 6.68 ERA over seven starts on the season, perhaps putting him at risk of losing his spot in the rotation. Injury Shoulder. Est. Return 8/8/2025. Tylor Megill: Megill (elbow) threw about 22 pitches in a live batting practice session Sunday at Citi Field, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports. Megill has now reached another major milestone in his recovery from a right elbow sprain by facing hitters for the first time since landing on the injured list June 17. The right-hander will likely throw another two-inning simulated live BP on Thursday and perhaps another sim game after that before the Mets map out a minor-league rehab assignment for him. The Mets will presumably let Megill get stretched out for a starting role during his assignment, but it's unclear if the big club will actually have a spot available for him in the rotation by the time he's eligible for activation in the middle of August. Injury Elbow. Est. Return 8/19/2025. Drew Smith: Injury Elbow. Est. Return 9/1/2025. Brandon Waddell: Waddell (hip) is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton on Saturday. The Mets optioned Waddell shortly after the All-Star break, only to reverse that move and place him on the 15-day injured list with a right hip impingement. He's now ready for game action and doesn't figure to require a lengthy rehab assignment, but it's uncertain what kind of role he will have over the final two months of the regular season (if any). New York bolstered its bullpen with Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers and Gregory Soto prior to Thursday's trade deadline. Injury Hip. Est. Return 8/8/2025. Jesse Winker: The Mets transferred Winker (back) to the 60-day injured list Thursday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports. Back inflammation sent Winker to the injured list in mid-July, and his move to the 60-day IL will ensure he remains sidelined until at least Sept. 9. His 40-man roster spot will be given to Tyler Rogers, who came over from San Francisco via trade Wednesday. Injury Back. Est. Return 9/9/2025. .

Who was Ryne Sandberg? Ryne "Ryno" Sandberg was a rare blend of skill, humility, and consistency, embodying everything fans love about baseball. Born in Spokane in 1959 and named after pitcher Ryne Duren, Sandberg bypassed a promising football career to join the Philadelphia Phillies after being drafted in 1978. But it was a 1982 trade to the Chicago Cubs—once considered a mere throw-in—that changed the course of both his life and Cubs history. Initially overlooked, he exploded onto the national stage in 1984 with a legendary two-homer game against Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter, now known simply as "The Sandberg Game." Sandberg’s career was marked by quiet excellence. A 10-time All-Star, nine-time Gold Glove winner, and seven-time Silver Slugger at second base, he led the league in home runs in 1990 with 40—a rare feat for his position. He collected over 2,300 hits, stole 344 bases, and retired with a .989 fielding percentage, a record at the time. Despite a brief mid-career retirement in 1994, he returned for two more seasons before hanging it up in 1997. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 2005 after three tries, Sandberg used his induction speech to advocate for baseball played "the right way"—with discipline, defense, and dignity. The Cubs retired his #23 that same year, and later honored him with a statue outside Wrigley Field in 2024. His post-playing years included managing stints in both the Cubs and Phillies organizations, briefly managing the Phillies from 2013 to 2015. Though his managerial record was modest, his baseball reputation remained untarnished. Personally, Sandberg lived a relatively private life. He was married twice, raised a family, and helped launch Ryno Kid Care, a now-closed foundation aiding children with serious illnesses. In January 2024, he revealed a battle with metastatic prostate cancer. After briefly being declared cancer-free, the disease returned and claimed his life on July 28, 2025, at age 65. A complete player, a gentleman of the game, and an enduring symbol of Chicago baseball, Ryne Sandberg's legacy lives on not just in stats and awards, but in the hearts of Cubs fans and all who admired his quiet greatness. Other notable non-MLB player 2025 passings... Jack Bloomfield died. https://www.kreidlerfuneralhome.com/obituaries/gordon-leigh-jack-bloomfield/ Who was Jack Bloomfield? Jack Bloomfield's baseball career defied convention and spanned continents. Born in Monte Alto, Texas, in 1930, he began as a promising infielder in the U.S. minor leagues, briefly flashing brilliance with a .310 average in 1955 and .309 with Seattle in 1958. But when his American career stalled, Bloomfield took an unconventional leap to Japan—and thrived. Joining the Kintetsu Buffaloes in 1960, he quickly became a star. Over seven seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), Bloomfield hit .315 with 61 home runs and earned back-to-back Pacific League batting titles in 1962 and 1963. Known for both contact hitting and surprising power, he also brought a fiery edge—famously storming into the stands in 1961 to punch a heckling fan, an incident that remains one of the most notorious in NPB history. After retiring as a player in 1966, Bloomfield returned to the U.S. and stayed in the game as a scout and coach. He coached in the majors for the Padres and Cubs during the 1970s and later scouted for several teams, including the Yankees, Rockies, and Astros. In recognition of his contributions to the game, he was inducted into the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame and the Texas Scouts Association Hall of Fame. Bloomfield passed away on July 28, 2025, at age 94—a bridge between eras, cultures, and the many facets of professional baseball. Chris Ballingall died. https://obits.mlive.com/us/obituaries/kalamazoo/name/christina-ballingall-obituary?id=58392681 Who was Chris Ballingall? Chris Ballingall was a standout catcher in the final days of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, known for her power at the plate and gritty backstory. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1932, she learned to catch from her twin brother and was first offered a pro contract at just 15—but her father said no. It wasn’t until 1953 that she finally broke into the league with the Muskegon Belles, later joining the Kalamazoo Lassies. In her two-season career, she batted .218 with 18 home runs and helped lead the Lassies to a championship in 1954, hitting a blazing .444 in the playoffs with a grand slam. She and teammate Carol Habben became known as the “Home Run Twins,” rattling pitchers with their unexpected power. Ballingall died in 2025 at age 92, having lived to see herself remembered as part of a pioneering era for women in baseball. Adam Burton died. https://7news.com.au/sport/olympics/tributes-flow-after-shock-death-of-australian-baseball-legend-adam-burton-aged-53-c-18690910 Who was Adam Burton? Adam Burton’s baseball journey began in Melbourne and took him from Australian diamonds to Olympic fields and American minor leagues. A scrappy infielder with a right-handed bat, he first made waves as a teenager, helping the Australian junior team win bronze at the World Youth Series. Though his early U.S. minor league stint was short-lived—possibly due to attitude issues despite strong stats—Burton became a force in the Australian Baseball League. Known for his blend of power, speed, and on-base savvy, he earned multiple All-Star selections and became the ABL’s only two-time batting champion. His 1997–98 season with the Melbourne Reds was electric: 21 homers, 66 runs, and a .388 average in just 50 games. Internationally, he was a key part of Australia’s upset win over Cuba at the 1999 Intercontinental Cup and starred again in the 2000 Olympics and 2001 Baseball World Cup. Across 11 seasons, Burton batted .312 with elite slugging and stolen base efficiency, becoming one of the most statistically dominant players in Australian baseball history. He died suddenly in 2025 at age 53, remembered as both a trailblazer and a fan favorite. Marty DeMerritt died. Who was Marty DeMerritt? Marty “Mad Dog” DeMerritt carved out one of the most colorful and committed coaching careers in professional baseball, despite a playing career cut short by injury. Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1971, he spent eight seasons in the minors before retiring at 25 due to arm trouble. In the years between pitching and coaching, he worked in construction—and briefly as a bounty hunter, repossessing stolen goods and cars in California. But DeMerritt’s real calling was on the mound, shaping pitchers, not just throwing. He launched his coaching career with the San Francisco Giants organization in 1983, and by 1989 was on the staff during their World Series run. He made history the following year as the first American pitching coach in Korea with the Samsung Lions. Over the next three decades, he bounced between MLB and minor league systems, most notably with the Cubs in 1999 and later spending over 20 years as a beloved instructor in the Tampa Bay Rays’ farm system. Known for his old-school toughness, devotion to player development, and a personality as intense as his nickname suggested, DeMerritt left an imprint on pitchers across multiple continents and generations. He passed away in 2025 at age 71, remembered as a coach who mixed grit with heart and brought out the best in his players, from Arizona to Venezuela and everywhere in between. Larry Dolan died. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6156901/2025/02/24/cleveland-guardians-owner-larry-dolan-dies/? Who was Larry Dolan? Larry Dolan, who died in 2025 at the age of 94, was a Cleveland native, Marine Corps officer, attorney, and the longtime owner of the Cleveland Guardians baseball team. A graduate of St. Ignatius High School and the University of Notre Dame Law School, Dolan built a successful legal career before purchasing the then-Cleveland Indians for \$323 million in 2000. Though not the highest-spending owner, he remained deeply invested in the team’s success and culture, attending spring training, meeting fans, and dining with players and coaches. Under his ownership, the team saw postseason highs—including a trip to the 2016 World Series—and leaner years that fueled debate among fans about his frugal reputation. Outside of baseball, Dolan founded the legal firm Thrasher, Dinsmore & Dolan and launched the regional sports network SportsTime Ohio, later sold to Fox. His commitment to Cleveland sports extended to his family: while his son Paul took over as team chairman and CEO, another son, Matt, built a career in Ohio politics and economic development. The Dolans were honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Greater Cleveland Sports Association in 2019, recognizing their enduring impact on the city’s sports scene. Larry Dolan’s legacy bridges civic pride, cautious stewardship, and a deep love for the game. Betsy Jochum died. https://www.southbendtribune.com/story/news/local/2025/06/02/betsy-sockum-jochum-of-all-american-girls-professional-baseball-league-dies-at-104/84000250007/ Who was Betsy Jochum? Betsy Jochum, affectionately nicknamed "Sockum," was one of the original stars of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, playing six seasons with the South Bend Blue Sox from 1943 to 1948. A right-handed outfielder who later converted to pitcher, she quickly made her mark in the league’s inaugural season by leading in hits (120) and doubles (12), and followed up by claiming the batting title in 1944 with a .296 average and 128 hits. In her final season, she took the mound and compiled a 14-13 pitching record. Across her career, Jochum appeared in 654 games, hitting .246 with 7 home runs. After retiring from the diamond, she spent 25 years as a teacher in South Bend, Indiana. When she passed away in 2025 at the age of 104, she held the distinction of being the oldest living former AAGPBL player—a quiet pioneer whose longevity mirrored her steady presence in the early days of women’s professional baseball. Itch Jones died. https://fightingillini.com/news/2025/2/17/legendary-illini-baseball-coach-itch-jones-passes-away.aspx Who was Itch Jones? Nicknamed for a childhood cast that made him “itch” enough to earn the lifelong moniker, Richard “Itch” Jones spent more than four decades shaping college baseball into a proving ground for future stars. Born in Herrin, Illinois, in 1938, Jones had a modest minor league career before diving headfirst into coaching. What followed was a legendary run: first at MacMurray College, then as head coach at Southern Illinois University (1970–1990), and finally at the University of Illinois (1991–2005). His teams reached three College World Series, and he mentored 20 future Major Leaguers, including Dave Stieb, Steve Finley, and Scott Spiezio. Jones amassed 1,240 wins, ranking among the top 15 winningest coaches in NCAA Division I history at the time of his retirement. Twice named national coach of the year, he also claimed multiple conference titles and was enshrined in numerous halls of fame. His influence was so enduring that SIU’s baseball stadium was named in his honor in 2014. A cancer survivor and dedicated family man, Jones passed away in 2025 from Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, just two days after his 87th birthday. His legacy lives on in every ballplayer who called him “Coach.” Bill Mercer died. https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/bill-mercer-voice-world-class-championship-wrestling-broadcast-journalist-dies/287-249da7c3-99b7-45d7-a300-35940ab03177 Who was Bill Mercer? Bill Mercer’s voice was a fixture of American sports for over six decades, spanning baseball, football, basketball, and wrestling. Born in 1926 in Muskogee, Oklahoma, Mercer served in the U.S. Navy during World War II before pursuing a broadcasting career fueled by a degree from the University of Denver. Starting in minor league baseball and local Dallas-Fort Worth sports, he became best known as the play-by-play announcer for the Texas Rangers during their inaugural 1972 season and later worked with the Chicago White Sox. Beyond sports, Mercer’s steady reporting during the tragic 1963 JFK assassination placed him at the heart of a pivotal moment in American history, a story he recounted in his book *When the News Went Live*. He also had a significant impact on professional wrestling broadcasts, especially with Dallas-based World Class Championship Wrestling in the 1980s. Mercer was a respected educator, teaching generations of broadcasters at the University of North Texas, and his legacy continues through his granddaughter, who is also a baseball announcer. Inducted into multiple halls of fame, including the Texas Radio Hall of Fame, Mercer’s career was marked by versatility, longevity, and a calm professionalism that guided listeners through thrilling sports moments and historic news events alike. He passed away in 2025 at the age of 99, leaving behind a rich tapestry of broadcast history and mentorship.

Travis d'Arnaud, who played for the Mets from 2013 to 2019, is hitting .215/.279/.380 with 6 home runs and 17 RBI in 52 games for the Angels. J.D. Davis, who played for the Mets from 2019 to 2022, hit .111 in 9 at-bats for the Angels before being released in June. He hit .294/.371/.524 with 10 home runs and 38 RBI in 50 games for their Triple-A club in Salt Lake. He is currently with the Saitama Seibu Lions in Japan, hitting .212/.316/.333 with 1 home run and 3 RBI in 10 games. Alejandro De Aza, who played for the Mets in 2016, is still going at 41. He's with the independent Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, hitting .240/.357/.423 with 10 home runs and 52 RBI in 69 games. Jacob deGrom, who pitched for the Mets from 2014 to 2022, is 10-4 with a 2.80 ERA and 132 ERA+ in 22 starts for the Rangers. In 128 2/3 innings, he has 135 Ks. He was an All-Star. Jake Diekman, who pitched for the Mets in 2024, had a 3.00 ERA in 3 innings for the independent Lincoln Saltdogs in 2025. He retired on May 23. Brandon Drury, who played for the Mets in 2021, began 2025 in the White Sox system, but hit just .179 in 10 games for their Triple-A club in Charlotte to earn his release. He was then signed by the Angels, hitting .150 in 7 games for their ACL team and .250 in 10 games for their Triple-A club in Salt Lake.

Austin Warren is being promoted. Brandon Waddell sent to rehab in Binghamton. Mets released minor leaguers Anthony Baptist and Willy Fanas. The Mets also released Colin Poche, Junior Fernandez and Julian Merryweather, all players with MLB experience. Fernandez had been in their system for less than a month and had a 0.00 ERA.

They Joey Lucchesi'd him (or perhaps Lucchesi was Butto'd) in that despite him clearly having talent, they didn't use him much for a long time, wasting his abilities. He was a fairly well regarded prospect in the Mets system coming up, but nothing too special, but once he got here he was a very reliable piece that I wish they'd used more.

They should never have even played. Instead of doing what they did, they should have just moved the whole thing the next day. They saw the weather coming—it had been forecast for at least a week—and though at times it was iffy it seemed certain we were going to at least get some rain. I've been to enough outdoor concerts that if there is a hint of delay-worthy weather, they'll delay it. I'm not going for Part II because I went for the spectacle, not to see the Braves and Reds play, per se. I was amped about the whole thing yesterday. I left as early as I did because I wanted to see some of the pre-game festivities (there were multiple concerts). If I want to see major league baseball, I'll drive to Cincinnati and go to an actual good ballpark. I hope the stands are completely empty today just out of protest. In what other ways can I dig the knife in even more...the "shuttling" was actually two parts. I ended up having to park 1.3 miles away, took a shuttle to a stop "near" the speedway, then the next "shuttle" was people taking you on the backs of golf carts the rest of the way. I just walked. To make it even more insulting, as everyone was all bummed and dejected, they did a weak and tepid little three minute fireworks display to wrap it up. Thanks guys! Concessions ran out and from what I heard they were serving bunless hot dogs and cheeseless nachos. Lines were 1-2 hours. The pre-game "fan zones" were apparently all lines, too. Clearly they read my comment on another website or a lot of people complained, because they sent an email THIS MORNING specifying what "Lot SP" actually was. There's actually SIX or so "Lot SPs," mine was #6, still about a mile away, on a back road. Thanks y'all, would love to have known that yesterday! None of that was previously specified. I ended up spending $44 on parking that would've cost me just $10 had I gone to the campground to begin with. I didn't buy my ticket, it was a gift, but for what I got it cost $230 apparently. $230 bucks for what is the upper deck in some ballparks. At the Reds ballpark, seats pretty close to behind home plate will run you about $100, and that is including the all-you-can-eat hot dog and soda package! (I may not have the numbers exactly right, but I think that's what I spent last time I went to Cincinnati). Because the game actually started at 9:40and folks didn't want to wait, the people on the left and right of me had both left, so the row was basically mine. The saddest thing was the guy right behind me. He was with his two sons and when they called it it's like he couldn't get himself to stand up. Like he was just blankly staring ahead. This clearly meant something to him and it all fell apart. And then on the drive home, because the local municipality totally didn't know there'd be 85,000 people coming into town on a single day, there were active construction zones that shrunk some of the highways down to one lane on either side. What a joke. But this is going to go down in history like Disco Demolition Night and I'm sure we'll be talking about it 50 years from now, so at least I can say I was there and that I technically did see the first regular season major league baseball ever played in TN.

Top to bottom this was a boondoggle. Left home at 1:50 PM. Got home at 12:35 AM. Saw 1 1/3 innings of baseball. The star-studded musical lineup of Tim McGraw and Pitbull were on a stage wayyyyyyyyyy far off in the distance, so it was basically background music to anyone in the stands. Parking was not well marked. I pre-bought parking in "Lot SP" which I assumed was the South Parking Lot ... since that's what was on the map on the website ... but it actually referred to "Shuttle Parking," which they didn't specify and I never actually found where the shuttle parking lot was. The drive home was marked by roads being shrunk down to one lane despite there being 85,000 people trying to leave. The rest of the game is set to start at 1:00 PM tomorrow, but if it's going to be anything like I put up with today, I might just call it good enough and forego the rest.

I didn't mention when I actually left home. I left at 1:50 and didn't get to the parking spot until 5:20. It looks like they're going to start it at 9:40 as the tarp is off the field.

And now we're in a rain delay. Well, I might be doing all this again tomorrow.

Traffic is bad when the big races are happening but it still moves. This was stop and go for miles and miles. People park everywhere for the races... locals and businesses open up their lawns and parking lots and there is speedway parking too. I prepaid parking for the game but just ended up parking at a campground anyway, shuttled part of the way to the venue and walked the rest. I've seen Taylor Swift live (don't judge) and this was worse that Taylor Swift chaos.

Y'all I live 1/2 hour away from the Speedway and didn't even get to my parking spot until 5:20. At one point I had to re-center myself due to the chaos so I went to my work, which is just 10 minutes from the place (usually) and just to get from there to my parking spot took probably 1.5 hours. And just to get from my parking to the actual gate took another hour or so. These little tricities cities can't handle all the traffic.

Well, when one takes a step back and earnestly considers the broader picture — not just the obvious elements on the surface but also the more subtle, intangible, often-overlooked aspects that constitute the entirety of a person’s performance or presence or overall vibe, if you will — it becomes apparent, or at least somewhat apparent, depending on one's perspective and internal criteria for evaluation, that while there was certainly something there, something that can’t and shouldn’t be dismissed outright, something that perhaps even had flashes of potential or, at the very least, instances of competence or adequacy (and adequacy, mind you, is far too often undervalued in today’s climate of relentless excellence), one must also contend with the fact — or rather, the impression, which can sometimes feel like a fact, depending on how it's framed and received — that in this particular instance, when placed alongside the other party in question, whose own merits deserve a separate and equally nuanced discussion in their own right, the original subject did not quite evoke the same response, or ignite the same resonance, or occupy the same energetic bandwidth, as it were, and while it would be patently unfair — and frankly a little reductive — to say that he was somehow lacking, or that he failed in any categorical or empirical sense, there remains, floating gently but persistently in the atmosphere, a vague yet undeniable sense that, despite his efforts (and they were, by all indications, earnest and respectable efforts), the other individual simply landed in a way that he did not, not because of any glaring fault or deficiency on his part, but more as a matter of alignment, chemistry, timing, or some ineffable quality that resists easy articulation but is felt nonetheless — a kind of quiet gravity, if you will, drawing attention just a bit more forcefully, and thus, in the grand constellation of performances or impressions or however one wishes to define such things, it’s not that he failed, but rather that someone else, in that same shared space, will succeed just a little more.

By his face alone he looked chromosomally challenged, that's my memory.

He is a what-could-have-been who has yet to be.

My spongy tissue can only expand so much. To David Stearns:

I love it. 12/10. And we still have a couple days left 'til the deadline!

Name doesn't ring a bell. But it sounds Cuban, and Randy Arozarena is a decent Cuban ballplayer who might help. I'd give up former top prospects Mark Vientos and Brett Baty for him.

? I think it's pretty tame. People are in disagreement, but we erudites have reasonably and cogently defended our points well in this intellectual exercise of Socratic dialecticism.

He inspires the short-season hope in me Tyler Clippard did (before Clippard fell apart). It was bringing on late-season relief help that helped catapult the Mets in 2015; I hope it happens here.

I use Pressureze and also a thing called Eustachi.

Are you new to the Internet?

So an injured player doesn't have it, because health is part of 'it.' Every player ever has it if you make excuses for why they're not good.

Whatever it does, it helps clear up the prospect backlog. I was getting worried the Verlander trade was going to be a dud, as Gilbert—the big name in the deal—hasn't wowed in the minors these past two years and he's pushing 25 and out of prospect territory. Tidwell on feel alone gives me Thomas Szapucki vibes—a reasonably high pick who gets mentioned as a prospect, but really doesn't quite have it. So really, all we gave up of any true value right now is Butto, but even he's not been stellar (106 ERA+) this year.