Cowtipper

That's kind of why the schtick was so transparent. He tried coming off as some magoo Mr. Nice Guy who just wanted to help out some random down-on-its-luck forum that he just happened to stumble upon. Disregard the fact that he has a whole web of these things and is clearly trying to build a whole conglomerate of them. That smarmy, overly ingratiating "trust me, I'm you're friend" language is exactly how snake oil salesmen speak. But if we, the members who oppose any sort of move, want to keep this board afloat, then we gotta do what WE can to draw eyeballs and new members. I have a small Mets-centric YouTube channel (made possible by the miracle of AI, sorry not sorry) and my shorts get up to 1,500 views. It's not a lot, but it's eyeballs. Stuff like that.

I think the powers that be are just looking for an excuse to get rid of CPF and this is it. Multiple alternate positions and ideas have been thrown out there but are being discarded just as quickly. Quite a strange pivot to trash a quarter-century of work just because this site is at a low point. Also that's not AI, I painted it myself. Also note how my assumption that Brock was actually invited wasn't denied.

It's up to $410,000 with a week left.

It's Clay Holmes vs. Jose Berrios in a not-very-spring-training-looking matchup of actual major league names. Will JT Schwartz continue his spring training power barrage? Will Nick Morabito impress? Will Jared Young make a run for a spot on the Opening Day roster?

Wait a minute, have you been Brock this whole time? I knew there was a conspiracy. Brock didn't arrive here organically. He was invited here by a higher up. He posed as a new guy just stumbling on this website to make it seem less of a business deal in the works behind closed doors and more of a feeler. Bob Alpacadaca was Brock when he was trying to ingratiate himself as an actual Mets fan and slowly morph this site, incrementally, to his liking. Batmagadanleadoff was in on it too, his role was to drive off as many people as possible so there would be fewer obstacles for when the main event was meant to take place. And George Soros paid for it all. I knew it.

Of course he will, this guy who had never even heard of this place until 4 days ago really really super duper cares.

And he was got. Mets win, 6-4. Homers by Jared Young, Luis Torrens, Hayden Senger and JT Schwartz highlight the day. Schwartz is a multipositional talent that doesn't have much going for him offensively, but he has played every position except catcher and centerfield in his minor league career.

It's getting dicey!

Carlos Guzman has been on the periphery of my radar for a couple years now.

It was Jake Marisnick. With Blake Taylor. Who the Mets probably shouldn't have gotten rid of.

That's former Mets prospect Kenedy Corona, by the way. He was traded for ... someone, but I don't remember who.

Brian Metoyer seems like he's been in the Mets system forever.

Mets are up 1-0! Jared Young hit a home run!

Drew Smith and Dom Smith are off the market. That leaves us with: Starling Marte Michael Conforto Frankie Montas Max Scherzer 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

Brett Baty: Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday that Baty will be eased into spring training action after experiencing hamstring discomfort during offseason workout two weeks ago, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports. It doesn't sound like an overly serious issue for Baty, but the Mets are going to bring him along slowly early in camp. Baty figures to have a chance to beat out top prospect Carson Benge for the starting job in right field this spring, but if he doesn't, Baty is still projected to see plenty of playing time around the diamond in a utility role in 2026. Injury Hamstring. Day-to-day. Peyton Prescott: Injury Elbow. Est. Return 2/1/2027. Mike Tauchman: The Mets signed Tauchman (knee) to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training, Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic report. Top prospect Carson Benge enters spring training seemingly in the driver's seat for the Mets' right-field job, but Tauchman will provide additional competition and depth. The 35-year-old slashed .263/.356/.400 with nine home runs over 93 contests last season with the White Sox. Tauchman's season ended in late September due to a torn meniscus in his right knee, and it's unclear whether he will have any restrictions at the outset of camp. Injury Knee. Day-to-day.

Oh boy, I'm so excited, I can't wait to see what happens. Ahh, the first spring training game of the year, I wouldn't miss it for anything!

Mets at Yankees. Good guys vs. bad guys. Justin Hagenman v. Luis Gil. Discuss.

The Mets had a game yesterday but there was no ITG. They lost 2-1 against the Marlins. Without spoiling any more, here is a retrospective thread for our members to pretend like they're discussing the game, or to share their memories of the game.

IF growth can be slow and steady rather than exponential, and IF this website can be allowed to maintain something of its current flair and IF we can avoid it becoming a carbon-copy baseball forum or a watered down click-bait buzzword farm that exists solely to draw superficial eyes and superficial ad revenue, then there is some potential for success. However altruism is often a thin veneer when money is a true driving force. 3,000-4,000 members is doable, because at any given time only a few hundred at most are 'active,' and of those 'active' members a strong core will be actively posting in any quantity. I used to post on Baseball Fever, a site with nearly 30,000 members, but at any given moment only a few hundred at most were active...so it still had an actual culture.* *But much like this website, the METS subforum on the site had maybe 5-10 solid contributors But what would be a total bummer is if this site became a Reddit, where the goal isn't to post anything meaningful, but to post what will get them the most upvotes and Reddit gold, or a Quora, where people can write entire essays that say absolutely nothing because all they are are empty buzzwords that get them clicks and ad revenue (I have never seen people more capable of turning a four-word answer into a six-paragraph screed of meaningless fluff like the members of Quora). A big issue is you're not bringing a forum that has 300 solid members and bumping it up to maybe 3,000. Those 300 would offer a solid base that could carry with them the culture of old. We have like 10 people here that post regularly and 10 people will easily be swamped by even a modest, sudden influx. And I will say to those that think ditching CPF is a good idea due to attrition or whatever...please take note that one of the guys being most vocal about not losing it (me) is the one who's been here just about the least amount of time (~3 years), so there's clearly still a lot of value to be had, even in this website as it currently exists, for newcomers.

Dixon Machado has retired.

Who was Bill Mazeroski? Bill Mazeroski (1936–2026) was a Hall of Fame second baseman who spent his entire 17-year Major League career (1956–1972) with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Renowned primarily for his extraordinary defense, Mazeroski became one of the greatest fielding second basemen in baseball history, winning eight Gold Gloves and earning ten All-Star selections. He set major league records for double plays by a second baseman, including 1,706 in his career and 161 in a single season (1966), and led the National League multiple times in assists, fielding percentage, and double plays. Though his offensive numbers were modest—a .260 career batting average with 2,016 hits and 138 home runs—Mazeroski delivered one of the most iconic moments in sports history. In Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, he hit the first and only walk-off home run ever to end a World Series, defeating the New York Yankees and securing the championship for Pittsburgh. The dramatic blast cemented his legacy and remains one of baseball’s most celebrated moments. He also helped the Pirates win another title in 1971. Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, Mazeroski rose from humble beginnings to become a defensive standard at his position, known for his quick hands and mastery of the double play pivot. After retiring as a player, he served as a coach for the Pirates and the Seattle Mariners and remained involved in player development for years. Mazeroski was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001 by the Veterans Committee, a decision that sparked debate due to his relatively modest offensive statistics. However, many historians and players argued that his defensive dominance and historic World Series home run justified the honor. He died on February 20, 2026, at age 89, remembered as one of baseball’s greatest defensive players and the author of its most famous championship-clinching home run. Arturo León Lerma died. https://www.tribuna.com.mx/deportes/2026/2/19/la-lmp-el-beisbol-de-luto-fallece-el-expresidente-del-circuito-arturo-leon-lerma-430022.html Who was Arturo León Lerma? Arturo León Lerma (1937–2026) was a leading figure in Mexican professional baseball and public life. Born in Álamos, Sonora, he began his executive career in the 1970s and went on to serve two terms as president of the Liga Mexicana del Pacífico, as well as spending 14 years with the Naranjeros de Hermosillo. A respected author on the sport, he was inducted into the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013. In addition to his baseball leadership, León Lerma was a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party and served as a federal deputy representing Sonora from 2000 to 2003. During his term, he supported civic development projects in Hermosillo. He died there on February 19, 2026, at age 88, leaving a lasting legacy in both sports and public service.

Why swoop in and take this one over and not just start a Mets forum and site of your own? That's the question. There's an ulterior motive as to why he wants this site; he's not going to give the full answers because to do so would likely mean saying things that would make more of us say 'no.' There's a reason he wants to monopolize all these sites. Why. If money is a driving reason why we're considering this move, I'd pitch in, too, to avoid it. If it's low-engagement, then there's other ways to boost traffic. If running the site is just too burdensome and onerous, then find someone with an independent flair who will maintain the feel of an independent website, lumps and all, not someone who wants to turn this into his version of just another baseball forum.

I think we're more distracted by the fact that another massive change at this board and website we know and love so very much is in the works again. Everything else seems so trivial, ya know? Don't make me go back to holding cardboard signs with my opinions of the New York Mets on street corners again.

Because no one expects much from him, I'm sure ... Craig Kimbrel.

So we do have really short memories.