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Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Edgy DC Jan 15 2010 01:00 PM

Ex-Little Falls Met? Sex-Little Falls Met! Guy was a walking machine.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 15 2010 01:08 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

I guess this pretty much proves it's the same guy: Graham-Potts broke off the affair with Siciliano, a former New York Mets minor league catcher, after he lost his temper and threw a water bottle at her, breaking her nose, Gygax said. He promised to destroy the sex tapes but never did, she said. Nice guy. Too bad the Mets never gave him a chance.

Fman99 Jan 17 2010 06:36 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Once again, Jose "0-fer" Offerman is hitting umpires instead of baseballs, this time as a manager in the Dominican league. Story here.

G-Fafif Jan 17 2010 12:11 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

John Stearns, not such a Bad Dude.

Edgy DC Jan 17 2010 12:32 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

John Stearns tackles Chief Noc-a-Homa = funny! Randall Simon taps the costume head of a sausage with a bat = assault!

Benjamin Grimm Jan 17 2010 02:05 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

We've become much more enlightened about "mascot abuse."

Fman99 Jan 17 2010 07:29 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Benjamin Grimm wrote: We've become much more enlightened about "mascot abuse." Having said that, it's never too late to go choke the (San Diego) chicken.

Edgy DC Jan 18 2010 10:43 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Once again, Jose "0-fer" Offerman is hitting umpires instead of baseballs, this time as a manager in the Dominican league. Story here. Banned for life: http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/spor ... 57657.html

Benjamin Grimm Jan 20 2010 10:43 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

I got an e-mail from someone who's working with Ed Hearn. I won't post her name here, since she didn't give me permission to do so, but here's what she's pitching: Ed is leading the charge for Nephcure in the Chase Community Giving Facebook Contest. Nephcure is among 100 non-profit organizations with budgets of 10,000,000 dollars or less, who are competing for a 1 million dollar grant. Here is the youtube link to Ed’s video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoeuz2fVHGU Other relevant links are: http://www.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving http://www.nephcure.org Thanks so much for your time!

SteveJRogers Jan 31 2010 06:15 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Willie Mays doing press tour for bio on him due out in a couple of weeks.

Ashie62 Feb 01 2010 07:15 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

First line of Willies' book "None of ya were half the player I was so the hell with ya!"

Willets Point Feb 05 2010 07:29 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

One ex-Met will participate in this weekend's Faith Bowl where they will say things like this: “That's where we have to redirect our energy, to teach our young men, this is what a real man is, being a faithful husband, present father and as well as a provider. … Don’t live the life others want you to live. Live the life God wants you to live.”

Kong76 Feb 05 2010 07:36 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Ash: "None of ya were half the player I was so the hell with ya!" <<< He wouldn't be half wrong.

cooby Feb 06 2010 02:18 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

This was today http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-d ... 63953.html

G-Fafif Feb 09 2010 08:23 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Willie Mays in an enjoyable two-hour interview with Bob Costas on MLBN tonight (repeated at 11 PM and 2 AM Eastern and, I imagine, a lot from there). Willie remembers what Willie wants to remember the way Willie wants to remember it. Bob's sole Met question regarded the falling down in the '73 WS. Willie reconstructed the 12-inning, 10-7 victory that was full of miscues (including his own) into a Met laugher that they won 10-2, thanks to Willie -- who also helped them win the first game of the Series (which they didn't). Old Baseball Player Exhibits Selective Memory would be the headline from this reminiscence. Willie allowed he was doing the interview not so much to promote the authorized biography that's just been released but because Bob has always been fair to him and he wanted to help him out in his new job.

SteveJRogers Feb 19 2010 06:06 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

From Crain's New York Business Mo Vaughn's home runs: Builds affordable-housing empire scooping up distressed properties.

Fman99 Feb 23 2010 06:16 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

As per Rotoworld, Clifford the Big Red Floyd has taken a broadcasting job with Fox Sports Florida, I assume covering Marlins games in some format, while leaving an option open to come back and play if someone needs a "big lefty bat off the bench." Good luck Cliff.

Edgy DC Mar 10 2010 12:41 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Tony the Tiger Clark goes to work for the MLBPA.

MFS62 Mar 19 2010 09:50 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Heard on the radio the other night that Scott Strickland has left Georgia Tech, where he was an assistant coach, to become the new head baseball coach at Kent State. Later

Met Hunter Mar 19 2010 12:22 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

MFS62 wrote: Heard on the radio the other night that Scott Strickland has left Georgia Tech, where he was an assistant coach, to become the new head baseball coach at Kent State. Later That's Scott Stricklin. A different player altogether from the bum we remember. I think the former Met is still hanging around the minors somewhere.

metirish Mar 19 2010 12:27 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Scott Strickland is in the Marlins org somewhere , or was anyway. looks like he's at Spring Training http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=232994

MFS62 Mar 19 2010 08:29 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

metirish wrote: Scott Strickland is in the Marlins org somewhere , or was anyway. looks like he's at Spring Training http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=232994 Oops. That's what happens when you hear stuff on the radio. http://www.kentstatesports.com/ViewArti ... LID=605613 Easy mistake to make. Later

Edgy DC Mar 22 2010 02:40 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Only one place to get your Mookie. DJ Dozier, on the ballot. OE: I can't access the page, but Bud Harrelson is apparently shopping a memoir.

Gwreck Mar 24 2010 09:00 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Doc Gooden, unable to stay on the right side of the law, apparently. Deadspin (I know, I hate linking to them too) reporting Doc charged with DUI (with a child passenger!!), among other things as a result of a traffic accident.

G-Fafif Apr 02 2010 07:39 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Glendon Rusch, Chicago sports bar investor.

MFS62 Apr 03 2010 12:11 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Catcher Vance Wilson exercised an out clause in his contract and retired, reports Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Perhaps he'll move on to a coaching gig. Wilson, 37, hit .270/.342/.461 in 229 Double A plate appearances for the Royals' affiliate last year after missing two years with a pair of elbow surgeries. He played eight seasons for the Mets and Tigers, earning about $4.9MM along the way. 37? It seems only yesterday he was backing up Mike Piazza. Later

G-Fafif Apr 11 2010 04:02 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Benny Agbayani, per the Snooze, enjoying retirement in Hawaii. Found this nugget intriguing: He played in 119 games for the Mets' 2000 World Series team, batting .289 with 15 homers and 60 RBI. That season, Agbayani hit an 11th-inning grand slam to beat the Cubs in Tokyo in the second game of the year and he homered in the 13th inning of Game 3 of the division series against the Giants. He cherishes a photo of his teammates throwing him into the air afterward. He also helped the Mets to their lone win in the World Series, doubling in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning of Game 3. "I can't believe it's been 10 years already," says Agbayani, who adds that he'll be at Citi Field sometime this season with other members of the team that lost in five games to the Yankees. "The Subway Series, it couldn't get any better than that, just the intensity of the fans, the intensity of the atmosphere, of the games themselves. We had an unbelievable team - great atmosphere in the clubhouse." Haven't seen any mention of a tenth anniversary commemoration, but that would be sweet (ending of 2000 postseason notwithstanding).

SteveJRogers Apr 12 2010 06:38 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Wouldn't surprise me. They always give the 1973ers their due on the 10s and 5s anniversary wise. Speaking of which, the 2010 Mets Yearbook went and did a "Where Are They Now" page on that team: Kurt Abbott: Police Officer in Ft. Lauderdale Benny Agbayani: Retired in Oahu, HI Edgardo Alfonzo: Playing Winter Ball in Venezuela, and living in Short Hills Armando Benitez: They list "Active Player" and he is living in the Dominican Derek Bell: Retired in Tampa. No word if he is living on a boat. Mike Bordick: A Roving Instructor with the Orioles, residence is listed as Baltimore Dennis Cook: A "Full-Time Dad" in Austin, Texas John Franco: Mets "Club Ambassador" Matt Franco: Co-Owns an ATM Company out in Simi Valley, CA Darryl Hamilton: Working out of Houston as a Senior Specialist for On-Field Operations for the Commissioner's Office Mike Hampton: Retired, though some say he may have been retired for 10 years, in Paradise Valley, AZ Lenny Harris: Lives in Miami and is a coach in the Dodger organization Bobby Jones Living in Fresno, and owns his own BBQ sauce company, Sloppy Joe's Al Leiter YES and MLB commentator, resides in Summit, NJ Joe McEwing Manager for the White Sox' Single A team in Winston Salem, and lives in Yardley, PA Jay Payton Resides in Raleigh, VA and was a ST Invitee for the Rockies at the time of this printing Timo Perez Living in the Dominican and is said to have signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers Mike Piazza Living in Miami and is listed as "Consultant, Italian Baseball Foundation and father of two daughters" Todd Pratt: Living in Douglasville, GA and is the coach for the Bulls of Douglasville in the Sunbelt Collegiate Summer League Rick Reed: Full-Time Dad in Proctorville, OH Glendon Rusch Retired in La Canada, CA Bubba Trammell: Private Hitting Instructor in Knoxville, TN Robin Ventura: Living out in Santa Monica and a Broadcaster for ESPN's College World Series coverage and is listed as father of four Turk Wendell Full-time Dad and Hunting Guide out in Larksbur, CO Rick White: Pitching Coach at Wittenberg College out in Springfield, OH Todd Zeile: Living in Van Nuys, CA and is listed as a filmmaker, and co-owner of Aci-St. Luis Jet Center Manager and Coaches Bobby Valentine ESPN Commentator and still living in Stamford, CT Al Jackson: Minor League Pitching Consultant with the Mets and residing in Port St. Luice Tom Robson: Retired and watches three grandkids play baseball in Sun Lakes, AZ Cookie Rojas: Living in Aventura, FL and is a Spanish TV broadcaster for the Marlins John Stearns: Also residing in Port St. Luice and is a Major League scout with the Mariners Dave Wallace: Lives in Vero Beach, FL and is the Minor League Pitching Coordinator for the Braves Mookie Wilson: Resides in Eastover, SC and is the Mets Roving Minor League Outfield and Base Running Coordinator

SteveJRogers Apr 12 2010 06:43 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Should also be noted that the Mets Program is doing a series on the highlights of 2000 running through out the season.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 12 2010 08:54 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

W Bobby Jones Living in Fresno, and owns his own BBQ sauce company, Sloppy Joe's I liked Bobby Jones. Drove me nuts finding more on this because the company is apparently Sloppy Jon's, not Joe's. Here's a thing on it from Kevin Kernan at the Post. I'm pretty sure I'd have remembered if we did this already, but forgive me if it's a repeat. Former Hurler More than One-Hit Wonder Bobby Jones served up one of the best postseason pitching performances in Mets history, one-hitting the Giants in the 2000 NLDS. Jones is one of just five pitchers in postseason history to pitch a shutout allowing one or no hits. The others are: Claude Passeau, perfect gamer Don Larsen, Jim Lonborg and Roger Clemens. Jones beat the Giants, 4-0, in the clinching Game 4. The one hit he surrendered was a fifth-inning double to Jeff Kent. Now the right-hander is serving up some pretty tasty barbecue back home in Fresno, Calif. He’s so good at manning the grill that he and a partner have their own little barbecue sauce, called Sloppy Jon’s. It’s a local product, there’s some fine-tuning to be done, but there are plans to make the sauce available on a larger scale. Jones was the Mets’ first-round draft pick out of Fresno State in 1991. Two years later he was in the majors. Jones pitched for the Mets for eight seasons. He also cooked. “Me and Turk Wendell used to eat fried turkey in the bullpen a lot during batting practice,” Jones said with a laugh. “We didn’t really have a kitchen at Shea, but when I went to San Diego I cooked a lot.” Jones posted a 74-56 record for the Mets. The turning point came during the 2000 season, when he was sent to the minors. After he was hammered by the Yankees 13-5 on June 10, he agreed to go down to Triple-A Norfolk. “I had never been sent down. It was really a tough thing to swallow, but I knew that it was best for the team,” Jones said. “I worked on some things and came back up and then to have that game against the Giants was pretty special. “It was emotional for me because of the way the fans cheered me. It was the coolest thing ever. I went from the bottom of the barrel to the top.” Following the 2000 season, Jones signed with the Padres as a free agent. He retired after the 2002 season. Jones and his wife have three children, ages 13, 11 and 7. If there is a local fundraiser, you can find Jones behind the grill. Memphis, Kansas City or Texas style; his favorite is cooking ribs. “A close second is brisket,” Jones said. “Pork or beef, it just depends what you feel like that night,” Jones added. “I do a lot of whole pigs. That’s why ribs are little bit easier than doing a whole brisket — 4 hours vs. 24 hours. You’ve got to be constantly watching that fire. It’s really an art.” Low and slow. Jones said he hopes to run his own restaurant one day when the timing is right. “I’ve already designed a menu, but the restaurant business is so difficult, you have to be there, you can’t just open a place and forget about it,” he said. He wants to write a cookbook, too. For now, though, he is content competing in cook-offs and cooking for charity events. “When I first started cooking, there were plenty of times when it would go in the trash and the pizza man would show up,” Jones said. “It’s like anything else, sometimes failure makes you better.” He also gives pitching lessons and was the pitching coach at Fresno State in 2006. Two years later, Fresno State won the college World Series. “My freshmen were juniors,” he said. “It was as much of a thrill for me as it was for those kids.” Jones also is an avid wine collector and has started making different wines with friends. “We made six vintages this year that are in barrels now,” Jones said. “It’s not for sale. It’s our own little deal. “We purchased the grapes from wineries all over Napa Valley and did the whole process ourselves in a little facility we have here. When they’re done and bottled we distribute them amongst our group.” Family, friends, barbecue and wine, Bobby Jones has all the bases covered.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 12 2010 09:50 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Sweet life for Bobby. Dumb question: Not "Sloppy Jones'"?

G-Fafif Apr 16 2010 07:42 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Loge 13 has a neato Rusty sighting and reflection here. If this was a perfect world, this morning there would have been a cortege of handlers, carrying Rusty's bags, paying Rusty's cab driver, clearing a path through the throngs of Rusty admirers so Rusty could get to his next meeting, the topic of which would be telling Rusty how great he is.

Edgy DC May 07 2010 06:38 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Ralph Milliard spotted coaching the Dutch team. http://www.southwesterncollegesun.com/s ... -1.1475246 Not much there, but it's not every baseball article that includes the line, "Bjørn was a real role model."

Valadius May 09 2010 05:16 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

The Snooze has an update on Keith Miller: [url]http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2010/05/08/2010-05-08_former_met_miller_an_agent_of_change.html

themetfairy May 09 2010 05:47 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Yesterday's Post had a nice story about Turk Wendell

G-Fafif May 20 2010 08:57 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

If you build it, Ken Sanders will help you sell it. 'Field of Dreams' diamond, stands, field being sold by The Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa - In "Field of Dreams," Kevin Costner's character builds a baseball diamond out of a cornfield after a voice tells him: "If you build it, he will come." Well, now he can buy it and so can anyone else. Don and Becky Lansing, the owners of the site near Dyersville where the field was built by Universal Studios, said Thursday they're selling the property. The asking price is $5.4 million. The couple said they love the land, which has been in Don Lansing's family for more than a century, but they're ready to retire and give up the property. "It's really time for us to head to the locker room. Maybe that sounds corny. I don't care," Becky Lansing said. "We really would just love to become spectators. We want to sit in the bleachers. We want to look forward to all that the 'Field of Dreams' will become in the future." The "Field of Dreams" is in the middle of a cornfield in eastern Iowa. The movie, released in 1989 with Costner as its star, was based on the book "Shoeless Joe" by W.P. Kinsella. The site has been a popular tourist destination, with the family maintaining the baseball diamond built by Universal. The Lansings purchased the left field and center portions from neighbor Rita Ameskamp in 2007, ending a long-standing split over the commercialization of the site. Up for sale is the diamond, a two-bedroom house, six outbuildings that include a concession stand, and a 193-acre parcel. The land includes the mystical cornfield where the ghosts of "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, "Moonlight" Graham and others emerge to play ball. Former major league pitcher Ken Sanders, now a real estate consultant overseeing the sale, said he's already received a number of inquiries about the property. Sanders said the majority of those who've reached out have shown interest in preserving the property. But he's also heard from people thinking about putting up a hotel, water park and even some contemplating whether to build a minor league ballpark on the site. There's little doubt, though, that the property's iconic place in sports movie history will help its resale value. "We are the caretakers of a living piece of sports memorabilia," Becky Lansing said. "This is an organic, living, breathing piece of memorabilia."

SteveJRogers May 22 2010 09:16 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Ten years burning down that road... From last night's "gathering" of members of the 2000 Mets before the game

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 22 2010 09:29 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Top pic, left to right: Alfonzo, Franco, ?, Turk, ? (Hampton?), Agbayani, Pizzatime

SteveJRogers May 22 2010 10:01 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

You got Dolphin Face and Franco flipped. Forget who the two in the middle are. Pretty sure the guy in the middle is Turk.

G-Fafif May 22 2010 02:23 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

SteveJRogers wrote: Ten years burning down that road... From last night's "gathering" of members of the 2000 Mets before the game ] Fonzie, Hampton, Reeder, Turk, Franco, Benny, Mike

bmfc1 May 22 2010 06:26 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Rick Reed loved being a Met: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseb ... _reed.html

Frayed Knot May 22 2010 07:32 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Reed & Turk look like they've been killing a lot of game ... and eating most of it too.

G-Fafif May 23 2010 06:42 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Brian Daubach managing indie team in Pittsfield. Berkshire Eagle reporter can't spell Alfonzo.

Edgy DC May 23 2010 10:35 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Who's the goth chick in the middle?

bmfc1 May 24 2010 08:30 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Jerry Koosman, in jail: http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_151 ... ck_check=1

MFS62 May 27 2010 09:42 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

I did a Yahoo search on Mets scouts. The second link to pop up surprised me:(the second group of links) http://wwwwp.find-assist.com/search?qo= ... gOEVEUEA2_ I wonder what he is doing these days? Later

Edgy DC Jun 30 2010 08:52 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Doug Flynn, calling softball for ESPN.

Edgy DC Jul 02 2010 10:56 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Dave Magadan, now David and a Hall-of-Famer. As anounced elsewhere, Jerry DiPoto has ascended, via battlefield promotion, to become GM of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

G-Fafif Jul 04 2010 11:54 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Joel Youngblood, giving signs in Arizona as the D'Backs' new third base coach. He could make some throws to third from right he could.

Gwreck Jul 04 2010 07:55 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

bmfc1 wrote: Jerry Koosman, in jail: http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_151 ... ck_check=1 I believe Jerry's prison sentence ended Friday.

metsguyinmichigan Jul 07 2010 11:36 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Timo Perez, forever shifting into cruise control in Game One, released today by the Dodgers. My favorite Timo moment was seeing him jumping for joy, waiting for the final out of the NLCS to fall into his glove.

Benjamin Grimm Jul 07 2010 11:37 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Timo Perez, forever shifting into cruise control in Game One, released today by the Dodgers. WHAT??? Timo is still playing??? I had no idea.

G-Fafif Jul 07 2010 11:45 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

A guy who took his time between first and home is in no rush to get out of the game.

Edgy DC Jul 12 2010 02:07 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

George Theodore, guider of our young. I never realized how wretched his 1974 was.

Met Hunter Jul 12 2010 03:17 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

That's always been one of my favorite Met stats. Stork's 1 hr, 1 rbi.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 16 2010 12:08 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Someone video ambushes Gary Carter at the All-Star FanFest. This is weird. Weirder, still: this guy's follow-up "supervillain-level" YouTube attacks on Carter.

Edgy DC Jul 16 2010 12:18 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

That's all my work there. How embarassing.

Edgy DC Jul 16 2010 12:31 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Frank Howard, major league player, All Star, manager, coach, giant, raconteur, and... please don't kill me, but what the hell is on your head, Mr. Howard? Oh, heck, now I made him angry.

Willets Point Jul 16 2010 12:36 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Someone video ambushes Gary Carter at the All-Star FanFest. This is weird. Weirder, still: this guy's follow-up "supervillain-level" YouTube attacks on Carter. Love this comment: That's nothing. You should have seen what happened to me when I tried to get Nell Carter to sign my "Modern Problems" poster at the Gimme A Break Fanfest.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 16 2010 12:41 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Someone video ambushes Gary Carter at the All-Star FanFest. This is weird. Weirder, still: this guy's follow-up "supervillain-level" YouTube attacks on Carter. I hate people.

Fman99 Jul 16 2010 12:53 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Steve Phillips, when he's not plowing incredibly homely women, is now hosting a show on XM's new (fantastically awesome) fantasy sports station, taking questions and discussing fantasy baseball.

TransMonk Jul 16 2010 01:12 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

I'm here to help you be the best fantasy GM you can be. And, hey, in your down time, instead of fantasizing about Megan Fox or Jessica Biel, you should fantasize about a big-boned fantasy network intern that get clingy quickly and squeals to your fantasy wife.

G-Fafif Jul 16 2010 01:13 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Steve Phillips, when give a chance to speak by Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts yesterday filling in for MF (who doesn't let his guests speak), made an interesting excuse for Billy Taylor sucking when he became a Met in 1999. He had been a closer who was not used to getting up and sitting down as a middle reliever will and it threw off his rhythm. Not sure if this is entirely the reason for his sucking (he was old, suddenly displaced and there was illness in his family) but it was one of the few time I've heard Phillips where I thought he sounded like he knew something about baseball.

duan Jul 16 2010 05:12 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

but could his *vast* experience not have told him that this might be a problem before he traded Jason Isringhousen for him. I'm generally of the opinion that people don't get to positions like GM due to luck or through ineptitude - that more often then not someone has worked hard and showed talent to get promoted but even I've very little time for Steve Phillips at this stage

Rockin' Doc Jul 16 2010 07:40 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Someone video ambushes Gary Carter at the All-Star FanFest. This is weird. Weirder, still: this guy's follow-up "supervillain-level" YouTube attacks on Carter. Too bad security didn't have a taser.

Fman99 Jul 16 2010 07:44 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Mr. Phillips, thanks for taking my call. I'm having a problem with starting pitching on my fantasy team... who's out there that you can recommend that might help me catch up in wins and ERA? Well, Fman, I'd suggest you put your manhood into a girl with low self esteem, who looks like an undercooked pile-o-mashed-potatoes, and then just hope and wish everything works out for your team. Uh, thanks Steve.

Edgy DC Jul 19 2010 12:01 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Al Moran, busting his hump for his brothers.

Edgy DC Jul 23 2010 11:18 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Tom Grieve, elected into the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame (along with Walker, perhaps), pauses briefly to recall the 110 plate apperances and .208 batting average that won't get him into the Mets Hall of Fame. "My whole adult life is invested in this franchise, from the time I was 18 years and signed as a first-round Draft pick," Grieve said. "Except for one year with the Mets and the Cardinals, 43 out of 44 years have been with this franchise. To have the Rangers recognize my body of work as being worthy of the Hall of Fame is obviously very meaningful to me. To be recognized like this is very gratifying. I don't take it for granted for one moment." http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/news/artic ... p&c_id=tex If he hit a lick, he could have secured a place in the line of Sons of Ed Kranepool along with Jorgenson, Staub, and Heep.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 23 2010 11:25 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

I didn't read the article but as I recall Grieve was a local guy too, from White Plains or something.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 28 2010 02:50 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

AthleticsNation talks to Mikey Pizza at the Euro Baseball Cup about coaching the Eye-ties, proper al dente, missing the asspats, and wanting what Bengie's got. Do you think that a retirement is harder for professional athletes than for "normal" people? Yes, but it also depends on the individual, too. You have to realize you will not play forever and appreciate the time while you do play. So, it's the matter of sort of being rounded psychologically, more so than being so self-absorbed about your career. I still do miss the camaraderie, though - that's the big thing. You said you watch some highlight reels. Now - and be honest - did you ever think that Bengie Molina would hit for a cycle? No, it's funny and in a healthy way I envy him. I had two times when I was close. Once I was missing a home run and on my last AB the outfielder made a great catch against the wall, whereas when I was missing a double I hit a sinking line drive that the centerfielder grabbed. And that was it, I always said that the outfielder pretty much has to fall down and have a heart attack for me to have a triple.

Willets Point Aug 01 2010 04:45 PM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

Mo Vaugh, New York City real estate tycoon.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 02 2010 09:34 AM Re: Sons of Rico, Mets in Retirement in 2010

I remember reading about that shortly after they had first gotten off the ground (although the story was more of an affectionate check-out-the-talking-dog story than anything that assessed Omni on its own terms) and being impressed. One of my former employees grew up and still had (has, presumably?) family living in the Brookhaven complex, and was nothing but praiseful of the renovation/admin work they'd seen out of Vaughn's group when it came up (this was in 2008 or so).

Edgy DC Aug 03 2010 08:12 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Stanley Jefferson has apparently found work (such as it is) lending his name (such as it is) to a couple of guys apparently trying to paint their patent litigation as a civil rights issue.

Edgy DC Aug 12 2010 12:28 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Darryl gets into the restaurant business and... goodness gracious, what is he wearing?!

Edgy DC Aug 15 2010 12:22 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

All about the keystone today. Doug Flynn, batting the big C. Roberto Alomar, sleeping at the club.

G-Fafif Aug 15 2010 05:13 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Jesse put Doug under the WAR microscope last week, with commentary by yours truly here. According to WAR, the lowest-rated player of the live ball era is Doug Flynn, who hit .238 with a .266 on-base percentage and .294 slugging percentage from 1975-85 with the Reds, Mets, Rangers, Expos and Tigers. There's no getting around the fact that Flynn's .560 career OPS is the fourth-worst in the majors since 1920 among players with at least 3,000 plate appearances, or that he was just 20-for-40 stealing bases. But would Flynn's teams, particularly the late 1970s and early 1980s Mets, really have been better off employing a revolving cast of minor-league call-ups? "I have an overwhelmingly positive association with Doug Flynn, mainly for his fielding," says Greg Prince, the author of the book "Faith and Fear in Flushing" and co-author of the blog of the same name. "Probably, along with Edgardo Alfonzo, the best defensive second baseman the Mets ever had, and from the vantage point of a 17-year-old, seemed like a good guy, and the kind of guy in those lean days I always rooted for. As a middle infielder who didn't hit a lot, he certainly did his job, to the point where he won a Gold Glove (in 1980). Nobody blamed Doug Flynn for the fact that the Mets weren't going anywhere in those days."

Edgy DC Sep 01 2010 10:46 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Robin Ventura, hoping to chat with you. John Gibbons, Bobby Valentine, Wally Backman, all speculatlve candidates. Bobby Valentine (again), remembering Bobby Thompson. (Actually, no quotes from Bobby there, but some impressive remembrances nonetheless.

Edgy DC Sep 16 2010 10:33 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

John Franco, shoe-in for the Hall of Very Good.

Edgy DC Sep 17 2010 07:58 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Brent Mayne, underwear model, author, and humanitarian. Kevin Mitchell, symbol of Fred Wilpon's destruction of the Mets, and now on trial. Ron Gardenhire and Rick Anderson, destined for greatness from their Tidewater days.

MFS62 Oct 05 2010 08:41 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Public speaking. From my local paper. With an ex-Yankee, too. http://www.newstimes.com/default/articl ... 686189.php I sent the author an e-mail to remind her that Eliott played for both the Mets and the Yankees. Later

A Boy Named Seo Oct 05 2010 10:56 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Lenny's in the LA Times today. Not a lot new. Still broke. Still talking big. Still saying lame shit like, "I was a wanderer, dude. I was like Gandhi."

Edgy DC Oct 05 2010 11:26 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Your sig line reads like a caption.

themetfairy Oct 06 2010 05:22 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Like Gandhi?

Edgy DC Oct 06 2010 05:46 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

If you read on, it notes that, in his passon to re-emerge, fully solvent and a big shot playa once again, he has adopted a theme song --- Travis McCoy's "Blillionaire." Which is cool, as that was also Gandhi's psyche-up music. Let go, Lenny.

MFS62 Oct 06 2010 08:13 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Got a reply from the email I sent the author to let her know that Maddox also played for the Mets. Hi ---, Glad you liked the story. I did know Maddox played for the Mets, but he also played for four other teams, so I felt it was simpler to just mention the Yankees. Lisa The next question is, does this qualify her as a YLDB? Or do we give her a pass on this one? Later

Frayed Knot Oct 06 2010 08:15 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

MFS62 wrote: The next question is, does this qualify her as a YLDB? It qualifies her as a bad reporter.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Oct 06 2010 09:59 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Especially since he played as many years for Metsie as he did for Team American Dream over there, and logged 300 more PAs in Queens, to boot.

G-Fafif Oct 11 2010 11:57 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Maddox once said he played for the Mets but he was a Yankee. Eff him and his MFYLDB attitude. And Lisa the bad reporter.

Edgy DC Oct 11 2010 12:03 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

There's quite simply more money these days in being an ex-Yankee than in being an ex-Met. For the record, he was treated horribly by Billy Martin, who drummed him off his team three seperate times.

G-Fafif Oct 11 2010 01:14 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Maddox also went to the World Series with them. Recently said, "New York was home, I just wanted to stay at home," regarding his decision to sign with the Mets. Also said he grew up an MFY fan in NJ, "as a child I would go to MFYS and I could always feel the ghosts." And when he became a major leaguer the "pinstripes would inspire me to do well against the Yankees"; "there were these spirits watching the ballgame." At the end of the linked interview (when his Shea-related knee problems are mentioned): "I tell people even to this day, I played for the Yankees, I just happened to have been on the Mets," though he professes "love in my heart for both teams." Post-career signing fees notwithstanding, Elliott Maddox might have been a lost cause to us. Ex-Met/MFYs were asked to compare the two about-to-be-shuttered ballparks in 2008 by the Village Voice. Oy, as recently Bar Mitzvahed not Met for life Elliott Maddox might say. It's impolite to speak ill of the dead, so let's make this quick: Shea Stadium—smothered in something between a blue and purple semi-gloss and set down in a remote Queens parking lot—is the most innocuous, insipid, and uninspiring ballpark in the National League (yes, we have come to bury Shea, not to praise it). Sometime in early winter, the walls of both Shea and Yankee stadiums will come down. The dates are as yet unannounced, holding out the prospect of playoff baseball (realistic in the east, a pipe dream further north) or possibly an appearance by the Boss (Springsteen, not Steinbrenner) in the Bronx. And so a comparison of the two home fields is natural, if inherently unfair. Yankee Stadium was constructed privately for just over $2 million. Alternatively, Shea Stadium (working title: Flushing Meadows Park) stands as a testament to the immutable will of Robert Moses, the most notorious public planner in history, who exercised a control over the city similar to J. Edgar Hoover's over the FBI. On April 18, 1923, over 74,000 fans turned out for Yankee Stadium's opening. Babe Ruth hit the first home run in a Yankee win, and, at season's end, the team brought home the first of their 26 world titles. After two seasons in the Polo Grounds (also the Yankees' last home before their stadium was built), the Mets opened Shea on April 17, 1964, in front of more than 50,000 fans with a 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh (the Pirates' Willie Stargell hit the first home run). A three-year-old expansion team manned by well-past-prime-time players and managers (Casey Stengel was 71 when he took the job and 74 when he left, a mere 20 years senior to the next-oldest manager in the NL, St. Louis's Johnny Keane), the Mets managed to lose more than 100 games for their third consecutive season, finishing dead last in a 10-team league (also for the third consecutive season) and instantly shaping Shea Stadium as New York's very own Island of Misfit Ballplayers. Even worse, those lovable losers—blessed with more character than wins—performed in a facility that possessed no redeeming qualities of its own. "It was," says former Met and Yankee Doc Medich, "one of those '60s-'70s parks that got thrown up that were convertible for football. It just didn't really capture anybody's imagination. The most unique thing about it was the noise from the airplanes." Even Ron Swoboda, an integral member of the '69 Miracle Mets, remains unsentimental about the place: "It was designed to hold seats up," he says of Shea. "I mean, it was utilitarian, you know—it never was glorious." Consider, in contrast, the House That Ruth Built. Even as a skeleton of its former self (its insides ripped apart, reconfigured, and somewhat replaced during a two-year John Lindsay initiative in 1974 and 1975), Yankee Stadium is majestic, an edifice elevated to the status of legend by the strengths of baseball's best-known and longest-lasting working-class hero. Even now, in its second incarnation, the place is a cathedral with an almost sacred history. Think surroundings don't matter? Watch a young ball club like Pittsburgh, fugitives from the National League, visit the stadium for interleague play and walk the field like Midwestern tourists entering St. Pat's. They are caught in a moment—rare for professional ballplayers schooled in the ways of competition—of unabashed and undisguised awe. But not for much longer. In 2009, both teams will start afresh in facilities valued at $2 billion (or 1,000 times the cost of the original Yankee Stadium). With the Yankees' late-July acquisition of Xavier Nady from the Pirates, 104 men have now played for both teams. We asked 11 of them about their first day as a major-leaguer in the city, the importance of a uniform, if there was anything—anything at all—better about Shea, and what they'd take from either site before the deconstruction begins. I. DEBUTS "The most memorable thing about the first day at Yankee Stadium was, we were in the outfield shagging and, you know, just taking it all in. Me and Mike Buddie were the only two rookies on the team, and nobody's saying your name. They probably didn't even know who I was. And I see Mike Buddie coming across the field, and he's smiling, and he was like: 'Hey, man, you won't believe this—some people knew my name.' And I'm like: 'Really? That's so cool.' He goes: 'Yeah, they're like, "Mike! Mike! Mike Buddie!" ' So he turns around, and they like wave to him, and he goes, 'Hey!' And they go: 'Go back to f'ing Columbus, you bum!' " —Shane Spencer (Yankees, 1998-2002; Mets, 2004) "It was pretty unbelievable. You know, you hear everything about Yankee Stadium, but . . . just from the stories you hear, you think, 'You know, it can't be that much different from anywhere else.' Until you actually get out there on the mound, and you realize: It really is a special place." —Jason Anderson (Yankees, 2003 and 2005; Mets, 2003) "When you're a Yankee, and you're going down your first day into that clubhouse, and you enter the stadium—man, I don't know how to explain this, but you just get goose bumps and chills and stuff all over your body. You can feel the history." —Lance Johnson (Mets, 1996-97; Yankees, 2000) "It was the only stadium in those days to have wall-to-wall carpet in the clubhouse. No other stadium that I know had anything like that. You know, I came from a lower-middle-class background, so I had my spikes on to walk around in thick, wall-to-wall carpet in a plush clubhouse. It was incredible . . . And, actually, I couldn't really feel the carpet, because I felt like I was walking on air. And then, of course, walking down the tunnel into the dugout was just a magnificent walk. It was like the gates of heaven opened up for me." —Phil Linz (Yankees, 1962-65; Mets, 1967-68) II. THE YANKEE UNIFORM "You know, I played in a World Series, won a World Series, with the Mets. I was a veteran player by the time I became a Yankee, but the first time I put the pinstripes on and walked out of the dugout and up on the playing field—and I had been there before, but when I walked out and I was a Yankee, had the pinstripes—man, that was special. I felt the little short hairs on my neck go up, and I went: 'Wow.' I wasn't prepared to be awed, but I was." —Ron Swoboda (Mets, 1965-70; Yankees, 1971-73) "I played for six different teams, so I put a lot of uniforms on and I went in a lot of stadiums. But Yankee Stadium, there is just something . . . and I guess it relates to the history of it. You know, the history of Yankee Stadium is darn near the history of baseball." —Billy Cowan (Mets, 1965; Yankees, 1969) "When the season ended in 2004, I realized it was going to be my last day in uniform as a Yankee, and possibly my last time ever at the stadium. I had my bags and made my way to the concourse behind home plate, near sections 2 and 4. It was late at night, and the stadium was dark. I took a few minutes to sit there and look out at the field and the seats. Certainly, my playing career there didn't go well, but it didn't take away from the moment for me. I took my time and took it all in, remembering specifically places I sat with my father through our years as fans, the many opening days we went to, and the many disappointments of being a Yankee fan in the '80s. I got to wear the uniform I dreamed about since I was seven." —C.J. Nitkowski (Mets, 2001; Yankees, 2004) "Yeah, it's the best uniform ever." —Don Schulze (Mets, 1987; Yankees, 1989) III. ANYTHING BETTER AT SHEA? "Better at Shea? [Laughs.] I'm going to have to come right out and say no, there isn't. Well, I guess I could say they had more flat-screen TVs in the locker room, you know, but that's probably changed by now." —Jason Anderson "Oh, yeah, the players' lounge is way better. Or at least when I was there." —Shane Spencer "Yeah, there is for a pitcher: right field. You didn't have to be as careful in the later innings with left-handed hitters in Shea. For a pitcher, that was probably the big thing." —Doc Medich (Yankees, 1972-75; Mets, 1977) "The Yankee fans are tough fans. Yankee Stadium was a good family atmosphere on the weekends, but it could be kind of brutal during the week." —Phil Lombardi (Yankees, 1986-87; Mets, 1989) "No [laughs]." —Phil Linz "No. The thing about Yankee Stadium, you know you're walking on the same ground that some of the greatest players of all time have walked on. I'm not saying there weren't great players at Shea Stadium, but with the likes of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig and Roger Maris . . . I mean, the list goes on and on. Thurman Munson's locker is still intact. It's an aura of baseball history that is there. Just the history with Yankee Stadium, I think, far outweighs Shea Stadium." —Wally Whitehurst (Mets, 1989-92; Yankees, 1996) "Not really [laughs]. Well, I liked the color blue with the Mets better . . . but that would be about it." —Don Schulze "No. You know, the skeleton of Yankee Stadium harkens back to the Roaring '20s, for God's sake. And the franchise has existed so much longer and has been through several different eras. The Mets have been through eras—some good, some bad, some in between. It's like America and Europe, you know. Europe has history; America has a couple hundred years." —Ron Swoboda IV. WANT A PIECE? "Probably the apple in center field at Shea Stadium." —Wally Whitehurst "Well, I'm sitting here right now looking at these old benches I have from Comiskey. I mean, you definitely want to have some of the benches . . . Shoot, if you could get home plate—I mean, both of those places, man; everything that's put in both of those stadiums are worth having as keepsakes." —Lance Johnson "I don't know if they change those home plates or pitching mounds around very much, but, you know, that'd be kind of neat to have." —Jason Anderson "You know, I think I got one thing signed from everybody—one bat signed—in the five years I was there, so those kind of things don't really affect me too much. But I would say maybe a whole length of the Bleacher Creatures maybe, when they do roll call. That would be pretty cool. I liked roll call." —Shane Spencer "Well, I don't know if they still have Mickey Mantle's locker, but if I had the choice of anything, I would take Mickey Mantle's locker [laughs]. You know, my locker was next to his for the first four years. In '62, '63, '64, and '65, my locker was directly next to Mickey." —Phil Linz "I want that big Babe Ruth bat outside of Yankee Stadium." —Don Schulze "I'd like the pitching rubber, the home plate, and my locker from Yankee Stadium. And enough of the flashing to make a fence around my yard." —Doc Medich "I already have my piece of Yankee Stadium, and no, I'm not telling you what it is. In 2001, I told myself I might never be here as a player again and got my memory piece. It's pretty cool, and from people I talked to, it had been there since at least the renovation." —C.J. Nitkowski "I'd like to have a set of seats out of Shea. That's all." —Ron Swoboda

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 11 2010 02:07 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Oh, go F yourself Swoboda. And Linz. And Schulze. And Medich. And Cowan. And Spencer, you fat drunk. And especially you, Jason Anderson. You fuck.

HahnSolo Oct 11 2010 02:18 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Which stadium did the Beatles choose...twice?

Benjamin Grimm Oct 11 2010 02:21 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

On Mad Men recently, Don Draper got his daughter two tickets to see the Beatles at Shea Stadium. I was really hoping to see them there through the magic of computer graphic technology. I wasn't expecting it, but it would have been very cool.

SteveJRogers Oct 11 2010 05:31 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

HahnSolo wrote: Which stadium did the Beatles choose...twice? Like Paul McCartney (if any of the four was into such intricate details such as exactly what venues they should do, it'd be McCartney) was all "Well, I ya know, I think we should look at that new thing out there in...ummmm what's the name of that part of New York? Flush...something? Yea, that should be where we should go! Make it happen Brian!" If they had any say, and I'd imagine the only person who did was Brian Epstein, it'd probably be whatever would be closer to the nearest international airport. Get in, get out, boom there ya go. YS I probably wasn't suited for Stadium Rock to begin with, even though it would have fit more people and that was pretty much what Sid Bernstein wanted when he promoted it. The first ever stadium sized concert. Bring the electricity of an arena show to a larger scale. You probably wouldn't get that at a place like YS I. Of course 40 years later Paul McCartney played Fenway Park, but I don't think the Fenway or Wrigley "craze" was in effect back in the 1960s. I have nothing to base it on, but I'm sure the "Fenway is a great venue" doesn't start until the multi-purpose craze kicked into high gear in the 1970s. And again, Shea was closest to the airports and had plenty of space in which to get helicoptered in and out of the area, which the Beatles were.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 11 2010 05:38 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Jesus, Rogers.

metirish Oct 11 2010 05:43 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Classic Rogers right there.....

TransMonk Oct 14 2010 11:06 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Strawberry’s Sports Grill Making Peace by Serving Wings By ALEX WILLIAMS Published: October 13, 2010 It was 2:30 p.m. on a recent Friday, and Darryl Strawberry was sitting in a brick-walled sports bar in Douglaston, Queens, down a cul-de-sac near the Long Island Rail Road station. There was no entourage, no adoring fans — just a half-finished milkshake and the remains of a plate of Philly cheese steak egg rolls. Wearing a white baseball cap pulled low over his forehead, with sunglasses perched on the bill, Mr. Strawberry unfolded his 6-foot-6 frame and walked the restaurant floor in a loping gait with a hitch in the step. It was a cocky strut, familiar to any baseball fan from 17 years of ninth-inning strolls from the on-deck circle to the batter’s box. He walked past his framed Mets jersey — No. 18 — and approached two men in their 40s who were sitting in the corner and extended a friendly hand. After years of playing the superstar and temperamental bad boy, Darryl Strawberry was ready to go to work. This summer, the baseball legend opened Strawberry’s Sports Grill, a burgers-and-wings outpost in the far reaches of Queens. “I work the room and come in and say hello to everybody,” Mr. Strawberry said. “This is just part of being who I am, being a servant to the people.” At the height of his fame as a Met and Yankee, the left-handed slugger filled the back pages of tabloids with his exploits on the field, and the front pages with his misadventures off it: arrests for drugs and solicitation, jail. But he’s a different Straw now. At 48, he spends most of the year in St. Louis, with his third wife, Tracy. He survived cancer, and has been sober and devoutly Christian for six years, he said. The former troublemaker, it seems, is committing the next chapter of his life to erasing his reputation from the previous one. And nothing says humble like a sports bar in Queens. “I don’t have to be here,” said Mr. Strawberry, who plans to return to New York a few times a month to oversee the restaurant with his partner, Eytan Sugarman. “But my name is a different name today, and I don’t want to use my name for something just to put my face on it.” In that way, his sports grill is a far cry from the typical celebrity vanity restaurants, like Britney Spears’s long-shuttered Nyla in Midtown. Instead of a nightclubby area, a quiet retail strip of law offices and delis is home to the restaurant, in a placid neighborhood of tree-lined streets and Tudor-style houses. The restaurant itself is understated: earth tones, dark woods and sports memorabilia. The 2,800-square-foot establishment could be mistaken for a hotel-chain steakhouse somewhere in the Midwest. But for Mr. Strawberry, Douglaston had its advantages. For one thing, it is close to the Mets’ home turf, Flushing, where he enjoyed his greatest success as a player. Also, it is far from Manhattan, where he rode high as a face of the hard-partying, bar-brawling Mets of the 1980s. And that distance, he said, is crucial for who he is these days. “I’ve been in Missouri over the last six years of my life and it’s been very peaceful and very normal,” said Mr. Strawberry. Before he decided to jump into the New York restaurant business, he recalled, “I asked myself, ‘Do I really want to get back in the spotlight?’ Because I’ve had that. I’m a different person today.” His wife, whom he met in 2004, had strong opinions on the matter, too, and insisted that it not be in Manhattan. After two failed marriages, Mr. Strawberry said he has learned to listen to his wife. “We, as men, we take that for granted and don’t realize that they are there for a reason — to help guide us,” he said. “When it all boils down to it, we are so stupid.” Mr. Strawberry and his wife live in a four-bedroom house in St. Peters, Mo., near St. Louis, with her 17-year-old son, Omar. The couple wake up at 6:30 a.m. for an extended prayer session. After that, he said, they turn on a Christian network and take in the gospel for an hour or two. Much of the day revolves around various ministries that his wife runs, including one called Threshold of Grace, devoted to helping teenagers avoid drugs and other temptations that a young Darryl never could. Despite his new life, it’s not hard to see glimmers of the old Darryl poke through. His voice — a raspy, baritone rumble — still carries a hint of the sardonic street-smart hustler he once was. When asked to reminiscence about his 20s, when he was feted as the future of New York baseball, he can still recall little details and the temptations. “Every place I walked in, I was the party,” he said. “They made it clear that I was in the house, and I could have whatever I want.” But he catches himself before the memories grow too fond. “It’s very sad, it’s a very sick place to be,” he added. “But a lot of guys do it.” At one point, Mr. Strawberry looked up and shouted “Happy birthday, Mom!” across the room at a woman, about 60. “Was everything O.K.?” She seemed surprised to be doted on by an eight-time All-Star, but flashed him an enthusiastic thumbs up. Before long, busboys were busy clearing tables after the lunch rush. He glanced at his watch and excused himself. Mr. Strawberry had a 4 p.m. tee time at a Long Island country club. He was running late, but before he left, he stopped and shook hands with a few more customers.

Edgy DC Oct 14 2010 11:12 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Lenny Dykstra and Ron Swoboda and the '69 Mets, as mentioned earlier by G-FAFIF, referenced in The Simpsons. Nolan Ryan breaks a trend. Jeff Musselman, retired uniform number. Paul (PJ) Yoder didn't become the first known Mennonite (-sounding, anyhow) Met, but he did make the Alvernia University Hall of Fame.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 14 2010 11:34 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Musselman was a 13 for the Blue Jays and Mets, but wore 10 in high school, that artycle says.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Oct 14 2010 11:39 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

RE: "Strawberry's Sports Grill" This confuses. One who is wary about getting "back in the spotlight" probably shouldn't get into opening a restaurant period... much less one in New York, a ten-minute car ride away from his former stage. And wifey "guided" him away from Manhattan to Douglaston, near the airport? Is she looking to get him away from drug use and into drug wholesale? Or human trafficking? Does she find foot traffic corruptive?

Vic Sage Oct 15 2010 09:23 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

isn't Darryl an alcoholic? what's he doing owning a bar? I know i shouldn't invest in a donut shop.

Frayed Knot Oct 15 2010 12:09 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Vic Sage wrote: isn't Darryl an alcoholic? what's he doing owning a bar? I know i shouldn't invest in a donut shop. Darryl is a graduate of the Sam Malone School of Business.

Frayed Knot Oct 15 2010 12:18 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

This week's entry into the "Rico" news actually involves Rico DBacks: ... former interim GM Jerry DiPoto is now in charge of both scouting and player development. DiPoto, the club's senior vice president for scouting and player development, told Baseball America this week that he was seeking a replacement for amateur scouting director Tom Allison, who has been offered a new position in the organization but had yet to accept. Friday, the D-backs announced Rico Brogna, who managed the organization's Double-A Mobile affiliate this year, will become the farm director

Edgy DC Oct 17 2010 07:05 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

It's $45 to go to the Greater Akron Hall of Fame Banquet, but you might get to meet Billy Baldwin. Darryl Strawberry rooting for the "little redneck" he once threatened to bust in the head. Dan Carey, high draft choice but a washout in Pompano Beach, undergoing a new experimental form of chemo. Looking back at Hideo Nomo.

G-Fafif Oct 19 2010 03:30 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Sandy Alomar Jr. talking to Jays about managerial vacancy.

Edgy DC Oct 29 2010 10:57 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

HoJo covering the Series for the TCPalm.

G-Fafif Nov 04 2010 03:32 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

The Giants' secret weapon? Failed 1984 Met Dick Tidrow, according to Heyman. Their scouting guru has "a special brand of genius,'' said one admiring competitor. No one knows pitching like this former Yankees and Indians hurler, and he plucked starters Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner and Jonathan Sanchez and closer Brian Wilson with draft choices. The first three were first-rounders, with both Lincecum (in 2006) and Bumgarner (in 2007) going No. 10 overall. Matt Cain was the 25th pick in 2002 and both Sanchez (27th round in 2004) and Wilson (23rd round in 2003) were picked after round 20.

Vic Sage Nov 04 2010 08:39 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Billy Wags has a great final season for Braves, and then retires. HOFer? I think so.

Valadius Nov 04 2010 10:24 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

In my heart he is, but not besting John Franco is going to hurt him. A LOT.

Edgy DC Nov 11 2010 08:36 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Vance Wilson takes over as manager for the Kane County Cougars, which I can only assume field a roster populated with sexy middle-aged women.

G-Fafif Nov 11 2010 02:05 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Selling the drama of Roberto Alomar, on espn.com.

metirish Nov 14 2010 05:18 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

G-Fafif wrote: Selling the drama of Roberto Alomar, on espn.com. My wife keeps me up to date on this , Alomar's family have closed ranks down there and his Mom is fighting mad.....and winning the public battle...in the latest this picture of Maripily emerged , all the while she's been claiming emotional breakdown yyybb

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 16 2010 07:11 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

RICO BROGNA update: Resigns as Dbaggs director of player development. The Mets are still hiring. Rico Brogna quits as Diamondbacks farm director after getting the job last month Aaron Gleeman Nov 15, 2010, 5:14 PM EST Three weeks ago the Diamondbacks promoted Rico Brogna to director of player development as part of their front office housecleaning, but today the former big-league first baseman quit the job. Mike Bell will replace Brogna after serving as the Diamondbacks’ minor league field coordinator this season. Arizona senior vice president of scouting and player development Jerry Dipoto announced the switch and gave no details on Brogna’s change of heart, other than to say: “We all respect Rico’s decision to resign as director of player development and wish him the best in his future endeavors.” Kevin Towers was hired as the Diamondbacks’ new general manager last month and beat out Dipoto, who had served as interim GM.

Edgy DC Nov 16 2010 07:15 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Brogna has a reputaton for flightiness and has left behind a lot of angry employers.

themetfairy Nov 16 2010 07:24 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Rico Brogna - not a good fit.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 16 2010 08:28 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010 Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 16 2010 08:30 AM

RICO BROGNA 123 Fake St. Springfield, USA WORK EXPERIENCE Director, Player Development, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix, AZ Oct. 15, 2010-Nov. 15, 2010 Responsible for all aspects of Player Development for Major League baseball franchise. Oversaw players. Enacted development. Directed department. Developed players. Manager, Mobile BayBears, Mobile, Ala. Jan. 2010-Oct. 14, 2010 Led Class AA farm team of the Arizona Diambondbacks to a 75-62 record, it's third-best finish in team history. Went to Southern League playoffs, lost to Jacksonville. Assistant football coach, Weslyan University, Middletown, CT Jan. 2009-Jan. 2010 Assisted in coaching a Division III college football program. Learned attention to detail, the organizational part, and leadership. Head Basketball Coach, Watertown High, Watertown, CT 2008-2009 Coached high school basketball team for alma mater, leading team to 5-35 record over two seasons. Major League Scout, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix, AZ 2006-2009 Northeast-based scout, scouting Major League teams and Major League players for Major League franchise. Interim Minor League Field Coordinator, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix, AZ 2009 Helped coordinate fields for minor league players team on an interim basis following promotion of Jack Howell. Head Football Coach, Nonnewaug High School 2008 Led winless team to first-ever football victory. Baseball Coach, Post University, Waterbury, CT May 15, 2005-2006 Great fit for Division III college program. Implemented impeccable baseball resume, and philosophy regarding student-athlete development kept with that of the institution. Scout, Colorado Rockies, Denver, CO 2005 Scouted stuff for Major League franchise. Hitting Coach, Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia PA 2004 Assisted players in Phillies organization to hit baseballs. Assistant Wideout Coach, Weslyan University, Middletown, Conn. 2004 Assisted in the coaching of wide receivers from division III college football program. Fit in good with program. Football Coach, Kennedy High, Waterbury, CT 2001-2002 Amassed 1-20 record over two seasons as high school football coach. Batting Instructor, Reading Phillies, Reading, PA 2001 Coached minor league team in hitting. First Baseman, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta, GA 2001 Batted .248 with 3 home runs First Baseman/Designated Hitter, Boston Red Sox, Boston, MA Aug. 13, 2000-Oct. 2000 Hit .196 in 43 games First Baseman, Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia, PA 1997-2000 Drove in 100 runs in 1998 and 1999 First Baseman, New York Mets, Queens, NY 1994-1996 Sensational arrival replacing injured David Segui. Hit .351/.380/.626//1.006 in 1994. First Baseman, Detroit Tigers, Detroit, MI 1992 Made major league debut REFERENCES "Great fit" --Dan Mara, Associate Vice President for Athletics, Post U. "Just a quality human being and an excellent communicator." --Brett Butler, former teammate and follow minor league manager. “He’s helped out a lot with how to deal with the pressures of the sport.” --Kyle Weiss, a sophomore flanker and punter from Connecticut. "My first reaction when I found out that Coach Brogna was going to be coaching for us at Nonnewaug was an excited one." --Zak Dominello, junior wide receiver Rico Brogna is a disaster as a coach and person! --Robert Kenny

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 16 2010 08:29 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Hey how come my linky things don;t work I suck

Benjamin Grimm Nov 16 2010 08:32 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

HTML ist verboten. You need to use the URL tags instead.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 16 2010 08:35 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

What a shitty system, fuck it

HahnSolo Nov 16 2010 08:43 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

metirish wrote: G-Fafif wrote: Selling the drama of Roberto Alomar, on espn.com. My wife keeps me up to date on this , Alomar's family have closed ranks down there and his Mom is fighting mad.....and winning the public battle...in the latest this picture of Maripily emerged , all the while she's been claiming emotional breakdown yyybb He is wearing the #8...I think this is Gary Carter.

Edgy DC Nov 16 2010 09:29 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Linkies fixed in the resume up above. Is that your work?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 16 2010 09:39 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Edgy DC wrote: Linkies fixed in the resume up above. Is that your work? No I stole it from MFS62. Yes it's my work. Thanks for the fixing.

Edgy DC Nov 16 2010 09:44 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

I hope you get a good blog day out of it. Great work.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 24 2010 08:46 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Willie Randolph to be Buck Showalter's bench coach in Baltimore. You don't have to say "party" when those two are around.

G-Fafif Nov 24 2010 08:49 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

With Wayne Kirby coaching first base!

Edgy DC Nov 27 2010 08:01 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Living as a ronin gives you power.

G-Fafif Nov 28 2010 09:30 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Teddy Martinez looms in Terry Collins' backstory, per Q&A with Steve Serby of Post. Also would like to talk to Willie Mays and Casey Stengel despite the fact that one of those gentlemen is dead at the present time.

Edgy DC Nov 28 2010 11:58 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Q: How often did you go to Tiger Stadium? A: I went to a Tiger game once a year for about five years when I was in Little League. And then I played a game in Tiger Stadium in the summer of my senior year in high school, and didn’t go back ’til I managed the Angels. . . . Actually, that’s not true. I went on my 21st birthday to a game in Tiger Stadium. Watched Mel Stottlemyre of the Yankees lose to the Tigers 1-0, Willie Horton hit a home run in the ninth inning against Mel, who ultimately became my pitching coach in Houston. Not bad. It was the day before his 21st birthday, and it was three-run homer by Horton. He married a woman ten months ago after her husband died "about a year ago"? That must've not come out right.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 30 2010 05:53 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Pedro [Astacio] his wife & three children live on a ranch a mile away from Armando Benitez in the Dominican Republic. He is also an amateur Jai Lai player and has applied for Pakistani citizenship so he may compete in the annual National Jai Lai Championships there. Found the above on Centerfield Maz, confirmed (but unsourced) on Wikipedia. That's kinda interesting, isn't it? I liked Pedro Astacio.

Edgy DC Nov 30 2010 06:05 AM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

"Astacios are not afraid."

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Dec 21 2010 12:15 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

"These people, some of the stuff I read, I don’t read much because I feel bad for my eyes, but I see some of the stuff, it’s insanity!" Oh, great googily moogily. Just stop it, Lenny. Lenny Dykstra joined WIP in Philly with Howard Eskin and Ike Reese to talk about why it took him so long to speak out publicly about his story, where things went wrong for him when he lost all of his money, and whether calling JP Morgan criminals is a big accusation. Why it took him so long to speak out publicly about his story: “Anyway so here is the deal, other than that one thing, walking the talk, ok, I don’t like to talk about things that happened or, I am not looking for somebody to cry for me, I am not looking for someone to feel sorry for me. I am looking for reality and the reality is, what have you done for me lately? So it took me two years to get through this death chamber that they call ‘bankruptcy’ but you know the bottom line is, it is what it is and where I go is where I go and that is all that matters.” Where things went wrong for him when he lost all of his money: “It is very simple and it is called, predatory lending, meaning, look, I don’t want to get into this ‘new world order’ stuff. I am a normal guy meaning I don’t believe in ghosts. I am not afraid of the dark, a basic guy alright, meaning never in my life did I think there was such corporate crime. JP Morgan, those guys are criminals. They are criminals and they are going to have to pay. Fireman’s Fund? Criminals! Meaning, I have to set an example and my example is the help through other people. The bottom line is, I didn’t get stupid overnight, ok? These people, some of the stuff I read, I don’t read much because I feel bad for my eyes, but I see some of the stuff, it’s insanity! The only one that got this thing right was [Jim] Cramer. Cramer. Cramer has been the only guy right.” Whether calling JP Morgan criminals is a big accusation: “JP Morgan accusations? Wait until you see it. I got the facts, and my attorney in New York his name is Moshe Mortner, ok? He is an orthodox Jewish man, great guy and one of the smartest guys that I have met, and we took on JP Morgan and we spun them around through the TILA, ok? That is the Truth in Lending Act. As you know they have a discretionary duty, all banks, to give you a loan and make sure that you qualify for that loan, and the bottom line is that is why this country is in the way it is right now and these families are being dismantled piece by piece because of these crazy banks, ok? Now did I ever think I would be preaching on this? No, I thought I was on this Earth to entertain people on the baseball field, which I was pretty good at. As it turns out I am here for something else and that assistant company called it predatory lending recovery. I can now show people how they can save their homes, ok? There is two million people right now in foreclosure, five more million coming, ok? What happens is they set you up to fail. It is called equity stripping.” Whether it was his responsibility to make sure he looked after himself and not sign a loan that was set up to fail: “Howard, here is the deal. When they tell you your payment is going to be this and it turns out to be that, and then you say to yourself, I’m only bringing in $125. I mean you are not into bankrupting your own customer are you? They were into it. Yes, they were…and guess what? I am not looking to whine. Look, I had to go into the trenches and I went under the rail. I looked like a submarine bro. I went under and I fought through this, ok, and I executed everybody in my way. Now. Now, I am coming out because I can walk the talk. I can stand tall. I didn’t beg anybody. I didn’t do anything. I went under and took care of business, and now I am coming out and doing what I do.” If he expects to come out with $150 million after his attorney does his job: “No, come one Howard… You know how I am man. I like to play for in areas where there is a wide moat. I like to save it away from the middle. Meaning, with risk comes reward, ok? Now, the only difference with me is that when I win I make sure I win before the game starts or I don’t play. So I got into a situation here where I was lied to, defrauded and basically put into a predatory loan. JP Morgan’s own expert on the stand said it was not only predatory or it was unconscionable. That is when my attorney said that we stipulate him as our expert.”

John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 21 2010 12:34 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

alrighty then.

Rockin' Doc Dec 21 2010 04:56 PM Re: Sons of Rico: Mets in Retirement in 2010

Lenny, "...The bottom line is, I didn’t get stupid overnight, ok?" After reading Lenny's rambling drivel above, I believe he is correct in the above assertion. It had to take years to get that stupid.