Master Index of Archived Threads


All-Purpose 2006 Where Have You Gone... Former Mets Thread

mlbaseballtalk Dec 31 2005 08:42 AM

Yeah I just thought I'd get the thread started. No news, yet anyway

Johnny Dickshot Dec 31 2005 10:29 AM

* *

ABG Dec 31 2005 11:42 AM

Klapisch sez Darling to join the SNY booth with Cohen and Hernandez. Example 1A of over-sentimentality. Darling is among the worst announcers I've heard this side of Bill Maas. http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMTQmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY4NDgxNjUmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2

Edgy DC Jan 03 2006 01:07 PM

Edgy DC Site Admin Joined: 05 Nov 2002 Posts: 5979 Location: DC Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:26 pm A sequel to The Thread That Outed Berenyi, which has been retired and is enjoying it's leisure. Conflicting reports have Preston Wilson ready to sign with Houston and ready to join the Pirates. Not much else to report this day among the sexy exies. _________________ K Centerfield 439) Danny Garcia 2B, LF, 2003-2004 Joined: 06 Jun 2005 Posts: 621 Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:41 pm I thought that the "Where have you gone" thread was supposed to be this thread. I'm confused. DocTee 482) Butch Metzger RP, 1978 Joined: 08 Jun 2005 Posts: 199 Location: California Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:46 pm As reported in the Signings Thread, Burnitz close to deal with Bucs-- WIlson, Bay, and Burnitz--that's one helluva ex-Mets OF! Edgy DC Site Admin Joined: 05 Nov 2002 Posts: 5979 Location: DC Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 1:02 pm Well, I didn't see that thread, OK? _________________ K

Edgy DC Jan 03 2006 01:25 PM

Joselo Diaz, who came from the Mets along with Kole Strayhorn and Victor Diaz for Jeromy Burnitz, has signed with the Texas Rangers as a minor league free agent. He split last season with Cleveland and Tampa Bay. I'm not sure of the circumstances under which he left the Mets. (OE: He was the throw-in in the Kazmir deal. I thought I remembered that but wasn't sure.)

Edgy DC Jan 03 2006 02:51 PM

Bono signs a minor league deal with the Jays.

Edgy DC Jan 04 2006 10:03 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 04 2006 10:39 AM

Preston Wilson, in the end, is going to the Astros. (Jeromy Burnitz appears to have grabbed his spot in Pittsburgh.) They now have five starting-quality outfielders that they have to find places for. Phillips was reportedly signed by Toronto as a "favor" to John Gibbons, who worked with him plenty in the Mets system.

smg58 Jan 04 2006 10:37 AM

So I guess the Astros are committed to Berkman at first, which means they don't expect Bagwell back. What's the going rate on Chris Burke? He looked like he was starting to get it in the second half (.781 OPS after the All-Star break), and had a few big hits in the playoffs, but it looks like he might have less playing time in store this year than last. There's still quite a bit of upside there. Then again, Houston may be serious about a Tejada deal, so a lot of pieces might move.

TheOldMole Jan 04 2006 10:52 AM

What happened to Rico Brogna, good fit?

Edgy DC Jan 04 2006 12:45 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 04 2006 02:22 PM

Retired. I think we should call this thread, "Mike Marshall, Turd, (And Other Ex-Met Updates)."

Yancy Street Gang Jan 04 2006 12:56 PM

Are you suggesting that Mike Marshall isn't worth a crap? Or that he is?

Edgy DC Jan 04 2006 02:23 PM

Former Met first-round draftee Lee May, Jr. has a new post. Nothing else going on in Turdland.

Edgy DC Jan 04 2006 10:47 PM

24 at 75.

Edgy DC Jan 05 2006 09:44 AM

Former Met Shawn Estes is expected to sign with San Diego today, replacing former Met teammate Pedro Astacio.

Edgy DC Jan 05 2006 03:02 PM

Bono Sings the Blues in The Toronto Star.

Edgy DC Jan 06 2006 01:17 AM

Pitching coach for your Fullerton Flyers is... Charlie Hough.

Yancy Street Gang Jan 06 2006 08:33 AM

Blaine Beatty, still playing at 42? (See Debbie Fisher's entry at the bottom.)

MFS62 Jan 06 2006 08:45 AM

Yancy Street Gang wrote: Blaine Beatty, still playing at 42? (See Debbie Fisher's entry at the bottom.) I thought I read that he was coaching in the minors last year. Later

GYC Jan 06 2006 06:18 PM

]Danny Garcia - 2B - Yankees Yankees signed second baseman-outfielder Danny Garcia to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. It wasn't so long ago that the Mets thought Garcia might be their second baseman of the future. He signed a minor league deal with the Indians a year ago and then missed most of the season. It's likely that he'll play second base for Triple-A Columbus. Jan. 6 - 6:13 pm et http://www.rotoworld.com/content/clubhouse_news.asp?leaguenum=&sport=MLB&majteam=NYY

Edgy DC Jan 06 2006 06:52 PM

I don't think the Mets ever really thought of him as such.

metirish Jan 07 2006 09:31 AM

from Newsday... ] The Yankees' list of non-roster invitees also includes returnee Ramiro Mendoza, who pitched in only one game last year, and righthander Mark Corey, best known for a marijuana-smoking incident with the 2002 Mets.

Edgy DC Jan 09 2006 09:31 AM

Bud Harrelson helps woman with gross misreading of musical theater to bring baseball to Bridgeport.

TheOldMole Jan 09 2006 10:14 AM

She fell in love with baseball because of Damn Yankees, and she roots for the Yankees?

MFS62 Jan 09 2006 10:45 AM

TheOldMole wrote: She fell in love with baseball because of Damn Yankees, and she roots for the Yankees? We know she has a lot of money. But if she were smart, why would she be living in Brifgeport? Later

Willets Point Jan 09 2006 10:55 AM

Why did we get rid of the Rico Brogna thread, it was our last link to Swan Swan H (aka gf21212121)?

Edgy DC Jan 09 2006 10:59 AM

Now it lives under glass in featured archives.

Willets Point Jan 09 2006 11:03 AM

Bring it back ... NOW!!!!!!!!!!

ScarletKnight41 Jan 09 2006 04:35 PM

Ishii considers fighting pork - ]Baseball: Ex-Met Ishii meets Nippon Ham after Rakuten+ .c Kyodo News Service TOKYO, Jan. 8 (Kyodo) - Left-handed pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii, who was released by the New York Mets last month, held talks with the Nippon Ham Fighters on Sunday, a day after he met with the Rakuten Eagles. Ishii was undecided whether to join Nippon Ham and is scheduled to have talks with his former team Yakult Swallows on Tuesday. ''I don't know where we stand in the hunt for Ishii. But he listened to me diligently. I want him to come to our team whatever happens,'' said Nippon Ham General Manager Shigeru Takada, who hopes that Ishii will fill a spot in the starting rotation. A total of seven Japanese and major league clubs have reportedly shown interest in acquiring him.

Edgy DC Jan 09 2006 10:23 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 10 2006 09:34 AM

All of our ex-Met updates this evening are two-fers. [url=http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060109&content_id=1293046&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym]Gary Carter replaces Tim Teufel.[/url] [url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Baseball/MLB/2006/01/09/1386415-ap.html]Kevin Appier joined by Fernando Viña, sigining minor-league deals with Seattle.[/url] [url=http://tampabay.devilrays.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060109&content_id=1293233&vkey=news_tb&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb]Gerry Hunsicker hires Mike Cubbage.[/url]

vtmet Jan 10 2006 08:58 AM

Butch Huskey: Assistant Coach for the Cameron Aggies (Lawton, OK) College Baseball Program. http://goaggies.cameron.edu/baseball/assistant Assistant Coach Butch Huskey Butch Huskey joined the Cameron baseball coaching staff prior to the 2004 season. He assists head coach Todd Holland with on-field instruction while also serving as the hitting coach and opponent scout for the Aggies. A Lawton native with seven years of Major League Baseball experience, Huskey was a two-sport All-Stater in both baseball and footbal at Lawton’s Eisenhower High School. He was selected by the New York Mets in the seventh round of the 1989 amateur draft following his senior year at EHS and made his major league debut with the Mets on Sept. 8, 1993. Huskey appeared in 642 Major League games from 1993-2000, collecting 555 career hits, including 86 home runs and 98 doubles. Huskey has a lifetime batting average of .267 and 336 career RBIs. He played a variety of positions during his career in the bigs, getting time at third base, first base and outfield. Huskey played five seasons with the Mets before being traded to Seattle in December of 1998. He spent half a season with the Mariners before another trade sent him cross-country to Boston in July of 1999. At the conclusion of the 1999 season, Huskey was granted free agency and signed with Minnesota prior to the 2000 season. He was later involved in the trade that sent Todd Walker to Colorado and played his final Major Legue game on Oct. 1, 2000, with the Rockies. Huskey finished his career with a lifetime on-base percentage of .318. In more than 2,000 Major League at-bats, Huskey had a career slugging percentage of .442.

Yancy Street Gang Jan 10 2006 09:06 AM

Wasn't Bobby Valentine once quoted saying that he loves Butch's freckles?

Frayed Knot Jan 10 2006 09:45 AM

That was Lenny Harris (although maybe BV said so too). Lenny kind of "adopted" Butch even before they were (briefly) teammates and when someone asked him why he said something along the lines of; 'I thought his freckles were cute'

Edgy DC Jan 10 2006 03:40 PM

Eddie Murray is expected to accept the job of Dodger hitting coach under Grady Little.

Willets Point Jan 10 2006 03:41 PM

All this information would look better in the Rico Brogna thread.

Edgy DC Jan 10 2006 03:42 PM

The fear is that big threads break stuff.

ScarletKnight41 Jan 10 2006 03:44 PM

I fear nothing. Bring back Rico!

Edgy DC Jan 10 2006 03:44 PM

What's with your image?

ScarletKnight41 Jan 10 2006 03:46 PM

Parker Posey in Party Girl, and Zvon snowed it up. Is that ok?

Edgy DC Jan 10 2006 03:51 PM

I'm getting a box that says: "Oops! My image for this link is no longer here. Photobucket.com."

ScarletKnight41 Jan 10 2006 03:52 PM

I didn't know that you couldn't see it. I can still see it. I'll go back to Parker without the snow.

seawolf17 Jan 10 2006 03:52 PM

I thought we were supposed to make all new threads for 2006? Perhaps we should have called it "Rico," but it's all new, baby!

Willets Point Jan 10 2006 03:53 PM

My image broke too which is why I reverted to the snowless toaster. As to big threads, if it's still in FA and you think it can break things, then it's still dangerous. So either a) send it off to the archives or b) bring it back!

ScarletKnight41 Jan 10 2006 03:59 PM

OK - all better.

Edgy DC Jan 10 2006 04:14 PM

Better.

Edgy DC Jan 10 2006 10:51 PM

Wiggum, Devil Rays.

metirish Jan 10 2006 10:54 PM

Good for Wiggie, does he have a shot at starting?, I know hardly anything about the D-Rays after Baez.

Willets Point Jan 10 2006 11:14 PM

They have this pitcher named Kazmir who is supposed to be hot shit.

metirish Jan 10 2006 11:16 PM

Damn how did I forget him....

smg58 Jan 11 2006 01:02 AM

Right now the D-Rays don't have a starting-quality ML third baseman (unless you count Aubrey Huff, who played four games there all last year), so Wiggy should have a fair opportunity to win that job. I had a feeling he was going to wind up with one of the Florida teams (he could start at second for the Marlins).

Edgy DC Jan 11 2006 12:23 PM

Dude moves to Cooby Country. Foli moves to Catastrophe Country.

sharpie Jan 11 2006 12:26 PM

Actually, Foli is staying in Catastrophe Country as he's been re-hired for his second season.

Edgy DC Jan 11 2006 12:28 PM

Good point. But it was Cajun Country or Crescent Country or someting back then, so technically... ah forget it.

Edgy DC Jan 11 2006 01:54 PM

Tony Tarasco heading to Overcoat Country.

metirish Jan 11 2006 05:13 PM

Shawn Estes and the Padres finalized a one year contract Tuesday, one year one million.

Edgy DC Jan 12 2006 12:21 AM

Tom Seaver, Hall of Famer

Johnny Dickshot Jan 12 2006 09:56 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 12 2006 01:33 PM

Kevin Elster, Canadian Ticket Salesman [url]http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060111&content_id=1294485&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb[/url]

sharpie Jan 12 2006 01:26 PM

Rickey Botallico in a minor-league deal with the Orioles.

TheOldMole Jan 12 2006 07:56 PM

I know we've covered this ad nauseam, but I can't help bringing it up once more -- the disappearance of Rico Brogna, Good Fit. What keeps sticking in my craw is that the current thread header is a phrase inextricably connected to the MFYs.

seawolf17 Jan 12 2006 09:20 PM

I don't know that anyone would be offended if a mod made a little edit.

Johnny Dickshot Jan 12 2006 10:14 PM

First ever Met draft pick Hobie Landrith. Is his son (nephew?) a hardcore libertarian free-marketing, privacy-advocating antiwar Marine-corp-veteran crusader for multiracial causes? You make the call! [url]http://jameslandrith.com/[/url] Odd stuff: Both born in Decatur, IL. Note the Hobie bb card gallery.

Yancy Street Gang Jan 13 2006 08:01 AM

It says here that he was born in Peoria, IL, of "multiracial ancestry." Did Hobie have a non-white wife? Do we have the 1962 Wifey Watch archived somewhere?

metirish Jan 13 2006 09:21 AM

I found this interesting and curious, from Klap... ] NEWS ITEM: Gregg Jefferies receives Two HOF Votes; Walt Weiss receives one. Anyone who has so little respect for the Cooperstown voting process or for the Hall itself deserves to be investigated. So we called Jack O'Connell, the Baseball Writers Association of America secretary-treasurer, asking for the names of the pranksters. We knew full well that Cooperstown officials mandate a secret ballot, so O'Connell was powerless to help us. But anyone who think Jefferies and his .289 average belong in the Hall (or Weiss and his .258 mark), should be forced to justify his or her vote. As it is, the BBWAA took a public relations hit this week, electing Sutter while mindlessly turning its back on the more deserving Gossage. The votes cast for Jefferies and Weiss only deepened the scandal. The solution, of course, is to make next year's balloting public, the same way the BBWAA announces the individual voters' choices for the Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player. Only then will the election process be taken more seriously. O'Connell does rightfully point out that, "you're allowed to vote for anyone on the ballot." Still, he said, "it raised my eyebrows" to see the boxes checked next to Jefferies' and Weiss' names. "I'm not embarrassed by the votes," O'Connell said. "But I think the individuals should be." If we're demanding full disclosure from McGwire, it should go both ways. Whoever cast those votes should step forward.

Edgy DC Jan 13 2006 09:28 AM

Writers bitching about the lone votes of guys on the back end of the ballot occurs every single year. It absolutely misses the point of an election in which 75% of a large electorate is needed for a successful election. And anybody who cries over their batting average fiugres as clear disqualifiers (ironically, a stat with which Jefferies, at least, ranks quite respecibly, thank you, among Hall of Famers) has no business telling other folks how to vote. It's column filler. And O'Connell shouldn't have played into it.

Johnny Dickshot Jan 13 2006 09:38 AM

In some places he's listed as James Hobart Jr., so he must be a nephew. His site also links to some Cherokee Injun stuff, maybe that's what he's talking about. Here's a photo IDed as him & dad: Here's a photo of grown-up Hobie from a pay-for-autograph site:

Elster88 Jan 13 2006 09:39 AM

I don't think it's totally missing the point. Forget batting average, who in their right mind gives Jefferies a hall of fame vote? I think the ballot should be open. They're "writers", they can take having to defend who they vote for. There are fairly clear criteria on who deserves to be in the HOF. You're one of the few "writers" trusted to make a judgement. So how does Jefferies get a vote? Because the "writer" figured no one else would vote, so it's safe to give a guy a vote when he clearly doesn't qualify? I don't like that reasoning. You shouldn't need to find an argument to justify NOT voting for a guy. You need to find an argument to justify voting for him.

Edgy DC Jan 13 2006 09:45 AM

Two guys in 520, that's who. The dogs bark but the caravan passes. The point is to make the process fool-proof, not to hunt down the fools.

Elster88 Jan 13 2006 09:48 AM

Whoever voted for Jefferies obviously did so without seriously considering what constitutes a Hall of Famer. Since this is Hall of Fame voting, I dislike such behavior. Just because the system is idiot-proofed, it doesn't mean people should act like idiots.

Edgy DC Jan 13 2006 10:26 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 13 2006 10:30 AM

Hal Morris got five votes and he was rarely a full-time player Backenders who got a tiny nod: 2005 Hal Morris 5 votes, 1.0% Ozzie Guillen 5 votes, 1.0% Gary Gaetti 4 votes, 0.8% John Wetteland 4 votes, 0.8% Rick Aguilera 3 votes, 0.6% Doug Jones 2 votes, 0.4% Greg Jefferies 2 votes, 0.4% Walt Weiss 1 vote, 0.2% 2004 Jim Eisenreich 3 votes, 0.59% Jimmy Key 3 votes, 0.59% Doug Drabek 2 votes, 0.40% Kevin Mitchell 2 votes, 0.40% Juan Samuel 2 votes, 0.40% Cecil Fielder 1 vote, 0.20% Randy Myers 1 vote, 0.20% Terry Pendleton 1 vote, 0.20% 2003 Vince Coleman 3 votes, 0.60% Brett Butler 2 votes, 0.40% Sid Fernandez 2 votes, 0.40% Rick Honeycutt 2 votes, 0.40% Tony Pena 2 votes, 0.40% Darren Daulton 1 vote, 0.20% Mark Davis 1 vote, 0.20% Danny Tartabull 1 vote, 0.20% 2002 Mike Greenwell 2 vote, 0.42% Frank Viola 2 vote, 0.42% Lenny Dykstra 1 vote, 0.21% Tim Wallach 1 vote, 0.21% 2001 Tom Henke 6 votes, 1.17% Dave Righetti 2 votes, 0.39% Steve Bedrosian 1 vote, 0.19% Tom Browning 1 vote, 0.19% Ron Darling 1 vote, 0.19% Jim Deshaies 1 vote, 0.19% John Kruk 1 vote, 0.19% Jose Rijo 1 vote, 0.19% 2000 Kent Hrbek 5 votes, 1.00% Charlie Hough 4 votes, 0.80% Dave Henderson 2 votes, 0.40% Steve Sax 2 votes, 0.40% Bill Gullickson 1 vote, 0.20% Bruce Hurst 1 vote, 0.20% Lonnie Smith 1 vote, 0.20% Bob Welch 1 vote, 0.20%

Yancy Street Gang Jan 13 2006 10:29 AM

Is the same conversation going on in two places? Maybe some of these posts should be moved to the HOF thread.

Edgy DC Jan 13 2006 10:30 AM

No can do.

sharpie Jan 13 2006 10:35 AM

In '01 Browning campaigned for someone to vote for him and someone did. The Morris votes are the most puzzling. I'd vote for any of the other people on the mini-vote list before voting for Hal Morris. Jefferies, if I'm not mistaken, at least won a batting title one year and Weiss had some big postseason moments. In '04 Mitchell and Pendleton did win an MVP so if you voted for Roger Maris you could justify voting for those guys, I guess. The thing is, these guys didn't get in and they're off the ballot. Writers have a ridiculous 10 names they can vote for and I think people fill out the bottom of the ballots with players who were good guys or who played well for the team they cover for a year or two. Cut the number of possible players to, say, 5 and that will be the end of the microvotes.

jlandrith Jan 13 2006 11:49 AM

Johnny Dickshot wrote: In some places he's listed as James Hobart Jr., so he must be a nephew. Hobie is my third (or is it fourth cousin)? Something like that. My great-uncle worked with him together at an aerospace firm in St. Louis and he and my father partially pieced the ancestry together years ago. Several branches of the Landrith family tree (entering the U.S. in Virginia originally) split apart between the 1860s - 1880s and settled in Illinois (where I was born), Texas, California, etc. Some of those branches can be re-linked by going back about 3 - 6 generations or so. For others, there are missing records and erroneous data that makes it "fun". Then there is the variation in spelling Landreth vs. Landrith that further complicates the matter. I haven't even tried to figure out my relation to prohibitionist Ira Landrith. I'm not sure that I want to... Johnny Dickshot wrote: His site also links to some Cherokee Injun stuff, maybe that's what he's talking about. That is some of it. There is also the Melungeon heritage coming in from another branch of the family tree as well. I took some time to track down two each of most of Hobie's baseball cards for my sons and a few autographed photos via eBay for my father. In addition, Hobie signed a few baseballs with the Giants logo for my kids as well. Its family heritage - granted its a few generations distant - but still of interest. That is what prompted me to put those images up in my photo album section. Every once in a while someone emails me looking to contact Hobie or George Landrith (founder of Frontiers of Freedom [url]http://www.ff.org[/url] and part of the Virginia branch that never left). I filter out the autograph peddlers and forward on the legitimate contacts (old friends of the family, etc.) to Hobie through a third party.

Edgy DC Jan 13 2006 11:52 AM

Thanks for paying us a visit, James.

Johnny Dickshot Jan 13 2006 12:05 PM

Wow. I hope you're not too freaked out by the attention. Pardon my geekiness regarding Mets history-- I found your site by mistake looking up info on your cousin. Thanks for clearing it up!

Yancy Street Gang Jan 13 2006 12:32 PM

I guess he keeps an eye on his referrer logs. That's the same way I found about that mention of Mackey Sasser and gay porn.

jlandrith Jan 13 2006 12:36 PM

Yancy Street Gang wrote: I guess he keeps an eye on his referrer logs. That's the same way I found about that mention of Mackey Sasser and gay porn. Precisely.

seawolf17 Jan 13 2006 12:50 PM

You know, Yancy, you have to keep bringing that up, don't you? You'll never get him to visit that way.

Edgy DC Jan 13 2006 04:46 PM

"Vote like you were dyin'."

Edgy DC Jan 13 2006 05:50 PM

Catching up with Joe Grzenda. Hey Joe, send Yancy a photo.

Johnny Dickshot Jan 13 2006 05:56 PM

I think Joe's son posted info at the site -- maybe he has one.

Edgy DC Jan 13 2006 05:59 PM

Go the distance, Yancy: kitsy664@cs.com.

metirish Jan 13 2006 11:16 PM

Catching up with Bobby Valentine..... ] Bobby V's gamble paid off KEN DAVIDOFF STAFF CORRESPONDENT January 15, 2006 UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Part revivalist preacher, part stand-up comedian, Bobby Valentine was on a roll here in his home state. On stage at the Mohegan Sun, the Mets' former manager bounced and knelt, joked and swore -- sometimes alternately, sometimes simultaneously -- with occasional sips from a water bottle his only respite. "I can -- -- about baseball as well as anyone out there," Valentine asserted proudly Thursday night, and none of the roughly 500 attendants at the World Baseball Coaches Convention disputed it. The schedule called for Valentine to answer questions from 10:00 to 10:30, but the session went until 11, with no shortage or range of issues to discuss. Bobby V, never at a loss for words, can dissect pitching strategy in scientific terms; he can recall his infamous "glasses and mustache" disguise from a 1999 Mets game like a master raconteur; he can lobby for industry changes as well as any politician. Versatility has always been the trademark of the former Mets and Texas Rangers manager. Which is, largely, why his current job suits him so well that he turned down two opportunities to become a big-league manager for a third time. Rather than take over the Los Angeles Dodgers or Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Valentine will return shortly to Japan to try to guide his Chiba Lotte Marines to a second straight Nippon Series title. "I feel like I am right in the middle of something very special in my life," Valentine, fired by the Mets after the 2002 season, told Newsday. "Not that managing a major league team wouldn't be special, because of course it would. But it would be something that I would begin and it would just start to be special. This is something I'm already in the middle of. And it's turning out to be what I want it to be." Valentine will enter the third year of his second stint managing the Marines; his first run, in 1995, concluded with his firing after clashes with his general manager. He returned only when he was assured full control of the club. It's a level of authority that no MLB manager even approaches. In addition to engineering all player acquisitions -- he imported former Mets Benny Agbayani and Matt Franco as well as American pitcher Dan Serafini, all key players in the Marines' shocking championship -- Valentine oversees the team's amateur draft, stadium operations and promotions. Valentine was personally involved in changing the club's theme song, and he initiated such innovations as daily autograph sessions with the players -- which helped boost the players' confidence, he believes -- on-field fan contests and kids' baserunning days, none of which existed previously in Japan. "It was an exciting atmosphere there, because he was always trying new things," said Nippon Ham Fighters manager Trey Hillman, who spent many years managing in the Yankees' minor-league system. "Some of it worked and some of it didn't, but it was evident he wasn't afraid." For his myriad efforts, Valentine became the first foreigner to win the prestigious "Shoriki Award," presented annually to a person who makes great contributions to Japanese baseball. "Because it worked, it was very meaningful," Valentine said of his all-encompassing role. "Because I'm 55 and maybe, the way things are changing, I probably won't have an opportunity like that here. I like that. I hate to say it, but I like that." After the season, Valentine agreed to manage the Marines, at $4 million a season. That obviously impacted Valentine's decision-making process. But this never escalated into an intercontinental bidding war for Valentine's services. "When I had the opportunity to talk to people from those organizations, we were in the Asian Series [which the Marines also won]," Valentine said. "When decision time was coming for those teams, without leaving them hanging, I was in a parade with my owner. It wasn't a situation I could actually remove myself from." At his question-and-answer session Thursday, a person asked Valentine whether he'd ever return to MLB. "Probably, eventually," he responded. Yet, as evidenced by his recent rejections, the offer must possess significant intrigue. "I don't think I'm ever going to have to manage, as things have turned out, for financial reasons," Valentine said. "I'm going to say as long as I'm really digging it, as I'm inspired, I'll do it." It will be a challenging title defense for the Marines. Their top slugger, Korean native Seung Yuop Lee, just signed with the Yomiuri Giants. Serafini opted to take more guaranteed money with the Orix Blue Wave than sign a more incentive-laden deal with the Marines. Asked whether he can build a Japanese dynasty, Valentine responded, "We don't have that kind of talent. But I think before everyone else's attitude catches up with , I think we can make a run where we can build on it." It has never been easy to keep up with Valentine or to anticipate his next move whether it's on stage or on a baseball diamond, no matter the hemisphere. Bobby V's Title Defense figures to be just as entertaining as every adventure leading up to it. http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/ny-spbobbyv0115,0,2738787.story?coll=ny-sports-headlines

Willets Point Jan 13 2006 11:41 PM

Ugh, five pages that should be in the Rico Brogna thread.

Johnny Dickshot Jan 13 2006 11:56 PM

Someone's gonna write a biography of Valentine someday, and it's going to be unbelieveable.

metirish Jan 14 2006 12:01 AM

Yeah it will be great Dickshot...it would have to be one of the greats though, someone like David Halberstram would fit the bill...

cooby Jan 14 2006 12:02 AM

Knowing Bobby, he'll write it himself

seawolf17 Jan 14 2006 02:01 PM

Willets Point wrote: Ugh, five pages that should be in the Rico Brogna thread. Change the title! Make it 2006! (Or else stop whining about it.)

Edgy DC Jan 14 2006 11:54 PM

Kane Davis, bringing it at Spencer Middle School. Jack Lind, joining the Houston organization.

metirish Jan 15 2006 05:25 PM

Klap on Wally... ] For a few precious weeks in December, Wally Backman was convinced his exile from baseball was over, and that it was his former team, the Mets, that would rescue him. Backman had had two spirited conversations with Omar Minaya about the Class AA managerial position and everything in the general manager's tone suggested to Backman the path was clear. But then came a devastating phone call from Shea. Minaya said there "wasn't a good fit" at Binghamton. Maybe at some point in the future, Backman heard the GM say, which was the corporate equivalent of a death notice. Backman hung up, wondering how much longer the blacklist will continue. His reputation has been irreparably damaged ever since the Diamondbacks, who hired the former second baseman to be their manager in 2004, discovered they were inheriting not just Backman's fiery leadership skills, but his damaged past, as well. Turned out that Backman had been arrested for drunken driving in 2000, pleaded guilty to a harassment charge involving a female friend of the family and was tarnished by allegations of spousal abuse made by his ex-wife. In a matter of four days, Backman's career in Arizona was over. The D-Backs were embarrassed for their failure to conduct a thorough background check, and were determined to wash their hands of the matter -- even as Backman accepted responsibility for the DUI and pointed out that a restraining order filed by his wife against him eventually was dismissed. Since then Backman continually has apologized, but that has yet to impress the baseball community. Backman showed up at the winter meetings in Dallas last month, hoping for a break. The Pirates seemed interested, but had no openings. Maybe next year, they said. "I'm stumped why I can't get a job, even on the minor league level," Backman said by telephone Saturday. He was speaking from his home in Pineville, Ore., where, he says without embarrassment, he spends most of his time hunting and fishing. The former second baseman, an integral part of the Mets' championship team in 1986, pays his bills with his Major League Baseball pension, which players can begin collecting at age 45. Without a cash crisis threatening him, Backman is content to wait out the blacklist, the same way Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry once did. Only, how long can the high-strung Backman keep fishing without eventually moving on and starting another career? It might be tempting, but to give up now, Backman says, would mean validating the Diamondbacks, who not only fired him without clemency, but didn't pay a penny of the $1 million contract that had been verbally agreed upon. "It's not like I robbed a bank or did drugs," Backman said. "The whole thing boils down to a lousy divorce and a DUI. I've paid for that mistake. The president of the United States has a DUI on his record and he's still president. I made a mistake and learned from it. I've grown up." The Mets, of all teams, might've been ready to believe Backman. He spoke to Jeff Wilpon, the COO, who offered no objection to his return. With clearance from ownership, Backman's candidacy was referred to Minaya for what Backman thought was a baseball-only evaluation. And here's where he thought he was home free. If Backman could offer the Mets anything, it was the ability to groom prospects. He twice was named by Baseball America as the magazine's best managerial prospect -- in 2002, when he was managing Class AA Birmingham in the White Sox' organization, and in 2004, after one season in the Diamondbacks' system managing Class A Lancaster. Backman made an imprint on at least one of Arizona's younger stars, first baseman Conor Jackson, who played for Backman at Lancaster. "I hope he gets back in the worst way," Jackson told the Arizona Republic in September. "He definitely had a huge impact on me. That was my first professional season and he taught me how to win, how to play hard, how to make a difference. "If anybody needs a reference, tell them to call me." Backman figured that kind of endorsement had to count for something. And it only could help him that the '86 team is, one by one, being welcomed back to the flock. Darryl Strawberry, once an untouchable in the Wilpons' eyes, is now a guest instructor in spring training. There's a similar internal movement to honor Dwight Gooden, putting he and Straw in the club's hall of fame. And just last week, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez were named as co-color broadcasters for the Mets' SportsNet New York cable network. With that kind of momentum, Backman was more than hopeful. After all, the Mets were ready to interview him for their managerial vacancy after Art Howe was fired in 2004. He skipped the interview, though, believing he was a can't-miss in Arizona. This time, Backman wasn't asking for work at Shea, only a chance to prove himself from the bottom. "What I don't understand is how the Mets were willing to interview me for a job on the major league level, and now they won't consider me for the minor leagues," Backman said. "It's not even like I'm asking them to take a risk. I've proven myself on the minor league level. I know how to manage kids. My track record proves that." However close the Mets came to relenting, the campaign ended with that phone call from Minaya. Polite and professional, the conversation nevertheless sent Backman back into isolation, where he'll be hearing that familiar tease. Maybe next year. E-mail: klapisch@nothjersey.com

Edgy DC Jan 16 2006 01:25 AM

A few holes. (1) The Mets did interview him, so it's not like he was deemed untouchable. (2) The chronlogy is quite obviously off on ]Darryl Strawberry, once an untouchable in the Wilpons' eyes, is now a guest instructor in spring training. There's a similar internal movement to honor Dwight Gooden, putting he and Straw in the club's hall of fame. And just last week, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez were named as co-color broadcasters for the Mets' SportsNet New York cable network. With that kind of momentum, Backman was more than hopeful. I think, nonetheless, that it might be a smart move to offer him a job of some sort, if only a roving instructor type deal.

Bret Sabermetric Jan 16 2006 06:48 AM

"putting he and Straw"--the grammar is also a little bit off.

Edgy DC Jan 17 2006 10:23 AM

Justin Huber, trying to stick on a team full of funny guys. Andy Tomberlin, bringing his swing to Birmingham.

Johnny Dickshot Jan 17 2006 10:46 AM

]Backman hung up, wondering how much longer the blacklist will continue. His reputation has been irreparably damaged ever since the Diamondbacks, who hired the former second baseman to be their manager in 2004, discovered they were inheriting not just Backman's fiery leadership skills, but his damaged past, as well. Turned out that Backman had been arrested for drunken driving in 2000, pleaded guilty to a harassment charge involving a female friend of the family and was tarnished by allegations of spousal abuse made by his ex-wife. I'd say his penchant for campaigning for jobs through the media then slamming those who don't select him isn't helping either. He evidently was let go by the White Sox after he let it be known he was rooting against the retention of those above him in the food chain.

Edgy DC Jan 17 2006 10:49 AM

Meanwhile, the Mets and the Hagerstown Suns have announced that Frank Cacciatore will manage the Suns in 2006. He might have done well to wait until the Mets had officially filled all their slots before slamming them.

Yancy Street Gang Jan 17 2006 10:51 AM

If Frank's nickname isn't "Chicken", it ought to be.

MFS62 Jan 17 2006 10:56 AM

Yancy Street Gang wrote: If Frank's nickname isn't "Chicken", it ought to be. I'll hazzard a guess to say you just might not be the first person to think of that. Later

Edgy DC Jan 17 2006 10:59 AM

Meanwhile, Wally's old partner Raffy Santana gobbles up one of Wally's old jobs.

Johnny Dickshot Jan 17 2006 11:04 AM

My company used to have front-row seats behind first base when Santana was a 1B coach for the Wilmington Blue Rocks (and Carlos Beltran was their CF). Santana was very funny. He could be real chatty and nice with fans but when he was busy or didn't wanna sign he'd pretend he couldn't understand English.

Yancy Street Gang Jan 17 2006 11:05 AM

MFS62 wrote: ="Yancy Street Gang"]If Frank's nickname isn't "Chicken", it ought to be. I'll hazzard a guess to say you just might not be the first person to think of that. Later Exactly my point.

Edgy DC Jan 17 2006 12:02 PM

It seems to me that good reporting shoould include contacting the alleging victim of the domestic violence rap. He'd probably get a "no comment," but if Backman's contention is that it's merely a "messy divorce" that has hiim "blacklisted," he should check out the other side of that.

Edgy DC Jan 17 2006 09:41 PM

Kazuhisa Ishii, sticking it to the Golden Eagles.

Edgy DC Jan 18 2006 09:58 AM

Blaine Beatty, coaching the nearby Frederick Keys. Mackey Sasser, luring athletes to him with the power of his name... and chin. Lenny Dykstra, who was investigated by John Dowd and came close to getting seriously sanctioned by MLB for his gambling ties, will be the debut host of "'Celebrity Poker Night" for hollywoodpoker.com. As a bad role model, Lenny is something of a five-tool player, isn't he? No real story, but Dan Wheeler has also re-signed with Houston.

seawolf17 Jan 19 2006 09:35 AM

[url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/sns-ap-bba-graves-vietnam,0,2458641.story?coll=ny-baseball-headlines]Danny Graves[/url], back to Vietnam. (Yes, that is allegedly Danny Graves.) edit: front shot...

Edgy DC Jan 19 2006 09:50 AM

That's the kind of stuff that makes this thread great. This sentence doesn't read quite right. ]The pitcher, accompanied by his mother and wife, Andrea, is visiting as part of a goodwill tour sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

seawolf17 Jan 19 2006 09:50 AM

No, that's right. He married his mother, Andrea. (Obviously, I'm kidding.)

Farmer Ted Jan 19 2006 12:54 PM

Graves looks not only overweight but, dare I say, like a woman playing the part of Danny Graves. You sure this isn't his sister promoting the new women's softball league?

cooby Jan 19 2006 12:58 PM

He never was much of a looker. But yuck.

seawolf17 Jan 19 2006 01:02 PM

I first saw the photo under the headline "No, This Is Not A Picture of Chastity Bono."

Edgy DC Jan 19 2006 01:05 PM

The white studs are nothing new. But I guess the button down Reds didn't play that and he had to remove them during games. But he couldn't let his his holes grow closed, goodness, and so wore them during workouts. Those words tatooed on his arm are the names of his kids and step-kid. I think he's had a lot of up-and-down weight changes in his career.

cooby Jan 19 2006 01:06 PM

Someone's slept with him? (shudder)

Edgy DC Jan 19 2006 01:27 PM

Andrea and Danny Graves are a great story. She was friends with his older sister (seven years older) and he was the dorky little brother who blushed and stammered every time she came over.

Edgy DC Jan 19 2006 01:39 PM

Cut that, I misremembered. She was the older sister of one of his friends. And he was the dorky friend of the dorky little brother, who blushed and stammered every time he came over.

Edgy DC Jan 19 2006 04:48 PM

J.C. Martin, Hall of Famer.

sharpie Jan 19 2006 05:34 PM

Stormy got hisself an owie http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2297329

Edgy DC Jan 20 2006 09:34 AM

Kazuhisa Ishii, returning to the Swallows.

metirish Jan 21 2006 01:02 PM

This may have been posted and talked aobut while I was away but I can't find the 'Rico' thread, anyway I was reading Steve Rushin in 'SI' and he's writing about how guns are a part of sports culture now...something like that anyway....this was the second paragraph... ] The day after Christmas former major league pitcher Jeff Reardon allegedly robbed a jewelry store in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., after passing a note to a clerk that said he had a gun. (Police never found one.) Holy shit ,what happened to Jeff?,any follow up on this?

mlbaseballtalk Jan 21 2006 08:34 PM

metirish wrote: This may have been posted and talked aobut while I was away but I can't find the 'Rico' thread, anyway I was reading Steve Rushin in 'SI' and he's writing about how guns are a part of sports culture now...something like that anyway....this was the second paragraph... ] The day after Christmas former major league pitcher Jeff Reardon allegedly robbed a jewelry store in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., after passing a note to a clerk that said he had a gun. (Police never found one.) Holy shit ,what happened to Jeff?,any follow up on this? This was moved to its own thread do the the national media attention it got. Reardon's son died recently (drug problems) and Reardon had some health issues, apparantly mixed alittle too much medication for that along with depression medication and went a little crazy one day. Yeah he robbed a jewerly store with just a note. Just cash and was found later that day, I think at a nearby deli National spotlight led to Reardon getting the second most hits in one day (he may have passed Mitchell on the day the cat story hit ESPN.com) on the UMDB This is from the site: Jeff Reardon was the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup on December 26, 2005, December 27, 2005, December 28, 2005, December 29, 2005, December 31, 2005, January 1, 2006, January 3, 2006, January 5, 2006, and January 6, 2006. Still currently the most popular over the last 30 day period over there

metirish Jan 21 2006 08:43 PM

Thanks for the info, sad story, I hope he comes through it ok..

Edgy DC Jan 22 2006 01:15 AM

As I understand the story, it actually wasn't later that day, as much as later that hour. I got the impression he wasn't cornered or anything, but realized he had gone nuts, and walked up to a guard and fessed up.

Yancy Street Gang Jan 22 2006 08:05 AM

mlbaseballtalk wrote: National spotlight led to Reardon getting the second most hits in one day (he may have passed Mitchell on the day the cat story hit ESPN.com) on the UMDB This is from the site: Jeff Reardon was the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup on December 26, 2005, December 27, 2005, December 28, 2005, December 29, 2005, December 31, 2005, January 1, 2006, January 3, 2006, January 5, 2006, and January 6, 2006. Still currently the most popular over the last 30 day period over there He more than doubled Mitchell's previous one-day record. Reardon's jewelry store hit caused him to soar from 309th place all-time to somewhere in the 50's.

metirish Jan 24 2006 09:40 AM

I hope this never happens. [url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-sppiazza244599648jan24,0,4979740.story?coll=ny-homepage-bigpix2005]Piazza to MFY's?[/url]

ScarletKnight41 Jan 24 2006 09:41 AM

I don't think that MK could take that.

Edgy DC Jan 24 2006 09:57 AM

Kenny Rogers, learning. Brian Buchanan, hanging on.

Edgy DC Jan 24 2006 01:08 PM

Tommy Herr, returning as manager of your Lancaster Barnstormers.

seawolf17 Jan 24 2006 01:16 PM

The Atlantic League finally got an eighth team (the Barnstormers, replacing the vagabond Road Warriors who played an all-road schedule the past few years), and now the Nashua Pride go under, so the Road Warriors come back for 2006.

MFS62 Jan 24 2006 02:34 PM

Mike Remlinger signs a minor league deal with the Braves. Isn't he the kind of lefty who might have interested Omar? Later

Edgy DC Jan 24 2006 07:21 PM

Bill Robinson, new Dodger minor league hitting coordinator.

Yancy Street Gang Jan 24 2006 07:51 PM

There was an item about Art Shamsky's divorce in the gossip section of The Daily News yesterday.

Yancy Street Gang Jan 24 2006 07:53 PM

Here it is: ]1969 Met Art Shamsky isn't covering himself with glory in his divorce from Kim, her friends tell us. Even though she got him a book deal and a role on "Everybody Loves Raymond," the 64-year-old Shamsky now wants support from his 46-year-old missus, who runs a temp agency. Stepping up to the plate for her is lawyer William Beslow, a Yankees fan whose clients include Demi Moore, Nicole Kidman and Sarah Ferguson.

OlerudOwned Jan 24 2006 08:00 PM

metirish wrote: I hope this never happens. [url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-sppiazza244599648jan24,0,4979740.story?coll=ny-homepage-bigpix2005]Piazza to MFY's?[/url] Or this [url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2304496]Piazza to Phillies?[/url]

Yancy Street Gang Jan 24 2006 08:04 PM

Piazza to the Phillies wouldn't surprise me at all. It is his hometown team. Have the Blue Jays, Twins, and Angels all dropped out of the running? They were the hot Piazza rumors a couple of months ago. And what about Bengie Molina??? He can probably be had fairly cheaply. Maybe Omar can sign him cheap and let him battle for playing time with LoDuca.

Edgy DC Jan 24 2006 09:40 PM

[url=http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15987165&BRD=1712&PAG=461&dept_id=106787&rfi=6]Matt Ginter[/url], possible Red Sock. [url=http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060124&content_id=1300050&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym]Darryl Strawberry[/url], chattin' up a storm. Crazy stuff about Shamsky. I wish I had enough bread that Fergie's lawyer would think me worth their time. Can't help it. I like Darryl.

cooby Jan 24 2006 09:55 PM

Very nice, I like him too. And he's a Steelers fan , what da ya know!

Edgy DC Jan 24 2006 10:10 PM

metsseaver41p: In the 10th inning with two outs, Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, did you really think that you still had a shot to win the game? Strawberry: Actually, no way. But, only by faith, we were able to pull it out. There's so much to like in that answer.

Frayed Knot Jan 24 2006 10:35 PM

As I recall, Darryl's "faith" involved pouting back in the clubhouse because he had been double-switched out of the game a few innings earlier.

Edgy DC Jan 24 2006 10:39 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 24 2006 11:54 PM

Well, that's one of my things to like, the historical contradiction. But the direct internal contradiction is even better.

metirish Jan 24 2006 11:09 PM

Nice bit with Straw, harmless buy cool....

archive man Jan 25 2006 01:16 PM

anybody know the where-a-bouts of former METS pitcher JOHN PACELLA? you remember him, his hat used to fall off on every pitch. im looking to get his 1981 TOPPS baseball card signed..he is one of three METS i need now from that set/team... also looking for ROY LEE JACKSON and MARK BOMBACK if anybody knows where i can contact any of these former METS, id appreciate it!

Elster88 Jan 25 2006 04:03 PM

David_Schnitzer: Did you ever get hot-footed by Roger McDowell? Strawberry: No. But, he got everyone else. I was one of the lucky ones.

Edgy DC Jan 27 2006 10:07 AM

What Ed Lynch and Jorge Fabregas share. What Ray Burris and Bill Monboquette share. What Danny Graves shares with nobody. There was a George Vecsey article in thte Times about the BAT ceremony honoring the 1986 Mets, focusing on Barry Lyons, but I couldnt' read it without TimesSelect privileges.

MFS62 Jan 27 2006 10:12 AM

="Edgy DC"] There was a George Vecsey article in thte Times about the BAT ceremony honoring the 1986 Mets, focusing on Barry Lyons, but I couldnt' read it without TimesSelect privileges. They require you to have special priveleges to read the Times? What elitist pricks! Later

Edgy DC Jan 31 2006 08:37 PM

Rick White. Reds. One year. Unfunny guy dishes on Mike Kinkade.

cooby Jan 31 2006 11:14 PM

Re: Mackey AND his son Straughn’s Chris Sasser signs with Wallace-Dothan By Nathaniel Frazier For Coach Mackey Sasser, the recruiting process never stops for his Wallace Gov baseball team. Tuesday afternoon, Sasser signed three players during the early signing period for his 2007 baseball season. The three players are Chris Sasser of Straughn, Joseph Braswell of Dothan and Brett Chamberlin of Vernon High School. “These are three very good players,” Sasser said. “All of them have the opportunity to come in and help us immediately. If the name Chris Sasser sounds familiar, it should. He is actually Sasser’s son. But make no mistake, that’s not the reason he was signed. He’s a very good baseball player. As an outfielder for Straughn, he led a very good baseball team in hitting and stolen bases. “I’m pretty excited about playing here,” the younger Sasser said. And as for playing for his father, he added, “It should be interesting. I’m both excited and nervous. I think he’s going to push me pretty hard.” Coach Sasser said his son brings a lot of speed to the team. “The main thing is Chris needs to get a little stronger. He runs the bases well, is a very good bunter, and he hit over .500 last year. Braswell doesn’t have to move to play college baseball. That’s one of the things that attracted this left-handed pitcher to Wallace. “My family and friends will get a chance to see me play since I am staying close to home,” Braswell said. “But it was more than just that. Wallace has a winning tradition, and I have the opportunity to play at the next level. Last year for the Dothan Tigers, Braswell had an earned run average of 2.21. He struck out 55 batters in only 29 innings, and at the plate he hit for a .388 average. “I really like Braswell’s change-up,” Sasser said. “He can throw it at different speeds and from different angles. A good change-up is important at this level. But he also has a fastball that he can throw in the low to mid-80s.” Chamberlin came to Wallace for the same reason a lot of other catchers come to the school. “Coach Sasser was a catcher, and that played a big role in my coming here,” Chamberlin said. “Being a catcher himself, I know he will be able to help me out.” Chamberlin hit .393 last season, had four home runs, and as he put it, “I walked a lot.” His throws to second base have been clocked as fast as 1.84 seconds, which will cut down on a lot of would-be base stealers. “Brett’s bat is probably his biggest asset,” Sasser said. “He’s a threat every time he steps to the plate. That’s why he got walked so much. We’re looking for him to come in and replace Ben Shelley when he leaves.” Overall, Sasser said he’s looking for his new signees to fit in the Wallace program and help it move forward. The 2066 baseball season begin in about three weeks. The Govs open up on the road against ABAC on February 8

cooby Jan 31 2006 11:17 PM

cooby wrote: . . The 2066 baseball season begin in about three weeks. The Govs open up on the road against ABAC on February 8 No wonder my knees have been bothering me, I'm over 100

Edgy DC Feb 01 2006 08:19 PM

Marlon Anderson, honored.

Edgy DC Feb 03 2006 11:06 AM

Marlon is also participating in the South Alabama alumni game. Ricky Bottallico, putting on a clinic. (Slow loading, if you're like me.)

MFS62 Feb 03 2006 11:41 AM

Saw something that said that Matt Ginter has signed with the Sox (didn't say Red or White) on a minor league deal. And Bob Keppel will be a non-roster invitee to the Snakes' training camp. Later

Edgy DC Feb 03 2006 02:47 PM

Rick Reed, previewed with his Marshall squad. Bobby Valentine, at the World Coaches Convention.

Edgy DC Feb 06 2006 05:49 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Feb 06 2006 06:57 PM

Wayne Graham, preparing for a season coaching one of the truly big-time baseball programs in the country. (No, I didn't know that Phil Humber had an exie for a coach.) Doug Simons, preparing for a season coaching one of the truly small-time baseball programs in the country. Mark Elliott, recalling Straw. (Yeah, I know he was no Met. But think about it. If a New York-area guy like Lee Mazzilli or John Franco playing for the Mets is remarkable, and a Norfolk-area guy like David Wright playing for the Tides is much more remarkable, how unusualy is it for a Kingston-area guy to play for the K-Mets. Nah? Ok. Jose Offerman, not technically an ex-Met yet, went deep in the Dominican Series championship game.

metirish Feb 06 2006 06:29 PM

Mike Piazza was officially introduced today as Padre......He'll wear #33.. ] Padres officially sign, introduce PiazzaESPN.com news services After all the rumors that one of the all-time greats would go to the American League to become a designated hitter, Mike Piazza is staying in the National League after all. The San Diego Padres on Monday officially signed the power-hitting catcher to a one-year contract worth $2 million. Considered the greatest offensive catcher of all-time, Piazza had spent the last 7 1/2 seasons with the New York Mets and led all NL catchers with 19 homers and 62 RBI while batting .251 in 398 at-bats last season. "I just want to contribute to this team," Piazza said. "I want to help the Padres get back in the playoffs, get to the World Series and bring a championship to San Diego." Because of his declining defensive skills, the 37-year-old was expected to move to the American League, where he could also serve as a designated hitter. However, there was only minor interest from AL clubs, while San Diego and Philadelphia had recently made a serious push for the 12-time All-Star. With Ramon Hernandez signing with Baltimore in the offseason, San Diego was faced with the prospect of opening spring training with journeymen Doug Mirabelli and David Ross competing for the starting job. A 62nd-round pick by the Dodgers in 1988, Piazza is the all-time leading home run hitter among catchers and is three shy of 400 in his 14-year career. In 1,703 career games with Los Angeles, the Mets and Florida -- where he played only five games in 1998 -- Piazza has hit .311 with 1,223 RBI. Piazza said he will wear No. 33 this season, because No. 31 was Dave Winfield's number and that has been retired by the Padres. Information from SportsTicker was used in this report.

cooby Feb 07 2006 08:47 AM

Mackey Sasser makes appearance on HBO Feb 7 http://www.hbo.com/realsports/stories/2006/episode.107.s2.html

86-Dreamer Feb 07 2006 08:55 AM

Sox drop Petagine from the 40-man roster, but it sounds like they have not cut ties yet: http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2006/02/07/sox_crisp_in_agreement/

Edgy DC Feb 07 2006 09:21 AM

There could be a great book about Roberto some day: Can't Catch a Break: The Roberto Petagine Story.

86-Dreamer Feb 07 2006 09:26 AM

I was thinking the same thing when I read the news, but my title was: What do I have to do? The Roberto Petagine Story

smg58 Feb 07 2006 10:28 AM

He could catch a break out of this, depending on who needs a first baseman. Or he could wind up in Japan, which isn't MLB but at least he'd play and probably get well-paid for his efforts.

Edgy DC Feb 08 2006 08:05 AM

Ray Sadecki, retired, playing a lot of golf.

PatchyFogg Feb 08 2006 12:28 PM

Well, I lost the bet with Janet Jones Gretzky with regards to Mike Glavine being out of the game. I thought for sure that he was cleaning up cages these days. not opening them. http://www.lowellsun.com/local/ci_3481394 By the way, the title of my Roberto Petagine book would be Do I Have To Wait Until I'm 47?

cooby Feb 08 2006 12:31 PM

I always thought Ray Sadecki had a funny smile

Edgy DC Feb 08 2006 01:00 PM

Notice the Suzie sighting.

Edgy DC Feb 09 2006 09:15 AM

Lenny DiNardo, worst player on the team.

Edgy DC Feb 10 2006 09:57 AM

Jeff Kent, getting a day. [url=http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060209&content_id=1309468&vkey=news_cin&fext=.jsp&c_id=cin]David Weathers[/url], getting a fella fired. Timo Perez, claiming a GM's virginity.

Edgy DC Feb 10 2006 11:20 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Feb 11 2006 08:53 AM

Jermaine Allensworth, ex-Met and ex-Saturday Night Live character, now a Railcat. I heard Rickey Henderson was doing something but I don't recall what.

Rockin' Doc Feb 11 2006 08:36 AM

Randy Niemann returns to the Tides. Howard Johnson retained as hitting instructor.

Yancy Street Gang Feb 11 2006 09:01 AM

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060210&content_id=1309910&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb Felix Heredia to Arizona.

Edgy DC Feb 12 2006 12:03 AM

Tracy Stallard and Johnny Murphy, remembered in Ocala. Mel Stottlemyre, getting one more camp.

Edgy DC Feb 13 2006 11:00 PM

[url=http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060213&content_id=1310775&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb]Timo Perez[/url], going to Washington like Jefferson Smith.

metirish Feb 13 2006 11:05 PM

Cool, we get to see Timoniel at Shea this year.

metirish Feb 13 2006 11:12 PM

OK I feel like an eegit, I should have read the link before posting, I thought Timo was traded to the Nats, of course the WS visted the Whitehouse today.

metirish Feb 14 2006 11:57 AM

] RANGERS NOTESHershiser accepts ESPN jobBy KAT O'BRIENStar-Telegram Staff WriterOrel Hershiser, the Rangers pitching coach from mid-2002 through the 2005 season, has officially accepted a position as an analyst with ESPN. He will be both a game and studio analyst this year. Hershiser had been discussing the move with ESPN for several weeks. Quite popular with players as a pitching coach, the former Cy Young Award winner has long held higher ambitions. Early this off-season, Hershiser interviewed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, his former organization, as they had vacancies for general manager and manager. When nothing came of that, he accepted a position as executive assistant to Rangers president Jeff Cogen. "Orel is bringing his unique legacy and considerable charisma to the national stage," Cogen said in a release. "He has a special ability to evaluate and explain a difficult part of the game -- pitching. His passion for the game is contagious, and baseball fans will definitely benefit from his insights and commentary." Hershiser could not be reached Monday evening. Several people have gone from ESPN jobs to managerial posts, including Rangers manager Buck Showalter and Bobby Valentine

Edgy DC Feb 16 2006 03:50 PM

Yogi Berra, Roger Craig, Mike Marshall, Tug McGraw, Rusty Staub, Casey Stengel, Don Zimmer, nominated.

MFS62 Feb 16 2006 03:58 PM

They have some interesting criteria. Why do they consider Roger Craig to be special? Was it because he was able to teach the split fingered fastball to others? LAter

Edgy DC Feb 16 2006 04:06 PM

That's my guess.

metirish Feb 16 2006 06:43 PM

] Scott Erickson signs with Yanks BY KEN DAVIDOFF STAFF CORRESPONDENT February 16, 2006, 4:43 PM EST TAMPA, Fla. -- The Yankees have agreed to a minor-league deal with pitcher Scott Erickson today, Newsday has learned. Erickson, 38, threw for 10 minutes at the Yankees' minor-league complex this morning, impressing manager Joe Torre and pitching coach Ron Guidry. If Erickson makes the team, he will earn a $550,000 salary. The righthander pitched in 19 games for the Dodgers last season, starting eight, putting up a 1-4 record and 6.02 ERA. Erickson, who spent his best years with the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles, started two games for the Mets in 2004, going 0-1 with a 7.88 ERA.

Yancy Street Gang Feb 17 2006 04:36 PM

Recognize these guys?

Edgy DC Feb 17 2006 04:39 PM

I recognized Krane as soon as the forehead loaded. I had to click to figure the other fella out, though. Wouldn't have guessed.

Johnny Dickshot Feb 17 2006 04:43 PM

Gotta be Kooz w/ Krane

Edgy DC Feb 20 2006 02:27 AM

Monbo, hangin' them up. Jae Weong Seo, glad to be a Dodger.

Edgy DC Feb 21 2006 09:23 AM

Cammie, looking to explode. Fernando Vina, looking to start. Jose Oquendo, managing the Puerto Ricans.

Edgy DC Feb 21 2006 09:56 PM

Roberto Petagine, looking to the Mariners to be the latest team to under-utilize him.

Yancy Street Gang Feb 25 2006 06:54 PM

A lot of people are Googling Elio Chacon today. I have no idea why.

Edgy DC Feb 27 2006 12:46 PM

Richard Hidalgo, minor league deal with the O's. Any update on Elio?

Nymr83 Feb 27 2006 12:59 PM

Edgy DC wrote: Roberto Petagine, looking to the Mariners to be the latest team to under-utilize him. the poster-boy for a guy who never got the chance he deserved, he's probaby too old for it to matter now but he really deserved 500 ABs somewhere, somehow to show what he can do.

Frayed Knot Feb 27 2006 01:10 PM

Yancy Street Gang wrote: A lot of people are Googling Elio Chacon today. I have no idea why. 86 Across in this week's Sunday NYTimes crossword was: 'Shortstop Chacon of the 1962 Mets' which could have sent numerous folks scrambling for Google in an effort to decipher; E L I O I realize that you posted this on Saturday but those with home delivery often get some of the supplements ahead of time and, amongst certain Manhattan-ites, there's almost a race to see who can buy the first full "Sunday" copies as they begin to hit the stands late Saturday afternoon.

Rotblatt Feb 28 2006 07:35 AM

From Adam Rubin's Notes section in today's Daily News: ]SEO STEAMED: Jae Seo, shipped to the Dodgers, may harbor bitterness toward the Mets. Word out of Vero Beach is the ex-Met has declined to autograph baseball cards or anything else with his former team's logo.

Yancy Street Gang Feb 28 2006 10:10 AM

="Frayed Knot"] ="Yancy Street Gang"]A lot of people are Googling Elio Chacon today. I have no idea why. 86 Across in this week's Sunday NYTimes crossword was: 'Shortstop Chacon of the 1962 Mets' which could have sent numerous folks scrambling for Google in an effort to decipher; E L I O I realize that you posted this on Saturday but those with home delivery often get some of the supplements ahead of time and, amongst certain Manhattan-ites, there's almost a race to see who can buy the first full "Sunday" copies as they begin to hit the stands late Saturday afternoon. That's it! Some of the Google searches were for that exact phrase: Shortstop Chacon of the 1962 Mets. Thanks for clearing up that mini-mystery!

metirish Mar 03 2006 09:45 AM

[url=http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060303/SPT04/603030338/1071/SPT04]Vern Ruhle to get treatment for cancer[/url]

Rotblatt Mar 03 2006 01:18 PM

A nice article from the Daily News about Piazza & Cameron, who officially harbor no ill will towards the Mets. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/story/396441p-336020c.html

Bret Sabermetric Mar 03 2006 01:25 PM

Rotblatt wrote: A nice article from the Daily News about Piazza & Cameron, who officially harbor no ill will towards the Mets. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/story/396441p-336020c.html Man, do I look forward to Jose Reyes and Beltran and maybe Carlos Delgado running Mikey ragged. It will be good to be on the other end of that ludicrous inequity for once, won't it?

Rotblatt Mar 03 2006 01:28 PM

Bret Sabermetric wrote: Man, do I look forward to Jose Reyes and Beltran and maybe Carlos Delgado running Mikey ragged. It will be good to be on the other end of that ludicrous inequity for once, won't it? Hah. That will be pretty fun to watch, although it's such a reflex for me to pray as hard as I can that THIS TIME Piazza will nail them--or at least get a bullshit call his way--that I might just get really confused.

MFS62 Mar 06 2006 08:39 AM

Ex-Met Jose Oquendo is managing the Puerto Rican team in the WBC. Later

Edgy DC Mar 08 2006 10:18 AM

Googling your way out of the crossword puzzle is cheap. Stanley Jefferson, chilling in Co-Op City, Section 5.

Edgy DC Mar 08 2006 01:46 PM

Dwight Gooden, prohibitive probation. Mike Cameron, taking nothing for granted.

Edgy DC Mar 14 2006 12:16 AM

John Valentin, batting coach for your Binghamton Mets.

Edgy DC Mar 15 2006 09:15 AM

Not a lot here, besides half of the Puerto Rico roster having Mets connections. Oh, and Dwight Gooden being back in stripes.

Edgy DC Mar 15 2006 09:22 AM

Here we go... [url=http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060315&content_id=1350363&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb]Alberto Castillo[/url], author of one of the coolest opening day moments in Met history, now a US citizen.

Edgy DC Mar 16 2006 10:46 AM

Doug Mientkiewicz, comfortable.

Johnny Dickshot Mar 17 2006 08:31 AM

Turk Wendell hates to say he told you so... [url]http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/rozner.asp?id=167877[/url]

Edgy DC Mar 17 2006 09:59 AM

Good stuff, if some of it perhaps distorted. (It's not like they're all going to die.)

ScarletKnight41 Mar 17 2006 11:38 AM

Johnny Dickshot wrote: Turk Wendell hates to say he told you so... [url]http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/rozner.asp?id=167877[/url] ]Months later, the two met by happenstance in a ballpark weight room, Wendell said, and Bonds cursed at Wendell and challenged him to come say it to his face. So, Wendell said, he walked over to Bonds and said it again. “I told him that it’s his problem, not mine, and that he’s the one who’s going to have to answer these questions every day for the rest of his life, not me,’’ Wendell said. “Everyone in the weight room got real close to us, but nothing happened. He didn’t really have anything to say, and I left.’’ Cool article JD - thanks for the link.

Edgy DC Mar 21 2006 04:04 PM

Vance Wilson, defensive back.

Yancy Street Gang Mar 23 2006 06:19 AM

Lotsa people googling Ron Swoboda today. I wonder what's up?

Yancy Street Gang Mar 23 2006 10:03 AM

The Swoboda surge is growing as the day advances. I hope he's still alive and hasn't been arrested.

Johnny Dickshot Mar 23 2006 10:22 AM

Stars & Stripes reports: ]1969 'Miracle Mets' star Swoboda meets with troops on Okinawa By Dave Ornauer, Stars and Stripes Pacific edition, Saturday, March 18, 2006 A slice of baseball history made its way through the halls of four USO outlets on Okinawa on Thursday: 1969 World Series hero Ron Swoboda. He’s the outfielder whose circus catch in Game 4 of the 1969 Fall Classic helped the New York Mets bring down the Baltimore Orioles in five games. And on Thursday he spent time giving autographs, shaking hands and sharing memories with troops at United Service Organizations facilities at camps Schwab and Hansen, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and Kadena Air Base. “It’s very interesting,” said Camp Schwab Cpl. Jason Morgan, 21, of Corning, N.Y., who was born 16 years after Swoboda’s heroics but said he’d read enough about the diving catch to know who Swoboda is. “It’s a real morale boost for us.” Morgan was one of a handful of Marines and airmen who took time from their duty day to have Swoboda sign baseballs and photos of himself from his playing days, with the Mets from 1965-70, half a season with the Montreal Expos and his last three years with the New York Yankees. Swoboda last set foot on Okinawa while en route to and from South Vietnam in 1969, just after the Mets emerged from the depths of the National League their first seven seasons to a surprise World Series championship. Now 61, Swoboda’s message to troops on Okinawa is the same as it was in 1969: “We care about you being here to sacrifice the time to make a visit,” he said. Swoboda’s current weeklong Okinawa tour, which began Tuesday, is being sponsored by the USO in support of Special Olympics on Okinawa. Among his activities, Swoboda will throw out the first ball for Saturday’s Kadena and Kubasaki High School baseball and girls softball opening games at Chibana Recreation Area.

Edgy DC Mar 23 2006 10:30 AM

He joined the Yanks in 1972. I always like to think of him as the first Met hero gobbled up by Steinbrenner, but George didn't take over the Yanks until 1973. The first ex-Met acquired by Steinbrenner's Yankees was a decided non-hero --- Sandy Alomar. There really are no examples of Met-hording until after 1986.

Yancy Street Gang Mar 23 2006 10:47 AM

That's great. It's nice to see a surge due to something good. Just a few days ago I was wondering whether Elliott Maddox curing a disease would have as big an impact as Kevin Mitchell beheading a cat or Doc Gooden getting arrested. Let's see where this goes. It would be great if Swoboda gets more hits today than Doc did a few days ago. (Based on current numbers, it's a possibility.) Nice find, Johnny!

Johnny Dickshot Mar 23 2006 10:49 AM

Google News: making ordinary guys look like hyper-aware newshounds since 2004.

Edgy DC Mar 23 2006 11:35 AM

Swoboda also lost some property to Katrina, did he not?

Edgy DC Mar 23 2006 02:17 PM

Tank, hurt.

Edgy DC Mar 24 2006 12:59 PM

Fernando Vina, cut loose. Davey Johnson, flying wtih the Birds.

MFS62 Mar 24 2006 01:02 PM

Edgy DC wrote: Swoboda also lost some property to Katrina, did he not? Not only that but IIRC people were unsuccessful in contacting him for several days after the flooding stopped. Seems he was out of town and unaware that many feared for his safety. Later

Yancy Street Gang Mar 24 2006 01:09 PM

Hmmm. Vina's ten days younger than Bret Boone, and he hit .083 this spring. Sounds like a candidate for the Mets job. Sign him up!

Edgy DC Mar 24 2006 01:11 PM

Don't, don't, don't let's start. I've got a weak heart.

A Boy Named Seo Mar 24 2006 08:25 PM

[url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/baseball/mlb/dodgers/la-sp-dodrep24mar24,1,4213005.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-mlb-dodger]LA Times [/url] on JW Seo. Funny quote below in bold. ]Seo Has a Mixed Outing in Return From the WBC By Steve Henson, Times Staff Writer March 24, 2006 VERO BEACH, Fla. — Based on how he pitched in the World Baseball Classic, Jae Seo could be regarded as the best off-season acquisition made by General Manager Ned Colletti. Based on how he pitched Thursday, Seo looked every bit the No. 5 starter the Dodgers figure they added when relievers Duaner Sanchez and Steve Schmoll were traded to the New York Mets for Seo and reliever Tim Hamulack. In his first appearance with his new team, Seo gave up a run in the first inning and two in the second before settling down and throwing three scoreless innings. He gave up eight hits in the five innings and the Dodgers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-2, at Holman Stadium. Seo, 26, gave up one run and seven hits in 14 innings pitching for Korea in the WBC, notching two wins. Before his start Thursday, a scout from another National League team said, "The Mets are crying. They want him back." Then the game began and he looked more like the pitcher who was 22-24 the last three seasons. "That's mostly from operating with a strange catcher," Manager Grady Little said. "When a guy's got the assortment of pitches he does, they've got to learn each other." Rookie Russell Martin was behind the plate, and for two innings Seo threw what Martin called. Seo took control of pitch selection the last three innings. "The catchers don't know my style of pitching or what I like to throw," he said. Seo's fastball is only in the 87-mph range, and he relies on a curve, a changeup and a split-finger pitch. The Cardinals were jumping his first-pitch fastballs, something batters in the WBC didn't do. "I didn't make enough of an adjustment facing big league hitters after facing the Asian hitters [in the WBC]," he said. "The Asian hitters are more patient. It takes away from their power, but they are better at making contact. The major league hitters are more aggressive." The learning curve extended to Martin, who is expected to make the opening-day roster because of a hamstring injury to Dioner Navarro. "The second time through the lineup went a little smoother because I started to figure out the way he likes to throw," Martin said. "Pitchers like him, they throw anything in any count. Where you set up is important. The first time you catch any pitcher is always tough." Because of off days, Seo is scheduled to make only two starts in April and would be a long reliever the rest of the month.

Edgy DC Mar 27 2006 11:26 AM

Danny Graves is hanging in there trying to make the Indians. He strikes me as a slow learner. Brian Daubach has been cut by the Cardinals, and is considering not reporting to Memphis. I know what he's thinking: "You're good enough to carry Jeff Nelson in your bullpen and Sdney Ponson in your rotation, but you can't carry me?"

Edgy DC Mar 28 2006 09:30 AM

Sam Perlozzo is frustrated.

cooby Mar 28 2006 10:37 AM

That Roger Clamons thingy is something that would have given me nightmares for years as a kid

Rotblatt Mar 28 2006 10:46 PM

Jae Seo made his second spring start, going 6 innings against the Tigers. He allowed one run--a solo shot by Vance Wilson--on three hits and a walk. He struck out 6. 3.27 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 8 K, 2 BB in 11 IP this Spring. 0.64 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 8 K, 3 BB in 14 IP in the World Baseball Classic He's set to be the #5 pitcher for the Dodgers, behind Lowe, Penny, O. Perez & Tomko. On edit: I just ... want him back SO MUCH ... (sob) No, seriously.

Edgy DC Mar 30 2006 11:11 AM

Mariners carrying Petagine, but farming out Appier.

MFS62 Mar 30 2006 11:16 AM

I still feel bad for Roberto. The guy is a power hitter and gets a chance to stick with a major league team. Then he ends up playing half his games where the outfield fences are in a different area code. Later

metirish Mar 30 2006 06:42 PM

Anna Benson today filed for divorce form Kris....damn.

Elster88 Mar 30 2006 06:56 PM

Is that a joke? April Fools isn't until Saturday.

metirish Mar 30 2006 06:57 PM

Nope, not a joke, just heard it onn the WFAN....again, Anna filed for divorce from Kris...I guess she really didn't like the trade.

SI Metman Mar 30 2006 10:51 PM

[url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=2390603]Super Joe McEwing changes address[/url]

Edgy DC Mar 31 2006 11:32 AM

Sighted on the wire: Gary Thorne.

OlerudOwned Apr 03 2006 08:24 PM

Stretching the rules a bit here, Never-Quite-Met Angel Pagan found his way onto the field for the Cubs today, collecting 2 hits, an RBI, and scoring twice in two ABs.

MFS62 Apr 03 2006 09:51 PM

How did he become a Cub? Minor league free agent signing? Minor league trade? Later

Edgy DC Apr 03 2006 10:18 PM

Pagan was claimed on waivers.

metirish Apr 05 2006 10:30 AM

Doc Gooden got sent down to the big house for one year. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060405/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbo_gooden_sentenced

Edgy DC Apr 05 2006 10:40 AM

Awful.

ScarletKnight41 Apr 05 2006 01:39 PM

metirish wrote: Doc Gooden got sent down to the big house for one year. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060405/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbo_gooden_sentenced I guess that settles it - he won't be at the 1986 Reunion Night in August.

Yancy Street Gang Apr 05 2006 01:41 PM

There's always the videotaped message on the Diamond Vision. Didn't Darryl do that from prison once?

metirish Apr 05 2006 01:44 PM

Yeah he could do that Yancy, even his orange jump suit would look the part.

Edgy DC Apr 06 2006 01:08 PM

Brett Butler wants to screen your neck. Alex Escobar, bringing it with your Harrisburg Senators. Also Stoins material.

Elster88 Apr 07 2006 11:02 AM

[url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/406705p-344354c.html]Al Leiter to join YES[/url] Did we already know this?

metirish Apr 07 2006 11:14 AM

Yeah I guess we knew but now it's official, is he trying to start something with Russo, soounds like it.

MFS62 Apr 09 2006 04:19 PM

Doug Flynn said on today's "Talkin' Baseball" radio show that he's been doing color on the University of Kentucky baseball telecasts. LAter

Edgy DC Apr 10 2006 09:37 AM

Another guy who might be busy on reunion day. LOW KEY: Santana, manager of the Hogs, doesn't get emotional By Dan Collins JOURNAL REPORTER If he finds any horses playing this season for the Winston-Salem Warthogs, first-year manager Rafael Santana will try to lead them to water - or perhaps, in this case, to a sports beverage loaded with electrolytes. It'll be up to the horses if they want to drink. "I'm kind of a low-key type of guy," Santana said. "I don't get too emotional. I let the guys play. "I give them information. I'm not the type of guy who expects these guys to play like major leaguers because I know that's not the level they're at. But I'm here to help them out and try to get the best out of them. "That's why I don't react too much." So how, he was asked, will he react when he's tested? It's inconceivable that a person can manage a team of intense, highly charged players over the course of an emotional season without being tested at least a time or two. "When things aren't going right, that's when you have to be there for them, just like at home," Santana said. "When things aren't going well for your kids you can't turn your back on them. That's when you have to work to get them out of the funk. That's baseball. "You're always going to be tested. Sometimes it's better for you to talk to them. They listen to you and they get back on track. If you belt them or whip them or whatever, what's going to happen? They will feel that is a challenge." Smooth and unflappable as a major-league shortstop with the Cardinals, Mets, Yankees and Indians, Santana remains that way today at age 48. He has been with the White Sox organization since 1999, serving mostly as its infield instructor. But he did coach first base for the parent White Sox in 2003 and 2004. And just because he hasn't managed since 1993, when he was skipper of the Azucareros of the Dominican Winter League, he doesn't see the job as anything he can't handle. He is appreciative of the chance, however, which hasn't been extended to that many Latin Americans. That has changed recently. Just last season, the Carolina League had three Latin American managers - Luis Rivera of Kinston, Bien Figueroa of Frederick and Ivan DeJesus of Salem. This year, there are two, Santana and Figueroa. And, of course, Manager Ozzie Guillen of the White Sox changed the face of the game forever last season by becoming the first Latin American manager to lead his team to a World Series championship. Guillen was born in Ocumare del Tuy, Venezuela. Santana was born in La Romana, Dominican Republic. "I believe if you look at all the Latino stuff, that was something big because that had never happened before," Santana said. "By Ozzie winning the whole thing with the White Sox last year, it might mean that we've shown we've got the ability to do it, too." One goal for the season is to lead the Warthogs to Winston-Salem's 12th Carolina League championship and the second in four seasons. Another is to prove that he's not just a Latin American manager, but a manager who happens to be Latin American. "I'm not here just for Latinos," Santana said. "I can be an inspiration for Latinos because I played in the majors for many years, and I coached in the big leagues. "If they want to look up to me that's fine. They might do like I did as I was coming up. I got to see Felipe Alou play, and he was my idol of all-time. I was coming up as a shortstop, and I looked up to Dave Concepcion. I tried to emulate everything. I wanted to be like him. Before you know it, I was playing against him.

Johnny Dickshot Apr 10 2006 10:53 AM

Dae Sung Koo leading the Hanwha Eagles with 2 saves. They have a web page where they mangle English phrases in an entertaining way: The team is symbolized by eagles based on "fire" and "sun". "fire" stands for the image of hanwha conglomerate and the statue of eagles is the meaning of taking off for the sun. [url]http://www.hanwhaeagles.co.kr/english/introduction.asp[/url]

metirish Apr 12 2006 03:27 PM

Not a good day for Piazza in Florida, from the scoring summery... ] San Diego - Top of 7th Score Ricky Nolasco pitching for Florida SDG FLA B Giles walked. 6 0 M Piazza singled to left, B Giles to second. 6 0 A Gonzalez singled to center, B Giles scored, M Piazza to second, M Piazza thrown out at third attempting to advance on play. 7 0 K Greene struck out swinging. 7 0 V Castilla flied out to center. 7 0 1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors Mikey what were you at?

TheOldMole Apr 12 2006 03:30 PM

And the statue of eagles in bikinis is the meaning of taking it off for the sun.

Edgy DC Apr 17 2006 01:00 PM

MLB Introduces Todd Zeile Award For Participation October 20, 2005 | Onion Sports MILWAUKEE—In recognition of Todd Zeile, who took an active part in over 2,000 games while playing for 11 different teams, the MLB commissioner's office has dedicated an award in his name, to be presented annually to honorary participants in America's pastime. "Major League Baseball understands that not everyone can be the Most Valuable Player, and we want to let these other players know that we nonetheless appreciate their effort and support their continued interest in the game of baseball," commissioner Bud Selig said. "In the spirit of Mr. Zeile, this award celebrates a player's commitment to the sport, his outstanding attendance, and the embodiment of the game's most important qualities: taking the field, giving it your all, and making new friends." This year's recipients will include all players who exemplified the true meaning of baseball by willingly competing in over 60 percent of his team's games.

Yancy Street Gang Apr 17 2006 01:11 PM

Do you think the Mets keep track of the whereabouts of their former players? The reason I ask is that I get many e-mails from people asking me how to get in touch with Jim McAndrew. Or Pat Zachry. Or Danny Heep. Or Ray Sadecki. I, of course, have no idea how to find any of these guys, so I always lamely suggest that they contact the Mets. I wonder, though, if the Mets know any more about this than I do, and if they do, if they're willing to help. If anyone cares to try it as an experiment, (I don't) please give it a shot and let us know how it worked out. My prediction, unfortunately, is that it's probably a dead end trying to get that info from the Mets.

mlbaseballtalk Apr 17 2006 01:26 PM

Yancy Street Gang wrote: Do you think the Mets keep track of the whereabouts of their former players? The reason I ask is that I get many e-mails from people asking me how to get in touch with Jim McAndrew. Or Pat Zachry. Or Danny Heep. Or Ray Sadecki. I, of course, have no idea how to find any of these guys, so I always lamely suggest that they contact the Mets. I wonder, though, if the Mets know any more about this than I do, and if they do, if they're willing to help. If anyone cares to try it as an experiment, (I don't) please give it a shot and let us know how it worked out. My prediction, unfortunately, is that it's probably a dead end trying to get that info from the Mets. I know they started an Alumni Association thing, but I really don't know how many people are involved or if they reach out to those who aren't members or aren't well known guys Steve

Edgy DC Apr 17 2006 01:32 PM

I know where Ray Sadecki is now.

MFS62 Apr 17 2006 02:16 PM

Edgy DC wrote: I know where Ray Sadecki is now. Don't keep us in suspense. Where is he? Later

Yancy Street Gang Apr 17 2006 02:17 PM

He's hanging out with Waldo, and Matt Lauer, and Carmen Sandiego.

MFS62 Apr 17 2006 02:40 PM

Lenny DiNardo started today's game for the Bosox. He gave up six hits and two runs (2 earned) in 5 IP. Later

metirish Apr 18 2006 01:29 AM

Presto Wilson SO five times yesterday in a nine inning game.....OUCH...

Gwreck Apr 18 2006 01:34 AM

metirish wrote: Presto Wilson SO five times yesterday in a nine inning game.....OUCH... Wikipedia tells me that is called the "Platinum Sombrero."

Edgy DC Apr 18 2006 05:19 PM

"I have something to report to you."

Edgy DC Apr 19 2006 04:26 PM

What? No comments? That's not how they feel in Japan. Emotional reaction in Japan to Shinjo's retirement Japan's popular former Major League player Tsuyoshi Shinjo, seen here with the New York Mets in 2003, caught Japanese baseball fans off-guard with his unexpected retirement, provoking an emotional reaction. Flamboyant former Major League player Tsuyoshi Shinjo caught Japanese baseball fans off-guard with his unexpected retirement, provoking an emotional reaction. After hitting two home-runs including a grand slam at the Tokyo Dome Tuesday night, the 34-year-old Nippon Ham Fighters outfielder shocked the crowd by announcing he would quit professional baseball at the end of this season. "I have something to report to you. I have decided to hang up my uniform when the season ends," said Shinjo who is in his 17th year as a pro. "I want to enjoy the season as much as possible," he added. Shinjo moved to US Major League Baseball as a free agent and played for the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants from 2001 to 2003. His batting average was .245 in his three MLB years with 215 hits, 20 home-runs and 100 runs-batted-in over 303 games. Despite the mediocre results, Shinjo has been one of the best loved stars in Japan with his colorful wristbands, dyed hair and a trademark hop as he catches the ball. A consummate crowd-pleaser, he has taken to the field dressed in various masks and costumes including those of Star Wars villain Darth Vader and Spider-Man. The media-savvy Shinjo would treat reporters and fans by giving names to each of his home-run swings, such as the "Tequila swing" and "Please-hit-my-bat swing." "We remember this Shinjo and that Shinjo. We will miss you," said the headline in the Nikkan Sports, which devoted its first three pages to the popular player. The Sports Nippon said Shinjo, who has model good looks, told close friends that he wanted to go to Europe and become a fashion designer. "Shinjo attracts attention by his daring actions but deep down he is sensitive," the newspaper said in an article. "He is aware his retirement would have an immense impact," it said. "He might have made the agonizing decision to announce the retirement to draw more fans to stadiums" for the rest of the season. After Tuesday's game, which his team won 10-4 over the Orix Buffaloes, Shinjo confessed his age was holding him back when playing. . "People haven't noticed, but I am not happy about many things in my performance," he said. — AFP Flamboyant former Major League player Tsuyoshi Shinjo caught Japanese baseball fans off-guard with his unexpected retirement, provoking an emotional reaction. . After hitting two home-runs including a grand slam at the Tokyo Dome Tuesday night, the 34-year-old Nippon Ham Fighters outfielder shocked the crowd by announcing he would quit professional baseball at the end of this season. . "I have something to report to you. I have decided to hang up my uniform when the season ends," said Shinjo who is in his 17th year as a pro. . "I want to enjoy the season as much as possible," he added. . Shinjo moved to US Major League Baseball as a free agent and played for the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants from 2001 to 2003. . His batting average was .245 in his three MLB years with 215 hits, 20 home-runs and 100 runs-batted-in over 303 games. . Despite the mediocre results, Shinjo has been one of the best loved stars in Japan with his colorful wristbands, dyed hair and a trademark hop as he catches the ball. . A consummate crowd-pleaser, he has taken to the field dressed in various masks and costumes including those of Star Wars villain Darth Vader and Spider-Man. . The media-savvy Shinjo would treat reporters and fans by giving names to each of his home-run swings, such as the "Tequila swing" and "Please-hit-my-bat swing." . "We remember this Shinjo and that Shinjo. We will miss you," said the headline in the Nikkan Sports, which devoted its first three pages to the popular player. . The Sports Nippon said Shinjo, who has model good looks, told close friends that he wanted to go to Europe and become a fashion designer. . "Shinjo attracts attention by his daring actions but deep down he is sensitive," the newspaper said in an article. . "He is aware his retirement would have an immense impact," it said. "He might have made the agonizing decision to announce the retirement to draw more fans to stadiums" for the rest of the season. . After Tuesday's game, which his team won 10-4 over the Orix Buffaloes, Shinjo confessed his age was holding him back when playing. . "People haven't noticed, but I am not happy about many things in my performance," he said. — AFP

Johnny Dickshot Apr 19 2006 04:44 PM

That link took like a year to load, that's why I said nuttin.

Edgy DC Apr 19 2006 08:21 PM

Yeah, I think I goofed on the coding. I fixed it, but it's still pretty slow.

mlbaseballtalk Apr 20 2006 01:44 PM

Derek Bell arrested for cocaine possesion [url]http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2415413[/url]

Edgy DC Apr 20 2006 01:50 PM

Tampa, where Mets go to fall apart.

Yancy Street Gang Apr 20 2006 01:59 PM

Great slogan. The Tampa Chamber of Commerce should put it on their letterhead.

Johnny Dickshot Apr 20 2006 02:18 PM

Operation Smokedown

ScarletKnight41 Apr 20 2006 02:28 PM

How sad :(

Nymr83 Apr 20 2006 02:54 PM

metirish wrote: Presto Wilson SO five times yesterday in a nine inning game.....OUCH... and he struck out 4 more times yesterday, 4/19. wow. Billy Traber (former met prospect) starts for the Nationals against the Phillies tonight.

Zvon Apr 20 2006 03:33 PM

="Edgy DC"] Japan's popular former Major League player Tsuyoshi Shinjo, seen here with the New York Mets in 2003, caught Japanese baseball fans off-guard with his unexpected retirement, provoking an emotional reaction. Flamboyant former Major League player Tsuyoshi Shinjo caught Japanese baseball fans off-guard with his unexpected retirement, provoking an emotional reaction. "People haven't noticed, but I am not happy about many things in my performance," he said. — AFP Flamboyant former Major League player Tsuyoshi Shinjo caught Japanese baseball fans off-guard with his unexpected retirement, provoking an emotional reaction. . ...are you trying to provoke an emotional reaction? I like the way the article about Bell says the crack pipe was still warm,...lol.

metirish Apr 20 2006 08:55 PM

Kazmir leaves after 5 2/3 innings with what the Boston TV guys are calling an arm/hand injury...

A Boy Named Seo Apr 21 2006 03:21 PM

I was going to go with Operation Lockdown, but Operation Smokedown is good, too. Depending on how hard he hit it, Operation Falldown might be most appropriate. Those are some glassy eyes. Sad.

Edgy DC Apr 26 2006 09:50 AM

I didn't have the heart to post that Bell shot when I found it. Brett Butler, palpitating.

abogdan Apr 28 2006 08:54 AM

You can't make this stuff up. [url=http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/waiwai/face/news/20060428p2g00m0dm009000c.html]Shinjo leaves the ballpark for a quiet life of nude modelling[/url] ]"I've decided to take my uniform off at the end of this season." With these words, Nippon Ham Fighters outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo announced his plans to end one of the more unconventional careers in Japanese professional baseball. What the fans at Tokyo Dome didn't realize when 34-year-old Shinjo told them on April 18 that he was removing his uniform, was that he was speaking literally, according to Shukan Gendai (5/6-13). Many were shocked that Shinjo chose a mid-April date to announce his plans to quit -- the season was only a few weeks old, after all -- most say it's characteristic behavior for the player nicknamed "Spaceman," who's as well known for his tendency to come out of left field (even though he's a centerfielder) as for his baseball. "It was typical Shinjo. I wasn't surprised at all," baseball analyst Takenori Emoto tells Shukan Gendai, regarding the sudden retirement. "I think part of the reason there was so much showbiz in the announcement was that the entire Pacific League seemed to be caught up in Shinjo and he was basically running wild, doing whatever he wanted to. He didn't give a damn about his team as long as he looked good." Actually, it's not the first time Shinjo has retired. After a fight with management at the end of the 1995 season, Shinjo announced he was retiring from the Hanshin Tigers, who he played for at the time. He changed his mind a little while later, playing a few more seasons for the Tigers before heading to the U.S. where he played three seasons in the Majors, two for the New York Mets with a season at the San Francisco Giants sandwiched in between. "This time, he really means it," Emoto opines. "At his age, it's no longer possible to hide the fact that he's not the batter he once was. It's a sad time for a professional ball player." Post-baseball life doesn't appear to be too lonely for Shinjo, though. The enormously popular outfielder is already apparently being swamped with offers for work once he's finished playing. And that's where it comes to taking his uniform off for the last time. As it turns out, it seems likely that his baseball uniform won't be the only garments Shinjo plans to shed. "Actually, Shinjo's thinking about releasing a collection of nude photos. Straight after he announced his retirement, the president of a major talent agency Shinjo is expected to join on his retirement called the player and said, 'If you're gonna do nude stuff, let me look after it for you.' And, as a bit of an extra for his real fans, there's also talk of Shinjo and his wife doing a nude shot together. If they don't want to go all the way, it could be a shot of them in some pretty racy underwear. The Shinjos are a lot more appealing than David and Victoria Beckham," Motoji Takasu, a publishing company producer, tells Shukan Gendai. While some may seem surprised at the suggestions of the Shinjos stripping, the likelihood is considered high when his previous outlandish behavior is taken into account. And, it shouldn't be forgotten that Shinjo's off-field resume already includes a successful stint promoting skimpy undies for major undergarment manufacturer Gunze. Added to these points, Shinjo's wife, Shiho, is a former pin-up queen who retired following their 2000 marriage, but has recently returned to work in showbiz. Some women's magazines have already reported on the couple's planned double-act display of undress. "Plans are afoot for a photo shoot in July or August. He's still playing and, in the middle of summer, his body will be in as good a shape as it's ever going to be. They're aiming to do the shoot amid the wilds of Hokkaido," publishing industry insider Takasu tells Shukan Gendai. "Sales of the book will start in October, just in time for the Japan Series. They'll be sold together with life-sized Shinjo posters and the promise of giveaways of the book for the 43,000 fans who turn up for his retirement game at Sapporo Dome. That'd really get fans heated up about baseball again." (By Ryann Connell)

Elster88 Apr 28 2006 08:56 AM

Find a Wifey Watch photo NOW!!

cooby Apr 28 2006 08:59 AM

The thought of Shinjo naked really does not heat me up. Isn't he the one who was so skinny that his uniform pants were all bunched up at the top from his belt?

Elster88 Apr 28 2006 09:00 AM

You have obviously not seen the recent photographs of him in his underwear. The ladies love it.

cooby Apr 28 2006 09:01 AM

No actually I did, and laughed

Johnny Dickshot Apr 28 2006 09:32 AM

I'm fascinated by Shinjo and want a pair of his undies (well not his, necessarily, but his brand, BODY WILD. [url]http://www.bodywild.com/[/url]

Edgy DC Apr 28 2006 09:57 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 02 2006 11:44 AM

Celbrities in Japan are a different breed. Everybody seems to understand and accept that they are brands once their personality is established. So they get one hit song or one hit movie out and, once people respond to whatever gets across, the more important part of their career isn't getting a solid followup album or movie, but to endorse a buttload of products and move a ton of signature sideline merchandise: fashion, videogames, makeup, whatever. We have examples of such celebrities that are amost purely brand in the west --- Spice Girls for instance --- but in Japan a pop phenomenon can flourish for decades while only occasionally putting out a "legit" product like a serious album or movie. But one of the items that they move are photo albums. And it gets weird. These are typically expensive high-quality photo albums that an actor or actress releases aimed at a "mature" audience --- showing them lounging around pensively ("thinking about you...") at what you expect is their expensive estate or exclusive beach locale, but they almost spill over into "classy" soft-core tittilating poses that are more tittilating (and marketable) in that they often shatter the image of the sweet genial bubblegum singer or romantic comedy actress you knew years before. But there's another point of departure from the west. It's not really shattered. They can do this modest porn and turn around and still get to present themselves in public as everybody's toothy-grinned sweetheart, while in America, one you flash your privates, that life (or that market) is typically dead to you.

Elster88 May 02 2006 10:24 AM

[url=http://faithandfear.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2006/4/28/1917333.html]FAFIF gives updates on some former Mets who are playing in the minors.[/url]

Edgy DC May 02 2006 12:12 PM

Rico Brogna, ill fit.

Willets Point May 02 2006 12:19 PM

That brings it full-circle so we can end this thread.

Elster88 May 02 2006 12:21 PM

The Rico thread has been ended.

cooby May 02 2006 12:22 PM

And still Mackey Sasser has not been invited

Willets Point May 02 2006 12:31 PM

History of a good fit: Part 1 (EZBoard, watch for popups) Part 2 Part 3 (Rico gets no love in the title)

Edgy DC May 02 2006 12:44 PM

That was fun, but the fist one dies at the bottom of page four.

Willets Point May 02 2006 12:46 PM

There are some posts on pp. 5-6 as well. F'in EZBoard!

Yancy Street Gang May 03 2006 01:48 PM

Danny Heep

Edgy DC May 03 2006 02:08 PM

Say Hey.

TheOldMole May 03 2006 02:20 PM

Where the heck is the University of the Incarnate Word?

Willets Point May 03 2006 02:21 PM

San Antonio, Texas (scroll all the way to the bottom).

Yancy Street Gang May 03 2006 02:31 PM

I bet they teach Intelligent Design.

cooby May 03 2006 02:34 PM

bees?

Edgy DC May 03 2006 02:51 PM

As a Catholic liberal arts school, I'm guessing that's not their issue.

Edgy DC May 04 2006 04:15 PM

Jim Linedman. He did alright with us. I wonder why his career halted there. Did he end up in Japan or burn out on a AAA roster?

GYC May 04 2006 04:30 PM

Former Met Jose Offerman has signed with... the Mets.

Elster88 May 04 2006 05:07 PM

Anderson Hernandez = AAA?

MFS62 May 04 2006 06:29 PM

Elster88 wrote: Anderson Hernandez = AAA? I hope they're not considering him for Valentin's reserve inf/of position. Offerman was one of the players who made the expression "gloves that go 'clank' in the night" famous. Later

Edgy DC May 04 2006 08:16 PM

They're condidering him as a better emergency fill-in than what they have. Valentin has played all of 23 innings himself.

Willets Point May 10 2006 10:54 PM

Bump for metirish.

metirish May 10 2006 10:56 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 11 2006 09:20 AM

Thanks Willets, Kazmir tonight went seven innings with nine SO's.....he is an ace.

Edgy DC May 11 2006 09:00 AM

Mel Stottlemyre, Sports Legend. If you want to be a big fish in a small pond, move to Yakima. They seem like they have a paucity of sports legends.

soupcan May 11 2006 09:29 AM

metirish wrote: Thanks Willets, Kazmir tonight went seven innings with nine SO's.....he is an ace. Doesn't it seem like Kazmir pitches every two days? I just don't want to hear about this guy anymore.

Willets Point May 11 2006 09:35 AM

Well he's an ace. If the Mets kept him the rotation would be Pedro, Kazmir, Glavine, Traschel, Kazmir. Kazmir is also available from the pen in-between starts.

Edgy DC May 11 2006 03:33 PM

Sid Fernandez, Hall-of-Famer.

Edgy DC May 12 2006 10:53 AM

Kevin Appier, out of shape but still bringing it.

Edgy DC May 12 2006 01:47 PM

Ty on Ty.

metirish May 13 2006 04:52 PM

The MFY's have purchased the contract of Scott Erickson, he'll replace Tanyon Sturtze for now YES is reporting.

DocTee May 13 2006 06:59 PM

Mike Piazza with a ninth-inning 3 run homer as the surging Padres rallied to beat the fast-sinking Cubs today.

cooby May 13 2006 07:20 PM

Piazza must have been waiting for me to drop him from my fantasy team to heat up

Edgy DC May 13 2006 10:57 PM

Had four hits the day before.

cooby May 13 2006 10:59 PM

I noticed that. I picked up the Phillies hot new phenom pitcher the other night, that should make him immediately suck. I did that for the Mets, I'm such a gamer

Nymr83 May 14 2006 12:54 AM

"SB: G Maddux (1, 2nd base off C Young/M Piazza)" wow.

metirish May 14 2006 10:38 PM

From Heyman today.... ] Edgardo Alfonzo has requested a trade from Anaheim after accepting the deal there under the belief he'd be in the third-base mix. "It hasn't really worked out the way we hoped," agent Peter Greenberg said. "We think the Mets would be the perfect spot." We'd love to see Alfonzo back at Shea. But although there was talk of a Kaz Matsui-for-Alfonzo swap, Alfonzo's trade value has diminished as he's struggled adjusting to a limited role.

Nymr83 May 14 2006 10:59 PM

can fonzie still play 2B? (and would the fans even care if he couldn't?)

metirish May 14 2006 11:04 PM

If he can or not I would like to see him back in a Met uniform.....

MFS62 May 15 2006 07:03 AM

Yosmerio Petit pitched a scoreless inning (his major league debut?) yesterday, giving up one hit and fanning two. Later

Rotblatt May 15 2006 05:03 PM

The Yankees unveiled their newest, deadliest weapon from AAA against the A's yesterday: Scott Erickson. Genius! Here's what [url=http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=5080]BP[/url] has to say about him: ]May 15, 2006 Prospectus Today He's Baaaaaaack by Joe Sheehan So yesterday afternoon, instead of my usual routine of flipping through a number of ballgames, I had settled on the Yankees/A’s tilt. I liked the pitching matchup, with one of my favorite young pitchers, Dan Haren, going up against someone who’s been on everyone’s mind lately in Randy Johnson. I was watching the game while packing for a short trip, walking in and out of the living room while catching snippets of Haren’s excellent command and what was, for Johnson, a pretty good day after the first inning. Sometime between socks and sport coats, I wandered into a nightmare. I actually thought that the Yankees had scraped the bottom of the barrel two years ago with Tanyon Sturtze, only to find that they could dig even deeper by calling upon Aaron Small. That both pickups worked out reasonably well didn’t make the memory of seeing them on staff any less jarring. But at about 12:15 PDT yesterday, I saw something that made me realize there may be no end to the abyss. Scott Erickson was on the mound. I hadn’t realized that Scott Erickson was still being paid money to pitch. Then again, I said much the same thing a year ago when he landed in the Dodgers’ Opening Day rotation, and the year before that when he showed up on both the Mets’ and Rangers’ staffs. In fact, Erickson is approaching records for continued employment in the face of extreme incompetence. Since 1999, when Erickson closed out his fourth consecutive 200-inning season for the Orioles and was worth five wins according to Clay Davenport’s system, the right-hander has missed two complete seasons to injury, and those two are his best work in that span. When available to pitch, he’s posted a 6.35 ERA across 335 2/3 innings. His low seasonal ERA is 5.55. In the four seasons in which he’s pitched, he’s struck out 139 men and walked 161, with Stuff scores ranging from a high of -11 to a low of -33. Erickson’s most recent performances are his worst. In 2004, he got hammered in brief stints with the Mets and Rangers--who actually traded for the guy at the deadline--to the tune of six starts, 27 innings, 38 hits, 20 walks and nine strikeouts, for an ERA of 6.67. Last year, a flood of injuries landed him in the Dodgers’ rotation, an experiment that lasted eight starts. Before being sent to Las Vegas in August, he ran up a 6.02 ERA with a ridiculous 15/25 K/BB in 55 1/3 innings. Now, I’m sympathetic to the idea that one bad year doesn’t mean you’re done. (I’d have a different job now if that were the case.) I’m even on board with the notion that there are things scouts can tell us about players that the numbers don’t. But what kind of complete and utter ignorance of a track record is necessary to look at a 6.67 ERA and 24/45 K/BB over 82 1/3 innings the last two years and say, “nah, let’s see what’s he’s got.” It’s not like he’s even pitched well in the minors the past few years. His Triple-A line in 2004 and 2005 was 17 starts with an ERA of 6.12 and a K/BB of 67/42. That’s at Triple-A. The minor leagues. The next-best thousand guys. Erickson couldn’t even get them out with any consistency. For Columbus this year, Erickson had a 4.24 ERA in a dozen relief appearances, with 11 walks and 11 strikeouts in 17 innings. He’s now pitching for a contending team with a $200-odd million payroll. What do you think it’s like for a guy like Heath Bell, who has pitched well in Triple-A for a while now, and intermittently well at the major-league level, to get sent down whenever he has consecutive bad appearances while watching Scott Erickson making three hundred grand again on nothing but wishes? Erickson isn’t one of the 340 best pitchers in the world right now; I could make a strong case that he’s not a legitimate Triple-A pitcher, either. But he’s got a job. Erickson was actually effective yesterday, retiring five of the seven batters he faced and walking the other two. On the other hand, he threw just 17 strikes in 32 pitches. A’s batters swung at 15 of his offerings and missed just one. There was nothing in the outing to indicate that he’s much different from the guy who couldn’t keep a job in 2005 or 2004. He’s 38 years old and hasn’t been valuable to a baseball team since he was 31; I don’t expect that to change over the next few weeks. I should make it clear that I have no problem with Erickson trying to continue his career. Jobs playing baseball are among the best in the world, and I know that if I had the ability to hold one--or if I could somehow convince people I did--I’d keep a death grip on it until the entire industry turned its back on me. Erickson, Rickey Henderson, Julio Franco…I think they should play as long as someone will give them a uniform. I don’t think it’s up to someone else to tell a person they shouldn’t do what they love. No, the criticism here is for the Yankee front office, which put itself into a situation where taking a look at Scott Erickson was a viable option. This organization has been completely unable to generate the kind of low-cost, high-value arms that you see populating bullpens in places like Anaheim, Minnesota, or St. Louis. That they turned to Erickson while once again ignoring Colter Bean (0.77 ERA, 30 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings) highlights an organizational blind spot, both in development and in choosing guys for major-league roles. Because of this, the Yankees now have a bullpen that belies their status as one of the game’s premier franchises. Mariano Rivera fits, and Kyle Farnsworth is a legitimate late-inning reliever. But there’s Small, and Erickson, and an awful lot of hope that a 29-year-old with a career ERA of 4.69, Scott Proctor, is for real, and Ron Villone, who hasn’t had an ERA below 4.00 since 1997. The corner outfield spots are getting all the attention, but the Yankees are just as vulnerable in the sixth and seventh innings as they’ve been the last few years, only now they are much less likely to win the 8-7 and 9-8 games at the plate. Put in all together, and it’s a dangerous time in the Bronx.

Frayed Knot May 15 2006 05:06 PM

"That they turned to Erickson while once again ignoring Colter Bean (0.77 ERA, 30 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings) highlights an organizational blind spot, both in development and in choosing guys for major-league roles" But ... they're so smart!

Bret Sabermetric May 15 2006 05:12 PM

Why do you say so? I'm surprised you feel that way.

Willets Point May 15 2006 05:13 PM

Could be Exhibit B for "The Yankees do some of the same dumb things the Mets do."

Bret Sabermetric May 15 2006 05:31 PM

I haven't seen Exhibit A for that argument yet, but that's bound to exhaust several alphabets.

Willets Point May 15 2006 05:58 PM

Oh sorry, I guess exhibit lettering starts over from the beginning when it's an opposing argument.

DocTee May 15 2006 06:24 PM

]Since 1999, when Erickson closed out his fourth consecutive 200-inning season for the Orioles and was worth five wins according to Clay Davenport’s system, the right-hander has missed two complete seasons to injury, and those two are his best work in that span. Classic line.

Edgy DC May 16 2006 01:53 PM

Todd Self has signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees.

Edgy DC May 19 2006 11:55 AM

The Oriloles are announcing today that they've signed Melvin Mora to a three-year extension at $24 million, with an option for a fourth year with a $1 million buyout. That's a guaranteed $25 million --- or a $5 million trust for each quint.

MFS62 May 19 2006 12:08 PM

Danny Graves has been sent to Buffalo (by the Reds?). Later

metirish May 19 2006 12:10 PM

Last I saw of him he was pitching for the Indians.

MFS62 May 19 2006 12:49 PM

That's it, the Indians. I saw it this morning and forgot to note what team he was with. I must have been confused by the red unis. Later

ScarletKnight41 May 19 2006 06:55 PM

Rico Brogna was on the SNY pre-game show this evening, and he'll be on the post-game show. He seems like a good fit.

Rockin' Doc May 19 2006 06:58 PM

Tom Seaver gave a brief interview to Mike and Mike In the Morning on ESPN radio this morning. I was a little surprised by his answer when asked what active pitchers he really enjoyed watching work. "Jason Schmidt. I really like watching him pitch. I like to watch guys that are aggressive. I like to see guys work both sides of the plate and pitch inside. I really like to watch Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. He's not pitching right now, but I always liked to watch Roger Clemens"* It appears that most of the pitchers Seaver cited this morning do not exemplify the attributes of pitching inside and being aggressive. Roger Clemens has definitely been willing to do so throughout his career. I guess Jason Schmidt may fit that role as well, but Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine? Wouldn't Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, and Curt Schilling better exemplify aggressive pitchers that are willing to pitch inside. *Going from memory so this is not an exact quote, but pretty close.

Rotblatt May 19 2006 11:35 PM

Piazza with his 5th home run tonight. He's now batting .263 AVG / .348 OBP / .475 SLG / .823 OPS in 99 AB. Not bad for an old guy!

Gwreck May 20 2006 03:08 PM

Fonzie was released by the LA Angels.

Gwreck May 21 2006 07:49 PM

Alex Escobar, playing centerfield for the Nationals.

MFS62 May 22 2006 11:35 AM

Justin Huber was sent down to AAA by KC. If he can't stick with that squad, how good can he really be? EDIT: And the Yanks have just brought up ex-Met prospect Terrence Long. Later

Rotblatt May 22 2006 12:25 PM

="MFS62"]Justin Huber was sent down to AAA by KC. If he can't stick with that squad, how good can he really be? I think the real question is, if Kansas City can't find more than 10 at bats over 3 weeks for a first baseman lighting up AAA to the tune of .935 OPS while their regular firstbaseman sits at a .683 OPS, just how inept are they? I mean, seriously, Mientkiewicz has been god-awful for them, and they have Huber just tearing it up at AAA. 10 at bats over three weeks is a fucking joke. They deserve to be in last place, and probably to break the Mets' 1962 record.

Rockin' Doc May 22 2006 01:13 PM

Rotblatt - "I mean, seriously, Mientkiewicz has been god-awful for them..." Mientkiewicz's suckitude isn't very surprising after what we witnessed last year. It is hard to imagine that there were some last year that argued that his defense made up of the difference between the hitting of he and Delgado. That entire discussion looks even more ridiculous now that we have gotten to see each of them first hand in Mets uniforms. There is no comparison between the two. The biggest advantage Mientkiewicz had over Delgado was that he was dramatically cheaper. I'm glad that Delgado is now with the Mets and Mientkiewicz is with the floundering Royals.

duan May 22 2006 01:25 PM

Rockin' Doc wrote: Tom Seaver gave a brief interview to Mike and Mike In the Morning on ESPN radio this morning. I was a little surprised by his answer when asked what active pitchers he really enjoyed watching work. "Jason Schmidt. I really like watching him pitch. I like to watch guys that are aggressive. I like to see guys work both sides of the plate and pitch inside. I really like to watch Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. He's not pitching right now, but I always liked to watch Roger Clemens"* It appears that most of the pitchers Seaver cited this morning do not exemplify the attributes of pitching inside and being aggressive. Roger Clemens has definitely been willing to do so throughout his career. I guess Jason Schmidt may fit that role as well, but Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine? Wouldn't Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, and Curt Schilling better exemplify aggressive pitchers that are willing to pitch inside. *Going from memory so this is not an exact quote, but pretty close. I could be wrong, but was there not a whole Leo Mazzone thing about "First Pitch Strike" which might explain the Maddux & Glavine 'agressive' thing; especially when you combine it with 'working both sides of the plate' which they definitely do. He may mean being agressive in chasing the out, rather then in pursuing the hitters head.

SteveJRogers May 22 2006 04:49 PM

Terrance Long tonight will join the All-Time Played for both the Mets and Yankees list

Edgy DC May 22 2006 05:13 PM

To be fair, just because we tracked Mienkiewicz vs. Delgado, it doesn't mean anybody seriously thought Doug had much of a chance of winning outside of an injury to Delgado. I just thought it would be interesting to see how much of Delgado he could replace for the money. Not much, as it turns out. Now the game is, if anybody wants to track it, if and when Ian Bladergroen eventually accomplishes more for the Sox than the modest output between injuries that Mientkiewicz had for the Mets.

Rockin' Doc May 22 2006 11:42 PM

Duan - "I could be wrong, but was there not a whole Leo Mazzone thing about "First Pitch Strike" which might explain the Maddux & Glavine 'agressive' thing; especially when you combine it with 'working both sides of the plate' which they definitely do. He may mean being agressive in chasing the out, rather then in pursuing the hitters head." First let me clarify that I don't think Seaver was equating aggressiveness with a willingness to plunk batters. I'm sorry if my initial post inferred that in any way. Your point regarding first pitch strikes and getting ahead of hitters is a good one. Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz have exhibited that priciple throughout their careers. Maddux has throughout his career pitched to both corners of he plate. However, Glavine essentially made a career in Atlanta out of throwing fastballs and change ups down and away. He threw pitches further and further off the plate if the umpires would give him the call. He seldom threw inside for strikes. His style was to pitch away, further away, and even further still away. The arrival of the Questec system really hurt Glavine (IMO) and he had to make adjustments to actually pitching in the strike zone. To his credit, he has adapted and now does throw inside and features his breaking ball far more prominantly than he did prior to 2004. Glavaine has had a great career and I sure as hell hope he makes it to 300 career wins, but he is not the first pitcher that springs to my mind when discussing aggressive pitchers. I still think of power pitchers that come in and challenge hitters as aggressive. Of course, Seaver has forgotten more about pitching in the past week or so than I have ever known, so I guess I shouldn't question his choices when citing aggressive pitchers. I just thought it peculiar the contrast of who he perceived as such and who I as a fan saw in that light.

seawolf17 May 24 2006 03:30 PM

Two interesting bits from Sports Weekly: ** Diamondbacks 1B Tony Clark has a clause in his contract that helps pay tribute to firefighters and police officers in Arizona. It allows firemen and cops to receive a complimentary ticket for each ticket they purchase. ** Brad Lidge, Astros: His demotion [from the closer role] didn't last long, especially after an injury to 2B Chris Burke led the Astros to bring veteran Joe McEwing up from Triple-A. The significance? McEwing showed Lidge how he was tipping his pitches, something the Astros suspected based on opposing hitters' reactions but had not been able to pinpoint. Lidge pitched three perfect innings before going back to his old role and saving the May 19 game against Texas.

Willets Point May 24 2006 03:31 PM

That's why they call him Super Joe.

Edgy DC May 24 2006 03:41 PM

How 'bout McEwing sitting on that information until he got a callup?

soupcan May 24 2006 04:00 PM

Edgy DC wrote: How 'bout McEwing sitting on that information until he got a callup? Yeah, right? Wassup wit dat?

Nymr83 May 24 2006 04:05 PM

obviously mcewing, unlike peterson, actually CAN fix pitchers in ten minutes.

DocTee May 25 2006 10:40 PM

]obviously mcewing, unlike peterson, actually CAN fix pitchers in ten minutes. Too funny. Jays sign Fonzie to miinor-league deal.

SI Metman May 26 2006 01:48 AM

Former Binghamton Met Bob Keppel gets the call with KC to pitch relief in the Bronx this weekend. Keppel threw a no-no for the B-Mets back in '04.

metirish May 26 2006 11:24 AM

Edgardo Alfonzo has signed with Toronto.

MFS62 May 26 2006 11:46 AM

Ex-Met Ty Walker has become an effective closer for Tampa Bay. http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player.jsp?player_id=400104 Later

MFS62 May 30 2006 02:55 PM

Fonzie's contract was purchased by the Blue Jays from their minor league team. He's back in the bigs. Later

metirish May 31 2006 10:56 AM

Not had enough of Kazmir yet? [url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/31/sports/baseball/31kazmir.html?_r=1&oref=slogin]The trade that will never be forgotten[/url]

Edgy DC May 31 2006 11:04 AM

We should have two threads maybe --- one for retired exies and one for active ones. For what it's worth, that's as much aknowledgement from a Wilpon as I've heard about the trade being a mistake.

metirish May 31 2006 11:05 AM

Yeah that jumped out at me too,and Duke is as honest as ever.

Edgy DC May 31 2006 11:15 AM

Of course, it's safer to acknowledge it as a mistake now that he needn't fear that such an acknowledgment would be counterproductive in perhaps undercutting Zambrano. The allegedly emotionally fragile Zambrano.

sharpie May 31 2006 11:17 AM

Doc Gooden not having a good time in jail. http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-gooden-jail&prov=ap&type=lgns

Yancy Street Gang May 31 2006 11:22 AM

For posterity's sake: ]"People always like to say, 'What if?' " said Jeff Wilpon, the Mets' senior executive vice president. "But the positive that's come out of this is what we learned from our mistake. We have moved on." ]"We had too many cooks in the kitchen," said Jim Duquette, then the Mets' general manager, now the vice president for baseball operations of the Baltimore Orioles. "In that situation, if someone disagrees, he might not speak up. The loudest voices are the ones that get heard. It does become sort of like a mob mentality." ]The Mets were six games out of a playoff spot on July 30, 2004, neither a contender nor an also-ran. Considering all the injuries they had overcome, they were giddy to be shopping one day before the trading deadline. At 5:15 p.m., Duquette called Chuck LaMar, then the Devil Rays' general manager, and said, "Do we have a deal?" Although many fans still direct their anger at the Mets, the Mets direct their anger at the Devil Rays. The Mets knew at the time of the trade that Zambrano had tendinitis in his right elbow, but they understood he was being treated with a basic anti-inflammatory. When Zambrano joined the Mets in Atlanta on July 31, they learned that he had been taking more severe medication. The first red flag was raised. "It's clear when Zambrano arrived, his elbow was hurting a lot more than what the doctors in Tampa told us," Duquette said. "It was obvious that they had not given us all the information." Duquette said he asked the commissioner's office if there were grounds to file a grievance against the Devil Rays. Wilpon said he asked the commissioner's office if the Mets had any recourse. They were told that the problem had to be resolved between the teams. The Mets could blame the Devil Rays for not supplying more comprehensive medical reports, but then they would also have to blame their own doctors for accepting limited reports. "Everything was revealed at the time," LaMar said. "There was nothing to the injury factor with us or that anything was withheld. The Mets know that." ]If Kazmir were with the Mets, he would probably have been promoted to the big leagues by now, right into a race. Of course, that assumes the Mets would be in the race without the lessons of the trade. It assumes they still would have outbid the competition for Martínez and Beltrán, and outmaneuvered the competition for Carlos Delgado and Paul Lo Duca. "The Mets have completely changed their process," Duquette said. "It's much more efficient now." Minaya makes decisions with his two lieutenants and Wilpon signs off on the financial terms. So far, the group's only mistake was trading starter Kris Benson to Baltimore for reliever Jorge Julio, although the Mets seemed most intent on getting rid of Benson's controversial wife, Anna. Benson was the other starter acquired by the Mets on July 30, 2004, in a much more favorable deal. The franchise may never fully recover from that date. It has become part of Mets' lore, right along with 1986 and 1969. When Kazmir is asked about New York's preoccupation with him, he tries not to touch it. "It's something I would like to stay away from," he said. "I really don't want to get caught up in it." On that point — and only that point — the Mets and their former phenom remain united.

Elster88 Jun 01 2006 11:06 AM

Tyler Yates was called up by the Braves a couple of days ago. On May 30th, he gave up 3 earned runs on 4 hits and 2 walks in an inning and a third.

Edgy DC Jun 02 2006 10:15 PM

Holy crap! Mauro Gozzo!

metirish Jun 03 2006 09:38 PM

Jae Seo has been moved from the starting rotation to the bullpen, Odalis Perez will take his spot in the rotation. http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060603&content_id=1485917&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Edgy DC Jun 05 2006 01:17 PM

Craig Brazell, flying on the charter. Prentice Redman, Senator, payin' back the Mets.

Johnny Dickshot Jun 05 2006 02:20 PM

Tommy John pays a visit to Shawn Estes And Kevin is lot less Appier these days...

Edgy DC Jun 05 2006 02:29 PM

We had a real Brigadoon roation in 2002, didn't we? Leiter and Trachsel are long-timers, but D'Amico, Estes, and Astacio showed up, landed good nicknames, pitched 30 games, and were gone.

Edgy DC Jun 05 2006 02:47 PM

Which is something of a non-seq. I bring it up because Ape led the team in starts in 2001, then disappeared, so...

GYC Jun 07 2006 08:51 PM

Davey Johnson signs as a consultant to the Nationals. http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060607&content_id=1493895&vkey=news_was&fext=.jsp&c_id=was ]Bowden reunited with Johnson GM, manager helped win two division titles in Cincinnati By Bill Ladson / MLB.com WASHINGTON -- Davey Johnson, best known for managing the Mets to a World Series title in 1986, was hired by the Nationals as a consultant to general manager Jim Bowden on Wednesday. Bowden and Johnson will work together for the first time since the 1995 season, when both were with the Reds. Bowden was the GM and Johnson managed the club at the time. Together, they won two division titles in 1994 and '95. Johnson posted 1,148 wins as a big-league manager from 1984-2000, a total that ranks 38th all-time. He notched an overall .564 winning percentage (1,148-888) as a manager with the Mets, Reds, Orioles and Dodgers. Johnson most recently served as the bench coach for Team USA at the inaugural World Baseball Classic in March. Last November, he managed Team USA to a perfect 5-0 record in the CONCEBE North American Regional Olympic Qualifying Tournament to advance to this August's COPABE Olympic America's Tournament in Havana, Cuba. Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Elster88 Jun 08 2006 09:12 AM

Wigginton returning to career norms. 2006: .269 AVG, .303 OBP, .493 SLG, .796 OPS Career: .263 AVG, .321 OBP, .438 SLG, .759 OPS Shocking.

MFS62 Jun 08 2006 10:06 AM

Bob Keppel had another good start for KC last night.: IP H R ER BB K HR Season ERA B. Keppel 8.0 7 1 1 2 2 0 2.11 He's emerging as the ace of the KC staff. (insert joke here) Later

Frayed Knot Jun 08 2006 10:13 AM

Except that he didn't get the win. * Carries a shutout for 8 innings * allows the first batter in the 9th to reach * leaves with a 2-0 lead * yadda, yadda, yadda ... Royals lose 4-2

Johnny Dickshot Jun 08 2006 11:33 AM

He floats through the air with the greatest of ease That daring young man on the flying trapeze In Gunze underwear and big wristbands like these Mr. Sparkle was the coolest of the Met Japanese

ScarletKnight41 Jun 08 2006 11:37 AM

Mr. Sparkle never fails to amuse me.

metirish Jun 08 2006 11:39 AM

That is just so funny, what will he do for his next act?...

Elster88 Jun 08 2006 11:43 AM

If a Met did something like that Willie would have a stroke.

Johnny Dickshot Jun 08 2006 04:52 PM

Kelvin Chapman's Kid drafted by the Reds in the 44th round. Here's an interesting article about him: ]The boy who wasn't there By TONY ADAME Ukiah Daily Journal Dear Reader, In August, Cindy Chapman drove to her sister Caroline's house in Truckee. Along for the ride with her were her husband, Kelvin, oldest son Jason, a soon to be high school senior, and youngest son Brett, then 12 years old. A thousand tears and a little boy's heartbreak later, three of them came back. Jason stayed behind. "Brett was absolutely not going to come home when we dropped Jason off," Cindy said. "It wasn't until he saw me crying that he changed his mind. People always ask me how I could let one of my children go away. I always tell them it was no harder than having him stay here and see what he would go through, the frustration. That's the truth of it." The truth of it now is this: Jason, an all-North Bay League outfielder and standout basketball player for Ukiah High School as a junior, didn't go to Truckee High School and have a very good year. Jason went to Truckee, which competes in Nevada prep sports, and had a Blow-the-doors-out, Call your crying mother and tell her how good you did, Outstanding, Believe the hype, College coaches want to know your name, Girls follow you home type of year in both sports. "The first time I saw him play was in a pick-up game in August," Truckee head basketball coach Keith Crawford said in a phone interview Monday. "I watched him play once and told the first person I saw I'd got a Christmas gift in the month of August. He's a hell of a player. The only thing I was upset about was I didn't get him for two years." After tearing up the Truckee hardwood to the tune of 22.3 points per game this season and being named second team all-state, Jason went on to have a monster season on the baseball diamond. Jason played shortstop for the Wolverines and, batting leadoff, he hit .595 in league with a 1.276 slugging percentage. He had 20 RBIs, eight home runs, three triples, and four doubles in 47 at-bats. Jason also led the team with 31 runs and 19 stolen bases as Truckee set a new greater Nevada record with 141 stolen bases in 31 games. He led Truckee in all categories except for doubles. Chapman also set the Greater Nevada record by hitting successfully in all 31 of Truckee's games this year, breaking a six-year old state record. Statistics from Truckee's playoff games weren't available at press time. Now, with scouts from colleges and pro baseball knocking at his door, it begs just one question. Why did he leave Ukiah? *** It's safe to say Jason Chapman was living in a fish bowl from the moment he picked up a baseball bat. It's what happens when you're the son of an ex-major leaguer and probably the greatest athlete to ever walk the halls at Ukiah High School, where you're destined to end up. Expectations for Jason, suffice it to say, ran pretty high. And when it became obvious that Jason was a special athlete, those expectations got even higher. From the start, though, there appeared to be conflicts. Chapman is, by one coach's description, an "intense," athlete, as are a lot of elite prep athletes. Whether or not that played into the problem should be inconsequential. He's a teenager dealing with adults. Some felt that his father, Kelvin, a Ukiah native who played in the New York Mets organization for nine years, took too big a role. Some felt that Jason himself had a bad attitude. There was an incident where Jason got sent down from the varsity baseball team his sophomore year. There was an incident where he was benched on the varsity basketball team his junior year. Either way, things were said between coaches and family, coaches and player, and feelings got hurt. One Ukiah assistant coach went so far as to criticize Jason on an internet blog, which Cindy found out about and promptly had taken down after turning it into the district office. By the time his junior year ended, it was obvious to the Chapman family that a change needed to be made. Problem is, for somebody that goes to school in Ukiah, there aren't a lot of options. There was Deep Valley Christian, but they cut their athletic program. The Chapmans also considered Cardinal Newman and Montgomery, but Kelvin didn't want Jason to have to face his old teammates, kids he'd grown up playing with. "Philosophically, we needed to move on. We felt after his junior year he wasn't getting what he needed out of it," Kelvin said. "If you don't like or agree with the coaches at Ukiah you don't have a lot of options, so we decided on this." August 1, Cindy called Ukiah High School to let them know Jason wouldn't be returning. It was the family's last contact with the high school. "It seemed like they never embraced Jason here," Cindy said. "And I think maybe he got caught up in a lot of politics, which wasn't fair to him. We wanted to give him a chance to be just Jason, which he's always been to us, and not Kelvin's son', which meant taking him out of the fishbowl." In Truckee, Jason had a built-in support system in Caroline and her husband Bruce, a contractor Jason spent the previous summer working with and got along with great. There were also cousins to lean on for family. Cindy has got to see him play quite a bit more than Kelvin because of Kelvin's coaching responsibilities at Mendocino College, but it was a decision neither parent regrets. And, with both the boys basketball team and baseball team at Ukiah finishing in the middle of the North Bay League in both sports this season, Wildcats fans can only wonder: what if? *** Now, there's no telling what might happen to the boy who left Ukiah for Truckee. Kelvin has been contacted by both the Cincinnati Reds and the California Angels, although if either team drafted Jason he would most likely head to a junior college before or if he headed to the minors. It's a "draft and watch" process major league teams sometimes use on late-round draft picks. Santa Rosa Junior College (Kelvin's old school), Sacramento City and Consumnes River are all in the running for Jason's lethal bat and blazing 3.7 speed to first base, but nothing is certain yet. "The numbers are stuff you can't ignore," Kelvin said. "He's got legitimate baserunner speed for Major League Baseball. "He's had a great year in Truckee. He's made some great friends, lifelong friends. We're really proud of him." And, someday, Kelvin might just be known as Jason's dad.

ScarletKnight41 Jun 08 2006 04:54 PM

I think by all rights I need to adopt this prospect, even if he isn't in our organization.

Edgy DC Jun 08 2006 05:07 PM

He may not be in professional baseball just yet.

ScarletKnight41 Jun 08 2006 08:01 PM

I'll adopt him on spec.

cooby Jun 09 2006 09:47 PM

Melvin Mora in USA Weekend

DocTee Jun 11 2006 11:00 PM

Colorado reliever Mike DeJean having season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder-- out 6-8 months.

Edgy DC Jun 11 2006 11:19 PM

I bow before Melvin.

SI Metman Jun 11 2006 11:57 PM

Kris Benson is scheduled to start Saturday night at Shea against Pedro.

Edgy DC Jun 12 2006 10:44 AM

Ross Jones, Hall-of-Famer.

seawolf17 Jun 12 2006 08:06 PM

Edgardo Alfonzo barely makes it onto the next page f this thread before being relesed [url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2481146]again[/url].

Edgy DC Jun 14 2006 03:41 PM

Richie Hebner, hockey man.

Yancy Street Gang Jun 14 2006 03:53 PM

I can't find it online, but the print edition of today's Daily News quoted a Mets official as saying that the Mets would consider signing Fonzie to play for Norfolk.

metirish Jun 14 2006 04:00 PM

Looking at his numbers the decline of Fonzie is kinda sad, makes me wonder if he was on steroids. http://www.baseball-reference.com/a/alfoned01.shtml

Nymr83 Jun 14 2006 04:04 PM

i think he had a serious back injury and was never the same his most similiar batter on baseball reference is none other than Carlos Baerga, who also suffered a huge and sudden decline in his late 20's.

A Boy Named Seo Jun 14 2006 08:09 PM

I couple of Mike Cameron tidbits... Last night in San Diego he was calling off Brian Giles who either didn't hear him or was himself trying to call Cameron off. They both continued charging towards the ball and it looked dicey again for a minute before Giles finally pulled off, falling backwards and Cameron peeled towards the outfield wall, avoiding contact and still making the basket catch. 1) Glad no one was hurt and 2) he's still sweet to watch. The other thing was he hit the crap out of the ball and missed the cycle by just the single. Here was a thing I read on Yahoo! today: ]"Jun 14 The Associated Press' Bernie Wilson reports San Diego Padres OF Mike Cameron needed just a single to complete the cycle Tuesday, June 13, and saw a 3-0 pitch that looked good, but he opted to respect the game. "You can't swing 3-0 when you're up by eight runs or whatever. It's a good way to get yourself hurt the next day," Cameron said."

Rockin' Doc Jun 14 2006 08:37 PM

Nady has been far better than most here, including myself, expected at the time the trade was made. Still, I miss Cameron. I enjoyed watching him play and wish him only the best in San Diego.

ScarletKnight41 Jun 14 2006 09:05 PM

OMG - I'm channel flipping during the rain delay, and on the Phillies station I'm watching Fran Healey interviewing Dontrelle Willis. cooby - a Fran sighting!

A Boy Named Seo Jun 14 2006 09:11 PM

Even Fonzie's UMDB link has seen better days. When things are bad, they're bad. Edit: The Fonzie link was bad but now it's, bah, nevermind.

Zvon Jun 14 2006 09:18 PM

ScarletKnight41 wrote: OMG - I'm channel flipping during the rain delay, and on the Phillies station I'm watching Fran Healey interviewing Dontrelle Willis. cooby - a Fran sighting! I saw that interview last week---Willis is such a refreshing kid. Great interview and great tales Dontrelle told. He's gettin ruffed around tonight by the Braves - and I never would have predicted such a sorry start for him this year. worrysome to me,as he's a fantasy pitcher of mine in two leagues. I have faith in that kid tho.

A Boy Named Seo Jun 14 2006 10:40 PM

David Weathers recently felt numbness in his arm and missed a week to what ended up being tendinitis. His old closer job now belongs to Todd Coffey, who apparently also refers to Weathers as [url=http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=BBN-REDS-06-01-06]"Stormy"[/url]. ]"If that's the way they feel, that's fine by me," said Coffey. "If Stormy comes in or (Kent) Mercker comes in, that's fine by me, too. Either one of those guys would be good in that situation."

Willets Point Jun 15 2006 07:31 PM

Mike Jacobs - who is not Jewish - was honored by the Florida Marlins for Jewish Heritage Day. Or was he?

The Big O Jun 15 2006 08:34 PM

AP wrote: BC-BBN--Padres-Magadan Fired,0198 Padres fire Magadan as hitting coach, hire Rettenmund SAN DIEGO (AP) — Dave Magadan was fired as the San Diego Padres' hitting coach on Thursday and replaced by Merv Rettenmund, who held the job from 1991-99. Rettenmund, who had been a roving hitting instructor with the Toronto Blue Jays, will join the Padres on Friday for the start of a three-game series at the Los Angeles Angels. The Padres went into Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Dodgers with a .253 team batting average, worst in the NL and the third-worst in the majors. Their 54 homers are the fewest in the majors. Magadan was hired as San Diego's hitting coach on Nov. 8, 2002. He retired as a player at the end of the 2001 season after spending parts of 16 seasons with the New York Mets, Florida Marlins, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics and Padres. Rettenmund has been in professional baseball for more than 40 years as a player and coach. He played for the Padres from 1976-77. During his tenure as hitting coach, he worked with a pair of NL batting champions: Tony Gwynn and Gary Sheffield.

Elster88 Jun 15 2006 10:16 PM

That's too bad. He signed for me back in the day.

Edgy DC Jun 15 2006 10:30 PM

One more fella available for the 1986 reunion day at Shea.

SteveJRogers Jun 18 2006 02:12 PM

[url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2489730]David Segui hooked Grimsley onto HGH![/url]

Edgy DC Jun 18 2006 02:31 PM

Careful with them misleading link titles. Eventually that link won't work and then where will we be?

Elster88 Jun 18 2006 03:07 PM

Or at least post some subject matter.

Elster88 Jun 18 2006 08:53 PM

[u:2c2743fb94]Posterity:[/u:2c2743fb94] David Segui, a 15-year major league baseball player who last was on an MLB roster in 2004, says he's one of the players whose names were redacted in the IRS affidavit that said Jason Grimsley received two kits of human growth hormone on April 19. In the affidavit, Grimsley told IRS investigators that a player "told him of a doctor in Florida that he was using at a wellness center to obtain human growth hormone ... the player told him, "If you are going to do this, you should do it right." Segui told ESPN's Jeremy Schaap in an interview Saturday that he is that player, but said he was under a doctor's prescription at the time. "It was almost word for word the conversation we had, except there's a couple of key words left out," Segui told Schaap. "You know, 'legal' was one of the major -- probably the most major omission in the affidavit ... I was, you know, deemed human growth hormone deficient through blood work ... the doctor put me on human growth hormone, monitored my levels, monitored blood level, blood work periodically, regularly. "... It was perfectly legal," Segui said. "You know, I was under doctor's prescription." Segui played for seven teams during his career. Baseball has banned HGH and toughened its testing for other steroids, but there is no reliable test for HGH. Segui showed ESPN a prescription for HGH from 2003, and said he continues to take HGH today. He said Grimsley came to him this past offseason, seeking advice about HGH, and how it might help him recover from Tommy John surgery. "I told him, I was speaking as a friend ... Do it under the doctor's supervision," Segui said. "And my exact words to him were, if you're going to do it, do it the right way." Segui said that eventually Grimsley got HGH from another source, not the doctor Segui suggested. Segui told ESPN he was using HGH while playing as late as 2004, when it was a prohibited substance -- though not tested for by baseball. He did not apply for a waiver because of his medical need. As for any player's chance of receiving an exemption for HGH, a baseball spokesman said "that would be difficult to imagine." In May, agents searched Grimsley's Arizona home following his admission he had used HGH, steroids and amphetamines. According to court documents, authorities tracked a package containing two "kits" of HGH -- about a season's worth -- that was delivered to Grimsley's house on April 19. He failed a baseball drug test in 2003, documents showed. Grimsley's attorney said federal agents asked Grimsley to wear a listening device to gather evidence against San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds. "It was a specific effort to target Bonds," Edward Novak told The Arizona Republic. "We were told that Jason's cooperation was necessary to their case." Following the revelation that Grimsley's home had been raided, he asked for and was released by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was later suspended for 50 games by Major League Baseball.

Edgy DC Jun 21 2006 08:38 AM

Bobby and Mo.

MFS62 Jun 21 2006 09:02 AM

Checking last night's Norfolk box score, I noticed that Jeff Keppinger, who has been on a hot streak that has brought his average up near .300, did not play. Does anyone know where that ex-Met has gone? Was he traded? Is he injured? Was he given a day off? Inquiring minds want to know. Later

metirish Jun 21 2006 09:17 AM

Strawberry among Yankee old-timers THE ASSOCIATED PRESS June 20, 2006, 9:30 PM EDT David Cone and Darryl Strawberry are among six former Yankees making their first appearance at the team's 60th annual Old-timers' Day on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. Dennis Rasmussen, Steve Kemp, Bobby Meacham and Ross Moschitto are also first-time returnees for the game. The theme is a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Don Larsen's perfect game in the World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Hall of Famers Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford and Reggie Jackson also are scheduled to appear before the Yankees host the Florida Marlins. Cone pitched for the Yankees from 1995-2000 and helped New York win four World Series titles. He threw a perfect game for New York against Montreal on July 18, 1999. Strawberry played for the Yankees from 1995-99, and played on three title-winning teams.

MFS62 Jun 21 2006 01:54 PM

Do they play an old timers' game any more, or just introduce the players? If so, should Cone and Strawberry play for the Yankees or the opponents? Later

metirish Jun 22 2006 06:40 PM

] Kazmir sharp as Rays send D-Backs below .500 Tampa Bay's 22-year-old left-hander took a two-hitter into the eighth inning and beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-1 Thursday, becoming the youngest pitcher to win nine games this early in the season since Tom Gordon and John Smoltz in 1989. Kazmir (9-4) won 10 games as a rookie last year and has emerged as the leader of a young pitching staff. "My goal was to come in here this season and work and continue to get better," Kazmir said. So far, so good. Only Detroit's Kenny Rogers and the New York Mets' Tom Glavine have more victories (10) among major league pitchers, and Kazmir's .568 career winning percentage (21-16) is the best in Devil Rays history for a pitcher with a minimum of 25 decisions. Kazmir limited the Diamondbacks to Conor Jackson's second-inning double and Chad Tracy's seventh-inning single before Johnny Estrada led off the eighth with his sixth homer of the season.

Nymr83 Jun 22 2006 07:40 PM

don't we have a special thread (or three) for beating up the Mets everytime Kazmir pitches?

metirish Jun 22 2006 07:59 PM

HAHAHA..yeah we had a few Kazmir threads but I didn't want to do the leg work and find one.

Edgy DC Jun 23 2006 12:30 PM

John Gibbons in the Globe and Mail: "They were my first team," Gibbons said. "They're a first-class operation, always have been. Everything doesn't always go right wherever you are. But everybody treated me well over there. They always play to win, they're not afraid to shell it out. They've got a good ball club." The article describes Gibby as the Mets' first-round draft choice from 1980. He was their third first-round pick from 1980.

SteveJRogers Jun 23 2006 12:36 PM

MFS62 wrote: Do they play an old timers' game any more, or just introduce the players? If so, should Cone and Strawberry play for the Yankees or the opponents? Later Everyone plays for the Yanks now, they used to invite non-Yanks, probably got too annoying hunting down ex-non Yanks if requests get turned down while there is a Yankee Alumni Association that does keep track of all Ex-Bombers And they do play a 3 inning "game"

SteveJRogers Jun 23 2006 12:37 PM

Nymr83 wrote: don't we have a special thread (or three) for beating up the Mets everytime Kazmir pitches? Wrong forum! You are talking about the MOFO

Nymr83 Jun 24 2006 03:38 PM

former Met Armando Benitez blew it last night against the A's, they just played the highligt on WFAN with the comment "You've heard this before."

Yancy Street Gang Jun 24 2006 03:44 PM

Phillies claim Rick White on waivers from Cincinnati.

Frayed Knot Jun 24 2006 05:02 PM

Nymr83 wrote: former Met Armando Benitez blew it last night against the A's, they just played the highligt on WFAN with the comment "You've heard this before." Which is exactly the sort of obnoxiousness that reinforces the idea that Benitez does this more often than the average closer. He does't actually, it's just that blown saves by other closers aren't singled out in highlite recaps with the same regularity.

Nymr83 Jun 24 2006 10:24 PM

"Izzy" just blew a 2-run lead to the Tigers, i'll bet the radio won't be harping on that one.

sharpie Jun 26 2006 11:24 AM

Kaz Matsui has a bulging disc and is on the minor league DL.

Edgy DC Jun 26 2006 11:33 AM

]Which is exactly the sort of obnoxiousness that reinforces the idea that Benitez does this more often than the average closer. Which is exactly the sort of obnoxiousness, and ignorance, that defines the beast of sports radio.

seawolf17 Jun 26 2006 11:34 AM

="sharpie"]Kaz Matsui has a bulging disc and is on the minor league DL.

soupcan Jun 26 2006 12:12 PM

sharpie wrote: Kaz Matsui has a bulging disc and is on the minor league DL. Wow. Talk about snakebit. This guy needs to get back to Japan. And fast.

Edgy DC Jun 26 2006 03:01 PM

Ray Burris, O-Tiger.

Edgy DC Jun 27 2006 05:19 PM

Garry Matthews, Jr. is fourth in the AL in batting average. Yeah, I know, Texas, but still.

MFS62 Jun 27 2006 06:21 PM

Jae Seo moving on again. This time to Tampa. http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060627&content_id=1525661&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb Later

Edgy DC Jun 29 2006 12:31 PM

George Foster, giving back.

seawolf17 Jun 30 2006 12:55 PM

Gary Carter, managing the US squad in the All-Star Futures Game.

MFS62 Jun 30 2006 01:02 PM

Jeff Keppinger has gone 6- for 9 in the recent two games for Norfolk against the Yankees' Columbus team. He is now hitting over .310. I read an item (Daily News early edition, no link) a few days ago that he has been working out in centerfield. The quote went on to say that this will "improve his value to the Mets". So, what do you think this means? Is he: * Going to be brought up to be the regular second baseman and hit in the #2 hole? * Trade bait? * Going to be brought up as a reserve? * Staying at AAA until lost in the minor league draft? * Something else? Later

Edgy DC Jun 30 2006 01:10 PM

* Going to be brought up to be the regular second baseman and hit in the #2 hole? No. * Trade bait? They're all trade bait. * Going to be brought up as a reserve? Probably. * Staying at AAA until lost in the minor league draft? He's on the major league roster. He'll remain there, with optons, until 2007. * Something else? When the Mets have roster room and could use someone with his skills, they'll call on him. I don't really think of him as an Ex-Met.

SI Metman Jul 01 2006 07:57 PM

Doing color-commentary for Hudson Valley Renegade cable telecasts - Dave Telgehder.

GYC Jul 02 2006 10:06 AM

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/story/431893p-363971c.html Former Met Rickey Henderson has been hired by the Mets to tutor Reyes in baserunning once again.

TheOldMole Jul 02 2006 10:57 AM

I'll be seeing the 'Gades play the Cyclones on the 4th of July. I'll be torn -- root for the home team, or the Mets' farm? The home team wins out, but I'll secretly be rooting for both sides.

SteveJRogers Jul 06 2006 02:07 PM

[url=http://www.nypost.com/sports/life_is_good_sports_kevin_kernan.htm]A stork is expected to vist the Piazzas[/url] ]Piazza, 37, believes he will play again in 2007 but is not certain because there are bigger and more blessed things going on in his life. His beautiful wife, Alicia, is expecting their first child after the New Year. "We'll see, there's going to have to be balance, it's a family decision," says Piazza, who is thrilled with the prospect of becoming a father. "It's going to be nice to share everything you've worked for," Piazza says. "That's what it's all about. You want to give your children a good life."

Edgy DC Jul 06 2006 03:38 PM

Good for Mike. Alex Ochoa, big in Japan. I've read some bad journalism today.

Edgy DC Jul 06 2006 03:50 PM

Bordick to have number retired Winterport native and former major league shortstop Mike Bordick will become the fourth member of the University of Maine's baseball program to have his number retired as part of a Maine Baseball Weekend to be held Sept. 15-16. He will join former Black Bear coaches John Winkin and the late Jack Butterfield along with All-American pitcher Billy Swift by having his No. 3 retired. Players on the 1976, '81 and '86 Black Bear College World Series teams will be honored as it will be the 30th, 25th and 20th anniversaries of those accomplishments. A golf tournament at the Bangor Municipal Golf Course will kick off the weekend beginning at 10 a.m. Friday. The tournament will be followed by a barbecue at 5 p.m. and there also will be a cocktail reception at the Muddy Rudder in Brewer beginning at 7. Bordick will have his number officially retired at 11:45 a.m. Saturday at the university's Mahaney Diamond and that will be followed by a game between the Maine alumni and the current team. There will be a cookout after the game. For Bordick, having his number retired caps a terrific year in which he was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame and received his degree from the university at age 40. Bordick retired after a 1,720-game major league career in 2003. He played for Oakland, Baltimore, the New York Mets and Toronto. He retired with the second-best fielding percentage among shortstops with at least 1,000 games (.982). He still owns the single-season record among shortstops for highest fielding percentage (.998), fewest errors (1), consecutive errorless games (110) and consecutive errorless chances (543). Maine baseball coach Steve Trimper said Bordick had an "outstanding career" and by returning to school to earn his degree he showed "what kind of overachiever he is." Maine director of athletics Blake James called Bordick an "excellent representative of our program. He has done a great job representing us as a student-athlete and well beyond his time at Maine." Trimper said he likes the fact his current players will receive the opportunity to learn about "what people have done in the past. It will give them an education about the history of the program." He also stressed the importance of having the alums "stay involved" with the program in various ways such as "attending games or helping sponsor some of these events. "From day one, what has blown me away is the outstanding support the program receives from alums, the friends group, the community and the state. It's unlike any other place. That's what makes it special," said Trimper.

MFS62 Jul 07 2006 11:08 AM

Alex Escobar was called up this week by the Nats. He pinch hit a triple and scored a run. Later

metirish Jul 07 2006 05:21 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jul 07 2006 07:17 PM

I didn't even think Escobar was still playing, Seo to pitch tonight against the yankees. EDIT:...just tuned to the yankee game and Seo is wearing # 98.

Iubitul Jul 07 2006 06:11 PM

[url=http://www.liducks.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=gameRecaps]Bill Pulsipher Signs With Ducks, Throw 7 scoreless innings that night[/url] ](Central Islip, N.Y., July 6, 2006) – After signing with the Ducks on Thursday afternoon, there was only one thing more that Bill Pulsipher wanted – the ball. Manager Don McCormack handed the burly lefty the ball and was delighted with what he saw as the former Cardinal tossed seven scoreless frames, allowing just three singles. With the 4-0 victory, Long Island regained sole possession of first place in the Atlantic League North Division standings by a half game. The Ducks have four games remaining in the season’s first half, while the second place Bluefish have just three. The hometown crowd cheered the West Babylon resident as he fanned four in his first start for the Ducks since Game One of the Atlantic League North Division Playoffs a year ago (9/27/05). On the evening the lefty went seven innings, allowing three hits and two walks and did not allow a single runner to go further than second base. Long Island’s offense gave the southpaw a nice lead to work with, scoring twice in the opening frame before adding a run in each of the second and seventh frames. The defense behind Pulsipher was just as impressive, turning three double plays. Offensively, Long Island was led by Bucky Jacobsen, Erick Almonte and Brad King who each drove in a run. King drilled his fifth home run of the season, which was the game’s lone extra-base hit.

seawolf17 Jul 07 2006 08:58 PM

="metirish"]I didn't even think Escobar was still playing, Seo to pitch tonight against the yankees. EDIT:...just tuned to the yankee game and Seo is wearing # 98. Interesting for the proprietors of drbtn.net, methinks.

MFS62 Jul 10 2006 10:25 AM

Carlos Baerga - doing color commentary for games broadcast on ESPN Deportes. (Spanish language version of ESPN) Later

seawolf17 Jul 10 2006 10:27 AM

MFS62 wrote: Carlos Baerga - doing color commentary for games broadcast on ESPN Deportes. (Spanish language version of ESPN) Later If that doesn't bring Cooby back, nothing will.

SteveJRogers Jul 10 2006 08:09 PM

Hey an Ex-Met is your AL Starting pitcher [url=http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060710&content_id=1550516&vkey=allstar2006&fext=.jsp]Kenny Rogers to start for the AL[/url]

GYC Jul 12 2006 11:28 AM

The Astros have acquired outfielder Aubrey Huff and cash from the Devil Rays in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Mitch Talbot and minor league infielder Ben Zobrist. In addition, the Astros have optioned outfielder Jason Lane to Triple-A Round Rock and designated minor-league infielder Joe McEwing for assignment. Ty Wigginton will likely take over full-time at third in Tampa Bay, barring another trade.

Elster88 Jul 12 2006 11:33 AM

Are those prospects studs? Or has Huff's value dropped?

seawolf17 Jul 12 2006 11:42 AM

A little of both: ]Talbot, 22, was 6-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 18 appearances, including 17 starts, for Class AA Corpus Christi of the Texas League. He ranks third in the league with 96 strikeouts in 90 1/3 innings. Zobrist, 25, was hitting .327 with three home runs and 30 RBI in 82 games for Corpus Christi. He leads the Texas League with six triples and ranks second in batting average.

MFS62 Jul 16 2006 08:37 AM

]Joe McEwing has cleared waivers and accepted his assignment to Triple-A Round Rock. McEwing was removed from Houston's 40-man roster on Wednesday. Jul. 15 - 2:12 pm et This was the assignment they designated him for. Later

SteveJRogers Jul 16 2006 11:48 AM

This fellow is getting inducteed into the Reds Hall of Fame in Cincy today No sign of him in Reds.com's preview, hopefully I can get a link later tonight. Going in with Lee May and Tom Browning

Iubitul Jul 16 2006 12:21 PM

="SteveJRogers"]This fellow is getting inducteed into the Reds Hall of Fame in Cincy today No sign of him in Reds.com's preview, hopefully I can get a link later tonight. Going in with Lee May and Tom Browning this picture just conjures up all sorts of bad memories.. Freaking Young... Freaking Grant....

SteveJRogers Jul 16 2006 05:07 PM

Frayed Knot Jul 16 2006 09:04 PM

He threw out the first pitch (about 40 ft worth) to Bench in today's game.

SteveJRogers Jul 16 2006 09:50 PM

Frayed Knot wrote: He threw out the first pitch (about 40 ft worth) to Bench in today's game. Arguably the greatest non one year battery (Spahn-Berra 1965 Mets for example) in baseball history Heh, OE: I may now have to edit out "non-one year" because thanks to UMD, turns out the only game the two played in together, Yogi didn't catch! He was a pinch hitter! Maybe Grove-Cochrane as well

SteveJRogers Jul 16 2006 11:20 PM

Here is a Cincy Enquirer article on May 20th on Seaver and his Cincy Days [url]http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060520/SPT04/605200333/1071[/url] ]Seaver enjoyed stint with Reds Wanted to go into Hall with Pete Rose BY JOHN ERARDI | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Long before Tom Seaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1992, he was thinking how cool it was going to be up on the dais with Pete Rose, his teammate on the 1977 Reds. "My last year (in baseball) was 1986, and Pete's last year was 1986, so that meant we were going to be going in together," Seaver said Friday. "Of course that thought crossed my mind. It would have been impossible for it to have not crossed my mind." That thought no longer crossed Seaver's mind when Rose was banished from baseball in 1989 for his involvement in gambling. Seventeen years later, Rose remains on the outside looking in when it comes to baseball and the Hall of Fame. Seaver, meanwhile, still has the highest percentage of votes (98.84 percent) in the 70-year history of the Hall of Fame. "The only reason that nobody before received a bigger percentage of votes is only because there were some older writers who weren't going to vote for anybody on the first ballot, no matter who the player was," Seaver said. "I mean, Joe DiMaggio didn't make it on the first ballot. How much more do you need to know?" Seaver's comments came on a day-long series of brief interviews to promote MasterCard's "Pay Pass," which allows "contact-less" payment. Seaver agrees with the experts that Rose might have been the first unanimous electee in Hall history had he not gotten into trouble. "It's difficult to imagine what might have been (had Rose not been banished)," Seaver said. "I'm like everybody else. I wish it (Rose's betting on baseball) had never happened." Seaver was arguably the best pitcher in baseball when he was traded by the Mets to the Reds. "That was a tremendous group (of starting eight) players that I joined in 1977," Seaver recalled. "What nobody realized at the time is that it was a team in transition." Despite the fact that Seaver was 14-3 with the Reds in 1977 (he was acquired June 15 and three days later pitched a three-hit shutout in Montreal), the team - which was coming off consecutive world championships in 1975 and '76 - finished 10 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Seaver said he had great chemistry with catcher Johnny Bench. "I remember one time he came out to the mound when I was getting hit early - single, double, single ... and all he said was, 'Are you even trying?' and then just turned around and walked away. I went out behind the mound with my back to home plate and just busted out laughing. John knew that all I needed to do was exhale. We won the game 4-2 and I got the win." In only five seasons with the Reds, Seaver was 75-46 (.620 winning percentage, seventh-best in club history), was an All-Star in 1978 and 1981 and, on June 16, 1978 at Riverfront Stadium, pitched his only major-league no-hitter. "I'll never forget - even though it was 25 years ago - that we had the best record in baseball (66-42, .611, in the strike-shortened season) in 1981, but they (Major League Baseball) aced us out of the playoffs by splitting the season into two halves," Seaver said. "They wanted the big-market teams to make it to the World Series (which is what happened, as the Dodgers beat the Yankees, 4 games to 2) and the hell with the 1981 Cincinnati Reds. "Do I still sound upset?" asked Seaver, laughing. Seaver, 61, who has his first batch of grapes from Napa Valley, Calif., "in the oak" that will be sold as wine next year, will be inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame this summer, with Tom Browning and Lee May. They were voted in by fans last year. "It's an honor," Seaver said.

SteveJRogers Jul 17 2006 08:20 AM

Wrong thread...

Yancy Street Gang Jul 17 2006 09:18 AM

]Seaver, 61 Somehow, I find that hard to believe.

ScarletKnight41 Jul 17 2006 09:57 AM

November 17, 1944. Yup© - the math is correct.

Edgy DC Jul 17 2006 11:34 AM

I always thought that Fernandomania jaked him out of the 1981 Cy Young Award. Looking back now, though, I guess Fernando pulls into the lead with his 26 more innings pitched.

Edgy DC Jul 19 2006 10:13 AM

Mike Adams got traded from Cleveland to San Diego. Wasn't he a Met in uniform but not in appearance?

SteveJRogers Jul 19 2006 10:27 AM

Edgy DC wrote: Mike Adams got traded from Cleveland to San Diego. Wasn't he a Met in uniform but not in appearance? I don't think they ever called him up.

MFS62 Jul 19 2006 10:27 AM

Octavio Dotel pitched in a rehab minor league game last night. 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K, 0 BB. Later

Johnny Dickshot Jul 21 2006 08:47 AM

Dotel had a setback last night. Too bad for Dotel, great for the Jays, Chisox, Tigers, Red Sox, Met fans, etc etc etc. Gibby Gets Tough

Edgy DC Jul 21 2006 08:51 AM

Pretty messed up that yesterday he was calling Gibbons unprofessional and today it's reported that he was undermining the guy.

Yancy Street Gang Jul 21 2006 09:15 AM

From the Daily News: ]Going to bat for housing By LORE CROGHAN DAILY NEWS BUSINESS WRITER Friday, July 21st, 2006 Mo Vaughn, who struck out as a New York Met, is hoping to be a bigger hit now for the city. The hulking first baseman, who retired from baseball because of a wrecked knee, is fixing up run-down low-income housing as his second career. A hero for the Red Sox in Boston, the southpaw slugger decided to start his post baseball life here, to make amends for his Big Apple struggles. "I owed it to people to rectify things," Vaughn told the Daily News. Just two years after launching his company Omni New York with mergers and acquisitions lawyer Eugene Schneur, Vaughn's on his sixth renovation project - a pair of apartment buildings at 1971 and 1975 Grand Ave. in Morris Heights in the Bronx. Omni closed a week ago on the $8.1 million purchase of the 83-unit complex - where tenants haven't had hot water in six months because of a busted boiler. Monday, Omni parked an 18-wheeler with a temporary boiler outside the buildings - to give residents hot water while the busted boiler gets repaired. Yesterday, cardboard cartons filled with kitchen cabinets sat on the sidewalk awaiting installation. Many apartment kitchens don't have cabinets, refrigerators or stoves. Other repairs will include new roofing, new windows, new floors, a new security system with lots of video cameras and a paint job. The tenants - who receive Section 8 assistance - will not pay higher rents after the rehab's done. "We're here to do the right thing so people can live like they're supposed to," Vaughn said yesterday to reporters who were invited to tour the property. When Vaughn set out on his second career, some people wondered whether he was serious. Mayor Bloomberg and city housing officials asked, "Do you really want to do something, or do you just want to plant trees?" Schneur recalled. Vaughn - who had done lots of charity work in Boston - was dead serious. But it did take time to adjust to the business world's 9-to-5 routine after his 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. ballpark schedule, he said. To shorten their learning curve, he and Schneur found a joint-venture teammate, Robert Bennett, who has 15 years of experience in affordable-housing development. Vaughn discovered his famous name made it easier to get bankers to take his phone calls. The trio has bought and renovated two apartment complexes in Mott Haven, the Bronx - and is completing rehabs in East New York, Brooklyn and Nassau County, as well as constructing a new building in upstate Seneca County. As a ballplayer, Vaughn was all about home runs. But as an affordable-housing developer, he's comfortable with hitting singles - meaning smaller projects like the Morris Heights buildings. "Collectively, it all adds up," he explained. Nationwide expansion comes next. He has signed contracts for properties in inner-city Miami, Gillette, Wy., and Lafayette, La. He vows to keep working until he's built his business into something big, "bigger than IBM," as he sometimes jokes to Schneur. "We're gonna tackle it until we get tired," Vaughn said. "And we've got a lot of energy."

MFS62 Jul 21 2006 10:08 AM

SteveJRogers wrote: ="Edgy DC"]Mike Adams got traded from Cleveland to San Diego. Wasn't he a Met in uniform but not in appearance? I don't think they ever called him up. Huh? I thought I saw his name in a Norfolk box score within the past week. Maybe it was the completion of a suspended game? Later

OlerudOwned Jul 21 2006 12:05 PM

Taking Shea Hillenbrand's vacated roster spot, it's Jason Phillips.

ScarletKnight41 Jul 21 2006 05:03 PM

Does anyone know where I can find the Rico Brogna, Good Fit thread? I've looked around, but I can't find the link.

Elster88 Jul 21 2006 05:06 PM

Rico Brogna must be in the archives somewhere. This is the current one.

Willets Point Jul 21 2006 05:09 PM

All the previous iterations of this thread are linked earlier in this thread, but here they are again. Willets Point wrote: History of a good fit: Part 1 (EZBoard, watch for popups) Part 2 Part 3 (Rico gets no love in the title)

ScarletKnight41 Jul 21 2006 05:17 PM

Thanks Willets

Edgy DC Jul 25 2006 12:12 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jul 25 2006 12:50 PM

Rick Reed, Hall of Famer.

SteveJRogers Jul 25 2006 12:37 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jul 25 2006 12:40 PM

ABG wrote: Klapisch sez Darling to join the SNY booth with Cohen and Hernandez. Example 1A of over-sentimentality. Darling is among the worst announcers I've heard this side of Bill Maas. http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMTQmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY4NDgxNjUmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2 OE Opps, thought I hit the edit button and I hit the reply button! Darling did the Nationals last year rendering my question answered

SteveJRogers Jul 25 2006 12:39 PM

="SteveJRogers"] ABG wrote: Klapisch sez Darling to join the SNY booth with Cohen and Hernandez. Example 1A of over-sentimentality. Darling is among the worst announcers I've heard this side of Bill Maas. http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMTQmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY4NDgxNjUmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2 Any change to that thought ABG? Just curious, not being a wisen-heimer or anything Vic Sage Jul 25 2006 04:05 PM i didn't see if you mentioned this already, but Jason Tyner is playing CF for the Twins these days. SteveJRogers Jul 26 2006 02:44 PM [url=http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060726&content_id=1576202&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy]Randy Johnson's personal catcher has been DFA[/url] MFS62 Jul 28 2006 01:57 PM (This could have been in the Tides thread, too.) Matt Ginter was the winning pitcher in last night's game against the Tides. Ginter is currently 4-10 with a 3.66 ERA for Indianapolis in the International League. Side note: Fonzie went 0-4 and is now on the Interstate. LAter SteveJRogers Jul 28 2006 09:21 PM [url=http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/news_story/?ID=172655&hubname=mlb]Mike Stanton moves to San Fran[/url] Edgy DC Jul 30 2006 03:36 AM Our common threads for today: light hitting infielders from the Seaverless interregnum and Kentucky. Doug Flynn. Tim Foli.